09-03-2019, 02:24 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-14-2019, 05:13 PM by goodvsevil1275.)
Again, broken hand. Did less research this week because of it. Forgive my laziness if there are errors.
For everyone who missed it last week, this is a segment I'm doing every week where we look at NSFL results and talk about how our favorite players are faring. Some weeks we'll have guys moving up, some weeks we'll have guys moving down, some weeks we'll have guys that shake up the league by having breakout performances. This is a completely opinion based forum from a guy who is still new to the league, so feel free to debate and disagree as you feel content. Let's dive in!
Quarterbacks
Andrew Reese: Moving on up the rankings. 960 yards, seven touchdowns, and only two picks from a guy who was a middle of the pack quarterback last season. Reese was buried behind a run first offense in season 16 and wasn't given a lot of opportunity to shine. With his new weapons on offense, namely Vinny Valentine, Reese has started off this season solid. He's showing that he's more than capable of minimizing mistakes and allowing the offense to run through him and through three games, he's on pace to shatter last season's numbers. He started a little slow, posting less than 300 yards and two scores in each of his first two games. He was efficient, but didn't have to do anything spectacular. That said, when his number was called in week three to keep the reigning champions from going negative on the season, he put up a heroic 405 yards and three scores to lead them to the win. If Reese keeps this up, Arizona may be on pace to repeat.
Corvo Havran: Shaker. Havran was a middle of the pack player last season who showed his ability to make plays, but often those plays were overshadowed by the mistakes made soon after. He threw 14 scores and 11 picks last season and had one of the lowest quarterback ratings in the league. He looks to be trying to rewrite the script in Season 17. He's started off 10 scores, only three interceptions, and has the highest rating on the board. The Hawks are currently undefeated and Havran's play-making is a big reason why. If he can turn this early success into a season long run, he could be the difference maker for Baltimore's playoff aspirations.
Cooter Bigsby: Phew. There is a lot that can be said about this one, but we'll keep it short and sweet. 4468 yards, 58.9 completion percent, 33 scores, 14 interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 90.3. Those are astounding numbers that would make any quarterback proud and put Bigsby in the argument for the best quarterback of season 17. This season? He has started sliding down a cliff. He ranks last in completion percentage, he's in the top three in interceptions thrown, and the only player with a worst quarterback rating is a guy named McDummy. This is not what Yellowknifneeds from their star quarterback.
Running Backs
Dorfus Jimbo: Moving to the top shelf. In our previous edition, Jimbo was a guy we thought could potentially mix things up in the league. He's proven now that he is more than capable of it. Since his initial showing as the feature back for Baltimore, Dorfus has rewarded his team's faith by being the leader on the ground in every game he's played. This includes a 160 yard showing against the Yeti. The end zone still alludes him, but the Hawks still lead the league in scoring in large part to Dorfus getting them there.
Forrest Gump: A surprising shaker. Gump is in this spot for a different reason than some of these other guys. It isn't what he's been able to do on the ground that is shaking things up. He was already towards the top of the league there last season. It is what he's done through the air. Last season Gump showed off his play-making ability and more than filled his role as part of a two headed attack in New Orleans. The Second Line are repaying that by giving him more volume and more opportunities. In just three games, Gump has put up similar numbers to what he did catching the ball last season in 14. If Gump continues this success, it may not be long before he starts sharing the back field less and less.
Chris Orosz: Despite not having the best season running the ball, Orosz was still the number one guy for the Sabercats last season as they brought up their rookie, Bigby. He has not been able to do enough to keep his role as the number one guy for San Jose and Bigby has now taken over completely. San Jose doesn't run the ball a lot in the first place and now Bigby may see his touches vanish near entirely. He's a player in the twilight of his career and it looks like his best is now long behind him.
Wide Receiver
Xavier Flash: Mover, a return to glory. Flash had an off season in season 16 when he didn't see himself make the top 10 receivers in yards. Some thought perhaps Flash's age was catching up to him and he was beginning to regress. He's proven all of those doubters wrong so far this season. 17 catches, 295 yards, and two scores has him on pace to shatter what he did last year. The Wraiths needed a star in their receiving corp and it looks like Flash is ready to take that next step and steal the mantle.
