Word from the Mouth: We Hope What Goes to Vegas Stays in Vegas! edition

Tuesday, September 6th Kevin Kousaie

I have started to write my article a lot sooner than normal this week since I will be traveling. We all know someone or at least heard stories about how the airports suck and it takes forever for you to clear security. That wasn’t the case for me this Sunday morning at 3:15 am.

The trip started with me getting here 15 minutes later than the 3 hours required, but it was early and you figure it shouldn’t take long. I figured I’d modernize and do self-check instead of waiting in that huge line to have someone do it for you (ed’s note: does anyone still do that?), and with my luck there was an issue, so I had to wait for help from the person at the kiosk which took less than 5 minutes.

Then passing through security was a breeze after I randomly got picked for extra screening. Who would have thought that a person with a beard and covered in tattoos would get searched? I breezed through without any issues (ed’s note: is Kevin trying to brag that he’s not a terrorist?). I told the wife that this was going to happen, and she didn’t believe me, but she was good and just walked right through.

It’s now 3:45 and I must sit and wait until 6 for my flight.

Just so everyone knows this article will be much shorter than most and I will only talk about 1 game per division. I’ll let Terry and Will cover more since Terry has been away for weeks and Will has been carrying the Podcast with guest hosts. First was Jon and then Jafar who will be next. I’d say they should have Andrew on since he is a different breed and always has something to say, at least off camera.

Weekly Recap

Division 1

Outlaws vs A-Team (14-26)

By the time this game started everyone that was at the field all day was dead. Marvin and Steve from Outlaws and Dave from A-Team, but Dave was smart enough to bring something to drink (beer). Seeing Dave there drinking in the heat I figured it was going to be an easy game for Outlaws, but that definitely wasn’t the case. Dave was on fire and looked to show Outlaws that they are no longer the top dog in D1. It took both teams until the last 3 minutes of the first half to score, but then in those 3 minutes there were plenty of fireworks. Dave drove the field to score, Steve answered with a 4 yard drag to Smuda who made 3 defenders miss on his way for a 45 yard TD. Dave once again drove the field with a big play coming on his pass to Charles before Ashton gets the 1 yard TD to end the drive and the half. Second half A-Team started with the ball and started the half the way they finished the first with a score. With the score being 20-8 it was looking bleak for Outlaws, Steve needed to score on this drive or the have the game get out of reach. A-Team stepped up got a stop and went down and scored and at this point it was 26-8 and the game was over. Is this a sign of things to come with A-Team being the team to beat in the division or was this just a bad game from Outlaws?

Division 2

Marvels vs Nice TDs (33-34)

This one came down to converts in the end. The game started great for Marvels and they were having their way with Nice TDs, but at half it was 19-12 for Marvels. Second half rolls around, and Dave wakes up starts putting up points, but was able to get his converts to make it harder for Marvels. I remember one play in particular where I called Max for an illegal forward pass, he passed the line with both feet before throwing, but stepped back and was behind the line. To me it was clear cut penalty. Both teams were given warnings from the refs about yelling at the refs for whatever reason and that next time would be a penalty. Late in the game Marvin started making a big stink about a player catching the ball, but having gone out of bounds prior to making the catch. After the game I explained to Marvin that he knows as a ref with me being on the line I first have to watch the QB before turning to see if the receiver caught the ball, when I looked the receiver was in and I called it a TD. The game was close at this point. The TD gave Marvels the lead with under 6 minutes left, but Dave stayed calm and cool and drove the field and left little time in the game and scored what turned out to be the game winning TD. Max had a few plays left, but on the last play of the game from 19 yards out the pass to the endzone was batted away by Thomas to preserve the win for Nice TDs who are no longer the laughing stock of D2.

Division 3

Invictus G vs Idaho Udapimps (27-36)

This week Dagher was playing QB for Invictus G and he wasn’t horrible at it. The issue was it took him a while to get going and once he did figure out what plays were working his team was down and he was forced to take shots. Towards the end of the game there was a little arguing between the teams, though nothing major, but at this point the game was already over and it was just a matter of the clock running down. The score was 30 to 19 when this happened and it made Brady a little mad so he threw another TD to Jerome and let them know the game was over already. Dagher got Invictus into the endzone and Idaho concede the 2point convert to end the game. Just a heads up, I let Invictus know if Louis and Anthony don’t have their ponytails grown by next week then they need to wear a wig to fit in with the rest of the team or I’ll be forced to throw them out and not allow them to play, but Jon of course won’t allow me to do this.

Division 4

Mustard Tigers vs Phoenix (13-32)

Let me start by saying Brian wasn’t there this week so Tom tried to fill in at QB which meant that he wasn’t out there catching balls and more importantly snapping the ball. They were so desperate for a snapper that for a while Tyler was trying to impersonate his dad. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. Mustard Tigers also started the game with only 5 players to make matters worse. Phoenix came out this week and played great defense and was smarter with the ball on offense than in week 1. Stu had himself a game this week hauling in 6 balls while being my safety valve as well as picking off 2 passing and running 1 in for 6. Both teams have plenty of room to grow and improve and I won’t be surprised to see this game being played again in the playoffs.

Division 5

TD Hunters vs The Lesniaks (6-13)

For this game I had a man on the inside give me the recap and figured that since I was only doing 1 game per division I’d skip mine and give this one some coverage.

