“The Power Of 3 Will Set Us Free!” – FlagPlus Football League

Welcome to one of my favorite weeks of FPF: Week 3 (and also 4, but we can do that next week)! Anyone who has played on one of my teams knows I have a Thought Process of: The 1st week is a wash – teams that lose Week 1 can, and have, rebounded and won Finals. Week 2 is when you go over your basic plays again and solidify your team and try your best to iron out kinks and change positions if needed. Test some things, have fun with it, but find your footing. Week 3… Week 3 is where it all starts to come together. Your team should be ready to start showing what it’s made of – whether it’s continuing a Win Streak, Breaking a Losing Streak, or just finding stability, Week 3 is where we get a better look at our teams.

3 is also an important number in our culture and history! Whether it is the:

Biblical Holy Trinity

The DC comic Trinity (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman)

Late 90’s-early 2000’s hit show CHARMED

Popular Groups: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The 3 Stooges, 3’s Company, Charlie’s Angel, Powerpuff Girls, Naruto, Destiny’s Child, TLC, Beastie Boys….

3 is also the amount of Dimensions that humans can perceive.

ALSO, the strongest shape is a triangle….with 3 sides!

Needless to say, 3 is an important number to us. It helps to have 3 in a group – to break ties, it is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime number preceding a square number (thanks Wikipedia). What does all of this mean? WHO KNOWS?! I’m just trying to convince you that Week 3, or I guess more aptly Game 3, is important!

Let’s hop in and check out the damage from Week 2:

FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH:

5A: Holy Rusted Metal Batman! Matt Kirouac decides to turn up the heat early this season…. 5 sacks in 2 games and a perfect offensive game going 5/5 and 2 TDs. Will he be able to stay ahead of Benjamin Periard for the rest of the season in sacks?

5B: After 2 games, Garner Ross and Adam Antel have indeed set themselves up as the Bugs and Daffy of the unit! Though, Max Arnovitz, may be giving Adam a run for his money as #1 offensive target. With 7 of 10 TDs going to these 2 targets, TUNESQUAD has set themselves up with another magical 3 number! CONSPIRACY!?

Random Thought – We have 3 (It’s EVERYWHERE!) returning Superstars to ZACK’s WEEKLY PICKS… I didn’t really think about what would happen if players dominated for multiple weeks in a row… I have put stars next to those athletes’ names to indicate how many weeks in a row they have been on the list, though I may look at putting a Streak Cap to ensure that a single player doesn’t monopolize the ratings.

5A: I did alright on my Predictions last week: There might have been another busted Cap forfeit in the SLEEPING ALL-STARS vs STRAPAHOLICS game, but it helped in my predictions, so all is well! A surprising upset (in my opinion) was DUCKS over THUNDER BUDDIES. These teams looked fairly even in their game breakdown and the game came down to a late INT before 5 plays to allow the DUCKS to take the lead! Exciting! Am I sleeping on the DUCKS, or are we just waiting for Lightning to strike before the real THUNDER BUDDIES show up? This week’s games should give some insight.

5B: Color me impressed! The best logo in FPF (according to Moe Khan) is back in FPF and beating up on Division 5B! Out of the gate, they have kept both of their opponents to only 6pts! Not even allowing an extra point after the TD! Scoring most of their offense is Jessy Dumeignil, who is already sporting – 152 Yards receiving and 4 TDs! He is clearly the #1 target on offense. Will Ramphins be able to push through the Division relying on Jessy? I’m hoping to see them spread the ball more against TOP G this week (another team who is 2-0), and with 6 INTs, TOP G might have the Defense to shut down Jessy and force RAMPHINS to switch gears!

