Word from the Mouth: Joey the Superstar! edition

Word from the Mouth: Joey the Superstar! edition

Kevin Kousaie

For me this past weekend sucked pennies. Yes, it wasn’t extremely hot, but the wind was a silly goose, at least while I was playing. As a ref the wind was cool and refreshing at least.

This past week we played at our 2 locations and everything was fine and all the teams made it out, except Wizards who only had 2 players show up. Not sure if they got the field wrong or they just couldn’t field a team.

We only had 1 game start late and we can blame that on Terry for having me run back and forth between locations to ref.

If anyone is interested in becoming a ref or a scorekeeper, please reach out to Jon or Terry and they will arrange for you to get trained. We are always looking for more of both.

One last little thing before I get into my recaps of last week. If you are interested in going to the Als game as part of the MFL on June 23, you need to follow this link and get your tickets before it is no longer available to us at a cheaper rate.

 

Week 5 Recap

 

Division 1

 

Gros Coqs vs A-Team (32-34)

 

I will leave this game for the Podcast with Terry and Will. I just wanted to make two quick observations about it in case it’s not mentioned. For years now I have talked about how the teams Dave has played with have never played as a team and have always been fighting amongst each other, but that isn’t the case this year. They have learned to play as a team and encourage their teammates, whether they made a good play or a bad one. The second thing about this game was they kept rotating players every few plays to stay fresh. I’m not a fan of it, but it did seem to work and kept them fresh on offense all game long. This team has all the talent to go a long way if they keep playing like this.

 

Outlaws vs Bitter Boys (48-20)

 

This wasn’t much of a game as Outlaws jumped up early and never looked back. For me the big story of the game and maybe the season for Outlaws is the injuries they have had so far this season. Smuda looks to be gone for the year, Terry is waiting to see about his knee and most likely his season is over as well, then we have Marvin which we all knew was gone until at least next spring. To fill the void left by those guys being out, Steve has brought in super star AJ Gomes and in his first game all AJ did was catch 6 balls for 60 yards, scored twice, had a 2 point convert and made 2 tackles. Expect to see those numbers go up dramatically over the next few weeks. With Terry being out Outlaws will rely on a committee of rushers until they figure out who will do it once playoffs arrive. What killed it for Bitter Boys were the back to back pick 6s from Ariel. These both happened at the start of drives and were easily walked in for scores.

 

Division 2

 

Redzone vs Outlaws (45-34)

 

The first half of this game was exciting back and forth with both teams driving the ball and a few big plays sprinkled in. The second half was more of the same, but with a few big drops that ended up stopping drives. The one thing that really sticks in my mind about this game was old school Vincent not wearing gloves and catching everything thrown his way. The score should have been 39-34 but with a few seconds left Mike threw it down the sideline where Vincent caught the ball over the defender’s shoulder in stride and ran it in from a few yards out. I can tell you that next time these two teams meet it won’t be the same Outlaws teams since they were missing a few players this week.

 

Nice TDs vs Tannantes (6-57)

 

I’m shocked that the score was this close. Tannantes are a team that cold have moved up to play D1 this season and Nice TDs are a team that should be playing in D3. What am I to say about the game that was completely one sided right from the start? Tannantes have studs all over the place and Nice TDs have 1 guy in Thomas. I just don’t know what Nice TDs were thinking when they went D2, it’s not fair to them or the teams playing against them. I hate to say it, but Nice TDs need Batman and Flash to come back and save the day for them once again.

 

Division 3

 

Idaho Udapimps vs Jagerbomb (19-40)

 

In a game that most of the media would have loved to see and all thought this could be the finals was a flop. The first half of this game was neck and neck with both teams trading scores and going into half tied at 12. It took Jagerbomb a little while to get going, but once they did, they were unstoppable. Second half was all Jagerbombs as Simon was able to make a few minor adjustments and had guys running free the rest of the way. What I think is funny and yet ridiculous is the number of TDs JF scores for this team. Jagerbomb are 5 games in and JF has 11 TDs already and let’s not forget JF missed a game to play QB. Maybe the Steve and Smuda connection for most TDs in a season won’t last long if Simon and JF keep going like this. I know a lot of players only care about stats, but with this Jagerbomb all that matters is winning. Idaho made a bunch of moves this offseason to get better and they did, but after a game like this you have to wonder was it enough?

 

Jackrabbits vs RawSauce (21-20)

 

As you can see Jackrabbits won the game by scoring more points than RawSauce, except for the fact that they broke the CAP by 1.59 points. I know it sucks, but we have a CAP for a reason and when you break it you pay and by that, I mean you lose. The league has told captains on multiple occasions that if you are adding subs to make sure that they will fit under CAP and if not then it’s the team’s fault. I know right now Jackrabbits are pissed and are saying that they were only 1.59 over, but if we allowed it then the next team will say oh, but we are only 2 points over and before you know it the CAP is no longer being used and the parity amongst teams will dissolve. As a captain you want to put you team in a position to win or at least complete, but you need to follow the rules just like everyone else. Just so everyone is aware when teams use subs the roster is always checked later that night or the next day, so captains you need to check before you add players.

 

Division 4

 

Flamingos vs Phoenix (33-6)

 

In the 3 seasons that I have played QB this was by far my worst game. Flamingos played a great game and deserved to win. They picked me off 5 times and some of them were my fault, but some should have been caught. The biggest issue I had was getting good snaps and because a bunch were so-so to bad it was hard to go short and protect the ball. Dimitri didn’t have those issues and with Phoenix playing soft defense he was able to pick us apart and made it look easy plus he had a short field all game long. I can tell you that both the issues with Phoenix will get fixed this week and we won’t have another game like this. Flamingos had a good plan stuck to it and out played us everywhere on the field. Everyone is entitled to a horrible game once a year and this was mine and won’t happen again.

