Week 4 of the 2025 NPIFL season was played in the backdrop of arguably larger events. Before we begin our many (and ever-growing) traditions, it would be foolish not to mention the key excitement that gripped the Steel City of Brymbo in a week that also saw the return of the epic Brymbo Rocks music festival.

While the hallowed, sprawling metropolis may have a East-West divide that runs as deep as a tectonic trench, they are united in baseball. Even before the Brymbo Originals’ baseball team went into administration due a financial crisis brought on by mismanagement and poor attendances, fans were behind the eternally better-run Brymbo Saxons.

Well, as the whole world knows, the Saxons famously just came out of the World Series with their second championship in two years – this time in a global league.

Credit must go to the seemingly-indefatigable coach John Maxwell for guiding his team to a 338-310 victory after a long campaign, while commiserations and respect must be given to HC Chris Faulkner and his Hill Hawks, who came up just short down the stretch.

Now, on to our weekly prayer, which ahead of Week 5 is a snippet of Hannah’s Prayer in the Book of Samuel (2:1-10 [via Jacob’s Well])

[1] “My heart exults in the LORD;
my horn is exalted in the LORD.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.

[7] “The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and he exalts.
[8] He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
and on them he has set the world.”

Yea, for the Lord did giveth the victory to his “Sacred Flame” in Week 4, so expect the now-holier-than-thou Brymbo Firestorm to continue to exalt his glory to the media.

Nathan’s Pix and the Best Bench of the Week

After a mixed but positive start to the season, Nathan Adams saw a return to the kind of mediocrity we all know and love with his Pix. Adams went 3-3 in Week 4, which brings him up to 13-11 on the year and 58-61 all-time.

Meanwhile, the Best Bench of the Week went to the Portscatho Padres, who are looking to stop the bleeding after an rough 1-3 start. The Padres bench put up 77.84 points, and given how low-scoring the close match against the Brymbo Firestorm was, those points would have been decisive.

Let’s take a look how it all went down, starting with the game of the week.

NIU ^(4-0) 192.24 – 188.06 Leviathans ^(1-3)

This was truly an old-fashioned shootout, ‘a proper shootout with proper men, like Colonel Custer and Geronimo … like a western.’ This was a game in which ‘no one did a runner,’ and no one left ‘genuinely disappointed.’

This was not only the game of the week, the game of the month or the game of the year – this was the highest scoring game in NPIFL history.

Unfortunately for the Leviathans, who found themselves in what felt like a strong, winning position on Sunday, they found themselves ruined by destiny and lowered by fate, and Lloyds fell to 1-3 on the season.

Interestingly, a win last week saw the Levs fall to last in the table, while a loss in Week 4 saw them climb multiple places. “What witchcraft is this,” you ask? Just another week in the most competitive league in the world.

The Leviathans were brilliant in the defeat and can hold their heads up high. They gave it their all and came up short, but if they can find those kinds of numbers regularly they will pick up many wins before the season ends.

Baker Mayfield started the game rough with an INT and a quiet first half, but his 2 TDs and 289 yards saw him finish on a respectable 18.86 points. Josh Jacobs led the Leviathans with a 2 TD performance on the ground (29.7), while Omarion Hampton exploded into the form we foresaw in Week 2, with the rookie getting a TD and 128 yards on top (25.0).

The third of the Levs’ RBs, Cam Skattebo, had himself a solid outing too, and his 12 points were indicative of his impressive moxy and growing role in the New York offense.

Other than that, however, there wasn’t a lot going on offensively for Lloyds. So how did they end up putting up 188.06 points? Well, they say that ‘defense wins championships,’ and it gave offense a run for its money on Sunday.

The Levs had 48.5 points from IDPs (individual defensive players), 20 from the Lions D and 18 from kicker Matt Gay. Standout Ds in the loss were Aidan Hutchinson (11.5), T.J. Watt (11.0) and Tyrique Stevenson (13.0).

On the other side of the ball, Nixon it Up didn’t quite live up to their name, given they fielded the same team as last week and an ineligible player, but they lived up to their hard-hitting reputation.

Bo Nix led by example under center (25.74), while multiple offensive players put up big numbers. RB Bucky Irving (25.74) put up 165 scrimmage yards and a TD, while TreVeyon Henderson broke 10 points (11.6) with his first TD in the big leagues.

