(S1) - Ultimus Week

[37thchamber]

Bottom Third
Despite boasting a reasonably strong offensive line -- rated middle of the pack by most pundits -- the Baltimore Hawks' failure to reach the playoffs seems to stem, at least in part, from a particular deficiency in that area. The significantly lower than average yards per rush attempt -- worst in the league, in fact -- picked up by the Hawks owes something to their questionable offensive line, it seems. While Sharpei and Weal are both accomplished tackles, providing solid protection to Scrub Kyubee under center from all but the best edge rushers in the league, the interior of the line does not boast such strength. This failure to establish the run placed additional pressure on the quarterback to produce, and we see a large number of failed third down conversions from the Hawks -- many coming from failed rush attempts leaving the offense in a tough situation.

Of course, the offensive line is not the only area of the team where improvement could be made, and especially with the departure of number one corner Matthew Peterson, the Hawks' secondary could use an upgrade. For all the talent he has, Antoine Delacour simply has not produced to the level many hoped he would, and though he leads all defensive backs in tackles, many of those are the result of repeatedly allowing (admittedly much taller) receivers to get the better of him. Should the Hawks address their offensive line concerns, however, and replace Peterson at the very least, they certainly have the personnel to make a run at the Ultimus.

(254 words)

Future Talent
Vincent Sharpei (OL) - @Muford
One of the best measures of a talented player is how they respond to adversity. In the case of Vincent Sharpei, that would be "very well". Spending this year on the struggling Hawks side, where he effectively single-handedly prevented the line from being categorically bottom of the league despite giving up eight sacks (joint third highest in the league among tackles) will have equipped the young offensive tackle for whatever lies ahead. Sources within the Hawks' locker room report that Sharpei's attitude has not once wavered, despite the difficulties the team has faced, making him a standout candidate for a future leader. It remains to be seen whether Sharpei will remain with the Hawks after the draft -- though it's perhaps a safe bet to assume the new GM will try to retain his talents -- but what is certain is that a difficult rookie year has now prepared him for the mental difficulties that he will inevitably face in professional football. Should he wind up at an expansion team, they will be picking up a highly rated tackle and a well-liked locker room presence which could be invaluable in their attempts to make the post-season. As for the post-season itself, the Hawks' offensive line was not terrible, and the highly intelligent Sharpei -- he is said to be one of the three most intelligent players on the Hawks' roster, and ranks in the 90th percentile in the entire league -- was their best all-round blocker. It's hard to imagine he wouldn't improve any team's line.

(252 words)

Offensive Comparison
Phelps (OCO) v Stormblessed (ARI)



Defensive Comparison
Shelton (YWK) vs Saint (COL)





Championship Game Recap

The inaugural NSFL Championship game was contested by the unlikely pair of the Arizona Outlaws and Colorado Yeti. Both teams had seemingly been widely considered underdogs for their conference championships against the Otters and Wraiths respectively, but nobody could argue they hadn't earned their places. Things started perhaps roughly as expected, with the two teams trading punts before Ryan Flock returned a Logan Noble pass for a touchdown. With the Yeti on the back foot, Noble attempted to pass on his next six touches of the ball, completing two, but being hindered by a series of dropped passes, followed by a chop block penalty on Rich Gucci. Gucci's eleven yard catch on the following play was not enough to give Noble a chance to get back into the groove of things. Before the quarter was done, the Yeti had held the Outlaws in the redzone, but couldn't prevent Arizona extending their lead to ten points.

This opening period perhaps set the tone for the entire game, as Noble -- perhaps out to prove a point, perhaps instructed by his coaches as the Yeti chased the game -- threw a total of thirty-four pass attempts, completing just sixteen for an accuracy rating just 47%, marginally higher than his 44% rate through the first quarter. Interestingly enough, the Outlaws also relied heavily on the passing game, though. Their rushing attempts rarely yielded much, making the game primarily an aerial duel. When Stormblessed hauled in a five yard pass to put the Outlaws three scores ahead -- Nugent's missed PAT not having much impact at this point -- it was hard to see how the Yeti would come back.

Two field goals before halftime would shorten the gap, but it was still a two score game, and Noble, struggling to connect with his passing already, was going to have to keep forcing the issue. The three-headed monster at runningback that the Yeti have simply failed to show up. The Outlaws have a fantastic linebacker corps, though, and between Stropko, Lee and Ernston, Tiernan and Tweed -- note the conspicuously absent O'Connell -- simply couldn't establish the run to help out their quarterback. Meanwhile, Stormblessed and Jefferson kept making decent gains through the air for Arizona, frequently getting the better of Hayden and Carter. In fact, the Outlaws' wideouts were so good on the day, the Yeti secondary failed to defend a single pass. It does beg the question, "What if the Outlaws hadn't dropped thirteen passes?"

Adrienne Nugent tacked on two more field goals in the third quarter, to give the Yeti a mountainous sixteen points to overcome in the final quarter, but two successive three-and-done possessions effectively ended things. Wes Washington made it a near certainty with a late touchdown before two sacks on the Yeti's next possession drove the point home.

It was a surprisingly lacklustre performance from the Yeti, though it was perhaps all shaped by those poor drops in the first quarter. Had the Yeti been able to play a little more freely on offense, establishing the run, mixing things up a bit, they may not have been so convincingly shutdown in the air.

(519 words)