Division 5 Week 10 Recap – Playoff Picture starts to become more clear.

There’s probably a few of you reading out there that are fighting for a playoff spot this week and to those who are, good luck!

While we are playing in this league for fun, the competition definitely heats up this time of the year and only gets more intense come playoff time. I will be fighting with the Mavericks later today in a “win and you’re in” type situation and I couldn’t be more excited. I hope everybody else that is in a similar situation plays hard but remembers that this is all just for fun. Trash talk included? Why not.

We’re going to spend some time looking at those playoff possibilities so I won’t waste anybody’s time. Here’s a few random thoughts and then we’ll get right into.

I get to feel like a kid again when preparing for a big game. No feeling like it.
I just recently started going back to the gym and my schedule is out of whack this week.
Do most people enjoy taking on more responsibility at work or do the majority of people prefer to punch in and punch out?
The playoff races are tight in all Conferences except for Division 5B, Conference A. Give me the Mavericks, Warriors, Les Flamants Fous, Blue Team and Team Y.S. to advance.
I wish the Colts did a bit more during Free Agency, but I am happy we traded down and added 3 more top picks. We now have 4 picks in the first 50.
Anybody else already excited for the NFL season to begin?
Francois and Marc-Andre both picked the Rednecks against me this week. I look forward to proving them wrong.

Week 10 – Recaps

Division 5A

Rednecks vs. Greendale Human Beings

The Rednecks came into this game fighting for a playoff spot and get the huge upset to sneak into 7th place in the Conference. They had a big game from Frédéric Stumpf who led his team in catches and caught almost 50% of Darick Forgues’ completions and two big touchdowns. Speaking of Forgues, he led his team on both offense and defence, getting 3 tackles, a sack and a pass deflection. He was determined to get this win for his team.

The Greendale Human Beings actually led at the half but got sloppy in the second half of this one. The tough man defense that Rednecks play threw Danny Aylward off and he didn’t look like the potential QB of the Year that we are used to seeing. We are not used to seeing quiet games by both Brandon Aylward and Alex Joltopuf however the Rednecks were able to keep both in check and that looks like it is the blueprint on how to make the Greendale Human Beings look well, human.

I get to square off against the Rednecks this week in a game that should decide the final playoff spot in Conference A. I expect a tough defensive game and both teams will try hard not to make any mistakes. If anything, the Rednecks prove to be a resilient group that are not afraid to face anybody. I just wish I was able to interview Stumpf and get in his head before our matchup. I’ll let you guys decide if I’m kidding or not.

Pigeon Squad vs. Les Flamants Fous

Les Flamants Fous started this game strong, scoring on their first drive and never really looking back. Pigeon Squad were able to answer though on a long touchdown to KSP (Kevin St-Pierre), and these teams traded punches throughout most of this game. Pigeon Squad did well to convert on their extra point attempts to give themselves a shot for most of the game. Their defense just couldn’t seem to contain Felix-Antoine Lavigne who finished with 5 TDs and often worked with a short field due to Jared Buck’s 3 interceptions.

On their second drive of the game, les Flamants Fous scored easily yet again and Lavigne often used his legs to extend plays or make big runs. KSP had another deep TD on a corner route and was truly the only offensive weapon on the side of Pigeon Squad but he was not able to make the same kind of plays on defense. As a whole, it was a similar story for Pigeon squad who only managed 1 pass deflection the entire game. Yes, Lavigne was able to do what he wanted most of the time.

Interestingly enough, with the win, Les Flamants Fous put themselves into the 8th playoff spot in Conference B and now have an identical record of 3-5-1 with Pigeon Squad but own the tie breaker because of their Division record. The win means they hold their destiny in their hands and can clinch this week. Pigeon Squad are praying that Lavigne slips up so they can reclaim that 8th spot.

Division 5B

Falcons vs. Spartans

Pat Lefebvre was at the top of his game as usual in this one throwing for almost 200 yards and 6 TDs to lead the Falcons past the unsuspecting Spartans. The Spartans have had a fairly successful season but proved that they can struggle against the top tier teams in the Division. In this game, they dug themselves a hole in the first half with a few turnovers and although the second half was much closer, they were not able to make the game close.

