Playing for Keeps: Sunday Funday – FlagPlus Football League

In honor of the big game, here’s a little piece that I wrote two years ago, highlighting the sad return to reality following sport’s holiest weekend.

Thanks to the Patriots continued dominance, it’s still as relevant as when it was written:

– Monday, February 4th

The morning after the Super Bowl is a particularly calamitous affair.

You wake up in a sharp panic, astoundingly late, after having ignored several warnings from your phone alarm.

Stumbling out of bed, and onto the icy cold floors, you lumber past the hallway while grasping at light switches that you could have sworn existed a day ago.

You’re disparaged to see that your kitchen is littered with the remains of an overly ambitious indulgence. Barbeque sauce stained plates overwhelm the sink, while trays of caked on salsa and unknown fats surround you menacingly on the counter tops.

The rows of empties remind you of the hangover that you’re nursing, as your head throbs and your mouth tastes like cotton and stale wings. Your stomach moans from the ill-advised layers of beans and sour cream you so brazenly devoured the night before. As you reach down to rub your ailing tummy you realize the newfound pudge roll hanging over your waist.

As a habit you open your fridge door and take a peek inside the jungle of saran-wrapped dishes and murky Tupperware. Staring at you, smack dab in the middle row, is a tub of radiant green guacamole that could feed an entire O-line. Why on earth did you make so much guac? Who were you expecting to host?

Repulsed, you begin to heat up water for your morning java and take a seat in an effort to regain your bearings. You stare blankly out the kitchen window, looking directly upon the monolith of red brick neighboring you and engulfing your view. Your mind jumps to Tom Brady, and how you might have put in just as much work as he did yesterday, yet he steals all the praise. Your boss doesn’t care that you willed the patriots comeback. Your colleagues won’t congratulate you for hosting the big game like a champ. All you get is the leftover guac…

Before long, you realize that you’ve been aimlessly meandering in your reverie for far too long, and you now have a seemingly insurmountable comeback ahead of you to make it to work on time.

You look to your go-tos to establish some rhythm. Cheerios and espresso, quick shower and shave. Dab of wax in the hair and a spritz of cologne. You even lace up the Nikes, as there’s no time to lug around bulky boots this morning. You decide to take the car because today you must control your own destiny. No time to warm up the engine, we’re going at it raw, brace your hammies old girl. Put up 3 on the board.

You’re finally awake! But the clock is now your worst enemy. You drive like a man possessed, hitting each hole with patience and burst. Parking outside the metro is usually burdensome, but you spot a tiny sliver between two cars on a small snow bank. No time to second guess. You pull in for 6, nail the parallel reverse for 2 more.

You’re starting to feel it now. You’re gaining your tempo, hitting your stride. The metro ride was a breeze. You’ve got your headphones on bumping your favorite playlist. There’s no thinking at this point, just pure survival instincts. You dip gingerly around waddling seniors and morning drones with Starbucks cups, leaving them to choke on your dust. You put a filthy swim move on a closing door, shouting out “Aaron Donald baby!” as you burst past it. You pull out your company pass card in preparation for the final mount of this epic comeback. But just as you swipe entry access and turn the corner, the mail room guy blindsides you from around the bend, and your laptop bag goes flying up in the air. He looks at you with fear and confusion, but you remain steadfast, directing your laser sharp focus on the freefalling bag. You reach around him and fire your hands towards the ground, miraculously snagging the bag just millimeters away from certain defeat. Phew. You somehow did it, you summoned everything inside of you and put up the final 6. All that’s left is the 2 point convert to bring it to OT and…

Then you see it. The hanging jacket, the ominously awaiting light…your boss is on time today. The most seldom seen man in the office chose today to demonstrate leadership. It’s 9:15 am the morning after the Super Bowl and he’s been sitting comfy at his desk for 15 minutes, staring at your empty seat. You feel your stomach cringe as you brace yourself for the patronizing speech. You reluctantly start searching for plausible excuses for your tardiness, preparing your most sincere apology.

You didn’t complete the comeback. You failed the convert. Fell just short…Despite what you always thought, you are not the GOAT. How sad of a realization it is.

