Task 1:
Welcome to the Ultimus Week Season Recap! I'm sure we have an exciting postseason slate ahead of us, but before we get too far let's take a look at the playoff teams and how they earned their shot at the title.
Meet the Contenders
Arizona Outlaws
Arizona enters the postseason as the clear favorites. What else can you say about the team that leads the league in both offensive and defensive scoring? In fact, the Outlaws' scoring differential of +190 was the 2nd largest margin of the last 10 seasons, only next to the S30 Arizona Outlaws. The offense was able to consistently chew up yards and turn them into points thanks to their powerful 1-2 punch out of the backfield, running backs Deadly Memes and future HoFer Tatsu Nakamura. The duo combined for an outrageous 30 rushing touchdowns and 4 receiving touchdowns. The defense, for its part, sports elite talent at almost every level, which makes it difficult for opponents to keep up with Arizona's beastly rushing attack. It's no surprise that the Outlaws literally ran their way to the best record in the ISFL this season.
Austin Copperheads
Austin entered the season with a bit of a conundrum. Running back Jim the Vampire was really hitting his prime and earning more touches, but they still had the legendary Zoe Watts on the roster. Did they go the Arizona route and trot out a powerful 1-2 punch out of the backfield? Nope! Taking advantage of their elite quarterback Jackie Daytona, Vampire shifted over to wide receiver for the season, ceding control of the backfield to Watts. The result was a display of offensive fireworks. Despite being one of the oldest running backs in the league, Watts posted the third most rush attempts in the league while pacing all backs with at least 150 carries in yards per carry. Vampire joined star receiver Bayley Cowabunga to lead the Copperheads to the distinction of being the only team to produce two 100-catch receivers.
New York Silverbacks
It is a little surprising to see New York enter as the third playoff team from the ASFC. Their defense was remarkably pedestrian, and the offense almost exclusively lived and died by the Sam Howitzer to Tugg Speedman passing connection. On paper, Honolulu sports a comparable offense with a much stronger defense. However, the old adage "any given Sunday" rings true in the ISFL as well as anywhere else. New York was able to overcome the fairly one-dimensional approach on offense thanks to a Herculean effort by Speedman, who ranked second in the league in catches and touchdowns while easily pacing all receivers in yardage.
Philadelphia Liberty
On the other side of the bracket, the Liberty were perhaps the most well rounded team in the league coming into the season. Outside of stud quarterback Ryan Negs, Philly doesn't really boast elite talent at any position so much as reliably solid talent everywhere. Very much a "greater than the sum of its parts" situation. However, with gunslinger Negs elevating the offense around him, deep threat receiver Jake Fencik was able to pace the entire league with an astounding 17.2 yards per catch en route to placing third in total receiving yards. Meanwhile, the defense was able to capitalize on being able to bring pressure from anywhere as linebackers Gary Goodman and Xavier Walls tied for 3rd in the league in sacks.
Berlin Fire Salamanders
Unsurprisingly, Philly's main competition for the NSFC title came from Berlin. Built very similar to Arizona, the Fire Salamanders boast a strong, run-focused offense along with a defense that sports elite talent at almost every position. That being said, Berlin took the term "run-oriented" to a whole new level as both Goat Tank and Jay Cue Jr. reached the 300 carry mark. Playing off this punishing ground attack, quarterback Dexter Zaylren led the league in passer rating with an astounding 35:5 TD:INT ratio. Complementing this powerful offense is a star-studded defense that can be found all over the league leaderboards for most defensive stats, highlighted by linebacker BamBam McMullet's league-leading 20 sacks.
Sarasota Sailfish
Just like in the ASFC, the 3 seed in the NSFC was a bit of a surprise. While the Sailfish and Yeti have comparable defenses on paper, Colorado boasts far more talent on offense than Sarasota, particularly in the passing game. However, while Colorado's defense shrank in the face of competition, Sarasota's came alive. The Sailfish finished the season as the 4th ranked defense, and only 7 points away from the number three spot. The offense was more middle of the road, but was able to succeed without star power thanks to a good, balanced gameplan that saw meaningful contributions from across the board.
Looking Ahead
So what's in store for us as the postseason progresses? It's notable that the Fire Salamanders and Outlaws have found success this year using essentially the same strategy; ride an elite running game, take advantage of it with an opportunistic passing game, and stifle opponents with a smothering defense. Berlin was able to ride this strategy all the way to an Ultimus appearance, but Arizona fell to a rough upset at the hands of the uppity Silverbacks. Can Tugg Speedman torch the stout Berlin defense en route to a likely Ultimus MVP award? Or will the powerful backfield duo of Goat Tank and Jay Cue Jr. run roughshod over an overmatched New York defense? Find out in the S32 Ultimus Championship game!
