Portland Pythons Week One: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Last night, the Portland Pythons began their season against the reigning champs, the Norfolk Sea Wolves. As one would expect, a matchup of last season’s worst team and best team ended up being a one-sided victory, with the Sea Wolves taking the game 31-17. They started the game strong, scoring 14 straight points, only for the Pythons to answer by scoring 17 straight points to take the lead 17-14. The Sea Wolves crushed any late resistance from Portland by answering with their own 17-point run, thus the 31-17 final score.
This result should not surprise anyone, as Norfolk had tons of talent that was lost in the draft sent back down to them. They have a QB capped at 249 TPE, although he’s earned a shocking 600+ TPE total. On top of this, they also have two capped TPE RBs. Norfolk is stacked from top to bottom and are the team to beat this season. The Pythons who are still rebuilding after a couple of consecutive sub-par seasons, and do not have the talent nor depth at any position to truly compete with Norfolk. While they do have some pieces, the team as a whole still has some growing to do before they can hang with the big dogs.
The game wasn’t without bright spots for the Pythons, and that’s what I am here to address. There were some good spots, some bad spots, and some ugly spots. Without further ado, let’s discuss five of each:
The Good:
1. Portland’s best positional group is their secondary. With talented send downs like FS Joel Drake, recreates of experienced users like SS Davriel Lavigne, and rookies that are making a name for themselves like CB Daniel Foster, the Pythons secondary has the talent to be the stalwart that hold the defense together. They held their own against the best QB in the DSFL, allowing only 180 passing yards. While they did not shut him down, he certainly did not post the impressive numbers he usually produces in games such as this.
2. Sam Howitzer is showing that he has the tools to be an ISFL QB. As I predicted in my post-draft media about the Pythons, Sam has embraced the improved supporting cast around him, and put together a solid game. 15 of 25, for 137 yards and 2 TDs with 0 INTs, which all combines into a 101.6 rating for Howitzer. This is not an MVP stat line but is a respectable game when you consider it was against the best team in the league.
3. Rookie WR Korbin Brown had an impressive game. Once again, the caveat of the game being against the best team in the league is present, but 4 receptions for 39 yards and 2 TDs is a promising stat line from the rookie. Hopefully he can build on this and continue to give his QB a reliable second option. If he continues to find himself open in the end zone, he might find himself in the ISFL sooner rather than later.
4. Rookie LB Donald McBobby also had an impressive game, no “playing against the best team” caveat needed. 12 Tackles and a Sack from the linebacker position is a fantastic output from a rookie in his first game. Not only did he lead the game in tackles, he also currently is the league leader in tackles. This impressive showing won McBobby the defensive game ball, and hopefully is a sign of more good things to come from the rookie.
5. Avoiding penalties won’t win you a game but committing penalties definitely can cost you a game. Good news for the Pythons, they only committed two penalties for 20 yards, versus the Sea Wolves’ 7 penalties for 64 yards. Bad news from the Pythons, they can’t blame the loss on committing penalties. The sim can be a fickle thing, but after committing far too many penalties during the preseason, this is a pleasant surprise and hopefully the team can keep this discipline for the remainder of the season.
The Bad:
1. Remember how I said that the secondary did well containing Sea Wolves’ star QB Ramza? Contain is definitely the right word, as they did little more than that. Despite his 180 yards, he still threw for 2 TDs and completed 17 of his 26 passes for a 111.1 rating. His TDs were both off of short throws in goal line situations, so it is difficult to blame the secondary for that too much, but they were repeatedly gashed for long plays when he threw to outside receivers.
2. The Pythons did not get a single sack, and over the course of the game rarely put any pressure on Ramza at all. This is highlighted by Norfolk’s OL bots putting up 14 pancakes between the three of them, and their 4 human OL adding a further 9 between themselves. This total of 23 is made more impressive when you realize that Portland only totaled 14 pancakes themselves. S big oof for the DL of the Pythons, who have some work to do before their next game. DT Angelo Cerilli of the Pythons was seen in the weight room immediately following the game, and is rumored to have added upwards of 60 TPE, so maybe that will be enough to turn the tides of the trenches for the rest of the season.
