:dsfl:
The DSFL regular season is done. We know the matchups, and we know who has homefield advantage. There’s only a short amount of time until the season is over and so a limited number of opportunities for the S21 rookies to show what they’re worth. Let’s have a look how they’ve done the last 2 games.
Myrtle Beach Buccaneers :
Myrtle Beach did all they could to try and claw back home field advantage from the Tijuana Luchadores, beating them at home and then emphatically destroying the Pythons. Alas, it was not enough as Tijuana grabbed the victory against Norfolk in Week 14, meaning the Buccaneers will travel south of the border for the first game of the playoffs. They lost both games on the road to Tijuana but they’ll be buoyed this time by the addition of a number of rookies who helped contribute to their strong end of season form.
Austin Brehio, RB
Vs Tijuana: 1 att, 11 yds, 11 ypc, 2/3 rec, 12 yd, 6 ypc
Vs Portland: 1 att, 6 yds, 6 ypc, 1/1 rec, 2 yds, 2 ypc
Not much going for Austin so far this season. It’s difficult to break into the backfield rotation when you have Sarvepally and Rose in front of you. Difficult to draw many conclusions but his runs went for decent yardage. Only negative against him is he dropped a pass in the Luchadores game.
Dougie Smalls, K
Vs Tijuana: 2/2 XP, 0/1 FG 20-29, 1/1 FG 40-49
Vs Portland: 2/3 XP, 1/1 FG 20-29, 1/1 FG 30-39, 0/1 FG 40-49
Slightly mixed bag for the rookie kicker. Missing a 26 yarder but hitting from 41. An extra point missed against Portland as well as a 42 yarder. At this stage in his career, missing 40+ yard field goals isn’t as big of an issue as missing extra points, so we’ll hope to see that cleared up in the playoffs.
Pete “Plop” Miller, DT
Vs Tijuana: 4 TKL
Vs Portland: 4 TKL
I feel like I’ll be using the word ‘solid’ quite a lot, but that really describes most of the Buccanneers rookies. “Plop” registered 4 tackles in each game on the interior of the line, a position that’s so important in the run-heavy DSFL. All his tackles were for 1 or 2 yards so he’s not being pushed back too much. Hopefully we’ll see a few TFL from him in the next couple of games.
Immanuel Blackstone, DE
Vs Tijuana: 3 TKL
Vs Portland: 3 TKL, 1 TFL
Solid performance from a rookie DE, Blackstone seems to be able to set the edge well. No sacks these last 2 games but a decent performance.
Rico Suave, S
Vs Tijuana: 5 TKL
Vs Portland: 3 TKL, 1 Sack
The first of the S21 safeties make their debuts. Suave was solid against Tijuana, slotting into the backfield. He made 5 tackles, getting involved in both the pass and run game. He mainly made tackles on plays which had already gone for 10+ yards, preventing any big players from going any further. In the Portland game he managed to get into the backfield, getting his first career sack on a struggling Jay Cue. Good debuts overall.
Jeffrey LaVert, S
Vs Tijuana: 7 TKL
Vs Portland: 8 TKL, 1 PD
What are they feeding the secondary at Myrtle Beach? LaVert was thrown in alongside Sauve in the secondary and had a good debut. He’s listed as a Free safety on their site but he played much closer to the line of Scrimmage than Sauve, and this showed on the stat sheet, making 7 tackles, mainly on run plays, all on plays that went for under 10 yards. In the game against Portland, he was tasked with covering the Python RB’s and TE’s. He had a great game here, the players he covered combined for 5 receptions making only 37 yards. He registered 8 tackles and 1 pass defended as the Buccaneers strangled the Pythons offence. Great second performance.
Dax Frost, CB
Vs Tijuana: 4 TKL, 1 PD
Vs Portland: 4 TKL, 1 PD
Frost came into these 2 weeks as my #1 S21 rookie. Myrtle Beach clearly have faith in him as he was covering Randy Vuxta in game 13 against Tijuana, a top 5 WR in the DSFL. Frost didn’t have it all his own way as Vuxta caught 6/9 of his targets for 105 yards, with 1 of those incompletions being a pass defended by Frost. Frost gave up a couple of big plays, (30 yards, 23 yards) but didn’t allow any touchdowns so a respectable performance. Against Tijuana he matched up with the rookie Raheem Okusi most of the time (sometimes he matched up with Bur’Berry). In general he played well, he wasn’t on the field during Okusi’s TD, but outside of that Okusi was held to 28 yards on 3 catches.
