Classic Tecmo League

CTL 1994 SUPER BOWL

Mikeyscull and Lillefty021. These two are no stranger to each other. I just got done this week pod casting another championship game between these guys, the ATA title game. Lefty was the victor in that one in one of the most intense tecmo games I've seen before. This game should be no different. I would say these two guys are the best players right now. Numerous titles between the two of them just this year. I'm glad that CTL can be represented by such good players. In week 11 these two squared off in a great defensive struggle. Mikey edging it out 14-7.
Onto the match ups and the prediction.
QB-Philly uses a rotating QB spot between QB Eagles and "Hoss" depending on conditions. Where as Miami lets it ride in the hands of QB Chris Miller. Eagles MS at 19 and even Hoss having 13 MS, their scrambling ability might be able to get Lefty to bite and throw one deep to a streaking WR. If Lefty chooses to sit back and cover deep, might be an easy 7 yards and step out of bounds quite often for these guys. Miami was only able to complete 3 passes in the week 11 game and had a pass picked off. Miller's final numbers on that day were 3-10 1 TD, 1 INT and 106 yards. He must step his game up and have a better performance if Miami wants the ring. I give Philly the edge at QB.
RB-The Eagles shelled out a huge chunk of change in free agency to land Terry Allen. 8.3 Million to be exact. Allen had to use some of that big pay day to pay for his doctor bill, as he and fellow RB Reggie Cobb were both injured in the week 11 match up with these same Dolphins. Miami franchise tagged RB Chris Warren for the 2nd straight year this season and he makes 3.98 Million dollars. Most definitely Miami is getting more bang for their buck. Warren accrued 1,719 yards this season . Averaging over 132 yards a game and 11 yards a carry. Nod goes to Miami.
WR/TE-Two big name stars, one playing for each team. Miami is led by Henry Ellard's 63 MS and 63 REC, while Terance Mathis is the Eagles deep threat with his 63 MS and 69 REC. Its a coin flip, but I see Miami trying to run more seeing as Warren has 63 MS. Nod slightly to Philly as Mikeyscull is known a bit more for his passing than lefty is.
OL/DL-Push. No big names to factor in the playing ability. The game will not be won or loss based on these 2 match ups.
LB-Chris Spielman of the Eagles led the league in tackles this season. His tally finally finished at 75 tackles. 30+ more tackles than any other LB in CTL. Spielman also racked in 4 interceptions to make him an supreme backing beast. Skully is probably the best player with ability to use a LB. Both squads field a pretty solid unit all together with a bunch of speed, but I know Mikey will use Spielman to be effective. Spielman led the game in tackles in Week 11 with 5. Advantage Eagles
DB-Advantage to Miami. Darrien Gordon doesn't have spectacular ratings. 44 MS, 63 HP and 56 INT. But he had enough to make all pro this season and record 7 interceptions this season. Gordon even had a pick in the contest earlier against the Eagles this season. Partly for the same reason I gave the advantage to Philly at the LB, I will give it to Miami at the DB spot as I know Lefty is a beast with his secondary.
K/P-Brad Daluiso more than likely could be the MVP of this game. Strange to say, a kicker being the most valuable player in a tecmo game. His 81 Accuracy could be crucial down the stretch as these two evenly matched teams play out. In the ATA title game, Skully's Kicker missed a mid range shot and ultimately was one of the factors that cost Mikey the game. His kicker is a lot better in this league and is one of the premier at his position. Daluiso was able to go 8 for 9 on the season for a 89 percent FG clip. Eagles win this position battle.

In the end I think its destiny that Mikeyscull wins this CTL championship. He was able to dethrone the defending back to back champions New England Patriots to get here. Miami hasn't played a tough game in awhile and really hasn't played a CTL game in awhile since we have been waiting. Maybe a bit of CTL rust has came about? Chris Warren had his second worst day in their week 11 match up going for 51 yards on 8 carries. Maybe Mikey can shut down Warren one more time?

Philly wins the title 28-21.

