Playing For Keeps: Showtime!

Last week we were treated to some tasty matchups in the appetizer round of the playoffs. If they were any indication of what’s to come the rest of the way, then we’re in for a thrilling finish to our 2017 season.

At this point of the year flahsy talent gets trumped by pure competitve will power, as the team that wants it more often comes out ahead.

You can’t ignore playoff experience at this time of year. Guys who’ve been in the pressure cooker and continue to rise above the rest are a rare asset.

Some players crumble under the higher stakes, where every error is magnified seven fold and can cost your team their season. Others live for those moments.

It’s those crazy few who save their best for last that bring glory to their names and carve out a place for themselves in FPF history.

If you’re one of the few remaining players and want to thurst yourself into FPF lore, then this is your moment. The spotlight is on you now, with everyone watching.   

 

With all the playoff matches set to go in a few hours, join me as we take a deeper dive into each individual matchup, and see who has the edge in the second round.

 

This is Playing For Keeps: Week 12 edition.

 

Recaps:

Friends before Bros

In the battle of patchy teams swinging above their weight class, Friends in Low Places defeated Smash Bros 30-19, and live to see another day as major underdogs.

The game started out with TDs on both sides, as D’Amour found Sabloff on fourth down, and Cohen responded by squeezing one in tight to Garfinkle.

 The next sequence of drives would produce the first turning point of the game, as the Smash Bros turned the ball over at midfield after FiLP once again tested fortune and scored on fourth down.

 A stale drive by FiLP gave Smash Bros the ball before half with a chance to take the lead. They marched to the goal line and seemingly punched the ball in to Joseph Kano on fourth down, only to realize in dismay that the referee had thrown a questionable flag for offensive pass interference on the mountainous receiver. Pushed back 10 yards on the repeat fourth down, they failed to convert and went into the half trailing FiLP 12-7.

The second half saw the offenses come to life. A blown coverage by FiLP had Patrice “Paddattatman” Lindor strolling into the endzone on a 40 bomb to begin.

D’Amour maintained his composure and continued marching downfield with hooks to Sabloff. A drop by Alex Grey in the endzone forced a key fourth down situation for FiLP, but D’Amour trusted his receiver by going back to him on the very next pass for the TD, Grey’s second of the game.

Kyle Pedvis then made the most mind boggling catch of the night, which temporarily deflated the sails for FiLP. Cohen launched a wobbling pass into the middle of the field with Alex Grey boxing out Pedvis perfectly and seemingly in position to make the interception. Somehow, Grey swung and missed at the ball, and Pedvis reeled it in over his shoulder without a clear sight of its trajectory in the air. He then maintained his balance while stumbling and coasted into the endzone for another deep touchdown.

FiLP looked to be reeling, as D’Amour momentarily seemed overwhelmed by Smash Bros defensive designs. With fortune once again on their side, a tipped ball on third down somehow found its way into his receiver’s arms, who took it to midfield. On the next play Jared Buck made a spectacular toe drag catch on the sideline in double coverage, to bring FiLP down into the redzone. A sack and two errant passes later had FiLP back in their familiar situation, fourth down in the redzone, with the game on the line. D’Amour couldn’t find an opening on his first two reads, and with the rusher on his hip slung the ball into an open area in theback of the endzone. A FiLP receiver came crashing in from the opposite side of the field and secured the ball for the go-ahead score.

With little time remaining on the game clock, and their season hanging in the balance, Smash Bros lined up for their potential game winning drive. However, destiny would not have it for the team in black, as a FiLP defender read the attempted hook route to Garfinkle in the slot, and crashed in for the heartbreaking interception.

With 6 plays remaining, D’Amour ran in the game sealing TD from 15 yards out, and Friends in Low Places celebrated while awaiting confirmation of their next opponent for the Sunday showdown.

 

Never let anyone ride your wave

This was a thrilling, high tempo, back-and-forth game between two incredibly talented teams, portrayed magnificently on camera by our film maker extraordinaire Lance Daniel to the tune of a fine hip hop selection. I was enthralled by this game and have watched it at least a handful of times so far. For my two cents this was the best GOTW of the season.

The loss of Jad Aridi to vacation figured to play a prominent role in this one, as he led his team in receptions and tackles by a large margin. However, for the first half of the game, at least offensively, Jeff Rosenblatt and Impeccable D were carving up Red Wave like it was no sweat.

Mario Porreca came out swinging for the fences early, taking shots downfield. It seemed like he pushed himself to two strikes on numerous occasions, before coming up with a big play on third or fourth down. The first turning point of the game came when he started working the slants, as Impeccable D`s zone wasn`t able the hold the speed and athleticism of the Red Wave receivers.

