With officially 8 weeks in the books (9 for some), the playoff picture is slowly getting clearer and clearer; this week’s events might just be the cherry on the top to crown Division 4 the most exciting division in FlagPlus football.

With only 7 out of 48 teams officially eliminated from playoff contention this far into the season is remarkable. It gets even better when we consider just how many spots are left up for grabs and the crazy scenarios that could occur.

Don’t give up, running the tables isn’t impossible; play every single game you’ve got left, you never know!

Let’s get started.

 

Week 9

With another crazy week in the books, I don’t even know where to begin.

With upsets like Mud Dogs’ amazing finish, TOPSZN/Nonna’s Sauce impressive offensive shoutout, STL Cougars/A-Squad crazy game, A TIE (Vikings vs Game Changers)and No Name’s win to remain afloat there’s plenty of action to go around!

 

Thoughts of the Week

• I hate forfeits.
• Mean Machine’s slump continues.
• Vikings vs Game Changers: how was there so little yardage on both sides? Also, Anton Sakiz, it’s a passing league; you’re not supposed to have more rushing yards than passing yards (although it remains impressive)
• I guess I had to predict AGAINST Mud Dogs for them to win…
• There’s very little doubt that Tom Cesari has found himself again and is emerging as a talented QB in Division 4A; is it too little too late though?
• I was asked to post a colouring book. Unsure why, but I guess there’s a demand…
• Is Rico Tulino the best defensive player in Division 4A no one is talking about? Perhaps.
• Oh, Andel Thomas-Gordon, yes your interception was noted properly. It’s up there now!
• Renovations are way too time consuming; I’m happy that isn’t my career.
• Division 4B’s game of the week can be found here.It was awesome; watch it.

 

Recaps

Division 4A

• Big Tds have been impressive offensively in their last few outings, but their defense has been struggling to keep up with their competition allowing 30+ in back to back weeks. This week 69ers pushed the pace and hit the 40 mark as Shea Harbour showed off just how good he is. Although there were key instances where Big Tds made impressive defensive plays (Georgina Paull’s interception at the 1yard line jumping a route was one of them), they allowed one too many to slip by as Tom Cesari couldn’t connect late in the game to win it all (well, he did connect, but with Dean Demetriou rather than a teammate). All jokes aside, Big Tds are forming into a good contender in Division 4A while 69ers are proving us all just how talented they truly are; both teams could make serious noise in a few weeks time when it’s all said and done.
• TOPSZN vs Nonna’s Sauce was fantastic. As far as fireworks goes, this was it. Not only were both offenses clicking on literally all cylinders, but defenses made plays and, yet, still looked stupid out there. Both Qbs (Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren and Joseph Cecere) had the kind of game we’ll all remember for a long time as both teams kept trading 40-bombs regardless of how much time was left in the game (They scored 3 times in the last 5 plays of the first half. THREE TIMES). It was 33-24 at half time; that’s a end result for most people. Joel Malkin went off for HUGE gains, Emilio Cecere showed everyone just how good he really was and the TOPSZN receivers (Kyle Santana, Chris Valentine and Ted Griffin mostly) showed us/me just how deep their roster really is. Unless it was a fluke, I cannot wait to see what these guys do in the next couple of weeks and how efficient both offenses could be.
• Frosty Bronsons took on Nobodies in the last game of the week and it was an ugly outing from start to finish for both teams. James Nowakowski managed to move the chains early using his snapper Terry Tam, but aside from The Tam breaking literally every single tackle on his way to a 40yard TD or a very nice deep throw to Alex Holowach on a post for the first score of the game, there was very little to rejoice about from both squads offensively. Nicolas Saro simply couldn’t get anything done the entire night missing receivers left and right (aside from a few underneath routes to Lovinski Gelin and a deep post to Steven Legault, the action was bare) and Nobodies’ only offensive score was on the last play of the game were Byron Archambault threw a 40-bomb all the way past defenders who obviously underrated the LB-turned QB for a play and allowed Kevin Gauthier to slip right past them down deep. The verdict? Both defenses are D4A talented, but both offenses struggled to get much going.

