2016 Season - Week 20

In the only exciting and close Championship game of the weekend number one seed (and double seeking) Craig held on a ferocious second half challenge by AP (#7). Behind four NFC players Leamington had taken a 31-21 lead over Tring but while Craig had Le’Veon Bell & Martellus Bennett to play, AP had kicker Chris Boswell (who you’ll remember scored an NFL post season record 6 field goals last week) along with Julian Edelman and Jesse James. After Le’Veon Bell went out injured late in the first half of the game Jesse James scored a TD and AP closed the gap to 31-27 with three players left to one for Craig. However after review James was ruled down at the half yard line and 4 plays later AP’s kicker kicked a field goal to reduce the deficit to seven points. After last weeks’ record setting kicking Chris Boswell missed a PAT in the first half but when Julian Edelman scored AP was one point behind with 17 minutes left on the clock. When Pittsburgh scored a TD with just 3:36 left a PAT by Boswell would tie the game up and send AP to his first BUMSBowl after four Championship losses. However down 36-15 the Steelers decided to go for two and Craig held on by the one point Boswell had missed in the second quarter. That was tough on AP. The other Championship game was pretty much decided by halftime as Chief raced out to a 37-10 lead with just 5 minutes gone in the third quarter of the Falcons/Packers game. Two more Aaron Rodgers TD passes and a Tevin Coleman run gave Marcus a glimmer of hope down 37-23 at the half but the second half played out to a six all draw and so Chief moves on to his sixth BUMSBowl tying the appearance record set last year by Mark. The best team AP and Marcus could have selected would have put up 68 points for just $6.5m (Ryan 18pts $1m, Gostkowski 12pts $2m, Chris Hogan 12pts $0.5m, Julio Jones 12pts $2m and DeAngelo Williams 8pts $0,5m would be joined by any one of six $0.5m players who scored a TD. But AP and Marcus didn’t and so it’s double-seeking Leamington against Langley in their record-tying sixth BUMSBowl for BUMSBowl XXI in two weeks time. So take Monday 6th off work and come over and join us at HQ. Superbowl LI Both Championship games were rout’s as the home team’s got out to early leads and never looked back. In the NFC Championship game Atlanta were up 24-0 at the half and then Julio Jones scored his second TD on a 73 yard catch and run early in the third quarter to send the Packers erm, packing. Jones finished the game with 9 catches for 180 yards and two TDs. Meantime New England led 17 -9 at half-time before a 16 point third quarter iced the game as Chris Hogan did his best Julio Jones impression with 9 catches for 180 yards and two TDs (sounds familiar). So New England become the first franchise to play in nine Superbowls and their seventh in the last 16 season while Atlanta will make in their second visit to the big game. All-BUMS Voting Don’t forget to vote for your favourite players of 2016, thanks to those who have already supplied them. Remember I need (in order) your top 3 Running Backs and top 3 Receivers plus your number 1 & 2 QBs, Kickers and Coaches. Vote for your players based on BUMS points (see attached), how much you enjoy them, what they meant to their BUMS/NFL team or just the fact they were on your roster. The deadline is next Wednesday February 1st but please get your votes in as soon as possible, if you haven’t already. BUMS on ProBowl and Superbowl Seats The ProBowl is played this Sunday (a week before the Superbowl) and we will be meeting at Johnnies on Monday from 7pm to see it. Let him know if you are going, he’ll be running his ProBowl silliness game. Meanwhile the Superbowl is late on Sunday February 5th & as always Cheryl will be cooking a USA feast so let us know if you can make it. It will be an unbiased meal of New England Clam Chowder and Peach Cobbler– or maybe not. We’ll also be playing all the usual SUPERgames, more info on them next week.