ROUND 2 OF THE PLAYOFFS

The hottest CTL team goes up against possibly the hottest online tecmo player out. The back to back champion Patriots and TSBGOD play host to the Eagles FROM Philadelphia, controlled by mikeyscull. Mikey has a handful of online titles just this year, so if anyone can dethrone the champs its this guy. In a stellar outing WHERE the Chargers had the Patriots beat on the road in overtime in the playoffs, only to come up short because of a botched snap on a field goal attempt, TSBGOD must be breathing a sigh of relief. Most champions have "close calls" along the way. Last week was possibly his close call? Mikeyscull thinks otherwise. Maybe the Chargers were able to fink a kink in the Patriot armor. The silver arrow to slay Gannon FROM Zelda? Old school with that one. Looking at the teams, one would think if anyone could possibly beat New England the Eagles who probably had the best free agency this past year could do it. A plethora of speedy LBs might be able to contain the Steve Young/Marshall Faulk ground combination. The DBs have good enough hands and speed to make some plays on the big guns for New England. TSBGOD just doesnt lose in CTL however. In crunch time he will find a way to break the back of his opponent and get the W. It will take scullys "A" game to beat TSBGOD. QB Eagles will have a crucial fumble in the 3rd quarter will be too much for the road team to advance to the Super Bowl.

Patriots win 24-10.

I picked both of the upsets of last week's divisional playoffs and broke the bank with both being right. I had a chance to watch the Redskin/Giant game and it was a defensive battle. The tecmo gods perhaps were on Opus' side but still not enough to blame the game on luck. He did get a few crucial fumbles deep inside his own territory as the Giants seemed like they were about to march in for 6. In the end, they won the game when it counted, which is all that matters. Whether its by 1, or by 50, Washington prevailed and are hosting their first ever conference title game versus the Miami Dolphins. Strangely enough the two owners have been in private meetings; rumor has it there will be some franchise shifting and naming rights changed at season's end. Before they get to that step they must prove who the better team is on the field, and who will represent the Godzilla Conference in the 1994 Super Bowl. Looking at the teams, RB Chris Warren for the Dolphins will be a key focal point for the Skins defense. We all know Lefty loves to run and outtap anyone in his path. FS Greg Jackson for the Redskins vows to stop the run on his run to the game. "Warren's a great back, no doubt about it. But when it comes down to it, I, I mean we want our ring too bad. He will not get in our way. We want Jerry to get one bad. Hes a great receiver and has yet to taste the ultimate victory in the CTL." I think Dolphin CB Darien Gordon will be locked on Rice all day and force the Washington QB Craig Erickson(From the U) to dump down to RB Ricky Watters. Look for Watters to have a pretty good game on the ground and through the air. Watters will tally around 150 total yards and 1 score on the game. QB Chris Miller, the guy no one is talking about will come up with the game of his life and utilize the underused superstar WR Henry Ellard. Ellard will have 5 catches for 156 yards and 2 TDs as the previously mentioned Jackson will be sitting in the box to stop Chris Warren.
Miami gets another road playoff victory.
28-17.

ROUND 1 OF THE PLAYOFFS

The Patriots were everyone's favorite to three-peat this season. They narrowly escaped the deadline to reach the playoffs and once again are the #1 seed and will host any playoff game on the road to the super bowl. Teams will have to travel to the brutal conditions of Foxboro, were this week's games the game time temperatures will be in the teens I do believe. The Pats love this kind of weather. Their opponent, not so much. The Chargers are used to sunny San Diego WHERE if the temps drop below 80 it is considered a cold front. Odds makers in Vegas put the Pats as a 10 point favorite. Seems right, they come into this game at 11-2 storming through their opponents with 5 or 6 wins in the last week of the season. The Chargers have already had a playoff game so to speak. Last week's game versus Pittsburgh the Chargers knew a win and they were in. So it was due or die, and they were able to come out on top and get the 4th seed in the King Kong Conference. One thing is for sure. San Diego will compete with RB Jerome Bettis. "The bus" should get at least 20 carries in this cold, possible snowy weather and keep the dangerous and potent Patriot offense on the sidelines. Can the Bus beat the best defensive scoring unit in the Pats? New England is netting an average of 10.92 points per game given up. CB Ray Buchanan for the Chargers will have to come up huge with possibly the game of his life to knock off QB Steve Young and company. Buchanan brings a 75 INT rating, but only 44 MS. Will he be able to keep up with the likes of Coates, Carter, Reed, and Barnett? 1 cant cover 4 can it? Young's mobility and cannon accurate are makes him the most versatile and deadly threat in the game. A one man wrecking crew on his own. Score will be closer than what many think, but in the end Patriots home field and overall much better squad will be too much for my Tecmo Talk Radio partner in crime.

