D3 Stew: Midseason Recap

D3 Stew: Midseason Recap

There was a lot of content to sift through this week so I’ll ditch the fancy intros and get down to the nitty gritty.

Check out the recap of the first half below. I provided a small breakdown for each team and assigned them a letter grade based on how they performed relative to preseason expectations.

Remember, things change fast in division 3. First half heroes can easily end up as late season goats and vice versa.

Don’t end up waiting for fortune to decide your fate. It’s never too late to take control and direct your team to the outcome your desire. Remember, fortune favors the bold anyways.

With the clichés now done. Enjoy week 7.  

 

 

Big Board

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.

For QBs, I attributed equal weight to each of the measurable statistical categories. That means Yards, TDs and INTs 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 (Ivalue for QBs is reversed for negative value).

Without further ado, here are your top 10 rankings at QB through week 6:

PLAYER	GP	YDS AV	Y-Value	TD AV	T-Value	INT AV	I-Value	PV
Mario Porreca	5	247	1,92	5,6	1,76	0,6	-1,50	5,18
Phil Cutler	4	206	0,59	5,0	1,07	0,5	-1,72	3,38
Alex Holowach	5	235	1,55	4,8	0,84	1,0	-0,62	3,01
Alex Lever	3	212	0,79	5,0	1,07	1,0	-0,62	2,48
Dylan Taylor	6	210	0,72	5,0	1,07	1,0	-0,62	2,41
Ryan Lelinowski	6	217	0,97	4,5	0,49	1,2	-0,26	1,72
Erminio Iadeluca	5	186	-0,06	4,6	0,61	1,0	-0,62	1,17
Joey Taylor	5	178	-0,31	4,4	0,38	0,8	-1,06	1,13
Sean Avraam	4	202	0,47	4,3	0,21	1,5	0,48	0,20
Vince Nardone	6	171	-0,56	4,5	0,49	1,2	-0,26	0,19

 

Some observations:

Mario Porreca continues his strong season and has managed to reinforce his overall lead despite the 2 week absence of Alex Pilon and the injury bug biting his roster…Phil Cutler has crept up into the second overall position backed by his clean, yet highly productive play of late…Alex Lever finally qualifies for the top 10. He’s quietly having another strong season despite missing two early season games for an inspiring LGM team…Ryan Lelinowski is the biggest surprise this week. He’s been on absolute fire in the past two weeks and has leaned on other receivers besides Dave Chitayat…Steady Erminio Iadeluca continues to play impressive football while racking up the wins for his upstart Hometown Heroes team. He’s a strong game away from the top 5…Joey Taylor has a 12-1 TD/INT ratio in his last 2 games and is starting to make his move up the charts. Next up, the top 5. He’ll look to continue his heater on Monday against a vulnerable Purple Reign D.   

 

Bigger Board

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

Here are your week 6 rankings for the top 25 WRs:

PLAYER	GP	REC AV	R-Value	YDS AV	Y-Value	TD AV	T-Value	PV
Alex Pilon	3	5,3	1,9	105,0	4,1	2,7	3,7	11,0
Dave Chitayat	5	5,4	1,9	74,6	2,5	2,2	2,9	7,8
Daniel Mancini	5	4,4	1,3	67,4	2,1	2,0	2,5	6,5
Marco Bertoldi	6	4,0	1,0	62,8	1,8	2,2	2,8	6,5
Danny D’Amour	5	5,4	1,9	63,2	1,9	2,0	2,5	6,5
Robbi Dejean	4	4,3	1,2	69,5	2,2	1,8	2,1	6,1
Jonathan Garfinkle	5	5,8	2,2	51,6	1,2	1,6	1,8	4,8
James Crowe	4	4,3	1,2	76,5	2,6	1,0	0,7	4,8
Theo Bekelis	6	5,7	2,1	63,2	1,9	1,2	1,0	4,5
Adrien Kellman	5	2,4	-0,1	45,6	0,9	2,0	2,5	4,5
AJ Gomes	4	4,8	1,5	61,8	1,8	1,3	1,2	4,4
Joel Malkin	5	4,4	1,3	62,0	1,8	1,2	1,1	4,2
Chris Valentine	5	4,2	1,1	48,0	1,1	1,6	1,8	4,2
Justin McLean	6	4,3	1,2	56,7	1,5	1,2	1,0	3,8
Zach Zwirn	6	4,2	1,1	44,7	0,9	1,5	1,6	3,7
Justin Cerantola	5	4,2	1,1	53,6	1,4	1,2	1,1	3,6
Matthew Rupcic	5	4,8	1,5	42,8	0,8	1,4	1,4	3,4
Alexandre Noel	4	5,8	2,2	60,5	1,7	0,8	0,3	3,4
Shaq Lattimore	5	4,0	1,0	48,8	1,1	1,2	1,1	3,2
Jordan Allard	5	3,6	0,7	50,0	1,2	1,2	1,1	3,2
Sean Brophy	3	5,3	1,9	60,7	1,7	0,7	0,1	3,1
Sebastien Simon	5	3,4	0,6	54,4	1,4	1,0	0,7	3,0
Ryan Aridi	6	4,2	1,1	46,0	0,9	1,2	1,0	3,0
Guillaume Bourassa	4	3,0	0,3	33,3	0,3	1,5	1,6	2,6
Carmine Pollice	5	4,4	1,3	56,2	1,5	0,6	0,0	2,4

