LIVESTREAM Germany: Munich Cowboys @ Ravensburg Razorbacks, July 17, 15:00 CET, (3 pm, 09:00 am ET)

Vincent Lospinuso | American Football | 07/17/2022

Following a week long break, the German Football League concludes its first week back with a battle of David and Goliath in the South as the Munich Cowboys (5-0) look to keep their undefeated streak alive against the Ravensburg Razorbacks (1-4).

With a win, Munich would improve to 6-0 and enjoy their best start in over a decade and would position themselves to be near locks for the postseason. Add to this the fact that the Cowboys head coach, Nadine Nurasyid, is already historic as the first female head coach in GFL history, and this game takes on even greater significance for Munich.

On the side of the Razorbacks, if they were to win this game, they would reverse the negative vibe following the team after four straight losses by over double digits. It would also put them in fifth place in the division, just behind the fourth place Saarland Hurricanes.

The last time these two squared off against each other was June 13 of last year where it was the Razorbacks who in their first season competing in the top division in the GFL edged the Cowboys at home by a score of 27-26. This loss didn’t deter Munich as they went on to capture third place in the division.

This game will be decided by the teams’ passing ability against the other, as it will come down to what team is able to stop any passing opportunities from the opponent’s offense.

For the Cowboys, quarterback Wyatt Smith has been having a good season, throwing for 1,051 yards, 13 touchdowns, completing 72.5 % of his passes, third best in the league. Wide receiver Kai Silbermann is Smith’s main target with 30 receptions for 325 yards and six touchdowns. However, it is the team’s pass defense that has stood out, ranked number one in the GFL. Munich has only allowed opposing teams 5.2 yards per pass, 123 yards per game, five touchdowns while picking off a total of five passes for the season.

Ravensburg on the other hand has not been as fortunate. Starting quarterback Alexander Kronborg Bjerre has missed the last two games with an injury and is still uncertain. If he isn’t ready to go, Sean O’Meara will be back in as the starter. As the starter for the last two games, O’Meara has thrown for 432 yards and two touchdowns, with a 114 passer rating. Against the Cowboys defense, the Razorbacks are going to need a game-changing performance from their passing game in order to have a chance at winning this game.