FOF2K7 Version 6.1 (now 6.1a) Dynasty

[Ben E Lou]

I've been very much enjoying my SP career with 6.1. I've had success, but I haven't been able to build a dominating roster as in the past. I even missed the playoffs two seasons ago. Anyway, I'm getting into this career and this league, so, at least for a while, I'm going to take things a little more slowly, watching every game in Solevision, maybe even calling plays! I've decided I want to get to know my team very well, and the league as a whole, so this chronicle is part of the attempt to do so. The league will probably move along more slowly than most SP careers I've done.

SETTINGS

• Injuries=200
• Cap Change Range=60 to 90

HOUSE RULES

• No trading up more than 10 spots in the first round.
• All draftees must be signed to the fourth contract option.
• No trading for future first round picks.

[Ben E Lou]

ATLANTA RING OF HONOR

I'll keep this post updated as my team's better players retire. The criteria for getting in will be more lax than the league-wide Hall Of Fame.

INDUCTED IN 2021 (Initial Group)

QB Scott Reese--Reese was the 2(9) pick in 2007. He was 20/54-->38/38, but had high ratings in a few categories, and that's where I focused my passing during his career. Maybe he was a "system" QB, and he always had a good running game and receivers, but he led us to 8 championships and had a career 98.0 rating, so he's gotta be mentioned here. He never really had eye-popping numbers, but he was very consistent and efficient.

CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS: 8
PLAYER OF THE GAME: 93
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: 95 mentions, 30 wins
FRONT OFFICE BOWL MVP: 5
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 2 (2011, 2017)
ALL-PRO HONORS: 3 (2011, 2016, 2017)
SOLECISMIC LEAGUE MVP: 1 (2017)

RB Gino Mosier--I picked up Mosier as a 25/31 undrafted free agent in 2008. He had a modest amount of creeping, up to 40/40, but then he had what appeared to be a random veteran boom, up to 56/56. He was with us for 10 years, and was the clear #1 for 8 of those years--quite a long career for a RB with injuries at 200. As of this writing, he's 2nd all-time in rushing yards. He was never really a superstar, but he gets into our team Ring Of Honor for his long-time consistency.

CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS: 6
PLAYER OF THE GAME: 4
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: 54 mentions
FRONT OFFICE BOWL MVP: 0
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 0
ALL-PRO HONORS: 1 (2011)
SOLECISMIC LEAGUE MVP: 0

SE/PR/KR Junior Reeves-Reeves was drafted 1(23) in 2009, and played with us for 10 seasons before retiring. He was a 19/39 draftee who maxed out at 60/60. His stats may make some readers question why he's an honoree here, but his value to the team over the years, combined with the fact that we didn't throw all that much, is what gets him in the team Ring Of Honor. At the moment, he's second in Atlanta history in receptions and receiving yards, and first in yards per catch. Add to that the fact that he averaged 10.9 yards per punt return and 27.1 yards per kickoff return in his career, and perhaps the read may begin to understand how he's listed here.

CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS: 6
PLAYER OF THE GAME: 1
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: 14 mentions
FRONT OFFICE BOWL MVP: 0
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 0
ALL-PRO HONORS: 0
SOLECISMIC LEAGUE MVP: 0

LDE Jerome Thompson-Thompson was a 24/50-->64/64 1(20) pick in 2008. Despite missing parts of three seasons due to injuries in his 11-year career, he's the best pass rusher in team history to date.

CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS: 6
PLAYER OF THE GAME: 12
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: 36 mentions, 6 wins
FRONT OFFICE BOWL MVP: 0
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 0
ALL-PRO HONORS: 0
SOLECISMIC LEAGUE MVP: 0

WLB Horace Hutto-Despite playing most of his career at WLB, which typically doesn't rack up the tackles, Hutto is the all-time Falcon leader in tackles and assists. He was a major part of us having one of the top defenses for a long time. Hutto is the biggest creeper I've ever had: 18/29-->69/69, without any single season that was a veteran breakout. He was the 1(31) pick in 2011.

CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS: 7
PLAYER OF THE GAME: 1
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: 14 mentions
FRONT OFFICE BOWL MVP: 0
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 0
ALL-PRO HONORS: 0
SOLECISMIC LEAGUE MVP: 0

LCB Andrew Lutt-No player in league history has broken up more passes than Lutt, the 1(10) pick in 2007. A 57/72-->76/76 player, he was the lynchpin of a top-tier secondary for years.

CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS: 3
PLAYER OF THE GAME: 1
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: 21 mentions 1 win
FRONT OFFICE BOWL MVP: 0
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 0
ALL-PRO HONORS: 2 (2007, 2008)
SOLECISMIC LEAGUE MVP: 0

[Ben E Lou]

HISTORY

As strange as it may sound, I've actually felt more challenged in this career than ever, and am having more fun than ever. Maybe it's because it's harder to find key players, or because I have to adjust the game plan to match my personnel, but there it is. I'm also thinking that we may be close to needing to rebuild, as I'm having some cap issues and aging issues. Four starters retired at the beginning of 2021, and I'm not sure how all of them will be replaced. It's probably worth noting that all but one of my Ring Of Honor guys were first or second round draftees, and the one that wasn't was a veteran breakout. I'm not finding great players in rounds 3-7 with any frequency now, and that was a routine occurrence in 6.0e.

[Ben E Lou]

CURRENT KEY PLAYERS

These are the guys that are critical to our success/failure, whether by ratings, performance, critical position, or some combination of those factors. In other words, the reader should get to know these names, because he'll be reading about them a lot more.

I'm not sure what to make of this guy yet, even though he's had back-to-back great seasons. I'm not convinced that it's not the game plan that is doing the trick for him. Regardless, it's hard to argue wiht a 109.7 career QB rating in 35 starts. He's getting by throwing a LOT of short passes--he's only averaging 9.76 yards per completion for his career.




Garner has been the #1 back for three seasons. He has averaged 4.20 yards per carry in his career--nothing terribly impressive, but solid nonetheless. His best year so far was 2019, in which he had 326 carries for 1,471 yards (4.51ypc).



Westbrook is the other half of the 1-2 punch at RB. He has had over 500 yards as RB2 in each of the last three seasons. He averages 4.22 yards per carry for his career. We usually run the ball 450-550 times per season, so he gets his share of carries. He's also in the game in passing situations, and has caught 30 or more passes in each of the last three seasons



Simply put, Ken Granata is THE best return man I've ever had in FOF--an absolute game-changer. He averages 16.1 yards per punt return (in 201 returns), and 32.3 yards per kickoff return (178 opportunities). He has nine returns for TDs in his career. Oh yeah, and he's also our highest-rated wide receiver.




This youngster looks like a rising star. He had 9 sacks and 16 hurries last season, and I believe he's on the rise.



It's good to have the highest-rated player on our team manning a critical position on defense.




His performance hasn't matched his ratings quite yet, but he's still young. He has 10 interceptions in four years

[Ben E Lou]

The FOF HTML for this career is now up. I'll be updating it fairly regularly.

[Ben E Lou]

CURRENT ROSTER--OFFENSE

(2021 Predraft)

QUARTERBACKS

Player	#	Pos	Exp	Cur	Fut	Cntrct
Olsavsky, Tommie	19	QB	7	42	42	5 yrs
Schneider, Sherman	14	QB	6	22	46	1 yr.
Alcott, Terrance	17	QB	3	16	41	3 yrs

It has been really hard to get a G/VG/E QB in this league. The league currently has 13 QBs with a current rating of Good (50) or better. Of those...

