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Welcome to our multimedia award show! I'm your host, shrub, along with Lucid, and we will be giving out fake awards to the best players of each position in both the ISFL and DSFL. The ISFL awards will take place here. If you enjoy our takes go check out our rankings from the DSFL which will be posted shortly in the Fan World podcast. Without further ado, we present to you the S28 Football Head Awards
Quarterbacks by Lucid
#3. Suleiman Ramza
Ramza finished the season second in passing yards with 4,975. A completion percentage of 64.1 and a QBR of 88.5. His 32 passing touchdown has him in a tie for second place in the League. The only thing stopping Ramza from being higher on our list is that unfortunately he also has 20 interceptions to go along with those Touchdowns. That's the second most in the league.
#2. Nick Kaepercolin
Despite Finishing third in passing yards with 4,973 two yards behind Ramza, Kaepercolin is our selection for the second best Quarterback of the season. With a Quarterback rating of 96.4 and a completion percentage of 68.6 Kaepercolin proved to be effective through the air for Berlin. Throwing for 27 Touchdowns to only 16 Interceptions he helped lead the Fire Salamanders to a 12-4 record and a first round playoff bye.
#1. Mattathias Caliban
Of course Number one is Mattathias Caliban anyone who says different needs to have their press pass revoked. Caliban Threw for 5,668 yards a new ISFL Single Season Passing Yards Record. He lead the League in both Passing Yards and Touchdowns with 36. Along with his Single Season Record Caliban can also add the Single Game Passing Yards Record to his collection which he broke in Week 10. Caliban finished the season with a 66.1 Completion Percentage and a QBR of 95. Even with the yardage and Touchdown numbers he put up Caliban did what every team wishes they could get from the Quarterback. He protected the football throwing just 15 interceptions in that same span.
Runningbacks by Lucid
#3. Captain Rogers
Rogers had a great season finishing second in the league in Rushing Yards with 1,329. Rogers will still finish just outside the best Running Back in the League discussion with the two backs ahead of him leaving no room for debate. Not be be overshadowed Rogers is undeniably top 3 in the ISFL adding 10 Rushing Touchdowns to his 1,329 yards and 4.3 Yards Per Carry.
#2. Raphtalia Chan
Maybe the first of a few “Hot Takes”, I have Chan finishing Second here. Chan finished third in the League in Rushing Yards with 1,260 and second in Rushing Touchdowns with 19. To add to that Chan averaged 5.2 Yards Per Carry. Many will point to Chan as the Best Running Back in the League based on the numbers achieved while having less carries. I’m not going to do that. Chan had a great Season and I wouldn’t fault anyone who has these two flip flopped.
#1. Tatsu Nakamura
The best Running Back this Season for us is Tatsu Nakamura. First in the League in Rushing Touchdowns with 22. First in the League in Rushing Yards with 1,540 and averaging 5 Yards Per Carry I have nothing to defend here. Nakamura had the best Season based on the Numbers. While I wouldn’t fault anyone for flipping number one and number two, Respectfully... or not, YOU’RE WRONG!!
Wide Receiver by shrub
#3. Videl-San
Videl-San had an electrifying and helped lead the Copperheads all the way to the Ultimus. She finished 5th in receiving yards and tied for second in receiving TDs with 12. She was also very sure handed, catching 68.8% of passes targeting her while only dropping 4. Though, what I really think makes San worth of top three status is her big play ability. She had the second longest catch of the season at 88 yards and second highest yards per reception.
#2. Ed Barker
Barker was one of the few bright spots on an underperforming Secondline team. He had 14 TDs, tied for the most and placed second in receiving yards, more than 300 yards more than the next closest. While his percentage of targets caught was fairly low, 60.6%, it makes sense as he was targeted frequently and still only had 4 drops. I’m sure defenses caught on to that. Barker was still able to beat defenders, achieving 22 catches over 20 yards and 5 over 40 yards. He also gained points in my book by contributing to special teams, averaging 27.7 per kick return.
