The European League of Football went from “this league won’t make it” to now completing three full seasons heading into a fourth. We had a multitude of high-scoring shootouts, nail biters, and even some dog fights. It’s fair to say the ELF has delivered on providing some of the best ball Europe has seen. With that being said everyone loves a good list so let’s reflect and talk about The Top 5 ELF Games All-Time.
5 - The Black and Blue Game
(2021) Hamburg Sea Devils, 26 vs Wroclaw Panthers, 23
This is rivalry filled with pure hatred towards one another. At the time Panther Quarterback, Lukas O’Connor threw for 356 passing, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough as Hamburg drove late in the game to hit the game winning Field Goal. On the following drive Evans Yaboah got the game-ending interception, and the Sea Devils stormed the field in Poland picking up a big win against the Panthers.
4 - Old Friends Meet Again
(2022) Frankfurt Galaxy, 26 vs Rhein Fire, 29
With all due respect the Fire have dominated the Galaxy since joining the ELF. Coming off the first-ever ELF Championship, the Galaxy hosted an old friend from the NFL Europe days. The Defense for the Fire played a big role being +4 in the turnover battle. Coming down to the end the Fire kicked the game winning field goal with 9 seconds left to seal the victory in week 1, year 2 of the ELF
3 - The New Kids on the Block
(2023) Munich Ravens, 32 vs Stuttgart Surge, 30
Throughout the season the Ravens showed they were a team that can challenge almost anybody all year. Once these two teams met for a second time, the Surge were getting their starting Quarterback, Reilly Hennessy, back from injury and were looking to wrap up the conference for the most part. As the game started to come down to the end, you could see the Surge didn’t have an answer for the Munich run game. Jeffries and Oyewo went for 100 yards a piece and a pair of touchdowns. The Ravens physically outplayed the Surge. The Hennessy to Stewart connections proved strong but a last-minute Field Goal edged the Ravens over the Surge, which is going to lead to an interesting week 1 for the 2024 season.
2 - A tale of two Halves
(2022) Vienna Vikings, 27 vs Barcelona Dragons, 20
This game was a battle between two undefeated teams heading into week 6. Vikings got off to a slow start, as the Dragons led 17-8 going into halftime. Zach Edwards and Kyle Sweet connected for 2 touchdowns putting the Vikings in a situation they hadn’t been in all season. When the second half came around, particularly the 4th quarter, the Vikings came alive, scoring 12 unanswered points, and then “the play” happened, Jackson Erdman to Jordan Bouah – 90 yards to the crib, that sealed a Vikings comeback win 27-20.
1 - The ELF Bleeds Purple
(2021) Hamburg Sea Devils, 30 vs Frankfurt Galaxy, 32
For the #1 game we go to the very first Championship game in ELF history. A game that had a ton of big plays and momentum swings, and a game that honestly lived up to the expectations. The downfall for Hamburg was that they couldn’t finish drives as they had with a pair of missed Field Goals, including 2 potential game-sealing attempts. On the other hand Jake Sullivan played the game of his life, passing for 324 yards and 5 total touchdowns (4 passing and 1 rushing). The Sea Devils came up short, while the Galaxy capitalized and won the first-ever ELF Championship.
There were many great games and so many more to come. Join the conversation and let me know what you all think, but those are my Top 5 All-Time ELF Games.
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