Check Out this week’s Calling the Audible podcast, where I awkwardly answer some of Moe’s questions about the division! On the podcast, I mentioned having a spreadsheet of the top 15 rushers…. And I wasn’t joking. So for a special insight into the league’s top rushers, here are the top 10 of those Rushers with the highest number of Career Sacks so you can recruit them to your teams! Hahaha:

Ryan Aridi – 497 Sacks
Matt Kirouac – 347 Sacks
Zackary Alberts-Gill – 340 Sacks
Thomas Coutu – 310 Sacks
Gabriel Wiseman – 300 Sacks
Julien Paiement – 264 Sacks
Hinsley Adams – 260 Sacks
Kevin Marcil – 230 Sacks
Francois Hogue – 223 Sacks
Brian Eudoxie – 220 Sacks

If you think my top 10 is wrong because you have more, or FPF says differently, let me know! I always love a challenge and encourage all Rushers to use this as your ladder! Put your body on the line (while keeping QBs safe) and pump those numbers up!

Will the 2-0 teams remain undefeated? I’m gonna do all I can to disrupt STRAPAHOLICS, but with Kirouac staring down Kenny Boutilier – a mobile QB, which rusher will have the bigger impact? The NOTORIOUS C.I.G. should be able to handle HAIL MARTY’S, but what about the avian games? DUCKS vs VULTURES just might be the matchup that becomes a predator vs prey for VULTURES. 5B is much more up in the air as RAMPHINS (2-0) take on TOP G (2-0) and only 1 can stay undefeated, while the BETWAY BANDITS might give TUNESQUAD a hard time. Looking forward to a few shake ups this weekend!

Oh no! THREAT LEVEL MIDNIGHT in 5B lost to GREEN MONSTERS as Jason De Souza put up a whopping 6 TDs! KUDOS to GREEN MONSTERS for subverting my expectations and coming out strong for a relatively new team to FPF. I’m hoping Scarn and the crew can bounce back, make some friends, do the Scarn, and save themselves before the schedule really heats up. They will have 3-4 more hard games this season, and need to squeeze out the wins when they can!

A QUICK GLANCE AT THE COMPETITION:

WIN DIESEL

WIN DIESEL IS BACK BABY! After winning the Fall Tier 4 FPF Cup against SAVE THE TURFTLES, WIN DIESEL has skyrocketed to Div 5B to try their hand at another visit to the FPF ROADSHOW! We have most of WIN DIESEL returning for another run and they have added Jonathan Borsellino and Xavier Dumas to the mix! Jonathan Borsellino is doing double time by playing in 5B and 5A on RUDBOYZ (Check out their Game Preview below), and is a recent addition to the league, only starting in 2023. Xavier Dumas is the baby of the group and finds himself starting his FPF career on a star studded team! Will he be able to set himself apart from the rest of this diesel car, or will he be swallowed by this teams’ talent? William Sebag started his career in FPF in 2022, but has made a big splash since then, going on to win a FPF Cup in his second year of QB! With his usual targets back, and a solid defense behind him, Sebag has all the necessary equipment for a repeat Championship performance.

Barthélemy Hugé shows he can be a Jack of all Trades that is everywhere on the field, and will need to continue his ascent as his team moves into Division 5. Having 37 Tackles, 6 INTs, 2 Sacks, and 7 PDs (in basically 2.5 seasons), the only thing he is missing is a PICK-6! And WIN DIESEL will need all the PICK-6s they can get because, although they won Tier 4, they allowed more Points Against than Points For in the season (184 PA vs 179 PF). They were able to make it work in the fall, but the Winter of FPF is known for its competition and harder divisions. I’m not sure any team will be able to make Finals with a higher Points Against this season, and I’m worried that I may not see enough experienced players (5+ full Seasons in the league) that can Level up this defense. Luckily, enter Marcus Lynch! Being one of Zack’s Weekly Picks, Marcus has already climbed to the top of the defensive rankings in 5B and is fighting his way through the top 5 receivers. With the rest of the offense looking good, being nearly perfect on receptions, and converting on 50% of their extra points. This team is picking up steam and not showing signs of stopping. They should remain undefeated for at least the next 3-4 games, and based on their schedule, might even be able to sweep the division! Even though I think they will lose a game or 2, I’ll go against my better judgment and say WIN DIESEL keeps pumping out the wins!

