BDL 2024 Week 4: Cuba Smugglers @ Akureyri Huldufolk

[TedLavie]

BDL 2024 Week  4

Match:  Cuba Smugglers @ Akureyri Huldufolk

Away Owner:  @MD4L

Home Owner:  @RedGold

Vote for who you think would win the game.

Rules:
One vote per person, duplicate accounts will be banned and action taken against those attempting to rig the results.

One vote per team involved in the match. Co-owners may vote in every match up except their own.

For members, who have been following along, and wish to vote.  Please join the conversation and maybe give a reason you voted as you did. This will alleviate any suspicions of unusual voting and will promote discussion.

Note: Players that have a (D) next to their name indicate that they are doubtful or unlikely to play. Players with (Q) are game-time decisions.

Good luck to you both

Edited Sunday at 07:25 PM by TedLavie

[TedLavie]

Cuba Smugglers

QB: Aaron Rodgers
RB: Travis Etienne
WR: Justin Jefferson
WR: Zay Flowers
WR: Tyler Lockett
TE: Noah Fant
LT: Charles Cross
LG: Ezra Cleveland
C - Elgton Jenkins
RG: Shaq Mason 
RT: Tytus Howard

RB: Zach Charbonnet 
RB: Samaje Perine
FB: Kyle Juszcyk
FB/OL: Pat Ricard
WR: Jakobi Meyers
TE: Gerald Everett
OL: Darnell Wright

 

DE: Zach Sieler
NT: Grover Stewart
DE: Maliek Collins
OLB: Rashan Gary
ILB: Bobby Okereke
ILB: Henry To’oto’O
OLB: Andrew Van Ginkel
RCB: Martin Emerson
FS: Xavier McKinney
SS: Justin Simmons
LCB: Denzel Ward

Edge: Lukas Van Ness
Edge: Josh Uche
DE: Karl Brooks
ILB: Jahlani Tavai
ILB: Dorian Williams
CB: Alontae Taylor
CB: Kadar Kohou
Star: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson

 

Akureyri Huldufolk

Offense
QB:   Jordan Love
RB:   Javonte Williams
WR:  George Pickens
WR:  Christian Kirk
TE:  Pat Freiermuth
TE:  Travis Kelce
LT:   Taylor Decker
LG:   James Daniels
C      Joe Tippmann
RG:   Alijah-Vera Tucker
RT:  Anton Harrison
Bench:  QB Anthony Richardon
Bench:  RB Kenneth Walker
Bench:  RB Bucky Irving
Bench:  WR Tank Dell
Bench:  WR Adonai Mitchell
Bench: WR Rashod Bateman
Bench:  T Ronnie Stanley
Bench:  T Dawand Jones

Defense
Edge:  Carl Granderson
DL:  Grady Jarrett
DT:  Dexter Lawrence
Edge:  David Ojabo
LB:  Patrick Queen
LB:  Azeez Al-Shaair
CB:  Trent McDuffie
CB:  Jaire Alexander
NB:  Kyler Gordon
FS:  Kerby Joseph
SS:  Grant Delpit
Bench:  Edge Von Miller
Bench:  Edge Derick Hall
Bench:  DL DJ Reader
Bench:  LB Damone Clark
Bench:  CB Jaylon Jones
Bench: CB Sean Murphy-Bunting
Bench: NB Nate Hobbs
Bench: Saf Bryan Cook

Edited Sunday at 07:21 PM by TedLavie

[TedLavie]

Cuba Smugglers

Intro: This week we make our first appearance in  Akureyri and get our first matchup against RG. Make no mistake about this circumstance. We’ve long been supporters of RG and consider him to be a tenacious opponent more than capable of taking us to the cleaners if we are not playing at a high level. We won week 1 and dropped game 2. The focus is establishing a second consecutive week without a loss and all options are on the table to secure this victory.

 

Offense

Aaron Rodgers took the reins week 3 and will continue orchestrating the Cuba offense. We were apprehensive to get our passing offense going last week but will remain more engaged in getting Rodgers into a rhythm with Jefferson and Flowers.

