The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 5 19/20- Week 16


The 4 Quick Takes From This Week's NFL


Amanda Reditch

Bumper QB special this week, starting off with the hottest news in the game right now!


1st Down - Jared Cole Injured

During the SEC Championship game between Florida and Alabama, a prone Jared Cole remained motionless on the turf after a blindside sack as training staff streamed onto the field to attend to him during the 4th quarter. Before long he was up, but the damage may well have been done as the star prospect went straight to the locker room. Reports of a torn rotator cuff surfaced shortly after the game concluded, but that has since been retracted and nothing new has been offered. Backup Cory Knox stepped in and finished up the easy win for Florida, but it appears questionable that Cole will be able to suit up for the Gators in the College Playoffs and secure the ending to his collegiate career that Team Cole had in mind.


2nd Down - Tony Cole Blows A Fuse!

Whilst a lot of the information surrounding Jared Cole is hard to come by, his father Tony wasn't afraid to let the world know exactly what he thinks of the situation. "What a mess. Honestly. What are they teaching these kids? Coach Nussmeier needs to have a look at himself in the mirror. Him and that offensive line are lucky to have Jared back there, making them look good. You think they'd be on ESPN if he wasn't winning them games? I guess we'll see during the playoffs because if Jared isn't back, good luck!" It sure does sound like Tony Cole knows that the injury is a bad one, but nothing has yet been confirmed. The way Team Cole operates, we may never know the true extend of the injury anyway. Could the unthinkable happen? Could this knock Cole down draft boards?!


3rd Down - It is a Bad Time to be a Starting QB in the NFL as Well

More QB news this week as the number of back ups taking snaps this season has reached epic proportions. A staggering 13 teams have had their back up feature during at least 1 quarter of regular season football this year, and 2 more teams, the Bucs and the Lions, have had to turn to their 3rd string guy as well. It's not only the number of back ups used, but also the amount they're playing. Of the 17 players highlighted, 14 of them have played at least 2 full games. With so much volatility at the QB position, don't be surprised if there are some out of whack teams in the standings come the end of the season. Likewise, there could be some teams that really vault up the standings next season once a solid team gets its starting passer back in the mix.


4th Down - Vikings and Bears Combine for Record Setting Offensive Output

If you didn't catch the week 15 game between Chicago and Minnesota, boy did you miss out! One for the defensive purists it was not, but fantasy players everywhere rejoiced (or cursed if you were up against someone in this game!) as the Vikings outlasted their NFC North rivals 52-48. One record that did tumble was for most combined offensive yards gained in a game. 1,196 yards was enough to pass the previous best of 1,133 that had stood since 1950! Nate Patterson flirted with Norm Van Brocklin's single game passing yardage record but like his team, he ultimately came up just short. Still, his line of 36/56, 533yds, 5TD, 1INT sits him 2nd on the all time list. An honourable mention should go to Alshon Jeffery who had 12 catches for 237 yards and five scores. Yes, five, which ties the record for that stat to. Suicide watch for all those fantasy guys that left him either player on their bench.

I'm just about to get off my plane in Florida as I'm off (like the rest of the NFL world) to try and find out more about Jared Cole first hand. Whatever I find, you'll all read it here first. Wish me luck!

Amanda

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

NFL Standings - Year 5 2019/20
NFC EAST	W	L	T	DRAFT	OVERALL
1 - Dallas Cowboys	12	3	1	?	90
5 - Philadelphia Eagles	11	5	0	?	86
New York Giants	5	10	1	5	82
Washington Redskins	5	11	0	3	84
NFC NORTH	W	L	T	DRAFT	OVERALL
2 - Minnesota Vikings	11	4	0	?	84
Chicago Bears	9	7	0	17	82
Green Bay Packers	8	8	0	16	79
Detroit Lions	5	11	0	2	83
NFC SOUTH	W	L	T	DRAFT	OVERALL
3 - Carolina Panthers	10	6	0	?	86
6 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers	9	6	1	?	81
New Orleans Saints	9	7	0	20	82
Mexico City Diablos	3	12	1	1	85
NFC WEST	W	L	T	DRAFT	OVERALL
4 - San Francisco 49ers	9	6	1	?	85
St Louis Rams	8	8	0	13	82
Seattle Seahawks	7	8	1	12	83
Arizona Cardinals	6	10	0	6	82
AFC EAST	W	L	T	DRAFT	OVERALL
4 - Buffalo Bills	8	8	0	?	82
Miami Dolphins	8	8	0	14	81
New York Jets	6	10	0	9	80
New England Patriots	6	10	0	8	81
AFC NORTH	W	L	T	DRAFT	OVERALL
1 - Cleveland Browns	10	6	0	?	81
6- Cincinnati Bengals	9	7	0	?	85
Baltimore Ravens	8	8	0	15	80
Pittsburgh Steelers	7	9	0	10	80
AFC SOUTH	W	L	T	DRAFT	OVERALL
2 - Tennessee Titans	10	6	0	?	83
5 - Indianapolis Colts	9	7	0	?	82
Houston Texans	9	7	0	19	85
Jacksonville Jaguars	9	7	0	18	82
AFC WEST	W	L	T	DRAFT	OVERALL
3 - Kansas City Chiefs	9	7	0	?	80
San Diego Chargers	7	9	0	11	79
Oakland Raiders	6	10	0	7	84
Denver Broncos	5	11	0	4	74

