I finally have a bit of time to get some posts out, so let’s get into the most recent batch of DSFL action before the next two games come along and potentially render this stuff obsolete.
Norfolk Seawolves (3-1)
RB Dorfus Jimbo (@ScorpXCracker)
Last time, I mentioned that Dorfus Jimbo was receiving a heavy workload. Norfolk took a look at that sentiment and went “you think that was a big workload, you ain’t seen nothing yet”. In Week 3 against Kansas City, he got an ungodly 47 carries for 225 yards and 2 TDs. That is a ridiculous amount, but when you consider that he still nearly averaged five yards per carry, it’s easily defendable. The next week, though, would be even crazier. FIFTY FREAKING CARRIES, in Week 4 against Portland, for 197 yards. He isn't just a major part of the Seawolf offense, he is the Seawolf offense. Jay Longshaw only had 14 pass attempts in Week 4. Does this kind of thing just happen whenever there’s a Tebow on a team? (John Tebow saw action in Week 3 and even scored a touchdown.) I would argue that Norfolk is going to become predictable with their one-dimensional attack, but you can’t argue with their record. They’re 3-1, tied for the best record in the D-League, so maybe Norfolk is onto something.
CB Dermot Lavelle Jr. (@White Cornerback)
Or maybe the reason for Norfolk’s success comes from their pass defense, which ranks second in the D-League, and is bolstered by the play of rookie corner Dermot Lavelle Jr. In Week 3, he snagged a pick right before the end of the first half that led to three points, and he forced and recovered a fumble at the end of the second half to send the crowd home happy. He also tacked on six tackles and a deflections, which was exactly what he got the following week against Portland. Norfolk has three active players in their secondary, along with linebacker Marques Acho. Their back seven is among the best in the D-League, so maybe when you face Norfolk, maybe take a cue from their offense, and stick to the ground game.
Palm Beach Solar Bears (3-1)
QB Easton Cole (@JKortesi81)
The Solar Bears have turned around their fortunes in record time. It’s still early in the season, but they’ve nearly matched their win total from last year. I don’t know if new quarterback Easton Cole is fully responsible for the turnaround, but it’s hard to ignore both how good he’s playing and how good the Solar Bears are playing. Despite having a lower TPE than last year’s starter Apollo Lange, who was probably the worst quarterback in the D-League last year (sorry Apollo), Cole might just be the best quarterback in the minors right now. He’s tied for the most touchdowns, has thrown the fewest picks, and has a higher completion percentage than any other starting quarterback, including NSFL starters. To get back to what he’s done recently, he went 20/31 for 195 yards, one score, and no picks in Week 3 against Portland, and he followed it up by going 15/20 for 174 yards, two scores, no picks, and 13 yards on the ground for good measure. He doesn’t overwhelm in yards, but he’s efficient, he doesn’t make mistakes, and he knows where to pick his spot and when to defer to his equally excellent ground game. Watch out for the Solar Bears this year, they’re dangerous.
LB Guy Nikko (@Duress)
I’m genuinely worried that Guy Nikko is going to be the only guy (haha) I ever talk about for Palm Beach defenders, because he is gobbling up the tackles like it’s going out of style. He recorded 16 tackles and a TFL in both Week 3 and 4, as well as two deflections in the Week 4 matchup with Kansas City. This currently gives Nikko the league lead in tackles by a pretty comfortable margin. In fact, his 64 tackles means that he’s averaging 16 tackles per game. Last season, by my admittedly quick research, no one hit 16 tackles in any game. For Guy Nikko, 16 tackles is his normal day at the office. The all-time DSFL record for tackles in a season is 163. At this insane rate, he’ll hit that before the end of the first quarter in Week 11, and there’s a decent chance he could hit 200. Terrifying.
Tijuana Luchadores (2-2)
RB Forrest Gump (@TomHanks)
I don’t know what it is about maxed out quarterbacks playing terribly, but it’s a very strange issue I have with the D-League. Corvo Havran and KC’s Rose Jenkins are players you’d expect to be throwing bombs on these young fellas, and yet looking at their stats, they might be the two worst quarterbacks in the D-League. Aside from small bursts of production by Havran here and there, the bulk of Tijuana’s offensive firepower is coming from Forrest Gump. In Week 3, Tijuana beat San Antonio in a game in which Gump ran for 119 yards and three scores. But when the production from Gump slows down, so does the Luchador offense as a whole. In Week 4, San Antonio got their win back in a game where Gump only mustered 78 yards and no scores. It’s a pretty telling story about where Tijuana’s offense is right now.