• 12 were taken in the first round (all at pick 18 or higher)
• 10 were taken in the Top Five
• 5 were taken #1 overall
• Only one came later in the draft: a 5(27) pick who is now 55/55.

At any rate, the point is this: my QBs aren't as bad, relatively speaking, as they might look on the surface. As has been mentioned, Olsavsky has put up top-notch numbers.

RUNNING BACKS

Player	#	Pos	Exp	Cur	Fut	Cntrct
Garner, Heath	42	RB	7	52	52	3 yrs
Westbrook, Jesse	44	RB	7	48	48	1 yr.
Wells, Luther	43	RB	2	29	45	2 yrs
Jacobs, Sean	24	FB	7	71	71	4 yrs

Garner and Westbrook won't last forever, but Wells is creeping upward quickly, and should be a force. However, his endurance sucks, so I'll need to find a capable RB2 to go along with him. Jacobs is a good blocker and an excellent safety-valve receiver, averaging 5.87 yards per target in his career from the FB position.

TIGHT ENDS/WIDE RECEIVERS

Player	#	Pos	Exp	Cur	Fut	Cntrct
Horie, Stanley	89	TE	4	56	56	3 yrs
Shields, Bobby	81	TE	8	52	52	1 yr.
Marceau, Mel	13	TE	4	43	43	3 yrs
Granata, Ken	85	FL	9	51	51	3 yrs
Floyd, Willie	87	FL	12	48	48	2 yrs
Barbagallo, Zip	88	FL	5	46	46	3 yrs
Lindsay, Trent	86	FL	10	44	44	1 yr.
Garner, Greg	84	FL	3	37	42	3 yrs

The tight ends definitely have different skill sets. Horie is the pass-catcher. He is averaging just a hair under 50 catches a year in his first three seasons, despite only being on the field for only 310 pass plays per season. He averaged 8.09 yards per target last year, which was forth-best in the league among tight ends. Both his bars and performance are weak at run blocking. Shields, on the other hand, has a 96 in run blocking and has performed quite well for a TE: a 37.3 KRB% for his career. He averaged only 4.77 yards per target as a receiver, though. As I'll be going more slowly this year, and beyond, I'll set up the offense to that Shields is on the field in running situations, and Horie on passing downs. If Marceau keeps creeping, however, he could take over as the all-situation TE. He has no major strengths or weaknesses in his bars, and he has crept 16 points in his three seasons prior to this one.

The receivers aren't nearly as interesting as the tight ends. None have major strengths or weaknesses, and none are significant creepers, either.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Player	#	Pos	Exp	Cur	Fut	Cntrct
Reiter, Clarence	50	C	10	67	67	3 yrs
Ali, Trent	55	C	3	39	47	1 yr.
Briggs, Lawrence	57	C	3	25	32	3 yrs
Lazuka, Mack	76	LG	2	53	77	3 yrs
Merloni, Fred	62	RG	5	55	55	4 yrs
Atkins, Carlton	75	RG	5	38	38	1 yr.
McLellan, Tim	70	RG	12	37	37	1 yr.
Erickson, Damon	77	LT	10	40	40	3 yrs
Black, Desmond	69	LT	4	29	32	3 yrs
Pisklak, Herb	71	RT	10	43	43	1 yr.
Winborn, Julio	61	RT	6	42	42	3 yrs

Reiter, Lazuka, Merloni and Pisklak have been pretty much WYSIWYG--their performances have matched up reasonably with their ratings. Erickson, however, is a different story entirely. He has been one of the league's better run-blocking tackles for quite some time, with a career BPct of 39.3.


We could use some help at offensive tackle and wide receiver in this draft.

[Ben E Lou]

CURRENT ROSTER--DEFENSE
(2021 Predraft)

DEFENSIVE LINE

Player	#	Pos	Exp	Cur	Fut	Cntrct
Kaplan, Ronnie	92	LDE	3	66	66	3 yrs
Watkins, Leland	79	LDE	6	50	50	2 yrs
Blades, Sammie	73	LDE	3	24	41	3 yrs
Spencer, Earnest	95	RDE	2	20	38	2 yrs
Mayes, Zach	74	LDT	10	59	59	2 yrs
Barlow, Larry	59	LDT	11	36	36	---
Collier, Reuben	91	RDT	13	38	38	1 yr.
Langlois, Donovan	72	RDT	3	38	58	1 yr.

We're in pretty decent shape here, although we could use some youth at DT. Zach Mayes has been a stud for a good while. He has five seasons with 8 1/2 sacks or more to his credit.

LINEBACKERS

Whitfield, Richard	99	MLB	8	73	73	2 yrs
Hickman, T.J.	56	MLB	6	36	36	1 yr.
Hatch, Juan	52	SLB	9	34	45	1 yr.
Brady, Reuben	97	SLB	2	19	36	2 yrs
Frederick, Harry	96	WLB	2	25	54	3 yrs

I don't know what to expect here. Two long-time starters retired at the OLB positions, Frederick is creeping downward, and Hatch is a career backup. We could be vulnerable there if we don't get something good in the draft.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Rodgers, Steve	32	LCB	5	67	67	2 yrs
Kozlowski, Billy	49	LCB	10	38	38	2 yrs
Manning, Vince	27	LCB	9	37	37	1 yr.
Purcell, Brant	21	LCB	2	35	46	2 yrs
Perea, Blaine	31	RCB	11	36	36	---
Hines, Vernon	40	SS	12	63	63	3 yrs
Clemons, Artie	29	SS	3	58	58	1 yr.
Robbins, Bobby	22	FS	10	50	50	2 yrs
Sheldon, Christian	37	FS	4	38	38	3 yrs

Kozlowski, a former 7th round pick, has performed well consistently. He's rated 74 in interceptions, and has 20 picks in his last three full seasons. He missed most of 2019 and all of 2020 due to injury, though.

It's clear that our biggest need on defense, and as a team, is at OLB. We could also use some help for the future at DT.

[Ben E Lou]

2021 DRAFT

TOP TEN ADJUSTED RATING PLAYERS, LEAGUE-WIDE

	Pos.	Wt	Gr	Adj	Dash	Sole	Str	Agi	BrJ	Pos.	%Dev.	Drafted By
Benjamin Kern	RT	304	7.4	8.2	4.94	34	36	7.34	9'3"	---	32%	Buffalo, 1(5)
Marco Comia	RB	204	6.9	7.3	4.49	26	24	7.08	10'6"	35	56%	New England, 1(2)
Marty Klinger	RCB	176	7.1	7.3	4.37	27	15	6.75	10'5"	58	34%	Philadelphia, 1(1)
Toby Schroeder	LCB	179	7.1	7.3	4.39	25	19	6.73	8'11"	58	54%	Detroit, 1(7)
Walt Guffey	FL	202	6.9	7.2	4.35	45	16	6.86	9'10"	69	22%	Oakland, 1(8)
Heath Webb	RB	206	6.6	7	4.53	34	23	7.18	10'4"	28	54%	Pittsburgh, 1(9)
Ronald Hammond	LDT	286	6.5	7	4.96	39	40	7.61	8'8"	---	45%	New Orleans, 1(6)
Craig Carter	RDT	287	6.5	7	4.93	23	31	7.62	9'7"	---	57%	Detroit, 1(13)
Ian Horenstein	LCB	190	6.7	6.9	4.41	31	16	6.94	9'0"	53	38%	Denver, 1(12)
Sedrick Rhodes	LT	299	6.1	6.7	5.02	26	25	7.56	9'6"	---	35%	Miami, 1(18)

