After a painfully long hiatus, Sinyen’s Power Rankings are back! A lot has happened over the last few games. I will try to incorporate previous games when possible but others I may just focus more on the most recent game and playoff implications or perhaps the most intriguing game of the last few weeks. I only was able to get the Alpha done so far, I'll try to get the Zeta done too. Enjoy!
ALPHA CONFERENCE
Sofia Spiders
Record: 14-0
Last game: 34-6 W over Black Dragons
Rank - 1
Previous Rank - 1
Make no mistake, the Spiders are indeed the cream of the crop. This team is an offensive juggernaut that has been held to under 31 points just 1 time all season, averaging 42.4 points per game. Their toughest matchup was in week 9 against the Samurais, yet still posted a 17 point victory by pulling away in the 2nd half. The Spiders finish strong, week after week, outscoring opponents in the second half of the last 6 games prior to week 14 by a differential of 86 to 17, but seemingly coasted in the 2nd half this week against the Black Dragons, outscoring them 7 to 3. Week 13, they coasted to an easy victory, doing so through an aerial bombardment accumulating 416 yards while allowing a total of just 149 yards by the Mugs, yet all but one of their touchdowns came on the ground. The defensive effort was led by Deacon “Headslap” Jones, registering 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 hurries and a forced fumble. Of only slight concern in the game are the 5 dropped balls, but it doesn’t seem to be a pattern. No doubt, the Spiders are the favorite to win it all.
Black Sea Pirates
Record: 13-1
Last game: 28-10 W over Galaxy
Rank - 2
Previous Rank - 2
I wish the Pirates were meeting up with the Spiders the last game of the season rather than the first. Since week 1 loss to the Spiders, the Pirates have gone on to win in convincing fashion in each and every game until week 13, when they had some difficulty pulling out the win against a tough Samurais team. Johnny Yews hit Son Tran on a short comeback route early in the fourth, and Tran put a move on the defender to take it 61 yards for a touchdown. Weatherford tossed a 34 yard strike to The King James for the second touchdown of the 4th quarter for the Pirates, put it to a 2 score lead. Passer’s Nightmares sack on the final Samurais drive sealed in the win. The Pirates got back on track in week 14, disposing of the Galaxy 28 to 10. In this bizarre, puntless game, both teams chose to go for it on every 4th down. The Pirates went 0 for 2 on 4th down conversions while the Galaxy attempted a staggering 7 fourth down conversions, successful 3 times. The Pirates have elevated themselves to elite status.
The Wheatfield
Record: 10-4
Last game: 45-7 W over Tanners
Rank - 3
Previous Rank - 6
The Wheatfield have distanced themselves from the mediocre group of teams in the middle of the Conference, not as much by record but game play. They’ve shown they can win the tough games against quality opponents, taking down the Cheetahs, Devil Dogs and Samurais in 3 straight weeks, all playoff teams. Week 14, The Wheatfield dismantled the Tanners, putting up 45 points in 3 quarters before the defense finally started to bend, allowing 2 consecutive long drives by the Tanners in the 4th quarter, but stopping them on 4th down attempts. But it was too late, as the Wheatfield jumped out to a quick early lead by way of a 2 long HIPP to Butler connections of 47 and 50 yards, and they never looked back.
Budapest Samurais
Record: 10-4
Last game: 49-21 W over Longnecks
Rank - 4
Previous Rank - 3
It’s been a rough few weeks for the Samurais, dropping 3 of their last 6 games. That said, 2 of those losses came to the top two teams in the Conference and the third to a quickly ascending Wheatfield team. The week 12 loss to The Wheatfield was a disappointment. After going up early in the game, the Samurais had trouble keeping the offense in motion, posting 4 straight drives of 5 plays or less. When they finally put together lengthy drives, they were cut short and forced to field goals. The Samurais finally got back on track against the lowly Longnecks, clicking with 5.9ypc and 77% pass completions.
