1. Playoff Review
Well, the match up between the Arizona Outlaws and the Orange County Otters was about as different as it could get from the teams' previous AFSC championship game played a season ago. In that game, the underdog Outlaw team took it to the Ultimus champion favorite Otters and punched them in the mouth. The Outlaws stifled Otters, won the game, and went on to win the Ultimus the following week. The game was seen as a massive upset at the time, perhaps ending the reign of the Otters with thier all-pro QB Childish Gambino retiring.
Fast forward back to this season, and the matchup is the same, however the roles of the two teams was reversed. The Outlaws came into the conference championship game as the clear Ultimus front runners, and the Otters as the upstart underdogs - they had even dealt their top receiver Sunnycursed at the trade deadline. Surely the Outlaws would once again beat up in the Otters?
History repeated itself, as the Otters punched the Outlaws in the mouth. They game quickly tilted towards the under dogs, and the built up a big lead they would not relinquish. They beat the Ultimus favorites handily, and also went on to win the Ultimus themselves the following week. Funny how these things work. Lucky for the Outlaws, their star QB won't retire, but that's a tough consultation for a team with Ultimus aspirations.
3. All About the QB's
The AFSC championship game features a match up between two QBs having very different seasons and at two very different points in their career. The Arizona Outlaw's quarterback Andrew Reese was the leagues highest TPE earner and at the peak of his prime. Andrew Reese also lead league in passing yardage, and captained the Arizona Outlaws to the leagues best record and what would be home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The knock on Reese this season was his penchant for picks, he led in the league in that category and also finished in the bottom half in the league in QB rating. Would the good Reese or the bad Reese show up in the conference championship game?
On the opposite sideline will be the Orange County Otters' rookie quarterback Franklin Armstrong. In the loaded season 15 draft class, most believed that Franklin Armstrong would be drafted at the very top of the draft, possibly to one of the two expansion teams that year. He had a much talked about fall, but ended up landing in a excellent position as the Orange County Otters QB of the future. That future was now the present, and Franklin Armstrong had a rough season by most accounts. He had the leagues worst completion percentage, and finished in the bottom three in almost every other passing category, even with the excellent offensive talent on the Otters. He did toss a very respectable 23 touchdown passes, so that gives the Otters and those fans some hope he can come up big and avenge the teams playoff loss from last year, a game that ended his predecessor's Childish Gambino's career.
7. Next Year
In a tough turned of events, the Arizona Outlaws lost a game they were heavily favored in, and their season comes to a very disappointing end in a season they felt they had an excellent chance to repeat as they only added talent and experience to the squad that hoisted the Ultimus trophy. Making the lost sting even more, was the fact they lost to their bitter rival, the Orange County Otters, and adding insult to injury that Otters team went on to beat the Baltimore Hawks and win the Ultimus themselves. It would make for a long off season for the players on the Outlaws and those faithful fans. However, the future still looks bright and there is no reason to think they won't be able to win back the Ultimus next season.
The Arizona Outlaws have now established themselves as one of the most well run franchise in the DSFL and with two excellent seasons they will have established themselves as a free agent destination. Legendary wide receiver Vinny Valentine came over to win some hardware, and although he didn't lift the Ultimus he did bring home WROTY. With perhaps the most talented QB in the league in Andrew Reese, there is plenty off offensive stats to chase here. The defense is also stout, boasting MVP canidate Raymond Vans, making it an ideal destination for defensive players.
Probably most importantly, The Arizona Outlaws have one of the shrewdest and most diligent GMs in Swagsloth. He has expertley turned a perennial doormat into what looks like the start of a long term juggernaut. Swag is always thinking about the long term future while making bold short term moves, and that forethought will always keep them in the Championship conversation going forward. With a big off-season on the free agent market and the at the draft, the Arizona Outlaws should once again be Ultimus favorites next season.
8. Draft Focus
The Arizona Outlaws have had an excellent run the past two seasons, a run that included a Ultimus Championship. A big part of that success is their excellent season 15 draft, a huge, deep draft class that brought tons of talent into the league. The Outlaws were rebuilding at the perfect time, using their stock piled picks to build a lasting franchise foundation.
The season 18 draft is being considered to be much like the that season 15 draft, a deep and active class that could change the course of a franchise. The Outlaws are no longer the young upstarts, as many of their players are getting long in the tooth or have tailed off in TPE gains, so they have as many holes to fill as any team as they head into the draft. So what position do they have to restock to continue their success?
One position would be running back. The Outlaws have long been a running team, and they have been lead on the front by the veteran Slim Shady, who has had a long and excellent career. However, he has also long been inactive and is getting quite old. I expect the Outlaws to bring in a young back early in the draft. Running backs, much like their NFL counterparts, can be counted to be quick contributers in the pros so it wouldn't be a surprise to see them grab a back that can contribute in a reserve role as he awaits to take over the reigns. Over the last few seasons, the Outlaws have used a running back by committee approach with featuring lower or inactive TPE earners. I think we see them grab a young stud RB they can get on the cheap to lead them back to the Ultimus Championship.
