(S1) - Ultimus Week

[Noble]

Welcome to Ultimus Week! This is a special point task that will run from July 6th to July 12th. It is broken down into eight written and eight graphic point tasks of which you will choose FIVE to complete. Each point task completed is worth 2 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 five point tasks in any combination of written and/or graphics.
NOTE x3: Please keep all submissions you make to ONE post.


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

Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

Bottom Third: Write about why the Baltimore Hawks and/or San Jose Sabercats were not able to make the playoffs. Can be completed at any point

Future Talent: Write about which S2 waiver pickup 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


Graphic Points

Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series in a side by side graphic. Can be completed at any point

Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series in a side by side graphic. Can be completed at any point

Bottom Third: Make a graphical stat comparison of either the San Jose Sabercats OR Baltimore Hawks to another team that qualified for the playoffs from their division. Can be completed at any point

Future Talent: Make a sig for a S2 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. Must be completed before the simulation of the Conference Finals

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 (sig style) featuring the MVP of the Championship Game and another player of your choice from the winning teams and S1 Champions or something similar to that. Must be completed after the Championship Game

[Noble]

PT Task #1 - Offensive Comparison - @Aenir

The NSFC playoff battle is set to open Friday night in what should be a rager of a competition. The Colorado Yeti and Yellowknife Wraiths are primed to take a real big push into action, and they are of course set to be lead by their star quarterbacks. Logan Noble of Colorado and Chris Orosz of Yellowknife are consistently looked at as two of the top players in the league, and are easily leading their position at the top of the list. These young men are making huge impacts, and it will be a hard knock back and forth battle come Friday night.

Noble currently sits at 182 TPE, while Orosz is slightly behind at 149. This doesn't mean Orosz is a lesser player though. Orosz's arm and throwing accuracy ability translate directly into the game (80 overall in both) while Noble's more well rounded approach between intelligence, arm, and throwing accuracy give him a more all around game. As well, while Noble may be a pocket passing QB, his movement skills are great with a well developed speed and agility (59 & 52 respectively). Look for him to use this mobility to walk over the opponent this Friday night.


PT Task #2 - Playoff Predictions

The NSFL playoffs are only just getting started, and with the first games starting tomorrow, every team will be looking for a way to get an edge on the others. Today, we're going to be doing a prediction segment looking at which teams are likely on move on past the conference match-ups, as well as who will eventually take home the title.

First up we have the Yellowknife Wraiths and the Colorado Yeti facing off in the NSFC title game. Both teams had great regular seasons, but the Yeti managed to finished with one up on the Wraiths for home field advantage due to a very close fourteenth week game. My prediction is the Yeti take this one home.

In the ASFC, the Arizona Outlaws and Orange County Otters are duking it out in what is also a rematch of their Week 14 game where Arizona came away with the win, giving them the best record during the regular season. Due to this, it's likely Arizona moves on to compete for the Ultimus Cup.

While it's a tight competition, a lot of expectations have been riding on the Yeti going into the playoffs, and it is unlikely they will disappoint. It is my prediction that due to a stronger offense, the Yeti will take this game in a close knit battle.


PT Task #3 - Bottom Third

What exactly went wrong in San Jose and Baltimore to cause them to tumble to the bottom of their respective divisions and fail to qualify for the playoffs? The answer is simple, lack of communication. While San Jose had arguably one of the strongest teams on paper out of the gate in draft, the refused to work well as a team and this was their ultimate downfall. To make matters worse, the controversy surrounding the Ethan Hunt pick up and refusal to play at the end of the season only makes the Sabercats look worse heading into this second season of play.

In Baltimore, the problem was mostly just riding on the fact that they could not have had a worse start out of the gate in the inaugural draft. With Marcus Robinson standing out as their key player this season, the team was scrambling to find answers and to fill the holes they had left gaping due to poor work on draft night. This hole will be a lot easier to fill then in San Jose, seeing as they can add a few players an be competitive compared to San Jose, where a whole new team may need to be found.

PT Task #4 - Future Talent

When presented with the question as to which S2 rookie will make the biggest impact on this year's post-season, an immediate answer comes to mind. Dermot Lavelle exploded into the NSFL this season with the Yellowknife Wraiths and immediately played like he had the world to win for. His dynamic style of play sets him apart from other rookies and makes him into the top athlete he has become. What some people don't see in him is his potential to really succeed next year and contest for the top rookie award. While a secondary defender might seem like an odd choice for the top rookie award, Lavelle is more than just a deserving candidate.

