(S8) - Ultimus Week

[RealWackolyte]

Playoff Predictions
The DSFL Playoffs are hard to predict because there are so many great teams competing, although to any hardcore fan of the NSFL it is quite obvious who the true champion will be. The San Antonio Marshals have been a dynamic power house all season long and have gone on a seven game win streak to mark the end of a fantastic run filled with record setting moments and astounding sportsmanship. Some of the highlights for the team have been defensive backs Bucky Barnes and Oskar Ludvig as well as tandem Kevin Fitzpatrick and Marquise Brown. I see the Marshals easily handling the Luchadores in the first round to gain home field advantage in the finals.

On the other side of the country we will see Portland take on Kansas City in a match up that isn't quite so easy to predict. The Coyotes will probably gain the upper hand simply due to being more well built all around, even against the Pythons incredible run game from rookie back Elijah Lagerfield. KC will meet the Marshals in the finals where San Antonio will, with superior game planning and elite raw talent, over ride the Coyotes great run for the Ultimini.

Root for the Underdog
Although above I supported the Kansas City Coyotes to win the northern conference title in the DSFL, I believe that the Portland Pythons have just as good of a chance at taking it home as the Coyotes do. While I believe that Kansas is more well rounded in general, there is definitely the potential for the key points of the Pythons team to be integral parts to them winning the game. When you look at their roster, their is a number of players and performances that come to mind, but some of the most obvious are found on both sides of the ball.

Elijah Lagerfield has been absolutely amazing for the Pythons all season long, topping the league in rushing yards for a run first offense behind veteran quarterback Cole McCoy who has primarily been a heavy passer in the past. Alongside these two players are two defensive studs in linebacker Barnaby Earl and safety Alexander Thibault. These two future stars have been redefining strong defense for the Pythons all season long, and could easily make or break the game for this team if they have a strong performance. If the Pythons can pull themselves together and work as a cohesive unit, there is no doubt in my mind that they could be taking home the championship trophy.

That Magic Moment
Picture this in your mind. The clock is winding down with the under dog, away team trailing. It's a Cinderella story in the making as the teams sensational veteran quarterback makes a giant pass in the dying second of the game, and as the ball bounces off the finger tips of defenders the unexpected rookie receiver snags the ball and scores the touchdown to win the game. It's happened in every football movie ever, and is the dream of every quarterback and receiver to have ever picked up the ball. Leading your team to greatness is an unquestionable desire. While, for the Luchadores this dream came true against the Marshals. But not for the quarterback or receiver, it came true for the kicker.

There is really no way to paint the southern conference final in a light that doesn't make it seem dull and void of heart. While the fans waited for magic to happen, the Luchadores lined up two points behind with three minutes left and knocked in a field goal to secure the lead before playing tight defense and keeping the Marshals out of the end zone. In a moment that should have been magical, we were instead left wondering where the clock was going, and wishing for something more to happen. A disappointing end to an amazing season in San Antonio.

[b]Match Up Nightmares[b]
One match up that has been heavily touted through the entire season is the combined efforts of the Marshals secondary against any quarterback that they may face. The Marshals have prided themselves on building an elite defensive back unite consisting of stars like Egan Winter, Storm Woods, Bucky Barnes, and rookie corner back Oskar Ludvig. The four have been tearing up opposing quarterbacks since their first game in the league and have even set records for defensive touchdowns returned with their blistering speed. This secondary will meet the Luchadores offensive passing from Penner to Flash in what will be an exhilarating match up.

No matter where Flash tries to find open field, and no matter how trained of eye Penner is, this tandem will be unable to work with the use of the Marshals back field. The Luchadores will be forced to play a run heavy game so as not to be swarmed by the elite defensive backs, and thus will knock them out of their pattern of strong air play. The Marshals defense really is the perfect counter for this pass first offense, and it will be brilliant to watch this heated rivalry play out Monday night when everything comes to an end.

[adam2552]

That Magic Moment:


Unsung Hero:


Old Faces,New Places:


Going to Disneyland:

[HalfEatenOnionBagel]

Playoff Review

NSFC Championship: Wraiths 38 - Hawks 24

An epic comeback by the Wraiths that saw them finally break their playoff curse. Despite being down 21-0 early on, they battled back to punch their ticket to the championship. Robby Rainey was a huge factor in this one with 3 second half touchdowns.

