Tier 2: Arouch gets off the schneid, Power Rankings shake-up, and who is the best QB in the Division?

Last week I looked at the bottom five teams in Tier 2 who are trying to punch their ticket to the playoffs. This week, I will look at the teams in the middle of the pack. 

Just to be clear, when I label a team as middle of the pack, I don’t mean that they aren’t championship contenders, or a force to not be reckoned with. I am simply implying that they have no shot at first place. 

Backfield Penetration (5-4) 

They don’t have a quality win over a good team, but they’ve beaten the ones they are supposed to, as they knocked off Arouch, Beer Belly Brigade, Rico Ryders, and most recently Never Overtime.    

Backfield Penetration has a chance to change the narrative of the former if they can pull off the upset and beat Les Monsieurs Chats next Sunday in Brossard. Can they pull it off and enter the playoffs with even more momentum, as they have currently won three in a row?

This team has talent, and can hang with just about anybody offensively. The question is can they get enough stops on the other side of the ball?

Les Monsieurs Chats (4-5)

They along with Beer Belly Brigade have played the least amount of games (7), so they have a chance to climb the standings from their current position of seventh. 

Their remaining schedule sees them play back-to-back games this Sunday and Monday in Chateauguay (brutal) against Beer Belly Brigade and Shake & Bake. They then wrap up the regular season against Backfield Penetration next Saturday in Brossard. 

If Les Monsieurs Chats can get the clean sweep,the momentum could carry them all the way to a championship.

Kiss My Outlaws (4-6)

I wasn’t sure what to make of this team. They have a championship Quarterback in Stephen Harripersaud, and a second one in Rocco Christiano. Can we make a trade? The team also has playmakers at Receiver in Vincent Benjamin, Devin Daoust, Nicholas Fon, Kendal Mayers, and Christiano, when he isn’t throwing passes. The team has impact players on the other side of the ball as well.

When you look at the roster, you figure that finishing with a winning record would be a sure thing, but after losing four out of their last five games, to close the regular season, they inspire anything but confidence. 

Unless they are planning to wait until the playoffs to put their best foot forward, I am not sure what else they are waiting for. I ran into Harripersaud Wednesday in Laval before their game versus Shake & Bake, and he said you never know what to expect with the team. I couldn’t agree more.

Jagerbomb (4-5)

This team is the epitome of a sneaky contender. They have a veteran squad that has been in numerous big games, have some championship experience on their roster, and possess quality wins over the likes of Backfield Penetration and Fins Up. 

Over the second half of the season, they have gone (2-2), with wins over Never Overtime and Beer Belly Brigade, and loses to heavyweights in Idaho Udapimps, and a heartbreaker to Shake & Bake, in which they dropped 50 points on their opponent and still found a way to lose.

Jagerbomb has shown repeatedly that they can go score for score with virtually any team, the problem is trying to stop them, as their defense has given up an average of 35 points a game. Can the veteran squad find a way to stop the bleeding on that side of the ball? If they want to go on a long playoff run, they will need to.

The Infantry (7-3)

They currently sit in second place, but they’re regular season is over, so they can’t finish in first. What a difference Quaysie Gordon-Maule makes. Monday night in St. Laurent without the 6-time All-Star, The Infantry had blown coverages, missed opportunities, on offense, and a plethora of crucial mistakes that led to a shocking (32-30) loss to previously winless Arouch. 

Wednesday night in Laval, Gordon-Maule was back in the lineup, and it looked like a brand new team, as they blew out The Commission (34-6). 

Looking at their track record, this year, this squad has solid wins over Shake & Bake, Fins Up, and Les Monsieurs Chats, but they also have losses against top end teams in Idaho Udapimps, and Vultures. I also can’t ignore the Arouch defeat. Yes, Gordon-Maule was out, and Arouch is better than what their record indicates, but at the same time, they were winless for a reason.

The Infantry are clearly a championship contender, and at times have looked like the best team in Tier 2, but will they get in their own way during the playoff journey, as they did Monday against Arouch? We will find out shortly.

Arouch gets a W!!!!

I just talked about it, but congrats to Arouch on finally getting their first victory of the season, with a (32-30) win over The Infantry Monday night in St. Laurent. I was the scorekeeper for the game. 