#1. William Lim
While the others had great seasons, Lim truly performed exceptionally this season. He was the only WR to be targeted over 200 times, catching 64% of those, on his way to being the reception and yards leader. And yet he only had one drop all season. Somebody check his gloves for stickum. That’s ridiculous. Not only did Lim catch everything thrown his way, he was also able to create big plays, catching 12 TDs, tied for third, 19 catches over 20 yards, and 9 catches over 40. Plus this man can block, pancaking defenders 40 times this season. Lim is truly the whole package.
Tight Ends by shrub
#3. James Lewandowski
Alright, so my TE picks may be a bit controversial. But my choice was not based primarily on yards. I like to look at how they performed both as a pass catcher and blocker. Lewandowski played well in both aspects. He wasn’t targeted a lot, leading him to only place 5th in receiving yards for TEs but he made the most of those catches with an 11.3 yards per catch average. He even took one 75 yards, pretty good for a big man. And that big man can block too, achieving 39 pancakes and allowing no sacks. Oh, and he had 7 TDs, good enough for second among TEs. Definitely a solid season.
#2. Heath Evans
Evens was a sturdy presence on the Otters this season. Need a first down? Throw it to Evans. Need a key block? Run behind Evans. He finished 3rd in reception yards for TEs, just one yard shy of 1,000. He paired that with a respectable 10.3 yard average. While he only had 4 TDs, that’s more reflective of an Otter offense that struggled to find the endzone. Evens earned his spot on this list by achieving 44 pancakes and making clutch plays.
#1. Zee Rechs
Wait, what? Rechs the best TE?? Yeah, you read that correctly. What’s a top player list without some hot takes. While Rechs did not have the most yards, finishing 6th for TEs, or even a high yards per catch average, only 8.9, he made plays when it mattered. This is demonstrated by his 8 TDs, first among TEs. And like I said before, I’m not just judging TEs based on receiving. He had 56 pancakes, second among TEs. Rechs is truly a good hybrid TE that makes his presence known in both the pass and run game.
Offensive Line by shrub
#3. Adam Mellott
So for my OL rankings I took a look at three things: obviously pancakes are important, sacks allowed (very important), and how well their team's run game was. With that being said, Mellot is number 3 on my list. He had a great season, producing 122 pancakes, while not allowing any sacks. The only thing holding him back from being higher on the list is the fact that NOLA’s run game was pretty bad. The third worst, actually. Maybe they did well when running to his side, without the stats to prove this, Mellot will stay at number three. Still a very respectable season.
#2. Greedy Sly
It was a tough call to decide if Sly had a better season than Mellot. They both had 122 pancakes while not giving up a single sack. So that’s why I looked at their team’s run game. And the Yeti run game was much better than the Secondline’s. Sly was probably not the only reason for this, but I can guarantee that he was a contributing factor.
#1. Calvin Golladay
Now picking Golladay as the best OL is not a hot take in itself. I think leaving Byron Dolls off of this list is a hot take though. But like I said before, I heavily weighted sacks allowed in these rankings. So the league’s pancake leader gets left off the board in favor of Golladay. He had the second most pancakes, 128, only one less than Dolls. But like the others on this list, he did not not allow a sack. I need to find out what this boy is eating and get me some of it.
Defensive Tackles by Lucid
#3. Chuck Roth
Down slightly from last seasons stats. Roth still had a strong season with 47 Tackles and 6 Tackles For a Loss. Adding to it 2 Forced Fumbles, 2 Fumble Recoveries and 7 Sacks. While Roth was middle of the pack with Tackles it was the rest of the stat lines where Roth really stood out.
#2. Magnus Rikiya
Colorado struggled this Season but Rikiya was one of a few bright spots this season on their Defense. Rikiya is 3rd in the League in Tackles with 67 and has 3 Tackles for a Loss. As well as 9 Sacks and 1 safety. Rikiya seems to be in a strong position to improve on their performance heading into next season.
#1. Daymond Brooks
Brooks took A giant leap forward this season. This was one of the easier positions to rank. Nothing against everyone else on the list but Brooks was Levels ahead of all other Defensive Tackles. Brooks had 70 Tackles and 5 tackles for a Loss. On top of 11 Sacks and 1 Safety.
