SAN JUAN HURRICANES [GM LUCAS]

[Talon]

Team Information
City: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Conference: Eastern
Division: 
Team Owner: Travis Conejo
Team Secretary: Sofia Marisol

Official Colors:



Team History:
Season 13 Expansion Team - The Sydney Stingrays were sold to Travis Conejo after S17 and rebranded the San Juan Hurricanes

Season 13: 3-13-0 [GM Gates]
Season 14: 10-6-0 [GM Dazz]
Season 15: 12-4-0 [GM Dazz]
Season 16: 13-3-0 [GM Dazz]
Season 17: 8-8-0 [GM  Lucas]

Playoff Appearances:
Season 14: 0-1 (Wildcard Round)
Season 15: 1-1 (Divisional Round)
Season 16: 0-1 (Wildcard Round)

RETIRED NUMBERS
None

 

[Talon]

S15 SYDNEY LOCK IN

MINI-CAMP ASSIGNMENTS GM's MUST COMPLETE THIS TASK

OFFENSE:
1. Treyvon Snow - Strength
2. Smitty Smoke - Hands
3. Smitty Smoke - Hands
4. Steven Hudgins - IQ

DEFENSE:
1. James Kessler - Conditioning
2. Nate Clark - Agility
3. TJ Edwarda - Hands
4. TJ Edwards - Tackling



STRATEGY GM OR COACHES DECISION ON ANY/ALL


OFFENSE
Attitude: Balanced
Focus: Balanced
Tempo: Fast
Passing Focus: Coaches Decision
Pass To: Coaches Decision
Primary Receiver: Micah Perry
Running Focus: Coaches Decision
Running Backs: Running
Backfield Focus: Committee
Tight End Focus: Coaches Decision

DEFENSE
Attitude: Aggressive
Focus: Coaches Decision
Primary Coverage: Man
D-Line Focus: Coaches Decision
Linebacker Focus: Caches Decision
Player Radio: Steve Wright
Match CBs to WRs?: Yes


Playing Time: Mostly Starters





TEAM CAPTAINS GM's MUST COMPLETE THIS TASK
1. Steven Hudgins
2. Courtney Crawford
3. Peter Cruz
4. Steve Wright
5. Anthony Stephens
6. Philip Johnson



OFFENSE MASTER DEPTH CHART GM's MUST COMPLETE THIS TASK (You may attach up to 4 additional Copies of this Chart for various "Packages" in your offense.)

PACKAGE NAME: Base

QB- Steven Hudgins
QB2- King Carmazzi
QB3- Ronald Ford

RB1- Courtney Crawford
RB2- Tank Mixon
RB3- Reshard Helaire

FB- Chris Stubblefield

TE1- Michael Kilpatrick
TE2- Carlos Sauls

WR1- Dennis Gorham
WR4- Treyvon Snow

WR2- Micah Perry
WR5- Charles Bennett

WR3- Smitty Smoke
WR6- Tristan Lopez

LT- Antoine Smith
LT2- Aubrey Keet

LG- Harlan Slater
LG2- Peter Cruz

C- Philip Whitson
C2- Kyle Salley

RG- Peter Cruz
RG2- Roy Hadden
RG3- Isaac Read

RT- Luis Verde
RT2- Aubrey Keet
RT3- Christopher Edwards


DEFENSE MASTER DEPTH CHART GM's MUST COMPLETE THIS TASK (You may attach up to 4 additional Copies of this Chart for various "Packages" in your defense.)

PACKAGE NAME: 4-3

DT1- Sammie Wyant
DT2- Marco Charlton
DT3- Leroy Robinson

NT1- Timothy Mitchell
NT2- Marco Charlton
NT3- James Kessler

DE1- Anthony Stephens
DE3- Kyle Smith

DE2- Nate Clark
DE4- Alex Walker
DE5- Rashad Rudolph

MLB1- Steve Wright
MLB2- Jason Woodard

SLB1- Jason Woodard
SLB2- Tyler George

WLB1- Joseph Spellman
WLB2- Jack Rosenberg
WLB3- Brian Powers


CB1- Charles Finnegan
CB4- Jamison Camp

CB2- Philip Johnson
CB5- Luis Paulson

CB3- TJ Edwards


FS1- Peter Haney
FS2- Robert Peters
FS3- Raymond Lam

SS1- Eddie Brock
SS2- Victor Mendoza
SS3- Raymond Lam


PACKAGE NAME: Big Nickel

LILB1- Steve Wright

RILB1- Jason Woodard

Nickel- Eddie Brock

SS1- Robert Peters


PACKAGE NAME: Dime

DT1- Nate Clark

NT1- Sammie Wyant

DE1- Anthony Stephens

DE2- Kyle Smith

LILB1- Steve Wright

RILB1- Joseph Spellman

Nickel- TJ Edwards

Dime- Jamison Camp

FS1- Peter Haney

SS1- Robert Peters

SPECIAL TEAMS MASTER DEPTH CHART GM's MUST COMPLETE THIS TASK

K- Stanton Welsh
P- Lonny Robison

KR1- TJ Edwards
KR2- Treyvon Snow
KR3- Smitty Smoke
KR4- Philip Johnson

PR1- TJ Edwards
PR2- Treyvon Snow






PLAY CALLING GM Chooses who calls plays, and assigns desired percentages if not left up to play calling coach


