*NFY: S8 DSFL Playoff Preview Edition

[Roly]

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NFY S8 Issue 1
Contributors: PDXBaller, Roly

The playoffs have arrived after 14 arduous DSFL games and it’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting games in DSFL history! For the NFC, the Kansas City Coyotes enter the playoffs with their best season record ever of 10-4 against the Portland Pythons who finished 6-8. The Coyotes are heavily favored to win this game as the Pythons struggled in the last half of season. Kansas City has beaten Portland in all 4 of their regular season games. For the SFC, the 8-6 Tijuana Luchadores will head up to San Antonio to face their division rivals coming off a team best 11-3 record and a 7 game win streak. This should be a very close game despite San Antonio winning 3 out of 4 of their regular season matchups.

This edition of NFY features an in-depth look at the DSFL playoffs, breaking down the two exciting matchups and what each club has to offer. We then dive into the race for Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROY) and end with an examination of the thrilling QB battle that has waged between prospects Kevin Fitzpatrick and Gus T.T. Showbiz all season.

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The Pythons have struggled all season despite a veteran quarterback in Cole McCoy. McCoy had the 4th most interceptions of any quarterback in the league with a paltry 6 passing touchdowns as the Pythons couldn’t seem to find their footing after losing so much of their star talent last season and Borro Gore before week 10. Elijah Lagerfield (@JSS) provides one of the few bright spots on this team having rushed his way to becoming a top rusher in the league this season and shattering the rushing yards record with 1562 yards to go along with 10 touchdowns. Lagerfield has been the consistent flame that’s kept Portland in many contests to prevent blowout losses. Alexandre Thibault (@`The_King`) has proven to be one of the best defensive prospects in the draft and had a stellar season with the Pythons concluding the season with 77 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 pass deflections, and 1 defensive touchdown. The Canadian safety will follow the likes of Cameron Taylor and should have a similar path to success in the NSFL. Latecomers Joliet Christ (@`AndrewWarren13`), Felix Hasselhoff (@`incitehysteria`), and Lucari Felix (@Official DT) have begun making their names known around the league and have helped the Pythons in the last few weeks of the regular season. Christ will be an exciting and potential high draft pick next season and rumors from the Pythons camp have indicated their fondness for Christ as he may be the second coming of Christ (former being DSFL Great Jameis Christ). Felix hasn’t quite made waves yet, but as an up and coming cornerback we should see some great things from him with a full season under his belt. Hasselhoff joins a small offensive class next season and having an active wide receiver can help even the barest teams win championships. The Hoff is already averaging 9 yards per reception with 1 touchdown.

The Coyotes had their best season ever behind Gus Showbiz and his receiving group of Declan Harp (@OBESE), Vinny Valentine (@Unicorn), and Alsan Arshad (@CptSquall). With the addition of LaMarcus Strike (@OwlStrike13), this is the best offensive team that the Coyotes have put together in quite some time and it’s helped them capture their best record in team history with some great wins against the Marshals and Luchadores at home. Strike has helped lead the team to becoming the best rushing offense with his 1445 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns while Valentine has become their best wideout with 622 yards, 13 yards average per game, and 3 touchdowns. He’s one of the best wide receiver prospects from this draft by far. Harp has remained solid as well with 558 passing yards and 1 touchdown. He has also demonstrated a high IQ on the offensive line with 12 pancake blocks and 2 sacks allowed. Harp is one of the few upcoming tight ends in recent NSFL drafts so he should be a high target for many teams looking to get a true TE on their roster. The Coyotes were also fortunate enough to add more receiver depth late in the season with Kazimir Oles(@`To12143`). He’s already got 2 touchdowns in 4 games for 137 yards and should make a big impact in the playoffs for the team. He’ll most likely be a top prospect in the next DSFL draft.

