One last time.

It’s week 10 and most of the playoff spots have been conceded. Well, for Division B that is. Conference B is locked up tight and Conference A will only end up being a battle for matchups (which is a bit irrelevant if you consider making the Finals, but eh).

On the flip side, Division A is as thrilling as it gets; three teams have clinched (Finest, Monstars, Rare Bears) and all other 3 are in serious danger if they flop their Week 10 game.

The #1 seed will be determined on Sunday night whereas the thrilling finish begins on Monday night at Papineau. It’s bound to be a great one.

Let’s get started.

Week 9

KGP got a very important win and eliminated OTF from playoff contention, Finest made a statement over Rainmakers, Rare Bears finally elevated their game, Braves’ slump continues, Broccasion got their 2^nd win of the season in a shocking performance and Coyotes confirmed their rematch with their win over Lightweight this week.

 

Thoughts of the Week

• Considering their game is Monday and Rainmakers only play Tuesday, should Rare Bears forfeit the win to Braves to make things more interesting down the stretch? Hmm.
• Maybe Rare Bears want to eliminate Braves now and not take their chances in the playoffs. Hmm.
• Many discuss “one team matching up against another” in Division A. I think Rainmakers with Daniel Lazzara is a better fit to take down Top Guns.
• Could Monstars shock the nation and take the #1 seed away from Finest? That would also secure Rod’s award.
• There’s no denying Matt Kirouac’s impact on last Tuesday’s game. One can only be left wondering whether or not Paul Lapierre would’ve had the same meltdown if Terrence Adams was present in his stead.
• I saw you Jonathan Lyristis on a double-hook route for a first down on 4^th down.
• Top Guns had a pretty good first half, but it all came crashing down in the 2^nd for Paul Lapierre. Luckily, he’s got one more shot at redemption before the playoffs.
• Hey, Kudos to Daniel Lazzara for dropping 44 on Finest with receivers he’s never played with before. Now make it count next week.
• Another close game for Braves that did not finish in their favor. Is it the story of their season in Division A? Can they redeem themselves this week?
• I’m wondering who will Paul Lapierre bring in for Top Guns this week to secure their playoff berth.
• Quaysie Gordon-Maule had a potential catch of the year/season against KGP this week to kick off the OTF game. SICK one-hander over the DB.
• 6Fast basically went perfect against Kings (5 drives, 35 points). Is there no stopping them?
• In a must-win, QUAN disappointed. Story of their season?
• Rich & Famous vs STL was a CRAZY game that ended in an even crazier way. Luckily for both teams, it hardly mattered, but to build confidence.
• KGP CAN put up big numbers!

 

Recaps

Division A

• DA Finest vs Rainmakers: With only 6 players and a new QB, Rainmakers did NOT look like a team that could compete with DA Finest on Monday night, but they did exactly that for the most part, even with Daniel Lazzara lining up on defence in front of Pat Jerome. Trading scores and taking their time, Rainmakers had a 1 point deficit (27-26) at halftime and I honestly believed they had a shot to remain in this one. Slowly getting used to his new receivers, the second half didn’t go as nicely as the first, but Rainmakers showed real potential and ability to compete with their new QB at the helm. Pat Chenard’s pick-six really took the led off to seal it for DA Finest, but the final score did finish 54-44 and I’m not the only one left impressed by how Rainmakers managed to fight back with so many key pieces missing.
• Top Guns vs Rare Bears: This one came off as a shock to me as I watched from the sidelines the tale of two halves unfold before me. In the first, Top Guns managed to execute nicely and keep the game to a 14-13 lead before the last few plays. Driving, Rare Bears needed to score before the half if they wanted to put this game away as they started with the ball in the 2^nd. With only one play left and his first read taken away, Marco, who wasn’t on defence and couldn’t move with ease in the prior weeks, put a nice move on Paul Lapierre rushing him to buy extra time and found Jordan McLaren coming back across for six. With a 20-14 lead at the half and a touchdown to kick off the second half, Rare Bears had a pretty solid 26-14 lead they’d never look away from. Top Guns tried to claw their way back in the game, but a pick-six from Sasha Papich really unnerved the entire Top Guns’ offence had Paul Lapierre threw 2 more before the game was all said and done. It really was an All Rare Bears show by the end of the second half.

