[div align=\\\"center\\\"]The Nest
Issue I: Where Each DSFL Team Stands Going into Week Three
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Welcome to the Nest, a sporadically issued new column. We’ll be coming out with a new article every week or so from now until the S15 NSFL Draft, exclusively about the news and games of the DSFL.
It’s off to the races in Season 14, and after two weeks of games, we finally have our first meaningful look at the massive rookie class in action. Some teams are already set up well for success, while others seem to have gotten off to a slow start. A few rookies in particular are already improving their stock for the upcoming NSFL draft through their standout performances. It’s still way too early to confidently predict the final season standings with any sort of accuracy, but let’s go team by team to see how each one stacks up against the competition and maybe get a look into how the next two weeks of action will play out.
Kansas City Coyotes
Season Record: 0-2
Game Results: 13-35 @ Seawolves, 8-17 vs. Marshals
How They’ve Done: It hasn’t been very sunny in Kansas City so far. The ‘Yotes spent their season opener on the wrong side of a 35-13 blowout in Norfolk, as Ryan Leaf Jr. and Rose Jenkins kept trying to give each other the starting job. At home the next week, the Coyotes stopped throwing passes to the other team but failed to do much for themselves, and the team lost 8-17 in a slow death to the San Antonio Marshals.
What’s Gone Right: Even as the passing attack has faltered, tight end Cameron Olsen and wide receiver Cedric Parker have put up solid individual performances, and the receiving corps ranks second among all teams in yardage. The Coyotes defense also has the distinction of being the only squad so far to record a safety.
What’s Gone Wrong: Reports came in before the season started of a quarterback controversy in the Coyotes locker room, and whether there’s any truth to that will likely remain unknown. But neither Coyotes quarterback has performed particularly well, hampering the flow of the offense. The defense and rushing games have played uninspired ball as well, with the latter having the lowest yards per rush of any team.
Forecast for the Future: Things aren’t looking very bright for the Coyotes so far, and unless the team can find its identity quickly, it may find itself in a bad position to contend for playoffs. The pieces for success are there, but right now nothing is gelling.
Norfolk Seawolves
Season Record: 2-0
Game Results: 35-13 vs. Coyotes, 20-17 vs. Pythons
How They’ve Done: The Norfolk Seawolves are reaping the benefits of a rich draft class and boast a perfect record thus far, a good start for the recently expanded team. In week one, the Seawolves ran up the score on a Coyotes team still embroiled in a quarterback controversy, with 4 touchdowns on the ground plus a pick six from Lucas Knight. In a test against the Portland Pythons, fresh off a 41-0 thrashing of the Luchadores, the Seawolves fought out a close victory at home and scored 14 unanswered points in the second half to complete a comeback.
What’s Gone Right: The Seawolves running back stable has been on fire; Apollo Reed has 4 rushing touchdowns, leading all running backs, and Dorfus Jimbo contributed his own touchdown on a barnburning 81 yard scamper in week one. The secondary is tied for the league lead in interceptions and pass deflections, and is one of only two teams to take a turnover to the house.
What’s Gone Wrong: As great as the ground attack is for the Seawolves, the aerial assault has been less than stellar- Jay Longshaw has a dismal 56.3 passer rating, and the Seawolves are the only team with no passing touchdowns. In addition, Norfolk has lost the time of possession battle in both victories, and has yet to play in a hostile crowd.
Forecast for the Future: Norfolk is off to a hot start, and the duo of Reed and Jimbo are tearing up the league. The Seawolves will spend one more week at home before departing for their first road game, with serious momentum on their side to continue the winning streak.
Palm Beach Solar Bears
Season Record: 0-2
Game Results: 24-29 vs. Marshals, 6-16 vs. Luchadores
How They’ve Done: Unlike the other expansion team, Palm Beach has yet to score a victory despite both opening games being played at home. The Solar Bears fell behind early to the San Antonio Marshals, but made the game competitive in the second half before a 43 yard field goal put the game out of reach. Against the Luchadores, the team suffered death by field goal in a slow paced game where the Solar Bears never seemed to wake up.
