Ben E Lou
10-02-2007, 08:05 AM
Des Moines Monks
So, a forecast for the defending league champions, and two-time conference champs? Umm…okay, they will be pretty good.
Past that – well, let’s see what makes these Monks tick, and see if they still have whatever has been working for them.
OFFENSE
Des Moines has not been a traditional rushing power, like many consistently good teams – they were near the bottom of league rankings last season in rushing yards and yards per carry. They will return the same duo who carried most of the load last year, in Kurt Musterer and Adrian Gramatica, and most of the same offensive line they ran behind -- but this is not the engine that makes the Monks go.
Indeed, it’s the passing game that fuels their success, led of course by the QB Oscar Wolcott. He posted a very solid 4,500 yard season last year (second highest in the league, and leading the Monks to a second straight 12-4 record in the regular season, and a post season capped off with a championship. WR Rob Robertson has been the main ingredient in the downfield attack, and has opened things up underneath for TE Jessie Lynch, whose mostly-blocking role in 2006 was expanded to 63 catches in 2007, meriting him all-pro honors along Robertson.
This year, Des Moines made its biggest nose when it acquired all-pro WR Frank Fancher from Mountain View in a huge trade – seeing the Monks add to their area of strength. This year, we should expect defenses to be constantly one man short in trying to give adequate coverage to Wolcott’s impressive downfield targets, and find themselves mightily challenged in coverage against Des Moines. Fancher added to an already top-notch offense is just a lethal addition, possibly the biggest offseason move in the league.
This year – expect Des Moines to once again feature an explosive offense behind their even more multi-faceted passing attack. Most of their offseason youth investment, quite understandably, went on the defensive side of the ball.
DEFENSE
By virtue of their aggressive offense and strong overall record, the monks’ defense managed to get into pass protection mentality early and often last year – so while their run defense was statistically only average, they were not called upon to really stand up to a featured rushing attack as often as some other teams. LB Troy Boccaleri anchors the run stopping packages, but in all candor the team’s defensive front is geared around the sort of game that Des Moines wants to play – an up-and-down-the-field game, where both teams can just pin their ears back and rush the passer.
The pass rush is keyed by standout DE Sean McCauley, a two-time all-pro with 24 sacks in the league’s first two seasons – he’s second in the league in both sacks and hurries. Expect to see a rotation of other players getting after the QB as well alongside McCauley – DE A.J. Benson posted 7.5 sacks in his rookie season last year, and DT Charlie Haskin is surprisingly effective against the pass from the middle of the line, posting 13.5 of his own. The front four will provide enough pressure on opposing QBs (Des Moines posted one of the top pass rush percentages in the league last year, without relying on serious input from the LB corps) to free up Boccaleri and company to read and react behind them – and to fill in with underneath coverage or run-stopping as need be.
Downfield, Des Moines relies on veteran leadership from CB Donnell Brito and SS Albert Buchans to lead an effective group. They lost a key contributor when CB Kent Wilcox retired, but rookie Ian Lane and veteran Josh Haggan ought to keep them in solid shape with play from the CB and nickelback positions. This coverage unit plays well together, and clearly benefits from the aggressive pass rushing front the Monks put together every week.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker Scottie Mitchell is a solid 80% field goal man, and for a team that is going to move the ball, they need to come away with points from their red zone appearances, so he gets the job done. WR Cory Coles seems to have inherited the main punt return duties for this year, and stud WR Rob Robertson is a kick return ace if they want to use him there. But, expect to see sophomore CB Alonzo Bravata make the case for playing time in specialist roles this year as well.
OVERALL
Des Moines is not a perfect and complete team – but WOOF is not a league filled with teams that click in every respect. They overcome their relative weaknesses with strong veteran leadership at key positions. And they are probably as good at anyone in a game with both teams looking downfield to move the ball quickly – they are perfectly happy to trade scores with you until they force you to make the mistake. That’s been a recipe for success, and Des Moines has the best credentials in the league so far. This year, expect even more of the same.
Is it too easy to predict a third straight 12-4 season for the Monks? And a strong post-season campaign? That’s probably where the smart money is. A veteran QB with impressive targets, and a serious pass rush when they get into a high-scoring game – these are fundamentals that make them very dangerous, both during the 16-game schedule, and in the playoffs.
If you’re making a pre-season power rankings, Des Moines has earned its stripes, and added to an existing strength. They clearly cannot be overlooked.