The Saratov Swift Sharks
Record: 10-4
Last game: 17-21 L to Mafia Crew
Rank - 5
Previous Rank - 5
The Swift Sharks had been coming on strong recently, winning 7 of their last 8 with the only loss coming to a strong Pirates team prior to week 14. The offense has gotten rolling with large blowout wins against lesser opponents, including one of the highest totals of 70 points vs the Wildcats, but they have also shown some grit in the trenches, getting a win in week 12 against the Impalers in a defensive struggle, winning 14 to 10. The defense came up huge for them after the Sharks put the ball on the turf twice in 2 of their last 3 possessions. Week 14, however they drop a close match to the Mafia Crew, allowing a late Shay to Tenerman touchdown pass in the waning minutes. Their final drive came to a close with 4 straight incomplete passes (including 1 drop).
Berlin Devil Dogs
Record: 9-5
Last game: 31-24 W over Wildcats
Rank - 6
Previous Rank – 4
Perhaps my confidence in the Devil Dogs has been somewhat misplaced. Though they seem to have the personnel to do well, they win games they should win, but falter against stiff opposition. There doesn’t seem to be one aspect that is their Achilles heel either. In the week 11 loss to The Wheatfield, the Dogs allowed 7 long drives of 9 or more plays, including the games final drive which allowed The Wheatfield to drain the rest of the clock and hold on for the win. Yet in the week 12 loss to the Pirates, the defense played well, holding the Pirates to just 21 points, but the offense sputtered, mustering just 2.9ypc on the ground, fumbling the ball in the 4th quarter on their second to last possession and dropping 2 consecutive passes on their final drive. Even against the Wildcats, they only managed to secure the win in overtime after going into the 4th quarter down by a touchdown. It’s a bumpy ride right now for the Devil Dogs.
Fayette Mafia Crew
Record: 7-7
Last game: 21-17 W over Swift Sharks
Rank - 7
Previous Rank - 11
The Mafia Crew looked to be cold and dead just 4 weeks ago. Since, they have won 4 straight and are back in the playoff hunt. In week 13, the Crew took down the Impalers in a tough fought game, stopping the Impalers in the last seconds of the game. Week 14 the Mafia Crew won yet another close matchup, scoring the go ahead touchdown with just 2:46 left on the clock, beating the playoff bound Swift Sharks.
Mukachevo Cheetahs
Record: 8-6
Last game: 17-10 W over Impalers
Rank - 8
Previous Rank - 7
The Cheetahs are one of the mid-tier teams fighting to stay in the playoff race. They helped their cause immensely by pulling out a win in week 14 vs the Impalers. And they did so in heroic fashion, scoring all 17 of their points in the second half while shutting out the Impalers. The coaching staff must have given quite the speech at half time. The Cheetahs held the ball just 10:53 of the first half, but dominated the clock in the 2nd half, toting the rock for 22:03. The Cheetahs fought back and finally pulled ahead in the 4th with a 51 yard ARMSTRONG strike to Holbo Holbster broken open by a key block by Boom Shanka.
Transylvania Impalers
Record: 7-7
Last game: 10-17 L to Cheetahs
Rank - 9
Previous Rank - 8
After a strong 3-0 start, the Impalers have managed to post a disappointing 4-7 record since. The defense is doing their job most of the time, but offensive woes persist. In the losses to the Swift Sharks, Mafia Crew and Cheetahs in the last 3 weeks, the Impalers averaged just 265 yards per game. They let a 10 point lead slip away against the Cheetahs, gaining just 84 total yards in the second half while allowing 287.
Dallas Galaxy
Record: 7-7
Last game: 10-28 L to Pirates
Rank - 10
Previous Rank - 10
The Galaxy are trying to salvage their season and they do indeed have a shot at the playoffs, having what amounts to two likely wins left on the schedule. They’ll need to get the offense back on track to go anywhere once in the playoffs, however. The Galaxy have managed more than 17 points in just 1 of the last 4 contest. The defense played well during that same stretch except when faced with elite teams. The Pirates and Spiders put up a combined 59 points vs just 33 by the other 5 opponents in the last 7 weeks.
Woburn Tanners
Record: 6-8
Last game: 7-45 L to Wheatfield
Rank - 11
Previous Rank - 9
After 4 straight games of putting up 9 points or less, The Tanners finally got the offense rolling, scoring a total of 136 points in a 4 games stretch, winning 3 of them. Then they ran into the steamrolling Wheatfield team in week 14. The Tanners had no answer for the Wheatfield offense, allowing the Wheatfield offense to score points on their first 7 possessions of the game not counting the end of half. The offense faired little better, with 6 drives ending after 5 or fewer plays.