Welcome to the Ultimus Week Season Recap! I'm sure we have an exciting postseason slate ahead of us, but before we get too far let's take a look at the playoff teams and how they earned their shot at the title.
Meet the Contenders
Arizona Outlaws
Arizona enters the postseason as the clear favorites. What else can you say about the team that leads the league in both offensive and defensive scoring? In fact, the Outlaws' scoring differential of +190 was the 2nd largest margin of the last 10 seasons, only next to the S30 Arizona Outlaws. The offense was able to consistently chew up yards and turn them into points thanks to their powerful 1-2 punch out of the backfield, running backs Deadly Memes and future HoFer Tatsu Nakamura. The duo combined for an outrageous 30 rushing touchdowns and 4 receiving touchdowns. The defense, for its part, sports elite talent at almost every level, which makes it difficult for opponents to keep up with Arizona's beastly rushing attack. It's no surprise that the Outlaws literally ran their way to the best record in the ISFL this season.
Austin Copperheads
Austin entered the season with a bit of a conundrum. Running back Jim the Vampire was really hitting his prime and earning more touches, but they still had the legendary Zoe Watts on the roster. Did they go the Arizona route and trot out a powerful 1-2 punch out of the backfield? Nope! Taking advantage of their elite quarterback Jackie Daytona, Vampire shifted over to wide receiver for the season, ceding control of the backfield to Watts. The result was a display of offensive fireworks. Despite being one of the oldest running backs in the league, Watts posted the third most rush attempts in the league while pacing all backs with at least 150 carries in yards per carry. Vampire joined star receiver Bayley Cowabunga to lead the Copperheads to the distinction of being the only team to produce two 100-catch receivers.
New York Silverbacks
It is a little surprising to see New York enter as the third playoff team from the ASFC. Their defense was remarkably pedestrian, and the offense almost exclusively lived and died by the Sam Howitzer to Tugg Speedman passing connection. On paper, Honolulu sports a comparable offense with a much stronger defense. However, the old adage "any given Sunday" rings true in the ISFL as well as anywhere else. New York was able to overcome the fairly one-dimensional approach on offense thanks to a Herculean effort by Speedman, who ranked second in the league in catches and touchdowns while easily pacing all receivers in yardage.
Philadelphia Liberty
On the other side of the bracket, the Liberty were perhaps the most well rounded team in the league coming into the season. Outside of stud quarterback Ryan Negs, Philly doesn't really boast elite talent at any position so much as reliably solid talent everywhere. Very much a "greater than the sum of its parts" situation. However, with gunslinger Negs elevating the offense around him, deep threat receiver Jake Fencik was able to pace the entire league with an astounding 17.2 yards per catch en route to placing third in total receiving yards. Meanwhile, the defense was able to capitalize on being able to bring pressure from anywhere as linebackers Gary Goodman and Xavier Walls tied for 3rd in the league in sacks.
Berlin Fire Salamanders
Unsurprisingly, Philly's main competition for the NSFC title came from Berlin. Built very similar to Arizona, the Fire Salamanders boast a strong, run-focused offense along with a defense that sports elite talent at almost every position. That being said, Berlin took the term "run-oriented" to a whole new level as both Goat Tank and Jay Cue Jr. reached the 300 carry mark. Playing off this punishing ground attack, quarterback Dexter Zaylren led the league in passer rating with an astounding 35:5 TD:INT ratio. Complementing this powerful offense is a star-studded defense that can be found all over the league leaderboards for most defensive stats, highlighted by linebacker BamBam McMullet's league-leading 20 sacks.
Sarasota Sailfish
Just like in the ASFC, the 3 seed in the NSFC was a bit of a surprise. While the Sailfish and Yeti have comparable defenses on paper, Colorado boasts far more talent on offense than Sarasota, particularly in the passing game. However, while Colorado's defense shrank in the face of competition, Sarasota's came alive. The Sailfish finished the season as the 4th ranked defense, and only 7 points away from the number three spot. The offense was more middle of the road, but was able to succeed without star power thanks to a good, balanced gameplan that saw meaningful contributions from across the board.
Looking Ahead
So what's in store for us as the postseason progresses? It's notable that the Fire Salamanders and Outlaws have found success this year using essentially the same strategy; ride an elite running game, take advantage of it with an opportunistic passing game, and stifle opponents with a smothering defense. Berlin was able to ride this strategy all the way to an Ultimus appearance, but Arizona fell to a rough upset at the hands of the uppity Silverbacks. Can Tugg Speedman torch the stout Berlin defense en route to a likely Ultimus MVP award? Or will the powerful backfield duo of Goat Tank and Jay Cue Jr. run roughshod over an overmatched New York defense? Find out in the S32 Ultimus Championship game!
