NFL Pro Football Players Coach John Fox Is Done

Transcription

1 Broncos Mailbag: After Denver drafted for need, John Fox has all his pieces By Mike Klis The Denver Post May 14, 2012 Hi Mike, I love John Elway for his will to win. But other than Peyton Manning, this was not a competitive offseason for the Broncos. The draft was average and Denver refused to make plays for big name free agents -- Vincent Jackson, Carl Nicks, Mike Wallace, etc. You have to succeed at one or the other -- FA or the draft. Talent wins, not penny-pinching. Compare what Denver did to other teams like the Bucs, Bengals, Steelers, Ravens, etc. Your thoughts? --Dan, Seattle When you say, "other than Peyton Manning, this was not a competitive offseason, my first thought was, other than the Pope, there was nothing special about the Mass. Manning was an $18 million commitment. You can t do Manning and Vincent Jackson, or Manning and Mario Williams. Almost every NFL publication or website would say the Broncos were the champions of March and free agency, merely by signing Manning. Adding two cornerbacks (Tracy Porter, Drayton Florence), a safety (Mike Adams), two defensive tackles (Derek Wolfe, Justin Bannan), two tight ends (Joel Dreessen, Jacob Tamme), two slot receivers (Andre Caldwell, Brandon Stokley) and a running back (Ronnie Hillman) was nothing short of an offseason talent haul. On paper. Now those players have to stay healthy and produce. The Broncos' draft wasn 't spectacular -- I gave it a B-/C+ -- but not picking until the No. 25 spot meant they had virtually no chance of posting an A grade. Hi Mike, I could have gouged my eyes out watching Denver pass on David DeCastro, Doug Martin, and about 99 defensive linemen. How about you? --Dan, Seattle DeCastro went to Pittsburgh at No. 24, one spot ahead of the Broncos. Had DeCastro got by the Steelers, the Broncos may very well have drafted him. They were talking about him as he fell into the 20s. Martin was the No. 2 running back on the Broncos' board, behind Trent Richardson, but they had the Boise State Broncos product graded in the middle of the second

2 round. Had the Denver Broncos taken Martin at No. 31, they likely would have come out of this draft without an upgrade at defensive tackle. Instead, they let Martin go, and took Wolfe at No. 36, and they took Ronnie Hillman, who was their fourth-best back on the board, early in the third round. Not a bad play. Wolfe was ranked third on the Broncos' board at the 3-gap or 3- technique defensive tackle spot, behind Fletcher Cox and Michael Brockers. Kendall Reyes was fourth. At the nose defensive tackle, the Broncos had Dontari Poe rated No. 1, followed by Jerel Worthy. Cox, Poe and Brockers were gone at No. 25. The Broncos traded back to get an extra fourth-round pick, took Wolfe at No. 36, then used one of their fourth-round picks to move up and take Hillman in the third round. I don t know if the Broncos took the right players in the draft. Time will judge. But based on need, the Broncos pretty much addressed them all. Mike, the Chiefs don't have a great QB like Peyton Manning, but the rest of their roster looks great. And now they appear to have added to that wealth with a potentially good draft. How do you see the Chiefs faring this fall against the Broncos and the AFC West? --Ed, Burlington Know this: The Broncos felt both the Chiefs and the Chargers had exceptional drafts. The Chiefs ' top four picks -- Poe, offensive tackles Jeff Allen and Donald Stephenson, and punt returner Devon Wylie -- all were taken in draft spots where the Broncos more or less would have taken them. But the Chiefs were generally picking 13 to 14 spots higher than the Broncos in the top rounds, so they should have had a better draft. As for the Chiefs' chances in 2012, it depends on how effectively their injured stars return. If running back Jamaal Charles, safety Eric Berry and tight end Tony Moeaki return to their 2010 form, the Chiefs could well win the AFC West. Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel is probably the fourth-best quarterback in the fourteam AFC West. Manning and Philip Rivers are clearly better and I' d still take Carson Palmer ahead of Cassel until 2012 proves otherwise. But I like Cassel better than most. I think he 's decent -- decent enough to win the West if he has a good, healthy team around him. Mike, now that we have signed some free agents, and the draft (which was a head scratcher, BTW) has come and gone, do you see us continuing in free agency, possibly signing someone name Dallas Clark? If not, what do you see Denver doing? Because, according to the "Experts," we need help with defensive line, running back and safety! What moves do you see the Broncos making from here in? --Fawad, Big Orange Country

