Categories: Division 4ADivision 4BGeneral

I’m Back from Denver, Divisional Thoughts, Early Standouts, Power Rankings, and a Thanks to Will Power

Hey Div 4, let me first thank Will Power for taking the reigns in Week 1 while I visited John Elway in Denver, trying to convince him to sign Aaron Rodgers. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Ignacio Valdes-Manzanedo, but who’s gonna remember that? Since Moe Khan and Peeze had trouble with pronunciation, I was dubbed Iggy Magnets, but if you see me on the field, just Iggy works too. I’ve been playing since the very first Fall Cup back in 2017 and have never looked back. Will Power is crazy for doing the 4some, but I’m just one step behind, playing on 3 teams this winter season: Honey Martin in this division (4B), Vultures 2.0 (5A) and Kiss My End Zone (Co-Ed2).

For my articles, I like to do a little bit of everything. I usually start with bullet points thoughts from within the Division, thoughts, news and notes about FPF in general, and sometimes sprinkle in some current events/random things I noticed from one week to the next. Thereafter, I’ll switch it up, writing content in the form of Game Recaps, Game Previews, Power Rankings, Fantasy Team of the Week (i.e. Performers of the week) and Game Picks.

Well, like a bountiful Thanksgiving Turkey dinner, let’s dig in!!

4A talk:

  • Will Power is on the right track when saying that Small Giants could end the season with the most picks. They sit as the #2 team with the most picks with 7, only behind Centaures with 8.
  • Ryan Garber is accelerating his FPF development at a crazy rate. He is excelling in 4A with KGP Ra, as he’s put up 40 and 41 points in his first 2 games, leading his team to a 2-0 start to the season. He is only 2 year removed from his first season in the Men’s division, where he started in Div 6 with the 6-3 Trapstars to give you an idea how fast he’s improved.
  • Hurley & Sons got wrecked 54-12 in Week 2 against The Brotherhood. For similar teams that are struggling to find a full time Quarterback like Hurley & Sons (four different players attempted a pass), the advice is to stick to 1 guy, despite the trials and tribulations. The only way to improve in FPF is to get as many reps in as possible.
  • Unbelievable, I effed up producing Calling The Audible. They say radio silence is a death sentence, so what do they say about 2.5 hours of silence on a web podcast?🤦As Donald Trump used to say, YOU’RE FIRED!
  • I think LBB (Les Blues Branleurs) are in for a rough season. Season record prediction: 2-8.
  • Will Power put up another good QB performance; just shy of a back-to-back 200-yard performance through the air to go with 4 TDs, but the 3 INTs were enough turnovers for the Backyard Bullies to come away with an 8 point victory.
  • Chris Rivest has brought the whole gang back from their Spring Championship, but took the L while putting up a fight against the Bruins, 39-33.

4B chatter:

  • Les Montagnards took it to Sphinx on Wednesday night in Hebert, picking off Etienne Cloutier 5 times en route to a 37-6 victory.
  • After Finessers lost big in week 1, they had a tough opponent in the high-flying Vultures squad which ended up being a high-scoring affair. In the end, extra points were the difference, as both teams scored 6 TDs, but Vultures put 5 extra points on the board from converts.
  • Are Team Ethnik in trouble at 0-2? They gotta turn it around quick against Sphinx if they want to have a chance for a playoff spot.
  • Mofos are relatively unknown but have beat 2 very experienced FPF team in Hot Sauce Sports and Team Ethnik. Are they the real deal?
  • It was discussed during CTA, but you couldn’t hear it, but Moe Khan thinks Arouch is in trouble without Simon Loiser on the roster after 2 weeks.
  • The South division in Conference B will be a dog fight for 1st as 4 out of the 5 teams are 1-1, and a good team in Finessers sit at 0-2.  

Game Recap

Les Montagnards 37 VS Sphinx 6 

Julien Fiset-Cyr was in mid-season form against Sphinx from the very first drive. Fiset-Cyr went 4/6 on the drive, capping it off with a 4-yard TD to Girard-Provost. There was nothing crazy spectacular from Les Montagnards offence, rather, Fiset-Cyr took what the defense gave him, which was often easy completions that often had yards after the catch.

