I'm sort of in a holding pattern right now, unsure of what I want to do next. I'm not having fun with my Madden 12 series, and I'm thinking of launching into AEW reviews but I'm not quite ready for that yet. In the meantime, I still wanted to get something up, so I thought now was a good time to fill folks in on what happened this past year in the Dog League. I wasn't sure if a full season was possible given all the COVID issues, so I decided to not post about to avoid starting something I knew I might not be able to finish, but luckily, our six teams were able to get through it. Let's take a look at what 2020 had to offer for all of them, starting from the bottom up.
Ridiculous Rascals
Record: (4-10, lost 5th place game)
Rascal started the year well, winning his first two games and looking like the best team in the league. Then, injuries overtook everything. He lost Christian McCaffrey, Julio Jones, Austin Ekeler, Raheem Mostert and Dak Prescott for a majority of the year, and he slowly sank down the standings. By the time the playoffs rolled around, Rascal was on the outside looking in, just like in 2019. Josh Allen's 30+ points scored in the fifth place game weren't enough to get Rascal anywhere close to victory, as he finished in dead last. But hey, at least he managed to innovate the so-called "Rascal strat", consistently starting multiple players from the same team at the same position, like Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore, and Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. This was helped by the addition of the second flex spot throughout the year, though that came back to haunt him, as that extra starting job went to Corey Davis in the final game, who failed to score a single point.
Tug of War
Record: (4-10, won 5th place game)
The former two-time Dog League champions also had some injury issues, as Saquon Barkley dropped almost immediately, and Joe Mixon and Miles Sanders quickly followed him to the shelf. For most of the year, Tug of War were solid but seriously lacking in star power, seeming to be in some trouble heading into Week 16. But Rascal struggled and Stefon Diggs, with his 41 points slammed the door shut on a comeback, allowing Tug of War to win another Week 16 game. They'll pick first next year, and with the recent news that the draft is planned to be "fixed" rather than "serpentine", that means they'll get the first pick in every single round, a huge competitive advantage.
Leaping Girl
Record: (8-6, lost 3rd place game)
This one stings. Emma stayed loyal to her drafted core all year long, making a good push for the regular season title but coming up just short. In both of her playoff games, she had the lead going into a primetime game, but she just couldn't finish it off. Week 15 saw Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and David Montgomery all went for over 25 points, and she had a 2 on 1 advantage heading into Monday night, only down by about 10. Then the Steelers defense and JuJu Smith-Schuster combined for less than that amount, and Rare Woofs got almost 20 from Diontae Johnson to send her packing. In Week 16, she came into Sunday night with a 25 point lead. But Henry finished just short of 10, Davante Adams had 43 and she lost by 8. It's a tough way to end a promising year, especially after coming up short in the title game in 2019. Hopefully better things are in the future for Leaping Girl.
Bark Force
Record: (6-8, won 3rd place game)
Bark Force has never won a playoff game in it's two years in the league, and this season did not get off to a good start, with Michael Thomas and George Kittle going down early. Thomas would never start another game following Week 1, as his starting spot was filled by waiver wire acquisition Justin Jefferson, and the receiving corps was carried instead by DeAndre Hopkins and Davante Adams. The latter was unquestionably the MVP of the team, topping all receivers in PPR scoring and delivering a gem in Week 16 with a hat trick of touchdowns in the snow. That performance finally got Bark Force a playoff victory, and the second pick in the upcoming draft. They've been the inferior of our two expansion teams, but maybe their fortunes are finally beginning to turn for the better.
And representing the Dog League in it's fifth annual Championship Game, 2018 champions Tailwaggerz and 2019 champions Rare Woofs!
2020 Dog League Championship Recap
These two former champions both had extended periods of greatness this year, with Tailwaggerz going on a 9 game winning streak and Rare Woofs winning 7 straight after starting 2-4. The former snagged their first regular season title, but it was the latter that joined Tug of War as two-time, back to back champions. The title was basically decided days in advance, as Alvin Kamara delivered the perfect Christmas gift, a 56 point romp that left the Vikings defense, and Tailwaggerz' title hopes, in tatters. They did fight back one day later when Tom Brady put up almost 30 in just one half against the Lions, but Le'Veon Bell and Brandon Aiyuk both scored under 5, Diontae Johnson chipped in another 21, and Rare Woofs rolled to another title. They'll look for a three peat next year, picking third in the draft, and after what they accomplished this year, the world is their oyster.
2021 brings new life to the Dog League in the form of the long awaited expansion to 8 teams, with Canine Comets and Growlers joining the festivities. They were originally scheduled to join this season, but I decided against it, not wanting a new team's first experience to come in the peak of a pandemic. Who knows what the future has to hold, but if our two new members offer anything close to the impact Rare Woofs and Bark Force had when they joined, it's going to be a wild ride. See you soon.
- Henry
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