OFFENSE RUN/PASS RATIO 55:45

Play Caller: (Offensive Coordinator)
1st and 10: Coaches decision
1st and Short: Coaches decision
1st and Long: Coaches decision
2nd and Short: Coaches decision
2nd and Long: Coaches decision
3rd and Short: Coaches decision
3rd and Long: Coaches decision
4th and Short: Coaches decision
4th and Long: Coaches decision
Goal Line: Coaches decision
Last 2 Mins (Ahead): Coaches decision
Last 2 Mins (Behind): Coaches decision

DEFENSE BLITZ RATIO Coaches Decision

Play Caller: (Head Coach)
1st and 10: Coaches decision
1st and Short: Coaches decision
1st and Long: Coaches decision
2nd and Short: Coaches decision
2nd and Long: Coaches decision
3rd and Short: Coaches decision
3rd and Long: Coaches decision
4th and Short: Coaches decision
4th and Long: Coaches decision
Goal Line: Coaches decision
Last 2 Mins (Ahead): Coaches decision
Last 2 Mins (Behind): Coaches decision





MUSICAL LICENSES (GM MUST COMPLETE THIS TASK)

1. The Greatest Show - Hugh Jackman and other cast members
Just before the players come out


2. Stingray Theme Tune https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45NtEXv7DZs Main chorus (if you can call it that) plays after each Stingrays TD


COIN TOSS PREFERENCE

Heads
Defer

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 15 - TRAINING CAMP

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?

I think we had a very successful off-season here in Sydney and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how that plays out over the new season. Personally, my proudest moment was being part of the group of GMs that successfully pushed for an increase to the minimum contracts after the massive cap increase this off-season. It would have been a travesty to see the extra money all fall into the hands of a very small group of elite players while everyone else was left behind. There was another group of GMs who were demanding the increase and claiming to be pro player but in the end they wasted the extra money and had to betray the very players they're responsible for with amnesties and trading players against their will to the PFL just to cover for their own mismanagement. I think a few are very lucky to still have a job if I'm honest.

For us in Sydney the off-season went very much to plan. We knew the areas where we were perhaps a bit weaker last season, the pass defence for example, and we made our moves with the aim of improving in those specific areas. The result, I think, is a much more balanced and well rounded roster with quality and depth at every position. Philip Johnson probably stands out as an acquisition for me because I've worked with him before and I know about his great leadership and speed first hand. I think he'll make a huge difference to the team this season. Then again, the huge step up TJ Edwards has taken this off-season is like acquiring a new top player so there's definitely going to be a lot of competition now in an area we needed to improve on after last season... and that's before I've even mentioned Camp and Paulson at CB. Eddie Brock is a player I've wanted to sign for a few years now and he's going to add something different to the safety group so I'm excited to see how he does for us. As for players I'm disappointed to have lost, we were very careful in how we approached the roster and used much of the cap increase to tie down the players we wanted to keep long term so the players who moved on all fit with our plans. Gonzales is the only one I wish we could have found space for considering he's always been very reliable for me but he deserves to be starting and we have a lot of competition in his position so I thought it best to let him find game time elsewhere.

2. Take us back to Draft Day, what lead to you taking the player you took with your first pick?

It was an easy decision for me in the end. To see a player of Charles Bennett's ability still available in the third round was an opportunity I wasn't going to miss. This lad has everything you're looking for in a future star at WR: great hands, great athleticism and the speed needed to make big plays. We watched a lot of film and studied the stats and his stood out as something special. Zero drops, 73% catch rate and over 20 yards per reception last year. What's not to love about that? As a rookie we're not expecting him to come flying out of the gate and we're going to give him the time he needs to learn the HIFL but I think his is a name we'll all know very quickly.

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?

Reshard Helaire and Treyvon Snow. I hate calling out individuals and I don't normally do it but I think there's more to come from both of them. The coaches have been very positive about their potential and the impact they could have if they develop the way we hope but neither have taken the step we needed them to during the off-season. As one of my colleagues has already said though, development isn't just for the off-season so if both work hard during the season and make those improvements they can still offer a lot to this team and have bright careers ahead of them. 

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?

If Pancho wants to trade Ortega for a handful of magic beans then I'll take that deal happily. Joking aside, I'm delighted with the roster I have here this year and I think it's one of the most complete I've built in my career to date. Maybe a bit of depth at G to cover for injuries would be good but I'm not going to break the bank to do that.

5. How many wins should your fan base expect this year, realistically what should fans expect to see?

What I think we'd all like to see is 16 wins but at the end of the day the regular season is all about making it to the playoffs so we're targeting as many wins as it takes to get in. I know it's boring to hear but our focus, like last year, is going to have to be on winning the next game and seeing how far that takes us. I'm confident we're going to achieve some great things this year and I think our fans should be too. We have a stronger, more balanced team this season than we did last season so  I'm definitely looking for improvement on what we achieved.

[Talon]

 

Well, here we go.  What did you want to go over?

[GM Dazz]

First off, great job over training camp. Seeing players improving the way they have is a huge testament to the work you and the other coaches have put in.

Looking at the roster, I have questions about the passing game I'll address with Coach Kidwell and the corners with Coach Hall but with you I'd like to talk defensive line. DTs first. I think Wyant is the obvious number 1 with Kessler as backup NT to start the season. I'm then torn between Mitchell and Charlton as the other starting DT. Neither really stood out in the stats last year but both look solid so what do you think the two of them give us and is there one that jumps out as the obvious partner to Wyant in your view? Or, as with the DEs, do we have a situation here that allows us to rotate on the line to keep them all fresher longer into games?