The happiness on the faces of the Arouch players when the final whistle sounded was nice to see. In typical Arouch fashion, the game was filled with physicality, a ton of trash talk, some dirty looks, and entertaining plays. Wins are not always easy to come by, and no one wants to go winless. With the victory, Arouch assured that every team in Tier 2 will finish with at least one victory. Just as important, it also keeps their slim playoff hopes alive, provided they pull off another upset, and knock off Jagerbomb next Sunday in their regular season finale, and get a little help. Never say never.

Who is the Best?

This week, I wanted to reveal the results of the who is the best defender in Tier 2 poll question I created almost two weeks ago. Unfortunately, I realized the poll never went up. I am not sure how that happened, but regardless, I created a new poll, and put it on the Facebook page. Make sure to fill it out. 

I was going to wait until next week to look at another position, but with the curtain about to fall on the regular season, I figured there is no better time than now to ask who is the best Quarterback in Tier 2. The rules are simple, you must have played in at least seven of your team’s games to qualify.

When it comes to Quarterbacks, no matter whether it is in the NFL, or a recreational league like this one, the question always gets asked, is the QB a product of the system and the weapons that surround them, or are they the straw that stirs the drink, and those pass-catchers are playing at a high level because of the person throwing them the ball. I am excited to see who you all pick, as Tier 2 is brimming with top-end QB talent. 

The QB poll will be up on the FPF Facebook page later this evening.  

Top 5 Power Rankings

1.Idaho Udapimps

They laid a 20-point beatdown on the Rico Ryders, which sees them retake the top spot in the rankings. Yes, the team in third place in the rankings beat them in Week 7, but the Vultures had to hang on to get a victory this past Wednesday in Laval versus a one-win Never Overtime squad. 

Last Week: 3rd

2. Shake & Bake

Receiver Denis Martel and I had a chat before their game against Kiss My Outlaws Wednesday night in Laval. He jokingly said that I always pick against Shake & Bake in my upset special. I went back and checked, and to my surprise, I have picked against them five times. In case you’re wondering, I am (1-4) on those bets. Ouch.

After we talked, Martel went on the field and helped his team smash Kiss My Outlaws (45-25). Good job! Shake and Bake finishes their regular season with a matchup against  Les Monsieurs Chats on Monday, and a must-watch showdown next Sunday against Idaho Udapimps. Wins in both games could see them shake their up the power rankings and the Tier 2 standings. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Last Week: 4th

3. Vultures 

They were laying the smackdown on Never Overtime, as they took a (24-6) lead into halftime, only to barely hang on to a (37-28) win. As I said last week, style points matter, as does nearly coughing up an 18-point lead to a team with one win.

Last Week: 2nd

4. Fins Up

Unlike the team below them, FIns Up took care of business against Arouch as they beat them (52-13) two weeks ago. They haven’t played since then, but I can’t put The Infantry ahead of them after what happened Monday night.

Fins Up is back in action in a big way this Sunday, as they take on Idaho Udapimps. This feels like a can’t miss game. Will we see an upset? 

Last Week: 5th

5. The Infantry

Well that was short. One week after nabbing the top spot in the power rankings, The Infantry went out and lost to previously winless Arouch, which sees them fall four spots in the rankings.

Last Week: 1 

Picks

Fins Up vs Idaho Udapimps – Fins Up (Upset Special)

Les Monsieurs Chats vs Beer Belly Brigade – Les Monsieurs Chats

Beer Belly Brigade vs Never Overtime – Beer Belly Brigade 

Shake & Bake vs Les Monsieurs Chats – Shake & Bake (My pick for Game of the Week)

Rico Ryders vs Vultures – Vultures

Never Overtime vs Rico Ryders – Never Overtime

Les Monsieurs Chats vs Backfield Penetration – Les Monsieurs Chats

Vultures vs The Commission – N/A

Last Week: (4-3)

Regular Season: (28-14-1)

Upset Special (2-6-1)

That is it for This week. Good luck to everyone in their games this weekend and in the coming week as well.

If you liked the article, hated it, or simply felt like I left something out, please feel free to contact me at [email protected], or on the FPF Facebook page