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+---- Thread: *High Stakes in Philly (/showthread.php?tid=8413)
*High Stakes in Philly - kckolbe - 04-20-2018
Being a contender can be great as both a recruiting tool and a retention tool, but only if the players you seek to dangle that carrot in front of believe it to be true.
Tonight, the Philadelphia Liberty face a double header with very high stakes. First up is a road game against the Arizona Outlaws. The Outlaws won the first 3 Ultimus Trophies, and have historically been kryptonite to any team without a shitty logo, but have since fallen on hard times. Following a scandal that resulted in many players being banned from the NSFL, and one brave sportswriter being fined 2 million dollars, the Outlaws have since taken a significant step back. Tonight, the Philadelphia Liberty, which has always struggled offensively, will have to keep their defense on the field. QB Tyler Oles has been a significant improvement, and is coming off a big win over the Colorado Yeti, but hopefully that doesn’t make him complacent. Similarly, star cornerback Kevin Cushing is off to a great start as well, recording a pick six against the defending champion Orange County Otters in Week 1, and then allowing only one catch for 6 yards in Week 2 against the Yeti’s rookie QB. He will face a much tougher opponent in King Bronko, a veteran from Season One with some of the best performances in league history.
As dangerous as Arizona can be, the next challenge will only be more difficult. After traveling to Arizona, the Liberty return to Philadelphia where they will host division rival Baltimore Hawks. The Hawks, led by QB Avon Blocksdale, have been a consistently competitive team since their deep Season Two draft. This year appears to be no different, as Baltimore has begun the season 2-0, a record they share in common with Philadelphia. After tonight, one of these teams will be adding an L (or at least a T) to their record. There has been no comment from the Liberty front office on strategy, but Baltimore is a famously difficult team to match up against. Their defense has playmakers against the run and the pass, and their offense has talent almost everywhere that matters. Expect to see whichever receiver matches up on the opposite side of the field as Cushing to feast, though either Baltimore receiver can hold his own against the “tackle-first” corner.
Facing the weaker team on the road, and the stronger team at home, both of these games are very winnable for Philadelphia, but both very losable as well. They are also very important games for Philadelphia, who faces a much more difficult schedule down the road and needs to take advantage of all of their winnable games. In earlier seasons, gameplanning was very much a weakness of the Liberty’s, one that almost cost them the retirement of Kevin Cushing back in Season Four. Now, in the final year of his contract, Cushing has been reluctant to re-sign. According to some sources, the cornerback has stated he would accept an extension if Philadelphia managed to start the season 4-0.
With their 2 point win over Orange County in Week 1, and a much larger victory over Colorado in Week 2, the Liberty are on track to fulfill that requirement. Should they complete the perfect start, they would be cementing themselves as a worthy contender, retaining the best player in the league to not ever make the Pro Bowl once (thanks voters), and looking to be a favorite for a strong Season Eight performance, as other teams get hit harder by regression. First, though, they have to show they can get the job done.
*High Stakes in Philly - PDXBaller - 04-20-2018
Let's go Liberty! For our secondaries sake next season!