(S3) - Ultimus Week

[Daybe]

Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

Mike Boss of the Orange County Otters matches up very differently from King Bronko of the Arizona Outlaws. Both are starting quarterbacks of their respective teams, but have very different offensive systems. The Otters are very pass heavy, and often, Mike Boss will throw over 40 passes in a single game, which is an incredible volume, considering the net most passing team only throws for around 38 pass attempts a game, as opposed to 44 from OCO. King Bronko plays for the run-heavy Outlaws, but Bronko's efficiency numbers are off the charts. Bronko has a TD/INT ratio slightly higher than 3:1, to go along with a 91.6 passer rating. Boss, while throwing from a higher volume, still manages a mighty 2.5 TD/INT ratio, to go along with a 91.9 passer rating. Boss virtually carried his Orange County offense, while Bronko was often the one feeding the ball of to star running back Reg Mackworthy. Boss utilizes his deadly receiving threats more often than Bronko does. While Bronko's impact isn't as eye-popping on the stat sheet, ADwyer is certainly a leader on the field and in the locker room. Meanwhile, Mike Boss has pondered testing free agency, questioning his loyalty with the Otters.

Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

Tyler Oles of the Philadelphia Liberty and Antoine Delacour, while both are likely for the pro bowl, are interestingly different. Oles is tied for second in the NSFL in picks, with 7, and Delacour is right on his heels with 6. But that is the biggest similarity we can see between the two. Other than that, Delacour eclipses Oles. Delacour has 67 tackles, and Oles has 59. Delacour has twice the amount of pass deflections than Tyler Oles, with Antoine at 24, and his competition having 12. They each have a defensive touchdown, but play different roles other than being lockdown cornerbacks for their respective teams. Antoine Delacour is handling punt returning duties for his Baltimore Hawks, and is one of the league's elite at it. Delacour is averaging 9.5 yards per punt return, and has the league's longest punt return, with an 88 yard touchdown. Oles has not handled a single kick all season for his Liberty, but Delacour is quite the different story. Nonetheless, these players each have their similarities, and their differences. Personally, I believe that Antoine Delacour has the upper hand of Tyler Oles, but part of it may be due to the fact that Delacour has more TPE than Oles, being a S1 veteran, as opposed to Oles, who has spent two years in the league now.

Bottom Half: Write about why two of the four teams were not able to make the playoffs. Can be completed at any point

Well, this season was a dud for various teams, but the two teams I am going to focus on right now are the Yellowknife Wraiths and the Colorado Yeti. Now, at first glance, when you look at the Yellowknife Wraiths, you begin to wonder, "Now, how did this team actually miss the playoffs?" Which is a solid question. The Wraiths had the second most TPE out of all teams in the NSFL and were dubbed NSFC favorites preseason by many NSFL players. Well, the biggest answer for them is not being able to step up when it matters most. The Wraiths knew the season wouldn't come easy for them, and they had to battle back from adversity of losing in the last two playoffs. The pressure was too intense for them to handle, as they crumbled. Inability to win games on the road was what killed them in the long run, as they lost a big one to the Colorado Yeti 16-7, where Chris Orosz played incredibly poor. As for the other team I mentioned, the Colorado Yeti, they have more obvious reasons of why they didn't make the playoffs. Following some decisions by their management to call off their quest for a championship this year, they faced the suspension of star quarterback Logan Noble, and instead ended up with Nicholas Pierno, who albeit is active, is a S3 prospect, and is going up against many S1 quarterbacks. The rest of the team played average, but eventually, quarterback was their biggest weakness, and having a great quarterback can be the difference between winning and losing.

New Talent: Write about which S3 trade will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good

Hawks wideout Stormblessed was already enjoying a smooth transition into Baltimore. The former Arizona Outlaw and Las Vegas Legion was recently traded to Baltimore, in exchange for draft picks and John Baker. Well, ever since that decision, Stormblessed is making it his duty to rub it in Las Vegas' face every opportunity he gets. To go along with a great season in special teams, he has proved a dangerous long-ball receiving threat for the new and improved Hawks offense. In an offense that saw its S2 RB of the year fall off, they had to adjust. And Hawks GM HENDRIX is great at adjusting. In the game, going up against Liberty #1 CB Tyler Oles, Stormblessed repeatedly burned him, with four different receptions of over 15 yards. He was ignored for the most part of the season in Las Vegas, but he truly got his opportunity to shine in Baltimore, taking on a greater role than his days in Las Vegas, where he was beginning to get overshadowed by fellow wideout Alexandre LeClair. Well, this move was definitely one that is regretted by the Legion management, as Stormblessed has risen up to the occasion, and will try to replicate this incredible performance in the NSFL championship, going against a much tougher opponent, the Arizona Outlaws in the desert, although the Hawks have proved capable of upsetting the Outlaws before. It should be a great one, and Stormblessed's impact should have a great deal to do with the final outcome of the game.

Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them. Must be completed after the playoff series you write about

Trey Willie absolutely shined in the NSFC championship game. The S3 rookie just had capped off a rookie year (not exactly a true rookie year, seeing he spent time in S2 as a waiver pickup for the Otters) where he stepped up in a big way, tallying more than 1000 receiving yards, as well as three touchdowns, and rising up to Scrub Kyubee's #1 target. Well, Willie still didn't think he proved his point loud enough. He responded to his doubters by exploding onto the scene in the NSFC championship, which was a 34-3 dominance of the Philadelphia Liberty. His game started rather uneventful, with two targets and two incompletions. The Hawks followed that with a punt. On the next drive, Willie felt a larger vengeance in his blood. On the next series, he caught a touchdown pass. The Liberty punt. Next drive, guess who? Trey Willie, this time for 25 yards. But that STILL wasn't enough for Willie. Later, after a 40 yard field goal from Harris, the Liberty kicked off. It was not the Hawks normal return man, Stormblessed, to handle the kick. It was Trey Willie. For 103 yards. He eventually scored another TD, and finished the game with 4 touchdowns, as well as 226 all-purpose yards. Not too shabby for a second round draft pick.

