How Tulsa Won It All

[tarcone]

Im going to try and chronicle the Trip the Tulsa TigerHawks took on their way to a championship. This is the Story of the Tulsa TigerHawks.
I came into the league in the 2009 season. When I start leagues I like to make a splash. I think I did Acquiring Boye Groth and taking a chance on injured Glenn Bess. I had Devon Taylor. I really improved the passing game. I has a 1-2 punch in the backfield with JJ Thornburg and Tim Austin. We started off hammering teams. Boyce Groth had 3 consecutive games of over 200 yards receiving to start the year. Then we ran into Newark They decimated us. And we were never the same. We lost 5 out of our last 6 and 7 out of 9. It was ugly. I learned some things that season. That the GMs in this league are excellent. And Devon Taylor was not a QB that played to his bars. I really didnt like Taylor. We finished the year 7-9
I learned gameplanning was the biggest breakthrough. I was in many leagues. I was able to test things. I read over at FOFC. I asked questions. This was the start. Now we will move to position groups. I will try and giive you thinking behind what went on.

Quarterbacks
i talked a bit about Devon Taylor. I could not tame him. He did not respond to my game plan. I needed my QB. In 2010, QB Matt Sanford was available at pick for the newly named Tulsa TigerHawks. We had shed the nickname Cows. Sanford was the new face of the new TigerHawks. Sanford had a good combine. His intelligence is zero. But he hadf a high Sole score. His avoid interception rating has got to be 100.

We kept both QBs and they shared time early. I was questioning the best way to get a QB ready. Eventually, I started Sanford. He struggled as rookie QBs do. Some background on Sanford. He led Penn State to as national Championship in the last draft class using TCY. He is a winner. Matt Sanford has benn nothing but spectacular for the TigerHawks.

Marcus Morton was chosen in the 7th round in 2011. He has been a very dependable backup. He rarely sees the field. Taylor was traded and Morton became the 2nd stringer.

My 3rd string QB is just a kick holder and thats all he ever is. QB
has been very reasonable in the salary structure.

Next up is Running Backs.

[Chris Rex]

I'm preparing a similar series:

"How I've managed to miss the playoffs every year that I've been in the League"

[tarcone]

Before we get to running backs, lets look at the 2010 season. We were going with Sanford so we knew we were going to experience growing pains. He had a good receiver in Boyce Groth and Glenn Bess, who was still okay. We still had some weapons. We traded Tim Austin for a 2010 1st and a 2011 1st. That was a trade that set the cornerstones of a champion.
This is the draft I picked QB Matt Sanford With My pick and Clay Bradbury with the other pick. We also took LG Aaron Taxin. He was a starter for the past 7 seasons. We struggled with a poor running game and an inexperienced QB. WEefinished 6-10.

Runningbacks

Ken "DH" Singleton was drafted with the 7th pick of the 2011 draft. He was the 2nd RB taken. SIngleton has broken many of the rushing records of the IFL. Singletonn has the most yards rushe in a season (2,258 yards) Most rushing TDs in a season (21). Singleton is the rushing game.

[BOSS]

I'm preparing a similar series:

"How I've managed to miss the playoffs every year that I've been in the League"

I'm more interested in your version. LOL

[Matt]

Nice work
I had no idea we kicked your butts back in the day

[tarcone]

Matt-- We were riding high. Taylor had thrown for 1300 yards in 3 games. We were on fire. You doused us, and how.

Runningbacks (cont'd)

I look for partner skill sets in my backup. Good power Inside/3rd Down or Elusiveness/Hole Recognition or Avoid drops/Getting downfield. High Special teams is a bonus.
The 3rd stringer is a special temas guy.
This is optimal. My backups can be rated in the 30s, keeps them cheap.

Fullbacks are space fillers. Although my FB will get an occasional throw. I prefer high run bloking, but take what I can get. Good a special teams I prefer also.

Next up is Offensive Line.

[tarcone]

Offensive Line

I have been lucky to have always had a great offensive line leader. I Have maintained a continuity for my team. I keep my linemen a long time. I fill in one or 2 a year. If they start grumbling get rid of them. Cohesion is extremely important for the offensive line. More so then any other group.
The offseason before the championship run I replaced my center and right guard. My starting center went to left guard to replace an injury. My line did not miss many games. All 5 started the majority of the games.
Cohesion Makes LT Louie Grier play better then his bars. No doubt about it.
The one category I prize the least for an offensive lineman is blocking strength.

This line features draft picks Heath (Pick 1-20) at RT, Taxin (2-5) at Left Guard, Poston (6-2) at Right Guard and Grier (1-27).
I try and spend picks on the line. Guard is a postition I look at in the 2nd. You can usually get a good one.
I will platoon. But prefer balance. This team I will go heavy on pass blocking if I have too. Backups I like to be balanced.


Receivers are up next.

[Matt]

Matt-- We were riding high. Taylor had thrown for 1300 yards in 3 games. We were on fire. You doused us, and how.

I think I remember that now. Boyce had a couple 200yd games leading up to it.

[tarcone]

3 in a row.

