Recaps, predictions and what the numbers tell us.

They say football is all about timing. This is true for quarterbacks trying to get in sync with receivers in the passing game. Timing has to be on point. The same thing can be said when playing defence. Timing is needed to jump those routes or while reaching for that bright yellow flag. Certainly timing can either make you or break you. This is the lesson that the football Gods teach players and teams alike every season. This brings me to my point. It’s not about how you start, but rather how you finish. You have to peak at the right time. Some clubs have found that out first hand, since the start of the second half of the season.

Let me get a one-way ticket, haven’t picked a destination. Racing to the gate but my flight gone. Now I’m just trying to catch the train before it has to leave the station. Packing no bags, nothing but the clothes on my back. People hold me up, cause I hold ’em down.

This week’s agenda is as followed:

By the numbers

Reminder about playoff dates

Week 8 predictions

 

By the NUMBERS

Here’s a numerical breakdown of events that transpired last week as only 6 teams saw the turf.

3: total players that reached the century mark in receiving yards. Isiah Allard (104) from TDs and Beer as well as Olivier Provost (108) from Goats and Rich Humes (112) from DG Goons all had monster outings and deserve to be on this list.

4: game win streak that GG’WP’ are currently enjoying after downing their last opponent by the score of 32-24. This team has certainly separated themselves from the herd and are now on my radar as one of the top contenders in our division.

2: upsets that took place in Week 7 as the DG Goons took down the Gators to stay in playoff contention, while Les Guerriers de L’espace walked out on their bill against TDs and Beer to make things a little more interesting in the Conference A central division.

244: yards amassed by GG’WP’s Simon Bosquet Beaudoin. The versatile quarterback gained 162 yards through the air with 3 scores and covered another 82 on the ground—good for another 2 majors. Pick your poison.

6: points collected by Les Guerriers de L’espace’s Antonin Munn, who returned an interception to the house for the only pick-six this week.

0: number if interceptions tossed by DG Goons’ pivot Christopher Pendenza. He was the only QB this week to not throw an interception.

19: combined points yielded by Les Guerriers de L’espace and their revived defence in the last two weeks.   

        

Playoff DATES

Here is a simple reminder of the official playoff dates for the Winter 2015 season. Now you know.

Saturday March 28th/Sunday March 29th

Wild-Card Round

Saturday April 4th

Divisional Round

* There are no games on Sunday April 5th due to Easter Holiday.

Monday April 6th

Quarterfinals

Sunday April 12th

Semifinals

Saturday April 18th

Championship

 

Here is a clear breakdown of the number of teams to qualify for the playoffs in division 5. Top 12 teams per conference [top four seeds per conference receive a bye].

Tiebreaks

2-way tie: 1) wins, 2) head-to-head, 3) divisional record, 4) points allowed 5) point differential

3-way tie: 1) wins, 2) divisional record, 3) points allowed 4) point differential

 

Week 8 PREDICTIONS

Hot Boys Hotline vs Butterfingers    

It’s been a while since Hot Boys Hotline has tasted victory. After squeaking out a few wins to start the season, it’s almost time for them to switch into crisis mode. Sitting on a 2-3-1 record is not bad, but let’s keep it real, it’s far from good. They can certainly turn this ship around, but they better start rerouting their itinerary….and fast. That will start this weekend against the Butterfingers. Hot Boys Hotline will pick up a much needed win against a divisional opponent. That should help them on their quest to climb into 3rd or 4th place in Conference B, central division, where they are currently in 5th place. I think their usual 24 points per game—at least in the past 3 weeks—will be good enough to cruise to victory over the Butterfingers. This is the second time that I pick you guys to win. You didn’t let me down the first time. The losing skid ends at 3 games.

TDs and Beer vs Sticky Hands             

These are two teams that have had their share of ups and downs. Consecutive losses for Sticking Hands to the Blackshirts and to the Golden Flashes has seen their stock drop in the standings. It is also worth noting that they barely escaped the claws of the Mad Bears prior to that. None the less, I have seen this team play and they have the ability to turn it on. They just haven’t found the switch as of late. For some odd reason, the same can be said of TDs and Beer and their mid-season struggles. After starting the season with 3 straight victories, they have since gone 1-3. I am left scratching my head as to why that is. Talented squad across the board. They still led their respective subdivision, which is a good thing for them, but for how long? Antoine Dessureault and Alexis Labonté might just explode in this one. One of these two teams is going to find their mojo back. I think Sticky Hands will do that before TDs and Beer.

