It comes down to the wire! Here Marty with the UFFL news with week 19 results:

Chicago at Las Vegas

Chicago comes into today’s contest with the Bandits barely clinging to its playoff hopes. Allowing a 42 yard return on the opening kickoff isn’t a good sign. The Outlaws would strike first, but then Good Stapler would kick things into high gear, scoring 21 unanswered points in the second quarter on passes to three different receivers. Chicago received the second-half kickoff, and got the ball the way to first and goal from the 4. But the Las Vegas defense made a goal line stand, and Thalia Perez shanked the chip-shot field goal wide. That miss would come back to haunt the Outlaws, as after a furious comeback bid in the fourth quarter they cut the lead to three points with just thirty seconds to go. For the second week in a row they had to line up for a last-second onside kick, and for the second week in a row it was recovered by the other team. Final score: LVB 24, CHI 21

New York at Easton

Never count the Bald Eagles out. It would have been easy for them to throw in the towel and roll over for the playoff-bound Defiant, but instead they defended their roost with aplomb. Michelle Housley had her best game of the season after taking over for the injured Draco Lindwurm, throwing three touchdowns in a game for the first time in her career. However, also getting in on the career firsts was Marigold Wu, who intercepted Housley in the fourth quarter and returned it for her first career pick six. Housley didn’t lose her cool, though, and the Bald Eagles came right back to score themselves, and held off the Defiant’s final drive to break their three-game losing streak. Final score: EAS 31, NYD 21

Grand Rapids at Downriver

Lillian Newman just makes things look easy, doesn’t she? She didn’t even need her legs this time around, as she was able to completely dominate the Dragons through the air to the tune of 322 yards, a season high. That was 100 more yards of offense than the entire Grand Rapids team had. Granted, they didn’t get a lot of opportunities. The Waves had possession of the ball for almost 40 minutes, allowing Grand Rapids to only make 56 total offensive plays to their 75. With today’s performance, Newman passes 10,000 career passing yards in only her third season. Final score: DWN 27, GRD 7

California at Montreal

Well, if Grand Rapids can take solace in anything about today’s dreadful performance, at least they can say that they were better than the Demons. Because you know what’s more embarrassing than getting blown out by 20 points? Getting blown out by 20 points without scoring any yourself. For the second time this season. To the same team. Yup, today was a carbon copy of the CAL/MTL matchup from week 12, our only other shutout of the season, with the exact same final score. Only that game had Christian Wright under center, and this time they had to deal with Tyron Appleby in a snowy, windy, cold game in Montreal. Appleby wasn’t really the star of the show, however. He only had an average game, throwing for 267 yards and one TD. No, the real stars were the Royal defense. Despite going 22/31, Kiedo Masquarde only managed to pass for 149 yards, as the coverage was so tight that nothing was available downfield and the Demons were stuck with checkdowns and short yardage passes all game. They didn’t even get past midfield until the third quarter. Final score: MTL 20, CAL 0

Austin at Baltimore

Austin just had to make the playoff race interesting. They win today over Baltimore, despite Ica Laanemaa sitting out the entire fourth quarter out of precaution following a foot injury. Which was alright, because it was mostly a game of field goals anyway, with Raleigh Cooper making two 50+ yard kicks and narrowly missing a third. With this win, Austin has officially eliminated Downriver, as they hold the tiebreaker even if Downriver wins and Austin loses next week. Austin is now also one game back from Colorado, so with tiebreakers that means if Austin wins next week and Colorado loses, then Austin leapfrogs them and wins the division. Final score: ATX 23, BAL 9

Nashville at New Orleans

They’ve done it! With today’s win and Chicago’s loss, New Orleans has completed the upset and officially won the United West division, eliminating the Outlaws from the playoffs for the first time in a decade. It was never really in doubt, either. Theodore Dupre turned in an MVP-caliber performance, throwing for five touchdowns for the second time this season, and breaking the team record for longest pass with a 77 yard missile to Aleksy Wisnieski (also a career-long catch) at the end of the third quarter. They were so far ahead of the Tuts that they were able to have a bit of fun, allowing pretty much anyone who wanted a go at it to run the ball. Ten different players got at least one carry, a season-high for any team. Final score: NOC 45, NSH 17