ATLANTA'S DRAFT

PICK	POS	LAST	FIRST	Gr	Adj	40yd	Sol	Str	Agi	Brd	Pos	Dev	Imp	Cur	Fut	Comments
1(32)	OLB	Ford	Willie	5.4	5.2	4.71	38	24	7.46	9'8"	34	59%	AS	27	44	Will be thrust into a starting role as a rookie in all likelihood.
2(5)	WR	Bordelon	Marco	4.9	5.1	4.44	28	12	7.20	10'1”	47	33%	VU	22	34	Traded up to get this guy when he became the top adjust-rated WR left.
2(32)	OLB	Barton	Warren	4.5	4.3	4.42	27	16	7.18	8'11”	25	21%	---	9	32	I need a WLB, and that 4.42 certainly intrigues me.
4(32)	OLB-->DE	Carranza	Nolan	4.3	4.1	4.46	33	21	7.68	8'0”	33	53%	VO	22	45	Another intrigue pick. A 265-pounder that runs a 4.46. I want to see if he can be a DE. He was 17/39 as an OLB.
5(32)	T	Jacobs	Scottie	4.7	5.2	5.21	46	34	7.51	7'9”	---	18%	VU	10	21	Pretty high bureau rating for this guy, and great combines. I'm hoping that the bars are bogus.
6(32)	RB	Pintsak	Donnell	4.9	5.2	4.48	35	21	7.35	9'6”	13	46%	AS	15	17	Fast, strong RB. Hoping that there's more to him than meets the eye.

It'll be interesting. For the first time in this career, I had to draft to fill specific needs, and some of the guys I drafted weren't what I would have normally gone after.

[Ben E Lou]

Picked up undrafted rookies at DT and CB to help fill out the roster. Given that I don't have much cap room available, I thought it wise to leave it open in case I need to sign a veteran or two who'll need to play, due to injury.

[Ben E Lou]

2021 TRAINING CAMP REPORT

DRAFTEES

• Ouch! It looks like first-round pick Willie Ford won't be starting after all. He got a big, fat -15/-25 bust, all the way down to 12/19.
• WR Bordelon: +3/+3
• OLB Barton: +2/0
• DE Carranza: +5/+4--Looks like I found the right position for him.
  
• T Jacobs: +1/+5
• RB Pintsak: +1/+1

We may be in big trouble at OLB this season. Ford fell off the table, and Barton didn't show anything to impress us in camp. On the positive side, Carranza's pass rush technique is at 51/90, and I expect a good bit more creeping, too. He looks like he'll be a pass-rush specialist that should really be a big help. Jacobs and Pintsak will probably make the team, but the verdict's till out as to whether or not they'll ever contribute.


VETERANS/UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS

Well, I said I thought we might be headed for a rebuilding phase (something I've never really had to do, so I look forward to it), but I wasn't expecting to get hit at the same time in several key places. Here are the changes of note:

• QB Sherman Schneider dropped -4/-7 to 18/39. So much for him being the quarterback of the future.
• WRs Willie Floyd and Ken Granata dropped -7 and -8, respectively. They were our top-rated receivers. The passing game could be in trouble now.
• C Reiter is getting old, and dropped -6/-6. No huge surprise there, and he's still 61/61, so I'm not really terribly worried there.
• LT Damon Erickson--you know, that guy I was bragging on--dropped -7 to 33/33. And the other projected starting tackle, Herb Pisklak, dropped -5 to 38/38.
• RDE Earnest Spencer, already a creeper, gave us a +4/+5 in this camp. I'm looking forward to seeing what the former 5th-round pick is going to become.

Some positive news, but more negative. As we head into preseason, I'm thinking that we're headed for a dropoff this year.

[Ben E Lou]

2021 END PRESEASON REPORT

KEY INJURIES: We lose Bobby Robbins to a ruptured Achilles tendon. He'll miss the entire season, and was expected to provide depth at both safety positions.

CUTS OF NOTE: I went ahead and cut bait on 1st-round pick Willie Ford.

TOP TEAM CAPSULE: The Jaguars look like an offensive juggernaut in the making. They are led by the league's top-rated QB, Horace Vaughn (92/92), and also have RB Donovan Armstrong (68/68) to tote the rock. They also have a solid fullback and a good receiving corps. The defense looks solid as well. It's really a team that has no obvious weaknesses

NFC SOUTH
Panthers--Average QB, strong receivers, solid offensive line and running back. Defense looks vulnerable to the run.
Saints--Decent-looking young QB, one stud receiver, good RB and o-line. Solid LBs and secondary. Questionable D-line.
Bucs--VG QB and RB. Good receivers. Questionable offensive line. Mediocre-looking defense.

2021 53-MAN ROSTER

Player	#	Pos	Start	Exp	Cur	Fut	Cntrct
Olsavsky, Tommie	19	QB	QB	7	43	43	5 yrs
Schneider, Sherman	14	QB		6	18	39	1 yr.
Alcott, Terrance	17	QB		3	16	42	3 yrs
Garner, Heath	42	RB	RB	7	52	52	3 yrs
Westbrook, Jesse	44	RB		7	48	48	1 yr.
##Wells, Luther	43	RB		2	29	45	2 yrs
##Pintsak, Donnell	39	RB		1	16	18	3 yrs
Jacobs, Sean	24	FB	FB	7	70	70	4 yrs
##Summers, Deon	46	FB		8	31	31	1 yr.
Horie, Stanley	89	TE		4	57	57	3 yrs
Shields, Bobby	81	TE	TE	8	53	53	1 yr.
Marceau, Mel	13	TE		4	44	44	3 yrs
Barbagallo, Zip	88	FL	FL	5	46	46	3 yrs
##Lindsay, Trent	86	FL		10	45	45	1 yr.
Granata, Ken	85	FL	SE	9	43	43	3 yrs
Floyd, Willie	87	FL		12	41	41	2 yrs
Garner, Greg	84	FL		3	40	42	3 yrs
Bordelon, Marco	83	SE		1	26	37	3 yrs
Reiter, Clarence	50	C	C	10	61	61	3 yrs
##Ali, Trent	55	C		3	42	46	1 yr.
Briggs, Lawrence	57	C		3	28	32	3 yrs
Lazuka, Mack	76	LG	LG	2	60	78	3 yrs
Merloni, Fred	62	RG	RG	5	56	56	4 yrs
Atkins, Carlton	75	RG		5	38	38	1 yr.
Erickson, Damon	77	LT	LT	10	33	33	3 yrs
Black, Desmond	69	LT		4	31	33	3 yrs
##Jacobs, Scottie	65	LT		1	12	26	3 yrs
Winborn, Julio	61	RT	RT	6	44	44	3 yrs
Pisklak, Herb	71	RT		10	38	38	1 yr.
Holliday, Zack	9	P		13	44	44	1 yr.
Asherian, Chester	2	K		9	48	48	1 yr.
Kaplan, Ronnie	92	LDE	LDE	3	68	68	3 yrs
Watkins, Leland	79	LDE	RDE	6	49	49	2 yrs
##Blades, Sammie	73	LDE		3	25	41	3 yrs
Carranza, Nolan	54	RDE		1	28	49	3 yrs
Spencer, Earnest	95	RDE		2	25	43	2 yrs
Mayes, Zach	74	LDT	LDT	10	59	59	2 yrs
Langlois, Donovan	72	RDT	RDT	3	45	59	1 yr.
Collier, Reuben	91	RDT		13	33	33	1 yr.
Whitfield, Richard	99	MLB	MLB	8	70	70	2 yrs
Hickman, T.J.	56	MLB		6	36	36	1 yr.
Robbins, Arnie	94	MLB		7	32	32	1 yr.
Hatch, Juan	52	SLB	SLB	9	34	42	1 yr.
Brady, Reuben	97	SLB		2	20	36	2 yrs
Frederick, Harry	96	WLB	WLB	2	28	54	3 yrs
Barton, Warren	90	WLB		1	11	32	3 yrs
Rodgers, Steve	32	LCB	LCB	5	68	68	2 yrs
Manning, Vince	27	LCB	RCB	9	37	37	1 yr.
Purcell, Brant	21	LCB		2	37	46	2 yrs
Kozlowski, Billy	49	LCB		10	33	33	2 yrs
Clemons, Artie	29	SS	SS	3	58	58	1 yr.
Hines, Vernon	40	SS	FS	12	55	55	3 yrs
%%Robbins, Bobby	22	FS		10	46	46	2 yrs
Sheldon, Christian	37	FS		4	33	33	3 yrs

