Lurker > KCF0107

Epicentre

Shorty

Oh, it is already the 10th, and I havent begun my replay of HL2 or restarted MD

I realized that I forgot to mention Tyrod Taylor's passer rating for those who put any stock into it for true scrambling QBs. I want to say it was 73.8

Breakers

Mario

Trois
Version

Sandman

General Manager of the Year

BlueCrystalTear
+ Went 10-6 as the Ravens returned to the playoffs
+ Navigated around a devastating injury to then-MVP candidate OLB Cedric Young to fend off other teams trying to take their playoff spot, finishing 1st in defensive sacks

- Finished 28th on defense, one of the worst marks by a playoff team

Eddv
+ Went 11-5 as the Giants returned to the playoffs for the first time since S10
+ Changed the OL some as they gave up the third-fewest sacks (30), and changing the defensive alignment to a 3-4 led to a Top 10 defense

- Used a 1st round pick to sign TE Darren Waller who had a career-worst 229 rec yards

KCF
+ Went 11-5, the best record in franchise history and gave the Wildcats their first division win ever and first playoff appearance since S6
+ Signed, drafted, or traded 15 new offensive players (six starters), including QB Ryan Lindley and HB Kenyan Drake, as they finished 10th on offense, 2nd in points per game, gave up the fifth-fewest sacks (37), and scored the most offensive TDs in the league (39)

- It's me

VeryInsane
+ Went 10-6 as Browns repeat as AFC North champions
+ Signed QB Mitchell Turbisky who led the league in passer rating and helped lead the offense to being #1 in the league

- Made major defensive changes (both in personnel and alignment), and they finished 24th for their effort

Stevr
+ Went 10-6 as the Bills won the AFC East for the first time and back into the playoffs for the first time since S9
+ Signed two of the highest-rated OL (LG Gabe Jackson and C Ryan Kelly) as they gave up the 8th fewest sacks (40) and improved to 12th on offense

- Team finished 29th in rushing, 23rd on defense, and dead last in turnover differential at -13 (league-low 19 takeaways)

Comeback Player of the Year

Packers QB Tyrod Taylor

Taylor missed all of last season due to injury, but the Packers didn't miss a beat as Tim Tebow led them to an 11-5 record and a first round bye, calling into question if Taylor was really ever that important to the Packers success as he entered his final season in S18. Taylor proceeded to have one of his finest seasons with 1912 passing yards, 1293 rushing yards, 24 total TDs, and 13 INTs as he became an MVP candidate again and was pivotal in helping the Packers enter the postseason with the second-best record in the league (12-4) as they look to make their first Super Bowl.

49ers WR Percy Harvin

Harvin was with the Falcons for 10 seasons as a decent slot receiver/low-end #2 before he wasn't resigned after S16. He was out of football last season. He only caught on with the 49ers this season because cap issues caused them to turnover their WR starters. His 463 yards may not jump out, but they were a career high for him, and he did help second-year QB Kyler Murray increase his passer rating by nearly 15 points. Where he really jumped out though was in the return game where he looked like a vintage Roy Helu Jr. He posted an absurd 6 return TDs (3 each for KR and PR) as he landed in the Top 5 in both averages.

Bengals RT Joe Thomas

Thomas is one of the forgotten 1st round picks from the Stan era of the Titans. The former 15th overall pick didn't have a great showing for the team. He was eventually traded to the Chiefs where he show glimpses of greatness, if never eliteness. He last played in S14. Despite his rating, he was often buried on the OT FA chart due to the high ratings coming in, so it was a wonder if he would ever play again. The Bengals lost their 14th year RT Lyndon Murtha after just one game. Then entered Joe Thomas. For 14 games, he had the most efficient season of his career as his 62 blocks vs 4 sacks allowed was one of the better ratios in the league. He died helping the team score a monumental victory over the Dolphins in Week 16, and was a pivotal figure as they made it back to the playoffs for the first time since S9.

Jags MLB Vontaze Burfict

Burfict was a former Defensive Player of the Year who missed all of last season to injury, and the Raiders let him walk as a free agent for cap purposes. The Jags scooped him up, and he thrived in his first season in a 4-3 D. He had a career high of 175 tackles (2nd in the league) with 2 sacks, 2 INTs, and 2 FFs as he nearly helped lead the Jags to a furious comeback to the playoffs after they started 2-6.

Commanders CB Buster Skrine

Skrine started 12 games for a disappointing Commanders team last season, and he put up a whole bunch of nothing. 5 tackles and about 60 KR/PR with no TDs was all he could muster. The 10th year pro instead found himself in the slot with the trade for Charles Ferris, and he thrived there on a resurgent Commanders defense as he led the league with 7 INTs. He didn't produce great results solely on defense as he was one of the best returners in the league as well finishing in the Top 10 in both KR and PR avg with three TDs spread among them.

