10-28-2021, 11:41 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-10-2021, 05:36 PM by Crunk. Edited 1 time in total.)
I don't know who'd be interested, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the awards ballot for the DSFL this season and try to predict who'll be taking home the hardware tomorrow night!
Important note for full disclosure: I was on the DSFL Awards Committee as Norfolk’s representative and participated in the decision-making process behind this list of nominees. I will be careful not to reveal any details of that process. For the purposes of this article, I will be making use only of publicly-available information.
For maximum intrigue, I’ll be starting with the positional awards and working my way up to MVP. I’ll also be alternating offensive and defensive awards because… well, because I can, so there.
Kicker of the Year/Punter of the Year
These are separate awards, but we have the same four nominees for each (the only four eligible players) so I’ll be treating them together. First, let’s see who’s up and take a look at their stats:
Kicking
My Prediction (K): Izuku Campbell
I will not be surprised if Ikick Ballz ends up taking home the Kicker of the Year award. The Tijuana Luchadore has a great case as the only kicker perfect on extra points for the season and having the most makes at 50+ yards. However, Kansas City’s Izuku Campbell, despite two extra point misses, was slightly more accurate on field goals, and of his 27 makes, almost half of them came from 40 yards or longer. I expect it will come down to a very close vote between the two of them.
Punting
My Prediction (P): Jack Lewis
Campbell being so good on long field goals, ironically, probably leaves them out of the Punter of the Year competition just based on volume. (Apparently Kansas City had a lot of drives stall right around the 30 this season). However the remaining 3 nominees are very close and it could go to anyone. It’s a dead heat, but I think Jack Lewis’ slight leads in both punting average and punts inside the 20 leads to his name being called on Awards Night.
Returner of the Year
My Prediction: Ken Oath
This is anyone’s award to win; the candidates are very close and there isn’t any name that would surprise me if announced. I think the voters will respect Ken Oath’s volume of work, as the Bondi Beach Buccaneers’ dismally dire defense afforded few punt return opportunities, but frequently had him taking kickoffs out of his own endzone and working mightily to obtain good starting field position for the Buccaneers offense. I think his league-best (by 3.6 inches!) kick return average earns him this trophy.
Offensive Lineman of the Year
My Prediction: Michael Carimi
Carimi is simply the obvious choice, as the league leader in pancakes by a double-digit margin (the second-most all time!) without allowing a single sack. I expect the vote here will be unanimous. It’s all the more remarkable when you consider that Carimi typically lines up at guard rather than the more mobile tackle position. Carimi occupies a tier of one this season, but my pick for first runner-up would be Norfolk’s Clifford Wilson, who set an all-time pancake record last season with a scarcely-believable 99, a season so dominant he was the first lineman ever to be nominated for league MVP. This year he was “merely” elite rather than superhuman, but still recorded the second-most pancakes among linemen who didn’t allow a sack.
Defensive Tackle of the Year
My Prediction: Garfield Despacito III
This is a tough one, as each of the candidates has something to make them stand out, but no one really seems to separate from the pack. London’s nose tackle Lennay Kekua had the most tackles, but was more of a run-stuffer, rarely getting beyond the offensive line. Norfolk’s Arnie Rufus was quite possibly the league’s best interior rusher; with 4 sacks and 4 TFLs, he made nearly as many plays in the opposing backfield as every other nominee combined, and naturally I’m a fan of my Norfolk teammate. However, I think the voters will be most impressed by Despacito, who was disruptive against both the run and the pass this season and showed a real nose for the football, recovering 3 fumbles. I think it’s the turnovers that set him apart and ultimately get him the hardware.
Tight End of the Year
My Prediction: Mark Goodhead
Anthony MacGuire has a very strong case for this award, demonstrating what a well-rounded player he is by leading all TEs in receiving yards and producing the most pancakes of any TE when blocking. Ultimately however I think the voters will be more impressed by Mark Goodhead’s 9 touchdowns, just two fewer than the other four nominees combined.
