FURY WIN FIRST AFLL CHAMPIONSHIP
Legends were made on and off the field on Monday night.
The Fury became the first ever Golden Bowl champion with a thrilling 48–42 win over the GOATS to close out the first ever American Football Legends League season.
The Fury ownership group known as Seven Seas Blockchain Sports lifted the trophy afterwards before handing it to John Sullivan, their coach. An impressive season that saw them lose just twice and close it out with a victory over the second-best team.
Only a team as deep as the Fury could overcome a night where Peyton Manning threw more interceptions (three) than touchdowns (two). In fact, Manning completed less than fifty per cent of his passes and also fumbled three times.
“Man, it took me awhile to just get used to their relentless pass rush,” said Manning afterwards.
“I couldn’t even take a two step drop and I’d have (Coy) Bacon or (Jack) Christiansen in my face. I tried to get the running game going as well, but credit has to be given to their defence.”
GOATS piled up the sacks with 31 in total and only one of those came from AFLL sack leader Lawrence Taylor. Christiansen led the way with 13 and Bacon had eight.
GOATS QB Otto Graham also was running for his life for the majority of the night, as he also failed to get over the 50 per cent mark. He went down 19 times and because of that lack of space, threw six interceptions. Graham and Manning were finalists for the AFLL QM MVP awards.
Golden Bowl MVP turned out to be Fury WR Randy Moss, who had 15 receptions for 319 yards and two touchdowns plus a critical catch in the fourth quarter for the champs.
If Fury didn’t win, the MVP award easily would have been handed to GOATS WR Steve Largent. Largent caught 25 balls for 386 yards and a score.
“Catches mean nothing, if you don’t win,” said a distraught Largent.
“I was happy to contribute but, in the end, we leave here without the trophy.”
FOURTH DOWN: Fury LB Jack Lambert was also in the game MVP conversation. He recorded 13 sacks, a forced fumble and a touchdown. The AFLL handed out their 2022 season awards during the game. Immortals QB Brett Favre is QB MVP, Beowulf RB Eric Metcalf is the RB MVP, Immortals WR Terrell Owens was WRTE MVP, and LB Lawrence Taylor grabbed the defensive MVP award. Congrats to the league, ownership groups and coaches who made this season possible.