Breakout Player of the Year

Wildcats HB Kenyan Drake

Drake was taken by the Broncos with the #8 overall pick in S14 draft when they were awarded it from the Bears when they signed SS Derek Linde in RFA. Drake backed up future Hall of Famer LaMarcus Coker for a season where he put up pedestrian numbers in 16 games as a backup (3.5 YPC, 1 total TD, 1 fumble). What ensued over the following three seasons could only be called disastrous. He played 9 games with four starts in S15 with the Broncos eventually signing Knowshon Moreno to start. He played in only 5 games with 5 starts in S16 with the Broncos signing Giovanni Bernard to start. In S17, he had 10 games and 5 starts with the Broncos eventually signing Melvin Gordon to start. Thanks to injuries and ineffectiveness, he played in 24 (14 starts) of a possible 48 games from S15-17 with 1068 total yards, a 3.6 rushing YPC, and 3 fumbles vs 2 TDs. He got a change of scenery to the Wildcats who had undergone a major offensive makeover, which ultimately led to one of the least talented OL in the league. In the final season of his rookie contract, Drake delivered in production with 1709 total yards, 17 total TDs, and 2 fumbles as he helped lead the Wildcats to their first division title and their best record ever while also being a nominee in several categories.

Bears LT Isaiah Wynn

The Bears traded up for Wynn, giving up their S18 1st round pick to select him. He started 5 games before suffering a season-ending injury, but it was a disaster. 19 blocks vs 6 sacks allowed. Year 2 went so much better as his ratio improved to 78 blocks vs 9 sacks allowed, with the block total tying for third-most in the league as the Bears offense was balanced to roughly league average on the ground and through the air.

Orcas MLB Drew Sheth

Sheth admirably filled in for an injured Telvin Smith last season where in 16 games and 7 starts as a rookie, the 125th overall pick just cleared 100 tackles and provided 1 each of sacks, INTs, FFs, and FRs. When Smith signed with the Bengals, Sheth competed with veteran free agent signing Rey Maualuga for the starting job. Sheth won and became the one of the stars of the defense that finished 2nd in the league as he exploded to 153 tackles, 4 sacks, a league-leading 5 FFs, and 4 FRs.

Falcons DT Kris Jones

The Falcons had lost second-year DT D.J. Reader to a season-ending injury in the preseason giving a team a huge punch to the gut as they hoped their ascending, young front seven could help turn around the defense to get them back into the playoffs. The Falcons ended up not signing a replacement, so the fifth-year, former fifth round pick Jones had to step in to start. His 30 tackles may not jump out, but he was second on the team with 9 sacks (third had 4) with 2 FFs and 2 FRs as he helped the defense settle to above league average in most categories and even fourth against the run as the Falcons made a late-season run after a 1-4 start to win the NFC South.

Packers K Daniel Carlson

Carlson was one of many Ks taken in days 1 and 2 of the S16 draft. He was the only one who didn't get a chance to start as a rookie as P Andy Groom won the kicking job and was sensational at it. He wrestled the job away last season, but was one of the worst kickers in the league converting just 68% of his FGAs and was 5-10 from 50+. This season, he made huge strides hitting 84% of his FGAs (33-39) and went 7-9 from 50+ as he became a K of the Year candidate.

Offensive Lineman of the Year
Dolphins RG Laurent Duvernay-T (76 blocks, 7 sacks allowed)
Eagles C Mitch Morse (78 blocks, 7 sacks allowed)
Falcons RT Tony Ugoh (65 blocks, 2 sacks allowed)
49ers RT Tavita Thompson (71 blocks, 3 sacks allowed)
Packers RT Brandon Parker (79 blocks, 4 sacks allowed)

Tight End of the Year
Falcons' Maxx Williams (65 receptions for 582 yards (8.9 YPC), 4 TDs)
49ers' Jace Amaro (66 receptions for 489 yards (7.4 YPC), 5 TDs)
Raiders' Tyler Eifert (79 receptions for 625 yards (7.9 YPC), 5 TDs)
Steelers' C.J. Uzomah (62 receptions for 485 yards (7.8 YPC), 5 TDs)
Vikings' Tyler Hignee (74 receptions for 676 yards (9.1 YPC), 4 TDs)

Wide Receiver of the Year
Bengals' Kenny Golladay (104 rec for 1340 yards (12.8 YPC), 10 TDs, 7 drops)
Bills' Tyreek Hill (83 receptions for 1172 yards (14.2 YPC), 11 TDs, 4 drops)
Commanders' Julio Jones (101 receptions for 1270 yards (12.5 YPC), 10 TDs, 4 drops)
Rams' Rishard Matthews (82 receptions for 1310 yards (15.9 YPC), 12 TDs, 5 drops)
Seahawks' Amari Cooper (86 receptions for 1134 yards (13.1 YPC), 10 TDs, 2 drops)

Running Back of the Year
Colts' Jamaal Williams (383 carries for 1680 yards (4.3 YPC), 41 receptions for 332 yards (8.0 YPC), 11 total TDs, 5 fumbles)
Falcons' David Johnson (460 carries for 1907 yards (4.1 YPC), 19 receptions for 180 yards (9.4 YPC), 8 total TDs, 6 fumbles)
Giants' Isaiah Pead (405 carries for 1620 yards (4.0 YPC), 35 receptions for 242 yards (6.9 YPC), 11 total TDs, 6 fumbles)
Wildcats' Kenyan Drake (393 carries for 1540 yards (3.9 YPC), 31 receptions for 169 yards (5.4 YPC), 17 total TDs, 2 fumbles)
Ravens' Doug Martin (382 carries for 1703 yards (4.4 YPC), 23 receptions for 159 yards (6.9 YPC), 7 total TDs, 3 fumbles)

