Ngamer's Game 11 Commentary
- guess we'll be receiving the rest of the year to make up for all those times we started on D.
- ouch, look at these guys swarm to the ball. you can tell this D is in a league of their own compared to the last two teams.
- I was going to excuse that 3 and out on no one being open, but now I see that all 3 WRs were blocking. what the heck are we trying a QB sneak for when we need 3 yards?
- on the plus side, fantastic punt and even better coverage.
- awesome, we force a 3 and out of our own. looks like we've carried over the shutdown up the middle D from the last two games!
- Sasq Uatch: easily one of the better names we've seen this season.
- ahh, a strike to N. Blood. looks like we may have to rely on the pass this game...
- gosh, we are getting no push against that D line at all on these runs.
- Ng's leg looks great so far... too bad I get the feeling it's going to be getting worn out very quickly here.
- that was crazy, drag was going for the tackle and got blocked by the WR way over to the side, putting him out of position so he missed.
- Alex H missing tackles isn't a shock, but I don't see why Jim didn't reach out and make that one earlier.
- they're avoiding Shade on the right, but really exploiting the left side of our D line on these big runs. I don't like the looks of this.
- ugh, and after a great stuff by the right side, they go right back to the left and could have drove a truck into the end zone. who is this Gustacho guy, and why's he being dominated by a single blocker every run? Tiag and Roids are doing awful jobs of filling the hole he's leaving as well.
- yeah, great run out of Raven. Shade set it up with a fantastic block though.
- oh no, but Shade follows it up by getting Raven owned on a short pitch. I can't believe we couldn't pick it up from a half yard out!
- whoa, but despite getting 0 rest, the D comes back firing on all cylinders. come on offense, let's see you start play some inspired ball now!
- UGH, and drag gives it right back to them. at least when Raven fumbles he generally gains 10 yards before doing it; that would have been a bad return even before the fumble.
- and the D is burned for a big TD. yeah, saw that one coming... you can't leave the defense out on the field for 8 out of the last 9 minutes and except not something terrible to happen.
- hmm, really good return there. I sure hope this is the game's turning point!
SECOND QUARTER (14-0, Vamps)
- bah, thought we had something going there. ah well, at least we'll force them to go 80 yards this time.
- right side of the line stops them dead, then Antonio gets blown off the ball for yet another big run. sorry, but for big games like this we need to be subbing out less on that line... Brian and Shade and Nari get the job done, this Gustacho most certainly is not.
- hey, picked it off! don't know what they're doing throwing into triple coverage when up 14, but I'll take it.
- Octo, Hank, Yoko, SZ rushing into the area as well... these are all are big studs, and yet they've haven't managed to open a single hole all night. I can't believe what I'm seeing here.
- dang, you can usually count on Shade and NB to pull down catches even after deflections every now and then, but it's just not happening tonight.
- look at Shade, taking on two blockers and still sticking him at the line. what a man.
- holy smokes! I have no idea what we're doing throwing a bomb on third and short from such dangerous territory, but what a result! I was just going to say that going into halftime only down 14 would have been good given how badly we've been dominated, but jeez, we're within a score all of a sudden.
- ...what in the... I was just going to say how fired up that play must have got our defense, then Comet goes for the INT and allows a huge TD. I was sure he was going to knock that down while it was in the air... blaaaah.
- no idea how Paddy Jo got that one off; looked like the DT had him sacked for sure.
- ouch, two missed tackles on that gash up the middle. that's a sure sign of an exhausted D... hope they can hold out until the half.
- awesome, forced the punt. now hold on to the ball for these last two minutes, guys!
- I realize he's the best option, but jeez, we've thrown to Shade like 90% of the time this half.
- wowza, but now he's caught like 3 out of the last 4 deflected passes. I can see why we're doing it!
- eh that's ok, I'm glad we went for the FG even though it didn't have much of a chance. the important thing is we've left them with almost no time to work.
HALFTIME
THIRD QUARTER (21-7 Vamps)
- sure wish we could get back that Comet burning... but still, being back only two scores after getting pushed around for all but a few minutes last half isn't that bad. and the D should be coming out decently rested after that last drive... I think there's still some hope for us.
