Cover Zero (Div C)

Mid-Season Breakdown.

In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting this, at all.

It is a given, in FPF, that some teams will dominate a season. It’s always been this way and always will be. In every division, there are powerhouses and teams that are upsetting others. In every division, there are underachievers and overachievers. In Div C, for the first time, I don’t know. There are some underachievers, but no one is overachieving. No one is undefeated, no one is untouchable and I don’t expect anyone to win blowouts.

I love this division.

I’m putting the ‘get to know your opponents’ segment aside this week and making room for this mid-season breakdown. No worries, it’ll be back next week!

 

 

Week 6

This was a bad Sunday for quarterbacks. Di Fazio replaced Laporte illegally and wasn’t all that great; Floreani is underperforming, Morissette was saved by a monstruous Lubin reception and Ranaudo managed to play a good game, but could’ve done better, I won’t get started on my poor performance and 6Fast’s defense really dominated the game, Etinson lite up first half then went cold as Muir benched himself and finally Yayon took the reigns, but fell short against an underperforming Ojeaha.

I’m telling you, it was a bad week for quarterbacks all around (on Sunday, really). This is the kind of trend we’ll only see happening in Div C and that will only last a week; I expect QBs to fire on all cylinders next week and we’ll be seeing some serious offensive shutouts. I’m reeeaaaalllly looking forward to it.

 

 

Players of the Week

 

Marco Masciotra (Knights) : Offensive juggernaut with 3 TDs and his usual self on defense with an INT gives him the honors this week.

Jordan Moses (Project Mayhem) : He really lite it up this week. 3 TDs and a pick-six. He really did change the game.

Kevin Lubin (Moose) : I really have to give it to this guy. He redeemed his entire team’s hopes in a single play. Broke Lockdown’s hearts and made Peeze jump; what a catch.

Justin Blanchard (Six Fast Guys Plus Ryans) : In a game for bragging rights, Blanchard really showed up to make fun of me. With 6 massive PDs, 2 INTs and 2 TDs on offense,  he really deserved his MVP title this week.

Marco Bertoldi (BearSkins) : 2 INTs and a huge defensive presence is good, but that sideline one-hander to seal the game was probably a lot better than his INTs. Well deserving.

 

 

Quick Recaps

 

Lubin acquisition paying dividends.

What could’ve been a serious upset ended in a serious heartbreaker for Lockdown. What started with Gianfranco’s best game this season turned into something awful to watch for every spectator including myself.

Everything was going according to plan for Lockdown as they marched down the field every drive. Moose’s defense seemed out of luck trying to stop this LD’s offense on all those 4^th and long. Frustration was starting to be seen and felt even on the sidelines, but Moose’s offense kept coming back for more.

The key moment was when Moose was leading 34-30 over Lockdown and had a first down in the opposing team’s redzone. Morissette was maybe nervous and simply tired, but he kept hitting the wrong players. With guys open in the back of the endzone, he kept hitting cones and the goaline which turned into a fiasco. The ball was turned over on downs and Gianfranco was given one last opportunity. He redeemed his whole season by driving down the field and scoring with 4 plays left. Maybe he should’ve used a few more, but eh, a score’s a score.

Moose drove the ball back and on the very last play of the game, Morissette decided to go to Lubin as Gab Parent was absent for the ultimate jumpball. Lubin, being his usual self, went up high and caught a beautiful sideliner in the back of the endzone to seal the deal. Moose walked out winning 40-36.

 

 

Picked for twelve

6Fast gave Dagenais a serious beatdown on Sunday night to prove they were good even without Frédéric Viens at the helm. In the absence of their starting QB, Rod Mashtoub came in last minute to save the day and got the job done on offense with a nice performance.

The first half didn’t quite as planned for Dragons as their offense kept putting and getting frustrated. Down 24-14 at the half is nothing too horrible, but the bad happened later.

Justin Blanchard, named MVP by, well, me, kept doing his thing by demonstrating great speed and decent vision. With one too many PDs and two INTs, he became Dagenais’ nightmare as he had another very poor performance. Dragons’ players started to get frustrated and morale was too low to come back after 6Fast’s first of two pick-six.

