Earlier today I posted the first article of my movers and shakers series that I plan to work on every week. I started with the offensive guys, so now I thought we might take a dive into the defense.
Defensive Line
Luke Smyles: Mover, looking for a better season. 44 tackles, five TFLs, and eight sacks is what Smyles managed last season. He starts this season off with an explosive five tackles, two TFLs, and a sack that put him on pace to beat every single one of those marks this season. Smyles is entering what should be the prime of his career and if he can keep pace, he'll show that by having his best season yet.
Nick Snider: Shaker. Snider is coming off of a season where he recorded only 15 tackles, four TFLs, and a sack. In his first game this season, he put up 6 tackles and three TFLs. He's already almost as productive as he was all last season in a single game. Austin can only hope to put up a better showing this season after the disappointment of season 16 and if they can get production out of one of their guys up front, that can really shake things up for them defensively.
Lo Rax: Mover, heading downwards. Rax was one of the best defensive linemen in the NSFL last season. He led the league in TFLs at 18 and put up respectable sack numbers for a lineman. He started this season by getting absolutely stuffed. Only three tackles, none for a loss, and he didn't even get to breathe in the direction of the quarterback. This is a man who is used to living in his opposition's backfield, but in this game he got absolutely manhandled in the trenches. Hopefully week two can be a bounce back week for him and we can see him get back into form.
Linebackers
Lanzer Grievous: Mover. Moving up? You might ask how the linebacker who was one of the top guys in the NSFL last season could possibly be moving up. One stat. 2/2. He had two forced fumbles and recovered both of them. In a single game, he matched his turnover count from a season ago. If there was one part of his game he needed to work on, it was forcing turnovers and now here we are.
Rock Hardshaft: Shaker. Hardshaft was just decent last season. He posted 6 TFLs, 4 sacks, and three defended passes for his effort. He comes into season 17 by setting the pace with 2 TFLs, a sack, and two defended passes. He looks poised for a potential breakout year and that is what Philadelphia could use from this kid. Their most glaring weakness last season was the middle of their defense and if Hardshaft can make the leap, it could be the push that the Liberty need to complete this season's championship run.
Ben Horne: Mover, a small step back. Horne was an absolute terror last season as he showed his range and his ability to be all over the field. This was a guy who did it at all three levels last season as he stopped the run, got after the quarterback, and became one of the best coverage linebackers in the NSFL. Fans expect exceptional from Horne, so when you see a game that is just average it is definitely a step back for him. Horne is one of the guys going backwards that I can easily see making a bounce back in the right direction in the near future.
Cornerbacks
Johnson Cox III: Mover, step in the right direction. Cox was a guy who fell into the top half of cornerbacks in the NSFL last season. Nothing spectacular, but he wasn't bad. His overall coverage was a bit above average, but his real weakness was his tackling in run support. After only amassing only 66 tackles last season, he led all corners in tackles in week one with 12. If he's managed to step up his run support to match his coverage skills, Cox steps above average and becomes a weapon for the Liberty.
Gus T.T. Showbiz: Shaker. Showbiz was arguably the top QB in the NSFL last season and he made a striking decision in the off season to make a position swap to cornerback. A lot of times these swaps don't payoff, but this time it has some promise. Showbiz showed off some flash in his debut racking up seven tackles, a forced fumble, and two passes defended. Only time will tell if Showbiz can make the same impact on defense as he did when he was quarterback, but he opened up some options for his tea and this mix up could be what Orange County needs to make a push for an Ultimus.
Emondov Emoji: Mover going south. Emoji led the league in pass defenses last season with 26. He showed off his abilities as a one on one corner who denied almost everything passed in his direction. He also racked up 60 tackles, showing off his ability to get rough in the run game when he needed to. In the first game of the season, he managed two tackles and a single pass defense. He didn't show nearly the flash he normally does in week one, but his defense held firm and they pulled out a win anyways.
Safeties
Lightsout Lewis: Mover exploding into the scene. As a young player last season adjusting to the league, Lewis already proved to be one of the top safeties in the league. He posted 102 tackles, an interception, and 9 pass defenses. It showed his range and his ability to support his team in both facets of the game be it run or pass. He kicks this season off with a seven tackle, one interception, 3 pass defense game that puts him on pace to be even more impactful that he was last season. This guy has nothing but potential and can only go up and he's off on the right foot in week one.
Jaylen Storm: Shaker. Storm was a rookie last season who proved he had a sixth sense about where to find the ball. With 19 passes defended, he showed flashes of being a potential ball hawking safety for Yellowknife. He never quite could get his hands on the ball as he watched deflection after deflection fall back to the turf. Starting this week off, Storm managed to grab the first interception of his NSFL career and also posted three pass defenses. He has the same nose for the ball he did last season, but now it looks like he's ready to take that next step. Storm could be a gold mine of turnovers for the Wraiths this season if he stays in form.
Dan Schneider: A fall from grace? Schneider was one of the top pass defenders in the NSFL last season. With 17 passes defended, he was towards the top of the list of shutdown defenders in the secondary. He managed to not get anywhere near the ball in the entirety of this game. No deflections, no interceptions. He was playing against a young quarterback who put the ball in the air 44 times, so this was a bit disappointing for Schneider. Hopefully he gets things figured out quick.
That is my look at the defensive movers and shakers for week one. These guys were a bit tougher than the offensive guys because you usually judge defenders on their body of work over a season. The offensive guys get a lot more numbers to judge week to week. Still I did what I could here and hope you guys enjoy it!
