Peeze’s Playbook Div.E Week 9-10

Celebrating the Fourth of July is one of the coolest experiences.  It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re  American or if it’s far beyond the actual date, it’s still magical.  Drinking beers and Whiskey, partying in the lake under the sun with great friends and eating many pulled pork sliders, fried chicken pieces on waffles and collard greens.  Of course, perhaps the best part of the experience is seeing girls in tight USA bikinis, but then again that’s my own personal preference.

 

Memories are forged on a weekend such as that one.  Yes people are busy and sometimes tight on cash.  However, all those things are momentary and fleeting the memories you make will last a lifetime.  The playoffs is another example of a chance to create something special.  This is a moment in time where you build bonds with your teammates.  A playoff run is special and we are a week away from the beginning of the coveted second season. Good luck the rest of the way!

 

 

On the Fring

 

Early on this season I was sold on Los Pollos Hermanos.  Unfortunately, now that they have lost their last three games (and their last win was by 1 point); it appears as though I may have been mistaken.  For the moment LPH is holding on to the final playoff spot.  However, it would appear that they may need to win another game to secure that spot.  However, for Moncarz and co.  This game would not com in week 8. In a game where Los Pollos Hermanos had trouble moving the ball, Greg Wainberg was the standout having caught 7 passes for 41 yards.  Wainberg and Ryan Moncarz added interceptions on defense to help the cause but as they were unable to score Los Pollos Hermanos lost to TDs and Beer by a score of 27-0.

 

TDs and Beer looked good all around in this one.  Brad Evans was sharp despite a couple of missteps.  Isaiah Allard had a huge game once again as both of his catches were touchdowns and led the defence as they continued to harass Ryan Moncarz all game long. TDs and Beer no advance to 5-3 and seem to be in prime position to rise in the standings.  They play n.W.o in a game that may see them rise above them and the struggling Gingers in the final game of the season.

 

Alcohol and Crush Simply Do Not Mix

 

In their first game without Cedric Nuckle since his arrival 2 weeks ago, Orange Crush looked ready to play in this one.  The game was tied in the first half and Orange Crush’s offence was on the prowl. Yannick Doston was moving the ball well and he hit Jonathan Chevalier and Nikolai Streiter for 2 first half touchdowns.  While the team did lose a huge piece in Nuckle, they received a boost with the return of rusher Andrew Dennis Lynch. Lynch was hurt in the season’s first act but showed in this game why he would have been a huge contributing member to this team from the beginning of the season.  He had 3 sacks and seemed to irritate Tom Gatehouse for most of the first half.

 

Tom Gatehouse would adjust, as did the AOF defence and they would go on to win the second half by a score of 19-0.  Bryden Streeter had an impact on offence as he scored a touchdown. As for impact players that I haven’t been gushing over all season, Jeremy Gauer scored two touchdowns and a pick 6.  This allowed Alcohol of Fame to ride this one out into the sunset as they would go on to win this game 35-16.

Minge Avoid A Trimming By Orange Crush

 

As I walked by Jeff Rosenblatt this week he told me that he felt that Orange Crush were far better than their record.  As for Rosenblatt he was sharp and needed to be in this tight game.  He threw for 5 touchdowns. Familiar names had an impact on offence as Yoni Lehner and Corey Pecker each scored 2 touchdown while the ever picturesque Matt Young scored a touchdown as well. Corey Pecker continues to play well on defence as well as an interception in this game gives him 7 on the season.  The higher division experience has clearly played out for him (Pecker plays for the Legends in Div. B).  He is a known quantity at quarterback but is not known for his defensive prowess.  However clearly having played at a quicker pace  Pecker has looked great on defence this season.

 

Orange Crush looked very good in this one too.  However, it seems as though the biggest issue with Doston’s offense is tat he does not spread the ball well.  In this game, he completed 13 of his 18 completions to Jonathan Chevalier and Nikolai Streiter.  In order to be more effective he needs to ensure that he’s using all of his pieces effectively in order to truly challenge the defence. Moreover, OC had a chance to score in the redzone with less then a handful of plays remaining in the game and they were unable to do so. Orange Crush has come a long way and still has a have a chance to make the playoffs.  However, in order to be a threat in the second season, they will need to use all of their weapons and they will need to step into the big moments and seize the games that are on the line.  They lost this game by a score of 31-27 and they are now in position to make the playoffs if they can get by Los Pollos Hermanos in week 10.

 

The Return of Krebs

 

There has been some debate (between Terry Tam and his alternate ego)  that the Pack may not be better with Krebs in the lineup.  I would ask the jury to consider this game as exhibit A. Krebs was on fire in this one as he completed over 68% of his passes and he put up a passer rating of 134.4.  A lot of his passes did not come out as he intended and fluttered around in the air before falling into the waiting arms of a wide open receiver.  A lot of this was the Gingers ineptitude on defence but, none the less Krebs was still able to find the open receiver all game long.  In previous podcasts and articles Terry and I both begged Corey Laxer to take on a bigger role on offence. He did listen somewhat; Laxer caught 2 passes and one for a touchdown. Ryan Lefcourt matched his effort and Zach Goldstein doubled his efforts by catching 2 touchdowns.  The Pack looked strong as a unit and came out with the game in hand having won 39-13.