Quarterback of the Year
Browns' Mitchell Trubisky (273-445 (61.3%), 2834 yards, 22 TDs, 9 INTs, 6 fumbles, 87.8 passer rating)
Dolphins' Sam Keller (253-400 (63.2%), 2564 yards, 18 TDs, 10 INTs, 4 fumbles, 86.0 passer rating)
Seahawks' Gardner Minshew (313-511 (61.2%), 3001 yards, 23 TDs, 14 INTs, 11 fumbles, 81.2 passer rating)
Vikings' Jimmy Garoppolo (299-473 (63.2%), 3273 yards, 22 TDs, 13 INTs, 9 fumbles, 87.6 passer rating)
Wildcats' Ryan Lindley (260-463 (56.2%), 2863 yards, 18 TDs, 10 INTs, 4 fumbles, 78.6 passer rating)

Defensive Rookie of the Year
Browns ROLB Andrew Van Ginkel (70 tackles, 7 sacks, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR)
Chiefs SS Taylor Rapp (74 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 3 FFs, 1 FR)
Jets SS Nassir Adderley (69 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 FFs, 2 FRs)
Ravens MLB Ricky Wilkes (28 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INTs, 2 FRs, 2 def TDs)
Steelers MLB Nick Kiwatkoski (85 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 FFs, 5 FRs)

Offensive Rookie of the Year
Bengals WR Kenny Golladay (104 rec for 1340 yards (12.8 YPC), 10 TDs, 7 drops)
Cowboys HB Phillip Lindsay (151 carries for 612 yards (4.0 YPC), 27 rec for 223 yards (8.2 YPC), 5 total TDs, 4 fumbles)
Dolphins HB Samaje Perine (204 carries for 833 yards (4.0 YPC), 19 receptions for 126 yards (6.6 YPC), 4 total TDs, 4 fumbles)
Jaguars C Darryl Walker (58 blocks, 7 sacks allowed)
Titans WR Christian Kirk (56 receptions for 853 yards (15.2 YPC), 5 TDs, 4 drops)

Defensive Player of the Year
Broncos SS Vonn Bell (98 tackles, 4 sacks, 5 INTs, 1 FF)
Browns SS Chris Browning (104 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 INTs)
Cowboys LE Vinny Curry (38 tackles, 11 sacks, 3 FFs, 5 FRs)
Lions MLB Bryan Vinson (187 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 INTs, 3 FFs, 2 FRs)
Packers LOLB Chris Ruud (115 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 INTs, 2 FFs, 4 FRs)
Wildcats MLB Bobby Wagner (107 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 INTs, 4 FFs, 4 FRs, 1 def TD)
Wildcats DT Tyson Alualu (61 tackles, 8 sacks, 4 FFs)

Offensive Player of the Year
Bengals WR Kenny Golladay (104 rec for 1340 yards (12.8 YPC), 10 TDs, 7 drops)
Colts HB Jamaal Williams (383 carries for 1680 yards (4.3 YPC), 41 receptions for 332 yards (8.0 YPC), 11 total TDs, 5 fumbles)
Giants HB Isaiah Pead (405 carries for 1620 yards (4.0 YPC), 35 receptions for 242 yards (6.9 YPC), 11 total TDs, 6 fumbles)
Packers QB Tyrod Taylor (229-389 (58.9%), 1912 yards, 178 rushes for 1293 yards (7.2 YPC), 24 total TDs, 13 INTs, 6 fumbles)
Rams WR Rishard Matthews (82 receptions for 1310 yards (15.9 YPC), 12 TDs, 5 drops)
Wildcats HB Kenyan Drake (393 carries for 1540 yards (3.9 YPC), 31 receptions for 169 yards (5.4 YPC), 17 total TDs, 2 fumbles)
Vikings QB Jimmy Garoppolo (299-473 (63.2%), 3273 yards, 22 TDs, 13 INTs, 9 fumbles, 87.6 passer rating)

Most Valuable Player
Falcons RT Tony Ugoh (65 blocks, 2 sacks allowed)
Packers QB Tyrod Taylor (229-389 (58.9%), 1912 yards, 178 rushes for 1293 yards (7.2 YPC), 24 total TDs, 13 INTs, 6 fumbles)
Packers LOLB Chris Ruud (115 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 INTs, 2 FFs, 4 FRs)
Rams WR Rishard Matthews (82 receptions for 1310 yards (15.9 YPC), 12 TDs, 5 drops)
Wildcats HB Kenyan Drake (393 carries for 1540 yards (3.9 YPC), 31 receptions for 169 yards (5.4 YPC), 17 total TDs, 2 fumbles)
Wildcats MLB Bobby Wagner (107 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 INTs, 4 FFs, 4 FRs, 1 def TD)
Vikings QB Jimmy Garoppolo (299-473 (63.2%), 3273 yards, 22 TDs, 13 INTs, 9 fumbles, 87.6 passer rating)