London Wildcats
Record: 4-10
Last game: 24-31 L to Devil Dogs
Rank - 12
Previous Rank - 13
The Wildcats are looking toward next season as this season wraps up and they have some hope for a better performance. They have lost 5 straight games, but played close in 4 of them, all against playoff contending teams. They took the Devil Dogs to overtime before finally succumbing when the Dogs drove the opening kick all the way down the field.
Kazan Black Dragons
Record: 3-11
Last game:
Rank - 13
Previous Rank - 12
In the biggest crumbling of the league, the Black Dragons started the season 3 and 1 and have dropped the next 10 straight games, scoring no more than 13 points in any of the last 6. The defense is struggling as well, allowing Sofia HB, ishak wanabe to run rampant, putting up 156 yards and breaking 23 tackles.
Texas Longnecks
Record: 2-12
Last game: 21-49 L to Samurais
Rank - 14
Previous Rank - 14
The Longnecks are another team looking to the future. The offense will need to have more consistency for the team to compete, though they did score 3 touchdowns against the Samurais in week 14. Defensively, they are struggling mightily, allowing at least 34 points in each of the last 6 games. Against the Samurais, they forced just 2 punts all day long.
Budapest Coffee Mugs
Record: 2-12
Last game: 33-17 W over Chaos
Rank - 15
Previous Rank - 15
The Coffee Mugs need more caffeine. Their offense has looked tired most of the season. In their losses, they have managed to stay within 2 TDs just once all season, but they have registered 2 wins, one being the shocker against the Impalers early in the season. Week 14, they put together another victory against the worst team in the league, doing so with a heavy dose of ground attack., with Carter Woods putting up a career day of 137 yards, 2 TDs and 10 broken tackles.
Bratislava Chaos
Record: 0-14
Last game: 17-33 L to Coffee Mugs
Rank - 16
Previous Rank - 16
The Chaos are bad. Really bad. But they seem to be improving. They are reducing the number of CPUs and have some players starting to come around. They managed to put together a couple nice drives against the Coffee Mugs and held the ball for at least 9 plays on all but 1 drive in the game. Defensively, they are still struggling, allowing long, time consuming drives that ended in scores by the Mugs. Perhaps next season this team might be able to start competing in a few games.
ALPHA CONFERENCE
Sofia Spiders
Record: 14-0
Last game: 34-6 W over Black Dragons
Rank - 1
Previous Rank - 1
Make no mistake, the Spiders are indeed the cream of the crop. This team is an offensive juggernaut that has been held to under 31 points just 1 time all season, averaging 42.4 points per game. Their toughest matchup was in week 9 against the Samurais, yet still posted a 17 point victory by pulling away in the 2nd half. The Spiders finish strong, week after week, outscoring opponents in the second half of the last 6 games prior to week 14 by a differential of 86 to 17, but seemingly coasted in the 2nd half this week against the Black Dragons, outscoring them 7 to 3. Week 13, they coasted to an easy victory, doing so through an aerial bombardment accumulating 416 yards while allowing a total of just 149 yards by the Mugs, yet all but one of their touchdowns came on the ground. The defensive effort was led by Deacon “Headslap” Jones, registering 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 hurries and a forced fumble. Of only slight concern in the game are the 5 dropped balls, but it doesn’t seem to be a pattern. No doubt, the Spiders are the favorite to win it all.
Black Sea Pirates
Record: 13-1
Last game: 28-10 W over Galaxy
Rank - 2
Previous Rank - 2
I wish the Pirates were meeting up with the Spiders the last game of the season rather than the first. Since week 1 loss to the Spiders, the Pirates have gone on to win in convincing fashion in each and every game until week 13, when they had some difficulty pulling out the win against a tough Samurais team. Johnny Yews hit Son Tran on a short comeback route early in the fourth, and Tran put a move on the defender to take it 61 yards for a touchdown. Weatherford tossed a 34 yard strike to The King James for the second touchdown of the 4th quarter for the Pirates, put it to a 2 score lead. Passer’s Nightmares sack on the final Samurais drive sealed in the win. The Pirates got back on track in week 14, disposing of the Galaxy 28 to 10. In this bizarre, puntless game, both teams chose to go for it on every 4th down. The Pirates went 0 for 2 on 4th down conversions while the Galaxy attempted a staggering 7 fourth down conversions, successful 3 times. The Pirates have elevated themselves to elite status.