Defensive Line
Luke Smyles: Mover, looking for a better season. 44 tackles, five TFLs, and eight sacks is what Smyles managed last season. He starts this season off with an explosive five tackles, two TFLs, and a sack that put him on pace to beat every single one of those marks this season. Smyles is entering what should be the prime of his career and if he can keep pace, he'll show that by having his best season yet.
Nick Snider: Shaker. Snider is coming off of a season where he recorded only 15 tackles, four TFLs, and a sack. In his first game this season, he put up 6 tackles and three TFLs. He's already almost as productive as he was all last season in a single game. Austin can only hope to put up a better showing this season after the disappointment of season 16 and if they can get production out of one of their guys up front, that can really shake things up for them defensively.
Lo Rax: Mover, heading downwards. Rax was one of the best defensive linemen in the NSFL last season. He led the league in TFLs at 18 and put up respectable sack numbers for a lineman. He started this season by getting absolutely stuffed. Only three tackles, none for a loss, and he didn't even get to breathe in the direction of the quarterback. This is a man who is used to living in his opposition's backfield, but in this game he got absolutely manhandled in the trenches. Hopefully week two can be a bounce back week for him and we can see him get back into form.
Linebackers
Lanzer Grievous: Mover. Moving up? You might ask how the linebacker who was one of the top guys in the NSFL last season could possibly be moving up. One stat. 2/2. He had two forced fumbles and recovered both of them. In a single game, he matched his turnover count from a season ago. If there was one part of his game he needed to work on, it was forcing turnovers and now here we are.
Rock Hardshaft: Shaker. Hardshaft was just decent last season. He posted 6 TFLs, 4 sacks, and three defended passes for his effort. He comes into season 17 by setting the pace with 2 TFLs, a sack, and two defended passes. He looks poised for a potential breakout year and that is what Philadelphia could use from this kid. Their most glaring weakness last season was the middle of their defense and if Hardshaft can make the leap, it could be the push that the Liberty need to complete this season's championship run.
Ben Horne: Mover, a small step back. Horne was an absolute terror last season as he showed his range and his ability to be all over the field. This was a guy who did it at all three levels last season as he stopped the run, got after the quarterback, and became one of the best coverage linebackers in the NSFL. Fans expect exceptional from Horne, so when you see a game that is just average it is definitely a step back for him. Horne is one of the guys going backwards that I can easily see making a bounce back in the right direction in the near future.
Cornerbacks
Johnson Cox III: Mover, step in the right direction. Cox was a guy who fell into the top half of cornerbacks in the NSFL last season. Nothing spectacular, but he wasn't bad. His overall coverage was a bit above average, but his real weakness was his tackling in run support. After only amassing only 66 tackles last season, he led all corners in tackles in week one with 12. If he's managed to step up his run support to match his coverage skills, Cox steps above average and becomes a weapon for the Liberty.
Gus T.T. Showbiz: Shaker. Showbiz was arguably the top QB in the NSFL last season and he made a striking decision in the off season to make a position swap to cornerback. A lot of times these swaps don't payoff, but this time it has some promise. Showbiz showed off some flash in his debut racking up seven tackles, a forced fumble, and two passes defended. Only time will tell if Showbiz can make the same impact on defense as he did when he was quarterback, but he opened up some options for his tea and this mix up could be what Orange County needs to make a push for an Ultimus.
Emondov Emoji: Mover going south. Emoji led the league in pass defenses last season with 26. He showed off his abilities as a one on one corner who denied almost everything passed in his direction. He also racked up 60 tackles, showing off his ability to get rough in the run game when he needed to. In the first game of the season, he managed two tackles and a single pass defense. He didn't show nearly the flash he normally does in week one, but his defense held firm and they pulled out a win anyways.
Safeties
Lightsout Lewis: Mover exploding into the scene. As a young player last season adjusting to the league, Lewis already proved to be one of the top safeties in the league. He posted 102 tackles, an interception, and 9 pass defenses. It showed his range and his ability to support his team in both facets of the game be it run or pass. He kicks this season off with a seven tackle, one interception, 3 pass defense game that puts him on pace to be even more impactful that he was last season. This guy has nothing but potential and can only go up and he's off on the right foot in week one.
Jaylen Storm: Shaker. Storm was a rookie last season who proved he had a sixth sense about where to find the ball. With 19 passes defended, he showed flashes of being a potential ball hawking safety for Yellowknife. He never quite could get his hands on the ball as he watched deflection after deflection fall back to the turf. Starting this week off, Storm managed to grab the first interception of his NSFL career and also posted three pass defenses. He has the same nose for the ball he did last season, but now it looks like he's ready to take that next step. Storm could be a gold mine of turnovers for the Wraiths this season if he stays in form.
Dan Schneider: A fall from grace? Schneider was one of the top pass defenders in the NSFL last season. With 17 passes defended, he was towards the top of the list of shutdown defenders in the secondary. He managed to not get anywhere near the ball in the entirety of this game. No deflections, no interceptions. He was playing against a young quarterback who put the ball in the air 44 times, so this was a bit disappointing for Schneider. Hopefully he gets things figured out quick.
That is my look at the defensive movers and shakers for week one. These guys were a bit tougher than the offensive guys because you usually judge defenders on their body of work over a season. The offensive guys get a lot more numbers to judge week to week. Still I did what I could here and hope you guys enjoy it!
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It's a cool article and I love reading them!
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