Word from the Mouth: 12 Second 40! edition

Word from the Mouth: 12 Second 40! edition

Kevin Kousaie

Okay, let me start by saying it was nice to be back at Le Ber, at least for this week. Le Ber is great because we have the field lines and it makes it easier for everyone to judge the yardage and where you are on the field, but after being there this week the field isn’t that even with holes and bumps all over place. Yes, there was grass there at the beginning of the day, but as you played on it more you started to notice the big chunks of grass flying as players were making their cuts. Since we are trying to keep Le Ber in good shape for the playoffs the league has decided to move back to Arthur Therrien for at least the next two weeks.

I know everyone is thinking about how bad the parking is, but I have mentioned numerous times if you can’t find parking go and park behind the school by the baseball field.

Okay, so now I just want to point out a couple of little things. For a TD to be scored only one flag on a player’s hips needs to break the goal line (ed’s note: actually, any part of the players belt must contact the plane of the endzone, but basically correct) and the ball doesn’t have to be in the endzone.

Another thing that players and officials should know is that a push out is left up to the ref’s discretion if the player would have come down with the ball inbounds or not.

That is all I have for this week and now will get to my recaps from this past weekend.

 

Week 7 Recap

 

Division 1

 

Gros Coqs vs Outlaws (42-49)

This game was all about the offense and had next to no defense being played and looked like it was going to be decided by converts. By now teams should have figured it out that in order to beat Steve and any team he is throwing on you need to go for 2-point converts when you score because he is going to, and he gets them quite often using a halfback as a second passer. At half, the score was 28-27 Outlaws, the only stop was when Gros Coqs were got the ball after an Outlaws TD with 13 seconds left. The start of the second half had Outlaws beginning with the ball and if Steve could get a score and a 2-point convert it would give them a 2-score lead and an almost guaranteed victory. Instead, Steve wanted to keep it interesting and threw a pick to Alexandre to start the half. With the short field and the way they moved the ball in the first half, it was just a matter of time before they found the endzone. Except Marvin had other plans and on fourth down he was able to get a hand on the ball and knock it away from the receiver and force the turnover. That was the chance Gros Coqs needed to take control of the game. Rest of the game went back and forth with teams exchanging TDs. With a minute and a half-left Gros Coqs were down 7, they had all their timeouts and didn’t need to panic, at least not for time. They were able to move it all the way down to the 10-yard line of the Outlaws before running out of time. One thing that I would like to happen, but never will, is implementing what the NCAA does in the final 2 minutes of a half where time is stopped on first downs to allow the bags to get set up. This would have allowed Dom more time to think about what plays he wanted to call instead of running up with the bags to get an extra play or two.

 

Division 2

 

Tannantes vs Red Raiders (14-24)

This game was hard to watch as there were a bunch of things wrong with it. Let me start by saying Mike didn’t look good, but it wasn’t completely his fault. He had guys running wrong routes, not making the correct adjustments, and just flat-out dropping balls on him. Defensively Red Raiders also couldn’t catch a few picks that hit them in the hands as well. Tannantes just had a hard day all together. Vincent was off all game long either throwing it too far and out of his receiver’s reach or being inaccurate and not giving his receiver’s a chance at the ball. With 2:40 left in the game Red Raiders scored and looked to seal the game with a 2-point convert, but it was picked off by Simon and returned for 2-points, making it a one-point game. After a few incomplete passes and a penalty, it was down to the last play of the game and Tannantes went with a throw back to another player to allow more time for the receivers to get down field and Devin came up on the play and got the sack and a safety to end the game.

 

Spritz Gang vs Marvels (26-33)

For the roster Max has with Marvels they should be blowing teams out and not having many issues with teams that they should be better than. All of Mario’s teams are the same, they play tough defense and hope to be able to score points. This week JS looked good and his players caught everything that hit them in the hands. Spritz Gang scored with 5:35 left in the game to make it a 7-point game and all they needed was the defense to force a stop to give them a chance to get their first win of the season. Max drove the field and ate the clock and ended the game with the ball.

 

Division 3

 

Invictus G vs Idaho Udapimps (15-21)

This was a tale of two halves. In the first half Idaho was in complete control and had no issues moving the ball. Brady’s numbers look good, but he needed to do more than feeding the ball to Kyle and Jason. In the first half Brady was able to get Jason the ball who scored 3 times and made it look easy, especially with a 1-yard TD followed by a 2-yard TD. His first one he actually had to get by the defender and catch the ball in his stretched-out arms before running it into the endzone. In the second half Jason was gone and this made Brady go back to good old faithful Kyle the rest of the game. Invictus ended up making a few adjustments at half and were able to force a few punts to get themselves back into the game. For me the difference was Brady having a boat load more experience than Karl that made the difference in the end. Invictus is a very solid team that with a more experienced QB will light teams up.

