Week 28 Game Summary - Why is it that whenever we have a crappy turn out (like last week), the next week we get monster turnout? Can't we just get good turn out every week? Well, I can tell you one participant who showed up uninvited and had a bad effect on the game, the wind. It was incredibly gusty and the QB completion percentages show the effects.

Red - Adam, Matt Day, Ethan, Cain, Paul, Bedeeh, Best Man, Erik, & Chris Sulak
Yellow - Tom, Mark, Kris, Chenault, Casey, Jimmy, Leo, Jesse, & Rich

Game starts 7 on 7 - 3 man line with 3 eligibles.

Red 1
1-15 from the 10: Run by Paul for -6 yards - stopped by Mark.
2-21 from the 4: Pass by Cain to Adam - incomplete. Under pressure, Cain throws blind to Adam wide.
3-21 from the 4: Pass by Cain to Paul - incomplete. Wind took it a bit out of reach.
4-21 from the 4: Punt.

Going to 8 on 8 now.

Yellow 1
1-17 from the 33: Run by Kris for -6 yards - stopped by Ethan. Sack by Ethan
2-23 from the 27: Run by Kris for -4 yards - stopped by Bedeeh. Bedeeh strips the ball for a 4 yard loss.
3-27 from the 23: Pass by Kris to Tom - incomplete. Long throw to Tom. Should have been picked by Adam.
4-27 from the 23: Punt.

Red 2
1-10 from the 15: Pass by Cain to Ethan for 25 yards - stopped by Unknown. Nice throw under pressure and run after the catch.
1-10 from the 35: Pass by Cain to Paul - incomplete. Good pressure.
2-10 from the 35: Pass by Cain to Adam for 8 yards - stopped by Jesse. Adam breaks his thumb on the play somehow.
3-2 from the 27: Pass by Cain to Paul for 3 yards - stopped by Tom.

1-Goal from the 24: Pass by Cain to Paul - incomplete. Tom should have picked this but gets credit of the defensed pass.
2-Goal from the 24: Pass by Cain to Adam - incomplete. Ball a little behind and Jesse reaches in to defense the pass.
3-Goal from the 24: Pass by Cain to Unknown - incomplete.
4-Goal from the 24: Pass by Cain to Adam - incomplete. Ball defensed by Jesse again. A very nice play because he got turned around.

Yellow 2
1-1 from the 24: Pass by Kris to Chenault - incomplete. Pass defensed by Paul.
2-1 from the 24: Pass by Kris to Tom for 10 yards - stopped by Paul.

1-16 from the 34: Run by Mark for 2 yards - stopped by Paul.
2-14 from the 36: Pass by Kris to Mark - incomplete. Ball overthrown.
3-14 from the 36: Pass by Kris to Tom - incomplete. Ball high.
4-14 from the 36: Punt.

Leo and his Best Man arrive so the game goes to 9 on 9.

Red 3
1-17 from the 8: Pass by Cain to Chris - incomplete.
2-17 from the 8: Pass by Cain to Erik for 7 yards - stopped by Jesse.
3-10 from the 15: Pass by Cain to Chris - incomplete.
4-10 from the 15: Punt.

Yellow 3
1-25 from the 25: Run by Kris for -10 yards - stopped by Ethan. Serious pressure by the line and Ethan knocked the QB back into the man who was supposed take the hand off. So the ball hit the ground and its credited as a 10 yard sack.
2-35 from the 15: Pass by Kris to Casey - incomplete. Overthrown.
3-10 from the 15: Pass by Kris to Casey - incomplete. Overthrown.
4-10 from the 15: Punt.

Red 4
1-25 from the 25: Pass by Cain to Ethan for 22 yards - stopped by Leo.
2-3 from the 28: Run by Cain for 6 yards - stopped by Tom.

1-Goal from the 22: Run by Cain for 10 yards - stopped by Jimmy.
2-Goal from the 12: Pass by Cain to Paul for 12 and the TD.

1-0, Red.

Yellow 4
1-15 from the 10: Run by Mark for 16 yards - stopped by Erik.
1-24 from the 26: Pass by Tom to Rich knocked down by Matt but down into Rich's hands. Ball pops out of Rich's hands and Mark comes down with it. Not sure who got the stop.
2-13 from the 37: Run by Unknown for 10 yards - stopped by Unknown. As you can see the wind was playing havok with more than the ball. I kept losing play info.
3-3 from the 28: Run by Tom for 4 yards - stopped by Chris.

1-Goal from the 24: Run by Tom for -2 yards - stopped by Ethan & Best Man. Sack by Ethan and the Best Man crushing Tom.
2-Goal from the 26: Pass by Tom to Rich - incomplete.
3-Goal from the 26: Pass by Tom to Chenault - incomplete. Play called PI and down replayed.
3-Goal from the 26: Pass by Tom to Jesse - incomplete. Another dropped pick by Adam (at least there was the excuse of the broken thumb for this one).
4-Goal from the 26: Pass by Tom to Chenault - incomplete. Ball out of bounds.

Red 5
1-24 from the 26: Pass by Cain to Matt for 14 yards - stopped by Jesse. Matt goes into a spin right after the catch and manages to spin along 3-4 defenders before Jesse gets the stop.
2-10 from the 35: Run by Cain for 9 yards - stopped by Tom. Run up the left side before crossing the field and getting flagged along the right sideline.
3-1 from the 26: Pass by Cain to Chris for 23 yards - stopped by Jesse. Cain rolls right on an all out blitz to deliver this ball.

1-Goal from the 3: Pass by Cain to Chris - incomplete. Ball defensed by Chenault.
2-Goal from the 3: 3 Yard TD run by Cain.

2-0, Red.

Yellow 5
1-15 from the 10: Run by Leo for 0 yards - stopped by Erik. Run up the middle but there was no hole for Leo to get through.
2-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Casey - incomplete. Ball slipped on the throw.
3-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Jimmy for 23 yards - stopped by Paul. Stop due to flag guard. Play was very nearly a sack.

1-17 from the 33: Run by Leo for 8 yards - stopped by Adam.
2-9 from the 34: Run by Leo for -10 yards - stopped by Erik.
3-20 from the 30: Pass by Tom to Leo - incomplete. Ball tipped by Ethan as it was being thrown.
4-20 from the 30: Punt.

