09-07-2019, 01:38 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-15-2019, 09:39 AM by goodvsevil1275.)
Moving into this week's defensive movers and shakers! Now that we're reaching the half way point in the season and I have games to base it off of, I'm going to start trying to slide into a format that shows rises and falls as the season progresses as opposed to entirely last season comparisons. Lets get started.
Defensive Linemen
Thorian Skarsgard: Heading on up to sacksville. In a league where you don't often see defensive tackles have huge, impact numbers, Skargard is the outlier. Defensive tackles usually have a very specific job and they do a lot for their teams, but they are often the unsung heroes on the stats sheet. Skarsgard refuses to be forgotten. After leading all defensive linemen in sacks last season with 11, Skarsgard marched into this season with one thing in mind. What if I did it again, but better? He's already posted eight sacks this season and is tied for first in the league. Averaging a sack a game, it will be hard for Skarsgard to do anything less than what he did last season.
Dick Wizardry: Shaking things up in the wrong way with a position change. Wizardry was one of the best running backs in the NSFL last season. He was an imposing force that manhandled his way to second on the rushing charts. In the off season, he decided he was tired of being the one getting hit and now he would be the one to do the hitting. He moved to defensive tackle and while he hasn't been bad, he has been spectacularly average. 18 tackles, four tackles for a loss, and two sacks are not the numbers of a guy who was one of the biggest impact players in the league at another position in Season 16. So far this position change has not worked out for the benefit of the team, but Wizardry know what its like to play at a high level and he still has plenty of chances to turn things around. If he does start producing, it should give Austin another tool to use as they continue to develop this roster.
Ricardo Morris: A recoverable step backwards. Last season, Morris was second in sacks in his position and was top five in both tackles and tackles for a loss. He was a disruptive force at the line and consistently manhandled offensive lines across the league. Half way through season 17 and Morris is lacking in all three primary stats for a defensive tackle. He is on pace to fall short of every mark he set in his last campaign and the Outlaws could use more production from him as they aim for a title repeat.
Linebackers
Mo Berry: Heading on up! I've had Mo Berry on my watch list all season long, but I simply could not make up my mind where to put him. He wasn't playing under or above his means until these last two weeks. He racked up 15 tackles, one tackle for a loss, a sack, and a forced fumble with his own recovery. He showed up big for Colorado and strung together a pair of spectacular games that now have him trending up. He's on pace to beat his tackles mark, he's already gotten more tackles for a loss, and he's seeing a potential increase in sacks as well. The longer this season extends, the better Mo Berry gets and I fully believe he can carry this momentum for the rest of this campaign. Colorado hasn't had a lot to cheer about this season, but if Mo Berry can keep developing they can at least get excited about their future.
Johnny Slothface: Explosive games shaking things up for the Second Line. Slothface started this campaign having a bit of a down turn, but after the last two weeks I simply can't avoid it anymore. Slothface is an absolute play maker. In two weeks, he racked up three sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception return for a touchdown. He has had an explosive display of late and is doing everything he possibly can as a player to keep New Orleans in games. Unfortunately his impact hasn't turned any games in their favor, but if he can keep these numbers rolling in dominating fashion, he can be a highlight reel for the team at year end.
Lanzer Grievous: Small stumble for the second year starter. I was high on Grievous after the first week of play. As a rookie, he was one of the best defenders in the NSFL as he posted 103 tackles, 14 sacks, and 15 passes defended. He was an excellent all around player that dominated in all three phases of the game. When this season kicked off, I thought we were going to see a return to form but unfortunately he's had an entire part of his game disappear. He is finding difficulty getting to the quarterback. Seven games and only a single sack. At this point it would take a herculean effort to get to where he was in season 16 and I just don't see it happening.
Cornerbacks
Gus T.T. Showbiz: Sky high. After being listed as a shaker in week one, I knew at some point we were going to have to revisit showbiz. It is a bit strange to think of a player who is at the top of their game at one position can position swap and be just as dominant at another. Showbiz has shown us that it is entirely possible. Showbiz leads the league in pass defenses and has even managed to get a couple going the other way. He has developed into one of the best pass defenders in the league and will be exciting to watch for at least another season.
