03-18-2023, 07:13 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-21-2023, 10:08 AM by Aneeqs. Edited 1 time in total.)
After some touch and go games to start the first half of the season the Otters are back looking for some more Ws. A semi-tough schedule shows its face for the next four games, but the Otters are feeling good and ready to take on anyone in the league! Let’s see how it went.
The ninth game of the season was played against the Sarasota Sailfish
3:38 left in the first quarter - 1st and 10 on OCO 44
The Otter County Oranges are going fishing! Facing off against the Sailfish in the first game of this tape review. We jump in near the end of the first quarter with the fish up by seven. And so far this drive they’ve managed to progress past the 50 yard line. Moving into Oranges territory. It appears that Jamdrian’s main opponent this game is the wide receiver Nick Kaepercolin Jr., #41. They snap the ball and the defensive line almost immediately breaks through. Pushing back three out of five offensive linemen. With very little time to think about things, their quarterback throws one eye to the right and the ball closely follows. Kaepercolin doesn’t have much space to work with, but as he’s not yet gained much speed he’s able to slow down and cradle the ball before Jamdrian reaches his position. But that’s all they get. As Jamdrian pushes him down a millisecond after completing the catch.
8:07 left in the third quarter - 1st and 10 on SAR 30
A long time later in the game the score is much tighter with only a field goal’s worth of points separating the teams in Sarasota’s favor. The play starts like any other play. Jamdrian notices Kaepercolin not moving very hard up the field, so he closes in on the receiver. But the ball isn’t a pass play. At least not to a wide receiver. It turns into a mixed kind of play with the running back Pete Zuh getting thrown the ball behind the line of scrimmage and then rushing it up the right. With Jamdrian focusing on his receiver, he ends up behind Zuh. And the ball carrier is unfortunately quite capable. Zuh is able to get by the last line of defense! But he isn’t fast enough to make it all the way. Almost 30 yards from where the ball originated, Jamdrian is finally able to catch up and bring him down.
0:03 left in the third quarter - 1st and 10 on OCO 25
Sarasota has made it terrifyingly close to the Oranges endzone. Looking to score the first point for either team in almost a full quarter. And having a first down makes it even more likely to succeed. As the play gets going, Kaepercolin tries a different route cutting left towards the middle of the field. Jamdrian is able to follow along nicely, but their quarterback still thinks this is their best option. He sends the ball flying towards our two main story characters. And it’s caught! But not by anyone already named in the play. Instead, the Sailfish’s tight end Lucius Salem comes out of nowhere and stretches in front of the ball. As unexpected as that was, Jamdrian is lucky because of the fact that Kaepercolin pretty much lead him into the path of Salem. Although it wasn’t his mark who caught it, Jamdrian was already right there and able to shoulder check the catcher down before making it past the yellow line marker.
15:00 left in the fourth quarter - 2nd and 1 on OCO 16
Well hello, we’re instantly back again in the very next play. Albeit it in a different quarter. As you can imagine not much has changed since the last play. And moreso, this play starts out very similar to the previous one. Kaepercolin runs his new route yet again with a cut towards the middle of the field. You might be asking yourself where Lucius Salem is in all of this. Well this time he decided to run straight ahead so as to not get into the path of Kaepercolin. With the tight end out of the way the Sarasota quarterback tries again to get the ball to his right-side receiver. Thanks to cutting inwards they forced Jamdrian to take the outside route. Which allowed for a straightforward catch. The ball throw was nice and precise with no defenders between the quarterback and the receiver. Other than the defensive line, of course. This allows the catch to get a new set of downs. But no progress past the catch is allowed with Jamdrian, albeit being on the outside, is still almost right on top of Kaepercolin.
The game ended up slipping away from the Oranges in the fourth quarter. What looked like an even game with overtime potential went all the way to Sarasota. An unfortunate collapse.
