Week 3: Breakdowns, Recaps and Rankings
Week 3
Welcome back to your weekly Division D read. This week I will touch on the playoff format and what exactly our groups mean and which seeds will be left out of the playoffs. New to my articles this season my weekly Power Rankings have changed although it has been a little bit of a struggle as some teams have played 3 games and others 1. Obviously its easier to evaluate a team that has played more. Either way the top 10 is here, game of the week is here and more importantly its Sunday, which means a new week of FPF is here. Lets get to it.
Playoff Breakdown
So after watching episode 2 of calling the audible with Moe and Iggy, they revealed the playoff format/breakdown for division D. There are 25 teams in division D with 5 Groups labelled A-E. 20 teams from Division D will make the playoffs/ have a game to play after week 10 of this regular season. Much like NCAA March Madness, division D will have a playoff bracket. Each division winner will claim the #1 through #5 seed depending on their record respectively. The other 7 teams with the best record will be classed as seeds #6 through #12 and automatically have a spot in the bracket. The other 8 teams remaining will have a play in game to get into the final 4 playoff bracket spots. So in essence 20 teams make the playoffs but only 16 will be apart of the playoff bracket, and finally the bottom 5 teams in Division D will be eliminated.
Week 2 Recaps
GloGang Stuns The Process in Upset Victory, 35-14
In a surprising turn of events, the previously winless GloGang (0-1) dominated the Process (1-0) by a score of 35-14. Quarterback Bruno Provencher led the charge for GloGang, throwing for 4 touchdowns with zero interceptions. The Process’ elusive quarterback Noah Groper was sacked a staggering 4 times by the relentless GloGang defense, led by Reynold Jean’s impressive performance with 4 sacks himself. GloGang Dominated the first half. The GloGang offense came out firing on all cylinders, with Provencher connecting with Marin Counoyer for a touchdown early in the first half. Up 21-8 at halftime GloGang came here to play. The Process struggled to get anything going offensively, with Groper facing constant pressure and failing to complete passes. GloGang capitalized on their dominance with a a touchdown pass to Francois Laramee, followed by a pick-six by Victor Rifiorati. The Process showed signs of life in the second half, with Groper finally finding his rhythm and connecting with Yan Librati for a touchdown. However, GloGang quickly responded with another touchdown pass to Laramee. The Process managed another touchdown late in the game, but their onside kick attempt was was unsuccessful. Groper, usually a dynamic playmaker, was under constant pressure and finished the game with a completion percentage around 50%. Provencher, on the other hand, orchestrated an efficient performance for GloGang, showcasing his accuracy and decision-making. An all around game for GloGang where they took down a top team in the division.
Old Pats Bounce Back with Dominant Win Over Slippery Slopes, 38-12
The Old Pats (1-1) bounced back from their opening week loss with a convincing 38-12 victory over the Slippery Slopes (0-1) in a game where the Old Pats’ offense put on a show. Fabrice Tremblay, the Old Pats’ quarterback, orchestrated a balanced attack, throwing for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns while also adding 30 yards and a rushing touchdown on the ground. Alex Papineau chipped in with a pair of rushing touchdowns to solidify the Old Pats’ dominance. The Slippery Slopes’ offense, led by quarterback Dany Saad, struggled to find rhythm throughout the game. Saad threw for a meager 12 points and was plagued by interceptions, throwing 3 picks to the Old Pats’ opportunistic defense. The Old Pats’ defense capitalized on Saad’s struggles, with interceptions by Roger, Saumure, and Papineau halting potential scoring drives by the Slippery Slopes. Rusher Vincent Charbonneau also added a sack to further disrupt the Slippery Slopes’ offensive flow. While the Slippery Slopes managed to score two touchdowns in the second half, it was not enough to overcome the deficit they built in the first half. Tremblay continued to manage the game effectively for the Old Pats, finding Roger for a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Slippery Slopes look to bounce back here in week 3 versus Knights 2.0.
Power Rankings
- Ambush (2-0)
After a week 1 double header that saw this squad come out 2-0, they had a week 2 bye week. No changes here as Phil Roberts leads every statistical category for Quarterbacks. I don’t really see this team losing a game until week 7 or 8.
2. Love Me Sexy (3-0)
After another close win against a good team, Love Me Sexy stands as the only 3-0 team at the moment. Although I believe our offence still has a lot of work to do if we want to be considered a top team in this division. Nick Groppini has had some early struggles throwing for 2 INTs in each game and the offence only producing 44 points in two games. A mix of missed reads and inaccurate throws have been the main issue at the moment but I believe as the season progresses Nick Groppini will find his footing.
3. The Notorious C.I.G (1-1) (5)
After being #5 ranked last week Notorious C.I.G make their way into the top 3. After. Big win vs. Les Studz and another great performance by George Spano. He’s now averaging 200 yards and 5 touchdowns a game and is completing his throws at a high 75% clip. I expect this team to keep rolling and rack up wins until midseason before they see another loss.
