Word from the Mouth: I'm Giving Myself a Gold Star! edition

Word from the Mouth: I'm Giving Myself a Gold Star! edition

Kevin Kousaie

I’m going to try and make this a short article this week (ed’s note: best news of the year!) for multiple reasons. Saturday, I got a call from my boss and was needed in Toronto for Sunday morning and was going to be there until Monday afternoon. This is when I would normally get most of my writing in, but this week I was forced to do it on Monday night when I was super tired.

This was the first week back after the bye and it really helped a few teams out and made a few teams look a little rusty, which we knew would happen. I’m going to skip writing whatever pops in my head right now so I can get to the games, but don’t be surprised if my final thoughts are long and all over the place, and yes that is also what I tell the ladies (ed’s note: I legitimately don’t know what that is meant to mean, but I’m a little concerned).

 

Division 1

 

Petits Phoques vs Ataboy (37-38)

 

This game had a whole bunch of offense and very little if any defense. Let me start by pointing out that Nicolas and JC are nowhere near the level of Joe Burrow for appearance when arriving at the field, both of these guys showed up using plastic bags to transport their gear to the game. Just because they showed up like a couple of homeless guys doesn’t mean they played that way. Nicolas was almost perfect on the day and JC didn’t have a big offensive game, but he also was rushing Dom and did a very nice job of not allowing him to win the game with his legs. The only turnover was a pick by Benoit and it was only because JC had chased Dom all over the place and he threw it across field and it got away from him. With 5 plays left Dom was able to find Vince for the 1-yard score and with the game on the line instead of going for 1 and tying it up, Petits Phoques went for 2. I’m not sure if it was the right call with 4 plays left though. On the play everyone was covered, and Dom ended up taking off running and got hemmed in on the sideline by 3 defenders and couldn’t get it in for the lead. Ataboy ended the game right after that.

 

Pardon My Swag vs No Punt Intended (13-18)

 

I didn’t hear anything about this game, but what I can tell you is David doesn’t like losing and will do whatever he can to help his team get the victory. This week David did it all, he scored the only 2 offensive TDs for his team and he also was able to score on the pick that he had. Both teams have really good rosters, I just think that after the way the first half of the season went for No Punt Intended that they had enough of the losing and have turned over a new leaf and are looking to get into the playoffs. Pardon My Swag, who I thought would be near top of the division, seem to be struggling right now and need to right the ship now before it becomes too late.

 

Bread and Circuses vs Villains (19-8)

 

For two teams that are so similar in the way they play and with the type of players they have on their rosters I really didn’t expect to see a score this low. I just looked at the stats and had to wonder how you could you win a game when Greg completed 5 passes for a total of 51 yards, had 3 TDs and 2 picks. Then I saw that Louis-David threw 3 picks which must have led to short fields and plenty of shots at the endzone. Louis-David needs to go back and think about what he might have eaten before coming this week or if his lucky boxers were dirty or something because this wasn’t how he has played in the 5 previous games. Once Greg figures out how he wants to run his offense Bread and Circuses will be dangerous because their defense is fantastic.

 

Division 2

 

69ers vs Westies (26-13)

 

Before this game I had completely written off 69ers from any chance of making the playoffs and even win a game the rest of the season, but they had other plans. Rob played like he had a few seasons ago before he took some time off. That time off took a toll on his passing game, but he seems to have found his legs. Each week Rob makes at least 1 run that he would never have made back then. This was the first game of the season that 69ers played a complete game. The offense was catching balls and on defense they were getting stops and even picked off 2 passes. Mathieu had both and I happened to see one where he went from center field to the sideline, got the pick, kept his feet in, and went into the curtain. It was a nice play, but I don’t think the result was worth it with Mathieu getting hurt.

 

Panaches vs Idaho Udapimps (39-8)

 

A team name has never been more fitting than Idaho in this one. They were slapped around all game long and nothing was working for them. Brady might have been hurt prior to the game or he might have gotten hurt during the game, but one way or another he played like crap and got pulled for Ryan who was able to get them into the endzone on his only offensive drive. Panaches looked unstoppable all game long. Amélie was open in the middle all day long and she wasn’t the only one. Felix had everything working this week. I’m sure if he had closed his eyes and just threw it up someone on Panaches would have come down with it. This was never even a game, completely one-sided right from the start.

 

Manitoboys vs Bines (0-35)

 

What do I say about a game that was filled with subs. Manitoboys were missing everyone or at least they were to start the game. Bines are a good team, and this should have been a good test for them to see where they are. Manitoboys had the week off to figure snuggles out and how to make it work and it looks like they chose not to show up and take an extra week to think about it.

 

Mean Machines vs Average Joes (12-26)

 

No game started with a bigger bang then this one. First play of the game Charles from Mean Machines threw a pass between Jason and Victor and Jason got blown up and everyone on Average Joes told him to get off the field. Finally, after that Jason now knows what it’s like to be hung out to dry by a QB and hopefully he stops doing it to his guys. Mean Machines opened the scoring with a pick 6 on a fourth down play. The first half was a good close game with both teams making plays and moving the ball. The second half was not like that, Average Joes just dominated the game chewing clock on offense and not allowing anything on defense. This is the difference between these two teams. Joes have loads of experience and made adjustments at half and Mean Machines tried to stick with what worked in the first half.

