Playing For Keeps: Week 2 recap; Looking for gold

The gold standard used to mean money was worth something. If you had a dollar in your wallet, you could bet there was an equal value of gold stored away in the government’s back pocket. The value of money was higher because if you needed fat stacks for seed funding, or the latest Yeezys, and used up all your Benjamins, then you’d be ploughing for pennies until new gold was minted and distributed. And what’s nicer than gold? It’s shiny, reliable, rare, and it won’t kill you (imagine if plutonium was money?) Gold was the juice, the Holy Grail, the Mamba Bajamba, the one thing that could be counted on to measure yourself against.

Then WW1 came along and the Brits and Americans needed to make it rain serious lead on the Germans, Austro-Hungarians (remember these bad guys?) and Turks. It costs mucho deniro to destroy Europe, and countries had to start promising more cash than they had in gold. This ended up being a Eureka! moment for the powers that be, as they realized “Hey, why don’t we just make this money thing up from here on out?”

Today, money is just digits, bits of binary stored on your bankers’ computers. It can be created and destroyed by fat cats clumsily punching another few zeros with their chubby fingers. To quote Money for the Rest of Us host, David Stein, “It’s as easy for governments and banks to create money as it is to change the score on the scoreboard.”

This brings us back to our humble division. Through the first two weeks it’s become evident that there’s no gold standard for us to measure ourselves against. The parity in this division is remarkable, as several of the top ranked teams lost unexpectedly to seemingly mid-tier opponents in week 2. This is both a gift and curse to a sports chronicler. It certainly makes it difficult to forecast predictions with any accuracy (see week 2 results). But the unpredictability definitely keeps things fresh each week. We eagerly await the latest batch of scores to be posted, so we can revel at the latest shocker specials. I’m thrilled by the developments so far, as relative unknowns are making a name for themselves and demanding our attention. Keep it up div 5.

Weekly Remarks

Trapstars beating Les Verges Folles 32-30 was without a doubt the shocker special of the week. Vincent Richard had his way on the ground vs LVF’s defense, with 57 yards and 2 TDs. Is the rusher position the Achilles heel of LVF? Zero sacks through two weeks is concerning. Huge statement win for Trapstars.
Since we’re on the topic of statement wins, how about KGP Ra upsetting the three-headed monster of TDS and Beer? KGP Ra has been combative in two consecutive weeks now, this could be a team on the rise.
Amidst doubts and concerns following a week 1 disaster, Paolo Della Rocca summoned his very own Aaron Rodgers R-E-L-A-X moment by posting an absolute gem. 220 yards with 6 TDs on 68% completion in the win is our 5A QB stat line of the week.
The Diablos are quietly 2-0 and playing solid, well-rounded football. This is the blue collar team of div 5, chalked full of unheralded grinders like Marc-André Desaulniers.
Well done Consultants defeating the X-Men 21-19. The X-Men were the team everyone was talking about going into the season, now they sit 0-2 and have a tough ditch to dig out of. Consultants will play you tough each week…especially when Akeem Hoyte-Charles has THAT kind of game (8-105-2). He can do that every week if given the chance.
As for X-Men, when will we see Gautama and Boustany on the same roster sheet?
Harambi’s Disciples are resurrected with a huge win over Trinity. It’s not easy to match up against Trinity’s suffocating defense, but kudos to Jonathan Williams and Max Philogene for leading this team to a momentum building win.
Congratulations are in order for Les Bigs, who won their first ever FPF game 25-6 over the Hot Boys Hotline. After playing the Jagys tight last week and laying down the hurt this week, this rookie team should not be taken lightly.
Bye Week, I see you guys. Now 2-0 after a big win vs SABRFC. Impressive start to the season, looking for more of the same to come.
There’s gonna be some shake up in my power rankings as 3 of the top 4 teams lost this week, thank you FiLP, for maintaining some semblance of order in this chaotic division.

Sound Bites:

Here’s a look around the league at what some of you had to say regarding your week 2 games.