The Sphinx actually had a decent first drive, moving the ball halfway down the field, until Etienne Cloutier was a bit erratic with a few throws, ending up with a 4th-and-5 scenario which was intercepted. Throwing a pick on 4th down isn’t the end of the world, especially if no yards are gained on the play, it ends up being better than field position had the defense knocked the ball down. That wasn’t the case here though, as Marc-Antoine Viens returned his pick to the house, putting Les Montagnards in a quick 13-0 lead.

Much like the first Sphinx drive, Cloutier once again led his team to around the opposing teams 5-yard line, but this time through a pick to Antoine Gagnon-Griffin in the endzone. This was actually quite the funny play, as Gagnon-Griffin stepped outside the endzone to the 2-yard line, and, thinking he was still in the endzone, took a knee, essentially losing 8 yards on the play.

The two quarterbacks literally had opposite games, and it showed on the field. Fiset-Cyr finished with 5 TDs and 1 INT while Cloutier finished with 1 TD and 5 INTs. And as quarterbacks had opposite games, these 2 teams are swinging in opposite directions, and Les Montagnards now sit at 2-0 while Sphinx are struggling to get a win at 0-2.

FPF Turning point of the game: With 3 plays remaining and 30 yards to go, Les Montagnards were sacked (lost 8 yards, now 2 plays), gained 13 yards (1 more play remaining) and on the very last play of the 2nd half, Fist-Cyr heaved one to the left back corner of the endzone where Marc-Antoine Viens came down with it with 2 feet inbounds to put the dagger in Sphinx. This TD play ended the half 25-6 for Les Montagnards, and essentially iced the game.

Game Preview 

4A Small Giants VS Bruins

This one is going to be a fantastic game that takes place on Wednesday night in Laval’s Dome. The Bruins are coming off their first win of the season, beating Chris Rivest‘s Stoics team 39-33. If Gab Wiseman wants to hand the Small Giants their first loss of the season, he might very well have to ensure he doesn’t turn the ball over, not even once like he did against The Stoics’ Cesar Garcia-Diaz. He has the reliable hands team at wide receiver, as his receivers caught 25 of their 27 targets thrown their way. That will be very hard for the Small Giants defense to defend; the fact that the catch can come from anywhere on the field.

The same is true however, for the Bruins defense. Justin Lerner is most usually associated with his long wingspan and amazing hands as a receiver, but the guy is consistently producing outstanding winter seasons at the Quarterback position, averaging roughly 40 TDs with 10 INTs, and hovering around the 2000 passing mark for yards. So far this year, he’s on pace for 55 TDs and 10 INTs with 1,765 yards through the air. It will be interesting to see whether Marvin Steinberg is a regular on this team or if he just subbed in Week 1, or if it’s Theo Bekelis as a main stay on the roster. Either way, both are amazing FPF talents that the Bruins will have a tough time defending.

So from my point-of-view this game will be full of offensive fireworks that will end up coming down to converts. Gimme Justin Lerner to convert a few more extra points that Wiseman, and that will end up being the difference.

