Welcome back to another edition of the Portland Python Game Recap Series. Portland Pythons, we may not win every game, but we're going to earn bank and TPE like its going out of style. The sim gods have smiled on us today folks as we have much more interesting games to break down and discuss than the walloping the Pythons took in week one versus the Norfolk Seawolves. Fortunately the Seawolves blew out their opponents in the most recent two weeks as well, so now Portland doesn't look half bad at this stage. Once again, we'll be looking at the play by play, as well as the offensive and defensive breakdowns for both games. We'll cover a mountain of mistakes for both teams, as well as hand out some game balls and salute some heroic performances. Lets dig into it:
Week 2 - Portland Pythons
@ London Royals 
Play By Play
Do you have any idea how long of a flight it is from Portland to London? Well I didn't know either so I had to look it up. 15 hours direct, roughly 5,000 miles. And the Pythons had to travel every single one of them to play the Royals in week two. Maybe that is why Portland got off to such a slow start. However, there were two notable plays in the first series. First, a 7 yard reception by rooking running back Darren Pama (remember his name). Second, a 58 yard punt by punter Blago Kokot (remember his name as well). But that's about it, a three-and-out in which the most notable plays were a pass short for the first down and a mammoth punt.
London took over at their own 20 yard line, with veteran quarterback Charlamagne Cortez getting it started for the 1-0 Royals early with a 8 yard pass to Gunner Thorbjornsson. After a short run play, Cortez found wide receiver Tre’Darius J’Vathon for 25 yards, putting the ball at the Portland 44 yard line. Cortez then targetted Thorbjornsson on consecutive passes for 24 and then 11 yards to bring the ball down to Portland's 5 yard line. A four-yard rush by Terry Yaki punched through the Python defense for a touchdown, and the score was 7-0. It took roughly four minutes for the Royals to march 80 yards down the field, and I'm sure everyone in Python Nation thought that we were about to see a repeat of the Norfolk game.
Royals kicked off to wide receiver Korbin Brown, who admirably returned it 30 yards. From there, the Pythons went back to work and they started with the run game. Four straight rushes by Portland, highlighted by a pair of rushes by Pama for 15 total yards, set up first and 10 from the London 38 yard line. The Portland then, someone, committed back to back 'Too many men on the field' penalties, and it was 1st and 20. After a short run and then an incomplete pass, veteran quarterback Sam Howitzer hit tight end Nick Marksman for 14 yards. Still, it was 4 and 3 and the the Pythons elected to kick. Kicker Pseudo QB hit it through the uprights, and it was 7-3 in favor of Portland, with roughly five minutes to play in the first quarter.
London took over at their own 11 yard line, but after an incompletion and a holding penalty, and despite a 13 yard catch by J'Vathon, the Royals were forced to punt. The game settled now, and the defenses took over. Portland was unable to do much with the ball, though Howitzer did connect with Brown for 7 yards. However defensive plays, like a broken up pass by Royal linebacker Juan Domine, stalled the drive before it could really begin. A 50 yard punt by Kokot gave London the ball at their own 20 yard line. Linebacker and last week's game ball winner Donald McBobby sacked Cortez for a 5 yard loss, and now London was looking at a 2nd and 15 from their own 15 yard line. Cortez found Thorbjornsson again for 11 yards, but it wasn't enough. A 30 yard punt by London's Jake Fencik gave the Pythons the ball at their own 43 yard line. Just before the end of the first quarter, Pama rattled off a 15 yard run before eventually getting taken down by rookie safety Tayshawn Crunk. End of the first quarter, still 7-3 in favor of the Royals.
Howitzer found rookie wide receiver TJ Evans for seven yards to get the second quarter started. Pama carried the ball for 5 yards, but on his subsequent carry was stopped for a one yard loss by London's rookie defensive end, Albert Ruschmann. A short pass later, the Pythons were facing 3rd and 10. Howizter found Brown for 8 yards, but a saving tackle by cornerback Harrison Andrews kept Portland from reaching the first down marker. Still, kicker QB came up and knocked the ball 39 yards through the goalposts, and it was 7-6 for the snakes.
Cortez did his best to answer on the following drive. He found tight end Frank Michell for 14 yards, and then ran the ball himself for 15 yards to bring the ball to Portland's 48 yard line. On 2nd and 10, Cortez tried to through a short pass to Michell when the ball was intercepted by rookie safety, and first overall pick, Davriel Lavigne. On the ensuing drive, the Pythons leveraged a balance attack, getting things started with a 3 yard run by running back Buster Bawlls. Pama followed that up with a four yard run, and then Howitzer found Brown for two passes for a combined 17 yards. From there, Pama ran the ball three times for a combined 11 yards. However, the Pythons took a bad penalty and after a short pass and incompletion, had to settle for a 31 field goal. However, the Pythons took their first lead of the game, 7-9.
With around five minutes left in the half, London took over at their 22 yard line. Running back Jacoby Batista ran the ball three times for a combined 17 yards, and a Pythons penalty ptthe ball at the 44 yard line. However, after a pass defense by cornerback Dan Foster and some clutch tackles at the line by defensive end Bobby Hoffman and linebacker Matty Martinsson, the Royals once again had to punt. A 34 yard punt put the Pythons on their own 34 yard line, but the drive stalled after 5 plays and only 14 yards. Once again, Kokot came on to punt and knocked it 51 yards and into the end zone for a touch back.
The Royals only had 1:17 left in the half and the ball on their own 28 yard line. Still, they came out firing. Cortez completed a pass to running back Danny King for 8 yards, but then was sacked on the next play by McBobby once again, for a six yard lost. Not to be deterred, Cortez hit J'Vathon for 8 yards but after another defended pass by Foster, the first half came to an end, 7-9 for Portland.
Just to give you a picture of what the third quarter was like, there were 9 punts. Still, there were some highlights, especially early. Cortez and the Royals took over at their own 10 yard line after good coverage by the Pythons' special teams unit. Cortez connected with J'Vathon for 18 yards before being tackled by rookie cornerback Ben Anabender. Cortez tried to go back to J'Vathon again, but Anabender broke up the pass. London was forced to punt, and Portland took over at their 36. On the first play, Howitzer was sacked by linebacker Busch Light for a six yard loss, and two incompletions later the Pythons punted. A 51 yard punt, I might add.
On the next drive, Cortez went back to his favorite targets. First he hit Michell for 5 yards, and then Thorbjornsson for 10 yards. Cortez then tried another short pass to Yaki, but was again intercepted by Donald McBobby this time, who returned it for 20 yards to London's 17 yard line. Howitzer completed a pass to Cal Cutta for 7 yards. Running back Anders Christiansen ran it in for an 8 yard touchdown, and the score was now 7-16 in favor of Portland.
With 9:44 left in the third quarter, Cortez came out and threw three straight incompletions, and the Royals were forced to punt once again. The Pythons wouldn't do much with the ball, and punted it right back to the Royals on a 59 yard kick by Kokot. A team finally managed to start stringing together a series of plays, as running back Batista ran it up for 9 yards and Cortez found Michell for 14 yards. However, the Royals were unable to do much with 1st and 10 at their own 38 yard line, and had to settle for a punt.
The Pythons, not to be outdone, took that ball and did basically nothing with it after two short runs and a dropped pass. Kokot came back out there, and once again boomed the ball for 51 yards, giving the Royals the ball at their own 34 yard line. On the next play, Cortez was again sacked by rookie defensive tackle Honky-Tonk Haywood for a loss of 5. Cortez still managed to find King for 15 yards, but a short run and two more incompetions forced the Royals to punt once again. Fencik came out and did his best, a 53 yard punt that unfortunately went into the end zone for a touch down. On the next play, Pama ran the ball for 16 yards before Andrews managed to track him down. However the next two runs for Pama went for only two yards total and Howitzer was then sacked by defensive end Mattress Cadaire for a whopping 10 yards. Out came living legend Blago Kokot, who punted the ball 71 yards to the Royals' 1 yard line. That's right, I didn't make a mistake. 71 yard punt to down the ball at the one yard line.
