CANCUN MUTINEERS [GM ELI]

[Talon]

 

Okay.

[GM Eli]

"Big chance to reward our fans for sticking with us through thick and thin. Lets get it done, Coach."

-----



Week 4 vs Sydney Stingrays

Player Rotations: Mostly Starters
Gameplan Changes: Coaches Decision
Strategy Changes: Adjust Run/Pass Ratios on specific down and distances as noted:
1st and 10 - 50%
1st and Medium - 40%
1st and Long - 55%
2nd and short - 40%
2nd and medium - 45%
2nd and long - 50%
3rd and long - 65%
End of Half/Game Winning - 30%
Depth Chart Adjustments: None

R A I S E   T H E

B L A C K    F L A G!

Lock In

[GM Eli]

Talk about your teams performance this week and through out this first quarter of the season.

"I can't praise these guys enough. There's a lot of football left to play but I'm sure the sports talk show guys can run off statistics about teams that start off the first quarter of the season with 3 or 4 wins and what direction their seasons tend to trend in. We've been competitive in every game, and really in each game I've seen improvements. If you take a look at our numbers from a season ago, we've basically flipped our points for and points allowed. In Season 16 we averaged a little over 19 points per game, and we gave up an average of nearly 32 points per game. This season, through 4 games, we're averaging almost 31 points per game and allowing a little less than 18 points per game. We are not the Mutineers of old.

Against Sydney, at home, it all kind of came together in a complete performance. I thought Lindsey had his best game of the season against a really talented trio of corners in Finnegan, Edwards and Camp. Our running backs did a nice job, averaging nearly 4 and a half yards per carry and our offensive line did tremendous in keeping Lindsey upright.

Defensively we got after Hudgins and made him uncomfortable. We shut down their run game, and we were opportunistic in forcing turnovers. Congrats to Jody on his pick six. I know the stadium was rocking as he put the cherry on top of a nearly flawless first quarter.

Maybe the most important thing to come out of this week is that the wise cracks about playing Cancun being a bye week can go away now. You're not as slick as you think you are. We heard you. I hope that flight back to Australia is an uncomfortable one after the spanking the we put on those boys."

How do you feel about your players placement in the league leaders, a quarter of the way through the season?  Who is an unsung hero on this roster?

"I think, ultimately, our players placement in the league leaders right now is reflective of the fact that we're playing together as a complete unit on both sides of the ball. Let me explain that in a little more detail. In years past you'd see guys like Shawn Simon or Yannick Morenau dominating the box score because they were the best, and in many case only, option their teams had offensively. But here, we've got the ability and the freedom to not have to force the ball to one guy. We've given our Quarterback a plethora of weapons to make use of to where he doesn't have to be looking to one guy, but can chose the best of several options. Shawns doubled? Throw to Yannick. Pressure coming? Toss a quick hitter to James McClary or Francis Phillips and let them make a play. Don't like the coverage? Check out of the play and hand the ball off to one of two great running backs in D'Anthony Floyd and Uri Bitton.

I say all that to say that while many of our guys may not be in the top 2 or 3 of the individual league leaders, as a collective we are thriving. But you asked about an unsung hero so let me look to the opposite side of the ball for that. I can't tell you how important a player Junto Saito is for us. He's the guy that gets us into our sets on defense. He's the guy that makes the calls for adjustments on the field. And while he might not be the most vocal leader we have on the field, his calm and stoic demeanor and presence in the center of our defense doesn't get the kind of attention it deserves because he's not racking up the flashy stats. But without him, the guys who are racking up those stats wouldn't be doing so at quite the pace that they are."

Talk about your opponent for week 5, do you see any holes in their game that you can exploit?

"First and foremost, I don't care what the Killer Whales record is right now. They're still a team lead by one of the best GM's in the league. They're still a team coached by one of the best head coaches in the league. They've got a great Quarterback that I've been a believer in, and supporter of, even when most everyone else around the league was ready to be done with him. They've got a tremendous cornerback that I took ALL KINDS of flack for trading Turnover Taylor for all those years ago. They're still a team that was a whisper away from going to the Impact Bowl again last season. We know who they are. Period.

