12 Teams Who Are Fine Just Where They’re Ranked

Peeze’s Playbook

Week 9.386 (I believe)

By Paolo Della Rocca

 

I’m overworked, and tired…

I have little energy for a creative introduction.  So I’ll coast like Francois Martin would. 

 

Teams That Are in Just the Right Place

The teams listed below are teams that I don’t necessarily think will win their bracket and appear in a bowl game or lose outright.  Simply put they are teams that I am nearly certain will play competitive games in the knockout stage. 

 

Tier 1

Braves (7-0-1):  The Braves only blemish was a 30-30 tie in an otherwise perfect season.  For years we worried about the future of the highest level of FPF and whether or not there would ever be true competition at the top.  It has arrived, it is the Braves.  Jonathan Maheu has led this remarkable bunch to a resounding success since their arrival into FPF at the last FPF overnight tournament.  Last Fall, the Braves won a bowl game with 5 players and put on a clinic when it came to red zone defense.  That won’t be the case this year.  The competition is stiff and it will take their best efforts to earn another Bowl win. 

FPF All-Stars (7-1): Their only loss came to the aforementioned Braves.  So appearing as the second ranked team is about as accurate a ranking as there could be.  We knew this version of Wyeth’s Heroes would be one of the top dogs and they did not disappoint.  The speedy Pilon Brothers, the deep threat of Justin Mclean and Chris Milard, the possession talent of Pat Jerome and Anthony Vendrame make this team a stacked opponent for anyone who would dare take up the challenge.  Their one pit fall was in a 35-26 loss to the Braves.  I guess we’re all just waiting to see that bowl championship game.

#NR (6-2): #NR are exactly where they ought to be.  No one truly thinks of them in the class of Braves or FPF All Stars, however, they are definitely in the next class of teams.  If a ball bounces one way or another they can claim a bowl championship but they will need to play nearly perfect and be smiled upon by lady fortune.  The roster inconsistency is a worry but this team’s core has forever been Travis and Jordan Moses, Kendal Mayers and Jeremy Anderson.  With Corey Pecker at the helm and this core intact nothing can be more impressive than having gone 6-2 with a revolving door at most positions this season.

FrVnny (2-6):  They lost the hashtag in a bet.  I don’t care much for Terry Tam and GM Koletheras’ revisionism.  So I’ve punished the offense by also removing the vowels.  FrVnny (pronounced Friven-y) have done the impossible.  They screwed up a season that appeared as though they were bound to fail upwards.  With their week 9 win over Sweat & Beers, Frvnny looks to compete in the same competitive market place that yielded 2 wins (one such win was against a team that since has been relegated).  While FrVnny would have had an excellent chance at steamrolling tier two competition Sean Avraam and co. will now need to navigate more difficult waters. Despite the excellent season by Jordan Allard, the passing game failed to truly feature familiar names such as Vinny Gualano and Vince Nardone.  However, I do believe this team belongs and with no top tier talent trickling down from the top 6, FrVnny is in a bracket where I believe, they truly belong.

 

Tier 2

Junkyard Dogs (6-2): Despite being the kind of team that best reacts to when things are going well, JYD have had a season where things mostly have gone well.  This isn’t as talented a team as we saw in the spring and it took a minute to get everyone on the same page but it does appear that they are there.  Dilan Daoust is a strong possession receiver who seems to have benefitted from the methodical approach that Jason Rossie brings to the table.  JYD went 1-1 against the two teams that got promoted and lost to a similarly powered SWAT team.  JYD are a front-runner in what looks to be a competitive T2 bracket.

Voodoo (4-4): Voodoo are ranked exactly where I thought they’d be.  They are a competitive but not elite Tier 2 team. There are games where Frank Kaye looks unstoppable and just as many games where this team seems to lack firepower.  Etienne Vaillancourt is not as dominating as when fellow receiver Pat-St.Amand is at quarterback but there is no doubt that this is a more complete receiving corps.  More than any other team in Tier 2, Voodoo is game script dependant.  If they get out to a lead, thye won’t be beaten.  If they fall behind they don’t really stand a chance.