What’s Gone Right: Guy Nikko has been a force to be reckoned with, lapping the competition with 5 sacks and consistently getting after the quarterback. Nikko’s performance is a huge contributor to the defense’s 7 sacks, tied for first place. On offense, Ludicolo Bigby leads all rushers with 266 yards, and Palm Beach is the only team with multiple receiving touchdowns.
What’s Gone Wrong: The Solar Bears’ passing attack, led by rookie Apollo Lange, has double the amount of interceptions of any other teams. Outside of sacks, the defense is less than stellar across the board, including only 1 tackle for loss and 0 interceptions. The team’s lack of wins is especially concerning with 2 away games coming up in less friendly territory.
Forecast for the Future: Palm Beach is too talented across the board to remain winless for long, and with their backs against the wall, the Solar Bears are desperate for a win to prevent a 0-4 slide. They’ve got their jobs cut out for them though, as the next two teams on their schedule happen to currently be the two best teams in the DSFL.
Portland Pythons
Season Record: 1-1
Game Results: 41-0 vs. Luchadores, 17-20 @ Seawolves
How They’ve Done: The Portland Pythons delivered a statement victory over the defending DSFL champions on opening night, demolishing the Tijuana Luchadores 41-0 and racking up five total touchdowns. In a tough test the next week, the red hot team traveled to Norfolk and blew a 17-6 third quarter lead to the Seawolves by letting up 14 unanswered points. Despite falling to 1-1, the Pythons have the DSFL’s best scoring offense and defense with a league high +38 point differential.
What’s Gone Right: The Pythons have the most passing yards of any team, led by standout rookie quarterback Franklin Armstrong. Team kicker Alex Dasistwirklichseinnachname has nailed all seven extra point attempts and three field goals. The Python rushing game has a league-high six touchdowns and averages 5.2 yards per carry.
What’s Gone Wrong: Although it isn’t reflected in their points allowed, the Portland defense ranks at the bottom of nearly every statistical category. The defensive meltdown in the fourth quarter of the Seawolves game raises a red flag in regards to the team’s true ability, and whether the week one victory was merely an aberration rather than a pattern.
Forecast for the Future: The Pythons are the best team not undefeated right now, and are well rounded across the entire offensive side of the ball. The lingering question is whether Portland’s true talent is closer to the week one juggernaut that rolled over Tijuana or the week two team that could not hold a two score lead when it counted.
San Antonio Marshals
Season Record: 2-0
Game Results: 29-24 @ Solar Bears, 17-8 @ Coyotes
How They’ve Done: The Marshals opened their season on the road and have gone out to a 2-0 record and first place in the division. In their opener against the Solar Bears, the Marshals jumped out to a 26-14 lead by halftime before holding off a furious comeback attempt by Palm Beach. In Kansas City, the Marshals and Coyotes engaged in a defensive slugfest in which neither team managed to get much momentum, but the visitors racked up two Morgan Marshall touchdowns early that kept the game out of reach.
What’s Gone Right: The running back duo of Morgan Marshall and Max Vaz have filled the shoes of the departed Fast Boija admirably, combining for 320 yards on the ground and 3 touchdowns off of 59 carries. This run-heavy approach has led to a lighter workload for team QB Cooter Bigsby, who boasts a league high 90.9 passer rating. Most notably, the Marshals have played two games on the road and yet boast the league’s fiercest defense, leading or tied for the lead in tackles, forced fumbles, interceptions, sacks, pass deflections, and defensive touchdowns.
What’s Gone Wrong: When accounting for the split QB situation in Kansas City, San Antonio is last in the league in pass attempts, which has limited the team’s receiving production. Time of possession has been lopsided against the Marshals in both games thus far, and the team has displayed a tendency to slow down in the second half.
Forecast for the Future: A lot of the team’s weaknesses thus far can be attributed to a sluggish start to the season, and pulling out wins in unfriendly road games regardless is a good sign of the team’s resiliency. The Marshals come home to San Antonio with the wind in their sails and a chance to make themselves early Ultimini contenders.