The score could have been higher, but the result is what it is because it is a team game. On one side, Lesniak did an amazing job against one of the best rushers in the league, but only got 5 complete passes in the first half and his only completed deep ball was the winning one late in the second half. The ball was there, but the receivers were dropping them. I also must mention the five muffed snaps. On the other side, The Lesniaks seemed to be prepared against Goldrick's running abilities, so Goldrick was looking all game for a way to beat their defense. Every time he found a way, mistakes were made. The ones that hurts the most were the two rusher interference penalties. One was on a 20+ yard run and the other one was on a 30+ yard touchdown. It may have been a game for the first spot in the league, but both teams will need to improve quickly if they want to stay on top, because some other teams are actually improving and showed better results this weekend.

There you go, this week’s recaps. I would have loved to have included more games, but being away makes it hard with so much going on.

Players of the Week

We are moving quickly through the weeks of the season and have already played 3 games. There were so many good performances this week that I had to take a hard look to see who should get my vote. Now here are this week’s winners joining the other 20 players who already made my list.

Division 1

Offense- Simon Drolet caught what might be a record 20 passes in 1 game for 100 yards and 1 TD.

Defense- Louis-Phillipe Bardier made 7 tackles and had 1 pick.

Division 2

Offense- Ryan McSweeney grabbed 6 balls for 83 yards and 3 TDs.

Defense- Tyler Znoj made 4 tackles and were all sacks.

Division 3

Offense- Karl Lavallee-Rodrigue grabbed 2 balls for 74 yards and 2 TDs.

Defense- Jason Edwards made 2 tackles had 4 picks and ran 2 back for TDs.

Division 4

Offense- Mathieu Gratton caught 8 passes for 101 yards and 2 TDs.

Defense- Stu Lambon made 2 tackles had 2 picks and ran 1 in for a TD.

Division 5

Offense- Phillip Roberts was 21 of 28 for 217 yards and 7 TDs, he also ran 4 times for 12 yards.

Defense- Eric Buzaglo made 3 tackles all 3 were sacks.

There you have it for week 3, my top players who have made the list that everyone is trying to get on. Congratulations to all that made it and for the players who didn’t it just means you have to try a little harder if you want to see your name up here. Best of luck to everyone next week.

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 2

Thursday, September 1st Kevin Kousaie

Predictions

As of right now it’s still only me making my picks since Terry is away and is the one who makes the spreadsheet for all of us to fill out. I am glad that everyone isn’t making their picks since I have been horrible at them so far. Presently I am sitting at 17 out of 38, guess the batteries are running low in my crystal ball. I will change them this week to help me make the correct picks and getting me back on track before next week when Terry, Willie, and Jon make their picks as well.

Division 1

Gros Coqs vs Centurions

I feel the size difference will be a big factor here and you never know who or what Gros Coq team will show up, last week I saw a bit of arguing going on so who knows.

Iron Wolves vs Trollers

I wanted to go Iron Wolves, but Max has started the season on fire this year and will continue this week.

Outlaws vs A-Team

After kicking Outlaws from the playoffs last season and winning their title, Steve and the rest of the team are out for revenge and get it in this game.

Division 2

Marvels vs Nice TDs

I might not be making the right pick here, but I have to go with Nice TDs as most of their team will tower over Marvels and all Dave will need to do is throw it high where only his team can get it.

Tannantes vs Thunder Buddies

Once again Tannantes are missing players and need a sub, but even if they had their team, I still would have picked Thunder Buddies since they have the stronger roster.

Division 3

Iron Wolves vs Panaches

I have heard rumors that losing Willie from Iron Wolves has decimated the team and knowing that Panaches will win (ed’s note: Willie on the D3 team?).

Double Dippers vs Idaho Udapimps

After seeing both teams play this season, right now Idaho looks to be in better shape and has everything working for them. Even in last week’s win, Double Dippers at times struggled.

RawSauce vs Master Chiefs

If Willie can avoid Antoine then he should have no problem lighting RawSauce up.

Invictus G vs Idaho Udapimps

Both teams are similar in the way the team is built and the way they play, but the large roster that Invictus G has will hurt them in this one if they all show up.

Division 4

Drama Club vs Udaho Idapimps

It’s not that I think Drama Club are the better team, but from what I was seeing it looks like Justin isn’t going to be there for his earlier games and I’d assume he won’t be there for this one, so who plays QB for them?

Mustard Tigers vs Phoenix NA

I don’t pick my own team’s games.

Randoms vs Cyclones

Cyclones have a roster that have played together for a season and because of that have a huge advantage.

Revenants vs Pocket Rockets

Pocket Rockets have the stronger roster and the better passer, if they can prevent Marvin running all over them should win this game convincingly.

TD Hunters vs Misfits

I think they have the better team, but Lesniak will have to stop trying to show off his arm by going deep so much.

Sour Peeps vs Phoenix NA

I don’t pick my own team’s games.

Fighting Armadillos vs Les Last Calls

Only because I’m not sure if Sebastien will be back and healthy.

Vultures vs Heisenberg

They have a few more studs on their roster.

Cobra Kai vs Mimosa Crew

Curren should be able to take care of business in this one as long as he protects the ball.