LB Johnny Slothface (@slothfacekilla)
The Tijuana defense is one that spreads the wealth. In their Week 3 win over San Antonio, they got six sacks by six different players and five players had at least six tackles. And it’s pretty easy to state that Johnny Slothface is the leader in the middle of that defense. He led his team in tackles in both games with nine, and got a sack in both games, along with a TFL in Week 3 and a deflection in Week 4. No one the Luchador roster leaps out of the statsheet like Guy Nikko or, as we’ll see later, Lanzer Grievous, but even still, they have one of the best defenses in the D-League. Maybe this defense is more than the sum of its parts.
Portland Pythons (2-2)
RB RKANSAW (@PratJ)
I had Portland pegged to make it back to the Ultimini, but trouble seems to be brewing up in Oregon (or Maine, I don’t think they’ve ever specified). They’ve lost two in a row to heartbreaking last-minute touchdowns, and now they sit behind Norfolk in the NFC standings. While Beauregard Smallwood-Chess continues to be the Pythons’ best dual threat player, RKANSAW is providing stability at running back. Even though Portland still has a committee in the backfield, the former Arkansas State star is getting the most carries on a consistent basis, and it’s easy to see why. He gets the most out of all of his touches, consistently hitting five yards per carry and above. He got 18 carries for 90 yards in Week 3, and 13 carries for 77 yards in Week 4, all of which comfortably led his team in both categories. The touchdowns are mostly going to BSC, but RKANSAW’s work should be applauded. He’s getting them down the field to where they can get in. He’s Portland’s workhorse, and while he’s not fancy, he does his job well.
LB Lanzer Grievous (@Rising Equinox)
OK, something is going on with the tackles. Last season, no one had more than 15 tackles in a game, and now Lanzer Grievous has had his second 19 tackle game of the season. I went and checked, and yes, 19 tackles is tied for the record for most in a single game, so don’t be surprised if that’s one of the records that falls this season. He hit this milestone again in the Week 4 game against Norfolk, and I guess getting to see Dorfus Jimbo run it literally 50 times will boost your tackle numbers. He was merely mortal in Week 3 when he only notched seven tackles and a deflection, but those seven tackles still led his team in a game in which Palm Beach’s offense ran all over them. Speaking of Palm Beach, Guy Nikko, Grievous, and maybe San Antonio’s Pierce Van Buren will likely be trading the tackling title back and forth all the way through the season, and I think both will be contenders for Defensive Player of the Year by year’s end.
San Antonio Marshalls (1-3)
TE Timmy Hoss (@smaxx77)
There we go, a human player, nicely done San An. Timmy Hoss isn’t knocking his opponents socks off, but he’s still very clearly the best receiver on this Marshalls team, and someone who has already developed a solid relationship with new quarterback Peter Larson. He led his team in receptions and yards in both games against Tijuana, with 4 for 68 in Week 3, and 4 for 62 in Week 4. Again, it’s not the greatest numbers ever, in fact Tijuana’s Rod Tidwell outdid him in both games in both categories, but it was enough to help propel San Antonio to their first win of the season, and for now, that’s good enough.
LB Pierce Van Buren (@adam2552)
There aren’t just two tackle-mongers in the D-League this year. Rookie Pierce Van Buren has been staying step-for-step with Nikko and Grievous, and looks like a possible front runner for DSFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. His stronger game this cycle was in Week 3, where he recorded 16 tackles, a sack, and a deflection, but he also contributed to San An’s win in Week 4 with 13 tackles, a TFL, and a deflection. He’s currently third in the D-League in tackles, and has more sacks than Nikko and Grievous. If San An is going to turn their fortunes around, PVB is going to have come up big in the coming weeks.
Kansas City Coyotes (1-3)
WR J.N. Nova (@sarmo)
There isn’t a lot that’s working for the KC Coyotes, they’re last points scored and points allowed, and are generally kind of a crummy team. J.N. Nova is at least proving himself as the Coyotes’ best target for now. He’s the team’s leading receiver and has accounted for all of (aka both of) KC’s receiving touchdowns. The Kansas City offense has been sputtering lately, but Nova is at least shining brightly for this team.
S Jaylen Storm (@Daybe)
I was really tempted to put Lightsout Lewis on here for a 17 tackle, one sack performance, but then Jaylen Storm caught my eye, and I think he may’ve outdone Lewis. Week 3 vs. Norfolk, Storm picked up 13 tackles, a TFL, a deflection, an interception in Norfolk territory that led to a field goal. He only got six tackles in the following game against Palm Beach, but still, Storm is another rookie who’s coming in and lighting it up right away. Between Lewis, Storm, and Derek Bohne (inactive), the makings of an exciting defense are there.