Coach of the Year
Giants' Mike Zimmer (11-5, 87 Team Rating)
Packers' Mike Shanahan (12-4, 87 Team Rating)
Rams' Kerry Collins (11-5, 89 Team Rating)
Ravens' Corey Dillon (10-6, 87 Team Rating)
Vikings' Eric Heitmann (14-2, 90 Team Rating)

Returner of the Year
Commanders CB Buster Skrine (57 KR for 25.4 avg, 54 PR for 11.7 avg, 3 return TDs)
49ers WR Percy Harvin (55 KR for 25.9 avg, 62 PR for 13.9 avg, 6 return TDs)
Panthers WR Davante Adams (61 KR for 25.5 avg, 52 PR for 9.7 avg, 3 return TDs)
Seahawks HB T.J. Yeldon (49 KR for 23.8 avg, 69 PR for 13.3 avg, 3 return TDs)
Vikings WR Quan Cosby (40 KR for 23.1 avg, 54 PR for 12.0 avg, 2 return TDs)

Punter of the Year
Bears' Brett Kern (84 ounts for 44.9 avg, 36.4 net avg, 30 inside opp. 20, 12 touchbacks)
Broncos' John Torp (99 punts for 45.2 avg, 36.4 net avg, 33 inside opp. 20, 12 touchbacks)
Giants' Lachlan Edwards (89 punts for 44.6 avg, 35.8 net avg, 33 inside opp. 20, 11 touchbacks)
Packers' A.J. Cole III (74 punts for 44.5 avg, 36.0 net avg, 39 inside opp. 20, 6 touchbacks)
Steelers' Tom Malone (81 punts for 44.5 avg, 35.0 net avg, 29 inside opp. 20, 9 touchbacks)

Kicker of the Year
Bengals' James Wilhoit (36-44 FGAs, 29-29 XPAs, 4-8 from 50+)
Eagles' Derek Moore (35-42 FGAs, 26-26 XPAs, 4-6 from 50+)
Express' Sergio Aguayo (31-36 FGAs, 30-30 XPAs, 3-6 from 50+)
Packers' Daniel Carlson (33-39 FGAs, 33-33 XPAs, 7-9 from 50+)
Seahawks' Chris Nendick (31-37 FGAs, 33-33 XPAs, 4-7 from 50+)

Defensive Back of the Year
Bears SS Derek Linde (144 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 2 FFs, 2 FRs)
Broncos SS Vonn Bell (98 tackles, 4 sacks, 5 INTs, 1 FF)
Browns SS Chris Browning (104 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 INTs)
Giants SS Justin Reid (63 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 INTs, 2 FFs)
Rams SS Scott Morris (103 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 2 FRs)

Linebacker of the Year
Lions MLB Bryan Vinson (187 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 INTs, 3 FFs, 2 FRs)
Colts ROLB Darnell Forrest (111 tackles, 4 sacks, 6 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 def TD)
Orcas MLB Drew Sheth (153 tackles, 4 sacks, 5 FFs, 4 FRs)
Packers LOLB Chris Ruud (115 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 INTs, 2 FFs, 4 FRs)
Wildcats MLB Bobby Wagner (107 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 INTs, 4 FFs, 4 FRs, 1 def TD)

Defensive Lineman of the Year
Bengals LE DeForest Buckner (25 tackles, 16 sacks, 1 FF, 2 FRs)
Cowboys LE Vinny Curry (38 tackles, 11 sacks, 3 FFs, 5 FRs)
Dolphins LE Yannick Ngakoue (48 tackles, 11 sacks, 3 FFs, 2 FRs)
Ravens DT Jared Odrick (50 tackles, 13 sacks, 2 FRs)
Wildcats DT Tyson Alualu (61 tackles, 8 sacks, 4 FFs)

End-of-Season Season Awards

The following posts will contain all the awards that will be given out this season. While participation is optional, I would really appreciate it if you would take the 15 minutes or so out of your life to pick out your choices for each category and submit them to me via PM before the deadline.

Most of the awards are from the game itself. There are a few that are entirely of my creation. The former awards will have both a User and Madden winner while the later will solely have a User winner. The nominees for awards from the game will mostly come from the game itself with a few categories I will do from scratch. To prevent spoilers, I reorder the nominees by team name, first name, or last name every year (except Breakout/Comeback is by positional order and GM is always by name). This year, I chose team name.

For each category, you choose the one player/coach/person you believe to be most worthy of the award. For the Offensive Player, Defensive Player, and MVP of the Year, awards, you do not have to vote for the any of the listed players. If you feel another player up for another award is applicable and more worthy for one of these awards, you may select them as a write-in candidate even though you should know they won't win. However, I will use my discretion to null a write-in vote if I feel it to be disingenuous.

College football is back in full swing on the 26th, so I think that I'm going to set the deadline to submit award ballots to me on Sunday, August 27th at 5 PM ET. Lately, I have been separating the award show and playoff sim to different days, but with Saturday probably not a great day, I think that I'm going to combine them again for this season.

