(S5) - Ultimus Week

[RedCydranth]

Robbed:

I think there are two viable options for who got robbed of this year's playoffs. Clearly the Liberty and Sabercats fought their rear ends off all season only to fall flat at the end. The Sabercats though, deserved it. They've done a fantastic job over the course of the last 3 seasons coming from a joke of a franchise to a legitimate contender. Especially after the Er Multi Scandal that shook the whole league, the Outlaws were forced to take a major step back, which opened the door for the Cats to find their way to their first ever playoff berth. however, the Outlaws found themselves, even without the help of all of Er's multis, a viable contender and thorn in the side of the Sabercats. The Sabercats brought in some great talent to make the jump too. Mayran Jackson who led the team in both receptions and touchdowns, Chris Orosz who was once a premier quarterback several years ago and Darren Smallwood who might be the most underrated running back in the entire NSFL, were all key adds during this rebuild process and still they found themselves on the couch come week 16. Maybe next year, right San Jose? Only time will tell. A solid off season might be the push they need.

(214 words)

Playoff Review:

This year's playoffs went exactly as I had hoped for them to. Clearly, as an Otter, the final outcome was pleasurable, but the rest was also very pleasing to watch. In the NSFC, I was hoping to get that rematch against the Yellowkife Wraiths. So watching them defeat the Hawks was a great thing to see. The Wraiths performed admirably and I think Mat Akselsen deserves a trophy someday. He's a great player and it's a darn shame he hasn't gotten a trophy yet. He put up 2 solid games in the playoffs and sadly fell short. On the other side of the league, my Otters came back from the brink of elimination to get our championship. I was not present for the first Outlaws vs Otters Divisional Championship game, where the Otters ultimately were defeated. I did see that we had lost and my heart sank. But as history between these two teams has been shown, a redo of the game was announced for the 3rd straight season. My hoped perked right back up and I watched the Otters take the second try, quite handily too. I do feel bad, a bit, for the Outlaws in that scenario. They had the false hope that they came from behind as the underdog to beat the Otters in their own stadium, only to have that feeling pulled out from underneath them because of an oversight regarding the sim and formations. I wonder if Yellowknife would be hoisting their first Ultimus had the Outlaws never messed that up. We may never know. The finale to this season was special. It showcased why both teams deserved to be there. Defense reigned supreme, as both teams had some crazy interceptions and the Otters laid it on thick with the sacks. Defense wins championships, as they say. Orange County proved that this season, for sure.

(310 words)

Going to Disneyland!

It's hard to pick any player as the MVP for the Otters. There's so many amazing performers. And with all the fire power on defense, it'd be foolish to not give it to one of them. Angus Winchester deserves it, to be quite honest. All season he was our captain on the defense. He called the shots, and made the big hits. Despite being surrounded by other elite talent like Gregor Clegane, Ian Bavitz, Ryan Sierra (who should get looked at for DROY), and Julian O'Sullivan, Winchester crushed it. But I would be remiss if I didn't look at the other side of the ball. It's become commonplace when looking at the Otters, that Mike Boss just be awesome. He's like Tom Brady. You know he's gonna be the best player on that offense, so you kind of look for the "other guy" who dominated on that offense. Same is true of Bradly Westfield. How many years in a row now has he been the top WR in the league? I feel these two dudes get passed by simply because elite is status quo for them. Then we have Jordan Yates. He's the new addition to the Otters locker room this year, coming over from San Jose. He was arguably the best RB in the league. 1,789 yards of offense and 21 TDs. That's unbelievable. If he wasn't with Boss and Westfield, he'd be the offensive MVP, for sure. Heck, he might be even considering those two studs. So, who is going to Disneyland? The whole fricking team. Because there's nobody in that locker room who didn't put in the time and effort. It was a great ride and I hope we continue it into next year.

(288 words)

Sit-down with a Star:

I sat down with star CB of the Baltimore Hawks, Antoine Delacour to discuss this year's season, post season and future.

Q: The Wraiths were a thorn in your team's side all season. How optimistic were you going into your playoff game were you that you'd come away with a W?

A: I think we're actually fairly evenly matched overall, and the advantage goes to whoever is the home team, usually. So I'd say the conference championship, we were maybe slight underdogs, but I didn't lack optimism in the slightest. I think in the end it came down to little things, who made the fewest little mistakes. That's how it is at the top.

Q:Your personal performance that game, how would you rate it?

A: uhhh... not my best. Bailey Cook is a tough receiver to cover and he won our duel that day. No excuses, I just did what I could to bring him down quickly and stop him getting too many yards after the catch. It's always hard to be great in coverage when the quarterback is as good as Akselsen, though. He can thread passes into places I just can't reach.

Q: Did you watch the Ultimus game? If so, what were your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

A: I didn't watch, no. I wasn't in a convenient time zone, unfortunately. But I've looked back at the highlights. I think it would have been a great game to watch, especially as a defensive player. The Otters weren't particularly convincing on offense, I don't think. But they did enough. Because defensively they didn't give the Wraiths anything until the game was already over. Both teams have elite offenses, yet neither offense ran the game from what I saw. Says a lot about what it takes to be a champion.

