Food for Thought (D4) – Week 3

As another set of games were served and eaten, the division’s top and bottom continued to melt away. Three teams grudgingly swallowed their first defeat this season while 3 more enjoyed the sweet euphoria of their inaugural 2011 victory.

But what exactly makes a team win? How does one measure the potency of an incoming opponent? How can we compare the different quarterbacks in the division? What is the impact of these quarterbacks on their respective teams?

These are all valid questions that I will delve into with the help of carefully researched statistics.

While some may have taken a quick glance at the team differentials, points scored and points allowed, I have decided to analyze these numbers thoroughly.

The first discovery I stumbled upon, is that Conference A is much weaker than Conference B. While Conference B teams have scored a total of 1206 points in 3 games, their counterparts were only able to muster 979 points, a difference of 227 points!

Nonetheless, Conference A has proven to be slightly stouter on the defensive side than Conference B allowing 1024 points compared to 1161.

But their defensive efforts don’t seem to be enough since Conference B outshines them with a +45 differential. Conference A is negative with a poor -45…..

Are the best offensive teams in Conference B then? Yes…and no.

The team with the most points scored per game is none other than the surprising Conference A team Primetime (3-0), who, with their 112 points scored, are averaging 37.3 points per game.

But beyond this surprise effort, teams ranking 2nd to 7th are all confined to Conference B.

Conclusion? Bring your best defensive schemes against Conference B’s top dogs if you don’t want to be eaten alive!

On the flip side, Maximum Carnage rule the Division with an atom-like point allowed per game average of 10. Among the best defensive teams in the Division, we can find the diligent Monstars who boast the 3rd best points allowed (37). However, you will find them looking up from the 25th echelon in the points scored column…

2 other teams seem to totally master one aspect of the game while completely forsaking the other. Indeed, Sphinx and the Gorilla Juiceheads are respectively 2nd and 6th in the scoring column while dropping as low as the 26th and 30th(!) rank regarding points allowed…. If you are part of one of these franchises, look no further to explain your woes!

 

Here is a list of the most balanced teams, all appearing in both Points For and Points Against top 10.

 

The Family PF: 3rd  PA: 6th

Longhorns PF: 4th  PA: 9th

Patriotes PF: 7th  PA: 7th

Top Guns PF: 8th  PA: 8th

Maximum Carnage PF: 10th  PA: 1st

 

I hope all this has gotten you thinking.

Because your brain will definitely need to be warmed up for the next part!

Here is an in-depth look at the most important position in flag-football and the individuals who practice it.

In my mind, four values can indicate the all-around mastery of a quarterback on his position:

Passing percentage can provide some information regarding a quarterback’s accuracy as well as his decision making. A pivot sporting a high passing percentage is usually adept at making the right decision under pressure. He also moves the ball efficiently down the field.

QB rating is also paramount in analysing a quarterback’s aerial ability, decision making and elusiveness. Most importantly, it takes into account the TD’s and interceptions, key elements in a football game.

Passing yards alone cannot tell much. With that in mind, I have decided to add passing and rushing yards together and divide them by the number of offensive plays run by a quarterback (pass attempts + rushing attempts + sacks). This amount does not include rushing plays credited to another offensive player or passes caught behind the line of scrimmage that result in a positive gain. The resulting number is a helpful indication of the yardage a QB is potentially able to produce on every play.

The last value I take a look at when evaluating a QB is the efficiency with which he reaches the endzone. This is calculated in a similar way than yards per play (YP). However, instead of dividing the amount of yards by the number of offensive plays, I divide the number of plays by the amount of TD’s. The value produced this way tells us how many plays it takes, on average, for a QB to score a touchdown. This value is called average plays per touchdown (APT).

 

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in each statistical category:

 

Pass % (25 attempts mimimum)

1. Maxime Forget (the Family)  75.0

2. Doug McKernan (Primetime)  69.4

3. Evan Ely Nolet (Sharks)  67.3

4. Étienne Cloutier (Sphinx)  67.2

5. Philippe Podtetenev (Hard Knocks)  64.4

6. Étienne Chauvin (Patriotes)  63.6

7. Gautama Swaminadhan (X-Men)  62.1

8. Nicolas Ostiguy-Barrière (Sharks)  60.0

9. Mike Mendell (Maximum Carnage)  59.0

10. Pedro Pana (Trapstars)  55.6

 

Of all these players, Evan Nolet is the most intriguing. His team decided to replace him with Nicolas Ostiguy after the first 2 losses of the season, but to no avail. Both pivots have had good numbers but the inability to produce inside the red zone is what ultimately cost Evan his position.

