2021 - The Semi Final Xmas Eve Pod

 Hello and welcome to the semi final episode of the LOC Report! Coming to you on Christmas Eve no less. Coach Leach is back from a bye week holiday to preview the semi finals and recap the Wildcard bowl with Commissioner Stubbs. Plus, the 2021 LOC award nominees are revealed.

2021 - The First Wildcard Bowl

 Hello and welcome to another episode of the LOC Report! Whilst the Co-host is off galivanting in Sweden (we do hope you're having a nice time by the way Chris), the Commissioner is left to batten down the hatches and perform another solo rendition of the pod - but at least the content he is working with is good, as he recaps the Week 14 and sub sequential playoff events, before previewing the first ever Wildcard Bowl in the first of the new 3 week format of the LOC playoffs.

2021 Power Rankings: Post-Season

Good evening, Coaches! We’ve made it to the end of the regular season! Our new, expanded playoffs which I totally understood all season and in no way misled anyone. There is plenty to celebrate for some, a rookie in the playoffs, consecutive regular season crowns, and, most impressively of all, a first season (by this writer) with no missed articles! I jest, I’m clearly just green with envy at having no fantasy success of my own to celebrate. Anyway, as has become tradition, the final Power Rankings of the season will be a look back at how teams were ranked after draft day, when we all still had hope in our heart. And, if you can’t be bothered with all that, my thoughts on the playoffs are at the end. Either way, enjoy this final edition! 

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To refresh everyone’s memory, teams are shown in order of final standings, with my Week 1 ranking in brackets.

12. U R Gould (10) 3-11 Final Record

The most notable thing about this team, post-Draft, was that they came away without a QB. Perhaps I underestimated quite the influence that would have – OBJ wasn’t the only person who spent too much of the season relying on Baker. I wasn’t too far off the mark though.

11. Burdettinators (8) 5-9 Final Record

Another team I overestimated slightly, although they lost Gus Edwards before the season had even started and Calvin Ridley part way through, understandably affecting their final standing. In general, I questioned the depth and thought Dak could be a steal, not bad again.

10. Tom’s Tyrants (9) 5-9 Final Record

More or less on with this one as well, overly reliant on Murray to be an x-factor in a team that struggled for standout performers. A decent points scored and end of season form showed the makings of a solid team, but it was never any more than that.

9. Patistan (1) 5-9 Final Record

Yeah, so, miles out. But, they did make the playoffs based on their points scoring, so I’m going to cut myself a little slack. They stayed at the top of the Rankings for a while, and then, as is tradition for Patistan, the injuries set in. All in all, they’ll be happy they’re in the playoffs, that’s all that matters.

8. FTMAL (12) 6-8 Final Record

There was a short while when I thought that FTMAL, and the gods of the auto-draft, were going to make me, and the rest of the league, look rather silly. As it was, they ran out of steam and did topple down the rankings, still far exceeding my early season expectations mind.

7. Gridiron Gang (5) 6-8 Final Record

Not far off in placement, but way off in analysis. Zeke and Nuk, who I questioned, were the driving force behind the more successful parts of Gridiron Gang’s season. Injuries were a constant issue for them, but I was correct with questioning whether QB would hold them back – it did.

6. Buccing The Trend (2) 7-7 Final Record

A team I was clearly too high on, for times this season they looked like they would like up to my dark horse label. I wasn’t convinced by Sanders, but it turned out they had several other question marks leading to vastly inconsistent scoring throughout the season.

5. Bear Necessities (4) 7-7 Final Record

Pretty close on this one, but off the mark on analysis again, thinking Diggs and Wilson would be the x-factors, when in fact Swift and Fournette were the difference makers. I’m not giving myself any points for calling Kelce a key player, that’s the equivalent on betting on another Covid Christmas…

4. Napolitans (6) 7-7 Final Record

For a long while, my ranking looked terrible, a team that nothing was going right for up until mid-season. From there, it became the Jonathon Taylor show, as he dragged them into the playoffs. Lamar and, eventually, Kittle also proved key, with the what I deemed a ‘good value’ draft proving correct.

3. IKSAN (11) 9-5 Final Record

My biggest failing, they far exceeded my expectations. Because I absolutely refuse to be entirely wrong, I will point out that my biggest negative on them was a lack of spark, and that has been the case for a decent part of the season. A well-balanced team was their greatest strength.

2. The Dream Team (3) 12-2 Final Record

Pretty close here, as they only slightly exceeded my expectation. I liked the explosive players and high upside rookies, all of whom seem to have come off. And that’s how to go 12-2, folks.

1. Forge Flyers (7) 12-2 Final Record

The other run-away team this year, but I was a long way off post-draft. There isn’t too much to report really, I was just very wrong. Coach Leach saw the potential in these players where I, and others, doubted it, and to say he proved his point doesn’t quite do it justice.

