Word from the Mouth: Week 11 - Finals! edition!

Word from the Mouth: Week 11 - Finals! edition!

Kevin Kousaie

It is final week and we have the top two teams from the season playing each other. I think this might be the first time in league history that number one is playing two in the finals. I’m glad about this matchup as it should be a good one. I’m fed up of seeing blowout in the finals. Between the two teams they have 5 titles, Trollers with four and Outlaws with one. I hope that everyone is as pumped about the matchup as I am. Now let’s see how both teams made it to the finals.

 

Semifinals recap

 

Outlaws vs Gros Coqs (33-32)

So I said last week that both teams have a hard time stopping the other teams best weapon and that stayed true again in this game. Dom was able to run all over the Outlaws defense and Remy only managed 1 sack, 2 if you count the one at the end of the game on the convert. Dom still ran for 80 yards on 11 carries and was able to score once. Smuda had 7 catches for 84 yards and 2 scores. The biggest factor in the game was Shyanne, the guy just balled out and was unstoppable: 9 grabs, 73 yards, 3 scores, 2 converts, and 1 passing TD as well. This game went back and forth all game long. The big turning point of the game had to be the TD pass from Shyanne to end the first half. Gros Coqs have been around and should have known a jump ball was going to happen, they should have had two guys on Smuda along with having Dom rush so that the QB wouldn't have time to throw it the length of the field. That pass gave Outlaws all the confidence in the world knowing they could beat Gros Coqs with a prayer. I don’t know exactly what happened at the end of the game, but Gros Coqs were stopped on fourth down except there was a penalty on the play that kept the drive going. Gros Coqs went on to score and make it a one point game. With a big decision Gros Coqs went for two and the lead. We all saw Dom running around buying time until Remy dove and came up with the flag to seal the game for them. That was it, Outlaws off to the finals.

 

Trollers vs Henchmen (20-0)

This was a very boring game there weren’t any big plays other than JCs pick 6. Henchmen had another hard time holding onto the ball this week. They had lots of drops that really hurt their team. I thought going in this was going to be a lot closer game, but that never happened. Trollers kept getting stops and had short fields all game long. I think the only time they started with the ball on their side of midfield was when they started with the ball in the second half. The score at half was 20-0. At halftime I told my team to look over at the Henchmen bench and you could see they knew the game was over they all had their heads down and they looked demoralized. Second half was more of the same boring slow football, there were only 3 drives in the second half. Both QBs couldn’t get over 100 yards throwing, guess when you play a great defense that could happen, it also doesn’t help that Trollers were always on the other side of half when they got the ball. So the Trollers are going back to a very familiar spot, the finals that is.

 

Finals 

Trollers vs Outlaws

Previous Matchups Week 4 25-20 Trollers, Week 5 27-18 Outlaws


So you can see that these two teams have a history against each other. This will be just like the rest, a tight game that will come down to who makes less mistakes. The first game came down to a bad route run by Eric at center on last play of the game. The second game was decided by a pick in the end zone as Trollers were going in to score and take the lead. So you know it will come down to one or two plays that will decide the championship.

 

QB- This season Max is having a great year. He has been making all the right reads and throwing the ball on time. He hasn’t turned the ball over much this season. He is no longer that guy that only looks one way and if needed would take off and run. Don’t get me, wrong he can still run he just doesn’t do it as much anymore. Max has also improved as the season went along making the reads and finding open guys. Steve is still Steve. Very smart at running plays where someone will be open and getting the ball out of his hands quickly. Steve doesn’t throw many bad passes unless there is pressure in his face. Since Steve doesn’t run around a lot he needs to get rid of ball quick. I have played with both of these guys for years now and I love both of them, they both have a different skill set. Steve is calmer and Max at times can get a little flustered. This season Max has been the better QB so with that being said I’ll give the advantage to Trollers.

