Week 5 Recap: Midseason Breakdown

Week 5 has finally come and gone, and that means it’s midseason breakdown time. I’ll analyze each team’s performance thus far this season, basing myself on stats, what my Adam Schefter-like tell-all sources have revealed to me, and my own opinion, before making a prediction for each team’s final record. Let’s get to it – right after I name my players of the week.

Players of the Week

Division A:

QB – Kevin Wyeth (Montreal’s Finest): 26 for 34, 263, 8 TDs, 1 INT. And he did that without Akked on hand.    

WR – Mike Harrington (Montreal’s Finest): 4 catches for 77 yards, 3 TDs. Tied for third-most yards and the only player this week with more than two touchdowns. Can’t argue with that.

D – Antonio Lanni (Roosters & Donkeys): 3 tackles, 2 INTs, 2 PDs. While keeping in mind that his performance came against Jeff Rosenblatt filling in for Cory Pecker, that’s still a monster day for Lanni.

 

Division B:

QB – Neil Etinson (BearSkins): 15 for 25, 207 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs. An accurate, error-free Neil Etinson is a game-winning Neil Etinson.

WR – Sean Kennedy (Raiders): 10 catches for 167 yards, 5 TDs. My god.

D – Marco Bertoldi (BearSkins): 7 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD. That’s the kind of performance I expect from a member of the BearSkins secondary every week.

  

Midseason Breakdown

 Division A:

6. Rainmakers (0-5): The disappointment of the season. Two-score losses in three of their games. Their best offensive showing wasted in a loss to the Finest. Their best defensive showing equally wasted in a loss to Maniax. Yes, there’s no Benjamin Leger, no Matt Bond, and no Tim Kraemer this season. Charles-Antoine Sinotte has played just two games. But there’s still a hall of fame QB throwing to a receiving corps featuring a hall of fame receiver. They shouldn’t be struggling like this. I’m still not ready yet to say this team is past its prime, but this season at least looks like one to forget. 

   Prediction: 1-9

5. Maniax (1-4): I had doubts entering the season, and for the most part those doubts have been confirmed. The QB play has been inconsistent to say the least, the receiving corps hasn’t stepped up when needed and the defense has recorded just three interceptions all season—the fewest number of any team in the division (to give you an idea of just how bad that is, four players on other Div A teams have three or more picks alone thus far). They just scored a much-needed win over Rainmakers, putting them in the driver’s seat to make the playoffs. Let’s see if they make the most of it.

   Prediction: 2-8

4. Legends (2-3): You’ve gotta hand it to the Legends. In their first season in Division A, the group has been competitive in every single one of its games, blown out only last week when Cory Pecker wasn’t present. That being said, if they had even a sliver of hope to win a championship this season, they certainly haven’t done themselves any favors with a revolving door for a roster. Only six players have shown up to four or more games thus far, and few among them can be considered true Div A talents outside of Shawn Haney and Sean Kennedy. And that’s without even mentioning how difficult it is to build team chemistry when new players are coming and going every week.

   Prediction: 3-7

 

3. Gladiateurs (3-2): Is it too obvious to name the Glads my darkhorse team to win the Div A championship at this point? Both of their two losses this season have come against R&D and the Finest respectively – and in each instance a single interception by Frank Lebeau has been the difference between 3-2 and 5-0. If this team figures out how to close out games by playoff time, don’t be all that surprised if they end up hoisting the trophy at season’s end.

   Prediction: 6-4

 

2. Montreal’s Finest (4-1): Moe Khan will argue this roster is the weakest it’s been in years, but an ugly Week 1 loss aside and this group looks a lot like the Finest I know – a high-octane, high-scoring offense matched with an aggressive, physical defense. Granted, an average of 41+ points given up per game is high by the Finest’s standards, but four of the other five teams in the division are in the same boat. It’s that kind of season. That said, the key for the Finest moving forward starts with the play of new rusher Nathan Marriott, who has zero sacks on the season and is still adjusting to FPF. Then again, the Finest’s defense is a who’s who of hall of famers, and their offense continues to outscore (just about) everybody anyway.

   Prediction: 8-2

 

1. Roosters & Donkeys (5-0): They’ve had 13 different players suit up for them this season. Only three of them have shown up to four or more games, and only one has played all five. They’ve come back from halftime deficits twice. They’ve beaten teams by the skin of their teeth and annihilated others. At times they’ve leaned on their offense to lead the way; other times it’s been the defense. They could tell you point blank what play they’re going to run – on either side of the ball – and burn you for a TD or pick you off anyway. The fact remains: this team will find a way to win, every time.

