Week 2 of The Playoffs Presents Trap Game Galore!

If you’re reading this, your team has most probably made it to the Divisional Playoff Round. Congratulations! Thank you to Les Verges Folles, Junkyard Dogs, Blue Chips, Beer Belly Brigade, Les Maloudes, Speed Academy, Green Munchs, and Une Phrase Bien Fournie. Not the way you planned to end the season but there’s always next year. It is now time for the Sweet Sixteen, as I like to call it. Let’s get into it!

Une Phrase Bien Fournie almost completed the huge upset. They had Greendale Human Being on the ropes. With 5 plays left the were up 43-40. GHB did not do much to move the ball in the first 4 plays. Luckily for them they had a 5th play. On that play, Justin Lerner dropped back and threw a 44 yard Hail Mary that was caught by Brandon Aylward!!!!! Talk about a prayer being answered! GHB have won 4 straight games. Can they make that 5 when they play ALPHA DOGS this week?

I was able to catch Arouch against Speed Academy on Sunday night. Arouch controlled the game from start to finish and came away with the 38-18 victory. Thomas Legault had a heck of a game on both sides of the ball for Arouch. He had 7 catches for 110 yards and 3 TDs on O, and had 2 big PDs from the rusher position on D. While he led the charge, Arouch did play well as a team overall. A lot of that in big part to their energy on the field. Next test for them: That’s What She Said. Should be a fun one.   

I expected G.I.H.F. to beat Les Verges Folles, but did not expect a 41-6 blowout. Their defense got them 7 interceptions! Juwan Edgehill and Chaz Kidder-Alexander each getting 3 of them. McMahon only needed to complete 15 passes to get the W. He threw 4 touchdown passes to 4 different receivers. As I’ve said before, this team is peeking at exactly the right time. Going to be fun to see them live in action as we (Preach) play them on Wednesday. Looking forward to a great game boys! 

We saw 2 games finish by a single point this week! The Stoics edged out Beer Belly Brigade, 32-31, and Free Smoke 1 beat Les Maloudes 27-26. The difference in the games? Converts. The further you get into the playoff the more these converts matter. Teams are very evenly matched at this point. Don’t expect many blowouts. 

Blackouts put up 44 on Junkyard Dogs to advance to the next round. Both QBs did a great job distributing the ball as there were 14 receivers that caught at least one pass. Quaid Johnson led the way with 7 grabs, 84 yards, and 2 TDs. From what I heard it was a very back and forth type of game. Blackouts were up by 2 possessions several times during the game but JYD did not go away. They were a successful onside attempt from potentially keeping their season alive. Great game overall from Sinagra and the Blackouts squad.    

The Infantry knocked off Blue Chips 32-18. Speaking with shutdown cornerback for The Infantry, Félix Fourreau, after the game, he said it was a much closer game than the score indicated. Quaysie had playoff mode activated in this game. He finished with 112 receiving yards, 4 TDs, and a pick on defense. With the suspensions to The Infantry, we may need to see him continue to have performances like these for them to make a run. Solid game from the veteran QB, Walwaski, who threw for 5 tuddies and stay cleared of throwing an interception. 

Jonathan Garfinkle, Khalil Kerr, and Ryan Garber all got 2 touchdowns each en route to an impressive 38-25 win over Green Munchs. They play a much more experienced team this week in Mongoose. Can they find a way to slow down Alex Gaudet?

Crazy times in MTL! Flashbacks to the Ice Storm in ’98! I was lucky enough to only lose power for about 30 hours. It gave me an excuse to Uber Eats McDonald’s (as if I needed one)! Hope all of you are staying warm and got your power back.

Game Previews  

With 8 games scheduled this week I won’t go into too much detail on each game, but will provide some analysis for each one. 

1. Silent Ticklers vs 21. Blackouts 

My pick for game of the week. We got 2 offenses here that can score at will. Silent Ticklers finished with the number 1 overall seed going undefeated (9-0-1). That tie? You guessed it. A 48-48 barnburner against Blackouts. This legit may be a game where first to 50 wins. For Blackouts, they’ll need to find a way to stop Jordan Panetta’s deep ball. A lot easier said than done, but they do have the defensive personnel to potentially give Silent Ticklers a bit of a challenge. For Silent Ticklers, stopping the high-powered Blackouts offense may be just as difficult. Blackouts have enough depth where anyone on their roster can lead the charge for a game. I’m almost certain the onside kick will be a huge factor in this game. Stealing a possession could make all the difference in one of these teams punching their ticket to the Elite Eight. Expect fireworks in this one folks!

Prediction: Silent Ticklers win 48-42  

2. Mongoose vs 20 KGP Ra 

This is a 2 seed against a 20, but it doesn’t seem like a one-sided matchup. KGP Ra are coming into this game after having won 2 straight convincing games. One advantage they have over Mongoose is their speed. Getting snapper Khalil Kerr in open space will be key. Mongoose has a very disciplined defense and does not get caught off guard easily. It may be up to the receivers of KGP Ra to create their own magic. I’ve given a lot of credit to Mongoose this year and rightfully so. They finished the year at 8-1-1. Potentially the smartest team in all of the division. The Gaudet-Chevalier connection will be key to monitor here. The quarterback and receiver have hooked up for 61 completions in 9 games. Expect KGP Ra to play some man defense. This has trap game written all over it for Mongoose. What prevails in this game, speed and athleticism or smarts and teamwork? 

