Division D Week 4 Recap

What makes a great quarterback-wide receiver tandem?

As a colts fan, and if you check the record books, I would argue until death that Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison were the best to ever do it over a long period of time.

A lot of people would probably say that Montana and Rice and even Steve Young and Jerry Rice are a top of the list.

If we looked at the NFL today, who would make the list?

My vote would probably be Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, although I think that Jordy Nelson and Aaron Rodgers helped make each other better.

I also think it would be wrong to include tandems like Matt Ryan and Julio Jones or Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski for the simple fact that Julio Jones and Rob Gronkowski would be dominate either way. Those two have put up great numbers together, but I’m not ready to say that their chemistry is at the same level of some of the all-time greats.

That leads to the question of, what makes a duo so good? I can give suggestions like work and repetition, but I’ll let you guys give your own answers.

For my players of the week segment, the focus in Division D1 is on some of the better FPF Division D duos. With my article this week I will include a poll on Facebook and it will be fun to see who the league considers to be the best.

 

Week 4 – Recaps

 

D1

For the Show 20 vs. Supply and Command 13

Summer of Peeze! The one where Peeze throws caution to the wind and manages to put forth a different roster every week in the hopes that it brings him happiness and victory but only to succumb to the despair that awaits. With a wrist injury that hasn’t quite healed, Supply and Command we’re forced to scramble for a last second QB for this game. When I say scramble, I mean at the final hour, right before game time, they eagerly searched for somebody who had just finished a game to play QB for them. The fact that they still managed to come within a score doesn’t say much for For the Show. It doesn’t help that Jean-Felix Daloze a la Shane Falco only completed 5 passes.

In what was a battle between two teams competing for both the victory and who could have the longest roster card at the end of the season, For the Show edged out a victory in this defensive battle. As I mentioned, Daloze had trouble completing passes and often tried to gain yards on the ground and had a lot of success even though he was sacked twice by Boris Balourd. Eddy Lee and Balourd both scored on offense and Chris Milard had the game changing pick 6 on defense to secure the victory. While both offenses stalled at different points in the game, Justin Blanchard still managed a decent game for Supply and Command and Eddy Lee got his usual amount of work with 50 yards and a touchdown.

The whirlwind of a season continues for Supply and Command and just like a Kanye Album, they tend to feature new faces every week. I highly recommend checking out their box scores every week because you never know, you might just see your name.

Both teams have opposite records of 3-2 and 2-3 now after last night’s games and both should see a battle at the end of the season for a playoff spot. I give the edge to For the Show for pure consistency, but Supply and Command should have a higher ceiling if they can get it together.

 

The Brotherhood 38 vs. Renegades 20

This was the kind of game we expected to see from the Brotherhood since the start of the season and it was a pleasure to watch. For those in the media who have hinted or outright said that Jamal Gittens needs a number one threat for them to be good were both right and wrong. Wrong in the sense that they did not need to look elsewhere, but right when it came to how Jamal would build on some success. A large reason as to why they played so well in this game was due to the fact that any time Gittens needed a big play, he looked to Ryan Dobbs-Garnett and it almost always yielded results. We’ll hear from both of them a little bit further down in the article as well.

Both teams actually played very well in this game and the difference were the few times where Gittens and Dobbs-Garnett were able to make big plays and the fact that Gittens did not turn the ball over. Omar Jackson had a big interception for the Brotherhood and Jeffrey Lefebvre was simply not able to convert on enough 4th downs to keep this game close.

Alexandre Provencher-Rivest had a great game all around for the Renegades who have had an extremely unlucky Spring season to date. They have an extremely difficult schedule to close out the season as well so things may only get worse before they get better, if they do get better at all. I think that this is a team who would have had a lot more success in Division D2 but they have been on the wrong end of close games all season. They just lost by a point to Fun Boys last night which doesn’t help things.

The Brotherhood have been an interesting case study this season and it will be fun to watch them in the second half of the season. They are currently at the .500 mark and I actually expect them to finish 6-4 or 5-5 just looking at their remaining schedule. Either way, if this game is any indication, if they start clicking and Jamal figures out the QB position, they can do some damage.