Red 6
1-10 from the 15: Run by Cain for -11 yards - stopped by Chenault. Very timely sack puts Red deep in a hole.
2-21 from the 4: Pass by Cain to Ethan - incomplete. Ethan saw Cain rolling towards him and turned to block so the ball hit him in the back.
3-21 from the 4: Pass by Cain to Paul - incomplete.
4-21 from the 4: Punt.

Yellow 6
1-14 from the 36: Pass by Leo to Rich for 9 yards - stopped by Matt.
2-5 from the 30: Run by Leo for 10 yards - stopped by Erik.

1-Goal from the 20: Pass by Leo to Chenault for 5 yards - stopped by Adam.
2-Goal from the 15: Pass by Leo to Mark for 2 yards - stopped by Adam. Mark put Paul down with a stiff-arm.
3-Goal from the 15: Pass by Leo to Rich - incomplete. Matt made contact as Rich got the ball.
4-Goal from the 15: Pass by Leo to Rich - incomplete. Ball short. Turnover on downs.

Red 7
1-10 from the 15: Pass by Cain to Erik for 8 yards - stopped by Leo.
2-2 from the 23: Pass by Cain to Best Man - incomplete. Ball wide.
3-2 from the 23: Pass by Cain to Erik - incomplete. Rare drop from Erik. Matt, Adam and Paul all vote to punt. Everyone else votes to go for it on 4th and 2 from the 23.
4-2 from the 23: Run by Cain for -8 yards - stopped by Mark. Mark gets the sack and Adam, Paul, and Matt got the satisfaction of being right.

Yellow 7
1-Goal from the 15: Run by Jimmy for 3 yards - stopped by Paul.
2-Goal from the 12: Pass by Leo to Kris picked by Cain from the safety slot. Cain falls over in the endzone and loses a flag but gets up to run it; getting to the 13 before Jesse touches him down.

Red 8
1-12 from the 13: Pass by Cain to Adam - incomplete. Ball wide.
2-12 from the 13: Run by Cain for -4 yards - stopped by Leo. Sack by Leo.
3-16 from the 9: Pass by Cain to Adam for 2 yards - stopped by Rich. Naked screen to Adam coming out of the backfield.
4-14 from the 11: Punt.

Yellow 8
1-22 from the 28: Run by Kris for -13 yards - stopped by fumbled pitch to Jesse.
2-35 from the 15: Run by Kris for 8 yards - stopped by Adam.
3-27 from the 23: Pass by Kris to Unknown for 4 yards - stopped by Unknown.
4-23 from the 27: Pass by Kris to Mark - incomplete. Defensed by Cain. Turnover on downs.

Red 9
1-2 from the 27: Pass by Cain to Best Man - incomplete. Ball short.
2-2 from the 27: Pass by Cain to Erik - incomplete. Jesse nearly has the pick (and gets credit for a defensed pass) but ultimately, it was Erik who had to turn defender and prevented the pick.
3-2 from the 27: Pass by Cain to Erik for 8 yards - stopped by stepping out of bounds.

1-Goal from the 19: Pass by Cain to Unknown - incomplete. Ball was short but Erik made a valiant effort by diving and trapping the ball.
2-Goal from the 19: 19 Yard run by Cain for the TD.

3-0, Red.

Yellow 9
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Kris to Leo for 3 yards - stopped by Erik.
2-12 from the 13: Pass by Kris to Tom for 19 yards - stopped by Chris.
1-18 from the 32: Run by Kris for 7 yards - stopped by Adam.
2-11 from the 36: Run by Leo for 32 yards - stopped by Cain. Pitch to Leo who looks to throw and then pulls it down for a huge run. Cain pushes him out at the 4 and pays for it with a hit from Jimmy.

1-Goal from the 4: Pass by Kris to Jimmy - incomplete.
2-Goal from the 4: Pass by Kris to Casey - incomplete. Ball thrown out the back of the endzone.
3-Goal from the 4: Pass by Kris to Tom - incomplete. Ball defensed by Paul.
4-Goal from the 4: Trips right formation. Leo on the inside and moves parallel to the line of scrimmage behind the other two receivers on hike gets the pass from Kris for 4 yards and the TD.

3-1, Red.

Red 10
1-15 from the 10: Run by Cain for -7 yards - stopped by Rich. Sack by Rich.
2-22 from the 3: Pass by Cain to Paul for 16 yards - stopped by Jimmy.
3-6 from the 19: Pass by Cain to Adam - incomplete. Overthrown.
4-6 from the 19: Punt.

Cain has to leave so we go to 8 on 8 and the QB can't run anymore.

Yellow 10
1-4 from the 21: Pass by Kris to Jesse for 30 yards - stopped by Adam. This play was made by a huge block by Jimmy who knocked Chris into Erik, taking them both out of the play and springing Jesse for an extra 15 yards.

1-Goal from the 24: Pass by Kris to Chenault for 8 yards - stopped by Paul.
2-Goal from the 16: Pass by Kris to Jimmy - incomplete. Defensed by Chris.
3-Goal from the 16: Run by Kris for -5 yards - stopped by Best Man. Best Man gets the sack reaching up from the ground.
4-Goal from the 21: Pass by Kris to Chenault - incomplete. Adam's one moment of glory. Kris threads a beautiful pass in and Chenault is in the act of securing the ball and taking his first step when Adam sticks a hand in and forces it out. A touchdown saving play. Turnover on downs.

Red 11
1-4 from the 21: Pass by Erik to Matt - incomplete.
2-4 from the 21: Pass by Erik to Paul - incomplete. Ball thrown out of bounds on a scramble.
3-4 from the 21: Pass by Erik to Unknown for 2 yards - stopped by Unknown.
4-2 from the 23: Erik throws a quick out to Chris. Jimmy jumps the route and takes it back for the TD.

3-2, Red.

Red 12
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Erik to Paul for 20 yards - stopped by Chenault.
1-20 from the 30: Erik throws to Bedeeh. Casey picks it (after bobbling it a couple times) and takes it back for the TD.

3-3, Tie.

Red 13
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Erik to Adam - incomplete. Nice throw but a bit short. Jimmy reaches out and tips it and Adam can't bring it in while falling down.
2-15 from the 10: Pass by Erik to Bedeeh - incomplete.
3-15 from the 10: Pass by Erik to Adam - incomplete. Drop by Adam.
4-15 from the 10: Punt.

