Midseason Breakdown
18-06-2016 12:00 AM
Before you go off scrolling down the list to find your team’s name, I’d like to first make it clear that the grades shown are based on how I expected the team to perform heading into the season versus how they’ve actually performed (i.e. C means you’ve performed as expected).
Also, if you feel I’ve been too harsh on your team, let me say right away… I’m sorry you feel that way. Remember that what follows are simply my thoughts and opinions about each team. I just call ’em as I see ’em. But if my opinion really matters to you that much, play better and you can put me in my place. Or you can complain to Simon Dagenais about it at the fields. Or if you really feel the need to let me know that you disagree, you can let me know on Twitter. Better yet, go out and win a championship and laugh in my face for having ever doubted you.
Conference A
EAST
Prestige Worldwide (5-0): I mean, what is there to say about them that hasn’t already been said. Just send them up to Div C now. They have a QB in Jonah Cohen that can make a star of a different receiver each week – and still put up monster points regardless – while their defense is simply impenetrable. They’re headed to the playoffs, and should be a favorite to make the finals. I guess the only reservation I could entertain is that of what the team will look like when the playoffs do roll around and they won’t be able to call up any subs (6 of the 12 roster members have played two games or fewer so far). As a guy who believes in the importance of chemistry, a lack of it may come back to hurt PWW down the stretch. But the keyword there is may. Key members Cohen, Joe Kano, Kyle Pedvis, Dylan Catellier and Paul Santache have all made it out to four or more games so far, and honestly that’s more than enough star power to make some noise come the postseason.
Grade: A
Key Players: I just freakin’ listed them
Prediction: 10-0
Fuzzy-Kittens (3-2): The duo of JR Beausoleil and Mathieu Ouimet has stepped up big to make up for the lost production of SBB; Gabriel Poisson continues to be dominant on both sides of the ball; Their 38 points allowed in Week 2 looks to be a fluke. Indeed, there’s a good team here, buried under a 15-man roster filled with one and two-game subs. That’s a lot of guys trying to get adjusted to as a QB and to build a rapport with defensively, and you just hope that doesn’t come back to haunt them come playoff time. But on the flip side, I guess it’s also a testament to how strong this core is – in particular one Jordan Robert Chartrand, who is off to a blistering start at QB this season. With a rather easy remaining schedule, they should have no problem finishing above .500 (and much more) for the first time in franchise history. Maybe it’s the new jerseys?
Grade: A
Key Players: Jordan Robert Chartrand, Gabriel Poisson, JR Beausoleil
Prediction: 6-4
Junkyard Dogs (2-3): Is this the start I expected for them? No, not at all. But I remain stubbornly confident that this team will be among the last teams standing when it’s all said and done. When you look deeper, you’ll see that’s not entirely a baseless prediction. First off, JYD’s three losses have come to teams that are a combined 14-1 (and you just have to wonder how different their most recent loss would’ve turned out had starting QB Jason Rossie been present). Then there’s what looks to be one of the easier looking back ends to a schedule of any team in the division. My only real cause for concern at this point is the offense, which hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. But I’ll give them a pass considering top star Hugo Allamanno and underrated free agent pick-up of the season Simon Lahaie have only showed up for three games each.
Grade: C
Key Players: Jason Rossie, Hugo Allamanno, Joseph Sifakis
Prediction: 6-4
Les Indécis (1-4): The good news is they have already improved upon their winless record from a year ago, having notched a win over Longhorns in Week 4. The bad news is they’re just not scoring enough points to expect to win many, if at all, more games this season. A lot of that falls on the shoulders of rookie QB Mathieu Lauzière, who despite showing off good arm strength still seems to be forcing too many passes and struggles to look beyond his first read. And yet, when Lauzière does throw a good pass, too often does it hit the intended target right in the hands only to bounce right off. These kids may be doing their best out there, but unfortunately you don’t get any points simply for trying hard. If you don’t produce on the field, you won’t win, and unless this team remembers the fundamentals, this season will be just as lost as the last.
