Div 4B Mid-Season Report Card – FlagPlus Football League

Iggy! You’re late with your 4B Report Card!

At least I got to use this meme first by being late!

Damn! We’ve already reached the mid-way point of the season, and that can only mean one thing (is it that hotline bling?) No, no late night booty call, instead, the mid-season report card! Let’s dive right in, cuz this will be a long one.

But first, the grading scheme explained:

A’s (A+, A, A-): Your team exceeded pre-season expectations and are shocking the FPF world. No one saw it coming, and you are atop the division.
B’s (B+, B, B-): Your team is right where I expected you should be. Your either doing really well and I expected it, average and sit in the middle of the standings, or having a tough season, but I saw it coming.
C’s (C+, C, C-): Your underachieving below expectations (mine and probably your own).
D’s (D+, D, D-): It’s been a reallllly tough season and will continue to be down the stretch. Take the experience and bring it to the next Spring season.

Division 4B Report Card

Beer Belly Brigade (5-1)

Mid season Grade: A

Let me start by saying that I knew these guys are good, but no way did I or any of the FPF panel experts have Beer Belly Brigaide sitting at 4-1. Alex Fafard is having an MVP-type season with his 20 TDs-to-1-INT-ratio and his 135.2 QB rating. Combine his 300+ rushing yards to his 774 through the air, and you have one of the few QBs who have over 1000 yards of total offense.

The scary thing about this offense is that they have a bit of everything. They have a clear #1 receiver? Check: Olivier Claveau and his league-leading 40 receptions, league-leading 358 yards and 6 TDs. Do they have depth at WR? Matthieu Pilotte and Jonathan Benoit both have over 150 yards and Pilotte even has more TDs than Claveau. Can they run the ball when needed? Alex Fafard has over 300 rushing yards and 3 scores on the ground. They can play any type of offensive game depending on the situation. They can be on the field for 9 minutes running the clock or score a 40-bomb to finish a drive in under 30 seconds if they need the quick score. The offense is clearly rolling, as they are averaging the most yards per game in the 18-team division and are scoring on 72% of their offensive possessions – damn!

Defensively, they have the league leader in Picks in Jonathan Benoit, with 6 on the season, one of which he took for a score. Not only are they causing turnovers, they are limiting opponents to 18.8 points (3 scores) per game, good for 3rd best in the division. They are also holding opponents to a 36% conversion rate on 3rd down and 20% on 4th down. With those percentages, you are giving yourself great odds to win FPF games.

Mid season MVP: Alexandre Fafard

Vultures (6-0)

Mid season Grade: A

Yes, the Vultures went 9-1 last spring and went to the Finals, but that was Division D. Now they moved up against tougher competition. I’m not SHOCKED that they are 5-0, but it’s the way they are winning games. They seem unstoppable this season and looked destined for another Finals appearance. Ben McMahon is absolutely KILLING it. 880 yards through the air, another 206 on the ground, 25 Passing TDs + add another rushing TD and most importantly, only 2 INTs. He was always a good Quarterback, but he has worked on his throwing mechanics and timing, and he has become one of the premiere dual-threat Quarterbacks in all of FPF. You then want to move to the receiving core? He’s got 4 guys over 100 yards (including Anthony Drysdale and Chris Colantonio), 2 over 200 (including 5x All-Star Kevin Donnet) , and then you’ve got the next up-and-comer in FPF, James Drydale with 339 yards and 7 TDs. Just missing out on the cusp of 100 yards is Phil Roberts. And I love that all 6 receivers on the team, now including Tremayne Salmon, all have at least 1 TD, showing this team as a true threat across the field. In fact, they are tearing it up so much, they are the #2 team in yards per game, averaging 0.5 less than the #1 Beer Belly Brigaide, but are averaging a whopping 37.2 pts per game that no one is even close to.

Defensively is a bit of another story. While the offense is carrying this team to 5-0, the defense is a little suspect. While they are averaging the 2nd most yards per game, they are giving up the MOST yards per page, 226. Now, while they are giving up yards like it’s free money, they are at least not letting it convert into as many points as they themselves are scoring. They are giving up the 6th most points per game with 28, but given all the yardage teams are racking up, it’s actually because they are limiting opposing offenses to 40% conversion on 3rd down (5th best) and 22.2% conversion on 4th down (2nd best). So, all that to say that they are a stingy bunch when it comes to the critical downs in the RedZone.

Mid season MVP: Ben McMahon

Eastside Boys (1-3)

Mid season Grade: C

I think even the Eastside Boys would tell you that they are disappointed with their start to the season, after making the Div D2 finals in the Spring ’21 season. Because of the expectations, the disappointment, and the 1-3 record, they get a C grade.