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Believe it or not, that is actually slightly better than I managed last year. The analysis was invariably closer than the actual rank, admittedly. None bang on the money either, which I’ll admit has disappointed me – luckily I’ve gotten used to disappointment this season. 

So, let’s try our luck with some playoff predictions. Last year I did nail this but, as I’ve already mentioned, I’ve only just grasped the playoff format, let alone the teams in it. 

Let’s see, the battle of the wildcard, in which health/covid looks to be playing a key role. For me, the matchups are near unilaterally with IKSAN, who have also been the more consistent team of late, hard to go any other way. 

The next round is when the big hitters come in, and we’ve seen what they’ve been doing all season. Outside of another Jonathan Taylor 50-pointer, I think it would be crazy to bet against either of them. 

Which leaves us the big one. Anyone following the rankings this season will have spotted that I have been a bigger fan of The Dream Team, partly due to health, but Forge Flyers constantly defied my doubts to claim the Regular Season Crown (again). The matchup of the week is undoubtedly Rodgers against the Vikes, with most others being middling to poor. Having said all that, I’m sticking to my guns. Coach Nathwani to pick up a first (and overdue) Stubbs trophy.

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And that is that, another season in the books. I hope you all enjoyed it, and are now redy and raring either for playoffs or for next year. I also hope these weekly ramblings provided at least some entertainment. Good luck to those of you still chasing the big prize, but that is all from me. EDOTLOCCA signing off. Laters.

2021 - Final Call

 Hello and welcome to the last episode of the LOC Report for the 2021 LOC Regular Season! Crazy to think we are at week 14 already - it has been another season full of drama, wonder, disappointment, and everything in between this season - and is once again set up for a wild finish. Join Commissioner Stubbs and Co-host Chris Leach for the recap of Week 13 and the preview of Week 14 before the playoffs commence.

2021 Power Rankings: Week 14

Hello, hello! Welcome to the final week of the regular season! We’ve finally made it and, thanks to the expanded playoffs and rule changes, never have we had so many teams still with a chance of doing just that – making it. With current seeds 4-8 all on the same record, and seed 9 also still very much in contention, this year has proven a record low for forking, I guess no one is mathematically out, but we might need to see a 200-club entry for some of them to make it. Not sure we could handle even more excitement with the chaos that is bound to ensue! Anyway, back to the final league-wide Rankings of the season, enjoy!

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Firstly, we have the teams that have spent the last few weeks very much along for the ride.

12. U R Gould (3-10) No Change

So, Week 13 was the whimper that should have secured the No. 1 overall draft pick. But, thanks to good old RNG, tanking is a fruitless endeavour in the LOC. Playing Mac Jones, in a night when he attempted just 3 (three!) passes, more or less sums up their season, unfortunately. On the upside, TNF heroics from a finally healthy Dalvin Cook has nearly matched their Week 13 output. I feel like the importance of draft day will have been reiterated for LOC14.

11. Burdettinators (5-8) No Change

Well, that is quite the feather in their cap. In a season where more or less nothing went right for them, they toppled the team that had only lost once previously. Goes without saying that it of course counts for nothing, but nice to be able to say they did it at least.

10. Tom’s Tyrants (5-8) No Change

The best of the rest, for whatever solace that brings. Hint; none. Finally hitting their stride in this far too late portion of the season, we’re seeing glimpses of what could have been. An admirable attempt at spoiling it for another team in Week 13 as well.

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Right, into the quagmire that is the playoff race. Good luck. I’ve thrown in some playoff chance percentages, just for fun. Disclaimer; the grand total of maths that went into the percentages was making sure they added up to 300% for the three spots available, nothing else, deal with it.

9. FTMAL (6-7) No Change

Despite what I can only assume is the most points ever scored by the TE position for any one team in any week of any season, they were a long way off the pace last week, as they have looked for most of the second half of the season. They’re behind on points, and they’ve got a tough matchup to finish the season. Playoff chance: 20%

7.5. Buccing The Trend (6-7) Down 0.5 & Gridiron Gang (6-7) Down 1.5

Right, stay with me here, I’m trying something new. Basically, I’m fed up of writing what more or less amounts to the same blurb twice for these guys, they have been near inseparable for the past several weeks. They both tallied decent scores last week, but were far from competitive in their respective matchups. After 13 weeks of competition, a mere 11 points splits them and now, fittingly, they face each other in Week 14 in what could well be a ‘winner is in’ situation. It is most definitely a ‘loser is out’ scenario, though. I literally can’t split them anymore. 

