Pretenders, Contenders, and Not Sure Yet

We are officially in the final quarter of the season. Playoffs spots are being solidified, seedings are changing every week, and players are stepping up and putting their respective teams on their back, and standings watch 2022, is in full swing.

The flip side of teams solidifying their playoff spot, are teams falling off and being knocked out of contention, or just suffering eyebrow-raising losses. This is the point of the season where we start to separate the pretenders from contenders. For other teams, we place them in the we’re not sure yet category. Where will your team land?

I have done this in previous years. I will say it now just as I said it then, if you’re not happy about what category I place your team please prove me wrong.

Contenders

Division 1

Allstars (6-1)

Led by the GOAT at Quarterback in Kevin Wyeth, they have the most hardware out of any team in FPF history. The dominance by the Braves over the last few seasons, and wins by Flag Moi L’Sac, and more recently by Khantraband, have left the Allstars championship-less since the 2018 Winter Season, when they were still called Montreal’s Finest. Yeah, it’s been a while.

Regardless of the mini drought, this is not a team you want to bet against, as they have arguably their most deep and talented of a roster as they had in their heyday. More importantly, this team is the hottest in the division, as they come into their game tonight against Gryffindor, riding a 5-game winning streak.

Flag Moi L’Sac (6-2)

They have two nail-biting one-point wins over the Braves, and a two-touchdown victory over Gryffindor on their record. While they unfortunately don’t have another game versus the Braves, Flag Moi L’Sac, does have one more meeting against the Allstars who they lost to back in Week 1 (38-29), to close out the regular season next Sunday.

Looking at the big picture, FMLS, is a talented team who can put up points on anyone, has playmakers on both sides of the ball, and is a definite threat to win it all. Taking care of business tonight versus Got-Skills and knocking off the Allstars next week would see them enter the playoffs playing arguably their best ball of the season.

Braves (5-3)

The current dynasty in FPF, the Braves have surprisingly shown a few cracks in the foundation. Those cracks were opened by the Flag Moi L’Sac offense, who have scored a combined 100 points on the Braves in their two meetings. As I said earlier, these two teams don’t see each other again in the regular season, but there is a good chance they will cross paths in the playoffs.

As they have proven time and time again, the Braves have the talent and chemistry to beat anybody, as they have blown out every else in Division 1 at least once.

The one thing this contending team has not done, is show that they can win the tight ones, as they also lost to the Allstars (31-30) in Week 4. That loss along with the two to Flag Moi L’Sac (57-56) and (43-42). Drop the Braves record to (0-3) in one-possession games. That is important, as it shows an occasional lack of execution in crunch time. Can the team that many still feel is the best in FPF, overcome the problem once the playoffs roll around?

Not Sure Yet

Gryffindor (3-5)

Except for their Week 8 (32-13) beatdown at the hands of the Braves, since inserting Dan Lazzara at Quarterback, Gryffindor, has shown that they can put up points with just about anybody, as they have averaged 36 points per game in the six games that he played.

The problem with them is their defense. Despite having names like AJ Gomes, Isiah Allard, Rashawn Perry, and Jaylan Greaves, this unit has given up 34 points a game. While that number isn’t astronomical, when you take a closer look, you will see that against the teams they will have to go through to win the Div. 1 title – all of the contenders – they have surrendered an average of 42 points a game. That is almost 10 points more than their average. In those very same games, the Gryffindor offense has averaged 33 points a game. That also isn’t bad, but it is propped up by the 58 points they scored in the Week 8 (58-32) win over Flag Moi L’Sac, their only win over any of the contenders.

Pretenders

Got-Skills (1-6)

This team has talent without a doubt. Unfortunately for Got-Skills, they don’t have the offensive firepower to keep up with the elite in the division.

The one thing Got-Skills does have working in their favour, is the fact that they have three one-possession losses against Gryffindor, Flag Moi L’Sac, and most recently against the Allstars. A couple of bounces here and there, and the team would have more than just one check in the win column.

Got-Skills, has a chance for redemption tonight as they take on Flag Moi L’Sac. A win for Got-Skills would not only be huge for the team’s confidence, but it would also give them their first victory since Week 2, and their first win over a Div. 1 team.

