Defensive Line Standouts - Week 3
Welcome to week 3 of our Season 4 Defensive Line Standouts. This week saw some new names making a big impact, with five players making their first appearance of the season, and three of them making their first appearance ever. We have two teams with three or more players making our list this week, and for the first time ever, one team with four appearances. Despite some of the four players with the highest sack total from last year struggling mightily, I think many will agree it’s been exciting to see both new and young players stepping up to fill the void. Enough chit chat… Let’s begin!
Defensive End Top Performers
G. Wright Jr. ($) 3 TCK, 1 TFL, 2 SCK
Wright is making his first appearance on our list, and he did so in a big way, claiming the highest scoring performance of the week. His 3 tackles, 1 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks actually ties him for the best performance by a defensive end on the season (K. Hendrix, week 2). Yet another offensive weapon on the Otters that just had too many mouths to feed, he decided to make the switch from tight end to defensive end and so far, it seems to be paying off. The Otters will look to get back to .500 with when they head to Yellowknife next week to face an offensive line that has one of the lowest totals of allowed sacks in the league.
F. Wozy ($$$) 8 TCK, 2 TFL
Another week, another great Wozy performance. His 8 tackles and 2 tackles for loss prove that Wozy is absolutely invaluable for this team, as he has accounted for 3 of his team’s 4 appearances this season. There’s no questioning his abilities, but one has to wonder when enough is enough and he starts demanding some changes. They Yeti think they’ve finally found some help for him in Antonio Sandoval, but after 3 games he has only 6 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 0 sacks. The pass rush is just one of the many things this front office needs to address before they hope to become competitive. They Yeti head to Las Vegas for their first real shot at a win against a team that has, historically, been one of the worst in the NSFL.
J. Tuck ($$) 2 TCK, 2 SCK
After a relatively quiet start to the season, Tuck is finally making his way back to his old form. Although the days of his game-breaking sack totals seem to be over (last season he had 9 at this point), his impact on the game is undeniable. Although his 7 tackles are quite meager compared to what he’s used to, his 3 sacks are enough to tie him with K. Hendrix for most sacks for a defensive end on the season. The Outlaws will look to extend their win streak to 4 next week as they host a struggling Liberty squad that many expected to once again challenge for the NSFC Championship.
Other Great Performers
J. Andres ($$) 2 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 SCK
E. Gustavsson ($) 2 TCK, 2 TFL
K. Hendrix ($$$) 3 TCK, 1 TFL
Andres has been a run stuffing specialist with 5 tackles for loss on the year, second most of any player in the NSFL. Gustavsson has had a quiet season after coming on strong during the second half of last year, but his performance this week shows he may developing into the player Yellowknife hoped he would be. Hendrix provided great run support this week, and despite not recording a sack, is still tied for the most sacks by a defensive end.
Defensive Tackle Top Performers
G. King ($$) 4 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 SCK
Making his second appearance this season, King sis so in style, finishing with 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack, to claim the top spot for defensive tackles. Despite being drafted first overall last season, many would still consider King a steal with his performance so far. After finishing his first season with 22 sacks, King has 5 on the season, second to only Ricardo Sandoval, of the Hawks. King will look to continue his hot start against a Liberty squad this has been struggling mightily after their 3-34 drubbing in the NSFC Championship game last season.
B. Metas ($) 5 TCK, 1 SCK
Making his first appearance on our list this season, Metas is also the third Hawk to appear here. After playing a majority of his season at defensive end last season, Metas has made the move back to his natural position, defensive tackle. His 5 tackles and 1 sack are enough to place him in a three-way tie for second among defensive tackles this week. Next week the Hawks head to San Jose in hopes of getting revenge for their first loss of the season against a very good 2-1 SaberCats squad.
A. Tomlinson ($$) 3 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 SCK
As we’ve mentioned before, Tomlinson is not the type to have a monster stat-line week in and week out. He is, however, a master of consistency and is quietly in the top 5 every week. This week was no exception as he finished with 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack. The only returning starter from a defensive line that was known as an after-thought, Orange County has proven that to no longer be the case. Next week, the Otters will host a Las Vegas Legion squad that has already matched their win total from last season.
R. Fitzfatrick ($) 3 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 SCK
Despite having one of the more unfortunate names in the NSFL, Ryan Fitzfatrick is doing his part to make up for the recent disappearance of Bork Bjornsson. Fitzfatrick finished the week with 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack, positing an identical stat-line as Tomlinson, and tying him for second place. The season 3 draftees for Yellowknife have been a boon for their defense as season 2/3 Pro Bowler Bjornsson, and season 1/2 Pro Bowler (as a TE) Ricky Maddox have made little to no impact. The Wraiths have a tough one next week as they host an Orange County squad looking to make it to .500 on the season.