[HENDRIX]

1. Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

Whichever quarterback performs at a higher level in the ASFC championship game will likely determine the outcome of the game. Boss has a style that is purely stand in the pocket and find one of his various pass catching weapons without having much support in the running game. Bronko is a more athletic quarterback in an offense that likes to use a lot of play action and roll outs, that's made possible by having when one the best RBs in the league in the backfield with him. Statistics wise they had almost identical passer ratings, however, Boss threw 129 more passes this season. Also, despite that extra volume, Boss has a completion percentage 2.5% higher than Bronko. These QBs matched up twice during the regular season. In the first game it ended up as a close Outlaws win in OC. Both QBs performed very well in that game with ratings in the 97.0 range. In the second matchup in Arizona, Boss and the Otters got beat up. It was a game to forget as he only completed 50% of his 54 passes for only 218 yards. Rumors are there will be significant lineup changes for the Otters in this matchup, but I don't think their identity will change much, they will be airing it out in Arizona. (217)

2. Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

We will be comparing to great cornerbacks playing in the ASFC championship game, Philippe Carter of the Outlaws and Marc Spector of the Otters. They are two different styles of corner, but both are very effective. Carter relies on his very high football IQ and change of direction ability to cover WRs. Spector's main weapon is his pure speed, he's one of the fastest players in the entire league. Carter had significantly more interceptions and passes deflected this season, 6 vs. 2 and 26 vs. 15, respectively. One can't help but wonder though if opponents of the Outlaws tried to pick on Carter and his mediocre speed, it's also possible Spector was completely blanketing the receivers he was covering and completely preventing a thrown in his direction by the QB. In run support, both corners seem to have similar skills in that area based off the stats and film. In their respective matchups on Monday night, Spector will have to keep extremely aware defending against the Outlaws balanced attack while Carter knows he will be defending a great WR on every play and that there will be about a 70% chance it will be a pass. One mistake by either corner could be the difference in this game. (208)

3. Bottom Half: Write about why two of the four teams were not able to make the playoffs. Can be completed at any point

The Las Vegas Legion and Colorado Yeti were not able to make the playoffs because they are in the early stages of their rebuilds. Both teams made this season a priority to give a lot of snaps to young players and to trade away veterans for draft picks. Even though it may take a couple seasons for either team to earn a playoff berth, both teams have promising young players to build around that could inspire hope to each teams fan base. For the Yeti they have the best running back in the game in Tweed and two superstar defensive players in Wozy and Saint. A few promising young players they have include CB Boggs, OL Sandoval, and QB Pierino. This league is not friendly to young players, especially not to teams starting many at once. All is not lost for the Vegas Legion either, they have a very promising RB in Savea and very high upside trio of pass catchers in Leclair, Tanner, and Ross. Their offensive line needs serious improvement however. On defense they don't have much but they're lucky to have two great defensive linemen in Blade and Cox. Vegas fans also have future picks to look forward to along with the inevitable additions of CB Kevin Cushing and QB Wolverine to replace the bum Bercovici. (219)

4. Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)

If you took one look at the Yellowknife Wraiths roster before the regular season started, you would probably predict there is no way that team would win less than ten games. But that's exactly what happened. The Wraiths were totally snake bitten this season finishing 1.5 games out of the playoffs with their 7-7 record. They even hired a controversial figure as a Co-GM, but quickly rectified that obvious mistake by firing the disgrace. Let's take a closer look at their roster. They have an elite backfield with their QB/HB/FB combination, they have an incredible wide receiver duo in Garden and Cook, and they arguably have the best offensive line in football. On the defensive side they rebuilt their defensive line featuring two fantastic players in Maddox and Bjornson, their line backing trio was great, and finally they had one of the best shutdown cornerbacks in the league. So what the hell happened? Very bad luck and perhaps some less than optimal game planning played a big part in derailing the team this season, but they do have a few weaknesses. One of them is in the secondary. Wide reciever is a stacked position in the NSFL and Yellowknife couldn't really deal with teams who had a great duo. Opposing QBs simply targeted whoever Lavelle wasn't covering and moved down the field. (222)

5. 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.(Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

I doubt Franklin Harris Jr. has slept much leading up to the ASFC championship game. It is there that he will be tasked with trying to cover one of the star wide receivers of the Orange County Otters, Bradley Westfield or Robert Phelps. The Otters have those two switch sides depending on the formation but they are equally dangerous, for the sake of this article we will focus on Harris Jr. matching up with Westfield. Harris Jr. is very athletic for a rookie, but Westfield is in the prime of his career and has a significant advantage in running speed and agility. The result of years of training at the professional level is also evident in the strength and endurance advantages Westfield has over Harris Jr. How about actual height and weight? Both players are in the 6'2"-6'3" range weighing about 210 pounds, so here is an area where the young cornerback isn't totally outmatched. Still, if a wide reciever is faster, stronger, and has more experience than the rookie he's going against, odds are that wide reciever is going to have a big game. Look for Mike Boss and the Otters offense to try to exploit this matchup frequently. (200)

