The GM`s Scouting Report

After coming off of a bye week (more or less) I have no doubts that the division is antsy both to play, and for media coverage as well. In the interim (and every two weeks going forward) Simon Dagenais and I will be releasing a joint article wherein we answer 5 questions that the other one deems relevant. Hopefully, we’ll disagree more than we will agree which will make for great coverage and football talk.

 

As promised, since there wasn’t a lot going on in the division, I won’t be filling my introduction with prattle and news of shoes or why a lace-up oxford is my go-to (honestly, you really have the ability to dress it up or down and it’s not going to go out of style like some sort of square-toed nonsense.) So, without further delay: your article!

 

Power Rankings

 

As the weeks go on, I can stop making wild and blind accusations and predictions and can actually base my list on facts, and more importantly: wins.

 

10. Maloudes – I suppose that I shouldn’t be surprised that a former championship team with tackle athletes has made the list, but they snuck up nonetheless. Don’t take them lightly.

 

9. Black Ice – I’m actually impressed with where Black Ice sit after week 2. All the changes that they’ve made have been for the better and now they’re a top dog in the division.

 

8. Punt Returners – I`ve noticed that I haven`t given this team as much attention as I should have, especially after their dismantling of ZOO. Definitely a team with a lot of football knowledge.

 

7. Backyard Bullies – I love that everyone on this team has one touchdown (including Rich Humes who has a rushing touchdown as well.) You`d be hard-pressed to find a weak link on this team.

 

6. Bruthers – Will continue to fly under the radar and beat a lot of teams before they get noticed both collectively and individually.

 

5. Playground – A ton of points for, and a hard-hitting offense, this is a team that you definitely don’t want to face when you’re behind.

 

4. 69ers – A team that’s looking deeper and deeper with every passing week. Don’t let them lull you into a false sense of security; they can play shutdown football with no remorse.

 

3. Shmoney – The best “new” team in the division thus far. I`m thinking that they`re going to stop ‘surprising’ teams and make the top of everyone’s hit list very soon.  

 

2. 6 Fast Guys Plus Ryan – Coming off of an absolute demolishing of a so-called powerhouse Crisp team, they`re definitely out to prove that they`re the best in the division.  

 

1. Grip n Rip – I’m a big fan of Grip n Rip thus far, and it comes from the teams that they’ve taken down thus far, proving that they’re the real deal (at least in my opinion.)

 

 

 

Weekly Predictions

 

So, as far as rivalries go, it’s exciting to be so close with Simon Dagenais. We make different picks yet end up with similar percentages, which really is testament to the depth and parity of the division. I sit at a 10/20 ratio for correct answers (which is sub-par, if you ask me) and Simon leads (albeit barely) by 11/21 (as I didn’t pick my own team to win this week.) Let’s see if we can create some separation my way.

 

TrapStars vs. ZOO – If you`ve listened to the podcasts, you`d know that Moe Khan is sweet on both of these teams. So effectively, this game is the battle for Moe Khan`s heart. These are two strong, established teams who have come out of the gates swinging at the beginning of the season. I`ve mentioned that the Trapstars may be a product of their schedule, having faced two new teams. While they have a great +/- rating, a closer look shows that ZOO have put up more points for DESPITE being 1-1. In all honesty, I’m tempted to side with ZOO on this one for their cohesiveness and chemistry; this might be the one where Trapstars’ flaws begin to shine through.

 

Prediction: ZOO

  

Certified Flyguyz vs. Grip n Rip – I really don’t know what’s going on with Certified Flyguyz. Coming off of (an albeit difficult) Division B season in the spring, you would think they would be used to the faster-paced, more elevated depth that the higher divisions play with, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. With both potential quarterbacks having struggled to produce a win in three games, it’s looking more and more bleak considering they play one of the most well-rounded teams in Division 4 this week. Whether it’s Vinny Gualano or Sean Avraam throwing for this team, Grip n Rip have the ability to dissect a defense with great ease, and have an army of Da Silvas ready to fight for the cause. I wouldn’t bet against them.

 

Prediction: Grip n Rip 

 

Lobster Dinner vs. Longhorns – In all honesty, I think that this game is a must-win for both of these teams. Lobster Dinner seems to be in a slightly less-deep conference, but neither team will have a cakewalk into the playoffs and will require every win they can grind. Lobster Dinner have made all the necessary additions concerning size and football experience. While Lobster Dinner certainly have the deeper roster, there’s something about the Longhorns savoir-faire and attitude that is tempting me to side with them. Despite playing two deep teams thus far, Jon Moodie has had great control of the ball, passing for 6 TDs and only one interception with a great completion percentage. If you’re a fan of underdogs, go with this one.

