The Potsdam Royals (6-7) head into Cologne to face the 5-6-1 Cologne Crocodiles Sunday, September 2 in a do or die matchup to decide the fourth and final playoff spot on the German Football League North conference.
The two teams met earlier in the year and Cologne came away with a one point win, 42-41.
The Royals are the fourth place team in the GFL North with a record of 6-7 while the Cologne Crocodiles are fifth at 5-6-1. Potsdam has just one game left in the regular season, this one. If Potsdam wins, they move on to post season play. However, should the Crocodiles defeat Potsdam and then win their final game against the 0-12 Hamburg Huskies, they would claim fourth and a date in the quarterfinals.
So there is a lot at stake.
The Crocodiles have lost six games in a row, a losing skid that stretches back to their last win on June 16.
In latest loss, to the Dresden Monarchs, Cologne quarterback Bradley Strauss threw for 129 yards and has now fallen to ninth among all quarterbacks in Germany averaging 187.7 yards passing a game.
Cologne running back Shayeen Edwards has dropped to third among all rushers in the GFL with 993 yards and 8 TDs and he was held to 63 yards in the loss to Dresden. As Edwards goes, so go the Crocodiles offense and in those six losses, he gained a total of 304 yards or an average of 50 yards a game. Although Strauss has thrown 20 touchdown passes in 12 games, he has not thrown one in two games.. However, he has only thrown seven interceptions so far this year in 303 pass attempts.
The Royals have had 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 has the fifth highest scoring offense in Germany averaging 29.6 points and 359.5 yards per game.
Royals quarterback Austin Gahafer threw for 245 yards and 4 TDs in a big win over Kiel and is 4th in passing yardage with 2,755 yards after 13 games and Danish WR Frederik Myrup Nielsen his top receiver, is still the 5th leading receiver in Germany 1,071 yards after a 121 yard day against the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes. Potsdam running back Tyvis Smith gives the Royals gives his team a potent running attack is the top rusher in Germany with 1,397 yards and 11 touchdowns.
This game promises to be terrific.
