2HD prove they are for real; Jumpmans stay alive

Seven games into the winter ’16 season and only one team is mathematically eliminated (La Sauce). Further, this one team has played the whole season without its quarterback. Imagine if Francois Raymond was playing? La Sauce would have at least a couple victories to their name and would still be in the race. That speaks volumes about how well the rating system is working to bring parity to the division. On the flip side, only one team has clinched a playoff spot (Ball Busters), although a few teams can clinch this week (D3 Playoff Standings Below). The last few weeks is when you separate the men form the boys.

 

RECAPS

Jumpmans pick Dagenais five times, outlast Snatchers

 

Jumpmans 42 (3-4) Next Week: vs. Game Changers (3-4)

Snatchers 34 (2-4-1) Next Week: vs. Two and a Half Dans (5-2)

Just when you thought Simon Dagenais had finally figured out how to take care of the ball, he goes out and throws five interceptions in two consecutive games. Snatchers are not a team built around playing from behind, nor overcoming turnovers, and in a one-score game, turnovers were the difference. Dagenais fed his stud replacement Alex Pilon early and often to the tune of six receptions, 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. Pilon also added a pick-six for his welcome party. As for the Jumpmans, Joseph Cecere had an interception hat trick while Joey Vizzi and James Ohayon had a pair or touchdowns each.

Jumpmans face a must-win game vs. Game Changers this week if they wish to make the playoffs. Snatchers have a very winnable slate of games remaining and will most likely need to win out if they wish to make the postseason.

 

Two and a Half Dans rip apart Fun Boys

 

2HD 46 (5-2) Next Week: vs. Snatchers (2-4-1)

Fun Boys 12 (5-2) Next Week: vs. Past Our Prime (1-6)

2HD came out firing on all cylinders in this game as they took a 27-0 lead into the break. The second half wasn’t all that much better for the Fun Boys as the offense never really got on track. Liam Mahoney had by far his worst outing completing just 30% of his passes against the 2HD defense led by Rochdi Benabdelkader and Jasmin Rioux, who each had an interception in the game. A notable absence from the Fun Boys roster in this game was Phil Cutler. It was his second missed game and both of those games were Fun Boys’ worst defensive performances. Coincidence? I think not.

2HD have an extremely soft schedule remaining and considering the Ball Busters’ tough remaining schedule, have an outside shot at winning their division. Fun Boys will look to take out their frustrations on a one-win Past Our Prime team that has struggled on both sides of the ball all season.

 

The Brotherhood use Gordon-Maule pick-six to upend Killer Instinct

 

The Brotherhood 19 (6-1) Next Week: vs. Sea Assassins (5-2)

Killer Instinct 12 (5-2) Next Week: vs. Triple Sixers (4-3)

In the division 3 GOTW, The Brotherhood outlasted Killer Instinct in the defensive slugfest we all expected. Both defenses were awesome again keeping each other’s offense at bay. Both quarterbacks struggled mightily to move the ball as each tossed just two touchdowns a piece while being held under 120 yards through the air. Killer Instinct’s Omer Naek had a huge game sacking Theo Ojeaha five times but whereas Ojeaha was getting sacked, Nathan Taylor was getting intercepted, three times to be exact. In a game where defenses rule the day, field position is everything and turnovers shift a game’s landscape drastically. The difference in this game were the interceptions, and particularly one that led directly to points with Quaysie Gordon-Maule’s huge pick six.

Both teams are clearly contenders but they are not flawless. How awesome would a playoff rematch be?

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 After seven games, here is where each team ranks offensively and defensively in terms of points for and points against.

Offensive Rank (Points For):

1. Sea Assassins
2. Grip N Rip
3. Dirty Dawgs
4. Laval’s Finest
5. Jumpmans

 T-6. Wolfpack

 T-6. Ball Busters

8. Predators
9. Fun Boys

 T-10. B.D. Bandits

 T-10. Two and a Half Dans

12. The Brotherhood
13. Metamayhem
14. OTF

 T-15. Snatchers

 T-15. Dark Moose Returns

17. Triple Sixers
18. Game Changers
19. Mongoose
20. Past Our Prime
21. F.O.E.
22. Killer Instinct
23. Les Eudistes
24. Nuggets
25. Les Buddays
26. Westpark Boys
27. Mercenaries
28. La Sauce

 

Defensive Rank (Points Against):

1. The Brotherhood
2. Killer Instinct
3. F.O.E.
4. Ball Busters
5. Two and a Half Dans
6. Les Eudistes
7. Dark Moose Returns
8. OTF
9. B.D. Bandits
10. Fun Boys
11. Triple Sixers

  T-12. Laval’s Finest

  T-12. Game Changers

14. Mongoose
15. Jumpmans
16. Grip N Rip
17. Snatchers
18. Sea Assassins
19. Les Buddays
20. Mercenaries
21. Nuggets
22. La Sauce