*Number Denotes Playoff Seeding

Season Leaders

Passing
Tyson McBride, Dallas Cowboys
5,054 yards, 48 touchdowns, 7 interceptions

Rushing
Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers
379 rushes, 1,582 yards, 13 touchdowns

Receiving
Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears
108 catches, 1,631 yards, 16 touchdowns

Tackles
Preston Brown, Buffalo Bills
174 Tackles

Sacks
Dante Fowler Jr, Jacksonville Jaguars
17.5 Sacks

Interceptions
Josh Norman, Carolina Panthers
12 Interceptions

Coach of the Year
Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 5 19/20 - Divisional




Daniel Grainger, NFL

Questions Remain as Florida Secure National Title

At times during last night's National Championship game, a heated but ultimately lopsided 45-17 win for the Gators over their bitter rivals Florida State, it was quite difficult to remember why everyone was there. With the result becoming the formality that many predicted, there really was only one thing to focus on. Jared Cole.

Would he play? Tony Cole had suggested throughout the playoffs that the QB could return "Any day now", before muddying the waters with follow up lines such as "We'll do what is best for Jared". In the end, Florida didn't need him. Long time back up Cory Knox threw a bunch of scores as the finely tuned Gators offence made a top tier opponent look very ordinary.



Next, attention turned to the post game, with Cole ominously missing from title celebrations once the trophy was presented. The elephant in the room as scripted interview questions were posed, Cole had watched most of the game from a private box before exiting late in proceedings. Coach Nussmeier made mentioned to the starlet from Texas, but instead deflected the praise to Knox for his efforts, Cory played a hell of a game. He deserves this as much as anyone. He hasn't seen the field for us much in the years he's been here, but when we needed him, he was ready. The young man deserves a great deal of credit for his patience and perseverance."

Once the media obligations got underway, the group of reporters seeking out Tony Cole significantly dwarfed those searching out Nussmeier, Knox or any other person who took part in the game. Cole was unusually tight lipped on that occasion, simply stating that a press conference would be scheduled for the near future, and that he was pleased that Florida had won the game. I'm sure the footballing world will be waiting on that announcement with a great deal of anticipation.

On that front, the current mood in the press box, like every office, household and online message board, is mixed. Some think Cole could play another year, some see the idea as a complete non-starter. As usual, the only people who really know sit inside Team Cole. Members of the press aren't the only ones who have been talking about the player dubbed "THE next big thing". A number of NFL executives cited their own sources and their opinions also varied. One GM picking inside the top 10 told me, "You can't gamble in this league. It's too tight. If you don't see this kid, don't get your guys to check him over, you just can't pull the trigger on him. What good is a franchise QB prospect if he's spent after 3 years or always on IR?" An NFC Executive offered an opposite view, "You pick this guy with your eyes closed. You don't need to see him, you know what he's capable of. He's probably better than half the league with his left hand at this stage anyway. No concerns".

As always, some of this information will be bravado, some a smoke screen, some hidden truth. Cole's press conference will reveal a lot, but the conclusion of this saga might not come until Draft night, or beyond.

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 5 19/20 - Conference


The 24-Hour Home of CBS Sports


Jeff Hardy-Grant, Contributor

Cleveland and Tennessee Play Out an All Time Classic, Titans prevail 38-35

There is a line of thought that suggests the 2 Championship games often provide significantly better viewing than the Super Bowl itself. Teams tend to play with a little more freedom, there is less media frenzy and one team is still in their home stadium with their own support. Yesterday's AFC Championship game will no doubt go down as one of the great games in NFL playoff history.



