In the NSFL, the passing game is King. Early in the league, we saw a whole host of successful rushers. Although those type of players are still around and successful, last season saw the fewest 1000 yard rushers since S5. Defenses in the league have caught up especially in terms of game speed and effectively using blitz packages to not get beat by the run. Considering this, the introduction of OL bots to the league and the WR talent that continues to come up in each draft class, it's no surprise that the NSFL has evolved into a primarily passing league.
The DSFL, however, is a completely different story as rushing attacks are still the most dominant offensive weapon available. The reason for this is something that has been seen in the NFL as well where the most successful rookie players there, especially recently, tend to be running backs. Their skillsets and talents translate most directly to the professional game. All defensive players have to learn new schemes and formations, wide receivers tend to have to become better route runners and almost all have to add new routes to their route tree and of course quarterbacks basically have to throw everything they know in the trash from their college spread offense to learn how to be effective in a pro style offense. So, it's no surprise in the DSFL, where the best players are still what many would consider “raw”, even the most inexperienced running backs can find success.
Last season, the Tijuana Luchadores had the most effective rushing game in the DSFL as a team. They finished with the second most rushing yards in the league, despite having the fewest carries of any team and having more than 100 fewer carries than the league rushing leader Kansas City Coyotes. It seems like the Luchadores are doubling down on their running game this season after trading up to the second overall pick to take Achilles Hondo. Although Hondo doesn’t seem to fit the mold of the more effective running backs in the DSFL, he is a player that is going to be hard to take down based on reports of his gains in the weight room during this offseason. More importantly, based on what we have seen in the preseason, Hondo and San Antonio Marshalls draft pick Juan Atatyme may be be the first true fullbacks we have ever seen in the DSFL. It’s hard to know how effective this type of player can be as it hasn’t been fully utilized in the NSFL either, but if the Luchadores can tap into Hondo’s potential, they could be in for a big payoff. The Luchadores also dipped back into the running back class later in the draft with the selection of speed back Ricky Flores. Ricky Adams was the leading rusher for Tijuana last season and also led the league in yards per carry out of all players with over 100 carries. The two Rickys will make up a thunder and lightning type of committee for Tijuana that proved to be effective last season for the team and could be even more so depending on how well Flores can develop early in his career. Lil Bot could also be a key contributor in this offense as he is very athletic for a DSFL running back and knows the playbook well, though he will likely serve only to spell the other three backs on the roster as needed.
In the preseason, the Luchadores dominated on the ground, averaging a league best 220 rushing yards. Extrapolating this level of production for an entire season would see them rushing for over 3,000 yards as a team for the year, which would be a new DSFL record. Of course, at the end of the day, these stats are based from the preseason, which is hardly indicative of what will happen in the regular season. Defenses will be much tougher as defensive coordinators really dig into their gameplans and young defensive players catch up quickly to the rest of the league. Regardless, it seems like Tijuana is banking heavily on their running game based on the moves they made this offseason and in the draft. We'll just have to wait to see whether it can carry them to a second straight Ultimini title or if it will far apart for being too one dimensional.
The DSFL, however, is a completely different story as rushing attacks are still the most dominant offensive weapon available. The reason for this is something that has been seen in the NFL as well where the most successful rookie players there, especially recently, tend to be running backs. Their skillsets and talents translate most directly to the professional game. All defensive players have to learn new schemes and formations, wide receivers tend to have to become better route runners and almost all have to add new routes to their route tree and of course quarterbacks basically have to throw everything they know in the trash from their college spread offense to learn how to be effective in a pro style offense. So, it's no surprise in the DSFL, where the best players are still what many would consider “raw”, even the most inexperienced running backs can find success.
Last season, the Tijuana Luchadores had the most effective rushing game in the DSFL as a team. They finished with the second most rushing yards in the league, despite having the fewest carries of any team and having more than 100 fewer carries than the league rushing leader Kansas City Coyotes. It seems like the Luchadores are doubling down on their running game this season after trading up to the second overall pick to take Achilles Hondo. Although Hondo doesn’t seem to fit the mold of the more effective running backs in the DSFL, he is a player that is going to be hard to take down based on reports of his gains in the weight room during this offseason. More importantly, based on what we have seen in the preseason, Hondo and San Antonio Marshalls draft pick Juan Atatyme may be be the first true fullbacks we have ever seen in the DSFL. It’s hard to know how effective this type of player can be as it hasn’t been fully utilized in the NSFL either, but if the Luchadores can tap into Hondo’s potential, they could be in for a big payoff. The Luchadores also dipped back into the running back class later in the draft with the selection of speed back Ricky Flores. Ricky Adams was the leading rusher for Tijuana last season and also led the league in yards per carry out of all players with over 100 carries. The two Rickys will make up a thunder and lightning type of committee for Tijuana that proved to be effective last season for the team and could be even more so depending on how well Flores can develop early in his career. Lil Bot could also be a key contributor in this offense as he is very athletic for a DSFL running back and knows the playbook well, though he will likely serve only to spell the other three backs on the roster as needed.
In the preseason, the Luchadores dominated on the ground, averaging a league best 220 rushing yards. Extrapolating this level of production for an entire season would see them rushing for over 3,000 yards as a team for the year, which would be a new DSFL record. Of course, at the end of the day, these stats are based from the preseason, which is hardly indicative of what will happen in the regular season. Defenses will be much tougher as defensive coordinators really dig into their gameplans and young defensive players catch up quickly to the rest of the league. Regardless, it seems like Tijuana is banking heavily on their running game based on the moves they made this offseason and in the draft. We'll just have to wait to see whether it can carry them to a second straight Ultimini title or if it will far apart for being too one dimensional.
![[Image: 018p.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/WbJGDCCK/018p.png)
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[OPTION]Regular Season Stats
[OPTION](S2) 14 Games Played
[OPTION](S3) 14 Games Played
[OPTION](S4) 14 Games Played
[OPTION](S5) 14 Games Played
[OPTION](S6) 14 Games Played
[OPTION](S7) 14 Games Played
[OPTION](S8) 14 Games Played
[OPTION]===========================================
[OPTION]Playoff Stats
[OPTION] 27839
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[OPTION]Trophy Case/Achievements:
[OPTION]Most Likely to Break the Team Bench When Sitting Down
[OPTION]Pumpkin Chuckin' Rally 2017 Semifinalist
[OPTION]Most Likely to Get Traded in S8 (T-1st)
[OPTION]Ultimus Champion S7, S8
