Copperheads Season Review:
Welcome to a review of the Copperheads 2nd ever season in existence, and it was one hell of a ride. In this review I hope to cover as much as possible, starting from the pre-season and ending with the future and the season 18 draft.
Season 17 Draft
Draft Picks:
1OA - Ashley Owens - RB: The 1st overall draft pick was one of the worst kept secrets in football history. With Dick Wizardry putting on a good 75lbs of pure muscle at the end of season and moving to DT this telegraphed the Copperheads intention to pick up the star RB. This 1st pick seemingly signalled that the Copperheads had now completed their offensive build and with 5 of 6 of their key pieces being from season 15 and later (and all 6 being keen active players) will now let it mature into a dominant force, with Owens making an immediate impact on the field for Austin in Season 17.
7OA - Honda Edmond - LB: The immediate trade up for this player with the Otters came as a shock (even to the Copperhead's co-GM). The Copperheads GM must have had their eyes firmly on selecting Edmond with their 8th pick and having him snatched from under their nose the Copperheads GM moved quickly to trade up, swapping season 18 1st round picks and giving up a season 18 3rd round pick. Edmond certainly filled one of many holes in the Copperheads defence, joining Bakshi and Robertson at LB but with his play in season 17 Edmond has certainly shown why he was so sought after.
11OA - Takeda Okura - S: With the 11th overall pick the Copperheads selected the safety Okura. For a player of Okura's caliber to fall to the second round of the draft was a huge boon for the Copperheads as Safety was a key hole left in the Copperheads defence. Okura joined Jensen at Safety and like Edmond and Owens has shown himself to be an active and enthusiastic addition to the Copperheads line up and locker room.
Pre-Season
As everyone know pre-season should always be taken with a pinch of salt, it is a time for GM to test different line up and tactics, this was certainly the case for the Copperheads, who took a respectable 2 wins from 4 in the pre-season.
PS 1 W 19-14
The opening pre-season match saw the Copperheads using a very run heavy offense out to test out their new 1-2 running back punch and they were not disappointed. With 27 rushing attempts and only 29 passing attempts Ashley Owens ran at 4.5 yards a carry and managed to get both of the Copperheads touchdowns. The Copperheads largely controlled this game on both sides of the ball, with 22 1st downs to 16 and 4 sacks to 2. It is also worth noting that the Second Line's discipline was very poor in the match conceding 52 yards in 6 penalties.
PS 2 W 22-17
The was a closer game than the 1st, however the Copperheads stayed fairly run heavy with over 200 rushing yards compared to the pass heavy Outlaws. It was a fairly close game throughout that was won in the 4th quarter by Austin, with 2 touchdowns by wide receiver Anoi'a. The victory was largely due to the Copperheads superior 3rd down efficiency converting 7 of 14 compared to 2 of 9. The Copperheads defence played their part 5 pass deflections with new linebacker Edmond getting 3 of them.
PS 3 L 37-10
This game was never close with Austin getting 7 of there 10 points in the 4th quarter. The Otter superior passing game won the day with them nearly doubling the Copperhead's passing yards. This loss was a really team effort with no one really standing out for the Copperheads while the Otter scored 5 touchdowns against them in a ruthless show.
PS 4 @ L 48-0
The less said about this game the better, the Copperheads only managed a measly 328 yard total all game with the Sabrecats defence playing lights out holding the Copperheads to terrible rushing stats of only 3.4 yards per carry and 50% of passing going incomplete. The Sabrecats offense had a monster game with 6 touchdowns, 3 of which came from fantasy owners favourite Olsen. The sabrecats really had the Copperheads number in this very one sided affair.
Main season
After finishing 0-13 not much was expected out of the Copperheads, most of the league believed us to be a joke but spirits within our locker room were high, we knew we were a developing teaming aiming to play the long game. We knew this season would be an improvement but also that our team was not fully ready yet.
Re-simgate
Before starting to write about the orginal week 1 game the whole re-sim has to be addressed, I originally wrote a very large bit on it but I thought better of it and so will only give a precis of what I wrote. Losing a game with under powered players sucked and felt really unfair. Re-simming without check all the other teams was the wrong move. Certain people's reaction to the re-sim was ridiculous and childish. Right precis over, let's continue!
Week 1 L 31-10
The game was end to end stuff for the 1st quarter and 2nd quarter with Swift opening the scoring with a short rush over the goal line for New Orleans before Anoa'i caught a short pass with both the game poised at 10-10 at the end of the half. New Orleans then ran away with it in the second 2 quarters scoring an unanswered 3 touchdowns withh Gump getting 2 short rushers and Fyodorovich catching a blistering 49 yarder. Neither defense did much to stand out in this game with there being only 4 sacks in the whole game, although Lavelle Jr did get an interception in the 4th quarter it was to little to late.
The stats are surprisingly interesting for this game and do not exactly reflect the score. The Copperheads were working on a huge quantity of short length passes, but their completion on these short passes were not good enough, the Copperheads and the Second Line had similar pass completions but as the Second Line's pass completion where on average twice the length of the Copperheads this caused the problems.