Marcus Mariota and Nate Gray went toe to toe for the full 4 quarters, with the Titans scoring a touchdown in the dying seconds of the game to grab victory. Up to that point, the contest had been a see-saw affair. At the half, Tennessee held a 23-14 lead after scores by Jimmy Graham, Kendall Wright and Antonio Brown. That pace was maintained until the start of the 4th quarter when the Browns moved through the gears, scoring 14 unanswered points on two TD passes from Gray to Martavis Bryant, moving out to a 35-31 lead. With only 42 seconds left on the clock, Mariota was a man on a mission as he marched his team down the field. Connecting on passes to Antonio Brown, then Jimmy Graham, then Jarvis Landry, before the former University of Oregon QB went back to Brown for the go-ahead score with 5 seconds to go. The Browns tried for magic on the kickoff return, but it wasn't to be. A heartbreaking finish for the AFC North side who must have thought they had the game, and a trip to the Super Bowl, in the bag just a few minutes earlier. Heartbreak for one side was met with euphoria from the other, the Titans will advance to face the Panthers in Superbowl 54.



Understandably, a number of players had standout stat lines. Mariota was easily the MVP that Tennessee needed, finishing with 340 yards, 5 touchdown passes and an incredible 86% completion percentage. Nate Gray tried to keep pace, managing a respectable 285 yards and 5 TD passes of his own. A passing orientated game where every score came through the air, Antonio Brown was the pick of the receivers with 9 catches for 125 yards and 2 scores, whilst Bryant topped the charts for the Browns with 8 catches, 114 yards and 2 scores of his own. 6 other players caught touchdowns in what was a truly wild affair that should be remembered for a long time to come.

JHG
CBS Sports

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Tennessee Titans vs Carolina Panthers
Feb 2, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Tennessee Titans (10-6)	0	14	3	21	38
Carolina Panthers (10-6)	7	10	0	10	27

Team Stats Comparison
	TEN	CAR
Total Offense	463	422
Rushing Yards	133	188
Passing Yards	330	234
First Downs	25	17
Punt Return Yards	6	8
Kick Return Yards	129	107
Total Yards	598	537
Turnovers	1	0
3rd Down Converstion	8	9
4th Down Conversion	0	2
2-Point Conversion	0	0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	5/0	2/1
Penalties	25	62
Posession Time	26:18	33:42

Tennessee Titans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT M.Mariota 27/35 330 2 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD T.Mason 18 77 4.3 2 R.Lauderdale 10 37 3.7 1 M.Mariota 5 14 2.8 0 I.Crowell 1 5 5.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD J.Graham 8 96 12.0 0 A.Brown 7 81 11.6 1 K.Wright 6 98 16.3 0 R.Lauderdale 2 10 5.0 1 J.Landry 2 28 14.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD T.Wilson 11 0 0 0 R.Lewis 10 0 0 0 B.Carter 10 0 0 0 L.Fort 9 1.5 0 0 J.Lane 5 0 0 0 B.Mingo 5 0 0 0 D.Randall 5 0 0 0 S.Moore 4 0 0 0 P.Taylor 2 1 0 0 B.McDougald 2 0 0 0 J.Myrick 2 0 0 0 J.Jenkins 2 0 0 0 J.Casey 1 0 0 0 J.Garner 1 0 0 0 M.James 1 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG S.Hauschka 1/1 5/5 8 42 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 P.McAfee 3 130 43.3 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD D.Fender 6 129 21.5 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD D.Brandon 2 6 3.0 0

Carolina Panthers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT C.Newton 20/33 226 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD G.Klien 7 81 11.6 1 Z.Stacy 18 67 3.7 0 C.Newton 9 40 4.4 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD K.Britt 8 116 14.5 1 K.Benjamin 3 35 11.7 0 Z.Stacy 3 22 7.3 0 P.Milton 3 34 11.3 0 C.Matthews 2 19 9.5 0 M.Tolbert 1 0 0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD A.Williams 12 0 0 0 J.Addae 10 0 1 0 T.Patrick 9 0 0 0 J.Norman 8 0 0 0 M.Butler 8 0 0 0 P.Robinson 7 0 0 0 S.Thompson 6 0 0 0 V.Williams 6 0 0 0 A.Amos 5 0 0 0 C.Johnson 3 1 0 0 S.Lotulelei 2 0 0 0 J.Jenkins 2 0 0 0 G.Powe 2 0 0 0 R.Quarles 1 0 0 0 N.Sanford 1 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG C.Santos 2/2 3/3 9 38 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 B.Austin 4 171 42.8 2 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD R.Ellington 1 29 29.0 0 J.Butler 4 78 19.5 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD R.Ellington 1 8 8.0 0