ASFC Championship: Second Line 20 - Otters 17

The youngest franchise in the league took down the former OC dynasty in an epic championship game that came down to a final field goal by Peg Leg to win it. Defense and special teams reigned supreme in this matchup as neither QB had a passer rating over 85 and the rushing total between the two was only about 150 yards.

Ultimus Championship: Wraiths 24 - Second Line 13

Akselsen and Rainey led the way for the Wraiths on offense in this contest as was to be expected, but Kennedy had a fantastic game as well with over 100 yards and a touchdown receiving. Pennington, Hendrix and Lavelle made huge contributions on defense as well as the Wraiths would not be denied their first championship. Akselsen had to be the MVP in this game as he put up over 300 yards. As one of the original members of the Yellowknife Wraiths, he has to be proud of how far this team has come.


Going to Disneyland

Oh yeah you know Mat Akselsen was Ultimus MVP and oh yeah you know he's a big Disney fan. Yeah that's right he listens to Disney music to get hyped for games. And he's got a tattoo of Donald Duck on his butt. Ok I don't know that to actually be true but hey streets are talking. So yeah needless to say he went wild at Disney world. He rode the teacups in circles until he threw up. Then he went to that countries thing and ate and drank until he threw up. Then he met Mickey mouse and yeah he threw up again. That was more the beer than Mickey though. Then he basically hung out all day with the mascots signing autographs for people. Turns out he was a lot more famous than he thought. And he didn't care, he had the whole rest of his trip to eat, drink and be merry. And of course ride all the rides, which is exactly what he did. And guess what I already bought him a ticket to use in a year because the Wraiths are coming right back to win the S9 Ultimus. You can take that to the bank.

New Talent

It's hard to deny that the linebacker wrecking crew made up of Boss Tweed and Micah Hendrix that the Wraiths brought together wasn't a big part of their championship run this season. Both studs at other positions before making the switch to linebacker, Hendrix and Tweed were an absolute nightmare for opponents to deal with. Hendrix in particular had a fantastic game in the Ultimus championship with 6 tackles, 1 sack, a forced fumble and 4 pass deflections, shutting down the second line in both the rushing and passing game. And this was something that Hendrix did all season as well as he had 20 pass deflections on the season, a record for a linebacker. Hendrix was brought in as part of the Philadelphia fire sale that happened midseason. There were a lot of questions about how well he would fit with the team, especially being moved from his role as middle linebacker to the weakside where he had much less experience. There were even questions about how willing he would be to play for Yellowknife after being rivals with them for so long and how unceremoniously he had been shipped off there by a Philadelphia team that seemed to be in a panice. Although he was the Wraiths for part of the year, his impact for them was undeniable, especially in the playoffs.


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

I don’t know if you can pick one specific moment in particular from the game, but the Wraiths comeback in the NSFC Championship game has to be one of the biggest conference Championship moments in league history. Down 21-0 early in the game, Yellowknife looked like it would be going home empty handed yet again, but after some massive halftime adjustments this team roared back in the second half on the back of Robby Rainey. He was a beast for this team in the regular season, and although he only managed to get 33 rushing yards in this game, he got the ball in the endzone when it counted, with 3 touchdowns in the second half! It was clear that the first half gameplan for Yellowknife just wasn’t working, so they went back to the classic strategy of, “Give the Ball to Robby”, and it paid off big time. Of course, the eventual Ultimus win is what really matters, but without an epic comeback in this game, the Wraiths don’t even make it that far, and without ol Robby, it just doesn’t even happen. Akselsen had a great game as well for Yellowknife and could have been considered too, but when the chips were down in the redzone, Robby hit the jackpot.

[37thchamber]

Sit down with a fan:
http://nsfl.jcink.net/index.php?showtopic=...ndpost&p=132503

[ExemplaryChad]

New Talent: Write about which S8 trade will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs.

I don’t know that anyone outside of New Orleans would have expected the Second Line to make the playoffs so soon after a substantial rebuild. The GMs there have done a tremendous job getting that team competitive in a short amount of time. Analysts and fans are left to wonder how much they gave up and how long their success will last, but for this season, no one can argue with a playoff berth and a shot at the Ultimus.