Portland Pythons
The Pythons have choked their home field advantage away, ending the season with 3 straight losses. They’ll have to go on the road in the conference championships to Minnesota, who ended the season with 4 straight wins. This won’t inspired confidence given that they’re 1-3 against the Grey Ducks this season and 2-5 on the road. The loss against the Buccaneers is justifiable given how well they’re playing, but losing to the Kansas City Coyotes to thrown control of the division away should prompt a period of introspection for the Pythons. Fortunately, they have many talented playmakers who should hopefully come to life now that it’s do or die, and some of them are from the S21 class.
Baby Yoda, RB
Vs Kansas City: 6 att, 44 yds, 7.3 ypc, 8/10 rec, 91 yds, 11.4 ypc
Vs Myrtle Beach: 7 att, 37 yds, 5.3 ypc, 1/4 rec, 9yds, 9 ypc
A mixed bag for Baby Yoda. His game against Kansas City was fantastic, 135 all-purpose yards, targeted heavily in the passing game. A Touchdown would have been a cherry on top of a great game in which he was Portlands favourite weapon. The only slight blemish is a dropped pass but all around a good performance. Against the Buccaneers Yoda struggled more. Portland shut down the Cue to Yoda passing connection as he caught only 1 of 4 targets, with 1 of these passes defended and another intercepted. Portland trailed most of the game and so there weren’t a lot of carries to go around (Jay Cue actually had the most carries and rushing yards for the Pythons).
Raheem Okusi, WR
Vs Kansas City: 1/3 rec, 4 yds, 4 ypc
Vs Myrtle Beach: 4/7 rec, 30 yds, 1 TD, 7.5 ypc
Okusi didn’t have the best 2 games to be honest. He was invisible against the Coyotes, only 1 catch for 4 yards. Against the Buccaneers, he was a little better. Aside from a short 3 yard catch for a TD on the opening drive, he caught 3 more passes but had 2 drops. The touchdown is nice but he needs to become more consistent. 2 TD's in his opening 4 games is a good return though.
Osiris Firestorm-Fjord, TE
Vs Kansas City: 1/1 rec, 6 yds, 6 ypc
Vs Myrtle Beach: 1/4 rec, 9 yds, 9 ypc
Well we have the winner for best name in the class, I don’t think Osiris Firestorm-Fjord can be beat. Unfortunately, he’s not in the best position to show off his talents, with the excellent Daniel Strike the first option at TE. When he does have his chances, he’ll need to do better than he did against Myrtle Beach. 4 targets led to only 1 reception as he had 3 drops in the game.
Dillard Holcombe, S
Vs Kansas City: 4 TKL
Vs Myrtle Beach: 1 TKL
Decent against Tijuana, sitting behind the excellent linebackers, Wilf and Hardagain, he made 4 tackles in the box (though did have a penalty for being an extra man on the field). Less involved against the Buccaneers, only making 1 tackle.
Minnesota Grey Ducks
The Ducks are marching. 4 wins in a row has stolen home field advantage away from the Pythons. They have to be looking to get to the Ultimini now. Their offence has been decent, but it’s the defence who has been outstanding in their winning streak, allowing less than 10 points per game. The Grey Ducks have been the busiest on the waiver wire, picking up 11 players, and these 2 games against the Coyotes and Seawolves are the first chance we got to look at them as they get rotated into the team.
Nick Domenichini, RB
Vs Norfolk: 1 att, 5 yds, 5 ypc
Vs Kansas City: 2 att, 11 yds, 5.5 ypc
Not given much work to do. It’s difficult to take away work from from the RB1 in the league, Darrel Williams. He’s missed out on being the #2 RB in Minnesota to the next guy on this list.