Q: What is next for Antoine Delacour?

A: Back to the gym, back out on the practice field... just get my head down, grind, be better. I know there's been speculation about my future in Baltimore because my contract expires at the end of next season, but I'm not even thinking about that right now. I have a great relationship with my teammates, the coaching staff, the GM, everyone. I'm not worrying about it. I just want to improve my game and be the best player I can be. I want a ring. I want to shut down receivers again. I want offenses to be afraid of coming to The Aviary because I'm lining up opposite them. That's what's next for Antoine Delacour.

Q: What do you think will be the most important thing to get the Hawks over the hump and past the Wraiths in the future?

A: I think this year we really felt the loss of key pieces on the defensive line. Kurt didn't look himself, and I think it's because he needed a bit more help getting to the quarterback quickly. We used to have an elite defensive line, which probably helped us out in the secondary too. Passes under pressure are easier to defend, you know? And when we had that elite unit, we won the conference, I don't think that's a coincidence. I think our offense is amazing so no worries there, but we need to get that fear factor back from the front seven on defense. Kurt is amazing, everyone knows this.... but then you look at the Hawks defense and outside of Kurt and the secondary, we're not looking great. The best teams this season all had serious playmakers in the front seven. We get that, we win the Ultimus. I'm calling it now.

Q: Thanks for the interview. Is there anything you want to tell Yellowknife, Philadelphia and Colorado about next season?

A: Nah, I'm not here to coach them. I'll do me, they can do them. We'll talk on the field.

(644 words)

[iamslm22]

Interview with run CMC. Thanks for the inteview man!

Q - So coming into the season expectations were not very high for the Arizona Outlaws, how did you guys manage to outperform expectations?

A - Well, everyone but ourselves and our fans were counting us out, and I really can’t blame them. We’d lost our defensive strength to a massive scandal, and the Otters and Sabercats both looked like strong teams. I think the key to our success this season all comes down to our coaches. We tried some new stuff on offense, and as you can tell from our points per game, it worked. Also, tons of credit to Bronko for having another awesome season.

Q - Yea Bronko was awesome this year - do you think he was the team's MVP?

A - Yep. Zero doubt in my mind. I mean, 5000 yards and 44 touchdowns after losing the best receiver in league? Don’t get me wrong, Budda is a stud, but I think everyone in the NSFL knows Garden is the best of the best when it comes to wide receivers. And then, beyond the stats, Bronko was just a great team leader. He really helped us hone in for that 5 game winning stretch from weeks 8 through 12 that got us into the playoffs.

Q - What was this season like in comparison to your season in the DSFL?

A - So much more intense. When you make the move from college football to the DSFL, you know it’s a step up; it’s the not the top league, but you’re still playing professionally. But the jump from the DSFL to the NSFL was even bigger. Literally every player on that field is the best players from the DSFL. The linebackers hit twice as hard, and the quarterbacks are fifty times more accurate. The number one thing that stands out to me though is the complexity of the game at the NSFL level. These huge guys aren’t just physically superior to the average DSFL player: the play calls are more advanced and the cadences take way more focus. So, yeah, intense sums it up.

Q - And finally - which Kicker most impressed you this season

A - Well, this is going to be a strange answer, but the kicker who had the best season - Stephen Harris - is not the kicker who impressed me most; that title goes to Peg Leg. People are gonna he upset with that answer but how can I not be impressed with Peg Leg? He kicked FGs in college but did nothing but punts for an entire season in the DSFL. Then he gets drafted late by one of two teams in the league that can undeniably be called bad. Then, that teams coach tells Peg he needs to start practicing for field goals and extra points again. The fact that he went 15/17 XP and 21/24 FG is incredible, especially with his 2/2 over 50 yards. Huge shoutout to you, Peg Leg.

Run CMC also did an interview with me http://nsfl.jcink.net/index.php?showtopic=...ndpost&p=104678

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)

The Yellowknife Wraiths are going to the Ultimus in Orange County to face the Otters and they are certainly going to be considered the under dogs. I am writing in this PT why they can win. When you look at the offenses, at first glance the Otters have a better offense. Boss is a multiple time MVP and he's got the best receiver duo in the league in Westfield and Phelps. So overall they have a great offense. But when you look at the Yellowknife offense they have one thing that puts them at an advantage - Eric Kennedy. Yes the O C Otters have Jordan Yates (a poor man's Kennedy), but Kennedy's ability to move all over the formation and be incredible any spot puts them into an advantage. It's hard to game plan for a guy like Kennedy and it will certainly be interesting to see how the otters do in trying to stop him. On the defensive side of the ball the Wraiths have a top flight defensive line. The four man unit of Ricky Maddox, Fuego Wozy, Bjor Bjornsen and Blaster Blade are a dominating unit, and when you have corners in the back like Phillipe Carter and Dermott Lavelle you're going to be in great shape and have the ability to stop the Otters D in all facets. 222

