Predicted Finish: Third
There is no faster way to rile Rat Bastards Coach Troy Raney up then saying one word in front of his face: underachievers.
"I had the best team last year," he said. "But we just didn't win."
If the Rat Bastards underachieve this year, they're going to be in bigger trouble than a Texas death row inmate because the roster got stripped-mined during the offseason. Talented but inconsistent receiver Marcus Robinson was one of the most sought after players in the offseason and he ended up with the Outlaws. Quarterback Steve Buerelein, who was brilliant when he won the starting job in the second half, followed Robinson. And Germane Crowell, the Rat Bastards' second-leading receiver, went to their league rival and defending FFL champion Beernuts.
"We're not as explosive as last year," Raney said. "But that doesn't mean we're no good."
The Rat Bastards are still the team considered by many to be the Beernuts' biggest threat because of the best backfield in FFL. Edgerrin James scored 17 TDs as a rookie last year and he emreged as the most dangerous weapon in all of football. Joining him is Emmitt Smith, arguably the greatest FFL player in history. He still proved he had something left in him with 12 TDs.
While the Rat Bastards were explosive, tehy were wildly inconsistent. Raney, who likes smash-mouth football, felt uncomfortable with the plethora of talented receivers asking for the ball. Despite the criticism of his coaching style, he purged the passing attack and brought in players who he hope will be more consistent and fit in with his style.
They include two players from the Beernuts. Torry Holt was the team's third receiver as a rookie. The Rat Bastards hope he can emerge from Cris Carter's shadow and develop into a top receiver. They also acquired Rich Gannon, Jeff George's backup last year with the Beernuts. He proved to be a dependable backup and quarterbacked the team to a 2-1 record. More important than their talent is their championship experience, which the Rat Bastards hope permeates the team. TE Wesley Walls, who caught 12 TDs in Thunder's explosive lineup, is the team's main target. Albert Connell, a pleasant surprise last year, is the Rat Bastards' lone returning wideout.
Raney already likes the makeup of this team better than last year's version. There is already grumbling that this year's team couldn't hold their predecessor's jockstrap. But Raney doesn't care about the team's talent level. He just wants to make the playoff and shed the underachiever tag.
Brett Favre
Projected Starters
QB Brett Favre
RB Edgerrin James
RB Emmitt Smith
WR Tim Brown
WR Derrick Mason
WR Qadry Ismail
K Mike Vanderjagt
D Broncos
ST Rams
Scouting Report
"They're the easiest team to build a scouting report for. Send eight or nine guys after their backfield. It worked at the end of the season, but why teams didn't do that in the playoffs is beyond comprehension... Derrick Mason is a great punt returner, but he is not a starting receiver... Favre looks almost as good as he was three years ago, but outside of Tim Brown, this receiving corp is even worse then last year's atrocity... James is simply the most dangerous weapon in football. It would be asking too much of him to single-handedly carry them to a championship again, but I wouldn't bet against it either... Their special teams coach is hall-of-fame material."