Division 5B Playoff Preview

Playoffs!?!?

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve had the pleasure of writing for all of you and I have to say, I feel a bit out of the loop. Firstly, I’d like to congratulate all of the award winners, especially in Division 4 and 5 where I both play and write, it’s great to see all of you have such fantastic seasons.

Secondly, it’s great to be back and I’m looking forward to seeing everybody at the field. I may even come out and watch a few nights but to be transparent, I’m dog sitting all week and the more I leave him alone, the more I worry for the safety of my house.

To keep this short, I’d also just like to touch on how much fun NFL free agency has been. It’s crazy just how much football is really a year round sport even when there aren’t games scheduled. Pumped that the Colts picked up Justin Houston and I’m excited to see Odell in Cleveland among other things. Next stop, the draft!

I’d like to wish all teams in the playoffs the best of luck. Anybody has a chance in any game and hopefully we see a lot of great games, a few upsets, and plenty of dominant performances. Especially those who won an award, no pressure guys.

See you at the field!

 

Conference A

 

Bruins (1) vs. A-Town (8)

Previous Meeting: Bruins won 33-13

A one versus eight seed is usually always a huge challenge and this one seems no different. I think it would be a huge surprise to everybody if A-Town manages to win this game. I actually anticipate a similar game to their first bout and not really any surprises. No classic rematch stories where David beats Goliath or anything like that. That isn’t to say that this is a huge mismatch athletically or talent wise, the Bruins simply have a lot more chemistry and know how to win games in FPF.

Taking a look at the matchups within the matchup, the huge question will be whether Jimmy Marneris covers Zach Zwirn or whether he will decide to rush. Also, hopefully having Darryl Dorcely back this time around can add another weapon to their arsenal. In the games I’ve seen A-Town play, I think he gets a little bit lost at the corner position. Not because of anything he does, but because when they play an experienced quarterback, it’s easy to take away one side of the field. I’d very much like to see Dorcely play safety and have Marneris play over Zwirn. That may just force the Bruins out of their comfort zone a little bit and make them win in different ways.

For the Bruins, the recipe is simple, continue doing exactly what has worked all season. They finished undefeated for a reason – they have extremely solid depth, Wiseman has played lights out on both sides of the ball and they’ve mostly been playing together for a few seasons now. The playoffs will be theirs to lose and should force them to have to adapt as well as teams will know to cover Zwirn and Jerry Waskiw.

I think somebody like Mitch Jose can be an X factor in this game. Emile Plante will have to play a game with zero mistakes, definitely no turnovers on a defense that has given up one of the division’s fewest amounts of points at roughly two touchdowns per game.

Prediction: Bruins win 32 – 19

 

The Process (2) vs. Black Knights (7)

Previous Meeting: The Process won 30-26

I was lucky to have seen round 1 of this heavyweight matchup and it did not disappoint. I actually thought for a few moments that the Black Knights would win that time around and I’m still led to believe that if there is an upset in the first round, this could be it. It’s a late game on a Monday night and anything can happen. I said it the first time around and I’ll say it again, it’s a very tough matchup for The Process. Think a comparison between Julian Edelman and Julio Jones. One is a lot more clutch, knows how to win and the other is just much more physically gifted.

That’s how I see this matchup – The Process may win 4 out of 5 times, but if the Black Knights can find that chemistry in a bottle and put a solid 60 minutes together, they have the tools to de-throne their opponent. Andrew Langburt had a frustrating game the first time, throwing 3 interceptions off mostly tipped balls. It can be extremely tough to find space on the Black Knights’ defense and he will have to use his legs again to extend plays and cause the Knights to breakdown in coverage.

Stephane Larosiliere on the other hand will need to throw the ball accurately and use plays that he’s comfortable with. Dynell Pierre can take the top off and Carl-Philippe Lajeunesse along with Fabrice Thomas have been excellent underneath. Larosilliere should move Pierre around in my opinion and try to keep the ball away from Langburt who proved last game he can be the difference on the defensive side of the ball. Maybe this time the game will be big enough for Pierre to tie his shoes, I’ll keep you all posted.

Prediction: The Process wins 26 – 25

 

EZW (3) vs. Le Speakeasy (6)

Previous Meeting: Le Speakeasy won 32-26

There were two EZW teams this season. One where Charles-Olivier Lavigne played, and one when he didn’t. In their first matchup, Lavigne was absent and they lost a close game. I’m not saying that this time will be exactly the same, but it has to be nerve wracking to be playing one of only two teams who beat you during the regular season.