 

Division 3

 

Airborne vs Primetime (8-14)

 

You can tell that this was a D3 game being played. Airborne couldn’t do anything on either side of the ball. Guillaume looked very bad in this game, he couldn’t hit the open guys and when he did his players didn’t catch the ball anyways. What I got from this game for Primetime was they live and die with the big plays. I think it was 2 or 3 times they were in the red zone and just couldn’t punch it in. Jacob is more than capable of making the throws, he just needs to slow down, plant his feet, and ease the ball in. Primetime are loaded with stud athletes and should be able to win most games with it, but need to improve on knowing the game.

 

Black Diamonds vs Sneaky Snakes (26-19)

 

With Jon being out at QB and Bobby Sepentgis taking his spot, I’m sure everyone figured it was going to be a tough game for Black Diamond. That wasn’t the case, Bobby came out on fire, scoring TDs on his first 4 drives of the game. That is great for a newcomer to have instant success, but let’s take a closer look at those drives. 3 of them were 1 play of over 40 yards and the one real drive he had he was able to pick the Sneaky Snakes defense apart with ease. Second half of the game David had to try something different and that was dinking and dunking the length of the field and taking what the defense was giving him. With Sneaky Snakes getting an interception late in the game, David started to drive the ball for what could be the gaming tying score but with 4 chances to score from close David couldn’t connect with any of his teammates and they turned the ball over and all Black Diamonds needed to do was get a first down and that would end the game. I want to point out that if Jon hadn’t caught that 4-yard pass Black Diamonds second drive of the game he would have had the perfect game of no stats whatsoever, I guess when you only play 3 or 4 plays all game getting the ball once is a huge thing. (ed’s note: biggest moment of my career. It’s not how many yards you get, it’s about how important those yards are. And 4 yards on first down, early in the game, well those are big, big yards).

 

Battlehawks vs Phoenix (20-31)

 

Battlehawks came out on fire in this one and Yann was able to hit Julian for a big play and then hit Manuel for the score a few plays later. On their next drive Yann took a deep shot and had the ball picked off by Dan. On their third drive Yann Hit Manuel on a streak down the sideline where he had a step on the defender. Phoenix on their first 2 drives had big plays that lead to scores. On our third possession with us down 13 – 12 and 3:30 left, I slowed the game down and ate up the clock. On third and goal, Dan comes and gives me a play that he felt would work and who knew Joey was going to catch the ball and the slip between two defenders at the goal line and got into the endzone for the score. With one play left in the half Yann threw it back to Julian so that he could launch it the length of the field and hope for a score, the ball got picked, but if it had been caught it would have been a penalty for an illegal forward pass anyway. Second half Phoenix started with the ball, I killed off 8 minutes of the clock, but walked away with no points. This was the one point in the game that I felt it could get away from us and Battlehawks might be able to pull it off. The Battlehawks offense couldn’t do anything other than a 20-yard run by Manuel and they turned it over. At this point I knew we needed to punch it in and make it a 2-score game. I went short a few plays to be safe, but I noticed that Battlehawks were being aggressive and that a double move was going to work, and it did for a 24-yard TD to Dan his second of the day. There were 3 minutes left in the game and Battlehawks needed 2 scores which meant they needed a fast score which they got, but they also left no time on the clock, which meant a first down and the game was over. I took off running for a big gain, but because of a penalty it was called back. On the next play Battlehawks switched rusher to Manuel so I didn’t want to take a chance and run and possibly getting sacked, I called hooks, but Nick happened to have a good matchup and went on a fly route where I laid the ball out and hit him in stride and he galivanted his way into the endzone and sealed the game.

 

If you missed the games, I hope you liked the recaps. See you all next week.

 

Gold Star Performances

 

After posting the standings at the midway point of the season anyone can still win whatever prize I decide to give away. All you have to do is play hard bust your ass and put up a good stat line to have a chance. Let’s see who pulled that off this week.

 

Division 1

 

Petits Phoques vs Ataboy

- Nicolas Blais had 16 completions on 21 passes for 224 yards, 6 TDs, 2 1point converts and ran the ball twice for 5 yards.

- Benoit Chabot grabbed 4 catches for 63 yards and 2 TDs. On defense he made 2 tackles and had a pick.

- Dominic Lefort was 17 of 26 for 219 yards, 6 TDs, 1 1point convert and threw 1 pick, while also running 4 times for 32 yards.

 

Pardon My Swag vs No Punt Intended

- David Gutkovsky managed to catch 9 balls for 81 yards and 2 TDs. David also had a pick 6 on defense, which were all his teams points on the day.

- Riley Pincombe caught 4 passes, had 60 yards, a TD and a 2point convert. Riley also had 3 tackles and 1 pick on defense.

 

Bread and Circuses vs Villains

- Charles Hebert-Vinette grabbed 3 balls for 35 yards and 2 TDs. He also made 3 tackles and had a pick.

 

Division 2

 

69ers vs Westies

- Robert Prudhomme was 17 of 25 for 133 yards, 3 TDs and 2 1point converts. Young man Rob also ran 7 times for 70 yards and a score.

- Mathieu Gratton only made 1 catch for 32 yards but managed to pick off 2 passes on defense.

 

Panaches vs Idaho Udapimps

- Felix Gerin-Lajolie was 17 of 23 for 191 yards, 6 TDs and 1 1point convert threw the air. Felix ran once for 9 yards and made a pick on defense.

- Thomas Gerin-Lajoie caught 3 passes for a total of 14 yards but found the endzone on 2 of those catches. Thomas also had a 1point convert and picked a pass off on defense.

 

Manitoboys vs Bines

- David Michaud was QB this week for Bines and was able to complete 15 out of 21 of his pass attempts for 121 yards, 5 TDs and 3 1point converts. David also ran 5 times for 35 yards. On the othe side of the ball he made 1 tackle and had a pick as well.

