The Minnesota Grey Ducks have probably been a relatively unexpected surprise at this point for a lot of people in this league. The fact that they are leading the NFC North and are also the only team in the NFC North that is over .500 was something that most people did not expect. The even bigger shocker is the fact that they are second in the league, behind only Tijuana and ahead of Dallas based on points for. I think the only people that expected such a comeback are probably the team itself. As such, let’s take a look back on their season so far.
W1 @Dallas Birddogs (6-4-0)
L 27-15
The first week of the DSFL season did not go off as well as the Grey Ducks likely wanted. Seemingly, the Grey Ducks put up a respectable score, losing by only two possessions. However, when we look at the actual game records in the index, we see that the Grey Ducks actually were down 8-27 with around five minutes left in the fourth quarter, and scored one more touchdown in garbage time, padding their stats and making the score seem closer than it actually was. Throughout the first three quarters, the only points for Minnesota came only from Philip Stein the kicker, who had two field goals, as well as a safety in the second half. The Minnesota Grey Ducks were also outplayed in almost every other facet of the game. Dallas’s quarterback put up more yards and less interceptions, their running game was more efficient, and their offensive line was more solid. The only part of the game where Minnesota beat Dallas was on penalties, with only 1 penalty for 5 yards the entire game, compared to Dallas’s 4 total penalties for 30 total yards. Finally, looking at third down efficiency, Minnesota was atrocious, converting only 2 of their total 13 third down opportunities, compared with Dallas’s 6 for 12. Dallas obviously came out of the gate ready to play and prepared for Minnesota. However, the Grey Ducks would have the opportunity to get revenge in week 8.
W2 Portland Pythons (4-6-0)
W 34-13
Coming off of the relatively ugly loss in week 1, the Grey Ducks were incredibly anxious and ready to get their first win of the season. However, the Pythons were in the same boat, as they had just lost to Myrtle Beach in a disgusting 34-0 shutout week one. Unlike the previous week, where the Ducks did not score until the second quarter, Minnesota came out of the gates fast and hard, putting up a touchdown and a field goal in the first quarter and then doing the same in the second quarter, while holding their opponent to a total of 3 points in the first half of the game. In this game, the quarterback of the Minnesota Grey Ducks went off, throwing for 212 yards with no interceptions. Their running game was also on point, with Lackson going off for 127 yards and a touchdown. Finally, the team was just much more efficient than their performance week 1. The Grey Ducks went 9 for 17 in third down attempts and were able to capitalize more on their opportunities, which ultimately resulted in the team getting their first win of the season. With the team now sitting at 1-1, many thought that this would be the turning point. However, the team would actually enter a slump for the next few games.
W3 @Kansas City Coyotes (4-6-0)
L 17-13
This game as well as the next one resulted in two heartbreaking and momentum stopping losses for the Grey Ducks. Very similar to the first game, the Minnesota Grey Ducks offense just couldn’t get going until too late in the game, resulting in a loss. The Ducks were outscored 17-7 in the first three quarters, and ultimately could not complete the comeback, despite holding their opponent to 0 points scored in the fourth quarter. Interestingly, Minnesota outperformed their opponent in almost every single aspect of the game. Specifically, they went 9 for 17 on third down attempts, compared to 5 for 11. The Minnesota QB also had more completions, more yards, and less interceptions than his counterpart. Jamar Lackson, the RB also had more yards and the same amount of touchdowns as his counterpart. The Grey Ducks offensive line played very sloppy this game, resulting in 5 penalties resulting in 41 yards lost. However, this was still better than the Coyotes offensive line, who also had 5 penalties but lost 45 yards. The Grey Ducks special teams unit was also great, with Philip Stein going 3/3 on the day with 1 extra point and 2 field goals. The main reason that the Grey Ducks lost is largely due to defense. It seems like the Grey Ducks defense simply could not generate any pass rush at all, and had 0 sacks the entire game. This likely resulted in tons of time for the opposing QB to sit in the pocket and throw the ball, costing the ducks their win.
