Robbed: You have to feel bad for the Liberty this season. After an incredible run, they missed the play-offs by point. Literally. Tied with the Baltimore Hawks, the Liberty found themselves faced with a 1 point deficit in the tiebreaker. That has to hurt. This isn’t to take away from the Hawks, who played admirably and even overcame a 3-4 losing record in the first half. The Hawks deserved to make it to the play-offs, but so did the Liberty. Somehow, the NSFC sported 3 teams with a winning record and at least a 65 point surplus in the differential. By comparison, the 2nd place ASFC team, the Outlaws, only had a 5 point differential. If there was ever an argument for breaking down the conferences and moving to a general top 4 for the play-offs, the Liberty are the ones to make it. Unfortunately, the rules are the rules, but I think the Liberty need to be honored for their efforts. And so I raise my glass to them. They had a great run this season and could just as easily have another great season ahead. Perhaps they’ll look back and laugh at this close call as they raise an Ultimus above their head sometime over the next few seasons, but for now, the sting is still very recent. (219 Words)
New Talent: For the Yellowknife Wraiths, one trade arguably put them over the top as a play-off contender. The team went into the season as a strong favorite, coming off just competing in an Ultimus match-up in S4, but they faced strong contenders in the ever-consistent Baltimore Hawks and a revitalized Philadelphia Liberty. After week 6, Yellowknife traded for Defensive End Fuego Wozy in order to strength their defensive line. The move was risky as it forced them to give up a loyal Safety Jogn Floggity to the Outlaws and Wozy was rumored to be looking to test Free Agency, but the Wraiths were deep at the Secondary and needed a missing piece after another incoming DE Jayce Tuck, who also came from the Outlaws, was suspended. Despite the risk, the move secured a trip to the play-offs for the Wraiths and likely helped push them into the Ultimus itself. Like many Defensive Linemen kept in check by the league’s ever-improving Offensive Linemen, Wozy’s stats didn’t tell the whole story, so his impact is difficult to measure, but it’s clear that the Wraiths’ linebackers were aided by a strong d-line, resulting in many sacks for the team. Wozy filled in for Tuck quite well and helped propel the Wraiths past the Hawks to their second NSFC Championship. Wozy has indeed decided to test Free Agency, so his stint with the Wraiths appears to be short-lived, but it certainly had the desired impact. (240 Words.) (@TheWoZy)
Hate the player or the game: When looking closely at the numbers, there was one team that shouldn’t have made the play-offs and that was the Arizona Outlaws. I say this not as a dig, but in some ways, as a compliment. Their GMs took a team that was supposed to be on the wane after falling from greatness and still led them to the play-offs for the team’s 5th time in a row. After seeing the Outlaws absolutely dominate for 3 seasons, the league was ready to see them fall to mediocrity, but that was not the team’s plan and their GMs were determined to prove everyone wrong. Still, despite the team’s incredible run, that success seems unsustainable. And it all comes back to one statistic: Points Allowed. The Outlaws have the second highest points allowed last season, trailing only the Legion, who appear to be sporting a DSFL-level defense and were scrambling on the heels of a mass retirement. And they were well behind the next team, the much-maligned Coloradi Yeti, who gave up 2 less points per game compared to the Outlaws. Even the Sabercats, who struggled to compete at an offensive level, were far more successful. It was only because of Arizona’s offensive explosion this season that they managed to outpace such a weakness. They were the top offense in the league as far as Points Scored, but while that should be celebrated, the top’s defensive woes forced their offense to excel in order for them to win games. If you asked me in week 6 or 7 if the team with the second-highest points allowed could continue to be on pace for a point surplus, I could call that unsustainable. Comparatively, the Hawks and Liberty in the NSFC both hold a point differential of over 60 points while the Outlaws held a differential of 5 points. Such a low gap does not suggest excellence, but perhaps excellence was never the goal. In a rebuild, teams have to be realistic and I imagine the Arizona GMs were very realistic in their own expectations. So, they didn’t set out to be excellent. They just set out to win games. And, despite the odds, they did. Not only that, but they kept winning them. In fact, they won enough to make it into the play-offs. Arizona is going to have to address these defensive woes if they expect to put together another play-off run. Otherwise, they’re going to find themselves in a similar against-the-odds situation. That said, they achieved the seemingly impossible this season and my gut tells me that they just do it again next season. (433 Words)