So I'm not here to talk about things I think we can exploit. If you want answers to that question talk to Coach Rhodes, Coach Mumbasa, or Coach Diaz. What I am here to talk about is the same thing I was here to talk about when we walked into Alabama with everyone and their mother expecting us to get beat. We aren't afraid of anyone. We know who the Killer Whales are. We know what their reputation is. They've been a measuring stick in this division and a standard teams around the league aspire to imitate for years. But we know that we're here to upset the apple cart, to turn the division on its head and to create a little mutiny, set a new standard and become the new measuring stick of this division. No better way to do that than to walk into Sea World Stadium and break their fans hearts.

We'll be ready. I guarantee you that."

[Talon]

 

The league is really sent for a loop this week. If you have anything we need to do, just let me know but if not I've got nothing that can't wait.

[GM Eli]

"I can't think of anything off of the top of my head that can't wait until next week. Of all of my peers I know that I wasn't the closest to BD, but I knew him well enough to know how much he loved the game of football and I can't think of any better way to honor him than to get right back to work at that.

Good luck this week, Coach."

-----



Week 5 @ Miami Killer Whales

Player Rotations: Mostly Starters
Gameplan Changes: Coaches Decision
Strategy Changes: Coaches Decision
Depth Chart Adjustments: None

R A I S E   T H E

B L A C K    F L A G!

Lock In

[GM Eli]

"Well, it was a disappointing week for us here in Cancun. We've had trouble getting out of the gate offensively in a few games this year, and that was the case against Miami. The difference in this game and the others is that our defense had been able to keep us in the games by making big stops early and forcing turnovers. Credit to Miami in that regard, they protected the ball well and before we knew it we were down three scores. When you put yourself behind the eight ball like that, on the road, you're really making life tough on yourself.

That said, I'm so proud of the fight these guys showed to get back into the game and give ourselves an opportunity to steal it late. I told you all we would be ready, and we wouldn't be afraid, and both of those things were true. In the end we just got behind a little too much to be able to walk out with a victory but I'm certain that Miami isn't looking forward to the second leg of our divisional series.

Now we get a week off to rest and recuperate, and to focus our attention on our game two weeks from now against Myrtle Beach. GM Gooch is a friend and I know we both remember quite clearly where each of our teams were at last season, and the trajectory that our teams are on currently. It's going to be an important game for both of our squads so I'm thankful for the extra week of preparation that we're going to have.

Any questions?"

[Talon]

 

Losing momentum coming into the bye isn't where we wanted to be, but with some tough opponents coming out of the break, we have a chance to prove we are the real deal.  GM Gooch and Myrtle Beach has been on a similar track to us, so we'll have a lot of film to digest during the bye.

[GM Eli]

"Losing is never where we want to be but it's such night and day difference from a season ago. Last year that game against Miami would've been ugly. This year the guys don't believe they're out of any game and keep fighting til the very end. I love that about them and hopefully with some rest and time to really prepare for this Myrtle Beach game, we'll be good to go.

So the one thing that has stood out to me since early in the season is the disappearance of Isaiah Simmons. Is his conditioning that bad, or his effort that poor, that he's just getting beat all the time?"

[Talon]

 

Well, Week one he played 50 snaps.  Week 2 he played 34.  Week 3 he played 26, week 4 it was 28 snaps, and this week he didn't play. His conditioning is really, really bad.

[GM Eli]

"Does he have COPD or something? How can someone get through training camp and have the lungs of a 50 year coal miner? I'm blown away by that. I mean if he was playing 30 snaps a game I'd feel like we could work at it but to see the continued decrease. I'm a little at a loss, coach."

[Talon]

  Games don't have a set amount of snaps, he's playing about 50% of the reps in any given game.  I'd be careful making those types of comments, you don't want the players catching wind of you saying things like that, you'll lose the locker room in a heartbeat.

[GM Eli]

"It wasn't meant as an insult, but your point is taken. More important long term is if his conditioning is something you feel like we can rectify. I know he's got the talent I'm just trying to get a full picture of why, even in the percentage of snaps he's playing, he's fallen off after what looked like a promising start."

[Talon]

 

  His work ethic isn't great, so barring you using a lot of extra training, it will be a chore to get his conditioning to a level where he plays the entire game.

