Grip N Rip Knock Ball Busters from the ranks of the undefeated; Mongoose stay alive

At this point of the season, records don’t matter; any team is dangerous. Fun Boys barely escaped a one-win Past Our Prime team, Two and Half Dans were extremely lucky to tie the Snatchers and should send some thank you roses to Simon Dagenais for gift-wrapping it to them, F.O.E. lost a critical division game against Mongoose, and the Westpark Boys crashed back down to earth getting hammered by the Mercenaries. No game can be taken for granted and that is the beauty of football. Any given Sunday. The playoff race is heating up with a logjam of 5-3 teams in conference A. The first seed in conference B is wide open. With two weeks left, who will step up?

 

Recaps

Lazzara throws game-ending interception as The Brotherhood hang on

 

The Brotherhood 32 (7-1) Next Week: vs. Les Buddays (3-5)

Sea Assassins 26 (5-3) Next Week: vs. Triple Sixers (5-3)

I had barely finished my division two game as I saw Dan Lazzara take the first snap and heave it downfield for his guy. The play never had a chance as Jamal Gittens easily picked it off to give his team a quick boost. After that, teams continued to trade scores with the Sea Assassins grinding the field and The Brotherhood getting absolutely ridiculous, and I mean ridiculous, touchdown catches over defenders from Khalil Kerr, Jamal Gittens and Quaysie Gordon-Maule. Down 32-26 with a few minutes to go, the Sea Assassins got the ball back and started driving down the field. With around five plays remaining, Lazzara made a bad decision and Theo Ojeaha jumped all over it picking off the ball to seal the win for his team.

Sea Assassins are faced with a critical game against Triple Sixers in a game that could decide their playoff fate. Meanwhile, The Brotherhood have a relatively easy path to 9-1 and the 1st seed in conference A.

 

Ball Busters lose for the first time

 

Grip N Rip 40 (6-2) Next Week: vs. Mercenaries (2-5-1)

Ball Busters 31 (6-1-1) Next Week: vs. Fun Boys (6-2)

In my Game of the Week preview last week, I pointed to the Vinny Gualano vs. Terrence Adams and Dylan Taylor vs. interceptions matchups as the key ones that would decide this game. I said that Adams needed to contain Gualano and that Taylor couldn’t afford to throw more than one interception if Ball Busters were going to stay undefeated. Well, Adams finished without a sack and let Gualano run for 43 yards and a score on the ground while Taylor tossed three interceptions. Sure enough, Grip N Rip took advantage and handed Ball Busters their first loss of the season. The one positive from this game was Brent Callender’s hot streak as he pick-sixed Gualano to give his team a chance and to make him a legitimate candidate for defensive player of the year.

This was a huge victory for GnR as they now have a legitimate shot at the number one seed in conference B if the Ball Busters slip up again. As I have said all year, the last three games on the Ball Busters schedule would determine who the Ball Busters are and I stand by that. With a another big game coming up against the Fun Boys, Ball Busters need to prove their worth if they want to hang on to the first seed.

 

Wolfpack win sloppy game over Dark Moose Returns

 

Wolfpack 32 (5-3) Next Week: vs. Jumpmans (4-4)

Dark Moose Returns 20 (5-3) Next Week: vs. Dirty Dawgs (1-7)

For the third time this year, Dark Moose Returns were without their quarterback Fred Morissette. They went 2-0 with Alex Lever under center but this time, they put their faith in Frederic Viens. The result was not good. Viens had potentially his worst game (ever?) in FPF as he threw for just three touchdowns and FIVE interceptions, as many as he had thrown all last spring in division B. Every season, he’s had his brother Marc-Antoine snapping for him and being his outlet. Without him, Fred Viens looked lost. For a guy who rarely takes any chances and consistently hovers around 8-yards per completion, it was shocking to see such a meltdown. Pascal Murray was less than stellar in comparison tossing three interceptions himself in an ugly game for both teams. J-D Chevalier was back for this big tilt and brought along his Served With Ice teammate David Shopov. Chevalier tallied two scores but the star was Shopov who finished with six grabs for 105 yards and two touchdowns, along with two interceptions on defense. Remy Pare had an interception hat trick while on the other side of the ball, Justin Blanchard picked off two himself. Both teams have clinched a playoff spot but this result will hurt Dark Moose’s seeding. It makes you wonder whether Dark Moose would have won this game with Alex Lever.

