LAS VEGAS SCORPIONS [GM METRO]

[Talon]

Team Information
City: Las Vegas, Nevada
Conference: West
Divison: South West
Team Owner: TBD
Team Secretary: Demi Roulette

Official Colors:

Red (#B72B35)
Vegas Gold (#B4975A)

Team History:
The Las Vegas Scorpions were founded by a mysterious businessman Knott Sting.  The team has been a model of consistency over the past 3 seasons and is the only team outside of Alabama to ever win a league championship!
In season 1 the team missed the playoffs with a 6-10 record, but quickly turned things around in S2 with a 9-7 record that was good enough for the #2 seed in the west.  This began an amazing championship run that caught the league by surprise as the Scorpions stung the Outlaws in Vegas 31-13, then in the Conference Championship game Vegas went into Lincoln and dominated the Pride with a 42-25 beat down sending the Scorpions to the Impact Bowl to take on Cinderella story New Jersey who had defeated the #2 and #1 seeds in the east to make it to the championship game.
In an instant classic the Scorpions held off the Dragons in a 24-21 game that fans will never forget.  Vegas QB Trevor Jose was named playoff MVP after the championship win thanks to his 66% completion rate and 7/2 TD/INT ratio. Jose would continue to lead the Scorpions in S3 and S4 as well as he lead his team to 10-6 and 12-4 records each good for the #1 seed in the west.  In S3 the Scorpions defeated the Silverbacks 35-21 but were then upset by the Lincoln Pride (in Vegas) in a 35-32 conference championship game.    In S4 Jose was named to his first pro bowl and lead his team back to the Impact Bowl.  In the first round of the playoffs Lincoln gave the Scorpions a run for their money, taking them to overtime, but unlike the year before Vegas treated its hometown fans to a 31-24 win in OT setting up another home game, this one against #2 seed Pearl Harbor.  A 37-20 win set up the 12-4 Scorpions for an Impact Bowl showdown with #1 Ranked Alabama, but this time the Scorpions fell in the big game losing 30-24.  The Vegas brand is strong and the fan base in hungry for another championship.  With Trevor Jose now 29 years old, Vegas knows they need to push hard to get back to the title if they want to win another ring for their franchise QB, but with 2 time pro bowler Stanley Foster blocking his blindside at Tackle and 3 time pro bowl center David Ellis continuing to play at a high level their is no reason to believe the Scorpions will lose any sting to their offense, even with a hole left at running back with the news that 2 time pro bowl Running back Cameron Hollingsworth is retiring and taking over as the teams offensive coordinator now that the team's 4 year head coach Randy Cravitch has retired.  Defensive Coordinator Randy Barbour will return however, and he hopes to bring in new talent on defense to keep the Scorpions in Impact Bowl contention.  In the S15/16 Off-Season Knott Sting was accused of 13 years of fraud and suspended for the entire S16 season as the league continued to investigate.  After spending the S16 suspended, Knott Sting sold the franchise in the S16/17 Off-season.

Season 1: 6-10
Season 2: 9-7
Season 3: 10-6
Season 4: 12-4
Season 5: 4-11-1 [GM Apollo]
Season 6: 12-4 [GM Metro]
Season 7: 6-10 [GM Metro]
Season 8: 11-5 [GM Metro]
Season 9: 9-6-1 [GM Metro]
Season 10: 12-4-0 [GM Metro]
Season 11: 8-8-0 [GM Metro]
Season 12: 12-4-0 [GM Metro]
Season 13: 13-3-0 [GM Metro]
Season 14: 12-4-0 [GM Metro]
Season 15: 3-13-0 [GM Metro]
Season 16: 13-3-0 [GM Metro]
Season 17: 11-5-0 [GM  Metro]

