Hello everyone, I'm here to recap my S29 article Link Here . Let's see how I did and what teams did better or worse than I thought.
ellowknife WraithsY
Before the season I had the Wraiths being extremely competitive and a prime competitor for a playoff run. The team finished 10-6 so my prediction was pretty accurate. Unfortunately for Yellowknife the NSFC was absolutely stacked this season causing the team to miss the playoffs. I highlighted their pass defense in my previous article and they lived up to the hype. The team was second in the league in yards allowed through the air. They were let down heavily by their rush defense that was 11th in the league in yards against.
I had identified Colby Jack as my key player for the team. Jack was a dominant quarterback this season and helped carry that poor rushing defense. Despite his MVP level season Jack could not overcome the other deficiencies in the rest of the roster. My breakout player for the Wraiths was Kita Chiasa. While he did have a better year than in Season 28, his stats were not fantastic. Improvement does not necessarily equal a breakout so I'm giving myself an L for this one.
Overall I think I did well enough to give myself a pass on the Wraith's predictions I made this season.
Berlin Fire salamanders
Coming off a 12-4 season, I was very high on Berlin saying that I considered them a championship contender. Well they have made me look good as they had an even better season this year at 13-3. Berlin was dominant in pass defense and almost as equally stout on the rushing defense. I thought this was going to be the weaker unit and they made me eat my words.
My key player was Adam Scheel the linebacker for the team. Scheel had a solid but unspectacular year. I like to think he galvanized the defense into their amazing performance but that is me just trying to justify my pick. There is no way I can justify my pick of Marlon Brando as a breakout player. Brando was a stud the year before and this year he was close to a dud. It was not the season we all hoped Brando would have and hope to see him bounce back next season.
While I was right about Berlin being a championship contender, I was right for the wrong reasons. Have to give myself a fail on this prediction.
Sarasota Sailfish
I predicted the Sailfish to be a playoff bubble team and finsihing third in the NSFC shows that they finished right around that bubble. The team was better than your usual third seed though as they finished with double digit wins and were the number one offense in the season. Overall a great year for the Sailfish and one their fans are proud of.
My Key player was Angler and he did not disappoint. The all star tight end had another 1000 yard season and put up ten touchdowns to go along with it. A dominant performance from a dominant player. Spence was my breakout player and man what a year he had. 1100 yards and 8 touchdowns is a great year for any receiver and Spence backed up my pre season build up.
Sarasota was a team I nailed and so this is an easy pass in my book.
Colorado Yeti
I predicted that the Yeti would be a bubble team before the season and they were able to prove me wrong. The team went out there and won 12 games on the way to an impressive second place finish. The Yeti boasted a very strong passing attack and above average defense which allowed them to be one of the top teams in the league this season.
I identified Lim as the key player for the team and he did not disappoint with a dominant 1900 yard season. I thought that if he did well so would the Yeti and that prediction came true. I predicted the Manhattan project as my breakout player of the year for the Yeti. He had 64 pancakes and only 3 sacks allowed. These are very solid stats for a rookie.
Overall, I am on the fence on how I predicted this team and so will have to go with the cop out of a push.
Chicago Butchers
I was low on the butchers entering the season but was clear to point out they were not bottom dwellers. In the end their 5-11 record tied them for fourth in the conference which seems to align with my prediction. The butchers were never able to get much going this season and are hoping to turn it around next.
Juan Domine was my key player for the team. He had a fantastic year on what wound up being a solid defensive unit. Unfortunately the whole team could never put it together to lead Chicago to more victories. Madison Hayes was my pick for breakout player. While his TD numbers were down this year, he did double his yardage in the passing game showing what a versatile threat he can be.
My butchers predictions looked good this season so I am giving myself a passing grade here.
Philadelphia Liberty
Philadelphia was a team that I thought could do more this year even calling them my dark horse. I never saw them making the playoffs but I thought they would have a better record than what they managed. The three game losing streak at the end of the season really hurt my predictions for this team.
