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01-22-2006, 09:54 AM
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#51 | |||
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Mascot
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Somewhere Grey
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Quote:
Last edited by Cotton : 01-22-2006 at 09:56 AM. |
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01-22-2006, 02:39 PM
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#52 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
I believe most teams in the CFL would be quite interested in such a service.  And a cheerleader draft? I see many possibilities there. |
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01-22-2006, 02:46 PM
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#53 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Sunny South of France
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Here are my cheerleaders (Detroit Vampires):
http://www.fantasy-illustration.com/...stration2.html and http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...re_costume.jpg
__________________
Detroit Vampires (CFL) : Ve 're coming for your blood! Camargue Flamingos (WOOF): pretty in Pink |
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01-22-2006, 02:49 PM
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#54 | |
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Mascot
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Somewhere Grey
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Quote:
Like I said, I was only half-kidding. I personally think it would be a hoot. We could restrict the selections to actual NFL/College cheerleader jpegs - or we could just go soft porn... But yeah, I was thinking of a draft and all that...
__________________
Toledo Titans - DFL / D.C. Feds - UFL Acting Commissioner, United Football Leagues: http://www.ufl-fof.com/ (A Return To 1985 with the USFL and WFL combined) |
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01-22-2006, 02:52 PM
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#55 | |
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Mascot
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Somewhere Grey
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Quote:
I'm guessing they don't make to many day game roadtrips... 
__________________
Toledo Titans - DFL / D.C. Feds - UFL Acting Commissioner, United Football Leagues: http://www.ufl-fof.com/ (A Return To 1985 with the USFL and WFL combined) |
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01-22-2006, 02:53 PM
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#56 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Sunny South of France
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Quote:
We only play at night, or in domes...
__________________
Detroit Vampires (CFL) : Ve 're coming for your blood! Camargue Flamingos (WOOF): pretty in Pink |
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01-23-2006, 11:28 PM
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#57 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Focus On: The Stars of Cleveland
Our next opponents are the Cleveland Flats of the Eastern Conference. We've only faced them once before, back in week 2 of 2005, and came away with a 25-7 home win. This Cleveland squad bears little resemblance to that squad of 2005, though, as only 12 of their current players were on the roster back then. Thus, we have little idea of what to expect from the Flats this time around. But there are a couple of players we can guess will play key roles in the outcome of this game. Here they are:
QB Ernest Lorenzo - Lorenzo joined Cleveland in 2007 after spending the first four years of his career starting for El Paso. He had an immediate impact for the Flats, posting career highs across the board in the '07 campaign: 300/488, 61%, 4122 yds, 32 TDs, 13 INTs. 99.2 Rating. He almost single-handedly improved Cleveland's record from 3-13 in 2006 to 9-7 in '07. It is hard to overestimate his importance to the team, either, as he dropped back to earth hard in 2008, finishing just 276/568, 48.5%, 3718 yds, 23 TDs, 20 INTs, 68.6 Rating. And his statistical plummet dropped Cleveland's record to 6-10. So, what to expect of him this season? He got off to a rough start against Detroit last week, posting a 10/24, 110 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT effort. But Detroit's a tough team, and I fear the Lorenzo of '07 could reappear at any moment. I just hope that moment isn't against my Toros tomorrow. DT Harold Stoltzfus - Lorenzo may well beat us, but he doesn't scare me as much as Stoltzfus. This guy is a monster - the kind that cause interior offensive linemen to have nightmares that give rise to spasmically soiled sheets and bewildered bedmates. The 7-year vet wrangled 65 tackles and 32 assists in 2008, with 7.5 sacks and 34 hurries last season - for an astonishing PR% of 8.6! Our scouts view him as "the complete package" - his skills are unparalleled in every domain. He is, of course, the best DT in the league. That's a big load of hurt he'll be throwing at my O-line. I fear for C Steven Odum's mental health - and for "Colonel" Hogan's physical health. Oh dear, but the battle in the trenches could get real ugly. I think I hate the Stars of Cleveland. Curses! Last edited by Fonzie : 01-24-2006 at 02:33 PM. |
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01-24-2006, 09:56 AM
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#58 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Allen Park, MI
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Good game Fonzie....
I would of liked a different outcome, but I'll be damned if that game wasn't entertaining as hell. |
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01-24-2006, 09:54 PM
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#59 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 2: vs. Cleveland
Our home opener is against a tough Cleveland Flats squad that boasts some very talented players. I've mentioned a few of them above - but a few others are worth noting. DT Chester Reed (playing DE) and S Alvin McCloskey are both former Toros - they were traded in the offseason to Cleveland for draft picks. I am quite certain they will be looking to show their former employer that doing so was a mistake. There's another former Toro on Cleveland's roster - backup RB Tito Sanders. He's a busted 2nd round pick of ours from 2005. He managed to stick to our roster as a return specialist for three seasons until we cut him after the '07 season. So there's some familiarity here.
Cleveland also has considerable talent at the offensive skill positions, along the O-line, and at their defensive front. This'll be a tough match, much tougher than one might expect from facing a team that was 6-10 a year ago. On to the action! Code:
This was one helluva close game, featuring several painful moments for yours truly. Pulling off the win helps soothe that pain, but damn I almost had a heart attack several times while watching this game on 3ric's viewer. Allow me to present a few of those moments to you, dear reader: Our opening drive, which goes 42 yards before petering out: Code:
Okay, long but makable field goal attempt for a guy with a strong leg. Too bad he missed it, but not a terrible coaching decision. We quickly get the ball back, as Lorenzo's very first pass is intercepted at midfield by S Enoch and returned to the CLE 40. Our next three plays only net one yard, and what does our coach do? He goes for the FG. Code:
A 56-yard attempt as a desperation kick I get. A 56 yarder in the 1st quarter of a 0-0 game makes no sense. Castorena has made those kicks before, but damn the coach AI can be stupid sometimes. Of course, Cleveland's very first play after the missed FG is a 54 yard TD pass. On our very next drive we march 61 yards to the CLE 9, and "Colonel" Hogan does this: Code:
Hogan's 91 rating in "Avoiding Interceptions" did us no good here. Instead of being tied or down 7-3, we're down 7-0. The middle portions of the game were fairly straightforward (read: Drew Holliday gets on track and Hogan settles down), with us gaining a 21-20 lead in the 4th quarter. Late in the quarter we marched 82 yards from our 14, only to see our drive stall at the CLE 4. We kick the field goal at the 2-minute mark, and fear immediately settles in. I've seen this scenario too many times before - a successful 2-minute drill is coming, and I can feel it in my bones. Cleveland returns the ensuing kickoff to their 28, and here's what happens next: Code:
I felt myself sliding toward a seizure, when I see the very next report: Code:
Cleveland went on to convert one 4th down play, but failed on another from our 47 to effectively end the game. That was one gut-wrenching game. Special congratulations need to go out to our interior O-linemen - I was very afraid that the two youngsters would get crushed by Cleveland's talented defensive tackles, but they, along with the veteran Odum, performed extremely well. As a group they were 8 for 19 in KRBs and allowed zero sacks. That's much better than I had expected. The game engine declared Hogan the game MVP, but if I had my way I'd have given it to this group. In other good news, we sustained no new serious injuries. Odum and Neubauer got a bit banged up, but they should be good to go next Sunday. Whew. We're 2-0 and face another tough test next week when Seattle comes to town. Stay tuned! Last edited by Fonzie : 01-24-2006 at 09:59 PM. |
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01-24-2006, 09:55 PM