Richmond at Miami

It’s a shame that they don’t give Second Year Player of the Year, as Royce Jackson’s playing out of his mind right now. Today he set a team record with a 78-yard touchdown run, and barring catastrophe is going to finish the season with over 2000 total yards from scrimmage. He’s got 250 more rushing yards than the next closest running back. So yeah, whoever suggested that Richmond tank for a better draft position doesn’t know this team well. Even with the playoffs far out of sight, they’re playing their hardest every snap. Jury’s still out on Miami, though. Most of the problems do seem to be on defense. Of their 11 penalties today (for 109 lost yards), 8 of them came on defense. They also had miscues on special teams, with two missed field goals. Final score: RIC 33, MIA 17

Players of the Week
Offense: Royce Jackson (RB – RIC): 154 rushing yards and two rushing TDs, plus two catches for 29 yards
Defense: Marigold Wu (SS – NYD): 10 tackles, a sack, a pass defense and a pick-six
Special Teams: Raleigh Cooper (K – ATX): three field goals (two from 50+) and two extra points

Here the preview for week 20 (FINAL!) of the season on march 8th, 2026:

New Orleans (11-6) [Y] @ Las Vegas (9-8) [E]
What's at stake: No stakes. The Corsairs have won the United West division and are locked into the 2-seed and will host either New York or Montreal in the wild-card round. The Bandits were eliminated in Week 17.

The Bandits must be elated that they were able to drag their most hated division rival down with them last week. The Bandits have not finished below .500 since their inaugural season nine years ago, and have kept that streak intact by winning four of their last six to finish no worse than 9-9. It unfortunately does not translate to a playoff berth in a loaded United Conference this year, but if they can put an end to the Corsairs' nine(!) game winning streak to end the season, it would most definitely be seen as a solid ending to an relatively positive season. The Corsairs' meanwhile, are celebrating their first playoff berth and division title in franchise history this week, in a game that otherwise means nothing other than pride. Theodore Dupre has wrapped up Offensive Rookie of the Year to this point and will likely rest, along with several key starters on both offense and defense. The Corsairs will likely want to extend this win-streak to ten to end the season, but the long-term gains definitely outweigh the short-term ones in this situation.

Montreal (13-4) [X] @ Easton (5-12) [E]
What's at stake: Montreal's win coupled with New York's loss now has them take control of the United East once again. A win in Easton or Defiant loss guarantees them the 1-seed and a home date with the Nashville Tuts. A loss and New York win will relegate them back to the 3-seed and a wild-card matchup in New Orleans. Easton was eliminated in Week 14.

The crowds in Montreal got louder and louder with cheers and roars as the waning minutes ticked down of their 20-0 shutout victory against the Demons. Not just because of how dominant their team was that day, but because of the score over in Easton, where the Defiant fell to the stingy 5-12 Bald Eagles to regift the Royal the highest odds of the United East division crown. As long as the Royal avoid that same outcome in THEIR trip to Easton this week, they will secure home-field advantage leading up to FurBowl X. Sounds promising, until you remember that Week 19 was full of upsets in high-stakes situations. It might not be ideal to play a team that just dominated one of your division rivals in their de-facto division clinching game to prove they're still better than their record indicates. But if anyone can do it, it's the Royal and that dominant defense, which has now held opponents to 7 points or less four times this season.

Downriver (8-9) @ Miami (1-16) [E]
What's at stake: Downriver needs a win and an Austin loss in California to have any chance at the playoffs. The tiebreaker will come down to total points scored, which the Waves lead by 16 points. The Tropics were eliminated in Week 14.

