Tier 2: Who is the best Receiver in Tier 2, TC gets their first win, and Power Rankings,

This week I had a conversation with one of the best players in FlagPlus Football in Rory Semerjian of The Infantry. Among the things we talked about was who is the best Receiver in FlagPlus Football. We both agreed that Pat Jérome is the GOAT when it comes to current pass-catchers in FPF. After that, we mentioned the usual suspects like Anthony Brisebois, James Drysdale, AJ Gomes, and of course, Semerjian himself.

As I mentioned above, names like Semerjian and Drysdale are in the discussion, as are guys like Jeanslee Alexis, Nic Groppini, Andrew Grant, Jean-Félix Daloze, Rémi Legault, Matt Peacock, James Langshaw, and DonnDre Borden to name a few.

Like any Receiver, Semerjian feels like he is open on every play, and sees himself at the top of the pass-catcher mountain in Tier 2. I can’t blame him, as that is the attitude the position warrants in every football league both tackle and flag.

The discussion made me think about who is the best Receiver in Tier 2? It also got me thinking that I should look at each position in FPF.

An interesting point was brought up during our convo, and that was, should quarterback play influence the discussion? As a life-long San Francisco 49ers fan, you don’t have to think long, as to who I think the best Wide Receiver and player in NFL history is? The answer is Deebo…I am joking, it’s Jerry Rice.

Naturally, people will jump in and say that Rice, had the luxury of playing with Hall-of-Fame Quarterbacks in Steve Young, and my choice as the GOAT at QB in Joe Montana. I always counter by saying Young retired in 1999, and San Fran traded Joe to Kansas City in 1993. Take away the 140 touchdowns he scored with them, and Rice still scored 68 more TDs.

What goes into making a great Receiver? Is it simply just speed, hands, route-running or a combination of all three? Should leadership be considered? How much should QB play factor into the equation? I am of the belief that good Quarterbacks can make their Receivers look amazing, while elite pass-catchers can make throwers seem great.

What happens though when you’re a Receiver playing with a Quarterback who is average, not elite, or simply new to the position and just figuring things out? Should that mater? I think it does, as the main responsibility as a pass-catcher besides catching the ball, is to provide your QB with a reliable target who can get open and make plays. Those traits are just as important as it is for QBs to make smart decisions, toss catchable balls, and when necessary, throw people open.

Speaking from first-hand experience, this past Wednesday in my game against the Rico Ryders, I had former NCAA QB Jack Zergiotis as my QB. After his first pass attempt of the game, you could tell that he had a cannon for an arm. At the end of his first drive, he proved that he could zip passes all over the field with the simple flip of his wrist. If the walls at Marie-Vic weren’t made from concrete, Zergiotis would’ve thrown the football through it.

The problem with the rocket armed QB, is that he has yet to make the transition to flag football. I found out the morning of the game that hadn’t thrown a football in six months. Combining that info with him never having played with any of the Receivers on the team outside of Corey Williams, meant chemistry and timing were a huge issue.

My whole point in bringing that up was that playing with elite Quarterbacks in Kevin Wyeth, Dan Lazzara, Alex Nadeau-Piuze, and Jonathan Maheu is different than playing with Stephen Harripersaud, Jeff Rosenblatt, Wil Power, or Simon Duchesne. No disrespect to any of those latter passers. They have all either won championships, been voted All-Stars, or both, and they are some of the best we have in Tier 2 Just to be transparent Both Rosenblatt and Harripersaud have told me themselves that they are not at the level of those other first four passers.

Rory Semerjian is experiencing the same thing as he is currently catching passes from his brother Sean, who is a phenomenal athlete and player in his own right, and according to Rory, is the better player between the two brothers, but he is relatively new to the QB position, and the former Semerjian feels that that fact should be taken into consideration.

This is where things get interesting. I want you guys to tell me who you think is the best Receiver in Tier 2. I created a poll in the FPF Facebook group. You can respond there or post your answer in the comments section for this article on the page. The only rule I have is that a player must have played at least two games with their current team. I gave 10 options, but I made sure to include an other category, as I could spend another hour writing all the deserving names, and both this article and the poll are long enough already. I am looking forward to your responses.