Defensive Ends by Lucid
#4. (Honorable Mention) Brick Van Sanzo
New York’s Brick Van Sanzo was far from the top of the League in Tackles with only 35. Good news for Van Sanzo I don’t rate by Tackles Alone. When you start looking at other stats it’s clear why I put Van Sanzo here. With 14 sacks and 3 Tackles for a loss they had a solid season and proved they can hang with the top of the pack.
#3. James Cho
Cho had an incredible season and the scary part is the stats are down from last year. Even with that being said Cho is responsible for one of the strongest Defensive End performances of the season. Cho had 47 Tackles, 4 Forced Fumbles, and 2 Fumble recoveries to add to their 12 Sacks and 4 Tackles for a loss.
#2. Rapid Eagle
Eagle was a player I had Initially overlooked when breaking down Defensive Ends. With stat lines like these I’m not sure how I missed them. What Eagle was able to do on an up and down Defense is almost remarkable. Eagle put up 53 Tackles, 4 Forced Fumbles, 1 Fumble recovery and not even mentioning the 9 Sacks and 12 Tackles for a Loss. Right in the mix for Best Defensive End of the season and making my job difficult.
#1. Tex Wrecks
Oh boy come and get your Hot Takes here. This was a hard decision between one and two and really comes down to what stats hold more value. For me Wrecks was the most consistent performer across the stat lines. While Wrecks only had 49 Tackles they had 3 Forced Fumbles, 1 Fumble Recovery, 13 Sacks, 5 Tackles for a Loss, and their first Career Safety. A truly dominant season and the best performance from a Defensive End.
Linebackers by Lucid
#3. Melvin Murder-Moose
Murder-Moose was one of the few players this season to reach 100 Tackles with 104. Pair that with 9 Passes Defended, and 2 Interceptions to add to their 17 Sacks and 3 Tackles for a Loss. The defensive side of the ball looks ready to explode for the Yeti. Biggest Question now is will the sim do them Justice?
#2. Heinrich Kackpoo
Honolulu’s Kackpoo finished up the Season with 106 Tackles, 5 Forced Fumbles, and 1 Fumble recovery to go along with Kackpoo’s 8 Passes Defended, 17 Sacks, and 3 Tackles for a Loss. Kackpoo gives Honolulu a great starting point for that extra push needed to reach the playoffs next season.
#1. Jack Banks
Another Member of the New York Defense making an appearance on the list. Banks was Phenomenal finishing 2cnd in Tackles with 116. Banks had 3 Forced Fumbles, 1 Fumble Recovery, 9 Passes Defended, 1 Interception, 4 Tackles for a Loss and a League leading 20 Sacks. Any other season I’d say Banks deserves to be in the MVP discussion but unfortunately Caliban will be hard to beat out. Banks was impressive this Season and one of many young players on this list that will only be improving.
Cornerbacks by shrub
#3. Jason Bradshaw
Wow only choosing three CBs is tough. So many great players. Basically guaranteed to be a hot take in this list. Why not start off with one. An ISFL rookie too. Probably gonna get some hate for this but eff it. Full send. Bradshaw overachieved this season. He was a solid nickel corner and while he didn’t produce a lot of stats, that’s the name of the game for CBs. What gets him on this list is two stats in particular: sacks and percentage of passes completed on him. Bradshaw had 7 sacks, most among any CBs. And only 54.6% of passes were completed when targeting him. That’s third best in the league. Not bad for a rookie.
#2. Harrison Andrews
This one was another really hard decision. Both Andrews and the player I chose for number one played really great seasons in different ways. Andrews made a lot of flashy game changing plays. He made plenty of tackles, forced a fumble, and had the league leading 9 interceptions. Not to mention that three of them were taken back back for scores, second most defensive touchdowns in the league. He also put in the work that isn’t so glamorous, only allowing 63.4% of catches when he was targeted and 31 passes defended. That’s a really good season, but not as great as…
#1. Rich Triplet
Triplet’s play this season reminded me of Darrelle Revis in his prime. A true shutdown corner. He did the dirty work that allowed his team to be successful. He was targeted more than Andrews and still allowed less catches, only allowing 57.7% to be completed. He not only had coverage that was good enough to cause errant throws, but actually broke up 46 passes. That, in combination with his 6 interceptions and 1 defensive TD, was enough for me to make him the number one cornerback.