 

D2

Ball So Hard U. 48 vs. Voodoo 24

Voodoo has been hot and cold this season and Ball So Hard U. only has one loss and it came by forfeit so they have been hard to get a read on. Well, if you are paying attention, they are trying to tell us not to take them lightly. Ball So Hard U’s QB Joseph Buffone was excellent in this one and has been strong in the two games that he’s played. They beat up on a skilled, experienced team last week in Voodoo and I think the rest of the Division should keep an eye on how they do moving forward.

The game was probably a little bit closer than the score shows and the difference were two untimely interceptions by Frank Kaye. Patrick St-Armand did his thing like usual and had 10 catches. He and Kevin Marcil make up the majority of the offense for Voodoo and if you can slow either of them down, or both, you give yourself a good chance to win.

The two stars on this day for Ball So Hard U. were Jonathan Mandracchia who I tried to get out for an interview but couldn’t reach him, and Brandon St. Jacques-Turpin who had 10 tackles and a pick-6! 10 tackles! Most of the time the leading tackler in a season finishes with 40-50 tackles and he had 10 in one game. Insane. The pick-6 was the cherry on the cake for him, as he provided an excellent support system on offense too.

It’s crazy to see Ball So Hard U. perform so well and have Daniel Lazzara be an afterthought for these guys. We’ve seen time and again that he can have a big impact in games and they are succeeding without much of his help.

 

Les Blues Branleurs 15 vs. Grabuge 15

Tale of two halves. Just as Thanos was seeking balance in the Universe we get this game. Two teams who are most likely not too happy with how their season is going on the cusp of getting their first or second win of the season, they get stuck with the tie. I would say that most people feel pretty much the same when it comes to ties – what’s the saying, it’s like kissing your grandmother on the lips? Sums it up for me.

The first half saw a lot of success for Grabuge and specifically for Nicolas-Emmanuel Pierre. After playing with him last season, I can tell you that there are few players who are willing to do whatever is necessary for their team like Nick. On the first drive of the game, Pierre picked off Olivier Pilotto in his own endzone and ran it back for 6. On the ensuing drive, he capitalized on a blown coverage and score a touchdown to go up 13-0. The unlucky first half for Les Blues Branleurs continued as they gave up a safety and made the score 15-0 for Grabuge going into the second half.

The second half seemed to flip the faiths. After a strong first half, Grabuge could not get anything going offensively and saw Alex Campeau throw an interception, as well as a bunch of missed assignments on defense. Les Blues Branleurs scored twice, including an impressive two point convert to tie the game. They had to be perfect in the second half and they were so kudos to them.

On the final drive of the game, Grabuge had a chance to take the lead but Pierre couldn’t complete the hatrick and had a ball knocked out of his hands in the endzone on the final play of the game to keep the tie alive.

 

Power Rankings

Almost halfway through the season, we are really starting to see teams separate themselves.

Division D1

1. All Hooks (4-0) – They have yet to falter and have looked the most impressive. This one is easy.
2. B.D. Bandits (4-0) – The only other undefeated team, this stretch of games coming up will be important, including a date with the top seed in week 6.
3. Half-A-Stars (3-1) – Their only loss is without their QB and best defensive player. No reason for them to move around too much.
4. Ice Up (4-1) – They seem to be getting their groove back and have a lot of firepower.
5. Gotham Knights (4-1) – After a quick loss to number 4, they just beat number 6. They seem to fit perfectly right here at 5.
6. Homosapiens (4-1) – Francois Deslauriers has looked like the best QB in the Division so far.
7. Comeback SZN (3-1) – If Kahalil Kerr and Hasani Worrell continue to click like they did last week, the sky is the limit for this team.
8. Super Saiyans (3-1) – They haven’t looked flashy but have beaten some solid teams in close games.

 

Division D2

1. Cheat Code (4-0) – Joe Kano and his plethora of weapons continue to stand strong at the top of this list and I don’t see Mutation giving them their first loss.
2. Baby Kangaroos (5-0) – I’ve probably said this before, but more of a 1A. It’s too bad that they don’t play CheatCode during the regular season, but all signs point to a finals meeting for these two.
3. Green Lantern Corps (4-1) – They have been the most consistent team in the Division if you exclude the top 2 teams.
4. Ball So Hard U. (3-1) – Just beat up on Voodoo and have a talented, experienced roster.
5. Team Ethnik (3-1) – Their win against Browns de Boucherville is way too close for comfort. Another poor performance can send them down the list.
6. Adonis A’s (4-0) – They are a bit lower on the list only because of their strength of schedule so far not being overly difficult.
7. Touched by An Angeletti (3-1-1) – Shayne Feinberg, meet Patrick St-Armand. Rough outing against Voodoo but he should learn from it.
8. Wrecking Crew (3-2) – I’ll admit, they have had a few slips this season, but they get my 8th spot due to their experience and potential. They’ll need to do better than Sunday Night though.