So who’s their new talent who contributed so much to their success this season? Well, it’s pretty much everyone. They built their team from the ground up, with tons of free agent signings and some solid draft picks. There is essentially no one on that team who was there back when they were the Legion. The whole team has contributed to their success, and they’re basically all new talent. Thus, the big free agent move and/or trade would have to be building the entire team. They may not have gotten the job done and brought home the ultimate trophy (Oh, I get the name now!), but no one can deny the excellent work that their front office did in making that team into a competitor.

Word count: 206


Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them.

My MVP for the Ultimus game is an excellent candidate, though maybe not the one everyone would expect. Based on season performance and importance of the position, it looks like Mat Akselsen would be the consensus pick for MVP of that game; however, he’s not my pick. He was important in that victory, sure. He threw for a ton of yards, ran for a few more, and threw for a key touchdown that arguably put the game away for the Wraiths. But the man who put more points on the board and really set the tone for that entire game was Yellowknife running back Robby Rainey. He had two touchdowns in the first half and outscored the Second Line offense all by himself. He may not have run for 100 yards, and his YPC was nothing to write home about, but his ability to get it done when it mattered the most is what was so valuable to his team. The defense did their work as well, holding New Orleans to only 13 points in four quarters, but you can’t win if you don’t score points, and the Wraiths -- and Robby Rainey -- scored plenty of them. That’s why he’s my MVP.

Word count: 201


Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have?

It’s always hard to say one team who didn’t do so should have made the playoffs, because it means one of the teams who did get in shouldn’t have. Nevertheless, sometimes a case needs to be made, and this year was a real doozy as far as the NSFC playoff race was concerned. The Wraiths were the obvious favorites going in to the season, and they did not disappoint. Posting an 11-3 record, no one else in the conference was even close to challenging them for the top spot. The other three teams made it tricky, however, as to who would get in behind them. Both the Hawks and the Liberty were able to get seven wins apiece, and the Yeti were close behind at six wins. The Hawks ended up getting in, but who should have gotten in instead?

As a Yeti fanboi, you might expect me to argue for them. After all, they had an incredible season that defied all expectations, and they even managed to beat the ever-competitive Otters at home. But no, they didn’t do quite enough in the end to get into the playoffs, so it was right that they were kept out. Rather, it was the Liberty that should have gotten in over the Hawks. In what turned out to be Oles’ last ride in the NSFL, it would have been nice to see him get one last shot in the playoffs and see what he could do. But after the fire sale that saw almost all of their talent leave at the trade deadline, it was not meant to be.

Word count: 267


Unsung Hero:Who was the unsung hero of the playoffs, convince us.

While he’s not a player who flies under the radar, exactly, Dermot Lavelle had an excellent run in the playoffs that ultimately saw his team win the most coveted prize in the NSFL, the Ultimus Trophy. What made his play particularly special was his ability to contribute on both sides of the ball. As far as I’m aware, no other player has ever been as successful at playing on both offense and defense (and even in the return game!) as Lavelle. There are players like Boss Tweed, Eli Kamaka, and Angus Winchester who have transitioned from one side of the ball to the other, but that’s a far different feat than playing in all facets of the game in a single performance.

He was no slouch on offense or defense either. In fact, his presence in just about every minute of the game didn’t seem to have a negative impact on his play at all. In the first playoff game against the Baltimore Hawks, he had one catch for 31 yards, but it just happened to be a touchdown. On defense, he amassed 9 tackles before the end of the game. In the Ultimus championship game, he was credited with another 2 catches for 49 yards and added 5 tackles, 2 passes deflected, and an interception. With performances like that on both offense and defense, it’s easy to see why he was my unsung hero of the playoffs.

Word count: 238

[BWIII]

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else.
The Portland Pythons were holding every rabbit's foot, holding every horse shoe, and crossing every finger they could the last few weeks of the season so that they could finally say that they had clinched a playoff spot, but should they have really been in the playoffs in the first place? To be honest, Portland got extremely lucky in the way that the schedule fell, because given any other set of circumstances we most likely would have seen the Norfolk Seawolves claim another playoff birth.

Would the Seawolves have actually been a better option? Of course they would! If you want some kind of proof rather than taking a random person's word for it, just look at the fact that the Seawolves beat Kansas City twice in the regular season, which is something that Portland cannot say as they lost every single time they stepped on the field with the Coyotes. It's like Norforlk actually had a game plan that would work a decent amount of the time against Kansas City and instead of game planning, Portland just went out each time trying to do the exact same thing over and over.

