TBD Super Bowl III Preview

[R. Rich]

This one turned out so good, I just had to post it here. Thanks again to Lori for her outstanding contributions (she did the SB preview and conf. title game reviews). Nice to have ya back!

 

 

 

I am proud to present our third annual review of the Two Bills Drive Simulation League Championship game. After missing out on last year's effort, I am also proud to say that TBD's premier sportswriter, Lori, is back in the saddle again! She provided the conference game reviews and the championship game preview, and we truly thank her for her efforts. Enjoy.

 

 

 

3RD TBD SIMULATION LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

 

LOUISIANA RAGE vs. ERIE ASSASSINS

UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM

GLENDALE, ARIZONA

 

FOX (‘cause ESPN sucks!) / FOX HD:

Play-By-Play: Some Smarmy Tool

Color ANALyst: Some Loudmouthed Punk

 

 

DirecTV TBDSL Da Ticket: Channel 557

 

Radio: Louisiana Rage Network

Play-By-Play: Some Cajun Creep

Color ANALyst: Some Bead Wearing Dork

Sideline Reporter: Some Inebriated Bourbon Street Jerk

 

Erie Assassins Network

Play-By-Play: Some Drunken Idiot

Color ANALyst: Some Message Board Wannabe Geek

Sideline Reporter: Some Cold Weather Loving Loser

 

Sirius Forgettable Friday: Channel 161 (Louisiana Rage feed) / Channel 187 (Erie Assassins feed)

 

Regular-Season Series Record: Assassins Lead 1-0 after a 30-28 win @ Tiger Stadium in Week 8 of the 2008 season.

 

Playoff Record: This is their first meeting in the postseason.

 

Last Meeting: Assassins 30, Rage 28

 

Will the Erie Assassins' bid for a three-peat succeed, or can the Louisiana Rage finally break the defending champs' death grip on the Tom Sestak Trophy? That question will be answered on Mar. 26 in Glendale, Ariz., when the league's two dominant teams square off in TBD Super Bowl III at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

 

The Rage (17-1) come into the game with the league's top-scoring offense – finishing a single point in front of the Assassins – led by quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (324-595, 4,145 yards, 33 TD, 19 INT) and a bevy of talented receivers. With Roddy White (86-1,379 yards, 8 TD) and Greg Jennings (79-1,229 yards, 9 TD) on the outside, Jerricho Cotchery working out of the slot, and tight end John Carlson also in the mix, small wonder that Hasselbeck completed a league-leading 34 passes of more than 25 yards. DeAngelo Williams (261-1,253 yards, 12 TD) leads the league's third-ranked rushing game.

 

The Louisiana defense is anchored by first-team All-TBD end John Abraham and tackle magnet Karlos Dansby. Behind them, the ballhawking Rage secondary snared a league-best 16 interceptions, and picked off Colorado quarterback Eli Manning four more times in the conference championship game.

 

But wresting the title away from the Assassins (17-1) won't be easy. Gus Frerotte (235-362, 2,982 yards, 22 TD, 13 INT) finished the season with a 95.8 passer rating, then tossed six touchdown passes in two playoff games to lead Erie back to the Super Bowl. The majority of those passes went to tight end Tony Gonzalez (100 receptions-1,182 yards) and wideout Larry Fitzgerald (75-1,216), who tied for the league lead with 14 touchdown catches apiece. Anchored by All-TBD tackle Joe Thomas, the line is stout: Erie quarterbacks hit the deck fewer times than any other team, and Brandon Jacobs (218-1,148 yards, 9 TD) topped 100 yards and scored a touchdown in each of their playoff wins.

 

The Assassins defense lived up to its name, allowing just 10 touchdowns all season and an average of 9.1 points per game. James Harrison notched 18 sacks and forced eight fumbles, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors, while fellow linebacker James Farrior paced the team with 110 tackles to go along with seven sacks of his own.

 

The two teams enter the game with matching records – both began the season 13-0 before suffering their lone loss in Week 14 – but took far different paths through the conference championship games to make it to Arizona:

 

 

Gilchrist Conference Championship Game

March 12, 2010 – Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.

Louisiana Rage 22, Colorado Outlaws 21

 

Louisiana Rage kicker Jay Feely trotted onto the field with the weight of an entire franchise on his shoulders. Sure, it was only an 18-yard field goal attempt, practically an extra point, and he was already 4-for-4 on the day. But this kick, with the Rage trailing by two and just 0:59 showing on the clock, meant the difference between finally making it to the Super Bowl or suffering a second consecutive loss in the Gilchrist Conference Championship Game – and worse yet, watching the visiting Outlaws raise the Kemp Trophy on his home turf.

 

Feely wasn't about to let that happen. The kick sailed true, giving the Rage the lead. And when Colorado quarterback Eli Manning's last desperate heave nestled in the waiting hands of safety Michael Griffin as the final seconds ticked away – Griffin's second interception of the game, and the team's fourth – it was time to laissez les bon temps rouler.

 

It seemed only fitting that the game should end on a defensive stand, as two of the top offenses in the league combined to produce more turnovers (seven) than touchdowns (three). Louisiana struck quickly to begin the game, starting the scoring with DeAngelo Williams' 3-yard run on their opening drive. But despite Matt Hasselbeck completing 27-of-52 passes for 332 yards, including 164 on eight catches by game MVP Roddy White, the Rage were held to Feely's field goals the rest of the way.

 

The Outlaws tied the game midway through the second quarter, when linebacker Patrick Willis stepped in front of an errant Hasselbeck pass and took it back 66 yards for the touchdown. Feely's 39-yarder made it 10-7 Rage at the half, and three more three-pointers sandwiched around two Manning touchdown passes set the stage for the frenetic finish.

