Should I stay or should I go? – Aaron Rodgers, probably.

Hello good people of FPF!

Week 2 is officially set in stone, & we are all gas no brakes, looking forward to week 3 and all the exciting matchups to come. One thing about FPF being back up and running is that I have something to distract me from torture this NFL offseason has caused within the Aaron Rodgers Saga. I won’t lie, being a die-hard Rodgers fan, I will be supporting him whether he chooses to leave or stay. Gun to my head, i’m going to say he stays in GreenBay. There’s of course arguments to be made for both sides of the ball, no doubt. Yet, in my opinion, I don’t see him leaving and I’ll tell you why. First of all, Aaron definitely doesn’t want to be associated with Favre in regards to QBs who left GB. He spent his whole career trying to prove to the world that he was better than Favre ever was, so I don’t believe he will be following those footsteps. Secondly, which other team, that is seen as a suitor for the Rodgers sweepstakes, is built for success right now? The Packers have choked the last 3 years,I get it, but let’s try not to forget that they’ve won 13 games, 3 seasons in a row. In those 3 seasons, his playoff matchups were: 49ers twice (Rodgers kryptonite) and Tom Brady (Everyone’s Kryptonite, except Stafford apparently).Maybe if a WR/DB was drafted instead of Jordan Love, I wouldn’t be going on this rant but HERE WE ARE, BRIAN GUTEKENST.

Okay, moving past the NFL updates, Let’s dive into a much more athletic league, the FPF. Last week was filled with plenty of highlight reels, back breaking plays, and blowouts (7 out of 8 games finished by 18+ point margin). The most important aspect of last week’s matchups, by far, was being able to successfully predict each of Week 2’s matchups. There’s rumours swirling around that say whoever has the highest prediction win % out of all article writers, will win a free meal courtesy of FPF president, Mr. Roberto Campana. I for one am not the kind of person to turn down a free meal (not sure who would tbh) but hey, you throw competition with a meal as a reward, my antennas are certainly up! We shall see if this success will follow, as Week 3 brings many intriguing matchups. It wouldn’t surprise me to see any upsets this upcoming weekend, as we got some high powered offences clashing off against one another. Without delaying any longer to fill up my word count for this article, let’s jump into this week’s Headlines.

Division Headlines

Fellas, please for the love of Jesus, make sure your roster is eligible to play before going on the field! This past week we had not 1, but 2 games that were settled as forfeits, due to busting the Cap. Let’s be better, Folks! With tough opponents everywhere you turn, these are the kind of games you don’t want to waste early in the season!
Past our prime was able to get their gears turning, as they steam rolled the new guys on the block in the Oompa Loompas. Craig O’Brien was able to get into a groove, and find early success. Anytime you can complete only 8 passes, yet 5 go for TDs, you know it’s going to be one of those nights where you just can’t seem to miss. That’s one way to bounce back!
Jeff Rosenblatt made sure everyone remembers what he brings to the table.First game back from vacation, he threw for 7 TDs and 0 Ints. It always helps having a STUD Wr such as Anthony Brisebois to get the ball rolling. Welcome back to the show, Jeff!
I fudged up here, and got to this game a little too late (really maybe 10 min, at most) Sheeesh was already up big on Les Gros Coqs, 26-0, & It wasn’t even halftime yet. Safe to say that speaks volumes about this team’s firepower.
Week 2’s best game was easily the EZW matchup against Mangoose, ending by a score of 39-32. Mangoose Qb Nicolas Schaefer threw for 5 Tds, but also 3 Ints. The big question I would ask is how did EZW only win by 7, with Jeremy White throwing 0 Ints. This should have been a double digit win, in my mind. That’s the beauty of football I guess. It ain’t over till the last whistle! However this definitely raises some eyebrows, to say the least!
Junkyard Dogs took care of business, as expected. Qb Jason Rossie continues to impress me, as he not only takes care of the ball, but has such a high success rate on his 2 point converts. If he can keep up this level of play, we could be talking about a real contender here.
Although it was settled as a forfeit win for Blessed, it was still a great game, as both teams went blow for blow. Harripersaud finished with 4 Tds and 0 Ints. What I found to be even more significant, was the relentless effort Rusher Terry Babalis had in this game. He helped put his team in great positions to get stops on Defence. This success can also be attributed towards the play of DB Phil Pharand, as he snagged 2 Ints of his own.
Bearskins proved why they have their sights set on making a deep playoff run. Neil Etinson carved up Les Maloudes’ defence all night long, and boy was it ever a thing of beauty (maybe not his throwing motion, but undoubtedly his play!). One of the tougher defences to go up against with all the mixed coverages they throw at you. Kudos to the Bearskins!