[MacTonight]

Playoff Predictions – ASFC Title Game: I think the Outlaws are just way too strong again this season, while the rest of the NSFL plays catch up the Outlaws have proven time and again to be the yardstick all other teams are measured against. The Otters haven’t looked strong enough against the Outlaws in Arizona this year to make much of an impact here. Outlaws 35 – Otters 10

NSFC Title Game: In the juicier of the matchups of the Conference finals the Liberty travel to Baltimore, and I believe the Liberty will upset the current NSFC Champions in The Aviary. The were unlucky not to do better against the Hawks in Baltimore in Week 4, and held them scoreless for 3 quarters last time out, a close game, but I have the Liberty taking it. Liberty 17 – Hawks 16

Ultimus Title Game: The Liberty and the Outlaws will be a tighter matchup than the last time the Outlaws and Liberty met in Arizona. In a game featuring two great defences, it will be a much lower scoring game than their week 6 matchup, I’m predicting a score line closer to their week 2 matchup. I expect the Outlaws will outlast their tenacious opponent, and will be crowned Ultimus Champions once more. Outlaws 20 – Liberty 13

Root for the Underdog – The Philadelphia Liberty cannot be discounted in their Week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Hawks. The Week 4 Liberty felt like a completely different team offensively, Clifford Rove is coming into the playoffs with 10 weeks of development under his belt. Not only were the Liberty last out winners against Baltimore in Philadelphia, their first matchup in The Aviary saw the Hawks survive with a 3 point victory. Whilst both teams have seen some changes in the weeks since that first match up, it is my belief the Liberty have done more to put themselves into a position to win this game. Defensively the Liberty are one of the most intimidating groups in the league, there are a few star players, but the team performs as a unit. Fox North and the new GOAT TE Paul DiMirio will make plays on the offensive side of the ball, but this game will come down to how this Liberty D holds up against the Hawks offense, which they did a good job of in week 15, holding Baltimore out for the final 3 quarters of play. If they bring this same attitude down Interstate 95 they’ll be in a great position to cause an upset.

Matchup Nightmares – Paul DiMirio VS the Hawks Safeties and Linebackers
The biggest match up for me is Paul DiMirio going toe to toe with the Hawks coverage solutions for him. DiMirio presents several problems for defences throughout the league, and is clearly the stand out at his position, whether it is lined up traditionally or split out wide teams often struggle to contain DiMirio on big plays and third down. Rove has definitely found a comfort blanket in the big man. DiMirio comes into this game with the 4th highest reception total, 807 yards and 4 touchdowns. Stephen Harrison is clearly the most well equipped member of the Hawks defence to deal with DiMirio, however if you task Harrison with focusing on one area of the field, you will severely restrict his ability to make plays in the running game. Whilst Harrison, may be tasked with covering DiMirio; he appears to be the most capable member of the Hawks team to be able to match it with the Liberty stand out. Safeties Masvidal and Valentine could find themselves consistently outmatched if left on an island with DiMirio. I’m predicting a big game for DiMirio; with a maiden Ultimus berth on the horizon for the Liberty, expect DiMirio to take the opportunity by the scruff of its neck and have a 100+ yard day, and the Liberty to run out winners.

Championship Game Recap – The play which turned the Ultimus was the second quarter pick six by Outlaws Safety Allen Davis. The play occurred late into the second quarter, with only 1:24 left on the clock. Although the score was in favour of the Outlaws, the Baltimore Hawks had battled back to make the game come within 8 points at 14 – 6. If Baltimore continue to drive down the field, the momentum of the game could have swung completely towards the Hawks. By extending the score out to 21 – 6 the Outlaws put their stamp on proceedings and saw themselves run out 49 – 12 winners and three time Ultimus champions. One of the biggest elements of this defensive touchdown occurring just before halftime stole the wind from the Hawks sails and sent them into the locker room with their heads down. The Outlaws do a great job of stealing a teams fight, and that’s exactly what happened as Davis crossed into the endzone. Although the Outlaws were almost certain to take the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half, but these is no doubt that Davis’ defensive touchdown moved that timeframe and the Outlaws are now once again Ultimus champions.

Playoff Series MVP – I don’t think I’m jumping the gun here, but Trey Willie had the kind of performance which defines a career. I think everyone who had the pleasure (or displeasure for my teammates and I) of watching Willie play today, will remember this game as one of, if not the best performance in NSFL playoff history. Willie hauled in 5 passes, the first 3 of which were touchdown passes, and contributed a kick return for a touchdown as well. Finishing the day with a total of 220 combined yards, and 4 touchdowns. Willie had seen a bit of a downturn since the arrival of Stormblessed in week 5, and although he continued to put up Offensive Rookie of the Year numbers, early projections from the season would have seen Willie a clear favourite until his plateau mid year. Until his explosion in week 1 of the playoffs, Willie appeared to be sending a signal to the league, “look out, I’m still here, and I’m coming.” Willie cemented his spot as Offensive Rookie for the Year and made a strong push for Rookie of the Year overall. His impact can be watered down to one sentence, “without Trey Willie, the Hawks win, but they win 10 – 3.”

[AdamS]

Matchup Nightmare:

Carter and Harris vs Westfield and Phelps

Yeah, this one's a bit different. It's not one on one because the truth is you can't separate any two of these four. Not really. On one side you have toe cornerback duo that was 1st and 3rd in passes defensed as well as 1st and 3rd in interceptions. On the other you have the receiver combo that finished 1st and 2nd and touchdowns and yards, as well as 1st and 3rd in catches. These four were EVERYONE'S nightmare during the season.