The defense of Kansas City has never looked better led by rookie linebacker Kolby Deringer (@GoonerBear). Despite some positional mistakes early on in the season, Deringer finished with 76 tackles and led the league in forced fumbles at 3 to go along with his 12 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 6 pass deflections. Deringer should be a top target for those teams looking to upgrade their linebacker corps for the future. Mike Miles has had a great sophomore season on defense as the returning cornerback tying the league best for 13 pass deflections. He should be a mainstay of the Coyotes secondary for seasons to come before getting called up to the NSFL.

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With all the attention that the Marshals have received, the Luchadores have quietly become one of the most complete teams this season with the second best offense and defense in the league. The offense has been unique this season as the Luchadores have fielded not one, not two...but THREE quarterbacks in their system. Sam Penner remained their number one quarterback for much of the season, but the acquisition of Andreas Metaxas (@daBenchwarmer, has given the Luchadores a new dimension in their offense with Metaxas’ superior mobility as a run option himself. Late season waiver pick-up Adriana Falconi (@enigmatic), is still looking to get her footing in the league, but is one of the most exciting prospects in recent seasons. With a proper start to the season, Falconi should light it up on a DSFL team very soon.

Although they are working out the nuances at quarterback, the Luchadores have a stellar running back in Ricky Adams (@TheDangaZone). He’s one of the few ‘Power Backs’ we’ve seen in the DSFL and he’s been a successful blocker for the pass game with 10 pancake blocks to add onto his 863 yards rushing and 5 rushing touchdowns. The receiving core of Tijuana is quite impressive as well. It’s lead by Xavier Flash with his 1003 receiving yards (@Leafs4ever along with Stone Hans (@Official DT), Zapp Brannigan (@pazuzu), and Ricardo Jones (@ruvimk98). This has been one of the best receiving corps in team history and quite a stark contrast to the usual heavy run game that the team has historically employed much like their division rivals. Mr. (Nearly Perfect) Kyle Corbett finished the season with an impressive 24/25 XPM/XPA for 96% and 30/32 FGM/FGA for 93.8%. He’s one of the most accurate kickers we’ve seen in the league and should transition to the NSFL very quickly with that golden boot of his.

The return of Thad Pennington is a welcome sight for the Luchadores as their defensive captain continued another successful season in the DSFL with 78 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 interceptions and 5 pass deflections. Young Spaghetti (@Vulgar) had a stellar defensive campaign for the Luchadores this season as well with 12 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 4 sacks, and a safety. The carbs have definitely helped him put on some weight this season! The linebacker coach in Tijuana must be doing something right as Tyler Griffin (@Youchmeister71) concludes his rookie season with 103 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 6 pass deflections. Now that’s a stat line that Brian Mills would be proud of.

The Marshals have had one of the most dominant performances in DSFL league history this season. Finishing their run with an impressive 7 game win streak, the Marshals have found the perfect blend of herbs, spices, passing, and rushing to become the top offense this season. Quarterback Kevin Fitzpatrick ends his rookie season as the best quarterback in the DSFL. The Marshals have the most offensive depth of any team with Footballer Catcherman making his return for a second season and racking up 1060 receiving yards. Alvin Chipmunk also made his return this season as the team’s starting Tight End. Rookies Black Marchand (@RYLAND) and Jai Turner (@IsaacJWeitkuhn) round out the receiving core with each rookie making solid plays for 2 and 4 receiving touchdowns respectively. The Marshals have historically relied on the run game and have a knack for scouting runningbacks so this season was no different as we saw Marquise Brown (@YoungTB) set the league on fire with his 1222 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. The speed back has been unstoppable in the red zone and set the record for most rushing touchdowns in the DSFL. It would be foolish to fight Brown on an open field…

Brock Weathers III returns as the team’s defensive captain on the front lines. The defensive end has been manhandling opposing quarterbacks with 18 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. There is no offensive line in the DSFL that can contain him. Defense has always been a calling card for the Marshals and this season that card featured the faces of Bucky Barnes (@Moosecop and Oskar Ludvig (@RealWackolyte). The pair make it a nightmare for opposing teams. The Norwegian Demon is 1st in defensive touchdowns and tied for 1st in 13 pass deflections this season with 6 interceptions. He’s just behind Barnes who has 7 interceptions as the leader to go along with his 7 pass deflections, and 3 defensive touchdowns. This is a duo that will make any quarterback think twice about passing. One small mistake against either of them will result in an interception...or worse.

