The big stage

La Grande Finale.

Yes, I went with a French title. No, I don’t really care if you got it or not, it’s Quebec, you got it.

On a side note, this is it ladies and gentlemen. It’s going down and I’m HYPED for this. I’ll be in the booth talking smack as I usually do and commenting the game live so, for any of you, come drop by, say hi, watch the game, we’ll discuss afterwards for sure.

The build up as been amazing and the finale is bound to give us some great FPF action one last time before the 5 months hiatus. I’m happy it came down this way; two strong seeds, yet, not two undefeated squads going at it. STL took the Nation by storm and the Dans simply showed they are much better than most give them credit for. This is bound to be better than the time Peeze choked on an asparagus and tried to blame me for “not cutting it short enough”.

Anyhow, let’s get to it.

 

Playoffs – Finals

What have I learn this week?

• Apparently, I give STL no love although they were in my Power Rankings (and atop) most of the season. Listen, Terrence, when you take a heavy beating by a low seed team in Week 10, you can’t sit atop the division, c’mon.
• On a side note, we all know who I am, let’s not try to hide it.
• I loved Aylward’s interview.
• Who is the second Dan…?
• For 13 weeks, I thought STL stood for something stupid like Saucy Tangerine Linguini’s, but I guess I was wrong there…
• I’m bringing back this segment next season FOR SURE.
• Dans and STL really made their presence felt on Sunday and showed us all there’s no doubt they belonged on the field on Sunday, not in the stands.
• Yes, I predicted the Prestigious Double Championship. Go get it.
• I’m still wondering which Finals will have the most fans. I’m guessing Div D, but we never know!
• Maybe FPF should look into introducing walk-in music for the finales.
• STL is the first time in my writing history to be featuring in back-to-back weeks. Is it a sign

 

Recaps

• In what could have been a great upset, Two and a half Dans took control of a low-scoring affair to stay atop their division and punch in their ticket to the grand finale against Killer Instinct on Sunday. Props to Killer Instinct to making the Final 4, but they were no match for the Dans as they simply couldn’t put up points against their defense. Instinct’s defense maintained the Dans to 25 points, which is remarkable and it should have been enough as I mentioned last week, but Spano’s 3 interceptions for 2 touchdown ratio was simply a heartbreaking factor for his team. Redzone looked like a tough place to punch it in and Spano was reduced to 6 points per half which, in the end, was the real difference maker. Hard fought battle that could have had either team win it, but The Dans finished ahead by 2 scores and showed us why they shouldn’t be underestimated.
• STL took control of their game last week to punch in their ticket to the finals when they faced the favorite Grip n Rip and things got out of hand fast. With a 28-6 lead at half, the game was technically over, but GnR managed to pull a 2nd half comeback that simply wasn’t enough to compensate. STL had their ways in the first half and everything was looking fantastic with Jamie Ojeaha being uncoverable and roaming their opponents’ field like it was cake (who walks on cake anyways, what a waste!). The second half saw what could have been a serious choke by STL as things started to unravel and their offense was going nowhere while Vinny Gualano got things going and put up a massive 32 points by the end of the game. Nonetheless, the 22 points margin was simply too big to conquer in only 22 minutes and STL won 47-38 in a game that should never have been THIS close to begin with.

 

Players of the Week

Jamie Ojeaha (STL): 81 yards, 4 TDS in conference finals. He went all out and no one could cover him. Quite simply.

Danny Aylward (Two and a half Dans): 2 TDs and 2 Interceptions in a game with that much at stake deserves the mention here. Congrats Danny.

 

Playoff previews

• Two and a half Dans (1st) vs STL (3rd)

Previous Matchup: N/A

Why Two and a half Dans should win: Two and a half Dans have a system that works exceptionally well for them. It’ll frustrate their opponents, it’ll create disruption and it’ll break even the best athletes. Exactly what can kill STL. If they start losing their cool, this could really get ugly; maybe even a repeat of the Dans vs Damps game a few weeks back, but this is the Championship game, you cannot bid on your opponents to slip up. When the pressure’s on, I trust Joey Taylor to do the right thing, because his system has very little flaws and very little human decisions to take; he’s smart enough to leave himself very little room for mistake when the ball’s in his hands. Their defense is tougher than it looks and it could surprise even veterans.

Why STL should win: I’ve been saying it for a while: STL has one of the, if not the best roster in Division C. Their only flaw? They don’t play like it. They’ve turned up their game tremendously since the 2nd half of their week 10 game against me and they haven’t looked back since. Dylan Taylor runs his offense with leadership and his teammates trust him. This offense can put up serious points on the board and their defense can make the best struggle. If this team is on the A-Game, they’ll take the ‘ship home and it’ll get ugly. These guys are the real deal when everyone’s running at 100%. Can they do it for a 3rd week in a row?

How it’ll go down: Yes, the quarterback play will be a decisive factor. Yes, rushers will need to be on-point and do their job, but let’s be honest, Danny McFee and Terrence Adams are too good to mess it up when everything’s on the line like this. Expect sacks and a lot of them. Both QBs will be on their game, but a QB’s only as good as their very own receivers and this is why the game will be on IT’s shoulders. Does he enjoy reading this? Hell yeah he does. If Jamie Ojeaha can roam the Dans’ field like its practice, Taylor will LIGHT IT UP and they’ll put up a nasty 40 burger. So the question remains, can Aylward (who’s the only tall enough player to match up with Ojeaha’s size) restrain Ojeaha enough to take his stardom away? The rushes will be present, the other players will need to chime in, but if Ojeaha is constantly open, we’ll start seeing double coverage and that’s why the others guys will get open and the ball will start the spread. It all starts with Jamie. Why so much importance on one player? Because if STL can score with ease, they’ll make a stop at some point and will win this game. The Dans won’t win by putting up 45-50 points on STL’s defense; their game plan should be to reduce Dylan Taylor’s production below the 35 and hit a high 30s to take the trophy home.

Key Matchup: Jamie Ojeaha vs Danny Aylward

Prediction: 41 – 34 STL

 

That is it for me for this season. If you have any comments regarding the article, don’t hesitate to hit me up on twitter @DagenaisFPF or at the fields. I’ll be scorekeeping games on Sunday and Tuesday nights, so I’ll get to see most of you guys. My official FPF email [email protected] also works, but get with the times, Twitter is where it’s at. Feel free to yell at me if you see me walking around, always glad to talk some football. It’s been a pleasure.