Tijuana Luchadores
Season Record: 1-1
Game Results: 0-41 @ Pythons, 16-6 @ Solar Bears
How They’ve Done: Tijuana stumbled out of the gate but managed to enter week three with a win. Their season opener in Portland was an embarrassing display, as the Luchadores allowed 41 unanswered points and humiliated the defending champs. The team went into week two looking to right the ship in Palm Beach, and mostly succeeded with a 16-6 victory where both teams relied on the legs of their kickers.
What’s Gone Right: Corvo Havran continues to perform well in his sophomore season, helming a top three passing offense. The Luchadores’ primary strength seems to be their defense, despite the 41 points they surrendered in week one. Tijuana’s defense is a close second place in recorded tackles and first by far in tackles for loss, seven of which came from defensive end Lo Mein.
What’s Gone Wrong: In a league where rushers reign king over the starboard and scoreboard alike, Tijuana remains the only team to have recorded less than 200 yards on the ground. Their defense has not converted much of their generated pressure into sacks, and the team’s performance in week one remains a troubling sign.
Forecast for the Future: The defending Ultimini champions have gotten off to a slow start but have yet to play at home. The schedule doesn’t get much easier, with games against both the Marshals and Seawolves in the immediate future, and the Luchadores need to round into form before they find themselves in too deep of a hole to recover.
Forecast for Weeks 3 and 4
Solar Bears @ Seawolves
Palm Beach is hungry for a win, and I think they’ll finally break out in week three and shock the Norfolk crowd. The Solar Bears will give the Seawolves passing attack fits and prevent the home team from establishing momentum as they race out to an early lead. Expect a breakout performance from Chase Jensen, who will get his first touchdown of the year as the Solar Bears finally get in the win column.
Score Prediction: 31-26 Solar Bears
Luchadores @ Marshals
In a revenge game for last year’s playoffs, the Marshals are well positioned to come away with a third straight victory. Although both teams have good defenses, the Marshals secondary will limit Havran’s production and force the Luchadores out of their comfort zone. Expect a heavily defensive game with plenty of turnovers as San Antonio cruises for the win.
Score Prediction: 24-9 Marshals
Pythons @ Coyotes
Both of these teams are coming off of losses, but Portland is a better squad all around and eager to prove that week two was a fluke. The visiting team will control the flow of the game all night long as Franklin Armstrong has another solid outing. The Pythons spring back from last week’s loss and bring Kansas City to 0-3.
Score Prediction: 36-19 Pythons
Solar Bears @ Marshals
It’s a rematch of week one, and although the Solar Bears are a formidable team, I don’t think they’ll win this matchup either. The home crowd will help feed a dangerous Marshals ground game and the defense will rack up a couple more turnovers. Palm Beach won’t be able to find a rhythm on either side of the ball and the Marshals will remain undefeated.
Score Prediction: 31-13 Marshals
Seawolves @ Luchadores
The Seawolves simply outclass the Luchadores and will be hungry for a victory after losing to Palm Beach. Tijuana won’t be able to slow down the Norfolk rushing monster and could quickly find themselves in a hole. A late-game comeback attempt will make it interesting, but it won’t be as close as the final score suggests.
Score Prediction: 27-25 Seawolves
Coyotes @ Pythons
Portland needs to keep winning in order to keep pace with the Seawolves for the NFC crown, and I don’t think it’ll stop here. Rushing will be the key to the game, and the Portland backfield shows no signs of letting up. The ‘Yotes will keep it close as they struggle to stay afloat in the playoff hunt, yet the Pythons will prevail for the second week in a row and go to 3-1.
Score Prediction: 21-15 Pythons
Issue I: Where Each DSFL Team Stands Going into Week Three
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Welcome to the Nest, a sporadically issued new column. We’ll be coming out with a new article every week or so from now until the S15 NSFL Draft, exclusively about the news and games of the DSFL.
It’s off to the races in Season 14, and after two weeks of games, we finally have our first meaningful look at the massive rookie class in action. Some teams are already set up well for success, while others seem to have gotten off to a slow start. A few rookies in particular are already improving their stock for the upcoming NSFL draft through their standout performances. It’s still way too early to confidently predict the final season standings with any sort of accuracy, but let’s go team by team to see how each one stacks up against the competition and maybe get a look into how the next two weeks of action will play out.