Venom            vs KGP Lite      

This is my bold prediction for the week. This is going to be a good one. Can’t help but have that feeling. Venom has been more productive since making the switch under centre as Pat Lefebvre has come in relief for J.S. St-Pierre. As far as KGP Lite are concerned, if they can keep games close, they have a chance to win. KGP Lite has at times been good. Unfortunately, the same can be said about them when they are not clicking on all cylinders. It seems that they win close games or simply get destroyed by opponents. Luckily, they have Phil Cutler. With him on your roster, you always have a chance to win. His 8 tds can attest to that. However, Cutler has single-handedly accounted for more than half of the team’s offensive scores. The short passing game has flourished at times, but they need to find a receiver, who can take the top off the defence. As of now, they do not have a viable deep threat. Cutler can’t do it all by himself. He needs his supporting cast to step up and collectively make a playoff push. They have been winning, but how long will this formula keep working for KGP Lite? Is this the week Venom get admitted into the win column? Only KGP Lite can answer that.

GG’WP’ vs Tyrants

One of the hottest teams in division 5 right now go by the name of GG’WP’. Simon Bosquet Beaudoin has impressed me to be honest. Didn’t know how precise, he can be. The ball is not always pretty, but it gets there on time. Surrounded by a talented receiving corps that features, William Moquin, Alexandre Noel and Mathieu Roy-Caissy, they put up points. Talk about fire power. They can win this one—and win big. But that is nothing really new for this squad as of late. They have outscored their opponents by the score of 136 to 67 in the last 4 weeks of FPF action.

Tomahawk Nightmare vs Cougars

A tie is never good, but it sure beats losing. The Cougars have done that twice. As a result, the Cougars picked up a much needed two points in the standings to stay in a 3-way tie for the top spot in their subdivision. The undefeated Cougars are ready to take the next big step and earn a huge victory over a worthy opponent. They have been steadily good. Now they will need to be amazing moving forward to do any real damage. Tony Testa and AJ Gomes have combined for 17 touchdowns. These Cougars are on the prowl. Conversely, Tomahawk Nightmare has dropped back-to-back games. They may be rattled and it would be time for the Cougars to take down their pray and join the elite teams in division 5. This is a statement game for them. The Cougars have yet to lose a game and I don’t think that they want to start now. This should be a very close game, but my gut feeling tells me Cougars win this one.

We Dem Boys  vs Road Warriors

Battle of the big boys as I like to call this one. Let’s start with the Road Warriors. This team is too good to be sitting on a 0-5-1 record. Don’t care what anyone else says. They won’t be able to convince me otherwise. O-linemen or not, they know football and have surprisingly good hands. Anthony Barrette and Daryl Rankin are prime example of that. Now they need to get the ball into the hands of Darnel Danglade and Najee Haddock in a little more moving forward to salvage this season. Their Achilles heel may be on the defensive side of the ball as they try to cover fast receivers running across the field. On the flip side, We Dem Boys also have size and height in the form of Louis Larouche and Mohamed Aly. I was surprised to see this team settle for a tie against Jagerbomb back in Week 5. That should have been a victory against a weaker opponent. I look for Matthew Petrone to rebound for last week’s numbers and put at least 4 tds on the board for his boys. But I think the Road Warriors are tired of underperforming and will be too hungry in this one.

 

X-Men vs Les Refs                                                                 

Speed Demons vs Keyport Lock                      

TOPSZN vs Golden Flashes                                               

The Gryphons             vs The Pack                                  

Les Guerriers de L’espace vs The U                                 

Dope Boys vs Saint-Lucs

Goats vs Les Verges Folles                                                                            

Les Loups vs Rednecks                          

Green Lantern Corps vs DG Goons                

Gators vs Junkyard Dogs                       

J’s vs Blackshirts                                                     

Sphinx vs V Nation                                                                            

Jagerbomb vs Fans of the Cougars                              

Old Guns vs Killuminati

Maximum Carnage vs Mad Bears      * I know most do not make a selection when their team is playing, but I will throw that theory out the window.           

 

Don’t forget to listen to the Division 5 podcast on Thursday nights at www.theunclemikeshow.com. The show is hosted by Moe Khan and Terry Tam. Good luck this week.