The standout Copperhead was tough in this match but Lavelle Jr was a bright light in defence with an interception and a deflected pass so he has to take it.
Week 2 W 30-17
What a difference a week makes. This was the Copperheads 1st official win of their franchise and to do it again the reigning Ultimus champions made it extra special. The Copperheads started strong with Mendonca getting a rushing and passing touchdown in the 1st quarter with Edmonds causing and recovering a fumble from Shady that helped led to the 2nd touchdown. The Outlaws came back with a pair of receiving touchdown of their own from Landers and Valentine before Crisco put away a field goal to let the Copperheads go into the break up by 3. The 3rd quarter saw Anoa'i catch a 1 yard pass and Owens rush in for another pair of touchdowns to seal the game for the Copperheads.
In this game the Copperheads dialled up their rushers more than the previous week as well as increasing the pass lengths and the completion percentage that saw Cole get a passer rating of over 126. The Outlaw's lack of rushing was very surprising as they only had 14 attempts to the Copperheads 41 and I really think this choice cost them big as they over relied on the pass and were just not able to complete enough to make it matter.
The standout Copperhead was Cole with a superb passer rating of 126.2 with 2 touchdowns and a completion percentage of 76%, it really was the best game of his Copperheads career so far.
Week 3 @ L 43-13
After their first ever win over the Ultimus holders the Copperheads came down to earth with a big bump in this match, getting dominated in Orange County. The match started brightly for the Copperheads with Owens scoring a rushing touchdown after a long drive down the field. But the rest of the 1st 2 quarters did not go well, Pitcher and Reed scored rushing Otter touchdowns, Blaze got a touchdown with a 15 yard catch and Alex (I am not going to use his VERY long surname) scored a 3 pointer. The 2nd 2 quarters continued with Otter domination, Crisco scored 2 field goals but Mongo got 2 receiving touchdowns and Blaze got 1 to destroy the Copperheads.
The stats for this match show the Otter domination on both sides of the ball. Offensively the Otters played a pass heavy game with close to 400 yards through the air, 4 receiving touchdowns and 62% completion percentage. Armstrong's QB rating would have looked much better if it wasn't for 2 inception. Defensively the Otters really held back the Copperheads offensive run game keeping it to an average of 3.5 yards.
The standout for the Copperheads could only be their kicker Crisco. He is one of the top kickers in the league and is a very safe right leg to have on the team, proving it in this game with his 2 field goals.
Week 4 W 24-17
There is nothing like a victory over your rivals and this victory certainly felt good. The match started well for the Copperheads with Mendonca catching and running for a 17 yard receiving touchdown in the 1st quarter. The 2nd quarter saw the Sabercats get the scores level through a catch from Flash but before the end Crisco put the Copperheads back up with a 39 yard field goal. The 3rd quarter saw a monster 32 yarder for Anao'i with the Copperheads defense holding strong. The 4th quarter saw the Sabercats wake up a bit with a field goal but Mendonca's 2nd receiving touchdown put Copperheads clear, despite Flash also getting a receiving TD with only one minute on the clock the game was over.
In this game the stats show the Copperheads out playing the Sabercats in all areas, more passing yards, completions, rushing yards, and 1st downs and 3rd down completions, it was all quite one sided. The Sabercats made thing very hard on themselves with 6 penalties for 44 yards compared to the Copperheads 1 for 5.
The standout Copperhead of the week is a tough one in this match with players on both sides of the ball playing light out. In the end I have chosen Anoa'i, with 5 receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown. He was a killer deep threat with a shocking receiving yard average of 24.2 yards per catch.
Week 5 @ L 23-16
This was the first of a series of tight losses for the Copperheads. In this game the Copperheads defense were electric however the offense were not able to keep up their half of the bargain. This game was field goal heavy, and the Copperheads opened the scoring with Crisco getting 33 yarder. However little else went right in the 1st quarter as it was followed by the Butchers scoring on their next 2 drives (the 2nd after an interception), with Torensen and Danielsson getting the rushes over the line. The 2nd quarter saw Butchers field goal either side of a Mendonca 9 yard receiving touchdown. From here on out it was all about defence and after 2 more Crisco 3 pointers and 1 for the Butchers a disappointing game ended.
The stat from this game show the Copperheads defense doing well but the offense failing to follow, and perhaps in part due to a rare tactical slip up. The Copperheads could not get in done in the pass game with a dismal 45% pass completion but their rushing went well at an average of 6.3 yards per attempt, the problem was the Copperheads rushed on only 18 attempts. The Butchers were far more run heavy but made it count in the pass game when they had too. Both defenses played well but the Copperheads were great, with 2 forced fumbles and an interception.
The standout Copperhead was stud safety Jensen who managed 2 pass reflections and an interception in the game, it is a shame his and his fellow defensive players hard work was not rewarded with a win.
