TEXANS VS COLTS WEEK 5 - AARON RODGERS
Reporter # 1 Asks...
"Rodgers, do you feel as though a loss like this one sets you back in the division title race?"
Rodgers :
"To be quite honest, I'm confident in myself and the guys in this lockeroom to overcome 2-3, and make a run at winning this division. We got a lot of fighters on this team, and I assure you we won't let this affect our goals."
Reporter # 2 Asks...
"Hey Aaron, reports surfaced during halftime that head coach Hate Drip is in active investigation of foul play by the league which could result in possible suspension or firing. What do you take of this news?"
Rodgers :
"I'm not the least of bit surprised. I can't express how frustrating it is to play against this team. It truly feels like that guy is cheating the system. Hell, I threw for over 500 yards and it didn't mean a damn thing. I know that defense we have is a talented group, but I'd be lying if I said I or they didn't feel like their hands were tied."
Reporter # 3 Asks...
"I have some info here that claims Coach Hate drip only ran 2 defensive play calls the entire game long, how does that make you feel Aaron?"
Rodgers :
"What a joke... I urge him to keep running the same calls, maybe I'll throw for 700 yards on him next game! What does this guy take me as, a f*cking idiot? Pardon my language."
Reporter # 4 (Enters media room abruptly) Asks...
"Rodgers, I have news that Coach Hate Drip has been forcibly fired from the SFL effective immediately, any comments on this?"
Rodgers :
(Bursts out laughing) "Good riddance! That guys a bum. An absolute bum. I'm honestly sad I won't get another chance to play his dumb ass in a rematch. You can only run the same plays over and over again for so long until this team catches on to it and adjust. Might as well put an asterick against his playoff win last year since he's helpless without exploits. I also heard that he spends most of his coaching free time playing Madden Ultimate Team to coach himself up.
With that, I'm on to the New York Giants and focused on making a playoff run for the wonderful city of Indianapolis."
It's no secret that the talent on this Saints team has been misused. Coming off a 4-12 season, which was followed by two mediocre seasons, the New Orleans Saints are seeking a revival. Expect an aggressive offseason, especially for the quarterback position. The Saints are also eying to revamp their schemes offensively and defensively, with hopes that new scenery could change their outlook. With the Super Bowl champs lingering in their division, there's much pressure on the shoulders of New Orleans to simply do anything.
SFL Top Five : OFFENSES
TOP 5 PASSING OFFENSES
( 1 ) The Cleveland Browns / At the midseason mark, B leads the league in passing yards (1754), passing TDs (22) and PPG (35.3). Those numbers alone tell the story to why he is number one. The cherry on top is OBJ leading all receivers (min 15 targets) in YPC (33.2).
( 2 ) The Washington Redskins / AC is 2nd in the league in passing yards (1717), passing TDs (22) and PPG (35.3). The duo of Paul Richardson and Stefon Diggs is almost unstoppable. They are combining for 13 TDs and over 1200 yards and leading all receiver duos in receptions.
( 3 ) The Atlanta Falcons / While it seems like this team is primarily dominating in the rushing game, Lamar Jackson leads all starting QBs in completion percentage (74%). While he is (6th) in passing yards per game, Lamar has the best TD to INT ratio in the league.
( 4 ) The Kansas City Chiefs / Even though Codie struggles to be a top team record wise, the Chiefs are still dominating in the air. (6th) in passing yards per game, but (2nd) in passing TDs. Mahomes is on pace for 20 INTs, if they could limit the turnovers they'd probably have a much better record.
( 5 ) The Baltimore Ravens / Gharl has taken a lot by surprise. He's 5th in passing yards per game, while being 2nd in PPG (34.7). It's hard to believe he's doing it with 77 overall Kirk Cousins, though his (13-10) TD ratio is nothing impressive. Yet that doesn't at all matter as the Ravens currently have the best record in the league.
TOP 5 RUSHING OFFENSES
( 1 ) The Washington Redskins / AC must rock the "Run the Damn Ball" hat. He leads the league in rushing (1446) by over 130. The Skins are also 2nd in rushing TDs (15). Derrius Guice leads the SFL in rushing. If you have any chance in beating Washington you must limit this run game.
( 2 ) The Atlanta Falcons / Q is 2nd in the league in rushing (1331), and leads the league in rushing TDs (16). This is due in part to Lamar leading all QBs in rushing attempts, and Devonta Freeman leading the NFL in rushing attempts. The formula seems to be working well as the Falcons are a second best 7-1.
( 3 ) The Arizona Cardinals / This rushing unit is led by Kyler Murray as he is leading all QBs in rushing yards (423). Kyler also leads the NFL in YPC (min 25 carries) with 16.3 yards per rush. Though injuries have plagued David Johnson's season, the young Kerrith Whyte Jr has stepped up in his place as he is 4th in RB YPC (min 25 carries). Arizona is also 4th in total rushing yards.
