Tier 4: Grading the Field Part 1 & A Sit-Down with Jeremy Steinberg

We’re heading into Week 7, and the season’s starting to take shape. Six weeks in, we’ve seen blowouts, upsets, breakout players, and a few teams proving they’re legit contenders. This week’s article is all about taking a step back to look at the bigger picture — a mid-season review covering half the teams across Tier 4. I’ll be breaking down each squad’s journey so far, handing out grades on offence, defence, and overall performance, naming their team MVP, and sharing my predictions for how I see them finishing down the stretch. Before diving into the team breakdowns, I’ll go over my Week 5 fantasy lineup results and share my interview with Jeremy Steinberg, who gave some great insight on his team, the Tier 4 competition, and what to expect heading into the second half of the season.

 

QB: Adam Malinoff (vs Uncle Rico’s Ryders) Stats: 9/25, 161yds, 6 TDs, 35yds rushing, 1 PD

         Total: 34.44

WR: Dominic Weidner (vs Vice City) Stats: 5 rec, 88yds, 1 TD

         Total: 19.80

WR: Dylan Merovitz (vs NoFlagsGiven) Stats: 3 rec, 39yds, 2 TDs, 1x 2pt convert

         Total: 20.90 

Rusher: Thierry Levasseur (vs Texas Whales) Stats: 2 rec, 11yds, 1 TD, 2 sacks, 1yd rushing

         Total: 11.20

DB: Clifdji Solon (vs Dog Walkers) Stats: 4 rec, 54yds, 1 TD, 1 sack, 1 PD

         Total 16.90

DB: Christopher Cassamajor (vs Reborn Prospects) Stats: 2 tackles

         Total: 0.00

Flex: Justin Lerner (vs Richter) Stats: 4 rec, 77yds, 1 PD

         Total: 12.20

Flex: Kyle Daniel (vs TuneSquad) Stats: 1 rec, 31yds, 1 PD

         Total: 4.60

Defence: Glogang (vs Flag Dealers): 1 sack, 1 INT

         Total: 3.00

Team Total: 123.04 pts

This week’s spotlight goes to Jeremy Steinberg, quarterback for Richter and known as one of the top young rushers in all of FPF. Currently recovering from injury, Jeremy talked with me about his journey in flag football, his team’s progress this season, and what keeps him motivated.

This season in Tier 4, I was supposed to be the quarterback for Richter. I first started playing flag back in the Winter 2023 season when a friend asked me to join his team in Division 5B as a rusher. Since then, I’ve developed a real passion for rushing and flag football in general. It’s become something I look forward to every season, and I’m hopeful to make a full comeback from my injury for the Summer 2026 season.

 

If you’re new to rushing, remember that it’s not all about speed. You can make a significant difference by getting your hands in the passing lanes and forcing the quarterback to feel your presence on every play. It’s about timing and awareness more than pure pace. On the flip side, if you’re just starting out as a quarterback, don’t get too caught up in watching the rusher. It’s easy to panic when someone’s closing in fast, but the more you focus on that, the less you’ll see downfield. Stay calm, trust your reads, and let the timing come with experience and reps.

 

 

Two teams I haven’t faced yet that I’d love to play against in Tier 4 are Sophomore XL and Reborn Prospects. Both are always near the top of the division and constant championship contenders — especially with Reborn Prospects winning it all this past winter in Division 5A. I see Richter as a contender too, and to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. I’ll be out of town, but I’m really looking forward to seeing how our matchup against Sophomore XL goes on October 26.

 

Even though I’m out for the season, I’ve been really encouraged by how much we’ve improved at quarterback. Adam Malinoff has championship-level confidence and has been making plays with the weapons around him. You can tell the guys trust him. The only setback we’ve had been a few injuries across the roster. Luckily, I’mthe only long-term one, so, I’m hoping everyone else can rest up and get healthy for the playoffs. When we’re at full strength, I think we can compete with anyone in Tier 4.

 

                            

Before my injury, I was supposed to be the rusher for Raw Dawgs in 5v5 Competitive and Vultures in Tier 1. Rushing at the highest level has always been something I’ve wanted to do, so once I’m healthy again, I want to pick up right where I left off and test myself against the best players in Canada.

 

 

Excluding Richter, I’d say Uncle Rico’s Ryders and Rum & Coke are both built to make deep playoff runs. Uncle Rico’s Ryders have been around for a while and have the talent to bounce back after getting upset early last season. Rum & Coke is a serious threat if they have their full roster and Dante Girardi stays healthy — he’s one of the best QBs in the division. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Studz go the distance. They were Division E champions, Division D semifinalists, and they currently have the best offence in Tier 4.