Logan Noble Jr, RB
Vs Norfolk: 13 att, 68 yds, 1 TD, 5.2 ypc, 0/1 rec
Vs Kansas City: 26 att, 135 yds, 5.2 ypc
Great debut from Noble Jr. First TD and a decent share of carries against Norfolk. This warranted a massive workload in week 14 against Kansas City with 26 carries! (still behind Darrel Williams, 27 carries). He did well with his carries, not busting out any huge runs (long of 22 yards) but over 5 ypc. He wasn’t caught behind the line of scrimmage at all which is great for a young RB.
Jerome Davis, WR
Vs Norfolk: -
Vs Kansas City: 1/1 rec, 15 yds, 15 ypc
Another rookie WR for the Grey Ducks coaching staff to evaluate. Davis saw the fewest targets out of the 3 WR’s in these 2 games. He only had 1 target which he caught for 15 yards. He also had a penalty called on him though for a false start. If you’re not seeing many snaps, it’s critical that you make the most of those and don’t damage your team with penalties.
Chris Kross, WR
Vs Norfolk: 1/1 rec, 8 yds, 8 ypc
Vs Kansas City: 3/3 rec, 16 yds, 5.3 ypc
Vega only completed 6 passes in the game against Norfolk so there wasn’t a lot to go around. The race for #2 WR in the Ducks offence (behind Tash Thompson) was more in swing against the Coyotes. Kross did no harm by catching every ball thrown his way.
Everett Woodward, WR
Vs Norfolk: -
Vs Kansas City: 2/2 rec, 16 yds, 8 ypc
Another rookie WR for the Grey Ducks. Didn’t see any targets against the Seawolves but caught 2 passes against the Coyotes.
Sardine Beaner, DT
Vs Norfolk: -
Vs Kansas City: 2 TKL
Beaner was used in rotation on the defensive line, not recording any stats against the Seawolves but 2 tackles against the Coyotes. Each tackle was followed up by an exclamatory “You’ve been beaned!”. Hoping to hear this more in the playoffs.
Matt Murphy, S
Vs Norfolk: 2 TKL
Vs Kansas City: 2 TKL, 1 PD
Murphy was partnered with Beat in the backfield, behind the Thor Kirkby. Beat and Kirkby played brilliant in both games, protecting the rookie from much action. He’ll hope to be more independent in the future, improving on his 2 tackles in each game. He also recorded 1 defended pass against the Coyotes.
Tijuana Luchadores
The Luchadores should have mixed emotions after week 13 and week 14. They’ve secured home field advantage but lost to Myrtle Beach and their offence is stuttering a little bit. On the bright side they’re undefeated at home this season and the defence has been brilliant the last 4 weeks, only 26 points conceded! Tijuana have added a few playmakers on offence who they’ll be hoping can add an extra spark and bring them the Ultimini.
Richard “Dick” Gardener, OL
Vs Myrtle Beach: 3 Pancakes
Vs Norfolk: 4 Pancakes
Gardener is a big OL brought in to help the run. Tijuana have probably the best OL in the DSFL and he’ll be a big help. Any lineman who can get multiple pancakes a game and not allow any sacks or concede any penalties is doing well. 7 pancakes in his first 2 games is a great start.
Ed Barker, RB
Vs Myrtle Beach: 13 att, 45 yds, 3.5 ypc
Vs Norfolk: 8 att, 49 yds, 6.1 ypc
Ed Barker was my #2 prospect after the first set of games. These 2 games have both been OK. He’s not really being asked to do too much, not seen any action in the passing game and the ground game still runs through Podolak. He’s done fine this week, but he’ll need more volume to maintain status as #1 RB.
Rusty Nails, WR
Vs Myrtle Beach: 0/3 rec
Vs Norfolk: 0/5 rec
Oh dear. Nails had 2 terrible games. 8 drops, no catches. They tried feeding him the ball against Norfolk but nothing was going his way. He had a delay of game penalty called against him vs Myrtle Beach, meaning for these 2 weeks he actually has contributed negative yards to his team. His stock takes a big hit. He can still be a hero in the playoffs though, provided the Luchadores still have enough faith to throw him the ball.
