Division 5 – A “Lights Out” Divisional Round

Alright, wrap that bow on the regular season, as the 16 best teams in both 5A and 5B now move onto the post season. It was a wild opening round of playoffs in the FPF world, with a little bit of everything. Sprinkle in some forfeits, sudden death overtime, gruesome injuries, Hail Mary playoff victories that send one team to the next round and another in disbelief, and of course, the latest which affect 5A, the freezing rain / ice storm that shut down the Baie D’Urfe dome before the games even happened and brutally interrupted the games at 9:48pm with the blackout at Hebert.

If you weren’t there, the lights went out at 9:48pm at Hebert that left the dome in complete darkness. What felt like minutes after, the generator kicked in, and with flickering lights, the refs scrambled to get the time remaining in the game, the down, and the field position, all while teams discussing whether they will continue the game or end the game. The generator would fail and the lights went out again, and you could hear the walls of the dome slowly losing air. With everyone hurrying to leave the dome, in the end the games involving the West Island Boys vs. Clinkers and the Red “Not” Skins vs. Save The Turftles WILL be continued on Tuesday April 11th at Hebert, while Buffalo Wild Wings surrendered to No Friend Zone down 33-13 with 6 minutes left.

At Laval, the games did happen, but not without some (minor) controversy. First, the workers at Laval were apparently super strict and only opened the doors to the Dome at exactly 9:10 when our reservation started, and then second, they lost power too, but luckily, it was 5 minutes after all the games were finished playing.

With half the games begun in 5A, I’ll be while previewing the 4 remaining games while since no games were played yet in 5B, so all 8 matchups can be previewed. So let’s get to it.

Division 5A – Divisional Round Previews 🔮

The Process (5) vs. Practice Squad (12)

Position	The Process	Practice Squad
QB	✅
Receivers	✅
DBs	✅
Rusher	✅	✅

Breakdown by Position

QB – PS5 are just full of question marks at the QB position whereas there are no doubts on who the starter is for The Process. Like I mentioned on CTA, Noah Groper has been VERY good both passing and running from under centre. There’s not much of a debate here. The clear edge goes to The Process. The only thing that could pose The Process some trouble is if Alex Papineau plays and runs his way to first downs and sustained drives.

Receivers – If you removed both WR1’s on each team, the receivers are actually quite similar in terms of depth and production. Where the 2 teams differ great are with their top guys. Ariel Librati far outproduced Stefano De Seta in every facet. He caught 18 more balls, had 262 more receiving yards (to end with the 4th most in the division) and impressively had 12 more TDs, not to mention caught 74% of the balls thrown his way vs, De Seta‘s 60% catch-to-target ratio. While De Seta has good speed and runs crisp routes, without someone who can truly feed him the ball to make plays and score, those assets are strongly limited. Advantage Process.

Defense – Having played against both defenses, I can tell you that The Process has a faster, more adaptive defense than PS5. Being more familiar playing with each, The Process know how everyone plays when playing a certain zone coverage and do a better job of jumping and communicating any drag plays. These fundamentals are important, just like the double the number of interceptions the D has produced over Practice Squad (21 INTs for The Process vs 10 for Practice Squad). Once again, advantage The Process.

Rusher – I swear this is not a tie because of the close number of sacks, although it helps prove a point. Both Sacha Douan and Vincent Demers are not elite rushers, but are quality rushers that can get to the quarterback. Both are susceptible to the occasional miss of a flag, but more often than not, they are at least putting pressure on QBs to make a quick decision.

The Process X-Factor: Sacha Douan – Actually, this is on the offensive side of the ball, as Sacha can make people miss and if he caught 2-3 more balls per game, this offense could be more dangerous than it already is.

Practice Squad (5) X-Factor: Alex Papineau – This name too is actually not on the side of the ball you would think. If Papineau plays, he could force Groper into a ball he thinks he can fit and can come away with what would be a much needed turnover for PS5.

