Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

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  • Tritoch42
    Rookie
    • Dec 2010
    • 303

    #1

    Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

    Hounds Sterling

    Washington Relocation Franchise

    Hello all! Madden 21 is here, football is back, and the fever bites. Last year, I did a few years of a relocation franchise moving the Tampa Bay Bucs down to Mexico to become the Mexico City Golden Eagles, which was a blast until starting a new job dragged me away long enough that the itch wore off.

    Now, for 2021, I want to take another crack at a relocation franchise. This time, I'll be taking the Washington "Football Team" and using their rebranding crisis as the opportunity for the team to be scooped up by new British ownership and reborn as the London Bulldogs.

    I'll be simming through the first season, just worrying about getting the team moved and doing draft prep. Posts will begin in the aftermath of the Cleveland Browns' 42-3 blowout Super Bowl victory over Arizona, with the newly-minted Bulldogs preparing the roster for their first season through free agency and the 2021 draft.

    Game Details
    I'll be playing on All-Madden. I fall in between AP and AM skill-wise, and I prefer a stiff challenge. I'm using Matt10's AM sliders with slightly longer quarters in hopes of getting slightly more realistic stats. Other than that, no major house rules other than to just try and avoid any overly cheesy behavior.

    Hopefully some of you will come along for the ride, and it should be a good run!
  • Tritoch42
    Rookie
    • Dec 2010
    • 303

    #2
    Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

    The Big Move
    The London Bulldogs' First Offseason

    Rumors regarding a potential sale of the Washington Football Team began circulating early in the 2020 regular season, but they had heated up significantly by the time the season reached its midpoint. As Washington sat at 2-6 at the bottom of the NFC East, the announcement finally came: the franchise had been purchased by a group of British investors headed by Dr. Arthur Clarke, and would be relocated overseas to the United Kingdom.

    The 2020 season ended with the Cleveland Browns advancing from the wildcard to a convincing 42-3 Super Bowl blowout over the Arizona Cardinals, and the start of the offseason marked the start of the former Redskins' transition to London, England.

    Ron Rivera will be retained as the London Bulldog's coach for the 2021 season.

    While the team finished with a disappointing final record of 4-11, Dr. Clarke was adamant in insisting that no major staffing changes would be made during the team's transition overseas. Ron Rivera would be retained as Head Coach along with all of his assistant coaching staff, and he would work closely with the team's management to build the team in the offseason. That building process, however, would be a challenging one thanks to the Bulldogs' roster being very light on standout talent.

    Both Rivera and Clarke were upfront about their modest expectations for the coming season. Rivera in particular admitted that, in order to fully realize his vision for the team, several years of careful rebuilding would be necessary. Dwayne Haskins had struggled to prove that he was worth the first-round selection that had brought him two the team two years prior, and both the backfield and receiving corps lacked big playmakers. The team did secure a significant offseason win by re-signing standout RG Brandon Scherff to a new three-year deal, but LE Ryan Kerrigan, CB Ronald Darby, and WR Cody Latimer all opted to enter free agency after declining offers from the team to sign new contracts.

    Entering into the free agency period, the Bulldogs made two large offers in hopes of substantially upgrading the offense: a two-year, $33.9M offer to LT Trent Williams, and a 5-year, $49.8M deal to HB Aaron Jones. Williams, who had played for Washington prior to the 2020 season, rejected the deal in favor of an offer from the Cardinals; Jones, however, opted to sign with the Bulldogs to become their new primary running back. Signing Jones represented a major upgrade to the Bulldogs' offense, but as he was the only player signed by the team during the free agency, they would need to address many of their remaining shortcomings in the 2021 draft. In an effort to strengthen their draft position, the Bulldogs traded DT Jonathan Allen to the Super Bowl champion Browns, receiving a 6th round pick in the upcoming draft, as well as a 2nd and 7th round selection in 2022.

    Leading into the draft, the Bulldogs' front office were heavily divided on how to best make use of the team's first round draft pick, which was the second overall behind the Miami Dolphins. Kansas State's Heisman-winning QB Kelvin Sanders was widely considered among the top players in the draft, and a sizable portion of the team management were eager to see the Bulldogs draft him as a replacement for Haskins, whose two-year performance had seen him struggle to find his rhythm.

    Although he had many recommendations to trade down or invest in a high-draft lineman, Ron Rivera eventually opted to use his #2 pick to secure Kelvin Sanders for the Bulldogs, bringing the Heisman winner in to contest Haskins' starting job. The remainder of the draft was extremely one-sided -- all of the Bulldogs' eight draft selections were offensive players.



    After choosing Sanders in the first round, Rivera picked up talented Georgia Center Jake Mills, who he believed could be an immediate starter on the offensive line. He drafted a pair of Wide Receivers in the third round, followed by a string of four big men: LG Rhett DaConti, FBs Junior boley and Marco Mayes, and TE Jared Stewart.

    In post-draft interviews, Rivera stated that his goal was to thoroughly strengthen the offense with big, powerful players that could help drive an aggressive, physically resilient offense that could march steadily downfield and manage games. The defense could be worked on in upcoming drafts; 2021 was the year of building the Bulldogs' identity as a grinding powerhouse on offense, with Aaron Jones running behind a group of strong blockers.

    From that point on, the race to prepare for 2021 had begun. Rivera and his staff would only have one chance to execute the Bulldogs' first year in London, and if they wanted that trademark physical offense to be ready in time, training would have to start right away. In just a few months time, the Bulldogs would need to be prepared for their first game under their new identity against the Steelers in the 2021 preseason.

    Comment

    • moose141
      MVP
      • Dec 2007
      • 3402

      #3
      Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

      Should be a fun follow! I like the overseas narrative, plus looks like a cool logo. Should be a fun rebuild with the storyline of going from one capital to another haha.
      Check out my Pitt Panthers Dynasty (NCAA Football 14)
      Subscribe to my YouTube channel moose141DM!

