Week 3 had everything you want and need early on in a season that started on rocky footing. Talented players, competative games, full teams on time, and decent weather. In a word: stability. Week 1 was postponed and wound up in some tournament style chaos. Week 2 was equally chaotic in a failed bid at simultaneous games. But Week 3 was about right. 2 games, one early one late, stacked with talent. QBs who can handle the role and are adept signal callers. Yes, some cancels, but people stepped up (GOLDBERG! You can have come a long way, homes!) and….I think….b’a’h…..no injuries. Stability. Its important in Week 3 to find that footing. And it was definitely needed and now we can build off the model.

Game 1 looks like we can lock in Sholom v. Yaron as battle that will go back and forth the entire season. Flip a coin as to how the Ws and Ls will shake out at the end of the year. What I love so far about that matchup is that their skills will force the other to bring it on every set. Yaron cannot take it easy and assume the comeback if he gets down. He needs to throw his best because Sholom has a real skill set. Last week, Yaron was not “on” and he took the loss. This week, he was sharp and the win was his for the taking. On a cold(ish) and windy(ish) morning, Yaron took the ball and commanded a dark squad of Zada, Effie, DK, Steveo, Tom, and Beast. Sholom and colors started in a zone that was beyond their grasp. Sam and Goldberg were rushing. Jordan and Skully played the sides. Sholom and Evan played back. MK manned the middle. But it was chaotic. And Yaron is too smart for a zone defense to work. Especially a poorly strategized one. Darks opening drive march to the 7 yard line was effortless. Patient mid range passes mixed in with QB runs. Eventually, Steveo sneaks behind the zone and Yaron hits him the endzone for a 1-0 lead. Truth be told, Sholom did not have the zip or accuracy he displayed in Week 2. The wind seemed to affect him. Certainly less than it affected Yaron. Also, the QB runs and elusiveness that allowed him to break open big plays in Week 2 were snuffed out by a collective swarming effort by Zada, Yaron and DK. Tom and Effie and Beast brought a lot of pressure. Sacks abounded. Yaron got the ball back and drove quite easily against the zone one again. Zada was the beneficiary this time and scored. 2-0 Dark. Colors switched to a zone and it did slow down Yaron’s barrage of scoring. With a Skully pick being the only early highlight for Colors, it did not translate to points. At the half it was still 2-0. But straight out of halftime Sholom and Jordan finally hooked up and exploited Steveo’s cheating close off the line on man coverage. Deep post, caught and down at the 5. Fake sweep and shovel to the TE Skully in the opposite direction. Easy score for Colors and we have ourselves a ball game. 2-1. But damn if Yaron doesnt take that personally. And Steveo and Jordan have been going mano a mano for a loooong time. Always an honor. And Yaron started finding him deep. Although one drop by Steveo in a cluster and a sure TD drop by Beast kept the score close, Yaron eventually zipped a beauty into Zada in the back of the endzone. After a bobble a secure and a toe tap, Zada’s grab was ruled a score. 3-1 Dark with a half hour to play. Soon enough, Sholom punched back again. Its Jordan and that post this time caught and manages to avoid the Steveo tackle, stays in bounds on the sideline and 40 yard run to pay dirt. 3-2. Yaron is all about pride and says to Steveo….whatever they can do we can do better. And he unleashes a massive bomb to Steveo down the left sideline. Jordan is with him. Even thinks the pick is possible. But instead of thinking like a reciever, he thinks like a defender – jumps, gets a finger tip on the ball – slowing it down just enough to make the catch easy for Steveo 

. TD for Dark. 4-2 with 20 minutes to go. Turning point of the game coming up. Sholom tries to go back to Jordan on that post and the ball is under thrown just enough that a Zada leap brings it down one handed and back breaker for Colors. To drive the point home, Yaron gets a 20 yard pass to fall into the awaiting arms of Effie (who is developing into quite the player) and just like that – without much time left on the clock – Dark is up 5-2. Sholom runs one in for Colors late, but not a difference maker at that point. MVP is Yaron for the 5 thrown and generally giving his team every opportunity to win – which is what everyone wants from their QB.

Game 2….I did not stay for, but thrilled Yaron lost. Thrilled Gronk is looking like an all star caliber QB. Thrilled my neighbor Mo is Jewball winner and put up great numbers. 

Who wants WEEK 4? Early, Late or Both (if both must say preference or I give you what works better for us. Also, preference does not guarantee preferred time. Both means I can put you in either game but will try to accomodate preference).