3. PorTEland was a big misnomer, as many of their TEs converted to different positions, and those who did struggled to perform in week one. Dave Batista is their only TE of note left, and he tallied a measly 3 receptions for 19 yards. He was the biggest contributor to the penalty yardage as well, garnering a 15-yard penalty during the game. Hopefully he can get back to his animal roots and rebound next week. The only other TE on the roster did not make an appearance during the game. TE is a very versatile position, and Portland will need to find some production here as the season goes on.
4. 5/11 on third downs is an unimpressive showing. That’s below 50% for you not math types out there. This number is made more concerning by the fact that the punter is struggling to get any distance on his punts. Kokot may be KokOUT after this season if he continues to average under 40 yards a punt. He did have a long punt of 65 yards and downed two punts inside the 20. These good numbers prove that even a blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally, as he had 5 attempts to put up these numbers
5. Starting the season on a loss makes it that much harder to string together a solid record. I can’t imagine anyone expected Portland to pick up the win against Norfolk, but losses are bad for team morale, and big losses even more so. It’s a long season though, so hopefully the GMs and captains can rally the troops and get them ready for the big doubleheader that is looming ahead.
The Ugly:
1. Blocked Punt. While I don’t have as much punt related trauma as a Michigan fan, this game certainly did not help. Going three and out after a terrible kickoff return is a great way to give the opposition killer field position, but when your punt is blocked, things get worse. The sim isn’t detailed enough to see if the punter had problems with the snap or if the rush just got there too quickly, the end result is the same. This happened after Melvin Murder-Moose hit a short FG to extend Norfolk’s lead to seven. This drive could’ve capitalized on the red zone defense stopping a TD and swinging the momentum, but this went up in smoke very quickly. This, and the ensuing TD broke the spirit of the young Pythons team.
2. Fumble. Down 7-0 but stringing a drive together is a terrible time for a fumble, but unfortunately no one told WR T.J. Evans this. His fumble on the 43-yard line was a disaster for the Pythons, giving the Sea Wolves great field position to run the score to 14-0, which they did in under four minutes, via a long run by Captain Rodgers and a couple incisive passes from QB Ramza. This mistake put the Pythons in a deep, early hole that they couldn’t quite slither out of. If they had used stickum here and not lost the ball, and maybe gotten a few points here, the game could have turned out completely differently.
3. Someone needs to sit down with the Portland D and tell them that they’re supposed to tackle the opposition RBs. The Sea Wolves shredder Portland’s rushing defense for a whopping 250 yards on the ground in just 43 attempts, averaging nearly six yards per carry. 243 of these yards came from the Sea Wolves’ two-headed monster of a backfield in just 38 carries, an astounding 6.4 yards per carry. They added two TDs as well, making the game a massacre on the ground. As previously mentioned, Portland should have more success as the season goes on, as DT Angelo Cerilli added over 60 TPE just in time for next week’s double header.
4. The Pythons were just as unsuccessful running the ball as they were defending the run. They totaled a pitiful 74 yards on 23 attempts. No rushing TDs either, to rub salt in their wounds. This lack of a rushing attack showed dramatically in the Python’s time of possession, totaling just under 22 minutes, a pitiful amount compared to Norfolk’s over 38 minutes. This difference really showed in the Python’s defense, as they gave up 17 unanswered points down the stretch. If Portland wants to close out games stronger, they need to possess the ball longer, and the easiest way to do that is by effectively rushing the ball.
5. Nine first downs. NINE! That is so comically low, it’s a shock that Portland managed to even score twice! As I mentioned in the bad section, Portland went 5/11 of third down, which is pretty bad, but can be overcome. Only getting nine first downs is not something that can be overcome in the slightest. Norfolk had almost as many third down conversions (seven) as Portland did total first downs! Moving the chains needs to be Portland’s biggest focus during their preparations for week two, as they will continue to lose by multiple possessions until they can start getting a respectable amount of first downs.
While week one did not go Portland’s way, there were still some promising signs and good moments. If they hadn’t been matched up with the best team in the league week one, they very well could have started the season off with a win. Some of their worst moments were unlucky fluke things, like having a punt blocked in the shadow of their own goalposts, and others were just the product of having a young team. As the DSFL season progresses, the Pythons roster will develop under the mentoring of their many great leaders, and this team could blossom into one that can compete for a playoff spot.
