Weekly Extra Point (Div A & B) – Week 11

Well, here we are. The regular season is over and we now know the 11 teams participating in the postseason dance in Divisions A and B : DA Finest, the Rainmakers, the Mercenaries, the Big TDs, the Triple Sixers, the Gladiateurs, the Messengers of Happiness, Darkside, My Ditkas, the Maniax and the Blazers.

We also know that the Snookers and the Park Street Elite fell short in their quests for the holy grail of FlagPlus Football, the Campana Cup.

With a bye week between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs, I figured this would be as good a time as any to recap the S12 campaigns of the DA/DB teams.

DA:

DA Finest (8-2):

They started off 2-0, but some chinks appeared in their armor during their Week 2 victory over the Big TDs. Uninspired play and lack of commitment contributed heavily to their near-loss in that game, and their next two losses (against the Rainmakers and Darkside). It’s only normal that the competitive fire burns out after a while, and many believed that was what was happening to DA Finest. However, from that point on, the Finest of old returned and won 6 games in a row, winning their games by an average margin of 23.8 ppg. They won a pivotal Week 9 match-up against the Rainmakers and wrestled away the top seed. Definitely the top contender in DA.

Awards: Akked Moore (Defensive Player of the Year): Moore played only 6 games and somehow led DA in INTs.

All-Stars: Kevin Wyeth, Don Shepherd, Rochdi Benabdelkader, Akked Moore, Kishon Thompson

Rainmakers (7-3):

The Rainmakers were the top team in DA for a significant portion of the season. After a season-opening loss to the Snookers, they won 5 games in a row, the most notable of which was a win over DA Finest, a team they had never beaten before. They were also the last team to lose against a DB opponent, in Week 7 against the Big TDs. They added more depth and experience than the team has ever had, and the positive effects were impossible to ignore. The S12 edition of the Rainmakers was simply the most balanced version I have seen so far. Were it not for certain players missing key games in the final stretch of the season, they might have finished with the top seed.

Awards: Ryan Kastner (QB of the Year): Kastner had his best season ever, breaking personal records for yards, sacks and QB rating. Michael Chitayat (Two-Way Player of the Year): Chitayat wins this award for the 3^rd time in the last 4 seasons.

All-Stars: Ryan Kastner, Michael Chitayat, Teddy Frenette

Mercenaries (4-6):

It’s hard to believe the Mercs were 2-1 at one point this season. They’ve gone 1-6 since Week 3, their only victory coming in a must-win game over the Snookers. Without that win, they would have missed the playoffs altogether, which would have been an embarrassing end to the season. As it is, they finished with the worst defence in DA (by 4.1 ppg). They also lost 2 games against DB opponents, and almost lost a 3^rd (they won by 1 point against the Blazers). They did manage to put together a respectable performance against DA Finest in Week 10, losing by only 6. But that game will be remembered more for Jacques Void’s injury than anything they might have accomplished that night.

Award winners: Jacques Void (Receiver of the Year): Void has always been an elite receiver, but this season he took his game to new levels, finishing atop the leader-board in every category (beating his closest rivals by 9 catches, 176 yards and 1 TD).

All-Stars: Carmine Pollice, Jacques Void

Snookers (4-6):

It was tough end of the season for the Snookers, who lost 5 out of their last 6 en route to being eliminated from playoff contention. The most telling stat of the season for them? Of their 4 wins, 3 came against DB teams. Their only DA win was an opening week victory over the Rainmakers. This is a team that would have been a strong contender in DB, but instead decided to challenge itself and play at the highest level. Laudable? Absolutely. Recommendable? Not so much. Despite the unfortunate conclusion to their season, they can say that they were competitive at the highest level. They were an impact player or two away from being possible contenders. Every player on their team played somewhere between average and great throughout the season, but to succeed in DA you need great performances week in and week out. You need excellence, and you need that excellence to be consistent. The Snookers were consistently good, which is unfortunately not enough. That being said, they all got experience against excellent competition, and I’m convinced their W13 season will be better for it.