3 By bringing up Dallas Clark, you bring up a point worth making. Had the Broncos signed both Manning and Clark? Or Manning and Reggie Wayne? I think the Broncos would have received even higher grades for their offseason work. Why? Because Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne are both recognizable names. Both would have been mistakes, though. The Broncos signed Tamme, not Clark. Tamme played with Manning in Indianapolis too. Clark was better than Tamme two and three years ago. But going forward, Tamme is younger and less beat up than Clark. You've got to think forward, Fawad, not back. As for Wayne, he would have taken away from Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, who are each coming into their own as they enter their third year. Wayne is 33. He 'll turn 34 in November. Again, going forward, I 'll take Thomas and Decker over Wayne. I' ll agree the Broncos still have some work to do at the nose defensive tackle position especially if Ty Warren doesn 't accept his proposed pay cut. And I also think the Broncos need a more sure-tackling, thumping-type safety. But there was only so much money and so many draft picks. There are no perfect teams in the NFL, anymore. See: the 2011 New York Giants. They were 7-7 with two weeks remaining in the regular season. That they wound up the champs means that, in this age of NFL parity, championships can be won by flawed teams. Mike, we needed a strong middle linebacker to replace Joe Mays, who I think is below average as a MLB. Dont'a Hightower seemed a great choice and I think a better one than Wolfe and Omar Bolden combined. What's your thought? --Dave C., Irvine, Calif. Mays is better than average and I can prove it. Had he not re-signed with the Broncos, he would have replaced either the New Orleans Saints' Jonathan Vilma or Indianapolis Colts' Gary Brackett as their starting middle linebacker. Both teams pursued Mays in free agency, forcing the Broncos to up their offer to three years and $12 million, with $4 million in 2012 guaranteed. When two other teams say you are good enough to replace Vilma and Brackett, you are better than below-average. As for Hightower, the Broncos talked at length about taking him at No. 25. Instead, they traded out of the pick and New England took him at No. 25. I disagree with helping the Patriots, who are perennially the team to beat in the AFC, get the player they most coveted to fortify their 3-4 defense. But I don 't disagree with passing on Hightower. At 265 pounds, he' s a tweener. He can only

4 play inside linebacker in the 3-4, or defensive end in the 4-3. The Broncos are stacked at defensive end with Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller (on passing downs), Robert Ayers (on running downs) and now Wolfe (possibly on running downs). But Hightower should be a very good player for the Pats. I really love the Derek Wolfe pick by the Broncos. He's a high-motor guy who never quits on a play, which is a dramatic contrast to other DTs that many felt Denver should have picked (Devon Still, Jerel Worthy). I just wanted to know where he fits in. Is he going to play DT or DE? A nickel rush package featuring Miller, Doom, Ayers and Wolfe sounds like a nightmare for opposing Offenses. --MJ, Arizona Wolfe will play defensive tackle in the nickel. The question is where does he play on first down? He may line up at end on run downs and then pass rush from the inside on third down. Competition in the OTAs and training camp will sort that out for John Fox and Jack Del Rio. Hello Mike, with all the "experts" predicting the Broncos would take Jerel Worthy with their first-round pick, why did they trade down to the second round only to take Derek Wolfe? What did Wolfe do to impress the Broncos' brass so much to take the leap they did to get him? Glad to see them go defense this year, though. --Rod H., Oakley, Kan. The "experts" thought Worthy was the better player. Not the Broncos. They rated Wolfe as a better 3-gap defensive tackle than Worthy was as a nose defensive tackle. They were both there when the Broncos picked at No. 36. Wolfe was their man. He has shown superior inside pass-rush ability and as MJ mentioned in the previous letter, Wolfe's tenacity is off-the-charts. Hi Mike, thanks for taking my question, I read the biggest problem with the selection of Derek Wolfe was when he gets double-teamed, he struggles. But if that's the case, doesn't that leave Elvis Dumervil or Von Miller with a one-on-one to do what they do? --John, South Carolina If Wolfe turns out to be a defensive tackle who frequently gets double-teamed? Then the Broncos would come up with the steal of the draft. Two points about the double-team. One, let's first let Wolfe get down in a threepoint stance as a professional player before we talk about double-teaming him. I promise you, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is not planning to double-team Wolfe in the season-opener. And two, there's not a defensive lineman alive or dead who didn't struggle against a double-team. The NFL employs the best blockers in the world. To put two blockers on a guy? That guy will struggle.

