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+---- Thread: *D-Line Standouts: Season 3 Review (/showthread.php?tid=5562)
*D-Line Standouts: Season 3 Review - manicmav36 - 10-25-2017
D-Line Standouts: Season 3 Review
Welcome to our season 3 review of our defensive line standouts, and what a wild season it was. We had 3 new records set (or tied), and with the announcement of the new offensive line changes, at least one of these records will probably never fall. First, we had Tuck of the Arizona Outlaws finish with 32 sacks to beat his own previous record 23, set in season 2. Next, we have Tomlinson of the Orange County Otters finishing up his year with 22 tackles for loss, breaking the previous record of 20, set by current bench player Spearhead of the Yellowknife Wraiths, all the way back in season 1. Our final record was actually a tie, Miller of the San Jose SaberCats finished the season with 4 forced fumbles, tying the record set by Bjornsson of the Yellowknife Wraiths last year. It will be very interesting to see how the changes affect our list next year. I expect defensive tackles will be the hardest hit, as generally speaking, teams had their weakest offensive linemen in the interior. Obviously, defensive ends will be affected as well, with numbers expected to be down across the board.
As more players are being shifted around the defensive line, this list becomes a little trickier to grade. Bjornsson is a DE playing a DT, does he deserve to be listed as a DT even though he has a huge speed advantage over other DTs? When a player plays one game out of position, should it count towards their total? Should a 3-4 DT be graded differently than a 4-3 DT? These are many questions I will look to address next season and would love to hear your input on them.
It’s worth noting that players appearing here didn’t necessarily have the best statistical season, they just appeared on my weekly list the most frequently. There should be a fairly direct correlation but, depending on if guys just had a few good weeks, or were just consistently solid, they may waiver a bit. As always, all comments or suggestions are welcome. Enough chit chat… Let’s begin!
Defensive End Top Performers
J Tuck
($ x11) 87 TCK, 15 TFL, 32 SCK* (245 points)Well, here he is, the man of the hour. Many have Tuck down as their NSFL MVP (for the second year in a row), and his stats more than back-up that claim. He led all defensive linemen in tackles, sacks, and was fourth in tackles for loss. His 32 sacks on the year is a record that will likely never be broken with the new changes to the offensive line. He currently holds the first, third, and ninth spots on the top 10 list for sacks in a season. His 245 points were enough for him to easily grab the top spot on our list amongst all defensive linemen, being 38 points ahead of Miller, and 89 points ahead of Wozy, who is second on our list of defensive ends. This season was a true display of dominance and shows he deserves his second MVP award.
F. Wozy
($ x9) 59 TCK, 17 TFL, 17 SCK, 1 FF (166 points)Colorado had a rough year. First, their star quarterback is busted in the biggest cheating scandal the NSFL has ever seen. With their quarterback banned for the season, Colorado decides their best course of action is to tank the season and gather picks for the future. After trading away many key pieces for picks, Wozy was one of the few standouts saved during the fire sale, and he made sure to show the front office his appreciation. Once again, Wozy earns second place on our list with yet another fantastic performance. He finished the season with 59 tackles (third among defensive ends), 17 tackles for loss (third among all defensive linemen), 17 sacks (second among defensive ends), and 1 forced fumble. His 17 sacks accounted for exactly 1/3 of the Colorado Yeti’s sacks on the season. This man clearly needs help, and fast.
B. Blade
($ x8) 65 TCK, 15 TFL, 13 SCK (147 points)After going second overall in the season 2 draft, Colorado expected big things from their newly acquired defensive end. Unfortunately for them, things didn’t quite turn out that way. He finished season 2 with 37 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks. While a decent season, you expect more out of the second overall pick, and fearing having a possible bust on their hands, the Yeti quickly shipped him off to Las Vegas as part of their rebuilding process. Luckily for Vegas, Colorado could not have been more wrong. Las Vegas didn’t have many things to be excited about last year, but Blade was one them. Blade finished with 65 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and a possible pro bowl nod. His 13 sacks accounted for almost 30% of the Legion’s sack total. This man should be a finalist for comeback player of the year. Not bad for a “bust”.