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#60 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
You got that right, my friend. I about jumped out of my chair when I saw that 60 yard pass to Oaks late in the 4th quarter. Fortunately, the officials remembered that envelope I'd given them before the game and made sure that the "proper" outcome was obtained. |
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01-25-2006, 04:54 PM
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#62 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
No problemo, fff. |
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01-26-2006, 11:51 AM
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#63 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Focus on: The Stars of Seattle
Our next matchup is at home against the 1-1 Seattle Thunderbirds, headed by Aylmar. It is very difficult to pick just a handful of stars to focus on in this piece, as they've got plenty of extremely talented players. But here's my best effort:
QB Charles Dever - The 7th year pro is one of two main keys to Seattle's offense, and the fact that a guy this good has an equally important counterpart is damned scary. Dever is, by all accounts, the most talented QB in the league (96/96). He struggled his first two seasons, but the light turned on for him in his 3rd season allowing him to post a QB Rating of 103.2 on a 60% completion rate, 3566 yards, and a 28-5 TD-INT ratio. His last two seasons have been slightly below that standard, but still excellent. He's also a scrambler, twice running for over 500 yards. I fear for my secondary. RB Burt Liskiewicz - Burt is the other main cog in the Thunderbirds' offense. He was the #1 overall pick in 2006 and put up over 900 yards rushing in each of his first two seasons. Last year, however, he put it all together and rushed for 1647 yards (he led the league, if memory serves) and caught 360 yards worth of passes, scoring a combined 8 TDs in the process. Most scouts rate him as the second-best RB in the league. I fear for my defensive line. WR Cole Faison - Damn, another offensive weapon. Faison has put together four straight 1000+ yard seasons, setting a career-high in 2007 with 1743 yards on 98 catches. He has also periodically returned punts (career 8.9 yd return average). *sigh* DE Roger Heflin - An excellent run-stuffer who can also rush the passer, Heflin is the stuff left tackle nightmares are made of. He's had career-ish years each of the last two seasons, posting PRPcts of 6.1 and 5.2 respectively, and TKPcts of 7.9 and 7.8. Last year he blocked 8 passes to go along with his 8 sacks and 14 hurries. DT Dominic Shumpert - Dominic is a monster - rated by scouts as second only to the monster we faced last week in Cleveland's Stoltzfus. He had a career year in 2007 with 91 solo tackles (26 assists), 10.5 sacks, 5 blocked passes and 23 hurries. He's also never missed a game in his career. And the list goes on - there are plenty of other players I could have included here, but I just don't have the time or will to document the many weapons Aylmar has at his disposal to destroy my team. Suffice it to say that we'll have a tough time going 3-0. |
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01-27-2006, 11:08 PM
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#64 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 3: vs. Seattle
We're off to a good start at 2-0, but we face perhaps our toughest test of the young season with Seattle coming to town. I've outlined their several excellent players above, and I fully expect we'll have our hands full. Seattle started off as one of the worst teams in the league, but they've come a long way over the last several seasons. They've not yet made the playoffs, but I am quite certain this will be the year they break through. Let's just hope we don't help them out too much.
Code:
Well, that was a suboptimal outcome. Seattle marched up and down the field on us, and we had no answer for their big weapons. Faison especially surprised us, as he had a 5-72-3 day despite being double-teamed 100% of the time. We handled Liszkiewicz on the ground, but not through the air as his 10-86 receiving performance converted 3rd down after 3rd down for them. On the day they were 11/16 on 3rd down, which shocked the hell out of me considering that we'd only been allowing a 20% conversion rate coming into this game. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of our defensive performance was the complete lack of pressure we got on Dever - he was able to sit in the pocket and pick us apart. Seattle's O-line is (not to be unkind) fairly terrible, and that we got just one hurry and no sacks on Dever is flabbergasting. We even blitzed a bit more than normal - that probably hurt us more than it helped us, in retrospect. On offense we were okay, but Hogan repeatedly failed to convert 3rd down passes when we needed him the most, and 3rd WR Housley (who set the world on fire in the preseason) dropped two key passes. Holliday did okay, but the O-line wasn't able to pass block as well as they run blocked today, giving up 3 sacks and 4 hurries. Still, we had a chance late in the 4th quarter. We got the ball back at our 43 with 3:32 left to go and the infamous comeback engine seemed primed and ready to go for us. Alas, a 3-and-out did us in. We got the ball back on Seattle's 47, but lost 11 yards on consecutive sacks and turned it over on downs. A pathetic way to end the game. The silver lining in this game? No new injuries. And in all honesty I'd expected us to be, at best, 2-1 after 3 games. These first three teams have all been very tough, and a 1-2 or 0-3 start wasn't at all out of the realm of possibility. Next up: at Santa Cruz. |
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01-27-2006, 11:45 PM
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#65 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 3 Roundup
Some key results from week 3 of the CFL's 2009 season:
Denver (2-1) 24 - Honolulu (1-2) 7. We catch a break and don't lose any ground to rival Honolulu this week, as they are handed a decisive loss by a Conference powerhouse. Honolulu's offense is a mess, with Ronnie Tu barely completing half of his passes (13/25) for just 114 yards. Their running game was nonexistent, and their only score was on a fumble return. Denver, on the other hand, is clicking nicely. They did lose their starting MLB for the season, though. Fargo (2-1) 38 - Las Vegas (1-2) 21 . Fargo rolled up 455 total yards on a Vegas team that just didn't seem quite right today. Their running game never got going, and their vaunted defense wasn't...well...very vaunted on this day. Everything went right for Hedges (302 yds, 3 TDs) and Alvey (40-142-2), and not much went right for poor Jennings (11-13-0) or Olsen (20/38 - 306 yds, 3 TDs, 2 INTs). Olsen had a few shining moments in this one, but not enough. Arizona (2-1) 27 - Oregon (1-2) 24. Break up the Outlaws! They've come out of nowhere to tie my Toros for 1st place in the Ring of Fire. Al DeNeff had a solid, if unspectacular game (27/42, 260 yds), and they got enough out of their running game to put them in position to kick the game winning field goal as time expired. Crazy. Oh, and former Toro Carl Markey managed a career-high 7-240-1 performance for his new team in Oregon. Why couldn't he have done that for us? Charleston (2-1) 31 - Hartford (0-3) 16. Amazing, but Hartford has somehow managed to lose three games already. A team picked by many to make the CFL bowl, the Attack has suffered injuries to many key players and it has clearly affected them. Charleston, meanwhile, rolled up 226 rushing yards on the depleted Attack (or shall I say, Retreat? ). It's only a matter of time until Hartford gets healthy, though, and when they do...watch out, CFL.Detroit (3-0) 13 - New Orleans (2-1) 10. Not a very interesting game to watch, but one with important implications for the Eastern Conference. The Johnny Titone era in Detroit is off to a remarkable 3-0 start, vaulting them to 1st in their division and leaving them as one of only 3 undefeated teams (with Boston and Tulsa). New Orleans' loss drops them into a 4-way tie for their division (they appear to own the tiebreaker thus far). Boston (3-0) 20 - Chicago (0-3) 6. Boston remained undefeated as their huge offseason acquisition of Dwayne Bridges continues to pay dividends. His QB rating of 98 has made all the difference in Panthers' fortunes. Chicago, meanwhile, has had nothing but bad fortune all season. They lost their starting QB, traded for another whose performance has been slightly smellier than fecal matter, and then proceeded to lose their starting FB, SLB and TE (all of whom were very good). Arthur Brady, who rushed for over 2000 yards last season, has turned into the Invisible Man with his measley 80 yards in three games. Tulsa (3-0) 35 - Long Beach (0-3) 9. Tulsa's success this season has surprised no one. Donnie Lowe officially arrived last season for the Talons, and this year he seems to be setting up camp. His QB Rating is 125 through 3 games. Long Beach, on the other hand, has an extraordinarily talented roster, but just can't seem to win. Quite a head-scratcher, actually. Whew, I'm tired. That's it for this week. Time for sleepy-bye. |
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01-28-2006, 02:37 PM
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#66 |
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General Manager
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: The Town of Flower Mound
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I demand a recap of El Paso's glorious victory!