Anthony Lazzara would be the first to tell you that 10 TDs and 4 INTs in 4 games is not up to par, especially now in Division 4B. I thought that after the game against Los Locos, where he up 40 points, that he had the offense in a good spot moving forward. And then 6 points against Les Verges Folles. As for the receivers, they’ve gotten great production from snapper Ale Barazzoni, leading the team in yards (169) and TDs (5) and having Nic Gomes-Risso as a wildcard player is a nice weapon in their arsenal. The addition of Dan Lazzara at receiver for the team has been a good thing, as he’s eclipsed the 100-yard mark and contributed with 2 TDs. He’s a good presence in the huddle for Anthony, giving him tips on what he’s seeing from the defense on his side. It’s a good thing, as long as he lets his brother have the last say, which I haven’t seen any disputes in the huddle, so it seems to be a good play for the team. As a team, they are actually dead last in the yards per game department (133 yards per game) and average the 4th least points per game (18.5). What they need to absolutely improve is their 3rd and 4th down conversions, as they are last in both 3rd and 4th down conversions. What doesn’t help with the conversion rate is the fact that A. Lazzara is the 2nd most sacked QB in 4B. On a positive note though, when they do score, they are the 4th best 1-point converting team, at 46% and T-1st in 2-pt converts, converting 100% of their 2 point attempts.

Defense has not been the problem for Eastside Boys, as they have been middle of the pack. They are in the middle of the division with 7 INTs and 7 sacks, yards allowed per game (178), and points allowed per game (27.3). With all 7 sacks himself, Luca De Gaetani is once again atop the sack leaderboard (tied for 2nd overall in the Div).

All that said, they will need to rack up the wins if they want to make the playoffs, as they currently sit on the outside looking in.

Mid season MVP: Alessandro Barazzoni

Los Locos (2-4-1)

Mid season Grade: B-

So for a team that is mostly comprised of new FPF players, to start playing in Division 4 of FPF is a daunting task. Most teams know what they are doing after 3-5 seasons under their belt. So emerging with a 1-4-1 record after 6 games is not terrible. In fact, tie-ing a known franchise in Finessers and keeping it close against Les Verges Folles is a sign that there is talent here, it’s just not refined towards the FPF rules and spacing just yet.

Thomas Soto is a young and eager 1st-year FPF Quarterback who has some skills and wants to improve both his understanding of the game and his overall game. He needs to work on protecting the ball more with the decisions he makes, as 16 picks is way too many to throw in just 6 games. I know that 8 of them came against 2 FPF veteran teams in Voodoo and Les Montagnards, but he is a little too reliant on the deep ball when there’s nothing wrong with hitting a 3-yard hook or slant and letting your receivers do the work. Normally a team like this, with Soto‘s running ability is a team you see first play in Div 6 and end up with a 7-3 type of season.

From the receivers point-of-view, they have quite the mix in their arsenal. They’ve got a big boy who can catch and has quick feet for a big guy in Paul Maksoud; a great RedZone target for Soto. For Maksoud plus 4 other receivers to have 100+ yards is nice distribution. Those 4 guys being Brandon St. Jacques-Turpin, William Denis, Arnaud Trudel and Olivier Mathieu. As a team though, they fall in the bottom nine when it comes to yards per game (3rd lowest – 151 yards per game), 5th lowest for points per game (20.8), and 3rd lowest for the number of possessions that go in for a touchdown (37%). Their conversion rate isn’t as bad, where they are middle of the pack, converting on 38% of their 3rd downs and 50% of their 4th down attempts. As for converts though, this is another area they need to work on, as they fall in the Bottom 5 of both 1 and 2pt conversion rates (both at 17%).

On D, Los Locos are filled with athletic playmakers that can jump routes and defend the deep ball fairly well. The team already has 11 INTs, led by William Denis and his 4 picks. That’s good to be tied for 2nd in the division. The team also has 7 sacks, 4 of which come from the hands of Laurent Boileau. The 7 team sacks are good enough to be tied for the 5th most. While the team is average for yards allowed per game (182) and points allowed per game (24.3), they need to work on stopping teams on 3rd and 4th down if they want to improve this season.

Overall, they’ve struggled, but the mid-division FPF experience will take them far in future seasons.

Mid season MVP: William Denis

Mofos (3-1-1)

Mid season Grade: A-

Another team that is comprised of mostly new FPF players, and bam, a 3-1-1 record to start in Div 4 is impressive!! While Tiemoko Sanogo can clearly score TDs, his next line of improvement is not throwing picks. 9 in 5 games is about 4-5 too many. If he can cut that number in half in the second half of the season, Mofos will be a scary team to face in the playoffs.