O. Taylor
($ x6) 49 TCK, 12 TFL, 13 SCK, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 safety (135 points)Taylor was taken in third round of the season 2 draft, and the Hawks expected big things from him, immediately awarding him a starting position. Unfortunately, like Blade above him, his rookie season was a let-down. Season 2 saw Taylor finish with only 23 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks. Unlike Blade, however, Taylor’s front office was willing to show him a little faith and gave him more time to develop. The Hawks were rewarded for their patience and Taylor finished with 49 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovered, and 1 safety, nearly doubling his season 2 statistics in every category. Teams struggled to game-plan against the Hawks defensive line as each member recorded 10+ sacks on the year, the only team to accomplish the feat. Taylor’s 13 sacks led a Baltimore defensive line unit that recorded more sacks than the entirety of the Las Vegas Legion defense. After a stand-out season, Taylor looks to be in line for his first Pro Bowl appearance.
Other Notable Performers
A. Tomlinson
($ x6) 48 TCK, 22 TFL*, 5 SCK (112 points)R. Maddox
($ x5) 57 TCK, 10 TFL, 12 SCK, 1 BLK Punt (130 points)A. de Ligt
($ x5) 37 TCK, 19 TFL, 5 SCK, 2 FF (105 points)Defensive Tackle Top Performers
D. Miller
($ x13) 81 TCK, 3 TFL, 24 SCK, 4 FF*, 2 FR (207 points)Mr. Near Perfect himself. For 13 straight weeks, he was the only player to make this list every week... that is, until week 14. His performance on the season was a model of consistency and nothing short of inspiring. He now holds the record for most appearances in a season and most consecutive appearances. He finished the season as the leader in both tackles (81) and sacks (24) for defensive tackles, and tied the record for most forced fumbles (4), while also adding 3 tackles for loss and 2 fumbles recovered. Miller is integral to the SaberCats defense, providing nearly 44% of his team’s sacks, 40% of his team’s forced fumbles and over 10% of his team’s tackles, which is unheard of for a defensive tackle. He’s an easy candidate for team MVP.
B. Bjornsson
($ x10) 68 TCK, 5 TFL, 23 SCK, 1 safety (175 points)Bjornsson is one of the main reasons you hear so much about instituting a penalty for players playing out of position. He is a defensive end taking 100% of his snaps at the tackle position. While some may not see an issue, the benefits are undeniable. Regardless of how you feel about that though, one cannot argue with the effect he has on opposing offenses. He finished the season with 68 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 23 sacks (third most in the NSFL), and 1 safety. His 175 points on the season is enough to place him in third among all defensive linemen. His 23 tackles accounted for 30% of his team’s sacks and was one of only 2 Yellowknife defensive linemen to finish with more than 8 sacks. Regardless of where he lines up, the man is a difference maker. He will most certainly be earning his second Pro Bowl appearance this year.
V. Cox
($ x10) 54 TCK, 4 TFL, 13 SCK (114 points)There was a lot of talk this off-season about whether or not Cox could perform without Ramrio by his side. Cox quickly quieted those concerns and put forth a fantastic season. Cox finished with 54 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks. Like the players above him, Cox supplied a disproportionate amount of his team’s sacks, supplying almost 30%. The pass rush struggled so mightily in Las Vegas that Cox is one of only 2 players on the roster to record more than 5 sacks over the course of the season. He was a huge signing for the Legion (along with Blade) that has paid off in dividends. This defense would be lost without them. There wasn’t a lot of bright spots on this Legion defense, that finished last in nearly every defensive category, but Cox was one of them.
R. Sandoval
($ x10) 61 TCK, 1 TFL, 12 SCK (111 points)The last player here, he’s also the only rookie that we will be talking about in-depth on our list this week. One of two defensive tackles taken in the first round (the other will be talked about briefly below), The Baltimore Hawks expected big things from the 7th overall pick, and he did not disappoint. Finishing the season with 61 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 12 sacks, Sandoval finish tied for second on the Hawks for most sacks this season with 2-time Pro Bowler, defensive end Kurt Hendrix. One of only 5 players in the NSFL to end up on our list 10 or more times, Sandoval was wildly consistent in the middle. Sandoval has shown that he can, and will be, a force on the line in Baltimore for years to come. An integral part of Baltimore’s defense, expect him to earn his first Pro Bowl spot.
