Peeze’s Playbook-Playoff Preview

Nightwing is an interesting comic book character. For those who are not in the know, Nightwing is the alter ego of Dick Grayson and is prior to DC’s new 52 launch he was in charge of the Teen Titans. Prior to putting on the Nightwing suit, Grayson was the first Robin (famously, Batman’s sidekick). He was orphaned after his parent’s were killed in a staged “circus accident”. Bruce Wayne then adopted him as he felt for him as he too had been orphaned as a child.

 

Grayson had been trained as a trapeze artist and given his gymnastics background and his athleticism, it would only be a matter of time before Batman would have him trained as the world’s first and most famous super hero side kick. However, this relationship was always transitory and destined to end. The reason for this is simple, Bruce Wayne spends his entire life looking back to the death of his parents. Having been trained as a trapeze artist, Grayson spent his whole life looking forward and is an expert at leaving the past behind him. In a famous episode of Batman the Animated Series called Old Wounds, we see the moment where the young Grayson can no longer work with his mentor.                                                

 

My recommendations for teams is to stay focused. Look forward and ignore the past, focus on the incoming swinging trapeze. In this case it is the playoffs. The champion will have gone undefeated from now on but all any team can do is win in a given week and move on into the future. Good luck to all the teams advancing into the playoffs.

 

Individual Award Winners

 

If you’ve heard this week’s FlagPlus Bromance you’ll know that Terry Tam did not agree on many of each other’s choices. However, I must say, for the most part the league got it right and the most deserving in each category is being honored with an award this season. Congratulations to all of the award winners!

 

Quarterback of the Season

#87 Jeff Rosenblatt – The Minge

1754 YDS 49 TD 11 INT 102.8 QBR

 

While Jared Humphrey did put his best effort forward given that he was not nearly as careful with the ball, Jeff Rosenblatt ended up winning this award in a landslide. Perhaps the most impressive feat was that he took only 1 sack all season. While it was on a bad snap, if one had a wager on this topic, I would remind them that a sack is a sack.

 

 

Receiver of the Season

#14 Alex Joltopuf

32 REC 613 YDS 12 TD

Joltopuf is an amazing receiver and his contributions to the Gingers was invaluable. If the Gingers were to come back in spring he would definitely be the centrepiece around which the team should be built. His ability to stretch the field and work as the motivator, or spark plug for his team makes him worthy of this award.

 

Defensive Player of the Season

#12 Bryden Streeter – Alcohol of Fame

47 TKL 5 INT 12 PD 4 TD

 

Any other season and I would be very proud of FPF. While I think Streeter excelled in every category which is a difficult feat in and of itself. However, in a season when his teammate Malcolm Archer set the record for sacks in a season, I believe he should have taken this award. However, Streeter made a case for himself and is definitely worthy. Hs ability to make plays across the field is impressive and I’m glad that it was recognized. However, Bryden, buy your man Malcolm a pitcher of beer; it’s the right thing to do.

 

The Terry Tam Award – Two–Way Player of the Season

#12 Zach Goldstein- The Pack

37 REC 609 YDS 14 TD/ 18TKL 6 INT 6 PD 1 TD

 

Zach Goldstein truly embodies the spirit of this award. He is a game breaker as a receiver. His impressive yardage and his 14 touchdowns show how involved he was in the Pack’s offence. On defence, whether it was neutralizing the opposing team’s top receiver or intercepting a ball that he tracked from the quarterback’s hand and into his own hands, Goldstein always seemed to make the big plays that counted.

 

Playoff Breakdown

 

Conference A

 

Junkyard Dogs (3) vs. Orange Crush (6)

 

Previous Result: Junkyard Dogs 38-Orange Crush 15

 

Keys to Success:

 

Junkyard Dogs: The key to success for most teams start with quarterback play. For JYD it starts and ends here. In the games where they have looked great Jason Rossie has been the man. Whether he’s in the pocket, scrambling to buy time or just plain taking off up the sideline, this is where Junkyard Dogs look the part. Having made a deep playoff run last season, they have the experience on this team to be considered a serious contender once again. Another key in this game is Scott Binns. He tends to be an underrated player on defence but, he reads the field well and will take away the slant to Jonathan Chevalier early. Given that Orange Crush have never made the playoffs before, Junkyard Dogs’ ability to adapt should give them an advantage.  

 

Orange Crush: My concern with Orange Crush has been that they tend to rely on the same players to carry them. Given the strength of Junkyard Dog’s defence, I think they will need to spread the ball. Other than Jonathan Chevalier, the biggest game changer on the field is Nikolai Streiter. His size makes him a target on offence and on the other side of the ball he is always ready to jump passes and he usually is quite effective at taking away a significant part of the field. Finally, given that we will probably see Junkyard Dogs using Jacob Bernett rush, it will be important for qb Yannick Doston to stay calm and get rid of the ball quick. If he can avoid the compulsion to chuck it up when he’s in trouble then we can expect the OC to come out with the victory.

 

Analysis: Yannick Doston will remain calm and poised. He is going to spread the ball and I expect big games from Matthew Tamilia and Nick Gagne and Orange crush will upset the Junkyard Dogs. Orange Crush is coming off a hugely emotional victory in week 10 and I think this will propel them beyond the wildcard stage. Finally, I think that Junk Yard Dogs will have one last chance to win the game but a late interception by Nikolai Streiter will ice it and Orange Crush will dvance to the next round.