Their clear deep threat is Julian Nelson who has caught 5 TDs on 9 receptions, and is averaging 28.3 yards per catch… ummmm… COVER THE DEEP on this guy! I see you Julian 👀. I’ve said it a couple of times, but I also love when every receiver has a touchdown, and Mofos are one of those teams, where any player can make a play and punch it in. Oh, and if it wasn’t clear that they go deep, another stat point to that trend is that they have the 2nd LEAST 1st downs. Can’t accumulate the 1st downs if you go Touchdown with the long bomb.

Mofos will however, need to adjust their playbook once defenses catch on to what they are doing. So time will tell how well they adjust.

As a defense, individually, no one stands out per se, but as a team, they are an athletic bunch that can get their hands on the ball. Léo Poliquin-Théorêt and Amadou Diallo lead the team with 2 INTs, and Poliquin-Théorêt has already brought one back for 6, as has Shawn Grenier. From the rusher POV, they seem to be going with the sack-by-committee approach, and it has seen them get 7 team sacks. Again, as a team, they are a stingy defense, giving up the 4th least yards per game (162), the 5th least points per game (19), and only allow opponents to score on 41% of their offensive possessions, good for 3rd best in the division.

Look, coming ahead, they have 2 heavyweights in Les Montagnards and The U. I want to see how they fare against these teams. Their other games are more their style of gameplay, as Eastside Boys and Los Locos are a similar brand of football. I see them finishing either 5-4-1 or 6-3-1. Either way, both records are reallllly good for a new FPF team in Div 4. Seriously, that’s not a joke. It may not seem like a very good record, but in an FPF middle division, it certainly is.

Mid season MVP: Julian Nelson

Les Montagnards (7-0)

Mid season Grade: A

While they last had a couple of 2-8 and 3-7 seasons, those were in Div 4B (in W19) and Div C of Spring ’18. They also had a 4-5 record in 4a as Les Princes de la Rive-Sud. Shift 3-4 years later, and those teams they’ve played against are now in Div 3 and above. That said, they’ve clearly seen what good FPF teams have done and now have the pedigree to be a championship-or-bust kind of team. Julien Fiset-Cyr has always been a QB who makes the right reads and the right decisions: When to check it down, when to air it out, when to gain yards with his feet, rarely throwing off his back foot. He has, as of now, the best QB rating since the Spring season of 2017 and is 2nd in passing TDs and 8th in passing yards, so while he’s not having a superstar season, he’s having a very good season so far, and it’s all Les Montagnards need to be 6-0 at the midway point of the season.

Mathieu Girard-Provost though, he is having a division MVP-type season at receiver. He leads the division with 12 TDs and his 338 yards are good for 3rd best overall. Then you’ve got Marc-Antoine Viens a big guy, but who has a deceivingly fast step. You wouldn’t think he can take a 5-yard hook for 40 yards, but trust me, he can. In a way, Viens is the epitome of this team: They don’t look like any crazy-level of special, but that’s where they get you. They are under-assuming and will kill you execution, great hands and speed. So the stats are funny, but they tell a story for Les Montagnards. They are middle of the pack for yards per game with 176, but are 3rd best in points per game with 30.7. That’s a testament to their defense, where they lead the league with 16 INTs and are 2nd in the div with 9 sacks from divisional sack-leader Khalil Agrebi. The turnovers, combined with the 4th best 3rd efficiency at 55.6%, and it’s no surprise they average 30 points a game.

Not only do they have one of the top offenses, they are a stingy bunch on D, allowing the LEAST yards per game and points per game amongst all Div 4B teams. Of the 16 picks I mentioned previously, Julien Fiset-Cyr and Vincent Gingras combine for 10 of those picks. That’s more than most teams have on the entire season!

Les Montagnards are poised for a 10-0 season, but that might not matter, as it all comes down to what they will do in the playoffs.

Mid season MVP: Mathieu Girard-Provost

Finessers (1-3-2)

Mid season Grade: B-

Finessers are sllloowwwwllly turning it around. I thought the turnaround would have been a little quicker, and it would have been had they not tied both Los Locos and Mofos. Their last loss came back in Week 2 against Vultures and are since 1-0-2. Ryan Kharouf had a tough start to the season, throwing 0 TDs and 1 INT in their season opener to Honey Martin, but since then has found his groover, throwing for a minimum of 4 TDs, including 6 in a barn-burner against the Vultures.

