Division 5A and 5B Week 1 Recap – FlagPlus Football League

New Year, new hopes, dreams and overall just a fresh start for all of us. It’s been a little while since I’ve had the pleasure of writing articles for you guys and thanks to Peeze, only found out I was doing Division 5 at the last minute, so my apologies for no pre-season article.

I think that the Topic of the week for football is the playoffs this weekend. As a Colts fan, I couldn’t be more excited for the game on Saturday and I believe we have a real chance against the Chiefs. Luck’s been here before and will have the experience edge over Mahomes, and as exciting as he’s been, they have shown they can be beat down the stretch. We’ll adopt a bend but don’t break attitude and our red zone defense will be key in this game. Holding them to field goals instead of long touchdowns will be the difference, along with a steady dose of Marlon Mack.

For the other games this weekend, give me the Chargers, Cowboys and Saints. I truly want to believe in the Nick Foles magic, but the Saints look way too much like Super Bowl favorites this year. They’re the team with the fewest weaknesses all around in my opinion.

Besides the weather maybe, it’s truly a great time of the year. I’m looking forward to getting back on the field this week after a knee injury kept me out for our first game. It’s tough to write about the league and score keep games without getting the desire to play. I’ll only be playing for the Bandits in Division 4, however I fully expect to be around the field more often this season. Even if it means driving home in a snow storm like I had to do after the games in Hebert last Monday.

In division 5 overall, there a lot of familiar faces and a whole group of new faces as well. Moss City are not around to defend their title, so we will see a brand new Champion crowned in 5B at the end of the season and in 5A our defending Champs, Greendale Human Beings have a new look and are now called Tents & Hammocks. More on them later.

Overall, it promises to be a great season – I am looking forward to seeing everybody around.

I should mention again, if anybody suffers an injury, I’m still available to throw in Div 5! Self-promotion never hurt anybody, has it?

Week 1 – Recaps

Palpatine 34 vs Longhorns 25

This game was a battle of two solid, experienced rosters in a “who can score last” kind of a game. My colleague Marc-Andre Desaulniers had the final answer in this one to give the edge to Palpatine. In this game and all season, it’s clear that Desaulniers will have a ton of weapons around him and I believe that how far they will get in the playoffs will directly be on his capable shoulders. He took advantage of Luis Begin’s speed to take the top off the defense in this one and mixed up his play calling just enough in my opinion. We’ll hear from Begin later on as well as he was a force on both sides of the ball. It’s clear that teams should actively try and keep the ball away from him, however Palpatine has enough depth to hurt you elsewhere also.

Longhorns should bounce back quickly, but it definitely wasn’t their best showing. Talent wise, Eugene McLaren may be the best QB they’ve had in some time, however it will take time for their squad to gel anytime you add a new QB to the mix. They have weapons of their own in Chris Rosen, Patrick Jazon and Lloyd Saul, it’ll just be a matter of using them to their full potential. We’ve seen the Longhorns in recent history either take off and dominate their division or barely squeak into their playoffs. They’ll have to decide quickly at which end of the spectrum they would prefer to be.

Super Saiyans 26 vs Les Voyous 8

Super Saiyans return as a division favorite and show exactly why in their first game. There may still be a little rust on both sides and there were definitely a few mistakes made on both sides, but the Saiyans showed their talent and experience. The team is led by their backstop and safety, Jordan Allard and showed off their ability to spread the ball around. On the other side of the ball, Gianni Johnston was a force as per usual and their very good depth was simply a problem for Les Voyous.

Les Voyous have a decent roster of guys but ultimately just didn’t match up with well with Super Saiyans. Sebastien Dallaire needs to do a better job completing more passes to sustain long drives and not necessarily only force the ball to Raphael Belice. Defensively, Les Voyous did well, but struggled when Allard used his feet to gain yards and to extend plays. It’s far easier said than done, especially in the first week of the season, but they’ll need to get back to the drawing board.

I expect big things from Super Saiyans this season and as the guys mentioned in the podcast, they’ll be out for blood after the way they have been most recently kicked out of the playoffs last season.

