Task One: Playoff Game, Reviews
The playoff game that I chose to review is the DSFL Ultimini. This game was played between the Tijuana Luchadores and the Portland Pythons.
First Quarter:
Receiving the ball first, Portland's halfback Stronglegs made an immediate impact with a rush of 18 yards before the drive fizzled out shortly after with a few unimpressive run plays before punting away. Tijuana wanted no time in driving down the field with five rushing plays in a row to start the drive before throwing the ball four times in a row and eventually running it in for a touchdown. Portland's next drive looked promising, with many long runs and catches, but sustaining a pair of sacks was hard to overcome and they punted for the second time in the quarter. A couple of rushes from Tijuana led to the end of the quarter.
Second Quarter:
Aided by their loyalty to the running game, Tijuana took their time driving down the field. The drive resulted in another touchdown from Tijuana, on a pass from the quarterback McCann III, putting the Luchadores in a quick 14-0 lead. Later in the quarter, a blocked punt set up yet another touchdown drive the Luchadores, making their lead an impressive 21 points. Wanting to avoid putting up a goose egg in the first half, Portland quarterback Armstrong put together an incredible drive, highlighted by pass after pass, to bang in a touchdown with under 30 seconds left in the half to make it 21-7 at the intermission.
Halftime Thoughts:
At this point, I'm impressed by Tijuana's running game. They have been very consistent and have played at their tempo, and even their passing has been efficient. Through most of the half, Portland's offense has done well but struggled to finish their drives strong, until the incredible drive by Armstrong right before the half. I think Portland could ride this momentum to a victory, but it's looking bleak.
Third Quarter:
The most impressive part of Tijuana's first drive of the final half was the 54 yard punt by the kicker Jones. Portland's quarterback Armstrong felt the need to one-up Tijuana's sad drive, and decided to throw an interception. Not wanting to be left out of the quarter of sadness, Jones decided to miss a 41 yard field goal. For Portland's next drive, they wanted to fake everyone out and proceeded to drive down the field for almost 5 minutes before turning the ball over on downs. They almost had me fooled. It seemed like someone would actually score this quarter. Like something out of a movie where the producers needed to find a way to build up suspense for the final quarter of the season, Tijuana's McCann decided to fumble to ball away in their own territory, putting the Pythons in a prime position to score. The third quarter ended with one punt, one missed field goal, and three turnovers.
Fourth Quarter:
The Pythons, in a great position to make some noise, opened the quarter with a bang with a.. turnover on downs. Shocker. After forcing the Luchadores to punt, it finally seemed like Portland would make a run at the championship and make it a one possession game. Sadly, Armstrong had different plans, as he threw another interception deep in his own territory, leading to a touchdown pass from McCann and pushing the lead to 28-7. It seemed like a do or die time for the Pythons. In the face of adversity, Armstrong drove his team down the field, took his time, and managed to score a touchdown after a long pass set up a one yard run. On the ensuing kickoff, the Pythons attempted an insides kick and recoverd it. It was a game again! Down 28-14 with just over two minutes to go and in opponents territory, it was time for Armstrong to prove that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the DSFL. Armstrong proved this, as he marched his team.. actually, nevermind. They didn't gain a yard and turned the ball over on downs. The Luchadores ran down the clock and they won the Ultimini!
Final Thoughts: It was a rough game for Armstrong, who carried his team all the way to the Ultimini just to fall short after committing five turnovers. McCann played a heck of a game and always kept his team moving forward in an impressive performance. Congratulations Tijuana!