SWAT (4-4): On the surface, SWAT seems like a team that would have run through the competition in T2.  However, the season has proven that despite Gino Defazio reaching into the monster’s closet to pull Isiah Allard and Shawn Haney.  The pair have combined for 23 touchdown catches and Isiah Allard has been a menace as a rusher (8 sacks, 6PDs).  However, this team is relatively thin.  Tier 2 is full of teams that have a multitude of playmakers on both sides of the ball.  SWAT has the best of the bunch but given that it ends there, they will need to rely on their top end talent in a way they could not get away with it in a higher bracket.

 

Tier 3

EZW (7-0-1): EZW was probably classified in the right place as the Spring finals showed that this team has had a lot of growing to do.  That said Jeremy White has grown more a sa quarterback in a short time than I have in my entire life (I’m more of a show-er I guess).  The team came into the season with Charles-Olivier Lavigne proclaimed as the leading receiver.  However his 39 catches were second in the team after Jean-Christophe Ferland (43 catches), and only slightly eclipsed Samuel Emilio Pelchat’s 39 catches.   They’re 39.625 points scored per game is impressive and I actually consider them to be a favorite over higher ranked teams such as Greendale Human Beings, Outlaws and Mean Machine.

Dream Breakers (7-1): Dream Breakers are one of the two teams promote from Tier 3. I believe the two teams promoted from T3 need to be considered the favorites. Sebastien Dallaire’s 39 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions is an indicator that would lead to predicted success and Pierre-Alexandre Tache scored 15 touchdowns and is a legitimate threat.  Greendale Human Beings won’t be the easiest of first round matchups but I do believe they have the athleticism to “upset” GHB.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see an EZW vs. Dream Breakers bowl final.

Hawks (1-7): The Hawks struggled in the first part of the cup tournament.  Moving to Yacoub Telemaque has not helped but I believe it will in the knockout stage.  There likely aren’t many T4 rushers who can contain Telemaque and the receiving corps that includes Riley Pincombe, Richie Mondesir and Chris Brockwell has gotten significantly more impactful against some more static defences that they are expected to see in the knockout round.  Expect the Hawks to do more damage and stave off elimination at least in the first round.

 

Tier 4

MACDO (5-3): They French Fry fueled fanatics have been one of the better stories of the season.  Philippe DeQuinzio’s 3 rushing touchdowns helped supplement a measly 6 touchdowns.  However, this part of the tournament will not feature many very high scoring teams and MACDO’s defense and slow paced offense (as most run heavy offences tend to be).  Clovis Desrochers will look to continue to pace the defense as his team leading 3 interceptions show an ability to break on the ball and they will need their defense to take them from being competitive to championship hopefuls.

Trailer Park Boys (1-5-2):  The Trailer Park Boys have lost 4 games by a single score or less and tied two opponents.  One such tie was against a far more seasoned Bruins team.  Trailer Park Boys are more talented than they’re record would indicate…but not much more.  This is a team that could not close out games.  It’s a mark of inexperience.  However, the bottom 6 teams feature five teams who have played one season or less.   I expect Hugo Geoffroy and Alexandre Meunier to have this team in the mix with all the other teams who struggled equally in the qualification stage.

 

Tuesday’s Thrilling Trombone

In part three of this series we looked the teams who offered least in the way of surprises.  Later this week we’ll look at teams who have it too easy and teams that are doomed. For further info on this division and the rest of the league feel free to tune into Calling the Audible where Terry Tam, the Eagle at Master Control and I will discuss the oldest grooms, mid-term elections and mid-term report cards.

Tune in to the Facebook Live to join the show or to see us on You Tube or download us wherever you get your podcasts .  Good luck everyone!  Please feel free to reach me @peezefpf on twitter or @ Peeze Della Reeze on Facebook to let me know about the various ways in which I was wrong