Inside the Redzone (DC) – Week 2

 

Welcome to Inside The Redzone a la week deux. There were some very interesting results in week 2 and I have noticed that there are a few developing trends. For one thing, many teams are not holding on to their first half leads and as a result, they end up losing the game. Furthermore some teams are not taking their extra point conversion seriously. The difference between the elite and average teams is consistency and efficiency. If you look at teams such as the Cobras, Snookers, Triple Sixers and a few others, they play consistent and efficient football. There are still eight weeks of football left so whether you’re a new team or an old team and have had a bad start, there is plenty of time to turn things around.

 

 

Week 2 review

 

Green Machine 21 – Rude Bwoys 20: There has been a lot of hype regarding the Green Machine squad (most of it started by me) and even though they barely squeaked out a win in week 2, they might be a team to look out for in the upcoming weeks. Especially if their All Star QB is on the field (and for their sake, I hope he comes sooner rather than later), because the QB situation this past week wasn’t pretty. E. Forget had a forgettable performance to say the least, throwing for 3 INTs, 0 TDs and completing less than 50% of his passes. He was replaced by P. Blouin who did a somewhat better job as he threw for 2 TDs and 1 INT. Therefore this proves that their All Star QB is definitely needed as soon as possible if they intend to go far. For the Rude Bwoys, their defense had a great game because it provided 2 out of their 3 scores with “pick sixes” from B. Joseph and D. Gelevan. However they must find a way to put points on the board and completing 7 passes out of 23 (30%) is not going to be sufficient on most evenings. Also the Rude Bwoys blew a 14 point lead so they have a few things to work on and I suggest they start as soon as possible.

 

Flight Of The Concords (FOTC) 21 – For Teh Lulz (FTL) 20: For a second straight week, I am wondering if this team’s name is a typo. Looking at the game itself, J. Lemieux (FOTC) was 12-20 for 144 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT. He also had a good ground game rushing 5 times for 30 yards. J. Brown (FTL) was 16 of 28 for 141 yards with 3 TDs and 0 INT. FTL were up 14-7 in the half however failed to convert on the PAT in the second half and lost by one point. I would give a lot of credit to FOTC’s defense which was rock solid all night, they had 1 sack, 1 INT and 6 PDs. The connection of the Lemieuxs (Jonathan, Simon and Maxime) on FOTC will go a long way in the Spring 2009 season. On the other side, FTL were in this game (just as they were last week vs. Triple Sixers) however they made a few tiny mistakes which cost them the win. On the positive side, they do have potential to be a good Division C team and should not be taking lightly because they do play with passion and intensity.

 

In other news, the Bandits lost a close one against the Flying Weasels. The following is the horrendous stat line of Bandits QBs (G. Cerralo and J. Kiraly) who went 5 of 15 for 100 yards with 3 TDs but also 3 INTs; a main reason for their loss because two of the interceptions were returned for TDs by E. Guilmain (Flying Weasels). M. Tougas (Flying Weasels) didn’t have his best game either, throwing for 2 TDs and 2 INTs but it was enough for the win. D. Faucher (Flying Weasels) might not have had a great stat game but he provided enough pressure against the Bandits’ QBs which forced them to make bad throws (33% pass completion). If the Bandits can fix the QB situation, they will be a strong contender in Division C. For the Weasels, they will be without M. Tougas however that shouldn’t be a problem for them because they can win just as well without him and they proved that in the Winter 2009 season. Moving on, the Terminators lost to Eagles by a score of 31-15. Kevin Marlow (Terminators) threw for 1 TD and FOUR INTs which was quite shocking to see. So then I wonder: Is Kevin Marlowe overhyped or is the Eagles defense that good? From what I understand, Eagles hosted numerous training camps to weed out some players and strengthen their roster. They used a 3 QB system this past weekend which might not be the most efficient down the road however their defense is looking stronger than it was in the Winter 2009 season. J. Goyette (Eagles) had a great game catching half of the teams completed passes with 5 for 112 yards and 2 TDs however they will need more players to step up if they want to run a consistent offense. They say defense wins championships and just look at the numbers Eagles defense had against the Terminators: 5 sacks, 4 INTs, 4 PDs and 2 “pick sixes”. So if Eagles offense continues to progress, I can see them causing a lot of damage in the Spring season. As for the Terminators, it is shameful that they have so many superstars on the team (K. Marlow, J. Lyristis, S. Free, R. Jordan, etc…) and they managed to only put up 15 points in Division C. The veterans on this team have to pick it up big time if they have any chance of going far.