Prediction: The Process 32 – 18 Practice Squad

Rico Ryders (8) vs. Menace II Sobriety (9)

Position	Rico Ryders	Menace II Sobriety
QB	✅
Receivers	✅	✅
DBs		✅
Rusher	✅

Breakdown by Position

QB – This should be an interesting QB battle since both guys are not veteran Quarterbacks, and both defenses have playmakers and have more reps playing D under their belts than the QBs. After throwing 11 interceptions in the first 4 games of the season (with 16 TDs), Mathew Yanakoulias did a much better job of protecting the ball, throwing just 3 INTs in the final 5 games (with 25 TDs). He will need to continue that second half of season play against an experienced defensive backfield that MIIS presents. If he does, that shifts the advantage to Rico Ryders. For Menace, mid-season acquisition to replace Bobby Sepentgis, was 5 games enough for Ryan Dobbs-Garnett to build enough chemistry? There were 3 zero-INT games from him with 6, 5, and 4 TDs. Meshed in there though, were 2 games with multiple interceptions. While I think that even if Dobbs throws 2 INTs, that MIIS can walk away with the victory, it obviously makes it much more difficult for that to happen and forces either a final drive to win the game or a game that comes down to converts. A lot of this game, in some ways, comes down to which QB makes less mistakes. With simply more reps and better 2nd-half season play, the edge goes to Yanakoulias.

Receivers – Comparing both receiver sets is also intriguing, since they both ended with quite similar numbers, except that Rico Ryders were injury-free and made all 10 games, while only Shaquille D’Aguiar did that for MIIS. All that to say that MIIS receivers produced an equal output of offense in less games (7 games for both Andrew Denis Lynch and Chris Williams, 5 for Manu Allard Roy). Interestingly, both receiver sets have caught exactly 68% of their targets, so if the 32% of targets that are not caught in this playoff game occur in the redzone and convert attempts will be the demise of either team. Both teams are similar in size and skill set as well, as neither team has that absolute speedster, opting more for that bigger body that can box out defenders and taller, rangy bodies that can grab and win a ball in the air. Really close matchup here, that I don’t see one team’s receivers better than others. Sure, Justin Lerner is the best receiver on the field, but he’s had a few strange drops and simply balls overthrown his head, which is hard to do given his height and freakish jumping ability.

Defense – I give the edge to Menace here since they have more flexibility on defense. Andrew Denis Lynch can lineup in the defensive backfield or go in to rush a series or play, and the team is versatile in terms of who’s dropping deep and who’s staying short. Whether it’s Lynch, Allard-Roy, Williams or D’Aguiar, you don’t know who is dropping deep and staying short on any given play, which will force Yanakoulias to read the defenses and make the right read every single play. While I like the athleticism and experience of both Justin Lerner, Daron Migdesyan and Greg Kritselas, the reps on D from the rest of the group doesn’t give me warm and fuzzy feelings for 5A. The defensive is just a bit more predictable, that I think MIIS can take advantage of. Defense goes to MIIS.

Rusher – While I don’t believe either rusher on either team will be a huge factor in this game since neither QB is a big threat running with the ball, after having seen Dylan Scattolon rush a good Mathew Zeppetelli and contain, I give the edge to Rico Ryders, although MIIS have more flexibility to sprinkle in Lynch here and there with his lengthy arms and great speed.

Rico Ryders X-Factor: FPF rookie Denis Koutavas had a great 2-way season, with 274 yards and 7 TDs while contributing with 3 INTs, 4 PDs and was the reliable, team-leader in tackles with 25. Don’t be surprised if he puts up a solid 44-yard, 1 TD, 1 INT performance which doesn’t blow your mind, but is extremely solid.

Menace II Sobriety X-Factor: Hard to call Manu Allard-Roy an X-factor, but just given his limited time with the team, he too can make a difference on both sides of the ball with his combination of knowledge, athleticism, and higher-division experience. Also, with a fellow snapper at QB, you know Dobbs loves feeding his snappers!