Week 6 L 40-20
This was a tough loss for the Copperheads who had a nose in front in the first 2 quarters of the match again the Otters before being blown away in the second 2 quarters. The Otters opened with a pair of field goals before Crisco got one of his and Medonca rushed home for the first touchdown of the match at the end of the 1st quarter. The second quarter was a defensive heavy one with both offensives stalling and the Otters single field goal being the only points. The 3rd quarter started with another Otters field goal before Tidwell pulled in a 25 yard touchdown pass, however from here it went wrong. The Otters started this but with a touchdown from Reed and then Schneider pulled down a pick 6 including a 43 yard run! The 4th quarter was more Otters, with a rushing touchdown from Pitcher and a receiving one from Reed.
This was a very undisciplined game with penalties galore, 8 for 70 yards from the Otters and 9 for 75 yards from the Copperheads. The Copperheads were a touch better on the rushing front but the Otters were passing far better, with their 2 interceptions to boot this meant the game was there's.
The standout Copperhead has to be wide receiver Tidwell, his 25 yard receiving touchdown was a shining light in the Copperheads otherwise poor passing game.
Week 7 @ L 20-17
This game was a thrilling one that could only.be decided in overtime. The Copperheads had the only points in the first quarter with Tidwell getting pull down a short catch. The second quarter was a simple exchange of field goals as both defences worked hard. The 3rd quarter belong to the Sabercats with Bigby running in a touchdown and the 4th saw an exchange of touchdowns, with Olsen and Owens pull.in the catches for the Sabercats and Copperheads respectively. With all things level the defences step up as 3 drives end in a punt before finally win in overtime with a 45 yard field goal.
The stats sheet show the closeness of this game, the Copperheads were the better passers but the Sabercats were the better runner, without either team being far enough ahead of the other to win. The Copperheads had the better 3rd and 4th down efficiency but also gave away more penalties. In the end this was as it appeared a game that could have gone either way and for the Copperheads it is unfortunate that it when the way of the Sabercats.
The standout Copperhead in this match was Cole again, after a tough few games Cole was back to his best with 2 touchdowns, 233 passing yards and a rating of 105.5, it is just a shame that the result went the other way.
Week 8 @ W 33-17
Revenge is sweet and after re-sim gate the Copperheads got theirs down in humid New Orleans against the Second Line. It was a lively 1st quarter after a few punts from each team with Owens got a rushing and receiving touchdown and Gump got his own touchdown for the Second line. The second quarter also went the Copperheads way as they got a field goal and a lovely 26 yard receiving touchdown from Anoa'i while the Second Line got another solitary touchdown. In the 3rd and 4th quarters the defence started to get the better of the offensives with 2 more field goals for Crisco and the Copperheads to the 1 field goal for the Second Line. This game was lead and controlled by the Copperheads all the way through and was very pleasing to watch.
The stats show the Copperheads dominance in all parts of the game, the had more passing yard, more rush yards, better yards per pass and per rush and were better at converting 3rd downs. After 3 losses in a row it was a great and dominant win for the Copperheads which help pick up their spirits and remind everyone else in the NSFL that you have to take them seriously.
The standout Copperhead was runningback Owens, he was a monster in this game and got 2 well deserved touchdowns and over 160 rushing and receiving yards, and even some very tasty kick off returns to boot!
Week 9 L 23-10
After flying high in week 8 the Copperheads offense came back crashing down to earth in week 9 and if it wasn't for a strong display by the defense it would have looked much worse. The 1st quarter was a series of field goals as both offensives failed to get over the goal line, 2 for the Hawks and 1 for the Copperheads. The 2nd quarter saw the first touchdown of the game from a remarkable 78 punt return by Lavelle Jr, and people said he was too slow! But the Hawks pulled back into the lead through an excellent receiving touchdown. The 3rd quarter belonged to the Hawks as the got another field goal and a touchdown after their defence pulled down an interception. In the 4th quarter nothing happened, literally nothing of note!
Neither offense covered themselves in glory, with the Hawks being just ahead in more categories than the Copperheads but neither was spectacular. The Copperheads threw more but had a worse passing per yards and the Hawks ran more but to a similar ability to the Copperheads. The defense however were great, both got an interception, with the Hawks getting 5 sacks to the Copperheads 4.
The standout Copperhead it tough to pick from a great defensive display. Lavelle Jr deserves a shout out for his punt return touchdown however for this match I will select rookie safety Okura, he had a sack, pass deflection and interception to his name in this game.
Week 10 @ L 35-10
Arizona is a tough place to play against a tough team and this was the case in week 10. The game never really got going for the Copperheads and the Outlaws were their superb selves. The Outlaws dominated the first quarter with a sack for a safety, a touchdown and a field goal. The second quarter was a similar story with the Outlaws getting another touch down and field goal before Crisco got a field goal for the Copperheads to finally get them on the score board before the end of the half. The 3rd quarter saw another Outlaws field goal and the Copperheads first and only touchdown thanks to a 18 yard pass to Tidwell for him to take it home. The 4th quarter saw another Outlaws field goal and touchdown but by this point the game was already out of the Copperheads reach.