 

Division 4

 

Phoenix vs Revenants (26-12)

This was a matchup that according to Marvin I wanted no part of last season. This was all in his head, and he had to think that way since we all know he would have gotten an ass whooping then. We waited a season for this one to happen and with a few lucky bounces it was closer than it should have been. Marvin won the coin flip and elected for us to start with the ball, wrong move right off the bat. I was able to put together a long-time consuming drive that was capped off by me running it in from 13 yards out, where was the run defense I guess they couldn’t see me with that 12 second 40 time. When Marvin got the ball, he was only able to get 4 yards before turning it over on downs. We were put into a first and goal and it looked like this one was going to be over quickly, but instead of playing smart I tried a few different things with none of them working and us giving the ball right back on downs. Then Marvin had his nicest throw of the game a 37-yard TD to David and now we had a game. I turned the ball over on a pick that was off the receiver’s hands and could have been caught. Marvin did nothing with the ball again before losing it on downs. This is where I settled down and started to find the weak spots and took advantage of them. The drive was ended with another rushing TD this time it was 9 yards. With time running down Marvin threw his first pick of the game to Rob leaving 1 play before half. With the score 13-6 at half and Revenants starting with the ball it was close and on the first play of the second half Khalil forced Marvin to the sideline and Marvin threw it and it was picked off by Rob once again except this time Rob made 2 or 3 players miss as he ran it in for a TD. We go back and forth for a few possessions before Marvin hits Diane for a 16-yard score right after Rob told him that she was open. Phoenix scored a few plays later and that was it for the game. Better luck next time Marvin.

 

Division 5

 

TD Hunters vs Fighting Armadillos (25-38)

 

With 7 players coming from the Pocket Rockets who are currently first in D4, the choice of the winner was obvious to make, but nobody expected that match to be so close especially with the absence of Michael Halevy. Fighting Armadillos won by two touchdowns, but you had to be there to realize they had to work hard to earn the win. Having trouble stopping Goldrick when he runs, Pierre-Olivier (most passing touchdowns in D4) and Philip (3rd in receiving yards in D4) had to join forces to defeat the TD Hunters. However, it should be noted that TD Hunters had their chances, because without that drop pass in the endzone, it could have been 25-7 with 7 minutes left in the half. But the game is about what you accomplish on the field and Fighting Armadillos have accomplished more. It all started with 41 yards from Goldrick on two carries for the touchdown. After stopping the opposing attack, the TD Hunters scored a touchdown in addition to adding a pick 6 on the next play. It was 19-0. This is where the P-O/Philip show began. Add in the fact that the Fighting Armadillos defense did a good job of limiting passing options and everything was in place for a superb comeback. At that point, Goldrick should have play it simple and wasted more time, but he instead threw an interception with 10 seconds left to give the Fighting Armadillos a lead before the half. In the second half, both teams wanted the win, but on one side the TD Hunters seemed to panic and couldn't cross half the field anymore. On the other side, the Fighting Armadillos who knows each other’s very well continued to take risks that paid off. With that said, we can't ask a free agent’s team like TD Hunters to be perfect, so congrats on your performance.

 

There you have it, this week’s recaps. Hope you enjoyed and if you want more stay tuned for Terry and Wille on MFL total Access on Wednesday.

 

Player of the Week

 

Last week we had a first, are we going to get another one this week? I can spoil it all for you now as we did have another first and it might shock you as to what that first is, so keep scrolling down and you will see.

 

Division 1

Offense- Gabriel Archambault was 26 of 34 for 279 yards, 6 TDs, 2 1point converts and 1 2point convert.

Defense- Dilan Daoust made 2 tackles and had 2 picks.

 

Division 2

Offense- Will Power went 22 of 27 for 277 yards, 7 TDs and 2 2point converts.

Defense- Kevin Marcil-Cardinal made 2 tackles, had 2 picks and ran 1 back for a TD.

 

Division 3

Offense- Jason Edwards caught 5 passes for 55 yards and 3 TDs.

Defense- NA. After looking over all the stats I couldn’t find a single player that really stood out on defense that earned this week’s award. 1 pick or a single sack just won’t cut it, I need to see more than that.

 

Division 4

Offense- Benoit Maynard or as Willie calls him Baby Maynard hauled in 9 passes for 116 yards and 1 TD.