Scotty McGuy, WR
Vs Myrtle Beach: 1/2 rec, 7 yds, 7 ypc
Vs Norfolk: -
Brutal 2 weeks for the rookie wide receivers in Tijuana. It’s tough to break in when they have established receivers in McCann and Vuxta. At least McGuy caught a pass in Week 13, but he wasn’t even targeted in week 14.
Otis Allen, DT
Vs Myrtle Beach: -
Vs Norfolk: 3 tkl, 2 sacks
Rotated in, Allen didn’t see much action vs the Buccaneers, recording no stats. Against Norfolk though, wow. Best game we’ve seen from an S21 D lineman so far. Bringing pressure on the interior is invaluable, and Allen burst through the O-line twice to sack the opposing QB. Now he just needs to show he can do it against a team that isn’t the 0-14 Seawolves.
Daniel Winkler, DE
Vs Myrtle Beach: 4 tkl, 2 TFL
Vs Norfolk: 3 tkl, 1 TFL
Winkler maintained consistent form, grabbing 3 TFL over these 2 games. Pretty decent for a rookie EDGE player. He’ll be hunting for sacks though in the playoffs. He had 2 penalties against Myrtle Beach as well, he should try and curb that to avoid drawing the ire of his teammates.
I’ve expanded the ranking to 10 now, as we get a better idea of the rookies capabilities’ this list will get longer and longer.
The Big Board – Top 10:
1. Dax Frost, CB, MB -
He’s now been tested by quality receivers. While there are still improvements to be made, he’s shown potential to be the future best CB in the DSFL and stays number 1 on the board. Not only has he been good, he’s been consistent.
2. Logan Noble Jr, RB, MIN New
A newcomer jumps straight to #2 and RB #1. 2 great performances with heavy workloads have helped him get here. The DSFL is a run-heavy league, a do it all back is the key to success. Logan Noble Jr can be that key. He’d describe himself as a receiving back, so if we can see him catch some balls in the playoffs, he may be going 1st overall come the next DSFL draft.
3. Baby Yoda, RB, POR -
One great game and one OK game sees Baby Yoda stay where he is. He’s obviously super shifty but his size may prevent him from being able to match the number of carries that someone like Noble Jr or Barker can get, so he doesn’t get the RB1 spot.
4. Daniel Winkler, DE, TIJ +1
Consistency is key for an EDGE. No sacks these last 2 games but TFL are essential for stopping the run.
5. Ed Barker, RB, TIJ -3
To be RB #1 you have to be great. 2 OK games sees Barker drop 3 spots. Tijuana are likely to challenge for the Ultimini. If they do that on the back of some great running back performances from Barker he’ll be a first round lock.
6. Jeffret LaVert, S, MB New
2nd newcomer on the list, LaVert made plenty of tackles in the Buccaneers secondary and is one to watch. A few more plays on passes would be nice to see, a first career interception in the playoffs could be on the cards. Edges out partner Rico Sauve to take the safety #1 spot.
7. Raheem Okusi, WR, POR -3
Okusi remains the #1 WR, even with middling performances, as no real challengers have thrown their hat into the ring. A 2nd touchdown is nice but as I’ve mentioned this is a rushing league. He’ll get more oppurtunities next year when he might be able to compete for the #1 spot on a team.
8. Richard Gardener, OL, TIJ New
Could be a dominant lineman next year, already looks so good for the Luchadores running game. Unfortunately a lot of lineman are remembered for the number of sacks they allow rather than any positive play they make. Not a problem for Gardener, who’s yet to allow a sack.
9. Rico Sauve, S, MB New
Second part of the new Buccaneers defensive backfield. Always nice to see a safety get to the QB, and that’s what Sauve did with his first career sack. Will be interesting to see how MB try to keep hold of all these secondary guys they’re developing next year.
10. Pete Miller, DT, MB New
Consistent part of the interior defensive line. Edges out Otis Allen for the DT #1 on account of showing up every game, would be nice to see him collapse the pocket and get to the QB.
Honorable mentions; Otis Allen, Immanuel Blackstone
All these guys, plus even more fresh faces, will be seeing action in the playoffs. For some this will be the last chance to show on the field that they deserve to be a top pick in the DSFL draft. The next update on S21 guys will be from after the Ultimini, when we know the champions.