      Pittsburgh Penguins - Pittsburgh Panthers - Pittsburgh Steelers - Pittsburgh Pirates - West Ham United
      University of Pittsburgh Ice Hockey

      Comment

      • Careless Whisper
        MVP
        • Dec 2016
        • 1984

        #4
        Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

        I'm following too, looking forward to this!
        The Rise of the Carnegie Mellon Tartans | NCAA Football 08
        The Rise of the Carnegie Mellon Tartans | MVP 07 NCAA Baseball

        Comment

        • Tritoch42
          Rookie
          • Dec 2010
          • 303

          #5
          Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

          Originally posted by moose141
          Should be a fun follow! I like the overseas narrative, plus looks like a cool logo. Should be a fun rebuild with the storyline of going from one capital to another haha.
          Agreed on the logo! I thought about using the Monarchs at first, but the sweet logo and the cool red/white/blue jersey look really won me over. I think their uniform design is one of the best among the relocation franchises.

          Comment

          • Tritoch42
            Rookie
            • Dec 2010
            • 303

            #6
            Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

            The London Bulldogs - The First Look
            The Bulldogs split their first two games of the year to start the preseason at 1-1

            After an eventful offseason that saw the team move to a new country and acquire a brand new franchise Quarterback and stud Running Back, the London Bulldogs have finally gotten the chance to show the world what the NFL's first British-owned franchise is capable of.


            Trey Quinn pulls down a catch in traffic for a first-quarter touchdown against the Steelers.

            The Bulldogs' preseason opened with a trip to Pittsburgh, where they started off with an impressive display on both sides of the ball. Free Safety Kendall Fuller stopped the Steelers' second drive abruptly when he picked off Big Ben for a 58-yard touchdown return, and the offense pushed the team ahead 14-0 by the end of the first quarter after Alex Smith connected on a high touchdown pass to WR Trey Quinn.

            After Smith helped the Bulldogs get ahead in the first quarter, the Bulldogs sent in their first-round draft pick Kelvin Sanders to finish the game at Quarterback for the remaining three quarters. The rookie out of Kansas State looked shaky in his first outing on an NFL field, throwing for an unimpressive 7-19 and just 58 yards. The Steelers dominated the offensive game easily, with Mason Rudolph accumulating over 300 yards passing in three quarters of play. But while the Steelers were able to gain yardage with ease, they repeatedly failed to turn those yards into points. The Bulldogs showed tenacity along the defensive line, and several drives that could have turned into points for Pittsburgh were stopped by sacks.

            Ultimately, a strip-sack by Da'Ron Payne -- who tallied 3.5 sacks on the day -- led to a touchdown return, the Bulldogs' second defensive score of the game and the touchdown that definitively secured the win. Rudolph did his best to bring the Steelers back, but a late-game touchdown pass was not enough to overcome a two-score deficit so late in the game, and the Steelers conceded a win to the Bulldogs in their first appearance.


            The Bulldogs defense recorded three sacks against the Lions in their home opener.
            The Bulldogs then took their game back across the pond, where they hosted the Detroit Lions for their first game at home in the UK. In true London fashion, the game was played through constant rainfall, and the wet conditions made their presence felt early on. On just the second play of the game, Alex Smith threw an interception after his receiver slipped and fell on the wet turf, allowing the Lions a quick 7-0 lead to start. Smith played only a few drives, however, before Kelvin Sanders was given a second shot at running the offense.

            The Bulldogs kept to a simple, hard-nosed style of offense throughout the game. The Power I formation factored heavily into a slow and methodical rushing attack, and for most of the game the Bulldogs lined up in some variation of the I Formation or Single Back, rarely having more than two Wide Receivers on the field at once. It was slow and physical, but it worked. Aaron Jones showed off his own power by pushing in a three-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter, and the game was tied 10-10 at the halftime break.

            The Bulldogs were able to take their first lead of the day late in the third quarter, when Younghoe Koo drove a 29-yard kick through the wind and rain for a narrow lead. By the fourth quarter, though, that lead had evaporated, and the Bulldogs were left with just over four minutes to lead a comeback drive to push the game into overtime.

            Kelvin Sanders tightened up his game for the final drive, and was able to get his team inside the ten yardline to threaten the game winning score. It looked as if all had been lost when his pass sailed high over his receiver on 4th and goal, but a defensive pass interference call gave them a fresh chance at the 1 yardline. Bryce Love smashed his way across the line of scrimmage for a touchdown, and the game seemed to be headed for overtime -- until Younghoe Koo's extra point struck the left upright and bounced into the endzone, leaving the Bulldogs behind 20-19.

            The missed extra point decided the game, and the Bulldogs had to accept a frustrating loss in their first home outing of the year.


            QB Kelvin Sanders takes snaps during a practice session ahead of their week three matchup with the Titans.

            With the opening two weeks of the preseason under their belt, the Bulldogs have some good reasons to feel positive about the back half. After a dismal performance in week one, Kelvin Sanders showed some better decision-making in week two. Though he threw for three interceptions, rainy conditions and dropped passes helped to inflate this total; his 21-30 completion rate against Detroit shows the young signal caller is moving in the right direction. The Bulldogs were back out working hard on the practice field following Saturday night's loss, and there is no reason to expect that Sanders won't turn in an even better performance in week three.

            The Bulldogs have also shown surprising tenacity on defense, with the defensive line relentlessly pressuring opposing quarterbacks and racking up sacks at an impressive rate. RE Chase Young, who missed much of his rookie season last year due to an injury, has looked strong, and DTs Matt Ioannidis and Da'Ron Payne have emerged as a deadly duo in the trenches, with Payne in particular recording a staggering 6.5 sacks in the first two games of the preseason.

            Wide Receiver play has been lacking for London, however, and both Kelvin Sanders and Alex Smith saw their completion percentages dampened by costly drops. The offensive line has also struggled, allowing consistent pressure to leak into the backfield to rush Sanders' passing game and stifle the rushing attack the Bulldogs are so keen to build.