 

Some Observations:

Despite being away the past 2 weeks, what Alex Pilon has done so far this season is truly remarkable. He produced stats in the first 3 weeks that his peers needed 5 or 6 weeks to accomplish…Marco Bertoldi and Danny D’Amour are both traditionally known as 2WAY players who are ditching the defensive side this year for some high-octane offensive stats…Jonathan Garfinkle is quickly proving to be a star receiver at this level of FPF…His KGP teammate James Crowe is also having a strong season. The pair are doing an excellent job absorbing the missed stats from Cutler’s traditional number 1 receiver Sean Brophy, who’s missed a few games already…The 2HD trio of Cerantola, Rupcic and Lattimore are starting to come into stride as their team heats up. They may challenge Drop the Mic for best receiving trio by season’s end.

 

 

Highlights:

 

*28-3

To preface this recap, at no point in the game on Monday night between Darksiders and Purple Reign was the score ever 28-3. However, the improbable odds of the comeback orchestrated by Darksiders was comparable to that of Superbowl 51.

Purple Reign came storming into the game with the intent on righting the ship after a mediocre opening act to the season. They jumped out to an early 19-6 lead, powered by a pair of receiving touchdowns from Danny D’Amour and a score from Joel Malkin.

To make matters worse for Darksiders, Jaylan Grandison exited the game early with a dislocated finger, compiled with Peeze’s departure with a re-aggravated injury. The Darksiders were down to 6 guys and were hurting in more ways than the scoreboard.

Things would only get worse for them before getting better. On the following drive Fred Morissette forced a comeback down the left sideline that was jumped by Josh White and returned to the house. It was 25-6 for Purple Reign with under 2 minutes to go in the 1st half.

Darksiders brushed themselves off and began marching. They maneuvered themselves into a 4th and 1 scenario at their opponent’s goaline with just a few plays left. Morissette scrambled from a blistering rush from Justin Matteo, who seemed to pull his flag before the release. Still, the pass was granted and Josh Colligan scooped it up just above the ground for the clutch score. The game went into the half 25-12.

Clock management is critical in FPF. The famous last drive of the 1st half and 1st drive of the last half has proven to be a winning formula for many comebacks in the past.

Darksiders accomplished the first checkpoint of their comeback after the break, scoring on the opening drive. Next, they would need a defensive stop.

Purple Reign continued to comfortably march on offense. Danny D’Amour was shredding the Darksiders defense, finishing the game with 8 catches for 102 yards. They quickly positioning themselves at their opponent’s 5 yard line, before committing the critical error of the game. Jeremy Anderson held his ground in the flats on a roll-out and jumped a slant route before him. Darksiders had their stop and Purple Reign began to sweat.

There’s a particular gut-wrenching feeling that you get when on the receiving end of a drastic comeback. It’s as if all the air in the room has been sucked out, making you suddenly feel helpless. Like powers beyond your control are at work, directing you towards an inevitable pitfall. Fortune, referees and time all start working against you, as you sit back and watch your once ironclad lead begin to dwindle down to oblivion.

On the next drive the already thin Darksiders took yet another blow, when Colligan popped his knee while attempting to gain YAC and was on the ground for some time in quite a bit of pain. With his night over, Darksiders were temporarily down to 5 men.

Undeterred, the steadfast Morissette continued to find the soft spots in the zone. He hit Travis Moses for the first of his 3 touchdowns on the night. Moses was the star of the second half, putting up 9 catches for 125, most of which were obtained in the final 25 minutes.

Grandison returned to the field to lend of hand on defense on the following drive, giving his team 6 players back. It’s good that he did, for he had a major impact on the ending to this game.

