09-10-2019, 05:55 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-15-2019, 11:25 AM by goodvsevil1275.)
Because there isn't too much variation in week to week play, I've decided I'm going to likely move my Movers and Shakers to a once weekly article if I don't cut it entirely. This opened me up for another segment, Game Changers and Disappointments. This is a segment where we dive into each game and point out a few players who did exceptional and a few that fell below the mark.
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Drew Maddox: Game changer. Maddox comes into this segment as an absolute game changer. With six catches, 111 yards, and one touchdown, he was par for the course this week. He has been one of the most consistent play makers in the entire NSFL as he puts up numbers every single week he takes the field. With 836 yards and eight scores on only 44 catches, Maddox is currently considered the best receiver in the NSFL and if he keeps producing, the Hawks might yet find themselves in the thick of the hunt come season end.
Ben Horne: Game changer. Horne changed things up and decided to have an absolute impact on this game. He racked up seven tackles and a pair of sacks in this game. We all know how hard it can be to get the quarterback on the ground in this league, so we're often celebrating when we have single sacks. To get two of them is a fairly rare feat. Horne nearly doubled his sack totals on the season as he finally found a way to produce in the pass rush. The Hawks need a lot of players to step up as this season comes to a close and Horne can certainly be a solid start.
Xandra Troyski: Pleasant surprise. What an absolute monster game from Xandra Troyski. Troyski had been relatively disappointing in coverage so far this season, rarely finding himself in the area of the ball. Last night he managed three passes defended and got his first interception of the season. It was a big night for a player who has been virtually invisible so far and he was a big reason the Hawks pulled this game off.
Ricky Adams: Pleasant surprise. Adams had surprising production in this loss. He is currently listed as a running back on the roster, but so far this season Chicago has been lining him up exclusively at receiver. He hadn't had too much success there coming into this game averaging only three catches and 39 yards a game. This game saw him bring in seven for 82 yards as he continuously found ways to get free in the Hawks secondary. The Butchers haven't had much success in their passing game, but having a guy like Adams step up could add another dimension to this team.
Sam Torenson: Disappointment. Torenson put up what was likely the most disappointing appearance of the week. This man leads the league in rushing and up until last night, he was averaging 135 all purpose yards and at least one score per game. He was one of the biggest producers in the league and for seven weeks had the biggest impact of any player who wasn't a quarterback. Against the Hawks, he performed one of the best vanishing acts I've ever seen in my life by putting up only 62 yards and completely losing the end zone. His 3.1 yards a carry was one of the most disappointing marks of a feature back that we've seen through seven weeks of play. The middle of the pack in this league is pretty competitive, so Chicago dropping another game this season wasn't a surprise. It being off the back of a vanishing Torenson was.
Rose Jenkins: Disappointment. Jenkins hasn't been asked to do much this season and as such hasn't put up massive numbers. Still, he was at least able to make plays when he was asked and he took care of the football and one of the most accurate passers in the league. That was all broken down last night. Due to the ineffectiveness of Torenson, Jenkins was asked to carry the game and he simply was not up to the task. He had one of his most inaccurate nights of the season and threw too interceptions to boot. He was making his whole season off of being the safe player, but now we've seen what happens when Jenkins has to take risks and it isn't a good look.
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Marquise Brown: Game changer. We were all wondering where he went off to, but Marquise Brown finally decided to show up to the stadium. Before this week, Brown wouldn't have even been considered a top 10 running back for most analysts. He looked slow, ineffective, and put up disappointment after disappointment. Only two scores in seven games for the man who led the league in rushing touchdowns last season? It has been a disheartening campaign for one of the league's best, but he put in his best work when the Liberty absolutely needed a win to stay competitive.144 all purpose yards and three rushing touchdowns made this one of the top running back performance's of the season. Hopefully this is a return to form and not just a fluke.
Gus T.T. Showbiz: Game changer. Showbiz went off this game and showed his ability as an elite play maker in the secondary for this Orange County squad. Three swatted balls and two interceptions off of Falconi made Showbiz one of the few highlights for the Otters in this loss. There were a lot of questions about Showbiz and why one of the best quarterbacks in the league would dare position swap. How could he possibly have the same impact on defense as he did behind center? Games like this remind you just how versatile Showbiz is. He has cemented himself as one of the best coverage guys in the league as he currently is first in both pass defense and interceptions. He's putting on a show and this was just another in a long line.
