02-20-2022, 08:16 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-21-2022, 08:15 PM by Crunk. Edited 4 times in total.)
Today marks the last day of the double media payout, and with that being in mind along with my lower than ideal bank balance and the upcoming prospect of having to buy equipment for the season, I thought I'd do something that I've not really tried to do before and make some award predictions for the season. Given that before this most recent career of mine I'd played exclusively on the defensive side of the ball, I'd like to think that I know a little something about what it's like to play those types of positions, and although I never won an award outside of a few Pro Bowl slots, I always kept an eye on what was going on an how these awards were playing out. I'm going to be taking a look at the player stats across all of the defensive positions in the ISFL this season, make some judgements based on the individual stats of the best players at each position, maybe do some discussion of past award winners and what's been important to their cases and then also try to conclude on who I think will win the overall award that every player on the defensive side of the ball looks for; Defensive Player of the Year. My method's basically going to be to take a look at player stats and then pick out a top 3; let me know if you don't agree with any of the picks I make, happy to open up some discussion on these things! Hopefully this is something a little bit different to read and someone who checks it out finds it vaguely interesting to read, so without any further discussion lets get into it!
I'm going to start with probably the position on defense that's considered the least "sexy"; Defensive Tackle. I feel like the position is typically seen as one that doesn't really generate the stats of other positions (unless your name is Big Edd), but there's still a good opportunity to win an award there if you can put some numbers up, so lets now take a look at who might have the best case for winning the award.
Defensive Tackle was quite an easy position to rank for me, and the opposite is definitely true for Defensive End. The rankings here are ultimately going to come down to what I personally value more, but I wouldn't be surprised if the actual award itself turns out very different when it's all said and done. A lot of players at the position had really good seasons and posted strong numbers in several different stats, and the way that the award is decided is ultimately going to come down to what the judges involved value more personally; definitely an interesting one to keep an eye on when it comes to awards night itself. Lets get into the top 3 at the position as I see it, and try to give my thoughts on how a tight pack can be separated.
Linebacker is one of the more interesting positions on defense, as players are really able to post a diverse range of stats due to the nature of the position. It might end up a little more difficult to rank players here due to the scope of numbers we're going to see, but I'll give it my best go in order to provide an opinion of whose season I personally value the most and maybe also give some insight into how I personally see the voting panning out.
In my mind, the nod for DPOY should go to Melvin Murder-Moose. The more I look at that statline the more eye-popping it becomes, and I truly think that for Murder-Moose to not walk away with that recongition would be a real shame. Definitely some deserving candidates across the board, but I think that Melvin is the one to beat here based on everything I discussed earlier.
Thanks for giving my article a look, hopefully there's some value in the opinions I've given and you can understand the angle that I was coming at things from. Definitely an interesting endeavour to take on, and it's been quite informative for me to take some time to evaluate what we saw from all these different guys. It'll be interesting to compare what I've predicted here against what actually pans out on the night, hopefully the awards committee at least agrees with one pick that I've made; if that happens, I'll consider it a success.
Defensive Tackle of the Year Award
I'm going to start with probably the position on defense that's considered the least "sexy"; Defensive Tackle. I feel like the position is typically seen as one that doesn't really generate the stats of other positions (unless your name is Big Edd), but there's still a good opportunity to win an award there if you can put some numbers up, so lets now take a look at who might have the best case for winning the award.
3. Arnie Rufus ®
Pretty surprising to see a rookie be this high up in the positional rankings (especially in the first position that we're looking at), but Arnie Rufus is entirely deserving of the recognition here, posting great numbers in his rookie season and really turning heads across the league. His headline numbers are impressive, posting 5 sacks, 2 tackles for loss and 4 tackles for loss on the year, along with 42 tackles. I think he's had a really impressive run to open his career in the league, and if he's able to use his returns this time around as a platform to build on in the future, he's going to have a great chance at achieving some really special things throughout his career. 2. HonkyTonk Haywood
Haywood had a fantastic season, and probably would have been able to achieve 1st place on the list during most other seasons with the stats that he was able to compile in S33. He really jumped off the statsheet, posting 66 tackles, 4 TFLs, 6 sacks and a forced fumble, proving himself to be a wrecking ball in the backfield and someone who was really able to dictate the game at the line of scrimmage. It ultimately was a tough season for the Liberty, but Haywood was definitely one of their most impactful players and someone who should be proud of. Haywood will undoubtedly rightly earn a spot at the Pro Bowl and a place on the All Pro teams, but unfortunately came up against a positional rival who just happened to have a monster season. 1. Chuck Roth
Chuck Roth had a season that was quite simply freakish. He dominated opposing offensive lines, posting insane numbers headlined by his sack total of 10, TFL total of 10, 3 Forced Fumbles, 3 Fumbles Recovered and 69 tackles. No one really came close to matching his statistical numbers, and Roth was able to record one of the best ever seasons for someone at his position. Quite simply an incredible season, and one that I really do think could make him the first DT in some time to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Huge congratulations to Roth on what he was able to do, I can say with some confidence that he's going to be leaving with some hardware on awards night. Defensive End of the Year Award
Defensive Tackle was quite an easy position to rank for me, and the opposite is definitely true for Defensive End. The rankings here are ultimately going to come down to what I personally value more, but I wouldn't be surprised if the actual award itself turns out very different when it's all said and done. A lot of players at the position had really good seasons and posted strong numbers in several different stats, and the way that the award is decided is ultimately going to come down to what the judges involved value more personally; definitely an interesting one to keep an eye on when it comes to awards night itself. Lets get into the top 3 at the position as I see it, and try to give my thoughts on how a tight pack can be separated.