ULTIMUS MVP

This is honestly a fairly tough choice. You obviously cannot go with any one on the Yellowknife Wraiths - they are straght loser in the Ultimus. The choice has to be some one on the Orange County Otters. Mike Boss is their MVP game in game out usually but with his performance of only 1 TD and 2 Picks he's not the guy I can choose for this specific game. On defense Angus Winchester is the leader of the team and led an awesome defensive game against a top flight offense. Angus finished with a strong game of ten tackles, a sack and a fumble recovered. Additionally Ian Bavitz had a hell of a game with 9 tackles including one for a loss, a sack a pass deflection and interception. But at the end of the day the Otters scored 26 and had only one player on offense play well. Bradley Westfield was clearly the MVP of the Ultimus. He accounted for over 35% of the Orange County total offensive yards and had only six receptions. The dude was always open and going against a top flight corner in Dermott Lavelle. Bradley caught 6 balls for a total of 141 yards (averaging out for 23 and a half yards per catch). Though he didn't find the end zone it was enough to get into the red zone to allow scores from Jordan Yates and Burnsman. 234

[bovovovo]

ROBBED

You ask me, who was robbed from the playoffs? And I say "You stupid idiot, obviously it was the SaberCats." Why were the SaberCats robbed, you may ask? Because they lost to the freaking Las Vegas Legion of all teams. How does that even happen? The Legion lost to the Yeti TWICE, once at home! The Legion have a -150 point differential! And yet, when the SaberCats walked into Las Vegas they didn't just lose, they were embarrassed to the tune of 37-19. That was the most points the Legion had scored in a single game all year, and was also the lowest amount of points that they allowed all year. At the time, many wrote off the playoff implications that this week 7 game would have, but the implications were YUGE. The SaberCats would go on to have the exact same record as the Arizona Outlaws (8-6), but the Outlaws had a better point differential and more points scored so they made the playoffs over the SaberCats. This elongated the SaberCat's 5 year playoff drought, the longest in the entire league. Indeed, the SaberCats have never made the playoffs, and this could have should have would have been the year they break the drought, but then they got robbed. By the Las Vegas Legion.

(216 words)

PLAYOFF SERIES MVP

Shout out to my man, the man the myth the legend Mat Akselsen. Matty and the Yellowknife Wraiths took on the visiting Baltimore Hawks in the NSFC Championship and walked away with a 37 - 21 victory, though the game was much closer than the score indicates. Matthew was solid as ever, tossing up 28 completions out of 45 attempts (not super amazing actually, just 62% completion percentage so not bad either) for 3 touchdowns, no interceptions, and an average 17.4 yards per completion for a 121.2 QBR. Now THAT's pretty good. Mark also took off once for a 13 yard gain which isn't too bad. The Hawk's actually did a very good job taking away Manny's number on target, the outstanding Kennedy, who only had 4 catches for 59 yards. But that didn't stop Marcus Akselsen. No Wraith's receivers had more than 6 catches but that didn't stop Marky, who spread the ball to a plethora of targets for maximum efficiency, and the Hawks secondary was simply unable to focus on so many targets. Indeed, 4th string WR Law had two 50ish yard receptions. Manfred Akselsen was for shizzle the Wraith's MVP in the NSFC Championship, or his name isn't Morgan Akselsen.

@Bzerkap
(202 words)

THAT MAGIC MOMENT

The magic moment for me was when we all thought the Outlaws had beaten the Otters. There I was, at home, cooking dinner, minding my own business. "Oh yeah the playoffs are on," I think to myself. "Mayhaps I shall peruse the twitch and see what's going down." So I open up twitch and glance at the score board and lo and behold the Outlaws are beating the Otters, in Orange County, like 20-0 or something. It was crazy. The Outlaws had actually done it. After everyone had pooped on them for their offseason trades and we all had to listen to Otters players talk about how amazing and fantastic they were, the Outlaws had actually gone and beaten them on their own turf. And not just beat them, but destroyed them. My mind was racing. Thinking of all the memes that were to come from such an event. Indeed, I could almost smell the memes. Honestly it was awesome. Upsets are always fun and (in my opinion) are a very good thing for the league. Especially in the playoffs. But then I found out that there was a problem with the sim and they resimmed and the Outlaws lost. So boring. After all the excitement of the alternative it just seemed lame to see the Otters back in the Ultimus with home field advantage again. Oh well. Maybe one day something unexpected or exciting will actually happen in the playoffs.

(242 words)

ROOT FOR THE UNDERDOG

Speaking of unexpected and/or exciting, I think the Wraiths can pull off the maybe impossible and win the Ultimus this year. They match up well against the Otters (or at least as well as anybody can). They are built to pass the ball which will help them on the road and to keep up with the Otter's offense. Akselsen is Mr. Slipper Boi who may be able to elude the dominant Otters pass rush better than other teams have been able to. The Wraith's offense primarily uses short, quick passes which will also help them against the rush. The Wraith's defense is good too, basically second in the league. But what the Wraiths also have is the power of the spooky. Simply put, the Wraiths are spooky and the Otters are not. Everybody knows the Otters. Otters are cute and fuzzy and you know what they're gonna do and you know they are going to do it well and that you can't stop it. But there's something about a spooky team who you don't know what they're gonna do but you know they're gonna do it anyways. Unfortunately, the sim doesn't care much about the power of the spooky, but I do. I believe in the power of the spooky and in the Yellowknife Wraiths, and you should too.

