(S5) - Ultimus Week

[Oles]

Welcome to Ultimus Week! This is a special point task that will close on Sunday February 4th at 11:59PM PST . It is broken down into eight written and eight graphic point tasks of which you will choose FOUR to complete. Each point task completed is worth 2.5 TPE and you can earn a maximum of 10 TPE from this event.

NOTE: Each written point task has a 200 word count.
NOTE x2: You can complete four point tasks in any combination of written and/or graphics.
NOTE x3: Please keep all submissions you make to ONE post.
NOTE: Graphical submissions must be more than text added to an image. Text thrown on a single image will no receive credit unless it shows significant statistical content or creativity.


There will be some limitations as to when certain tasks can be completed. Here are each of the tasks listed below, and with special notes if any limitations apply.


Written Points

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

New Talent: Write about which S5 trade will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good

Playoff Predictions: Give a short write up on each of the playoff matches (including the championship game). Must be completed before the simulation of the Conference Finals

Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them. Must be completed after the playoff series you write about

Playoff Review: Write a short review of the playoffs and each of the matchups. Must be completed after the Championship Game

Championship Game Recap: Do a recap of the best play from the championship game. Must be completed after the Championship Game

Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)

That Magic Moment: Pick one moment from a playoff game and describe what made it so amazing to watch. (Must be completed after the game you write about)

Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Going to Disneyland!:Who was the Ultimus MVP? Give us a rundown of their celebratory trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Unsung Hero:Who was the unsung hero of the playoffs, convince us. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Matchup Nightmares: Pick an offensive and defensive player who will be going up against each other and why it will be a nightmare for one of them. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Sit-down with a star:Interview a player from a team that is not your own that is in the playoffs. You must ask them four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. YOU MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWERS FOR CREDIT. (Can be completed at any point)

Sit-down with a fan:Answer questions for an interview from a player that is not your own. You must answer at least four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. Link to the interviewers PT to receive credit. NOTE: THEY MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR YOU TO GET CREDIT. (Can be completed at any point)


Graphic Points

Robbed: Make a graphical stat comparison of a team who failed to qualify for playoffs but why they should have over another team. Can be completed at any point

Future Talent: Make a sig for a S5 player who you feel will or did make a large impact for their team in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good

Playoff Matchups: Make a graphic displaying the matchups in the first round of the playoffs. Can be completed at any point

Conference Final MVP Sig: Make a sig for a player of your choice who you felt was the MVP of a Conference Final matchup. Must be completed after the Conference Finals

Playoff Recap Infographic: Make a graphic displaying the results of the playoffs. Must be completed after the Championship Game

Championship Banner: Make a banner featuring the champions of the league (can be NSFL or DSFL) in the same style as the current banner featured at the top of the NSFL site. This can feature the team celebrating their trophy, or just a few key players that helped the team win the league. Must be completed after the Championship Game

That Magic Moment: Show one of the most exciting points in a game. (Must be completed after the game you write about )

Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Matchup Nightmares: Pick an offensive and defensive player who will be going up against each other and why it will be a nightmare for one of them. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Going to Disneyland!:Pick an MVP of the Ultimus game and create a billboard showing their trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Unsung Hero:Create a billboard for the unsung hero of the playoffs. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Old Faces, New Places:Create a graphic for a player who changed teams during free agency this past off season and made the playoffs. Show how they've changed on their new team or what kind of impact they made for their new team. (Can be completed at any time)

[Oles]