His locker room presence in Yellowknife and his dominance on the field all contribute to the type of player he is becoming, and it's no doubt that he will be a Top 3 pick come draft night. It would be the hope of Yellowknife to re acquire him, but currently sitting with a pick out of the top half they will be unlikely to complete this goal. Should the times change though, you can expect this young stud of an athlete to be donning the black and blue again soon enough.

[Ben]

Rashad (@Destroyer) vs. Boss (@JBLAZE_THE_BOSS)


Draxel (@701) vs. Reigns (@Shaka)


Sig for @automatic


Playoff Recap


Championship Banner

[SimmerDownBruhh]

Offensive Comparison: Orosz vs Noble II

The two highest rated quarterbacks meet up in what will be the final slugfest to decide who will represent the NSFC to make their claim for the Ultimus. Chris Orosz of the Yellowknife Wraiths has stepped up time and time again in order to take the crown of the best NSFL QB passer rating of 77.6.

Logan Noble hasn't been too far off in passer rating, only falling short by four tenths of Orosz in that statistic. Even with that small difference, it was his performance in the last season of the regular season that lifted the Yeti to the first divisional title in NSFL history. Even faced with a multitude of pressure, he stayed strong in the pocket and ill the team to victory.

It's definitely a matchup worth looking forward to as this is now the game that matters the most. Two of the elite QBs that have solidified themselves as the future of the league, it'll be interesting to see if Noble's dominance continues or will Orosz bring out a few extra tricks to make the defense stumble before the finish line.

It all starts on Friday, don't miss out on greatness personified.

Defensive Comparison: Saint vs Shelton II

Defense indeed wins championships. Starting off with the linebacker position, we most definitely have two of the best being showcased in the NSFC Championship game. Jonathan Saint of the Colorado Yeti and Lindarius Shelton of the Yellowknife Wraiths both know how to shift the momentum on the defensive side of the ball.

Both players eclipsed the 100 tackle milestone in their first year with Lindarius taking the edge in the matchup 118-101.
What Jonathan Saint lacked in tackles, he made sure to capitalize in other opportunities to make an impact, notching a LB record 14 sacks. Two heavy hitters meet up with full intent to keep the QBs honest.

Both players have been effective leaders on the football field since day one and I'll be keeping my eyes on them when the lights come on. One of these highly touted linebackers will be in the championship game with their team. My money is on the always reliable Lindarius Shelton but that's the personal bias coming out. Make sure to keep your eyes on the these two men. It all comes down to this.

Bottom Third: Baltimore Hawks Last Resort Fell Short

I've called it from the beginning. The tetralogy between the Yellowknife Wraiths and the Baltimore Hawks was going to be the deciding factor for either of these teams. When the dust settled, it was the Wraiths that came up standing and the Hawks felt short of the marker.

As we've discussed here, here, and here, it was clear to show that it honestly could have gone either way between the two teams. The Wraiths and the Hawks both fought for a chance to contend for the NSFC championship all the way to the end.

After the Wraiths lost to the Hawks in game 1, they stormed back with a 40-20 beatdown in game two. After that, the Hawks couldn't regain their footing and bring another win back to Baltimore. This was also the turning point for the Wraiths' run to the #2 seed. The final score of the four game series was 3-1 in favor of the Wraiths. Immediately knocking Baltimore out of contention in the process.

I've said it so many times in the last part of that series that Baltimore should still have plenty of pride in what happened and come back storming next year. Besides game two, The competition was REAL between the two rivals. I've dubbed this rivalry to be special because of how the tetralogy may be the last ever of it's kind during the regular season. Now it's time for them to focus on what exactly do they need to improve the overall base of the team. I honestly believe they have what it takes to do so.

Future Talent: I Don't Wanna See You Goooooo, Stay In Yellowknife, Dermot Lavelle!!

I'm not sure if I can stop raving about what Dermot Lavelle has brought to our team. His persistence in the locker room, on the field, making green and keeping WRs in check all year. Learning behind one of the best CBs in the league, Dirk Cutter, he managed to make his own mark and has easily made it known that he's #1 draft pick material.

Tackles? Check. 57. Four most out of Cornerbacks.
Passes defensed? Check. 18 of them. Tied for first out of CBs.
Interceptions? Check yet again. Four. Tied for first out of CBs.
Even went in and took an offensive player's cookies and forced a fumble.

This isn't news to any of us in Yellowknife. We knew he had the potential to be one of the GOATs. However, it's much better when you prove it on a night in night out basis like he has. If there's one person the Wraiths will be playing for the most within these next couple of weeks, its gonna be Dermot.

