For many years the Chiefs have been attempting to turn the corner to be listed as one of the top four teams in the league.
In fact, for several years the same four teams locked down those spots. But in 2015 for the first time we are seeing other teams get some burn, enter the Chiefs.
Sitting at 4 – 2 the Chiefs have already clinched a spot in the 2015 playoffs, where they will seed is a different story which makes their match up vs the Immortalz from Pennsylvania so important.
The reigning Pennsylvania Champs Immortalz are coming across state lines for the first time since the playoffs last season. Despite the losing fashion of the game the Immortalz opened a lot of eyes to their level of talent by taking SWG to the brink in a fascinating 28 – 27 nail biter.
The Immortalz are led by Alsaiah “Woog” Gross #11 who despite his frame is one of the more athletic quarterbacks in the game. A pure playmaker at the position Woog loves to get his team mates involved by spreading the love but lets not get confused with his attachment of his team mates for humility as he will also tuck it in and lower his shoulder if the situation calls for it.
Woog is combined on an offense with World War Z Justin Zeiner who caught two touchdowns against SWG in the aforementioned playoff game. Smaller in size Zeiner is a Wes Welker or Julian Edelman type wide out with great speed and the right amount of route running to compensate for his size.
The Immortalz are also a significant ground team. The addition of All-Star and Player of the Year candidate Charles Irvin formerly of both A-Team and the Misfits give the Immortalz a running game they were clearly missing against SWG year ago. Although Woog’s wheels speak for itself most of his runs came when the offensive line broke down and he was forced to take off for himself. The addition of Irvin will keep the Chiefs defense locked in and won’t allow them to over pursue and just focus on the QB.
The heart of the team though comes from Nic Davis aka Buff Neck who plays both sides of the ball from the end position. A bit smaller in stature this Tight End / Defensive End hybrid can do it all from catching passes and making defenders miss to making tackles and if he wants dropping back in coverage to stop the passing game.
The Chiefs are coming off a disappointing loss this past week against a Baltimore Cobras team who has now won three home games against visiting NJ squads this season.
By now we all have a great sense of what the Chiefs can do. They are heavy up front on both sides of the ball, with great speed coming from the outside. The Chiefs offensive line is often overlooked as a main piece of the success the running game has.
With Jesse Martinez and T-Bone running things in the backfield they need holes to open up and their offensive line does it better than most. Led up front by Julio Yunes andAndrew Pallotto Jr the Chiefs pride themselves on foot work and solid all around trench warfare. Granted the quickness and speed of the offensive scheme certainly gives the Chiefs an edge like no other but these guys up front pave the way for the running game on all sides of the gridiron.
The player that rarely gets talked about is Ricky Diaz #3 at tight end. Not utilized often for specific reasons, Diaz is tall and lengthy, has great extension of his arms both in blocking situations and fending off defenders trying to stop him from catching the ball. Diaz is not your ultimate play maker but when his name is called he rarely fails to answer.
Depth is a huge factor for the Chiefs who roster about 25 players al of whichl get their chance to make plays. No more than Will Woodley who can more times than not be seen floating around the opposing offenses backfield making plays. Several occasions this season I have witnessed first hand as Woodley makes his linemen miss and is making a big play on the QB that sets them up in a long distance situation or forces the defense to turn it back over to the Chiefs offense.
There is absolutely no doubt who the Chiefs are. They are powerful bangers who will slowly but surely make the opposing team feel it. The Immortalz had a few issues with protecting Woog in the playoffs last season and although they won the PA championship a year ago they will need to protect better if they plan on slowing down the Chiefs pass rush.
The Chiefs are poised to come back following a tough loss in Baltimore. But the Immortalz are back to make a name for themselves, not just in Pennsylvania but in all of the A7FL.