            The Bulldogs will remain at home next week to host the Tennessee Titans, and will then round out the preseason with a trip to Los Angeles to face the Rams.

            Comment

            • Tritoch42
              Rookie
              • Dec 2010
              • 303

              #7
              Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

              An Even Split and Modest Expectations
              A look ahead at the London Bulldogs at the end of the preseason

              The London Bulldogs opened the preseason at an even 1-1, besting the Steelers on the road before stumbling against the Lions at home. The world's first look at the London Bulldogs showed a team with the potential to see a few stars break out, but the results were mixed at best. Now, with the preseason concluded and the final 53-man roster announced, the Bulldogs have kept their .500 record by finishing the preseason at 2-2.


              Kelvin Sanders completes a touchdown pass to Logan Thomas to send the game into overtime.
              After suffering a demoralizing loss against the Lions in their first home game in London, the Bulldogs stayed on their side of the pond to host the Tennesee Titans, who had also begun their preseason with a modest 1-1 record. Ryan Tannehill played most of the game for the Titans and looked sharp -- he connected to Adam Humphries in the second quarter for a 51-yard score, and then notched a second touchdown on a 34-yard pass to Jonnu Smith. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, struggled for the entire first half. Continuing to struggle with adjusting to the speed of NFL defenses, Kelvin Sanders threw two interceptions in the first half on plays that could have been touchdowns; had those passes connected, the Bulldogs would have led the game 20-14 heading into the fourth quarter, rather than trailing by 14-6.

              But in the fourth quarter, Kelvin Sanders finally showed some flashes of the talent he demonstrated during his Heisman-winning final college season. After Titans' backup Cole McDonald threw his team's third touchdown pass to put the Titans up by a wide 21-6 margin at the start of the fourth quarter, Sanders kicked his game into gear. With 2:46 left in the game, he connected with TE Logan Thomas from 13 yards out, narrowing the lead to an 8-point gap at 21-13. And when the Titans failed to convert at the two minute warning, Sanders had one opportunity to get his team into overtime.

              In the final two minutes of regulation, Sanders looked like a brand new player. He completed 5 of his 7 passes, working a no-huddle two-minute drill that brought the Bulldogs down to the Tenessee 5 yardline with less than 15 seconds to play. On 1st and Goal, Sanders rifled a ball into traffic over the middle to Logan Thomas, planting the ball into his chest and scoring a potentially game-tying touchdown. Rookie FB Marco Mayes punched in the two-yard run for the conversion, and the Bulldogs pushed the game into overtime.

              In overtime, after the Bulldogs went three-and-out and the Titans gave up a fumble recovery, it was Younghoe Koo who, after missing an extra point to lose the team's last game against the Lions, nailed a perfect field goal from 38 yards to give London its first home win. In the end, Kelvin Sanders threw for a total of 296 yards, going 27-53 for 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.


              Younghoe Koo secures a London victory with a 38-yard field goal in overtime.

              The victory was a high point for the Bulldogs. Not only did they give their home crowd their first win, but Kelvin Sanders -- whose performance has been defined by typical rookie inconsistency -- commanded an impressive fourth-quarter comeback that showed glimpses of how he can play when he's at his best, placing quick and strategic passes while using his legs when things break down. The defensive line also continued to look strong, and Younghoe Koo was able to redeem himself for the previous week's loss.


              Sacks continued to roll in for London in their week 4 loss.
              However, the preseason finale saw the Bulldogs travel to the west coast of the United States to face the Los Angeles rams, and the game ended in a brutal 31-13 thrashing. Kelvin Sanders scored early on a high pass that dropped perfectly into the waiting arms of rookie WR Sherard McKenzie, but the second-quarter score would be among the only bright spots in an otherwise poor game.

              The Bulldogs' defensive line, who made themselves one of the team's top preseason stories, continued to impress. Matt Ioannidis and Da'Ron Payne have emerged as a devastating double threat on the inside of the line, and they combined for 4.5 sacks over the course of the day. There were reasons to be optimistic for the Bulldogs' future, but their final preseason game ended on the most grim of notes.

              With the 2021 preseason now behind them, the Bulldogs will prepare to enter the regular season and Ron Rivera will try to assemble his newly collected pieces into a football team that can contest for the NFC East. That process began with determining the team's final roster and starters, which included some surprising moves like carrying a staggering 10 Wide Receivers on the active roster while leaving several defensive positions lacking in depth.

              Offensively, the Bulldogs will be led by Kelvin Sanders as the starting Quarterback in Week 1, but Ron Rivera is likely to work the ground as his first priority. Rivera drafted two Fullbacks to add some size to his backfield, and showed off a number of heavy formations with multiple Tight Ends, Fullbacks, and linemen throughout the preseason. Their offensive line will feature two rookie starters -- RG Rhett DaConti and C Jake Mills -- who will work under the tutelage of the O-Line's veteran leader, RG Brandon Scherff.

              On defense, the Bulldogs' greatest strength will continue to their offensive line. They worked out of a 4-3 base defense for much of the preseason, with Matt Ioannidis and Da'Ron Payne bruising through opposing linemen with ease. Stand out RE Chase Young, who missed half of his rookie season due to injury, will help to anchor the outside and make the Bulldogs' front four a fearsome threat. They will need to work hard to put pressure on opposing Quarterbacks, as the linebacking corps is lacking and the defensive secondary is the oldest in the NFL. While Safeties Landon Collins and Kendall Fuller are playing hard through their 20's, all but one of the Bulldog's starting Cornerbacks are 30 or older.

              With this roster in place, the Bulldogs will now prepare to open their regular season on the road, heading into the Texas heat to face the Dallas Cowboys.