My key player was the young quarterback Ryan Negs. It seems I was spot on in saying Negs would improve as a QB this year but it needed to be drastic to get Philly over the hump and into the playoffs. His play was solid but not spectacular leading to some hope for the future of Philadelphia. I picked Xavier Wells as my breakout player and boy he did not disappoint. 105 tackles for a rookie along with 5 sacks. Wells is here and will be a force in this league moving forward.
It seems I got my player predictions correct, but the record was wishy washy. Overall I said Philly would not make the playoffs and they didn't so I give myself another pass.
Baltimore Hawks
Oh Baltimore, I'm sad it was so easy to predict you would be at the bottom of the conference. I will say the team was way more competitive this year than I thought and the future is bright. I still think you are a couple years away but you will get there and reek havoc on the league.
I picked Luke Skywalker as the key player and well.... he did not have a good year at all. He was not able to pull anything out of his bag of tricks and that is why Baltimore only could manage 3 wins for the season. A new QB should be on the horizon for this team. My breakout player was Busch Goose. I said he would go to 4.3 yards a carry and double digit TDs. Well he got exactly that 4.3 and 11 tds (only 9 rushing). This was by far my most accurate prediction of the entire media.
Overall, I think it is easy to call Baltimore a pass.
Arizona Outlaws
I said the Outlaws were Ultimus or bust this season and while they lost in the playoffs, they still were a top team in their conference. One of the top overall defensive units and a top tier offense, lead to this team wracking up an 11-5 record. Another impressive season for the team.
I picked Tripplett as a key player, and I guess his interception total does not mean much to the success of his team. Rich had zero interceptions this year after 6 the year prior. Triplett was also targeted way more than the league average so it wasn't even like he was prime Revis out there not getting thrown at. Just not a great season for a spectacular player. My breakout player was Ferguson Callaghan Jr. and yeah I missed here too. While he had just above average sacks for his position he only had 22 tackles on the year.
Overall I would have to say I missed on my Outlaws predictions.
New York Silverbacks
New York was the only team I said could give Arizona a run for their money and turns out I was right as they met in the ASFC championship with New York winning. This is a team to watch out for moving forward as we could be looking at the start of something special.
I picked Tugg Speedman as a key player and well.... he didn't have a bad year but not what I would call a key piece. He did break 1000 yards for the first time in his career so not all was lost, but knowing Tugg he would have liked to do better. The Silverbacks ability to do so well without a major contribution shows he was not key in that success. Mongo was a disaster of a pick for breakout player. He only had 2 sacks and accrued 11 penalties this year. He did make 100% of the tackles he attempted so that's something but really hope to see a stronger year from him next year.
While I got my record prediction right on New York, I missed on both the players. So with 2/3 wrong this has to be a fail.
Austin Copperheads
Oh Austin, what the hell hell happened this season. I thought you guys were a shoe-in for the playoffs and it just was a disaster to start the year. You finished much stronger so there is hope for next year but still I was just shocked.
Daytona was my key player and he had a below average season this year that I think helped lead to this below average finish for Austin. Had he been better the team would likely have won more games. Jim the Vampire was my pick for breakout player. He increased his yardage and TDs but not by enough for me to say that he had a breakout year. I still expect big things for him in his career.
Austin is another miss for me.
Honolulu Hahalua
This team was one I thought would be in a game or two of .500 and oh boy did they miss that mark. a 3-13 season is not what the team wanted but maybe they can regroup for next year. noticing a big trend of missing on the ASFC record predictions.
Asher Mountain was my pick for Key player. The DE had a solid season, and considering the team's abysmal record I think a solid season is more than anyone could have hoped for. Elven-Kendrick Watts was my breakout player and oh boy did he not disappoint. Amassing over 1200 yards was huge for the player along with some minimal kick return yardage. He had 4 fumbles which needs to be improved by Honolulu have a winner moving forward here.
I do think that I hit on both players but I was so far off record wise I can't give myself a pass for Honolulu.