The Royals had atrocious field position and went three and out, forcing a 36 yard Fencik punt to end the third quarter. Taking over at the London 42 yard line, Pama again tried to take it up the middle but was stopped by Domine. However, Howitzer found Brown on two passes for a combined 20 yards, and a London penalty put the ball at the 13 yard line. Howitzer threw to Cutta for 7 yards, before Pama rushed it twice and finally into the end zone for the rookie running back's first score of the season. 7-23 Portland, with only 11:12 minutes to play in the game.
On their next drive, the Royals would get things started on the ground. Batista rushed for 4 yards and Yaki for 5, before Cortez found Thorbjornsson for 24 yards. Yaki ran it twice for a combined 13 yards, but the drive stalled at the Portland 21 yard line after defensive plays by Haywood, Hoffman, and Martinsson. London once again had to settle for a field goal, and Fencik's 36 yard try made it 10-23 with 7:30 left in the game.
It became a clock game from there, as Portland continued to hand the ball off on the next drive, rushing the ball four times in a row, with Pama carrying it twice for 12 combined yards. Howitzer was then sacked by Cadaire again, however, and the Pythons were forced to punt. Somehow Kokot's leg had more juice in it, as he booted a 56 yard punt to force London back to their own 16 yard line. Foster broke up another pass and Martinsson stopped Batista after a short gain, and once again the Royals had to punt. Fencik, not to be outdone, boomed it 57 yards to force the Pythons to their own 40 yard line. Howitzer completed a 7 yard pass to Dave Batista, but it wasn't enough and the Pythons had to punt, Kokot kicking for the last time today and hitting it 51 yards.
With 2:22 left in the game, and starting at their own 20 yard line, the Royals were in dire straits. The first successful play saw Cortez hit Michell for 11 yards before being tackled by Lavigne. Next came a pair of incompletions before Cortez found rookie receiver Adam Spencer for 15 yards. Cortez hit Spencer again for 11 yards, and the ball was at the Portland 43 yard line but with only 39 seconds left. Cortez managed to hit Thorbjornsson again, but the talented receiver only managed 3 yards before Foster took him down, and that was the game. Final score, 10-23 for the Portland Pythons and their first win of the season. 18 total punts in the game for a combined 870 yards. There was only a combined 614 yards in the game. Someone get some ice for those two punters, my god.
Observations
Offense
Passing: A much better day for the returning Sam Howitzer, who completed 16 out of 24 passes for 115 yards and no touchdowns, no interceptions. Sam did what he was asked to do this game, which was complete some clutch passes and keep the drives going for his punishing running game to eventually find some gaps. Brown once again led the way with six catches for 52 yards, while Marksman hauled in four for 22. Brown continues to carry this passing attack on his back, and we'll see if these young receivers can develop to take over some of the slack. No touchdowns for the passing group this week, but the running game managed to pick up the slack.
Rushing: We can probably consider this game rookie running back Darren Pama's coming out party. After modest totals last week, Pama carried the ball 23 times for 93 yards and one touchdown. When Howitzer didn't have, or there were some hard yards to get, Pama carried it through. Special call out here for running back Buster Bawlls, he led the way on many on Pama's runs, keeping the talented Royals front seven away from the star back. Backup back Christiansen was not nearly as efficient on the ground, carrying it 15 times for 47 yards but did chip in for a touchdown. Overall, the rushing game was asked to carry the load in this contest and they delivered.
Offensive Line: New category in this edition of the Game Recap, where we take a look at the offensive line play. Rookie Chuck Roth led the way with four pancakes, but also committed a pair of penalties, which he'll want to clean up going forward. Hugh McGree added in 3 pancakes, and even Pama and Batista got in the action with a pancake of their own. Pama did allow a sack, so his day wasn't all perfect. He'll want to work on his strength so he isn't getting bullied by the bigger, stronger defensive players in the league, but he has time to work on that area of his game.
Overall: There's still some unanswered questions for the offensive side of the ball. Outside of Brown, there doesn't seem to be a consistent target in the passing game, and Howitzer barely threw for more than 100 yards this game. Pama and the ground game were able to bail out the anemic passing attack, but its going to take someone stepping up in the receiving corps, such as Cutta or Evans, to give the air game some life.
Defense
Passing: The Royals came into this game as one of the top passing attacks in the league, and there were reasonable questions as to how the Pythons pass defense unit would stand up to the heavy air attack. The coverage units were tested early and often, as Cortez threw the ball 50 times this game, completing 22 of those for 258 yards. However, the Pythons kept the talented Royals' receivers out of the end zone, and forced Cortez into a pair of picks that helped swing the game. Lavigne and McBobby's play helped stutter London's momentum and came at key times in the game. Foster, Lavigne, McBobby, Anabender, and Elijah Torres also chipped in with some pass defends as well. Combine that with the sacks by McBobby and Haywood and you had a frustrated Royals passing attack all game long. Thorbjornsson still caught 7 balls for 91 yards and J'Vathon 5 for 71, but the plays were spread out enough that they didn't hurt the Pythons too bad.
Rushing: Now, the Royals are a very different team than Norfolk, but after the Pythons gave up 250 yards on the ground, there was a big cause for concern for this group. However, they managed to show up in a big way, keeping the Royals to 98 yards this game. Jacoby Batista carried the ball 13 times for only 47 yards, and while Terry Yaki was more effective with his 7 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown, he simply didn't have the ball in his hands enough to make a big difference. Martinsson led the team in tackles, with lineback Myles Smith and defensive end Etrigan Slayer contributing as well. This unit kept the Royals bottled up in the backfield and only averaging 4 yards a carry. This is a far cry from their performance last week, and hopefully a sign of things to come.
Overall: This team could not have played worse last week against Norfolk, and while the offense didn't do them any favors against the Seawolves, all eyes were still on this unit coming into this week. They managed to find their footing against a talented Royals team, keeping them out of the end zone after the first quarter. We're still not sure what to expect from this crew exactly, but Pythons Faithful will hope it is going to be performances like today, compared to last week against Norfolk.
Game Balls
Darren Pama, Running Back: 23 Att, 93 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Rec, 7 Yds
I telegraphed it a bit in my play by play, but our first game ball here is going to go to Pama, who led the rushing attack and the offense for the Pythons today. Portland is without a consistent producer on offense aside from Brown, and the hope will be that Pama fills that role for the young Pythons. He carried the day and he helped the Pythons string drives together that they were, frankly, incapable of last week. Hopefully the young running back continues to develop, as I believe the Pythons will lean on him heavily in the weeks to come.
Blago Kokot, Punter: 9 Punts, 498 Yds, 55.3 Avg, 71 Lng, 3 Inside 20
Now I know what you're thinking. "Arkz, a punter, really? Over the play over McBobby, Lavigne, and Martinsson?" And my answer is, yeah those people all played great and had a huge impact, but Kokot changed the game all day long. I mean, it should have been obvious given all the times I said his name up above, but it was Kokot who kept the Royals team in uncomfortable yardages, forced to string incredibly long drives together to try and score. He helped get a struggling defense on their feet by keeping them in manageable yardage situations, and ensured short drives that kept the ball in the hands of Portland. And need I remind you? A god damn 71 yard punt to down the ball at the 1. I mean, come on. Someone give this guy a Game Ball but make sure he doesn't punt it to the Moon in excitement.
Looking Ahead:
Week 3, hosting the Minnesota Grey Ducks
Well, imagine a lot of interesting and entertaining analysis here, setting the table for the 1-1 Pythons against the 0-2 Grey Ducks. However, how about we skip ahead and get to the good stuff.
Week 3 - Minnesota Grey Ducks
@ Portland Pythons
Play By Play
And here we go folks, without preamble or interruption, a contest between the Minnesota Grey Ducks and the Portland Pythons. This was a weird game that featured a lot of field goals, so if you're a big fan of touchdowns get ready to be disappointed. But, if you like reading the words "uprights," "goalposts," and "big yellow fork," you've come to the right place, so lets get into it. The Grey Ducks started with the ball, and then immediately handed the ball off to rookie running back Mike Rotchburns three times for a total of 15 yards. Fellow Grey Duck running back Jameson Vermillion got in the action for a single yard before being tackled by linebacker Myles Smith, and quarterback Sim SnowBow missed rookie receiver Killian Chambers to set up fourth down. Kicker Bill Brasky, who played in the prospect bowl as a quarterback, punted for 46 yards and the Pythons took over at their own 9 yard line.