I hope the new batteries will help with this week’s picks, but I also hope that some of you reading will take a dive just to help me get back on track. Good luck to everyone this week, especially the teams I picked.

Power Rankings

Going into week 3 every team has played at least 1 game which can help a little with my picks, but really at this point it’s pretty much a guessing game at least in the lower divisions. I will have to take many things into consideration when picking this week’s rankings and I know I can’t make everyone happy, but here I go letting you know if you have made my top 3.

Division 1

#1- Outlaws

#2- Trollers

#3- Iron Wolves

Division 2

#1- Thunder Buddies

#2- Nice TDs

#3- Tannantes

Division 3

#1- Master Chiefs

#2- Idaho Udapimps

#3- Bines

Division 4

#1- Cyclones

#2- Pocket Rocket

#3- Bines Low Fat

Division 5

#1- Misfits

#2- TD Hunters

#3- Phoenix

As you may have noticed I did make a few changes, but who knows how long it’s going to stay like this? This week there are few big games that can easily flip my rankings around. There are a few teams that are on my rankings that I can see staying in for the rest of the season and then there are those teams that might not even last this week. If you want to see your team up on my list then win some games and don’t worry, eventually your team will be up here.

Final Thoughts

This week my article may have been a bit longer than what you are used to, I figured since next week will be a short one that this should be a bit longer. Jon just a heads-up next week expect a lot more editing than normal (ed’s note: literally not possible) as I will be writing my article while in the airport and on the plain (ed’s note: I’m leaving that in to prove my point, couldn’t even make it to the end of the sentence without a typo) at 6 am Sunday morning. It was either write it then or when I wasted all week in Vegas.

With that out there, if anyone has any gambling tips on how to break the bank let me know and I’ll give you a cut of my winnings (ed’s note: not sure you’re using that phrase correctly…) and I don’t want to hear count cards, because if any of you have had me score keep your games, you know I’m not good with numbers and I just randomly put numbers in for your yards, that’s how Jon gets all his rushing yards.

I have nothing else to say so just remember that we are playing a game, so go out, have fun, and don’t kill anyone. Thanks and see you Saturday.

Word from the Mouth: Corrupt Scorekeepers! edition

Wednesday, August 31st Kevin Kousaie

This past weekend was a great one for football, unless you played the early game at 9:30 when it was raining. It wasn’t hard, but it was enough to make the ball a little slick.

With the new caps in place, it seems to have made most of the games closer and that means better games across the board. I was talking with a few players who play in D1 and D2 and they feel that the top divisions have gotten so much better and that is good for the league. To me there still is a big gap of talent in D2 from the top players to the next level of players. Right now, most if not all the top players in D2 are from D1 teams and unless players and teams get dramatically better, I can’t see either of those divisions get much larger than they already are. I would love to see a 10-12 division 1 it would make it way more interesting for everyone.

For years now we keep seeing Outlaws, Trollers and Gros Coqs with a few teams coming and going. It looks like A-Team will be here for a while and you never know about Jon and Iron Wolves what will happen, oh and how could I forget about Centurions who made the jump up and struggled their first season, but have been to two finals since.

One thing I really do wonder about is if the league will start to cap the number of teams players are able to play on. Right now we don’t have anything like this in place, but as we continue to grow it makes it harder and harder to make a schedule that makes everyone happy. I know this week we had 1 player how plays on 4 teams have 3 games at the same time, we also had another player miss one of his games because he was added to the roster after the schedule was made or his conflicts weren’t sent in by the captain. With the above situation I wonder if Jon will give the credit for those games played (ed’s note: he will not). I can tell you that if the player was added late then its too bad for the player, he needed to choose which team to play for that week. If it was on the league for the way the schedule was made then they should be given an exemption.

(ed’s note: The schedule is made on a priority basis with teams that are more flexible having higher priority. So, if a team has a time request to not play any games after 12 pm and they have no team conflicts then they would have priority over a team with 3 team conflicts, for example. So, that team may very well get their 11 am time slot even if it means that a player may have to miss a game. I strongly suggest that if your team has time requests that you minimize the conflicts between teams as you likely will not get both!)

Week 2 Recap

Division 1

Trollers vs A-Team (43-20)

I can only tell you what I heard from this game and the little bit that I caught a glimpse of. Max came out and was on fire this week showing why he is one of the top QBs in the league. Jeremy had a field day torching his old team for 3 TDs. I didn’t ask, but really want to know if they were against his brother Ashton or not. And who can forget about Andrew not shutting up all game long trying to provoke the guys he just won a championship with a few weeks ago. Then you have the one thing that everyone always complains about and that is the way Dilan makes tackles and how he dives and rips at the players. I have seen Dilan play enough times to know what they are talking about, but the guy dives with his hands open and swats at the flags and to me as long as he isn’t pulling the player down then it should be fine. There were players on the Trollers complaining about this, until they did it themselves in another game and said that it was fine what they were doing.

Iron Wolves vs Gros Coqs (31-21)

I was there for this game after driving over from the other field. I wont talk much about this game since Willie will be covering it in this weeks Podcast with Jafar and might want to go into more details about how Dom took the ball away from him for an interception and all Willie could do is stand there with this look like how did that happen. Will almost looked like sad puppy dog when he doesn’t get his way. (ed’s note: it was 100% a catch for Will (in my biased mind, of course), but I prefer it as a pick as we can allows hold that over his head, just like Dom did with the ball).

