Revenge of the Travhawks!

So, it's that time of year again. A new iteration of Madden (Last year it was Head Coach '09. Madden sucked goat gonads.) has come about and the world must again suffer the inane blatherings of one extremely bored 3rd shifter as he talks about playing a stupid video game.

First step for the Travhawks... cut Rowe. 48 overall? I mean, seriously? The down side of this is that the HC09 guy seems to have stepped in and made sure you can't just sign whomever you want for whatever you want... I like the added managerial difficulty.

I wanted to add Graham Harrell, but he wanted too long a deal for too much money. Unproven rookie demanding NFL backup QB cash? Have fun being unemployed, Graham. Instead, I sign... Hunter Cartwell. Hrm. Not a huge upgrade, but... meh.

I also cut Lance Laury to sign LT Jason Watkins. We need some oomph on the OL.

Preseason Game One: @ Chargers

1Q: 3-3 tie. Hawks are putting up some excellent redzone defense. Not so much between the 20's, as Tomlinson is scampering all over the place.

2Q: 13-3 SD. Hass gets pick-6'd, and the offense is looking pretty feeble. RB is a huge problem.

2Q: 16-3 SD. Tomlinson has 87 yards at this point. He ends up with over 100 for his half of the game.

2Q: 16-10 SD. Carlson has 3 catches on the drive, two of which are all about the awesome. Schmitt pounds it in from 3 for the TD.

3Q: 22-10 SD. Burleson fumbles a punt. Dude, really? He still has that stupid 7y/49m contract, too.

3Q: 29-10: Volek fires off a 68y completion for the TD. He deserves that. As added amusement for the game, a Seneca Wallace pass is incomplete after... bouncing off the ref's FACE. So worth it.

3Q: 29-17: Possibly the ugliest great play I've ever seen. TJ Duckett swims through three or four tackles, shedding defenders into daylight. Wheezing and gasping, he lumbers awkwardly for a 62-yard TD run. Oxygen is available at the sidelines.

3Q: 29-23 SD: Duckett, 2yd TD. Thanks be to Wallace for a 13 yard drive-saving 1st down scramble.

4Q: 35-23 SD: Things went in the toilet here, but I didn't care. I put in some 3rd stringers just to see what they do. The Chargers seem to care far more about this game than I do. Sproles gets a TD.

4Q: 42-23: Sproles is a slippery little b@stard. He squirts out of a pile for a 46-yard TD. Cantwell throws two interceptions, only one of which is his fault.

Game: 42-23, Chargers.

*Hass: 12 of 17 for 113 yards. 1 int.
*Duckett: 11 carries for 101 yards, 2 TDs.
*Jones: 11 carries for 25 yards. He sucks.

Preseason Week Two

I spent quite a while trying to address the HB position. It isn't as easy as it used to be to grab whatever trade you want. Teams aren't quite as stupid as they once were.

In the end, I threw D.Tapp on the block for a HB and got an offer for Felix Jones from the Cowboys. He's young, he's fast, and I have the depth to spare at LE. All things being equal, I'd have rather kept Tapp. However, Redding had a fatter contract and I didn't want to eat it.

To balance things out, I then traded the other Jones (The one that CAN'T run) for C.Kemoeatu, LG. New starter for the O-Line.

Preaseason Game Two: v. Denver. In honor of the game versus Denver, I go with the throwback uniforms. It's raining. All is well.

1Q: O.Schmitt had two fumbles in one drive. One of which was in the endzone, which Kemoeatu recovered. 7-0 Hawks.
1Q: 10-0 SEA
2Q: 13-0 SEA: Holding by Schmitt on the FG attempt. He's really playing stupid, today. At this point, Felix Jones has 50 yards rushing. Redding grabs his 2nd sack.

3Q: 20-3 SEA: Tatupu gets a pick-6.
3Q: 23-3 SEA: Redding gets his 3rd sack.

4Q: 30-3 SEA: In comes Cantwell. He actually throws a TD pass to Griffith, who just trucks a DB into oblivion on the way. Redding, obviously on crack, gets his 4th sack.

Game: 30-10 Travhawks.

*Hass: 14 of 20 for 163 yards.
*Cantwell: 3 of 3 for 28 yards and a TD.
*F.Jones: 16 carries, 72 yards.
*Unger: 3 pancakes.
*Redding: 6 tackles, 2 assists, 6 tackles for loss, 4 sacks. I think it's the crack.

Finishing up Preseason

Some moves.

I traded J.Griffith, and my 3rd round pick for Quintin Demps, FS. Guess who's going to the block, next?

I turned around and traded Russell for the 49er's 3rd rounder. So, assuming I can play better than the niners, I just swapped a backup FB for a starting FS while moving up a few spots in the draft. I'm okay with that.

Meanwhile, I have to overpay to get some OL depth. M.Tauscher, RT is signed for 12.54 million/2 years with a 5m signing bonus. This proves to be rather prescient of me, as Locklear breaks a forearm in the Chiefs game. He's out for seven weeks.

