Special Edition – Recap and Preview of this week’s playoff games

The Special Edition.

From 16 to 8.

Its funny how you expect to be hyped and thrilled to play your game after watching quite a few beforehand and how it isn’t exactly what you’d expect it to be. You’re watching games, feeling the players energy and excitement and it’s kind of an emotional rollercoaster; not only for them, but for you too. You end up cheering for a team, a player or a score and want/expect things to happen. You end up having ups and downs of energy for the few hours prior to your game realizing I’ve, maybe, watched one too many and don’t feel like playing anymore.

But the smell of the turf, the way your cleats bites into Lachine’s surface, the feel of the ball leaving your fingertips on every throw brings you back. There’s no feeling like the one FlagPlus Football produces for its players. It’s a unique feeling, a unique environment. Cherish it.

Considering there are only 3 days between Week 13 and Week 14, I will only write one article condensing both articles’ content. It’s in English knowing most of you prefer it this way. Don’t get used to it; it’s not like we’re writing these articles for you guys anyways!

Week 14 – Quarter Finales

Quick thoughts that ran through my mind over the weekend:

Huge shoutout to Danny Aylward of Two and a half Dans for showing up and playing the game considering his wife was expecting the very next day. Boss.
I apologize in advance for missing some games / recaps, I was playing too, you know!
FPF playoffs are exciting; regardless of the division you are watching.
There were some pretty stellar plays in Div4 this weekend. Proud of my division.
Going 5 / 8 in my prediction is pretty good in my opinion. I got most scores right, was always pretty close. Gotta love hearing guys on the sideline saying “Man, he predicted it.” Hearing players I don’t even know (in person), talk about my predictions is the reason I do them. Thanks.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: On the field, keep your cool. Losing your temper will not result in anyone having any fun nor any intelligent decisions. Come on, we all know better.
On a side note, there’s no reason to complain to a referee about a call he made. He will not change it regardless of how much bitching you do. If your captain talks to the ref with a calm temper, he will listen, but if you complain and cry like a baby, you’ll only end up with a flag. Think about it; we’re all humans.
Is it just me or does MITM remind you of the TMNT acronym? Maybe they should start wearing colorful bandanas too.

Recap

6 Fast Guys Plus Ryan faced off against Team Ethnik in the week’s opener and the game looked a lot closer in the first than it did in the second half. Frédéric Viens’ offense was marching down the field and although they faced a steeper defense than expected, managed to pull themselves together and win the first half 19-13. The second half was a whole different story. 6Fast adjusted to Garofalo’s offense and, although they were scoring, their offense was struggling to punch it in on every possession. It was a matter of time and the time came around. Without getting any stops in the second half, Team Ethnik’s defense looked bleak. Missing key tackles early in the second had their momemtum die real fast and they gave two touchdowns to 6Fast they shouldn’t have given so easily. Garofalo’s offense wasn’t keeping up with Viens’ high-octane and it soon became a two-score game. Marc-Antoine Viens came down with the only interception of the game in the redzone when his team was up 40-25 late in the second to seal the deal and punch their ticket in for the quarter-finals.

I expected the Maloudes vs Backyard Bullies game to be played differently than the way it actually went down. First off, way too much chirpy. Players getting physical, tempers flaring, flags were flying everywhere. Many guys were kicked out in the second half and that really costed Maloudes some yardage and their shot at getting back at the Bullies. In the first half, the Bullies’ very own Anthony, Swayze, Raspa got hit by a cleat right above the left eye and the cut was nasty. He ended up with stitches. Benched to deal with blood, Bullies were left with only 5 guys trying to stop Maloudes’ from scoring and they did. Bullies made a stop on 4th down in the redzone to maintain their 7-6 lead alive. Although their offense was forced into a 3 and out, they still bought enough time to get Raspa back on the field. Although Maloudes’ receiving had the speed on Backyard Bullies’ DBs, Beauchamp-Frezza had trouble with the rusher and couldn’t connect down field until late in the 2nd. Morissette subbed his QB when he got kicked out for 5 plays after an OC and tossed a very nice pass in the redzone to keep his team alive. It has you wondering. In the end, Maloudes were trying to stop Backyard Bullies from scoring to give themselves one last shot, but it was too little too late; their offense struggled most of the game and it costed them the victory. Rich Humes performed excessively well considering the supporting cast’s injuries and his wits really gave the edge this week.

