The winless Hamburg Huskies (0-10) travel to Potsdam, Germany Saturday, August 11 to take on a fading Potsdam Royals team (4-6) as the German Football League enters the last third of the season.
These two teams met once before this season when the Royals downed Hamburg 42-24.
The Royals have lost their last three games including two before the break. Before losing to the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions last week 41-13, they dropped a 45-14 decision to the Lions 45-14 and then lost 14-0 to the lowly Hildesheim Invaders. In fact, Potsdam has beaten only one +.500 team so far, the Berlin Rebels.
Nevertheless, the Royals have enjoyed a decent season in their first year in the GFL and have added a European Football League crown. Potsdam defeated Italy’s Milano Seamen in the European Football League final in a thriller, 43-42..
Potsdam is sixth highest scoring offense in Germany averaging 30.4 points per game. The Royals are averaging 360 yards of offense a game .
Royals quarterback Austin Gahafer is the 6th leading passer with 2,242 yards and 30 TDs after nine games and his top receiver, Danish WR Frederik Myrup Nielsen has returned to the lineup after missing the last three games. Despite missing those games, he is still the 6th leading receiver in Germany with 776 yards, averaging 111 yards per game. Potsdam running back Tyvis Smith gives the Royals a major threat on the ground and is the top rusher in Germany with 893 yards and six touchdowns.
Hamburg quarterback Moritz Maack replaced Quentin Williams in two of the last three games before the break and threw for 569 yards and four touchdowns. Williams returned as the starter in the loss to the Dresden Monarhs just before the break but threw for a mere 29 yards. Running back Colby Goodwyn is carrying a heavy load and is the third leading rusher in Germany with 858 yards, averaging 85.8 yards a game.
Despite the difference in records, this one could be a tough one to predict. Hamburg’s new offensive coordinator, Kirk Heidelberg, is a veteran and the Huskies offense could surprise. Both teams face desperate situations. For Potsdam to have any chance at all of making the playoffs, they need to win this game. Hamburg needs to avoid relegation down to the GFL2.