 

 

On my team, I’d say Jason Rudie. He’s been dealing with a minor injury, but once he’s back, he can be an absolute game wrecker at rusher. Around the division, I think Jake Applebaum from TuneSquad and Ronen Friedman from Monstars both deserve more credit. Jake’s one of the toughest players to throw against, and Ronen’s been a great rusher — the stats don’t show how disruptive he really is. As for underrated teams, I’ll go with Dragon Magique. They always seem to turn it up come playoff time and have the experience to pull off big upsets.

 

I obviously love watching football, but one thing people don’t know is that I’ve gotten really into professional darts. I started watching it in December — mainly the European leagues — and it’s way more entertaining than people think. I even bought my own dartboard, and now I play all the time.

Offensive Grade: B

Defensive Grade: B-

Team MVP: Richie Mondesir

 

Ball Hawks starts and ends with Richie Mondesir. Being the guy who throws for the team and captains their defence, his voice and IQ is everywhere. His main target is Rayray Franklin who is 4th in receiving yards and 2nd in TDs but if teams start playing off that, who will come in support? Their defence is very active but when they are out of position, it’s very noticeable. Their team is balanced in where I see strengths  but also improvements. Ball Hawks should make the playoffs but how far can they go?

Offensive Grade: B-

Defensive Grade: B

Team MVP: Rocco Christiano

 

The record doesn’t show it all but for Bible Study, they don’t have a loss with a margin of 10+ points, yet they have only won 2 games. They have won the games I expected and loss games that with either better offensive execution or an extra stop

on defence, they can easily be at .500. Evan Vavinis is getting better as the season goes on and having Christiano is the perfect way to havea safety blanket receiver that can either run deep or a short hook and either way house it for a 40yd TD. Nicholas Fon has been the star on defence and if Bible Study can get at least a win in their last two games, that might get them a playoff spot, with the earlier tie to Chomedey Chodes being a huge factor. 

 

Offensive Grade: B-

Defensive Grade: C

Team MVP: Louis Messier-Lavallee

 

Under the efficient ball of Peeze Della Rocca, Brewers are in firm control of their playoff destiny. A team of veterans that enjoy playing flag, their offence might be boring to some to watch but it gets the job done and they have fun doing so. Messier-Lavallee has been the best player on offence with his 7 TDs and  231yds. I’ve seen him play in several seasons and he’s fast especially after the catch. Brewers do have an issue on defence since they don’t generate much turnovers as they

only have 3 INTs on the season as a team. With Alexi Dubois and Émile Skaf, I expected the team to have more turnovers on defence but with 4 games left, there’s enough time to build on that side of the ball and secure a post-season berth.

 

Offensive Grade: B

Defensive Grade: C+

Team MVP: Jonathan Bottazzi

 

Sitting with a 2-4-1 record, it’s been a roller coaster ride for Chomedey Chodes. The Bottazzi connection is on display again as Matthew has 32 TDs in 7 games and 

Jonathan is once again near the top of every receiving stat. Only thing about this is that even though the brothers are lighting up the stats, they can’t seem to defend and 

get enough to get wins. They have had 3 close losses which could’ve turned into wins

if they were able to get defensive stops. They are also a team to talk a lot on the field and maybe that can be a disadvantage. They have 3 games left in the regular season and I can see them winning all 3 but also losing them if they end up missing one of their stars or their defence doesn’t step up.

 

Offensive Grade: D

Defensive Grade: C

Team MVP: Nick Kousaie

 

It was especially rough in the very early part of the season for Dog Walkers, but it seems that now they have found some stability in QB Evan Campbell. This is a

solid IQ team but without much of an offence, you put your defence at a disadvantage 

with horrible field position nearly every possession. They are in the middle pack of 

INTs on defence which is a start. Even though they allow 35.5pts in the league which is 3rd worse, I see a lot of that is due to poor field position the defence is in. Kousaie has been the bright spot on offence with 174yds and 17 receptions but with players such as Julian McLaren-Thompson and Mike Badibabungi, I’m a little surprised these vets haven’t been able to construct a simple offence so far. From what I’ve seen in their games, Campbell is athletic but can benefit from more short routes. He has an arm, but simple hooks and simple concepts can perhaps help him improve his vision as a QB should he continue.

 

Offensive Grade: B

Defensive Grade: A+

Team MVP: Charles Mimeault

 

Jeremy Steinberg’s dark horse of a team to make noise in the post-season and I must agree. Dragon Magique’s record doesn’t explain the full story. Charles Mimeault’s 5 INTs in 3 games played is game changing and the team is top 3 in both INTs and sacks this season so far. Solid teams scoring 25pts in a game is normal in Tier 4, but their offence surprisingly can’t get the extra score to win in these close contests. All 3 losses have been less than 6pts. They are against playoff teams so this can prepare them for that.