Prediction: Rico Ryders 25 – 28 Menace II Sobriety

The Penetrators (3) vs. Blues (14)

Position	The Penetrators	Blues
QB	✅
Receivers	✅
DBs	✅
Rusher		✅

Breakdown by Position

QB – Not much to debate here. With the experience Justin Goodman has accumulated, coupled with his steady play designs and execution, the 1:1 TD-INT ratio of Johnny Paradis-Wilson is not good enough to compete. The game will really be the Blues big-body defense making it difficult for Goodman to move downfield. Given his rollout style though, and flood concepts, I don’t see that happening for the Blues. (Big) advantage for The Penetrators.

Receivers – For every receiver the Blues throw at The Penetrators, TP can send out two. So, while the Blues can send out Kendell Copeland as a WR1, The Penetrators can counter that with Nic Fon and Jared Boidman. While Rémy Paré is a giant at WR2, the answer back is Jake Halpern, Harry Maurovich and Matthew Caponi, a trio of 200-yard receivers who didn’t even play 9 games. In the case of Maurovich and Caponi, they put up great numbers in just 5 games. Depth and receiver-for-receiver is a clear edge to the Pens.

Defense – Here is where the matchup is closer. Both teams bring size to the equation, but The Penetrators have size that are quick on their feet. Boidman, Fon and Maurovich have the size to matchup the big boys of Blues, but can also get to different spots on the field if a ball lingers in the air too long. While the Blues can block off passing lanes, that applies to an arms-length radius. What I mean by that is with a rolling concept attack of The Penetrators, the Blues big boys will need to shuffle their feet quickly and communicate out there in zones, something which is not their best assets. Advantage Pens.

Rusher – This is where Blues will need to win the matchup and make the most of it for the chance at winning this game. Keenan Alleyne was one of the divisions best rushers. While he finished out the Top 5 in sacks with 10, he put up those sacks in just 6 games. Again, with the rollout concept offense of The Penetrators, if Alleyne can disrupt it with PDs and pressuring Goodman into a bad decision, the defensive backs will need to make the most of those limited opportunities.

The Penetrators X-Factor: Harry Maurovich – If he does play in this game, Maurovich can be an excellent WR3 and defensive back that makes plays against the 3rd best DB matchup from the Blues. This would be a matchup I exploit on man defenses if I’m Goodman.

Blues X-Factor: Philippe Nicolas – He can good size and quicker feet than you might think on both sides of the ball. If he can grab a couple of balls to move the chains for 12+ yards, he can continue drives for the Blues that chew away at that clock, limiting the number of possessions The Penetrators have. If he can get a couple of PDs (and better yet picks) to make it 3rd and 4th and 10 situations, these are key and critical contributions for the Blues.

Prediction: The Penetrators 38 – 19 Blues

Green Monster (5) vs. Pocket Rockets (12)

Position	Green Monster	Pocket Rockets
QB		✅
Receivers	✅	✅
DBs	✅
Rusher	✅

Breakdown by Position

QB – While the TD-to-INT ratio is very similar between both Quarterbacks, the extra 30 completions and 450 passing yards, as well as the eye test clearly show you that one team has a natural QB/thrower of the football, while the other is trying his best to get the ball to his receivers. Since 2 brutal games against Killer Rays and Vick in a Box, PO Tremblay-Agelakos seemed to flip the switch, throwing for 21 TDs and 4 INTs in his final 4 games, eclipsing 200 yards in 3 of the 4 contests, including a 146.5 QBR performance against the Blues. Gimme more of that, please! That said, one of PO’s poorer performances came at the hands of Green Monster, completing just 9 passes with a 39% completion percentage and a 44.5 QBR. That said, Pat Jazon wasn’t much better, completing 6 passes and 37.5% of his passes, and was just able to match the 2 TDs and 2 INTS from PO. For Pocket Rockets though, they were missing 2 key players in Ben Denis and Avery Klimas in the regular season matchup which makes a difference on both sides of the ball. All to say, in a new matchup, the clear advantage for QB play goes to PO.