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point
When are we going to learn to stop overestimating the SaberCats? It seems like every season is their season to break the playoff drought, and after every season we’re asking the question, why did they miss? This season was their prime opportunity, a weakened Outlaws gave them their best chance to make the playoffs, and as such there was a lot of buzz for the team. Add in an early victory against the Otters and this SaberCats team looked like they were destined for great things, but of course, they disappoint everyone yet again. The Outlaws were easily at their weakest point, and for the SaberCats to miss out on their opportunity to capitalize shows that there are some fundamental flaws with the way the Cats operate in San Jose. I don’t know if they just don’t have enough star power or enough depth, but there is something wrong with the team to where they have so much promise and fail season after season to deliver. I don’t know where San Jose goes from here, but it looks like a rebuild is in order for the team, failing to make the playoffs in their best season yet is unforgivable to me, there was enough going right for this team but it ended up all going wrong. (216 words)
Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them. Must be completed after the playoff series you write about
Mike Boss absolutely carved up the ASFC opponent Outlaws. After some shady occurrences happened on the day of the ASFC championship, Boss showed why he is the best QB in the NSFL and why the Otters are quite possibly the best dynasty the NSFL has seen, which there have already been 2 of. Boss absolutely decimated the Outlaws secondary, and they looked hopeless all day because of it. With 37 completions on 56 attempts, 366 yards, 3 TDs, and a 102.2 QBR, Boss played one of the best games of his career while the Otters celebrated their 2nd straight ASFC championship. Boss helped lead the team to the Ultimus again, and continued to be a force in the NSFL, as no DBs could really stop him. His WRs played a big part in the win as well, as both Phelps and Westfield had over 100 yards and 6 or more receptions. As he was able to rely on his 2 top targets, quite possibly the best duo in the league, he showed that the team isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and will easily be the top of the league going into next season barring any catastrophic meltdowns in the front office of the Otters. (204 Word)
Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)
On the other side of the coin the Outlaws had no business making the playoffs. After they were considerably weakened via trades, and the biggest scandal of the offseason, where half of their players turned out to be 1 in the same. This was a team that should have been heading for the junk pile, not the playoffs. I don’t know how exactly they managed to pull it off, but I give some of that credit due to the SaberCats inability to make the playoffs. The Outlaws somehow managed to turn around a team that was destined for a bad few years, after years of tainted greatness, and by operating trades well and turning negatives into positives they were able to somehow beat out the SaberCats for that 2nd ASFC playoff spot. Looking at the losses they had, such as Tuck, Ronaldo, Tuck, Luechly, Pest, and others, including trade victims such as Josh Garden and Godfrey King, there was absolutely no reason for this team that was the skeleton of its former self to have any shot at the playoffs, but somehow, they were able to pull it off and make continue the Otters vs Outlaws playoff tradition in the ASFC. (201 words)
Going to Disneyland!:Who was the Ultimus MVP? Give us a rundown of their celebratory trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)
To me Ian Bavitz was the Ultimus mvp. Bavitz was a defensive force for the Otters, able to constantly attack the Wraiths in the Ultimus. With 9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 1 PD, and 1 interception, Bavitz was absolutely everywhere, dominating the field and controlling the game. He was able to lead the team to an Ultimus victory and helped to cause Akselsen to have one of his worst games, despite over 300 yards passing from the Wraiths QB. Bavitz is the most deserving candidate of this award, and as he controlled the team and the game, he showed why the Otters are a defensive force, and that is their ability to reach the QB and force him to make bad decisions. By controlling tempo and controlling the field, teams will struggle to beat this deadly team, and we may be looking at an unbreakable dynasty. Bavitz has been a solid player for the Otters front 7, and has been a top player for them all season, but really stepped his play up to the next level and really helped the team win this game. Without Bavitz the team would have relied on others, and may not have gotten the same production. (205 words)

Championship Banner: Make a banner featuring the champions of the league (can be NSFL or DSFL) in the same style as the current banner featured at the top of the NSFL site. This can feature the team celebrating their trophy, or just a few key players that helped the team win the league. Must be completed after the Championship Game

[Evok]

Robbed: Make a graphical stat comparison of a team who failed to qualify for playoffs but why they should have over another team. Can be completed at any point


Playoff Matchups: Make a graphic displaying the matchups in the first round of the playoffs. Can be completed at any point


Playoff Recap Infographic: Make a graphic displaying the results of the playoffs. Must be completed after the Championship Game


Going to Disneyland!ick an MVP of the Ultimus game and create a billboard showing their trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

[Rindiee]

Robbed: Make a graphical stat comparison of a team who failed to qualify for playoffs but why they should have over another team. Can be completed at any point



Playoff Matchups: Make a graphic displaying the matchups in the first round of the playoffs. Can be completed at any point



Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

[Raven]

Written Points

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

You know which team was fucking robbed of playoff contendership? I`ll tell you who. The motherflipping San Jose Saberkitties. Every year I wish this team would made the playoffs for once and every year they are literally one fuckin game short. Pretty sure this is the second season in a row they missed playoffs due to having a worse tiebreaker record. You know what team robbed the kitties? Fuckin Las Vegas. Out of all the team you lose too, it had to be the Legion. Yes yes I know it was an away game, but confuckingratulations saberkitties you were the only team to lose to the Legion all season. All other teams who had played in the Vegas before you won there, but not you. You lost to the worst team in the league and it made ya lose the playoffs. Ya got robbed by an infant holding a lolly against ur head, which you mistook for a gun. You should have made it over the Outlaws, you were the chosen ones, this was the year the outlaws were suppost to not even be in the playoffs and ya messed up. After all the nonsence that had happened in Arizona this offseason and all the players they lost. Anyways better luck next year saberbros.

Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them. Must be completed after the playoff series you write about

So my chose for Playoff series MVP will be chosen from the final. The Otters versus Wraiths game. I gotta give some love to this guy, because man did he have an amazing game. I`m talking about the one and only Bradley T. MadLad. The madlad had an amazing finals in which he scored 2 extra points and banged home 4 field goals. Oke I hear you thinking, thats cool and all, but why him? Well let me tell you. The otters won with a score of 26 to 15. You know the point differnce between them numbers? 11. Howmany points did the Otters get due to Madlads field goals. 12. Without those 4 solid as fuck field goals the Otters wouldnt have won the cup. I hear you thinking, but Raven even scoring one kick would have secured the cup for the Otters in this game and to that I have to say, no. The power and poise of the madlad is what motivated the Otters to win this game. Without his field goals the Otters would have lacked the confidence to win. Trust me on this one. I know my kickers and I know the mental changes they can bring to a team and Madlad did his all to make this a winning game and that's why he is my playoff series MVP.

Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)

I could tell you stories about how I personally felt that the Outlaws shouldn't have made it, due to them losing core members and taking a huge blow this offseason, but they suprised me by being the dominate offensive force they were this year, but I think I`m going to look at a differnt team for this one. That team being the Philadelphia Liberty. Right so the Liberty and the Hawks were in a bit of tie at the end of the season. Both finishing the season 8-6, just like how the kitties and Outlaws finished in the asfc. Looking at stats we can see that the Liberty and Hawks scored the same amount of points, however we also see that the Liberty had one less point scored against them. So the offense was even this year, but the Liberty was like 1 point stronger. So one could argue that they should have made it. They swapped victories this season, so one team didnt outplay the other team. So interesting choices in who got to head into the nsfc playoffs if you ask me. I think the Liberty might have actually should of made the playoffs over the Hawks, but as a Hawks player I also think to myself, eh I am absolutely oke with us making it.

Going to Disneyland!:Who was the Ultimus MVP? Give us a rundown of their celebratory trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Ultimus MVP Bradley T. Madlad gets to end a well deserved celebratory trip to Disneyland. First off all he had to go there. Disneyland being in florida and Madlad being in California was a bit of travel to treverse. He took a plane which took him to Florida. Not any kind of plane, but fuckin Disneylands own personal private plane. With him he took family members and friends, but also the ultimus cup. Once he arrived in Disneyland he did all the typical disneyland stuff, like going on rides, meeting all the dressed up people from all of disneys shows and movies, like snow white, sleeping beauty, pinokio, all the little drawf people from snow white, else from the movie Frozen, with whom Madlad sang a nice duet of the one frozen song that goes like 'let it goooo, let it goooo', but Madlad didn't do that, he holded tight to his cup. Which is probably a smart thing honestly. After all that fun he also did other disneyland stuff like eat snacks and drink drinks, visit rides and roller coasters, making much fun. At the end of the day was ofcourse the famous disneyland fireworks show and they even set up a speical firework that was in the shape of the ultimus cup. After a long fun day Madlad and co went to the hotel they were staying at and had a nice sleep.

