Week 9 Recap: Don’t Be So Upset About It

Another week, another round of upsets. Dope Boys, Les Pitriotes, Sunshine Island, Small Giants, Flying Weasels and Takeover all suffered some pretty shocking defeats this past week.   

Does it hurt their playoff chances? Likely not (heck, Small Giants actually clinched this week despite their loss). Nonetheless, it’s obviously much more preferable to enter the postseason on a high note than to stumble your way across the finish line. Fortunately for them, and for everyone else still eligible, there are still two weeks to go to before we close out the regular season. Let the madness continue.    

 

Recaps: 5B

Release the Genie

40 points. That’s how many Genie racked up on Bruins this past week, a huge benchmark for a team that was struggling to put up just two touchdowns not long ago. Credit starts at the top with Genie QB Vincent Guillette, who was on point the entire night – but especially in the first half in which he threw zero incompletions, and particularly on deep balls to receiver Gabriel Barbeau, who caught three of Guillette’s five TDs on the night.

Nonetheless, this wasn’t a blowout from the start. Bruins kept the pace in the first half, matching Genie’s long-bombs by grinding their way down the field – in part thanks to numerous missed tackles by Genie’s defense.

But everything averaged out in the second half, with Genie’s defense coming up with some big interceptions off QB Nelson Pereira – none bigger than Amos Louis Jr.’s pick-6 to seal the deal.  Genie’s improvement is real.

 

Ain’t No Sunshine in Lachine

Where’s Dennis Green when you need him? Sunshine Island had this game all wrapped up. From start to (almost) finish, Sunshine Island were in total control versus Blue Devils. The Blue Devils defense had no answer for QB Matthew Cinquino’s mobility, which allowed him to give his receivers time to get deep downfield to catch prayers when he wasn’t running downfield for big gains.

Meanwhile Blue Devils QB Gianfranco Ranaudo took some time to get going, but at a certain point he just looked to be in a zone and you just had a feeling he was gong to tear it up – which he did, to the tune of 239 yards for 7 TDs and 0 INTs through the air.

Down by a score from around midfield with one play to go, it was only fitting for Blue Devils to complete the comeback on a Hail Mary pass from Ranaudo to stun everyone on the field. 

If Blue Devils do end up going on a playoff run, this will be the game we will point to as the turning point to their season.   

  

Recaps: 5A

Team Lucky AF  

Fat And the Furious pulled off a wild upset over Team Rocket over the weekend, only to have to forfeit the game afterwards due to going over the cap. I’m going to recap the game regardless, just to really emphasize what could’ve been if it wasn’t for a dumb mistake by FnF.   

Now, this game couldn’t have started off any worse for FnF, with QB Bobby Sepentgis’ second throw of the night being taken back to the house by Brandon Aylward as Team Rocket would go on to lead 12-0 early. But Sepentgis kept his composure, enough to get FnF back in the game – and eventually take the lead when a Danny Aylward pass went through the hands of receiver Joey Taylor into those of DB Chris Williams, allowing FnF to take their first lead of the night. 

Having injured his ankle late in the second half and unable to take the field with five plays to go down one point, QB Danny Aylward gave way to John Koutris at the position. Koutris was able to at least give Team Rocket a chance with two big runs to get Team Rocket in position to win, but an interception in the red zone sealed the deal.

At least, it would have, had FnF not added Akeem Hoyte-Charles to the roster just prior to the coin toss. Missing bodies to start the game, you can’t really blame FnF for trying to field a competitive team. But in the case of playing 5-on-6 and a chance to win, versus 6-on-6 and facing an automatic forfeit, I’ll take my chances with five every day of the week and twice on Sundays. I’ve seen teams score points with five players, I’ve seen teams win games with just five players (in the playoffs, no less). Just an unfortunate series of events for FnF (made even more unfortunate considering Akeem barely played after the rest of FnF’s team showed up), and a lucky break for Team Rocket.   

 

Obamacare by a Hair

Ok seriously, who saw Obamacare’s epic battle vs. Flagrant Fouls coming? Not this guy. But apparently Flagrant Fouls were out to prove something in this game, because they came out flying. QB Ross Olshansky looked unstoppable with deep strikes left and right and Obamacare simply weren’t ready for it. Unfortunately for Flagrant, Obamacare’s offense was its usual self, matching Flagrant step for step to be down just 21-19 before a safety made it 23-19 to close the first half.  

In the second half, it quickly became the Jordan Mcinnis show, highlighted by one play in particular where he caught a terribly placed jump ball over the DB for a ridiculous touchdown grab – one of his four on the night on just five catches. If this guy doesn’t get picked up by a higher division team next year, the world won’t make sense anymore.

The back-and-forth continued right up until the very end, when Olshansky was able to lead the Flagrant offense into the red zone with three plays to go. But the Obamacare defense stepped up when it mattered most, taking over possession with one play to go to steal the win.