Les Barons 14 vs. The Process 34

After a rocky start, The Process finally started to show why there is so much hype surrounding this team as the game went on. I was lucky to get to watch this one up close and ultimately this game came down to a few things. The process showed just how disciplined they are on defence and could frustrate any opponent, and offensively showed Langburt’s versatility as a Quarterback and DonnDre Borden’s insane athleticism. They flock to the ball on defense and Andrew Langburt is sneaky good in the middle of the field and the other thing that stood out to me the most was Justin Frankel’s ability to rush the quarterback. He did not give Marc-Antoine Viens any time at all which resulted in a few throws he’d like back and overall just a stalled offense. I’d also like to shoutout Jonathan Perez who very quietly had a solid game on both sides of the ball.

For Les Barons, I truly believe that they simply ran into a better team. I can see this team finishing 6-4 or 5-5 and maybe just getting into the playoffs hopefully with a chance to surprise a team or two. Laurent Hamel had a great game with 6 catches for 43 yards and a score but overall, nobody else really stood out. Marc-Antoine Viens will have to put this team on his shoulders for them to have any major success unless somebody else can step up.

Bruins 18 vs Les Carcajous 0

First things first, these are not your division 6 Bruins. They’ve very much beefed up the roster and added some very good pieces, ready to take on Division 5B and hopefully compete for a championship. Zach Zwirn is a huge addition which should help Gabriel Wiseman a lot and overall this roster has been improving over the last few seasons. Les Carcajous are a relatively new team with guys who have some experience but so far things have yet to gel.

The game started with both teams shaking off the rust and they both had trouble making plays. I got the sense that neither wanted to make a big mistake, with Wiseman getting used to his new tool. The second half saw him make the necessary adjustments and just use a healthy dose of Zwirn and Jerry Waskiw who has been known to make big plays and be productive on offense.

Les Carcajous will need to figure out a way to put points on the board moving forward if they want to have a chance at making the playoffs. They have a handful of talented players like Pierre Kalar and Felix Arnaud who can be productive, however they’ll need more guys to step up as well.

Power Rankings

Division 5A

Super Saiyans (1-0)
Tents & Hammocks (1-0)
Palpatine (1-0)
Rollin’ with Mahomies (1-0)
Big Fun Party Mix 8 (1-0)
GLC (1-0)
Voodoo (1-0)
No Show (1-0)

Division 5B

The U (1-0)
EZW (1-0)
The Process (1-0)
Punishers (1-0)
Takeover (1-0)
La Brume (1-0)
Les Gros Coqs (1-0)
Bruins (1-0)

Corey’s Love ‘EM & Hate ‘EM

Since I’ve been in the business of stealing segments from the pros, I thought I would steal another one that I enjoy reading during the football season. Matthew Berry often has a ton of great insight week in and week out and while I don’t even pretend to come close, I’ll try to dish out on some thoughts I may have about the upcoming week. After all, this beats a boring prediction column right?

I should set the tone now to how this will work. Ultimately, if you make the list, it’s not necessarily a critique on the player, but rather how I think they will match up that week. You’ll find a lot of studs on my Hate List, just like you may see an underachiever on my Love list. With each week brings new opportunities and these are just my thoughts on how these opportunities may play out.

5A Quarterbacks I Love in Week 2

Jordan Allard – Super Saiyans – After a warm up week in the books, I think that Jordan will get back on track and put up at least 5 total scores, maybe including one on the ground. I think that he has a successful week against Tip Top Shape.

Eugene McLaren – Longhorns – He had a solid effort in a loss, look for McLaren to get back in the win column against a Ravens defense that just allowed 31 points in week 1. They may be solid in the NFL, but the Ravens of FPF give Eugene major upside this week.

Hai Minh Luong – GLC – Quietly had the best QBR in week 1, I don’t see him slowing down against the Spartans. I like him to throw at least 4 touchdowns again this week sans pick this time.

5A Quarterbacks I Hate in Week 2

Zacharie Quiviger – Rollin’ with Mahomies – As much as I love the team name and taking into account his smooth Week 1, I see him struggling a little bit more than usual against Tents & Hammocks. I think he’ll get his first pick of the season and not get more than 3 TDs.

Frank Kaye – Voodoo – This is purely matchup based and I worry that Palpatine may be too big and athletic to allow for Frank to tear up defenses like he is used to. They’ll know to eliminate Marcil and St-Armand so Frank will have to rely on his depth. Look for Voodoo to take a step back this week.