Playoff Appearances:
Season 2: 3-0 (Impact Bowl Champions)
Season 3: 1-1 (Conference Championship Round)
Season 4: 2-1 (Impact Bowl Runner Up)
Season 6: 1-1 (Conference Championship Round)
Season 8: 1-1 (Conference Championship Round)
Season 10: 2-1 (Conference Championship Round)
Season 12: 1-1 (Conference Championship Round)
Season 13: 1-1 (Conference Championship Round)
Season 14: 1-1 (Divisional Round)
Season 16: 3-0 (Impact Bowl Champions)
Season 17: 0-1 (Wildcard Round)

RETIRED NUMBERS

WR - Jonathan Johnson - 83 [S1-S8]
LB - Gordon Goulet - 52 [S5-S16]

[Talon]

S15 LAS VEGAS LOCK IN

MINI-CAMP ASSIGNMENTS

OFFENSE:
1. Micah Larkin - Accuracy
2. Micah Larkin - Football IQ
3. Dennis Mulkey - Hands
4. D'Anthony Floyd - Agility

DEFENSE:
1. Sherwood Emery - Strength
2. Christopher Metzler - Agility
3. Kurt Dietz - Strength
4. Talon Wilkinson II - Strength



STRATEGY

OFFENSE
Attitude: Conservative
Focus: Run
Tempo: Slow
Passing Focus: Medium
Pass To: Balanced
Primary Receiver: Dennis Mulkey
Running Focus: Outside
Running Backs: Running
Backfield Focus: Committee
Tight End Focus: Mixed

DEFENSE
Attitude: Balanced
Focus: Pass
Primary Coverage: Man
D-Line Focus: Pass Rush
Linebacker Focus: Coverage
Player Radio: Gordon Goulet
Match CBs to WRs?: Yes

Playing Time: Mostly Starters



TEAM CAPTAINS
1. Marcus Mariota
2. Devin Martin
3. Matthew Grover
4. Gordon Goulet
5. Talon Wilkinson II
6. Joseph Hernandez



OFFENSE MASTER DEPTH CHART

PACKAGE NAME: Base Offense

QB- Marcus Mariota
QB2- Micah Larkin
QB3- John Lynn

RB1- D'Anthony Floyd
RB2- Shane Christie
RB3- Hector Lopez

FB- Jesus Judge

TE1- Jeff Carter
TE2- Aeron Dacey

WR1- Dennis Mulkey
LWR4- Jason O'Reilly

WR2- Matthew Grover
WR5- James Martinez

WR3- Thomas Oliver

LT- Daniel Ford
LT2- Will Fulcher

LG- Devin Martin
LG2- Roger Hardwick

C- Henry Watts
C2- Pedro White

RG- Domingo Smith
RG2- Roger Hardwick

RT- Don Pleasant
RT2- Will Fulcher

DEFENSE MASTER DEPTH CHART

DT1- Talon Wilkinson II
DT3- Morris Kennedy

DT2- Sherwood Emery
DT4- Morris Kennedy

RE1- Anthony McLaughlin
RE2- LaMelo Jackson

LE1- Joseph Hernandez
LE2- Jared Garza

MLB1- Gordon Goulet
MLB2- Chris Metzler

ROLB1- Kurt Dietz
ROLB2- Jared Garza

LOLB1- Chris Metzler
LOLB2- Jared Garza

CB1- James Porter
CB4- Dennis Nelson

CB2- Jorge Mojica
CB5- Dennis Nelson

CB3- Daniel Bannister
CB6- Andrew Schuster

FS1- Danny Edleman
FS2- Isaac Thompson

SS1- Wilber Cassidy
SS2- Ken Jeffers

SPECIAL TEAMS MASTER DEPTH CHART

K- Eugene Leone
P- Fred Carranza

KR1- Hector Lopez
KR2- Danny Edelman
KR3- Jason O'Reilly
KR4- James Martinez

PR1- Hector Lopez
PR2- Danny Edelman



OFFENSE RUN/PASS RATIO

Play Caller: Offensive Co-Ordinator
1st and 10: 65/35
1st and Short: 60/40
1st and Long: 60/40
2nd and Short: 50/50
2nd and Long: 50/50
3rd and Short: 65/35
3rd and Long: 80/20
4th and Short: 75/25
4th and Long: 0/100
Goal Line: 65/35
Last 2 Mins (Ahead): 95/5
Last 2 Mins (Behind): 0/100