[Talon]

I think Mitchell is the guy, Charlton is a little less strong, a little slower, and doesn't really beat him in any real category. 

[GM Dazz]

That's a pretty clear answer to that then. The only other question I had for you at this stage is about Coach Hall's suggestion of running a rotation at DE. I like the idea so I just wanted to check how you wanted that set up in the lock in paperwork.

[Talon]

I like the suggestion too, I'd say we set up a few packages with the various DE configurations and then just pick out the % split you want to run with. 

[GM Dazz]

I'll be sure to do that then. Thank you Coach. I'm excited to see how the team performs in these opening weeks. I'll let you get to practice.
---------

Harley, could you ask Coach Hall to come and see me please?
---------

Coach, thank you for your report from training camp. I've already agreed with Coach Dos Santos to implement your suggestion to rotate the DEs. I wanted to discuss the secondary with you though. I know you highlighted the safeties as a potential issue but I have no concerns with either Haney or Brock. Haney was fantastic last season against the pass: DTD leader and top 10 for interceptions. I'm confident Brock will be an improvement at SS. What I really want to discuss is our corners. I brought in Johnson to partner Finnegan but the reports are saying Edwards is easily our best corner. First off, well done for recognising his potential last season and for the work you've done to improve him as a player. Last season we had the problem of having a collection of number threes and having to play one as a starter but this season it seems that our problem is having three number ones and only two starting spots in our base formation. I'm certainly not complaining. I'm thinking Edwards at CB1, Finnegan at CB2 and Johnson as the nickel. Is that in line with your own thinking?

[Talon]

I see some times where in the nickle we move Edwards inside to play the slot if a team has a dynamic slot man, but other than that, that's how I see it working out too. 

As far as the safeties, we have a lot of depth and potential for success in our scheme, its just that we are asking these guys to continue to play above their "level" if you know what I mean.  I believe in them but we could always improve.

[GM Dazz]

Understood and agreed. There's always room for improvement. Thanks Coach, I'll make sure the changes are made to the defensive depth charts in the lock in this week. When you get back down to practice could you let Coach Kidwell know I'd like to speak to him please?
-------

Coach, i think most of the offence picks itself but I would like to talk to you about the WRs. Smoke's improvement in hands from the mini camp looked encouraging but I'm still thinking of using him primarily in the slot. However, with that improvement from Smoke and the qualities we know he already had has he earned a promotion up the order ahead of Perry or Gorham?

[Talon]

I could see Snow passing Perry, but at the same time I don't think we can go wrong with any combination of the three, they all look primed for breakout seasons..

[GM Dazz]

That's great to hear. Last thing I wanted to discuss then, how has Bennett looked in training camp? I know we can't judge him until he plays a few games but his performances in college make him look like an exciting prospect. How has he been looking next to HIFL veterans in practice so far?

[Talon]

He runs good clean routes and works hard on every play, he's raw with his hands and his speed is only average at best though, so I see him as a guy who can become a Brett Myers type in the long run, but I don't see him as a big star guy against pro speed and talent.

[GM Dazz]

I'm not going to complain about having a Brett Myers on the team, unless he starts eating expired food. Sounds like, if we work on his hands, he'll be a good compliment to the star talent we already have in the roster. Thanks for the input, Coach. I'll let you get back to preparing for a tough week 1 game.
--------

Harley, could I speak to James T Crain please?
--------

Mr Crain, I could do with tweaking the balance between salary and bonus by $500k and I'd like to use that as an opportunity to give Tank a slight raise at the same time. I'm proposing a contract adjustment from his current 2 year, $3m deal to 2 years at $2.5m salary plus $1m bonus. Would Tank be willing to do that?

[Talon]

JAMES T CRAIN ACCEPTS YOUR CONTRACT OFFER

[GM Dazz]

Cheers, i appreciate it.
------

Harley, could you forward the following lock-in information to the Coaches please?

Offensive Depth Chart Changes:
Swap Treyvon Snow and Charles Bennett

Defensive Depth Chart Changes:
4-3 and standard Nickel
CB1 - TJ Edwards
CB2 - Charles Finnegan
Nickel - Philip Johnson
Swap Edwards and Johnson when opponents line up top receiver in the slot

Dime
CB1 - TJ Edwards
CB2 - Charles Finnegan
Nickel - Philip Johnson
Dime - Jamison Camp
Swap Edwards and Johnson when opponents line up top receiver in the slot

Big Nickel - played on running downs where opponent lines up with 3 or more WRs
CB1 - TJ Edwards
CB2 - Charles Finnegan
Nickel - Eddie Brock
SS- Robert Peters
DE1 - Nate Clark
DE2 - Kyle Smith

KR: Swap TJ Edwards and Philip Johnson
PR: Replace TJ Edwards with Philip Johnson

Lock in

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 15 - WEEK 1

1. Discuss your week 1 results, what were you happy with, what were you disappointed with?

The result was very disappointing considering the performance we put in. If you look at the stats it's clear which team had the better of the game but you have to turn that into points and we didn't do that well enough in the second half. There were plenty of things to be positive about and I think we have a great season ahead of us but it's difficult to look past letting a 20 point lead slip. You can't do that if  you want to succeed in this league and we have to be much better at protecting a big lead like that if we want to achieve the things we're aiming for this season. I don't know if the early lead had us play too cautiously to try and protect it but I'm sure the lads will have learned a lot from that either way and I expect we'll improve quickly.

