Seems ironic that the roles played by the two are reversed from those previous two appearances. Unlike the all-star rosters of his previous teams Brandon comes into this game with an organically grown roster peppered with tremendous implants that supplement the overall talent of the team. In addition to Jazz, JJ, Moose, Amir, and Brandon are Tall Tony, Brandon Johnson, Bam Johnson and Cory Onorati. My previous team was well-known for staying together and playing consistent football year in and year out. That roster had seven original players and the two add-on's that finally propelled the Overachievers to a championship. After my departure from the team I built a squad full of unknowns, barely known, castaways, or way past their primetime players. Three seasons in I have a team of guys people still may not know. For the record their names are Tyree Melton-Castillo, John Ramos, Jarvin Robinson, Nate Russell, Mike Jacobs, Jason Arroyo, Alfred Wonesh, and Dan Frescia.
Their paths to this game could not have been more different. The Saints wasted the NFC with blowout wins over the Falcons, Elite, and the Overachievers. HMC Elite found themselves scraping by with hard fought wins over the Lions and Irish before handling the Warriors in an unexpected blowout win.
The QBs could not be more dissimilar in stature, temperament, or ability. One of us is tall with a big arm and a keen eye for picking up tendencies. The other is dumpy with a rag arm and stubby little legs which propel him faster than most expect. Brandon's tendency is to use his athletes to simply outperform the opponents athletes by virtue of ability. My strength is in scheme and preparation or as I like to say "Plan the work and work the plan!" Brandon is more reserved in his approach to players and circumstances on the field. I am more of a cheerleader. In spite of the difference, we are friends.
The teams aren't dissimilar defensively. Both sport phenomenal blitzers. They are exceptional flag pullers. Each team has a game changer on defense. They force turnovers with their opportunistic schemes as evidenced by the pilfering of two passes each in their respective conference finals.
The biggest difference between the two is experience. The Saints have been here before. They've played so many high stake and meaningful games, that even with all of my charts and advanced metrics, I could not calculate. Some of my players have played a while in this league prior to joining up with me, but only one of them has gotten this far. One of my players never played football at any level. Most of the team is either playing in their third or fewer season in Mercer.
Fun facts: The Overachievers have not done better in any season in any league we have played in concurrently since letting me go! In fact, in five seasons, including two in Burlington, this is my team's third final's appearance (I know I'm being petty, but no one likes rejection).
I'm not making a prediction. I am laying out the two teams for you to conclude which team you think will win this league. Only one team will win, but that will not diminish the journey that brought us here. May the best team win...