Well, maybe, just about. The Wilson and Jones plays from BTT seem risky, but Kamara should go off. GG are more solid, but Michel, Hopkins and Jacobs could all have matchups go against them. Taysom Hill, the ultimate TD vulture is my X-Factor. Never thought it would come down to that. Playoff chances: GG 43%, BTT 42%

6. Bear Necessities (6-7) Down 2

It was a good week, but it wasn’t good enough. If anyone was going to separate themselves, I thought it would be Coach Stubbs Sr, but they missed their chance. Their points for leaves them in a good spot, they are very much a win and in candidate, with a potential lose and in as well. But, I don’t think I was alone in believing Mattison was going to provide them more RB1 games than he did, an early return from Cook could make the TNF performance a critical moment in this playoff race. Playoff chance: 50%

5. Patistan (5-8) Up 3

Right, last week I said they did themselves no favours, this time around everything went right. With all of the 6-6 teams fluffing their lines, Napolitans (more on them soon) managed to sneak into the playoff seeds, leaving points for as a near 1-horse race, a situation I predicted a few weeks prior. Also helping, a league-leading score on the week, impressively compiled without any abnormally high individual scores and losing several key cogs to byes – they look dangerous again. Playoff chance: 70%

4. Napolitans (6-7) Up 1

The only team that still has two realistic routes into the playoffs, they are one last good week away from completing a remarkable turnaround. Getting Kittle back in full swing is ideal timing, but they also lost Moore just as he was proving to be a useful contributor. An ill-timed bye week for Taylor, to say the least, at the most critical point of the season so far. Playoff chance: 75%

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And breathe again, we’ve gotten through the storms and into clear water.

3. IKSAN (8-5) No Change

It’s been coming for a little while, but they have secured their spot with a consistent run of scoring and wins. The variety of options they have made for themselves when picking the roster each week is what has gotten them to this place. I would imagine Coach Sherwood would have no qualms with being placed in his own little tier here, the important thing is that they have risen from that convoluted mess beneath them.

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They’ve been in their own tier for the rest of the season, seems silly to take it away from them now.

2. Forge Flyers (11-2) No Change

Remarkably, a loss. I would imagine no one saw that coming. Still the number 1 seed and favourite to do the double on the regular season crown, I think their sights have been set on the post season for quite a while now. It was still a decent score even on a losing week with Rodgers on a bye.

1. The Dream Team (11-2) No Change

Also looking for a second chance at the rule named after him, Coach Nathwani holds onto my top spot. They’ve held onto Williams for the entire season, and he looks to have come good at just the right time, matchups and opportunity could make him the key guy for the playoff run.

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And there we have it, I have done all that I can. No doubt, my sage words have helped each and every one of you through this tumultuous season. And, for that reason, I feel that it is only fitting that I too can claim to be a part of the glorious post season. Yeah, we’ll go with that. See you all there! Well, not all of you, that would kind of defeat the purpose. How about – see the good/lucky few there!?

2021 Power Rankings: Week 13

Good evening, everyone! After the surprisingly timely rankings last week, a return to form was surely incoming, and here we find ourselves. On the upside, no missed weeks this season! I am as surprised as you are. So, in the spirit of speed, a classic one sentence blurb this week, enjoy!

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12. U R Gould (3-9) No Change

A Kicker is going to end up their MVP this season, enough said. NFL equivalent: Seahawks.

11. Burdettinators (4-8) No Change

One of their better weeks of the season, but very much under the category of too little too late. NFL equivalent: Jets.

10. Tom’s Tyrants (4-8) No Change

Mediocrity purists, it just hasn’t been their year. NFL equivalent: Saints.

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Okay, a little more for the teams that, you know, still have something to play for.

9. FTMAL (6-6) Down 1

Looking like they’re going to blow a very promising start, they haven’t been able to adjust throughout the season like they did last campaign. NFL equivalent: Broncos.

8. Patistan (4-8) Down 1

They did themselves absolutely no favours last week, and this seemingly stacked roster now seems a strong candidate to be on the outside looking in. NFL equivalent: Browns.

7. Buccing The Trend (6-6) Down 1

Bad, then good, then bad again, then… oh you get the picture, consistency has been their greatest enemy this year. NFL equivalent: Raiders.

6. Gridiron Gang (6-6) Down 1

Back to better scoring form but not managing to get a win and some much needed breathing space, injuries continue to haunt them. NFL equivalent: 49ers.

5. Napolitans (5-7) Down 1

Their first falter for a while, but they still seem to be in a good spot, in need of a bounce back week. NFL equivalent: Colts

4. Bear Necessities (6-6) Up 5

A massive jump justified by both a seismic swing in their favour and also the coup of securing Mattison for the rest of the season – possibly the most ‘everything went right’ week in LOC history? NFL equivalent: Bengals

3. IKSAN (7-5) No Change

Not at their best early in the season, but roster quality if shining through and they look good for the post season. NFL equivalent: Chiefs.

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And a little less again for these guys, basically running out of superlatives anyway.

2. Forge Flyers (11-1) No Change

Health seems to be a non-factor, they are just a winning machine. NFL equivalent: Packers.