- Mathieu Roy-Caissy had 2 catches for 9 yards, but he also had 3 1point converts. Mathieu made 2 tackles on defense which were both sacks.

 

Mean Machines vs Average Joes

- Avery Klimas caught 6 passes for 74 yards and 2 TDs. He also made 4 tackles and had a pick on defense.

- Ryan McSweeny had 2 catches for 24 yards and 2 TD to go along with his 1 tackle and his pick on defense.

 

Division 3

 

Airborne vs Primetime

- Kyle Young made 4 catches for 49 yards and 2 TDs, He also had 2 tackles and a sack on defense.

Black Diamonds vs Sneaky Snakes

- Gabriel Boucher snagged 4 balls for 56 yards and scored twice. Gabriel also made 1 tackle and picked off 2 passes.

 

Battlehawks vs Phoenix

- Dan Dick grabbed 5 balls for 49 yards and 2 TDs. Dan also picked off a pass and made 4 tackles as well.

- Kevin Kousaie went 17 of 24 for 209 yards, 5 TDs and 1 1point convert. He also ran 4 times for 48 yards. (ed’s note: I can’t believe Kevin gave this to himself, especially with such a massive performance from his own son!)

- Manuel Allard-Roy got 2 catches for 54 yards and both his catches were for scores. Manuel also had a 1point convert and made 4 tackles on defense.

 

This week we had a lot of guys who balled out for the first time, but we also had a few names that keep on popping up on my list. No one has it locked up yet, but it is getting harder and harder for some people to have a chance at winning the prize at the end. I haven’t decided what I should do yet, but I have a few ideas of what I’ll end up doing. Just because you might not be able to win the prize at the end of the season doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play hard, and you can always be the spoiler for someone else.

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 5

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 5

Kevin Kousaie

Predictions

 

Man, oh man, will this roller coaster ride ever end. It’s all ups and downs this season. I can’t seem to get 2 good weeks in a row. The last week we played, I ended up going 5 right 4 wrong, which brings my total to 27 out of 45 games correct. I’m hoping this week will be better, but it could be tough since we had a week off and who know what teams have been doing. Here are this week’s picks and remember my picks are in bold.

 

Division 1

 

Petits Phoques vs Ataboy

Even after the loss last time out I think they are too strong and will be looking to get back to winning again.

 

Pardon My Swag vs No Punt Intended

This was a hard pick to make, but after seeing the way No Punt Intended played last time it looks like they figured a few things out and are about to start rolling.

 

Bread and Circuses vs Villains

It’s another late one for Bread and Circuses and we all saw what happened when they played at 6 pm last week. I also think Villains are the better team even though both teams are similar.

 

Division 2

 

69ers vs Westies

I haven’t seen Westies play yet this season, but I have seen 69ers play and I haven’t been impressed by them other than the running of Rob, so I went with the younger, less experienced team hoping they can use their athleticism and speed to their advantage.

 

Panaches vs Idaho Udapimps

I think Idaho are the better team, but they have been playing like cold salami sandwiches most of the season and Panaches has been playing great all season and I can’t see it stopping this week.

 

Manitoboys vs Bines

Bines are a complete team and it depends on who is playing QB for them, but no matter who it is I think they score enough points to win since their defense won’t give up a ton.

 

Mean Machines vs Average Joes

Even with them underachieving all season they are still the better team in this game and should have no trouble pulling off the victory.

 

Division 3

 

Airborne vs Primetime

I think it’s time for them to rebound and have a good game, plus last time they played it wasn’t the same Airborne team they had Kris at QB instead of Guillaume.

 

Black Diamonds vs Sneaky Snakes

I’m going Sneaky Snakes, not that they are the better team, I just feel with Black Diamond making a switch at QB there will be an adjustment period.

 

Battlehawks vs Phoenix NA

I don’t pick my teams games.

 

There you have it, this week’s picks. They probably aren’t perfect, but you can make that happen by dropping a few balls, missing a tackle or two, blowing a coverage, and looking around like it was someone else fault. Do what you must so that I can go perfect. I’ll thank you in advance and maybe if I’m doing your game, I’ll thank you then as well. Best of luck to everyone, but especially the teams I picked.

 

Power Rankings

 

After a week off and plenty of time to think about it

 

Division 1

1- The Villains

2- Ataboy

3- Pardon My Swag

4- Bread and Circuses

5- No Punt Intended

6- Les Petits Phoques

 

Division 2

1- Panaches

2- Average Joes

3- Idaho Udapimps

4- Bines

5- Manitoboys

6- Mean Machines

7- The Westies

8- 69ers

 

Division 3

1- Sneaky Snakes

2- Black Diamonds

3- Primetime

4- Phoenix

5- Airborne

6- Battlehawks

 

D1- Teams 2, 4 and 6 all moved up 1 spot which mean that teams 1,3 and 5 all moved down 1 spot. (ed’s note: I don’t think that’s how that works)

 

D2- Sorry Idaho, but you had to go out of the second spot on my list as Average Joes got moved up to number 2. I also ended up flipping Westies and 69ers at the bottom of the list. I guess after this week match up, we will see who really earns that bottom spot.

 

D3- I don’t think I have to make any changes here at least this week. A lot can change with one week being played. Sneaky Snakes are the top team, but are they really the best team? After going undefeated the first half, everyone will be looking to give them that first loss of the year.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Finally, after years of BS from the NFL they have decide it’s time to allow both teams a chance with the ball in OT, if the first team scores a TD. Oh, wait that’s on in the playoffs not regular season. Should both teams score then it will become sudden death. This rule change is a waste of time. Teams don’t play defense anymore and offenses march up and down the field all game long.

