(S1) - Ultimus Week

[Grapehead]

Offense Comparison



Defense Comparison



Bottom Third

The first NSFL season ended in disappointment for the Baltimore Hawks and the San Jose Sabercats, but their fates were sealed well before the final game. Looking at the Hawks you see that their defense was absolutely bottom of the league. With 330 points scored against them they essentially buried themselves each and every game. They often faced deficits too large to overcome, and despite the second most points for the Hawks defense continually let them down. No loss more embarrassing than their final game of the season in which they were pounded 31-3 by their basement buddies the San Jose Sabercats. Now looking at the Sabercats season you can draw some similarities. For example, the Sabercats had the second most points against with 291, leaving the Hawks and Sabercats at the bottom of the league together. For the Sabercats though they didn't have a strong offense to try and fall back on; essentially there was no bright spot for the woeful Sabercats. However, they did finish the season strong, going 2-1 in the last 3 weeks. Some say the Sabercats turned a corner, but that early losses buried their playoff hopes before the season was even half over. Needless to say that poor defense was the largest contributor to the lackluster seasons in Baltimore and San Jose, and if they hope to bounce back next season they will need to address these issues immediately.

Playoff Series MVP

Logan Noble dominated the NSFC championship game, going 25/37 with 229 yards and threw the games only touchdown. Noble played the game with a calm demeanor and carried himself with poise the whole way. In critical situations he was getting the job done, going 10/21 on 3rd downs; compared to 4/16, 2/14, and 1/13 for the other QBs in the playoffs. His team draws a lot of momentum and stability from his steady play, and he is relied on heavily to dictate the pace of each game. While a player like Vincent Draxel put up quality numbers in his teams victory, it was largely a victory despite some sloppy areas of play. Shift back to Noble and you can see his success trickled down the lineup and the Yeti delivered a complete team effort to shut down the Wraiths offense. Noble was able to control the game so well that Colorado had 13 minutes of possession more than the Wraiths. It is hard to say if the Yeti would still have defeated the Wraiths without Noble, but I stand firm that he was the hands down MVP of the conference championships. In fact, I'm not even sure if the Yeti make the playoffs without Logan Noble running their offense.