4. The Process (1-1)
After a big loss to GloGang usually we would see this team drop in the rankings but due to many week 2 bye weeks and Cookie Monsters losing a very unexpected game, The Process remain here at #4. Noah Groper needs to properly adjust to pressure as he will play against some good rushers. He either needs to release the ball quicker or believe in his arm more instead of relying on his feet to pick up yards where he was sacked 4 times last week. They have a double header here in week 3 so this will tell us how The Process will bounce back after a tough loss.
5. Cookie Monsters (1-2)
Previously ranked # 2 this team comes in at #5 this week. Biggest storyline here: WHERE IS FELIX BOUTET?!! After 3 games, Cookie Monsters have played with Charles Verrault and Arthur Doyon under center but we have yet to see Felix Boutet in Division D action. After losing big to Ambush last week, they took on the 0-0 Melons, led by Manny Bizogias, where they led 19-0 at half time. In a game where Melons were late to the game and lost 6 points before the game even started and only fielded a roster of 5 men. A huge blown lead as Cookie Monsters lost this game 26-25. This team desperately needs a win next week against a hot Jägerbombers squad or else we will continue to see this team fall in the power rankings.
6. Jägerbombers (2-0)
Week 2 bye, still one of the undefeated teams in Division D, they moved up in the rankings by default.
7. VTown (2-1)
As Moe Khan claimed on week 2 of calling the audible, Are VTown False Kings? Started the season off with 2 extremely close wins versus teams that are not simply not that strong. In fact they have a combined record of 1-4. Their only matchup against a talented squad saw VTown lose 25-7 versus Snowdon Deli Degens where there offence was non existent and Johnathan Velasco threw 4 INT’s. Unfortunately for VTown their trending in the wrong direction.
8. Ball Hawks (1-1)
Another team with a week 2 bye, Ball Hawks stay at 1-1 and face the 2-0 Jägerbombers this week as our week 3 Game of the week!
9. Pack A Punch (0-1)
After staying at 0-1 with a week 2 bye I had no choice but to put Ball Hawks ahead of this team.
10. Snowdon Deli Degens (2-0)
A team I did not know before the season began and man did they prove that they belong on this Power Ranking List. Week 2 saw a big win versus VTown where QB Adam Malinoff had a stellar game throwing for 145 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 turnovers. Starting off the season hot as they already have 2 wins in the win column and look to keep this streak going. Their week 1 win doesn’t impress me smooch as Brewers are 0-3 at the moment but this does look like a team that will continue to win games all season long.
Game of the week
Prediction record: 1-1
Jägerbombers Aim for 3-0 Record Against Ball Hawks in Week 3 Matchup
The undefeated Jägerbombers (2-0) look to extend their win streak to three games as they face off against the Ball Hawks (1-1) in a pivotal Division D matchup. Jägerbombers: A Force to be reckoned with. Led by the efficient Felix Gerin-Lajoie at quarterback, the Jägerbombers have impressed early on. Felix has minimized turnovers, showcasing his poise and decision-making skills. The defense has been equally impressive, allowing less then a mere 20 points per game, establishing themselves as a dominant unit. Ball Hawks Look to Upset. The Ball Hawks come into this game after a close battle against the #1 ranked Ambush in week 1. While they fell short, the performance showcased their potential. Quarterback Richie Mondesir will need to elevate his offensive output to compete with the Divisions best teams. The Ball Hawks boast a talented roster, but capitalizing on scoring opportunities will be crucial. I think this game will come down to a battle of Quarterbacks. For Jägerbombers, can Gerin-Lajoie continue his turnover-free streak and lead the offense to another win? Or for Ball Hawks, how will Mondesir respond to the challenge of facing a stout defense? Can he generate enough offense to keep the Ball Hawks in the game?
This matchup promises to be a defensive battle. The Jägerbombers’ stingy defense is a force, but the Ball Hawks have the firepower to put points on the board. However, the Jägerbombers’ defensive dominance might be too much to overcome. While the Jägerbombers are favored, the Ball Hawks shouldn’t be underestimated. If Mondesir can find his rhythm and the defense can create turnovers, an upset could be brewing. This game will be a true test for both teams as they navigate the competitive Division D landscape. Tuesday night in Brossard should be electric!
Final Score Prediction: Jägerbombers 31, Ball Hawks 21
Weekly Predictions
Prediction record: 8-14
Black shinobi vs Ambush
Les Studz vs Melons
SNP vs Sowdon Deli Degens
Dirty Slugs vs Brewers
Bend Don’t break vs Notorious C.I.G
The Process vs Old Pats
Slippery Slopes vs VTown
Knights 2.0 vs Slippery Slopes
No punt Intended vs The Process
Pack a Punch vs Hail Marty’s