Still…It was a pretty damn good effort. MVP like you may even say…

After a long-winded talking to, you finally settle down to your desk with a cup of coffee and pull your laptop open. You sit for a brief moment staring at the drab cubicle wall before you, looking right through it. A tiny smirk appears of your face as you think back to the epic game you witnessed last night. You never gave up hope this morning either. Despite falling behind by an impossible margin, you picked right up and got to work. You chipped away and stuck to the gameplan, waiting to jump on any opportunity that presented itself. You were nearly flawless.

You even have meals left over for an entire week now. No need to shop or cook. You open your Tupperware and help yourself to a heaving spoonful of guac…still pretty damn good.

Maybe you are like Brady after all.

This week I decided to nix the standard, formulaic article, in favor of a more creative approach.

Consider this the first half of a two week “midseason special.” We’ll take a look at intriguing storylines from across both divisions, in a borrowed segment from ESPN Zach Lowe’s “10 Things” articles.

5 Things (I like and Dislike)

Got-Fat’s Gumption (& Nic Centomo’s case for MVP)

The team that was cast off at the beginning of the year, cemented to firmly finish 8th out of 8, have been one of the most consistently impressive teams through the early part of the season. They’ve played each game tight so far (loose emphasis on tight for week 3), and are fresh off their first win of the year – a well-deserved upset over DK – who may more aptly deserves the “Got-Fat” moniker after being a step slow all night.

Fueling this impressive start has been the phenomenal play of Nic Centomo. His team is pouring in points at a clip of 39 per game, good for second in the division behind the trigger-happy FML. He’s averaging 235 passing yards and 6 TDs per game, trailing only ANP in both categories. Even more impressive than the stats is watching the quality of his throws first hand. When he’s not blowing up his own receivers with his bazooka arm, he’s nestling soft daggers into the tiniest of windows. If you’re lucky enough to catch him in action during this heater, you’ll be in for a treat. We’re witnessing a man completely locked in right now, executing his craft at the height of his abilities.

The addition of David Polynice to this offense could be the final piece that puts them over the hump. He’s the springy receiver that can take the top off the defense. His ability to spread open the field will give Centomo even more room to carve up defenses in the intermediary level. Look no further than his massive impact in week 4, where he threw on an orange jersey and reeled in 139 yards and 4 TDs on 7 catches. Hs presence gives Got-Fat a feeling of legitimacy in the division. Pairing him with the always spectacular David Centomo will be a fun 1-2 punch to keep tabs on.

The next month will be telling for this team, as they’re slated against Braves, Waste Yout, Monstars and MTL Finest. They’ll need to steal a game or two in that span if they have hopes of being more than a sexy offense this season. Gauging by the way the division has shaped up so far, I don’t think we should be surprised to see Got-Fat lay the wood down on the perceived “league favorites.” This team is for real.

The Hibachi is heating for D-Boys (Featuring “The Catch”)

Two weeks ago I wrote about the D-Boys knack for slow starts, and how we can’t discount them until the games start to matter; only then would we see their true colors start to shine through. It looked prescient at the time, as they went on to smash Monstars the next game and get in the win column. This past week they seemed to take a step back, with a 45-39 loss against Flag Moi L’Sac. However, upon closer inspection this group has all the makings of a team about to bust out.

With only 4 regular starters available against FML, and none of their top 3 receivers (Ojeaha, Maclean and Johnson), they called up Travis Moses and Kendal Mayers of #NR to fill the gap. With a patchwork roster that included snapper Anthony Comeau forcibly playing defense all game, they took on arguably the best team in division 1, and pushed them to the brim.

Marco Masciotra was hot in this one, fearlessly throwing darts into the teeth of the FML defense. He trusted his call-ups with timing pattern routes as though they had history together. At one point, he led Kendal Mayers on what will undoubtedly be the catch of the year:

