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[div align=\\\"center\\\"]DSFL S22 Index[/div]
The DSFL has witnessed both parity and domination by a singular party within its young run. In the early days, it is expected for one or two teams to gain an edge on so many inexperienced clubs. That was the case for San Antonio and Tijuana who seemed to trade off Ultimini appearances every season in their division while Portland and Kansas City did the same in their conference. But as with all dynasties, time eventually wins out and brings a dominant run to a close. With some re-alignment and expansion over the past few seasons, San Antonio flipped conferences and continued their dominance in Minnesota. Portland and Kansas City would have a new threat to fight off for Ultimini appearances. Likewise, San Anotinio's move appeared to open the door for Tijuana to dominate, but rather it provided a Palm Beach team relocated in South Carolina to finally find their footing and establish themselves as the new captains of the ship.
In S22, the DSFL consisted of their traditional old guard, including Portland, Tijuana, and Kansas City and two upstarts in their second season: Dallas and London. One would expect Portland and Kansas City to have to worry about their new neighbor, but it wasnt the Grey Ducks that would provide the threat the Pythons and Coyotes were expecting. As for Tijuana, dethroning Myrtle Beach became their mission, but it was the new kids on the block that would prove to be just as big as a threat. S21 concluded with Myrtle Beach upending Kansas City for the title. Both teams would miss the playoffs in S23. Coming into the season, most veteran members expected Myrtle Beach and Minnesota to square off for the Ultimini, due to both teams retaining the highest amount of capped players. The only thing more agreed upon were the upstart Royals finishing dead last in the league, due to being a young team, a young team with a roster devoid of depth, and a young team devoid of depth that lost a majority of their biggest producers in the offseason to NSFL callups. The Royals looked to replace 6 defensive starters and their star RB after all were called up, whereas Myrtle Beach, Minnesota, and Tijuana compiled the high-powered send-downs.
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As the season opened up, Kansas City opened up 2-2 with a big win over Minnesota and a loss to Myrtle Beach in their first matchup since the Ultimini. Kansas City seemed poised to bounce back from losing their star QB, Fujiwara and most of their defensive starters, especially with the rise of Son Goku as a top 5 pick for the next draft. However, after a close loss to Tijuana in week 6, dropping KC to 3-3, the Coyotes would limp to a 2-6 finish. Only able to defeat top foes Tijuana and London while being outscored by 98 points in the six losses, aided by a 48-3 thumping by Minnesota. Goku and Nova provided the heroics in the Coyotes week 14 win over Tijuana, Goku with 6 tackles and 2 sacks, Nova with 148 yards. The win somehow kept the Coyotes within earshot of a playoff berth, but there were too many obstacles to overcome in the final week as they fell to Dallas 31-23.
The Coyotes will need to pick up BPA at all positions since it is likely they will lose their best player for the second consecutive season. The Coyotes should just be looking to plug the roster with talent and active players if they want a quick return to their glory days. They will need RCIII to show dramatic improvement as the Coyotes had one the worst passing attacks. The Coyotes could also stand to improve their kickers as they had some of the worst special teams stats in the leagues. Like I said, Kansas City needs more than a band-aid to fight for the playoffs again --- and that's not considering any improvement their divisional foes undergo. Kansas City will have the first pick so they need to make sure they land a stud or it could be an even worse season after they lose Goku.
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As for Minnesota, they would come out to a sluggish 1-3 start. Despair filled the air in the Great Lakes, and they needed to make a move to get the ship right. They landed Zed Keppler from Portland in week 7 to solidify their backfield and give Jamar Lackson an equal backfield mate to take pressure off Snowbow. However, Minnesota would rip off 4 straight wins to shoot to 5-3 and never lost consecutive games the rest of the season and remained atop of the division from week 8 and out. Keppler arrived when Minnesota sat 3-3 and they would finish 8-6. Minnesota would carry the second best passing attack heading into the playoffs. Their WR corps of Hood, Sakura, and Brooks wreaked havoc on opposing secondaries all season, as Hood and Brooks combined for 13 TD's, the number one duo in the league. Minnesota still needed to fend off the rest of the division until the final week to secure the division. Despite dismantling London across the water earlier in the season, Minnesota did not take them lightly in the Week 14 rematch for the divisonal crown and the team piled up 9 sacks(3 by Kennedy, 2 by Sackson), over 200 rushing yards(100+ by each RB) and 4 passing TD's --- 3 to Hood.
However, Minnesota would not be able to carry that momentum into the playoffs against the Royals for a third time as no WR recorded over 50 yards and SnowBow finished with a 56.9 passer rating as they fell to the Royals when it mattered most. Minnesota had one of the best passing attacks but with a QB that had a lot of growing pains. If SnowBow can limit his mistakes, Minnesota can be scarier next year. Minnesota should be weary of carrying so many send downs as they might undergo a mass pillage at some point. In the meantime, building their offensive line would be crucial to help one of the league's least fiercest rushing attacks while they have a plethora of capped players on their roster. Minnesota has always been a solid drafting franchise and that shouldn't stop now. They will likely lose several of their key defensive starters so they should be prepared to remain a defensive stalwart or transition into an offensive-first outfit.
