(S1) - Ultimus Week

[Zoone16]

Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them.
The MVP of the Ultimus Cup Championship Finals in my eyes is None Stormblessed of the Arizona Outlaws. Stormblessed has a fantastic regular season and added to that in the championship game with 5 runs and 85 passing yards including a touchdown. He had the longest run of the night with 35 yards gained in a single play and in general was extremely difficult to cover and stop throughout the evening. His Touchdown that evening cemented the Outlaws’ position in the game and never let go from here on in. There are some other players that are worthy of mention as well and some who did just as much as Stormblessed, such as Lincoln Jefferson who ran a massive 111 yards and led the drives but did not score a touchdown. Vincent Draxel was crucial in his passing and shook off some early game sacks to respond in style, completing 20 of 36 pass attempts for 271 yards thrown. On the defense, J.Tuck had a stunning 3 sacks and 5 tackles as he tore apart the offensive line alongside J.Lee (8 tackles, 1 sack) & B.Stropko (7 tackles).
In the end, there were plenty of worthy winners for the title of MVP but I went with Stormblessed as he was a consistent threat throughout the game whereas others had their ups and downs or produced less in the end.


Playoff Review: Write a short review of the playoffs and each of the matchups.
As the dust settles and the Outlaws lift the first ever Ultimus Cup, let us take a look at the playoffs matchups we witnessed these playoffs.
NSFC Championship: Yellowknife Wraiths @ Colorado Yeti
In what was touted as an offense vs. defense matchup, the Colorado Yeti stopped the Wraiths in their tracks with a fantastic defensive display from W. Fulton & J. Saint who had a combined 16 tackles and 3 sacks. On the offense, the Yeti managed to get a converted TD by D.J Law midway in the 3rd quarter to squeeze ahead of the Wraiths in what was otherwise a dull offensive affair.

ASFC Championship: Orange County Otters @ Arizona Outlaws
The Arizona Outlaws ran away with the game in the 4th quarter to seal the first ever ASFC Championship in NSFL History. It was a tight affair for much of the game as teams traded kicks until the end of the 3rd quarter. The Otters did put up the first TD of the game as Bradley Westfield caught a 10-yard pass to close the gap to 13-15. But on the ensuing kickoff None Stormblessed blasted through the field with a massive 97-yard return. This seemed to demoralize the Otters and the Outlaws put two additional TDs past them to march their way into the Championship Game.

NSFL Championship Game: Colorado yeti @ Arizona Outlaws
The Outlaws celebrated in style as the offense rolled over the Yeti’s defensive lines a though they didn’t exist. By halftime the score was 16-6 Outlaws. When they weren’t able to convert into a TD, the Outlaws were able to bring it close enough to the goals for Adrienne Nugent to seal the deal with easy field goals and run up the score that way instead. A late game TD from Wes Washington in the 4th quarter sealed the deal on what was a great end to a season they led from start to finish.


Bottom Third: Write about why the Baltimore Hawks and/or San Jose Sabercats were not able to make the playoffs.
The Baltimore Hawks had a perfect pre-season with convincing wins over most of the teams. The start of the regular season gave their coaches much to think about as 3 losses seemed to go against the direction in which things went. A solid mid-season had them win 3 of 5 games before a strangely planned 4-game series against the Yellowknife Wraiths, their direct rival in the race for the last playoffs spot in the NSFC. The Hawks won the first game but then lost all their remaining games against the Wraiths and then 2 more to crash out of the playoffs race. So, what went wrong you might ask? Even though the Hawks do have players that had a great season for themselves, they ended up having the worst offense in all categories as well as the worst defense in all categories. More importantly they were dead last for TDs scored and yards gained by pass and rush. Most of their points scored came from Field Goals.
In defense, they were the worst team, sacking opposing QBs a mere 36 times, 17 less than the next closest team. They were also on the lower end of pancakes given whilst middle of the pack for Sacks allowed.
Overall there is much work for the Hawks to become a playoff contender and they will need to tighten up defensively and find ways for their secondaries to support their core players. This is a team that could develop into a long-term powerhouse if they can build around their core players.


Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series in a side by side graphic.



Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series in a side by side graphic.