Grade: C
Key Players: Mathieu Lauzière, Rémi Thibault, Marc-Antoine Pereda
Prediction: 2-8
Longhorns (1-4): Credit to them for still competing week-in and week-out despite not having the services of Rob Allen, Brian Martin or Aggie Kalaidopoulos. Seriously: the fact three of Longhorns’ four losses thus far have been by a single score is a lot better than I expected heading into the season. That being said, they still go down as losses officially, and unfortunately for them their remaining schedule is perhaps the most brutal of any: Backyard Bullies, Get Off My D, Fuzzy-Kittens, Prestige Worldwide and Junkyard Dogs. Ouch.
Grade: B
Key Players: Adam Rosen, Chris Rosen, Jon Moodie
Prediction: 1-9
Weapon X (1-4): It’s tough to win games without your starting QB, but even in the three games Jordan Maxwell was present for he was far from Mr. Consistent. Aside from one dominant showing versus Hot Boys Hotline (and even that wasn’t without its issues, with just 3 TDs to show for Maxwell’s 232 yards), Maxwell has struggled hard to guide this offense to an acceptable number of points. It’s fair to say however that the problem doesn’t reside entirely on his shoulders considering Weapon X have scored all of one touchdown in the past two weeks without him. In any case though, it’s clear that the Weapon X offense simply hasn’t been putting up the numbers it should be. I have very little faith it will turn that trend around anytime soon.
Grade: C
Key Players: Jordan Maxwell, Hasari Worrell, Andel Thomas-Gordon
Prediction: 2-8
SOUTH
Zoo (4-1): I pegged them as potential darkhorses in preseason. Five games in, and there’s an argument to be made for them to be pegged instead one step higher, as frontrunners. The Frank Kaye-Pat St-Amand duo has worked its magic just as expected, having already combined for a whopping 24 catches for nearly 300 yards and 8 scores. Role players Kevin Marcil, Yan Vandelac and Martin Bergeron have also been integral to the Zoo’s high-scoring offense, but I guess that should come as little surprise given how long they’ve all of the above have played in Kaye’s system. I think the more surprising phenomenon we’ve seen from Zoo this season is how solid their defense has been. Through midseason, Zoo give up an average of just 21.6 points per game – nearly a full touchdown fewer than they allowed in winter, and far fewer than the 31.6 they gave up last spring. Their loss to Backyard Bullies is the only stain on their record at this point, but it remains a big one. Remaining games versus Friends in Low Places, Gamecocks, and Gators should help reveal whether Zoo truly are deserving of the frontrunner label by season’s end.
Grade: B
Key Players: Patrick St-Amand, Frank Kaye, Kevin Marcil
Prediction: 6-4
Gators (3-2): A 3-2 record at the midway point doesn’t look like much, but it’s certainly impressive when you consider that three of those opponents are a combined 11-4 while the other is an upstart Frosty Bronsons team. There’s little surprise to how they’ve gotten there – namely feeding Eddy Martinez the ball drive after drive on offense, while rusher Kevin St-Pierre helps make a good secondary look great thanks to the pressure he puts on opposing QBs. FPF newcomers Dave Stewart and Greg Grant have been particularly key on the defensive side of the ball, which is certainly welcomed with what appears to be the absence of DB Evan Cook from the team this season. Put it all together and you’ve got yourself a playoff-bound squad if they can get past a remaining schedule that features three one-loss teams.
Grade: C
Key Players: Eddy Martinez, Eddy Martinez, Kevin St-Pierre
Prediction: 7-3
Magic City (3-2): Magic City were having themselves a rather quiet season before taking us all by surprise with a three-point win over Gators. It marked the first time this season that Magic City put up 30+ points in a game – and yet you can’t even say that the true Magic City achieved that considering starting QB Matthew Cinquino was absent that week. MC fell back to just four total TDs upon Cinquino’s return in Week 5, as they’re now averaging barely 20 points per game – a far cry from the 29.3 they were scoring a season ago. The fact Matt has had to use so many subs due to numerous absences likely plays a role in explaining that, but what leaves me puzzled is the fact brother Anthony Cinquino has gone from top target to afterthought. His nine catches in four games rank fourth on the team behind FA pickup Liam McCarthy and former Sunshine Islanders Johnny Lampasona and Nick Pasquale. Not to take anything away from those guys, but Anthony Cinquino showed us some serious talent in his first season in the league last season. It seems clear to me that the answer to MC’s offensive woes is on the team already, waiting to be unleashed.
