A few weeks ago, I suggested to my friend and co-worker, @blerdwords, that he should take his passion of comics and put it into football. Ferg is not the most knowledgeable when it comes to sports, but he tries, bless his soul he tries.
I lack the comic knowledge that Blerdwords possesses, so I will be leaning heavily on ComicVine's Top 100 Marvel Character list (http://www.comicvine.com/profile/theoptimist/lists/top-100-marvel-characters/32199/)
Blerdwords (blerdwords.blogspot.com) started and he gave us a traditional (70s-80s era football) offense, with a TE/RB/FB and two WR. I figured I had thrown a lot at him when I explained schemes, packages, and positional attributes, so I let it slide. I can't go with a vanilla offense. Instead, I am going showtime, I mean hell, I'm picking from super heroes and villains. I would run a 3 WR set with middle school kids. After I have posted my offense, I am going to enlighten Blerdwords on defensive matchups and see if he can pick a solid defense to go against my team, and I will counter his team.
QB - When this idea first came up, I argued that DC's Cyborg would be the best QB, with his previous experience. As we have not gone down the DC road yet, I move on. Next up I was thinking Bullseye, but that whole "doesn't miss his target" is cliche to me. I am actually jealous of Blerdwords pick of Captain America, so I will counter with Captain Britain.
As a kid, I liked Braddock better than Rogers, then the MCU movies came out. Anyways, Cpt. Britain gives me most of the same attributes that Cpt. America gives Ferg, except my guy can fly.
RB - Blerdwords' choice of Spiderman has some merit and I like the Marshall Faulk likeness there. As I build my team, I am thinking about defense also, as I dont want my guys playing both sides of the ball, so that rules out some good options. I want a RB that is agile enough and coordinated enough to hit the flats and be a pass catching option. My RB also needs to be tough enough to pick up the blitz on 3rd down.
My starting RB was going to be Dr. Henry McCoy, but I found a better use for him. Instead, I am going with the Black Panther, T'Challa gives me agility, speed, and strength, plus a ferocity that makes me confident he can level an incoming linebacker or safety. T'Challa is intelligent enough to read the field and pick his holes while running, and recognize pass coverage to find an open zone.
TE - I want a two way tight end. I am a massive Detroit Lions fan and I am experiencing some tumultuous play at TE. Ebron and Pettigrew both have serious problems holding onto the ball and are guilty of some boneheaded penalties. Again, I am a pass first offense, probably 70-30 pass/run, so I want a TE that is built like Rob Gronkowski. 6'5", 250 pounds, but can run a 4.45 forty yard dash.
Thor, the Norse god, is my choice for TE. I almost hate to use him for my tight end, because I instantly penciled him as an OLB in the vein of Clay Matthews, Chris Spielman, and JJ Watt. Then I figured the chance for mismatches were too much in his favor.
WR 1 - I cannot stand this character (though the two iterations that were used with Days of Future Past and Rise of Ultron, gave me some reconsideration) but I have to have a high speed wideout. I'm talking about a WR that Al Davis would sell his entire draft to take. I also hate that Blerdwords chose this character (maybe he was paying attention), but Quicksilver is a must have addition. Nothing more to type.
WR 2 - This WR slot is my workman wide receiver. He goes up against the second best CB and needs to be counted on to catch those difficult passes in the middle of the field. Where as the WR1 position I wanted blazing speed, for this position I want detailed follow-thru and bravery. He is likely to be hit by players a lot larger than him.
I am going to use Blerdwords' words against him. Part of his problem with Peter Parker is that he will get his butt kicked all comic long, but then pull it out in the end. That is the type of person I want as my #2 WR. Spiderman's agility, strength, and awareness give me security that I need in my go-to WR.
Slot WR - Wide receivers get a bad rap for being prima donnas, but if the shoe fits...Namor wears it. The slot WR gets to pick on the third best CB, so mismatches should be aplenty. The Submariner is strong enough to run routes in the middle of the field, but fast enough to stretch the defense if he has a S lined up across from him.
LT - I don't know that Captain Britain is a right-handed thrower, but in the NFL, the most heralded offensive lineman are the Left Tackles, so he is now. I need a person mobile enough to counter the stand up rushers, but strong enough to holdback the stunting nose tackles. I want my offensive line to be a pass blocking force. What running I do, will be sweeps, tosses, and misdirection. It will be rare when I run the ball straight up the gut without a delay or draw. I also want my line to know each other, because it is my opinion that communication is the most important thing for a o-line.
That being written, the man protecting my quarterback's blindside will be Colossus. He is a massive man, and mobile enough to move and protect the passer.
LG - I wrote communication is important, so what better communication than picking teammates. I'm talking Uncanny X-Men #425, Juggernaut. Yes, I know he is more known as a villain, but Colossus and Juggernaut on the left make getting through that side almost unheard of. My guards need to be mobile, because when I run, the guards will need to pull and lead the way for my running back.
C - My center has to be smart. He is the person, along with the quarterback, that reads the defense and decides on audibles and changes in block scheme. My center needs to be strong, but not the behemoth that is required for a strong central running game. I want a quick center, that is capable of getting off the snap and being a lead blocker if need be. Most importantly, I need my center to continue my "affiliation" trend.
That center is the "converted RB" Beast. When I read his profile, he seemed to fit as a center, just as much as he did my running back. What made me place him here was his status as a X-Men.
RG - I've already explained what I want in a guard, so I will be quick and just let you know that I am keeping with the X-Men theme and choosing Warpath. Proudstar is one of my favorite characters and I would be remiss not to put him on my team. The tough choice was between reserving him for defense or a thankless spot on the offensive line. Well communication won out in the end.
RT - The last player on my offense is also another better known as character, similar to Juggernaut. That villain and arch-enemy of Wolverine is Sabertooth. I'm talking post-AXIS Victor Creed, that saw his morals realigned to the side of good. Sabertooth is another beast, but with great maneuverability
I think my 11 man starting offense stacks up very comparably to Blerdwords, but I know all to well it is not offense versus offense. I look forward to seeing what defense Blerd chooses to use against my offense.
What do you think, who would be on your team?
Challenge accepted.
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