Playoff review:
Colorado Yeti @ Baltimore Hawks
This was a blowout. It was not even close. The Hawks came in knowing what they needed to do in order to advance. The Yeti were just so happy about making the playoffs that they forgot to train or practice for the game. Colorado was simply dominated on both sides of the field. Baltimore owned the game clock and was able to pick off Wolfie McDummy twice. There were some positives for the Yeti in this game though. They made the playoffs. James Bishop was able to set a new Colorado Yeti franchise playoff record with 133 receiving yards. While Harris had to punt the ball 8 times, Baltimore was only able to get a total of 1 yard from those punts. Harris and the special teams unit were able to do their job quite effectively. The Hawks defense was able to grab 5 sacks and defend 8 pass attempts. The Hawks moved on after this game and were then removed from the playoffs by the Yellowknife Wraiths. It may have been the cold weather or perhaps they were high from just destroying the Yeti, but they were not able to get the job done. Next year, both teams will try to prove their worth again.
All about the QBs:
Franklin Armstrong vs. Cooter Bigsby
Both quarterbacks have been great this year. I will start with Franklin first. Armstrong really showed off his legs this season running for 754 yards and 9 touchdowns. He lead all quarterbacks in both categories. On the passing side of things he was not as prolific. He finished in the bottom 3 in passing yards and had an 88.6 rating. He threw 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Franklin did enough to get his team to the Ultimus and that is what counts the most. Cooter was also able to get his team to the Ultimus but quite differently. Cooter lead the league in passing yards with 4398 yards and tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns with 31. He also had 4 more interceptions that Armstrong but also threw almost 200 more passes. His passing game was prolific and I’m sure his receivers are very happy with his abilities too. Bigsby, not being a runner, was only able to garner 61 yards and 0 touchdowns. But when it came to the Ultimus game when they faced each other it was Cooter who was unable to pass the ball effectively. Franklin, despite only 220+ yards, was very efficient and precise with his throws. This could be a rivalry that goes on for a long time.
Next year:
I always write about the Yeti here and I think it is well deserved. Last year I wrote about how season 18 we would make the playoffs and then in season 19 we would make our push to the Ultimus. The Yeti have an amazing core of young players. Regression shouldn’t hurt them for the next few seasons either. They just need to gameplan for that and keep focused on the youth, retaining the great players they have, and bringing in more talent from free agency. Wolfie McDummy is just about to start hitting his prime years with Laszlo Forty-Two following in toe. Laszlo will likely be making the leap in the 19th season and the whole team will benefit. The defense is just stacked with great players. There is always room for more though. Bubba Thumper is one of the best players on the team and will wreak havoc on the opposing teams’ backfield. Colorado is making all the right moves lately and it is starting to show. They now need to gameplan like a winning team instead of a team looking to slow down their opponents and win the war of attrition. Play hard, fast, and strong. It is time to dominate. Season 19 will be the year Colorado takes that step.
Draft focus:
There are always going to be holes on any team. On the Yeti a very common hole is kicker. Harris is a good interim kicker until we find a permanent solution. The Yeti draft a kicker every year in hopes that they will stay active and continue to grow. That is not the case for the last few years. Free agency is usually not filled with kickers looking for a fresh start either. So when you find one, you better hold on. A kicker can make or break a team. You never want to lose a game because your kicker could not hit a 40 yard field goal. Kickers have to deal with pressures of game winning kicks all the time. They also often double as the team’s punter. Pinning the opposing team deep in their own territory is huge and often will help a defense put on the pressure. The more yards they have to drive, the more opportunities your defense has to make good plays. Also, when you are playing from behind you want a kicker that can make the onsides kick easier to get. If your team has struggled or had some bad bounces, you’re going to need someone to pick up the slack. A kicker can assist with that tremendously.
Colorado Yeti @ Baltimore Hawks
This was a blowout. It was not even close. The Hawks came in knowing what they needed to do in order to advance. The Yeti were just so happy about making the playoffs that they forgot to train or practice for the game. Colorado was simply dominated on both sides of the field. Baltimore owned the game clock and was able to pick off Wolfie McDummy twice. There were some positives for the Yeti in this game though. They made the playoffs. James Bishop was able to set a new Colorado Yeti franchise playoff record with 133 receiving yards. While Harris had to punt the ball 8 times, Baltimore was only able to get a total of 1 yard from those punts. Harris and the special teams unit were able to do their job quite effectively. The Hawks defense was able to grab 5 sacks and defend 8 pass attempts. The Hawks moved on after this game and were then removed from the playoffs by the Yellowknife Wraiths. It may have been the cold weather or perhaps they were high from just destroying the Yeti, but they were not able to get the job done. Next year, both teams will try to prove their worth again.
All about the QBs:
Franklin Armstrong vs. Cooter Bigsby
Both quarterbacks have been great this year. I will start with Franklin first. Armstrong really showed off his legs this season running for 754 yards and 9 touchdowns. He lead all quarterbacks in both categories. On the passing side of things he was not as prolific. He finished in the bottom 3 in passing yards and had an 88.6 rating. He threw 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Franklin did enough to get his team to the Ultimus and that is what counts the most. Cooter was also able to get his team to the Ultimus but quite differently. Cooter lead the league in passing yards with 4398 yards and tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns with 31. He also had 4 more interceptions that Armstrong but also threw almost 200 more passes. His passing game was prolific and I’m sure his receivers are very happy with his abilities too. Bigsby, not being a runner, was only able to garner 61 yards and 0 touchdowns. But when it came to the Ultimus game when they faced each other it was Cooter who was unable to pass the ball effectively. Franklin, despite only 220+ yards, was very efficient and precise with his throws. This could be a rivalry that goes on for a long time.
Next year:
I always write about the Yeti here and I think it is well deserved. Last year I wrote about how season 18 we would make the playoffs and then in season 19 we would make our push to the Ultimus. The Yeti have an amazing core of young players. Regression shouldn’t hurt them for the next few seasons either. They just need to gameplan for that and keep focused on the youth, retaining the great players they have, and bringing in more talent from free agency. Wolfie McDummy is just about to start hitting his prime years with Laszlo Forty-Two following in toe. Laszlo will likely be making the leap in the 19th season and the whole team will benefit. The defense is just stacked with great players. There is always room for more though. Bubba Thumper is one of the best players on the team and will wreak havoc on the opposing teams’ backfield. Colorado is making all the right moves lately and it is starting to show. They now need to gameplan like a winning team instead of a team looking to slow down their opponents and win the war of attrition. Play hard, fast, and strong. It is time to dominate. Season 19 will be the year Colorado takes that step.
Draft focus:
There are always going to be holes on any team. On the Yeti a very common hole is kicker. Harris is a good interim kicker until we find a permanent solution. The Yeti draft a kicker every year in hopes that they will stay active and continue to grow. That is not the case for the last few years. Free agency is usually not filled with kickers looking for a fresh start either. So when you find one, you better hold on. A kicker can make or break a team. You never want to lose a game because your kicker could not hit a 40 yard field goal. Kickers have to deal with pressures of game winning kicks all the time. They also often double as the team’s punter. Pinning the opposing team deep in their own territory is huge and often will help a defense put on the pressure. The more yards they have to drive, the more opportunities your defense has to make good plays. Also, when you are playing from behind you want a kicker that can make the onsides kick easier to get. If your team has struggled or had some bad bounces, you’re going to need someone to pick up the slack. A kicker can assist with that tremendously.
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