Outlaws Steal Victory from Liberty
By Phil E. Chezestake
After a triumphant opening to start the 4th season of the NSFL, the Liberty were hoping to continue their success against the Arizona Outlaws at home coming off a 27-10 victory against the Las Vegas Legion last week. The 3 time defending champions didn’t seem to be affected by the recent league changes going into week 2 against the Philadelphia Liberty having defeated their ASFC rivals in Orange County in week 1. Things were looking grim for the Liberty as the Outlaws held a 10-0 lead heading into the second half of the game and Clifford Rove threw an interception early in the third quarter to give the Outlaws a scoring drive. The game was sealed in this quarter once Rove threw 2 more interceptions and the Outlaws came out of Philadelphia with a 48-10 victory.
What Went Well?
It was tough to find any bright spots in this game, but Damien Kroetch demonstrated how well he’s made the transition from wide receiver to running back. His speed and agility appear to have transitioned well into the run game and he had 14 rushing attempts for 27 yards and scored the only Liberty touchdown. Although not great numbers, Kroetch gives the Liberty offense a new dynamic to work with and he’ll grow into an even better running back as the season progresses.
On defense, Michah Hendrix provided excellent pressure himself for 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass deflection. Overall the defense held up well with A.C. Hackett and Lincoln Jefferson topping the tackle stats for the Liberty. Cornerbacks Tyler Oles and Kevin Cushing provided excellent secondary coverage in this game with 3 tackles and 4 tackles respectively, along with 1 pass deflection each.
What Didn’t Go Well?
Going into season 4, the Outlaws proved they still had the best defense in the league and it was evident in their 7 sacks this game. The immense pressure that their defense pushes through got to Rove and forced him into bad situations to throw the ball for 5 interceptions. These were costly interceptions that catapulted the Outlaws score to an insurmountable level. Rove finished the game with a dreadful 22.7 passer rating on 23/46 completions/attempts for 205 yards. Although he appears to be reverting back to his former season 3 self, it’s understandable that the Outlaws defense can make even the best quarterbacks fold under pressure.
The Liberty passing game was effectively locked down as the Outlaws defense totaled 8 pass deflections this game. Paul DiMirio had 9 receptions for 68 yards and Fox North had 7 receptions for 103 yards. Receiver Budda Browning had 5 receptions for 29 yards as the second wide receiver in the Liberty offense. The Outlaws defense effectively shut down the passing game for the Liberty with the amount of pressure they brought in blitzes so these abysmal numbers weren’t unexpected.
The offensive line gave up quite a bit of sacks and Kroetch allowed 3 himself. The Liberty will need him to bolster his strength and blocking a bit more in order to keep with pass rushing teams like the Outlaws.
Liberty Impact Player of the Game
This week’s Liberty Impact Player of the Game goes to Micah Hendrix (@HalfEatenOnionBagel). The newly transitioned offensive lineman turned linebacker is proving to be one of the best defensive players in the league with elite tackling ability and he illustrated that in this game with 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass deflection.
Next Game
On the road against the Orange County Otters in Santa Ana Stadium
GRADED
By Phil E. Chezestake
After a triumphant opening to start the 4th season of the NSFL, the Liberty were hoping to continue their success against the Arizona Outlaws at home coming off a 27-10 victory against the Las Vegas Legion last week. The 3 time defending champions didn’t seem to be affected by the recent league changes going into week 2 against the Philadelphia Liberty having defeated their ASFC rivals in Orange County in week 1. Things were looking grim for the Liberty as the Outlaws held a 10-0 lead heading into the second half of the game and Clifford Rove threw an interception early in the third quarter to give the Outlaws a scoring drive. The game was sealed in this quarter once Rove threw 2 more interceptions and the Outlaws came out of Philadelphia with a 48-10 victory.
What Went Well?
It was tough to find any bright spots in this game, but Damien Kroetch demonstrated how well he’s made the transition from wide receiver to running back. His speed and agility appear to have transitioned well into the run game and he had 14 rushing attempts for 27 yards and scored the only Liberty touchdown. Although not great numbers, Kroetch gives the Liberty offense a new dynamic to work with and he’ll grow into an even better running back as the season progresses.
On defense, Michah Hendrix provided excellent pressure himself for 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass deflection. Overall the defense held up well with A.C. Hackett and Lincoln Jefferson topping the tackle stats for the Liberty. Cornerbacks Tyler Oles and Kevin Cushing provided excellent secondary coverage in this game with 3 tackles and 4 tackles respectively, along with 1 pass deflection each.
What Didn’t Go Well?
Going into season 4, the Outlaws proved they still had the best defense in the league and it was evident in their 7 sacks this game. The immense pressure that their defense pushes through got to Rove and forced him into bad situations to throw the ball for 5 interceptions. These were costly interceptions that catapulted the Outlaws score to an insurmountable level. Rove finished the game with a dreadful 22.7 passer rating on 23/46 completions/attempts for 205 yards. Although he appears to be reverting back to his former season 3 self, it’s understandable that the Outlaws defense can make even the best quarterbacks fold under pressure.
The Liberty passing game was effectively locked down as the Outlaws defense totaled 8 pass deflections this game. Paul DiMirio had 9 receptions for 68 yards and Fox North had 7 receptions for 103 yards. Receiver Budda Browning had 5 receptions for 29 yards as the second wide receiver in the Liberty offense. The Outlaws defense effectively shut down the passing game for the Liberty with the amount of pressure they brought in blitzes so these abysmal numbers weren’t unexpected.
The offensive line gave up quite a bit of sacks and Kroetch allowed 3 himself. The Liberty will need him to bolster his strength and blocking a bit more in order to keep with pass rushing teams like the Outlaws.
Liberty Impact Player of the Game This week’s Liberty Impact Player of the Game goes to Micah Hendrix (@HalfEatenOnionBagel). The newly transitioned offensive lineman turned linebacker is proving to be one of the best defensive players in the league with elite tackling ability and he illustrated that in this game with 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass deflection.
Next Game
On the road against the Orange County Otters in Santa Ana Stadium
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GRADED
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