Week 7/8 Recap. Final Stretch before playoffs begins!

Division 5

This week was busier than most. Most weeks, I have my weeknights free to write and I can go to work during the day. This time, however, I went to the Habs game on Monday night with my girlfriend and her two kids and then on Wednesday I played with the Mavericks, who I’m excited to play with until the end of the season – hopefully we can crack the playoffs.

Well, safe to say it made the week fly by.

I wanted to take a book out of Simon’s page this week and let you know a few of my thoughts of the week. I feel as though I have learned/discovered a few things, so I wanted to share. Enjoy!

Sometimes, my interview questions are simply not good enough.
Justin Smolar may be the most intriguing man in FPF.
Two games on the same day might just be my limit.
Sidney Tremblay-Lacombe is a bad, bad man.
The Falcons, Wrecking Crew and Longhorns are human. Greendale Human Beings are proving until now that they are not.
The races for the season Awards are heating up and I’m excited to see who pulls away in these last two weeks.
Every week I have the pleasure of playing with brand new players with the Mavericks.
Most people who work for FPF also have like 7 other jobs. I guess we enjoy staying busy.
Did Pat Lefebvre lose some ground as the top QB in Division 5B?
The wide receiver of the year trophy race is much tighter in 5A than it is in 5B
Dominic Couture is running away with the Defensive Player of the Year award in 5B.
5A is much more cloudy.
It’s really unfortunate to see teams forfit at this point in the season. It’s even worse when they don’t let their opponent or the league know.
Chipotle is easily the best fast food on the planet.

Week 7/8 – Recaps

Division 5A

Hot Boys Hotline vs. Ghosts

Hot Boys Hotline couldn’t quite overcome a rough first half in this one that saw them make a few too many mistakes against a very good team. That’s never a recipe to win against a capable team. The evidence that Hot Boys Hotline did this to themselves is in the numbers. Get this. Ghosts scored 27 points with only 109 yards of total offence, only 91 yards through the air. If you look a little bit closer, you’ll notice that Tom Gatehouse threw 3 interceptions in this one and that proved to be the difference.

The biggest play of the first half came when Gatehouse threw an interception deep in enemy territory to Zach Zwirn who took it back to the house. Controversy arose as Hot Boys Hotline thought, without a doubt, that they had tackled Zwirn. What actually happened, though, was that as the ball was tipped, a member of Hot Boys Hotline actually de-flagged Zwirn prior to him catching the ball, thus being not ruled as a tackle. Zwirn had a clear path to the opposing endzone and ran in untouched. It took the remaining minutes of the first half until the side in the bright pink uniforms completely composed themselves, but by then it was too late. They actually played a much better second half and only traded one TD each, but Ghosts’ defence prevailed and held onto victory.

This game had every making of a playoff game and I truly hope that there’s a rematch in the post-season. Vadim Chernyak led the way for the Boys, and I think that if there is a rematch, they should lean on him a little bit more. Both teams are doing well in their respective divisions and will have a few tough hurdles to get over before even thinking about playing one another again, but each will have taken a few lessons with them from this one.

10 Guys, One Cup vs. Voodoo

I’ll admit, this game was somewhat underwhelming. That being said, I give full marks to Voodoo for making it as such. Voodoo came in as a winless team against 10 Guys, One Cup who have had their ups and downs this season and gave them a game that I don’t believe they we’re e xpecting. 10 Guys, One Cup should have been more dominate in this one and they are relatively lucky to come away with the win. They actually started down 6-0 because of over thrown balls and dropped passes on their first drive.

Mathew Yanakoulias eventually calmed down and had a much better second half, however he often forced throws, let balls sail over the deep middle of the field and had receivers let him down. 10 Guys were most effective all game when they methodically drove the ball down field and took what the Voodoo defence gave them. Voodoo has a few playmakers who stepped up and made life difficult for the 10 Guys offence. Kevin Marcil had an excellent game and I think had Patrick St-Armand played as well as we’re used to seeing, this game could have ended very differently.