Defensive End of the Year
My Prediction: Caleb Watt
I think this comes down to the sack monsters Watt and Fantobens, and while Fantobens had an incredible year, his counterpart on the other side of Tijuana’s line shouldn’t be overlooked. Watt had two fewer sacks than Fantobens, but recovered 2 fumbles, and was even a bit more effective covering screens and setting the edge against the run, recording 35 total tackles and 6 for loss, compared to Fantobens’ 31 and 2. Fantobens’ incredible 15 sacks have gotten him recognition in the form of other award nominations, and it’s quite likely that he could win this award as well, but he shouldn’t get all the attention or credit for Tijuana’s deadly pass rush.
Wide Receiver of the Year
My Prediction: French Fries
This will be a fascinating vote, as the contest is simply too close to call. I think it ultimately comes down to Fries versus Toastovich, and we’ll see a referendum on awards voters’ feelings about volume versus efficiency. Ivan Toastovich’s 1606 yards is a new all-time mark, and he did it with 9 fewer catches than French Fries. However, Fries came up just short of 1600 yards himself, led the league in total catches, and scored 13 TDs compared to Toastovich’s 10. I think the scoring is what ultimately tips the votes towards Fries, but realistically any one of these 5 could win and it wouldn’t be a surprise. I think this is the closest contest of any award, so I’ll be watching this announcement closely on Friday night!
Cornerback of the Year
My Prediction: Tessie Garciaparra
Current Kansas City Coyote and future Chicago Butcher Tessie Garciaparra once again proved herself to be one the league’s best defensive backs. I’ll be saying this a lot, but this award could go to any once of these nominees and I wouldn’t be shocked. My teammate Hououin Kyouma has 2 defensive TDs and maybe the most well-rounded statline, but I think the voters will see her league-leading 6 interceptions and be amazed. If you like a dark horse, keep an eye on Minnesota’s remarkable rookie Modern Nazgul, who might just be a superstar in the making.
Running Back of the Year
Rushing Stats
Receiving Stats
My Prediction: Lalu Muhammad Zohri
Lalu Muhammad Zohri had himself a truly incredible rookie season for the Grey Ducks, and I think it earns him Running Back of the Year. It’s a close contest though, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ken Oath accepting the trophy either. I think Zohri’s slightly better yardage efficiency and league-leading 15 rushing touchdowns will ultimately give him the edge.
Safety of the Year
My Prediction: Lance Witt
As much as my vanity wishes I could predict myself for this award, I think it simply has to go to the spectacular rookie Witt, who did a little bit of everything for the Bird Dogs’ defense, and did it all very well. Amari Springer would be my choice for runner-up, and he’ll make it a very close vote, but I think Witt’s 4/3 FF/FR statline ends up impressing voters just a bit more than Springer’s 7 sacks and a safety. The tackle numbers are comparable and Witt showed more versatility in pass coverage, recording 3 picks and 8 PDs on the year compared to Springer’s 1 and 7. On the other hand, a strong safety like Springer isn’t usually asked to do as much in coverage, so this one will come down to the wire! I also should point out yet another excellent Grey Duckling, Colin Kramer. Minnesota certainly had themselves quite the draft class this year!
Quarterback of the Year
My Prediction: Malcolm Savage
With Dallas’ Ricky Stanzi choosing not to make himself awards-eligible, this is a one-horse race. Malcolm Savage made a tremendous second-year leap and showed off why he was a 1st-round pick by the Austin Copperheads in the most recent ISFL draft. Notably, as the only real rushing threat among QBs, he has an entire added dimension to his game that defenses have to account for and which no other QB in the league can match. As a passer he led the league in completion percentage, was the only non-Stanzi QB to post a triple-digit QB rating for the year, and was second only to Stanzi in yards and passing TDs.
Linebacker of the Year
My Prediction: Spicy Ron
Good grief, I have no idea. What a year it was for linebackers! Yet again, it’s way too close to call and I can’t wait to see who the voters ultimately choose out of these 5 incredible nominees! It’s not really fair to call Spicy Ron a one-man wrecking crew when he had Pasta the Turtle right alongside him having an equally astounding year, but I think Ron will win over the voters as the only player in the league to post double-digit tackles for loss and double-digit sacks (even though Pasta the Turtle got very close!) Nathan Claflin was a do-it-all turnover monster for the Seawolves, and was one of just two players to record a field goal block this year. The aforementioned Pasta the Turtle had more tackles than his teammate, was better in pass coverage, and also scored a touchdown. O. Czargyros and Omni Man were true field generals and stalwarts for their respective teams. Good luck to the voters trying to sort out this group!