[37thchamber]

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

It's hard to really say a team was robbed of a playoff appearance this season, even though there was a need for tiebreakers in both conferences to decide the travelling teams for the conference championships. I see a lot of people are making the argument that the Liberty were robbed because they had a better point differential than the Hawks (literally one point, by the way) but this is a selective argument and fundamentally flawed. Why should one team make it over another by virtue of a garbage time field goal? Let's compare the two teams' records against other playoff teams this season. The Hawks lost three of their six games against the other playoff teams (Yellowknife, Arizona and Orange County), while the Liberty lost four of theirs. "So doesn't that mean the Hawks fared better against stronger opposition and deserved their spot?" I hear you ask. Well...yes and no. It also means the Hawks lost more games to teams not in the playoffs. Significantly, the Hawks were swept by the Sabercats. Why is this significant? Because it suggests that the Sabercats should have made the playoffs over the Outlaws.

Wait what?

If we take the stance that the teams a conference sends to the playoffs -- to compete for their conference championship -- should be the ones with the best chance of winning the Ultimus, then surely the Sabercats should have made it over the Outlaws, as they would have had more chance of winning against either the Hawks or Wraiths? Of course, the problem is that, by using that very same logic, the Liberty could be argued to have been a better option than the Hawks in the NSFC... which leads us back to saying the Outlaws should be in the playoffs after all.

Perhaps the best solution in this particular case would have been to have two play-in games: Hawks v Liberty, and Outlaws v Sabercats. Winners proceed to the conference championships. Then nobody would have been "robbed", right?

(330 words)

New Talent: Write about which S5 trade will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs.

This is a no-brainer. There is no doubt in my mind that the biggest impact trade this past season was the arrival of Alexandre LeClair in Baltimore. I know what you're thinking... A talented receiver joining an already strong receiving corps is my pick for big impact trade? Well, yeah.

LeClair's arrival completely supplanted the mercurial Stormblessed, made space for John Wachter, filled the gaps left by departing players, and helped elevate Avon Blocksdale's game. So much so, in fact, that Blocksdale was in the MVP conversation for much of the season. Given that the NSFL is overwhelmingly a pass-first league, it stands to reason that Baltimore's return to the playoffs came after a noticeable upgrade to their selection of offensive weapons. LeClair slotted into the Hawks offense as primary receiver, and racked up career best totals in yardage, receptions and touchdowns. Finishing fourth in the league in receiving yards, with eleven touchdowns and an average yards per catch of almost nineteen, the former Las Vegas wideout definitely showed his worth. After some disappointing years in Las Vegas -- where LeClair was very clear about his unhappiness -- it looks like we're going to see the best of what he has to offer in Baltimore.

(203 words)


Sit-down with a star: Interview a player from a team that is not your own that is in the playoffs. You must ask them four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. YOU MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWERS FOR CREDIT. (Can be completed at any point)

I sat down with Marc Spector to talk about the league in general, and how he sees things.

Marc, back to back championships, how does it feel? Especially given the revelations about the questionable nature of the Outlaws' previous wins.

Great. It feels absolutely great. Last season was huge because it was our first and the first time anyone had toppled the Outlaws. This year's was great because it was more because of our defense than our offense. Not to take anything away from Boss, Westy, Phelps or Yates. But our front 7 was huge. Also knowing we did it the right way only makes it feel that much better. However, the Outlaw were still a top tier team this season without the scandal players. Looking back, they still would likely have won at least of 2 of those 3 championships anyhow.

Looking forward to next season, and beyond, which teams do you think pose the greatest threat to your status as champions?

This is a tough question because there's so many. Obviously we got the Outlaws gunning for use every year. The Sabercats have been trending upwards for the last 2 seasons, it's only a matter of time before they're going toe to toe with us. If we get past them, the Wraiths have been there 2 straight years going hard. Your Hawks are never out of it and Philly has the ability to be just as potent as anyone else. That's why I love this league. Any given year a team can show up and be the one to beat.

Okay, now looking at the teams who aren't realistically in a position to challenge for titles right now, what do they need to do to get themselves in that conversation?