It’s little-to-no-surprise that Alexandre Bachaalani is leading the team in yards (326), but it is a surprise that he is tied with 2 other teammates for the most TDs (5) with Thomas G-Lajoie and Roy Khalil. This is good because now defenses need to be aware of the secondary and tierary options after Bachaalani. Then add Vincent Blondin and Felix Gerin-Lajoie, both receivers that have 100+ yards already, and you’ve got a nice attack on offensive. The yardage has been there, as the Finessers are putting up the 3rd most yards per game (202), but averaging the 7th least points per game (22.6). These have come in the form of mistimed/unlucky interceptions thrown by Kharouf, but also being quite average on 3rd down conversions (44%) and bottom 5 on 4th down conversions (31%).

So if you are throwing untimely interceptions and not converting on 3rd and 4th down, then you need the defense to get you back with turnovers and defensive stops. That’s where Finessers have been hurting all season so far. They have the least picks (2), are 2nd to last in letting opponents convert on 3rd down (56%) and dead last for letting opposing offenses convert on 4th (78%)! That is absolutely killer, and makes it hard to comeback in games.

They have a couple of hard matchup in Les Montagnards and Beer Belly Brigaide, so they need the wins in the next coming games if they want to make a play for the playoffs. Let’s see if the 2 ties help or hurt Finessers.

Mid season MVP: Alexandre Bachaalani

Arouch (2-4)

Mid season Grade: B

Arouch are pretty much where I expected them to be. It’s clear that without Eric Lalonde, this team isn’t winning FPF games. That said, he needs to do a little better than his 3.5 TDs per game average, but maintain the 0.75 INTs. In the absence of Simon Losier, Thomas Legault has taken the reigns as WR1, with his team-leading 272 yards and 8 TDs. Having seen Arouch play, it’s no surprise they have the 7th most 1st downs (37). Where they are are struggling is converting on 4th down (30% – 3rd worst), which doesn’t allow them to continue their drives. This is why they have the 5th lowest yards per game (167) and points per game (20.2).

Defensively, they are getting to the Quarterback with 9 team sacks. What they need more of, is to turn some of their 11 PDs into INTs, as the 5 INTs puts them with the 6th least out of 18 teams. Luckily the defense has held strong, as they are in allowed the 2nd least yards per game on average (155) and are middle of the pack for points allowed per game (24.8). The stats suggest, and the scores prove it, that they are in each and every one of their games. A few bounces here and there, and they are 4-1. A few going the other way and they are 1-4. So sitting at 2-3 is alright, all things considered. They have a couple of “easier” matchups in Golden Eagles and Sphinx, while the others are more challenging in Les Montagnards, Honey Martin and Vultures. But, they should be in most of those games.

Mid season MVP: Thomas Legault

Ballers (2-4)

Mid season Grade: B-

Another somewhat new team to FPF, Ballers last played in Winter 2020. They are an athletic bunch who, as a unit, visibly lack the proverbial “FPF knowledge” and rely on their athleticism a little too much.

Let’s start with the Quarterback play. Antoine Roger has a great arm, even when rolling out of the pocket, but once you key in on what the Ballers are about, after that, his playbook is pretty limited. I don’t want to give too much away as I just finished playing them, but one only needs to look at the stats to see that Olivier Choquette and Jacob Gagné are the WR1 and WR2 on the team, with 328 yards (4th most in the Div) and 7 TDs and 239 and 7 TDs, respectively. The stats also show that they have the 6th most passing yards in the Division, but have the least first downs. Where they are struggling in terms of their efficiencies are on 4th down and the 1-point convert attempts.

Defensively, like offensively, they rely on being athletic to make plays, but experienced teams use that to their advantage in 2 ways. Either teams run plays that take advantage of their willingness to jump a route, or, in a similar vein, the Ballers are not quite disciplined in their zone assignments. And that shows in the stats. They are allowing the 3rd most yards per game (201) and the 5th most points per game (28.2).

The team are great guys though, and with some experience playing, this is a team that once they refine both the offense and defense, I can see them being a threat to make deep playoff runs in the next 2-3 FPF seasons.

Mid season MVP: Olivier Choquette

Hot Sauce Sports (1-5)

Mid season Grade: C

Ouch. After coming off a Fall Cup Bowl Championship, Peeze and company looked to keep the team riding high. He beefed up the defense, adding Alexi Dubois as a free agent, but that hasn’t quite worked out the way Peeze expected, as they now are giving up the most points per game in the division (34.2). Now, given the 1-4 record after 5 games, they are technically still only 1 win away from being right back in the playoff picture. But to be last in points allowed per game and scoring the 3rd least points per game is not where any of the players expected where they would be.