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The Royals came in with no expectations. They had one of the least active rosters, along with being the most inexperienced team. In addition, they lost almost all of their key contributors to the draft. The Royals were in such a rough spot that seasoned players turned inactive were almost as productive as some of their starters. The Royals would surprise everyone by jumping out to a 3-1 start, engineered by their high-powered pass attack led by Colby Jack who remained one of the most proficient QB's throughout the league. The Royals also gained huge boost from their special teams as Phastbawl would establish himself as a primetime kicker. The Royals thumped KC, Tijuana, and escaped Norfolk with a one point win before falling into a trap game with Portland. They were able to regroup and stun the equally 3-1 Buccaneers at home in a hotly contested match. The Buccaneers' season seemed to implode at this juncture as they crawled to a 7-7 last place finish in their division.
The Royals would experience similar drama as they dropped 5 consecutive games to fall to 4-6. The Royals benefited from the Coyotes only winning 2 games after week 5: London and Tijuana(week 13), maybe the Coyotes were saving their best games for the big boys.
The Royals lost in their season finale to Minnesota but picked up a crucial win against Portland weeks prior that allowed them to control their destiny; thankfully, other teams could not handle their schedule in similar fashion to the Royals and London clinched their first playoff berth on the back of other teams falling flat and beating the teams they needed to to keep tiebreakers alive.
The Royals would have to face off against Minnesota after being twice defeated by them in the regular season. However, this was not the same team Minnesota would expect to see. London, overcoming a midseason GM change and having one of the least active rosters, were on the verge of breaking out as a threat. London came in almost a new team, literally and figuratively, new signee Otto Vanjensen led the way with 12 tackles. HighHash decided to start season long backup King over Batista; King brought a change of pace on the ground the Royals' pass happy offense needed. The Royals also saw the return of briefly inactive players Bob Bob, Susan Cash Jr, and Blake Alexander --- all who provided major impact to the Royals having a 40-28 min TOP edge, limiting Minnesota's backfield, shredding their vulnerable pass defense, and stifling their potent WR core en route to upsetting the Ducks in overtime.
The upstart Royals were on their way to face the surging Luchadores(remember them from earlier). Tijuana started their season slow, but unlike Myrtle Beach, their veteran moxy showed almost immediately. After losing their first two games, Tijuana would only lose two games the rest of the season in part to their high powered offensive arsenal, running teams off the field with their number one offense and passing attack. Despite the mismatch on paper(best statistical offense vs worst statistical defense) London again proved their might by holding the Luchadores to their worst offensive performance since the opening week. However, the Royals could not string together enough offensive plays to hold the Luchadores off and some conservative playcalling in the 4th quarter will likely haunt the team until next season starts as they fell to Tijuana 10-6.
The Royals will likely retain Jack and their RB's and WR's another season. On defense, they are likely to see 5 of their starters get drafted in the top 30 and it's likely that only two return for an extra year. If the Royals want to sustain their success, they should invest into their linemen. The Royals allowed the most sacks and had the least amount of defensive sacks. If Jack could have any protection, he could put in a monster season. If the Royals could bring anything in their rush defense, they might elevate to old Arizona Outlaw levels with the stifling secondary they boast.
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Portland, coming off a playoff appearance, seemed poised to to make the playoffs once again as they kept most of their talent level at the same level as S21. The issue for Portland were the players they lost, Reginald Covington would become Kansas City's starting QB and Tyler Oles would stay up in the NSFL. Portland found a gem to help fill out their LB core with Kachpoo and Joe Petrongolo proved a vital addition to the offense. Portland definitely defined a team in transition: a lot of young and prosperous talent but no true superstars to save them when the team had an off day. Portland definitely had a peculiar season, after getting sapped twice by the two powerhouses Myrtle Beach and Minnesota, they bounced back with two comfortable wins then week 5 happened.
Portland went into Kansas City looking to continue their run. Portland dominated early but saw two crucial penalties turn promising drives into two field goals. In the second half, RCIII would eviscerate Portland on 10/15 completions en route to two scoring drives leading to 10 points. Portland, unable to establish anything in the air, would fall flat by one point. Portland would lose 4 more games by one possession after this, including a sweep to Norfolk by a combined 4 points.
In order to bounce back next season, Portland not only needs more talent and depth(mainly in their skill positions on offense), but they need to decide are they going to be a smashmouth team or this pseudo-game manager type that has no vertical threat in the air and relies on their defense to constantly set them up with great field position? If Portland decides to be fun and embrace the former, then loading up on more rb's, te's, and o-line should be their priority. They'll need to keep that defense plush with talent to keep teams under control of their tempo and limiting big plays. Remember, playing games close don't just keep you close enough, it keeps the opposition close too.