Get rid of this all together and play it like college (ed’s note: I genuinely agree with this. In all ways, NCAA > NFL). Both teams get a chance from, let’s say, midfield and if they score you have them go for a 2-point convert from the 5 instead of the 2. It will make overtime better and cut out all this crap.

I know what you are all thinking: I should go work for the NFL competition committee. I would, but I have to many ideas that would work and the league doesn’t want that, they want chaos. They want you on a Monday morning talking about them even when they screw up.

Look, not many people really care about the Oscars (ed’s note: sometimes the best segue is no segue!) and now that Will was given the evil eye and made to do something about it, all we are talking about is how Chris Rock got slapped. Will is lucky that wasn’t me or else his ass would have been taking a trip to the hospital (ed’s note: the man is 87 years old, don’t be hitting senior citizens). No way I’m letting another man walk up and slap me in the face. Was it staged or was it real? I don’t care, but it has had people talking about the Oscars and that’s all they care about.

Here is my weekly reminder (ed’s note: segues so smooth, you barely even notice they exist!): We play a game for fun so go have some this week and try not to kill anyone while you’re out there.

Word from the Mouth: Mid-Season Report Cards! edition

Word from the Mouth: Mid-Season Report Cards! edition

Kevin Kousaie

I hope everyone enjoyed the week off, but now it’s time to get back to football. With being busy at work and dealing with the kids, I haven’t kept up with any sports news. (ed’s note: Oh no, how will I know what the correct things to think about sports stuff is?) This will be my midseason report card issue. Most of the time I have been nice with what I have written, but now that we are at the halfway point, I’m going to be completely honest with team grades and assessments. You might like it you might not, but you will have to deal with it.

 

Division 1

 

Grades & Assessment

 

Villains- ‘A+’ Overachieved

I knew nothing about this team coming into the year and I expected them to struggle. That hasn’t been the case. Their only loss was to a good Pardon My Swag team. They have gotten solid QB play, and the defense has playmakers all over the place.

 

Ataboy- ‘A’ Right where they should be

This Ataboy team should be the favorite to win it all. Before the break they lost to Villains by 1 point. Nicolas has been doing a good job with spreading the ball around. The only reason why I didn’t give them an A+ was because of the defense. JC should be the best rusher in the league, but at times he doesn’t go all out which means the back end needs to do more. With a team full of experience and guys who can make plays I was expecting to see more turnovers and or more sacks from this unit.

 

Pardon My Swag- ‘B’ Underachieved

Going into the season I had very high expectations for this team and at the halfway point them seem mediocre at best. I don’t feel the offense is the issue, but I would like to see Franky get into the endzone more than once on 29 catches. The defense is where this team has struggled. Justin needs to be there every game so that the unit can gel and stop playing musical chairs at rusher. For a team that has been together for a while, now only 2 players having picks on defense is concerning. They need to fix the defense if they want to be an actual contender.

 

Bread and Circus- ‘C-’ Underachieved

This is the same team that won Brossard last fall, so expectations were high. They haven’t even gotten close to where they should be. This is the same roster for the past few seasons and it looks like they are still figuring it out. The thing that pops out at me is Greg only completing 46% of his passes. Greg needs to start going short and letting his athletic players do all the work for him. On defense Louis is the only real bright spot, Greg and Francis are playing ok, but the rest of the defense seems to be a step behind.

 

Les Petits Phoques- ‘C+’ Overachieved

With the roster that has been showing up each week and the strength of the rest of the division, sitting with 1 win at this point is a success. This team has struggled everywhere on the field, except at rusher where they seem to be doing it by committee. Somehow they lead the league with 7. Other than the first 2 weeks this team has been in games. If they keep it up, they could win 3 or 4 games by the end of the season.

 

No Punt Intended- ‘F’ Underachieved

This team is stacked and should have had no issues winning games. I understand they haven’t played together before, but they shouldn’t be struggling this much. Hopefully last week’s win will be the turning point. They really need guys to step up and make a difference on defense. They haven’t given up a ton of points, but knowing that a team can’t move the ball just allows you to punt it and not take any chances.

 

Division 2

 

Les Panaches- ‘A+’ Overachieved

They have always been an average team at best. This season Felix is playing well, but Thomas is playing out of this world. He has 13 catches and 9 TDs. The defense has made plays when they needed to. The only lose on their record is a forfeit last week.

 

Average Joes- ‘C+’ Underachieved

For a team that has such a good roster they haven’t lived up to the hype. This team is normally flying all over the place making plays and getting each other going, that isn’t the case this year. They need more players to step up and take on bigger rolls.

 

Idaho Udapimps- ‘C-’ Underachieved

This season Brady has been played great defense like always, but has sucked as a QB. Brady has been set on feeding Kyle the ball and that has limited the offense. Everyone needs to get their heads out of their assess and start playing better before we think last fall was a fluke.

 

Bines- ‘B-’ Right where they should be

This is last season’s D4 champs and most of the team has stayed the same except at the most important spot, QB. Simon is out and only played a few games at WR this season. This team has struggled at times and looked great at others. The big issue is the roster is huge and it’s hard to get everyone on the field.

 

Manitoboys- ‘D’ Underachieved

Going into the season this team had all the pieces to complete for it all and now they are just hoping to crawl into the playoffs. Adam is more than a capable QB, but hasn’t played like it. At receiver after Marco and Rich the team struggles at that position. The biggest issue is their defense or lack of. They can’t get any pressure on the QB and then they are forced to cover for way too long and no one is picking balls off. I think I may have been too nice with the D grade.