 

Division B

• Broccasion vs Incredibles: I’ll be the first to admit, I gave 0 credit to Broccasion in this game and thought Incredibles had this one sealed away, but when I got to the field about 20 minutes in, I couldn’t be more shocked by the score. Broccasion had a two-score lead on Incredibles and kept driving successfully. In fact, Broccasion were up 26-18 at half and looked quite confident. Greg Stern did not have the return to action he was hoping for as he shot 3 interceptions (two were back to back) to really put himself in a bad spot. On the other hand, Kristian Cerantola was on fire Monday and had the perfect touch on his throws as he kept throwing right over Dbs into his receivers hands in between zones. He’d have guys run 15-outs and he’d hit them sideline between the safety and the DB sitting at 8-10 yards. It was a thing of beauty. Incredibles simply couldn’t catch a break as most balls were either tipped or simply couldn’t go their way most of the night. By the middle of the second half, they had given up and basically surrendered the game to Broccasion. Many questions erupted on the sideline regarding Greg Stern’s ability to lead Incredibles to a deep playoff push this season after his most recent starts.
• Rich & Famous vs STL: I haven’t seen a comeback this crazy in a very long time. The game was tied at the half, but STL’s offence was just getting warmed up as they opened the second half with 40 bombs to make Rich & Famous Dbs (Theo’s stop and go on Marco made him look hella foolish) look bad. With a 28-14 lead in the second half, I honestly thought R&F didn’t have it in them to bring them back, but Ryan Aridi did not lose faith. After a nice touchdown, but a failed conversion, R&F were down 28-20 and Vinny Gualano came in clutch with an interception to set his team up for a comeback. TD + Missed convert had STL up by 2 with only 5 plays left in the game. All they needed was a first down and they’d walk away with the win, but the football Gods had a different idea in mind. With Jamie Ojeaha wide open after putting Vinny Gualano on skates deep on one side, Dylan Taylor went blindly to Theo Ojeaha, but Marco’s coverage was pretty good down deep and the ball fell incomplete. On the following play, Dylan went through his reads, but couldn’t find what he was looking for, so he checked down to Guillaume De Palma, but Rich Humes jumped the route perfectly and, after a nice little interception, ran it back before dropping the ball at the one (stripped by Dylan Taylor to save the TD). R&F scored and managed one of the most ridiculous comebacks I’ve witnessed in a while.
• OTF vs KGP: I’ll be honest and kick this off saying I didn’t watch the entire game as I was scorekeeping the adjacent field, but I got a feel for most of the game and it was closer than the score indicated for the most part. In fact, OTF started off red-hot with a ridiculous catch by Quaysie Gordon-Maule for a touchdown and everything looked great for OTF. With a 25-14 lead at half, I honestly believed the game was out of hand for KGP and we’d have the crazy scenario in week 10 with all the must-win games, but everything went off the rails. KGP’s defence adjusted and starting jumping routes as Justin Smolar took one too many risks and Phil Cutler got his team back in the game with a very impressive second half to secure their playoff spot. Distributing the ball to 5 different receivers (3 who got 2 touchdowns), KGP’s offence never looked this efficient. The game was over before the five last plays and KGP pulled one of the craziest comeback of the season.

 

Players of the Week

Division A

• Frederic Viens (Monstars): Sometimes, it’s not only about touchdowns. FD led the game in yardage with a whoopin’ 115 receiving yards.
• Bobby Mikelberg (Rainmakers): Playing with a new QB isn’t always easy, but Bobby looked real good out there finishing with 132 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns against Finest nonetheless.
• Marco Masciotra (Rare Bears): His all-around performance was impressive throwing for 6 Tds and no interceptions, but the move he put on Paul Lapierre rushing to end the first half with a score changed the game.

