The ELF Rundown: Blowouts Dominate Week Ten
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The ELF Rundown: Blowouts Dominate Week Ten

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We’re ten weeks into the ELF season, and the level of competition tends to vary from week to week. This time around, the scoreboards were not very close at all – resulting in lopsided scoring affairs across Europe in week ten.

Some of these outcomes were not all that surprising given the lack of parity in the ELF this year. However, a couple of these games showcased just how good the best of the best are in the league.

Wroclaw Panthers vs. Fehervar Enthroners

While the first quarter was close between these two teams, the Wroclaw Panthers went on an absolute tear to take a 28-3 lead at halftime, and Fehervar had no juice left. It started in the late 1Q, when Devan Burrell took a punt to the house, which sparked the large run the Panthers made. Wroclaw ultimately came away with a 62-12 win at home.

Wroclaw saw a ton of production from their running backs. Gennadiy Adams and Dawid Brzozowski combined for over 250 yards on the ground, including four touchdowns. New QB Josiah Norwood played well, tossing three touchdowns – with only three incompletions on the day.

The Enthroners are a team that simply gets outmatched against anyone who isn’t in the bottom tier as themselves. Fehervar won two games in a row, but facing off against a hungry Panthers organization, got a bit of a reality check. It was the first half mistakes that put them in a hole, and those trends carried into the second half that continued to get out of hand.

Vienna Vikings vs. Prague Lions

Given the contrast between these two ELF organizations, the final score of 62-23 isn’t too shocking. That said, it was a closer game early on than one would think – with the Lions even holding a 9-7 lead in the first minutes of the second quarter.

However, Ben Holmes wasn’t having any of it. Holmes had an unbelievable day, throwing for 265 yards and a whopping seven touchdowns, as Vienna’s offense kicked into full gear. The posted 497 yards of offense, picking up 24 first downs along the way.

Prague didn’t play a terrible game by any means, but their defense – specifically the secondary – was burnt toast. They had zero answers for the playmaking abilities of Ben Holmes, Reece Horn, Karri Pajarinen, or any of the stars Vienna rosters. The Vikings are now 10-0, still without a loss in the ELF’s 2024 season.

Barcelona Dragons vs. Stuttgart Surge

With arguably the best team in the ELF going up against the worst, this one was bound to be messy. Spoiler alert: it was. The Barcelona Dragons have had a rough few weeks given all of the drama with personnel and roster moves, and haven’t had a chance to regain their footing.

The Surge took full advantage of that, taking down Barcelona 71-7 on the road. The Dragons turned the ball over seven times, which was a crusher considering their offense was actually moving the football at times in this game. Another factor that killed Barcelona: Special Teams. They allowed three return touchdowns on the day, killing momentum on multiple occasions. Watching this game, it’s clear to see that these teams simply do not belong in the same league.

Madrid Bravos vs. Cologne Centurions

Heading into this game, many expected that Cologne would be competitive with Madrid. The Centurions were surging with a couple of recent wins, while the Bravos were looking a bit shaky. Madrid put those rumors to rest, though, shutting out Cologne in a dominant 37-0 victory at home.

Madrid’s offense played pretty well, but it was their defense that set the tone, and ultimately pushed the Bravos to such a big victory. Isaiah Weed, who’s been pretty consistent as of late, had a rough performance. He threw four interceptions, including two that stifled potential scoring drives for Cologne.

The Bravos also had 264 yards of rushing, which carried a lot of the load for Steven Duncan – who didn’t have to do much other than not turn the football over, which he didn’t. Duncan actually rushed for two scores in this game, showcasing his versatility as a signal caller.

Rhein Fire vs. Paris Musketeers

Paris and Rhein was poised to be a heavyweight fight between two of the Western Conference’ best. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t. The Fire torched the Musketeers in front of their home crowd, with a 38-6 final score.