Flagrant may have lost the game. But if this was the real Flagrant Fouls team that we saw, one that can play up to the competition, well that’s bad news for anyone who makes the playoffs.

 

Power Rankings: 5B

1. Junkyard Dogs (8-0): When you’re missing your top two-way athlete and still beat a top contender to remain the only undefeated team in your division, you deserve this spot no questions asked.  
    

2. Les Guerriers de l’espace (6-2): They may have been without Antoine Baril, but this team is too good to have needed a second-half comeback to win this past week.

 

3. Sunshine Island (6-1-1): Losing on a Hail Mary is tough, but Sunshine never should’ve let Blue Devils a chance to even attempt one to begin with.

 

4. Les Pitriotes (6-2): Awful games happen to good QBs. That being said, the 8th week of play is a concerning time to have one.

 

5. St. Lunatics (6-2): Somehow it felt like St. Lunatics were flying under the radar despite entering the week at 5-2. I can assure you that’s no longer the case.

 

6. Flying Weasels (6-2): Regardless of who they’ve come against, back-to-back losses this late in the season is never a good sign.

 

7. Takeover (6-2): In their first real test of the season, Takeover didn’t just fall flat on their face – they broke their nose, lost a tooth and got robbed in the process.

 

8. Jaguars (4-4): Am I the only one foreseeing Jaguars sneaking in as the 7th or 8th seed and becoming the team no one wants to face in the playoffs?

 

9. Creamsicles (4-4): They’ve won three of their last four and are coming off a big win vs a 5-2 team. Does that make up for their lack of firepower? No. But this week, they get the recognition they deserve.

 

10. Small Giants (5-3): That long sentence I wrote about their inconsistency last week? Yeah, you can just copy and paste that right in here.

 

 Power Rankings: 5A

1. Obamacare (7-1): To be completely honest, there’s no way they should’ve given up over 40 points to Flagrant Fouls to begin with. That they needed a goal line stand to win doesn’t help matters.

 

2. X-Men (7-0): For the first time since Week 1, X-Men have allowed a team to hit the 20-point mark. Good thing their own offense is still as efficient as ever.

 

3. Top Sauce (5-2): Strong defenses are easily overlooked when your QB is tossing 6 TDs a game, but not today. Today, I tip my hat to both.

 

4. Watch Me Whip (6-1-1): A masterful performance by Jordan Bellemare against one of the top defenses in 5A would have WMW’s stock moving up if it were any other week, but they stay put at no. 4 with all four teams ahead of them winning this past week as well.

 

5. Les Verges Folles (6-1-1): Finally. LVF’s destructive offense looks to be back, and at just the right time too.

 

6. Tomahawk Nightmare (4-3-1): Tomahawk Nightmare are arguably the best team in 5A – when they want to be.

 

7. Dope Boys (5-3): With two losses in a row, the wheels haven’t fallen off yet, but they’re certainly wobbling.

 

8. Sphinx (5-3): You know things aren’t very promising when you score 19 points in a game and improve your average points per game with two games to go.

 

9. Get On Deck (4-4): From 2-4 coming off an ugly loss to X-Men, to 4-4 coming off an impressive defeat of Dope Boys. Can they ride this wave all the way to the playoffs?

 

10. BMS Goats (4-4): This offense is finally starting to click, and they couldn’t have picked a better time.

 

FPF Fantasy Showdown: 5B

Last week…

QB: Jason Rossie (Junkyard Dogs): 161 passing yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT, 1 sack, 30 rushing yards = 34 points. Jonathan Lemieux (Flying Weasels): 170 passing yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs, 1 sack, 17 rushing yards =27 points. Rossie gets the win.

WR: Sabes Bouchard (Been There Done That): 4 receiving yards, 1 TD = 5 points. Yossi Saleh (Les Pitriotes): 5 receiving yards = 1 point. Bouchard gets the win.    

D: St. Lunatics: 0 points against. Takeover: 37 points against. I don’t think I need to tally anything here.   

Add it all up and that makes me 3-for-3 this week! My record stands at 13-11 on the season. 

 

This week:

QB:  Darick Forgues (Rednecks) vs. Matthew Cinquino (Sunshine Island): Olivier Godard is a good rusher. But he hasn’t faced a QB that can run with the wind like Cinquino can. And I think all those rushing yards will make the difference in this head-to-head matchup.

WR: Andrew Langburt (Les Pitriotes) vs. Hugo Allamanno (Junkyard Dogs): In this week’s Game of the Week, I think the FPF league will get to meet future star Hugo Allamanno. So will the Pitriotes defense. Only one of those two groups will enjoy the show, however.   

D: Takeover vs. Genie: Genie are on the rise, while Takeover are in a freefall. Then again, Takeover’s ugly loss this past week had to have been a fluke right?…Right? 

