Categories: DivisionDivision 5ADivision 5BMen'sWinter

Week 2 Recap: After Overreaction Monday Comes Way-Too-Early Predictions Tuesday  

We’re only two weeks into the season, but I know you feel it too – that urge to crown some teams locks to go undefeated and make the finals (the pressure is on, Obamacare and Jaguars), and deem others on a certain path to an 0-10 finish (I’m looking at you, Space Pirates and Bruins).

But if FPF has taught us one thing, it’s that one should be careful to consider any team a lock for anything just yet.  

The term Any Given Sunday (or Monday, Wednesday, Saturday in our case), is perhaps one of the most quoted clichés in football history, but there’s a reason for that – underdogs continue to defy common sense, the stats, logic, or whatever it may be, and win games. 

There is still a ton of football to be played yet.  

 

Recap: 5B

Takeover Reveal Plans to Take Over 5B  

I thought for sure this one was The Pack’s for the taking, given the lack of team chemistry and FPF experience on the other side of the ball. Instead what we got was one of Week 2’s best games.

The first half saw The Pack take the lead early and stay a touchdown ahead of Takeover – right up until the last play of the half. Down 19-12 and at midfield, Takeover QB Ian Einheiber made the most of the presence of veteran FPF QB Mat Domon on his roster, tossing Mat a lateral, who then tossed it right back to Ian, who finished the play by tossing up a prayer to cut the deficit to 19-18 heading into the second half.

In the second half, both defenses decided it would be best to just not play any defense. At least it seems that was the case, with both offenses trading touchdowns the entire second half. It ended up being one of those where you had a feeling whoever had the ball last would win. That proved to be Takeover in this one. Down by five with one play left and seven yards away from victory, Stephen Forbes made the play of the game with a diving catch on a short out pass to win it for Takeover.

 

DG Doomed

DG Goons have always been able to rely on a solid defense to bail them out when the offense is struggling. That simply wasn’t the case this past weekend. Flying Weasels QB Jonathan Lemieux made it look easy at times, hitting receivers left and right, long and short – and usually, wide open.

Defensively, the Weasels’ Jesse Leblond deserves some credit for his rushing of DG Goons QB Chris Pendenza. Leblond was in Pendenza’s hip pocket play after play, getting to him once for the sack and pressuring him early and often.

The Goons’ offense eventually did get rolling late in the second half, but by that point the game was already far out of reach as Flying Weasels cruise to a 39-19 victory. 

Could you categorize this one as a blowout? Not quite. But it was evident from start to finish who the better team was.

 

Recap: 5A 

Weak Sauce  

I warned GM Kolethras this would be the headline if Top Sauce lost to Tomahawk Nightmare this week. Interestingly, it’s one that fits Top Sauce’s performance versus Tomahawk Nightmare perfectly.

Tomahawk jumped out early to a 14-0 lead and simply never looked back, as the Top Sauce offense was not so much overmatched as it was hampered by, simply put, poor QBing on Vince Nardone’s part. Bad reads, poor throws and ugly INTs kept Top Sauce from ever taking the lead, but their stingy defense kept them in the game nonetheless as they were down by 5 with one final drive to go. 

Nardone was able to march the Top Sauce offense down the field and a chance to win the game, but with three plays left Vince underthrew receiver Chris Millard, who slid to try and make the catch only for the ball to bounce up out of his hands and into the waiting arms of the Tomahawk defense. Game over. 

 

Woofpack: “The Best Defense in the League” 

“We have the best defense in the league. FACT,” Terry Tam texted me after his Woofpack’s dismantling of Pardon My Swag over the weekend. Though I’m pretty sure some D1 teams would like to have a word with Terry about that statement, it’s certainly a lot harder to disagree in the case of Division 5A.

It was the Woofpack offense that got the blowout going early, with Terry leading his offense down the field in just 3 plays on the game’s opening drive. A quick defensive stop and another score made it 14-0 in the blink of an eye.