The tenth game of the season was played against the Austin Copperheads
7:31 left in the first quarter - 2nd and 8 on AUS 24
The Otters are taking on the Copperheads for the second time this season. This time at home. And Jamdrian again gets to play with good ole Zaphod Beeblebrox. After half the first quarter we see the Otters up by seven and so far have also been strong defensively, disallowing any and all progress for the Copperheads. They’re trying again now hoping to at least reach the 50 yard marker. As the play gets going the Austin quarterback steps back a bit, and gets quite some time to admire the field and see how all the routes turn out. But unfortunately for them the Otters’ coverage is still on point. Not a single receiver is able to escape their defender. Including Beeblebrox. But at this point it seems like they feel the need to make some kind of progress. The quarterback aims for #42 even with Jamdrian on top of them. In an attempt to prevent the pick the ball is thrown slightly off target with what’s probably a dream that Beeblebrox will be able to read and get to it. But alas, that doesn’t happen. The ball goes flying past both of them. And 0 yards are rewarded.
2:29 left in the first quarter - 3rd and 10 on AUS 1
Five minutes later and things are no different. Otters are still up by seven. Copperheads are still unable to get down the field. And when we join the play again Austin have been pushed back real far thanks to an amazing punt. No gains have been made on this possession, so we’re still on Austin’s 1 when the 3rd down is about to happen. We see the Austin quarterback stepping way back in an attempt to prevent a safety. And eyeing the field hoping for something, anything. Beeblebrox tries his best to salvage the situation and give his quarterback an open target by cutting towards the middle of this field. This leaves Jamdrian on the outside unable to get in front. The ball is thrown quickly and with accuracy which allows Beeblebrox to get a solid catch. But even though Jamdrian is on the outside, he’s still able to keep up and stay right next to the receiver. The reception is made, but #42 is taken down three yards short. The Otters defense forces another 4th down and the Copperheads have to give up the ball yet again.
1:55 left in the third quarter - 2nd and 11 on OCO 14
Still with a rock solid performance the Otters have only let up a single field goal in this game after almost three full quarters. But at this time it’s looking like the Copperheads will score again. We’re inside the redzone with several opportunities for Austin to take advantage. The ball snaps and the defensive line quickly collapses in on the offensive line. There’s some pressure but not enough to really scare the quarterback. On the receiving side Beeblebrox has run up to Jamdrian and then almost stopped completely. Slowing down and turning around. Jamdrian plays it cautiously in case #42 is planning on restarting his rocket shoes suddenly. Staying on the outside, slightly up the field. Then suddenly Beeblebrox shoots out slightly towards the middle of the field. And at the same time the ball comes flying. Almost as if they’ve practiced this before. With Jamdrian being a step behind he’s unable to prevent the pass from reaching its target. The ball is caught inside the 10, but luckily Jamdrian is still with it enough to get a hand on the ball carrier’s leg. Bringing him down. Still at a dangerous position.
12:57 left in the fourth quarter -2nd and 3 on AUS 46
We’re closing in on the end of the game and what a game it’s been. Otters currently with the confident 23 point lead. The Copperheads have however started to see slightly more offensive success. Albeit it very little. They’re still trying their best to stay in the game and have practically abandoned the run at this point. Just a few yards away from a fresh set of down one might expect a run to happen just to get over the threshold. But as mentioned, that’s not how they roll. The ball reaches the quarterback who scans the field thoroughly before sending it up the right side where Beeblebrox has started picking up speed. Jamdrian quickly backpedaling, trying to stay with it. It’s not a perfect throw, but good enough to allow a seasoned receiver like Zaphod to reel it in. Jamdrian, unable to get in front of the ball, instead settles for a nice chest bump to immediately stop the play in its tracks. They made it past the yellow line, but not much farther.
This was a crazy good game for the Otters. Amazing offensive prowess coupled with a defense that refused to let the opposing quarterback have any feelings of happiness for 60 minutes. One can hope that this is the turning point for the Otters. Making them more consistent and dangerous than in previous seasons.