The strongest area of Akureyri’s defense is their interior line so we start at handling this offense in the trenches. We’ve seen Bradbury vs Dexter Lawrence already and see no need to replicate that performance. Enter Elgton Jenkins at center; He’s played center in the past and is adequate with that responsibility of moving to the placeholder of the offensive line. We’ll move Ezra Cleveland back to the starting lineup in between our two best lineman (Cross and Jenkins). Jenkins will get help from Cleveland because Lawrence is by far the best interior DL in the NFL right now. We will always have two players attached to Lawrence and if Akureyri uses any variance of a traditional 3 man rush with their edges focused on stopping quick DoT targets, Rodgers can command the offense to triple block Lawrence and keep Cross on an island. We are comfortable with 3 WR and 12 personnel so the TE will help Tytus Howard on about 20% of pass plays (translation: the TE is a viable part of the passing attack).

Of course, we’ve finally decided upon one aspect of the offense: Justin Jefferson will be targeted at a high rate regardless of coverage assignment. McDuffie is an elite CB and Jaire has history with performing well against Jefferson. We don’t care; Jefferson will receive a 40% target share barring he’s covered exclusively by McDuffie and receives safety help from Grant Delpit all game. If that is the case, Jefferson will still receive a 25% target share (10 targets minimum) within a game plan/script that will keep this game in a back and forth situation. Jefferson will also have full disclosure from Rodgers to adjust at the line to give Jefferson quick targets whether it’s against off man coverage (I.E. Jefferson gets 5 yards of free release and therefore deals with single coverage because the safety is 11-15 yards from LOS) or Rodgers identifying Jefferson is isolated.

Flowers will face a difficult challenge regardless of which CB he faces. If his assignment is continually in man or solo against a CB preventing the deep route, Flowers will do most of his work running to catch the CB’s initial depth and turning back to catch the ball within a DoT of 8-10 yards. We are not hesitant to make Flowers a 12 target type of guy in this game with a QB like Rodgers using him. Flowers and Jefferson will reprise their consistent stack personnel which by default dictates who the safety will stick with in coverage. In the early going Jefferson will be running deeper routes (see: 15 yard post and crossers) with Flowers running outs and comebacks from the slot. In the second half, Flowers will begin taking the top off the defense allowing for Jefferson to work underneath and potentially open Flowers to deep shots that could be the difference against a quality opponent.

The Jefferson/Flowers attention inevitably opens up opportunities for the other receivers. Lockett and Meyers will rotate the WR3 position. Meyers will play outside and include Flowers or Jefferson in the slot. Lockett will be in the slot and allow Flowers or Jefferson to play outside. We’ll have 2-6 snaps with Lockett outside and take a shot deep if Lockett is not dealing with the top two options. Meyers will otherwise work on options routes with breaking points at 5-7 yards to give our offense a free iso option against zone/man looks. Fant secured 6 targets for a season high 60 yards last week while Rodgers used his TE IRL to over 90 yards last week. The TE won’t be a significant portion of our intended gameplan but Rodgers will be sure to give Fant a handful of targets in the intermediate game as a chess piece option if Akureyri pristinely guesses our gameplan to a tee.

Our offense will be a 55:45 split so the running game is a major portion of our gameplan. Akureyri is known for their inverse defensive  lineups so Etienne will get most of his 15-18 touches testing the edge. He’ll run a lot stretch and tosses to keep the defenses aware of our intention to get his speed out on the open field. We still incorporate a significant portion of snaps (30%) to true old school football in 12 personnel. Those snaps are not to deceive. Pat Ricard at FB and Juscyzk at TE. It is our brand of bully football and will feature more Charbonnet to muddy the game. We may utilize 1-2 play action shots of this set but it is intended to bring a different level of physicalness to our offensive scheme.

 

 

Defense

This week we play a multi-faceted Akureyri offense with a highly talented personnel. Anthony Richardson’s played the last two games and with two losses following an impressive week 1 performance, it’s difficult to assume Anthony Richardson will get another start. This means we’re game planning for Jordan Love but will have a gameplan prepared for AR5.

Love opens up the passing game to a tenacious level when he’s healthy. We’re playing him fresh off an injury and one that likely saps his mobility. As a result, we’ll keep the defense more attuned to a pass first offense predicated on quick passes and using the run game to establish a vertical passing game.