The Wheatfield
Record: 10-4
Last game: 45-7 W over Tanners
Rank - 3
Previous Rank - 6
The Wheatfield have distanced themselves from the mediocre group of teams in the middle of the Conference, not as much by record but game play. They’ve shown they can win the tough games against quality opponents, taking down the Cheetahs, Devil Dogs and Samurais in 3 straight weeks, all playoff teams. Week 14, The Wheatfield dismantled the Tanners, putting up 45 points in 3 quarters before the defense finally started to bend, allowing 2 consecutive long drives by the Tanners in the 4th quarter, but stopping them on 4th down attempts. But it was too late, as the Wheatfield jumped out to a quick early lead by way of a 2 long HIPP to Butler connections of 47 and 50 yards, and they never looked back.
Budapest Samurais
Record: 10-4
Last game: 49-21 W over Longnecks
Rank - 4
Previous Rank - 3
It’s been a rough few weeks for the Samurais, dropping 3 of their last 6 games. That said, 2 of those losses came to the top two teams in the Conference and the third to a quickly ascending Wheatfield team. The week 12 loss to The Wheatfield was a disappointment. After going up early in the game, the Samurais had trouble keeping the offense in motion, posting 4 straight drives of 5 plays or less. When they finally put together lengthy drives, they were cut short and forced to field goals. The Samurais finally got back on track against the lowly Longnecks, clicking with 5.9ypc and 77% pass completions.
The Saratov Swift Sharks
Record: 10-4
Last game: 17-21 L to Mafia Crew
Rank - 5
Previous Rank - 5
The Swift Sharks had been coming on strong recently, winning 7 of their last 8 with the only loss coming to a strong Pirates team prior to week 14. The offense has gotten rolling with large blowout wins against lesser opponents, including one of the highest totals of 70 points vs the Wildcats, but they have also shown some grit in the trenches, getting a win in week 12 against the Impalers in a defensive struggle, winning 14 to 10. The defense came up huge for them after the Sharks put the ball on the turf twice in 2 of their last 3 possessions. Week 14, however they drop a close match to the Mafia Crew, allowing a late Shay to Tenerman touchdown pass in the waning minutes. Their final drive came to a close with 4 straight incomplete passes (including 1 drop).
Berlin Devil Dogs
Record: 9-5
Last game: 31-24 W over Wildcats
Rank - 6
Previous Rank – 4
Perhaps my confidence in the Devil Dogs has been somewhat misplaced. Though they seem to have the personnel to do well, they win games they should win, but falter against stiff opposition. There doesn’t seem to be one aspect that is their Achilles heel either. In the week 11 loss to The Wheatfield, the Dogs allowed 7 long drives of 9 or more plays, including the games final drive which allowed The Wheatfield to drain the rest of the clock and hold on for the win. Yet in the week 12 loss to the Pirates, the defense played well, holding the Pirates to just 21 points, but the offense sputtered, mustering just 2.9ypc on the ground, fumbling the ball in the 4th quarter on their second to last possession and dropping 2 consecutive passes on their final drive. Even against the Wildcats, they only managed to secure the win in overtime after going into the 4th quarter down by a touchdown. It’s a bumpy ride right now for the Devil Dogs.
Fayette Mafia Crew
Record: 7-7
Last game: 21-17 W over Swift Sharks
Rank - 7
Previous Rank - 11
The Mafia Crew looked to be cold and dead just 4 weeks ago. Since, they have won 4 straight and are back in the playoff hunt. In week 13, the Crew took down the Impalers in a tough fought game, stopping the Impalers in the last seconds of the game. Week 14 the Mafia Crew won yet another close matchup, scoring the go ahead touchdown with just 2:46 left on the clock, beating the playoff bound Swift Sharks.
Mukachevo Cheetahs
Record: 8-6
Last game: 17-10 W over Impalers
Rank - 8
Previous Rank - 7
The Cheetahs are one of the mid-tier teams fighting to stay in the playoff race. They helped their cause immensely by pulling out a win in week 14 vs the Impalers. And they did so in heroic fashion, scoring all 17 of their points in the second half while shutting out the Impalers. The coaching staff must have given quite the speech at half time. The Cheetahs held the ball just 10:53 of the first half, but dominated the clock in the 2nd half, toting the rock for 22:03. The Cheetahs fought back and finally pulled ahead in the 4th with a 51 yard ARMSTRONG strike to Holbo Holbster broken open by a key block by Boom Shanka.
