"Mr. Quill," a reporter asked, the Krauts' current starting quarterback nodding along, eyes wide, "How does your team plan to attack Abanhfleft's strong defense?" He held a notebook, attentively watching the man on the podium.
"You're a horse?" Quill replied, lamely.
"Yes, Mr. Quill," the reporter sighed, "We can skip that one. The Ranorian offense scored more points against Xanneria, 26, than they did when Derek McNair was in the lineup. He generated just 17. Do you feel this offense is more adept with you at the helm?"
Quill rubbed his eyes, breathing out, hard, "Uh, no. Derek was a better football player in high school than I'll ever be. So, do you, like, eat hay and apples?"
The reporter snorted, "Right, we're not getting anywhere here," he turned to leave, and walked right into Johnny Farmer, who shrugged.
"It's a culture shock, sorry, but here you go." He held out an apple, and the reporter accepted it gracefully.
"Well, there's one answer for you."
Krauts Edge Abanhfleft,
Set to Face Main Nation Ministry in Quarterfinals
Ross Monarch celebrating after his late-game heroics to seal this team's victory over a team that outplayed them for three quarters plus some
This game happened in a largely equine city, and with a crowd much the same. Some of the Ranorian players appeared to be clearly surprised in interviews before the game, and before the ball was snapped. Some, however, embraced it, such as Johnny Farmer. It was new, and not something they would have ever seen in Ranoria, but most of the players, in post game interviews, would state that it certainly wasn't an unwelcome surprise.
Again, Ranoria's ball-control offense didn't score a lot of points, with Jeremiah Quill throwing just eight times, but that wasn't for a lack of trying. Abanhfleft's pass rush was absolutely ferocious, bringing him down when he did drop back seven times, almost half of his drop backs. Quill may not be very disciplined in the pocket, but he is strong and athletic, and that makes this performance on their end even more impressive.
Of course, the Krauts defense was fast and mean, as per their standard. The pass rush wasn't as dominant as Abanhfleft's today, but that's not to say they weren't effective, garnering four sacks of their own on the day. better yet, Ross Monarch was lethal against the run and the pass, notching four tackles for a loss on the day.
The Armored Revolutionaries did find some success early, however. Luther Dunleavy caught a big pass early to get them into field goal range, and they hit it after two incompletions and a run for no gain.
Jeremiah Quill simply couldn't get this offense moving. We mentioned the sacks, but Abanhfleft's back seven provided sure tackling all game and solid deep coverage. There was never an opportunity for a deep ball, and the Krauts pulled off just 16 yards after the catch throughout the game, on five completions. To his credit, he didn't turn the ball over, but even on the ground he was limited. He had three designed quarterback runs, only managing nine yards there, and never managed to escape the pass rush scrambling.
So in the fourth quarter, with under one hundred yards of total offense, when a poor punt got the Krauts the ball at the fifty yard line, they had to make a play. Abanhfleft simply had to hold them for three minutes. This was it, their last chance to show that they did, in fact, have the capability to win a playoff game.
So Quill took the snap and rolled out before dumping it off on a screen to Vice Jackson III. Jackson, surrounded by two linemen and Mario Terrin, charged down the field, Terrin at his hip, but he only made it fifteen yards. Good thing he didn't have the ball.
Terrin had taken the ball stealthily, obscured by linemen, and slowed up, quite literally holding it behind his back as he jogged towards his own sideline, which was away from Jackson and Abanhfleft's defenders.
Terrin may not have produced much, with just 337 yards the group stage, but he was fast. And with that much of a head start, he was able to waltz into the end zone with nobody within ten yards of him. Abanhfleft had something left in the tank, however.
Wes Soderlund, Abanhfleft's quarterback, drove his team down the field, and had thirty seconds with first and goal at the five yard line soon enough. Ross Monarch, leader of this defense and inside linebacker, stepped up from then on.
The team tried to run twice to no avail, the almost two hundred fifty pound linebacker met Ronnie Turgeon, who clocks in at a massive two hundred fifty five pounds at running back, twice at the line of scrimmage, with both men flying at maximum velocity. The matchup ended with zero net yards, with a tackle for loss the first time around and a gain of one the next.
Forced to pass, Soderlund dropped back and rifled a ball towards top wideout Toby Archambeault, whom had burned Darnell Sleight in the first quarter to get the team into field goal range, but Sleight was there on this one, knocking the pass down in a heart-stopper moment. That made fourth down.
This time, Soderlund dropped back, shed a sack from big defensive end Zach Skinner, and rolled out of the pocket. Tight end Luther Dunleavy ran with him, in the end zone, and the quarterback fired. Dunleavy had the ball in hand for just a second, but Ross Monarch came in like a battering ram, shoulder slamming into the tight end's ribs and sending the ball to the turf.
That would be it, game, and the linebacker roared to the largely equine crowd, which had grown on him, at least, throughout. They were ready, next up? Main Nation Ministry.