 

Division B

• Kyle Lebofsky (Broccasion): 4 receiving touchdowns, a pick-six and 88 offensive yards. Way to go Kyle.
• Jacob Bernett (Coyotes): With the sole interception of the match and two offensive touchdowns, he really stood out in this week’s game.
• Rich Humes (Rich & Famous): Although he suffered a few turnover on downs, he did not throw any interceptions and got a game-changing interception in the last 5 plays. Hell of a finish Rich.
• Phil Cutler (KGP): 236 combined yards, 7 passing touchdowns and his best QBR of the season in a potential do-or-die game. Impressive.

 

Power Rankings

Division A

1. DA Finest (7-2): If there was any doubts about DA Finest, they’re long gone. Next week’s game will allow them to maintain the top of the mountain or see themselves fight amongst the pack; we’ll know Sunday night.
2. Monstars (6-3): Sitting pretty in the 2^nd seed; which they cannot lose. Week 10 could either secure their current rank or move them into the infamous #1 seed. Does it really matter?
3. Rare Bears (4-5): Slowly creeping their way back up the rankings; Rare Bears’ display on Tuesday proved every doubter wrong.
4. Top Guns (4-5):Is Rare Bears simply a bad matchup for Top Guns or was there more to it than that? Week 10 just became their most important game of the season all of a sudden.
5. Braves (3-6):After a hot start, Braves have been as cold as it gets recently. Something’s off and it’s not just the QB. They’ll need this week’s win to redeem themselves and escape the potential last seed.
6. Rainmakers (3-6): Seeing how they’ve battled with DA Finest on Monday shows real potential in a win next week. Can they finish?

 

Division B

1. Six Fast Guys Minus Ryan (8–1): Is it lonely at the top? Maybe, but they hardly care.
2. Rich & Famous (6-3): Dismantling STL late in the 2^nd half proves they’ve became the team I’ve anticipated this whole time. Way to go.
3. Coyotes (5-4): Knocking out the previously #2 seed will have you rise in ranks. The rematch is imminent.
4. Lightweight (6-3): Last week’s game shows weakness. Can we fix it before week 11’s rematch?
5. Drop The Mic (5-4): Locked in as a playoff team, DTM will have one more game to tweak their game before the real season begins.
6. Incredibles (5-4): A shocking loss to Broccasion is not exactly what we’ve grown to expect out of these guys. Luckily, it wasn’t a very important game all around.
7. STL (5–4):They’ve now dropped 4 in a row. Will they end the slump or does only playoffs matter at this point?
8. KGP (4-5): Finally making waves and looking like the team I predicted them to be, KGP sealed their playoff berth with their most recent win. Their week 11 matchup is probably the toughest one there is.
9. OTF (3-6): A tough loss sees them eliminated from playoff contention. They’ll get one more sling at it this week, for fun.
10. Broccasion (2-7): YES! Huge win. Pas game un autre.
11. QUAN (2-6-1): Somehow, QUAN finishes on the outside looking in. Many of us are disappointed, but I doubt it’s anything compared to how these guys feel.
12. Kings (2-6-1): Led by a top tier offence, Kings’ defence let them down all season and was no exception this week. Officially eliminated, they’ll get one more game before it’s all said and done.

 

Playoffs Scenario

Division A

1	DA Finest	9	7	2	0	301	259	14	42	[7-2-0]
2	Monstars	9	6	3	0	327	310	12	17	[6-3-0]
3	Rare Bears	9	4	5	0	291	242	8	49	[4-5-0]
4	Top Guns	9	4	5	0	299	331	8	-32	[4-5-0]
5	Braves	9	3	6	0	249	275	6	-26	[3-6-0]
6	Rainmakers	9	3	6	0	288	338	6	-50	[3-6-0]

• DA Finest and Monstars have both clinched playoff berth. They also play each other this week. Winner is crowned Division Champion.
• Rare Bears have clinched playoff berth (unless they lose by like 130, so, yeah)
• Top Guns vs Rainmakers’ game will most likely determine the team on the outside looking in: If Rainmakers win by more than 8, there’s a very likely scenario Top Guns finish 6^th IF Braves win.
• Braves could save themselves with a win this week. They could also put their faith in Top Guns’ hands if they lose to Rare Bears next week.