5 Can we expect anything from Mario Fannin this year or any year? He looks the type John Fox likes, could he be our second back? --Bryan S., Colorado Springs The top two backs are Willis McGahee and Ronnie Hillman. Fanin will compete with Lance Ball and Knowshon Moreno for the No. 3 back. There were 16 DTs with a higher rating than Derek Wolfe at the time he was selected by the Broncos with the 36th pick, including Malik Jackson, whom the Broncos selected later in the fifth round. The last time the Broncos selected such an underrated DT in the top 40, was when they took Ted Gregory -- and we all know what happened with that pick. There is a fine line between genius and insanity. Can you tell us on what side of the line EFX are on for picking Wolfe. --Dro, NYC I knew Wolfe was a sleeper pick, but 16 defensive tackles were rated higher? I missed that particular draft rating system. All Wolfe has to do is play one game for the Broncos, by the way, and he'll be a better pick than Gregory. And as you no doubt learned since you mailed this letter, EFX is now EF. The X man, Brian Xanders, is gone. It was a risky move to let Xanders go because he by far had the most experience in the Broncos front office. Xanders is expected to get a front-office job with another team soon.

6 Broncos' Wayne Nunnely, longtime assistant coach, retires from NFL By Mike Klis The Denver Post Wayne Nunnely was at a point in life where he had to choose. Job or family? Nunnely picked family. An NFL defensive line coach for 17 seasons, the past three with the Broncos, Nunnely notified his players at their positional meeting Monday morning that he was retiring, effective immediately. "This was not an easy decision, but it was the right one for me and my family," Nunnely said in a statement. "At this stage of my life, I want to devote more time to my wife, Velda, and the rest of our family. They have been with me every step of the way through an incredible career that I've been so blessed to enjoy. The NFL has a wonderful retirement plan, and it's time for me to begin the next chapter of my life." Nunnely, 60, will be replaced by Jay Rodgers, who had been a coaching assistant with the Broncos the previous three seasons. Rodgers, 35, is the older brother of the team s special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers. Nunnely started his coaching career at Valley (Nevada) High in 1975, then coached 18 years with seven colleges, including two stints at Nevada-Las Vegas, where he was head coach from In the NFL Nunnely was a defensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints ( ) and San Diego chargers ( ) before he was hired by the Broncos in 2009.

7 Denver defensive line coach retires By Bill Williamson ESPN.com May 14, 2012 The Denver Broncos will have a coaching change on the defensive side of the ball. The team announced Monday that defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely has retired. Nunnely, 60, has coached for 36 years, including the past 17 in the NFL. He was with Denver for the past three seasons. Nunnely also coached in San Diego for nearly a decade. He will be replaced by Jay Rodgers. He has been a defensive assistant in Denver for the past three years. It has been an absolute dream come true for me to coach for 36 years, Nunnely said in a statement released by the team. I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have been given to have a positive impact on others through the game of football. More than anything, I am proud of the accomplishments of the teams and players I have been so privileged to work with over the years. This was not an easy decision, but it was the right one for me and my family. At this stage of my life, I want to devote more time to my wife, Velda, and the rest of our family. They have been with me every step of the way through an incredible career that I ve been so blessed to enjoy. The NFL has a wonderful retirement plan, and it s time for me to begin the next chapter of my life. The defensive line will be in good hands with Jay Rodgers, whom I ve worked with closely for the last three years. He is very deserving of this opportunity, which he has earned through his hard work and knowledge. Jay has many great qualities as a person and coach that will make him successful in his new role.