Back
Roll

Odyssey

To Do:
Awards
Figure out what I want to do about archiving stuff because I don't want to deal with Fandom any more
Send out those stat PMs

I'm putting the Express here with a caveat that I can convince Maniac to sign some people with his nearly $20 mil in cap space, especially HB Giovanni Bernard. The Express were dead last in rushing at 1327 yards (82.9 per game), had a league high of 17 lost fumbles, and had the second-most giveaways at 38. This team was 6th on defense, so if they sign maybe Bernard, a LG, and maybe a depth piece or two on the OL or even QB, geez, the playoff potential for this team is suddenly intriguing, especially if their first two playoff games would be against the Ravens and Bills (if Bengals get the upset and Madden does their playoff seeding matchups like they should).

The Falcons cooled off a bit defensively, but they are one of the best teams running the ball, stopping the run, and have a +4 turnover differential. Injuries have held back the team, and they have over $20 mil in cap space. If they get a WR and maybe depth or playoff starters at DT/CB/wherever, they could really aid them in a tough matchup against the Packers. The path will be super difficult, and the margin for error is razor thin having tied for the least talented playoff team, but they have some quality wins and very close losses against playoff teams, so they've shown they can be up for the task.

The Bills are 29th in rushing, 23rd on defense, and had a league-worst -13 turnover differential. They somehow got a first round bye. I will say that they started 6-1 on the back of their defense, so their 4-5 finish and where they ultimately landed on defense makes sense. That doesn't make up for their run game and how ghastly they were with turnovers, but their saving grace for them in the playoffs will have to come from their defense regaining its early season form.

Like the Bills, the Ravens should just be happy to be here given how they fared this season statistically. The Ravens went 10-6 with a defense with a severe talent deficiency in its front seven, an OL that had career or near career-worst seasons from most starters, and its star HB struggling for the first half. They do get a juicy first round matchup against the Express, but ultimately, they should just be happy to be in the playoffs, and if they win a game, that's cool.

KCF's Playoff Power Rankings

1. Columbus Pioneers
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. New York Giants
4. Green Bay Packers
5. Mexico City Browns
6. Cincinnati Bengals
7. Toronto Wildcats
8. St. Louis Rams
9. Portland Express
10. Atlanta Falcons
11. Buffalo Bills
12. Baltimore Ravens

I do not believe that the Pioneers are the best team in the playoffs, but they are one of the better ones, and they have the easiest path by far. The AFC is chock-full of very flawed teams, so the Pioneers with a top half running game and defense look fantastic by comparison. QB Russell Wilson was in the midst of his worst season but was arguably the league's best QB in the second-half as he went from a 60-62 passer rating to 79.3 by the season's end. HB DeMarco Murray made it through all 16 games, but in a down year for HB efficiency, he managed just a 3.9 YPC and averaged 71 yards a game. The WR tandem of Stefon Diggs and Eric Decker could be the best in the league, but there's little else in light of TE Mark Andrews lost season that ended after one week. If DeMarco Murray resembles something closer to his usual self and Wilson still plays at a high level, I think that the Pioneers can easily be the AFC rep and even become the first AFC team to win a SB against a non-Cowboys team.

The Vikings are a suspect #1 seed because their defense hasn't played at an elite level, and their running game is one of the worst among playoff teams. They really miss Dion Lewis and oddly C.J. Prosise, but injuries, including at FB where they had one of the best blockers, I think are the main reason why they rank so low in running more than play. Current starter Duke Johnson hasn't been great. In fact, in his tepid career, I would say that this is his worst season with a 3.5 YPC and a fumble rate of nearly 1 for every 60 touches. There's probably not a high ceiling for their running game, but they can make up for it with the league's most efficient offense and one of the league's best run defenses against the likes of the Packers, Falcons, and Giants. They need to win just two home games to make the Super Bowl, and the AFC field isn't very daunting, so they could in reality be the Super Bowl favorites.

It feels weird putting the Giants third, but here we are. The Giants had a very balanced offense even if QB Aaron Murray and HB Isaiah Pead ran more hot and cold than one would want with Super Bowl aspirations. The defense was legit all season, but there is some concern about playing 15/16 games in a 3-4, and then switching to a 4-3 just in time for one-and-done scenarios. The Giants just have to win two games to enter the Super Bowl for the third time, but no matter who they face, it will be a tough opponent, whether its at home or on the road. They might have lower Super Bowl odds than a couple teams ranked below them, but I think the Giants have played great this season and can continue that in the playoffs.

The Packers might actually be the best team in the league. They are in the Top 5 in nearly every major category and finished with the second-best record in the league, including ending the season on a 3-game winning streak. Unfortunately, they were in the same division as the Vikings, so they might be looking at having to win three road games to reach the Super Bowl. Every one of the NFC teams is good enough to make the Super Bowl, so this path is so difficult, but with an excellent swansong from QB Tyrod Taylor, an emerging runner in HB Austin Ekeler, a suffocating defense in both facets, and a +11 turnover differential, they could be like the Vikings from last season who made it to the conference championship as a wild card and held a late lead. The offense isn't as balanced as that Vikings team, but people just haven't been stopping them with regularity.