Paolo Della Rocca on his brilliant bounce back performance: “I have good receivers, because I threw some bad balls but they were always open.” Humble and Peeze are not normally words that go together, but we’ll gladly take a slice of Peeze’s humble pie if he keeps putting up similar numbers.
Francois Deslauriers on LOB’s 20-18 win over Aliens: “I thought that both offenses were sloppy in the first half, and came alive in the second. It was all decided by extra points at the end.” Aliens are definitely looking for a rematch come playoffs time. LOB sit 2-0 after pulling out gritty wins in consecutive weeks.
Alex D’Aquila on Hot Boys Hotline’s second underwhelming loss in as many weeks: “We need to review our gameplan. Scoring once or twice a game won’t get us a W.” They better revise it fast too, with winnable games coming up within the next 3 weeks.
David De Andrade on Tip Top Shape’s 24-26 loss to Takeover: “We made too many little mistakes that cost us the game. In the end, they won because they completed some converts…It’s not like they were unstoppable. We managed to stop them at least twice, and we were able to score as well. But they were a little bit better on this week.” Sparks will fly as Tip Top Shape look to rebound in a heated rivalry game vs Spartans this week.

Recaps:

Smooth as Lindor chocolate

The Preachers took the field against the Dope Boys on Wednesday night at Hebert in what figured to be a hard fought battle between two middle-tier teams looking to propel themselves into the upper echelon. Although it remained a high-intensity, close-knit affair throughout, neither team will be making the claim to be an elite contender anytime soon, as the game was sloppy, and error prone; despite sporting high quality talent on both sides.

Pat Lindor threw the first jab by jumping a slant route on the opening drive and intercepting the Dope Boys pass at midfield. It was an omen of what was to transpire throughout the night, as two plays later Preachers QB Nicolas Saro gave the ball right back when Robbie Dejean undercut his crossing pattern in the endzone. The Dope Boys looked to build some momentum, as Nicolas Desrosiers caught a hook pass and broke some tackles, taking the ball down to the opponent’s 15 yard line. However, under intense duress from the rusher, QB Xavier Comtois threw the ball out of the back of the endzone on 4th down. Still scoreless at this point, with onlookers desperate for any kind of stimulation, relief would come in the form of Pat Lindor once again, who oddly lost balance pre-snap, only to regain it in time and go up for a beautiful jump ball TD grab over an outstretched Guillaume Godard. Lindor completed the drive by making a sweet toe drag snag in the back of the endzone for the extra point. Following another hopeless attempt to move the ball against the Preachers big, athletic, storming defense, the Dope Boys finally got the break they desperately needed when Saro’s throw bounced off the head of Kevin Gauthier and into the hands of a grateful Godard, who returned it for his 3rd pick-6 of the young season. The game would go into the half at a 7-6 score, with both QBs fortunate to not have thrown more INTs than they already had, as they were putting on a clinic of risky, cross body throws into tight coverage.

The Preachers took the ball in the second half and Saro made the wise decision to bust off a 15 yard run to begin. Lindor came up with another big man catch on the sideline, somehow boxing out the defender in the air and coming down with his feet in bounds. The drive was capped off by Saro hitting Loïc Robidoux along the back of the endzone for the TD. The pursuing drive fizzled out with a bad snap over the QB’s head on 3rd down, which led to another punt by Dope Boys. With “R-Eazy” Ridwan Abdur in Saro’s kitchen all night, Saro forced another ball into coverage which was once again picked off by the underrated Dejean. With the ball at midfield and a chance to tie the game, Comptois cemented his nightmare game by throwing yet another cross body lob into the middle of the field, this time it was picked off by a creeping Lindor, who put the nail in the coffin by high stepping into the endzone for the pick-6 and carrying the Preachers into the night with a 19-6 victory.

One-Man Show

Hoping for a better show from the 5B game on the back end of the double header at Hebert, we were certainly treated to an interesting contest between the Black knights and the Mad Bears.