The stats show the Outlaws dominance, in the passing game the Copperheads were not to bad but the Outlaws threw 35 passes for over 400 yards compared to the Copperheads 21 passes for 215 yards. Neither team ran a huge amount but again when they did the Outlaws were better at it with a whopping 6.3 yards per run to the Copperheads 4.0.
The standout Copperhead is tough again, a number of them had good games without being outstanding. In the end I think it should go to Edmond, he has been superb and continued his dominance in this match with 8 tackles and 2 sacks.
Week 11 W 24-21
This was the pre-match of last season's tank bowl, except this time round both teams were looking far better, and it produced a cracking match up. The Copperheads looked good at the start with with Owens rushing home on their first drive. However at the end of the 1st quarter disaster struck the Yetis grabbed a throw from Cole and ran it back for a massive 65 yard pick 6. The Copperheads started brightly in the second corner with Mendonca rushing in for the touch down on their first drive. After this defences stepped in and no more points were to be found, so the half finished with the Copperheads up. The 3rd quarter started with a long drive from the Copperheads ending in a field goal. Cole then again failed to find Larson and instead found a Yeti for the 2nd interception and on the following drive the Yetis scored a touchdown. Luckily the Copperheads fished the quarter with a 2nd touchdown rush from Mendonca. The 4th quarter saw the Yetis score another touchdown with 5 minutes left on the clock but were unable to get the job done on their last drive allowing the Copperheads to run down the clock for the hard fought win.
The stats show the Copperheads to be the dominant team in this match up, which is not surprising as they had almost twice the amount of time on the ball. They not only had more passing and rushing yards but also more yards per pass and rush as well. The game was close, however this was largely due to the 2 interceptions, without which the Yetis would have not been able to compete.
The standout Copperheads in this match was Mendonca, he got 2 touchdowns and 149 combined yards for a monster game, that also included a 41 yard catch and run.
Week 12 @ L 35-26
This high scoring game ended in a loss for the Copperheads and effectively ended their Hope's to slip into the playoffs. The 1st half belonged to the liberty who scored a touchdown to the Copperheads field goal in the 1st quarter and 2 touchdowns to the Copperheads 1 (a Mendonca rushing attempt) in the second quarter. The 3rd quarter of this game brought the Copperheads straight back in the match with 13 unanswered points. Crisco put in 2 field goals while Lavelle Jr ran home his 2nd punt return of the season for an epic 70 yards. The Liberty can crashing back into the game in the 4th quarter, the liberty ran home 2 touchdowns while the Copperheads could only manage a single field goal from the ever reliable Crisco. The Copperheads had one last drive with less than 2 minutes on the clock but that and the game was ended by Cole throwing an interception with only a minute left on the clock.
The fame was close but the stats mostly go the way of the Liberty. The Liberty had more passing yards off 10 less attempts than the Copperheads. Incidentally the Liberty went run heavy however they were not as efficient running the ball as the Copperheads were, although was not to the same extent as the Copperheads passing inefficiencies. Combine the better passing with the large number of Copperhead penalties and in the end the better team won.
The standout Copperhead of this match has to be split to 2 special teams players. Kicker Crisco scored a season-high 4 field goals in a game while Lavelle Jr got his second punt return of the season, much to the chagrin of all the people who said he was too slow to be an effective punt returner.
Week 13 @ W 28-21
While this game would not change the playoff picture it did matter to the Wraiths (who luckily for them everyone else in their division lost as well) and the Copperheads were not going to roll over and die. The Wraiths started well with a receiving touchdown, this was followed by drives the Copperheads could not quite complete against a tough Wraiths defence but at least ended in 2 field goals. The 2nd quarter started brightly, with hard working tight end Larson getting his 1st touchdown of the season (next season we want 2 from you!). The Wraiths then surged and scored 2 touchdowns, the 2nd after a Cole interception, but the half ended better with Castle coming down with a Copperheads interception and the following play ended in a field goal from Crisco. The 3rd quarter was a defensive one, with Kuusela getting the only points on the board with a sack and safety of Wraiths quarterback Bigsby. The 4th quarter was all Copperheads and started with the 1st pass of it being a Copperheads interception by Okura. Crisco put away his 4th field goal after and then the 2 teams exchanged interceptions before Owens rush home the touchdown for a win from the final game of the season.
The stats show a close game, both teams attempted and completed the exact same number of passes (26/48) but the Copperheads made more of them by about 30 yards. The Wraiths rushed more often and more effectively than the Copperheads, but were very much hurt by 3 interception that ultimately to the victory for the Copperheads.
For the last standout Copperhead I have to split it again between Kuusela for his superb sack safety for the 2 points and Larson whose hard work all season finally paid off and was able to get his touchdown.
The Future
I won't bang on about hope and dreams and what not. I will try and keep this ending nice and brief. The Copperheads are certainly a team on the up, we have a fully active, young offense that over the next few seasons is only going to get better and better and if it is kept together it will be dominant. The defence is also looking very good with active exciting players on it, but it does have a few holes at a few different positions, hopefully this will be sorted out in free agency. Mark my words AUSTIN IS ON THE RISE!!