 

And you’re now up to speed in division C.

 

Three STARwars of the Week:

 

3rd star: E. Guilmain (Flying Weasels) had 1 tackle, 2 INTs and 2 “pick sixes”.

 

2nd star: J. Goyette (Eagles) had 5 catches for 112 yards and 2 TDs; on defense he had 4 tackles and 1 PD.

 

1st star: J.F. Trudeau (Cobras) had 4 catches for 63 yards and 1 TD; on defense he had 3 INTs with one “pick six”.

 

 

Sarwar’s Spread (Week 3)

 

I will use this section to showcase the main event game(s) for the following week while also allocating a spread.

 

Snookers (2-0) vs. Bandits (1-1): Sunday May 31st, 2009 at 5 pm on Field 3

 

Both teams lack a solid QB however Bandits have more depth and have Winter Division 3 playoff experience which should definitely come in handy. This will be a great test for the Snookers and should make the game interesting however players other than Andre John will have to step up. Bandits – 4.5

 

KGP Champs (2-0) vs. Terminators (1-1): Sunday May 31st, 2009 at 7pm on Field 3

 

The KGP Champs are on a roll winning the first two contests quite comfortably. However they will now face a tougher match up and the deep ball to O. Saleh might not work with Stephen Fre in the secondary. I like the Terminators in this game because with the amount of talent they have on their roster, it would be an embarrassment if they lost. Terminators – 6.5

 

 

 

Tip Of The Week

 

I know a lot of players spend countless amounts of hours designing many offensive plays and I don’t blame them because our league is offense oriented. They will practice their plays in pre-game, by renting a field or on madden however one thing that a lot of teams should put an equal amount of emphasis on are extra point conversion (after the touchdown). If you ask anyone who has been in FlagPlus Football for a few seasons now, they will tell you that extra point conversion is just as important as any other play. Therefore always make sure to practice the extra point conversion because it can definitely be the difference between winning and losing.

 

Also keep in mind that you can go for 1 point (5 yards away from end zone) or 2 points (10 yards away from end zone) so be ready for both depending on the situation you are facing in the game.

 

 

A Second with Sarwar

 

After speaking to many players this past Sunday, it has come to my attention that there are a few rumors going around about my absence from the season premiere of the Weekly Extra Point Live (WEPL). One player thought I was really terminated from the FlagPlus Football organization. Another player told me he thought I was not happy with other members of the WEPL. I would like to put all rumors to rest and explain my absence. I actually received an assignment to go to South America and analyze the market for flag football. There were numerous meetings held and many proposals were outlined but in the end, a deal couldn’t be reached because no referee was brave enough to sign a contract in South America. One referee commented, “Why would I want to get involved in a death match where my life is at stake? What if they use the flags to strangle me? You think I can tell these players that shorts with pockets are forbidden? Yea right!!” Therefore for now, the project is put on hold until further notice but I like to thank Reebok and FPF for giving me a great opportunity.

 

On another topic, after reading Rostyn Castleton’s weekly column, I feel that most people in FPF don’t realize that we at the WEPL are a tightly knit group. Sure I make fun of Mr. Castleton and Mr. Khan (partially because they can’t fire me) but it is all in good fun. Rostyn Castleton and I actually work out at Monster Gym many times a week where I train him. Moe Khan and I hang out at the hottest spots in Montreal and he gives me tips on picking up the ladies. Not to forget that Daron always invites us over for dinner more often than not and the list of activities involving all of us goes on and on. We are inseparable and should be referred to as the Fantastic Four. Daron is Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards), Moe is Invisible Woman (Sue Storm), Rostyn is The Thing (Ben Grimm) and I am Human Torch (Johnny Storm). The bottom line is that our chemistry is far superior to any news report team out there and what you see on the WEPL or what you read in our articles is just pure entertainment and for your viewing pleasure.

 

 

And that is it for this week’s edition of Inside The Redzone. If you have comments/suggestions don’t hesitate to contact me on Facebook or via email at [email protected]. This is Rehan Sarwar signing off and I wish you all luck in your week 3 match ups. I’ll catch you all next week but until then, Stay Classy Division C!