 

“You ball, You get the call”

I had a really great turnout this week, especially in D1. I went with the theme of quarterback/wide receiver tandems because of the great performances we saw this week in D1. Most of the stats you see below saw quarterbacks throw for more than 200 yards and at least 5 touchdowns and the receivers who helped them along the way.

In D2, a lot more close games with fewer individual performances but still some that stood out. Shoutout to Jonathan Mandracchia who had a solid game with 94 yards, 3 TDs and an interception on defense.

 

Division D1

Homosapiens – Francois Deslauriers – 19/25, 235 yards, 6 TDs, 2 tackles, 1 INT

Homosapiens – Lonnie Johnson – 6 catches, 79 yards, 3 TDs, 3 tackles

Are you guys feeling the pressure of being undefeated? Francois, what’s filled with more pressure, being undefeated or not having thrown a pick yet?

Lonnie: We’re not feeling any pressure at all. We are playing one game at a time. We’ve all played enough sports to realize that undefeated doesn’t guarantee a championship. Long road ahead and more work to do.

Francois: I don’t feel any pressure related to our current record. As I said, we could play the same four teams again and go 0-4. I’ve lost a final after having gone 10-0 and won a championship with a 6-4 regular season record. Now I do feel natural pressure when I coach or play QB because I have the impression of having a bigger responsibility in the outcome. As for picks, they will come, don’t worry.

Francois you seem to be using Lonnie more and more, have you guys tried to figure out ways to get you more involved, Lonnie, or are there side deals going on?

Lonnie: Francois has been lights out. His reading has been amazing. Our stats prove it Kenton has 7 Td’s, myself and Ben have 5, GM 3 Dave is driving the field and keeping drives alive. Every week there is a different leader in o. His patience his alowing him to take what is there. But on a side note, he knows who feeds him the rock in winter…lol

Francois: I’ve been snapping for Lonnie for the last three years so we are just exchanging roles. It makes things easier when the other one has been there before. And Lonnie has a great memory, so I have to feed him here and there unless goodbye my stats next Winter.

Any stories behind the bandana? I was talking to GM before the season and that seems to be your calling card. How bout you Lonnie, any superstitions?

Lonnie: I’ve never been superstitious. At my age I’m just happy to be on the field with you young guys!

Francois: OK so time to make this column a little bit less interesting. I was working in a day camp 20 years ago and was always wearing a cap. Kids wouldn’t stop batting it down so one day I showed up with a bandana instead and they left me quiet. So I started wearing this 24/7 for a few years and then always kept wearing it for sports. I do feel “incomplete” when I forget to bring one. Next step is to make FPF staff liking it.

 

Comeback SZN – Khalil Kerr – 19/24, 279 yards, 7 TDs, 1 INT, 3 rushes, 27 yards, 1 TD

Comeback SZN – Hasani Worrell – 7 catches, 109 yards, 3 TDs

Who’s more important to the team, Khalil or Hasani?

Khalil: We all play an important role on the team so no one is more important that the other.

Hasani: Definitely Khalil because without him there’s nobody to get myself and the other big play makers on the squad the ball.

What are your pre-game routines?

Khalil: I stretch and listen to music with my team before our games.

Hasani: Pre game routine is always buy candy before getting to the field and once I get there its a dance ting with the squad just to get loose S/O to Zach.. and never stretching.

In each of your opinions, what’s make this combination so great?

Khalil: We’ve been playing on the same team for about 3-4 seasons now, so I guess you can say that we’ve built a chemistry. I know how he’s going to run his routes and where he wants the ball and that’s what makes it harder for the defenders to stop it.

Hasani: what makes this combination so great is Khalil knows whenever he needs me I’m going to step up and make the big play in the clutch.. I know he’s tired of hearing this but I’m always open in my eyes.