PMS answered to make it 14-6 thanks to a touchdown pass from Brad Evans to Patrick Pilotte, but that would be as close as this one would get. The Woofpack D started changing up their plays and, coupled with sick rushing from Marc-André Benoit (5 sacks), were able to shut out the PMS offense from that point on, recording 4 picks en route to victory.

 

Power Rankings: 5B

  1. Jaguars (2-0): First they take down my preseason favorites like it’s nothing, then they do the same to my top-ranked team of the week. If there’s a squad absolutely no one wants to face right now, it’s these guys.
  1. Small Giants (2-0): They’re 2-0, they’re leading 5B in points scored (86), and they’ve done so against two great defenses. 
  1. Ghosts (1-1): With Gab Wiseman at the helm, I have no doubt this offense will get back on track. But with 79 points against, the most in 5B through two weeks, you have to wonder how long they can go without making some adjustments on defense.
  1. Les Guerriers de l’Espace (1-1): So the Guerriers lose when Alex Rivet throws for nearly 270 yards and 7 TDs, but win when he doesn’t even hit the century-mark passing and finds the endzone only 4 times through the air. Makes sense.
  1. Flying Weasels (2-0): To tear apart the DG Goons defense like that is no small feat.
  1. Junkyard Dogs (2-0): They’ve been absolutely dominant on both sides of the ball thus far. I know I’m not the only one looking forward to their Week 3 battle versus Jaguars. 
  2. Takeover (2-0): A matchup with Ghosts this week will help determine how good this team really is. 
  1. Les Pitriotes (2-0): Considering they remain undefeated despite four of the team’s seven players having never played a snap of FPF entering this season, you have to figure they’ll only get better as the season goes on.
  1. Sunshine Island (2-0): Sunshine Island QB Matthew Cinquino leads the division in rushing yards with 154 through two games. In other words, he’s on pace for nearly 800 on the season. I’d like to say how I’m worried how long he can keep that up and expect to win games. But then I’m reminded of the Spring 2013 Jaggerbomb team that made the playoffs behind Jeremie Gauthier’s 770 rushing yards and I shut my mouth.
  1. DG Goons (1-1): DG Goons are better than this and they know it, but it’s hard to justify giving them a higher spot considering how much their offense has struggled through the first two weeks.

 

Power Rankings: 5A

  1. Obamacare (2-0): I think we can confirm that moving Mcinnis to receiver and bringing in Jake to QB is indeed a recipe for success.
  1. Watch Me Whip (2-0): I expected a bigger win over HBH, but they took care of business nonetheless.
  1. Dope Boys (2-0): Forcing 5 interceptions? Nuts. For the offense to manage just 25 total points despite all those turnovers, in a game that ended up coming down to the final drive? Concerning. To come out on top anyway? The mark of a good team.
  1. Tomahawk Nightmare (1-0-1): Tomahawk averaged 44 points per game in the first two weeks of last winter. This year? 15.5. Good thing their defense is perhaps tops in the division.
  1. Sphinx (1-1): Tough to win when your starting QB doesn’t play the entire game.
  1. Sticky Hands (2-0): With the injured Nicolas Saro replacing Alexis Labonte to lead a masterful comeback at QB, you have to wonder whether we already have our first QB controversy of the season.
  1. Top Sauce (1-1): Week 1 Vince Nardone was the Vince Nardone with DirectTV. Week 2 Vince Nardone was the one with cable. So now we’re right back to square one: wondering whether this year’s Nardone actually has DirectTV or not.
  1. X-Men (2-0): Gautama Swaminadhan is quietly having himself quite the season at QB. Can he keep it up for a full 10 games though?
  1. Woofpack (2-0): That Terry Tam continues to throw too many INTs (I know, who am I to talk), is worrisome, but as long as that defense continues to eat opposing QBs alive I can’t really say anything bad about them.
  1. Blackshirts (1-1): It only took a week for Emilio Pampena to realize that the key to more success, aside from using dove soap, cocoa butter, and getting weekly pedicures and manicures, is to feed Dylan Taylor the ball. I wish he’d waited until Week 4 to figure that out.

