*London Royals - Rookie Pass Catchers

[Z-Whiz]

Week 11 Summary:
London comes out on top for the second time this year, handing Dallas two of its three losses, 20-6. In a huge game on the road against the number one team in the DSFL, London put on a defensive clinic. I’ll be honest, I thought the Royals were going to lose this one. That’s why you play the game. Anyone can beat anyone on any given day. As for our rookies pass stats, they weren’t great in this game as the team only passed for 151 yards due to their run heavy approach to grind the clock and limit Dallas’s possessions. Tre’Darius J’Vathon, Gunner Thorbjornsson, and Frank Michell all ended with 3 catches each. Thorbjornsson lead the bunch with 39 yards, while J’Vathon came in a close 2nd with 31 yards. Michell wrapped up the group picking up 11 yards.

Week 11 Drive Recap:

• 1st Drive, 1Q 15:00 – A long run followed by a 17 yard catch to Cash Jr moves the ball to midfield. J’Vathon hauls one in for another 6, followed by another good run play. A sack on the ensuing 1st down sees the team in a 3rd and long, but Thorbjornsson shows off his speed as he picks up 17. Michell then gets in on the fun for a catch of 10. The drive stalls inside the red zone after a couple short runs and London settles for a FG to take an early 3-0 lead.
• 2nd Drive, 1Q 5:20 – Two runs and a pass to King pick up a first down. Another sack sees the team in 2nd and long for the 2nd straight drive, but an 11 yard run by King and 6 yard run by Batista pick up another first. Shooting themselves in the foot, Jack picks up a penalty which results in a 2nd and 23. He makes up for it by finding Cash Jr for 12 and J’Vathon for 11 to just get enough for a 1st down. One more pass to Cash Jr sees the 1st quarter end with Dallas only having the ball once. The game plan was working. As the 2nd quarter begins a few short runs are followed by a long 14 yard catch by J’Vathon. This sets up an easy 5 yard scamper for King as he extends London’s lead to 10-3.
• 3rd Drive, 2Q 9:35 – Unable to continue the success of the previous two drives, two runs for no gain and an incompletion in the direction of J’Vathon result in a quick three and out. This is something the Royals need to avoid if they want to hold on to their lead.
• 4th Drive, 2Q 6:26 – The drive starts off with three straight runs and a penalty by recent waiver pick up Medicinal Toblerone. London is not able to pull one out of the hat and ends up punting after two short runs and a catch by Thorbjornsson for 8 yards.
• 5th Drive, 2Q 0:54 – Crooks intercepts a pass at midfield with just under a minute to go. This is a great chance for the Royals to tack on a few cheap points as they go into half. Unfortunately, they run the ball twice and settle for a 56 yard FG attempt with 29 second and a timeout left. The kick is no good by PhastBall. You have to wonder about the play calling in this scenario. Nonetheless, London leads by 7 at half.
• 6th Drive, 3Q 13:26 – With the defense back on the field, the continue their momentum as Greedy Sly intercepts the pass intended for Murphy and returns it to the 1 yard line. Dallas’s DL is no match for the beef or the Royal’s OL as they push them back into the endzone and Batista waltzes in giving London the 17-3 lead.
• 7th Drive, 3Q 8:14 – A missed FG by Dallas keeps the momentum with London as they look to start milking the clock. Six straight rushes are followed by a sack, leaving the Royals in a must throw situation. Michell picks up a short gainer for 3 and Cash Jr drops the catch on 3rd down resulting in a punt. The drive is still effective as it takes 4 and a half minutes off the clock.
• 8th Drive, 3Q 2:33 – London defenses forces a three and out and the offense gets back to the ground and pound. Two runs for 12 yards are followed by a play action that leaves Michell open for an easy 6. Another two runs for 19 and 9 yards keep the clock moving and force Dallas to stack the box. These leaves Thorbjornsson in a one on one as he beats his man for 14 yards on a 2nd and 1. With the ball at the 10, King runs for 3 and Jack misses Cash Jr for an incompletion. Thorbjornsson comes open on 3rd and goal, but a rush of blood to his head sees him drop the ball in the end zone. Perhaps the rookie was thinking about his first TD celebration. Use both hands, youngster! London settles for a FG to extend it to a 3 score lead, 20-3.
• 9th Drive, 4Q 7:42 – Dallas helps the Royals out with a long six minute drive that ends in a FG. However, the ensuing kickoff sees Sly get lost and only gain 1 yard. Pinned deep in their own territory, the Royals are able to get some breathing room with five runs and a pass to Cash Jr for 8 yards. They punt from their own 36 with the 20-6 lead.
• 10th Drive, 4Q 0:11 – After a turnover on downs at midfield, London runs one final play to put the clock at triple zeros. What a big road win for the team!