Both quarterbacks traded interceptions a few times and 10 Guys ultimately came away on top because of a more talented roster but the effort was much better on Voodoo’s side. Voodoo does a great job utilizing short crossing routes and by making use of the sidelines, but they simply aren’t getting the bounces this season. They’re biggest goals now should be to aim for an upset or two and tweak their game for next season. With the win, 10 Guys, One Cup are in complete control of their own destiny, but will want to raise their level of play if they expect to have any success.

Division 5B

Takeover vs. Le Speakeasy

One team very literally took over in this one and it was not Le Speakeasy. Aside from a few “garbage time” points, Takeover could do no wrong against the now 2-6 Speakeasy. Vincent Richard and co. have seen a few flashes of brilliance throughout the season but have often faltered to stronger opponents and will need to gain more experience moving forward.

On the other side of the ball, Takeover used their usual recipe of feeding Will Power the ball as he led both teams in catches with 8 and had 2 touchdowns. In the first half, after picking the ball off in the endzone, his team marched the field and he finished off the drive with his own Touchdown. This was a great game to show off his skillset and the chemistry that he has with Ian Einheiber. Einheiber threw almost a perfect game, alternating most passes between Julian Wilson and Power and Le Speakeasy were not able to stop him.

While not mathematically eliminated, it would take a miracle for Le Speakeasy to make the playoffs. Takeover, on the other hand, are masters of their own domain and fighting for top spot in their Conference. On paper, the result is not surprising at all. Takeover’s schedule gets interesting for their last two games of the season where they play Green Lantern Corps and Funboys, which should be the perfect test to hone their skills for the playoffs. My bet is that they win out.

Wrecking Crew vs. Balls Deep

It’s crazy to think about, but for Stephen Harripersaud, throwing 4 touchdowns and an interception in a game may be a little disappointing considering the season he is having. Regardless, Wrecking Crew were able to pull off the victory thanks in large part to their defense. We’ll get to talk to Shyanne Stewart a little bit later on in the article, but he had a monster game on both sides of the ball. Balls Deep threw a total of 4 interceptions, which makes it crazy to think that they only lost by 8.

Both defences played very well in this one, and besides a few to Stewart, neither gave up big plays. The story of the game really came down to turnovers as there were 5 total. When all was said and done, though, I expected Wrecking Crew to have a much easier time. Credit to Balls Deep, but hopefully Wrecking Crew can right the ship and move in a much better direction before the playoffs.

Justin Weir for Balls Deep has actually had a decent season for the team, which makes you wonder why other players are throwing the ball. Matthew Peacock went 2/4 and had 2 interceptions in this game and you can’t help but think that if you eliminate that sequence, that they would have had a chance.

Looking forward, Wrecking Crew just had a huge win against the Falcons this past Saturday and showed a much better effort in a shootout win, 38-36. They still have tough games against the Punishers and the Black Knights who could easily surprise them. They’ll need to keep their focus moving forward and not take anybody too lightly.

Power Rankings

Division 5A

Greendale Human Beings (8-0) – Only undefeated team left, they’ve earned top spot.
Smokin’ Axolotls (7-1) – Every team deserves to slip up once in a while but their +117 point differential speaks for itself.
Longhorns (7-1) – Call it a hunch, but give me experience any day.
Grand Lionel (7-1) – The loss to the Warriors makes me nervous.
Ghosts (6-2) – They played an excellent game and came out on top of number 7 on this list. That counts for something.
Preachers (6-2) – Talented group, but they always tend to keep their games close. They would move up if they had more dominant performances.
Hot Boys Hotline (6-2) – They have the talent to do well, just need to tweak a few things.
Half A-Stars (6-3) – Beating Longhorns and Mud Dogs back to back? Makes you wonder how they have lost 3 games.

