Post by Washington Insiders on Jul 5, 2020 17:23:09 GMT -5
The DC Conspiracy start off their 2020 Regular Season with a bang at home against the rival Baltimore Breakers. The on-field battle seemed to carry into an off-season spending battle, as both teams were active in the off-season strengthening their rosters seemingly in an arms race against each other (and don't forget their mutual southern rivals, the Delmarva Legacy). Titles aren't won in the off-seaosn however, so the arms race can only be won on the field, and tonight will give the first clue as to who won. Baltimore is coming off the more successful season, and both teams arguably got stronger from then to now. Can DC hold off the Breakers? Here's a few keys to making it happen.
1) Get In Synch Quickly
DC, following a trend of many teams, did not play their top players much in the pre-season, and even devoted some of the Quarantine Tournament towards evaluating their bubble players. While this was valuable in assessing their current and future roster needs, it came at the cost of giving the starting units time on the field against different teams' starting lineups. A major key will be how quickly the starting unit can gel and get on the same page. Luckily, much of DC's core played together last year. While the line has some new players, all of last year's starters are back along with some key backups. Hiruma got valuable playing time with the team in the playoffs following the late-season trade which helped build his comfort with the offense and his weapons, and Stones is coming off a career year taking over the starting role from Conspiracy-great Corey Palso. Among receivers, the starting lineup of Tyler-Sherman-Benefield returns intact, as well as rotational backups Lonnie Roberts and Ron Evers. Newcomes Zach Degan and Malcolm Grant are both proven veterans who should assimilate quickly. The biggest challenge may be in the defensive backfield, where talented newcomers Nevil Haze and Craig Pierce are teaming up for the first time.
2) Contain the Breakers Passing Game
The defensive backfield better gel quick, because the strength of the Breakers is the passing game driven by MVP caliber players QB Tommy Gunn and OS Vincent Gerard III. DC may have the QB and weapons to win a shootout, but it's not their preferred game. They will need to disrupt routes, collapse Gunn's pocket, and more importantly communicate and help each other. Playing the aggressive game needed will lead to mistakes and players getting beat from time to time, and the defensive lineup will need to collectively have each other's backs or they will get burned.
3) Get the Crowd Into It
Sports fans have had nothing to watch for months, so getting the 26,000 fans that typically fill the Oculus Center into the game should be easy, but if DC comes out flat the crowd could deflate. An excited, loud crowd can disrupt an opponent, and DC needs to establish not just their team identity for the year, but their home crowd identity as well. Make sure the fans coming out are reminded why they missed sports, so they keep coming back and keep up the noise. This means aggressive play, and impact plays. It also means getting the stars involved. Some fans may not appreciate the release of record-book holder Adam Kruse, so they need to see DC made the wise choice.
4) Control the Flow of the Game
All of these can be helped if DC takes control of the game. The more in-control Baltimore gets, the more comfortable they will be in the environment. DC has a proud history of strong running attacks harkening back to their earliest seasons, and cannot forget to use it. If they can control the line of scrimmage, they can control the feel of the entire game and that control can make the difference between winning and losing.
1) Get In Synch Quickly
DC, following a trend of many teams, did not play their top players much in the pre-season, and even devoted some of the Quarantine Tournament towards evaluating their bubble players. While this was valuable in assessing their current and future roster needs, it came at the cost of giving the starting units time on the field against different teams' starting lineups. A major key will be how quickly the starting unit can gel and get on the same page. Luckily, much of DC's core played together last year. While the line has some new players, all of last year's starters are back along with some key backups. Hiruma got valuable playing time with the team in the playoffs following the late-season trade which helped build his comfort with the offense and his weapons, and Stones is coming off a career year taking over the starting role from Conspiracy-great Corey Palso. Among receivers, the starting lineup of Tyler-Sherman-Benefield returns intact, as well as rotational backups Lonnie Roberts and Ron Evers. Newcomes Zach Degan and Malcolm Grant are both proven veterans who should assimilate quickly. The biggest challenge may be in the defensive backfield, where talented newcomers Nevil Haze and Craig Pierce are teaming up for the first time.
2) Contain the Breakers Passing Game
The defensive backfield better gel quick, because the strength of the Breakers is the passing game driven by MVP caliber players QB Tommy Gunn and OS Vincent Gerard III. DC may have the QB and weapons to win a shootout, but it's not their preferred game. They will need to disrupt routes, collapse Gunn's pocket, and more importantly communicate and help each other. Playing the aggressive game needed will lead to mistakes and players getting beat from time to time, and the defensive lineup will need to collectively have each other's backs or they will get burned.
3) Get the Crowd Into It
Sports fans have had nothing to watch for months, so getting the 26,000 fans that typically fill the Oculus Center into the game should be easy, but if DC comes out flat the crowd could deflate. An excited, loud crowd can disrupt an opponent, and DC needs to establish not just their team identity for the year, but their home crowd identity as well. Make sure the fans coming out are reminded why they missed sports, so they keep coming back and keep up the noise. This means aggressive play, and impact plays. It also means getting the stars involved. Some fans may not appreciate the release of record-book holder Adam Kruse, so they need to see DC made the wise choice.
4) Control the Flow of the Game
All of these can be helped if DC takes control of the game. The more in-control Baltimore gets, the more comfortable they will be in the environment. DC has a proud history of strong running attacks harkening back to their earliest seasons, and cannot forget to use it. If they can control the line of scrimmage, they can control the feel of the entire game and that control can make the difference between winning and losing.