Awards: none

All-Stars: Shane Paquette, Raffi Bastajian, Andre John, Raffi Kozanian

DB:

Big TDs (7-3):

Led by QB of the Year Jamil Springer, the Big TDs have been a solid threat throughout the season. Springer keeps the beanbags moving through the air or with his feet, and he rarely turns over the ball. Add to that the best defence in DB (allowing only 25 ppg), and you’ve got yourself the top contender to the title. Having the Two-Way Player of the Year (HOFer Paul Lapierre) didn’t hurt either. 2 of their 3 losses came early in the season, in Weeks 2 and 3. Since then, the only blemish has been a loss against the Gladiateurs in Week 5. The biggest game of their season was a Week 10 win against the Triple Sixers, which allowed them to steal first place going into the playoffs.

Awards: QB of the Year (Jamil Springer): Springer was ruthlessly efficient throughout the season, and he is the engine that keeps the TDs’ motor running. Two-Way Player of the Year (Paul Lapierre): Did anyone expect the big man to lead this team in INTs?

All-Stars: Jamil Springer, David Cesari, Paul Lapierre

Triple Sixers (7-3):

They emerged victorious in Week 9 from a season-long battle for the top seed with the Messengers of Happiness, only to lose it against the Big TDs in the final week of regular season competition. They’re clearly one of the top 2 teams. Aside from their loss against the TDs, their other two losses came against DA Finest (top team in DA) and way back in Week 1. Of note, QB Karim Chaoual, who had a great season statistically, was horrendous in those 3 losses. His average QB rating in their 7 wins was a stellar 129.86, while his QB rating in their 3 losses was a meager 50.8. He will need to be more consistent against tough opponents for the Sixers to go all the way. Their defence was fantastic all season, and was also a big part of their 7-3 record.

Awards: none

All-Stars: Karim Chaoual, Alex Giroux

Gladiateurs (6-4):

It’s difficult to know what to make of the Glads. They alternated wins and losses for practically the entire season, only managing to put together a short 2-game win streak in Weeks 7 and 8. 2 of their 4 losses came against DA teams, with a 3^rd coming against the Triple Sixers (who are essentially a DA-caliber team). Aside from the aforementioned Sixers, they have beaten every other team in the top 5. They were average offensively, and atrocious defensively. Frank Lebeau led DB in yards and was 2^nd in TDs. That being said, he also led DB in INTs, throwing at least one pick in 9 out of his 10 games played. I finished this entire paragraph, and I still don’t know what to make of them. I am perplexed. They perplex me.

Awards: none

All-Stars: Nicolas Guimier, Charles Baillargeon

Messengers of Happiness (6-4):

This team was not expected to finish as high as they did. They managed to take advantage of a fairly easy early schedule to bank some wins (combined record of their first 4 opponents: 11-29) and put themselves in decent playoff position. They had only 2 wins over ”quality” opponents, against the Mercenaries and Darkside. Despite their impressive start, the Messengers of Happiness struggled down the stretch, losing 3 of their last 4 games. While they are certainly not as bad as some expected them to be prior to the season, I would hesitate to call them top contenders. They are an average team, plain and simple.

Awards: none

All-Stars: Nareg Yessayan

Darkside (5-5):

Triple Sixers, Big TDs, DA Finest, Blazers, Maniax. Those are the teams Darkside beat this season. Those first 3 names jump out at you, don’t they? When you beat the top seed in DA and the top 2 seeds in DB, you must be a contender, right? Well, sort of. Darkside has been afflicted by the type of maddening inconsistency that can drive an FPF analyst insane. They beat the top two seeds, but lost to the Gladiateurs and Messengers of Happiness, the 3^rd and 4^th seeds. They also lost to My Ditkas and Park Street Elite, two teams with a combined 6 wins. On top of all that, they haven’t had a meaningful win since Week 3 (their win over DA Finest came with half the team, including QB Kevin Wyeth, missing). With their potent and unpredictable offence, Darkside can be a threat in any game. But consistency is a problem.

Awards: none

All-Stars: Robbie Robinson

My Ditkas (4-6):

The Ditkas were a major disappointment during the regular season. With the big names they have on board and the past success the franchise has enjoyed, much was expected of them. They managed to win 2 games in a row to close out the season, including a confidence-building win over the Gladiateurs in Week 9. But the first 8 games of their S12 season was an exercise in deception, as they only won 2 games, against Darkside in Week 2 and against the Blazers in Week 5. They did manage to put up a lot of points, having the 2^nd best offence statistically.

