Reminiscing
Throughout the course of this season, people have said this is the best league with the best activity, sense of comradery, respect in victory and defeat, and entertainment. I'd be inclined to agree, and will offer this to close the season: a summary of each teams current situation as I see it.
Looking Ahead - Season 3
I’ve excluded Chicago and Ambridge because of their departure from USA A7 but personally wish them both well and hope they can turn it around going into next season. Good luck Ambridge and Chicago!
RGB Berzerk
When your teams only wins are against Ambridge and Chicago, it makes me feel that they are exactly where they should be: 14th. They beat the teams they should beat, and lost to the teams they should have lost to. That being said, they’ve got the talent to really turn things around next season assuming they can fill some key holes (and slim their roster down).
Strengths:
Johnny Awooga showed flashes of brilliance at points throughout the season but if RGB wants to make the most of him, they need to surround him with playmakers on the offensive side of the football and develop some type of a passing attack. If they can balance out their yards on offensive, you will definitely see an increased yards per average for Awooga. At this point, they benefit from knowing almost every team will be gunning for their running game, so if they can air it out they might shock some teams.
Weaknesses:
To be honest, they aren’t as talent-starved as I believed. Their biggest weakness is that they have TOO much depth in some positions. You don’t need 4 OTs or 4 MLBs, and you definitely don’t need 4 SSs. If they can slim down their roster, identify their best performers and keep them on the field, they could really increase their level of play for next season. Will they? Personally I don’t think so but they do have the pieces. If they don’t, then they’ll be the next victims on the Midnight Train to a BBB league.
Grand Haven Mist
Anyone who has read my work throughout the season knows I was very hard on the Mist during the first half of the season. That opinion quickly turned around as Valhalla and his generals pulled them out of the gutter and earned the respect of teams around this league. It is almost guaranteed they will improve on a Season 2 4 and 12 record, and if they hadn't run across blazing hot Spicewood and Dallas teams late in the season they may have finished with a better record than what they had.
Strengths:
Even in losses, their defense kept the game respectable and should look to continuing their great play going into next season. The first game against Waco wasn't a true test, but over the next few weeks they held a then hot Hartford team, Great Plains, and New Brunswick to 20 each. The Mist Defense definitly has the potential to dominate, and if they show up their team has a chance to win ballgames.
Weaknesses:
Weapons on offense! The Mist struggled to score points throughout the season and a good portion of their woes come from a lack of ammunition on the offensive side of the football. Let me give you two names though, one which you probably haven't hear of but you more than likely will next year. First is Lurk er who, though the team wasn't breaking any aerial records, still managed a 500+ yard season with a hefty 12.7 average and 2 touchdowns. The second is a man by the name of Brandon Kennedy. Who is Brandon Kennedy you may be asking? A backup halfback who, though only seen rarely, averaged 6.2 yards per carry in the 9 he received throughout the season for 55 yards. It may not be a big enough pool of data to really draw any conclusions, and it depends on who the competition was he obtained that ridiculous average, but assuming they are spread out over several games 6.2 is 6.2 and that’s a heck of a good number.
Miami Cyclones
Like RGB, it’s difficult for me to say this team under or overachieved this season because they basically beat the teams they were supposed to beat (except Hartford which we’ll get to later). 5 wins: RGB, Ambridge, Chicago, some terrible East league team, and Hartford. They beat the teams they were supposed to beat.
Strengths:
When you can put up 14 points against New Brunswick, Dallas, and Oakland you’ve definitely got the pieces on offense to win some football games. Miami has those pieces, and their rushing attack behind a strong offensive line should really arrive next season. Like RGB, if they can find a way to balance their attack by developing a passing game, they could have a dangerous offense as well next season. A defense will always give you something, either rush or pass (it isn’t that simple I understand: long / medium / short and all that) but you have to be able to beat them with what they give you. I’m not sure if Miami will be able to do that.
Weaknesses:
Early in the season, Miami held Spicewood to only 10 points. Defensively that was their best performance in a loss all season, and remained a liability in their big games. You really can’t give up 20+ points and expect to win many games, so if Miami wants to compete next year they are definitely going to need to add some pieces defensively (especially in their linebacking core) or I expect them to get torched for unimaginable numbers next season.
Portland Hitmen
This is an example of a one dimensional team the other way. Most one dimensional teams, at least in our league, were usually rushing related. Portland has absolutely everything they could need to drop bombs on teams, but if those teams are laying back in heavy coverage the entire game because they aren’t forced back up to the line, then Portland will probably continue to struggle. If they can develop a feared rushing attack, watch out! They are in a great position to be honest, because there are a TON of running backs looking for opportunity on the market and will be a ton this offseason. If they can bring in the right running back and figure out a way to get their rushing attack going, their offense should be set.