During the season they met twice and the results were....mixed. In the first game, Phelps and Westfield went about their usual ways, catching a touchdown apiece and racking up nearly two hundred yards and making a close game of it. The second time around they had lower everything and caught no touchdowns as Carter and Harris swatted away pass after pass and kept Mike Boss without a touchdown pass for the only time this season. Orange County lost by 17 points.

Now they meet up for the third time and someone is going to be someone else's nightmare. The question is...who gets the advantage when the pressure is biggest and the lights are brightest? The answer may very well determine everything in the NSFC.



Playoff Predicter:

Baltimore Hawks vs Philadelphia Liberty

Who are the Liberty? Why are they here? Was it the mixed extra point in week 13 that allowed them to stay ahead of the Yeti and win? Was it the amazing 11 point comeback in week 3 that allowed them to tie a game instead of lose it? Truthfully it was any of a handful of tiny moments, or all of them, that allowed the Liberty to sneak into the playoffs over the Wraiths. If there was ever a team that was just glad to be here, it'd be a team like the Liberty. Then again, this is a Philadelphia based sports franchise and as I have mentioned numerous times, these people are animals that barely qualify as human beings on a good day. Especially some of the ones related to me who still live not far outside the city itself (ooooooooh that's why he hates Philadelphia so much).

The Hawks are the opposite. They started dominate and then the second half of their season was basically the noise a clown would make if it blew balloons and farted at the same time. Their season ended with getting absolutely smashed by these same Liberty. That Liberty. The same Liberty that I just outlined some unlikely breaks that went their way. It was 31-14.

So what happens? The Liberty do it again and upset the Hawks in Baltimore. Paul DiMirio takes the offense, defense, special teams, coaching staff, and the hopes and dreams of small children everywhere on his back and drags the entire lot kicking and screaming into victory.



Arizona Outlaws vs Orange County Otters

Arizona has lost twice at home. Period. Can the Otters be the third? Probably not. The high octane offense has trouble with these Outlaws and it's tough to see why this time would be different from week 10. or week 5. Or the playoffs last year. But there's always that question. What if. What if this is that moment. What if the Otters defense stops the Outlaw offense just enough? It's not unreasonable. The Otter defense is sneaky good. What if their offense breaks through the vaunted defense this team? It's plausible, too. They have weapons on weapons and they led the league in both rushing and passing touchdowns. It COULD happen.

So what happens? It doesn't. Outlaws win. Otter management goes back to the drawing board to figure out what tweak is needed to move to that next level.



Ultimus Cup: Arizona Outlaws vs Philadelphia Liberty

Philadelphia doesn't win football championships.



New Talent:
None Stormblessed joined the Baltimore Hawks partway through the season. Within a few weeks, the Hawks went from the third worst offense in the league to the third best. Period. It's hard to overstate the effect that the receiver had on the team's season. He had a huge impact himself, catching all 8 of his touchdowns in his ten games with the Hawks. On top of that, he clearly helped his new teammate, first round draft pick Trey Willie, by creating a next level threat to force defenses to be honest. Add in his league leading kick return yardage and you got a major acquisition that almsot certainly was the difference between middle of the pack offense and a unit that could hold it's own and not force the defense to do all the work.

This is just the beginning, too. Next season looks to be even better as the team gels more and has a full 14 game schedule to do damage. You can absolutely expect the Hawks to challenge the top two offensive monsters in the league, and Stormblessed is a big reason why.



Playoff Review:

Utter domination. That's the only way to describe the Outlaws' stunning 49-12 victory over the Baltimore Hawks in the Ultimus Cup. The Outlaw defense slaughtered the Hawks' attempts to move the ball. In fact, they scored more than the Hawks did through the two interception returns for touchdowns, courtesy of Franklin Harris Jr and Allen Davis. On the offensive side of the ball the Outlaws also more than held their own, diverting from their normal ground and pound attack and instead putting the ball in the air 48 times. King Bronco finished with 4 touchdowns and the game MVP award as the team finished a season that was historically dominant from start to finish.

The aftermath of what could properly be described as a massacre leaves a few questions. What now? Who can stop the juggernaut that is the Outlaws? This is a team that won last year, then went out and added PRODUCTIVE rookies Jaxon Tuck, Godfrey King, Samuel Zheng, Charlie Law, and Franklin Harris Jr. That's like putting a chaingun on a twenty foot mech that already has rocket launchers. So what do the other seven teams do to catch up and surpass the three time champions?



Bottom Half:

It wasn't supposed to be this way for the Yeti. Poised to break into the upper echelon and challenge for the playoffs, the Yeti came into the season ready to showcase the team they'd built. Then, it all fell apart. The Legion came form the other direction. They knew it was going to be a rough year. They're a team building for the future after all. Sure, it doesn't make the losing less hurtful. It just wasn't the shock that the Yeti went through.

Both teams have similarities in their dismal seasons, whoever. Both had management turnover. Both were in the middle scandals that cost them important players going forward. Finally, in a ray of hope, both teams found future stars in the draft. Conner Tanner and Brice Boggs share two things. Ludicrously white guy names and the hopes of their teams. Both teams have hopes that next year will be different. But neither team will forget this dismal year. A year in which the only thing either seemed to be able to beat was each other and the Sabercats. WILL next year be different? Only time will tell.