One day, he's gonna anchor a defense for another blessed team in this league. Let it be known, if he falls to us again (which he more than likely won't, but let me dream!), you definitely won't see me complaining anytime soon. Cheers to Dermot for a successful season here in Yellowknife. :cheers: Let's bring the Ultimus back to where it belongs!

#WraithsNation

Playoff Predictions: Yellowknife Believes in Miracles?

If you can already guess where I'm going with this just from the title, you're smart. You're loyal. I appreciate that. (DJ Khaled Voice)

Going into the final three games of the inaugural season, there's been plenty to talk about. Which of these teams has the fortitude and will power to lift the Ultimus trophy in the air for their respective city? We have four strong competitors heading in and it's going to be very interesting to see how it all unfolds.

Looking into the ASFC, we have the Arizona Outlaws and the Orange County Otters meeting for the fifth time this year. The Outlaws have owned the series between the four games so far. It may be much more accurate that the Outlaws have owned QB Mike Boss. We all know how he started his career (the six interception debacle) but after surviving the QB controversy, he's earned the trust (and I'm saying that gingerly) of his teammates heading into their most important game of their careers.

Mike Boss HAS to play his best performance against the Outlaws right now when it counts. He cannot fall back to where he was before. Against the Outlaws, he's thrown for two touchdowns, 13 INTs, and a QB rating of 37.8. That will give his team a quick ride back to the OC before halftime.

I'm thinking it will be more of the same and the Outlaws will come out on top by a score of 24-14. The running game of the Otters close for most of the game but I believe the Outlaws defense will pull through in the long run.

NSFC talk now as we go into the fifth installment of the Yellowknife Wraiths and Colorado Yeti. In similar fashion, the Yeti has a grip of the series between the two teams, winning three of the four times they played. We've witnessed some bad football play and coaching from the Wraiths late in their primetime loss. Two of the best QBs in Chris Orosz and Logan Noble will duel it out once more but this time it's for higher stakes. It's for the NSFC crown, bay bayyy.

After being embarrased on national TV, they prepare to bounce back. It's easy to say that the Wraiths got humbled after failing to continue the previous win streak of four games. Can the Wraiths slow down Noble and keep Orosz upright? Logan Noble just seemed to find ways to complete passes with the drama and pressure in his grill. He's probably as composed as I ever seen a QB with a defensive line that's prepared to rip him limb from limb.

The last game between them slipped Yellowknife into a underdog role but I believe it's a role that means little to them. They earn this spot and this is where I believe they will show it. I have the Wraiths coming out on top in a defensive battle 19-12 and metting up with the Outlaws to battle it out for the Ultimus Trophy.

In the NSFL Championship match, it will be the Arizona Outlaws taking on the Yellowknife Wraiths. These two teams have met twice back to back and each team has won once. The matchup we've been waiting for, the lockdown defense of the Outlaws pitted against the dynamic balanced offense of the Wraiths.

Dirk Cutter vs. Stormblessed.
Dermot Lavelle vs. Lincoln Jefferson.
Ricky Maddox vs Harrif Ernston rivalry reawakens.

Pick your poison, this matchup has everything.

I have the Wraiths coming into this game as underdogs (for the second time this playoffs) and pulling one of the best orchestrated game winning drives to take the lead late. Final score being 30-24.

Can someone call them Cardiac Wraiths? The Ultimus Trophy will be heading towards Yellowknife this year.

Word.

1516 words, definitely over that 200 word count jazz. Lmaoo

[Bwestfield]

Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series in a side by side graphic. Can be completed at any point


Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point
I will be comparing two outstanding Pro-Bowl caliber linebackers. Arizona’s Brady Stropko and Orange County’s Ian Bavitz. There are some similarities and some major differences in their play style. Brady’s playstyle is more or less get in the backfield while the offensive lineman are occupied. He has 113 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. He also has accumulated 9 sacks. That’s more than some defensive lineman. He is definitely a run stopping linebacker. He isn’t just a one trick pony though. He has also gotten 3 pass deflections and a safety under his belt. He may not be breaking up the pass all that often but he’s showing that you can’t throw on him all the time and expect success. Ian Bavitz on the other hand is a bit more well-rounded. Getting just a bit of everything. He has posted 100 tackles and 3 tackles for loss. He may not be getting back behind the line of scrimmage a lot but he makes sure they don’t advance far. He also has only posted 4 sacks. To me this shows that he plays a bit more in coverage than blitzing. Orange County’s defensive line also racked up a lot of sacks so he just may not have the opportunity. Ian was able to force 2 fumbles and recover one of them. Turnovers in a game are important and can turn the tide of any game. In coverage he was able to nab an interception and deflect 5 passes. So in conclusion they are both great at what they do and I don’t see one better than the other but it will be interesting to see how their roles play out in the playoffs.