Yellow 13
1-15 from the 35: Pass by Kris to Leo - incomplete. Fly route.
2-15 from the 35: Pass by Kris to Tom - incomplete. Paul was jumping up in and likely contributed to the incompletion.
3-15 from the 35: Pass by Kris to Leo for 24 yards - stopped by Paul.

1-Goal from the 16: Run by Mark for 10 yards - stopped by Adam. Mark takes Paul out again. This time causing his nose to bleed.
2-Goal from the 6: Pass by Kris to Leo - incomplete. Ball was really more thrown away.
3-Goal from the 6: Pass by Kris to Tom - incomplete.
4-Goal from the 6: Pass by Kris to Leo - incomplete. This was very lucky for Red.

Tie game.

Game Stats

Passing

Players	Comp	Attempts	%	Yards	Passing TD	INTs	Sacked	Yards Lost
Tom	2	7	28.57%	34	0	0	1	-2
Kris	8	25	32.00%	102	1	0	4	-25
Leo	3	6	50.00%	16	0	1	0	0
Cain	12	31	38.71%	148	1	0	4	-30
Erik	2	9	22.22%	22	0	2	0	0

Receiving / Rushing

Players	Recpts	Targets	Yards	Rec TDs	Rushes	Yards	Rush TDs
Tom	2	7	29	0	1	4	0
Kris	0	1	0	0	3	2	0
Leo	3	7	31	1	5	40	0
Chenault	2	5	13	0	0	0	0
Casey	0	4	0	0	0	0	0
Jimmy	1	3	23	0	1	3	0
Jesse	1	2	30	0	0	0	0
Rich	1	4	9	0	0	0	0
Mark	2	4	13	0	3	28	0
Cain	0	0	0	0	5	47	2
Erik	3	5	23	0	0	0	0
Matt	1	2	14	0	0	0	0
Adam	2	9	10	0	0	0	0
Ethan	2	3	47	0	0	0	0
Paul	4	9	51	1	1	-6	0
Bedeeh	0	2	0	0	0	0	0
Best Man	0	2	0	0	0	0	0
Chris	1	5	23	0	0	0	0

Defense

Players	Flags	Pass Def	INTs	Strips	Sacks	Sack Yards	Def TDs
Tom	3	1	0	0	0	0	0
Kris	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Leo	3	0	0	0	1	-4	0
Chenault	2	1	0	0	1	-11	0
Casey	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Jimmy	2	1	1	0	0	0	1
Jesse	5	3	0	0	0	0	0
Rich	2	0	0	0	1	-7	0
Mark	2	0	0	0	1	-8	0
Cain	1	1	1	0	0	0	0
Erik	5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Matt	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Adam	7	2	0	0	0	0	0
Ethan	2	1	0	0	2	-16	0
Paul	6	3	0	0	0	0	0
Bedeeh	1	0	0	0	1	-4	0
Best Man	1	0	0	0	1	-5	0
Chris	2	1	0	0	0	0	0

Normally, I don't award an MVP for a tie game unless there was a really dominant performance. While Cain's performance was not really dominant, its worth pointing out that before he left, Red was up 3-1 and the game ended 3-3 (and nearly 4-3, Yellow). Plus, he called a 3 TD performance in his Evite response: "Go ahead and put me down for a 3 TD performance. Not sure if it will be at QB or WR this week. Either/Or " How good is that?

There was some other nice performances. Mark was a feared ball carrier. Leo had 71 rushing-receiving yards (next closest were Cain and Ethan at 47 and Paul at 45). Jesse had 5 flags and 3 defensed passes (at least one that probably saved a TD). Paul also had a big day on defense with 6 flags and 3 defensed passes. Jimmy's performance was bigger than his stats: huge blocks as well as his pick-6 were big contributions.

Week 29 Preview - Less than 18 but at least 12 : )

Chris, did it turn out that you broke your nose?

Link of the week - Normally, I don't do political links but if you've never seen this, it is honestly one of the most spectacular pieces of political commentary/satire I've ever seen: Steven Colbert at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Dinner tearing apart the media and the administration. This is a really intense presentation. The audience is generally quiet because they were in shock.

http://www.videosift.com/video/Stephen-Colbert-2006-White-House-Correspondents-Dinner

Week 27 Summary - Nothing. No game.

My thanks to Casey who RSVP'd as a yes and showed up on time and to Jesse who doesn't have email but who showed up on time anyway. Thanks also to Chenault who at least called at 9:20 to say he was on his way.

Week 28 Preview - Shit, after this week who knows. It may have been mid 40s and it may have been raining a bit but we played in much worse earlier this year. We certainly could have played had we had more than 4 people.

Link of the Week - No link for you!

Week 27 Game Summary: Interesting game this week. It was really tight for the first 10 possessions and then suddenly the game reached 4.5-1 before finishing up at a more respectable 4.5 - 3. Really though, it was not that close. One team's offense couldn't get anything going. Fun game to be sure but frustrating to be in a game at 1.5 - 1 through 10 possessions and then suddenly to be out of the game.

On to the play by play . . .

Game starts 5 on 5 - 1 man line with 3 eligibles.

Yellow 1
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Erik for 18 yards - stopped by Cain. 10 yard cross that Erik turns up the field.
1-22 from the 28: Pass by Tom to Casey for 4 yards - stopped by Matt.
2-18 from the 32: Pass by Tom to Casey - incomplete. Defensed by Matt who had perfect position on a slightly underthrown ball.
3-18 from the 32: Pass by Tom to Mark. Mark dives to catch the ball on 10 yard out but isn't touched down. So he gets up, makes Matt miss and then outruns Mike to the endzone. 1-0 Yellow.

Red 1
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Cain to Jimmy - incomplete. Good coverage by Tom.
2-15 from the 10: Pass by Cain to Mike - incomplete. Mark came in on an off man blitz (with Chenault dropping into double coverage). Mark's pressure caused Cain to throw long.
3-15 from the 10: Thrown up by Cain to Mike but picked by Mark at the 33. Mark steps out of bounds immediately after the pick.

3 extra guys show up. 2 are walk-ons. We go to 7 on 7.