Prediction: 10-0

VENGEANCE

VENGEANCE is off to a rough start, having to face off against 2 top teams in the first 2 weeks! Going up against WIN DIESEL in week 1 is a good introduction to the league and showed that VENGEANCE has the potential to gain traction as the season goes on. Benjamin Allen had a better showing in Week 2 versus TOP Gs, but TOP G’s defense was able to get some defensive TDs and put the game away. Now, VENGEANCE is ready to strike as they take on LES TONDEUSES this week. Taking a look at this roster, they have a lot of new players that are still getting used to the league or just coming out of FPF JR! Ashif Rehman takes to the stage, after starting last Winter, and is joined by other newcomers: Dylan Hayes and Jack Allan who are coming out of FPF Jr’s – WESTERN PATRIOTS and BULLDOGS, Emerson Dow, and Finn Allan (Brothers to Benjamin Allan???? Y’all know how I feel about last names!).

I can’t help but see this team as a Batman allegory: They are currently “Batman: Year One” – establishing themselves and building their team as they try to take on the criminal empire of Div 5B. Just like Batman who makes mistakes, gets hurt, and needs to rely on others in his first year on the job, VENGEANCE is rolling with the punches until they get the lay of the land. With a recurring cast of sidekicks and help, Batman is able to slowly build himself up to become the legend he is now, and the same can be said for VENGEANCE. Joined by Julien WIlson, a great 2-way threat who played with TAKEOVER and HOT SAUCE SPORTS, he brings along fellow teammates: Kareem Anthony Chilcott and Matthew Chadwick! Usually, I try to gauge which players could be the defensive star or the offensive target, but looking at all of these studs leads me to believe they all have the potential to step up and be the key player on this team!

However, until they do step up, I will be looking at Vincent Richard to continue his streak of PICK-6’s! Both Vincent and Louis Tellier are popping up from Div 6’s LE SPEAKEASY, and I hope they can quickly fill out this team at a higher division! Winning against LES TONDEUSES will easily prove that this team has put on their utility belt and are heading in the direction of becoming what they were meant to be: They are VENGEANCE, They are the night, THEY ARE BATMAN!

Prediction: 5-5

CHEZ BENNY EXPRESS

Starting off their debut with a BANG! CHEZ BENNY EXPRESS were able to avoid their asses being kicked by speeding along to a 32-18 win over KICKING ASSETS. Both teams got a PICK-6 on defense, but it was Arie Baazv’s 4 TDs that put the game away. Now, under usual circumstances, I would have noted that a bunch of this team seems to be the old CHANNEL 4 NEWS TEAM from Division 6, and that Greg Castiel was obviously going to retake his spot as QB (cause the man can put up some good QB stats!). But after seeing Arie Baazv’s performance in their first showing, I’m thinking maybe you don’t fix what isn’t broken? Aerie is an offensive juggernaut, so maybe losing him on offense isn’t optimal, but having multiple QB options can also keep defenses guessing! We will have to wait to see if Greg Castiel suits up this week against LES SACRIFIES 2.

They have picked up defensive playmakers Liam Assayag and his brother Eitan Assayag on CHAMBO. While Liam took care of the air and got the INTs, Eitan took care of the ground chasing QBs and getting sacks. Aiden and Spencer (Hopefully more BROTHERS!) are finally playing together since being in the league in 2017! Despite Spencer’s great performances on defense, Aiden is currently the bigger threat on this team, having picked up 10 TDs when he last played for CHANNEL 4, and recording 22 INTs in 4 seasons!

Despite many strong teams in Div 5B, I can see CHEZ BENNY EXPRESS cooking up some wins as they move through the season. A middle of the pack team, I think they may struggle against some top teams, but have a chance at winning the rest!

