Showtime, Overtime and 2007 Pats?

Week 5 

Welcome to week 5 where we have hit the mid season mark. The season goes by so quick we often overlook how far we’ve come since week 1. New friendships, new skills and more teams being developed here in FPF and thats exactly what we play for…Well that and Championship Glory of course. Mid-season report cards will follow next week as some teams have only played 3 games so far so without at least 4-5 games played its pretty difficult to evaluate teams. Another wild week in Div D as we saw some some big upsets and thrilling matchups as two games last week headed into overtime! Lets dive into some weekly headlines and our very updated and forever changing Power Rankings. 

Weekly headlines 

Overtimes in week 4

Two games went into overtime in week 4 in what were some thrilling matchups. To kick off our week we had Hail Marty’s Vs Dirty Slugs. It was a back and forth affair where both teams put up some great numbers. The score was 33-28 with 1 play remaining after a Hail Marty’s score. With one play left  Dirty Slugs connected on huge Hail Mary to tie the game sending it into overtime. Hail Marty’s went for 1 and was successful. Leaving Dirty Slugs no option but to go for 2 and win the game. Josh Currie slinged a pass to Jeremy Laplante and the pass was CAUGHT for the game winner! In exciting fashion, Dirty slugs pulled off the upset for their first win of the season.  To end the week Love Me Sexy and Pack a Punch played a defensive game only allowing one score each leaving the game tied at 6-6. Heading into over time Pack a Punch went for one and were successful off a crisp out route by Stefano De Seta to take the lead. Leaving no choice but to go for 2 for Love Me Sexy QB Nick Groppini dropped back to pass, didn’t see an opening and made it past the rusher. With no receivers in site Groppini took off heading towards the endzone. Making it all the way to the 2 yard line, Groppini dropped his hips attempting to make it in for the score and potentially the game winner but was stopped short of the goal line. Giving Pack a Punch their first win of the season as well. 

Old Pats like from 2007? 

A team that I did not expect to have this kind of success after 5 weeks. Old Pats are 4-1 and have a firm lead of group B. Before the season started I assumed this was going to be a squad of older guys who just like to play flag with each other and not really care too much about the outcomes of their games. With a name like Old Pats and a roster full of 60 rated players I could have only assumed this team would have a .500 record or less. But they blew that prediction out of the water ASAP. As of late, Old Pats are playing like the 2007 New England Patriots. Okay so maybe they’re not Tom Brady and Randy Moss but this team is operating at a very high efficiency, with both of their quarterbacks completing over 60% of their passes and rushing the ball effectively as almost every runner is averaging about 10 yards per carry. Even their defence has been great as they have secured 9 Toal interceptions and brought back 2 of them for a score in their 5 games. Old Pats have some tough games coming up but I expect them to be competitive in all of them. 

Power Rankings 

1.  Snowdon Deli Degens 5-0

One of the only teams to have played 5 games in Div D and all of them are wins. Beating teams in the top 10 like Jägerbombers and VTown, The Snowdon Deli Degens are for real and have the best opportunity to go 10-0. The team has been playing good complementary football with strong offence, stout defence and effective 1 point converts. They are the best team in division D right now.

2. Jägerbombers 4-1

4-1 through 4 weeks and their only loss came to the undefeated #1 ranked Snowdon Deli Degens. Their latest win coming against Cookie Monsters where they proved they could win in tough battles. Alexandre Bachaalani as their leading receiver is what I expected as he has caught 230 yards and 5 touchdowns. They have some tough opponents coming up on their schedule and they will be tested. 

3. Notorious C.I.G 2-1 

A wee 4 bye week for Notorious C.I.G and I have no reason to move them in my rankings. I predict C.I.G to keep putting up points regardless of how their defence plays. The George Spano to Joey Notaro connection is something all defences should be wary of when facing this team. I expect two big wins from this team until they play Snowdon Deli Degens where will we probably have a playoff matchup preview. 

4.  Melons 4-0 

After entering the rankings last week from being 2-0, Melons keep their unbeaten streak alive. Taking center stage as their game versus ambush was my pick for game of the week. I did predict them to come away with he upset and thats exactly what they did. In fact they beat them by way more then I was expecting. Their defence has been on fire lately with 10 Ints in 4 games. Giving a good offence that many more opportunities will absolutely turn into big wins. Melons are on the rise. 