Division 2

Contenders

Terror Squad (6-3)

A lot of the FPF community, and myself included, were just about ready to punch their ticket to the Semi-Finals at the very least. Two straight losses including a shocker last night to The Apocalypse, has cast some doubt on that idea.

With one game left on their schedule, against Team Swoosh next Sunday in Lachine, the only thing we will be able to judge from that game is if Terror Squad can rebound and play a full game, after a slow start doomed them against KGP, and a lackluster second half offensively did them no favours last night. They are still in first in Div. 2, and favorites to potentially go all the way, but they’re label of being the cream of the crop, has evaporated at exactly the wrong time.  

Urgence Médic (6-2)

They have a huge game against the Braves tonight. An upset win would shoot them up everyone’s board as the best team in Div. 2, even though they will in all likelihood not finish first in the standings.

Regardless of what happens, this is a team that has championship pedigree, and is the definition of a team you would be hard-pressed to beat no matter what round of the playoffs you see them in. Provided they don’t get in their own way, this is a team that can go all the way.

KGP (5-1-1)

The defending Division B champs have only two wins in their last four games, but the victories are over #NR, and Terror Squad. They also earned a (20-20) tie with All Hooks during that span. Their only loss of the season (43-32) to BBallers, also occurred during that period.  

This team is virtually identical to the one that won Div. B. With three games remaining, they should have enough time to get Mike Pierrecin eligible for the playoffs as well, which would give a big boost to an already talented and deep squad. If they can’t, you still have to like their chances of going all the way, as KGP has proved throughout the years that they play their best ball in the post-season.

Not Sure Yet

Party Crashers (4-4)

This is arguably the hardest team to read. The Party Crashers beat up on the also rans as they should. They have a solid victory over All Hooks and lost by a combined 12 points to The Allstars (27-26), Terror Squad (45-39), and #NR (31-26).

This team has talent, a solid QB, explosive Receivers, and a ball-hawking defense. With a little help, they could finish as high as third in the division. Realistically, fourth place seems more plausible, if they beat the Incredibles and Ballers to close out their regular season. When firing on all cylinders, this is a classic team that no one wants to face in the first round of the playoffs Let’s see what happens the rest of the way.

Pretenders

BBallers (5-3)

Their (43-32) upset win over KGP two weeks ago stands out, because it was the Ballers biggest win of the year. They scored 35 points in the second half, which is the most KGP has given up all year. It was a solid team win. Yes, they did beat (22-10) back in Week 2, but that was with AJ Gomes at Quarterback, so that win at the very least deserves an asterisk next to it.

Besides that, their other wins have come against three teams who are well under .500. The BBallers also got slaughtered by #NR (32-12) back in Week 4. 

There is no questioning that this has talent and speed on both sides of the ball. Will that be enough to carry them come playoff time is the question they must answer. A (1-3) record against teams with winning records suggests otherwise.

All Hooks (5-3-1)

Their win total is impressive, but the quality of competition is not. In fairness to All Hooks, they didn’t make the schedule, and they did take care of business against team like The Apocalypse, Outlaws, Team Swoosh, and Incredibles. They also earned a hard-fought (20-20) tie versus KGP in Week 5. The other side of that equation, however, is their (0-3-1) record against teams .500 or better.

All Hooks finishes the regular season with games against Allstars and #NR, a win versus either would illicit a completely different conversation and category for this squad.

#NR (4-4)

They have a lot of familiar faces that we are used to seeing on the squad, in Travis Moses, Kendal Mayers, and Quaid Johnson. They have even added a couple of new faces in Matt Kirouac, Adam Sinagra, Jarryd Taylor, and Sanders Armand, all of whom have made an impact on this year’s squad.

The one question facing this team is can they beat any legitimate contenders? So far they are winless against KGP, Braves, Urgence Médic, and Terror Squad. In fairness to #NR, they do have a win over the BBallers, but it is their only significant win of the year to date. A win over All Hooks to close out the regular season may silence some of the doubters, but we all want to see what #NR does when the real season begins.

The Apocalypse (4-5)

It seems like they are getting better and better as the season goes on. At first glance it appears like all they were doing is beating the lowly teams of Div. 2, but last week’s win over Terror Squad, has me thinking maybe they are better than that. The addition of Kevin Wyeth last night, was the difference maker in the win. That obviously is not something they can rely on every week and especially in the playoffs.