Thanks for reading
~Mr Sombrero
:dsfl:
The DSFL regular season is done. We know the matchups, and we know who has homefield advantage. There’s only a short amount of time until the season is over and so a limited number of opportunities for the S21 rookies to show what they’re worth. Let’s have a look how they’ve done the last 2 games.
Myrtle Beach Buccaneers :
Myrtle Beach did all they could to try and claw back home field advantage from the Tijuana Luchadores, beating them at home and then emphatically destroying the Pythons. Alas, it was not enough as Tijuana grabbed the victory against Norfolk in Week 14, meaning the Buccaneers will travel south of the border for the first game of the playoffs. They lost both games on the road to Tijuana but they’ll be buoyed this time by the addition of a number of rookies who helped contribute to their strong end of season form.
Austin Brehio, RB
Vs Tijuana: 1 att, 11 yds, 11 ypc, 2/3 rec, 12 yd, 6 ypc
Vs Portland: 1 att, 6 yds, 6 ypc, 1/1 rec, 2 yds, 2 ypc
Not much going for Austin so far this season. It’s difficult to break into the backfield rotation when you have Sarvepally and Rose in front of you. Difficult to draw many conclusions but his runs went for decent yardage. Only negative against him is he dropped a pass in the Luchadores game.
Dougie Smalls, K
Vs Tijuana: 2/2 XP, 0/1 FG 20-29, 1/1 FG 40-49
Vs Portland: 2/3 XP, 1/1 FG 20-29, 1/1 FG 30-39, 0/1 FG 40-49
Slightly mixed bag for the rookie kicker. Missing a 26 yarder but hitting from 41. An extra point missed against Portland as well as a 42 yarder. At this stage in his career, missing 40+ yard field goals isn’t as big of an issue as missing extra points, so we’ll hope to see that cleared up in the playoffs.
Pete “Plop” Miller, DT
Vs Tijuana: 4 TKL
Vs Portland: 4 TKL
I feel like I’ll be using the word ‘solid’ quite a lot, but that really describes most of the Buccanneers rookies. “Plop” registered 4 tackles in each game on the interior of the line, a position that’s so important in the run-heavy DSFL. All his tackles were for 1 or 2 yards so he’s not being pushed back too much. Hopefully we’ll see a few TFL from him in the next couple of games.
Immanuel Blackstone, DE
Vs Tijuana: 3 TKL
Vs Portland: 3 TKL, 1 TFL
Solid performance from a rookie DE, Blackstone seems to be able to set the edge well. No sacks these last 2 games but a decent performance.
Rico Suave, S
Vs Tijuana: 5 TKL
Vs Portland: 3 TKL, 1 Sack
The first of the S21 safeties make their debuts. Suave was solid against Tijuana, slotting into the backfield. He made 5 tackles, getting involved in both the pass and run game. He mainly made tackles on plays which had already gone for 10+ yards, preventing any big players from going any further. In the Portland game he managed to get into the backfield, getting his first career sack on a struggling Jay Cue. Good debuts overall.
Jeffrey LaVert, S
Vs Tijuana: 7 TKL
Vs Portland: 8 TKL, 1 PD
What are they feeding the secondary at Myrtle Beach? LaVert was thrown in alongside Sauve in the secondary and had a good debut. He’s listed as a Free safety on their site but he played much closer to the line of Scrimmage than Sauve, and this showed on the stat sheet, making 7 tackles, mainly on run plays, all on plays that went for under 10 yards. In the game against Portland, he was tasked with covering the Python RB’s and TE’s. He had a great game here, the players he covered combined for 5 receptions making only 37 yards. He registered 8 tackles and 1 pass defended as the Buccaneers strangled the Pythons offence. Great second performance.
Dax Frost, CB
Vs Tijuana: 4 TKL, 1 PD
Vs Portland: 4 TKL, 1 PD
Frost came into these 2 weeks as my #1 S21 rookie. Myrtle Beach clearly have faith in him as he was covering Randy Vuxta in game 13 against Tijuana, a top 5 WR in the DSFL. Frost didn’t have it all his own way as Vuxta caught 6/9 of his targets for 105 yards, with 1 of those incompletions being a pass defended by Frost. Frost gave up a couple of big plays, (30 yards, 23 yards) but didn’t allow any touchdowns so a respectable performance. Against Tijuana he matched up with the rookie Raheem Okusi most of the time (sometimes he matched up with Bur’Berry). In general he played well, he wasn’t on the field during Okusi’s TD, but outside of that Okusi was held to 28 yards on 3 catches.