Offensive Rookie of the Year
My Prediction: Lalu Muhammad Zohri
Dallas Fort-Worth should be an excellent lineman for years to come, and Escanor Sama was a big part of why Dallas had the best passing attack in the league. Tobias Worthington III and Rocky Rhoads had productive seasons, but I think this award is Zohri’s to lose. With apologies to Worthington, LMZ was the heart and soul of Minnesota’s offense this season. He was a huge help to the fellow rookie Worthington at QB, and ensured that the Grey Ducks hardly missed a beat after losing franchise legend John Huntsman to his ISFL call-up. @IceBear32 and @Painted deserve great credit for their outstanding draft class! With Zohri and Worthington leading the way, the Grey Ducks look set to remain among the DSFL’s elite for several more seasons at least.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
My Prediction: George Fantobens
Yet nother race that’s simply too close to call! If only it were an option I’d be tempted to award this jointly to the two phenomenal Portland Pythons linebackers. That organization’s war room clearly has an eye for talent at the position! Two unbelievable seasons, and I really couldn’t say which of the two was the better player this year. Modern Nazgul and DeAaron Harper II were both fearsome defensive backs. (And congratulations to Minnesota for being the only team to have rookies nominated on both sides of the football!) Now, maybe this is more wishful thinking on my part than an actual prediction, but for a rookie DE to record the second-most sacks of all time (averaging better than a sack per game!) is an incredible accomplishment that I hope will be recognized appropriately. Fantobens terrorized opposed quarterbacks all season long and is sure to be among the league’s most feared pass rushers for as long as he stays in Tijuana.
Offensive Performance of the Year
My Prediction: Malcolm Savage, Week 11
I think Malcolm Savage’s simply majestic performance in Norfolk’s 42-30 defeat of Kansas City in Week 11 will be most impressive to voters. He threw for all 5 of the Seawolves’ offensive touchdowns (they also recorded a defensive TD in this game), and they needed all 5 to fend off the hard-charging Coyotes. He was never sacked and came just 4 completions shy of accomplishing the rare feat of a perfect passer rating. He was simply unstoppable. Ken Oath’s 11.1 YPC in Week 3 is astonishing, but unfortunately skewed, as he recorded half of his rushing total for the game on a single 64-yard TD scamper. Lalu Muhammad Zohri’s 6.2 YPC and 4 TDs in Week 5 is also very impressive, but in the end I’m not sure anyone is a real competitor to Savage for this one.
Defensive Performance of the Year
My Prediction: Modern Nazgul, Week 10
I think this comes down to two nominees, Nazgul and Claflin. Claflin came up just a safety short of what I suppose is football’s equivalent of “hitting for the cycle” in baseball: recording at least one stat in every column on the sheet. He was disruptive in every phase of the game for Norfolk in Week 9’s 42-21 victory over Tijuana: 2 of his 8 tackles came behind the line of scrimmage, he recorded both a strip sack and a pick-six, and just for good measure broke up another pass and blocked a field goal! It was one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen played. Absolutely unreal. On the other hand, Modern Nazgul was practically the Grey Ducks’ entire defense in their 23-19 win over Kansas City in Week 10, single handedly accounting for 4 turnovers while recording double-digit tackles and breaking up 6 passes. In this game 19 Kansas City passes failed to find their intended targets, and on fully half of them Nazgul was directly the reason why. Add to that his 10 tackles and in total he stopped 1 in every 4 Kansas City offensive plays by himself. The numbers practically defy belief and for that reason I think he just edges out Claflin’s incredible game when the final votes are counted.
Offensive Player of the Year
My Prediction: Malcolm Savage
I’m sympathetic to the point of view that quarterbacks shouldn’t be eligible for this award, given how important they are to their team and how many more opportunities they have to accumulate stats. However, even if QBs might have an unfair advantage, excluding them isn’t exactly fair either. I’d love to see dominant offensive linemen like Carimi get more awards love, and I think Zohri’s incredible year would make him a worthy winner as well, but if anyone other than Savage takes home this hardware it’ll be an upset, if you ask me. He was the best player on one of the league’s best teams, and his rushing stats make him a true multi-dimensional threat. With anyone but Savage under center, it’s difficult to see how the Seawolves would have enjoyed the same level of success this year.