 

Cereal Killers vs Sooners 45 (12-20)

 

I know we weren’t supposed to add subs manually anymore at the field, but this week with Bouchers game being forfeited and Cereal Killers needing a sub I let Sooners 45 know the rule and they said it was ok to add the sub since they didn’t want to play 5vs5 or 6vs5 like they are allowed to. Being a good sport helped them after half when a few of their players had to leave and one of their players ended up getting hurt so they grab a player from Bouchers who was there watching the game. Cereal Killers were mostly there except for the few players that are whipped by their GFs and had to go away for the weekend, by now the guys should know football takes precedents. Sooners put up a good fight, and at the end of the game with everything on the line, they were trying to go short and get some yards, but they weren’t spreading the field and taking the mid range hole that were open. For Sooners 45 what I noticed was Diego runs as much as he can. If you can get a good rush on him and contain him and force him to throw you have a chance to win the game. I will say maybe Sooners aren’t the best team in the division, but they are at least fun to watch. With the game being close all game long when James picked the ball off and ran it in for 6 it gave Sooners breathing room and now meant Cereal Killers needs a score and 2-point convert. With half of the half left Cereal Killers couldn’t move the ball onto the other half of the field, and they lost by 8. I feel if the rest of the team was there maybe it goes the other way, but not today.

 

Division 5

 

Phoenix vs Cyclones (33-32)

Let me start by saying that 32 isn’t 50. I know that might confuse a few people, but Yann knows what I’m talking about. To start the game, I won the toss and chose defense and Yann picked to go with the wind, which gave me exactly what I wanted, ball in the second half and the wind. First play of the game Yann threw me such a beautiful pass I guess I was just that open. Don’t worry, I gave Eric a gift like that later in the game. We scored then Cyclones score and it was close for a little while then Phoenix got a stop and scored, then Vince picked off a pass and ran it into give Phoenix a 26-12 lead. It stayed that way until the last play of the half when Yann found a wide-open Eric in the endzone. Second half was all Cyclones as they mounted a comeback. After Phoenix drove the field with the help of a penalty, we were on the one yard line and here is the gift I gave Eric. For some reason I threw a pass inside to my receiver instead of outside where there was no defender and Eric made a great break on the ball and picked it off and kept his teams hopes alive. Cyclones having the ball with just over a minute left scored to go up by 4 points and went for 2 and got it. Being up 6 meant Phoenix needed a score and convert to win. I find Joey for a few yards, then I hit Vince for a few more, I have an open Kat in the middle for a couple more. I then take a shot to Khalil and he is called for offensive pass interference and we are now fourth down and the last play of the game. I get the match up I want on the outside, so I go right back to Khalil who comes down with it for the score. Now for the convert, I call a play and with the way the defense was lined up I knew exactly where I wanted to go with the ball. I threw it behind Joey a little bit who somehow grabs it with one arm, pulls it in as Yann is tackling him to the ground, and holds on and we won the game.

 

Hard Targets vs Remplacants (6-26)

 

This game like most have been a struggle for Hard Targets, but for them it’s all about having fun. This was a hard game to watch though there were a few plays that happened like Jon’s 41-yard TD that he caught in stride while being behind the defense. Then there was the pick by Vincent that he seemed surprised he picked it off. For Remplacants there was the pick 6 from Luke that he made the QB miss while he ran by him. Leonidas had 3 picks on the game, but if I remember correctly the balls were thrown right at him, but I could be mistaken. One thing I did noticed was a few players for Remplacants weren’t wearing cleats. Hope it doesn’t rain for any of their games or they will be sliding all over the place.

 

There you have my recaps for week 5. If I didn’t talk about your game maybe it will get covered by Terry and Will on the podcast, MFL All Access, which should be out Wednesday night around 6pm.

 

Players of the Week

 

Over the last few weeks a few teams have jumped on grabbing players who play in a higher division. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least 2 or 3 players. This is what making it hard for me to pick my players and not screw up by giving it to a player playing in another division or a sub. With how the sub system is set up, I now have to go in and look to see that the player isn’t subbing for that week. It took me a while for this week, but here is who I have chosen to be this week’s winners.

 

Division 1

Offense

- Dave Daoust was 31 0f 37 for 233 yards, 5 TDs and 1 1point convert.

Defense

- Ariel Librati made 3 tackles, had 2 picks and returned both for scores.

 

Division 2

Offense

- Michael Roy was 28of 40 for 321 yards, 7 TDs, 1 1point convert and 1 2point convert.

Defense

- Tameem Riman had 2 tackles and 2 picks.

 

Division 3

Offense

- Leon Holder went 16 of 25 for 251 yards, 9 TDs 3 1point converts and ran twice for 14 yards.

Defense

- Lazar Atunockovic made 4 tackles and picked 3 balls off.

 

Division 4

Offense

- Alex Morin caught 5 passes for 75 yards and 2 TDs.

Defense

- James Neumann made 2 tackles both were sacks andhad 1 pick that he ran back for 6.

 

Division 5

Offense

- Khalil Agrebi grabbed 4 balls for 35 yards and 3 TDs.

Defense

- Ian Carlo Herrera made 4 tackles, had 3 sacks and picked off 1 pass.

