Categories: Co-EdFallGeneralTier 1Tier 2Tier 3

A team is back from the crypt and time forget the Regular Season, it’s Playoffs, baby!

Hey hey! Iggy Magnets here, joining you on this Playoff Sunday night. Who said you can’t hear an image?? I hear my article image loud and clear, and because it’s playoffs time in FPF, that means it’s time to shake this article up a bit.

Intro

First off, a congrats to all the teams that made the Playoffs/Knockout Round! Unfortunately for me, I could not Quarterback my Tier 3 team to the playoffs — sorry boys! 🙁 — but for those who did, it’s time to put your best out there on the field. I love FPF playoffs; the heart beats a little faster, the palms are sweating lightly throughout the day and the adrenaline car ride to the complex blasting a pump-up song, and a playoff victory is like no other feeling. Smile if you’ve felt what I’ve just described in the past. In chatting with the FPF faithful, the product really is addicting and we are just suckers giving Rob all our hard-earned money because we just can’t wait for more moments and feelings like these.

Playoff News

Ok, playoff news… already??

Yes, we’ve got some breaking news if you haven’t taken a close look and analyzed the Latest Results and Scores tab at the top of the website… If you checked out to see the scores from the Wednesday Playoff games, you would have been shocked, like I was, to see “Blessed: 6 – 28 Urgence Medic”.. Blessed? 6 points?

*Clicks Boxscore*… Steve… 1 TD!?.. 1 INT?? What in the FPF world?? You mean the prolific offense that I deemed as unstoppable, even if you knew what was coming?

*Phone pings*

“Oh look, Chris Rivest already put up a new Game of The Week.. OH.. it’s Blessed vs. Urgence Medic… let’s take a look at how that game unfolded”…

The rest, most of you saw what I saw; a lot of key 4th down bat downs and turnover on downs forced by Urgence Medic.

But wait, I started off by saying there was BREAKING NEWS (*SPORTCENTRE chime* da da da… da da da).

After there was a mis-application of the IR rule to replace Emile Beaudoin with AJ Gomes, Blessed, like the zombie miracle of Jesus, have risen from the dead, and the 6-28 loss is nowhere to be seen. To be clear, Blessed have a 2nd shot at making the Tier 1 finals and will have a re-match against Urgence Medic at 6pm on Sunday in Lachine.

What an incredible story. The rule was mis-applied so it wasn’t fair to Blessed, yet UM won the game, so it’s not fair to them to simply award them a forfeit loss. Result? A second shot at redemption for Blessed in a re-match. Can Steve Harripersaud overcome his worst game played in the past 100+ flag football games in 2 years? Can he have a short memory and throw that one in the dumpster, while retaining knowledge of the UM defensive recovery speed? Can UM repeat their stellar defensive play that frustrated Blessed and completely blanket the dangerous Marvin Steinberg? Can Mathieu Houle take away the flats so well like he did last game? Can Kevin Smuda MOSS yet another UM defender? (The answer to that one is a “Yes, definitely”). Can UM replace Gomes‘ 14 points he provided UM? Lots of interesting questions when these 2 teams face off for a second time 4 days.

Quick Playoff Recaps

Tier 1

KGP vs. The Apocalypse

KGP put up a 50 whopper on The Apocalypse, aided by two Pick 6’s; one from Jonathan Garfinkle and the other from Game MVP, Phil Cutler. Cutler had one of those games where everything just clicks, going 19/22 (86.4% completion), 210 yards and 5 TDs, 0 INTs, and the crazy 146.0 QBR. And it clicked from Play #1. Cutler to Garfinkle for the 40 yard TD. Play #4? Pick 6 from Cutler. 2 minutes into their playoff game and The Apocalypse were already in a 12-0 hole.

In addition, The Apocalypse could not stop the big-play on every single KGP offensive drive.