Post Season Review

Wildcard
NFC
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28 @ 38 Carolina Panthers
Philadelphia Eagles 38 @ 31 San Francisco 49ers
AFC
Cincinnati Bengals 35 @ 21 Kansas City Chiefs
indianapolis Colts 24 @ 28 Buffalo Bills

Divisional
NFC
Philadelphia Eagles 23 @ 38 Dallas Cowboys
Carolina Panthers 22 @ 19 Minnesota Vikings
AFC
Cincinnati Bengals 7 @ 37 Cleveland Browns
Buffalo Bills 7 @ 28 Tennessee Titans

Conference
NFC
Carolina Panthers 41 @ 35 Dallas Cowboys
AFC
Tennessee Titans 38 @ 35 Cleveland Browns

Superbowl
Tennessee Titans 38 vs 27 Carolina Panthers

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 5 19/20 - Pre Draft

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

NFL Draft Year 5 19/20 - Round 1 Recap
Pick	Team	Player	Pos
1	Mexico City Diablos	Austin Moon	DE
2	Detroit Lions	Emmanuel Howell	S
3	Washington Redskins	Nico Cole	CB
4	Denver Broncos	Jack Cole	DT
5	New York Giants	Anton Reeves	T
6	Arizona Cardinals	Nick Lattimore	T
7	Oakland Raiders	Taz Robinson	T
8	New England Patriots	Gordon McBride	LB
9	New York Jets	Philip Carter	LB
10	Pittsburgh Steelers	Connor Phillip	DE
11	San Diego Chargers	Tomas Brown	DE
12	Seattle Seahawks	Mark Mason	DT
13	St Louis Rams	Andre Marsh	DT
14	Miami Dolphins	Felix Spencer	RB
15	Baltimore Ravens	Tyler Mayes	CB
16	Green Bay Packers	Heath Bernard	DT
17	Chicago Bears	Kevin Parker	T
18	Jacksonville Jaguars	Gordon James	C
19	Houston Texans	John Bryan	LB
20	New Orleans Saints	Taray Tarpley	LB
21	Kansas City Chiefs	Derek Jones	WR
22	Indianapolis Colts	Khalil Patton	RB
23	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Ellis Jordan	DE
24	San Francisco 49ers	Sam Doyle	QB
25	Buffalo Bills	Derek Armstead	CB
26	Cincinnati Bengals	Bryon Keller	WR
27	Minnesota Vikings	Malcolm Cole	LB
28	Philadelphia Eagles	Michael Reedy	G
29	Cleveland Browns	Aevry Tillman	LB
30	Dallas Cowboys	Hunter Lindsay	DT
31	Carolina Panthers	Edivaldo Jackson	T
32	Tennessee Titans	Patrick Rock	CB

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

So, I've made it through 5 seasons! Thanks for the people that have followed, hopefully you've enjoyed it and plan to stick around a little longer

I'm now going to change things up slightly. As I may have mentioned at the start of this thread, I plan to assume the role of a player within this new Madden universe and live out their career. I don't plan to shape their playing career in any way. Like in real life, the resigning, contracts, training, injuries, game time and opportunities a player faces in their career are rarely of their own choosing. I plan to replicate that, hopefully the football gods will look down on me favourably as I don't fancy being a back up for the next 10 years lol But, if that's how it goes, then I'll have fun documenting it and describing how that might feel and play out.

I'll be putting the first post up on Monday relating to the new direction for this thread. I still plan to continue a lot of the regular league wide posts that I've done to this point so that people can see how this version of the NFL is still evolving, I will just be inserting a number of player-centric posts and, fingers crossed, game related posts including media, box scores, videos etc.

I'll be playing games on All-Madden, controlling a single player on offence and playing 12 minute quarter. If anyone wants a full break down of the sliders and settings, I'll happily provide them and add the details into page 1.

I will control a single player on defence and won't switch from that player either during a play. The defensive player (A DT) will purely be controlled so that I don't have to rely on the auto-sim, which I find to give some out of whack stats and a very inflated play count per game. The offensive player will be controlled so I can live their live. Consider it a "Be A Pro - v2.0".

As always, feedback appreciated. I look forward to what is to come!