Word count 4359
Welcome to a review of the Copperheads 2nd ever season in existence, and it was one hell of a ride. In this review I hope to cover as much as possible, starting from the pre-season and ending with the future and the season 18 draft.
Season 17 Draft
Draft Picks:
1OA - Ashley Owens - RB: The 1st overall draft pick was one of the worst kept secrets in football history. With Dick Wizardry putting on a good 75lbs of pure muscle at the end of season and moving to DT this telegraphed the Copperheads intention to pick up the star RB. This 1st pick seemingly signalled that the Copperheads had now completed their offensive build and with 5 of 6 of their key pieces being from season 15 and later (and all 6 being keen active players) will now let it mature into a dominant force, with Owens making an immediate impact on the field for Austin in Season 17.
7OA - Honda Edmond - LB: The immediate trade up for this player with the Otters came as a shock (even to the Copperhead's co-GM). The Copperheads GM must have had their eyes firmly on selecting Edmond with their 8th pick and having him snatched from under their nose the Copperheads GM moved quickly to trade up, swapping season 18 1st round picks and giving up a season 18 3rd round pick. Edmond certainly filled one of many holes in the Copperheads defence, joining Bakshi and Robertson at LB but with his play in season 17 Edmond has certainly shown why he was so sought after.
11OA - Takeda Okura - S: With the 11th overall pick the Copperheads selected the safety Okura. For a player of Okura's caliber to fall to the second round of the draft was a huge boon for the Copperheads as Safety was a key hole left in the Copperheads defence. Okura joined Jensen at Safety and like Edmond and Owens has shown himself to be an active and enthusiastic addition to the Copperheads line up and locker room.
Pre-Season
As everyone know pre-season should always be taken with a pinch of salt, it is a time for GM to test different line up and tactics, this was certainly the case for the Copperheads, who took a respectable 2 wins from 4 in the pre-season.
PS 1 W 19-14
The opening pre-season match saw the Copperheads using a very run heavy offense out to test out their new 1-2 running back punch and they were not disappointed. With 27 rushing attempts and only 29 passing attempts Ashley Owens ran at 4.5 yards a carry and managed to get both of the Copperheads touchdowns. The Copperheads largely controlled this game on both sides of the ball, with 22 1st downs to 16 and 4 sacks to 2. It is also worth noting that the Second Line's discipline was very poor in the match conceding 52 yards in 6 penalties.
PS 2 W 22-17
The was a closer game than the 1st, however the Copperheads stayed fairly run heavy with over 200 rushing yards compared to the pass heavy Outlaws. It was a fairly close game throughout that was won in the 4th quarter by Austin, with 2 touchdowns by wide receiver Anoi'a. The victory was largely due to the Copperheads superior 3rd down efficiency converting 7 of 14 compared to 2 of 9. The Copperheads defence played their part 5 pass deflections with new linebacker Edmond getting 3 of them.
PS 3 L 37-10
This game was never close with Austin getting 7 of there 10 points in the 4th quarter. The Otter superior passing game won the day with them nearly doubling the Copperhead's passing yards. This loss was a really team effort with no one really standing out for the Copperheads while the Otter scored 5 touchdowns against them in a ruthless show.
PS 4 @ L 48-0
The less said about this game the better, the Copperheads only managed a measly 328 yard total all game with the Sabrecats defence playing lights out holding the Copperheads to terrible rushing stats of only 3.4 yards per carry and 50% of passing going incomplete. The Sabrecats offense had a monster game with 6 touchdowns, 3 of which came from fantasy owners favourite Olsen. The sabrecats really had the Copperheads number in this very one sided affair.
Main season
After finishing 0-13 not much was expected out of the Copperheads, most of the league believed us to be a joke but spirits within our locker room were high, we knew we were a developing teaming aiming to play the long game. We knew this season would be an improvement but also that our team was not fully ready yet.
Re-simgate
Before starting to write about the orginal week 1 game the whole re-sim has to be addressed, I originally wrote a very large bit on it but I thought better of it and so will only give a precis of what I wrote. Losing a game with under powered players sucked and felt really unfair. Re-simming without check all the other teams was the wrong move. Certain people's reaction to the re-sim was ridiculous and childish. Right precis over, let's continue!
Week 1 L 31-10
The game was end to end stuff for the 1st quarter and 2nd quarter with Swift opening the scoring with a short rush over the goal line for New Orleans before Anoa'i caught a short pass with both the game poised at 10-10 at the end of the half. New Orleans then ran away with it in the second 2 quarters scoring an unanswered 3 touchdowns withh Gump getting 2 short rushers and Fyodorovich catching a blistering 49 yarder. Neither defense did much to stand out in this game with there being only 4 sacks in the whole game, although Lavelle Jr did get an interception in the 4th quarter it was to little to late.
The stats are surprisingly interesting for this game and do not exactly reflect the score. The Copperheads were working on a huge quantity of short length passes, but their completion on these short passes were not good enough, the Copperheads and the Second Line had similar pass completions but as the Second Line's pass completion where on average twice the length of the Copperheads this caused the problems.
