Upsets Aplenty in Week 3

Welcome back to the madness that is FlagPlus Football’s Division E. The temperature isn’t just starting to heat up outside, it’s getting hot on the field as well, as Week 3 served as an oven that cooked plenty of upsets.

 

Suh-Tang Clan, who did not look all that impressive in the first two weeks of the season, took care of business against the heavily-favoured Beastmode Sunday night and knocked them off 36-18. The key to the blowout win, was the Clan’s offense, which had scored just 20 points combined coming into the game, finally started to click and show signs of life. Quarterback Alex Grey had a huge performance, as he threw for 5 touchdowns and only 1 interception, while completing slightly more than half his pass.

 

On the receiving end of 3 of those TDs was Grey’s former Wax On Wax Off teammate Justin Santillo. Let’s see if the dynamic duo can build off of their performance this week against Gronky Kong.   

 

All in all, it was a solid performance by the Suh-Tang Clan, as they proved they ain’t nothing to $%^& with. (At least 34 of the team better have gotten that reference, or I demand that you guys change your name immediately).

 

For Beastmode, the team has now gone two weeks in a row without a victory. The schedule makers did them no favors this week, as they take on the Smokin’ Axolotls. Were the last 2 games just a small blip on the radar, or is it the beginning of something much bigger? The answer will come Sunday afternoon.

 

Another upset that got my attention was the Rolling Thunder’s 28-18 win over Dirty Mike n the Boys. The former came into the game as underdogs after getting handled by GYR and the Aliens to open the season.

 

Tuesday night however, the Rolling Thunder seemed like a new team, as their offense which had only scored two first half TDs all season, exploded for 21 points in Brossard. What makes their production and their even more impressive, is the fact that their leading Wide Receiver Dexter Linton, was limited to just 3 catches for 23 yards.

 

Helping out their cause was an aggressive defense that made it hard for Quarterback Jordan Allard to get in rhythm and find his comfort zone.

 

The win as the first of the season for the Rolling Thunder. Let’s see if they can make it 2 in a row this coming Tuesday night against the Warriors.

 

The final game was an upset of a different kind, as Gyr completely mopped the floor with the Aliens. I picked this game to be the Game of the Week in last week’s column. It instead went to Les Huards and Les Bonhommes Jaunes.

 

Gyr QB PJ Belec continued his assault on the Div E, as he had yet another solid outing, as he threw for 5 TDs. While he posted his lowest numbers of the year so far in terms of efficiency (50% completion rate) and a 95.5 QB Rating, it was more than enough to help his team jump out to a 21-12 halftime lead that they never looked back on.

 

Gyr looks like a powerhouse that has climbed into the elite team conversation. They have a slate of easy games over the next two weeks as they take on Victorious Secret and Gronky Kong respectively, before locking horns with the RoadRunners and SPARTANS in Week 6 and 7. Let’s see what happens down the road.

 

Finally, in the game that really should’ve been picked for Game of the Week by both myself as well as the league, the RoadRunners and Jagys & Chill put on a classic Sunday night at the Stade de Montreal. No matter what league you play in, whether it’s the NFL, CFL, CIS, or here in FPF, when two Quarterbacks combine for 7 interceptions as both Jean-Felix Daloze (J&C) and Mathew Yanakoulias (RR) did, the game usually ends up being very ugly.

 

Luckily for all parties involved, it wasn’t the case as both QB as combined for 9 TD passes, and a number of Wide Receivers had big nights, including Justin Lerner, Daron Migdesyan, and Steven Kritselas of the RoadRunners, and Gabriel Moreau-Paquette, along with Yannick Doston of Jagys & Chill.

 

It was a heart-breaking loss for the RoadRunners, but it proved to them that they can hang with the big boys of Div. E. That lesson will hopefully do them some good, as they prepare to face a tough slate of games over the next 3 weeks that sees them play the SPARTANS, Trinity, and GYR. Good luck boys!

 

Let’s see who balled this week…

Nathanael Niedermann (Gyr): A week after picking up a mind-blowing 7 sacks against Dirty Mike n the Boys, Niedermann recorded 4 catches for 71 yards and 3 TDs against the Aliens Sunday night. So far this season, the first year player has been his team’s Most Valuable Player, as he has put up 10 grabs for 175 yards and 6 TDs, to go along with 10 QB takedowns.