(220 words)

[Drizzy]

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else

The obvious choice for a team that didn't make the playoffs that should have is going to be the Philadelphia Liberty. Denied a trip to the NSFC Championship game by the Baltimore Hawks for a statistical reason that is hard to exactly pin down, the Liberty definitely have the right to feel short changed about their season ending as early as it did. The Liberty finished third in the NSFC but the reason for which isn't exactly obvious. Statistically, the team had the same 8-6 record as the Hawks who finished a place above them, the exact same number of points scored with 405 each, and in fact fared better in the points against category, allowing 339 compared to the Hawks' 340. I don't know the ins and outs of how this sim works and decides its rankings to say the least, but I really can't see what category the Liberty did worse than the Hawks in and thus there isn't really any obvious justification to me why they should finish below them and be denied a playoff spot. Perhaps it was decided on the Hawk's marginally better record against the NSFC teams, but to me that's a weak way of determining who should get into the playoffs, especially when the point differential was in the Liberty's favour. Regardless, that's the way things worked out on this occasion, but the Liberty definitely have the right to feel upset about the way things worked out on this particular occasion.

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Playoff Matchups: Make a graphic displaying the matchups in the first round of the playoffs.



Old Faces, New Places: Create a graphic for a player who changed teams during free agency this past off season and made the playoffs. Show how they've changed on their new team or what kind of impact they made for their new team.



Future Talent: Make a sig for a S5 player who you feel will or did make a large impact for their team in the playoffs.

[White Cornerback]

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

Without a doubt this has to be the Philadelphia Liberty. The Liberty slumped to an 8-6 record to finish week 14 and to their fears, did not do enough to make the playoffs. In comparison to the Yellowknife Wraiths who stood at 10-4 and the Baltimore Hawks who matched Liberty's record of 8-6. Looking at the other factors, both teams ended up scoring an identical amount of points with 405. Baltimore let up a single more point that Philadelphia (340>339), Baltimore also had a worse home record of 5-2-0 while Philly boasted a record of 6-1-0. Baltimore did have a better away record compared to the Liberty with 3-4-0 over a 2-5-0 record. HOWEVER the one deciding factor in the NSFL is your conference record, this is an area where Philadelphia really struggled with a splitting of the series with 3-3-0 compared to Baltimore's slightly better 4-2-0 record. It's an unusual decider of playoff spots but it's not the first time this has happened in the NSFL, think back to S2 when the Yellowknife Wraiths found the luck of the draw over the Colorado Yeti who at the time were lead by the infamous Logan Noble prior to his steroid abuse scandal. There has been calls to change or alter the system used but for the time being it looks like the NSFL HO is remaining stubborn to change their ways.

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)

In the NSFC championship, the lowly Baltimore Hawks were pitted up against NSFL powerhouse, the Yellowknife Wraiths in what on the day would ultimately be the Yellowknife Wraiths consecutive trip to the Ultimus final to face the Orange County Otters. The game was pretty much neck and neck and both teams were in touching distance of an Ultimus playoff place heading into the 4th quarter. This is when our "magic moment" or so occured, with the scores tied at 21-27 to the Wraiths. Mat Akselsen knew that this was his time, a 6 point lead in the NSFL means nothing, especially in the playoffs. Rather than waiting for the head coach orders to take the sting out of the game and unleash the running threat of Bubba Nuck to waste the rest of the game, Akselsen audibled at the line of scrimmage to Yellowknife's alteration of the popular corner strike which sends the RB at the time down the turf on a post route with the primary intention of drawing some attention from a linebacker or cornerback, the play was well executed which lead to an aging DJ. Law receiving the pass and making his way into the endzone for a superb 47 yard play. The Wraiths went on to win the game 37-21.

Sit-down with a star:Interview a player from a team that is not your own that is in the playoffs. You must ask them four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. YOU MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWERS FOR CREDIT. (Can be completed at any point)

1) How did you feel about your individual performance this season?
2) How did you feel about the TEAM's ability to gel in the offseason and acquire some consistency during the regular season?
3) What are your thoughts on losing to Yellowknife in the NSFC conference game?
4) Is there any upcoming rookie you're looking forward to seeing play in S6?

1) I felt very good about Avon's performance this year. Switching from offensive line to to Quarterback was a tough transition in the first year and I threw a good amount of interceptions, but this season I was a LOT better. The addition of John Wachter and Alexandre Leclair gave me some amazing guys I was able to target. I think overall I had a very good season. We made the playoffs as a team I had a great passer rating (second highest ever in NSFL) and I had an inredible TD to INT ratio.