Defense- Sydney-Taylor Jordan made 6 tackles, had 1 sack and picked off 1 pass.

 

Division 5

Offense- Sebastien Lucas Alzate only caught 5 passes for 136 yards and 3 TDs.

Defense- Zack Goldig made 1 tackle and added 4 more picks to his league leading total of 17 on the year. Zack also returned one of them for a TD, oh he also had a pick 2 as well.

 

What I have come to realize is in the higher divisions different players are winning each week and, yes, we have had a few players win multiple times, but in the lower divisions it just seems like I keep getting the same few names to pick from and I want to mix it up and get a bigger selection of players into the pool, but those players keep balling out and I cant penalize them for being studs.

Congratulations to all of this week’s winners and for those who haven’t made my list, you still have 4 more weeks to make it, so ball out and next week and it might be your turn to make my list.

Defensive Basics

Defensive Basics

Jon Evans

We’ve discussed in the past the 3-2 and 4-1 defenses in some detail, but today I wanted to give a quick rundown of each as well as some pointers for defensive play in general. This is primarily aimed at newer teams and players, but there are plenty of experienced players that might be able to use a refresher! The 3-2 and 4-1 defenses are the most commonly played defenses in most 6-on-6 flag leagues. They are both zone defenses and allow defenders to concentrate on covering an area rather than a specific player and also allow the defender to keep their eye on the QB to read where they are looking. This is because they don’t need to watch the player they would be covering if they were in man to man defense and instead they are just keeping an eye on a zone in front of them, always looking in towards the QB. In both defenses, the first number (3 and 4) indicates how many defenders will be staying to cover short passes and the second number (2 and 1) indicate how many safeties will be covering deep passes. The 3-2 is very simple with 3 defenders covering the left, middle, and right sides of the field up to about 5 yards deep and 2 defenders covering deep passes on either half of the field split down the middle. The key thing here is distances. The left and right short defenders need to stay at about 3 to 5 yards off the line of scrimmage. Never more than 7! If you are behind the rusher bag, you are way too deep! These players really need to just do their job and respect their safeties and let them do their job. If someone runs past you and you’re one of the short defenders, let them go! Look for another receiver crossing into your zone and if there aren’t any then watch for the run. The middle short defender in 3-2 should be about 5-7 yards deep, starting a bit shorter and fading back as the play develops. Again, the key is not to go too deep! For the safeties, they need to start not too deep (you want to at least pretend you’re covering the intermediate passes), but once you decide to drop deep, do not slow down! Drop as hard and fast as you can and if the ball goes your way, run to it like you’re the receiver. That ball is as much yours as it is the receivers! In 4-1, you have 4 short defenders and one safety, but you actually sort of have 2 short and 3 safeties. In this defense, your single true safety should start somewhat deep and their job is to be near the middle of the field so they can potentially get to a deep pass anywhere on the field. The 4 short players should be divided 2 and 2 on either side of the center, but one of these players on either side is actually locking on anyone who goes deep on their side of center. These players have to be very athletic as they start in short coverage, but need to be able to go deep quickly if needed. They should essentially play man to man on any receiver that runs deep on their side of the field. The 2 other defenders of the 4 short players need to play very short. 2-5 yards off the line of scrimmage. They must remember that there are potentially only 2 of them guarding short passes across the entire field, so they must not drop at all! The advantages of the 3-2 defense are that it is simple (just cover your area, that’s it) and it does a good job of covering a lot of the field. The major disadvantage is that it is easy for the offense to outnumber defenders either short or long since you have a set number of each, so if a team runs all hooks (all receivers running 5 yard hooks) you’ll have 3 defenders trying to cover 5 receivers. The advantages of a 4-1 defense are that you potentially have a lot of coverage either short or long as needed, but the disadvantage is that you need very athletic players who can cover anyone on the other team man to man. In 4-1 you can also play “soft” locks which means the locking players will favour deep passes (meaning, they play a little deeper and don’t bite on hooks or other short routes and instead settle for making the tackle after the catch), but this starts to have the same disadvantages of a 3-2 defense. You can occasionally sprinkle in man to man defense, but I really don’t recommend doing it often unless your team is as fast or faster than the other team across the board. It’s good to use once in a while to keep a QB guessing, but man to man is very easy to beat with crossing routes and double moves if you do it too often. And that’s really one of the main things you need to do on defense: mix it up. Keep your defenses simple so that you can change what defense you are in from play to play. You should always know who your safeties, locks, and short coverage players are in 3-2 and 4-1 so you can switch in a moment. As you gain experience you can change things up (having different players lock in 4-1 or shifting coverage in 3-2), but just changing the defensive call from play to play will work wonders all by itself in the lower divisions. One final tip is that you should try to not always start where you are going to end up. What I mean by this is before the ball is snapped you should not be in the area where you are going to cover on every play. If you’re a safety, start close and drop hard at the snap. If you’re short right, float around the center and then push out at the snap. You can have your team always line up in 4-1 and then either stay in 4-1 or switch to 3-2 at the snap (or vice versa) so the QB can never be sure what defense you are actually in. Quarterback’s do a huge amount of their decision making before the ball is snapped based on where the defenders are, so surprise them once in a while and suddenly be somewhere else after the snap! If you’re interested in more articles on playing the game, let us know on our Facebook page and we’ll be sure to write more.