W4 Tijuana Luchadores (7-3-0)
L 30-22
Coming off of their week 3 loss, it was evident that week 4 would be a boom or bust game, especially considering that the Ducks were playing the Luchadores, who were obviously very good at what they did. The entire team was hoping to avoid a 1-3 start, and hoped that they would be able to beat Tijuana. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Both teams came off to a slow start, with a total of 3 points being scored in the first quarter. However, Tijuana was able to turn on the jets and scored 13 points compared to the Grey Duck’s 7 points in the second quarter. In the third quarter, the Grey Ducks were also unable to score and gave up another touchdown to the Luchadores, going down 23-7 by the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, RB Jamar Lackson decided to put the team on his back, and rumbled in for 2 TDs, but this comeback attempt came a little too late, and the Grey Ducks fell to the Luchadores, 30-22, and to a 1-3 record. This was another case of the Grey Ducks being unable to outclass their opponents. The Luchadores had almost 100 more passing yards than the Grey Ducks. Additionally, the Grey Duck’s offensive line was horrendous this game, and QB Sim Snowbow was pressured consistently this game. Ultimately, the OL gave up 9 penalties for almost 75 yards. Thus, not a great performance.
W5 Norfolk Seawolves (5-5-0)
W 10-0
This game was the first game that signaled a turnaround for the entire organization. I remember specifically, before this game, with all of the issues that had plagued the Grey Ducks, with Jamar’s Speed being set to F for fast, and the resim still going 0-2, morale was very low. However, the team was able to dig itself out of the hole. For the first three quarters, the Ducks held a 3-0 lead, with Philip Stein scoring the only points for both sides, through a field goal in the first quarter. Then, Sim was able to pad the lead in the fourth quarter with a TD pass. The defense was also able to hold up, and shut the Seawolves out. Jamar also rushed for 100+ yards. The team, in general, performed much better this game and took care of the ball much better than they had been doing in the past few games. Mistakes were mitigated, so the Grey Ducks were able to win and improve to 2-3.
W6 @Myrtle Beach Buccaneers (4-6-0)
W 16-10
Coming off of their second win of the season, the Grey Ducks wanted to keep their momentum going. Once again, the only points scored in the first quarter came from the leg of Philip Stein. The Ducks then were scored on in the second half and trailed 3-7. However, from their experiences earlier in the season, they were able to show resolve and battle through the adversity, coming back instead of giving up and were able to come back. Led by the legs of Jamar and the arm of Snowbow, the Grey Ducks were able to come back and tie the game up in the fourth quarter, leading to OT and eventually winning in OT. Interestingly, this was another sloppy game for the Grey Ducks offensive line. The OL put up 9 penalties for 57 yards. However, they did not let up a single sack. It seemed very clear that the less sacks that Snowbow took, they better the team was doing. With this overtime win, the Grey Ducks were back at 3-3 and very much in the hunt for the playoffs.
W7 @London Royals (4-6-0)
W 37-7
In this game, the Grey Ducks added a new weapon in running back Keppler. With another great running back that was able to help Jamar Lackson take some of the burden of the offense off of his shoulders. The score also reflects this. As seen in the stats for this game, Keppler was able to account for 100+ rushing yards and a touchdown while Jamar also went for 80 yards and a touchdown. With such a lethal 1-2 punch in the backfield, things were looking up for the Grey Ducks. This game was also another one in which Sim Snowbow really took things into his hands. Snowbow accounted for almost 200 passing yards and two touchdowns. With this offensive outburst, as well as a great effort by the defense, the Grey Ducks were able to have their first statement win in the season, beating the Royals resoundingly. Looking at the OL, only one sack was let up, meaning that there was little pressure on Sim Snowbow, which may be one of the major reasons why Sim was able to do so well in the pocket.
W8 Dallas Birddogs (6-4-0)
W 24-21
Week 8 was an incredibly important game for the Grey Ducks. Having played and lost to the Birddogs earlier in the season during their week one matchup, the Grey Ducks were excited to play and beat these opponents. The two teams were incredibly close throughout the first three quarters, with neither team taking a resounding lead. However, in the fourth and final quarter, Keppler, who had been added to the Grey Ducks very recently, was able to run it in for a touchdown that ultimately clinched the win for Minnesota. One of the major reasons why this game turned out differently than the result in week one was largely a result of the performance of Sim Snowbow. Unlike in week 1, where Snowbow was held quiet, Sim Snowbow went off this game, throwing for 267 yards and 2 touchdowns. This offensive outburst was also bolstered by great running games from Jamar and Keppler. Much like in the last game, Sim Snowbow was protected very well by his offensive line, resulting in only 2 sacks throughout the entire game on the QB. Interestingly, one of the places where the Minnesota Grey Ducks did not perform very well this game was penalties. The team had 8 penalties for 46 yards, which was almost double the amount of penalties committed by the Birddogs. However, Snowbow was able to cover up these mistakes with his arm. This affinity for penalties may bite the Grey Ducks later, however.