 

There you have it this week’s winners. I couldn’t put everyone I wanted up here, but I think I did a decent job making these picks. I was going to add Jon and myself up on the list, but with 15 picks between the two of us it just didn’t seem fair to set the bar that high as that would be unattainable to the rest of you players.

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 4

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 4

Kevin Kousaie

Predictions

 

It’s that time of the week again where you get to see that I dominated again, but this time by only 1 game over Terry. Jon and Will were tied, which doesn’t say much for Jon, but it shows Willie is improving. This past week I went 12-5 and brings me to a total of 45 and 22 or 67.1% on the year. It might not be great, but it’s still at the top. Here are this week’s picks and mine, like always, are in bold.

 

Division 1

 

Gros Coqs vs A-Team

I think last week was a big game for A-Team and I think they come in with the same attitude and get it done again this week.

 

Bitter Boys vs Outlaws

Steve isn’t losing two games in a row and especially not in this one.

 

Trollers vs Centurions

I just think Max is too good of a QB and has too good of a team to lose this one.

 

Division 2

 

Nice TDs vs Tannantes

Nice TDs just don’t have the personnel to beat Tannantes, this one will get ugly and fast.

 

Redzone vs Outlaws

I think this will be a close game and will come down to the end, but I just think that Outlaws have a little bit more fire power than Redzone.

 

Iron Wolves vs Marvels

I think Iron Wolves will have their full squad this week and that will lead to trouble for Marvels since I cant see them having good matchups in this one.

 

Division 3

 

Idaho Udapimps vs Jagerbomb

This was a hard choice to make but I went with Jagerbomb because of Simon at QB. I just think he will protect the ball better and not try and force something.

 

Thunder Buddies vs Old School

Even without Terry being there, I still think Thunders Buddies pulls out the win. I think that their roster is a little bit stronger, and Willie isn’t a bad QB either.

 

Chiefs vs Panaches

Right now, I just have a little more confidence in Felix than I do in Avery under center.

 

Jackrabbits vs RawSauce

Nico is back this week and he comes out dropping bombs and throwing darts all game long and helps get Jackrabbits going in the right direction.

 

Bines vs Average Joes

Bines have been off for a while and Average Joes just won a huge game last week, so I figured the hot team will keep on rolling.

 

Manitoboys vs Iron Wolves

I can’t pick Iron Wolves to win, at least not with the roster being in flux and them having subs every week, plus Manitoboys are a good team, especially when Rich isn’t there.

 

Division 4

 

Canal Club vs Sour Peeps

I can’t see how Sour Peeps are going to be able to slow down Francois from running all over them at will.

 

Flamingos vs Phoenix NA

I don’t pick my teams games.

 

Weakest Link vs Black Diamonds

I just think that they are the more complete team at least at this point of the season.

 

Super Friends vs GOATS

The Morin brothers are the best players on the field and should be able to pull this one off.

 

Cereal Killers vs Sooners 45

I feel they are more consistent and should be able to pull out this win.

 

Bouchers vs Wizards

They might come with a lot of players and maybe they aren’t as athletic as Wizards, but they all know their roles and play them well.

 

Division 5

Phoenix vs Cyclones NA

I don’t pick my teams games.

 

Drama Club vs Mimosa Crew

We have a club versus a crew and normally you’d expect the crew to win (ed’s note: What? Is this a thing? What is this logic based on?!?), but in this case the club is going to knock it out of the park this week.

 

Hard Target vs Remplaçants

I think that last week Hard Target played their asses off to a win and this week they will need to do the same and get lots of help from above and that isn’t going to happen.

 

Los Politos vs Heisenberg

I’m taking the chickens this week to beat the drug dealers all because they should have the best player on the field in Samuel.

 

Bucks vs Knight Triangles

I played Knights last week and I also got to see Bucks play and I can’t see this one being too close.

 

There you have it, my picks for this week. Love them or hate them, I don’t really care. This is who I have winning and since I’ve been right 67% of the time there is a good chance that I picked your game correctly. Good luck to everyone this week, especially the teams I picked to win.

 

Power Rankings

 

It’s now the fun part of the week where you get to see how your performance last week affected your rankings. Last week we had lots of games that made a difference for this week’s rankings. This is how I have the ranking based on ways teams have played up to now.

 

Division 1

#1- Centurions

#2- Outlaws

#3- Gros Coqs

(ed’s note: Is this a series of typos? This makes no sense with the results and what you’ve predicted!)

 

Division 2

#1- Tannantes

#2- Outlaws

#3- Iron Wolves

 

Division 3

#1- Average Joes

#2- Idaho Udapimps

#3- Jagerbomb

#4- Thunder Buddies

#5- Old School

 

Division 4

#1- Phoenix

#2- Mustard Tigers

#3- Airborne

#4- Cereal Killers

#5- Canal Club

 

Division 5

#1- Phoenix

#2- Remplacants

#3- Knight Triangles

#4- Cyclones

#5- Drama Club

 

There you have my rankings this week. I know I can’t make everyone happy, but after a few weeks you can start to see the difference between the caliber of teams. People might complain about the division they play in, but at some point, if you’re not winning games don’t expect to see your team on my rankings. Also, if you think 1 win gets you up on my list, it won’t. You have to show me that you can play well for multiple games and it also helps if teams above you lose as that gives you a better chance to make the rankings.

 

Final Thoughts

 

This past week was great for football and this week we are going to be playing at the 2 locations, so I hope that your captain let you know where you are playing. If not, you can always check it on the website at montrealflagfootball.com.