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As for the Buccaneers, Myrtle Beach came out the gates firing. The Buccaneers won 3 of their first 4 games with a +68 PD. The Buccaneers seemed poised to cruise to the playoffs and defend their title. They only slipped up against divisional foe, Tijuana. However, Myrtle Beach would enter a surprise mid-season showdown with the Royals in week 5. Like the Buccaneers, the Royals came into the game 3-1, spurred by big wins over Tijuana and Kansas City. The Royals would secure the upset win at home against Myrtle Beach and briefly reign atop of the entire league.
Unfortunately for both teams, they suffered identical spirals to the bottom of their respective divisions after this heated clash. Myrtle Beach would lose 5 of their next 6 games, dropping them to 4-6 and a 1-5 divisional record. Myrtle Beach would ultimately suffer three losses with a win rate over 70% throughout the course of the season that led them fending for a playoff spot in the final week of the season. Despite coming into a rematch with Norfolk on a 3 game win streak, Norfolk would again pull off the upset and earn their playoff spot over Myrtle Beach who sunk back to the bottom of the division with the loss.
Like Minnesota, if Myrtle Beach wants to improve, they likely want to reduce the errant throws by their QB, leading the league in INTs and having an average completion percentage. Myrtle Beach will want to get their WR group up to form as Despacito Jr could use help but he can also see to cut down on his drops. Despite being one of the most talented teams, Myrtle Beach did suffer from penalties throughout the entire season. With their star defensive players likely on the verge on callups, Myrtle Beach needs to ensure their new crop of talent doesnt compound their penalty problems. Myrtle Beach should also look to improve their special teams as they had a woeful year punting and did not make a field goal beyond 45 yards.
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The other expansion franchise in their second year, had Dallas played in the other division, they likely would have made a similar run to London. The similarities to the teams are striking, both of the teams strength lies within the defense. Both lost huge contributors in the draft. For Dallas, they lost Cho, Bayley, and Koniepolcski and like London, replaced the talent to their best capabilities with studs like Montain, McCringleberry, d'Alcott, and the return of Mendoza. The key differences would be that Dallas carried a deeper defensive unit, with talent scattered on all three levels whereas London boasted a high powered secondary and London clearly had an offensive edge over Dallas with their high powered passing attack.
Dallas finished with the second lowest passer rating, second lowest amount of passing TD's, and the worst completion percentage. Like London, they gave up a ton of sacks due to having little o-line depth in attempts to fill out the rest of the offense. They will need upgrades in their passing game to compliment the second best rushing attack. Like Portland, Dallas' conservative style bit them hard throughout the season and they did not make many splash plays throughout the season(2nd lowest sacks, 2nd lowest interceptions). In their 21-18 loss to Minnesota, they were victim to 5 sacks, 1 INT, and a missed FG. In a 16-13 loss to Norfolk, they were victim to 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 missed FG, and a safety. In an 11-8 loss to London in week 14, they missed an extra point and two field goals.
Dallas is in a pressing situation, as like last year, they likely will lose their top defensive players to the draft again, but they cannot afford to be such a conservative team with such an unbalanced offensive attack. Like Portland, will they embrace being smashmouth or continue pretending that they can stretch defenses over the top? Dallas invested in tight end but seem to use them more as an extension of the o-line rather than receiving threats. Dallas needs to get Jack some o-line help as he cannot be expected to win with such paltry passing numbers. Dallas also needs to address their kicker needs ASAP or they will suffer more unfortunate close losses. Remember, the tighter the margin, the greater the magnitude of each mistake. Luck is a product of effort and execution.
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Last season, Norfolk made their way with the stifling secondary and potent pass attack but in S22, key losses in their secondary saw the team drop to the worst pass defense and despite having both of their QB's return for another year. They also failed to create much of anything in the air with the league's worst passing attack, the fewest amounts of pass yards, and the third lowest passer rating accompanied by a dismal 8.4 yards per catch. Their QB's put up equally mediocre statlines and their best receiving threat was their tight end --- if not for Sunrise and Skrills carving through defenses, I shudder to imagine how far the Seawolves would sink.
Norfolk did make their hay with their rush defense, finishing with the most TFL, the second most sacks behind Myrtle Beach, a whopping 16 FF in which they recovered 15, and all being complimented by a league leading 13 interceptions and astonishing 5 defensive touchdowns --- the highest mark since the Marshalls in S14. Norfolk started off with a dominating win over Tijuana before losing 4 straight. In week 6, 3 second half turnovers by the defense and an 84 yard kick return by Brosley helped the Seawolves leave with the 21-20 victory. The next week, Scoot led a defensive surge against Myrtle Beach with 15 tackles, a TFL, 2 sacks, 3 pass deflections, and an interception in a 9-6 defensive slugfest. Norfolk would win 7 of their 8 victories by one possession. A 31 yd INT TD by Scott helped keep KC at bay, 28-23. A Brosley INT ended a late Royals comeback in a 17-13 win. Sunrise could not be stopped as he helped Norfolk march 47 yards in 4:25 to set up the game winning 39 yard field goal with 0:02 remaining in a 16-13 win over Dallas. Against Portland, Scott forced a fumble, recovered by Marshall, that stalled a promising Pythons drive; later in the 4th Brosley returned a kick 56 yards that helped set up the short field for the game winning field goal with 8 secs left in the 23-20 win.