   Prediction: 10-0

 

Division B:

 

10. The Commission (0-4-1): 19. Nine-freaking-teen. That’s how many different players TC have had suit up for them so far this season, and we’re only at the midway point! The worst part is it’s not like they’ve been blown out of the water in every game – three of their losses have come by a single score. The potential is clearly there. But when you’re essentially bringing in a new group of receivers and defenders every single game, it makes it nearly impossible to build the basic chemistry needed to field a playoff-worthy team. And now with four of their five remaining games coming against teams with winning records, you wonder if Commission will even win a game, let alone earn a playoff spot, before it’s all said and done.

    Prediction: 0-9-1

 

9. Raiders (1-4): On the surface, the story’s not that much different for the Raiders – a long list of players falling short in tight games save for a single double-digit loss. But the core group is there week in and week out, and they certainly have some solid pieces in Alex Moreau, Rob White, Jonathan Grizzley and Sean Kennedy. They simply need to get off to a faster start to their games – only once this season has the team entered halftime with the lead. With a relatively lighter back-end to their season, the Raiders’ playoff hopes are very much alive.

   Prediction: 2-8

 

8. Lightweight (1-4): François Raymond has been the dominant safety I expected him to be, while rusher Kevin Marcil has done an excellent job bringing consistent pressure. But as I predicted in preseason, Lightweight’s problems lie on offense, not defense. Simon Dagenais continues to struggle to keep his interception totals down and has yet to complete more than 57% of his passes in a game as Lightweight as a whole have by far the lowest number of points for (114) of any Div B team this season. Still, there’s hope. It looks like Marco Masciotra will finish out the season with the team, bringing significant star power to both sides of the ball. If Lightweight can survive a second-half schedule that currently features just two teams with winning records, the last playoff spot may be theirs for the taking.

   Prediction: 3-7

 

7. Wolverines (1-4): Was this the start to the season I expected from Wolverines? No. Do I think it’s too early to count them out? Absolutely. Three of their losses have been by six points or less, and the other one came with Theo Bekelis having to fill in for Tabet at quarterback. This is an experienced team that has the ability and the football knowledge to guide them to the playoffs. A top seed may be out of the question, but getting in is all that matters. And with one of the division’s easier second-half schedules, they should achieve that without a problem.

   Prediction: 4-6

 

6. BearSkins (2-3): You already know what I’m going to say: it starts and ends with Neil Etinson. In their two wins this season, Etinson has averaged 190 yards through the air, just under 60% completion percentage, taken zero sacks and tossed 12 TDs with zero interceptions. In their three losses, he’s averaged barely 151 yards passing, just over 50% completion percentage, taken a sack a game and thrown 12 TDs along with 5 INTs. They have the talent to win every game remaining on their schedule and it would come as little surprise to me if they end up the champions. But the only way I see them accomplishing all of that is if Etinon plays consistently week in and week out from this point on.

   Prediction: 6-4

 

5. Broccasion (3-2): Perhaps the only team more inconsistent than BearSkins this season has been Broccasion: two wins by double digits, two losses by double digits. The bad? They’ve been held under 30 points in both of their losses; Phil Cutler has relied too heavily on Brophy to move the chains; even last week they were still switching guys around position-wise, still trying to figure out everyone’s best fit. The good? All of that seems to be behind them. The defense has come together in recent weeks while Cutler, though still dependent on Brophy, has started spreading the ball around well among his receivers. And then there’s the fact they just walloped arguably the most talented secondary in the division. If they continue to improve as they have these past few games, their early season struggles will mean nothing come playoff time.

   Prediction: 6-4

 

4. Predators (3-2): Just when I think I have Preds figured out, they go and lay an egg against Broccasion. Much like BearSkins, Preds have the talent to beat every single team in Div B this season. For whatever reason, they haven’t played like it on a consistent basis. But this has to be the team I’m least worried about moving forward. Unlike this past winter season, J-Flo hasn’t had to call up a single sub, as everyone on the full-time roster has shown up every single game. The roster itself is littered with two-way stars. There’s speed, there are sure hands, smooth route runners, and defensive ball hawks. Put me down as a believer of a big second-half from Preds.