The Browns have the offense (#1 overall and Top 12 in both categories) and the turnover differential (+13) to make some noise in the playoffs. They might have the toughest matchup for a division winner in the first round outside of the Falcons, and the defense (24th overall and 20th or worse in both categories) is an achilles heel for them. The Browns also have not beaten anyone with a winning record outside of their division while also owning one of the league's easiest schedules. That being said, I'm not totally down on the defense despite what the stats say? I can't explain it, but I'm a little bullish on this team's potential in the playoffs. If they can get past the Bengals, then they should face the Bills next, and yeah the Bills just crushed them in Mexico City, but I'm not a believer in the Bills. The Browns would then just have to beat one of Pioneers/Ravens/Express which is certainly doable.

Less than 350 total offensive yards separate the Browns (1st) and Bengals (16th) to give people an idea of how close the better offenses in the league were this season. The Bengals are statistically one the best playoff team in the AFC. They are balanced on offense and defense with a good turnover differential (+3) even with all the injuries that piled up throughout the season (mostly on offense), and they probably have the most star power outside of the Pioneers among the six AFC teams. It's such a shame that they would have to win three road games, but like the Packers, they are certainly capable, and the path to do so isn't too daunting.

The Wildcats ended the season losing two of three and will be without QB Ryan Lindley (2863 yards, 18 TDs vs 10 INTs) for the playoffs. It's Tebow Time! I have no idea how this will turn out, but we'll see against the league's #1 defense in the Rams. The Wildcats were one of the least talented teams in the playoffs (mostly deficient on offense), so it's fair to question if they overachieved while also owning the league's easiest schedule. Still, they join the Packers and Giants as having Top 10 Ds, and they led the league in turnover differential (+14) and were 2nd in scoring. It might be too much to ask of them to make the Super Bowl, but they are getting a depleted Rams team and are capable of getting an upset in the divisional round.

The Rams still have the #1 D and QB Ryan Tannehill. Their running game being constantly injured and OL struggling might really cap their potential, but they at least have two great things going for them. They went 1-1 against the Wildcats who will be down two, possibly three, offensive starters as well as one of the best defenders this season in MLB Bobby Wagner, so they could be favored in the first game. I'm not sure they can pull off the necessary upsets to make the Super Bowl with their injuries/flaws, but they have the pedigree to go on a run.

I'm just going to nominate a short and sweet game that I like to replay from time-to-time that recently was dropped on Game Pass.

A Short Hike

Regular Season Stat Leaders

Passer Rating - Mitchell Trubisky (Browns) - 87.8
Passing Yards - Ryan Tannehill (Rams) - 3295
Passing TDs - Gardner Minshew (Seahawks) - 23
Passing INTs - Nick Mullens (Commanders), Lamar Jackson (Panthers), and Cam Newton (Cowboys) - 8, 8, and 23 respectively
Completion % - Mullens - 65%

Rushing Attempts - Joe Mixon (Jets) - 484
Rushing Yards - Mixon - 1992
Rushing TDs - Kenyan Drake (Wildcats) - 16
Rushing YPC - Doug Martin (Ravens) - 4.4 (technically Tyrod Taylor at 7.2, but he had 178 rushes, which is about half of most qualified runners, so it doesn't feel right)

Receptions - Kenny Golladay (Bengals) - 104 (+1 that Madden didn't give him)
Receiving Yards - Golladay - 1340 (+27 same reason above)
Receiving TDs - Rishard Matthews (Rams) - 12
Receiving YPC - Matthews - 15.9

Pancake Blocks - Luke Joeckel (Raiders) - 84
Sacks Allowed - Will Hernandez (Seahawks) - 19

Tackles - Bryan Vinson (Lions) - 187
Sacks - DeForest Buckner (Bengals) and Preston Rogers (Orcas) - 16
Interceptions - Buster Skrine (Commanders) - 7
Forced Fumbles - Drew Sheth (Orcas) - 5
Fumble Recoveries - Vinny Curry (Cowboys), Dante Fowler (Jaguars), Nick Kwiatkoski (Steelers) - 5
Defensive TDs - Tre'Davious White (Bengals), Quincy Wilson (Rams), Leonard Floyd (Rams), Ike Foley (Pioneers), K.J. Wright (Jets) DeAndre Levy (Bears), Ricky Wilkes (Ravens), Drew Browning (Colts), Austin Zeppuhar (Giants) - 2

Field Goals - James Wilhoit (Bengals) - 36
Field Goal % - Sergio Aguayo (Express) - 86%

Punts - Jonathan Cottrell (Raiders) - 108
Punting Avg. - John Torp (Broncos) - 45.2

Kick Return Avg. - Chris Hogan (Bengals) - 26.6
Kick Return TDs - Percy Harvin (49ers) - 3
Punt Return Avg. - Harvin - 13.9
Punt Return TDs - T.J. Yeldon (Seahawks) and Harvin - 3