Division 2

Marvels vs Red Raiders (46-36)

Both QBs played extremely well with Max throwing 7 TDs and Mike getting 5 of his own. The difference in this game were the 2 picks Mike threw and how quickly Marvels capitalized on them. The first half was all offense with points being scored at will. What had to be the most disrespectful play in MFL history was when Andrew picked off the convert and was running it back, de-flagged himself, ran a little bit more, decided to turn around and go back to pick his flag up, put the flag back on the belt, and continued to run it back and he did all this while laughing about it. Second half of the game both teams defense stepped up and made the other team put drives together for points. Tyler was quiet for the Trollers as he only managed to get 1 sack on Mike. What would have helped Red Raiders was Carlos their rusher being there as Max had all day in the pocket to distribute the ball to all of his receivers. When Francis get 6 balls and over 40 yards (ed’s note: unacceptable), you know Max had time to go through his progressions before settling. Tameem had a monster day which isn’t surprising, but you would have thought that Red Raiders would have been able to figure a way to slow him down instead of giving up 4 TDs to him.

Nice TDs vs Tannantes (42-36)

Nice TDs has improved dramatically this off season and it showed. They now have a stable QB and added 2 tall giants, plus they brought Kris back to the team. In this game Dave spread the ball all over and on defense they got a few stops and picked a ball off as well. The big thing this week was Tannantes were missing players and ended up being only 3 roster players and got subs from the same division, it could become a forfeit for 2 reasons, but Nice TDs still won the game so I think it will be left how it is. With 2 minutes left Nice TDs went up by 12 points and the game was over.

Division 3

Double Dippers vs RawSauce (32-20)

Boy were the receivers ever happy to have Leon back this week. They knew the ball was going to be on time and in the right spot, all they had to do was catch it and some had a hard time of that at first. I think that Sean had 2 or 3 drops which all might have gone for TDs if not at least a first down. After Double Dippers scored their first TD, Marc-Antoine picked off the convert and ran it back for 1 and it looked like Leon might have had the angle on him until he turned on the jets and Leon just stopped. With under ten minutes left RawSauce was up 20-13 and looked to be in control of the game, or at least until Double Dippers woke up. Leon drove them down to score on a 13 yard TD pass to Manuel followed by a 1point convert to Sean to tie it at 20. RawSauce has the ball and just over 4 minutes looking to go down and win the game, except Ludovic threw a pick on his first pass. Double Dippers scored with ease to take the lead. Still RawSauce had plenty of time to go down and tie it up to force OT. They turned the ball over again, but this time on downs. I know the score looks like it wasn’t close but if it wasn’t for the last 5 minutes of the game it was back and forth all game.

Division 4

Bines Low Fat vs Phoenix (26-24)

This game could have gone either way and with a few extra catches from Phoenix might have turned out the other way. The first half was plagued by big drops from Phoenix in key situations and me throwing 5 picks by hanging the ball up and allowing Simon and Dave to get over and make plays on the balls. It was the first game that Mathieu was playing QB and he did an OK job of it and should get better with more practice. What really helped out Bines was the big plays that they were able to get. They scored on 30, 35, 45, and 26 yard TDs. The big thing about Bines is their defense is top notch and will give any QB fits. In the second half of this game Phoenix switched up the offense and things started to roll as we were able to put up 24 point, had the lead for all of 1 play and had a chance to tie it on the last play of the game, but the convert was no good as the pass was dropped and the receiver was out of bounds. (ed’s note: double no good!)

Randoms vs Mustard Tigers (15-37)

This game was never close and was never going to be close, at least not with Randoms missing their QB. Old man John Morris was a stud in this game and Randoms weren’t able to slow him down any slower than he already goes as he scored 4 TDs. I would love to see this rematch with both teams having their rosters, that would mean Mustard Tigers would have Tyler rushing and Randoms would have Rob at QB. On paper you think it would be a fair trade off, but I would think that Randoms would have the advantage there. Rob gets rid of the ball fast so Tyler wouldn’t make a huge impact and Randoms would also get one of their top targets back in Mr. Gratton.

Udaho Idapipms vs Revenants (18-19)

This was a game between 2 QBs who are learning the game and will take time to do that and make the proper reads. To me Justin outperformed Marvin as a passer, but Marvin dominated as a runner. Marvin did win the game, but needs to become more of a passer and less of a runner. You can’t have more rushing attempts than completions if you expect to improve. It was a huge win for Revenants and great way to start the season. For Udaho it was also a good starting block for a new QB.

Airborne vs Cyclones (25-45)

Yann started the season off on fire like the way he finished last season. Airborne on the other hand, I’m not sure what they are doing. A two QB system isn’t going to work. Ryan might turn out to be the better QB, but then you lose a very good target. Guillaume should stay at QB since that’s what the team is used to, but I do know that last season he was dealing with injuries and that might be the reason why he pulled himself from the game. When the switch was made the game was already over with the score being 32-13.

Drama Club vs Revenants (31-25)

I’m not sure how Revenants could allow this to happen but they got beat by 2 players as Nico and Ben both had over 85 yards and scored all 5 of Drama Clubs TDs with Nico getting 4 of them. Marvin did a much better job as a passer in this game, but couldn’t run as Roxanne was all over him from the very first whistle. Before the game Simon had mentioned that Drama Club was going to use Nico as a rusher on Marvin and I was like why would you do that when you have Roxanne who is a better rusher and look what happened, she owned him.