W9 @Portland Pythons (4-6-0)
L 21-16
If there is anything that could be considered a trap game, this was it. The Grey Ducks had played the Pythons earlier in the season and won resoundingly 34-13. Furthermore, the Ducks were on a four game win streak that had propelled them from 1-3 to 5-3. As such, perhaps people were taking their opponent more lightly than they should have. The Pythons came out incredibly fast and scored in the first three quarters, creating a lead that proved to be insurmountable for the Grey Ducks. Passing game and efficiency wise, the Pythons and the Grey Ducks performed almost identically. However, the main difference very much came from the running game. Portland’s running game outperformed that of the Grey Ducks by almost 50 yards, and Portland’s running backs were able to account for 2 touchdowns. Additionally, the offensive line of the Grey Ducks did not perform as well as that of Portland. 2 sacks were given up as compared to 0 by the Pythons. The ability of the Pythons to penetrate the OL and generate pressure in the backfield likely was a huge reason why the Grey Ducks were not able to get their running game going.
W10 Kansas City Coyotes (4-6-0)
W 48-3
Coming off of the loss to the Pythons, the Grey Ducks were incredibly pissed off and played as such. All of the Minnesota players played incredibly well, and the Grey Ducks had arguably their best performance of the year. The offensive line only had 3 penalties the entire game, no sacks were allowed, and the defense was incredible, accounting for 4 total interceptions. The amount of pressure that was kept out of the backfield meant the the quarterback and the running backs were able to perform well, and they did just that. Sim Snowbow went for 179 yards and 2 TDs, and Jamar had another MVP performance, going for 100+ yards and 2 TDs while Keppler went for 85 and 1 TD. Minnesota was also incredibly more efficient than Kansas City when it came to conversions, going 7 for 11 versus 2 for 10. All of these culminated in a perfect game for Minnesota, resulting in this huge statement win.
Takeaways
It seems very much that one of the biggest things up until this point in the season is the ability of the offensive line to keep the pressure out of the backfield. It very much seems that in games where penalties are kept down and sacks are kept low, Minnesota’s QB and RBs are able to perform much better otherwise. Thus, I think that offensive line should be a much larger point of investment for the Ducks. Additionally, with the fact that the Grey Ducks seem very prone to penalties, perhaps everyone should look to increase their intelligence ratings a little in order to stop giving up free yards. However, the fact that the Grey Ducks are sitting at 6-4 is likely something that not many people could have predicted. Let’s see if they are able to keep their momentum going for the rest of the season.
W1 @Dallas Birddogs (6-4-0)
L 27-15
The first week of the DSFL season did not go off as well as the Grey Ducks likely wanted. Seemingly, the Grey Ducks put up a respectable score, losing by only two possessions. However, when we look at the actual game records in the index, we see that the Grey Ducks actually were down 8-27 with around five minutes left in the fourth quarter, and scored one more touchdown in garbage time, padding their stats and making the score seem closer than it actually was. Throughout the first three quarters, the only points for Minnesota came only from Philip Stein the kicker, who had two field goals, as well as a safety in the second half. The Minnesota Grey Ducks were also outplayed in almost every other facet of the game. Dallas’s quarterback put up more yards and less interceptions, their running game was more efficient, and their offensive line was more solid. The only part of the game where Minnesota beat Dallas was on penalties, with only 1 penalty for 5 yards the entire game, compared to Dallas’s 4 total penalties for 30 total yards. Finally, looking at third down efficiency, Minnesota was atrocious, converting only 2 of their total 13 third down opportunities, compared with Dallas’s 6 for 12. Dallas obviously came out of the gate ready to play and prepared for Minnesota. However, the Grey Ducks would have the opportunity to get revenge in week 8.
W2 Portland Pythons (4-6-0)
W 34-13
Coming off of the relatively ugly loss in week 1, the Grey Ducks were incredibly anxious and ready to get their first win of the season. However, the Pythons were in the same boat, as they had just lost to Myrtle Beach in a disgusting 34-0 shutout week one. Unlike the previous week, where the Ducks did not score until the second quarter, Minnesota came out of the gates fast and hard, putting up a touchdown and a field goal in the first quarter and then doing the same in the second quarter, while holding their opponent to a total of 3 points in the first half of the game. In this game, the quarterback of the Minnesota Grey Ducks went off, throwing for 212 yards with no interceptions. Their running game was also on point, with Lackson going off for 127 yards and a touchdown. Finally, the team was just much more efficient than their performance week 1. The Grey Ducks went 9 for 17 in third down attempts and were able to capitalize more on their opportunities, which ultimately resulted in the team getting their first win of the season. With the team now sitting at 1-1, many thought that this would be the turning point. However, the team would actually enter a slump for the next few games.
