The Stockholm Mean Machines and Örebro Black Knights will be facing off for their second time in this 2023 Superserien season when they tangle at Behrn Arena in Örebro on Saturday, May 27th.
This matchup is definitely going to be an interesting one as the teams are sitting on opposite ends of the Superserien. Stockholm, who are undefeated at 3-0, look to continue their dominant winning streak. On the other end, Örebro sits winless at 0-3 in search for their first win of the 2023 season.
Last time these two teams faced off it was domination from the Mean Machines. Led by a four-touchdown performance from quarterback Mark Pappas, Stockholm easily handled the Black Knights with a 48-12 final.
The story of the season for the Mean Machines has been the red-hot play of Pappas. Not only does he top the league in passing yards (871), but he is also tied for the most passing touchdowns (6). Pappas has also done a great job of keeping the ball out of defenders’ hands, only throwing one interception.
Look for head coach Fredrik Pilbäck and Pappas to continue their dominance in the air. Stockholm also has three receivers in the top five of league receiving yards. This includes Anton Blomgren (221), Matthew Retzlaff (220), and Robin Gavelin-Miranda (128).
On the other side, the Örebro Black Knights are struggling and it is very apparent why. This is a team who has played in the last two Superserien championship games, even winning the league in 2021. However, this year looks to be a completely different story.
While their star quaterback Trevor Vasey, has struggled, you cannot point fingers at him. The Black Knights defense has struggled too. They have given up the most points to opposing teams so far in 2023 with 117. The next closest team are the Carlstad Crusaders, with 63.
Their offense has not done much to keep them in games either. Trevor Vasey was a QB who led the Swedish league in practically every single passing category, throwing for over 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2022. This season Vasey is sitting in the middle of the pack with 492 passing yards, along with four touchdowns and four interceptions.
The key for head coach Micael Jönnson and the Black Knights on Saturday is to somehow try and stop an offense that put up nearly 50 points on them in their first meeting. Once they can get things done on defense, then maybe Vasey and the offense can operate more efficiently.