Grade: B
Key Players: Matthew Cinquino, Anthony Cinquino, Johnny Lampasona
Prediction: 6-4
All Blacks (2-3): Take a roster that went 2-7-1 in Division 4B in the winter, add to it an absolute stud at receiver, drop it down to Division D and you get… slightly better results? Kinda? All Blacks certainly should be glad to have already matched their win total from a season ago, but they’re scoring virtually the same number of points per game (0.9 more to be exact), are still struggling with consistency (44 points scored in Week 2, 7 scored in Week 3), and are just overall looking pretty underwhelming so far. I’m not sure if it’s because All Blacks are still getting accustomed to FPF, with most of them entering just their second season in the league, if it’s a lack of talent as I questioned in preseason, or just a matter of an athletic roster not playing up to par. Whatever it is, with upcoming games versus Two and a Half Dabs, Magic City and Gators, they’d better figure it out soon.
Grade: C
Key Players: Anthony Lapointe, Alexandre Poulin-Rioux, Emile Amyot
Prediction: 4-6
Sticky Hands (0-5): When your top wideout has yet to suit up for a single game, your no. 2 wideout has showed up to just three games, and you haven’t called up any full-time sub in their absence, it’s not all that hard to see why Sticky Hands are where they are. Last season they were struggling to put up points with Nicolas Saro and Kevin Gauthier. In order to really leave their mark this season, QB Alexis Labonté needed to have not only Saro and Gauthier back, but at least one other playmaker. You can’t predict one of your players to break a finger right before the season starts, but you can most certainly respond appropriately. Credit to Sticky Hands for having the right idea bringing in former A-Squader Richie Mondesir. Boo to Sticky Hands for having gotten him the ball all of six times for one lone TD in his three games played. Instead, it’s Samuel Goyette and Jean-François Renaud who have proven to be Labonté’s go-to guys so far this season. But as well as they’ve performed, it’s simply not enough. The supposed return of Saro this week should help on both sides of the ball, but at 0-5 it just looks like it’ll be too little too late for Sticky Hands’ playoff hopes.
Grade: C
Key Players: Nicolas Saro, Kevin Gauthier, Alexis Labonté
Prediction: 1-9
Pandas (0-5): When it’s Week 5 and one of your leading receivers is lateralling the ball just a few plays before your QB runs on back-to-back downs (to result in a turnover on downs on a potential game-winning drive, by the way), it’s clear there just isn’t any hope for you. There are a lot of rules in FPF, for sure, but the ones I just listed are such no-brainers that there really is no reason for you to be breaking either of them midway through the season. That aside, there’s a good team in the making here, regardless of how their season has started off. There are signs of effort, sparks of athleticism, and good tackling hands on the roster. Once they properly learn the indoor game and build some chemistry, there is hope for Pandas to become a competitive team in FPF’s lower divisions. Until that moment comes, however, the growing pains will be…well, painful.
Grade: D
Key Players: Alexandre Bachaalani, Thomas G-Lajoie, Ryan Kharouf
Prediction: 0-10
CENTRAL
The Alpha-Ts (3-1-1): One of the most pleasant surprises in all of Division D this season. We already knew what to expect from such free agent additions as Alex David and Georges Élie-Voyer. What I don’t think many of us were prepared for was how dominant a dual threat QB Jesse Dupuis would be, and how insane a defense this team would have. Dupuis’ 131 rushing yards on nine attempts gives him the best YPA of any rusher with 9+ attempts, meanwhile he’s proven to be one of the more efficient QBs in the division with 18 TDs thrown to just 5 INTs. But that defense tho: multiple picks from four different players, with three INTs taken back to the house already. The elements of a strong team are all here. All that’s missing is to see how they fare versus stiffer competition. Upcoming games against Gamecocks, Frosty Bronsons and Friends in Low Places should help in that department.