Prediction: Small Giants 39 – 38 Bruins

Power Rankings 

4A

  1. Blackouts (2-0) – Last Week #4 (From Will Power’s ranking): They absolutely obliterated a good TOPSZN squad, and again, as mentioned on the silent CTA podcast, Adam Sinagra might just be what the Blackouts needed to be the juggernaut on offense that Julien Lachance, while decently productive in his time as QB for them, couldn’t be.
  2. KGP Ra (2-0) – Last Week #1 (from Will Power’s ranking): They might just have the best receiving core in the division. Out of the 33 targets thrown the receivers way, they’ve dropped only 1. Sprinkle that in with a Division 2 level defense with players like Cutler, Paiement, Garfinkle and Dylan Garber, you might just have the #1 defense in the division here. Which makes the 26 points allowed to LBB a little more surprising and hence the dip to the #2 position.
  3. Small Giants (2-0) – Last Week #3 (from Will Power’s ranking): Their defense will get tested in Week 3 vs. Bruins. So far they’ve allowed a measly 27 points against in 2 games with an explosive 11 TDs from QB Justin Lerner. A win against the Bruins could push them into the Top 2 Power Rankings next week.
  4. Centaures (2-0) – Last Week #6 (from Will Power’s ranking): Jumping 2 spots into the #4 position is the Centaures team. While the roster is loaded with talent, this might just be as high as they reach in the Power Rankings. While the 0 INTs thrown by Jordan Rossie are great, the 7 TDs in 2 games aren’t as impressive. But, at the end of the day, it’s about Wins and Losses, and this team is undefeated. Prove me wrong and beat KGP Ra in Week 3, and this team will definitely move up the rankings.
  5. Big Fun (1-1) – Last Week: NA (from Will Power’s ranking): Underestimated by Will Power and even by me on Week 1’s CTA podcast segment, Big Fun made some outstanding plays in Week 2 to notch their first win of the season against Spera’s Cougars. The team actually has a lot of playmakers and may have liked to be low-key awesome, but I see you Big Fun, you now have Big Expectations!
  6. Takeover (1-1) – Last Week #5 (from Will Power’s ranking): Any win that Takeover can get without their #1 QB is a bonus, and Will Power did that in Week 1. He’s done a great job in relief of Ian Einheiber. Overall though, they remain a top 10 Power Ranked team.
  7. The Stoics (1-1) – Last Week #8 (from Will Power’s ranking): So I know it looks weird that The Stoics lost and moved up 1 spot in the Rankings, but remember that they were not my rankings. I believe with the wealth of championship experience that The Stoics will quietly be a contender and one of those dark horse teams throughout the season.
  8. Bruins (1-1) – Last Week #10 (from Will Power’s ranking): Despite Week 1’s blowout loss (chalk it up to rust), Bruins came out and hung 39 points on The Stoics. They have a super tough matchup against Small Giants, and will need to score, score, score at will.
  9. Backyard Bullies (1-1) – Last Week #9 (from Will Power’s ranking): This team will be interesting to follow throughout the season. Seems like many FPF veterans on the team, so what’s interesting is to see how they fare against the newer crop of seasoned FPF players with 3-4 years (6-8 FPF seasons) under their belt.
  10. The Brotherhood (1-1) – Last Week NA (from Will Power’s ranking): The Brotherhood are another interesting follow this year. In my opinion, they have a great WR1, well slotted WR3’s 4’s and 5, but are missing that #2 receiver that can take away a teams 2nd best defender. Quaysie absolutely demolished Hurley & Son’s, but QB is not strongest suit. He’s really tough to defend when you don’t have a rusher that can contain his speed, but if you do, and force him to throw the ball, The Brotherhood will be in trouble. That being said, putting up 54 merits a spot in the Top 10.

