(S3) - Ultimus Week

[Apache_Chief]

offensive comparison
When looking at the different teams competing for the ASFC Championship Title, we have to take a look at the most important position in football; The Quarterback. Coming into this, I think most people will agree that Boss was the best Quarterback in the league. However, when everything had settled, Bronko had proven that he truly was the most elite of the two. Boss brandished a measly 50.1 QBR and had two interceptions to one touchdown while barely breaking the 200 yard mark. When it comes down to it, Boss continues to fall short when the game is on the line and Bronko shows the veteran poise a two-time ring winner should. With Boss' upcoming free agency, teams might want to really look into if Mike Boss has the leadership to take their team all the way. It's also important to point out that Boss' weapons failed to step up as well, with the two leaders at the receiver position barely managing to hit the 200 yard mark - together. While it might not just be Boss who needs to step up, what is for sure is that Bronko and his offense have the talent to be a continuous dynasty in the playoffs.

defensive comparison
As for the defensive side of the ball, the tale of the tape was big plays. The Otters put together a pitiful performance against the monster that is the Outlaw's offensive line, amassing a total of 4 sacks. While they did step it up against the run, racking up 4 TFL's to the tune of 0 on their opponents side. Sadly, thats about all they could stop, with only one interception to their name as well. Comparatively, the Outlaws had ten sacks and two interceptions. As previously mentioned, the defense held the two best receivers in the league to 200 combined yards and one touchdown. When it came down to the nitty-gritty, the Outlaws just have that something on defense that wins championships. If the Otters want to make it past the divisional game, they need to make a splash in FA and build up a defense that can actually make plays when it counts. Having stars means nothing if they don't come out to play when the trophy is on the line. Thats the Outlaw difference, the regular season means nothing, its only for real when their dynasty is on the line, and so far, the Otters have yet to threaten that.

bottom half
The two worst teams in the league were the Colorado Yeti and the Las Vegas Legion. Oddly enough, both teams share a key reason for their lack of success - poor front offices. The Legion tried to win it all in their first season by trading away all their picks for established players. Obviously, this did not work and has subsequently stunted their growth. While they have started a new rebuilding process, shakeups and uncertainty in the GM position do not leave much to be desired. It'll be a lot of work if they plan to make it out of the bottom and the damage might have already been done. As for the Yeti, we'll they too had shakeups in the GM position, but that's because their elite QB was caught cheating - knocking out his ability to help the team in both a leadership capacity and on the field. The Yeti were also caught in a poor situation when many star players wanted out of the failing organization. However, they have the groundwork in place to potentially make it back to playoff contention so long as they make the right moves, especially in a weak division like the NSFC which is always up for grabs.

new talent
Easily the best trade in the off-season was the Outlaws acquiring of Phillipe Carter from the Colorado Yeti. The Outlaws had a monster front seven but they had a few holes in their secondary which could be exploited in a league rich with talented wide receivers. In the draft they took a young prospect in Franklin Harris Jr., but there was no way he could alone fix the Cornerback problem. By bringing in Carter, they brought in a veteran presence to help in the bettering of their new rookie, as well as getting a true CB1 to match up with the likes of Garden, Phelps and Westfield. Even if the trade only brought in Carter for the one season, it still got them a ring and also helps set a precedent for veterans to look towards Arizona for a good organization if they need a new start. This is especially important in the biggest free agency period in the leagues history. Carter was a shut down corner who when paired with the rest of the elite Arizona secondary set a new precedent for what Defense is. With Harris Jr. now ready to take the reigns, any team will have a steal when they sign Carter.

playoff series mvp
The MVP for the biggest game of the season, the Ultimus Cup, was without a doubt rookie Franklin Harris Jr. with his electric performance. Harris busted the game wide open with his 24-yard Interception Return TD. While the Outlaws were ahead, the game could easily have gone either way, but once the talented DB took the ball to the house, it became their game to lose. Not to mention, a play like that is an emotional game changer as well. You put your team in a position to win, while demoralizing your opponent. While that play was huge, it wasn't the only thing that made Harris' night MVP caliber. The Rookie had another interception that unfortunately did not end in a score for him, three passes deflected and finally a seven tackle performance that almost topped his teammate Lee's 8. While everyone contributed to the win in the Ultimus Cup, Harris had a performance that would have been MVP caliber for a talented veteran, let alone a rookie who was making his first trip to a game this big. While it's rare for a defensive player to get the award, I think it's pretty clear who deserves the MVP Trophy and fancy new truck.