The clutchness of the SeaWolves carried them into the playoffs as the week 17 showdown with Myrtle Beach for the last playoff spot saw them come out with two int return td's before holding off Myrtle Beach in the 2nd half to force OT. In OT, Norfolk stuck to their roots, grinding Myrtle Beach down until Sunrise paved the way for them to finally get the game winning FG with just over 5 mins left in OT. The Seawolves magic would empty in the playoffs as despite racking up over 220 rushing yards against Tijuana, they would fall short in overtime as they missed two field goals to win the game in regulation and overtime. If the Seawolves hope to reach the Ultimini, they need to keep their running back group together and find some weapons for their QB's. Norfolk cant expect to win many playoff games throwing for 125 yards. Norfolk could use some more help in their already stout secondary, despite leading the league in INT's they had issues getting off the field if the front 7 didnt get to the QB. Norfolk is hoping they get a big boon from send downs next season.
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The Luchadores seemed to have lost some of their luster after their natural longtime rivals from Texas deserted them for colder pastures a few years ago. However, in S22, the Luchadores would crank up the heat again and restore the glory of the past. Powered by a high octane offense that would make Steve Nash proud, the Luchadores set out to kick butt and take names later. That fast paced offense often allowed the strength of their shallow defense to shine. Tijuana boasted one of the most talented collection of defensive ends and safeties. Tijuana is a team that lived with mistakes as long as they had more chances to score than the opponent. They had the most passing attempts, most yards, and highest passer rating which allowed them to lead the league in rushing td's as they ate up yards every week. Vequain led the league in receiving yards and was second in td catches. Despite being such a pass happy, offensive-oriented team --- Tijuana still finished with the least amount of sacks allowed.
The defense did not stand out in any way but they didnt need to with how well their offense rolled through the league. Although Tijuana is hoping that Waters can either elevate into a surefire starter as Slothlieberger finished with 6 TD's and 9 INT's --- leaving the soft defense in compromised situations. Tijuana had 5 turnovers, 6 sacks, and a safety in their first two games and yes they lost both games. The team found their groove as they won 9 of their next 10, catching teams off guard with an emerging impact player in Vequain --- catching anything in limited chances --- and the two head hydra in the backfield consisting of Gilbert and Back. The two seemed to never run out of energy and always found holes despite having an o-line that wasn't near the best in the league.
The team seemed to finally get rolling when they squared off with new emerging rival Myrtle Beach in which the Buccaneers matched the Luchadores blow for blow until Hexagon erupted in the 4th with two INT's, including the go-ahead TD as Ramos finished with 3 interceptions as Myrtle Beach's lackluster QB play would doom them whereas Tijuana's relentless attack kept them alive long enough. The next week, they would start with an interception return TD by Ryan and hold off old foes Minnesota for the 3-pt win. Porter, Wright, Hexagon, and Om would continue to lead the defense the rest of the way into the playoffs as they would need every bit of defensive demolition to carry the team to the title. A late season loss to Kansas City showed a crack in Tijuana's offense where if you could control tempo, you limit their offense, and if you have defensive weapons in the right spots, you could stifle their passing attack and reduce them to a run first team. Norfolk and their amazing defense bottled up the Luchadores in the first playoff game, but Wright had a remarkable day with 17 tackles and combined with the rest of the defense, forced Norfolk to attempt 3 field goals. Norfolk would miss two game winning attempts and Tijuana, with their resolve in full form, marched down the field after wearing out the Seawolves for good and won the game in OT to advance to the Ultimini.
In the Ultimini, the Luchadores were the team with the most experience and had a history of prior appearances but probably turned in one of their worst offensive performances all season. Tijuana could not crack through London's secondary and found themselves struggling to escape their pursuit speed. Despite committing more than double the turnovers and not forcing a turnover(a -2 turnover differential), the Luchadores had two redzone stops that led to FG's and two huge sacks before halftime that took the Royals out of field goal range as they returned to the top as the S22 Ultimini Champions. As champs, you probably feel there isnt much to improve but the Luchadores could hope that Waters or Slothlisberger progresses to a higher level to keep their offense rolling. They could use an extra weapon next to the budding stud Vequain and if anything, they should be looking to fill in their defense as they will lose their top corner and top defensive end prospect. Tijuana has a good window to remain on top if they can solidify their defense and hold it together after the NSFL draft.