Game Recap

Bearskins (31) vs Les Maloudes (14)

Week 2 Division 3 GOTW may have disappointed those who were expecting a tighter contest, but didn’t disappoint in terms of big play highlights, that’s for sure. Bearskins came into this matchup as clearly the favourite. They not only had the athleticism to keep up with Les Maloudes, but also the awareness needed to shut down what was being thrown at them defensively. It was evident from the get go, Bearskins plan defensively was to have bracket coverage over Vincent Mourisette, forcing Qb Anthony Beauchamp-Frezza to try and beat them without using his top WR. Unfortunately for Les Maloudes, that proved to be a recipe for disaster.

Frezza finished the game going 14/18, 135 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. This Isn’t the worst stat sheet, moreover It’s a prime example indicating numbers can tell lies. Bearskins did indeed only finish with one takeaway, however they were able to come together and shut down drives that looked promising from Les Maloudes. This included a turnover on downs at the goalline, which carried insane momentum for the Bearskins and a complete dagger in the hearts of all the players for Les Maloudes.

On offence for the bearskins, Neil Etinson was absolutely CLINICAL with his play calling. I was at this game, and I’m pretty sure I saw triple slants left/right for 80% of his play calls. Now, most people will probably argue “well you can’t just call the same play over & over again, and expect any success!” Well, those people are clearly nowhere near as good at reading the defence as Bearskins QB Neil Etinson was on Wednesday night. Finishing his day off going 21/30, 204 yards, 5 TDs, and most importantly taking care of the rock w ZERO INTS 😎. That my friends, is how you control the pace of a football game.

Amongst other factors that decided this game, there were a few that stood out a little too much to go unnoticed. The first, would be the way Neil positioned Marco Bertoldi all over the field. From playing wide out, to moving into the slot position, he was all over the field. Running drags, outs, seams, and coming in clutch with a TD before the half, Bertoldi really helped pave the way to creating separation on the scoreboard amongst these two juggernauts.

Oh and btw, Rich Humes? Remember that guy? Yeah, safe to say he’s back. Burning the Dbs on each of his two TDs, clearly Humes is set to get the boatload of Etinson’s deep targets, and I don’t see any problems with that!

The second element of this game that stood out to me, was the effort play in play out, from none other than the man that flies under everyone’s radar with this stacked squad, Mr. Kevin Libman. He stands tall at a whipping 5’6, but man, did he ever cause havoc for this Les Maloudes squad. Libman finished the day offensively catching 5 of his 6 targets, for 57 yards and 2 TDS. Surely, this is the kind of stat line you can say “man what a game”, go home, crack open a brew, watch some sportscenter and call it a night…Be that as it may, this wasn’t nearly the case for the speedy rusher. Kevin made it a point to make his presence felt on the defensive end as he played a huge factor in helping the Bearskins create some turnover on downs. Libman was relentless all night long, finishing the day with an impressive 3 sack performance. If the Bearskins maintain this level of play, we might be looking at a major threat for all division 3 teams this season.

As for Les Maloudes, this is one they would want to turn the page on and move forward. They’ve got some talent and seem to have a grasp of what they’re doing, they just need to find ways to execute more when it matters. Getting stopped on 4th and goal at the 1, and getting scored on the last play of the half, are simple ways to completely deflate any momentum you are trying to build as a team.

Congratulations, Bearskins!

Week 2 Players of the week!

Week 2 gifted the football audience with some spectacular performances. FPF is all about working around obstacles to get to where you want to be. Whether it may be running a GO as Wr with a Db playing you outside shade, or designing plays to attack a 2-4 defence, there’s always going to be hills to climb. That trend doesn’t stop here, as it is in full effect for this week’s segment of POTW. Currently, the FPF website’s ‘Weekly Leaders’ column isn’t functioning, which means more digging for me, so much fun!! Not to worry, years of spending hours on FPF’s site instead of doing my homework is finally starting to pay off! Enough about my complaints, let’s get into who stood out the most for their teams this week!

Standout Qbs

Jeff Rosenblatt:

As previously mentioned, Jeff was coming back from vacation before starting in this game. In most cases, this is usually considered your “clean off the rust” game. Having said that, nothing Rosenblatt did could have been aligned with the term “rusty”. Finishing the game completing 63% of his throws, 253 yards, 7 Tds, and ZERO ints. Throw in the 133.2 QBR and it truly is a thing of beauty. Love to see it, Jeff. Keep slinging it out there!

Neil Etinson:

In my eyes, this was supposed to be a great game with both teams facing challenges as the game progressed. Unfortunately, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Neil completed an impressive 70% of his throws, 204 yards, 5 touchdowns and a blazing 128.3 QBR. Neil proved that he can be one of the top field generals out there by moving around in the pocket, buying some time, and finding open receivers. I don’t believe I saw any errant throws that night, which was remarkable. It was like clockwork; Snap, catch, read, throw. The game is easy fellas, and Neil made sure everyone knew how easy it was for him!