As the tide of the game was starting to turn, J Rose started throwing deeper. They managed to keep their lead with a fortunate conversion on fourth down that turned into a TD after some blown tackles.

With 5 plays left before half Porreca carved up the field with poise, marching downfield with the Moses brothers, before finishing with Chris Olsen on a slant. The game went into the half tied at 20.

Rose looked smooth to start the second half, hitting Boustany with a perfect corner route that brought them to the goaline. However, the very next play would change the outcome of the game. Rose threw a quick slant into Daniel Farag’s bread basket, a play that they’ve no doubt converted several times throughout the season. Fate would not have it on this night, as it bounced out of his grasp and into the welcoming hands of Jeremy Anderson for the INT.

As if that wasn’t enough of a sign that fortune was with Red Wave on this evening, the following drive saw Travis Moses dangerously pop up a ball in the back of the endzone, only to have it land safely in Loïc Robidoux’s embrace for the go-ahead score.

With Red Wave now in the driver’s seat, it was at this point that Impeccable D missed Jad’s veteran leadership and calming confidence the most. The offense seemed to stiffen up a bit, knowing that another missed drive would essentially mean the end of the road. In close on fourth down, Rose put a beautiful ball to Daniel Farag in the corner of the endzone, which he reeled in while throttling the line and staying in bounds. Unfortunately, Farag had stepped out of bounds prior to catching the ball, which veteran referee Steve HodHod detected from his perfect vantage point right beside the play. The turnover gave the ball back to Red Wave with a chance to ice the game…and boy did they ever…

“SHOWTIME!”

Let’s not beat around the bush, if there’s one thing we can all agree upon about this game, it’s that Jordan Moses completely dominated offensively. With 6 catches for 119 yards and 2 TDs, he saved his best for the key moment when he could seal the victory for his team. He set the stage by catching a quick slant from Porreca to move them out of their own endzone.

Then, on the very next pass, he made “The Play” that will surely go down in the history of FPF highlight reel film. He split the defense and caught a diving post to bring Red Wave down to the 5 yard line. With incredible awareness, he knew that he hadn’t been touched yet, so he got up and took three steps right before putting an incredibly nasty left-footed crossover that had the defender running into field 2, while he casually drifted into the endzone for the finishing blow.

 

 

Games of the week:

Backyard Bullies (2nd) vs Junkyard Dogs (3rd)

Previous Encounter: (Week 10) 38-19 JYD

Last time these teams met JYD cruised to a victory with surprising ease. With only 6 players on the roster, and missing MA Lapointe, Jason Rossie put a nearly perfect game, going 16 of 18 for 6 TDs and zero INTs. The week off was necessary for the Bullies, who come in with a 4 game losing streak and desperately needed the time to reconfigure their gameplan.  

QB: Rich Humes vs Jason Rossie

Over the past 5 games Jason Rossie has been averaging a touch under 5 TDs scored per game, while Rich Humes has been averaging a touch under 4. A whole TD separating these two is huge, as that equates to 6+ points per game. In the playoffs, you can’t often hope to win by more than a score. However, while Rossie has largely benefitted from a stacked receiving unit over that timeframe, Rich Humes missed Vinny Gualano for 2 of those games and Steve Sanner for all of them. Also, if we’re looking at INTs over that span, Rossie has more than doubled Humes, with 7 vs 3 turnovers. In such hotly contested games, a single turnover at an inopportune time can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.  So if we negate the difference between TDs scored and INTs, this game becomes a true toss-up. I think Rich Hume’s playoff experience as a championship level QB will give him the edge in this one. He knows how to control the tempo of the game and manage those critical moments when the stakes are high and many QBs find themselves shrinking under the weight of pressure.

Receivers: Bullies vs JYD

These units just don’t measure up when you stack them next to each other. The Bullies rely on a pot luck style, with everyone chipping in a little wherever they can. The unheralded Alex Moreau can said to have been their most consistent receiver this season, with 10 TDs, but even he came in under 300 total yards. When they’re rolling, everyone on this roster can hurt you by finding a soft spot in the zone, but the Bullies definitely don’t possess the kind of high profile receiving group that strikes fear in an opposing defensive coordinator.

THAT type of fear-inspiring unit does indeed belong to JYD. Alexandre Noel emerged in the second half of the season as one of the most reliable possession receivers in the division. Jacob Bernett sometimes gets lost in the game flow, but he’s a tremendous talent that can hurt you at any given moment. He also can get red hot in a hurry. If Carmine Pollice returns to the lineup this week and forces the Bullies to spotlight him, it will open up major receiving lanes for the quality depth guys like Lapointe and Jordan Rosie to hurt them underneath.

