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
The NSFC Championship game was projected to be a convincing win for the Baltimore Hawks over the Colorado Yeti, following the aggregated 72-19 regular season score between the two teams. Keen observers, however, may have identified a possible problem for the Hawks. The Yeti defense had been improving all season, and while the Hawks had arguably the best running back in the league lining up in the backfield, things could have been tricky. As it turned out, the game was something of a shootout, with Ryan Applehort going almost toe-to-toe with the consensus top quarterback in the NSFL right now. Ultimately, it was probably the superior Hawks secondary that swayed things, with a combined eight passes defended (plus another five from linebackers Goodson and Roenick) compared to just three pass deflections from the Yeti. Of course, this doesn't take into consideration the superior accuracy of Blocksdale, or how the running game affected things, but what is certain is that the Baltimore secondary was important. In particular, Darnell Turner. Turner's interception late in the fourth quarter, as the Yeti chased a comeback effectively ended the game, putting the Hawks in a scoring position with just two minutes remaining. This, combined with his strong play throughout the game (7 tackles and 2 PDs) makes him my pick for series MVP.
Going to Disneyland!:Who was the Ultimus MVP? Give us a rundown of their celebratory trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)
Borkus Maximus III. NSFL's oldest player (no seriously, look it up). New Orleans quarterback. Ultimus Bowl MVP. The goodest of boys. After besting Avon Blocksdale in the duel of quarterbacks that was Ultimus Bowl IX, the dootiest of the doot doots was awarded the coveted Ultimus Bowl Most Valuable Player award. And with it, a trip to Disneyland. Score.
Disneyland, being a place of fun and full of excitable children, this was perhaps not the wisest move by the league. The superstar quarterback of the recently reigned champions, being particularly recognisable on account of his uh... unique... appearance, was mobbed by fans as he queued for his favourite attraction. In the ensuing chaos, what appeared to be a large beaver came to his aid, rapidly building a wall of twigs, branches, and dank memes between Borkus and his rabid fans.
As the day progressed, this large beaver -- wearing a Second Line jersey, for some reason -- repeatedly, and in incredible speed, deconstructed and reconstructed this wall, this curtain, around Borkus as he moved through the park, keeping him safe from harm. For brief moments, it looked as though the beaver would chase a bird last seen heading north-east, abandoning Maximus, but when all was said and done, he chose to return to New Orleans with Borkus.
Unsung Hero:Who was the unsung hero of the playoffs, convince us. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)
The unsung hero of the playoffs, if you were paying attention, was none other than Iyah Blewitt. Yes yes I hear you calling me crazy, but let me explain.
First of all, Blewitt was perfect on extra point attempts and field goals, nailing all three points after touchdowns, as well as an impressive forty two yard kick just before the end of the first half, to put the Second Line five points up. His other field goal, a twenty five yarder late in the fourth, was an expected success, but still... it's not like we haven't seen those missed.
Secondly, lets look at punts. The Baltimore Hawks have a pretty fearsome special teams unit, right? They have three very capable returners -- Delacour, Willie, and LeClair -- but for some reason, they didn't return a single punt in the Ultimus Bowl... whaaaat?!
Blewitt punted four times in the Second Line's win over the Hawks. Two of them went for touchbacks, not ideal, but when you average over fifty yards per punt, you probably aren't too upset about allowing the other team to start at their own 25 yard line -- they're out of your half, at the very least. The other two punts were inside the twenty, and the Hawks could not return them, giving the Second Line a massive advantage in terms of field position. The first of these was at the end of the first quarter, when the Hawks were forced to start a drive on their own 14 yard line. More importantly, though, was the second one. Early in the third quarter, blewitt hit a magnificent 64 yard punt, pinning the Hawks on their own 1 yard line, where the Second Line were able to force a three and out, stalling any immediate comeback momentum.
In the grand scheme of things, many would overlook the special teams performances of both teams as a whole, but there is no doubt in my mind that Blewitt came through in a big way to help the Second Line capture their first Ultimus.
Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)
Look, this is an easy one. The Yeti shouldn't have made the playoffs. Simple. This isn't a "let's shit on the Yeti" argument either. It;sjust a freak occurrence that really shouldn't have happened. The Yeti had a better record than the Wraiths, true, but that doesn't make them the better team, or the team most deserving of a playoff berth.
Let me break it down.
The playoffs should be about excitement, right? The best teams, in well-matched games and so on? Well, the Wraiths beat both ASFC playoff teams and were within one score of beating the eventual NSFC Champion Hawks, in Baltimore... their combined record against those teams? 2 wins, 4 losses, and a point differential of minus twenty. Their record on the road against those teams (considering they would be playing any of their playoff games on the road, given their overall record) ..? 1 win and 2 losses, for a differential of just negative three points. the Yeti's combined record against those same three teams? 1 win and 5 losses, for a point differential of negative one hundred and five points. Their lone win over the playoff teams, funnily enough, was their week fourteen shocker over Orange County, which ultimately earned them a playoff berth (in conjunction with their win over the Wraiths the previous week). But at this point, the Otters had nothing to play for. They were guaranteed a playoff spot, and couldn't clinch home field in either the ASFC Championship or the Ultimus Bowl, regardless of their result.
This isn't to say that the Yeti disappointed in the playoffs in the end -- their 74 point thriller with the Hawks in The Aviary was one of the most exciting playoff games this league has seen, but the numbers tell us that was a freak occurrence, and perhaps more to do with the Hawks unfortunate tendency to choke.
Next season, it will be a lot harder to make this argument, I suspect, as the Yeti are on an upward trajectory, while the Wraiths decline further, but the notion that a team could barely squeak into the playoffs over the reigning champions, with a negative point differential, after a win over a team with nothing to play for in the final week? Seems off. Of course, the counter point to ll of this is that, over two games, the Yeti were better than the Wraiths in their encounters... but if head to head was all that mattered, the Hawks are better than the Second Line, and the Otters are better than the Hawks... so why isn't Mike Boss picking up another Ultimus Bowl MVP?
The NSFC Championship game was projected to be a convincing win for the Baltimore Hawks over the Colorado Yeti, following the aggregated 72-19 regular season score between the two teams. Keen observers, however, may have identified a possible problem for the Hawks. The Yeti defense had been improving all season, and while the Hawks had arguably the best running back in the league lining up in the backfield, things could have been tricky. As it turned out, the game was something of a shootout, with Ryan Applehort going almost toe-to-toe with the consensus top quarterback in the NSFL right now. Ultimately, it was probably the superior Hawks secondary that swayed things, with a combined eight passes defended (plus another five from linebackers Goodson and Roenick) compared to just three pass deflections from the Yeti. Of course, this doesn't take into consideration the superior accuracy of Blocksdale, or how the running game affected things, but what is certain is that the Baltimore secondary was important. In particular, Darnell Turner. Turner's interception late in the fourth quarter, as the Yeti chased a comeback effectively ended the game, putting the Hawks in a scoring position with just two minutes remaining. This, combined with his strong play throughout the game (7 tackles and 2 PDs) makes him my pick for series MVP.
Going to Disneyland!:Who was the Ultimus MVP? Give us a rundown of their celebratory trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)
Borkus Maximus III. NSFL's oldest player (no seriously, look it up). New Orleans quarterback. Ultimus Bowl MVP. The goodest of boys. After besting Avon Blocksdale in the duel of quarterbacks that was Ultimus Bowl IX, the dootiest of the doot doots was awarded the coveted Ultimus Bowl Most Valuable Player award. And with it, a trip to Disneyland. Score.
Disneyland, being a place of fun and full of excitable children, this was perhaps not the wisest move by the league. The superstar quarterback of the recently reigned champions, being particularly recognisable on account of his uh... unique... appearance, was mobbed by fans as he queued for his favourite attraction. In the ensuing chaos, what appeared to be a large beaver came to his aid, rapidly building a wall of twigs, branches, and dank memes between Borkus and his rabid fans.