The standout Copperhead was tough in this match but Lavelle Jr was a bright light in defence with an interception and a deflected pass so he has to take it.
Week 2 W 30-17
What a difference a week makes. This was the Copperheads 1st official win of their franchise and to do it again the reigning Ultimus champions made it extra special. The Copperheads started strong with Mendonca getting a rushing and passing touchdown in the 1st quarter with Edmonds causing and recovering a fumble from Shady that helped led to the 2nd touchdown. The Outlaws came back with a pair of receiving touchdown of their own from Landers and Valentine before Crisco put away a field goal to let the Copperheads go into the break up by 3. The 3rd quarter saw Anoa'i catch a 1 yard pass and Owens rush in for another pair of touchdowns to seal the game for the Copperheads.
In this game the Copperheads dialled up their rushers more than the previous week as well as increasing the pass lengths and the completion percentage that saw Cole get a passer rating of over 126. The Outlaw's lack of rushing was very surprising as they only had 14 attempts to the Copperheads 41 and I really think this choice cost them big as they over relied on the pass and were just not able to complete enough to make it matter.
The standout Copperhead was Cole with a superb passer rating of 126.2 with 2 touchdowns and a completion percentage of 76%, it really was the best game of his Copperheads career so far.
Week 3 @ L 43-13
After their first ever win over the Ultimus holders the Copperheads came down to earth with a big bump in this match, getting dominated in Orange County. The match started brightly for the Copperheads with Owens scoring a rushing touchdown after a long drive down the field. But the rest of the 1st 2 quarters did not go well, Pitcher and Reed scored rushing Otter touchdowns, Blaze got a touchdown with a 15 yard catch and Alex (I am not going to use his VERY long surname) scored a 3 pointer. The 2nd 2 quarters continued with Otter domination, Crisco scored 2 field goals but Mongo got 2 receiving touchdowns and Blaze got 1 to destroy the Copperheads.
The stats for this match show the Otter domination on both sides of the ball. Offensively the Otters played a pass heavy game with close to 400 yards through the air, 4 receiving touchdowns and 62% completion percentage. Armstrong's QB rating would have looked much better if it wasn't for 2 inception. Defensively the Otters really held back the Copperheads offensive run game keeping it to an average of 3.5 yards.
The standout for the Copperheads could only be their kicker Crisco. He is one of the top kickers in the league and is a very safe right leg to have on the team, proving it in this game with his 2 field goals.
Week 4 W 24-17
There is nothing like a victory over your rivals and this victory certainly felt good. The match started well for the Copperheads with Mendonca catching and running for a 17 yard receiving touchdown in the 1st quarter. The 2nd quarter saw the Sabercats get the scores level through a catch from Flash but before the end Crisco put the Copperheads back up with a 39 yard field goal. The 3rd quarter saw a monster 32 yarder for Anao'i with the Copperheads defense holding strong. The 4th quarter saw the Sabercats wake up a bit with a field goal but Mendonca's 2nd receiving touchdown put Copperheads clear, despite Flash also getting a receiving TD with only one minute on the clock the game was over.
In this game the stats show the Copperheads out playing the Sabercats in all areas, more passing yards, completions, rushing yards, and 1st downs and 3rd down completions, it was all quite one sided. The Sabercats made thing very hard on themselves with 6 penalties for 44 yards compared to the Copperheads 1 for 5.
The standout Copperhead of the week is a tough one in this match with players on both sides of the ball playing light out. In the end I have chosen Anoa'i, with 5 receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown. He was a killer deep threat with a shocking receiving yard average of 24.2 yards per catch.
Week 5 @ L 23-16
This was the first of a series of tight losses for the Copperheads. In this game the Copperheads defense were electric however the offense were not able to keep up their half of the bargain. This game was field goal heavy, and the Copperheads opened the scoring with Crisco getting 33 yarder. However little else went right in the 1st quarter as it was followed by the Butchers scoring on their next 2 drives (the 2nd after an interception), with Torensen and Danielsson getting the rushes over the line. The 2nd quarter saw Butchers field goal either side of a Mendonca 9 yard receiving touchdown. From here on out it was all about defence and after 2 more Crisco 3 pointers and 1 for the Butchers a disappointing game ended.
The stat from this game show the Copperheads defense doing well but the offense failing to follow, and perhaps in part due to a rare tactical slip up. The Copperheads could not get in done in the pass game with a dismal 45% pass completion but their rushing went well at an average of 6.3 yards per attempt, the problem was the Copperheads rushed on only 18 attempts. The Butchers were far more run heavy but made it count in the pass game when they had too. Both defenses played well but the Copperheads were great, with 2 forced fumbles and an interception.
The standout Copperhead was stud safety Jensen who managed 2 pass reflections and an interception in the game, it is a shame his and his fellow defensive players hard work was not rewarded with a win.