 

WR- Outlaws have tons of weapons that haven’t been used much this season. Yes, they might have the best receiver in the league in Smuda and Shyanne might be in top 5, but after that what have any of them done. Eric is used as a safety valve in case the play breaks down. So, unless the other guys get a bunch of targets it should be another heavy dose of Smuda and Shyanne with Eric underneath. Trollers have been a little more balanced this season. Ben and JC can both take the top off the defense with Josh being used as an intermediate guy. The ball seems to be spread better with the Trollers and that is what makes them harder to stop. In seasons past it was Just Ben and Josh, it is no longer like that and with that being said the advantage has to go to the Trollers.

 

Defense- In years past this was an easy one and it would have been Trollers all the way, but this season things seemed to change a bit. Trollers were without their top rusher Andre for most of the season, they weren’t getting picks like in years past and they gave up too many points to weaker teams. Trollers still managed to get 5 sacks, 20 picks, 1 pick 6 and batted 37 balls away. That was for the season, then they buckled down last week and gave up 0 points in a playoff game. Outlaws have had a great rush all season no matter who was doing it. I think the Outlaws finished with the best points against at season end. As a team they managed to get 17 sacks, 5 safeties, 14 picks, 1 pick 6 and batted 36 balls away. Both teams have similar numbers except for the sacks, but I will also point out that only two players on Outlaws have picks. Even with that last bit of information, I still have to give the advantage to Outlaws. If the two teams had similar sack numbers I would have gone with Trollers. 

 

X-Factors

- For Outlaws the X-factor will be Remy. If he is able to get after Max all game and not let him get to his second and third reads then Outlaws have a very good chance at winning this game. Remy will also need to be more involved in the offense. Steve can’t depend on two players to win the game. 

- Trollers X-factor will end up being Cano. With Andre most likely missing Cano will fill in at rush. He will need to do what he did last time against them and get constant pressure on Steve and make the passing lanes close quickly. Cano should also end up with a big part of the offense as he is replacing Lesniak. 

Those are the two players that should determine the outcome of the game. It won’t end up being one of the stars on the team it will be a guy who shows up and plays his ass off every week.

 

Final Thoughts

We made it through another season. This week we will be crowning a new champion. I would like to say thank you to all the teams that tried really hard all season and better luck next year. Everyone should come out and watch the finals as it will be a good game. I have been thinking about bringing out the BBQ for a few weeks now and what a better time than at the finals. I will be bringing hotdogs, burgers, just your regular BBQ items. I might even get some veggie burgers for Jon and myself since we both don’t eat meat. So best of luck to both teams in the finals, you guys played hard all season and deserve to be there. Play hard have fun and have a beer and stick around after to watch the division 2 semifinals and finals. I’ll be back next season writing and since the fall season starts next week you won’t have to wait long.

Word from the Mouth: Week 10 - Playoffs! edition!

Word from the Mouth: Week 10 - Playoffs! edition!

Kevin Kousaie

As a reminder to all of our playoff teams, you are limited to 6 players in a game if you have any subs playing. 7 players if your QB only plays offense. You are also allowed to have an additional player available in case of injury, but note that the injured player is out for the game if they are replaced.

 

Now that the warmup season is out of the way and all the pretenders have been eliminated we can get to the real season. We have the three best teams in the playoffs, which we all saw at the beginning of the year. Then we end up with what people were thinking was a stacked team or super team crawl in with a 5-5 record and needed to win their last game to get in. The playoffs could be interesting. 

 

Week 10 Recap

 

Trollers vs Henchmen (32-13)

So this was a game that had a little playoff implication when it started. Henchmen were able to march down the field and score on the opening possession. Trollers then did the same on a play that deserved a flag for PI. Jon told me the night before that Francis was going to light us up and he did on me with the no call. Jon was asking how do you not turn around a yard or two from the back of the end zone line. After that Trollers took over the game not allowing another point until Henchmen’s last drive of the game. I will say that Henchmen did a horrible job of catching the ball consistently. Svetna did make a ridiculous one handed catch on a ball thrown behind him and in between two defenders. These two teams will play again this week. Will we see more of the same, we will have to wait and see.