 

Ice Up – Jack Zergiotis – 19/25, 205 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT

Ice Up – Jordan Mcinnis – 7 catches, 69 yards, 4 TDs, 2 tackles, 1 INT

So between the two of you, Jordan actually has the better QB rating. How short is the leash and would you guys hesitate to switch it up if you got in trouble in a big game?

Jordan: There is no leash for us, jack might have the lower rating but he has more real life QB experience than me and is by far way better. So if ever we got in trouble id bet my money he’d get us out much better than I could.

Jack: There are definitely times where a switch is needed at the Quarterback position. I know for a fact that it’ll never get to that extent, but if somehow it does and I feel like I can’t get the job done, I’ll be the first one to switch myself out. I don’t think my team has a leash for myself or anybody else on the team. We trust each other and we know and expect that our teammates will get the job done.

Tell the rest of us what it’s like in your huddle. Does Jack take no bullshit or is it fair game for suggestions?

Jordan: Without giving away too much, our huddle is great, we have suggestions for jack from what we see out there and he has suggestions for us. I think what helps us gain success is the fact that we trust each other’s judgement on what play will execute for us better.

Jack: Our team is very good at communicating. If one of us sees something that we could possibly exploit in the opposing teams defense, we speak up without hesitation. The huddle for us is 100% open to play suggestions.

I love the team name. If you guys were creating a boy band instead, what would the band name be and who would have what role?

Jack & Jordan: As far as a band name we have no clue to be honest but if we had to choose we’d stay with “Ice Up” because so far it’s brought us success so why change it? And as our roles go, for me, jack has got to be the lead role or the main act but the rest of us its hard to say because the way we play our roles change each game. Some games im needed to score red zone tds and some games we need me to be possession receiver and secure big 3rd and forth down conversions and that stays true for the rest of the squad, we change up roles from week to week depending on the team were playing.

 

All Hooks – Nicolas Schaefer – 16/24, 225 yards, 6 TDs

All Hooks – Thomas Coutu – 6 catches, 108 yards, 2 TDs, 1 tackle, 2 sacks, 2 PDs

What is your game plan against The Sheriff?

Nicolas: With the mobility of our QB we expect he’ll be running a lot and break ankles! Honestly, it is his best attribute and he’ll use it.

Thomas: Fortunately for the Sheriff, I will not be there, but I know that the game plan will be to stay undefeated!

What are some of your more embarrassing songs on your iPhones?

Thomas: Gotta go with some good old Bon Jovi on my phone. My little guilty pleasure.

Nicolas: Toxic, Britney Spears

Do either of you feel any pressure for being undefeated?

Nicolas: Not at all. We think we have the best team and whatever our W/L record says, we can beat anyone.

Thomas: Of course we have that pressure, but we’ll use that pressure to our advantage like we always do and stay undefeated.

 

The Brotherhood – Jamal Gittens – 14/23, 193 yards, 6 TDs, 2 rushes, 10 yards, 3 tackles

The Brotherhood – Ryan Dobbs-Garnett – 5 catches, 74 yards, 3 TDs, 2 tackles

Between the two of you, who’d be the one to pull a JR Smith and who would be the Lebron in the equation and publicly show his frustration towards the move?

Ryan: I would be the one to pull the jr move, Jamal would be lebron in the equation because of his drive and leadership and awareness of crucial moments in games.

Jamal: As it is my second go around at QB and the last minutes are crucial in any game. I do feel since I am the QB I am the leader and would take ownership for any lost we take, JR would be any of the guys on the team including myself who can make a mistake we would just have to get together as a team and get better.

A lot of people in the media have been saying that Jamal doesn’t have a go to target. Did this shut them up? Was it motivation for either of you?

Ryan: I go into every game motivated to put up numbers for my team & to make my QB look like the stud he is. I’m leading the team in Touchdowns but he’s got plenty of other targets making moves. I’m just trying to get open and win ball games as a team.

Jamal: As far as it goes as primary target, I like to look at matchups and see what the defense is giving me. On any given night any one of my guys could have a monster game. Thus far, most teams are underestimating Ryan and just focusing on Omar which is a huge mistake on their part. My motivation is to get the brotherhood another championship and to progress as a Quarterback.

According to each of you, what’s been the primary reason for the rocky season so far?

Ryan: It’s all a learning curve. We are learning how to play together as a unit. We have guys playing positions they haven’t played before. It’s not a fully new team we have the core. The pieces are coming together.

