Big Blue - Real Housing Rematch
This week’s Fieldturf IFL game looks to be a classic revenge contest in which the last game’s losers try to prove that they ‘should have, would have’…and actually can, as the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs (2-2) are set to host the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions (4-0) in a rematch of the Chanukah Bowl which Jerusalem convincingly won at home 46-18. The game will take place at the Meggido Fields next to Kibbutz Ein Hashofet on Friday at 10:00 am.
Haifa has been preparing for this game for two weeks in order to come up with a strategy that will counter Big Blue’s supremacy, exhibited thus far. While they have mostly run a conservative offense, pounding the ball on the ground with their running game, look for Haifa to mix it up this time and even throw in some gadget plays to throw Jerusalem off its game plan.
Real Housing will place an emphasis on gaining four or more yards on first down through an assortment of lead draws and off-tackle runs to keep quarterbacks Ori Shterenback and Roey Ziv out of bad late-down situations. Look for Big Blue to attempt and derail this strategy by crowding the line of scrimmage on the early downs and dare the Haifa quarterbacks to make big plays through the air, something they have been unable to do well.
Jerusalem has won all of its games by winning the turnover category and creating points off fumbles and interceptions of their opponents, while holding their own mistakes to a minimum. In order to have a chance, Haifa must protect the ball on offence and look to force turnovers on defense and capitalize on them. To do so, they will have to shut down the Lion’s on first and second downs, forcing Big Blue to throw against two-deep coverage, which will likely lead to interceptions, as it did last week when Jerusalem threw two long picks.
The problem is that with Haifa playing a lot of two-deep and zone coverage defense, there will be room for Jerusalem to exploit in the middle of field. Look for Big Blue to connect with their big receivers down the seams of the zone off play-action and stretch the defense horizontally by feeding their tight ends and backs on underneath routes as well as short crosses and option routes to set up deeper throws for later in the game.
The Underdogs will therefore need to create confusion for the Jerusalem offence by taking a page from Jerusalem’s last two opponents, who successfully pressured quarterback Aryeh Bauman by using a variety of delayed blitzes with combination coverage. The Underdogs will piggy-back off that strategy by incorporating some delayed rushes off their zone blitz package. Expect big linebacker Idan Maor to come up the middle after disguising his alignment and coverage prior to the snap.
The bottom line is that Haifa’s chances of winning rely on their quarterbacks’ ability to move the chains through short passes and take care of the football, while complementing their’ power running tandem of Niv Medlinger and Lior Subotnik. To defeat Big Blue, the Underdogs must slow down the Jerusalem running game on early downs and force Aryeh Bauman to pass under duress. Haifa’s front four has to control the line of scrimmage and harass Bauman with consistent pressure. If it can manage to do that, expect a very close match that will come down to who turns the ball over more.
Plenty of tickets are still available for walk-up purchase for this exciting match-up. The Fieldturf IFL returns next Friday to Maccabi Fields in Tel Aviv with an 11:00 AM game between the Mike’s Place Tel Aviv Sabres and the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers.
Prepared by Uriel Sturm, IFL League Statistician, who has (objectively) viewed and recorded each and every IFL down and game ever played from the best seat in the house – the field! Please feel free to contact at uesturm@gmail.com