Then things got silly. Running back Christiansen ran for 2 yards on the first play, but then the Pythons committed three penalties in a row. Really. First an Illegal Motion call on Korbin Brown, then an Illegal Shift and Unnecessary Roughness penalty on running back Darren Pama. Somehow it was 2nd and 17, and the next two rushes were stopped with virtually no gain by rookie defensive end Brick Van Sanzo and veteran linebacker Alejandro Chainbreaker. In case you're curious, yes Portland went backwards. They started at the 9 yard line, and then Blago Kokot had to kick from deep in his own end zone, the snap coming on the 3 yard line.
Long story short, the Grey Ducks started with the ball with tremendous field position, at Portland's 28 yard line. However, the defense dug in and stopped Minnesota in their tracks. They tried to rush it three times, but plays by Donald McBobby, Davriel Lavigne, and Etrigan Slayer stopped the Grey Ducks at or just beyond the line of scrimmage. Bill Brasky came on and kicked a 45 yard field goal, which would be a sign of things to come. 3-0, Minnesota.
The Pythons would take over at their own 34 yard line, and started out with a balanced attack. Christiansen started with a 9 yard run, before quarterback Sam Howitzer found Brown for six yards and the first down. Pama then carried the ball three times for 19 combined yards, which set up a a first and 10 at Minnesota's 30 yard line. However, short runs by Christiansen and running back Buster Bawlls and an incompletion to tight end Nick Marksman meant that Portland had to settle for a field goal. Kicker Pseudo QB knocked the 44 yard kick through the uprights, and the game was tied, 3-3.
On the next drive, the Grey Ducks made a costly mistake. After a penalty and a dropped SnowBow pass, it set up 2nd and 15 from the Minnesota 18 yard line. SnowBow dropped back and fired 10 yards down the field to wide receiver Lebby Newton, but the ball was intercepted by rookie cornerback Ben Anabender and then immediately brought down. Taking over at the Minnesota 30 yard line, Howitzer threw the ball away to avoid a sack, and then had two passes to Brown broken up by veteran cornerback Rashad Hilliard. The Pythons were first to kick a field goal, and QB managed to convert from 47 yards away. 3-6 for Portland, but a missed opportunity. Again, this will come up again later.
Minnesota began their next drive from the 26 yard line, but Donald McBobby managed to make a pair of tackles on Grey Duck rushes and keep them from making a first down. Portland took over after the 45 yard punt by Brasky at their own 27 yard line. Pama got things going early with a 13 yard rush, but after a pair of drops the Pythons punted back to the Grey Ducks. Minnesota took over at their own 24 yard line with two minutes left in the quarter, and decided it was finally time to show everyone what a drive looks like. After a 7 yard rush by Rotchburns, SnowBow hit rookie wide receiver Willy Weasel for 21 yards. Rotchburns followed that up with another 7 yard rush. Short rushes by Vermillion and SnowBow eventually set up 3rd and 6 at the Portland 31 yard line, where SnowBow hit Chambers for 12 yards. However, after a dropped pass and a tackle behind the line of scrimmage by rookie defensive tackle Angelo Cerilli, the Grey Ducks had to kick a field goal from the Portland 14 yard line. Brasky knocked it through the uprights, and the game was once again tied, 6-6.
Portland watched the Grey Ducks march down the field and decided they wanted to give it a try, and so when Howitzer took over at his own 33 yard line, he immediately found tight end Dave Batista for 4 yards. Next, he hit rookie TJ Evans for 12 yards. Immediately after, Darren Pama ran it for 10 yards before being tackled by linebacker Wasrabi Gleel. Christiansen and Howitzer traded rushes before eventually converting the first down. Hefty running back Buster Bawlls carried for 4 yards, but on the next play, Howitzer was sacked by rookie defensive tackle LeDavious Davis resulting in a four yard loss on the play. Howitzer managed to complete his next pass to Brown but was immediately tackled by cornerback Jeeeeroy Lenkins. Once again, Pseudo had to come out and get some points on the board, which he did after knocking a 30 yard kick through the yellow fork. 6-9 for the Pythons, 5:42 left in the half.
Next is probably the most important series of the game. You don't always say that when its a drive with just under 6 minutes left in the first half, but this is one that the Pythons would want a do-over on. It started on the Minnesota 34 yard line, and here is every play, presented without comment. Six yard rush by Rotchburns. Short gain by tight end Cleg Manclaw. 10 yard rush by Vermillion. Five yard rush by Vermillion. 11 yard rush by Vermillion. Pythons penalty. Five yard rush by Vermillion. Pythons penalty. 8 yard rush by running back Frankie Lantz. 6 yard rush by Rotchburns. 4 yard SnowBow pass to wide receiver Noah Akerele, touchdown. Honestly, if I'm the Grey Ducks' running backs, I'm probably a little miffed that SnowBow waltz in and scores the touchdown. Anyway, Vermillion carried the ball four times for 31 yards. Minnesota went 66 yards in about three and a half minutes. Just disgusting. 13-9, Grey Ducks.
The Pythons took over with 1:20 left in the half, and didn't do much with it. Korbin caught an 8 yard pass before Chainbreaker forced a fumble, however Brown managed to recover. Tight end Dave Batista caught an 8 yard pass, but the half was over without much threat from the Pythons. They would receive the ball in the second half, and it would get a little weird to start. On the second play from scrimmage, Howitzer hit Brown for 38 yards before Lenkins managed to bring him down. Pama and Christiansen went for two short runs, before Cutta dropped the ball on third down. Pythons elected to go for it on fourth down from the Minnesota 40 yard line, but tight end Nick Marsman dropped the ball. Turnover on downs.
The Grey Ducks picked up where they left off with a 4 yard run by Rotchburns, but on the next play SnowBow completed his pass to Manclaw for a a yard. However, rookie linebacker Myles Smith forced a fumble on the tackle, which was recovered by safety Joel Drake. Momentum! Christiansen would run for 5 yards, before Howitzer three an interception to veteran Grey Duck safety Oliver Sloan, and Minnesota took over at their own 45 yard line. Did you follow that? Pythons went for it on fourth down and turned it over on downs. Then recovered a fumble two plays later. Then threw an interception two plays later. Neither side seems to want to win this game.
With 10:41 left in the third quarter, Vermillion carried the ball for 6 yards. He carried it again on the next play, but was stopped at the line by defensive tackle Angelo Cerilli. SnowBow hit Newton for 17 yards before Ben Anabender made the tackle. Rotchburns was stopped at the line by Slayer, and then SnowBow thought that looked fun and so tried to take the ball himself before again being stopped by Slayer. On fourth and 9 from Portland's 32 yard line, defensive end Bobby Hoffman sacked SnowBow for an 11 yard loss. Turn over on downs, and the Pythons take over at their own 43 yard line. However, on the first play, Howitzer was sacked by Chainbreaker for a six yard loss. The veteran quarterback made up for it though on the following play, hitting wide receiver Cal Cutta for 12 yards. Pama then took it up the middle for 10 yards, before getting stuffed on his next carry by defensive end Woodrow Brooks. Howitzer completed a six yard pass to the tight end Batista, but the drive had stalled out. On came kicker Pseudo QB, who converted the 44 yard field goal to make it 13-12, Grey Ducks.
4:30 to play in the third quarter, and the Grey Ducks took over at their own 10 yard line. Then it became the SnowBow show for a little while. First, he rushed for 16 yard before Smith brought him down. Next, he completed a 10 yard pass to Manclaw. After that, he ran it for 11 yards before Martinsson tracked him down. He then hit Weasel for 8 yards. SnowBow was mostly responsible for moving the ball 53 yards in four plays. With their starting quarterback exhausted, backup Matt Peterson came in to takeover over at the Portland 44 yard line. Peterson hit rookie tight end Stephon Trummer for 8 yards before SnowBow came back into the game. His mojo thrown off, though, the drive stalled at the Portland 30 yard line. Brasky came in and sent the ball through the uprights, 16-12 Grey Ducks as the fourth quarter begins.