__________________
UTEP Miners!!! I solemnly swear to never cheer for TO |
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01-28-2006, 02:42 PM
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#67 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Sunny South of France
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Quote:
"El Paso won their only game this season." How's that for a recap? 
__________________
Detroit Vampires (CFL) : Ve 're coming for your blood! Camargue Flamingos (WOOF): pretty in Pink |
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01-28-2006, 02:48 PM
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#68 | |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Louisiana
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Quote:
While it is said our sucess hasn't suprised anyone- I am somewhat suprised at our fast start- Donnie Lowe has been amazing, but a lot of credit has to also go to the players around him. Our offensive line is starting to get recognized around the league as one of the best. They have been opening holes for Butch Fulton for a few years now, but recently they have really stepped up the pass blocking, allowing only 8 sacks last season and none so far this year. Those are some pretty amazing stats. My defense is what really worried me heading into the season but as of week 3 we have the best rushing defense in the league, and 6th best points per game allowed defense. This could be our year |
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01-28-2006, 02:49 PM
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#69 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Were I to review this game, I would elaborate a bit: "El Paso barely hung on to defeat Santa Cruz, their chief rival vying for the "Least Talented Roster" award, by a score of 31-24. Both El Paso and Santa Cruz have Roster Ratings of 2. Dustin Hayes threw 4 TD passes, but completed just 50% of his passes. El Paso's punter, Kim Wayne, probably registered the best performance of the day averaging 48.3 yards on 6 punts. Not much else noteworthy about this game. Move along, everyone, move along." Last edited by Fonzie : 01-28-2006 at 02:50 PM. |
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01-28-2006, 03:32 PM
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#70 |
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General Manager
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: The Town of Flower Mound
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Bastards, I hate you both!
__________________
UTEP Miners!!! I solemnly swear to never cheer for TO |
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01-30-2006, 10:59 PM
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#71 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Focus On: The Stars of Santa Cruz
The Privateers, owned and operated by Fastcat, currently have one of the worst-rated rosters in the league. There's a good reason for that - they're in cap hell. They have only enough cap space to keep 46 players, which is usually a recipe for disaster. This time is no different, as Santa Cruz is off to an 0-3 start. But don't let yourself be misled - there's some real talent on the Privateer's roster. They have some amazing strengths to go along with their fatal weaknesses, including:
RB William Sheehan - William is one of just three players to have rushed for 1000+ yards in every season of the CFL's existence, dating back to 2003 (Arthur Brady and John Lubin are the others), and he remains a force to be reckoned with. He's sporting a 5.2 ypc so far this year, but Santa Cruz hasn't been able to feed him the ball much as they've been constantly playing from behind. If they get a lead they'll start pounding William like there's no tomorrow. Um...sorry if that wording is a bit awkward for you to hear, Mrs. Sheehan. Say, your name isn't Cindy, is it? Just wondering, is all. The Entire Offensive Line - Damn, this is one scary line. C Ethan Capoccia (91/91) anchors the middle, with studly bookends LT Russell Tollefson (79/81) and RT Noah Smyth (87/91) smothering would-be pass rushers. LG Robert Raines (75/75) helps out in the middle, and 2nd-year RG Preston Hickman (41/53) is the only thing resembling a "weak link" - and he ain't exactly chopped liver, either. Most teams in the CFL would kill for a line like this. Unfortunately for Santa Cruz, the QB they're protecting won't help them win much this year. Deon Tucker (10/53), a 1st-round pick this year, is a long-term project. The Safeties David - SS David Pitman (88/90) and FS David Visser (67/67) have combined for a total of 47 interceptions and 134 passes defensed in their careers, both of which have been spent exclusively in a Privateer uniform. Michaelangelo might not recognize them, but these Davids are works of art best admired from afar - if you're a quarterback or wide receiver. Last edited by Fonzie : 01-30-2006 at 11:01 PM. |
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01-31-2006, 10:55 PM
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#73 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 4: at Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, as noted above, is a team down on its luck. Cap hell has ravaged their roster, but they still have some noteworthy talent that gives me pause. Unfortunately for them, quarterback is not a position at which they have much to work with right now, as rookie Deon Tucker will need a lot of time to develop. He should be well protected by that awesome offensive line, but if he has to put it in the air 40 times the Privateers will be in a world of hurt. William Sheehan is the answer, and I expect them to pound the ball with their tough back all day.