Although Dagenais got just enough opportunities to fight back, the offense wasn’t clicking and wasn’t getting the job done. They fell 43-14 to the number one ranked team at the moment.

 

 

These pelts can play ball

The first half went horribly for the Eskimo Brothers as they were down 25-0 at the half. Mitchell Muir was getting frustrated left and right and couldn’t seem to get anything going whatsoever. A little bit of bad luck got things going the wrong way for him as he decided to bench himself at the half giving Zach the helm for the second half.

Neil Etinson looked pretty good in the first half throwing 4 TDs to three different receivers. His deep ball was quite present as he kept chucking it down the field to Papich and Bertoldi. Both came up with huge plays.

The second half didn’t quite go as planned as Eskimo Brothers came back with a vengeance and the BearSkins kept turning the ball over. In what could’ve become a serious comeback, Eskimo Brothers ran out of time and fell short late in the game.

Etinson couldn’t get his offense going until Bertoldi bailed his QB out with a beautiful sideline catch that turned into a TD late in the second half to seal the deal. He didn’t get MVP for no reason.

 

 

The defensive stand

I wasn’t expecting this. I predicted Theo to walk away with 6 passing TDs seeing that Jonathan Brown was MIA, but everything didn’t quite go as planned for neither of these two teams.

Avi Yayon took the snaps for Old Farts and kept them alive all the way. Old Farts’ defense seemed to know what was going on as Theo’s offense kept turning the ball over on downs.

The Originals’ offense kept getting frustrated as receivers and qb wasn’t clicking as we’d expect them to by week 5. Small mistakes were made and the ball was handed back to Old Farts. Sadly for the Farts, they couldn’t punch it in late and had to walk away with a loss.

In a game that ended 21-13, defense really prevailed for both teams. This is actually a good thing for Old Farts, although they did lose.

 

 

Power Ranking

At least, this Power Ranking is starting to look like something.

 

1.       Six Fast Guys Plus Ryan.  Even without Viens, they manage to dominate.

 

2.       Project Mayhem. I can’t have them lower when they keep winning.  

 

3.       The Originals.  I really wanted to rank them higher, but no one’s losing. Next week’s game could get them the number one spot with a win.

 

4.       Predators. Managed to outmatch Centurions with Gino throwing.

 

5.       Knights. Back to back wins will get you places.

 

 

Mid-Season Breakdown

True to myself, every season, after the fifth week, I do what we call a mid-season breakdown of every team. I blame G.M. Kolethras for starting this tradition.

 

Conference A

 

Predators (3-2-0)

The defending champs had a bad streak after that heartbreaker against Moose. Their roster is thick with talent, but players are having a tough time showing up to every game. Luckily, some of the weapons have been on point lately. Floreani is having another very strong season and Bernett is simply lighting it up once again. I’m surprised this team lost two in a row, but I don’t expect it to happen again. Luck plays a strong part in football and they haven’t been on the right side of the coin, quite simply. Their first half of the schedule was steeper than their second and I expect them to blaze through it to finish top of conference once again.

Prediction : 7-3-0

 

Broccasion (2-2-1)

That first week loss hurts, I won’t lie. They’ve been balling hard ever since and their second loss came by 2 points, but 2-2-1 is a rough spot to be in at mid-season; a tie’s better than a loss, but it ain’t a win. Cerantola has been playing good, but he hasn’t been great; too many sacks and interceptions. He isn’t his usual self and something is going wrong. We know this team can perform at this skill level and it’s only a question of time before they start rolling. It’s a fun team to watch and I’m not worried they’ll find success soon enough.

Prediction : 5-4-1

 

Dragons (2-3-0)

Being ranked in many top 5 preseason, to see the Dragons at 2-3 right now is a complete disappointment. Needless to say, I’d want my team to be undefeated, but it simply isn’t the case. Dagenais is having one of his worst seasons in a while and his offense simply isn’t clicking. Too many mistakes, too many turnovers to simply get a W in the column. Now that that is out of the way, their defense is really getting the job done. A strong secondary with fast and agile corners are really paying out. The team is well built and well put together; all they need is for Dagenais to get back on track and to be throwing like he was late last season to see some fireworks.

