The trade deadline is looming...whom going to makes some moves?

Marty here with the results of Week 12:

- In Grand Rapids, right on the heels of the big trade with the Tropics as well as the pick up of Quarter Back Lezra Astrah, it was Brunette that would be at the helm to face off against the New York Defiant. He would go toe-to-toe will against Tachibana, as thanks to defensive efforts from Robert Fulton (52 yards pick six) in the second quarter, and a last second push at the end of the game with a 18 yard FG from Lars Lugo, The Dragons pushed the Defiant to Overtime. 26-26. But as per usual, the offense of New York found a way to use their opportunities in this game, in part of Timothy Dougherty work on the run (119 rushing yards and 1 TD), Tachibana connected with Justice Matari with a game sealing 58 yards touchdown pass. New York wins this one 32-26 in overtime.

- In Chicago, we had one hell of a barnburner on our hands as the red hot Colorado Crushers went in Chicago to try to tighten their grip on their division. Aspen Redfield vs Darius Smith, both were simply magical on the field as we had one hell of a shoutout. Aspen ( 399 yards, 4 TDs) and Darius ( 222 yards, 3 TDs) threw everything at each other as both teams kept neck and neck the whole way. Even on the ground Blache de la Rosa (102 rushing yards) and Tremblay (108 rushing yards and 1 TD) put on a show as well. Ultimately what might have sunk the Crushers’s effort would be those 12 penalties for a total of 105 yards lost that gave the Outlaws the room to run away with this exciting game. Chicago won this game 40-37.

- The battle of the QBs rookie, Carpentier vs Dupre. Those two would battle in Richmond as the Flames continued to look for improvement against the Corsairs who were slowly starting to find their way. In the battle, both QBs just about went equal with one another, while Carpentier again threw for lots of yards (387 yards) and threw 2 INTS and Dupre threw for 218 yards and only 1 INT. Dupre was only sacked twice this time, as Shawn Wolfe shone for Richmond with 1 sack and a fumble recovery. What really set New Orleans up was their star RB Leone Lopez that had a breakout game after being rather quiet all season ( 147 rushing yards, 2 TDs). New Orleans now is 6-6 and is right in the hunt to get to the playoffs for the first time of their franchise career. New Orleans wins this one 42-27.

- In Tallahassee, the Renegades continued to keep in their form as they caught the Nashville Tuts falter in this one after a great run.Carolyn Becker was efficient ( 3 TDs with a QB rating of 138.4 %) where Lance Maxwell for the Tuts did what in could in relief for the injured Oliviera. (268 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT). Lucky Von Braunschweig was in great form for North Florida ( 7 tackles, 1 sack and a forced fumble) as Nashville didn't have the same bite they had been having for a while, and will need to try and make some corrections, perhaps some trades at the deadline? North Florida wins this one 42-18.

- In Austin, the Blues decided to change things up. After bad performances from Kai Koa, they decided to give Rookie QB Ica Laanemaa a start. And against Lillian Newman, that was a tough task ahead. Once more, Lillian Newman did her thing (27-38, 170 yards, 1 TD, 179 yards on the run, 1 rushing TD) but what about Ica? 19/26, 287 yards, 2 TDs, 134.6 QB rating…..The kid got something. And not only that, The Blues would edge the Waves out in the turnover battle, as they managed to sack Newman 4 times and even got a fumble recovery from Kennith Shrader. Which in part would happen to turn into a touchdown that, ultimately, got the Blues on top. You can feel the frustration in Downriver’s camp. Blues wins this one 31-28.

- And finally in California, the Royal came into play and once again they are flying high thanks to the stellar work of QB backup Christian Wright. There is not much else to say about this game. Elise Baumont was totally stuffed on offense by the Montreal pass rush, sacked 3 times and threw 3 INTs and only threw for a low 42(!) total passing yards.Bulkin and Holcomb had 2 sacks twice for California….and that’s it. Montreal wins this one 20-0.

Players of the week:
Offensive: Lillian Newman (QB) DWN : 27/38, 170 yards, 179 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD
Defensive: Kennith Shrader (DE) ATX: 2 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble.
Special Teams: Norberto Martinez (P) CAL: 7 punts, 316 yards total, 3 inside 20 yards.

Here the preview report of Trade deadline week 13, on Sunday January 11th, 2026:

CAL @ CHI
The Demons' game against the Royal is one they'd love to forget. Under 130 yards of total offense, 0/10 on third down and three interceptions is not the recipe of success for a team looking to snatch a playoff spot. To have any chance at the playoffs, they cannot have a repeat performance in Chicago this week. And the Outlaws are looking to keep their lead on the United West sizeable; they were able to squeak past the Crushers in a game-of-the-year candidate, but they still can't seem to shake a suddenly red-hot Corsairs team right behind them. Should the Outlaws take care of business at home, they'll be four games up on the Demons with five games left to play. This is a must win game for the Demons to keep their playoff hopes alive.