Nacho Varga: Pleasant surprise. When you share a roster with a name like Jordan von Matt, you expect for your targets to be limited and for you to be the second guy. What you don't expect is to be the second guy and still outperform von Matt. Since von Matt's production has dropped off this season, Varga has had to step up and produce just to keep this Liberty team competitive. His ability to do that was on full display in this one as he pulled in eight catches, 105 yards, and a touchdown. He's been the go to guy so far for Falconi and he finds himself in unfamiliar territory. He's at least making the best of it and if he continues to perform and Falconi continues to target him, Philadelphia can still get back into the playoff race.
Hugh Mongo: Pleasant surprise. Mongo had a pretty decent game in this loss as he hauled in four catches for 92 yards, averaging 23 yards per catch. He was a big play highlight reel every time the ball came his direction and after averaging only 59 yards a game so far this season, this change of pace was a delight to watch. Unfortunately, Armstrong was smothered for much of the game and couldn't capitalize on a breakout game for Mongo. With Sunncursed lined up on the other side of the field and drawing the more elite coverage, hopefully Mongo can have a few more games like this for the Otters before season end.
Adriana Falconi: Disappointment. Its been a rough season for Falconi as she continues to turn the ball over in mass. Even in a win that saw her go 26 of 46 for 393 yards is marred by two more turnovers. Her 73.9 quarterback rating was near mirrored by Armstrong and he was on the losing side of a landslide. If this team is going to make a run, they need bigger performances out of one of their best players. She gets the win here, but she was a big reason why Orange County ever even had a chance in this game and it took a vintage performance from Marquise Brown to bail her out. Cut down on the turnovers and Falconi might see herself rise the quarterback rankings again. As of right now? I'm not even sure she's top five.
Johnny Blaze: Disappointment. Blaze has had a very up and down year. This was one of his downs. He's had a very interesting season where one week he looks like one of the best players on the field and the next he looks absolutely lost. He made his mark as the best tight end in football last season as he racked up 87 yards a game, but so far we've just not seen that kind of production out of him this season. He's only averaging 72 yards a game and this game was even further down the spectrum as he only managed 43 yards. When Blaze plays well, the Otters win. When Blaze plays like this, their offense is lost. They need him to be better.
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Jerrod Canton: Game changer. Canton has been an absolute joy to watch this season as he almost single handedly has tried to make this Wraith's offense one of the best in the NSFL. Every single week he puts on a highlight reel performance as he leads the NSFL in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. This week he added another 114 yards and a score in a losing effort. The more I watch him carve up defenses, the more I question where this Wraith's team would be without him. He's a dominant force on the football field this season and at this rate may be a dark horse for MVP. Unfortunately this performance wasn't quite enough to pull out the win here, but if he can keep performing at this level, the Wraiths may not lose many more.
Mo Berry: Game changer. Berry was one of the best pass coverage linebackers in the NSFL in season 16. After knocking 21 balls out of the air last season and being third in the league at doing it, he had really taken a step back in season 17. He got back on pace in this last game. 10 tackles, one tackle for a loss, a sack, and four passes defended made for an impressive campaign by Mo Berry. He did everything he was asked of an more as he excelled no matter where they put him on the defense. Berry has begun to turn his season around and that may be a big part of why the Yeti have been pulling out so many upsets of late.
Danny Grithead: Pleasant surprise. Everyone knows what Danny Grithead can do. Last season he was one of the biggest highlight defenders in the league and he showed off his ability game in and game out. This season has been an overall step back for the superstar safety and people were beginning to wonder if his game had begun to regress. Grithead proved tonight that he might be down, but he absolutely is not out. Nine tackles, two sacks, a pass defense, and an interception showed that Grithead was more than capable of still performing at a high level in every phase of the game. It was exciting to watch as he flew across the field and I can't be the only fan who hopes this is a return to form for one of the most dominant defensive players we've seen.
Logan Lejune: Pleasant surprise.Lejune was an absolute stud last season, but few players have seen as steep of a decline as Lejune has eight weeks into a new campaign. He's barely managed an impact at all throughout this season, which was a disappointing turn of events for one of the top defenders of last year. Despite his overall lack of production, he put on an incredible show against the Wraiths and he is a key reason why they won. Four passes defended and an interception return for a touchdown that gave the Yeti their permanent lead in the third quarter. These points were essential as Colorado's offense struggled the entire second half. Big plays have been rare for Lejune of late, but this was one of the more clutch ones in his career.
Wolfie McDummy: Disappointment. It almost feels like cheating to put McDummy in this spot. Any time Wolfie McDummy steps out onto the field, he is in prime position to be the most disappointing player on that field. Here stands a man who has actually lost more games for his team that he's managed to win which is an impressive feat in any sport. His 21 of 38 for 218 yards and an interception resulted in a 61.1 quarterback rating that did absolutely nothing to help this team win. After a disappointing rookie season, many expected McDummy to make some improvements at some point. Unfortunately for Colorado, they've just not come yet. Fortunately for Colorado, McDummy wasn't quite the worst player on the field and so they managed to etch out a victory in spite of this performance.