Yellow 2
1-17 from the 33: Pass by Tom to Chenault for 33 yards - stopped by Adam.

1-Goal from the 9: Pass by Tom to Chenault - incomplete. Throw was back against the grain and short and wide.
2-Goal from the 9: Run by Tom for -3 yards - stopped by Cain. 3 yard sack by Cain.
3-Goal from the 12: Pass by Tom to Chenault - incomplete. Pass wide.
4-Goal from the 12: Run by Tom for -3 yards - stopped by Ethan. 3 yard sack by Ethan to force the turnover on downs. Nice goal line stand for Red.

Red 2
1-10 from the 15: Ball thrown to Mike, picked by Tom who brings it back to the 16. Not sure who made the stop.

Yellow 3
1-Goal from the 16: Handoff to Chenault moving left with a reverse back to Chase moving right. Pauly makes the stop for a 3 yard loss.
2-Goal from the 19: Pass by Tom to Mark - incomplete. Thrown out of the back of the endzone.
3-Goal from the 19: Pass by Tom to Mark - incomplete. Nice throw to Mark on an out in the endzone but Jimmy defensed it.
4-Goal from the 19: Pass by Tom to Mark - incomplete. Matt defenses the pass. Another good defensive stand and a turnover on downs.

Red 3
1-6 from the 19: Pass by Cain to Pauly - incomplete. Ball wide.
2-6 from the 19: Pass by Cain to Adam - incomplete. Beautifully defensed by Chenault.
3-6 from the 19: Pass by Cain to Pauly - incomplete. Overthrown.
4-6 from the 19: Punt.

Yellow 4
1-4 from the 21: Pass by Tom to Erik for 5 yards - stopped by Cain.
1-24 from the 26: Pass by Tom to Casey - incomplete. Ball high.
2-24 from the 26: Pass by Tom to Erik - incomplete. Wide and long.
3-24 from the 26: Pass by Tom to Unknown. Picked by Adam and stopped by Erik.

Red 4
1-25 from the 25: Pass by Cain to Jimmy - incomplete. Pass wide.
2-25 from the 25: Pass by Cain to Matt - incomplete. Good pressure.
3-25 from the 25: Pass by Cain to Jimmy - incomplete. More good pressure but ball was catchable.
4-25 from the 25: Punt.

Yellow 5
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Mark for 0 yards - stopped by Cain. Mark comes in motion to behind Twins Right and gets the bubble screen.
2-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Chenault - incomplete. Cain tips the ball as its thrown.
3-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Mark - incomplete. Cain tips the ball as its thrown and then Pauly tips it closer to the receiver but it keeps Adam from picking it.
4-15 from the 10: Punt.

Red 5
1-20 from the 30: Run by Pauly for 4 yards - stopped by Casey. Pauly in motion crosses behind the line. On hike he turns back and gets the pitch and follows some blocks for 4 yards.
2-16 from the 34: Ball thrown by Cain low on the WR screen at the snap. Adam bobbles the ball trying to pick it up and Chase makes the heads up pick. Mike on the stop.

Yellow 6
1-7 from the 32: Flea-flicker back to Tom who throws long to Casey. Pauly comes off his man and comes across the field to pick the ball with a leaping grab. Pauly then has a very nice run back with a spin move to get past Chenault and Mark gets the stop close to the original line of scrimmage.

Red 6
1-11 from the 36: Pass by Cain to Mike - incomplete. Play action pass thrown wide.
2-11 from the 36: Run by Jimmy for 1 yards - stopped by Mark. Pitch left with Cain lead blocking.
3-10 from the 35: Pass by Cain to Matt - incomplete. Ball defensed by Chase.
4-10 from the 35: Punt.

Chase and Kade leave Yellow and Mike joins Yellow to make the game 6 on 6.

Yellow 7
1-Goal from the 10: Pass by Erik to Chenault - incomplete. Ball wide.
2-Goal from the 10: Pass by Erik to Chenault - incomplete. Play was intended to be a Cuba Libre but Chenault pops it back without actually gettting possession so when it hits the ground, the play is deemed an incomplete pass.
3-Goal from the 10: Pass by Erik to Mike - incomplete. Cain defenses the ball by knocking it down as it was thrown.
4-Goal from the 10: Punt.

Red 7
1-15 from the 35: Pass by Cain to Pauly - incomplete. Pauly lays out for it on a cross but can't bring it in.
2-15 from the 35: Run by Cain for -8 yards - stopped by Mark. Sack by Mark.
3-23 from the 27: Run by Cain for -7 yards - stopped by Mark. Another sack by Mark. Consecutive sacks are rare.
4-5 from the 20: Punt.

Yellow 8
1-25 from the 25: Pass by Erik to Mark for 10 yards - stopped by Jimmy.
2-15 from the 35: Pass by Erik to Mark - incomplete. Cain tips another ball as its thrown.
3-15 from the 35: Pass by Erik to Tom - incomplete. Tom slipped a bit on his route and couldn't quite get to it.
4-15 from the 35: Punt.

Red 8
1-20 from the 5: Massive failure on a flea-flicker. Cain hands off to Pauly who pitches back. Unfortunately, Cain had rolled a bit and Casey knocked the ball down in the endzone so it was a Safety. 1.5-0, Yellow.

Yellow 9
1-15 from the 10: Run by Erik for -8 yards - stopped by Cain. Sack by Cain.
2-23 from the 2: Pass by Erik to Tom for 13 yards - stopped by Pauly.
3-10 from the 15: Pass by Erik to Tom for 23 yards - stopped by Matt. Tom goes up to bring this ball in and makes a big play of it.

1-12 from the 37: Pass by Erik to Casey - incomplete.
2-12 from the 37: Pass by Erik to Tom for 5 yards - stopped by Pauly.
3-7 from the 32: Pass by Erik to Casey - incomplete. Ball high.
4-7 from the 32: Pass by Erik to Tom - incomplete. Pauly defenses the pass. Turnover on downs.

Red 9
1-7 from the 32: Pass by Cain to Ethan for 12 yards - stopped by Erik. Ethan manages to get wide open.
1-Goal from the 20: This play pretty much summarized Red's luck with offense in this game. Adam comes out of the backfield on play action, the other two receivers stay in to block. Adam gets behind the defense and runs to the back right corner of the endzone where Cain throws a beautiful pass. Then at the last moment, Erik comes leaping in and picks the ball. Adam gets the stop for a touchback.