Bines Low Fat vs Pocket Rockets (36-45)

Pocket Rockets pulled off a huge upset, or was it? Bines tried a different QB this game with Albert taking snaps and it was his first time. At half time Bines were up 36-27 and just wanted the game to be over as they were all dead from playing 3 games in a row. When I spoke to them afterwards, they said they no longer were able to run and make cuts as all their legs were jello. PO was able to take advantage of this and used lots of crosses and hard cuts. On defense Pocket Rockets were just a step a head of the receivers and were able to make plays on the ball.

Division 5

TD Hunters vs Phoenix (12-6)

This game wasn’t pretty at all. I wont complain to much about us losing as it wasn’t my best game and TD hunters earned the win. It did seem as if the refs and scorekeepers were against us (ed’s note: the scorekeeper was against you?), giving them great spots, getting them a different ball to use (ed’s note: giving them a non-synthetic ball to throw in wet conditions was favouring them?), allowing the rusher to run into my leg and not allow me to follow through on the last play of the game, which was still hurting and sore on Monday. I blame Willie for turning his head to see if it was a catch right as the ball was leaving my hands. TD Hunters played good defense and Goldrick was able to find the open player all game. It would have been different if the full Phoenix team was there as we were without our rusher and a solid receiver in Brandon. Congratulations on the win TD Hunters, but next time will be a different story.

Sour Peeps vs Fighting Armadillos (13-32)

These two rosters aren’t even close to being on the same level. PO has a bunch of good receivers to throw to while Jocelyn does not and his team is still learning the game. For as good a QB as PO is, he needs to complete more of his passes if he wants to go to the next level. Yes, he threw 5 TDs to 0 picks, but only had a 50% completion percent. Jocelyn completed more passes, but didn’t get the same production out of his team. It was the second half when Armadillos pulled away because at half it was only a 14-7 game for them.

Misfits vs Les Last Calls (12-7)

This game had all the scoring done in the first minute of the game and the last two minutes of the game. Lesniak started the game with a pick to Sebastien, which only took Last Calls 1 play to score on them. Then Lesniak hit a 45 TD to Zack. Then a whole bunch of back and forth, but nothing exciting happening. Then on their last possession Misfits were able to go down the field and score to take the lead, but failed on the convert. Guillaume had time to try for the win, but without Sebastien playing was able to get it close, but wasn’t able to punch it is. In this game Sebastien got hurt on the second play of the game and would have made this a different game, since on his first play he picked off the ball and his second play was a TD, two plays played and both huge plays.

Misfits vs Cobra Kai (39-12)

This was not a pretty game, at least not for Cobra Kai. They threw 7 picks, 2 of which were returned for scores and 5 were to one player. Lesniak had 8 completions and 4 were for TDs. I tried to help Cobra Kai last week by sending them a defensive playbook so they wont have to play man the whole time and I’m not sure it they even looked at it.

Mimosa Crew vs Vultures (6-12)

Curren didn’t have a good day this past weekend as he was only able to complete 5 passes and only ran twice for 5 yards. Even with numbers like that he still had a chance at the end of the game to win it. Vultures have a good roster, but have not been performing the way you would think they would and, yes, they won, but not as you would have expected them to. When vultures scored with 2:38 left in the game you figure that Mimosa Crew only has one possession left with the ball, that wasn’t the case. Curren threw a pick on the second play, but then his defense bailed him out by getting a stop and giving them 40 seconds to try and win the game. Curren threw 3 incomplete passes before finding Vinojan for a 25-yard play. On the last play of the game Curren throws it to the endzone hoping for his team to come down with it, but instead Anthony picked it off to seal the game for Vultures.

Heisenberg vs Les Last Calls (40-6)

This was a big game for Heisenberg to start the season, but I wouldn’t look to deep into this game. It was Les Last Calls second game of the day, and they were without their best player who was hurt in the previous game. I did like the fact that Ian did a nice job of spreading the ball and finding the open receiver, huge difference from last season. I think if and when these two teams meet again it might not end the same way.

There you have it this weeks recaps and as some of you might have noticed I did cover every game in D4 and D5 because Terry isn’t here to ref and we all know Willie gets confused and doesn’t know anyone in those division and the one teams he does he thinks they still wear dolphins jerseys. Hope you enjoyed and stay tune for more next week.

Players of the Week

Now that we have moved in to week 2 I expect big things from players. I want to see multiple TDs from players, people breaking at least 100 yards, maybe Steve or Jon running for 50 yards on less than 20 attempts. As for defense, tackles are good, but no one really cares about them. I need to see picks, sacks, and a pick 6 or safety would be nice. Now keep it up and balling and you can make my list which is the only one that really matters since Jon just picks out of a hat who gets to go up on the website. (ed’s note: I use an internet randomizer!)

Division 1

Offense- Jeremy Rooney made 7 catches for 92 yards and 3 TDs.

Defense- Stanley Louis made 3 tackles and had 1 sack. I know it doesn’t seem like great numbers, but it was the amount of pressure he put on Dom all game that won it for him this week.

Division 2

Offense- Tameem Riman grabbed 8 balls for 93 yards, 4 TDs and 2 1point converts.