W3 @Kansas City Coyotes (4-6-0)
L 17-13
This game as well as the next one resulted in two heartbreaking and momentum stopping losses for the Grey Ducks. Very similar to the first game, the Minnesota Grey Ducks offense just couldn’t get going until too late in the game, resulting in a loss. The Ducks were outscored 17-7 in the first three quarters, and ultimately could not complete the comeback, despite holding their opponent to 0 points scored in the fourth quarter. Interestingly, Minnesota outperformed their opponent in almost every single aspect of the game. Specifically, they went 9 for 17 on third down attempts, compared to 5 for 11. The Minnesota QB also had more completions, more yards, and less interceptions than his counterpart. Jamar Lackson, the RB also had more yards and the same amount of touchdowns as his counterpart. The Grey Ducks offensive line played very sloppy this game, resulting in 5 penalties resulting in 41 yards lost. However, this was still better than the Coyotes offensive line, who also had 5 penalties but lost 45 yards. The Grey Ducks special teams unit was also great, with Philip Stein going 3/3 on the day with 1 extra point and 2 field goals. The main reason that the Grey Ducks lost is largely due to defense. It seems like the Grey Ducks defense simply could not generate any pass rush at all, and had 0 sacks the entire game. This likely resulted in tons of time for the opposing QB to sit in the pocket and throw the ball, costing the ducks their win.
W4 Tijuana Luchadores (7-3-0)
L 30-22
Coming off of their week 3 loss, it was evident that week 4 would be a boom or bust game, especially considering that the Ducks were playing the Luchadores, who were obviously very good at what they did. The entire team was hoping to avoid a 1-3 start, and hoped that they would be able to beat Tijuana. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Both teams came off to a slow start, with a total of 3 points being scored in the first quarter. However, Tijuana was able to turn on the jets and scored 13 points compared to the Grey Duck’s 7 points in the second quarter. In the third quarter, the Grey Ducks were also unable to score and gave up another touchdown to the Luchadores, going down 23-7 by the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, RB Jamar Lackson decided to put the team on his back, and rumbled in for 2 TDs, but this comeback attempt came a little too late, and the Grey Ducks fell to the Luchadores, 30-22, and to a 1-3 record. This was another case of the Grey Ducks being unable to outclass their opponents. The Luchadores had almost 100 more passing yards than the Grey Ducks. Additionally, the Grey Duck’s offensive line was horrendous this game, and QB Sim Snowbow was pressured consistently this game. Ultimately, the OL gave up 9 penalties for almost 75 yards. Thus, not a great performance.
W5 Norfolk Seawolves (5-5-0)
W 10-0
This game was the first game that signaled a turnaround for the entire organization. I remember specifically, before this game, with all of the issues that had plagued the Grey Ducks, with Jamar’s Speed being set to F for fast, and the resim still going 0-2, morale was very low. However, the team was able to dig itself out of the hole. For the first three quarters, the Ducks held a 3-0 lead, with Philip Stein scoring the only points for both sides, through a field goal in the first quarter. Then, Sim was able to pad the lead in the fourth quarter with a TD pass. The defense was also able to hold up, and shut the Seawolves out. Jamar also rushed for 100+ yards. The team, in general, performed much better this game and took care of the ball much better than they had been doing in the past few games. Mistakes were mitigated, so the Grey Ducks were able to win and improve to 2-3.
W6 @Myrtle Beach Buccaneers (4-6-0)
W 16-10
Coming off of their second win of the season, the Grey Ducks wanted to keep their momentum going. Once again, the only points scored in the first quarter came from the leg of Philip Stein. The Ducks then were scored on in the second half and trailed 3-7. However, from their experiences earlier in the season, they were able to show resolve and battle through the adversity, coming back instead of giving up and were able to come back. Led by the legs of Jamar and the arm of Snowbow, the Grey Ducks were able to come back and tie the game up in the fourth quarter, leading to OT and eventually winning in OT. Interestingly, this was another sloppy game for the Grey Ducks offensive line. The OL put up 9 penalties for 57 yards. However, they did not let up a single sack. It seemed very clear that the less sacks that Snowbow took, they better the team was doing. With this overtime win, the Grey Ducks were back at 3-3 and very much in the hunt for the playoffs.