[NewscasterNews4]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

So, I've made it through 5 seasons! Thanks for the people that have followed, hopefully you've enjoyed it and plan to stick around a little longer

I'm now going to change things up slightly. As I may have mentioned at the start of this thread, I plan to assume the role of a player within this new Madden universe and live out their career. I don't plan to shape their playing career in any way. Like in real life, the resigning, contracts, training, injuries, game time and opportunities a player faces in their career are rarely of their own choosing. I plan to replicate that, hopefully the football gods will look down on me favourably as I don't fancy being a back up for the next 10 years lol But, if that's how it goes, then I'll have fun documenting it and describing how that might feel and play out.

I'll be putting the first post up on Monday relating to the new direction for this thread. I still plan to continue a lot of the regular league wide posts that I've done to this point so that people can see how this version of the NFL is still evolving, I will just be inserting a number of player-centric posts and, fingers crossed, game related posts including media, box scores, videos etc.

I'll be playing games on All-Madden, controlling a single player on offence and playing 12 minute quarter. If anyone wants a full break down of the sliders and settings, I'll happily provide them and add the details into page 1.

I will control a single player on defence and won't switch from that player either during a play. The defensive player (A DT) will purely be controlled so that I don't have to rely on the auto-sim, which I find to give some out of whack stats and a very inflated play count per game. The offensive player will be controlled so I can live their live. Consider it a "Be A Pro - v2.0".

As always, feedback appreciated. I look forward to what is to come!

Looking forward to the change! Just a guess, will the player you will be controlling be named Jared Cole? I was surprised he slipped out of the 1st round.

By the way, do you plan on doing a Madden 17 franchise? If so, I will definitely be following.

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Looking forward to the change! Just a guess, will the player you will be controlling be named Jared Cole? I was surprised he slipped out of the 1st round.

By the way, do you plan on doing a Madden 17 franchise? If so, I will definitely be following.

It may or may not be Mr Cole

And I'm going to stick with 16. Purely because it's taken me about 8 months to set this franchise up to enjoy playing it rather than just reporting on it lol

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 6 20/21 - Preseason Week 1

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 6 20/21 - Preseason Week 3

Journal Pages 1 & 2

Spoiler

Journal Pages 3 & 4

Spoiler

Journal Page 5

Spoiler

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 6 20/21 - Preseason Week 4

Play of the Game

Spoiler

Game Media

Spoiler

Box Score

Spoiler

Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles
Aug 30, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Carolina Panthers (1-3)	3	7	3	7	20
Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)	7	10	7	14	38

Team Stats Comparison
	CAR	PHI
Total Offense	461	491
Rushing Yards	154	253
Passing Yards	307	238
First Downs	22	23
Punt Return Yards	4	13
Kick Return Yards	78	54
Total Yards	543	558
Turnovers	2	0
3rd Down Converstion	12-23	17-26
4th Down Conversion	0-0	0-1
2-Point Conversion	0	0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	3-4	5-6
Penalties	3-25	3-28
Posession Time	17:39	30:21

Carolina Panthers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT R.Griffin III 25/37 252 2 0 C.Newton 4/8 62 0 1 Z.Joeckel 1/1 12 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD G.Klien 21 80 3.8 0 Z.Stacy 14 42 3.0 0 R.Griffin III 5 21 4.2 0 C.Newton 2 7 3.5 0 T.Austin 1 4 4.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD M.McGee 9 82 9.1 2 D.Morgan 4 44 11.0 0 G.Klien 4 14 3.5 0 A.Kelly 3 26 8.6 0 B.Smelley 2 17 8.5 0 T.Austin 2 17 8.5 0 Z.Stacy 2 54 27.0 0 R.Ellington 1 7 7.0 0 J.Butler 1 8 8.0 0 K.Benjamin 1 37 37.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD S.Tolliver 12 0 0 0 M.Graves 9 0 0 0 G.Powe 8 0 0 0 S.Thompson 6 0 0 0 L.Kuechly 5 0 0 0 A.Sullivan 6 0 0 0 J.Quick 7 0 0 0 J.Jenkins 8 0 0 0 A.Branch 5 0 0 0 C.Lynch 4 0 0 0 A. Williams 4 0 0 0 N.Sanford 2 0 0 0 R.Phillip 2 0 0 0 A.Allen 1 1 0 0 S.Lotulelei 2 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG C.Santos 2/2 2/2 8 52 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 B.Austin 7 310 44.2 2 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD R.Ellington 2 53 26.5 0 K.Taylor 1 25 25.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD R.Ellington 3 4 1.3 0