David De Andrade – Tip Top Shape – Super Saiyans don’t mess around. He’ll need to come ready with a game plan and be prepared to face a quick Johnston and tall lanky defenders behind him that seem like trees. It’s a tall task… pun intended.

5A Receivers I Love in Week 2

Chris Olson – No Show – He’s Dominic Benevento’s favorite target and show see a ton of looks against a mediocre opponent. He’ll get his fair share of opportunities. I’m calling two touchdowns.

Rico Tulino – BFPM8 – Tried to reach out to him for his solid performance in week 1, I think he’s very capable of having a repeat performance against KeepItTogether.

Alex David – Ravens – He’s a talented receiver who will find holes in the Longhorns defense this week. I wouldn’t be surprised to see 80 yards and at least 1 touchdown this week.

5A Receivers I Hate in Week 2

Luis Begin – Palpatine – On the flip side of the Voodoo coin, I think they do a good job against Begin and take away the deep ball. He’ll be a force to reckon’ with on defense, but I expect his offensive numbers to take a dip this week.

Kristian Cerantola – Broccasion – Weird to see him on a receivers list, I think Les Flamants Fous wake up this week and Kristian is the victim of a stronger defense this time around.

Charles Verreault – Tip Top Shape – If there is a single fact that I am sure about coming into this season, it’s that the Saiyans can ball out on defense. Verreault should be the latest to feel that pain. I’d be surprised if he found the endzone.

5B Quarterbacks I Love in Week 2

Ryan Kharouf – Finessers – Look for Kharouf to bounce back after an awful Week 1. He’s a talented QB who will be looking forward to putting up points after he was just shut out. Rust is off now, no more excuses.

Jeremy White – EZW – In my opinion, with the weapons he has on offense, he has the potential to be QB of the year in 5B. He’s smart enough to avoid Langburt and I just don’t think that the Process will be able to stop him. Give me another 5 TD game from White.

Evan Frank – The U – Until this team falters, it’ll be tough to take him off this list with just how many weapons he has to choose from. I actually think his QBR will be better this week and he’ll avoid the same mistakes as last week. This will be a high flying offense all season.

5B Quarterbacks I Hate in Week 2

Andrew Langburt – The Process – He’ll definitely be out there trying to prove me wrong and I hope he does. His offense didn’t look polished against a sub par team in Week 1, so he’ll need to play better and not rely on Borden in Week 2. I think this matchup will be tough. As a result, I think Borden also struggles offensively.

Vincent Richard – Le Speakeasy – I don’t think he’ll necessarily have a terrible game, but I’ll say maybe a 2-3 TD game and an interception or two, well below how he played in week 1.

Alexandre Delisle – Fighting Flamingos – After week 1, his stats don’t really jump off the page, and I can very realistically see him struggle even more against a better opponent.

5B Receivers I Love in Week 2

Anthony Siggia – Punishers – Teams in lower divisions have never really shown that they can stop Siggia, and I don’t see it starting this week with Sterdam. They can have a dynamic offense, but I think the Punishers offense is too methodical in this one. I think this game will be high scoring and Siggia will get his.

William Power – Takeover – This one was tough because I don’t know much about Mo Bamba, but then again, neither does Takeover. What do you do against a team you don’t know much about? Go with what works. William Power works.

Nikola Papich – The U – I think more of the offense goes his way this week. Give me Papich to lead this team in catches and yards, much better than he faired in Week 1.

5B Receivers I Hate in Week 2

Zach Zwirn – Bruins – Probably being the best all around player in the division doesn’t help you when you’re trying to have a big game. Give me Wiseman and Zwirn alike to struggle against a talented Black Knights defense, that is, if they can field a proper team.

Alexandre Bresse – Les Gros Coqs – Here’s another receiver that I imagine will come back down to earth against a much tougher opponent this week. I also tried to get him out for questions but he was tough to find. Look for him to be tough to find on the stat sheet this week as well facing a very strong The U defense.

“You Ball, You get the Call”

That’s right – it’s back! I’ve had a lot of fun doing this in the past so I thought I would keep it going. It may be difficult to get to everybody and I apologize in advance if I miss a big game. It can be extremely time consuming to reach out to different guys who I don’t know especially and coordinate this. If you agree or disagree with any of my choices, whether it’s for yourself or a teammate, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on facebook or at the field. I’m more than happy to take criticism in an effort to give you guys content you enjoy reading.

