1. Playoff Review: S20 Quarterfinals Hawks VS Yeti
The first quarter got off to an exciting start with an interception in the first minute of game time. It was an especially exciting first quarter for those that appreciate defense with only one play going over twenty yards, and the only points of the quarter coming off a blocked punt by Lejune. Logan Lejune had an especially good first quarter being involved in a number of stops for the Colorado Yeti. It closed out with continued defensive dominance thanks to a sack of McDummy by Poopsie.
The second quarter was a good one for the offenses as Havran connected with Maddox early for a 57 yard pass that put them at first and goal. Logan Lejune kept up their fantastic play from the first quarter though by breaking up their best chance at the end zone and helping hold them to a field goal. After that quick score it was defense central as McDummy failed to connect on their longer passes and Havran's line gave up multiple sacks. The touchdown drought was ended by three good passes from Havran two of which went to Maddox including the touchdown. Yeti looked like they were going to end the quarter down 10-3, but thanks to an almost flawless two minute drill by McDummy they were able to tie it up with thirteen seconds left.
The third quarter kicked into gear when Havran connected with Maddox for 55 yards, but despite getting to the four they had to settle for a successful field goal from Brand. That high scoring start continued as Bishop got a good block on the return and was able to outrace the Hawks special teams unit for a kickoff return touchdown. While the Hawks were able to score on their next two drives they were held to field goals thanks to timely tackles by Terry Taffy. It closed out with two more scores by the Yeti in the form of a touchdown aided by penalties on the Hawks and a safety by Ocewilder to put their team up 26-19.
The fourth quarter picked up on the drive earned by Ocewilder with the Yeti quarterback McDummy making a few good decisions with their arm and their legs to get the Yeti a field goal. Just like the first quarter the defense showed up after that at least until Havran completed a 43 yard pass to Landers and followed it up with seven positive plays before a touchdown pass to Reed got them within a field goal of the Yeti with three minutes left to play. Unfortunately for the Hawks they were unable to stop Yeti's ground game as they ran out the clock with the tandem of Owens and Vincent to get a cool 29-26 win.
This was a great game from start to finish with a first half defined by daunting defenses and a second half that showed off the high flying offenses that helped get these teams here. Logan Lejune wins player of the game as far as I am concerned although that might be my bias towards good safety play. Hawks fans can be happy though with the display put on by their team, and especially by Errol Maddox who had three receptions of over twenty yards that helped keep them in it. I look forward to seeing more from both of these teams next season as they both seem poised to make a run for the Ultimus.
2. League Milestone: S16 Ultimus Liberty vs Outlaws
This was a game destined to be good from the start between being the most recent expansion year, the first season to include a quarterfinals, a second seed versus a third seed, and just the sheer idea of Liberty versus Outlaws has to get you interested. It was one of the higher scoring Ultimus games in history and is also the third closest Ultimus game in history. That and it includes the fun fact of the second seed being best in the second quarter and the third seed being best in the third quarter. What is there not to like about a game like that? Those that like a well played game should also appreciate this one as despite all the activity on both sides there were just three penalties all game long.
The first half was an outstanding offensive performance with just two punts compared to four touchdowns and three field goals. It was all Outlaws from the outset with them scoring on the first four drives, and only being held to a field goal on the last of them. Liberty meanwhile struggled in the first half as four of their first five drives ended in kicks, and two of those were punts. Still a solid performance by both teams to make for an exciting opening for this historic game.
The third quarter saw Liberty shrink the gap to just four points as they were finally able to figure out the Outlaws' high powered offense. Liberty's defense proved their dominance by setting up their first touchdown of the half by returning an interception to the one yard line. Although they allowed the Outlaws into the redzone they were able to clamp down to hold them to a field goal. Two three and outs would show that both teams had clearly made solid defensive adjustments at halftime. Liberty managed one more field goal in the third that kept the game close going into the fourth.
This historic game had a fascinating finish as both defenses stymied their opposing offenses. Up to the point where Liberty took the lead back with an interception returned for a touchdown about the midway point of the quarter. While Liberty's defense did its level best the Outlaws offense was able to methodically march down field using up a ton of clock before they scored what would be the game winning touchdown with less than two minutes to play. Liberty's Falconi threw a deep bomb in the closing seconds of the game, but while Jones caught it he got tackled short of the end zone by Knight.