              London Bulldogs Roster (2021)
              #OFFENSEPOSAGEHTWTCOLLEGE
              12Kelvin Sanders (R)QB216'2''225Kansas State
              7Dwayne Haskins JrQB246'3''230Ohio State
              11Alex SmithQB376'4''217Utah
              21Aaron JonesHB265'9''208UTEP
              32J.D. McKissicHB285'10''195Arkansas State
              33Peyton BarberHB275'11''225Auburn
              49Junior Boley (R)FB226'3''258Southern Miss
              45Marco Mayes (R)FB236'1''265Georgia
              17Terry McLaurinWR246'0''208Ohio State
              15Steven SimsWR245'10''176Kansas
              18Trey QuinnWR256'0''203SMU
              13Kelvin HarmonWR246'2''215N.C. State
              10Antonio Gandy-GoldenWR236'4''223Liberty
              84Greg Ward JrWR265'11''190Houston
              86Sherard McKenzie (R)WR216'5''220Michigan
              88Justin WatsonWR266'3''215Penn
              19Equanimeous St. BrownWR246'5''214Notre Dame
              80Bryan Calhoun (R)WR236'2''215Mississippi State
              82Logan ThomasTE306'6''250Virginia Tech
              40Jared Stewart (R)TE236'4''265FAU
              74Geron Christian SrLT246'5''315Louisville
              88Saahdiq CharlesLT226'4''321LSU
              65Rhett DaConti (R)LG226'2''306Alabama
              71Wes SchweitzerLG276'4''300San Jose State
              52Jake Mills (R)C216'1''310Georgia
              60Keith IsmaelC236'3''309San Diego State
              75Brandon ScherffRG296'5''315Iowa
              67Wes MartinRG256'3''311Indiana
              76Morgan MosesRG306'6''330Virginia
              #DEFENSEPOSAGEHTWTCOLLEGE
              93Jabaal SheardLE326'3''265Pittsburgh
              95Jordan BailfordLE256'3''250Oklahoma State
              99Chase YoungRE226'5''264Ohio State
              90Montez SweatRE246'6''260Mississippi State
              72James Smith-WilliamsRE246'4''265N.C. State
              98Matthew IoannidisDT276'3''310Temple
              94Da'Ron PayneDT246'3''319Alabama
              51Shaun Dion HamiltonLOLB256'0''232Alabama
              55Cole HolcombLOLB256'1''240North Carolina
              56Reuben FosterMLB276'1''228Alabama
              53Jon BosticMLB306'1''245Florida
              42Ben GedeonROLB266'2''244Michigan
              59Khaleke HudsonROLB235'11''224Michigan
              28Jason McCourtyCB345'11''195Rutgers
              25Prince AmukamaraCB326'0''206Nebraska
              26Janoris JEnkinsCB325'10''190North Alabama
              31Aqib TalibCB356'1''205Kansas
              37Greg StromanCB255'11''180Virginia Tech
              23Kendall FullerFS265'11''198Virginia Tech
              30Troy ApkeFS266'1''205Penn State
              20Landon CollinsSS276'0''218Alabama
              29Deshazor EverettSS296'0''203Texas A&M
              #SPECIAL TEAMSPOSAGEHTWTCOLLEGE
              8Younghoe KooK275'9''185Georgia Southern
              5Tress WayP316'1''220Oklahoma
              Last edited by Tritoch42; 09-28-2020, 01:05 AM.

              Comment

              • Tritoch42
                Rookie
                • Dec 2010
                • 303

                #8
                Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

                And that's the preseason! From now on, each game will get its own entry.. The difficulty is steep, talent is a bit thin... But I'm hoping I can at least come away with 5-6 wins for the first year.

                Comment

                • johnstone1987
                  MVP
                  • Jan 2012
                  • 3847

                  #9
                  Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

                  I'm curious on why you picked a QB with your first Round pick? No faith in Haskins?

                  Comment

                  • Tritoch42
                    Rookie
                    • Dec 2010
                    • 303

                    #10
                    Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

                    Originally posted by johnstone1987
                    I'm curious on why you picked a QB with your first Round pick? No faith in Haskins?
                    Honestly, I think with Haskins' development trait and some loving, I could have developed him into a pretty good player. But I find something really fun about having a blank-late, fictional new QB that I can build my franchise around and be free to get creative with. So that's more a decision of player preference than real gameplay necessity.

                    Comment

                    • johnstone1987
                      MVP
                      • Jan 2012
                      • 3847

                      #11
                      Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

                      Ah I see, fair enough.

                      Comment

                      • Tritoch42
                        Rookie
                        • Dec 2010
                        • 303

                        #12
                        Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)


                        Bulldogs Melt Down in Second Half in Dallas
                        A defensive battle turns into a 31-9 blowout win for the Cowboys.

                        After splitting the preseason with a 2-2 record, the London Bulldogs returned to the continental United States to play their first regular season game, facing the Texas heat as they took on the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East's first divisional game of 2021.


                        Aaron Jones anchored the first half for the Bulldogs and ended the day with 105 yards.
                        From the opening whistle, neither team seemed able to find a comfortable rhythm. Dak Prescott went an unimpressive 2-5 on his first two drives, and pressure kept him off-balance as the Bulldogs' defensive line continued to earn its reputation for fierce, physical play. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, kept their gameplan simple and methodical. Aaron Jones carried the ball twice as often as Kelvin Sanders passed through the first two quarters, and the result was a pair of Younghoe Koo field goals that put London ahead by a narrow 6-0 nearing halftime.

                        Dak Prescott began to come alive late in the second quarter, but a deep bomb to CeeDee Lamb was dropped in the endzone, and Matt Ioannidis sacked Prescott to knock the Cowboys outside of field goal range. They were forced to punt, and the Cowboys trailed 6-0 at home at halftime.

                        On the legs of Younghoe Koo, the Bulldogs managed to preserve some sense of optimism after the first half. Unfortunately, the Cowboys would make some significant halftime adjustments and come out of the gate swinging early in the third quarter. Dallas received the kickoff to begin the second half and marched downfield immediately, with Dak Prescott connecting on several precision strikes to set his team up inside the London 10 yardline. Then, from 7 yards out, Prescott kept the ball on a read option and ran untouched into the endzone, putting his team ahead for the first time in the game.


