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.