Prediction: Mongoose win 34-28

3. Les Gros Coqs vs 19. The Stoics

These 2 teams have yet to face off this season. Les Gros Coqs are the favourites in this game. There’s no doubt about that. However, the theme of this week is “trap game.” If you recall, I mentioned The Stoics as a team that can surprise many, myself included, as I predicted them to lose last week. There’s something special about being the underdog. For them to pull it off they’ll need to contain Dom LeFort. Who better to do that than Denzel Eadie-Lowe? It won’t necessarily be the sacks by Eadie-Lowe that will swing the game, but it will be not allowing Lefort to buy that extra time to find an open receiver. What I love about LGC is their depth. This may be the only team in the division that truly doesn’t have a WR1. Yet, they’re 7-2-1. For them to continue their season they will need to key on Vincent Cheung. Cheung and Rivest have built a better connection than milk and Oreos. Trust that’s hard to beat.

Prediction: Les Gros Coqs win 38-26

4. Mangoose vs 17. Free Smoke 1

No previous matchup here. All signs point to a win by Mangoose. They have more wins on the season, they are the more explosive team, and have Thomas Coutu and James Drysdale. The thing is, they uncharacteristically lost 2 straight games while Free Smoke 1 have won 2 straight. Even my great grandmother knows the importance of momentum come playoff time. For Free Smoke 1 to win it’s pretty simple. Jimmy-Lee Janvier will need to have a big game. I don’t think he can afford to even throw 1 pick. He is more than capable. When he’s on, he’s on. For Mangoose, Nic Schaefer will need to have a good game (which I expect him to), but they will also need to capitalize on their big splash plays they are so good at. You cannot give this Free Smoke 1 bunch any reason for optimism.

Prediction: Mangoose win 40-26

5. Blue’s Clues vs 12. The Infantry

I think we all know what happened the last time these 2 teams faced off. Hopefully that is all in the past. It was a tight game that saw Blue’s Clues come away victorious, 28-24. AJ Gomes has not thrown for Blue’s Clues since that game. That was over a month ago. Hopefully rust will not play a factor in this game. The thing I like about Blue’s Clues is that even when their offense isn’t fully clicking, their defense is good enough to get the necessary stops. Offensively for Blue’s Clues, I anticipate AJ continuing to rely on Nic Groppini. He is the only player on the squad with double-digit touchdown receptions with 16. It may come down to young and capable guys like Fritzgerald Cenatus or Xavier Couture to make a big play late in the game, however. One of Corey Walwaski’s many great attributes is that he is calm and patient in the pocket. He’s gonna need to be on Wednesday night. He may need to go to his third or even fourth read at times to find an open guy. The Infantry have had their last 3 games to prepare them for only playing with 6 players. So far they’ve managed quite well.

Prediction: Blue’s Clues win 26-20

6. That’s What She Said vs 11. Arouch

First time we’ll see this matchup. It’s a battle of the big names against the not-as big-names, but ballers just the same. That’s What She Said has division 1 stars like Phil Pharand, Mike Pierrecin, and Julien Paiement, while Arouch have the aforementioned Thomas Legault and Eric Lalonde. On paper it would appear that TWSS are heavy favourites. I do think they are the favourites, but there’s something about this Arouch team. I think it’s a mixture of how solid they are as a team and the genuine excitement they have for one another. Now, all that stuff is great but can it be used to slow down a guy like Pharand? I’m not so sure. That will be one of the bigger issues Arouch need to address pregame. At the end of the day, like most FPF games, this game will come down to which QB has more command of their offense. Right now it’s hard to pick against Eric Lalonde. So ya, gimme the upset and the boys in green.

Prediction: 32-27 Arouch

7. Preach vs 10. G.I.H.F.

I don’t usually talk about my team but thought it appropriate in this case. Both teams have been on an absolute tear as of late. Preach have won 6 of its last 7 games, and G.I.H.F. have won 4 straight. Something’s gotta give. The only thing I’ll predict in this game is that it’ll be high scoring. I wouldn’t be surprised to see both teams put up 40+ points. In fact, I almost expect it. What I think will be vital in this game is 3rd and 4th downs. Both Ben McMahon and Stephen Harripersaud are smart enough to take what the defense gives them. What does that do? It sets up for many very manageable 3rd and 4th down situations. I don’t mention it a lot, but tackling will be huge in this game for both sides. Both teams are too good to be given free yards on missed tackles. Pumped for this one! Good luck boys!

Prediction: N/A

8. ALPHA DOGS vs 9. Greendale Human Beings

It really doesn’t get any more evenly-matched than this. An 8 seed against a 9 seed, both teams finished the regular season at 6-3-1, their only matchup finished 36-34. Did a little research as I was curious, and Alex Joltopuf’s 93 receptions is the most ever in a season in FPF history! Congrats, Alex! While Brandon Aylward and Alex Joltopuf are the top targets on GHB, I was glad to see Matthew Rupcic more involved in the offense last game. He had 7 receptions and 2 TDs. While Alex and Brandon are one of the best WR duos in the division, getting production from a WR3 makes them that much more difficult to defend. ALPHA DOGS are a roster of only 7 players. All 7 of them have showed up to all 10 games for them. I think their smaller roster makes them even better. They have a chemistry that is hard to match. ALPHA DOGS have 3 receivers with double-digit TDs on the season in Ashton Thibeault, Andrew Grant (AKA Flash), and Charles Olivier Vachon. Both defenses will be on edge from start to finish in this affair.

Prediction: Greendale Human Beings win 37-36 in OT

Bold Prediction: Every game this week will have a successful onside kick attempt!

Sweet Sixteen. Doesn’t get much sweeter than this. As I said last week, let the heart lead the way. Best of luck to everyone! Even if you aren’t playing this week I encourage you to come watch some of the action in division 3! High energy guaranteed. Definitely gonna try and catch some of the action before and after my game on Wednesday. Thanks for the read and until we meet again…

STAY BLESSED