Playoff Matchups: Make a graphic displaying the matchups in the first round of the playoffs. Must be completed before the simulation of the Conference Finals


Future Talent: Make a sig for a S2 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 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
The first matchup I will be analyzing is the Yellowknife Wraiths at Colorado Yeti. Over the season they have played each other 4 times going 3-1 in favor of the Yeti. The Wraiths have also outscored the Yeti by a slim 5 point margin 65-60. After doing an analysis of each game the real winners are the yeti defenders. They have been forcing turnovers, limited touchdowns to field goals or nothing at all, stopping drives in their tracks. They never allowed more than 4 3rd down conversions. On the other side of the field it’s the same way though. The Wraith’s defense is scoring points and keeping the point totals low. This matchup will be a battle of brains and I think this is anyone’s game.
Prediction: Yeti 13 – Wraiths 9

The next matchup is between the Orange County Otters at Arizona Outlaws. Over the season they have played each other 4 times going 3-1 in favor of the Outlaws. The Outlaws have really had the Otters’ number this year. They have picked of QB Mike Boss an incredible 13 times! Isiah Rashad seems to be the focal point of all that bringing an insane 7 interceptions. These two teams have great offenses and defenses for each other to face. If the Otters can keep the turnovers low they have a chance to take this game. If not, you could very well see the Outlaws hoisting the coveted Ultimus Trophy.
Prediction: Otters 28 – Outlaws 23

[timeconsumer]

Offensive Comparison

In the highly-anticipated upcoming matchup between the Yellowknife Wraiths and the Colorado Yeti, all eyes are on the teams' passing game, led by wide receivers Kendrick Hendrix for the Yeti and Josh Garden for the Wraiths. Josh Garden is all about size and speed, standing at 6'3" and a lean 225lbs he is one of the larger receivers in the NSFL compared to Colorado's Hendrix, a polished route runner, at 6'1" and a hair over 200lbs. Both players are lightning fast with good reliable hands, although Hendrix gets the edge there. Garden on the other hand is much stronger, as his larger frame would indicate, and somewhat surprisingly a bit more nimble on his feet.

When it comes to performance on the field Josh Garden led the league in receiving yards, was second in yards per catch, and second in touchdowns scored. While Hendrix lagged well behind in all off those statistics, it is telling to note he has done so while sharing a larger portion of the catches in an offense that passes less. Most experts expect Garden to come out on top in this matchup, but don't sleep on the Yeti's passing attack and the hands of Kendrick Hendrix.

Defensive Comparison

In the first playoff matchup of the inaugural NSFL season the fledgling league's hottest rivalry between Arizona and Orange County will have a chance to hit a boiling point as fans come to watch two of the league's most electric defenses face off in a battle for the Solis Cup. Arizona's defense has relied on big impact plays, they lead the league in interceptions, sacks, and tackles for loss. Meanwhile in Orange County they play old school ball, keep the yards, the touchdowns, and the first downs limited and win with field position.

The two biggest impact players of these polar-opposite defenses are Jayce Tuck and Adamle Tomlinson, both at defensive end. Tuck has led the league thus far in sacks and tied for second in tackles for loss and is considered by many to be the favorite for defensive MVP of the year. His combination of strength and speed is hard to stop. However on the Orange County side don't sleep on Tomlinson. The smaller, faster rusher lacks the raw power of Tuck, but has still managed to excel in producing tackles for a loss. And when Tomlinson gets on fire, get out of the way as his 5 sack performance set a record for single game performance during the regular season. And with Tuck set to face off against Angus Winchester he could find himself missing from the stat sheet for the second time this year.

Bottom Third

After having high hopes for their squad at the beginning of the season things are suddenly starting to look very gloomy in Baltimore. What happened to the elite team assembled by the Hawks on draft day? What caused their tumble throughout the regular season, culminating in an embarrassing loss on the road to a San Jose team that was the worst in the league for most of the season? The answer, is defense.