2) I feel really great about our team. Hendrix and Barry are the best GM duo in the league and our team is super gelled. We have one of the best Locker Rooms in the league and all we need is one or two defensive free agents. The team had one of the best offenses in the NSFL and we had some bad luck during the season. I expect us to do well this upcoming season

3) It was a tough loss. I mean I knew going in to it the odds were about 50 - 50. We match up pretty well with the Wraiths, we barely lost in Yellowknife and we beat them handily at home. When we had to re sim the Arizona and Orange County game the Hawks won the first game by 30 so we had to re sim the file again. Clearly we are not far away

4) There are a TON of rookies I'm hyped to see. We'll get guys like Brian Mills and Elvin Enchant coming up in to the league. This league is about to get its best draft since season 3 and I'm very excited to see how these guys do in the big leagues

Sit-down with a fan:Answer questions for an interview from a player that is not your own. You must answer at least four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. Link to the interviewers PT to receive credit. NOTE: THEY MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR YOU TO GET CREDIT. (Can be completed at any point)

1. 2nd year in a row in the ultimus, 2nd year as underdogs, what makes this year different?
2. What has this season been like for you?
3. Do you think the new sim would be better for cornerbacks?
4. Is a hotdog a sandwich?

1) I think just the fact that we're back here consistently is a big step up. Plus you always look forward to these big games, especially with a player like Eric Kennedy on your side. Add to that the addition of Blaster Blade, the consistency of Akselsen passing the ball, nuck running the ball and Lombardi putting it through the uprights and you've got a champinship calibre team, which is exactly where we are right now.

2) This season personally has been great for me, after coming off my best season yet this wasn't too much like my last. This will all change if we get to hoist the Ultimus tonight though. I just look forward to honing my craft, being a threat on this team and bringing home some championships to this great city.

3) I believe the sim is the exact same regarding cornerback stats in terms of pd/s ints but I do believe there's less blown coverages. By in large we will have to do alot of testing to see but HOPEFULLY it's an improvement and the people at wolverine studios are somewhat competant at their jobs, we hope..

4) No, a hotdog is not a sandwich. It is the furthest thing away from a sandwich in my mind.

DEATH

[HENDRIX]

1. 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 ASFC championship featured the Orange County Otters blowing out their arch rival Arizona Outlaws by a score of 43 to 19. To the surprise of no one, the MVP in this game was Otters QB Mike Boss. In typical Otter fashion they aired the ball out. Boss ended up with 366 yards and 3 touchdowns with a 66% completion percentage. The Otters had zero turnovers and only allowed one sack on Boss. It was another game where Boss was in complete control finding his top targets Bradley Westfield, Robert Phelps, and Jordan Yates all over the field. This game was over by halftime. In the first half Boss found Robert Phelps for their first touchdown of the game. Then later on in the 1st quarter he hooked up with Bradley Westfield for a 36 yard touchdown. The next touchdown scoring drive came after the Otters drove down into the red zone. It was there that RB/WR Jordan Yates caught a short four yard touchdown. With the score being 30 to 10 at the half, the Otters made a more concentrated effort to run the ball and kill clock in the second half. There was no need to risk injury to their franchise player one week before the championship. (209)

2. 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)

It is possible the Yellowknife Wraiths overcome the odds and beat the Orange County Otters in the Ultimus. When thinking about the Otters the first thing that usually comes to mind is their prolific offense, but it's their defense, specifically their front seven, that absolutely overwhelm teams. They do it by blitzing a ton and applying constant pass rushing pressure on opposing quarterbacks. However, the QB they will be going against in this game, Matt Akselsen, is the most athletic QB in the entire league by a large margin. Athletic QBs like him are best at avoiding pressure and buying more time with their legs to find receivers down field. This is evident by Akselsen's league leading sack percentage which is a metric that shows how often a QB got brought down during passing plays. Along with Akselsen is his partner in crime, RB/WR Eric Kennedy. Kennedy has been almost impossible for defenses to stop this season. He lines up all over the field: in the backfield, at TE, in the slot, and even outside WR. When it was all said and done he had 130 receptions this season, and incredible amount. If the Wraiths are going to pull off the upset, this dynamic duo will have to do what they do best. (213)

3. Matchup Nightmares: Pick an offensive and defensive player who will be going up against each other and why it will be a nightmare for one of them.(Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Just like every other cornerback that has faced him this year, Otters wide reciever Bradley Westfield will make Philippe Carter's day into a nightmare in the Ultimus. Westfield has physical advantages across the board: he's bigger, faster, stronger, and more agile. Just look at the production Westfield has had in the two previous meetings this season: in the first matchup he had six catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. In the second meeting he came away with four catches for 141 yards, a whopping 35.2 yards per catch. It's not Carter's fault though, Westfield does this to every defensive back. He is a complete WR that also has help from a great supporting cast, but let's focus on Westfield. He could get open all three ways: with blazing speed, with crisp route running, and with size and strength to box out his defender and make space to snag the ball. He also boasts an impressive vertical jump where it allows him to high point a ball. Orange County likes to set the tone on their first drive, so look for them to go deep to Westfield very early. They like to get off to a fast start and they had success doing it all year. (206)

4. Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

If there's any team that has paid it's dues, it has been the San Jose Sabercats. How much suffering and misfortune can a team take? Do the sim gods have no mercy? During the first three seasons of the NSFL the Sabercats were significantly behind the Outlaws and Otters, finishing a distant third place each time. Over the last two seasons they have finished third place via a same record tie breaker with the second place team. In season four they finished with an identical 9-5 record as the Otters, and an identical 3-3 conference record. So that meant it had to go to the second tie breaker, points for. The Otters had the higher amount which kept the Sabercats out of the playoffs. This season they had the same record as the second place Outlaws at 8-6, but an inferior conference record was their demise. This was supposed to be the Sabercats year. The Outlaws lost 25% of their starters due to a cheating scandal and made a few trades for the future. What ultimately did them in was a loss to the 1-13 Legion. Every single game is massively important in this league, and dropping one against the worst team in the league could ruin your season. It happened to the Hawks in S4 and it happened to the Sabercats this year in S5. (226)