Philadelphia Eagles PASSING C/A YDS TD INT B.Blake 12/22 121 0 0 C.Knox 10/15 117 3 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD J.Jordan 32 144 4.5 2 K.Williams 13 63 4.8 0 S.Taylor 11 32 2.9 0 B.Blake 3 8 2.6 0 B.Miller 1 -2 -2 0 C.Knox 1 8 8 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD M.Patrick 4 45 12.2 1 O.Mason 3 32 10.6 0 J.Mason 3 20 6.6 1 J.Jordan 3 20 6.6 0 N.Narcisse 2 56 28.0 0 M.Graves 2 30 15.0 1 Z.Ertz 2 18 9.0 0 L Preston 1 18 18.0 0 K.Williams 1 -1 -1 0 S.Taylor 1 0 0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD K.Alonso 12 0 1 0 M.Gilchrist 12 0 0 0 M.Butler 7 0 0 0 K.Ishmael 9 0 0 0 M.Thomas 5 0 0 0 J.McNeil 5 0 0 0 J.Patrick 6 0.5 0 0 J.Jackson 4 1 0 0 B.Logan 3 0 0 0 B.Maxwell 4 0 0 0 C.Riley 3 0 0 0 M.Kendricks 2 0 0 0 M.Griffin 3 0 0 0 A.Hal 2 1 0 0 C.Barwin 2 0.5 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG C.Parkey 1/1 5/5 8 34 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 M.Darr 6 272 45.3 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD M.Patrick 1 32 32.0 0 J.Jordan 1 22 22.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD M.Patrick 3 12 4.0 0 L.Preston 1 1 1.0 0

Journal Pages 1 & 2

Spoiler

Journal Pages 3 & 4

Spoiler

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 6 20/21 - Preseason Week 4


Your One Stop Shop For Everything Pro Football!



Craig Costello, Editor in Chief

It has been a busy off-season and preseason is all but over. How does your team stack up? We had record levels of coaches having to find new jobs after the season was done to, front offices are becoming impatient and want success sooner rather than later. That can lead to rash decisions and big winners in free agency. How did your team do? Let's find out!

NFC North


Detroit Lions - Last Season 5-11

As we have seen so many times in recent seasons, a successful first year for a new coach was followed up by a mediocre 2nd effort. Mike Shula will have to battle hard with this team to avoid a 2nd straight top 3 draft pick that might cost him his job. QB injuries plagued Detroit last season as the team turned to new signing Winston, before Mark Sanchez and finally Ryan Mallett. The ex-Tampa man is now healthy and back under centre, the Lions main job this season will be to keep him that way. Calvin Johnson also missed time last season, but the team resigned his talents despite reaching the twilight of his career. At RB, 4th year Dashun Flowers is slowly emerging and Jared Cook will continue to be a solid option at TE. Former 1st round pick BJ Scruggs anchors a reasonable offensive line from left tackle, he looks a solid selection now he has a few seasons under his belt. Defensively, the team may have lost MLB Brandon Spikes for the season during pre-season, that will hurt. However Levy, Whitehead and Ansah all return, they are dependable pros. Eric Berry has been signed to bolster the secondary as Glover Quin retires, it will be interesting how he adapts to a new team for the first time in his career. Questions still remain at CB, despite some recent investment through the draft.

Notable Resignings - WR Calvin Johnson, MLB Brandon Spikes
Notable Additions - FS Eric Berry
Notable Losses - FS Glover Quin (retired - age),
Draft Pick - FS Emmanuel Howell


Green Bay Packers - Last Season 8-8

A change of coach wasn't enough to launch the Packers to a deep post season run and Sean Payton's first season in charge saw the Packers languish at .500 and miss the playoff completely. Aaron Rodgers is still the lynch pin, but his time is short. Unable to agree on a short term deal, GB tagged him. At this stage of his career, that tag amount equates to about what a 1 year contract would cost anyway. The trio of players around Rodgers remain in Lacy, Cobb and an ever improving Davonte Adams. Vance McDonald is set to miss time at TE straight out of the gate and that may hurt, but a bright spot is that the offensive line continues to look more than adequate. Some questions remain at tackle, particularly with Ryan Jensen on the right, but at guard and centre the team look very comfortable. The team is most likely going to struggle on defence, though the draft is providing a source of continual recruitment on that side of the ball at the moment. Stacy Winston is a top-tier option at MLB, but once again quality is scarce around him. Janoris Jenkins is a reasonable corner but now on the downside of his career. Kony Ealy appeared a reasonable option at DE when he signed last year but his play has declined over the last 12 months. Safety and defensive end are still the biggest areas of concern for the Packers, they won't win much until those positions are upgraded.