Defense: Bullies vs JYD

This category was tricky to judge. At first glance, JYD seems like the logical choice, allowing 2.4 points less per game and registering 5 more INTs on the season. However, a quick glance at each team’s schedule reveals a great gap in difficulty of opponents. The Bullies faced the hardest slate of opposition in the second half, while JYD had an average schedule at best. For both teams to allow under 25 points per game is truly impressive and this figures to be a difficult night for both QBs.

Vinny Gualano will get crafty in this game, using his vast FPF experience and intuition as a signal caller himself to get inside Rossie’s head and predict his next move. He will need to, as the loss of Steve Sanner to injury was perhaps the single biggest contributing factor to their second half losing streak. Sanner will reportedly attempt to get back on the field for this game, but even if he does, his ability to impact the game will be questionable at this point. Alex Moreau will need to eliminate one of JYD’s at the corner position, and the duo of Jonathan McQueen and Rich Humes will need to continue to wreak havoc over the middle. I’m looking at Humes in the half position for Bullies. If he can get a read and make one of his signature crashing INTs in the short zone, it could go a long way to tilting the tide for his team.

X-Factor: JYD

JYD are the hotter team heading into the game. They’re playing with confidence and they’ve found that solid chemistry throughout the season. The Bullies worry me because they’re that tricky, veteran team that can turn it on at any moment, or lure you into their trap with a crafty gameplan. Momentum is on the side of JYD, however, and I believe it will be their game to lose.

Prediction: 32-26 JYD

 

 

The Commission (1st) vs Show Me Your TDs (5th)

Previous Encounter: (Week 8) 32-28 Show Me Your TDs

In the height of Commission mania, SMYTD delivered TC their first loss of the season back in week 8. Perhaps SMYTD caught TC off guard somewhat, as complacency can get to any team that was cruising along at the rate they were. However, the combination of a swarming SMYTD defense and an effective, fluid offense pushed TC in a way that they hadn’t witnessed prior. SMYTD will look to execute a similar gameplan in this rematch, while TC will be ready to counter. In a game between two teams with such high artillery firepower, the first team that brings out the nukes will have the upper hand.

QB: Sean Avraam vs Jesse Dupuis

Speaking of nuclear. Both of these QBs can throw down with the best in the divison. Last week I slept on Jesse Dupuis in this category, and he proved me wrong by having a field day on Jagerbomb. However, Avraam is coming into this game with his QBOY trophy, and I always respect the hardware. Dupuis relies on his athleticism and extremely high competitiveness to force his way to success. Avraam is a quick trigger pocket passer with a deft touch pass. Give me Avraam to make the big play down the stretch when the stakes are highest.

Receivers: The Commission vs SMYTD

This is the best positional battle of the week, by far. TC have the WROY, Jordan Allard, who’s been a one-man highlight reel all season. As if that’s not enough, they have the runner up to him in the award category, the freakishly talented AJ Gomes. Rounding ou the unit is the incredible depth added by underrated receivers in Eddy Lee and Domenic Benevento. These guys often get lumped together with the label “depth” on this team, but that’s only because they possess such an abundance of wealth. On any other team they could be headlining talents.

It’s so hard to say that TC have an advantage in this encounter, because SMYTD are so incredibly stacked as well. Last time these teams played Alexis Gaumont went OFF for 8 catches, 136 yards and 3 TDs. Just in case he isn’t enough to deal with on his own, there’s also Julien Bellavance and Mendy Caridichon to account for, who combined for 3 TDs last week. Perhaps the x-factor for them is the return of Mike Addona, who’s assumed the snapper position and now makes them even more dynamic than before. Alex David can now move back to receiver and provide the type of crafty route running that keeps defenses honest.

I give a slight edge to TC for their heavy top two receivers, but SMYTD nearly close the gap with their astounding depth.   

Defense: The Commission vs SMYTD

TC have had spurts this season where they’ve relied on their offense to carry them, knowing very well that they were good for it. This will not be one of those weeks, as they’ll need a concerted effort from both sides of the ball to sleigh SMYTD.

  Zackary Alberts-Gill (15 sacks) vs the mobile Jesse Dupuis will be an interesting matchup. ZAG won’t be able to match Dupuis’ pure athleticism, so he’ll need to come in with a savvy gameplan and force him to one side and into off-balance throws. I still have my doubts that he can hold him, as I’ve seen Dupuis take what he wants from rushers on far too many occasions in the past.

