BUF: TE Paul Arturberry | Active Roster -> Injured Reserve
BUF: TE Ben Gibson | Reserve List -> Active Roster
IND: DL Eugene Case | Active Roster -> Injured Reserve
IND: DL Steve Hamm | Reserve List -> Active Roster
MIN: RB Richard Morin | Active Roster -> Injured Reserve
MIN: RB Allen Navarro | Reserve List -> Active Roster
OTT: S Donald Dozier | Injured Reserve -> Active Roster
OTT: S Joseph Ackerman | Active Roster -> Reserve List
PIT: DL Sammy Pickett | Injured Reserve -> Active Roster
PIT: DL Albert Kirk | Active Roster -> Waivers
(6) Pittsburgh Blacksmiths @ (5) Providence Gold Stars - New Providence Stadium - Saturday, September 19, 1970 - 2:00 PM ET - Weather: Clear 22ºC | 72ºF - Attendance: 62,121
1st Q
With clear skies overlooking the biggest crowd of the season in Providence, the 1970 NAAF playoffs kicked off with Pittsburgh receiving the ball. The Blacksmiths were quickly forced to give the ball to Providence after just two plays, however, Providence would have their own 2 and out shortly after. Neither team showed anything special out of the gate, which led to the lack of offence early, however, Pittsburgh was not scared to pull some tricks out of the bag. On their 3rd drive of the game, the Blacksmiths would look to go deep. WR Orlando Barrack was always the favoured target on these plays with his blazing speed, which is exactly why the Gold Stars had made a note to shadow him on deep plays. Pittsburgh HC Ted McMahon figured this and so he used Barrack as a decoy as WR Taylor Austin broke wide open after crossing underneath Barrack’s route. Austin would catch QB Louis Vaughn’s pass in stride and take it the rest of the way for the first touchdown of the game. The crowd went silent but they were given something to cheer about late in the quarter as Providence would put up a field goal.
PIT 7-3 PRO
2nd Q
Providence’s offence continued to find a rhythm and slowly tipped the field position battle in their favour as each team traded short drives. RB Ronnie Byers would eventually escape the Pittsburgh D-line for a play of 24 yards to set up a second field goal. The 2nd quarter remained fairly quiet, however, Providence’s defence was making their mark with a forced fumble from LB Kurt Warlock and a key stop on 3rd and short to create a couple of turnovers. They were unable to score on either of the ensuing drives but it did keep Pittsburgh off the board. Pittsburgh did manage a late push into Gold Stars’ territory, but the clock hit “:00” and they were forced to try a very long field goal. K Al Highlander had quite a leg, but hitting a field goal from 50 yards would have been impossible with his limited accuracy. So he would just give it everything he got to get the ball down there and hope for a single. The plan worked and the ball bounced right though the endzone to give the Blacksmiths a late point.
PIT 8-6 PRO
3rd Q
The pressure was starting to mount for the Gold Stars’ offence, as their defence had done everything they needed to in keeping the Pittsburgh offence quiet, but they were still behind. Luckily, they rose to the challenge. Early in the 3rd, QB Landon Ross would find his groove and slowly pick away at the yards toward the endzone. Eventually, they would hit a snag with a sack at the 23-yard line, forcing 2nd and 14. The Gold Stars would trust their run-game which caught Pittsburgh a little off guard. RB Ronnie Byers would break through a hole and find a lane right to the endzone. The Gold Stars’ fans erupted with excitement as their team took the lead for the first time. The Blacksmiths remained calm and grabbed a field goal shortly after, but they were still down 11-13. Then, a turning point came. As Providence’s offence worked to extend their lead, they would be met with some strong resistance at their own 42. Pittsburgh put on the pressure and it worked almost too well. QB Landon Ross would drop back and turn to make a fake handoff to RB Ronnie Byers. Byers took off, but as Ross turned back upfield DL Matthias Hartmann was right there. Ross put up his arm as a reflex and took a powerful hit from the D-lineman right in the rib cage. The ball squirted loose and Pittsburgh jumped on it. Ross was unable to get up likely with a rib injury. Pittsburgh took over and they would use the short field well marching down to the 6 before RB Raymond Green would put the ball in the endzone under a chorus of boos from the crowd who certainly were not happy. As Providence’s offence took the field for their next drive the excitement returned to the fans as this year’s 2nd overall pick, QB Red King took the field for the first time.