Las Vegas and Colorado? They need to build for the future. Plan for when regression hits those S1 and S2 players. get themselves set up, and keep a positive atmosphere in the locker room. I liked what Las Vegas had going until they had the meltdown. I think they've got the right GMs in place there to make a turn around. It'll take a few seasons though. Look at San Jose. Use their rebuild as a template. Or Philadelphia. It can be done. I don't pay close attention to Colorado since I am not in their division to know how they're doing.

The NSFL is definitely a passing league, which puts a lot of pressure on defensive backs in general. Do you think there could be any changes made to maybe even things up a bit, so there isn't such a strong bias toward the passing game?

I like the way it is, personally. I know the numbers this season for CBs across the board are down from past years. But I think that's fine. This is a game for all types, and as a CB, I'm okay with not getting 10+ interceptions a season. I know the Otters are a defensive team, but Boss and company put butts in the seats. When Westy, Phelps or Yates breaks a big pass play, I go nuts. I say keep the offense slinging. It means we CBs have to up our game.

You're not wrong! It's a good way to look at it, really. We need to step up.

You tweeted recently about your own struggles with mental health issues, how do you feel about the league supporting initiatives to increase awareness of mental illness? Do you think it will help others like you, going forward?

Yes, I have depression and it's a topic that a lot of people don't like to talk about it. I feel it needs to be talked about. Every other health issue is easier to diagnose. Got a cough, see if it's asthma or bronchitis. Knee hurts? Do an X-ray and figure it out. Feel like wanting to live in a hole forever and never talk to anyone? Well... who knows. Could be depression, could be bi-polar disorder, could be anxiety, could be anti-social disorder... there's no real metric to diagnose and treat mental issues. Drugs are often a band-aid and have to be tinkered and tampered with over periods of time to get the right cocktail for that patient. One person with Bi_polar might do well on one medicine while another might react completely opposite. We see people on the streets who talk to themselves, or are anti-social and we don't know how to help them. They often don't know how to help themselves. It's a taxing issue and I think the more we confront it, and make sure those who suffer with them know not to be ashamed of it, the better our society will be.

Fantastic answer, it's a really important topic, I agree. Let's finish off on a lighter note, though. If you were in charge of making your team's first pick on draft day, who would you select? Why?

If it were up to me? Well, it obviously depends on who is on the board at the time of our pick. If I had the first pick overall? Bagwell, Mills and Joshua are all impressive players with bright futures. At 8, there's a whole host of players I like and I doubt any of those 3 will be sitting there. But I'm not the guy in charge of pulling the trigger. I trust Molarpistols to pick the right man for our team come draft day. I'll be the first to welcome him into the locker room, and show him around. I am not picky, as long as they're active and can make our team better, I want them with us. Thanks for sitting down with me. It's been a pleasure.

I also gave an interview here for my fourth task

[Zoone16]

Le pepe placeholder :pepe:

[manicmav36]

Written Points

New Talent: Write about which S5 trade will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good

The Baltimore Hawks trade for wide receiver Alexandre LeClair looks like it will have a big impact on the season 5 playoffs. Normally one of, if not the most, balanced offenses in the NSFL, the addition on LeClair helped to bring the Hawks into the 21st century of the NSFL, a pass first, pass second, and maybe run the ball at some point type league. But with running being shown as highly ineffective, why wouldn’t they? The Hawks had a solid passing offense in season 4 with first year quarterback Avon Blocksdale under center, and star wide received Trey Willie split out wide. Unfortunately, there was a sharp drop-off to their number 2 receiver, Stormblessed, who has tons of speed, and not much else. Once a top wide receiver in the league, LeClair has been keeping his skills sharp, but was massively underutilized in Las Vegas. The addition of LeClair gave them a solid 1-2 punch combination on the outside, while rookie John Wachter operated out of the slot and tight end positions. Of the three wide receivers, LeClair has shined the brightest so far this season, finishing with 83 receptions, 1567 yards, and 11 TDs. Look for LeClair to keep his breakout season going against a very good Wraiths defense.



Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)

Since I joined the league between seasons 1 and 2, I’ve been told very season that this is the year the SaberCats take the next step and make their first playoff appearance. Every year, they just narrowly miss. Much like the old saying goes, “Always a bridesmaid, never the bride.”, the Thunder Cats, I mean SaberCats, just can’t quite get over that hump, and today was no different. I want to say that they should be in the playoffs over the Arizona Outlaws, but that’s tough to say by any metric. Despite finishing the season with an 8-6 record, they have a -31 point differential, 1 of only 3 teams in the NSFL to do so. They finished 2-4 in their conference, and lost both contests against the Outlaws. They finished in the bottom half of the league in points scored, points against, total yards, and passing yards per game and finished the season ranked above third in the league in only 1 statistic, rushing yards allowed per game. From a positive standpoint, Orosz was a very efficient passer, tying for the lead of least interceptions thrown, while Smallwood nearly doubled the next closest man in number of rushing touchdowns. I know the point was to prove that the SaberCats belonged in the playoffs, but to be honest, they didn’t.



Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Although they may not like to admit it, the Yellowknife Wraiths are the clear underdog in the season 5 Ultimus. The Orange County Otters finished with the best record in the league at 11-3, and have already beaten the Wraiths in Orange County once this season. The Otters are the league’s best in points against, total yards per game, total yards allowed per game, passing yards per game, and passing yards allowed per game. The offense is lead by the best QB/WR duo in the league in Boss and Westfield, and the top 5 players in sacks all come from the Otters. The Wraiths aren’t exactly what I would call pushovers though. They fished second in the NSFL in points scored, points against, total yards, and passing yards, all while finishing below fourth in only 1 statistic, rushing yards per game. Askelsen threw for the exact same number of touchdowns as Boss, while throwing 4 less interceptions, and Eric Kennedy led the league in receptions. These teams are near identical on paper in all but two categories, sacks and fumbles forced/recovered. This is where the Wraiths pull ahead in my book. The Otters leave and die by the pressure they put on the quarterback. They’re fantastic at it, but when they don’t succeed, they struggle to win. Askelsen is a master at avoiding the sack, having only been sacked 15 times this season (least in the league) with throwing the ball nearly 700 times. Next we have the fumbles. The Wraiths defense was incredibly opportunistic this season, leading the league in both fumbles forced and recovered. In fact, the have more than triple for each of these when compared to the Otters. Timely turnovers and neutralizing the Otters pass rush will win this game for the Wraiths.



Matchup Nightmares: Pick an offensive and defensive player who will be going up against each other and why it will be a nightmare for one of them. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

With as many high-profile players that there are in the Ultimus, I honestly struggled narrowing it down to just one matchup. However, in the end, I decided on Orange County wide receiver, Bradley Westfield, versus Yellowknife cornerback, Phillipe Carter. As is tradition, Westfield is in the midst of yet another monster season with 79 receptions, a league leading 1756 receiving yards, a league leading 22.2 yards per reception, and 14 touchdowns. Carter isn’t exactly what you would call a scrub though either. Finishing the season with 69 tackles, 1 interception, and 13 passes defended (good enough for 19th in the league), he’s having a solid season. But let’s be honest, it’s clear these two are performing at vastly different levels. Stats like receiving yards and pass breakups can be misleading though, so it’s always a good idea to take a look at their measurables. Unfortunately, Carter doesn’t fare any better here either. Westfield is rated higher in strength, speed, agility, and hands. From a pure athletic standpoint, Westfield is the better athlete. Carter does have a sizeable advantage in intelligence, however, which may help to balance out the other differences. In an ideal world, Dermot Lavelle would be on Westfield all night, but with another standout lining up at wide receiver on the other side in Robert Phelps, that just isn’t possible.

[timeconsumer]

Matchup Nightmares: Pick an offensive and defensive player who will be going up against each other and why it will be a nightmare for one of them. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

The matchup that will be most exciting to watch during the S5 conference championship will be found in Yellowknife as the Hawks travel to the frozen wasteland to face the Wraiths. Being a team with a light's out passing attack led by the formidable Eric Kennedy one would think he or Akselsen is going to be the matchup to watch, but I think the slot is the wrong place to look, rather watch what happens on the outside of the numbers with wideout Bailey Cook facing the one-and-only Antoine Delcaour 37thchamber AKA Nobody.