Patriots advance 24-10.

The Bengals and Eagles meet for the third time this season. This meeting being the most important to date. In the regular season the Bengals handed Philly 2 of their 4 losses in route to the division crown for the 2nd straight year. One being a 14-0 blanking of the the Eagles in week 10. It came down to the wire to see if the Bengals would be the home city for the King Kong Conference playoffs, but with a last second thrilling loss in OT to the eventual #1 seeded Patriots, RB Emmitt Smith and company will have to go on the road if they prevail this week against the stingy Eagle defense. The Bengals defense is stingy as well on defense. They led the league with an average of 163 yards total offense. When asked about this week's game, Smith had this to say, "I've played these guys before. Both in my pro career and in my 8 bit nintendo career. Not too different. They just are not on my level. I'm not one to trash talk, but until they beat us, we are the big dogs." Smith might be a big dog, but he definitely better come hungry and ready to eat. The Eagles will not roll over and play dead, not be happy with a morale victory, not be satisfied with just making the playoffs. Mikeyscull probably the hottest owner going now in online tecmo with a bazillion titles in the last few months has that going for him. The revolving door at QB, a great tandem in the elusive QB Eagles, and Jeff Hostetler has proved an effective combination. An intriguing stat that I analyzed is that both defenses are the most effective right after the half. Each team gave up an average of 0.54 points per game. Of course overtime games skew this number, but still a ridiculous number. Basically they shutout the opposition after a good pep talk at the half. The Bengals have the more talented team, but not a deficit the skully can not overcome. My favorite game to watch this week and we have to pick a winner. Emmitt holds true to his word with 12 carries for 123 yards and 2 scores to prevail for a conference championship rematch with the team that cost him his ring last year, the Patriots.

Bengals 20-17.

Buffalo plays host to Miami in this Godzilla conference opening round match up in the playoffs. If you would have asked Mort after his week 1 lost to Houston ,a 31-0 thumping to the hands of Houston, if he thought he would have had a shot at home field advantage, the answer probably would have been no. Mort is one of those guys who when all these polls go out about "WHO THE BEST IS" for whatever reason this man is always left out or down on the list. The knock on Mort has been his 0 championship rings. Well, in case you didn't know, or hear for that matter(not that Chris played it 9039390 times on the show last week), my man Mort "finally did it!" He joins the ranks of tecmo elite with a championship ring. Getting the monkey of his back, I see more in the very near future for Mort. Onto his opponent. Lefty, slim Jim Vogt. Chris, lefty's brother mind you, asked me a few weeks back on the show who I thought the best player was playing today. My answer was the Dolphin owner. Lefty is an enormous tapper who plays great defense. With scrub like RBs he's always atop the leader board in rushing. Well given lets just say the best back in the league MS wise, and Lefty is almost unbeatable. RB Chris Warren and his 63 MS was too much for the CTL to handle as he was nominated for all league honors with a rushing total of 1739 rushing yards. That is a whopping 11 yards per carry. Basically every time he runs the football, its another first down. Miami lead the league in total offense with an average of 268 total yards a game. How did Miami lose 5 games? LB Junior Seau cashed in on a huge pay day in the off season. 5.8 million a season, Seau was brought to Orchard Park for a championship. It is Warren will control the clock, smash LB Junior Seau in the mouth and rack up 157 yards on the ground and 3 TDs as a huge upset in terms of seeding will occur.

Miami moves on 31-14.

3 things in this life are certain. Death, Chicago Cubs ultimate choke jobs, and Eifer in the CTL playoffs. Once again the G-Men sit high up in the standings and earn #2 seed in the Godzilla conference. Squeaking out a divisional crown, after last season mopping up the competition onto a undefeated regular season, only to fall short in the Super Bowl to the Patriots, the Giants are itching for their first ever CTL ring. They have fallen short two times already and look to get back to the big dance. QB Jim Everett had an insane season; 122-255, 2,723 yards and 30 Tds to only 7 ints. That's a QB rating of 114.2. In Eifer's way, is a rookie owner in the CTL, Opus. Opus has led the hogs FROM DC to a 9-4 record, an amazing record for a three seed. Led on offense by WR Jerry Rice, this will be an intriguing match up. Rice hauled in 44 receptions for 1,670 yards and 18 scores. Giants are primarily known for their stellar LB play. Their defensive secondary is pretty weak in terms of interception power. The only DB that will pose any threat to the Erickson-Rice combo probably will be Jimmy Spencer and his 63 INT rating. Even then though, Spencer only has a 38 MS, so odds are he wont be able to keep up with Jerry. I see Rice having a career day as I will roll with a second upset of the first round in picking Washington to slide by New York.

