Week 8 Recap! Everything is on the Line and a Power Rankings Shake-Up!

The count down to the end is here! With 11 Weeks in our regular season, Wednesday signals the beginning of Week 9! 3 Weeks remain for teams to pick up that last win or 2, since most teams have already played 7-8 games, with a few outliers having played 9 or 6! For the teams that are in the Elimination Zone, this also is the last couple of games for you to fight into the playoffs. There are a few teams at this point that are able to make gains, which I’ll try and cover this week, But with a few teams having only played 6 games, it makes things a bit more difficult to predict!

It’s been an incredible race so far and there is still more time, but I’m antsy for some recaps, so let’s dive into what happened in Week 8:

“WHAT’S THE 411 ‘HUN”:

Of course I’m going to start with the biggest news of the Division: TONIX HAS BEEN DEFEATED! I REPEAT: TONIX HAS TAKEN THEIR FIRST LOSS! Ok… I’m done yelling. However, if you would have asked me if TONIX was actually going to experience a loss this season, I would have absolutely said NO. The team that is accustomed to putting up 30+ points a game, was held to a measly 18pts against BACK THAT PASS UP! BACK THAT PASS UP has had an up and down season having been 2-3 when they entered this game, but a fantastic defensive performance allowed them to get the upper hand! The game started with a score for Jason Rossie and being able to stop TONIX from scoring on 4th down. BACK THAT PASS UP’s defence was able to get 9x PDs (7 of them between Justin Anania and Fabrice Pierre), which were all needed to keep the upper hand in the 2nd half. This game is a great example of why extra points matter! TONIX fell out of 1st place and are now sitting comfortably in 3rd. Although they must be frustrated with their recent games, I’m sure this is not a trend that will continue. TONIX is making the playoffs guaranteed… but the division has seen that they are beatable…

LE ROI DES CARTES took on my TOTs this week, and I have to say: the score does not reflect how close the game actually was! It was an intense first half where the TOTs had to adjust quickly to the dynamic play calling of LE ROI. LE ROI DES CARTES were successful at driving the field slowly but surely, and after the longest 9 Rushes of my life, they scored. After a couple of back and forth stops by both teams, the TOTs were finally able to score their first TD before the half! An incredibly defensive game, LE ROI DES CARTES fought for their spot in the playoffs and did so valiantly! Despite this loss, they are playing the BULLS this week and should be able to come up with the win and stay competitive enough to have a chance at the playoffs if they beat KAMIKAZE! Good Luck!

SHOW ME YOUR TDZ has been fighting tooth and nail for their last win. Their forfeit from the BULLS in Week 6 brought them up to 6pts (1 win away from my predicted 8pts needed to break the elimination zone) and they have been looking for at least 1 more win to end off the season! Unfortunately, their past 2 games have been against some strong teams… They played a magnificent game against AT LEAST WE TRIED AGAIN, and almost won, but too many INTs and an over reliance on Jeanslee Alexis lost them a close game – 26-33. This only got worse when Marc Antoine Martin missed their game against KAMIKAZE, resulting in Jean Marc Prosper stepping up into the QB position. As a new QB, Jean Marc was able to put up 2 TDs, but it wouldn’t be enough against KAMIKAZE; and now, with only 1 game left in their season, I’m not sure it will be enough to squeeze out of the elimination zone, especially with teams around them only having played 6 games.

BALLHARD UNIVERSITY is another team that have had a rough go of things this season. After a win in Week 2 against HOT WINGS, they have struggled to have a repeat performance. They definitely haven’t had the easiest schedule, but I was expecting them to win more than just 1 game this season. Dominique Romeus has had trouble limiting his INTS, but for his first time at QB in FPF – and in COED 2 – he’s done a solid job. Their female players are definitely the stars of their defence, with Melina Miessan, Cindy Canuel, and Kira Fent-Roter currently having the biggest impact in my opinion! However, special shout out to Mack Dessources for having the most tackles (24), and Laurent Charles for most sacks on the team and all around great performance! I hope you all come back out next season in COED 3, sometimes it just takes a season or 2 to find your groove! So have fun for the rest of the season and maybe cause some upsets!