OFFENSIVE PHILOSOPHY THOUGHTS
Olsavsky's skills lie in the short passing arena, and we've got two solid running backs. Our best receivers are the FB and TE. Our personnel seems to dicatate using a conservative, ball-control offense, as we've done in the past few years.

GENERAL THOUGHTS ON THE TEAM
Although we have the league's second-best power rating, I'm not terribly confident of success going into the year. I'm particularly concerend about the combined impact of losing starters to retirement, and the key players who lost points due to aging.

[Ben E Lou]

2021 WEEK ONE BREAKDOWN

Saturday Late Game: 59 degrees, 4MPH, Fair Atlanta (0-0, PR 82) at Carolina (0-0, PR 54) Atlanta favored by 5

WHEN WE HAVE THE BALL: Carolina has a decent-looking defensive line, but is weak at linebacker. The secondary looks like it will be one of the better ones in the division. As one can see from the above, our offensive line appears to have the advantage. I'm going with a 60-30-10 split on first and ten in this one.

WHEN CAROLINA HAS THE BALL: I'm more concerned about their running game than passing game. RB Warren Pegues (59/59) has a solid-looking offensive line in front of him. QB Marc Stargell (39/39) just doesn't scare me, so I tilt the defense more toward the run.

I'll run Week 1 first thing in the morning.

[Ben E Lou]

2021 WEEK ONE REPORT

FIRST QUARTER: The Panthers went on a long and time-consuming touchdown drive on their second possession, running and throwing to Pegues a good bit. The drive was kept alive by a defensive holding penalty on a 3rd and 6 incompletion. We trail 7-0 as the quarter ends, with the ball on our own 36 after having gotten a first down. At the end of the quarter, Pegues has 44 of their 80 total yards. The offense hasn't played terribly, but we're 0 for 2 on third downs.

SECOND QUARTER: We maintained the possession we had at the end of the first quarter, but Olsavsky threw an interception in Panther territory to end that drive. Both defenses stiffened for most of the quarter, but Carolina added a FG to make it 10-0 with a little over 2 minutes to go. Zip Barbagallo responded with a kickoff return up near midfield, though. However, Olsavsky threw an interception that was returned 91 yards for a touchdown with 37 seconds to play in the half, and we're very much on the ropes at halftime.

THIRD QUARTER: The quarter started off with both defenses continuing to play well. Down 17, we've nearly abandoned the running game. We managed a FG a little over halfway through the quarter, but still trail 17-3. We've managed to keep Pegues bottled up to some degree, but it still looks like he's going to get his 100 yards rushing.

FOURTH QUARTER: On the first possession of the fourth quarter, the Panthers put this one away. Two 20+ yard passes put them in business at our 8, and they hit a short pass for the touchdown to go up 24-3. On the next drive, as we went over 40 passes for the day, we saw the familiar message three straight times. Pegues returned the punt up to midfield, and they added another FG to increase the lead to 24. We went four and out on the next drive, and set them up for yet another FG to finish the scoring. Ouch! Here's the basic info from the box score.

Atlanta Falcons	0	0	3	0	-	3
Carolina Panthers	7	10	0	13	-	30

Scoring Summary
1Q: 05:45 CAR - Warren Pegues 13 pass from Marc Stargell (Jessie Pearson extra point)
2Q: 02:05 CAR - Jessie Pearson 39 field goal
2Q: 00:37 CAR - Dale Murray 91 interception return (Jessie Pearson extra point)
3Q: 04:21 ATL - Chester Asherian 38 field goal
4Q: 12:55 CAR - Brad Byrnes 8 pass from Marc Stargell (Jessie Pearson extra point)
4Q: 06:52 CAR - Jessie Pearson 25 field goal
4Q: 02:28 CAR - Jessie Pearson 30 field goal

Team Statistics	ATL	CAR
Record	0-1	1-0
First Downs	14	15
- by Rushing	5	5
- by Passing	7	9
- by Penalty	2	1
Total Net Yards	182	315
- Offensive Plays	63	64
- Yards per Play	2.89	4.92
Net Rushing Yards	54	130
- Rushing Attempts	14	38
- Yards per Rush	3.86	3.42
Net Passing Yards	128	185
- Att./Comp./Intrcpt	47 - 22 - 2	26 - 16 - 0
- Gross Passing Yards	142	185
- Sacks/Yards Lost	2/14	0/0
- Yards per Pass Play	2.61	7.12
Fumbles/Lost	0/0	0/0
3rd Down Conversions	4/15	3/14
- Avg. YtG on 3rd Down	7.6	7.2
4th Down Conversions	0/1	0/0
Penalties/Yards	8/64	10/70
Punt Returns/Yards	2/8	6/57
Kick Returns/Yards	5/120	2/50
Interception Ret./Yards	0/0	2/96
2pt Conversions	0/0	0/0
Red Zone Visits	0	4
- Red Zone TDs/FGs	0/0	2/2
Avg. Drive Start	OWN 25	OWN 37
Time of Possession	25:24	34:36

The entire box score is now online.


Again, ugh, this was just miserable. Considering this was a very similar game plan to last year's that won a title, I'm concerned here. Hopefully this was just a horrendous case of bad dice rolls. Otherwise, it's going to be a long season.


INJURIES THIS WEEK: RT Julio Winborn tore cartilage in his knee, and is listed as O6.

TOP FALCON PERFORMERS

• Richard Whitfield is the only Falcon player worth mentioning this week. He had 13 tackles, 4 assists, and broke up three passes.

TOP OPPONENT PERFORMERS

• Warren Pegues had 27 carries for 102 yards and 5 catches for 33 yards.
  
• Marc Stargell was 16 for 25 for 185 yards with 2 TDs and 0 INTs.
  
• CB Dale Murray had two interceptions and broke up two passes as well.

TOP PERFORMANCES AROUND THE LEAGUE

• NYG QB Kenny Schneider, the fifth-rond pick that I've mentioned before, was OPOW with a 27 for 32, 281-yard, 1TD performance as the Giants beat the Cowboys 27-17.
• 11-year veteran RB Tito Shores, the all-time leading rusher, opened the season with 18 carries for 136 yards and 4 TDs in Washington's 38-13 win over Philly. Shores, a former 1(2) pick, is down to 43/43, but appears to still have a little something left in the tank.
• Marcus Carroll of the Jets had 3 sacks, 2 passes blocked, 2 hurries, and 2 knockdowns to win DPOW. Carroll is a third-year man who had 16 sacks and 18 hurries last year. He was the #1 overall pick in 2020.
  