Purple Reign marched downfield, once again positioning themselves at the opponent’s 5 yard line. With 5 plays left on second down, Purple Reign scored on a slant to James Nowakowski to go up by 7. They went for a 2 point convert to end the game but missed it, leaving the window open for Darksiders to complete the improbable.

It only took 3 of the remaining 4 plays for Darksiders to split the field and score with Travis Moses. Down by 1 point they decided to go for the win. Morissette threw a jump ball to the back of the endzone in the direction of Grandison. Using his height advantage and outstanding athleticism, he heroically rose above everyone else and caught the ball with a dislocated finger, giving his team the lead.

Shocked, deflated and thoroughly discouraged, Purple Reign heaved a last ditch Hail Mary downfield. Jeremy Anderson ended up being the only person close to the ball, reeling in the easy INT for the win. Fortune was laughing at Purple Reign’s misery as Darksiders improved to a 4-2 record on the season.

 

 

Power Rankings: Midseason Special Edition

 

1. Laval’s Finest (5-1):

The Good: Everything, pretty much. The offseason rebuild has gone even better than expected, and this team has been rolling through the division so far. Dylan Taylor is one of the best QBs in the division, and he’s done a marvelous job orchestrating this high octane offense. Theo Bekelis has been a devastating receiver for years now, but this winter he’s really forcing people to take notice. What he’s doing from the snapper position is revolutionary, turning it from a traditionally conservative position to a downfield threat. The defense has been the backbone of this team. Credit mastermind Theo Giannikos for building a monster. Spearheaded by the lockdown safety combo of Rod Mashtoub and Jamie Ojeaha, this team is a veritable No Fly Zone in division 3.  

The Bad: I don’t know what happened last game against a red hot 2HD team, but it was certainly one to forget for the 450. Their defense couldn’t lay a finger on the Dans offense, and their offense stalled with a 3 touchdown game. Oh well, even the best trip up some times. I expect them to emerge angry and re-focused following this game, and continue to cruise through the second half of the season.

Grade: A-

1. Brotherhood (4-1) ↑1:

The Good: Last game we saw them roll out a lineup featuring Theo Ojeaha, Jamal Gittens, Khalil Kerr, Omar Jackson and Quaid Johnson. Considering they were missing Quaysie Gordon-Maule, Brotherhood “All-Dressed” is a scary concept for div 3 teams to consider. Their offense has been trending upwards in recent weeks, consistently averaging between 25-30 points per game. Ojeaha is protecting the ball and we’re starting to see the dominant dual threat QB that we projected at the onset of the season. With an all-time legendary div 3 defense on deck, that will be more than enough on most weeks. Gittens is shaping up to be one of the most dominant all around players in the division. But the same could be said for Quaysie.  A catch-22 is a dilemma from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting conditions. When assessing this defense it’s fair to say they are the definition of a catch-22.

The Bad: They looked sluggish offensively out of the gate and had that nightmare of a game against the Heroes to begin. One could wonder if there was a formula at play in that game that could be successfully replicated against them. Also, with the constant roster shuffling of star players it’s interesting to question if there’s one combination that doesn’t work as well as the others. They’ve cleared the “light” part of their schedule and have some tough matchups on deck for the second part of the year. It will be interesting to see if they can continue their recent domination against tougher competition.

Grade: B

1. 2HD (4-1) ↑1:

The Good: The defense has been phenomenal, allowing the least points scored in conference A. New additions Corey Cook and Shaq Lattimore have made an instant impact as keys cogs in the shutdown machine. Danny Aylward has predictably had success patrolling the secondary so far, with 3 INTs at the midway point. They look like a more mature team overall than in recent seasons, as if they’re finally ready to make a serious run at the div 3 championship. The last 2 weeks have seen them really hit their groove, smashing a pair of top 10 teams in Darksiders and Laval’s Finest. After a surprising slow start to the season, Joey Taylor looks rejuvenated in the last 2 weeks. The trio of Cerantola, Rupcic and Lattimore create a balanced receiving force to be reckoned with. With an average schedule ahead of them there’s no reason for them to not transition this momentum into the second half of the season and beyond.   

The Bad: They began the season very flat, needing a few games to fit the new pieces in with one another. The Brotherhood blowout was concerning, but it was also in the midst of Taylor’s cold spell. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle a fiery upstart team like the Heroes in week 8.