Baltimore has the worst defense in the league by far. Sure they have a decent amount of tackles for loss and interceptions. But the thing causing headaches for the head coach and the reason the defensive coordinator is updating his resume is their yards and touchdowns allowed. All throughout the season Baltimore has continually allowed the most yards to their opponents, and given up by far the most touchdowns. last night's game against San Jose highlighted this weakness as the Sabercat offense marched down the field time and time again, driving the ball into the endzone and driving fans out of their seats. There are a lot of uncertainties headed into this offseason with two expansion teams in the hunt for talent, but one thing is for sure, the Hawks need to spend their first few picks on defense if they want to compete in the NSFL.

Future Talent

After a shocking amount of players joined the NSFL more than halfway through the season there are plenty of young talented men looking to take the field in the playoffs to prove they are worth the big contract in this offseason. One such player who is currently flying below the radar but can expected to come up big for his team is offensive lineman Jordan Yates. Yates was one of the most recent players to be claimed off of the waiver wire, and has only played in 4 games this season. During that time he has found some struggles (understandably) and only managed 7 pancakes blocks, but has also only given up one sack, no small feat given his disadvantage against more seasoned players.

Yates' addition was the final piece of the puzzle for what was already the best offensive line in the league, which led in pancake blocks and allowed the fewest sacks. By replacing the ever-under-performing Bigboy in the interior of line the Otters instantly started giving up fewer sacks per game to defensive lineman. And with a strong blocking tight end on the edge in George Wright and the 260lb monster of a running back Leroy Jenkins there to catch any blitzers sneaking through his gap Yates has found himself excelling among the most elite unit in the league while bringing their play to even higher levels. Although his lack of experience means he won't be the first lineman off the board, Yates will be a critical piece to any team looking to win in the trenches.

Playoff Predictions

In the exciting ASFC Championship game, the battle for the Solis Cup fans are preparing for a grinder of a game coming from two of the most highly regarded teams in the NSFL, the Arizona Outlaws and the Orange County Otters. Having shut out Orange County all season Arizona had high confidence about the playoffs until last night's game showed the Otters can in fact beat the Outlaws when they play at the same game, forcing turnovers. For this playoff game held on Arizona's home turf we can expect a low yardage game being led by two dominating defenses generating sacks, fumbles, and interceptions all over the field. The Outlaws passing game lights up the Otters secondary while the Otters grind the ball out on the ground, with Leroy Jenkins and Omar Wright gashing the Outlaws for high gains. The Outlaws will come out swinging and lead most of the game, but in the final minutes the Otters will build momentum from some big defensive plays and seal the deal with a goal line touchdown by Leroy Jenkins. Otters 17-13

In the battle for the NSFC Championship the Yellowknife Wraiths travel to Colorado to face off against the Yeti in what everybody expects to be a high scoring shootout in the mountains. Led by Joshua Garden and Bubba Nuck the Wraiths will keep their foot on the gas all night as Colorado's defense struggles to contain them. Colorado will hit back with Noble channeling his inner Aaron Rodgers, throwing deep bomb passes and shredding the Yellowknife secondary. As the lead battles back and forth through the first half the Wraiths pull away in the second half and don't give it back up as Nuck pounds the ball away, eating up the clock and securing a win. Wraiths 30 - 20

And in the Championship match, the battle for the coveted Ultimus Cup, the fans get what they've wanted all season, a battle of South vs North as the Yellowknife Wraiths electric offense faces the Orange County Otters stonewall defense. The shoe-in league MVP, Bubba Nuck has shredded every defense he met, except Orange County. The league's leading rushing defense has shut down the Wraiths rushing attack and will continue that tradition in the postseason. Joshua Garden will find room in the secondary for his traditional explosive plays. But the real hero of this game will be Mike Boss. His high-profile struggles this season have led many to question his ability to succeed in the NSFL. But as he leads the Otters to touchdown after touchdown, connecting with his receivers all over the Yellowknife secondary, Boss will come out with a 110+ passer rating, zero interceptions, and 3 passing TDs and be the Championship Matchup MVP. Otters 34 - 20

[Admin]

Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

Chris Orosz and Logan Noble are two of the top QBs in the National Simulation Football League and these two players will be facing off for the Glacies Trophy and the right to play for the Ultimus Trophy. Both of these QBs rely on their accuracy to be successful. It is the highest attribute for both of them at 80. Chris Orosz also has 80 in intelligence and Logan Noble comes in with 73 intelligence. Noble has the advantage with his arm though, boasting a 76 arm compared to 72 for Orosz. Both Qbs are not a threat to run the ball with their low agility and speed attributes but given time in the pocket you can be sure they will pick you apart. The stat lines for both QBs was very similar with Orosz passing for 2788 yards, 14 TDs,and 9 INTs with a QBR of 77.6 and Noble passing for 2603 yards, 15 TDs, and 8 INTs with a QBR of 77.2. The two QBs are in a tight battle to be the top QB in not only the NSFC but also in the entire NSFL. It will be a close race to see which of these two men can pull down the award for Top QB this season, or if someone else entirely will get it.

Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point
Dermot Lavelle and Alex Hayden are two of the best cornerbacks in the National Simulation Football League and in the first round of the playoffs, when the Yellowknife Wraiths and Colorado Yeti face off these two cornerbacks will be facing off to try and show who the best corner in the game is. This game is loaded with cornerback talent and the best in the game could easily be Philippe Carter or Dirk Cutter, but today we are going to focus on Alex Hayden and Dermot Lavelle. The young cornerbacks had very similar stat lines during the regular season, each getting 4 interceptions and 18 passes defended. Alex Hayden made 63 tackles, 6 more than the 57 tackles made by Dermot Lavelle. Both players forced a single fumble but Lavelle did recover 1 whereas Hayden never recovered a fumble this season. It will be fun to watch these two corners, and their cornerback partners, Cutter and Carter, line up against each others receivers in pursuit of the Glacies Trophy. There is little doubt these players will have a big role to play in their teams championship pursuits of the Ultimus Trophy. It wouldn't suprise me at all if one of these players makes a game changing play for their team in the first round of the playoffs.

Bottom Third: Write about why the Baltimore Hawks and/or San Jose Sabercats were not able to make the playoffs. Can be completed at any point
The Baltimore Hawks and San Jose SaberCats finished last place in their divisions, both with a 4-10 record. Each team had their own reasons for their poor finishes and you could easily look at both the offenses and defenses. The Baltimore Hawks finished last in defense, allowing 330 points, almost 40 points more than the next worst defense which was the San Jose SaberCats allowing 291 points. On offense the San Jose SaberCats had the worst unit in the league. They scored only 213 points which was almost 50 points worse than the next lowest scoring offense, the Orange County Otters, who scored 249 points. The Baltimore Hawks were doing fine most of the season and were in contention for a playoff spot but a late season collapse where they lost 5 straight games to finish the season left them on the outside looking in. The San Jose SaberCats were fine to start the season and did well enough late in the season but a mid season slide where they lost 6 straight games knocked them out of playoff contention. Part of this aligns with the inactivity of Quarterback, Jameis Christ. You can see they did well early when he was active and then they failed when he went inactive. Later in the season they picked up Ethan Hunt in a trade from the Orange County Otters and the team picked up again and won some games with Hunt getting 2 "Have a Day" awards.

Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series in a side by side graphic. Can be completed at any point


Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series in a side by side graphic. Can be completed at any point

[Apache_Chief]

Offensive Comparison

When comparing the two playoff teams for the ASFC, two real receiving threats come to mind: None Stormblessed and Bradley Westfield. These two future Pro-Bowlers and potential MVP's are in a league of their own. While they aren't at a Garden level, they are real threats to surpass the #2 pick as the top receiver(s) in the league. However, since they'll be facing each other it's time to see who will be the ultimate tool for their team. While neither player reached the 1,000 yd mark, Westfield came out ahead with a 12 yd advantage at 983 yds to Stormblessed's 971. Westfield also barely came out ahead when it came to TD's with 8 to his name compared to Stormblessed's 7. While Westfield is in the lead in the surface receiving stats, you have to look at the big picture; Stormblessed barely lost to Westfield on less targets. Mind you, it was only a difference of 9 targets, those 9 targets could've easily propelled Stormblessed to the top. At the end of the day, if you have to choose one to take into the playoffs, I'd have to argue Westfield. Sure, this might be biased, but if I want to win games, I want the guy with the sure stats, and Westfield has proven through the numbers he's the better player

Defensive Comparison

In the playoff game between heated rivals, Orange County and Arizona, the Outlaws came out on top in an embarrassing 36-13 win. While many things can be picked apart in this game, we'll focus solely on the teams two star Defensive Ends, Adamle Tomlinson of the Otters and Jayce Tuck if the Outlaws. Prior to this game, Tuck was the statistically better player, leading the league with 16 sacks, compared to Tomlinson's 9 (he earned his tenth during the game itself). Tuck also had the advantage in tackles, with 44 to Tomlinson's 40. So coming into this game, Tuck was the favorite on paper to make a larger impact. One could also argue that Tuck's impact during the season is a product of him being the main threat on the defensive front, seeing as only 2 members of the Outlaws had 10+ sacks. Comparatively, the Otters had 4 10+ sack players on the defensive line. While this might not mean much, it is something to consider. As for the game though, well, there wasn't much of a difference. Tuck had 3 tackles, one for a loss and Tomlinson had 2 tackles with a sack. One could argue the sack makes Tomlinson's performance better, but the TFL is impactful as well, so it's really just a personal call as to who really came out ahead.