Unsung Hero: The most talented player that gets the least love is clearly Dermot Lavelle. Dermot has worked hard on the practice field, seizing every opportunity to improve according to coaches. Even in his 5th season, the Wrath’s top Cornerback remains as dedicated as ever. And yet the stats aren’t always kind to Cornerbacks. While other positions are measured by the numbers they put up, Cornerbacks are measured more by the numbers they deter. In a perfect game, a cornerback might never even show up on the stat sheet, forcing Quarterbacks to ignore the receiver they’re guarding. QBs act on opportunity and CBs exist to diminish those opportunities, forcing QBs to instead settle for throwing the ball to a slower target. Good wider receivers can still make an impact, but that impact would arguably be much more when paired against a weaker cornerback. So, it’s hard to measure the true impact of a player like Dermot, which is exactly what makes him underrated. Still, when we look closely at the numbers, there is a clear impact, especially when we review the Quarterbacks that the Wraiths faced. Avon Blocksdale and Mike Boss hold claim to the highest QB Ratings this seaso, rating at 98.5 and 98.6 respectively. And yet, in the NSFC Championship, Blocksdale was held to a 73.3 Rating. This could be an outlier, but it seems less likely when you consider a similar performance by Mike Boss, who put up a 102.2 Rating against the Outlaws in the ASFC Championship, only to drop down to a 68.9. He doesn’t do it alone, but under Dermot’s guidance, the Wraiths Secondary has found a way to make MVP-level Quarterbacks look like rookies. It’s an impressive feat and neither Dermot nor his team seem to get much credit for it. This season, Dermot has easily been a tier 1 cornerback. During the regular season, he racked up 4 interceptions, tying him 1st among CBs, and 15 Pass Deflections, ranking 7th among CBs. He’s also one of only 5 CBs with a defensive touchdown. The stats aren’t always kind to him, but he’s a locker room leader that has helped his team both on and off the field. And he’s a big part of the Wraiths’ success. So, today, we honor Dermot Lavelle for his consistent excellence this season and in many others. (388 Words) (@White Cornerback)
New Talent: For the Yellowknife Wraiths, one trade arguably put them over the top as a play-off contender. The team went into the season as a strong favorite, coming off just competing in an Ultimus match-up in S4, but they faced strong contenders in the ever-consistent Baltimore Hawks and a revitalized Philadelphia Liberty. After week 6, Yellowknife traded for Defensive End Fuego Wozy in order to strength their defensive line. The move was risky as it forced them to give up a loyal Safety Jogn Floggity to the Outlaws and Wozy was rumored to be looking to test Free Agency, but the Wraiths were deep at the Secondary and needed a missing piece after another incoming DE Jayce Tuck, who also came from the Outlaws, was suspended. Despite the risk, the move secured a trip to the play-offs for the Wraiths and likely helped push them into the Ultimus itself. Like many Defensive Linemen kept in check by the league’s ever-improving Offensive Linemen, Wozy’s stats didn’t tell the whole story, so his impact is difficult to measure, but it’s clear that the Wraiths’ linebackers were aided by a strong d-line, resulting in many sacks for the team. Wozy filled in for Tuck quite well and helped propel the Wraiths past the Hawks to their second NSFC Championship. Wozy has indeed decided to test Free Agency, so his stint with the Wraiths appears to be short-lived, but it certainly had the desired impact. (240 Words.) (@TheWoZy)