 

Despite having called down Joey Taylor (from Division C’s Two and a Half Dans) and David Polynice from Division D’s (The Dirty South) the Gingers could not keep pace with The Pack.  Interestingly, the Gingers moved the ball well and Billy Alexandrou looked good with Polynice and Alex Joltopuf to throw to in this game.  However as I mentioned above, the Gingers defense just looked unable to adjust or to communicate with each other during the game.  This has been a tough first season but I believed they learned a lot and got better each week.  I truly hope to see them return in future season because it really is the only way to get better in this league.

 

Breaded, Battered, Beaten

 

Los Pollos Hermanos were a team that I fell in love with early.  However, it would look as though the division has caught up and adapted to their style of play.  Moncarz had a promising start to the season but has since faltered.  He threw 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in this game  which means that in the past 5 weeks he has thrown 4 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. In this game, LPH struggled on both sides of the ball.  On offence they were not able to move the ball and defensively they were not able to stop the DG Goons.

 

As for the DG Goons, everything seemed to be clicking throughout the game. Christopher Pendenza had a flawless game.  He divided his 5 touchdowns between Phil Bazin, Vito La Giorgia and James Jaskowlski.  As much as we have talked about Derrick Fontana but this week, the Goons showed that they were more than a one trick pony. As hard as I’ve been on them this season, they have addressed one of my key concerns heading into the playoffs. On the defensive side of the ball, the Goons were taking advantage of Moncarz slow release and knocking down balls all over the field. This team effort also bodes well for them moving forward. As for this game, the DG Goons win 35-0.

 

5 plays Till Half Time

 

Each week, the Eagle at Master Control sends me 5 quick fire questions that I answer as honestly and coherently as possible. It’s a fun and exciting way to cover more teams, more players and offer you, the players, more content.  Want Eagle to ask me a question about your team, tweet him @EagleFPF 140 characters at a time.

 

Eagle: What is THE game you are looking forward to watching this week?

 

Peeze: There are a few games that I’d like to see.  The first one that comes to mind is Orange Crush vs. Los Pollos Hermanos.  The winner goes to the post season. It doesn’t get more exciting than that.  That being said the one game that really has me interested is Cream Team vs. DX.  The division’s strongest team (Cream Team) with the most accredited pedigree takes on the young and gritty, defensively driven DX.  This should be an exciting game.

 

Eagle–Which team currently eliminated from playoffs can cause the biggest upset by winning?

 

Peeze: Well the playoff standings are pretty well set.  However if the Gingers beat TDs and Beer it would cause TDs and Beer to slide a little down in the rankings and have a tougher first round matchup.  While a lot of this is strictly academic it is still interesting to see where each team will end up in the standings.  There will be a lot of nervous teams as there will be match-ups that everyone is trying to avoid.

 

Eagle: Going into the last week, who are the front runners for the season awards? Is there a chance for others to catch up?

 

Peeze: Heading into week 10, the frontrunner for QB of the year has to be J-Rose Jeff Rosenblatt.  On his heels is Jarred Humphrey.  However, I do think that Rosenblatt will win this award because he has thrown for less interceptions and otherwise their stats are nearly identical.  Yoni Lehrer and Zach Goldstein look to be leading in the receiver of the year category. If Goldstein can match or beat Lehrer’s touchdown numbers then he should win because of his massive lead in receiving yards. I think Alex Grace is probably leading the pack as the frontrunner for defender of the year.  However, Julien “Bob” Lefebvre is right on his tail.  If some of those PDs are interceptions in his next game he should have a chance.  That being said, while those two are probably going to be in the conversation my vote would actually go to Malcom Archer who is a sack away from tying the record for sacks in a season.  Two way player of the year has to go to Isaiah Allard. He has 15 touchdowns and 20 sacks.  He has truly been dominant.

 

Eagle-There’s still a lot of movement possible with the current standings – can you see things being shaken up or staying status quo?

 

Peeze: Well firstly, I think that Orange crush will make the playoffs so that will be a shake up in and of itself. I also see DX jumping ahead of Cream Team to seize the first seed in conference B.  Other than that I think things will stay pretty close to where they currently stand.

 

Eagle: This is less of a question but more of a comment. There are a lot of first time quarterbacks in Div E this season and I think we’ve seen a lot of growth from them since week 1. Big shoutout to all those people. Care to comment?.

 

Peeze: Given that I am one such quarterback, I would like to say that I have a new appreciation for the position.  It id fun but it is incredibly challenging.  It forces you to learn the game in a completely different way.  Kudos to my colleagues.  It has been a great season!

