Don’t worry D2, I haven’t forgotten about you guys.

We are in the middle of Week 4 at the time of writing, but I wanted to highlight a few things before the week is over. This article will briefly look at some Week 3 headlines while also taking a closer look at a few teams near the bottom of the standings. We are slowly approaching the midpoint of the season, so it’s important for those teams in particular to get things back on track if they want to stay in the playoff race.

Week 3 Headlines

Team Ethnik Erasing Their Early Season Troubles

After an 0-3 start, I was concerned Team Ethnik might have dug themselves too deep of a hole. Three wins later, they are right back in the playoff conversation.

Over their last three games, they haven’t allowed more than 25 points. Benoit Lawlor has also completed over 60% of his passes in every game during that stretch while throwing 16 touchdowns.

Offensively, the production has been spread out even with David De Andrade leading the receiving corps. My question with Team Ethnik has always been the defence because scoring points has never really been the issue. The play of Denzel Eadie-Lowe has been huge. When he’s on the field, he has the speed to stay with some of the fastest receivers in the division and make life difficult on opposing quarterbacks.

They even opened Week 4 with another win, bringing their record to 3-3. The only concern now is the schedule. Team Ethnik won't play again for nearly a month. Will rust be a factor when they return in July?

Viscious & Delicious Nearly Hang 60

Sitting near the top of the standings is Viscious & Delicious at 4-1. Anthony Robichaud continues to build a strong case alongside Texas Whales quarterback Tyler Cousins for QB of the Year at the halfway mark.

In their most recent game against Brewers, Viscious & Delicious nearly reached the 60-point mark, finishing with 59.

Antoine Coté led all receivers with 123 yards and three touchdowns. Robichaud did his usual damage with seven touchdown passes, while the defence contributed as well with touchdowns from Olivier McDuff and Antoine Perreault-Brière.

It was a complete performance from both sides of the ball and performances like that should have the rest of the division paying attention.

Rushers Making Noise Near the Top of the Sack Race

One of the most important positions in flag football is the rusher. A great rusher can completely ruin a quarterback's rhythm through sacks, pressure, bat downs and even interceptions.

With the introduction of the Rusher of the Year award last season, there's even more motivation for rushers to get home.

Currently, three players sit at the top of the standings: Jason Rudie, Gianni Johnston and Jean-Sebastien St-Arneault.

Starting with St-Arneault, he has built a reputation as one of the most reliable rushers in FPF. His six sacks in four games have been a huge reason why Viscious & Delicious continues to succeed.

Gianni Johnston is no stranger to sack leaderboards either. He has recorded double-digit sacks in more than half of his FPF seasons. Seeing him near the top again shouldn't surprise anyone.

Holding the top spot is Jason Rudie from Richter BFO. I've watched Rudie rush before and even had the chance to play alongside him in 5v5. While he may be newer to FPF than the other names mentioned, his impact is undeniable. The scary part is he's still relatively new compared to some of the veterans around him.

A five-sack performance helped launch him to the top of the standings, but he has also recorded at least one sack in every game but one. He has the speed to get to quarterbacks and the reach to create game-changing bat downs.

The question now is simple: can Rudie hold onto the top spot by season's end?

Teams Trending South After Week 3

Crown Boyz

Outside of their victory over Trinity, Crown Boyz have lost every game by at least 10 points.

The good news is that the schedule still provides opportunities to turn things around. The bad news is the margin for error is shrinking every week. They still have to face Bandits, Texas Whales and 4th Down Freaks in the coming weeks.

I know Deion Thompson remains confident in his group and there are positive signs. Despite the struggles, Crown Boyz currently rank second in the division in offensive yardage.

The issue is converting those yards into points and generating enough stops defensively. If they can improve in those two areas, they still have enough talent to make things interesting.

PSTM

A team struggling to move the ball consistently is PSTM, who rank second last in offensive yardage.

Even though Jesse Kotlarczyk already has six interceptions, he's actually on pace for one of his better seasons when it comes to limiting turnovers. The issue feels less like talent and more like execution.

If PSTM can turn some of their stalled drives into touchdowns instead of unsuccessful fourth-down attempts, their season outlook could change quickly.

The team has plenty of FPF experience, but this is arguably the toughest division they have competed in. Ryan McNally continues to contribute on both sides of the ball, Jordan Le has played well and Julian Salvatore remains a disruptive presence as a rusher.

Their schedule contains games they can absolutely win, but they'll need to capitalize on those opportunities soon.

Stealzz

One of the teams remaining on PSTM's schedule is Stealzz.

I played against Stealzz during their first season last year and the biggest thing they still lack is experience. They have athletes and they've added a legitimate two-way threat in Jeremy Martinet, who currently leads the division in defensive interceptions while continuing to develop as a quarterback.

The reality is they're probably better than their record suggests.

Even with Martinet generating turnovers, Stealzz continue to struggle finishing drives and allowing teams to sustain offensive possessions. They're actually quite good at limiting explosive plays, but they still sit near the bottom of the division defensively.

A tough opening schedule featuring teams like Texas Whales and Richter hasn't helped. The second half of the season looks much more manageable and a 4-6 or even 5-5 finish isn't out of the question.

Trinity

Trinity finished 5-5 last spring and received a strong season from Raphael Bernier.

Looking at this year's roster, the biggest difference is availability. Michael Couette and Antoine Piché, two of Bernier's top targets from last season, haven't been full-time contributors.

Outside of Hugo Quintin, the offence hasn't generated enough consistent production. Defensively, Trinity sits around the middle-to-lower portion of the standings and continues to give up at least one big play seemingly every game.

The good news is many of the teams fighting near the bottom will still play one another. Trinity controls its own destiny more than people might think.

Brewers

Rounding out the list is the veteran Brewers squad.

The offence continues to show that this team is better than its record suggests. With Peeze's style of play, moving the ball has rarely been the problem.

The problem is turnovers.

Peeze currently leads the division with 11 interceptions, something he knows better than anyone needs to improve. At the same time, having six different receivers with at least 10 receptions makes the offence difficult to defend because opponents never know where the ball is going next.

Defensively, Devin Glover continues to be a force as a rusher and is currently tied for fourth in sacks.

For Brewers, the formula isn't complicated. Cut down the turnovers, tighten things up defensively and they'll give themselves a chance every single week. The urgency is there now because the standings won't wait forever.

Closing Remarks

That's all for this week's article. As we continue getting closer to the midpoint of the season, the standings are beginning to tell a clearer story. Some teams are building momentum at the right time, while others are quickly running out of opportunities to climb back into the playoff picture.

The good news for the teams near the bottom is that there is still plenty of football left to be played. Many of the teams discussed in this article will still face each other over the next few weeks, giving them a chance to directly impact the standings and turn their season around.

With the heat continuing to be a factor and several important matchups still to be played this weekend, best of luck to everyone taking the field. By this time next week, we'll have a much better idea of whether teams like Crown Boyz, PSTM, Stealzz, Trinity and Brewers are beginning to make their move or if the teams at the top are starting to pull away from the pack.

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.

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