(S1) - Weekend PT #5 - Top 50

[kckolbe]

Doing one’s job well is generally all a team asks for. Sometimes, it is enough. Sometimes, however, absolute dominance is needed, and there is one player that undeniably brought that to the table. That player is Angus Winchester.

Deusolis wrote a very interesting [URL= http://nsfl.b1.jcink.com/index.php?showtopic=1887]article[/URL] praising the Otters on the offensive line and ranking them a close second overall (I would have ranked them first), but while 3 players were mentioned as key to the SaberCats O-line, only one blocker deserved a mention from Deusolis: Angus Winchester.

The Otters may not have made it to a championship, but they were the second-best team in the league for a reason, and that reason was the running game. The Otters led the league in rushing attempts with 448, an average of 32 times per game. Every team going up against them knew they would be running the ball a LOT, and that stopping it meant stopping the offense and getting their own offense on the field. Despite that, the Otters led the league in running efficiency as well, averaging a full half yard per attempt over the second-most prominent rushers, the Arizona Outlaws.

Now, you might be thinking that credit should go to the skilled running backs who made the O line look good, but let me point out something else about the Otters: they also led the league in passing yards. Now, I am not saying that the passing attack was effective. It was, in fact, the worst in the league, with Boss playing like everything but a boss, leading the league in interceptions without even playing the full season. However, despite having a quarterback who had an almost inhuman level of awareness, the Otters were tied for the fewest sacks allowed.

The Otters were the most dominant line in the league, and Winchester was the only dominant player on that line. Top 50? Try top 5.

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[Aenir]

A Player who should be considered for the NSFL Top 50 is Safety Alex Hansen. Drafted to play at SS, while naturally a FS, He leads the league in tackles by Safeties, and overall isn't a slouch either, racking up a bit over 5 tackles a game. This can be seen two ways, either the Yellowknife Secondary is failing in their job of covering receivers or Hansen is such a freak athlete that he is making these tackles anyway! No matter which option you pick, it is sure that Hansen deserves to be in the #NSFLTop50.
Not convinced yet, let me add to his case. After the 74 tackles on the season (tallying an additional 10 in the Playoff game) he adds a forced fumble, 3 sacks, 1 pass deflection, and a touchdown saving Interception. while other safeties might have more in any one of these categories, its the ability to do a little bit of everything that makes Hansen stand apart from the other safeties in this league, and, in my opinion is a little unfair that he is also being overlooked for the Pro Bowl, so in conclusion, Hansen is a worthy addition to the NSFL top 50, and don't forget to add him into your Pro Bowl Votes!


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[Symmetrik]

[theFlock]

Its not hard to slot Ryan Flock into the Top 50. The Free Safety has been slid over to play Strong Safety for the entirety of the season, and there hasn't been the slightest dip in his production. Flock is third among all DBs in tackles (71), but seeing as he is lined up at the strong safety position, he would be the top mark for all Strong Safeties. Flock is also tied for 4th in interceptions (4), with 4 passes defended as well.

Its hard not to consider him after the success of the Arizona Defense. In the backfield lined up next to Mayran Jackson, the two commanded the deep third allowing young corners Isaiah Rashad and Jason Williams to show what they are made of. Rashad, another player who should rank very high on this list, was able to mark the highest Interception and Pass Deflection count in the NSFL, and Williams had the most Defensive Touchdowns in the NSFL.

With this Arizona secondary flying around and causing havoc, the front 7 was able to notch the highest Sack count, Safety Count, Defensive Touchdowns, Tackles, as well as Tackles for Loss.

For a great all around Team performance, it wouldn't shock anybody to see several members of the Arizona Defense in the Top 50.

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[SimmerDownBruhh]

Ricky Maddox stepped up to the occasion without too much of a resume when it comes to the sim league business. Without too much of taking a chance on his skills, he quickly rose up the Tight End ratings. Currently listed as the top overall TE right now. During the regular season, he managed to net the most receiving yards in his position (422), second in receptions both as a tight end (63), second most to MVP candidate Josh Garden and third on the Yellowknife Wraiths for reception yards.

Consistency is the name of Maddox's game. Easily being one of the leagues best chain movers, demonstrated best on what was his breakout game where he caught 6 passes from Chris Orosz, including a clutch catch on third down and two late in the fourth quarter, down and needing to score to take the lead. Orosz trusted the security blanket and he easily delivered in what ended up being a game winning drive for the Wraiths against the SaberCats. That game helped move Yellowknife into first place of the division at that time in Week 13. It is also noted that Maddox let the team in receptions for the Wraiths in 8 of the 14 games this year. After a semi slow start, the dropping issue diminished and the playmaking ability became very apparent as he still owns the longest reception for a Tight End is made by no one other than Ricky Maddox.