Brad Evans (TDs and Beer): The Conference A leader in touchdown throws is coming off of a great performance against the KRUSADERS, in which he threw for 6 touchdowns, which put him in a tie for the Week high with the Smokin’ Axolotls’ Jordan Rossie. Evans also had the highest completion percentage amongst QBs, with a solid 81.8% on 18 of 22 passing for 150 yards. You have to imagine that the FPF veteran will have a really good chance to top those numbers Monday night against the winless FACE Jazz.

 

Erik Scattolin (Trinity): He was his team’s MVP in Trinity’s 38-2 beat down win over the Permian Panthers, as the rookie had 3 INTs (2 of which he ran back to the house), 1 sack and 1 tackle on defense, to go along with 2 catches for 14 yards and 1 TD on offense. Talk about balling. Let’s see what Scattolin has up his sleeve this Sunday night against Les Huards and their INT-prone QB Gabriel Béland-Lapointe.

 

PJ Belec (GYR): The Conference B leader in touchdown passes with 16, has been virtually lights out all season, and is a key reason why his team is undefeated. As I mentioned earlier, Belec threw for 5 TDs against the Aliens. I expect him to come close to doubling those numbers Sunday night when his team takes on Victorious Secret.

 

Yannick Doston (Jagys & Chill): My former teammate had a monster game last Sunday night against the RoadRunners at the beautiful Stade de Montreal. Doston balled on both sides of the ball, as he came up with 3 INTs on defense, and 4 catches for 30 yards and a TD on offense. While the Jagys & Chill’s 32-31 victory was decided by extra points, Doston definitely played a huge part in his team’s win as well.

 

Jeremie Ledoux (Les Bonhommes Jaunes): As a Quarterback, it’s almost impossible to win when you don’t throw a TD pass. Pulling off the feat is made even harder when you complete only 4 passes in the first half, and throw 2 interceptions in the game. Jeremie Ledoux however, pulled off the near impossible Tuesday night in Brossard, when he almost single-handedly led his team to a 13-6 win over Les Huards, by scoring on a pick-six off of opposing QB Gabriel Béland-Lapointe (he only had 4 completions in the first half as well), early in the 2nd half, then putting the game away late on a 7-yard scramble for a TD. A win is a win no matter how ugly. Kudos to Ledoux for putting the team on his shoulders.

 

Alexis Bessette (SPARTANS): Filling in for an absent James D’Andrea at Quarterback, Bessette kept his team’s undefeated season alive by going 10 of 20 for 175 yards, and 5 TD passes versus the Tigers. He also ran four times for 66 yards and another score. No matter what Division you play in, having a backup QB is always a smart idea.

 

Massimo Cicchini (Goon Squad): Cicchini, had the best performance of his FPF career, as he threw for 100 yards and 3 TDs to go along with 2 INTs on defense in his team’s 31-6 blowout win over Victorious Secret.

 

Jean Guy: Like I’ve been saying for seemingly forever, when you pitch a shutout, you end up on the list. And, conversely, when you fail to score, you end up on the other side as well. All that aside, the veteran Jean Guy squad proved it can win ugly with their 15-0 win over FACE Jazz. Let’s see if they can get their act together offensively this week against the KRUSADERS.

 

Who took the fall this week…

FACE Jazz: Like I just mentioned above, they got shutout 15-0 by Jean Guy. The goose egg on the scoreboard actually marks the second week in a row that they have failed to score. While FACE Jazz’s choice of jersey is creative (I don’t think they’ll ever have to endure the stench of the dreaded pinnies, their offense clearly is not. This isn’t rocket science gentlemen. Take what the defense gives you, and march down the field.

 

Permian Panthers: the 2 points you put up on the scoreboard means you guys are barely better offensively than the team I just mentioned. These two teams actually play each other in Week 6. I wonder what the game would be called if there were actual draft picks, or money involved. Hmmm…) The safety you guys got in your game this past week vs Trinity was awarded to you, so it’s not as if you guys did any damage to the scoreboard yourselves. Step It Up boys. For your sake, I hope Les Bonhommes Jaunes leave their offense at home for a second week in a row.