DEFENSE BLITZ RATIO

Play Caller: Defensive Coordinator
1st and 10: 30%
1st and Short: 20%
1st and Long: 35%
2nd and Short: 35%
2nd and Long: 40%
3rd and Short: 50%
3rd and Long: 15%
4th and Short: 100%
4th and Long: 0%
Goal Line: 85%
Last 2 Mins (Ahead): 0%
Last 2 Mins (Behind): 100%



PR CAMPAIGNS

MUSICAL LICENSES

1. Shots - LMFAO
Vegas' victory song to get the party started for the rest of the night. Shooter girls from the night club will come around and start passing out pill-bottle shooters during the song in the "Shot Zone."


2. Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine
General entrance song with pyro etc. massive Scorpion tunnel the players enter through etc.


COIN TOSS PREFERENCE

Heads or Tails
Receive or Defer

[GM Metro]

1. Welcome back, lets talk off-season.  What was your off-season like, what was your biggest addition to your team, and who is someone you wish you didn't lose?
Losing Shane Barkley hurt. He's been a key contributor for us for a number of years, one of the best corners in the game, and really allowed us to do a lot on defense. We made some moves to try and offset and make a seamless transition and we're really excited both in bringing Dennis Nelson back but also what Daniel Bannister brings to the team. It's hard in a salary cap league to make things work in certain off-seasons but I'm proud of what our front office did this year in bringing back a team that will be very competitive.

2. Take us back to Draft Day, what lead to you taking the player you took with your first pick?
He was at the top of our draft board. We think Micah's got a chance to be a special quarterback and that's important. QB's the most important position in professional football and so adding competition to that room I think only makes us a better football team

3. Coming out of Training Camp who is the player you wish you would have seen on your "most improved list" that you didn't see?
Jeff Carter. Tight End is a tough position to learn, we expect a lot out of it in our offense and how we want to control tempo and create mis-matches. You expect to see guys take a big jump from Year 1 to Year 2 and we're still excited about the potential he brings to our offense. You hope bringing in a veteran like Dacey to help mentor him this year really sees him hone his craft and become a weapon for us in both the run and pass game.

4. If you were to improve one position on your team with a trade before the season starts, what position do you target, and are you looking to trade picks or players to get a deal done?
I think we've proven over the years that we're looking to add talent. We're really ecstatic with the guys we had but obviously if someone comes available, regardless of position, who improves our team that is something we'd have to consider.

5. How many wins should your fan base expect this year, realistically what should fans expect to see?
We're going to be competitive in every game. Our goal is the same as it is every year, to win the Impact Bowl. I feel really confident in the team that we have, our defense looks as strong as ever and offensively we've got some new pieces to integrate but it starts with a strong running game and with an off-season to get comfortable in our system I'm expecting big things from Marcus Mariota.

[Talon]

Time to do our jobs.    ...anything you want to discuss?

[GM Metro]

I think we're set from the off-season and we get a great test against Rapid City in the first week. I know we talked about our tackles but I think both are still pluses in the run game but when we do have to throw we've definitely got to help against Cobbs. Does it make sense to switch the focus of our Tight Ends to "Blocking" for this week to make sure we help out as much as we can? I'm not sure what that means in terms of what occurs on Sunday?

[Talon]

Its a slight shift and boost to blocking for those players, but it doesn't really change our playbook and their usage.

[GM Metro]

Okay - I know we've not necessarily featured the TE as much in the passing game with Mariota but I'm not sure moving from mixed makes sense though given that. Defensively - how scared are we of McKinney? I feel like we probably look more at a straight up defense versus forcing them into the run by using our nickel but wanted to get your thoughts.

[Talon]

I don't think they will be deterred from letting Hyland throw the ball, so I think a standard defense makes the most sense.