I can’t tell you how eye opening and fun it is for me to hear from players who I don’t often get to talk to. In this week’s article, you’ll see a few words from Frank Kaye who graciously corrected me to tell me that he’s been in the league since 2005 and is over 50 years old. Not only impressive, the wisdom is immeasureable. Thank you in advance for everybody who takes a few moments of their week to help contribute to this article and the league. It’s always been about the players and always will be.

Palpatine – Luis Begin – 4 catches, 79 yards, 2 TDs, 3 tackles, 1 PD

I won’t bother asking who you think will win, so I will ask why you think the Colts will move on to the AFC championship this weekend?

Les Colts ont une attaque balancé avec Mack et Hynes au sol qui profitent de la meilleure O-Line de la NFL en plus du duo Ebron-Hilton qui n’est pas arretable. Je ne crois pas que KC à la défensive pour les arrêter. La pression sur Mahomes sera la, la clé sera dans la tertiaire à arrêter Tyreek Hill, ce que je crois possible avec l’aide de Hooker.

You’ve shown you can dominate at all 3 phases of the game, QB, WR and on defense. Which is your favorite place to play?

QB définitivement ! Toute la pression est sur tes épaules pour bien performer , tu dois rester Focus tout le match, démontrer du leadership et la partie plaisante est de lire les défensives et d’y trouver les faiblesses. J’aime la pression et de devoir slicer mes plus belle passes pour gagner de gros matchs.

Who do you compare your game to the most? As a QB and as a WR?

Nick Foles!! Non sérieusement, J’aime penser que j’ai un peu de 2 de mes idoles. Peyton Manning pour la préparation et le “brain” et Mike Vick pour les courses.

Tents and Hammocks – Brandon Aylward – 23/26, 193 yards, 6 TDs, 5 Tackles

Tents and Hammocks – Alex Joltopuf – 15 catches, 103 yards, 3 TDs

Looks to be the same core of players with a slightly different look. Brandon, what experience do you have playing QB? Alex, it seems as though you’re actually producing more now than with Danny at QB, are you enjoying the change?

Brandon: Ya we decided to make a second team with me playing quarterback as I’ve always wanted to play. I played my first game in the first fall CUP after my brother needed surgery and was out for two weeks and I had really enjoyed myself. We’re always looking to play more FPF so this is perfect.

Alex: Playing snapper for this system is pretty easy. I think my production will slow down as the season progresses. I think it’s high now because of the general comfort level with the throws.

What do you guys think will be your biggest challenge this season?

Brandon: I dont think the whole season will be as smooth as our first win but I’m sure we will be able to keep a good rhythm as the chemistry is already there. I am excited to see how it plays out.

Alex: Biggest challenge will be keeping the pace high. Because the parts in the team a re-arranged I think we are going to have some growing pains so we’ll have to see how we handle them.

Love the team name, where did it come from?

Brandon & Alex: As a team we always go on a camping trip every summer and some how this is the name that we came up with. Wierd but funny between the group. More of an inside joke.

Voodoo – Frank Kaye – 17/23, 195 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT

Officially your 10th year, 20th season in FPF. What keeps the motivation going?

Actually I have been involved with FPF since 2005 or 2006 prior to the keeping of stats and records. What keeps the motivation going is not the easiest thing to explain as to be quite honest at times I am not sure as well. I first of all love and respect my teammates, the league and the game. I have been playing since I was 14 years old so it has become part a big part of my life. I continue to grow and learn with every drive and down and have always said that my ultimate goal was to play till 50 years of age. Well, I guess as I am going to be 51 during this season, I will have to increase my goal to 55. I feel as long as I can continue to be play at a certain level and be productive I will continue to strive for more. Also when I get the reaction of some of the other players in the league (Especially the younger guys) when they realize my age ultimately the comments like “I wish and hope I will be able to play like you at your age!!” , helps to fuel the fire to continue to play.

What are your goals for the season, both team and personal?

