Year 4: The Shamrocks are the story of the season, can they finish the Job?
Kingsbury and Co won't rest until the mission is completed
Hey friends! If you have any questions about us or what’s happened previously on the series please make sure to check out the About Us or Previous Articles. This is the second half of Year 4!
Kliff Kingsbury has become a folk hero of sorts in Dublin these past 8 weeks. The Texas boy had acclimated quite well to the city that was now calling him a hero. It took Doug three full seasons to break 7 wins and Kliff had reached 7 wins within his first 8 games. Many Dubliners had scoffed when Owner Matt made Pederson the scape goat, now it was starting to seem like the enigmatic owner may have been right all along. The offense was reaching new heights and the defense was looking like it may be the best defense in the entire NFL. Shamrocks fan were going crazy and spirits in the city had never been higher.
Kingsbury didn’t rest easy though, his eyes were on a much bigger prize. Starting hot wasn’t enough, even Pederson had pulled that off, he needed to finish the job. The NFL was buzzing about the Shamrocks’ unlikely climb to the top but with the Cowboys on his heels he knew there was no time to rest. Dublin deserved a title, and he intended to be the man to deliver one.
Week 9 vs Philadelphia
At 7-1 the Shamrocks have their sights aimed high but they have to take it a game at a time. The Jets game hopefully served as a wake up call for our heroes as they try to stay a game ahead of the Cowboys and win the division. Let’s do this ‘Rocks nation!
*
*
*
*
*
Well we didn’t lose, but we certainly didn’t win. The Shamrocks now sit at 7-1-1 despite Kenneth Washington accumulating just short of 400 total yards and 3 TDs. This is the second time we have tied in this series and it feels even weirder this time.
Week 11 @ Seattle
This is certainly the premier matchup of the entire week in the NFL. The Seahawks are a half game behind us for the best record in the NFC and have consistently been one of the top teams in this series. This is gonna be tough.
*
*
*
*
*
Another strong game for Washington isn’t enough to overcome a lack luster rushing attack and a brutal Seahawks offense. There’s no shame in losing to a team as good as the Seahawks, but being winless in our last three games after starting 7-0 hurts. At 7-2-1 we really need to right this ship
Week 12 vs NYG
The Giants are a tough team and just as close to us as Dallas in the division race. NFL analysts are already talking about whether or not our fast start was a fluke. Let’s prove them wrong. You can watch the game at the link below:
*
*
*
*
*
WHAT A WAY TO SEND A MESSAGE. We play efficient, if unexciting, offense and our defense dominated throughout. Dobbins averages just under 6 yards a carry and our defense gets two turnovers on the day. K-Dubs gets injured briefly but Mitch Austin came in and actually led us right down the field. Billups and Quinn both get injured which means we’ll have to sign a WR but at least we win the game. Let’s F’In Rock!
Terry gets a crucial block to spring Dobbins for the TD
Darby gets the INT in the EndZone and seals the victory
Week 13 vs Rams
*
*
*
Well we broke the losing streak last week, but we lose again here and we now sit at 8-3-1. We have tied our wins from last year but this has still been a tough second half of the year for us so far. This game becomes a shootout, in spite of our dominant defense, and we just can’t get the one more score we need. Dallas take the lead in the division and 8-8 is not gonna be good enough for the playoffs this season. We need to get this team right, and fast.
Week 14 @ San Francisco
*
*
*
We win a defensive battle and clinch our best record in franchise history at 9 wins! It was a good game for Dobbins but the defense is the story here. The first winning season in franchise history is officially clinched, LFR
Week 15 @ Miami
Miami was in the Super Bowl just a season ago. Can we get to ten wins against such a high caliber team?
*
*
*
*
*
We sure can! It’s a defensive battle once again, but we win. Good teams find a a way to win, and at ten wins we are officially a good team. We seem to be leaning on our running game again with our injuries at receiver, as long as we win though who cares. Let’s keep the momentum going.
Week 16 vs Arizona
This is the second Super Bowl team in as many weeks, can we possibly win our third game in a row?
*
*
*
*
*
Another defensive battle and another win for the Shamrocks. This one could not have been much tighter but we win. Our offense has to get things going but at 11 freaking wins it’s hard to be too critical. We take the lead in the division race but only by half a game. We also officially clinch a spot in the playoffs. The Shamrocks are making their first playoff appearance in history and I could not be more proud. These men have fought hard for this and this feels well deserved.
Week 17 vs Buffalo
This game has big ramifications for seeding and it is against another playoff team. A win here would clinch the division and gives us a fighting shot at the number one seed. LFR
*
*
*
*
*
A solid game by K-Dubs gives us the win and clinches the division. This game was tough, but we battled and we won. The Shamrocks have officially flipped the scripts on years past and now come out on top in the close matchups. The Seahawks finish a half game ahead of us which means the Shamrocks are the number 2 seed and get a first round bye! Dublin will also be hosting the first international playoff game in NFL history, what a historic event. The only thing left to find out is who we’ll be playing.
*
*
Divisional Round vs New Orleans
We get the 12-4 Saints y’all! The 12-3-1 Shamrocks host the 12-4 Saints for the first playoff game in our franchise history. In a night dripping with history we can’t let the moment become too big for us. Jameis Winston and the Saints are a talented team that we cannot afford to take lightly. You can watch the game at the link below:
First Playoff game in Dublin History
*
*
*
*
*
SHAMROCKS WIN SHAMROCKS SHAMROCKS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All of Ireland has united behind this team, the whole world has become invested in their story. This team has labored, suffered, and now risen victorious. Our defense forces three turnovers and K-Dubs throws 3 TDs in his first playoff game. This game was the stuff of legends and is truly one of the most historic games in Franchise history. This was an emotional win for our ‘Rocks and now the Seahawks are the only team standing in the way of us making our first Super Bowl.