Strengths:
As you can probably guess from the overview, the passing attack is Portland’s strength. Johnny Danger had arguably the league’s best receiver to pass to in Dick N. Balzonia. As most teams are discovering, and I’m sure Portland will, you really don’t need 2 QBs so when they cut Vick out of the depth chart they will probably see a drastic improvement in their overall offensive numbers.
Weaknesses
Other than their passing attack, pretty much everything else is a weakness. They have depth, but the starters and backups at most positions are considerably low level and if they want to compete they will need to develop some type of rushing attack, which they didn’t have at all this season in big games, and get some playmakers on defense. They lost a very winnable shootout to Hartford early and, somehow, held Dallas to only 13 points in another winnable game. Turn those around, bring in some playmakers on defense, and this team really could turn the corner and become a serious playoff contender in Season 3.
Scottsdale Sun Demons
This team is probably the most confusing thus far, to me. They went from beating Spicewood, Portland, and crushing Chicago to losing to Grand Haven and Hartford. If they want to be a playoff team, they have to win those games. It’s said a lot in football, if you’ve got the talent you have to show up and win the games you are “supposed to win” and the talent will carry you into the playoffs. In my opinion, this Sun Demons team underachieved this year and has playoff-caliber potential.
Strengths:
They’ve managed to develop somewhat of a balanced offense and have the framework set to really put up big numbers next year. If you look at their roster you may say to yourself “they put up huge rushing numbers against some teams” and that is definitely true, you don’t see many huge Scottsdale passing games but they have that potential. Nuke Laluche played like a top tier back all season, and if Scottsdale can add some aerial weapons they could definitely put points on the board.
Weaknesses:
Like basically every other team before them, Scottsdale suffers from a lack of talented depth and weakness at some defensive positions. They need to get better on both the starting and backup defensive line and linebacking core. As I said before though, this team could be a contender. They may not break into 6th player or higher, but I could see them finishing 8th next season. Finishing with wins against Oakland and Miami is big.
Hartford Hellhounds
Team position number 9, the first time to miss out on the playoffs. As I’ve said with most of the other teams so far, Hartford pretty much ended where they should have ended. Do they have playoff caliber stuff? In my opinion not really, in fact I would probably take Scottsdale heads up against Hartford right now, even though they beat Scottsdale in the regular season, so maybe they overachieved a bit. Who did they beat? The usual suspects: RGB, Ambridge, Grand Haven, Chicago, Portland as well as Dallas very early in the season and Scottsdale on a field goal with 1 second left. They lost to Miami, a game you need to win if you want to be a playoff team, and played Waco, Las Vegas, and Oakland tough. They only got blanked once, against Bel Air, so someone reading this article could look back to what I said before and ask “Why isn’t this a playoff team?” Maybe it was partly luck, but Hartford just couldn’t win their big games and, other than Scottsdale, they don’t catch many breaks. With your playoff life on the line, you have to beat Spicewood and they didn’t, losing by 10. Maybe I’m not 100% sure why I’m not a Hellhound believer, but everyone has to have their critics. Hopefully the doubts will drive them to improve.
Strengths:
They’ve got a strong passing attack and can definitely win shoot outs (See Portland game). Walker and Catch Ball are a deadly combination. Also like Portland though, they need to add more weapons to balance their offense.
Weaknesses:
Their rushing attack disappeared in big games. 66 against Spicewood, 42 against Bel Air, 59 against Las Vegas, 15 against Waco, 3 against Great Plains. You can’t piggy back your passing game that much against tough competition. If they want to win big games next season, they have to run the football against the top teams in this league.
New Brunswick n00bs
The most revealing information that can be said regarding the n00bs is that they played the best against the best. A few calls the other way or catching a break or two, they could have continued on in the postseason. They played Waco tough both times and only lost decisively to Spicewood. Along with the league’s most successful rusher, Greg Martin, their defense was strong throughout the season. They held opponents to 10 or less points in 10 games last season, and could improve on that in Season 3.
Strengths:
Greg Martin exceeded 2,000 yards this season (one of few in the league, if any, that accomplished this feat) and led one of the league’s best rushing attacks. Most of the time, New Brunswick could shove it down your throats on the ground even when you were expecting it and that’s rare. Assuming this ground dominance continues, the n00bs will be a top 5 contender next season. Football purists claim a strong running game and great defense wins championships, the n00bs have both so lets see if a championship will come.
Weaknesses:
In the 4th quarter, the n00bs seemed to be an entirely different team. Early in the season, the n00bs entered the final quarter with a 17-10 lead but allowed the Beardogs to score 17 in the 4th. Against Spicewood, they entered the 4th down 16 to 6 but still very much alive until allowed a 10 point Longhorn 4th. Against Dallas they allowed 6 points, including the game winning field goal with only 4 seconds remaining, after tying the game and ended up losing 6 to 9. The first game against Waco, they entered the 4th tied but gave up 9 points to that Davidians with only 6 answered and lost 19 to 16. For whatever reason, the n00bs sometimes become a totally different team in the 4th quarter. Maybe they need to focus more on suicide sprints in practice and do up-downs until their players cry for mercy! Whatever needs to be done, the n00bs need to play better in the 4th quarter.
