1) Playoff Reviews:
The closest game, by score, in the first two rounds of the playoffs was easily the NSFC game between the Baltimore Hawks and the Yellowknife Wraiths. This matchup, from a TPE stand-point (which is my entire angle for these 4 PTS since I just joined) is truly a battle between juggernauts. The Wraiths and the Hawks have the first and second highest effective TPE, respectively. They also have the first and second highest average TPE, respectively. Both teams came into this game with a significant amount of momentum, winning their first-round matchups by more than 30 points.
Even though score-wise and TPE-wise this game should have been close, it featured an incredible comeback that could’ve been. After a 3 yard touchdown pass by Corvo Havran with 8:51 left in the second quarter, the Baltimore Hawks seized a 21-3 lead. Playing uphill, the Wraiths mounted a serious comeback. After their second-string RB (by TPE), Morgan Marshall, ran in his second touchdown with 1:29 left in the third, it seemed like the momentum had firmly shifted to the Wraiths. With the lead cut to only 3 points and the Hawks defense seemingly unable to stop the Wraiths, the result of the game became a lost cause. Until… the wheels fell off the wagon. In the last 16:00 of the game, no points were scored and the Wraiths went home and the Hawks went to Ultimus.
3) All about the QBs:
Football is a team sport. Very rarely can one player decide the outcome of a game — and those players typically are the all-time greats like Montana, Marino, and Brady. Yet, in big pressure situations, there is one position that can save or doom an entire season: the quarterback. The QB duel between Corvo Havran and Franklin Armstrong was a solid one. Even though Havran had 200 more TPE than Armstrong, the way football is played (one game at a time), that matters very little. Franklin Armstrong completed 17 for 27 — Havran completed less than 50% of his 52 attempts, clocking in at 25 completions. Armstrong’s dual-threat allowed him to keep the defense on their toes. He ran in a touchdown, and threw 3 more touchdown passes. Armstrong averaged 4.4 yards a carry, leading the Otters. On the other hand, Havran stayed in the pocket and tested his arm against the defense. While that allowed him to dissect the defensive backs slowly, the Otters adjusted and shutdown the Hawks offense for the last 25 minutes of the game. While Havran had a great game, and Armstrong was a more effective quarterback (135.9, anyone?), Armstrong’s legs were what eventually decided the game.
4) H2H Matchups
The matchup that was most important for the Ultimus game was the following. A typical CB/WR matchup between Orange County Otters Cornerback Gus T.T. Showbiz vs star wideout for the Baltimore Hawks Errol Maddox would determine the Ultimus. For the Otters to stand a chance, Showbiz would have to reduce the effectiveness of Maddox. He seemed successful, reducing the effectiveness to the star wide receiver and forcing Havran to look elsewhere for all but 6 throws, 5 of which were completed. Many of the completions were bombs — bringing Maddox’s average Yards Per Catch to an impressive 21.6 yards. However, Maddox was kept out of the end zone and mostly unable to make large plays before being wrapped up by his tail, Gus T.T. Showbiz. One of the most important moments of this matchup, not a magic moment but an important moment nonetheless, occurred with 14:42 in the fourth. Havran attempted to squeeze the ball into a tight window, trying to save a drive on the Otters’ 46 yard line. However, Showbiz made a momentous stop, ending a promising drive and forcing the Hawks to punt. Maddox would not be targetted again the rest of the game, and the Hawks would be shut out.
14) That Magic Moment
The closest game, by score, in the first two rounds of the playoffs was easily the NSFC game between the Baltimore Hawks and the Yellowknife Wraiths. This matchup, from a TPE stand-point (which is my entire angle for these 4 PTS since I just joined) is truly a battle between juggernauts. The Wraiths and the Hawks have the first and second highest effective TPE, respectively. They also have the first and second highest average TPE, respectively. Both teams came into this game with a significant amount of momentum, winning their first-round matchups by more than 30 points.
Even though score-wise and TPE-wise this game should have been close, it featured an incredible comeback that could’ve been. After a 3 yard touchdown pass by Corvo Havran with 8:51 left in the second quarter, the Baltimore Hawks seized a 21-3 lead. Playing uphill, the Wraiths mounted a serious comeback. After their second-string RB (by TPE), Morgan Marshall, ran in his second touchdown with 1:29 left in the third, it seemed like the momentum had firmly shifted to the Wraiths. With the lead cut to only 3 points and the Hawks defense seemingly unable to stop the Wraiths, the result of the game became a lost cause. Until… the wheels fell off the wagon. In the last 16:00 of the game, no points were scored and the Wraiths went home and the Hawks went to Ultimus.
3) All about the QBs:
Football is a team sport. Very rarely can one player decide the outcome of a game — and those players typically are the all-time greats like Montana, Marino, and Brady. Yet, in big pressure situations, there is one position that can save or doom an entire season: the quarterback. The QB duel between Corvo Havran and Franklin Armstrong was a solid one. Even though Havran had 200 more TPE than Armstrong, the way football is played (one game at a time), that matters very little. Franklin Armstrong completed 17 for 27 — Havran completed less than 50% of his 52 attempts, clocking in at 25 completions. Armstrong’s dual-threat allowed him to keep the defense on their toes. He ran in a touchdown, and threw 3 more touchdown passes. Armstrong averaged 4.4 yards a carry, leading the Otters. On the other hand, Havran stayed in the pocket and tested his arm against the defense. While that allowed him to dissect the defensive backs slowly, the Otters adjusted and shutdown the Hawks offense for the last 25 minutes of the game. While Havran had a great game, and Armstrong was a more effective quarterback (135.9, anyone?), Armstrong’s legs were what eventually decided the game.
4) H2H Matchups
The matchup that was most important for the Ultimus game was the following. A typical CB/WR matchup between Orange County Otters Cornerback Gus T.T. Showbiz vs star wideout for the Baltimore Hawks Errol Maddox would determine the Ultimus. For the Otters to stand a chance, Showbiz would have to reduce the effectiveness of Maddox. He seemed successful, reducing the effectiveness to the star wide receiver and forcing Havran to look elsewhere for all but 6 throws, 5 of which were completed. Many of the completions were bombs — bringing Maddox’s average Yards Per Catch to an impressive 21.6 yards. However, Maddox was kept out of the end zone and mostly unable to make large plays before being wrapped up by his tail, Gus T.T. Showbiz. One of the most important moments of this matchup, not a magic moment but an important moment nonetheless, occurred with 14:42 in the fourth. Havran attempted to squeeze the ball into a tight window, trying to save a drive on the Otters’ 46 yard line. However, Showbiz made a momentous stop, ending a promising drive and forcing the Hawks to punt. Maddox would not be targetted again the rest of the game, and the Hawks would be shut out.
14) That Magic Moment
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