The Berlin Rebels (3-4-1) will host the unbeaten Potsdam Royals (8-0) in final home game of the year for the Rebels as the German Football League regular season winds down.
In the first meeting between these two teams this year, in the highest scoring game of the season in the GFL, Potsdam beat the Rebels 81-56.
Berlin enters the game having won three of their last four. Last week, they suffered their first defeat in a month losing to the Dresden Monarchs 49-21 after having won three in a row, beating the Dusseldorf Panther 55-13, the Berlin Adler 49-44 and the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 33-28.
Meanwhile, Potsdam has shown no signs of slowing down. They scored 165 points in the last three games against the second, third and fourth ranked teams (Braunschweig New Yorker Lions, Cologne Crocodiles and Berlin Adler) in the GFL North.
Still, Berlin quarterback Donovan Isom leads an exciting Rebels offense onto the field. The Rebels passing attack has averaged 291.5 yards a game (6th in GFL) behind the second-year passer who has thrown for 2,297 yards and 21 touchdowns. Isom’s massive 6’5 250-pound frame makes him hard to bring down as he can extend plays and find receivers downfield. Isom will surely target receiver Robert Downs III who has 41 catches for 911 yards and 11 touchdowns along with Nigel Westbrooks who leads the team with 935 yards receiving on 43 receptions and eight touchdowns. Speedy French running back Meril Zero is also a key to this explosive offense and has rushed for 639 yards.
Veterans Daniel Docal and Paul Morant lead a Rebels defense onto the field. The two experienced defensive backs hope to get their unit playing better as the Rebels are currently giving up 300.8 passing yards per game.
To say the Royals are having a great season this year is an understatement, as they have been perfect through all eight games so far. With another win (against another playoff hopeful team in the North), they will be one step closer to becoming the fourth team since 1999 to have at least one undefeated regular season (the other three being the Munich Cowboys in 2000 and 2001, Braunschweig New Yorker Lions in 2002, 2014, 2017 and 2019 as well as the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, 2021, 2019. 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014 and 2011).
Postdam has the second ranked rushing offense in the GFL and boast the league’s best passing offense with quarterback Chris Helbig’s league high 332.9 yards per game and 27 passing touchdowns for the season. Most of those passes are aimed at his dynamic duo of wide receivers Brandon Polk (964 yards, 8 TDs) and Jared Wolfe (1,123 yards, 13 TDs), who are the number one (Wolfe) and number four (Polk) receivers in the league.
Defensively, the Royals are in the bottom half of the GFL stats and clearly rely on their offense to win games. Theý have given up an average of 30.4 points and 413.8 yards per game. Still, with such a high powered offense, Potsdam will be a tough nut for the Rebels to crack.
Potsdam Royals @ Berlin Rebels, Aug. 20, 18:00 CET (6 pm, 12 noon ET)