WC: 4116
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]DSFL S22 Index[/div]
The DSFL has witnessed both parity and domination by a singular party within its young run. In the early days, it is expected for one or two teams to gain an edge on so many inexperienced clubs. That was the case for San Antonio and Tijuana who seemed to trade off Ultimini appearances every season in their division while Portland and Kansas City did the same in their conference. But as with all dynasties, time eventually wins out and brings a dominant run to a close. With some re-alignment and expansion over the past few seasons, San Antonio flipped conferences and continued their dominance in Minnesota. Portland and Kansas City would have a new threat to fight off for Ultimini appearances. Likewise, San Anotinio's move appeared to open the door for Tijuana to dominate, but rather it provided a Palm Beach team relocated in South Carolina to finally find their footing and establish themselves as the new captains of the ship.
In S22, the DSFL consisted of their traditional old guard, including Portland, Tijuana, and Kansas City and two upstarts in their second season: Dallas and London. One would expect Portland and Kansas City to have to worry about their new neighbor, but it wasnt the Grey Ducks that would provide the threat the Pythons and Coyotes were expecting. As for Tijuana, dethroning Myrtle Beach became their mission, but it was the new kids on the block that would prove to be just as big as a threat. S21 concluded with Myrtle Beach upending Kansas City for the title. Both teams would miss the playoffs in S23. Coming into the season, most veteran members expected Myrtle Beach and Minnesota to square off for the Ultimini, due to both teams retaining the highest amount of capped players. The only thing more agreed upon were the upstart Royals finishing dead last in the league, due to being a young team, a young team with a roster devoid of depth, and a young team devoid of depth that lost a majority of their biggest producers in the offseason to NSFL callups. The Royals looked to replace 6 defensive starters and their star RB after all were called up, whereas Myrtle Beach, Minnesota, and Tijuana compiled the high-powered send-downs.
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[/div]As the season opened up, Kansas City opened up 2-2 with a big win over Minnesota and a loss to Myrtle Beach in their first matchup since the Ultimini. Kansas City seemed poised to bounce back from losing their star QB, Fujiwara and most of their defensive starters, especially with the rise of Son Goku as a top 5 pick for the next draft. However, after a close loss to Tijuana in week 6, dropping KC to 3-3, the Coyotes would limp to a 2-6 finish. Only able to defeat top foes Tijuana and London while being outscored by 98 points in the six losses, aided by a 48-3 thumping by Minnesota. Goku and Nova provided the heroics in the Coyotes week 14 win over Tijuana, Goku with 6 tackles and 2 sacks, Nova with 148 yards. The win somehow kept the Coyotes within earshot of a playoff berth, but there were too many obstacles to overcome in the final week as they fell to Dallas 31-23.
The Coyotes will need to pick up BPA at all positions since it is likely they will lose their best player for the second consecutive season. The Coyotes should just be looking to plug the roster with talent and active players if they want a quick return to their glory days. They will need RCIII to show dramatic improvement as the Coyotes had one the worst passing attacks. The Coyotes could also stand to improve their kickers as they had some of the worst special teams stats in the leagues. Like I said, Kansas City needs more than a band-aid to fight for the playoffs again --- and that's not considering any improvement their divisional foes undergo. Kansas City will have the first pick so they need to make sure they land a stud or it could be an even worse season after they lose Goku.
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[/div]As for Minnesota, they would come out to a sluggish 1-3 start. Despair filled the air in the Great Lakes, and they needed to make a move to get the ship right. They landed Zed Keppler from Portland in week 7 to solidify their backfield and give Jamar Lackson an equal backfield mate to take pressure off Snowbow. However, Minnesota would rip off 4 straight wins to shoot to 5-3 and never lost consecutive games the rest of the season and remained atop of the division from week 8 and out. Keppler arrived when Minnesota sat 3-3 and they would finish 8-6. Minnesota would carry the second best passing attack heading into the playoffs. Their WR corps of Hood, Sakura, and Brooks wreaked havoc on opposing secondaries all season, as Hood and Brooks combined for 13 TD's, the number one duo in the league. Minnesota still needed to fend off the rest of the division until the final week to secure the division. Despite dismantling London across the water earlier in the season, Minnesota did not take them lightly in the Week 14 rematch for the divisonal crown and the team piled up 9 sacks(3 by Kennedy, 2 by Sackson), over 200 rushing yards(100+ by each RB) and 4 passing TD's --- 3 to Hood.
However, Minnesota would not be able to carry that momentum into the playoffs against the Royals for a third time as no WR recorded over 50 yards and SnowBow finished with a 56.9 passer rating as they fell to the Royals when it mattered most. Minnesota had one of the best passing attacks but with a QB that had a lot of growing pains. If SnowBow can limit his mistakes, Minnesota can be scarier next year. Minnesota should be weary of carrying so many send downs as they might undergo a mass pillage at some point. In the meantime, building their offensive line would be crucial to help one of the league's least fiercest rushing attacks while they have a plethora of capped players on their roster. Minnesota has always been a solid drafting franchise and that shouldn't stop now. They will likely lose several of their key defensive starters so they should be prepared to remain a defensive stalwart or transition into an offensive-first outfit.