Week 12 Summary:
London hangs on after a furious late comeback attempt by Tijuana, 21-19. This was nearly your typical let down game after a big win. Luckily, the Royals were able to build up a big enough lead early on to keep Tijuana at bay. Despite only 284 total yards (150 in the air) and 2 turnovers, the team pulled out another one. The team is back up to .500 after 5 wins from their last 6 games. As you probably guessed, it wasn’t a great game for two of the rookies. J’Vathon was blanked with no catches or yards, and Michell only managed to pick up 22 yards on 2 snags. However, Gunner Thorbjornsson hauled in 3, included his first career TD and team high 57 yards. Congrats to the rookie on final getting off the schneid! He’s the last rookie to score and you could tell it meant a lot to him and his teammates by their reactions.

Week 12 Drive Recap:

• 1st Drive, 1Q 9:45 – London’s D bends but doesn’t break as it give up an opening drive FG. Trying to get the ground game going, the Royals pound it seven straight times before a net punt of 12 yards. You could tell the coach was pondering the decision, but after last weeks 56 yard miss by PhastBall, he went with the safe route, and it ended up paying off.
• 2nd Drive, 1Q 5:37 – A penalty put TIJ behind the sticks and were forced to punt on 4th and long deep inside their own territory. Bob Bob blocks the kick, setting up the offense inside the red zone. Not tired despite a heavy work load already, King skedaddles for 19 yards into the end zone, giving the Royals a 7-3 lead.
• 3rd Drive, 1Q 3:37 – The defense keeps at it as van Perkins intercepts the ball at midfield. Three straight runs result in minimal gain and the offense can’t take advantage of the good starting field position as they punt the ball away.
• 4th Drive, 1Q 1:28 – A run for a loss of one, puts London in a passing situation. The defense sees it coming and Jack throws an interception on a ball intended for his favorite target Cash Jr.
• 5th Drive, 2Q 12:46 – A big goal line stand holds TIJ to a field goal, but the lead is down to 1. Four straight runs leave the Royals with a 3rd and 1. Thorbjornsson is unable to catch a ball at his feet, but Cash Jr picks up the slack as he gains 10 yards on 4th down. A risky call, but the previous punt for net 12 yards was definitely on the coach’s mind. King catches a swing pass for 23 and takes the ball inside the red zone. On first down, Jack finds Thorbjornsson on the corner route and he drags his defender into the end zone for a TD. The Royals now lead 14-6.
• 6th Drive, 2Q 7:29 – Ugly drive as Jack gets sacked on 1st down, throws on incompletion on 2nd down, and King drops the pass on 3rd down. A three and out sees the Royals punt.
• 7th Drive, 2Q 1:56 – A long drive, but another goal line stand cuts the lead to 14-9. With minimal time left, the Royals run the clock down and punt the ball away as the half ends.
• 8th Drive, 3Q 15:00 – Michell gets his game long 17 yard reception to lead things off. The ball keeps moving as the Luchadores pick up a penalty and the ground game keeps churning. Cash Jr hauls one in for 11 and the ball sits right on the border of the red zone. Two unsuccessful plays leave the team at 3rd and 10. Cortez tries to force on in to Cash Jr, but the CB fights through the contact and intercepts it. It’s tough to not come away with any points on this drive. It was a rookie mistake, but he’ll learn as he continues to get playing time. Luckily, the defense bails him out by forcing another three and out.
• 9th Drive, 3Q 8:28 – Another drop by Thorbjornsson puts the team in 3rd and 10 again, but this time, Cash Jr is able to haul it in for 14 yards. A negative run by Cortez, followed by a drop by Cash Jr, puts the team in a 3rd and 11. The hero this time is Thorbjornsson who puts on the after burners and streaks for a big 26 yard gain. Three runs, another Cash Jr completion, and a Luchadores’ penalty has the ball inside the red zone. Michell starts the trip off with a 5 yard catch. It’s followed up by three straight runs as Batista extends the lead to 21-9.
• 10th Drive, 3Q 0:44 – The drive starts off with three straight runs followed by Thorbjornsson’s last catch of the game for 11. Three more runs are not enough to keep the chains moving and the Royals punt the ball away, still up by 12.
• 11th Drive, 4Q 11:08 – The defense sticks at it and forces a three and out. Unfortunately, the Royals have lost their mojo and go three and out as well. A negative run and two incompletions force a punt.
• 12th Drive, 4Q 4:21 – For the third time in the game, the Royals defense has a goal line stand and forces another FG inside the 10. Up 21-12, the Royals should look to run the clock out, but instead attempt two passes. Both of which are dropped. One by Cash Jr and the other by Thorbjornsson.
• 13th Drive, 4Q 0:59 – Tijuana is able to score a TD quickly, cutting the lead to 2. Luckily, rookie line backer Busch Light recovers the onside kick and the Royals run the ball to end the game in another Royals victory. That makes 4 in a row.

