Rochester vs. Port Huron... err... Flint... err..Michicagn

[Ducej11]

So guys and gals, what are your predictions for the CIFL championship. I think the Raiders are going to finally get it done. We have been playing some good ball lately. And without Neal, the Pirate center, we should be able to get some pressure on Franzer.

[exit322]

Kalamazoo was able to, and I think Rochester's defense is just a little better (though not much). The difference is the Raiders offense, though the offense that torches everyone else hasn't yet showed up to play the Pirates.

[RaiderNation]

Certain things have to happen for the Raiders to win. They have to contain Bynes. He is the reason that high flying Offense doesn't show up. They can't stop him or Franzer but they need to contain or slow them down. Porter has to have a good night running the ball, and Mikolaichik certainly can't go 3-18 again. It looks like the Raiders are peaking at the right time, and some of the off field troubles of the Pirates may be affecting the players.

Raiders 48
Pirates 45

[Andre Tippett 4 HOF]

Hey Duce...I went to the Raiders-Surge in the Dungeon.....my team is out :(

I will root for the Raiders...I think you guys can pull it off....The Surge have one of the better defenses in the CIFL.....the Raiders scored 80 points in the Playoff game....

The Pirates QB has 5 picks all year...if you can get 2 you should win.

[Ducej11]

we have always had the players to be able to do it. We have just never schemed it the right way. The coaching staff that is in place now, will have them ready and in a position to win the game.

[RaiderNation]

You're blaming Greco for not beating them? In the two regular season games last year, FG's and Xtra points cost the Raiders both games. That has nothing to do with scheme. Let's stop making lame excuses and just say what it was. The players didn't play well enough, and the kicking game let the team down. The kicking part has been fixed. Let's see if the players are ready to step up to the next level against the Pirates.

[exit322]

I don't know if it cost them the win, but to take over 5 minutes to go 9 plays with only 6 minutes left down two scores in last year's championship was a terrible coaching error on Greco's part.

[RaiderNation]

I can't disagree with you as they should have shown more urgency in that situation, but when you are down two scores late, you have to score once before you can do anything else. I guess it's simply my opinion that Bynes, Franzer, Hackett, and the lack of a kicking game for the Raiders last year have much more to do with the Raiders 0-5 mark against the Pirates than Greco did. Everybody with the Raiders thought the guy was a great Coach, including Duce, until he got into an argument with an owner. All of a sudden he couldn't scheme properly. It's the same old story, first Cottengim wasn't good enough to beat the Raiders, so they brought in a new QB. Oops, that didn't work. Now a new Coach. If this doesn't work who gets fired next?

[exit322]

The 9 plays isn't the problem. They had over six minutes! The fact that it took them over 30 seconds per play to run them was indeed the problem. That's why they didn't have a chance to get that second score.

[Ducej11]

I never put the blame on dennis. He is a good coach, as we saw that last year. But Port Huron saw all the same stuff that we threw at them last year, this year. Nothing was different. And the defensive coordinator at beginning of this year was crazy. He was suppose to be really good but he over thought everything and took guys out of position. And its not just the scheming, you are right, the players didnt help too much either. Especially in the first game this year, Darius' fumble killed any momentum we had, and in the second game, Jamil's fumble killed us too. WHen it comes down to it the players have to make the plays and dennis was not the one fumbling the snaps or throwing interceptions.