Another big game this week was LA SECTE vs TIGHT ENDS! LA SECTE went into this game 1-3-1 (3pts), while TIGHT ENDS went into it being 2-5 (4pts). LA SECTE had some room for mistakes since they had 5 games left and could afford to pick up some points in other matchups, but TIGHT ENDS were working with thin margins, and needed to win 2 of their next 3 games to have a chance at climbing out of the Elimination Zone! Eric Carpanzano had been at the helm of TIGHT ENDS throughout the season, but had struggled to put up more than 2 TDs in a given game. Enter – Pranav Sharma. Pranav took over in their game against the BULLS and was able to put up 5 TDS! Needing any advantage they could get, TIGHT ENDS opted to have Pranav throw against LA SECTE in hopes that they could sneak out a win! Despite Pranav being able to score 3 TDs in his game, TIGHT ENDS’ defence was not able stop LA SECTE, and with them capitalising on a few turnovers, LA SECTE was able to win out the game 32-18! For LA SECTE: this gives them a bit of breathing room for their next 4 games, since they may only need to win 2 more to guarantee themselves a playoff spot. But for TIGHT ENDS, this may have spelled the end of the playoff dreams! With only 2 games left they would have to win both games to have a chance at climbing out of the Elimination Zone, but with one of those games being against KAMIKAZE, it’s not looking too good! Good Luck!

There are only 2 undefeated teams that remain in the division: NO PUNT INTENDED and KAMIKAZE. Out of the both of them, I think KAMIKAZE has the easier schedule to be able to pull off the undefeated season, despite their extra game! At a quick glance, I think NO PUNT INTENDED might have the better offence but KAMIKAZE has the better defence, so it really is a toss up as to who the better team overall is! If I had to guess a team in each of their schedules that would be able to stop their Win streak it would be as follows:

NO PUNT INTENDED UPSET = BACK THAT PASS UP

KAMIKAZE = MICHAEL SCOTT’S TOTS (Bit of a self plug…)

Either way, both of these teams have done a magnificent job this season, and regardless of the outcome, should be incredibly pleased with their runs so far! I hope we get to see both of these teams go head to head at some point in the playoffs, whether it’s Semi-Finals or Finals!

Wowee Zowee! THE BLACK WOLF are on their last legs and will need to use some pack tactics if they want to claw their way up the rankings. I’m assuming KISS MY HUGS and BACK THAT PASS UP will win at least 1 of their 4 remaining games, putting them at 8pts minimum by the end of the season. If that is the case, I think the Elimination Zone remains the same… HOWEVER, if the FPF Gods decide to give mercy on some of the bottom teams, THE BLACK WOLF need to win at least 2 of their last 3 games in their schedule if they want a chance to compete (seems to be the story for a bunch of teams)! THE BLACK WOLF have been unable to find a win since Week 5 against BACK THAT PASS UP (which could become important in the case of a Tie Breaker), and have struggled to consistently put up more than 2 TDs a game. This might be allowable against BALLHARD UNIVERSITY, but they will need to figure something out for their games against LES RANCEURS and WHO’S GONNA CARRY THE BOATS or they will be stuck at 6pts! LES RANCEURS have not been served a loss since their game against TONIX and have actually been performing really well, while WGCTB have put up 30+ pts in more than 50% of their games. With 9 positions open in the Elimination Zone (almost half the division), no team should think poorly of themselves for finding themselves there, but Jeff Gay and the WOLVES are doing everything in their power to extend their season. Their first test: LES RANCEURS this week! It’s Do or Die now!

Special Shout out to LES GRANDS CHUMS, who were able to augment (if not solidify) their playoff chances by winning against HOT WINGS, in a game that was probably a little bit too close for comfort! Despite throwing an INT, Louis Brassard was able to lead his team to victory with a last minute TD bomb to Thomas Brassard! With not enough time to drive the field, HOT WINGS were not able to punch it in for 1 last TD and found themselves losing 19-12! With BALLS AND DOLLS, MEAN MACHINES, and LA SECTE being the last 3 games in their schedule, LES GRANDS CHUM should be able to pick up at least 1 more win, which would push them higher in the rankings and help them avoid having to face some of the top teams early on in the playoffs. Alexandre Charlier is leading this team as the offensive juggernaut but will he be enough when the stakes are higher? They face BALLS AND DOLLS this Saturday in a game that should set the tone for the rest of their season! Without another win, and with KISS MY HUGS and BACK THAT PASS UP right behind them, they may risk falling too low for comfort! Hold on everyone, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

POWER RANKINGS:

1) NO PUNT INTENDED (Another win this Week pushes this team to the coveted #1 spot! It also helps that TONIX lost their Undefeated Title.)