Down 24-18 in the second half, on third and 10, Masciotra sent his slot receiver on a clear out and had Kendal at left wide run a 15 yard comeback past midfield. As he was loading up to release his shot, the corner snuck underneath Kendal, taking away the clear path for the pass. Marco quickly adjusted his calculations, tilting his trajectory slightly upwards but taking no heat off his fastball. As the ball whistled by the sidelines, it appeared as though it had a hot date with the mesh dividers. The defender boxed out Kendal and jumped, content that he had done his job in forcing a critical 4th down. But Kendal jumped higher. Using his momentum as he broke off his route, he gathered and leaped up at his maximum vertical, towering towards the sky with his left hand fully extended. Still not high enough, he stretched his first three fingers out as far as they would allow. The sizzling heater hit his fingers at their apex, just as his momentum began to fade backwards. In using a reference that can only be described as Spidey-Grip, he somehow managed to corral the pass with the tips of his three fingers, while fading backwards into a free fall. Another defender crashed in from behind him, but the force of the pass caused Kendal to roll as he hit the ground. The defender whiffed on the tackle, and in one continuous motion he rolled into a full mount and glided into the end zone with a clear path ahead. Everyone who witnessed it had the same instant shock of amazement, excitement and disbelief. Mouths were left open for several seconds after the play. If you have any doubts about it ask Jordan Maclaren. The man who is the most well-known spectacular catch-maker in the league confirmed: “catch of the year, not even close.”

D-Boys went on to lose the game, but credit them for keeping up the pace all night. Masciotra now has 481 yards and 12 TDs in the past 2 games, with only 1 interception. The Hibachi is heating up for D-Boys, and it’s just in time for their stretch run. When this lineup gets full and mean, look out all of those on their path.

A Pair of great pickups in Div 2

A pair of struggling Div 2 teams finally decided to heed the call from pundits, and addressed their QB struggles this past week to by picking up two very capable gunslingers.

Prospect Squad, an athletic group of hungry athletes, must have realized in their previous matchup with #NR that no matter how well they play on defense, it would be next to impossible to win at this level without a capable pivot. They grabbed fireball thrower Mario Porreca off the waiver wire and gave him the keys to their offense against Alkaholiks. They got an immediate boost, as an offense that was previously averaging 19 points a game put up a cool 32 points in its first outing together. Porreca picked right up as the deep throwing yardage monster that we’ve come to expect. Piling up 248 yards and 5 TDs against a gritty defense is impressive, especially considering he was on the couch for the first 3 weeks of the year. He quickly spotted the untapped potential on this Prospect Squad offense, working the ball repeatedly to the lightening quick duo of Jeanslee Alexis and Alex Roberge. Keep an eye on Alexis going forward, as we know that being the top target in a Porreca-run offense is a fruitful role to have. When they get Dynell Pierre back as a top three option this has the makings of a low-key potent div 2 offense. It’ll definitely be fun to watch them run-and-gun in the second half of the season.

Later in the evening we saw SYO 4 Life grab the mercurial QB Kristian Cerantola off waivers and thrust him into action. The former Broccassion pivot has always been difficult to read, making magic happen at times with less than stellar receiving corps, while at other times bungling powerhouse rosters. However, this unit seems to be designed perfectly for his skill set. His ability to scramble around and buy time in the backfield is next to unmatched in FPF, and his incredible arm strength has never been in doubt. With the big body, high-rising trio of the Crisi-Lauzon brothers and Kenny Baye, Cerantola can dance around until they get into position downfield, and then heave a bullet towards their extra-large catch radiuses. This team can start playing above the rim, and that’s a scary concept for opposing defenses. The initial results of the move came back extremely position, as Cerantola produced a combined 235 yards and 5 TDs. Most importantly, they shocked an unsuspecting Nighthawks team with a tie, thrusting themselves out of the Div B cellar and into a current playoff spot. If this game was an indication then the future is bright for SYO, as their beastly receivers will finally be unleashed upon the division.

The Finest’s Lack of Depth

Undeniably smarter people than I have made the error of questioning the Finest at perceived moments of weakness in the past, only to have them gear up and power through one of their innumerably championship runs. When they’re complete, no one in the league can touch them. They interlock and form like Voltron, with their mega thrusters blasting a path through the FPF universe. There’s always been something admirable about the fact that they play as a full team. Rarely in the higher divisions do you see a team run 10-11 deep, with specialists at each position. However, over the past two weeks their strongest asset has been subverted. With 7 to 8 players over that span, they’ve left some vulnerabilities on the field which were quickly exploited by their opponents.