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 6

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 6

Kevin Kousaie

Predictions

 

After another week of making picks and not doing great on my picks, I think I need to figure a better way of doing them. I got mad and had to smash my crystal ball since it obviously was defective. Just doing them quickly and not putting much thought into them didn’t help, so this week I’m flipping a coin to see if that works better. Terry is in the lead by 6 or 7 games right now with Jon in second by 1 game, me in third, and Willie way behind. This season Willie isn’t going to climb out of the basement in the last week of the season because of a forfeit again, that I can guarantee even if I have to cheat. Now let’s see who the coin picks to win. Heads will be the home team meaning tails is for visitors.

 

Division 1

 

Centurions vs Trollers

They have a stronger roster and have been balling out and scoring at will.

 

A-Team vs Iron Wolves

With Jon not being able to throw I can’t see how they pull this one off.

 

Gros Coqs vs Outlaws

Steve will pick the Gros Coqs defense apart using the size of his receivers to his advantage.

 

Division 2

 

Tannates vs Red Raiders

After last week’s miracle win, this week’s win will be a little easier as it looks like Red Raiders are looking for a sub this week.

 

Spritz Gang vs Marvels

Younger, faster, and more athletic.

 

Jagerbomb vs Nice TDs

Jagerbomb is missing their QB so it will be hard to pick them to win this week.

 

Red Raiders vs Thunder Buddies

Their roster is way to strong and with Steve playing QB they are almost unbeatable.

 

Division 3

 

Master Chiefs vs Pananches

Willie is the better QB and has a loaded roster.

 

Pananches vs Double Dippers

They have the more complete roster.

 

Idaho Udapimps vs Invictus G

They have less (ed’s note: fewer) players to exploit.

 

Division 4

 

Phoenix vs Revenants NA

I don’t pick my team’s games or allow the coin to do it for me.

 

Airborne vs Mustard Tigers

Airborne might be the better team with the better roster, but this season they have been all over the place and very disorganized.

 

Cyclones vs Pocket Rockets

Cyclones just don’t have the players to match up with Pocket Rockets.

 

Udaho Idapipmps vs Bines Low Fat

Their offense isn’t great, but that defense is top of the division so playing a team with an inexperienced QB they should get a few extra chances at it.

 

Division 5

 

Les Last Calls vs Sour Peeps

They are the more complete team with the better QB.

 

Heisenberg vs Lesniaks

Zack will be the difference in this game.

 

Fighting Armadillos vs TD Hunters

They win as long as they don’t break cap.

 

Vultures vs Cobra Kai

Just because of experience Vultures will win with ease.

 

There you have this week’s winners based on what the coin told me to do. I figure that getting 50% when I’m making my picks can’t be any worse letting a coin tell me who will win. Now I get to sit back and see if it was my lucky coin or just some random quarter that I grabbed from my change jar. Good luck to everyone.

 

Power Rankings

 

Now is where I get to pick who I want to be in my rankings and some of you get to see if the bribe you gave me was enough to crack my top 3. If it didn’t have at least three zeros, most likely it didn’t work. No really, with a few teams dealing with injuries and a few teams missing players this week a few changes were made.

 

Division 1

#1- Trollers

#2- Outlaws

#3- Iron Wolves

 

Division 2

#1- Thunder Buddies

#2- Jagerbomb

#3- Nice TDs

 

Division 3

#1- Master Chiefs

#2- Bines

#3- Idaho Udapimps

 

Division 4

#1- Pocket Rocket

#2- Bines Low Fat

#3- Phoenix

 

Division 5

#1- Vultures

#2- The Lesniak’s

#3- TD Hunters

 

I did make a few changes that were needed, and I even had to remove a team at least for now because of roster violations. We all had the same rules to play by and if you can’t stick to them then you will have to deal with the consequences of not being ranked. There you have this week’s rankings.