Orange County Otters
My prediction for the Otters were that they would hover around .500. In the end, they hit an exact 8-8 record making my prediction spot on. The otters didn't do anything great all year but at no point were they bad either. Just overall a mediocre season for the team.
Goat Tank was my key player and he did not disappoint. Amassing over 1200 yards on the ground and almost another 400 through the air. Goat Tank lead the team and was one of the largest bright spots for the Otters this season. Bruckner was my pick for breakout player. He didn't have a bad year but it certainly wasn't that good either. Hard to consider this a breakout season in anyway so chalk that one up as a loss for me.
Overall, I was 2/3 on predictions here so giving myself a pass for the Otters
New Orleans Second Line
I was very down on NOLA and I have to admit I was very wrong. The team showed heart all season and went out there fighting. They wound up making the playoffs with their 9-7 record and were the surprise of the season. I still think they overachieved but I have to give credit to a great effort where it is due.
I said Slothlisberger needed to perform in order for NOLA to have a chance, and he came out firing. Another successful season for the veteran QB allowed his team to defy expectations and making the playoffs. Cade Williams was my pick for breakout player and I think he accomplished that. While his pancake numbers were not spectacular, he did a great job keeping his QB upright by only allowing 1 sack all year. Great season from Cade.
Similar to the HON predictions, I can't give myself a pass here with how far off I was record wise.
San Jose Sabercats
I said I thought the cats might get to 7 wins this season. Instead they managed 6 and a tie which means I was about as close as I could be. The Cats had a solid offense this year, but defensively could not keep it together. That is a young defense so hopefully it improves but it might be to late for an aging offense.
I went with Lackson as key player and unfortunately this was a down year for the back. While he had a solid YPC he did not have as many touches as I would have expected. With only 900 yards on the ground, Lackson may be disappointed in his numbers. In reality, Campbell with his 1600 receiving yards was the key player for the cats this season. Juno Hu was my pick for breakout player and he did a solid job. He picked up way more tackles and pass defenses than in his rookie year and looks to be a bright spot for the Sabercats moving forward.
Overall, I think I can give myself a pass for the Sabercats.
ellowknife WraithsY
Before the season I had the Wraiths being extremely competitive and a prime competitor for a playoff run. The team finished 10-6 so my prediction was pretty accurate. Unfortunately for Yellowknife the NSFC was absolutely stacked this season causing the team to miss the playoffs. I highlighted their pass defense in my previous article and they lived up to the hype. The team was second in the league in yards allowed through the air. They were let down heavily by their rush defense that was 11th in the league in yards against.
I had identified Colby Jack as my key player for the team. Jack was a dominant quarterback this season and helped carry that poor rushing defense. Despite his MVP level season Jack could not overcome the other deficiencies in the rest of the roster. My breakout player for the Wraiths was Kita Chiasa. While he did have a better year than in Season 28, his stats were not fantastic. Improvement does not necessarily equal a breakout so I'm giving myself an L for this one.
Overall I think I did well enough to give myself a pass on the Wraith's predictions I made this season.
Berlin Fire salamanders
Coming off a 12-4 season, I was very high on Berlin saying that I considered them a championship contender. Well they have made me look good as they had an even better season this year at 13-3. Berlin was dominant in pass defense and almost as equally stout on the rushing defense. I thought this was going to be the weaker unit and they made me eat my words.
My key player was Adam Scheel the linebacker for the team. Scheel had a solid but unspectacular year. I like to think he galvanized the defense into their amazing performance but that is me just trying to justify my pick. There is no way I can justify my pick of Marlon Brando as a breakout player. Brando was a stud the year before and this year he was close to a dud. It was not the season we all hoped Brando would have and hope to see him bounce back next season.
While I was right about Berlin being a championship contender, I was right for the wrong reasons. Have to give myself a fail on this prediction.
Sarasota Sailfish
I predicted the Sailfish to be a playoff bubble team and finsihing third in the NSFC shows that they finished right around that bubble. The team was better than your usual third seed though as they finished with double digit wins and were the number one offense in the season. Overall a great year for the Sailfish and one their fans are proud of.
