BDL 2019 Semi-Final Round: #3 New Orleans Jazz @ #2 Cuba Smugglers

[VigilantZombie]

2 hours ago, WFLukic said:

I'd be happy for people to ignore it personally because I doubt he comes out if it's a playoff game, whereas Minnesota's game wasn't too important.

 

It wasn't snarky, I have no problem with you voting against me and especially for a team as good as Cuba who is absolutely worthy of making the bizzbowl. I just knew it wouldn't be a surprise because you're the only person that's voted against me in 4 weeks haha, which again is fair enough. I guess Josh Allen is terrible after all, and will have to settle for clinching a playoff berth in primetime against the so called MVPs Watt and Fitzpatrick while Kyle "not terrible" Allen can watch the rest of the season from the bench after singlehandedly costing him team a playoff spot.

JA isnt great. But I try to not vote based on a singular player.

As far as OKC/NOLA, despite my vote the right team won that game. No matter who wins this one, itll have been earned. 

[VigilantZombie]

11 hours ago, wwhickok said:

Imo, better team, better gameplan, better execution, I am going with Cuba.

I'm gonna expand upon this a lot more.

So both of these teams are excellent. I do feel that NOLA has the better secondary. But why I feel Cuba wins this game is that I feel the offense of Cuba is better equipped to play 'keep away' in offense where as I feel NOLA is more of a fast strike offense. Both of these could lead to the tiring of the front 7 for NOLAs defense and ultimately I'm predicting that's what does them in. I believe this could actually be a fairly high scoring, back and forth game but in the end I feel Cuba will do just enough to tire out that NOLA front 7 to close the game out with their RBs.

35-31 Cuba

 

 

[Blue]

4 hours ago, MD4L said:

On a fair level of critiquing, Anthony Castonzo has been one of the best OTs this year, DeCastro is top ten at his position, and Jenkins is one of the better players for GB. I know people may not be big supporters of our RT, but this line is better than what Watson has IRL.

I love that you pointed out all the players on your OL that are clearly not the weak points.

[Scoundrel]

18 hours ago, Blue said:

This game screams offensive shootout with the talent each team has on that side of the ball. But I think the Jazz hit the nail on the head: how is Cuba going to cover them? I wasn't a fan of Josh Allen when he came out of Wyoming and still don't think he's a stellar player, but he's been solid when I've had a chance to see him this year despite very poor IRL talent around him. Give him that group of skill players and a very good offensive line? Yeah, I think he can win BDL playoff games.

Deshaun conversely isn't playing with significantly better receiver talent, and there are a couple clear weak spots on the line that I think New Orleans can take advantage of. Cuba got a bad hand this week with injuries, and I think Lukic did a phenomenal job coaching this game. New Orleans in a close one.

I agree with this. I think the pass rush of NO with their secondary really negates what Cuba does in the passing game. I think Cuba gets some plays from Cook and Watson’s legs but I don’t see them doing enough. Josh Allen wins another one with an incredibly well built team around him. Gilmore on Julio is a matchup I would love to see. NO wins by a TD in a hard fought battle. 

[pheltzbahr]

The tone of each of these writeups tells the whole story.  Lukic is confident and cogent, utilizing his teams' best talent and attacking his opponents weaknesses.  Frogs is lacking the laser focus needed to counter some ill timed personnel losses and seems to bounce back and forth looking for a weak spot against Lousyanna.  Some really unfortunate timing to lose key secondary players against a team with probably the best receiving corps in BDL.  I honestly don't think Cuba could have done much more, maybe go all in on DeShaun as one man savior, but I don't think that would have translated against this D, it matches up well with Cuba.  Josh Allen Gifs incoming.  34 - 16 

[Jlash]

I'd hate to just join in on the crowd, but the combination of secondary injuries and how well NO matches up in their secondary is going to make a difference in a tight game to me. While I like Frogs idea to have his two best safeties closer to the LOS to help with what NO does best, but leaving Khari Willis (who I love, and Frogs claimed before me) as the lone deep safety on a majority of downs when I feel like he does his best work in the intermediate area of the field is going to lead to some issues in this game. Not nearly the route some project, I think NO wins 24-17.

[PR]

This game really becomes one dimensional for both teams by the end of the game.

Cook goes down after halftime leaving them crippled in the running department with an already porous oline while NO has a great running game but Allen's accuracy issues limit what his stellar receiving options are able to do. Even Michael Thomas can't catch a ball that skips off the ground. Cuba takes an early lead but stumbles late having to throw against Gilmore and company to maintain drives.

[Jlash]

22 minutes ago, PR said:

Even Michael Thomas can't catch a ball that skips off the ground

To be fair, Allen usually misses wildly above his guys...haha.

[TedLavie]

Unfortunately for MD4L, Cuba is just short handed right now. NO is really a poor matchup for them at full strength as they have the best corners and one of the best DL in BDL while Cuba relies on its star power to compensate for weaker spots like TE/OL. Now you lose DJ Chark and you lose two starting corners? Ouch.

I do think Dalvin Cook has a good game here, but I think New Orleans has success on all levels. 34-17 New Orelans

[PR]

19 minutes ago, Jlash said:

To be fair, Allen usually misses wildly above his guys...haha.

Allen misses up and misses down from watching the past couple games.

[WFLukic]

Allen definitely misses high more than low. Partly because of the short receivers, partly because he throws the ball as hard as can for no good reason at times. 

With that said I do think his accuracy issues are a bit overblown. He's obviously not the most accurate guy and his deep ball needs some work, but the numbers look worse than they should because he's played some good defenses in 30 mph winds in Buffalo which have tanked his completion %. He's actually been really good in the short-intermediate level, which is where Thomas, Moore and Ertz thrive. 

[MD4L]

31 minutes ago, WFLukic said:

Allen definitely misses high more than low. Partly because of the short receivers, partly because he throws the ball as hard as can for no good reason at times. 

With that said I do think his accuracy issues are a bit overblown. He's obviously not the most accurate guy and his deep ball needs some work, but the numbers look worse than they should because he's played some good defenses in 30 mph winds in Buffalo which have tanked his completion %. He's actually been really good in the short-intermediate level, which is where Thomas, Moore and Ertz thrive. 

That also happens to be where the strength of this defense lies. Derwin James, Tyrann Mathieu, Eric Kendricks, and KJ Wright are a good unit to stop Ertz in the middle of the field.

Also think people underestimated my offensive line. After RT, where exactly are these OL issues?

Edited December 19, 2019 by MD4L
Reworded a sentence

[TedLavie]

8 hours ago, MD4L said:

That also happens to be where the strength of this defense lies. Derwin James, Tyrann Mathieu, Eric Kendricks, and KJ Wright are a good unit to stop Ertz in the middle of the field.

Also think people underestimated my offensive line. After RT, where exactly are these OL issues?

C isn't great. Castonzo is ok but he's not much more than a low end BDL starter imho. You were also facing one of the best if not the best DL in BDL imho