 

Prediction: Longhorns   

 

Playground vs. Dragons – This is one of the games that I really don’t know where to side. Playground has a powerhouse offense and cohesiveness on defense but not a lot of turnovers. On the other side of the field, Dragons have even fewer turnovers and an offense that is…difficult to defend against. I can see this game being a shootout for sure, with it coming down to a battle of possessions. Gabriel Cote and Simon Dagenais are both doing well thus far, but I think that at this point, Playground are a bit more explosive and are the team that I would be betting on. Look for this to be high-scoring, but with Playground taking it in the end.

 

Prediction: Playground  

 

SouthSide Ballers vs. Coyotes – Along with a lot of the games this week, this is a must-win game for both squads who are seemingly not as deep as the division around them. Southside Ballers still haven’t learned the ins and outs of the league, and while a lot of the Coyotes’ critics argue that they’re one-dimensional, I think that despite that, it’s going to be enough against the Southside team. If Southside are going to succeed, they’re going to need to adapt to the play style of the Coyotes and make sure to adjust if something isn’t working for them offensively or defensively. I’m not a believer just yet, however.  

 

Prediction: Coyotes

 

Team Ethnik vs. Ball Busters – I feel like I’m sounding like a broken record here, but this is a must-win game for both teams. Ball Busters, despite their depth and experience, have come slow out of the gates with a 0-2 start. With Conference A North already being so tightly contested, they’re going to need all the wins that they can starting with this one. Team Ethnik, meanwhile, are also winless but have an incredibly distributed offense that is capable of handling the opposition. For either team, the key to success will be generating turnovers. I’m really conflicted on this one, with Team Ethnik being the more potent offense…but I think that the Ball Busters’ defense is going to step up.

 

Prediction: Ball Busters 

 

Les Affreux vs. Whisperers – If biceps won games, we could go ahead and call the Whisperers a clear winner week after week. However, this is flag football and I digress. The Whisperers are the core of the Buddays team who seem to be off to a rough start, but have seemingly improved leaps and bounds from Week 1 to Week 2. Les Affreux, meanwhile are still looking good with their quarterback change but had a slight hiccup last week. This is a quarterback-driven league, and while both QBs are relative newcomers, I’m going to give the edge to Martin Jackson over Yan Fortin thus far; I think that Les Affreux will rally behind Jackson effectively enough to get him that win.

 

Prediction: Les Affreux  

 

Shamrocks vs. Two and a Half Dans – The Shamrocks have been pulled off of the power rankings until they can play to their potential. There is too much talent to be falling to such mediocrity. Two and a Half Dans, meanwhile have been doing what they do best: their own style of football that takes the opposition for a surprise. Still undefeated, 2.5D face a tough tough squad this week. I know that I’m a big believer on what the Dans can do (especially in D4) but I’m going to have to side with the Shamrocks despite my previous rant. The Shamrocks have too much strength both offensively and defensively to be stopped in this one. But if I’m wrong, they’re dead to me.

 

Prediction: Shamrocks

 

Eskimo Brothers vs. A-Squad – Two teams that have made their way up from the lower divisions throughout the years.  At the moment, while Eskimo Brothers do collectively have a championship, A-Squad does appear to be the deeper team. Considering his prior affiliations and experience, Victor Kozlowski needs to be taking a more central role on the leadership of this team if Eskimo Brothers want to be effective and successful. The A-Squad defense is loud, brash and absolutely capable of generating turnovers and changing the course of the game. With more veterans on the squad, I`m going to side with the A-Squad on this one.

 

Prediction: A-Squad

 

BMS Goats vs. Les Duck Dynasty – Les Duck Dynasty are one of the best teams to do poorly in this division. However, it`s not potential that counts in FPF, it`s wins. While one loss can be attributed to the absence of their quarterback, I don`t know if we could have expected a different result had Frederic Paquette-Perrault been there. There`s a lack of cohesion on defense, and Les Duck Dynasty need to start stopping points in a deeper division. Despite their loss this week, I get the impression that Daniel Lazarra is going to bounce back in a big way and make an example game of Les Duck Dynasty, putting up big points against a defense that is going to have trouble stopping him. Look for the combined score to bypass 50 in this one.

 

Prediction: BMS Goats   

 

Recipe 4 Disaster vs. Local 89ers  – With full knowledge that the Local 89ers are a team of guys who all work together and have a bunch of newcomers, there is enough leadership and talent that will carry them to a few wins throughout the season. With Steve Crompton being a first-time QB in this league, however, facing off against a relentless Ryan Aridi rush and established R4D defense, I don`t think that this going to be the case. In order to be successful, Brian Lariviere is going to need to use his size to his advantage and box out the Recipe 4 Disaster players on both sides of the ball, with Jeff Millar making sure no receivers get behind him on the defensive side of the ball.