 

Final Thoughts

 

It is getting close to the end of the year and that can only mean playoffs are quickly approaching. Right now, there are a bunch of teams sitting with the same records in multiple divisions battling for seeding. This is great and means that there is good parity in the divisions with no one really running away with it at least not yet.

What I don’t like about this time of the season is all the snakes and rats start popping up trying to bolster their rosters to give them that edge in the playoffs. Just play with the team you have had all year and stop trying to cheat your way to a title. It’s not cool and we are only playing a game. At the end of the day if you must cheat to win a title in a recreational league then so be it, but for me that’s just not cool or fair to everyone else in your division or your team.

I come with the philosophy that we all pay to play, so I try and keep a rotation so everyone plays equally and yes sometimes I’d love it if I could go with my stronger rosters all game long to give us a better chance at winning, but that’s not me or how I play.

This week please remember that games are being played at Le Ber, not Arthur Therrien and games are starting at 9 am not 9:30. Also so you are all aware of which field is which. Field 1 will be by the bleachers, Field 2 will be beside it, Field 3 will be perpendicular either by the hill or scoreboard and the fabulous field 4 will be on the baseball field. I know I will be asked at least 3 or 4 times on Saturday, but I figured I’d tell you all now. Also, with the weather starting to get cooler, dress appropriately for it and remember that hand warmers are not allowed since they are essentially a pocket. Go out, have fun, enjoy yourself, and I hope to see you all out there on Saturday.

Word from the Mouth: Classic Kevin! edition

Word from the Mouth: Classic Kevin! edition

Kevin Kousaie

We are at the halfway point for most teams and now is when teams start to battle it out for those last few playoffs and teams start to look at playoff seeds and who they might end up playing. For me I think this is way too early and a complete waste of time, maybe if you wait until the last week of the season and go over all the situations to see if you win you play them, but if you lose you play that team, and maybe you take the matchup that you like better.

I happen to have read some very interesting news today about the NFL and the Pro Bowl. Growing up the Pro Bowl was great as players played the game like football players and were given a trip to Hawaii for the week. There used to be a skills competition and it was always fun to watch. Over the past few years the game has become a joke, no one plays hard, the game is no longer in Hawaii, and there is no longer a skills competition. They even tried to hype the game up by bringing in special coaches and doing a draft of players, but nothing helped. It looks like they are bringing back the skills competition and the game will now be a game of flag instead. This should make it a little more fun for the players and the fans to watch and it will also help the NFL with their push to get flag football into the Olympics in 2026 in LA.

 

Week 6 Recap

 

Division 1

 

Centurions vs Gros Coqs (48-33)

Early in this game it didn’t seem like either team was awake. Centurions dropped balls they normally wouldn’t and Gros Coqs weren’t running their routes fast and hard. On more than one occasion you could see Dom wasn’t happy. After both teams woke up, they started to move the ball and score some points. At half it was 20 all and Gros Coqs were starting with the ball in the second half. It didn’t take them long to march down and score to take a 7-point lead. Then on their next 2 possessions Dom threw 2 picks and with their defense not being able to get a stop it looked like the game was out of reach. Somehow Gros Coqs were only down 8 with 4:30 left all they needed was to stop centurions from scoring and they could tie it up. Gabriel was able to make a few good passes and in under 2 minutes put up another score. Dom having 2:30 left knew he needed to score quick, but on his first pass threw a pick which sealed the game.

 

Trollers vs Iron Wolves (42-41) OT

I like Iggy, but he made a few mistakes that really hurt his team this week. With 3 seconds left in the half was his first mistake and something you’d expect from a player in D4 or D5, instead of just taking a quick throw to Kris who had at least 15 yards of running room in front of him he tried to go for it all and ended up getting picked off leaving the Trollers with 1 shot at scoring, Marvin picked that pass off from Max to leave the score at 20-19 for Iron Wolves at half. Both teams started the second half with scores before what could have and should have been the play of the game. Kris had been playing off and soft most of the game and kept seeing the outs and hooks on the sideline and after seeing it a few times make a beautiful break on the ball and picked it off. Iggy took 2 plays to score from 7 yards out and being up 8 went for 1 and got it to make it a 9-point game and 2 scores. There was 11 minutes left so Max and Trollers had plenty of time, that was until Max was picked off by Meis a few minutes later. To reward Meis with his huge pick, Iggy threw one up to him down the sideline which was caught in stride and was walked into the endzone and after the convert Iron Wolves were up 16 points with under 8 minutes left. On their first play with the ball Max was lucky he was just out of the endzone when Carlos sacked him. Max was able to recover after that and go in for the score and get the 2-point convert. With the ball and looking to ice the game Iggy was driving the field and was on the other side of half closing in on the endzone when a pass got away from him and into the hands of JC. Trollers still had a sliver of hope. Max is being smart finding the open receiver and driving the ball. Josh hade a great catch along the sideline, but it was ruled an incomplete because his feet were not touching the ground when he controlled the ball (ed’s note: sorry, Josh, but it was the correct call). Instead of arguing and wasting time, Trollers ran back to the huddle got the play and Josh was able to make the catch on the next play. With no time left Max was able to find Lesniak for the score. On the convert to tie it Max found JC in the back of the endzone, and it seemed like a very easy catch to make with no defender around. We head to OT and Iron Wolves fail on their attempt. Now with the ball Max drops back to throw and lets it go and the ball falls incomplete, but Carlos had run into Max giving Trollers another shot at it from the 3-yard line. I will say as a defender and sometimes rusher, it was a weak call and I hated making it, but as a QB it was a call that needed to be made since Max couldn’t follow through. After the penalty Max finds Manuel for the win.