                        Kelvin sanders throws on the run on a play action fake in the third quarter.
                        From there, the Cowboys got red hot while the Bulldogs cooled off quickly. Receiving the kickoff down by just one point, they initially drove rapidly down the field. Power runs by rookie FB Junior Boley successfully converted two fourth-and-short situations, and Kelvin Sanders threw conservatively but intelligently to get his team back into field goal range.

                        That was when rookie LG Rhett DaConti committed two consecutive holding penalties, dropping his team back to an impossible 3nd-and-24. When the Bulldogs punted the ball away on that failed drive, their momentum never recovered. Younghoe Koo scored on one more field goal at the end of the third quarter, and the Cowboys ran away with the rest of the game. Dak Prescott, after starting the first half struggling heavily, threw three touchdown passes on three consecutive drives to thrust his team out to a massive 28-9 lead. A late field goal inside the final two minutes made the score 31-9, and the Cowboys left week 1 of the regular season with a home win and a big step toward leading their division.

                        The Bulldogs, on the other hand, logged a very disappointingly weak performance. While Aaron Jones did manage to post a 100-yard day and Kelvin Sanders protected the ball by not giving up any interceptions or fumbles, the offense couldn't generate the kind of downfield momentum it had displayed during the preseason. By the fourth quarter, the entire offense looked out of sync as they tried desperately to get back into the game.

                        Week 2 will see the Bulldogs on the road for a second straight week, challenging the Detroit Lions as they hope to make up for their loss during the preseason.

                        London Bulldogs at Dallas Cowboys
                        Week 11ST2ND3RD4THSCORE
                        London Bulldogs (0-0-0)06309
                        Dallas Cowboys (0-0-0)0072431
                        Team Stats Comparison
                        LDNDAL
                        Total Offense230304
                        Rushing Yards146147
                        Passing Yards84157
                        First Downs1412
                        Punt Return Yards835
                        Kick Return Yards220
                        Total Yards260339
                        Turnovers00
                        3rd Down Conversion5-164-9
                        4th Down Conversion2-30-0
                        2-Point Conversion0-00-0
                        Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals0/24/0
                        Penalties1-102-15
                        Posession Time28:1819:42
                        Scoring Summary
                        SECOND QUARTER SCORINGLDNDAL
                        7:41(LDN) Y. Koo 52yd FG30
                        1:55(LDN) Y. Koo 46yd FG60
                        THIRD QUARTER SCORINGLDNDAL
                        7:19(DAL) D. Prescott 7yd run (J. Myers kick)67
                        0:07(LDN) Y. Koo 31yd FG97
                        FOURTH QUARTER SCORINGLDNDAL
                        9:29(DAL) E. Elliott 15yd pass from D. Prescott (J.Myers kick)914
                        6:37(DAL) B. Jarwin 1yd pass from D. Prescott (J. Myers kick)921
                        5:10(DAL) J. Johnson 11yd pass from D. Prescott (J. Myers kick)928
                        1:09(DAL) J. Myers 51yd FG931
                        London Bulldogs
                        PASSINGC/AYDSTDINT
                        Kelvin Sanders14-2711100
                        RUSHINGATTYDSAVGTD
                        Aaron Jones271053.80
                        RECEIVINGRECYDSAVGTD
                        Steven Sims5448.80
                        Terry McLaurin33210.60
                        DEFENSETACKSACKINTTD
                        Matt Ioannidis51.000
                        Janoris Jenkins61.000
                        KICKINGFGXPPTSLONG
                        Younghoe Koo3-30-0352
                        Dallas Cowboys
                        PASSINGC/AYDSTDINT
                        Dak Prescott15-2216630
                        RUSHINGATTYDSAVGTD
                        Ezekiel Elliott211366.40
                        Dak Prescott2115.51
                        RECEIVINGRECYDSAVGTD
                        Blake Jarwin3103.31
                        Ezekiel Elliott22010.01
                        Jon'Vea Johnson11111.01
                        KICKINGFGXPPTSLONG
                        Jason Myers1-14-4751


                        Week 1 Results
                        Week 1
                        Sunday's Games
                        Giants 23 - 26 Falcons
                        Texans 22 - 14 Jets
                        Broncos 21 - 28 Steelers
                        Bills 38 - 22 Patriots
                        Bears 24 - 16 Packers
                        Bulldogs 9 - 31 Cowboys
                        Jaguars 16 - 35 Colts
                        Raiders 21 - 28 Chiefs
                        Dolphins 21 - 24 Saints
                        Cardinals 31 - 21 Titans
                        Bengals 7 - 35 Lions
                        Vikings 21 - 31 Seahawks
                        Eagles 16 - 10 Chargers
                        Panthers 31 - 28 Buccaneers
                        Monday's Games
                        Ravens 31 - 14 Browns
                        Rams 7 - 23 49ers
                        Last edited by Tritoch42; 10-07-2020, 04:10 PM.

                        Comment

                        • Tritoch42
                          Rookie
                          • Dec 2010
                          • 303

                          #13
                          Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)


                          Avenging the Preseason
                          The Bulldogs strike back after a preseason loss to defeat the Lions 38-24

                          The regular season didn't begin well for the London Bulldogs. After a respectable 2-2 preseason, the Bulldogs faced the Dallas Cowboys and looked as if they had a win coming in a low-scoring defensive battle. The second half saw Dak Prescott catch fire, though, scoring 4 unanswered touchdowns on the way to a blowout 31-9 victory. This week, the Bulldogs fared much better in Detroit, showing an impressive offensive rhythm that led them to a victory in which they never trailed.