The eleventh game of the season was played against the New Orleans Second Line
13:26 left in the first quarter - 3rd and 15 on NOLA 25
Still with adrenaline from the previous game the Otters are hoping to continue their great play throughout this game against New Orleans. With Jamdrian lining up against Ttollem Mada, and the Second Line far away from where they wanna be, it's looking good so far during the first drive of the game. With the amount of yards New Orleans have to make up to get a new set of downs Jamdrian is playing this one farther back than normal. Just gotta allow 14 yards or fewer. While preventing the catch would be nice, that’s not the safe play at the moment. But when the ball is snapped, Jamdrian changes his mind. He moves up into the face of Mada, who hopes left and right and then darts up the field again. Getting loose from coverage. Our cornerback realizing his mistake does what he can to get back up the field. Mada is able to catch the ball and even makes it several steps before Jamdrian finally catches up. Luckily for the Otters the ball was stopped short two yards away from the 1st down marker. Forcing a 4th down.
2:13 left in the second quarter - 1st and 10 on OCO 47
This game definitely hasn’t gone as the previous one. The Otters are down by 14 and haven’t seen much luck yet through the first half. And again the Second Line are moving forward with confidence. The ball is handed off to running back Jay Cue Jr. who has been extra slippery this game. He again manages to get past the defensive line, running up the right side. Jamdrian tries to predict the path of the ball carrier, trying to get in front of him instead of running straight for the ball. Jay is able to get past another defender and steps farther to the right. This is when he gets in Jamdrian’ path. He tries to hop to the side in an attempt to get past the cornerback but thanks to Jamdrian already having speed going up the field he manages to stay with it and bring the ball carrier down. A solid run which was ultimately brought down surrounded by defenders.
2:32 left in the third quarter - 1st and 10 on NOLA 32
Well folks, here’s a new one for me. New Orleans is lining up their kicker, Alfonso Dos Santos, as a receiver. I don’t think there are any injuries that would force the coaches to do this, but here we are. And as coincidence would have it, Alfonso is standing right across Jamdrian. Who I’m sure is just as confused as we are. Being overconfident by his opponent, Jamdrian jogs straight up to him with little care of coverage. Quite literally just walking around Alfonso for a couple of seconds while their quarterback is trying his hardest to find any other player open. But as there’s no one else viable to receive the ball their eyes go back to Alfonso who’s really just standing still. The quarterback closes their eyes and lets it go, crossing all fingers they have. With Jamdrian still trying to understand the situation, he has no eyes on the ball. Which, surprisingly enough, allows the kicker to catch the ball. It wasn’t a sexy catch, but a legal one. As this happens Jamdrian suddenly snaps back to reality and pushes Alfonso down. For all we know this might be the first and only reception in Alfonso’s career. Amazing.
1:01 left in the fourth quarter - 4th and 10 on OCO 36
Well, things have definitely turned around in this game. With the Second Line leading for about 45 minutes we’re in the final minute of the game with the Otters having turned it around after two touchdowns in a row. Now with a fragile lead and New Orleans knocking on the door to the redzone. This is a key play. A field goal won’t be enough for New Orleans meaning they’re forced to go for it on 4th and 10. Anything that doesn’t give them 10 yards will win the game for the Otters. Jamdrian is back to playing against his regularly scheduled opponent, Mada. The Orange County defensive line puts a lot of pressure on the offensive line as soon as the ball starts moving. Which is exactly what they need in a play like this. Giving the quarterback very little time to make a decision. As this develops Jamdrian gets on the inside and slightly behind a sprinting Mada. Who turns out to be the target for this play. It’s more of a desperation throw than anything. And even though its trajectory would hit Mada, it’s also heading for Jamdrian. With eyes locked on the receiver Jamdrian raises his arm when it looks like the receiver is trying to receive the ball. And it worked out quite well. His arm blocked the ball, having it fall to the ground. Generating a turnover on downs and ending the game!
The first half really had everyone believe New Orleans was gonna walk this game home. But a late rally from the Otters offense turned the tides quickly and just enough to allow the defense to slow the play down enough to allow the Second Line within field goal range but no more. Win streak continues!