 T-23. Westpark Boys

 T-23. Predators

25. Metamayhem
26. Wolfpack
27. Past Our Prime
28. Dirty Dawgs

 

Interesting notes…

• Ball Busters, Fun Boys, Two and a Half Dans and B.D. Bandits are the only four teams that rank in the top 10 in both categories.
• Points against (PA) is a better indicator of a team’s success. The top 5 teams in PA are a combined 27-7-1. The top 5 teams in PF are 20-15.
• Dirty Dawgs have the largest differential in rankings (25 spots) (3rd PF, 28th PA). They are dead last in PA allowing a whopping 42 points/game.
• La Sauce are dead last in PF scoring a measly 16.57 points/game.
• The Brotherhood have the best +/- in division 3 at 103 points after seven games.
• The Sea Assassins defense, for all of the heat it takes, has been improved this season and ranking 18th out of 28 teams is a step in the right direction.
• Two defenses that were dominant last year in D3 (Predators, Metamayhem) have been atrocious this year. The Predators have battled key injuries all year; Metamayhem have just looked out of sync. Can these defenses resemble their former selves?
• Dark Moose Returns were expected to have a dominant offense to complement a stingy defense. That has not been the case as they rank 15th out of 28 in PF. Can they find their way in time for the playoffs?

 

PLAYOFF STANDINGS

 

Conf A	Team	GP	PTS	W(P-F)	DIV	PA		Conf B	Team	GP	PTS	W(P-F)	DIV	PA
1	The Brotherhood	7	12	6	[4-0-0]	113		1	Ball Busters	7	13	6	[4-0-0]	159
2	Laval’s Finest	7	12	6	[3-1-0]	199		2	Dark Moose Returns	7	10	5	[4-0-0]	169
3	F.O.E	7	10	5	[4-0-0]	148		3	Two and a half Dans	7	10	5	[3-2-0]	163
4	Killer Instinct	7	10	5	[3-1-0]	135		4	Grip N Rip	7	10	5	[3-1-0]	211
5	B.D. Bandits	7	10	5	[3-2-0]	184		5	Fun Boys	7	10	5	[2-2-0]	188
6	Sea Assassins	7	10	5	[3-1-0]	222		6	Wolfpack	7	8	4	[2-2-0]	249
7	Predators	7	8	4	[3-1-0]	240		7	Les Eudistes	7	7	3	[3-1-0]	164
8	Triple Sixers	7	8	4	[2-2-0]	192		8	JumpMans	7	6	3	[2-2-0]	204
9	OTF	7	6	3	[1-4-0]	182		9	Game Changers	7	6	3	[1-4-0]	199
10	Mongoose	7	6	3	[2-3-0]	202		10	Snatchers	7	5	2	[1-2-1]	212
11	Les Buddays	7	4	2	[0-4-0]	224		11	Westpark Boys	7	4	2	[2-3-0]	240
12	Nuggets	7	2	1	[1-3-0]	227		12	Mercenaries	7	3	1	[1-3-1]	225
13	MetaMayhem	7	2	1	[1-3-0]	246		13	Dirty Dawgs	7	2	1	[1-3-0]	294
14	La Sauce	7	0	0	[0-5-0]	236		14	Past Our Prime	7	2	1	[0-4-0]	270

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FPF Fantasy – Player vs. Player

QB: Frederic Morissette (Dark Moose Returns) vs. Pascal Murray (Wolfpack): Dark Moose Returns has a much better defense than Wolfpack do. Combine that with Pascal Murray’s recent struggles and the uncertainty of the presence of his top two playmakers, give me Morissette to finally wake up and put up a big game for his team.

WR: Adam Bailey (Killer Instinct) vs. Pat Jerome (Triple Sixers): Both players have been their quarterback’s go-to guy this season. We saw what Pat Jerome’s absence did to the Triple Sixers last game but in this game, I see Adam Bailey having the bigger impact. Killer Instinct simply do not allow big games from #1 receivers. The most they’ve given up to one guy all season is 80 yards back in week 3 to Les Buddays. Their defense is smart and they know that if they limit Jerome, it exponentially increases their chances for a win. They’ll gameplan accordingly while I’m not too sure Triple Sixers have the personnel to do the same to Adam Bailey.

Defense: F.O.E. vs. Mongoose: Both of these defenses are top-notch in the division but F.O.E.’s has been on fire of late. They’ve also only allowed opponents to hit the 30-point mark once this season, Mongoose three times. Both teams have quarterbacks that don’t put up big numbers but move the ball efficiently. Mongoose has rolled with Simon Duchesne as their QB the past two weeks with mixed results, one rough game and one great game. The great game was against Metamayhem though; F.O.E. are a big step up. Either way, whether it’s Duchesne or Alexandre Gaudet under centre, I don’t see the offense having much success.