Spicewood Longhorns
Spicewood served as the Jekyll and Hyde of A7 this season, scoring huge victories over Bel Air, New Brunswick, and Dallas but also getting absolutely dominated by Oakland and Las Vegas early as well as losing to a Scottsdale team that, as you read early, is something of an anomaly but should have been a very winnable game for the Longhorns at that point in the season. Spicewood is sort of like that car in a race that barely takes the lead and then falls back to 3rd and then takes the lead again, barely, and then falls back to third again! You don’t ever know when to believe they are staying at the top.
Strengths:
The Longhorn passing attack rivaled the best in the league this year, with RJ Stew posting a respectable 2329 yards with their back up adding another 700. Two Spicewood receivers exceeded 700 yards for the season, and Maija Vilkkumaa proved to be among the league’s best at Tight End. It is truly amazing the numbers they posted up when looking at the crazy amount of drops their second leading receiver, Ivo Ender, had during the season. 23 is a heck of a lot of drops, if he can figure out a way to join the Good Hands Club for next season, the Longhorns should be ready to scare the league’s elite again.
Weaknesses:
For as good as their passing attack was most of the season, their rushing attack countered it with futility. In their losses, Spicewood was never able to generate a considerable amount of threat in the ground game. Their highest rushing total in a loss was 85 against Scottsdale but against teams like Oakland (28), Waco (28), Great Plains (62), and Las Vegas (59) they really couldn’t get enough going. Honestly though, even those numbers are terrible and should give the Longhorn faithful some hope for next season. One of the things that hurt the Longhorns the most in their losses was time management. If you can’t run the football you can’t keep your defense off the field enough to rest, you give their offense more opportunities to put points up against your tired defense, and the proverbial ball just keeps rolling. That was the situation Spicewood often found themselves in, and it didn’t work out in most cases.
Oakland Wizards
Going into week 11, everyone believed Oakland to be at the very top of league excellence, rivaling then king Waco for supremacy. How a difference a few games can make. In the last 6 weeks of the season, Oakland went 2 and 4 which included gut wrenching losses to Las Vegas and Scottsdale. Their momentum was effectively crushed and they exited in the first round of the playoffs but their late season situation shouldn’t take away from their early season success. Beating New Brunswick, Great Plains, Dallas, and Spicewood are worthy accomplishments.
Strengths:
Oakland possessed a very balanced offense during Season 2, with both their star halfbacks and wide receiver/quarterback combo putting up numbers. They rivaled Spicewood in passing numbers (and rushing numbers) and had 4 players above 400 yards for the season. Oakland included many skill players in their offensive game plan and, at least for 10 weeks, stood as probably the league’s most feared offense. They could put points up on the board in bunches and it was a scary sight (just ask Spicewood from week 1).
Weaknesses:
If you take a quick glance at the Wizards season, you’ll see a pattern in the points of their opponents. As the season went on, people just started to score more points against the Oakland defense. You see numbers like 0 (twice), 3, 6, 10 in a first half in which Oakland surrendered 70 points to their opponents. In the second half of the season, Oakland gave up 138 points and you saw numbers like 24, 32, 34, and 14 (twice). It truly was a story of two different halves of the season for Oakland, with the second half being the sad story. Giving up almost twice as many points to opponents during the second half of the season isn’t the recipe for success and Oakland knows that, and will take the necessary steps to remedy the situation I’m sure.
Las Vegas Stunners
The Stunners were something like a Richter scale this season, with huge “ups” and crushing “downs.” They really were the poster boy of inconsistency, only managing 2 winning streaks of more than 2 games. Even in their 5 losses though, only two of them were really no contests (Great Plains and Bel Air) and they lost to the n00bs and Red Raiders on 4th quarter field goals. That being said, you have to win those type of games to win championships.
Strengths:
When your leading rusher has a 4.5 yard average, you did something right throughout the season. Duke Nuke’em was a top tier rusher in the league this season and, coupled with an average to slightly above average dual quarterback passing attack, led the Stunners to a very good season offensively. Even in some of their losses, Las Vegas still managed to get their ground game going (excluding Waco and Bel Air). With that being said, they definitely have a good foundation to build off of going into season 3.
P.S. – They get the award for putting up the most points against Ambridge!
Weaknesses:
Consistency? I mean without doing some in depth research there isn’t much I can say concerning the weaknesses of this football team. Their defense was strong enough, in most cases, to keep them close against most teams in the league. Their offensive attack was dangerous most of the season. The only thing Las Vegas truly had going against them was their consistency. This team has top 4 potential and, assuming they keep their team intact, should be a serious threat for the throne next season.