Puka Nacua put up another mammoth score (29.5) from his 13 receptions for 170 yards and a TD, and the Rams receiver is staking a claim to be the WR1 in 2025. Meanwhile, Garrett Wilson (17.2) and Tyler Warren (15.8) and Rome Odunze (14.9) all got into the endzone.

Defensively, the NIU were also stalwart, with Maxx Crosby (13.0) and Zach Baun (11.5) both putting in epic displays in the win.

The road ahead looks interesting for both these teams. Injuries and byes are set to be a feature, and the NIU find themselves looking shorthanded at RB and DE for their Week 5 game against the Firestorm. That said, they have started the game strong with 19.5 points from Puka Nacua (who else?).

As for the Leviathans, they look to be in big trouble immediately; they have three defensive players and Josh Jacobs all on byes, which is further complicated by a growing injury list that already features CeeDee Lamb and Braelon Allen.

Originals ^(3-1) 133.36 – 155.68 69ers ^(2-2)

Week 4 saw a fierce rivalry game between two close cities, San Wrexham and Brymbo, with the Originals falling to their first loss of the year. This looked like it was becoming a classic, but then both teams faltered a bit down the stretch.

69ers QB Geno Smith put in a worrying, “seeing ghosts” sort of performance that featured 3 INTs (9.78), but he was covered by some big performances by Quinshon Judkins (19.5), Justin Jefferson (17.5) and George Pickens (29.4).

Judkins scored his first NFL TD and Jefferson saw 10 receptions for 126 yards in his first big performance of the year, so there is some real optimism San Wrexham might be turning a corner numbers-wise.

The real star of the show was Pickens, and the questionable trade involving Jordan Mason was a game-winner here. Pickens put up 2 TDs and 134 yards on 8 receptions, and it will be interesting to see if the Cowboys avoid rushing CeeDee Lamb back from injury with Pickens proving he can shoulder the burden.

Defensively, 14 points from Bears safety Kevin Byard helped push the 69ers to their second win of the season, and much like many other teams this year, while it hasn’t always been pretty, the 69ers are very much in the picture.

Meanwhile, the O’s were disappointing for the first time of the year, with many wondering if a team with a history of streakiness might be about to hit a downturn. Week 4 saw 49ers duo Brock Purdy (17.66) and Christian McCaffrey (24.1) do some damage, and DK Metcalf gallop for 21.1 points in Ireland.

However, aside from them, Jonathan Taylor (12.1) and Davante Adams (13.6), there wasn’t a lot really going on. Two elements combined to lose the O’s the game: a 75-yard Taylor TD being pulled back for Adonai Mitchell’s second huge mistake of the game, and DSTs.

21.5 IDP points wasn’t quite enough, and 14 combined from kicker Brandon Aubrey and the Commanders D was similarly okay.

Brymbo HC Nathan Adams let loose when speaking to Andrasta, simply saying:

“F*ck Blockhead.”

He then added:

“We will be back, and stronger.”

That does look to be the case, with the O’s facing a hugely short-handed JST in Week 5 that may be set to again field players who are done for the season.

Meanwhile, the 69ers face the Leviathans in a game that HC Chris Blockley has discussed off the record with a confidence that borders on hubris. Although, as HBO’s Julius Caesar would say, “It’s only hubris if I fail,” and it will be interesting to see if San Wrexham can take the 40.4-point-margin win that ESPN is predicting.

DDT ^(3-1) 152.4 – 138.8 Kelce Smiles ^(1-3)

The DDT are back with a bang after a soporific start to the season, at least on the field. While many might question what events led to them getting to 3-1, Dan’s Daring Team are full of confidence. Outspoken head coach Dan Gittins finally had his team ready to play (cue round of applause), and they delivered the goods in Week 4.

QB Kyler Murray looked rocky at times, but rallied to a 16.1-point day. Meanwhile, the double TE build looked solid for a team thin on skill player depth. Hunter Henry (10.9) and Mark Andrews (7.5) didn’t hit massive points, but their solidity helped build the foundations for the win.

That win largely came on the back from two individual performances. Amon-Ra St. Brown (22.5) has been electric in 2025, and he put in another blistering, 2-TD performance. The man of the match, however, was Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty, who broke out at last and recreated some of his college hype tape.

Jeanty finished the day with 32.5 points from 21 carries for 138 yards and a TD, with his long TD via a tackle bounce-off a rewarding highlight, especially for those familiar with his college days.

