Weekday Quarterback (D5) – Week 2

Week Two kicked off on Saturday night and as usual, it was a wild week in FlagPlus Football. It is still early in the season, but just as we should have expected, division 5 seems to have a good amount of balance amongst the teams. Last week we looked at two teams that I thought had the talent to be dominant in this division, but it looks as though we are in for eight more exciting weeks of competition. This week, we will look at a couple of the games that either surprised us or had an exciting outcome while trying to decipher who could be ready to break out and take control of their conference. A quick look at the division standings does not say much after only two weeks but there a few teams that are making a name for themselves. Let’s take a look and see who is making a difference.

Game of the Week

This week’s game of the week was the Love Cows vs The Family in my mind because of the impact it had on the reputation of The Family. The Love Cows were involved in that great game last week with the Monstars, which they lost, and it looked like they were ready to break out and get a win. It was not in the cards as The Family put up big numbers for the second consecutive week. The Family scored 45 points in week 1 and 54 points in week 2. In other words, if you plan on beating this team you better be ready to play some tough defense. The Family quarterback, Maxime Forget, seems to have that dual threat ability; he is throwing the ball well after two weeks and is able to make a difference with his legs as well. The Love Cows had no answer for The Family’s offense and it led to a route, as the Family took this game 54-13. “Primetime Player of the Week” has to go Maxime Forget as he tries to establish himself as one of the best QB’s in division 5. We know that success in FlagPlus Football depends on the strength of your Quarterback and if Forget continues to play well then we could see a great season from The Family.

In other games, we saw the Monstars take a step back after a big win in week 1. They lost to the Patriotes, the team that lost their first game to The Family and obviously wanted to get back on the right track. The Patriotes contained the Monstars offense and held them to only 8 points thanks to a great pass rush which allows their secondary to get a good break on the ball. Anytime you can keep a team from scoring more than one touchdown in a game you are going to give yourself a very good chance to win. A lot of good teams will have success because of their offense but you can never underestimate a good defense. The old cliché of defense wins championships, applies just as much in this league as in any other and the Patriotes are not the only team to come up with a strong defensive performance. Sphinx made their defensive presence felt against Lockdown with a 20-6 victory. Sphinx is giving up less than 10 points per game after two contests and can definitely continue to win with a defense like that.

One of the great stories through the early part of the year is the emergence of les Affreux. Les Affreux had a very tough time in the spring season but seem to have found a home at this point. They won an extremely close game in week 1 over the Golden Eagles and then continued their streak by beating the Wonderslugs 35-0 in their second game, albeit it was by forfeit! A W is a W. It is always nice to see a team that struggles one season, find a way to win the next year. It shows the character of the players on that team and it makes the FPF more interesting to watch. Never count a team out after a tough season and if your team is having a tough start look at teams like Affreux for inspiration. This leads me to announce that the game of the week for Week 3 will be les Affreux versus the high powered offense of The Family.

Meet Pendant Publishing

Last week we took a look at the returning Monstar team and this week we get to meet one of the new teams in Division 5, Pendant Publishing. Pendant Publishing is a team of friends that have built their chemistry in the mean streets of Cote St-Luc over the past 13 years. Pendant Publishing captain Bruce Takefman told me that this team has known each other for a while, have played many pick up games at Centennial Park in Cote St Luc, and are looking to join FlagPlus Football for a good time, hopefully experiencing that same enjoyment they had for all those years at the park. Takefman also mentioned that this team is led by its veteran QB Al Lester who captained the House of Pain in the first ever season of FPF way back in 2005. Although he hasn’t played since, that season under his belt definitely can’t hurt. So far, victories have not come easy but as we all know, things can turn around quickly with a little momentum. I welcome Pendant Publishing to the FlagPlus Football family and wish them all the best this season and hopefully for many seasons to come.

Tip Drill

Offensive Tip: 1 point or 2 point conversions? Depends on your personnel and the situation.

A couple of players have asked whether it is worth going for 2 points after every touchdown, and I think this question can be answered based on two factors; your QB’s strengths and the situation you are in at the time. If you have a Quarterback who likes to scramble outside the pocket and that is extremely dangerous with his legs then you might want to consider going for 2 points more often. Going for two gives him more space to run around and it means he can run it into the endzone if all else fails. The 2 point conversion also gives your receivers a little bit more space to work with. If your offense is having a lot of trouble with the pass rush you are facing and need to get the ball out of the hands of your QB quickly, you may want to go for one point and use short quick passes to get the conversion. Like anything else in football, the question of conversions comes down to what your team feels more comfortable with.

Defensive Tip: Moving to the ball once a pass has been completed

One of the biggest problems on the defensive side of the ball is that teams do not put themselves in position to make tackles. After a short pass you should not be standing in your zone waiting for the ball carrier to run to you. You must swarm him and get the whole team trying to grab his flags so that he cannot find his way into open space and turn a 5 yard pass into a 30 gain or a touchdown. This is especially important when you are playing against a very quick receiver. Remember, there are no laterals in FPF, so there is no reason to keep containment in your zone!

Congratulations to all the winners this week but remember what we’ve talked about: momentum can change a lot in a long season so don’t get discouraged yet. If you have yet to win a game, then you are only a few days away from another opportunity to get yourself in the win column. Remember to keep your heads high and to use some of the techniques we have discussed through the first couple of weeks. On a much more serious note, some members of FlagPlus Football are trying to raise money to help those in need in Haiti. We often forget how lucky we are and it would be nice for us to come together as league and help out those who need it. The two players leading the cause will try and collect 2$ from each person, or as much as you can donate, this week and give that money to UNICEF. If you could please give that money to Rostyn Castleton or Matt Young of the Time Bombs before or after your game this weekend it would be greatly appreciated. The team that donates the most money will have four members of their team on “Breaking the Huddle” with Ross Castleton and Ross has also graciously offered to personally pay to have your team’s game filmed and posted on the website. Hopefully we can all come together and make a difference this weekend. Have a great week and see you all this weekend for more exciting action.