May 29, 2025
By Sam Weiger
Games are listed in chronological order.
DC Breeze at Toronto Rush
Friday, May 30 - 7:00 PM/ET - Watch link
After 20 days off, Toronto is set for a pivotal Week 6 doubleheader where securing at least one win is essential.
The winless Rush have been overly reliant on individual talent, attempting 15 hucks per game (many forced attempts involving new European stars) to compensate for a lack of chemistry that's stifling their upfield progress against the stingy East Division defenses.
Tom Blasman, in particular, has struggled mightily on deep throws, completing just four of 11 in Toronto’s last two games. The Breeze defend deep throws well and will use their possession-oriented offense to punish any huck struggles.
Meanwhile, DC's offensive performance appears to largely depend on the wind conditions. They've shown a consistent inability to score effectively in strong winds, a weakness that plagued them at Championship Weekend last year and in their two windy losses this season.
One Big Number:
48.89 - The Rush have converted just 48.89 percent of their huck attempts, the seventh worst mark in the UFA.
70.5 - The Breeze converted 70.5 percent of their O-line possessions in games without windy conditions, but only 34.6 percent in windy conditions.
Atlanta Hustle at Minnesota Wind Chill | Friday Night Frisbee (Free on YouTube)
Friday, May 30 - 8:00 PM/ET - Watch link
Atlanta has managed to remain undefeated halfway into their season, having conquered Salt Lake, Carolina (twice), and San Diego (twice). But the true test, a demanding doubleheader, begins this weekend with a marquee matchup against Minnesota.
This doubleheader is an excellent primer for the Hustle's Championship Weekend aspirations; they've surely had it circled and will play with extra motivation against the defending champions. Can the Wind Chill keep pace with this mighty Atlanta team?
It could come down to Minnesota's offense, assuming Atlanta’s offense maintains their dominant presence as they have all year. Will we see the Wind Chill offense that scored 30+ goals twice this season, or the one that managed just 11 against Chicago?
Getting into the red zone more often will be crucial. The Wind Chill averaged 19.5 red zone opportunities in their two wins, but only nine in their loss. Once they reach the red zone, they've been almost unstoppable. This presents a prime opportunity against a Hustle red zone defense that's been only middle-of-the-pack.
Another potential advantage for the Wind Chill lies with Justin Burnett, who gets his first shot at his former team in one of the season's most highly-anticipated revenge games. A lights-out defensive performance from him on Friday could single-handedly ignite the Wind Chill.
There's no doubt Burnett, known for his prowess in winning sky battles against opposing cutters, will have his hands full. But he's capable of guarding anyone, so a one-on-one showdown with Brett Hulsmeyer or Alec Wilson Holliday—two key members of Atlanta's loaded receiving corps—would be fascinating to see. This bolstered receiving corps has completely transformed the Hustle, notably elevating quarterbacks Austin Taylor, Adam Miller, and Hayden Austin-Knab to new heights.
One Big Number:
89.58 - Minnesota boasts the UFA's second-highest red zone conversion rate at 89.58 percent.
7 - The Hustle lead the league with seven O-liners who maintain a plus/minus per game of at least +3 (among players with at least two games played this season).
Oakland Spiders at Colorado Summit
Friday, May 30 - 9:00 PM/ET - Watch link
Are we going to get another epic battle between Oakland and Colorado?
Their last two matchups have been decided by a single goal in incredibly dramatic fashion, both going to Oakland. Given Colorado's season so far, few are confident they can change that narrative, especially with key playmaker Alex Atkins likely out.
Perhaps Tobias Brooks and Keenan Laurence can be the spark Colorado needs.
Brooks, a proven game-changer and one of last year's most talented youngsters, is known for shredding defenders as a dominant receiver. But he’s also a great passer, so it will be interesting to see the extent of his role on Friday.
Laurence, who is still seeking one of his signature breakout performances in a Summit uniform, gets a revenge game against his former Spiders team—where he spent the past four years.
One can't help but wonder if Laurence will watch Oakland's impeccable O-line with a touch of envy, as they've propelled the Spiders to a 5-0 record—a feat he never experienced with them.
One Big Number:
21.25 - Colorado's difficulties this season can largely be attributed to turnovers, with the team averaging 21.25 per game.
23.8 - The Spiders rank third in the UFA in goals per game (23.8), and their schedule has been more challenging than the two teams ahead of them.
Salt Lake Shred at Seattle Cascades
Friday, May 30 - 10:00 PM/ET - Watch link
The Cascades' fortunes have flipped dramatically. Just last week, Seattle seemed poised to rejoin the playoff hunt, holding a four-goal halftime lead against the Shred. Now, as they head into Friday's match against Salt Lake, they find themselves fighting to stay afloat with a 1-5 record.
Though last week's loss to Salt Lake was riddled with Seattle's errors, a critical, recurring flaw stands out: immediately making mistakes after big defensive plays. This issue needs to be resolved; it has directly contributed to their three consecutive one-goal defeats.
The ‘Scades also need Aaron Wolf to rebound; he had his worst game of the season against the Shred, making major second-half errors. Can he perform better this time?
Finally, can they contain Chad Yorgason? He erupted last week, tearing apart Seattle’s defense as both a thrower and receiver, and will likely be heavily utilized on Friday night.