Bottom Third

When looking at the Baltimore Hawks and the San Jose Sabercats, there are two entirely different stories. The Hawks had an undefeated preseason, but came to a pretty average regular season beginning, and ultimately crashed at the end of the season losing 5 games in a row. The Cats however, started very poorly, barely managing to win a game until they made a change at QB that got them the 3 extra wins at the seasons win. In a big picture look, the Hawks struggle was their defense. The secondary was decent, they accumulated a lot of tackles, and mid season acquisition Bert Metas had a nice season for them. But it just didn't pan out, as they had the most points allowed in the season at 330. As for the Sabercats, their downfall was, surprisingly, their offense. They had two very good receivers, as well as a very solid running back and an above average line. All these things should've come together for a solid offense, but trouble at the QB position lead to a downfall of their offense. When they acquired Hunt, this all changed, and they actually started competing offensively. In losing Bowers Jr., the Cats could see themselves in a problematic place again. If the Hawks don't figure out their defensive problems as well, another problematic season could be on its way.

Future Talent


Conference Final MVP

Other answers coming soon...

[Molarpistols]

Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

The top two wide-receivers from the inaugural regular season of the NSFL were Josh Garden, of the Yellowknife Wraiths and Robert Phelps of the Orange County Otters. Widely considered the top prospect in the draft, Garden surprisingly fell to the second overall pick after supposedly making it clear to the Otters GM, who held the first overall pick, that Garden didn't want to play for him. In contrast, our second leading receiver wasn't chosen until the thirteenth round. You got that right folks, 36 less yards in the regular season in comparison to the top prospect was chosen 71 picks later in the draft, talk about great value!

The comparison shouldn't solely be off of yards however, Josh Garden was able to haul in 7 touchdown receptions, more than double that of Phelps. The Wraiths boast the 2nd-highest scoring team in the league, some of which can easily be due to Garden's influence. Despite Phelps' great yards stats, he only found the endzone thrice, a pretty spot-on reference to the Otter's offensive struggles, scoring the 2nd-least amount of points on the season.

Both Phelps and Garden possess high speed, making them difficult to cover for a lot of defensive backs. Garden is quite a bit more agile than Phelps, perhaps the reason Garden found the endzone more often during the regular season. Phelps is a little bit more sure-handed, often being tasked with contested catches over the middle. We can see the effects on this, as Phelps had 14 more receptions than Garden on the year, but 36 less yards.

Overall, straight comparisons of these players is difficult just because of their expected value from the draft. Garden is doing exactly what you'd expect out of the first WR taken, he's making catches, grinding yards and scoring touchdowns. Meanwhile Phelps was a fairly late-round pick, one that didn't have much expectation behind it. We'd imagine Phelps would go a lot higher if given a draft do-over.

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351

Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

Kurt Hendrix of the Baltimore Hawks currently leads the league after the regular season with 144 tackles. Ian Bavitz of the Orange County Otters stands in 7th place, just breaking triple-digits with 100 tackles.

Hendrix was a 10th-round steal for the Hawks, while Bavitz has been an effective player for a 7th round pick, but hasn't garnered the attention he desires. The two have almost the exact same skills, the few differences are that Hendrix is a little bit stronger, while Bavitz is a little bit faster.

If they're basically the same, why is there such a discrepancy in their statistics? The answer can be found in the difference between time of possessions for each team. In 14 games, the Hawks defense spent more than 30 minutes per game on the field 12 times. In contrast, the Otters defense never spent more than 30 minutes on the field in a game. In total, the Hawks defense spent 409:59, or 6 hours, 49 minutes and 59 seconds on the field. The Otters defense on the other hand, spent 5 hours, 48 minutes and 53 seconds on the field. An hour more time to be on the field to be earning stats could just be the difference between these two prospects.

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227

Bottom Third: Write about why the Baltimore Hawks and/or San Jose Sabercats were not able to make the playoffs. Can be completed at any point

With two-thirds of the NSFL about to enter the NSFL playoffs in the inaugural season, it might beg the question: Why were there two teams clearly below the level of play of our playoff contenders?