Dallas Red Raiders
When you see Dallas’ 11-4-1 record it definitely appears at first glance like a solid season. Now consider the fact that their first two games were losses against Hartford and Oakland, meaning Dallas went 11-2-1 in their last 14 games of the season. Their only losses (excluding games 1 and 2) were against Spicewood mid season when the Longhorns were really in full stride, and against a Waco team that provided consistently dominant all year. When you beat Great Plains and Bel Air, the league takes notice.
Strengths:
Lets make one thing clear: Dallas can throw the football. When your starting quarterback nearly exceeds 2000 yards (not too impressive right?) but your BACKUP also has over 1000 yards you can throw with (and against) the league’s best. With 7 receivers over 200 yards for the season, and 2 over 600, the Red Raiders definitely shared the aerial load as well throughout season 2.
Weaknesses:
In some cases one half of your offense can dominate and aid the other half to “get theirs” as well. In Dallas that isn’t the case, with the passing attack often shining to the detriment of the rushing attack. They still generated just over 1600 yards for the season, which is respectable but not amazing, and their ypc were just below average. Excluding the first two games and the 36 points put up by Waco, the Red Raider D didn’t play all that poorly throughout the season either and had periods of absolute brilliance. If they can balance their offense a bit and figure out a way to get consistent on defense, this team could also be a title contender next season.
Great Plains Reapers
Unlike a lot of other top teams, Great Plains never had their blowout loss. The largest point differential in a loss was 10, and in games against Bel Air, Waco, and Dallas the game was within 1 score at the conclusion.
Strengths:
Waco and Great Plains fought back and forth for the league’s best passing attack all season, and at the end it is very close. Both teams exceeded 3000 yards for the season and Hayden Fry had an absolutely amazing touchdown (15) to interception (5) rate. Maintaining possession and not giving opponents free opportunities greatly aided the Reapers to keep games close. Abra-CRUSH Lincoln proved he is one of the top two Tight Ends in the league (and owner of one of the most unique avatars) and, coupled with wide receiver tandem Englishman and End Zone, turned the Reapers passing attack into something worthy of nightmares for opponents.
Weaknesses:
Like many aerial specialists before them, Great Plains suffered a mediocre rushing attack as well this season. Yes, Ironhead James did exceed 1000 yards for the season but was silent in big games. In 3 of their 4 losses, he failed to exceed 30 yards rushing. I’m not willing to go as far as to say that you 100% must run the football to win games, but against top tier opponents the ability to do so sure does help you keep their offense from tiring your defense (see above). To be honest, I’ve done as much as I can to nitpick a very solid Reaper squad and if they can run the football against teams like Waco and Oakland next season, they can beat anyone.
Waco Davidians
Week in and week out, teams in the Western conference held their collective breathes to see how badly Waco crushed certain opponents. We also stood intimidated (mostly) in the regular season that this team may be unstoppable. In the regular season they basically were, posting only single digit points once. How many times were they in the teens? 3. How many times were they in the 20s? 5. 30s? 3. 40 and above? 4. When this team beat you, they didn’t just crush your heart, they destroyed your soul.
Strengths:
League’s best passing attack and top 3 (or 2) rushing attack coupled with a monstrous offensive line, talented skill players at every position, and a rock solid defense. Hugh Laurie threw 26 touchdowns to only 11 picks. I mean… the 11 picks are to be expected when you throw 26 touchdowns! That’s a lot of passes, and a lot of efficient passes. Both Waco running backs exceeded 10 touchdowns and 1200 yards, and receivers Doc Smooth and Theboy Marlowe (TE) both had huge seasons. At times Marlowe looked like he rivaled Lincoln for tight end dominance.
Weaknesses:
Keep in mind this is incredibly nitpicky, as with Great Plains, but the lack of close games didn’t give Waco much of an opportunity to make adjustments to that type of competition. You learn almost nothing when you beat a team by 60 or 70 points. Ultimately, this lack of adversity hurt the Davidians. You definitely want to win your big (and close) games and the Davidians did that don’t get me wrong, but when you only have two wins decided by 7 points or less, you aren’t really learning much from your competition.
Closing Statements
For a couple weeks now, I’ve had very little to write about. The league’s games were going very ho-hum with the usual suspects doing what the usual suspects do. It really has been an honor being a part of this league, classy guys all around as previously stated. Personally, I wish you all the best and will definitely be watching every game in the A7 next season as we attempt to keep on rollin forward here in Bel Air. I hope you all enjoy the read, man it’s a lot longer than I had originally intended but wanted to give each team something significant to read about their squad. Now that I’m (finally) done, its time to go celebrate by *drum roll* going to work! Wish us luck in the championship game and I’m out!
Bel Air Beardogs… coming to a USA Pro League near you!