Last week, their lack of depth was well masked, going down to the wire against DK and losing on the final throw of the game. However, this week DK showed that they aren’t yet a powerhouse in the division, and perhaps that loss was an indicator or a concerning trend. When they tried to get by with a similarly short-handed roster against Braves this week, they got the hammer dropped on them abruptly.

The Braves, who are accustomed to playing their best ball with 6 or 7 players, put all their resources into shutting down Jerome, and baiting the Finest to beat them with their secondary receivers. Usually, this is Kevin Wyeth’s bread and butter, as he can find favorable 1-on-1 matchups across the board. Except this week he had to rely on his defensive specialists to carry the load on offense, and even he couldn’t make that lemonade work. Forget the 3 interceptions and the double digit incompletions, the most concerning thing about that game was that the Finest failed the eyeball test. There’s no doubt that other physical, aggressive defenses like the D-Boys or Monstars were taking notice, and licking their chops for a chance at a similar matchup.

If The Finest are looking for a boost to get them going, then here it is. False prognosticators have been wrongly predicting their inevitable downfall for years. Vultures like the D-Boys and Braves have been circling the skies, patiently waiting for their meal. Is 2019 finally the year that this comes to fruition? I firmly believe that they still possess the most talented roster in the league when full. Div 1 regular season for the most part is a 10 week exhibition round for a 3 week season. However, the fear here is that at some point the Finest will try to turn on the button once again, but this time it just won’t work.

Hall Talk

“I’ve been in this league since ‘06 and have seen all of you grow before my eyes.” – Brian Huffman

Super Bowl weekend is here, and with it inevitably comes all the noise surrounding the FPF Hall of Fame selections. There’s nothing quite as carnal and ruthless as judging the ultimate worth of a peer, especially when it comes to determining if they should be granted access to the most exclusive level of player respect and valor.

It’s a chance for the old boys club to put on their dusty yellow jackets and turn into elitist snobs. Recently, thanks to new rules granting everyone a vote, the league at large can engage in some good old fashioned gladiatorial savagery.

Don’t get me wrong, I too love getting drunk off the fumes of power. Relinquishing all sense of decency to my fellow man and sharpening my fangs for the ceremonial feast. There’s an undeniable electric rush in publicly taking a stab at a competitor, and waiting for the rest of the hyenas to pounce on a weakened prey.

On the menu is the freshest batch of candidates. Some are more cocksure than others, acting like it’s their birthright to get in. others are more desperate, falling victim to groveling and pleading with the masses for support. What gets me most are the sappy testimonials. As if people are running an imaginary campaign: “I think I should get in because I’m better than so and so…People say that I’m a neh neh neh…My teammate is a blah, blah, blah…he’s been blah, blah, blah for X, Y, Z years.”

As I reluctantly type this op-ed out with my two middle fingers, I can’t help wondering: Does it feel any different being a Hall of Famer than not being one? How long until the initial pride wears off, and you forget that you’re even in this old batch of players? A couple of days? A week perhaps?

One refreshing voice that consistently resonated throughout the voting process was that of Brian Huffman. He brazenly challenged the status quo, trolling everyone in his path with utter nonsense. At the end of the day, he brought some wit and a sense of humor to a process that desperately needed it.

Let’s close of this HOF selection process now, and get back to the games at hand.

Player Value Rankings (Div 2)

Considering we’ve reached the first trimester of the season, this week I decided to begin a special dive into individual player stats. I decided to take a deeper look into player rankings at the QB and WR positions, introducing the Z-Score to rank players by available stats.

Simply put, the Z-score is the number of standard deviations from the mean a data point sits at. For our purposes, the Z-Score will measure how far a player ranks either above or below the divisional average at your position. The higher the Z-Score, the better you’ve ranked in comparison to your peers. These were introduced here: they aren’t perfect, but they’re fun.

This week we look at Div 2, next week Div 1.

Big Board

For QBs, I attributed equal weight to each of the measurable statistical categories. That means Yards, TDs, INTs and Completion% all have an equal impact on the final rating. The final player value (PV) is achieved by summing all the individual scores for each category.

