09-17-2022, 08:14 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-19-2022, 12:28 PM by MobiausGrander. Edited 1 time in total.)
After a long and difficult rebuild, the New Orleans Second Line look primed to have their first winning season since S29. That season was the second to last season in the long and successful career of quarterback Ben Slothlisberger, who won a league Most Valuable Player award for his stellar S27 season. After Slothlisberger's retirement, though, the Second Line struggled to win games. Sloth's successor, IsHe ReallyInvisible, was a dynamic and exciting player to watch, and his 2,285 career rushing yards are the most of any quarterback of the modern era. Unfortunately, he lived up to his name in some respects, though, often disappearing for large portions of the season, failing to put together more than glimpses of brilliance. His inconsistent play led to a 29-51 record during his five years as a starting quarterback for New Orleans, a 36% win percentage. However, the tide seems to be turning for the Second Line, with the emergence of a new franchise quarterback. Second year player Elessar Jones has the team rallied around him, and they are 8-5, only needing to win one of their last three games to give them their first winning season in 8 years. Jones impressed as a rookie, with nearly 3000 passing yards, 29 TDs, and adding 716 yards and 5 TDs on the ground on his way to finishing second in offensive rookie of the year voting. Elessar has played incredibly well in his second season as well. The coaching staff has required very little of him, and he has the fewest passing attempts in the league. However, Jones is managing games very well, and has 18 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. His ability to protect the ball has kept the team in games all season long. This has allowed them to win with their excellent defense and superb run game.
The team has really relied on the run on offense, rushing the ball on over 50% of offensive plays. Star running back, The Stig, is taking the bulk of the carries, and is rushing at an efficient clip of 4.8 yards per carry and is third in the league in rushing yards. Jones at quarterback has 80 carries and is going for over 5 YPC, and Michael Patrick Porkins, the fullback, has gotten tough yards in goal line and short distance situations all year long. The team's receiving corps is quite young, and is led by two future superstars. Ttolem Mada is having a breakout year and is showing he's a major red zone threat. He may only have 700 yards but he has an incredible 9 touchdowns on only 64 catches. The rookie, Don Dobbler, has also shown great promise from the slot wide receiver position. He has 500 yards so far and five touchdowns, and looks to be a great contributor for years to come in this offense. Veterans Squidward Tentacles and tight end Rex Crenshaw are a bit pasts their prime but have continued to contribute positively for the offense.
This New Orleans Second Line defense is loaded with youth, speed, and playmaking ability. Linebacker Ganyu is a sure tackler, and already has 11 tackles for loss, among the best in the league. His four sacks and an interception show his versatility as more than just a run stuffer. Amari Springer continues his excellent career as a hard-hitting strong safety. His five forced fumbles lead the entire league, and his four sacks shows he is still one of the elite blitzing defensive backs in the league. Outside linebacker Carissa van Campen has to be one of the favorites for defensive rookie of the year this season. She has shown an ability to be one of the league's elite pass rushers. Her team leading ten sacks is an outstanding start to her career, and is promising for the team's future. Chim Rickles has followed up his All-Pro year last season with another gem at free safety. His four interceptions lead the team, and he has a game winning overtime interception and a touchdown this season. He has been a superstar. At cornerback, DeAaron Harper II yet again has shown he is elite in pass defense, with a stellar 25 passes defended, two ints, a forced fumble and recovery and a touchdown. Pepelegs Johnson on the other side has 15 PDs as well. Cuttino Mobley has provided great coverage as a nickel back, with two sacks and two interceptions showing he can make splash plays for this defense. And I would of course be remiss if I did not give some love to the defensive line. They do not always show up big in the box scores but they are big on the field and in our hearts. They have helped the defense be much improved against the run this season. Jason Garciaparra has a ton of sacks for an interior defensive lineman, with seven so far. Solace Avenger has been a beast of a nose tackle as well. He has 41 tackles (fourth among DTs) and has one of the best tackle percentages in the league. Once he gets ahold of a ball carrier, he doesn't miss tackles often. JR Frankenstero has been solid as a rookie, and his 4 tackles for loss show he has the potential to penetrate and cause havoc in a backfield.