The recipe for EZW this season has been simple. Score early and often. However, when you look at their first matchup, it was not Jeremy White’s best game and he had a lot of trouble with Le Speakeasy’s defense. What kind of adjustments will he make this time around? Will Lavigne’s presence really have that much of an impact? Wait a second, will Lavgine even BE present? These are the questions facing EZW this week and I don’t have any of the answers for you. Even if I did, I probably wouldn’t be able to share.

Le Speakeasy have had a much more tumultuous season. The started and ended the season on a rough patch, but the middle of the season showed them at their strongest. The most wins they have strung together is 3, so they will need to build on that for these playoffs and it starts with EZW. Vincent Richard can’t afford to throw as many turnovers as he has and he will have to continue to distribute the ball to give them a chance to win. He’s at his best when he doesn’t rush and finds the open receiver, leaning a little bit more heavily on Kalil Aube and Felix Richard.

I think that this will be another close game but I like to think that EZW will learn from their mistakes, especially on defense. I don’t see Le Speakeasy scoring as easily this time around and White will do just enough to win.

Prediction: EZW wins 26 – 15

 

Sterdam (4) vs. Tough Lungs (5)

Previous Meeting: Sterdam won 33 – 6

Although these teams are close in the standings, I think this is a huge mismatch for Tough Lungs. Regardless of their record actually, Sterdam can create mismatches for just about any team in the division. Their trio of Sidney Tremblay-Lacombe, William Tremblay-Lacombe and Gabriel Poisson have been amazing all season long, regardless of whether William is playing quarterback or Massimo Manago. It will be difficult for anybody to stop them and it’s a difficult first test for Tough Lungs in the playoffs.

Matthew Lerner has been good but not great during the regular season and he won’t be able to win this game by creating mismatches because Sterdam have them outnumbered. It will be up to Justin Lerner, Daron Migdesyan and Justin Gray to keep Sterdam in check and it’s definitely a tough assignment. I think that Justin Lerner and Gray may be covered well in this game and if the Tough Lungs have a shot at winning, I would actually think that Migdesyan needs to have a big game on both sides of the ball.

Sterdam can beat you in so many different ways. Regardless of who plays QB, they’ll have a dual threat that will need to be accounted for. Olivier Doleyres will need to contain the QB and force him to get rid of the ball quick because if he misses, Sterdam will be able to extend plays and practically do what they want. Hopefully Tough Lungs learned quite a bit from their previous matchup and they can drive a different outcome this time around.

Prediction: Sterdam wins 33 – 15

 

Conference B

 

Honey Martin (1) vs. Player Recognition (8)

Previous Meeting: Honey Martin won 26 – 19

Honey Martin is probably thinking that they didn’t get the best of draws in the first round of the playoffs. Although an 8 seed, Player Recognition played them well back in Week 8 and came within 1 score of winning or tying the game. In that matchup, defense took over the game and all three quarterbacks, yes, 3, had trouble moving the ball. There was only about 180 yards of total offense in the game and I can see the rematch being similar.

In their first meeting, Dave Roaldi didn’t quite look like himself. The athleticism of Player Recognition maybe caught him by surprise as he only completed 50% of his passes for a total of 61 yards. He relied heavily on his defense to put him in a position to score without having to march the length of the field many times. No receiver really stood out and bailed him out in that game, so I think the secret to success will be for somebody to have an explosive game catching the ball and providing Roaldi with some confidence. It will be a tall task as Nick Cenacle and Trenton Matuzewiski will be roaming the secondary.

As for Player Recognition, it’s tough to evaluate their game plan because we’re not too sure who will play quarterback for them. I’ve even seen Nick Cenacle go back there before and he can add a completely different element to this game. The one downside to him playing quarterback would be the loss of his services at receiver. Either way, they have a group of playmakers and if they can show some chemistry this week, an upset is very possible. Defensively, they will try to shut down Enzo and Mark Bellini and force Roaldi to remain uncomfortable all game just like last time.

I haven’t really picked an underdog just yet, so let’s make this one my first one.

Prediction: Player Rocognition wins 27 – 25

 

Les Gros Coqs (2) vs. Fighting Flamingos (7)

Previous Meeting: Les Gros Coqs won 20 – 18

If you told me these teams were facing off in the first round before the season started, I probably would have guessed that their seeding was reversed to be transparent. Les Gros Coqs, however, have been an extremely pleasant surprise for me and I’ve been impressed watching them and seeing them climb the standings. Their first matchup early on in the season was a close one and it tells us a few things potentially. Either Les Gros Coqs kept it close because of their lack of experience as we saw them only get better as the season went on, or it tells us that the Fighting Flamingos match up extremely well against them and Les Gros Coqs should be worried about a rematch. I tend to like the former.

