The Larkspur Bowl: 2017 Phoenix Uprising

Sunday, December 31, 2017

2017 Phoenix Uprising

Team: Phoenix Uprising
Owner: Kevin Grimes
2017 Synopsis: Oops, I did it again... for the fourth time in eight years

Final Roster:
QB: Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers, Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins
RB: Adrian Peterson, Kenyan Drake, Samaje Perine, Ameer Abdullah, Jamaal Williams, Kerwynn Williams
WR: Brandin Cooks, Dez Bryant, Amari Cooper, Davante Parker, Josh Gordon, Dede Westbrook, Jordan Matthews
TE: Jimmy Graham, Coby Fleener, Ricky Seals-Jones
DL: Khalil Mack, Jason Pierre-Paul, Michael Brockers
LB: Ryan Shazier, Navorro Bowman, Deone Bucannon, Preston Brown, Lawrence Timmons, Derrick Johnson
CB: Jalen Ramsey, Marcus Peters, Xavier Rhodes, Desmond Trufant, Stephon Gilmore
SS: Reshad Jones, Keanu Neal, Kenny Vaccaro, Kam Chancellor
PK: Chris Boswell

Trades:

Season Analysis:
After a pair of bad losses and a heart breaker to Pawnee in week three, the 0-3 Uprising's ambition to extend their streak of medal stand appearances to eight years running seemed imperiled. Instead, Phoenix won eleven of twelve en route to the team's fourth Larkspur Bowl title, their first since 2013. Twice the runner up in the intervening years, the Uprising were dominant through the middle weeks, and despite some November toil were able to clinch the two seed and a bye, never dropping below 182 points. Catching their second wind, the team ousted the surging Savannah Petes and then outlasted a HCM team that was coming off some overwhelming production; Over the course of the season Phoenix's roster saw significant changes, with their 99 moves pacing the league. The team saw an incredible nine different QBs take snaps over the course of fifteen games: Andy Dalton, Alex Smith, Carson Palmer, Deshaun Watson, Jared Goff, Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, and Nick Foles all having a turn. You know what? It worked.