The Pulse (D5) – Week 4

 

It has been an interesting month of January in FPF to say the least. Division 5 was no exception. Four weeks have flown by and it is already time to turn your calendars to the month of February. While some teams are right where they envisioned they would be, either undefeated or near the top of their respective conferences, others are not so fortunate and might be looking to start the second half of the season with a clean slate. But before we go any further, here were the major headlines that occurred from the opening bell up until week 4.

Division 5 saw:

-Defenses embarrass offensive units. Low-scoring games in FPF are rare. But under no circumstances are we accustomed to seeing three shutouts in one week. Can your defense consistently shut down both pass and run offenses over the course of a game? Les Buddays, the Dragons and Da Boyz did in week four, and division 5 is becoming increasingly known for the stellar play of the defenses rather than the offenses. Who said the offense always has to get the glory?

– Venom won their first game by forfeit because the Stallions were a no-show. Venom won their second game because the Tyrants were forced to forfeit due to an illegal roster. Venom is showing that there is definitely more than one way to win football games.

– The Golden Eagles putting up 53 points in one game. Tally up the total points of a few teams, from the beginning of the season up until week three, and they would not even crack the 50 point mark. That is why this achievement is so impressive. This is the most points scored in one game in the division thus far. Can your team top 53 points?

-Tyrants forfeit their first three games, because of an illegal roster. This was an honest mistake, but this is a veteran team and should know the rules by now.

– Undefeated and winless teams as we head into the bye week. Both Lockdown and the Golden Eagles are 4-0. On the flip side, the Shaolin Shadowboxers and the Stallions have yet to find the recipe to win games and are on the opposite end of the spectrum, at 0-4.

Weekly Recaps

Philippe-Antoine Beausejour lifts Widow Makers passed the A-Squad

How many times is A-Squad going to come up short in games that they should win, without risk of keeping their playoff hopes alive? It looks like it’s back to the drawing board for the A-Squad after losing another close game. With each week that passes by, it appears that there is always one player from the opposing team who simply dominates this team and makes them look like a very ordinary ball club.

Philippe-Antoine Beausejour was that player last week, hauling in 4 passes for 92 yards for 2 touchdowns, as the Widow Makers defeated the A-Squad 26-20 on Saturday in Brossard. Thus far, QB Francois Ethier has been unable to produce on the field and A-Squad might be in for a bumpy ride if he doesn’t start playing up to his potential. As the leader of the offense, he needs to start making smarter decisions with the ball and be far more accurate with his passes.  At times, Ethier is late releasing the ball and needs to adjust to the defensive schemes a little quicker.

Sesame Street wins over Marvel Comics

Ok, this probably won’t happen in real life, but in FPF, Sesame Street was the one dishing out the beating on Marvel Comics. It wasn’t the close contest that most expected from two struggling teams in conference B. No one expected the Bid Birds to run away with this one and win big over Venom. But the Bid Birds scored 21 points in the second half and were firing on all cylinders. With a commanding lead, the quarterback for the Big Birds did not have to force plays and seemed poised and relaxed in the pocket. The win improves the Birds’ record to 2-2 and they trail les Mustangs du Gridiron by one game in their conference.

Best of the Best

As I mentioned at the beginning of my article, a few teams are off to terrific starts this season and are quickly making a strong case for being the best teams in division 5. Here are the two worthy candidates along with the reasons why they have been so successful.

Conference A

It sure seems that Lockdown takes pride in their defensive schemes. After all, no team has been able to score more than three touchdowns on Lockdown. Their armour has yet to be dented. The fourth-season squad turned in another solid performance in the team’s 44-19 win over the Shaolin Shadowboxers. Since Lockdown is mainly known for their defense, I think it was an eye-opener for a lot of opposing teams in the division to see them put up 44 points.

Conference B

At the beginning of the 2011 FPF regular season, expectations for the Golden Eagles couldn’t have been higher. This team was confident that Winter 2011 would be their breakthrough season, and after four weeks of football, we now know why. They have the best player in the division in Kevin Lubin. They have arguably the best receiving corps with Simon Provencher, Alex David and Alexandre Guertin combining for staggering 62 receptions and 627 yards and 17 touchdowns. Starting to get the picture?

Top Players from the month of January:

Alex David – Golden Eagles: 35 receptions, 292 yards, 8TDs

Felix Morin- Widow Makers: 265 yards rushing and 3 TDs.

Alex Lewis- Stallions: 17 tackles 2 sacks

Marc-Andre Piquette – Les Buddays: 17 tackles, 3 interceptions

John Kaliotzakis – Tyrants: Only starting QB without an interception.

Zaf Fardellas – Lockdown: 9 TD receptions

Who’s next?

Warhawks will face some stiff competition in the weeks to come.

Outlawz should start the second half of the season on a winning note.

Next two games bode well for a 5-1 record for The Incredibles.

Green Machine will be licking their chops against the Love Cows.

Dragons will battle the J’s. This game is crucial for both clubs. J’s are in desperate need of a win. Dragons need to accumulate wins before facing tougher opponents down the stretch.

Power Rankings

1. Golden Eagles (4-0) + 107 differential. Not much more to say.

2. Lockdown (4-0) Not a good idea to bet against this team.

3. Incredibles (3-1) QB Greg Stern was back under center and tossed 4 TDs in the Incredibles win last weekend.

4. Thunder (3-1) Their hopes at a perfect season ended in week 4 courtesy of the Incredibles. I expect to see a ravenous team down the stretch.

5. Les Buddays (3-1) Grabbed a commanding 32-0 halftime lead last weekend. Showed that they can put away teams early in the game.

6. South Shore Storm (2-1-1) Offense relying on Shakeel Phinn’s efforts and Jamaal Gittens’ TDs. But the rest of the offense has not been as productive. Need more balance.

7. Mustangs du Gridiron (3-1) Not the same team I saw in week 1. With the exception of the Outlaws, les Mustangs are perhaps the most improved team thus far.

8. Green Machine (2-2) Steadily finding ways to win games. It doesn’t always have to be pretty, but this team is at .500

9. Warhawks (2-2) This team struggled to play well against a team that (at least on paper) they should have been able to manhandle, and have a loss to Da Boyz to show for it.

10. Big Birds (2-2) Two weeks ago, I said that I like this team. Wasn’t exactly sure why, just a gut feeling. Last week, the Big Birds gave me a reason. Team has put up a combined 72 points in their last two games. Very impressive.

The Buzz of the week

South Shore caught in the perfect storm

The South Shore Storm have not been playing their best football up until now and their record is a clear indication of that. Questionable play-calling, costly penalties and the inability to capitalize on their opponents mistakes are all key contributors as to why the Storm have only been able to win two games so far this season. Many teams in Div. 5 are starting to believe that this team is sinking fast, so they better find a way to turn the tide in their favour or this might be a disastrous season based on their talent. Despite the whispers that may be circulating, I am confident that the Storm will once again have success and can finish the season with a 7-2-1 record. This is a dangerous team, so don`t sleep on them.

The action takes a break next weekend as we prepare to watch the Super Bowl. But we shall be back the following weekend. Look for all your updates, right here. Feel free to send me a message on Facebook or approach me during the Div 5 games. Let’s talk football.