Kansas City Coyotes
Season Record: 0-2
Game Results: 13-35 @ Seawolves, 8-17 vs. Marshals
How They’ve Done: It hasn’t been very sunny in Kansas City so far. The ‘Yotes spent their season opener on the wrong side of a 35-13 blowout in Norfolk, as Ryan Leaf Jr. and Rose Jenkins kept trying to give each other the starting job. At home the next week, the Coyotes stopped throwing passes to the other team but failed to do much for themselves, and the team lost 8-17 in a slow death to the San Antonio Marshals.
What’s Gone Right: Even as the passing attack has faltered, tight end Cameron Olsen and wide receiver Cedric Parker have put up solid individual performances, and the receiving corps ranks second among all teams in yardage. The Coyotes defense also has the distinction of being the only squad so far to record a safety.
What’s Gone Wrong: Reports came in before the season started of a quarterback controversy in the Coyotes locker room, and whether there’s any truth to that will likely remain unknown. But neither Coyotes quarterback has performed particularly well, hampering the flow of the offense. The defense and rushing games have played uninspired ball as well, with the latter having the lowest yards per rush of any team.
Forecast for the Future: Things aren’t looking very bright for the Coyotes so far, and unless the team can find its identity quickly, it may find itself in a bad position to contend for playoffs. The pieces for success are there, but right now nothing is gelling.
Norfolk Seawolves
Season Record: 2-0
Game Results: 35-13 vs. Coyotes, 20-17 vs. Pythons
How They’ve Done: The Norfolk Seawolves are reaping the benefits of a rich draft class and boast a perfect record thus far, a good start for the recently expanded team. In week one, the Seawolves ran up the score on a Coyotes team still embroiled in a quarterback controversy, with 4 touchdowns on the ground plus a pick six from Lucas Knight. In a test against the Portland Pythons, fresh off a 41-0 thrashing of the Luchadores, the Seawolves fought out a close victory at home and scored 14 unanswered points in the second half to complete a comeback.
What’s Gone Right: The Seawolves running back stable has been on fire; Apollo Reed has 4 rushing touchdowns, leading all running backs, and Dorfus Jimbo contributed his own touchdown on a barnburning 81 yard scamper in week one. The secondary is tied for the league lead in interceptions and pass deflections, and is one of only two teams to take a turnover to the house.
What’s Gone Wrong: As great as the ground attack is for the Seawolves, the aerial assault has been less than stellar- Jay Longshaw has a dismal 56.3 passer rating, and the Seawolves are the only team with no passing touchdowns. In addition, Norfolk has lost the time of possession battle in both victories, and has yet to play in a hostile crowd.
Forecast for the Future: Norfolk is off to a hot start, and the duo of Reed and Jimbo are tearing up the league. The Seawolves will spend one more week at home before departing for their first road game, with serious momentum on their side to continue the winning streak.
Palm Beach Solar Bears
Season Record: 0-2
Game Results: 24-29 vs. Marshals, 6-16 vs. Luchadores
How They’ve Done: Unlike the other expansion team, Palm Beach has yet to score a victory despite both opening games being played at home. The Solar Bears fell behind early to the San Antonio Marshals, but made the game competitive in the second half before a 43 yard field goal put the game out of reach. Against the Luchadores, the team suffered death by field goal in a slow paced game where the Solar Bears never seemed to wake up.
What’s Gone Right: Guy Nikko has been a force to be reckoned with, lapping the competition with 5 sacks and consistently getting after the quarterback. Nikko’s performance is a huge contributor to the defense’s 7 sacks, tied for first place. On offense, Ludicolo Bigby leads all rushers with 266 yards, and Palm Beach is the only team with multiple receiving touchdowns.
What’s Gone Wrong: The Solar Bears’ passing attack, led by rookie Apollo Lange, has double the amount of interceptions of any other teams. Outside of sacks, the defense is less than stellar across the board, including only 1 tackle for loss and 0 interceptions. The team’s lack of wins is especially concerning with 2 away games coming up in less friendly territory.