Two and a half Dans showed up to play ball and looked more prepared than Shamrocks actually were on the sidelines before the game. Starting off the game strong, Joey Taylor looked unstoppable out there throwing the football around and making Shamrocks’ defense look absent. Leading 25-12, The Dans were in a very comfortable lead going into the 2nd half, but it wasn’t all that comfortable when the final whistle was blown. Shamrocks’ offense came back swinging early in the 2nd half putting up some great plays. Managing to score 22 points in the second half was pretty sharp, but it wasn’t enough to succumb the deficit the first half has created. Both rushers were disturbing as both ended up with 4 sacks, but Marcus Roberts didn’t manage to limit Joey Taylor’s running ability as his 38 yards and 1 touchdown was the real difference maker at the end of the day.

I managed to sneak a peak at most of this game as I was warming up for mine and it ended up being the battle I expected it to be. CREAM Team and 69ers matchup’d up really well on both sides of the ball and both teams had the athletes to counter each other out. Shea Harbour looked a lot more comfortable against CREAM Team’s rusher than Humphrey was against Dylan Drake’s rushing abilities. The stat sheet doesn’t give credit for how disruptive he actually was in forcing bad throws and killing drives. Basically, Humphrey was having trouble handling the rusher and his offense suffered a bit too much because of it. He still managed to toss 5 touchdowns including some amazing throws down the field, but the 69ers’ defense prevailed in restraining the converts and the opposing’ offense to 30 points to seal their ticket for the quarter-finals.

From the little I witnessed from my own sidelines in between plays and drives, Shmoney and Recipe 4 Disaster game was pretty exciting. From the score itself, 27-26 R4D, we can assume it was a great game to watch. James Ohayon made his presence well known to Applebaum with two interceptions on defense, but McGrath also tossed two of his own to nullify the impact. The battle came down to the converts late in the second. Although R4D were leading 13-7 at the half, Shmoney came back with a vengeance in the 2nd but it wasn’t enough. Ryan Aridi was his usual triple threat self and we saw Adam Rockman emerge from R4D’s offense to really give Applebaum that much needed help. A great game, a great battle from both teams and R4D moves on to face 6 Fast Guys Plus Ryan.

I missed the entire game, it was during mine, but I heard it was a thriller until the very end as Marco in the Middle upset Game Changers 32-26. Down 14-20 at the half, MITM didn’t let the score scare them and kept doing what they do best; come back and adjust brilliantly. Anton Sakiz didn’t have a bad night, nor did his receiving corps, but that last defensive stop from MITM gave Matthew Bishara the opportunity he needed to punch it away and he did just that once again. Their strength lies in their ability to adjust and win the 2nd half and it’s really paying dividends in this year’s playoff race.

Grip n Rip lined up against Dragons without Vinny Gualano and with only 6 eligible players. Dragons’ had full roster and started the game with the ball. On the very first possession, I connected with Maxime Côté on the second throw of the night for a Touchdown and Grip n Rip’ defense wasn’t as confident as it once was. Sean Avraam answered brilliantly after driving the field. Trading touchdowns, Dragons were up 13-12 with the ball. Offense stalled after key drops and GnR took the opportunity to punish their opponents and take the lead into the half 18-13. After a brilliant sack to begin the 2nd half by Nicolas Fortin-Poulin, GnR’s offense wasn’t looking as good as it was in the first half, but Dragons’ offense simply couldn’t produce anything on offense. GnR shutdown Dragons’ receivers with double coverage deep and Dragons’ were restrained to no points in the 2nd half and ended up losing 25-13.

I missed most of the first half of the game since it started right when mine finished, but I’ve heard all about it; Coyotes were unstoppable. From the stats sheets, Sammy Feder was beastly. Starting off strong, he finished just as strong posting a perfect QB rating against Ghosts in the divisional round. Coyotes’ offense was scoring on every possession and Gaumont had issues finding ways to carve that defense on Easter weekend after the first few possessions. His offense stalled after the second Touchdown and Feder took it away. Leading comfortably 31-12 at the half, Coyotes simply blew Ghosts out of the water the entire way to end up winning 53-24.

