4. Drivers
I ranked this team in the #1 spot directly after draft night, knowing they would eventually slide. It’s not just talent. This is the fastest team in the league. They have talent at every position. The slide that we all saw coming is based on attendance. We knew we wouldn’t see much of this team. We didn’t see much of this team last year, so it’s not the end of the world for them. But because we have not seen them, I simply can’t put them in front of any other teams. There’s still some unanswered questions with this roster as well. It would be nice to see them together before game day, or at least some of them.
Scrimmage Points: 0
3. Mothmen
The Mothmen were the big surprise last week. Sound, disciplined football led to a great offensive performance. This week was the opposite. The Mothmen got caught up in the moment instead of looking at the big picture. It’s easy to say they struggled on both sides of the ball because John Maca was absent, BUT that should have been even more reason to play this week safe and live to fight again next week. Several failed 4th down attempts have buried them in the Scrimmage standings. All they had to do was tread water, but instead they sank. If we’ve learned anything from Holmes, it’s that this team will be ready to play and respond next week. But you have to wonder if today’s inability to sustain offense will weigh heavy on the minds of the Mothmen.
Scrimmage Points: 2
2. Roadies
It couldn’t get worse right? It certainly got better. Even a little bit of stability at the QB position is enough to inspire hope, to inspire change. This offense CHANGED from last week to this week. No longer a lame “sit back and pass” offense, this scheme was versatile and calculated. Nick Delmonte played QB but he wasn’t handcuffed to a life behind the cone. They had designed runs for the speedster and he also showed off his ability to scramble. I think the real shocker was seeing the Roadies, a famous dink and dunk team, transform into a deep shot offense. Delmonte may not deliver the prettiest ball but he can muscle it down field.
What I loved most about Delmonte was watching him spread the love. Everyone got targets. Everyone got DEEP targets. I’m not sure about Delmonte’s ability to pilot a championship team, but I think it’s clear that he’s the guy who Coach Muse trusts.
Scrimmage Points: 13
1. Smokes
Your early points leader is the Poospatuck Smokes. They only failed to score a TD once. They walked away with scrimmage points in every game they played. Jesus should have been a tough loss to overcome (as he was unable to play), but you’d never know he wasn’t on the field. The reason? DAN MOTHER FUCKING O’SHEA. Put some respect on his name. He caught 2 TDs and had a huge interception of Justin O’Shea. But Dan’s best play of the day came on a chase down of Ian Tully along the sideline. Dan led by example this week and his teammates loved every second of it.
Nick Geraci added 2 interceptions to his preseason resume. He’s been a phenomenal defender so far this year. His offense has been great but he was drafted to shadow the other teams’ #1 WRs, and so far he’s done just that. Biggest play of the day came from Frank and JJ. After Nick Muse sacked Frank and forced a throw away with constant pressure, Frank unloaded one to JJ deep down the left side on 3rd and and 30. Just when the Roadies thought they had pinned the Smokes deep in their own territory, Frank broke hearts and screamed “YOU SUCK!” in the face of the Roadies’ coach. The Smokes are clicking and having fun doing it.
Scrimmage Points: 17
Stock Up
Dan O’Shea
Stock WAY up. Frank and Dan had a few “conversations” last week in which it appeared Frank was unhappy with the coach’s effort. Dan took it to heart and came into this week fired up. It was fun to see Dan respond. It should also be noted that he was a force in the run game as a blocker. Dan was locked in and engaged.
Stock Down
The Good Ole Coach
The market fluctuates. Holmes was featured in my stock up segment last week but this week he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Going for it on 4th has many repercussions that NEED to be considered. It’s not just a forfeit of a tournament point but it gives your opponent an opportunity to score on a shortened field. So it takes points away and gives points away. Double whammy. The good ole coach should know better.
Biggest Question?
Who will win the preseason scrimmage tournament?
The Smokes (17) have an early lead but the Roadies (13) are not far behind. The winner of the tournament earns the right to call out any team they choose in the first round. The Smokes put up no zero point games. This proved to be the deciding factor in their great start.
Biggest surprise?
The Deep Ball
When Nick Geraci was at the helm of the Roadies offense we saw a short passing attack. Strictly short passing. With Delmonte leading the charge, we saw shot after shot after shot. Is this a full system change by coach Shoe? A Philosophy shift? Or is this just the way Delmonte attacks a defense? It’s certainly fun to watch and it’s certainly made teams question the way they cover the Roadies’ wide receivers.