Prediction : 6-4-0

 

Eskimo Brothers (1-3-1)

The loss of Shawn Steen really hurts this team, both offensively and defensively, but a team isn’t a single player. Mitchell Muir, aside from week 5, is having a great season throwing 19:9 in four games. Their offense is clicking and their defense is getting just enough turnovers to give Muir the opportunities he needs to win games. They fell short a few times (losing by 2 points is a heartbreaker) and that tie might sting in the end, but we feel that this team isn’t quitting and is improving day in and day out. They’ll bounce back by season end and might just upset one too many to make it in.

Prediction : 3-6-1

 

 

Six Fast Guys Plus Ryans (4-1-0)

The talk of the town. After destroying my team and, well, me, last week, 6Fast is dangerously good. Without starting QB Frederic Viens at the helm, they still manage to create one too many turnovers and feed their QB enough drives to end up ahead at the end. With guys like Deslauriers, Blanchard and Garant, their secondary unit is tall, fast and ball-hawking. There’s a reason they are ranked number one; I simply don’t see a weakness in this team when Viens’ around.

Prediction : 8-2-0

 

BearSkins (3-2-0)

3-2 is technically a pretty good record at this point of the season, but I still feel like BearSkins are underperforming. With their roster and their abilities, they could’ve turned at least one of those two defeats into a win. After week 5, I’m starting to see the BearSkins I expected week 1; amazing receivers with a strong defensive core and a QB enjoying himself out there. Neil Etinson is feeling a lot more confortable back in the pocket and it shows; they are starting to look like last season again, but with better weapons. Any roster with all these names on it is bound to succeed.

Prediction : 6-4-0

 

Two and a half Dans (3-2-0)

Let the bandwagon continue. Many doubted the Dans, like every single season and many were proven wrong. In sums, the Dans host a tight roster and use an unusual offense to outscore their opponents. They aren’t known for their defense and they aren’t known to chuck it down the field; they drive the field play after play and make defenses bash their heads on the walls. It’s so unorthodox that people adjust way too late to counter it. Joey Taylor is having, possibly, a career season. Take nothing for granted when facing his bunch.

Prediction : 5-5-0

 

Centurions (2-2-1)

When you’re 2-1-1, you’re doing something right. Losing your 5^th game due to illegal roster kind of goes against that. Regardless of that fifth week fiasco, Centurions have been bolstering a pretty strong case for themselves. With Laporte at quarterback, this team has been playing solid football. Known for their defensive performances, it’s hard to neglect an average of 30 points per game played. Go back to basics, you guys were doing just fine.

Prediction : 5-4-1

 

 

 

Conference B

 

Project Mayhem (4-1-0)

My surprise of the season. Mayhem has been playing tremendous football recently. After suffering a close loss to the defending champs in week 2, Mayhem has been on a roll. With the highest +/- of the division (86), these guys are taking down teams like no tomorrow. The addition of the Moses brothers is huge for Holowach as he gets two key players he’s used to throwing to and Alex David is that sure hands he needed.

Defense is getting the job done due to a very fast and talented rusher in Jordan Moses and the gang in orange has been rolling. Their biggest matchup is coming. Win or loss, I know they’ll bounce back and it won’t keep them down for long. These guys are serious contenders this season.

Prediction : 8-2-0

 

ZOO (2-3-0)

I didn’t expect ZOO to hit the 2-0 mark, but I did foresee them at this 2-3 point. I take nothing away from this team, they’re playing fantastic football, but they simply can’t seem to keep up with high-octane offenses. Frank Kaye is known for his methodical offense and grinding the clock to take time away from his opponents. For some reason, he believes he won’t make it to 30+ points, but I believe he can. Hitting a few more 10-15 yard passes instead of low yards hooks and this team might just get the momemtum they need. Their defense will bail them out; they play hard ball in close quarters. You can’t count ZOO out, regardless of the score nor the record. They are feisty and will come back.

Prediction : 4-6-0

 

Moose (2-3-0)

Possibly the biggest underachiever of the season; everyone ranked them high preseason and 2-3 simply isn’t meeting expectations. Their only two wins came on the very last play where they made a stand and made a huge jumpball catch. They went all-in twice and pulled out with a W. I can’t say it’s the way I envisioned this team to head into the second half of the season.

