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+---- Thread: *True Hype (/showthread.php?tid=3897)
*True Hype - Deusolis - 08-30-2017
The NSFL playoffs feature the best and brightest our league has to offer. From high-flying offenses with gun-slinging quarterbacks to buzz-saw defenses studded with all-pros, the playoffs have something to suit even the most discerning fan’s fancy. Despite that diversity, both the NSFC and ASFC championships feature the same “most exciting” aspect: the linebackers!
Let’s go to the ASFC first, where the Arizona Outlaws face off against the Orange County Otters in a rematch of last season’s championship. The Otters are no slouch defensively, as they’ve posted 66 sacks, good for 2nd in the league, to go along with the league’s high-water mark for safeties. The team has defense talent across the board, but the heart of the squad is their unique linebackers: Ian Bavitz and Franklin Harris. The two are fast, not fast relative to other linebackers, but fast relative to Olympic sprinters. Bavitz ran a 4.32s 40-yard dash at the NSFL combine, bested only by his partner-in-crime, who ran a 4.27. And their straight-line speed has translated to NSFL success, as the two combined for 202 tackles on the year. It’s remarkable then that the Otters duo isn’t even the best linebacking group in their matchup, to say nothing of the other matchup. The Arizona Outlaws group of linebackers isn’t just the best at their position, it may just be the best positional group in the entire NSFL period. Luke Luechly, Jaylon Lee and Harrif Ernston are all shoe-ins to make the Pro Bowl, and the latter two will probably pick up some Most Outstanding Player ballots en route to twin appearances on the Top 50 list. There’s not much to say about this group that hasn’t already been said, but to put their dominance in perspective, those three players combined for 34 sacks – the entire Liberty team had 42. While both squads have talent outside of their linebackers, it’s no question that the men in the middle of the defense will be the stars of the show in the ASFC championship game.
Up north, or east as the case may be, the Baltimore Hawks are defending their home-turf against the Yellowknife Wraiths. All the ink has been spilled about the Wraiths offense (seriously though, they have seven pro-bowlers) and the Hawks dynamic rookie rusher. But, for my money, just like in the ASFC championship, the most interesting aspect of the game will be the linebackers. For the Wraiths, their group is zigging while the rest of the league is zagging. Rather than aiming to be the fastest or strongest, with the pairing of AC Hackett and Kevin Cushing, the Wraiths are aiming to be the smartest. With Brice Boggs adding some force in the middle, the group is more than capable of stealing a little spotlight from the Wraiths’ offense. On the other side, the Baltimore linebacker crew has turned heads this season, helping the team grab the NSFCs top spot. The duo of Erasmo Broadway and Stephen Harrison is as well-rounded as it as talented. Rather than specializing in intelligence vs speed or pass rushing over coverage, the Hawks backers have taken an all-of-the-above approach. Broadway is the only player in league history to post double-digit sacks and passes defended, a fact that speaks for itself.
While there are many exciting elements in this season’s playoffs, for this writer, there is no area more intriguing than the linebacking corps.
GRADED