Portland Pythons
The Pythons have choked their home field advantage away, ending the season with 3 straight losses. They’ll have to go on the road in the conference championships to Minnesota, who ended the season with 4 straight wins. This won’t inspired confidence given that they’re 1-3 against the Grey Ducks this season and 2-5 on the road. The loss against the Buccaneers is justifiable given how well they’re playing, but losing to the Kansas City Coyotes to thrown control of the division away should prompt a period of introspection for the Pythons. Fortunately, they have many talented playmakers who should hopefully come to life now that it’s do or die, and some of them are from the S21 class.
Baby Yoda, RB
Vs Kansas City: 6 att, 44 yds, 7.3 ypc, 8/10 rec, 91 yds, 11.4 ypc
Vs Myrtle Beach: 7 att, 37 yds, 5.3 ypc, 1/4 rec, 9yds, 9 ypc
A mixed bag for Baby Yoda. His game against Kansas City was fantastic, 135 all-purpose yards, targeted heavily in the passing game. A Touchdown would have been a cherry on top of a great game in which he was Portlands favourite weapon. The only slight blemish is a dropped pass but all around a good performance. Against the Buccaneers Yoda struggled more. Portland shut down the Cue to Yoda passing connection as he caught only 1 of 4 targets, with 1 of these passes defended and another intercepted. Portland trailed most of the game and so there weren’t a lot of carries to go around (Jay Cue actually had the most carries and rushing yards for the Pythons).
Raheem Okusi, WR
Vs Kansas City: 1/3 rec, 4 yds, 4 ypc
Vs Myrtle Beach: 4/7 rec, 30 yds, 1 TD, 7.5 ypc
Okusi didn’t have the best 2 games to be honest. He was invisible against the Coyotes, only 1 catch for 4 yards. Against the Buccaneers, he was a little better. Aside from a short 3 yard catch for a TD on the opening drive, he caught 3 more passes but had 2 drops. The touchdown is nice but he needs to become more consistent. 2 TD's in his opening 4 games is a good return though.
Osiris Firestorm-Fjord, TE
Vs Kansas City: 1/1 rec, 6 yds, 6 ypc
Vs Myrtle Beach: 1/4 rec, 9 yds, 9 ypc
Well we have the winner for best name in the class, I don’t think Osiris Firestorm-Fjord can be beat. Unfortunately, he’s not in the best position to show off his talents, with the excellent Daniel Strike the first option at TE. When he does have his chances, he’ll need to do better than he did against Myrtle Beach. 4 targets led to only 1 reception as he had 3 drops in the game.
Dillard Holcombe, S
Vs Kansas City: 4 TKL
Vs Myrtle Beach: 1 TKL
Decent against Tijuana, sitting behind the excellent linebackers, Wilf and Hardagain, he made 4 tackles in the box (though did have a penalty for being an extra man on the field). Less involved against the Buccaneers, only making 1 tackle.
Minnesota Grey Ducks
The Ducks are marching. 4 wins in a row has stolen home field advantage away from the Pythons. They have to be looking to get to the Ultimini now. Their offence has been decent, but it’s the defence who has been outstanding in their winning streak, allowing less than 10 points per game. The Grey Ducks have been the busiest on the waiver wire, picking up 11 players, and these 2 games against the Coyotes and Seawolves are the first chance we got to look at them as they get rotated into the team.
Nick Domenichini, RB
Vs Norfolk: 1 att, 5 yds, 5 ypc
Vs Kansas City: 2 att, 11 yds, 5.5 ypc
Not given much work to do. It’s difficult to take away work from from the RB1 in the league, Darrel Williams. He’s missed out on being the #2 RB in Minnesota to the next guy on this list.
