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+---- Thread: *An In Depth Look at The Dynamic Copperheads Duo - Brach Thomaslacher and Dex Kennedy (/showthread.php?tid=31582)
*An In Depth Look at The Dynamic Copperheads Duo - Brach Thomaslacher and Dex Kennedy - RDBSouthPaw - 04-21-2021
Breaking Down Dex Kennedy's Strengths:
Dex Kennedy was far from the most touted prospect in the S22 ISFL Draft pool. He only had half a season of DSFL experience and such a small sample size of play made it tough for GMs to gage how well his talent could translate to the big leagues. There were also many questions as to what type of linebacker Dex Kennedy was. In college at UCLA, Kennedy was a standout pass defender. He was among the leaders in passes defended and interceptions in the PAC-12. He was so great against defending passes that he would play safety on some snaps. His coaches had no trouble putting the other linebackers in man coverage or a blitz as they knew Kennedy would shore up the infield. Kennedy did not excel in his first season in the DSFL. The Grey Ducks began losing games when he joined the team. It was probably coincidental but it was clear that the young inside linebacker needed to improve his game quite a bit in order to make winning football happen. He fell to the 9th pick in the 6th round and was considered an afterthought by many. But Dex knew he was just getting started. And he would prove his versatility the following season.
The Minnesota Grey Ducks opted to play Kennedy at outside linebacker in his 2nd season. Despite Kennedy playing inside LB for virtually his entire career, Kennedy’s athleticism piqued the Grey Ducks’ interest. They decided it would suit their scheme, and the team overall, better if Kennedy served as more of a pass rusher. To their satisfaction, the move worked. Kennedy was among the top linebackers in the DSFL that season. His 12 sacks put him far ahead of any other defensive player. While he wouldn’t take home any awards, he did receive votes for Linebacker of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Valuable Player: the only player to receive votes in all three. Kennedy’s wave of momentum carried him to the call-up list. In S23, the former 69th overall pick would play in the big leagues for the Baltimore Hawks. While many believed he would’ve continued to excel at outside linebacker, the Hawks opted to move him to his original position as MLB.
Kennedy’s time on the Baltimore Hawks was far from perfect. He never made the playoffs in his four seasons there and never was named to a Pro Bowl. But finally playing in the big leagues allowed Kennedy to refine his linebacker tools at the highest level. Experience at playing both inside and outside linebacker made Kennedy one of the best athletes in the ISFL. He would play some snaps at outside LB for the Hawks, but that didn’t stop him from getting interceptions and pass deflections. The same was true with playing MLB not preventing him from getting sacks. Kennedy was one of the most touted free agents in the S27 offseason. He made it clear to all the teams that talked to him, though, that he would be playing middle linebacker. Kennedy felt at that point in his career he had mastered every part of playing defense in the middle of the field. He eventually agreed to a 3-year deal with the Austin Copperheads.
Breaking Down Brach Thomaslacher's Strengths:
Brach Thomaslacher has emerged as one of the leading Linebacker talents in the entire International Simulation Football League. Since being drafted 12th overall by the Yellowknife Wraiths, Thomaslacher has managed to put together a solid rookie season for the Wraiths before getting traded to the Austin Copperheads. Since the trade Thomaslacher has put up some solid numbers and he continues to improve every week. He is even a part of one of the top linebacker trios in all of the ISFL (Montain, Kennedy, Thomaslacher). With the recent success of the Austin Copperheads, we wanted to take an in depth look at the strengths behind Brach Thomaslacher's game. In order to do this we analyzed film and even got to sit down with the talented Linebacker!
When looking at game film, one thing is very obvious about Brach Thomaslacher. He is an absolute monster. Standing at 6'5" and 255 lbs makes him one of the most threatening sites that any offensive player could ever look at. Too this reporter, his shear size and strength has to be one of his biggest strengths as a top caliber linebacker. When asked how he maintains that strength Thomaslacher responded: "Oh wow, well there is not a whole lot to say. I was blessed with God given size. My father always told me that size is something you just can not teach. You are either born with it or you are not. Luckily for me I was born with it. As for my strength I have to thank my dad for that one. He always challenged me to get stronger every day. Whether that was driving me to the weight room or getting my butt out of bed at 5 in the morning. He made sure that I understood the importance of getting stronger." Size and strength are crucial to any football player but, for a linebacker these qualities are more valuable than gold. However, it is not just enough that you have size and strength. It is also important you know how to use them.
We sat down and watched a couple of game films from the Austin Copperheads and we paid special attention to Brach Thomaslacher on all of them. He always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. No matter what play the offense was running. Whether it was a run play of a pass play there was always a copper and teal number 54 jersey right in the middle of it. There was never a moment where Brach Thomaslacher was not running at a full sprint towards the ball. "That is one of those things I have to thank my High School Coach for. Man did he make us run if we were not involved in every play. He also showed me how it important it is to just make up you mind and go. As a linebacker even a slight moment of hesitation can lead to the runner or passer getting the extra time they need to hurt your team. We as linebackers do not have time to be fearful or timid. If you worry about how big another player is, or how bad its going to hurt to try and tackle that guy well then you are in the wrong business."