                          WR Steven Sims scores after a 75-yard touch pass in the first quarter.
                          The Lions received the opening kickoff, but the Bulldogs defense continued to live up to its reputation by putting heavy pressure on Matt Stafford. After a near-sack caused a pass to a wide-open T.J. Hockenson to fall flat in the middle of the field, Jason McCourty sacked Stafford to force Detroit to punt. The Bulldogs wasted no time in getting ahead with a fast start; Aaron Jones, the team's largest acquisition in free agency, pounded in an 11-yard touchdown run to record his first of the season. When Matt Ioannidis recovered a fumble dropped by Stafford on the next drive, Younghoe Koo kicked an easy 22-yard field goal to put the Bulldogs out to an early 10-0 lead.

                          The Lions responded by finally getting on the board with a 17-yard pass to HB Kerryon Johnson, but the Bulldogs struck back on the very next play. WR Steven Sims, in motion across the backfield, took a touch pass from Kelvin Sanders and ran a sweep around the edge, cutting past two defenders and sprinting untouched down the field, going 75 yards to launch the Bulldogs ahead 17-7 by the end of the first quarter.

                          Offensively, the Bulldogs were nearly unstoppable during the first half. Aaron Jones and rookie FB Junior Boley shared carries, with Boley handling short-yardage power runs like the bruising, 1-yard goal line score that opened the second quarter. Kelvin Sanders threw more conservative routes, rarely picking up big yardage but always moving the ball with consistent rhythm. The Lions were smothered by the oppressive front-line pressure of Da'Ron Payne, Matt Ioannidis, and Chase Young, and could only manage a field goal through the second quarter, going into halftime trailing 24-10.


                          Matthew Stafford is sacked by Bulldogs DT Da'Ron Payne
                          Things didn't get any better for Detroit in the second half, either. The Bulldogs' first drive of the third quarter ate up over half of the time on the clock, marked by consistent short passes and runs that secured first downs while hogging the time of possession. It finally ended in Aaron Jones' second touchdown of the day on a 1-yard run, and London was ahead by a seemingly insurmountable 31-10 heading into the final quarter. That lead only increased when Dwayne Haskins, acting as the holder on a Younghoe Koo field goal attempt, took the snap on a fake kick and threw a touchdown pass into the back of the endzone to rookie TE Jared Stewart.

                          Down by a massive 38-10, the Lions did manage to find some fight in them late into the game. After going two quarters without a touchdown pass, Matt Stafford found TE T.J. Hockenson on back-to-back touchdown passes, narrowing the gap but failing to overcome it. The Bulldogs ran out what was left of the game clock and left Detroit with a win, moving to 1-1 for the regular season.

                          The game marked the first opportunity for the Bulldogs' newly-drafted QB Kelvin Sanders to shine. After a disappointing first outing, Sanders completed 18-22 and passed for 230 yards, and threw one touchdown against his first regular season NFL touchdown. Aaron Jones recorded his second straight 100-yard game, averaging 4.3 yards per carry on the way to two touchdowns. It was the rushing game that carried the Bulldogs on the day, with three of the team's five touchdowns coming from its rushing attack, and one more came on a pass that functioned more like a long sweep. The entire offensive unit functioned in sync, giving Bulldogs fans hope that the blowout against Dallas was just a sign of early-season rust.

                          Defensively, the Bulldogs gave up almost 400 passing yards to Matthew Stafford, showing off the weakness of the team's secondary. But the defensive line continued to shine, essentially removing Kerryon Johnson from the rushing game and forcing Stafford to rely solely on his arm throughout the game. Consistent pressure, including another impressive game by DT Matt Ioannidis collecting 2.5 sacks, ensured that while the Lions may have moved down the field, they weren't able to turn those yards into points.

                          Now sitting at 1-1, the Bulldogs return home to London for week 3, when they will host the 0-2 Chargers at home.

                          London Bulldogs at Detroit Lions
                          Week 21ST2ND3RD4THSCORE
                          London Bulldogs (0-1-0)1777738
                          Detroit Lions (1-0-0)7301424
                          Team Stats Comparison
                          LDNDET
                          Total Offense381375
                          Rushing Yards14925
                          Passing Yards232350
                          First Downs1718
                          Punt Return Yards133
                          Kick Return Yards50
                          Total Yards399378
                          Turnovers12
                          3rd Down Conversion11-153-7
                          4th Down Conversion1-10-0
                          2-Point Conversion0-00-0
                          Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals4-12-0
                          Penalties0-01-13
                          Posession Time30:4717:09
                          Scoring Summary
                          FIRST QUARTER SCORINGLDNDET
                          7:56(LDN) A. Jones 11yd run (Y. Koo kick)70
                          3:30(LDN) Y. Koo 22yd FG100
                          1:00(DET) K. Johnson 17yd pass from M. Stafford107
                          0:49(LDN) S. Sims 75yd pass from K. Sanders (Y. Koo kick)177
                          SECOND QUARTER SCORINGLDNDET
                          1:17(LDN) J. Boley 1yd run (Y. Koo kick)247
                          0:06(DET) G. Tavecchio 41yd FG2410
                          THIRD QUARTER SCORINGLDNDET
                          4:18(LDN) A. Jones 1yd run (Y. Koo kick)3110
                          FOURTH QUARTER SCORINGLDNDET
                          6:51(LDN) J. Stewart 6yd pass from D. Haskins Jr (Y. Koo kick)3810
                          4:53(DET) T. Hockenson 53yd pass from M. Stafford (G. Tavecchio kick)3817
                          1:01(DET) T. Hockenson 6yd pass from M. Stafford (G. Tavecchio kick)3824
                          London Bulldogs
                          PASSINGC/AYDSTDINT
                          Kelvin Sanders18-2223011
                          Dwayne Haskins Jr1-1610
                          RUSHINGATTYDSAVGTD
                          Aaron Jones271174.32
                          Junior Boley8283.51
                          RECEIVINGRECYDSAVGTD
                          Steven Sims611018.31
                          Terry McLaurin45213.00
                          DEFENSETACKSACKINTTD
                          Matthew Ioannidis22.500
                          KICKINGFGXPPTSLONG
                          Younghoe Koo1-15-5823
                          Detroit Lions
                          PASSINGC/AYDSTDINT
                          Matthew Stafford25-3337030
                          RUSHINGATTYDSAVGTD
                          Kerryon Johnson9252.70
                          RECEIVINGRECYDSAVGTD
                          T.J. Hockenson916318.12
                          Kerryon Johnson6569.31
                          KICKINGFGXPPTSLONG
                          Giorgio Tavecchio1-23-3642


