The Totem Pole

[Sharkn20]

I better, because I have a feeling we're going to be fighting for our playoff lives in week 17!

I would be so happy if it come true...

Otherwise I could be more and more happy if I can jail the reapers for you and you hit the Mechanics for me this week and I rally next week at Motor City!!

[Guest]

A huge victory versus North Liberty gives us a one game edge over them in our division, and we're 9-5 and in the thick of a competition for a bye week.

I almost traded Walt Johnson over the offseason, but I lucked out and there was little interest. I seriously doubt I would've done as well with developing youngster Brian Douglas at QB, although Douglas is our future at QB.

Since Johnson took over the offense has averaged nearly 36 points per game and maintained its #1 ranking in YPG, which is amazing for Dakota fans because the only high octane offense we ever had was back in 2018, my first season with the team. Walt Johnson, Wendell Hayes and Lovejoy/Heinlein have stepped up to fill in for injuries exceptionally well.

Walt Johnson keeps this up and we have a QB controversy:

[Guest]

Walt Johnson continues to perform lights out, tossing 88 and 43 yard TD passes this week despite not attempting too many passes in a blowout victory. He has exceeded the hell out of my expectations and a playoff berth is clinched.

We can clinch a bye in week 17 if Johnson can pull out one more victory, and Ted Pleasant will be healthy for the divisional playoff game.

This team has really performed well in spite of all the injuries, and even though we won't be getting Burton and Hutchins back this season (And heck, they may not even be in good condition next season) we've still got a great shot to go all the way.

[Sharkn20]

I better, because I have a feeling we're going to be fighting for our playoff lives in week 17!

Finally we are in!!

Come on man!!

[Guest]

Finally we are in!!

Come on man!!

IT HAS BEGUN!!!!! THERE CAN BE ONLY ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNE!

Clinched our third ever playoff bye week in week 17, Pleasant will finally return at QB and we'll have both our starting safeties back AND our starting WR Herb Newman, who is just "probable" now. READY TO MAKE SOME NOIIIISE!

11-5 is worse than I thought we'd finish this year, but hell, I'll take it.

[Guest]

IT HAS BEGUN!!!!! THERE CAN BE ONLY ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNE!

the sensation you're feeling....is the QUICKENING!!!!!!

[Guest]

the sensation you're feeling....is the QUICKENING!!!!!!

[Guest]

This team's fought through a lot of injuries this year and impressed, but the biggest challenge this season is coming up when we travel to Boston for our second straight conference championship game vs. the Irish.

Last year I felt good about our chances, but with our top two CBs out this time it's going to be a real challenge against Boston's impressive passing attack.

The offense has been pretty amazing this year, even with our backup QB, and I'm hoping Ted Pleasant has something left in his bag of tricks vs a very good Boston team. They're going to have to go score for score this time around, though.

[Guest]

DAKOTA 2030 SEASON IN REVIEW

Beat Boston in the dramatic fashion in the NC Championship, but then we were absolutely pummeled in the bowl game where Pleasant shit the bed with his worst game of all time (In his defense the Bees were knocking the crap out of him), we lost Duckworth with 10 to go in the 2nd quarter after sculpting a game plan around him, and we really missed Chris Hutchins at CB for the first time this season.

QB - Pleasant was adequate and sometimes good during the season, but he was injured again and missed 6 games. Walt Johnson filled in admirably, but he's going to finally get his shot to start elsewhere this season. Promising 3rd round pick Brian Douglas will ascend to the #2 QB position and get some more preseason playing time.

RB - Another nice season for Quack Duckworth, but running backs don't last forever so we better make use of him while we have him. Seth Meier spelled Duckworth and did a decent job, but we only picked him up because our options were limited at RB2. A roster spot isn't guaranteed this year.

WR - We had quite a pair this year with Herb Newman and Rowland, but Newman missed 4 games and didn't play most of 2 more due to injury. Rowland finally broke out this year as a WR and he is an excellent return man. The WR corps is very deep with Louie Heinlein and Artie Lovejoy playing backup. They both could be the #2 WR for a lot of teams.

TE - Burt Shepherd doesn't see the ball much because our receivers are so good, but he's solid. Devine and Broady will probably remain TE2 and TE3 respectively.

OT - Burton was IR'd yet again, and he's been a bit of a bust for us due to injury and injury-related ratings declines, but he's still solid. Adrian Brent stepped in as a starting RT, and moved to LT doing an adequate job after Burton went down for the year. Wendell "Red Flag #2" Hayes is a nice swing tackle. Jeff Nowlin was signed after Burton was hurt, and may or may not return.