W7 @London Royals (4-6-0)
W 37-7
In this game, the Grey Ducks added a new weapon in running back Keppler. With another great running back that was able to help Jamar Lackson take some of the burden of the offense off of his shoulders. The score also reflects this. As seen in the stats for this game, Keppler was able to account for 100+ rushing yards and a touchdown while Jamar also went for 80 yards and a touchdown. With such a lethal 1-2 punch in the backfield, things were looking up for the Grey Ducks. This game was also another one in which Sim Snowbow really took things into his hands. Snowbow accounted for almost 200 passing yards and two touchdowns. With this offensive outburst, as well as a great effort by the defense, the Grey Ducks were able to have their first statement win in the season, beating the Royals resoundingly. Looking at the OL, only one sack was let up, meaning that there was little pressure on Sim Snowbow, which may be one of the major reasons why Sim was able to do so well in the pocket.
W8 Dallas Birddogs (6-4-0)
W 24-21
Week 8 was an incredibly important game for the Grey Ducks. Having played and lost to the Birddogs earlier in the season during their week one matchup, the Grey Ducks were excited to play and beat these opponents. The two teams were incredibly close throughout the first three quarters, with neither team taking a resounding lead. However, in the fourth and final quarter, Keppler, who had been added to the Grey Ducks very recently, was able to run it in for a touchdown that ultimately clinched the win for Minnesota. One of the major reasons why this game turned out differently than the result in week one was largely a result of the performance of Sim Snowbow. Unlike in week 1, where Snowbow was held quiet, Sim Snowbow went off this game, throwing for 267 yards and 2 touchdowns. This offensive outburst was also bolstered by great running games from Jamar and Keppler. Much like in the last game, Sim Snowbow was protected very well by his offensive line, resulting in only 2 sacks throughout the entire game on the QB. Interestingly, one of the places where the Minnesota Grey Ducks did not perform very well this game was penalties. The team had 8 penalties for 46 yards, which was almost double the amount of penalties committed by the Birddogs. However, Snowbow was able to cover up these mistakes with his arm. This affinity for penalties may bite the Grey Ducks later, however.
W9 @Portland Pythons (4-6-0)
L 21-16
If there is anything that could be considered a trap game, this was it. The Grey Ducks had played the Pythons earlier in the season and won resoundingly 34-13. Furthermore, the Ducks were on a four game win streak that had propelled them from 1-3 to 5-3. As such, perhaps people were taking their opponent more lightly than they should have. The Pythons came out incredibly fast and scored in the first three quarters, creating a lead that proved to be insurmountable for the Grey Ducks. Passing game and efficiency wise, the Pythons and the Grey Ducks performed almost identically. However, the main difference very much came from the running game. Portland’s running game outperformed that of the Grey Ducks by almost 50 yards, and Portland’s running backs were able to account for 2 touchdowns. Additionally, the offensive line of the Grey Ducks did not perform as well as that of Portland. 2 sacks were given up as compared to 0 by the Pythons. The ability of the Pythons to penetrate the OL and generate pressure in the backfield likely was a huge reason why the Grey Ducks were not able to get their running game going.
W10 Kansas City Coyotes (4-6-0)
W 48-3
Coming off of the loss to the Pythons, the Grey Ducks were incredibly pissed off and played as such. All of the Minnesota players played incredibly well, and the Grey Ducks had arguably their best performance of the year. The offensive line only had 3 penalties the entire game, no sacks were allowed, and the defense was incredible, accounting for 4 total interceptions. The amount of pressure that was kept out of the backfield meant the the quarterback and the running backs were able to perform well, and they did just that. Sim Snowbow went for 179 yards and 2 TDs, and Jamar had another MVP performance, going for 100+ yards and 2 TDs while Keppler went for 85 and 1 TD. Minnesota was also incredibly more efficient than Kansas City when it came to conversions, going 7 for 11 versus 2 for 10. All of these culminated in a perfect game for Minnesota, resulting in this huge statement win.
Takeaways
It seems very much that one of the biggest things up until this point in the season is the ability of the offensive line to keep the pressure out of the backfield. It very much seems that in games where penalties are kept down and sacks are kept low, Minnesota’s QB and RBs are able to perform much better otherwise. Thus, I think that offensive line should be a much larger point of investment for the Ducks. Additionally, with the fact that the Grey Ducks seem very prone to penalties, perhaps everyone should look to increase their intelligence ratings a little in order to stop giving up free yards. However, the fact that the Grey Ducks are sitting at 6-4 is likely something that not many people could have predicted. Let’s see if they are able to keep their momentum going for the rest of the season.
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