 

Prediction: Orange Crush will win by 5 points.

 

Alcohol of Fame (4) vs. Old Guns (5)

 

Previous matchup: Alcohol of Fame 26- Old Guns 12

 

Keys to Success:

 

Alcohol of Fame: The Alcohol of Fame defence is one of the strongest in the division. Bryden Streeter will need to be all over the field and rusher Malcom Archer will need to be in Vince Pisano’s undergarments all day. Additionally, what AOF do well is mask their defence. If they can do that in this game they can dictate the pace of the game and put their offence good field position all game. Tom Gatehouse will need to be careful with the ball. He has a capable group of receivers and he needs to use them to the best of his capabilities. Personally, I think Jeremy Grauer would be a tough matchup due to his size and his ability to catch the ball in traffic. Of course that is well paired with the left hook that is Vadim Chernyak in space.

 

Old Guns: The first key to success will be tthe Vince Pisano needs to be there. He has come a long way in his first season as quarterback. He knows how to use all of his pieces and he avoids making the big mistake. Begin a game manager has a negative connotation but it means that he will control the game and he trusts his defence to help win him the game. Alex Gaudet is a fantastic athlete and has the ability to make players miss on offence as well as make a key play on defence that may turn the game around. He will need to do so if Old Guns expect to come out ahead.

 

Analysis: This will be a close game and I have been unimpressed with Alcohol of Fame in the redzone. I think it will be a close game; the kind of game that is decided by extra points. AOF will have no answer for Gaudet’s corner and out patterns and Old Guns will come out with the victory given that they will have just been more efficient.

 

Predicition: Old Guns by 2 points

 

Conference B

 

TDs and Beer (3) vs. The Pack (6)

 

Previous Match-up: The Pack 28 – TDs and Beer 7

 

Keys to Success:

 

TDs and Beer: TDs and beer will need to score in this one. They haven’t been known for putting a lot of points on the board. I like that they can march down the field. Once in the redzone, they have the best redzone target in Isaiah Allard. Allard will need to be dominant when in striking range. Allard will also have to have an impact when rushing Daniel Krebs. If he can get Krebs to throw off of his back foot the TDs and Beer should be able to pick off a couple of passes and put themselves in a spot to win the game.

 

The Pack: The Pack has under performed all season. However, now with their roster being present I think we will see them with their best sunday attire this game. Daniel Krebs needs to play like the former QB of theyear that he is and Zach Goldstein will need to make an impact on both sides of the ball. Goldstein is a remarkable receiver and he has established great chemistry with quarterback Daniel Krebs. Whether he needs to hit that second gear to get to the ball or come back and fight for the ball Goldstein has shown that he can get there. on defense Alexandre Bohbot will clearly make his presence felt and this is what it will take for the Pack to advance.

 

Analysis: In the last time these two teams played, Isaiah Allard was somewhat of a factor as we saw Krebs force two balls for interceptions. Unfortunately, given that Brad “Angel Face” Evans was not in the game, the offence never clicked and ddespite the defences best efforts, The Pack came out with a win. I think Allard will be a factor and I tihnk that Evans will be able to move the ball. This should result in a win for TDs and Beer.

 

Predicition: TDs and Beer by 9 points.

 

 

Wax On, Wax Off (4) vs. n.W.o (5)

 

Keys to Success:

 

Wax On, Wax Off: In order for Wax On, Wax Off to win this game Danny D’Amour will have to have a huge game. Given that he is one of the most gifted receivers in the division he will need to be just that if WOWO will be usccessful. Having D’Amour on the field works well when you consider that n.W.o will also need to defend against David Daoust. The pair are dynamic receivers and Normand Bellemare knows how to get the ball in their hands. For them to be successful however, WOWO needs to get the lead and hold onto it as their defense has been known to allow more scores than they should.

 

 

n.W.o: For the first time ever n.W.o superstar Peter Mignacca is eligible for the playoffs. This is huge as he is absolutely a difference maker on the field. He is quick and reliable and n.W.o looks like a different team when he’s on the field. I don’t think that the option attack will work against Wax On, Wax Off because they are experienced and don’t miss a lot of tackles. However, if this is what it takes for Mike Sanchez to feel comfortable when moving the ball then I think he should go with it. This is a very winnable game for n.W.o but they will need to make more than one stop on defence and Peter Mignacca, and Stephen Tirelli will need to be too much for Wax On, Wax Off to deal with.

 

Analysis: I think they will trade scores and n.W.o will not make the extra stop that it will take to win this game. Erminio Iadeluca will catch a short touchdown to take a late lead but with a few plays remaining Wax On, Wax Off will score the touchdown to hammer the nail in the coffin

 

Prediction: Wax On, Wax Off by 9 points

 

Wednesday’s Waking Whirlpool

 

Keep on top of the most exciting time in FPF by watching our podcasts on www.theunclehood.com. Tune in each Monday at 8:30pm for the Flag Plus Bromance and let Terry Tam I will break down the action, make awkward references and discuss the possibility of inter dimensional travel. I can’t wait to see how great I look in 2D,

 

Join the party by tweeting the show live @EagleFPF. You can reach me by emailing me at [email protected] or you can reach me on Twitter @PeezeFPF. Terry Tam (@TerryTamFPF) likes when you send him pictures of proud people eating animal crackers so please don’t be shy.

 

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