[TheMemeMaestro]

Offensive Comparison:

Defensive Comparison:

Bottom Half:

New Talent:

Playoff Predictions:

[HalfEatenOnionBagel]

Bottom Tier

Call it bad luck or call it inconsistency, the Wraiths had a season far worse than what many had expected, including themselves. Many cite the wraiths point differential as an indicator that they were much better than their record showed. But, all this really showed is that they took advantage of easy matchups but choked in a big spot. This team has playmakers on both sides of the ball, they just couldn't put it together this season. But, they should still be a strong competitor next season and may even find themselves in the playoffs yet again if they can fill some of the gaps on their roster.

The Yeti are a much easier case to look at and understand why they fell short. The NSFC has been competitive but the Yeti just couldn't keep up with the pack. The loss of Noble was extremely devastating for this team as they were forced to rely on the rookie Pierno who has a bright future but just wasn't ready for the spotlight. Noble was clearly the one carrying this team. Combine that with some questionable drafting as well as some trades that set the Yeti up for a rebuild and it was no surprise that the Yeti were in the basement and could stay there for some time.

Playoff Series MVP

The MVP of the Ultimus Game has to be CA Chess. It's been hard to determine an MVP in these Championship games because the domination by the Outlaws defense has always been such a team effort. But this year, the Outlaws finally brought some offensive firepower to match their defense and Chess was a huge part of it. He scored a remarkable 3 touchdowns in the championship game, propelling the Outlaws to yet another Ultimus victory. While the Outlaws defense is certainly the best in the league, the Hawks defense is nothing to scoff at, especially in terms of their secondary. That's what makes this performance by Chess even more impressive. In the regular season, Chess put up some pretty good numbers but there were a lot of players that had much better seasons than he did and with some other good weapons around him on offense, it's easy to see why he may have gotten overshadowed some in the regular season. But in a time when his team needed a great performance the most, he stepped up and delivered in a big spot. Chess is quickly establishing himself as one of the biggest receiving threats in the league. We'll see if he can carry some momentum from a performance like this into next season and take the next step as a receiver.



Offensive Comaprison:

In the NSFC Championship game, the Hawks and Liberty will each feature one of the premier pass catching talents in the game today. For the Liberty, it’s star WR Fox North who had another fantastic season, finishing with over 1200 receiving yards to go along with a career high 8 touchdowns. On the Hawks side, it’s a player in Trey Willie that has had a remarkably similar breakout rookie campaign to the one North had last year. For two teams that tend to rely on solid defensive performances to propel them to victory, having explosive players on offense like North and Willie can turn the tables in a tight game in a hurry. Looking at how these players did statistically on the season, it’s clear that both of them were a big part of the overall offensive production for their teams. However, North had more than double the receiving touchdowns that Willie had on the season. This was an area that North had trouble getting involved in on offense last season, but his growing rapport with Rove, as well as the expanding roles of both Kroetch and DiMirio may have opened more opportunities for North with less defensive coverage. That’s no to say that Willie’s impact for the Hawks should be downplayed as the Hawks tend to lean more on the running game. Willie’s 18.2 YPC was third best in the league showing that every catch he made was a chance for big yardage. And, if North’s second year performance is any indication of how Willie could develop, he will likely see the endzone quite a few more times next season. Both of these players have a chance to make a crucial play if they get some room in what should be a very close matchup. We’ll likely see both defenses try to clamp down on both of these players and force Kyubee and Rove to lean on their secondary options to make plays.

Playoff Predictions:

ASFC Title Game: The Outlaws start their S3 playoff run as yet again the heavy favorite to take the Ultimus. The Otters have looked extremely strong this season, especially with the best offwense the league has ever seen led by superstar QB Mike Boss. But, if any defense can shut it down in the league, it's the Outlaws. The deciding match up in this game is going to be between the Otters defense and the Outlaws offense which features a surprisingly strong stable of weapons for the much improved King Bronko. Outlaws don't lose at home when they don't want to and they're going to be too strong again for the Otters. Outlaws 24 – Otters 10

NSFC Title Game: If you want an edge of your seat defensive matchup, then this game is for you. Both these teams are built in a very similar manner, relying on strong defenses. What will really be the deciding factor in this game is which offense is able to get something going. The Hawks beat the Liberty in a close game early in the season in Baltimore, and looked strong to start the season. However, they faltered many times late in the year, including getting smacked around by the Liberty in the final game of the season. On the other side of the ball, the Liberty have absolutely dominated in the second half of the season en route to their first playoff appearance. Rookie QB Clifford Rove has shown a lot of improvement and the team as a lot of momentum going forward. These are two teams trending in opposite directions right now and while the game should be close, I think the Liberty have more going for them right now. Liberty 14 – Hawks 10

Ultimus Title Game: In a game featuring two great defenses, this game may be much lower scoring than expected. In Week 2, the Liberty actually had a pretty good showing against the Outlaws and almost stole a victory. However, in Arizona and fired up from another victory against the rival Otters, I think the Outlaws will just be too much for the Liberty to handle and will be Ultimus Champions for a third straight season. Outlaws 24 – Liberty 17


Matchup Nightmare:

It should come as no surprise that the one man the Hawks should be most afraid of on the Outlaws defense is reigning MVP Jayce Tuck. The Hawks offensive line, anchored by standout left tackle Avon Blocksdale, had another great season en route to a second straight Ultimus Game appearance. But, Tuck somehow improved massively on his previous MVP campaign, breaking his own sack record along the way. No matter how you prepare for him, Tuck always seems to find a way to get to the quarterback. He can line up all along the defensive line and if he finds a weak spot he can exploit, he'll make you pay for it. It's hard to say exactly which offensive lineman he'll face the most in the championship game, but even if it's Blocksdale, I think this whole offensive line has to be wary of the damage that Tuck can do. If the Hawks can somehow shut him down, they may stand a chance to pull off an upset in this game. Kyubee and Willie absolutely picked apart the Liberty defense in the NSFC Title Game, but if Kyubee doesn't have time to set and throw this offense won't get going. It's hard to imagine the Hawks will be able to slow Tuck down as nobody has been able to figure out how to do it yet. I think it's safe to say we'll be seeing Tuck on one of his signature rampages yet again in the Ultimus game.

