Week 2’s recap, a look ahead and the introduction of the famous 5 Questions.

Blowouts and upsets.

The two words I’d use to define week 2 in Division C.

Did I foresee them? Sort of. Offenses usually have a bad week in week 1 and tend to bounce back as week 2 comes around. It’s a trend all around FPF, not only in our division and we are to expect better offenses to show up as the season goes along; chemistry develops, corrections are made and mistakes are lessen. It’s one of the great things about our recreational league.

Was I too quick to judge certain teams? Plausibly. Do I regret it? Not a chance. The season is still young; prove me wrong!

Remember, everything I write here is based either on me being drunk, foolish or on your actions of the past week or weeks. I have no control on the games you guys play and their outcome. I control the words, but you control the meanings!

Let’s get this show on the road.

Week 2

Week 2 was fun. It really was. I love upsets; it shows parity and the fact that I’m not omnipotent. It also shows that there’s no clear winner every week and, in any recreational league, it’s a good thing. No one wants to head to a sure-loss.

Here’s my insight.

Recaps

Patriotes’ Etienne Chauvin was back and it really cheered up a bummed Patriotes’ squad after last week’s defeat. In a matchup against ZOO, it really looked like Chauvin and Sebastien Pereda vs Frank Kaye and Pat St-Amand. Pereda managed to lock 84 of Chauvin’ 115 yards and St-Amand got 90 of Kaye’s 176. There’s a reason we call them #1 receivers. Both teams played their hearts out and I really believed Patriotes would manage the comeback, but ZOO’s defense were gritty and held on. Kevin Marcil played a pretty decent game against Chauvin and hurried just enough throws to clinch a W. Jeremie Gauthier’s return is also a pretty big plus for the green team.

Team Ethnik faced off against a red-hot PRIMETIME and it ended up into a pretty heavy defensive battle. I missed the first half, but came around to see the glorious finish. Jonathan Brown looked uncomfortable in the pocket and his throws weren’t as accurate as we’d expect them to be. His numbers in the first half were great, but the second half was a different story. David Daoust managed to score and give his team the lead for the first time late in the 2nd and PRIMETIME were up by only 5. Team Ethnik had the ball and were driving. Exciting, I know. Redzone, Brown with enough plays to make something happen. Last play of the game and just as Jonathan Brown steps back and throws to his snapper on a quick route, Devin Daoust stepped infront of the ball and puts a mitt on it; one of the greatest pass deflect I’ve seen in a while. PRIMETIME remain undefeated as Team Ethnik heads home a bit hurt.

With Rod Mashtoub absent, Theo Bekelis from LA’s Finest stepped up to guide his team to the Promised Land. Things didn’t go quite as planned. Completing only 4 of his 12 passes, Bekelis looked fairly weak out there compared to Humphrey’s offensive prowess. CREAM Team’s offense ended up putting on a show and their defensive found their ways back to their usual selves. Laval’s Finest didn’t lose but aside from the record here since Mashtoub was absent, but CREAM Team really needed the morale boost and they got it. I expect them to keep the stride going. Laval’s Finest will bounce back easily.

Last week, I mentioned how this could end up being the Game of the Week for me and how Punisher had the potential and the IQ to fight off the Dans’ offense. I was “wrong”. The Punisher did adjust brilliantly to the Dans’ offense in the 2nd half, but their very own offense had nothing going on all night long. The Infamous Dans have one of the best defenses in the division and I think The Punisher took it for granted early. It’s rare that Mathew Bourbonnière-Morin throws more INTs than TDs and tonight was one of them rare nights. Punishers’ tempers started flaring and it could be a sign of what’s to come if they can’t hold it down. This team has great potential, but a serious Achilles’ heel. On the other hand, the Dans looked better than ever; this could be THE season for them.

