Division D First Round Preview

Division D Playoff Preview

D-1

Conference A

 

1 All Hooks vs. 8 The Sheriff

Previous Matchup: 47-19 All Hooks

If the Sheriffs are riding a high for squeaking into the playoffs, it won’t last too long. As the boys discussed on the podcast, this turns out to be a terrible matchup for Luis Begin and he will be outside his comfort zone for this one. Begin is at his best when he can make a move on the rusher, extend the play and create breakdowns in the defense. With Thomas Coutu rushing, the opportunity to do any of those things drops significantly.

In their previous meeting, Begin only rushed for 3 yards and had 4 interceptions. We know that All Hooks can score and I think that Begin will carry a lot of the pressure on his own shoulders to match them – the problem is that I don’t think he can. To beat All Hooks, he will need to have an impact on defence and limit his mistakes on offense. Take shorter routes and throws more often and carve up the defense just like the man on the back of Begin’s t-shirt. A shootout favors All Hooks greatly who will try to repeat their first game against each other 

For All Hooks, keep it simple. A good dose of Coutu and White and avoid giving up the big play. It’s worked for them all season and there is no reason to change it now. I think this game will be much closer than their previous meeting but I think All Hooks are still the heavy favorite by a couple of touchdowns. I would have mentioned the addition of J-F Daloze, however he was around for their first meeting which makes the mountain that much higher to climb.

Prediction: All Hooks 33 – 20

 

2 Super Saiyans vs. 7 Smokin Axolotls

Previous Matchup: 33-31 Super Saiyans

Before looking it up, the game ended much closer than I would have thought, however this was early on in the season. I’ve mentioned before that I think the Saiyans have gotten stronger as the season as gone on which may just explain it – consider them Super Saiyan 3’s at this point, would be fun to see Rich Humes with long hair. The formula the first time around for the Saiyans was a heavy dose of Jared Gallant and Jordan picking up key touchdowns with his legs. Something to think about for the Smokin’ Axolotls.

The Smokin’ A’s are smart, though, and I actually can see Rich Humes getting less attention in this one and having a big game as they try and correct their mistakes from their previous matchup. They’ll pay a lot of attention to Gallant and hopefully change their rushing strategy to contain Jordan. The problem? I don’t know if they can stop the combination of Gallant, Humes and Allard’s legs. On the flip side, Jordan Rossie is very good at reading defenses and will have to have a solid game plan because in my opinion, Saiyans have the better athletes.

When the dust settles, I think the Saiyans will come out on top yet again unless Jordan throws more than 1 interception. I say more than 1 because I think each QB will toss one in this game. If Gianni Johnston plays for the Saiyans he should give Jason Rossie just enough trouble to make him uncomfortable and out of rhythm. I don’t think Smokin’ Axolotls have an equivalent force on their team and Jordan Allard won’t be as uncomfortable.

Prediction: Super Saiyans 28 – 19

 

3 Half-A-Stars vs. 6 Fun Boys

Previous Matchup: N/A

It’s nice to play in a league where it’s possible to see a first round playoff matchup where the teams have yet to meet. Fun Boys are coming off a season that saw a few ups and downs but they finished strong down the stretch, only losing to Super Saiyans and All Hooks. They’re a team without any weaknesses who can stand toe to toe with anybody in the conference and have a very intelligent and athletic quarterback in Scott Mironowicz. What a coincidence, that sums up Andrew Langburt’s game too.

A little birdy told me that Half-A-Stars will be far from full strength in this game which is both a shame and a reality of the summer season. I think that if both teams were at full strength I would give the edge to Langburt and co. however I will go against the grain and give Fun Boys the edge. They have an identity and stick to it and if they can prevent big plays and keep the game close, I can easily see them edging out Half-A-Stars by a point or two.

The experience down the stretch for the Fun Boys will prove to be the difference and Scott would do well to keep the ball away from Langburt. Half-A-Stars only managed to qualify 7 players, two of which only played 5 games. Whoever they field will not have as much experience as the guys with the white smiley faces and that should solidify the game. It’s too bad that there seems to be a theme of team’s not being at full strength, would have made for a more entertaining playoff.