I also want to let everyone know that moving forward, if you need a sub then your captain needs to request it through the website. Refs and scorekeepers will no longer be adding players to rosters at the field and captains make sure they fit in your cap you don’t want to lose a game because you broke the cap.

I don’t have much to say this week, but I did have some good tidbits that I wanted to mention before I started writing and forgot to make notes, so I cant remember, but I know it will come back to me once I send this in to Jon. Maybe next week.

By now you should have all figured out that we are playing a game, so go out, have fun, be safe, and don’t kill anyone.

Thanks for reading and see you all Saturday or at least half of you depending on where you are playing.

 

Word from the Mouth: Let's Talk About Bogus Sacks! edition

Word from the Mouth: Let's Talk About Bogus Sacks! edition

Kevin Kousaie

After years away from playing at Park Arthur Therrien, we finally made it back to where the league started to grow exponentially. We have been playing at Le Ber for years now and the last few seasons we have been looking for a second location and now we have one. With 50 teams in the league a second field was needed. Moving forward we will be playing games at both each week, so captains look at the schedule and make sure that you let your team know where you are playing.

What will be the hardest thing for players this weekend will be for guys who play on multiple teams having to travel between locations, but it’s only a few minutes drive and you shouldn’t have any issues. Plus, maybe if you are heading from Le Ber to Arthur Therrien and want Wille to give you a shout out on the podcast, stop by Centre Pizza and grab him a slice, you might get a new fan as well as a new Bestie.

The best part about the new field was all that grass. Like any field that isn’t synthetic, the upkeep is tough on it and might not be leveled everywhere, but it beats playing in the dirt.

This weekend was great weather and it only rained for a little while, wasn’t too hot, and we had a nice breeze all day. I hope for the same this upcoming weekend.

One thing that I want to mention is that on June 23, the Als have their home opener and the league has been offered tickets at a cheaper price. If you want to go, message Jon and he will have more info for you. The league does something like this once or twice a year and its always fun. We get together before the game, have a few drinks, eat some food, go watch the game, and once Jon is drunk it’s time to make some deals. Anyone who has been before knows what I’m talking about.

 

Week 4 Recap

 

Division 1

 

Outlaws vs A-Team (24-41)

 

I won’t talk much about this one. I do have to say that I was stupid and changed my pick Friday night and went against A-Team. This is the first time that I have ever seen A-Team cheering on their teammates when something went wrong, but after all those fights and yelling matches with refs, other teams, and themselves, they finally played a complete game and showed what they can really do when they play without distractions. Let’s hope this is a turning point for them. I’m sure Will let Terry know all about this on the Podcast.

 

Trollers vs Bitter Boys (54-18)

 

What do I say about a game that was over very early in the game? All off season there was talk of moving Bitter Boys down to D2. Bitter Boys were missing their rusher along with probably their best player and Trollers took advantage and beat up on a weaker team. I’m willing to bet that after the game, the Trollers were very proud of the way they played. After the way Max played last week this was a good sign for them that he looks to be back and playing well. All game whenever a play needed to be made, Max looked towards Phil who got it done having an outstanding game, scoring 3 times. I’m not saying that Bitter Boys would have won, but I will say that if Guillaume and Felix are there on defense this is a different game, but at the end of the day you can only play the team that shows up not the players who don’t.

 

Division 2

 

Tannantes vs Iron Wolves (31-30)

 

I just want to mention that this game was fun to watch. I now wonder if ending the first half with 2 plays left was the right call for Iron Wolves. Yes, they were up and maybe felt that they had this game, but you weren’t inside your own redzone, and you had space, so you didn’t have to worry about a safety. Second half was more back and forth, but once we reached 3 minutes left is when it got exciting. Tannantes made the only convert of the day. Jon used all but 20 seconds of the clock before scoring. You had to figure that Iron Wolves would be playing soft coverage trying to take the deep ball away, and that’s what they did. Vincent hit Simon short, and he made a bunch of yards then Vincent had two more short completions before hitting Simon for the game winning score with zeros on the clock.

 

Marvels vs Redzone (32-24)

 

The first half of this game was dominated by Marvels. Redzone started out fast scoring on their first possession with a big play, but they cooled off right after that. The big thing that stood out to me was the poor clock management from Redzone as the first half was winding down. With three and a half minutes and all 3 time outs, you should get more than 7 plays off. I know that time warnings were given, but like all refs when something doesn’t go the way a player wants it to, we get yelled at and by we I mean the refs. Second half, Redzone started to make a game of it but it was too late. Max and Marvels made the score look better than what it was when Max wanted to end the game by getting a first down on their own 5 yard line and failed. Mike took one play to punch it in, but at that point Marvels knew it was over and just didn’t want to get hurt. Redzone started out slow after their opening drive and they had a too many drops that were easy catches. When theses teams play again, I think Redzone comes out on top.

 

Division 3

 

Chiefs vs Jagerbomb (27-34)

 

I was there for this game and it was early in the day, but after seeing so many games over the weekend I can’t remember much about this one. I can tell you it was closer than I expected it to be. I do remember Simon connecting with Loic on a big play only for Loic to get tackled with 2 yards left to go. After all that Simon got Loic in on the very next play. What ended up making this game close was that Chiefs scored to end the half and then scored to take the lead when they started with the ball in the second half. With just under 6 minutes left Jagerbomb went up by 7 and I expected their defense to make a play to end the game and they did, but not when I thought. After chewing clock and marching down the field Chiefs had multiple chances inside the redzone to win the game. After an incomplete pass, Avery hit James for 2 yards and on the next 2 plays Jagerbombs defense stepped up and knocked away Avery’s passes and ended the game.