Division 5B

Wrecking Crew (8-0) – Not their best outing last week, but they stay undefeated.
Takeover (5-1-1) – They have looked dominant lately.
Sterdam (6-2) – Sidney Tremblay-Lacombe seems to be getting better and better every week. He’ll be a threat to any defence.
Falcons (6-2-1) – They have been slipping as of late, but they still have their championship pedigree.
Affreux (5-2) – I fully expect them to be 6-2 after Wednesday and they can compete with anybody in this division.
Funboys (6-2) – Their offense needs some work, but their defense drives this team and can shut down most teams.
Blue Team (5-2-1) – They have been on a roll lately and the timing couldn’t be better.
TDs and Beer (5-2-1) – Impressive roster with no real holes, they just do enough to crack the top 8.

Awards Race

Division 5A

QB of the Year

Jarryd Taylor – Hurricane SZN – 115/192, 59.9%, 1521 yards, 38 TDs, 7 INTs, 109.4 QBR

Danny Aylward – Greendale Human Beings – 117/159, 73.6%, 1373 yards, 39 TDs, 6 INTs, 123.2 QBR

Jon Moodie – Longhorns – 115/191, 60.2%, 1391 yards, 35 TDs, 2 INTs, 117.8 QBR

WR of the Year

Nicolas Saro – Preachers – 40 catches, 571 yards, 15 TDs

Brandon Aylward – Greendale Human Beings – 34 catches, 495 yards, 15 TDs

Alexandre Bachaalani – Finessers – 29 catches, 489 yards, 13 TDs

Defensive Player of the Year

Daron Migdesyan – 10 Guys, One Cup – 33 tackles, 2 INTs, 2 PD

Chris Brockwell – Smokin’ Axolotls – 30 tackles, 4 INTs, 4 PDs

Matthew Petrone – Bobby’s Boys – 18 tackles, 8 INTs, 7 PDs

Olivier Laberge – Mud Dogs – 18 tackles, 7 INTs, 8 PDs

Two-Way Player of the Year

Zach Zwirn – 41 catches, 404 yards, 9 TDs, 8 tackles, 5 INTs, 3 PDs, 1 Def. TD

Vadim Chernyak – Hot Boys Hotline – 33 catches, 249 yards, 5 TDs, 24 tackles, 1 INT, 5 PDs

Ryan Kharouf – Finessers – 99/175, 1305 yards, 29 TDs, 3 INTs, 112.7 QBR, 17 tackles, 4 Def. Int, 6 PDs

Patrice Lindor – Warriors – 34 catches, 388 yards, 6 TDs, 20 tackles, 4 INTs, 6 PDs

Division 5B

QB of the Year

Pat Lefebvre – Falcons – 129/216, 59.7%, 1583 yards, 38 TDs, 12 INTs, 98.8 QBR

Stephen Harripersaud – Wrecking Crew – 121/177, 68.4%, 1188 yards, 32 TDs, 5 INTs, 114.8 QBR

Ian Einheiber – Takeover – 135/222, 60.8%, 1367 yards, 37 TDs, 7 INTs, 104.9 QBR

WR of the Year

Raphael Ducas-Lapalme – Falcons – 40 catches, 517 yards, 15 TDs

Junior Spera – Punishers – 47 catches, 501 yards, 11 TDs

Anthony Siggia – Punishers – 47 catches, 479 yards, 11 TDs

William Power – Takeover – 50 catches, 446 yards, 13 TDs

Defensive Player of the Year

Dominic Couture – Falcons – 45 tackles, 5 INTs, 6 PDs

Kevin Legoute – Retired All-Stars – 20 tackles, 5 INTs, 6 PDs, 1 Def. TD

Michael Café – Black Knights – 27 tackles, 4 INTs, 3 PDs

Anthony Siggia – Punishers – 20 tackles, 6 INTs, 5 PDs, 1 Def. TD

Two-Way Player of the Year

Anthony Siggia – Punishers – 47 catches, 479 yards, 11 TDs, 20 tackles, 6 INTs, 5 PDs, 1 Def. TD