Talent wise, we've got a clear edge on this team. Still, when it comes to football there's no such thing as a sure thing...is there? Code:
Ummm...that wasn't quite what I had in mind. I was watching this game in 3ric's viewer, and my disbelief was most likely audible as I watched this sequence, with SC taking over at their own 19: Code:
Damn but that's harsh. I get a sack on one play, force a fumble on the next, and they recover it for an 84 yard touchdown?! Sweet jesus that ain't right. And that touchdown wound up being the difference in this thoroughly pathetic game. Where to start? Our coach got away from our gameplan early (which happened with startling regularity last year) and wound up only feeding the ball to Holliday 12 times. 12 times. That's stupid. Our other strengths transmogrified into weaknesses with the seeming snap of Deon Tucker's fingers: the extremely green rookie had a far more successful day against our secondary than he had any right to have, completing 21 of 32 passes for 187 yards and no interceptions. With him putting the ball in the air 32 times I'd have expected at least two picks - but our secondary let us down (I cannot wait to get Biggs and Hartung back). What was especially astonishing was that for the second week in a row we opted to double-cover the top receiver 100% of the time, and for the second week in a row that receiver still scorched us something fierce. I'm beginning to wonder if that "match CB to top receiver" option is working the way I think it is, and if the double-coverage percentages are working the way I think they are. Nevertheless, Alec Johnson torched us for 7 catches and 96 yards, single-handedly making Tucker's day easy. We did manage to sack Tucker six times, for what it's worth. But they sacked Hogan six times as well, which makes absolutely no sense when you examine their defensive front's talent. A whopping four of those sacks were registered against second-year LG Ross Poplawski, who had previously surrendered three sacks in his prior 11 starts. That smells like a fluke performance - I think Santa Cruz just got lucky with the game engine on that count. Hogan had a decent day statistically, but he repeatedly failed to convert key 3rd downs. And our defensive line held Sheehan and company to just 3.5 ypc, a decent performance. But perhaps the most telling stat is how the refs treated the two teams: we had 9 penalties for 62 yards, and Santa Cruz got whistled for...zero penalties?! What? Oh, and by the way a number of those penalties were called on our defense right after 3rd down stops. *sigh* All told this was a terrible game. We seem to crank out one of these disappointments every season - there's always one game for which we just can't explain how we managed to lose. This one ranks up there with the best of that class. And the loss drops us to 2-2, tied with Honolulu and now one full game behind Arizona. And what's worse is that we now head into the bye week on this sour note. Alas. |
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01-31-2006, 11:03 PM
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#74 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Help is on the way!
Even before our devastating loss to Santa Cruz I was concerned about two main areas of the club: the offensive line and the defensive front. The O-line showed me that there's still good reason to be worried about them, but I think with time they'll improve considerably (especially the two young guards).
I wasn't quite so confident about the defensive front, so I pulled the trigger on a trade that will instantly infuse us with a much-needed talent upgrade. We traded our 1st rounder in 2010, 1st rounder in 2011, 3rd rounder in 2010, and a couple of bench players to the Cleveland Flats for RDT Harold Stoltzfus and OLB Buster Trujillo. That's right - the guy I described as a "monster" before our matchup with Cleveland is now a Toro. Best defensive tackle in the league, according to scouts across the league. He'll take over for Henry Stansell and clog up some major running lanes while getting good pressure on the QB. And Trujillo isn't just gravy - he's a good OLB against the run and has tremendous pass rushing skills. I anticipate starting him at WLB and pulling him up to the line to rush the passer on passing downs. A hefty price to pay, for sure, but I think it'll be worth it. |
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02-01-2006, 03:01 PM
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#75 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 4 Roundup
The key results from this week:
Arizona (3-1) 31, Sacramento (1-3) 24 - Arizona continued their meteoric rise this season with a nice come-from-behind win at Sacramento. Sacramento led 24-14 in the 3rd quarter before Al DeNeff and company reeled off 17 unanswered points to end the scoring. Arizona dominated time of possession in this game, 39:00-21:00, and might have turned this into a rout had they not put the ball on the ground 5 times (just 1 lost). A promising start for the Outlaws, and the Dragons are now 2 games under .500. In their weak division that still gets them a share of 1st place. Boise (3-1) 24, Fargo (2-2) 17 - Boise pulled out a squeaker thanks to 10 4th quarter points. A 47 yard field goal capped the scoring, but it was Branden Lin's 67 yard TD pass to Toothpick "The Dental Floss Alternative" Lang that put them ahead to stay. Brett Hedges continued his solid performance with a 21/32, 260 yd, 2 TD day. Amazingly, it may have been Fargo's punting unit that did them in - Fredrickson punted 5 times but averaged just 33.8 yards per punt (with none landing inside the 20). Add 7-9 yards to that average and the field position game looks very different in this one. Boston (3-1) 20, Memphis (3-1) 23 - Memphis knocked the Panthers out of the ranks of the undefeated by virtue of a 55-yard Blume field goal as time expired. In truth, they shouldn't have needed that lucky kick to win, as they dominated Boston statistically, especially in first downs (27-13) and ToP (35:12-24:48). Again, it appears that Memphis would've put this one away earlier if not for a weak punting performance from Grays, who managed just a 31 yd average on 4 punts (1 in the 20). However, a 57 yard punt masked a truly pathetic performance - he averaged just over 22 yards on his other three punts. Yeesh. Denver (2-2) 24, Seattle (3-1) 28 - These two offensive powerhouses lock horns, and as they say the result of such matchups often hinge on the turnover battle. This game was no exception, as Seattle won that battle 3-1. Turnovers contributed to Denver's ineptitude in the Red Zone, as they only got two TDs and a FG on five trips, while Seattle was 4/4 on TDs in the Red Zone. Dever was his usual unflappable self, going 22/27 for 286 yds, and 1 TD (with another TD on the ground), and Cole Faison continued his excellent campaign with a 7-135-1 day. Honolulu (2-2) 20, Huntington Beach (1-3) 16 - Honolulu pulled this one out, with a little help from 70 year-old Huntington Beach coach Derek McGregor. You see, Honolulu led by 4 when Ronnie Tu was sacked and fumbled the ball at the HBE 49. HBE recovered and Clarence Lincoln drove them 49 yards in 7 plays to the HON 2 with 2:42 on the clock. McGregor made the head-scratcher move of the day in pulling Lincoln at that point and giving the ball to veteran backup Jesus Dennis. Of course, Dennis proceeded to throw two incompletions before tossing an interception in the end zone. Puzzling, to say the least. Tulsa (4-0) 24, Anchorage (2-2) 21 - Tulsa remained undefeated despite an unimpressive performance from Donnie Lowe, (19/34, 184, 2 INTs). Butch Fulton carried the load in this one (31-138-3TDs), but it still almost got away from Tulsa despite Anchorage losing star QB Manuel Lane early on. Backup QB Something-something Gomez threw for 204 yards and 3 TDs, but his 4 INTs did him in and helped keep Tulsa's record perfect. That's all for this week. Stay tuned for next week when Tucson faces nobody in some hot bi-week action. |
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02-02-2006, 10:18 AM
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#76 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Some Unwelcome News
It appears that your beloved Toros are not the only team making a huge splash at the trade deadline: the Arizona Outlaws are also making a big push to build on their 3-1 start. They traded their starting QB, Al DeNeff, and their 1st and 2nd round picks in 2010 to Detroit for QB Freddie Matthias. Freddie is a confusing case, as he is one of the top-rated QBs in the game (92/92), but his performances to date have not been consistent with the scouts' opinions. His career high Rating was 83.1 in 2006, and his career Rating is 68.3 (although that is a bit misleading - his rookie season he had a Rating of 30). His career high completion percentage is just 59.0%, and he's never thrown for more than 3537 yards or averaged more than 6.96 yards per attempt.