[Zoone16]

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

The Philadelphia Liberty had a great chance at making the playoffs over the Baltimore Hawks. In fact both teams were so evenly matched during the regular season that they had the same amount of points scored (405) and only 1 point against in difference (Baltimore had 340 points against. Philadelphia had 339 points against.) Ultimately, what sealed the playoffs spot for the Hawks was a better divisional record, which came at the hands of defeating the Yellowknife Wraiths at home, something that the Liberty was unable to do this season.
In the end, there were two key matches that played gave us the result we ended with. The Hawks win over the Wraiths in Week 8, where they dominated a Yellowknife team at home in a game that not many had given the Hawks a chance. The other game is in Week 10 against the Liberty, also at home, that ultimately gave Baltimore the advantage they needed in the division. Afterwards it was all damage control for the rest of the season, winning games they expected to win and losing other ones where they were expected to lose.
The playoffs matchup might have looked different but in the end, I believe that the Wraiths would have proven too strong at home for either team, especially since the game was hosted in Yellowknife.

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[dropbear]

Hate the player or the game
The Norfolk Seawolves must have prayed often and prayed hard to Poseidon this year to end up in the S5 DSFL Playoffs. They finished the season at a meagre 6-8-0, which at a glance already looks like the record of a team whose season ended in Week 14. But instead, they had a shot at the big one. That’s right, a 6-8-0 team might have been playing for the Championship. Now, I know what you're probably thinking: "It doesn't matter if their record doesn't look great, it was obviously better than at least one other team!" And you'd be totally right. The DSFL playoffs are far from difficult to make, and with Kansas City dwelling in the basement of the Eastern Conference with only 4 wins, it's no surprise the Seawolves booked a playoff berth. The issue I have is in their overall performance this year. With 202 points scored on the year, their offence ranks second last. And with a whopping 294 points allowed, their defence ranks dead last. They also ended the season with a sorry 3-game losing streak. If not for some early season, out-of-character form, the Seawolves wouldn't so much have sniffed the playoffs this year.

That Magic Moment
Any Chicago Bears fan from around the league will be able to tell you what the first thing that went through their mind was as they watched Alex Hayden return the opening kickoff of the ASFC Championship Game 101 yards for a TD... this nearly identical play from the opening of the 2006 Super Bowl.

While any Bears fan knew from experiene what the result of the matchup between the Outlaws and the Otters would be as soon as the return TD occurred, it was nonetheless an incredible moment to be a part of. The Otters, the new dynsasty in the ASFC, were looking to make it to back-to-back championship games. The Outlaws were counted out before the teams took the field. But the moment Hayden caught the ball in the endzone off the game-starting kickoff and looked upfield instead of dropping his knee, you could fee the electricity in the stadium.

As the Outlaws cornerback and return man strolled into the endzone to open the Ultimus with a touchdown, there was a feeling that maybe, just maybe, the Outlaws could overcome the odds and get back to their winning ways. That play was the rallying call for the rest of the team, but unfortunately for the Outlaws, it went unheeded, and they ended the day at the wrong end of a very lopsided match, and saw the Ultimus slip through their fingers.

Root for the Underdog
In the NSFL S5 championship game, the Yellowknife Wraiths take on the reigning Ultimus winners, the Orange County Otters, in a rematch of the S4 final. Despite signing one of the most talented available players in the inaugural draft when they selected then-commissioner Josh Garden, until last season the Wraiths had never made the championship game. Now they've made back-to-back championship appearances, and are seeking revenge and redemption after their 30 - 23 loss at the hands (flippers?) of the Otters last season.

So, what's different this year? Why do the Wraiths have a chance? What can they do to get the championship-sized monkey off their back? Last season, the Wraiths offence was 4th best for scoring, while the Otters defence was second best for points allowed. The Wraiths defence was 4th best for points allowed, while the Otters offence was second best for points scored. This year, the Wraiths offence is second in the league for scoring, only being beaten out by 3 points by the Outlaws, and their defence is second only to the Otters themselves. The Otters offence is only a step behind the Wraiths and Outlaws, but their defence allows the fewest points of any team in the league. It seems like a pretty close matchup, but when two elite offences and defences face each other, when two top-to-bottom completely competitive teams face off, the only thing that can give one an edge over the other is mentality, and the Wraiths are looking for revenge and their first Ultimus. Although the Otters are looking to defender their title, and some might say that will motivate them even more than winning their first, I have a feeling some players might be thinking it doesn't matter too much if they lose, because they've already got a ring at home.

Wraiths to win in a shootout.

Matchup Nightmares
Defence wins championships. It's touted so often now that to some it's become little more than a soundbite. Something to quip once the playoffs roll around so you can feign football knowledge. But is it true?

