PBE PT
Robbed
The Yellowknife Wraiths are a much better team than the Colorado Yeti, and should have absolutely made the playoffs over them. While point differential doesn't tell the whole story, it is certainly an important chapter. The Colorado Yeti had a point differential of -14, while the Yellowknife Wraiths had a differential of +64. This is a massive difference that should not go overlooked. Another factor that could be compared is their head to head matchups. These two teams played each other a total of three times this season. Yellowknife won two of those games. Yellowknife has also shown that they can handle tough competition as well, instead of just beating up teams at the bottom of the league. The New Orleans Second Line, the team who would end up winning the Ultimus, only lost two games all year. The first loss was to the Baltimore Hawks, a solid team who finish second in the regular season standings. The other team? Of course, it was the Yellowknife Wraiths. If you compare that to how the Colorado Yeti performed against top teams, it's not even close. The Yeti were 0-3 against New Orleans, losing by a combined score of 106-27. The Yeti weren't much better against Baltimore (arguably worse). They were 0-2, with a combined score of 72-19. To conclude, Yellowknife should have had a shot at the playoffs, as they were clearly the better team.
Playoff Series MVP
My choice for MVP of a playoff series is Borkus Maximus III, in the Ultimus final against the Baltimore Hawks. His stat line may be a bit deceiving. He was 27/38, and passed for 2 touchdowns, which may not seem like a lot. Then you look at his 372 yards passing and start to see why. Darren Smallwood had a great game as well, and I almost considered him for MVP. 98 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns is no small feat. But Maximus III stepped up his game in a way that was unparalleled. He finished the season with a 96.2 passing rating, which was the highest of all quarterbacks in the league. That being said, Maximus III knew that he still needed to elevate his game to a higher level. In the Ultimus final, his passer rating was 119.6. He was efficient, and ruthless as he drove the ball down the field drive after drive. He wasn't worried about his stat line, he only cared about winning. Some quarterbacks have a tendency to think about themselves first, and throw the ball much more than they need to. Maximus III employed a strategic mix of running and passing plays that opened up the entire field, and Maximus III was ready to exploit it.
Unsung Hero
The Unsung Hero of the S9 playoffs was WR Dustin Evans of the New Orleans Second Line. His stat line from the two playoff games was 9 catches for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns. While Evans is known primarily for his blazing speed, both of his touchdowns were made from within the 10-yard line. The flexibility of his game is what makes him stand out, and decreased defenders' chances of stopping him. I don't believe that Evans will win any MVP awards, which is truly unfortunate. It's difficult when you're playing alongside such an impressive cast of players, including Borkus Maximus III and Darren Smallwood. Even Charlie Law is a fantastic wide receiver in his own right. Law was a top 5 receiver this year, and absolutely had a great playoffs as well, but the main reason why I'm giving Evans the Unsung Hero award is because he's part of the supporting cast. It takes more than just having your star players play well to win a championship. Everyone needs to be running on all cylinders, and you need some of your role players to step up and make a difference. Dustin Evans deserves this award for all the work he's put in to become the player he is today.
Robbed
The Yellowknife Wraiths are a much better team than the Colorado Yeti, and should have absolutely made the playoffs over them. While point differential doesn't tell the whole story, it is certainly an important chapter. The Colorado Yeti had a point differential of -14, while the Yellowknife Wraiths had a differential of +64. This is a massive difference that should not go overlooked. Another factor that could be compared is their head to head matchups. These two teams played each other a total of three times this season. Yellowknife won two of those games. Yellowknife has also shown that they can handle tough competition as well, instead of just beating up teams at the bottom of the league. The New Orleans Second Line, the team who would end up winning the Ultimus, only lost two games all year. The first loss was to the Baltimore Hawks, a solid team who finish second in the regular season standings. The other team? Of course, it was the Yellowknife Wraiths. If you compare that to how the Colorado Yeti performed against top teams, it's not even close. The Yeti were 0-3 against New Orleans, losing by a combined score of 106-27. The Yeti weren't much better against Baltimore (arguably worse). They were 0-2, with a combined score of 72-19. To conclude, Yellowknife should have had a shot at the playoffs, as they were clearly the better team.
Playoff Series MVP
My choice for MVP of a playoff series is Borkus Maximus III, in the Ultimus final against the Baltimore Hawks. His stat line may be a bit deceiving. He was 27/38, and passed for 2 touchdowns, which may not seem like a lot. Then you look at his 372 yards passing and start to see why. Darren Smallwood had a great game as well, and I almost considered him for MVP. 98 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns is no small feat. But Maximus III stepped up his game in a way that was unparalleled. He finished the season with a 96.2 passing rating, which was the highest of all quarterbacks in the league. That being said, Maximus III knew that he still needed to elevate his game to a higher level. In the Ultimus final, his passer rating was 119.6. He was efficient, and ruthless as he drove the ball down the field drive after drive. He wasn't worried about his stat line, he only cared about winning. Some quarterbacks have a tendency to think about themselves first, and throw the ball much more than they need to. Maximus III employed a strategic mix of running and passing plays that opened up the entire field, and Maximus III was ready to exploit it.
Unsung Hero
The Unsung Hero of the S9 playoffs was WR Dustin Evans of the New Orleans Second Line. His stat line from the two playoff games was 9 catches for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns. While Evans is known primarily for his blazing speed, both of his touchdowns were made from within the 10-yard line. The flexibility of his game is what makes him stand out, and decreased defenders' chances of stopping him. I don't believe that Evans will win any MVP awards, which is truly unfortunate. It's difficult when you're playing alongside such an impressive cast of players, including Borkus Maximus III and Darren Smallwood. Even Charlie Law is a fantastic wide receiver in his own right. Law was a top 5 receiver this year, and absolutely had a great playoffs as well, but the main reason why I'm giving Evans the Unsung Hero award is because he's part of the supporting cast. It takes more than just having your star players play well to win a championship. Everyone needs to be running on all cylinders, and you need some of your role players to step up and make a difference. Dustin Evans deserves this award for all the work he's put in to become the player he is today.