My Key player was Angler and he did not disappoint. The all star tight end had another 1000 yard season and put up ten touchdowns to go along with it. A dominant performance from a dominant player. Spence was my breakout player and man what a year he had. 1100 yards and 8 touchdowns is a great year for any receiver and Spence backed up my pre season build up.
Sarasota was a team I nailed and so this is an easy pass in my book.
Colorado Yeti
I predicted that the Yeti would be a bubble team before the season and they were able to prove me wrong. The team went out there and won 12 games on the way to an impressive second place finish. The Yeti boasted a very strong passing attack and above average defense which allowed them to be one of the top teams in the league this season.
I identified Lim as the key player for the team and he did not disappoint with a dominant 1900 yard season. I thought that if he did well so would the Yeti and that prediction came true. I predicted the Manhattan project as my breakout player of the year for the Yeti. He had 64 pancakes and only 3 sacks allowed. These are very solid stats for a rookie.
Overall, I am on the fence on how I predicted this team and so will have to go with the cop out of a push.
Chicago Butchers
I was low on the butchers entering the season but was clear to point out they were not bottom dwellers. In the end their 5-11 record tied them for fourth in the conference which seems to align with my prediction. The butchers were never able to get much going this season and are hoping to turn it around next.
Juan Domine was my key player for the team. He had a fantastic year on what wound up being a solid defensive unit. Unfortunately the whole team could never put it together to lead Chicago to more victories. Madison Hayes was my pick for breakout player. While his TD numbers were down this year, he did double his yardage in the passing game showing what a versatile threat he can be.
My butchers predictions looked good this season so I am giving myself a passing grade here.
Philadelphia Liberty
Philadelphia was a team that I thought could do more this year even calling them my dark horse. I never saw them making the playoffs but I thought they would have a better record than what they managed. The three game losing streak at the end of the season really hurt my predictions for this team.
My key player was the young quarterback Ryan Negs. It seems I was spot on in saying Negs would improve as a QB this year but it needed to be drastic to get Philly over the hump and into the playoffs. His play was solid but not spectacular leading to some hope for the future of Philadelphia. I picked Xavier Wells as my breakout player and boy he did not disappoint. 105 tackles for a rookie along with 5 sacks. Wells is here and will be a force in this league moving forward.
It seems I got my player predictions correct, but the record was wishy washy. Overall I said Philly would not make the playoffs and they didn't so I give myself another pass.
Baltimore Hawks
Oh Baltimore, I'm sad it was so easy to predict you would be at the bottom of the conference. I will say the team was way more competitive this year than I thought and the future is bright. I still think you are a couple years away but you will get there and reek havoc on the league.
I picked Luke Skywalker as the key player and well.... he did not have a good year at all. He was not able to pull anything out of his bag of tricks and that is why Baltimore only could manage 3 wins for the season. A new QB should be on the horizon for this team. My breakout player was Busch Goose. I said he would go to 4.3 yards a carry and double digit TDs. Well he got exactly that 4.3 and 11 tds (only 9 rushing). This was by far my most accurate prediction of the entire media.
Overall, I think it is easy to call Baltimore a pass.
Arizona Outlaws
I said the Outlaws were Ultimus or bust this season and while they lost in the playoffs, they still were a top team in their conference. One of the top overall defensive units and a top tier offense, lead to this team wracking up an 11-5 record. Another impressive season for the team.
I picked Tripplett as a key player, and I guess his interception total does not mean much to the success of his team. Rich had zero interceptions this year after 6 the year prior. Triplett was also targeted way more than the league average so it wasn't even like he was prime Revis out there not getting thrown at. Just not a great season for a spectacular player. My breakout player was Ferguson Callaghan Jr. and yeah I missed here too. While he had just above average sacks for his position he only had 22 tackles on the year.
Overall I would have to say I missed on my Outlaws predictions.
New York Silverbacks
New York was the only team I said could give Arizona a run for their money and turns out I was right as they met in the ASFC championship with New York winning. This is a team to watch out for moving forward as we could be looking at the start of something special.