Other than the receiving role that he was glad to do for the Wraiths, Ricky was also a dominate force blocking as well. Although Maddox fell short of 20 pancakes on the year (19), he was part of the best TE blocking duo in the NSFL. Paired up with fellow TE Rolf Larsendorf, they led TE duos in pancakes (21 for RL) with 40 pancakes. Ricky's 19 pancakes was the fourth most of of Tight Ends behind Rolf on the season stats.

Despite not coming up with a touchdown, Ricky has set up many touchdown/FG position caliber drives for the Wraiths. If not recording any points for the team is a valid reason to keep him off the list, he's perfectly fine with that, however it's very easy to see that he will be on the list in plenty of times in the future.

Now it's up to you to decide. Do the lack of touchdowns outweigh the overall production of Ricky's rookie season? Honestly, I don't think it should but that decision is in your hands. He was drafted at lucky #50 in the Inaugural Draft. So to say that all 49 players ahead of him produced to the quality that Ricky Maddox has would be a travesty and you'd be lying to yourself. Keep that in mind. Active in the community, the football field, and the bank. Honestly, what more could you ask for?

#WraithsNations
#PressureMakesDiamonds

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[Peterson]

Matthew Peterson, the Late Round nobody who became a somebody. When you think of the Baltimore Hawks you think of the fans showing up to the game already drunk as they get ready to watch their team be annihilated again, but some times it takes one or two players to make a difference for your crowds, this such player was Peterson, declaring late for the draft nobody knew who he was.

But as the 32nd overall Draft pick in the season 1 draft Peterson made the plays to keep his defense somewhat in the game, with 14 total games played he racked up a solid 58 tackles as a CB, additionally tallied 4 Interceptions and 11 Pass defenses for a team that was widely considered to be a dead fish getting poked with a stick on the side of the river. When presented the Chance outside the game Peterson could always be seen with his emotionally distraught fans drinking with them on their sorrow, but one thing was certain, the next game he has shown that he will go out an attempt to shut down his corner so his team would have a chance to attempt to stay close in score.

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[PigSnout]

I made a graphic for Alex Hayden, one of the best cornerbacks in the league.

[Player1]

Like any ranking, trying to list the top 50 players in the NSFL falls under the old saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Any GM, analyst, and fan will have unique preferences and it would be almost impossible to find two people that agree on the same top 50. The player that most embodies that is Otters TE George Wright Jr.

At a glance, Wright is a bit of an enigma. He doesn't hold a candle to other receivers in yards or touchdowns, and of course can't produce the blocking stats of elite OLs. Wright makes his case by doing it all better than anyone in the league. He proved to be a solid third target as a receiver despite concerns about his speed, moving the chains while allowing Phelps and Westfield to make the big plays. His true highlights came in the form of 29 pancakes in the season, paving the way for the top rushing offense in the league. While most other TEs focus on being oversized WRs, Wright uses his awesome strength and stocky frame to play like a small OL with enough athleticism to haul in some catches.

Some may not find him flashy, but on any given play the Otters know they can count on Wright to make a difference, and that makes him a top player in their eyes.

[Bzerkap]

So, why should Mat Akselsen be in the inaugural top 50 of the NSFL? There are a few points I'll make supporting my claim.

I'm 4th in the league in pancakes with 49 of those suckas. I blocked for the lead rusher in the NSFL, Bubba Nuck, helping him surpass 1200 yards and punch in 6 touchdowns. Both led the league. He was also second in the league with a 4.4 average yard per carry.

As for pass blocking, I may have given up 5 sacks but I still helped keep our glorious quarterback, Chris Orosz, upright. I finished the season strong by only allowing one sack in the last seven games of the regular season. I also allowed Orosz to pass for nearly 2800 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He did all this with a, relative to the first season of the NSFL, healthy 57.8 completion percentage.

Also I think one word really defines the success of Mat Akselsen, Courage. When there were 10 QBs for only 6 starting spots, where were the linemen? When there were 12 RB prospects for 6 starting spots, where were the linemen? When there were 10 OL prospects for 30 starting spots where was Mat Akselsen? I'll tell you where he was; Right in the thick of it. Down and dirty in the trenches with the likes of Angus Winchester, Jogn Floggity, Ben Longshaw, D'Brickashaw Ferguson. These were the men that stood up to the open spot and said "I'd like a guaranteed starting position for years to come".

We all said that and we all took it. We took it by the balls and by god we aren't letting go anytime soon! So I nominate not only myself but all of the S1 OL prospects who weathered the storm and showed the world that real men find an opportunity to start at a scarce position and run with it. Fierce competition? I'll leave that to the fairies that play WR.

@Jogn @timeconsumer @samee @BenderRodriguez @BasedGase @Pandar @Professorpayne69 @mjdharder @breakingthe4THWALL @.wahala. @`BenLongshaw` @Electraspace

[Jiggly_333]

I vote for myself.