Task Three: All about the QBs
After watching and reviewing the Ultimini, I wanted to talk a little bit more about the quarterback play that I saw in this game between McCann III of the Luchadores and Armstrong of the Pythons. Watching the game, it was hard to tell who the better quarterback was, but it was easy to tell that McCann was significantly more efficient. Speaking on the good that both quarterbacks had in this game, McCann was able to put his team in an early lead of 21-0 before the Pythons were even able to score and was supremely efficent with his passes. He completed 10 passes out of the 18 that he threw, good for a 56% completion rate. Adding to those solid numbers, McCann threw for 2 touchdowns and avoided interceptions like the plague. He ended up with a remarkable passer rating of 105.3 in the game. He also had an impact in the ground game, running 3 times for 24 yards and a long of 14. Those are very solid and efficient numbers from McCann. On the other team, Armstrong had to play a different role in the game. His team struggled and fell into a hole early, leading to a whopping 38 paass attempts and 19 completions, good for a 50% completion rate along with 257 yards. He had an excellent drive at the end of the second quarter, going 6/7 for 74 yards and a touchdown over a 5 minutes drive right before halftime. Now for the bad parts of the game for both quarterbacks. Armstrong ended up throwing two killer interceptions, preventing his team from scoring and putting the Luchadores is perfect positions to score themselves. The Pythons also had multiple drives flare out and turned over on downs. Additionally, Armstrong took two sacks and committed an illegal blocking penalty right before throwing a pick. For McCann, he was relatively mistake free, but he did have a fumble after an impressive 10 yard rush that gave the ball to the Pythons and took two sacks himself. McCann's halfback also out up an impressive 124 yards, leading McCann to only throw for 86 yards. Despite these negatives, I think both quarterbacks played solid games, but I give the edge to McCann for his efficient passing and lack of turnovers.
Task Four: Head to Head Matchups
The player matchup I want to focus on was the Donut on Donuts action from the Ultimini, speedy halfback Ducky Donut from Tijuana and quick linebacker Duncan Donuts from Portland. Yes, I chose these players for the obvious reason, but I could have also used Sprinkles or Creme. I had some options, but these two had the most interactions in the play by play. Ducky Donut was named the offensive player of the game, posting a stat line of 21 rushes for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns. This is a very, very solid game from Donut, as the passing attack didn't put up fantastic numbers. It was up to the rushing game to deliver and Donut was a huge part of the victory for Tijuana. On the other side, Donuts won the defensive player of the game award by posting 10 tackles and a sack. He was the leader for a defense that just didn't quite do enough to slow down the Luchadores. How did they do when they ran into each other? On runs by Ducky Donut that Duncan Donuts got the tackle on, Donut only had rushes of five, three, two, and two yards for a total of 4 rushes for 12 yards, or 3.0 ypc. Taking away those stats from Donut's total on the day, against all other defenders, Donut ran 17 times for 112 yards for a whopping 6.6 ypc, over double of what Donuts gave up in their matchups. Specifically int he matchup between Donut and Donuts, I think it is clear that Donuts is the winner. However, Donut still got the last laugh by posting a great statline and winning the Ultimini.
Task Sixteen: Unsung Hero
I'm here to prove why Groovy Johnson, corner back for the Tijuana Luchadores, was the unsung hero of the DSFL playoffs. In his first game, a close 24-13 win over San Antonio, Johnson had an amazing stat line of 13 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass defended. 13 tackles for a corner back is amazing no matter what the situation is. By forcing a fumble and recovering another separate fumble, Johnson was able to shut down two Marshals drives, which was crucial in a two possession game. Johnson also had one stop that lead to a fourth down and one stop one another fourth down to force a turnover on downs. If you're keeping count at home, that is 4 possessions that Groovy Johnson was able to end in this game alone. In the second game, Johnson had a quieter match, posting just 4 tackles, but this shouldn't be held against him. Nobody on the Tijuana defense had a great game. Even so, one of Johnson's tackles ended up leading to a Pythons punt and he had another 3 tackles on top of that. His combined statline was a great 17 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defended, and contributed greatly to ending 5 opponent possessions, when the team won each game by 2 possessions. By my count, if Groovy Johnson didn't step up his game in the playoffs, the Luchadores may not have won the Ultimini.