3. Wasrabi Gleel
I liked Gleel's numbers and think he had a very solid season indeed, consistently being a disruptive force at the position and posted very solid numbers coming off the edge. 10 sacks, 7 TFLs, 47 tackles, 2 FFs and 1 FR are definitely good numbers to be able to put up, and I like the fact that he was able to put up solid numbers across all relevant stats, showing his ability as a sort of "jack of all trades" type of defensive end. Gleel didn't have the numbers in individual stats that some of his fellow players had, but I think that there's a lot to say for the type of player who can put up good numbers across the board, and with that in mind I think Gleel is deserving of a top 3 place for his position. 2. David Moyes
I actually found it really tough to decide on who I would put 1 or 2 on these rankings, and I know some people might not agree that the sack leader for the position doesn't come away with the top spot, but that's not to say that Moyes didn't have a fantastic season and wouldn't be a worthy winner if the awards committee ultimately decided to give him the nod on the night. Leading his position with 14 sacks, along with posting a safety, 2 forced fumbles, 3 TFLs and 57 tackles, this was a really impressive season and his ability to get after the quarterback was clear to see. The only thing that held him back from taking the top spot in my rankings is not quite being as effective in getting to running backs in the backfield and having lower TFL numbers than other players at his position, but I think that's just a personal preference thing. I would have no issue with Moyes winning the award at all, he had a great season and ultimately, one that he can be very proud of. 1. Will Stern
The other side of my tough decision was giving Will Stern the nod as the best player at his position this season. Ultimately, he was one sack off the lead for his position with 13 sacks, posted 8 TFLs, showing his ability to wreck run plays, forced 4 fumbles and recovered 1, and was also able to make 46 tackles and post a safety. it's an incredible individual season for Stern, and I think that there's not much more I can say about it than I can confidently say I think it was the best of anyone at defensive end. Would be great to see Stern win the award on the night, I think the type of year across the board he had is thoroughly deserving of recognition and they really don't come too much better than what he was able to do here. Linebacker of the Year Award
Linebacker is one of the more interesting positions on defense, as players are really able to post a diverse range of stats due to the nature of the position. It might end up a little more difficult to rank players here due to the scope of numbers we're going to see, but I'll give it my best go in order to provide an opinion of whose season I personally value the most and maybe also give some insight into how I personally see the voting panning out.
3. Juan Domine
I think that this position was really tough to rank, and there really is a lot to take into consideration when evaluating the different seasons that players had. The main things that got Domine a spot in my top 3 were his ability to stop the run (posting 120 tackles and 7 TFLs) turn the ball over (4 forced fumbles, 3 fumbles recovered, 2 interceptions) and still post solid numbers in terms of getting to the quarterback (16 sacks for the season). Domine had an incredible year and could be anywhere in the top 3 when results are counted after award voting; I really had a tough time ranking these guys and I think that there really could be a long list of winners here. A great year for Domine, one that is definitely deserving of recognition and even though I have put him third here, he definitely has a great chance at getting the nod from the voters on awards night. 2. Gary Goodman
Goodman kinda bucks the trend of my other choices in that he didn't have the sort of "across the board" great stats that other players I've talked about had. He instead had a monster season built around one main activity; getting his hands on the opposing team's signal caller, posting a monstrous 22 sacks. There was clear daylight between Goodman and every other player in the league when it came to tackling QBs, and evaluating his season as a pure pass-rushing linebacker, it's tough to look past him as being one of the very best defensive players in the league at this point. That's an absurd sack total to post in a single season and one that he should be very proud of; if the voters value this a lot more than other stats as has been the case in the past, expect Goodman to be walking away from the awards ceremony with a shiny new trophy. 1. Melvin Murder-Moose
A really tough call to make overall, but there were just some numbers that Murder-Moose posted this season that I found impossible to ignore. The main one being some quite frankly absurd fumble stats (12 forced and 8 recovered) that I honestly don't think I've ever seen the likes of at all. Melvin had one of those seasons that was great across the board, with eye-popping tackle numbers, a huge number of passes defended, 18 sacks, and great TFL numbers too. Really a phenomenal season for the former defensive player of the year, and one that I really think should give Murder-Moose a chance to get an armload of awards to add to their already impressive trophy cabinet. Cornerback of the Year Award
I probably rank CBs in a reductive way, but I tend to ignore tackle numbers when deciding who had a great season at that particular position. I purely evaluate these guys based on their numbers in interceptions and passes defended, with some consideration as a tiebreaker also going to forced fumbles and fumbles recovered. Again, this is just how I personally see it and I expect the awards committee will not go about things in the same way that I do, so expect to see the actual award potentially play out very differently on the night.