( 4 ) The Columbus Caps / The Caps are 3rd in the league in rushing (1273). Melvin Gordon leads the league in RB YPC (10.4) and is 2nd in YPG (161.5) You must make it a point to slow down the duo of Gordon and Justin Jackson.
( 5 ) The Cleveland Browns / The Browns are led in this category by Kareem Hunt, who is number 1 in YPG (166) and 2nd in rushing yards total (996). Though they are 6th in the league in total rushing, this is mainly indicative of their production and volume through the air.
Things aren't going well for New Orleans. After the negligence of the quarterback position, a revolving door in the QB room has surfaced. Each player who's stepped in has suffered greatly in the stat column. While Alvin Kamara seems to be a lone bright spot for their team, the lack of a sufficient signal caller seems to always prevent them from finding a win. If the Saints want any hope at turning things around, they must find any sort of passing game as they rank in the bottom of the league in that criteria.
Things seemed to be on the upward trend for the New Orleans Saints. Following a rather abysmal season, the NFC south remained tight up until the season’s halfway point. As the Atlanta Falcons grabbed a clear hold of the division title, playoff aspirations still stood in the Saints’ reach.
But in a disappointing fashion, the once promising season was brought to a halt. The Dallas Cowboys had slipped into the playoffs in the once owned wildcard spot.
With a brand new season in sight, and a very talented team, the New Orleans Saints have high aspirations for making a run to and throughout the playoffs.
Following a big win in Los Angeles against the Rams, things begin to look bright for the Saints. The loss of Drew Brees due to retirement seemed devastating at the time. But the young rookie QB Hunter S. Thompson seems to be getting the job done. Though he’s not putting up flashy stats, he’s controlling games, which is leading to wins. An offense that seems mediocre at this time is missing a key piece of Michael Thomas. Yet the true bright spot of the Saints has been their defense. Ranking 2nd in points allowed, allowing just 14 a game, the Saints defense is opening some eyes. They are also allowing the 3rd least passing yards, and 2nd least rushing yards. As the schedule strengthens, taking on teams such as the reigning NFC champ Redskins, the Saints are being put up to the test. Will their success continue, or is this a mere fluke?
AFC
Colts
STRENGTH
(Passing Attack) At helm of the SFL runner up passing leader in Andrew Luck, the Indianapolis Colts have proven to be a terror when airing out the football. Rookie wide receiver Ender Wiggins has been nearly un-coverable, using his 6’3 frame to haul in 21 touchdowns, and finish 3rd in receiving yards. When facing the first seed in the AFC, prepare that secondary, and you may want to double cover Ender Wiggins.
WEAKNESS
(Interceptions) Of the top 15 teams in interceptions thrown, only three made the playoffs. One of those teams is the Indianapolis Colts, ranking 11th with 31 picks thrown. This weakness could end up stabbing them in the back, if teams convert these mistakes into points.
Browns
STRENGTH
(Defense) When finishing second in overall offense and first in defensive yards allowed, the choice bubbles down to which is truly more dominant. 8th in interceptions and 4th in QB sacks really spells a menacing defense for any team that has to come across the Cleveland Browns. Only allowing a league best 304.2 yards per game, SFL teams must spend some time game planning against the men in the orange helmets.
WEAKNESS
(Turning over the ball) Seeing the #2 ranking in offense may instill fear in opponents, but do not think you won’t have chances at creating turnovers. Averaging a tad over 2 interceptions per game, throwing 34 overall, you must convert points of off these mistakes to keep up with the SFL league leading passer in Deshone Kizer.
Chiefs
STRENGTH
(Offensive Line) You’re going to need a strong set of trenches to match up with Kansas City. Averaging 141 rushing yards per game, #1 ranked in the SFL, a mix of Ezekiel Elliott and Cordarelle Patterson tallied up 327 total carries. Shoot those gaps. Not to mention the Chiefs were the least sacked team in the entire SFL, only allowing 23.
WEAKNESS
(Passing Attack) Even though the chiefs have proven to be a turnover free with only 15 interceptions, they haven’t had much success passing the ball. It’s in question wether they were just playing conservative, as run reliant as they were, but a league bottom 232 passing yards per game could spell a problem. Wiping out the Chiefs run game may prove effective.
Jets
STRENGTH
(Run defense) It has been nearly impossible to run the ball against the New York Jets. Averaging 59 rushing yards per game is a truly astounding stat. It may be essential to prepare a less run heavy offense, as it has proven to be worthless in a game against this top defensive front.