A great championship game to close off the first ten team season. Both teams demonstrated both outstanding offense and dominating defenses when it mattered. When it comes down to it you can't do much better than a defensive superstar giving their team back the lead in the fourth quarter. The fact that it all came down to a last second tackle to decide the victor just makes it all the sweeter.
8. Scouting Report: Jim Waters - QB
Strengths: Jim Waters is an interesting prospect for a quarterback given his greatest asset is his absurd agility. Watch the tape and you can see him dodge defenders with the best of them. Part of that goes hand in hand with his above average awareness. Although not as good as some of the older prospects he shows a tremendous upside here given he has caught on so fast. Decision making is among the best of the prospects available and seeing the effort he puts in when it comes to film study I'd rate him one of the best QB prospects available.
Fitting for his young age he has some wheels on him and is easily a top three candidate when it comes to speed among the quarterbacks. Unusually for a quarterback with such good wheels he has a surprisingly accurate arm on him. Not the best in the class, but being launched from his mobile frame more than makes up for it. Easily one of the best dual-threat quarterback prospects I have seen in years.
Weaknesses: One weakness of the younger man is his arm strength is nothing to write home about, although it doesn't appear bad enough to be a huge limitation. If you are looking for a drop back deep bomber Jim is not your man if you need him to play day after draft. His overall strength is nothing special, but it would be wrong of me to not say that he is still a growing young man.
He also seems to tire out earlier than I would like. Much better in the first half than the second as he does not seem to have that second tank that you like to see. Still not a red flag though given his youth. Get him into your weight room and pair him with a solid strength and conditioning coach and you may just get a steal of a quarterback.
Overall: A young man who has taken to the sport as well as any quarterback I have ever seen. I may be more naturally suited to scouting defensive players; that said if I had to work with an offensive player Jim would be the one I would pick. Understandably a bit raw in the strength and stamina department, but nothing a good strength and conditioning coach can't fix. The one thing you want from a QB at the end of the day is effort and this kid has got that in spades. I'd be surprised if he fell to the third round.
11. Playoffs MVP: Honda Edmond - LB - Austin Copperheads
Honda might be an unusual pick by most when it comes to MVP, but as an agent with a preference for defense I am comfortable saying they were an undeniably important piece of a championship defense. They did not have much in the way of flashy stats, however their consistent presence from down to down was second to none. Watch the tape and focus your eyes on them and you will see what I mean. If you don't want to go through that effort then allow me to elaborate.
Their first game off the playoffs was also their worst with a stat line of just 7 tackles and 2 passes defensed. Against the Outlaws they did not allow a single completion thanks to their deflections. Although they were not able to pick off either of those balls their contribution in the run game more than made up for it as outside the first run of the game they did not give up even nine yards on a run to their side. Not a performance deserving of defensive player of the game, however it was a performance you can be thrilled by as a fan.
The semi-finals against Second Line they improved they managed to stop just about everything going in their direction. With 8 tackles and 5 passes defensed they were involved in the most defensive plays of any Copperhead. They gave up one 19 yard completion, but anytime a linebacker holds a QB to 3/8 for 25 yards is a good time. Despite their stellar performance Idlewyld rightfully won player of the game for their safety, however I would be remiss to not mention the pass defense that Edmond contributed to help them get that safety.
The championship against the Wraiths though is what sealed the deal of Honda Edmond as a playoff MVP for me. Their stat line of 13 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, and two passes defensed is undeniably good. You dig deeper though and it just gets better as you see they allowed a completion, but no passing yards which is as good as another pass break up. Down to down I do not think there was a better defender in the playoffs this year, and just as this performance won them defensive player of the game; I also think it sealed the deal on being considered the playoffs MVP.
If you don't believe me just know that runs against Honda's side never went for ten yards, and they allowed just one pass completion of over ten yards in coverage. Their stat line across all three games was 28 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, and a whopping 9 passes defensed. Those may not be the gaudiest of stats if I am being honest as an assessor here. However combined with their worst game being 7 tackles and 2 passes defensed it shows they could be counted on in every game of the playoffs from their decent performance in the quarter-finals to their defensive player of the game performance in the championship.
