I don’t generally write in first person, but I think its worth noting that the LFL is just a different animal when it takes its act to Seattle. Playing in front of a raucous sold-out crowd — Vegas and Seattle played one heck of an exciting football game, giving new viewers and loyal fans some serious reasons why this league has so much potential.
Vegas held on for an impressive, albeit nerve-rackingly close 28-24 win in the end, but it was the atmosphere that stole the show. It’s one thing to say you have a sellout — it’s another to show it. The Showare Center was packed tonight and you could just feel the energy inside the packed house.
Meanwhile, the Sin are a stunning 2-0 after holding on for another road victory, and they get Los Angeles next week in what might be the Game of the Century in the LFL (sorry, couldn’t resist it with LSU-Alabama tomorrow night). But the expansion Sin are all grown up. Playing with swagger, composure, and a versatile attack, Vegas withstood Seattle’s noisy crowd (adding further credence to why Seattle is home of the 12th man, or in this case, 8th man) to jump ahead to a 28-8 halftime lead.
From there it was a game of catchup for the Mist, who just couldn’t get anything right in the first half. Those mistakes, including shaky QB play from Angela Rypien, paved the way for Laurel Creel to come in and make an impact, but it was too little, too late for the Mist, who will be kicking themselves after the plethora of mistakes they made.
It started with the opening kickoff, which they inexplicably took out of the endzone, only to be tackled at the 1 yard line, and it snowballed from there. Coming back from 20 points down is difficult in any league, but in the LFL where the passing game is still being grown, I’d argue it’s even harder. Still, both teams had their share of aerial moments tonight, and it’s clear to me that as the league matures (remember this is only their third year), the passing attack only figures to get better, which figures to make the league even more polished and exciting in the future.
But tonight my game ball goes to Vegas. It goes to their entire team. To go into a hostile environment and pull out a win in back to back road games, says a lot about the makeup of their team. With a win next week, they can literally tip the LFL world upside down.
But that’s for next week. For now, Dion Lee and the Sin should celebrate a great win. And the LFL should celebrate too. It’s games like these that further validate just how much fun this league can be.
Tags: Instant analysis, SCOTT JACOBS, Seattle Mist, Vegas Sin