At his peak, Jordan Love can orchestrate an entire offense. He can move at a high level and can attack you with his vertical game. As a result, we’ll balance between single high looks and a more traditional 2 man looks to assist the CBs from being beat deep. With a 45% man rate (an incredibly high number compared to IRL), we’ll have our secondary prepared for a more pass friendly offense barring a Kenneth Walker appearance. 

Walker changes the dynamic of our defensive approach if Akureyri decides to make him a focal point. If healthy and given significant workload , we will begin to approach a more cover-3 base look. Love will still likely target share toward feeding Kelce and Friermuth in the intermediate area. Kelce has started a bit slow but will remain a constant attention phase as a player who can wreck the gameplan. We’d like to have our edge rusher lineup atop of him and frustrate him before running a route while keeping an active semblance of both LBs being aware of him in coverage.

Kelce will deal with plenty of Bobby Okereke and the OLB from our base 3-4. Gary will not be in coverage on more than 2-3 snaps but will lineup in a wider alignment to assure Kelce deals with him in a chip variety should Kelce serve as the in-line blocker on 2 TE sets. We’ll rotate Henry To’Oto’O and Dorian Williams based on circumstance. To’Oto’O run defense has been strong whereas Williams has been adept in coverage. Williams will drop back consistently to ensure he and Okereke gain depth against Kelce to prevent him from having his way vertically. Kelce is the primary TE to lock on in coverage when we play in zone and will have the attention of Okereke, Van Ginkel, and ILB2 should we evaluate Akureyri is employing a Kelce friendly target share.

Van Ginkel is the full on JOAT taking over the Bosa role. Whereas Bosa is a full on pass rusher, dropping Ginkel back on coverage or as a spy is a feasible projection. Van Ginkel is also adept making plays on screens to offset a quick strike passing game if Akureyri decides to deploy an even shorter DoT gameplan.

Coverage assignments will see double coverage on George Pickens on nearly all circumstances. Tank Dell has gotten off to a slow start and Denzel Ward will at the very least assure there is no ceiling game as he will be following him on 75% of snaps (zone or man). Emerson will deal with Pickens and has the physical size to compete with him in press coverage. What Emerson lacks in deep speed can be offset by Xavier McKinney patrolling the backend. With 3 INTs in 3 games, we think he can offset a potential ceiling performance. Ward will shadow Dell on all man coverage circumstances as his shiftiness and size fall in line with Ward’s coverage ability.

If Richardson starts, we’ll adjust to a more man friendly based defense (50% man coverage). Ward will still remain active in following Dell and we’ll keep a safety on Pickens. Simmons will cover Kelce and we’ll spy Van Ginkel as a shadow on Kelce upon the snap before matching Richardson as a runner. Richardson has proven to be capable throwing deep but seemingly has struggles targeting the middle of the field. Kelce is capable of being the reliable intermediate weapon but Richardson has rendered Pittman obsolete IRL so we’re fine keeping Simmons on him and using Okereke on Friermuth. 

The main aspect of defending Richardson will be handling the running game and Walker’s ability in the run area. Simmons will come down from safety to give us some invaried 8 man boxes. We’ll move to more 4-3 looks with Van Ness replacing Collins for more flexibility in pursuing the edge. With more pressure on the edge, having Simmons in the box helps us handle a run heavy offense. We made a mistake avoiding the threat of a viable RB against Brian Robinson but will not make the same mistake with Kenneth Walker. On passing downs, we’ll play more two man under against Richardson and still spy Van Ginkel while playing him as a true an edge rusher. Simmons will move to LB so CGJ will play next to McKinney and our 3-man rushers will dictate to more Kelce coverages as first read prior to helping Richardson’s running threat as a runner.

 

Akureyri Huldufolk

Intro:  In our first ever BDL matchup,  we welcome our good friend Frogs to our home field.   Despite the week long anticipation of this fun matchup,  they’re multiple media outlets reporting that Akureyri may have spent too much of the weekend drinking and acting as a good host to Cuba ownership.  

Offense:
Formation/Scheme:   2WR/2TE(70%) , 3WR/1TE(30%),
Pass (60%), Run (40%) 

Blocking:

Heavy 2 TE sets this week,  Freiermuth will be mostly inline,  with Kelce being used in short motions.   We’ll look to show a variety of looks from the TE position to help slow down the Edge pass rush.   In pass sets, we won’t look to double anyone on the inside,  Tippmann will be free to help on either side, and watching for interior blitzes.    In 3^rd down situation, we’ll use our RB to help on the outside rush from the right side. 