Notable Resignings - QB Aaron Rodgers(franchise tag), WR Randall cobb, OLB Ben McGhee
Notable Additions - None
Notable Losses - None
Draft Pick - DT Heath Bernard


Chicago Bears - Last Season 3-13

4 wins, 8 wins, 3 wins, 9 wins. That covers the last 4 years for the Bears and suggests the upcoming season will be one of their "down" years. Possibly one of the most consistently inconsistent teams in the league right now, Jeff Fisher has been removed and replaced by long time offensive coordinator Adam Gase. The QB specialist oversaw a high octane passing attack last season and with the resigning of QB Nate Patterson, Gase will look to continue that success now he is in charge. The route to that success appears to be through an improved offensive line. The experienced Max Unger has been recruited to play centre, and Phil Mason has been brought in from Mexico City. One question mark may be that 1st round pick Kevin Parker has to start at right tackle from day 1, we'll see how that pans out. New signing Rob Gronkowski will join established receivers Jordan Matthews and Alshon Jeffrey, plus young runner Tyrone Flower is ever improving. Jye Mason is now the leader of this defence, the young DT impressed a lot of people last season and he continues to improve. Former #1 pick Jose Lunsford has resigned on a team friendly deal, that is a good piece of business. Tamba Hali's retirement weakens an already under-strength LB group, and defensive end remains an issue.

Notable Resignings - QB Nate Patterson, CB Jose Lunsford
Notable Additions - TE Rob Gronkowski, LG Phil Mason, C Max Unger
Notable Losses - OLB Tamba Hali (retired - age)
Draft Pick - RT Kevin Parker
New Coach - Adam Gase


Minnesota Vikings - Last Season 10-5-1

Life under Brian Billick continues to get better and better for the Vikings as they look to secure their 3rd straight NFC North title. For the 2nd time in 2 years though, the team have seen a major piece of their roster leave town. First it was Anthony Barr and more recently young RB Julius Shaw bolted for New England, leaving a gap in the backfield. That leaves relatively unknown 3rd year back Shanard Sellers with the job of supporting Teddy Bridgewater. Last year's 1st round pick WR Jaren Jones is developing nicely and Coby Fleener is a very good TE. On the line, the Vikings stack up better than most and the group is led by long time veteran Alvin Bailey at left tackle now John Sullivan has retired. Despite the loss of Barr, the defence held up well last season and should impress this term to. The front 7 looks set and youngsters Parker and Jordan join established stars like Griffin to form a solid unit. SS is a concern, as is depth at corner back behind stand out Xavier Rhodes. Former 1st round selection Taven Blake has had a couple of years in the league now and really needs to start developing.

Notable Resignings - DE Everson Griffen, TE Coby Fleener
Notable Additions - None
Notable Losses - C John Sullivan (retired - age), RB Julius Shaw (salary)
Draft Pick - OLB Malcolm Cole

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

NFC South


Mexico City Diablos - Last Season 3-12-1

Mexico City tested the limits of it's new fan base with a pretty horrible looking 3-12-1 record last term that results in #1 pick in the draft. That record also cost one of the league's longer tenured coaches his job in Dan Quinn. Replacing Quinn is Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan who deserves a shot as a Head Coach as much as anyone with his recent success. Linehan's first job will be to pick a starter from a congested QB mix. Nick Foles is an established option. The team used 14th pick last season on Josh Mitchell, then the 1st pick of round 2 most recently on rookie Justin Mason. Regardless of who starts, Freeman is now an established NFL RB behind that QB and Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu will be options on the outside. The offensive line is reasonable, but has questions at tackle and will surely be hurt by losing one of the best, young guards in the league in the form of Phil Mason. Defensively the team is also in reasonable shape. Defensive End is poor, though the side did use the #1 pick at that position with Tennessee's Austin Moon. Defensive tackle is a different proposition as the team is strong there, much like at linebacker where Anthony Barr, Bobby Wagner and Cesar Stevenson make up a formidable trio. With Trufant at CB and emerging talent at safety, this defence should improve but isn't there yet.