Defensive Player of the Year
My Prediction: Hououin Kyouma
What an incredible year for rookies on defense, as three DRotY nominees reappear as nominees for outright Defensive Player of the Year! Yet another award that’s just too close to call, in my mind there’s no clear favorite. Any one of these nominees is absolutely worthy of receiving the trophy, so I’m going to make a sentimental prediction and say that I’ll be rooting hard for my teammate and good friend Hououin Kyouma, who made sure his final season in the DSFL was the best of his career. He rocketed all over the Norfolk backfield making critical tackles (the second-most of his career) and breaking up passes (just 1 off the league lead and 50% more than his previous best). He was the only human player to score more than 1 defensive TD this season (the other was discovered to in fact be Six Ducks in a Trenchcoat, and at this time there is no procedure for giving awards to communal organisms). Kyouma played his ass off and left everything on the field every single week, and he absolutely deserves to be recognized as this season’s most outstanding defensive player.
MVP
My Prediction: Malcolm Savage
I can certainly see an outcome where Savage and Zohri split Offensive Player of the Year and MVP, in either order, and I don’t think anyone could possibly complain. For my money they were the league’s two best players this season (disregarding Ricky Stanzi, who isn’t awards-eligible). Neither Minnesota nor Norfolk could’ve possibly enjoyed the same success this season without those two. Apologies to Fries and Toastovich, who are both great players in their own right, but I don’t know if they could’ve been just as successful with lesser QBs. The both also had excellent running mates (Malcador the Hero and Escanor Sama, respectively) to draw away defensive backs’ attention. Apologies too to Fantobens; 15 sacks is more than some entire defenses will record in a season, but even he had an outstanding strike partner, Caleb Watt. (28 sacks between two players is nothing short of incredible by that Luchadores defensive line!) When it comes down to it I don’t think that any of these three players meant as much to their teams as Savage and Zohri did to Norfolk and Minnesota respectively.
So there you have it, my complete thoughts on the award nominations! My heartiest congratulations to all of our outstanding nominees! Tune in to the ceremony on Friday night and we’ll see how well my thought processes match up to those of the voters!
Important note for full disclosure: I was on the DSFL Awards Committee as Norfolk’s representative and participated in the decision-making process behind this list of nominees. I will be careful not to reveal any details of that process. For the purposes of this article, I will be making use only of publicly-available information.
For maximum intrigue, I’ll be starting with the positional awards and working my way up to MVP. I’ll also be alternating offensive and defensive awards because… well, because I can, so there.
Kicker of the Year/Punter of the Year
These are separate awards, but we have the same four nominees for each (the only four eligible players) so I’ll be treating them together. First, let’s see who’s up and take a look at their stats:
Kicking
My Prediction (K): Izuku Campbell
I will not be surprised if Ikick Ballz ends up taking home the Kicker of the Year award. The Tijuana Luchadore has a great case as the only kicker perfect on extra points for the season and having the most makes at 50+ yards. However, Kansas City’s Izuku Campbell, despite two extra point misses, was slightly more accurate on field goals, and of his 27 makes, almost half of them came from 40 yards or longer. I expect it will come down to a very close vote between the two of them.
Punting
My Prediction (P): Jack Lewis
Campbell being so good on long field goals, ironically, probably leaves them out of the Punter of the Year competition just based on volume. (Apparently Kansas City had a lot of drives stall right around the 30 this season). However the remaining 3 nominees are very close and it could go to anyone. It’s a dead heat, but I think Jack Lewis’ slight leads in both punting average and punts inside the 20 leads to his name being called on Awards Night.
Returner of the Year
My Prediction: Ken Oath
This is anyone’s award to win; the candidates are very close and there isn’t any name that would surprise me if announced. I think the voters will respect Ken Oath’s volume of work, as the Bondi Beach Buccaneers’ dismally dire defense afforded few punt return opportunities, but frequently had him taking kickoffs out of his own endzone and working mightily to obtain good starting field position for the Buccaneers offense. I think his league-best (by 3.6 inches!) kick return average earns him this trophy.