Forecast for the Future: Palm Beach is too talented across the board to remain winless for long, and with their backs against the wall, the Solar Bears are desperate for a win to prevent a 0-4 slide. They’ve got their jobs cut out for them though, as the next two teams on their schedule happen to currently be the two best teams in the DSFL.
Portland Pythons
Season Record: 1-1
Game Results: 41-0 vs. Luchadores, 17-20 @ Seawolves
How They’ve Done: The Portland Pythons delivered a statement victory over the defending DSFL champions on opening night, demolishing the Tijuana Luchadores 41-0 and racking up five total touchdowns. In a tough test the next week, the red hot team traveled to Norfolk and blew a 17-6 third quarter lead to the Seawolves by letting up 14 unanswered points. Despite falling to 1-1, the Pythons have the DSFL’s best scoring offense and defense with a league high +38 point differential.
What’s Gone Right: The Pythons have the most passing yards of any team, led by standout rookie quarterback Franklin Armstrong. Team kicker Alex Dasistwirklichseinnachname has nailed all seven extra point attempts and three field goals. The Python rushing game has a league-high six touchdowns and averages 5.2 yards per carry.
What’s Gone Wrong: Although it isn’t reflected in their points allowed, the Portland defense ranks at the bottom of nearly every statistical category. The defensive meltdown in the fourth quarter of the Seawolves game raises a red flag in regards to the team’s true ability, and whether the week one victory was merely an aberration rather than a pattern.
Forecast for the Future: The Pythons are the best team not undefeated right now, and are well rounded across the entire offensive side of the ball. The lingering question is whether Portland’s true talent is closer to the week one juggernaut that rolled over Tijuana or the week two team that could not hold a two score lead when it counted.
San Antonio Marshals
Season Record: 2-0
Game Results: 29-24 @ Solar Bears, 17-8 @ Coyotes
How They’ve Done: The Marshals opened their season on the road and have gone out to a 2-0 record and first place in the division. In their opener against the Solar Bears, the Marshals jumped out to a 26-14 lead by halftime before holding off a furious comeback attempt by Palm Beach. In Kansas City, the Marshals and Coyotes engaged in a defensive slugfest in which neither team managed to get much momentum, but the visitors racked up two Morgan Marshall touchdowns early that kept the game out of reach.
What’s Gone Right: The running back duo of Morgan Marshall and Max Vaz have filled the shoes of the departed Fast Boija admirably, combining for 320 yards on the ground and 3 touchdowns off of 59 carries. This run-heavy approach has led to a lighter workload for team QB Cooter Bigsby, who boasts a league high 90.9 passer rating. Most notably, the Marshals have played two games on the road and yet boast the league’s fiercest defense, leading or tied for the lead in tackles, forced fumbles, interceptions, sacks, pass deflections, and defensive touchdowns.
What’s Gone Wrong: When accounting for the split QB situation in Kansas City, San Antonio is last in the league in pass attempts, which has limited the team’s receiving production. Time of possession has been lopsided against the Marshals in both games thus far, and the team has displayed a tendency to slow down in the second half.
Forecast for the Future: A lot of the team’s weaknesses thus far can be attributed to a sluggish start to the season, and pulling out wins in unfriendly road games regardless is a good sign of the team’s resiliency. The Marshals come home to San Antonio with the wind in their sails and a chance to make themselves early Ultimini contenders.
Tijuana Luchadores
Season Record: 1-1
Game Results: 0-41 @ Pythons, 16-6 @ Solar Bears
How They’ve Done: Tijuana stumbled out of the gate but managed to enter week three with a win. Their season opener in Portland was an embarrassing display, as the Luchadores allowed 41 unanswered points and humiliated the defending champs. The team went into week two looking to right the ship in Palm Beach, and mostly succeeded with a 16-6 victory where both teams relied on the legs of their kickers.
What’s Gone Right: Corvo Havran continues to perform well in his sophomore season, helming a top three passing offense. The Luchadores’ primary strength seems to be their defense, despite the 41 points they surrendered in week one. Tijuana’s defense is a close second place in recorded tackles and first by far in tackles for loss, seven of which came from defensive end Lo Mein.