 

Division 4B

• Needless to say, I know most of you were able to watch the Division 4B game of the week this week between The U and The Alpha T’s. Not only was it a clash between two of the top contenders in the division, but it was also a great game to watch; it’s up on the facebook wall, it’s up on vimeo, it’s also right here. Give it a go, I won’t recap it entirely for you guys; I prefer you all make your own opinion, but let’s just say that Anthony Lapointe is a pretty dominant receiver for the division and Jesse Dupuis is the definition of ball-hawk.
• Mud Dogs have been slumping recently so I decided to pick against them for the first time in a while and Laurent Dubreuil took the time to let me know how they do things when I pick against them. After a rocky start, Jeremie Mongeon-Duby found his groove with his receivers again and allowed Olivier Laberge to go off on Get Off My D for 122 yards and 3 Tds as most of them could do nothing but watch in awe. Although both offenses managed to get the ball moving and make this one of the best games I’ve watched in a while, Mud Dogs were a step ahead of GOMD most of the night and they finally looked like the true contenders I’ve envisioned them being this entire time. Jon Moodie continues to enjoy the plethora of weapons he’s granted on this team and distributed a TD to every single receiver on Sunday night in Lachine. I have a feeling this isn’t the last of neither of these squads.
• In a very chirpy but extremely entertaining game to watch, A-Squad managed to come out on top 33-26 against STL Cougars on Wednesday night. After losing their lead early in the second half, Yacoub Telemaque rallied his team and got back on offense to pick this game away for good. Andrew Phillipeaux continues to impress on both sides of the ball as he got his team’s 2 interceptions on Wednesday and made a ridiculous grab on a 40-yard bomb to become the X-Factor in this week’s game. Although it wasn’t the prettiest of games, both squads played tremendous football and there’s a lot of talent to go around on both teams; with the playoffs a few weeks away, I can’t wait to see how these two teams will be able to turns things in their favor when everything’s on the line.

 

Players of the Week

Division 4A

• Shawn Steen (Eskimo Brothers): 10 catches, 113 yards, 4 Tds and even had time to get a sack on defense. He was basically everywhere at once.
• Joel Malkin (Nonna’s Sauce): He went off in the most impressive way; not only did he manage to finish the game with 157 yards and 5 Tds but most of his yardages came on crucial downs where you’d expect the other team to cover, well, the deep throws.
• Dany Ostiguy (Flying Weasels): 125 receiving yards, 3 Tds and a pick-six. That’s as much points as the opposing team altogether. Very impressive.

 

Division 4B

• Anthony Lapointe (The Alpha T’s): All 5 of his QB’s touchdowns, on film. What else needs to be said?
• Vinny Gualano (Gators): Defensive hat trick (including a pick-six) alongside with 2 offensive Tds. Hey, Vinny, how about you let the others play too?
• Francois Hogue (Jagerbomb): a PD and 5 sacks alongside parcels of offensive yards. Great game right there.

 

Power Rankings

Division 4A

1. Still Still Teamless (7-0-1): I’m starting to lack imagination here; another week another win. What else is new?
2. Les Maloudes (8-1): These guys made me look bad, but their defense is for real.
3. The Commission (7-2): Back to back impressive wins as them climbing.
4. 69ers (6–2): As long as they win, they’ll maintain their divisional lead status and a top 2 seed; keep it up.
5. Flying Weasels (6-2): They climbed back the divisional lead with this week’s win; can they finish? Nonetheless, they’ve clinched.
6. Eskimo Brothers (5-2-1): WHATTA game. Ebros are playoff-ready.
7. TOPSZN (5-3): One of the best offensive performance I’ve seen all season; these guys are loaded.
8. Backyard Bullies (5-3): It’s good to see Jordan Allard back in the roster; his impact is undeniable.
9. Gotham Knights (4-4-1): This week’s loss is the meaning of a bad game. Hopefully Chris Rivest will be back from injury for their last game of the seaosn.
10. The Tide (4–4): As close as they can possibly get from dropping out of the rankings.