On the SMYTD side, DPOY Marc-Antoine Vallée will bring the heat on Avraam all night. I don’t think this matchup will bear as much of a significant, because at his best Avraam neutralizes rushers with his quick release. If the SMYTD secondary can get into Avraam’s head by cutting off his primary reads, and he’s forced to pull the ball down for a split second, then Vallee will make his impact felt.

Besides that, Avraam will need to make Dupuis his first read on every snap, because if forgotten he has a knack for crashing secondary reads and making you pay. Defensive captain of the year Eric Cantin will surely construct and intricate gameplan for dealing with the explosive Commission offense. I don’t think that there’s anyone on the Commission side who puts as much dedication and thought into that side of the ball as Cantin does. Advantage SMYTD.

X-Factor: SMYTD

The individual matchups favor SMYTD in this game. The week off is also a negative factor for Commission, since SMYTD had the first taste of playoff football last week. If Commission stumble a little out of the gate, it may be enough for SMYTD to take the lead and never look back. I expect this to be a slugfest throughout.

Prediction: 40-38 SMYTD

 

 

Bearskins (2nd) vs Friends in Low Places (5th)

Previous Encounter: (Week 10) 31-25 Friends in Low Places

QB: Neil Etinson vs Danny D’Amour

Throughout the course of the season we’ve seen alternating views of the good Etinson and the bad Etinson. Just as recent as week 10 he threw 3 INTs in the loss to Jagerbomb, in a game where he also threw 5 TDs. Etinson is an established QB in this league who’s had stellar seasons in higher caliber divisions than this one. Still, he reverts back to questionable throws at times into tight coverage. His absolute trust in his receivers to make plays for him is a double-edged sword, as it rewards him with big plays at times, and at other times creates back breaking turnovers. However, when he gets comfortable with an opposing defense and knows he can shake their rusher, his confidence gleams on the field and he becomes unstoppable.

In many ways D’Amour is similar in QB makeup to Etinson, in that a large part of his success is derived from knowing that he can beat the rusher and having a firm understanding of the opposing defense. At his best, D’Amour makes quick reads on the field and slings fastballs out to his receivers before they stop their momentum. He relies on the short ball a lot more, and mixes in designed runs to keep defenses honest.

Etinson is just a few years ahead of D’Amour at this point in terms of QB development, and will certainly have the upper hand coming into the encounter. Whether he leverages it or throws it away is an entirely different question.  

Receivers: Bearskins vs Friends in Low Places

The patchy trio of Sabloff, Buck and Holowach will take on the imposing trio of Papich, Bertoldi and Libman in this one-sided encounter. The FiLP receivers will do all they can to help move the chains for D’Amour, but they don’t match up to the overall playmaking ability of the Bearskins receivers. The most dominant receiving duo in the division, Papich and Bertoldi will be a nightmare for the FiLP defense.

At snapper, Michael Timmis and Ryan Etinson are far more evenly matched. Both provide significant outlets for their QBs, who will use them frequently if they’re left unattended by the defense.

Major advantage Bearskins.

Defense: Bearskins vs FiLP

The Bearskins are a good but not great defense. Once again they rely on the heroic duo of Papich and Bertoldi to cover a ton of ground and take away anything tested deep. A smart offense can find holes in the short zone and matriculate downfield against them. They also fail to present a formidable rush, which will be key in matchup against a mobile QB like D’Amour.

The FiLP defense were solid last week against Smash Bros, taking away their top receiving threats and making forcing their QB into uncomfortable throws. They’ll try to craft a similar gameplan this week, but it will be harder to execute against a far more lethal Bearskins offense. At best, they will try to minimize the natural mismatches they’ll have against the Bearskins unit. It will take a savvy gameplan from D’Amour to keep his team in contention this week.

X-Factor: FiLP

Despite all the advantages going to Bearskins on paper, there’s just something about this scrappy FiLP team that makes them compelling. Outmatched every week, they always find a way to keep themselves in the game long enough to turn the tide with one huge play. These guys play with a lot of heart, and I don’t expect them to back down against their superior opponent. Most importantly, they know how to play as the underdog, and they relish that label.

