Iguana Strikes Back

Historical Record
If we're measuring success by Super Bowl appearances, the Fat Jubas have been one of the most successful franchises in CTDB history. They advanced to the championship round four times -- 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 -- and won a Super Bowl on their third visit. They also racked up an impressive eight playoff showings and two divisional titles. Those exploits make them second only to Gang Green's achievements in the Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses division.

The Jubas have been savvily guide by Eric and are usually championship contenders and have had their share of big wins. Their 2002-2003 seasons were almost identical. Second place finishes in the division despite losing records, and then a joy filled romp to the Super Bowl.

Strangely, for a team with so much success, they only show up in the league record books once: for a second place showing on Most Points Allowed Season, in 2002. And the Fatties have an overall losing record of 74-80-2 (.481) for the past decade, which is surprising. Some would say that the early weakness of the SMG division gave the then Flaming Shrapnel a leg up, but those people might be just jealous of their postseason success.

Their divisonal rivalry with Gang Green is very lopsided, as they've lost 17 of 23 matchups. They have picked on the Fobsters and Phreaks franchise over the years though, compiling a 29-14 record against those two. Although of late the Jubas have had a disconcerting tendency to be upset in the playoffs by the Fobsters. Perhaps the best measure of the Jubas is to compare them with Battle Angel, who are similar in overall record, head to head matchups, and one championship each. Overall the Jubas have enjoyed a lot of unexpected playoff success but also some heartaches. They're looking to steady the ship heading into our eleventh year and are poised to do it quite well.

Core Roster
The Flaming Shrapnel stumbled out of the gates in 2001 but always had quite the roster of talented players on board. Ahman Green was the franchise running back and he was backed up by Anthony Thomas, Jamal Lewis (IR early), Garrison Hearst, and a young Shaun Alexander -- still stuck behind Ricky Watters. This sort of crowded backfield would come to define GM Eric's strategy for his early years. A few weeks into that first season, Green was shipped out for Eddie George, who had a very poor year. However, by 2002, George, Anthony Thomas, and Jamal Lewis would prove to be a capable running attack. Two years later, that potpourri would include be two younger backs, Domanick Davis and Chris Brown, who never quite sustained their early promise. Other RBs the grace the roster during this time included William Green, Tiki Barber, Warrick Dunn, Onterrio Smith, Thomas Jones, Tyrone Wheatley, and Cedric Benson before he was relevant.

It wasn't until 2005 that the Jubas found another franchise runner via trade: Shaun Alexander. A record setting season for Alexander led to a Super Bowl trophy for Eric. The next year, GM Eric got another franchise runner via trade, Frank Gore. By the time Alexander was ingloriously released in 2007, Ryan Grant and Michael Turner were ready for their star turns. After a disastrous 2009 season, GM Eric acquired Chris Johnson in a possible steal. With Gore still on board, and Darren McFadden finally cashing in on his promise, the Jubas enter the new decade with a fantastic three headed monster. Keep in mind, all those franchise making trades for RB came at the expense of Chunky Monkeys.

As the Jubas' backfield was turbulent and flipped over for many years, the receiving corps always had star power and production. Led off by Terrell Owens and Eric Moulds, the team had a nice tradition of a nice 1-2 punch and then a veteran in the third receiver role. Players like Cris Carter, Rod Smith, Jimmy Smith, Laveranues Coles, and Lee Evans had a good season or two before fading on. GM Eric also moved quickly on the waiver wire. Anquan Boldin exploded on the scene in 2003 as a rookie and GM Eric was right there to scoop him up. Another fantastic free agent came in 2006, right as the gap for a TO sized receiver was needed. Marques Colston was undrafted and ended up becoming an important cog in the Jubas' success for the next five years.

Young versions of Dwayne Bowe, Sidney Rice, and Brandon Marshall were also drafted or picked up by Eric. The scouting department for receivers is clearly underpaid at the Jubas' headquarters. Recently, they have started a tight end fascination too, as 2009-10 featured the likes of Dallas Clark, Tony Gonzalez, and Vernon Davis logging plenty of minutes. I believe all three even started a game in last season for the Jubas.

Let's talk about that quarterback position. The inaugural season featured Elvis Grbac and Alex Van Pelt. Trent Green steadied the position before Aaron Brooks came in for one outstanding year. The year after that, a trade for Steve McNair saved the 2003 season, and then Marc Bulger stepped onto the scene, leading Fat Jubas to a championship and steadying the position for a nice stretch. Eric caught Derek Anderson's one great year and then nabbed Kurt Warner for his two year resurgence. Last year, the Jubas traded for the steadiest QB in the game, Peyton Manning. However, with the great track record of grabbing QBs during their career peaks, Manning could just be a luxury.

After winning a divisional title last year, the Jubas have their strongest team on paper ever. Peyton Manning, Chris Johnson, Frank Gore, Darren McFadden, Marques Colston, Vincent Jackson, and Vernon Davis. There's a wealth of talent here and the Jubas are ready to challenge Gang Green for SMG accolades.

Season Breakdowns
2010: 8-5; Won a division title, started off 7-1, but upset by Fobsters in the divisional finals
2009: 4-8-1; Lost three in a row to end the season, sliding to last place in the division
2008: 7-6; Second in the division, mid-season five game winning streak, lost in the divisional round to eventual champion Battle Angels
2007: 6-7; Second in division, started off 2-6, upset in the first round by Fobsters
2006: 9-4; Won division, started off 5-2, advanced to the Super Bowl but lost to Chunky Monkeys
2005: 8-5; Second in the division, advanced to the Super Bowl, won their first championship versus Chunky Monkeys
2004: 7-6; Snuck into the playoffs, lost by three points in the first round to Battle Angels
2003: 6-7; Second in the division, advanced to the Super Bowl before losing to the Tiiite End Jammers
2002: 6-7; Second in the division, advanced to the Super Bowl before losing to the Dirty Birds
2001: 3-10; A lowly last place finish in the division

Stats (full)
Highest Avg Game Score, Season: 124.15 (2009)
Most Points Scored, Game: 161 (2009)
Least Points Scored, Game: 50 (2003)
Best Margin of Victory, Game: 93 (2008)
Worst Margin of Defeat, Game: -79 (2005)
Longest Winning Streak, Season: 9 (2006)
Longest Losing Streak, Season: 5 (2002)