(S3) - Ultimus Week

[ItsJustBarry]

Bottom Half: Write about why two of the four teams were not able to make the playoffs.

For this one, I will begin with the Colorado Yeti. This team finished last in the NSFC and 7th overall in the NSFL. Their downward spiral began with the Logan Noble scandal that tore the core of their offense apart. This caused the team to not only lose their franchise QB but their GM as well. Once the scandal broke open, many players demanding trades which were honored leaving the reeling Yeti with even more holes. Their new GMs came in guns blazing making trade after trade building up for the upcoming draft. Although this draft class doesn’t seem too deep, the Yeti may still be able to land a couple actives who are willing to rebuild the team back to relevance.

Staying in the NSFC, the surprising team absent from the playoffs are the Yellowknife Wraiths. At the start of the season, may people had them as the team to win the division and the rest at least had them making an appearance. Their season high point was dominating the Orange County Otters in week 3. They found themselves in must win mode for the second half of the season but in games they were heavily favored, they came up short. A loss to the Yeti in week 9, followed by a home loss to the Sabercats in week 12 killed any chance they had to make a playoff appearance.

231 words

New Talent: Write about which S3 trade will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs.

The Baltimore Hawks trading their 1st and 2nd pick for the upcoming S4 draft to the Las Vegas Legion for N. Stormblessed. The Hawks were looking for a piece to replace retiring Matthew Vincent. With the S4 draft class looking a little weaker than in recent seasons, they took a gamble on inactive Stormblessed. After starting the season with QB Bercovici tossing him the ball, Stormblessed hooked up with Scrub Kyubee to end the season. The Hawks weren’t the only ones to benefit from this trade. Wide Receiver Alexandre LeClair, who was already having a great season, no longer had to compete with Stormblessed for looks. This allowed LeClair to have a great season that was good for 1168 yards (6th best in the league), and 7 TDs (tied for 8th best in the league). The Legion were also able to call up tight end Connor Tanner, which may have been a poor financial move but a smart football move, who jumped right in to help the Legion win their 2 games. Although the draft picks may not equate to extremely active rookies, the Legion can honestly say they are doing just fine without Stormblessed and if Stormblessed was around, he would probably be excited to be playing in the playoffs.

211 words

Playoff Predictions: Give a short write up on each of the playoff matches (including the championship game).

My predictions for the Conference finals are for the Arizona Outlaws to once again win and take their spot in the Ultimus Championship. After a completely dominating season, the Outlaws continue what they do best and win at home to the Orange County Otters. In a rematch from a season ago, the outcome remains the same. The lone chance for the Otters to come away victorious will be determined by their defense. Everyone knows the Otters offense is explosive but the Outlaws can usually keep pace. If the Otters can hold the Outlaws to field goals and force a turnover or two, this game could actually come down to a single possession in the 4th quarter. Final score Outlaws 27- 20.

On the side of the league, we have the Baltimore Hawks hosting the Philadelphia Liberty. These teams split their regular season matches with each team winning at home. Momentum may slightly be in the Liberty’s favor as they finished the season with a 4 game win streak that was capped off with a convincing win over the Hawks in week 14. Meanwhile, after the Hawks started the season hot, fizzled out in the 2nd half of the season losing 4 of their last 7 games. It will be close but I (biasedly) expect the Hawks to win this 21-20.

220 words

Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win.

Despite their Offensive dominance and their sound defense, the Orange County Otters are headed into Arizona tonight as the underdog. Individually, their players are a lot like the Planeteers, where their powers are usually effective but can’t handle the big problems but with their powers combined, they can take on any team. The Otters have Mike Boss who is torching secondarys and shattering records every week. This is attributed to Bradley Westfield and Robert Phelps who are 1st and 2nd respectively in the league for receiving yards as well as touchdowns. They also have stud tight end George Wright Jr. who is another dangerous piece on this already prolific offense. On the defensive side of the ball, they have tackling machine Dominic Verns locking down the entire secondary at free safety. With 4 interceptions, 11 sacks, and 20 pass deflections, quarterbacks aren’t throwing it his direction very often. In the middle of the field, they have Ian Bavitz and Julian O’Sullivan at linebacker. Combined, they add another 15 sacks, 5 interceptions, and 17 more pass deflections. Their defensive line is fearsome as well. With Tomlinson and Boom on the ends and Reigns and Cox in the middle, it will be difficult to run the ball effectively. This team has the fire power to compete and upset the Arizona Outlaws.

219 words

Matchup Nightmares: Pick an offensive and defensive player who will be going up against each other and why it will be a nightmare for one of them.



Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win.