(S29) PT 2 - Double Trouble?

[slate]

One of the most notable teams to falter at the start of this season is the Austin Copperheads. After making an Ultimus appearance last season and losing by only one score to the red hot Yellowknife Wraiths, they have gotten out to a 1-6 record through the first 7 games of S29. After winning their first game of the season against the also struggling Hahalua, they have recorded a 6 game winless streak, recently ending their 5 game losing streak with a tie against the Sabercats. This slow start is definitely surprising, but the Copperheads definitely have the best chance of all the struggling teams to right the ship and potentially even make a playoff push through the back half of the season.

To start with, Austin has barely lost any important pieces from their playoff contending team last season. Besides the release of WR Eddie Jeeta, I couldn't even name a single player that played in the Ultimus last season but who is no longer on the team. In fact, the young team had almost every player on the team improve this offseason with only a handful of players suffer TPE loss via regression. Of particular note, key offensive pieces like QB Daytona, RB Watts, and OL Archstone and Quigley are still firmly in the improving parts of their careers and should be capable of anchoring a strong offense.

The roster looking good on paper is one thing, but even if you drill down into the specifics of Austin's losses this season we find that things appear worse for them than they really have been. The Copperheads haven't lost any game by more than one score yet this season, so while they may not be clutch at the end of games they are still a formidable team. Their -20 point differential is more comparable to teams like the 4-3 Sabercats (-13) than the 1-6 Hahalua (-56) or the 2-5 Liberty (-66). While the road to the playoffs will be tough, I am definitely not ready to count out last season's ASFC champions just yet, as their team on paper and their performances early this season are enough to give me confident that the tools are still there for them.

[Mojojojo]

So, at the time of this writing we are through week 7 of the ISFL and perhaps one of the most surprising placements in the league standings is the Chicago Butchers, who currently sit at the bottom of the NSFC with a record of 1-6 (tied for last in the league with the ASFC bottom team, the Honolulu Hahalua). While Chicago was by no means a favorite to win their division this season, their current standing is surprising and disappointing given their roster. 

Now Chicago has a few question marks on offense. They are starting the oldest QB in the league, with O’Donnell, but even after regression he still has higher TPE than Ryan Negs of the Philadelphia Liberty and Luke Skywalker of the Baltimore Hawks (two teams currently higher in the NSFC standings) not to mention significant player experience! They have a top receiving outlet in Scabbia and a veteran vertical-threat TE in Gelbman, but lack some depth in receiving as their more recent draft picks develop. At running back, Hayes is an exciting, up-and-coming young starter who gets better every game. And their veteran OL, including Julio Jones, Mo Magic, and Icebox Riposte, can help make up for some of the deficiencies by keeping O’Donnell clean in the pocket and helping to make holes for Hayes.

On defense, they have a solid D-line, but no major stand-outs. At LB, they have three fantastic players in Domine, Gleel, and Chainbreaker. At safety, Blackfyre and the young, but savvy Jones provide help. And even with trading away Tyron Shields mid-season, they still have veteran Firestorm-Fjord and rookie HeHateMe PickSix II. All=in-all, a formidable squad for any offense to face, at least on paper.

Given this roster, one might expect for the team to bounce back from this disappointing start to the season, but I’m not optimistic given their remaining schedule. At 1-6, Chicago has already played all but three of their home games. That means they are going to have to win on the road if they want to climb the standings.

[TomHanks]

If ever there was a fan event that Sheriff Woody should attend, it’s a children’s birthday party. I mean, the guy is literally a children’s toy. And he’s got a whole host of other toys for the fan and his friends to play with. If you don’t think a bunch of living toys playing with the whole party, one of whom is now a minor celebrity both because of his status as a DSFL football player, and the first toy to publicly declare his status as alive and sentient, will make a birthday party memorable, I don’t know what to tell you. We’ll also play a fun game of touch football, toys are surprisingly good at that. Maybe we’ll organize a race to see which of the toys is fastest. Personally, I have my money on Bullseye. But a racecar often is a pretty good bet. Buzz can show off his new favorite trick of falling with style. We’ll see how far the guy can fly without hitting the ground. I have a theory about angling oneself down, then up, then down again to extend flight time that I want to test out. We’ll also all bring gifts for the fan. All in I think it’ll be a ton of fun for everyone involved.

[209tacos]

PBE affiliate 

[zeagle1]

Chuck Roth woke up one morning to a notification from twitter that a fan had started a campaign for Chuck to come to his son's birthday party. Chuck of course accepted the invitation, as he loves parties and thought this would be a fun way to spend an afternoon; plus, making a kid's day is a noble cause. He decided to pick up some presents for the young boy; some toys, and of course some Outlaws merch. Chuck got the entire team to sign a jersey for the boy. He even called in a favor and got the newly retired Jay Cue to sign it! Chuck piled all the good and himself into his favorite car and set out to the boy's party, which conveniently was only a short drive from the Outlaw's practice facility. Chuck showed up and had the boy's parents hide him in a giant box, and then the birthday boy opened it and surprise! Chuck jumped out and gave the boy his presents! The boy loved the signed jersey, although he was a little bummed that the worst player on the Outlaws, Rich Triplett, had signed it. Chuck took pictures with everyone at the party before being kicked out because he accidentally popped the moon bounce. Hey, nowhere on the moon bounce did it say that nearly 300 pound football players shouldn't belly flop on it.

[shadyshoelace]

With the season underway, the standings picture is starting to take shape as teams vie for supremacy and a spot in the postseason. There is plenty of football left to play, but let's take a look at which teams look like they're off to a hotter or colder start than they expected. While raw team TPE numbers aren't everything, they're a good place to start when looking at how teams should stack up. The most obvious underperformer is the Austin Copperheads, who sit at sixth in the ASFC with a record of 1-5-1 after making the Ultimus finals last season despite ranking third in the league (first in the conference) in total team TPE and fourth and second respectively in average TPE per player. For overperforming teams, one has to look no further than the new-look Baltimore Hawks. While their 2-5 record doesn't jump off the page, they rank above Chicago, Austin, and Honolulu despite being far, far below every other team in terms of total and average TPE. Baltimore has no players above 1000 TPE after their recent youth movement, including an 800 TPE IA quarterback, but they managed to upset Chicago on the road and now have a great chance to surpass their season projections. Where will these two teams end up when the season comes to a close? Stay tuned to find out.

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[fever95]

SHL Affiliation

[Cody]

The team most overachieving to me is the San Jose SaberCats. The team lost a few pieces and looked to be headed to the bottom of the pack. I believe I predicated them to go fifth or sixth in the ASFC. The team has had a pleasant start to the season. At the time of writing this PT they are currently 4-2-1. I would have guessed they would have 2 maybe 3 wins at best at this part of the season. I do not believe they will be able to keep up this pace, but it is definitely pleasant surprise that they are doing so well to start off the season.

Where teams currently stand that are on the outside looking in, there are two teams that could easily get into the playoffs. The Otters and the Wraith are both at 4-3. They are middling right now, but both are within a game or less of a playoff spot. I would have to think the Otters have the better chance to leapfrog San Jose and make the playoffs. The Wraiths have a tougher division but are only a game back of Colorado and Berlin. If they can put together a winning streak, they could find their way to defending their Ultimus.

[KenitohMenara]

SHL Championship Week

[MrStennett]

PBE Championship Week