Free Safeties by shrub
#3. Dogwood Maple
This might be a hot take because Maple does not have a lot of tackles. Like very little. But do you really want your FS to have a lot of tackles? That means big plays are being made against you. Instead you want your FS to be the playmaker. And Maple was definitely a playmaker. He had a FF, a sack, and 4 interceptions. His 10 passes defended were good enough for 7th among safeties but it was really his two TDs, most for FSs, that got him on this list.
#2. Eugene Smoothie
Wow another hot take. Maybe this list should be called shrub’s hot takes. Hopefully Lucid’s picks ground out the list. But really I’m trying to bring attention to player performances that might have been undervalued. And Smoothie really did play well this season. He had the most sacks for FS at 7. He also had a respectable 56 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 2 interceptions. He was also one of only two FSs that caused a safety. The ability to make plays in the backfield is what got Smoothie to number two on my list.
#1. Bob Roberts
In a league where safeties are given the short end of the playmaking stick, Roberts beats the odds and excels on the field. He was constantly near the ball making plays on his way to 63 tackles, a fumble recovery, and 11 passes defended. His 7 interceptions were second most in the league and beat out the next closest safety by 3. He also took one back to the house, earning him the spot as our number one FS.
Strong Safeties by shrub
#3. Evan Jones
Strong safeties seem to receive even less stat love than free safeties. Even with that said, there were a handful of strong safeties that outshined the others. Jones, a rookie, was one of them. His playstyle was exactly how a strong safety should be: hard nosed and around the ball often. This Is shown by his 58 tackles (ranking 7th for his position), 2 forced fumbles, 2 recoveries, 4 sacks (tied for fourth for strong safeties), and an interception. Pretty good for a friggin new guy.
#2. Philip Stein
Stein earned his spot on this list showing up all over the field. In addition to his 86 tackles, second most for strong safeties, he produced stats in almost every defensive category. The only thing he didn’t do is score. Still, he had forced a fumble, recovered one, 3 sacks, an interception, and 4 passes defended.
#1. Teddy Utterstruzen
Utterstruzen had a huge impact this season. While he didn’t have many tackles with 48, tenth among strong safeties, he performed well in other categories. He produced a forced fumble, fumble recovery, 5 sacks (ranking third for strong safeties), and 10 passes defended which tied him for second in his position. The key stat that landed Utterstruzen as the top SS was his 3 interceptions, the most for his position.
Welcome to our multimedia award show! I'm your host, shrub, along with Lucid, and we will be giving out fake awards to the best players of each position in both the ISFL and DSFL. The ISFL awards will take place here. If you enjoy our takes go check out our rankings from the DSFL which will be posted shortly in the Fan World podcast. Without further ado, we present to you the S28 Football Head Awards
Football Head Awards
Quarterbacks by Lucid
#3. Suleiman Ramza
Ramza finished the season second in passing yards with 4,975. A completion percentage of 64.1 and a QBR of 88.5. His 32 passing touchdown has him in a tie for second place in the League. The only thing stopping Ramza from being higher on our list is that unfortunately he also has 20 interceptions to go along with those Touchdowns. That's the second most in the league.
#2. Nick Kaepercolin
Despite Finishing third in passing yards with 4,973 two yards behind Ramza, Kaepercolin is our selection for the second best Quarterback of the season. With a Quarterback rating of 96.4 and a completion percentage of 68.6 Kaepercolin proved to be effective through the air for Berlin. Throwing for 27 Touchdowns to only 16 Interceptions he helped lead the Fire Salamanders to a 12-4 record and a first round playoff bye.