WEAKNESS
(Run Game) Ironically, while being able to stop the run against opponents, the Jets have had trouble getting their own run to explosive tendencies. They sit at 19th in the SFL, averaging 90 yards per game. Christine Michael just crossed 800 yards on the year, but hasn’t proven much to be a factor.
Patriots
STRENGTH
(Offensive Production) If you go up against New England, take it with a grain of salt. 2nd in the SFL in points per game, at 37, the Patriots have proven they could match whatever you have to give. Oh, and make sure you cover Brandin Cooks
WEAKNESS
(Pass Defense) The Patriots haven’t proven to excel at stopping the air attack. Allowing 283 passing yards per game, 19th in the league, it would be wise to attempt a pass heavy scheme. Being top 6 in rushing yards allowed may force you to do just that early on anyway, so be prepared.
Raiders
STRENGTH
(Defense PPG) The Raiders finished 2019 6th in points allowed per game. That is a telling stat, and it’s not fair to be overlooked. Khalil Mack is a force to be reckoned with, tallying in 22 sacks, tied for second in the league. While not having much production on offense, the defense has held its own by keeping teams from having a field day on them. Oh and yeah, you make want to chip a runningback on Khalil Mack.
WEAKNESS
(Offense) There's not much sugar coating to be done, landing 29th in total offense must be concerning. Although an injured Derek Carr could have some contribution to being 31st in passing yards, there must be some sort of spark to this offense for any possible Oakland super
bowl run.
NFC
Buccaneers
STRENGTH
(Conservative Play) The Buccaneers haven’t exploded offensively. 15th in points per game points them at nearly dead average. Jameis Winston has taken care of the football well, averaging about an interception a game. For reference those numbers put him and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the 7th least interceptions thrown by a team this year.
WEAKNESS
(Front Seven) Aside from a very talented Kwon Alexander, the Buccaneers front seven doesn’t drop jaws. You should be locked in for a decent rushing game, while they are 19th in allowing 92 rushing yards per game. With more strength in their secondary, the Tampa Bay front seven is mediocre at best.
Cowboys
STRENGTH
(Run Game) Averaging the 3rd most points in the SFL doesn’t come easy, and to do that off of the 3rd most rushing yards per game is impressive. The Dallas Cowboys scheme has proven to stick to the run first, functioning through Franklin Pennington, the league’s runner up in rushing yardage. With 4 99 overall offensive linemen, stopping this attack will be a nightmare.
WEAKNESS
(Secondary) It doesn’t take a genius to not be impressed with the Dallas secondary on paper. And the stats don’t say otherwise. Allowing 277 passing yards per game, 17th in the league, the Dallas Cowboys must get the best play possible out of their young corners. You may want to focus on targeting the two covermen who both don’t top 84 overall.
Cardinals
CPU
Lions
STRENGTH
(User) While just sneaking into the playoffs, the Lions don’t have much to lean on to statistically. One of their strong points have been the runner up in league interceptions, Jaraad Davis. With 15 interceptions, the Lions have proven to inhabit a ball hawk patrolling the middle of the field.
WEAKNESS
(Turnovers) Just when things start trending well for Detroit, they seem to turn the ball over. With an injured Bennett Hammond most of the season, Matt Stafford tossed a league leading 38 interceptions. Conservative play is essential to the Lion’s success, or at least not turning over the ball like they have been.
Panthers
STRENGTH
(Run Game) Christian McCaffrey had a field day behind is offensive line in 2019. Averaging 5.4 yards per carry, the Panthers run game has been a very consistent factor towards their success. Not to mention Cam Newton’s 70 rushing attempts. That contributed to the 6th best rushing attack in the SFL. But watch out, McCaffery can catch the ball just as well as run it, with 32 receptions on the year, averaging 9.3 yards per catch.
WEAKNESS
(Ineffective Passing Game) Carolina did not have a 1,000 yard receiver in 2019. Ranking in a 28th in passing yards per game should worry the Panthers. If they can’t get the air attack going, there may be trouble in keeping up with the rest of the playoff teams who primarily defend well against the run.
Falcons
STRENGTH
(Offense) After early season struggles, looking at the Falcon’s year statistically doubts that there were any faults. The king of points per game, with 40, it’s tough to ever count Atlanta out of matching your touchdown drive. Wide receiver Ryan Montgomery, averaging 33 yards per catch, is a supernatural force in the vertical game. 6th in overall offensive yards, prepare your defense accordingly while playing this Atlanta offense.
WEAKNESS
(Sticking to the run) An injured Devonta Freeman may be the reason for a less run heavy offense, but the only flaw in the Falcon’s season is their ranking of 16th most rushing yards per game. Unable to top the 100 yard mark, and having a 3.9 and 4 yard per carry rusher is a slight concern to a once dominant run attack in Atlanta. Matt Ryan was the Falcon’s leading rusher by attempt, by a whole yard.