Throughout the course of this season, people have said this is the best league with the best activity, sense of comradery, respect in victory and defeat, and entertainment. I'd be inclined to agree, and will offer this to close the season: a summary of each teams current situation as I see it.
Looking Ahead - Season 3
I’ve excluded Chicago and Ambridge because of their departure from USA A7 but personally wish them both well and hope they can turn it around going into next season. Good luck Ambridge and Chicago!
RGB Berzerk
When your teams only wins are against Ambridge and Chicago, it makes me feel that they are exactly where they should be: 14th. They beat the teams they should beat, and lost to the teams they should have lost to. That being said, they’ve got the talent to really turn things around next season assuming they can fill some key holes (and slim their roster down).
Strengths:
Johnny Awooga showed flashes of brilliance at points throughout the season but if RGB wants to make the most of him, they need to surround him with playmakers on the offensive side of the football and develop some type of a passing attack. If they can balance out their yards on offensive, you will definitely see an increased yards per average for Awooga. At this point, they benefit from knowing almost every team will be gunning for their running game, so if they can air it out they might shock some teams.
Weaknesses:
To be honest, they aren’t as talent-starved as I believed. Their biggest weakness is that they have TOO much depth in some positions. You don’t need 4 OTs or 4 MLBs, and you definitely don’t need 4 SSs. If they can slim down their roster, identify their best performers and keep them on the field, they could really increase their level of play for next season. Will they? Personally I don’t think so but they do have the pieces. If they don’t, then they’ll be the next victims on the Midnight Train to a BBB league.
Grand Haven Mist
Anyone who has read my work throughout the season knows I was very hard on the Mist during the first half of the season. That opinion quickly turned around as Valhalla and his generals pulled them out of the gutter and earned the respect of teams around this league. It is almost guaranteed they will improve on a Season 2 4 and 12 record, and if they hadn't run across blazing hot Spicewood and Dallas teams late in the season they may have finished with a better record than what they had.
Strengths:
Even in losses, their defense kept the game respectable and should look to continuing their great play going into next season. The first game against Waco wasn't a true test, but over the next few weeks they held a then hot Hartford team, Great Plains, and New Brunswick to 20 each. The Mist Defense definitly has the potential to dominate, and if they show up their team has a chance to win ballgames.
Weaknesses:
Weapons on offense! The Mist struggled to score points throughout the season and a good portion of their woes come from a lack of ammunition on the offensive side of the football. Let me give you two names though, one which you probably haven't hear of but you more than likely will next year. First is Lurk er who, though the team wasn't breaking any aerial records, still managed a 500+ yard season with a hefty 12.7 average and 2 touchdowns. The second is a man by the name of Brandon Kennedy. Who is Brandon Kennedy you may be asking? A backup halfback who, though only seen rarely, averaged 6.2 yards per carry in the 9 he received throughout the season for 55 yards. It may not be a big enough pool of data to really draw any conclusions, and it depends on who the competition was he obtained that ridiculous average, but assuming they are spread out over several games 6.2 is 6.2 and that’s a heck of a good number.
Miami Cyclones
Like RGB, it’s difficult for me to say this team under or overachieved this season because they basically beat the teams they were supposed to beat (except Hartford which we’ll get to later). 5 wins: RGB, Ambridge, Chicago, some terrible East league team, and Hartford. They beat the teams they were supposed to beat.
Strengths:
When you can put up 14 points against New Brunswick, Dallas, and Oakland you’ve definitely got the pieces on offense to win some football games. Miami has those pieces, and their rushing attack behind a strong offensive line should really arrive next season. Like RGB, if they can find a way to balance their attack by developing a passing game, they could have a dangerous offense as well next season. A defense will always give you something, either rush or pass (it isn’t that simple I understand: long / medium / short and all that) but you have to be able to beat them with what they give you. I’m not sure if Miami will be able to do that.
Weaknesses:
Early in the season, Miami held Spicewood to only 10 points. Defensively that was their best performance in a loss all season, and remained a liability in their big games. You really can’t give up 20+ points and expect to win many games, so if Miami wants to compete next year they are definitely going to need to add some pieces defensively (especially in their linebacking core) or I expect them to get torched for unimaginable numbers next season.
Portland Hitmen
This is an example of a one dimensional team the other way. Most one dimensional teams, at least in our league, were usually rushing related. Portland has absolutely everything they could need to drop bombs on teams, but if those teams are laying back in heavy coverage the entire game because they aren’t forced back up to the line, then Portland will probably continue to struggle. If they can develop a feared rushing attack, watch out! They are in a great position to be honest, because there are a TON of running backs looking for opportunity on the market and will be a ton this offseason. If they can bring in the right running back and figure out a way to get their rushing attack going, their offense should be set.