   Prediction: 7-3

 

3. Darksiders (4-1): Since falling a point shy of a win over 6+R in Week 1, Darksiders have come in like Miley Cyrus’s wrecking ball (Peeze is a huge fan), tearing through three of their past four opponents by double digits. How strong this team actually is remains to be determined, however: all four of its wins have come against teams with a combined 6-14 record. Still, Fred Morissette’s 23:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio is no joke, neither is the fact this team owns the top-ranked defense in points against (116).  

   Prediction: 7-3

 

2. Monstars (4-0-1): They’ve beaten arguably the most talented team in Predators, took down the Div B-experienced Wolverines, and dominated the Sacha Papich-led BearSkins. All of it thanks to the cannon-armed throws of Rod Mashtoub finding the lightning-quick Ryan Aridi and emerging star Isiah Allard for 40 bombs, and the sure hands of center Jad Aridi converting third downs underneath. That, coupled with a defense that forces you in 3rd and long situations and then picks you off as you try to move the chains, would lead one to believe Monstars are the clear-cut top seed. And then last week happened. Dropped passes, Mashtoub holding onto the ball forever, the defense unable to force a single turnover – in short, it was ugly. But it was one game. Reason to panic? I think not.

   Prediction: 8-1-1      

 

1. 6+R (5-0): Half of you just rolled your eyes at the fact I ranked my own team first, but I can’t discredit my teammates’ work just because they’re my teammates. Omar Smith-Jackson and Dean Demetriou have proven to be game-changing additions on both sides of the ball, Anthony Garant has essentially replaced me as rusher and deservedly so, and Fred Viens continues to improve as a quarterback as 6+R remain the only team in Div B yet to lose or tie a game. Still, with three wins by a single point, 6+R are far from shoe-ins to even make the final. Sure, it takes a good team to win close games, but let’s be real, a single play here or there and 6+R could easily be in the middle of the pack.

   Prediction: N/A

  

Pick of the Week

 

A so-so 4-3 week brings me to 23-12 (65%) on the season. Still finished 7-0 last week though.

 

Division A: 

Roosters & Donkeys vs. Montreal’s Finest: I didn’t have the guts to make this pick the first time. I do now. Although I predict an A+ performance from Kevin Wyeth.

Maniax vs. Legends: In four games in Div A this season, Cory Pecker has more than proven he can hold his own. It’ll depend on what kind of supporting cast shows up for this game, though. With the right group of guys, a season sweep of a struggling Maniax team is very possible.

Gladiateurs vs. Rainmakers: The Glads are coming off an offensive shootout with the Finest that they lost only in the game’s final moments. Rainmakers meanwhile are coming off their worst game of the season against the lowly Maniax. And then there’s the fact the Glads crushed Rainmakers just five weeks ago. Unless Rainmakers have suddenly found an answer for Pat Jerome, I think the Glads take this one.

 

 

Division B: 

Raiders vs. Wolverines: Coming up a point shy against 6+R, Wolverines looked like the Wolverines of old with Tony Tabet back in the lineup. Tabet kept his reads simple, made his checks at the line, and kept plays alive with his feet as needed. He fell short, but with that same gameplan, and if his defense has an answer for Sean Kennedy this week, this one should be Wolverines’ for the taking.

6+R vs. Broccasion N/A

Predators vs. The Commission: I severely underestimated The Commission last week. I won’t make the same mistake again, but I nonetheless have to give Preds the edge here. A week after facing top rusher Ryan Aridi, Zan Symonds will have his hands full once again with SBB charging at him every play this upcoming week.

Darksiders vs. BearSkins: David Della Rocca’s defense has kept the touchdowns allowed to a minimum and the turnovers on downs at the max, but his squad has yet to face a team with as much offensive firepower as BearSkins. If last week’s Neil Etinson is back for a second week in a row, BearSkins will take this one.

Monstars vs. Lightweight: Last week’s game was one to forget, but this one has the makings of a very memorable night for some Monstars players with the underperforming Lightweight next on their schedule. Monstars are at their best when they’re throwing deep and defending the deep pass – two things that have appeared to be Lightweight’s biggest weaknesses up to this point.

 

 

*** 

That concludes today’s article. As always, be sure to catch the Div A/B podcast “The Sack Exchange” with Moe Khan and Matt Kirouac (and myself this week) on the FPF YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/flagplus every Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. or on demand at the same link afterwards. Don’t forget that you can always reach me on Twitter @JBlanchFPF or by email at [email protected]. See you at the fields!