While Peeze has dedicated himself to throwing less interceptions (by throwing balls away instead or taking the sack), his 9 INTs are the 5th most, but and this is a big but because 9 turnovers is a lot, it would be somewhat okay if he was putting up 20+ TDs. But with only 14 on the season, even he would say that the 1.5 TD-to-INT in any division is not a recipe for success.

I love the fact that 6 different receivers already have 100+ yards and that 4 of them have 145 yards or more. And of those 6 guys, 5 of them have caught at least 1 TD. That kind of spread on offense is always difficult to defend, so why then, are they only averaging 17 points per game and only scoring on 39% of their possessions? (Mis)-timely interceptions, and being “average” on their 3rd (11th of 18 – 43%) and 4th down conversions (10th of 18 – 38%). While Peeze probably thought he was strengthening his defense by adding The Prime Minister to his lineup, he probably didn’t realize how good of a receiver he is, as he now leads the team in yards (180) and TDs (5) and is becoming a great 2-way player in FPF.

Defensively, their team total of 4 interceptions are 3rd lowest and quite surprising when you have Dubois (2 INTs) and Blanchard (0 INTs) out there and with Joey Notaro rushing, although Notaro’s 6 sacks have been much needed in what’s been a tough defensive season. They’ve allowed the 2nd most yards per game (206) and are allowing opponents to score on 69% (nice) of their offensive possessions. They are also allowing opponents to keep their drives alive, ranking in the bottom 6 teams for allowing opponents to convert on 3rd (48%) and 4th down (50%).

Looking at their schedule, they should come out with a 3-2 record in the back half of their season, ending the year 4-6. That should be enough to squeak into the playoffs, but only time will tell!

Mid season MVP: Alexi Dubois

Golden Eagles (1-4)

Mid season Grade: C

Okay, first things first. While Sara Parker is having a rough FPF season, it’s my opinion that she needs to play as many games for the Golden Eagles as possible to be playoff eligible, as she gives them the best chance to win games. Putting Parker at QB allows Kevin Lubin to line up at receiver, and whether he likes it or not, he is an incredible receiver and very difficult to box out and defend.

I thought the roster was a nice mix of new and veteran FPF players. They grabbed Xavier Bourgeois-Giroux and Zach Nelson from the FPF combine and have the triple “Alex” veterans in Alex David, Alex Guertin and Alex Laroche, plus Vincent Hamel and of course, Lubin himself. Nelson now is leading the team in receptions, (15), yards (188) and is T-1st in TDs (2). No offense to him, because he is AWESOME, but if the FPF rookie (in Men’s division) is leading your team in the offensive categories when you have FPF game-breakers in guys like Hamel and David, then there’s something going wrong with the offense. That’s why I love Parker at QB and having an added weapon at receiver in Lubin. The funny thing is, they are actually moving the ball, averaging 180 yards per game (ranks them 8th of 18 teams), but have the 2nd least points per game (14.3). That and they are actually converting at a pretty reasonable rate (43% on 3rd down and 44% on 4th down, which puts them in the middle of the pack). This means the turnovers must be coming at the most inopportune time: The RedZone.

On defense, I don’t want to rip the team, but they are allowing the 4th most yards per game (194) and points per game (28.8), are allowing opponents to score on 69% of their offensive possessions (2nd worst), and are the team that gives up the first down on 3rd (53%) and 4th (50%) down the 3rd and 4th most often in the division. And while they have athletes and the experience of seeing many many plays in FPF history, they have only managed 2 INTs to give their offense extra scoring possessions.

Now, since writing this, Parker ended up proving the Golden Eagles their first win of the season over Finnesers. So the following predictions are assuming she plays the rest of the season at QB. I see them finishing 2-2 in their next 4 games to end the season 3-7. I would have to say that it’s not enough to get them into the playoffs, all because of a hard 0-4 start to the season.

Mid season MVP: Zach Nelson

Bandits (3-4)

Mid season Grade: B+

Bandits have turned it around after a 1-3 start to the season. After a great season in the past Fall cup, Émile Skaf struggled in the first 3 games, throwing 8 TDs and 7 INTs. Since then (excluding the game just played against Beer Belly Brigaide), he has thrown 14 TDs to only 1 INT. This shows me that he is quickly adapting to the division and consumes knowledge quickly. He has also used his legs a little more than early on in the season, and it’s proven to be effective.

