07-20-2020, 02:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-20-2020, 02:49 PM by slothfacekilla.)
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Tier 2: Short Form Tasks (400+ words)
Choose up to TWO for 5 TPE each.
6) The playoffs have finally arrived. Choose one playoff team that is not your own from either league and recount how they got here in 400 words or more. What challenges and hurdles did they face in the regular season? Did they cruise into home field advantage or have to fight off contenders for the wild card? Are they led by MVP players on offense, or is a stifling defense the engine to their success? Don’t be afraid to go deep.
I am going to look at how the 9-7 Philadelphia Liberty managed to make the playoffs after missing the big dance in the previous season. After a disappointing 6-7 season, the Liberty were hungry for the playoffs with the ISFL's new expanded schedule. Quarterback Brock Phoenix was tabbed by many as a potential breakout candidate in fantasy circles, and with the offensive firepower around the young Quarterback it was easy to see that coming to fruition. Still, there were questions whether Philadelphia could leapfrog the Sailfish into the playoffs this season, as the former expansion team managed to grab their conference's last spot.
The early returns for the Liberty were good in preseason, which saw them go 3-1 over their exhibition contests. Their lone loss was the New Orleans Second Line on the road, which is a tough place to win in and nothing to be ashamed of. Their victories included two road wins over Orange County and San Jose, which gave the Philadelphia fans a lot of hope going into the regular season. The coaching staff hoped the Liberty would carry into the regular season.
Unfortunately for the Liberty, they lost their first two games to the Yeti and Butchers oddly enough with the same exact score of 19-17. These two losses were heartbreaking, and the new offense did not show up for Philadelphia. Luckily for the Liberty, that Yeti game was on the road so that was out of the way. The Liberty followed this up with a 51-17 trouncing of the Baltimore Hawks, showing that the offense was there and could come alive any week. Next was a huge road win over the Sailfish, the team they were once again battling for the playoffs. A loss on the road to the powerhouse Yellowknife Wraiths served as a small speed bump for Philadelphia. But two wins over the giants of the other conference, New Orleans and Austin, got their season right back on track.
They followed that up with a couple more losses, but a string of 4 wins would keep them in the playoff hunt. Two unfortunate losses to the Sailfish and Hawks put their playoffs hope in doubt for many Philadelphia fans. The home loss to Sarasota was especially tough, a home heartbreaker where they fell to the Sailfish by a single point. But, in epic week 16 fashion, the Liberty smacked down the Wraiths at home 35-17, led by star tailback Sam Torenson's 112 rushing yards and 1 touchdown. The Liberty defense intercepted Cooter Bigsby twice and the Liberty were headed to the playoffs! It was a dramatic ending to the Liberty's season, and they will look to play spoiler in the upcoming playoffs.
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7) Awards season is a big part of the offseason festivities. Take the stand, in 400 words or more, for one or more players that are not your own, and argue why they should receive awards glory. They can be your teammates or anyone in the league. How did their stats and on the field contribution contribute to their case this year?
For running back of the year in the NSFL, I would have to go with Nakamura for the Orange County Otters. The young tailback managed to lead the entire league in rushing yards by over 100 yards, and did so with the highest yards per attempt of any running back in the index (I did not include anyone listed at FB and obviously not at QB). So even though Nakamura had the most rushing attempts of anyone in the league, he earned the rushing crown with efficient running as well. Nakumara also was productive in the scoring department, scoring 9 rushing touchdowns for the Otters in the regular season. This was tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns for all NSFL players last season. First place only had 4 more touchdowns than Nakumara as well so the gap was not huge between the two. Nakamura also had the longest single run of any running back this season, a 43 yard scamper. While this doesn't really mean a lot for the award, it just shows how explosive the young back is. I would have liked to see him do more in the passing game, he only had 112 receiving yards last season. But since it is harder for me to sort those stats with other positions I will give more weight to his rushing prowess. Good job Nakumara!
For receiver of the year in the NSFL, I would have to go with Saba Donut from the Arizona Outlaws. Donut led the league in receiving yards with 1420, posted the highest average per catch at 18.4 yards, caught the second longest reception of the season at 77 yards, and he led the league in touchdown catches with 12. An all around dominating season for the Donut man! With a young Passman manning the other main receiving position for the Outlaws, Donut was a favorite target of quarterback Jay Cue, and both of these players should receive considerations at their positions. Donut was also useful in the kick return game, so the special teams contributions only highlight his worth to the Arizona team. I think he'll catch the award this season.
For kicker of the year in the NSFL, I am going to have to go with Banana from the Colorado Yeti. Banana had the best field goal percentage of any kicker in the league last season, and this was while he was tied for the second most field goal attempts in the league. Banana did miss one extra point, but kickers who had a perfect extra point percentage both attempted less extra points than Banana and also had worse field goal percentages. So I gave the edge to Banana over them. Banana had the third longest field goal make of all the kickers, and only managed to miss one 40-49 kick for their lone mistake all season in the field goal department. The combination of good percentages and high attempts on both extra points and field goals gives Banana the kicker of the year for me.
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