Grade: B+

1. Top Sauce (5-1) ↓1:

The Good: As seems to be the common trend at the top of this list, defense reigns supreme, with Top Sauce allowing the least points in the entire division while playing a game more than most. The offseason addition of Rob Allen put this unit over the top. Between Allen, Justin McLean, Vince Narodne and Justin Blanchard Top Sauce roll out 4 guys that could all be number 1 defenders on separate teams. The stats reflect their balanced defensive dominance, with each player having 13 or more tackles, 3 or more INTs and at least 3 PDs. On offense, we’ve seen some growth from Vince Nardone at pivot this year. If you remove the disaster against Laval’s Finest, he would likely be in the top 5 at the position. After a surprisingly slow start to the season, perennial top receiver Justin McLean has picked up the pace in the past few weeks. Expect him to make a torrid rush up the WR standings in the second half of the year.

The Bad: Speaking of that bad loss to the 450…The major question mark surrounding Top Sauce remains their lack of a big win on their resume. You can’t fault them for laying a hurt on the teams put before them, but in their first showcase game of the season they were exposed by a superior opponent. With a relatively soft schedule ahead of them as well for the second half, we likely won’t know the true depth of their contender status until we reach the playoffs. Which I’m sure is fine with them.

Grade: B+

1. Hometown Heroes (4-1):

The Good: The toast of the town in the first half of the season. The darlings of division 3. These guys are exactly what the middle divisions are all about! A hungry team paying their dues in the lower divisions, injecting their team with youth and playing with passion. Leaving every ounce of sweat and effort on the field each week. They are battling tooth and nail for every yard. As an old head in FPF it’s inspirational and refreshing to watch them play. The top scoring offense in conference A, they run a remarkably efficient style of play which maximizes their speed advantage. Erminio Iadeluca is the man. He’s fit right in among the upper echelon of div 3 QBs. It’s becoming impossible to guard AJ Gomes in 1-on-1 matchups. He’s the rare type of game breaking receiver that elite teams build around. Domenic Benevento is a scrappy pugilist. The guy just keeps chipping away at his opponents until they break. He’s done a remarkable job coaching up his young stable of athletes. He’s also on the short list for Defensive Player of the Year so far, with 4 INTs and 2 defensive TDs.

The Bad: There’s really no bad to speak of so far. They’ve completely surpassed all expectations leading into the season. It will be interesting to see if they continue to get stronger in the second half of the year, or if the luster begins to wear off somewhat with tough matchups down the stretch. With the hunger these guys bring to the field each week I would bet on the former scenario right now. They look like giant killers.

Grade: A+

1. KGP (3-2) ↑1:

The Good: The most prestigious division 3 franchise, with longstanding roots in the division dating back years. They’ve gone through a successful youth injection over the first half of the season. The core remains the same, but calling Jonathan Garfinkle up from the farm team was the best move they made. He’s the workhorse carrying the sled, leading his team in tackles on defense and receptions on offense. Phil Cutler is having yet another sterling performance this year. With the push to integrate middle level players in the HOF, how voters continue to sleep on his remarkable career baffles me. When you think of all-time great div 3 QBs he’s right there with Alex Lever. I’m excited to see this offense fully loaded with both James Crowe and Sean Brophy rolled out.     

The Bad: A bit of early season roster inconsistency has left them patchy on defense at times. Still, KGP has traditionally had the profile of an offensive team, and that once again remains true. They can’t win games with defense alone, but when they’re full roster they have the grit to pull off the one or two stops needed for their offense to carry them to victory. They have a bit of a soft schedule in the second half, so although they should keep piling on the wins, I hope they’ll be challenged enough come playoffs.

Grade: B

1. Darksiders (4-2) ↑3:

The Good: Wins. No matter how they come, wins are always the most important thing. Priority number 1. When you’re winning, it doesn’t matter how ugly it looks, no one can rightfully discredit you. This team also has a lot of heart. They never seem to back down no matter how difficult the scenario before them may be. They do a remarkable job remaining poised and staying focused on their grand objective. For that you need to credit the leadership of the cool-headed Fred Morissette. He’s done a great job squeezing out all the juice from this roster. Travis Moses and Jeremy Anderson are proven winners and middle division assassins. They are carrying this team on their backs at times this year. I’m sure captain Peeze is more than pleased with their returns so far. 

The Bad: the -21 on their record sticks out like a sore thumb. Yes, much of that was accrued in a week 1 loss to Maloudes, but they haven’t looked comfortable in the majority of their wins. The piled up injuries to their already short roster is starting to get scary. Josh Colligan will be out for multiple weeks with a knee injury, Jaylan Grandison injured his finger in their last game, Peeze just doesn’t look right physically this year. Their past the point of adding new playoff eligible players, so they’ll have to dig deep until they can hopefully return to full strength. Their schedule doesn’t get much easier down the stretch.

