Team Rax meets next challenge in second-seeded Teynor

CANTON, OHIO – Team Rax is letting the good times roll, and for good reason. Fresh off an impressive, back-and-forth victory over No. 5-seed and two-time defending champion Casey Irwin in the opening round of the 2018 TTFFL Playoffs, the upstart Max Julian and Kyle Rakotci (9-5) are beaming with confidence. And it's well-deserved. By passing their crash course in the win-or-go-home scenario, fourth-seeded “Max and Raks" became the first rookie team to win a postseason game since Stefano Faiella in 2010. Next up, the duo enters this weekend’s semifinal round. Meeting them there is No. 2-seed Pat Teynor, who enjoyed a welcomed bye week and automatic bid into the TTFFL money rounds. Teynor, who finished the regular season at 9-4, featuring all nine wins in the last 10 weeks of the campaign, returns to action as one of the hottest teams around. Still, he’s not underestimating anything. “We’re really relishing in this moment, and we’re obviously very excited,” Teynor said. “We have a tough opponent in Team Rax – they’ve really come into this league and earned their stripes. They have a good squad, but we’re certainly happy to be here and ready to get back at it.” Team Rax showed real resiliency last week, overcoming just a three-point effort by the Jaguars defense on Thursday night before rallying for a 188.5 total. The squad did it all without the services of running back James Connor, who was sidelined with an ankle injury and is questionable again for Week 15. Instead, the group enjoyed a collection of six players who scored 20 or more points to rally for the wild playoff win. “We’re battled-tested now,” Rakotci said. “It’s something to say about our team when 1 through 10 in the lineup can go off at any time. Those guys can drop 20, 30 at any time and that’s just a huge bonus for us.” For Teynor, last week’s bye came at the perfect time for his group. Despite his hot streak, he’s still recovering from the shocking release of former running back Kareem Hunt, and his search for a starting wide receiver and a mainstay offensive player remains in flex. At this point of year, it’s unlikely the lone remaining Founding Father in this year’s playoffs will ever find full-time remedies for those holes. Because of that, Teynor is hopeful his core, which includes quarterback Philip Rivers, running back Todd Gurley and wide receiver Amari Cooper can take the lead. “We’re hoping to find some answers to our holes, but no one has really taken the jobs, so that’s not the best situation to be in going into the week," Teynor admitted. "We definitely need our studs to shoulder the load. But if the complimentary guys can chip in, we think we have a really good shot at it.” Everyone in the TTFFL knows what Gurley was able to do in the 2017 playoffs, nearly single-handedly winning Irwin his second consecutive Guy Julian Memorial Trophy. And considering the sudden shape Teynor’s team is in, additional performances like those might be critical. Still, Bless'Em Then finished third overall in scoring, proving they are very capable of producing a big number. This weekend marks Teynor’s first postseason appearance since his 2015 title run. Since then, his franchise has had its struggles, making this opportunity all the more special for him. By looking at the matchup, he finds himself in a unique spot where he may feature as many as five players take the field before Sunday even arrives. Obviously, that would throw a major wrinkle into the contest. As for Team Rax, who blew out Teynor, 183.7-139.9, in Week 3, the injury report will be telling for how it will fill out the starting lineup. But there’s no denying the rookies’ depth, which has already come in handy. No matter of the outcome of this affair, one thing is clear: both teams are genuinely thankful to be given the chance to play for a spot in next week’s championship game. That makes this one easy to root for both parties. “There’s only four teams left playing, and we’re grateful to be one of them,” Julian said. “We’re looking at all options and all hands are on deck this week. We’re leaving no stone unturned to try to get another win.”