 

NOTES: Louisiana forced 5 turnovers in the contest and Colorado forced two...The Rage held a 31:13 to 28:47 edge in time of possession...Colorado receiver Mark Clayton had 11 catches for 122 yards and a TD...Rage P Brett Kern had 302 yards on 6 punts, put 2 inside the 20 yard line, and had a longest punt of 80 yards

 

 

Kelly Conference Championship Game

March 12, 2010 – Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, N.Y.

Erie Assassins 27, Indianapolis Hoosier Daddy? 10

 

In contrast to the seesaw battle in the Gilchrist Conference game, Erie efficiently dismantled Hoosier Daddy? to win its third consecutive Tasker Trophy.

 

After a quick Indy three-and-out, the crowd had barely had a chance to find their seats when the Assassins struck, with quarterback Gus Frerotte hitting a streaking Larry Fitzgerald for a 64-yard touchdown just 43 seconds into the game. HD? quarterback David Garrard's afternoon got worse on the next play from scrimmage. He fumbled as he dropped back to pass, defensive lineman Will Smith scooped up the loose ball, and Erie was back in business at the Indy 31.

 

Six plays later, Brandon Jacobs' 1-yard dive made the score 14-0 before the frozen visitors had gained a single yard. The Assassins tacked on a Josh Brown field goal to open the second quarter, before Indy finally managed to put some points on the board via Garrard's short touchdown pass to Brent Celek.

 

Trailing 17-7 at the break, Hoosier Daddy? pulled within seven points on John Kasay's 39-yard field goal late in the third quarter, but any thoughts of an Indy comeback were quickly dashed when Frerotte hooked up with tight end Tony Gonzalez for a 17-yard score to restore Erie's two-touchdown lead.

 

From there, the defense shut Garrard down the rest of the way, Brown added another three-pointer, and the countdown was on to another Rich Stadium championship celebration. Frerotte finished the game 15-for-27 for 209 yards and two touchdowns to earn MVP honors, with Jacobs adding 114 yards on 21 carries for the Kelly Conference champs. The defense made life miserable for Garrard, sacking him three times and forcing two turnovers to help secure the victory.

 

 

NOTES: Both defenses were strong on third downs, as Erie converted just 4 of 12 opportunities and Indianapolis made 4 of 15...Erie held a 31:57 to 28:03 advantage in time of possession in the contest...Indianapolis gained 140 yards rushing on the league's 4th best run defense as RB Kevin Smith ran 11 times for 95 yards and added 3 catches for 17 more yards...Erie's defense was led by LB James Farrior (9 tackles, sack, 2 passes defensed, forced fumble) and DE Chris Canty (6 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 QB pressures)

 

 

 

THE TALE OF THE TAPE:

Louisiana Rage (17-1, Gilchrist Conference Champions)

 

RAGE 2009 RANKINGS

OFFENSE (#3 total yardage, #3 rushing, #8 passing, #1 scoring)

DEFENSE (#4 total yardage, #5 rushing, #5 passing, #4 scoring)

 

Players to watch for on offense:

 

QB Matt Hasselbeck (324 of 595 for 4,145 yards, 33TDs, 19 INTs, 81.7 rating)

RB DeAngelo Williams (1,253 yards rushing, 12 TDs, 27 receptions, 191 yards receiving)

WR Roddy White (86 receptions, 1,379 yards, 8 TDs, 16.0 ypc avg.)

WR Greg Jennings (79 receptions, 1,229 yards, 9 TDs, 15.6 ypc avg.)

 

Players to watch for on defense:

 

S Michael Griffin (58 tackles, 14 passes defensed, 1 fumble forced, 6 INTs, 1 TD)

DE John Abraham (32 tackles, 17 sacks, 3 stuffs, 40 QB pressures, 6 passes defensed, 3 fumbles recovered, 2 fumbles recovered)

CB Darrelle Revis (61 tackles, 6 passes defensed, 2 fumbles forced, 2 fumbles recovered, 3 INTs, 1 TD)

 

 

Erie Assassins (17-1, Kelly Conference Champions)

 

ASSASSINS 2009 RANKINGS

OFFENSE (#1 total yardage, #2 rushing, #7 passing, #2 scoring)

DEFENSE (#2 total yardage, #4 rushing, #1 passing, #1 scoring)

 

Players to watch for on offense:

 

RB Brandon Jacobs (1,148 yards rushing, 9 TDs, 4 receptions, 28 yards receiving)

QB Gus Frerotte (235 of 362 for 2,982 yards, 22 TDs, 13 INTs, 95.8 rating)

WR Larry Fitzgerald (75 receptions, 1,216 yards, 14 TDs, 16.2 ypc avg.)

TE Tony Gonzalez (100 receptions, 1,182 yards, 14 TDs, 11.8 ypc avg.)

 

Players to watch for on defense:

 

LB James Harrison (52 tackles, 18 sacks, 3 stuffs, 15 passes defensed, 15 QB pressures, 8 fumbles forced, 2 fumbles recovered, 1 TD)

LB James Farrior (110 tackles, 7 sacks, QB pressure, 1 stuff, 11 passes defensed, 5 fumbles forced)

LB Chad Greenway (80 tackles, 8 sacks, 7 QB pressures, 7 passes defensed, 5 stuffs, 4 fumbles forced, 3 fumbles recovered, 1 TD)

 

 

Prediction: Erie Assassins 27, Louisiana Rage 20

(The last couple times I picked against the Assassins, and they proved me wrong. This year, they have the top offense and defense in the league and are healthy @ the right time. Tough game, but Erie three-peats.)