The Goal-Line Stand (Div D) – Week 4

The reason this article is later(er than usual) is because I spent some time in Quebec City earlier this week and they haven’t yet discovered computers or the Internet over there.

 

Kidding. I was there to scout out potential expansion opportunities for FPF. Not officially, of course, because I was denied my request for a hefty budget. You learn a lot about a city’s prospective flag-football scene by sleeping on the Plains of Abraham.

 

What we’re learning about our own league is that a lot can happen in one offseason…

 

Weekly Recap

 

C’est difficile pour C Difficile

 

It’s not easy to beat a team without your starting QB, and it’s even harder when that team is Certified Flyguyz. Pascal Roux of C Difficile performed valiantly in a losing effort. It was his first outing as a QB in FPF as his counterpart, Fred Constantin,  would go 17/22 for 217 yards and 5 big TDs. Constantin hit a whopping seven different receivers. Joe Mainville-Tessier continues to be a big contributor for his team throughout the first 4 games. The rest of their schedule remains average which gives them a back-door chance of making the playoffs. The Certified Flyguyz are faced with a different situation. They already have a playoff spot and need to figure out how to hold onto it.

 

To the Streets

 

A single extra point was the difference between Park-X Streets and the First Downers last week. Park-X Streets had Niko Zermalias in the lineup who pulled in 4 catches and 1 TD. Zermalias, a one-time full-time Park-Xer now plays in Division C as well as D. He’s had to split his time between his old club and the Silent Assassins. QB Drew Saitanis feels more comfortable when Zarmalias is there, and it showed. Marc-André Théberge’s 3 INTs to three different Park-X Streets players kept his offence off the field long enough for the one extra-point to count for enough to push a W into PXS’s record. A winning streak may be hard to construct, however, as Rogues are up next for them.

 

Eskimos Don’t do Rodeo

 

Jason Lamarre was responsible for 1/3 of Shawn Batty’s receptions and 1/2 of his TDs to lead the Broncos over the Eskimo Brothers. This drops the Eskimo Brothers to 0-4 and sets them up for a very tough last 6 games which include the likes of Vis Motus and Rogues. They are the underdog in every single of their remaining matches as taking even one win this season will prove very difficult. The Broncos on the other hand can sneak into a spot if they take advantage of their “must wins.” These include their games versus Blue Mountain State, and First Downers.

 

By the Numbers

 

By the Numbers is calculated by the book, by the way. Because if you live by the sword, you die by the sword by the dawn’s early light. By the time you’ll be reading this, I’ll be by the fire playing guitar by ear and paying for beer by the glass. So, by the power vested in me, here are the stats for this week:

 

20: Number of teams whose defense allowed 20 points or less. 5 allowed 10 or less. 2 had shut-outs. 
2.13: Average number of interceptions per team. 10.6% of them were returned for points. Only 5 teams threw no interceptions. 
26: Average yards per reception for Eskimo Brothers. The week’s average was 10.25.
36.84: Percent of attempts resulting in touchdowns for Moose’s Frédéric Morissette.
18: Average number of rushing yards per team. Led by Broncos’ Shawn Batty (57).
11: Number of PD’s for #NoRegard. Lance Daniel & Travis Moses had 3 each.
85.625: Percent of Vis Motus’ passing yards earned by a single player (Scott Payne).

 

Power Rankings

 

The Power Rankings are like the podium at the Tour de France. You have to smile and wave if you’re in second or third but secretly despise the team in first. So what do you do? You accuse them of doping. Maybe Lance Armstrong can be the latest Rogue free-agent acquisition…  

 

1. Rogues (4-0): Tabarnac.

2. Boozers (4-0): They’ve stood up to a tough schedule thus far.

3. #NoRegard (4-0): It’s not easy to win games on defense in Division D.

4. TCO (4-0): Don’t stop believin’, hold on to that feelin’!

5. Spartans (4-0): No upper-echelon teams have let in as many points as they have. Can their offense make this irrelevant?

6. Affreux (3-1): A win without your starting QB makes you a very deep team.

7. Certified Flyguyz (3-1): They’ve won some tight games against above-average opponents. These guys remain an enigma.

8. Blue Mountain State (3-1): The offseason additions are paying off.

9. Vis Motus (3-1): Being behind BMS in last week’s game puts them behind them in the Power Rankings.

10. Sea Assassins (3-0-1): A great record but a poor schedule thus far. How good are they?

 

Predictions

 

My predictions are a lot like UNICEF; you think they make a difference, but really they’re just filling a void. In any case, I went 11-4 in Week 4 bringing my overall record to 33-11 (I’ve decided to drop the “ties” statistic, as ties are about as easy to predict as my roommate’s girlfriend’s mood). Here’s what I see happening in Week 5:

 

Checkmate vs. First Downers

Sea Assassins vs. Tyrants

#NoRegard vs. Project Mayhem

Stunnerz vs. Eskimo Brothers

TCO vs. Broncos

Speed Demons vs. Boozers

All-Coholics vs. Flying Comics

Vikings vs. Vis Motus

Knights vs. Moose

Marvels vs. Certified Flyguyz

Westside Connection vs. C Difficile

Spartans vs. Longhorns

Affreux vs. Blue Mountain State

Dragons vs. Sons of Cyr

Rogues vs. Park-X Streets

 

As of right now, I’m batting .750 which makes me a slightly more intimidating baseball club than the Cubs.

 

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That does it for another week of The Goal Line Stand. If you want to hear your team or even your own name mentioned more often, send me an e-mail at [email protected]. But keep the messages polite, as this strategy may backfire. I’m more than just a little vengeful.

 

Don’t forget to check in to this week’s Calling the Audible as I chat with Alex David of Checkmate and Brent Callender of TCO.

 

See you on the fields in Week 5.