Prediction: 6-4

DEATH BATTLE BREAKDOWN:

NIGHTHAWKS vs RUDBOYZ

In this Game of the Week Preview, both teams are trying to stave away their second loss. NIGHTHAWKS are recovering after they faced off against a surprisingly strong DUCKS team last sunday, while RUDBOYZ learned their manners and were force fed LES PETITES CAROTTES. RUDBOYZ showing that they can put up at least 3-4 TD’s, should be able to keep NIGHTHAWKS on their toes, but with a mix of some recognizable players in other divisions: CO-ED 3, 5B, C, 4, etc., NIGHTHAWKS may have put together a formidable team.

Throwing a consistent 3 TDs per game so far, Raffi Bastadjian also picked up 4 sacks in his last game against DUCKS. He has pumped out almost 250 Passing Yards in 2 games, has brought in a Rushing TD, and with receivers like Jeremy Pelletier and Arto Khatchikian, has many options to score! However, the NIGHTHAWKS seem like a conglomeration of vigilantes (see NightWing – DC), and have had a nice first showing from their rusher: Eddison Gbeve! Eddison had the difficult task of containing Antoine Chabot – current top 3 rushing QB – and came away from that encounter with 2 sacks! If he can keep that pressure on Raffi, then it might disrupt the BOYZ enough to come away with a win!

Either way, I’m thinking this is an uphill battle for the “Kettle of Nighthawks” (Yup, that’s what a group these birds are called)! I expect this to be a higher than usual offensive game for these 2 and will come down to which defense can get the extra turnover!

Prediction: NIGHTHAWKS 25 – 32 RUDBOYZ

RAMPHINS vs TOP G

Despite both of these teams being 2-0, I do believe there is a lot of disparity between the 2. TOP G is a relatively new team to FPF, with most of their players entering the league in the past season or so! RAMPHINS is a Division 6 Championship team that made playoffs in the Tier 4 Cup last season. They are a tight squad of really athletic people and are already stomping through the division. Given that I think GREEN MONSTER and LES SACRIFIES 2 might not be top 5 teams I’m not sure how impressed I am with those wins for the RAMPHINS. The same can almost be said about TOP Gs wins versus BREWERS and VENGEANCE. The big difference for me is that while both RAMPHINS and TOP Gs have won their games, RAMPHINS has done so in a more decisive manner. Alexandre Nadeau has not thrown an INT in his games yet, but never say never! TOP G’s defense has put up a healthy number of INTs, Sacks spread out over multiple players, and enough PICK-6’s that any offense should pause before thinking it will be smooth sailing!

RAMPHINS may have stronger offensive stats, but they are currently being shouldered by Jessy Dumeignil, while TOP G have had a bit more success spreading the ball! I would love to see an Upset Special and have TOP G dethrone the Division 6 kings, but I think RAMPHINS are just too strong! I don’t know how Alexandre Nadeau will navigate the keen INT eyes of Dave Gordy Lang and Matthieu Legoute, but I also don’t know if Patrick Lapierre can help Thoby-Hans Lang and Kevin Legoute keep up with the RAMPHINS either! Overall, RAMPHINS have the experience and the high offensive scoring to bring this game home for Moe Khan!

Prediction: RAMPHINS 27 – 12 TOP G

ZACK’S TOP WEEKLY PICKS:

QB (1): **George Spano (NOTORIOUS C.I.G.) – 19 Attempts / 16 Completions (84.2%), 187 Yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs, 0 Sacks // 1 Rushing Attempt, 8 Yards

QB (2): Antoine Chabot (DUCKS) – 31 Attempts / 19 Completions (61.3%), 178 Yards, 5 TDs, 2 INT, 0 Sacks // 3 Rushing Attempts, 27 Yards

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WR (1): **Sébastien Champagne (BANDITS) – 15 Targets / 9 Receptions (60%), 98 Yards, 3 TDs

WR (2): Simon Valiquette (THUNDER BUDDIES) – 11 Targets / 11 Receptions (100%), 58 Yards, 2 TDs

WR (3): Denis Koutavas (RICO RYDERS) – 4 Targets / 3 Receptions (75%), 92 Yards, 2 TDs