The playoff game that I chose to review is the DSFL Ultimini. This game was played between the Tijuana Luchadores and the Portland Pythons.
First Quarter:
Receiving the ball first, Portland's halfback Stronglegs made an immediate impact with a rush of 18 yards before the drive fizzled out shortly after with a few unimpressive run plays before punting away. Tijuana wanted no time in driving down the field with five rushing plays in a row to start the drive before throwing the ball four times in a row and eventually running it in for a touchdown. Portland's next drive looked promising, with many long runs and catches, but sustaining a pair of sacks was hard to overcome and they punted for the second time in the quarter. A couple of rushes from Tijuana led to the end of the quarter.
Second Quarter:
Aided by their loyalty to the running game, Tijuana took their time driving down the field. The drive resulted in another touchdown from Tijuana, on a pass from the quarterback McCann III, putting the Luchadores in a quick 14-0 lead. Later in the quarter, a blocked punt set up yet another touchdown drive the Luchadores, making their lead an impressive 21 points. Wanting to avoid putting up a goose egg in the first half, Portland quarterback Armstrong put together an incredible drive, highlighted by pass after pass, to bang in a touchdown with under 30 seconds left in the half to make it 21-7 at the intermission.
Halftime Thoughts:
At this point, I'm impressed by Tijuana's running game. They have been very consistent and have played at their tempo, and even their passing has been efficient. Through most of the half, Portland's offense has done well but struggled to finish their drives strong, until the incredible drive by Armstrong right before the half. I think Portland could ride this momentum to a victory, but it's looking bleak.
Third Quarter:
The most impressive part of Tijuana's first drive of the final half was the 54 yard punt by the kicker Jones. Portland's quarterback Armstrong felt the need to one-up Tijuana's sad drive, and decided to throw an interception. Not wanting to be left out of the quarter of sadness, Jones decided to miss a 41 yard field goal. For Portland's next drive, they wanted to fake everyone out and proceeded to drive down the field for almost 5 minutes before turning the ball over on downs. They almost had me fooled. It seemed like someone would actually score this quarter. Like something out of a movie where the producers needed to find a way to build up suspense for the final quarter of the season, Tijuana's McCann decided to fumble to ball away in their own territory, putting the Pythons in a prime position to score. The third quarter ended with one punt, one missed field goal, and three turnovers.
Fourth Quarter:
The Pythons, in a great position to make some noise, opened the quarter with a bang with a.. turnover on downs. Shocker. After forcing the Luchadores to punt, it finally seemed like Portland would make a run at the championship and make it a one possession game. Sadly, Armstrong had different plans, as he threw another interception deep in his own territory, leading to a touchdown pass from McCann and pushing the lead to 28-7. It seemed like a do or die time for the Pythons. In the face of adversity, Armstrong drove his team down the field, took his time, and managed to score a touchdown after a long pass set up a one yard run. On the ensuing kickoff, the Pythons attempted an insides kick and recoverd it. It was a game again! Down 28-14 with just over two minutes to go and in opponents territory, it was time for Armstrong to prove that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the DSFL. Armstrong proved this, as he marched his team.. actually, nevermind. They didn't gain a yard and turned the ball over on downs. The Luchadores ran down the clock and they won the Ultimini!
Final Thoughts: It was a rough game for Armstrong, who carried his team all the way to the Ultimini just to fall short after committing five turnovers. McCann played a heck of a game and always kept his team moving forward in an impressive performance. Congratulations Tijuana!