[GM Metro]

That sounds good to me. I'm excited for the week of football? Anything else we need this week before lock in? It's been a while since we got to play some football and I'm sure the guys are ready to ball out.

[Talon]

I don't see anything to address, we can lock it in.

[GM Metro]

Then let's go

LOCK IN

[GM Metro]

1. Discuss your week 1 results, what were you happy with, what were you disappointed with?
There's not a lot to be happy about. Our running backs were excellent but any time you allow 11 TFL's for a single player you're doing something wrong, the fact our QB ran for -3 yards on 16 ATT is embarrassing and 28 point quarter against is something that has never happened to this team. This is a wake up call for us – we have to be better in every facet of the game or it's going to be a long year.

2. How do you feel about not having pre-season this year?
I don't think we have enough data really for me to make an informed comment on the pro's and con's of the decision. I think we'll know more as the season progresses.

3. What did you think of Alejandro McGhee's comments about the Bay Area Sea Lions being able to beat any HIFL club?
I think you have to be confident to play football professionally. You have to fell like you're the best when you go out and compete so it doesn't surprise me to hear comments about people thinking they're the best.

4. Discuss any news that interested you, if you had team specific news address it first.
I imagine Coach Rhodes doesn't need armchair coaching – the man is a legend and we'll continue to operate and run our offense in a manner that we think gives us the best chance to be successful. I think Gordon Goulet has inspired a number of people, that's what happens when you're the best to ever play a position is people look up to you.

5. Discuss your next opponent and game.   How likely do you feel your team is to win this contest?
We need to execute a hell of a lot better than we did. I don't think if we play as poorly as we did this week that we're going to be successful so I think this week is about getting ourselves right more than anything.

[Talon]

Needless to say, but I'm going to double check our playbook and root out ANY designed QB runs for now.

[GM Metro]

For sure - the other thing I wanted to look at was what we can do help out our tackles. I know we said in camp we probably want to look at an upgrade but it's early in the season as well. Anything we can do to help prevent 11 TFL's from a rookie?

[Talon]

 

I think a lot of those came on the Mariota runs, lets first see if refining our play calling makes a difference, Ill start working on some ideas for the tackles in case it doesn't but I do believe most of the TFL's came on those QB Runs.

[GM Metro]

Sounds good - what happened defensively in the second half? We've never fallen apart that bad before. It looks like they scored on every offensive possession but the box score doesn't awful and it just doesn't line up.

[Talon]

The second half started with us forcing a fumble from Hyland and scoring the first TD, but then they had a 56 yard splash play from Brown to set up a short TD run.

after we went traded three-and-outs they had a short field and scored on two plays...

Then the next play was the Mariota pick six.

We forced a 3 and out but lost it via facemask against Nelson to set up their next TD... In the end a lot of bad field position defensively for us thanks to either bad punting or solid special teams on their end.

[GM Metro]

Ok - let's give it a week and see if we can't clean things up. Kansas City has to be a get right game for us and I think we line up really well in terms of what we do. Any concerns before we lock it in?

[Talon]

Nothing other than what we already discussed.  I think we will correct those issues and be better for it.

[GM Metro]

Then let's do it.
---
REMOVE QB RUNS FROM PLAYBOOK

LOCK IN

[Talon]

AUTOLOCKED WEEK 3

[GM Metro]

1. Discuss your week 3 results, what were you happy with, what were you disappointed with?
Disappointed in the loss. We're a better team than we showed this week. Any time you can hold Caleb Smoak to 17 points in regulation your defense did their job but offensively we have to be better. We were plodding moving the ball offensively and while we protected the football at some point you have to make plays and we just didn't. This is the kind of loss that leaves you a game out of the playoffs at the end of the season and that's going to hurt.

2. Have you and your coach made any major adjustments so far this season, if not do you feel you need to after this week?
I think we evaluate week to week what is going to give us the best chance to win. One of the things we pride ourselves on is having an identity and being flexible enough to attack where we see opportunities. I think there's adjustments week to week that are made but if you're having to make major adjustments there's fundamental flaws and I don't think we're at that point.