 

FPF Fantasy Showdown: 5A 

Last week…

QB: Vincent Richard (Trapstars): 208 passing yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs, 6 rushing yards = 29 points. Emilio Pampena (Blackshirts): 177 passing yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT = 30 points and the win.    

WR: Xavier Plante (Trapstars) did not play. Dylan Taylor (Blackshirts) gets the automatic win.

D: Sticky Hands: 19 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 PD, 32 points allowed = 17 points. X-Men: 9 tackles, 2 INTs, 3 PDs, 26 points allowed = 16 points. Sticky Hands get the win.

Tough week for me as Pampena edges Richard, Plante doesn’t show up and Sticky Hands rack up a crazy number of tackles to win the head-to-head despite losing the game. An 0-3 week drops me to 10-14 on the season.

 

This week:

QB: Vince Nardone (Top Sauce) vs. Jake Applebaum (Obamacare): Oh man what a match-up. Nardone is playing out of his mind right now while Applebaum has perhaps the best receiving corps in 5A at his disposal. But the game-changer might be rusher Chris Milard. Milard’s jump off the snap, coupled with his relentless pursuit, will put Applebaum at a disadvantage every time he hopes to throw the ball deep or extend the play with his legs. Put it all together and I’m giving Nardone the edge.

WR: Marty Freedman (Flagrant Fouls) vs. Nicolas Saro (Sticky Hands): Saro’s return to the receiver position comes at an important time for the Sticky Hands offense, who will need some firepower against a Flagrant Fouls offense coming off a big game. If Freedman goes snapper, he’s sure to get a healthy number of targets. But I’m not sure Flagrant have what it takes to contain Saro deep.   

D: Dope Boys vs. Space Pirates: Dope Boys need a bounce back game, and I think that happens this week.  

 

Playoff Picture

Legend:

Name bolded and underlined: clinched playoff spot

Asterisk next to name: clinched subdivision 

Name struckthrough: eliminated from playoff contention

 

Division 5B:

Conf A	Team	GP	PTS	W(P-F)	DIV	PA
1	Junkyard Dogs*	8	16	8	[3-0-0]	148
2	St-Lunatics	8	12	6	[3-0-0]	114
3	Les Pitriotes	8	12	6	[3-1-0]	135
4	Takeover	8	12	6	[3-1-0]	198
5	Flying Weasels	8	12	6	[2-2-0]	212
6	DG Goons	8	8	4	[2-2-0]	150
7	Ghosts	8	8	4	[2-2-0]	218
8	I Rep That West	8	8	4	[2-2-0]	219
9	Creamsicles	8	8	4	[1-3-0]	170
9	Jaguars	8	8	4	[1-3-0]	195
11	The Pack	8	5	2	[0-3-0]	281
12	Siths	8	2	1	[0-3-0]	270

 

Conf B	Team	GP	PTS	W(P-F)	DIV	PA
1	Sunshine Island*	8	13	6	[2-1-0]	193
2	Les Guerriers de L’Espace	8	12	6	[3-1-0]	202
3	Small Giants	8	10	5	[3-1-0]	177
4	Rednecks	8	8	4	[3-1-0]	122
5	Fuzzy Kittens	8	8	4	[3-1-0]	201
6	Blue Devils	8	8	4	[2-2-0]	247
7	Green Lantern Corps	8	6	3	[3-1-0]	146
8	Been The Done That	8	6	3	[1-3-0]	190
9	GENIE	8	4	2	[1-3-0]	216
10	Weapon X	8	4	2	[0-3-0]	237
11	Les Huards	8	2	1	[1-2-0]	243
12	Bruins	8	0	0	[0-3-0]	250

 

Division 5A:

Conf A	Team	GP	PTS	W(P-F)	DIV	PA
1	X-Men*	8	16	8	[4-0-0]	140
2	Watch Me Whip	8	13	6	[3-1-0]	179
3	Top Sauce	8	12	6	[3-1-0]	145
4	Dope Boys	8	10	5	[2-2-0]	177
5	Tomahawk Nightmare	8	9	4	[2-2-0]	186
6	Supply and Command	8	8	4	[1-2-0]	176
7	Hot Boys Hotline	8	8	4	[1-2-0]	160
8	Gators	8	6	3	[3-1-0]	213
9	Blackshirts	8	6	3	[1-3-0]	232
10	Woofpack	8	6	3	[0-3-0]	145
11	Space Pirates	8	4	2	[1-2-0]	172
12	Pardon My Swag	8	3	1	[1-3-0]	219

 

