If The West Is The Best, Then Who Is The Best In The West?

So far there have only been FOUR inter-conference games through 3 weeks. 

Utah beat Chicago 29-15. In Salt Lake, at altitude. They ran away from a close first half.

Seattle beats Miami 29-18. Miami on the road, new vs. old. This was expected.

Houston beat Miami 30-19. Miami looks good, Houston looks better ... but again this was expected.

Dallas throttled Anthem 68-28. Is this a one-off, or a trend? Is Dallas lethal, or is Anthem just defenseless?

A mere 4 games is not enough for a trend line, but enough for the ridiculous headline ... The West has been better (straight up!). No denying the early results ... but will the trend hold? That would be unlikely. If it does, we'll see a severely wounded Eastern conference team limp into the QF's with the #4 seed come July.

Some Old Faces in New Places

With the battle of the two remaining undefeated teams (Seattle vs. Houston) looming, let's look into the past to try and predict the future. 

Here's Seattle vs. Houston head to head since 2018 (and it's not even close ...)

2018 - Seattle beats Houston 20-7 at Dyer Stadium.

2019 - Seattle defends home turf with a 27-14  at Star Fire.

         - Seattle smacks Houston 52-10 at the new SaberCats Stadium.

2020 - 3/4's of the season cancelled, teams did not play.

2021 - Houston finally draws first blood with a 30-24 win at home in Week 1.

         - Seattle fires back three months later with a 40-21 win in Week 18.

2022 - Houston wins at home 21-19.

         - Seattle fireworks come alive back home, 43-36 win.

         - Seattle beats Houston handily in the Western Conference Final 64-27 in Texas. 

2023 - Seattle wins 24-12 in Tukwila.

         - Seattle wins 34-17 in Houston.

         - Seattle wins Quarter Final 37-26 in Houston.

It's almost like the throttling in the 2022 Western Conference Final was a back breaker for Houston. Since then, they haven't settled the score, with the total historic record favoring Seattle 9-2. But does history always predict future outcomes? When picking games, Never EVER, say the words "always" or "never". We do know 1 thing though, whoever wins tonight will be the Best in the West. Until the West is Bested.

Free Jacks Tripped and Fell

Rugby PickEm · FreeJacks Tripped and Fell (ft. Bozo6 of the Jacks Rangers)

 

Was this little shirt tug from Quattrin what set Robertson off? ... Old Glory stuns the Champs.

After winning 14 straight, the defending champs lost at the death in their home opener against rival Old Glory D.C. Jason Robertson was clutch down the stretch and drilled the game winning kick with no time on the clock. It was truly a game winning conversion (they were down 1, not tied), and it silenced a rowdy crowd in Quincy. Not only did Robertson's boot come up clutch, but he facilitated just about all of their tries (as a good fly-half does). 

This shakes up the "Power Structure" on the Eastern Front (see below). It's going to take more than 1 (1 point) loss to dethrone New England. They've been on a tear, and deserve the benefit of the doubt ... for now. After just 2 weeks (and not nearly enough rugby to make an informed decision), here's the current outlook.

1. NEFJ - one loss won't shake 14 straight wins.

2. NOLA - they've started hot before, but can they stay hot?

3. OGDC - after a week 1 dud, they delivered big on the road.

4. CHICAGO - ran out of oxygen up in Utah.

5. MIAMI - it wasn't "pretty in pink" up in Seattle.

6. ANTHEM - Still just a feel good story as of now.

Special thanks to Bozo6 from the Jack's Rangers who came on the to talk everything FreeJacks.

PICKEM!

Utah Warriors #UnleashYourInnerWarrior

Rugby PickEm · Utah Warriors #UnleashYourInnerWarrior

Historical Record: 32-42-3

Week 1 Result: 22-15 loss to Houston

Skinny: The Utah Warriors have always been an MLR staple. There's no prettier backdrop than the snow kissed mountains just west of Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman Utah. The Warriors will be missing legend Lance Williams as he pursues Olympic dreams with the Eagle 7's, but they won't lack veteran leadership. Paul Lasike and Angus McClellan return, and the grandstands in Utah will be begging for a home playoff game come July. Have you Unleashed Your Inner Warrior?

Seattle Seawolves #HuntForNumber3

Rugby PickEm · Seattle Seawolves #TheHuntForNumber3

Historical Record: 43-33-1

Week 1 Result: 25-19 win against San Diego

Skinny: The Orcas in the Pacific Northwest have been known to be some of the most intelligent hunters in the ocean. The rugby team also knows how to hunt down playoff appearances and has posted a 7-2 playoff record over their history. They have only missed the playoffs once in 2021, but coach Alan Clarke has them trending up and ready to feed on any aquatic mammals (or fish) that cross their path. Sam Windsor clocks in for his 7th MLR season, can father time win another title like he did in 2021 with New York? The #HuntForNumber3 continues Saturday night when the Miami Sharks come to town.