3. The league has discussed a potential league-sponsored event to give free agent offensive linemen the chance to showcase themselves to HIFL teams, what do you think of this idea?
I think that any time you can showcase potential talent there's a benefit but between the ComBBBine and international free agency and other avenues I think that we do a good job of giving people a chance to shine. I'd personally rather have us bring guys in to run our own workouts and evaluate at that point but I'm all for a league sponsored event.

4. Discuss any news that interested you, if you had team specific news address it first.
I think the Merv Patton trade rumor is big news; that's a quarterback who is capable of taking a team to the promised land and I know that there's going to be conversations in a number of GM offices if that upgrade is the final piece for certain teams.

5. Discuss your next opponent and game. What is something about that team that you wish you could emulate?
I think a lot of the Dallas team. Coach Hoffman is an incredible football coach and I know that he's going to put together a great gameplan against us. It's really two brilliant football minds and two teams that are very similar – we're going to need to execute if we want to come out with a victory.

[Talon]

 

Our bats went silent at the wrong time and we lack that killer instinct on offense right now.

[GM Metro]

For sure - I know it's early but we have not looked good at key moments. If a team can stop our running game we're really struggling to move the ball effectively and I think that causes issues defensively. I am thinking that it may be worth opening things up a little bit, just for one game, to try and shift the tape and maybe establish some semblance of a rhythm in the passing game. Thoughts?

[Talon]

 

It could be worth a shot, I just know our receivers are less than what we're used to having, so it could be underwhelming.

[GM Metro]

Understood - though I am interested in seeing what Mulkey/Oliver have to offer. My thought for this week too was with Tuscon, Winnipeg and then Miami coming after this might be our shot against a team that we can protect against. Pleasant has given up some pressure recently - how has Will Fulcher looked in practice? I know he was a bit of a turnstile last year but so was Domingo and he's been great on the stat sheet so far? If we do throw the ball is that maybe a move we look at?

[Talon]

 

Fulcher and Pleasant are very similar in pass blocker ratings, but Pleasant is significantly better as a run blocker.

[GM Metro]

That's fair - anything to add on Micah Larkin after a couple of weeks of practice? I'd like to speak to him this week but want to get your thoughts so far.

[Talon]

 

He's made strides each week, so he's coming along nicely. I've been impressed by his accuracy.

[GM Metro]

Perfect - I'll have chat with him but then I'll send lock in information with the updated passing marks. Thanks Coach.
---
Micah Larkin please.
---
Micah, I just wanted to welcome you to Las Vegas. I talked with Coach and he said you're making strides each week in practice and that's exactly what we want to hear. I've heard great things to this point about your drive and willingness to learn which I know is going to pay dividends in the long run. How are things going so far from your perspective?

[Talon]

 

It's going alright GM Metro, I'm anxious to earn my spot on the field, been studying some of the league's best, guys like Keenan Daley and Patrick Owen to get my game up to HIFL speed, but I'm seeing my window starting to open, and I'm ready to storm through that thing like a freight train

[GM Metro]

For sure - those two are probably the best in the game and had different paths early in their careers. Just keep taking advantage of learning opportunities and getting better every day and it'll work itself out. Thanks for the time. We'll talk soon.

---
Demi, I think we're good. Let's get this show back on the road.
---
Adjust passing ratio to 40/60 Run/Pass; Offensive Attitude = Balanced.

LOCK IN

[GM Metro]

1. Discuss your week 4 results (if you won, who deserves a game ball for their efforts?) (if you lost, who needs to step up to prevent another loss?) (if you had a bye-week, skip)
We put ourselves in position to win but we couldn't stop the run. That's not something we're used to having happen so we need to tighten that up. Something that we are used to is kicker struggles; we should be 3-1 if we made a couple of kicks. I know there's a lot of pressure in that position and we'e not expecting perfection but kicking under 65% is unacceptable for a professional.