The first quarter got off to an exciting start with an interception in the first minute of game time. It was an especially exciting first quarter for those that appreciate defense with only one play going over twenty yards, and the only points of the quarter coming off a blocked punt by Lejune. Logan Lejune had an especially good first quarter being involved in a number of stops for the Colorado Yeti. It closed out with continued defensive dominance thanks to a sack of McDummy by Poopsie.
The second quarter was a good one for the offenses as Havran connected with Maddox early for a 57 yard pass that put them at first and goal. Logan Lejune kept up their fantastic play from the first quarter though by breaking up their best chance at the end zone and helping hold them to a field goal. After that quick score it was defense central as McDummy failed to connect on their longer passes and Havran's line gave up multiple sacks. The touchdown drought was ended by three good passes from Havran two of which went to Maddox including the touchdown. Yeti looked like they were going to end the quarter down 10-3, but thanks to an almost flawless two minute drill by McDummy they were able to tie it up with thirteen seconds left.
The third quarter kicked into gear when Havran connected with Maddox for 55 yards, but despite getting to the four they had to settle for a successful field goal from Brand. That high scoring start continued as Bishop got a good block on the return and was able to outrace the Hawks special teams unit for a kickoff return touchdown. While the Hawks were able to score on their next two drives they were held to field goals thanks to timely tackles by Terry Taffy. It closed out with two more scores by the Yeti in the form of a touchdown aided by penalties on the Hawks and a safety by Ocewilder to put their team up 26-19.
The fourth quarter picked up on the drive earned by Ocewilder with the Yeti quarterback McDummy making a few good decisions with their arm and their legs to get the Yeti a field goal. Just like the first quarter the defense showed up after that at least until Havran completed a 43 yard pass to Landers and followed it up with seven positive plays before a touchdown pass to Reed got them within a field goal of the Yeti with three minutes left to play. Unfortunately for the Hawks they were unable to stop Yeti's ground game as they ran out the clock with the tandem of Owens and Vincent to get a cool 29-26 win.
This was a great game from start to finish with a first half defined by daunting defenses and a second half that showed off the high flying offenses that helped get these teams here. Logan Lejune wins player of the game as far as I am concerned although that might be my bias towards good safety play. Hawks fans can be happy though with the display put on by their team, and especially by Errol Maddox who had three receptions of over twenty yards that helped keep them in it. I look forward to seeing more from both of these teams next season as they both seem poised to make a run for the Ultimus.
2. League Milestone: S16 Ultimus Liberty vs Outlaws
This was a game destined to be good from the start between being the most recent expansion year, the first season to include a quarterfinals, a second seed versus a third seed, and just the sheer idea of Liberty versus Outlaws has to get you interested. It was one of the higher scoring Ultimus games in history and is also the third closest Ultimus game in history. That and it includes the fun fact of the second seed being best in the second quarter and the third seed being best in the third quarter. What is there not to like about a game like that? Those that like a well played game should also appreciate this one as despite all the activity on both sides there were just three penalties all game long.
The first half was an outstanding offensive performance with just two punts compared to four touchdowns and three field goals. It was all Outlaws from the outset with them scoring on the first four drives, and only being held to a field goal on the last of them. Liberty meanwhile struggled in the first half as four of their first five drives ended in kicks, and two of those were punts. Still a solid performance by both teams to make for an exciting opening for this historic game.
The third quarter saw Liberty shrink the gap to just four points as they were finally able to figure out the Outlaws' high powered offense. Liberty's defense proved their dominance by setting up their first touchdown of the half by returning an interception to the one yard line. Although they allowed the Outlaws into the redzone they were able to clamp down to hold them to a field goal. Two three and outs would show that both teams had clearly made solid defensive adjustments at halftime. Liberty managed one more field goal in the third that kept the game close going into the fourth.
This historic game had a fascinating finish as both defenses stymied their opposing offenses. Up to the point where Liberty took the lead back with an interception returned for a touchdown about the midway point of the quarter. While Liberty's defense did its level best the Outlaws offense was able to methodically march down field using up a ton of clock before they scored what would be the game winning touchdown with less than two minutes to play. Liberty's Falconi threw a deep bomb in the closing seconds of the game, but while Jones caught it he got tackled short of the end zone by Knight.