PIT 18-13 PRO
4th Q
QB Red King was having some success throwing the ball on his first few drives, however, he still was making some mistakes under the pressure of the situation. Eventually, King got comfortable and did get the offence to push down the field. They slowly made it into Pittsburgh territory, however, WR Owen Paisley would be stopped inches short of a first down at the 33-yard line. QB Edwin Hunt would get on the field for a short-yardage play. Hunt powered through easily for the first, but then he popped up and called a hurry-up play, catching Pittsburgh off guard. Hunt took the snap and tossed the ball to WR Edward Webb who picked up another 14 yards. Red King retook the field and a few plays later he would hit WR Owen Paisley for his first career touchdown pass to give Providence the lead back. The cheers rang out in Providence as their young star jogged off the field following a missed 2-point try. Despite the excitement, Pittsburgh remained calm and they countered with a strong drive of their own. QB Louis Vaughn got the ball out quick, not giving the strong Providence front 7 a chance to pressure him. The methodic drive would lead Pittsburgh to a field goal to regain the lead. Pressure turned right back over to Red King and the Gold Stars. Pittsburgh did not make the next drive easy as they brought back the pressure. King did his best to make plays, but he was not as accurate as before. King eventually tossed ball into a dangerous place. WR Edward Webb tried to get a hand on it, but it only did more harm as the ball popped off his hand and into the arms of DB Aiden Sargent. Pittsburgh took over in Providence territory and would add to their lead, eventually leading to a big road win for the Blacksmiths.
(7) Indiana Victors @ (3) Buffalo Blue Wings - Milton Charles Stadium - Saturday, September 19, 1970 - 7:00 PM ET - Weather: Clear 16ºC | 61ºF - Attendance: 53,944
1st Q
Two growing rivals met for their 3rd ever playoff meeting. Once again surrounded by the loud Buffalo faithful at Milton Charles Stadium. The home fans had a lot of cheer about early in the contest as Buffalo opened the scoring early in the 1st with a RB Jasper Dickerson touchdown. Indiana’s offence sputtered out of the gate, going 2 and out on their first two drives. Buffalo continued to add to their lead with a field goal, before getting a DL William Sanderson forced fumble off of RB Tresean Jones, leading to a second field goal and a 0-13 lead.
IND 0-13 BUF
2nd Q
Following the disastrous 1st quarter, Indiana was able to get on the board early in the 2nd with a field goal. Buffalo remained calm and in control, but the Victors were slowly picking away at the Blue Wings’ defence. QB Tom Applewhite would eventually make a risky throw that would pay off, finding WR Ed Edwards on a play where he was double-covered. Edwards made an excellent catch which set up Indiana at the Blue Wings’ 34. It only took a couple of more plays before Edwards would get the ball again, only this time he was in the endzone to cut the lead down to 3. Neither team was able to get anything else before the break.
IND 10-13 BUF
3rd Q
After being shut out in the 2nd, Buffalo was quick to get on the board in the 3rd. QB Charles Lemieux would pick apart the Victors in order to get a quick field goal and extend their lead to 6 points. It took some time for either team to score, but eventually, Indiana would catch a break with a missed tackle on TE Eric Peterson. Peterson would escape the clutches of LB Dallas Dillard and then ramble through DB Dean Hawkins before being taken down by S Wesley Jones for a pick-up of 27 yards. Indiana kept the plays coming and eventually got down to the 3 where RB Tresean Jones would punch it in to give Indiana their first lead of the game. Buffalo would not let the score go unanswered as QB Charles Lemieux immediately followed up the major with one of his own. While the Victors’ DB Neville Falkner had done fantastically in shutting down WR Tracy Driscoll, DB Cameron Taylor was less successful with WR Jimmy Jack. Jack was able to get away from the veteran DB on a 23-yard toss from Lemieux, turning the play into a 38-yard touchdown to give Buffalo the lead back heading into the final quarter.
IND 17-23 BUF
4th Q
The final quarter would be intense with the fans in Buffalo getting their loudest to help their home team. However, Indiana was determined. The loud noise did not faze them as they were prepared for it. The Victors had a set plan in place when the game got loud and QB Tom Applewhite executed it perfectly. The team marched down the field and got right down to the 11-yard line before Applewhite would fire a dart of a pass into WR Silas Peyton’s stomach. Peyton collapsed onto the ball and rolled back into the endzone to give Indiana the lead back, 24-23. The strong drive from the Victors had the Blue Wings’ fans a little worried. Luckily for them, Buffalo answered back with their own strong drive. Buffalo looked to get WR Tracy Driscoll involved for the first time in the game by pulling out a WR screen. The play worked with Driscoll able to use his speed to escape for a 35-yard play. QB Charles Lemieux kept chipping away at the Victors’ defence, but they would eventually be forced to 3rd and 9 deep in Indiana territory. Buffalo settled for a field goal to regain the lead, 24-26. Once again, Indiana needed another drive and Tom Applewhite answered the bell. He got Indiana rolling with a pair of quick first downs. Then, he escaped a potential sack from DL Ned Hedman before finding WR Silas Peyton open for a pick-up of 12. Indiana was now on the edge of field goal range and they wanted to get as close as possible. On their next play, Applewhite would connect with WR Jake Abbredezzi on a big play. Abbredezzi made a great catch over DB Ezra Power. Coming down from the jump, Power landed awkwardly and fell leaving Abbredezzi in the clear. DB Santino Arriola was the next closest defender but was blocked by WR Ed Edwards. Abbredezzi took the ball up the sideline and into the endzone for what would be the game-winning touchdown, sending Indiana to the Semi-Finals.