NFR @ DWN
Lillian Newman accounted for 87% of the Waves' total yards in their game in Austin and their defense still couldn't get a stop when it needed it most, a back-breaking game-losing touchdown inside the final two minutes to send the Waves to their third straight loss. The good news for the Waves is they play in the Continental conference, where they are now tied with the Blues for the last wild-card spot. Unfortunately, they welcome the Renegades to Taylor, winners of six of their last seven. With their dismantling of the Tuts combined with the Crushers' loss, they have taken sole possession of first place in the Continental Conference, averaging over 32 points per game in their last 6 to compliment their consistently-stout defense. The Renegades are getting hot at the right time, but they haven't yet played Newman. It will be interesting to see how they'll contain her as they meet twice in the next three weeks.

RIC @ ATX
Ica Laanemaa might have saved the Blues' season with his performance against the Waves in his first career start. They're tied for the second-wild card with three straight division games on the docket, the perfect opportunity for any team to solidify its playoff spot with six games remaining in its season. They welcome the Flames, and despite entering their Week 7 bye at 3-3, they've lost five straight despite putting up some major fight in most of those games. The season might be looking lost in Richmond in terms of record, but no one in wild-card position has a winning record, which means the door is wide open if the defense can start supporting Carpentier's QB play. The offense and the talent is there, they just need to start translating it into wins. There's still time for both of these teams to string some wins together in a wide-open Continental playoff race.

GRD @ COL
It took a herculean effort by the Outlaws to stop the Crushers' five game win streak. Despite giving up 40 points, 12 penalties and going 4/12 on third down, the offense showed once again that if you want to beat the Crushers, you will have to best them in a shootout. This doesn't bode well for the Dragons, who, outside of taking the Defiant into overtime in another high-scoring thriller, have not put up a lot of points since their Week 7 bye. However, they will FINALLY be getting Kira Cassiano back from injury, on top of signing veteran Lezra Astrah to their QB room last week, which should greatly improve their offensive prowess. These are also two teams that will be very intriguing to watch throughout the final week before the trade deadline, as both teams have some weaknesses to address. If the Dragons can best the Crushers, either this week or in Week 15 in Grand Rapids, this will be a brand new division.

NYD @ NSH
The Defiant are red hot, winners of five of their last six, including a 29-point win against the Tuts in New York. Emi Tachibana continues to dice up defenses with their arm, throwing another 281 to stir up some MVP chatter. Since then, however, the Defiant have been getting decimated by injuries, particularly to their defensive line, with five starters projected to miss the rematch in Nashville. On the flip side, the Tuts should be getting Angela Oakley (CB) and Malcolm Domi (LB) from injury, two major defensive pieces in an attempt to slow down Tachibana. Roman Oliviera is still listed as questionable going into this week of practice and the Tuts would LOVE to have him back for a game this pivotal. Major playoff implications are on the line, as they both hold the two United Conference wild-card spots. Montreal is only a half-game up on the division lead; this is as intriguing a division race as you can get going into Week 13 of a season.

MTL @ BAL
The Royal finally saw the Tuts slip to retake first place in the United East with a convincing shutout win in California. An already-dangerous Montreal team should be getting Tyron Appleby back from injury after missing five games for their trip to Baltimore, something I'm sure Ponies fans are feeling absolutely great about. Eight of the Royal's nine wins are by two or more scores, and they've held their opponent to less than 20 points in six of those games. The Ponies hold the first wild-card spot in the Continental Conference, as they come off their bye well rested with few names on the injury report. They're just two games back of the Renegades for the top of the division, but it'll be a tall task to build on that with the top team in the league coming to their house. Playoff positioning is key in this game.

MIA @ LVB
Much like the Demons, the Bandits find themselves in an intriguing position of being 2.5 games back of the division lead while having an above-average team. They have the talent to make a push to the playoffs; they've shown that in wins against the Defiant and Renegades, but is it something they will pursue by adding to try and catch the Outlaws? They come off the bye well rested to host the Tropics, who have already started selling in a crazy seven-player and three-pick trade with the Dragons, their sights now firmly set on 2025 as they free up cap-space and stock up on draft capital. How many more pieces will they deal?

NOC @ EAS
Before their bye, the Bald Eagles thought they had saved their season with a statement win in Austin, but the caveat in their win was that the other teams in their division had to start losing. That didn't happen, as the Defiant and Royal continue to pull away. While not able to be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention this week, it'd all be assured outside of numbers only, as they currently sit five games behind New York with seven games left to play. A loss to a red-hot Corsairs team would start nailing that coffin shut; a questionable outcome a few weeks ago. Fast forward to Week 13, and the Corsairs have won four straight, putting themselves solidly in the mix to give the Outlaws a scare in the United West division, with the tiebreaker already wrapped up in their favour. This season is not over, not by a long shot, and will go as far as Theodore Dupre will take them. A win in Easton will keep the pressure cooking in Chicago, especially with a home date with the Renegades looming after.

See you all soon!