2. How do you feel about not having pre-season this year?

I'm not happy about it. I wasn't happy about the way pre-season was set up last season but it was better than not having one at all. particularly for those players in the fringes of the squad who could use that as a chance to claim a starting spot. We've had to make a few judgments on players without seeing them in game situations and pre-season is a good way to assess whether training gains translate on the field. We'll have to make those assessments over the first few weeks and players will need to get fit during competitive games instead and we'll just have to deal with it. All of the teams are in the same position but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it.

3. What did you think of Alejandro McGhee's comments about the Bay Area Sea Lions being able to beat any HIFL club?

It's laughable. Sure, they might beat some but the gulf in class between the leagues is clear to see particularly when you look at the relative success of players there that couldn't have the same impact here in the HIFL. Their league is getting better but they have a long way still to go to catch up.

4. Discuss any news that interested you, if you had team specific news address it first.

The rookie in Rapid City caught my attention this week. Breaking a single game record for TFLs in your debut game is one thing but that one game would have had Loftis ranked second for the entire season here last season. if a rookie got 11 TFLs in a season I'd be pleased so to see that in a single game, that kid is special.

5. Discuss your next opponent and game.   How likely do you feel your team is to win this contest?

This next game is one of the most important of the season and it's only week 2. It's always important to bounce back quickly after a loss and we obviously want to win our first home game of the season but with it being Oakland there's an additional level of importance to this one. Not just for us but the division too. It's far too early for this game to be seen as anything more than a game between two contenders but winning it puts us in a good position and helps us make a marker. If we play our game and get the run working like we did in Tucson I like our chances of a positive result.

[Talon]

 

Extremely frustrating game.  We did everything we wanted on offense until we had the two fumbles in the second half, and even after we blew the lead, driving the field in the final minute and just running out of time inside their 30...   Just a big missed opportunity.

[GM Dazz]

It's very frustrating to not win a game we controlled for so long but what I saw out there was a team on the right track. A bit of luck going for us instead of against and we would have won. The only thought I have is one that's been sitting in the back of my mind for a while now... do we trust Hudgins to go and win a game with a final drive? He's great at managing games and looking after the ball and that's a huge benefit across a season but in these close games where we need to drive the field to win right at the end I probably trust King to do that more than I trust Hudgins to, if that makes sense. I'm almost tempted to put together a 2 minute drill package with King as QB but I'm guessing that wouldn't go down well.

[Talon]

A wise man once said, if you have two quarterbacks, you don't have a quarterback.   Outside of doing a 2-minute package being highly unlikely in our universe due to sim stuff, it would probably cause a civil war in the locker room

[GM Dazz]

As I expected really but I thought I should run the idea past you. I'm not going to chop and change during these first few weeks as the lads settle into the new season so I'll leave things as they are and we'll assess at week 4. I'll let you get back to it. Thanks Coach.
-------

Harley, could I see Coach Kidwell please?
-------

Coach, I thought that was a good offensive display overall. Just needed a bit more luck to go our way and we'd have had the win to go with the performance. I did want to talk about Hudgins though. He had a very good game, was very accurate, looked after the ball well but I can't help thinking that with the receivers we have we could afford to take a little more risk deeper down field than we have been. I'm not talking about suddenly switching to a vertical passing approach but perhaps including some deeper shots off play action or something along those lines.

[Talon]

 

I hear you loud and clear man, we did throw some deep shots in the play calling but it wasn't always there, so the checkdown became an outlet, but we can definitely slowly build up to get more deep looks and see how it pans out.

[GM Dazz]

I like it. Slowly build up until we find the sweet spot rather than chucking in a load of deep plays and finding ourselves throwing loads of interceptions. I'll defer to your judgement on how that's done. Cheers Coach.

Playing Time: Mostly Starters
Tempo: Fast
Run:Pass ratio: 55:45
Strategy changes: Slowly introduce more deep plays into play calling as discussed

lock in

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 15 - WEEK 2

1. Discuss your week 2 results, what were you happy with, what were you disappointed with?

The result was very disappointing considering the performance we put in. If you look at the stats it's clear which team had the better of the game but you have to turn that into points and we didn't do that well enough. There were plenty of things to be positive about and I think we have a great season ahead of us but it's difficult to look past letting a late lead slip again. You can't do that if  you want to succeed in this league and we have to be much better at protecting a lead like that if we want to achieve the things we're aiming for this season. I'm sure the lads will have learned a lot from that either way and I expect we'll improve quickly. If that sounds a lot like last week's answer it's because the themes coming out were the same again.

2. After two weeks do you feel your team is where you thought they would be, if not what is the biggest area of improvement needed?

Well I certainly didn't go into the season planning to start 0-2. We played two very good teams but that's going to be true of most of our games this year. If we want to win championships we need to win against the best teams. We're doing a lot of things well: the OL is doing a great job of keeping Hudgins protected and creating space for the run, the RBs are playing well, WRs are catching what's thrown to them, defence is limiting the run well and got some good pressure this week. If we keep on this path the results will come. We just need to be better at stretching the field offensively and better at defending against the pass, particularly late in the game when we know what they're going to do.

3. Are you happy with the play of your quarterback so far? Where do you rank him across the league's 32 starters?

Of course I am. He's completing over 80% of his passes, not throwing interceptions and not getting sacked much. Could he do more? I think he could if he would take a few more risks but there's a balance that needs to be found there. We need to see TDs and yards per catch improve but we've already got plans in place to work on that.