[GM Eli]

"Fair enough. On the other side of the ball is Gerardo Shrader seeing any playing time at all? I'd love to get him in a rotation of some sort to spell our other guards if possible, or if he has the ability across other positions on the offensive line."

[Talon]

 

Our linemen haven't subbed much.  Shrader has 3 snaps from game one and that's it. 

We could build a run package and slot him in for some formations, but outside of that or injury he isn't seeing much time.

[GM Eli]

"I'd like to do that. If you could give me the top 3 formations we run the football out of, that would be great. Though if you don't have that information readily available that's okay too. And would you pair him with Trujillo or Davis in those run formations?"

[Talon]

 

We run most from the I, the Shotgun, and the 2TE set.

[GM Eli]

"Alright, here's what I got for those formations then..

I-Formation Run Package
QB: Lindsey Archibald
RB: D'Anthony Floyd
FB: Stephen Treadwell
TE: James McClary
WR1: Shawn Simon
WR2: Yannick Morenau

LT: Larry Fabian
LG: Gerardo Shrader
OC: Bruce Harris
RG: Brady Trujillo
RT: Ranco Diaz

Shotgun Run Formation

QB: Lindsey Archibald
RB: Uri Bitton
TE: James McClary
WR1: Shawn Simon
WR2: Yannick Morenau
WR3: Francis Phillips

LT: Larry Fabian
LG: Paris Davis
OC: Bruce Harris
RG: Gerardo Shrader
RT: Ranco Diaz

2TE Run Formation

QB: Lindsey Archibald
RB: D'Anthony Floyd
FB: Stephen Treadwell
TE1: James McClary
TE2: Bruce Miller
WR1: Shawn Simon
WR2: Yannick Morenau

LT: Larry Fabian
LG: Gerardo Shrader
OC: Bruce Harris
RG: Brady Trujillo
RT: Ranco Diaz

And we can Lock In for the bye week."

[GM Eli]

"Good to see everyone again. Had a good bye week to get ourselves focused for the remainder of the season. We had a couple of guys who had gotten a little dinged up early on so to be able to get them a week of rest and rehab without the violence of a game was good. For my part this past weekend I had a couple of games I was paying close attention to. Any divisional game is going to catch my eye and boy what a Florida Cup that was. Hate to see Orlando win but I'm never going to complain when a team as talented as the Killer Whales drops a game and sits at the bottom of the division.

On the other hand I kept a close eye on that Myrtle Beach and Rapid City game as well, as we play the Mastodons coming out of our bye week. We knew already that the Myrtle Beach of this season is not the team they were a year ago. Even with the injuries they picked up to Courtney Crawford and the really tough one to Chang Lam.. they're still a very very talented team that can put up points in a hurry. Their secondary makes life tough on Quarterbacks and all in all they're a team that a lot of people might have been sleeping at the start of the season, but nobody is sleeping on them now.

Looking at the individual battles we expect to see on the field.. I'm looking forward to seeing how Arch handles "The Pressure" in James Porter and his partner, Melo Simone. It should be a good test of his ability to read the secondary and trust his instinct. But the match-up everyone really has their eyes on is our Carolina Reaper, Elijah Peppers, against their Fortress at left tackle in Kevin Farrington. Who is going to win out? I know Pep is looking forward to the challenge and our team collectively is as well. It's gonna be a good one and we expect ourselves to rise to the occasion.

[Talon]

 

It was a good bye week.  We saw some guys get some well earned recovery time, and I think we come out of the break stronger.

[GM Eli]

"Lets see if we can't come out of the break and string some wins together.

It seems we've found a home for D.A. That trade should be official sometime this week, so long has David and his agent give me the thumbs up on the team that's seeking his services. That said, I think we could potentially make one more trade before the deadline to upgrade at a position if need be. I know coming out of camp there were some concerns about "warts" on the defense so my question for you is if you had one position on the defense that we could upgrade right now, what would it be? I'm not sure Free Safety is it, regardless of what an editorial might say, given how Baptiste has performed for us this season."

[Talon]

 

If we could find a motivated pass rusher to replace Simmons it would be a boost. Another higher end corner would be nice. 