Jason Rossie:

Anytime you can win a game by double digits, you’ve got a smile on your face. In this case, Rossie was probably smiling all night. He finished the day throwing for 235 yards, 5 touchdowns, and spread the ball out fairly well. It’s clear that Rossie loves going deep, and with the weapons he has, I don’t blame him! He’s got the arm to send some of those Russell Wilson type of deep arcing footballs, and when your receivers are all standing 6 feet or taller, you’ve got yourself a serious recipe for success! Keep it up, Jason!

Standout WRs

Anthony Brisebois

Anytime you are lucky enough to score a TD during a game, you’re happy. Anytime you can score 4 TDs, you’re ecstatic. Not only did Brisebois finish with 4 Tds, but caught 6 of his 8 receptions, for a total of 115 yards. I had a chance to chat with his QB Jeff Rosenblatt in between plays of this game. He told me how thrilled he was to get AB to sign with them, and that he was ready to use and abuse him until the defence sent double coverage his way. Safe to say the defence never adjusted, & Brisebois was able to help yield his team to victory!

Congratulations Anthony, great work.

Scott Payne

Back from the dead, as some might say! The once-upon-a-time Stud receiver (League leading 17 Tds with ONS in 2016) WR Scott Payne made his comeback to FPF, and made his presence felt in his first game back in the trenches. Payne caught all 5 of the targets he received, for 84 yards and FOUR Tds! That’s one way to tell the league ‘I’m Baaaaack’ (insert Cam Newton voice).

Thomas Coutu

I’m not much of a fan of having someone on this list, who didn’t help their team win. However, when you put on a 118 yards, 3 Td performance…Yeah, exceptions can be made. Coutu, a member of the ‘All Hooks’ franchise, put on a show vs his old teammates as he was heavily targeted all night long (12 targets) and helped keep his team in the game.. Should Coutu continue to put on these kinds of performances for Mangoose, we could be seeing his name show up more often than not on this list.

Standout Dbs

Ariel Librati:

Becoming no stranger to this list, Librati’s play has earned him the number one spot on this week’s Standout Dbs. Ariel finished the game with two tackles, one pass deflection, and 2 Ints. This was one of those games where the takeover badge was flaming red underneath Librati all game long, on both sides of the ball. I’ll probably get an ear full from Langburt pleading his case as to why Ariel wasn’t mentioned in the standout Wrs this week (9/10, 86 and 2 scores on offence), and he’s probably right… But what would FPF be without any parody??

Nicolas Blais:

Helping his EZW squad in getting the dub, Blais played a huge role on the defensive end, as he tallied 3 tackles, 1 pass deflection, and 2 Ints. Blais, with 2 interceptions on the season, is one away from tying his previously set personal record for Ints in a season at 3. I got my money saying he’s breaking his own record by the end of the season. Keep it up, Nicolas!

Kevin Wyeth:

I can’t lie, whoever wants to argue that any other name should be on this list, can go for a walk. It’s not everyday that you not only see the Godfather of FPF play defence, but more importantly stuff the stat sheet like he did! 3 tackles, TWO Ints, and one of those INTs resulted in 6! If anyone has footage of it, please send it over, would love to see it! Way to go, Kevin… Oompa Loompas QB Alec Gregoire clearly tested the wrong man last saturday night. Live and learn!

Standout Rushers:

Kevin Libman:

A force to be reckoned with, Libman was a dominant force all night long. Kevin finished the day with 3 sacks, and God knows how many QB pressures. I can honestly say, as good as that Bearskins defence was, the turnovers they created all started from the pressure that was being put on by their rusher. Kevin also showed up on the offensive statsheet himself, catching 6 passes for 57 yards and 2 tuddies! Keep balling out, Kevin!

Terry Babalis:

Strictly making this list because I saw Terry reffing a couple of games, and figured it’s a perfect opportunity to start getting on his good side! Just kidding folks, Terry earned his spot on this list. The 98 career sack demon was at it again last Sunday, finishing the game with 3 sacks. Terry was a pain in the you-know-what for Qb Fred Mallette all night long as he not only produced sacks, but got enough pressure on the Qb to force some errant throws that resulted in INTs. I expect to see Babalis on this list plenty of times as the season progresses. Way to go, Terry!

Felix Antoine Lavigne:

In a losing effort, Lavigne was surprisingly able to fluster Jeremy White quite a few times. Ending the game with 3 sacks of his own, Felix has already matched his career high in sacks during a season, with 5. It’s safe to say that records shall be broken! Lavigne is a big body that comes at you quickly, if you think it’s going to be an easy day at the office, you are sorely mistaken. With years under his belt of playing alongside teammate J.White, it doesn’t surprise me that he was able to get to him. He would probably argue that he knows every move Jeremy was going to use on him. Unfortunately, White had the last laugh in this contest.