Cooter Bigsby: Disappointment. When you step on the same field as Wolfie McDummy, you expect to be the best quarterback in the game that day. Bigsby fell short of that expectation. Bigsby was given 60 opportunities in this game to make magic happen and all the wraiths got back were tragic results. He completed barely 50% of his passes and threw two interceptions. One was returned for a touchdown and the other crippled what would have likely been a scoring drive. When you play against a team you're supposed to beat, you're supposed to play at the top of your game and no play down to the competition. Which isn't fair considering Bigsby played under the competition today with his 58.5 quarterback rating. There was plenty of disappointment to go around for Yellowknife in this game, but Bigsby's lack of efficiency is what crippled this team.
Bubba Thumper: Honorable mention in pleasant surprise. It took a while for him to come into shape, but the second over all pick of the season 16 draft finally found a way to have an impact. He has been steady manning the middle and stuffing runs at the line, but he has been slow to develop his block shedding skills. This week he racked up both his first tackle for a loss and his first sack, showing that Thumper might be finally ready to eat at the big boy's table. Hopefully this development continues as the season progresses.
Kicky Bobby: Honorable mention in disappointment. Despite everything that went wrong for the Wraiths in this game, they managed to rally and have a chance to tie it up at the end of the fourth quarter. All they needed was a quick extra point from their nearly flawless kicker. And he missed. Bobby wasn't the reason this team lost, but his failure will be the most memorable for fans of Yellowknife.
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Andrew Reese: Game changer. Every time Reese takes the field this season, I think he gets just a little bit better. He gets a little bit more accurate and takes care of the ball just a little better and its helping him put together a top notch campaign. Reese is trying to put together an MVP kind of season this year and it showed in this absolutely dominant win over the SaberCats. 28 of 46 for 372 yards and two touchdowns led to Reese's 101 quarterback rating. You can't actually ask for much better than that as Reese absolutely carved apart this SaberCats defense and made it look easy. Last season Arizona was a run first offense that only used Reese as a second option if necessary. Games like this show that in this campaign, everything is running through the man standing under center.
Cameron Olsen: Game changer. Olsen was really the only highlight on a SaberCats squad that everything seemed to go wrong for. Olsen has established himself as a top receiving tight end in this league and he is absolutely consistent. Not matter how badly things go for San Jose, you know you will always see Olsen at the end doing everything he can to will this squad to a win. His six catches for 114 yards is easy to overlook, but that is only because that is what we've come to expect from a player like Olsen in this league. He was above the average tonight and again proved why he is so important for the SaberCats. As long as he produces, San Jose has a chance. Unfortunately, he couldn't do it all himself on this night.
Raymond Vans: Game changer. We're just getting more of the same here in a player who hasn't regressed at all between seasons. Vans is one of the most dominant pass rushers in our league. Week in and week out he finds his was consistently into the backfield to disrupt any and every pass he can possibly get to. He led the league in sacks in season 16 and now it is like we're watching reruns as his two sack performance against the SaberCats puts him on top again. This man is simply unblockable. I don't care if you double team him, I don't care if you keep in a back, I don't care if you have the quarterback roll away from him. Raymond Vans will find his way to the quarterback and get him in the dirt. He's been both impressive and oppressive and I can't wait to see what else we get from him for the rest of this season.
Slim Shady: Pleasant surprise. Shady has had a rocky campaign so far this season. He started off explosive, then dipped, then exploded again, then dipped. Now he's back to exploding. He waxes and wanes like the moon and when he does decide to show up, he shines brighter than almost any player. Tonight was one of those nights as he put together 132 all purpose yards and a score. Shady always looks for ways to contribute in this offense and he does his best to achieve whatever job Arizona asks of him. Some games they want him to pound the ball, others they want him as another receiving threat. He can be explosive in either facet and tonight he managed a little of both. Lucky for Arizona, Reese has been playing out of his mind so they haven't needed Shady to be consistent. Instead, we can just all sit back and enjoy the fireworks when it happens.