Rayan Mehzoudi – Team Y.S. – 101/194, 1241 yards, 27 TDs, 10 INTs, 90.2 QBR, 19 tackles, 4 INTs, 3 PDs

James Acker – Funboys – 20 catches, 272 yards, 6 TDs, 17 tackles, 4 INTs, 6 PDs

Sidney Tremblay-Lacombe – Sterdam – 82/135, 1014 yards, 26 TDs, 5 INTs, 108.1 QBR, 29 rushing attempts, 390 yards, 5 rushing TDs, 8 tackles, 4 INTs, 7 PDs

“You ball, You get the call”

The theme of this section this week is definitely two-way performances. You’ll notice that most of the players that we’re selected stood out on both sides of the ball. Also, for the first time ever, questions that I asked somebody we’re completely thrown out and replaced by their own. Hey, I’m not even mad. I love the creativity and if you read through, it’s actually very entertaining. Let me know if you can spot which one it is.

A special shutout this week to Sidney Tremblay-Lacombe who had an amazing week. He finished with 16/26, 220 yards, 6 TDs passing, 4 rushes, 68 yards, 1 TD, on the ground and 2 Defensive interceptions and 2 knockdowns. Probably one of the most all around games I have seen. Timing didn’t let us get an interview in, but he should be recognized nonetheless.

Division 5A

Hurricane SZN – Jarryd Taylor – 12/22, 150 yards, 5TDs, 5 rushes, 80 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 PD

We talk a lot in the media about who the strongest teams in the division are, your team being in the conversation. From your perspective, though, who’s been the best team that you’ve played against?

Obviously longhorns and ghosts are two very solid teams, but I still think those are 2 loses that should and could easily be wins

Was last week’s 4 interception game on your mind this week or ancient history? Feels like you may have used it as motivation.

Yeah once in a while everyone has a game where nothing going right, it’s in the past now.

You do a good job spreading the ball around. Who doesn’t often show up on the stat sheet but is an integral part of the team?

My snapper Kevin , Deva and Hasani they all play huge roles – especially if we want to go far.

Mud Dogs – Olivier Laberge – 2 catches, 4 yards, 1 TD, 3 tackles, 3 INTs, 2 PDs

After starting 0-4, you’ve went 4-0 in your last 4 games. What’s been the biggest difference?

We are playing a lot better in defense, we had a couple of new faves on the team this year, we have a better chemistry and it show on our turnover ratios in the last 4 games.

How does it feel to be chosen as one of the players of the week by putting up your worst offensive game all season?

I did not put big numbers on offense this week fortunately I came with couple of turnovers to give the ball back to my offense. It was next man up for us in offense last week, somebody else carried the team on offensants it’s good for us.

What is something that the league may not know about yourself or the Mud Dogs as a team?

Our 4 losses was with less than a touchdown, it show that we can compete with every team in that division, we have to take care of the ball and score on every possession to get that W.

Bobby’s Boys – Matthew Petrone – 19/36, 131 yards, 4 TDs, 6 rushes, 41 yards, 2 tackles, 3 INTs

With 3 games left against tough opponents, what do you need to do to lead this team into the playoffs?

I think in order to get us there I’ll have to make sure I take advantage of certain match-ups and make the throws I’m expected to make. Our defence has been strong the last few games, if we keep the rhythm going I think our defence can win us the remaining games and get us in there.

It seems like you’ve been much stronger later in the season after a rough start, what helped turned things around?

To start off I have a new found respect for Quarterbacks in this league, it’s definitely the toughest position. I think I started to understand how to read defences a little. I’ve been able to get comfortable with some of my receivers and get them involved in ways that can help us get the W. It was definitely adjustment but I’m starting to get the hang of it.

Has it been tough to manage playing on 3 teams? Does playing QB for Bobby’s Boys add another element of pressure to these games?

To be honest I only play on two teams and Clockwork in D2 is a lot less pressure because I know Marco at QB can bring us far easily. So believe it or not playing Bobby’s Boys is a lot more pressure because I take full responsibility for all the losses.