[GM Eli]

"I'll see what I can do about end or corner, but we've added another quality piece to our linebacking corps for the time being."

[Talon]

 

I love the move to get Verdin.  He might instantly be our most gifted linebacker.  I think slotting him in as a left outside backer and as our 2nd linebacker in the nickel with Saito will give us a lot of flexibility.

[GM Eli]

"I remembered hearing good things about him during the draft process and I know Buckson thought pretty highly of him when he drafted him, so I'm pleased to see you view him in a similar light. You answered my question about where to slot him in and I'm happy with that. I think we'll leave Harris at ROLB and let Fulcher function as a rotational LB to fill in at the other spots when those guys need a breather.

I'm gonna send you a request for some self scouting on some of our guys to see what direction to go in their development. But otherwise I think we'll be ready to lock in soon."

[Talon]

 

Okay.

[GM Eli]

"Good luck this week, Coach."

-----



Week 7 vs Myrtle Beach Mastadons

Player Rotations: Mostly Starters
Gameplan Changes: Coaches Decision
Strategy Changes: Coaches Decision
Depth Chart Adjustments:

QB Gerard Flaherty to QB3
LB Jeremy Verdin to LOLB1 & Nickle LB2
LB William Fulcher to LOLB2
SS Ernest Speer to SS3


R A I S E   T H E

B L A C K    F L A G!

[GM Eli]

"Tough week for us. Coming out of the bye week we were hoping to take advantage of some of the extra practice and preparation for Myrtle Beach and it didn't pan out that way so credit to the Myrtle Beach coaching staff and players for their performance. We did a lot of things well. I thought we ran effectively and Lindsey did a nice job spreading the ball around, even after Yannick started dealing with a little bit of a toe injury, against a really really tough secondary. What we didn't do well was limit their explosive plays. Three of their touchdowns came on plays of 35 yards or more and when you pair that with losing the turnover battle, it just is a losing formula no matter how much the time of possession might favor you.

I think we've learned that our defense really thrives when we're able to get pressure on the Quarterback and I mean, there's no hiding from the fact that in round one Kevin Farrington won the battle against Elijah Peppers. But what we really need is to get some production out of the other side of the defensive line because if you can't generate pressure elsewhere then teams are just going to line up and focus on taking Pep out with double teams and schemes specifically designed to take away his game changing ability. So we need to do better there. The talent is there and I know that the effort is there too, we've just got to execute a little bit better. But, again, you have to give credit to Myrtle Beach because it isn't just about us not playing as well as we could have, it's as much if not more about the Mastodons out performing us on the field.

Thankfully the schedule makers have done us a favor and given us a trio of home games right in the middle of the season. Not having to travel means we can allow the guys we've got on the injury report to get a little extra treatment in. Not to mention it'll be good to be back in front of our fans again. The last time we were at home we were able to repay their support with a big victory at home. Our focus this week is going to be on doing that again. Going 1-0 for the week at home against a really solid Pearl Harbor team.

Any other questions?

[Talon]

 

Pearl Harbor has really shaken up their roster, so hopefully the lack of familiarity will hurt them more than it effects our ability to gameplan.

[GM Eli]

"A little shakeup to ours too, and had to give up a lot of draft capital to make it happen, but I don't think you can pass up on a guy like Marquise Hines if you can get him. I've sent an email to our scouting department to get us a breakdown of his abilities, and Marlon Handley's as well, but all in all I think we shored up one of the weaker areas of our defense."

[Talon]

 

Agreed.  We'll get that scouting back ASAP.

[GM Eli]

"All good. I'm gonna chat with Marquise and Marlon since they'll both be starting for us this week and then I'll get us locked in, unless you have something else to discuss. But if not, would you mind sending Marquise up? Thanks, Coach."

[Talon]

 

Well, I didn't expect to get traded mid-season, but hey new-boss.

[GM Eli]

"I get that it's pretty abrupt news to hear anytime, and even more so during the season. So I'll do the same thing for you that I did for Jerry Worthington when I was in St. Paul. I'll give you my word that there won't be any more being traded to other teams, and I'll put weight behind those words by reaching out to your agent after we're done here and getting the paperwork done to fully guarantee the remainder of your contract. No more moving to a different city unless it's what you want."