8 Ranking AFC West receivers By Bill Williamson ESPN.com May 14, 2012 Continuing our 2012 AFC position-by-position rankings, here are the receivers. It s a young, fairly unproven group that lost top players Vincent Jackson and Brandon Lloyd in the past year: 1. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City: With Jackson gone, Bowe, who received the franchise tag by the Chiefs this offseason, is the clear top receiver in the division. 2. Malcom Floyd, San Diego: Floyd is good, but he probably wouldn t be ranked this high in most divisions. If he can stay healthy, he can be a star. 3. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oakland: I have a lot of respect for Heyward-Bey for taking a big step during the 2011 season. He still is not perfect and he has to prove he can be a consistent player, but he has a chance. 4. Demaryius Thomas, Denver: I bet Thomas will be ranked at least No. 2 on this list next year. The sky is the limit. 5. Eric Decker, Denver: Peyton Manning is already talking him up. You know what that means -- lots of catches. 6. Denarius Moore, Oakland: Moore showed flashes as a rookie and he has star potential. He will be given a chance to shine. 7. Robert Meachem, San Diego: Meachem is not as good as Jackson was, but he fits the Chargers vertical offense and he will make his presence felt. 8. Jon Baldwin, Kansas City: Baldwin has large potential and he easily could be in the top three on this list next year. He has to show he s ready for the challenge. 9. Jacoby Ford, Oakland: I m a big Ford fan, but his health and the presence of Heyward-Bey and Moore may make him a third option. 10. Vincent Brown, San Diego: The Chargers love this kid. Expect nice, big numbers this year.

9 11. Steve Breaston, Kansas City: He s a solid, steady receiver who can help his team win. 12. Andre Caldwell, Denver: He will be interesting to watch. The Broncos think this free-agent pickup could make his presence felt. 13. Louis Murphy, Oakland: Murphy can t stay healthy and other receivers may have bypassed him. But he s a pro who knows how to come up with the big catch. 14. Eddie Royal, San Diego: The former Denver receiver will be given a chance to shine in the Chargers rotation. 15. Devon Wylie, Kansas City: This is a projection pick. The Chiefs love him and think he can come in and make some catches as a fourth-round pick.

10 McCoy ready for more QB adjustments By Bill Williamson ESPN.com May 14, 2012 If the wild, but short, Tim Tebow experiment in Denver showed anything it was that Mike McCoy is a flexible coach. McCoy impressed folks from around the league by scrapping a traditional pro-style offensive scheme in four of several variations of the position to best utilize Tebow s ability. It resulted in Denver s first playoff win in six years. Now that McCoy is in charge of the offense run by Peyton Manning -- perhaps the most scheme-involved quarterback in the history of the NFL -- McCoy, once again, is willing to adjust to whatever best fits his quarterback. There are going to be several things, McCoy told reporters during the Broncos rookie minicamp during the weekend. This is going to be a work in progress for everybody. Coaches, players, everybody within the organization, with how we re going to do things, the types of things we re going to change, but there are plenty of things that we ve done in the past here that we want to give Peyton the opportunity to see. He is very flexible. He wants some new ideas and to run some new things. We ve spent some time in the last couple of weeks explaining the things as an offensive staff we really like and things we can help him with. And that is our job. It s going to come down to the next couple of months, by the time we come out of training camp to say, OK, what do our players do best? What are the things that Peyton likes best as the quarterback? Because it all starts with the quarterback in our system. There are a lot of things that he hasn t done that he is excited to look at getting some two-back situations and things he hasn t done a whole lot of, and we have had a lot of success with that here in the last couple of years so we are going to continue to build that. There are going to be some things that we re going to try whether he has done then or we have done them here or other coaches have run them somewhere else and we ll pick and choose what we re going to do when it comes to the opening game. When September rolls around, be sure McCoy will have his adjustments made and ready for yet another offense in Denver.

11 Denver Broncos D-line coach Wayne Nunnely retires By Brian McIntyre NFL.com May 14, 2012 Denver Broncos defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely announced that he was retiring Monday after more than three decades of coaching in the professional and college ranks. "It has been an absolute dream come true for me to coach for 36 years," Nunnely said in a statement released by the Broncos. "I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have been given to have a positive impact on others through the game of football. More than anything, I am proud of the accomplishments of the teams and players I have been so privileged to work with over the years." Jay Rodgers, a defensive assistant with the team, will replace Nunnely, the Broncos said. Nunnely, 60, has coached NFL defensive lines for the last 18 seasons, beginning with the New Orleans Saints (1995 to 1997) and continuing with 12 seasons with the San Diego Chargers. Nunnely had been the Broncos defensive line coach since "This was not an easy decision, but it was the right one for me and my family," Nunnely said. Rodgers, who coached at the college level for nearly a decade, has been with the Broncos since 2009 and was retained when head coach John Fox took over last season. The Broncos wrapped up their three-day rookie minicamp on Sunday and will hold their first set of offseason organized team activities on May 21.