(8) Ottawa Royals @ (2) Long Island Raiders - Long Island Stadium - Sunday, September 20, 1970 - 2:00 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy 24ºC | 75ºF - Attendance: 40,394
1st Q
The Raiders’ return to the playoffs started well for the East Division champs. The Royals started the game with the ball, but on just the second play, QB Drake Young would throw an errant pass to DB Lauri Hayha. The Raiders took over in Ottawa territory and found the endzone shortly after with QB Ivan Sanchez finding WR Larry Mossholder for the score. Luckily for the visitors, QB Drake Young shook off the early mistake and was able to counter with his own touchdown drive. WR Colby Bancana would get the score after finding some open space in the endzone. Following the Royals’ score, both teams would step up defensively leading to a 7-7 tie heading into the 2nd quarter.
OTT 7-7 LI
2nd Q
The Raiders’ defence remained all over the Royals’ offence, but their own offence was starting to find some traction. RB Scott Norton was a major factor being able to pick up good chunks of yardage. His strong play would eventually be rewarded with a touchdown midway through the 2nd quarter to regain the lead. Ottawa’s offence continued to struggle. The pressure from the Raiders’ front and the excellent coverage was forcing the Royals to many short drives. The Raiders’ offence on the other side, kept up production and would get another 3 points before the half.
OTT 7-17 LI
3rd Q
The momentum the Raiders had picked up in the 2nd continued early in the 3rd. QB Ivan Sanchez would get a chance to show off his arm by finding WR Frank Drysdale down field for a big pickup which led to a early 2nd half field goal. The pressure was mounting on the Royals’ offence that needed to score to lessen the 13-point gap. It took some trial and error, but eventually the Royals managed to connect on a couple of plays and found some momentum late in the 3rd. QB Drake Young would make a great pass to WR Marshall Leonard and then to WR Cedric Peterson. The 27 yards picked up by the two veterans would set up a great run from RB Corbyn Knight to get the Royals down to the 9-yard line. Young would then find WR Piers Key in the flat on the next play and the veteran would take it in for a score to cut the lead to just 6 heading into the final quarter.
OTT 14-20 LI
4th Q
Ottawa’s momentum continued into the final frame. Young was able to string together another strong drive early to add 3 more points and cut the lead down to just 3. The Royals’ defence was also stepping up with DL Bernhard Hartmann picking up a vital sack on 2nd and 4 at midfield. However, they could not make anything happen on the next drive as the Raiders’ defence was bouncing back from allowing 10 consecutive points. The 4th became a deadlock between the defences that both didn’t want to give an inch. Eventually, the Royals would catch a break with DL Winfield Winchester knocking the ball out of the arms of RB Scott Norton. Ottawa got the ball with a great chance to try and at least tie the game. However, the luck didn’t stick with them as WR Marshall Leonard would lose the ball right back after taking a big hit from DB Rutherford Winters. The Royals would appear to be defeated with the turnover as the Raiders would run the clock as much as possible before pinning the Royals down at their own 7-yard line. QB Drake Young tried to get the team out of their end, but on 3rd and 3, he would fail in an attempt to pick up the first down on his feet, leading to another turnover. It took only a few plays for RB Dareion Fields to get into the endzone and secure the win for the Raiders and send them to the Semi-Finals.
41st Mackenzie Cup: (4) Vancouver Wolves @ (1) Minnesota Serpents - Midgard Stadium - Sunday, September 20, 1970 - 7:00 PM ET/6:00 PM CT - Weather: Partly Cloudy 24ºC | 76ºF - Attendance: 50,160
1st Q
The city of Minneapolis hosted its first NAAF playoff game in what was the 41st contest for the Mackenzie Cup. Both teams entered the game determined for different reasons. Vancouver was a little more focused on keeping their trophy in Canada while the Serpents wanted to get past this game and into the 2nd round. Both motives proved to create a tough battle as both teams were not giving an inch early in the game. It would take a missed tackle on WR Akira Sakamoto to allow Vancouver to get into field goal range and open the scoring 3-0. However, Minnesota caught their own break with RB Carter Roy slipping by the Wolves for a big gain to set up an equalizing field goal.
VAN 3-3 MIN
2nd Q
The game remained hard-fought and deadlocked into the 2nd quarter. Minnesota would catch the next break with DB Austin Sherebernikoff nabbing a pick on QB Kevin Westwood to set up another field goal. Luckily for the Wolves, they would bounce back and answer the field goal with one of their own following a great play from WR Keshawn Johnston to catch the ball with 2 defenders closing in. The pair of field goals would leave the contest knotted at 6 heading into halftime.