 

Outlaws vs Revolucion (56-18)

Was this even a game at any point? Raph and Revolucion needed this win to get some momentum for their second game. As you can see from the score and the video that didn’t happen. Outlaws look to be rolling after a huge loss last week to Bitter Boys. Here is a link to the video of this game. https://www.facebook.com/montrealflagfootball/videos/215173286070074/

Watch the video you can tell for yourself also Smuda makes a great one handed catch. 

 

Les Gros Coqs vs 4Simbas (37-24)

This was a game between two teams that get really fired up really fast, there was bound to be some fireworks in this one. There wasn’t so don’t expect to hear any except a player getting bumped in the nose and having to come off and get a band aid. On 4Simbas first possession they scored, so I asked Dom what was going on and he looks at me and goes maybe we will lose on purpose so we can play the Trollers in round one. I knew in my head that there is no way they would lose on purpose especially since they already lost to them once before. This game was back and forth most of the game. Both QBs did a good job of spreading the ball around and they each had a few nice runs. Charles had a big game on offense for Gros Coqs. After watching this game and seeing what was the video game of the week this game was way more exciting. 

 

Trollers vs Bitter Boys (45-18)

So after these two teams played last time Trollers wanted to show how dominating they can be. Last week Bitter Boys helped the Trollers out by beating Outlaws, they weren’t going to beat the top two teams to end their season. I knew this was going to happen and didn’t want any part of it. Trollers had all but locked up the first seed even if they lost as long as they gave up less than 42 points. I was trying to convince my team to just take the forfeit and finish at 8-2 instead of 9-1 or still losing the game and giving up more points. Plus someone could have gotten hurt and been lost for playoffs. I will say Bitter Boys are a good team and no one should over look them moving into the fall season. 

 

Revolucion vs Henchmen (12-19)

This game was for the fourth and final playoff spot. You would have expected a more offensive game with so much on the line. Maybe both teams had a case of the dropsies. This game ended up being long and slow. Both teams had a few long drives and ate up the clock. I know that is the way Jon plays, Raph is a little more up tempo. I will say that ,ost of the Henchmen had just played in a division two game and all of Revolucion just finished getting smacked around by Outlaws, so everyone was tired and could have used a break in between the most important game of the season. I will say that Henchmen did bring in a sub to put them at 7 players for the game since most it was their third game of the day. I want to know how Jon was able to complete a pass for 50 yards and out of those 50 yards how many were in the air. My guess is 5 and Marvin ran the rest of the way. It would have been nice to see this be a more exciting game with so much on the line for both teams. Next time we should do what NFL does near end of season and move games to primetime. It wouldn’t be last minute they would know from the Saturday before. Just a suggestion. 

 

Playoff Match ups

#1 Trollers vs #4 Henchmen 

This game is a rematch of one that just happened this past week. I think it will be a better game this time around. I just want to remind Henchmen that it is customary to go out the night before and drink all night long. This is what teams do in division one. This week Trollers will have Max back under center and should be able to generate more points than last week. I also can’t see Henchmen dropping all those balls again. So this game is going to come down to a few plays and who makes more of them. Both teams have a tone of talent. I can see that the top players still being able to make plays. This game will be decided by one of the teams role players. So for Henchmen I can see Francis or maybe Ian being that guy that needs to come up big (ed’s note: both out…). For the Trollers it could end up being Dave, Kevin or Andre with the pass rush. Those are the guys that I can see making a huge impact since everyone else will be getting all the attention.

 

Winner- NA

 

#2 Outlaws vs #3 Gros Coqs (GOTW)

 

QB- So Steve is your prototypical passer; sit in the pocket, make a quick read and get the ball out of his hands. Every now and then he will evade the rusher and maybe even another player as he scrambles for a few yards and 9 out of 10 times a first down. Dom on the other hand is a guy who uses his legs and forces the defense to adjust to him and where he is running. If the defense sits in their zones he will take off and kill you that way if you come up to make a play on him he will find the open guy. These two couldn’t be any different. I have played with Steve on other teams for a few years now and I love the guy, but I have to give the advantage to running ability of Dom. I have seen him beat teams too many times just by running. 