I wasn’t expecting much from Keyport Lock after their week 1 matchup, nor was I expecting this to end in serious offensive performances. Defense was basically MIA when Keyport Lock took the field against Predators Lite Tuesday night and both teams traded blows all night long. Up 27-26 at the half, I wasn’t sure how both teams would adjust to the mayhem. Daniel Goloff, the player of the game, came down with the only interception of the night; which was enough to give Rosenblatt a lead he’d never look back on. Scoring late to push it to a 9 point lead, KL took it away with less than 2 minutes to play. SBB, with his 3rd rushing TD of the night closed in the score, but there was nothing left he could do with few plays left, down by 2 scores. The final result was 47-46 and it was a hard-fought battle, but KL took the game home when they punched in the convert before the 5 plays. Great offensive performance by both QBs. Different styles, but similar results!

Players of the Week

– Devin Daoust (PRIMETIME): I, initially, created this segment to give guys like Devin credit. His starts aren’t monstruous (12 yrds, 1 TD, 1 sack, 1 PD), but the PD was on the last play to win it and his TD was a much-needed one. Definitely worth the award.

Jamie Harry (The Brotherhood): His QB stats were good (209 combined yards, 5:1), but his 2 interceptions on defense really did it for me.

Anthony Da Silva (Grip n Rip): When someone gets 5 TDs in a game, you expect him to get covered at some point, well, yeah… What a game!

Karl Lavallée (Served with Heat): After last week’s fiasco, he came back with a vengeance; 19 / 22, 222 yrds, 6 TDs and one INT on defense. Way to go.

Benoit Fredette (Snatchers): I relied heavily on him and he didn’t disappoint bringing in 96 yards, 3 TDs and one INT on defense.

Daniel Goloff (Keyport Lock): With 95 yrds, 4 TDs and an Interception, you will be mentioned. Every time.

Power Rankings

Grip n Rip: After week 2’s dominating victory, there’s no way these guys aren’t #1.

Two and a half Dans : Rarely ranked this high, the Dans have showed they are definitely a top contender in Div C.

Longhorns : Undefeated and riding a pretty strong momemtum at the moment.

PRIMETIME : When offense isn’t clicking, their defense is dominating.

Killer Instinct : Tough to ignore an undefeated record and the team they defeated to earn it.

CREAM Team : I’ve been high on them for a while. I looked away once and they dominated Laval’s Finest. Way to get back on my radar.

Laval’s Finest : Losing without your starting QB isn’t as startling as with him in the lineup.

Snatchers : Week 1’s victory was alarming, but Week 2 really showed who they were.

No Fly Zone : The issue at quarterback are starting to emerge. Missing Sanner is also a serious bummer.

Game Changers : Two very close games has them at 1-1. They need their playmakers back.

The 5 Questions

It’s a new segment we’ve been experimenting with for the past few seasons. It’s a very simple concept, really. Another FPF analyst sends me 5 questions regarding Div C or just life in general and I try my best to answer them. Usually makes up for a pretty cool segment. Here we go.

What’s the best team in C that won’t make the playoffs?

STL. That division is REALLY tough right now.

What team is currently surprising you with their success?

PRIMETIME. They are really hot right now and David Daoust has really impressed me at QB in Div C so far.

Do you think that this division will be determined by the strength of quarterbacks, the strength of the offenses or the strength of the defenses?

The strength of quarterbacks will dictate the top seeds, but the strength of the offenses (which relies heavily on the QB) will dictate the division.

After two weeks, who are the best players that we haven’t heard of yet?

Daniel Goloff (Keyport Lock), Steve Sanner (No Fly Zone), Eric Maiorino (Two and a half Dans), Devin Daoust (PRIMETIME) just to name a few.

How many questions did you need?

Well, clearly, GM, the concept is “5” questions. I mean, it’s pretty self-explanatory…!

Previews

I considered getting rid of the segment. Then I considered renaming it for “Simon’s insight” then I realized I’m naming myself enough as it is. Some could say I’m just mumbling on for words here, but I’ll say this is what it’s like in my head 24/7.

CREAM Team are coming off a serious morale booster and ZOO clinched their first win of the season in a closely contested game. One could say ZOO’s win was more defensive than CREAM Team’s but I expect both teams to battle with a passion comes Sunday night. In a tougher than expected Conference A East, this game could be the tie-breaker that gets you in the playoffs in Week 11 or not. All that played in Week 3? Crazy. Humphrey is having a career-high debut and I do not see him slowing down at any point. It’ll be up to Frank Kaye’s offense to keep up with Humphrey’s because I expect both defenses to create at least one turnover Sunday.

