1. Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them. Must be completed after the playoff series you write about
The ASFC championship featured the Orange County Otters blowing out their arch rival Arizona Outlaws by a score of 43 to 19. To the surprise of no one, the MVP in this game was Otters QB Mike Boss. In typical Otter fashion they aired the ball out. Boss ended up with 366 yards and 3 touchdowns with a 66% completion percentage. The Otters had zero turnovers and only allowed one sack on Boss. It was another game where Boss was in complete control finding his top targets Bradley Westfield, Robert Phelps, and Jordan Yates all over the field. This game was over by halftime. In the first half Boss found Robert Phelps for their first touchdown of the game. Then later on in the 1st quarter he hooked up with Bradley Westfield for a 36 yard touchdown. The next touchdown scoring drive came after the Otters drove down into the red zone. It was there that RB/WR Jordan Yates caught a short four yard touchdown. With the score being 30 to 10 at the half, the Otters made a more concentrated effort to run the ball and kill clock in the second half. There was no need to risk injury to their franchise player one week before the championship. (209)
2. Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)
It is possible the Yellowknife Wraiths overcome the odds and beat the Orange County Otters in the Ultimus. When thinking about the Otters the first thing that usually comes to mind is their prolific offense, but it's their defense, specifically their front seven, that absolutely overwhelm teams. They do it by blitzing a ton and applying constant pass rushing pressure on opposing quarterbacks. However, the QB they will be going against in this game, Matt Akselsen, is the most athletic QB in the entire league by a large margin. Athletic QBs like him are best at avoiding pressure and buying more time with their legs to find receivers down field. This is evident by Akselsen's league leading sack percentage which is a metric that shows how often a QB got brought down during passing plays. Along with Akselsen is his partner in crime, RB/WR Eric Kennedy. Kennedy has been almost impossible for defenses to stop this season. He lines up all over the field: in the backfield, at TE, in the slot, and even outside WR. When it was all said and done he had 130 receptions this season, and incredible amount. If the Wraiths are going to pull off the upset, this dynamic duo will have to do what they do best. (213)
3. Matchup Nightmares: Pick an offensive and defensive player who will be going up against each other and why it will be a nightmare for one of them.(Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)
Just like every other cornerback that has faced him this year, Otters wide reciever Bradley Westfield will make Philippe Carter's day into a nightmare in the Ultimus. Westfield has physical advantages across the board: he's bigger, faster, stronger, and more agile. Just look at the production Westfield has had in the two previous meetings this season: in the first matchup he had six catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. In the second meeting he came away with four catches for 141 yards, a whopping 35.2 yards per catch. It's not Carter's fault though, Westfield does this to every defensive back. He is a complete WR that also has help from a great supporting cast, but let's focus on Westfield. He could get open all three ways: with blazing speed, with crisp route running, and with size and strength to box out his defender and make space to snag the ball. He also boasts an impressive vertical jump where it allows him to high point a ball. Orange County likes to set the tone on their first drive, so look for them to go deep to Westfield very early. They like to get off to a fast start and they had success doing it all year. (206)
4. Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point
If there's any team that has paid it's dues, it has been the San Jose Sabercats. How much suffering and misfortune can a team take? Do the sim gods have no mercy? During the first three seasons of the NSFL the Sabercats were significantly behind the Outlaws and Otters, finishing a distant third place each time. Over the last two seasons they have finished third place via a same record tie breaker with the second place team. In season four they finished with an identical 9-5 record as the Otters, and an identical 3-3 conference record. So that meant it had to go to the second tie breaker, points for. The Otters had the higher amount which kept the Sabercats out of the playoffs. This season they had the same record as the second place Outlaws at 8-6, but an inferior conference record was their demise. This was supposed to be the Sabercats year. The Outlaws lost 25% of their starters due to a cheating scandal and made a few trades for the future. What ultimately did them in was a loss to the 1-13 Legion. Every single game is massively important in this league, and dropping one against the worst team in the league could ruin your season. It happened to the Hawks in S4 and it happened to the Sabercats this year in S5. (226)
