Fourth-And-Goal (Div C) – Week 13

Up to This Point

 

Well, we’re here. What weeks of preparation, a full season and playoffs have all led up to. The Championship. The show. What many teams aspire for, but only two get the shot at. Before we get to that, let’s take a brief look at the last step it took to get us here.

   

Mysterious and Magical Men Mystify

 

It looked like it was all over for MMM. Having started the game with the ball, and still being down 12-0, the odds were being stacked against them. They had been figured out. And then, just like that, Victor Kozlowski scored with two plays to go in the half, and then MMM punched in the two-pointer to show a sign of life. And so began a game that was a tale of two halves. As the second half began, Spring Cleaning lost the gusto that helped them dominate the first half. Furthermore, the loss of Shawn Haney due to an injured hamstring changed both the team’s depth and the defensive scheme. MMM capitalized; smarter football was played, and the proud pupils of Joe Birds came out on top.

   

Crash Landing

 

Remember how I said that the Eagles execute the play action so well, and that Bryan Nguyen would be the key to unraveling it? Well that’s exactly what happened. Nguyen was able to simultaneously contain both Danny Bellemare and Francis Leblanc like no other rusher. After taking a 7 point lead, the Eagles found themselves in trouble with The Commission adapting to them. Jonathan Williams was able to take Gabriel Lapensée out of the equation due to the height that Williams possesses and the ability to either run or pass. One does have to ask the question: Would this game have ended differently had the Eagles not had a bye week?

   

Off to Brossard

 

Brossard. The best thing to happen to the FPF since QBs were allowed to throw their own balls (yes there was a time when this wasn’t so). The WEPL Road Show will be taking place on Sunday in Brossard. So don’t go to Lachine. I will be there suited up, ready to give you my incredibly-calculated, often wrong opinion. It’s a great big event, and even if you don’t have any direct interest in the games, it’s some of the best and most entertaining football to watch. So show up.

 

One on One

 

Mysterious and Magical Men vs. The Commission. One seed vs. One seed. Both teams were the favourites to get here, and both teams have delivered.

 

Let’s run down a few key observations before I re-evaluate each team’s performances in the post-season.

 

• Matthew Bishara seems to struggle against speedy rushers. Bryan Nguyen excels at limiting the reads of a rolling QB. Would Bishara be better off staying in the pocket?

• The Commission are great with interceptions and PDs, but are not the best at grabbing flags. MMM are built around YACs. Will the lacking tackling of The Commission come up short against the speed and shiftiness of MMM?

• Gordon Hogan vs. Hakim Kasbi. I wonder who can jump higher?

   

Comparison Time

 

As usual, the best way to evaluate a final between two teams who have never played each other is to see how they are alike and how they are different.

 

Experience: While every member of MMM have been to the finals at least once (some twice) and have a championship to their name (The Bisharas, Hogan and Ritondo with Dirty Birds, Danny Gentile with G-Men,) this is the first time that The Commission have made the playoffs, and very few of the players have any finals experience at all.

Advantage – Mysterious and Magical Men

 

Quarterbacks: Both quarterbacks lead by example. Despite being dominant on defence as safeties, they’re both able to put up comparable numbers as pivots, and can take off with their feet at the drop of a hat.

Advantage – Tie

 

Snappers: The respective snappers are both vitally important to each team, yet their roles on the team differ dramatically. Victor Kozlowski is probably the biggest redzone threat in the division, due to his ability to shed his defender at a moment’s notice. Marc Belhomme is the team’s motivator and driving force for key plays, being Jonathan Williams’ bailout man when he needs a sure-handed receiver.

Advantage – Mysterious and Magical Men

 

Receivers: While Hakim Kasbi has the speed and the hands to be a fantastic deep threat, the rest of the receivers tend to get short yardage gains. MMM are more consistently able to take either a short or a deep pass for key yards and/or first downs.

Advantage – Mysterious and Magical Men

 

Defenders: While both teams are solid on D, one is more of a standout than the other. Having the least amount of points allowed in the whole division, The Commission have the ability to lock offenses out of games. Plus, numbers don’t lie.

Advantage – The Commission

 

Rushers: One team has Bryan Nguyen. One team does not.

Advantage – The Commission

 

Physicality: With the exception of Daniele Gentile, MMM are relatively small in size and bulkiness. Having to get around a defender like Michael Young or Desmond Dorsnie may prove difficult indeed.

Advantage – The Commission

 

Smack-talk: As a group, MMM aren’t always the most vocal bunch. That being said, Daniele Gentile on his own goes a long way to filling that gap. His ability to sting a player with words and then back it up with making a play is a highly underrated talent to have, especially in the finals.

Advantage – Mysterious and Magical Men

 

Adjustability: It’s common knowledge that games are won at halftime. It’s the only time that you really have to take that break and plan. The Commission tends to score early and score often, and have their opposition play catch-up. MMM wait and bide their time, exposing errors as they happen.

Advantage – Mysterious and Magical Men

 

My Opinion

 

I feel that the clock has struck midnight for The Commission. They have had a somewhat dominant season, but upon further examination, inconsistencies tend to show. Their big plays and shutouts have come against incredibly weak teams, and they’ve had more trouble closing out games with the stronger teams. Being in the weaker Conference A, one of their three losses came during their cross-divisional game. The Kardiac Kids were the only team to score 40 points on The Commission; the next closest was less than half of that.

 

Meanwhile, Mysterious and Magical Men are battle-tested. Having been in Conference B, they’ve been playing finals-caliber football since the beginning of the playoffs. Add in the previous experience they have and the tutelage of Joe Birds, and we have a game that I think will fall into the hands of MMM.

 

Prediction: Mysterious and Magical Men 34, The Commission 26

 

Last Words

 

Be sure to show up to Brossard on Sunday to see how this all pans out. Next week, I’ll be recapping the game in my article, as well as doing something special. So stay tuned! In the meantime, hate mail can be sent to [email protected]