It is also not the case that Detroit has been a bad team during his tenure there - they've won their division four years in a row, but seemingly have done so despite Freddie, and not because of him. Hard to figure this guy out, but I can only hope that he continues his mediocrity while demanding huge money out of Arizona. For if Freddie's light switch suddenly turns on, the rest of the Ring of Fire will be in for a rough ride. |
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02-03-2006, 11:10 AM
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#77 | |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Quote:
I actually debated getting him but with the 3-1 (now 4-1) start i don't think we will be in the running for a stud wideout we desperatly need and i spent why too much time looking at that (92/92) scout rating and looked at the cap room i have and had to go for it. Of course after his 7 of 23 performance i am more than a bit worried that i made the wrong move. |
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02-03-2006, 10:11 PM
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#78 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm hoping that move doesn't work out for you. |
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02-04-2006, 12:37 AM
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#79 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 5 Roundup
Some of the key games from Week 5:
Arizona (4-1) 21, Santa Cruz (1-4) 17 - Curses! Arizona pulled off yet another win in a game they probably should have lost. Santa Cruz outgained them 371-246, held an enormous ToP advantage (35:47-24:13), gained more 1st downs (21-11) and converted more 3rd downs (11/21 - 3/13), yet still managed to lose. Field position was the key in this one, with Santa Cruz starting half of their 14 posessions inside their own 20. Santa Cruz also harrassed newly acquired Freddie Matthias all day, resulting in a terrible 7/23 for 56 yard performance. Matthias was sacked 3 times and hurried 8, the poor slob. Rough way to start, but at least his running game got him the win in his Arizona debut (they put up 206 yards rushing). Charleston (3-2) 3, Detroit (5-0) 17 - Detroit remains undefeated after a convincing win over last year's CFL champions. Detroit's defense was the story here, as they badgered poor Landon Hurst into a 12/32, 111yd, 0 TD 2 INT performance. Johnny Titone on the other hand is settling nicely into the starter's role, and is perhaps relieved to not have Freddie Matthias looking over his shoulder. His 15/28, 236 yd, 1 TD performance was efficient and all Detroit really needed of him. Denver (2-3) 17, Boise (4-1) 31 - Boise had Lin and Lang in full throttle mode today as they propelled their team to 478 total yards and a nifty 14 point win over last year's Western Conference champs. Boise ran the ball 47 times and gobbled up 37+ minutes of the clock in their convincing win. If not for an 87 yd kickoff return by David Godbey this one would've been even worse for Denver. Hartford (0-4) 14, San Antonio (3-1) 20 - Surely a sign of the apocalypse, Hartford's winless start to the season has taken every CFL pundit by surprise. Oberg is playing hurt, Spearman's been out of the lineup for 2+ games, and every opponent seems to come up with just enough of an effort to beat them. San Antonio had good fortune on their side, as QB Eddie Crawford put up one of the best games of his career, going 18/19 for 200 yds, 2 TDs, and 1 INT. Hartford, meanwhile, had to rely excessively on old-man Oberg, who was counted on to heave 51 pass attempts, 31 of which were complete for 357 yards and 2 TDs. His 3 INTs, however, did not help the cause. Spearman is expected back this week, and the Hartford faithfull will no doubt be relieved to see him. But is it too late for Hartford? (I say no.) Memphis (3-2) 28, Shreveport (3-2) 31 - With Douglas "Doug" Hartman on the sidelines nursing a sore elbow, the Pride trotted out little-used backup Roman Grigg to guide them against a surprising Memphis Express squad. Grigg's numbers weren't pretty (18/33, 200 yds) but he did toss 3 TD passes in edging out Memphis in this tight game. Blaine Hoffman also threw 3 TDs for the Express, but tossed an ugly 4 INTs to Pride defenders. That was enough to prod a sputtering Shreveport offense (288 total yards) into their highest point total of the season. Seattle (3-2) 23, El Paso (3-2) 27 - Many GMs tend to overlook special teams when crafting their rosters, but games like this illustrate the importance of having the right skill sets out there on kickoff return teams. Coming on the heels' of a Dever TD pass to give Seattle a 20-17 lead, El Paso's starting WR Tom Sonkin took the kickoff 89 yards for a TD. Just like that, El Paso was back ahead by four, and that would be the final difference in this game. El Paso's shortstaffed squad has surprised many folks this year with their solid play. They definitely have some talent, but they have no depth whatsoever. If they get hit with an injury or two their season will likely be over. That's it for this week. |
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02-06-2006, 10:50 PM
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#80 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Focus On: The Stars of Las Vegas
Our next opponents are the hated-but-respected Las Vegas Rounders, ably managed by TurfToe. TT has accumulated a fair amount of talent in Vegas since he took over the franchise several seasons ago. A little too much talent, if you ask me. To wit:
QB Lenny "Jackpot" Olsen - This 12th-year vet specializes in throwing the deep ball (thus the nickname - get it?), and he is able to do so with some success. His career ypa average is just over 7, and he's tossed 144 TDs (tied for 5th all-time) in his career against just 96 INTs. The vertical passing game can be very effective when it is on, but when it is off it can result in a lot of incompletions (career 54.7%), which have dragged his career QB rating down to just 79.7. Lenny's not much of a runner, and has taken a bit of a pounding over the years (214 sacks in 6+ seasons), but he's still got plenty left in the tank (69/69). DE Zachery Aaron - Aaron is a true monster of an end (77/80) and ranks 9th all-time in sacks (50.5). He posted career highs with 11 sacks in both of the last two seasons, and last year he managed to post 82 tackles (66 solo). Thus, it is safe to say that he's just as talented against the run as he is rushing the passer. The 12-year vet has only missed three games to injury in his career, unfortunately. DT Mario Ah Yat - Ah Yat was the 3rd overall pick in the 2006 draft and is one of those rare high picks who managed to live up to his billing. Ah Yat anchors the middle of the line and is a great run stuffer. He's posted totals of 81, 84, and 111(!) tackles in his first three seasons. He can also get in the way of errant passes, as he blocked 7 of those last year. The Rest of the Defensive Front - Oh hell, why stop at Aaron and Ah Yat? The rest of the line is solid, and the linebackers are excellent. It is hard not to envy the depth TurfToe has up front. And that's the last kind thing I'll say about the Rounders. I wouldn't want TT to get a big(ger) head. Last edited by Fonzie : 02-06-2006 at 10:50 PM. |
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02-07-2006, 03:19 PM
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#82 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Oh shut up. Everybody hates you. |
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02-07-2006, 04:09 PM
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#83 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Thunderdome
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How can you hate the proverbial Buffalo Bills of the CFL?
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02-07-2006, 04:42 PM
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#84 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 6: at Las Vegas
So, we headed into our bye week after a soul-crushing loss, and come out of it facing a road game against a fierce division rival. That ought to inspire the best in my boys, right? Right?