The twelfth game of the season was played against the San Jose SaberCats
2:01 left in the first quarter - 1st and 10 on SJS 48
Well things are looking quite good for the Otters recently. And even more so at the end of this first quarter. Orange County is starting this game up 14-0. Both offense and defense appear to be back to the level they were at playing the Copperheads. But at this point San Jose have just about reached the 50 yard line. Trying to get some kind of points with them into the second quarter. And against Jamdrian we’re seeing #18, Jaycee Higgins. There’s plenty of space between them as Jamdrian is giving 10 yards of space. Jaycee is a very fast and agile receiver. So sometimes you gotta take a step back and play it safe. The ball snaps and the receiver starts immediately running diagonally towards the center of the field. Jamdrian follows quickly and together they create a beautiful, invisible triangle. The ball is thrown towards Jaycee just before the two players meet at the point, which is just a millisecond too late. Jamdrian manages to get both hands in front of Jaycee, and after a quick juggle gets a solid grip of the ball! Another interception to his stat line!
14:43 left in the third quarter - 2nd and 10 on SJS 21
Good news: The drive following Jamdrian’s interception gave the Otters another seven points! Bad news: San Jose won the second quarter 7-0. But the Otters still have a solid lead and a good position to stop yet another SaberCats drive. Our protagonist is placing himself closer to Jaycee for this play. Feeling confident with his safeties being lined up farther back allows him to step up. And in these times, confidence in your teammates is key. It’s also what allows another solid play from the defense. The defensive line doesn’t allow the quarterback to think too hard about things. And while that struggle happens Jamdrian steps up against Jaycee who’s started his route straight ahead. It looks like the San Jose quarterback is having trouble finding open receivers, and decide to go for it anyway. Which turns out to be a poor choice. At this point Jaycee is practically under double coverage. The ball comes flying and with six arms in the air there’s no chance for anyone to catch it. The play is marked as a defended pass in Jamdrian’s favor, as the ball hit his arm before flopping to the sideline.
5:28 left in the third quarter - 2nd and 7 on OCO 7
Still with a strong lead, the Otters have now been pushed all the way back inside their own 10. Everyone knows a game can quickly turn around with just two or so solid possessions. Just see the Otters’ previous game. So at this point, albeit a tough situation, Jamdrian and the rest of the defensive squad have to focus on limiting San Jose to a field goal. This play showed us some coverage swaps. With Jaycee running diagonally, and the SaberCats running back Ozamataz Buckshank going the other way, Jamdrian swapped his coverage with an Orange County linebacker to focus on Buckshank who was coming his way. The ball was thrown to the running back just past the line of scrimmage, and he managed to keep going with no one in close proximity. But thanks to the defensive communication Jamdrian only had eyes for Buckshank. Steadying himself for the incoming collision. They both went hard into each other and luckily Jamdrian had enough power to not be completely run over. Being able to bring down the ball carrier before the endzone.
1:29 left in the fourth quarter - 1st and 10 on SJS 25
It’s looking likely to be yet another Otters win. Up by 21 with less than two minutes to go it would require a literal miracle for San Jose to tie things up. But that doesn’t stop them from trying. Which means it’s definitely time for the passing game to take on 100% of plays. While on the Otters side of things it’s less about preventing any kind of gain, and more about bringing opposing players down inside the field to keep the clock running. And that’s exactly what Jamdrian managed to do in this play. Not that he wanted Jaycee to catch the ball, but since he did the cornerback figured he might as well try to take him down on the correct side of the sideline. It was a quick play that looked like they had a predetermined target in Jaycee. Without looking elsewhere the ball went straight to #18. And as mentioned Jamdrian was standing right there, following the movements to make sure he could bring down the ball carrier. As it was told, so it happened. And time was lost since San Jose had no more timeouts.
Three for three in the last couple of games gives the Otters a strong chance to reach the playoffs.The team truly stepped up to another level after the Sarasota game and with this confidence and skill who knows how far they can take it!