Inside the Red Zone (Div 3) – Week 4

There’s something in the air, do you feel it? It is Valentine’s Day this week so maybe it’s all the love in the atmosphere? No, that’s definitely not it. Instead it is a feeling of relief for Prestige World Wide, Picksquad, Lazy But Talented and KGP Champs; they finally entered the win column. Usually the first win brings confidence and inspires teams to play better. In the case of these four teams, every game in Division 3 is a tough battle, so they will definitely need to play better if they hope to turn their season around.

 

A common theme thus far in Division 3 is the amount of points being scored on a weekly basis. Raw Dawgs put up 62 points in week four and in general (editor’s note: they did so against a five player Pap n’ Co), many teams are putting up a lot of points. Is this necessarily a good thing? Some will agree that it’s exciting to see high scoring games, however others will argue that it’s a bit too much. I agree with the latter. With so many great QBs in FlagPlus Football in the higher divisions, the idea of three downs has been debated in the past. Perhaps now might be a good time to have a closer look. Another suggestion was to shorten the distance for the rushers (from 7 to 5 yards, unless it’s Matt Kirouac, then I think it should be 12 yards). Please share your opinions via email or on our Facebook group.

 

Headlines:

Best Chance?

Currently, there are 11 teams tied at 1-3 but who has the best chance to make a serious run with six games remaining? It’s a tough question to answer but I will take a stab at it. A couple of teams play each other and as I mentioned before, on any given night in Division 3, a win requires an all out battle. Given the talent and schedule, I like G-Men, KGP Champs and possibly Pap N’ Co to start putting together some wins. If the remaining eight teams disagree, then prove me wrong by making the playoffs. Last week, four teams proved me wrong, and in the process, had their first win; the feat is not entirely impossible!

 

Stay perfect!

Now moving to the top of the standings, there are five teams (D-Boys, Dirty Birds, DK, Sandlot Saints, B.D. Bandits) with a 4-0 record. Which of these teams will remain perfect all season? I know every team can make a strong case for themselves but some might label that as arrogance, ego and pride. Well one thing is certain, two of these teams face each other in week five and unless it’s a tie (a definite possibility), either DK or D-Boys will have a loss. Having said that, whoever wins this match up should have a 10-0 record this season. I predicted two out of five teams will go undefeated but who will be those teams? I guess you’ll have to wait and see.

 

(Here is a new segment that I will try to include every week in the headlines section)

STATEMENTS OF THE WEEK

DK 48 – VPC 13: Unbelievable. DK just makes it look so simple.

Raw Dawgs 62 – Pap N’ CO 31: Philippe Podtetenev threw for 9 TDs, what a beast! (More them a little later in Meet The Competition)

B.D. Bandits 48 – Trojans 39: A true statement was made here. Scott Kelly believes the statement should say “Don’t leave the Back Door open. You’re now entering a no fly zone so all planes will be grounded.”

 

Power Rankings

1. DK – They easily handled VPC and now are averaging just less than 50 points for per game.

2. D-Boys – A close but solid win against G-Men. Are they ready for DK?

2. Dirty Birds – A comfortable win against Afternoon Delight; The Gronk (Marco Ritondo) had a great outing to help his team stay undefeated and move up one spot in the rankings.

4. B.D. Bandits – After their win against the Trojans, how can you not move them up in the rankings? At 4-0, they are making a case to be the best in conference B.

4. Sandlot Saints – An expected victory against ONS keeps them in the top 5.

6. Trojans – A tough loss to the B.D. Bandits drops them in the standings and their division.

 7. Fighting Irish – After their first loss in week 3, they got right back up and won comfortably against High Rollers.

8. Rude Bwoys – Domenic Tosi keeps the Bwoys rolling with yet another victory, they’re 3-1.

9. Les Eudistes – Although they are still 3-1, a loss to a 0-3 team dropped them to the near bottom of the rankings. That said, they were missing their QB and several other difference-makers.

10. GPK – They tied Served With Ice and both teams have the same record (2-1-1). However as per FPF rules (that I will also use in this situation), the better division record puts them ahead and they crack the last spot.

 

Random Thoughts:

-For the third straight week, a team has scored 50+ points.