 

Mean Machines- ‘C’ Overachieved

They are a new team and I expected them to struggle and that is what’s happening. The big problem is they don’t really have a QB and that is hurting them. Their defense is solid across the board, but could use a little more pressure from the rusher.

 

The Westies- ‘C+’ Overachieved

New team struggling at a few important places. QB needs to improve a little bit with accuracy. On defense they need a better pass rush. For a new team they aren’t bad and anyone who has played them has walked away saying the same thing.

 

69ers- ‘F’ Underachieved

This team should have the best QB in the division, but it hasn’t looked that way so far. The receivers have dropped balls all over the place and in key downs. They have a solid rusher in Jeremie, but the rest of the defense needs to step up.

 

Division 3

 

Sneaky Snakes- ‘A’ Overachieved

We all knew they were going to be a good team, but no one expected them to be undefeated at this point. David is playing solid under center and the receivers are all making plays when they need to. Defensively they need a better rush if they want their defense to go to the next level. If they get a better rush expect to see more picks from them and they already lead the division with 10.

 

Black Diamonds- ‘A+’ Overachieved

They have been so dominating with Jon playing QB and getting them on track that right now they could easily win it all. Jon has been able to pick defenses apart all game long. On defense they lead the division with 6 sacks and are second with 8 picks.

 

Primetime- ‘C-’ Underachieved

This team was supposed to be playing in D2 this season but because of teams dropping out and the divisions being unbalanced Jon moved them down. They have a QB this year, as well as a few receivers and a more than capable defense. They have just been so inconsistent that you never know which team is going to show up.

 

Phoenix- ‘D’ Underachieved

This might be the best roster on paper in the division. They have loads of experience and playmakers at each position. At times I have struggled at QB and made bad reads and other times the receivers have dropped balls that were catchable. The issues really have been the defense. We can’t get a solid rush every play and at other times we play too soft and don’t attack the ball.

 

Airborne- ‘C+’ Right where they should be

This team has been playing together for a while now and they should be better than they are, but when you watch them play you know why they are here. They lack a defense that plays hard and on offense they drop too many balls.

 

Battlehawks- ‘D+’ Right where they should be

All season they have been missing players and never had a complete roster going into a game. Yann hasn’t played QB in a while and decide to give it a go again. Yann is struggling, but it’s not all his fault. He has a few new players who lack experience. They have been in a few games this year. I won’t put the blame all on the offense as the defense is struggling as well. They have only 2 picks and have yet to get a sack on the season. This team needs to find its identity on both sides of the ball.

 

There you have it, the team report cards. I know most of you won’t think its accurate but if you look hard at it and take a step back you will see I’m right.

 

Gold Star Performances

 

I gave you who won last week this week is just putting up the standing so you can see where you are and how far back you might be.

 

Division 1

3x Nicolas Blais

2x Ben McMahon

2x Samuel Emilio Pelchat

2x Francis Lanctot

Alex Joltopuf

Jeremi Thompson O’Reilly

Louis-David Lamarre

Dom Lefort

Brad Evans

Benoit Chabot

Greg Murry

Xavier Sauve

Gabriel Lemaire

Myles Keller

Craig Browning

Lorianne Bonin

David Gutkovsky

Marc-Andre Reeves

Cesar Martinez

JC

 

Division 2

2x Thomas Gerin-Lajoie

2x Owen Lawton

2x Jason Armenti

2x Jarod Boudreau

Thomas Cote-Parent

Kyle Daniels

Muamba Luboya

Felix Gerin-Lajolie

Guillaume Turnblom

Albert Nguyen

Mathieu Roy-Caissy

William Landuydt

Justin Johnstone

Brady Ohanessian

Ryan Lee

Robert Prudhomme

Marco Gavita

Harris Cekik

Jason Edwards

Erik Emond

Jerome Hovington

 

Division 3

Massil Messaoud-Nacer

2x Gabriel Boucher

2x Kyle Young

2x Rob White

2x Felix Lalonde

Kevin Dickey

Nick Kousaie

Kayla Gauthier

Marilou Cote-Noel

Samuel Moore-Bouchard

Shamar Parkinson

David Brisson

Humza Ghernati

Jacob Rose

Jon Evans

David Ross

Guillaume Maynard

Jeremy Paul

 

 

As you can see from the list above, a Scooby-Doo ton of players have balled out over the first 5 weeks of the season. There is still plenty of time for anyone to come out and win it for the year. It will just mean you have to ball out each week and make yourself stand out and pop off the stat sheet. Good luck to all and congratulations to those who have already had their names put on the list.

Word from the Mouth: Damn Receivers! edition

Word from the Mouth: Damn Receivers! edition

Kevin Kousaie

Here we are halfway through the season and we haven’t been shut down because of covid. I think at this point we have all had enough of it.

I don’t really have much to say this week and the article will be shorter since next week we have a bye week. The thing that sucks about having next week off is that teams are just finding their groove and want to keep going and teams that are struggling are hoping to take the time and put a new plan in place, I know that I am.

At the beginning of the season when the gyms opened back up, I started going to get in shape (other than round) mostly for health issues and to gain a little bit of speed if I could. Now that you no longer need your vaccination passport to go to the gyms have become packed at night when I liked to go after work. I have now been forced to go early in the morning before work and the gym is empty. I no longer get to stare at men in shorts while I work out and must wait until Saturday to get my fill. I figured I’d write that in before Jon did. (ed’s note: my humor is not that crass!)