Prediction: 31 – 26 Fun Boys

 

4 The Brotherhood vs. 5 B.D. Bandits

Previous Matchup: N/A

As much as I like to win, I would definitely say that I am a competitor first. Seeing them play this season a few times and watching Jamal Gittens the quarterback come into his own as the season went on was a lot of fun to watch and I’m truly disappointed that we won’t see the Brotherhood at their best this Sunday. From what I have heard, they will be missing Jamal and Omar Jackson and I wish them both a speedy recovery.

To analyze the matchup as if both teams would be at full strength, I think this game would have been extremely exciting. Jamal, Omar and Ryan are all excellent athletes and their chemistry together seemed to have been at an all-time high before the injuries. We have a few athletes on our team as well and I think that this would have been a chess match. Sanner and Omar, Ryan and Mei’s or Belvedere and Josh or Zack rushing Jamal would have seen each team more or less happy with one or two of the matchups and maybe worried about the 3rd but both with different perspectives.

With my tendency to attack deep, the matchup against Jamal would have forced me to play keep away and attack short more often than usual. I think the same would apply to our side as we always play better when we do not give up a big play during the game. I expect to have seen a high scoring affair and perhaps a last score wins scenario. Without a few core players the game will probably be much different than anticipated and it’s always anybody’s game in FPF but I can tell you that the Bandits will come prepared for anything.

Prediction: N/A

 

Conference B

 

1 Ice Up vs. 8 Texas Baremanz

Previous Matchup: Texas BareManz 19-18

Another good point that caught my attention during this week’s podcast was the discussion around the fact that although Ice Up are heavy favorites over most teams, this can potentially be a nightmare matchup for them. As their name suggests, I don’t think they would agree, however Jaylan Grandison may prove to be one of the few players in the league that can slow down Jordan McInnis. If you think we’re all wrong, look no further than their first game against each other this season.

If you look closely, Texas BareManz executed the perfect plan. Mcinnis was held to only 3 catches for 12 yards and Jack Zergiotis only completed 50% of his passes as a result, relying heavily on Mickey Marini. Nothing wrong with that, but Texas BareManz clearly got Ice Up off their game. Andrew Treffeisen did a much better job spreading the ball around and converted on the games only extra point to give his team the win despite the two interceptions. This time around you can expect much of the same. A very chippy game where both teams will try to get under the skin of their opponent and role players that will have to step up. It may just be the team with the better supporting cast who emerges in this game.

While I sit here and predict a win for Ice Up, it may just be exactly what Texas BareManz wants – more recognition as the underdog even though they won in their first meeting.

Prediction: 25 – 20 Ice Up

 

2 Homosapiens vs. 7 Supply and Command

Previous Matchup: Homosapiens 27 – 19

I much prefer to dub this matchup G.M. Kolethras vs. Peeze Della Reeze rather than their actual team names but let’s keep things consistent. They may not actually line up against each other, however this is definitely the matchup within the matchup. Forget Kenton Lowe against Justin Blanchard or Bachalaani against Ben Parisien, those buying tickets for this game are most excited to see the Media Members square off.

The first time around was one of Jonathan Lyristis’ first games as QB so I expect Supply and Command to be a little bit better. Also, Justin Blanchard did not have the same kind of presence on the game that just won him defensive player of the year. Both teams have a plethora of weapons to use and a whole lot of FPF experience so I don’t think it will come down to who the better team is athletically but rather who arrives with the perfect game plan. Francois Deslauriers has had an excellent season and is great at finding holes in the opposing defense and will look to keep that rolling.

Have Supply and Command improved their offence enough to keep up with Homosapiens? Will Homosapiens make the mistake of letting Justin Blanchard get hot and take over the game? If he can manage a few turnovers, it’s really anybody’s game. I still like the Homosapiens in this one.

Prediction: Homosapiens 26 – 20

 

3 Show Me Your TDs vs. 6 Comeback SZN

Previous Matchup: Show Me Your TDs 26 – 20

We need to go all the way back to the first game of the season to look in on their first matchup. While somemay think it’s too far back to get any indication, I actually think it’s a great way to evaluate both teams. Both teams were at full strength, nerves of a fresh season and the atmosphere very much compared to a playoff game. Each team may have improved over the course of the season but you can argue that each did about the same amount of growing.