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Survivor Pool Week 8 Picks:

And then there were three…

G.M. picked the Fun Boys to take down the Dans so he is now eliminated. That leaves Peeze, Vince and Justin so here are their picks for week 8:

*Not permitted to pick team we play on

*Once you pick a team, you cannot pick them again

Paolo Della Rocca: 2HD

Vince Nardone: 2HD

Justin Blanchard: Laval’s Finest

G.M. Kolethras: Eliminated

James Floreani: Eliminated

Simon Dagenais: Eliminated

David Della Rocca: Eliminated

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Week 8 Game Predictions

 

James’ lock of the week: Fun Boys

Coming off an awful loss, give me the Fun Boys by 2+ scores to take out their anger on Past Our Prime. The defense will bounce back while Mahoney and the offense will have an easier go at it this time around.

Prediction: Fun Boys 39, Past Our Prime 20

 Lock of the Week Record: 6-1

 

Game of the Week: Grip N Rip vs. Ball Busters

This is my game of the week in division 3. Ball Busters are the only team without a loss but have had an extremely easy schedule thus far. All year, I’ve been saying that I won’t be sold on them until they beat a team that matters. Beating a team like Grip N Rip will prove their worth as will all their remaining games. After the switch to Vinny Gualano at quarterback, Grip N Rip are 3-1 and averaging a whopping 44.5 points/game! They haven’t faced a defense quite as strong as the Ball Busters D and this should be a great matchup.

 

Key Matchups:

Vinny Gualano vs. Terrence Adams – This is THE matchup that will decide the game. Gualano’s success is largeky dependent on rolling out and moving around in the pocket buying time. If Adams, a rusher who’s had success against Gualano in the past, can contain him and make him get ride of the ball quicker, that would spell a Ball Busters victory. If not, and I’m not sure if it will, Grip N Rip could very well be the team to hand Ball Busters their first loss.

 

Dylan Taylor vs. interceptions – Taylor has had a good season thus far and has moved the offense. However, he has had his share of struggles with interceptions. Gualano is a guy that rarely throws interceptions. Taylor cannot afford to throw more than one in this game if he hopes to keep his team undefeated.

 

Prediction: I think this game will go back and forth and be a really entertaining game to watch. Both teams will get a stop or two but in the end, it’ll come down to converts and I see GnR handing Ball Busters their first loss in an upset.

Grip N Rip 33, Ball Busters 32

 

Matchups	James’ Picks ATS	Peeze’s Picks ATS	James’ Picks Straight Up	Peeze’s Picks Straight Up
Fun Boys (-6.5) vs. Past Our Prime	Fun Boys	Past Our Prime	Fun Boys	Fun Boys
Ball Busters (-3.5) vs. Grip N Rip	Grip N Rip	Ball Busters	Grip N Rip	Ball Busters
Killer Instinct (-2.5) vs. Triple Sixers	Killer Instinct	Killer Instinct	Killer Instinct	Killer Instinct
Les Buddays (-2.5) vs. La Sauce	Les Buddays	Les Buddays	Les Buddays	Les Buddays
B.D. Bandits (-1.5) vs. OTF	B.D. Bandits	OTF	B.D. Bandits	OTF
F.O.E. (-2.5) vs. Mongoose	F.O.E.	F.O.E.	F.O.E.	F.O.E.
The Brotherhood (-4.5) vs. Sea Assassins	The Brotherhood	The Brotherhood	The Brotherhood	The Brotherhood
Westpark Boys (-2.5) vs. Mercenaries	Westpark Boys	Westpark Boys	Westpark Boys	Westpark Boys
Les Eudistes (-4.5) vs. Dirty Dawgs	Les Eudistes	Dirty Dawgs	Les Eudistes	Les Eudistes
Predators (-4.5) vs. Metamayhem	N/A	Predators	N/A	Predators
Dark Moose Returns (-0.5) vs. Wolfpack	Dark Moose Returns	N/A	Dark Moose Returns	N/A
2HD (-6.5) vs. Snatchers	2HD	2HD	2HD	2HD
Jumpmans (-2.5) vs. Game Changers	Jumpmans	Jumpmans	Jumpmans	Jumpmans
Laval’s Finest (-5.5) vs. Nuggets	Laval’s Finest	Laval’s Finest	Laval’s Finest	Laval’s Finest
Last Week’s Record	8-5	4-9	6-7	7-6
SEASON TOTALS	52-39	48-43	57-32-2	53-36-2

 

 Power Rankings:

1. The Brotherhood (6-1) – In my D3 Game of the Week, I predicted a 20-13 Brotherhood victory over Killer Instinct. The result: 19-12 Brotherhood. I’ll take it. And so will The Brotherhood. Both defenses shut down the opposing offense but the real difference was interceptions in this game and Theo Ojeaha did not throw any. (Last Week: 1)