Code:
*sigh* Special teams played a huge role in this game - our starting field position was at our own 15, while theirs was a their 45! Las Vegas' punter Money was just that, nailing five, count 'em, five punts inside our 20. Another part of the problem was my coach's insane desire to kick 57 yard field goals in non-critical situations (such as in the middle of the 2nd quarter in a 10-7 game), which of course was missed and gave Vegas the ball at their 47. We also had some questionable return decisions by KR Garcia, who twice tried to return kicks from 3-to 5-yards deep in our endzone (not to mention a crushing fumble on a late 4th quarter kickoff return - recovered by Vegas and converted into points). Regardless of the causes, that kind of field position discrepancy is hard to overcome. Hogan tossed a couple of uncharacteristic interceptions, the coach again got away from Holliday (I really don't know what to do about that) and instead handed off three times to wide receivers (?). Soltzfus had some impact on the pass rush with two hurries, but didn't do diddly to shore up our run defense (154 yards allowed). In a nutshell, Las Vegas (Jennings, Money, and the D-line in particular) was on today, and we were off. Way off. This loss puts us in last place in our division, when we were expecting to be battling for first. Arizona is 5-1 and we're 2.5 games back after just 6 weeks. We'll have to keep plugging away and hope that we can turn this ship around. Last edited by Fonzie : 02-07-2006 at 04:44 PM. |
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02-09-2006, 12:28 AM
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#85 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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A brief break
I'll be out of town for a few days, and so I won't be able to do my usual weekly roundup/preview of the next game posts until the weekend. My apologies.
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02-11-2006, 01:19 AM
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#86 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 6 Roundup
Boise (4-2) 24, Seattle (4-2) 30 - This back-and-forth affair saw Boise score 10 points in the first 5 minutes of the 4th quarter to take a 24-20 lead. But Seattle managed to steal away a win with 10 points in the last 4:38 of the game. Boise simply had no answer for QB Charles Dever, who posted a nifty 19/29 for 226 yards and 3 TDs via the air plus 8 carries for 75 yards on the ground.
Detroit (5-1) 24, Durham (5-1) 28 - This matchup was clearly the Game of the Week, but it turned out to be a Game of the Weird. For starters (no pun intended) Durham's starting QB Edward Kimber sat out, making this a supposed "cakewalk" for Detroit. However, backup Kenneth Lester came out firing in his first series, completing passes of 44 and 26 yards in engineering a quick TD drive. That, however, would turn out to be Durham's last TD of the day, as they relied on seven, that's right, seven field goals from John Snell, including two 50+ kicks. Not to be outdone, Detroit threw in some freakishness of their own with Harold Infante's 100 yard kickoff return for a TD in the 2nd quarter. Despite the stormy weather, neither running game went anywhere and both QBs threw for 300+ yards. Weird game. Long Beach (0-5) 13, Arizona (5-1) 21 - Arizona pulled yet another win out of their collective butts by scoring 14 points in the final two minutes of the game. I don't really have any comments about this game other than to say: thanks for nothing, Long Beach. New York (4-2) 20, San Antonio (4-1) 31 - San Antonio is asserting itself in the EFC Deep South and now owns a 1-game lead on Shreveport. They needed 14 4th quarter points to get this win, however. But it shouldn't have been even this close, as the Stingers dominated the Knights statistically (24-16 in 1st downs, 172-45 in rushing yards, 433-257 in total yards, 36:21-23:29 in ToP). Eddie Crawford took home MVP honors with a 3TD performance. El Paso (3-3) 23, Denver (3-3) 27 - El Paso's strong play of late continued well into this game, but critical mistakes cost them the win in a game they easily could have won. The Rockets outgained the Dynamite 402-214 in total yards and 36:57-23:03 in ToP. Denver, however, started four drives in El Paso territory (thanks to some ill-timed turnovers), and their average starting field position was at their own 45. With that kind of field position you don't need many yards to score, and that was the story of this game. Dustin Hayes did what he could, but his 294 yards and 1 TD (with 1 INT) just weren't enough to overcome the Rockets' turnovers and poor special teams play. Memphis (3-3) 14, Hartford (1-4) 21 - This game is only noteworthy insofar as Hartford finally got rid of their win-column goose egg. Oberg and Spearman are back - beware, CFL! |
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02-11-2006, 01:37 AM
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#87 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 7: vs. Huntington Beach
I'm skipping the preview of my opponent for this week because the game has already happened and, well, I'd rather just get to the game. So there.
All I need to say to introduce this game is that we need a win badly. A loss here probably ends our season. Go Toros! Code:
Just what the doctor ordered - a nice, dominant win. Don't let the final statlines fool you, most of those yards and points we surrendered came in garbage time. Our defense came to play today by allowing just 2.8 ypc and registering 2 sacks, 7 hurries (4 by new guy Stoltzfus), 11 passes defensed (an amazing 5 by Biggs in his return from injury) and an interception returned for a TD. Good stuff. Hogan returned to form with an efficient 19/27, 214 yd, 2 TD performance. TE Anthony Torres and little-used SE Brent Garcia were the main beneficiaries of his accuracy. The only element of our team that wasn't clicking today was the run game, where Holliday was limited to just 68 yards on 20 carries. He did have an early TD called back on a penalty, the poor guy. Of course, it wouldn't be a Toros game without some key injuries. Today we lost LG Ross Poplawski for 3 weeks with a hyperextended elbow, FB Corwin Jeffries for 3 weeks to a strained achilles, and SS Mitchel Enoch for 2 weeks with a strained elbow tendon. Starters, all. They'll join our other walking wounded on the bench next week. Unfortunately, none of our division rivals appear to be having much in the way of injury problems. That hardly seems fair, since our coach is better than Arizona's and Las Vegas' coaches at "avoiding injury." Alas. Next up: another must-win at Sacramento. |
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02-12-2006, 12:51 AM
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#88 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 7 Roundup
Some key games from week 7 in the CFL:
Baltimore (3-4) 9, Durham (6-1) 31 - Durham continues to roll despite Edward Kimber's absence, but this time his backup didn't do much to help the cause. Lester threw for just 126 yards and added 2 picks, but Durham's defense forced four turnovers of their own and somehow kept a good Baltimore offense (466 total yards) out of the endzone. Durham has a bye week coming up - after which Kimber should be good to go. That spells bad news for the rest of the EFC Atlantic division. Fargo (5-2) 31, Seattle (4-3) 10 - Seattle continues their inconsistent ways with a home drubbing at the hands of a good Fargo squad. Seattle's Dever had a lousy day, tossing for 253 yards and a TD, but also surrendering 3 INTs (one of which was returned 99 yards for a TD!). Those turnovers made pedestrian performances from Hedges and Alvey enough to secure a convincing win on the road. Las Vegas (3-3) 9, Arizona (6-1) 21 - Arizona continues to steamroll through a very weak 4th-place schedule (their opponents have combined for a 12-32 record to date), this time using a good defensive performance to stifle Lenny "Jackpot" Olsen and company. Vegas was never really in this one, as they scored their only TD with 1:13 left in the game. 'Zona's defense also forced Vegas into continually long down-and-distance situations (4/15 on 3rd downs, 10.7 avg yards to go on 3rd), which helped keep Vegas' running game in check. Matthias finally had a decent day statistically (16/30, 263 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT) for Arizona. New Orleans (2-5) 21, Hartford (2-4) 55 - They're back! Hartford tied a CFL record with their 55 point output against a very beaten-up New Orleans team. Hartford scored early (with 104 yd kickoff return for TD to start the game) and often (Oberg tossed 5 TD passes) and late (83 yard punt return for TD with :45 left in the game). Oberg was on fire, but Attack fans were probably most thrilled to see Spearman return to see some limited action (11 carries, 46 yds, 3 catches for 48 yards and 1 TD). Hartford is healthy now, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them reel off 8 wins in a row. San Antonio (5-1) 38, Boston (4-2) 28 - San Antonio's Dana Montgomery and Eddie Crawford went hog-wild in their big win over Boston. Crawford, in particular, has fueled a somewhat surprising Stingers squad with his 70% completion rate and 95.9 QB Rating. Nobody expected that kind of performance from him, and many are waiting for him to drop back to earth like a very, very heavy rock. Still, they beat a very good Boston team on the road and deserve credit for their strong start. Boston, meanwhile, remains in 1st in their division and got some good news when 2nd-place New York's QB Kim Pace suffered suffered an arm injury that might cost him a few games. Tulsa (6-0) 31, El Paso (3-4) 27 - El Paso continues to put up much more of a fight than most pundits figured they'd be capable of, but this time they fell short against the league's only remaining undefeated team. The Rockets outgained the Talons 432-359 in yardage, but the difference-maker in this one was field position. Tulsa's return teams did a vastly superior job, averaging 31 yards on kickoff returns and 13 yards on punt returns. The Rockets, on the other hand, averaged just 16 yards on kickoff returns and only returned one punt for a loss of 3 yards. Special teams, baby. Last edited by Fonzie : 02-12-2006 at 11:54 PM. |
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02-12-2006, 02:23 AM
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#89 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Sweden
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Durham is on an incredible roll right now.