So, a forecast for the defending league champions, and two-time conference champs? Umm…okay, they will be pretty good.
Past that – well, let’s see what makes these Monks tick, and see if they still have whatever has been working for them.
OFFENSE
Des Moines has not been a traditional rushing power, like many consistently good teams – they were near the bottom of league rankings last season in rushing yards and yards per carry. They will return the same duo who carried most of the load last year, in Kurt Musterer and Adrian Gramatica, and most of the same offensive line they ran behind -- but this is not the engine that makes the Monks go.
Indeed, it’s the passing game that fuels their success, led of course by the QB Oscar Wolcott. He posted a very solid 4,500 yard season last year (second highest in the league, and leading the Monks to a second straight 12-4 record in the regular season, and a post season capped off with a championship. WR Rob Robertson has been the main ingredient in the downfield attack, and has opened things up underneath for TE Jessie Lynch, whose mostly-blocking role in 2006 was expanded to 63 catches in 2007, meriting him all-pro honors along Robertson.
This year, Des Moines made its biggest nose when it acquired all-pro WR Frank Fancher from Mountain View in a huge trade – seeing the Monks add to their area of strength. This year, we should expect defenses to be constantly one man short in trying to give adequate coverage to Wolcott’s impressive downfield targets, and find themselves mightily challenged in coverage against Des Moines. Fancher added to an already top-notch offense is just a lethal addition, possibly the biggest offseason move in the league.
This year – expect Des Moines to once again feature an explosive offense behind their even more multi-faceted passing attack. Most of their offseason youth investment, quite understandably, went on the defensive side of the ball.
DEFENSE
By virtue of their aggressive offense and strong overall record, the monks’ defense managed to get into pass protection mentality early and often last year – so while their run defense was statistically only average, they were not called upon to really stand up to a featured rushing attack as often as some other teams. LB Troy Boccaleri anchors the run stopping packages, but in all candor the team’s defensive front is geared around the sort of game that Des Moines wants to play – an up-and-down-the-field game, where both teams can just pin their ears back and rush the passer.
The pass rush is keyed by standout DE Sean McCauley, a two-time all-pro with 24 sacks in the league’s first two seasons – he’s second in the league in both sacks and hurries. Expect to see a rotation of other players getting after the QB as well alongside McCauley – DE A.J. Benson posted 7.5 sacks in his rookie season last year, and DT Charlie Haskin is surprisingly effective against the pass from the middle of the line, posting 13.5 of his own. The front four will provide enough pressure on opposing QBs (Des Moines posted one of the top pass rush percentages in the league last year, without relying on serious input from the LB corps) to free up Boccaleri and company to read and react behind them – and to fill in with underneath coverage or run-stopping as need be.
Downfield, Des Moines relies on veteran leadership from CB Donnell Brito and SS Albert Buchans to lead an effective group. They lost a key contributor when CB Kent Wilcox retired, but rookie Ian Lane and veteran Josh Haggan ought to keep them in solid shape with play from the CB and nickelback positions. This coverage unit plays well together, and clearly benefits from the aggressive pass rushing front the Monks put together every week.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker Scottie Mitchell is a solid 80% field goal man, and for a team that is going to move the ball, they need to come away with points from their red zone appearances, so he gets the job done. WR Cory Coles seems to have inherited the main punt return duties for this year, and stud WR Rob Robertson is a kick return ace if they want to use him there. But, expect to see sophomore CB Alonzo Bravata make the case for playing time in specialist roles this year as well.
OVERALL
Des Moines is not a perfect and complete team – but WOOF is not a league filled with teams that click in every respect. They overcome their relative weaknesses with strong veteran leadership at key positions. And they are probably as good at anyone in a game with both teams looking downfield to move the ball quickly – they are perfectly happy to trade scores with you until they force you to make the mistake. That’s been a recipe for success, and Des Moines has the best credentials in the league so far. This year, expect even more of the same.
Is it too easy to predict a third straight 12-4 season for the Monks? And a strong post-season campaign? That’s probably where the smart money is. A veteran QB with impressive targets, and a serious pass rush when they get into a high-scoring game – these are fundamentals that make them very dangerous, both during the 16-game schedule, and in the playoffs.
If you’re making a pre-season power rankings, Des Moines has earned its stripes, and added to an existing strength. They clearly cannot be overlooked.