Without further ado, here are your Div 2 QB rankings through week 4:

PLAYER	GP	YDS AV	YDS Value	TD AV	TD Value	INT AV	INT Value	COMP%	COMP% Value	PV
Dylan Taylor	4	212	0,77	5,5	0,97	0,3	1,54	73,5	1,35	4,62
Jonathan Maheu	4	204	0,61	5,8	1,14	0,5	1,06	69,7	0,95	3,76
Alex Holowach	4	231	1,17	5,3	0,79	0,8	0,58	68,9	0,87	3,41
Rick Nincheri	3	230	1,16	5,3	0,85	1,3	-0,54	69,8	0,96	2,43
Ryan Kastner	4	217	0,87	5,3	0,79	0,8	0,58	58,9	-0,19	2,05
Dan Lazzara	4	171	-0,10	4,3	0,09	0,5	1,06	62	0,14	1,18
Sean Avraam	4	173	-0,06	4,0	-0,09	0,5	1,06	57,6	-0,33	0,58
Cory Pecker	3	193	0,36	5,0	0,61	1,7	-1,17	66,7	0,63	0,44
Charles St-Martin	4	196	0,43	4,3	0,09	1,3	-0,38	48,8	-1,26	-1,11
Patrick Chénard	2	149	-0,58	3,0	-0,79	1,0	0,10	60,3	-0,04	-1,31
Paul Lapierre	3	161	-0,32	4,0	-0,09	1,0	0,10	46,9	-1,46	-1,76
Tam Vilaydeth	4	164	-0,25	3,8	-0,26	1,8	-1,33	58,3	-0,25	-2,10
Vincent Lauzon	4	105	-1,52	1,8	-1,67	1,5	-0,85	55	-0,60	-4,65
Romain Akakpo	3	57	-2,53	0,7	-2,43	2,0	-1,81	39,4	-2,25	-9,02

Some Observations:

Dylan Taylor is undoubtedly the frontrunner for QBOY through 4 games. His ability to produce high TD levels while keeping his INTs practically clear is outstanding. Perhaps most impressively, he’s doing all of this while completing a staggering 73.5% if his passes…Jonathan Maheu deserves recognition for being the second best QB in both division 1 and 2. The touchdown leader would be capable of producing even more yards, if his defense weren’t so good at stopping the opposition at midfield…Rick Nincheri has his hard hat on and his lunch box in tow; he’s going to work all day in the paint against tough defenses…After a bit of a slow start Ryan Kastner is quickly shaping into form. He was smooth in carving up the field against YCSWU this past week. His chemistry continues to grow with Lebovski and Kerouac each passing week…Dan Lazzara is one big game away from jumping into the top 4, and one bad game away from fading into mediocrity. Bet on the former…Sean Avraam and Cory Pecker are a couple of savvy, old school ballers. The fact that they continue to play at such a high level each year speaks to their high IQ and drive…The Rest of the pack are negative value QBs, meaning they haven’t yet surpassed the mean of the division. Out of all of them I like Charles St-Martin the best. He’s not afraid to fling the ball into tight windows. As he continues to gel with his teammates look for him to produce a few more eyebrow raising stats lines down the stretch.

Bigger Board

For WRs, I used a weighted average assigning Yards and TDs 4X as much value as REC in the final player value (PV).

Here are your week 4 rankings for the top 30 WRs from Div 2:

