This coming weekend Poland will host the final three games of the Polish Football League regular season. Outside of the number one seed – the KS Bydgoszcz Archers, who have already finished their regular season – each team will be, in one way or another, in charge of their own playoff destiny.
The PFL wild-card round will begin on 26th June with the three to six seed battling it out in the hope of advancing to the semi-final where they will meet the one and two seed the following week – who have just benefited from the obvious advantages a bye week provides.
The Falcons and Lowlanders will be battling it out for that second place spot and a bye week with the third place having to play a wild-card game against one of the lower seeded teams. The Kings have already secured their wild-card spot but this weekend’s outcome will decide where they are seeded. The Mets and Rebels are still vying for a playoff spot, if they win they’re in, but if they lose then they could be knocked out by the Eagles who will have to win by a big margin to get that last playoff spot.
Tychy Falcons #2
Tychy were without a doubt PFL favorites this year, even in a league that felt wide open after the departure of Wroclaw Panthers. The dynamic presence of QB Jules St. Ge and safety LaParish Lewis along with a strong Polish receiving contingent made them the envy of the league; but in just the third game for the Falcons St. Ge went down with a knee injury forcing Lewis to take up the mantle. It didn’t take long for the team to bring in Gabriel Losada, the gun-slinger who previously played in France and Spain, but after a dominant performance in his first game he too went down with a wrist injury in his second in a painful loss to the Archers – his injury status remains unknown. As the team cautiously goes into the final game of the season against the Lowlanders, who they are currently tied with, they will have to do everything they can to secure themselves a bye week.
Lowlanders Białystok #3
The Lowlanders have sneakily been winning games since the start of the season with their only loss coming against a strong Archers team led by league MVP Jake Schimenz. Starting lefty QB Derrick Evans Jr has not only shown he can throw a perfectly placed deep ball but also that he can rip off chunks of yardage with his legs. If the team can beat a limping Tychy side they will secure the number two spot and a bye week.
Krakow Kings #4
This side has been all about Alonzo Brock. The 230 pound linebacker turned running back is a monster, too big and powerful to tackle in most cases. He has been tearing through defences allowing Polish QB Filip Moscicki to utilize play-action and play a more manageable game. The team will need to play a good game against David Ash and the Warsaw Mets but should be able to secure the win and their wild-card spot.
Warsaw Mets #5
Mets have been an intriguing team this year. The team secured Head Coach Jake Hale who brought with him Texas Longhorn star David Ash. Ash walked away from football during his Junior year of college after a string of concussions. He would later come back to football and spend time in the Spring League and with the Carolina Panthers before making his way to Poland. Ash has struggled at times as the offence has been plagued by dropped passes but Ash has proven that he has the ability to compete at the highest level in the States so cannot be counted out. The defence has also benefited massively from Zachery Blair whose motor and toughness has led to multiple turnovers and momentum shifts. The Mets will be fighting for the last playoff spot but have all the tools to win that fight.
Silesia Rebels Katowice #6
The Rebels have been led by QB Jon Mullin who has shown grit and determination in the face of adversity when the team has been down. He will likely use his legs as they have served him well in the past but look for playmaker Devion Young to be the deciding factor in the contest. Young has dominated all three phases of the game and with arguably the Rebels weakest opponent, the Eagles, ahead of them they will feel that they have the playoffs well within their reach.
Warsaw Eagles #7
Believe it or not the winless Eagles can still make the playoffs. They will need to not only win the game but win it by a great margin as they will need to overtake either the Rebels or the Mets in point differentials. The young Polish side has struggled this year but import Darrain Winston has been an absolute monster on both offence and defence. If anyone can turn the game around it will be him, whether the final hurdle is just that bit too high is another question in itself.
Make sure to watch all the action this coming weekend on AFI.tv.