Receivers – Based on the stats, you would think the edge goes to Green Monster, but a lot of David Vlad‘s receptions and yards come off the fact that he’s a giant and whichever QB is under centre for GM just lobs it up for him to make a play. On the other end, you have Jacob Salvail who is a lot more versatile. He can take a 2 yard hook to the house, and also blow the top off the defense on a go or corner route. Overall, I like the different types receivers that Pocket Rockets can throw out there. They have size in Leonidas Aubert-Agelakos, height in Philip Charpentier, the versatility of Jacob Salvail and Avery Klimas, and the experience and even keel-ness of Craig O’Brien to keep things calm in the pocket and the ability to come up clutch in the tight areas of redzone and extra point converts. He knows when to sit in a zone hole vs. continue a route to beat a man defense. Little things like that are huge in playoff games. Edge goes to Pocket Rockets at receiver.

Defense – No further questions your honour. This will always be Green Monster. ‘Nuff said.

Rusher – Yannick Graham is a very good rusher for the division, finishing with the 6th most sacks. While rushers won’t make or break this game, a sack or 2 on a critical down could be a pivotal moment in a drive forcing 3rd/4th and long, and I see Graham and perhaps the occasional sending of Jazon, as the winning duo over what PR’s can send.

Green Monster X-Factor: Jonah Burgess – Are you really an X-factor if you finished with the team-lead in Interceptions? Either way, Burgess is one of the 2 towers on defense and if he can manufacture offense with a pick 6, or give the offense a short distance to punch it in, he’s making huge contributions.

Pocket Rockets X-Factor: Craig O’Brien – Like I mentioned, Craig may not come away with the 100-yard game at receiver, but the clutch 2 yard touchdown and extra points are how you end up winning FPF playoff games. Maybe Craig can get past-teammate Darnell Kevis Riley off his game as an added lolz-bonus.

Prediction: Green Monster 13 – Pocket Rockets 19

Primal (4) vs. What Could Have Beens (13)

Position	Primal	What Could Have Beens
QB	✅	✅
Receivers		✅
DBs	✅
Rusher	✅	✅

Breakdown by Position

QB – What a great matchup this one will be. Mederic Lauzon vs. Iggy Magnets. Let’s just say, the scorekeeper that game will be lifting those scoreboard numbers early and often. Lauzon is a cerebral QB who often takes what the defense gives him and excels in driving the field with timely shots downfield.

Receivers – The receivers on both sides are talented, but I think the depth that What Could Have Beens possess runs a bit deeper than Primal, though, don’t discredit the work of Antoine Chabot, Valéry Shelder and Jean-Philippe Régnier. Those 3 however, can be compared to the “Big 3” of WCHB of Kaylem Ferdinand, Adam Leroy and Randolph Kodua. The difference comes down to the 4th and 5th receivers, where snapper Saige Adams and receiver Sean Brown have reliable hands and are playmakers in their own right.

Defense – While both defenses are athletic, can move and cover every blade of turf, the biggest difference is that Primal were able to create twice the turnovers compared to WCHB (26 INTs to 13), and found the endzone on 8 of those picks, so the defense can create offense if ever the offense wasn’t finding the endzone. Otherwise, both are good defenses, but the edge goes to Primal.

Rusher – Sure, Philippe Barbeau had double the sacks over Randy Kodua, but honestly, neither rusher will be an important piece on every down. The rushers will come into play on 3rd and 4th down situations, with Randy‘s size blocking the middle of the field for Mederic Lauzon and Barbeau need to come up with sacks when the defensive coverage is tight.

Primal X-Factor: Jean-Philippe Régnier – If all the attention goes to Chabot and Shelder, Régnier could have a big day at the office.

What Could Have Beens X-Factor: John Greene – If Tackle and PD machine John Greene can continue with the big bat downs, clutch tackles and can come up with a timely interception, that will help the offense gain an extra possession which may be from Greene setting up the difference in the game.

Prediction: I don’t pick my own games! Sorry boys! But expect a great back-and-forth game

Vick in a Box (6) vs. Bulldogs (11)

Position	Vick in a Box	Bulldogs
QB	✅
Receivers	✅
DBs	✅
Rusher	✅

Breakdown by Position

QB – I mentioned this matchup in CTA. This will come down to 2 things from the QB perspective. First, Jordan Schwartz will need to put up at least 4 TDs, like he was doing in the back half of the season and complete around 60% of his passes, rather than the 53% he completed from the season as a whole. Second, how will Jeff Tayeh perform in his first playoff game? I know they can put up 4 TD’s, but will some perhaps early jitters prevent that number from being 5 or 6? Either way, the ceiling for Schwartz isn’t as high as Tayeh‘s in terms of the TD number, so gimme Vick in a Box for the QB play.