 

RawSauce vs Iron Wolves (7-31)

 

Let me start by stating that RawSauce were only 6 players and were without their QB, so I don’t really see this as be a meaningful game to judge a team on. Ludovic is up north for work taking care of people in need. This was a typical Jon game, run the same few plays take a shot here or there, but nothing too fancy just enough to keep the defense guessing. I would say that the Iron Wolves defense played great getting 1 sack, 2 picks, and 1 of those going back for 6 points, but they were playing against a back up QB so that doesn’t count. The biggest question I have about this game was Gabriel from Iron Wolves showed up late and my bet would be he went to the wrong field. Which makes me wonder, did Jon the commissioner of the league not tell his team about the field chance or did Gabriel forget (ed’s note: it had nothing to do with the fields!). This is something that needs to be looked into by the higher ups. Jon was missing a few players this week, but it gave him an opportunity to work on timing with some of his other players and the one player that seemed to benefit from all this extra time was Chanwoo, who would end the day with 6 catches for 91 yards, a td, and a convert. Chanwoo also jumped a few routes on defense, but wasn’t able to come up with the ball.

 

Division 4

 

Sooners 45 vs Bouchers (8-20)

 

Sooners 45 started out by scoring on their opening drive and then the wheels feel off the wagon and they couldn’t move the ball. I thought that Sooners were going to be a good solid team, but after a performance like this I don’t know where to put them. After the game I spoke to a few people, and they had mentioned that on key downs Diego would throw an incomplete pass or try and run on short yardage and he just couldn’t maintain his footing and would slip. On the other side of things, Bouchers and their enormous roster couldn’t play worse than last week and wanted to prove that it was a fluke. Lukas did the smart thing this week and used his checkdowns and didn’t force the ball deep. He also did a better job of getting everyone involved on offense. On the defense they did a good job containing Diego and not allowing him to run and they also batted a few balls away. To me Sooners 45 is all about getting big plays. As for Bouchers, they are more of the conventional team that will suffer because of the size of their roster. I thought Sooners 45 were going to be a better team, but after this one I have no clue where to put them or how I feel about them.

 

Flamboyant Flamingos vs Airborne (13-18)

 

I can tell you that Airborne is officially on a winning streak, but how long can it last? They really like those tight games this is their second game in a row where it went down to the last play of the game. Last week they went to OT and this week they won on the last play of the game. I wouldn’t say that it was a pretty game from either team, but it was a close game with excitement in it. Gabriel got an interception with under 2 minutes left and having the lead all Flamingos needed to do was get a first down and the game would have been over. Airborne stepped up on defense and was smart using their timeouts to make sure they had time on the clock to try and score. Guillaume was able to get a 10-yard completion before hitting Max for a big 34 yard gain and putting them on the 1 yard line where Guillaume hits his son on a drag route for the third time on the day and wins the game. And just like that Airborne is 3-1 with the best record they have ever had to start a season? Will it continue? Probably not.

 

Division 5

 

Cyclones vs Bucks (49-0)

 

This game was over 5 minutes into the game. Cyclones had way more size than Bucks and all Yann had to do was keep throwing it deep and allow his taller receivers to just catch the ball. Yann has a really good player in Lazar, he is tall fast and will get better over time. I know Yann spread the ball around, but at a certain point you need to stop worrying about stats and start thinking about the integrity of the game. Bucks are a nice bunch of women and have a few players who really know what they are doing and how the game is played, but what they are missing is size. I had mentioned to their QB Pascale that she was allowed to use a smaller ball and she said she was ok with the one she had. To me if she were to use a smaller ball it would make a huge difference. It would allow her to get a better grip of the ball and add yards to her throws and it would also make it easier for her players to catch the ball.

 

Phoenix vs Knight Triangles (19-8)

 

Knight Triangles were without their QB and maybe it would have made a difference in the game, I’m just not sure. The first half was scoreless and then the first points were scored by the defense of Knight Triangles when Tyler sacked me for a bogus safety, but I’ll just leave it alone. Then when Knight Triangles got the ball, they were able to march the field and score after only a few plays. They missed the convert which would have made it a 2-score game. Once Phoenix got the ball back, they scored on 3 consecutive drives and sealed the game. I was able to hit Vince on a short 5-yard TD, followed by a 13-yard run for a score, and then put the game out of reach hitting my guy Joey on a 7-yard TD. With the game winding down and phoenix being up 10 we needed a first down to end the game, but Knight Triangles stepped up and forced a 3 and out, but didn’t use any of their timeouts and this allowed the seconds to bleed off the clock which they could have used if they were able to score quickly enough. In the end none of that mattered. The one play that sticks out to me was when Myriam caught her first pass ever and the defenders were chasing her and the scream or yell she let out was great and it put a smile on most of our faces.

 

There you have this week’s recap. I might not have covered your game this week, but maybe Terry and Will will talk about it, so give the Podcast a watch on Wednesday night.

 

Player of the Week

 

This week I don’t have to apologise for screwing up and giving the award to a plyer in the wrong division. This week I had a few easy choices and a few that I wasn’t sure who to go with until I started writing who I feel earned this week’s award. When I am making my picks, I try to avoid giving it to players who played in blowouts since most of the time the matchup isn’t favorable going into it, but there are those rare occasions when I have no choice but to give it to a player in one of those games. Here are this week’s winners.