Ahri Espeeyeeseetee: Shaker making Baltimore look good. Ahri was the definition of a tier two receiver last season. 53 catches, 663 yards and two scores was indication of someone who wasn't a top target, but was good enough to have some impact. This season, Ahri is set to change everything. Ahri is sitting at 270 yards and three scores, already passing the last year mark in points. With Maddox still producing, Ahri's turn around is a big reason why Baltimore has the best offense in the league right now.
Josh Parker: Falling fast. As Flash's stock rises, Yellowknife fans have had to start playing "Where is Josh Parker?" in their spare time. Parker was the top receiver for the Wraiths in season 16, putting up 989 yards and five scores. So far this season, he hasn't found the end zone a single time is on pace for a 690 yard season. That is unacceptable for a player of his caliber and Yellowknife may need him to make a quick turnaround if they want their barely 6th ranked offense to rebound.
Tight Ends and Flex Backs
Johnny Blaze: Mover, returning to form. After a disappointing start to the season, Blaze has really started to round out and come into form over the last two games. He's managed to make up for his disappointing 35 yard showing in week one and had a coming out party against the Wraiths with an 11 catch, 117 yard showing that helped the Otters to an upset. He showed why he was regarded as one of the top guys in the league last season and its great to see him bounce back.
Mako Mendonca: Shaker. I wasn't sure if I should put Mendonca in this spot at first because he was widely used as a flex back in season 16. He put up a respectable 568 all purpose yards and four scores in a rookie debut season where he backed up one of the top guys in the league. This season, he's the veteran back on the team and has been expected to carry more of the workload as the team brings Ashley Owens up to speed. Mendonca has answered with 285 yards and two scores so far this season. He's already on pace to multiply what he did last season. After losing the second ranked back in the league in the off season, Austin needed one of their young guys to step up. If Mendonca keeps performing, he can really shake up this offense for the Copperheads.
Tyler Swift: An expected slip down. After posting 1352 all purpose yards and 12 scores last season, it was hard to imagine that Swift could repeat the performance he had in season 16. So far through three games, he's only managed 241 yards and a single score. He's averaging almost 20 yards less a game and is finding the end zone elusive. Swift shares a backfield with Gump who is on the rise so far in season 17. If things continue at this pace, he may see himself losing more and more opportunities to his partner in crime.
That is my look at the offensive movers and shakers for weeks two and three. Hope you guys have enjoyed and I look forward to the next edition!
For everyone who missed it last week, this is a segment I'm doing every week where we look at NSFL results and talk about how our favorite players are faring. Some weeks we'll have guys moving up, some weeks we'll have guys moving down, some weeks we'll have guys that shake up the league by having breakout performances. This is a completely opinion based forum from a guy who is still new to the league, so feel free to debate and disagree as you feel content. Let's dive in!
Quarterbacks
Andrew Reese: Moving on up the rankings. 960 yards, seven touchdowns, and only two picks from a guy who was a middle of the pack quarterback last season. Reese was buried behind a run first offense in season 16 and wasn't given a lot of opportunity to shine. With his new weapons on offense, namely Vinny Valentine, Reese has started off this season solid. He's showing that he's more than capable of minimizing mistakes and allowing the offense to run through him and through three games, he's on pace to shatter last season's numbers. He started a little slow, posting less than 300 yards and two scores in each of his first two games. He was efficient, but didn't have to do anything spectacular. That said, when his number was called in week three to keep the reigning champions from going negative on the season, he put up a heroic 405 yards and three scores to lead them to the win. If Reese keeps this up, Arizona may be on pace to repeat.
Corvo Havran: Shaker. Havran was a middle of the pack player last season who showed his ability to make plays, but often those plays were overshadowed by the mistakes made soon after. He threw 14 scores and 11 picks last season and had one of the lowest quarterback ratings in the league. He looks to be trying to rewrite the script in Season 17. He's started off 10 scores, only three interceptions, and has the highest rating on the board. The Hawks are currently undefeated and Havran's play-making is a big reason why. If he can turn this early success into a season long run, he could be the difference maker for Baltimore's playoff aspirations.
Cooter Bigsby: Phew. There is a lot that can be said about this one, but we'll keep it short and sweet. 4468 yards, 58.9 completion percent, 33 scores, 14 interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 90.3. Those are astounding numbers that would make any quarterback proud and put Bigsby in the argument for the best quarterback of season 17. This season? He has started sliding down a cliff. He ranks last in completion percentage, he's in the top three in interceptions thrown, and the only player with a worst quarterback rating is a guy named McDummy. This is not what Yellowknifneeds from their star quarterback.