Receivers – I actually like the Bulldogs receivers. There’s a ton of depth and solid players, though they are missing that #1 stud receiver like what is seen with Vick in a Box. VIAB have clear #1 and #2 receivers in Max Burah and Craig Browning, and have depth as well with Mikey Schwartz, Wess Tayeh and Nicolas Sanche.

Defense – Once again, I don’t hate the Bulldogs defenders, but we happen to be comparing them to the Madde Glitch at safety in Burah who can cover sideline to sideline, whereas Bulldogs don’t have that equivalent. You then have Craig Browning and tackle machine Nic Sanche who create additional turnovers and prevent 1st downs. Hard to win the defensive matchup here for Bulldogs.

Rusher – Another unfavorable matchup here. Seb Dufour finished 5th in sacks with 12 and an incredible 15 PDs! This is a problem if the Bulldog passes don’t even make it past the line of scrimmage…

Vick in a Box X-Factor: Coby Burah – A mini Max Burah, Coby has the sneaky ability to get behind defenses for the “WTF?” reaction from defenses going “Where did he come from?” With tight surveillance on Max Burah and Browning, I can see Coby contributing in a big, but unexpected way.

Bulldogs X-Factor: Cory Dankner – While finishing 5th in yards, Danker was tied with the most TDs, and with the balanced receiving attack of the Bulldogs, I can see him coming up with the most yards on the day with a couple of tuddies. If he can snag an INT in addition, he could propel Bulldogs in the ultimate upset.

Prediction: Vick in a Box 32 – 25 Bulldogs

Les Bleue Dry (7) vs. Primetime (10)

Position	Les Bleue Dry	Primetime
QB	✅
Receivers		✅
DBs		✅
Rusher		✅

Breakdown by Position

QB – I would have to assume Fred Juneau will be there to Quarterback Les Bleue Dry after he missed 3 games in the regular season. He is, after watching both guys play, simply the better passer of the football is Juneau, as much as Daniel Spina has improved. As much as I liked him reaching 35 TDs, Spina‘s high interception count does worry me. If you were, however, to pro-rate Juneau‘s stats however, he would actually have similar numbers to Spina, finishing with 34 TDs and 17 INTs, so the checkmark may go to Juneau, but it’s close.

Receivers – Both teams have depth at WR, but the bell curve on the graph would look rather different. LBD’s would be a much steeper curve up and down, with a higher high (Eric Namts‘s 582 yards, 4th best overall in the division), but the 2nd and 3rd best marks are a steeper decline to 255 and 189. For Primetime, the curve is flatter, but extends out longer, with a couple of 320+ yard receivers and a 200 yard receiver in newcomer Jake Applebaum, who reached the 5-game plateau. While this one is close as well, I prefer the different type of receivers Primetime have. They’ve got speed, size, height, a bit of everything to run the entire route tree. Slight edge to Primetime

Defense – A little bit like the receivers, I like the different skill sets the Primetime defenders bring, in addition to the 17 interceptions they’ve offset from the 19 thrown by Spina.

Rusher – This one isn’t close. Ethan Adrian is a great rusher (not quite elite just yet), as he finished 3rd overall with 16 sacks. If he can force Juneau into one or 2 bad throws that go the other way, Adrian could be a difference maker.

Les Bleues Dry X-Factor: Samuel Sicard – Sicard is one of those underrated receivers who can come up with a clutch TD or extra point, which are always huge in the playoffs.

Primetime X-Factor: Willie Habimana – Willie‘s got all the skill sets to be a difference maker and wouldn’t be surprised with a 4/28/2 or 1/40/1 kind of stat line on offense.