1. The Dream Team (10-2) No Change

Young, explosive and exciting, plus they win a lot of games. NFL equivalent: Cardinals.

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Just how I like my rankings, short and sweet. Hope you enjoyed your bonus team pairings. If you didn’t, blame it on Boris, everything else is his fault.

2021 - Holidays Have Come Early (For Some)

 Hello and welcome to another episode of the LOC Report! As we enter December, we enter the last stretch of the LOC season. We have now seen two teams punch their ticket to the playoffs, with 3 left to go. Commissioner Stubbs and Co-Host Chris Leach recap week 12 and look ahead to the season defining week 13 matchups.

2021 - The Live Thanksgiving Show!

 Hello and welcome to a very special episode of the LOC Report! It's the occasionally seen LIVE Thanksgiving show! Yep, while Commissioner Stubbs and Co-host Chris Leach recap week 11 and preview week 12, we've got a live game going along side it which...truth be told is probably less interesting than this podcast. Where them tanks at Phil?!

2021 Power Rankings: Week 12

Happy Turkey Day everyone! Welcome to your Week 12 edition of the Power Rankings and, as the season shows us its hand further, we get another step closer to deciding what looks to be a fabulous playoff chase. So, on this day of bountiful midweek football, let us first give thanks. Thanks, of course, that the rankings are on time for once. Enjoy!

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12. U R Gould (3-8) No Change

There’s nothing quite like starting to show signs of life after the entire world has given up on you. Boosting up these rankings would be no different to that oh so classic madden commentary line of, ‘rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic’, but they can take solace from the fact they are no longer the bottom overall seed.

11. Burdettinators (3-8) No Change

Speaking of which, we have a new bottom overall seed. It seems at this stage they are only playing to post new low scores on the season, and it is more or less a one horse race as they try to out do themselves. They have been a little unlucky with injuries but, for all the tinkering, haven’t managed to work it out this year. Maybe a low risk 2022 draft? Nah, no chance.

10. Tom’s Tyrants (3-8) No Change

At this stage of the seasons, we more or less expect a fork a week, and far be it for me to disappoint! Unless you count the fact that this is, of course, my team and they have been heavily disappointing all season. They actually sit 6^th in the points for table, showing what could have been, but would need to catch up nearly 30 points a week to get into that last playoff spot – too much.

9. Bear Necessities (5-6) No Change

Above the fork-zone, we have a very interesting situation. Thanks to a somewhat uninspiring win, and points accumulated in the early stages of the season, they’re only one game outside the playoffs at the moment. Do they look likely to make up that ground and hang on to their points advantage though? They need to get some consistency out of their RBs, but they are in with a far better shout than spot 9 suggests.

8. FTMAL (6-5) Down 2

And, that is why I didn’t boost them last week. The Pat Mahomes bye probably won’t make things any better either, right? They aren’t in a bad position league-wide, but they are clinging on to say the least. If they can find a way to win this week, in a favourable matchup form wise, they will restore some faith, but right now they seem like the most likely 6-5 team to miss out.

7. Patistan (4-7) Up 1

Another unlucky defeat for this team, but things actually didn’t go too badly for them. They put up some good points and reminded everyone why this roster looked so stacked to start the season. But more importantly, with the litany of floundering 6-5 teams above them, their biggest contender for the points for playoff spot looks like they could bust in on record instead, leaving the door wide open…

6. Buccing The Trend (6-5) Down 2

After exploding for the middle part of the season, they appear to have reverted to early season form, which is not good. Tua for Tannehill seems pretty meh at the moment, and a complete stake of the NOLA backfield doesn’t appear as valuable as it was. They’ll be relying on receivers again, receivers who went full M.I.A. last week.

5. Gridiron Gang (6-5) Down 2

Have I been cutting them a bit too much slack? Going even worse than the 60 pointer last week, they really did not deserve to get the win, and would have found themselves even lower if the record was the other side of .500. They need to get fit again, they’ve had too many starters out for too long and are at risk of missing out thanks to a 3^rd worst points for.

4. Napolitans (5-6) Up 3

The march goes on, nearly up into that best of the rest points position now, although also only 1 game outside the playoffs on record. They seem almost a certainty at this stage, which is crazy when you think where they were a few weeks ago. It would be remiss of me not to mention that 85 of the points this week came from two players (one DST), but who cares, it was 85 frickin’ points!

3. IKSAN (6-5) Up 2

It’s already been noted that there are a lot of 6-5 teams, but critically IKSAN have separated themselves from the rest with a better points total and better current form. They’re also healthier than their nearest rivals and, should it stay that way, look the most likely to still be in a playoff spot in 3 weeks time. 

