NORTHERN DIVISION
1st Place: The Flash - La Courneuve
With a hard-fought victory over the defending champions, in the first week of the season, the ambition was clear; to regain their status as the undisputed French powerhouse.
What’s better than a derby? A second straight win in a derby. The Flash struck again in week 2 and the Molosses were sent back to the dog house in a well played game. Maybe we should be careful about the offense which seems to be struggling to find a real rhythm. They can count on a tough defense and K Mathys Dupont (helped the Paris Musketeers qualify for their first ELF-Playoffs in franchise history) to maintain or bigger the lead, but for how long?
2nd Place: Black Panthers - Thonons-les-bains
Even if they didn’t win their first game, it’s hard to already count the reigning champions out of the title conversation because of how good their defense looks. If Adel Bafdil continues to perform this well, there is no doubt he will be a huge problem for all offenses out there. He already recorded one interception and his coverage is near to perfection. Even if they scored only fifteen points in two weeks, we should keep in mind that José Tabora Jr, the starting QB, is coming back from a shoulder injury who kept him far from the field for the entire 2024 season. Not bad that he threw for 313 yards at a 62% completion rate. However he did throw 3 interceptions and only 1 touchdown. We are looking forward to him improving his performance as he was the 2023 final MVP after all!
3rd Place: Molosses - Asnières-sur-Seine
Before losing by 2 possessions against their historic rival, the Molosses put a statement victory over the Leopards from Rouen. Brody Hahn is the strength of this team, with 5 passing and 2 rushing TDs after two weeks of competition, the leading passer is a pure dual threat. However, he has to become more accurate as he has a completion percentage of 42%.
They can also rely on their receiving core as Mahmoud Gharsallah and Samuel Beke account for 222 yards and 3 touchdowns. Their defense is pretty decent, not many missed tackles but there was concern about their coverage that has been inconsistent. That being said, in the second have against the Flash, they showed us the ability to make adjustments and played much better defensively.
4th Place: Diables Rouges - Villepinte
With a 1-1 record, Diables has not proven a lot as of yet. They welcomed the Panthers in week 1 and didn’t give them any chance to score before losing by just two small points in a tough and tight game. Badis Grami, the former Flash QB, is the 3rd best quarterback of the league at the moment and leads an air-based offense with 52% completion rate. On the defensive side of the ball, we suggest you keep an eye on Mehdi Roudeau and Shoan Dietrich. Roudeau has already recorded a sack and 8 solo tackles, while Dietrich is right behind with 6 tackles and one assist.
5th Place: Léopards - Rouen
The Léopards suffered a somewhat big loss at home against the Molosses (6-33) to open the season. The next week they faced the Cougars and fortunately beat them but only by 3 points which is not much against the team that seems to be the weakest.
To put things in perspective they still have the 4th best QB as Nicolas Cremer who even though is not an inaccurate thrower still has a few interceptions for two touchdowns. Their number one option when it comes to catching the ball, Arthur Tunetier recorded 4 receptions for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. Enzo Fraoili also seems to be a reliable weapon.
The Normand squad has a well balanced defense who doesn’t have any major weakness and could continue to improve week after week. So if their offense finds a rhythm, and the defense stays consistent, they could be a problem for a lot of opponents.
6th Place: Cougars - Saint-Ouen l’Aumône
Hard to say where this team will land at the end of the regular season. On one hand, there are a lot of hopeful signs like their defense, who have shown they can get the job done. On the other they lost against a contender as well as against a team that hasn't really got off the ground yet. Anyone who watches the Cougars team should focus on the defensive side for now and pay particular attention to Lucke Allangba, Daniel Mpondo and Walter Gomes. On offense, keep an eye on Ashley Bailey, their quarterback. Cannot count this team out just yet with it so early in the season, but with an 0-2 start expect there is a heightened sense of urgency to get in the win column.
SOUTHERN DIVISION
1st Place : Iron Mask - Cannes
Last year, Cannes wasn’t what you would call a dominant team as they recorded 4 wins with 6 losses, and did not qualify for the playoffs. With a brand new coaching staff, ambitions are clear, take care of business and reach the postseason. 3 coaches from Paris Musketeers (Arnaud Vidaller, Amir Kilani and Jimmy Johnson) and a lot of new players from everywhere (ELF, and Canadian Universities). The team already seems to be playing very well together. This team is definitely the most frightening out there but it’s hard to determine if they have what it takes to win a championship as the southern division only played one game due to weather conditions. Keep in mind Olivier Roy, the new QB from the Concordia Stingers (Canada) who already threw for 3 TDs, 123 yards at an astonishing 68% completion percentage. No doubt he will be an important piece of the team for the entire season. Similar assessment for the rushing squad who put up 2 TDs on Dauphins’ (Nice) in the first game.
2nd Place : Ours - Toulouse
A 1 possession-away win against the Argonautes (Aix-en-Provence) to launch a season is not a bad way to do it as Toulouse scored 34 points. 3 passing touchdowns from the American Import Braden Howell and 1 rushing touchdown from Adrien Delamare. Their next game should have been against the Iron Mask but they’ll have to wait to know if they are the real beasts of the south. Maybe they will have their first real test against the Blue Stars (Marseille). We'll see if the team is really improving or if it’s another rebuilding season for the former 4th place of the division.
3rd Place : Blue Stars - Marseille & Grizzlies - Perpignan
It is hard to determine who was the best team last week, both had the momentum at various points of the game. Both also struggled with flags and penalties. There were a lot of big and exciting plays as well. These two teams are really entertaining to watch but it is too soon to tell which to rank above the other.
5th Place : Argonautes - Aix-en-Provence
There's no doubt they shouldn’t lose all their games. With a strong ground game on offense led by Antoni Giglio, They have the weapons to qualify but QB Jason Gaines will have to become more accurate as they also do throw the ball a significant amount. It is important to note however, that they don’t seem to have a game changing player on the defensive side of the ball that is able to make big plays when needed most. It won’t be a problem if everyone is disciplined and does their jobs.
6th Place : Dauphins - Nice
Always hard to concede a big score like that but if you watch the game, it's not a surprise. The Dauphins seemed lost on the field during plays and on some others they dominated. Ver inconsistent at best. A lot of missed tackles, bad coverages and dropped passes sealed the game only 5 minutes in the last quarter. They scored two touchdowns, one with a huge catch from their former QB (who “transfered” to WR) Sullivain Silverio. They’ll have to forget this bad game and focus on winning the next one to truly launch their season in the right direction.
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