 

WR- Gros Coqs have a great bunch of receivers that anyone of them could beat you. Bresse is the guy for Gros Coqs, Vincent is a good center and Dom will check it down to him quite often. After those two they still have Charles, Boris and Etienne who are all solid and missed games so their numbers don’t pop off the page at you. Outlaws are stacked with Smuda, Shyanne and Remy outside along with Eric manning the middle. They have a lot of speed on the roster that just needs to get used properly. Smuda is top 3 receiver if not the best in the league. I know Shyanne is reading this and has a stupid look on his face like “what about me?” Now if I was given choice to pick either group to be on my team I would easily take Outlaws. They are fast enough and have way more size, so Outlaws are given my advantage in this one.

 

Defense- So Remy was my choice as the top rusher in the division and defense starts up front. If you can pressure the QB constantly and fast you won’t have to cover as long. The question is will Remy be able to contain Dom from running wild. In the secondary the Outlaws are pretty weak, that is after Smuda and Shyanne. The team has 14 picks by those two guys only. How does everyone else bat 28 balls away and not end up with 1 pick? Gros Coqs have a different problem, their defense is weak all over. They have only managed to get 5 sacks as a team, 11 picks,  and batted 43 balls away. Their defense isn’t bad, but it isn’t great either. If they settle down and play like they can they are very solid it just hasn’t happened much this season. I have to go with Remy and give the Outlaws the advantage. He is the best rusher and can change a game on his own.

 

X Factor

So this is something new I figured I try it and see how it goes.

Outlaws- Stopping Dom from running if they can do that and force him to throw then they will win the game.

Gros Coqs- Smuda, stopping him. That is what needs to be done if they want any chance in winning this game.

I know it might seem obvious what my X Factors are. These two teams have played many game against each other and they are normally good games. Outlaws have always had trouble eliminating the run from Dom and Gros Coqs can’t match up with the size of Smuda. So this will be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

Winner – Outlaws

 

Final Thoughts 

So we are here, Madden has come out or will be by the time this is posted. So you know someone is going to be up all night playing it trying out new plays and seeing if they work. I have played madden and football my whole life and yes you can run some of the same concepts or even plays, but will they work ya? Of course, you’ll just need the right players to run the plays. I will be one of those people up for the next few nights mastering the game, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be ready Saturday 9:30am to dominate in my game. Now that it is the playoffs you have to give it your all if you want any chance in playing in the finals. So no more go out have fun play safe, leave it all out on the field don’t let one of your teammates down dig deep and suck it up we’re all men out there. That’s it for this week see all you teams that made the playoffs on Saturday. 

MFL Spring 2019 Awards Voting

MFL Spring 2019 Awards Voting

Jon Evans

* ENGLISH FOLLOWS *
 
Les nominés sont inscrits et le vote pour les MFL Spring 2019 Awards est ouvert!
 
Le vote est ouvert à tous les joueurs de la MFL et nous permettons à chaque joueur de voter lors d’un vote par division.
 
Comme je l'ai déjà mentionné, nous annoncerons les gagnants lors de notre rassemblement de printemps, dimanche 11 août (le lendemain des finales) à partir de 19h au McKibbons Irish Pub sur St Laurent. L'adresse est le 3515 St Laurent Blvd.
 
Voici les bulletins de vote:
 
 
Merci tout le monde!
 
 
* ENGLISH *
 
The nominees are in and the voting for the MFL Spring 2019 Awards are open!
 
The voting is open to all players in the MFL and we allow each player to vote in any or all of the divisional voting.
 
As I've mentioned before, we'll be announcing the winners at our Spring Get Together on Sunday, August 11th (the day after the finals) starting at 7 pm at McKibbons Irish Pub on St Laurent. The address is 3515 St Laurent Blvd.
 
