The Goal Line Stand (Div D) – Week 4 – FlagPlus Football League

For those of you who follow my article here and abroad, I’d just like to point out that my first attempt at predicting games went relatively well. I went 6-1-1 predicting 8 different games for week 4. My only incorrect prediction was thanks to a monster second half by the Average Joes. And frankly, a tie? A tie in Division D FlagPlus Football is like the cashier getting your order right at KFC; it almost never happens. Not funny, Flying Comics.

The last game of week 4 took place at Lachine on Sunday night. And it appeared as though there was no reason to stick around and watch. Turns out that it was just a case of saving the best for last. The Average Joes killed The Incredibles’ momentum in the second half then held its funeral on their last drive. After the Average Joes tied the game late, a snap evaded Greg Stern’s grasp and landed in the end zone, putting the Average Joes up by 2 and costing The Incredibles the game.

As big an Incredibles fan as I am, it’s always nice to see big upsets such as this one. On any given Sunday, any team has a fair crack at any other. I don’t see this affecting The Incredibles as much as I see it affecting the Average Joes. Newcomer Tom Nikoletopoulos had a whopping 34 attempts, spreading the ball around evenly to 5 different receivers. A rattled Incredibles team, a new QB, a solid second half on defense, and a disturbance in the North-East wind may have been just the recipe this week for the Average Joes. Let’s see if they have leftovers for Les Affreux next week.

Weekly Recap

Last Minute Luck

UFF picked up their first win of the season sans their QB Francois Raymond last Thursday. Chili con Carne FFC took on a very stingy defense in Brossard. Six different UFF players chipped in with 2 tackles each, five different players had PDs for a total of 9, and two players had INTs. Stellar defense notwithstanding, watching this game has me questioning whether UFF won this game, or if Chili con Carne FFC lost it. With less than 5 plays remaining and leading, Loic Savoiz-Seguin threw an interception to Mathieu Asselin who returned it to the house for a big 6 points and the win – not to mention an earlier defensive return of an extra point attempt. Better ball-management (football, not hygiene) is going to be key for Chili con Carne FFC in the weeks to come.

Lessons Learned

For the first time this season the Replacements scored a throwing TD (the reception will be held this Friday night at the Ritz-Carlton). What’s more is that they scored TWO. This could turn into a big confidence booster for QB Mohamed Azab, despite only hitting two different receivers all game. Captain Joseph Foti continues to think defense first, as FPF rookie Kevin Gauthier takes on a bigger and bigger role for this team. Simon Dagenais and his Dragons had a good, well-rounded game. However, now it’s time for the big proverbial “but.” BUT, the Dragons must begin thinking about how to be good winners. In last year’s 5-5 season, they proved themselves to be very gracious losers. This is a new season and a look at their schedule suggests winning could become a habit. As fun as points and stats are, lets avoid throwing deep with a few plays left and a hefty lead.

Newton’s Laws of Motion

Because of Newton, we know that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. And last Thursday, the Flying Comics and Les Affreux obeyed natural physical laws. Sebastien Ravary of the Flying Comics was in the mood this week. He had more catches (8), more receiving yards (134), and more TDs (3) than the rest of his team combined. Three-quarters through the game, I was convinced he was going to end up with more yards than his QB. Unfortunately for Ravary and the Comics, Les Affreux had brushed up on their classical mechanics. Coming from way behind, Les Affreux showed a lot of perseverance and character. Seemingly shaken by a rough first half, Mathieu Domon composed himself and his crew at halftime. What was very surprising was that a usually quick and shifty Domon was held to only 16 rushing yards and 4 attempts. I’m going to blame it on the fact that his shorts looked like they were more fit for an impromptu trek through the Mojave than a flag football game. Your flag football shorts are a lot like girlfriends, you should always have two in case you forget one by the dryer.

Interviews

This week Joseph Foti tells me it’s a marathon, not a race. Marc-André Duchesneau explains how his team came back from behind. And I get double-teamed by P.A. Beauséjour and Loic Savoiz.

www.youtube.com/andrewFPF

Keep checking in for the latest updates!

By The Numbers

Gregg Easterbrook once said that if you torture numbers, they’ll confess to anything. But I think that’s against the Geneva Convention. So here they are, willing to cooperate.

19.33: Average number of yards per rush this week for Bruno-Pierre Pelletier. Most this week.

2: Number of teams scoring a rushing TD. Clockwork and Punch Panda.

9: Number of PDs for UFF this week. Most PDs in one game by any team in all 4 weeks.

2: Number of teams scoring a pick-6. UFF and Maximum Carnage.

4: Average of yards per rush against allowed by the Affreux defense. Best this week.

2: Average of extra points per TD by The Incredibles. Best this week and way ahead of the next best team, Boozers, who have 1.

13.64: Percent of snaps that a UFF QB got sacked in week 4. Most this week.

4: Number of teams not throwing an INT in week 4. Maximum Carnage, Les Affreux, UFF, and Punch Panda.

3: Number of times I’ve used the number 2 this week in my “By The Numbers” segment. Becoming irritating.

Power-Rankings

Some teams settled in this week while others stumbled. I’m starting to think this is the most important list in history. Suck it, Schindler.

Here are the power-rankings for week 4:

Boozers (4-0) – Consistency is the name of this team’s game.
Clockwork (4-0) – Their average second halves are what’s keeping them out of first spot.
Maximum Carnage (3-1) – Scored 27 points per half this week.
The Incredibles (3-1) – Lost a game they shouldn’t have. Must re-group. Will.
Dragons (3-1) – Three straight wins earns them 5th spot.
Vikings (3-1) – Sit precariously in 6th because of tough opposition next week.
Lockdown (2-2) – Two consecutive weeks with talented opponents has not done them well.
Tyrants (2-2) – Very respectable game against the #1 seeded Boozers.
Les Affreux (2-1-1) – Continue to slip. A tie in a winnable game isn’t acceptable.
UFF (1-3) – Took on a similar team and won. Welcome to the power-rankings.

Limetime is out of the limelight. Chili con Carne FFC let UFF take the 10th spot from them this week. Le Zoo caught Maximum Carnage on a good day and that’s why they’re not in the top 10 yet. I wish I could have given the Average Joes a spot. Les Affreux and Lockdown are on a slippery slope.

Predictions

Because of last week’s success, I’m going to take another look into my crystal ball, pull out my voodoo dolls, pray to Oprah, and hope I get it right.

Le Zoo vs. Flying Comics: Le Zoo finally gets to take on a moderate opponent. Go with the green.

Dragons vs. Limetime: I honestly think Limetime is built to beat the Dragons. But Dagenais is too hot right now. Go Dragons!

Chili con Carne FFC vs. Replacements: No reason Chili con Carne FFC shouldn’t win.

Incredibles vs. Vikings: The loss to the Average Joes would have flustered anyone but Greg Stern. The bandwagon is still full of Incredibles fans.

UFF vs. Tyrants: Two weeks ago I would have gone with UFF. I’ve changed my mind.

Maximum Carnage vs. Boozers: As good as Maximum Carnage is, I don’t think they’re deep enough to beat Boozers.

Average Joes vs. Les Affreux: Can lightning strike twice? No. Les Affreux.

Clockwork vs. Punch Panda: No one has fun when the score is blown out of proportion. No one is going to have fun at this game.

Thanks to those who sent their thoughts my way via e-mail at [email protected]. Just remember that next time it’s not necessary to include a link to your eHarmony profile. Let’s have fun and be safe in week 5!