 

QB rating

 

1. Maxime Forget (The Family)  137.3

2. Doug McKernan (Primetime)  135.8

3. Philippe Podtetenev (Hard Knocks)  127.0

4. Étienne Chauvin (Patriotes)  112.2

5. Étienne Cloutier (Sphinx)  109.3

6. Mike Mendell (Maximum Carnage)  104.8

7. Jon Moodie (Longhorns)  103.9

8. Terrance Morsink (Gorilla Juiceheads)  99.6

9. Nicolas Ostiguy-Barrière (Sharks)  99.2

10. Mike Bagnato (Kludgies)  93.3

Surprisingly enough, the rookie Philippe Podtetenev is perched on the 3rd echelon of this all-important statistical column. Perhaps the quarterback of the future for the UdeM Carabins, Philippe has yet to throw an interception this season. The only sign of his inexperience would be the 8 sacks against him in 3 games…

 

YP (40 offensive plays minimum)

 

1. Maxime Forget (the Family)  8.360

2. Doug McKernan (Primetime)  7.954

3. Jerry Charles (Top Guns)  7.905

4. Étienne Chauvin (Patriotes)  7.493

5. Étienne Cloutier (Sphinx)  7.056

6. Mike Mendell (Maximum Carnage)  6.928

7. Erminio Iadeluca (Rams)  6.756

8. Philippe Podtetenev (Hard Knocks)  6.639

9. Jean Junior Sylvain (Barbarianz Squad)  6.192

10. Evan Ely Nolet (Sharks)  6.017

Once again, Maxime Forget and Doug McKernan lead the pack with some impressive numbers. Forget still hasn’t thrown an interception or been sacked this year. Nonetheless, the presence of Doug McKernan so high in the QB stats is not something most would have predicted at the season’s beginning.

 

APT (40 offensive plays minimum)

 

1. Étienne Cloutier (Sphinx)  4.733

2. Étienne Chauvin (Patriotes)  4.929

3. Maxime Forget (the Family)  5.000

4. Doug McKernan (Primetime)  5.118

5. Mike Mendell (Maximum Carnage)  5.308

6. Jerry Charles (Top Guns)  5.727

7. Jon Moodie (Longhorns)  6.000

8. Philippe Podtetenev (Hard Knocks)  6.000

9. Terrance Morsink (Gorilla Juiceheads)  6.091

10. Gautama Swaminadhan (X-Men)  7.000

Étienne Cloutier and the potent Sphinx offense have proven to be extremely difficult to contain since their inception into the league. Cloutier’s flair for the endzone is tremendous and his overall passing stats are quite stellar. The only mark of concern one could express towards his play, would be his lack of a proper running game (3 attempts for 13 yards).

 

And now, the awaited Power Rankings:

1.  The Family (3-0): 3rd in offensive stats, 6th in defense and the best quarterback in the division. Not much to add there.

2. Patriotes (2-1): Though they just lost to the Family, rebounding from a close loss to the best team in the division should not prove too difficult for the Pats. They are still the second best team in my mind.

3.  Primetime (3-0): Boasting a staggering 37 plus points scored per game, they are definitely a tough opponent to contend with.

4.  Maximum Carnage (3-0): A stellar defence, a dangerous running game and an experienced quarterback will most likely secure this team to a playoff spot and in enviable position.

5.  Gators (3-0): The second best defence in the Division, the Gators keep wearing down their opponents with methodical play.

6.  Longhorns (3-0): This veteran team continues to steadily outplay the less experienced teams. What will happen when they face off against a powerhouse?

7.  Sphinx (2-1): Étienne Cloutier is slowly getting back to his usual form and this will mean trouble for any opposition who come in the way of the Sphinx. One of the deadliest attacks in the Division.

8.  X-Men (2-1): By trouncing the undefeated Those Guys, Gautama Swaminadhan and his gang have asserted themselves as a top team in the division. Their defensive play until now has been quite impressive.

9.  Lobster Dinner (2-1): Pretty much the result of a role-player all-star squad, Lobster Dinner does not have a star player. However, their team chemistry and defensive discipline enables them to come out on top.

10. Hard Knocks (2-1): Playing in FPF for the first time, these kids are adapting at an alarming rate. Every week, they seem more comfortable and, by the season’s end, Philippe Podtetenev and his receivers will most likely have reached their flag-football potential.

 

 

Remember to play hard and have fun! I will be at Lachine as always, so pass by and have a chat. I am always looking to learn more about the different teams I am covering!

 

If you have any suggestions, comments or wish to make a more direct contribution to this article, please contact me at [email protected]