- what the CRAP? awesome job by Beef to punch that ball out (and nearly punch it halfway across the field in fact). but for pete's sake Ladies Man, run with it! oh, THAT'S why you didn't run- you have awful hands! great vision by Comet to fall on top of it after all that craziness.
- they rushed all 3 LBs up the gut and just left the 4 DBs back in coverage there, and totally blew up our running play. can we try something like that on defense every once in a while?
- isn't there supposed to be something like defensive AI to say "hey, they've thrown to Shade on all but 2 plays this game- maybe we should double team him"?
- thanks heavens for Ng and his glorious leg of fury!
- eh, can't really blame Comet for that one... he was left out there covering two guys, then got picked by the one WR while the other ran by.
- whew, barely avoid disaster on that long pass, and then force the punt. good stuff D; once again doing what they can to keep us in the game.
- whoa, now we're moving the sticks even without Shade on the field. there's a good sign.
- I don't know what's more shocking- that we were actually able to run for a short FD, or that we somehow once AGAIN fell on a fumble to save the drive.
- hoooray, got it to N. Blood over the middle. would have been awesome if he could have broken that FS's tackle.
- what the junk is up with the QB sneak suddenly becoming a part of our playbook? this is an even worse idea than HB passes!
- good gosh, we picked up a FD by inches instead of missing by inches! stop the presses!
- YES! that is without a doubt the best drive of the season for this Sea Team. they've got our running game shut down, but we're doing just barely enough through the air to keep moving the sticks. then to come so close to settling for a FG twice, but instead stick it to them with a deflected TD pass... amazing!
- haha, and then Goose gets off the perfect kickoff. you can tell the adrenaline is rushing through our sideline!
- I knew we could count on the D to play shutdown ball after such an impressive extended drive. I can't believe I'm saying this after that disaster of a first half... but we're right back in this thing!
- oh wow, Shade somehow comes down with the ball.
- we pick up the FD by a half yard again, wowza.
- shoot, I hate having to punt from there, but not much else we could do... was still a few yards out of Goose's range.
FOURTH QUARTER (21-14 Vamps)
- ahhhh, so close to forcing the early punt, but then their RB broke Shade's tackle by a half yard.
- Brian Scorecoff blown off the ball for a big run? never seen that before.
- that I'm more used to; Antonio owned by a single blocker for a gash to the left.
- crud, and then they're able to hit the long FG. I'd have liked our chances if he'd have pulled that one.
- and we once again score a FD and third and short. whatever else happens this game, at least we've made a major improvement in that area.
- oh my stars! Vampires one tackle away from nailing the coffin... but N. Blood heroically busts through it, and THEN ANOTHER on the way to the potentially game-saving pickup!
- ugh, Axel had a step on them, that was a TD if only Morter could have gotten more air under it.
- pass to Shade comes up just short, but that's not problem, as it turns this into basically a point after chipshot for Goose.
- ...which he somehow misses. WHAT?
- the D continues to play its heart out, forcing a 3 and out and getting us the ball back with decent position. now we just need to go 50 yards to force the overtime... but oh wait, GOOSE MISSED.
- I'm running out of adjectives for Shade. this second half he's been doing exactly what I was talking about earlier- pulling down almost everything in sight, regardless of deflections.
- bah, but not either of those. that's alright, still have two more throws into the endzone to make!
- holy heck! I didn't even understand what happened there until the replay. good awareness by Raven, but Shade is clearly having the best game of this or any other lifetime.
- wait, because they had possession of the ball we get a free set of down? whoa.
- YES! obviously this still leaves us in a terrible position since they can just run out the clock, but oh well; I'm just really happy that Shade gets rewarded with that TD.
- boooo, they need to program in an onsides kick.
- and that's the ballgame. what a game!
FINAL SCORE - 24-21 Vampires
Today's Anti-Soggy Sea Team Game Ball goes to... Goose. Unfortunate, since he had a fine game aside from that one play, but eh, it's the single mistake that kept us out of overtime, so not much of a decision here. A terrible shame that a performance like Shade's has to go unrewarded, but unfortunately I can only award regular Game Balls after victories.