Players of the week

Marc-Antoine Viens (6 Fast Guys Plus Ryan) : I have to give it to this guy this week. He found the open spots in Team Ethnik’s defense to give his brother some check-downs and made the only interception of the game to seal it. Well deserved.
Danny McFee (Two and a half Dans) : With 4 sacks and constant pressure, he really gave Shamrocks a tough time. In my opinion, the unsung hero of the defense last Saturday. Also had a strong impact on offense. Congrats.
Dylan Drake (69ers) : I created this segment to give light to guys like Dylan Drake. His stats aren’t impressive, but he was the reason Humphrey couldn’t connect with his receivers; he was ALL OVER him. I’ve rarely seen a rusher deal this much damage by himself.
Sammy Feder (Coyotes) : Key throws, well-coordinated offense and strong play-calling. Putting up 53 points after their bye-week, Coyotes came out swinging and Feder had a heck of a night. Perfect QB Rating with 7 TDs, 275 yards and 86.4% completion. WOW !

Playoff Picture

Conf A	Team	PTS	W(P-F)	DIV	PA	Conf B	Team	PTS	W(P-F)	DIV	PA
1	6 Fast Guys Plus Ryan	17	8	[3-1-0]	263	1	Grip n Rip	16	8	[2-2-0]	227
2	Coyotes	16	8	[4-0-0]	215	2
3						3
4						4	Backyard Bullies	12	6	[3-1-0]	229
5	69ers	14	7	[4-0-0]	313	5
6	Recipe 4 Disaster	14	7	[3-1-0]	242	6	Two and a Half Dans	16	8	[4-0-0]	222
7						7	Marco in the Middle	11	5	[3-1-0]	219
8						8
9						9
10						10
11						11
12						12

Previews

6 Fast Guys Plus Ryan (1st) vs Recipe 4 Disaster (6th)

Previous matchup : N/A

Analysis : Recipe 4 Disaster pulled off a great “upset” (because I predicted it, it makes it a little less surprising) last week against Shmoney and are now on a serious roll. Their offense is clicking and their defense is buying them out week-in and week-out. I really love this squad from top to bottom and they are having a heck of a season right now.

6 Fast Guys Plus Ryan are stomping on their opponents and aren’t looking back. Frédéric Viens is leading his offense like a stellar captain leading his good ol’ ship. The amount of weapons on this team allows guys like Anthony Garant to sit on the sidelines; it’s impressive to watch. I’ve loved this squad since day 1 and it’s simply growing with time.

6Fast’s offense is working because Viens manages to get a first and second read and always finds his brother in the middle to help him out in times of needs. He also has great speed when he decides to use it. This offense is working wonders and it’s not slowing down. They’ll be facing a different type of offense, one they haven’t really faced before and it might surprise their defense in the first half. R4D will find ways to punch in a few scores and will keep up with 6Fast as long as Applebaum plays risk-free. Unless R4D can find ways to shutdown Marc-Antoine Viens’ ability to buyout his brother, 6Fast will run up the score once again. It’s not longer just a Ryan Aridi vs Fred Viens matchup for R4D’s defense.

Key matchup : Recipe 4 Disaster’s middle vs Marc-Antoine Viens

Prediction : 44 – 26 6 Fast Guys Plus Ryan

Backyard Bullies (4th) vs Two and a half Dans (6th)

Previous matchup : 43 – 6 Two and a half Dans

Analysis : 3 weeks ago, these two teams faced in the final week of the regular season. In a, sort of, meaningless game for both teams, Two and a half Dans came in swinging and gave Backyard Bullies the toughest beating of the season. I predicted it would be a preview to a round of the playoffs and here it is. I do not think neither teams held anything back and tried to hide plays in case they’d face later on, so this next matchup will be more interesting and closer fought than the previous blowout.

Two and a half Dans are on fire, literally. With a second great win in a row, I do not see who could put an end to the Dans’ spree at this point. I really like what this team brings to the table in Conference B and dismantling Shamrocks is a proof they are the strongest team in Conference B in my opinion.

