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<p>ENFL VII’s opening&nbsp;game left the crowd in&nbsp;surprise&nbsp;as&nbsp;offensive units were unable to score. Both the Eagles and Tigers’&nbsp;defensive units took the show as they maintained a full shutdown throughout the game.&nbsp;For a season opener, the game was definitely uneventful.&nbsp;</p>
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<p><strong><em>Offense Struggles to Earn a First Down&nbsp;</em></strong></p>
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<p>Not only were both teams struggling to score, but they were also struggling for a first down and while the game was slow, turnovers were quick. The Tigers were able to earn four first downs with a 44 yards pass to Mounir Khaled, a 15 yards pass to Bassem Tarek and 2 rushes by Mina Akram. The Eagles however, weren’t able to move the ball for a single first down.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The Tigers’ offense had a couple of important absences as receivers Hussam Mohamed and Mohamed Medhat weren’t able to play due to injury. They did however welcome back one of the most iconic running backs in ENFL history; Loai El-Damanhoury who has been absent from the football scene for the last 2 years. We are yet to see if Loai’s performance will live up to his reputation throughout the season.</p>
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<p>Led by quarterback Mina Akram, the offensive unit tried to push forward but were held back. In Mina’s words “While the defense had our back with a strong performance, our mistakes kept us from putting points on the board even though we managed to get close to the goal line. This loss however doesn’t define where we stand and we’re only motivated for our next games”.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The Eagles’ performance was quite surprising as they were only allowed first downs through penalties on the Tigers’ side. The Eagles performance may have been below expectations, as the team with a winning record showed great struggle.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>With a total of 27.5 passing yards and 6.5 rushing yards throughout the entire game, it is without a doubt that the offense was not in shape&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Quarterback Mohamed Sadek talked to us about the Tigers’ complete shutdown of their running game which obviously leads to any offense’s frustration. Having to depend on the passing game, they had to resort to quick passes in order to move the ball. In his own words “missed assignments varied from reads to drops but can be summarized in the fact that we were not in sync”&nbsp;</p>
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<p><strong><em>Defensive Shutdown</em></strong></p>
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<p>The Tigers’ defensive stats look more promising with 4 tackles for loss and a sack as well as two interceptions by Abdelrahman Medhat and Mohamed Salah.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The Eagles, pressuring the Tigers offense, completed 6 tackles for loss and 2 sacks putting the QB in a tough position which led to two interceptions by Bassem Hesham and Abdelrahman Mandour.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The stats continue to speak louder as two of the most talented and hardworking quarterbacks in ENFL came out of the game with completion rates averaging at 27.5%.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>As the game neared to an end, the Tigers went for a punt, which backfired as a bad snap put the team in a tricky position when the ball found its way into the end-zone and was recovered by the Eagles’ defense allowing them their only score. Followed by an extra point, the game ended with a 7 to nothing score.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The Eagles may have earned their first win of the season, but we have to admit, this could’ve been either team’s win. Both offensive units are yet to display their hunger for the season, or it may just end up out of their reach.&nbsp;</p>
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