May 8, 2025
By Sam Weiger
Games are listed in chronological order.
Seattle Cascades at Oakland Spiders | Friday Night Frisbee (Free on YouTube)
Friday, May 9 - 9:00 PM/ET - Watch link
The thrilling saga between Oakland and Seattle continued with another edge-of-your-seat game last week, making their upcoming matchup an absolute must-see. They'll be bringing their compelling rivalry to a broader audience as they make their appearance on the YouTube live stream.
The emergence of a winning Seattle franchise last season has fueled a fiercely competitive series with Oakland. Their head-to-head record stands even at two wins each over four games, with three of those decided by a single goal. But the tone of their first matchup in 2025 felt noticeably different.
Week 2 marked a significant departure from Seattle's recent fast starts against Oakland, a change largely attributable to the Spiders' increasingly potent offense.
Last year, Oakland relied on Evan Magsig's steady game management and occasional moments of brilliance from players like Walker Frankenberg, Raekwon Adkins, and Max WIlliams. However, they lacked a truly versatile player capable of exerting a strong, continuous influence in big games. Enter Leo Gordon, who has become precisely that missing O-line piece with his consistent playmaking, sharp field vision, and contagious energy. Following his impactful performance against Seattle last week, Gordon is once again Oakland's player to watch.
For Seattle, our attention stays on Lukas Ambrose, unfortunately due to an uncharacteristically poor showing in Week 2 where he posted the worst plus/minus on the Cascades. His typically reliable defensive playmaking was absent, and costly errors put immense pressure on Seattle’s O-line to pick up the slack. Relying solely on Zeppelin Raunig to carry the load (10 goals, nearly 500 receiving yards against Oakland last week) isn't a sustainable strategy.
Nonetheless, Raunig is coming off arguably the biggest game of his career last week, so his performance will be a key storyline. His crucial bookends in the closing stages were the driving force behind Seattle’s late surge.
The X-factor in this game could very well be motivation. For the division-leading Spiders (3-0), complacency is a potential pitfall. Meanwhile, the Cascades face high stakes; starting 0-2 in a crowded West division would be a significant blow, so expect a noticeably more focused and intense Seattle team.
One Big Number:
82 - Oakland scored on 82 percent of their O-line points against Seattle last week, compared to just 58.66 percent against the Cascades across three games last year.
2 - For Seattle, history offers a stark warning: no West Division team has ever reached the playoffs after starting 0-2 against divisional opponents.
Atlanta Hustle at San Diego Growlers
Friday, May 9 - 10:00 PM/ET - Watch link
Does San Diego have a legitimate shot at claiming a playoff spot in the South Division? And what’s their ultimate potential this year? This Week 3 game will likely be very telling.
The Growlers signaled their intent for a stronger season with big offseason acquisitions. And indeed, their four major pickups – Khalif-El Salaam, Marcel Osborne, Daniel Brunker, and Jesse Cohen – have boosted San Diego in their first two games of the season. We'll be keenly observing how three of them (Cohen is expected to be inactive) influence Friday's game against Atlanta.
We’ll also be watching for the clash between San Diego's D-line and Atlanta's dominant O-line, which has proven difficult for even the best defenses to handle. The Growlers have displayed better defense this year, though their only competition has been the weaker Aviators. Their ability to replicate that success against arguably the strongest offense in the UFA remains to be seen. Shutting down Austin Taylor, the league's leader in offensive efficiency, will be vital.
While Taylor and Brett Hulsmeyer will be the biggest names on San Diego’s radar, their defense will also need to account for the improved play of Hayden Austin-Knab and Adam Miller. Austin-Knab’s flawless deep game, highlighted by his team-leading five hucks, is a clear danger. Additionally, Miller's emergence as a consistent offensive threat, capable of both throwing and receiving since becoming an O-line regular, adds another layer of complexity. It will be interesting to see if Austin-Knab and Miller continue to be difference-makers for the Hustle.
One Big Number:
1 - San Diego has one win, against Houston, in their four interdivisional matchups going back to 2019.
87 - Atlanta’s O-line scored on 87 percent of O-line points versus elite Salt Lake and Carolina. They reached that hold percentage just twice last year (both versus Houston).
DC Breeze at Carolina Flyers | Game of the Week
Saturday, May 10 - 6:00 PM/ET - Watch link
Although last week's abbreviated season opener offered just a limited look at Carolina's new-look team, a subject of some doubt, the initial glimpses suggest they should be competitive in their annual interdivision matchup against the Breeze.
Even without the contributions of Anders Jeungst, Tobias Brooks, Jacob Fairfax, Elijah Long, and numerous defensive stalwarts, Carolina kept pace with the Hustle last week.
But the significant D-line absences predictably hampered their defense. Consequently, the O-line had to elevate its performance, making offensive linchpin Allan Laviolette Carolina's most impactful player. With the Flyers likely facing a similar defensive shortage and potentially missing Long again, Laviolette's performance could heavily influence the outcome of this game.
Fortunately for Laviolette and the Flyers, Fairfax is set to return, and Rutledge Smith has shown promising signs of being a standout player. Smith's combination of height, speed, and field vision will be closely watched this week.
While a win isn't critical for the Flyers, the Breeze are under significant pressure due to a much more challenging playoff outlook. DC’s 1-1 start in divisional play precedes a grueling schedule that includes Toronto, Boston (three times), New York (twice), and Philadelphia after their Carolina encounter.
The return of Christian Boxley and Tyler Monroe, coupled with a markedly improved passing game from QB1 Jacques Nissen, powered DC’s crucial bounce-back win last week.
Nissen's increased throwing volume this season makes his completion stats on Saturday a key point of interest, as another busy day could signal a major adjustment in DC's offensive game plan.
One Big Number:
40 - Nissen has 40+ completions in both DC games this year, hitting a career-high 67 last week (he only reached 40 twice in the prior two seasons).
88 - Last week, in nearly two quarters of play, the Flyers allowed the Hustle to score on 88 percent of their O-line points, a significant increase from Carolina’s 58.74 percent hold rate allowed last year.
Philadelphia Phoenix at Toronto Rush
Saturday, May 10 - 6:00 PM/ET - Watch link
In this final regular-season matchup between playoff-caliber Philly and Toronto, the stakes are especially high for the Rush. A victory would propel Toronto squarely back into playoff contention, while a loss would severely jeopardize their postseason aspirations.
Toronto's rebuilt roster struggled with chemistry last week. The Rush must gel quickly to remain relevant in the mighty East Division, so we’ll be tracking the progress of impactful rookies Arvīds Kārkliņš, Toms Abeltins, and Tom Blasman.
Their development will be crucial as they face a Phoenix team that has been red-hot, thanks to some surprisingly impactful performances. Scott Heyman and Sam Grossberg have been nothing short of game-changers for Philadelphia, so keep an eye on those two in this massive Saturday rematch.
One Big Number:
5 - After this week, Toronto's schedule intensifies with five of their final nine matchups against heavyweights Boston, DC, and New York.
500 - Heyman's season has been unexpectedly prolific; he's hit at least 500 yards in both games played so far, a feat he managed just once in his previous 27 career games.
