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Ready to be graded (1304 words)
Disclaimer: The author of this article is a member of the San Antonio Marshals organization. The views and opinions expressed herein are solely the author's, and do not purport to reflect the views or opinions of the Marshals organization or the Developmental Simulation Football League. Any errors should be brought to the attention of the author, who will amend them as quickly as possible.
1) San Antonio Marshals (4-0)
Next two games: vs. Portland, at Tijuana
Through four games, the Marshals have looked nearly unstoppable. They're first in points scored and points allowed, giving them a point differential of +76. Quarterback Cooter Bigsby is completing 64.6% of his passes, netting a passer rating of 90.2 and five touchdowns (to only two interceptions). Morgan Marshall, the third overall pick in the DSFL draft, has had a dominant start to his season: he's run for 415 yards on 83 attempts, averaging five yards per carry, and has found the endzone five times. On defense, linebackers Mo Berry and Quenton Bode--the "Bash Brothers"--have combined for 59 tackles, seven sacks, and eight passes defended. And thanks in large part to the Marshals secondary, the team has recorded 13 interceptions, more than the rest of the league combined. Walt Green, having picked off six passes himself, is on pace to shatter the single season interception record. We all know how last season ended for the Marshals, but with the way things are going now, this team is going to be difficult to beat.
2) Norfolk SeaWolves (3-1)
Next two games: at Kansas City, at Portland
The former bot team, Norfolk has surprised everyone by jumping out to an early lead in the NFC. Running backs Dorfus Jimbo and Apollo Reed have been nothing short of dominant on the ground: both of them are in the top five for rushing yards, combining for 727 yards and eight touchdowns. Despite the run-heavy offense, quarterback Jay Longshaw has been solid for the Seawolves; if he starts to heat up, this offense will be a juggernaut. The Norfolk defense is first in tackles for loss (with 17) and second in passes defended (with 20). First overall pick Allen Josh has been a force to be reckoned with, making an impact in every defensive area. He's recorded 32 tackles, three sacks, an interception, and five passes defended. The Norfolk defense as a whole has also recorded two touchdowns, which has certainly been a big factor in their recent success. The team dropped a game against Tijuana, but look for that loss to fuel them throughout the next part of the season.
3) Portland Pythons (3-1)
Next two games: at San Antonio, vs. Norfolk
The Pythons have a tough schedule ahead of them, but they're more than equipped to come out on top. Most teams would be nervous about starting a rookie quarterback, but young Franklin Armstrong has more than silenced his doubters. He's picked up 881 yards---behind only Corvo Havran, who recently went number 2 overall in the NSFL draft--and is leading the league in completion percentage at 65%. He's also thrown five touchdowns to one interception, and his 97.3 passer rating is almost seven points higher than the next closest competitor. Wide receiver Bona'beri Jones is Armstrong's favorite target: he's first in receiving yards (348), average yards(19.3), longest completion (32 yards), and receiving touchdowns (4). Their defense still has some issues to figure out--they're last in tackles, and are the only team to not record a single interception so far this season. But if the Pythons' passing game continues to dazzle, they'll be a playoff threat (just as soon as their defense puts the pieces together).
4) Tijuana Luchadores (2-2)
Next two games: vs. Palm Beach, vs. San Antonio
Don't let their slow start fool you: the defending DSFL champs are going to be competing for the Ultimini again this season. Quarterback Corvo Havran leads the league with 918 yards through the air on 91 completions. He's had some bad luck so far, as he's thrown twice as many interceptions as touchdowns. But Havran is not the kind of player who will let that stop him; expect his play to drastically improve as the season continues. Their top two receivers--Rod Tidwell and Carlomango Rey--are in the top five of receiving yards, but only Tidwell has found the endzone, doing so once. Running back Forrest Gump has taken a lot of the Luchadores' offensive load on his shoulder, scoring four touchdowns on the ground and one through the air. With 219 tackles, the Luchadores defense has proven effective, but it is still a far cry from the "wall" that the fans expected. Rookie linebackers Johnny Slothface and JoJo Burr-Kiven are top three in tackles, but have yet to make much of an impact elsewhere. To sum it up, the "Ultimini hangover" has hit Tijuana, but this team will wake up eventually, and it will be quite a threat when it does.
5) Palm Beach Solar Bears (0-4)
Next two games: at Tijuana, vs Kansas City
The second DSFL bot team has not come out of the gates quite as strong as their counterpart. Rookie quarterback Apollo Lange has struggled to adjust to the faster pace of the DSFL. He's been solid, but his thirteen interceptions (including a six interception game against San Antonio) have tanked his passer rating and overshadowed his other accomplishments. The inability to throw the ball has affected Lange's receivers: the only player to catch a touchdown pass is running back Ben Bortboy, who has done so twice. The ground game has fared little better: Bortboy has rushed for one touchdown, and fellow running back Ludicolo Bigby has rushed for only one touchdown despite picking up 390 yards. The Palm Beach defense has only made nine tackles for loss, despite leading the league with 219 tackles overall, although they've recorded 14 sacks. They certainly have some good pieces--Rock Hardshaft, Tony Gabagoo, Fatih Terim, and Guy Nikko, to name just a few--but they've yet to put those pieces together in a meaningful way. Being an expansion team certainly isn't easy, but Palm Beach has their work cut out for them if they want to have any hope at the Ultimini this season.
6) Kansas City Coyotes (0-4)
Next two games: vs. Norfolk, at Palm Beach
The biggest story out of Kansas City is surprisingly not their 0-4 start, but the QB battle between Rose Jenkins and Ryan Leaf, Jr. The shot callers have been splitting reps, which may actually be to their detriment. Through the first part of the season, Jenkins has been outplaying Leaf Jr. in nearly every aspect (except for rushing, in which Leaf has been more effective). This public feud has certainly had an impact on the team, and (some would argue) is keeping the team from reaching its full potential. Rookie running back Terry Taffy, "The Candyman," has not quite found his groove, but has picked up 200 yards and a lone touchdown. Tight end Cameron Olsen has caught 20 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns--solid, but far below what one would expect from a second round pick. Their defense is good at creating turnovers--they forced five fumbles and recovered six, both first in the league--but have not been able to capitalize on those opportunities. For a team coming off an Ultimini appearance--a game in which they forced overtime, and came within a few yards of a championship--this has been an extremely disappointing start. Can this team come back? Without question. But there's a lot of soul searching to be done in Kansas City before that happens.