[Talon]

 

I appreciate the thought, but I'm good man.  Lets make sure we both like the match before we go and make it a marriage.

[GM Eli]

"Hey, if you're comfortable with that then so am I.

So our plan for the foreseeable future is to have you starting opposite of Jody. This week that means going head to head with your old team. I know there can be a lot of emotions involved in a situation like that, so I just want you to hear it from me that the pressures off. We gave up what we did to bring you here because we fully believe in your talents and we've got your back. I just want you to go out there and enjoy it. Enjoy the game, the atmosphere. All of it. Because we're thrilled to have you in a Mutineers jersey and the fans, man... I wouldn't be surprised to find those Marquise Hines jersey's flying off the racks the moment they hit them. They're going to love you and the way you play this game."

[Talon]

 

I'll give them my best, hopefully it leads to raising that trophy at the end of the season.

[GM Eli]

"That's the end goal, and what a story it would be. I appreciate that attitude and look forward to seeing you thrive here. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help make the transition process easier for you and we'll talk again soon."

-----

"Shakira, would you have Marlon Handley stop by real quick? Gracias."

-----

"Marlon, I just wanted to take a moment to welcome you to Cancun and let you know we're going to be starting you opposite of Peppers this week and going forward. From an outsiders perspective I would guess that it's exciting for a defensive end to get to come in and play for a guy like Coach Diaz, but maybe that's just the fan in me talking."

[Talon]

 

I've been fortunate to have played under Joan Swope and Coach Ito, but Coach Diaz has a great reputation as a front seven guru, so I'm excited to see what he brings out of my game.

[GM Eli]

"That's certainly a tremendous trio of coaches to play for and we look forward to seeing you continue to grow as a player here as well. We'll see if things are a good fit over the second half of this season and if it seems to be, I'll sit down with your agent in the final couple of weeks and see about hammering out a contract extension for you.

Until then, welcome to Cancun. We're thrilled to have you here."

-----

"Shakira, would you get Coach Mumbasa for me please? Thanks."

-----

"Coach, I just wanted to touch base with you real quick about Lindsey and where he's at with his understanding of the Quarterback position. I know he works his tail off at everything he does so I have no doubt that he's leaps and bounds beyond where he was when he first came into the league."

[Talon]

 

The kid has a great grasp of the position.  I'm proud of how much he's improved this year.  He's a Bonafede high end QB in my book.

[GM Eli]

"I love to hear that and appreciate all you've done to help get him there. We'll keep working on fine tuning the physical side of things with him going forward.

Good luck this week with the Preds."

-----



Week 8 vs Pearl Harbor Predators

Player Rotations: Mostly Starters
Gameplan Changes: Coaches Decision
Strategy Changes: Coaches Decision
Depth Chart Adjustments:

OG Gerardo Shrader to LG2/RG2
OG Herbert Chacon to LG3/RG3
DE Marlon Handley to DE2
LB Neil Wray to LB5
CB Marquise Hines to CB2


R A I S E   T H E

B L A C K    F L A G!

Lock In

[GM Eli]

"Tough, gritty win for the home crowd. Did you feel like this was a must win game with Alabama coming to town in week 9?"

First of all, I'm proud of our guys. There wasn't a lot that went right for us on the offensive side of the football and this was a game that past Cancun squads would have let slip through their fingers. This team, though.. they kept fighting all the way to the last play and down to the one inch line. I'm proud of the offense though. Yeah, we made some mistakes. Yeah it wasn't Archibald's best game but we made enough plays to win and at the end of teh day that's what counts.

As for whether or not this was a must win game because of Alabama coming to town, no. You don't succeed in this league if you spend time focusing on what comes next. You have to focus on what is right in front of you and this past week it was the Pearl Harbor Predators. Now that that game is done, and Alabama is on the schedule, our focus turns to them."

"Is Lindsey Archibald's performance concerning to you?"

