Major shakeups in the Top 11; Week 3 Recap

From blowouts, to upsets, to incredible performances, Week 3 was anything but boring. Before we get into it, let me run down a few things that caught my eye this week.

The Mountain Goats pulling off the upset…well kind of. After averaging nearly 40 points on offense, and only giving up 13 so far this season, this game at least on paper, looked like a walk in the park for Wax On Wax Off.

The Mountain Goats had other ideas, as they used their speed on defense to take away a number of deep ball plays that had been extremely successful for Wax so far this season.

While it wasn’t always pretty, Mountain Goats QB Hazem Tawakol, who has the throwing motion and running style (along with a Gatorsesque jersey) of Tim Tebow, made enough plays for his team to help stop their two game slide.

If the Gator…I mean Mountain Goats can bring the same intensity and speed next Wednesday against The Pocketwatch, they’ll have a good chance at putting their first ‘W’ in the win column. Congrats on getting your first point of the season.

I’ve seen some crazy plays in my time here at FPF. However none in recent memory were as spectacular as Obamacare’s snapper Kyle McGuigan’s one handed Odell Beckham Jr-like catch between two defenders for a TD in his team’s 33-13 victory over The Minge. Simply put, the catch was a thing of beauty.

Flagrant Fouls really made me eat my words after picking LA’s Finest to knock them off last week. Let me be the first to say WOW, WAS I WRONG. Maybe I should add myself on to the Step It Up list.

And finally, the Tigerz, who notched their first FPF victory. They were able to ride a strong defensive performance victory, as they were able to force Team Fourth and Twenty quarterback Vince Menitti into 3 interceptions.

I can tell you from personal experience that getting your first win as a new team in FPF is definitely not as easy as you think it is. Congrats to the Tigerz on doing it in only their third attempt.

 

High Five

Flagrant Fouls. As I previously mentioned, I picked against them last week, and that was a huge mistake, as they used a second half offensive explosion to lay waste to LA’s Finest. What made F.F’s win even more impressive was while their offense once again was clicking on all cylinders, it was what they did on defense that really stood out to me. They were able to neutralize LAF’s dynamic duo of Theo Bekelis and Andrew Grant which is a lot easier said than done.

Jean Guy. After getting off to a rough start this season after losses to top teams in Obamacare and the N.W.O respectively, Jean Guy was able to get back on track after a dominating win over TMNB.

While Jean Guy’s offense definitely played a big role in the win, their defense was the real star of the show, as they generated 4 turnovers and notched a season high 5 sacks.

In football whether it’s tackle or flag, it always said that…Jean Guy rusher Simon Laporte and his defensive partners were definitely in sync Wednesday night.

Woofpack WRs. More specifically the tandem of Michael Cafe and Yacoub Telemaque. The dynamic duo was able to combine for 7 catches for 103 yards and 3 TDs against The Pocketwatch.  While at first glance it appears that Telemaque had the bigger evening by far (to his credit, he did have a nice 10 yard run) Café more than made his presence felt on more than one extra point play, where he was able to come up, or down in his case with a crucial grab to extend his team leads. 

Jordan Allard. The Balls Deep ballhawk had a huge game against Pardon My Swag as he registered 8 tackles, and a house call on an INT.  For the season, Allard has 4 interceptions in two games played. Is it a coincidence that his team gave up 40 points last week to The Sun Bros with Allard not in the lineup? An honorable mention also goes out to his teammate Rohan Mayers.

Diablos WR/DB Zach Zwirn. He would’ve made the list with his defensive performance alone. He recorded 4 interceptions, one of which he returned for a TD. That performance alone would be enough to get you Defensive Player of the Month, let alone week in the NFL, CFL, CIS and QMJFL.

Zwirn wasn’t done there. He decided that he needed to show us what he can do on offense as well, as he put up 5 catches for 146 yards and 3 TDs.

 

Step It Up

Wax On Wax Off. Yes they were missing snapper and team MVP candidate Normand Bellemare, along with rusher Justin Santillo, but Wax is a team consisting of FPF vets that should still be able to take care of business against an all-rookie Mountain Goats squad. Step it up Wax On Wax Off.

The Pocketwatch. Going back to my picks last week, I had the Woofpack coming out victorious. What I didn’t see coming, is the ease with which they would pick up the win.

Terry Tam’s team looked like the ’99 Rams offensively Wednesday night.  Whether the Woofpack dinked and dunked their way up field, took deep shot after deep shot, or relied on Tam’s legs to make plays, The Pocketwatch simply had no answer.

On offense, The Pocketwatch really looked out of sync. While the Woofpack’s defense definitely deserves their fair share of credit, the dropped balls, bad passes, and sloppy routes were no one’s fault but their own.  Step it up The Pocketwatch.

Smokin’ Axolotls.  Coming into the season, there was a lot of chatter about this team being one of the early favourites to win it all.  Despite a decent Week 1 showing in a loss to Flagrant Fouls, S.A hasn’t really shown anything so far. With loses in consecutive weeks to Obamacare and the N.W.O, they now sit at 0-3.

Despite the fact that it’ll only be Week 4, their Monday night matchup against the also winless TMNB is a must win, as the loser can pretty much kiss their playoff chances goodbye. For a team with the likes of Stefan Fennes, Marc Paliotti, Kevin Gauthier, and the ever dangerous Jad Aridi, that’s unacceptable. Step it up Smokin’ Axolotls.