Yellow 10
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Erik to Casey for 24 yards - stopped by Adam. Little 5 yard cross and Casey turns it up field making 2 guys miss.
1-16 from the 34: Pass by Erik to Mike for 11 yards - stopped by Pauly.
2-5 from the 30: Run by Erik for -5 yards - stopped by Ethan. 5 yard sack by Ethan.
3-10 from the 35: Pass by Erik to Mark for 12 yards - stopped by going out of bounds. Really beautiful pass.

1-Goal from the 23: Pass by Erik to Mike - incomplete. Defensed by Pauly.
2-Goal from the 23: Run by Mark for -1 yards - stopped by Cain. Mark comes in motion behind the line on set and gets the pitch. Cain gets the stop for a 1 yard loss.
3-Goal from the 24: Pass by Erik to Mike - incomplete. Ball high.
4-Goal from the 24: Pass by Erik to Mike - incomplete. Turnover on downs.

Red 10
1-1 from the 24: Pass by Cain to Pauly for 3 yards - stopped by Tom.
1-23 from the 27: Pass by Cain to Jimmy - incomplete.
2-23 from the 27: Pass by Cain to Pauly - incomplete. Throw high.
3-23 from the 27: Pass by Cain to Pauly for 48 yards - stopped by . Terrific throw and Pauly uses Jimmy as a screen after catching the ball to score. Nice bit of running. 1.5 to 1, Yellow.

Yellow 11
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Mark - incomplete. Mark got tangled up with his coverage in incidental coverage (both sprinting to the ball when their legs tangled).
2-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Chenault for 0 yards - stopped by .
-15 from the 10: Throw by Tom to Chenault for 0. Chenault pitches back to Casey who gets 5 before Matt gets the stop.
3-10 from the 15: Pass by Tom to Erik for 14 yards - stopped by Adam.

1-21 from the 29: Pass by Tom to Mark - incomplete.
2-21 from the 29: Pass by Tom to Chenault for 8 yards - stopped by Matt.
3-13 from the 37: Pass by Tom to Mark for 9 yards - stopped by Pauly.
4-4 from the 29: Pass by Tom to Chenault for 29 and the TD. Chenault tipped it twice before bringing it in. 2.5 to 1, Yellow.

Red 11
1-15 from the 10: Run by Cain for -5 yards - stopped by Mark. 5 yard sack by Mark. Watch what's next.
2-20 from the 5: Run by Cain for -4 yards - stopped by Mark. 4 yard sack by Mark. That's two sacks in a row for the second time today for Mark. But he's not done.
3-24 from the 1: Run by Cain for -1 yards - stopped by Mark. 1 yard sack by Mark for a safety. 3 in a row! I don't think we've ever had that. 3-1, Yellow.

Yellow 12
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Erik for 16 yards - stopped by Adam.
1-24 from the 26: Pass by Tom to Casey for 13 yards - stopped by Matt.
2-11 from the 36: Tom throws deep to Erik for the TD. 4-1, Yellow.

Red 12
1-15 from the 10: Run by Pauly for -10 yards - stopped by Mark. Mark gets another safety (his second). 4.5-1, Yellow.

Yellow 13
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Mark - incomplete. Rare miss by Mark today on a deep post route. He's been nearly flawless otherwise.
2-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Casey for 1 yards - stopped by Adam.
3-14 from the 11: Pass by Tom to Casey - incomplete. Flea-flicker and then a deep throw to Casey.
4-14 from the 11: Punt.

Red 13
1-21 from the 29: Pass by Matt to Unknown - incomplete. Matt throws what is a sure pick but Mike defenses it instead.
2-21 from the 29: Pass by Matt to Jimmy - incomplete. Ball wide.
3-21 from the 29: Pass by Matt to Cain for 19 yards - stopped by Erik. Ugly duckling of a throw but Cain goes up and gets it.
4-2 from the 27: Pass by Matt to Jimmy for 17 yards - stopped by Erik.

1-Goal from the 10: Pass by Matt to Jimmy - incomplete. Ball wide.
2-Goal from the 10: Pass by Matt to Cain - incomplete.
3-Goal from the 10: Pass by Matt to Jimmy - incomplete. Ball wide. This is the third time Matt's thrown wide to Jimmy. Jimmy has lost a lot of weight on South Beach but I think Matt's overestimating Jimmy's new speed.
4-Goal from the 10: Throw by Matt under pressure to Cain. Tipped by Erik, Tom, Cain, and Adam before Cain comes down with it for the TD. 4.5-2, Yellow.

Yellow 14
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Casey to Erik - incomplete. Little forward pitch that Ethan defensed.
2-15 from the 10: Run by Erik for 3 yards - stopped by . Pitch to Chenault who pitches forward to Mark who pitches to Erik who is called for a flag guard by Adam (hand on Adam's forearm as he was reaching for the flag.
3-12 from the 13: Run by Casey for -7 yards - stopped by Ethan. Seven yard sack by Ethan. His 3rd sack.
4-19 from the 6: Pass by Tom to Casey - incomplete. Wishbone play (yes, wishbone). Ball pitched to Chenault who pitches to Tom who it boxed up and throws it to Casey but Casey isn't looking. Turnover on downs.

Red 14
1-Goal from the 11: Run by Jimmy for 9 yards - stopped by Tom. Pitch left to Jimmy. Jimmy tries to run over Tom and does in fact hit him dead on and bounce him back but Tom gets the flag anyway. Great defensive play.
2-Goal from the 2: Pass by Matt to Cain - incomplete. Pass defensed.
3-Goal from the 2: Run by Jimmy for -10 yards - stopped by Casey. Pitch to Jimmy stopped for a 10 yard loss.
4-Goal from the 12: Pass by Matt to Jimmy for the TD. 4.5 - 3, Yellow.