Black Knights QB Stephane Larosiliere started us off with a double shot of espresso by airing out a beautiful ball 40 yards downfield to the streaking Sebastien Dallaire. He swaggered downfield and capped off the drive by hitting a slant route for the extra point. Quick, sharp, clean, it was 7-0 Black Knights before the dust had even settled from the coin flip. Not to be outdone, Mad Bears QB Sebastien Thibault showed equal skill by breaking down the rush and running amok on the Knights defense. He capped off the drive by scrambled around and hitting Antoine Brisson in the back of the endzone for the TD. Mad Bears completed the drive with a 2-point convert to take an 8-7 lead. The perfect game would be short lived for the Knights as the next pass from Larosiliere bounced off his receiver’s chest and into the hands of an awaiting Brisson, who returned the package for 6 points. Another 2-point convert by a scrambling Thibault put the Mad Bears up 16-7 quickly. Unfazed by the previous drive, Larosiliere went right back to his bread and butter play, dropping another dime right into Jeansliee Alexis’ basket for 6. There isn’t much in FPF that looks nicer than a Larosiliere 40 bomb, but sadly you can’t sustain an offense with only deep shots. Following a turnover on downs by the Mad Bears, the Knights’ QB overthrew his snapper and served Thibault a gift right in his chest. This time, Thibault demonstrated his game breaking speed on defense by returning the ball 40 yards for another pick-6. Mad Bears completed their third 2-point convert in a row to start to pad their lead. Larosiliere treated us to the third gorgeous 40 bomb of the night on the next play, which regrettably was dropped by Ronald Augustin, who couldn’t have asked for a nicer ball. There were far too many drops on the night for the Black Knights, who weren’t complimenting their QBs feathery passes. Following another egregious drop, Larosiliere underthrew a pass which was intercepted and returned for a touchdown once again by Brisson. At the half, the Dark knights were trailing 13-30. The stat sheet read that Larosiliere already had 5 TD passes, but unfortunately, 3 of those were to the other team!

The second half saw the Mad Bears eat the clock with runs and short passes, as they protected their lead throughout. Thibault continued to give fits to the Black knights’ defense with his running and scrambling ability. The few passes he distributed between runs were spread between Brisson and Simon Chouinard-Laliberte, who did a good job providing outlets to their mobile QB. A late game QB switch for the Black knights resulted in a TD, but would prove inconsequential as the Mad Bears won 43-27.

Games of the week:

Div 5A:

Flagrant Fouls (1-1) vs Keyport Lock (2-0) Tuesday, January 24th at 10pm, Kirkland.

QB: Adam Rockman? vs Jeff Rosenblatt

Rockman has experienced some growing pains through his first two games at QB, completing less than 60% of his passes and tossing 6 INTs. But he’s also demonstrated the dual threat, scrambling potential which is so effective in the FPF game. The question mark looms as to whether he will be given the job on a permanent basis, or if Marty Freedman will step into the helm at the next sign of trouble. Either way, Jeff Roseblatt has done a great job so far this year creating plays with a thinner receiving cops than he’s accustomed to. He’s protecting the ball (2 INTs) and winning games with efficient play (106 QBR). I’ll take the crafty gunslinger to teach the burgeoning protégé a thing or two in this one.

Receivers: Flagrant Fouls vs Keyport Lock

The legendary Yoni Lehrer (who caught 21 passes in a single game last spring!) and the steady Daniel Farag were given a shot of youth this past week with the acquisition of Sam Mashtoub, who immediately made an impact with a 5-82-2 stat line. They’re carrying the mail admirably so far this season, despite a noticeable loss of upscale talent in the offseason. On the other hand, the Flagrant fouls lost Rockman’s production at WR when he slid over to QB, but Zack Godstein has finally emerged as a superior talent in this division. Complimenting him is the ever dangerous Marty Freedman, who has three 10+ TD seasons under his FPF belt. The contributions of the reliable trio of Guillemette, Palombo and Castiel give FF the edge in this category this week.

Defense: Flagrant Fouls vs Keyport Lock

It’s difficult (and some may say silly) to bet against a unit that has allowed 13 points/game thus far. However steady the Keyport defense has been, they still have yet to register an INT on defense, and this week face off against a team that requires you to capitalize on their offensive miscues to beat them. The opposite has been true of FF, who’ve allowed a healthy 26 points/game through two, but have registered 6 INTs already. Spearheaded by Rockman and the Castiel brothers, the defense would have allowed even fewer points if not for the numerous turnovers on O. Don’t forget Freedman knows Rosenblatt’s playbook and tendencies from playing together on other teams. They will use their athleticism and speed to outmatch the Keyport receiving staff and ultimately seal the win.

Prediction: 26-24 Flagrant Fouls

Div 5B:

Jean Coutu (2-0) vs Dreamville (2-0) Saturday January 21sth at 8pm, Brossard

QB: Antoine Cote vs Eli Saleh

A contest between two of the most impressive pivots in the division thus far. Both have shown an uncanny ability to protect the ball while still producing top notch touchdown totals (13-2 TD/INT Cote vs 10-1 TD/INT Saleh). Both have demonstrated dual threat abilities, looking to pass first but also capable of pulling it down when needed. Despite that fact that Saleh has a full, successful season to his name, I give Cote the edge at this point because he’s thrown for practically 200 yards per game, compared to Saleh’s 120.