Last night, the Portland Pythons began their season against the reigning champs, the Norfolk Sea Wolves. As one would expect, a matchup of last season’s worst team and best team ended up being a one-sided victory, with the Sea Wolves taking the game 31-17. They started the game strong, scoring 14 straight points, only for the Pythons to answer by scoring 17 straight points to take the lead 17-14. The Sea Wolves crushed any late resistance from Portland by answering with their own 17-point run, thus the 31-17 final score.
This result should not surprise anyone, as Norfolk had tons of talent that was lost in the draft sent back down to them. They have a QB capped at 249 TPE, although he’s earned a shocking 600+ TPE total. On top of this, they also have two capped TPE RBs. Norfolk is stacked from top to bottom and are the team to beat this season. The Pythons who are still rebuilding after a couple of consecutive sub-par seasons, and do not have the talent nor depth at any position to truly compete with Norfolk. While they do have some pieces, the team as a whole still has some growing to do before they can hang with the big dogs.
The game wasn’t without bright spots for the Pythons, and that’s what I am here to address. There were some good spots, some bad spots, and some ugly spots. Without further ado, let’s discuss five of each:
The Good:
1. Portland’s best positional group is their secondary. With talented send downs like FS Joel Drake, recreates of experienced users like SS Davriel Lavigne, and rookies that are making a name for themselves like CB Daniel Foster, the Pythons secondary has the talent to be the stalwart that hold the defense together. They held their own against the best QB in the DSFL, allowing only 180 passing yards. While they did not shut him down, he certainly did not post the impressive numbers he usually produces in games such as this.
2. Sam Howitzer is showing that he has the tools to be an ISFL QB. As I predicted in my post-draft media about the Pythons, Sam has embraced the improved supporting cast around him, and put together a solid game. 15 of 25, for 137 yards and 2 TDs with 0 INTs, which all combines into a 101.6 rating for Howitzer. This is not an MVP stat line but is a respectable game when you consider it was against the best team in the league.
3. Rookie WR Korbin Brown had an impressive game. Once again, the caveat of the game being against the best team in the league is present, but 4 receptions for 39 yards and 2 TDs is a promising stat line from the rookie. Hopefully he can build on this and continue to give his QB a reliable second option. If he continues to find himself open in the end zone, he might find himself in the ISFL sooner rather than later.
4. Rookie LB Donald McBobby also had an impressive game, no “playing against the best team” caveat needed. 12 Tackles and a Sack from the linebacker position is a fantastic output from a rookie in his first game. Not only did he lead the game in tackles, he also currently is the league leader in tackles. This impressive showing won McBobby the defensive game ball, and hopefully is a sign of more good things to come from the rookie.
5. Avoiding penalties won’t win you a game but committing penalties definitely can cost you a game. Good news for the Pythons, they only committed two penalties for 20 yards, versus the Sea Wolves’ 7 penalties for 64 yards. Bad news from the Pythons, they can’t blame the loss on committing penalties. The sim can be a fickle thing, but after committing far too many penalties during the preseason, this is a pleasant surprise and hopefully the team can keep this discipline for the remainder of the season.
The Bad:
1. Remember how I said that the secondary did well containing Sea Wolves’ star QB Ramza? Contain is definitely the right word, as they did little more than that. Despite his 180 yards, he still threw for 2 TDs and completed 17 of his 26 passes for a 111.1 rating. His TDs were both off of short throws in goal line situations, so it is difficult to blame the secondary for that too much, but they were repeatedly gashed for long plays when he threw to outside receivers.
2. The Pythons did not get a single sack, and over the course of the game rarely put any pressure on Ramza at all. This is highlighted by Norfolk’s OL bots putting up 14 pancakes between the three of them, and their 4 human OL adding a further 9 between themselves. This total of 23 is made more impressive when you realize that Portland only totaled 14 pancakes themselves. S big oof for the DL of the Pythons, who have some work to do before their next game. DT Angelo Cerilli of the Pythons was seen in the weight room immediately following the game, and is rumored to have added upwards of 60 TPE, so maybe that will be enough to turn the tides of the trenches for the rest of the season.