Just a heads up, the fourth quarter makes me sad. After a solid return by Pama, Howitzer and the offense got to work at their own 32 yard line. Christiansen ran for 7 yards, with Bawlls following with a 4 yard run. Brown dropped a Howitzer pass, but redeemed himself immediately after with a 25 yard grab before being brought down by safety Damian Blackfyre. Pama was stopped at the line by Van Sanzo, and Howitzer threw an incompletion. He managed to find TJ Evans for six yards, but Hilliard stopped the rookie receiver well short of the line. QB came back in and sailed a 43 yard kick through the uprights, 16-15 Grey Ducks with just under 12 minutes left to play.
Remember when I said it seemed neither team wanted to win this game? Well, get ready to see that in action with these sequences. First, the Grey Ducks started their drive on the 8 yard line. Rotchburns ran for 7 yards but it was called back on a penalty. Then Rotchburns carried the ball again but a tackle by linebacker Myles Smith forced a fumble. Fortunately for the Grey Ducks, Newton managed to recover. Vermillion carried the ball next, but was stopped at the line. IN came Brasky, who boomed a 57 yard punt.
Just over 10:15 left in the game, Pythons' ball on their own 34. Five yard rush by Pama, before a Marksman drop and a Pama stuff. Kokot came in to punt, 61 yards but into the end zone and a touchback. Minnesota took over, and on the first play SnowBow was forced to throw it away to avoid the sack. Next he hit Manclaw for 4 yards before the tight end was tackled by saftey Davriel Lavigne. SnowBow tried to find Trummer on the next play, but the pass was broken up by Smith. Once again, in comes Brasky for a 47 yard punt.
On the ensuing drive, starting at their own 39 yard line, Portland showed some life. Howitzer found tight end Dave Batista for 13 yards. Pama was tackled at the line by rookie defensive end Jeffery Jefferson, but Howitzer was able to find Cal Cutta for 11 yards before being tackled by cornerback James Gath. However, a Pythons penalty and a broken up pass by Gleel meant it was fourth down. Kokot kicked the ball into the end zone for a touchback. SnowBow got the next drive started with a six yard run before being tackled by Joel Drake. Rotchburns followed that up with a 10 yard rush before Drake brought him down. Vermillion was stuffed at the line by Haywood, but SnowBow hit Killian Chambers for 12 yards. Myles Smith broke up the next pass to Newton, but a Pythons penalty helped move Minnesota forward regardless. SnowBow attempted a rush, but was tackled well behind the line, eight yards in fact, by defensive end Bobby Hoffman. SnowBow managed to find Chambers again for 12 yards, but it wasn't enough to convert. Good news for the Pythons right? Wrong. The above drive started with 5:41 left on the clock. By the time Brasky kicked the field goal to make it 19-15 Grey Ducks and Portland took over, there was only 43 seconds left. Portland got a 10 yard rush out of Christiansen and a 9 yard catch by Batista, but too little, too late. They had three drives in the fourth quarter, not counting the final drive, and only walked away with three points. That's not going to cut it, and your final is 19-15 for the Minnesota Grey Ducks.
Observations
Offense
Passing: I feel like I didn't mention Howitzer's name very much in the above, but he threw the ball a LOT in this game. He completed 17 passes on 35 attempts, for 173 yards and an interception. The many incompletions left the Pythons with a lot of long third downs, which helped kill their momentum in the game. But the real story here is the red zone interception, Howitzer's first of the year. That simply can't happen, and without that mistake this final score potentially looks a lot different. For the receiving corps, it was another good day for Brown who caught 5 balls for 78 yards. Rookie tight end Dave Batista had a good day for himself, with 5 catches and 30 yards. Veteran tight end Nick Marksman only caught two balls despite numerous chances. Time will tell if Batista is able to supplant Marksman in the depth chart. He could be the receiver that helps take some of the load off of Brown, who right now is being asked to do it all.
Rushing: Honestly, another weird stat line here for the running game. Christiansen led the way with 15 carries for 66 yards, while Pama added 14 attempts and 59 yards. Both solid averages, but they just didn't get the ball enough in order to make an impact here. When given the ball, the backs were serviceable but too many third and longs meant that the the Pythons had to air it out, leaving the backs out of the equation.
Offensive Line: Yeah, we don't talk about these guys enough. Shout outs to Marc Hamel who led the way with 6 pancakes. Chuck Roth and Hugh McGree added two of their own and special shout out to running back Buster Bawlls with his pair of pancakes. Chuck also didn't allow a sack in the game, while Hamel and McGree did, so perhaps they could take a lesson from their fellow rookie.
Overall: What a strange, wasted afternoon for this unit. Howitzer was asked to do a lot, but at the moment he seems to have one great option, one okay option, then a grab bag. Minnesota didn't make it easy with five pass defends, but if Portland is going to succeed this year, they need a lot more out of the passing game. Pama and the ground attack can set the table all the way, but if the quarterback and receivers don't feast, its going to be a long season for the snakes.
Defense
Passing: Well, would you believe me if I told you this was the best game so far for this pass defense? It may not seem it, but this offense helped keep the Grey Ducks in check. Minnesota, who seems to still be figuring out their passing attack, was held to just 109 yards through the air. SnowBow, who went 10 for 20 for 101 with a touchdown and interception, had an up and down day and just couldn't complete passes when needed. Chambers caught three for 36, Manclaw caught 3 for 15, and Weasel caught 2 for 29. Akerele's only catch of the day was the game's sole touchdown. Couple that with Anabender's interception and Hoffman's sack and the pass defense had a good day for themselves.
Rushing: Minnesota sported five different ball carries today, and the stats aren't as bad as you'd think. Rotchburns toasted the rush defense to the tune of 18 carries and 82 yards. Vermillion pitched in with 15 carries for 57, and SnowBow added 8 for 27. 174 total rushing yards though is difficult to swallow, and as seen above the key drive in the game came when the defense just couldn't stop the Grey Ducks as they ran the ball at will. This Jekyll and Hyde routine is going to make it difficult for the Pythons going forward. On positive side, Myles Smith added in 11 tackles with a pair of pass defends, while Cereilli and Hoffman added in a pair of tackles and a tackle for a loss each. This group will absolutely need to tighten it up against the run heavy DSFL teams left on their schedule.
Overall: Generally, the defense didn't play half bad. But they couldn't make a big stop when it mattered, and it had some of the big plays it generated squandered by the offense. There were a few times when the defense absolutely had to make a stop, and they just couldn't do it.
Game Balls
Myles Smith, LB: 11 tck, 2 PD
Rookie linebacker Myles Smith wins his first game ball for himself by being an absolute force in this game for the Pythons. When the rest of the defense was leaking like a sieve, Smith was there to plug gaps and knock down a couple balls in coverage. Between Smith, Martinsson, and McBobby, the Pythons have a group of skilled, improving linebackers that should be a treat to watch as the season progresses.
Pseudo QB, K: 5 kicks, 4 from 40-49
Who doesn't love some special teams? I know I do, and I'm excited we have two special teams guys winning a game ball in back to back weeks. QB was clutch for the Pythons today, salvaging stalled drives with at least some points. His four conversions from beyond 40 yards helped keep Portland in the game, and while they didn't pull it out this time they should feel confident that they have a kicker who can get the job done when called upon.
Looking Ahead
Week 5: @ Kansas City Coyotes
Old rivals meet once again as the Pythons will travel to Kansas City to take on the Coyotes. The Coyotes dropped their first two games of the season, including a 27-17 loss at Myrtle Beach in the opener, and 24-21 loss to Dallas, again on the road. Once at home, though, the Coyotes took care of business to the tune of a comeback, 41-35 overtime win over the Tijuana Luchadores. This is a team that scores a lot of points, leading their conference. They do most of that damage through the air, so we'll see how quarterback Reginald Covington III fairs against the improving Python air attack. On the defensive side of the ball, the Coyotes are letting up a ton of rushing yards, to the tune of 204 a game. We'll see if Pama is able to take advantage in this crucial conference clash.