Grade: B-

1. Dad Bods (2-3) ↓2:

The Good: They looked smooth on offense for the first two weeks of the season, pouring in 30+ points like it was easy. When the roster is full they’re arguably the most balanced offense in the division. They mix high football IQ with precise route running and benefit from an expert level offensive game script from Sean Avraam. Jordan Allard leapt out in the early part of the season as one of the top receivers in the division. He’s since quieted down but the talent remains there whenever tapped. Vinny Gualano and Rich Humes form an excellent 1-2 punch on both sides of the ball. Sean Avraam has spent the past two weeks secluded in the Himalayan Mountains training with Buddhist monks, only to return and wreak havoc on division 3. Once they get their roster back full and healthy they should gear up for an extended playoff run. This team is too good to be written out.   

The Bad: The defense looks clawless in comparison to last winter. They’re getting exposed on deep passes lately and the unit lacks overall grit. To make matters worse, they’ve been dealing with significant roster issues in recent weeks. Steve Sanner suffered a head injury that set him back a few weeks, they’ve been missing depth players each game, and Sean Avraam’s two weeks absence has caused the offense to grind to a halt so far. Hopefully they can get back in rhythm versus a tough, but inconsistent ODB team this week.

Grade: C

1. LGM (2-2-1) ↑2:

The Good: After Hometown Heroes, these guys are undeniably the next most impressive team so far this year. They’re a balanced force on both sides of the ball, and seem to be improving each week as they get more confident at this level. They have fantastic depth, with no real weak links for opponents to pick on. The receiving trio of Robbi Dejean, Mathieu Gratton and Maxime Chateauneuf has been a revelation. They are the most underrated offensive unit in the division hands down. Dejean is a special talent who’s rapidly garnering a lot of attention for his ability to take over games. Mathieu Gratton is also getting recognition for his spectacular effort, recently getting called up by the Gladiateurs in div 2. None of this works, however, without the excellent play of Alex Lever. He’s back to playing at the elite level that we’ve become accustomed to from him throughout the years. He looks rejuvenated as the play caller for this hungry roster, and their achieving rapid success as a result.  

The Bad: They were finding ways to lose games at the beginning of the year, and looked a bit tentative at the end of games. However, they seem to have positively benefitted from those experiences. In recent weeks they’ve done a much better job finishing games and it shows in their confidence on the field. As much success as they’ve had in the first half, the easy part of their schedule is over and they’re walking into a buzz saw over the next 3 weeks. How they handle the top contenders now will be the true challenge for this developing team. Regardless, they’ve been one of the most exciting teams to follow so far.

Grade: A-

1. DTM (1-2-2) ↓1:

The Good: The offense has been popping off the charts this season. Led by Mario Porreca’s flame throwing right arm, this team can hang around with anyone due to their pure offensive prowess. Alex Pilon was on a record breaking start to the season before departing for a 2 week vacation. He’ll return this week to pick up where he left off, wrecking the opposition’s defense. Daniel Mancini was shaping up to be one of the greatest #2 receivers in recent memory before a re-aggravated lower body injury slowed him down temporarily. Once they get full, with Pilon, Mancini, Chris Valentine and Jelani McLaren they should be virtually unstoppable at this level.

The Bad: Their defense is still a work in progress. Allowing 171 points in 5 games is not a recipe for a championship contender. They have the pieces to make stops, but they’re still searching for the chemistry required to work collectively on the field. Without Billy Makris they have major questions at the rusher position, unable to generate any consistent pressure up front. With an average schedule in the second half they’ll have time to figure it all out while winning enough games to make the playoffs.

Grade: B

1. Bearskins (3-3) ↓3:

The Good: The rebuild has been tough on them at times this year, but to emerge from the first half with 3 wins should still be considered an overall success. Marco Bertoldi is holding the team up on his shoulders at times, further cementing his future HOF bid with yet another heroic performance. Guillaume Bourassa has been a pleasant surprise so far. Rated as the top free agent in the combine this year by Moe Khan, he’s come on strong for this team while continuing to adapt to the game. Mark Belvedere has been a gritty, veteran presence for them on both sides of the ball.

The Bad: The defense has tailed off in recent weeks. They lack the depth to slow down top notch offenses. Losses in recent weeks to a 5 man Dirty Dawgs, followed up by a heavy handed beating by LGM are concerning. Their trending in the wrong direction right now and need a nice win to get their mojo back. Neil Etinson is producing a ton of yards but his INT count is high right now. He’ll need to keep marching the ball down field while cleaning up some of the errors.