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[/div]The Royals came in with no expectations. They had one of the least active rosters, along with being the most inexperienced team. In addition, they lost almost all of their key contributors to the draft. The Royals were in such a rough spot that seasoned players turned inactive were almost as productive as some of their starters. The Royals would surprise everyone by jumping out to a 3-1 start, engineered by their high-powered pass attack led by Colby Jack who remained one of the most proficient QB's throughout the league. The Royals also gained huge boost from their special teams as Phastbawl would establish himself as a primetime kicker. The Royals thumped KC, Tijuana, and escaped Norfolk with a one point win before falling into a trap game with Portland. They were able to regroup and stun the equally 3-1 Buccaneers at home in a hotly contested match. The Buccaneers' season seemed to implode at this juncture as they crawled to a 7-7 last place finish in their division.
The Royals would experience similar drama as they dropped 5 consecutive games to fall to 4-6. The Royals benefited from the Coyotes only winning 2 games after week 5: London and Tijuana(week 13), maybe the Coyotes were saving their best games for the big boys.
The Royals lost in their season finale to Minnesota but picked up a crucial win against Portland weeks prior that allowed them to control their destiny; thankfully, other teams could not handle their schedule in similar fashion to the Royals and London clinched their first playoff berth on the back of other teams falling flat and beating the teams they needed to to keep tiebreakers alive.
The Royals would have to face off against Minnesota after being twice defeated by them in the regular season. However, this was not the same team Minnesota would expect to see. London, overcoming a midseason GM change and having one of the least active rosters, were on the verge of breaking out as a threat. London came in almost a new team, literally and figuratively, new signee Otto Vanjensen led the way with 12 tackles. HighHash decided to start season long backup King over Batista; King brought a change of pace on the ground the Royals' pass happy offense needed. The Royals also saw the return of briefly inactive players Bob Bob, Susan Cash Jr, and Blake Alexander --- all who provided major impact to the Royals having a 40-28 min TOP edge, limiting Minnesota's backfield, shredding their vulnerable pass defense, and stifling their potent WR core en route to upsetting the Ducks in overtime.
The upstart Royals were on their way to face the surging Luchadores(remember them from earlier). Tijuana started their season slow, but unlike Myrtle Beach, their veteran moxy showed almost immediately. After losing their first two games, Tijuana would only lose two games the rest of the season in part to their high powered offensive arsenal, running teams off the field with their number one offense and passing attack. Despite the mismatch on paper(best statistical offense vs worst statistical defense) London again proved their might by holding the Luchadores to their worst offensive performance since the opening week. However, the Royals could not string together enough offensive plays to hold the Luchadores off and some conservative playcalling in the 4th quarter will likely haunt the team until next season starts as they fell to Tijuana 10-6.
The Royals will likely retain Jack and their RB's and WR's another season. On defense, they are likely to see 5 of their starters get drafted in the top 30 and it's likely that only two return for an extra year. If the Royals want to sustain their success, they should invest into their linemen. The Royals allowed the most sacks and had the least amount of defensive sacks. If Jack could have any protection, he could put in a monster season. If the Royals could bring anything in their rush defense, they might elevate to old Arizona Outlaw levels with the stifling secondary they boast.
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[/div]Portland, coming off a playoff appearance, seemed poised to to make the playoffs once again as they kept most of their talent level at the same level as S21. The issue for Portland were the players they lost, Reginald Covington would become Kansas City's starting QB and Tyler Oles would stay up in the NSFL. Portland found a gem to help fill out their LB core with Kachpoo and Joe Petrongolo proved a vital addition to the offense. Portland definitely defined a team in transition: a lot of young and prosperous talent but no true superstars to save them when the team had an off day. Portland definitely had a peculiar season, after getting sapped twice by the two powerhouses Myrtle Beach and Minnesota, they bounced back with two comfortable wins then week 5 happened.
Portland went into Kansas City looking to continue their run. Portland dominated early but saw two crucial penalties turn promising drives into two field goals. In the second half, RCIII would eviscerate Portland on 10/15 completions en route to two scoring drives leading to 10 points. Portland, unable to establish anything in the air, would fall flat by one point. Portland would lose 4 more games by one possession after this, including a sweep to Norfolk by a combined 4 points.
In order to bounce back next season, Portland not only needs more talent and depth(mainly in their skill positions on offense), but they need to decide are they going to be a smashmouth team or this pseudo-game manager type that has no vertical threat in the air and relies on their defense to constantly set them up with great field position? If Portland decides to be fun and embrace the former, then loading up on more rb's, te's, and o-line should be their priority. They'll need to keep that defense plush with talent to keep teams under control of their tempo and limiting big plays. Remember, playing games close don't just keep you close enough, it keeps the opposition close too.