"Tempted as I am to just flat out say no, I know you want me to elaborate so.. no. It isn't. Every player in the league has had a bad game or two. All that I see this game as is a learning experience and I know that he'll take what Coach Ito at the Pearl Harbor defense threw at him and learn from it. He'll study the tape, and honestly I'm sure he's watched it back once or twice already, and gain a better understanding of the way defensive coordinators are going to try and disguise their coverage to confuse him. I expect a bounce back performance from him this week."

"There are a number of reports about players requesting trades from their current teams and some experts are saying that the Mutineers could look to trade for a player like Sean Burnett in Music City or Keith Blackburn from Milwaukee. Do you wish to comment?"

"Listen, we overhauled our defense a bit with the trade that we made with Pearl Harbor this past week and we are thrilled to have guys like Marquise Hines and Marlon Handley here in Cancun. I won't say that we one hundred percent won't be making any more trades, but I feel comfortable with the guys we've got in the building right now and expect our current roster to be what we field for the remainder of the year."

"The Nighthawks are strug-"

"Nope."

"I'm sorry?"

"No we're not going to start a question about the Alabama Nighthawks off with the disclaimer of 'they're struggling.' That is a team with Jamie Ortega and Bruce Wilkinson leading them on either side of the football. Jamie's been a little banged up but I'm not so foolish as to overlook a moment a few seasons back when the Alabama Nighthawks were allegedly struggling. Their record wasn't where they wanted it to be but I remember being on the outside looking in as that Nighthawks team went on a run that lead to them adding another Impact Bowl trophy to their cabinet. So we're not going to start off a question claiming they're struggling. They've earned the respect that their reputation has bought them.

So... you were saying... The Alabama Nighthawks..."

"... are coming to town this week and while their record may not be where they had hoped through eight games, I think the world remembers the post game antics after your teams victory in their house. Do you expect there to be any ramifications?"

"No ramifications other than I expect Jamie Ortega, Bruce Wilkinson and everyone else on the Alabama Nighthawks roster to come in and give us their absolute best shot. We're not savages. Neither are they. There won't be any talk about putting someone in a tent or any nonsense like that. I do think they want to dance on our logo at midfield. I said it after our win, when some of their players were upset at Elijah Peppers planting the black flag at the fifty, that if they didn't like it they needed to stop us. Well the same holds true for us. If we don't want them to get their revenge. If we don't want them dancing on our logo? We need to go out and beat them. We need to go out and prove to the world once again that this Cancun team is not the same team as it was in the past. Do we have capacity to beat them? Yes. We've shown it once already. So now we have to do it again.

Any other questions?"

[Talon]

 

  Well look at this, just in time for our showdown, Alabama is trying to retool the offense.

[GM Eli]

"Retooling or not we both know when it's Alabama on the schedule it will always be about slowing down Jamie as much as possible, and neutralizing Bruce as much as possible. If we can do those things we give ourselves a shot.

I know it's kinda out of our control but it would be a huge help for Arch if we could get Yannick back out there on the field. I love our depth at wide receiver but Francis, Chauncey and Dove all need some seasoning before they're ready to step into that WR2 role in my opinion."

[Talon]

 

  Agreed. We'll try to get him where he needs to be.

[GM Eli]

"How's the morale around the building right now? I know earlier in the year we were concerned about a string of losses leaving the guys with a 'here we go again' feeling."

[Talon]

There are definitely some guys who are down for various reasons, but I don't think it was a case of the team thinking we don't have a chance to win.    The only ones Im concerned with are Trujillo and Rosa.

[GM Eli]

"I'll talk to both of those guys individually and I want to take care of activating the rookie option on Jeremy Verdins before speaking with the team and getting us locked in for Bama."

-----

"Shakira, would you have Brady Trujillo stop by please. Thanks."

-----

"Brady, what's going on my man. I know it's been a tough couple weeks being a little banged up but I'm pleased with what the training staff is telling me about your progress. Really, I just love the effort I've seen from you both last season and this.. and the improvement. Man, you just seem so much more comfortable with the speed of the game this year and it shows.

Coach says you might be feeling a bit discouraged and I don't want to assume it's just a result of missing playing time because of the injury you picked up, so I wanted to touch base with you."

[Talon]

 It's partially because of the injury, but it's just that I'm in this business to make money, and I'm not getting the stats I want to get to help me get that money, so I'm frustrated.