2. Forge Flyers (10-1) Down 1

They hang on to top spot in the seedings, but the tides appear to have turned slightly. A classic championship team, they continue to churn out big points from big players, Rodgers and Mixon doing the heavy lifting this week. But with more role players being plucked from the street (don’t get me wrong, some of them are working out very nicely), they aren’t quite the powerhouse they were. Getting Patterson back healthy and continued growth from Mooney will help.

1. The Dream Team (9-2) Up 1

We’ve known which two teams were going to be top of the seedings for what seems like forever now. We still don’t know which of them will enter the playoffs as the favourite, however. Back-to-back high scoring weeks is a pretty good way to stake your claim though. They are healthier than their main rivals and more capable of winning from all over the roster right now. After a brief hiatus, they reclaim top spot.

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Well, this is shaping up for another excellent LOC playoff race. With 4 places still very much up for grabs, and the 4^th-6^th seeded teams all outside the top 6 in points for, anything could happen. And, for that, we must all indeed be thankful. Apart from the 3 forked teams of course, you have my permission to be bitchy. 

2021 - Is the 5th playoff team a Beserker?

 Hello and welcome to another episode of the LOC Report! This rendition will be another solo affair from Commissioner Stubbs, but he'll still be bringing you the best content the LOC has to offer, looking back at week 10 and ahead to week 11. As we inch closer to the playoffs, will the new 5th wild card be a beserker that takes down all established teams? We'll find out.

2021 Power Rankings: Week 11

Welcome, once again! The season keeps rolling on, with most of us still moving with it. We broke into the cutlery draw last week, and certain coaches may be concerned about it returning to further haunt them. In related news, it was another generally low scoring week, so if this edition seems particularly mean, don’t blame me. Blame the NFL. Read on for rankings…

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12. U R Gould (3-7) No Change

Yeah! Way to say ‘fork you’ to the fork. I mean, it changes nothing, I’m sure they realise that, but nothing wrong with still proving you have a heartbeat every now and again. In what has been one of the longest, and lowest returning, QB sagas in LOC history, Cam Newton could be the guy – you know, if they actually started him.

11. Burdettinators (3-7) Down 1

In an LOC themed relegation 6 pointer, they knew a lot was riding on last week. They didn’t do quite enough, despite another big Dak performance, and as a result, we get our second forked team. They’ve lost too much ground to make back, and losing Aaron Jones adds insult to injury. Or, I suppose, injury to insult, on this occasion.

10. Tom’s Tyrants (3-7) Up 1

Clinging on, by a thread, but need to keep making up ground in the points for column. The Harris and Samuel have been the fuel, but Gibson, Allen and Collins are also showing upticks in form. Getting Murray back healthy could provide the spark, could…

9. Bear Necessities (4-6) Down 2

Another team that just seems to be running out of time. A roster that has plenty of players with big weeks in the tank, but seems to lack the week to week consistency. Mike Evans has been the standout, but they would have expected more from most of the rest of their drafted roster. Wilson needs to be in hero mode for the stretch.

8. Patistan (4-6) No Change

Healthier than they have been since they sat atop these rankings, and still holding on to the highest score outside of the top 2, spot number 8 feels harsh. The reliance on the Panthers offense should diminish with Montgomery’s return, but the roles Moore and CMC hold with Cam back does concern me. 

7. Napolitans (4-6) Up 2

They’ve gone from a team that everyone was rooting for just to pick up a win, to the form team in the league making a mad charge up the seedings, and rankings. They’ve still got a bit of work to do, and to keep the head of steam up, but at this stage, and with the form of the team, there seems to be almost an inevitability that they will claim the points-based playoff spot.

6. FTMAL (6-4) No Change

Hmm, I only dropped them last week, but their position here far from matches their seeding. They put up a decent score, but half of it was from the QB, so I’m not going to overreact. That being said, if what we have just seen from the all-fired-up Mahomes is the return to MVP level form everyone has been waiting for, this team becomes instantly dangerous again. Watch this space.

5. IKSAN (5-5) No Change

Normally, I’d be looking to drop a team putting up a 60 pointer from this high in the rankings, but the low scoring week and performances from surrounding teams has stopped me. Getting Chubb and Harris back from short absences will help settle the ship in what remains one of the most well-balances rosters in the league.

4. Buccing The Trend (6-4) No Change

Normally, I’d be looking to drop a team putting up a 60 pointer from this high in the rankings, but the low scoring week and performances from surrounding teams has stopped me. Déjà vu. Having Ingram ready and waiting for Kamara’s return is definitely a good thing, but they’ll be relying on WRs Metcalf and Pittman to keep the points up in the meantime.

3. Gridiron Gang (5-5) No Change

Normally, I’d be looking to drop a team putting up a 60 pointer from this high in the rankings, but the low scoring week and performances from surrounding teams has stopped me. Now this is just getting creepy. But equally, it proves my thrice-made point. Unless of course, you only read your only team’s blurb, in which case the joke will have gone straight over your head and this would make no sense at all. Oh yeah, Gridiron Gang analysis – good roster, bad week, will bounce back. Nailed it.