12 Nunnely Retires By Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com May 14, 2012 ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After 36 years of coaching football -- including 17 in the NFL -- Wayne Nunnely is retiring from the game. It has been an absolute dream come true for me to coach for 36 years," Nunnely said in a statement. "I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have been given to have a positive impact on others through the game of football. More than anything, I am proud of the accomplishments of the teams and players I have been so privileged to work with over the years." Nunnely coached the Broncos defensive line for three seasons after spending 12 years coaching that position for the San Diego Chargers and two for the New Orleans Saints at the start of his NFL career. While the defense became his passion in the professional ranks, it wasn't always that way. I was a running back," Nunnely told DenverBroncos.com before the team's 2011 season opener. "I was coaching running backs the first year of my first college job. Our D-line coach quit that spring and for some reason, I always say it was God s will, he came to me and asked if I would coach the D-line. I coached it that year, left there, went to another school, coached D-line, went back to running backs for about eight years, and ended up with the D-line once again at UCLA my last college job. And then I was in the NFL after that I ve been coaching the D-line ever since. It was meant to be to coach the D-line, because my expertise at that time was running backs, but the good Lord saw fit for me that he knew in the future I was going to be coaching D-line. And he excelled coaching that position. His lines have contributed to seven seasons in which his teams have ranked among the league's top seven clubs in rushing yars per game allowed -- including No. 1 with San Diego in 2005 and In his first season with the Broncos, he coached the only line in the league comprised entirely of first-year full-time starters, and the team's three down linemen helped the Broncos rank seventh in the league in both yards per game and yards per play allowed in In addition, his group played a role in the club's 39 sacks -- the highest total in seven years and 10th-best output in the league that season.

13 Last season, Nunnely coached an entirely new defensive front for the second consecutive season in addition to implementing new schematic responsibilities with the defense s conversion to a 4-3 base. Elvis Dumervil earned his second career Pro Bowl selection in 2011 and the defensive line helped the Broncos post 41 sacks to mark their highest total in 11 years. Wayne has been an outstanding teacher and mentor for so many players and coaches throughout his career," Head Coach John Fox said in a statement. "His passion for the game is something that I greatly admire, and it s one of the many reasons why he was so valued and respected as a coach. Although I only had the opportunity to work with Wayne for one season, it was a pleasure to watch him coach. His positive influence on the defensive line was an important part of our team s success." When Wayne reflects on everything he accomplished in his career, I hope he is as proud as I am of what he has done as a coach. I am happy that Wayne will have the opportunity to spend more time with his family, and I congratulate him on a great coaching career. During his time in the NFL, Nunnely coached a number of talented players, including three Pro Bowlers in Jamal Williams, Marcellus Wiley and Dumervil. He s a great man and a great mentor off the field as well," Dumervil said of Nunnely. "He helped me become a mature person off the field. He s a great technician coach. He was always fiery and he always had it in gameday, practice -- he always came with it every day to work. Those were things I learned from him, no matter how you feel, you have to come to work every day, day in and day out. It s all about consistency and he showed a good example and was a role model for our defensive linemen. Defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson called Nunnely a "perfectionist," and said the defensive linemen will miss him this season. Defensive end Robert Ayers agreed. He definitely was, in my opinion, a very great coach in this league," Ayers said. "He s very established, and if you look at his résumé and the guys that he s coached there are a lot of Pro Bowlers and a lot of great players. He s going to be missed and we definitely learned a lot from him. He brought a lot to work. Guys fed off his tenacity. His passion for the game was intense and we all fed off that. One of the first African-American head coaches at the Division I level, Nunnely spent 18 years coaching in college including a four-year stint as the head coach of his alma mater, UNLV. Nunnely, 60, is married to Velda and they have three sons, Steven, Channing and Aaron, and one daughter, Amber.