Another key reason for the DDT being 3-1 is kicker Chase McLaughlin, who followed up his 20-point Week 3 outing against the Firestorm with 17.0 here.

On the other sideline, Kelce Smiles HC Chris Ward will be disappointed to have not come away with a better day, however, he will have only himself to blame. Ward seems to have gone from a “defense wins championships” mentality to “who needs kickers anyway?”

Ward has only fielded a kicker once this season, and that was in Week 2. You just can’t leave that kind of point potential out of your lineup, and it seems the Smiles might be due a rebrand to the Frowns.

Offensively, there was a lot to like for Ward, as Patrick Mahomes has lived up to his early draft position with 27.3 points in a dominant win over the Ravens. Meanwhile, James Cook is looking like the RB1 on the season, and put up another 21 points in Week 4. Drake London finally lived up to his first-round reputation, and his 8 receptions for 110 yards and a TD gave him 22 points.

After the game we spoke to DDT HC Dan Gittins, who again took aim at fellow HC and NPIFL co-commissioner John Maxwell for what many perceive to be well-deserved comments on Gittins’ laissez-faire approach to roster building and lineups:

“All it took was some discrimination from the league organiser to push me forward… The team is on the rise. Everyone with me… Raise a glass to the fall of head coaches, Maxwell and Damen. May they rest soundly at the bottom of the leader board by the end of season.”

Gittins may have to wait a while for that dream to become reality, as Maxwell’s teams traditionally finish on the cusp of the playoff spots but agonizingly/amusingly short. This year feels like it may be no different, as the 2-2 Firestorm are at least managing their team, which it is safe to say isn’t the case for everyone around the league.

Gittins looks to push the DDT to its first-ever 4-1 start in Week 5, where they take on the extremely capable St. Lewis Rams. The Rams would go ahead of the DDT with a win, and the matchup got off to a flyer on Thursday, with Gittins’ side leading 27.1-26.0.

Meanwhile, Kelce Smiles fans will be hoping to see some movement and life from their manager ahead of their game against Portscatho. This sees two 1-3 teams go at it, with the winner back in the game and the loser in real danger of being out of the running early.

Rams ^(2-2) 138.7 – 115.62 Patriots ^(2-2)

It feels like the best way to start this section is to give a huge shout-out to Rams HC Lewis Done, who, against a tempestuous sea of doubt, stood up for his man and has reaped the rewards accordingly (cue second round of applause).

Done picked up Steelers RB Kenneth Gainwell after ESPN delivered a blisteringly unkind spin on the RBs potential for the season, stating that he would “struggle to get enough volume to be fantasy relevant.”

Well, that didn’t age well, and Kenneth Gainwell was the key to victory in the Rams’ Week 4 win. Gainwell found the endzone twice in the Steelers’ epic win over the Vikings in Ireland, and combined with his 134 scrimmage yards, the unfairly-maligned RB came away with 28.4 points.

Chants of “Gainfantastic” rang around the Rams stadium, and it was fully deserved.

Aside from Gainfantastic, we saw good days from QB Jalen Hurts (19.4), De’Von Achane (16.6) and Jordan Addison (13.4), and Addison was only 2 yards off jumping to 19.4 points after his long reception was halted dramatically close to the goal line by a desperate tackle from linebacker Payton Wilson.

14.0 points from the Steelers D in that fantastic win over the Minnesota was complemented by 13 from kicker Jake Bates, and the Rams went home happy. We spoke to HC Lewis Done on Wednesday:

“Having started the weekend in joint-fifth and coming up against an in-form team, I thought this would be slightly closer that it turned out. The win isn’t a surprise, but the Old England Pats are better than this performance suggests and hope they can find some bouncebackability.

“Everyone here at the Rams is holding their breath on the results of the MRI results of our Nabers – this might be a tough blow but at the same time we’ll soon be welcoming back Rice Rice baby shortly so we are confident we can fill that gap internally.

“We are looking forward to see what desperate Dan brings to town next week – here’s hoping Jeanty doesn’t keep up his current form!”

Meanwhile, the Patriots fell victim to the same fates that favoured St. Lewis. A late scratch for Steelers RB1 Jaylen Warren meant that Gainwell rained blood from an angry sky, while Warren put up a 0.00. That was really the difference here, and HC Aminul Hassan will be bitterly disappointed that the fantasy gods forsook him.

