Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point
The Philadelphia Liberty were a really good team this season, improving drastically from their winless season last year to winning 7 games this season. That is a huge difference! They can give thanks to the performance of new quarterback Adriana Falconi who led the team's offense. The Liberty really ought to have beaten the Yeti to the second playoff spot in the NSFC. They stunned Baltimore 30-14 at home in a memorable upset, and the Hawks really struggled this season. The Liberty lost in a shocker at home to the San Jose SaberCats at home though, in Week 9 for the SaberCats' only win of the season. This ended up being the difference. Falconi threw 4 picks that game and finished just 17/40 passing, which is beyond awful. In the end, this looked like a fluke game and the Liberty definitely should have finished ahead of the Yeti, who were very lucky to scrape by this season while losing so many defensive assets in a rebuild. The Yeti were quite awful, playing Devo Cansino ahead of their star running back Mark Grau, even though Cansino had an embarrassingly low 3.9 YPC, limiting Grau to short yardage situations and being a receiver. Next season the Liberty will rightfully take their spot in the playoffs.
Playoff Predictions: Give a short write up on each of the playoff matches (including the championship game). Must be completed before the simulation of the Conference Finals
The Orange County Otters match up once again against the New Orleans Second Line in the ASFC Championship Game. This is their 4th consecutive meeting in the championship game, and last season saw the matchup be as competitive as ever before, when the Otters lost in a true defensive battle. This season I expect the exact opposite, as both sides are solid on offense. Showbiz is now surrounded with talent in Crush and Atwell at receiver, as well as Ricky Adams out of the backfield. The Otters defense got shredded, conceding 44 points and 31 points to the Outlaws and Yeti in back to back weeks to end the regular season, so Borkus should have a field day. Still, the Otters have the mettle to grind it out in NOLA and shock the incumbent ASFC champions. Prediction: Otters 34, Second Line 31
Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, the Hawks meet the Yeti once again. This is gonna be a true beatdown, as the Hawks run a very efficient albeit slower tempo offense. The Yeti run a really fast paced offense which could pose some issues. The two teams split their regular season meetings, with the Hawks winning at home 45-13 and the Yeti winning at home 45-27. So, I expect both teams to put up points. The Yeti defense is horrid, though, so the Hawks have the advantage there. Expect Owen Taylor to demonstrate on the big stage why he's the Running Back of the Year favorite. Prediction: Hawks 42, Yeti 28
Then the Otters will win in a grind it out game where Applehort throws 2 picks, and Danny Grithead has a pick 6 while Showbiz throws 3 picks. Prediction: Otters 24, Hawks 21
Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)
The Baltimore Hawks had an awful season, there is no sugarcoating it. To only win the NSFC by 1 game, and to be just 2 games in front of the Philadelphia Liberty who went winless last season is embarrassing. Ryan Applehort came to the Baltimore Hawks this offseason after ditching the team that invested so much time and capital in him, the Colorado Yeti. And yet, here the Yeti are, just one game behind the Hawks this season. It would be absolute poetic justice if the Yeti were to pull off the upset in Baltimore and send Applehort packing from the playoffs, as Applehort went ring chasing by joining the team that won the Ultimus last season. Then again, stories like this do not usually have these poetic endings, just like how Kevin Durant has won two consecutive titles in the NBA after his ring chasing move to join the 73 win Golden State Warriors. The Hawks should have done better this season, but still will hold home field advantage in their first game. In the second game, if they do win, they will not. Applehort has the odds stacked against him now and he must show his mettle to prove himself as a quarterback, to make his offseason betrayal worth it.
PBE PT
PT
The Philadelphia Liberty were a really good team this season, improving drastically from their winless season last year to winning 7 games this season. That is a huge difference! They can give thanks to the performance of new quarterback Adriana Falconi who led the team's offense. The Liberty really ought to have beaten the Yeti to the second playoff spot in the NSFC. They stunned Baltimore 30-14 at home in a memorable upset, and the Hawks really struggled this season. The Liberty lost in a shocker at home to the San Jose SaberCats at home though, in Week 9 for the SaberCats' only win of the season. This ended up being the difference. Falconi threw 4 picks that game and finished just 17/40 passing, which is beyond awful. In the end, this looked like a fluke game and the Liberty definitely should have finished ahead of the Yeti, who were very lucky to scrape by this season while losing so many defensive assets in a rebuild. The Yeti were quite awful, playing Devo Cansino ahead of their star running back Mark Grau, even though Cansino had an embarrassingly low 3.9 YPC, limiting Grau to short yardage situations and being a receiver. Next season the Liberty will rightfully take their spot in the playoffs.
Playoff Predictions: Give a short write up on each of the playoff matches (including the championship game). Must be completed before the simulation of the Conference Finals
The Orange County Otters match up once again against the New Orleans Second Line in the ASFC Championship Game. This is their 4th consecutive meeting in the championship game, and last season saw the matchup be as competitive as ever before, when the Otters lost in a true defensive battle. This season I expect the exact opposite, as both sides are solid on offense. Showbiz is now surrounded with talent in Crush and Atwell at receiver, as well as Ricky Adams out of the backfield. The Otters defense got shredded, conceding 44 points and 31 points to the Outlaws and Yeti in back to back weeks to end the regular season, so Borkus should have a field day. Still, the Otters have the mettle to grind it out in NOLA and shock the incumbent ASFC champions. Prediction: Otters 34, Second Line 31
Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, the Hawks meet the Yeti once again. This is gonna be a true beatdown, as the Hawks run a very efficient albeit slower tempo offense. The Yeti run a really fast paced offense which could pose some issues. The two teams split their regular season meetings, with the Hawks winning at home 45-13 and the Yeti winning at home 45-27. So, I expect both teams to put up points. The Yeti defense is horrid, though, so the Hawks have the advantage there. Expect Owen Taylor to demonstrate on the big stage why he's the Running Back of the Year favorite. Prediction: Hawks 42, Yeti 28
Then the Otters will win in a grind it out game where Applehort throws 2 picks, and Danny Grithead has a pick 6 while Showbiz throws 3 picks. Prediction: Otters 24, Hawks 21
Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)
The Baltimore Hawks had an awful season, there is no sugarcoating it. To only win the NSFC by 1 game, and to be just 2 games in front of the Philadelphia Liberty who went winless last season is embarrassing. Ryan Applehort came to the Baltimore Hawks this offseason after ditching the team that invested so much time and capital in him, the Colorado Yeti. And yet, here the Yeti are, just one game behind the Hawks this season. It would be absolute poetic justice if the Yeti were to pull off the upset in Baltimore and send Applehort packing from the playoffs, as Applehort went ring chasing by joining the team that won the Ultimus last season. Then again, stories like this do not usually have these poetic endings, just like how Kevin Durant has won two consecutive titles in the NBA after his ring chasing move to join the 73 win Golden State Warriors. The Hawks should have done better this season, but still will hold home field advantage in their first game. In the second game, if they do win, they will not. Applehort has the odds stacked against him now and he must show his mettle to prove himself as a quarterback, to make his offseason betrayal worth it.
PBE PT
PT