Prediction: 33 – 31 Bearskins

 

 

Royals (1st) vs Red Wave (6th)

Previous Encounter: (Week 8) 19-12 Royals

QB: Cory Johnson vs Mario Porreca

Contrary to popular belief, I feel like the week off should have done good for Cory Johnson, who will come into this game physically fresh and with a refocused mindset geared to playoff football. The last time these two teams met, neither QB had an impressive game. I think Cory has definitely mulled over what went wrong in that encounter and will make the adjustments required to get over the hump. The Red Wave defense is talented, but there are certainly holes to be found for a savvy signal caller. Johnson has the best receiving staff in the division at his disposal, and he demonstrated in the winter season that he can lead a team to the championship. Expect the best version of Cory Johnson on the field today.

What worries me on the other side is that Porreca just played against Vince Nardone’s defense in div B last week. Porreca’s team got the win in that game, but Nardone limited him to under 50% completion and took 2 turnovers from him. Porreca is capable of carving up a defense on different levels. He has a lethal deep ball touch, and when he wants to, can carve up a short zone with slants and hook. However, it’s often one or the other with him, and an adaptive playcaller like Nardone will bait him with traps on the field. If Porreca gets into his groove early and goes Super Saiyan he will carve up the Royals, but if Narodne gets into his head we might see another sub 50% performance similar to last week.

Receivers: Royals vs Red Wave

Jordan, Travis and Jeremy vs Justin, Vince and Chris is a heavyweight billing worthy of the top cost of admission. These are the two best receiving trios in the division and they match each other stride for stride. If Maclean is the best receiver in the division, then Jordan Moses is right there with him. If Chris Milard is the best deep threat, then Anderson is the best at carving up the middle of the field. Both Travis and Vince measure up as talented receivers who can strike at any depth.

Red Wave get the nod overall due to the back side of their staff. Giroux, Lonnie and GM are the perfect compliments to the big 3. It’s more like a big 5 for Royals to be honest.

This is sure to be a heated showdown.

Defense: Royals vs Red Wave

The Royals finished the season as the best defense in the division. There’s no question here. They allow a ridiculous 18.6 points per game versus Red Wave’s 27.4. Chris Milard is an assassin at the rusher position. In a straight line, he gets to a QB faster than anyone else. Vince will move his pieces around and try to confuse Mario’s first reads. Porreca is not one to shy away from a tight window, and we could see a few jump balls at play between the athletic receivers and defenders in this game.

Red Wave have done a better job at creating INTs than Royals this season, and they’ll try to replicate the last encounter which resulted in a trio of INTs. Johnson is a poised QB who lets the play develop before mailing a pass into an open area. Red Wave will need to make sure to respect their zones in this game, because deception is a key facet of the Royals attack. I’m interested to see if they can force Cory into making uncomfortable throws like last game, or if he’ll have adapted his offense enough the second time around.

One thing’s for sure, this will be an intricate chess game between the O and D. I expect there to be more than 1 stop on both sides in this game.

X-Factor: Red Wave

The Red Wave core won two games last week in the first round of the playoffs. You can’t ignore the confidence this team will bring into the game. You also can’t ignore a red hot Jordan Moses on offense.

Prediction: 32 – 21 Royals

 

 

Weekly Awards

QB:

Jesse Dupuis – SMYTD:

18/23 – 187 yards – 6 TD/1 INT – 122 QBR

Like I said earlier, I slept on him last week and he made me eat my words. I’m taking a risk sleeping on him again this week. It would be sweet poetic justice to see him turn up here again next week.

WR:

Jordan Moses – Red Wave:

6 catches – 119 yards – 2 TDs

Please see the game of the week video. It’s the only way to understand how dominant this performance really was.

DEF:

Eric Cantin – SMYTD:

3 TKs – 2 INTs

The big man deserves major credit for leading his team this far. Last week he put up the stats that get all the attention in the press. I’m glad to put his name on this list.

2WAY:

Kevin Boustany – Impeccable D :

5 catches – 59 yards – 2 TDs

1 TK – 1 INT – 2 PDs

Tough loss for his team in a well fought game but he certainly has no regrets. He left it all on the field and made a major impact on both sides of the ball.

 

That’s it for this week! Round 1 of the FPF playoffs is officially in the books, and round two is coming in fast! For all of those who’ve been eliminated from the playoffs, I hope that you continue to tune in to the league because the playoffs will definitely be intense the rest of the way. With the FPF Cup on the way, it’s a great opportunity to watch some high caliber ball and gain some insights for the fall season. As always, if you have any feedback, concerns, comments or just want a shoulder to lean on you can reach out to me @alexholowach1 on Twitter, or hit me up on Facebook. If you’re craving more div C content please check out the Calling the Audible podcast featuring GM and Justin, it’s a healthy dose of sophisticated silliness to get you through the week. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and make sure to check back next week to find out how the second week of the playoffs shook out!