Strengths:
As you can probably guess from the overview, the passing attack is Portland’s strength. Johnny Danger had arguably the league’s best receiver to pass to in Dick N. Balzonia. As most teams are discovering, and I’m sure Portland will, you really don’t need 2 QBs so when they cut Vick out of the depth chart they will probably see a drastic improvement in their overall offensive numbers.
Weaknesses
Other than their passing attack, pretty much everything else is a weakness. They have depth, but the starters and backups at most positions are considerably low level and if they want to compete they will need to develop some type of rushing attack, which they didn’t have at all this season in big games, and get some playmakers on defense. They lost a very winnable shootout to Hartford early and, somehow, held Dallas to only 13 points in another winnable game. Turn those around, bring in some playmakers on defense, and this team really could turn the corner and become a serious playoff contender in Season 3.
Scottsdale Sun Demons
This team is probably the most confusing thus far, to me. They went from beating Spicewood, Portland, and crushing Chicago to losing to Grand Haven and Hartford. If they want to be a playoff team, they have to win those games. It’s said a lot in football, if you’ve got the talent you have to show up and win the games you are “supposed to win” and the talent will carry you into the playoffs. In my opinion, this Sun Demons team underachieved this year and has playoff-caliber potential.
Strengths:
They’ve managed to develop somewhat of a balanced offense and have the framework set to really put up big numbers next year. If you look at their roster you may say to yourself “they put up huge rushing numbers against some teams” and that is definitely true, you don’t see many huge Scottsdale passing games but they have that potential. Nuke Laluche played like a top tier back all season, and if Scottsdale can add some aerial weapons they could definitely put points on the board.
Weaknesses:
Like basically every other team before them, Scottsdale suffers from a lack of talented depth and weakness at some defensive positions. They need to get better on both the starting and backup defensive line and linebacking core. As I said before though, this team could be a contender. They may not break into 6th player or higher, but I could see them finishing 8th next season. Finishing with wins against Oakland and Miami is big.
Hartford Hellhounds
Team position number 9, the first time to miss out on the playoffs. As I’ve said with most of the other teams so far, Hartford pretty much ended where they should have ended. Do they have playoff caliber stuff? In my opinion not really, in fact I would probably take Scottsdale heads up against Hartford right now, even though they beat Scottsdale in the regular season, so maybe they overachieved a bit. Who did they beat? The usual suspects: RGB, Ambridge, Grand Haven, Chicago, Portland as well as Dallas very early in the season and Scottsdale on a field goal with 1 second left. They lost to Miami, a game you need to win if you want to be a playoff team, and played Waco, Las Vegas, and Oakland tough. They only got blanked once, against Bel Air, so someone reading this article could look back to what I said before and ask “Why isn’t this a playoff team?” Maybe it was partly luck, but Hartford just couldn’t win their big games and, other than Scottsdale, they don’t catch many breaks. With your playoff life on the line, you have to beat Spicewood and they didn’t, losing by 10. Maybe I’m not 100% sure why I’m not a Hellhound believer, but everyone has to have their critics. Hopefully the doubts will drive them to improve.
Strengths:
They’ve got a strong passing attack and can definitely win shoot outs (See Portland game). Walker and Catch Ball are a deadly combination. Also like Portland though, they need to add more weapons to balance their offense.
Weaknesses:
Their rushing attack disappeared in big games. 66 against Spicewood, 42 against Bel Air, 59 against Las Vegas, 15 against Waco, 3 against Great Plains. You can’t piggy back your passing game that much against tough competition. If they want to win big games next season, they have to run the football against the top teams in this league.
New Brunswick n00bs
The most revealing information that can be said regarding the n00bs is that they played the best against the best. A few calls the other way or catching a break or two, they could have continued on in the postseason. They played Waco tough both times and only lost decisively to Spicewood. Along with the league’s most successful rusher, Greg Martin, their defense was strong throughout the season. They held opponents to 10 or less points in 10 games last season, and could improve on that in Season 3.
Strengths:
Greg Martin exceeded 2,000 yards this season (one of few in the league, if any, that accomplished this feat) and led one of the league’s best rushing attacks. Most of the time, New Brunswick could shove it down your throats on the ground even when you were expecting it and that’s rare. Assuming this ground dominance continues, the n00bs will be a top 5 contender next season. Football purists claim a strong running game and great defense wins championships, the n00bs have both so lets see if a championship will come.
Weaknesses:
In the 4th quarter, the n00bs seemed to be an entirely different team. Early in the season, the n00bs entered the final quarter with a 17-10 lead but allowed the Beardogs to score 17 in the 4th. Against Spicewood, they entered the 4th down 16 to 6 but still very much alive until allowed a 10 point Longhorn 4th. Against Dallas they allowed 6 points, including the game winning field goal with only 4 seconds remaining, after tying the game and ended up losing 6 to 9. The first game against Waco, they entered the 4th tied but gave up 9 points to that Davidians with only 6 answered and lost 19 to 16. For whatever reason, the n00bs sometimes become a totally different team in the 4th quarter. Maybe they need to focus more on suicide sprints in practice and do up-downs until their players cry for mercy! Whatever needs to be done, the n00bs need to play better in the 4th quarter.