__________________
San Diego Chargers (HFL) - Lappland Reindeers (WOOF) - Gothenburg Giants (IHOF) Indiana: A TCY VC - year 2044 - the longest running dynasty ever on FOFC! |
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02-13-2006, 12:28 AM
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#90 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Focus On: The Stars of Sacramento
Sacramento has fallen on hard times, and the same might be said for the entire San Andreas division for that matter. Last year's division champs might still be in 1st place, but they're just 2-4. The Dragons' struggles have left most CFL pundits scratching their heads, as this is a very talented team. Here's all the evidence you need:
QB Seymore Barre - The 9th-year veteran is one of the more talented field generals in the league according to the scouts, but his statistics don't quite bear that out (career 82.9 QB Rating, 58% completion, 6.84 ypa average). In part that is because Sacramento has for years leaned heavily on RB Alexis Rounds to give them a dominant ground game. In part it might be because having the name "Seymore" has made him psychologically fragile. Who knows? I'd just as soon he not realize how talented he is next week. RB Alexis Rounds - Alexis has thriced topped the 1000 yard mark, and in the last two full seasons he has gained 1939 and 1782 yards, respectively. To say he's been studly would be an understatement, but the years of pounding the ball appeared to catch up to him this offseason - he looks like an old man out there now (big drop in ratings last offseason). Still, he's averaging 3.6 ypc this season and cannot be ignored. FL Jerome Stearns - Stearns is in a bit of the same boat as Barre - he's been overshadowed by Rounds, and because of the focus on the ground game this very good receiver's stats have suffered. Still, even in the early days of Sacramento's existence when the passing game was still emphasized he was very inconsistent. He gained 959 yards in 2003, 1028 yards in 2004, and then 450 yards in 2005. His 2005 stats were based on 29 catches in 92 targeted passes. He only dropped six passes that year, so something clearly wasn't right that season. Whatever the reason, he has yet to get back over 900 yards receiving. The Entire Offensive Line - My scouts love the Dragons' line - every starter is rated as a 60 or better, and they've all been playing together for years. No weaknesses here. The Entire Secondary - Dammit, I hate when teams have two whole units that are invulnerable to criticism. These four guys have combined for 81 career interceptions. Last edited by Fonzie : 02-13-2006 at 12:32 AM. |
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02-13-2006, 12:31 AM
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#91 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Indeed they are. That defense has been excellent of late, despite not having any true standouts (yes Motormouth, that was directed at you!). |
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02-14-2006, 09:41 AM
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#92 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Sunny South of France
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HB then Sacramento? How many gimmes do you need?
What kind of a schedule is that? Ah, how I wish the Vampires could play the San Andreas division too?
__________________
Detroit Vampires (CFL) : Ve 're coming for your blood! Camargue Flamingos (WOOF): pretty in Pink |
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02-14-2006, 04:27 PM
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#93 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
I'll take as many gimme games as I can get! But we didn't stomp either of those teams, and we somehow managed to lose to Santa Cruz. In fact, the San Andreas division really has some decent talent - I'm not sure why they're struggling so much this year. Just one of those fluke seasons, I'm guessing. But yeah, I'm certainly wishing I was in their division and not in the RoF. Our division is downright brutal this year. |
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02-14-2006, 05:45 PM
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#94 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 8: at Sacramento
It was nice to get back to .500, but we need to keep winning to have any hopes of realizing the preseason predictions of us winning our first division title. Next up is another down-on-their-luck foe in the Sacramento Dragons. As with Huntington Beach, they've got plenty of talent but just have not been able to win this year. We have to take advantage of their temporary weakness and steal a win here - if we're to have any hope of turning this season around.