Dom Lefort and his group were able to come out with a victory all the while throwing 3 interceptions. That tells me that Les Gros Coqs’ defense was able to hold off the Flamingos. In that game, Alexandre Delisle didn’t have a bad game per se, but he just couldn’t find ways to move the ball efficiently without relying on Troy Lendvay. The secret to the Flamingos success is moving the ball by using their plethora of weapons. We’ll see if Delisle can get Khazaka and Keiller going this time around.

Dom Lefort has been learning the FPF way this season in his first season and has done a great job extending plays with his legs. He’s read defenses well and has consistently given his team a chance to win. Alexandre Bresse and Vincent Granata have taken on most of the offensive workload, but Lefort has gotten many of his guys involved as well. Boris Gagnier has been excellent on the other side of the ball and will probably be responsible for shutting down Lendvay if given the opportunity.

The Flamingos are probably the better known team and some would say they’re better on paper, but it’s hard not to like the fresh face in the division. After all, the roosters on their jerseys look like they can dismantle a flamingo easily.

Prediction: Les Gros Coqs win 33 – 25

 

Takeover (3) vs. Threat Level Midnight (6)

Previous Meeting: Takeover won 20-19

If there was a team that you could call a well-oiled machine in the division, it would be Takeover. Both of their losses in the middle of the season have come against other playoff teams. They know how to win and they have a very good game plan for their Division 5 opponents. Their opponents are a team that haven’t been together for long but they do have a ton of experience as well, and the burden will fall onto the shoulders of veteran quarterback Jonathan Lemieux. Can he take down one of the top teams in the Division this winter season?

For him to have a chance, look no further to the game plan they had in place for their first meeting when they only lost by one point. You can actually argue that if Lemieux made one or two fewer mistakes, Threat Level Midnight may have won the game. They were able to slow down William Power and Vincent Benjamin and they only managed about 100 yards between the two of them when they are more than capable of getting that on their own. I think that Alexandre Girard will need to step up and have another big game, but Lemieux should plan to use his depth and get the ball to many different receivers and try to find holes in the defense if they hope to be successful.

Takeover have the tools needed to win, they will just have to limit their mistakes. Will Power hasn’t had the kind of season he can have offensively, however Ian Einheiber has proven he doesn’t need just one star player to win and he’s learning to distribute the ball. Power has dominated on the defensive side of the ball, however, and Threat Level Midnight should actively try to keep the ball away from him. Maybe Takeover can use this to their advantage and try to disguise a few coverages to keep Lemieux on his toes.

I usually give the edge to experience, but there is plenty on both sides of the ball in this game, so I’ll give the edge to Takeover just because they have proven they know how to win a little bit more than Threat Level Midnight. Lemieux’s team gets bonus points for the name, haven’t covered them much this season so I couldn’t help but show some love there.

Prediction: Takeover wins 25 – 20

 

The U (4) vs. La Brume (5)

Previous Meeting: The U won 33 – 24

Only a tie separated these two teams in the standings and we will actually be watching an instant rematch as these teams played each other to close off the season. It’s not that difficult to dissect these two teams because they just showed us what a game between them might look like. That being said, La Brume now knows what to expect and I could easily see them surprising The U a little bit.

In my opinion, this game falls squarely on the shoulders of Evan Frank. He now has a full season under his belt in Division 5 and should know what to expect. In the playoffs, the game gets a little bit faster and the windows become a little bit tighter and every mistake will be huge. He is a much better quarterback when he keeps the ball outside the invisible hash marks and can often find himself in trouble when he tries to throw over the middle of the field. A healthy dose of Papich, Kano and Pedvis should be able to do the trick on both sides of the ball as The U looks to shut down La Brume’s weapons and Jimmy-Lee Janvier’s big arm.

For La Brume, I think the game plan should actually be quite the opposite. Papich and Pedvis often play on the outside, so I think they should attack the middle of the field and use their speed to break tackles. If Janvier baits them short over the middle just enough, he’ll have a few shots deep waiting for him. From my experience, Janvier can either light teams up or throw an equal number of turnovers to touchdowns. Which Jimmy-Lee will show up for this?

As good as The U can be, if Evan Frank is off, it can be a long night for them and La Brume are anxiously chomping at the bit. I’ll play itself and choose the better team on paper, but let the record show that I strongly believe that this one could go either way.

Prediction: The U win 25 – 24