As the day progressed, this large beaver -- wearing a Second Line jersey, for some reason -- repeatedly, and in incredible speed, deconstructed and reconstructed this wall, this curtain, around Borkus as he moved through the park, keeping him safe from harm. For brief moments, it looked as though the beaver would chase a bird last seen heading north-east, abandoning Maximus, but when all was said and done, he chose to return to New Orleans with Borkus.
Unsung Hero:Who was the unsung hero of the playoffs, convince us. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)
The unsung hero of the playoffs, if you were paying attention, was none other than Iyah Blewitt. Yes yes I hear you calling me crazy, but let me explain.
First of all, Blewitt was perfect on extra point attempts and field goals, nailing all three points after touchdowns, as well as an impressive forty two yard kick just before the end of the first half, to put the Second Line five points up. His other field goal, a twenty five yarder late in the fourth, was an expected success, but still... it's not like we haven't seen those missed.
Secondly, lets look at punts. The Baltimore Hawks have a pretty fearsome special teams unit, right? They have three very capable returners -- Delacour, Willie, and LeClair -- but for some reason, they didn't return a single punt in the Ultimus Bowl... whaaaat?!
Blewitt punted four times in the Second Line's win over the Hawks. Two of them went for touchbacks, not ideal, but when you average over fifty yards per punt, you probably aren't too upset about allowing the other team to start at their own 25 yard line -- they're out of your half, at the very least. The other two punts were inside the twenty, and the Hawks could not return them, giving the Second Line a massive advantage in terms of field position. The first of these was at the end of the first quarter, when the Hawks were forced to start a drive on their own 14 yard line. More importantly, though, was the second one. Early in the third quarter, blewitt hit a magnificent 64 yard punt, pinning the Hawks on their own 1 yard line, where the Second Line were able to force a three and out, stalling any immediate comeback momentum.
In the grand scheme of things, many would overlook the special teams performances of both teams as a whole, but there is no doubt in my mind that Blewitt came through in a big way to help the Second Line capture their first Ultimus.
Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)
Look, this is an easy one. The Yeti shouldn't have made the playoffs. Simple. This isn't a "let's shit on the Yeti" argument either. It;sjust a freak occurrence that really shouldn't have happened. The Yeti had a better record than the Wraiths, true, but that doesn't make them the better team, or the team most deserving of a playoff berth.
Let me break it down.
The playoffs should be about excitement, right? The best teams, in well-matched games and so on? Well, the Wraiths beat both ASFC playoff teams and were within one score of beating the eventual NSFC Champion Hawks, in Baltimore... their combined record against those teams? 2 wins, 4 losses, and a point differential of minus twenty. Their record on the road against those teams (considering they would be playing any of their playoff games on the road, given their overall record) ..? 1 win and 2 losses, for a differential of just negative three points. the Yeti's combined record against those same three teams? 1 win and 5 losses, for a point differential of negative one hundred and five points. Their lone win over the playoff teams, funnily enough, was their week fourteen shocker over Orange County, which ultimately earned them a playoff berth (in conjunction with their win over the Wraiths the previous week). But at this point, the Otters had nothing to play for. They were guaranteed a playoff spot, and couldn't clinch home field in either the ASFC Championship or the Ultimus Bowl, regardless of their result.
This isn't to say that the Yeti disappointed in the playoffs in the end -- their 74 point thriller with the Hawks in The Aviary was one of the most exciting playoff games this league has seen, but the numbers tell us that was a freak occurrence, and perhaps more to do with the Hawks unfortunate tendency to choke.
Next season, it will be a lot harder to make this argument, I suspect, as the Yeti are on an upward trajectory, while the Wraiths decline further, but the notion that a team could barely squeak into the playoffs over the reigning champions, with a negative point differential, after a win over a team with nothing to play for in the final week? Seems off. Of course, the counter point to ll of this is that, over two games, the Yeti were better than the Wraiths in their encounters... but if head to head was all that mattered, the Hawks are better than the Second Line, and the Otters are better than the Hawks... so why isn't Mike Boss picking up another Ultimus Bowl MVP?
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