You might not have noticed, but the Palm Beach Solar Bears gave up the second most sacks of any team in the DSFL this year. In fact, you probably didn't notice this because they also happened to record more sacks than any other team in the league. Along with the Marshalls, who were only one sack away, they were miles ahead of all other defensive units. This helped to mask their issues on the Offensive Line. You also probably didn't notice because, despite their issues on the line, the Solar Bears racked up the most yards for both passing and rushing. They are clearly a dominant offensive unit.

But if you dig a little deeper into the defensive stats, you'll see a name coming up over and over again: Norman Bagwell. With 11 sacks (good for equal 4th in the DSFL this year) out of the Defensive Tackle position, Bagwell is a force to be reckoned with. He's not coming off the edge to take guys down in the backfield, he's charging right through the centre of the very line that is supposed to protect team's quarterbacks and runningbacks.

The guy tasked with stopping the human wrecking ball that is Norman Bagwell is the Solar Bear's guard Keith Van Horne. You might know Keith as the player to allow more sacks than any other in the league this year.

Yep. That's right, the Pythons' best defensive player, who sets up camp in oppositions' backfields, is facing off against the league's biggest turnstile in the championship game. Talk about a nightmare for Keith Van Horne.

Does defence win championships? I'm going to go with outstanding defensive performances win championships, and my money is on Norman Bagwell having a very good performance in the championship.

[Beaver]

1. Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

Okay so this one is pretty easy to answer because Las Vegas should've easily made the playoffs this season in fact it's an absolute travesty that we didn't but unfortunately the team faced some incredibly bad luck this season and barely missed out we were undoubtedly one of the 4 best teams in the league and typically being one of the best teams means that you're rewarded with a playoff spot and the playoffs are the goal because you can't win the championship without making the playoffs so it was really disappointing to not make it and to rectify this I feel like maybe we should change the playoff format to ensure that nothing like this happens again like maybe for example have 1 spot reserved for the obviously most deserving team and then have regular season results decide the other 3 spots I don't know I think it could work like that and if we had that system the Legion definitely would've gotten since because we got rid of Keygan aka Connor Tanner aka Mass Retirer Extraordinaire and that alone should've gotten us into the playoffs you know and it's really just super disappointing that we didn't and we had to watch some bum teams play bum games while we didn't get to do anything so yeah.

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249 words

2. New Talent: Write about which S5 trade will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good

I already touched on this in my previous answer but the biggest trade in Season 5 of the National Simulation Football League was definitely the Las Vegas Legion trading away the bum formerly known as Connor Tanner because that trade instantly made us one of the best teams in the entire league and really all the other teams were afraid to play us after that point so we had to take it easy on them for fear of the entire league collapsing thanks to everyone refusing to play us which really would've sucked because the league is really fun except for Ultimus Week which sucks but it gives good TPE so I guess it's okay I mean it could definitely be improved if it was like 100 or 150 words per task because sometimes I feel like I just ramble on for these for no real purpose after I've made my point simply because I have to read 200 words which is probably a pain for the grader so I'm kinda sorry about that but not really because if I have to be subjected to this cancer then it's only fair that I pass it on you know anyway I'm starting to ramble lol so yeah back to the trade which was really good for the Legion mostly because we got rid of Keygan he was really smelly and it was really bumming us out and it should've had a huge impact on the playoffs but unfortunately for reasons described above we missed the playoffs which was really shocking to the league as a whole and so while it doesn't have an impact on the Season 5 Playoffs it will definitely play a role in the Season 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 and 10 and 11 and 12 and 13 and 14 playoffs that will feature the Legion wait no we're the New Orleans Second Line now so basically what I'm saying is that trading Keygan made New Orleans a dynasty.

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333 words

3. 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)

The Ultimus MVP was definitely Ian Bavitz because the Most Valuable Player is almost always a member of the winning team and the Orange County Otters won and their offense really wasn't so good which is surprising since their offense is like super incredible usually so Bavitz was the best player on their defense that game as he got 9 tackles and 1 tackle for loss and 1 sack and 1 pass deflection and 1 interception which is like really good and the Otters defense held Yellowknife to only 2 field goals until it was too late to matter when they scored 9 points late in the 4th quarter and so that means that Bavitz gets to go to Disneyland and celebrate and there's only one way to celebrate winning an Ultimus and that's to party with Connor Tanner who now works at Disneyland because his dastardly scheme to ruin the National Simulation Football league failed because only a handful of players retired with him and the league is still going strong so he's licking his wounds in Disneyland and preparing his next move so Bavitz would definitely party with him since they're really good friends even though Tanner tried to ruin Bavitz's league but it's also kind of ironic that the guy who tried to destroy the league would be partying with the guy who just won an award for a championship in that league so that will be funny as a contrast or juxtaposition if you prefer.

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249 words

4. Sit-down with a star:Interview a player from a team that is not your own that is in the playoffs. You must ask them four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. YOU MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWERS FOR CREDIT. (Can be completed at any point)

Interview with Bovo:

1. Can you tell me in explicit detail what the 6 best (or however many get this to 200 words - do this one last I guess) things about Yellowknife making the playoffs are?