Here are the ballots:
 
 
 
 
 
Thanks everyone!

Word from the Mouth: Week 9 - It's Too Damn Hot Out Here edition!

Word from the Mouth: Week 9 - It's Too Damn Hot Out Here edition!

Kevin Kousaie

Here we are coming into the last week of regulations (ed’s note: is that a thing you say?). Last week was so ridiculously hot and humid, don’t know how some guys were able to play 2 and 3 games. I was dying just refereeing all day. Good job for those who were able to. I know that moving forward when it is extremely hot out that the canopies that we have in the storage container need to be brought out and set up. Enough about how some of us couldn’t stand the heat and let’s move on to the games that were.

 

Week 9 Recap

 

Henchmen vs 4Simbas (17-25)

4Simbas might be eliminated from the playoffs, that doesn’t mean they needed to roll over and die. They are now in a position to play spoiler. They came out and played like they had nothing to lose and put a very big wrench in Henchmens plan to walk into the playoffs. I know that this was an early game and the heat shouldn’t have mattered that much except it forced Jon to throw with gloves on. We all know Jon doesn’t have the strongest arm. He is very accurate under 10 yards, but with the glove on it wasn’t the same feel on the ball. The Henchmen need to hope things go their way this week or they might be out of playoffs as well.

 

Revolucion vs Trollers (30-41)

Even with Raph and Revolucion having all those subs helping out they still couldn’t get the job done. I don’t know what is going on with Revolucion this season, but they have a good roster when they decide to show up. I just have to wonder is Revolucion going to win out and make the playoffs? Trollers played well enough to get the win, but they could have played better. Trollers finally got a big performance out of Josh this week. It was starting to look like he was the forgotten man on the roster. Trollers have locked up spot 1 or 2 for the playoffs. 

 

Gros Coqs vs 4Simbas (39-15)

This one wasn’t even close and wasn’t really fair since it was 4Simbas second game of the day. I don’t really think it would have made much of a difference. Gros Coqs came out with their full roster and when they do that they are very hard to beat. I don’t think that 4Simbas are a bad team they just needed to come out every week with a full roster and use their athleticism to their advantage. I guess another season of learning and understanding the game can’t hurt either. Tommy was able to make an appearance this week for Gros Coqs and he looked very good, it just sucks that he wasn’t there for them all season. No matter what roster Gros Coqs show up with as long as Dom is there they will have a chance to win the game. 

 

Bitter Boys vs Outlaws (39-27)

First and foremost thank you Bitter Boys for beating Outlaws and allowing my team a chance to take the first spot and not having to play the kids in round 1 of the playoffs. This was probably the biggest shocker of the season. Bitter Boys have been in a lot of close games, a few breaks here and there and they might be in the playoffs. I spoke to a few of the Outlaws after the game and this is what they had to say about the game. Bitter Boys beat them straight up. They made us pay for our mistakes and we couldn’t do the same. JS was on point all game making the right reads and the perfect throws. They also said they couldn’t slow down Guillaume all game long. I guess not since he scored 6 TDs. This game now brings up a bigger question. Are Outlaws just an average team when Smuda isn’t there or are Bitter Boys for real and making a statement before next season? My guess would be both are true.

 

Playoff Scenarios 

4Simbas- Eliminated 

They get to wrap up their season playing a rematch from last week against Gros Coqs. 

Revolucion- still alive, but barely 

They need to win 1 of their last 2 and hope Henchmen lose out, and Bitter Boys to lose this week. Revolucion will be playing Outlaws first then right after need to beat Henchmen to make it in.