In the case of the San Jose Sabercats, the answer seems quite simple. They belong to the ASFC with the Orange County Otters and Arizona Outlaws. The Sabercats were only able to pick up a single win during the regular season inside the ASFC, in week two against the Outlaws. Struggling against the teams in your own conference leaves you out of the playoffs, it's as simple as that. You play eight games in the conference and 6 outside of it, to even earn a winning record overall you'd need to be undefeated outside the conference and still win at least two games in the conference, which the Sabercats couldn't do.

Both sides of the ball appeared to be a struggle for the Sabercats, as they allowed the second-most points to be scored against them, and scored the fewest amount of points in the entire league, each by a wide margin. The Sabercats managed to score 213 total points (15.21 ppg), while the next lowest team scored 249 (17.79 ppg). The Sabercats allowed 291 points (20.79 ppg) while only the Baltimore Hawks (our other bottom feeder) allowed 330 (23.57 ppg).

The poor performances by the Sabercats could be due to their conference, the Otters and Outlaws tied for the league-lead, each with a 9-5 record. Those 9-5 records could also be due to playing the Sabercats so often, it's difficult to tell.

On the bright-side, things could be trending up for the Sabercats. A mid-season trade brought QB Ethan Hunt to the Cats to replace the struggling Jameis Christ. With the help of Hunt, the Cats were able to secure a couple more wins, and can look to continue that trend into the next season. An early pick in the draft will also help out with the talent level, hopefully bringing them back into competition with the league.

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343

Future Talent: Write about which S2 waiver pickup 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 Orange County Otters struck gold on the waiver wire early in the season with the pickup of offensive lineman Greg Clegane. The mountainous man out of Casterly Rock quickly found a place starting on the offensive line for the Otters. He helped anchor the league's top rushing attack, a ground game that earned 317 more yards than the second-place team. The offensive line is a huge part of the run-game, the tandem of Clegane and fellow Otter Angus Winchester allowed the committee of Leroy Jenkins and Omar Wright to each earn almost 1000 yards on the season. Wright finished 1-yard short of the quadruple-digits at 999 yards, while Jenkins finished off the season with 955.

Leading the way for the Otter's strong rushing attack was Greg Clegane. He finished the season with 40 total pancakes (2.86 per game) and allowing only seven sacks in fourteen games (.5 per game). I don't think a team could ask for better from a waiver-wire pickup. The Otters were quite lucky to find him, and while he enters the Season Two draft, Clegane has shown quite a bit of loyalty to the Otters, saying that he would refuse to play for anybody else.

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200

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

ASFC Championship: vs.
Each team enters the matchup with a league-leading 9 wins and 5 losses. The Otters have unfortunately struggled against the Outlaws, boasting a 1-3 record in their meetings this season. The Otters lone win against the Outlaws came in a Week 14 home-field victory with a final score of 23-16. The Outlaws won the tie-breaker between the teams and will have home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Otters will have to travel to Arizona and use their late-season momentum to take a playoff-win from the home team if they want to reach the Ultimus Cup.
- W

NSFC Championship vs.
With the better conference record, the Yeti earned the top-seed in the conference as well as home-field advantage for the NSFC Championship game, even though the Wraiths and Yeti each have an 8-6 record. This game will be an interesting one, as the Yeti vs. Wraiths season series ended 2-2.
We've got the home-team winning this one, with the Colorado Yeti advancing to the Ultimus Cup.
- W

Ultimus Cup vs.
If our Conference Championship predictions come to fruition, the Colorado Yeti and Orange County Otters will meet in the Ultimus Cup to determine the champion of the National Simulation Football League's inaugural season. The two teams met twice during the regular season, with each team picking up a win. Each team won their home-game in the series. The Ultimus Cup will be an interesting one, each of these teams have some momentum going into the post-season. The Yeti won their final game of the regular season, beating the Wraiths in Colorado to seize the top-seed of the conference. The Otters won their last two of the season, beating the Hawks and Outlaws in Orange County to finish the season strong and tie for the lead in the conference. Unfortunately, their earlier stumbles against the Outlaws left them as the second seed in the ASFC. We think the Otters will continue their streak and win the Ultimus Cup.
- W

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342

EDIT: FML my reading comprehension blows and I compared just two players. Will get the motivation to re-write the first two eventually.

[Noble]

@Molarpistols Replying to your edit, looks like you did the task correct to me