 

Division 1

Offense

- Phil Pharand hauled in 10 passes for 152 yards, 3 TDs and 1 1point convert.

Defense

- Ashton Thibault made 3 tackles, had 2 picks and returned 1 for 6 points.

 

Division 2

Offense

- Simon Anctil caught 10 passes for 92 yards, 1 TD(game winner with no time left) and a 1point convert.

Defense

- Tameem Riman mad 1 tackle and had 2 picks.    

 

Division 3

Offense

- Simon Duchesne went 20 of 28 for 213 yards, 5 TDs and 2 2point converts.

Defense

- Jerome Hovington made 4 tackles and had 2 picks.

 

Division 4

Offense

- Victor Davis Made 5 catches for 63 yards, 3 TDs and 1 1point convert.

Defense

- Jerome Lavallee had 1 tackle and 3 picks.

 

Division 5

Offense

- Kayla Gauthier made 5 catches for 39 yards and 2 TDs.

Defense

- Benjamin Malette had 2 tackles and 1 pick which he returned for 6 points.

 

There you have the winners from week 4. I know that there might have been a few players who felt they should have made my list, but I can’t put everyone up here just because you feel you played well. I put players up on my list who balled out and if it’s close, I look to see you performed above expectations and let’s not forget to be on my list you have to be the best of the best, there are no points for second place.

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 3

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 3

Kevin Kousaie

Predictions

 

Another week down and another win by this guy. At this point of the year it’s way to early to say it’s in the bag or at least to pick the winner. Will is so far back that he needs help and lots of it just to get out of last place.

Last week I made a few last-minute adjustments to my picks once I looked a few things over. I went 11 and 6 which is not great, but it keeps me in the lead. On the season I sit at 33 and 17 which is still only a few games up on Terry and Jon and way in front of Will. According to Will he is making a comeback in the second half of the season. I just hope that it’s not too late at that point.

Now for my picks and like always they are in bold.

 

Division 1

 

A-Team vs Outlaws

I just can’t see how A-Team will keep it together for the whole game and beat a superior Outlaws team, but I think I might swing for the fences and take A-Team for the win. As per Willie they have a stacked roster.

 

Holy Trollers vs Bitter Boys

Even after Max didn’t play his best football last week, he always shows up and dominates Bitter Boys and I expect the same.

 

Division 2

 

Outlaws vs Nice TDs

Even after last weeks struggles, I have to take Outlaws for the easy win, better team more chemistry plus Steve isn’t losing twice in a row.

 

Tannantes vs Iron Wolves

After a poor performance in week 1 this rematch will go the other way and Tannantes will explode on offense in this game.

 

Marvels vs Redzone

I must go with Redzone since I have a feeling Mike leads the offense to a lot of points this weekend.

 

Division 3

 

Chiefs vs Jagerbomb

Jagerbomb is too strong for Chiefs and I also assume most if not all their players will be there this week.

 

Thunder Buddies vs Average Joes

In a game that can go either way I ended up picking Thunder Buddies only because Terry can run and it will cause problems for Average Joes defense if they cant contain him and force him to throw.

 

Jackrabbits vs Idaho Udapimps 

At this point of the season Idaho is firing on all cylinders and I cant see them getting stopped, plus Nico is still out and I have no clue who will be QBing for Jackrabbits.

 

Panaches vs Manitoboys 

After a few weeks of playing with these guys Leon knows who he has and what they can do and will light it up this week.

 

RawSauce vs Iron Wolves

Jon is going to be under pressure all game long, but with him dumping the ball off quickly he will chew clock and keep it close, but under control.

 

Bouchers vs Sooners 45

I just think they are the better team. Bouchers have too many players and it doesn’t allow them to get into rhythm.

 

Mustard Tigers vs The GOATS

Tigers eat goats at the zoo for breakfast and I’ve been told 11 o’clock is feeding time. Goats showed me nothing last week and against an experienced team they don’t have a shot.

 

Wizards du Groupe SG vs Canal Club 

Wizards are taking too long to understand the game and Canal Club has a very good running QB who will be hard to stop. This will be closer than expected, watch and see.

 

Flamboyant Flamingos vs Airborne

Last week Airborne got their first ever winning streak going and I expect it to continue this week. I think Airborne just have a more complete roster with fewer holes to fill.

 

Division 5

 

Cyclones vs Bucks

Lazar is so much taller than all the women on Bucks so all Yann will do is throw it up and let him come down with it.

 

Phoenix vs Knight Triangles NA

I don’t pick my teams games.

 

Drama Club vs Heisenberg

I know what I get with Drama Club and that is an easy win. They are the better team and its not even close.

 

Titans vs Hard Target

Titans win as they will be more organised and should be able to make a few more plays.

 

There you have it my picks for this week. I hope the Crystal ball keeps working for me. The view from the top is nice, plus I like looking down on people even if it is only Terry, Jon and Will.

 

Power Rankings

 

Did you win, did you lose, is your team going up or are they falling? Now is the time I tell you where your team sits. After 3 weeks being played and some teams only playing 1 game it’s still a little hard to rank everyone, but I’m going to do it anyways.