#1. Mattathias Caliban
Of course Number one is Mattathias Caliban anyone who says different needs to have their press pass revoked. Caliban Threw for 5,668 yards a new ISFL Single Season Passing Yards Record. He lead the League in both Passing Yards and Touchdowns with 36. Along with his Single Season Record Caliban can also add the Single Game Passing Yards Record to his collection which he broke in Week 10. Caliban finished the season with a 66.1 Completion Percentage and a QBR of 95. Even with the yardage and Touchdown numbers he put up Caliban did what every team wishes they could get from the Quarterback. He protected the football throwing just 15 interceptions in that same span.
Runningbacks by Lucid
#3. Captain Rogers
Rogers had a great season finishing second in the league in Rushing Yards with 1,329. Rogers will still finish just outside the best Running Back in the League discussion with the two backs ahead of him leaving no room for debate. Not be be overshadowed Rogers is undeniably top 3 in the ISFL adding 10 Rushing Touchdowns to his 1,329 yards and 4.3 Yards Per Carry.
#2. Raphtalia Chan
Maybe the first of a few “Hot Takes”, I have Chan finishing Second here. Chan finished third in the League in Rushing Yards with 1,260 and second in Rushing Touchdowns with 19. To add to that Chan averaged 5.2 Yards Per Carry. Many will point to Chan as the Best Running Back in the League based on the numbers achieved while having less carries. I’m not going to do that. Chan had a great Season and I wouldn’t fault anyone who has these two flip flopped.
#1. Tatsu Nakamura
The best Running Back this Season for us is Tatsu Nakamura. First in the League in Rushing Touchdowns with 22. First in the League in Rushing Yards with 1,540 and averaging 5 Yards Per Carry I have nothing to defend here. Nakamura had the best Season based on the Numbers. While I wouldn’t fault anyone for flipping number one and number two, Respectfully... or not, YOU’RE WRONG!!
Wide Receiver by shrub
#3. Videl-San
Videl-San had an electrifying and helped lead the Copperheads all the way to the Ultimus. She finished 5th in receiving yards and tied for second in receiving TDs with 12. She was also very sure handed, catching 68.8% of passes targeting her while only dropping 4. Though, what I really think makes San worth of top three status is her big play ability. She had the second longest catch of the season at 88 yards and second highest yards per reception.
#2. Ed Barker
Barker was one of the few bright spots on an underperforming Secondline team. He had 14 TDs, tied for the most and placed second in receiving yards, more than 300 yards more than the next closest. While his percentage of targets caught was fairly low, 60.6%, it makes sense as he was targeted frequently and still only had 4 drops. I’m sure defenses caught on to that. Barker was still able to beat defenders, achieving 22 catches over 20 yards and 5 over 40 yards. He also gained points in my book by contributing to special teams, averaging 27.7 per kick return.
#1. William Lim
While the others had great seasons, Lim truly performed exceptionally this season. He was the only WR to be targeted over 200 times, catching 64% of those, on his way to being the reception and yards leader. And yet he only had one drop all season. Somebody check his gloves for stickum. That’s ridiculous. Not only did Lim catch everything thrown his way, he was also able to create big plays, catching 12 TDs, tied for third, 19 catches over 20 yards, and 9 catches over 40. Plus this man can block, pancaking defenders 40 times this season. Lim is truly the whole package.
Tight Ends by shrub
#3. James Lewandowski
Alright, so my TE picks may be a bit controversial. But my choice was not based primarily on yards. I like to look at how they performed both as a pass catcher and blocker. Lewandowski played well in both aspects. He wasn’t targeted a lot, leading him to only place 5th in receiving yards for TEs but he made the most of those catches with an 11.3 yards per catch average. He even took one 75 yards, pretty good for a big man. And that big man can block too, achieving 39 pancakes and allowing no sacks. Oh, and he had 7 TDs, good enough for second among TEs. Definitely a solid season.
#2. Heath Evans
Evens was a sturdy presence on the Otters this season. Need a first down? Throw it to Evans. Need a key block? Run behind Evans. He finished 3rd in reception yards for TEs, just one yard shy of 1,000. He paired that with a respectable 10.3 yard average. While he only had 4 TDs, that’s more reflective of an Otter offense that struggled to find the endzone. Evens earned his spot on this list by achieving 44 pancakes and making clutch plays.