1898 words .
Norfolk Seawolves (3-1) RB Dorfus Jimbo (@ScorpXCracker)
Last time, I mentioned that Dorfus Jimbo was receiving a heavy workload. Norfolk took a look at that sentiment and went “you think that was a big workload, you ain’t seen nothing yet”. In Week 3 against Kansas City, he got an ungodly 47 carries for 225 yards and 2 TDs. That is a ridiculous amount, but when you consider that he still nearly averaged five yards per carry, it’s easily defendable. The next week, though, would be even crazier. FIFTY FREAKING CARRIES, in Week 4 against Portland, for 197 yards. He isn't just a major part of the Seawolf offense, he is the Seawolf offense. Jay Longshaw only had 14 pass attempts in Week 4. Does this kind of thing just happen whenever there’s a Tebow on a team? (John Tebow saw action in Week 3 and even scored a touchdown.) I would argue that Norfolk is going to become predictable with their one-dimensional attack, but you can’t argue with their record. They’re 3-1, tied for the best record in the D-League, so maybe Norfolk is onto something.
CB Dermot Lavelle Jr. (@White Cornerback)
Or maybe the reason for Norfolk’s success comes from their pass defense, which ranks second in the D-League, and is bolstered by the play of rookie corner Dermot Lavelle Jr. In Week 3, he snagged a pick right before the end of the first half that led to three points, and he forced and recovered a fumble at the end of the second half to send the crowd home happy. He also tacked on six tackles and a deflections, which was exactly what he got the following week against Portland. Norfolk has three active players in their secondary, along with linebacker Marques Acho. Their back seven is among the best in the D-League, so maybe when you face Norfolk, maybe take a cue from their offense, and stick to the ground game.
Palm Beach Solar Bears (3-1) QB Easton Cole (@JKortesi81)
The Solar Bears have turned around their fortunes in record time. It’s still early in the season, but they’ve nearly matched their win total from last year. I don’t know if new quarterback Easton Cole is fully responsible for the turnaround, but it’s hard to ignore both how good he’s playing and how good the Solar Bears are playing. Despite having a lower TPE than last year’s starter Apollo Lange, who was probably the worst quarterback in the D-League last year (sorry Apollo), Cole might just be the best quarterback in the minors right now. He’s tied for the most touchdowns, has thrown the fewest picks, and has a higher completion percentage than any other starting quarterback, including NSFL starters. To get back to what he’s done recently, he went 20/31 for 195 yards, one score, and no picks in Week 3 against Portland, and he followed it up by going 15/20 for 174 yards, two scores, no picks, and 13 yards on the ground for good measure. He doesn’t overwhelm in yards, but he’s efficient, he doesn’t make mistakes, and he knows where to pick his spot and when to defer to his equally excellent ground game. Watch out for the Solar Bears this year, they’re dangerous.
LB Guy Nikko (@Duress)
I’m genuinely worried that Guy Nikko is going to be the only guy (haha) I ever talk about for Palm Beach defenders, because he is gobbling up the tackles like it’s going out of style. He recorded 16 tackles and a TFL in both Week 3 and 4, as well as two deflections in the Week 4 matchup with Kansas City. This currently gives Nikko the league lead in tackles by a pretty comfortable margin. In fact, his 64 tackles means that he’s averaging 16 tackles per game. Last season, by my admittedly quick research, no one hit 16 tackles in any game. For Guy Nikko, 16 tackles is his normal day at the office. The all-time DSFL record for tackles in a season is 163. At this insane rate, he’ll hit that before the end of the first quarter in Week 11, and there’s a decent chance he could hit 200. Terrifying.
Tijuana Luchadores (2-2) RB Forrest Gump (@TomHanks)
I don’t know what it is about maxed out quarterbacks playing terribly, but it’s a very strange issue I have with the D-League. Corvo Havran and KC’s Rose Jenkins are players you’d expect to be throwing bombs on these young fellas, and yet looking at their stats, they might be the two worst quarterbacks in the D-League. Aside from small bursts of production by Havran here and there, the bulk of Tijuana’s offensive firepower is coming from Forrest Gump. In Week 3, Tijuana beat San Antonio in a game in which Gump ran for 119 yards and three scores. But when the production from Gump slows down, so does the Luchador offense as a whole. In Week 4, San Antonio got their win back in a game where Gump only mustered 78 yards and no scores. It’s a pretty telling story about where Tijuana’s offense is right now.