3. PorTEland was a big misnomer, as many of their TEs converted to different positions, and those who did struggled to perform in week one. Dave Batista is their only TE of note left, and he tallied a measly 3 receptions for 19 yards. He was the biggest contributor to the penalty yardage as well, garnering a 15-yard penalty during the game. Hopefully he can get back to his animal roots and rebound next week. The only other TE on the roster did not make an appearance during the game. TE is a very versatile position, and Portland will need to find some production here as the season goes on.
4. 5/11 on third downs is an unimpressive showing. That’s below 50% for you not math types out there. This number is made more concerning by the fact that the punter is struggling to get any distance on his punts. Kokot may be KokOUT after this season if he continues to average under 40 yards a punt. He did have a long punt of 65 yards and downed two punts inside the 20. These good numbers prove that even a blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally, as he had 5 attempts to put up these numbers
5. Starting the season on a loss makes it that much harder to string together a solid record. I can’t imagine anyone expected Portland to pick up the win against Norfolk, but losses are bad for team morale, and big losses even more so. It’s a long season though, so hopefully the GMs and captains can rally the troops and get them ready for the big doubleheader that is looming ahead.
The Ugly:
1. Blocked Punt. While I don’t have as much punt related trauma as a Michigan fan, this game certainly did not help. Going three and out after a terrible kickoff return is a great way to give the opposition killer field position, but when your punt is blocked, things get worse. The sim isn’t detailed enough to see if the punter had problems with the snap or if the rush just got there too quickly, the end result is the same. This happened after Melvin Murder-Moose hit a short FG to extend Norfolk’s lead to seven. This drive could’ve capitalized on the red zone defense stopping a TD and swinging the momentum, but this went up in smoke very quickly. This, and the ensuing TD broke the spirit of the young Pythons team.
2. Fumble. Down 7-0 but stringing a drive together is a terrible time for a fumble, but unfortunately no one told WR T.J. Evans this. His fumble on the 43-yard line was a disaster for the Pythons, giving the Sea Wolves great field position to run the score to 14-0, which they did in under four minutes, via a long run by Captain Rodgers and a couple incisive passes from QB Ramza. This mistake put the Pythons in a deep, early hole that they couldn’t quite slither out of. If they had used stickum here and not lost the ball, and maybe gotten a few points here, the game could have turned out completely differently.
3. Someone needs to sit down with the Portland D and tell them that they’re supposed to tackle the opposition RBs. The Sea Wolves shredder Portland’s rushing defense for a whopping 250 yards on the ground in just 43 attempts, averaging nearly six yards per carry. 243 of these yards came from the Sea Wolves’ two-headed monster of a backfield in just 38 carries, an astounding 6.4 yards per carry. They added two TDs as well, making the game a massacre on the ground. As previously mentioned, Portland should have more success as the season goes on, as DT Angelo Cerilli added over 60 TPE just in time for next week’s double header.
4. The Pythons were just as unsuccessful running the ball as they were defending the run. They totaled a pitiful 74 yards on 23 attempts. No rushing TDs either, to rub salt in their wounds. This lack of a rushing attack showed dramatically in the Python’s time of possession, totaling just under 22 minutes, a pitiful amount compared to Norfolk’s over 38 minutes. This difference really showed in the Python’s defense, as they gave up 17 unanswered points down the stretch. If Portland wants to close out games stronger, they need to possess the ball longer, and the easiest way to do that is by effectively rushing the ball.
5. Nine first downs. NINE! That is so comically low, it’s a shock that Portland managed to even score twice! As I mentioned in the bad section, Portland went 5/11 of third down, which is pretty bad, but can be overcome. Only getting nine first downs is not something that can be overcome in the slightest. Norfolk had almost as many third down conversions (seven) as Portland did total first downs! Moving the chains needs to be Portland’s biggest focus during their preparations for week two, as they will continue to lose by multiple possessions until they can start getting a respectable amount of first downs.
While week one did not go Portland’s way, there were still some promising signs and good moments. If they hadn’t been matched up with the best team in the league week one, they very well could have started the season off with a win. Some of their worst moments were unlucky fluke things, like having a punt blocked in the shadow of their own goalposts, and others were just the product of having a young team. As the DSFL season progresses, the Pythons roster will develop under the mentoring of their many great leaders, and this team could blossom into one that can compete for a playoff spot.
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