Brock Landers: Pleasant surprise. Landers was the top receiver in Arizona last season. In fact, he was arguably the only receiver in Arizona last season as he paved his way to a top 10 campaign. Since Valentine has arrived on this Outlaws roster, Landers became less of a necessity and more of a luxury. We've seen his production really drop off in the first seven games as he averaged 56 yards a game and only 11 yards a catch. Last night we saw him light it up as he reminded everyone exactly who Brock Landers is. Four catches, 104 yards, and a massive 26 yards a catch. This man was a big play highlight waiting to happen and he finally chose the SaberCats to let it happen against. Valentine will always be the number one, but Landers went out of his way in this one to remind everyone that number two isn't a steep drop off.
Joliet L. Christ: Disappointment. Oh boy, what happened here? Christ will be kicking himself for this one, but hopefully he is quick to move on and forget it. One week ago, I would have told you that Christ was easily the best quarterback in the NSFL and was on a pace that would almost lock in the MVP for him this season. Then at the worst possible time, he shows up and has the worst game of his career. 16 of 33 for 220 yards, no scores, and two interceptions was the scoreline for what has been the most accurate passer in our league to this point. Seeing Christ complete less than half of his passes was baffling as this man has carved apart everyone he's faced without a thought. The Outlaws defense got him rattled early and often and he seemed to melt down worse as the game went on despite never really looking like he was in the game in the first place. Hopefully he bounces back from this and returns to form, but if the Outlaws just wrote an instructional guide on how to get to Christ, this may be a long end of the season for the SaberCats.
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Forrest Gump: Game changer. So far this season, Forrest Gump has been one of the few highlights for a struggling New Orleans squad that has fallen well below expectations. They were expected to be top three in their conference, but instead they sit at the bottom of the league with no real light at the end of the tunnel. So far at least fans have been able to cheer on Gump as he has been a consistent play maker for this squad, keeping them in games that would probably look far worse without him. he managed 115 yards and a score in a losing effort where he seemed to be one of the only players with life on the field. Gump looks primed to continue making plays, but hopefully he doesn't get worn out before season end.
Vladimir Fyodorovich: Game changer. Fyodorovich is a wily veteran that has been doing this for a long, long time. He's half way through his 10th career and while many players would be regressing, Fyodorovich is showing that he can still make things happen. Five receptions for 110 yards and and touchdown is nothing to turn your nose up at as Fyodorovich made a multitude of big plays to try and keep this game close for New Orleans. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the game got out of hand far too early and they never could catch up. When you look at Fyodorovich and Gump and how they have been making things happen, you have to start wondering why this team struggles to win games.
Ashley Owens: Pleasant surprise. What an absolute monster game from the rookie Ashley Owens. Everything expected big things from the first overall draft pick in the season 16 draft, but I'm not sure anyone expected this big of an impact this early in the season. Owens went 163 yards and two scores in route to a win in which the Copperheads dominated throughout. Consistent big plays from Owens got this team rolling fast and New Orleans simply couldn't find a way to recover once Owens got headed downhill and he simply seemed unable to be tackled for much of the game. When your first rounder shows up like this, you have to get excited.
Django Anoa’i: Pleasant surprise. Anoa'i is no stranger to having a positive impact on the game as he led Austin in receiving in season 16, but he was 15th in the league and didn't really do anything to stand out as exceptional as Austin's offensive woes were well documented. So far this season, he's been on pace to eclipse 1000 yards and be a top 10 pass catcher in this league, showing his willingness to improve and get better for this Austin squad. That determination was on display in his six catch, 103 yard, one score campaign that helped Austin to their third win of the season. He was consistently making big plays, reeling in deep passes as he converted time and time again for the Copperheads. With their run game firing on all cylinders, it seems to be opening things up for Anoa'i and he might end up even breaking top five receivers by season end.
Johnny Slothface: Pleasant surprise. I can't do a write up on this game without mentioning Slothface. He was doing everything on defense. 14 tackles, a sack, and three passes defended. He actually looked like the only guy on defense for the Second Line as he was constantly around the ball making plays. This was one of his best games of the year and he managed more in pass coverage in this game than he did in his entire season 16 campaign. Slothface was on fire this game and it is a shame he didn't have a bit more help. He stood out, but standing out doesn't always result in wins.
Brayden Ennis: Disappointment. Ennis was selected fourth overall in this past draft and New Orleans wanted him so bad they made a move to trade for him. They saw a player in Ennis that was going to make an immediate impact for this defense and send them on an upswing. Unfortunately, that just hasn't been the case as Ennis has struggled to get to plays all season long. In this game he only managed to get to a ball player a single time. In this league defensive tackles often find their impact shaded by their lack of statistics overall, but even for our big boys on the inside one tackle is disappointing. New Orleans needs a bigger impact out of this guy if they want to start winning games and hopefully his development pays off sooner than later.