Logan Noble Jr, RB
Vs Norfolk: 13 att, 68 yds, 1 TD, 5.2 ypc, 0/1 rec
Vs Kansas City: 26 att, 135 yds, 5.2 ypc
Great debut from Noble Jr. First TD and a decent share of carries against Norfolk. This warranted a massive workload in week 14 against Kansas City with 26 carries! (still behind Darrel Williams, 27 carries). He did well with his carries, not busting out any huge runs (long of 22 yards) but over 5 ypc. He wasn’t caught behind the line of scrimmage at all which is great for a young RB.
Jerome Davis, WR
Vs Norfolk: -
Vs Kansas City: 1/1 rec, 15 yds, 15 ypc
Another rookie WR for the Grey Ducks coaching staff to evaluate. Davis saw the fewest targets out of the 3 WR’s in these 2 games. He only had 1 target which he caught for 15 yards. He also had a penalty called on him though for a false start. If you’re not seeing many snaps, it’s critical that you make the most of those and don’t damage your team with penalties.
Chris Kross, WR
Vs Norfolk: 1/1 rec, 8 yds, 8 ypc
Vs Kansas City: 3/3 rec, 16 yds, 5.3 ypc
Vega only completed 6 passes in the game against Norfolk so there wasn’t a lot to go around. The race for #2 WR in the Ducks offence (behind Tash Thompson) was more in swing against the Coyotes. Kross did no harm by catching every ball thrown his way.
Everett Woodward, WR
Vs Norfolk: -
Vs Kansas City: 2/2 rec, 16 yds, 8 ypc
Another rookie WR for the Grey Ducks. Didn’t see any targets against the Seawolves but caught 2 passes against the Coyotes.
Sardine Beaner, DT
Vs Norfolk: -
Vs Kansas City: 2 TKL
Beaner was used in rotation on the defensive line, not recording any stats against the Seawolves but 2 tackles against the Coyotes. Each tackle was followed up by an exclamatory “You’ve been beaned!”. Hoping to hear this more in the playoffs.
Matt Murphy, S
Vs Norfolk: 2 TKL
Vs Kansas City: 2 TKL, 1 PD
Murphy was partnered with Beat in the backfield, behind the Thor Kirkby. Beat and Kirkby played brilliant in both games, protecting the rookie from much action. He’ll hope to be more independent in the future, improving on his 2 tackles in each game. He also recorded 1 defended pass against the Coyotes.
Tijuana Luchadores
The Luchadores should have mixed emotions after week 13 and week 14. They’ve secured home field advantage but lost to Myrtle Beach and their offence is stuttering a little bit. On the bright side they’re undefeated at home this season and the defence has been brilliant the last 4 weeks, only 26 points conceded! Tijuana have added a few playmakers on offence who they’ll be hoping can add an extra spark and bring them the Ultimini.
Richard “Dick” Gardener, OL
Vs Myrtle Beach: 3 Pancakes
Vs Norfolk: 4 Pancakes
Gardener is a big OL brought in to help the run. Tijuana have probably the best OL in the DSFL and he’ll be a big help. Any lineman who can get multiple pancakes a game and not allow any sacks or concede any penalties is doing well. 7 pancakes in his first 2 games is a great start.
Ed Barker, RB
Vs Myrtle Beach: 13 att, 45 yds, 3.5 ypc
Vs Norfolk: 8 att, 49 yds, 6.1 ypc
Ed Barker was my #2 prospect after the first set of games. These 2 games have both been OK. He’s not really being asked to do too much, not seen any action in the passing game and the ground game still runs through Podolak. He’s done fine this week, but he’ll need more volume to maintain status as #1 RB.
Rusty Nails, WR
Vs Myrtle Beach: 0/3 rec
Vs Norfolk: 0/5 rec
Oh dear. Nails had 2 terrible games. 8 drops, no catches. They tried feeding him the ball against Norfolk but nothing was going his way. He had a delay of game penalty called against him vs Myrtle Beach, meaning for these 2 weeks he actually has contributed negative yards to his team. His stock takes a big hit. He can still be a hero in the playoffs though, provided the Luchadores still have enough faith to throw him the ball.