OG - Dependable and not that impressive Dustin Chorak will be starting for us again next year, as will UDFA Jamal Dotson who finally got the starting job last season. Reserve G Upshaw was just signed for depth, and he'll likely be one and done assuming we can find someone slightly better.

DE - Everyone not named A.J. Hassett declined this year, and it may be time for us to upgrade here. A.J. Hassett was great, as always.

LB - Toby Prather may be taking over full time for Turd Ferguson at SILB this year, and he arguably should have last year. Cole Motz turned in his usual solid performance, and Amos Irwin flashed his ability with 11 sacks this year. I expect him to turn up the heat even more this coming season.

CB - Chris Hutchins returns (hopefully intact) from a serious knee injury. We learned how valuable he is to us in the bowl game if we had an illusions of getting by without him! Leslie Troglia performed well at CB1 after Hutchins went down, but Jumbo Raffray and Farnell don't really inspire too much confidence behind them.

S - The venerable Lamar Rivera is getting long in the tooth, and he's always had zero endurance so he hasn't been on the field much anyway. Jorge May is good against the run but not so good against the pass. An upgrade at SS is in order. We got another solid year out of Corey Maiher, who will return as a starter.

P/K - The Fauxhammer/Selmon combo will return, with a KO specialist to be named later.

2030 had its ups and downs for Dakota, but I'm happy with the way we survived our midseason injury spat, especially with a backup QB (albeit a decent one). The bowl was pretty disappointing, mostly because the team didn't even compete, but just getting there is an accomplishment too.

[Guest]

Our draft is looking pretty garbage with cut tests, but 6th round RB Wayne Stills shows an increase on cut, at least. Most others look like drops/holds.

2.15 WR Hunter Engelm 27/42 -> (cut: drop)
3.31 RB J.T. England 26/31 -> (hold)
4.13 RB Adam Garibald 33/41 -> (hold)
4.21 CB Rondell Roberts 17/45 -> (drop)
5.31 DE Grady Richardson 16/31 -> (unsigned)
6.31 RB Wayne Stills 30/35 -> (bump)
7.21 OT Perry Hayes 13/38 -> (drop)

[Guest]

Our draft is looking pretty garbage with cut tests, but 6th round RB Wayne Stills shows an increase on cut, at least. Most others look like drops/holds.

2.15 WR Hunter Engelm 27/42 -> (cut: drop)
3.31 RB J.T. England 26/31 -> (hold)
4.13 RB Adam Garibald 33/41 -> (hold)
4.21 CB Rondell Roberts 17/45 -> (drop)
5.31 DE Grady Richardson 16/31 -> (unsigned)
6.31 RB Wayne Stills 30/35 -> (bump)
7.21 OT Perry Hayes 13/38 -> (drop)

Perry Hayes and Rondell Roberts were pretty garbage, everyone else was mediocre with slight bumps or holds. Hopefully we'll make that extra 1st we picked up count next season.

Lots of age hits, particularly on our defensive line and including stars J. Howe and A.J. Hassett. Defense got old, but it's still decent. One of my better QB selections, former 3rd round pick Brian Douglas got a little VSOL lift. Ted Pleasant learned a new formation. Chris Hutchins came back in one piece from his bad knee injury. Overall, this team will be a little weaker than last year.

[Guest]

Off to a 4-0 start this season despite a lot of age/vol hits to key to players, especially on our defense. Wins over strong teams in Yuma, Phoenix and Boston despite an influenza outbreak and a concussion to Herb Newman have my hopes up.

Duckworth has struggled two games in a row but the passing game has picked up the slack. Rookie Giuseppe Garibaldi has overachieved in his part time role at running back and rookie WR Hunter Engeln has come up with some big catches the past two weeks.

[Guest]

Duckworth has been ordinary running the ball this season, but he's done some damage catching it. We're 6-0 and both the defense and offense have been dominant at times. With the age related ratings hits many of our players took this offseason, I wouldn't have been surprised if we were something like 3-3 at this point in a rather tough schedule.

If Ted Pleasant keeps up this level of production, it might be a few years before Brian Douglas takes over the reins at QB.

[Guest]

Is Douglas that 3rd rounder QB of yours?

[Guest]

Is Douglas that 3rd rounder QB of yours?

That he is, and probably the only good QB I've drafted besides the 7th round, where I seem to hit winners. :)