Keep in mind that everything here is all opinion based on stats and in game observations from watching the sim! Nothing is meant personally and I hope everyone has enjoyed my dive into the week 8 player performances!
PS. Let me know if you have any preferences in this vs Shakers and Movers format.
PS. PS. Sweetwater sucks.
@ Drew Maddox: Game changer. Maddox comes into this segment as an absolute game changer. With six catches, 111 yards, and one touchdown, he was par for the course this week. He has been one of the most consistent play makers in the entire NSFL as he puts up numbers every single week he takes the field. With 836 yards and eight scores on only 44 catches, Maddox is currently considered the best receiver in the NSFL and if he keeps producing, the Hawks might yet find themselves in the thick of the hunt come season end. Ben Horne: Game changer. Horne changed things up and decided to have an absolute impact on this game. He racked up seven tackles and a pair of sacks in this game. We all know how hard it can be to get the quarterback on the ground in this league, so we're often celebrating when we have single sacks. To get two of them is a fairly rare feat. Horne nearly doubled his sack totals on the season as he finally found a way to produce in the pass rush. The Hawks need a lot of players to step up as this season comes to a close and Horne can certainly be a solid start. Xandra Troyski: Pleasant surprise. What an absolute monster game from Xandra Troyski. Troyski had been relatively disappointing in coverage so far this season, rarely finding himself in the area of the ball. Last night he managed three passes defended and got his first interception of the season. It was a big night for a player who has been virtually invisible so far and he was a big reason the Hawks pulled this game off. Ricky Adams: Pleasant surprise. Adams had surprising production in this loss. He is currently listed as a running back on the roster, but so far this season Chicago has been lining him up exclusively at receiver. He hadn't had too much success there coming into this game averaging only three catches and 39 yards a game. This game saw him bring in seven for 82 yards as he continuously found ways to get free in the Hawks secondary. The Butchers haven't had much success in their passing game, but having a guy like Adams step up could add another dimension to this team. Sam Torenson: Disappointment. Torenson put up what was likely the most disappointing appearance of the week. This man leads the league in rushing and up until last night, he was averaging 135 all purpose yards and at least one score per game. He was one of the biggest producers in the league and for seven weeks had the biggest impact of any player who wasn't a quarterback. Against the Hawks, he performed one of the best vanishing acts I've ever seen in my life by putting up only 62 yards and completely losing the end zone. His 3.1 yards a carry was one of the most disappointing marks of a feature back that we've seen through seven weeks of play. The middle of the pack in this league is pretty competitive, so Chicago dropping another game this season wasn't a surprise. It being off the back of a vanishing Torenson was. Rose Jenkins: Disappointment. Jenkins hasn't been asked to do much this season and as such hasn't put up massive numbers. Still, he was at least able to make plays when he was asked and he took care of the football and one of the most accurate passers in the league. That was all broken down last night. Due to the ineffectiveness of Torenson, Jenkins was asked to carry the game and he simply was not up to the task. He had one of his most inaccurate nights of the season and threw too interceptions to boot. He was making his whole season off of being the safe player, but now we've seen what happens when Jenkins has to take risks and it isn't a good look. @ Marquise Brown: Game changer. We were all wondering where he went off to, but Marquise Brown finally decided to show up to the stadium. Before this week, Brown wouldn't have even been considered a top 10 running back for most analysts. He looked slow, ineffective, and put up disappointment after disappointment. Only two scores in seven games for the man who led the league in rushing touchdowns last season? It has been a disheartening campaign for one of the league's best, but he put in his best work when the Liberty absolutely needed a win to stay competitive.144 all purpose yards and three rushing touchdowns made this one of the top running back performance's of the season. Hopefully this is a return to form and not just a fluke. Gus T.T. Showbiz: Game changer. Showbiz went off this game and showed his ability as an elite play maker in the secondary for this Orange County squad. Three swatted balls and two interceptions off of Falconi made Showbiz one of the few highlights for the Otters in this loss. There were a lot of questions about Showbiz and why one of the best quarterbacks in the league would dare position swap. How could he possibly have the same impact on defense as he did behind center? Games like this remind you just how versatile Showbiz is. He has cemented himself as one of the best coverage guys in the league as he currently is first in both pass defense and interceptions. He's putting on a show and this was just another in a long line. Nacho Varga: Pleasant surprise. When you share a roster with a name like Jordan von Matt, you expect for your targets to be limited and for you to be the second guy. What you don't expect is to be the second guy and still outperform von Matt. Since von Matt's production has dropped off this season, Varga has had to step up and produce just to keep this Liberty team competitive. His ability to do that was on full display in this one as he pulled