Defense- Vincent Dion made 5 tackles and had 2 picks.

Division 3

Offense- Sean Kennedy snagged 4 balls for 77 yards 1 TD and 2 1point converts.

Defense- Simon Beaudoin made 6 tackles and had 1 pick.

Division 4

Offense- John Morris grabbed 8 passes for 72 yards and 4 TDs.

Defense- Clement Chaussee made 8 tackles and 2 picks with both being brought back for 6 points in 2 games.

Division 5

Offense- Ian Carlo Herrera was 23 of 3

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 1

Thursday, August 25th Kevin Kousaie

Predictions

It’s that time of the week again where I look into my crystal ball and tell you who is going to win and why. With last week being week 1, I was only able to get 6 out of 14 games correct, which is horrible. It looks like I might be doing picks all alone this season which is fine as it makes it easier not having to worry about someone catching up to me like last season. Without having you wait any longer here are this week’s picks and like always they are in bold.

Division 1

Trollers vs A-Team

I know it might seem crazy that after losing a few players in the off season, but A-Team might have a better roster this season with the players they went out and added. A-Team will win this game and show everyone that they are here to repeat this season.

Gros Coqs vs Iron Wolves

I really wanted to go with Gros Coqs but the styles that both teams play favors Jon and Iron Wolves. If I was able to know that Gros Coqs complete roster would show up I’d probably pick them to win.

Division 2

Spritz Gang vs Jagerbomb

Jagerbomb will be without Simon at QB so picking them is a gamble, but knowing that Spritz Gang has a few players injured should even it out. I just feel that with the speed and being more athletic, Jagerbomb should win this game.

Marvels vs Red Raiders

When I look up and down the two team’s roster, I just see more difference makers on Red Raiders side. Mike has put a great roster together and if they gel quickly then they might be the team to beat this season.

Nice TDs vs Tannantes

It seems as if Tannantes have a bunch of players missing and will need to rely on subs this week and the only issue with that is there will be no chemistry and that will be the reason why they lose this week, or maybe it will be by forfeit.

Division 3

Idaho Udapimps vs Iron Wolves

I think there are more holes and weaknesses on Iron Wolves to attack, but I also think they have the higher end players as well, plus with Jon at QB you know more often than not he is safe with the ball and takes limited shots.

Bines vs Invictus G

Both teams have rosters of 11 and 14 players which can really become an issue if everyone shows. I have seen both these teams play and Invictus G might have more top talent on their team, but Bines have played together for a few seasons now and they all know what to do to win games.

Double Dippers vs RawSauce

Both teams gave up loads of points last week, but RawSauce was able to score unlike Double Dippers. I think this week with Leon being back Double Dippers gets the win with ease.

Division 4

Randoms vs Mustard Tigers

From the looks of it Randoms will be without their QB Rob and knowing that they won’t have a chance.

Udaho Idapimps vs Revenants

Both teams might struggle at times this season, but for this game I think Udaho has the better talent and should be able to pull out the win.

Phoenix vs Bines Low Fat NA

I don’t pick my teams games.

Airborne vs Cyclones

I know Cyclones have the top player on their side and maybe even the second as well, but after that there is a drop off and Airborne has more second tier talent and because of that should be able to win the game.

Drama Club vs Revenants

I can’t see anyone on Drama Club being able to stop Marvin from running all over them and then on defense Marvin should take away anything deep Simon tries.

Bines Low Fat vs Pocket Rockets

I only went with Pocket Rockets because Bines Low Fat has a new QB that has never played before and that most of the guys on the roster are only there to sub from time to time.

Division 5

TD Hunters vs Phoenix NA

I don’t pick my teams games.

Sour Peeps vs Fighting Armadillos

I think that it will be a close game but, in the end, the QB play from PO will be the difference in this game.

Misfits vs Les Last Calls

I think this game will be ugly at least to start, but I feel that the connection between Guillaume and Sebastien will be the difference in helping Les Last Calls win the game.

Misfits vs Cobra Kai

I think they will be more organized and Lesniak should be able to pick their defense apart with little resistance.

Mimosa Crew vs Vultures

After struggling last week this week, the experience comes through for Vultures as they get their first win of the year.

Heisenberg’s vs Les Last Calls

They are the better team and shouldn’t have much trouble pulling this one out.

There you have it, this week’s picks. Now help me out and make me look good, well at least with my picks. Jon insert joke about how I look because I know you are going to. Best of luck to everyone this week.

Power Rankings

Last week we had limited teams playing and it was also week 1 of the season, so making the rankings was harder than it should be. As the weeks go along it should get easier and easier as teams start to separate from one another and here are this week’s rankings.

Division 1

#1- Outlaws

#2- A-Team

#3- Trollers

Division 2

#1- Thunder Buddies

#2- Red Raiders

#3- Tannantes

Division 3

#1- Master Chiefs

#2- Idaho Udapimps

#3- Double Dippers

Division 4

#1- Bines Low Fat

#2- Pocket Rocket

#3- Mustard Tigers

Division 5

#1- Phoenix

#2- Les Last Calls

#3- Mimosa Crew

If you have been following you can see that a few changes were made, and I can tell you that after this week a few more will also be changed. After this week every team would have played at least one game, if not two, and since I will be at the field all day it means I will get to see and hear what went on and will that help me make some changes to the rankings.