[Ben E Lou]

2021 WEEK TWO BREAKDOWN

Thursday Night Game: 56 degrees, 5MPH, Fair Atlanta ( 0-1, PR 82 ) at New Jersey ( 1-0, PR 42 ) Atlanta favored by 8

WHEN WE HAVE THE BALL: The Jets have two studs on defense, and scrubs elsewhere. DE Marcus Carroll (88/88), DPOW last week, is a force, as is CB Oscar Hansen (66/66). Apart from those two, the Jets have only one defensive starter rated over 40, a 49/49 corner. If we can't move the ball this week, it may be an indicator that we're in *big* trouble this year.

WHEN THE JETS HAVE THE BALL: The Jets like to pound RB Kendall Bush (63/63) up the middle. He's a former #1 overall pick with very high hole recognition (82) and power inside (100). Rookie QB Marshall MeMoen (37/66) was the 3rd overall pick this season. He was 15 for 25 for 155 yards and a TD in his debut last week. He two solid wide receivers in Ralph Henderson (56/56) and Mario Humprhies (52/52). TE Wendell Barnes (48/48) is also a pass-catcher. We'll increase the bump coverage this week against this team.

[Ben E Lou]

2021 WEEK TWO REPORT

FIRST QUARTER: We took the opening kickoff and drove deep into Jet territory, but stalled when Olsavsky threw an interception at the seven. They only managed one first down before having to punt. Grenata returned the kick into Jet territory, then later Garner scampered 36 yards to the 1, and Olsavsky hit Floyd for the 1-yard TD pass to give us our first touchdown of the young season. On the next drive, Bush carried for a total of 57 yards to set up a FG. Barbagallo returned the kickoff to the Jets' 45-yard line, though, and the quarter ended with us 2nd and 5 at the NY 40. SS Vernon Hines suffered a "very serious leg injury" this quarter. Uh-oh.

SECOND QUARTER: On the fifth play of the quarter, Olsavsky found Barbagallo for a 10-yard TD pass. the key play of the drive was a 20-yard completion to Garner on the first play of the quarter. New Jersey took the next drive down into the red zone, but Vince Manning picked off DeMoen at the 1 and returned it ot the 20 to end the threat. We were on the move up near midfield, until Garner fumbled the ball away at our 44 with 3:47 to play in the half. The Jets took advantage of the short field and scored on a 21-yard TD pass from DeMoen to Humphries to make it 14-10 with 2:19 to play. We moved the ball, but missed a 45-yard FG with 11 seconds to play.

THIRD QUARTER: We exchanged possessions at the beginning of the quarter, and then S Christian Sheldon picked of DeMoen and returned it 37 yards to the Jets' 8-yard line. Westbrook took it in 8 yards for the touchdown, but we missed the extra point. We stopped them on the next drive and drove 54 yards for another TD, this time a 2-yard Olsavsky to Westbrook pass, and we went up 27-10. The quarter ended with the Jets on the move, at our 30.

FOURTH QUARTER: We were able to hold them to a FG on that drive, and after we went three and out, the Jets were on the move again, but Rodgers picked off a pass to give us the ball at our own 38 with a little over 8 minutes left. We ate up five minutes on the next possession. We missed a FG, but left New Jersey with a 14-point deficit with three minutes to play. They scored a TD, but we were able to get a first down and run out the clock to secure the 27-20 victory. Here's a snapshot of the box score:

Atlanta Falcons	7	7	13	0	-	27
New Jersey Jets	3	7	0	10	-	20

Scoring Summary
1Q: 05:51 ATL - Willie Floyd 1 pass from Tommie Olsavsky (Chester Asherian extra point)
1Q: 00:56 NJY - Chuck Chauvlier 26 field goal
2Q: 12:53 ATL - Zip Barbagallo 10 pass from Tommie Olsavsky (Chester Asherian extra point)
2Q: 02:38 NJY - Mario Humphries 21 pass from Marshall DeMoen (Chuck Chauvlier extra point)
3Q: 10:07 ATL - Jesse Westbrook 8 run (Chester Asherian extra point failed)
3Q: 03:52 ATL - Jesse Westbrook 2 pass from Tommie Olsavsky (Chester Asherian extra point)
4Q: 12:05 NJY - Chuck Chauvlier 29 field goal
4Q: 01:57 NJY - Jonathan Gibson 4 pass from Marshall DeMoen (Chuck Chauvlier extra point)

Team Statistics	ATL	NJY
Record	1-1	1-1
First Downs	25	19
- by Rushing	8	3
- by Passing	15	14
- by Penalty	2	2
Total Net Yards	366	386
- Offensive Plays	61	56
- Yards per Play	6.00	6.89
Net Rushing Yards	164	127
- Rushing Attempts	33	20
- Yards per Rush	4.97	6.35
Net Passing Yards	202	259
- Att./Comp./Intrcpt	28 - 20 - 1	35 - 24 - 4
- Gross Passing Yards	202	265
- Sacks/Yards Lost	0/0	1/6
- Yards per Pass Play	7.21	7.19
Fumbles/Lost	1/1	0/0
3rd Down Conversions	7/11	2/8
- Avg. YtG on 3rd Down	5.2	8.4
4th Down Conversions	0/0	1/1
Penalties/Yards	5/45	8/52
Punt Returns/Yards	1/12	0/0
Kick Returns/Yards	4/110	4/74
Interception Ret./Yards	4/62	1/0
2pt Conversions	0/0	0/0
Red Zone Visits	4	4
- Red Zone TDs/FGs	3/0	1/2
Avg. Drive Start	OWN 41	OWN 25
Time of Possession	30:52	29:08

INJURIES THIS WEEK

• Our secondary takes another blow. SS Vernon Hines (55/55) suffers a compound leg fracture. I'm fairly certain that's the end of the 12-year veteran's career.
• RT Herb Pisklak hyperextends his elbow and is D2, but there's a very low re-injury risk, so he'll play on.
  

TOP FALCON PERFORMERS

• Olsavsky turned things around from last week. He was 20 for 28 for 202 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT.
• Heath Garner carried 20 times for 124 yards.
• G Mack Lazucka for 4 for 8 on KRBs with one
  

TOP OPPONENT PERFORMERS

• We kept Kendall Bush out of the end zone, but he did have 16 carries for 119 yards and 2 catches for 17.

TOP PERFORMANCES AROUND THE LEAGUE

• OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Miami's Eddie Turman (87/87) threw for 349 yards and 5 TDs as the Dolphins defeated the Bucs 35-20. In his first two games, Turman has a 150.9 QB rating.
  
• DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: DE Hugh Myers (43/43) of San Francisco had a monster day in their 23-0 defeat of Tennessee: 2.5 sacks, 2 passes blocked, 3 hurries, SEVEN knockdowns. Myers is a 2nd-year man who hasn't done much of note so far.

We put Hines on IR, and sign 13-year veteran S Gilbert Clemons. It was a good win this week--but not a dominant won by any means.

[Ben E Lou]

Grrr. I had a crash, so I reran that game. We won again--this time 20-17 with no major injury. I'll just move on to Week 3.

[Ben E Lou]

2021 WEEK THREE BREAKDOWN

Sunday Game: 64 degrees, 7MPH, Fair Chicago (1-1, PR 51) at Atlanta (1-1, PR 59) Atlanta favored by 3

WHEN WE HAVE THE BALL: The Bears don't have standouts on defense, but they've got solid talent across the defensive front and in the secondary. CB Sam Duran (67/73) is their best player on defense. I don't see any major weaknesses in their defense, so the plan is to stick with a conservative game plan.