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PLAYOFF STANDINGS

 

Conf A	Team	GP	PTS	W(P-F)	DIV	PA		Conf B	Team	GP	PTS	W(P-F)	DIV	PA
1	The Brotherhood	8	14	7	[5-0-0]	139		1	Ball Busters	8	13	6	[4-1-0]	199
2	Laval’s Finest	8	14	7	[4-1-0]	217		2	Wolfpack	8	10	5	[3-2-0]	269
3	B.D. Bandits	8	12	6	[3-2-0]	196		3	Grip N Rip	8	12	6	[4-1-0]	242
4	F.O.E	8	10	5	[4-1-0]	187		4	Fun Boys	8	12	6	[3-2-0]	227
5	Predators	8	10	5	[4-1-0]	272		5	Two and a half Dans	8	11	5	[3-2-1]	199
6	Killer Instinct	8	10	5	[3-2-0]	168		6	Dark Moose Returns	8	10	5	[4-1-0]	201
7	Triple Sixers	8	10	5	[3-2-0]	212		7	Les Eudistes	8	9	4	[4-1-0]	191
8	Sea Assassins	8	10	5	[3-2-0]	254		8	JumpMans	8	8	4	[3-2-0]	232
9	Mongoose	8	8	4	[3-3-0]	233		9	Game Changers	8	6	3	[1-5-0]	239
10	OTF	8	6	3	[1-4-0]	207		10	Snatchers	8	6	2	[1-2-2]	248
11	Les Buddays	8	6	3	[1-4-0]	258		11	Mercenaries	8	5	2	[1-3-1]	241
12	Nuggets	8	2	1	[1-4-0]	272		12	Westpark Boys	8	4	2	[2-3-0]	285
13	MetaMayhem	8	2	1	[1-4-0]	292		13	Dirty Dawgs	8	2	1	[1-4-0]	330
14	La Sauce	8	0	0	[0-6-0]	276		14	Past Our Prime	8	2	1	[0-5-0]	310

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FPF Fantasy – Player vs. Player

QB: Joey Taylor (2HD) vs. Anton Sakiz (Game Changers): Both of these quarterbacks are at their best when their system works and they don’t need to make many adjustments. Both guys tend to struggle if their first options aren’t there which is the hump both need to get over to take that next step as quarterbacks. Sakiz favours the deep ball whereas Taylor rarely throws a pass more than 10 yards. Sakiz has a much better arm than Taylor does but Taylor has the smarts and is more patient than Sakiz is. He also has a better supporting cast and a better defense. Give Taylor to outduel Sakiz in this game in a two-score victory for 2HD.

WR: Joey Vizzi (Jumpmans) vs. J.D. Chevalier (Wolfpack): Both players are key cogs on offense. Chevalier is on the field, Wolfpack are exponentially better. Vizzi is no slouch either leading the league in receiving yards and in my opinion, the frontrunner to win receiver of the year. He has put up huge numbers in the past three games as he’s really become the focal point of an explosive Jumpmans offense. I fully expect Vizzi to continue his domination in a Jumpmans upset of Wolfpack.

Defense: Les Eudistes vs. Westpark Boys: Les Eudistes have been on fire as of late and a lot of the credit should go to the defense. They’ve been stout in giving up 57 points in the past three games and picking off the opposing QB six times in that span. The Westpark defense had been playing much better recently but got lit up by Gino Di Fazio last week. I don’t think that happens again but Les Eudistes will get their points. Leon Holder really struggled against the Mercenaries last week and although I think he’ll fare better this week, I don’t think that he’ll be able to hit 30, which is what it will take to win this game. Give me Les Eudistes’ defense to make some plays to propel them to a playoff spot.

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Survivor Pool Week 9 Picks:

And then there were one! Congrats to Justin Blanchard on winning the division 3 survivor pool! The finals MVP was anything but humble after finding out…surprise surprise..

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James’ lock of the week: Laval’s Finest

Laval’s Finest is the hottest team in division 3 right now. They’ve won 5 in a row and face off against an OTF team that has dropped 3 straight and has officially been eliminated from playoff contention. These are two teams headed in the opposite direction and I just don’t see OTF stopping Laval’s Finest from hitting the 30 –point mark. OTF has only hit 30 points in three games this season and they won’t be able to do so against Jordan McLaren and company.

Prediction: Laval’s Finest 38, OTF 25

Lock of the Week Record: 7-1

 

Game of the Week: Sea Assassins vs. Triple Sixers

This is my game of the week in division 3. The Sea Assassins played pretty well in their loss against The Brotherhood and had a chance at the end. Triple Sixers pulled off an impressive upset of Killer Instinct with their star player not having much of an impact. It’s a huge game for two 5-3 teams looking to establish themselves as a contender. The loser of this game could potentially wind up being left out of the playoffs with Mongoose creeping up.

Key Matchups:

Daniel Lazzara vs. Karim Chaoul – Which QB can put his team on their back? Lazzara struggled last week against The Brotherhood defense but this is a step down in competition. Karim Chaoul has been up and down all season but when he’s been on, he’s been hard to stop.