Passing Stats:

Players	Comp	Attempts	%	Yards	Passing TD	INTs	Sacked	Yards Lost
Tom	16	33	48.48%	262	2	2	2	-6
Erik	7	18	38.89%	98	0	0	2	-13
Casey	0	1	0.00%	0	0	0	1	-7
Cain	4	21	19.05%	63	1	4	5	-25
Matt	4	10	40.00%	58	2	0	0	0

Rushing/Receiving Stats

Players	Recpts	Targets	Yards	Rec TDs	Rushes	Yards	Rush TDs
Tom	3	5	41	0	0	0	0
Erik	5	7	89	1	1	3	0
Chenault	5	10	103	0	0	0	0
Casey	4	11	42	0	1	5	0
Mark	5	13	74	1	1	-1	0
Chase	0	0	0	0	1	-3	0
Kade	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mike	1	8	11	0	0	0	0
Adam	0	3	0	0	0	0	0
Matt	0	2	0	0	0	0	0
Cain	2	4	29	1	0	0	0
Pauly	2	7	51	1	1	4	0
Jimmy	2	9	29	1	3	0	0
Ethan	1	1	12	0	0	0	0

Defensive Stats

Players	Flags	Pass Def	INTs	Strips	Sacks	Sack Yards	Def TDs
Tom	2	0	1	0	0	0	0
Erik	4	0	1	0	0	0	0
Chenault	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Casey	3	0	0	0	1	0	0
Mark	8	0	1	0	5	-35	0
Chase	0	1	1	0	0	0	0
Kade	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mike	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Adam	7	1	1	0	0	0	0
Matt	5	2	0	0	0	0	0
Cain	6	4	0	0	2	-11	0
Pauly	5	2	1	0	0	0	0
Jimmy	1	2	0	0	0	0	0
Ethan	3	1	0	0	3	-15	0

Outstanding Performances
Tom certainly had a nice day at QB with nearly 50% completion rate and 262 yards of passing. Chenault's 5 receptions for 102 yards was pretty good too - anytime someone has 100 yards in our game, that's a very nice day.

On Red, Ethan had a nice day with 3 Sacks and Cain's 2 sacks and 4 defensed passes (all while rushing) was very nice too. I can't say anything nice about Red's offense other than a couple nice plays because the leading receivers had 2 (yes, 2) receptions. Which brings us to the most outstanding performance of them all: Mark's.

Mark had 5 receptions for 74 yards and a TD. He also had a pick and 8 flag grabs. What made his performance the stand out and the one deserving of MVP is that of his 8 flags, 5 were sacks including a safety. He also had another flag for a safety as well. His 3 sacks in a row are almost certainly a record. I don't have stats before this year but I can't remember every seeing that occur.

Week 28 Preview - No sacks for Mark since he's not coming out.

Link of the week - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6drXB57d8g&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egizmodo%2Ecom%2F

Game Summary - Had quite a scare this week. Only 9 showed up at first but then shortly after we started 4 on 4 with an all-time QB and a 1 man line - Jesse showed up to even out the numbers. What was funny is that Jesse had moved away much earlier this year and when we were bemoaning the lack of attendance, Matt asked about where Jesse had been. We all said "oh, he moved to Victoria so he's done."

We came up with a new idea this week. In the past, when we've had 5 on 5, we've played a "4 Mississippi" game without a line. This week we decided to play with a 1 man line and it was actually a lot more fun. Glad we did it.

Onto the game itself:

Red - Tom, Kris Burleson, Bedeeh, Mike, and Casey
Yellow - Leo, Adam, Chenault, Matt Day, and Jesse

Game starts 4 on 4 + an all time QB (Jesse hadn't yet arrive and wasn't expected). 1 man line with 3 eligibles.

Red 1
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Kris for 16 yards - stopped by Adam. Little 10 yard turnaround play and Kris made the first guy miss and turned it up field.

1-24 from the 26: Pass by Tom to Casey for 6 yards - stopped by Chenault.
2-18 from the 32: Pass by Tom to Casey for 38 yards - stopped by Adam. Flag guard called at the 5.

1-Goal from the 5: Pass by Tom to Kris in the endzone for the TD. 1-0, Yellow.

Jesse shows up and joins Yellow

Yellow 1
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Chenault to Adam - incomplete. Thrown wide and short.
2-15 from the 10: Run by Leo for 15 yards - stopped by Kris. Leo comes in motion on set and gets the pitch. Very good blocking up field and basically Leo is forced out by Kris just after the first.

1-25 from the 25: Pass by Chenault to Jesse for 5 yards - stopped by Kris. Little throw underneath. Jesse gets possession and then drops it after a couple steps.
2-20 from the 30: Pass by Chenault to Jesse - incomplete. Long route but too long for the throw.
3-20 from the 30: Run by Leo for 15 yards - stopped by . Adam comes in motion on set and gets the pitch. Adam hands it back off to Leo on the reverse for a nice gain with Chenault downfield blocking.
4-5 from the 30: Pass by Chenault to Adam - incomplete. Ball was too low but not a good enough attempt anyway.

Red 2
1-20 from the 30: Pass by Tom to Mike - incomplete. Long route but ball was longer still.
2-20 from the 30: Pass by Tom to Bedeeh for 8 yards - stopped by Matt.
3-12 from the 37: Leo blitzes off Kris who is lined up at TE. Tom reads Kris is the hot read and he throws the out. Adam comes up from Safety and gets the pick. Kris on the immediate stop.

Yellow 2
1-18 from the 32: Pass by Leo to Adam - incomplete. Little high but really dropped.
2-18 from the 32: Pass by Leo to Jesse - incomplete.
3-18 from the 32: Pass by Leo to Jesse for 26 yards - stopped by going out of bounds. Very nice 15 yard slant route across the entire field from right to left.

1-Goal from the 17: Run by Matt for 0 yards - stopped by Kris. Leo fakes the handoff to Jesse on his right and actually gives the ball to Matt from the TE moving behind the line.
2-Goal from the 17: Pass by Leo to Jesse - incomplete. Ball was thrown out the back of the endzone.
3-Goal from the 17: Pass by Leo to Adam - incomplete. Broken play and Leo puts the ball in a beautiful spot but its dropped. Mike also made contact with Adam's back just as the ball got there which didn't help.
4-Goal from the 17: Pass by Leo to Matt - incomplete. Adam and Matt ended up in the same part of the field and the ball wasn't delivered well to either of them.

Red 3
1-8 from the 17: Pass by Kris to Bedeeh - incomplete. Ball wide.
2-8 from the 17: Pass by Kris to Casey - incomplete.
3-8 from the 17: Pass by Kris to Casey - incomplete. Ball high.
4-8 from the 17: Punt.