 

Division B

1	Rich & Famous	9	6	3	0	264	232	12	32	[3-2-0]
2	Incredibles	9	5	4	0	310	291	10	19	[4-1-0]
3	STL	9	5	4	0	311	286	10	25	[2-3-0]
4	Drop the Mic	9	5	4	0	304	299	10	5	[2-3-0]
5	OTF	9	3	6	0	265	317	6	-52	[3-1-0]
6	Kings	9	2	6	1	295	342	5	-47	[0-4-0]

• STL most recent loss puts them 3^rd. They could drop to 4^th if tied with DTM by week’s end. Regardless, they’ve clinched; that’s all that matters.
• Rich & Famous made waves to win the 1^st seed. With a loss and a win from Incredibles, they’ll fall back into the mix, but their playoff berth is secured.
• OTF and Kings are officially eliminated. The only thing that can change now is matchups.
• Incredibles can finish first with a win this week and a loss from R&F.

 

1	Six Fast Guys Minus Ryan	9	8	1	0	391	192	16	199	[5-0-0]
2	Lightweight	9	6	3	0	314	294	12	20	[3-2-0]
3	Coyotes	9	5	4	0	268	317	10	-49	[3-2-0]
4	KGP	9	4	5	0	315	327	8	-12	[2-3-0]
5	QUAN	9	2	6	1	292	314	5	-22	[0-4-0]
6	Broccasion	9	2	7	0	255	373	4	-118	[1-3-0]

• QUAN’s most recent loss alongside KGP’s win has them eliminated.
• The matchups are set for this conference: Six Fast will play KGP Week 11, Lightweight plays Coyotes.

 

Matchups to Watch

Division A

• Anthony Brisebois vs Akked Moore: Everyone who plays DA Finest has to find a way to account for Akked Moore; Monstars aren’t no different. Last time, he had a limited impact; I see it differently this time around.
• Matt Kirouac vs Jonathan Maheu: It’s no secret that playing Braves requires a good pass rush to disrupt their mobile QB. With Matt Kirouac’s return looming, this could be one of those games where he excels once again at what he does.
• Paul Lapierre vs Rainmakers’ secondary: If Top Guns want to succeed and impose themselves as true contenders late in the season, they’ll need a big game from their QB. Last time around, he had a monstrous game. Can he repeat?

 

Division B

• Sasha Papich vs Jacob Bernett: This is basically a two-way battle; I expect these guys to cover each other on both sides of the ball and attempt to contain the opponent as much as possible. It’s bound to be a great matchup to watch unfold.
• Julien Paiement vs Rich Humes: Julien Paiement is known for accumulating a ridiculous amount of sacks in previous seasons, but can he repeat the feat against the mobile Rich Humes?
• Patrick Chenard vs Anthony Brisebois: One of the rare Dbs that can actually contain Anthony Brisebois to a reasonable game will be playing against him this week. It’s bound to be a good one.
• Jamil Springer vs Kyle Lebofsky: Kyle is having a ridiculous season in Division B, but can he excel against top tier defenders?
• Simon Dagenais avoiding Theo Ojeaha: It’s no secret, he picks me off everytime I play against him. Is the secret of defeating STL to simply avoid Theo’s side of the field entirely?
• Yafet Meshesha vs Jacques Void: Jacques Void is a premier receiver in this division, let alone league. OTF will need their best cover guys to shadow him.

 

Picks of the Week

Division A

Monstars vs DA Finest: DA Finest

Rare Bears vs Braves: Braves

Top Guns vs Rainmakers: Rainmakers

 

Division B

Incredibles vs Coyotes: Incredibles

KGP vs Rich & Famous: Rich & Famous

Six Fast Guys Minus Ryan vs Drop The Mic: Six Fast Guys Minus Ryan

Broccasion vs QUAN: QUAN

STL vs Lightweight: —-

Kings vs OTF: OTF

 

That’s it for me this week. Hopefully this is what you’ve all grown to love and expect out of me for your weekly readings. If it isn’t, you can send any sort of formal complaint to Paolo Della Rocca via twitter (@PeezeFPF) so I can keep tab and act like I didn’t know about it. Otherwise, if you have any comments, feel free to hit me up either via emails ([email protected]) or twitter (@DagenaisFPF). Until next time.