In summation the Norfolk Seawolves were robbed of a playoff spot!

Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them.
When I look at the first round of the DSFL playoffs there is only one person that comes to mind when I think of players who could be the most valuable player for the Tijuana Luchadores as they knocked off the San Antonio Marshals, and that is none other than Sydney Spinelli. If you're a fan of San Antonio you know the name Spinelli all too well, most likely because cursing his name is a regular occurrence. On this day, in what was a defensive game through and through, Spinelli kept the Luchadores churning when all else failed. Despite starting the game off with a pick six, the Luchadores still found themselves down by six deep in the fourth quarter. By this time Spinelli had done the bulk of his damage going fifty-two yards on seven carries and was all in the mind of the Marshal's defense. That really didn't matter too much though as Spinelli would take his final handoff of the game and somehow manage to break off his biggest run of the game as he went sixteen yards and took it to the house. This would also be the deciding blow as the Luchadores would manage to find a way to get past the Marshals and punch their ticket to the Ultimini.

Playoff Review: Write a short review of the playoffs and each of the matchups.
Luchadores @ Marshals
This was definitely the most anticipated matchup of the first round of the DSFL playoffs. A lot of people had the Marshals pegged as the odds on favorite to win the Ultimini given how dominate they were, but the Luchadores were having none of it. Kevin Fitzpatrick started the game off poorly throwing a pick six, but the team picked up their quarterback and the defense did what it did all year and create turnovers. Fitzpatrick would bounce back and find the end zone, while Ramero would knock in a couple field goals and the Marshals looked to be in the Ultimini.......but not so fast! Sydney Spinelli would break off a huge run and instead send Tijuana to the big dance.

Pythons @ Coyotes
Kansas City was the other Ultimini favorite and unlike the team from the other conference, the Coyotes actually took care of business. Portland was actually the first team to strike as Christ found his man for a score, but from there on out Kansas City rode their running back duo of Strike and Speedy and with that much pedal to the medal the game was out of hand. Portland would end up scoring late, but by then the game was already over.

Luchadores @ Coyotes
This game had every indication it would be a drubbing by Kansas City and by the end of the first half it looked to be that way as the Coyotes amassed a 17-0 lead. Tijuana wasn't going anywhere though and they actually managed to scrape their way back into it and made it a dog fight. Thinks got real interesting as Spinelli ripped off a 73 yard punt return for a touchdown, but the Luchadores missed the two point conversion. Their defense would hold and set up one final drive. Kansas City would ultimately crumble under the pressure and allow Tijuana to drive up the field fast enough and Kyle Corbett would knock home a 50 yard field goal as time expired.

Championship Game Recap: Do a recap of the best play from the championship game.
The best play from the DSFL Ultimini would have to be when Sydney Spinelli broke off his 73 yard punt return for a touchdown to bring his team within striking distance. The thing that made this play so great, wasn't the fact that it closed the gap between the two teams, but the fact that it was so effortless and also the smile Spinelli had on his face after he reached the end zone. Maybe it was the fact that this was the last game that Spinelli would have in a Luchadores uniform or the fact that he's just such a beast, but the dude put it all out there for this team in the playoffs. If I had to describe what it was like watching him return that kick though I like try to describe it like taking your puppy to a new dog park for the first time. Sure he's been to other parks before and been off his leash, but there's just something about a new park he's never been to with new smells and new things to see that just brings pure joy to his face. I wish I could say it'll be sad not seeing Spinelli in a Tijuana uniform anymore, but I'm not about to lie like that, but at least the dude went out on top like the beast he was.

[keanex]

Robbed

Robbed may perhaps be an odd way to describe the Colorado Yeti's season this year as a team coming off of a thirty two game losing streak, but I think it's an apt word given the rally they had this year. Not only did they beat playoff winning teams, they were certainly in contention to make the cut. A strong week 12 win over the Philadelphia Liberty with a score of 35-20 put the Yeti at 6-6, needing only a win over the Hawks in week 14 to make the playoffs or a week 13 win over the Wraiths and two losses by either the Hawks or Liberty to make the playoffs.

