Fourth-and-Goal (Div 4) – Playoffs Week 3

After thirteen weeks of amazing football, we’re finally at the pinnacle: the Division 4 finals. The damp, dimly-lit and leaky Catalogna dome will be replaced by the bright, noisy and packed Bell Complex in Brossard. Once you’re on the field, ready to go with your cleats laced up, the sheer magnitude of it all finally hits you. Every play will count. You’ll want to make sure that you give every play your all, because you don’t want to be filled with regret over what could have been at the end of the day.

 

Division 4 has been nothing short of fantastic this year. We’ve seen some of the best games in a long time; elevated competition, more teams and a ton of talent have indeed made Division 4 an entertaining division to watch. We’ve seen major upsets, whoopings, gritty battles and everything in between. However, there can only be two finalists. Without further ado, I give you my Week 13 article, previewing the matchup between The Incredibles and Les Buddays. I’m excited to break down and compare these two teams because of how different the two of them are and how well they match up against each other.

 

(For all intents and purposes: As this will be largely an article chalk full of comparisons, any and all things below that are Incredibles related will be regular font, and any and all things Buddays will be italicized.)

 

 

The Road to the Finals

 

The Incredibles

 

Final season record: 10-0-0

 

While it has always been evident the talent that The Incredibles possess, few could have predicted just how efficiently The Incredibles were this season at disposing of their opponents. Having only one close call all season, they’ve managed to dispatch teams with a combined record of 69-59-2 up to this point. They went a perfect 10-0 season, and now have the opportunity to join only five other teams who have had a 14-0 record and a championship in the history of the league.

 

Les Buddays

 

Final season record: 7-1-2

 

Not possessing quite as much hype as their Conference A counterparts, Les Buddays were still pegged as a top dog early on by players and pundits alike. Attributing their only loss to a game without their quarterback, it would seem that Les Buddays are in good shape when they’re a complete unit. Having faced an opposition that went a comined 63-62-5 shows just how tight the competition was in Conference B.

 

 

The Past

 

The Incredibles

 

Having lost in the Spring 2011 Division D finals against a strong Average Joes team. After an intense back-and-forth, an interception gave the Incredibles the ball with the game within reach but they fell just short on the last play. Heartbreak aside, they’ve since moved up and strengthened their roster.

 

Les Buddays

 

This is the first time that Les Buddays have played together in the league as a unit since their loss to La Sauce last year. Unlike the closeness of the Division D finals previously mentioned, the game against La Sauce got out of hand from the get-go. Being a repeat finalist, they’re offered the opportunity to erase all memory of last year.

 

 

The Pivots

 

The Incredibles

 

Greg Stern has had an earth-shattering season statistically. Putting up an Incredible 59 passing touchdowns this season, Greg showed exactly why he merited the Quarterback of the Year award by putting on a show with his receivers every week. Despite his diminutive stature, Stern possesses a cannon for an arm and has the ability to carve up a defense with his deep ball.

 

Les Buddays

 

As previously mentioned, it just goes to show you just how important Leandre Ethier is if his team’s only loss was without him. While Ethier is quite comfortable in the pocket, a mixture of size and speed allow him to take off at a moment’s notice and run one in or gain that first down with ease. While not at the same touchdown number as Stern, Leandre has taken better care of the ball on offense and has kept turnovers to a minimum throughout the season.

 

 

The Receivers

 

The Incredibles

 

It’s no secret that the Incredibles’ receivers are indeed incredible. Bertoldi, Nardone and Peterson are a huge reason for their QB’s success, having the speed and hands to come down with the ball and making huge catches in the end zone. What’s more, we’ve been seeing Kevin Libman and Mike Cho get in on the action as well as of late, meaning that you’d be hard-pressed to find a weak link in the Incredibles’ offense.

 

Les Buddays

 

Not quite possessing the speed that The Incredibles’ receivers have, Les Buddays instead rely on crisp routes and hands of glue. Excecuting their routes to a T, it would appear that Les Buddays are always in the right place at the right time. Furthermore, they’ve got physicality which their opposition severely lacks. Les Buddays also seem to have a fire and motivation quite unlike any other team, and it’s especially evident in their gritty, vocal offense. Unlike the Incredibles, we see how skilled and capable the receivers are, having the ball spread evenly amongst all of the receivers (rather than just the familiar names of Charbonneau, Turgeon and Binnette)

 

 

The Defense

 

The Incredibles

 

As good as the Incredibles are at catching the deep ball, they’re just as good at picking it off. Having put up 35 interceptions in the regular season alone, the secondary is a nightmare to most QBs. Add in the added pressure of new recruit Alex Sepasi at the rusher position, and you’ve got a defense that flusters even the most seasoned of quarterbacks. The Incredibles’ defense is all over the field, and are certainly one of the best zone-defenses this Division has seen in a long time.

 

Les Buddays

 

They’re big and they’re physical. Les Buddays make a point of being between the receiver and the ball as often as possible. They play fierce, tight coverage, and will jump your route any chance that they get. Furthermore, they’re a nightmare to play against in the redzone. Defensive player of the year and sack machine Julien Paiement is certainly a contributor as well, cutting down the quarterback’s time to think or even breathe. The question is can they bend but not break against the most feared offense in the division?

 

 

The Rundown

 

The Incredibles

 

It goes without saying that this game is The Incredibles’ to lose. They’ve been doing so much right for so long that it would be silly to deny that they’re the clear favorites to win this one. And yet, stranger things have happened. So, The Incredibles will need to treat this as any other game and keep focused. Doing what they normally do should allow them to put the game away as fast as possible, so long as they keep Les Buddays in check.

 

Les Buddays

 

With all the pressure on The Incredibles, Les Buddays are free to prepare their upset. If they can focus on their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses, they actually match up quite well against The Incredibles. They’re going to need to slow this game down as much as possible while on offense, and make sure that every step is calculated. Furthermore, Defensive player of the Year Julien Paiement will actually need to show up to put constant pressure on Greg Stern. An upset wouldn’t be too far-fetched.

 

 

Prediction:

 

The Incredibles.