PLAYER	GP	REC AV	R-Value	YDS AV	Y-Value	TD AV	T-Value	PV
Jamie Ojeaha	4	5,3	1,64	79,8	2,55	2,5	2,77	7,63
Marco Masciotra	4	5,3	1,64	78,5	2,48	2,0	1,96	6,46
Andrew Carruthers	3	5,0	1,46	54,3	1,13	2,3	2,50	5,32
Simon Charbonneau-Campeau	4	4,5	1,11	68,8	1,93	1,8	1,55	5,02
AJ Gomes	4	4,0	0,75	69,8	1,99	1,5	1,15	4,43
Vinny Gualano	4	5,3	1,64	53,3	1,07	1,8	1,55	4,04
Tom Gatehouse	3	5,3	1,70	51,3	0,96	1,3	0,88	3,02
Sam Mashtoub	4	3,0	0,04	44,8	0,59	1,8	1,55	2,87
Kendal Mayers	4	3,3	0,22	47,8	0,76	1,5	1,15	2,61
Justin McLean	4	5,0	1,46	55,8	1,21	1,0	0,34	2,55
Jeanslee Alexis	4	5,0	1,46	54,0	1,11	1,0	0,34	2,42
Serge Pilon Jr.	4	4,8	1,28	56,5	1,25	0,8	-0,06	2,01
Mathieu Thuot	4	4,8	1,28	49,3	0,84	1,0	0,34	2,00
Sasha Papich	3	2,7	-0,20	36,0	0,10	1,7	1,42	1,96
Travis Moses	4	3,5	0,39	35,3	0,06	1,5	1,15	1,74
Gabriel Goulet	3	3,3	0,28	49,0	0,83	1,0	0,34	1,65
Alexandre Chevrier	4	4,5	1,11	37,8	0,20	1,3	0,74	1,63
Alex Roberge	4	3,8	0,57	52,3	1,01	0,8	-0,06	1,45
Matt Kirouac	4	3,3	0,22	45,8	0,65	1,0	0,34	1,39
Chris Milard	4	3,3	0,22	41,8	0,42	1,0	0,34	1,09
Zach Zwirn	4	3,3	0,22	47,8	0,76	0,8	-0,06	1,00
Carmine Pollice	3	5,7	1,94	48,3	0,79	0,3	-0,74	0,72
Shawn Haney	3	3,0	0,04	46,7	0,70	0,7	-0,20	0,68
Mike Pierrecin	4	4,3	0,93	45,8	0,65	0,5	-0,47	0,55
Jordan Moses	4	2,8	-0,14	28,5	-0,32	1,3	0,74	0,52
Jason Courchesne	3	3,3	0,28	29,3	-0,27	1,0	0,34	0,18
Manuel Crisi-Lauzon	4	4,0	0,75	40,3	0,34	0,5	-0,47	0,08
Terry Tam	4	4,3	0,93	28,3	-0,33	0,8	-0,06	-0,22
Jad Aridi	4	5,0	1,46	34,8	0,03	0,3	-0,87	-0,64

Some Observations:

The STL connection is running the table right now, as Jamie Ojeaha is reaping in the spoils of his team’s explosive start. He and Dylan seem to have an extrasensory perception for one another on the field, as the staple of their offense is Dylan slinging a pass to a spot on the field before Jamie makes his break…Marco Masciotra is a bruising, big body tight-end type receiver, eating up the intermediate level of the field. His box out ability and body control are matched only by his ability to swallow up everything in his vicinity…Vinny Gualano is seeing an offensive re-emergence at snapper in the higher divisions. Although his technique still needs some fine-tuning, he’s proving to be a mismatch over the middle of the field. A combination of slippery route running and a quick first step has been one of the few bright spots for King’s Landing so far…Speaking of snapper’s, no one can deny that Tom Gatehouse is the most eyebrow raising player on the front end of this list. Initial feedback on his performance has been great, as everyone who witnesses him play is quickly won over by his hard-nosed style…#NR seems to have come full circle, as Kendal Mayers is once again their best receiver, for the first time since div 5. He’s put in the time and the effort and actually looked legit as a div 1 receiver this past week…I said it above, be on the lookout for Jeanslee Alexis in the second half of the season, now that Mario Porreca is feeding him the ball…The Sasha Papich machine is fully up and running, and the touchdowns should be firing out at a rapid pace…Carmine Pollice is a receptions machine for STL. He’s the weapon that they go too when they need a big third down conversion, or when the defense start’s bracketing Jamie…Manuel Crisi-Lauzon should get less touches now with Cerantola at QB, but the ones he gets should be of higher quality. He’s a demon with the ball over the middle…Say what you want about him, but Terry Tam is in the top 30 receivers of div 2.