Awards: Defensive Player of the Year (Vince Nardone): Nardone was always a good player, but he truly stood out on this team, as multiple teammates and FPF insiders were raving about him from day one.

All-Stars: Vince Nardone

Maniax (3-7):

Without a defence as good as the one the Maniax put on the field, this would not be a playoff team. They finished the season ranked 3^rd in points allowed. That accomplishment becomes even more impressive when you realize how bad their offence was, ranked dead last in points scored. With an offence that struggles so much, opposing teams get even more opportunities to score points, so allowing only 28,7 ppg is fairly incredible for the Maniax. The mid-season lower body injury to QB Rapha Beladjat certainly didn’t help their offensive numbers. Considering his unconventional style of play, removing his ability to scramble effectively neutered the Maniax offence. Thankfully, their solid defence, coupled with major contributions from J.-R. Verger were just enough to get them into the playoffs.

Awards: Two-Way Player of the Year (Jean-Richard Verger): Verger may have displaced Patrick Jerome as the best deep-ball receiver in FPF, and his athleticism on both sides of the ball were a huge asset for the Maniax.

All-Stars: Godfrey Abu, Jean-Richard Verger

Blazers (2-8):

The Blazers hold the dubious distinction of allowing an average of over 40 points per game, a feat only 4 other teams (out of the 198 that played in 2012) accomplished. Their combined record: 1-39. Not exactly the comparables you’re looking for if you’re serious about a playoff push. That being said, the Blazers did manage to beat a DA team (the Snookers) and almost beat another (the Mercenaries). They also have history on their side, as a 3-6-1 Blazers team squeaked into the playoffs and pulled off a major upset in the Divisional round of the W12 playoffs before losing in the Quarter-Finals. Leon Holder was excellent down the stretch of that regular season and just as good (even better at some points) in the postseason. He hasn’t been as consistent this season, but he will have to regain that form if the Blazers want to make some noise.

Awards: none

All-Stars: none

Park Street Elite (2-8):

PSE’s playoff bid was done in by many factors, but a lack of consistency probably hurt them more than anything else. They had talent, experience and a QB who’s had success in the past. But when you have a different group every week, no matter how cohesive your core unit is, there will often be little mistakes. And in a division with as much parity as DB, little mistakes can often be the difference between a win and a loss. Scott Kelly also struggled, and where Kelly goes, so goes the PSE offence. They received inspired play from a few players (notably Danny Guarna and Jelani McLaren), but they needed more contributions from more guys. However, their 2 wins came against good teams (Darkside and Messengers of Happiness), and they lost their last game (essentially a playoff game) by a single point. The most disappointing thing about PSE was their potential. They probably should have been a playoff team, but ”should” is a useless word in competitive sports.

Awards: none

All-Stars: none

Well, there’s your recap of the S12 season. Now it’s time for previews of the 5 playoff games on deck for this Sunday.

DA:

Quarter-Final: 1. DA Finest (8-2) vs 2. Rainmakers (7-3)

Match-up:

DA Finest offence vs Rainmakers defence: 1^st (40.7) vs 2^nd (29.6)

Rainmakers offence vs DA Finest defence: 2^nd (32,8) vs 1^st (27,2)

Week 3: Rainmakers 37, DA Finest 33

Week 9: DA Finest 46, Rainmakers 20

This will be the 3^rd time these two teams face off this season. Prior to Week 3, the Rainmakers had lost to the Finest each and every time they had faced them, giving them an all-time head-to-head record of 0-9. Their 37-33 win was a revelation, and it fueled them to a division lead for most of the season. Then, the 2^nd match-up happened. The Finest had regained their dominance and the Rainmakers were, as usual, missing a few key players. Put those factors and a desire for revenge together, and you get a 26-point victory for the Finest. Now, we have DA Finest-Rainmakers III. On the line is a spot in the Finals.