Hate the player or the game: When looking closely at the numbers, there was one team that shouldn’t have made the play-offs and that was the Arizona Outlaws. I say this not as a dig, but in some ways, as a compliment. Their GMs took a team that was supposed to be on the wane after falling from greatness and still led them to the play-offs for the team’s 5th time in a row. After seeing the Outlaws absolutely dominate for 3 seasons, the league was ready to see them fall to mediocrity, but that was not the team’s plan and their GMs were determined to prove everyone wrong. Still, despite the team’s incredible run, that success seems unsustainable. And it all comes back to one statistic: Points Allowed. The Outlaws have the second highest points allowed last season, trailing only the Legion, who appear to be sporting a DSFL-level defense and were scrambling on the heels of a mass retirement. And they were well behind the next team, the much-maligned Coloradi Yeti, who gave up 2 less points per game compared to the Outlaws. Even the Sabercats, who struggled to compete at an offensive level, were far more successful. It was only because of Arizona’s offensive explosion this season that they managed to outpace such a weakness. They were the top offense in the league as far as Points Scored, but while that should be celebrated, the top’s defensive woes forced their offense to excel in order for them to win games. If you asked me in week 6 or 7 if the team with the second-highest points allowed could continue to be on pace for a point surplus, I could call that unsustainable. Comparatively, the Hawks and Liberty in the NSFC both hold a point differential of over 60 points while the Outlaws held a differential of 5 points. Such a low gap does not suggest excellence, but perhaps excellence was never the goal. In a rebuild, teams have to be realistic and I imagine the Arizona GMs were very realistic in their own expectations. So, they didn’t set out to be excellent. They just set out to win games. And, despite the odds, they did. Not only that, but they kept winning them. In fact, they won enough to make it into the play-offs. Arizona is going to have to address these defensive woes if they expect to put together another play-off run. Otherwise, they’re going to find themselves in a similar against-the-odds situation. That said, they achieved the seemingly impossible this season and my gut tells me that they just do it again next season. (433 Words)
Unsung Hero: The most talented player that gets the least love is clearly Dermot Lavelle. Dermot has worked hard on the practice field, seizing every opportunity to improve according to coaches. Even in his 5th season, the Wrath’s top Cornerback remains as dedicated as ever. And yet the stats aren’t always kind to Cornerbacks. While other positions are measured by the numbers they put up, Cornerbacks are measured more by the numbers they deter. In a perfect game, a cornerback might never even show up on the stat sheet, forcing Quarterbacks to ignore the receiver they’re guarding. QBs act on opportunity and CBs exist to diminish those opportunities, forcing QBs to instead settle for throwing the ball to a slower target. Good wider receivers can still make an impact, but that impact would arguably be much more when paired against a weaker cornerback. So, it’s hard to measure the true impact of a player like Dermot, which is exactly what makes him underrated. Still, when we look closely at the numbers, there is a clear impact, especially when we review the Quarterbacks that the Wraiths faced. Avon Blocksdale and Mike Boss hold claim to the highest QB Ratings this seaso, rating at 98.5 and 98.6 respectively. And yet, in the NSFC Championship, Blocksdale was held to a 73.3 Rating. This could be an outlier, but it seems less likely when you consider a similar performance by Mike Boss, who put up a 102.2 Rating against the Outlaws in the ASFC Championship, only to drop down to a 68.9. He doesn’t do it alone, but under Dermot’s guidance, the Wraiths Secondary has found a way to make MVP-level Quarterbacks look like rookies. It’s an impressive feat and neither Dermot nor his team seem to get much credit for it. This season, Dermot has easily been a tier 1 cornerback. During the regular season, he racked up 4 interceptions, tying him 1st among CBs, and 15 Pass Deflections, ranking 7th among CBs. He’s also one of only 5 CBs with a defensive touchdown. The stats aren’t always kind to him, but he’s a locker room leader that has helped his team both on and off the field. And he’s a big part of the Wraiths’ success. So, today, we honor Dermot Lavelle for his consistent excellence this season and in many others. (388 Words) (@White Cornerback)
![[Image: baby-yoda-by-jango-sm.png]](https://i.ibb.co/1rgfYXP/baby-yoda-by-jango-sm.png)
Thanks to Jangorhino for the sig.