Other Notable Performers
M. Ramrio
($ x8) 47 TCK, 2 TFL, 11 SCK, 3 FF (110 points)K. Hendrix
($ x5) 45 TCK, 6 TFL, 12 SCK (105 points)G. King
($ x5) 49 TCK, 3 TFL, 22 SCK (143 points)King is a bit of a special case. He was narrowly left off the list 3 times early in the season and really came into his own in the second half, finishing with some massive games. He absolutely deserves a spot in the top half of our list, but was just too inconsistent during the first half to warrant it. I expect him to be a main-stay in season 4.
* Denotes NSFL Record
Final Team Standings
San Jose: 28
Baltimore: 26
Arizona: 25
Las Vegas: 23
Orange County: 20
Yellowknife: 19
Philadelphia: 14
Colorado: 13
Team Breakdown (Due to some teams running a 3-4, we will be doing top 3 for each only)
San Jose SaberCats
D. Miller ($ x13) 81 TCK, 3 TFL, 24 SCK, 4 FF*, 2 FR (207 points)
A. de Ligt ($ x5) 37 TCK, 19 TFL, 5 SCK, 2 FF (105 points)
C. Okonkwo ($ x5) 42 TCK, 15 TFL, 6 SCK (96 points)
Baltimore Hawks
R. Sandoval ($ x10) 61 TCK, 1 TFL, 12 SCK (111 points)
O. Taylor ($ x6) 49 TCK, 12 TFL, 13 SCK, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 safety (135 points)
K. Hendrix ($ x5) 45 TCK, 6 TFL, 12 SCK (105 points)
Arizona Outlaws
J Tuck ($ x11) 87 TCK, 15 TFL, 32 SCK* (245 points)
G. King ($ x5) 49 TCK, 3 TFL, 22 SCK (143 points)
D. Dam ($$$) 37 TCK, 9 TFL, 6 SCK (79 points)
Las Vegas Legion
V. Cox ($ x10) 54 TCK, 4 TFL, 13 SCK (114 points)
B. Blade ($ x8) 65 TCK, 15 TFL, 13 SCK (147 points)
V. Lockkeu ($$$) 26 TCK, 9 TFL, 5 SCK, 1 FF (69 points)
Orange County Otters
A. Tomlinson ($ x6) 48 TCK, 22 TFL*, 5 SCK (112 points)
J. Boom ($ x5) 37 TCK, 5 TFL, 11 SCK, 1 FF (96 points)
J. Cox ($ x5) 34 TCK, 7 TFL, 5 SCK 1 FR (70 Points)
Yellowknife Wraiths
B. Bjornsson ($ x10) 68 TCK, 5 TFL, 23 SCK, 1 safety (175 points)
R. Maddox YK ($ x5) 57 TCK, 10 TFL, 12 SCK, 1 BLK Punt (130 points)
E. Gustavsson ($$$) 35 TCK, 11 TFL, 8 SCK, 2 safeties (95 points)
Philadelphia Liberty
M. Ramrio ($ x8) 47 TCK, 2 TFL, 11 SCK, 3 FF (110 points)
D. Davidson ($$$) 44 TCK, 13 TFL, 7 SCK (98 points)
E. Kamaka ($$) 21 TCK, 1 TFL, 2 SCK, 1 FF, 1 FR (38 points)
Colorado Yeti
F. Wozy ($ x9) 59 TCK, 17 TFL, 17 SCK, 1 FF (166 points)
S. Skidmarks ($$) 25 TCK, 2 TFL, 2 SCK (37 points)
B. Crocker ($) 35 TCK, 9 TFL, 1 SCK (57 points)
That about wraps it up! I considered putting everyone into standings based on their points for the season, but just wanted to be done with this piece. If anyone has interest in that, let me know. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I do working on it. As always, if you have any comments, corrections, or question, I’d love to hear them below.
**Please give the first $500k to @ItsJustBarry for his help with data collection.**
*D-Line Standouts: Season 3 Review - dustyatters - 10-25-2017
Really cool article!
*D-Line Standouts: Season 3 Review - TheWoZy - 10-25-2017
Help..
*D-Line Standouts: Season 3 Review - BOOM™ - 10-25-2017
Besides Tomlinson, the Otters D-Line was garbage.
*D-Line Standouts: Season 3 Review - TheMemeMaestro - 10-25-2017
(10-25-2017, 04:02 PM)TheWoZy Wrote:Help..ur getting it soon
*D-Line Standouts: Season 3 Review - manicmav36 - 10-26-2017
(10-25-2017, 06:21 PM)dustyatters Wrote:Really cool article!
Thanks!