Drive 1: 40 yard TD to Garfinkle

Drive 2: 34 yards to Garber

Drive 3: 35 yard to Acker

Drive 4: 27 yards to Garfinkle

Drive 5: 20 yards to Gordon-Maule

That, plus the 2 pick 6’s and 1 safety from Julien Paiement spelled the end of The Apocalyspe’s Fall Cup and moved KGP (once again) to a FPF Finals (Bowl) game.

Tier 3

Pardon My Swag vs. Trailer Park Boys

Frankie Scalzo played a clean game with no turnovers which was enough offense to put his team into the Consolation 2 Bowl Final. Antoine Meunier‘s ground attack of 52 rushing yards and a TD wasn’t enough to overcome the 2 INTs he threw. Emmanuel Brûlé and Riley Pincombe were on the other end of those picks which were huge possession-enders for PMS.

7th Rounders vs. Lionhearts

If there’s a common theme coming from the 1st round of playoff games, it’s that the team that committed the lesser turnovers came away victorious. This game was yet another example of that. Anthony Innacronz going in at QB threw a pick on just his 2nd pass attempt of the night. Luckily for him, the Lionhearts best playmaker in Joe Morgese made up for it with a pick on Julien Cheaib‘s 2nd pass attempt.

That, and Rémi Légo sacked Innacronz not once, not twice, not three times… but **SIX** times! It caused erratic throws, punts, turnover on downs, everything that the 7th Rounders could have asked for from their rusher to win a playoff game. And now, 7th Rounders go on to the Consolation 1 Bowl Final with a fantastic defensive effort that gave up only 38 yards of total offense.

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Playoff Keys to Victory

Tier 2

Hot Sauce Sports vs. Mean Machine

For HSS to win:

  1. They can’t get beat deep by Ziegler and Rabinovitch.
  2. Peeze must stay patient and disciplined and drive the field methodically. Take what the defence gives him.
  3. WR-by-committee effort.

For Mean Machine to win:

  1. Take away the flats and force Peeze to throw erratic intermediate passes off his back foot.
  2. Goloff cannot afford to turn the ball over.
  3. Score on minimum 5/7 possessions (Min. 30 points to win).

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Los Siete Amigos vs. Ravens

For LSA to win:

  1. Be unpredictable when you run and when you pass the ball. Fake the run and pass. Fake passes and run down field.
  2. Not sure how much clearer we can be. GET THE BALL TO DAWSON PIERRE.
  3. Milk the clock and make it a 1 possession game with 2-3 minutes left in the game.

For Ravens to win:

  1. Get away with as much contact as you FPF permits against Dawson Pierre.
  2. Get the ball into your playmakers hands (Justin Sarlabous and Jeremie Ledoux)
  3. Use your big boys to both box out players in the redzone, and once LSA defenders cheat in, throw it over their heads.

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Centaures vs. KGP Ra

For Centaures to win:

  1. Don’t deviate from your game plan even if you go down early by 1 or 2 (unlikely) scores.
  2. Be aggressive on D and take away Ryan Garber‘s 1st and 2nd checkdown options after he scrambles. This could likely lead to INTs.
  3. Score early and score often. Drown KGP Ra into a big hole early that doesn’t fit into Garber‘s QB play style.

For KGP Ra to win:

  1. Take every play down to 2-3 seconds and take 5-6 minutes off the clock with drives drive down the field. Frustrate the Centaures defense.
  2. Avoid giving up the big play down field to Hugo Allamanno and avoid going down by 2+ scores.
  3. Get a good mix of run and pass in to keep the Centaures defense going into the huddle saying “okay, time to put a spy on the QB”.

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Chocolate Thunder vs. Grim Reapers

For Chocolate Thunder to win:

  1. Frustrate the Grim Reapers early and often with executing your big plays and get in their face (within FPF limits). Reapers will bite and it will throw them off their game.
  2. Contain Rory Semerjian. Know where he is lined up every play, all game.
  3. Make it an high-octane offensive game. While Reapers can score, an offensive game favors CT.

For Grim Reapers to win:

  1. They need to stay composed and not take any excess penalties. They cannot shoot themselves in the foot.
  2. Anyone covering the deep needs to be 15-20 yards downfield. If Papich or Horner are behind you, you already lost.
  3. Make it a low-scoring affair. Drive the field, kill the clock. Make the final score look like 24-21.