Jamal: Simple, my lack of consistancy and preparation at quarterback. Nothing else.

 

Division D2

 

Adonis A’s – Michael Khazaka – 8 catches, 103 yards, 2 TDs

Even at 4-0, do you think like most people aren’t taking you seriously?

That’s not really important to me, what matters is that we go out, play well and have fun as a team.

How did you convince Alexandre to get all of the red zone looks?

I didn’t, Alex is very aware of the movements in the short zone in front of him in these situations and he will throw to the man that is open. It may be the trust I have in him and our consequent chemistry that make me his preferred target.

Besides a championship, what are some of your goals for the season?

To develop as a unit and most importantly to leave our games happy to have played together. I will not be present for the next two games, but I believe that our team is complete enough to play as well if not better than in my presence

 

Wrecking Crew – Stephen Harripersaud – 20/28, 208 yards, 6 TDs, 1 rush, 6 yards

We’ve had you on this segment quite a bit. Besides flag football, what do you enjoy in your free time?

Family Time!

What’s the best part about having Kevin Smuda on the team?

It’s a different weapon from the other players I played with. Been a while I’ve been trying to get to play with him. Always fun to play with new players!

Been wanting to ask you since last season, but was it tough playing in two finals back to back? Did that affect your performance in the second game?

In the moment it didn’t seem like it. Was on a high from the first game. But after the game, everything I game planned for, I got away or forgot to do it.

 

Thunder Buddies – Frankie Scalzo – 1 tackle, 1 sack, 3 INTs, 1 Def. TD

It’s your second season in FPF, what was the biggest lesson learned after season 1?

It’s hard to exactly say what the biggest lesson learned was, since i played QB in my first year and now I’m mostly playing rusher/wr. It’s totally different responsibilities. I think for me the biggest thing I learned from my first year is that there are a lot of good experienced teams in this league and you can not afford to turn the ball over on offence, especially in the opponents red zone. You have to always punch those in for a TD or else they can be really deflating to your team. A teams ability to outplay their opponent in the red zone on offence and defence is huge! It has decided a lot of the games i’ve played in so far.

You are probably the first player I’ve selected on purely a defensive merit with 3 interceptions and one to the house. How did you end up being so dominant on the defensive side of the ball?

First off, thanks. I appreciate the recognition. I personally didn’t start the game off well at all. Mutation’s QB was scrambling all over the backfield and I was just chasing him around and I was always two steps behind him. Then, my team mates told me not to rush as hard and just contain him. So, once I started letting him make the first move, which he always did, it got easier to maintain him and cut his running lanes. I actually got two picks playing cornerback in our own end zone, which completely killed any momentum the other team had from their offensive drives. But, I was definitely proudest of my batted ball for a pick six, especially since I had to juke the QB to get to the house. I wasn’t able to make a difference on offence, so, I tried my best to be a game changer on defence. Our whole team played well though, it wasn’t just me. My guys deserve a lot of credit too.

First win of the season, what worked so well for you guys?

We took care of the football on offence. Drove the ball well. We had one bad turnover in the red zone but came back from that with some solid defence. I think we played with a lot of defensive intensity in this game. Everyone had to be held accountable, especially on the defensive side of the ball. It was a big game for us because Mutation was ahead of us in the standings and they were in a playoff spot, so, we could not afford to lose. We looked at that game, as if it were a playoff game.

 

CheatCode – Joseph Kano – 216/26, 235 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT

You’ve had a solid season so far but this game felt over the top. Did you make any changes to the pre game routine?

We’ve put together a very competitive team this season, which I believe is capable of playing like we did on a weekly basis. The experienced Longhorns played with a quick pace which turned the game into a shootout, and in the end we were able to walk away from a tough opponent with a W.

What would you say to those around the league who feel like you guys should be in Div D1 it higher?

Everyone on the team has played their share of FPF games and had the chance to be fairly rated so I don’t think there’s any issue with us playing in D2. We’re also only 4 games into the season, there’s a lot of football left to be played and anything can happen.

Couldn’t help but notice you went to a Prep School like me. What was the best part about the experience?

Prep School was overall an amazing experience from the academics, sports, extracurriculars and social life. If I had to choose a favourite part it would have to be how diverse and different each student was which made for a really unique little community, without prep school I may not have had the chance to meet so many interesting people.