 

Division 2

 

Marvels vs Tannantes (32-37)

I can’t remember much from this game, but what I can tell you Max didn’t make it easy on himself this weekend. With the game on the line Max was driving the field looking to take the lead late. Marvels were smart not to use their timeouts and Tannantes end up using 1 of theirs while Marvel had the ball to save time just in case. Max was able to find Jeremy for the 6-yard score followed by the 1 point convert to give Marvels the lead with 19 seconds left. Vincent had 2 timeouts left, so he didn’t need to rush all that much. First 2 plays were incomplete, and Marvels had to be thinking the game was all but over. Vincent ran on third down and was able to get enough yards for a first down. With no time left everyone knew that a chuck to the endzone was coming. With the defense guarding the goal line Vincent had to just throw it and he did and from where I was it didn’t even look like it was going to reach the endzone, but somehow it did and with Haney going up and spiking it to the ground or at least what he thought was the ground, but turned out to be the hands of Vincent and he was in for the score. The game wasn’t pretty, but it was excited at the end.

 

Division 3

 

Master Chiefs vs Iron Wolves (12-41)

After picking Master Chiefs to lose their first game against Double Dippers a few of the players had said I shouldn’t pick against them and how it’s disrespectful. Then they went out and got completely dominated by a team that on paper they should walk all over of. I did notice that they switched from McSweeny to PO at QB and I have to wonder why. Of it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I was told that they didn’t have an answer for Josh who went off for 79 yards on 7 catches with 3 TDs and 3 1point converts. Alex also had a good day adding 3 catches for 67 yards and a TD and a convert as well. I really wonder how many dropped passes did Master Chiefs have or were there a lot of bad throws from PO. At the end of the day, you will have noticed that Master Chiefs were without key players to their team and maybe that’s why they lost or were they just over achieving before and now are coming back to reality? Guess we have to wait and see.

 

Division 4

 

Randoms vs Phoenix (13-20)

I want to start by saying this might have been the fastest game played in MFL history. Both QBs had long drives and used most of the time on each play. In this game a few things I have to wonder about. Randoms won the toss at the start of the game, but elected to start on defense with only 5 players. I was fine with that it just made my job as a QB so much easier to find the open receiver. Second thing that made me wonder was why wouldn’t their defense not step up since I only threw 1 deep ball all game since they were playing so soft. I can tell you that we were able to do whatever we wanted on offense against Randoms. It took until the second half for Phoenix to have an incomplete pass, though in more than one case the receiver bailed me out with a spectacular catch. In this game it also helps that the Phoenix defense got big stops and turnovers when Randoms were driving the field. The play that sticks in my head is the TD pass to Nick who was wide open, it was such a great play call that I had been setting up all game that worked perfectly (ed’s note: he said humbly). We get to play this game again in a few weeks, so let’s see what happens then.

 

Airborne vs Revenants (12-19)

I’m not going to make this too long, like the game was. This game combined for 10 picks, 5 from each QB. I want to point out that stats are great, but at the end of the day who cares as long as you get the W, something Marvin needs to realize. I’m not talking garbanzo beans about Marvin, it’s just the inexperience of overseeing the game as a QB. Marvin puts his team up 19-12 with just under 6 minutes left, Benoit starts to drive the field looking for the tie and with 39 seconds left he throw a pick. Now most players would end the game since Airborne only had 1 timeout left, not Marvin he wanted to play. In my head I’m thinking if Marvin throws a pick and loses the game, he will never hear the end of it, at least from me. Marvin runs on first down then throws a pick on second down leaving 24 seconds on the clock. Can Benoit now pull it off and get Airborne their first win of the season. He throws two completions for 21 yards and now on the last play of the game sits inside the red zone. Luck for Revenants that Gavin was there to pick off his third pass because if not the receiver was open. This is why you end the game with a W whenever you can.