Hawks and Liberty won their week 13 games while Yeti lost, this brought the Yeti to a 6-7 record, while the Liberty were 7-6 and the Hawks were 6-7. Week 14 became hugely important and unfortunately the Hawks were able to beat the Yeti 33-17 in Baltimore to sneak by into the playoffs.

It was a hard fought year for the Yeti and no one on the Yeti should feel sad. They played hard and were one of the best Yeti teams since the inception of the NSFL, but it goes to show how important every game is. You have to wonder what would have happened in the playoffs if the Yeti made it. From joke to contender, the season eight Yeti made some noises. Let's make some more.

[Leafer]

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 hawks can really win this game. They are on this crazy streak where they have won 3 straight weeks. They have an elite offensive player like Blocksdale and the elite squad of receivers and running backs. The offense has destroyed teams like the Yeti, the Sabrecats and especially the Wraith from my heart. The wraith to be honest are a joke and do not deserve to win. So obviously the hawks have advantage. Now the defense is something to talk about. The hawks have the greatest defense core in the history of NSFL. And that means they can win and defense wins championships which means they will win the NSFC game. With a core of Valentine, Goodson and of course the stupid good duo of Roenick and Asipi. That duo is something nothing can be compared to because that duo is a god type. Asipi handles the QB and Roenick handles the receivers and rest do their thing. Also, there will be hawks fans in the stadium and apparently the hawks suck in playing home but great in away so there is a reason to why they will win this game and if they dont, i will retire roenick.

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

I will not even talk about that Hawks vs Wraith game because it is a rigged game. So I will talk about the other game. The game between the Otters and the Second Lina which is pretty predictable. Otters will win right? Wrong, NOLA won. Regression struck the Otters and it is why they lost. Well the MVP of this game is simple, it is a QB. It is sad but it is him, Borkus Maximus III. He actually had a very good game and the best offensive player for the team. He played better than Boss in a playoff game which is actually rare to do so bovo should be proud. He had 36 successful passes and out of 54 attempts which is very good and above 50%. He also had a total of 362 yards thrown which is better than boss and it was not even close. He however had an interception so obviously that makes him suck. Having an interception in a playoff game is a huge mistake and bovo should feel very embarrassed. But so did Boss so Bovo is still the MVP of this game and this series so we will finally have a new ASFC champion.

Championship Game Recap: Do a recap of the best play from the championship game. Must be completed after the Championship Game

The championship game is the biggest game of the year for football but this game sucks. It is between two teams that are not relevant. The wraith who are a bunch of junks against the second line who should go back to being the legion. So what is so exciting? Who will win. It starts off with FG from NOLA. Then with 6 seconds left, the wraith get the TD. Next quarter, Robby Rainey is the man again and gets another touchdown for the team. But NOLA scores a TD after that thanks to a pass from bovo. 2nd half starts and the wraith get a TD from a pass from akselsen who has been on fire lately. Then NOLA could not produce any offense and the wraith get possession back and score a FG to have a 14 point lead. Last quarter, NOLA strikes back with a FG but they need touchdowns and could not do it against the defense which is the end of the game. They beat the Otters easily but they could not defeat the wraith which is very disappointing. Congrats to the wraith even though I hate them so much for being the fuck out of us recently.

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)

People will say that another QB will win playoff MVP so it will go to Akselsen. Will I say Akselsen can piss his pants because he will not win playoff MVP. In fact, it is none other than Robby Rainey. Rainey was the best running back in the playoffs and no one can beat him to that. But he is also the best player in the playoffs which no one can also beat him to it. In the hawks game, he was a god and he is so underrated which I hate him so much about. WE SHOULD HAVE WON THAT GAME, THAT WAS OUR CHANCE TO WIN THE ULTIMUS. In 5 games, Rainey had 5 touchdowns which is pretty impressive to put up 35 points. That is more than a QB so might as well name him MVP. What is something is that winning the playoffs MVP is not about winning the playoff MVP, it is about what happens when you win the playoff MVP. You can go to disney land which is my favourite place ever but the problem is it is too childish so you have to win something to go and so winning the playoff MVP is a great treat.