2. The Dream Team (8-2) No Change

And there was the return to form. Could have been more explosive admittedly, but they still top scored on the week with what seemed like relatively little effort. Hill and Williams were the standouts this time around, with plenty of others chipping in with useful contributions. Pretty sure that is how championship level teams normally work.

1. Forge Flyers (9-1) No Change

Good job these two have each other for company at the top, the towering pedestal would be frightfully lonely otherwise. They did have a rather bad week injury wise, Carson out for the season along with knocks to Patterson and Brown, but I only just gave them top spot, so I won’t be taking it away until proven otherwise.

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We used this section to hope for better scores last week, that didn’t really pan out. I’m not one for grovelling though, so I won’t be asking again. Whatever scores teams put up, I’m sure I’ll find something to write about and some way to justify any past decisions I’ve made. Ahh, the power of the unedited writer.

2021 Power Rankings: Week 10

Good morning all, welcome to the double digits! And, speaking of digits, we also have our first quadruple digit scorer. Although it won’t matter to that particular team, points scored is of course claiming a new mantle this season, and some teams will be starting to look in that direction. I, for one, am a big fan of the new format. It’s going to keep things pretty interesting down the stretch, for most teams…

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12. U R Gould (2-7) No Change

Staying at the bottom, this may be one of the teams who doesn’t have a particularly interesting stretch run. Joint bottom on records and nearly 180 points of the current best of the rest playoff spot, yeah, that is a mountain to climb. It’s too early for mathematical forking, but consider this one big ass statistical one.

11. Tom’s Tyrants (2-7) No Change

Only better than the team below them on points scored, the season is well on the way towards being lost. They have got just enough potentially big scorers to cling on to some hope, but they are nearly 90 points short, so can’t afford any more meh weeks. Not that last week was even good enough to class as meh.

10. Burdettinators (3-6) Down 1

But, chipping in with the worst score of the week (and season? Someone please fact check me, I cba), is another team whose playoff hopes are dwindling rapidly. Loosing Edmonds was the icing on the cake, except the opposite of that, and the roster is really on the ropes now.

9. Napolitans (3-6) Up 1

For a team that wallowed at the bottom of these rankings for so long, they have really started to separate themselves from the teams below, thanks to a remarkable uptick in form. Taylor is the form RB in the league right now, and with Smith starting to show up and Kittle back from IR, there are plenty of reasons to be positive.

8. Patistan (4-5) No Change

That was unfortunate. 91 isn’t normally a shoe in for a gameweek winning score, but with all the poor performances in week 9, it looked like it would be. They’ve got CMC back, and along with Moore, the outlook of this Panthers offense will almost certainly be the key to their playoff push. They are in the playoff spot right now of course, probably making this ranking a little harsh.

7. Bear Necessities (4-5) Down 1

Two bad weeks in a row had to drop them another notch. The good news is that they are over their major bye weeks, and they have Wilson back. It leaves them in a better spot that it may look. But the time to turn it around is right now, a statement score this week would be nice timing.

6. FTMAL (5-4) Down 2

Last week unlucky, this time around, lucky. But more importantly, back to winning ways. So why the drop? They continue to look like a beatable team. At the start of the seasons, we thought they’d be relying on their top draft picks. Well, Mahomes, Robinson and even Adams to a degree, haven’t quite been the consistent game winners we expected. Not by the very high bars they have set, anyway.

5. IKSAN (5-4) Up 2

A good week and a good win, even without talisman Allen. Covid issues and injuries have cost them some depth this week, but this team has built a really solid roster, kind of under the radar. I quite like the Lockett trade, they have more openings in the receiving room than in the backfield, and he has the big play connection with Wilson that could make a difference.

4. Buccing The Trend (6-3) Up 1

The comeback is officially complete, and they can now focus on staying at the top of their division. The Kamara injury is concerning, but sounds mild. Assuming they get him back quickly, he should continue to pay back his high draft price, looking more like his former self in recent weeks.

3. Gridiron Gang (5-4) No Change

A little bit of luck in the results column was overdue I’d say. The bad news this week was losing Woods, but they have been doing plenty of wheeling and dealing, so they should have managed to acquire plenty of cover. The tests will keep coming, and they haven’t got too much wriggle room in the win column or points scored.

2. The Dream Team (7-2) Down 1

Herbert kept the score looking decent. I don’t think there are many reasons to assume this loaded roster won’t return to form. Getting Robinson back would be a bonus, but they have plenty of home run hitters to keep the scores up in the mean time.

1. Forge Flyers (8-1) Up 1

Despite a covid outbreak and, even worse, starting multiple Jets, they made it work and got the win. So, as promised, they have claimed the top spot in the rankings. Without Carson and Henry, they aren’t as terrifying as they once were, but Mixon has also been fantastic. This latest win is a testament to a well drafted and well managed team. 