That answer did not explain how he always managed to know where the ball was going though. Sure, you can run your heart out towards the ball but, what Thomaslacher was doing was different. He always seemed to be one step ahead of the offense. When asked about it he told us "Oh, well there is no secret to that. It is just called spending hours and hours a day in the film room. You have to know what your up against. You have to utilize every advantage and tool at your disposal. Because when you get on that field it is a battle and the most prepared is the one that normally wins." So after it was all said and done we were able to break down Brach Thomaslacher's Strengths into 3 main points. First, he was blessed with amazing size and strength. Second, he has awareness and reactions that allows him to get to where he needs to be quicker than your average ISFL linebacker. Finally, he is extremely studious. There is not a day you will not find him studying films and preparing for the next game. All of these work together to make Brach one of the most talented Linebackers in the league
Pass Defense:
Playing linebacker, as both Kennedy and Thomaslacher would attest to, is the most difficult, but also rewarding, part of the defense. While Kennedy at the middle linebacker spot is expected to be the primary pass defender in the middle of the field, that has not stopped Brach Thomaslacher from making some excellent defensive plays this season. The captain of the Austin Copperheads defense is captain not only because he commands the respect of his teammates, but his teammates also trust him with many of the plays he makes. That includes the outside linebacker playing his fair-share of pass defense. Kennedy was acquired by the Copperheads to, among other reasons, shore up the middle of the field. But just his efforts alone have not made the Copperheads one of the league’s top passing defenses. The Dynamic Duo of Thomaslacher and Kennedy are, not only, excellent at stopping the run and getting sacks. They’ve also done wonders at stopping the pass and getting interceptions.
While Thomaslacher and Kennedy may not be among the top players in PDs, that’s primarily a result of quarterbacks being cautious when it comes to passing infield. The two have even made it dangerous for the most basic of routes, such as a tight end curl or flat, to take place against them. This has forced many offenses to focus on using the longball, which means dealing with some of the Copperheads’ secondary standouts including Lesean Crooks and Maverick Bowie. Their skill as both pass rushers and pass covers have allowed either one to go into coverage or blitz at one time while the other does the opposite. The two play different linebacker positions. But that doesn’t mean Kennedy can’t blitz during a play while Thomaslacher hangs back to cover. They have. And it works wonders.
Kennedy’s pass coverage efforts on the season so far have given him 2 pick-sixes. An additional touchdown from a fumble recovery ties Kennedy for most defensive touchdowns this season. While Thomaslacher may not be putting up as glamorous stats as his best friend, he’s still excelled at covering up passing lanes and has even found an interception. Thomaslacher has less PDs than Kennedy, which could mean he’s covering better? But regardless, the two have put aside their given roles to play bountiful positionless football. Both have, absolutely, become majors contenders for Linebacker of the Year and even Defensive Player of the Year. But for a team that’s played tremendous offense and defense like the Copperheads have, it’s become very clear that their goals are loftier than just individual awards. The Kennedy-Thomaslacher has been phenomenal to watch and it’s rare to see players with as much chemistry as the two of them. And thanks to both players making pass defense a priority, the Copperheads defense has become one of the best in the league.
Run Stopping and Pass Rushing:
If you have ever watched an Austin Copperhead you will notice a chemistry between two players on the defensive side of the ball. Brach Thomaslacher and Dex Kennedy have been one of the most fun and enjoyable Linebacker duos to watch this season in the ISFL. Together the two have combined for 17 sacks, 9 tackles for loss and 138 tackles. They have also forced 4 fumbles and recovered another 2. These 2 have shown another level this year and we wanted to take a look at how they do it. It is no secret that Kennedy and Thomaslacher are not only friends on the field but, they also spend a fair amount of time together off the field. "He is just a great guy, ever since he came to Austin he has been helping me to learn and grow my game." said Thomaslacher. The Copperheads signed Kennedy out of Free Agency last season and although the team did not quite get off to the start that they wanted both Thomaslacher and Kennedy immediately began working together and pushing each other to get better.
One area in which this is noticeable is their ability to sack the quarterback and stop the run. Thomaslacher was the first to admit that Kennedy was much more knowledgeable about reading plays. In the film room they would breakdown every play and make sure that they were both on the same page by the time the opposing team would hike the ball. And now all of that extra work is starting to pay off! Quarterbacks lose sleep at night when they think about both Thomaslacher and Kennedy's pass rushing ability. The duo is on pace to combine for over 25 sacks this season. Last year they only combined for 17 all season and now with 5 games still to go they have already matched that total. We expect to see a lot more Quarterbacks on their backside before this season is up.
Another area of improvement for these 2 has been in their ability to stop the run. Last year you could tell that both Thomaslacher's and Kennedy's timing was just a bit off and that resulted in a miscommunication that allowed running backs to get more yards than they would have liked. However, this year the two have combined for near 140 tackles in 11 games. Both players, are figuring out the timing necessary in order to maximize their run stopping potential. "You know last year was just a crazy year. We definitely underperformed but, a lot of it was just mental errors. The talent has always been there and you know Dex has helped me to figure out the best way minimize those errors and boy has it shown this season." Thomaslacher said when asked about the improvement from last year to this year. It is clear that Austin is doing something right this year and we look forward to seeing what else Kennedy and Thomaslacher can do this year!
Please Divide Up the Pay in the Following Way (Thank you!)
@RDBSouthPaw - Run Stopping and Pass Rushing + Brach Thomaslacher Strengths write up:
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1260 words@Dagumpa - Pass Defense + Dex Kenney Strengths write up:
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1018 words