 

Division 4B

1. The Alpha T’s (8-0): Took out the 2^nd seed; on film. Impressive.
2. The U (6-2): Their first real loss came to the #1 seed; barely any shame there.
3. A-Squad (7-2): What a comeback to win an absolute thriller. And here I am thinking they were at their best a few weeks ago…!
4. Get Off My D (6–2-1): Last week’s loss is just a dent in the armor; nothing to be scared of.
5. Blue Chips (6-2): Great way to bounce back. Their last two games aren’t getting any easier.
6. Jagerbomb (6-2): Another great win for Jagerbomb; the perfect way to kick off playoff season.
7. Mud Dogs (5–4): Impressive win over a top contender to turn their season around; these guys aren’t out just yet.
8. Les Blues Branleurs (5-3): Slowly creeping up on teams; LBB are officially on my radar.
9. Team Ethnik (5-3): Although they’ve been slumping, I’m not worried one bit about these guys.
10. STL Cougars (4-4-1): Another week, another amazing game, yet, STL Cougars can’t seem to end with the infamous W.

 

Playoff Standings

Every week, I’ll keep the standings tabulated for Division 4A and 4B and post it in my article. This way, you guys can keep track of where you actually are and what needs to be done.

Division 4A

Conference A	Team	GP	PTS	Wins	PA	Div Record		Conference B	Team	GP	PTS	Wins	PA	Div Record
1	Still Still Teamless	8	15	7	202	[4-0-0]		1	Les Maloudes	9	16	8	153	[4-1-0]
2	Flying Weasels	8	12	6	169	[3-1-0]		2	69ers	8	12	6	206	[3-1-0]
3	Eskimo Brothers	8	11	5	208	[2-2-0]		3	The Commission	9	14	7	170	[4-1-0]
4	Backyard Bullies	8	10	5	184	[4-0-0]		4	TOPSZN	8	10	5	237	[3-1-0]
5	5-Star	8	10	5	175	[2-2-0]		5	Gotham Knights	9	9	4	233	[2-3-0]
6	Frosty Bronsons	9	10	5	210	[3-2-0]		6	The Tide	8	8	4	220	[4-0-0]
7	Junkyard Dogs	9	8	4	245	[2-3-0]		7	Nobodies	9	8	4	242	[3-2-0]
8	Big TDs	8	6	3	267	[2-2-0]		8	No Name	9	8	4	191	[1-4-0]
9	Bad Case	9	6	3	287	[2-3-0]		9	ZOO	8	6	3	235	[1-3-0]
10	Damps 25/8	9	6	3	262	[1-4-0]		10	MVE	8	5	2	250	[1-3-0]
11	Golden Flashes	8	4	2	181	[1-3-0]		11	Aztec Sasquatches	9	4	2	273	[1-4-0]
12	Nonna’s Sauce	8	2	1	245	[0-4-0]		12	Past Our Prime	8	2	1	284	[0-4-0]

• With Big Tds holding the 8^th spot at 6 points, there’s still hope for Nonna’s Sauce and Golden Flashes to jump up and steal.
• With almost everyone in Conference A locked up, most teams are basically playing for seeding and matchup at this point.
• Although Conference B is the only one with teams eliminated, it’s also the one with the most up-in-the-air possibilities and crazy scenarios; I won’t break them all down this week, but you guys can imagine if the 4^th seed can still drop out, there’s no time to waste.