                          Week 2 Results
                          Week 2
                          Thursday's Games
                          Texans 28 - 7 Jaguars
                          Sunday's Games
                          Bills 28 - 13 Bengals
                          Panthers 23 - 17 Saints
                          Buccaneers 28 - 23 Giants
                          Jets 23 - 17 Patriots
                          Rams 31 - 14 Vikings
                          Cowboys 19 - 22 Bears
                          Eagles 14 - 35 Packers
                          Falcons 32 - 35 Dolphins
                          Cardinals 14 - 27 Seahawks
                          Ravens 38 - 24 Titans
                          Raiders 29 - 28 Broncos
                          Colts 21 - 7 49ers
                          Browns 27 - 20 Chargers
                          Monday's Games
                          Steelers 27 - 30 Chiefs
                          Last edited by Tritoch42; 10-07-2020, 04:10 PM.

                          Comment

                          • Tritoch42
                            Rookie
                            • Dec 2010
                            • 303

                            #14
                            Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)


                            Herbert Demolishes London
                            The Charges take down the Bulldogs riding a 92% completion rate by their second-year QB.

                            The 2021 season didn't start well for the Los Angeles Chargers, who fell to 0-2 to hang near the bottom of their division. After gaining positive momentum following a win against Detroit, the London Bulldogs returned home to England to host the winless chargers in an attempt to climb above the .500 mark with what many analysts expected would be a solid win. Instead, they were ravaged by Justin Herbert's near-perfect day, which carried his team to its first win of the year, 27-15.


                            Chargers QB Justin Herbert is sacked for a safety.
                            Herbert was in top form from the very beginning of the game, and he made a statement by starting the game throwing a perfect 7-7 on the opening drive and finding Mike Williams in the endzone for a touchdown to cap the drive. Down by a touchdown so early in the game, the Bulldogs had to come out swinging in an attempt to narrow the gap.

                            Rookie QB Kelvin Sanders, who has been inconsistent in his early freshman performances, found a comfortable rhythm out of the play action. With Aaron Jones and Junior Boley again sharing touches in an effective rushing attack, Sanders was able to use their success to set up great openings downfield on play action passes, and he put his team in position for Boley to pound in a 1-yard touchdown to leave the game dead even at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.

                            The Bulldogs defense buckled in the second quarter, allowing Austin Ekeler to tear off a massive 72-yard touchdown run after the previous drive ended with a Los Angeles field goal. They quickly struck back, however, after a punt pinned the Chargers back on their own two yardline. An aggressive rush trapped Herbert in the pocket, and Reuben Foster and Jabaal Sheard sandwiched the second-year QB to bring him down for a safety. The free possession following the safety only resulted in a field goal, and the Bulldogs trailed 17-12 at halftime.


                            Playing from behind, the Bulldogs relied heavily on Rookie QB Kelvin Sanders in the second half.
                            The Bulldogs made some adjustments over halftime and came out with an aggressive offense, driving into Chargers territory quickly. A deep touchdown strike to rookie TE Jared Stewart was dropped as he attempted to pull it down in the corner of the endzone, and a promising drive that would have given the Bulldogs a lead instead turned into a field goal that left them trailing 15-15.

                            Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, that would be the last time they would score any points for the remainder of the game. Herbert recorded his second touchdown pass near the end of the third quarter, and K Dan Bailey capped off the game with a late 36-yard field goal, making the final score 27-15.

                            The Chargers were statistical underdogs traveling overseas to face the Bulldogs, but they defied expectations and earned their season's first win by disrupting the rhythmic football that London prefers to play. Los Angeles' defense stifled the Bulldogs' rushing attack, which has been the driving force of their offense, and forced Kelvin Sanders to play a pass-heavy, come-from-behind offense that is outside of his comfort zone. The rookie threw a career-high 39 passes as he attempted to pull his team back into competition, and he had only 231 yards and an interception to show for it.

                            The Chargers also successfully nullified the Bulldogs' other greatest weapon -- its dominant defensive line. Outside of their second quarter safety, the Bulldogs failed to get significant penetration up front, leading to only three sacks on the day and Ekeler's impressive 100-yard performance on the ground. As the game dragged on, the Bulldogs were pulled further and further out of their gameplan, and the result was a game that was lost by a much wider margin than its 12-point spread would indicate.

                            Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, after falling to 1-2 they will have to travel to Kansas City next week to face Patrick Mahomes and the undefeated 3-0 Chiefs in a game that is widely expected to be a blowout.