The Rainmakers took a big leap forward this season. Ryan Kastner had his best season, looking calm, cool and collected at all times in a way that has filtered down to the rest of his teammates. This is the best Rainmakers roster we’ve ever seen. Their offence is loaded, and their defence is vastly improved over past editions of the team. Kastner won QB of the Year and Michael Chitayat won Two-Way Player of the Year. They led DA for most of the season. And despite all that, I still think they will lose.

As good as the Rainmakers roster is, no team in FPF can compare to the one the Finest have. They have 3 HOFers (Kevin Wyeth, Kishon Thompson and Rochdi Benabdelkader) and 4 future HOFers (Akked Moore, Karim Binette, Donald Shepherd and Matt Kirouac). They finished with the top offence and the top defence. Kevin Wyeth may not have been the best QB in S12, but he’s still the best QB in FPF. The Finest seemed a bit unmotivated, a bit discombobulated in the early stages of the season. That is far from being the case now. They are playing so well that the Rainmakers need to play perfect football on Sunday night to have a chance. But if they do manage to keep it close, avoid mistakes and perhaps even force a turnover or two, doubt might begin to creep in the heads of DA Finest. They might start to remember Week 3. They might remember how Kevin Wyeth was intercepted 3 times in their Week 10 match-up against the Mercenaries. And that might be worrying for them, unless they know the following statistic: in the week following the 4 regular season games in which he threw 3 INTs or more, Kevin Wyeth’s numbers are 77/111 (69% completion percentage), 983 yards, 25 TDs and 1 INT. Does that sound like a guy you want to be playing this week? Me neither.

Prediction: DA Finest win.

DB:

Quarter-Final 1: 4. Messengers of Happiness (6-4) vs 5. Darkside (5-5)

Match-up:

MoH offence vs Darkside defence: 3^rd (33.4) vs 4^th (31.5)

Darkside offence vs MoH defence: 1^st (36.1) vs 7^th (34.3)

Week 10: Messengers of Happiness 39, Darkside 38.

This is probably the toughest game for me to predict. The MoH won their previous match-up, only 2 weeks ago. That being said, they didn’t exactly dominate, because they won by 1 point. The big match-up will obviously be the potent Darkside offence against an MoH defence that has allowed an average of 47.3 ppg in their last 3 contests. The tandem of Gino Di Fazio and Robbie Robinson (let’s call them Gibby Robazio) has been tremendous, and kudos has to go to both of them for deciding to suppress individual glory for a better team offence. If we combined their statistics, Gibby Robazio would have 167/277 (60.3 % completion), 2055 yards, 50 TDs, 13 INTs, 9 rushes, 59 yards rushing and 3 rushing TDs. Hard to believe Robazio wouldn’t be a top contender for QB of the Year with those numbers. Apply that kind of unpredictability to an offence, and suddenly it’s very hard to plan a defence capable of stopping it. Of course, if you could pick one person to produce a game-plan capable of slowing the Darkside offence down, it would probably be Rochdi Benabdelkader. Nobody has had more success at higher divisions of producing specific game-plans intended to stop certain teams, and he definitely has a familiarity with certain players on Darkside, something that might play in MoH’s favor.

The big question mark here will be the status of Jacques Void. While he wasn’t necessarily the biggest contributor to this team, his presence opens things up for everyone. He’s an elite receiver in his own right, and his injury (suffered as a member of the Mercenaries in Week 10) might scale back Darkside’s offensive potential. Despite his questionable status and the aforementioned impact of defensive mastermind Benabdelkader, I still think the Darkside offence will be too much for the Messengers to handle.

Prediction: Darkside

Quarter-Final 2: 3. Gladiateurs (6-4) vs 6. My Ditkas (4-6)

Match-up:

Gladiateurs offence vs My Ditkas defence: 4^th (31.7) vs 5^th (31,6)

My Ditkas offence vs Gladiateurs defence: 2^nd (33.9) vs 8^th (36.3)

Week 9: My Ditkas 44, Gladiateurs 32

There are a few things going against the Gladiateurs this week. First, the obvious. The Ditkas have an excellent offensive unit, and the Gladiateurs defence has been so poor over the past few seasons that I’m not sure they’d be able to defend against me (don’t be fooled by the fan club, I absolutely suck at football), let alone a group of receivers like Donald Shepherd, Vince Nardone and James Floreani. The other thing going against them is the memory of a recent loss against the Ditkas, one that may not be too easy to dismiss. Their defence actually forced 2 INTs in that game, and they still lost by 12 points.