Offensive Lineman of the Year
My Prediction: Michael Carimi
Carimi is simply the obvious choice, as the league leader in pancakes by a double-digit margin (the second-most all time!) without allowing a single sack. I expect the vote here will be unanimous. It’s all the more remarkable when you consider that Carimi typically lines up at guard rather than the more mobile tackle position. Carimi occupies a tier of one this season, but my pick for first runner-up would be Norfolk’s Clifford Wilson, who set an all-time pancake record last season with a scarcely-believable 99, a season so dominant he was the first lineman ever to be nominated for league MVP. This year he was “merely” elite rather than superhuman, but still recorded the second-most pancakes among linemen who didn’t allow a sack.
Defensive Tackle of the Year
My Prediction: Garfield Despacito III
This is a tough one, as each of the candidates has something to make them stand out, but no one really seems to separate from the pack. London’s nose tackle Lennay Kekua had the most tackles, but was more of a run-stuffer, rarely getting beyond the offensive line. Norfolk’s Arnie Rufus was quite possibly the league’s best interior rusher; with 4 sacks and 4 TFLs, he made nearly as many plays in the opposing backfield as every other nominee combined, and naturally I’m a fan of my Norfolk teammate. However, I think the voters will be most impressed by Despacito, who was disruptive against both the run and the pass this season and showed a real nose for the football, recovering 3 fumbles. I think it’s the turnovers that set him apart and ultimately get him the hardware.
Tight End of the Year
My Prediction: Mark Goodhead
Anthony MacGuire has a very strong case for this award, demonstrating what a well-rounded player he is by leading all TEs in receiving yards and producing the most pancakes of any TE when blocking. Ultimately however I think the voters will be more impressed by Mark Goodhead’s 9 touchdowns, just two fewer than the other four nominees combined.
Defensive End of the Year
My Prediction: Caleb Watt
I think this comes down to the sack monsters Watt and Fantobens, and while Fantobens had an incredible year, his counterpart on the other side of Tijuana’s line shouldn’t be overlooked. Watt had two fewer sacks than Fantobens, but recovered 2 fumbles, and was even a bit more effective covering screens and setting the edge against the run, recording 35 total tackles and 6 for loss, compared to Fantobens’ 31 and 2. Fantobens’ incredible 15 sacks have gotten him recognition in the form of other award nominations, and it’s quite likely that he could win this award as well, but he shouldn’t get all the attention or credit for Tijuana’s deadly pass rush.
Wide Receiver of the Year
My Prediction: French Fries
This will be a fascinating vote, as the contest is simply too close to call. I think it ultimately comes down to Fries versus Toastovich, and we’ll see a referendum on awards voters’ feelings about volume versus efficiency. Ivan Toastovich’s 1606 yards is a new all-time mark, and he did it with 9 fewer catches than French Fries. However, Fries came up just short of 1600 yards himself, led the league in total catches, and scored 13 TDs compared to Toastovich’s 10. I think the scoring is what ultimately tips the votes towards Fries, but realistically any one of these 5 could win and it wouldn’t be a surprise. I think this is the closest contest of any award, so I’ll be watching this announcement closely on Friday night!
Cornerback of the Year
My Prediction: Tessie Garciaparra
Current Kansas City Coyote and future Chicago Butcher Tessie Garciaparra once again proved herself to be one the league’s best defensive backs. I’ll be saying this a lot, but this award could go to any once of these nominees and I wouldn’t be shocked. My teammate Hououin Kyouma has 2 defensive TDs and maybe the most well-rounded statline, but I think the voters will see her league-leading 6 interceptions and be amazed. If you like a dark horse, keep an eye on Minnesota’s remarkable rookie Modern Nazgul, who might just be a superstar in the making.
Running Back of the Year
Rushing Stats
Receiving Stats
My Prediction: Lalu Muhammad Zohri
Lalu Muhammad Zohri had himself a truly incredible rookie season for the Grey Ducks, and I think it earns him Running Back of the Year. It’s a close contest though, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ken Oath accepting the trophy either. I think Zohri’s slightly better yardage efficiency and league-leading 15 rushing touchdowns will ultimately give him the edge.