Grade: C

1. R4D (2-4):

The Good:  At times I stop and think that we rate these guys too harshly. They’re a traditionally lower-division team moving up the ranks after a multi-year break from playing with each other. They currently hold a playoff spot with 2 wins in conference A and have a positive +/- despite their losing record. Freshly minted hall of famer Ryan Aridi and future inductee Jad are once again having excellent seasons at receiver. With some continued improvement and a little luck in the second half they could shape to make a dark horse run come playoffs.

The Bad: Their offense has been a bit lethargic in the first half of the season. Averaging 22.5 points per game is not going to cut it at this level. They have all the pieces to succeed and the right quarterback to do it, this just need to start clicking at the same time. They better start fast though, because a solid season could just as easily become a wasted season if they tail off from here.

Grade: C

1. Purple Reign (1-3-1):

The Good: They are a good team in a bad funk. Their +/- of zero currently ranks as the best in conference A-East, you have to figure that with a few lucky bounces their way this team could be above .500 right now. The second highest scoring offense in conference A has kept them in games late, and they have a healthy stable of weapons on that side of the ball. It’s tough for opposing defenses to focus on any individual matchup. They’ve looked better on D in recent weeks, finally showing some life on that side of the ball. It still feels like they can turn their season around by fine-tuning a few small areas on offense and ramping up the defensive aggressiveness. A big win against a red-hot 2HD team could get them their mojo back in a hurry.

The Bad: At the end of the day you need wins, plain and simple, no matter how they come about. They have the most points allowed on defense in conference A, and at times they’ve looked like they lack any chemistry whatsoever on that side of the ball. They desperately need to ramp up the intensity several notches on defense. On offense, despite moving the ball well, they’ve come up short several times in the red zone. They need to clean up in the money zone and avoid costly turnovers at critical junctures of the game.

Grade: D+

1. QB Movement (2-3):

The Good: 2 wins in their first 5 games is a really good achievement for a first year team still adapting to the game. They have a manageable +/- and look much more organized on offense in recent weeks. Thierry Gerville has been a major impact player for them since his arrival in week 2. He and Adrien Kellman form the backbone for this team on both sides of the ball. The tandem form one of the most solid duos in the entire division.  

The Bad: Their defense has been average at best in the first half. They’re allowing over 30 points per game and they haven’t faced the superior offenses on their schedule yet. They would do well to start by addressing the pressure up front. 1 sack in 5 games won’t cut it. If they continue to give the QBs at this level enough time they’ll continue carving them up. The true challenge awaits them in the upcoming weeks. 4 of their remaining 5 games are against top 10 offenses in the division. It’ll be interesting to see how they respond to the increased competition. They definitely have the heart to go face-to-face with anyone.

Grade: C

1. Dirty Dawgs (2-4):

The Good: The offense has been filthy in the past 3 weeks, partially coinciding with the beginning of their winning streak. The most impressive thing has been their ability to diversify, finding success beyond the outstanding Dave Chitayat, who’s once again in running for WROY honors. Yossi and Sahar Cohen have become reliable staples of this offense. Ryan Lelinowski deserves a lot of credit for carrying his team in recent weeks. Like a true elite competitor he’s put them on his back when needed and willed his way to victory. He’s now comfortably entrenched in the top 10 of the division, with his eyes set on the top 5.

The Bad: As good as they’ve been offensively, their defense is still a sieve, bleeding out points on a weekly basis. They’re relying on making that 1 critical stop each game right now and out-gunning teams, but that’s not a sustainable formula for long term success. They need to address that side of the ball if they want to complete the turnaround and seriously compete in this division in the second half.

Grade: B

1. ODBs (2-3):

The Good: This team has demonstrated a lot of courage in recent weeks, hanging around all games since week 1. They have a gritty, take no prisoners approach on defense, capable of manning up against the best of the division “when” they’re full roster. They’re capable of forcing turnovers from opposing QBs and they make the red zone seem ridiculously small whenever opponents approach. The addition of Mat Kiroauc has been money in the past 2 weeks. Hopefully he can hang around for the rest of the year.  

The Bad: That “when” has been the biggest issue so far. With so much roster turnover on a weekly basis, the names on that team list are starting to grow exponentially. Besides missing the chemistry needed to compete in tough games later in the season, the patchwork roster would be troublesome come playoffs. Their offense has been gutsy but far from reliable at times. They’ll look to keep fine-tuning it in the weeks ahead.