The best things about Yellowknife making the playoffs is that it gave me, Bork Bjornsson, a chance to retire on top. I'm retiring after this season so a shot at getting a championship is very special to me. I think it also meant a lot to the good people of Yellowknife and the rest of Canada to have Canada's team make it back to the playoffs once again. I remember two offseasons ago I talked a lot of talk about how the Wraiths were going to turn things around, and a lot of people didn't believe in us and jumped ship instead (not to point fingers), and it's nice to prove them wrong in a sense.

2. If you had the power to trade 1 team that made the playoffs for one team that didn't who would you choose and why would it be Otters for Legion?

I would trade the Otters for the Legion, of course. The Legion had every right to be there after their dominant victory over the Sabercats. The Otters obviously didn't deserve to be there because... uh... because then the Wraiths would've won the Ultimus if we didn't have to play the Otters.

3. Is Yellowknife even a real place?

Yes, and it is every bit as cold as they told me it would be. That's why I have a summer house in Whitehorse.

4. Who is the top borker on Yellowknife?

The top borker is obviously me, Bork Bjornsson. Close second would be Gosh Jarden.

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209 words

[Alfredo_Pasta]

Robbed: I am here today writing about a team I feel got robbed. That team in particular would be the San Antonio Marshals. I might be going off a little here but it ties into why they got robbed. It was a very close race in the western division. The week before playoffs San Antonio was only half a game behind the Palm Beach solar bears and the Tijuana luchadores. Thursday night comes and they only need one game to get into the playoffs. Their first game they lose against the best team, the Portland Pythons, at home. The next game all they had to do was beat Palm Beach solar bears and they would of been in the playoffs. They did not win obviously. I think they got robbed because they should of been in the playoffs over the bot team. Having an everyone on the bot team at seventy tpe in the dsfl is too damn high. They were both (both as in Norfolk SeaWolves) tough as hell this year. If they were set to fifty tpe instead of seventy I think it would of ended up differently for the San Antonio Marshals. This is all why I believe the San Antonio Marshals were robbed. Set the bar a lot lower for the damn bots! Actives want to be in the playoffs!
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Magic moment: There was a very specific magic moment for me in this playoff series. It (as it comes to no surprise) was in the dsfl play off game in the Eastern division. The Portland Pythons and the Norfolk SeaWolves. The Portland Pythons we're up seven to three early in the second quarter. The Portland Pythons we're driving down the field and here was when the magical play happened. The play that would get us to the ultimini. We were at the Norfolk SeaWolves thirty six yard line. My player, Glenn McPoyal, was lined up. The ball was snapped and I ran out to the numbers on the left side of the field. They had absolutely no one covering me. My trusty quarterback, Austin Roenick, threw me a perfect pass. No one was able to catch up to me and I was able to score a touchdown bringing my team to a fourteen to three lead. Our offense wouldn't score again that game. Norfolk scored again getting to ten. It was really awesome seeing my tight end catch and score what would turn out to be the game winning touchdown. That was all pretty magical for me. I was super excited when I caught it and scored and probably even more excited when we won and I knew it was because of that touchdown.
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hate the player: This may be a bit of an angrier post because I am writing this just seconds after my Portland Pythons lost the ultimini to the damn bots. Yes that has to do with this post. A team that I believe shouldn't of been in the playoffs but we're in the playoffs were non other than the damn bot team the Palm Beach solar bears. Why in the hell were they in the playoffs?? Because someone decided that seventy tpe for every player was a good idea. I was mad when San Antonio got robbed and didn't make it into the playoffs. I honestly think they were the best team in the west division this season. But the damn Palm Beach solar bears beat San Antonio Marshals to get into the playoffs. Then once in the playoffs the damn bot team beat the tijuana luchadores. And then they come to the ultimini and beat the Portland Pythons. Obviously they are set way too high. I wouldn't of been mad at all if another team beat us. They're putting in just as much effort as everyone in my team to get there. But the bot team really? Someone just typed in seventy and Bam they're at seventy. No work no dedication no nothing. And they beat every single human team. That's crazy to me. So that's the team I'm choosing on hating on and that's all the reason why they should never of been in the playoffs in the first place.
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Championship Recap: I am here now writing a, hopefully, more cool headed review of the championship game that just occurred. The championship game I am referring to is none other than the dsfl ultimini. This game was between the Portland Pythons and the bot team Palm Beach solar bears. It was hosted by the Portland Pythons. Portland took the early lead scoring a field goal in the first quarter. Their defense was looking great stopping everything the solar bears were doing. By the second quarter it was ten to zero. It was looking pretty great for the Portland Pythons. Well then something happened. Our defense our offense, our everyone just didn't show up any more. After that ten to zero lead the Palm Beach solar bears showed up and absolutely dominated the rest of the game. They scored and absolutely easy fourteen points making it fourteen to ten. It took everything the Portland Pythons had to score again. They scored another field goal making it a close fourteen to thirteen game. It's now the Fourth quarter and the solar bears are marching down the field. Inside their own ten and the pythons defense finally shows up and stops them. They kick a field goal and it's now seventeen to thirteen. Unfortunately there was not enough time on the clock left so the pythons were unable to score again. The Victor's would be the Palm Beach solar bears.
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