Gabriel Béland-Lapointe (Les Huards): The picks keep coming. What frustrates me, and I am sure a least a few members of their offense is the execution of the plays. Rolling out to one side, and then throwing the ball completely across your body is a sure recipe for disaster no matter what level of football you are playing. Unfortunately for Les Huards and their QB, they call that play FAR too often. I counted at least 5 times they tried to run that play vs Les Bonhommes Jaunes. Needless to say, it failed every time, and resulted in a t least 2 INTs, and likely would have been a few more had the LBJ defensive Backs not dropped the ball.

 

Alexis Labonté (Gronky Kong): I know the team was without their regular Quarterback Ofir Levy, and I know Josh Levine played the majority of the game at QB, but that doesn’t excuse Labonté’s performance as he went 1 of 3 for 24 yards and 2 INTs versus the Smokin’ Axolotls. Sorry man, but you know the rules…

 

Victorious Secret: While their QB Johnny Montanaro completed less than 50% of his passes 12 of 27, and threw 3 INTs, he was far from the only reason his team lost. Their defense had no answer for a Goon Squad team that they beat last Winter Season, and that got shutout last week against The Warriors.

 

Eddy Rousseau (FACE Jazz) He went 9 of 30 for 120 yards (at least there was a positive), no TD passes, and 3 INTs vs Jean Guy. You guys know the deal…

 

Match-ups

Charles-Olivier Lavigne (Beastmode) versus Jordan Rossie (Smokin’ Axolotls)

This is a statement game for Beastmode after they were upset by the Suh-Tang Clan last Sunday night. To get the win, they will need their Quarterback Charles-Olivier Lavigne to out preform Jordan Rossie this Sunday in Lachine. That will be easier said than done, but if the underdogs want to be considered among the Div E elite, they need to knock off a big dog. To do so, they will need to win the QB battle.

 

Daron Migdesyan and Justin Lerner (RoadRunners) versus Daniel Hernandez and Alexis Bessette (SPARTANS)

This is a battle of a team’s two best Wide Receivers going against another team’s best two Defensive Backs. So far on the season, Migdesyan and Lerner have combined for 27 catches for 430 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hernandez and Bessette have combined to pickoff 8 passes. Something has to give here.

 

Picks

 

Suh-Tang Clan vs Gronky Kong – Suh-Tang Clan

Beastmode vs Smokin Axolotls – Smokin’ Axolotls  

Trinity vs Les Huards – Trinity  

Permian Panthers vs Les Bonhommes Jaunes – Les Bonhommes Jaunes

Victorious Secret vs Gyr – Gyr  

Goon Squad vs Aliens – Aliens

Super Troopers vs Dirty Mike n the Boys – Dirty Mike n the Boys (Upset Special #1)

Jagys & Chill vs Tigers – Jagys & Chill

KRUSADERS vs Jean Guy – KRUSADERS (Upset Special #2)

TDs and Beer vs FACE Jazz – TDs and Beer

Rolling Thunder vs The Warriors – Rolling Thunder (Upset Special #3)

The RoadRunners vs SPARTANS – SPARTANS (My pick for Game of the Week)

 

Last Week: 6-6 (Wow that was horrible!!!!)

Season 13-10-1

 

And now, without further ado, I’d like to introduce Jean-Felix Marquis, who’s in his sophomore FPF season. This season he is QBing and captaining Trinity. Each week, JF will have a small blurb at the end of  my article where he’ll breakdown a game in detail and make his picks. Here he is:

 

Et c’est fini pour la semaine 3!

Plusieurs résultats finals m’ont surpris, j’ai pu voir quelques parties où j’ai été impressionné et d’autres où il n’y a rien à dire.

Cette semaine, l’article sera un peu différent, puisque la partie que j’ai été voir entre Dirty Mike n’ the Boys contre les Rolling Thunders fut unidirectionnel!  Les hommes en jaune (Rolling Thunders) qui ont enfin leur chandail de game, ont dominé la partie de la première minute jusqu’à la dernière.   David Centomo, qui jouait sa première partie avec l’équipe, a fait des débuts remarqués puisqu’il attrapa la passe destinée pour lui sur le premier jeu. Mais, ce fut à la deuxième demie qu’il démontra à tout le monde son talent en effectuant un superbe attrapé à une d’une seule main dans le fond de la zone des buts. On notera également la performance de Michael Barnett, qui a attrapé 6 ballons pour 49 verges et 2 touchés.