in eight catches, 105 yards, and a touchdown. He's been the go to guy so far for Falconi and he finds himself in unfamiliar territory. He's at least making the best of it and if he continues to perform and Falconi continues to target him, Philadelphia can still get back into the playoff race. Hugh Mongo: Pleasant surprise. Mongo had a pretty decent game in this loss as he hauled in four catches for 92 yards, averaging 23 yards per catch. He was a big play highlight reel every time the ball came his direction and after averaging only 59 yards a game so far this season, this change of pace was a delight to watch. Unfortunately, Armstrong was smothered for much of the game and couldn't capitalize on a breakout game for Mongo. With Sunncursed lined up on the other side of the field and drawing the more elite coverage, hopefully Mongo can have a few more games like this for the Otters before season end. Adriana Falconi: Disappointment. Its been a rough season for Falconi as she continues to turn the ball over in mass. Even in a win that saw her go 26 of 46 for 393 yards is marred by two more turnovers. Her 73.9 quarterback rating was near mirrored by Armstrong and he was on the losing side of a landslide. If this team is going to make a run, they need bigger performances out of one of their best players. She gets the win here, but she was a big reason why Orange County ever even had a chance in this game and it took a vintage performance from Marquise Brown to bail her out. Cut down on the turnovers and Falconi might see herself rise the quarterback rankings again. As of right now? I'm not even sure she's top five. Johnny Blaze: Disappointment. Blaze has had a very up and down year. This was one of his downs. He's had a very interesting season where one week he looks like one of the best players on the field and the next he looks absolutely lost. He made his mark as the best tight end in football last season as he racked up 87 yards a game, but so far we've just not seen that kind of production out of him this season. He's only averaging 72 yards a game and this game was even further down the spectrum as he only managed 43 yards. When Blaze plays well, the Otters win. When Blaze plays like this, their offense is lost. They need him to be better. @ Jerrod Canton: Game changer. Canton has been an absolute joy to watch this season as he almost single handedly has tried to make this Wraith's offense one of the best in the NSFL. Every single week he puts on a highlight reel performance as he leads the NSFL in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. This week he added another 114 yards and a score in a losing effort. The more I watch him carve up defenses, the more I question where this Wraith's team would be without him. He's a dominant force on the football field this season and at this rate may be a dark horse for MVP. Unfortunately this performance wasn't quite enough to pull out the win here, but if he can keep performing at this level, the Wraiths may not lose many more. Mo Berry: Game changer. Berry was one of the best pass coverage linebackers in the NSFL in season 16. After knocking 21 balls out of the air last season and being third in the league at doing it, he had really taken a step back in season 17. He got back on pace in this last game. 10 tackles, one tackle for a loss, a sack, and four passes defended made for an impressive campaign by Mo Berry. He did everything he was asked of an more as he excelled no matter where they put him on the defense. Berry has begun to turn his season around and that may be a big part of why the Yeti have been pulling out so many upsets of late. Danny Grithead: Pleasant surprise. Everyone knows what Danny Grithead can do. Last season he was one of the biggest highlight defenders in the league and he showed off his ability game in and game out. This season has been an overall step back for the superstar safety and people were beginning to wonder if his game had begun to regress. Grithead proved tonight that he might be down, but he absolutely is not out. Nine tackles, two sacks, a pass defense, and an interception showed that Grithead was more than capable of still performing at a high level in every phase of the game. It was exciting to watch as he flew across the field and I can't be the only fan who hopes this is a return to form for one of the most dominant defensive players we've seen. Logan Lejune: Pleasant surprise.Lejune was an absolute stud last season, but few players have seen as steep of a decline as Lejune has eight weeks into a new campaign. He's barely managed an impact at all throughout this season, which was a disappointing turn of events for one of the top defenders of last year. Despite his overall lack of production, he put on an incredible show against the Wraiths and he is a key reason why they won. Four passes defended and an interception return for a touchdown that gave the Yeti their permanent lead in the third quarter. These points were essential as Colorado's offense struggled the entire second half. Big plays have been rare for Lejune of late, but this was one of the more clutch ones in his career. Wolfie McDummy: Disappointment. It almost feels like cheating to put McDummy in this spot. Any time Wolfie McDummy steps out onto the field, he is in prime position to be the most disappointing player on that field. Here stands a man who has actually lost more games for his team that he's managed to win which is an impressive feat in any sport. His 21 of 38 for 218 yards and an interception resulted in a 61.1 quarterback rating that did absolutely nothing to help this team win. After a disappointing rookie season, many expected McDummy to make some improvements at some point. Unfortunately for Colorado, they've just not come yet. Fortunately for