There are a few things in the Glads’ favor too. They have the better QB (Frank Lebeau, W12 QB of the Year) and their defence is underrated. Lebeau is better than he has played this season, and the defence has too many experienced and talented athletes to be this bad. I think both aspects of their game can improve significantly, and this might be their last chance to do it. Also, let’s face it, they were the better team if we look at the season as a whole. They’ve been solid from game to game, and in another match-up, I could have seen them winning.

In the end, I believe the Gladiateurs undoing will probably be their short bench, as only 7 players have qualified for the playoffs. Facing a team as fast and athletic as the Ditkas could tire them out and lead to mistakes, and there just isn’t any margin for error in this game.

Prediction: My Ditkas

Quarter-Final 3: 2. Triple Sixers (7-3) vs 7. Maniax (3-7)

Match-up:

Triple Sixers offence vs Maniax defence: 7^th (30.5) vs 3^rd (28.7)

Maniax offence vs Triple Sixers defence: 9^th (23.0) vs 2^nd (25.3)

Week 5: Triple Sixers 40, Maniax 14

I really have a hard time seeing the Maniax keeping up with the Sixers in this one. The Sixers are a simply a much better team, at practically every position. The Maniax have to hope for a HUGE effort from their defence, and while their unit is one of the better ones in DB, I just don’t see it happening. On top of that, they need their offence to suddenly find its groove, and do so against a defence that is even better than theirs.

Yes, the Sixers have underachieved in past playoffs. Yes, the Maniax are still one of the most physical and athletically gifted teams out there. There is a potential that the Maniax could get into the Sixers’ heads with a few big plays (and we all know they have the ultimate big-play guy in J.-R. Verger). It’s possible. But I think the Sixers have enough experience and maturity as a unit to withstand those types of things, and rebound well enough to win fairly handily.

Prediction: Triple Sixers

Quarter-Final 4: 1. Big TDs (7-3) vs 8. Blazers (2-8)

Match-up:

Big TDs offence vs Blazers defence: 4^th (31.7) vs 9^th (40.2)

Blazers offence vs Big TDs defence: 6^th (30.9) vs 1^st (25.0)

Week 9: Big TDs 41, Blazers 19

I see no way the Blazers can win this. They’re playing the best defence in DB. Their own defence hasn’t stopped anybody all year, and I doubt they’ll suddenly find their way against both the QB of the Year (Jamil Springer) AND the Two-Way Player of the Year (Paul Lapierre). They’ve shown an ability to surprise in the past, and the Big TDs do have to take them seriously for that reason. But as long as everyone on the TDs keeps a cool head and comes ready and focused, I just can’t see the Blazers pulling off the upset.

Prediction: Big TDs

I know some of the teams I picked against will be mad, or think I’m an idiot. Feel free to prove me wrong. I honestly don’t care who wins or loses, I just enjoy a well-played game. The playoffs are truly the best time to be an FPF analyst. I’m looking forward to seeing what you guys bring to the table. Good luck to everybody still playing.

That’s it for this week.

Special thanks to:

Everyone who waited so patiently for this long-ass article, and everyone who took the time to actually read it. If it seems too long, do what I do: print it out and take it to the bathroom. You should be able to finish it in 2-3 poops.

Daron Basmadjian Fan Club, for repping the name of Daron Basmadjian well so far. Keep up the good work. But how the hell does G.M. Kolethras get a Daron Basmadjian t-shirt before Daron Basmadjian does? Daron Basmadjian will be at the Daron Basmadjian Fan Club game on Sunday, and there better be a Daron Basmadjian t-shirt waiting for him there. Daron Basmadjian.

Think I’m wrong? Think I suck? Think I’m great? Think anything? Drop me a line at [email protected] and let me know how you feel. Whether it be interesting topics for the column, game facts I may have missed in my coverage or just some good old-fashioned hate mail, I welcome any and all comments.