Hike Mughes: Shaking it up as a lock down defender. Last season Mughes managed only 12 pass defenses and two interceptions. In his current campaign, he's already knocked down 13 and gotten four to go the other way. Mughes has been terrifyingly dominant this season and is looking to easily double his production from last season. It is hard to pinpoint how he's made such a jump, but that jump is a huge contribution to this top of the standings Arizona team. Its like night and day and he has definitely shaken up this defense.
Axel Hornbacher: Faltering game changing ability. After a season in which Hornbacher led all cornerbacks in interceptions, so far through seven games he has put a giant zero in that spot. He was a game changer for Baltimore that allowed for them to get away with a bit more in season 16 because they could almost expect him to come up with a big game changing play. This season they've not seen that from him and Baltimore's defense seems to be suffering because of it.
Safeties
Lennox Garnett: Climbing up with a standout season. Garnett is coming off of a season that saw him only manage 14 passes defended, placing him firmly in the middle of the pack as an average pass coverage player. As of this past week, he has already matched that number. Garnett has clawed his way up and with six games left to go is currently ranked as a top three pass coverage safety in the league. He has been knocking down everything that comes in his direction and has been a promising piece to a struggling Philadelphia team.
Trey Staley: Shaking up the SaberCats secondary. I mentioned in my last segment that Staley was on an upward trend. This week he fills the shake up spot due to absolute impact over the last two games. He managed only two interceptions and two pass defenses the entire season as he watched pass after pass sneak by him. He had an interception and four passes defended in just the last two weeks, bettering his numbers from last season in quick succession. San Jose is currently in the thick of the playoff hunt and they need every bit of help they can get. Staley has been playing out of his mind recently and he can blow things up if he keeps making plays.
Logan Lejune: Bottoming out. What has happened to Logan Lejune? Lejune had six interceptions and 21 pass defenses in season 16. He was easily one of the most dominant pass defenders in the league. He has six games left, but he's only managed a single turnover and five knocked down passes in his season 17 campaign. More than that, he is on pace to have almost 20 more tackles than last season which is an indication that he's been getting burned on plays. This isn't a good look for a guy that Colorado was really hoping would develop. All they can do now is hope that this season hasn't been a sign of things to come.
Defensive Linemen
Thorian Skarsgard: Heading on up to sacksville. In a league where you don't often see defensive tackles have huge, impact numbers, Skargard is the outlier. Defensive tackles usually have a very specific job and they do a lot for their teams, but they are often the unsung heroes on the stats sheet. Skarsgard refuses to be forgotten. After leading all defensive linemen in sacks last season with 11, Skarsgard marched into this season with one thing in mind. What if I did it again, but better? He's already posted eight sacks this season and is tied for first in the league. Averaging a sack a game, it will be hard for Skarsgard to do anything less than what he did last season.
Dick Wizardry: Shaking things up in the wrong way with a position change. Wizardry was one of the best running backs in the NSFL last season. He was an imposing force that manhandled his way to second on the rushing charts. In the off season, he decided he was tired of being the one getting hit and now he would be the one to do the hitting. He moved to defensive tackle and while he hasn't been bad, he has been spectacularly average. 18 tackles, four tackles for a loss, and two sacks are not the numbers of a guy who was one of the biggest impact players in the league at another position in Season 16. So far this position change has not worked out for the benefit of the team, but Wizardry know what its like to play at a high level and he still has plenty of chances to turn things around. If he does start producing, it should give Austin another tool to use as they continue to develop this roster.
Ricardo Morris: A recoverable step backwards. Last season, Morris was second in sacks in his position and was top five in both tackles and tackles for a loss. He was a disruptive force at the line and consistently manhandled offensive lines across the league. Half way through season 17 and Morris is lacking in all three primary stats for a defensive tackle. He is on pace to fall short of every mark he set in his last campaign and the Outlaws could use more production from him as they aim for a title repeat.