WHEN CHICAGO HAS THE BALL: The Bears feature a 12-year veteran QB who knows 17 formations. Antonio Gordon (44/44) has a career 94.0 rating, and is at 99.4 this year. He's a short-passing game manager. His favorite target is 2nd-year man SE Dean Burgess (55/55), who has 13 catches in two games. Two backs have nearly split the carries for Chicago. Neither is particularly of concern. It seems the best way to defend this team would be to stop the run and force them into 3rd and long situations.

[Ben E Lou]

2021 WEEK THREE REPORT

FIRST QUARTER: Good ol' Zip Barbagallo had a nice kickoff return to put us in good field position on our own 45. We went on a short drive, and kicked a 43-yard FG to draw first blood. We held them to a 3-and-out, and after a short punt we drove for another FG, this time a 50-yarder. The Bears followed with a long drive, but we stiffened at the 1, and the 18-yard FG made it 6-3. The first quarter comes to a close with us moving into Bear territory for the third time, with a 6-3 lead.

SECOND QUARTER: The drive continued, but Zip Barballo fumbled after an 8-yard catch down to the 18, and Chicago recovered. Gordon led the team on a long drive, converting 3 of 3 third down passes along the way. He finished it off with a 2-yard pass to his FB, and a 10-6 lead. We countered with a long drive of our own, and retook the lead with 2 minutes to go when Westbrook ran around left tackle for a 3-yard touchdown to give us a 13-10 lead. The clock ran out during the Chicago's next possession.

THIRD QUARTER: On the first possession of the second half, Gordon marched the team right down the field for a score. The big play was a rare bomb. He hit Burgess 53 yards down the field to set up the TD. Grenata returned the ensuing kickoff to the 42, Oslavsky made use of a good mix of runnign and short passing to lead us down to the red zone. We stalled at the three, though, and kicked a 20-yard FG to pull to within a point. We were unable to stop them on the next drive, and they went up 24-16 on a 20-yard TD run. The quarter came to a close with us having taken possession after the kickoff.

FOURTH QUARTER: Olsavsky caught fire on teh first quarter. He completed five of five passes to close the drive, the last one a 13-yarder to Willie Floyd with 10:28 to play. He then hit FB Jacobs in the end zone for the two-point conversion, to tie the score at 24. Chicago went on yet another long, time-consuming drive into our red zone. The defense held, though, and the Bears kicked a 29-yard field goal to regain the lead with 2:52 to play. Olsavsky responded with a quick drive of his own, highlighted by two downfield passes, te last one a 25-yard TD to Willie Floyd with 1:06 to play. Gordon moved Chicago into our territory, but could get no further than our 31 before the clock ran out on them, and we escaped with a 31-27 win!

Chicago Bears	3	7	14	3	-	27
Atlanta Falcons	6	7	3	15	-	31

Scoring Summary
1Q: 11:37 ATL - Chester Asherian 43 field goal
1Q: 08:29 ATL - Chester Asherian 50 field goal
1Q: 02:31 CHI - Gilbert Lane 18 field goal
2Q: 07:25 CHI - Riddick Sanders 2 pass from Antonio Gordon (Gilbert Lane extra point)
2Q: 02:00 ATL - Jesse Westbrook 3 run (Chester Asherian extra point)
3Q: 10:24 CHI - Darnell Parker 1 run (Gilbert Lane extra point)
3Q: 05:55 ATL - Chester Asherian 20 field goal
3Q: 01:00 CHI - Darnell Parker 20 run (Gilbert Lane extra point)
4Q: 10:28 ATL - Willie Floyd 13 pass from Tommie Olsavsky (Tommie Olsavsky pass to Sean Jacobs for conversion)
4Q: 02:58 CHI - Gilbert Lane 29 field goal
4Q: 01:20 ATL - Willie Floyd 25 pass from Tommie Olsavsky (Chester Asherian extra point)

Team Statistics	CHI	ATL
Record	1-2	2-1
First Downs	25	25
- by Rushing	6	7
- by Passing	19	17
- by Penalty	0	1
Total Net Yards	443	383
- Offensive Plays	66	53
- Yards per Play	6.71	7.23
Net Rushing Yards	124	124
- Rushing Attempts	31	25
- Yards per Rush	4.00	4.96
Net Passing Yards	319	259
- Att./Comp./Intrcpt	34 - 26 - 0	27 - 22 - 0
- Gross Passing Yards	324	266
- Sacks/Yards Lost	1/5	1/7
- Yards per Pass Play	9.11	9.25
Fumbles/Lost	0/0	1/1
3rd Down Conversions	10/14	5/8
- Avg. YtG on 3rd Down	5.9	5.8
4th Down Conversions	0/0	0/0
Penalties/Yards	4/20	5/25
Punt Returns/Yards	0/0	0/0
Kick Returns/Yards	5/125	5/112
Interception Ret./Yards	0/0	0/0
2pt Conversions	0/0	1/1
Red Zone Visits	5	4
- Red Zone TDs/FGs	3/2	3/1
Avg. Drive Start	OWN 24	OWN 35
Time of Possession	34:22	25:38

TOP FALCON PERFORMERS

• Olsavsky wins player of the game. He was 22 for 27 for 266 yards with 2 TDs and 0 INTs for the day.
  
• Garner and Westbrook combined for 21 carries, 95 yards and 1 TD.
  
• T Pisklak was 4 for 7 on KRB, and allowed no sacks.
  

TOP OPPONENT PERFORMERS

• Gordon was brilliant: 26 for 34, 324 yards, 1 TD and 0 INTs.
  

KEY INJURIES THIS WEEK

• Barbagallo sprains his knee and is Q4, but with a moderate chance for re-injury. I'm going to shelve him for now.
  

TOP PERFORMANCES AROUND THE LEAGUE

• OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: QB Zack Blanchard of Tampa Bay was 22 for 32 for 263 yards with 3 TDs and 0 INTs before leaving with an O3 injury.
  
• DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: DE Antonio Shelton of Dallas had a big-time performance in a 31-10 win over Arizona. He had 4 sacks, 2 hurries, and 6 QB knockdowns.
  

Very good win for us, one that indicates that perhaps our offensive worries after Week 1 were a bit overstated. The defense, however, played very poorly. We didn't have to punt all day long, and Chicago only punted once.

[Ben E Lou]

2021 WEEK FOUR BREAKDOWN

Sunday Game: 64 degrees, 6MPH, Fair Atlanta (2-1, PR 61) at Philadelphia (0-3, PR 31) Atlanta favored by 6

WHEN WE HAVE THE BALL: The Eagles start two very good defensive linemen, rated 74/74 and 62/62. They have three other defensive starters out with injuries, including #1 overall pick CB Marty Klinger (48/86). As a result, they look very vulnerable on defense other than on the left side of their defensive line (the two studs are at LDT and LDE. We'll run to our left, and pass. I don't expect too much resistance.

WHEN PHILADELPHIA HAS THE BALL: Their starting QB was also a #1 overall pick--last year. QB Dave Gonzalez (40/70) is probably going to be a very good player, but he's not one yet, and he doesn't have the kind of receivers to make him look better right now. RB Freddie Dennis (51/51) is of greater concern, but he has a strained patellar tendon. We really should win this game easily.