Epicentre
Sunshine

I post this every season the playoffs roll around, but I'm here to tell you who the SB contenders are this postseason based on historical data. I don't tell people ad nauseum that the best path to success is defense and the running game for nothing. Of the previous 34 teams to make the SB, 32/34 have finished in the top half of the league in running offense while 31/34 have finished in the Top 10 on defense. The exceptions were the inaugural season Dolphins (19th on D), S13's Pioneers (11th on D), S14's Pioneers (18th in rushing), S15's Vikings (11th on D), and S16's Rams (24th in rushing)

Your SB contenders this season would then be...
Bengals (16th in rushing, 7th on defense)
Packers (1st in rushing offense, 5th on defense)
Giants (13th in rushing, 9th on defense)

Wildcats and Falcons are both just outside
Wildcats (19th in rushing, 8th on defense)
Falcons (2nd in rushing, 15th on defense)
Pioneers (15th in rushing, 13th on defense)

The remaining six are very problematic in one or both areas
Rams (27th in rushing, 1st on defense)
Browns (12th in rushing, 24th on defense)
Express (32nd in rushing, 6th on defense)
Ravens (4th in rushing, 28th on defense)
Vikings (25th in rushing, 13th on defense)
Bills (29th in rushing, 23rd on defense)

Wild Card Round
Bengals at Browns
Rams at Wildcats
Ravens at Express
Packers at Falcons

I didn't take a midseason break this season, so the tentative playoff sim date and award ceremony will probably be the weekend of August 25-27,

Your B8NFLL Season 18 NFC Playoff Teams

1. Minnesota Vikings
2. New York Giants
3. Toronto Wildcats
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Green Bay Packers
6. St. Louis Rams

This is the seventh playoff appearance in the past eight seasons for the Vikings

This is the first playoff appearance for the Giants since S10

This is the first division title for the Wildcats, and their first playoff appearance since S6

This is the first playoff appearance by the Falcons since S14

This is the third time the Packers have won 11+ games in the past five seasons

This is the 10th consecutive playoff appearance by the Rams

Your B8NFLL Season 18 AFC Playoff Teams

1. Columbus Pioneers
2. Buffalo Bills
3. Mexico City Browns
4. Portland Express
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. Cincinnati Bengals

This is the Pioneers' fifth division title in the past six seasons and their first ever #1 seed

This is the first division title for the Bills, and their first playoff appearance since S9

This is the second-straight division title for the Browns

This is the fifth playoff appearance in as many seasons for the Express' existence

This is the seventh playoff appearance in the past eight seasons for the Ravens, five of which were 10-6 seasons

This is the first playoff appearance for the Bengals since S9, and their third straight season of improving their record

KCF0107 posted...

Yes the Raiders can still win the AFC West and the Express can't

This aged well

The issue was that tiebreakers can get pretty confusing and because the Chiefs went 0-2 against the Raiders and the Raiders 0-2 against the Express, Kansas City and Oakland eliminated themselves from H2H tiebreaker, leaving only the Express standing.

Players of the Week
Offense - Jets HB Joe Mixon
Defense - Colts OLB Darnell Forrest

Vikings - 7
Giants - 20

Notable Players
Vikings QB Jimmy Garoppolo 16-31, 151 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
Giants HB Isaiah Pead 192 total yards, 1 TD, 1 fumble
Giants SS Justin Reid 10 tackles, 1 INT

Cowboys - 10
Colts - 13

Notable Players
Cowboys QB Cam Newton 16-35, 169 yards, 1 TD, 5 INTs
Cowboys HB Phillip Lindsay 136 total yards
Cowboys K Graham Gano 1-3 FGAs
Colts OLB Darnell Forrest 9 tackles, 2 INTs
Colts DE Bjoern Werner 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF
Colts SS Isa Abdul-Quddus 2 tackles, 2 INTs

Chiefs - 0
Raiders - 14

Notable Players
Raiders QB DeShaun Gaines 14-24, 153 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Chiefs HB Le'Veon Bell 138 total yards
Chiefs OLB Jamie Collins 5 tackles, 1 sack
Chiefs DT David Onyemata 4 tackles, 2 sacks
Raiders OLB Tee Ilko 5 tackles, 2 sacks
Raiders DE Dee Ford 2 sacks

Broncos - 17
49ers - 11

Notable Players
49ers HB Al Johnson 138 total yards, 1 TD
49ers MLB Korey Norton 8 tackles, 2 sacks

Jaguars - 10
Pioneers - 17

Notable Players
Pioneers WR Eric Decker 6 rec for 109 yards
Pioneers MLB Kyle Kato 10 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF
Pioneers MLB Kyle Emanuel 5 tackles, 2 sacks

Commanders - 7
Eagles - 20

Notable Players
Eagles QB Taysom Hill 13-28, 109 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Commanders SS Jermaine O'Leske 6 tackles, 1 INT
Commanders DE J.J. Watt 5 tackles, 2 sacks
Commanders DE Jadeveon Clowney 2 sacks, 1 FF
Eagles MLB Jerod Mayo 6 tackles, 1 INT
Eagles OLB Nick Perry 5 tackles, 1 sack