Our goal as a team and unit is to play competitive football and have fun, we are not a team that puts too much pressure on ourselves to win every game and win championships as we find that when we do, we don’t play to our potential and don’t enjoy the process and the time playing a game we love. For myself it is to play well and enjoy the ride… One of my teammates told me after a few bad games not to put too much pressure on myself as every game after 50 is just gravy! Of course we all want to play well and win games and ultimately championships and it would be nice to get that first one under my belt and maybe even have an opportunity for a chance at the HOF (even though I keep trying the league to have a Dan Marino clause) so I guess that’s the goal but won’t be a wasted season if it doesn’t happen.

How does Voodoo look so far? Mostly what we have come to expect or are we in for any surprises this year?

We have only had one game so far so we looked not too bad, our timing and routes and defense played well for a team that didn’t practice during the offseason and has added new players but we have things to improve and do better. I don’t think it would be great to let you and the division in on our surprises however let’s put it this way… we have some new wrinkles and plans for our offence and defense and believe that mixing the old reliable ways and new ways will continue to keep us competitive and unpredictable.

The U – Kyle Pedvis – 2 catches, 14 yards, 1 TD, 1 tackle, 3 INTs, 1 Def. TD

Huge game, especially on the defensive side. How did you see the field so well?

First week of the season is always interesting. We didn’t know much about the other team so we talked going in about keeping it simple. I got lucky on a few plays. It had been a while since I played so I just tried to trust my eyes and react. Also helps when you have some seasoned vets on your side like Joe Kano and Russ Schwartz. 2. It makes you go harder for it. Once you win, anything else seems like a letdown. Also, joining a higher division makes you hungry to prove yourself again.

Coming off a championship last spring, your 3rd, has that changed anything going into this year?

It makes you go harder for it. Once you win, anything else seems like a letdown. Also, joining a higher division makes you hungry to prove yourself again.

You guys are one of the favorites I would say in Division 5, besides the obvious athletic ability of the team, what makes the U so good?

We pride ourselves on versatility. We have a lot of guys that can do a number of things. It really helps us adjust to each of our opponents. Our experience is another factor. We have a lot of games played on this roster, so there really isn’t much we haven’t seen. Also helps that we all want to win a championship. We’re in it for the long haul and not the individual stuff.

EZW – Jeremy White – 21/26, 181 yards, 6 TDs, 2 rushes, 13 yards

Almost a perfect game for you against a solid team, is this the most complete team you’ve played with?

I have been lucky enough to play with a lot of great teams in my ‘career’. At the beginning, I created EZW to play with my friends and challenge myself to play at the QB position. At our third season, I can say that we have been a successful team and a lot of that success is due to my receivers. I have a lot of love for my receivers since they make me look good on paper. I would say that this is the most complete team I’ve played with in Flagplus because I feel like our offense is unstoppable and our defense had a huge upgrade compared to last season. At anytime, I feel confortable throwing to any of my receivers and I truly trust all of them which makes it very hard on defenses. Plus, this season, we added three new players to our roster and they elevate the level of the whole squad both on offense and defense. With a couple seasons under our belt, I feel like our defense is better than it ever was before. We learned a lot by playing with each other and our chemistry as also grown through the last two seasons. I really feel like we can’t be beat and unlike our first season, I won’t let a lose in the final happen. We are aiming for the championship and we are going to get it.

Who’s your pick for the SuperBowl this year and why?

I think the superbowl is going to be the saints against the chargers but my pick would be the saints. I love watching drew brees and this offense. I believe that with the great coaching staff they have, they can score a lot of points against any defense and their defense is good enough to support the offense and create turnovers when needed. I don’t think that the Eagles or the Rams are going to be able to stop them at home and I trust Drew Brees to deliver on the big stage.

Which position do you prefer, QB or WR?

This is a hard one because I have so much love and respect for both positions. I think that I prefer playing QB because I feel like I have way more control on the game. I’ve played receiver during all my football career and I love it but it’s frustrating sometimes when the offense is not working well. Playing QB is also more challenging for me. I have a very small experience as a QB so I feel like I learn a lot every game. It’s a lot of fun for me. I feel like as a QB, you can control how the game plays out. I love reading defenses and spotting tendencies. I also love to think of plays and watch how they work on real defenses. When our team wins a game, I feel more involved in the win as a QB because I feel like I’ve outplayed and out schemed the other team. Playing QB also improved me as a WR. Those are two very different ways of seeing the field and I feel like I’m a better WR after playing QB because I understand more about how the QB thinks and sees things.