I picked Tugg Speedman as a key player and well.... he didn't have a bad year but not what I would call a key piece. He did break 1000 yards for the first time in his career so not all was lost, but knowing Tugg he would have liked to do better. The Silverbacks ability to do so well without a major contribution shows he was not key in that success. Mongo was a disaster of a pick for breakout player. He only had 2 sacks and accrued 11 penalties this year. He did make 100% of the tackles he attempted so that's something but really hope to see a stronger year from him next year.
While I got my record prediction right on New York, I missed on both the players. So with 2/3 wrong this has to be a fail.
Austin Copperheads
Oh Austin, what the hell hell happened this season. I thought you guys were a shoe-in for the playoffs and it just was a disaster to start the year. You finished much stronger so there is hope for next year but still I was just shocked.
Daytona was my key player and he had a below average season this year that I think helped lead to this below average finish for Austin. Had he been better the team would likely have won more games. Jim the Vampire was my pick for breakout player. He increased his yardage and TDs but not by enough for me to say that he had a breakout year. I still expect big things for him in his career.
Austin is another miss for me.
Honolulu Hahalua
This team was one I thought would be in a game or two of .500 and oh boy did they miss that mark. a 3-13 season is not what the team wanted but maybe they can regroup for next year. noticing a big trend of missing on the ASFC record predictions.
Asher Mountain was my pick for Key player. The DE had a solid season, and considering the team's abysmal record I think a solid season is more than anyone could have hoped for. Elven-Kendrick Watts was my breakout player and oh boy did he not disappoint. Amassing over 1200 yards was huge for the player along with some minimal kick return yardage. He had 4 fumbles which needs to be improved by Honolulu have a winner moving forward here.
I do think that I hit on both players but I was so far off record wise I can't give myself a pass for Honolulu.
Orange County Otters
My prediction for the Otters were that they would hover around .500. In the end, they hit an exact 8-8 record making my prediction spot on. The otters didn't do anything great all year but at no point were they bad either. Just overall a mediocre season for the team.
Goat Tank was my key player and he did not disappoint. Amassing over 1200 yards on the ground and almost another 400 through the air. Goat Tank lead the team and was one of the largest bright spots for the Otters this season. Bruckner was my pick for breakout player. He didn't have a bad year but it certainly wasn't that good either. Hard to consider this a breakout season in anyway so chalk that one up as a loss for me.
Overall, I was 2/3 on predictions here so giving myself a pass for the Otters
New Orleans Second Line
I was very down on NOLA and I have to admit I was very wrong. The team showed heart all season and went out there fighting. They wound up making the playoffs with their 9-7 record and were the surprise of the season. I still think they overachieved but I have to give credit to a great effort where it is due.
I said Slothlisberger needed to perform in order for NOLA to have a chance, and he came out firing. Another successful season for the veteran QB allowed his team to defy expectations and making the playoffs. Cade Williams was my pick for breakout player and I think he accomplished that. While his pancake numbers were not spectacular, he did a great job keeping his QB upright by only allowing 1 sack all year. Great season from Cade.
Similar to the HON predictions, I can't give myself a pass here with how far off I was record wise.
San Jose Sabercats
I said I thought the cats might get to 7 wins this season. Instead they managed 6 and a tie which means I was about as close as I could be. The Cats had a solid offense this year, but defensively could not keep it together. That is a young defense so hopefully it improves but it might be to late for an aging offense.
I went with Lackson as key player and unfortunately this was a down year for the back. While he had a solid YPC he did not have as many touches as I would have expected. With only 900 yards on the ground, Lackson may be disappointed in his numbers. In reality, Campbell with his 1600 receiving yards was the key player for the cats this season. Juno Hu was my pick for breakout player and he did a solid job. He picked up way more tackles and pass defenses than in his rookie year and looks to be a bright spot for the Sabercats moving forward.
Overall, I think I can give myself a pass for the Sabercats.