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Yeah… looking back through the scores whilst writing this, kind shows what a terrible all round fantasy week it was. Let’s all hope for some better scores this week and getting a few more teams back into the 100s!

2021: Does the fork exist anymore?

 Hello and welcome back to another episode of the LOC Report! They have been a bit spottier than seasons past, but we will strive to deliver week in week out analysis for the rest of the year. Commissioner Stubbs is joined by co-host Chris Leach as they recap week 9 (and a bit of week 8) and preview week 10. We are heading into the closing stages of the LOC Regular Season now, but with the new playoff format does the fork exist anymore? It certainly isn't here yet.

2021 Power Rankings: Week 9

Welcome Coaches! Glad you could join me for yet another foray into the fantastic world of Power Rankings. We may find ourselves in a slightly briefer version than normal, I am choosing to blame my busy weekend schedule, although it is also fair to assume that my personal 4 loss streak is starting to sap enthusiasm. At least I can still take some solace from writing about some notably better teams below. Speaking of which…

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12. U R Gould (2-6) Down 1

Okay, reverse rankings mean that I don’t actually start with the solace of notably better teams, but whatever. An outrageous performance from draftee turned trade acquisition, Carter, wasn’t enough to drag them above another ‘meh’ scoring week. You really must question how Baker Mayfield has managed to start so many games for them this season. OBJ did it, worked out for him.

10. Tom’s Tyrants (2-6) Down 1

The early season success of Murray has faded slightly, and the importance of that to this team is obvious. In a season that has more or less gotten a way now, they will look for some big performances from Deebo, Najee and Murray to try and pick up a few more wins.

11. Napolitans (2-6) Up 1

I have mentioned a couple of times that they probably didn’t deserve to be the bottom team still, well now they aren’t. It isn’t too late, and Jonathan Taylor looks like the top RB in the league since Henry’s injury, but they need to keep the forward momentum going.

9. Burdettinators (3-5) Up 1

Moving them up at this stage purely as a note of an easier route to the playoffs. But they still have work to do to make that route a realistic one, very much a ‘best of the rest’ sort of situation. The loss of Ridley, for the majority of the season seemingly, can’t be understated, but they have struggled to fill out other roster places consistently. Maybe OBJ will land somewhere lucky?

8. Patistan (4-4) Down 1

On the right side of an oddly Tampa-themed matchup, they showed there is still plenty of juice left in the tank. They only dropped because of the form of the team below them. The IR list seemed to grow each week as well, which is sort of fun, in a way. Combined with bye week necessity though, it has led to a Taysom Hill run out, and that is definitely always fun.

7. IKSAN (4-4) Down 1

Back to winning ways and sat in a very competitive position, they are looking in a reasonably good spot to hit the critical part of the regular season. James Conner’s expanding role has been key, and has given them a solid stable of RBs to build a roster from each week.

6. Bear Necessities (4-4) Down 3

Yeah, a week in the 50 point range tends not to go unnoticed in articles such as this one. I have no real reason to assume it might happen again, just a collectively unfortunate week, but still. More importantly, who would have thought we’d have gotten to the stage where dropping AD could look regrettable? 

5. Buccing The Trend (5-3) Up 3

Well, they started off as my dark horses, and, after a slow start, they have finally stormed out of the gates. They were comfortably the top scorers on the week and now, just like that, they are back atop the division and in the no. 3 seed. Things change so quickly in this league. They haven’t got too much depth to write home about, so they need the starters to stay hot.

4. FTMAL (4-4) Up 1

Wow, they were close to making the most of a good, and rare, opportunity presented by one of the LOC power couple (lol, interesting imagery). They haven’t lost too much ground in the divisional race, but need to get back to the larger scoring weeks they are capable of. Getting a now, theoretically, well-rested Adams back should help.

3. Gridiron Gang (4-4) Up 1

Unfortunate to come up against the only other team to score north of 100 points last week, but still plenty of positives to draw. I said that this team could cause problems when they got fully healthy again, they are more or less there, so time to make good on that potential.

2. Forge Flyers (7-1) No Change

We know how much their high octane offense has relied on Henry, so it will be interesting to see how that effects them going forward. They still won relatively comfortably, even with Henry leaving early, and they’ve sensibly picked up the two most likely beneficiaries. Oh, and the rest of the team is still great. Watch this space though.

1. The Dream Team (7-1) No Change

Pfft, snuck it. That was the definition of winning on a bad week and it would have probably been enough to drop them out of top spot were it not for the injury already talked about thoroughly enough in the previous blurb. The top seeds face off this week, so that will most likely make the decision for me next week.

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Well, that didn’t end up being too brief in the end. I’m just so dedicated to my art. Yeah, this is art, or at least it is as close to art as anything I do ever gets. Screw you for downplaying my creative abilities. Until next week.