A great championship game to close off the first ten team season. Both teams demonstrated both outstanding offense and dominating defenses when it mattered. When it comes down to it you can't do much better than a defensive superstar giving their team back the lead in the fourth quarter. The fact that it all came down to a last second tackle to decide the victor just makes it all the sweeter.
8. Scouting Report: Jim Waters - QB
Strengths: Jim Waters is an interesting prospect for a quarterback given his greatest asset is his absurd agility. Watch the tape and you can see him dodge defenders with the best of them. Part of that goes hand in hand with his above average awareness. Although not as good as some of the older prospects he shows a tremendous upside here given he has caught on so fast. Decision making is among the best of the prospects available and seeing the effort he puts in when it comes to film study I'd rate him one of the best QB prospects available.
Fitting for his young age he has some wheels on him and is easily a top three candidate when it comes to speed among the quarterbacks. Unusually for a quarterback with such good wheels he has a surprisingly accurate arm on him. Not the best in the class, but being launched from his mobile frame more than makes up for it. Easily one of the best dual-threat quarterback prospects I have seen in years.
Weaknesses: One weakness of the younger man is his arm strength is nothing to write home about, although it doesn't appear bad enough to be a huge limitation. If you are looking for a drop back deep bomber Jim is not your man if you need him to play day after draft. His overall strength is nothing special, but it would be wrong of me to not say that he is still a growing young man.
He also seems to tire out earlier than I would like. Much better in the first half than the second as he does not seem to have that second tank that you like to see. Still not a red flag though given his youth. Get him into your weight room and pair him with a solid strength and conditioning coach and you may just get a steal of a quarterback.
Overall: A young man who has taken to the sport as well as any quarterback I have ever seen. I may be more naturally suited to scouting defensive players; that said if I had to work with an offensive player Jim would be the one I would pick. Understandably a bit raw in the strength and stamina department, but nothing a good strength and conditioning coach can't fix. The one thing you want from a QB at the end of the day is effort and this kid has got that in spades. I'd be surprised if he fell to the third round.
11. Playoffs MVP: Honda Edmond - LB - Austin Copperheads
Honda might be an unusual pick by most when it comes to MVP, but as an agent with a preference for defense I am comfortable saying they were an undeniably important piece of a championship defense. They did not have much in the way of flashy stats, however their consistent presence from down to down was second to none. Watch the tape and focus your eyes on them and you will see what I mean. If you don't want to go through that effort then allow me to elaborate.
Their first game off the playoffs was also their worst with a stat line of just 7 tackles and 2 passes defensed. Against the Outlaws they did not allow a single completion thanks to their deflections. Although they were not able to pick off either of those balls their contribution in the run game more than made up for it as outside the first run of the game they did not give up even nine yards on a run to their side. Not a performance deserving of defensive player of the game, however it was a performance you can be thrilled by as a fan.
The semi-finals against Second Line they improved they managed to stop just about everything going in their direction. With 8 tackles and 5 passes defensed they were involved in the most defensive plays of any Copperhead. They gave up one 19 yard completion, but anytime a linebacker holds a QB to 3/8 for 25 yards is a good time. Despite their stellar performance Idlewyld rightfully won player of the game for their safety, however I would be remiss to not mention the pass defense that Edmond contributed to help them get that safety.
The championship against the Wraiths though is what sealed the deal of Honda Edmond as a playoff MVP for me. Their stat line of 13 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, and two passes defensed is undeniably good. You dig deeper though and it just gets better as you see they allowed a completion, but no passing yards which is as good as another pass break up. Down to down I do not think there was a better defender in the playoffs this year, and just as this performance won them defensive player of the game; I also think it sealed the deal on being considered the playoffs MVP.
If you don't believe me just know that runs against Honda's side never went for ten yards, and they allowed just one pass completion of over ten yards in coverage. Their stat line across all three games was 28 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, and a whopping 9 passes defensed. Those may not be the gaudiest of stats if I am being honest as an assessor here. However combined with their worst game being 7 tackles and 2 passes defensed it shows they could be counted on in every game of the playoffs from their decent performance in the quarter-finals to their defensive player of the game performance in the championship.