Washington wins 21-14.

WEEK 13 GAME OF THE WEEK

Lefty's recent 2 game slide has left the door open for Eifer and the Giants. Can Eifer hold the home-field advantage? If he wins this matchup, there is a good possibility these two teams will meet again the very next week. If Miami wins, they will be playing at Joe Robbie Stadium. If New York gets the W, the brutal Meadowlands. I'm not sure the fighting fish can survive back to back weeks out of water in the frigid, frozen turf of New Jersey. One thing Miami has going for them, Lefty is the hottest tecmoer out there today I feel, and losing 3 games in a row is quite a feat for him. Eifer's lack of playing might bight him and cost him a home playoff game. He still has quite a few games to play and still can slip up and not even make the playoffs. Wins out, he's in, loses its still up in the air, he would need some outside help in that case. As for the game, Dolphin RB Chris Warren has a monster game and gets 134 yards on the ground on 17 carries with 2 TDs. Giant QB Jim Everett will throw 2 costly picks late in the 2nd half and be the cushion that lefty needs for the game and the division.

Miami rolls 28-14.

WEEK 12 GAME OF THE WEEK

Skully/Vogt Part Deux in 1994. Chris' Superchargers got the 21-14 victory earlier in the season. Paybacks a bitch. Philly will show the Chargers what real tecmo is like at Veteran's Stadium this week. Both teams are in the wild card hunt, with an outside shot at the division. Would need some major help and a total Bengal meltdown. My prediction is the loser, does not make the playoffs. So in week 12 these two teams are already playing a playoff game. Philly comes in with one of the more stengious defenses in the league, WHERE as San Diego to no ones surprise is atop the leader board in league rushing. Charger RB Jerome Bettis will be the focal point for the S.D offense as well as the Eagle defense. Bettis will cough the ball up once and get held in check. This will give QB Eagles all the momentum along with the 12th man FROM the rowdy fans in Philly to get the win.

Eagles win 31-17.

WEEK 11 GAME OF THE WEEK

Week 11 has Washington playing host to Buffalo. Opus has turned some heads and leads the stacked division this season. On his heels however is Mort and his Buffalo Bills. Mort sits one game back and is just waiting for a slip up by the boys FROM D.C. Washington already won their previous meeting 23-21 in Week 3. RB Ricky Watters has guaranteed victory this week in practice. Watters said "This division is ours. Los Angles, Buffalo, whoever, it don't matter. We own this place and we will be sitting here come playoff time and guys will have to come to our place and beat us." Big words FROM the Redskin star RB. Junior Seau, Buffalo's MLB and team captain was asked about the comment of Watters, "Ricky is talking? I don't know why he is talking. Yes Washington is a good team and beat us earlier in the year. They are in first place. But Ricky talking? My talking will be on the field. Watters is not what drives that ship, 8 0 drives that ship, ya know Rice." Intense words FROM these divisional opponents. The match up I am looking forward to the most is to see who can win the battle between these stars. Watters vs. Seau. Seau wins in my eyes as Buffalo travels to the nation's capital and gets the needed W, still being in the division hunt, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Buffalo escapes 21-10.

WEEK 10 GAME OF THE WEEK

The guys who started it all on Tecmo Talk Radio. The greatest thing since sliced bread. Matlisab jumps back into CTL after a brief 4 month hiatus and takes over Cleveland this week as he faces off against Chris Vogt and his San Diego Chargers. Will their friendship prevent one FROM embarrassing the other in tecmo? Will Matt be rusty and not be able to hold off the often used RB Jerome Bettis for San Diego? Will Chris give in and let his friend win a game to get his hopes up? My take on this game, if any team has the ability to stop Bettis ground attack, it would be Cleveland. The Line backing core is pretty solid and speedy. However, I do not see this happening, Bettis gets 135 yards on 14 carries and 2 TDs as the traveling team gets the victory this week.