2021 Power Rankings: Week 8

Hello, hello, welcome to another Sunday edition of the Power Rankings. I was going to say ‘another trip to’, but realised that was a reference back to the old days of ‘EDOTLOCCA’s Corner’, which some of you will of course recall was an even more vague and subjective piece of weekly literature. So, next time you are questioning quite which direction a particular thought train will drift from the correct tracks, remember ‘EDOTLOCCA’s Corner’, and think about how much worse it could have been. With that said, enjoy;

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12. Napolitans (1-6) No Change

A decent week for them, notwithstanding the loss, but they should be getting used to them. Booker looks like he will do a decent job filling in for Saquon, and Taylor is well in rhythm now. They just need to catch a couple of breaks and they will pick up wins. Keeping Burrow simply for a bye-week replacement seems like a lost trade opportunity.

11. U R Gould (2-5) No Change

Having now scored the lowest total points by some margin, a team that looked rudderless post-draft has managed to drift into particularly stormy waters. The roster, particularly the receivers, doesn’t actually seem too bad, they just don’t seem to be able to get any kind of consistency going week to week. A lesson in draft day availability may, and should, have been learnt.

10. Burdettinators (3-4) Down 1

Their QBs have been their strength all season, in fact I’m surprised one hasn’t been moved to try and boost a roster that is otherwise not hitting the right gears. I called them boom or bust to start the season, but the lack of boom they are getting, particularly from Jones and Ridley, is concerning to say the least. Taking some shots on some guys coming back from injuries could help.

9. Tom’s Tyrants (2-5) Down 1

Underwhelming would be an understatement. Missing out on close losses when they had the chance is coming back to bite them now the team is not performing as well. To stay competitive, the notoriously slow starters will have to do something shortly, at 2-5 the season is starting to move away from them.

8. Buccing The Trend (4-3) Up 2

Right, I’ll get my caveat in early; they have conceded the least points in the league. With that out the way though, they have been on a good streak and their points totals seem to increase weekly, putting them at a competitive 4-3. Between the Bears RB pecking order, Sanders injury and Chubb’s return, it wasn’t a great week for their RB stable. Losing Sanders could be a blessing in disguise though, taking away the pressure to play a high draft pick who wasn’t performing.

7. Patistan (3-4) Down 2

Not getting any help from a tough division, but this team is definitely a ghost of what they were. They still have Brady, and Moore and Godwin will have their good weeks, but outside of that they are in fairly unknown waters. Their total points is good, they still have a solid route to the playoffs, but they will keep falling in these rankings until they put up a good score again.

6. IKSAN (3-4) No Change

Not a bad score (10/12 teams this season would probably be quite happy with it in fact), but tough opposition has stymied their progress. They are a decent team in a decent spot though, if Nick Chubb can garner himself a few more carries without Hunt, the extra opportunity would be another boost after the Mark Andrews renaissance.

5. FTMAL (4-3) Down 1

All good teams need to win when they play badly. Quite how much of a good team this is in their current state may be up for debate, however. Lots of the early season steam seems to have dissipated, but they are getting a bit healthier again. Mahomes starting to play like the player we all expect again would help.

4. Gridiron Gang (4-3) Up 3

A good week, particularly without main man Zeke. With Mitchell coming back into a lead role, and A.J. Brown coming back to the NFL after a peculiar on-field absence, they are in the best spot they have been for quite a while. In a division ripe for the taking (8^th, 9^th, 10, 11^th in total scoring (yes, really)), they are in a great spot for a playoff push. 

3. Bear Necessities (4-3) No Change

One of the more uneven scorelines of the week, not least due to Darnold’s dud. Presumably he’s in last chance saloon this week, although Atlanta isn’t the worst place to do that. They also get their bye-week Bills back, so will be in a better spot as a result. The important thing is they picked up another win whilst they wait for the Wilson return.

2. Forge Flyers (6-1) No Change

A new week and a different big scorer, Kupp stepped up again on this occasion. They’ve got the number 1 RB and WR, plus some other single-digit contributors on the roster. Safe to say, this was a well drafted team that is deservedly sitting pretty. 

1. The Dream Team (6-1) No Change

Ja’Marr Chase is an absolute star. Lots of people were fading him on draft day, but that seems crazy now. After watching what college second-fiddle, Justin Jefferson, did in the NFL last year, I guess we shouldn’t have been surprised. The rest of the roster is pretty sweet too by the way, just got to give Ja’Marr his due.

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Hope you’re all happy then. I’m sure some of you are at least. There is still plenty of fight in the middle order. For those of you (us) starting to question their odds in this particular fight, this is a new week, chin up! Or, in another ‘EDOTLOCCA’s Corner’ reference, perhaps a return to some bold predictions would be a better use of time?