Finals Preview
In the biggest CFL season to date, with thirteen teams vying for the title we are down to the final two. The Phantoms came into the season with new faces and a mission. They brought in two stars in Samad and Neiko. They could not be more different from a vertical standpoint but their presence is equally menacing. ZQ changed his game a little this season focusing on efficiency and it has led the team to an undefeated season. The Warriors are the old guys looking to prove experience is what will reign in the end. What Farooq has dubbed the LEG in Louis, Ezra and Greg have carried the team the whole season on both offense and defense. Will it be enough to take down the Phantoms, let’s dive into the matchups.
Quarterback
Phantoms- ZQ
ZQ is one of the top quarterbacks Retro has bar none. He is accurate and knows the strength of his team. He gets the ball out quickly, letting his playmakers catch the ball in rhythm and make plays. He also has a good arm and can stretch the field when given the opportunity. Incredibly mobile he will be able to buy himself time in the pocket and give his guys time to get open. If there is a problem he has had this season he has been turnover prone in close games. Week one against this same Warriors team and in a big game against Bing Bong he threw a handful of interceptions compared to the rest of the games when his team sailed. Does he get nervous against the upper echelon? He does not have a lot of experience at the QB position and that may hinder him here.
Warriors- Ezra
He is back going for chip number two. Unlike his opponent Ezra has a ton of experience at the position, making many finals and has seen every situation he could face in this matchup. He is a classic gunslinger, many times for the good and sometimes for the bad. He likes to take shots downfield and begrudgingly settles for the shorter throws when they are covered. He also is deceptively elusive in the pocket, using excellent footwork to buy himself time and find routes coming open. Against this defense he may have a hard time attacking vertically but we think he can adjust and get his players in the right spots. Will he finally get the finals MVP he believed he was robbed of last time out?
Offense
Phantoms
On offense ZQ likes to spread the ball around but it starts with the speed of Samad. Getting the ball in his hands in space is the first priority on offense, he is adept at getting away from flag pullers and accelerating to full speed quickly. Neiko is a huge target often used in the middle of the field as an easy target for ZQ over the defense. In the red zone he should be the number one target with the advantage he provides with his height. Fahad is probably the most underrated player on the team. He has the surest hands and always seems to find a way to get open. In the rainy conditions of the semis when they were struggling to catch the ball and drive on offense he provided the spark that got them going. Guys like Qasim, Anas and Uzair all play their roles well. They run crisp routes and while not usually the first read, ZQ relies on them to make plays when they get the chance.
Warriors
The main drivers for Ezra are Louis and the Hulk himself, Greg. Louis is adept at getting open downfield and will stress the safeties into covering him. Greg is a monster target who Ezra has unmatched chemistry with, they are usually in sync with knowing where to be to make the play. During the regular season Greg seemed like his game may be slipping; but since the playoffs have started he has picked it up on the field and in the chat. His other receivers all provide different capabilities, Amin is a great possession guy, Dom is an all around receiver and Rizwan is a spark plug providing big plays that gets the team going. Farooq will provide his usual enthusiasm when he’s on the field and we can imagine he will try and get some points in this championship game. Not having the real speed threat in Tosin may be the difference here.
Defense
Phantoms
This is where the Phantoms have really shined this season. Neiko is a top DPOY candidate, locking down his half of the field and collecting turnovers in bunches. Fahad takes care of the other side which allows Samad to move around, sometimes playing short cutting off your quick throws or switching to safety if he feels like it’s a better matchup. Faiq is a constant on that side of the ball with him and Qasim doing great work on the sidelines to shut things down. They have primarily stuck to zone but will they be able to adapt if Ezra starts picking it apart. They have the athletes to play man and with Neiko you have a player who can match the size of Greg. The strategy of matching their defense to the Warriors offense will be important.
Warriors
This defense has an absolute stud in Louis. He won DPOY last season and got two huge interceptions last week to start his team's big lead in the semis. Later in the game he did get caught going for the big play and was targeted a bit by Tayeb on crossers. The rest of the defense plays solid zone principles but once Bing Bong got settled in they didn’t have any trouble picking it apart, even without their top weapons. That is a little concerning considering the ease that the Phantoms have had moving the ball. It won’t get any easier without Tosin out there as a speedy flag puller. It will take a real team effort to be able to shut down their opponents offense. We aren’t sure if they are capable of it.
Prediction
Even with all the parity we had throughout the season in the end these were the two best teams throughout the regular season and now they meet to try and win the championship. On offense we think these teams are probably even with maybe a slight edge towards the Warriors if only because these players have been there before. The difference here will be defense. The Phantoms are in a class of their own on that end and that will be the major difference especially in the cold where getting stops will be the most important thing. We think the Warriors keep it close but we can see a big play by Neiko or Samad being the deciding factor.
Phantoms 27 Warriors 21