Chargers roll 28-14.

WEEK 9 GAME OF THE WEEK

A rematch of Week 1, the game of the week then as well, the Giants and Colts square off as we come down the stretch. These two teams will battle it out to see who can possibly grab that wild card spot in the Historic division. In the opening week of the season, the boys FROM the Meadowlands were able to go into the RCA Dome and snatch a 17-7 victory to get their season started off right. This week the Colts want to pay back the favor given to them by the week 1 loss. Currently the Giants sit at 4-3 and the Colts at 3-3. Both squads are trying to catch up to the leader of the pack in the division the Miami Dolphins, who sit at 5-1, well within reach for both clubs. QB Jim Everett, of the Giants, will have a big game this week, especially if he is able to avoid Colts ball hawk DB Eric Turner. I believe he will be able to accomplish this to the tune of 222 yards on 12 of 19 passes and 3 TDs.

Giants get one step closer to the playoffs 24-14.

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WEEK 8 GAME OF THE WEEK

For the second week in a row the Raiders are in the game of the week. This week however they are matched up with a first place team in the Miami Dolphins. Lefty has got his fighting fish playing well, sitting a top the Historic Division with a 5-1 record. This most definitely could be a playoff preview to see who will go to the Super bowl in a few weeks down the road. The Raiders who no matter how they win(6-1), their owner Al Davis always finds a way to be disgruntled and not pleased with the outcome. Will Davis be soft spoken if his team is able to travel cross country and beat one of the elite teams in the Classic Tecmo League? Or will he be his usual self and demand perfection? Rumor has it the Dolphins are taking a vacation, not at south Beach but at Myrtle Beach. I have never been to South Beach before, but choosing Myrtle over South Beach is crazy. Will this R & R be the downfall for the Dolphins. Shouldn't they be having 2 a days for this match up , instead of just chilling on the beach? I have a feeling Al Davis will like this outcome as I see the Raiders escaping with the victory in overtime due to a fumble in OT by RB Chris Warren of the Dolphins.

Raiders win 27-21.

WEEK 7 GAME OF THE WEEK

Al Davis is demanding a win this week. The tied for first in their division Raiders can not afford to lose and fall behind the division rival Washington Redskins. Al Davis demands nothing but perfection FROM the Black Hole. After being spanked last week 24-7 by mort and the Bills, Davis was calling for MRTECMOSUPERBOWL's head. "11 damn yards on 4 carries. He's the man on this team and he gets the rock 4 times. You need to adjust your play calling, or adjust your physical address come season's end." Davis commenting on RB Barry Sanders lack of involvement in the game plan. Cleveland is a top notch run stuffing team that might prove to be difficult for #20 to get some good gains. The line backing core has not performed as well as their numbers this season. They are the 6th worst rushing defense in the league. They give up an average of 85 yards per game on the ground. If Cleveland can not improve on this number, and the recent "wake-up" call to the Raiders coach, Barry Sanders will run wild. He will get 123 yards on 19 carries and 2 scores and give the Black Hole something to cheer about.

Raiders win 31-10.

WEEK 6 GAME OF THE WEEK

REVENGE! One word that was spoken the entire off-season FROM the boys FROM the jungle. The top seeded Bengalis were bounced in the conference championship game last season to the eventual Super Bowl Champion, New England Patriots. What was more frustrating, was in the regular season, the Bengalis pretty much had their way with the Pats and were able to easily get the W in that game. When all their chips in the pot, STAGED got the win when it mattered and went on to win his back to back title. Now both teams enter this game as the clear cut favorites for their conference again, both come in undefeated. Bengals are 4-0 and the Patriots 2-0. One thing is for sure, the winner will not take things for granted come playoff time, and we all know its a whole new season in the post season. Onto the game, TSBGOD has been MIA lately, and I think that will hinder his top play performance and Lord will play his "A" game and hold down his home turf and get the win. On the legs of RB Emmitt Smith to the tune of 88 yards on 24 carries and 2 TDs.

Bengals win 24-21.

