Gauntlet 1.11 - Week 12

Gauntlet - Week 11

Genre: Sports / Drama

Executive Producer: Antoine Fuqua

Writer: Matt Parker

Cast : William Fichtner, Josh Duhamel, Trevor Jackson Eric Roberts, Saffron Burrows and Kat Graham

Tim Collins (Josh Duhamel) is alone at the practice facility working out and throwing balls. He is determined to be ready for the next game no matter what. He receives a phone call from his girlfriend Memphis Mayor Sharon Matthews (Saffron Burrows). She reminds him that they had plans that evening. Collins profusely apologizes, explaining he lost track of time at the facility. Just as Collins is leaving the facility to meet up with Sharon, Jefferson Thomas (Trevor Jackson) pulls up in his car and walks toward the facility. Collins is surprised to see him heading into the training room so late. Thomas explains that he's never made the playoffs at any level of football before. Not in college, and not even in high school. He's always been a good play on a bad team, but since the playoffs are still in reach for the team, Thomas is committed to giving everything he's got to get to the playoffs. Collins pats Thomas on the back and leaves the facility.

Coach Heath (William Fichtner) can't sleep. So he watches game film of their upcoming opponent, the Philadelphia Freedom. He is worried about the game since the Freedom have the best record in the league. Something on the tape suddenly catches his eye, and he rewinds the tape several times to watch the same play. The league doctors give Tim Collins a final concussion test, which he passes this time around, much to the team's relief.

Come game day, there is a lot of nervous energy in the Pharaohs locker room. They all understand that if they lose this game their playoff chances are gone. The team takes the field in Philadelphia to boos from the rowdy Philly crowd. Before their first offensive play, Heath pulls Collins aside and tells him that the Freedom have been playing their safeties deep, so they should be able to run short slant plays frequently. Collins nods his head and heads out to the huddle. Sure enough, the plan works and Collins completes several easy slant passes, leading the team all the way down the field for a touchdown.

The plan works all game long and the Pharaohs shock the AFA world by beating the league leading Philadelphia Freedom 28-17. The players are all celebrating in the locker room, but Coach Heath yells for everyone to stop celebrating. Sure, they won the game, but they are 6-5 and have to win one more game if they want to make the playoffs, so they haven't really won anything yet. He tells everyone to get dressed so they can head to the airport.

That weekend, Coach Heath watches the league's slate of games. Collins avoids watching any of the games, and instead goes out to brunch with Sharon (Saffron Burrows). Thomas, with an entire weekend to fill, gets anxious since his instinct is to go out and party. He invites Nikki (Kat Graham) over and he has sex with her instead of doing drugs and drinking. Afterwards they talk and she tells him that she thought he didn't want to date her anymore. He tells her it was just casual. She gets mad and storms out of his house.

Pharaohs owner Leonard Palmer (Eric Roberts) throws a dinner party for the city council to try to help sway the upcoming stadium funding ballot initiative vote in his favor. Mayor Sharon Matthews arrives for the dinner, with Tim Collins as his date. Palmer is surprised to see Collins there. Palmer is careful what to say with Collins there, but is pleased that the city council enjoys getting to have dinner with the team's starting quarterback and thinks that it may work in his favor.