2. One quarter of the way through the season, has your team played up to expectations?
No – we shouldn't be 1-3 and I know the Coaching Staff feels the same way. We're a good team with a lot of talented players and we just need to look in the mirror and decide where we want this season to go. We've dug a bit of a hole that we need to dig out of but I trust our veteran leadership.

3. Do you see yourself attending the HIFL's Offensive Lineman Open House?
We'll evaluate – the more you know about available players the better but at the same time we like the players that we have.

4. Discuss any news that interested you, if you had team specific news address it first.
We need to make kicks. At 75% we're 3-1 – those stats change the entire outlook on the season currently.

5. Grade your coaching staff so far through the first quarter of the season, have they lived up to your expectations?
I think we need to do everything better; GM, Coach, Play, across the board we need to improve.

6. Discuss your next opponent and game. What is something about that team that you wish you could emulate?
This is really a boom or bust week for us. We can't spot Tuscon a 4 game lead in the division. Win and we stand a chance – lose and it really digs us into an awful hole for the rest of the season.

[Talon]

Tucson will be tough, they are hungry.

[GM Metro]

Agreed - if we lose here it's a massive hill to climb back up. I was impressed with our offense but getting gashed in the run game is not something we're used too. I think David Nutt was a bigger impact on our run-defense than maybe I realized and that is on me and something I'll file away going forward. In the interim, with Dietz questionable this week I imagine we can use a heavier front as needed. What does that look like on our line?

[Talon]

 

Two trains of thought... We keep it traditional with Talon and Sherwood inside, then go with McLaughlin and LaMelo on the ends, but the concern there is if Jackson can really hold his own and if we are putting our best guys on the field.

The alternative is to move Talon outside, and then play Morris Kennedy or Swanson beside Sherwood inside.

[GM Metro]

If we move Talon to the outside - what does that look like for us long term? I know Cobbs made the transition successfully and has been an absolute terror but if it's only for one week I'd probably lean more towards LaMelo rather than having a consistent shuffle. If it's a look we can deploy more often though than it's something to consider. Kind of a modified Nitro package in a sense?

[Talon]

 

It's hard to project, I think he would do fine outside, but we won't know until we see it in motion.

[GM Metro]

Ok - something to think about. We'd have to look at the linebacking core too and who that means we sit. Might mean we have some options here to look at potentially moving out pieces. I'll mull it over.

A quarter of the way through - how's the morale? What do you think of this team? I made my comments in the press but seems that fellow GM's see us at 1-3 and figure they can try and pick at our carcass but I'd rather make them eat Crow.

[Talon]

Defensively we're as deep as we've ever been.  We have 4 top end corners, 4-5 high end linebackers, elite DT's and depth behind them, all we're missing is high end edge rushers..  Offensively obviously we're not getting it done, Grover is a shell of what he was two years ago and we're just un able to make headway in the pass game, it's hard to blame Marcus when we are giving him the equivalent of Cam Newton's 2015 WR corps.

[GM Metro]

For sure - and I am too blame for that. We were blessed for years to have incredible depth at that position that we did not invest draft capital there and finally that has come to roost. I think Mulkey has room to grow and am interested to see what Oliver offers this year. I don't think we need Grover to be what he was two years ago as long as he is a good leader in the room and a veteran mentor to those guys. I definitely hear you and I think will be a part of the conversation going forward.

Last item for this week is Eugene Leone and his struggles. Refresh my memory, but I think we can put Pleasant on IR and designate him to return in six weeks and I am thinking of bringing in a kicker with that roster spot to challenge Eugene and you can evaluate over the next couple of weeks that position and then when it comes time for Pleasant to return we decide where we want to go at kicker? Would that work for you, and if so, any insights you or the special teams staff have on kickers you want to look at?

[Talon]

 

Yeah, we can shelf Donald for 6 weeks on the DTR... As far as kicker sgo, the top options are Jesus Dyer, Carlos Wright, and Eddie Ford.