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[/div]As for the Buccaneers, Myrtle Beach came out the gates firing. The Buccaneers won 3 of their first 4 games with a +68 PD. The Buccaneers seemed poised to cruise to the playoffs and defend their title. They only slipped up against divisional foe, Tijuana. However, Myrtle Beach would enter a surprise mid-season showdown with the Royals in week 5. Like the Buccaneers, the Royals came into the game 3-1, spurred by big wins over Tijuana and Kansas City. The Royals would secure the upset win at home against Myrtle Beach and briefly reign atop of the entire league.
Unfortunately for both teams, they suffered identical spirals to the bottom of their respective divisions after this heated clash. Myrtle Beach would lose 5 of their next 6 games, dropping them to 4-6 and a 1-5 divisional record. Myrtle Beach would ultimately suffer three losses with a win rate over 70% throughout the course of the season that led them fending for a playoff spot in the final week of the season. Despite coming into a rematch with Norfolk on a 3 game win streak, Norfolk would again pull off the upset and earn their playoff spot over Myrtle Beach who sunk back to the bottom of the division with the loss.
Like Minnesota, if Myrtle Beach wants to improve, they likely want to reduce the errant throws by their QB, leading the league in INTs and having an average completion percentage. Myrtle Beach will want to get their WR group up to form as Despacito Jr could use help but he can also see to cut down on his drops. Despite being one of the most talented teams, Myrtle Beach did suffer from penalties throughout the entire season. With their star defensive players likely on the verge on callups, Myrtle Beach needs to ensure their new crop of talent doesnt compound their penalty problems. Myrtle Beach should also look to improve their special teams as they had a woeful year punting and did not make a field goal beyond 45 yards.
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[/div]The other expansion franchise in their second year, had Dallas played in the other division, they likely would have made a similar run to London. The similarities to the teams are striking, both of the teams strength lies within the defense. Both lost huge contributors in the draft. For Dallas, they lost Cho, Bayley, and Koniepolcski and like London, replaced the talent to their best capabilities with studs like Montain, McCringleberry, d'Alcott, and the return of Mendoza. The key differences would be that Dallas carried a deeper defensive unit, with talent scattered on all three levels whereas London boasted a high powered secondary and London clearly had an offensive edge over Dallas with their high powered passing attack.
Dallas finished with the second lowest passer rating, second lowest amount of passing TD's, and the worst completion percentage. Like London, they gave up a ton of sacks due to having little o-line depth in attempts to fill out the rest of the offense. They will need upgrades in their passing game to compliment the second best rushing attack. Like Portland, Dallas' conservative style bit them hard throughout the season and they did not make many splash plays throughout the season(2nd lowest sacks, 2nd lowest interceptions). In their 21-18 loss to Minnesota, they were victim to 5 sacks, 1 INT, and a missed FG. In a 16-13 loss to Norfolk, they were victim to 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 missed FG, and a safety. In an 11-8 loss to London in week 14, they missed an extra point and two field goals.
Dallas is in a pressing situation, as like last year, they likely will lose their top defensive players to the draft again, but they cannot afford to be such a conservative team with such an unbalanced offensive attack. Like Portland, will they embrace being smashmouth or continue pretending that they can stretch defenses over the top? Dallas invested in tight end but seem to use them more as an extension of the o-line rather than receiving threats. Dallas needs to get Jack some o-line help as he cannot be expected to win with such paltry passing numbers. Dallas also needs to address their kicker needs ASAP or they will suffer more unfortunate close losses. Remember, the tighter the margin, the greater the magnitude of each mistake. Luck is a product of effort and execution.
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[/div]Last season, Norfolk made their way with the stifling secondary and potent pass attack but in S22, key losses in their secondary saw the team drop to the worst pass defense and despite having both of their QB's return for another year. They also failed to create much of anything in the air with the league's worst passing attack, the fewest amounts of pass yards, and the third lowest passer rating accompanied by a dismal 8.4 yards per catch. Their QB's put up equally mediocre statlines and their best receiving threat was their tight end --- if not for Sunrise and Skrills carving through defenses, I shudder to imagine how far the Seawolves would sink.
Norfolk did make their hay with their rush defense, finishing with the most TFL, the second most sacks behind Myrtle Beach, a whopping 16 FF in which they recovered 15, and all being complimented by a league leading 13 interceptions and astonishing 5 defensive touchdowns --- the highest mark since the Marshalls in S14. Norfolk started off with a dominating win over Tijuana before losing 4 straight. In week 6, 3 second half turnovers by the defense and an 84 yard kick return by Brosley helped the Seawolves leave with the 21-20 victory. The next week, Scoot led a defensive surge against Myrtle Beach with 15 tackles, a TFL, 2 sacks, 3 pass deflections, and an interception in a 9-6 defensive slugfest. Norfolk would win 7 of their 8 victories by one possession. A 31 yd INT TD by Scott helped keep KC at bay, 28-23. A Brosley INT ended a late Royals comeback in a 17-13 win. Sunrise could not be stopped as he helped Norfolk march 47 yards in 4:25 to set up the game winning 39 yard field goal with 0:02 remaining in a 16-13 win over Dallas. Against Portland, Scott forced a fumble, recovered by Marshall, that stalled a promising Pythons drive; later in the 4th Brosley returned a kick 56 yards that helped set up the short field for the game winning field goal with 8 secs left in the 23-20 win.