And that's it folks. Two games for the price of one! Right now the NFC is anyone's game, as no team has really been able to separate themselves from the others. Next week we'll see a team undefeated at home take on an opponent who is undefeated on the road. What will happen? I'm not sure, but hopefully there's less punting and field goals. I'm running out of ways to describe those plays. Thanks for reading, hope you had fun, and if you have any feedback or questions, I'm all ears.
Week 2 - Portland Pythons
@ London Royals Play By Play
Do you have any idea how long of a flight it is from Portland to London? Well I didn't know either so I had to look it up. 15 hours direct, roughly 5,000 miles. And the Pythons had to travel every single one of them to play the Royals in week two. Maybe that is why Portland got off to such a slow start. However, there were two notable plays in the first series. First, a 7 yard reception by rooking running back Darren Pama (remember his name). Second, a 58 yard punt by punter Blago Kokot (remember his name as well). But that's about it, a three-and-out in which the most notable plays were a pass short for the first down and a mammoth punt.
London took over at their own 20 yard line, with veteran quarterback Charlamagne Cortez getting it started for the 1-0 Royals early with a 8 yard pass to Gunner Thorbjornsson. After a short run play, Cortez found wide receiver Tre’Darius J’Vathon for 25 yards, putting the ball at the Portland 44 yard line. Cortez then targetted Thorbjornsson on consecutive passes for 24 and then 11 yards to bring the ball down to Portland's 5 yard line. A four-yard rush by Terry Yaki punched through the Python defense for a touchdown, and the score was 7-0. It took roughly four minutes for the Royals to march 80 yards down the field, and I'm sure everyone in Python Nation thought that we were about to see a repeat of the Norfolk game.
Royals kicked off to wide receiver Korbin Brown, who admirably returned it 30 yards. From there, the Pythons went back to work and they started with the run game. Four straight rushes by Portland, highlighted by a pair of rushes by Pama for 15 total yards, set up first and 10 from the London 38 yard line. The Portland then, someone, committed back to back 'Too many men on the field' penalties, and it was 1st and 20. After a short run and then an incomplete pass, veteran quarterback Sam Howitzer hit tight end Nick Marksman for 14 yards. Still, it was 4 and 3 and the the Pythons elected to kick. Kicker Pseudo QB hit it through the uprights, and it was 7-3 in favor of Portland, with roughly five minutes to play in the first quarter.
London took over at their own 11 yard line, but after an incompletion and a holding penalty, and despite a 13 yard catch by J'Vathon, the Royals were forced to punt. The game settled now, and the defenses took over. Portland was unable to do much with the ball, though Howitzer did connect with Brown for 7 yards. However defensive plays, like a broken up pass by Royal linebacker Juan Domine, stalled the drive before it could really begin. A 50 yard punt by Kokot gave London the ball at their own 20 yard line. Linebacker and last week's game ball winner Donald McBobby sacked Cortez for a 5 yard loss, and now London was looking at a 2nd and 15 from their own 15 yard line. Cortez found Thorbjornsson again for 11 yards, but it wasn't enough. A 30 yard punt by London's Jake Fencik gave the Pythons the ball at their own 43 yard line. Just before the end of the first quarter, Pama rattled off a 15 yard run before eventually getting taken down by rookie safety Tayshawn Crunk. End of the first quarter, still 7-3 in favor of the Royals.
Howitzer found rookie wide receiver TJ Evans for seven yards to get the second quarter started. Pama carried the ball for 5 yards, but on his subsequent carry was stopped for a one yard loss by London's rookie defensive end, Albert Ruschmann. A short pass later, the Pythons were facing 3rd and 10. Howizter found Brown for 8 yards, but a saving tackle by cornerback Harrison Andrews kept Portland from reaching the first down marker. Still, kicker QB came up and knocked the ball 39 yards through the goalposts, and it was 7-6 for the snakes.
Cortez did his best to answer on the following drive. He found tight end Frank Michell for 14 yards, and then ran the ball himself for 15 yards to bring the ball to Portland's 48 yard line. On 2nd and 10, Cortez tried to through a short pass to Michell when the ball was intercepted by rookie safety, and first overall pick, Davriel Lavigne. On the ensuing drive, the Pythons leveraged a balance attack, getting things started with a 3 yard run by running back Buster Bawlls. Pama followed that up with a four yard run, and then Howitzer found Brown for two passes for a combined 17 yards. From there, Pama ran the ball three times for a combined 11 yards. However, the Pythons took a bad penalty and after a short pass and incompletion, had to settle for a 31 field goal. However, the Pythons took their first lead of the game, 7-9.
With around five minutes left in the half, London took over at their 22 yard line. Running back Jacoby Batista ran the ball three times for a combined 17 yards, and a Pythons penalty ptthe ball at the 44 yard line. However, after a pass defense by cornerback Dan Foster and some clutch tackles at the line by defensive end Bobby Hoffman and linebacker Matty Martinsson, the Royals once again had to punt. A 34 yard punt put the Pythons on their own 34 yard line, but the drive stalled after 5 plays and only 14 yards. Once again, Kokot came on to punt and knocked it 51 yards and into the end zone for a touch back.
The Royals only had 1:17 left in the half and the ball on their own 28 yard line. Still, they came out firing. Cortez completed a pass to running back Danny King for 8 yards, but then was sacked on the next play by McBobby once again, for a six yard lost. Not to be deterred, Cortez hit J'Vathon for 8 yards but after another defended pass by Foster, the first half came to an end, 7-9 for Portland.
Just to give you a picture of what the third quarter was like, there were 9 punts. Still, there were some highlights, especially early. Cortez and the Royals took over at their own 10 yard line after good coverage by the Pythons' special teams unit. Cortez connected with J'Vathon for 18 yards before being tackled by rookie cornerback Ben Anabender. Cortez tried to go back to J'Vathon again, but Anabender broke up the pass. London was forced to punt, and Portland took over at their 36. On the first play, Howitzer was sacked by linebacker Busch Light for a six yard loss, and two incompletions later the Pythons punted. A 51 yard punt, I might add.
On the next drive, Cortez went back to his favorite targets. First he hit Michell for 5 yards, and then Thorbjornsson for 10 yards. Cortez then tried another short pass to Yaki, but was again intercepted by Donald McBobby this time, who returned it for 20 yards to London's 17 yard line. Howitzer completed a pass to Cal Cutta for 7 yards. Running back Anders Christiansen ran it in for an 8 yard touchdown, and the score was now 7-16 in favor of Portland.
With 9:44 left in the third quarter, Cortez came out and threw three straight incompletions, and the Royals were forced to punt once again. The Pythons wouldn't do much with the ball, and punted it right back to the Royals on a 59 yard kick by Kokot. A team finally managed to start stringing together a series of plays, as running back Batista ran it up for 9 yards and Cortez found Michell for 14 yards. However, the Royals were unable to do much with 1st and 10 at their own 38 yard line, and had to settle for a punt.
The Pythons, not to be outdone, took that ball and did basically nothing with it after two short runs and a dropped pass. Kokot came back out there, and once again boomed the ball for 51 yards, giving the Royals the ball at their own 34 yard line. On the next play, Cortez was again sacked by rookie defensive tackle Honky-Tonk Haywood for a loss of 5. Cortez still managed to find King for 15 yards, but a short run and two more incompetions forced the Royals to punt once again. Fencik came out and did his best, a 53 yard punt that unfortunately went into the end zone for a touch down. On the next play, Pama ran the ball for 16 yards before Andrews managed to track him down. However the next two runs for Pama went for only two yards total and Howitzer was then sacked by defensive end Mattress Cadaire for a whopping 10 yards. Out came living legend Blago Kokot, who punted the ball 71 yards to the Royals' 1 yard line. That's right, I didn't make a mistake. 71 yard punt to down the ball at the one yard line.
The Royals had atrocious field position and went three and out, forcing a 36 yard Fencik punt to end the third quarter. Taking over at the London 42 yard line, Pama again tried to take it up the middle but was stopped by Domine. However, Howitzer found Brown on two passes for a combined 20 yards, and a London penalty put the ball at the 13 yard line. Howitzer threw to Cutta for 7 yards, before Pama rushed it twice and finally into the end zone for the rookie running back's first score of the season. 7-23 Portland, with only 11:12 minutes to play in the game.