The Pats did see some decent displays and almost got back into the game. 22.22 points from Drake Maye was backed by 15.6 Marvin Harrison Jr., and Saquon Barkley looked more like his 2025 self (15.4). Old England got 12 points from kicker Harrison Butker and many players hovered between the 5-10 mark.

It just wasn’t quite their day, but the Pats will be confident there is enough in their team to make the postseason if they can navigate injuries and bye weeks.

Old England will look to get back to winning ways in Week 5, and they face another 2-2 team in Santos. Meanwhile, the Rams will hope to pour cold water on the hopes of the 3-1 Dan’s Daring Team.

Santos ^(2-2) 128.16 – 127.02 JSN ^(1-3)

In one of the closest games of all time, Santos squeezed past a short-handed Jordan’s Scary Team, which really have no one else but themselves to blame. The JST fielded two players on the IR, with RB James Connor out for the season.

Similarly out for the season and yet on the JSN bench is RB Najee Harris, and there are real concerns this team might lose out for the remainder of the season after winning in Week 1.

Bijan Robinson was the player of the match for the JSN (26.1), but other than 11.5 points from linebacker Jourdan Lewis and 10 from the Seahawks D, there wasn’t a lot going on. Interestingly, this wasn’t the worst performance of the week, with the JSN putting up enough points to defeat three other NPIFL teams in Week 4.

As for Santos, it was a slow game but they did enough and deserved their win for fielding an entire team. Josh Allen (24.86) and Romeo Doubs (26.8) were the highlights, with the mammoth Monday Night Football display from Doubs coming like Gandalf and the Rohirrim at first light on the fifth day.

It’s not often you see a player score 3 TDs, and Doubs donned his cape and saved the day for Santos.

HC Chris Faulkner was delighted with the win, and knows just how big the difference between 2-2 and 1-3 really is for team confidence. He told Andrasta:

“Incredible win for us last week against an old enemy. We enter this week confident a few better performances will see us compete right at the top of the league. The silent assassin has long plagued our NPIFL journeys, and I expect this weekend will be similarly challenging.”

Santos will look to take some momentum into their Week 5 matchup against the Patriots, and the potential to be 3-2 after a mixed start would be very pleasing. Meanwhile, the JSN face the O’s in what looks to be something of a rout. Can the O’s live up to their 37.1-point favourite tag?

Padres ^(1-3) 117.08 – 123.88 Firestorm ^(2-2)

In what was one of the worst games of the season, the Brymbo Firestorm limped and squeezed awkwardly past the Padres in Portscatho. The Firestorm all but gave up the ghost when QB Lamar Jackson exited the game with a hamstring complaint on only 10 points, and it did look bleak indeed for Brymbo.

However, the Padres were seeing similar performance issues themselves. QB Caleb Williams couldn’t get out of his own way for much of the game and finished on 11.78 points. An early bright start from Jahmyr Gibbs (16.7) wasn’t really followed up by anything, and Portscatho only put up 2 TDs in the game across the whole team.

That said, the Padres do have a collection of very promising IDPs, and their 40.0 points was a highlight on a bad day at the office.

It feels like the Padres might be about to get busy in the trade market, so watch this space.

Meanwhile, the Firestorm will be shocked and can count themselves extremely fortunate to be 2-2, as other than a big Week 2, there has been very little cause for excitement about the franchise.

How this team is fifth in the table is something of a mystery, but unless they find their steel, they will doubtless tumble downwards.

RB remains the proverbial ‘Spanish ulcer’ for Brymbo, with a lot of not-quite-elite RB1 options.

We spoke to Firestorm HC John Maxwell, who was torn between anger, confusion and relief:

“How we won that I will never understand. We were awful out there. I think the obvious answer to how we won that is due to our renewed faith in God, and the relationship we are building.

“I think perhaps I felt his hand, not in guiding us, but more in punishing our foes. We will be saying our prayers and hoping for his divine favor, may he guard the feet of his faithful ones, and the wicked be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail against his chosen.”

The increasingly biblically-inclined Firestorm (AKA the “Sacred Flame”) will look to find some accelerant ahead of their game against old-foe Olly Bailey and his high-flying Nixon it Up. If the Firestorm is to “cleanse the NIU with purifying destruction,” they are going to have to be a lot better than they were in Week 4.

Meanwhile, the Padres have a huge matchup against Kelce Smiles, and with both teams at 1-3, this is a must-win fixture that is taking on fatalistic proportions.