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Tough Lungs vs. Bruins

For Tough Lungs to win:

  1. Continue throwing a good mix of the Wrangler, Doleyres, brother Lerner and snapper Bizzaro Gray. Keep the Bruins defense guessing where the ball is going on every play.
  2. Olivier Doleyres will be essential in Tough Lungs winning in how he rushes Gab Wiseman. He cannot let Wiseman buy time for his receivers to get open. No missed flags for sacks.
  3. Get more converts than Bruins. This game may come down to 1 or 2 points.

For Bruins to win:

  1. Throw a mix of short, intermediate, deep and running plays. Force Tough Lungs to cover every inch of the field.
  2. Have Mathieu Ouimet be your X-factor. He can dipsy-doodle his way around defenders and take off down field if someone misses his flags.
  3. Have someone like Rocco Christiano hover the middle of the field and look for the Justin Lerner 10 yard ins from the slot.

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Team Ethnik vs. Arouch

For Team Ethnik to win:

  1. Trust the Law… in Benoit Law(lor).
  2. Get David De Andrade involved on both sides of the ball.
  3. Minimize the turnovers. The QB with the lesser amount of picks likely wins this game.

For Arouch to win:

  1. Take away the Deep ball from Lawlor and force him to be patient.
  2. Ride Simon Losier, who is in contention for Offensive Player of the Year, to the grave.
  3. Minimize the turnovers. The QB with the lesser amount of picks likely wins this game.

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Tier 3

Free Agent Squad vs. Save a Horse

For Free Agent Squad to win:

  1. Trust the zone defense… don’t man up on Save a Horse; only on certain (minimal) occasions (Ex: 4th and long).
  2. Get a good mix of deep, short passes and runs out of Emile Skaf. Keep that Horse defense honest.
  3. Keep the emotions in check. The team that takes unnecessary penalties will be hurt a lot. 10-15 yard penalties represent 25-37% of a drive on a 40-yard drive.

For Save a Horse to win:

  1. Stay patient, don’t take the deep shot too early and too often.
  2. Kyle Daniel will need to run the ball when needed, especially if FAS is manning up.
  3. In a battle of athletic and tall guys, Save a Horse’s guys are just a tad taller. Win those 1-on-1’s.

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FSU vs. Two Inch’s Gang

For FSU to win:

  1. Use the experience gained from Spring season and this one to your advantage. Use your timeouts wisely, know the game situation and clock situation (ex: when to go no-huddle).
  2. While both teams are athletic, FSU’s guys can make moves to gain extra yards, just don’t flag guard when making those moves.
  3. Matthew Goldenberg cannot make those “oh no” throws for INTs. Take what the defense gives you.

For Two Inch’s Gang to win:

  1. Use snapper James Nguyen like you have all season. He’s a nice, big and fast target that is hard to deflag.
  2. Sam Granger is dangerous when on the run. He can break for 20-30 yard runs and is a train when he does so.
  3. The defense will need to be tight, led by Félix Pérusse. Be aggressive on the shorts and let Goldenberg throw the deep ball. It’s not the best release and is prone to interceptions.

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Warriors vs. The Penetrators

For Warriors to win:

  1. Let Mitch Fergenbaum do his thing. The guy can run, throw a deceptive deep ball (off his back foot) and win football games. Let Mitch cook.
  2. If the dynamic duo of Adam Rabinovitch and Benji Ziegler get 1 INT and 1 TD each, the game is theirs to lose.
  3. Use David Nahon in the redzone. The guy is a big target and has quick feet for a big guy.

For The Penetrators to win:

  1. Rocco Christiano needs to blanket and take away Benji Ziegler.
  2. Justin Goodman needs to simply continue on the roll he’s on – 1 INT in his last 5 games to his 22 TDs.
  3. Sydney Gage needs a repeat performance from last week against the Warriors – 5 receptions for 147 yards and 3 TDs.