When it comes to the receivers, Bandits seem to have developed a 3-headed monster, all of whom have 225 or more yards in Zach Graveson, snapper Manuel Allard-Roy and Sébastien Champagne, and have combined for 20 of Skaf’s 25 TDs. I really like the offense because there’s a bit of everything: checkdowns to the snapper, quick slants, intermediate routes, long bombs, and runs sprinkled in. It’s what allowed the Bandits to put up 44 first downs (2nd in the div after Week 5), which (somewhat) obviously means they are one top teams on 3rd and 4th down conversions. To single out one of the receivers though, Sébastien Champagne has emerged as a Top 8 receiver in the division and has great hands, and at a 59.4 offensive rating, damn, the Bandits are getting their bang for their buck!

What most teams struggle with when they move up, is playing against better offenses, and this Bandits team really struggled with this at first, but have ameliorated as the season has gone along. They are allowing opponents to score on 60% of their possessions (6th worst), but are 9th and 8th (basically middle of the pack) in yards and points allowed per game. The last stat they are in the bottom 6th for defensively is total INTs, with 5. If they want to have a winning record in the next 4-5 games, they need to give Skaf a few extra possessions to work with.

Mid season MVP: Sébastien Champagne

Les Verges Folles (4-2)

Mid season Grade: B+

After an 0-2 start to the season, Les Verges Folles have run 4 straight wins to save their season. Nassim Ouadhi has been up and down all season, even on the 4 game win-streak. In fact, in one of those wins, he threw 5 INTs and only 2 TDs (1 rushing, 1 passing) to Los Locos, but the team still managed to win 13-12. He has had a slightly below average season so far, throwing 17 TDs and 13 INTs in 6 games; that’s 2.8 TDs and a little over 2 INTs. That’s definitely a ratio that he has to be better at like he was against Eastside Boys, throwing 4 TDs to his 1 INT, where he cracked the 100 QB rating for the 1st time this season. He also comes with a strong running ability, having racked up over 250 rushing yards and adding 2 TDs on the ground, so that gives this team a dual-threat for defenses.

With 4 receivers at 120+ yards, the team is more balanced instead of relying on one or 2 receivers. Having a balanced receiving core is always, in my opinion, a better offense and one that is harder to defend. Of the receivers, Carl Bernola‘s 8 TDs are the T-4th for most in the division and is the team leader in yards with 192 yards. Right behind him is Guillaume Beland, along with his 19 receptions on 20 targets, 177 yards and 4 TDs. At the time of writing this article, the team stats I will be mentioning reflect the first 5 games of the season, as was done for all the teams. They have the 2nd most first downs in the division (44) and are the 2nd best team to convert on 4th down (which is huge in FPF) at 69%. Other than that, they have been relatively average as a unit, not in the top 6 nor in the bottom 6 when it comes to points per game, yards per game, and 3rd down efficiency.

When it comes to the strength of Les Verges Folles, it’s been their defense. Guillaume Beland has been stellar, with already 4 interceptions, and could have possibly had more from his 6 PDs. 6 other players also have picks, which means all the guys have the ability to stop on offense and get the ball back to Ouadhi, including Vincent Morissette and his 2 INTs on the season. Those 11 total INTs are actually the 2nd most in the div, and the 8 sacks, 3 of which come from Joël Bouchard, are the 4th most in 4B. The super stingy D has allowed the 2nd least points per game (16.8), have allowed the 3rd lowest yards per game, and have only allowed opponents to score on 38% of their possessions (also the 2nd best in the div). On their 4-game win streak, they’ve allowed 50 points, which is a big reason why they’ve won 4 in a row and will be the reason why they would go far in the playoffs.

Mid season MVP: Guillaume Beland

The U (5-1)

Mid season Grade: B+

Evan Frank is back and once again racking up the wins and putting up the QB numbers. He’s averaging 4 Touchdowns a game to his 0.75 INTs a game, while completing 72% of his passes with a 120.1 QB rating. He’s clearly focused on the passing game, as he only has 39 yards rushing on the season, when in years past he would usually be hovering around the 100 rushing yard mark by mid-season. It’s worked so far, as the 120.1 QBR is the best he’s had in his FPF career.

Now, we know the usual suspects at receiver, but I don’t know what’s more surprising. That The U have four 200 yard receivers, or that Nikki Papich is not on that list. I know he played QB the last game, but still, to not be the leading receiver on the team, but 4th or 5th most on the team in yards AND touchdowns speaks to the depth of this team. The team is like a bunch of clones. Papich and Horner are clones of each other, while Catellier and Pedvis were also cloned, and Justin Peress? He’s a hybrid between all 4 players. Oh, and we forgot to mention Joe Kano, the ultimate RedZone target, who uses his big frame to his advantage. The same goes on D, as they all have picks on the season and are athletic to get those interceptions in different ways: Beat you on the jumpball, undercut a hook/slant and even catch your throw-away balls as they tip-toe the sideline to stay in bounds for the pick.