 

FPF Fantasy Showdown: 5B

Last Week:

QB: Jimmy-Lee Janvier: 15 for 23, 220 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT. Gab Wiseman: 16 for 29 for 124 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs. I don’t actually need to tally up the points here, do I?

WR: Jake Rashkovan didn’t catch a single pass in Les Pitriotes’ win over Siths, making Mosha Moreau Côté the automatic winner with his 3 catches for 44 yards and a touchdown.  

Defense: Weapon X: 16 tackles, 1 INT, 45 points allowed = 9 fantasy points. Small Giants: 15 tackles, 3 INTs, 1 PD, 18 points allowed = 19 points. Small Giants get the win.

 

It all makes for an 0-3 record for me this week, dropping me to 2-4 in 5B on the year. Here’s how I plan on getting back over .500 this week:

QB: Michael Sanchez (St. Lunatics) vs. Anthony Pitoscia (Creamsicles): Two struggling QBs, leading two struggling offense in a head-to-head battle. This one has all the makings of a low-scoring affair – which means expect fireworks. I’m leaning Pitoscia in this one, solely because I’m not sure St. Lunatics have someone who can shut down Anthony Da Silva.

WR: Philippe Tremblay (Les Huards) vs. Antoine Baril (Les Guerriers de l’Espace): You didn’t think I would actually put my faith in Nicolas Belleau making plays at QB, did you? That said, this isn’t as lopsided a matchup as it seems. Baril, after a big Week 1 performance, racked up only 20 yards for 2 scores against Fuzzy-Kittens. Tremblay, on the other hand, is clearly the bell cow of the Huards offense. I think he keeps being as such this week, but I have a tough time seeing how the Huards D will slow down Baril. 

Defense: Blue Devils vs. Fuzzy-Kittens: I know what you’re thinking – “what are you thinking?!” But hear me out. Fuzzy-Kittens, despite their athleticism, have recorded zero INTs through two games this season, getting their hands on a total of just three passes through the air thus far. On the other hand, the Blue Devils D has been flying around, recording two picks, 3 sacks and a wealth of PDs. I think they keep that up. 

 

FPF Fantasy Showdown: 5A

Last Week…

QB: Jake Applebaum’s 12-for-20, 119-yard, 4-touchdown performance clearly bested Etienne Cloutier’s quiet 65-yard performance with zeroes in the TD column. I still await the chance to predict a real QB battle.

WR: Etienne Vaillancourt’s 71 receiving yards and single touchdown gives him 19 points on the week – edging out Christopher Williams’ 44-yard, 2-TD performance by a single point.

Defense: Woofpack: 5 sacks, 3 INTs and just 6 points against highlight the 38 fantasy points Woofpack’s D racked up this past week, trouncing PMS’ total of 24.

 

That makes me 2-1 in 5A fantasy showdown picks again this week, putting me at 4-2 on the season. Here are my picks for this week: 

QB: Tom Gatehouse (Hot Boys Hotline) vs. Gautama Swamindhaman (X-Men): Gatehouse calmed things down in Week 2, and the result was a smoother offense this past week. But I think Gautama’s supporting cast gives him the upper hand.

WR:  Eddy Martinez (Gators) vs. James Nowakowski (Watch Me Whip): In a battle of two top division receivers, Eddy Martinez’s defensive abilities cannot be overlooked. I think Martinez has a better chance of limiting Nowakowski’s gains than the WMW defense has of doing the same to Martinez.    

D: Pardon My Swag vs. Top Sauce: the PMS offense has struggled out of the gate, but their defense has been among the least QB friendly. That bodes well for them against a QB coming off a rough outing.