Morissette simply isn’t playing like he used to recently and it’s hurting Moose. He’s good, don’t get me wrong, but he was better last season and something’s missing. Maybe it’s the fact that his receiving corps is different week-in and week-out. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s trying too much to redeem himself, I don’t know. I don’t foresee this trend continuing for long; Fred’s bound to bounce back hard in the following weeks and upset some teams looking down on Moose.

Prediction : 5-5-0

 

Old Farts (0-4-1)

I can’t say I expected this. I didn’t foresee Old Farts destroying teams left and right and it was mentioned in the preseason how this team won’t win it all, but only certain matchups. I’m just puzzled what’s missing here.

Knowing GM and knowing they are undercap, they might decide to get an extra player that’ll come in and be a significant two-way threat, but on the other hand, this team looks so much fun to play for that I’m not sure they really want to go that way. Their defense stood strong against The Originals last week and it was a glimpse of hope for the Farts although they’ve lost. Luck isn’t on their side and they simply aren’t clicking offensively, but that might just change after last week. I don’t think they’ll remain winless for long.

Prediction : 2-7-1

 

 

The Originals (4-1-0)

I have to be honest; I wasn’t high on this team early on. I had my doubts on Theo’s ability to play quarterback. This roster is built to win and it has no weaknesses when everyone shows up. Their only loss came in their very first game to the defending champs, which says a lot by itself. With Theo Ojeaha improving with every week, this team will become serious contenders down the stretch.

Bolstering one of the best defenses in the division, this squad is shutting everyone down. With their size and speed, I’m not too sure how to ball against that. With a defense buying opportunities, Theo’s offense is bound to improve and click even more. Everything will rely on Theo’s shoulders when it’ll matter most and we know him to shine when it matters most.

Prediction : 8-2-0

 

Knights (3-2-0)

I had my doubts about Lanni throwing for this team. He proved me wrong. He’s getting the job done week in and week out. Their defense is monstrous and possibly one of the best in the division. With Masciotra and Lanni ball-hawking in the back, I’d avoid throwing deep, but with Leonardo playing the flat, I wouldn’t know where to throw. With 13 interceptions in 5 games, you know they’re dominant.

Lanni is improving at quarterback and it’s a scary thought considering how dominant their defense currently is. This team is clicking and I’m happy I’m not on their schedule. They’ve lost two very close games because they couldn’t score more than 20 points. Ever since, they’ve been up in the 30+ points. If this offense can put 30 points on the board, it’ll walk away with the win every week and I think it can.

Prediction : 6-4-0

 

Game Changers (3-2-0)

After a record season, they moved up and played quite decently. All praises to them for that, but ever since their first FPF loss to the Dans, they haven’t been clicking. I don’t know if they’re scared or they simply aren’t all on point, but Sakiz isn’t his usual self. He’s forcing the ball too much down the field and it’s hurting his offense. He throws a beautiful ball and should be hitting the 7-12 yards gap rather than hitting the 20+ yards. That’s my 2 cents. Aside from that, his receivers are tremendous athletes with too much ups for their own good and a very fast defense. Their rusher is a beast and I can see this team turning it around and finishing strong, but I can also see them getting a bit too cocky and losing one too many.

Prediction : 5-5-0

 

Lockdown (0-5-0)

Now, I didn’t expect Lockdown to win it all this season and to make a run for an undefeated season, but I couldn’t imagine this team going winless at this point of the season neither. Gianfranco was playing horribly in his first four games, let’s be honest. Throwing 8 TDs in 4 games will not win you any games. Being 8:12, he really knocked his season around when he threw 6:0 against Moose last week. They needed it, badly and they pulled it off. It was a loss, but it was a morale victory for LD.

If they manage to keep this momemtum going and to play like this for a few more weeks, they’ll get some wins in before the end of the season. With so many losses all across the board from all the teams, they could actually sneak in the playoffs with a 0-5 record at the mid-season.

Prediction : 3-7

 

 

 

Predictions

A perfect 5/5 gives me hope. Pushing me further ahead at 18/33, I’m starting to redeem myself.