Colorado, McDummy wasn't quite the worst player on the field and so they managed to etch out a victory in spite of this performance. Cooter Bigsby: Disappointment. When you step on the same field as Wolfie McDummy, you expect to be the best quarterback in the game that day. Bigsby fell short of that expectation. Bigsby was given 60 opportunities in this game to make magic happen and all the wraiths got back were tragic results. He completed barely 50% of his passes and threw two interceptions. One was returned for a touchdown and the other crippled what would have likely been a scoring drive. When you play against a team you're supposed to beat, you're supposed to play at the top of your game and no play down to the competition. Which isn't fair considering Bigsby played under the competition today with his 58.5 quarterback rating. There was plenty of disappointment to go around for Yellowknife in this game, but Bigsby's lack of efficiency is what crippled this team. Bubba Thumper: Honorable mention in pleasant surprise. It took a while for him to come into shape, but the second over all pick of the season 16 draft finally found a way to have an impact. He has been steady manning the middle and stuffing runs at the line, but he has been slow to develop his block shedding skills. This week he racked up both his first tackle for a loss and his first sack, showing that Thumper might be finally ready to eat at the big boy's table. Hopefully this development continues as the season progresses. Kicky Bobby: Honorable mention in disappointment. Despite everything that went wrong for the Wraiths in this game, they managed to rally and have a chance to tie it up at the end of the fourth quarter. All they needed was a quick extra point from their nearly flawless kicker. And he missed. Bobby wasn't the reason this team lost, but his failure will be the most memorable for fans of Yellowknife. @ Andrew Reese: Game changer. Every time Reese takes the field this season, I think he gets just a little bit better. He gets a little bit more accurate and takes care of the ball just a little better and its helping him put together a top notch campaign. Reese is trying to put together an MVP kind of season this year and it showed in this absolutely dominant win over the SaberCats. 28 of 46 for 372 yards and two touchdowns led to Reese's 101 quarterback rating. You can't actually ask for much better than that as Reese absolutely carved apart this SaberCats defense and made it look easy. Last season Arizona was a run first offense that only used Reese as a second option if necessary. Games like this show that in this campaign, everything is running through the man standing under center. Cameron Olsen: Game changer. Olsen was really the only highlight on a SaberCats squad that everything seemed to go wrong for. Olsen has established himself as a top receiving tight end in this league and he is absolutely consistent. Not matter how badly things go for San Jose, you know you will always see Olsen at the end doing everything he can to will this squad to a win. His six catches for 114 yards is easy to overlook, but that is only because that is what we've come to expect from a player like Olsen in this league. He was above the average tonight and again proved why he is so important for the SaberCats. As long as he produces, San Jose has a chance. Unfortunately, he couldn't do it all himself on this night. Raymond Vans: Game changer. We're just getting more of the same here in a player who hasn't regressed at all between seasons. Vans is one of the most dominant pass rushers in our league. Week in and week out he finds his was consistently into the backfield to disrupt any and every pass he can possibly get to. He led the league in sacks in season 16 and now it is like we're watching reruns as his two sack performance against the SaberCats puts him on top again. This man is simply unblockable. I don't care if you double team him, I don't care if you keep in a back, I don't care if you have the quarterback roll away from him. Raymond Vans will find his way to the quarterback and get him in the dirt. He's been both impressive and oppressive and I can't wait to see what else we get from him for the rest of this season. Slim Shady: Pleasant surprise. Shady has had a rocky campaign so far this season. He started off explosive, then dipped, then exploded again, then dipped. Now he's back to exploding. He waxes and wanes like the moon and when he does decide to show up, he shines brighter than almost any player. Tonight was one of those nights as he put together 132 all purpose yards and a score. Shady always looks for ways to contribute in this offense and he does his best to achieve whatever job Arizona asks of him. Some games they want him to pound the ball, others they want him as another receiving threat. He can be explosive in either facet and tonight he managed a little of both. Lucky for Arizona, Reese has been playing out of his mind so they haven't needed Shady to be consistent. Instead, we can just all sit back and enjoy the fireworks when it happens. Brock Landers: Pleasant surprise. Landers was the top receiver in Arizona last season. In fact, he was arguably the only receiver in Arizona last season as he paved his way to a top 10 campaign. Since Valentine has arrived on this Outlaws roster, Landers became less of a necessity and more of a luxury. We've seen his production really drop off in the first seven games as he averaged 56 yards a game and only 11 yards a catch. Last night we saw him light it up as he reminded everyone exactly who Brock Landers is. Four catches, 104 yards, and a massive 26 yards a catch. This man was a big play highlight waiting to happen and he finally chose the SaberCats to let it happen against. Valentine will always be the number one, but Landers went out of his way in this one to remind everyone that number two isn't a steep drop off. Joliet L. Christ: Disappointment. Oh boy, what happened here? Christ will be kicking himself for this one, but hopefully he is quick to move on and forget it. One week ago, I would have told you that Christ was easily the best quarterback in the NSFL and was on a pace that would almost lock in the MVP for him this season. Then at the worst possible time, he shows up and has the worst game of his career. 