LB Johnny Slothface (@slothfacekilla)
The Tijuana defense is one that spreads the wealth. In their Week 3 win over San Antonio, they got six sacks by six different players and five players had at least six tackles. And it’s pretty easy to state that Johnny Slothface is the leader in the middle of that defense. He led his team in tackles in both games with nine, and got a sack in both games, along with a TFL in Week 3 and a deflection in Week 4. No one the Luchador roster leaps out of the statsheet like Guy Nikko or, as we’ll see later, Lanzer Grievous, but even still, they have one of the best defenses in the D-League. Maybe this defense is more than the sum of its parts.
Portland Pythons (2-2) RB RKANSAW (@PratJ)
I had Portland pegged to make it back to the Ultimini, but trouble seems to be brewing up in Oregon (or Maine, I don’t think they’ve ever specified). They’ve lost two in a row to heartbreaking last-minute touchdowns, and now they sit behind Norfolk in the NFC standings. While Beauregard Smallwood-Chess continues to be the Pythons’ best dual threat player, RKANSAW is providing stability at running back. Even though Portland still has a committee in the backfield, the former Arkansas State star is getting the most carries on a consistent basis, and it’s easy to see why. He gets the most out of all of his touches, consistently hitting five yards per carry and above. He got 18 carries for 90 yards in Week 3, and 13 carries for 77 yards in Week 4, all of which comfortably led his team in both categories. The touchdowns are mostly going to BSC, but RKANSAW’s work should be applauded. He’s getting them down the field to where they can get in. He’s Portland’s workhorse, and while he’s not fancy, he does his job well.
LB Lanzer Grievous (@Rising Equinox)
OK, something is going on with the tackles. Last season, no one had more than 15 tackles in a game, and now Lanzer Grievous has had his second 19 tackle game of the season. I went and checked, and yes, 19 tackles is tied for the record for most in a single game, so don’t be surprised if that’s one of the records that falls this season. He hit this milestone again in the Week 4 game against Norfolk, and I guess getting to see Dorfus Jimbo run it literally 50 times will boost your tackle numbers. He was merely mortal in Week 3 when he only notched seven tackles and a deflection, but those seven tackles still led his team in a game in which Palm Beach’s offense ran all over them. Speaking of Palm Beach, Guy Nikko, Grievous, and maybe San Antonio’s Pierce Van Buren will likely be trading the tackling title back and forth all the way through the season, and I think both will be contenders for Defensive Player of the Year by year’s end.
San Antonio Marshalls (1-3) TE Timmy Hoss (@smaxx77)
There we go, a human player, nicely done San An. Timmy Hoss isn’t knocking his opponents socks off, but he’s still very clearly the best receiver on this Marshalls team, and someone who has already developed a solid relationship with new quarterback Peter Larson. He led his team in receptions and yards in both games against Tijuana, with 4 for 68 in Week 3, and 4 for 62 in Week 4. Again, it’s not the greatest numbers ever, in fact Tijuana’s Rod Tidwell outdid him in both games in both categories, but it was enough to help propel San Antonio to their first win of the season, and for now, that’s good enough.
LB Pierce Van Buren (@adam2552)
There aren’t just two tackle-mongers in the D-League this year. Rookie Pierce Van Buren has been staying step-for-step with Nikko and Grievous, and looks like a possible front runner for DSFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. His stronger game this cycle was in Week 3, where he recorded 16 tackles, a sack, and a deflection, but he also contributed to San An’s win in Week 4 with 13 tackles, a TFL, and a deflection. He’s currently third in the D-League in tackles, and has more sacks than Nikko and Grievous. If San An is going to turn their fortunes around, PVB is going to have come up big in the coming weeks.
Kansas City Coyotes (1-3) WR J.N. Nova (@sarmo)
There isn’t a lot that’s working for the KC Coyotes, they’re last points scored and points allowed, and are generally kind of a crummy team. J.N. Nova is at least proving himself as the Coyotes’ best target for now. He’s the team’s leading receiver and has accounted for all of (aka both of) KC’s receiving touchdowns. The Kansas City offense has been sputtering lately, but Nova is at least shining brightly for this team.
S Jaylen Storm (@Daybe)
I was really tempted to put Lightsout Lewis on here for a 17 tackle, one sack performance, but then Jaylen Storm caught my eye, and I think he may’ve outdone Lewis. Week 3 vs. Norfolk, Storm picked up 13 tackles, a TFL, a deflection, an interception in Norfolk territory that led to a field goal. He only got six tackles in the following game against Palm Beach, but still, Storm is another rookie who’s coming in and lighting it up right away. Between Lewis, Storm, and Derek Bohne (inactive), the makings of an exciting defense are there.
1898 words .
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