Task Three: All about the QBs
After watching and reviewing the Ultimini, I wanted to talk a little bit more about the quarterback play that I saw in this game between McCann III of the Luchadores and Armstrong of the Pythons. Watching the game, it was hard to tell who the better quarterback was, but it was easy to tell that McCann was significantly more efficient. Speaking on the good that both quarterbacks had in this game, McCann was able to put his team in an early lead of 21-0 before the Pythons were even able to score and was supremely efficent with his passes. He completed 10 passes out of the 18 that he threw, good for a 56% completion rate. Adding to those solid numbers, McCann threw for 2 touchdowns and avoided interceptions like the plague. He ended up with a remarkable passer rating of 105.3 in the game. He also had an impact in the ground game, running 3 times for 24 yards and a long of 14. Those are very solid and efficient numbers from McCann. On the other team, Armstrong had to play a different role in the game. His team struggled and fell into a hole early, leading to a whopping 38 paass attempts and 19 completions, good for a 50% completion rate along with 257 yards. He had an excellent drive at the end of the second quarter, going 6/7 for 74 yards and a touchdown over a 5 minutes drive right before halftime. Now for the bad parts of the game for both quarterbacks. Armstrong ended up throwing two killer interceptions, preventing his team from scoring and putting the Luchadores is perfect positions to score themselves. The Pythons also had multiple drives flare out and turned over on downs. Additionally, Armstrong took two sacks and committed an illegal blocking penalty right before throwing a pick. For McCann, he was relatively mistake free, but he did have a fumble after an impressive 10 yard rush that gave the ball to the Pythons and took two sacks himself. McCann's halfback also out up an impressive 124 yards, leading McCann to only throw for 86 yards. Despite these negatives, I think both quarterbacks played solid games, but I give the edge to McCann for his efficient passing and lack of turnovers.
Task Four: Head to Head Matchups
The player matchup I want to focus on was the Donut on Donuts action from the Ultimini, speedy halfback Ducky Donut from Tijuana and quick linebacker Duncan Donuts from Portland. Yes, I chose these players for the obvious reason, but I could have also used Sprinkles or Creme. I had some options, but these two had the most interactions in the play by play. Ducky Donut was named the offensive player of the game, posting a stat line of 21 rushes for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns. This is a very, very solid game from Donut, as the passing attack didn't put up fantastic numbers. It was up to the rushing game to deliver and Donut was a huge part of the victory for Tijuana. On the other side, Donuts won the defensive player of the game award by posting 10 tackles and a sack. He was the leader for a defense that just didn't quite do enough to slow down the Luchadores. How did they do when they ran into each other? On runs by Ducky Donut that Duncan Donuts got the tackle on, Donut only had rushes of five, three, two, and two yards for a total of 4 rushes for 12 yards, or 3.0 ypc. Taking away those stats from Donut's total on the day, against all other defenders, Donut ran 17 times for 112 yards for a whopping 6.6 ypc, over double of what Donuts gave up in their matchups. Specifically int he matchup between Donut and Donuts, I think it is clear that Donuts is the winner. However, Donut still got the last laugh by posting a great statline and winning the Ultimini.
Task Sixteen: Unsung Hero
I'm here to prove why Groovy Johnson, corner back for the Tijuana Luchadores, was the unsung hero of the DSFL playoffs. In his first game, a close 24-13 win over San Antonio, Johnson had an amazing stat line of 13 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass defended. 13 tackles for a corner back is amazing no matter what the situation is. By forcing a fumble and recovering another separate fumble, Johnson was able to shut down two Marshals drives, which was crucial in a two possession game. Johnson also had one stop that lead to a fourth down and one stop one another fourth down to force a turnover on downs. If you're keeping count at home, that is 4 possessions that Groovy Johnson was able to end in this game alone. In the second game, Johnson had a quieter match, posting just 4 tackles, but this shouldn't be held against him. Nobody on the Tijuana defense had a great game. Even so, one of Johnson's tackles ended up leading to a Pythons punt and he had another 3 tackles on top of that. His combined statline was a great 17 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defended, and contributed greatly to ending 5 opponent possessions, when the team won each game by 2 possessions. By my count, if Groovy Johnson didn't step up his game in the playoffs, the Luchadores may not have won the Ultimini.
by BOOM™
by Hallmonitor20
by Hallmonitor20