 

Division 5

 

TD Hunters vs Heisenberg (31-20)

The Heisenberg's started strong with a 30-yard touchdown and it could have been a long game for the TD Hunters. And with 3 missed snaps in their first 8 plays, we could have thought that TD Hunters were simply going to give them the win. However, a Gabriel interception with 2 minutes left seemed to wake both teams up as 3 more touchdowns were scored before the end of the half. In the second half, the Heisenberg's came from behind to lead 20-19, but as seen before TD Hunter's found a way to regain the lead and close the door with their defense. Let's also take a moment for the good sportsmanship of Alex Morrison who took a moment after the game to offer advice to the opposing snapper. Way to go buddy!

 

Phoenix vs Cobra Kai (20-14)

This game was a lot closer than it should have been. Cobra Kai only had 1 player making plays and that was Stefano who had 13 catches for 116 yards and 2 TDs. The reason why this game was close is because Phoenix had too many dropped balls with a few bad throws sprinkled in. Everyone knows I don’t run and when I do, I only have 1 move but when it works it makes the defense look foolish. A pump fake 10 yards down field where you get one defender to stop completely and a second to jump three feet off the ground is classic.

 

That is all I have for this week in the way of recaps. Hope you all enjoyed and if you want me to mention something about your games send it on over just like TD Hunters have been. Thanks.

 

Players of the Week

 

Man, oh man, this week in certain divisions a lot of players balled out and made my picks very difficult and in other divisions the choice was easy since only a few players balled out. After looking over everyone’s stats in all the divisions these are the players I ended up picking.

 

Division 1

Offense- JC played 2 games and caught 14 balls for 157 yards, 5 TDs and 1 2point convert.

Defense- Yvan Desjardins had 6 total tackles to go along with his 2 picks.

 

Division 2

Offense- Vincent Anctil had 4 catches for 86 yards, 3 TDs and 1 1point convert.

Defense- Mario D’amico had 2 tackles and 1 pick which he ran back for 6 points.

 

Division 3

Offense- Alex Belisle-Springer made 3 catches for 67 yards, 1 TD and 1 1point convert.

Defense- David Michaud had 3 tackles, 3 picks and ran one of them back for 6 points.

 

Division 4

Offense- David Michaud caught 5 passes for 46 yards and 3 TDs.

Defense- Gavin Drohan had 4 total tackles and picked off 3 passes.

 

Division 5

Offense- Stefano Scalzo grabbed 13 balls for 116 yards and 2 TDs.

Defense- Gabriel Hernandez made 3 tackles and had a pick they returned for a TD.

 

For the first time ever, if my memory serves me correctly, we had one player win in two different positions. So, a big shout out to David who made it look very easy this past weekend. Now everyone playing in multiple divisions has something to stride for. Will we have another player make it in two different divisions before the last 5 weeks are played out? Guess we will have to see. Congratulations to all of this week’s winners and better luck next week to all that missed out.

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 5

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 5

Kevin Kousaie

Predictions

 

Last week was by far my worst week of the season. After getting a decent lead in the picks I have allowed Terry to pass me and Jon to tie me, but I’m still ahead of Willie who at this point doesn’t really care since he is a second half guy and the Dolphins have already won 2 games this season, which is at least 1 more than most predicted and his boy Tua is playing good (ed’s note: well) and seems to know how to throw a deep ball all of a sudden.

This week I plan on making a comeback and either taking the lead back from Terry or at least separating from Jon and gaining a little ground up on Terry. If I fall lower in the rankings and let Willie catch me, I will then start flipping a coin and going with those picks because that would be madness to lose to Willie. I should ask Terry what that is like. Here are my picks in bold like always.

 

Division 1

 

Centurions vs Gros Coqs

I’m going to go with the team that has a D4 stud on the team and everyone knows he shouldn’t be playing in that division. It also helps that they are a very good team as well.

 

A-Team vs Trollers

I’m taking Trollers because I’m not sure who will be playing QB for A-Team this week. I can’t see Dave doing it after getting hurt last week. Hope you’re okay buddy, but the thing is I can also see him trying to come out and play even with a messed-up ankle and dealing with the pain.

 

Trollers vs Iron Wolves

They are the stronger team with the more complete roster plus Max is killing it this season.

