GOW Week 4
After a close vote by SAFL community on the message boards Savages vs Empire was chosen as our Game of the Week for Week 4. This match up narrowly edged out another heavyweight fight between Spartans and Stop N Go and the battle of the teams searching for their first wins in Outlaws and Bandits {?}. In the match up between Savages and Empire, it is easy to see why this was chosen as our GOW. There are many story lines and intriguing matchups within the game. Lets take an in-depth look into this match up and determine who is more likely to come away victorious.
- QUARTERBACKS ZULFIKAR MUSLIWALA VS CHRIS MUI
Both of these guys have big time arms. They can make every single throw on the field and have nice, tight spirals the WR's love so much. And yes, both QB's have the pedigree of being high school QBs. QB Zulfikar does have the advantage when it comes to scrambling ability as he's very quick and agile but that might be neutralized as Empire loves to put the speedy Shazad as DE. Chris however has the advantage when it comes to WR's because his arsenal includes Atif, Shazad, Aun, Ali, Dipan etc. For Savages Zulf pretty much relies on Irfan for the long plays and Pankaj for the short and mid range catches. Both QBs haven't played an error free game yet and are prone to interceptions because of the fact that they have such strong arms. They both try to fit in the ball when there isn't much separation from the WR and the defense. In this game you do not want to lose the turnover battle and put your team in bad situations.
Chris seems to love throwing to Atif Tatari. Atif hauls in on average about 7 catches a game which is huge to move the chains. The chemistry betweenthose guys is obvious. When it comes to big play ability there isnt a better option out there than Dipan Patel. Kid can take a short catch and take it to the house. He is a game changer in every way for sure. Empire is also stacked with some sure handed receivers in Shazad and Aun Merchant. Ali Nobani is famous for his hair but is known to drop some passes but overall is very solid and Omer Malik has been open countless times down field but he legitly might lead the league in dropped passes. Ray, Jason, Ahmad, Omar and Irfaan hasn't been productive yet but their roles are sure to increase soon.
Don't feel too bad for Zulf just yet. Irfan might lead the league in TD receptions after last weeks huge show. He has 5 total TDs now and none of them have been cheap. Pankaj also is as sure handed as they come and is huge in moving the chains just like Atif. Besides that Yash has been a huge disappointment in Year 1. Blessed with big-time speed and non-stop motor, he hasn't exactly set SAFL world in fire as expected. This might be his breakout game. Joel Enai is solid and just like Spartans now know you can't sleep on Parik. Aasheesh has speed but alligator arms. Their new addition Naresh has some talent but not somebody you have to spotlight. Wait is Manju still on the team? He hasn't done anything noteworthy yet by barely averaging 1 catch per game.
Now while Empire has the clear advantage on offense, the defense clearly belongs to Savages. Their starting 6 of Yash and Zulf at safeties, PJ at linebacker position, Irfan and Aasheesh at CB and Joel at DE is unmatched when it comes to talent and experience combined. Zevis and Butthead as they call themselves form the best duo at safeties to protect against long plays. Dipan. Shazad, Omer etc will have a hard time hauling in long completions. Joel also deserves a lot of credit for his hustling tackles he makes down the field from his DE position. PJ is at smart as the come in the middle and Irfan and Aasheesh cover a lot of ground as the CB's.
Empire also have a very good safety duo in Dipan and Omer Malik as they cover a lot of ground but they can be beat with precise routes and good play calling. Atif in the middle has his moments and never gives up on a play. His one weakness is his sideline to sideline speed and ability to cover high end speed receivers. Shazad is as good as any DE in the league with his ability to knock down balls and tackling. He is up there with Shumail and Joel Enai.
1. Minimize big plays- Both teams have a lot of speed over the top. Irfan and Yash from Savages, Dipan, Shazad and Omer for Empire.
2. Tackling- Both teams have to tackle well. Giving up any extra yardage will be huge.
3. Time Management- Game will probably decided in the last few minutes or even last drive. Saving timeouts and using them correctly will be huge.
PREDICTION Empire 27-20. Savages usually plays up to or down to their competition. This time it will cost them the game. Plus Empire is just a much deeper team overall.
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