5. Love Me Sexy 3-1

Props to Pack a Punch for fighting to the end and securing their first win but Love Me Sexy’s offence was abysmal. Only 6 points against a 0-3 team is unacceptable. Not only was Nick Groppini inaccurate at times and made questionable reads but his receivers dropped crucial passes in the red-zone that would have led to points. The only reason were still ranked in the top 5 is because I believe we have one of the best defences in the division. 

6. Old Pats 4-1 

Old Pats have been proving me wrong all season long and its about time I give them their respect. 4-1 and by looking at their schedule this team is gonna have at least 7 wins by the time the regular season is over. They face Love Me Sexy this Sunday and thats where ill fully be able to evaluate this team. 

7. Ambush    2-2

After two strong wins to kick off the season Ambush has experienced some serious turmoil. Losing their last two games putting them in the middle of the pack at 2-2. Their latest loss was another big one where they got outscored 33-12. Phil Roberts didn’t turn the ball over but still seemed to struggle to get their offence going. Kevin Donnet seems to be the only positive over the last two weeks as he has been their leading receiver and has put up good numbers as a rusher.  

8. The Process 2-2

A bye week for the process keeps them at 2-2. Their next two games are against big opponents so it will be interesting to see how The Process plays. Will Noah Groper finally get into his groove or will we see another team I predicted to be really strong head into midseason with a losing record. 

9. VTown 3-2

Like I said last week VTown hasn’t shown me they can compete with the best in this division and their loss to GloGang might reinforce that. Jonathan Velasco did not have a good game as he threw 3 interceptions and only one touchdown. Its becoming more apparent to me that this team can be successful but are missing another athlete/playmaker on their team to compliment Lucas Crivello and Mathew Cabral. 

10. Black Shinobi 2-1

Cancelled game to a conflict in Brossard leaves Black Shinobi at 2-1. I did not want to remove them of their spot here in the top 10 as they didn’t get a chance to play their weeks game even though there are some hungry teams waiting to get into the top 10 like GloGang and Bandits. 

Game of the Week 

Prediction record: 3-1

SNP Look to Break Out of Offensive Shell Against Struggling LargeLifeStyle

The 2-2 SNP squad is looking to get their offense on track as they face the 1-3 LargeLifeStyle team in a Week 4 matchup. Both teams are coming off losses and will be eager to get back in the win column. SNP offense aims to find a spark. Despite Kyle Folkerson’s impressive stats – 600 yards, 15 touchdowns, and only 1 interception – the SNP offense has sputtered in the early going, failing to score more than 20 points in their first three games. The good news is that Folkerson is spreading the ball around effectively, with all his receivers averaging around 10 catches so far. If SNP can translate these stats into points on the board, they pose a serious threat. On the contrary, I believe LargeLifeStyle’s roster hinders their performance. LargeLifeStyle, boasting a 1-3 record, has struggled on both sides of the ball. Their lone win came against the winless Knights 2.0. One potential reason for their inconsistency might be their large roster size (12 players). In a 6-on-6 league, this can hinder player development and doesn’t allow you to establish any rhythm on the field. With so many players rotating in and out, it’s difficult to make adjustments and build team chemistry. Their QB Tyler Grondin needs to limit turnovers. Tyler has thrown for 8 touchdowns, but his 7 interceptions raise concerns. Reducing these turnovers will be crucial for LargeLifeStyle to stay competitive.

Prediction:

SNP has the edge on paper, especially with Folkerson’s impressive numbers and a more balanced receiving corps. However, LargeLifeStyle’s athleticism shouldn’t be overlooked. If they can overcome their roster size issues and Grondin minimizes mistakes, they could pull off an upset. I will take SNP, based on their quality of play and in hopes their offence can find their groove. 

Final Score Prediction: SNP 28, LargeLifeStyle 17

Weekly Predictions 

Prediction record: 22-20

Notorious C.I.G.           vs       LargeLifeStyle 

Brewers                         vs       Slippery Slopes 

Ambush                         vs       Dirty Slugs 

Snowdon Deli Degens   vs       Knights 2.0 

Cookie Monsters           vs        Black Shinobi 

No Punt Intended          vs        Pack A Punch 

GloGang                       vs         Melons 

Bandits                          vs        Ball Hawks 

The Process                  vs        Jägerbombers