Since it has been so nice recently and most of the snow has melted, I think with the week off Jon and I will be going and fixing up Le Ber except that one sprinkler that Kris trips over every season and busts his ankle and foot on. It wouldn’t be an MFL season without someone complaining about the sprinklers.

 

Week 5 Recap

 

Division 1

 

Pardon My Swag vs Petits Phoques (34-20)

 

Let me start by saying once again Petits Phoques were missing players. Jon had to fill in for Dom, which is a huge down grade, well not as a passer, but as a player (ed’s note: and as an all around decent human being). No one in their right mind is taking Jon over Dom. Big Marvin was filling in for Boris this week after Boris was a little short on a play last week and Phoques needed someone with a little more size. I only caught two plays of this game, and both didn’t make Brad look good. One of them was a sack by Laurianne and the other play was a pick 6 by Vince. On the pick 6, I wonder if Brad even saw Vince. The defense for Pardon My Swag was on fire this week, picking Jon off 4 times and returning 1 of them for 6 points.

 

No Punt Intended vs Bread and Circuses (38-18)

 

After weeks of not playing QB, Ben finally got under center and was able to pick Bread and Circuses defense apart. Last summer everyone thought of Ben as an ok QB, but a fantastic runner. I have played against him before and that isn’t the case, his running gets most of the credit, but he can make every throw with ease. This week he was kept in check from running all over the place, but when you hit 5 different receivers for TDs and spread the ball all over the place you don’t need to run. The only player not to reach the endzone was Meis, who I think caught one, but was ruled out of bounds. Even though he didn’t score he did make a nice catch down one of the sidelines. The defense finally stepped up and showed what they are capable of, David had 3 picks and ran one back for a score. After the game I spoke to someone from Bread and Circuses, and they said that the team wasn’t into it today and that the game was a little late for them.

 

Villains vs Ataboy (33-32)

 

This game was all about offense, the biggest and only play made on defense was a sack by Simon from Villains. Every week I see that Villains have someone taking photos, maybe making videos to scout for the next time the teams meet up. I knew Villains were a good team going into this game, but I still thought Ataboys were going to win convincingly. I was wrong, it was a fight from the first whistle to the last. Villains were without their regular QB and had Marc-Andre filling in. You would expect a drop off, but there was none. JC killed it on offense with the drags he kept running, with the speed he has anyone would have a hard time keeping up. JC found the end zone 3 times for TDs and twice on converts. Villains scored to go up 5 points with 3 minutes left and went for 2 to make it a TD and convert difference, which they got. JC says to me that with 2 minutes and 5 plays left that they plan on using the clock and end the game. That is exactly what happened. Ataboy scored on third down with 1 play left. Now Ataboy have a choice to make go for 1 and possible OT or go for 2 get the lead and leave Villains 1 play to win the game. I can’t remember what happened on the convert. They went for 2 and I think the pass was batted away, but it was no good and the game ended with Villans winning by 1 point.

 

Division 2

 

Average Joes vs Manitoboys (45-27)

 

It looks as if Jason woke up on the right side of the bed for once. That or he ate his Wheaties in the morning. Jason was on fire. Jason completed more than half his passes for TDs, you don’t see that every day. I know Jason has gotten better over the years, but you have to wonder if it was more because of him and the short field his defense gave him all day or just really bad defense by Manitoboys. Edwards had a huge day getting 2 TDs on offense while also picking off 2 passes on defense and one of those he took to the house. By now everyone knows what Manitoboys are going to do and that is Adam throwing it deep. When your only true deep threat is Marco, and you aren’t making the defense guard the whole field, it’s not going to work. I’m not sure what’s more embarrassing, the amount of picks Adam threw or the fact that their defense only made 2 tackles all game long. At this point of the season and with the week off, Manitoboys need to revamp everything they are doing.

 

Panaches vs Bines (0-25) Forfeit

 

This was a forfeit. Panaches couldn’t field a team this week and Bines did get a game against a team of random players. Bines get a free win and get to go out and just try whatever they wanted without consequences.

 

Mean Machines vs 69ers (21-20)

 

This was a game that 69ers should have won. They dominated the first half of the game and went flat in the second half. In the first half Rob was able to run around avoid the rush and find guys open, and they were wide open as Mean Machines were playing man most of the first half. In the second half Mean Machines started playing a little more zone and with that it didn’t matter if Rob had time or was trying to run. Mean Machines starter to move the ball and make a few plays here and there. With the game on the line and only 1 and a half minutes Charlie needed to drive his team down the field and score. He got them just past mid field and had 5 plays to score after getting 12 yards and a first down, they had 4 plays left. The first 3 of them were incomplete with one or two of them being tips. On the very last play of the game down 5 points Charlie finds Jerome for the score and the win. I forgot to mention that it started to go downhill for 69ers when Mathieu Gratton got hurt and pulled himself from the game.

 

Idaho Udapimps vs Westies (18-19)

 

I’m not sure how I feel about this game. I felt Idaho should have been able to win this one, it also seems like Brady forgot how to throw more TDs then picks, this has been a few games this season that it has happened. If it wasn’t for Brady running this game would have been one-sided. After the game Brady told me that Westies are a good team, and this isn’t the first time I’m hearing that. I just don’t know the guys on the team, and I think I’ve only seen them play once. Owen led his team on 3 long drives for score during the game. Which is surprising since his defense had 2 picks, you would have thought that he could have punched one of those in on a shorter field, but that wasn’t the case. Westies won because they scored the only convert of the day.