Those are this week’s rankings and I know you might not like them but if you want to make my list win some games beat some good teams and in no time your team will make the list.

Final Thoughts

Kids are back in school or at least the ones going to CEGEP, High School and Elementary Schools start next week which means really football is right around the corner. Only 9 days until NCAA and 20 until the NFL is back and I can’t wait.

This past week Madden 23 dropped with none other than the coach on the cover. I have gotten too much into the game, but when it comes to video games I’m waiting until July 23 for NCAA to final come back. Everyone knows Madden phones it in every year since there is no competition for them, so the game is stale and boring now. NCAA was the best when you can take a garbage team like North Texas (ed’s note: or Michigan, Ohio State, or USC) and build them into a dynasty.

Last week was really hot out there and people playing two games weren’t liking it. This week it’s looking very nice with a high of 23, but its only Tuesday, so it will probably change from now to then. That’s enough for this week, but I can’t forget to remind everyone that we are all playing a game for fun, so go out have some and don’t be a dick.

Word from the Mouth: Secret PotW: Andrew Grant! edition

Wednesday, August 24th Kevin Kousaie

Week 1 went down without any major issues. Yes, it was hot and yes this is supposed to be the fall season and it will eventually cool off and we will all be asking for just another few weeks of nice warm weather towards the end of the season and playoffs, but that isn’t going to happen.

We had a few new teams this week play so let me start by welcoming you to the league. I also want to let you know that it is best for you to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your game so that games can start on time.

This week we were a little easy going with it, but in the future if your team is late, you start giving up points. 6 points when the game is meant to start and we start running the clock and every 5 minutes of game time it is another 6 points added for the other team.

Just so you all know if you need flags this week, we will have more at the field, but if you need it might be best for your team captain to let Jon know so he can put them aside for you and your team.

On another note, MFL is starting a youth league so if you have kids and want them to learn the game and get out have some fun you should let Jon know and he can give you more info on that. I know maybe a few of you with kids might not want to bring your kids out to play because they might show you up (ed’s note: Kevin is speaking from experience), but don’t worry, we don’t allow kids in the adult league until they are a certain age, so your roster spot is still good at least for a few more years.

Recap

Division 1

Outlaws vs Centurions (50-18)

This game wasn’t even close. Steve had a field day picking apart a depleted Centurions team. Going into this game I was expecting to see a close game going back and forth, but when you looked and saw that a few key players were missing that it was going to be a blowout and it was. It was nice to see one arm Marvin out there playing like he normally does, catching balls and picking off passes, but today the star of the Outlaws team was Ariel keeping his average of over 1 pick a game up this time with 2 interceptions, he also led the way on offence with 6 catches and 2 TDs. Outlaws might run into some trouble if they can’t figure out how to stop a team’s top target as this week Yvan had 14 catches for 127 yards and 1 TD. Now just imagine if the other receivers for Centurions had been there and Outlaws couldn’t just focus on one player? I expect to see a closer game next time these two teams meet.

Division 2

Marvels vs Tannantes (13-27)

This was not a game you wanted to watch if you were expecting to see offense. With Tannantes starting with the ball it looked like they were going to score to start the game. They had marched all the way into the redzone and had a first down, then new addition Tyler went on a tear and had 2 consecutive sacks before Tannantes gained some of those yards back, on fourth down Tyler was back in the face of Vincent and got sack number 3 on the day. It didn’t take Max long before he had Marvels in scoring possession, but on fourth down there was a bad snap that caused a turnover on downs at the 2-yard line. On the very first play Vincent hits David down the sideline for a 43-yard score. With Marvels next two possessions they end in a pick after 2 plays and then a turnover on downs using just 4 plays. With both those turnovers being inside the Marvels half it only took a few plays each time for Vincent to score and make it a 19-0 game. Max had under a minute left in the half, but was able to drive the field with quick plays and using their timeouts. On the last play of the half Max found Generous Jeremy for a 2-yard TD to extend the half by one play and on the convert Max hit Jeremy again making it a 19-7 score at half. Second half each team was able to score once. The difference in this game was when Marvels turned it over twice in their zone on back-to-back drives.

Division 3

Double Dippers vs Bines (0-34)

I will make this very short (ed’s note: *checks length of summary* LIAR!), Bines dominated this game and Double Dippers made it look easy for them. Now to clear that up for anyone who wasn’t there to see this game. Double Dippers didn’t have Leon to play QB for them, so they had 3 players try out: Alex, Sean and Marco. Out of the three, Marco was by far the best, but Sean did make me and everyone else wonder what he was thinking when he took off running on fourth and ten sprinting towards the sideline in my direction and going out of bounds 1 yard past the line. He then looked down and thought that the line was the goal line and not a few yards in, but this was also an issue for him later in the game when he went up for a ball in the endzone thinking that the sideline was the back endzone line, but it was a few more yards and he wasn’t able to come down with the ball. Players need to know that on field 3 you are 5 yards from the goal line and the endzone where the bleachers are is 4 to 5 yards past the white painted line. David for Bines didn’t have a great day throwing, but what he did on the ground was remarkable with 3 TDs on 5 runs and on 2 of them there wasn’t a defender within arm’s length of him the whole way in.