Grade: B-

1. Lightweight (1-3-1):

The Good: They looked good at the outset of the year, with the offense putting up a healthy amount of points in the first three weeks and the defense coming up with enough stops to keep them relevant. Francois Hogue has been thriving in Simon’s offense at wideout. He’s a great safety blanket on the outside and Simon trusts him with his signature hooks. Hinsley Adams has shown promise with this offense as well. His production has been a bit spotty but he’s had some big games in the first half of the year. Eddy Lee and Hendrick Ambroise are tackling machines up front. The defense has been surprisingly stingy at times, and should help lead them to a second half turnaround if the offense can match pace. 

The Bad: 97 points in 5 games ain’t gonna cut it my friends. They’re mired in a particularly bad funk right now, with 18 points combined in the past 2 weeks. Simon is too good of a quarterback to trend towards a 30 TD season, so I expect the wily veteran’s best games to be ahead on the calendar. The schedule doesn’t really get an easier for them ahead, so they’ll need to pull off a gutsy upset or two if they hope to sniff out the playoffs this year.

Grade: C-

1. Les Maloudes (2-3):

The Good: Despite all the criticism they got during their mutli-game losing streak, they have 2 wins at the break and still have the potential to finish with a .500 record or better come season’s end. The defense has been stingy as projected, with 7 different players registering at least 1 INT and 2 defensive scores to their tally. They have a lot of quality depth, and can really give some teams fits with different looks throughout the game. They’re also coming strong off an emotional win over a tough, but inexperienced opponent in QB Movement. Hopefully they use it as a springboard going forward.

The Bad: Similar to Lightweight above, sub 100 points scored in 5 games is not good enough for this level of competition. They need better play from their QB in the second half. He’s proved that he can do it in the past at different levels. It’s time for them to pull up the bootstraps and get to work. 

Grade: D

1. Looney Goonz (1-4):

The Good: Their defense finally clicked last week and they got the much needed win that everyone was looking for. It must have felt like a breath of fresh air after struggling out of the gate. This team is very talented individually. Physically they are big, fast and can cover pretty much anyone in man coverage on the defensive end. On offense, when Vincent Richard is on he presents solid dual threat attack that can hurt unprepared defenses. If Richard can beat his opponent’s rusher consistently, Looney Goonz have a very good chance to win the game on any night. Sebastien Simon is developing into a productive offensive weapon after primarily being known for his defense in the past. Maxime De Falcis was one of the hottest names on defense in the first 3 weeks of the year. He’s someone to keep an eye on because he’s always a threat to come up with the big play. 

The Bad: Their defensive zone looked utterly confused at the beginning of the year. If they could get some tutelage on how to run a proper flag zone they could begin building the team defense to match their individual skills. Their QB gets stuck on offense when he can’t beat the opposing rusher. Such was the case against R4D, where they stalled in the face of a blistering rush. If he could begin creating more from the pocket it would go a long way in helping them stabilize offensively.

Grade: C-

1. JYD (0-4-1):

The Good: It may seem like an insignificant sports cliché, but the fact that this team continues to keep their heads up despite taking a licking is a promising sign for me of things to come. They lack the top end talent to compete at this level, so they’ll need to rely on their chemistry and their competitive spirit to pull them out back up in the second half. Carmine Pollice and Alexandre Noel are beginning to have solid seasons receiving, as they should. If they continue to leverage their game changers on offense good things will come.

The Bad: Obviously the mounting losses hurt. With only 1 INT on defense in the whole first half of the year you have to feel a bit bad for Jason Rossie. His team isn’t making stops and it’s putting a lot of pressure on him to be perfect on offense. He’s been far from it, with 11 INTs so far, but that type of pressure is toxic for any QB, no matter the name. If this defense can band together, start maintaining their assignments and come up with a few stops for their QB, I bet we’d see a reinvigorated JYD team in the second half of the season. 

Grade: D-

 

 

 

 The Jamie Bowl

This is it folks, playoff fever is in the air for the Jamie Bowl. Week 5 is here so that means this is the final week for all competitors to either claim their spot in the big dance or bow out form the race. Right now, no one is safe except Doug in first place.

If you find your name on the list below, do your best to help out your humble fantasy owners, everyone is hungry to make the second round.

In the meantime, let’s take a look at how week 4 shook out below:

 

Week 4

 

Match 1

The second dirty comeback put on me this week, after my loss to darksiders. This one really broke my heart. Up by over 40 points with Chris Milard playing on Wednesday. Only a quiet game by Milard coupled with very strong games by Lever and Dejean would knock me off.

Well you probably guessed what happened by now. Sometimes it’s just not in the cards for you.

Great gutsy comeback win by GM with some savvy low key picks.