Prediction: Les Bleues Dry 26 – 26 Primetime (Goes to Overtime)

*2-1 in Overtime for PRIMETIME*

Team Sexy (8) vs. Red Dragons (9)

Position	Team Sexy	Red Dragons
QB		✅
Receivers	✅	✅
DBs		✅
Rusher		✅

Breakdown by Position

QB – The biggest difference between these 2 quarterbacks, who both started playing in Winter 2022 is the extra Fall Cup season that the Red Dragons have under their belt, and what a difference that makes. Both teams were 5-5 last winter season, with Boulanger seeing more individual, statistical success than Ben Berbrier, but that extra Fall Cup season has led to an accelerated development for Boulanger that has led to a 46 touchdown season. It clicked in a way for Boulanger that has not clicked in the same that it has for Berbrier, who has also improved his stats from W22. The addition of having played in Div 4 makes a huge difference for Boulanger in Div 5B in a way that slows down the game and has lead to being the better of the 2 QBs in this matchup.

Receivers – Team Sexy is heavily targeting only 3 receivers: Sam Anastasopoulos, Andrew Steinberg and Vaughn Vanslet, 2 of which have over 400 and 500 yards (Anastasopoulos and Steinberg) who have coupled up for 22 Touchdowns between the 2. The growth of Boulanger as previously mentioned has helped more of his receivers get targeted and make plays with the ball, as 5 different receivers were targeted at least 30 times and had at least 217 yards. As good as Sam is for Team Sexy, a highly underrated player in FPF right now is Timoté Nehma-Lacasse. The guy checks off a lot of boxes you want in a receiver: can JUMP, good hands, runs good routes, so much so that he evens out Anastasopoulos. After that, the depth that Red Dragons carry, from Charles Beauchemin, to the slippery snapper Tommy Caetano to Lucian Leontiev and replacement for the injured Émile Bolullo, Sam Cantin. All these guys have reliable hands and can make plays for a deep ball and can make plays with the ball in their hands. Advantage Red Dragons.

Defense – Neither team is dominant defensively, and why should you be? It’s flag football, where the game is tailored for the offenses. That said, the sheer number of games under their belts, paired with the athleticism they have, gives Red Dragons the advantage, as they batted down 27 balls and intercepted an additional 13. To Team Sexy’s credit, they have actually picked off 10 more balls, for a total of 23. Watch for Mathieu Lafortune to potentially have a good game if Team Sexy are to win this playoff game. This one is close as Team Sexy have an equally athletic defensive back field, but the slight edge goes to RD because of their added experience against more FPF quarterbacks.

Rusher – This one isn’t even close. If Berbrier tries to run or buy time, big mistake. He has someone in Vincent Bolullo chasing FPF records bearing down on him, who lead 5B with 24 sacks. ‘Nuff said.

Team Sexy X-Factor: Miky Baril – This is an another underrated player and very under the covers, but he is solid and if Team Sexy come out victorious, I can see him putting up some key stats in the form of a touchdown or interception.

Red Dragons X-Factor: Teddy Perrier – Another underrated FPF player and defender, if Teddy can turn one of the 5 PDs he had on the season into an interception in this playoff game, it would be huge for the Red Dragons offense to put another score on the board.

Prediction: Team Sexy 24 – 32 Red Dragons

Warriors (2) vs. No Punt Intended (15)

Position	Warriors	No Punt Intended
QB	✅
Receivers	✅	✅
DBs		✅
Rusher	✅

Breakdown by Position

QB – Mitch Fergenbaum has simply accumulated way more experience in his 9th FPF season than Jacob Soles. While Soles might actually throw a tighter spiral and more humph on the ball, Fergenbaum has great touch and has a deceiving deep ball that travels far in a Russell Wilson rainbow fashion. While there’s nothing wrong with Soles‘ playbook, Fergenbaum‘s fits his style of play more so than Soles‘. Edge goes to Fergenbaum here.