Spicewood Longhorns
Spicewood served as the Jekyll and Hyde of A7 this season, scoring huge victories over Bel Air, New Brunswick, and Dallas but also getting absolutely dominated by Oakland and Las Vegas early as well as losing to a Scottsdale team that, as you read early, is something of an anomaly but should have been a very winnable game for the Longhorns at that point in the season. Spicewood is sort of like that car in a race that barely takes the lead and then falls back to 3rd and then takes the lead again, barely, and then falls back to third again! You don’t ever know when to believe they are staying at the top.
Strengths:
The Longhorn passing attack rivaled the best in the league this year, with RJ Stew posting a respectable 2329 yards with their back up adding another 700. Two Spicewood receivers exceeded 700 yards for the season, and Maija Vilkkumaa proved to be among the league’s best at Tight End. It is truly amazing the numbers they posted up when looking at the crazy amount of drops their second leading receiver, Ivo Ender, had during the season. 23 is a heck of a lot of drops, if he can figure out a way to join the Good Hands Club for next season, the Longhorns should be ready to scare the league’s elite again.
Weaknesses:
For as good as their passing attack was most of the season, their rushing attack countered it with futility. In their losses, Spicewood was never able to generate a considerable amount of threat in the ground game. Their highest rushing total in a loss was 85 against Scottsdale but against teams like Oakland (28), Waco (28), Great Plains (62), and Las Vegas (59) they really couldn’t get enough going. Honestly though, even those numbers are terrible and should give the Longhorn faithful some hope for next season. One of the things that hurt the Longhorns the most in their losses was time management. If you can’t run the football you can’t keep your defense off the field enough to rest, you give their offense more opportunities to put points up against your tired defense, and the proverbial ball just keeps rolling. That was the situation Spicewood often found themselves in, and it didn’t work out in most cases.
Oakland Wizards
Going into week 11, everyone believed Oakland to be at the very top of league excellence, rivaling then king Waco for supremacy. How a difference a few games can make. In the last 6 weeks of the season, Oakland went 2 and 4 which included gut wrenching losses to Las Vegas and Scottsdale. Their momentum was effectively crushed and they exited in the first round of the playoffs but their late season situation shouldn’t take away from their early season success. Beating New Brunswick, Great Plains, Dallas, and Spicewood are worthy accomplishments.
Strengths:
Oakland possessed a very balanced offense during Season 2, with both their star halfbacks and wide receiver/quarterback combo putting up numbers. They rivaled Spicewood in passing numbers (and rushing numbers) and had 4 players above 400 yards for the season. Oakland included many skill players in their offensive game plan and, at least for 10 weeks, stood as probably the league’s most feared offense. They could put points up on the board in bunches and it was a scary sight (just ask Spicewood from week 1).
Weaknesses:
If you take a quick glance at the Wizards season, you’ll see a pattern in the points of their opponents. As the season went on, people just started to score more points against the Oakland defense. You see numbers like 0 (twice), 3, 6, 10 in a first half in which Oakland surrendered 70 points to their opponents. In the second half of the season, Oakland gave up 138 points and you saw numbers like 24, 32, 34, and 14 (twice). It truly was a story of two different halves of the season for Oakland, with the second half being the sad story. Giving up almost twice as many points to opponents during the second half of the season isn’t the recipe for success and Oakland knows that, and will take the necessary steps to remedy the situation I’m sure.
Las Vegas Stunners
The Stunners were something like a Richter scale this season, with huge “ups” and crushing “downs.” They really were the poster boy of inconsistency, only managing 2 winning streaks of more than 2 games. Even in their 5 losses though, only two of them were really no contests (Great Plains and Bel Air) and they lost to the n00bs and Red Raiders on 4th quarter field goals. That being said, you have to win those type of games to win championships.
Strengths:
When your leading rusher has a 4.5 yard average, you did something right throughout the season. Duke Nuke’em was a top tier rusher in the league this season and, coupled with an average to slightly above average dual quarterback passing attack, led the Stunners to a very good season offensively. Even in some of their losses, Las Vegas still managed to get their ground game going (excluding Waco and Bel Air). With that being said, they definitely have a good foundation to build off of going into season 3.
P.S. – They get the award for putting up the most points against Ambridge!
Weaknesses:
Consistency? I mean without doing some in depth research there isn’t much I can say concerning the weaknesses of this football team. Their defense was strong enough, in most cases, to keep them close against most teams in the league. Their offensive attack was dangerous most of the season. The only thing Las Vegas truly had going against them was their consistency. This team has top 4 potential and, assuming they keep their team intact, should be a serious threat for the throne next season.