Comeback SZN had a much more disappointing end to their season and they did not click as well as in the beginning so they won’t have much time to fix any outstanding issues. Show Me Your TDs have looked more like the well-oiled machine and when they have lost this year, it hasn’t been by much. You tend to know what’s coming with these guys and they still make it hard to stop them. Mike Addona uses Alex David and Anthony Addona well and when you sprinkle in a little bit of Shawn Fontaine and Adam Parasuco you get a very good tandem.

Just like SMYTDs, Comeback SZN doesn’t try to put up smoke and mirrors and tries to beat you with their athleticism. Khalil Kerr can be electrifying and Hasani Worrell is one of the better two way players in the division, however they have shown at times this year that they can beat themselves. They’ll be coming to this game hungry but the question remains, which team are we getting? Manziel at the tail end of his career with the Browns or the new Johnny football as he tries to climb back up on top? Their name suggests the latter but we shall see.

Prediction: Show Me Your TDs 25 – 21

 

4 Gotham Knights vs. 5 Diablos

Previous Matchup: Diablos 31 – 26

Their previous matchup was only a few short weeks ago and that usually means that whichever team can make the right adjustments this time around will have the edge. Can the Gotham Knights manage to keep Georges Elie-Voyer subdued in two straight games? Can they shut down their secondary weapons also like Charles Verreault and Alexis Gaumont? Diablos have a lot of options and that may prove to be a little overwhelming for the Gotham Knights.

They do have a shot if Chris Rivest can avoid throwing interceptions and continue to use his feet to extend plays. The Diablos use a lot of players on defense so they may want to take advantage and force them into a few miscues or blown coverages. Diablos can score offensively as well so this game has the makings of a shootout, which means that if the Gotham Knights want to have a chance they’ll need to score a lot of points. I expect them to use Bourassa and Gaudet quite a bit in this game again – do the Diablos have a new recipe on how to contain the top guys of the Gotham Knights? Batman and Robin, if you will 

I think the Gotham Knights have the tendency to play down to some opponents and get stuck on the losing end of the matchup game. They have beaten strong teams and lost to some of their easier opponents. They’ll need to stay focused as the Diablos are definitely not an easy first round matchup. I actually give the Diablos the edge as they just have so many weapons. It’ll be hard for the Gotham Knights to stop everybody and my colleague, Francois Martin, has an arm that can make you pay.

Prediction: Diablos 32 – 25

 

D-2

Conference A

 

1 CheatCode vs. 8 Grabuge

Previous Matchup: CheatCode 47-6

First things first as we had a little bit of drama heading into this one. I seem to always be in the middle of it too and I think that Rob will stop answering my calls or text in the week leading up to the playoffs. I was notified by a few players in the league that Les Blues Branleurs were over their cap in a game earlier in the season and the game happened to be against Grabuge. Well, a tie became a win for Grabuge which vaulted them into the playoffs. It gave them the extra point they needed to be tied with Mutation in the standings and use the tie breaker to leap frog right over them. While it can be a shitty way to get bounced out of the playoffs, ultimately this should have been the result anyways.

Back to the football, just by looking at their previous matchup, which didn’t happen all that long ago, it’s hard to think of a future where Grabuge pulls this one off. It’s less a reflection of Grabuge and more so an indication of just how strong CheatCode is built. This game should be much closer, though, as Nicolas Emmanuel-Pierre will hopefully be back at Wide Receiver and Alex Campeau at QB. I don’t know if that will give them the win but it may give them a larger ray of hope.

CheatCode on the other hand knows who their starting QB will be and he will throw his embarrassment of riches towards Grabuge. Papich, Lindor, Peress and Felima are simply too much for Grabuge to handle. I’d even say if you took two of these guys out of the game that CheatCode would still be the heavy favorites. It’s just not fair.