 

Division 3

 

Sneaky Snakes vs Primetime (27-12)

 

This game wasn’t fair. Sneaky Snakes had 2 subs when they really didn’t need them and the fact that Jacob the QB for Primetime was missing which left Kyle playing QB and he was banged up and couldn’t run. On the opening drive Kyle was picked off by David who was subbing, and he easily ran it in for 6 points. At this point you knew that it was going to be a long day for Primetime. Primetime then began playing and moving the ball until David picked Kyle off again. David, Sneaky Snakes QB, was able to turn that interception into points on a 3-play drive. Kyle stayed composed and was able to lead Primetime on a scoring drive. Sneaky Snakes were able to end the half scoring again to take a 20-6 lead. Primetime started the second half with the ball and had a long drive to make it 20-12. Second half Sneaky Snakes took it easy and were only able to score once more. Eight points was the closest that Primetime would make it. Sneaky Snakes have played 5 games and have won all 5 of them. Can they finish the last 5 games off that way or do we get a repeat of the fall season?

 

Black Diamonds vs Phoenix (32-12)

 

This game wasn’t close, and the score makes it look worse. I threw 2 picks; one was completely my fault and the other the receiver didn’t go up and fight for the ball (ed’s note: damn receivers!). I will blame it on his head not being in the game. We also went for it once on fourth down where the ball got tipped (ed’s note: by me!) and the defender didn’t make a play on the ball at all and just pushed the receiver. I know the ref couldn’t see it because it happened right in the middle of the field and there were tons of players around, if it was a final with the third ref behind the QB that gets called all day. Jon had a monster game. Jon was able to pick our defense apart with ease and his receivers made the tough catches. Jon was even able to run one in on us, anytime Jon can run one in there are issues. This week those issues were missed tackles and it wasn’t just one person it was the whole team. After the game I spoke to Jon about how he might be too strong of a QB for the division and he agreed, that’s why moving forward Black Diamonds might have a new QB once we get back from the week off.

 

Battlehawks vs Airborne (27-33)

 

The game opened with Battlehawks driving the field only to get picked off and ran back for 6. I only know a few things about this game about this game and one thing for sure is that Stu had the slowest spin move in MFL history on Saturday (ed’s note: I pass him my crown), when he took a short pass for 27 yards on the first play of the game. I was told the spin was so slow the defender fell asleep waiting for it to happen, but Stu still made the defender miss, and that’s all that matters. My spin isn’t any better, last time I used a spin move I was knocked out with a concussion. It looks like Yann has finally found his groove and is becoming more comfortable behind center. This week Yann threw 4 TDs and had 3 converts; most he has had all season. Guillaume was also able to put up 4 TDs and 3 converts. After Battlehawks tied the game at 27 all with one and a half minutes left, Guillaume had a chance for the game winning drive. Guillaume used every second of the clock and all five plays. On the very last play of the game Guillaume found his son Benoit for the winning score. Guillaume when he is focused plays well, but that just isn’t the case all the time.

 

There you have it this week’s recaps of games. Enjoy and you’ll have to wait two weeks before you get more recaps.

 

Gold Star Performances

 

This was your last chance to ball out before the week off and teams start to fight for playoff position. Now let’s see who busted their ass and made my list.

 

Division 1

 

Pardon My Swag vs Petits Phoques

- Myles Keller pulled in 8 catches for 54 yards, 2 TDs and 2 1point converts to go along with his 2 tackles on defense.

- Craig Browning 2 catches for 22 yards and 1 TD. Craig also picked off 2 passes ran one back for 6 and had 2 tackles on defense.

- Lorianne Bonin caught 4 passes for 19 yards and 1 TD.  She also led the team with 4 tackles and had 2 sacks.

 

No Punt Intended vs Bread and Circus

- Ben McMahon was 17 of 28 for 182 yards, 5 TDs, 2 1point converts, Ben also ran 7 times for 13 yards and had 1 tackle on defense.

- David Gutkovsky made 2 catches for 34 yards, 1 TD and 2 1point converts. David also had 3 picks, ran 1 back for a score and had 1 tackle on defense.

 

Villains vs Ataboy

- Marc-Andre Reeves went 18 of 22 for 189 yards, 5 TDs and a 2point convert. He also ran 3 times for 32 yards.

- Cesar Martinez pulled in 10 balls for 88 yards and 2 TDs while also making 1 tackle on defense.

- JC had 8 catches for 77 yards, 3 TDs and 2 1point converts. JC also made 1 tackle on defense.

 

Division 2

 

Average Joes vs Manitoboys

- Jason Edwards 3 catches 57 yards and 2 TDs on offense. Jason also had 4 tackles, 2 picks and ran one of those back for a score.

- Jason Armenti was 11 of 18 for 203 yards, 6 TDs, 1 1point convert and 1 2point convert.

 

Panaches vs Bines

- Since this game was a forfeit, I give it to the entire Bines teams just for showing up.

 

Mean Machines vs 69ers

- Erik Emond grabbed 4 passes for 47 yards and 2 TDs. Erik also made 1 tackle on defense.

- Jerome Hovington snagged 4 balls for 33 yards and 2 TDs, the last one was the game winner as time expired. Jerome also made 1 tackle on defense.

 

Idaho Udapimps vs Westies

- Owen Lawton was 9 of 17 for a total of 99 yards. Owen threw 2 TDs, 1 pick and a 1point convert. He also ran 3 times for 30 yards and 1 TD.

 

Division 3

 

Sneaky Snakes vs Primetime

- David Ross was the difference maker in this game. He made 2 catches for 39 yards and 1 TD. He also picked off 2 passes ran 1 back for 6 on defense.