WEEK 5 GAME OF THE WEEK

Why am I choosing this game as the game of the week? Well my logic comes down to the fact that its probably a safe bet to say the Bengals will take the division. Someone will win the wild card. This game might give the upper hand to one team come season's end for that distinct honor. The Chargers host the Steelers in week 5 WHERE RB Jerome Bettis will explode for over a buck 50 on the ground. Even though the Steelers have one of the better run defenses, I still see the reigning Rookie of the Year having a field day and leading his team to a victory. Vinny Testaverde, the Steeler quarterback, will try to prove otherwise as he looks for WR Brett Perriman early and often. Unfortunately, Vinny will find Ray Buchanan, who will be wearing a Charger uniform.

Chargers win 24-14.

WEEK 4 GAME OF THE WEEK

Same division. Same State. Same neighborhood. Hake and Lefty best friends square off in the week 4 match up of the Classic Tecmo League. These two teams are definitely heading in different directions. Miami rolling through the competition enters this week sitting high and atop the division at 3-0. Tampa, well not so good, 0-3. Miami has to travel the 6 hour trip and will play in a rocking Raymond James Stadium for sure. RB Chris Warren for the Phins will be dynamite with his 63 MS ability. Tampa Bay LB James Francis must play the game of his life and smack Warren in the mouth for the Bucs to escape their home field with a W. QB John Elway needs to step up and be the future hall-of-famer he really is. 0 TD passes to 4 Int tosses this year and a dismal Ryan Leaf like 39.5 QB Rating. The dog days of summer might be coming early for Tampa as I see Elway throwing a few more picks in this game and giving Lefty the extra possessions needed to come out on top.

Miami rolls 31-10.

WEEK 3 GAME OF THE WEEK

I originally picked the Philly/N.E game as the game of the week. Those eager beavers beat me in getting their game in before I could do a prediction. So I chose this battle of Lake Erie. The Dog Pound travels to face the terrible towel and the Steel Curtain. The Steelers come into this ball game with a 0-1 record and the Browns have yet to get a game in. So we really can't base a lot of stuff off of previous games, since this is so early in the season. Steeler RB Leroy Hoard vs the speedy GROUP of Brown LBs will be a great battle. Possibly the deciding factor. Hoard goes for 73 yards and 19 carries as he grinds the yards out. QB Warren Moon, the Browns captain, plays a great game on the road and delivers the knockout punch with 2 minutes left to go in the game. Hitting lesser known, and used for that matter, Tyji Armstrong for a streaking 22 yard pass to go up by 3. The Brownies defense is able to hold on for the road victory as Vinny Testaverdes bombs fall short.

Cleveland takes it 20-17.

WEEK 2 GAME OF THE WEEK

This will definitely be a slugfest in Riverfront stadium. This is probably a game that will have a lot of value come late in the season when the playoff seeding is handed out. The winner has the head start in what probably is the most competitive division in the league. Philly and Cincy both have very solid squads, and should be thought of as likely canidates to bring home the Lombardi Trophy this season. QB Eagles will have a huge day putting up career numbers. 250 yards passing with 3 TDs and he will add 23 yards on the ground as well. The Bengals will counter but come up short when QB Dave Brown throws a pick late. RB Emmitt Smith will keep his team in it, to the tune of 100 yards on 20 carries and 1 score. Brown's interception late in the fourth quarter will seal the deal as Philly DB Terrell Buckley will run off the field and hand the game ball to QB Eagles for his amazing effort.

Eagles win 31-21.

WEEK 1 GAME OF THE WEEK

How will the defending conference champs and the one loss Giants rebound this season after mowing through the competition and getting their dreams shattered in the Super Bowl last season by the Patriots? Week 1 they better bring their "A" game as they play inter-division rival, Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are led by newly signed free agent QB Joe Montana. Look for him to have a field day with WR Andre Reed, his partner in crime. The Giant secondary have no hands, so I expect to see some CCs in this one. Thurman Thomas, the Indy RB, is still his steady self and probably will rack up 80 yards on 12 carries with one score. Giant QB Jim Everett replaces the offensive player of the year last season under the helm for the G-Men. Will the pressure of seasons past get to Everett? WR Irving Fryar will amass 5 catches for 127 yards and 2 TDs as the Giants somehow manage to squeak out with the W.

Giants pull it out late in the game 28-24.