4. Discuss any news that interested you, if you had team specific news address it first.

The thing that stood out to me was the performance of the partnership of Vardy & Boatwright. It wasn't long ago that GMs were making jokes about Vardy saving seasons, which I thought were pretty disrespectful, and I think there's a lesson there. Plenty of players out there that some other GMs have mocked or given up on, Kitchen another example, who can make you look pretty stupid if given the right support and a bit of belief. I'm certainly casting my eye around now to try and find the next one.

5. Discuss your next opponent and game.   Where is your biggest advantage?

At 0-2 the next game is always going to be huge. We need to bounce back quickly and get that first win on the board. We're playing well enough to do it, we just need to convert performances into points and wins. St Paul are a very good team coming off of a very good win and a great QB performance last week. They'll be on a high so it's going to be vital for us to start quickly and knock the wind out of their sails. I think we have the advantage on the ground and with our o-line and we need to make the most of those advantages because this is going to be another very tough game in a hostile atmosphere.

[Talon]

Hey boss, I'm really sorry that we haven't found open guys down field, it just hasn't been there so far.

[GM Dazz]

No need to apologise. Like I said, I'm happy with how you're playing. We just, as a team, need to find a way to create those deeper opportunities. What I would like to better understand from you is what it is you mean when you say they just haven't been there. does that mean no wide open receivers or none getting into one on one coverage situations? The way our system is set up should be generating one on one opportunities at least, particularly on play action, so we need to adjust something if that isn't happening. What, in your opinion, is restricting us?

[Talon]

 

I've liked the play calling, its just been good defensive coverage not giving me anything to really throw to.

[GM Dazz]

Alright, thanks for the insight. One last question, is there a particular receiver you trust more than the others? I know they're all top quality players but is there one you feel you have a better understanding with?

[Talon]

I think Dennis and I have the best chemistry.

[GM Dazz]

Thanks for that, it's useful for me to know. I'll let you get back to practice. Good taking to you. I think it's important we keep this line off communication open considering your leadership position on this team. Cheers.
------

Hartley, could I speak to Coach Dos Santos please?
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Coach, I just spoke to Hudgins but I don't think I'm any closer to understanding why the passing game isn't working the way I would like it to. I think I might try just a small tweak to make Gorham our primary target, unless you have some additional insight into why we're not getting the ball deeper down field.

[Talon]

 

Hey, go for it.  So far it's been coverage and decision making.. Steve doesnt force the ball down field if its not there, and so far it hasnt been there.

[GM Dazz]

That's really useful information and you've confirmed something I was already thinking. Cheers Coach.

Playing Time: Mostly Starters
Tempo: Fast
Run:Pass ratio: 55:45
Strategy changes: Dennis Gorham assigned as primary target.

lock in

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 15 - WEEK 3

1. Discuss your week 3 results, what were you happy with, what were you disappointed with?

That was a nice way to get our first win of the season, just a shame it wasn't in front of our home fans. I heard Eli's comments about the box score not reflecting the game and I agree with him. We controlled that game from start to finish and although statistically it was the worst game Hudgins has played this season I thought it was actually his best so far. I think I heard one commentator refer to him as a honey badger at one point and I think that fits quite nicely. I also agree with Eli that the time of possession was a huge factor in this one. We kept the ball well when we had it and our defence never let them get into a rhythm when they had it. It sounds simple enough but St Paul are a top team and they've got a great QB who can hurt you if you give him time to get settled. Overall I was delighted to go into their home and come out with a hugely important and confidence boosting win. We need to build on this now and try to take control in the division over the next few weeks.

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?

No, we've not changed much so far. A few tweaks here and there but nothing major and I don't anticipate doing so this week either. We'll evaluate at the quarter season point and go from there though.

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 it's great for those linemen to get a chance to showcase their ability and to find some work in the HIFL so on one hand I'm all for it. I'm not sure it should be league-sponsored though and those teams that attend should have to contribute to it. The teams who are in need of o-line support have plenty of money to scout those free agents themselves. We built a team with good depth during the off-season and we have one of the best o-lines in the league because of that so I don't see why other teams should get a leg up because of their poor roster management.

4. Discuss any news that interested you, if you had team specific news address it first.

That news about the linemen event was the min news that grabbed my attention, beyond the retirement I guess of GM Gators. He was certainly a character and the league benefits from having that sort of personality around so him moving on is a loss for the HIFL. I wish him all the best in his next project and he may well find customers in the league if it works out for him. His certainly wasn't the name I was expecting to be announced after the earlier tease about a GM resigning. There are one or two of the others who absolutely should not be in their job but I suppose they'll cling on a little longer.

5. Discuss your next opponent and game. What is something about that team that you wish you could emulate?

We're going into it with a lot of confidence but we can't afford to think we're suddenly unbeatable because we put in a great performance against St Paul. Portland are coming off the back of a big win of their own and they've just made a trade for a QB with huge potential so this is going to be a dangerous game for us. They'll be on a high so we need to start fast like we did in the last one to try and take the wind out of their sails and keep their fans quiet. I think we have the edge on the ground again and that should help us control things like we did this week but we're going to have to work hard to score against their stingy defence. They kept Long Beach and Vancouver to below 15 points each in their last two games and I guess that's the thing I'd like us to emulate. Our defence is built more on gaining sacks and turnovers but I'd like to see our points per game come down even lower than it already is if we can. This'll be a tough game but if we can come out with a win and get to 2-2 it'll be a big boost to our season.