Week 13 Summary:
London Royals cap off a roller coaster of a season with a victory over Portland, 28-17. It wasn’t technically a must win, but the Royals wanted to see their home fans celebrate another trip to the playoffs. In a nervous first half, the team had failed to impress. Then the Danny King show started one more time as he put the team on his back. The run heavy offense had been working throughout this winning stretch, so why change. The of course, has an impact on the rookie pass catchers. Looking to make up for his goose egg performance in Week 12, J’Vathon stepped up when needed most and lead the team in catches, with 3, and yards, with 59. Thorbjornsson and Michell were only able to haul in two catches a piece, with Gunner going for 44 yards and Frank picking up a mere 9. The Royals really turned their season around. The outside media counted them out with their pathetic 1-5 record, but sources tell me inside the locker room was still positive. That positivity paid off as they have now won 5 games in a row and clinched a playoff spot with a game to spare.

Week 13 Drive Recap:

• 1st Drive, 1Q 8:56 – Before getting their hands on the ball, the Royals were already down 7-0. In a big opening drive, the team let Portland know their strategy. With five straight runs, the ball was already at midfield. Michell dropped a pass on the ensuing 1st down, but J’Vathon was able to haul in the teams first catch of the game for 15 yards. That was it for the passing game on this drive as it ended in 5 more runs, resulting in Danny King waltzing into the endzone to tie it 7-7.
• 2nd Drive, 2Q 13:12 – No, that is not a typo, London only got 1 drive in the 1st quarter and Portland drove straight down the field to retake the lead 14-7. The Pythons came to play. A nice 9 yard pick up on 1st down was followed by a no gainer on 2nd down. 3rd down resulted in a sack and the Royals are forced to punt.
• 3rd Drive, 2Q 7:33 – Portland kept pouring it on and extended the lead, 17-7. Trying to get the pass game going, the Royals went air raid. Unfortunately, the team dunked their hands in grease before the drive and dropped two passed, one by Cash Jr and another by Thorbjornsson. Michell was able to pick up 4 yards on his reception, but it wasn’t enough. Royals punt again.
• 4th Drive, 2Q 4:17 – Things stay ugly with another three and out. A short run by King is followed by two incompletion to Cash Jr.
• 5th Drive, 2Q 1:46 – Decent starting field position give the offense hope, but back to back sacks leave the team in a 3rd and infinity. Cash Jr’s 12 yard catch isn’t even half way to the 1st down marker, and the team is forced to punt one more time this half. Luckily Portland isn’t able to capitalize on decent starting field position as there is not enough time left. London enters the locker room down 17-7.
• 6th Drive, 3Q 15:00 – Whatever coach said at halftime was not enough to get the team motivated. Colby Jack throws the ball to the wrong colored jersey on the very first snap of the half, giving POR possession on the LDN 35.
• 7th Drive, 3Q 13:40 – Royals defense is able to force a three and out and keep the team down 10. The offense gets back to the game plan with six straight run plays, putting right on the midway line. Cash Jr then rips off a long 36 yard reception. With the team in the red zone, the Royals don’t try and get cute. Instead they hand it off to their lead man, King, who cuts the lead to 3.