[Ben E Lou]

2021 WEEK FOUR REPORT

FIRST QUARTER: Philly went three and out on their first drive, then we drove it right down the field for a TD. Olsavsky was 8 for 8 on the openign drive, and finished it with a TD pass to Barbagallo. After another three and out for Philly, we were on the move again as the quarter came to a close.

SECOND QUARTER: The drive stalled in the red zone early in the second quarter, and we settled for a FG to give us a 10-0 lead. After the Eagles' third straight three and out, Ken Granata returned the punt 84 yards for a TD, and the game looked like it was going to get out of hand. The Eagles moved into our territory on the next possession, but threw an interception into the end zone. After an exchange of punts, we went on another long TD drive, capped off by Olsavsky hitting Horie for a 10-yard TD pass and a 24-0 lead.

So my patience for running a career this slowly lasted for 3 1/2 games. We win in a 34-14 blowout, and I'll be going back to once-a-year reporting, with maybe some notes during the season. Changing thread title now...

[Ben E Lou]

2021 SEASON REPORT

We really seem to be playing above our heads, if you look at the stats: medicore offense, slightly above-average defense, yet a 13-3 regular season finish. Olsavsky's managing games well, and the return game with Granata and Barbagallo is top-notch. Field position is making a big difference in those close games. It was good to see rookie Carranza get some pressure on the QB in nickel situations.

AWARDS
DT Zach Mayes earns 2nd Team All Pro honors, for the fourth consecutive season.

[Ben E Lou]

(Continuing on with 6.1a, injuries increased to 250, using stock game plans.)




2022 OFFSEASON REPORT

RETIREMENTS

LDT Reuben Collier--Collier was rated 26/33 when we grabbed him in the 6th round of the 2009 draft. He blossomed into a 54/54 player eventually, and was our starter for 11 seasons. He retires with 7 rings, 31 player of the week mentions, and 3 player of the week wins. He finishes his career first in team history in games started. He gets into the team Ring Of Honor.

SS Vernon Hines also retires. He played with the Niners for 10 seasons before joining us for the final two of his career.

SUMMER LEAGUE: RDE Nolan Carranza
FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.

FA1
Zero players available rated 60+, but there's a 57/57 WR out there. I could really use that guy. I release WR Trent Lindsay, a career backup for us, to help make cap and roster room. We sign SE Brad Byrnes to a three-year deal.

AMATEUR DRAFT

PICK	POS	LAST	FIRST	Gr	Adj	40yd	Sol	Str	Agi	Brd	Pos	Dev	Imp	Cur	Fut	Comments
1(30)	WR	Lombardi	Ralph	5.5	5.7	4.46	30	14	7.01	8'11”	64	41%	VU	27	44	Three of my six WRs are in year 10 or later. This kid looks like he'll be a good one.
3(30)	G	Lucas	Adrian	4.8	4.6	5.27	36	31	7.70	8'6”	xxx	24%	xxx	17	29	I have only two guards. I didn't pay attention to roster needs when I was choosing interviews, or I would have interviewed this guy.
4(30)	QB	Driscoll	Monty	4.8	5.5	4.84	28	15	7.38	8'6”	69	28%	UR	14	37	He's a bit of a long shot, but he is scouted with solid bars in Sense Rush and 2-Minute Offense, so I thought I'd grab him at this juncture.
5(30)	T	Saenz	Clifton	4.7	5.2	5.19	36	32	7.71	7'5”	xxx	35%	xxx	17	29	Another position where I could use some help.
6(30)	DT	Winters	Rod	4.5	4.9	5.03	27	29	8.07	8'10”	xxx	60%	UR	20	24	I strongly suspect that he's better than a 24—but how much better?
7(30)	S	Molenaar	Cory	4.2	3.9	4.58	33	16	7.46	9'9”	39	26%	xxx	15	43	Probably nothing more than a career backup, at best.

FA2/TRAINING CAMP

• Good draft. All but Molenaar gained at least two points.
• Molenaar stayed put at 43.
• The biggie, though is QB Monty Driscoll. He gave me a 14/37 to 18/41 jump, and looks like he's probably our next QB.
  
  

[Ben E Lou]

With the roster and skill sets we have, we decide to use the West Coast offense this year.

[Ben E Lou]

2022 SEASON REPORT

Great season, and particularly satisfying to win it all with one of my new stock offenses (made *VERY* minimal changes to it). As I suspected Olsavsky was made for this sort of game plan, and bringing in a guy like Byrnes, rated 89 in avoid drops and 85 in getting downfield, had to help. The bad news is that he damaged his ACL in the NFC Championship game, so I wouldn't be surprised if he suffers a ratings hit next year.

One thing to note about how well the offense controlled the ball: we ran 64.3 plays per game, while our opponents averaged 57.1. The defense was certainly good--5th in ypa allowed, 12th in ypc allowed--but not 12.8 points per game good. The offense had something to do with that.

AWARDS

• QB Tommie Olsavsky won his second career trifecta. (MVP/OPOY/1st Team QB)
• RB Heath Garner had 19 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown, and 5 catches for 37 yards, good enough for Front Office Bowl MVP.
• DE Ronnie Kaplan--1st Team
• CB Broderick Randall--1st Team
• WR Brad Byrnes--2nd Team

Playoffs Offensive MVP Candidates
	QB Tommie Olsavsky	Atlanta	92-118 (77%) 877 yds pass (7.43 ypa), 5 TD, 2 INT, 6 sacked, 15-96 yds rush (6.40 ypc), 0 TD, 5 fumb ( 65.47 )
	RB Arnie Morton	Baltimore	55-228 yds rush (4.15 ypc), 3 TD, 11-111 yds catch (10.09 ypc, 81 yac), 0 TD, 0 drp, 1 fumb ( 52.745 )
	QB Marshall DeMoen	New Jersey	64-101 (63%) 654 yds pass (6.48 ypa), 5 TD, 4 INT, 3 sacked, 8-49 yds rush (6.13 ypc), 1 TD, 1 fumb ( 40.065 )
	RB Luther Wells	Atlanta	33-156 yds rush (4.73 ypc), 2 TD, 6-50 yds catch (8.33 ypc, 31 yac), 1 TD, 0 drp ( 38.2 )
	QB Dominic Crane	Baltimore	58-78 (74%) 514 yds pass (6.59 ypa), 2 TD, 1 INT, 3 sacked, 16-107 yds rush (6.69 ypc), 0 TD ( 37.235 )

Playoffs Defensive MVP Candidates
	SS Bart Gretzky	New Jersey	25 tkl, 1 sacks, 1 INT (5 yds, 0 TD), 1 ff, 8 caught, 2 def ( 40.2 )
	RDE Toby Surcon	Washington	6 tkl, 3 sacks, 1 ff, 2 passblk, 2 hurries ( 29.8 )
	RDE Nolan Carranza	Atlanta	8 tkl, 2 sacks, 1 INT (12 yds, 0 TD), 1 ff, 3 hurries, 8 QBKnock ( 29.18 )
	RDE Mitchell Jamison	St. Louis	8 tkl, 3 sacks, 1 ff, 2 hurries ( 27.8 )
	RDE Tommy Weyant	New Jersey	5 tkl, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT (1 yds, 0 TD), 2 passblk, 2 caught, 9 hurries, 7 QBKnock ( 27.24 )

[Ben E Lou]

2023 OFFSEASON REPORT

RETIREMENTS

FL Willie Floyd--Floyd was the 1(32) pick back in 2010, and was a steady contributor for 13 seasons. He retires with seven rings, and every Atlanta all-time receiving record to date. Despite a low avoid drops rating, Floyd caught 68.6% of the passes thrown in his direction--a stellar number for a wide receiver. His mentorship and cohesion help will also be missed, no doubt. He's definitely in the Ring Of Honor.