 

Black Diamond vs Phoenix

- Gabriel Boucher had 6 catches for 69 yards and 2 TDs. He also had 4 tackles and 1 pick on defense.

 

Battlehawks vs Airborne

- Guillaume Maynard went 21 of 27 for 168 yards, 4 TDs and 3 1point converts. Guillaume ran once for 5 yards.

- Jeremy Paul had 3 catches for 23 yards and 1 TD. On defense he had the trifecta, 1 sack, 1 pick which was a pick 6 and 2 total tackles.

 

Those are the players I felt balled out enough to get some recognition this week. Remember if you want to make my list you only have 5 more weeks to do so, so you better start busting your ass if you want to make it up here before the season ends.

 

Final Thoughts

 

I don’t have much to say here other than enjoy the week off. I went by Le Ber and its looking nice for the spring season. This week I will be going with Jon and fixing it up so that it is in tip top shape at least for the first few weeks.

Next week look out for my midseason report card for all teams in the league along with having my predictions and power rankings of course. See you all in then. 

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 4

Predictions and Power Rankings Week 4

Kevin Kousaie

Predictions

 

Man, oh man, was I close to getting all the games right. Going 7 of 9 this week is not bad, and it just shows that some of you can actually read and follow directions. On the season I am 22 of 36. I’m slowly creeping up to a respectable level. Let’s see if I can keep it up this week.

 

Division 1

 

Pardon My Swag vs Petits Phoques

I think Brad is too smart of a QB not to attack the weakness of the Phoques defense.

 

Bread and Circuses vs No Punt Intended

They have to win a game finally right especially with this roster.

 

Villains vs Ataboy

Ataboy have all the pieces to win this game and as long as Nico doesn’t do anything stupid should win this game.

 

Division 2

 

Average Joes vs Manitoboys

Their defense is way too good to get beat over and over by the long ball, they will need their offense to be a little above average to win.

 

Panaches vs Bines

Panaches is playing as a complete team and should keep on winning. I also don’t think Simon will be there again for Bines.

 

Mean Machines vs 69ers

The last few weeks Rob has been playing much better and I expect him even better this week.

 

Idaho Udapimps vs Westies

Even when Brady struggles at QB he makes up for it at safety. Brady is the best play on both teams, and he will take the game over.

 

Division 3

 

Sneaky Snakes vs Primetime

I’ve played and lost to both teams and to me if Primetime shows up to play, they win this game easily.

 

Black Diamonds vs Phoenix NA

I don’t pick my teams games. (ed’s note: Black Diamonds)

 

Battlehawks vs Airborne

 

I was going to pick Battlehawk then a little birdie spoke to me about roster players missing. That made me think that Guillaume will be able to score when he wants and as long as the defense place decent, they should win the game.

 

There you have it this week’s picks. Hope everyone read this far and are planning on helping me out.

 

Power Rankings

It’s that time of the week where I tell you how I see your team and where they stand at least in my mind. I will show you then tell you why those changes got made.

 

Division 1

1- Ataboy

2- The Villains

3- Bread and Circus

4- Pardon My Swag

5- Les Petit Phoques

6- No Punt Intended

 

Division 2

1- Panaches

2- Idaho Udapimps

3- Average Joes

4- Bines

5- Manitoboys

6- Mean Machines

7- 69ers

8- The Westies

 

Division 3

1- Sneaky Snakes

2- Black Diamonds

3- Primetime

4- Phoenix

5- Airborne

6- Battlehawks

 

D1- This was easy as I only flipped Villains from 4 to 2 and Pardon My Swag from 2 to 4. Right now, Ataboy is clearly the best team in the division, but 2 through 4 can be debated and 5 and 6 are where they should be at this point.

 

D2- I left it the same except moved Manitoboys from 8 to 5 and bumped everyone down 1 spot.

 

D3- Primetime and Phoenix have flipped spots once again. Both teams could easily be higher on the list, but have been inconsistent all season.

 

That’s my rankings and things keep changing, but not by much. Most of the teams are where they should be and a few have been underachievers all season, at least to this point. Teams still have plenty of time to right the ship and make the playoffs and from there anything can happen.

 

Final Thoughts

 

After a tough week of getting screwed by the refs I came to the conclusion that all division 1 Outlaws refs hate me (ed’s note: it’s not just the Outlaw’s refs) and whatever team I’m playing on. Last fall one of them screwed me out of the playoffs and this past week realized that they can’t count or tell time. I want to know how you can set bags after a convert and blow the play in in under 10 seconds. I guess this week they worked like a pit crew for NASCAR and got it done quickly.

At half of one of the games a few of us were comparing T.O to Moss and I said the NFL should have made Moss wait for the HoF like they did to T.O. Both have the numbers to be in first ballot, but if you keep T.O out until the third time for off the field issue then how does Moss get in when he admits to not playing hard on every play. There was argument that I was crazy and didn’t know what I was talking about (ed’s note: this is always a valid argument with you), but when you look at their numbers, they are two and three in every category and played only one game difference. It just seems that the NFL wanted to teach T.O a lesson.

This week is also the first week of the free agency and teams get to go out and overpay for players that should never get what they do. This week some bum receiver named Christian Kirk gets up to 84 million for 4 years and has never had a 1000-yard season. DBs around the NFL are now rethinking maybe they want to play WR now and get paid. To me NFL free agency is a bunkbed joke. Stop overpaying for bums!

There you go my weekly rank and I know Stu loves it and this will be all he is talking about while standing between the fields this weekend. Let’s all remember that we are playing a game so go out have fun and enjoy yourself.

Leagues
Montreal Flag Football League