The Denver Outlaws currently have a 1-1 record following the bye week. They kicked off their season with a rough 16-11 loss to the Carolina Chaos. This initial outing by the Outlaws left many fans scared, as it seemed like they had no plan for how to utilize Brennan O’Neill in their clunky offense. That was until Week 2 when O’Neill was slotted down to the attack line following a Logan Wisnauskas injury. This might have been the best thing to happen to this team, as O’Neill went on to showcase why he was selected first overall with 9 points and zero turnovers, securing the win. But that begs the question, what other issues does this Outlaws team face as they continue their season?
Firstly, I wrote an article earlier this week about the current headaches that the PLL schedule creates, with Denver playing only two games in four and a half weeks being one of those headaches. Despite the small sample size, fans must remember that this is still the same team that went 1-9 just a year prior, under the Chrome name. Even with an impressive win over the Archers, this team is still trying to find its identity and figure out how to win. Tim Soudan cannot expect O’Neill to drop 9 points on a weekly basis. I have not gained much confidence over the years in Soudan’s ability to adapt to the PLL style of play. Many fans moaned and groaned during the team’s Week 1 performance, stating how there was no resemblance of a “structured” offense, and I agree. The team played like a men’s league team more than anything, with no one really being sure who was going to initiate dodges or how they should be moving off-ball. These issues aren’t just going to go away with the addition of O’Neill.
The roster makeup doesn’t help. These are all professional athletes and, without a doubt, some of the best players on the planet. However, there is no denying just how young this team is, with most of the players being 23-25 in age. Much like every other professional sports league, you need to have veteran depth on the roster for both physical and mental reasons. Without this veteran presence, these young guys don’t have role models to show them how they should be playing at a professional level. The team being young is not a quick fix, as you can’t just expect these guys to age overnight. I have no doubt that this is a talented bunch, but they simply don’t have the experience to win games now.
With the 2024 season barely underway, the Outlaws have the opportunity to still prove themselves to the league. The main thing in their way is trust in Soudan to coach a PLL team and the overall experience of their roster. Soudan has shown that he can compete at this level, with the Chrome going 7-3 in the 2022 regular season. However, visually, the team did not flow how you would expect it to at the start of the year, and that comes back to coaching. Age and experience cannot be fixed right now. This team will just have to endure the ups and downs that come with a young roster, and hopefully, the experience and wins will follow.
