With only two games in Week 3 but four on the schedule for Week 4, it's time to take advantage of the high-level competition while we can. EZW, Fins Up and OneStop will all play twice this week, while Braves and Vultures each have a single matchup. Before looking ahead, I wanted to quickly highlight a few storylines from Week 3 before diving into what's coming up over the next few days.

Week 3 Storylines

Timoté Nehma-Lacasse Delivers a Career Performance

I had to double-check the box score when I saw that Timoté Nehma-Lacasse was the recipient of all five of Jeremy White's touchdown passes against Fins Up.

I briefly touched on the victory in my last article but never really went in-depth on how the game unfolded. With several three-touchdown games and two four-touchdown games already on his FPF résumé, Nehma-Lacasse finally reached a new career high in a comfortable win.

What makes the performance even more impressive is that White wasn't force-feeding his number-one target. Timoté only saw one more target than JC Ferland, who finished second on the team with six. Adding two interceptions on the defensive side of the ball further cemented this as a true two-way masterpiece.

Looking at Fins Up, giving the young Frederick Buteau the opportunity to take those quarterback reps was certainly bold. Perhaps the more experienced Simon Duchesne would have been the safer option, but those types of decisions are often part of developing younger players. Both teams now have an opportunity to either build on or erase the results from last week.

Conversions Help Braves Survive OneStop

If you told me Michael Caparelli finished with only four incompletions and 213 passing yards, I would have assumed OneStop won the game.

The problem is that two of those incompletions were interceptions, while another came on the final play of the first half. Braves capitalized on both turnovers, turning one of them directly into points and ultimately making the difference.

After Charles Cossette scored late to pull OneStop closer, Caparelli had an opportunity to tie the game but couldn't connect on the conversion attempt. That proved to be the turning point.

It wasn't a typical Braves performance either. Guillaume Beland was relatively quiet in the passing game, seeing only 14 attempts, while William Trottier had just four. Instead, the mobility of the Braves quarterbacks and the two interceptions proved to be the deciding factors.

That's what makes this loss sting for OneStop. Against the defending champions, they arguably played well enough to win but were undone by a handful of critical plays. The result may go down as a loss, but there were plenty of positives to take away from their performance.

Week 4 Matchups

EZW vs Braves

By the time this article is published, this game will likely be close to kickoff.

In their lone matchup last winter, Braves rolled to a 54-26 victory. Trottier threw seven touchdown passes in that contest while Jeremy White struggled with three interceptions.

The Braves roster isn't quite the same this week due to Team Canada's training camp approaching, but the depth of this team makes it difficult to imagine them missing much of a step. Even without players such as Phil Pharand, James Drysdale and Guillaume Beland, Braves still have more than enough talent to compete.

For EZW, this feels like one of the best opportunities they've had in recent seasons to knock off Braves. If there was ever a time to catch the dynasty slightly undermanned, it's now. EZW has always embraced the challenge and never lacks confidence on the sidelines.

Still, Braves always seem to find another gear when people start questioning them. I think EZW keeps it much closer than last winter, but Braves find a way once again.

Prediction: Braves def. EZW 38-36

EZW vs OneStop

A few hours later, EZW will be back on the field at Concordia against OneStop.

The first meeting resulted in a OneStop victory, but that game featured backup quarterbacks on both sides. Assuming both Michael Caparelli and Jeremy White are available this time around, this should be a completely different contest.

Charles Cossette is currently on pace to be in the conversation for Two-Way Player of the Year as he leads the division in both touchdowns and interceptions. Expect him to be heavily involved on both sides of the ball once again.

The big question for EZW is whether Timoté Nehma-Lacasse's breakout performance was a one-week explosion or the beginning of something bigger. After catching all five touchdowns last week, it's safe to assume White will continue looking his way.

OneStop has simply been the more consistent team so far, particularly on defence. Whether EZW enters this game hungry after a loss or energized after a win against Braves, I think OneStop finds a way to bounce back from last week's disappointment.

Prediction: OneStop def. EZW 37-32

Fins Up vs Vultures

Finally, somebody has to win.

Both teams remain winless, and both teams have looked far different than many expected entering the season. Fins Up has already had 12 different players suit up through its first few games, making continuity difficult. Vultures aren't much better, having already used 14 players.

Neither Will Power nor Ben McMahon has played to the standard we've come to expect. Whether it's new rosters, summer absences or simply early-season rust, both offences are still searching for consistency.

At some point, one of these teams is going to remember who they are.

Statistically, the teams are remarkably similar in points scored and points allowed. Fins Up has moved the ball more effectively offensively, but I still trust McMahon a little more when the game is on the line.

The player matchup I'm most interested in watching is Manu Allard-Roy for Fins Up against Olivier Joly for Vultures. Both have the ability to swing momentum in an instant.

Vultures have already faced Braves twice, making their schedule significantly tougher to start the season. I think that experience helps them here.

Prediction: Vultures def. Fins Up 30-18

Fins Up vs OneStop

The week concludes with a rematch from Opening Week, where OneStop defeated Fins Up 40-20.

That game was difficult for Fins Up from the start. Will Power threw three interceptions, while OneStop converted all five of its conversion attempts, creating an additional ten-point swing.

For OneStop, I know exactly what core group will show up every week. With Fins Up, there's still some uncertainty regarding who will be available from one game to the next.

If my prediction holds and Fins Up loses to Vultures earlier in the week, this game becomes even more important. Starting 0-4 in a five-team division would create a difficult path back into playoff positioning regardless of how early it still is.

One matchup worth watching will be the speed of Carl Achy and Joey Notaro against the defensive backs on the OneStop side, particularly Cossette and Jahnai Lewis.

This one should be much closer than the first meeting, but I still think OneStop completes the season sweep.

Prediction: OneStop def. Fins Up 29-28

Closing Remarks

That's all for this week's article. With the heat we've been dealing with lately, best of luck to all five teams as they battle through another busy week of Division A football. Staying hydrated may end up being just as important as any game plan, especially for the teams playing twice over the next few days.

Week 4 should give us plenty of answers. Can OneStop bounce back from their tough loss to Braves? Will Vultures or Fins Up  or both finally get into the win column? Can EZW take advantage of an undermanned Braves roster? And perhaps most importantly, what will the standings look like by this time next week?

As always, if there's a player, team or storyline you'd like to see covered in a future article, don't hesitate to reach out to me at the fields or on social media.

Instagram/Facebook: @keyoncyrus