Other Great Performers
R. Sandoval ($$$) 3 TCK, 1 SCK
D. Miller ($$$) 2 TCK, 1 SCK
G. Clegane ($) 2 TCK, 1 SCK
Sandoval and Miller both continue their streaks at 3 appearances each, and hope to keep the fire burning for next week as they meet for the second time this season. Clegane is making both his first appearance on the season, and the first appearance of his career after his 2 tackle and 1 sack performance. Expect big things from him down the road.
Team Appearances After Week 3*
Baltimore: 9 (+4)
Orange County: 6 (+3)
Arizona: 6 (+2)
San Jose: 4 (+1)
Colorado: 4 (+1)
Yellowknife: 3 (+2)
Las Vegas: 3
Philadelphia: 2
Baltimore increase their lead over the group by accomplishing something that had never been done before; they are the first team in history to have 4 players named to this list in a single week. Their defensive line is truly impressive and has shown that any of the starting 4 have the ability to be a difference maker. Orange County makes the jump from #4 to #2 after an impressive 3 players being named to our list, while Arizona drops a spot to #3 despite have 2 players named here. San Jose drops a spot to #4, while Yellowknife jumps up 2 spots to #6. Las Vegas and Philadelphia each drop a spot to #7 and #8, respectively, after neither had a player appear on our list. This marks the second week Philadelphia has failed to have a player make our list.
Interesting note, of the 4 players who finished Season 3 with 20+ sacks, there are currently no players on pace to finish as such:
King: 14
Miller: 14
Bjornsson: 9
Tuck: 14
At this point last season, these players were on pace to finish like this:
King: 14
Miller: 28
Bjornsson: 42
Tuck: 42
A far cry from last season and a very welcomed change, indeed. As always, if you have any comments, corrections, or question, I’d love to hear them below.
*Just a reminder, this ranking is not necessarily indicative of how well a team’s defense is operating as a whole, just how many times a player from that team has appeared on our list.
**Please give $300k to @ItsJustBarry for helping me with data collection.**
GRADED
Welcome to week 3 of our Season 4 Defensive Line Standouts. This week saw some new names making a big impact, with five players making their first appearance of the season, and three of them making their first appearance ever. We have two teams with three or more players making our list this week, and for the first time ever, one team with four appearances. Despite some of the four players with the highest sack total from last year struggling mightily, I think many will agree it’s been exciting to see both new and young players stepping up to fill the void. Enough chit chat… Let’s begin!
Defensive End Top Performers
G. Wright Jr. ($) 3 TCK, 1 TFL, 2 SCK
Wright is making his first appearance on our list, and he did so in a big way, claiming the highest scoring performance of the week. His 3 tackles, 1 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks actually ties him for the best performance by a defensive end on the season (K. Hendrix, week 2). Yet another offensive weapon on the Otters that just had too many mouths to feed, he decided to make the switch from tight end to defensive end and so far, it seems to be paying off. The Otters will look to get back to .500 with when they head to Yellowknife next week to face an offensive line that has one of the lowest totals of allowed sacks in the league.
F. Wozy ($$$) 8 TCK, 2 TFL
Another week, another great Wozy performance. His 8 tackles and 2 tackles for loss prove that Wozy is absolutely invaluable for this team, as he has accounted for 3 of his team’s 4 appearances this season. There’s no questioning his abilities, but one has to wonder when enough is enough and he starts demanding some changes. They Yeti think they’ve finally found some help for him in Antonio Sandoval, but after 3 games he has only 6 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 0 sacks. The pass rush is just one of the many things this front office needs to address before they hope to become competitive. They Yeti head to Las Vegas for their first real shot at a win against a team that has, historically, been one of the worst in the NSFL.
J. Tuck ($$) 2 TCK, 2 SCK
After a relatively quiet start to the season, Tuck is finally making his way back to his old form. Although the days of his game-breaking sack totals seem to be over (last season he had 9 at this point), his impact on the game is undeniable. Although his 7 tackles are quite meager compared to what he’s used to, his 3 sacks are enough to tie him with K. Hendrix for most sacks for a defensive end on the season. The Outlaws will look to extend their win streak to 4 next week as they host a struggling Liberty squad that many expected to once again challenge for the NSFC Championship.
Other Great Performers
J. Andres ($$) 2 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 SCK
E. Gustavsson ($) 2 TCK, 2 TFL
K. Hendrix ($$$) 3 TCK, 1 TFL
Andres has been a run stuffing specialist with 5 tackles for loss on the year, second most of any player in the NSFL. Gustavsson has had a quiet season after coming on strong during the second half of last year, but his performance this week shows he may developing into the player Yellowknife hoped he would be. Hendrix provided great run support this week, and despite not recording a sack, is still tied for the most sacks by a defensive end.