Bruthers – Adam Brownman – 3 catches, 100 yards, 2 TDs, 3 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD

Bruthers – Justin Smolar – 5 catches, 61 yards, 1 tackle, 4 INTs

Question1: Coming off a controversial loss where Justin Smolar was kicked out of the game along with two opposing players for conduct detrimental to player safety, how we’re you able to battle through the exterior criticism to rebound and get a W?

Answer1: Browman – Honestly, I wasn’t going to show up to the game. My wife, my kids and the community all looked down on me that week as it was the lowest point in my career.

Smolar – On top of that, we had gone up north two days prior for “FERDA”, a boys weekend, but after pooling together our money for online blackjack, we managed to parlay our small team investment into $6K.

Browman – We woke up the next day to see if the cards were still hot and it turns out we were locked out of our account. Boom 6K gone just like that. It was a rough start to gameday. Smolar- It was at that point that g-d spoke to me and said we needed to play that game and get a W and that’s what we did.

Question2: In regard to that fight. How did it all start?

Answer2: Smolar – I don’t think that the ref and there’s no need to list names, did a good job of protecting our QB1, Morgan Tajfel, early in the game. Subsequently, the opposing team took a second unnecessary, and malicious, shot on my QB1 as he was jogging out of bounds making contact forearm to upper body with zero attempt made at grabbing his flag. Instinctively, considering he is a Bruther, I escalated the issue by grabbing the offending player with two hands by his shirt and lifting him up like the man child Jamarcus Russell would (shoutout Mike Mayock). From there, all hell broke loose resulting in their quarterback being thrown from the game (as did I) , after trying to sleeper hold my QB1, who was simply trying to break up the scuffle. I want to apologize to the fans who look up to me, namely FPF Junior. I have more respect for the game than that. I hold myself accountable for my actions.

Browman– I respect you and I got your back. God bless!

Question3: Who is your respective NFL comparables when you step on the field.

Answer3: Smolar– I look at all the NFL players out there and ain’t none of them like me. I just want to be great for GOD and nothing else. God is on my side.

Adam – I’m like Bam Bam Bigelow meets Nick Van Exel meets Val Kilmer

Question4: So you guys are the two-way stars of the week. Speak on that if you don’t mind

Answer4: Browman – Offensively QB1 puts the ball in a position for me to make plays. QB1 is the engine that makes our team go. I thank him for trusting me. I also ball out on D, God Bless

Smolar – The good lord put me in a position to make a play and I am nothing without him, may god be the glory.

Question5: To my knowledge you guys set a new season high with 6 INTs. Smolar, you almost broke the individual INT record. You guys look mean out there. Who inspired you at an early age to play like this?

Answer5: Browman – I’d like to give a shoutout those 80s and 90s Miami Hurricanes teams for the way they balled out and set the tone.

Smolar – The U!

Browman – Whitman Haynes was also a big inspiration and ethically we should’ve had to have forfeit that game because I know we were 7 on the field that evening. As we all felt Whitman Haynes’ presence from above. RIP god bless!

Smolar – God Bless!

Greendale Human Beings – Danny Aylward – 16/18, 210 yards, 8 TDs, 1 tackle, 2 INTs, 1 PD

That game felt like a statement to the rest of the league. What kind of message do you think it sends?

We didn’t approach the game with a statement game in mind. We wanted to play a complete game for the first time this year and it just so happened that everyone on our side played really well.

That was probably the best two-way game of the season by any QB in the league. Did you do anything special pre-game? What contributed to the huge performance on both sides of the ball?

There’s nothing pre-game that changed. We like to keep it loose before the games so that definitely helps keep everyone calm throughout the game. I had a lot of help this week from my receivers so it made my job much easier.

You’re now leading the league in TDs and overall QB rating. Is QB of the year one of your goals?