#1. Zee Rechs
Wait, what? Rechs the best TE?? Yeah, you read that correctly. What’s a top player list without some hot takes. While Rechs did not have the most yards, finishing 6th for TEs, or even a high yards per catch average, only 8.9, he made plays when it mattered. This is demonstrated by his 8 TDs, first among TEs. And like I said before, I’m not just judging TEs based on receiving. He had 56 pancakes, second among TEs. Rechs is truly a good hybrid TE that makes his presence known in both the pass and run game.
Offensive Line by shrub
#3. Adam Mellott
So for my OL rankings I took a look at three things: obviously pancakes are important, sacks allowed (very important), and how well their team's run game was. With that being said, Mellot is number 3 on my list. He had a great season, producing 122 pancakes, while not allowing any sacks. The only thing holding him back from being higher on the list is the fact that NOLA’s run game was pretty bad. The third worst, actually. Maybe they did well when running to his side, without the stats to prove this, Mellot will stay at number three. Still a very respectable season.
#2. Greedy Sly
It was a tough call to decide if Sly had a better season than Mellot. They both had 122 pancakes while not giving up a single sack. So that’s why I looked at their team’s run game. And the Yeti run game was much better than the Secondline’s. Sly was probably not the only reason for this, but I can guarantee that he was a contributing factor.
#1. Calvin Golladay
Now picking Golladay as the best OL is not a hot take in itself. I think leaving Byron Dolls off of this list is a hot take though. But like I said before, I heavily weighted sacks allowed in these rankings. So the league’s pancake leader gets left off the board in favor of Golladay. He had the second most pancakes, 128, only one less than Dolls. But like the others on this list, he did not not allow a sack. I need to find out what this boy is eating and get me some of it.
Defensive Tackles by Lucid
#3. Chuck Roth
Down slightly from last seasons stats. Roth still had a strong season with 47 Tackles and 6 Tackles For a Loss. Adding to it 2 Forced Fumbles, 2 Fumble Recoveries and 7 Sacks. While Roth was middle of the pack with Tackles it was the rest of the stat lines where Roth really stood out.
#2. Magnus Rikiya
Colorado struggled this Season but Rikiya was one of a few bright spots this season on their Defense. Rikiya is 3rd in the League in Tackles with 67 and has 3 Tackles for a Loss. As well as 9 Sacks and 1 safety. Rikiya seems to be in a strong position to improve on their performance heading into next season.
#1. Daymond Brooks
Brooks took A giant leap forward this season. This was one of the easier positions to rank. Nothing against everyone else on the list but Brooks was Levels ahead of all other Defensive Tackles. Brooks had 70 Tackles and 5 tackles for a Loss. On top of 11 Sacks and 1 Safety.
Defensive Ends by Lucid
#4. (Honorable Mention) Brick Van Sanzo
New York’s Brick Van Sanzo was far from the top of the League in Tackles with only 35. Good news for Van Sanzo I don’t rate by Tackles Alone. When you start looking at other stats it’s clear why I put Van Sanzo here. With 14 sacks and 3 Tackles for a loss they had a solid season and proved they can hang with the top of the pack.
#3. James Cho
Cho had an incredible season and the scary part is the stats are down from last year. Even with that being said Cho is responsible for one of the strongest Defensive End performances of the season. Cho had 47 Tackles, 4 Forced Fumbles, and 2 Fumble recoveries to add to their 12 Sacks and 4 Tackles for a loss.
#2. Rapid Eagle
Eagle was a player I had Initially overlooked when breaking down Defensive Ends. With stat lines like these I’m not sure how I missed them. What Eagle was able to do on an up and down Defense is almost remarkable. Eagle put up 53 Tackles, 4 Forced Fumbles, 1 Fumble recovery and not even mentioning the 9 Sacks and 12 Tackles for a Loss. Right in the mix for Best Defensive End of the season and making my job difficult.