[Talon]

 

Not sure if they'll start him or not, but Portland just gave up a first for Richard Rainey, so we may have to prepare for a QB we have no film on.

[GM Dazz]

I had a look at his college tape before putting in an offer myself to bring him in to back up Hudgins. He looks very similar to Hudgins actually. Good accuracy, looks after the ball well, relatively low yards per attempt and not someone to worry about on the ground. Of course college tape doesn't always translate to the big leagues. If they do throw him in they'll be taking a big risk considering he's had no training camp and no time to get used to his team or the playbook. I expect they'll simplify things for him and lean a little more on the run. I trust you to get the lads prepared in the right way.
I'll let you get to it. We'll do a more thorough review next week. Could you send Hudgins up to see me when you get back to practice please?
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Nice work this week. I know the accuracy % was down and there was that interception but overall I thought you played really well and drove the team forwards when we needed you to. It's going to be a tough one against a very good pass defence this week but I'm sure you must be full of confidence going into it.

[Talon]

 

I definitely feel good boss, glad to make you happy with our play.

[GM Dazz]

I better let you get back to practice. I just wanted to say well done. Cheers.
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Harley, could I see Coach Kidwell please?
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Coach, that was a very good win against a top team and we really seemed to control things offensively. Nice work. Looking ahead to Portland I see a team that is good in coverage but not dominating on the line. I'm torn between playing our usual game and trusting our lads to just be better than them or moving our ratios slightly more in favour of the run to try and draw defenders into the box and create space for the passing game. I would probably look to tweak it to a 60:40 split, maybe as far as 65 if you thought it the right call. What are your thoughts?

[Talon]

 

The way we've seen CC have big games rushing since last year, I'd be comfortable with leaning on the run this week, yeah man.. plus if we fall behind for some reason we automatically start throwing more anyways.

[GM Dazz]

We'll do that then. Hopefully we'll wear them down like we did St Paul.

Playing Time: Mostly Starters
Tempo: Fast
Run:Pass ratio: 60:40

lock in

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 15 - WEEK 4

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)

This was a great win on the road against a very good side. That's very satisfying to be able to say for the second week in a row and gives us a platform from which to build over the next few weeks. Portland are a much better team than their record shows and they gave us a much tougher game than the scoreboard shows. I thought Rainey was very good on his debut and he has a big future in the league. To perform the way he did with no prep is very impressive, more so when you consider how tough our pass rush can be. Portland are a very good defensive team themselves, as you can see from their previous games, and they caused us a lot of problems throughout this one but the lads are confident at the moment and they stuck with it to the end. Getting out to an early lead definitely helped and our own defence did a great job of keeping us there, particularly in the second half. In the end I think we wore them down which enabled us to put the gloss on the win towards the end. That's how we're built though, to be able to play hard for all 4 quarters and to wear down the opposition early. I thought this was a very good team performance and a great team win so it's difficult to pick out an individual to award the game ball to. Hudgins played well despite their talented secondary and threw for 3 TDs, both running backs did a great job on the ground, our o-line protected Hudgins well again, the whole defence stepped up and made important plays when we needed them to, and our special teams play was pretty flawless once again. There are certainly areas where we still need to improve but overall I was very happy. When you see a team performance like that you have to hand the game ball to the Head Coach and I think Coach Dos Santos certainly deserves it for this one.

2. One quarter of the way through the season, has your team played up to expectations?

Performance wise, yes. We've been competitive in every game and with a bit more luck in the first two we could easily be 4-0 rather than 2-2. We've improved with each game, which is what I ask of everyone on my teams, so I'm happy with the direction we've been travelling.

3. Do you see yourself attending the HIFL's Offensive Lineman Open House?

No. I think it's been well set up and I'm glad teams are having to pay a decent amount to attend so that the teams who didn't manage their roster properly aren't being given an easy ride. However, we have a great line here with good depth so I won't be spending team money on looking at areas we don't need to upgrade. We could maybe use some additional depth at G but I'll look at other ways to resolve that.

4. Discuss any news that interested you, if you had team specific news address it first.

The Hollywood Experience news certainly stood out but I'm not going to comment until the facts are known. Certainly a very concerning accusation coming so soon after relatively recent history in this area though.
I guess the other news that stands out is the ridiculous yardage QBs are picking up on the ground across the league. That record breaking game from Fields in particular stands out and not just for the record. It would be easy to make a joke about him being the best RB to play QB since Ortega but I think that would be a little unfair. Still, I wonder how many yards Crawford could add to his game if he played from the QB position. At the end of the day, teams need to get better at defending QB runs. I'll certainly be looking at how we approach it when we do face those kinds of players going forwards.

5. Grade your coaching staff so far through the first quarter of the season, have they lived up to your expectations?

Absolutely they've lived up to expectations. I couldn't be happier with my coaching staff and I look forward to working with this team for a long time to come. Then again, the only GM i expect you'd hear any differently from is GM Kirk.