Passing game:

Basic West coast concepts in the passing game, with an emphasis on finding our TE’s over the middle.   On the outside we’ll mix in some outs and curls to help sustain drives,  but we also want to layer in a deep shot over the middle to keep the Cuba safeties from cheating up.    We’ll trust Love to go through his progressions and find the open man.

 

Running game:  
Walker and Irving will be the main focal points this week, depending on if they are able to go IRL.   Despite Williams struggles in the run game,  he is still excellent in Pass Pro. 
We’ll continue with our zone rushing concepts,  looking to attack Cuba with both inside and outside zones.  

Goal #1- Use TE’s to seal edge in ground game.   
Goal #2 – Test Cuba over the middle of the field
Goal #3 – Give Pickens opportunities downfield

 

 

Defense:
Base: 4-2 Nickel

Coverage: Zone(80%), Man(20%)
Mostly zone coverages these week,    Cover 2 looks for a majority of 1^st and 2^nd down.     We’ll flip between Cover 1 and Cover 3 coverages on 3^rd down.    Redzone will feature more man coverages. 
Jaylon replaces Jaire on the outside if he’s unable to go.  

Man Assignments: Redzone Only
Cover 0
Joseph – Brackets inside coverage on Jefferson
Delpit -   Brackets inside coverage on Flowers

McDuffie -   Jefferson
Gordon – Flowers
Alexander/Jones – WR3
Azeez Al-Shaair -  TE
Queen - RB
 

Pass Rush:

We want to focus on maintaining our rush lanes this week,  and look to focus on interior pressure.    Keeping Cuba’s QB inside the pocket will be a key point of focus all week.     Heavy rotation with our Edge defenders this week,    Jarrett and Dex will see 60-65% of the snap.

 

Run Defense:
Hard edge contain on the outside and force running lanes back inside.    We don’t anticipate many formations outside of 3 WR,  but if Cuba decides to come in with Heavy packages Clark will come in for Gordon and we’ll run a normal 4/3 against those sets. 
 

 

Goal#1:  Maintain Edge contain in both Ground and Passing Game
Goal#2:   Double coverage on both Jefferson/Flowers in redzone.
Goal#3:  Let the beef inside cook.

Edited Sunday at 07:22 PM by TedLavie

[TedLavie]

For transparancy purposes, I received Cuba plan maybe an hour late. It won't impact my vote, but I know some of you like excuses to be lazy

[Blue]

Just now, TedLavie said:

For transparancy purposes, I received Cuba plan maybe an hour late. It won't impact my vote, but I know some of you like excuses to be lazy

As in, an hour after the afternoon games started?

[TedLavie]

1 minute ago, Blue said:

As in, an hour after the afternoon games started?

the 1PM ones yes

[Blue]

1 minute ago, TedLavie said:

the 1PM ones yes

Don't think that's really "being lazy" if people vote against him for that then

[TedLavie]

1 minute ago, Blue said:

Don't think that's really "being lazy" if people vote against him for that then

It was a joke

[bcb1213]

I per usual am the missed deadline penalty vote

[Scoundrel]

41 minutes ago, bcb1213 said:

I per usual am the missed deadline penalty vote

Love you Frogs but I stand by this also… I wrote three plans on time this week. I hope you had fun though! 

[MD4L]

2 hours ago, bcb1213 said:

I per usual am the missed deadline penalty vote

2 hours ago, Scoundrel said:

Love you Frogs but I stand by this also… I wrote three plans on time this week. I hope you had fun though! 

I respect that guys. Should’ve executed better. 

[Malfatron]

I think cubas matches up too well against the opponent

A close one 25-23

I dont know about the late fees but i like the gameplans and roster a tad better for cuba

[SirA1]

Also not going to throw a flag this week. 

I think Cuba just has better offensive weapons and can edge the home team out.

35-24

[BodyBurner]

I’m voting for Cuba. I hesitate slightly with force feeding Jefferson regardless of coverage but he is elite. 

[Blue]

I can't vote for a late writeup. Sorry Frogs.