WR (4): Étienne Chabot (DUCKS) – 9 Targets / 6 Receptions (66.67%), 72 Yards, 2 TD

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DB (1): Jay Yanakoulias (RICO RYDERS) – 1 Tackle, 1 INTs, 1 PD, 1 TD

DB (2): Judge Jeffrey (SLEEPING ALL-STARS) – 0 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD

DB (3): Arthur Dagenais (SKEEYEE) – 4 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD

DB (4): Jason Rayes (LES PETITES CAROTTES) – 0 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD

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RUSHER (1): Benjamin Periard (LES PETITES CAROTTES) – 2 Tackles, 4 Sacks

RUSHER (2): **Matt Kirouac (STRAPAHOLICS) – 0 Tackle, 3 Sacks

QB (1): Garner Ross (TUNESQUAD) – 30 Attempts / 23 Completions (76.67%), 245 Yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT, 0 Sacks // 1 Rushing Attempt, 5 Yards

QB (2): Jason De Souza (GREEN MONSTER) – 24 Attempts / 18 Completions (75%), 202 Yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs, 0 Sacks // 1 Rushing Attempts, 9 Yards

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WR (1): Max Arnovitz (TUNESQUAD) – 11 Targets / 10 Receptions (90.9%), 135 Yards, 3 TDs

WR (2): Jessy Dumeignil (RAMPHINS) – 12 Targets / 9 Receptions (75%), 107 Yards, 2 TDs

WR (3): Kevin Legoute (TOP G) – 6 Targets / 4 Receptions (66.67%), 91 Yards, 2 TDs

WR (4): Danick Coulombe (THE HOOLIGANS) – 6 Targets / 5 Receptions (83.33%), 77 Yards, 2 TDs

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DB (1): Matthieu Legoute (TOP G) – 4 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 PDs, 1 TD

DB (2): Marcus Lynch (WIN DIESEL) – 3 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 PDs, 1 TD

DB (3): Thoby-Hans Lang (TOP G) – 2 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD

DB (4): Mathew Lamorte (KICKING ASSETS) – 1 Tackle, 1 INT, 1 TD

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RUSHER (1): Yannick Graham (GREEN MONSTER) – 3, TACKLES, 3 Sack

RUSHER (2): Julian Salvatore (PARLAY TILTERS) – 0 Tackles, 3 Sacks

GAMES OF THE WEEK:

NOTORIOUS C.I.G. vs HAIL MARTY’S

STEPBROTHERS vs THUNDER BUDDIES

BANDITS vs A-SQUAD

NIGHTHAWKS vs RUDBOYZ

DUCKS vs VULTURES

IN N’ OUT vs PASTA ARRABIAT

STRAPAHOLICS vs SUPER TROOPERS (CAN’T VOTE ON MY TEAM’S GAMES)

PREDICTION RECORD: 8-6

THE HOOLIGANS vs LES TONDEUSES

THREAT LEVEL MIDNIGHT vs MACCABEES

WIN DIESEL vs BREWERS

LES TONDEUSES vs VENGEANCE

PARLAY TILTERS vs PACK A PUNCH

TUNESQUAD vs BETWAY BANDIT

RAMPHINS vs TOP G

GREEN MONSTERS vs VENGEANCE – Underdog Upset!

CHEZ BENNY EXPRESS vs LES SACRIFIES 2

RETIRED ALL-STARS vs KICKING ASSETS

PREDICTION RECORD: 11-6

That’s it for Week 3! The season is well underway and we are gonna start seeing Teams pull away from the pack! Get your early wins in while you can! If there is an idea or upcoming milestone you might want me to write about/cover in my articles, don’t be a stranger, let me know! If you want to see more accurate info about your teams, your players, your rivalries – send them to me! Comments, Criticisms, and Concerns are welcome… unless it’s about my Capitalization of random words. I stand by them! Also, check out the new episode of Calling the Audible – the official FPF podcast – available on Youtube and …. Probably somewhere else too!