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In one of the strongest defensive draft cohorts in recent seasons, the race for Defensive Rookie of the Year in the DSFL has been waging for months - even between teammates (just ask Bucky Barnes and Oscar Ludvig in San Antonio). Although these are proper rookies who won’t admit their interest in personal accolades, at least not with the Ultimini up for grabs, there’s no doubt that there are a lot of eyes looking at who might be named DROY for S8. So let’s look at the candidates:

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Bucky Barnes (Safety - San Antonio Marshals)
67 TCK | 1 TFL | 2/2 FF/FR | 2 SCK | 7 INT | 7 PD | 3 TD | 1 Blk Punt[/div]

Starting off in San Antonio with the first of two DROY candidates for the Ultimini-favourites, Bucky Barnes has taken the league by storm. Tying the regular season record for interceptions in a season (held in the past by IAs in Kansas City), Barnes notched an incredible 7 interceptions. But it wasn’t just his ability to steal possession from the opponents, but what he did after. Barnes notched 3 defensive touchdowns on his interceptions, which incredibly didn’t even lead the league due to his competition on the Marshals in Ludvig. His draft rankings have skyrocketed, even appearing as 1 overall in Sapp’s Annual Mock Draft, a position that his TPE and activity can both support. His 2 sacks, 67 tackles, and 2 forced and recovered fumbles all demonstrate the innate talent that Barnes brings to the position. He’s undeniably more rounded than his CB teammate Ludvig and showed it by breaking into the pocket on quick intelligent reads on the field. Barnes is a leader in the secondary who will immediately bolster any team and is well deserved of a DROY accolade.

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Oscar Ludvig (Cornerback - San Antonio Marshals)
62 TCK | 0 TFL | 0/0 FF/FR | 0 SCK | 6 INT | 13 PD | 4 TD[/div]

Also coming in from the Marshals is CB Oscar Ludvig, the healthy competition for Bucky Barnes in both the upcoming draft and the DROY competition. Putting up an incredible 6 interceptions, 13 pass deflections and 4 defensive touchdowns, Ludvig matched or beat Barnes in every big-play aspect of the defensive back position. While Barnes might’ve held the edge in sacks and fumbles, Ludvig arguably demonstrated more prowess as a defensive expert swatting down pass attempts an incredible 13 times to tie for the league leaders in PD. Not to mention the fact he broke the defensive TD record with 4, and Ludvig showed why he is a real and present threat to opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators.

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Kolby Deringer (LB - Kansas City Coyotes)
76 TCK | 0 TFL | 3/1 FF/FR | 12 SCK | 2 INT | 6 PD | 0 TD[/div]

Moving into the front seven, we find Kolby Deringer near the top of the lists for sacks in the DSFL - an incredible achievement to notch 12 on the season and remain in the same conversation as vaunted sophomore BWIII and IAs like Urlacher. Not only that, but Deringer demonstrated his versatility on the field by notching 2 interceptions and 6 pass deflections. He’s been a key part of the Kansas City revival in the NFC and has a knack for reading the play and either dropping back into coverage or hitting the pocket with explosive speed.

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Barnaby Earl (LB - Portland Pythons)
107 TCK | 3 TFL | 1/0 FF/FR | 10 SCK | 0 INT | 7 PD | 0 TD | 1 Blk FG[/div]

Staying in the LB position, we can turn to KCC’s rivals in Portland for the next DROY candidate. Barnaby Earl showed a lot of the same attributes as Deringer -- 10 sacks, 3 TFL and 6 pass deflections puts him in the same conversation as an elite LB who can pass rush or drop into coverage in the slot. However, he also demonstrated incredible reliability, putting up 107 tackles on the season, good for third in the whole league. That’s 30 more tackles than Deringer, and with similar big-play numbers might make up the difference enough to snag him the Top LB trophy and put him into the conversation for DROY.

