Playing For Keeps: Summertime vibes bring big scores in Week 2

Two weeks into the spring season and we’re starting to get an idea of what each team will bring to table. Conference A is beginning to show a rift between the powerhouse teams and the basement dwellers. In conference B we’re seeing much more parity, with several teams vying to gain access to the upper echelon. With some intriguing matchups scheduled for week 3 we’ll see if this early season analysis continues to ring true, or if any aspiring agitators decide to shake up the status quo, and bring some fame to their name. In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful summer weather, get the BBQ fired up and bust open a cold one as we sit back and recap the week that was, in FPF’s most entertaining spring division.

Weekly Remarks

Smash Bros deserve major props for banding together and beating the Nuggets, after coming out flat in week 1. Justin Lerner managed the offense well, avoiding the turnovers and working Joseph Kano for 7 catches and 2 TDs. Patrice Lindor led the concerted defensive effort with 4 TKL, 1 INT and 2 PDs. Vladimir Pirrus put pressure on Fred Mallette with 2 sacks and 2 PDs. Smash Bros are now 2-0 and showed us what they’re capable of when firing on all cylinders.
MVE and NoName turned out to be an uninspired game between two flat offenses. After two slow weeks both these teams will need to turn it on, fast.
The Backyard Bullies beat Jagerbomb with Corey Walwaski stepping in for Rich Humes. This was a solid win for this championship caliber team, with the core stepping up and delivering the victory in the absence of their fearless leader.
With a win this week against NoName, Jagerbomb will be 1-2, the same record they began with in winter 4-B season, before starting a run that took them to the finals.
Home for the Hollandaise fell to 0-2, failing to top 20 points on offense in either game. They’re now staring down the prospect of 3 straight losses with The Commission on deck.

Recaps:

BareManz command of the Wave

Texas BareManz and Red Wave both came into this game looking for their first wins of the season. Some of the finest talent in the division would be put on display, in a game that featured the Moses brothers and Jeremy Anderson taking on Khalil Kerr and Quaysie Gordon-Maule.

The game began with an exchange of scores, as both QBs looked comfortable marching down the field and punching in their opening drives. Mario Porreca found Anderson on an out route to take the lead, and Mike Roy responded with equal poise, hitting Gordon-Maule with a quick slant as he slipped into the endzone from short distance.

Both offense kept their gameplan simple. Porreca would work Jordan and Jeremy on quick outs, while attempting to set up the post over the top. He kept the corners honest by hitting Travis on comeback routes down the sideline. On the opposite side, Mike Roy ran the slants and hooks to perfection, clearing out space with his play call and getting his elite athletes the ball with room to gain YAC.

The defenses would soon get wise the formula, as Andel Thomas-Gordon made the first statement of the game by jumping one such slant route and returning it for a TD. This play sent Red Wave into the half with the lead the hope of sealing out the victory.

If one of the marks of a good team is their ability to make the required adjustments at half time, then Texas BareManz are well on their way to establishing themselves as a new force in the division. The defense was absolutely smothering in the second half, defending their redzone and forcing Red Wave to multiple turnover on downs. Mike Roy continued to methodically move the ball on Red Wave, finishing drives and putting his team up 26-19 late in the second half.

With under 5 plays left Red Wave made a last ditch effort to salvage the game. Porreca punched in the score and completed the convert to tie the game. With 2 plays left, Mike Roy dumped a short pass off to his receiver to put his team in a better position for the final shot of the game. On the final snap, Roy drew the rusher to his left, before heaving the ball down the right sideline. Khalil Kerr battled his way to position and made a heroic play on the ball, securing it in the air and coming down with the victory for his team.

Royals collect their Skins

The highly touted Royals vs Bearskins matchup that we were eagerly anticipating would not materialize this time around, as Bearskins were without their all-star duo of Marco Bertoldi and Sasha Papich. Still, the brave boys in blue took the field against the high flying band of ballers and hoped for the best. Hopes were quickly dashed in this one as we witnessed the full arsenal of the Royals attack unleashed.

The Royals put on a skills competition for all in attendance, with Cory Johnson flipping perfectly placed spirals downfield for his athletic receivers in one-on-one matchups. Justin Maclean, Chris Milard, and Vince Nardone all took turns in the spotlight, making ridiculous catches in sequence like it was a highlight demo reel. Cory Johnson had a field day, putting up 261 yards and 5 TDs despite not registering his stats for jersey violation.

Neil Etinson tried to create magic with the barren roster at his disposal. He was able to hang around for a few drives early on, juking the rush and finding Sean Brophy in space for some nice gains. But the equation was unsustainable, as the Royals D eventually put the clamps on and decided to end the illusion of competition in this one sided affair.

Fans of the division like myself left the field disappointed at the missed prospect of what this game could have been. However, with both teams promised to make a deep run in conference B (rosters willing), there’s a good chance we get to see a fully loaded rematch between the best these two teams have to offer in the playoffs. At that point, I’m sure the Bearskins will be eager return the favor and show the Royals the full range of their arsenal as well.