Conf B	Team	GP	PTS	W(P-F)	DIV	PA
1	Obamacare*	8	14	7	[4-0-0]	165
2	Les Verges Folles	8	13	6	[4-0-0]	157
3	Sphinx	8	10	5	[3-1-0]	176
4	Team Rocket	8	10	5	[2-1-0]	133
5	Get On Deck	8	8	4	[2-2-0]	204
6	Flagrant Fouls	8	8	4	[1-2-0]	178
7	BMS Goats	8	8	4	[1-2-0]	182
8	TrapStars	8	6	3	[2-2-0]	225
9	Sticky Hands	8	6	3	[1-3-0]	217
10	Voo-Zoo	8	4	2	[0-4-0]	208
11	Fat and The Furious	8	2	1	[1-2-0]	271
12	Les Albatros	8	2	1	[1-2-0]	189

 

Random Thoughts

• While six of my top 10 teams in my 5A power rankings won this past week, six of my top 10 teams in my 5B power rankings last week suffered a loss. It looks pretty easy to see who the elite teams are in 5A with two weeks to go; meanwhile it’s looking like the Wild Wild West out in 5B.

   

• As an FPF fan, I think it’s cool that all teams in 5A are still eligible at this point in the race. As the captain of one of those teams, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t also stress me out. 

• I thought I’d seen it all, until I witnessed a pass by n.W.o.’s Michael Sanchez get batted down by rusher Elliot Lambert – and land right back in Sanchez’s hands. Credit to Sanchez for then having the awareness to then run the ball for a first down 10 yards away. The scorekeeper put it down as a rushing attempt on the stats sheet, but Sanchez and I will always know what truly happened on that play.

 

• Shoutout Lambert for then batting down another one of Sanchez’s passes – this time into his own hands as he then proceeded to stroll downfield for the rusher PD-Pick 6.

 

• Les Pitriotes’ AJ Rashkovan racked up 10 tackles versus Been There Done That over the weekend. Ten! I’ve gone entire seasons without getting that many. And trust me, this isn’t a case of a guy getting picked on for an hour straight – that simply doesn’t happen to a guy of Rashkovan’s ability. Keep ballin’ out, AJ.

 

• Speaking of stats, can we make an exception for the awards and give Defensive Player of the Season to Danny D’Amour even though he plays in a higher division? I mean 14 picks in eight games is simply insane. D’Amour is coming off back-to-back games with three INTs in each and has at least one pick in every game this season. Open a dictionary and turn the page to “ball-hawk” and I’m sure you’ll see a picture of D’Amour’s face next to it.

 

• In this week’s edition of teams who have proven me wrong: Fuzzy-Kittens. I gave Fuzzy a hard time in my midseason breakdown for their defensive woes (they were giving up 38 points per game on average through the first four weeks after all). But since then, this defense has been completely shutting teams down: in the last four weeks, Fuzzy have allowed an average of just over two scores per game. What took place in between their first four and last four games? The Broncos’ Super Bowl win led by Von Miller. Coincidence?

 

• I feel like I wouldn’t show all my cards if I were Top Sauce or Obamacare this week, because that is a matchup we’re very, very likely to see again come playoff time.

 

• I randomly learned this week that it’s a “shoo-in” and not a “shoe-in.” Oh, you already knew that? Well screw you, buddy.

 

• Two teams have been officially eliminated in all of Division 5 with two weeks to go in the regular season. I’d like to remind everyone that, eliminated or not, we all pay to play. So please, show up. If not for yourself, then at least for the other team who paid just as much as you for a full season’s worth of games.

Predictions: 5B 

A 9-2 week in 5A and a 6-6 week in 5B brings me to 107-77 on the season. Meanwhile, Belleau went 7-5 in 5A and 5-6 in 5B to put him at 104-80. I told y’all I’d get that lead back. Now watch me extend it out of his reach for good.  

 

Flying Weasels vs. Fuzzy-Kittens

 

Been There Done That vs. Weapon X

 

Creamsicles vs. Siths

 

Les Guerriers de l’espace vs. Bruins

 

Ghosts vs. Green Lantern Corps

 

Les Pitriotes vs. Junkyard Dogs

 

Les Huards vs. Small Giants

 

DG Goons vs. St. Lunatics

 

Rednecks vs. Sunshine Island

 

Takeover vs. Genie

 

I Rep That West vs. Blue Devils

 

Jaguars vs. The Pack    

 

Predictions: 5A

Flagrant Fouls vs. Sticky Hands

 

Top Sauce vs. Obamacare

 

Trapstars vs. Fat And The Furious

 

Get On Deck vs. Les Albatros

 

X-Men vs. Supply and Command (N/A)

 

Pardon My Swag vs. Team Rocket

 

Gators vs. Les Verges Folles

 

Dope Boys vs. Space Pirates

 

Watch Me Whip vs. Voo-Zoo

 

Sphinx vs. BMS Goats

 

Hot Boys Hotline vs. Blackshirts

 

Woofpack vs. Tomahawk Nightmare

 

 

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As always, tune into this week’s Division 5 podcast at www.youtube.com/flagplus. See you at the fields!