Du côté des Dirty Mike n’ the Boys, bien que Jordan Allard (QB) a tout fait pour que son équipe marque des points, il semblerait que lui permettre de courir sur chaque jeu n’est pas envisageable. Vladimir Markowski est le seul autre joueur à avoir réussis à entrer dans la zone de but, chose qu’il a faite à 2 reprises.

J’ai ensuite voulu regarder le match opposant les Bonhommes Jaunes et Les Huards, mais c’est la ”Game of the week” qui a été filmé, donc je vous laisse découvrir par vous-même la partie!

Dimanche soir, au superdome, pendant qu’il faisait 50 degrés celcius à l’intérieur, j’ai assisté à un revers de situation tout à fait inattendu. Le Suh-Tang Clan a remporté la partie contre les Beastmode et aucun doute la dessus, puisqu’ils ont été en avance toute la partie. C’est loin d’être la meilleure performance des hommes en rouge (Beastmode), mais tout de même, je ne pouvais qu’applaudir le Suh-Tang Clan, qui jouait leur meilleur football de la saison. 

Que dire des Face Jazz… Aucun point en 2 parties, les gars, je vous ai vu jouer et vous pouvez faire bien mieux qu’en ce moment! Il est grand temps que vous repreniez votre saison en main si vous voulez faire les séries.

Après 3 parties et le tiers de la saison de fait, je prends le temps de mentionner la performance de certains joueurs qui connaissent un début de saison tout à fait remarquable.

Pour les quarts-arrière :

Mathew Yanakoulias (The RoadRunners) 42 passes complétées en 70 tentatives pour 585 verges, 14 passes de touché mais 7 interceptions.

Charles-Olivier Lavigne (Beastmode) 50 complétées en 70 tentatives pour 549 verges, 10 touchés par la passe et 2 par la course, seulement 4 interceptions.

PJ Belec (Gyr) 37 complétées en 59 tentatives pour  515 verges, 16 passes de touché et 1 par la course, incroyable quand on remarque qu’il a seulement 2 interceptions.

Mention spécial à James D’Andrea (Spartans) qui a 131.5 de QB rating et toujours pas lancé 1 interception.

 

Pour les receveurs :

Justin Lerner (The RoadRunners) 16 réceptions pour 282 verges et 6 touchés

Jameel Greenidge (Tigers) 14 réceptions pour 215 verges et 3 touchés

Alexis Bessette (Spartans) 9 réceptions pour 201 verges et 3 touchés (en 2 partie)

Pour la défense :

Sam Villafuerte (The Warriors) 18 plaqués, 3 interceptions, 1 passe rabattue et 1 touché

Jason Koloakis (Smokin Axolotls) 13 plaqués, 3 interceptions et 1 touché

Vincent Marquis (Trinity) 13 plaqués, 3 interceptions et 4 passes rabattues

Cédrick Jetté-Lemay (Aliens) 11 sacks et 1 plaqué

Nathanael Niedermann (Gyr) 10 sacks, 3 plaqués et 1 passe rabbatue

Benjamin Dansereau-Leduc (Trinity) 7 sacks et 4 plaqués

 

C’est tout pour cette semaine et je souhaite la meilleure des chances à chaque équipe!

Mes picks :

Suh-Tang Clan VS Gronky Kong – Suh-Tang Clan

(Game of the week) Beastmode VS Smokin Axolotls – Beastmode

Trinity VS Les Huards – Trinity

Permian Panthers VS Les Bonhommes Jaune – Les Bonhommes Jaune

Victorious Secret VS Gyr – Gyr

Goon Squad VS Aliens – Aliens

Super Troopers VS Dirty Mike n’ Boys – Dirty Mike n’ the Boys

Jagys and Chill VS Tigers – Jagys and Chill

Krusaders VS Jean Guy – Jean Guy

TDs and Beer VS Face Jazz – TDs and Beer

Rolling Thunders VS The Warriors – The Warriors

The RoadRunners VS Spartans – Spartans

 

Je serai present mardi au terrain de Brossard afin de voir s’affronter Rolling Thunder contre The Warriors et The RoadRunners contre Spartans.

 

—-

 

That’s it for this week. I will be back next Friday, with my recap from Week 4, and my look ahead to Week 5. Thanks for checking out the article.

If you loved the article, hated it, or simply felt that I left something out, feel free to contact me at [email protected]