14 "This was not an easy decision, but it was the right one for me and my family," Nunnely said. "At this stage of my life, I want to devote more time to my wife, Velda, and the rest of our family. They have been with me every step of the way through an incredible career that I ve been so blessed to enjoy. The NFL has a wonderful retirement plan, and it s time for me to begin the next chapter of my life." Jay Rodgers, who spent the last three seasons as a defensive assistant with the club -- including working primarily with Nunnely and the defensive line in now takes over as defensive line coach. Rodgers is in his fourth season with the club after working nine seasons at the collegiate level. The defensive line will be in good hands with Jay Rodgers, whom I ve worked with very closely for the last three years," Nunnely said. "He is very deserving of this opportunity, which he has earned through his hard work and knowledge. Jay has many great qualities as a person and coach that will make him successful in his new role. I will truly miss being around so many dedicated players and coaches here in Denver. I look forward to watching the Broncos and wish them all the best this season.

15 Rodgers Takes Over as Defensive Line Coach Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com May 14, 2012 With Wayne Nunnely retiring, Jay Rodgers who spent the past three seasons as a defensive assistant with the club, including working primarily with Nunnely and the defensive line in 2011 now takes over as the club s defensive line coach. I m excited for this opportunity, Rodgers said. I am extremely grateful to Coach Nunnely for all I ve learned from him over the past three seasons. Rodgers is in his fourth season with the club after working nine seasons at the collegiate level. The defensive line will be in good hands with Jay Rodgers, whom I ve worked with very closely for the last three years, Nunnely said. He is very deserving of this opportunity, which he has earned through his hard work and knowledge. Jay has many great qualities as a person and coach that will make him successful in his new role. Head Coach John Fox said he has no doubt that Rodgers time with Nunnely has prepared him for this opportunity that he has earned, and defensive end Elvis Dumervil agreed. He s a young, bright coach, Dumervil said of Rodgers. He knows a lot he s been around. I think he s extremely smart. He s learned a lot from Coach Nunnely as well and I think his future is bright. It was very fortunate to be able to have Coach Rodgers on staff and get him in. But, also sad to have Coach Nunnely retire. The Broncos will be back on the practice field this coming Monday for OTAs.

16 Stephen Robarge Named MLL Rookie Of The Week By Stuart Zaas DenverOutlaws.com May 14, 2012 DENVER Faceoff specialist Stephen Robarge was named the MLL Cascade Rookie Player of the Week for Week 3 of the 2012 MLL Season, the league announced on Monday. Robarge won 17-of-30 faceoffs (.567 pct.) and picked up four groundballsin his MLL debut, helping Denver improve to 3-0 with a win over Long Island. MLL is a big step from college and we are thrilled to see what he can do here, General Manager Tony Seaman said. He s come in and contributed right away and we re looking forward to watching him continue to improve. Robarge, who was drafted by Denver in the sixth round (44 th ) overall of the 2012 MLL Collegiate Draft out of VMI, won 8-of-13 faceoffs in the first half, helping Denver overcome an early deficit to close the half on a 9-1 run. Through three weeks of play, Robarge s 17-of-30 (.567) faceoff performance ranks fourth in the league among players with five-or-more faceoff attempts. Robarge earned the Outlaws an advantage on faceoffs against Long Island faceoff specialist Greg Gurenlian, who entered the game with an MLL-best.760 faceoff winning percentage. Gurenlian also lead the league in faceoffs last year prior to his season-ending injury. As a senior at VMI, Robarge won 67 percent of faceoffs, which lead the nation. His ground balls per game were the most since Geoff Snider in 2006 and rank eighth in NCAA history for a single season. Robarge was the first player in VMI history to be drafted into the MLL and was the only Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player to be selected in this year s draft. The award is the fourth Rookie of the Week that an Outlaws player has earned in the team s history and is the 25 th overall player of the week award garnered by an Outlaw (12 Offensive Players of the Week / 9 Defensive Players of the Week / 4 Rookies of the Week). Robarge is the first Outlaw to earn Rookie of the Week since Billy Bitter won the award in Week 3 of the 2011 season. Outlaws players have now earned MLL Player of the Week honors in four consecutive weeks dating back to Week 12 of the 2011 season, which represents a club record. The previous record streak had been three consecutive awards that was set during Weeks 1-3 of the 2011 season when Brendan Mundorf won

17 Offensive Player of the Week in Week 1, Jesse Schwartzman won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Week Awards in Weeks 2 and 3 and Billy Bitter taking home Rookie of the Week honors in Week 3.