Awards are always in the back of your mind throughout the season for sure. I try not to worry about it too much. We have a really solid group of guys and our focus right now is making it back to the finals. The individual awards don’t mean much if you don’t win it all.

Division 5B

Funboys – Scott Mironowicz – 14/22, 184 yards, 6 TDs

Looked to be your best game of the season this past week. Did something change for you or was it mostly because of the tough schedule you guys have had?

I think it was a combination of a few tough games on the schedule early on and just finding our rhythm as a team. It often takes a few weeks to get comfortable with the guys, especially on offense. This week was a great example of that so hopefully we can keep going in the same direction.

You’ve been playing FPF now since 2009 and accumulated quite the hardware. How do you find the motivation for each new season?

Playing football with friends has been my favourite pastime since I was 6 years old. Motivation is never an issue and thanks to Rob and the FPF team, there’s always been a place to play. (By the way, I’ve played in this league since one of, If not the, first season- for the Pink Panthers… before the stat log started or there were even different divisions!)

Is there anybody in the NFL that you would compare your game with?

NFL and FPF are hard to compare but I guess someone like Russell Wilson since I’m still pretty mobile and, lucky for me, I don’t have to try and see over the o-line.

Wrecking Crew – Shyanne Stewart – 4 catches, 75 yards, 3 TDs, 1 tackle, 2 INTs

How come you’ve only played 4 games this year so far? It’s crazy to think you guys are undefeated and you’ve only played just about half of the games.

Yeah so I just turned 18 2 months and I’m finishing high school and I’m working so I didn’t have the time to play at first

I noticed you’ve played with Stephen in the past. Do you notice any differences in him this season? If so, what are they?

And Stephen has always been a good Qb we just needed the time to get used the higher level of competition, different rules and field

Almost a full year now playing FPF, how has the experience been?

I’ve loved my experience playing FPF. It’s a great league with a lot of great players but I just wished that the games we’re longer

Blue Team – David Horwood – 11 catches, 107 yards, 2 TDs

Would you call your last win against Super Saiyans an upset?

I wouldn’t say upset, we’re a “new” team this season, a team with new players who have played in different leagues, but our flow is coming together and we’re a team that can compete.

Two games in a row with over 100 yards receiving, what has gotten you and Alexandre on the same page lately?

Give me a QB that gives me the ball and I’ll get 100 yards a game hahaha, no but honestly things are going really well together, I have played with him in another league and our chemistry shows on the field.

Is one of your goals to compete for WR of the year? With so much success, it’s strange to see you with such a low offensive rating when you have been in the league for a while.

Honestly, my goal is to just focus and play my game… my offensive ratings are so low because I used to only play defence in higher divisions, never really played offense before last season.

Affreux – Mathieu Dubois – 8 catches, 72 yards, 3 TDs

Big win this week. Do you think people aren’t taking you guys seriously?

No I think people do take us seriously. We are an old team. We made the playoff few time but got unlucky unfortunatelly. I think we have a good chance this time to make it throught the finale.

With 3 TDs, what was working so well between you and Domon?

Math played well. Really focus. He found the holes in a tight defence. We improvised few time and it work well in the red zone.

What’s something that the league doesn’t know about Affreux?

I think we are a balanced team with good players in each position. We are intelligent and adjust quickly. This is our secret weapon.

Takeover – William Power – 8 catches, 67 yards, 2 TDs, 2 tackles, 1 INT

You guys are back on track after a tough game last week, what happened?

Yeah honestly moss city is a really good team and we were just off our game. This week we kept things simple. Our offense and defense both played well and we made some timely plays.

Who’s more valuable to the team, you or Ian?

Ian is. He is the leader of our team and if not for him we wouldn’t be as good as we are. He’s been putting up an MVP type season. All in all though, everyone plays a very important on this team.

From what I have seen, Will, you’ve been running much shorter routes lately as well, is that on purpose?

I don’t really think it’s on purpose. We are just taking what the defense gives us. Some games we take more deep shots while other games we keep it simple.