[evryday]

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 Playoff MVP for the first round of the playoffs has to go to the clutch kicker, Peg Leg of the New Orleans Second Line. With 10 seconds left in the biggest game of his career, he nails a 46 yarder to win them the game. Not bad for the power kicker from Pittsburgh, PA. Leg was just 7/9 from 40-49 yards out this season. Heck, he had the worst extra point percentage in the league this season at 88%. But still, he put all that out of his head in the waning seconds and won it. You have got to give him MVP honors for such a clutch kick. If it weren’t for him, they would have gone to overtime and you never know, you could lose it on the flip of a coin.

Not only did he excel at kicking field goals, but he also punted for the Second Line. He was a solid punter averaging 46.9 yards per punt including one inside the 20 yard line with a long of 62. You have to admire a guy pulling double duty when his team needs him. If that’s not Playoff MVP material then I don’t know what is.

Playoff Review: Write a short review of the playoffs and each of the matchups. Must be completed after the Championship Game

NSFC Title Game:
Here we saw the 7-7 Baltimore Hawks pitted against the 11-3 Wraiths. The Wraiths had the season series 2-0 but the margin of victory was very small, 61-52 combined between the two games. Each team knew what they had to do win, it was just a matter of executing. Baltimore came out hot with
21 unanswered points before Yellowknife got on the board with just a minute left in the first half. From there, it was the Rainey and company show as Rainey went on to score three rushing touchdowns to give Yellowknife the eventual 38-24 victory.

ASFC Title Game:
Here we saw the New Orleans Second Line up against the Orange County Otters. This game saw the Otters either down or tied for the entirety of the game, that is, until Peg Leg’s game winning field goal with just ten seconds left in the game. Even the game MVP came from the losing team. Boss threw under 50%, Burnsman struggled to get going with a 3.1 yard average and a long of seven yards. This game was just about as close on paper as it was in real life. A last second field goal was a fitting end to this close fought game.

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)

Typically when you think of a moment in a game that really made it special, it’s going to be a pick six or a huge passing play or a big hit, however, I would argue that doesn’t always have to be the case. The Magic Moment in the title game probably seemed trivial at the time; a 2 yard scamper from Rainey to put the Wraiths up 14-3 just about halfway through the second quarter. However, that 14th point would be exactly what Yellowknife needed to defeat the New Orleans Second Line. I could have easily gone for some glamorous play that “turned the tide” of the game, so to speak but apparently I have become a Rainey fanboy of sorts so I have to give it to him here. I’m sure there was a huge defensive stop at some point but with the Wraiths winning by eleven points, it was really two stops that would have sealed the deal. It’s kind of hard to pinpoint a single play that turned the tide.
On the drive leading up to the score, Yellowknife really mixed it up, a couple passes, a couple runs, then a long 31 yard pass play from Akselsen to Kennedy on Third and Three brought them down to the two yard line then it was a no brainer to give it to Rainey to punch it in and he did just that.

Unsung Hero: Who was the unsung hero of the playoffs, convince us. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

The unsung hero, in my humble opinion anyway, has to be Robby Rainey of the Yellowknife Wraiths. He single handedly beat the Baltimore Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. Now, I know what you’re saying, how can you say he beat the Hawks when he only put up 33 yards? Well, Rainey definitely went for quality over quantity with his rushes. His longest rush of the day was just 8 yards, not even enough for a first down. On top of that, he had a dismal 3 yards per rush average on just eleven carries. However, three of those eleven, or 27.2% of his carries, went for touchdowns. Not only that, but all three of his touchdowns, which is a playoff record by the way, came in the second half, two of them in the last six and a half minutes of the game. With the Hawks up 21-7 going into the half, Rainey put this Wraiths team on his back and carried them to victory, granted he didn’t have to physically run very far. Without him, the Wraiths would not have had the opportunity to advance to the Ultimus game. That game, he rushed for 75 yards on 22 carries and scored another two touchdowns. This guy was a scoring machine all post season long so he absolutely deserves to be recognized. All of this is why I believe Rainey deserves to be sung and not be the unsung hero of the playoffs.

[Molarpistols]

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

The Colorado Yeti deserved the playoffs. It's been a long time since those words could be uttered and actually be truthful. After a disappointing several years, which included a 32-game losing streak, the Colorado Yeti managed to put together some wins.