• 8th Drive, 3Q 8:58 – Another three and out at the hands (or lack thereof) of their WRs. This time Cash Jr and Michell are the corporates. London punts, down 17-14.
• 9th Drive, 3Q 7:11 – Likely tired of seeing his receivers drop the ball, Danny King goes into beast mode and rips of a career long 62 yard run. He looks up at the scoreboard to see the defenders trailing close behind, but they’re unable to catch up. London takes the lead, 21-17!
• 10th Drive, 3Q 5:07 – London sticks with what’s been working and goes back to the ground. Unfortunately, the QB sneak on 3rd and 1 is snuffed out and the Royals are forced to punt.
• 11th Drive, 3Q 1:26 – Another run heavy drive sees three of the first four plays go on the ground, with the one pass being an incompletion to Cash Jr. Two more incompletions, another to Cash Jr and one to Michell see the drive stall. London punts for the 2nd consecutive drive.
• 12th Drive, 4Q 12:17 – With both defenses suddenly getting stingy, every drive matters. Colby Jack continues to be ice cold as he throws two more incompletions to see the 3rd straight punt.
• 13th Drive, 4Q 11:00 – Still up by 4, the Royals finally start moving the ball again. J’Vathon hauls in a pass and scampers for 26 yards. Unfortunately, the drive stalls once again. This time at the hands of an offensive pass interference call on LT Mac Elephant. I’ll forgive the big man as he was just hungry for some pancakes.
• 14th Drive, 4Q 7:16 – The tension was building throughout the stadium as the defense forced another Portland three and out. The team needed to put together one last drive to seal the deal, and it started off great with an 11 yard run. J’Vathon then pitched in with his last catch of the game for 18 yards, setting the team up in the offensive half. Thorbjornsson finally woke up from his sleep and dried his hands off. He catches two straight balls for 19 yards and 25 yards, moving the team inside the 10. On 3rd and goal, backup QB Cortez enters the game and zips one in to Cash Jr who catches it to make it a two score game, 28-17.
• 15th Drive, 4Q 1:16 – Portland turns it over on downs and the Royals run out the clock. Game over. Royals win and secure a spot in the playoffs.

Look Ahead:
We know two things: London takes on Myrtle Beach on the road in Week 14 and they will take on Kansas City in the playoffs. The one thing to still be decided is who will have home field advantage in this game. Thanks to their two wins over the Royals, the Coyotes own the tie breaker. Thus, the control their own destiny. London must win on the road and the Coyotes must lost at home to an already eliminated Pythons team. It’s about a 20% shot London ends up with a home game, but never say never. This was a team that was all but eliminated before going on a historic win streak. It’s going to be a fun finish to the season. Congrats to the veterans and rookies alike!

Here's the current standings for the Royal Rookie Pass Catchers:


And a comparison to the other rookie WRs throughout the DSFL:


Thorbjornsson currently has a slight lead in yards and an even slighter lead in receptions. J'Vathon likely has the TD title locked down. He'll set his eyes on surpassing Thorbjornsson's reception count in the last game. Good luck to everyone!