Week 6 L 40-20
This was a tough loss for the Copperheads who had a nose in front in the first 2 quarters of the match again the Otters before being blown away in the second 2 quarters. The Otters opened with a pair of field goals before Crisco got one of his and Medonca rushed home for the first touchdown of the match at the end of the 1st quarter. The second quarter was a defensive heavy one with both offensives stalling and the Otters single field goal being the only points. The 3rd quarter started with another Otters field goal before Tidwell pulled in a 25 yard touchdown pass, however from here it went wrong. The Otters started this but with a touchdown from Reed and then Schneider pulled down a pick 6 including a 43 yard run! The 4th quarter was more Otters, with a rushing touchdown from Pitcher and a receiving one from Reed.
This was a very undisciplined game with penalties galore, 8 for 70 yards from the Otters and 9 for 75 yards from the Copperheads. The Copperheads were a touch better on the rushing front but the Otters were passing far better, with their 2 interceptions to boot this meant the game was there's.
The standout Copperhead has to be wide receiver Tidwell, his 25 yard receiving touchdown was a shining light in the Copperheads otherwise poor passing game.
Week 7 @ L 20-17
This game was a thrilling one that could only.be decided in overtime. The Copperheads had the only points in the first quarter with Tidwell getting pull down a short catch. The second quarter was a simple exchange of field goals as both defences worked hard. The 3rd quarter belong to the Sabercats with Bigby running in a touchdown and the 4th saw an exchange of touchdowns, with Olsen and Owens pull.in the catches for the Sabercats and Copperheads respectively. With all things level the defences step up as 3 drives end in a punt before finally win in overtime with a 45 yard field goal.
The stats sheet show the closeness of this game, the Copperheads were the better passers but the Sabercats were the better runner, without either team being far enough ahead of the other to win. The Copperheads had the better 3rd and 4th down efficiency but also gave away more penalties. In the end this was as it appeared a game that could have gone either way and for the Copperheads it is unfortunate that it when the way of the Sabercats.
The standout Copperhead in this match was Cole again, after a tough few games Cole was back to his best with 2 touchdowns, 233 passing yards and a rating of 105.5, it is just a shame that the result went the other way.
Week 8 @ W 33-17
Revenge is sweet and after re-sim gate the Copperheads got theirs down in humid New Orleans against the Second Line. It was a lively 1st quarter after a few punts from each team with Owens got a rushing and receiving touchdown and Gump got his own touchdown for the Second line. The second quarter also went the Copperheads way as they got a field goal and a lovely 26 yard receiving touchdown from Anoa'i while the Second Line got another solitary touchdown. In the 3rd and 4th quarters the defence started to get the better of the offensives with 2 more field goals for Crisco and the Copperheads to the 1 field goal for the Second Line. This game was lead and controlled by the Copperheads all the way through and was very pleasing to watch.
The stats show the Copperheads dominance in all parts of the game, the had more passing yard, more rush yards, better yards per pass and per rush and were better at converting 3rd downs. After 3 losses in a row it was a great and dominant win for the Copperheads which help pick up their spirits and remind everyone else in the NSFL that you have to take them seriously.
The standout Copperhead was runningback Owens, he was a monster in this game and got 2 well deserved touchdowns and over 160 rushing and receiving yards, and even some very tasty kick off returns to boot!
Week 9 L 23-10
After flying high in week 8 the Copperheads offense came back crashing down to earth in week 9 and if it wasn't for a strong display by the defense it would have looked much worse. The 1st quarter was a series of field goals as both offensives failed to get over the goal line, 2 for the Hawks and 1 for the Copperheads. The 2nd quarter saw the first touchdown of the game from a remarkable 78 punt return by Lavelle Jr, and people said he was too slow! But the Hawks pulled back into the lead through an excellent receiving touchdown. The 3rd quarter belonged to the Hawks as the got another field goal and a touchdown after their defence pulled down an interception. In the 4th quarter nothing happened, literally nothing of note!
Neither offense covered themselves in glory, with the Hawks being just ahead in more categories than the Copperheads but neither was spectacular. The Copperheads threw more but had a worse passing per yards and the Hawks ran more but to a similar ability to the Copperheads. The defense however were great, both got an interception, with the Hawks getting 5 sacks to the Copperheads 4.
The standout Copperhead it tough to pick from a great defensive display. Lavelle Jr deserves a shout out for his punt return touchdown however for this match I will select rookie safety Okura, he had a sack, pass deflection and interception to his name in this game.
Week 10 @ L 35-10
Arizona is a tough place to play against a tough team and this was the case in week 10. The game never really got going for the Copperheads and the Outlaws were their superb selves. The Outlaws dominated the first quarter with a sack for a safety, a touchdown and a field goal. The second quarter was a similar story with the Outlaws getting another touch down and field goal before Crisco got a field goal for the Copperheads to finally get them on the score board before the end of the half. The 3rd quarter saw another Outlaws field goal and the Copperheads first and only touchdown thanks to a 18 yard pass to Tidwell for him to take it home. The 4th quarter saw another Outlaws field goal and touchdown but by this point the game was already out of the Copperheads reach.