 

Division 1

#1- Outlaws

#2- Centurions

#3- Gros Coqs

 

Division 2

#1- Iron Wolves

#2- Tannantes

#3- Redzone

 

Division 3

#1- Average Joes

#2- Idaho Udapimps

#3- Thunder Buddies

#4- Jagerbomb

#5- Old School

 

Division 4

#1- Phoenix

#2- Cereal Killers

#3- Sooners 45

#4- Airborne

#5- Canal Club

 

Division 5

#1- Knight Triangles

#2- Remplacants

#3- Drama Club

#4- Phoenix

#5- Cyclones

 

That is how my rankings are right now we all know that next week there will be changes made and a few of those changes might be huge. What is funny is that in the higher divisions most of the teams have been around for a while, so you know the players and what to expect from them, where in the lower divisions it’s a surprise each week.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Some people think that allowing Demario to play in D2 isn’t fair and they might be right on that. I don’t play in D2 so for me if he fits under cap then why wouldn’t you want him on your team? (ed’s note: obviously this is arguing for myself, but you can seriously look at the players some teams have in D2 and say Demario is so much better than them that he specifically should not be allowed?) I know I would.

I was at the field for most of Saturday and you want to know who I didn’t see? That was Kris who is normally subbing in at least 2 games a week. I hope that he is okay and nothing happened to him. I’m sure he will be back soon enough to tear it up in whatever game he is playing in, plus get upset with a ref or two for a bad call.

I know football is supposed to be played by big macho men who get to go out and push, shove and hit other players all game long, but not here in the MFL. We are all out here to have fun, get some exercise, and maybe drink a few beers after the game. Let’s all remember that please.

This week please remember that we are playing at Park Arthur Therrien. It’s only a few minutes from where we are now, but let your teammates know in case some captains forgot to mention it.

Thank you and good luck to all this week. Remember we are playing for fun, so go have some and try not to get hurt.

See you Saturday. 

 

Word from the Mouth: New Field! edition

Word from the Mouth: New Field! edition

Kevin Kousaie

I’m going to start by saying that after 2 weeks of predicting the weather, I might have to give that up. I have got it wrong both times, but I want to point out that when I look at the weather on Monday that is what it says and we all know a lot can change in five days.

I am a person that needs to keep busy and am always moving doing something. That is why I normally hate long weekends and most of you reading probably think I’m crazy for saying that. This weekend it was nice to have the extra day off since it was the first week of Brossard.

This season we have 4 time slots in Brossard compared to 2 in past seasons, so both days are full days of football. At least for me they are.

By now your captain must have told you that we have secured a second location to play at this season. We will be playing this week at Park Arthur Therrien which is only a few minutes away from where we have been playing. I will mention that this field has a chalet, which means there is a washroom, no more going in the bushes (ed’s note: unless you prefer the bushes!).

I’m sure that everyone will be happy about the location except maybe Willie. He will no longer be able to walk up the street and get pizza and poutine while on break or in-between games. I was going to say he is smart enough to figure it out, but I’m not so sure on that. With a little help he might figure out how to order it to the field.

 

Week 3 Recap

 

Division 1

 

Since I didn’t get to see any of the D1 games this week and Terry was refereeing both of them, Terry and Will can cover it on the Podcast.

 

Division 2

 

Outlaws vs Tannantes (22-40)

 

This was a game that didn’t turn out the way most of the Media Team expected it to. When you can hold Steve to 3 TDs, your defense is doing something right and this week Tannantes had their defense dialed in. They only had 3 picks, but their rusher was in the QB’s face all day long. Often I’ll agree with Steve about receivers running wrong routes and that did happen a few times in this game, but Steve also missed on a few throws as well. As for Outlaws defense, they need to figure that out and soon. More than once near the goal line, the Outlaws allowed multiple Tannantes receivers to wander around the back of the endzone with no one within at least 3 to 4 yards and that might be being generous. Other than the pick that Julian had in the endzone, Vincent played a perfect game for Tannantes. When you face Tannantes everyone worries about Phil, and you should worry but you also need to know that there are other players who can make plays. At one point in the game Phil ran a hook and go at about 10 yards and he could have sat on the hook as the defender was already 10 yards down field.

 

Division 3

 

Average Joes vs Jagerbomb (32-20)

 

This was the game that Willie picked on the podcast to be over 90 points scored. I went out on a limb and messaged the Media Team with a bet for Willie. This bet was ridiculous, every point over 90 I would give him 100$ and every point under he would have to pay me 1$. When I made this bet I had no clue Simon wasn’t going to be there this week. Jagerbomb ended up missing a bunch players. For me Average Joes as good as they are should have been able to win by more than just 12. Average Joes played defense like they can by getting 3 picks as well as 3 sacks, they also didn’t allow JF to run all over them. Jason threw 5 TDs to just 1 pick which is a great ratio, but what would this game have been like if the entire Jagerbomb team was there? This could have been a finals preview, but we will have to wait 9 or more weeks to see this rematch which will end up happening in the playoffs.

 

RawSauce vs Old School (0-31)

 

After this game as Dahic is leaving he goes to me and says you picked against us and we won 31-0 and it was nothing. Let me clear this up I did initially pick against Old School, then Friday night I was checking through the rosters and noticed that RawSauce was missing their QB and a few other players, so I made the switch and had Old School for the win. This was the second week in a row that RawSauce was going with a backup QB since Ludovic was missing. I guess its better to be missing players early in the season rather than late in the year. I know William was filling in at QB, but how do you not get your best player Yvan the ball as much as you can. I won’t be surprised if other teams come and ask Old School what they did to lock Yvan down, that can’t all be on the QB. Dahic on the other hand was able to find his guys open all day long. Big Alex was able to elude tacklers at will. When was the last time you saw Alex go for 54 yards in a game, yet on only 4 catches? That’s remarkable, good job buddy.