Well, the match up between the Arizona Outlaws and the Orange County Otters was about as different as it could get from the teams' previous AFSC championship game played a season ago. In that game, the underdog Outlaw team took it to the Ultimus champion favorite Otters and punched them in the mouth. The Outlaws stifled Otters, won the game, and went on to win the Ultimus the following week. The game was seen as a massive upset at the time, perhaps ending the reign of the Otters with thier all-pro QB Childish Gambino retiring.
Fast forward back to this season, and the matchup is the same, however the roles of the two teams was reversed. The Outlaws came into the conference championship game as the clear Ultimus front runners, and the Otters as the upstart underdogs - they had even dealt their top receiver Sunnycursed at the trade deadline. Surely the Outlaws would once again beat up in the Otters?
History repeated itself, as the Otters punched the Outlaws in the mouth. They game quickly tilted towards the under dogs, and the built up a big lead they would not relinquish. They beat the Ultimus favorites handily, and also went on to win the Ultimus themselves the following week. Funny how these things work. Lucky for the Outlaws, their star QB won't retire, but that's a tough consultation for a team with Ultimus aspirations.
3. All About the QB's
The AFSC championship game features a match up between two QBs having very different seasons and at two very different points in their career. The Arizona Outlaw's quarterback Andrew Reese was the leagues highest TPE earner and at the peak of his prime. Andrew Reese also lead league in passing yardage, and captained the Arizona Outlaws to the leagues best record and what would be home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The knock on Reese this season was his penchant for picks, he led in the league in that category and also finished in the bottom half in the league in QB rating. Would the good Reese or the bad Reese show up in the conference championship game?
On the opposite sideline will be the Orange County Otters' rookie quarterback Franklin Armstrong. In the loaded season 15 draft class, most believed that Franklin Armstrong would be drafted at the very top of the draft, possibly to one of the two expansion teams that year. He had a much talked about fall, but ended up landing in a excellent position as the Orange County Otters QB of the future. That future was now the present, and Franklin Armstrong had a rough season by most accounts. He had the leagues worst completion percentage, and finished in the bottom three in almost every other passing category, even with the excellent offensive talent on the Otters. He did toss a very respectable 23 touchdown passes, so that gives the Otters and those fans some hope he can come up big and avenge the teams playoff loss from last year, a game that ended his predecessor's Childish Gambino's career.
7. Next Year
In a tough turned of events, the Arizona Outlaws lost a game they were heavily favored in, and their season comes to a very disappointing end in a season they felt they had an excellent chance to repeat as they only added talent and experience to the squad that hoisted the Ultimus trophy. Making the lost sting even more, was the fact they lost to their bitter rival, the Orange County Otters, and adding insult to injury that Otters team went on to beat the Baltimore Hawks and win the Ultimus themselves. It would make for a long off season for the players on the Outlaws and those faithful fans. However, the future still looks bright and there is no reason to think they won't be able to win back the Ultimus next season.
The Arizona Outlaws have now established themselves as one of the most well run franchise in the DSFL and with two excellent seasons they will have established themselves as a free agent destination. Legendary wide receiver Vinny Valentine came over to win some hardware, and although he didn't lift the Ultimus he did bring home WROTY. With perhaps the most talented QB in the league in Andrew Reese, there is plenty off offensive stats to chase here. The defense is also stout, boasting MVP canidate Raymond Vans, making it an ideal destination for defensive players.
Probably most importantly, The Arizona Outlaws have one of the shrewdest and most diligent GMs in Swagsloth. He has expertley turned a perennial doormat into what looks like the start of a long term juggernaut. Swag is always thinking about the long term future while making bold short term moves, and that forethought will always keep them in the Championship conversation going forward. With a big off-season on the free agent market and the at the draft, the Arizona Outlaws should once again be Ultimus favorites next season.
8. Draft Focus
The Arizona Outlaws have had an excellent run the past two seasons, a run that included a Ultimus Championship. A big part of that success is their excellent season 15 draft, a huge, deep draft class that brought tons of talent into the league. The Outlaws were rebuilding at the perfect time, using their stock piled picks to build a lasting franchise foundation.
The season 18 draft is being considered to be much like the that season 15 draft, a deep and active class that could change the course of a franchise. The Outlaws are no longer the young upstarts, as many of their players are getting long in the tooth or have tailed off in TPE gains, so they have as many holes to fill as any team as they head into the draft. So what position do they have to restock to continue their success?
One position would be running back. The Outlaws have long been a running team, and they have been lead on the front by the veteran Slim Shady, who has had a long and excellent career. However, he has also long been inactive and is getting quite old. I expect the Outlaws to bring in a young back early in the draft. Running backs, much like their NFL counterparts, can be counted to be quick contributers in the pros so it wouldn't be a surprise to see them grab a back that can contribute in a reserve role as he awaits to take over the reigns. Over the last few seasons, the Outlaws have used a running back by committee approach with featuring lower or inactive TPE earners. I think we see them grab a young stud RB they can get on the cheap to lead them back to the Ultimus Championship.