The stats show the Outlaws dominance, in the passing game the Copperheads were not to bad but the Outlaws threw 35 passes for over 400 yards compared to the Copperheads 21 passes for 215 yards. Neither team ran a huge amount but again when they did the Outlaws were better at it with a whopping 6.3 yards per run to the Copperheads 4.0.
The standout Copperhead is tough again, a number of them had good games without being outstanding. In the end I think it should go to Edmond, he has been superb and continued his dominance in this match with 8 tackles and 2 sacks.
Week 11 W 24-21
This was the pre-match of last season's tank bowl, except this time round both teams were looking far better, and it produced a cracking match up. The Copperheads looked good at the start with with Owens rushing home on their first drive. However at the end of the 1st quarter disaster struck the Yetis grabbed a throw from Cole and ran it back for a massive 65 yard pick 6. The Copperheads started brightly in the second corner with Mendonca rushing in for the touch down on their first drive. After this defences stepped in and no more points were to be found, so the half finished with the Copperheads up. The 3rd quarter started with a long drive from the Copperheads ending in a field goal. Cole then again failed to find Larson and instead found a Yeti for the 2nd interception and on the following drive the Yetis scored a touchdown. Luckily the Copperheads fished the quarter with a 2nd touchdown rush from Mendonca. The 4th quarter saw the Yetis score another touchdown with 5 minutes left on the clock but were unable to get the job done on their last drive allowing the Copperheads to run down the clock for the hard fought win.
The stats show the Copperheads to be the dominant team in this match up, which is not surprising as they had almost twice the amount of time on the ball. They not only had more passing and rushing yards but also more yards per pass and rush as well. The game was close, however this was largely due to the 2 interceptions, without which the Yetis would have not been able to compete.
The standout Copperheads in this match was Mendonca, he got 2 touchdowns and 149 combined yards for a monster game, that also included a 41 yard catch and run.
Week 12 @ L 35-26
This high scoring game ended in a loss for the Copperheads and effectively ended their Hope's to slip into the playoffs. The 1st half belonged to the liberty who scored a touchdown to the Copperheads field goal in the 1st quarter and 2 touchdowns to the Copperheads 1 (a Mendonca rushing attempt) in the second quarter. The 3rd quarter of this game brought the Copperheads straight back in the match with 13 unanswered points. Crisco put in 2 field goals while Lavelle Jr ran home his 2nd punt return of the season for an epic 70 yards. The Liberty can crashing back into the game in the 4th quarter, the liberty ran home 2 touchdowns while the Copperheads could only manage a single field goal from the ever reliable Crisco. The Copperheads had one last drive with less than 2 minutes on the clock but that and the game was ended by Cole throwing an interception with only a minute left on the clock.
The fame was close but the stats mostly go the way of the Liberty. The Liberty had more passing yards off 10 less attempts than the Copperheads. Incidentally the Liberty went run heavy however they were not as efficient running the ball as the Copperheads were, although was not to the same extent as the Copperheads passing inefficiencies. Combine the better passing with the large number of Copperhead penalties and in the end the better team won.
The standout Copperhead of this match has to be split to 2 special teams players. Kicker Crisco scored a season-high 4 field goals in a game while Lavelle Jr got his second punt return of the season, much to the chagrin of all the people who said he was too slow to be an effective punt returner.
Week 13 @ W 28-21
While this game would not change the playoff picture it did matter to the Wraiths (who luckily for them everyone else in their division lost as well) and the Copperheads were not going to roll over and die. The Wraiths started well with a receiving touchdown, this was followed by drives the Copperheads could not quite complete against a tough Wraiths defence but at least ended in 2 field goals. The 2nd quarter started brightly, with hard working tight end Larson getting his 1st touchdown of the season (next season we want 2 from you!). The Wraiths then surged and scored 2 touchdowns, the 2nd after a Cole interception, but the half ended better with Castle coming down with a Copperheads interception and the following play ended in a field goal from Crisco. The 3rd quarter was a defensive one, with Kuusela getting the only points on the board with a sack and safety of Wraiths quarterback Bigsby. The 4th quarter was all Copperheads and started with the 1st pass of it being a Copperheads interception by Okura. Crisco put away his 4th field goal after and then the 2 teams exchanged interceptions before Owens rush home the touchdown for a win from the final game of the season.
The stats show a close game, both teams attempted and completed the exact same number of passes (26/48) but the Copperheads made more of them by about 30 yards. The Wraiths rushed more often and more effectively than the Copperheads, but were very much hurt by 3 interception that ultimately to the victory for the Copperheads.
For the last standout Copperhead I have to split it again between Kuusela for his superb sack safety for the 2 points and Larson whose hard work all season finally paid off and was able to get his touchdown.
The Future
I won't bang on about hope and dreams and what not. I will try and keep this ending nice and brief. The Copperheads are certainly a team on the up, we have a fully active, young offense that over the next few seasons is only going to get better and better and if it is kept together it will be dominant. The defence is also looking very good with active exciting players on it, but it does have a few holes at a few different positions, hopefully this will be sorted out in free agency. Mark my words AUSTIN IS ON THE RISE!!
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