 

Division 4B

Conference A	Team	GP	PTS	Wins	PA	Div Record		Conference B	Team	GP	PTS	Wins	PA	Div Record
1	A-Squad	9	14	7	182	[5-0-0]		1	The Alpha T’s	9	18	9	204	[5-0-0]
2	The U	8	12	6	176	[4-0-0]		2	Get Off My D	9	13	6	174	[4-0-1]
3	Blue Chips	8	12	6	153	[3-1-0]		3	Sphinx	8	11	5	146	[1-2-1]
4	Jagerbomb	8	12	6	162	[2-2-0]		4	Team Ethnik	8	10	5	202	[3-1-0]
5	Mud Dogs	9	10	5	246	[4-1-0]		5	Game Changers	8	9	4	212	[3-1-0]
6	Les Blues Branleurs	8	10	5	153	[1-3-0]		6	Rancerz	9	9	4	218	[2-2-1]
7	Gators	8	9	4	230	[2-2-0]		7	STL Cougars	9	9	4	256	[1-3-1]
8	Obamacare	8	8	4	176	[2-2-0]		8	Falcons	9	6	3	297	[3-2-0]
9	V-Cieux	8	6	3	273	[1-3-0]		9	Sandlot Saints	8	6	3	207	[1-3-0]
10	Small Giants	8	4	2	206	[0-4-0]		10	Mean Machine	9	6	3	266	[1-4-0]
11	J’s	8	2	1	285	[1-3-0]		11	Green Lantern Corps	8	2	1	253	[1-3-0]
12	Vikings	8	1	0	259	[0-4-0]		12	The Expendables	8	0	0	320	[0-4-0]

 

• Small Giants, J’s and Vikings are officially eliminated from playoff contention in Conference A.
• There’s a very little chance Les Blues Branleurs could fall out, but it’s still mathematically there. V-Cieux are on the outside looking in, for now.
• Green Lantern Corps and The Expendables are officially eliminated from playoff contention.
• No one is safe in Conference B as only the top 3 seeds have clinched; Sandlot Saints and Mean Machine are literally creeping on the outside waiting for a chance to pounce.
• A-Squad has not only clinched playoff berth, but also a top 2 seeding; Congratulations.
• The Alpha T’s are officially the #1 seed in Conference B.

 

Picks of the week

With Yannick Doston’s impressive 4A performance (9/11), I was a bit scared considering I only nudged 7/11, but 4B turned the tables around with an astonishing 9/12 from yours truly and a lame 6/12 from the other guy. All in all, I now took the lead by 1 point. Good luck catching up now Doston.

Division 4A

TOPSZN vs Junkyard Dogs: TOPSZN

MVE vs Frosty Bronsons: Frosty Bronsons

The Commission vs Big Tds: The Commission

ZOO vs 5-Star: 5-Star

Past Our Prime vs Bad Case: —-

Les Maloudes vs Backyard Bullies: Les Maloudes

Still Still Teamless vs The Tide: Still Still Teamless

69ers vs Damps 25/8: 69ers

Aztec Sasquatches vs Eskimo Brothers: Eskimo Brothers

No Name vs Nonna’s Sauce: Nonna’s Sauce

Nobodies vs Flying Weasels: Flying Weasels

Gotham Knights vs Golden Flashes: Gotham Knights

 

Division 4B

Sandlot Saints vs J’s: Sandlot Saints

Team Ethnik vs Obamacare: Team Ethnik

The Expendables vs Les Blues Branleurs: Les Blues Branleurs

Green Lantern Corps vs Vikings: Vikings

Mean Machine vs V-Cieux: V-Cieux

The Alpha T’s vs Mud Dogs: The Alpha T’s

STL Cougars vs Blue Chips: Blue Chips

Falcons vs A-Squad: A-Squad

Game Changers vs Jagerbomb: Jagerbomb

Get Off My D vs The U: The U

Sphinx vs Small Giants: Small Giants

Rancerz vs Gators: Gators

 

That sums it for this week’s article. It’s always a pleasure to write and hear back