                            Los Angeles Chargers at London Bulldogs
                            Week 31ST2ND3RD4THSCORE
                            Los Angeles Chargers (0-2-0)7107327
                            London Bulldogs (1-1-0)753015
                            Team Stats Comparison
                            LACLDN
                            Total Offense320288
                            Rushing Yards11677
                            Passing Yards204211
                            First Downs1616
                            Punt Return Yards1710
                            Kick Return Yards7953
                            Total Yards416351
                            Turnovers01
                            3rd Down Conversion2-76-16
                            4th Down Conversion0-12-5
                            2-Point Conversion0-00-0
                            Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals2-11-1
                            Penalties0-01-15
                            Posession Time23:2924:31
                            Scoring Summary
                            FIRST QUARTER SCORINGLACLDN
                            7:40(LAC) M. Williams 8yd pass from J. Herbert (D. Bailey kick)70
                            2:12(LDN) J. Boley 1yd run (Y. Koo kick)77
                            SECOND QUARTER SCORINGLACLDN
                            10:38(LAC) D. Bailey 40yd FG107
                            8:35(LAC) A. Ekeler 72yd run (D. Bailey kick)177
                            6:53(LDN) Team safety179
                            0:03(LDN) Y. Koo 38yd FG1712
                            THIRD QUARTER SCORINGLACLDN
                            5:42(LDN) Y. Koo 31yd FG1715
                            2:04(LAC) H. Henry 1yd pass from J. Herbert (D. Bailey kick)2415
                            FOURTH QUARTER SCORINGLACLDN
                            6:10(LAC) D. Bailey 36yd FG2715
                            Los Angeles Chargers
                            PASSINGC/AYDSTDINT
                            Justin Herbert23-2522920
                            RUSHINGATTYDSAVGTD
                            Austin Ekeler181126.21
                            RECEIVINGRECYDSAVGTD
                            Hunter Henry66510.81
                            Mike Williams33712.31
                            KICKINGFGXPPTSLONG
                            Dan Bailey2-33-3941
                            London Bulldogs
                            PASSINGC/AYDSTDINT
                            Kelvin Sanders19-3923101
                            RUSHINGATTYDSAVGTD
                            Aaron Jones18613.80
                            Junior Boley7142.01
                            RECEIVINGRECYDSAVGTD
                            Steven Sims88710.80
                            Aaron Jones6508.30
                            DEFENSETACKSACKINTTD
                            Reuben Foster93.000
                            KICKINGFGXPPTSLONG
                            Younghoe Koo2-21-1739


                            Week 3 Results
                            Week 3
                            Thursday's Games
                            Eagles 20 - 28 Panthers
                            Sunday's Games
                            Steelers 24 - 27 Bengals
                            Buccaneers 27 - 26 Bills
                            Colts 24 - 17 Patriots
                            Saints 29 - 16 Falcons
                            Seahawks 31 - 28 Jaguars
                            Jets 35 - 23 Dolphins
                            Browns 28 - 0 Bears
                            Texans 42 - 28 Titans
                            Broncos 3 - 10 Cowboys
                            Raiders 37 - 34 Giants
                            49ers 31 - 10 Rams
                            Lions 14 - 35 Cardinals
                            Ravens 26 - 36 Chiefs
                            Monday's Games
                            Packers 31 - 14 Vikings
                            Last edited by Tritoch42; 10-07-2020, 04:10 PM.

                            Comment

                            • Tritoch42
                              Rookie
                              • Dec 2010
                              • 303

                              #15
                              Re: Hounds Sterling - The UK's First Franchise (M21)

                              One more as a short update -- unfortunately, I accidentally deleted the screenshots from the Chiefs game. But as expected... It wasn't great. Mahomes is a god.

                              London Bulldogs at Kansas City Chiefs
                              Week 41ST2ND3RD4THSCORE
                              London Bulldogs (1-2-0)72101038
                              Kansas City Chiefs (3-0-0)1417141762
                              Team Stats Comparison
                              LDNKAN
                              Total Offense408514
                              Rushing Yards24958
                              Passing Yards159456
                              First Downs2314
                              Punt Return Yards314
                              Kick Return Yards698
                              Total Yards480540
                              Turnovers21
                              3rd Down Conversion7-165-7
                              4th Down Conversion4-60-0
                              2-Point Conversion0-00-0
                              Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals3-05-1
                              Penalties1-102-20
                              Posession Time31:3116:29
                              Scoring Summary
                              FIRST QUARTER SCORINGLDNKAN
                              5:58(LDN) J. Boley 10yd run (Y. Koo kick)70
                              5:14(KAN) C. Edwards-Helaire, 1yd run (H. Butker kick)77
                              1:45(KAN) T. Kelce 39yd pass from P. Mahomes (H. Butker kick)714
                              SECOND QUARTER SCORINGLDNKAN
                              10:27(LDN) L. Thomas 39yd pass from K. Sanders (Y. Koo kick)1414
                              10:11(LDN) L. Collins 28yd fumble return (Y. Koo kick)2114
                              8:22(KAN) T. Hill 17yd pass from P. Mahomes (H. Butker kick)2121
                              4:52(KAN) C. Edwards-Helaire, 1yd run (H. Butker kick)2128
                              1:57(LDN) A. Jones 19yd run (Y. Koo Kick)2828
                              0:05(KAN) H. Butker 43yd FG2831
                              THIRD QUARTER SCORINGLDNKAN
                              10:09(KAN) S. Watkins 6yd pass from P. Mahomes (H. Butker kick)2838
                              4:12(KAN) T. Hill 17yd pass from P. Mahomes (H. Butker kick)2845
                              FOURTH QUARTER SCORINGLDNKAN
                              11:08(LDN) Y. Koo 41yd FG3145
                              10:30(KAN) T. Hill 73yd pass from P. Mahomes (H. Butker kick)3152
                              7:53(KAN) F. Clark 41yd fumble return (H. Butker kick)3159
                              4:40(KAN) H. Butker 34yd FG3162
                              0:15(LDN) J. Boley 6yd run (H. Koo kick)3862
                              London Bulldogs
                              PASSINGC/AYDSTDINT
                              Kelvin Sanders14-2917310
                              RUSHINGATTYDSAVGTD
                              Aaron Jones241205.01
                              Junior Boley211085.12
                              RECEIVINGRECYDSAVGTD
                              Logan Thomas712217.41
                              KICKINGFGXPPTSLONG
                              Younghoe Koo1-15-5842
                              Kansas City Chiefs
                              PASSINGC/AYDSTDINT
                              Patrick Mahomes24-304625
                              RUSHINGATTYDSAVGTD
                              Clyde Edwards-Helaire12594.91
                              RECEIVINGRECYDSAVGTD
                              Tyreek Hill719828.23
                              Travis Kelce716723.81
                              Sammy Watkins4297.21
                              Mecole Hardman45914.70
                              KICKINGFGXPPTSLONG
                              Harrison Butker2-28-81444
                              Last edited by Tritoch42; 10-07-2020, 04:09 PM.

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