Welcome back, glad to see you survived the "cold" on Saturday! I know it wasn’t really that cold, but when you’re a former fluffball turned skinny (ed’s note: debatable), the cold feels harsher. The only person almost as smart as me in this league when it comes to prep has to be the Jazzman, with his tent and tarps—he had that setup as cozy as could be. I had planned to try some sideline reporting, catching big plays, getting player reactions, and maybe even grabbing a quick quote. But instead of that, I used my second time slot off to head home and grab my massive heater, which the few devoted fans really enjoyed.

The rest of the season will be played at Leber, where there are painted lines to make it easier for players to know yardage. Unfortunately, most of those lines are already faded, which could lead to players coming up short on fourth downs. I've played enough football with folks who have way more experience to know this will probably happen at least once or twice. If you joined me on Sunday at my KTFL game, you'd have seen it happen 2 or 3 times to the player I was covering. It’s that time of the year when we separate the big dogs from the pups.

Recaps

D1
No games were played in this division since only three teams made the playoffs.

D2
Bines vs Nice TDs (18-25)
The game was tied at 12 at halftime, with neither team really taking control. Both teams made mistakes that cost points in the first half. Guillaume connected with Andrew for a 29-yard TD a few plays into the second half, putting the pressure on JF to keep up. Bines couldn’t gain a first down and turned it over on downs, which Nice TDs used to go up by two scores. But when Guillaume’s pass was picked off by Thomas, it kept the game within reach. JF managed a few good plays but ultimately turned it over again. Guillaume then helped his team score and stretched the lead back to two scores. Down two with under 10 minutes left, JF took Bines on a 9-play, 45-yard scoring drive capped by a 2-yard TD to Julien. With four minutes left, all Nice TDs had to do was run out the clock—but Guillaume goofed on a fourth-and-1 play, leading to a punt after a penalty. With 1:04 left, Bines had time and timeouts. But after some first downs, Guillaume jumped one of JF's passes to seal the game.

D3
I missed these games while getting my heater—maybe I’ll get to see them next week!

D4
F.A.T. Players vs Slot Machines (50-39)
Vincent Martel was a beast, grabbing 3 TDs on 4 catches for 106 yards, plus he made 6 tackles and batted away a few passes. Leon and Sean’s chemistry is like a cheat code: Sean isn’t super fast, doesn’t run perfect routes, and his hands can be shaky, but every time Leon needed a play, Sean was there, catching the ball with two or three defenders draped over him. The Slot Machines defense, usually full of hustle, was a half-step short this game. Gio is a solid QB, but he missed a few throws, and his players had some drops. It’s tough to play catch-up the whole game, and that led to risky throws he didn’t want to make. After dominating D5 last season, this will be a learning season for Slot Machines, and I expect them back stronger.

D5
28-3 vs Phoenix (25-13)
Phoenix made it easy for 28-3 with all the mistakes. Nico had short fields most of the day, throwing 3 TDs without even getting 100 passing yards. Cody Dupont racked up 3 sacks, and his pressure led to one of the three picks Kevin threw. 28-3 played solid defense, keeping everything in front, with Mass snagging 10 tackles and a pick-six he stole right out of the receiver's hands. Near the end of the first half, Phoenix tied it up at 13, but after advancing near midfield, Scott intercepted to stop their drive. Nico couldn’t get far with the ball, and after a sack by Pierre-Luc, he had to punt. On the very next play, Mass got his pick-six. Phoenix later advanced to the red zone, but Kevin's four incomplete passes ended in another turnover. With time running out, Nico found William wide open for a TD on fourth-and-goal, sealing the win for 28-3.

Women’s
Ladies, no games this week, but you're back in action soon!

Studs & Duds

It’s playoffs time, so finding studs is easy, but picking the duds was harder because anyone who lost could be on the list. You might have had a great game up until the last play, and bam—you’re on my duds list. Think of that knucklehead on the Bears two weeks ago, or this week’s dingus who dropped the ball before the goal line—anything can get you on here.

Studs
D2 - Richard Perez, my man! If all he’d done was get that pick-1 that made the difference, he’d be on the list. But with three more picks? Just let the guy in!
D3 - Jonathan Evans, going 21-of-28 for 262 yards, 6 TDs, 3 1-point converts, and just 1 pick. No runs or defensive stats, and when that happens, his team wins more than they lose. That streak is still alive!
D4 - Vincent Martel: 4 catches for 106 yards, 3 TDs, and 6 tackles on defense—an all-around star.
D5 - Julien Shabazz: 3 catches, 3 TDs, 69 yards, and a defensive pick—stellar stats!

Duds
D2 - Jason Edwards: 1 catch, 13 yards, and 1 tackle. It’s the playoffs—I expected more!
D3 - Nigel Thomas: 4 catches for 80 yards and just 2 TDs. All season, this guy has been putting up 3 TDs and 100-plus yards. Playoffs hit, and these are the numbers?
D4 - Thomas Svoiski: 3 picks and more run attempts (11) than completions (12). You’re a QB, not an RB—throw the ball!
D5 - Ilias Tihani: 2 catches for 10 yards and only 1 tackle.

That’s who made my list—hold your head high or drop it low. Either way, it doesn’t bother me!