2) TONIX (WOWOWOWOWOWOW. Was not expecting this drop, and I’m not ready to push them down to #3, but oh, how the mighty have fallen)

3) MICHAEL SCOTTS TOTS (I’ll push my team up 1 spot despite A: Being in the current #2 spot and B: KAMIKAZE being undefeated. Let’s see if this lasts…)

4) KAMIKAZE (Keeping the #4 spot steady. I can still see them climbing up a few spots in their next few games!)

5) WHO’S GONNA CARRY THE BOATS (Without a game this week, it’s hard for me to move them up! So they remain at #5)

6) MEAN MACHINES (No Game = No movement)

7) LES RANCEURS (Despite RANCEURS ability to bust out win after win, their points for and against just don’t quite match up against the above teams… If they can pump up those offensive points, or keep on winning, I can see a raise in their future.)

8) BACK THAT PASS UP (Kicking out AT LEAST WE TRIED, BACK THAT PASS UP break into the power rankings with their crazy win over TONIX! Can they pull another upset over the TOTs to keep climbing?)

ZACK’S FANTASY TEAM OF THE WEEK (WEEK 8):

QB (1): David De Andrade (MICHAEL SCOTT’S TOTS) – 28 Attempts / 17 Completions (60.71%), 186 Yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT, 1 Sack // 3 Rushing Attempts, 22 Rushing Yards

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WR (1): Jeanslee Alexis (SHOW ME YOUR TDZ) – 12 Targets / 9 Receptions (75%), 105 Yards, 3 TDs

WR (2): Elyse Bourdages (LA SECTE) – 5 Targets / 5 Receptions (100%), 75 Yards, 3 TDs

WR (3): Marvin Steinberg (KISS MY HUGS) – 12 Targets / 9 Receptions (75%), 101 Yards, 2 TDs

WR (4): Geraldine Cabillo-Abante (NO PUNT INTENDED) – 4 Targets / 4 Receptions (100%), 65 Yards, 2 TD

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DB (1): Sanders Armand (NO PUNT INTENDED) – 2 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 2 INTs, 1 TD

DB (2): Jared Buck (NO PUNT INTENDED) – 1 Tackle, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 TD

DB (3): Rachel Shea (KAMIKAZE) – 1 Tackle, 1 INT, 1 TD

DB (4): Justin Anania (BACK THAT PASS UP) – 5 Tackle, 1 INT, 3 PDs

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RUSHER (1): **Jean-Sebastien St-Arneault** (KAMIKAZE) – 5 Sacks, 1 PD

GAMES OF THE WEEK:

I still can’t believe it! Not only did TONIX recently take that tie, but they received their 1st loss last week! The only blip in my predictions! I wonder who will have the unpredictable upset this week!

CHEFS BANDITS vs WHO’S GONNA CARRY THE BOATS

BULLS vs LE ROI DES CARTES

THE BLACK WOLF vs LES RANCEURS

BALLS AND DOLLS vs HOT WINGS

KAMIKAZE vs TIGHT ENDS

BALLS AND DOLLS vs LES GRAND CHUMS

CHEFS BANDITS vs TONIX

NO PUNT INTENDED vs KISS MY HUGS

LA SECTE vs MEAN MACHINES

BACK THAT PASS UP vs MICHAEL SCOTT’S TOTS (YOU KNOW THE DRILL!)

Prediction Record: 40-16-2

Week 9 is just around the corner (and as of writing this, has already started!) and the clock is ticking! The awards race is coming to a close as people try to pump up those stats. Keep focused and don’t give an inch to your opponents. If there are upcoming milestones you want me to cover, don’t be a stranger, let me know! If you want to see more accurate info about your teams, your players, your rivalries/history – send them to me (It helps when I know about you)! Also, check out the new episode of Calling the Audible – the official FPF podcast – available on Youtube and …. Probably somewhere else too. And always keep a look out at FPF’s Official Instagram page for updates and exclusive content!