James D’Andrea actually threw the ball pretty well in this game, but had too many throws where he tried to force the ball into coverage in order to try and make a play and the Falcons penalized them. It’s impressive that the Spartans still managed to put up 27 points in a game that saw them throw 4 interceptions. Despite the loss, Charles-David Martel managed to have a huge game, catching 6 balls for 114 yards and 3 touchdowns and he also led his team with 4 tackles. Too bad it was in a losing effort or he may have received a call… facebook message. You guys get the drift.

The Falcons continue to win by showing a complete team effort. A few guys put up big numbers, including Mathieu Lemay and Alexandre Jubinville, however Pat Lefebvre can really distribute the ball whenever necessary and beat you in so many ways. This was the Falcons 10th game and they have a week off to prepare for the playoffs. I wonder if a bye week is a thing in FPF and will it make them stronger or throw off their chemistry? We will see.

Retired All-Stars vs. Le Speakeasy

Another game that saw a team use 4 different QBs who ironically all threw for exactly 1 touchdown. Did they have some kind of rotation where as soon as you threw a TD you had to switch? The game was close in the first half and stayed that way for the entire game. Le Speakeasy took advantage of being able to score last and also make one more extra point to give them the 7 point victory.

Vincent Richard was as good as he needed to be in this game but often made mistakes. This was almost a microcosm of the season for Le Speakeasy as they are now officially eliminated from the playoffs, even though they can potentially finish 5-5. Just like in this game, as a whole, they have made a lot of plays but have also made a few too many mistakes. Retired All-Stars did not burn them in this game like a few teams have this season, but they are still left with a few things to improve on for next year.

Retired All-Stars, despite the loss, are a team that face a “win and you’re in” situation just like my own team. They’ll face a very difficult Mogadishu Pirates team and if they can get the upset, they’ll compete for the championship. Hopefully they have settled on a QB for that game.

Power Rankings

Division 5A

Greendale Human Beings (9-1) – Does their loss this past week worry me? Nah.
Smokin’ Axolotls (8-1) – They can finish tied with the best record in the Division. That’s something to be proud about.
Longhorns (7-2) – Are they slipping? Maybe. Can they get it together for any given matchup? Definitely.
Grand Lionel (8-2) – Finished their regular season, they ended on a strong note ready for the playoffs.
Finessers (7-2) – They had a few bumps in the road but look to finish strong, they jump right up.
Preachers (7-2) – A lot of teams in Conference B have the potential to finish 8-2. They had a shootout against a 1-8 which gets me a bit worried.
Hot Boys Hotline (7-2) – The loss last week is disappointing. Not because they lossed, but how they did it. Hopefully it’s what they need to wake up for the playoffs.
Half-A-Stars (7-3) – They get my final spot because of the experience on this squad.

Division 5B

Wrecking Crew (9-0) – Can they finish as the only undefeated team in Division 5?
Takeover (6-1-2) – Two ties? Really? Is that a good sign or bad?
Falcons (7-2-1) – They finished strong and showed why they are one of the top teams.
Sterdam (6-3) – They lost but they were missing Sidney Tremblay-Lacombe. Not that worried.
TDs and Beer (6-2-1) – They just beat a top team. Circumstances don’t matter, they get some respect.
Moss City (6-2-1) – These guys keep rolling and put up impressive numbers
Affreux (6-3) – Finally back in the win column, we’ll see if they can stay consistent.
Mogadishu Pirates (6-3) – They are explosive and I am looking forward to how they handle the playoffs.

Playoff Picture

5A – Conference A

Clinched: Greendale Human Beings, Smokin Axolotls, Hot Boys Hotline, Half-A-Stars, Mud Dogs, 10 Guys, One Cup

Rednecks (5-4)
Mavericks (4-5)
Warriors (4-5)
Buffalo Wild Wings (3-6)

This one will come down to Division Record most likely. Rednecks and Mavericks square off and the winner should take 7th. 8th spot will be between the winner of the Buffalo Wild Wings vs. Warriors game and the loser of the first one.