LAST

FIRST

Gr

Adj

40yd

Sol

Str

Agi

Brd

Pos

Dev

Vol

Exp

Imp

Cur1

Fut1

Cur2

Fut2

MaxCur

MaxFut

CurChg

FutChg

Floyd

Willie

5.2

5.4

4.43

36

13

6.90

8'10"

40

24

64

H

UR

23

44

24

47

53

53

30

9

LT Damon Erickson: Erickson was an undrafted free agent signed as a rookie in 2012. By 2015, he had earned himself a starting spot that he'd hold on to for seven seasons. His best year was 2020, when he had a 48.1 KRB% and 5 pancakes.

SUMMER LEAGUE: SE Ralph Lombardi
FRANCHISE PLAYER: FL Brant Dogins--aging guy I signed last year for chemistry purposes. He's the position group leader.

SE Brad Byrnes recovers from his injury with a huge ratings drop from 58/58 to 31/31, and the best FA WR is only 47/47, and a conflict. We'll have to dance with who brung us this year.

C Clarence Reiter also had a late-season ACL injury, and he'll miss all of this year.

FA1
I release long-time punter Zack Holliday, who'd been with us since 2009. His ratings have declined severely, and his average and net average both dropped over two yards last year.

Three new signings, none earth-shattering:

FS Allen Pearson (yr6, 46/46)
P Rich Allen (yr7, 58/58)
LT Joey Johnstone (yr8, 52/52)

All three are upgrades from what I had, so I reckon that's good.

AMATEUR DRAFT

PICK	POS	LAST	FIRST	Gr	Adj	40yd	Sol	Str	Agi	Brd	Pos	Dev	Imp	Cur	Fut	Comments
1(32)	CB	Minkel	Clifton	5.9	6.1	4.39	40	15	6.90	8'7”	50	30%	xxx	21	39	Combine stud with comically low bars falls to me. I expect him to climb significantly.
2(32)	G	Ozols	Desmond	4.7	4.5	5.17	40	35	7.88	7'7”	xxx	16%	UR	22	44	Pretty solid guy at a position I have an opening in.
3(32)	S	Shepherd	Glenn	5.0	4.7	4.48	31	19	7.16	8'4”	58	25%	xxx	13	29	I don't need a safety really, but with this guy's combine, I've just got to go after him.
4(32)	RB	Mattson	Johnny	4.6	4.9	xxx	26	xxx	xxx	xxx	xxx	56%	VU	36	42	Two of my three RBs are in year 9, and this guy is probably a starter one day.
5(32)	C	Coffey	J.R.	4.7	4.0	5.16	30	30	8.16	9'1”	xxx	12%	AS	17	45	Long-term project who I believe might be better than advertised, despite what my scout says.
6(32)	CB	White	Jimmie	3.6	3.7	xxx	27	xxx	xxx	xxx	37	48%	VU	9	23	Worth a shot this late.

FA2/TRAINING CAMP/PRESEASON

• Last year's hot new thing, WR Brad Byrnes, dropped four more points to 27/27, and doesn't make the team. In his place I grab 2nd-year FA Daniel Martin, who was +4/+5 in camp, and is 26/32 overall.
  

Here's the Roster for this year:

Name	Pos	Exp	PreCur	PreFut	PostCur	PostFut	CurChg	FutChg
Monty Driscoll	QB	2	19	43	23	44	4	1
Terrance Alcott	QB	5	20	42	23	42	3	0
Tommie Olsavsky	QB	9	44	44	44	44	0	0
Don Kinney	QB	6	32	45	36	45	4	0
Luther Wells	RB	4	40	55	43	55	3	0
Johnny Mattson	RB	1	36	42	38	40	2	-2
Heath Garner	RB	9	52	52	45	45	-7	-7
Sean Jacobs	FB	9	67	67	61	61	-6	-6
Irv Hines	FB	10	32	32	24	24	-8	-8
Stanley Horie	TE	6	51	51	51	51	0	0
Mel Marceau	TE	6	48	48	48	48	0	0
Bobby Shields	TE	10	50	50	43	43	-7	-7
Ken Granata	FL	11	41	41	41	41	0	0
Greg Garner	FL	5	42	42	42	42	0	0
Brant Dogins	FL	12	39	39	32	32	-7	-7
Zip Barbagallo	FL	7	47	47	40	40	-7	-7
Marco Bordelon	SE	3	47	47	48	48	1	1
Ralph Lombardi	SE	2	46	46	46	46	0	0
Daniel Martin	SE	2	22	27	26	32	4	5
Jerome Jefferson	C	3	27	36	31	38	4	2
J.R. Coffey	C	1	17	45	20	46	3	1
Trent Ali	C	5	48	48	48	48	0	0
Clarence Reiter	C	12	59	59	52	52	-7	-7
Mack Lazuka	LG	4	74	74	75	75	1	1
Fred Merloni	RG	7	46	46	47	47	1	1
Desmond Ozols	RG	1	22	44	25	45	3	1
Joey Johnstone	LT	8	52	52	53	53	1	1
Desmond Black	LT	6	33	33	34	34	1	1
Scottie Jacobs	LT	3	19	32	22	32	3	0
Julio Winborn	RT	8	42	42	41	41	-1	-1
Leland Watkins	LDE	8	51	51	51	51	0	0
Ronnie Kaplan	LDE	5	76	76	76	76	0	0
Rod Winters	LDT	2	25	29	27	29	2	0
Zach Mayes	LDT	12	53	53	51	51	-2	-2
Donovan Langlois	RDT	5	61	61	62	62	1	1
Edwin Copeland	RDT	9	42	42	38	38	-4	-4
Earnest Spencer	RDE	4	35	46	39	46	4	0
Nolan Carranza	RDE	3	40	43	43	43	3	0
Reuben Brady	SLB	4	34	41	38	42	4	1
T.J. Hickman	MLB	8	37	37	38	38	1	1
Richard Whitfield	MLB	10	57	57	50	50	-7	-7
Warren Barton	WLB	3	16	32	19	33	3	1
Austin Bredehoeft	WLB	2	21	26	23	26	2	0
Harry Frederick	WLB	4	42	51	46	51	4	0
Clifton Minkel	LCB	1	21	39	27	49	6	10
Brant Purcell	LCB	4	44	44	45	45	1	1
Steve Rodgers	LCB	7	67	67	67	67	0	0
Jimmie White	RCB	1	9	23	13	27	4	4
Broderick Randall	RCB	7	47	47	47	47	0	0
Glenn Shepherd	SS	1	13	29	18	33	5	4
Allen Pearson	SS	6	46	46	47	47	1	1
Artie Clemons	SS	5	60	60	61	61	1	1
Chester Asherian	K	11	43	43	44	44	1	1
Rich Allen	P	7	58	58	57	57	-1	-1

We have a 77 roster ratings, quite a bit behind #1 Jax, but second-best in the league. We're staying in the West Coast offense this year, but I have a feeling that if we're going to win, it's going to have to be with defense. The WR situation is particularly dicey now.

[Ben E Lou]

2023 SEASON REPORT

It was a better year than expected, but no ring. Depending on what happens with receivers in the offseason, we may switch to Smash-Mouth for next year.

AWARDS

• G Fred Merloni was 2nd Team All Pro.