Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point
If any team was robbed, it has to be the Yellowknife Wraiths. They were simply the right team at the wrong time. Despite having an 8-6 record, they were pushed out by the 9-5 Colorado Yeti. On top of that, the Orange County Otters made it in at 7-7 due to being in a weaker division. Of course, the NSFL play-offs have always worked this way and the Otters are not the first team to benefit from a weak division, but you still have to feel for the Wraiths.
What makes this even more heartbreaking is the fact that the Wraiths are losing many key players this year and could arguably be in line for a true rebuild over the next season or two. The two lost top Wide Receivers Tegan Atwell and Eric Kennedy as Atwell moved to the Otters in free agency and Kennedy finally hung up his boots after 9 seasons. Hall of famer Boss Tweed is also retiring, leaving a huge hole at the LB position. The team has some gems and could still have a bright future, but the combination of a few great rising stars and some incredible veterans looked great on paper. However, it seems that one last run at a Championship was not in the cards for Kennedy or Tweed.
218 Words
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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
One man that deserves some real credit for his team’s success this season is Hawks RB Owen Taylor, who dominated during the season with 1713 rushing yards and 23 rushing TDs. And he continued to shine in the NSFC Championship Conference, putting together 130 rushing yards on 26 attempts. Thanks to his effort, the Hawks were able to ground and pound their way to a 37-28 victory that left the Yeti heartbroken. But Taylor wasn’t just dangerous on the ground. He also contributed 7 receptions, the most of any player on his team. Those receptions helped gain the team 46 yards and a receiving TD. Just as he did in the regular season, totaling 51 catches for 409 yards and adding 4 receiving TDs to his already impression work in the end zone this season. That accounts for almost 2 TDs a game!
Indeed, Taylor will likely continue to be a force to be reckoned with when the Hawks take the field in Baltimore to battle for the Ultimus, the greatest prize in the NSFL. Taylor has undoubtedly been the Hawks’ most dangerous weapon and he truly seems determined to lead them to victory this season.
201 Words
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That Magic Moment: Pick one moment from a playoff game and describe what made it so amazing to watch. (Must be completed after the game you write about)
The New Orleans Second Line’s victory over the Orange County Otters was a defensive battle, not the type of game typically heralded as an exciting contest. But for fans of defensive match-ups, the efforts of both teams have to be commended. Orange County was once the NSFL’s top defensive squad and they showed everyone why tonight as they put together 7 pass deflections and held Borkus Maximus III to an almost 50% completion percentage. They were unable to secure any takeaways, but Maximus held the highest Quarterback Rating of any QB during the regular season; he doesn’t give away the ball easily. Still, Orange County made the best of the situation and gave him as good of a fight as any team could be expected to do.
That said, New Orleans’ offense was the one that shined and they were able to secure victory with the only Touchdown of the game. Early into the third quarter, on 2nd & Goal, Maximus was able to get the ball to Darren Smallwood for the score that would send them to the Championship. The New Orleans defense was still left with the task of keeping the Otters out of the red zone and they were ultimately successful, but that fateful trip to Baltimore all comes back to that the one Touchdown that defined the game.
229 Words
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Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)
Even though they’re coming into this match-up as the underdog, it’s hard to write off the juggernaut that is the New Orleans Second Line. Indeed, this is a match-up of titans, two teams that have taken the league by siege, each boasting a record of 11+ wins. Dominance doesn’t even begin to describe what these two teams have done.
To be fair, Baltimore’s epic 13-1 is noteworthy in and of itself. Their only loss came against New Orleans in an away game. Of course, this game won’t be in New Orleans as Baltimore has won the right to battle for the championship on their own turf, but even there, the Second Line came within 3 points of upsetting the top team in the league. This time, with everything on the line, both teams are bound to leave everything out on the field and New Orleans will be pulling out all the stops it can to take down the would-be champions. The Second Line are one win away from successfully defending their S10 championship title and bringing the trophy back to the Big Easy. It will take a lot of heart and some excellent game planning, but with two teams this tough, it’s hard to count either of them out before game day.