POWER RANKINGS

Sheeeesh: Top of the throne right now, let’s see who’s going to be their first real challenger.
Blessed: Won the game fair and square, before knowing the opposing team busted the cap. That’s what winners do.
EZW: Winning a close game even when you play bad, is what playoff teams are made of. Only way out is through!
Junkyard Dogs: Giving Lightweight all they can handle, JD’s athleticism across the board is starting to look REAL scary.
Thor’s Hammer: With Jeff Rosenblatt back under center, you can already see the chemistry start to rise after dropping a 40 burger on Speed Academy.
Mongoose: A devastating loss. I look forward to seeing this team rally together and put their best foot forward. A Lot of positives out of a game like this!
Les Gros Coqs: Tough day at the office for Dom Lefort. I hope to see him bounce back from this demoralising performance.
Les Maloudes: A well oiled machine. I believe this team had a hiccup, but will surely prove their worth in the upcoming weeks.
Killa Bees: Even though they technically won the game, KB Drops on this list due to busting the cap. Rest a la maison, Chenard!!
Past our Prime: Moving up 6 spots, P.O.P. has shown signs of life. Not sure if it was due to weak competition, or the boys went mini putting before the game…However, 69 points means the chemistry is starting to be on point.
Expendables: A win is a win, even if it is by forfeit. Hopefully, this carries momentum into next week.
Touch It Catch it: Watching this team kind of gets on my nerves. I am not a fan of seeing talent being wasted, and that is exactly what is going on here. Way too skillful to be dropping games but more importantly, put yourself in better positions to succeed (check the damn cap before adding players!)
Speed Academy: If Emile Plante can limit the turnovers, this team might actually start winning games with all the speed they have. Rabbi Bositampen with the honourable mention for Standout Wr, catching all 5 of his targets, 108 yards and 2 scores.
Lightweight: Not really sure what this team’s plans are at QB. If it is Oliver Laberge moving forward, then he’s going to need to work on getting rid of the ball quickly. 5 sacks is definitely not a recipe for success. I expect to see FPF Vets such as Justin Blanchard and Eddy Lee stepping up to the plate to help bring some success to their team.
Silent Ticklers: Dropping down the list even though they had a bye week, ST faces off against Les Maloudes this week for what should be an interesting matchup. Does Jordan Pannetta and Andy Reid have the same record coming off a bye? Only time will tell!
Oompa Loompas: Glass half full; Nicolas Curotte finished with 6 catches for 95 yards and a TD on offence, and added a pick 6 on defensive end. Glass half empty; QB Alex Gregoire threw 5 Ints, two of them for 6. Above all else, you got to take care of the pigskin!

Week 3 Schedule

As some of you might have noticed, I am slowly becoming the DON of picking games in FPF. I genuinely wanted to be humble about this segment, I truly did. Except after hitting 100% on my first week, we’re getting REAL close to putting up picks for sale. I WANT THAT FREE MEAL!! Unfortunately, just like any team, there’s going to be highs and there’s going to be lows. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if I had beginner’s luck and completely botched my second week of predictions. Without further ado, let’s take a look at this week’s matchups.

Sheeeesh vs Killa Bees

Killa Bees vs Thor’s Hammer

Mangoose vs Expendables

Les Gros Coqs vs BearSkins

EZW vs Past Our Prime

Speed Academy vs Junkyard Dogs

Silent Ticklers vs Les Maloudes

Oompa Loompas vs Blessed

Touch It Catch It vs Lightweight

Annnnnnnnnd that’s a wrap, Gentleman! I appreciate all of you who took time out of your busy days to read up, and I would like to wish everyone the best of luck heading into week 3 (Especially the teams I chose to win.) Jusssst kidding people!. I would love nothing more than to open up the schedule monday morning and be stunned by the amount of upsets that occurred! ANY. GIVEN. SUNDAY… Or saturday.. Or monday… oh and Wednesday too. This is why FPF is better than the NFL. I don’t see Roger Goodell setting up any Wednesday night games?? What am I supposed to do on a Wednesday night during the NFL season?? You lose me there Roger! Fpf keeps you locked in on those extra days so you never lose any insight on what’s going on. If you’re a pure football fan such as I am, you love the idea of football being played on various days of the week. Keeps you on your toes, and gives you an excuse to get out of the house… What more can one ask for?

That’s it for me this week, I’m done wasting your time.

As always, should you have any sort of feedback, good or bad, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I can be reached on any social media platform, along with my email [email protected].

I look forward to seeing more hard fought competitions, along with hearing more perspectives about the game from many of you.

Till next week, FPF community!