Death, Taxes, Chickens

Jon Kinsman, YFFL Commissioner


November 26, 2019


Between Christian McCaffrey having a season for the ages for the Brothers, a revamped Huskers lineup on their way to 700 points for the season, and key injuries across the Chickens lineup, it wouldn't have been a huge surprise if GM Nick Wood's team ceded control of the NFC West this season.

But with just one game left to go in the 2019 regular season, here we are yet again in very familiar territory.

With a 55-37 victory over the Huskers in Week 12, the Chickens eliminated the Huskers from playoff contention (despite their remarkable point total) and maintained a 1-game lead over the Brothers in the NFC West. With a 77 point advantage over the Brothers, another NFC West title will be added to the trophy case barring a wild final week of the season.

The division title will be their 8th of the decade, and maybe their most unlikely. Averaging just 46 points a game (their second lowest total of the decade after their disastrous 2015 season) and suffering injuries to Drew Brees, James Conner and Davante Adams among others, nobody would have blamed the Chickens if they sunk out of the playoff race this season.

However, the Chickens did what they always seem to do. They won the games they needed to (a perfect 5-0 so far in the division) and made trades to bolster holes in their lineup (George Kittle, Emmanuel Sanders).

With the surging Mallards and White Guys potentially looming in the playoffs, you may think this is the end of the road for the Chickens. However, if this year has proven anything, it's this: don't count them out just yet.

Elsewhere around the league, it was a tale of high hopes and lost chances.

The Huskers were officially eliminated from the playoffs thanks to their 6th loss in the last 7 games despite averaging 50+ points per game over that span, the Merry Men laid another 19-point egg to give the upstart Thugs the AFC Wild Card, and the slide of Bear Poop reached a crescendo as they dropped their 4th straight game and now find themselves on the outside looking in of the AFC playoff race.

A showdown between Poop and the division leading Refugees in Week 13 will now determine the fate of the AFC East.