Prediction: CheatCode 39 – 19

 

2 Tough Lungs vs. 7 Team Ethnik

Previous Matchup: Tough Lungs 38 – 12

When I look at their previous matchup, coupled with the fact that Team Ethnik just lost to the Thunder Buddies, I don’t have a whole lot of confidence that Team Ethnik can turn it around in time to surprise Tough Lungs. They didn’t have Benoit Lawlor at QB which obviously makes a huge difference, but there isn’t really any evidence to suggest that Team Ethnik can pull this one off.

Don’t get me wrong, they have the tools, but there hasn’t been enough consistency in the season and I think that will be their down fall. Tough Lungs have been strong throughout led by the play of Matthew and Justin Lerner while Daron Migdesyan has provided excellent support as well. If Lawlor plays, the matchups between Ferland and De Andrade against Justin Lerner and Migdesyan should actually be pretty even but it’s tough to predict if all will be present. It’s definitely Team Ethnik’s best chance at winning.

Regardless, I still give the edge to Tough Lungs. While he has a few top weapons, Matthew Lerner has spread the ball around nicely all season and has put together a very strong campaign. He should be able to avoid De Andrade and take what the Team Ethnik defense gives him, which has sometimes been open for business.

Prediction: 38 – 19 Tough Lungs

 

3 Ball So Hard U. vs. 6 Voodoo

Previous Matchup: Ball So Hard U. 48 – 24

If I had to bet on an upset, this would be it. While Ball So Hard U. has 9 players who qualified for the playoffs, only 3 players on the team played more than 7 games. If they can fit both Lazzara’s and Jonathan Mandracchia, it may spell disaster for Voodoo but it’s anybody’s call as to who will be playing for Ball So Hard U.

Voodoo on the other hand has been steady all season long. Frank Kaye just threw for the most yards in the division and they have been able to surprise a few people. They are better than their 5-5 record and the combination of St-Armand and Kevin Marcil can allow them to compete with anybody. As good as Joseph Buffone can be, I’ll take Frank Kaye’s experience any day – especially in big key moments in the playoffs. Talking to him earlier in the season showed me that he’s out there just having a blast, playing loose and just enjoying his time on the field. It’s hard to shake a guy like that. 

I think the game will be close. I think Voodoo will try to keep possession of the ball for as long as possible and I think that they may frustrate Ball So Hard U. a little bit more than they’d like. We’ll see who shows up to the field, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the 6 team take this one.

Prediction: Voodoo 26 – 25

 

4 Thunder Buddies vs. 5 Touched By An Angeletti

Previous Matchup: Touched By An Angeletti 27 – 6

It’s important to note that their first meeting came during a stretch where the Thunder Buddies went 1-4 to start the season and they have since won 5 in a row. The record should also state that I gave this team credit for battling through the tough part of their schedule and that I saw them having an easier time in the second half of the season.

Thunder Buddies’ weapons finally came alive and the winning streak may have provided the confidence boost that they needed. It’s a 4th seed against a 5th seed so obviously I think that this game should be close, much closer than the first time around. This game features two teams on opposite trajectories and the goal for Angeletti and co. will be to stop the slide right away and get back to the same strategy that beat Thunder Buddies so badly in their first game.

I must say that while Touched by An Angeletti haven’t been extremely consistent, their last win against the Baby Kangaroos is incredibly optimistic for them. They have just recently proved that they can compete and win against the Division’s top team and that should have them riding high. They’ll need to string a few good games together now to do some damage in the playoffs which they have struggled to do, but they are definitely a capable group.

Prediction: Touched by An Angeletti 32 – 26

 

Conference B

 

1 Baby Kangaroos vs. 8 Sunday Touch Boys

Previous Matchup: N/A

It can be fun to cheer for an upset, but I just don’t see it happening here. David Roaldi has turned the Sunday Touch Boys season around quite nicely as most would not have picked them for a playoff spot at the start of the season but it may just be short lived. If there is a shimmer of hope it would have been to record the Baby Kangaroos’ last game of the season, their only loss, and copy that game plan. Who knows though, weirder things have happened.