5A – Conference B

Clinched: Grand Lionel, Finessers, Preachers, Longhorns, Texas BareManz, Ghosts, Hurricane SZN

Flamants Fous (3-5-1)
Pigeon Squad (3-5-1)
Bruthers (3-6)
Voodoo (2-6-1)

Flamants Fous win and they’re in. Pigeon Squad needs them to lose and to win their own game. Bruthers need both of them to lose and to win themselves. Voodoo need all 3 to lose and for them to win. This one is relatively simple.

5B – Conference A

This one is all set. Playoff teams are:

Takeover, Moss City, Affreux, Sterdam, Mogadishu Pirates, Black Knights, Spartans, Punishers

Matchups are not set, so it will be interesting to see where the dominos land.

5B – Conference B

Clinched: Wrecking Crew, Falcons, TDs and Beer, The Process, Super Saiyans, Fun Boys

Blue Team (5-3-1)
Team Y.S. (5-4)
Retired All Stars (5-4)
Green Lantern Corps (4-4)

For Blue Team, if they win they can lock up 7th. Team Y.S. can also qualify with a win or if both teams below them lose. Retired All Stars and Green Lantern Corps both need to win and get some help in order to squeeze in.

Awards Race

Division 5A

For the awards race, you can check out the nominees in Simon’s article at the following link:

https://www.flagplusfootball.com/en/news/1872

I got most of them pretty accurately! Good luck to all of those nominated.

“You ball, You get the call”

This will be the last week of this segment until next season as we will take closer looks at the playoff matchups once the season is over. If you have participated, I am very appreciative of the time you took to answer my messages and questions throughout the season. Everybody that I have spoken with has been a pleasure to deal with, quick to respond and the segments have been a blast to put together. It’s been great connecting with a lot of the players and teams in the Division and I look forward to always being at the field. Don’t be shy to come and say hi if you ever see me around! For those who didn’t make it, work hard and I always hope to have a few new faces on here every week. Good luck to everybody in the playoffs!

Division 5A

Shout out to Frédéric Stumpf who had 5 catches for 89 yards, 2 TDs and an interception on defense. Never heard back from him but he would have been my third pick!

Ryan Kharouf – Finessers – 18/27, 198 yards, 6 TDs, 2 tackles

You have the second best QB Rating in the league, do you think it’s enough for QB of the year? If not, would winning Two-Way be just as good?

MVP

How does it feel to beat one of the best teams in the Division? Does that add a lot of confidence going into the playoffs?

Easy, talk to the rings.

You often play on more than 1 team. Playing only on Finessers this season, are you more focused on bringing home your first championship?

I get calls everytime to come play for other teams but if you ain’t talkin money I don’t wanna talk #igot2phones

Jaylan Grandison – Texas Baremanz – 15/23, 210 yards, 6 TDs, 3 rushes, 30 yards

This is your first full season as a QB, which do you prefer, QB or WR?

I’ve played receiver all my life so catching balls obviously comes more natural to me but in terms of preference this season I’d have to lean with QB. The satisfaction you get from a win when you execute a game plan while outsmarting the D plus sharing the ball with your teammates is just different than when you catch 9 balls for 100 yards. QB is definitely the hardest position to play as it requires the ability to lead men while having them believe in you.

How do you guys feel heading into the playoffs?

We’re feeling pretty confident our guys have been balling the past few weeks, especially my guy Kieran Ranger. He’s been playing real hungry so I can only imagine how cranked he’ll be on the field come the post-season. But yeah right now we’re focused on ending the season on a positive note. I know Voodoo will come out very strong and give us a good fight especially since they’re still mathematically in playoff contention.

You’ve had a very solid season so far – what do you think you need to work on to be in the conversation with the top QBs in the Division?

My goal in year 1 at QB was just to get better every week. I started off a bit shaky trying to run around a little too much while throwing a lot of dangerous balls. I think 8/10 of my picks came during our first 4 games so I’m glad I was able to improve on that. There’s a lot I can get better at but one thing I can probably improve on in the immediate future is simply taking what the defence gives me. As for being in that conversation, I view the playoffs as a brand new season so I’m no longer a “rookie” QB. Hopefully we can make a deep run then let you guys decipher which conversation I belong in haha

Division 5B

G.M. Kolethras – Super Saiyans – 7 catches, 98 yards, 3 TDs, 1 PD

You guys have been rather hot and cold all season, what do you attribute this to?