[bovovovo]

Offensive Comparison:
Orange County Otters star wideout B. Westfield has taken the league by storm this season, leading the league in yards with 1,625 and being tied for the most receptions with 86. He also had the second highest average yards per catch in the league with 18.9, and led the league in receiving touchdowns with 12. Who on the Arizona Outlaw’s offense can compare? D. Evans is the one who comes closest, but that’s just relative. Evans finished the year with 64 receptions (tied for 10th), 1060 yards receiving (10th), and 5 receiving touchdowns (tied for 7th). Not bad, but not nearly close to Westfield’s numbers. However, one could argue that Westfield’s production came primarily as a result of volume, as Orange County Otters receivers accounted for the top 3 receivers with the most receptions in the league (86, 86, and 84) and their QB Mike Boss, while a terrific QB in his own right, shattered the previous attempts per season record. On the other hand, the Outlaws are a primarily run-first offense, having the most rushing attempts in the league. Westfield was able to stand out on an absolutely stacked offense, while Evans was able to stand out on a primarily run-first defensively dominant team, and both of these accomplishments are impressive in their own way. Westfield’s is probably more impressive though.

(222 words)


Defensive Comparison:
I’ll be comparing the Otter’s star defensive “linebacker,” D. Verns, with Arizona’s best starting linebacker, L. Luechly. Verns is technically a safety but the Otters use him as a linebacker in my formations, mostly due to their lack of good linebackers. Verns has thrived in the position, racking up 127 tackles, 2 TFLs, 11 sacks, 4 interceptions, and an astounding 20 passes defended. In comparison, Luechly is a more traditional linebacker playing on an absolutely stacked Arizona defense that is headlined by the always dominant J. Tuck. Luechly finished the regular season with 95 tackles, 3 TFLs, 13 sacks, 1 interception, and 5 passes defended.

Despite playing the same position, both these players are actually in completely different situations (as I briefly mentioned). Verns is easily the fastest member of the Otter’s defense, allowing him to get to the ball carrier first. His tackle/missed tackle ratio is unknown, but he’s able to get there so fast that he racks up the tackles, even though as a unit the Orange County defense has been lacking, especially against the run game. Look for the Outlaws to take advantage of this with their run-first offense, and Verns high tackle count probably won’t be enough to stop it.

(204 words)

Bottom Half:
The Yellowknife Wraiths missed the playoffs because of pure, dumb luck. Or the lack thereof. That’s it. Don’t let anybody tell you anything different, the Wraiths deserved that spot and the Liberty getting embarrassed just proves it. The Wraiths lost two fluke games almost back to back, one against the struggling Yeti and one against the Sabercats. Both teams were not only winnable, but the Wraiths held victory in their grasp before it being taken from them in some bogus fluke. They only lost the Sabercats because of a botched CB-blitz resulting in a 40 yard game winning touchdown with about twenty seconds left, and they lost to the Yeti because the stars aligned and everything went wrong from interceptions to fumbles to penalties. To make matters worse, the GM inexplicably and accidentally forgot the definition of “tampering,” causing the Wraiths to lose their star offensive lineman just when they needed him most, not to mention the cap penalties. Almost every possible thing that could have gone wrong this season to keep the Wraiths out of the playoffs did happen, and them not making the playoffs was a fluke. And yes I am a little salty about it.

The Yeti didn’t make the playoffs because they are in rebuild mode and thus are terrible.

(216 words)

That Magic Moment:
The most magical moment of the Philadelphia Liberty vs. Baltimore Hawks playoff match-up was when I, bovovo, turned on the twitch stream at the start of the 4th quarter after missing the rest of the game. “I wonder how the game’s going? Is it close? Oh boy, I just cannot wait!” I thought to myself.

I sat on the toilet and opened up the Twitch website on my browser. After it finally loaded, and I opened the stream, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The Hawks were winning 27 – 3! I couldn’t believe my eyes. Actually, I could believe it. Because the Liberty didn’t even deserve to be there and got in on a fluke. I laughed to myself. The sim gods may have been cruel to the Wraiths, but their fury was not contained to just us. I watched as the Hawks scored a final time, putting the game away at a dominant 34-3 final score.

That was my magic moment. Opening the stream and seeing that the Hawks had embarrassed the Liberty. I had been salty for at least two days up to that moment because the Wraiths didn’t make the playoffs. But seeing the scoreboard for the first time cured me of my salt. I was healed. It was then that I learned a very valuable lesson: The sim gods may taketh, and they may be cruel, but they are not without mercy.

(238 words)


Hate the player or the game
If you read my earlier PT, you know that I’m just a little salty about the Wraiths missing the playoffs. I play it up a lot, I’m not actually mad or anything, just disappointed.

Allow me to paint you a picture, and tell you a tale of two teams. Team A had a positive 57 point differential, Team B had a -2 point differential. Team A was first in their conference in points scored per game, offensive yards per game, passing yards per game, and run defense, while Team B wasn’t first in anything. Team A had a QB with a passer rating of 88.6, while Team B’s was at 70. Team A also has the 2nd highest total TPE count in the entire league.

