2nd-and-Short (Div D) – Week 7
01-07-2014 12:00 AM
We’re finally here. Week 8. The beginning of the playoffs before the playoffs. Today’s playoff picture isn’t all that much clearer than it was in Week 1—heading into this week’s games, everyone but Jagerbomb and Warriors remains mathematically alive (by my unofficial count). That’s 28 teams out of 30 still fighting for a trip to the postseason.
Three weeks from now, 12 of those 28 teams will, alongside Jagerbomb and Warriors, officially be eliminated from playoff contention.
Until then, nothing is guaranteed. Everything is on the line. One play can make the difference between a playoff berth and a return to life without FPF until January. Remember that as you take the field this week—those of us hoping to see a crazy finish to this season will thank you for it (and…well…you’ll thank yourself for it, too).
Recap
5 Angry Birds > 6 Monstars
If you check the game report from Angry Birds game against Monstars on Sunday, you’ll see only five names on Angry Birds’ stats sheet.
That’s not a coincidence—the 0-6 Angry Birds actually had only five players on hand against the 6-0 Monstars. And won.
The game went south quickly for Monstars, who on the game’s first drive saw QB Rod Mashtoub overthrow two wide open receivers on back-to-back plays before eventually failing to convert a 4th and 7. Angry Birds capitalized on the short field with a touchdown and, though they found themselves down 21-19 at the half, were able to come back in the second half to go up 32-28 with time winding down.
With one play left Monstars had a chance to win the game, but Mashtoub’s final pass fell incomplete to seal the win for Angry Birds.
Perhaps more astonishing than the result itself is how Angry Birds got it—by completing 3-4 yard hooks and outs all game long accompanied by drive-sustaining runs by QB Jerson Previllon.
If you needed a reminder that simplicity works best in FPF, this game was it.
Tie Squad
Looking to extend their winning streak to three, The Dirty South had their hands full as they took on Tune Squad on Sunday.
The game got off to a shaky start for both sides, as both Dirty South QB David Polynice and Tune Squad signal-caller Chris Walwaski struggled to move the ball efficiently, resulting in just a 14-6 halftime lead for Dirty South.
It was a different story in the second half, where both teams traded scores until Dirty South thought they scored the game-winning touchdown when Polynice hit Will Moquin on a 40 yard bomb to make it 26-20 with just three plays left.
But, just like their game against Show Me Your TDs, Dirty South couldn’t close out the game. QB Mike Addona needed only two plays to hit the game-tying TD in that game. This time it took just three, with Walwaski finding the endzone on the game’s last play to make it 26-26.
Dirty South were fortunate enough to stop what would’ve been the game-winning conversion, but certainly didn’t leave Catalogna happy with the result, which cost them a chance to move up to 2nd place in Conference B’s Central subdivision.
T.C.Okay, okay…
… I was wrong about T.C.O. I liked the team coming into the season, but then they went ahead and lost their Week 1 game. Then, they went on a five-game winning streak—all of those wins coming against middle-to-low tier teams, none of them won by more than a score.
I wasn’t sure they were for real; I didn’t think they would be able to keep up with a team most would consider among the elite in the division.
And yet, they not only were able to keep up with Show Me Your TDs—they out-paced them, coming back from a 19-14 halftime deficit to win 33-26.
It all came together perfectly for T.C.O. in this one, with the nimble Doug McKernan keeping drives alive with his legs when needed, his receivers making clutch catches—including an athletic grab by rusher Tony Lalla to give T.C.O. the lead late in the game—and the T.C.O. defence yet again getting 4th down stops when the game is on the line.
Now that we know they can compete with top teams, the question now is whether they can do it two weeks in a row. Their game against Grip n Rip on Sunday should answer that.
Power Rankings
1. Grip n Rip (6-1): I’m so happy Grip n Rip aren’t in my conference.
2. Lobster Dinner (7-0): Shout-out to my teammates for winning our toughest game yet despite missing some key players and Matt Young playing injured.
3. Primetime (6-1): The only team to have given up fewer than 100 points so far this season. Say what you want about their schedule, but that’s an amazing feat.
4. T.C.O. (6-1): First big matchup of the season and they win in comeback fashion. Big ups to them. Now let’s see what they can do against the best team in the division.
5. Monstars (6-1): I’m still trying to understand how a 6-0 team loses to an 0-6 team, let alone doing so when the former has six players while the latter only has five.
6. Tomahawk Nightmare (5-2): Not the toughest of games, but a win nonetheless.
7. The BrotherHood (4-2-1): When this team is rolling, good luck to anyone standing in the way.
8. Ball Busters (4-1-2): When two-thirds of Dylan Taylors catches go for touchdowns, chances are Bull Busters are winning the game.
9. Recipe 4 Disaster (5-1-1): Kevin. Freaking. Boustany. That is all.
10. Show Me Your TDs (4-2-1): Losers of two of their last three games, their light is starting to fade fast.
Quick Picks
I went 7-7 in my picks this past week, which once again wasn’t enough to top Mat Domon, who went 8-6. It brings his record to 66-31, six better than my 60-37. But this fight is far from over.
Scared Hitless vs. Tune Squad
Los Banditos vs. Fun Boys
Pardon My Swag vs. Fools of the Country
Show Me Your TDs vs. The BrotherHood
Les Blues Branleurs vs. Jagerbomb
Recipe 4 Disaster vs. Big Blue Wrecking Crew
Lobster Dinner vs. Backyard Bullies (N/A)
Trapstars vs. The Dirty South
Speed Demons vs. Monstars
Tomahawk Nightmare vs. Primetime
Tyrants vs. Ball Busters
Warriors vs. Loose Cannons
Les Rois Lions vs. Longhorns
Angry Birds vs. Les Affreux
T.C.O. vs. Grip n Rip (I’m on the bandwagon, T.C.O., but I’m not driving it yet)
***
That’s all for today. As always, you can reach me by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @JBlanchFPF. If you missed Monday’s Division D podcast, you can check it out at www.theunclehood.com/flag-plus-football. See you at the fields!