16 of 33 for 220 yards, no scores, and two interceptions was the scoreline for what has been the most accurate passer in our league to this point. Seeing Christ complete less than half of his passes was baffling as this man has carved apart everyone he's faced without a thought. The Outlaws defense got him rattled early and often and he seemed to melt down worse as the game went on despite never really looking like he was in the game in the first place. Hopefully he bounces back from this and returns to form, but if the Outlaws just wrote an instructional guide on how to get to Christ, this may be a long end of the season for the SaberCats. @ Forrest Gump: Game changer. So far this season, Forrest Gump has been one of the few highlights for a struggling New Orleans squad that has fallen well below expectations. They were expected to be top three in their conference, but instead they sit at the bottom of the league with no real light at the end of the tunnel. So far at least fans have been able to cheer on Gump as he has been a consistent play maker for this squad, keeping them in games that would probably look far worse without him. he managed 115 yards and a score in a losing effort where he seemed to be one of the only players with life on the field. Gump looks primed to continue making plays, but hopefully he doesn't get worn out before season end. Vladimir Fyodorovich: Game changer. Fyodorovich is a wily veteran that has been doing this for a long, long time. He's half way through his 10th career and while many players would be regressing, Fyodorovich is showing that he can still make things happen. Five receptions for 110 yards and and touchdown is nothing to turn your nose up at as Fyodorovich made a multitude of big plays to try and keep this game close for New Orleans. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the game got out of hand far too early and they never could catch up. When you look at Fyodorovich and Gump and how they have been making things happen, you have to start wondering why this team struggles to win games. Ashley Owens: Pleasant surprise. What an absolute monster game from the rookie Ashley Owens. Everything expected big things from the first overall draft pick in the season 16 draft, but I'm not sure anyone expected this big of an impact this early in the season. Owens went 163 yards and two scores in route to a win in which the Copperheads dominated throughout. Consistent big plays from Owens got this team rolling fast and New Orleans simply couldn't find a way to recover once Owens got headed downhill and he simply seemed unable to be tackled for much of the game. When your first rounder shows up like this, you have to get excited. Django Anoa’i: Pleasant surprise. Anoa'i is no stranger to having a positive impact on the game as he led Austin in receiving in season 16, but he was 15th in the league and didn't really do anything to stand out as exceptional as Austin's offensive woes were well documented. So far this season, he's been on pace to eclipse 1000 yards and be a top 10 pass catcher in this league, showing his willingness to improve and get better for this Austin squad. That determination was on display in his six catch, 103 yard, one score campaign that helped Austin to their third win of the season. He was consistently making big plays, reeling in deep passes as he converted time and time again for the Copperheads. With their run game firing on all cylinders, it seems to be opening things up for Anoa'i and he might end up even breaking top five receivers by season end. Johnny Slothface: Pleasant surprise. I can't do a write up on this game without mentioning Slothface. He was doing everything on defense. 14 tackles, a sack, and three passes defended. He actually looked like the only guy on defense for the Second Line as he was constantly around the ball making plays. This was one of his best games of the year and he managed more in pass coverage in this game than he did in his entire season 16 campaign. Slothface was on fire this game and it is a shame he didn't have a bit more help. He stood out, but standing out doesn't always result in wins. Brayden Ennis: Disappointment. Ennis was selected fourth overall in this past draft and New Orleans wanted him so bad they made a move to trade for him. They saw a player in Ennis that was going to make an immediate impact for this defense and send them on an upswing. Unfortunately, that just hasn't been the case as Ennis has struggled to get to plays all season long. In this game he only managed to get to a ball player a single time. In this league defensive tackles often find their impact shaded by their lack of statistics overall, but even for our big boys on the inside one tackle is disappointing. New Orleans needs a bigger impact out of this guy if they want to start winning games and hopefully his development pays off sooner than later.Keep in mind that everything here is all opinion based on stats and in game observations from watching the sim! Nothing is meant personally and I hope everyone has enjoyed my dive into the week 8 player performances!
PS. Let me know if you have any preferences in this vs Shakers and Movers format.
PS. PS. Sweetwater sucks.
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