Dallas Red Raiders
When you see Dallas’ 11-4-1 record it definitely appears at first glance like a solid season. Now consider the fact that their first two games were losses against Hartford and Oakland, meaning Dallas went 11-2-1 in their last 14 games of the season. Their only losses (excluding games 1 and 2) were against Spicewood mid season when the Longhorns were really in full stride, and against a Waco team that provided consistently dominant all year. When you beat Great Plains and Bel Air, the league takes notice.
Strengths:
Lets make one thing clear: Dallas can throw the football. When your starting quarterback nearly exceeds 2000 yards (not too impressive right?) but your BACKUP also has over 1000 yards you can throw with (and against) the league’s best. With 7 receivers over 200 yards for the season, and 2 over 600, the Red Raiders definitely shared the aerial load as well throughout season 2.
Weaknesses:
In some cases one half of your offense can dominate and aid the other half to “get theirs” as well. In Dallas that isn’t the case, with the passing attack often shining to the detriment of the rushing attack. They still generated just over 1600 yards for the season, which is respectable but not amazing, and their ypc were just below average. Excluding the first two games and the 36 points put up by Waco, the Red Raider D didn’t play all that poorly throughout the season either and had periods of absolute brilliance. If they can balance their offense a bit and figure out a way to get consistent on defense, this team could also be a title contender next season.
Great Plains Reapers
Unlike a lot of other top teams, Great Plains never had their blowout loss. The largest point differential in a loss was 10, and in games against Bel Air, Waco, and Dallas the game was within 1 score at the conclusion.
Strengths:
Waco and Great Plains fought back and forth for the league’s best passing attack all season, and at the end it is very close. Both teams exceeded 3000 yards for the season and Hayden Fry had an absolutely amazing touchdown (15) to interception (5) rate. Maintaining possession and not giving opponents free opportunities greatly aided the Reapers to keep games close. Abra-CRUSH Lincoln proved he is one of the top two Tight Ends in the league (and owner of one of the most unique avatars) and, coupled with wide receiver tandem Englishman and End Zone, turned the Reapers passing attack into something worthy of nightmares for opponents.
Weaknesses:
Like many aerial specialists before them, Great Plains suffered a mediocre rushing attack as well this season. Yes, Ironhead James did exceed 1000 yards for the season but was silent in big games. In 3 of their 4 losses, he failed to exceed 30 yards rushing. I’m not willing to go as far as to say that you 100% must run the football to win games, but against top tier opponents the ability to do so sure does help you keep their offense from tiring your defense (see above). To be honest, I’ve done as much as I can to nitpick a very solid Reaper squad and if they can run the football against teams like Waco and Oakland next season, they can beat anyone.
Waco Davidians
Week in and week out, teams in the Western conference held their collective breathes to see how badly Waco crushed certain opponents. We also stood intimidated (mostly) in the regular season that this team may be unstoppable. In the regular season they basically were, posting only single digit points once. How many times were they in the teens? 3. How many times were they in the 20s? 5. 30s? 3. 40 and above? 4. When this team beat you, they didn’t just crush your heart, they destroyed your soul.
Strengths:
League’s best passing attack and top 3 (or 2) rushing attack coupled with a monstrous offensive line, talented skill players at every position, and a rock solid defense. Hugh Laurie threw 26 touchdowns to only 11 picks. I mean… the 11 picks are to be expected when you throw 26 touchdowns! That’s a lot of passes, and a lot of efficient passes. Both Waco running backs exceeded 10 touchdowns and 1200 yards, and receivers Doc Smooth and Theboy Marlowe (TE) both had huge seasons. At times Marlowe looked like he rivaled Lincoln for tight end dominance.
Weaknesses:
Keep in mind this is incredibly nitpicky, as with Great Plains, but the lack of close games didn’t give Waco much of an opportunity to make adjustments to that type of competition. You learn almost nothing when you beat a team by 60 or 70 points. Ultimately, this lack of adversity hurt the Davidians. You definitely want to win your big (and close) games and the Davidians did that don’t get me wrong, but when you only have two wins decided by 7 points or less, you aren’t really learning much from your competition.
Closing Statements
For a couple weeks now, I’ve had very little to write about. The league’s games were going very ho-hum with the usual suspects doing what the usual suspects do. It really has been an honor being a part of this league, classy guys all around as previously stated. Personally, I wish you all the best and will definitely be watching every game in the A7 next season as we attempt to keep on rollin forward here in Bel Air. I hope you all enjoy the read, man it’s a lot longer than I had originally intended but wanted to give each team something significant to read about their squad. Now that I’m (finally) done, its time to go celebrate by *drum roll* going to work! Wish us luck in the championship game and I’m out!
Bel Air Beardogs… coming to a USA Pro League near you!
Last edited Jun 3, 2008 22:25:54