 

Broccasion vs Six Fast Guys Plus Ryans : In this week’s first game, with Frédéric Viens absent for a second game in a row, 6Fast will have to pull another rabbit out of their hat to get a starting QB. Mashtoub came in last week and got the job done, maybe he’ll show up once more, maybe they’ll get another sub; only time will tell. Broccasion have been playing decent football recently, but we all know they can do better. In a game where defenses are prone for Ints, this could really go both ways; it’ll come down on who shows up to throw for 6Fast.

Prediction : Six Fast Guys Plus Ryans

 

Moose vs Game Changers : Moose have been either losing foolishly or winning on the last play recently. They did it against Predators earlier this season and now Lockdown. I foresee another one score game, but hopefully it won’t be on the very last play of the game. Game Changers had a bad game last week, but they always seem to bounce back. Sakiz will have to play prevent against a sharp Moose defense if he wants to avoid the Ints and to play catchup rather than running the game.

Prediction : Moose

 

Dragons vs BearSkins : Last week, Dragons’ QB played poorly, again. On the other side, BearSkins showed some teeth defensively, but their offense struggled in the second half after dominating the first one. Etinson is looking a lot more confortable in the pocket and hitting his speedsters down the stretch. With guys like Peterson, Bertoldi and Papich, BearSkins has a dreamy receiving corps. Dragons’ defense will have to figure out a way to put a stop to all that speed if they want to walk away with their heads up high.

Prediction : N/A

 

Project Mayhem vs The Originals : In what happens to be, in my opinion, this week’s game to watch, we’ll have one heck of a clash. Two offensive juggernauts facing off against each other. I like The Originals’ size’s advantage over the smaller guys in Mayhem’s roster, but Mayhem’s experience might prevail when it needs it most. This is a hard one to predict and I think it’ll come down to who manages to get that clutch interception at the end.

Prediction : The Originals

 

Old Farts vs Knights : After last week’s defeat to The Originals, Old Farts showed that experience can get you a long way. They’ve been playing better and their defense is clicking, a lot more than their offense. With Alex Lewis’ return, this offense is a lot more dynamic and I believe in Old Farts chances to upset a few guys here and there. Are they outmatched against Knights? I don’t think so. This might just end up being a lot closer than what we’d expect. Knights have been dominating recently and I expect them to claw their way out of this one too.

Prediction : Knights

 

Predators vs Two and a half Dans : In what was voted this week’s Game of the Week, we’ll have one great showdown. Last year’s defending champions take on the underrated Dans. Needless to say the real matchup will be Predators’ rusher against Joey Taylor and how much time he allows him to have. The Dans are known for their unusual way of spreading the ball and buying time in the pocket for broken plays. The duo of rushers that the Predators has might just be too much for Joey Taylor, but he seems to keep surprising people when they least expect it.

Prediction : Predators

 

ZOO vs Lockdown : After 4 weeks, I was starting to count Lockdown out of the mix.Gianfranco proved me wrong by having a season-high game against a strong Moose defense last week. They lost a heartbreaker, but it gives them a lot of hopes for the games to come. ZOO has been having a bad streak since their loss to the Eskimo Brothers and they need to get back on that horse before it’s too late. Both teams needs the win this week to stay alive.

Prediction : ZOO

 

Eskimo Brothers vs Centurions : After last week’s disqualification, Centurions will look to redeem themselves against Eskimo Brothers. The Brothers showed heart and dedication as they fought their way back a 25-0 deficit at half time. Both teams are known for their defense rather than their offense although they host two great quarterbacks. I’m not too sure how this whole thing will play out, both these teams have had ups and downs this season, but I expect both of them to bounce back this week and we’ll have a great showdown.

Prediction : Eskimo Brothers

 

 

That’s it for this week. Expect to hear from me again in the following days or see me on the field watching those great plays or epic failures. Get in touch with me, it makes for better coverage and a better season overall. I’ll be at the fields, my email, [email protected] works and I’ll be watching twitter, @DagenaisFPF, closely this season. Leave it all on the field. Don’t forget to tune in to the Unclehood’s show. Eagle was missing; Lockdown played fantastic. This might be the beginning of something bigger than him.