Receivers: Jean Coutu vs Dreamville

Andrew Langburt hasn’t failed to surpass our expectations so far this season, already accounting for 107 yards and 2 TDs on offense. Yossi saleh has been a steady chain mover as well, racking up 9 catches and 3 TDs. Hazan and Assayag have provided balance with 2 TDs a piece. Even though the Dreamville receiving corps is well distributed and keeps the defense honest at all times, they fall short of the three-headed monster which Jean Coutu brings to the field. Vincent Hamel went off on the stat sheet in week 1, and Emilio James Leclair followed suit in week 2. Bruno Lagace has been a steady force each week. Combined, they’ve already put up 27 catches, 344 yards and 11 TDs! There isn’t a team in this division which can shut down all three of these studs in a single game. Something’s gotta give. Advantage Jean Coutu.

Defense: Jean Coutu vs Dreamville

As much as I wanted to give Dreamville the edge here, and rhapsodize about the precision and meticulousness of a Langburt run defense, all it takes is one look at the Jean Coutu team page to notice they’ve already piled up 10 INTs in only two games. Yes, they’ve taken advantage of a rusty QB, and an experienced QB, but that doesn’t change the bevy of athletic, rangy defenders which will be giving Saleh claustrophobia on Saturday night. The only hiccup, zero sacks so far going into a matchup with a mobile QB. If Saleh uses his legs to buy time and break down the initial coverage, he may find some hope at last. Way too many “ifs” at this stage to predict anything other than another Jean Coutu victory.

Prediction: 33-19 Jean Coutu

Power Ranking

Div A flipped the script on us this week, with several teams shaking up the rankings.

Div B demonstrated that last week’s surprise was no flash in the pan. The rags to riches story continued this week.

Div A

Les Verges Folles (1-1): Shocking loss to Trapstars last week. You somehow remain at the top of these rankings. Get back on track this week.
LOB (2-0): Should be first at this point, but 23 pts/game is concerning on O. Put it all together now.
Longhorns (2-0): Due to a soft schedule early we won’t know the truth about you until week 7 and on. Keep beating who’s infront of you. Making orange look good.
Aliens (1-1): Can’t fault them too much for losing by 2 to the second team on this list. The stagnant offense against a team expecting you was concerning though.
Jaguars (2-0): Another team off to a fast start against soft opponents. Still leading the league in PF through 2 is impressive. Let’s take a closer look this week.
Globo Gym Purple Cobras (1-1): I repeat. Reliable, steady production gets you high marks in this list. Try to squeak out the close one next time though.
Les Affreux (1-1): The boys in red are finally complete with Lemieux at QB. Let’s see you reel off a couple of Ws now.
Beer and Skittles (1-1): There’s just something about the makeup of this team that I like. Oh yeah, its Garafalo at QB and getting Demchuk back doesn’t hurt. Prove me right.

**On the radar: Flagrant Fouls (1-1), Keyport Lock (2-0), Diablos (2-0)

Div B

Friends in Low Places (2-0): The closest thing we have to the gold standard in this division.
Jean Coutu (2-0): I can’t afford them a slow rise any longer, they’re now in the spotlight. I’m not worried.
Dreamville (2-0): They play Jean Coutu for a top 2 spot this week. Regardless of the outcome, they’re cemented in the top 10.
Jagys & Chill (2-0): This past week you beat a struggling team properly. After two average outings, let’s see how you fare this week against a hot team.
Rednecks (2-0): After two games, you have two convincing wins against solid teams. I’m feeling the heat starting to rise.
Mad Bears (2-0): Brisson and Thibault will ball with any duo in this division.
Trinity (1-1): Regret ranking you 2nd so soon last week. You’re another bad loss away from falling off this list. Still my top 1-1 team for now though.
Tip Top Shape (1-1): Picking you to beat the Spartans this week. But the winner will get this spot on the list next week.

**On the radar: Les Bigs (1-1): Surprising rookie team making some noise early on. Might crack this list next week with another win.

DEF Index

I decided to shake this section up. I will revisit each position once every third week throughout the season. Last week was QB, this week we take a look at the top lockdown defenders thus far.