#1. Tex Wrecks
Oh boy come and get your Hot Takes here. This was a hard decision between one and two and really comes down to what stats hold more value. For me Wrecks was the most consistent performer across the stat lines. While Wrecks only had 49 Tackles they had 3 Forced Fumbles, 1 Fumble Recovery, 13 Sacks, 5 Tackles for a Loss, and their first Career Safety. A truly dominant season and the best performance from a Defensive End.
Linebackers by Lucid
#3. Melvin Murder-Moose
Murder-Moose was one of the few players this season to reach 100 Tackles with 104. Pair that with 9 Passes Defended, and 2 Interceptions to add to their 17 Sacks and 3 Tackles for a Loss. The defensive side of the ball looks ready to explode for the Yeti. Biggest Question now is will the sim do them Justice?
#2. Heinrich Kackpoo
Honolulu’s Kackpoo finished up the Season with 106 Tackles, 5 Forced Fumbles, and 1 Fumble recovery to go along with Kackpoo’s 8 Passes Defended, 17 Sacks, and 3 Tackles for a Loss. Kackpoo gives Honolulu a great starting point for that extra push needed to reach the playoffs next season.
#1. Jack Banks
Another Member of the New York Defense making an appearance on the list. Banks was Phenomenal finishing 2cnd in Tackles with 116. Banks had 3 Forced Fumbles, 1 Fumble Recovery, 9 Passes Defended, 1 Interception, 4 Tackles for a Loss and a League leading 20 Sacks. Any other season I’d say Banks deserves to be in the MVP discussion but unfortunately Caliban will be hard to beat out. Banks was impressive this Season and one of many young players on this list that will only be improving.
Cornerbacks by shrub
#3. Jason Bradshaw
Wow only choosing three CBs is tough. So many great players. Basically guaranteed to be a hot take in this list. Why not start off with one. An ISFL rookie too. Probably gonna get some hate for this but eff it. Full send. Bradshaw overachieved this season. He was a solid nickel corner and while he didn’t produce a lot of stats, that’s the name of the game for CBs. What gets him on this list is two stats in particular: sacks and percentage of passes completed on him. Bradshaw had 7 sacks, most among any CBs. And only 54.6% of passes were completed when targeting him. That’s third best in the league. Not bad for a rookie.
#2. Harrison Andrews
This one was another really hard decision. Both Andrews and the player I chose for number one played really great seasons in different ways. Andrews made a lot of flashy game changing plays. He made plenty of tackles, forced a fumble, and had the league leading 9 interceptions. Not to mention that three of them were taken back back for scores, second most defensive touchdowns in the league. He also put in the work that isn’t so glamorous, only allowing 63.4% of catches when he was targeted and 31 passes defended. That’s a really good season, but not as great as…
#1. Rich Triplet
Triplet’s play this season reminded me of Darrelle Revis in his prime. A true shutdown corner. He did the dirty work that allowed his team to be successful. He was targeted more than Andrews and still allowed less catches, only allowing 57.7% to be completed. He not only had coverage that was good enough to cause errant throws, but actually broke up 46 passes. That, in combination with his 6 interceptions and 1 defensive TD, was enough for me to make him the number one cornerback.
Free Safeties by shrub
#3. Dogwood Maple
This might be a hot take because Maple does not have a lot of tackles. Like very little. But do you really want your FS to have a lot of tackles? That means big plays are being made against you. Instead you want your FS to be the playmaker. And Maple was definitely a playmaker. He had a FF, a sack, and 4 interceptions. His 10 passes defended were good enough for 7th among safeties but it was really his two TDs, most for FSs, that got him on this list.
#2. Eugene Smoothie
Wow another hot take. Maybe this list should be called shrub’s hot takes. Hopefully Lucid’s picks ground out the list. But really I’m trying to bring attention to player performances that might have been undervalued. And Smoothie really did play well this season. He had the most sacks for FS at 7. He also had a respectable 56 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 2 interceptions. He was also one of only two FSs that caused a safety. The ability to make plays in the backfield is what got Smoothie to number two on my list.