[GM Metro]

Thanks Coach. I'll let you get back to it.
---
Demi, Amber Molina please.
---
Amber - calling about Carlos Wright. I'm looking to have some kicking competition in the building. No promise of anything long term but I'm willing to offer 750K on a 1 Year deal to bring him on board for the time being.

[Talon]

DEAL

[GM Metro]

Thanks.
---
Demi, Eugene Leone please.
---
Eugene, I wanted to let you know that we're bringing in some kicking competition over the next six weeks. I understand that it's a mentally challenging position and that things come and go but we need better performance in that phase given how close the games we've been having are. I just wanted you to hear it from me as the transaction hit's the news wire.

[Talon]

 

I understand boss, I'll try to prove I'm the man for the job but I understand I've missed some kicks we needed to make.  It's all good.

[Talon]

AUTOLOCKED

[GM Metro]

1. Discuss your week 5 results (if you won, who deserves a game ball for their efforts?) (if you lost, who needs to step up to prevent another loss?) (if you had a bye-week, discuss a game that caught your eye
As a team we just need to put together a complete game in all three phases. We were in this late in the 4th with just needing to put together a drive and it didn't happen. I think our defense did an incredible job controlling Tuscon's passing attack and Micah handled the situation with aplomb. I think people forget how hard it is to be a rookie QB and it's even harder when you show up on Sunday without the first team reps and are then thrust into making your first ever start. It's a good learning experience, there's a lot he's going to be able to take from this game and learn from ... and that's really applicable for a lot of guys on our team.

2. What does your team need most in terms of improvement?
Consistency and experience; over the past years we've been all-in each year and that's meant making moves with that year in mind. You look at our offensive line this year we return one starter from last year, our receiving core is entirely brand new. We're seeing guys step up and build rapport but we have to continue to build on that going forward.

3. Discuss any news that interested you, if you had team specific news address it first.
It's something we'll look at internally. I think Coach Rhodes runs a demanding program. You have to do your job, do it well and do it consistently. Porter is one of the leaders on our team and leads by example; I don't think anyone could say he phoned it in this week so I hope that our guys take a look and see where they could've been better, if they know in their hearts, even if it doesn't show up on the score-sheet or film that they took a play-off that they realize that's not what being a Scorpion is about.

4. Discuss your next opponent and game. What is your biggest advantage in this contest? (if you have a bye week, discuss what you hope to achieve this week)
It doesn't get any easier for us heading to Winnipeg. That's a team that seems to be a roadblock for us each year in the playoffs so I think our guys are going to be incredibly motivated to put out a performance against them.

---
Well Coach, not the game we wanted, nor the game we expected. I know there's the news that Micah Struggled but I'm not as worried about this as Porter comments that certain players phoned it in. I know that their lies, dirty lies, and statistics but this season looks like it is going to be more about establishing our identity going forward as well as making sure we've got the right core in place. Did you see anyone you think was mailing it in? Is there anyone you're noticing who's becoming disengaged above and beyond the frustrations of losing?

[Talon]

I spoke with James after the media session, he summed up his thoughts saying that "guys need to listen,  we need to see them grinding more" and "guys can't just show up and expect to win."  I agree with all of those sentiments, but I also disagree that the main focus of his ire was in that boat.   

Basically he was frustrated with the linebacker corps, but Gordon and Garza both gave a ton of effort, Metzler and Hernandez weren't at their best, but it was the first time all season that either of them graded lower than an A+ for Hernandez and the first time he was lower than a B for Metzler.   

Chris hasn't had a strong season, but he's been working hard.  Maybe Porter's words give him a spark, we'll see.

[GM Metro]

It's interesting to see who the leaders are. I would expect a big rebound game from Chris but I'll have a chat with him this week. That should be the strength of our team is that linebacking group and so if they're struggling that is going to cause problems.

Looking ahead, that loss really hurts in terms of this season. I don't want to say the deficit is insurmountable now but being realistic, one and four is not a recipe for making the playoffs. We talked about the negatives - but has there been anyone showing out in practice who's been pushing for playtime where we maybe look to make a move?