Ravens - 10
Panthers - 3

Notable Players
Panthers HB Tevin Coleman 194 total yards
Ravens OLB Reginald Morton 9 tackles, 1 sack
Ravens MLB Joey Kaufman 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF
Panthers MLB Michael McDonald 7 tackles, 2 sacks

Express - 24
Wildcats - 6

Notable Players
Express QB Jacoby Brissett 22-31, 233 yards, 2 TDs
Wildcats QB C.J. Trapp 2-5, 41 yards, 3 INTs
Wildcats HB Kenyan Drake 32 carries for 148 yards
Express OLB Za'Darius Smith 8 tackles, 1 INT
Express DE Bob Timmerman 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 INT
Wildcats DE Robert Quinn 2 sacks

Jets - 24
Patriots - 17

Notable Players
Jets QB Deshaun Watson 10-25, 137 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Pats QB Brodie Garrett 23-34, 163 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Jets HB Joe Mixon 22 carries for 158 yards, 2 TDs
Pats HB Kenny Hamilton 146 total yards, 1 TD

Bills - 38
Browns - 17

Notable Players
Bills QB William Rogers 9-21, 103 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Browns QB Mitchell Trubisky 23-37, 257 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Bills HB Todd Gurley 87 total yards, 2 TDs
Bills WR Tyreek Hill 9 rec for 134 yards, 1 TD
Browns WR Chris Smith 5 rec for 106 yards, 1 TD
Bills MLB Paul Worrilow 2 tackles, 2 INTs
Browns OLB Andrew Van Ginkel 7 tackles, 1 sack
Browns CB Janoris Jenkins 2 INTs

Lions - 6
Bears - 13

Notable Players
Bears QB Teddy Bridgewater 22-31, 238 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Lions OLB Jaylon Smith 7 tackles, 2 INTs
Bears SS Derek Linde 11 tackles, 1 sack
Bears DT Eddie Goldman 4 tackles, 2 sacks
Bears DE Everson Griffen 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF

Titans - 16
Steelers - 31

Notable Players
Titans QB Ray Flewelling 14-25, 204 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Steelers QB Mike Glennon 17-30, 156 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Steelers HB Knile Davis 28 carries for 115 yards, 2 TDs
Titans WR Christian Kirk 4 rec for 110 yards, 1 TD
Steelers WR Philly Brown 9 rec for 77 yards, 2 TDs
Titans DT Bennie Logan 3 tackles, 2 sacks
Steelers OLB Myles Jack 9 tackles, 1 sack
Steelers MLB Sam Crooks 8 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF
Steelers MLB Nick Kwiatkoski 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF
Steelers OLB Ricardo Haley 1 sack, 1 FF

AI + Packers + Falcons scores

Orcas - 12
Buccaneers - 14

Packers - 26
Dolphins - 13

Rams - 20
Seahawks - 23

Falcons - 20
Bengals - 24

Fire

Bros. 3

I assumed this was about wrestling, but Google led me to something different.

I want to apologize to everyone for ruining the poll results. I voted for the final option as a joke assuming several others had already done the same. I was wrong.

A clearly better option would be for me to choose a greatest hits of songs I nominated and got into the contest. You will all get to enjoy Banson's Aria, Riddick Dark Athena MIDI Credits, and Gnorman's Theme all over again.

For my first two noms this month, I'm going with

Pentiment
Pyre

KCF has beaten Scott Pilgrim

The game definitely improves as it goes on (well in terms of combat at least), but, and I don't want to pressure people, but I think that I would suggest playing this in co-op if there are multiple people intending to play it for Playstation where it is part of PS+ Extra.

I chose Kim, and I found out that each character has their own stage progression so I couldn't just swap them out whenever I wanted. She's apparently pretty weak to start off. I would assume though that every character is quite weak, so by playing solo, you will be failing and grinding until you get the money to start upgrading your character. A fully leveled and fully upgraded Kim was pretty great. Leveling only increases HP and GP. Other stats can only be increased by buying certain shop items, and they don't tell you what shop items do to a character until after you buy it, and even then you have to remember what they do as that info isnt' saved.

All in all, I have mixed feelings about this game. Great presentation and style, but it is slow out of the gate, and just a lot of it is kind of scatterbrained and a mess. I feel like there was a lot of room for improvement and some glaring flaws hold it back, but I'm satisified with my $5 purchase.

Bump

Concert
Queen

Alto's Odyssey - An Endless Desert
Alto's Odyssey: The Lost City - The Lost City
Chrono Trigger - Secret of the Forest
D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die - Theme of D4
Donkey Kong Country - Aquatic Ambiance
Kid Icarus: Uprising - Chapter 6: Dark Pit
Mad Rat Dead - Breath of Forest
Neotokyo - Tachi
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX - Sky Tower
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 - Move Me
Secret of Mana (2018) - Prophecy
Shatter - Argon Refinery
Threads of Fate - Passing through the Forest
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Mor Ardain ~ Roaming the Wastes
Xenoblade Chronicles X - THEMEX
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World - Different World 1

I would take six of last year's retirees over any from this year. A weak field this year but nothing that I would rate poorly. Sunleth would be cutting it close though.