Sea Assassins defense vs. Triple Sixers defense –The Sea Assassins has been better as of late whereas the Sixers defense has been up and down all year. Which defense can make a play?

Quaid Johnson, Zach Jauniaux and Alex Blanchet vs. Pat Jerome and Alexandre Grioux – Can the Sea Assassins three-headed monster step up and carry their team to victory? Can they outperform the Sixers’ dynamic duo?

 Prediction: I think this game will go back and forth with both offenses coming to play. I see the Sea Assassins defense rising to the occasion to silence the critics and make a play to when they need it.

Sea Assasins 39, Triple Sixers 33

 

Week 9 Game Predictions

Matchups	James’ Picks ATS	Peeze’s Picks ATS	James’ Picks Straight Up	Peeze’s Picks Straight Up
Laval’s Finest (-5.5) vs. OTF	Laval’s Finest	OTF	Laval’s Finest	Laval’s Finest
Ball Busters (-2.5) vs. Fun Boys	Fun Boys	Fun Boys	Fun Boys	Fun Boys
Metamayhem (-1.5) vs. Nuggets	Metamayhem	Metamayhem	Metamayhem	Metamayhem
Triple Sixers (-1.5) vs. Sea Assassins	Sea Assassins	Triple Sixers	Sea Assassins	Triple Sixers
Grip N Rip (-5.5) vs. Mercenaries	GnR	Mercenaries	GnR	GnR
Snatchers (-1.5) vs. Past Our Prime	Snatchers	Past Our Prime	Snatchers	Past Our Prime
Dark Moose Returns (-4.5) vs. Dirty Dawgs	Dark Moose Returns	N/A	Dark Moose Returns	N/A
B.D. Bandits (-1.5) vs. Killer Instinct	Killer Instinct	B.D. Bandits	Killer Instinct	B.D. Bandits
Mongoose (-4.5) vs. La Sauce	Mongoose	Mongoose	Mongoose	Mongoose
F.O.E. (-1.5) vs. Predators	N/A	F.O.E.	N/A	F.O.E.
Wolfpack (-3.5) vs. Jumpmans	Jumpmans	Jumpmans	Jumpmans	Jumpmans
2HD (-3.5) vs. Game Changers	2HD	2HD	2HD	2HD
Les Eudistes (-4.5) vs. Westpark Boys	Les Eudistes	Westpark Boys	Les Eudistes	Westpark Boys
The Brotherhood (-10.5) vs. Les Buddays	The Brotherhood	The Brotherhood	The Brotherhood	The Brotherhood
Last Week’s Record	7-6	6-7	8-4-1	7-5-1
SEASON TOTALS	59-45	54-50	65-36-3	60-41-3

 

Power Rankings:

 

1. The Brotherhood (7-1) – They made life tough on the QB of the year as they picked him twice, the second clinching the victory. Theo Ojeaha has cut down on interceptions and as I saw first hand, he just needs to put it up to give his guys a chance…they’ll do the rest. I still don’t know how they fit under the cap on defense. Regardless, they’ll finish with the first seed and be the favourites to win it all. (Last Week: 1)

 

2. Laval’s Finest (7-1) – They crushed the Nuggets this past week with strong two-way performances from Jordan McLaren and Theo Bekelis, who had three touchdown receptions and two interceptions each. Rod Mashtoub continued his fine play throwing for seven touchdowns. This team keeps getting better and are figuring it out at the right time. (Last Week: 2)

 

3. Grip ‘N’ Rip (6-2) – In preseason, I picked this team to come out of conference B and reach the finals. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. I’m sticking to my initial prediction as this team is much improved on defense and has been one of the best offensive teams since Vinny Gualano took over at quarterback. He’s been so solid this season as a dual-threat quarterback that I believe he might have beat out Lazzara as QB of the year. All that being said, impressive win. Watch out for this team. (Last Week: 6)

 

4. Killer Instinct (5-3) – I didn’t see that loss coming and they’ve now dropped two straight, looking lifeless on offense in the process. The defense had their first off game of the year and it makes you wonder if they’re just putting too much pressure on that side of the ball. (Last Week: 3)

 

5. Ball Busters (6-1-1) – Am I surprised by their first loss? Absolutely not. You can’t toss three interceptions in game vs. a team as good as Grip N Rip and expect to win…you just can’t. But this is a solid team and they need to bounce back against the Fun Boys to preserve the first seed. (Last Week: 4)

 

6. Fun Boys (6-2) – Well, it wasn’t pretty but they got the W. I’m a little concerned about their defense giving up 85 points in the last two weeks this late in the season. (Last Week: 7)

 