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As the league concludes it’s 8th season, regression rears its ugly head again affecting many of the league’s top quarterbacks. With just a few more seasons of their prime left, many teams have looked forward to a rebuild or a retool...along with their quarterback for the future. Last season we saw San Jose begin their teardown and rebuild by selecting Tijuana quarterback standout Brad Pennington with the 3rd overall pick in the S8 NSFL draft. The window is now open for the new wave of quarterbacks and we are starting to see what the future holds for many NSFL teams.

This DSFL season we saw the emergence of two new and exciting quarterback prospects making their debut in the league: Gus T.T. Showbiz ([@Molarpistols]) of Kansas City and Kevin Fitzpatrick ([@kckolbe]) of San Antonio. The two rookies are as polar opposites as they come, but are united in their efforts to showcase why they are the premier quarterback to champion an NSFL team into the new era.

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Gus T.T. Showbiz
242/460 Comp/Att | 2384 Yds | 13 TD | 8 INT[/div]

Showbiz follows the likes of many elite pocket passers in the league like Mike Boss and Avon Blocksdale. The Santa Barbara quarterback has shown tremendous ability to stay calm in the pocket and make intelligence decisions as evidenced by his low 8 interceptions over 14 games. He’s been solid over the season making shorter, safe passes leading to a 69.7 passer rating as well. Rumor has it that Showbiz has been working with the aforementioned, Mike Boss, during the season and has modeled his game after the top quarterback in NSFL history. Showbiz’s highlight game of the season was against the Portland Pythons at home in week 10 where the Coyotes staged a big comeback after being down 15-7 at the half. Showbiz had a 62.5% completion rate for 243 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was able to drive the ball up the field consistently in the third and fourth quarters to put the Coyotes into field goal range to win the game. Although he doesn’t quite have the arm strength of some of his fellow cohorts, Showbiz has demonstrated an elite ability to make great decisions and consistent play whenever he’s on the field.


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Kevin Fitzpatrick
261/457 Comp/Att | 2960 Yds | 15 TD | 13 INT[/div]

Fitzpatrick will be the most interesting quarterback prospect in the league’s history. The Texan is one of the lesser seen ‘game manager’ type of quarterbacks that haven’t quite found their footing in the top level of NSFL play where pocket passers and gunslingers reign supreme. However, given his performance in the DSFL it’s safe to say that Fitzpatrick may be the top prospect given his unique combination of arm strength and field vision. He spearheaded the Marshal’s dominant offense which culminated in a 11-3 record; the best in San Antonio football history. His highlight game of the season came week 11 as the Marshals visited their SFC rivals, the Tijuana Luchadores, where Fitzpatrick was simply unstoppable every snap. He had 3 touchdowns for 263 yards averaged 14.6 yards per pass against one of the best defenses in the DSFL. Despite struggling early on in the season, Fitzpatrick eventually found his stride in his rookie campaign going from an average of 1.14 interceptions per game in the first half of the season to averaging 0.71 interceptions per game to end the season.

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[Roly]

Due to tag limits, only DSFL rookies were tagged in the above article.

The following sophomores are also mentioned in the article somewhere:

@TrueTexican
(@Blastmeaway)
(@PaytonM34)
(@cpetrella)
(@andybj)
(@BWIII)
@AwkwardCowboy

[YoungTB]

Just give all the awards to San Antonio tbh

Edit: oh

[kckolbe]

"Black Marchand."

Solid article, though. I still think it's amazing how "reversed" Showbiz and I seem in stats. I think a lot of that comes down to strategy and surrounding talent.

Also, while not tracked, the biggest evolution in Fitzpatrick's game has been sacks. Fitzpatrick was sacked 14 times over his first 4 games, but only 17 times over the last 10, cutting them in half on a per game basis without sacrificing attempts.

[nunccoepi]

Interestingly, TIJ had their best record to date as well this season.

[iamslm22]

You two just outdo yourselves every year. You guys are incredible.

:dsfl: :dsfl:

[Official DT]

Thanks for the mention

[PaytonM34]

Beauty

[Beaver]

[OwlStrike13]