 

Division 4

 

Phoenix vs Bouchers (52-6)

 

To start the game, Phoenix was only 6 players as Rob was running late. Lukas was able to take the ball and drive it to start the game and he made it look easy. Then their defense stepped up and forced a 3 and out. On Bouchers next possession is when it started to go down hill for them. Nick had a pick that he took to the 1-yard line. Phoenix scored easily on that possession. Rob has finally arrived and the first time he steps on the field he picks off a pass, which set up another score. Next possession Julian steps in front of a pass in our endzone and scoots up the sideline and scores a TD. At this point of the game we knew that this game was all but over, so we started to take it easy and try a few different things (ed’s note: that’s some quality trash talk, right there). The thing about this game was we got up early, scored often, and I knew from last season that Lukas likes the deep ball, so we played conservative on defense all day. Phoenix is loaded with studs and can play any style of defense to match the opponent’s offense. (ed’s note: maybe some players might have to be moved for cap purposes…)

 

Black Diamonds vs Sour Peeps (33-6)

 

Watching this game, nothing impressed me in this one (ed’s note: way to sell it!). Lesniak has a big arm and likes the big plays, but that won’t work against every team. I was more impressed by Sour Peeps and how they hung in there and kept trying. Kim didn’t get much help from her receivers this week. There was a bunch of times where she would hit her receivers in their hands, and they would drop it. I told her to come see me before her next game so I can give her some stickem for her receivers. Yes, stickem isn’t allowed (ed’s note: says who?), but if you’re going to use a smaller ball why not cheat even more. I know in some other leagues that if a woman is playing QB they can use a smaller ball, but as of right now we require everyone to use the same size ball for it to be fair. Sour Peeps are mostly new players and are still learning the game. I was trying to help a few of them out during the game and I also spoke to a few of them after the game just to give a few pointers. I had noticed that more than once they were in the right position on defense, but when they would attempt a tackle would twist and get out of position. Sour Peeps just need more games played to understand the game better.

 

Division 5

 

Cyclones vs Mimosa Crew (38-0)

 

This game was completely dominated by Cylones. Yann got off to a good start and was able to keep it going until he got hurt and had to leave the game. After the game I spoke to Yann who thinks that newcomer Lazar might be the best player in the division. I haven’t seen him play yet, but his stats looked good against a team that is still trying to figure out their identity. I like Mimosa Crew, they are a fun group of people, but if Curren can’t run and is forced to pass it will be tough for them. I know I bug Curren about running so much, but in some cases you have to. Are Cyclones going to be a powerhouse team in the division? I doubt it, but if they play like this all season then maybe they are.

 

Heisenberg vs Titans (13-19)

 

Titans were able to get their first win of the season as the game was winding down. Tomy was at QB for Titans since Steve wasn’t there this week and maybe it should be a permanent move. Tomy looked like he knew what he was doing and was able to get everyone involved on the offense. I feel that if the switch at QB gets done Titans would improve at both QB and Receiver. Ian played decent for Heisenberg, but just forced a few too many balls. Once he cuts down on the interceptions, I think Heisenberg might win a game or two this season. No one on Titans stood out as much as Robert did leading the way on defense with 3 picks. When Titans were leaving the field they let me know I should keep picking against them so they can keep proving me wrong by winning. It is not like I pick against you, I just pick the team I think is better and after the way you played week 1 what was I to expect? Ben showing up and dominating the game?

 

There you have it my week in review, if I didn’t talk about your game then go and see what Terry and Will might have to say about your game on the Podcast.

 

Players of the Week

 

Let me start by saying not one is perfect, but I am pretty close to it. Last week I snuggled up and want to apologise to David for getting his hopes up and him thinking he had made my list. It’s not as if David didn’t earn it, but it slipped my mind that he is playing on Outlaws in D1. I also want to say that the winner of D2 offense last week should have been Vincent Dion from Tannates. He was 23 of 33 for 193 yards, 5 TDs, 2 1point converts and threw 1 pick.

This week, I’ll try and get it right the first time. Now here are my winners.

 

Division 1

 

Offense

- Dominic Lefort went 15 of 22 for 184 yards, 6 TDs and 6 1point convert through the air and rand twice for 20 yards.

 

Defense

- Louis-Philippe Berdier made 4 tackles, 1 sack and a pick he returned for a TD.

 

Division 2

 

Offense

- Guillaume Turnblom made 4 catches for 72 yards and 2 TDs.

 

Defense

- Simon Anctil had 4 tackles and 2 picks.

 

Division 3

 

Offense

- Jerome Hovington made 6 catches for 75 yards and 3 TDs.

 

Defense

- Olivier Bernier had 3 tackles which were all sacks.

 

Division 4

 

Offense

- Gabriel Somma caught 5 passes for 70 yards and 2 TDs.

 

Defense

- Samer Assi had 1 tackle and 3 picks.

 

Division 5

 

Offense

- Yannick Brisebois was 17 of 23 for 220 yards, 5 TDs and 2 1point converts.

 

Defense

- Charles Barbeau made 2 tackles, had 2 picks and returned 1 for a TD.

 

There you have this week’s winners and as far as I can tell they all went to the players in their top divisions. Congratulations to this week’s winners and good luck to the rest of you trying to make my list over the next few weeks.

Leagues
Montreal Flag Football League
Division 1
Division 2
Division 3
Division 4
Division 5
Women's Division
Brossard Div 1
Brossard Div 2
Laval
Winter Div 1
Winter Div 2
Winter Div 3
Winter Women
Aces Flag Football