The playoffs are getting closer and closer, and for some teams, it’s getting really tight! Here is the NAL Week 11: Monterrey Steel vs. Georgia Firebirds Preview.

NAL Week 11: Monterrey Steel vs. Georgia Firebirds Preview

The (4-3) Monterrey Steel travel up to Albany, GA to square up against the (2-5) Georgia Firebirds. This game is a very important game for each team as the playoffs are drawing near.

Georgia is still in the playoff picture, but a loss will likely change that. Monterrey seems to hold the #4 spot down for now, but teams will quickly catch up!

The Steel have had issues at quarterback almost all season. They got their fix, signing Bernard Morris the last week. This addition will for sure help tremendously. With a skilled quarterback and amazing receivers, Monterrey might be looked at as an underrated team. It’s weird seeing that because they’re 4-3, but they haven’t played like a four-win team.

The Firebirds can win a lot more games than what their record says. They’ve been in close games, but let them slip away late in the game. They will need to work on that the most.

Here is what each team needs to do to ensure they can get a victory, hoping to get closer to the playoffs.

What Monterrey Steel Needs to Do

1. Use their talent that’s been hiding all season.

Morris, Jacoby Jones, and London Crawford will destroy teams. The three of them will need to get in some sort of rhythm early in the game to make sure they can jump ahead quickly. These receivers are dangerous, but a lack of quarterback performance has kept these wide receivers quiet. Morris will be that explosive leader that Monterrey is looking for.

2. Brandon Rutherford needs to kick (or at least attempt) more deuces.

You look at teams like Jacksonville and wonder how they’re so successful and get so many points. They do this because they kick multiple deuces in a game. If Rutherford can get those deuces, it will boost the momentum and energy for Monterrey, overall making them play better and play for a reason. It may seem like 2-points is nothing, but it really adds up and will determine if a game is a win or a loss.

3. Defense is Key

The Steel have some serious power in their defense with Joe Sykes and Jerry Turner, but that alone will not win them games, as we’ve seen lately. We need to see more of Dvante Davenport and Jabari Fletcher. Both of them are great players, but this defense needs to stay in sync and play good as a team instead of just having an individual player playing well.

4. Kill the clock

Based on what we have seen in previous games, Monterrey is almost unstoppable when they’re in control and wasting the clock. As long as they’re in the lead, they just have to focus on not turning the ball over, play smart, and kill some clock! A team doesn’t want to score instantly, only to have the other team score and make things a close game. Killing the clock allows you to control the game, hopefully get it as close to the end of the half, score, then getting the ball back after halftime (if they defer to the 2nd half). Control the clock! Time shouldn’t be an enemy in his game.

Keys for Georgia Firebirds

1. Play All Four Quarters

Georgia plays like they’re way better than 2-5, but they just don’t know how to finish the game. If they want to find success, they will have to play as a team all 60-minutes. Not 55, not 45, not 30, not 20, but ALL 60-minutes. They’re hanging with Monterrey on the stats sheet, so playing together for a whole game will be huge in this one.

2. Play in the Trenches

To win games, you have to play in the trenches. Throw Monterrey off a little by doing something different. What a football team hates is change. Georgia has to change how they play every once in a while. If a player on the opposing team isn’t so great at post-routes, do more post-routes on that guy. Make the players on the other team tired before the game is close to being over.

3. Force Turnovers and SCORE

Play quick and aggressive to make Monterrey throw some interceptions or fumble the ball. If Georgia can force Monterrey to turn the ball over (even on 4th Down), that gives them more opportunities to score than Monterrey, so force the turnovers and take advantage of them. Turnovers mean absolutely nothing on a scoreboard if you can’t cash them in for a score.

4. Keep in mind that the playoffs are in sight

Georgia has to have the long-term goal of making the playoffs. If they play like they really want to make the playoffs, nothing will stop them. If the Firebirds really put their mind and heart on it, they will achieve it. Records don’t matter in this game. How well you play matters. Georgia has to play with that “no more mistakes” mindset. They’ve still got a shot at the playoffs, so take advantage of that.