Power Rankings

FML 2-1-1 (+1): Offense Keeps humming, no matter who’s out there each week.
Braves 2-1-1 (+2): Dropped the hammer on the Finest this week, making the mythological Gods of FPF seem human.
Montréal’s Finest 2-2 (-2): Going through a rough patch mid-season. They need to get whole again to begin their assault on the division.
D-Boys 1-3 (-1): Lost with a makeshift team but looked comfortable. Look for them to put it all together soon.
Monstars 3-1 (+1): Outlasted Waste Yout in a grimy slugfest, but definitely not a performance they want to write home on. Still a win’s a win and they’re quietly in 1st place in Div 1 after 4 weeks.
Waste Yout 2-1 (-1): Taking a step back from all the hype will be better for them long term. They learned this week that they’re not infallible, and got an idea of what needs fine-tuning for the stretch run.
Got-Fat 1-2 (+1): I’m high on this team right now, I love watching their offense perform. Tough stretch of games ahead, so we should get a good idea of what they’re made of.
DK 1-3 (-1): The offense is grooving lately but the defense is surprisingly flat. Someone needs to create a spark that side of the ball before hungrier teams start pulling

Braves 2.0 4-0 (/): New day, same result. 2.0 continues to march through conference A, largely unchallenged. These guys are starting to become the favorites of the division.
YCSWU 4-0 (/): Man, can these guys tap dance their way out of a tough corner. Survived a Clockmakers assault and clear the “toughest” part of their schedule unscathed. Let’s see if they can keep their foot on the pedal.
#NR 3-1 (/): Many disagree with their tactics, but they did what they needed to against Khantroversy, shaking their opponents off their game while keeping their eyes on the prize.
STL 3-1 (/): They’ve had a string of games lately against opponents with less than optimal lineups. Still, can’t fault them for beating who’s before of them, and they continue to do that well.
Clockmakers 2-2 (+1): had the ball in their court against YCSWU with 5 plays remaining but couldn’t hit the game winner. Still, the offense is alive and well, looking electric in the past 2 weeks.
Khantroversy 2-2 (-1): Similar to Waste Yout, perhaps this was a loss that will serve them well down the line, teaching them where their weaknesses continue to be.
Bad Boys 2-2 (/): Got the ugly win that they needed with their leader gone. This week they should be full at last, and we’ll finally get a good look at the real Bad Boys of 2019.
Alkaholiks 2-1 (/): Solid win for them against a surging Prospect Squad offense. Defense appears to be their backbone, while on offense the find ways to scrape out enough touchdowns for the win.
Nighthawks 1-1-1 (/): Finished with a tie that might as well be a loss versus an improved SYO team. They got bullied around on offense and it resulted in high turnovers. Let’s see if that’s a trend opponents will pick up on.
Terror Squad 1-3 (+1): Same lower-middle of the pack team as previous weeks. They’re savvy enough to hang around with good teams for a bit, but lack the depth to make deep pushes in games.
Killa Bees 1-3 (-1): Dropped the ball this week.
Kings Landing 0-4 (-1): Despite the miserable start, there’s a scenario where this team wins 4 of their remaining 6 games if they can get their roster whole.
Prospect Squad 1-3 (-): Actually begging to resemble a Div 2 team now with a talented QB leading them. Keep an eye on them the next few weeks to see where this goes.
SYO 4 Life 0-3-1 (-): Same as Prospect Squad above. Curious to see if Cerantola can maintain his level of play from last week.

Avraam’s Spreads:

I decided to splice things up for the projections this season. Welcome to Avraam’s Spreads, where the old head of FPF will play bookie on a weekly basis, handicapping the games for us with just the right amount of juice. Featuring Simon Dagenais and bonus picks from the odds maker himself.

Last week’s score: Simon 64%, Alex 40%, Sean 27%

Braves (-9) vs Monstars

Alex’s pick: Monstars

Simon’s pick: Braves

Sean’s pick: Braves

Khantroversy (-4.5) vs Bad Boys

Alex’s pick: Bad Boys

Simon’s pick: Khantroversy

Sean’s pick: Khantroversy

Braves 2.0 (-9) vs Nighthawks

Alex’s pick: Braves 2.0

Simon’s pick: Braves 2.0

Sean’s pick: Nighthawks

STL (-8) vs Prospect Squad

Alex’s pick: STL

Simon’s pick: STL

Sean’s pick: STL

That’s it for this week. Week 4 of FPF is officially in the books, and week 5 will roll around soon enough. 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 content please check out the Calling the Audible podcast featuring Moe Khan, Peeze and Simon, it’s a healthy dose of absurdity 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 week 5 shook out!