Of course, we have to give some praise to the special teams unit as well. Alfonso Dos Santos has been a really good kicker this year. He has struggled from 50+, but has only missed once from 49 yards and closer, and has hit every single point after touchdown attempt so far. He has been even better as a punter. He leads all players in punts inside the 20 (42), but that is not just because he leads the league in punts. His inside 20 percentage is 53.8% which is the best in the entire league.
Let's talk about some team stats. New Orleans has run the ball over 400 times, which is the most in the league. They also are second in rushing yards as a team, and are top 5 in rushing yards per attempt, with 4.5. They are dead last in passing yards and passing attempts. On defense, they are third in tackles for loss, 28, but have failed to generate much pressure, with only 31 sacks (12th in the league). They are middle of the pack in interceptions, with 12, but their 83 pass breakups are 3rd in the league. They also have 2 defensive touchdowns.
Now a personal note.
It has been really exciting for me to see this team doing well again. I know we have a lot of people around the league who think we are not a good team, and they point to our negative point differential. Sure, we have been blown out in a few games and we have a 3-1 record in one score games, so perhaps a bit of luck is involved. We also have a fairly difficult schedule remaining. Who knows. Maybe we lose out, finish 8-8, and miss the playoffs. That is certainly in the realm of possibilities. But I am excited about the team. There seems to be buzz in the locker room. We have young players and new users who are contributing in the locker room and on the field. My GM tenure, much of which was during the long streak of seasons without a winning record, was unspectacular at best. I was certainly never in contention for a General Manager of the Year award. But this team means so much to me. They have been my friends and have seen me through some incredibly difficult times in my life. Towards the end of my GM tenure it felt like I was finally getting some things right. This team has largely been built by GuitarMaster and Somesay, but it feels like some of my own tireless work for this squad is finally paying off. So go ahead and laugh at the team if you want. I get that we have a bad offense, not enough TPE at wide receiver, a meme Scrambler QB archetype, and a negative point differential. We may even lose out or go one and done in the playoffs. However, this is a really excellent team with fantastic people. I am so grateful for everthing this franchise in this silly online hobby has meant to me over the years, and I hope that we can finally get back to being a real contender that people take seriously. This section has not been typical of my media, which is usually analytical and organized and unemotional. Thanks for reading this rambling section where I share some of my genuine feelings. Thanks NOLA Second Liners. We've got this! Let's keep pushing in the right direction and maybe, just maybe, someday, we can win an Ultimus. Doot Doot!
The team has really relied on the run on offense, rushing the ball on over 50% of offensive plays. Star running back, The Stig, is taking the bulk of the carries, and is rushing at an efficient clip of 4.8 yards per carry and is third in the league in rushing yards. Jones at quarterback has 80 carries and is going for over 5 YPC, and Michael Patrick Porkins, the fullback, has gotten tough yards in goal line and short distance situations all year long. The team's receiving corps is quite young, and is led by two future superstars. Ttolem Mada is having a breakout year and is showing he's a major red zone threat. He may only have 700 yards but he has an incredible 9 touchdowns on only 64 catches. The rookie, Don Dobbler, has also shown great promise from the slot wide receiver position. He has 500 yards so far and five touchdowns, and looks to be a great contributor for years to come in this offense. Veterans Squidward Tentacles and tight end Rex Crenshaw are a bit pasts their prime but have continued to contribute positively for the offense.