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The West Yard vs. Save The Turftles

For The West Yard to win:

  1. Jonathan Steinberg is a seriously good rusher. He needs to get sacks to force the Turftles into 3rd and 4th and long situations.
  2. Tyler Stern isn’t wowing anyone with his ability to throw the ball, but is very difficult to tackle when he decides to run.
  3. Vincent Rizzolo‘s name hasn’t come up much in articles, but he is a very good 2-way player. He needs to make an impact on both sides of the ball if The West Yard are going to come out on top.
  4. 4th key to victory because they need to do this if they want to win: Play someone super deep on Thomas Chaussé‘s side… you’ll thank me later if you do.

For Save The Turftles to win:

  1. This team is at their best when they catch balls and run upfield. So do what you do best. Catch with those reliable hands and run up field, baby.
  2. Both Thomas Chaussé and Vincent Cheung are ball hawks on D. They need to capitalize the minimal # of times the ball gets thrown their way.
  3. If Simon I Bach is throwing the ball, continue the roll he’s on. If Noël is back… well… Merry Christmas.

Co-Ed Cup

EZFun vs. The Rock

For EZFun to win:

  1. Don’t take The Rock lightly. Play your own game.
  2. Jeremy White doesn’t need to go for the kill shot every 2nd play. He and his squad can easily march down the field, 10 yards at a time.
  3. Communicate better on defense with crossing routes. The Rock has a few plays that turn your head left and right. The best way to release a player and still defend them is to let your D partner know they are coming their way.

For The Rock to win:

  1. Slow the game down so that you only get 6 possessions, but make sure to score on 5/6 drives to ensure it is always a 1 possession game.
  2. Don’t get beat deep. They will need min. 2 defenders deep down field eyeing JC Ferland and CO Lavigne.
  3. Gang tackle!!! Never stop going towards the receiver/ball carrier! Surround those shifty EZFun players so have no where to run.

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Game Picks Week 7

HomeAwayPeeze PickMoe PickIggy Pick
KGPThe ApocalypseKGPKGPThe Apocalypse
BlessedUrgence MedicBlessedUrgence MedicBlessed
Chocolate ThunderGrim ReapersChocolate ThunderGrim ReapersChocolate Thunder
Team EthnikArouchTeam EthnikTeam EthnikTeam Ethnik
CentauresKGP RaCentauresKGP RaCentaures
Tough LungsBruinsTough LungsTough LungsBruins
Hot Sauce SportsMean MachineHot Sauce SportsHot Sauce Sports
Los Siete AmigosRavensRavensRavensRavens
Free Agent SquadSave a HorseFree Agent SquadFree Agent SquadSave a Horse
WarriorsThe PenetratorsWarriorsWarriorsWarriors
FSUTwo Inch’s GangTwo Inch’s GangTwo Inch’s GangTwo Inch’s Gang
The West YardSave The TurftlesSave The TurftlesSave The TurftlesSave The Turftles
Pardon My SwagTrailer Park BoysPardon My SwagPardon My SwagPardon My Swag
7th RoundersLionhearts7th RoundersLionhearts7th Rounders
EZFunThe RockEZFunEZFunEZFun
Kiss My End ZoneY&YKiss My End Zone

By the way! If you caught Calling the Audible this week, you heard that the FPF Community were awarded the 2 draws of $50 FPF credits! Both the FPF Community FPF Staff went 13-15 on the season, and we had stated that the Staff had to BEAT the Community. Because that didn’t happen, there were 2 draws of $50 that aired live on CTA. Congrats to Raphael Beauchamp-Desbois and Thomas Coutu for winning the credits that can be used as early as this upcoming Winter season! And thanks to everyone who voted throughout the year and hope to see everyone ball out and make more outstanding plays on the IG page and stories! Love seeing those big plays get posted!

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And, I now have bragging rights over fellow media members until the Winter Season 🙂

Well that does it this week for my Playoff article, hope you enjoyed and good luck to you all!

Cheers,

Iggy Magnets