 

 

 

Reflections, Rants and Ravings:

 

-I’ve noticed that the tendency for many new teams is to be rough.  I am always a proponent for safety in this league and as such I would like to remind everyone why we play.  This is recreational league, take it easy and be safe out there

-Summer Season is almost done and I wanted to give a shout out to all the teams who are have been eliminated but still come out every week.

-Passion Fruit Iced Tea, is that even a real thing?

-I wanted to apologize for missing last week’s article. So what I’ve decided to do was write a longer article that covered both weeks 8 and 9 as well as a post season preview.

-Bryden Streeter is the defender that I have been most impressed with all season.  He leads the league in tackles but he also has impressive stats across the board. The dude is all over the place!

-If the little boy cried for something other than a wolf on the third call, people probably would have come running.

 

Power Rankings

 

1-Cream Team (8-1)- They have done what we’ve expected of them.  They’ve gone out obliterated most teams on their schedule.  However, I predicted it weeks ago and I’m standing by my prediction: After week 10, Cream Team will end up 8-2.

 

2-DX (8-1)- They are getting it done playing their own brand of football.  They’ve shown that it almost doesn’t matter who is quarterbacking for them as long as their defensive scheme is working they continue to thrive.

 

3-The Minge (7-2)-Even though they did win against Orange Crush, The Minge looked vulnerable as an alley cat corned against a wild pack of racoons in week 9.  Thankfull cats have 9 lives.  Let’s hope the Minge do to.

 

4-DG Goons (7-2)- The Goons are looking better than we expected but they cannot treat n.W.o as a cupcake.  Maybe a Slim Jim but definitely not a cupcake.

 

5-Junk Yard Dogs(5-4)-  JYD are a good team but I don’t think they are elite.  However, given the right matchups in the playoffs we can see this team make a deep run in the post season once again.

6-Alcohol of Fame (5-4)-They are a few mistakes away from having a far better record.

 

7-The Pack (5-4)- They have had roster inconsistencies and inconsistencies on the field.  Teams that have this issue tend to struggle in the post season.

 

8-Old Guns (5-4)- They are showing me each week that I should have paid more attention to this team.  They are playing very well and are gearing up at just the right time.

 

Other Teams Receiving Votes:

 

I had this conversation with two guys on a boat who have never played in FPF or seen a game.  So as always, there is only one vote here, and it’s mine:

 

– TDs and Beer (5-4)-They lost a tight game to an underrated n.W.o team.  Hopefully this is the wakeup call that they need heading into the second season.

 

-Wax On, Wax Off (5-4)- Each week we seem to see a different team. That’s what keeps WOWO out of my top 8.

 

Hung-over Visions of the World of Tomorrow

 

I have finally overtaken Terry and while it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to regain the lead from GM, I have set a new goal.  It is time to sabotage GM.  The reason for this is that the losers need to pay the pitchers of beer for the winners at the end of the season.  Where the Eagle at Master Control is a cheap date and a veritable light weight, GM may make us empty our pockets.  Canèt believe I’m saying this…GO EAGLE!!!!

 

GAME	PEEZE	TERRY	GM	EAGLE
Los Pollos Hermanos vs. Orange Crush	Orange Crush	Los Pollos Hermanos	Orange Crush	Los Pollos Hermanos
The Minge vs. Junkyard Dogs	The Minge	The Minge	The Minge	The Minge
Killuminati vs. Hangar Crossfit	n/a	Hangar Crossfit	Killuminati	Killuminati
TDs and Beer vs. Gingers	TDs and Beer	Gingers	TDs and Beer	TDs and Beer
Cream Team vs. DX	DX	Cream Team	DX	Cream Team
Fresh MTL vs. Jean Guy	Fresh MTL	N/A	Fresh MTL	Fresh MTL
The Pack vs. Wax On, Wax Off	Wax On, Wax Off	The Pack	Wax On, Wax Off	The Pack
NWO vs. DG Goons	DG Goons	NWO	DG	NWO
Old Guns vs. Alcohol of Fame	Alcohol of Fame	Old Guns	n/a	n/a
Record	43-29	40-32	49-23	46-26
Winning pct.	.597	.556	.681	.638

 

Friday’s Fur Pelt

 

If you want to stay up to date with all the story lines and drama of division E please visit www.theunclehood.com to watch Flag Plus Bromance, the official division E podcast live on Monday nights at 8:00pm. If you can’t watch it live you can download it via iTunes or at http://fpf.podomatic.com/. Feel free to join us live during the show by tweeting @EagleFPF or if you’d like to join Terry on a road trip across America please follow him @TerryTamFPF. Feel free to hit me up with questions or comments @PeezeFPF or by emailing me at [email protected]

 

Have a great and safe week of action. See you at the fields!