-It’s interesting that the Fighting Irish have 3 wins but have only scored 85 points in four games.

-Conference B is now in full competition with Conference A with the rise of B.D. Bandits.

-Trojans have allowed 139 points in just four games but have 3 wins.

-DK and D-Boys will be a 60+ points game.

 

—

Meet the Competition: Raw Dawgs

by: Justin Blanchard

 

“The best defense is a good offense.”

 

If there’s one motto Raw Dawgs lived by last year, that was it.

 

Formerly known as Hard Knocks, Raw Dawgs were the third-best scoring team in Division 4 last Winter season with 360 points.

 

They conceded 259 points over the course of that season, however—a mark too high for their taste.

 

“We had some issues on defense last year,” said team captain and quarterback Philippe Podtetenev. 

 

To fix those issues, the team has made some notable roster changes this year.

 

“We added some people who could play defense, help our cover game, ” Podtetenev said.

 

Those additions notably include McGill Redmen defensive back Jonathan Noiseux and a duo of Concordia Stingers: defensive back Paul Spencer and receiver Nicholas Abelhauser, whose 6-foot-7 frame makes him a valuable asset as a defensive back on FPF’s smaller field.

 

Along with mainstays in Stingers receiver Kris Bastien and Redmen rookie receiver Jonathan Mack, Raw Dawgs easily boast one of the most talented teams in Division 3.

  

But all that talent couldn’t amount to much in the team’s first two games of this season—their first in Division 3 and third overall—as they lost their opener 41-20 to B.D. Bandits before falling 33-27 to CF the following week.

 

They’re losses Podtetenev attributed to a lack of harmony among the team.

 

“We didn’t really get along [at first]—I would call a coverage and everyone would play a bit selfish,” he said. “[On offense], some of the players would change their pattern in the middle of the play without telling me.”

 

Podtetenev says the team has since “gotten on the same page.” The results show as much, as the team earned its first win of the season in a 38-30 decision over Le Loft in Week 3 before dismantling Pap N’ Co by a mark of 62-31 last Saturday—a score that came as a surprise to perhaps everyone but Raw Dawgs themselves (though it should be noted Pap N’ Co fielded only five players).

 

“I’ve played with Kris, I train with [some of the guys],” said Podtetenev. “I know how they react and what they’re gonna do.”  

 

That rapport with his elite receivers, along with the team’s improving defense, leaves little doubt in Podtetenev’s mind that Raw Dawgs have the ability to win a championship.

 

If they make it there, the only question will be whether they actually show up to play.

 

“The guys aren’t very dependable because they don’t always show up,” says Podtetenev. “When were in the playoffs last year we played with a six-man roster and I was injured with a torn ACL so it was really just five guys.

 

“Our players have to show up and that’s the biggest thing.”

 

—

 

I had a horrible week three as I went 7-7. Am I upset? Not at all. I love it when teams prove me wrong. Furthermore, it was great to see four teams get their first win at my expense. After four weeks, my record is 32-10 which ties me with Simon Dagenais for wins. Here are this week’s predictions:

 

High Rollers vs. Jonesers: Jonesers

Sandlots Saints vs. Fighting Irish: Fighting Irish

Les Eudistes vs. Mongoose: N/A

Legends vs. Ball So Hard University: Legends

G-Men vs. Afternoon Delight: G-Men

Eagles vs. CF: CF

Raw Dawgs vs. Dirty Dawgers: Raw Dawgs

One Night Stands vs. VPC: VPC

Picksquad vs. Rude Bwoys: Rude Bwoys

Trojans vs. Served With Ice: Trojans

Lazy But Talented vs. Le Loft: Le Loft

Prestige World Wide vs. Pap n’ Co: Prestige World Wide

GPK vs. B.D. Bandits: B.D. Bandits

DK vs. D-Boys: TIE

KGP Champs vs. Dirty Birds: Dirty Birds

 

Well that’s it for this week’s round of Division 3. DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW OUR TWITTER SECTION ON THE HOMEPAGE! If you liked what I wrote or completely hated it, please share your feedback by sending me your thoughts/comments/suggestions. You can contact me at [email protected] or on Facebook, twitter or in person. I wish everyone luck in their upcoming games. Till next time, stay classy Division 3!