Honestly, aside from the loss to The Process in Week 1, every one of our losses have been a touchdown or less, and were decided in the last few plays of the game. I feel that since there’s a lot of parity with the majority of the teams in 5B, most games are decided by those key plays and we just fell a little short in those games. Unfortunately, all this parity also means that making playoffs will come right down to the wire for us!

I’ve had people reach out to me and suggest you should be considered for Defensive Player of the Year because you bring a lot more than your stats show, what do you think?

I just want to say in advance that I WAS pacing for DPOY (or at least in the running) but I didn’t really do much in the most recent game on the defensive side to merit continuing to be in that discussion! That being said, it was fun while it lasted!

As a good friend outside of FPF now, we talk a lot about the NFL. If you had to compare yourself to somebody in the league that’s not on the Seahawks, who would it be?

Somebody NOT on the Seahawks, eh? Well in no way would I compare myself to a pro-caliber athlete, but as far as style of play… let’s go with Evan Engram. Tall, possession receiver who specializes in gaining yards-after-completion from short dump off plays. Plus, we both make the hard catches but drop the easy ones!

Shyanne Stewart – Wrecking Crew – 3 catches, 23 yards, 3 tackles, 3 INTs, 1 PD

Would you say that your 3 interceptions are the reason why you guys won the game?

They were a big part of why we won but it was a team effort we all contributed to the win. Another big part of the win was Charlie Levy and his 3 amazing touchdown catches.

In a game with so many turnovers, was there a lot of reassuring Stephen or did he have everything under control?

We just needed to make a little adjustment and we did and then we got rolling after that

Are you worried that by going undefeated it adds more pressure in the playoffs? Some teams like to lose one or two to wake themselves up or help them know their own weaknesses.

I’m not worried at all. Most people say that going undefeated adds pressure but to me it doesn’t.

Joseph Kano – Mogadishu Pirates – 13/18, 281 yards, 7 TDs, 2 tackles, 1 INT

Nikki Papich – Mogadishu Pirates – 6 catches, 133 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 1 PD

Joe, 13 TDs in your past two games and easily your best two of the season. What’s been working so well? Nikki, what have you noticed?

Joe: We’ve really worked out our timing on offense. It just feels like everything is clicking for us, and having Nikki here has opened things up for everyone on O. On the defensive end we’re getting comfortable with our coverages and Zack has been lights out rushing.

Nikki: It seems like every week Joe is getting more comfortable chemistry-wise. He’s been hitting everyone in stride these past couple weeks which makes our jobs as receivers very easy.

Where does the chemistry between you come from? Any practice time outside of FPF or have you played together in the past?

Joe: We’ve known each other since we were 6 years old and we’ve had the chance to play together in high school in Montreal as well as US Prep football.

Nikki: Back in the day Joe always had a canon when we were tossing the ball around but since he played OL/DL we never got to put the connection to the test. Now we’re just making up for lost time

According to each of you, what’s your team’s biggest strength and what do you guys need to focus on for the playoffs to be successful?

Joe: Our greatest strength is our versatility on offense, we have so many weapons out there. I think if we keep playing the way we have been, we’ll give ourselves a good shot at winning every week. Nikki: Our greatest strength is that we can run for it on 3rd and 2. We have a talented group of guys here and if we keep playing shutdown D the rest should work itself out

Rayan Mehzoudi – Team Y.S. – 14/25, 135 yards, 5 TDs, 4 tackles, 1 Def. INT, 1 Def. TD

It was a must win game for you guys to keep your playoff hopes alive, what were your thoughts going into the game?

For sure we felt a lot of pressure since we knew we had to win this game and the game after to maybe have a playoff spot but we only focused on having fun and the win came with it.

What felt better, throwing 5 TDs or the pick-6?

Definitely the pick-6. First because I’m more of a defensive guy, I played db in high school, and also because we struggled in defense early this season and had to change the scheme, so it really feels good to see that our changes worked, all the defensive players have a pick and we allow a lot less points against.

You have a tough game coming up against Affreux, do you already have a game plan?

Honestly we are really focused on ourselves more than on them, we will control what we can control and we know they are a good team but I definitely think we can beat any team in