Defensive Tackle Top Performers
G. King ($$) 4 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 SCK
Making his second appearance this season, King sis so in style, finishing with 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack, to claim the top spot for defensive tackles. Despite being drafted first overall last season, many would still consider King a steal with his performance so far. After finishing his first season with 22 sacks, King has 5 on the season, second to only Ricardo Sandoval, of the Hawks. King will look to continue his hot start against a Liberty squad this has been struggling mightily after their 3-34 drubbing in the NSFC Championship game last season.
B. Metas ($) 5 TCK, 1 SCK
Making his first appearance on our list this season, Metas is also the third Hawk to appear here. After playing a majority of his season at defensive end last season, Metas has made the move back to his natural position, defensive tackle. His 5 tackles and 1 sack are enough to place him in a three-way tie for second among defensive tackles this week. Next week the Hawks head to San Jose in hopes of getting revenge for their first loss of the season against a very good 2-1 SaberCats squad.
A. Tomlinson ($$) 3 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 SCK
As we’ve mentioned before, Tomlinson is not the type to have a monster stat-line week in and week out. He is, however, a master of consistency and is quietly in the top 5 every week. This week was no exception as he finished with 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack. The only returning starter from a defensive line that was known as an after-thought, Orange County has proven that to no longer be the case. Next week, the Otters will host a Las Vegas Legion squad that has already matched their win total from last season.
R. Fitzfatrick ($) 3 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 SCK
Despite having one of the more unfortunate names in the NSFL, Ryan Fitzfatrick is doing his part to make up for the recent disappearance of Bork Bjornsson. Fitzfatrick finished the week with 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack, positing an identical stat-line as Tomlinson, and tying him for second place. The season 3 draftees for Yellowknife have been a boon for their defense as season 2/3 Pro Bowler Bjornsson, and season 1/2 Pro Bowler (as a TE) Ricky Maddox have made little to no impact. The Wraiths have a tough one next week as they host an Orange County squad looking to make it to .500 on the season.
Other Great Performers
R. Sandoval ($$$) 3 TCK, 1 SCK
D. Miller ($$$) 2 TCK, 1 SCK
G. Clegane ($) 2 TCK, 1 SCK
Sandoval and Miller both continue their streaks at 3 appearances each, and hope to keep the fire burning for next week as they meet for the second time this season. Clegane is making both his first appearance on the season, and the first appearance of his career after his 2 tackle and 1 sack performance. Expect big things from him down the road.
Team Appearances After Week 3*
Baltimore: 9 (+4)
Orange County: 6 (+3)
Arizona: 6 (+2)
San Jose: 4 (+1)
Colorado: 4 (+1)
Yellowknife: 3 (+2)
Las Vegas: 3
Philadelphia: 2
Baltimore increase their lead over the group by accomplishing something that had never been done before; they are the first team in history to have 4 players named to this list in a single week. Their defensive line is truly impressive and has shown that any of the starting 4 have the ability to be a difference maker. Orange County makes the jump from #4 to #2 after an impressive 3 players being named to our list, while Arizona drops a spot to #3 despite have 2 players named here. San Jose drops a spot to #4, while Yellowknife jumps up 2 spots to #6. Las Vegas and Philadelphia each drop a spot to #7 and #8, respectively, after neither had a player appear on our list. This marks the second week Philadelphia has failed to have a player make our list.
Interesting note, of the 4 players who finished Season 3 with 20+ sacks, there are currently no players on pace to finish as such:
King: 14
Miller: 14
Bjornsson: 9
Tuck: 14
At this point last season, these players were on pace to finish like this:
King: 14
Miller: 28
Bjornsson: 42
Tuck: 42
A far cry from last season and a very welcomed change, indeed. As always, if you have any comments, corrections, or question, I’d love to hear them below.
*Just a reminder, this ranking is not necessarily indicative of how well a team’s defense is operating as a whole, just how many times a player from that team has appeared on our list.
**Please give $300k to @ItsJustBarry for helping me with data collection.**
GRADED
[OPTION]Johnny Snuggles || CB || Yellowknife Wraiths || Hall of Fame [OPTION]Height/Weight: 6'1", 205 [OPTION]Number: 21 [OPTION] Draft History: S13 #1 Overall [OPTION]=========================================== [OPTION]Trophy Case/Achievements:[OPTION] Ultimini Champs: S12 [OPTION] Defensive Rookie of the Year: S13 [OPTION] Pro Bowl: S14, S15, S16