Bitter Boys- Still alive, but need help

To make it in they will need to beat the Trollers and need plenty of help to get in. They will need Henchmen to lose out and Revolucion only win 1 of their 2 games. (ed’s note: which means Revolucion need to lose to the Outlaws since they would need to beat the Henchmen for them to lose out)

Henchmen- control their own playoff chances

If they win out they are in. They can also get in by just beating Revolucion. They hold tie breaker over Bitter Boys. (ed’s note: we’re also in if we beat the Trollers and Revolucion lose to the Outlaws)

Gros Coqs- In 

They will finish 3 or 4. They are in since they hold tie breakers over Bitter Boys and Revolucion. 

Outlaws- In

They will finish in 1 or 2 depending on if the win and Trollers loss a game. 

Trollers- In

They will be 1 or 2. If they win out they are first or if they lose 1, but give up less than 38 points more than the Outlaws.

If there is a tie here is the tie breaker rules 

- First Tie Breaker is number of games played 

- Second tie breaker is Head to Head (ed’s note: to clarify this we use the NFL tie breaker rules, which means that if there are more than 2 teams tied in record then 2 team head to head records are ignored and a group head to head winning percentage is the tie breaker, so the order is determined by the teams that have the best record within the tied teams)

- Third Tie breaker is fewest points against 

- Fourth should be a team relay (think about it Jon)

So now that you all know what needs to be done in order for your team to make the playoffs good luck with that. 

 

GOTW (Game of the Week)

Revolucion vs Henchmen

QB- Both guys suck and have no real arm strength. They both started the season playing well and being able to put some zip on the ball. Those days are long gone for both of them, they now need to depend on their heads to make the right reads and proper throws. This will be the second game for both guys except Jon will have a break in between his games. (ed’s note: I’m playing between the games, so it’ll actually be my third game…) I think that will be a big advantage for Jon. Both guys are about the same caliber of a QB the difference is when they run Raph gets the advantage there. Since it could be hot again I don’t see too much running taking place in this game. Advantage goes to Henchmen.

 

WR- Henchmen have a better stable of WRs that actually show up to games more often than not. I like what Raph has put together for Revolucion, the guys just need to show up every week. If both teams came with all their players it could go either way but that doesn’t happen so I have to give the advantage to Revolucion. I thought going in that it was going to be Henchmen then you look at the stats and they have 3 guys in Kris, Dahic and Andrew. After those 3 there is a big drop to the next guy. Revolucion doesn’t have that big drop that is why they were given the advantage. 

 

Defense- So I base a good defense on three things, the rusher, # of picks, and points against. Revolucion have a very good rusher in Eric. After that their defense is pretty weak they have only managed 8 picks and are giving up 29.3 points a game. You would think that with one of the better rushers in the division they would get more picks and give up less points. Henchmen on the other hand have 9 total sacks by three guys, top guy has 4. They have managed to get 13 picks, with 7 coming from Dahic alone. They have only given up 19.3 points a game which is great until you add in the shutout they were given by Gros Coqs not making it in time for the game to be played. I will take picks over sacks any day of the week and that is why Henchmen get the advantage.

 

This is the game that everyone should stick around and watch as it should determine the final playoff spot. 

 

Predictions

Last week we ended up having 4 games and I picked 1 game correctly. Good Job Gros Coqs for being my only pick that won. On the season I sit at 14 out of 22 games. So even when I go perfect this week I will fall short of my goal of 75% by quite a bit. So now that you guys have all endured reading this far along here are my picks. They are in bold.

Trollers vs Henchmen NA

Outlaws vs Revolucion

Gros Coqs vs 4Simbas

Trollers vs Bitter Boys NA

Revolucion vs Henchmen 

 

Power Rankings 

So this is my last power rankings of the season. Playoffs will begin next week and only 4 teams will be left. Has your team done enough to make my final list of the year? Let’s take a look at who made it.

#1) Trollers

#2) Outlaws

#3) Gros Coqs

Trollers and Outlaws have been the best two teams all season long. This week we finally got to see a full roster from Gros Coqs and they didn’t disappoint. Henchmen stunk it up again and the rest of the teams have a below 500 record. I was tempted to switch my number 2 and 3 team except that Gros Coqs roster won’t be there next week for playoffs.