On their next drive, the Royals would get things started on the ground. Batista rushed for 4 yards and Yaki for 5, before Cortez found Thorbjornsson for 24 yards. Yaki ran it twice for a combined 13 yards, but the drive stalled at the Portland 21 yard line after defensive plays by Haywood, Hoffman, and Martinsson. London once again had to settle for a field goal, and Fencik's 36 yard try made it 10-23 with 7:30 left in the game.
It became a clock game from there, as Portland continued to hand the ball off on the next drive, rushing the ball four times in a row, with Pama carrying it twice for 12 combined yards. Howitzer was then sacked by Cadaire again, however, and the Pythons were forced to punt. Somehow Kokot's leg had more juice in it, as he booted a 56 yard punt to force London back to their own 16 yard line. Foster broke up another pass and Martinsson stopped Batista after a short gain, and once again the Royals had to punt. Fencik, not to be outdone, boomed it 57 yards to force the Pythons to their own 40 yard line. Howitzer completed a 7 yard pass to Dave Batista, but it wasn't enough and the Pythons had to punt, Kokot kicking for the last time today and hitting it 51 yards.
With 2:22 left in the game, and starting at their own 20 yard line, the Royals were in dire straits. The first successful play saw Cortez hit Michell for 11 yards before being tackled by Lavigne. Next came a pair of incompletions before Cortez found rookie receiver Adam Spencer for 15 yards. Cortez hit Spencer again for 11 yards, and the ball was at the Portland 43 yard line but with only 39 seconds left. Cortez managed to hit Thorbjornsson again, but the talented receiver only managed 3 yards before Foster took him down, and that was the game. Final score, 10-23 for the Portland Pythons and their first win of the season. 18 total punts in the game for a combined 870 yards. There was only a combined 614 yards in the game. Someone get some ice for those two punters, my god.
Observations
Offense
Passing: A much better day for the returning Sam Howitzer, who completed 16 out of 24 passes for 115 yards and no touchdowns, no interceptions. Sam did what he was asked to do this game, which was complete some clutch passes and keep the drives going for his punishing running game to eventually find some gaps. Brown once again led the way with six catches for 52 yards, while Marksman hauled in four for 22. Brown continues to carry this passing attack on his back, and we'll see if these young receivers can develop to take over some of the slack. No touchdowns for the passing group this week, but the running game managed to pick up the slack.
Rushing: We can probably consider this game rookie running back Darren Pama's coming out party. After modest totals last week, Pama carried the ball 23 times for 93 yards and one touchdown. When Howitzer didn't have, or there were some hard yards to get, Pama carried it through. Special call out here for running back Buster Bawlls, he led the way on many on Pama's runs, keeping the talented Royals front seven away from the star back. Backup back Christiansen was not nearly as efficient on the ground, carrying it 15 times for 47 yards but did chip in for a touchdown. Overall, the rushing game was asked to carry the load in this contest and they delivered.
Offensive Line: New category in this edition of the Game Recap, where we take a look at the offensive line play. Rookie Chuck Roth led the way with four pancakes, but also committed a pair of penalties, which he'll want to clean up going forward. Hugh McGree added in 3 pancakes, and even Pama and Batista got in the action with a pancake of their own. Pama did allow a sack, so his day wasn't all perfect. He'll want to work on his strength so he isn't getting bullied by the bigger, stronger defensive players in the league, but he has time to work on that area of his game.
Overall: There's still some unanswered questions for the offensive side of the ball. Outside of Brown, there doesn't seem to be a consistent target in the passing game, and Howitzer barely threw for more than 100 yards this game. Pama and the ground game were able to bail out the anemic passing attack, but its going to take someone stepping up in the receiving corps, such as Cutta or Evans, to give the air game some life.
Defense
Passing: The Royals came into this game as one of the top passing attacks in the league, and there were reasonable questions as to how the Pythons pass defense unit would stand up to the heavy air attack. The coverage units were tested early and often, as Cortez threw the ball 50 times this game, completing 22 of those for 258 yards. However, the Pythons kept the talented Royals' receivers out of the end zone, and forced Cortez into a pair of picks that helped swing the game. Lavigne and McBobby's play helped stutter London's momentum and came at key times in the game. Foster, Lavigne, McBobby, Anabender, and Elijah Torres also chipped in with some pass defends as well. Combine that with the sacks by McBobby and Haywood and you had a frustrated Royals passing attack all game long. Thorbjornsson still caught 7 balls for 91 yards and J'Vathon 5 for 71, but the plays were spread out enough that they didn't hurt the Pythons too bad.
Rushing: Now, the Royals are a very different team than Norfolk, but after the Pythons gave up 250 yards on the ground, there was a big cause for concern for this group. However, they managed to show up in a big way, keeping the Royals to 98 yards this game. Jacoby Batista carried the ball 13 times for only 47 yards, and while Terry Yaki was more effective with his 7 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown, he simply didn't have the ball in his hands enough to make a big difference. Martinsson led the team in tackles, with lineback Myles Smith and defensive end Etrigan Slayer contributing as well. This unit kept the Royals bottled up in the backfield and only averaging 4 yards a carry. This is a far cry from their performance last week, and hopefully a sign of things to come.
Overall: This team could not have played worse last week against Norfolk, and while the offense didn't do them any favors against the Seawolves, all eyes were still on this unit coming into this week. They managed to find their footing against a talented Royals team, keeping them out of the end zone after the first quarter. We're still not sure what to expect from this crew exactly, but Pythons Faithful will hope it is going to be performances like today, compared to last week against Norfolk.
Game Balls
Darren Pama, Running Back: 23 Att, 93 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Rec, 7 Yds
I telegraphed it a bit in my play by play, but our first game ball here is going to go to Pama, who led the rushing attack and the offense for the Pythons today. Portland is without a consistent producer on offense aside from Brown, and the hope will be that Pama fills that role for the young Pythons. He carried the day and he helped the Pythons string drives together that they were, frankly, incapable of last week. Hopefully the young running back continues to develop, as I believe the Pythons will lean on him heavily in the weeks to come.
Blago Kokot, Punter: 9 Punts, 498 Yds, 55.3 Avg, 71 Lng, 3 Inside 20
Now I know what you're thinking. "Arkz, a punter, really? Over the play over McBobby, Lavigne, and Martinsson?" And my answer is, yeah those people all played great and had a huge impact, but Kokot changed the game all day long. I mean, it should have been obvious given all the times I said his name up above, but it was Kokot who kept the Royals team in uncomfortable yardages, forced to string incredibly long drives together to try and score. He helped get a struggling defense on their feet by keeping them in manageable yardage situations, and ensured short drives that kept the ball in the hands of Portland. And need I remind you? A god damn 71 yard punt to down the ball at the 1. I mean, come on. Someone give this guy a Game Ball but make sure he doesn't punt it to the Moon in excitement.
Looking Ahead:
Week 3, hosting the Minnesota Grey Ducks
Well, imagine a lot of interesting and entertaining analysis here, setting the table for the 1-1 Pythons against the 0-2 Grey Ducks. However, how about we skip ahead and get to the good stuff.
Week 3 - Minnesota Grey Ducks
@ Portland Pythons Play By Play
And here we go folks, without preamble or interruption, a contest between the Minnesota Grey Ducks and the Portland Pythons. This was a weird game that featured a lot of field goals, so if you're a big fan of touchdowns get ready to be disappointed. But, if you like reading the words "uprights," "goalposts," and "big yellow fork," you've come to the right place, so lets get into it. The Grey Ducks started with the ball, and then immediately handed the ball off to rookie running back Mike Rotchburns three times for a total of 15 yards. Fellow Grey Duck running back Jameson Vermillion got in the action for a single yard before being tackled by linebacker Myles Smith, and quarterback Sim SnowBow missed rookie receiver Killian Chambers to set up fourth down. Kicker Bill Brasky, who played in the prospect bowl as a quarterback, punted for 46 yards and the Pythons took over at their own 9 yard line.