This New Orleans Second Line defense is loaded with youth, speed, and playmaking ability. Linebacker Ganyu is a sure tackler, and already has 11 tackles for loss, among the best in the league. His four sacks and an interception show his versatility as more than just a run stuffer. Amari Springer continues his excellent career as a hard-hitting strong safety. His five forced fumbles lead the entire league, and his four sacks shows he is still one of the elite blitzing defensive backs in the league. Outside linebacker Carissa van Campen has to be one of the favorites for defensive rookie of the year this season. She has shown an ability to be one of the league's elite pass rushers. Her team leading ten sacks is an outstanding start to her career, and is promising for the team's future. Chim Rickles has followed up his All-Pro year last season with another gem at free safety. His four interceptions lead the team, and he has a game winning overtime interception and a touchdown this season. He has been a superstar. At cornerback, DeAaron Harper II yet again has shown he is elite in pass defense, with a stellar 25 passes defended, two ints, a forced fumble and recovery and a touchdown. Pepelegs Johnson on the other side has 15 PDs as well. Cuttino Mobley has provided great coverage as a nickel back, with two sacks and two interceptions showing he can make splash plays for this defense. And I would of course be remiss if I did not give some love to the defensive line. They do not always show up big in the box scores but they are big on the field and in our hearts. They have helped the defense be much improved against the run this season. Jason Garciaparra has a ton of sacks for an interior defensive lineman, with seven so far. Solace Avenger has been a beast of a nose tackle as well. He has 41 tackles (fourth among DTs) and has one of the best tackle percentages in the league. Once he gets ahold of a ball carrier, he doesn't miss tackles often. JR Frankenstero has been solid as a rookie, and his 4 tackles for loss show he has the potential to penetrate and cause havoc in a backfield.
Of course, we have to give some praise to the special teams unit as well. Alfonso Dos Santos has been a really good kicker this year. He has struggled from 50+, but has only missed once from 49 yards and closer, and has hit every single point after touchdown attempt so far. He has been even better as a punter. He leads all players in punts inside the 20 (42), but that is not just because he leads the league in punts. His inside 20 percentage is 53.8% which is the best in the entire league.
Let's talk about some team stats. New Orleans has run the ball over 400 times, which is the most in the league. They also are second in rushing yards as a team, and are top 5 in rushing yards per attempt, with 4.5. They are dead last in passing yards and passing attempts. On defense, they are third in tackles for loss, 28, but have failed to generate much pressure, with only 31 sacks (12th in the league). They are middle of the pack in interceptions, with 12, but their 83 pass breakups are 3rd in the league. They also have 2 defensive touchdowns.
Now a personal note.
It has been really exciting for me to see this team doing well again. I know we have a lot of people around the league who think we are not a good team, and they point to our negative point differential. Sure, we have been blown out in a few games and we have a 3-1 record in one score games, so perhaps a bit of luck is involved. We also have a fairly difficult schedule remaining. Who knows. Maybe we lose out, finish 8-8, and miss the playoffs. That is certainly in the realm of possibilities. But I am excited about the team. There seems to be buzz in the locker room. We have young players and new users who are contributing in the locker room and on the field. My GM tenure, much of which was during the long streak of seasons without a winning record, was unspectacular at best. I was certainly never in contention for a General Manager of the Year award. But this team means so much to me. They have been my friends and have seen me through some incredibly difficult times in my life. Towards the end of my GM tenure it felt like I was finally getting some things right. This team has largely been built by GuitarMaster and Somesay, but it feels like some of my own tireless work for this squad is finally paying off. So go ahead and laugh at the team if you want. I get that we have a bad offense, not enough TPE at wide receiver, a meme Scrambler QB archetype, and a negative point differential. We may even lose out or go one and done in the playoffs. However, this is a really excellent team with fantastic people. I am so grateful for everthing this franchise in this silly online hobby has meant to me over the years, and I hope that we can finally get back to being a real contender that people take seriously. This section has not been typical of my media, which is usually analytical and organized and unemotional. Thanks for reading this rambling section where I share some of my genuine feelings. Thanks NOLA Second Liners. We've got this! Let's keep pushing in the right direction and maybe, just maybe, someday, we can win an Ultimus. Doot Doot!