Safety of the Year
My Prediction: Lance Witt
As much as my vanity wishes I could predict myself for this award, I think it simply has to go to the spectacular rookie Witt, who did a little bit of everything for the Bird Dogs’ defense, and did it all very well. Amari Springer would be my choice for runner-up, and he’ll make it a very close vote, but I think Witt’s 4/3 FF/FR statline ends up impressing voters just a bit more than Springer’s 7 sacks and a safety. The tackle numbers are comparable and Witt showed more versatility in pass coverage, recording 3 picks and 8 PDs on the year compared to Springer’s 1 and 7. On the other hand, a strong safety like Springer isn’t usually asked to do as much in coverage, so this one will come down to the wire! I also should point out yet another excellent Grey Duckling, Colin Kramer. Minnesota certainly had themselves quite the draft class this year!
Quarterback of the Year
My Prediction: Malcolm Savage
With Dallas’ Ricky Stanzi choosing not to make himself awards-eligible, this is a one-horse race. Malcolm Savage made a tremendous second-year leap and showed off why he was a 1st-round pick by the Austin Copperheads in the most recent ISFL draft. Notably, as the only real rushing threat among QBs, he has an entire added dimension to his game that defenses have to account for and which no other QB in the league can match. As a passer he led the league in completion percentage, was the only non-Stanzi QB to post a triple-digit QB rating for the year, and was second only to Stanzi in yards and passing TDs.
Linebacker of the Year
My Prediction: Spicy Ron
Good grief, I have no idea. What a year it was for linebackers! Yet again, it’s way too close to call and I can’t wait to see who the voters ultimately choose out of these 5 incredible nominees! It’s not really fair to call Spicy Ron a one-man wrecking crew when he had Pasta the Turtle right alongside him having an equally astounding year, but I think Ron will win over the voters as the only player in the league to post double-digit tackles for loss and double-digit sacks (even though Pasta the Turtle got very close!) Nathan Claflin was a do-it-all turnover monster for the Seawolves, and was one of just two players to record a field goal block this year. The aforementioned Pasta the Turtle had more tackles than his teammate, was better in pass coverage, and also scored a touchdown. O. Czargyros and Omni Man were true field generals and stalwarts for their respective teams. Good luck to the voters trying to sort out this group!
Offensive Rookie of the Year
My Prediction: Lalu Muhammad Zohri
Dallas Fort-Worth should be an excellent lineman for years to come, and Escanor Sama was a big part of why Dallas had the best passing attack in the league. Tobias Worthington III and Rocky Rhoads had productive seasons, but I think this award is Zohri’s to lose. With apologies to Worthington, LMZ was the heart and soul of Minnesota’s offense this season. He was a huge help to the fellow rookie Worthington at QB, and ensured that the Grey Ducks hardly missed a beat after losing franchise legend John Huntsman to his ISFL call-up. @IceBear32 and @Painted deserve great credit for their outstanding draft class! With Zohri and Worthington leading the way, the Grey Ducks look set to remain among the DSFL’s elite for several more seasons at least.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
My Prediction: George Fantobens
Yet nother race that’s simply too close to call! If only it were an option I’d be tempted to award this jointly to the two phenomenal Portland Pythons linebackers. That organization’s war room clearly has an eye for talent at the position! Two unbelievable seasons, and I really couldn’t say which of the two was the better player this year. Modern Nazgul and DeAaron Harper II were both fearsome defensive backs. (And congratulations to Minnesota for being the only team to have rookies nominated on both sides of the football!) Now, maybe this is more wishful thinking on my part than an actual prediction, but for a rookie DE to record the second-most sacks of all time (averaging better than a sack per game!) is an incredible accomplishment that I hope will be recognized appropriately. Fantobens terrorized opposed quarterbacks all season long and is sure to be among the league’s most feared pass rushers for as long as he stays in Tijuana.
Offensive Performance of the Year
My Prediction: Malcolm Savage, Week 11
I think Malcolm Savage’s simply majestic performance in Norfolk’s 42-30 defeat of Kansas City in Week 11 will be most impressive to voters. He threw for all 5 of the Seawolves’ offensive touchdowns (they also recorded a defensive TD in this game), and they needed all 5 to fend off the hard-charging Coyotes. He was never sacked and came just 4 completions shy of accomplishing the rare feat of a perfect passer rating. He was simply unstoppable. Ken Oath’s 11.1 YPC in Week 3 is astonishing, but unfortunately skewed, as he recorded half of his rushing total for the game on a single 64-yard TD scamper. Lalu Muhammad Zohri’s 6.2 YPC and 4 TDs in Week 5 is also very impressive, but in the end I’m not sure anyone is a real competitor to Savage for this one.