They might not control their destiny, but the Waves have the best possible matchup for this kind of a scenario. Win and win big, and their opponent is a team with one of the worst rushing defenses in league history. Lillian Newman might not need to throw a pass to win this game by 20 points, but that would still be all in vain if the Demons can't defend their home-field against the Blues. There is a chance for Newman to win the rushing title if she absolutely goes off and Royce Jackson is held in check in New York, but right now the focus is winning this game. That's all they can control. As for their opponent, a rare sight of good news for the 2024 Tropics happened before their game against the Flames; after weeks of contract negotiations they were able to lock up their star linebacker Richard Dixon to a 4-year, $35.2 million deal to stay in south Florida. It was desperately needed as one of the league's best defenders, and he showed them first hand why it was a good investment by getting ten tackles, two for a loss, a pass deflection and an interception against Richmond. It needed to be said because despite a likely 1-17 season, that team still has some good pieces to build around.

Austin (9-8) @ California (6-11) [E]
What's at stake: Austin has the most volatility of any team entering Week 20. They can be as high as the 2-seed, or they can miss the playoffs entirely. An Austin win would guarantee their spot in the playoffs. If Baltimore loses and Austin runs up the score (outscores the Ponies by 27+) they will be the 3-seed. If Austin wins and Colorado loses, they will claim the Continental West title and the 2-seed. However, an Austin loss and a Downriver win in Miami would set up another points-scored tiebreaker, which Downriver currently leads 416-400. A low-scoring loss in California would effectively eliminate the Blues. The Demons were eliminated in Week 14.

It all comes down to this for the Blues. After their 34-point blowout loss to Easton in Week 11, they sat at 4-7 and everyone began to write them off as building for 2025. They then benched Kai Koa, and gave their 3rd-round rookie quarterback a shot, and she's made the most of the opportunity by going 5-1 to put them one win away from the playoffs. Their defense has been playing inspired football since their bye, allowing just 19 points in two games since Week 17. This might be the proverbial "team no one wants to face" going into the playoffs should they make it there, but they can't forget the Waves are still hot on their heels. In all likelihood, should they lose to California, their chances would be slim at best. Ica Laanemaa just needs to continue doing what she's doing and trust the process.

Richmond (5-12) [E] @ New York (12-5) [X]
What's at stake: New York's loss to the Bald Eagles in Week 19 has given the Montreal Royal the inside track for the United East division title. New York now needs to win and hope the Bald Eagles can reciprocate their defeat to Montreal in Week 20 to win the division. Otherwise, they will travel to New Orleans in the wild-card round as the 3-seed. Richmond was eliminated in Week 17.

After the game in Montreal, the Defiant were flying high. Beating the Royal twice in the same season usually means you've either made it to the FurBowl, or outright won the FurBowl. But this was far from the case, and they ended up following Icarus' footsteps and flew too close to the sun, because coming out of halftime in Easton, the Defiant's offense fell completely flat in Emi Tachibana's worst game of the season. Throwing no touchdowns and three picks in a game that they needed to win to stay ahead of the team they swept, their defense tried to bail out the team by getting a pick-six late, but it was rendered obsolete after giving up a 24-yard TD pass with less than three minutes left. Barring the Bald Eagles do the same to the Royal, New York will now have to settle for a wild-card spot, and await a meeting with the reddest-of-hots Corsairs, in what will likely be the game of wild-card weekend. Because Easton won, Richmond's win in Miami kept them picking 2nd overall in next year's draft, and a loss here to New York will clinch that spot for them. As an added bonus, barring a crazy game from Lillian Newman in Miami, Royce Jackson is your new single-season record holder for rushing yards.

Nashville (11-6) [X] @ Chicago (9-8) [E]
What's at stake: No stakes. The Tuts have secured the second wild-card and 4-seed in the United Conference playoffs, and will travel to either Montreal or New York for the wild-card round. The Outlaws were eliminated in Week 19.

There's supposed to be factual indifference in these previews, but I personally still can't get over the Outlaws' collapse. They were 9-4 after a dominant win against the Demons in Week 13 and fighting for the United Conference 1-seed with the Royal and Defiant. Then it was announced that Jean-Etienne Tremblay would miss the next few games with a nagging injury suffered in that game, and the team absolutely fell apart. Despite Tremblay coming back in time for their trip to Nashville, he wasn't the same, and despite a respectable comeback attempt in Las Vegas, it fell just short. As a result, the United Conference playoffs will not have the Outlaws in it for the first time in almost a decade. One thing is for certain; father time always wins out in the end. Several key pieces locked in high-dollar deals on this Chicago team will be turning 30 or older next season, such as Tremblay, Darius Smith, Max Stahl, John Gradkowski, and Toby Otternator. It will be fascinating to see what they do in the offseason to refresh and reload for 2025. As for the Tuts, despite their loss in New Orleans, they will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2019, and like New Orleans, have the ability to rest starters should they choose to as they wait to see who comes out on top in their division. Despite being the 4-seed, Nashville has proved they can be a tough out no matter who or where they play.