VAN 6-6 MIN
3rd Q
As the 2nd half began, the pressure was certainly mounting on both teams to start to put up points. Especially for Minnesota, whose strategy worked best when the team was in front. Unfortunately for the Serpents, they would not get the early break as Vancouver’s RB Nikki Yang would take a punt return back 42 yards to give the Wolves excellent field position. QB Kevin Westwood would take advantage by leading the team the rest of the way down to the 12 before hitting WR Akira Sakamoto for the go-ahead touchdown. The nerves were certainly rising in Minnesota as Vancouver looked very much in control of the contest. Luckily for the home fans, the Serpents would get down the field and put up another field goal by the end of the 3rd to cut the lead down to 4.
VAN 13-9 MIN
4th Q
The late field goal drive from the Serpents would give the team some hope. QB Martin Keller and the offence kept the ball moving throughout the early stages of the final quarter. Keller specifically needed to step up and make some throws. He did just that by making back-to-back connections with former college teammate, WR Ferdinand Matthews. The offence kept the ball moving on the ground as well utilizing both RB Hugo Hughes and RB Carter Roy. The drive would keep moving and eventually, RB Hugo Hughes would break through to the endzone to give the Serpents the lead they have been looking for. Now with the lead, the Serpents knew the Wolves would be forced to pass more against the Serpents’ strong coverage defence. The Wolves knew this from the previous 2 matchups they had played against them in the season and had lost, so they made some strategic adjustments. A couple of reverses and screen passes started the drive to pick up a couple of first downs. The calls would pull the secondary closer to the line of scrimmage, which opened the door for a big play from QB Kevin Westwood who would drop back to give the ball to RB Jeremiah Morrow. As this was happening, WR Keshawn Johnston tore around back from the outside. The play looked like another reverse, however, Westwood faked both and turned around to see WR Akira Sakamoto had a step on his guy. Westwood would fire it to him. The pass would be a little long, but Sakamoto dove and caught the ball to set up Vancouver deep in Minnesota territory. The Wolves would eventually settle for a field goal to tie the game once again. Minnesota would get the ball back and hope to answer back. Keller did his darndest, but a great breakup on what would have been a first down catch from S Nick Palmer would thwart their attempt. Vancouver would get the ball back and the offence went to work. QB Kevin Westwood would continue to throw in some trick plays, but just as easily picked apart the defence to get back into field goal range. K Sterling Brooks would get on the field for a 34-yard kick which would seal the win for the Wolves who would win their 4th consecutive Mackenzie Cup.
Injury Report
BUF: S Mathieu Cazenave - Day-to-Day
IND: LB Marshall Langenbrunner - Day-to-Day
IND: OL Taylor Alexander - Day-to-Day
IND: OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins - Day-to-Day
LI: DL Tyrone Powers - 1 Week
OTT: OL Tommy Reynolds - 1 Week
PIT: LB Kyle Essena - Day-to-Day
PIT: OL Ben Jammin - Day-to-Day
PRO: WR Justin Palmer - Day-to-Day
PRO: QB Landon Ross - 8 Weeks
VAN: DB Tim Ho - Day-to-Day
Players of the Week
Semi-Finals Preview
(6) PIT (7-5) @ (4) VAN (9-3) - SEP 26 - 8:30 PM ET
1970 Head-to-Head: W10 - PIT 27-22 VAN
Historic Head-to-Head: PIT 1-0 VAN
Historic Playoff Head-to-Head: PIT 0-0 VAN
Both of these teams came out on top against the league’s two best defences. Now they get to face each other in what is expected to be a bit more of an offensive showdown. Pittsburgh did take the previous meeting between these two teams, but Vancouver showed that it didn’t matter against the Serpents last week. At this point, both teams absolutely have a chance to move on to their first McCallister Cup, but I think the way the Wolves pulled it together last week is enough to convince me that they have the best shot at moving on.
My Pick: Wolves
(7) IND (7-5) @ (2) LI (9-3) - SEP 27 - 7:00 PM ET
1970 Head-to-Head: Did Not Play
Historic Head-to-Head: IND 6-13 LI
Historic Playoff Head-to-Head: IND 0-0 LI
Indiana is just a year removed from a run to the McCallister Cup in 1968, and just like that last season, they had to go into Buffalo and win in the first round. Maybe I am just seeing deja vu, but there’s sneaking suspicion that this Victors team may be destined to move on. However, let’s not discredit the Raiders who probably had the strongest win of the Quarter-Finals winning by 10 points. I do think the Raiders have an advantage here, but there’s still that part of me that thinks the Victors will be the more determined team and pull out another win.
My Pick: Victors
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