Defensive Performance of the Year
My Prediction: Modern Nazgul, Week 10
I think this comes down to two nominees, Nazgul and Claflin. Claflin came up just a safety short of what I suppose is football’s equivalent of “hitting for the cycle” in baseball: recording at least one stat in every column on the sheet. He was disruptive in every phase of the game for Norfolk in Week 9’s 42-21 victory over Tijuana: 2 of his 8 tackles came behind the line of scrimmage, he recorded both a strip sack and a pick-six, and just for good measure broke up another pass and blocked a field goal! It was one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen played. Absolutely unreal. On the other hand, Modern Nazgul was practically the Grey Ducks’ entire defense in their 23-19 win over Kansas City in Week 10, single handedly accounting for 4 turnovers while recording double-digit tackles and breaking up 6 passes. In this game 19 Kansas City passes failed to find their intended targets, and on fully half of them Nazgul was directly the reason why. Add to that his 10 tackles and in total he stopped 1 in every 4 Kansas City offensive plays by himself. The numbers practically defy belief and for that reason I think he just edges out Claflin’s incredible game when the final votes are counted.
Offensive Player of the Year
My Prediction: Malcolm Savage
I’m sympathetic to the point of view that quarterbacks shouldn’t be eligible for this award, given how important they are to their team and how many more opportunities they have to accumulate stats. However, even if QBs might have an unfair advantage, excluding them isn’t exactly fair either. I’d love to see dominant offensive linemen like Carimi get more awards love, and I think Zohri’s incredible year would make him a worthy winner as well, but if anyone other than Savage takes home this hardware it’ll be an upset, if you ask me. He was the best player on one of the league’s best teams, and his rushing stats make him a true multi-dimensional threat. With anyone but Savage under center, it’s difficult to see how the Seawolves would have enjoyed the same level of success this year.
Defensive Player of the Year
My Prediction: Hououin Kyouma
What an incredible year for rookies on defense, as three DRotY nominees reappear as nominees for outright Defensive Player of the Year! Yet another award that’s just too close to call, in my mind there’s no clear favorite. Any one of these nominees is absolutely worthy of receiving the trophy, so I’m going to make a sentimental prediction and say that I’ll be rooting hard for my teammate and good friend Hououin Kyouma, who made sure his final season in the DSFL was the best of his career. He rocketed all over the Norfolk backfield making critical tackles (the second-most of his career) and breaking up passes (just 1 off the league lead and 50% more than his previous best). He was the only human player to score more than 1 defensive TD this season (the other was discovered to in fact be Six Ducks in a Trenchcoat, and at this time there is no procedure for giving awards to communal organisms). Kyouma played his ass off and left everything on the field every single week, and he absolutely deserves to be recognized as this season’s most outstanding defensive player.
MVP
My Prediction: Malcolm Savage
I can certainly see an outcome where Savage and Zohri split Offensive Player of the Year and MVP, in either order, and I don’t think anyone could possibly complain. For my money they were the league’s two best players this season (disregarding Ricky Stanzi, who isn’t awards-eligible). Neither Minnesota nor Norfolk could’ve possibly enjoyed the same success this season without those two. Apologies to Fries and Toastovich, who are both great players in their own right, but I don’t know if they could’ve been just as successful with lesser QBs. The both also had excellent running mates (Malcador the Hero and Escanor Sama, respectively) to draw away defensive backs’ attention. Apologies too to Fantobens; 15 sacks is more than some entire defenses will record in a season, but even he had an outstanding strike partner, Caleb Watt. (28 sacks between two players is nothing short of incredible by that Luchadores defensive line!) When it comes down to it I don’t think that any of these three players meant as much to their teams as Savage and Zohri did to Norfolk and Minnesota respectively.
So there you have it, my complete thoughts on the award nominations! My heartiest congratulations to all of our outstanding nominees! Tune in to the ceremony on Friday night and we’ll see how well my thought processes match up to those of the voters!