Linebackers
Mo Berry: Heading on up! I've had Mo Berry on my watch list all season long, but I simply could not make up my mind where to put him. He wasn't playing under or above his means until these last two weeks. He racked up 15 tackles, one tackle for a loss, a sack, and a forced fumble with his own recovery. He showed up big for Colorado and strung together a pair of spectacular games that now have him trending up. He's on pace to beat his tackles mark, he's already gotten more tackles for a loss, and he's seeing a potential increase in sacks as well. The longer this season extends, the better Mo Berry gets and I fully believe he can carry this momentum for the rest of this campaign. Colorado hasn't had a lot to cheer about this season, but if Mo Berry can keep developing they can at least get excited about their future.
Johnny Slothface: Explosive games shaking things up for the Second Line. Slothface started this campaign having a bit of a down turn, but after the last two weeks I simply can't avoid it anymore. Slothface is an absolute play maker. In two weeks, he racked up three sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception return for a touchdown. He has had an explosive display of late and is doing everything he possibly can as a player to keep New Orleans in games. Unfortunately his impact hasn't turned any games in their favor, but if he can keep these numbers rolling in dominating fashion, he can be a highlight reel for the team at year end.
Lanzer Grievous: Small stumble for the second year starter. I was high on Grievous after the first week of play. As a rookie, he was one of the best defenders in the NSFL as he posted 103 tackles, 14 sacks, and 15 passes defended. He was an excellent all around player that dominated in all three phases of the game. When this season kicked off, I thought we were going to see a return to form but unfortunately he's had an entire part of his game disappear. He is finding difficulty getting to the quarterback. Seven games and only a single sack. At this point it would take a herculean effort to get to where he was in season 16 and I just don't see it happening.
Cornerbacks
Gus T.T. Showbiz: Sky high. After being listed as a shaker in week one, I knew at some point we were going to have to revisit showbiz. It is a bit strange to think of a player who is at the top of their game at one position can position swap and be just as dominant at another. Showbiz has shown us that it is entirely possible. Showbiz leads the league in pass defenses and has even managed to get a couple going the other way. He has developed into one of the best pass defenders in the league and will be exciting to watch for at least another season.
Hike Mughes: Shaking it up as a lock down defender. Last season Mughes managed only 12 pass defenses and two interceptions. In his current campaign, he's already knocked down 13 and gotten four to go the other way. Mughes has been terrifyingly dominant this season and is looking to easily double his production from last season. It is hard to pinpoint how he's made such a jump, but that jump is a huge contribution to this top of the standings Arizona team. Its like night and day and he has definitely shaken up this defense.
Axel Hornbacher: Faltering game changing ability. After a season in which Hornbacher led all cornerbacks in interceptions, so far through seven games he has put a giant zero in that spot. He was a game changer for Baltimore that allowed for them to get away with a bit more in season 16 because they could almost expect him to come up with a big game changing play. This season they've not seen that from him and Baltimore's defense seems to be suffering because of it.
Safeties
Lennox Garnett: Climbing up with a standout season. Garnett is coming off of a season that saw him only manage 14 passes defended, placing him firmly in the middle of the pack as an average pass coverage player. As of this past week, he has already matched that number. Garnett has clawed his way up and with six games left to go is currently ranked as a top three pass coverage safety in the league. He has been knocking down everything that comes in his direction and has been a promising piece to a struggling Philadelphia team.
Trey Staley: Shaking up the SaberCats secondary. I mentioned in my last segment that Staley was on an upward trend. This week he fills the shake up spot due to absolute impact over the last two games. He managed only two interceptions and two pass defenses the entire season as he watched pass after pass sneak by him. He had an interception and four passes defended in just the last two weeks, bettering his numbers from last season in quick succession. San Jose is currently in the thick of the playoff hunt and they need every bit of help they can get. Staley has been playing out of his mind recently and he can blow things up if he keeps making plays.
Logan Lejune: Bottoming out. What has happened to Logan Lejune? Lejune had six interceptions and 21 pass defenses in season 16. He was easily one of the most dominant pass defenders in the league. He has six games left, but he's only managed a single turnover and five knocked down passes in his season 17 campaign. More than that, he is on pace to have almost 20 more tackles than last season which is an indication that he's been getting burned on plays. This isn't a good look for a guy that Colorado was really hoping would develop. All they can do now is hope that this season hasn't been a sign of things to come.