Notable Resignings - DT Andrew Woodson, WR Mohamed Sanu
Notable Additions - CB Chris Culliver, DT Rashawn Nelson
Notable Losses - CB Brandon Flowers (retired - age), LG Phil Mason (roster)
Draft Pick - DE Austin Moon
New Coach - Scott Linehan


New Orleans Saints - Last Season 9-7

Mike McCarthy's rough luck continues. After being ousted by the Packers, and then the Dolphins, McCarthy arrived at the Saints just as Drew Brees retired. After a single year of an injury prone Matt Ryan and missing the playoffs despite grabbing 9 wins, the former Falcons/Diablos QB has also retired. Fortunately, Riley Swanson, the Saints 6th round selection from 2 years ago looked more than capable as a rookie and should get a shot as the day 1 starter in his 2nd year. Mark Ingram is entering his 10th season, quite an achievement for a running back. Brandin Cooks, Golden Tate and 5th year Mike Buchanan make up a good if not great receiving trio. Helping Ingram and Swanson will be a very good offensive line. 4th year LG Connor Graham and 3rd year C Hooper Lauderdale are already highly regarded across the league. On defence, Eldrin Garner joins a reasonable front 7 that also includes James Smith, a fast developing defensive tackle. Derron Scott and Jairus Byrd continue to make up one of the best safety tandems in the league. This team could surprise a few people next season.

Notable Resignings - FS Jarius Byrd, SS Derron Scott, DT James Smith
Notable Additions - CB Captain Munnerlyn, MLB Eldrin Garner
Notable Losses - QB Matt Ryan (retired - age)
Draft Pick - MLB Taray Tarpley


Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Last Season 9-6-1

Despite clear improvements, the Buccaneers are a team that appear dangerously close to disintegration. A 9-6-1 record was good enough for 6th seed in the NFC, but a first round loss to fellow NFC South side Carolina ended their post season dream. Since that loss, the franchise has done nothing but trend downwards. Unable to keep their stars happy, Tampa had to choose between tagging WR Mike Evans and young DT Andrew Gutierrez. The team went with the latter and finally let Evans walk, like franchise QB Jameis Winston did the season before. These recent off season moves by the front office have disillusioned Coach Tomsula, who also decided to walk. He's been replaced by Bill O'Brien, fresh off a Super Bowl win as the Titans offensive coordinator.The start at QB is going to go to Will Patrick as Jarred Lucas remains on IR from last season. Braxton Travis is a dependable back for this offence but question marks remain at WR after #1 Brandon Lafell now Evans has left the team. Defensively the squad is in excellent shape with Gutierrez and MLB Zach Brown both resigning, plus the continual form of veterans Gerald McCoy and Alterraun Verner. Gordon Peterson is emerging as a top tier corner and will be a great addition to this unit. The main obstacle for Tampa right now appears to be keeping this team together, rather than adding to it.

Notable Resignings - DT Andrew Gutierrez (franchise tag), MLB Zach Brown
Notable Additions - None
Notable Losses - WR Mike Evans (team)
Draft Pick - DE Ellis Jordan
New Coach - Bill O'Brian


Carolina Panthers - Last Season 10-6

The Panthers now have 4 NFC South titles in the last 5 years and are the only team to have made it to 2 Super Bowls in that span. Last year's loss to the Titans will be a disappointment as this roster is beginning to show some cracks and may need a bit of an overhaul. Those issues are mostly present on defence, where Carolina now have a few glaring gaps in their roster. CB depth beyond Josh Norman is one issue but that situation is unchanged from last season and the team overcame it, free safety is another issue that may become more obvious. The strengths of this team still remain very strong though. The line backer trio of Kuechly, Thompson and the franchise tagged Taylor Patrick is as good as any in the league and their options at DT are top tier. DE remains a mixed bag, Charles Johnson is entering his 14th season and has the more than capable Raysean Phillip waiting in the wings. Offensively the team has taken a hit with the retirement of long time stand out centre Ryan Khalil. The offensive line is still strong at guard but now centre and both tackle spots need attention. Cam Newton remains a top 3 QB in the league, though he missed time last year and that hurt. Kelvin Benjamin will start the season injured and could miss a month or two, it remains to be seen if Kenny Britt can step into that #1 spot and produce given his age. Parker Milton is becoming the next great TE in Carolina, carrying the torch from Greg Olsen. RB is still an issue, Zac Stacey isn't the answer.

Notable Resignings - OLB Taylor Patrick (franchise tag), OLB Shaq Thompson
Notable Additions - None
Notable Losses - C Ryan Khalil (retired - age), FB Mike Tolbert (age)
Draft Pick - RT Edivaldo Jackson