7. F.O.E. (5-3) – Kevin Lubin went 1-4, 8 yards and 2 interceptions before bowing out to Jordan Moses, who had an okay performance in relief. Although they did pick off the Simon Duchesne twice, the defense gave up more than 30 points for just the second time all year. In those games, they are 0-2. Does the offense have the firepower to put up 30 in the playoffs? (Last Week: 5)

 

8. Dark Moose Returns (5-3) – I’ll give them a break here as their fill-in quarterback Fred Viens threw five interceptions. Their defense was great again. When their squad is at full strength, they are still among the division’s best. (Last Week: 8)

 

9. Sea Assassins (5-3) – They came close to upsetting the #1 seed but fell just short. Dan Lazzara will be kicking himself for this loss as two boneheaded throws cost them the game. (Last Week: 9)

 

10. B.D. Bandits (6-2) – The defense has been playing lights out as of late. Now comes a defensive battle with Killer Instinct. They need that win to prove that they can play with the big dogs. (Last Week: N/A)

 

Just missed the cut….

 

Triple Sixers (5-3) – Very impressive win. They have the talent. Now they need to work on consistency.

 

Predators (5-3) – For the first time this whole year, the Predators had their full roster on the field. It showed. The offense has been on fire and the defense was improved with the full defense out there. There is still a lot of work to be done though. Big divisional game coming up against F.O.E. as they look to leapfrog them in the standings.

 

Wolfpack (5-3) – J-D Chevalier was back this week and they had David Shopov replacing Francis Lapointe. Still, it was an unimpressive effort from the offense as Murray threw three more interceptions in this one to make it eleven in the past three games. A+ to the defense for getting five interceptions and guiding the team to victory. (Last Week: 7)

 

Two and a Half Dans (5-2-1) They drop out of the top 10 after one week in there. As a top team, you can’t dominate one week and put out a stinker like they did the next week. They played a team they needed to beat and were blessed with a miracle to get the tie.

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Things We Learned

• C’mon Man! of the week: WHO ELSE BUT SIMON DAGENAIS? After starting off the season protecting the ball, he’s tossed 13 interceptions in the last THREE games and now leads the division with 17. However, he’s on this list today because of one of his picks this past week. After 2HD had just scored to cut the deficit down to 36-30, Dagenais had five plays to kill. He could have literally ran, thrown the ball away or even taken sacks and punt, and the game would be over. Instead, rolling out and about to be sacked by Danny McFee, Dagenais threw across his body in the middle of the field, the ultimate sin for a quarterback, right to Jasmin Rioux who looked shocked as he ran into the end zone tying the game. Oh Simon…

 

• After a nice run, the Westpark Boys crashed back down to earth. Now they’ll need to win out and a lot of help to make it to the postseason.

 

• Props to the Mercenaries for not packing it in and keeping their faint playoff hopes alive. They’ll be kicking themselves for that default loss to 2HD if that’s the reason they don’t make it to the playoffs.

 

• If the Snatchers lose out on the playoffs by one point or from a tiebreaker, Simon Dagenais will need witness protection from his team for throwing away their last game vs. 2HD. I can’t protect you Simon!

 

• Really disappointing performance for 2HD after such an impressive one.

 

• With Ball Busters losing, every team in the division now has a loss.

 

• There are currently 13 starting quarterbacks that have thrown 10+ interceptions on the year. Of those, only 4 have a winning record (Pascal Murray: 15 int, Dylan Taylor: 14 int, Mark Belvedere: 13 int, and Joey Taylor: 10 int).

 

• Les Eudistes kept their winning streak alive. Can they keep playing with consistency?

 

• La Sauce had Francois Raymond throwing again and almost beat Les Buddays with only 5 guys on the field. It’s been a nightmare season for La Sauce but I still believe this would have been a bubble playoff team had things been a little different.

 

• It looks like Simon Duchesne may potentially have taken over the reigns at QB for Mongoose as he’s played the last three games and lead them to two wins.

 

• OTF and Metamayhem have been by far the biggest disappointments this season. I expected a lot out of both teams with their stacked rosters. And it’s not even like they had guys injured or not showing up, they just for some reason never got it going

 

• The Brotherhood, Laval’s Finest, Ball Busters, Wolfpack, Grip N Rip, Fun Boys, 2HD and Dark Moose Returns, congratulations on clinching a playoff spot.

 

• Dirty Dawgs, Nuggets, Les Buddays. La Sauce, OTF, Metamayhem and Past Our Prime, thanks for playing. They are all officially out of playoff contention.

 

Best of luck to all teams for week 9! If you want to reach me for any inquiries or to disagree with me, feel free to hit me up at [email protected] or DM me @JFloMusicMTL on Twitter.