So we know they are talented individuals, but how do they stack up statistically against other 4B teams? So for the most part, they are, as expected, in the top 5 in most categories: They score the 5th most points per game (28.8), they score on 63% of their possessions (4th best), and are 5th best in 3rd down conversions (52.5%). Where they are average or actually struggle, is in the yards per average per game (180 – 9th best) and are the 6th worst in 4th down conversions. Now, when you have 8 INTs, sometimes those picks leave a short field to advance before scoring, which can explain why they don’t average as many yards as the rest of the division. Their room for improvement is in the sack game, where they have the least sacks in the div (3), and are actually giving up the 10th most yards per game (176). While that’s the case, they are hard to score against, as they give up the 4th least points per game (18.8) and are 4th best against opposing offenses scoring on their possessions (44.1%).

I see them finishing 9-1 and their season will truly begin in the post-season.

Mid season MVP: Dylan Catellier

Voodoo (2-4)

Mid season Grade: B-

Oh no, I had given them a B, but now that I saw they lost to Sphinx yesterday, I have to drop them to a B-. But wow, Frank Kaye is having a great season so far, throwing at a 5 TD-to-1 INT clip and averaging 190 yards through the air, and wow, to do it against Division 4B, congrats! Strong campaign so far. The thing is, and Kaye would probably agree, the stats are good, but if the wins don’t follow, it’s all for nothing, and nothing tastes worse than being on a 3-game losing streak (trust me, I just went through it).

As for the receiving core, Pat St-Amand has now usurped Scott Rhodes for yards and TDs as Rhodes was the leading receiver early on this season. Woah, to have 6 receivers already at 110+ yards, as well as two 200+ yard receivers and one 300-yard receiver is crazy! It’s not too surprising though, as Kaye has always made sure that he has talented receivers on his squad that it’s been a staple of their offense. Even before their last game (so looking at their first 5 games), Voodoo had (and still have) an interesting take on their team offensive stats. While they have the 2nd most passing yards (975), 4th most yards per game (196) and 4th most points per game (28.8), they actually have the 3rd least 1st downs (24… which they could just be scoring on 30+ yard plays), but the most telling stat of their offense, is that when it comes to crunch time on 3rd and 4th down, they have the 3rd lowest 3rd down conversion rate (36.4%) in the division and the 2nd lowest 4th down conversion rate (21.4%).

Defensively, I have to highlight the Palm-tree-cruise himself, Mathieu Palmacruz and his 7 sacks in his first 4 games in FPF. They actually, in addition to his 7 sacks, have a total of 12 team sacks; the best in the division. There’s that to highlight, and of course St-Amand‘s 32 tackles (first time I mention tackles in the entire 4A and 4B report card) and his-team leading 5 INTs (good for 3rd most in the division). But what do their defensive #’s tell us as a team? It shows that they give up a lot of yards – the 5th most per game (193) and a lot of first downs – the 2nd most (43), but that when it’s time to score, teams find that a little harder. They are middle of the pack with the 24.4 points allowed per game (8th least out of 18 teams) and are the 7th best in allowing 47.7% of opponent’s possessions that result in a touchdown. And their games have reflected pretty much what the stats suggest. With the exception of a blowout win against Hot Sauce Sports, Voodoo has been in every game, and when they lose, it’s been by either 1 point or 1 score.

They currently sit in a playoff spot, but face teams that are in the bubble: Honey Martin, Ballers, and Golden Eagles. These matchups will determine if they can keep their playoff spot.

Mid season MVP: Patrick St-Amand

Team Ethnik (2-3)

Mid season Grade: B

Benoit Lawlor, like Team Ethnik, is having a bit of an up-and-down season and is down a full touchdown per game (3.6) vs. his career average of 4.6. But more disappointing is his 2 TD-to-1 INT ratio. That he will need to, at a minimum, bump that to 3:1 and better yet to a 4:1 ratio if he expects to go 4-1 in their next 5 games.

As for the rest of the offense, Lawlor has done well spreading the ball, and has 4 receivers with over 123 yards, and almost has a 5th reach the 100-yard mark in Simon Dufort. This is definitely a strange trend, because it is rare to see a receiver leading a team in yards and a) not leading the team in touchdowns, and b) even rarer to see that they have ZERO touchdowns, and that’s what Louis-Philippe Paquette has done with Team Ethnik. He’s racked up 236 receiving yards, but seems to be allergic to the endzone. Instead, Will Bissonnette and Marc-André Parenteau have capitalized and have 6 and 4 TDs respectively, along with Dufort and David De Andrade each with 3 scores. The team offense numbers are a little deceiving. They show Team Ethnik gaining the 5th least 1st downs (27) and having the 6th least yards per game (170), but scoring the 9th most points in the div (averaging 26.6). It makes sense when you see that they have picked off opposing quarterbacks the 2nd most times (11 total INTs).