What’s Gone Wrong: In a league where rushers reign king over the starboard and scoreboard alike, Tijuana remains the only team to have recorded less than 200 yards on the ground. Their defense has not converted much of their generated pressure into sacks, and the team’s performance in week one remains a troubling sign.
Forecast for the Future: The defending Ultimini champions have gotten off to a slow start but have yet to play at home. The schedule doesn’t get much easier, with games against both the Marshals and Seawolves in the immediate future, and the Luchadores need to round into form before they find themselves in too deep of a hole to recover.
Forecast for Weeks 3 and 4
Solar Bears @ Seawolves
Palm Beach is hungry for a win, and I think they’ll finally break out in week three and shock the Norfolk crowd. The Solar Bears will give the Seawolves passing attack fits and prevent the home team from establishing momentum as they race out to an early lead. Expect a breakout performance from Chase Jensen, who will get his first touchdown of the year as the Solar Bears finally get in the win column.
Score Prediction: 31-26 Solar Bears
Luchadores @ Marshals
In a revenge game for last year’s playoffs, the Marshals are well positioned to come away with a third straight victory. Although both teams have good defenses, the Marshals secondary will limit Havran’s production and force the Luchadores out of their comfort zone. Expect a heavily defensive game with plenty of turnovers as San Antonio cruises for the win.
Score Prediction: 24-9 Marshals
Pythons @ Coyotes
Both of these teams are coming off of losses, but Portland is a better squad all around and eager to prove that week two was a fluke. The visiting team will control the flow of the game all night long as Franklin Armstrong has another solid outing. The Pythons spring back from last week’s loss and bring Kansas City to 0-3.
Score Prediction: 36-19 Pythons
Solar Bears @ Marshals
It’s a rematch of week one, and although the Solar Bears are a formidable team, I don’t think they’ll win this matchup either. The home crowd will help feed a dangerous Marshals ground game and the defense will rack up a couple more turnovers. Palm Beach won’t be able to find a rhythm on either side of the ball and the Marshals will remain undefeated.
Score Prediction: 31-13 Marshals
Seawolves @ Luchadores
The Seawolves simply outclass the Luchadores and will be hungry for a victory after losing to Palm Beach. Tijuana won’t be able to slow down the Norfolk rushing monster and could quickly find themselves in a hole. A late-game comeback attempt will make it interesting, but it won’t be as close as the final score suggests.
Score Prediction: 27-25 Seawolves
Coyotes @ Pythons
Portland needs to keep winning in order to keep pace with the Seawolves for the NFC crown, and I don’t think it’ll stop here. Rushing will be the key to the game, and the Portland backfield shows no signs of letting up. The ‘Yotes will keep it close as they struggle to stay afloat in the playoff hunt, yet the Pythons will prevail for the second week in a row and go to 3-1.
Score Prediction: 21-15 Pythons
Transgender lesbian, S15 veteran, and (retired) media extraordinaire. Fascists and bigots are welcome to fuck off.
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For Your Reading Consideration:
Before the Butchers | The Jungle
The Giving Tree | Volume II | Volume III
A Winter of Discontent | Volume II
The Rockiest Road | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | Finale
Two Essays on Unfree Agency: On Agents | On Contracts
Eclipse of the Honey Moon | Volume II
Gemini Media Awards:
S39 | S40 | S41 | S42 | S43 | S44 | S45 | S46 | S47
All Winners
![[Image: cwAUFYO.png]](https://i.imgur.com/cwAUFYO.png)
![[Image: jZiqO11.png]](https://i.imgur.com/jZiqO11.png)
![[Image: 49rZtUA.png]](https://i.imgur.com/49rZtUA.png)
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— — —
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For Your Reading Consideration:
Before the Butchers | The Jungle
The Giving Tree | Volume II | Volume III
A Winter of Discontent | Volume II
The Rockiest Road | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | Finale
Two Essays on Unfree Agency: On Agents | On Contracts
Eclipse of the Honey Moon | Volume II
Gemini Media Awards:
S39 | S40 | S41 | S42 | S43 | S44 | S45 | S46 | S47
All Winners
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![[Image: 74043_s.gif]](https://signavatar.com/74043_s.gif)