 

2. Laval’s Finest (6-1) – Other than one bad decision on a pick-six, Rod Mashtoub and his crew (mainly Theo Bekelis on this night) had their way with an undermanned Preds defense. They themselves had a rough time on defense forcing just two incompletions the entire game but one of those was a huge interception by Jordan McLaren with the Predators driving with the lead late second half. This is a solid team with solid quarterback play. A definite contender. (Last Week: 4)

 

3. Killer Instinct (5-2) – Last week in this spot, I asked whether or not the offense would be able to score enough against the top-ranked defense. The answer is resounding “no” as they only put up 12 points. That won’t win you many FPF games, never mind D3. Nathan Taylor had by far his worst outing of the season but I still have faith in this team. Their defense will keep them in every game. (Last Week: 3)

 

4. Ball Busters (6-0-1) – The offense played well but the defense continues to be the driving force of this team picking off Gino Di Fazio three times including a pick six. Brent Callender is a man on a mission this season as he recorded his fifth interception of the season and has fit into the defensive scheme perfectly. (Last Week: 6)

 

5. F.O.E. (5-2) – Yes they lost to a struggling team, but they were missing their quarterback. If anything, it’s impressive that they only lost by a point considering the fact they were only able to muster up 12 points. (Last Week: 5)

 

6. Grip ‘N’ Rip (5-2) – Vinny Gualano haunted his former team with two interceptions on defense and scoring six total touchdowns (3 passing, 2 rushing, 1 pick six) as they continue to put up a lot of points. (Last Week: 8)

 

7. Fun Boys (5-2) – What. Was. That. When I looked at the final score and stat sheet of their game vs. 2HD, I admit I did a double take and was almost in a state of shock. They had been playing so well recently and then they go out and just get absolutely annihilated. I’d like to look the other way here but I can’t. Losing the way they did is alarming. (Last Week: 2)

 

8. Dark Moose Returns (5-2) – They’ve won three in a row and are now 2-0 without their starting quarterback. They got some help from the Game Changers showing up late but they’ll take it. The defense continues to play well. (Last Week: 9)

 

9. Sea Assassins (5-2) – They came out flat and were actually behind by two scores at halftime but then they woke up and took it to La Sauce in the second half outscoring them 31-6 in the process behind a monster game from Dan Lazzara and Alex Blanchet. Lazzara has all but wrapped up QB of the year. (Last Week: 10)

 

10. Two and a Half Dans (5-2) What a performance by this team. It was a complete domination on both sides of the ball of the former #2 ranked team. It’s time people recognize the Dans as an upper echelon team in this division. (Last Week: N/A)

 

Just missed the cut….

 

B.D. Bandits (5-2) – They made life difficult for Karim Chaoul and had this wrapped up by halftime leading 30-6. Great bounceback effort for the Bandits as they dominated on both sides of the ball.

 

Wolfpack (4-3) – No choice but to move them out of the top 10 here; another awful game for Pascal Murray and the Wolfpack. What the last two games have taught us is that the Wolfpack are two players (J.D. Chevalier and Francis Lapointe). Frankly without them, they have looked terrible. Murray’s success is way too reliant on these two players and if they miss any more games, it looks like they will be in for a rough time. (Last Week: 7)

 

Predators (4-3) – Barring a pick six on a nice individual effort by Maxime Giroux, the defense was atrocious again letting Rod Mashtoub check down to Theo Bekelis as he pleased. The offense was nearly perfect but one critical mistake cost them the win in a game they couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. Are the Predators the new Sea Assassins?

 

Triple Sixers (4-3) – Their resounding defeat against B.D. Bandits proved just how vital Pat Jerome is to the team’s success on both sides of the ball.

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Things We Learned

 

• C’mon Man! of the week: Pascal Murray and Simon Dagenais….for the second week in a row. Dagenais threw another FIVE interceptions in a one score loss for his team really costing them while Murray simply couldn’t move the offense and score points without his two favourite targets for a second straight week. Big time players step up when their team needs them to and these two both came up way short for their teams. C’MON MAN!!!

 

• Westpark Boys are making some noise! Playoffs are an uphill battle but I’m rooting for this team.

 

• 2HD are for real

 

• Triple Sixers’ success clearly is dependent on Pat Jerome

 

• Ball Busters are the only team still without a loss.

 

• Les Eudistes are heating up at the right time. Do not take them lightly.

 

• If La Sauce are going to win a game this season, it has to be this week.

 

• Where’s Alexandre Gaudet?

 

Best of luck to all teams for week 8! If you want to reach me for any inquiries or to disagree with me, feel free to hit me up at [email protected] or DM me @JFloMusicMTL on Twitter.