 

Random Thoughts

-It’s time the NFL fixed overtime. If not for fairness’ sake, then at least for entertainment’s sake. This is a QB-driven league. Who wouldn’t have wanted to see Aaron Rodgers attempt to make one more crazy play to keep the Packers’ season alive against the Cardinals over the weekend? Or Roethlisberger in the Broncos’ Wild Card OT win over Pittsburgh a few years back? Or Peyton Manning versus the Chargers in the opening round of the ’09 playoffs? There’s just something wrong about OTs being decided where the game’s best QBs never get a chance to answer.   

-Carson Palmer’s throw across his body to the other side of the field on this play inspired me to try similar plays in my own game against Dope Boys over the weekend.

-Note to self: don’t be inspired by plays where QBs throw across their body to the other side of the field. 

-I read this week that Ohio State’s Joey Bosa is 20 years old. This manchild. Here. This kid looks like he could bench press a car. Meanwhile, 22-year-old me is struggling to do more than a couple pull ups in a set after just a month away from the gym. Thanks Joey, for reminding me of my failures in life.

-Shoutout to Robbi Dejean for his absolutely sick diving INT in the endzone off one of my (many) errant throws over the weekend. Gotta recognize big-time plays, and that one was huge.

-Exhibit A of why not to overreact to Week 1: Alex Rivet, QB for Les Guerriers de l’Espace, who looked pretty average going 12-for-22 for 98 yards and 4 TDs through the air this past week – a far cry from his insane Week 1 performance. 

-On the oher hand, one QB who doesn’t look like he’s slowing down anytime soon is Jaguars’ Jimmy-Lee Janvier. This man is balling so hard he’s about to earn himself the nickname “The January Effect.” 

-Of the 7 remaining undefeated teams in 5B, 4 of them (Small Giants, Takeover, Jaguars, Les Pitriotes) are brand new and one of them (Sunshine Island) is playing Div 5 for the first time in its franchise’s history. Remember when I mentioned in preseason how new teams tend to win championships in the lower divisions? Sure it’s early, but…

-Blackshirts join Obamacare as teams that look like geniuses for switching quarterbacks.

-Speaking of Blackshirts, I was very disappointed to learn that their shirts are not, in fact, black.  

-Good thing only 15 Get On Deck guys showed up for the team picture. I’m not sure the would’ve been able to fit all 19.   

-I’m actually kinda disappointed that not one Div 5 team on 48 hit the dab for their team picture.

 

Predictions: 5B

7-4 in 5A and 7-5 in 5B this week brings me to 28-18 on the season. Still not quite the numbers I’m looking for. And yet somehow still better than Nicolas Belleau’s terrible 23-23 (6-6 in 5A, 5-6 in 5B) record. I think he’d have a better chance flipping coins to make his picks at this point.

Les Huards vs. Les Guerriers de L’espace

Sunshine Island vs. Been There Done That

Weapon X vs. Rednecks 

Bruins vs. Small Giants 

Siths vs. DG Goons

St. Lunatics vs. Creamsicles

GENIE vs. Green Lantern Corps 

Blue Devils vs. Fuzzy-Kittens

Takeover vs. Ghosts

I Rep That West vs. Flying Weasels 

The PACK vs. Les Pitriotes

Junkyard Dogs vs. Jaguars

 

Predictions: 5A

Voo-Zoo vs. Les Verges Folles

Pardon My Swag vs. Top Sauce

Fat And The Furious vs. Sticky Hands

Flagrant Fouls vs. Trapstars

Team Rocket vs. Obamacare

Woofpack vs. Dope Boys

Gators vs. Watch Me Whip 

Space Pirates vs. Tomahawk Nightmare

Hot Boys Hotline vs. X-Men

Supply and Command vs. Blackshirts (N/A)

Les Albatros vs. Sphinx

BMS Goats vs. Get On Deck

 

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As usual, sure to check out this week’s Division 5 podcast if you haven’t already. You can watch the podcast live every Thursday night from 8 :45 to 9 :30 pm at www.youtube.com/flagplus. See you at the fields!