The clutchness of the SeaWolves carried them into the playoffs as the week 17 showdown with Myrtle Beach for the last playoff spot saw them come out with two int return td's before holding off Myrtle Beach in the 2nd half to force OT. In OT, Norfolk stuck to their roots, grinding Myrtle Beach down until Sunrise paved the way for them to finally get the game winning FG with just over 5 mins left in OT. The Seawolves magic would empty in the playoffs as despite racking up over 220 rushing yards against Tijuana, they would fall short in overtime as they missed two field goals to win the game in regulation and overtime. If the Seawolves hope to reach the Ultimini, they need to keep their running back group together and find some weapons for their QB's. Norfolk cant expect to win many playoff games throwing for 125 yards. Norfolk could use some more help in their already stout secondary, despite leading the league in INT's they had issues getting off the field if the front 7 didnt get to the QB. Norfolk is hoping they get a big boon from send downs next season.
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[/div]The Luchadores seemed to have lost some of their luster after their natural longtime rivals from Texas deserted them for colder pastures a few years ago. However, in S22, the Luchadores would crank up the heat again and restore the glory of the past. Powered by a high octane offense that would make Steve Nash proud, the Luchadores set out to kick butt and take names later. That fast paced offense often allowed the strength of their shallow defense to shine. Tijuana boasted one of the most talented collection of defensive ends and safeties. Tijuana is a team that lived with mistakes as long as they had more chances to score than the opponent. They had the most passing attempts, most yards, and highest passer rating which allowed them to lead the league in rushing td's as they ate up yards every week. Vequain led the league in receiving yards and was second in td catches. Despite being such a pass happy, offensive-oriented team --- Tijuana still finished with the least amount of sacks allowed.
The defense did not stand out in any way but they didnt need to with how well their offense rolled through the league. Although Tijuana is hoping that Waters can either elevate into a surefire starter as Slothlieberger finished with 6 TD's and 9 INT's --- leaving the soft defense in compromised situations. Tijuana had 5 turnovers, 6 sacks, and a safety in their first two games and yes they lost both games. The team found their groove as they won 9 of their next 10, catching teams off guard with an emerging impact player in Vequain --- catching anything in limited chances --- and the two head hydra in the backfield consisting of Gilbert and Back. The two seemed to never run out of energy and always found holes despite having an o-line that wasn't near the best in the league.
The team seemed to finally get rolling when they squared off with new emerging rival Myrtle Beach in which the Buccaneers matched the Luchadores blow for blow until Hexagon erupted in the 4th with two INT's, including the go-ahead TD as Ramos finished with 3 interceptions as Myrtle Beach's lackluster QB play would doom them whereas Tijuana's relentless attack kept them alive long enough. The next week, they would start with an interception return TD by Ryan and hold off old foes Minnesota for the 3-pt win. Porter, Wright, Hexagon, and Om would continue to lead the defense the rest of the way into the playoffs as they would need every bit of defensive demolition to carry the team to the title. A late season loss to Kansas City showed a crack in Tijuana's offense where if you could control tempo, you limit their offense, and if you have defensive weapons in the right spots, you could stifle their passing attack and reduce them to a run first team. Norfolk and their amazing defense bottled up the Luchadores in the first playoff game, but Wright had a remarkable day with 17 tackles and combined with the rest of the defense, forced Norfolk to attempt 3 field goals. Norfolk would miss two game winning attempts and Tijuana, with their resolve in full form, marched down the field after wearing out the Seawolves for good and won the game in OT to advance to the Ultimini.
In the Ultimini, the Luchadores were the team with the most experience and had a history of prior appearances but probably turned in one of their worst offensive performances all season. Tijuana could not crack through London's secondary and found themselves struggling to escape their pursuit speed. Despite committing more than double the turnovers and not forcing a turnover(a -2 turnover differential), the Luchadores had two redzone stops that led to FG's and two huge sacks before halftime that took the Royals out of field goal range as they returned to the top as the S22 Ultimini Champions. As champs, you probably feel there isnt much to improve but the Luchadores could hope that Waters or Slothlisberger progresses to a higher level to keep their offense rolling. They could use an extra weapon next to the budding stud Vequain and if anything, they should be looking to fill in their defense as they will lose their top corner and top defensive end prospect. Tijuana has a good window to remain on top if they can solidify their defense and hold it together after the NSFL draft.
WC: 4116
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