Last week, Damps 25/8 showed us that Week 1 was rust rather than an indication of what their actual season would look like by going up against Game Changers are losing by a mere point. This week, they are taking on a struggling Team Ethnik and are looking to punch in their very first W. Team Ethnik has a great defense, but their offense is slacking recently and it really hurt them against PRIMETIME last week. Damps has the athletism to compete, I’m actually intrigued what will happen when they faced a very experienced team and how things will turn out for them. Jonathan Brown has the wits to compete, but seems to be lacking weapons offensively; the matchup against Damps might not be a good one this early in the season…!

It’s been hard to ignore PRIMETIME’s energy after the first two weeks of FPF, but this week, they are facing an offensive powerhouse based around a very mobile QB in Simon Bosquet Beaudoin. Predators Lite lost a tough one last week against Keyport Lock and will be looking to make an example out of PRIMETIME on Sunday night. I’m uncertain how things will turn out; on one side, we have the quickest QB in the division facing off against, possibly, the division’s best rusher. This will be a heck of a showdown. Last week, SBB was forced to rely on his feet a lot, but facing off a strong rusher, will be able to as much as he’d like? If Devin Daoust can contain SBB, Predators Lite’s offense might struggle. Can David Daoust do the rest? This is my pick for Game of the Week.

Keyport Lock scored huge points against Predators Lite last week in a 47-46 showdown. We learnt that Rosenblatt can find the end zone repeatedly, but we also found that KL’s weakness is their defense. Facing off against of the division’s best QB in Anton Sakiz, KL will have to adjust to a different enemy; same style of athletism, but a much more aerial threat. I don’t think KL has it in them to win another offensive shutout, at least, not in back-to-back weeks this early in the season. Can their defense find their way and have Sakiz’s number on Monday night? Time will tell. I’m also intrigued to know which Game Changers’ squad will show to the game; the submitted roster isn’t quite the one we’ve been seeing the past two weeks.

The Punisher are coming off an ugly loss against the Dans were temper flared quite early. This week, they are taking on Laval’s Finest with, presumably, Rod Mashtoub leading them once again. Known for their chirping, The Punisher will have to work on keeping their cool if they want to avoid dumb penalties and loss of serious yards. Laval’s Finest will be looking to use that to their advantage and take the game away early from the Bourbonniere-Morin brothers. At this point of the season, with Mashtoub at the helm, I’m not sure Laval’s Finest could actually lose to a spiraling Punisher squad, but I’ve been wrong a few times already..!

Predictions

Sooooooo, I guess I’m sucking at predictions this season. 6 / 12 is bad. No one aims for 50%, c’mon. On the other hand, GM didn’t do so much better with a 7 / 12…!

Here’s a reminder of our totals :

Simon : 13 / 24

GM : 16 / 24

His picks are in italic, mine in bold.

KGP Champs vs Grip n Rip : Grip n Rip

STL vs Top Sauce : STL

ZOO vs CREAM Team : CREAM Team

Patriotes vs Two and a half Dans : Two and a half Dans

Longhorns vs Snatchers : —-

Damps 25 / 8 vs Team Ethnik : Damps 25/8

PRIMETIME vs Predators Lite : Predators Lite

Keyport Lock vs Game Changers : Game Changers

Westpark Boys vs No Fly Zone : No Fly Zone

Killer Instinct vs Served With Heat : Served With Heat

TOPSZN vs Hitmen Retro : TOPSZN

Laval’s Finest vs The Punisher : Laval’s Finest

Les Blues Branleurs vs The Brotherhood : The Brotherhood

That is it for me for this week. If you have any comments regarding the article, don’t hesitate to hit me up on twitter @DagenaisFPF or at the fields. I’ll be scorekeeping games on Sunday and Tuesday nights, so I’ll get to see most of you guys. My official FPF email [email protected] also works, but get with the times, Twitter is where it’s at. Feel free to yell at me if you see me walking around, always glad to talk some FPF. GM is playing safe and predicting exactly like me ‘cept 1. Playin’ safe to keep the lead; smart.