One of these teams made the playoffs, and the other did not. Can you guess which one? Because Team A didn’t make it, and Team B did. Now I’m not hating on Team B, who will go unnamed, as they almost led the league in interceptions and were top 3 in defensive takeaways, but I am saying that Team A was pretty unequivocally unlucky. Am I saying that Team B didn’t deserve to be there? Not at all (though they did get absolutely embarrassed in the first round of the playoffs). What I am saying is that the Wraiths deserved to be there, but alas, the sim gods are cruel.

(243 words)

[iamslm22]

Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series.

Here were are going to discuss two players who are both Pro Bowl level talents, each playing on the offensive side of the ball. In the NSFC championship game there are two premier left tackles in the league. Micah Hendrix and Avon Blocksdale are both considered two of the best offensive linemen in the league, and are easily going to make the Pro Bowl this season. Last year Blocksdale talked a lot of crap, and said how he deserved to make the Pro Bowl over Hendrix because of Hendrix's amount of sacks allowed, but this year Hendrix shut Avon up. Micah Hendrix was easily the top lineman in the NSFC this year, leading the conference in pancakes at 60 and allowing ZERO sacks (the only starting O lineman with no sacks allowed in the NSFC). Blocksdale was no slouch though, and he had 54 pancakes and only 2 sacks allowed. The Balitmore defensive line is a little more tough than the Liberty, so Hendrix will certainly have his hands full. How much time these left tackles give Scrub Kyubee and Clifford Rove will certainly effect who wins this championship game. I know that I am very excited to see these two amazing offensive linemen work, and we'll see how it goes in this playoff game. (215)

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

None Stormblessed is a controversial figure in the league. He was on the S 1 championship team with the Arizona Outlaws, and then was traded for a HUGE haul to the Las Vegas Legion. On the Legion, with garbage QB Josh Berc, Stormblessed was a disappointment. In S2 he was the top receiver on the Legion, but in S3 he did not fit at all. Berc would not target him, and he had drop after drop. That did not stop Baltimore GM Gordon Gecko from trading for Stormblessed. Gecko gave up almost no value for Stormblessed, since the S4 draft has barely any inactives. The picks will be in the 6-8 range and the 14-16 range. Since being traded to Baltimore, Storm has been incredible. He has filled in incredibly for the soon to be retired Matthew Vincent and the washed up Cooper Christmas. Stormblessed and rookie Trey Willie are two of the fastest wide outs in the game, and are going up against one of the best secondaries in the league in Philly. Stormblessed will likely be covered by Pro Bowler Tyler Oles (who is also super fast), and it will be very interesting to see. Storm is going be huge for these Baltimore Hawks if they want to go to the Ultimus. 214

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

The Colorado Yeti had plenty of reasons why they did not make the playoffs. First off we'll start with effort. They did not try to make the playoffs. The Yeti were tanking for this season, and made it pretty obvious. They lost their star QB Logan Noble because he was a cheater, and once that happened they traded a bunch of their best players away. They wanted to acquire draft picks for the S4 and S5 draft and they did just that. Given the weakness of the S4 draft it remains to be seen whether or not it was the best decision, but it certainly explains why they didn't make the playoff. Another reason is QB play. Everyone who frequents the discord knows I am a big fan of Nicholas Pierno, and I really believe eventually the kid will make the Pro Bowl, but this season he was a DSFL QB thrust into the tough tough role of facing NSFL defenses week in and week out. Pierno set the record for interceptions thrown this year, and just kept getting intercepted.
The Las Vegas Legion were another team that didn't make the playoffs and for them we'll be more brief. They had the second lowest points scored, and the most points allowed on defense to actually finish the worst PD in the league. (222)

More to come

Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them.

When talking about the MVP of the NSFC championship game there is literally only one name that can come to mind: Trey Willie. Willie had one of the best playoff games in NSFL history as the Hawks absolutely destroyed the Philadelphia Liberty 34 to 3. Willie caught five balls, for one hundred and seventeen yards, averaging more than 23 yards per catch. Willie had an astounding 3 receiving touchdowns, catching touchdowns of six yards, 25 yards and 32 yards. On top of his incredible day receiving, Willie had the biggest play of the game with a monstrous, impressive, one hundred and three yard kick return for a touchdown. This play was especially huge because the Liberty had just kicked a field goal, and might have felt momentum on their side bringing them within 10 points. But Trey Willie pulled a Lee Corso and said "not so fast my friend" taking the ensuing kickoff from three yards deep in the end zone all the way for a TD. For fans of the NSFL this game was not surprising at all. Trey Willie was a steal in the second round of the draft, and is easily the league's offensive rookie of the year as well as a sure fire Pro Bowler. He helped lead the Hawks to a dominant victory over the Liberty and will now the Hawks will head to face the Outlaws in the Ultimus. (235) @ItsJustBarry

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

So since I am writing this the morning of Ultimus day I am writing regarding the Baltimore Hawks and Arizona Outlaws. The Outlaws are an absolutely dominant team, and are easily double digit favorites vs the Baltimore Hawks. So do I think the Hawks will win this game? No. Do I think the Hawks can win this game? 100%. If you want proof that the Hawks can win in Arizona then look no further than week 12 of the regular season. The Outlaws were hosting the Hawks and hadn't lost at home since S1. No one expected the Hawks to win as Arizona was undefeated at the time. The Hawks however jumped out to an early 20 point lead, being up 23-3 midway through the third quarter. The Hawks would wind up winning in over time over the Outlaws. How do they repeat that performance? They have to get great games from their stars. Trey Willie and None Stormblessed both need have big games on the outside. The pass rush needs to again out perform Arizona's when Baltimore out sacked Arizona 7 to 4. The Corners of Baltimore, Antoine Delacour and Darnell Turner both need to be able to hold upi n man coverage against C A Chess and Evans. Again this isn't likely, but hey there's a chance. (219)