 

Prediction: Recipe 4 Disaster

 

Ghosts vs. Black Ice – As I mentioned above, I`m really impressed with the play of Black Ice thus far. Ghosts, despite coming off of a finals run in Division 5, have come off to a slower start, but managed to right the ship last week against the Ball Busters. Alexis Gaumont spreads the ball effectively and has a lot of depth and chemistry with his receivers. I think that this one is going to be a closer game than some of the others that we`re going to see this week, but with a defense as disruptive as the one that Black Ice currently possesses, it`s a tough feat to try and argue against that.

 

Prediction: Black Ice  

 

Bruthers vs. Sandlot Saints – I think that the Bruthers have all the pieces in place to make a deep postseason run, including a definite darkhorse status. They have a competent and skilled QB in Morgan Tajfel, who isn`t a current FPF name, as well as a bunch of capable two-way players who disguise their coverage well and can come up with the big play when necessary. Tim Kraemer and Anthony Lukca are going to need to spread their wealth of knowledge to the new recruits on this team to really bring them up to speed, and the Saints might need to lean more than just on Coach Oiseau to make those big plays on offense.

 

Prediction: Bruthers

 

Backyard Bullies vs. Game Changers – With the personnel dwindling for Game Changers, as strong as they are as a unit – there`s going to be some lack of depth. With the rumor of Terrence Dobson being out as well, I think that they`re going to have a bit of trouble with personnel management in the interim. Backyard Bullies look to be going into this one as the favorites (on paper and pre-season, I’d have disagreed completely) and I think that with the lack of depth at the rushing position with Filteau out, and Sakiz having less targets to throw the deep ball to, the Backyard Bullies are going to make sure the game stays the same.

 

Prediction: Backyard Bullies

 

69ers vs. Crisp – Crisp seem to be lacking a sort of cohesion. Good one week and then sloppy the next, we might be finding out if this is a pattern that emerges for the team every two weeks. Crisp are good, but when faced with a caliber of opposition that challenge them, you see them fall to shambles thus far. I have no doubts in my mind; 69ers are not going to shy away from this challenge. Having beaten down TCO (see below for more) 69ers look like they’re just the team to dismantle Crisp who are coming off of a big win.

 

Prediction: N/A 

 

6 Fast Guys Plus Ryan vs. TCO – After the strong start that TCO were off to, they were unable to contain their emotions and fell to a strong 69ers team (accumulating 3 OCs in the process.) With a rough loss like that, I think that they’re going to come out with something to prove. Unfortunately, the schedule ended up with them playing 6 Fast Guys Plus Ryan, who are red hot and have already proved themselves. Look for this one to be a little bit out of reach; I can see 6FG scoring often in this one. Watch out.

 

Prediction: 6 Fast Guys Plus Ryan  

 

CREAM Team vs. Justice League – Mathieu Brunet was a formidable foe and a big reason for the Predators’ victory last year. Now, having formed his own team, he’s going to need to channel a lot of that leadership and magic because up until now, the Justice League aren’t going anywhere. They need to learn the ins and the outs of the league quickly, because they’re up against a hungry Cream Team who just came off of a loss, and will be looking to avenge. I think this one is going to be a bit ugly.

 

Prediction: CREAM TEAM   

 

Shmoney vs. Punt Returners  – I noticed that I haven’t been giving the Punt Returners their fair share of required attention.  However, they’re against a Shmoney team who have done no wrong thus far, and are on pace for a solid, solid season. So, unless Punt Returners can pull off a big one and topple the emerging giant, their attention will have to wait another week. In order for the Punt Returners to take this one, Rafal Wrzesien is going to have to score quickly and often, and force Shmoney to play catch-up and make a mistake first.

 

Prediction: Shmoney

 

Mustangs DG vs. Marco in the Middle – These teams have seen iterations before, and are no stranger to each other’s style of play. With no love lost between them, I can see this being a fierce and fiery matchup. I think that Marco in the Middle have enough core leadership and experience to know just how to cover the deep ball that they know will be coming from Simon Vallee, but they will need to execute because their defense hasn’t done much up until this point. If not, they’re going to be in for a long night indeed.

 

Prediction: Mustangs DG   

 

Show Me Your TDs vs. Maloudes – The Maloudes team is one that’s crept up in the rankings despite me ignoring all the possible signs. Show Me Your TDs, meanwhile, have been solid and consistent, but nothing special considering their previous successes. I think that if we’re going to have a match, Mike Addona is going to need to play ball-control offense and keep Anthony Beauchamp-Frezza from getting behind center and doing what he does best. I think that the boys in red are going to continue to make a name for themselves on this one.

 

Prediction: Maloudes

 

 

Well, that’s all that I’m good for this week. I can be contacted in the interim on twitter (@gmkole44) and you can chat with Simon as well (@DagenaisFPF)