 

Division 2

 

Thunder Buddies vs Red Raiders

I think Thunder Buddies are the better team, but just not this week with all the players they will be missing, even with Marvin subbing for them.

 

Tannantes vs Marvels

They seem to be playing really well and are a very strong team and with the way Max has been lighting it up don’t be surprised to see them score 40 plus points in this game.

 

Spritz Gang vs Nice TDs

With Dave not being there at QB for Nice TDs means Kris should be filling in and that means they lose a good receiver, but I also think it means that Kris will lose his cool once or twice in this game because of bad routes being run or dropped passes. I also think with Mario replacing an Injured Pat the replacement will make a big impact in the game.

 

Division 3

 

Master Chiefs vs Double Dippers

With no Willie at QB and Double Dippers having a really good team don’t be surprised to see them pull it off in a close game, Leon will make less (ed’s note: fewer) mistakes than Ryan and that will be the difference.

 

Panaches vs Idaho Udapimps

Brady will make up the stats he missed last week and blow out Panaches this week. They are the stronger team.

 

Master Chiefs vs Iron Wolves

No Willie, no problem at least in this game. Master Chiefs have a stronger roster and even with Ryan at QB their defense will get them an extra drive or two to pull this one out.

 

Bines vs RawSauce

Bines are a really good team and it also helps that RawSauce is all over the place this season.

 

Division 4

 

Udaho Idapimps vs Mustard Tigers

Their QB has loads more experience and even with Udaho being more athletic, Brian should still be able to pick them apart, plus Tyler is going to be all over Justin all game long.

 

Phoenix vs Randoms NA

I don’t pick my team’s games.

 

Bines Low Fat vs Drama Club

Bines defense is really strong and will give Simon trouble all game long.

 

Revenants vs Airborne

Only because Marvin should be able to run and then on defense should get at least a pick or two with one being returned for a TD.

 

Division 5

 

TD Hunters vs Heisenberg

I like the players from Heisenberg, but I just think that the Tin man finds a way to get it done like he has all season long in close games.

 

Phoenix vs Cobra Kai NA

I don’t pick my team’s games.

 

Lesniaks vs Mimosa Crew

I would have taken Mimosa Crew, but this season they cant seem to find a way to score and I know Lesniak will lead his team to at least two or three scores.

 

Fighting Armadillos vs Vultures

I have played both teams and I just feel that Armadillos are a bit too strong and will win this one by 2 scores.

 

There you have this week’s picks. I had a few hard picks to make, but I think this week will be better than last week. I mean, it can’t get much worse.

 

Power Rankings

 

Now is where you get to see what I think of your team and where I have you in the pecking order. Last week we had a few big things that have made an impact in this weeks rankings.

 

Division 1

#1- Outlaws

#2- Trollers

#3- Gros Coqs

 

Division 2

#1- Jagerbomb

#2- Thunder Buddies

#3- Nice TDs

 

Division 3

#1- Bines

#2- Master Chiefs

#3- Idaho Udapimps

 

Division 4

#1- Pocket Rocket

#2- Bines Low Fat

#3- Phoenix

 

Division 5

#1- Fighting Armadillos

#2- Vultures

#3- The Lesniaks

 

I think with all that happened last week I only removed 2 or 3 teams from my ranking, but I did flip flop a bunch of teams around. As the season has gone along teams are slowly pulling away from one another and doing my rankings are getting easier by the week at least in some of the divisions. Then you have teams that play without half their team or a star gets hurt and it makes you wonder what that team will look like moving forward. Guess we will all have to wait and see.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Earlier today I had a lot to end this article with, then I got called away for work and totally lost my train of thought waiting for the police to show up at work for an incident.

That brought me to another point with the police. Last week I was given a ticket for driving in the carpool lane, while taking Nick to school. Carpool lane shows a sign for taxi, electric vehicles or 3, which I assume is 3 passengers. This brings me to my question, does your pet that is considered part of your family count in the 3 passengers especially if he is wearing a harness and buckled in. On Tuesday night I spoke to a police officer and when I asked him about what constitutes as a passenger to allow you to travel in carpool lane, he says he wasn’t sure, but felt that it would need to be 3 people who have a valid driver’s license since the carpool lane is to eliminate vehicles from the road and a person who doesn’t have a driver’s license wouldn’t be driving anyways so it shouldn’t entitle you to use that lane. (ed’s note: this is the ramblings of a madman).

It looks like the last week at Le Ber for most teams, though there will still be a few games once in a while at Arthur Therrien, but not many and that will make most people happy. That’s all I have to wrap up this week so please remember we are all out playing a game for fun, so go have some and try not to kill anyone.

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