The ASFC championship featured the Orange County Otters blowing out their arch rival Arizona Outlaws by a score of 43 to 19. To the surprise of no one, the MVP in this game was Otters QB Mike Boss. In typical Otter fashion they aired the ball out. Boss ended up with 366 yards and 3 touchdowns with a 66% completion percentage. The Otters had zero turnovers and only allowed one sack on Boss. It was another game where Boss was in complete control finding his top targets Bradley Westfield, Robert Phelps, and Jordan Yates all over the field. This game was over by halftime. In the first half Boss found Robert Phelps for their first touchdown of the game. Then later on in the 1st quarter he hooked up with Bradley Westfield for a 36 yard touchdown. The next touchdown scoring drive came after the Otters drove down into the red zone. It was there that RB/WR Jordan Yates caught a short four yard touchdown. With the score being 30 to 10 at the half, the Otters made a more concentrated effort to run the ball and kill clock in the second half. There was no need to risk injury to their franchise player one week before the championship. (209)
2. Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)
It is possible the Yellowknife Wraiths overcome the odds and beat the Orange County Otters in the Ultimus. When thinking about the Otters the first thing that usually comes to mind is their prolific offense, but it's their defense, specifically their front seven, that absolutely overwhelm teams. They do it by blitzing a ton and applying constant pass rushing pressure on opposing quarterbacks. However, the QB they will be going against in this game, Matt Akselsen, is the most athletic QB in the entire league by a large margin. Athletic QBs like him are best at avoiding pressure and buying more time with their legs to find receivers down field. This is evident by Akselsen's league leading sack percentage which is a metric that shows how often a QB got brought down during passing plays. Along with Akselsen is his partner in crime, RB/WR Eric Kennedy. Kennedy has been almost impossible for defenses to stop this season. He lines up all over the field: in the backfield, at TE, in the slot, and even outside WR. When it was all said and done he had 130 receptions this season, and incredible amount. If the Wraiths are going to pull off the upset, this dynamic duo will have to do what they do best. (213)
3. Matchup Nightmares: Pick an offensive and defensive player who will be going up against each other and why it will be a nightmare for one of them.(Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)
Just like every other cornerback that has faced him this year, Otters wide reciever Bradley Westfield will make Philippe Carter's day into a nightmare in the Ultimus. Westfield has physical advantages across the board: he's bigger, faster, stronger, and more agile. Just look at the production Westfield has had in the two previous meetings this season: in the first matchup he had six catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. In the second meeting he came away with four catches for 141 yards, a whopping 35.2 yards per catch. It's not Carter's fault though, Westfield does this to every defensive back. He is a complete WR that also has help from a great supporting cast, but let's focus on Westfield. He could get open all three ways: with blazing speed, with crisp route running, and with size and strength to box out his defender and make space to snag the ball. He also boasts an impressive vertical jump where it allows him to high point a ball. Orange County likes to set the tone on their first drive, so look for them to go deep to Westfield very early. They like to get off to a fast start and they had success doing it all year. (206)
4. Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point
If there's any team that has paid it's dues, it has been the San Jose Sabercats. How much suffering and misfortune can a team take? Do the sim gods have no mercy? During the first three seasons of the NSFL the Sabercats were significantly behind the Outlaws and Otters, finishing a distant third place each time. Over the last two seasons they have finished third place via a same record tie breaker with the second place team. In season four they finished with an identical 9-5 record as the Otters, and an identical 3-3 conference record. So that meant it had to go to the second tie breaker, points for. The Otters had the higher amount which kept the Sabercats out of the playoffs. This season they had the same record as the second place Outlaws at 8-6, but an inferior conference record was their demise. This was supposed to be the Sabercats year. The Outlaws lost 25% of their starters due to a cheating scandal and made a few trades for the future. What ultimately did them in was a loss to the 1-13 Legion. Every single game is massively important in this league, and dropping one against the worst team in the league could ruin your season. It happened to the Hawks in S4 and it happened to the Sabercats this year in S5. (226)
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