3. Richard Leaking
A great season for Leaking who has forged a reputation over recent seasons as one of the most solid players at his position in the league, and who was able to turn in a very good performance for the Otters once again this year. Posting 5 picks and 24 passes defended, along with 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, Leaking performed really well and was a consistent threat when it came to turning the ball over. Definitely someone to avoid throwing to, Leaking was an important part of a successful OCO team this year and deserves a lot of credit for what he was able to get done this year. 3 defensive touchdowns is also a really impressive number too, and one that deserves high praise.2. Dukburg Quakstak
Dukburg had a great year also, and although his stats were very close to Leaking's, I ultimately opted to give him the second place spot due to his slightly higher numbers when it came to passes defended, and the additional fumble recovery he was able to make. He didn't quite post as many tackles as Leaking, but as I mentioned I tend to ignore that facet when evaluating this position due to the way it's played, leading me to the conclusion that Dukburg gets the higher spot. The slightly lower touchdowns stat also made it tough, but I loved Quakburg's season on the whole and think he deserves his spot here. He had a very noteworthy season, and I'm very impressed with what he was able to do; a great run for him and I'm sure he's incredibly pleased with what he was able to do. 1. Harrison Andrews
I think Andrews was pretty much already bound for the Hall of Fame, but I think a rightful win of this award here and it'd be about time to start getting measured up for a gold jacket. He had another great season, picking off opposing quarterbacks 6 times, as well as posting 39 passes defended. Not a lot I can say about Andrews' season besides it being incredibly impressive, and one that I personally think is totally deserving of winning the CB of the Year award. Safety of the Year Award
A position I used to play myself in the league (and one I found incredibly frustrating), safety is a bit of mercurial position that can post a wide range of stats and influence the game in a huge range of ways. The main difficulty I find is evaluating rangy free safeties who focus on defending passes and picking off the ball against strong safeties who drop into the box, pass rush and make big hits on ball carriers. It's tough to say which is always the most impactful, but I've had a go at making the judgement based on complete stat lines; hopefully there's nothing too controversial here and everyone can broadly see where I'm coming from!
3. Lawrence Miller
A really nice season for Miller, who playing the strong safety position was consistently able to make big tackles, get to the opposing quarterback and deliver an all round very nice year. Miller led all players at his position in tackles made with 87, as well as forcing 2 fumbles and recovering 3, along with 7 sacks, good for second among all safeties. I think the only thing holding him back from being higher up in the rankings is he doesn't really have the pass coverage numbers that many of his contemporaries do; as someone who values these quite highly when it comes to determining safety value, you could argue he's unlucky to not be higher on the list but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the award committee allowed him to go home with the award. 2. Spike Daniels
To me, Daniels had one of the more interesting safety seasons I've ever seen in the ISFL. Posting very nice numbers in pass coverage, his tackle stats are a little behind where you'd like them to be, but the main headline has to be his incredible effectiveness when it comes to rushing the passer. For a safety who only tallied just over 40 tackles in the year to also be able to lead all safeties in sacks with 8 is very intriguing, and the type of results generated by Spike are definitely deserving of seeing some recognition on awards night. A great year for a young player, there's a good chance that Daniels could be given the nod on the night and I don't think you could have too much of a problem with that. 1. Jacob Raske
I absolutely loved Raske's season. Posting an incredible 8 picks to lead the entire league is something that cannot be ignored, and to also be able to post a very impressive 81 tackles in my mind means he had a season that is deserving of the ultimate nod. I think that other people might not value his pass coverage as highly as I do, but for a safety to be as great as this in coverage is incredibly impressive, and to see a ball hawk safety of that kind of success is very rare. When it's all said and done, I don't think I can look past that interception total, and with that in mind, Raske is my pick to win the award. BONUS - Defensive Player of the Year
In my mind, the nod for DPOY should go to Melvin Murder-Moose. The more I look at that statline the more eye-popping it becomes, and I truly think that for Murder-Moose to not walk away with that recongition would be a real shame. Definitely some deserving candidates across the board, but I think that Melvin is the one to beat here based on everything I discussed earlier.
Thanks for giving my article a look, hopefully there's some value in the opinions I've given and you can understand the angle that I was coming at things from. Definitely an interesting endeavour to take on, and it's been quite informative for me to take some time to evaluate what we saw from all these different guys. It'll be interesting to compare what I've predicted here against what actually pans out on the night, hopefully the awards committee at least agrees with one pick that I've made; if that happens, I'll consider it a success.
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3107 words, double pay pls