6. Discuss your next opponent and game. What is something about that team that you wish you could emulate?

It'll be nice to get home in front of our own fans again and hopefully we'll be able to give them a first home win of the season. it's not going to be easy against another team that are playing a lot better than their record suggests. GM Fosters has brought a bit of direction that I think that team has been missing in recent seasons and he's done a good job building that roster in a short period of time. Michigan have been scoring a lot of points this season, which i would say I'd like to emulate but we've not been shy of scoring either. I'm not expecting a shootout, and I'm probably hoping to avoid one, but it's going to be a tough game for sure. They've had a very good run game with a rejuvenated Zeke, which has been nice to see from a player I have a lot of history with, and their rookie QB has looked good in his debut season so far so we'll need to be focused throughout. Their run defence is probably where they've struggled a little this season which should play to our strengths so if we can get out to an early lead again I'm confident we can control the game from there but it's certainly not going to be easy for us. 

[Talon]

 

This is a stretch of games we can't afford to lose, teams that are below us in the standings, means teams we SHOULD be beating and building some cushion.  Michigan is better than they were before, but we're still the superior team.

[GM Dazz]

Agreed. We should be winning these next few games but the standings show that there are no easy games this year so we need to guard against complacency. There's no room for taking our foot off the gas or losing focus. I think we need to make sure the players are only concentrating on winning the next game for now and we'll worry about our record after week 8.

I've been looking at the stats for the first 4 weeks. We're playing well but we could be playing better. The first thing I'd like to ask about is linebackers. I think we have a great group of them here but are we getting the best out of that group with them in the positions they're currently in? Wright, as much as I love him, isn't looking quite as dynamic this year and Spellman and Woodard both look like they could be a long term MLB for us. Wright has had a lot of success for me in the past playing on the strong side so we might be able to get more out of him moving him back out there. I'm thinking maybe Woodard to MLB, Wright to strong side and Spellman staying where he is in the 4-3. I would leave the other formations as they are for now. What do you think?

[Talon]

I think that's a good read, I think moving Steve out of the middle also could help him in coverage where he struggles more these days as he gets older.

[GM Dazz]

Woodard isn't the best in coverage himself so perhaps a LB set up of Woodard at WILL, Spellman at MIKE and Wright at SAM would be best. Unless you disagree I'll put that in the lock in.

Just finally before I let you go, the rotation on the D-line doesn't seem to be working out as I had expected. On the positive side it's given Charlton the opportunity to show that, despite not having the attributes of Mitchell, he delivers results so I'm going to swap those two in the depth charts. On the other side, I've seen nothing from Smith despite the rotation being designed to give him a chance to showcase his talents. I'm assuming that's on me rather than him not performing so I'm proposing we change how it's set up. Rather than using our formations to set up the rotation I intend to switch to using percentages for playing time, if that makes sense. Something like:
In 4-3, nickel and big nickel
DE1: 75% Stephens, 25% Clark
DE2: 75% Clark, 25% Smith
I'd leave the dime package as it is due to the way we've moved a DE to play DT to add to our interior pass rush.

Does that make sense and do you have any thoughts on it?

[Talon]

 

Smith has logged 161 snaps this season, just hasn't made an impact... we can do those tweaks for sure.

[GM Dazz]

161 snaps and not a single tackle or hurry to his name. There's not making an impact and then there's doing fuck all. Even Walker has shown me more and perhaps he deserves this opportunity more than Smith does. This is last chance saloon for Smith and I'll let him know it. Thanks for the input Coach. I'll let you get these changes embedded with the lads.
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Harley, could I see Coach Hall please?
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Coach, just a quick one about the corners for you. I've been reviewing the stats over the first 4 weeks and I've noticed Finnigan has been making a lot of tackles and even has a few sacks to his name. His targets and CtA stats at 22 and 17 look more like what I'd expect from a SS. In fact, they're identical to the stats for the SS directly above him on the spreadsheet so could we confirm those are accurate before I make any changes. I'm thinking of moving him to the nickel and Johnson to the outside but if his CtA is closer to 50% I'll hold off for a few more weeks.

[Talon]

Finnegan's sitting on 23 tackles, 22 targets, 17 CtA, 1 FF, 3 sacks, 1 PD, he hasn't been stellar in denying catches, but he is making most of his catches in that 3-6 yards from the line of scrimmage area.

[GM Dazz]

What jumps out at me from that are those tackle and sack numbers. He looks well suited to playing in the nickel this season with the way we play. Considering he's also slightly larger than Eddie Brock he might work as that run stopping nickel so we'd not need to use the big nickel package with him in that position. I'm sure his playmaking will improve as he develops but for now I'm thinking a shift to nickel would suit him and it gets the speed and agility of Philip Johnson on the outside. Thanks for clarifying the stats for me, coach. I'll let you go and work on that change on the practice field.
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Harley, could you ask Kyle Smith to come and see me please.
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Kyle, thanks for coming to see me. I won't keep you long. I just wanted to explain how we're planning to change the rotation on the d-line and to set out expectations for that. The coaching staff have been very positive about your attributes and we're all pretty optimistic about your potential. Coach Hall in particular suggested this might be a break out season for you which is partly why we've set up the rotation this year. So far, though, in 161 snaps you've played we've not seen anything from you. At the start of this season you were potentially looking at pushing Nate for a starting spot or even challenging to be Anthony's long term successor. You've been given opportunities through the rotation and I expect players to grasp those sorts of chances with both hands when they get them. At this point in the season you've not done that and you're probably looking at competing with Alex Walker for those opportunities now. I still have faith that you can turn it on this season so I've tweaked how the rotation works to maximise your chance to show us what you can do. It's now up to you whether you take it or whether Alex gets his shot after the bye week. These next 4 weeks are hugely important for this team and I'm trusting you to give your all to help push us and yourself in the right direction. I would much rather see you pushing to start for the Stingrays over the next few seasons than pushing start on your McFadden save from your sofa at home. Go and show everyone that you deserve the chances you're being given to showcase your abilities.
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Harley, please send the following to the coaches for me:
Playing time: Mostly Starters
Tempo: Fast
Run: Pass ratio: 60 :40
Strategy changes:
4-3 package:
SLB: Wright
MLB: Spellman
WLB: Woodard
DE1: 75% Stephens, 25% Clark
DE2: 75% Clark, 25% Smith
CB2: Philip Johnson

