After nearly 27 years of YFFL action, you think you've seen just about everything, and then a game like this comes along.
19 total TDs (including 1 thrown by a wide receiver) and 10 FGs (including 7 from one player!) totaled up to the league's highest scoring game of all-time, an NFC Championship berth for the Chickens and the end of a 2 year title reign for the White Guys.
The Chickens got off to a hot start on Thursday night with 2 TDs from RB Ezekiel Elliott and didn't let up when the Sunday games kicked off as they pressed their advantage to the tune of 60 points before halftime of the 1pm games. This was due in large part to Drew Brees, who continued his playoff heroics by delivering the finest game in his already storied playoff career. Competing in his 20th playoff game(!), Brees tossed five touchdowns and ran for another en route to 40 points, a new playoff record. Joining the fun were Emmanual Sanders (1 TD caught, 1 TD thrown) and George Kittle (1 TD) as GM Nick Wood's trade acquisitions continued to yield huge dividends.
However, the defending champs weren't going down without a fight. MVP favorite QB Lamar Jackson continued his brilliant run by totaling 3 TDs and kicker Jason Sanders bested his season total with an incredible 7 FGs to keep the White Guys alive into the late games. 2017-2018 playoff hero Todd Gurley tallied 10 points, but it wasn't enough as the Chickens ended the day with a comfortable 12-point win.
They will now move on to square off with the Mallards with a shot at a Super Bowl title on the line.
Meanwhile, the other playoff delivered its own drama, albeit in a slightly more subdued manner.
After a regular season of defying expectations, the Thugs looked to continue their miraculous 2019 run by building a modest lead early in the day behind Sam Darnold's 12 points and a Dalvin Cook touchdown as they waited for Tom Brady and the rest of Bear Poop's Patriots to kick off later in the day.
However, Kansas City and New England failed to match their offensive fireworks from a year ago as Brady and company sputtered, leaving the door open for a Thugs victory if they could outlast Cooper Kupp and Greg Zuerlein on Sunday night. Despite a Kupp TD, the Thugs managed to pull out the victory when Zuerlein's lone FG attempt that would have delivered a Bear Poop victory was incredibly blocked.
The Thugs will now try to continue their cinderella story next week with a match-up against the playoff favorite Burger Buddies, who enter the postseason winners of their last 5 games and eyes firmly set on the Super Bowl title that eluded them last season.
However, there's been a certain magic to this Thugs team that missed the playoffs a year ago, lost Andrew Luck and his 217 points to a surprise retirement just weeks before the season, and yet managed to win 8 games and now have a shot at their first Super Bowl berth in 9 years. Plus, don't forget that they handed the Buddies one of their two losses this season.
The road to Super Bowl XXVII rolls on!