The GM’s Scouting Report -Finals Preview

So we’ve reached the cream of the crop. While it’s certainly not a surprise that the top seeds from each conference made it this far, it’s still been a playoff road filled with ups and downs and close games. I’m super excited to be a part of the finals, and the live broadcast ups the ante even further. If you’ve never been to the finals in Brossard, the atmosphere is without a doubt something else. The ferocity of the competition mixed with the spectators and the locale definitely provides for the most exciting of games.If you’re not participating in the finals but have the free time, I HIGHLY suggest that you make your way out to witness the games.

 

The games:

 

DK vs. D-Boys

 

Previous meeting: DK 40, D-Boys 31

 

This wasn’t the first time that Rochdi Benabdelkader and the DK core faced off against the D-Boys, and it certainly showed. DK knew what weaknesses to exploit against the D-Boys, and adjusted accordingly. The Pilon brothers were a cornerstone of this game, and their presence was certainly felt. Rochdi was not only able to cut up the D-Boys defense, but he managed to bring the ball back to himself with a game-breaking interception against a D-Boys offense that rarely turns the ball over.

 

The D-Boys fell a little short on this one, yet still brag that they held an elite receiver like Liam Mahoney to a single catch for 15 yards. While this is certainly an accomplishment, I don’t think that it’s something to boast about when you focused on shutting down a player and then two others took advantage and cut up your defense.

 

 

The rundown:

 

DK – Taking an established championship team and adding Liam Mahoney, Vince Nardone, Adi Sharma and Paul Lapierre is HUGE. They play cohesively as a unit, and are the top dog coming off of a 10-0 season. They have the best possible mix of size and speed, and have two of the best masterminds in FPF in Adi Sharma and Rochdi Benabdelkader.

 

D-Boys – Not just the best in the division, but one of the best defenses in the league. Consistently disguising their coverage and keeping their opposition guessing, the D-Boys have dominated the regular season and playoffs, and only lost to teams in Conference A (with DK being one.) The D-Boys are athletic and smart, and definitely are a hard hitting and gritty team.

 

Keys to success:

 

DK – Essentially, DK just have to go in and do what they did the last time these two teams met. It may differ whether or not Liam Mahoney is on the roster, but essentially DK’s game plan plots for all possible scenarios. They maximize all the outlets available to them, and are certainly kings of taking what the opposition gives them.

 

D-Boys – The name of the game for the D-Boys will be ADJUST. If what you’re doing isn’t stopping DK, you’re going to have to think outside of the box. Judging by how the Pilon brothers performed the last time around, the D-Boys defense is going to need to gameplan around minimizing the yards after conversion and especially minimizing Alex and Serge’s contributions to this game.

 

 

Prediction:

 

There’s a reason that DK are undefeated. Call them overpowered, but they got here even with their fair share of adversity. The D-Boys will provide a valiant opposition and will keep it close, but I definitely see this one going to DK.

 

 

 

Montreal’s Finest vs. Rainmakers

 

Previous meeting: Montreal’s Finest 41, Rainmakers 18

 

This matchup was not a pretty one. Coming out of the gate for the season, Ryan Kastner had a very forgettable game, having thrown two interceptions and being sacked 5 times. On the flip side, the re-tooled Rainmakers defense looked good but was largely ineffective against a relentless Kevin Wyeth attack. Thankfully, the saving face on this for the Rainmakers is that this was the first game of the season and they’ve had 13 weeks to grow and haven’t played the Finest since.

 

Montreal’s Finest, on the other hand, had a stellar looking game. Having gone 17/22 without an interception, the ball was spread very well amongst the Finest receivers. Furthermore, this game was the beginning of the Guillaume Ward pain train in which he accumulated a receiving touchdown as well as a whopping 5 sacks. Definitely a pride boost going into this game.

 

 

The rundown:

 

Montreal’s Finest – The Finest are coming off of their first-ever 10-0 undefeated season. Kevin Wyeth has put up a career-best winter season statistically, and you would be hard-pressed to find a weak link in the receiving corps. Aside from a close call with Terror Squad, the Finest have effectively handled every team that they have squared off against. They’ve had a fire in their eyes, and are out for blood week after week.

 

Rainmakers – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; this is without a doubt the most talented Rainmakers team since their inception. They have a stout defense, and they just seem to click together. The additions this season of Shane Williams, Mark Deslauriers and (the often overlooked) Matt Bond have meshed well with the existing Rainmakers corps, and it’s proving to have been the best thing for them.

 

Keys to success:

 

Montreal’s Finest – As the entire FPF community no doubt knows, this is really all on the shoulders of Montreal’s Finest to succeed. They’re definitely the perceived top dogs in this game and all they need to do is deliver. They game plan to a T, and excecute just as well. Already knowing that they have a hard hitting offense, their D needs to continue to frustrate the Rainmakers. Guillaume Ward will need to continue to be a thorn in the side of Ryan Kastner, and the rest will fall into place.

 

Rainmakers – In all honesty, since everything is on the Finest, the Rainmakers have an upper hand. With no expectations, they’re in prime position to deliver the most legendary of upsets. If they can either a) score first and have the Finest go score for score with them or b) throw something at the Finest that they’re not expecting, there is potential for the Rainmakers to change the dynamic of the game completely. Ryan Kastner will need to make his reads fast and the offense will need to run their routes perfectly in order to minimize the effects felt by the Finest D.

 

 

Prediction:

 

It definitely is difficult to pick against the Finest, as boring as this sounds. While this is definitely an exceptional Rainmakers team and they are as solid as can be, the Montreal’s Finest FRANCHISE is on a whole different level. Barring extenuating circumstances, this one is definitely the Finest’s to lose.