224 Words
If any team was robbed, it has to be the Yellowknife Wraiths. They were simply the right team at the wrong time. Despite having an 8-6 record, they were pushed out by the 9-5 Colorado Yeti. On top of that, the Orange County Otters made it in at 7-7 due to being in a weaker division. Of course, the NSFL play-offs have always worked this way and the Otters are not the first team to benefit from a weak division, but you still have to feel for the Wraiths.
What makes this even more heartbreaking is the fact that the Wraiths are losing many key players this year and could arguably be in line for a true rebuild over the next season or two. The two lost top Wide Receivers Tegan Atwell and Eric Kennedy as Atwell moved to the Otters in free agency and Kennedy finally hung up his boots after 9 seasons. Hall of famer Boss Tweed is also retiring, leaving a huge hole at the LB position. The team has some gems and could still have a bright future, but the combination of a few great rising stars and some incredible veterans looked great on paper. However, it seems that one last run at a Championship was not in the cards for Kennedy or Tweed.
218 Words
* * * *
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
One man that deserves some real credit for his team’s success this season is Hawks RB Owen Taylor, who dominated during the season with 1713 rushing yards and 23 rushing TDs. And he continued to shine in the NSFC Championship Conference, putting together 130 rushing yards on 26 attempts. Thanks to his effort, the Hawks were able to ground and pound their way to a 37-28 victory that left the Yeti heartbroken. But Taylor wasn’t just dangerous on the ground. He also contributed 7 receptions, the most of any player on his team. Those receptions helped gain the team 46 yards and a receiving TD. Just as he did in the regular season, totaling 51 catches for 409 yards and adding 4 receiving TDs to his already impression work in the end zone this season. That accounts for almost 2 TDs a game!
Indeed, Taylor will likely continue to be a force to be reckoned with when the Hawks take the field in Baltimore to battle for the Ultimus, the greatest prize in the NSFL. Taylor has undoubtedly been the Hawks’ most dangerous weapon and he truly seems determined to lead them to victory this season.
201 Words
* * * *
That Magic Moment: Pick one moment from a playoff game and describe what made it so amazing to watch. (Must be completed after the game you write about)
The New Orleans Second Line’s victory over the Orange County Otters was a defensive battle, not the type of game typically heralded as an exciting contest. But for fans of defensive match-ups, the efforts of both teams have to be commended. Orange County was once the NSFL’s top defensive squad and they showed everyone why tonight as they put together 7 pass deflections and held Borkus Maximus III to an almost 50% completion percentage. They were unable to secure any takeaways, but Maximus held the highest Quarterback Rating of any QB during the regular season; he doesn’t give away the ball easily. Still, Orange County made the best of the situation and gave him as good of a fight as any team could be expected to do.
That said, New Orleans’ offense was the one that shined and they were able to secure victory with the only Touchdown of the game. Early into the third quarter, on 2nd & Goal, Maximus was able to get the ball to Darren Smallwood for the score that would send them to the Championship. The New Orleans defense was still left with the task of keeping the Otters out of the red zone and they were ultimately successful, but that fateful trip to Baltimore all comes back to that the one Touchdown that defined the game.
229 Words
* * * *
Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)
Even though they’re coming into this match-up as the underdog, it’s hard to write off the juggernaut that is the New Orleans Second Line. Indeed, this is a match-up of titans, two teams that have taken the league by siege, each boasting a record of 11+ wins. Dominance doesn’t even begin to describe what these two teams have done.
To be fair, Baltimore’s epic 13-1 is noteworthy in and of itself. Their only loss came against New Orleans in an away game. Of course, this game won’t be in New Orleans as Baltimore has won the right to battle for the championship on their own turf, but even there, the Second Line came within 3 points of upsetting the top team in the league. This time, with everything on the line, both teams are bound to leave everything out on the field and New Orleans will be pulling out all the stops it can to take down the would-be champions. The Second Line are one win away from successfully defending their S10 championship title and bringing the trophy back to the Big Easy. It will take a lot of heart and some excellent game planning, but with two teams this tough, it’s hard to count either of them out before game day.
224 Words
![[Image: baby-yoda-by-jango-sm.png]](https://i.ibb.co/1rgfYXP/baby-yoda-by-jango-sm.png)
Thanks to Jangorhino for the sig.