Grade: B
Key Players: Jesse Dupuis, Mathieu Houle, Alex David
Prediction: 6-3-1
Les Affreux (3-2): It’s been as much a roller coaster of a season for Les Affreux as it has been for me covering them. In preseason I expected little of them, but that was before we saw that franchise staples Jonathan Lemieux and Mathieu Dubois would be returning for yet another season. They then proceeded to annihilate Get on Deck, squeeze by Sabrfc, lose a shootout to Two and a Half Dabs by a score, shut out Taimesaheiiin and lose another shootout to Get Off My D by just two points. Logic says they belong in the playoff discussion. After all, their only two losses having been to two teams that are a combined 7-2-1, while Mat Domon is on pace for his best statistical season at QB ever in FPF thanks in large part to a great addition in Jean-Daniel Joly. One look at their defensive stats and you get the confirmation – this team is built for the playoffs. A rather challenging remaining schedule will test their shot at getting there, but I think they’ll find a way to make it in.
Grade: B
Key Players: Mathieu Domon, Martin Jackson, Jean-Daniel Joly
Prediction: 5-5
Ghosts (3-2): The Ghosts of Spring 2016 remind me a lot of the Ghosts of Winter 2016: give the elite competition their best, play down to the competition versus everyone else. Against Friends in Low Places and Get Off My D, we saw QB Gab Wiseman at his best, throwing crisp passes and distributing the ball around well while his receivers fight for every extra yard. Versus The Alpha-Ts and Taimesaheiiin we saw anything but — and the latter is a team they should’ve pummeled. Really the only real consistency we’ve seen from Ghosts this year is the defense, which has allowed 5 TDs or more just once so far and has made big stops in crunch time. With Gab Wiseman the rusher proving to play a key role in the ease with which Ghosts shut down opposing defenses, it would seem it’s up to Wiseman the QB to right the ship offensively.
Grade: C
Key Players: Gabriel Wiseman, Zach Zwirn, Alexandre Levesque
Prediction: 5-5
Bromigos (1-4): I truly thought this would be the season Bromigos finally get it together, especially considering QB Patrick Larose-Laurent was entering his second year with the team while that the team itself was set to face much easier competition than in winter. But for whatever reason, Larose-Laurent is stuck in neutral – he’s on pace for exactly the same number of TDs and INTs as he threw in the winter – while the squad as a whole is going in reverse. Back-to-back blowouts after having been competitive the first three weeks of the season is not where you want to be heading into Week 6. It’s time for their top players to step up.
Grade: D
Key Players: Patrick Larose-Laurent, Frédéric Côté, Jean-François Fortier-Poulin
Prediction: 2-8
Taimesaheiiin (0-5): As essentially a brand new team to the league, I can’t say an 0-5 record is all that surprising. It takes time to adjust to FPF, and unfortunately for this group of guys their welcome to the league featured meetings with such heavyweights as Two and a Half Dabs, Friends in Low Places and Les Affreux. And yet, I would never have expected to see an offense get shutout twice in the first half of a season – in any division. What gives me hope that Taimesaheiiin can muster up maybe a win this season is their defense. Led by top contributors Xarly Dufresne and William Turcotte, the Taimesaheiin D has actually held its own for the most part. Offensively though, it’s going to take a serious turnaround from QB Alexandre Gaudet and his receivers for these guys to have any hope at finishing the season strong. I just don’t see it happening.
