The Pulse (D5) – Week 2

 

After two weeks of action, a few teams have the unfortunate distinction of being 0-2 to start the season, and appear to have dug themselves quite a hole, early on. Luckily, there are eight games left to be played in the regular season, so there is still plenty of time left for these teams to hit a hot streak and turn their fortunes around. We’ve seen it happen before. Conversely, undefeated clubs must build on their victories to establish their dominance. No one should get carried away; it’s still early in the season.

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Thunder

It took two weeks, but Thunder has officially hit my radar. The Thunder made a name for themselves by defeating a savvy Tyrants team in the opener. They made sure to erase any doubts that their victory was a fluke by crushing the Love Cows in week 2. Thunder has now trounced two teams that are all but new in FPF, which makes us wonder what the forecast will be in the weeks to come.

South Shore Storm

This club has a nose for the end zone and at times look like they simply can’t be stopped. Scoring points in bunches seems to be the recipe for this team who continue to make it rain on opposing defenses. South Shore Storm won’t deviate all that much from the formula that has served them so well: score at will.

 

J’s

The J’s sought redemption. Plain and simple. Having lost their first game against the Incredibles in which they blew a six point lead in the second half, the J’s showed that they have what it takes to finish games and just how dangerous of a team they can be. The Pulse congratulates the J’s for earning a shutout, which is not an easy task to accomplish in FPF. You can’t lose games if your defense is keeping opponents off the scoreboard.

Dragons

Quarterback Simon Dagenais is not new to the league, but he is sure playing like a rookie right now. As a result, the Dragons are having a tough time adjusting to life in the FPF. They have talented guys on both sides of the ball, so it’s just a matter of execution. They have veteran receivers on the roster so an 0-2 start is a surprise.

 

Mustangs du Gridiron

Despite having speed in his downfield options, QB Simon Fortien is focusing on quick passes and letting his receivers make plays. He played mistake free football last week and should be looking to duplicate his performance. But this team must be able to execute better in the red zone.

Stallions

Coming off consecutive losses, the Stallions need to stop any more embarrassing losses and find a way to win-fast. As a new team, Alex Lewis needs to build chemistry with his receivers and the Stallions must find a way to get Germaine Anderson involved often and early. The defense will need their best player, Pierre Bartlett, to keep making plays as he did in week 2.

 

Good week/Bad week

It’s been a good week for:

The J’s have to be encouraged by the solid performance of quarterback Hai Minh Luong and his ability to respond and overcome a shaky outing in Week 1. This is a quarterback driven league and his teammates feel that he is a key component to their offense’s success. When he appears to be in rhythm, the J’s can be a tough team to beat. But Chris Olson should get some of that credit as well. What a luxury it is for a QB to have a receiver who can haul in 16 receptions from the center position in the J’s first two games of the season.

It’s been a bad week for:

Mather Warsame and his three quarterback sacks helped Da Boyz keep the game fairly close, but his presence wasn’t enough to avoid a 33-26 loss to the Incredibles. While Warsame seems to be playing stout defense, having recorded six sacks in only two games, his team has failed to find a winning formula this season. If you’re looking for silver linings, Da Boyz have been competitive in both losses.

Week 3 Matchups

Golden Eagles vs. Les Buddays

At the beginning of the season, I felt that the Golden Eagles had all the right pieces in place to have their best season yet. With two weeks in the books my sentiment has not changed. This is a team that prides themselves on watching game film from their previous matches and it is paying dividends. Coupled with the fact that defense—at least in Week 2—seemed to be Les Buddays’ weakness, the Golden Eagles should fly high if they manage to contain Shayne Turgeon.

The Incredibles vs. Lockdown

This is the game of the week in Div. 5 in my opinion. On one side you have the 2-0, Incredibles, a team who is averaging just over 30 points a game squaring off Lockdown, who has arguably the best defensive unit in Conference A.

Jacob Peterson leads his team in receiving yards and is the focal point in this offense. Getting him the ball early and often will be crucial. As for the defensive unit, the Incredibles must get another solid performance from Marco Bertoldi.

I think the experience swings in the favor of Lockdown, and I like what their QB and his offense have done thus far in the season. But Lockdown did struggle last week and escaped with a tight victory against the Green Machine. I don’t think that they will be so fortunate in week 3. The Incredibles, chose the right name for their ball club, because they are playing at a very high level.

Power Rankings

1. Golden Eagles (2-0) – Club continues to show no mercy towards opposing teams

2. South Shore Storm (2-0) – High-octane offense guaranteed to put points on the board

3. Thunder (2-0) – Can pick up momentum with win over Green Machine

4. Incredibles (2-0) Good offense, defense needs some fine tuning

5. Lockdown (2-0) Hot streak to be tested against the Incredibles

6. Les Buddays (2-0) –Have won two in a row, but both games were close. Good team or just lucky?

7. A-Squad (1-1) – One loss is not the end of the world for this ball club.

8.      Tyrants (1-1) – They have a veteran QB in John Kaliotzakis. That’s a huge bonus.

9.      The J’s (1-1) – Going through highs and lows. Need more than Chris Olson to step up.

10.  Green Machine (1-1) – Need to show more consistency and put some wins together.

The action continues next weekend. Look for all your updates, right here. Feel free to send me a message on Facebook, email me at [email protected] or approach me during the Div 5 games. Let’s talk football.