 

Top 11

1. Woofpack. Last week I said their first real test would come against The Pocketwatch. After being there to witness the game, consider the test passed.  The Woofpack just overwhelmed the timepieces through the air and on the ground. Defensively, they held Peeze to just 5 completions. Their real first real test (yes you read that right) comes this Saturday night against Flagrant Fouls. (Last Week 1)

2. N.W.O. Although they were in tough against the winless Smokin’ Axolotls, the N.W.O found a way to win when it mattered, and that’s what good teams do.The black and white’s ability to run the ball, and freeze defenders on play action fakes, are the key to their offense. After possibly overlooking their previous opponents, will they do so again next Tuesday night against The Minge? (Last Week 3)

3. Obamacare. The team climbing the rankings the fastest showed their resolve against The Minge. After tearing up Div. 6 on both sides of the ball the first two weeks of the season, Andrew Hopkins was held to just 1 reception for 12 yards on offense, and 2 pass deflections. Add that to the fact that Obamacare lost speedy slot receiver Matthew Pisaturo to injury in the second half, and their performance on Wednesday night was that much more impressive. (Last Week 7)

4. The Sun Bros. two straight wins over 2 quality teams. While TSB’s defense had a strong showing against Beast Mode, their QB Justin Lerner had his first less than perfect outing. The obvious question going forward is whether the performance was an aberration for Lerner, or has he just come crashing down to earth. Next week’s game vs an improving Jean Guy team will speak volumes. (Last Week 5)

5. Flagrant Fouls. They definitely took care of business against LA’s Finest. Besides the 1 TD by Theo Bekelis, he and LAF WR Andrew Grant were shut down by the Fouls’ stingy defense.  After easily plowing through their first real challenge of season, the schedule makers didn’t do Flagrant Fouls any favours as they face arguably their biggest test in the Woofpack this Saturday. This will be a must see game, and the result has the potential to shake up the rankings and D6 as a whole. (Last Week 8)

6. The Mean Machine. Strength of schedule is the sole reason why they’re in the six spot once again. That will all change as they take on Wax On Wax Off Saturday night. The two biggest questions heading into the matchup are, will M.M be able to put up 35 plus points on the aggressive ball-hawking Wax defense? And how will the Mean Machine slow down Jordan Bellemare, Dangerous Danny D’Armour, and company? (Last Week 6)

7. Wax On Wax Off. As mentioned above, a huge game looms against the Mean Machine. The tie against the Mountain Goats really hurt them in the standings this week. To make their way back up, they will need the aforementioned Normand Bellemare and Justin Santillo. If they are without both again, they’ll be might be in a world of trouble. Either way, Wax will need to generate stops to win. That’s easier said than done against double M however. (Last Week 4)

8. LA’s Finest. They’ve suffered the biggest drop in the rankings of any team, and deservedly so. After no-showing against Flagrant Fouls, LAF faces an equally tough game against Obamacare. How they play in this will answer the all-important pretender or contender question. (Last Week 2)

9. Balls Deep. The dynamic receiving dual of Chris Valentine and Marc Belhomme Jr, continue to lead the way offensively, while Jordan Allard continues to impress on defense as he was making plays all over the field against Pardon My Swag.While their next 3 games see them go through a lighter part of the schedule, the 3 games after that will be against three solid teams. Balls Deep better use the aforementioned next three contests to work out any kinks. (Last Week 10)

10. Diablos. Yes they are putting up a lot of points the last two weeks, but strength of competition is a question that comes into play. Another one is contender vs pretender. When it comes to these guys, it’s still not 100% clear. While anything can happen in the great game of football, there stands a chance that we might not get the latter question answered in Week 4. Week 5 however sees them take on Wax On Wax Off. That game should give us what we’re looking for. (Last Week 11)

11. Jean Guy. While they were taking on a lesser team in TMNB, it’s the confidence and execution that Jean Guy displayed in their 36-0 victory that gets them onto the Top 11 this week. Oh yeah, getting a shutout certainly didn’t hurt their cause either. Let’s see if JG can keep stretch the winning streak to 2 when they take on The Sun Bros. (Last Week unranked)

 

Picks

The Sun Bros vs Jean Guy – The Sun Bros

Wax On Wax Off vs The Mean Machine – The Mean Machine

LA’s Finest vs Obacare – Obamacare

Balls Deep vs Tigerz – Balls Deep

Goon Squad vs Dialos – Diablos

Woofpack vs Flagrant Fouls (My pick for game of the week) – Flagrant Fouls

Orange Crush vs Team Fourth and Twenty – Orange Crush

Beast Mode vs Pardon My Swag – Beast Mode

TMNB VS Smokin’ Axolotls – Smokin’ Axolotls

N.W.O vs The Minge – N.W.O

Mountain Goats vs The Pocketwatch – The Pocketwatch (I think…)

*Patriots vs Seahawks – Pats (I hope…remember I’m a 9ers fan)

*Last Week 10-1

*Season 19-3

 

Don’t forget to listen to the Super Flag Bros Division 6 podcast on Thursday nights at 6:45 at www.theunclemikeshow.com The show is hosted by Peeze Della Reeze and David Della Rocca. Feel free to tweet either one or both of them at @ PeezeFPF and @DavesRepublic respectively.

That’s it for this week; I will be back next with your Week 4 recap.

I’ve been checking my e-mail and twitter regularly for feedback and suggestions from you guys, so keep it coming. If you loved the article, hated it, or simply felt I left something out, don’t be shy. You can shoot me a tweet at @BADNEWS51, or do it the semi old fashioned way and e-mail me at [email protected]

Enjoy the Super Bowl!!!!