Grade: D
Key Players: Alexandre Gaudet, Jerome Arsenault, Xarly Dufresne
Prediction: 1-9
Conference B
WEST
St. Lunatics (4-1): Does it bother me that they’re averaging barely four touchdowns a game despite fielding a top division athlete in Jovan Cober and a rising star wideout in Eddy Lee? Definitely. Does it bother St. Lunatics? Doesn’t look like it. Their M.O. all season has been to make use of a turnover-forcing defense that puts the offense in position to score just enough points to squeeze out a win. It’s not the way FPF teams usually go about their business, but considering the Lunatics’ 4-1 record and the fact they allow just over 22 points per game, there’s not much room to criticize them for it. QB Domenic Benevento deserves some big credit for playing excellent ball in his first season at the position, making very few mistakes and making good use of the talent at his disposal. And, yes, he may take a lot of sacks, but by experience I can tell you sometimes it’s a smarter play than to throw up a pick.
Grade: A
Key Players: Jovan Cober, Eddy Lee, Domenic Benevento
Prediction: 7-3
Backyard Bullies (4-1): QB Brennan Burke has fallen back to earth a bit these past couple of weeks, but the most important thing is that they’re mostly getting the job done regardless. A loss to On Les Empêche on converts aside, the Bullies have beaten all other opponents by at least two scores – including top competition in the form of Gators and Zoo. A lot of that is thanks to the ridiculous two-way play of Rich Humes, but don’t be deceived by the stats – this team is littered by underrated bring-your-lunch-pail-to-work type players. They play hard, they play fast, and they’re confident. As they should be.
Grade: C
Key Players: Rich Humes, Daniel O’Connor, Vito La Giorgio
Prediction: 8-2
The Goats (3-2): As I thought they would, The Goats are scoring an insane amount of points – 34.2 per game, to be exact, third-best in the division. QB Joey Fiorillo is having a strong season (albeit throwing too many picks and taking too many sacks for my liking), as the chemistry is clearly there on offense. Particularly with receiver Joseph Buffone, who continues to be dominant as usual. But Oh My God that defense. Absolutely anemic. And yes, I know this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, but it doesn’t change the fact that the kettle is black. The worst part about this is that the Goats actually have sick athletes on the defensive side of the ball, and they’ve made a great number of plays in the form of picks and PDs. I like to believe that they’ll figure out their defensive issues in time for the playoffs, because there is definitely a postseason-ready offense on this roster.
Grade: C
Key Players: Joseph Buffone, Anthony Lazzara, AJ Gomes
Prediction: 6-4
Justice League (3-2): Looking at Justice League’s results through five games, I’ve gone from non-believer, to pretty-damn-close-to-being-a-believer, back to non-believer. Reflecting back at midseason, you won’t get many style points from me for beating up on a winless Pandas team and a struggling All Blacks team, while squeezing past a former Division 5B squad. I love that their matchup with a very strong St. Lunatics team went down to the wire, but following that up with a two-score loss to Backyard Bullies tells me that although this may be among the best, if not the best supporting cast QB Jerson Previlon has had in his four-year FPF career, there is still a little ways to go before this group can truly be considered a heavyweight team. Don’t get me wrong, there are solid pieces here: Petru Andreescu has been a complementary addition to the offense, Max Kevin Jocelyn is perhaps the most underrated player on offense in all of Division D, while Mendy is Mendy. We already know how gritty this defense is dating back to at least the winter season, but there’s still something missing on the offensive side of the ball that can truly bring this team to the next level. In any case, the current roster should certainly get a couple more wins to qualify for the playoffs come season’s end. Whether it’s good enough to carry this team to a deep postseason run is another story.
Grade: B
Key Players: Mendy Cardichon, Petru Andreescu, Jerson Previlon
Prediction: 5-5
Frosty Bronsons (2-3): Frosty go from preseason favorites to middle-of-the-pack at midseason. But a darkhorse playoff team still lies hidden behind Frosty Bronsons’ 2-3 record. James Nowakowski and company have bounced back very nicely from two disasterous games to start the season, having washed Magic City and The Goats in back-to-back weeks while falling just shy of handing St. Lunatics their second loss of the season. The defense is one that is strong enough to keep the team in the game week in and week out, while the offense, though inconsistent, has shown flashes of greatness. The obvious key for me when it comes to Frosty Bronsons is not so much whether they will make the playoffs, but whether Nowakowski, once there, can be depended upon to win with his arm when he comes across a rusher capable to force him to abandon the run.
