With the European League of Football entering its fourth season, the Vienna Vikings have made a significant move by signing Jan Phillip Bombeck, a defensive stalwart known for his prowess on the field. As he joins the Vikings, questions arise: could Bombeck be the missing piece in the team's quest for championship glory? Let's dive into the impact he might bring and how his addition could elevate the Vikings' defensive game to new heights.
Brief History
Since the European League of Football started 4 years ago, JP Bombeck has been one of the defensive stars and faces of the league. His career started in Hamburg with the Sea Devils, year 2 with the Leipzig Kings, then back with the Sea Devils, and now he will bring 68 career tackles and 26 sacks to the Vienna Vikings for year 4. The Vienna Vikings, a team looking to become a champion once again after being eliminated last year in the semifinals by the Stuttgart Surge now find themselves asking, did they find the missing piece with JP Bombeck?
The Bombeck Impact
Bombeck will be joining the Vienna Vikings with a career 26 sacks as a pass rusher and had 9.5 sacks coming off a rough second year with everything that happened with the Leipzig Kings. I would say JP Bombeck is more of a situational pass rusher from the standpoint that’s where he has had most of his success. His versatility allows him to play all 3 downs at Outside Linebacker or Defensive End, but also can affect his productivity in the run game or in coverage.
The Missing Piece
With an interesting defensive scheme from a personnel standpoint, did the Vienna Vikings find the missing piece in JP Bombeck? Last year the Vienna Vikings only had 16 sacks with Leon Balogh leading the team with 5 sacks. Although it wasn’t much of a factor as the Vikings still were one of the top defenses in the league, one can argue Bombeck could be the missing piece to take them to another level. The Vikings like to play with speed and athleticism in their back seven. With Balogh and Bombeck now coming off the edge rushing the passer from the exterior will allow their Defensive backs to play more aggressively, which is what they want to do. I question what their interior push can look like and if a team will focus to attack them more in the run game, but all in all the Vikings are a better defense today than what they were last season.
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