This is a team with a lot of veterans and championship experience as well. They wrap up their regular season against KGP. Can The Apocalypse make it two upsets in a row, and ride into the playoffs with an unmatched level of swagger?  

Incredibles (2-6)

The light at the end of the tunnel was their (45-40) win over the Outlaws last week. This is a team that should be using their last few weeks as prep for the Spring Season. Before that, the chance to play spoiler is always enticing. Can they make it two weeks in a row when they take on the Party Crashers tonight?

Outlaws (1-6)

This should be a learning experience for a team who has a bunch of players who have dominated at the lower levels and are making their first jump collectively to Division 2. It will take time and patience to steady the ship, but there is talent and experience on this roster, and they should eventually find their way.

Team Swoosh (0-8)

It has been a tough season for a team that is clearly in over their heads. A move down to a lower division, will help them. They should use this season, and their remaining two games to find a Quarterback for next season and build an offense that has struggled to say threw least, scoring only 12 points combined over their last three contests.

In a performance that looked like the Greg Stern we are all used to seeing, the QB helped lead his team to a (45-40) win over the Outlaws Monday night at Loyola. The veteran gunslinger only completed 13 of his 22 passes, but five of those completions went for a touchdown, and led to a season-high 39 first-half points.

Receiver Daniel Mancini made a huge impact on the Incredibles’ offense four plays into the game as he scored a 40-yard touchdown on fourth down. For the FPF veteran, it was only his second game of the year with the Incredibles. He would go on to record five receptions for a game-high 120 yards to go along with two touchdowns.

Looking at Mancini, who also plays with the Silent Ticklers in Division 3, he has consistently produced solid numbers wherever he has played, including three seasons with more than 12 TDs. How hasn’t he been voted an All-Star yet?

Going to the other side of the ball, the Incredibles defense also played a big part in the victory, as Vince Nardone, and Marco Bertoldi picked off Outlaws QB Stephen Harripersaud, and ran both interceptions back to the house. Nardone did his best impression of Ed Reed, as he recorded three INTs in the contest.

The Outlaws and their QB were able to wake up and respond in the second half and shortened a 25-point deficit with TD passes to Vincent Benjamin, and three to Snapper Myles Keiller, but another INT this time thrown by Kris Hope, ended the comeback attempt.

With one of the most impressive rosters at Receiver, this is the type of performance we have been expecting out of the Incredibles all season. Unfortunately, the 5-year layoff for QB Greg Stern, led to some growing pains this season. Chalk this up to a learning/shaking off the rust experience. Hopefully we will see this team in the Spring Season, and they can pick up where they left off.

In what many thought would be a sure win for Terror Squad, turned into a (33-32) loss to The Apocalypse.

Coming up big for The Apocalypse, was Kevin Wyeth. I have mentioned plenty of times over the years and including earlier in this article about him being the GOAT at Quarterback, but he is also a pretty good Receiver (and defender) too. Filling in as a sub, he registered seven catches for 52 yards and a tied with Alexandre Poulin-Rioux, for a game-high with two touchdowns.

This game also came down to defense, as Terror Squad went only 1 for 5 on their conversion attempts. KGP was only 2 for 5, but their two successful ones were 2-point conversions.

The upset win not only all but guaranteed a playoff birth for the victors, but it also prevented their opponents from clinching first place in Division 2.

Picks (Favorites in bold)

Terror Squad vs The Apocalyspe – Terror Squad

Flag Moi L’Sac vs Got-Skills – Flag Moi L’Sac

Allstars vs Gryffindor – Allstars

Urgence Médic vs Braves – Braves (My pick for Game of the Week)

Allstars vs All Hooks – Allstars

Party Crashers vs Incredibles – Incredibles (Upset Special #1)

Team Swoosh vs #NR – #NR

KGP vs Outlaws – KGP

Outlaws vs BBallers – Outlaws (Upset Special #2)

KGP vs Got-Skills – KGP (Upset Special #3)

Last Week: (2-1)

Regular Season: (37-17-1)

Upset Special: (3-7)

That’s it for this week. Good luck to everybody in their games tonight and this week. If you liked, loved, or hated the article, or simply feel that I left something out, do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected], or reach me on Instagram @brent_b51