Grade: D
Key Players: James Nowakowski, Alex Holowach, Terry Tam (Terry Tam?!)
Prediction: 5-5
On Les Empêche (2-3): On n’empêche pas grand-chose, finalement. The mix of Bloodmachines/Les Aigles turned I Rep That West turned On Les Empêche look destined for a rather so-so season if they don’t start playing better. Between Christophe Lapointe, Oliver Turcot, Charles Fontaine and Jean-Christophe Ferland, it’s certainly not talent that they’re lacking. Nor is it experience. We’ve seen the damage this team can do when it’s rolling on all cylinders, most notably of course being their victory over Backyard Bullies in Week 4. But with a defense that has equally given up 34 points to a slow-moving Zoo offense and now 43 to a long bomg-throwing Goats offense, I can really only figure that it’s consistency – both within games and week to week – that is the main problem here. When they want to be, this is a top tier squad without question. But until I see whether they can repeat their win over ByB versus the likes of St. Lunatics and Frosty Bronson, the question remains.
Grade: D
Key Players: Oliver Turcot, Nicolas Schaefer, Christophe Lapinte
Prediction: 5-5
NORTH
Gamecocks (5-0): When your QB gets sacked six times in a game and still manages to put up 246 yards through the air and ground, he’s the real deal. When he manages to then drive his team down the field 49 yards in five plays, he’s starting to reach elite level. Gamecocks are not without their weaknesses, with their defense in particular being a dropped pass away from giving up 36+ points for the second time in five weeks while it also allowed a terrible Indécis offense to put up 4 TDs in a game (basically double what they usually muster in a week). And despite that this defense is not to be underestimated– not with the athletic Andrew Langburt leading a secondary that can keep up in man-to-man defense and has a knack for getting two hands on the ball. Their style having been revealed in the Game of the Week, Gamecocks’ biggest tests are yet to come in the form of The Alpha-Ts, Zoo and 5-Star. That may make a 10-0 record difficult to achieve, but that would be an afterthought if they were to hoist the championship trophy by season’s end, wouldn’t it?
Grade: A
Key Players: Jordan Prizant, Andrew Langburt, Matthew Gottlieb, Kyle Tanzer
Prediction: 9-1
5-Star (4-1): While the jury technically is still out on whether 5-Star truly deserve to be placed among Division D’s elite considering none of the four teams they beat currently holds a winning record, don’t be fooled. As is often the case down in the lower divisions, it doesn’t take many playmakers to guide a team to a dominant season, and 5-Star have three of Division D’s best in the two-way category in the form of QB/DB Jeremy Anderson and WRs/DBs Dilan Daoust and Jordan Moses. When all members have been present, the trio has been virtually unstoppable offensively and unbreakable defensively — and increasingly so, with the team coming off near flawless back-to-back games. Their final will be far from a cakewalk, but there’s no doubt in my mind that they survive it en route to a top playoff seed.
Grade: C
Key Players: Jeremy Anderson, Jordan Moses, Dilan Daoust
Prediction: 8-2
Supply and Command (3-2) (written by GM Kolethras whenever he, uh, gets around to it):
Grade:
Key Players:
Prediction:
Blue Devils (2-3): A quick look at their results shows a team that went from red hot, winning its first two games by an average score of 34.5 to 6, only to go ice cold with three consecutive losses. And although that’s true, it should also be mentioned that the three teams they lost to, Prestige Worldwide, Supply and Command (even with Peeze at the helm), and 5-Star aren’t exactly bottom-feeders. They remain stuck in that no-man’s land where they’re dominant enough to dismantle weak teams, but remain a few plays away from taking down more elite teams. At 2-3, there’s still time to right the ship in time for the playoffs – where they’ll once again have a shot to prove they belong there.