Div 5A:

Guillaume Godard – Dope Boys: (2 TKL, 3 INT, 2 PD, 3 TD)

The Andrei Kirilenko of this division, this ballhawk is rangy, athletic, tough, and his stat line reads like a dream. He’s got a nose for the ball and swoops over the middle of the field waiting for his payday. He’s also put the 0-1-1 Dope Boys on his back thus far and kept them in contention each game. 3 TDs is insane for an entire season, let alone only 2 games in!

Darryl Dorcely – Jaguars: (5 SK, 2 PD)

Everyone is suddenly swooning over the upstart Jaguar’s offense, but the secret to their hot start might actually be this gifted rusher. Coming off an 18 sack campaign last winter, he’s back to being the shadow that haunts QBs’ nightmares. Seeming to always have a hand on the QB’s hip, the PDs are a huge unheralded element to his game. Taking away the passing lane while closing in on the QB will definitely get into their heads and throw off the gameplan.

Francois Deslauriers – LOB: (6 TKL, 3 INT)

Long known for being one of the premier defensive masterminds in FPF, he is back to being the disruptive force that has propelled LOB to a 2-0 start. A perfect combination of intelligence, anticipation and athleticism, his versatility is his most dangerous weapon. He can pull back deep against anyone at any given moment, but he’s an absolute monster in the flats. QBs will want to get crafty when facing him, because he’s definitely reading your eyes and calculating your tendencies.

Div 5B:

Antoine Brisson – Mad Bears: (12 TKL, 2 INT, 1PD, 2 TD)

Talk about a jack of all trades. Brisson is simply anywhere the ball is on defense. His speed and swiftness are devastating as he drifts across the field, waiting for QBs to make the slightest error. Like the Gamebreaking talent he is, he’s been letting his numbers talk as he’s led the Mad Bears to a 2-0 start.

Frederic Stumpf – Rednecks: (8 TKL, 1 INT, 8 PD)

This is the second week that I sing his praises in this article, and by the looks of it, I’ll be continuing to do so quite often throughout the season. I’ve always been a big proponent of PDs telling the story on D. The difference between a PD and an INT is often a fraction of a second, but there are very few people who can actually get to the play in time to disrupt it in this fashion. Expect the INT totals to reflect his incredible talent in the next few weeks.

Benjamin Dansereau-Leclerc – Trinity: (2 GP, 6 SK)

This man respects the art of pressure. FPF’s version of Aroldis Chapman, he comes at you with a blistering 105 MPH heater that you can’t hit, even when you know its coming. His current pace of 30 sacks would be unimaginable and foolish to suggest, except he already put up 20 sacks in his rookie season this past spring! Keep the record books ready as he continues his campaign to greatness.

Predictions

There’s no way to sugar coat it, we took a beating this week. Danny and I led the debasement with 12-14 records, but it’s nothing to brag about. Nic had an even tougher go of it, with a 9-17 blemish. We owe you guys a better showing. Let’s get back on the saddle and mount our comeback, fellas. This is a redemption story.

Nic (9-17) = (27-24-1)
Alex (12-14) = (27-24-1)
Danny (12-14) = (25-26-1)

Division A

Alex Danny

LOB LOB

Globo Gym Purple Cobras Globo Gym Purple Cobras

Longhorns Longhorns

KGP Ra KGP Ra

Aliens Aliens

Beer and Skittles Diablos

Blue Devils Ace Athletics

Untitled Seth Galina Team Untitled Seth Galina Team

Les verges Folles Les Verges Folles

Trapstars Trapstars

Flagrant Fouls Keyport Lock

Les Affreux Les Affreux

Preachers Jaguars

Division B

Alex Danny

Jean Coutu Jean Coutu

Les Bigs Les Bigs

Trinity Trinity

Buckeyes Buckeyes

Mad Bears Mad Bears

Takeover Takeover

All Hooks All Hooks

Rednecks Rednecks

Jagys and Chill Bye Week

Tip Top Shape Spartans

Friends in Low Places Friends in Low Places

Harambe’s Disciples Harambe’s Disciples

Hot Boys Hotline Big R Express

That’s it for this week! Week 2 of FPF is officially in the books, and week 3 is set to start up in only a few hours. See how fast it goes! Enjoy your time on the field because winter 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 5 content please see Nic Belleau’s French article, he truly is the best quality writer on this staff. Otherwise, check out the Calling the Audible podcast featuring Peeze and Moe Kahn, 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!