The team finished 6-8, a far cry from being 0-32 over the course of a little more than two seasons. The Baltimore Hawks and Philadelphia Liberty both finished ahead of the Yeti in the conference, with a record of 7-7 each. The Yeti managed to go 1-1 against each of the teams that finished 1-game above them, while losing both games to the eventual champion, Yellowknife Wraiths.

Believe it or not, the Yeti even managed a win against the Orange County Otters, IN Orange County. The Otters are perennial favorites to win it all, having never missed the playoffs and made 4 straight trips to the championship game, and the Yeti managed to win a game in Orange County anyway.

The young backbone of this team is showing lots of promise, and with the Liberty basically taking the team to a gas-station for a gas fight Zoolander style, the Yeti make a strong case for making the playoffs in the NSFC next season. The Hawks will still put up a fight, but with Blocksdale regressing and star WR Leclair testing free agency, it's plausible, even probable they'll take a step back.

Season 10, the year of the Yeti.

Playoff Review: Write a short review of the playoffs and each of the matchups. Must be completed after the Championship Game

ASFC: The Otters squeaked out a win in Week 13 against the New Orleans Second Line to secure home field advantage in the playoffs in the ASFC Conference championship. Unfortunately for the Otters, the luck was not to continue. NOLA sufficiently stymied the Otters air-raid offense, keeping HOF QB Mike Boss to a 64.8 QB rating and a measly 247 yards. NOLA drove at the end of the game and nailed a last-second field goal from 46 yards to make their first trip to the Ultimus.

NSFC: The Baltimore Hawks tripped into the playoffs at the last second after nearly throwing their season away midway through the season. The Wraiths kept rolling, only losing three games, two of them to the Otters. With a 21-0 lead heading into the final minute of the first half, the Hawks hiccuped and the Wraiths entered the half at 21-7. The Hawks only managed a single field goal in the second half to drop the game 38-24.

Ultimus: Similar to the NSFC game, the Ultimus was a bit of a mis-match. The Wraiths were heavy favorites, and managed not to choke it away this time. Akselsen outclassed Maximus by a wide margin, and it showed. With the additions in the coming off-season and the regressing of Askelsen, that statement won't be true much longer.

Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)

The Baltimore Hawks should have missed the playoffs. They escaped the most difficult stretch of the season early on after 2 games apiece against the Orange County Otters and the Yellowknife Wraiths. They exited this stretch after week 6 with a respectable 3-3 record and managed to blow it by only managing four more wins throughout the rest of the season. Their 3 wins came against the Otters, San Jose Sabercats and the Philadelphia Liberty. With two games apiece against perennial bottom-feeding Colorado Yeti and 2 more against rebuilding Arizona, and another one against Philadelphia and San Jose, both entering rebuilds, it wouldn't have been a surprise to run the table and end 11-3. Even going 1-1 against the New Orleans Second Line would've left them at 10-4.

Instead, after week 6, they dropped a game to the Yeti and Liberty, and dropped both their matchups against NOLA. Playoff teams don't lose games when they have a clear path to the playoffs at stake. Thankfully, they managed not to much up their chances against the bottom-two ASFC teams, the San Jose Sabercats or the Arizona Outlaws, because they would've easily missed the playoffs if that took place. With Leclair possibly leaving in free agency and Blocksdale regressing, we might see the Hawks fade into obscurity. 7-7 is already mediocrity.

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)

Yellowknife Wraiths Quarterback Matt Akselsen is easily the MVP of the Ultimus and will enjoy his trip to Disneyland. After a somewhat boring performance in the NSFC Championship game, Akselson turned on the jets to the tune of 335 yards and a touchdown through the air. Matt added 32 more yards on the ground with his mobile style that gives defenses headaches. Overall, he finished the game with an 89.2 rating. He could've and should've had a much better statline, but his offensive coordinator called two runs to RB Rainey at the 2 and 4 yardline that ended in Rainey's statline looking better. Akselson is who brought them to that point and should've had a chance at putting the ball in the end-zone himself through the air or ground.

Akselson didn't let the vulturing get into his head and still went on to lead the offense to 463 total yards with only a single turnover off of a fumble.

The other teams in the National Simulation Football League are rather lucky that Akselson is aging pretty quickly. There isn't enough ibuprofen in the world to alleviate the headaches he causes for defenses. The Wraiths capitalized on Akselson's performance with their first Ultimus Victory, and it couldn't have come at a better time with the window closing.