Grade: C
Key Players: Julien Paiement, Maxime Chateauneuf, Jean-Philippe Rousseau
Prediction: 5-5
Hot Boys Hotline (2-3): Much like Blue Devils, HBH give off the impression that they are strong enough to pounce on weak teams, but just can’t get over the hump. It doesn’t help that HBH are struggling hard to score points in recent weeks. Indeed, after having started with an insane 10:1 TD-INT ratio in the first two weeks of the season, I was ready to have QB Tom Gatehouse swimming in praise. Even three TDs versus Junkyard Dogs’ tough defense is something to be proud of. But with a 5:4 ratio and a rather average 73.8 QBR in Weeks 4 and 5, I’m going to have to hold off – for now, anyway. And while the defense has mostly been the shining star of this team, it’s not without its own flaws. Their failure to adjust to Junkyard Dogs’ playcalling on the final drive of their Week 3 game, and subsequent failure to remain disciplined on the touchdown and ensuing extra point, makes it clear to me that while the pieces are there, they’re just not performing as they should. A date with perhaps the worst team in Division D this week should help boost morale.
Grade: C
Key Players: Vadim Chernyak, Jeremy Grauer, Tom Gatehouse
Prediction: 4-6
More Money-Less TDs (1-4): I must say, I wasn’t exactly expecting dominance, but I certainly was expecting better than a measly 1-4 record at this point. Ian Einheiber entered this spring coming on the heels of his best statistical season yet in his five as a QB in FPF, and it was a pretty darn good one at that. You would think he would do at least as well, if not better, with what is arguably a stronger receiving corps. And yet, despite having proven studs and longtime teammates in Alessandro Arciero, Nyle Anderson and Lee Galletti at his disposal, Einheiber has taken such a big step back that he has had to cede his starting QB role in favor of Chris Eramian. While that decision didn’t looked to be a flop in Week 4, Eramian’s six-score performance in Week 5 gives hope this roster can finally play up to its potential from here on out. A somewhat favorable remaining schedule should help.
Grade: D
Key Players: Alessandro Arciero, Lee Galletti, Chris Eramian
Prediction: 4-6
CENTRAL
Friends in Low Places (4-1): Just when I was about to peg them as pretenders, having beaten up a couple of so-so teams and lost to Ghosts, they go out and absolutely dominate Two and a Half Dabs – without their starting QB, no less. The replacement of James Nowakowski with Kevin Smuda has been not just a mitigating one, but dare I say an upgrade. Smuda’s size, athletic ability and sure hands has made him an absolute nightmare on both sides of the ball, and provides the perfect complement to the diminutive and nifty two-way star Danny D’Amour. With the defense taking care of business, there’s not much starting QB Jordan Bellemare needs to do but keep feeding his beasts and he’ll have this team playoff bound come Week 11.
Grade: B
Key Players: Danny D’Amour, Kevin Smuda, Normand Bellemare
Prediction: 7-3
Two and a Half Dabs (4-1): They were one week away from cementing their spot as top dogs of the division right alongside Prestige Worldwide and Gamecocks. But despite having crashed and burned versus a crafty secondary, THDabs maintain their spot as a pretty damn good team in Division D. QB Eric Mairoino has largely looked impressive running those Two and a Half Dans plays to near perfection, turning Dans QB Joey Taylor into a receiver to be respected in the process. With over 300 yards and 6 TDs to his name already, Taylor is on pace to smash the 488 yards and 8 scores he recorded last spring. It remains a team effort, however, with the trio of Taylor, Alex Joltopuf and Danny McFee making the most plays offensively while that of David Di Paola, Taylor and Maiorino lead a very collaborative defense. I like to believe their recent loss was a blip on the radar. Upcoming matchups with Prestige Worldwide and Get Off My D should help determine whether that’s indeed the case.