One Big Number:
19.25 - Excluding their game against the struggling Bighorns, Seattle has converted only 19.25 percent of their break chances this season.
27.5 - Yorgason has averaged 27.5 points played in Salt Lake's big games this season against Atlanta and Seattle.
Carolina Flyers at Philadelphia Phoenix
Saturday, May 31 - 6:00 PM/ET - Watch link
Carolina's playoff hopes rest on a knife's edge; they may need an undefeated finish to the season to secure a postseason berth.
In this pivotal game between the Flyers and Phoenix, a few factors and individuals could decide the winner.
The struggling Flyers could turn the tide if their D-line gets more scoring chances. While there's a huge gap between their break rate and how often their D-line converts, when that D-line does get the disc, they're the fifth-best scoring unit in the league.
But don’t be surprised if an O-liner is Carolina’s highest-impact player. Grayson Sanner could be that player; he was a literal savior last week against the Growlers, making multiple clutch plays. And then there’s Allan Laviolette, who put up superstar numbers last week despite missing the entire first overtime due to injury. I'm curious to see if he plays at 100 percent against Philadelphia.
For the Phoenix, winning aerial battles is paramount. They were thoroughly outplayed by the Empire in this regard last week, as evidenced by both teams' huck numbers. The return of big bodies Greg Martin and William Tober this week will be extremely beneficial against a Flyers team well-equipped with size.
One Big Number:
90 - Philly allowed the Empire to complete 90 percent of their hucks last week (9/10), while only completing four out of their seven huck attempts.
37.49 - Carolina's D-line has the largest gap in the UFA between its conversion rate and break rate, at 37.49 percent.
DC Breeze at Montreal Royal
Saturday, May 31 - 6:00 PM/ET - Watch link
To contend for the East Division playoffs, Montreal must win crucial games like this with heroic efforts and contain DC's hungry offense.
In his eighth season, Christophe Tremblay-Joncas has elevated his game, on pace to set career-highs across the board in virtually every category, including plus/minus, assists, goals, blocks, completions, and yards. He'll need to sustain this for the Royal to beat DC, especially with Montreal's defense giving up the league's highest hold percentage (79.01 percent).
This defensive vulnerability presents the perfect opportunity for DC's O-line to regroup, a task made much easier by Cole Jurek's massive return for both games of their doubleheader.
One Big Number:
5 - In Montreal's last five home games against DC, Boston, or New York, the Royal either won the game or lost by a margin of two goals or less.
364 - Jurek is averaging the league’s second-most receiving yards per game (364).
Atlanta Hustle at Chicago Union | Game of the Week
Saturday, May 31 - 7:00 PM/ET - Watch link
What makes this matchup so enticing?
It's the ultimate showdown between Chicago's stifling defense and Atlanta's high-powered offense.
These are two top-tier units. While we've only seen one Union game, I'm eager to see Chicago's D-line intensity on Saturday. Their strong performance against the Wind Chill was likely fueled by rivalry, so can they validate their incredible level of defensive play by maintaining it against an interdivisional opponent like Atlanta?
It could hinge on how Chicago utilizes their versatile hybrid players, like Xavier Payne and Jeff Weis, who delivered surprisingly strong defensive performances against Minnesota.
Payne and Weis, primarily known for their offensive contributions, played just nine combined O-points against Minnesota in Week 4. They were busy accumulating blocks and applying a level of defensive pressure I hadn't seen from them before.
So will Chicago give players like Payne and Weis more playing time on the D-line, or stick with their current strategy of a rotating, hybrid-heavy defense to continuously keep the Hustle guessing?
I'll be watching for that, as well as whether the Union D-line tries to extend points against the Hustle O-line. With two weeks off, Chicago is in a prime position to capitalize on being the fresher team. The Union effectively extended points against Minnesota, and I have no doubt that they can execute this strategy against a potentially tired Hustle offense coming off a big game the night before.
Because Atlanta's O-line has dictated each of their first six games, it's no surprise that the five Hustle players with the most minutes logged this year are O-liners. So if there's any game where the D-line might need to step up, it's this one. Defensive standouts Lukas McClamrock and Dean Ramsey could therefore find themselves playing pivotal roles.
One Big Number:
33 - In Week 4, Chicago’s D-line held the Wind Chill to their second-lowest hold rate in franchise history (33 percent).
7 - In just over a month, the Hustle will have already played seven games coming into this game, compared to just one for the Union.
New York Empire at Toronto Rush
Sunday, June 1 - 2:00 PM/ET - Watch link
New York's last visit north of the border wasn't pretty, but I anticipate a much-changed team on this trip.
The Empire desperately needed a defensive boost, and Antoine Davis delivered last week against Philly; often, when New York gets this kind of jolt, it kicks off a streak of high-level play. If their D-line replicates last week's performance, the Rush's path to victory will be incredibly challenging.
The Rush have relied on their offense to stay competitive all season, and I don't see that changing in this game. Their defense will likely struggle to contain the Empire's superior O-line, so it’ll be up to Toronto’s starpower to level the playing field.
The Rush could get a major boost in both of their games this weekend with the potential season debut of franchise legend Mark Lloyd (currently listed as active).
One Big Number:
7 - The Empire have won their last seven games against the Rush.
61.97 - The Rush have the league's second-worst O-line defense, allowing a 61.97 percent conversion rate.