Code:
Not a pretty win, but we'll take it. Our opening drive, which went 14 plays for 92 yards and a TD, was a thing of beauty. After that, though, we were pretty ineffective on offense. Sacramento continually short-circuited our drives and kept us from taking advantage of several great starting field positions. But our defense was up to the task of keeping Sacramento out of the end zone - we were especially effective against Barre, who had a poor day overall. A note on CB Keven Biggs - he's been hurt a bit this season and thus has played in just three games, but he's been astronomically good in those three games. In each game he's defended more passes than he's allowed, for a total of 4 passes caught vs. 9 passes defensed. That translates into a PDPct of 25! I know kind of performance won't last, but damn he's been playing well. And while we're talking about pass defense, how's about Stoltzfus' game? The mammoth DT not only registered a couple of hurries, but he managed to pick off a pass! Nice job Harold! Ken Wickes Deathwatch: our humble coach again opted to try a long-range, low-probability field goal in the 2nd quarter of a game (this time a 52-yarder). Castorena of course missed it, giving Sacramento great field position and, ultimately, a cheap FG. If ownership loosens the coach-salary pursestrings this offseason we'll almost certainly be looking for a new guy. If not, then we'll have to look for a kicker with less Kicking Power to reduce the temptation to go for those long kicks all the damned time. Castorena didn't do much to convince us to keep him around by missing a 46 yarder, either. Next up: the final stop on our tour of the San Andreas division, at home vs. Long Beach. |
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02-16-2006, 10:39 AM
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#95 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 8 Key Game Roundup
There weren't a lot of "big" games this week - most of the good teams were playing relatively bad teams. There were a few matchups worth noting, however:
Arizona (6-2) 28, Honolulu (5-3) 31 - Hard to believe, but I found myself rooting for Honolulu in this one so as to keep Arizona within striking distance. Ronnie Tu came through for me with a 22/29, 292 yd, 3TD - 1 INT performance in this squeaker. Arizona's Freddie Matthias also thre for 3 TDs, but was otherwise unimpressive (19/37, 227 yds). Slightly better QB play might have won this one for 'Zona. Hartford (3-4) 23, Boston (4-3) 21 - Hartford continues their roll with a tough two-point win over Boston. There were two big stories in this one: turnovers and injuries. Dwayne Bridges had a solid game (23/36, 277yds, 2TDs, 1 INT), but it was his one interception that was the difference - it was caught by Hartford's Sherman Lee in the 4th quarter and returned 45 yards for a TD. Hartford also seemed as determined to beat the living shit out of Boston players as they were to win the game. Six Panthers were injured in the course of this one, including the loss of starting WR Irv Schwartz for 4 weeks and the guy whose starting job he took, James Hoch, for 16 weeks. Bridges was slightly dinged up in this one too, and now his offensive weaponry is much more limited. Boston may be in for a few rough weeks, at least until they can get some warm bodies back out there. San Antonio (5-2) 0, Atlantic City (4-3) 30 - Let's take a quick trip down memory lane, shall we? Last week I had this to say about the Eddie Crawford's great start: Quote:
Tulsa (6-1) 23, Fargo (6-2) 26 (OT) - Both offenses were really clicking in this big matchup, and it is a bit surprising that the game didn't produce a higher score. All of the offensive stars were on display today, producing over 900 yds in total offense, but the return units for both squads were a bit disappointing, as both teams averaged a starting field position at their respective 20 yd lines. Fargo's QB Brett Hedges directed the winning field goal drive in OT, but on 2nd and 7 from the Tulsa 19 he suffered a serious high ankle sprain that knocked him from the game. Two plays later Fargo kicked the winning FG, but learned that Hedges injury would keep him out for nearly three months. Fargo won the battle, but the injury to Hedges may have cost them the war. Detroit (7-1) 26, Cleveland (2-6) 21 - Detroit continues their season-long tendency to play just well enough to win, but this game featured both good and bad news for the Vampires. They won this one thanks to their great defensive play, as poor Ernest Lorenzo was mercilessly harrassed all day long. He had 7 passes defensed, 3 passes blocked at the line, got hurried 8 times and was sacked thrice, and added a nasty 5 picks to boot. That's the good news. The bad news is that Detroit suffered quite a few injuries in this one, including the loss of studly RT Larry Peters for 14 weeks and three-quarters of their excellent starting secondary. The secondary will be okay in a month or so, but will they be able to continue shutting teams down in the meantime? Detroit had better hope so, because their offense is not teh shiznit. |
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02-16-2006, 11:44 AM
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#96 | |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Quote:
I am just glad that 'Zona isn't viewed as a bye week any longer now if i can improve my recievers i think we will be really ready to challenge (i still don't think we are winning the division this season) |
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02-16-2006, 03:38 PM
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#97 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Yeah, having better wideouts would probably help poor Freddie. But both Rusty Connors and Kirk Khan (wow - that name is awesome) should be pretty good in a year or two. |
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02-16-2006, 03:51 PM
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#98 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Sunny South of France
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Quote:
Ouch!  (i'd actually missed that initially...)
__________________
Detroit Vampires (CFL) : Ve 're coming for your blood! Camargue Flamingos (WOOF): pretty in Pink |
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02-16-2006, 10:16 PM
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#99 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Focus On: The Stars of Long Beach
It seems as though I say this whenever I evaluate the roster of a San Andreas division team, but why Long Beach is stuck with a record of just 2-5 is beyond me. This team is loaded with talent.
QB Josh Urrutia - Josh was a 5-year starter with Memphis before joining Long Beach in 2008, and he has enjoyed 1.5 years of great play since making the transition. His QB Rating last year was a career-high 92.7, and this year he's on pace to break that with a 94.8 rating through 7 games. Urrutia has the distinction of having started every regular season game of his career (103 consecutive starts). He can be a difference-maker. RB Don Terrell - Don was the 4th overall pick of the 2007 draft, but this is just his first full year of holding the starting RB job. For his career (37 games, 13 starts) he has 360 carries for 1547 yds and 7 TDs. He's also caught 31 passes for 220 yds and 2 TDs. This might be his breakout year, as he's already halfway to 1000 yds in just 7 games. He's talented, but has yet to prove himself over a full season. LT K.C. Davis - K.C. (according to rumor, "K.C." stands for "Karaoke Crusader") was the 7th overall pick in 2006, but may well have been the most talented player to come out of that draft class (although Willie Golalic and Burt Liskiewicz might beg to differ). He's been a true O-line anchor since day one, and has no weaknesses in his game. He's the perfect left tackle. WLB Hollis Beardsley - Not often you get a weak-side linebacker listed as one of your top players, but this guy is a run-stopping monster. And on top of that, he's actually good in coverage, a rarity for a Will. The Secondary - Bobby Miller, Herschel Schrock, and Craig Jiles form a fine triumverate of pass-disrupting pass disruptors. They're a bit beat up right now, though. Bobby Miller is on the injury report as "probable" with a sprained ankle and Craig Jiles has been forced to the sideline for a week to recover from heat exhaustion. Some good talent here. Tomorrow's game will be a tough one, for sure. |
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02-17-2006, 11:56 AM
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#100 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Week 9: vs. Long Beach
At 4-3 we sit .5 games behind Honolulu and 1.5 games behind Arizona. A loss here won't destroy our season, but a win would certainly help get us back in contention, especially with our next game being against Honolulu. Long Beach scares me, though, as they're way too talented to be just 2-5. 2-6 seems all the more absurd, so I'm hoping for the best but preparing for the worst with this one.
On to the action! Code:
Not exactly a pretty, or dominating, win, but I'll gladly take it. A 13-point win is good, but it probably should have been at least a 19 point win. Formerly rock-solid K Rubin Castorena has been nothing short of terrible this season, and his misery continued today with a 38-yd miss and a 25-yd blocked attempt. I don't know what's wrong with him, but it is safe to say that his job is in jeopardy if he doesn't get his head out of his ass. Long Beach managed to deliver Drew Holliday his worst performance as a pro, stopping him for 22 yds on 22 carries (he did score a TD). That was an impressive feat to be sure, but they seemed to forget about Drew's backup, Darryl Bradley, who ran hog wild for 136 yds, had 2 catches for 21 yds, and returned 3 punts for 36 yds. He, and not "Colonel" Hogan, should have been the game MVP. Hogan certainly did his part, though with a very efficient performance. But perhaps the real story of this game was our defense, who managed to keep an opponent under 10 points for the second straight game. Long Beach was limited to 2.7 ypc and forced veteran Josh Urrutia into a miserable 16/30 day with two interceptions. Nicely done, boys! And to top it all off, we suffered no injuries. Next week we have a HUGE game at home against Honolulu, and the week after that we travel to play Arizona. These two games will likely determine the trajectory of the rest of our season. Last edited by Fonzie : 02-17-2006 at 05:00 PM. |
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