Question Period

The Commission finally won their first game of the year with an exciting come from behind win Wednesday night over the Rico Ryders, that saw TC score a touchdown with six plays remaining, record a successful onside conversion attempt, and then get the game-winning TD by Matt Peacock, who had a fantastic game with three trips to the endzone.

The question of course, is can the team keep up their winning ways this week when they take on Arouch, in a big game for both teams?

Why are we playing games on Thanksgiving weekend? To me, Thanksgiving Sunday means hanging with the family and girlfriend, watching football, having some turkey, and either some rum (if you’ve never tried a dark and stormy, do yourself a favour and learn how to make one), and/or beer. I love ball, but having to hear about playing on Thanksgiving Sunday, and Monday (thanks schedule maker!) is a pain. Will we see a change to the Fall schedule next year?

Has Felix Fontaine-Larouche surpassed Jean-Félix Daloze as the top Receiver for Jaggerbomb? The former has played one less game (five to four), but has one more reception than Daloze, and the same number of touchdowns (seven). It’s a great problem to have for the team and Quarterback Simon Duchesne, as he can make opposing defenses have to pick their poison.

Both deliver big plays, have great hands, and can get open against virtually any defender. This question most likely won’t get answered anytime soon, but it is definitely worth revisiting?

What position will I look at next? You’ll have to wait until next week to find out.

Top 5 Power Rankings

1.Shake & Bake (4-1)

They were the only team from last week’s top three to get a win, as they laid a beatdown on the Beer Belly Brigade last Sunday at Loyola. Next up is a marquee matchup with Jagerbomb this coming Sunday. If Shake & Bake can stack another win, it will be a season-high three straight. The momentum will serve them well, as their schedule gets much tougher over the second half of the season, as they face Kiss My Outlaws, Idaho Udapimps, The Infantry, and Les Monsieurs Chats.

Last Week: 3 – This Week: 1

2. Vultures (3-1)

They laid a (51-32) whooping on a Simon Duchesne-less Jagerbomb, then turned around and got whooped (50-31) six days later by Les Monsieurs Chats.

The Vultures have the speed and talent to go toe-to-toe with anyone in Tier 2, but that will only get you so far. Drops, leaving points on the field, blown coverages and untimely errors will get you beat, and that was on full display Wednesday night against LMC. Was the loss just a small hiccup, or was it a sign of something bigger? With a big matchup against Idaho Udapimps coming in two weeks, we shall see.

Last Week: 1 – This Week: 2

3. Fins Up (3-1)

They got hammered (38-22) by Jagerbomb Wednesday night in Laval, but they were without their Quarterback and best player in Will Power. Assuming Power will be back, the team faces a big test Thanksgiving Monday when they take on The Infantry in a must-watch matchup.

Last Week: 2 – This Week: 3

4. Idaho Udapimps (3-0)

Their (40-30) win over Arouch was a little bit closer than most expected, but they still got the job done. They have a chance to stack some more victories together, as they take on the next team in the Power 5 rankings, in The Infantry tonight in Chateauguay, and then Kiss My Outlaws Wednesday night at Marie-Victorin. Let’s see what happens?

5. Last Week: 4 – This Week: 4

The Infantry (2-1)

This team has a busy eight days ahead of them starting tonight, as they take Idaho Udapimps, Never Overtime, and Fins Up. A win over IU will see them climb at least one spot in the rankings. Beating all three, could earn them the label of best team in Tier 2.

Last Week: 5 – This Week: 5

Picks

Kiss My Outlaws vs Backfield Penetration – Kiss My Outlaws

Idaho Udapimps vs The Infantry – The Infantry (My pick for Game of the Week)

Never Overtime vs Arouch – Arouch

Idaho Udapimps vs Kiss My Outlaws – Kiss My Outlaws (Upset Special)

The Commission vs Arouch – N/A

The Infantry vs Never Overtime – The Infantry

Last Week: (3-4)

Regular Season: (8-6)

Upset Special: (1-2)

That is it for today. Good luck to everyone tomorrow and this week.

If you liked the article, hated it, or simply felt like I left something out, please feel free to contact me at [email protected], or on the FPF Facebook page.