Position	Historian’s Hawks		Dr. Mantis
QB	Alex Lever	26,84	Phil Cutler	34,62
WR	Carmine Pollice	10,3	Chris Valentine	35,9
WR	Francois Deslauriers	8,3	Justin Cerantola	11
2WAY	Dom Benevento	21,8	Adrien Kellman	7,6
2WAY	Robbi Dejean	24,2	Chris Millard	9,9
DEF	Hometown Heroes	28,5	QB Movement	17
		119,94		116,02

 

 

 

Match 2

The beatdown special. Commish trounces Pandas by the greatest margin this week. What a week for Commish, who nailed his pick with Travis Moses, and came up with a clutch replacement pick with Jon Garfinkle.

Panda picked the wrong week to flop with Simon Dagenais. He also wasted a huge game by Chris Valentine and a great game by Dom Benevento. This was not the week to load up on Lightweight.

Position	Commish has Fallen		Panda Panda!
QB	Alex Holowach	20,58	Simon Dagenais	12,72
WR	Jon Garfinkle	26,6	Chris Valentine	35,9
WR	Justin Cerantola	11	Hinsley Adams	2,8
2WAY	Jamal Gittens	28,6	Dom Benevento	21,8
2WAY	Travis Moses	40,5	AJ Gomes	16,6
DEF	Hometown Heroes	28,5	Lightweight	17
		155,78		106,82

 

 

Match 3

The battle between the big dogs for supremacy of the division came down to Wednesday night at Hebert. The Terries had Vinny and were spotted 3 points against Bullet Club’s savior in Robbi Dejean.

The Dad Bod’s floundered offensively and Dejean lit up the scoreboard for LGM, delivering Doug the win and 1st place in the standings.  

Position	Dropkick Terries		Bullet Club
QB	Dylan Taylor	20,76	Erminio Iadeluca	18,74
WR	Vinny Gualano	8	Robbi Dejean	22,2
WR	Jamal Gittens	22,1	Carmine Pollice	10,3
2WAY	Francois Deslauriers	9,3	AJ Gomes	16,6
2WAY	Daniel Mancini	13,2	Theo Bekelis	14,4
DEF	Hometown Heroes	28,5	Brotherhood	30
		101,86		112,24

 

 

Standings

Standings	Wins	Loss	PF
Bullet Club	3	1	494,76
Commission Has Fallen	2	2	526,58
The Dropkick Terries	2	2	508,72
Historian’s Hawks	2	2	464,94
Panada Panda!	2	2	450,34
Dr. Mantis Tobbogan	1	3	476,6

 

Week 5

Match 1

Position	Dr. Mantis		Commish has Fallen
QB	Theo Ojeaha		Dylan Taylor
WR	Guillaume Bourassa		AJ Gomes
WR	James Crowe		Anthony Da Silva
2WAY	Jamal Gittens		Jamie Ojeaha
2WAY	Robbi Dejean		Ryan Aridi
DEF	Hometown Heroes		Dad Bods

 

Match 2

Position	Historian’s Hawks		Dropkick Terries
QB	Joey Taylor		Alex Holowach
WR	Shaq Lattimore		Jon Garfinkle
WR	Dragann Malette		Rob Allen
2WAY	Chris Milard		Alex Pilon
2WAY	AJ Gomes		Ryan Aridi
DEF	R4D		Purple Reign

 

Match 3

Position	Panda Panda!		Bullet Club
QB	Mario Porreca		Phil Cutler
WR	Sahar Cohen		Jon Garfinkle
WR	Jimmy Marneris		Chris Valentine
2WAY	Alex Pilon		Jamal Gittens
2WAY	Chris Milard		Marco Bertoldi
DEF	Dad Bods		Bearskins

 

 

 

 

Predictions

The midseason funk followed me into predictions last week. I went 5-4 on the week, bringing my season record down to 23-15 (60.5%). It seems like my winning percentage keeps dipping each week like my QBR. It’s time to switch up the rhythm and get out of this funk.

 

KGP                                                    LGM      

QB Movement                                  Laval’s Finest    

Drop the Mic                                    Maloudes

Looney Goonz                                  Hometown Heroes

Dad Bods                                          ODBs

Brotherhood                                    Darksiders

R4D                                                     Lightweight

Top Sauce                                         Dirty Dawgs

Bearskins                                          JYD

Purple Reign                                     2HD      

 

 

 That’s it for this week! Week 6 of FPF is officially in the books, and our week 7 is set to start up soon. 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 3 content please check out the Calling the Audible podcast featuring Moe Khan, Peeze and Simom, 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 7 shook out!