Terry and Kenneth hook up early
Conference Championship @ Seattle
The Seahawks have started to become a big rival for the Shamrocks. They beat us in the regular season but we are a wiser healthier team now. Can the Shamrocks do the unthinkable and make the Super Bowl? Watch the game at the link below.
*
*
*
*
*
This one stings. We were in this thing until the very end but simply could not overcome three separate K-Dubs turnovers. K-Dubs ironically is named NFC player of the week after the loss but I also get it. He was the only reason we were in this game and also the reason we lost. He has played clean football all year but that simply was not the case today. We fall five points short of a Super Bowl appearance but, damn, I am still so proud of this team. We’re a contender now, and we’ll be back next year as hungry as ever.
Regular Season Wrap Up
Dublin wants more, but they’re proud of our boys. Kliff Kingsbury finished second in the Coach of the Year race but we all know he was robbed. What an incredible turnaround for our guys. None of our players end up winning awards but we do end up sending a fun crew to the Pro Bowl.
K-Dubs, Terry McLaurin, Brandon Scherff, Ronald Darby and Tress Way all make the trip to the Pro Bowl. We lock up K-Dubs to a long year deal as well as extending Solomon Murphy, Thaddeus Craft and some other depth pieces. Our cap situation is officially troubling as we go over when the season ends. Guys like Landon Collins and Reuben Foster, who have begun to regress, might be unfortunate casualties come the offseason due to their hefty contracts.
We end the season ranked #1 in points allowed and #1 in yards allowed. Depending on what happens in the draft there is a chance our defense might degrade a bit, as a couple starters have begun to regress ,but we have to be thrilled with the heights we’ve reached. It’s gonna be tough to keep this unit together but with some strategy I’m hoping we can a least stay Top 5 consistently.
Here are some of the individual stats on the season:
There’s honestly too many guys to highlight here which is a great sign. Dobbins breaks 1000 yards rushing and McLaurin finishes top 10 in every significant receiving category. K-Dubs has a hell of a season across the board, and Brackett continues to evolve into one of the best tacklers in the league.
In Zips action Jared Oliver finishes as the Rookie of the Year as the Vikings number 2 back. Darrius Patterson finishes the year with 11 TDs as the number 2 back for the Cardinals, though it looks like he might be starting to push CEH. None of the other Akron alum really do much worth reporting.
The Draft
We’re quiet during Free Agency, as we literally can’t afford anyone, but we do move around picks to try and get a more top heavy draft this season. You can watch the draft at the link below:
*
*
*
*
*
We debate a little on our first pick but we come to an agreement pretty quickly. Jamal Bacon, the HB out of Ohio State, scouted as an Early 1st Round talent and is available at pick 29. He’s also a receiving back which has been a need for us every single season so it would be nice to not have to worry about that. We make the pick and:
For the 3rd time in 5 seasons we get the best player by value in the entire draft! Bacon will be a day one starter for us and, since he fits our scheme, he will actually be an every down back for us. Sad new for Dobbins who is going to lose a lot of carries to the fellow Buckeye but so is life. The rest of the draft goes as follows:
Round 2: Azaveus Frampton Michigan SS 73 OVR
Round 2: Matin Glanton Georgia Tech LT 68 OVR
Round 3: Garrison Bowe Notre Dame WR 67 OVR
Round 3: Shaydon McIntosh Michigan State RG 71 OVR
Round 4: Elijah Beck Florida WR 69 OVR
Round 5: Will Callahan Pittsburgh RG 69 OVR
Round 6: Brady Anthony UNC P 72 OVR
Round 7: Garrison York Rice CB 56 OVR
This is our best draft in Franchise history in my opinion. In a year where we know we’ll have to make tough cuts and tough trades, getting an infusion of this much young talent is a massive windfall for us. Frampton and Bacon both have at least Star dev traits and we got great depth throughout. Both Beck and Bacon also have returner ratings in the mid 80’s which is something this team has needed since we let Patterson walk.
Reader Jake’s created LG ended up going to the Jets in the first round while the Akron alum went to the following teams:
Anthony Thornton: Falcons
Ed Jackson: Rams
Keith Wallace: Steelers
Edward Daniels: Ravens
Anthony Rawlins: Chiefs
Andy Cooper: Cowboys
Heading into the Preseason our lineups look as follows:
Even though we dropped a point on defense I still like where this team is at, Cap Room is gonna be our biggest opponent though. McKinney will likely start at SS which means finding a trade partner for Landon Collins could go a long way towards fixing our cap. Reuben Foster is also regressing rapidly at MLB which is a scary proposition. This was an amazing season with an amazing draft but my hope is that this year can be even better. Dublin forever
Thank you all so much for reading and for all the support! The next stream will be Thursday at 7 pm EST on twitch and I’d love to see y’all there. Reader Ron and Reader KG won this years contest to make a prospect so those will be added to this upcoming draft. If you have any interest in participating in contests like that in the future let me know in the comments below. Also, if you haven’t already, if you throw me a follow on Twitch it would be much appreciated :)
As always if you have any comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions please do not hesitate to reach out. Let’s F’in Rock!
PS: I made this dumb highlight video after Tiny’s “breakout” game earlier in the season if you want to enjoy really mediocre editing Tiny VOD