[Muford]

Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

When people think offensive players for Arizona they think about none other than Reg Mackworthy. He was right behind Tweed for rushing title, averaging 3.3 yards per carry on route to 1215 yards. Reg has also been able to find the end zone 10 times, which is second in the league. He has been the backbone of the Arizona offense, carrying them to victory time and time again since their receiving corps isn’t as strong as some others. Don’t sleep on those guys either though. Reg has been a class veteran in the league and is looking to help carry Arizona to their third title in three years.
The underdog would have to be Erlich Burnsman. He was drafted this year by Orange County, and even though they have become a high flying, air it out offense he has put in a lot of work. Sharing carries with Leroy Jenkins has hurt his numbers, but even then, on the year Burnsman has 552 yards with a 3.7 average and a staggering 11 touchdowns which leads the league in that category. Burnsman is going to try and upset the Outlaws, and he will need to be clicking on all cylinders if the Otters want a chance to go to the Ultimus.
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Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

A player that has come up big for Baltimore time and time again has to be none other than Antoine Delacour. He has been a forced to be reckoned with in Baltimore. On the season Antoine Delacour has recorded 67 tackles, 6 interceptions, 24 pass deflections and a defensive touchdown. He has been a shutdown corner for Baltimore and will continue to do so for the future. He has helped lead Baltimore to the #1 seed in the NSFC and will continue to help them out in the foreseeable future.
Tyler Oles of the Philadelphia Liberty has also been a wonderful player throughout the year for the Liberty. On the season he has 59 tackles, 7 interceptions, 12 pass deflections with one defensive touchdown. Another anchor for the Liberty defense, he has helped turn this team around and gotten them the number 2 spot in the NSFC. Tyler Oles has been a vocal leader for the Liberty on both the field and in the locker rooms. We can see him looking out for the Liberty throughout the forums and he is someone that is easily a captain that will continue to improve and be a great player for years to come.
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Bottom Half: Write about why two of the four teams were not able to make the playoffs. Can be completed at any point

Two teams that have struggled immensely this year and failed to make the playoffs are none other than Yellowknife Wraiths and the San Jose Sabercats. The Yellowknife Wraiths have had the same story these past few seasons, where they can’t do anything on the road, and this season especially their home strength has fallen off. This could be due to a number of reasons, a lot of people believe it is because the sim gods hate them, or that Er is cheating, but some of it can come down to Bzerkap’s 2 game suspension and their game planning. Yellowknife has the team to do it offensively, but their defense even with Ricky Maddox switching over has under preformed immensely. Only time will tell, but hopefully they can turn it around for Season 4.
The San Jose Sabercats are another story all together. The first two seasons they won a combined total of 8 games, while in season 3 they only won 5, they tied a game and made vast improvements all around their team. They drafted a kicker with the 5th overall pick, where a lot of people can see that as a problem, Iyah Blewitt has been nothing but godsend to San Jose. They have strengthened their defensive line and secondary, and their receiving corps has seen vast improvements as well. Being in the strong ASFC will make it hard for San Jose to see the playoffs, but given time and a *hopefully* Strong free agent market this season, look for them to contend with Orange County next year.
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Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)

The San Jose Sabercats are a team that hands down should have made the playoffs over the Orange County Otters. It wasn’t until their late season melt down that they fell out of contention to take the second seed in the ASFC. When San Jose acquired Gadget Tech, Torque Lewith and Mayran Jackson from the Yeti completely changed the way the team functions. Getting these players for the corpse of Ben Longshaw and some picks (season 4 draft picks aren’t going to really turn into much) ended up making the AFSC the more competitive league. The Sabercats started to air the ball out, Ethan Hunt started to play like the Quarterback that the team believes he can be and good things started happening. The defense that San Jose has also brought to the table has made huge adjustments from the previous years and it has been great to see a strong front 4 with a strong secondary. San Jose almost squeaked into the playoffs with no real linebackers and are looking to make a huge splash into free agency to be able to contend. With the possibility of Mike Boss leaving Orange County, look for San Jose to steal the number two spot for the playoffs these next few years. Only time will tell, but San Jose continues to trend upwards.
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Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

The Philadelphia Liberty is a team that the Baltimore Hawks NEED to look out for. They started the season off slowly and dug themselves into a hole, but ended up pulling themselves out and finished the year strong. They won 7 of their last 8 games, with their only loss coming to Yellowknife on a Field Goal. The Liberty barely lost to Baltimore in Baltimore and have come a long way since week four. Their team has a whole season under their belts now after a lot of changes that they have gone through from being an expansion team in season two. They were also able to add the best free agent from last year, A.C. Hackett and he has been able to bring the team’s defense around. The Liberty also added Ramrio to their stout front seven and are looking to make a huge impact. Their secondary is nothing to laugh at, having Kristoffer O’Sullivan and Tyler Oles, and their defense is easily one of the best in the league this year. This team has a lot to prove and a lot to offer, and if Baltimore makes any mistakes the Liberty will jump all over them and take this game from under Baltimore’s noses.
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[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.