Transylvania Impalers
Record: 7-7
Last game: 10-17 L to Cheetahs
Rank - 9
Previous Rank - 8
After a strong 3-0 start, the Impalers have managed to post a disappointing 4-7 record since. The defense is doing their job most of the time, but offensive woes persist. In the losses to the Swift Sharks, Mafia Crew and Cheetahs in the last 3 weeks, the Impalers averaged just 265 yards per game. They let a 10 point lead slip away against the Cheetahs, gaining just 84 total yards in the second half while allowing 287.
Dallas Galaxy
Record: 7-7
Last game: 10-28 L to Pirates
Rank - 10
Previous Rank - 10
The Galaxy are trying to salvage their season and they do indeed have a shot at the playoffs, having what amounts to two likely wins left on the schedule. They’ll need to get the offense back on track to go anywhere once in the playoffs, however. The Galaxy have managed more than 17 points in just 1 of the last 4 contest. The defense played well during that same stretch except when faced with elite teams. The Pirates and Spiders put up a combined 59 points vs just 33 by the other 5 opponents in the last 7 weeks.
Woburn Tanners
Record: 6-8
Last game: 7-45 L to Wheatfield
Rank - 11
Previous Rank - 9
After 4 straight games of putting up 9 points or less, The Tanners finally got the offense rolling, scoring a total of 136 points in a 4 games stretch, winning 3 of them. Then they ran into the steamrolling Wheatfield team in week 14. The Tanners had no answer for the Wheatfield offense, allowing the Wheatfield offense to score points on their first 7 possessions of the game not counting the end of half. The offense faired little better, with 6 drives ending after 5 or fewer plays.
London Wildcats
Record: 4-10
Last game: 24-31 L to Devil Dogs
Rank - 12
Previous Rank - 13
The Wildcats are looking toward next season as this season wraps up and they have some hope for a better performance. They have lost 5 straight games, but played close in 4 of them, all against playoff contending teams. They took the Devil Dogs to overtime before finally succumbing when the Dogs drove the opening kick all the way down the field.
Kazan Black Dragons
Record: 3-11
Last game:
Rank - 13
Previous Rank - 12
In the biggest crumbling of the league, the Black Dragons started the season 3 and 1 and have dropped the next 10 straight games, scoring no more than 13 points in any of the last 6. The defense is struggling as well, allowing Sofia HB, ishak wanabe to run rampant, putting up 156 yards and breaking 23 tackles.
Texas Longnecks
Record: 2-12
Last game: 21-49 L to Samurais
Rank - 14
Previous Rank - 14
The Longnecks are another team looking to the future. The offense will need to have more consistency for the team to compete, though they did score 3 touchdowns against the Samurais in week 14. Defensively, they are struggling mightily, allowing at least 34 points in each of the last 6 games. Against the Samurais, they forced just 2 punts all day long.
Budapest Coffee Mugs
Record: 2-12
Last game: 33-17 W over Chaos
Rank - 15
Previous Rank - 15
The Coffee Mugs need more caffeine. Their offense has looked tired most of the season. In their losses, they have managed to stay within 2 TDs just once all season, but they have registered 2 wins, one being the shocker against the Impalers early in the season. Week 14, they put together another victory against the worst team in the league, doing so with a heavy dose of ground attack., with Carter Woods putting up a career day of 137 yards, 2 TDs and 10 broken tackles.
Bratislava Chaos
Record: 0-14
Last game: 17-33 L to Coffee Mugs
Rank - 16
Previous Rank - 16
The Chaos are bad. Really bad. But they seem to be improving. They are reducing the number of CPUs and have some players starting to come around. They managed to put together a couple nice drives against the Coffee Mugs and held the ball for at least 9 plays on all but 1 drive in the game. Defensively, they are still struggling, allowing long, time consuming drives that ended in scores by the Mugs. Perhaps next season this team might be able to start competing in a few games.
Last edited Aug 29, 2008 19:37:43