 

Final Thoughts

So I know all year I have been saying have fun play hard and it’s only a game. That still stands true, the difference now is that it is the last week of the season and you are all fighting to make it in. If you get hurt and don’t make it in then you have 2 weeks to get better before the fall season. So when you suit up on Saturday give it your all as some of you will be relaxing the next 2 weeks while some of us are going after the title. Good luck to everyone this week hope it turns out how you want it to. 

Word from the Mouth: Week 8 - When the Commish is Away edition!

Word from the Mouth: Week 8 - When the Commish is Away edition!

Kevin Kousaie

(ed's note: The fall season starts on August 17th and it really helps us put the schedule together if you get me your team confirmations and schedule requests before the end of the spring season! If your team is playing in the fall and/or if you have time requests, please let us know by July 28th. The closer to the season start you confirm the less likely we can accommodate time requests!

La saison d'automne commence le 17 août et cela nous aide vraiment à établir le calendrier si vous me recevez les confirmations de votre équipe et les demandes de calendrier avant la fin du printemps! Si votre équipe joue à l'automne et / ou si vous avez du temps, veuillez nous en informer au plus tard le 28 juillet. Plus le début de la saison approche, plus vous confirmez, moins vous serez en mesure de répondre aux demandes de temps!)

 

 

You have come back to see what the mouth has to say and I’m glad that you did. Last week the weather was great, maybe a little hotter than expected, it’s still better than the rain. I’m sitting here at the pool enjoying this beautiful weather that I have for my vacation. Like McDonalds “I’m loving it”. 

 

Week 8 Recap

 

This past weekend we ended with only two games since a bunch of teams had byes. That is fine by me except the games we had were horrible games. So lets just jump right into it.

 

Trollers vs 4Simbas (45-6)

This game almost didn’t happen. 4Simbas showed up late and ended up being down 12 points before a snap was even taken. When the first snap happened 4Simbas were playing with only 5 players. You might be able to play a weak team with 5 players, you won’t be able to play the Trollers with 5. They did end up getting 6 players at some point, it was too late when they did have 6 guys. The truth of the matter is games like this suck. I didn’t play this week with the Trollers, I did speak to them after the game and they were just playing around trying new things. With that being said they still put up 33 points without really trying. That could mean trouble for other teams if they keep that up the rest of the way. For 4Simbas get your team together. Show up with at least 6 players and be ready to ball out. I knew nothing about you guys coming into the season, when I asked about you guys everyone was saying you are young, athletic, and should be a good team, potentially challenging for a playoff spot. At this point it doesn’t look that way, use the last few games to get ready for next season.

 

Bitter Boys vs Gros Coqs (14-43)

This game ended in a blowout and a blowup. This was a game that we all felt fireworks would be possible. Dom was almost perfect going 10 for 11 with 6 TDs (ed’s note: WAT?). Bitter Boys were missing JS at QB and that is never a good thing for them. There is no one on their roster that can step in and fill the void. At halftime the score was 37-8 for Gros Coqs, so they switched from Dom to Vince behind center. Vince who isn’t a QB was able to go 3 for 4 with a TD, his incomplete pass was picked off. Gros Coqs found a way to pick apart Bitter Boys defense like they were little children. This game didn’t make it to the end before it was called by both teams leaving 10 minutes on the clock when they did. We all know that Bitter Boys are physical and will get in your face. We also know that Gros Coqs aren’t going to back down from anyone. So there was an altercation between 2 players and it escalated to the point that both teams were willing to walk away and end the game before punches were thrown. Guess that was the smarter choice, since the game was so far out of hand.