Preseason wasn't too good to us, and we finish 1-3. I don't mind so much, as I accomplished much of what I wanted to accomplish with my roster tweaks and appraisals. The final scores and records might be demoralizing if you care, but I do not.

Season One, Game One

Bring on the Rams!

Though it doesn't end up having a great effect, I'm rather annoyed that our first play of the season is a kickoff return fumble by Josh Wilson.

Thanks to a 75-yard screen pass scamper by Felix Jones, we finish the first quarter up 10-3. The second quarter is rather useless, and we manage to lose Nate Burleson for the year to an ACL tear. Trufant picks off a pass in the endzone to save us, and we go to the locker room up 10-7.

The third quarter shows S.Jackson waking up a bit for the Rams, and he just starts running all over us. Nothing dramatic happens for either offense, so we go into the fourth up 13-6.

Owen Schmitt finally puts the game out of reach by lowering his head for a TD run. A garbage time TD makes the final score 20-17 Travhawks.

*Hass: 20 of 26, 332 yards, 1 TD
*F.Jones: 24 carries for 74 yards, 6 receptions for 137 yards, 1 TD.

Hawks: 1-0

Season One, Game Two

After a bit of deliberation, I decide to put Nate on IR. He's out for 12 weeks, and I don't see a great deal of purpose having him suck up a roster spot when he's not going to be some late-season rock star, anyway. I cut Hobbs in order to sign a replacement WR. Enter Matt Jones, WR. I only sign him to a 1-year deal, as he wants too much money and I want to see if he can earn a longer deal.

The 49ers game is almost boring in our overall dominance. S.Hill plays some conservatively competent QB and Gore manages to help make things interesting in the 4th Quarter, but the Niners make too many mental errors to take control of the game and we carry a 27-21 win.

Owen Schmitt has a highlight reel play for the ages, catching a swing pass and steamrolling over two defenders on his way to a 53-yard TD. One of the linebackers he flattens is out for half the game injured after trying to tackle him. Hass to Housh proves to be a solid combination, connecting on two TD passes of 33 and 46 yards. Hass pulls a 23-yard drive-saving scramble out of his butt in the fourth.

*Hass 19 of 26, 283 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT (151 career TD passes, sneaking up on Bart Starr)
*F.Jones: 28 carries for 87 yards.
*Housh: 4 rec, 96 yards, 2 TDs

Dayum Trav! You are dedicated (and a pretty derned good writer too)! I have been deliberating whether or not to get a new football game. I haven't had a football game since Kevin Calabro and Ron Pitts called games for NFL Fever 2004! I just can't decide whether to get Madden 10, Head Coach 09, or even just NCAA Football 10.

Anyway, good luck Trav!

FPD":1ppqatdt said:

Dayum Trav! You are dedicated (and a pretty derned good writer too)! I have been deliberating whether or not to get a new football game. I haven't had a football game since Kevin Calabro and Ron Pitts called games for NFL Fever 2004! I just can't decide whether to get Madden 10, Head Coach 09, or even just NCAA Football 10.

Anyway, good luck Trav!

Click to expand...

Head Coach '09 is a pretty damned good strategy sim. Much more in depth than you're going to find in Madden Franchise Mode (in any year) and VERY addicting. You'll have a lot of sleepless nights with that one if that kind of game is your thing. You don't actually control the action during the games, though it is pretty awesome to assume head coach role, knowing what your players SHOULD be doing and screaming at the TV when they miss assignments. Graphics are very dated, too, but the best all around coaching sim for the NFL I've ever played.

If you like to play the games, though, Madden '10 is pretty sweet this year, IMO. the graphics and animation engine alone makes it some very good eye candy, especially if you've got HDTV. I hated last years graphics so much I couldn't play the game. Game play is pretty smooth this year, too and Franchise mode is improved greatly, but a far cry from the detail you'll get with NFL HC '09.

So, it really depends on what you're looking for in a game. Sim with dated graphics, or play and sim in much less depth but with great graphics.

Avoid NCAA '10 like the plague, Doug. It's almost unplayable.

Madden is very enjoyable for me so far. Head Coach is fun too.

Madden 10 is sucking the life from me. Easily the best NFL game I've ever played, with a little slider tweaking. I'd suggest it. Also we can get a game or two in, I'll show ya the ropes. (Placebo20)

SundayNiteBlackout":1qgx25b3 said:

Madden 10 is sucking the life from me. Easily the best NFL game I've ever played, with a little slider tweaking. I'd suggest it. Also we can get a game or two in, I'll show ya the ropes. (Placebo20)

Click to expand...

Well, if I do get Madden, the it sounds like a plan Stan!

Where is the update Trav?

Somewhere in Corrupt Save File land. *mutter*

Hoping to fire another one up once the Real Live Roster Update comes down the line.