Yellow 3
1-4 from the 21: Pass by Leo to Chenault for 2 yards - stopped by pitching the ball back to Leo badly and it hitting the ground. Chenault initially had 4 yards and then pitched back 2.
2-2 from the 23: Pass by Leo to Matt - incomplete. Drop
3-2 from the 23: Pass by Leo to Matt - incomplete. Overthrown, possibly due to miscommunication.
4-2 from the 23: Pass by Leo to Matt - incomplete. Nice throw but well defensed by Mike. Turnover on downs.

Red 4
1-Goal from the 23: Pass by Kris to Tom - incomplete. Ball out of bounds.
2-Goal from the 23: Run by Bedeeh for -2 yards - stopped by . Pitch forward to Tom coming out of the left slot moving right. Pitch back to Bedeeh moving left with Chenault on the stop for a 2 yard loss. The real key to the play was Chenault deciding to move to his right ather than up the field at the QB so he was in the middle of the play.
3-Goal from the 25: Pass by Kris to Casey for 11 yards - stopped by Leo.
4-Goal from the 14: Pass by Kris to Tom on a cross. Ball was a little behind Tom and tipped. Adam picked it and took it back to the 19. Stop by Kris based on a flag guard where he grabbed Adam's off hand.

Yellow 4
1-6 from the 19: Run by Adam for 4 yards - stopped by Unknown.
2-2 from the 23: Pass by Leo to Chenault for 9 yards - stopped by Casey. Play action pass.

1-18 from the 32: Pass by Leo to Adam - incomplete.
2-18 from the 32: Pass from Leo to Matt picked by Tom who is stopped by Matt.

Red 5
1-17 from the 8: Pass by Tom to Mike - incomplete. Ball overthrown.
2-17 from the 8: Pass by Tom to Casey - incomplete. Ball high.
3-17 from the 8: Pass by Tom to Kris - incomplete. Ball underthrown.
4-17 from the 8: Punt.

Yellow 5
1-22 from the 28: Pass by Leo to Jesse for 12 yards - stopped by Tom.
2-10 from the 35: Broken play. Leo hits Adam and a little 5 yard drag who has nice blocking by Jesse and Chenault and uses two big cuts to get the TD. 1-1 Tie.

Red 6
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Tom to Casey for 6 yards - stopped by Adam.
2-9 from the 16: Pass by Tom to Bedeeh - incomplete.
3-5 from the 20: Leo gets a piece of Tom's arm as he throws to Mike and Jesse picks it getting a huge run back (35 yards or so) before being stopped by Kris at the 20.

Yellow 6
1-Goal from the 20: Pass by Leo to Chenault for 18 yards - stopped by Tom.
2-Goal from the 2: Run by Leo for -11 yards - stopped by Mike. Mike corner blitzes and no one saw him coming so he had a big sack. Really huge because Yellow doesn't punch it in on the next 2 plays and probably would have from the 2.
3-12 from the 13: Pass by Leo to Jesse - incomplete. Dropped ball.
4-12 from the 13: Pass by Leo to Chenault - incomplete. Another drop. Turnover on downs.

Red 7
1-12 from the 13: Pass by Kris to Mike - incomplete. Just a little out of reach.
2-12 from the 13: Pass by Kris to Unknown - incomplete.
3-12 from the 13: Pass by Kris to Tom for 30 yards - stopped by Adam.

1-7 from the 32: Pass by Kris to Mike - incomplete. Play action pass but the ball was thrown out of bounds.
2-7 from the 32: Run by Mike for -1 yards - stopped by Adam. Mike came from the slot behind the line for a handoff.
3-8 from the 33: Pass by Kris to Mike - incomplete. Ball overthrown.
4-8 from the 33: Pass by Kris to Bedeeh for 7 yards - stopped by Matt. Controversy over where the stop was made. The ball was clearly short if you use where the flag was pulled. If you use center of mass of the ball carrier (i.e. middle of the belt) where the flag was pulled it was likely a first down (especially when we don't have lines to use). The down was replayed.
4-8 from the 33: Pass by Kris to Mike - incomplete. Overthrown a bit on a nice deep route. Turnover on downs.

Mike has to leave so we go back to 4 on 4 with an all-time QB/offensive plaver (Leo).

Yellow 7
1-17 from the 33: Pass by Leo to Adam - incomplete. Nice deep route but unable to reach ball (despite some ugly reaching)
2-17 from the 33: Pass by Leo to Matt for 10 yards - stopped by going out of bounds.
3-7 from the 32: Run by Chenault for 32 yards - stopped by . Adam takes the handoff and hands back to Chenault who was at the TE spot and stepped backwards to take the handoff. Chenault runs it 32 yards for the TD. 2-1, Yellow.

Red 8
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Leo to Tom - incomplete. Deep cross route. Ball a little too far out in front.
2-15 from the 10: Pass by Leo to Kris for 35 yards - stopped by Adam.

1-5 from the 30: Very nice throw by Leo to Casey for the TD. 2-2, Tie

Yellow 8
1-15 from the 10: Chenault plays QB and hands off to Leo who takes it 65 for the TD. 3-2, Yellow.

Red 9
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Kris to Tom for 36 yards - stopped by Adam. Very nicely placed ball - better catch.
1-4 from the 29: Pass by Kris to Bedeeh for 28 yards - stopped by Adam. Adam bit on the flea-flicker and left Bedeeh wide open.

1-Goal from the 1: Pass by Kris to Tom for the TD. 3-3, Tie.

Yellow 9
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Leo to Jesse - incomplete. Ball was a bit long or Jesse slowed down depending on who you believe.
2-15 from the 10: Pass by Leo to Chenault - incomplete. Ball a bit high.
3-15 from the 10: Pass by Leo to Chenault - incomplete. Casey defenses the ball.
4-15 from the 10: Pass by Leo to Chenault - incomplete. Overthrown. Turnover on downs.

Leo has to leave so we go to 4 on 4 with a 4 Mississippi Rush.

Red 10
1-Goal from the 10: Pass by Kris to Tom for 7 yards - stopped by Adam.
2-Goal from the 3: Pass by Kris to Tom for 3 yards - stopped by . Pass by Kris to Casey caught by Tom who flashes in front of him in the endzone for the TD. 4-3, Red.