4B

  1. The U (2-0) – Last Week #1 (from Will Power’s ranking): The U will be the team to beat week in and week out. A week 4 showdown against Honey Martin will be Game of the Week in 4B, but first they need to focus on the well rested Golden Eagles who are coming off their bye week. Maybe a chink in their armor was shown when playing against Beer Belly Brigade who were able to put up 30 against them.
  2. Honey Martin (2-0) – Last Week #2 (from Will Power’s ranking): So this is my team and I usually won’t be writing too too much about us, if at all, but the Power Ranking is when I get the chance to pump my guys up and put us on notice. When Dave Roaldi is atop of his game and the confidence is up, he is THE best quarterback in the division, no second guessing needed. What puts Honey Martin high up in the Power Rankings is the overall balance of the team and their versatility. The troubles defenses will have, is that when they focus on one or 2 things to eliminate from the HM offense, Roaldi has no problem changing it up and hitting you where you aren’t focusing on with success. Roaldi is a true dual-threat, all the receivers have reliable hands, and the defense is as strong as they come in FPF.
  3. Vultures (2-0) – Last Week #3 (from Will Power’s ranking): Will said it best last week: “Any team in division 4 will be competitive with Ben McMahon at QB”. Yes, and even more so when you have the list of ballers who can keep up with his scrambling ability. When McMahon isn’t scrambling, he’s improved his arm game and overall flag game in a way that lets the receivers do the work for him. They have the offense to keep up with anyone, so it’s really whether opposing teams can put up the points at the same rate as them.
  4. Les Montagnards (2-0) – Last Week #5 (from Will Power’s ranking): I really like what I saw from Julien Fiset-Cyr and the boys in Week 2, simply handing it to Sphinx. They check off a lot of the boxes: Simple plays, complex plays (when it calls for it), athletic, smart, play-making abilities, and clutch. You’ll see them in the Top 10 Power Rankings pretty much all season unless something goes terribly wrong.
  5. Mofos (2-0) – Last Week #6 (from Will Power’s ranking): Who are these Mofos?!? Clearly they are a team to watch out for, as they beat 2 quality, experienced FPF teams in HSS and Team Ethnik. Tiemoko Sanogo‘s 10 TDs-to-1 INT ratio is stellar if he can keep up at that pace, and it appears they have a 2-headed monster in the deep ball in the forms of Arthur Dagenais and Julian Nelson, both of which have over 110 receiving yards in 2 games, both averaging over 28 yards per catch.
  6. Beer Belly Brigade (1-1)– Last Week #4 (from Will Power’s ranking): Sucks I have to drop them 2 spots for the loss, since they actually put up a good fight against the top ranked The U team, but a loss is a loss and other teams are winning. 🤷‍♂️ They’ve got another tough test in Week 3 after playing the #1 Power Ranked team in Week 2. They now face the #2 ranked Honey Martin; let’s see how they fare.
  7. Arouch (1-1) – Last Week #8 (from Will Power’s ranking): Arouch will miss Simon Loisier on offense, but it looks like Thomas Legault is filling in just fine with 167 yards and 5 TDs. Eric Lalonde is protecting the well, but 7 TDs in 2 games isn’t exactly lighting it up, but as I mentioned the 0 INTs are good, and are a must going forward, along with a strong defense.
  8. Voodoo (1-1) – Last Week NA (from Will Power’s ranking): Ok Voodoo, which season are you going to have? The one where everyone is firing on all cylinders or the one which they just miss out on the playoffs? Their next 3 weeks might just determine that question. For now, they won by 2 scores, so they merit the #8 spot.
  9. Hot Sauce Sports (1-1) (from Will Power’s ranking): Heyyyyyy, there they are! Very much like Voodoo, HSS season can be swinged in the next 3 weeks. In fact, HSS and Voodoo play each other this week, so while it’s SUPER early, could this game be a tie-breaker for a post-season spot when the season is all said and done? I think so!
  10. Finessers (0-2) – Last Week NA (from Will Power’s ranking): “What a joke this writer… putting an 0-2 team in the Top 10 Power Rankings”. Just wait, they are getting their groove and hitting stride more and more each and every week. They had an offensive outburst in a fight against the Vultures, and just came away with the loss. I can see them either going on a6-game win streak or at least winning 5 of their next 6. I’m putting them in the Top 10 as early proof. Prove me right and the haters wrong, Finessers!

Week 2 Picks 

4A

Spera’s Cougars vs. The BrotherHood

Les Blues Branleurs vs. TOPSZN

Hurley & Sons vs. Big Fun

Mongoose vs. Backyard Bullies

Takeover vs. Blackouts

KGP Ra vs. Centaures

Small Giants vs. Bruins

Nomads vs. The Stoics

4B

Beer Belly Brigade vs. Honey Martin – N/A

Vultures vs. Ballers

The U vs. Golden Eagles

Finessers vs. Los Locos

Hot Sauce Sports vs. Voodoo

Mofos vs. Les Verges Folles

Team Ethnik vs. Sphinx

Les Montagnards vs. Bandits

Eastside Boys vs. Arouch

That’s it for this week! Hope you enjoyed the article. Feel free to reach out to me on socials @iggymanz or Ignacio Valdes-Manzanedo on FB messenger. Let’s get pumped for Week 3!! LET’S GOOOO!