Inside the Red Zone (D1) – Week 3

 

On a night when the temperature was way below zero (minus 35 degrees to be exact), the match up between Montreal’s Finest and Demons was very heated, and the latter couldn’t have been more on fire. Alas, what I had predicted came true and the Demons pulled out a victory over the Montreal’s Finest. The game was hyped before it even started and lived up to it. You know a game is intense when even Benny Goodfriend (usually very quiet), after having scored a TD late in the game, is getting in the act of celebrating and having a few words for the opponents. What does this mean exactly? Do the Demons now have the mental edge over their counterpart? Is Montreal’s Finest headed back to the drawing board, considering their stacked roster, it should have been enough to win the game. I will go into detail about the ramifications of this matchup a little later.

 

**We are in week four, so start qualifying your players as soon as possible. Every player needs at least six games played to qualify for the playoffs**

 

Pick Fest 2011!

I was extremely happy that I decided to watch the Express against the CLR Forces. Now, my pre-game thoughts were that the CLR Forces needed to make a statement if they wanted to get back in the race and more importantly, get their first win. In the pre-game warm up, CLR Forces looked extra determined, so right off the bat, I knew I was in for one hell of a game. That said, never had I imagined that I would witness a defensive game like I did.

A lot of credit goes out to CLR Forces’ defense because they stepped up their game and intercepted Patrick Chenard four times, which is very impressive in and of itself. Any team that has four interceptions, especially in Division 1, should be able to win right? I mean that’s more than what you can ask of your defense. However, Frederic Dupuis didn’t capitalize at all on the Express’ turnovers. Instead, he gave it right back to them four times. Furthermore, Fred Dupuis found it tough to get around Andrija Zecevic, who was an important factor, rushing the quarterback, all evening.

The play of the game came on one of the four interceptions thrown by Fred Dupuis, this errant pass landed into hands of Patrick Chenard near the Express end zone, and he ran it all the way back for a touchdown. Even with that twelve point swing, CLR Forces still had a chance to win the game at the end, with two plays left, but couldn’t punch it into the end zone. So CLR Forces remain winless, but if this game was any indication, they might be on their way up. Moral victories aside, they have to start putting together some wins now as they are DEAD LAST in the standings.

 

The Aftermath

Demons won by a field goal, so to speak, and are now in the drivers’ seat in Division 1. In the offseason, Montreal’s Finest went out and acquired some big name players. In last week’s column, I discussed the star power on their roster. With all the big names, this game should have been a lock for the Finest, however, it was the complete opposite. The Demons didn’t only win the game, but they could have won by more. An interception by Carmine Pollice could have been a potential score and a near catch by Paul Lapierre, at the end of the first half on a hail mary would have only made things worse for the Finest.

For those who were in attendance, we witnessed some fireworks. It became clear as the game continued that these two teams do not see eye-to-eye, a rivalry similar to the Patriots and the Jets. I am all for intensity and trash talking as long as it stays within the game and doesn’t result in anything physical.

 

I stated last week’s article stating that one of my concerns for Montreal’s Finest was their ability to manage their roster well. When there is a lot of star power, it is tough to not allow most of the guys to play two-ways, all game long. I know in speaking to Karim Binette before the game, he mentioned that all the guys on the team got along really well, without any swelled heads. Furthermore, he stated everyone rotated often and most players were humble enough to give up their spots to the next player, when need be. As sweet and kind as that sounds, things tend to get more difficult when the team is losing. Keep in mind that Karim Binette could possibly be giving me the political response. We’ll learn more as the season progresses.

 

Despite the “beefed” up roster, I found last winter’s Montreal’s Finest better, in terms of chemistry and assigned roles. The 2011 Demons possess such traits. They have chemistry, determination and everyone has roles which are pre-determined and carried out efficiently. In FlagPlus Football, the three most important positions are down the middle; the QB, snapper and rusher. Demons possess the best in all with Carmine Pollice, Benny Goodfriend and Karl De Nie respectively. Therefore, I don’t see Demons losing too many games from this point forward.

 

The Heisman

In this week’s WEPL, we discussed the early candidates for Division 1 MVP. How can you define MVP? Obviously the easy answer is the ‘Most Valuable Player’, but it goes deeper than that. A MVP, or Heisman winner, should possess leadership skills on and off the field, have the ability to perform and excel whenever his team needs him most.

The 2011 Division 1 Heisman candidates are:

Carmine Pollice (Demons) – CP is showing his usual and excellent form early on in the season and is 3-0; with the latest victory coming against Montreal’s Finest. He leads Division 1 in passing yards and tied for the lead in passing TDs.

Patrick Chenard (Express) – No SCC? No problem. Express are 2-1, thanks in large part to Patrick Chenard and his play making ability on BOTH sides of the ball. A true game breaker.

Ryan Kastner (Rainmakers) – Off to a good start, and only loss having come to the 3-0 Demons in a nail biter is quite impressive.

Chad Byers (Expos) – CB4 has the highest QB rating and pass completion percentage. In three games, he has thrown for a ton of yards and has a 14 to 1 TD to INT ratio. All in all, CB4 should not be overlooked for MVP.

 

The Eight Ball

This week’s question was submitted by Matthew Young of Lobster Dinner. He asked:

“Should MOE do a classic WWF wrestler entry or move after every sack (Ie: Bushwackers)?”

Answer: Are you kidding?

So there you have it, the eight ball has spoken.

 

What’s On Tap

Next week, I’ll be introducing two new segments: Behind The Flag and the Amazing Race. The former will look in depth at a different team each week and profile its players. The latter is something I had last Winter, it is a weekly list of players who are competing for FlagPlus Football’s end of season hardware.

 

That’s it for this week’s column, hope it kept you entertained while you were doing whatever it is that you do. As usual, if you have comments/suggestions, please email me at [email protected]. Good luck to all teams. I will leave you with the following quote:

“Whoever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’ probably lost.” – Martina Navratilova, Tennis Player