Grade: A
Key Players: Eric Maiorino, Joey Taylor, David Di Paola
Prediction: 7-3
Get Off My D (3-1-1): This season’s classic case of “Live by the sword”. The sword in this case is none other than snapper Jad Aridi, who has been the FPF equivalent of Antonio Brown this season as he’s far and away the league leader in receptions with 45 already on the season. Naturally, Aridi also leads the way in yards will being tied for first in TDs with boy wonder Juwan Edghill. Backed by a good, but not great defense, QB Jeff Rosenblatt has contented himself with checking it down to Aridi play after play and letting him get into the endzone drive after drive. It’s truly something to see first-hand, the defense knowing exactly where on the field the ball is headed and who exactly it’s going to, and yet still struggling to stop the pass from being completed. But the above proverb has a second half to it, and that is “die by the sword.” GOMD will continue to win, perhaps all the way to the finals, so long as Aridi continues to A) show up and B) dominate. If either one of those fails to happen, death for GOMD figures to be a slow and painful one. Good thing there doesn’t seem to be many defenders in this division that can keep up with Jad.
Grade: A
Key Players: Jad Aridi, Jad Aridi again, Marty Freed-oh, nope, it’s Jad Aridi again
Prediction: 6-3-1
SABRFC (3-2): At 3-2 midway through the season, SABRFC are exactly where they were at this time in Division 6 this past winter season. The difference is that it isn’t so crazy to think that they could be 4-1 if not 5-0 if they’d gone with Max Marini at QB for all five games. Instead, SABRFC decided to start the season with James Hamilton, then went with Jordan Mcinnis when Hamilton struggled, before turning back to the signal-caller that led them to a solid 5-5 record in their inaugural season just a few months ago when Mcinnis struggled. Between Micky Marini, Kyle McGuigan and Mcinnis if he stays on as a receiver, there is a dominant three-headed attack at SABRFC’s disposal if they so choose. Either way, with rusher Surya Chandel forcing errant pass after errant pass on the defensive side of the ball, there should be enough ensuing turnovers to lead SABRFC to more wins than not between now and the end of the season.
Grade: B
Key Players: Max Marini, Micky Marini, Surya Chandel
Prediction: 6-4
Get on Deck (0-5): More like get back in the dugout and start over. After surprising many, myself included, when their 30-man roster guided themselves to a 5-5 record in Division 5A in the winter, I wondered in preseason who would take over as top playmaking wideout. Instead it seems we’ll never really find out, because the root of Get on Deck’s problem lies at the heart of what makes or breaks an FPF team: the quarterback position. There’s no way to sugar coat it: if Get on Deck continue to go with either Michael or Reginald Café as their signal-caller, I simply cannot see them winning a game this season. The pair have been downright atrocious thus far, having tossed 5 TDs to 15 INTs combined with neither hitting so much as the 50% completion mark. To top it all off, last season’s starting QB, Stephane Larosiliere, has suited up for every GoD game this season. And here I thought their big-ass roster would be the most bizzare decision this team would make this season.
Grade: D
Key Players: Patrick Geffard, Stephane Larosiliere, Carl-Philippe Lajeunesse
Prediction: 0-10
Picks of the Week
12-4 for me, 13-4 for Nic Belleau. That brings us to neck-and-neck in terms of wins, with me at 54-26 (67.5%) and him at 54-31 (63.53%). Still ahead percentage-wise though!
Justice League vs. Blue Devils
Weapon X vs. Pandas
Ghosts vs. More Money-Less TDs
All Blacks vs. Two and a Half Dabs
Les Affreux vs. 5-Star
The Alpha-Ts vs. Gamecocks
Gators vs. Get Off My D
Les Indécis vs. On Les Empêche
Longhorns vs. Backyard Bullies
Bromigos vs. Supply and Command (N/A)
Taimesaheiiin vs. Hot Boys Hotline
Fuzzy-Kittens vs. The Goats
Sticky Hands vs. SABRFC
Magic City vs. Get on Deck
Zoo vs. Friends in Low Places
Prestige Worldwide vs. St. Lunatics
Frosty Bronsons vs. Junkyard Dogs
***
Be sure to check out this week’s Division D podcast with Simon Dagenais and Terry Tam at www.youtube.com/flagplus, recorded live on Thursday at 9 p.m. Until next week, Blanchard out.