Yellow 10
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Matt to Jesse - incomplete. Blitz by Red and Matt gets rid of it fast.
2-15 from the 10: Pass by Matt to Jesse - incomplete.
3-15 from the 10: Pass by Matt to Jesse for 8 yards - stopped by Tom.
4-7 from the 18: Pass by Matt to Jesse for 10 yards - stopped by Tom.

1-22 from the 28: Pass by Matt to Adam for 29 yards - stopped by Tom. Broken play and Adam comes back underneath for a little dump off.

1-Goal from the 18: Pass by Matt to Jesse - incomplete. Thrown out the back of the endzone.
2-Goal from the 18: Pass by Matt to Adam for 18 yards - stopped by . Pass by Matt to Adam for 18 yards the TD. 4-4, Tie.

Red 11
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Kris to Bedeeh for 17 yards - stopped by Jesse.
1-23 from the 27: Pass by Kris to Bedeeh - incomplete. Blitz by Chenault and the ball is thrown long.
2-23 from the 27: Pass by Kris to Tom for 48 yards - stopped by . Pass by Kris to Tom for 48 yards and the TD. 5-4, Red.

Yellow 11
1-15 from the 10: Pass by Chenault to Jesse for 25 yards - stopped by Tom. Tom makes a beautiful behind-his-back flag grab.
1-15 from the 35: Pass by Chenault to Jesse for 40 yards - stopped by . Pass by Chenault to Jesse for 40 yards and the TD.

5-5 Tie for the final score.

Stats-

Passing

Players	Comp	Attempts	%	Yards	Passing TD	INTs	Sacked	Yards Lost
Tom	6	13	46.15%	79	1	2	0	0
Kris	9	20	45.00%	181	3	1	0	0
Leo	9	27	33.33%	177	2	1	0	0
Chenault	3	6	50.00%	70	1	0	0	0
Matt	4	7	57.14%	65	1	0	0	0

Receiving/Rushing

Players	Recpts	Targets	Yards	Rec TDs	Rushes	Yards	Rush TDs
Tom	6	9	125	3	0	0	0
Bedeeh	3	6	53	0	1	-2	0
Kris	3	5	56	1	0	0	0
Mike	0	7	0	0	1	-1	0
Casey	5	8	91	1	0	0	0
Leo	0	0	0	0	4	84	1
Adam	3	9	82	2	1	4	0
Chenault	3	7	29	0	1	32	1
Matt	1	6	10	0	1	0	0
Jesse	7	15	126	1	0	0	0

Defense

Players	Flags	Pass Def	INTs	Strips	Sacks	Sack Yards	Def TDs
Tom	6	0	1	0	0	0	0
Bedeeh	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kris	6	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mike	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Casey	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Leo	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Adam	9	0	2	0	0	0	0
Chenault	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Matt	3	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jesse	1	0	1	0	0	0	0

Outstanding Performances

Red - Both Tom and Kris were about 45% completions which is good in our game. They combined for 260 yards and 4 TDs (3 for Kris!) and Leo added 65 for them while playing all-time QB. All very good stats. The 3 picks were unfortunate Tom had 2 of them but on the whole solid QB performances. Tom's 6 catches on 9 targets for 125 yards and 3 TDs was the hottest rushing/receiving performance of the game but there were some other strong performances. Casey had 5 catches on 8 targets for 91 and a TD. 53 and 56 yards receiving by Bedeeh and Kris, respectively was also nice - particularly when coupled with Kris's 6 flags which tied Tom's 6 (though Tom also had a pick).

Yellow - Great day for passing. Yellow's 3 QBs (Matt, Chenault, & Leo) combined for 247 yards and 4 TDs (one each for Matt and Chenault with only 1 pick. Chenault also called a number nifty running plays that resulted in 120 yards of rushing! Amazing for our game even if 65 came on one huge run by Leo. Yellow's leading receiver was Jesse with 7 catches on 15 targets for 126 yards and 1 TD. Adam had nearly identical stats to last week as: 82 yards, 2 TDs on 3 catches (and 2 drops) on 9 targets. Adam was also Yellow's leading defender with 9 flags and 2 picks.

MVP - Louis doesn't believe in awarding an MVP in a tie game but I look at MVP as the most dominating performance regardless of whether there was a tie (though the MVP usually goes to a player on the winning team). This week, I'm giving it to Tom. 3 receiving TDs (plus one passing), 125 yards receiving, 79 passing, plus a pick and 6 flags is a damn fine game.


Week 27 Preview - As you probably noted, there was bit of controversy this week relating to where the ball is spotted when the flag is pulled. Here is what I have in the rules currently:

Ball Marking - Ball position at the end of the play is marked by the ball carrier's BELT. It is not marked by the position of the football. The reason for this is that its easier to estimate where the tackle was made and it keeps people from having major collisions in diving plays or getting scraped up too bad.

The way this has typically been explained to players is to say that we use "center of mass" (meaning roughly center of the belt around the player's waist or "where the flag was pulled".

I think we should translate this to mean that you look at where the flag was pulled and then estimate where the center of mass based on the girth of the player and where the flag was pulled. If a side flag is pulled and the player was running forward, this will pretty much mean where the flag was pulled. If the back flag was pulled and the player was running forward, then we would pretty much put the ball forward a few inches (4-5 for a thin player, 8 for a larger player - this gives an advantage for bigger backs in goal line situations : ) . If the flag is pulled in front of the player (meaning the defender is between the player and the endzone when he pulls a flag such as in the instance of a spinning ball carrier or one who is running laterally), then we'd the ball at center of mass using where the flag was pulled as the estimate.

Trust me, this isn't as complicated as it sounds and it's pretty much the way I've always spotted the ball. The key is that if a player makes it to a cone but his back flag is pulled behind the line, the player should get the forward progress - he GOT BY the defender. To spot the ball at the furthest back position doesn't credit the ball carrier with his forward progress. Similarly, if the defender was in front of the ball carrier, the ball should be spotted back a bit from where the flag was pulled (basically center of mass) because the defender prevented the ball carrier from getting by.

Link of the Week - YouTube - 1975 Ball Buster Game Commercial