 

 

Offensive Grade: C

Defensive Grade: B

Team MVP: Karin Madji

 

I had better expectations than the 1-6 record the team has at this point. They were able to dominate Dog Walkers with 57pts scored and lost to the 7-0 Reborn Prospects in the final second but have lost big in the majority of their games. Marc-André Senécal loves throwing deep which when defences can predict that, they can play to their advantage. FC Bing have solid players in Charles Vuong, Yvan Salomon and Karin Madji to have a fluent offence. Speaking of the latter, Madji is near the top of the receiving stats for his team and has 4 sacks this season. FC Bing have a tough ending to their season in Uncle Rico’s Ryders, Texas Whales and Dragon Magique but if they can dig deep and get maybe 2 wins, who knows if that can be enough with the tiebreakers to advance?

 

Offensive Grade: C

Defensive Grade: B-

Team MVP: Thierry Levasseur

 

The runner-up’s of the Div F finals last season have had a tough welcoming into Tier 4. A few Div F teams who have made the jump to Tier 4 are learning the hard way but it’s the only way to get better. Mathieu Couturier is improving at being a duel-threat QB as he’s top 5 in both rushing yards and TDs. He’s found a solid trio between Jacob Pilon, Guillaume Couture and Olivier Lledo but he does need to limit the 10 INTs he has in 7 games. On the defensive side, Levasseur leads the division with 14 sacks and can hit 20 by the time the season is done. He’s quick, athletic and has the awareness to time his tackles to make them when they count. He just needs help behind him as sometimes opposing offences can find open glass too many times. The season isn’t over for First Down Snifflers but with two tough games to finish the season, they would need to 100% beat Flag Dealers, or I don’t see them making the post-season. 

 

Offensive Grade: C-

Defensive Grade: C-

Team MVP: Eric Hamparsoumian

 

The veteran team hasn’t found success in this season’s Tier 4. With mainly the same core of players for the past couple of years, Flag Dealers always show flashes of high-powered offences, but it seems that their defence is always struggling. My question during the pre-season was if Roy Khalil can avoid turnovers and the answer to that is the 2 INTs per game so far which doesn’t help the 5th worse offence in the division. Hamparsoumian has been playing solid on both sides as he has a team high 2 INTs and tied with the team high of 7 TDs on offence. Both Michael and Marc Haddad have contributed on both sides of the ball is a big way for this team but if they can’t figure out their turnover troubles and getting more turnovers on the defensive end, this looks to be another failed playoff appearance for this team.

 

Offensive Grade: C+

Defensive Grade: C

Team MVP: Vincent Demers

 

Even though Fabrice Tremblay isn’t the QB, William Seguin has been solid and the 2-5 record doesn’t really show it. This is a veteran team who also has players playing in Tier 3 so it's surprising that in Tier 4 with the experience they have. Demers isn’t having the dominant rushing season as I expected but with 5 sacks so far and taking more of an offensive responsibility by leading the team in all major stats, his impact is still on both sides of the ball. They have lost back-to-back games to Team Ethnik and First Down Snifflers and I would have thought they would have won both games. With a 2-5 record, they would need to win 4 games I think to have a chance in the playoffs, but it would be decided by tiebreakers to solidify their ticket to the playoffs.

 

Offensive Grade: B+

Defensive Grade: A+

Team MVP: Nathanael Dinku

 

With the recent success this group has had in recent seasons, there’s no surprised

they sit at the top spot in the standings. I believe this is the most athletic defense in the division as every player is capable of not only getting an INT but also housing it. Dinku can take a short catch into a 40yd TD with his speed and can jump passing lanes for an INT. McRodly JeanMarie’s first season at QB in almost 7 years is going very well and if he can limit the INTs and sacks, especially in the playoffs, Reborn Prospects are seemingly a lock into the top 4.

 

Offensive Grade: A

Defensive Grade: B-

Team MVP: Nicholas Di Maulo

 

The loss of Jeremy Steinberg is huge but adding Malinoff as the QB replacement 

can be what this team needed to be a true championship contender. Malinoff has already proven in the 18 TDs in 3 games that he can elevate the offence towards the top of the league. Nicholas Di Maulo is a cheat code for any QB in any division and having him in Tier 4 is no surprise to his 10 TDs so far. If Richter can generate more stops on defence, I would have them in the same range as Reborn Prospects but until I see that, to me, they are a team knocking on the door. 