Running Backs
Dorfus Jimbo: Moving to the top shelf. In our previous edition, Jimbo was a guy we thought could potentially mix things up in the league. He's proven now that he is more than capable of it. Since his initial showing as the feature back for Baltimore, Dorfus has rewarded his team's faith by being the leader on the ground in every game he's played. This includes a 160 yard showing against the Yeti. The end zone still alludes him, but the Hawks still lead the league in scoring in large part to Dorfus getting them there.
Forrest Gump: A surprising shaker. Gump is in this spot for a different reason than some of these other guys. It isn't what he's been able to do on the ground that is shaking things up. He was already towards the top of the league there last season. It is what he's done through the air. Last season Gump showed off his play-making ability and more than filled his role as part of a two headed attack in New Orleans. The Second Line are repaying that by giving him more volume and more opportunities. In just three games, Gump has put up similar numbers to what he did catching the ball last season in 14. If Gump continues this success, it may not be long before he starts sharing the back field less and less.
Chris Orosz: Despite not having the best season running the ball, Orosz was still the number one guy for the Sabercats last season as they brought up their rookie, Bigby. He has not been able to do enough to keep his role as the number one guy for San Jose and Bigby has now taken over completely. San Jose doesn't run the ball a lot in the first place and now Bigby may see his touches vanish near entirely. He's a player in the twilight of his career and it looks like his best is now long behind him.
Wide Receiver
Xavier Flash: Mover, a return to glory. Flash had an off season in season 16 when he didn't see himself make the top 10 receivers in yards. Some thought perhaps Flash's age was catching up to him and he was beginning to regress. He's proven all of those doubters wrong so far this season. 17 catches, 295 yards, and two scores has him on pace to shatter what he did last year. The Wraiths needed a star in their receiving corp and it looks like Flash is ready to take that next step and steal the mantle.
Ahri Espeeyeeseetee: Shaker making Baltimore look good. Ahri was the definition of a tier two receiver last season. 53 catches, 663 yards and two scores was indication of someone who wasn't a top target, but was good enough to have some impact. This season, Ahri is set to change everything. Ahri is sitting at 270 yards and three scores, already passing the last year mark in points. With Maddox still producing, Ahri's turn around is a big reason why Baltimore has the best offense in the league right now.
Josh Parker: Falling fast. As Flash's stock rises, Yellowknife fans have had to start playing "Where is Josh Parker?" in their spare time. Parker was the top receiver for the Wraiths in season 16, putting up 989 yards and five scores. So far this season, he hasn't found the end zone a single time is on pace for a 690 yard season. That is unacceptable for a player of his caliber and Yellowknife may need him to make a quick turnaround if they want their barely 6th ranked offense to rebound.
Tight Ends and Flex Backs
Johnny Blaze: Mover, returning to form. After a disappointing start to the season, Blaze has really started to round out and come into form over the last two games. He's managed to make up for his disappointing 35 yard showing in week one and had a coming out party against the Wraiths with an 11 catch, 117 yard showing that helped the Otters to an upset. He showed why he was regarded as one of the top guys in the league last season and its great to see him bounce back.
Mako Mendonca: Shaker. I wasn't sure if I should put Mendonca in this spot at first because he was widely used as a flex back in season 16. He put up a respectable 568 all purpose yards and four scores in a rookie debut season where he backed up one of the top guys in the league. This season, he's the veteran back on the team and has been expected to carry more of the workload as the team brings Ashley Owens up to speed. Mendonca has answered with 285 yards and two scores so far this season. He's already on pace to multiply what he did last season. After losing the second ranked back in the league in the off season, Austin needed one of their young guys to step up. If Mendonca keeps performing, he can really shake up this offense for the Copperheads.
Tyler Swift: An expected slip down. After posting 1352 all purpose yards and 12 scores last season, it was hard to imagine that Swift could repeat the performance he had in season 16. So far through three games, he's only managed 241 yards and a single score. He's averaging almost 20 yards less a game and is finding the end zone elusive. Swift shares a backfield with Gump who is on the rise so far in season 17. If things continue at this pace, he may see himself losing more and more opportunities to his partner in crime.
That is my look at the offensive movers and shakers for weeks two and three. Hope you guys have enjoyed and I look forward to the next edition!