Then things got silly. Running back Christiansen ran for 2 yards on the first play, but then the Pythons committed three penalties in a row. Really. First an Illegal Motion call on Korbin Brown, then an Illegal Shift and Unnecessary Roughness penalty on running back Darren Pama. Somehow it was 2nd and 17, and the next two rushes were stopped with virtually no gain by rookie defensive end Brick Van Sanzo and veteran linebacker Alejandro Chainbreaker. In case you're curious, yes Portland went backwards. They started at the 9 yard line, and then Blago Kokot had to kick from deep in his own end zone, the snap coming on the 3 yard line.
Long story short, the Grey Ducks started with the ball with tremendous field position, at Portland's 28 yard line. However, the defense dug in and stopped Minnesota in their tracks. They tried to rush it three times, but plays by Donald McBobby, Davriel Lavigne, and Etrigan Slayer stopped the Grey Ducks at or just beyond the line of scrimmage. Bill Brasky came on and kicked a 45 yard field goal, which would be a sign of things to come. 3-0, Minnesota.
The Pythons would take over at their own 34 yard line, and started out with a balanced attack. Christiansen started with a 9 yard run, before quarterback Sam Howitzer found Brown for six yards and the first down. Pama then carried the ball three times for 19 combined yards, which set up a a first and 10 at Minnesota's 30 yard line. However, short runs by Christiansen and running back Buster Bawlls and an incompletion to tight end Nick Marksman meant that Portland had to settle for a field goal. Kicker Pseudo QB knocked the 44 yard kick through the uprights, and the game was tied, 3-3.
On the next drive, the Grey Ducks made a costly mistake. After a penalty and a dropped SnowBow pass, it set up 2nd and 15 from the Minnesota 18 yard line. SnowBow dropped back and fired 10 yards down the field to wide receiver Lebby Newton, but the ball was intercepted by rookie cornerback Ben Anabender and then immediately brought down. Taking over at the Minnesota 30 yard line, Howitzer threw the ball away to avoid a sack, and then had two passes to Brown broken up by veteran cornerback Rashad Hilliard. The Pythons were first to kick a field goal, and QB managed to convert from 47 yards away. 3-6 for Portland, but a missed opportunity. Again, this will come up again later.
Minnesota began their next drive from the 26 yard line, but Donald McBobby managed to make a pair of tackles on Grey Duck rushes and keep them from making a first down. Portland took over after the 45 yard punt by Brasky at their own 27 yard line. Pama got things going early with a 13 yard rush, but after a pair of drops the Pythons punted back to the Grey Ducks. Minnesota took over at their own 24 yard line with two minutes left in the quarter, and decided it was finally time to show everyone what a drive looks like. After a 7 yard rush by Rotchburns, SnowBow hit rookie wide receiver Willy Weasel for 21 yards. Rotchburns followed that up with another 7 yard rush. Short rushes by Vermillion and SnowBow eventually set up 3rd and 6 at the Portland 31 yard line, where SnowBow hit Chambers for 12 yards. However, after a dropped pass and a tackle behind the line of scrimmage by rookie defensive tackle Angelo Cerilli, the Grey Ducks had to kick a field goal from the Portland 14 yard line. Brasky knocked it through the uprights, and the game was once again tied, 6-6.
Portland watched the Grey Ducks march down the field and decided they wanted to give it a try, and so when Howitzer took over at his own 33 yard line, he immediately found tight end Dave Batista for 4 yards. Next, he hit rookie TJ Evans for 12 yards. Immediately after, Darren Pama ran it for 10 yards before being tackled by linebacker Wasrabi Gleel. Christiansen and Howitzer traded rushes before eventually converting the first down. Hefty running back Buster Bawlls carried for 4 yards, but on the next play, Howitzer was sacked by rookie defensive tackle LeDavious Davis resulting in a four yard loss on the play. Howitzer managed to complete his next pass to Brown but was immediately tackled by cornerback Jeeeeroy Lenkins. Once again, Pseudo had to come out and get some points on the board, which he did after knocking a 30 yard kick through the yellow fork. 6-9 for the Pythons, 5:42 left in the half.
Next is probably the most important series of the game. You don't always say that when its a drive with just under 6 minutes left in the first half, but this is one that the Pythons would want a do-over on. It started on the Minnesota 34 yard line, and here is every play, presented without comment. Six yard rush by Rotchburns. Short gain by tight end Cleg Manclaw. 10 yard rush by Vermillion. Five yard rush by Vermillion. 11 yard rush by Vermillion. Pythons penalty. Five yard rush by Vermillion. Pythons penalty. 8 yard rush by running back Frankie Lantz. 6 yard rush by Rotchburns. 4 yard SnowBow pass to wide receiver Noah Akerele, touchdown. Honestly, if I'm the Grey Ducks' running backs, I'm probably a little miffed that SnowBow waltz in and scores the touchdown. Anyway, Vermillion carried the ball four times for 31 yards. Minnesota went 66 yards in about three and a half minutes. Just disgusting. 13-9, Grey Ducks.
The Pythons took over with 1:20 left in the half, and didn't do much with it. Korbin caught an 8 yard pass before Chainbreaker forced a fumble, however Brown managed to recover. Tight end Dave Batista caught an 8 yard pass, but the half was over without much threat from the Pythons. They would receive the ball in the second half, and it would get a little weird to start. On the second play from scrimmage, Howitzer hit Brown for 38 yards before Lenkins managed to bring him down. Pama and Christiansen went for two short runs, before Cutta dropped the ball on third down. Pythons elected to go for it on fourth down from the Minnesota 40 yard line, but tight end Nick Marsman dropped the ball. Turnover on downs.
The Grey Ducks picked up where they left off with a 4 yard run by Rotchburns, but on the next play SnowBow completed his pass to Manclaw for a a yard. However, rookie linebacker Myles Smith forced a fumble on the tackle, which was recovered by safety Joel Drake. Momentum! Christiansen would run for 5 yards, before Howitzer three an interception to veteran Grey Duck safety Oliver Sloan, and Minnesota took over at their own 45 yard line. Did you follow that? Pythons went for it on fourth down and turned it over on downs. Then recovered a fumble two plays later. Then threw an interception two plays later. Neither side seems to want to win this game.
With 10:41 left in the third quarter, Vermillion carried the ball for 6 yards. He carried it again on the next play, but was stopped at the line by defensive tackle Angelo Cerilli. SnowBow hit Newton for 17 yards before Ben Anabender made the tackle. Rotchburns was stopped at the line by Slayer, and then SnowBow thought that looked fun and so tried to take the ball himself before again being stopped by Slayer. On fourth and 9 from Portland's 32 yard line, defensive end Bobby Hoffman sacked SnowBow for an 11 yard loss. Turn over on downs, and the Pythons take over at their own 43 yard line. However, on the first play, Howitzer was sacked by Chainbreaker for a six yard loss. The veteran quarterback made up for it though on the following play, hitting wide receiver Cal Cutta for 12 yards. Pama then took it up the middle for 10 yards, before getting stuffed on his next carry by defensive end Woodrow Brooks. Howitzer completed a six yard pass to the tight end Batista, but the drive had stalled out. On came kicker Pseudo QB, who converted the 44 yard field goal to make it 13-12, Grey Ducks.
4:30 to play in the third quarter, and the Grey Ducks took over at their own 10 yard line. Then it became the SnowBow show for a little while. First, he rushed for 16 yard before Smith brought him down. Next, he completed a 10 yard pass to Manclaw. After that, he ran it for 11 yards before Martinsson tracked him down. He then hit Weasel for 8 yards. SnowBow was mostly responsible for moving the ball 53 yards in four plays. With their starting quarterback exhausted, backup Matt Peterson came in to takeover over at the Portland 44 yard line. Peterson hit rookie tight end Stephon Trummer for 8 yards before SnowBow came back into the game. His mojo thrown off, though, the drive stalled at the Portland 30 yard line. Brasky came in and sent the ball through the uprights, 16-12 Grey Ducks as the fourth quarter begins.