[JesterBlaze]

Good power Inside/3rd Down .

I've always focused on Power Inside. I've also always wished for 0 3rd Down Running to lower OVR. I didn't realize until your post that 3rd Down Running probably affects short yardage as well. 3rd down and more than short has always been Phantom QB Down.

I like the balls of your personal philosophical disection!

[tarcone]

Lets take a look at 2011. It was the year we hit rock bottom. 4-12. But, the draft brought us Ken 'DH' Singleton and RT Brock Heath. A running game was born. Singleton is starting to be realized as the greatest RB in IFL history. a large part of this is due to Heath. Heath skipped the combine and speculation was that he was out of shape. The TigerHawks selected him 20th in the 1st round with the 2nd 1st round pick from the Tim Austin trade. Heath has been an outstanding player for us.
Other picks that year were backup QB Marcus Morton in the 7th. WR Martin Witt in the 4th. WR Shane Jamison in the 2nd.
Another 2nd round pick that season was DT D.J. Barrios. D.J. has been the cornerstone of my defensive lines for the past 7 seasons. He, also, epitomizes how Tulsa plays defense.
This draft was a very important draft for the Tulsa franchise.


Receivers

In any league I ever join, I always look for a stud WR. When I joined the IFL, I got a hold of Boyce Groth. I took a chance on Glenn Bess, who was injured. I love me a stud #1 WR.
As I learned about this league, I found out that this league loved a good QB-WR combo. Even better is the QB-WR-WR combo. This league was a QB heaven. Above any other league.
This led to one of the biggest trades in TigerHawk history We acquired Ken "Brick" Albriktsen. We had our stud #1.
The next season Chris Andrews dropped to us at 1-17 and we scooped him up. The rest is history there.
For backups, we will settle on certain skills. I love Avoid Drops, and getting Downfield. 3rd Down catching is important as well.
Martin Witt is a perfect example of a WR I will stick with. great at getiing YAC and catching the bomb. Everything else is pretty weak. But this keep him cheap and he does produce. Same with Jamison. Same With Smith this season. Bring me a certain skill set and you have a home.
I draft WRs okay. But Im not very good. I got lucky with Andrews.

[Matt]

DH was very close to becoming a Bulldog. In the end I went with Gilette.
Andrews was supposed to be on my team too!

[tarcone]

The year the ascension begins. We won twice as many games as the previous season. We finished the year at 8-8. Sanford was settling in. And this was the year of Singleton.
Ken "DH" Singleton had a year for the ages. In only his 2nd season in the league, he took it over. DH rusher for 2258 yards. He had an amazing 5.72 ypc. He scored 21 rushing TDs, and had 13 games of oer 100 yards rushing. He also had 53 catches for 487 yards and 3 TDs. What an incredible season.
Sanford was progressing nicely. He completed 59.8% of his passes for 3736 yards, 27 TDs and 7 picks.
Brick had his 1st 100o yard receiving season.

Special Teams will be next.

[tarcone]

Special Teams

DO NOT SKIMP ON THIS PHASE OF THE GAME.
Tulsa lives by getting good field position. Field position is, obviously, very important. I will keep a scrub if he can perform on special teams. Look at Harold Jeffries on my team right now. He is nothing but a STs guy. Nothing else.
I will draft a kicker or punter in the 2nd. I have no problem with this. If the guy is a stud, you may as well get him. If I can bury a team deep in their territory, that makes my defense much better. Same can be said for offense. If you start at you 40 or beyond its a lot easier getting points.
In training camp I usually spend at least 2 hours on STs. I do this every season. If you havent been doing this it may take a season or 2 to really see the difference.
Also, I have no problem putting studs on special teams. Brick is my KR. And one of the best in the league. I dont worry about injuries anymore. They happen and can happen at any time. If my stud WR can set me up at the 40 yard line every kick, then I will take the chance.
Avoid "the kicker is glaring at the holder" statement by getting a great holder. My 3rd string QB is my holder. I will pick up a QB with no bars if his holding ability is very high. Plus they are cheaper that way.
Same with a TE. I will use a scrub TE if he can snap the ball.

You can get cheap guys if this is all they are good at. Another cap saving idea for you.

Defensive line is next.

[Jave]

The year the ascension begins. We won twice as many games as the previous season. We finished the year at 8-8. Sanford was settling in. And this was the year of Singleton.
Ken "DH" Singleton had a year for the ages. In only his 2nd season in the league, he took it over. DH rusher for 2258 yards. He had an amazing 5.72 ypc. He scored 21 rushing TDs, and had 13 games of oer 100 yards rushing. He also had 53 catches for 487 yards and 3 TDs. What an incredible season.
Sanford was progressing nicely. He completed 59.8% of his passes for 3736 yards, 27 TDs and 7 picks.
Brick had his 1st 100o yard receiving season.

Special Teams will be next.

I still say Singleton was your problem that year, not to take away from his great season but you focused so much of your offense around him once you saw the records in sight (or so it seems) it hurt your team. Last year your team was way more balanced and teams focused on stopping him only to get torn up through the air. Much better plan. Just my opinion.