#1. Bob Roberts
In a league where safeties are given the short end of the playmaking stick, Roberts beats the odds and excels on the field. He was constantly near the ball making plays on his way to 63 tackles, a fumble recovery, and 11 passes defended. His 7 interceptions were second most in the league and beat out the next closest safety by 3. He also took one back to the house, earning him the spot as our number one FS.
Strong Safeties by shrub
#3. Evan Jones
Strong safeties seem to receive even less stat love than free safeties. Even with that said, there were a handful of strong safeties that outshined the others. Jones, a rookie, was one of them. His playstyle was exactly how a strong safety should be: hard nosed and around the ball often. This Is shown by his 58 tackles (ranking 7th for his position), 2 forced fumbles, 2 recoveries, 4 sacks (tied for fourth for strong safeties), and an interception. Pretty good for a friggin new guy.
#2. Philip Stein
Stein earned his spot on this list showing up all over the field. In addition to his 86 tackles, second most for strong safeties, he produced stats in almost every defensive category. The only thing he didn’t do is score. Still, he had forced a fumble, recovered one, 3 sacks, an interception, and 4 passes defended.
#1. Teddy Utterstruzen
Utterstruzen had a huge impact this season. While he didn’t have many tackles with 48, tenth among strong safeties, he performed well in other categories. He produced a forced fumble, fumble recovery, 5 sacks (ranking third for strong safeties), and 10 passes defended which tied him for second in his position. The key stat that landed Utterstruzen as the top SS was his 3 interceptions, the most for his position.
Kicker/Punters by Lucid
#3. J.J ‘Jay’ Jay-Jaymison
Before I begin with why I have Jay-Jaymison as number 3, I need to acknowledge the frustration caused by trying to write this users name for an article. Not sure what you were going for but you succeeded lol.. Moving on. Jay-Jamison was first in the League in Extra Points nailing 57 out of 58 and best in the League from 20-29 yards making all 11 kicks from that distance. The only thing stopping him from being listed higher is the middle of the pack numbers across the rest of the measurable Statistics.
#2. Dougie Smalls
Smalls at number 2 was a no brainer. After combing through the stats it was clear there were 2 Kicker/Punters at the top and then there was everyone else. Smalls was 3rd in the League in Field Goals made with 39, he had the highest Field Goal percentage in the League. He also lead the League in Kicks from the 40-49 yard range making all 14 attempts. Smalls trailed off a bit in the short range Kicks tying for 2nd in the League from 20-29 with 10 attempts once again sinking all 10. To add to the kicking success, Smalls was also the 3rd best punter in the ISFL Landing him firmly at number 2.
#1. Matthew Mcdairmid
Another easy selection at the top, Mcdairmid was on a level all to himself this season. Finishing first in Field Goals making 42 out of 47, second in the League from 50+ yards making 9 of 11. Mcdairmid is also the League leader from 30-39 yards as well as the League leader in Average yards per Punt with 49 yards. Mcdairmid is one of the most effective Kickers across the board.
#2. Dougie Smalls
Smalls at number 2 was a no brainer. After combing through the stats it was clear there were 2 Kicker/Punters at the top and then there was everyone else. Smalls was 3rd in the League in Field Goals made with 39, he had the highest Field Goal percentage in the League. He also lead the League in Kicks from the 40-49 yard range making all 14 attempts. Smalls trailed off a bit in the short range Kicks tying for 2nd in the League from 20-29 with 10 attempts once again sinking all 10. To add to the kicking success, Smalls was also the 3rd best punter in the ISFL Landing him firmly at number 2.
#1. Matthew Mcdairmid
Another easy selection at the top, Mcdairmid was on a level all to himself this season. Finishing first in Field Goals making 42 out of 47, second in the League from 50+ yards making 9 of 11. Mcdairmid is also the League leader from 30-39 yards as well as the League leader in Average yards per Punt with 49 yards. Mcdairmid is one of the most effective Kickers across the board.
Thanks for tuning in to the written portion of the award show. If you did enjoy it, please check out the Fan World DSFL award show. You'll get to hear Lucid's lovely voice and my awkward award announcements. You don't want to miss it.
Graders, please split payment 50/50 between @Luciddreams702 and @shrub02
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