Now you might not know Nobody, but he is going to be plastered all over wideout Bailey Cook tonight. He is known for his electric speed and he can keep up with the significantly slower Cook as Yellowknife looks to stretch the field and find mismatches. You may not know this about Nobody, but he is top 5 in TPE on his team. Now this may be because he is S1 and his team sucks, but it still means that the wide receivers that aren't named Eric Kennedy will have a lot of trouble on the outside, and if Akselsen decides to thread a ball into tight coverage I expect Nobody to make him pay for it dearly.

Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them. Must be completed after the playoff series you write about

The MVP of Hawks @ Wraiths was easily Matt Akselsen. He tore dudes up last night in Yellowknife to the tune of 486 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and a passer rating of 121.2 Akselsen was on fire last night and there was nothing that anybody could do to stop him. The interesting thing is that this turned out to completely contradict my statement above that Delacour was going to shut down Bailey Cook. Yeah, I was really wrong. Bailey Cook tore apart the defense for 6 catches, 124 yards, and a TD. Of course having an excellent quarterback like Matt Akselsen and having other threats both in the run and pass game helps. But yeah, I was wrong. Anyways Akselsen completed passes to 6 different receivers, three of them finding paydirt. His YP/A during the game was an elite 10.8 showing not only his efficiency but also his protection for the ball. I think Matt Akselsen's feet played a large role in this as well with him only taking two sacks all game. This is from the team with one of the cheapest offensive lines in the league. He was able to escape the pressure and make the throws on the run to avoid negative plays and keep the chains moving. In short, Matt Akselsen fucking destroyed Baltimore last night and is a serious contender to beat Orange County on their turf in the Ultimus.

New Talent: Write about which S5 trade will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs.

Going to get a little abstract here because this trade was not directly for a player, but rather for a draft pick which was then used on a player that is and will continue to be a significant factor for the Otters on defense. The Otters traded away the Liberty's #5 pick along with a handful of other picks in order to secure the #7 and get their own #8 pick back from the Arizona Outlaws. This move proved to be strong for both teams, but the Otters particularly were happy after securing OL-turned-DL Ryan Sierra with the #7 pick. Ryan Sierra has been an outstanding rookie and made a strong case for himself as defensive rookie of the year this season. In the second go-around for the Otters vs Arizona in the conference championship he secured two sacks out of the team's 9 total sacks, 1 more than superstar lineman Gregor Clegane. With the upcoming game vs Yellowknife we can expect Ryan Sierra to dominate on the inside against a weak Wraiths line and tally up another 2+ sacks for the Otters in what hopefully turns out to be another win where they can bring home the Ultimus trophy to spend another year in its home in Orange County.

Going to Disneyland!:Who was the Ultimus MVP? Give us a rundown of their celebratory trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

The Ultimus MVP of Season Five was none other than S1's standout linebacker Ian Bavitz. Having been a loyal Otter and hard worker in the front 7 since the beginning of the league Ian Bavitz has been a grinder on the Otters defense who has played every position as a linebacker and even plays a good amount of nickel corner. He is the fastest and most agile linebacker on the Otters. During the Ultimus game he tallied 9 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception. His big plays game early in the game to really get the Wraiths playing on their heels as he recorded a sack in the first possession which he immediately followed up with an interception. This really set the tone for the Otters defense which proceeded to play a physical game and really dominate Matt Akselsen, thankfully because the Otters offense was sputtering. Following his MVP performance he took the usual trip to Disneyland, which is kind of in his backyard since he lives in Orange County. Bringing his 15 children from 6 different mothers along with him he decided to buy out the park for the Orange County team and staff because he hates waiting in line. The day was one filled with joyous screams and excitement. Bavitz even found time to sign autographs for the Disneyland employees who being locals are all huge Otters fans and wore their jerseys in support of the hometown heroes.

[Battleborn]

Oh boy!