Receivers – This one is interesting because the 2 receiver sets are a little different. With the Warriors, you have 3 very solid receivers in Mano Manolopoulos (make sure you wear a jersey with a number or else you won’t be allowed to play!) Lewis Epstein and Adam Lieblein. Between the 3, they combined for 959 yards and 30 touchdowns. That is a serious 3-headed monster. For No Punt Intended, that monster has 2 heads, with most of the offensive damage going through the Carter‘s, Condon and Soles. Between them, they racked up 991 yards and 18 touchdowns. Both teams have decent depth in Eden Raffoul for the Warriors and Matthew Cadogan and Aidan Chamberlain. This one is tough to see who has the better receivers and have concluded they are on an even playing field.

Defense – While both teams are athletic and can make plays on the ball, No Punt Intended have been playing the game since FPF Jr and those years of experience have added up. They play their zones well and make it difficult for Quarterbacks to accurately hit their receivers. They also have a slight edge in the pick department, 15 to 12 over the Warriors defensive backfield.

Rusher – Neither rusher totally stands out, but Eden Raffoul‘s 5 sacks are more than all the sacks from all the NPI players. That will be a problem for NPI though, as Mitch Fergenbaum is as slippery as they come, and if he’s given the chance to run free, he will end the night with 80 rushing yards.

Warriors X-Factor: Eden Raffoul – If offensively, he can put up 1, even 2 TDs, that would be a major contribution since “The Big 3” will be covered early and often.

No Punt Intended X-Factor: Matthew Cadogan – Both ways, Cadogan can come up big for NPI by either creating a turnover or score offensive touchdowns, as he found the endzone 7 times on 17 catches.

Prediction: Warriors 33 – 29 No Punt Intended

Killer Rays (1) vs. HimU (16)

Position	Killer Rays	HimU
QB	✅
Receivers	✅
DBs	✅
Rusher	✅

Breakdown by Position

QB – There’s not much to discuss here. After all, we are talking about the #1 seed facing the #16 seed. Tylar Bianchi has grown a lot since last winter; a season where he and the Killer Rays won a Championship. Bianchi has taken strides, but can still hit another level where he is consistently hitting 5-6 TDs a game. For Pranav Sharma, there are games where it seems like he’s improving to then go back to old habits the next game. He needs to complete easier passes and let his receivers do the work for the first down. If they want any shot at the upset, he will need to complete way more than 40% of his passes. Clear advantage goes to the Rays.

Receivers – HimU may have the most electric receiver in 5B in El-Andre Abbey. He is complemented by Anthony McCall and Joshua Ricciardi, but after that, the options run dry. As for the Killer Rays, they added pieces to their usual dynamic duo of Tyler Gurberg and Curtis Ryan. Both Corey Bianchi and Donovan Hinds have played of course with the team, but are now more central pieces to the offense. This makes it incredibly difficult for defenses to defend and one of the reasons why the Killer Rays went undefeated this season. Killer Rays win the receiver comparisons.

Defense – 15 turnovers from the HimU defense is actually very good. It’s just that when it comes to comparing it to the 20 interceptions from Killer Rays, it’s hard to rank them higher. Not only that, it is uncertain whether Jonathan McCall, their leading interceptor, will be playing. By now, the Killer Rays have seen a lot of opposing offenses and different styles of attack, that their defensive play calling should not be a problem. They have the athleticism and defensive awareness now to make plays on the ball and come away with turnovers, which will be the case in this game.

Rusher – This one’s not close. Jared Arany is one of the divisions best rushes, ending the season with the 2nd most sacks (18). If Sharma decides to take off, he won’t be busting off for a big run with Arany in pursuit.

Killer Rays X-Factor: Jalen Wells – Wells can BALL. I wouldn’t be surprised to see 2 INTs from Jalen.

HimU X-Factor: Eric Carpanzano – Eric is streaky. When he’s hot, he’s catching everything thrown his way, both offensively and defensively. When he’s not though, there’s the case of the dropsies. Get a hot Eric Carpanzano and maybe they can hit magic.

Prediction: Killer Rays 40 – 12 HimU

Epilogue 👋

Alright Div 6, that does it to preview the divisional round. If you want more content, there’s always more! Here’s our podcast, Calling The Audible from this past Friday with Peeze, myself and Eagle at Master Control (sort of):