The Baby Kangaroos are just simply way too strong from top to bottom. Joey Taylor and two-way player of the year, Zach Zwirn, will come ready to play and it can be tough for anybody in the division to stop them. Remy Montalto, Donald Mathurin and Damien Jean-Jacques will certainly have their hands full. Whenever you’re playing against a superior team, try to hold onto the ball, not make any mistakes and match the opponent drive for drive. The longer the game stays close, the greater chance the Sunday Touch Boys have at the unthinkable. 

Also, play on the fact that Joey Taylor didn’t win an award but Zwirn did. Just like the Avengers, get them to turn on themselves because let’s face it, the Sunday Touch Boys are much more like a Baron Zemo and much less like Thanos. You can’t fight fire with fire in this game and expect to win.

Prediction: Baby Kangaroos 38 – 15

 

2 Green Lantern Corps vs. 7 Longhorns

Previous Matchup: Green Lantern Corps 31 – 18

Is it just me, or were the first two weeks of the season a preview for a lot of these playoff matchups? This one dates all the way back to week 1 where Green Lantern Corps just received their shiny new toy and put it to good use right away. Overshadowing everybody in the game quite literally and figuratively, Riccardo Desrosiers led all receivers with 7 catches and 2 TDs, which helped give Green Lantern Corps the win.

Simply put, I don’t know that the Longhorns have the kind of defender that can square off one on one against Desrosiers and stop him for an entire game. Do teams ever double team in FPF? Probably not a good idea, but the Longhorns will definitely need to get creative as to how they will shut him down. Even if they manage that, though, they will have to worry about Mendy Cardichon who can burn them at any time.

The solution? Try to get in Hai Minh Luong’s face early and often and force him to make mistakes. Moodie will have to dial it back to last season as well and show the same form as when he won QB of the year for the Longhorns to have a fighting chance in these playoffs. Adam Rosen and Patrick Jazon are the keys for their victory. No more excuses, rust is officially off, and I expect this game to be high scoring.

Prediction: Green Lantern Corps 32 – 28

 

3 Wrecking Crew vs. 6 Adonis A’s

Previous Matchup: Wrecking Crew 31 – 12

I still don’t think people are giving Adonis A’s enough credit this season, however they didn’t have a great stretch run at the end of the season. Are they a product of an easy first half schedule? Or are they better than their second half schedule? I think the real Adonis A’s falls somewhere in the middle, however I am worried that they do not have enough experience to beat a team like Wrecking Crew who now has a full season under their belts to get rid of the kinks and hopefully perform like they did last season.

You can argue that Wrecking Crew had a relatively easy close to the season and after a few bumps mid way through, it was easy sailing. Regardless, this team plays well together and they do not rely on any given player for them to have success. The exception to that rule may just be Stephen Harripersaud. Wrecking Crew goes in the way of Harripersaud and there are definitely a lot worse odds out there. He’s great at coming in with a game plan and executing and when he doesn’t force throws, they have a good shot.

This matchup will be interesting, as it tends to fall into the category of youth versus experience. I think I like experience in this one, as I do most of the time.

Prediction: Wrecking Crew 32 – 25

 

4 Dream Breakers vs. 5 Vick in a Box

Previous Matchup: N/A

If we’re being honest here and I’d like to think we are, this is the matchup I probably know least about. Vick in a Box has had a roller coaster season and it’s tough to get a read on how they will perform week in and week out. Congratulations to Max Burah on winning wide receiver of the year. He will obviously garner a lot of attention in this game and it will be interesting to see whether Styles Trudeau uses the rest of his group who didn’t have a great year collectively, or whether he will force throws in to Burah. I think if he tries to only utilize Burah it will make things easy on Dream Breakers and his 17 interception total on the season will only continue to increase. 

Sebastien Dallaire on the other side did a much better job at spreading the ball around and that is often much more successful, especially in the playoffs. Besides Pierre-Alexandre Tache getting 15 TDs, 3 other players had over 20 catches whereas only 1 other player had more than 20 on Vick in a Box. The difference is that nobody really stood out on Dream Breakers, which may actually be a good thing. How does Vick in a Box defense prepare in that case?

While I think Vick in a Box has the stud in this matchup, give me depth any day. It worked for Vegas this year in the NHL and I think it will work for Dream Breakers.

Prediction: Dream Breakers 26 – 19