Colorado (10-7) [X] @ North Florida (11-6) [Y]
What's at stake: The winner is guaranteed to win the 1-seed in the Continental Conference playoffs. North Florida has already won the Continental East division title and will finish as the 1-seed with a win, but will finish as the 2-seed with a loss. Colorado is in the same situation, however they do not have the division title wrapped up in the Continental West; if they lose and Austin wins in California, the Crushers will be relegated to a wild-card spot. If the Dragons upset the Ponies, they will stay as the 3-seed. If the Ponies beat the Dragons, Colorado will fall all the way to the 4-seed for a rematch in Tallahassee in the wild-card round.

Colorado can finish literally anywhere in the top four in the Continental Conference playoff race. As outlined above, they can either have home-field advantage through to FurBowl X, but they could also finish as the proverbial "last team in" despite it not really being factually correct. Both teams are coming off lengthy byes having taken both Weeks 18 and 19 off, and they will clash in what will likely be the late-window season-finale game. Both these teams have offensive units and defensive units in the upper half of the league statistically, both teams don't have any major injuries to key players, both teams have quarterbacks that can sling the ball with precision, and both teams can find ways to overcome adversity to win when they absolutely have to. The key for this game is really, who wants it more. Both teams will say they do, but their play on the field will do the talking come Sunday. But objectively, Colorado needs this win more than the defending champion Renegades do. The biggest difference between these teams is that Colorado is not the same team on the road (2-6) as they are at home (8-1) this season. There's every chance in the world that these two could meet in the Continental championship game, and whether that game will happen in Aspen or Tallahassee could be a crucial difference.

Grand Rapids (6-11) [E] @ Baltimore (10-7) [X]
What's at stake: Baltimore will finish in a wild-card spot as the 3-seed or 4-seed. They will secure the 3-seed with a win, a Blues loss, or if the Blues don't score at least 27 points more than the Ponies regardless of outcome (Baltimore leads 426-400), provided that Austin doesn't win their division. They will drop to the 4-seed if they lose and the Blues win while scoring 27 or more points more than Baltimore. However, the points-scored tiebreaker becomes irrelevant if the Crushers lose, as Austin would win the division, and Colorado would win the tie-breaker with Baltimore due to a better conference record. The Dragons were eliminated in Week 18.

If Baltimore's offense doesn't fall apart against the Dragons, they'll sit pretty as the 3-seed waiting to see if they travel to Austin, Aspen or Tallahassee for the wild-card round. Don't let their 10-7 record deceive you, the Ponies are not a team you want to face in the playoffs. This is a team with a defensive unit that can shut down the highest-flying offenses when they're dialed in, and Jillian St. Claire is having her best full season statistically. The issue for the Ponies is inconsistency. This is also a team that's both won four straight and lost four straight at different points this season. Could part of that be their insane schedule? Maybe. But they're officially in the playoffs now, and they need to focus on the road ahead. A tune up against the Dragons will follow with a trip out of Baltimore for the first time in two months, where the question will ultimately be asked, which version of the Ponies will show up in the playoffs? As for the Dragons, should they lose their season-finale, they will pick no worse than 5th in the draft, which should be high enough to draft a high-end weapon on offense for Kira Cassiano's development going into 2025.

If the playoffs started today:
(4) Nashville Tuts @ (1) Montreal Royal
(3) New York Defiant @ (2) New Orleans Corsairs
(4) Austin Blues @ (1) North Florida Renegades
(3) Baltimore Ponies @ (2) Colorado Crushers

Who will get to the dance?!? Stay tuned!