Invictus G vs Panaches (24-19)

It was nice to see the players on Invictus G again as it has been a few years, most of them still look the same just a few years older (ed’s note: you are literally describing how time works). This game was very close all the way through, and I remember just a few bits and pieces of it. Guillaume picked off new QB Karl and returned it the length of the field for a score. Felix was able to run circles around Loic when he rushed so they started to double rush which did seem to keep him contained. For Invictus G I did notice that Louis was the odd player out by not having a ponytail or bun in his hair, he looked all fresh and clean cut but said he was working on it. The other thing that was a little weird was when they scored to make it a 24-19 game, they went for 2 instead of going for 1 and making it a 6-point game instead of 7. Yes, going for 2 you think might be right, but if you fail on it a TD cost you the game while going for 1 would mean that the other team needs to score and get the convert to win. They failed on the convert and Panaches couldn’t go down and score, but that is something to think about.

Division 4

This week there were only two D4 games and Terry decided to put top official and media team member Willie on those game, so they should get covered in this week’s MFL Total Access.

Division 5

Phoenix vs Fighting Armadillos (19-6)

This game wasn’t pretty. Going into it I felt that this might be one of the harder games for Phoenix and after playing them I hope it wasn’t. Both QBs PO and Kevin made some costly mistakes with both throwing picks inside the redzone. I will say that the one I threw that PO picked off was a great play on the ball. Armadillos took away my first read and my second read was open, but PO who had stepped up took a step back and cut off the throwing lane. At the end of the game PO was driving the ball down and looking to make if a one score game but threw a pass directly to Phoenix defender Dave who caught it and took a knee in the endzone to seal the game. The only thing to say about this game is that Armadillos need to do a better job of catching the ball and helping out their QB they had a few big drops on third downs that resulted in punts or when they were open and could easily score dropped balls. Over time Armadillos will get better but they need to do it quickly and yes, I know its only week 1 but if you fall behind early it’s hard to climb out of.

Cobra Kai vs Heisenbergs (13-8)

This was the first game for Cobra Kai and it showed. Sonny was playing QB and was trying to go deep on almost every other play, wasn’t taking the underneath stuff and on defense they were only playing man. Heisenberg should have been able to pick this team apart all day long with drags and double moves, but that wasn’t what Ian was doing as he too was trying to go deep and it ended up costing them the game with the 2 pick 6s he threw. In this game there were only 13 completions for 97 yards. Jorge had a day getting all 3 picks that Sonny threw. Both teams should get better as the season goes along, but I would bet that Cobra Kai has the better record when the season is over. During the game I was talking to Sonny the captain for Cobra Kai and even sent him over some basic coverages so he can share with his team and they can improve.

There you have it, the recap of week 1. Hope you all had fun and remember that there are always players around with loads of experience that are more than willing to give you a few pointers and help out, but you just need to ask and a good thing might be to show up early watch the game before yours ask a few question maybe or you can stay after your game and take a few notes.

Players of the Week

Last season was the first time I put together a goody bag for the winner of my player of the week and everything I put in that bag will help Victor this season if he is able to make it out. Here is a list of what he received: sports bag, cleat cleaner mat, tack towel, bottle of alcohol, and a gift card for Jacques Moreau. It was a decent gift for just showing up and balling out. This season I plan on doing the same thing but with different ideas.

Before I tell you who this week’s winners are let’s go over the rules. I will be picking 1 player on both sides of the ball for each division, and you are only able to win for the highest division you play in unless you play a different position in another division you can also get your name in the pool more than once so the more you ball out the better your odds become. Last season there was a 120 of you and this season there will only be 110 so already your odds have increased. Oh, and let’s not forget that if you mention to me that you deserve to win you will not win and I will be forced to put you in your place and tell you how it really is, just ask D4 player of the century Marvin. Marvin has gotten over it and after a few weeks I stop bothering him about it. Now I have Andrew to bother for the next few weeks. Here are this week’s winners.

Division 1

Offense- Steve Harripersaud was 23 of 26 for 291 yards, 7 TDs and 2 1point converts.

Defense- Ariel Librati made 2 tackles and had 2 picks.

Division 2

Offense- Robert White grabbed 6 balls for 89 yards and 2 TDs.

Defense- Kareem Anthony Chilcott made 7 tackles and had 1 pick which he returned for a TD.

Division 3

Offense- Louis-Mathieu Dufour caught 6 passes for 87 yards and 2 TDs.

Defense- Simon Beaudoin made 2 tackles and had 3 picks.

Division 4

Offense- Robert Prud’homme was 16 of 27 for 145 yards, 1 TD, 1 1point convert and threw 2 picks. He also ran 9 times for 62 yards and 2 TDs.

Defense- Kevin Clarke made 2 tackles and both were sacks.

Division 5

Offense- Nikhil Sharma caught 3 passes for 57 yards, 1 TD and 1 1point convert.

Defense- Felipe Kunzler made 1 tackle had 2 picks and ran 1 back for 6.

There you have it this week’s winners. Good luck to all moving forward. You still have 10 more weeks to see if you can make my list.

	Teams	GP	W	L	D	PTS
1	OUT	0	0	0	0	0
2	IW	0	0	0	0	0
3	BSH	0	0	0	0	0
4	ATM	0	0	0	0	0
5	CHF	0	0	0	0	0