The first thing that pops out from the 11 picks is that they come from 6 different players and that 4 of those guys have multiple picks (Afdaal Martin, Will Bissonnette, Marc-André Parenteau and David De Andrade). That said, the 4 sacks from Sylvain Follenfant are the 3rd lowest in the div. As for the team defense stats, Ethnik is pretty much average is yards allowed per game (174), points allowed per game (25.6) and allowing opponents to score on 1 out of every 2 drives. Where they are struggling is on stopping offenses from getting a 1st down on 3rd down (allow it 50% of the time – 5th worst) and even worse, they allow opponents to get the 1st down on 4th 58% of the time – 3rd worst.

If Team Ethnik can clean up the turnovers they give and stop teams on 3rd and 4th down, they can get on a roll and finish their final 5 games 4-1, but it’s more likely they go 3-2.

Mid season MVP: David De Andrade

Sphinx (1-5)

Mid season Grade: C

The season started off with some controversy with the League. Sphinx were actually over the cap to start the season, but in the end, Sphinx were right to stay in 4B. It had been a while since they played, and while the divisions rose in talent, their ratings did not. And their first 5 games? 0-5. They just picked up their first win against Voodoo, which not many people saw coming, so kudos to Sphinx for showing up and playing Voodoo tough and coming out victorious.

Etienne Cloutier is struggling at Quarterback so far, with match TD and INT numbers (12) and averaging 117 passing yards per game. While he seriously struggled in his first 3 games (5 TDs and 10 INTs), he has gotten the rhythm back as of late, throwing 7 TDs and 2 INTs in his last 2 games.

Despite the low yardage numbers in the passing game, I’m surprised to see that 6 different receivers have 100+ receiving yards. That’s quite the nice balance on offense, and after Mathieu Fafard’s 90-yard, 3 TD performance, he’s emerged as the teams #1 receiver. It’s good to see them put up better performances as of late because it wasn’t pretty when they played Les Montagnards in Week 2. So there’s no need to dissect their team offense, it’s bottom 3 for pretty much all the main categories (average yards per game, average points per game, 3rd down conversions and the percentage of possessions that end up in touchdowns). Surprisingly though, they are the 11the best team in converting 4th down plays.

The first thing that sticks out are Julien Laporte‘s 4 picks and Kevin Allen‘s 5 sacks. The thing with the interceptions, is that they only have 6 as a team, and no one else has contributed with any sacks. They also fall in many of the bottom 5 team defense stats, but once again, Sphinx have surprised with another defensive stat: They are the best team at stopping opponents from converting on their 1-point attempts (opponents score 1 point only 9% of the time against them, that’s the best in the division! — Hey, I gotta find the bright spots and make them shine!

Otherwise, I don’t see too many more victories for Sphinx. So it’s time to try some new plays in the playbook, but recommend Cloutier to stay in at QB, no matter how hard it is. He can use the reps to gain the division 4 experience and come back next year with more knowledge of what defenses are doing these days.

Mid season MVP: Mathieu Fafard

Week 6 Game Picks

4A Games (My Picks are in Bold Green)

Les Blues Branleurs vs. Big Fun

TOPSZN vs. The BrotherHood

The Stoics vs. Takeover

Hurley & Sons vs. Bruins

Spera’s Cougars vs. Mongoose

Backyard Bullies vs. Blackouts

Nomads vs. KGP Ra

Centaures vs. Small Giants

4B Games (My Picks are in Bold Green)

The U vs. Vultures

Golden Eagles vs. Finessers

Beer Belly Brigade vs. Bandits

Ballers vs. Honey Martin – NA

Voodoo vs. Sphinx

Arouch vs. Les Montagnards

Hot Sauce Sports vs. Los Locos

Eastside Boys vs. Mofos – TIE

Team Ethnik vs. Les Verges Folles

Epilogue

Hot Damn, that was LONNNGGG to write. I hope you can appreciate writing about so many teams, but damn it, I love talking FPF. And while the word count per team isn’t crazy, the number of clicks to research done on all of your teams, players and stats was a crazy high number! Well, if you liked it, loved it, hated it, tell me I got something wrong, feel free to reach out to me on socials @iggymanz or Ignacio Valdes-Manzanedo on FB messenger. Time to get pumped for Week 6 and leave it all out on the field! LET’S GOOOO!