Offensive Grade: A

Defensive Grade: C-

Team MVP: Dante Girardi

 

This team is one of the most talented in the division but with the lack of availability, Rum & Coke sits at 3-3. I watched Dante Girardi have an amazing performance against the undefeated Nut & Run as he put 7 TDs and 71.4% but his team lost 56-47 in easily the game of the season. I’m also giving Rum & Coke some grace as last night was the first time they have been at full strength or at least closest all season. With a full team, they can keep up with anyone on the offensive side with Gerardi, his brother Matteo Girardi who leads the team with 9 TDs, Felix Clairmont, Hunter Beriault and Ben McMahon. It’s the defence and being bottom 3 in both sacks and INTs, even if Girardi puts up these amazing stats, it will be hard to win games. I still think Rum & Coke will reach the post-season but the factor between being a semifinalist team which I think is still easy to say with their full roster is the availability of their players towards the end of the season and perhaps post-season. 

Offensive Grade: C-

Defensive Grade: C

Team MVP: Marvin Renaud

 

It’s been an uphill battle for Sans Pression in Tier 4. With arguably the largest roster as they will routinely have 9+ guys play, the well-rested advantage doesn’t help on the field for their case. Isaac Chavannes isn’t having the greatest season at QB as his connections with his receivers haven’t been much so far. Kevin Felima has played QB in two games, and the offence has been easily better in those games. Perhaps a switch would be needed for Sans Pression to make playoffs. Marvin Renaud leads the team offensively and it’s no surprise for this elite talent to being the main target in Tier 4. Sans Pression would need to fix their defence as they aren’t able to generate turnovers or many sacks. If they can fix these things on defence and their QB situation, their playoff chances aren’t completely out the window.

 

Offensive Grade: C

Defensive Grade: D+

Team MVP: Carl Murray

 

It’s been an inconsistent season for Sour Puss which has led them to a 1-7 record. In games where they can manage their opposition’s points, their offence won’t be able to score and when their offence can score points, their defence is allowing more. Franco Russo has thrown 29 TDs but has been sacked the second highest 16 times. His main target in Murray has been the number 1 option especially in short yardages as he has 39 receptions and 8 TDs. On defence, having only 1 sack as a team gives opposing QBs much more time to scan the offence and as a result, their defence will give up plays if there’s no pressure for a QB. Mathematically, Sour Puss aren’t eliminated from playoff contention, but they would need to win the remaining two games and get a lot of help from other teams for the tiebreakers.

 

Offensive Grade: A+

Defensive Grade: B

Team MVP: Philippe Gélinas

 

Studz are back and looking to add another banner in their collection. They have the best offence right now, Philippe Gélinas leads the division in passing yards and TDs and has a complete receiving group. The Studz offence is no joke as they have put up over 40+pts on 3 occasions but my only concern on that side of the ball is what will happen if they face a top defence? I know they can do it as they put up 40pts on my Sophomore XL squad in Spring 2025 enroute to a championship but now in Tier 4, can they replicate that come November and December?

 

 

Offensive Grade: B

Defensive Grade: B-

Team MVP: Dylan Merovitz

 

For their record, players and history as a team, I’m a little disappointed in the current record in TuneSquad. Even for the wins they have gotten, I would have expected a bigger margin of victory. Garner Ross has had no issues finding Dylan Merovitz all over the field as he is 3rd in receiving yards and 4th in TDs. Having Jake Applebaum and Kendal Mayers are two athletic two-way players who I would expect to have more of an impact on the stats as the currently do even though when I watch them play, they are both involved. I just think you can elevate the offence and defence if they can play at a higher level that I know they can. TuneSquad should make the playoffs, but I can see them either making a deep run or sadly an early round exit.

QB: Dylan Boudreau (vs Sans Pression)

WR: George Spano (vs Monstars)

WR: Fabrice Tremblay (vs Team Ethnik)

Rusher: Lucas Diamantopoulos (vs Reborn Prospects)

DB: Émile Bolullo (vs Team Ethnik) 

DB: Jean Gardy (vs Show me your TDs)

Flex: Ryan Vanslet (vs Bend Don’t Break)

Flex: Agostino Giagnacovo (vs Voodoo)

Defence: NoFlagsGiven (vs Voodoo)

 

 

Here’s your article ahead of Week 7. Many teams have played half or nearly half of their season so next week so I will finish the rest of the division’s team reviews. Thanks to Jeremy Steinberg for his time and speedy recovery on his injury. If you haven’t yet, check out the FPF weekly podcast 1st & Goal on YouTube; hosted by Brent Bodkin and Quaysie Gordon Maule. See you next week and if you have any comments or suggestions, you can always reach out to me on Facebook or Instagram!