 

GOTW (Game of the Week)

Revolucion vs Trollers

QB- In this one we have two guys that are at opposite ends of their career. Raph looks to be the downward side of his career, he no longer runs like he used to, he is no longer making the right decisions, he has stopped looking defenses off, and it is also taking a lot longer for him to make his reads. Max seems to have finally figured out how to play the position like a true game changing QB. No longer are the days of Max depending on 1 or 2 guys to make plays. He has found confidence with everyone on the roster, which wasn’t the case years ago. Max has almost all but eliminated throwing picks, so his decision making has sky rocketed. He will also take a sack rather than throw a bad pass, which shows maturity, better to take a sack than force a turnover with a bad pass. With all that said I'd have to be crazy not to give the Trollers the advantage, so that is what I am doing. (ed’s note: This is unclear. Are you indicating that you are in fact crazy and are therefore not giving the Trollers the advantage? If so, then I just won a bet!)

 

WR- Both teams boast solid units in this area when everyone shows up. That hasn’t been a problem for the Trollers this season, but it has been one for Revolucion as they never know who will show up. Revolucion have 5 players with at least 15 catches, 140 yards, and at least 2 TDs. Justin seems to be Raph’s favourite target close to the end zone, and he should be. He is very tall, fast, can jump, and has very good hands. Trollers have 6 guys with 18 catches, 150 yards, and at least 3 TDs. JC has been the guy on the Trollers this season. He has 100 more yards than the next closest guy on the roster and almost twice as many TDs. So when I was looking over both team stats they are close so I asked myself which five players would I want to have on the last drive of the game needing a score and I’d have to go and take the Trollers. I just think they have more speed and guys that are a little more dependable.

 

Defense- I have always said on defense you need a good rusher and everything else will fall in place. Right now Revolucion have the better rusher of the two teams. Eric has been doing a good job, just not like he has in the past. Revolucion are giving up just under 28 points a game. The problem is that they have only managed to get 7 sacks, pick off 8 balls, and bat 27 balls away. With the group that they have batting 27 balls away means they are close to the ball so the picks should be higher. Trollers have been struggling to get a solid rush all season long. Dave has done most of their rushing this year with Andre being a little banged up. Even with a so so rush the Trollers are only giving up 22 points a game. Trollers only have 4 sacks, but they have picked off 16 balls and batted 26 balls away. Trollers are around the ball just like Revolucion except the Trollers catch them. After seeing both teams stats I have to give the advantage to the Trollers. They have been playing with each other for so long that the experience alone puts them over the top.

 

Predictions 

Last week we had two games only. That is if you want to call those blowouts “games”. I was able to get the one game I picked right, so “yay” for me going 100% on the weekend. On the season I am 13 of 19. This week I have four games to pick from. A few game are rematches from earlier in the year, will we end up with the same outcome? Here are the games winners are in bold.

 

Henchmen vs 4Simbas 

Revolucion vs Trollers NA

Gros Coqs vs 4Simbas

Bitter Boys vs Outlaws

 

That is who I have winning and are most likely going to happen if all the teams show up with full rosters and on time. No one wants to see Henchmen getting another free win by a technicality. (ed’s note: define “no one”)

 

Power Rankings 

So last week I only had two teams in my top three since no one really earned the third spot. With only two games last week did anyone play well enough to get in or did someone play badly making the choice to bump up a team to third. So with no more delaying here are my top 3.

 

#1) Outlaws 

#2) Trollers 

#3) Gros Coqs

 

Yes Gros Coqs are my number 3 team and could be higher if their roster came out every week. I’m not completely sold on Gros Coqs this season, though I know I said season after season they always find a way to play once playoffs come. Outlaws and Trollers are secure in the top two spots and can be flipped and flopped anyway and no one could argue about it. (ed’s note: I bet you could)

 

Final Thoughts

We have made it to the final two weeks of the season. Right now we have the Outlaws secure in the playoffs. This weekend we could end up with a second one if the Trollers win. That would only leave two spots left for what looks like three teams. It could be a really good battle for those last two spots. Who is going to get in? Will it be Henchmen, Gros Coqs, or Revolucion. I would love to see Henchmen miss out especially with the free win they got two weeks ago. That is just my thoughts on the playoffs and in no way a guarantee. So with two weeks left remember play hard, be safe, and have fun.   

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