2020 Long Island EFL Week#2 Washington Football Team (1-0) vs. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)

[Long island EFL]

ARIZONA BLAZES WASHINGTON WITH SECONDS LEFT 17-14!

Arizona Cardinals back OJ Anderson (32) keeps the Cards on fire with his 106 yards rushing and two touchdowns in a great battle in the trenches, overcoming the Washington Football Team's defense 17-14! 

August 18, 2020. Phoenix, Arizona. 

On paper you'd think the Cardinals were mismatched to many teams. The Long Island Electric Football League Arizona Cardinals had it all last year at the top of their game for Coach Kevin "The Mac" Maloney! They were undefeated up to week #6, but Maloney spoke to soon telling the league it was the Cardinals' year in 2019, as the league watched his Cardinals crumble as he set his eye-on-the-prize, but was undone because of the jinx!

After losing to Paddy Brannigan's Seattle Seahawks 17-14, and then Billy O'C's defending Super Bowl Champions, Los Angeles Rams 17-14, it was clear that the Cardinals were starting to lose their sizzle as the most important point in the season closed. It all came undone in the NFC Divisional Game when they were crushed by Coach Matt "Zoo-York" Mulqueen's Carolina Panthers 49-35, sending the Cards home early, losing to three different coaches, and posing a question mark for this 2020 season. But the resilient coach and Cardinals never quit. After losing in the playoffs Coach Maloney had plenty of time to think about what went wrong for Arizona. "We just ran out of juice, and I was tired from work outside of the hobby. My guys Mel Gray and OJ Anderson had great games, Gray had 412 yards in the game and people seem to forget that! Where I fell short is in preparation. Mulqueen was just more organized. He had a better game plan and beat me on my own mistakes, thinking I could run all day.  Sometimes it doesn't work that way. I realize this is a hobby, but I really want that trophy in the end. Not every league competes for a prize other than pride. We are uniquely organized. I won a few Championships in other leagues, but this league has a great diverse group of guys, who are talented in real life, not just in the hobby of electric football. It's like having 8 Alpha personalities with the same goal ... to win!" 

The Washington Football Team in all of this controversy have kept it together on the field. Tony Green has remained a consistent force in the NFC East, and Washington is navigating their way thru new terrain with a tremendous coach in Ed Viggs. Viggs most memorable game of the many he has played in was when his then Redskins beat Billy O'C's Miami Dolphins 34-31, in Super Bowl VIII. Coach Maloney said, "It's exciting to play against Viggs. He has a history in this league and its always a huge challenge to beat him. Seems he always has some trick in the bag. Viggs squashed the Miggle Toys World Qualifier 21-7, and he is one of the most competitive low-key EFL players in the World as a guy who brings a powerhouse running game, and a dead-on accurate passing game, but I think his special teams is incredible." Coach Viggs won Coach of the Year last season, defeating Billy O'C's Dolphins again 44-41 with the Rams as alternate coach.

Slawson's Corner, Andrew Slawson said, "Washington matches up well with the hot Arizona Cardinals. Viggs finds ways to win when his back is against the wall, but where he most dangerous is in strategy. He plans very carefully for each team he plays and he capitalizes on his opponents weaknesses.  Tony Green is his guy.  Green had 260 special teams yards against the tough Philadelphia Eagles who Washington beat 13-10 in a great game."

 

THE GAME:

On paper this could not be a better match up with two tough teams who are highly competitive. Coach Viggs Washington Football Team WFT, have improved their defense for sure. After not making the playoffs last season the Washington Football Team is back!

On the opening kick-off, Arizona played the game plan a little different. Coach Maloney gave the ball to Larry Fitzgerald. who hasn't seen the ball much in the last two seasons, but Maloney said he wanted to get Fitz more involved in the game. The Cardinals drove downfield with 7 consecutive running plays totaling 22 yards for OJ Anderson who brought the ball to the Washington 40-yard line with 5:07 left to go in the half!

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WFT defensive tackle Joe Jacoby really took it to the Cardinals Frontline, but the Cards trench-men Dierdorf, Davis, and Rookie Josh Jones. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray made a huge play connecting with wide-receiver Larry Fitzgerald for a huge 46-yard pickup to give the (1-0) football team the ball at the Washington two- yard line. On the next play running back OJ Anderson who had 83 rushing yards last week against San Francisco, sliced thru the WFT defensive line for a two-yard touchdown run, making the score 7-0, Cardinals with 1:02 left to go and a half!

 

Washington running back Tony Green played a great game on special teams last week with 239 yards against the tough Philadelphia Eagles.

 

Green took it back 55 yards on the opening kickoff to the Arizona 45-yard line for Washington. One play later, Green exploded around the left side of WTF's great tackle Joe Jacoby for a 45-yard scorching run to tie the game 7-7, with 14:43 left to go in the game. The Washington line, the "Hogs" tore will not be intimidated by Arizona's size.

 

Of all people to make a huge play on the Cardinals kick return after Washington scored was lineman Dave Butts who hit return-specialist Mel Gray hard at the 20-yard line of Arizona to put the Cards in poor field position. But, one play later Anderson exploded around the right side for a 26-yard pickup with another tackle made by Joe Jacoby for his third of the day! The Arizona front-line kicked in with three straight first downs, plowing the way and moving bodies for Anderson on a 26-yard first down. Arizona had a 21-yard run and a 10-yard run to bring the ball to the Washington 22-yard line with 8:21 left to go in the game! From 22-yards away Otis Anderson blasted through a tired Washington line and into the end-zone for his second rushing touchdown of the game, putting the Cardinals up 14-7, with 7:11 left to go in the game!

 

For a moment it appeared as though the Arizona Cardinals were going to control the rest of the game until Washington's Tony Green ran a blazing hundred yard kick return into the end-zone for a touchdown to tie the score at 14-14, with 5:36 left to go in the game

 

And as time ran down on the Washington Football Team, return-man Larry Fitzgerald opened eyes with a game-clinching 93-yard kick return for the Cardinals, bringing the ball to the Washington 7-yard line to to set up the field-goal for the Cardinals (2-0), winning the game 17-14 in a spectacular finish! Coach Maloney said, "Anytime I can beat a coach like Viggs, it is a big day!" Viggs said, "Maloney's team played a great game.  I knew it would be tough on the road to beat him, but this team is resilient and we shall return!"

OJ Anderson finished with 106 yards rushing with two touchdowns, and Larry Fitzgerald had a surprise 130 yards on special teams, and Tony Green for Washington touched the ball 3 times for an astounding 210 yards with two touchdowns! Green has 470 total yards already this season. Arizona plays Detroit at home next week, and then they are off to Carolina to play the Panthers. Washington (1-1) is at Cleveland (1-1) next week and then home against Baltimore (1-0).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2020 by Long island EFL
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