Weekly Fantasy Football:

Well, Danny came out swinging with the first pick last week in convincing fashion, demolishing my team by 45 points. On his side the Blue Chips vs Going Deep matchup turned out to be key, with QB Jordan Mitchell putting up a fantastic game in the romp. Even more impressive was the Blue Chip defense, gaining a shutout, 5 INTs and a pick 6! I think we may have already witnessed the single most dominant defensive performance of the season (and it had to be against me). Jordan Allard and Jeremy Anderson proved to be strong WR plays by Danny, as they both carried over their week 1 success. On my side, my QB play flopped, with Fred Malette putting up a dud versus an inspired Smash Bros team. Although Samuel Phaneuf had a strong game for me, my other players having average games was nowhere close enough to make up for the Blue Chips defense.

Week 1 (Final)

Alex Danny

QB: Fred Mallette (12.2) QB: Jordan Mitchell (31.9)

WR: Kenneth Mitchel (11.8) WR: Jeremy Anderson (16.9)

WR: Lonnie Johnson (9.8) WR: Jacob Bernett (12.2)

WR: Samuel Phaneuf (22.3) WR : Jordan Allard (21.4)

2W : Justin Blanchard (11.9) 2W: Laurent Ladouceur (7.3)

DEF: Nuggets (21.5) DEF: Blue Chips (45)

Final Score: (89.5) Final Score: (134.7)

Record: 1-0 Danny

Overall Score: (134.7 – 89.5 Danny)

This week I had the first shot at building my team, and as you can see I’m sheepishly riding the SMYTD play versus Going Deep. I feel like this will be a trend, to bet against Going Deep, until they give us a reason not to. I liked Mike Adonna’s game last week versus HFTH, so I’m somewhat expecting a repeat performance. It seems like we both like the TexasBareManz play versus the Nuggets this week, but we differ on who will be the main beneficiary of the offense. It’s a coin flip between Quaysie or Khalil. I like Jordan Allard’s play from the first two weeks so much that I took him this week, in hopes he continues his hot start. Danny had a fantastic pick in Cory Johnson, who I may end up regretting passing over this week. My big play this week is obviously Justin Maclean as 2WAY. I would have liked to keep him for later this season, but I’m on tilt after a huge week 1 loss.

Week 2

Alex Danny

QB: Mike Adonna QB: Cory Johnson

WR: Khalil Kerr WR: Quaysie Gordon-Maule

WR: Anthony Adonna WR: AJ Gomes

WR: Jordan Allard WR : Jordan Moses

2W : Justin Maclean 2W: Sanders Armand

DEF: SMYTD DEF: Royals

***The standard scoring will apply as follows:

QB: 25 pass yards = 1 pt, 1 pass TD = 4 pts, 1 INT = -2 pts

Receiving/Rush: 10 yards = 1 pt, 1 TD = 6 pts, 1 REC = 1 pt

DEF: 1 TKL = 0.5 pt, 1 SK = 2 pts, 1 PD = 1 pt, 1 INT = 3 pts, 1 TD = 4 pts

Points Allowed (0): 15 points

Points Allowed (1-6): 11 points

Points Allowed (7-13): 9 points

Points Allowed (14-20): 7 points

Points Allowed (21-27): 5 points

Points Allowed (28-34): 3 points

Points Allowed (35-41): 0 points

Points Allowed (42+): -3 points

Game of the week:

Backyard Bullies (2-0) vs Blue Chips (2-0)

QB: Rich Humes vs Jordan Mitchell

Two QBs with similar profiles square off at different stages of development. Jordan Mitchell is on his second full season at pivot, showing rapid progression as a passer with each passing week. His lateral mobility and shiftiness are undeniable. I don’t think that there’s a rusher in this division that can disrupt his flow in the backfield. He’s in transition from a running QB to a true dual threat talent. His opponent in this game, Rich Humes, is firmly established as one of the next wave of upper divisional QBs. His style reminds me of a fusion between Marco Masciotra and Vinny Gualano, two of the QBs that he studied under as receiver. Humes is poised, accurate and has an effective playbook’ which he’ll use to pick apart the Blue Chips defense on Sunday.

Receivers: Bullies vs Blue Chips

The Bullies operate as a unite, with a couple of household names headlining an incredibly solid receiving cast that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. We all know Vinny Gualano and Steve Sanner, two guys who’ve had fantastic FPF careers and continue to torment defenses regularly. However, the bulk of credit for the success of this team should go to unheralded grinders like Daniel O’Connor, Alex Moreau, and Jonathan McQueen. These are tough-nosed receivers who can win isolated matchups and run defenses thin. The Blue Chips are a rising troop of defensive gangbusters. Guys like Devantie Campbell, Denzel Thompson, and Kenneth Mitchell are ballers who thrive under pressure and love to compete. There’s no greater group of jump-ball specialists in this division. I give the advantage to Bullies in this encounter due to their incomparable depth.

