ELF: 5 takeaways from week 13 with playoffs and big name coach signing in focus

| American Football | 09/01/2022

Following the conclusion of the penultimate weekend in the European League of Football (ELF), we have collated a list of the key takeaways from week 12.

1. Head down, eyes closed, can’t lose

Well, you most certainly can lose if you try to play catch with Vienna Viking’s running back Anton Wegan who absolutely steam rolled the Barcelona defensive back midway through the second quarter in their win on Sunday.

2. Berlin Thunder REALLY want to be in the playoffs

Despite a shaky start and having a roster slightly lighter than the league’s top teams, the Berlin Thunder have remained resolute in their conviction that the postseason is where they belong.

To be awarded a berth the Thunder must win against the Raiders (doable), Rhein Fire must lose to Leipzig Kings (unlikely) and Frankfurt Galaxy must lose to Stuttgart Surge (impossible).

3. ELF and its big names

When ELF announced that Rhein Fire would be hiring former NFL Head Coach Jim Tomsula fans were enamored, but it made sense due to his connections with NFL Europe.

However, the recent signing of Norm Chow, another colossal name in coaching, as the Head Coach of the Helvetic Guards ELF’s newest expansion team in Switzerland, shows that our transatlantic counterparts are starting to take the league seriously

4. Was the Cologne Centurions vs Rhein Fire game recorded with an iPhone?

League production thus far has been excellent. It has made European football a genuine joy to watch, even if the quality isn’t’ always there; *cough cough Stuttgart Surge cough*.

But on Saturday, in what has to have been a gameday error, the Centurions vs Fire game looked as if it was filmed with a potato. 

For a league that prides itself on its marketability and commercial savviness, this was odd to see.

5. How are Frankfurt still in the playoff race?

Last week’s catastrophe loss to the Rhein Fire was in the end caused by a penalty on Frankfurt’s Head Coach for running onto the field.

This week, all they had to do was win by six or more points to control their playoff fate. They won by three. 

All that needs to happen now is for them to win in their game against the Surge and for the Thunder to beat the Raiders. Considering the last two weeks the team has had, they are in an excellent position.

Daniel Mackenzie is a Press Association graduate who works in journalism and communications in the third sector. Daniel began playing football for the London Warriors and Team Great Britain and has since played across Europe.