What made things difficult for Paris was their inability to get out of their own way. They’ve played some excellent football this year, but looked sloppy and out of sorts for large portions of this game. They allowed field goals to be blocked, fumbled the ball while in a position to score, and simply shot themselves in the foot too many times. Paris was just 3-13 in third down scenarios.

The hero of this game for Rhein’s offense was QB Jadrian Clark, who had another spectacular day. He threw for 287 yards and four touchdowns. The former Seattle Sea Dragon, WR Kelvin McKnight Jr., was unstoppable with 13 receptions for 183 yards and a score.

Had it not been for those early turnovers, Paris may have been able to make this a ball game. However, their self inflicted wounds resulted in a 38-0 deficit, something no one would be able to overcome against an organization as strong as the Rhein Fire.

Munich Ravens vs. Milano Seamen

You know it’s going to be a long day when a team scores 27 points in the first quarter alone. The Munich Ravens decimated the Milano Seaman on Sunday, posting 69 points as the Seamen’s defense had absolutely zero answers for Chad Jeffries & Co.

Jeffries had himself an afternoon. He threw for 374 yards and six scores, with four of those going to Malik Stanley (136 receiving yards). This Munich offense has been finding their rhythm as of late, and their 540 yards is one of the best performances we’ve seen in the ELF this year.

Milano had made some changes heading into this week. They cut Zack Bronkhorst, replacing him with Eystin Salum. Salum showed some flashes of potential, but did throw five interceptions. The Seamen were beginning to find a groove a couple of weeks ago, but their defense has played terrible football lately – and the offense hasn’t held up their side of the bargain much, either.

Tirol Raiders vs. Helvetic Mercenaries

In what was one of the only competitive matchups of the weekend, the Tirol Raiders took down the Helvetic Mercenaries 42-28 at home. It was a back and forth affair, with Helvetic showing some serious resiliency to almost mount a comeback.

N’Kosi Perry had a decent day, throwing for two touchdowns and adding a score on the ground. His pick six wasn’t pretty, but outside of that, he didn’t make too many mistakes. Cinque Sweeting, the former Vegas Viper, made a big impact in his first game of the year, leading the team with 98 receiving yards and a score.

What hurt the Mercenaries big-time was a late fumble. Down 35-28 in the fourth quarter, a big reception for Helvetic resulted in disaster, as the Raiders forced a fumble and recovered. This effectively put the game on ice, with Perry’s rushing touchdown making it a 14 point game late. Helvetic has shown that they can be a good team, but too many mistakes have cost them in the ELF this season.

Hamburg Sea Devils vs. Frankfurt Galaxy

Even though the final score reads 40-23 in Frankfurt’s favor, this was another close game that was entertaining from start to finish. Hamburg and Frankfurt went at it, with the Galaxy pulling away within the final few minutes.

One of the biggest plays of this one came from the legs of Galaxy QB Matthew McKay. While up 26-23 in the mid-fourth quarter, McKay took off on 4th and 8, squeezing his way between defenders for the first down. This ended up allowing Frankfurt to take a 33-23 lead, and they didn’t look back from there. The Galaxy had over 200 yards rushing to go with McKay’s 244 passing yards, and Frankfurt picked up a much needed win.

For Hamburg, it’s a frustrating season given the talent this team has rostered. They were in this game down to the very end. D’Angelo Fulford made some fantastic throws…only to throw two terrible interceptions to put an end to their potential comeback. He’s shown potential in Hamburg’s offense, but has to find a way to minimize the mistakes if Hamburg wants to get over the hump and win a game. Also, the Sea Devils converting just two of their eight third down attempts didn’t help matters much, either.

Final Thoughts

With a few weeks left to play, two teams are now officially in the playoffs: the Vienna Vikings, and the Rhein Fire. Both have had tremendous seasons, and not surprisingly find themselves back in contention for a title.

If you missed our ELF Recap from week nine, you can check that out here.

For those wanting to keep up with all the games here in the states, you can acquire ELF Game Pass here.

What are your thoughts on week ten action in the ELF? Which teams and players impressed you? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!

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