Defense: Bullies vs Blue Chips

The Bullies have a smart, adaptive defensive front that is more stacked than ever. Brennan Burke jams receivers at the line, while Gualano and Sanner cover massive ground in the secondary. Toss in the addition of Alex Moreau at corner and Rich Humes and you have a zone coverage without much room to pick on. On the other side you have the Blue Chips, who are a swarming flock of ball hungry vultures. With 9 INTs in two games, they applying constant pressure and always go for the big play. Sanders Armand is the face of this unit and continues to make a name for himself as a playmaker. He leads the division with 4 INTs after two games. Marcus Mitchell is a unique player with a versatile arsenal of skills. He’s a disruptive rusher who gets in passing lanes and makes life difficult for opposing QBs. I believe the size and speed of the Blue Chips will give them an advantage in this tight matchup that will be decided by inches.

Prediction: 33-18 Bullies

Power Ranking

A couple of teams shuffled at the bottom of the rankings this week. This is bound to happen as the division begins to take shape. Some minor reshuffling around the middle as well; but otherwise a pretty standard week as the talent in this division continues to shine through.

Backyard Bullies (2-0): No Rich Humes, no problem! This squad showed us their true grit this week in beating a solid Jagerbomb team without their starting QB.
The Commission (2-0): The way that they’re making comfortable work of these solid opponents has me wondering how long Bullies can hold them off.
Royals (2-0): Offense is so smooth. We saw what happens when everyone gets rolling at the same time on this vertical offense. Just Nasty.
Blue Chips (2-0): O makes a huge statement in week 1, followed by the D making an even bigger statement in week 2. They can cement their status with a win this week versus the top dogs on the list.
Bearskins (1-1): Can’t fault them for losing to a stacked Royals team without their superstar duo. They will need to get back on track this week against an upstart Smash bros. Could be a trap game.
Junkyard Dogs (1-1): Predictably lost this week versus a powerhouse Commission. This week against a tough FiLP team will be indicative of their position.
Impeccable D (1-1): Narrow loss versus Royals followed up by a romping of FiLP. Should have been on this list last week but I fell for the flashing wins. They look like they’re here to stay.
Show Me Your TDs (1-1): They beat HFTH soundly in a matchup we thought would go the other way. Offense has topped 30 points in 2 consecutive weeks. I like what I see heading into a juicy matchup this week.

Weekly Awards

QB:

Jeff Rosenblatt – Impeccable D:

21/29 – 226 yards – 6 TD/0 INT – 134.5 QBR

Rose’s official “I’m Back, Baby” game. Shredding an undermanned FiLP team still counts, as this one goes down as a vintage performance form the savvy gunslinger.

WR:

Anthony Adonna – Show Me Your TDs:

9 catches – 96 yards – 4 TDs

The squeaky wheel gets the grease? After being limited in production last week in favor of big brother’s new target Alexis Gaumont, the longtime ace receiver resumes his spot at the top of the pecking order with a huge statement game against his frenemies.

DEF:

Sanders Armand – Blue Chips:

2 TK – 4 INT

Second week in a row a member of this team takes this award. Are we seeing a developing trend? This game was like Ivan Drago vs Apollo Creed: “Champ, look this fight’s over. I gotta stop it.”

2WAY:

Justin Maclean – Royals:

5 catches – 64 yards – 2 TDs

2 TKL – 2 INT – 3 PD

Mr. Receiver of the year isn’t satisfied and wants to expand his range into the 2WAY conversation. What a way to do it. Is there any stopping this guy? Let’s hope not for this week (since he’s my fantasy pick for 2WAY).

Predictions

Phew! I may have lost fantasy this week, but at least I proved to be the better prognosticator of games. My 6-3 record flips Dan’s 3-6 record, and gives me some breathing room in the seasonal race. The two big upsets of last week were definitely SMYTD over HFTH and Smash Bros over Nuggets. Hopefully we give both of those teams the respect they deserve in upcoming predictions.

Alex (14-3)
Danny (10-7)

Alex Danny

SMYTD SMYTD

Texas BareManz Texas BareManz

Royals Royals

Backyard Bullies Blue Chips

The Commission The Commission

Red Wave Impeccable D

Bearskins Bearskins

Jagerbomb Jagerbomb

Junkyard Dogs Friends in Low Places

That’s it for this week! Week 2 of FPF is officially in the books, and week 3 is set to start up. See how fast it goes! Enjoy your time on the field because Spring season passes by in a blur. If you have any feedback, concerns, comments or just want a shoulder to lean on you can reach out to me @alexholowach1 on Twitter, or hit me up on Facebook. If you’re craving more div C content please check out the Calling the Audible podcast featuring GM and Justin, it’s a healthy dose of sophisticated silliness to get you through the week. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and make sure to check back next week to find out how week 3 shook out!