Just a heads up, the fourth quarter makes me sad. After a solid return by Pama, Howitzer and the offense got to work at their own 32 yard line. Christiansen ran for 7 yards, with Bawlls following with a 4 yard run. Brown dropped a Howitzer pass, but redeemed himself immediately after with a 25 yard grab before being brought down by safety Damian Blackfyre. Pama was stopped at the line by Van Sanzo, and Howitzer threw an incompletion. He managed to find TJ Evans for six yards, but Hilliard stopped the rookie receiver well short of the line. QB came back in and sailed a 43 yard kick through the uprights, 16-15 Grey Ducks with just under 12 minutes left to play.
Remember when I said it seemed neither team wanted to win this game? Well, get ready to see that in action with these sequences. First, the Grey Ducks started their drive on the 8 yard line. Rotchburns ran for 7 yards but it was called back on a penalty. Then Rotchburns carried the ball again but a tackle by linebacker Myles Smith forced a fumble. Fortunately for the Grey Ducks, Newton managed to recover. Vermillion carried the ball next, but was stopped at the line. IN came Brasky, who boomed a 57 yard punt.
Just over 10:15 left in the game, Pythons' ball on their own 34. Five yard rush by Pama, before a Marksman drop and a Pama stuff. Kokot came in to punt, 61 yards but into the end zone and a touchback. Minnesota took over, and on the first play SnowBow was forced to throw it away to avoid the sack. Next he hit Manclaw for 4 yards before the tight end was tackled by saftey Davriel Lavigne. SnowBow tried to find Trummer on the next play, but the pass was broken up by Smith. Once again, in comes Brasky for a 47 yard punt.
On the ensuing drive, starting at their own 39 yard line, Portland showed some life. Howitzer found tight end Dave Batista for 13 yards. Pama was tackled at the line by rookie defensive end Jeffery Jefferson, but Howitzer was able to find Cal Cutta for 11 yards before being tackled by cornerback James Gath. However, a Pythons penalty and a broken up pass by Gleel meant it was fourth down. Kokot kicked the ball into the end zone for a touchback. SnowBow got the next drive started with a six yard run before being tackled by Joel Drake. Rotchburns followed that up with a 10 yard rush before Drake brought him down. Vermillion was stuffed at the line by Haywood, but SnowBow hit Killian Chambers for 12 yards. Myles Smith broke up the next pass to Newton, but a Pythons penalty helped move Minnesota forward regardless. SnowBow attempted a rush, but was tackled well behind the line, eight yards in fact, by defensive end Bobby Hoffman. SnowBow managed to find Chambers again for 12 yards, but it wasn't enough to convert. Good news for the Pythons right? Wrong. The above drive started with 5:41 left on the clock. By the time Brasky kicked the field goal to make it 19-15 Grey Ducks and Portland took over, there was only 43 seconds left. Portland got a 10 yard rush out of Christiansen and a 9 yard catch by Batista, but too little, too late. They had three drives in the fourth quarter, not counting the final drive, and only walked away with three points. That's not going to cut it, and your final is 19-15 for the Minnesota Grey Ducks.
Observations
Offense
Passing: I feel like I didn't mention Howitzer's name very much in the above, but he threw the ball a LOT in this game. He completed 17 passes on 35 attempts, for 173 yards and an interception. The many incompletions left the Pythons with a lot of long third downs, which helped kill their momentum in the game. But the real story here is the red zone interception, Howitzer's first of the year. That simply can't happen, and without that mistake this final score potentially looks a lot different. For the receiving corps, it was another good day for Brown who caught 5 balls for 78 yards. Rookie tight end Dave Batista had a good day for himself, with 5 catches and 30 yards. Veteran tight end Nick Marksman only caught two balls despite numerous chances. Time will tell if Batista is able to supplant Marksman in the depth chart. He could be the receiver that helps take some of the load off of Brown, who right now is being asked to do it all.
Rushing: Honestly, another weird stat line here for the running game. Christiansen led the way with 15 carries for 66 yards, while Pama added 14 attempts and 59 yards. Both solid averages, but they just didn't get the ball enough in order to make an impact here. When given the ball, the backs were serviceable but too many third and longs meant that the the Pythons had to air it out, leaving the backs out of the equation.
Offensive Line: Yeah, we don't talk about these guys enough. Shout outs to Marc Hamel who led the way with 6 pancakes. Chuck Roth and Hugh McGree added two of their own and special shout out to running back Buster Bawlls with his pair of pancakes. Chuck also didn't allow a sack in the game, while Hamel and McGree did, so perhaps they could take a lesson from their fellow rookie.
Overall: What a strange, wasted afternoon for this unit. Howitzer was asked to do a lot, but at the moment he seems to have one great option, one okay option, then a grab bag. Minnesota didn't make it easy with five pass defends, but if Portland is going to succeed this year, they need a lot more out of the passing game. Pama and the ground attack can set the table all the way, but if the quarterback and receivers don't feast, its going to be a long season for the snakes.
Defense
Passing: Well, would you believe me if I told you this was the best game so far for this pass defense? It may not seem it, but this offense helped keep the Grey Ducks in check. Minnesota, who seems to still be figuring out their passing attack, was held to just 109 yards through the air. SnowBow, who went 10 for 20 for 101 with a touchdown and interception, had an up and down day and just couldn't complete passes when needed. Chambers caught three for 36, Manclaw caught 3 for 15, and Weasel caught 2 for 29. Akerele's only catch of the day was the game's sole touchdown. Couple that with Anabender's interception and Hoffman's sack and the pass defense had a good day for themselves.
Rushing: Minnesota sported five different ball carries today, and the stats aren't as bad as you'd think. Rotchburns toasted the rush defense to the tune of 18 carries and 82 yards. Vermillion pitched in with 15 carries for 57, and SnowBow added 8 for 27. 174 total rushing yards though is difficult to swallow, and as seen above the key drive in the game came when the defense just couldn't stop the Grey Ducks as they ran the ball at will. This Jekyll and Hyde routine is going to make it difficult for the Pythons going forward. On positive side, Myles Smith added in 11 tackles with a pair of pass defends, while Cereilli and Hoffman added in a pair of tackles and a tackle for a loss each. This group will absolutely need to tighten it up against the run heavy DSFL teams left on their schedule.
Overall: Generally, the defense didn't play half bad. But they couldn't make a big stop when it mattered, and it had some of the big plays it generated squandered by the offense. There were a few times when the defense absolutely had to make a stop, and they just couldn't do it.
Game Balls
Myles Smith, LB: 11 tck, 2 PD
Rookie linebacker Myles Smith wins his first game ball for himself by being an absolute force in this game for the Pythons. When the rest of the defense was leaking like a sieve, Smith was there to plug gaps and knock down a couple balls in coverage. Between Smith, Martinsson, and McBobby, the Pythons have a group of skilled, improving linebackers that should be a treat to watch as the season progresses.
Pseudo QB, K: 5 kicks, 4 from 40-49
Who doesn't love some special teams? I know I do, and I'm excited we have two special teams guys winning a game ball in back to back weeks. QB was clutch for the Pythons today, salvaging stalled drives with at least some points. His four conversions from beyond 40 yards helped keep Portland in the game, and while they didn't pull it out this time they should feel confident that they have a kicker who can get the job done when called upon.
Looking Ahead
Week 5: @ Kansas City Coyotes
Old rivals meet once again as the Pythons will travel to Kansas City to take on the Coyotes. The Coyotes dropped their first two games of the season, including a 27-17 loss at Myrtle Beach in the opener, and 24-21 loss to Dallas, again on the road. Once at home, though, the Coyotes took care of business to the tune of a comeback, 41-35 overtime win over the Tijuana Luchadores. This is a team that scores a lot of points, leading their conference. They do most of that damage through the air, so we'll see how quarterback Reginald Covington III fairs against the improving Python air attack. On the defensive side of the ball, the Coyotes are letting up a ton of rushing yards, to the tune of 204 a game. We'll see if Pama is able to take advantage in this crucial conference clash.
And that's it folks. Two games for the price of one! Right now the NFC is anyone's game, as no team has really been able to separate themselves from the others. Next week we'll see a team undefeated at home take on an opponent who is undefeated on the road. What will happen? I'm not sure, but hopefully there's less punting and field goals. I'm running out of ways to describe those plays. Thanks for reading, hope you had fun, and if you have any feedback or questions, I'm all ears.
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