Scotty McGuy, WR
Vs Myrtle Beach: 1/2 rec, 7 yds, 7 ypc
Vs Norfolk: -
Brutal 2 weeks for the rookie wide receivers in Tijuana. It’s tough to break in when they have established receivers in McCann and Vuxta. At least McGuy caught a pass in Week 13, but he wasn’t even targeted in week 14.
Otis Allen, DT
Vs Myrtle Beach: -
Vs Norfolk: 3 tkl, 2 sacks
Rotated in, Allen didn’t see much action vs the Buccaneers, recording no stats. Against Norfolk though, wow. Best game we’ve seen from an S21 D lineman so far. Bringing pressure on the interior is invaluable, and Allen burst through the O-line twice to sack the opposing QB. Now he just needs to show he can do it against a team that isn’t the 0-14 Seawolves.
Daniel Winkler, DE
Vs Myrtle Beach: 4 tkl, 2 TFL
Vs Norfolk: 3 tkl, 1 TFL
Winkler maintained consistent form, grabbing 3 TFL over these 2 games. Pretty decent for a rookie EDGE player. He’ll be hunting for sacks though in the playoffs. He had 2 penalties against Myrtle Beach as well, he should try and curb that to avoid drawing the ire of his teammates.
I’ve expanded the ranking to 10 now, as we get a better idea of the rookies capabilities’ this list will get longer and longer.
The Big Board – Top 10:
1. Dax Frost, CB, MB -
He’s now been tested by quality receivers. While there are still improvements to be made, he’s shown potential to be the future best CB in the DSFL and stays number 1 on the board. Not only has he been good, he’s been consistent.
2. Logan Noble Jr, RB, MIN New
A newcomer jumps straight to #2 and RB #1. 2 great performances with heavy workloads have helped him get here. The DSFL is a run-heavy league, a do it all back is the key to success. Logan Noble Jr can be that key. He’d describe himself as a receiving back, so if we can see him catch some balls in the playoffs, he may be going 1st overall come the next DSFL draft.
3. Baby Yoda, RB, POR -
One great game and one OK game sees Baby Yoda stay where he is. He’s obviously super shifty but his size may prevent him from being able to match the number of carries that someone like Noble Jr or Barker can get, so he doesn’t get the RB1 spot.
4. Daniel Winkler, DE, TIJ +1
Consistency is key for an EDGE. No sacks these last 2 games but TFL are essential for stopping the run.
5. Ed Barker, RB, TIJ -3
To be RB #1 you have to be great. 2 OK games sees Barker drop 3 spots. Tijuana are likely to challenge for the Ultimini. If they do that on the back of some great running back performances from Barker he’ll be a first round lock.
6. Jeffret LaVert, S, MB New
2nd newcomer on the list, LaVert made plenty of tackles in the Buccaneers secondary and is one to watch. A few more plays on passes would be nice to see, a first career interception in the playoffs could be on the cards. Edges out partner Rico Sauve to take the safety #1 spot.
7. Raheem Okusi, WR, POR -3
Okusi remains the #1 WR, even with middling performances, as no real challengers have thrown their hat into the ring. A 2nd touchdown is nice but as I’ve mentioned this is a rushing league. He’ll get more oppurtunities next year when he might be able to compete for the #1 spot on a team.
8. Richard Gardener, OL, TIJ New
Could be a dominant lineman next year, already looks so good for the Luchadores running game. Unfortunately a lot of lineman are remembered for the number of sacks they allow rather than any positive play they make. Not a problem for Gardener, who’s yet to allow a sack.
9. Rico Sauve, S, MB New
Second part of the new Buccaneers defensive backfield. Always nice to see a safety get to the QB, and that’s what Sauve did with his first career sack. Will be interesting to see how MB try to keep hold of all these secondary guys they’re developing next year.
10. Pete Miller, DT, MB New
Consistent part of the interior defensive line. Edges out Otis Allen for the DT #1 on account of showing up every game, would be nice to see him collapse the pocket and get to the QB.
Honorable mentions; Otis Allen, Immanuel Blackstone
All these guys, plus even more fresh faces, will be seeing action in the playoffs. For some this will be the last chance to show on the field that they deserve to be a top pick in the DSFL draft. The next update on S21 guys will be from after the Ultimini, when we know the champions.
Thanks for reading
~Mr Sombrero
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