Backyard Bullies are, basically, fighters. Rich Humes is trying to help his teammates back up while they tend to their wounds, but his guys aren’t giving up. Twisted ankle? I’ll walk it off. Bleeding? Need stitches? Give me a bandana, my team needs me. The fire these guys have is impressive and it’s the reason this team is still alive today. They fought off a strong Maloudes squad and showed me and the rest of the FPF Nation just how deserving of the 4th seed they really were.

Last time they faced, it was a major blowout and it was only a few weeks ago. This time around, I expect Backyard Bullies to adapt to the Dans’ unorthodox offense. Sadly, I do not think they’ll have them figured out in-time. The Dans are simply too much on-point right now to lose in the Quarter-finals. I’m telling you, jump on the Infamous Dans bandwagon. The Dans’ defense will be too much for Rich Humes to handle and he might end up missing some firepower on offense; too many dead drives will have Joey Taylor take the lead and never look back by half-time.

Key matchup : Danny McFee vs Rich Humes

Prediction : 39 – 24 Two and a half Dans

Grip n Rip (1st) vs Marco in the Middle (7th)

Previous matchup : 24 – 19 Grip n Rip

Analysis : For most of the season, Grip n Rip rallied behind Vinny Gualano under center and managed to get to a 8-2 record. In their first playoff game, Guanalo was absent and Sean Avraam, mind he is experienced as a FPF QB, took under center with only a 6-man roster and managed to make the Dragons’ defense bite the dust without his top playmaker around. This team will go places.

Marco in the Middle have had huge ups and downs this season. Looking at the roster pre-season, I expected them to excel in every single game, but they didn’t seem to care that much for the regular season and managed to squeeze in at the 7th seed. Now that the playoffs are upon us, this is not the same team we’ve seen before and they are punishing their opponents who think they are. Another great win against a strong team has Marco in the Middle looking pretty damn good.

This will not be the highest scoring game of the night, but it’ll be a heck of a thriller. With Vinny Gualano back, GnR will find ways to restrain Eric Bishara’s YAC ability and limit Matthew Bishara’s time of possession on offense. They have the weapons to matchup well against MITM on both sides of the ball and have the experience to rival their opponents’. Both teams play a slow-paced game and it’ll come down to either converts or a small margin one score game. Expect another barn burner from Marco in the Middle.

Key matchup : Marco in the Middle’s response to Grip n Rip’s dual QB threat and trick plays.

Prediction : 26 – 21 Marco in the Middle

Coyotes (2nd) vs 69ers (5th)

Previous matchup : N/A

Analysis : Last week, both teams looked pretty good taking down their respective opponents. 69ers rallied behind a strong defense and their offense, under Shea Harbour’s leadership, managed to march down the field and find ways to punch it in against a very gritty athletic defense. Coyotes crushed Ghosts rallying behind Sammy Feder’s perfect QB rating and a ball-hawking defense. Coming into these quarter-finals, I’m uncertain who wants it more. I do know one thing, this will turn into a heck of a battle.

69ers have an efficient offense that keeps them in games as they rally behind their tough-to-pierce defense. It has worked all season and it will work through the post-season as well. On the other hand, Coyotes are the exact opposite; an efficient defense that rallies behind an high-octane offense. Sammy Feder will not have another perfect night against the 69ers, you can take my word for it, but he will not be shutdown as easily as the other QBs they’ve faced in the past. Coyotes’ speed is their bread and butter, but it’s something the 69ers are good at shutting down.

When the final whistle blows, it will come down to who gets that turnover. I don’t see any QBs making drastic mistakes nor missing key throws: these squads are too experienced and talented to miss such a key moment in their franchises’ careers. It won’t come down to the last play, this game will be over prior to the final minutes. The key turnover will happen in the second half and one team will punch in a two-score lead to end the game.

Key matchup : 69ers DBs vs Coyotes’ fast receiving corps

Prediction : 39 – 29 Coyotes

This is it for Saturday’s version of my article. I hope you enjoyed it. If you didn’t, you can always blame G.M. Kolethras for having a real life or the person responsible for hiring me in the first place. I can always be reached on Twitter @DagenaisFPF like many of you have done in the past. Our email also works: [email protected] but Twitter is the new era, get with the times. Divisional round had amazing matchups and great games/upsets. I think games were better last Saturday than they’ll be this coming Tuesday. Sad times are upon us ladies and Gents.