After securing the #1 seed, the Hamburg Sea Devils have to face the Raiders Tirol. The Austrian powerhouse beat out the Berlin Thunder, Frankfurt Galaxy, and Rhein Fire in a race for the final playoff spot.

The team of head coach Kevin Herron had a top-five defense in the league. In addition, the offense coached by young coordinator Kyle Callahan and led by quarterback Sean Shelton put up the most yards and the second most points in the league during the regular season.

But even though the Raiders had quite a good regular season finishing at 8-4, the Sea Devils season was nothing short of impressive. The team only lost one game, a Week 2 encounter with the Southern conference champions Barcelona Dragons, ending their campaign with an astonishing 11-1 record and a playoff home game.

Similarities and parallels

Both teams are fairly similar in many aspects. The Sea Devils, as well as the Raiders, have young defensive coordinators with experience in the European League of Football. Last year’s Assistant Coach of the Year Kendral Ellison lead his Hamburg defense to four shutouts, while former Berlin Thunder head coach Jag Ball, aged 38 built a dominant defense in his own right.

But not only the defensive coordinators are similar to each other. Both offensive coordinators are no stranger to North Germany. Sea Devils play caller Philipp Schulz is a Hamburg native and played wide receiver for a few different teams in the area, including two seasons for the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes, before making his way into coaching at a young age. Right now, Schulz is only 33 years old.

Kyle Callahan, a former NAIA quarterback and wide receiver, played for the Baltic Hurricanes as well and spent some time with the Berlin Adler, before making his way to the Swarco Raiders Tirol. As a quarterback, Callahan led his team to three AFL championship games, including one title, and a Euro Bowl final. After that, he spent some time playing wide receiver but shifted his focus to coaching. At the age of 36, Kyle Callahan is already one of the best coordinators in the European League of Football.

Although it might not be obvious, there is an NFL connection between two players of the teams. Sea Devils defensive end Kasim Edebali and Raiders cornerback Jamalcolm Liggins spent some time on NFL rosters in 2019. Coincidentally, both of them were on the Philadelphia Eagles roster at the same time.

NFL connection

Edebali, a veteran at the time, was looking for a new team after stints with the Saints, Broncos, Lions, Rams, Bears and Bengals.

On the contrary, Liggins, North Dakota’s College Player of the year, was an undrafted free agent cornerback out of Dickinson State. Even though neither of the two made the final 53-man roster, they took the field together in two preseason games wearing the midnight green uniforms.

Most important matchups and keys to the game

Raiders defensive line vs. Glen Toonga

Glen Toonga has been the X-Factor for the Sea Devils all season long. The London native led the league with 1468 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in the regular season. For most opponents, he is a nightmare to play against. But the Raiders seem well equipped to handle the 27-year-old. The Raiders defensive line allowed just 8 rushing touchdowns (3rd best in the league) and 1025 yards (2nd best in the league). A unit consisting of former Stanford Cardinal and Chicago Bear Thomas Schaffer, last year’s All-Star Vincent Buffet, American import Derrick Brumfield, 10-sack player Niklas Gustav and many more is to be reckoned with.

Sean Shelton vs. Sea Devils pass rush

The Sea Devils pass rush is the best in Europe. Period. If you talk to coaches around the league, theSea Devils defensive line is respected a lot. Besides top talents like Evans Yeboah and NFL International Combine invitee Tim Hänni, there is an NFL veteran in Kasim Edebali and many local talents like Hiswill Awuah, Ambroise Mati or Berend Grube, just to name a few. The depth in the unit is impressive. And their production is too, like their 13-sack performance against Barcelona showed.

But Sean Shelton is and impressive player in his own right, being probably of the hottest candidates for the MVP award right now. Besides having a good offensive line, two of Shelton’s abilities might hinder the Sea Devils from unfolding their full potential: His scrambling ability and his outstanding quick passing game. No quarterback in the league is better at getting the ball out of his hands fast. Having players like C.J. Okpalobi, Marco Schneider, Yannick Mayr and Philipp Haun certainly does not hurt either.

Jéan Constant vs. Jamalcolm Liggins

Despite catching less passes than last year, Jean Constant managed to put up similar numbers to his impressive 2021 campaign. With 66 receptions for 963 yards and 7 touchdowns, the American has been the difference maker in the Sea Devils passing game, hauling in nearly half of all their passing touchdowns. But his opponent on Saturday, might just be the toughest he has ever faced.

Former Dickinson State standout and Philadelphia Eagle Jamalcolm Liggins will most likely line up against him. Liggins, with his large frame and good ball skills will make life difficult for the smaller speedy receiver. Having a safety with NFL experience in Tony Anderson over the top is helpful as well.

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Who will come out on top on Saturday and make his way to the European League of Football championship game at the 28 Black Arena in Klagenfurt? Tune in at 2:45 pm or buy your tickets hereto find out!

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