Nickel package:
DE1: 75% Stephens, 25% Clark
DE2: 75% Clark, 25% Smith
CB2: Philip Johnson
Nickel: Finnegan

Remove the big nickel package.
Swap DTs Mitchell and Charlton in all formations.

lock in

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 15 - WEEK 5

1. Discuss your week 5 results (if you won, who deserves a game ball for their efforts?)

I think that was probably our best performance of the season so far and it's really pleasing to see the team restrict a high powered offence like Michigan to only two touchdowns, both scored with the game already over. What makes it all the more pleasing is that we made a few changes to the defensive depth charts coming into this game and they seemed to pay dividends. It's always a bit worrying when you make changes like that because they can cause confusion and kill momentum but instead we saw lads like Wright and Finnegan have their best performances of the year in their new spots. Offensively it was pretty much more of the same from the past few weeks. We ran the ball well and Hudgins spread the ball between the receivers and found 3 of them for touchdowns. What really stood out to me though was the o-line not missing a single block, not giving up a single sack and piling up the pancakes like it was Shrove Tuesday. It might be a bit of a cop-out but I think the o-line deserves the game ball this week, which is quite fitting really. A few of the other GMs paid $2m to watch a lineman showcase but they could have paid a lot less to come to Sydney and watch one right here instead.

2. What does your team need most in terms of improvement?

We need to see games out better, I think. I know the 14 points given up this week were in garbage time and with backups on the field but I would like to see a bit more from our lads in those situations. Every time one of them steps off the bench to come into the game they need to be seeing that as a chance to show the coaching staff and myself just what they can do and why they deserve to be starting on the field instead of on the bench. They only need to look at TJ last season for an example of what can happen. He was the number 4 CB for much of the year but he took his chances and now he's number 1 and thriving in that role. There was a player I spoke to last week about taking his chances and this week he showed me that he is capable of doing exactly that. I won't call him out publicly but I will say that I was impressed with his response and I'm expecting more of the same going forwards. It is possible to force your way into the starting lineup here in Sydney if you show you deserve it when opportunities come your way.

3. Discuss any news that interested you, if you had team specific news address it first.

Courtney Crawford having a great day running the ball is becoming so common I'm not sure it really qualifies as news anymore... but I'm very pleased to see him getting the recognition he deserves. Considering he's the defending rushing champ I'm not quite sure why anyone is surprised by his performances this season. We're delighted to have him playing here in Sydney and long may that continue.
I'm also struggling to understand the surprise at Sean Johnson's form this season. I managed him for a few years in DC and he was always excellent for me. In fact he seemed to be getting better with age like a fine wine. Again, I'm pleased to see he's getting some recognition now. Though I'm sure Stephens will be catching him up in sack numbers soon enough this season.
Daley's concussions should be a concern for the whole league and I think yet another example of how not to handle recurring injury problems. Like Bloom before him, he seems to be on a team too eager to bring him straight back into the starting lineup without giving him the chance to fully heal first and it's causing the problems to compound. The league needs to take another look at the concussion procedures but in the meantime we GMs need to make sure we're doing right by our players. Digger has been saying the right things this week so he deserves credit if he follows through and protects Daley like he should. It's easier when your backup is performing like Wright has been though. 

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)

We travel to Milwaukee this week to take on their high scoring offence and dual threat QB. Our own offence is scoring a lot of points as well so it has the potential to be a bit of a shootout, which I'm sure a lot of people will want to tune in for. Personally, I'd rather not see a shootout and instead see us win another comfortable game but there are no easy games in this league and we'll need to be focused throughout all 4 quarters. I'm confident that, if we play our game like I know we can, our defence will be able to restrict their offence better than theirs can do ours but we can't afford to be complacent. If you're talking about advantages then them coming off a bye week probably makes them fresher and it gave them an extra week to prepare for playing us but we're coming off a 3 game win streak and confidence is high on our end so on balance I'd probably prefer to be in our position. Our main advantage is probably knowing how they're going to play but we still need to find a way to take advantage of that.

-----------

Coach, great win against Michigan. They're a better team than their record suggests so it was great to see us control the game so well. Very different challenge against Marshall this week. I think it's clear how they're going to play: they don't run the ball except through their QB and they use the deep vertical passing game to get the ball down field quickly and create space for Marshall to run. They don't seem to defend the run particularly well so we should have some joy there. Basically, they go as Marshall goes so we need to make sure we're frustrating him in the pass game and keeping him contained when he tries to run. I expect we'll mostly play out of the nickel so Finnegan at nickel back could help us with Marshall considering his talent for finding QBs this year. I like Johnson's speed on the outside to help restrict the deeper passes and our safeties both like to hit hard so I'm relatively comfortable with how we're set up. However, knowing they rarely run the ball with their backs might it be worth us trying playing the DEs in a wide 9 sort of formation and pair that with a QB spy in case Marshall tries to come up the middle?