Zeta Pre-season Power Rankings week4 recap, week 5 preview
And finally there were two… After only 4 weeks of play there are only 2 unbeaten teams on Zeta. Twin souls are these two teams who have been around the league for quite some time and that have had a fierce rivalry until the recently appearance of Vatican.
This week all the attention was on “The Judgement Seat” Stadium of Vatican as they hosted the much anticipated game against the Mamertini. Both teams had similar expectations before the coin toss as they are for now fighting for similar objectives. Mamertini Kicked off the game and just on the first drive the Vatican showed their fellow mates that this week they were going to leave no loose ends. Excellent drive supported on their new star HB Biggs Darklighter who rushed for 8 times before his team put the ball into the endzone for their first score of the day.
After such an impressive demonstration, Mamertini’s offense stumbled and left the field after a 3 & out. The first quarter came to an end and Vatican was clearly dominating on the field.
The second quarter started with another scored from VCA, this time on the feet of Richie Folk who made a 30 yarder to put the 10-0 on the scoreboard. Milano tried to counter back with a great drive from their star duo Lefty Johansen and Welcome to the Show but the drive ended on a FG after VCA defense stopped them on the Red Zone. They had 6 attempts inside VCA’s 20 but they couldn’t come up with more than 3.
Inspired by their great defensive effort, VCA wanted to definitely pull the game away from Milano and that’s what they did after rushing the ball again for their second TD of the day. The scoreboard showed at that moment a lead 17-3 for VCA and Milano guys were starting to think that probably this was not going to be the day. The first half of the game ended with another score from Vatican after a quite interesting 2-min drill in which they moved the ball from their own 44 to the opponents 1 and Kicked a FG after having spent all their timeouts on the process.
The second half was not much better for the Mamertini as it started with a pick from Chicken Bits after a bad pass from Johansen. That pick was converted into another 3 points by VCA offense which was really effective all day long. Milano scored again but immediately VCA answered back with another TD to definitely close a game 30-6. In the 4th Quarter with nothing but their pride on the field, Vatican was still able to score another FG which put up the final score.
The numbers clearly speak for the winner. This time, they were able to move the ball on both sides of the field and didn’t give a chance to Milano to display their football. I’m sure that after the last week defeat against Hague, PowersConnection and his teammates really put hard work to fix their mistakes and so they did by grabbing a very important victory against a team that has still something to say on the league.
The second great game of the night was the game between the Bulls and the undefeated Nips. Bologna came to the field as the leader of Zeta conference and wanting to demonstrate that they were on the honor places for their own merits. The Bulls played at home trying to demonstrate that this year they are a solid team and a true candidate to get the 5th. Both teams appeared to be taken by the fear during the first half and the scored showed a tight 13-7 for the Bulls but Bologna bounced back with a great defensive play to put the 13-14 after a 49 yd INT return for a TD. The turnover festival was clearly won by Bologna who Intercepted 3 times the ball (2 for TD) and forced 2 fumbles on their opponents, but the difference this time was made by Tossda Ball and Bull Catch who combined for 78yds play to give the Bulls their third consecutive win.
You have to wonder what could have happened if Bologna would have kicked that easy FG on the first instead of going for on 4th down on a game that was predicted to be on the line right until the end, however, when you have no success running the ball your chances to win are seriously affected. The only reason why Bologna was able to stay on the game for so long was because of their great defense and how they were able to make plays and create turnovers on the other team, however, if you want to be a top team you have to be able to make plays on both sides and this time they clearly lacked the help of one part.
Let’s see how the rankings are looking after 4 weeks.
- Will fight for the championship -
1.The Hague Pirates (4-0) W4
The Pirates come to the field of London on a very sad day for that franchise as their owner sold back the team to the league just after 4 weeks of tough football in A league. That’s a problem that has been around on this game for quite some time and there is not an answer yet. It’s so frustrating when you have to face teams that outlevel you by 10, 15 or even more levels and especially if you used to be a successful team the year before. Last season we see that happening with Copenhaguen Preachers and this time it was time for London to actually open the “closed season”. I just hope that you guys have learn the lesson and so we don’t see more cases this year as it’s pretty sad when someone sells back a team in the middle of a season. I know myself that this game is cruel sometimes, it took my team 3 to 4 seasons to start being competitive and 7 seasons to be able to fight for a championship, it’s a long road, sometimes you will feel alone, but at the end, if you work hard with your teammates you will have your chance.
Back to the topic not much to say though, the Pirates put 70 points on the boards on another exhibition of the running game who combined for more than 300 yds on the ground. Next week is another cupcake for them against the Manglers before they face one of those teams you can’t sleep on them.
Next three: Manglers, Scourge, Knights
2.Iberian Bocs (4-0) W4
My Bocs came to the field today reluctant to think that Tillburg was going to be an easy opponent. However, when you start the game leading 7-0 after the kickoff there is not much more you can ask for. After that, great offensive effort with more than 300 yds both on passing and rushing. Next game will be a regional matchup against the other Spaniard team on the league, the booming Bulls will try to demonstrate that they can be a real alternative to the Elite of the league if the make a wrong move.
Next three: Bulls, Nuts, Vatican
3.Vatican City Apocalypse (3-1) W1
Vatican was able to put another W on the table after staggering last week against Hague. This time they had the lesson well learnt and they didn’t give a chance to their opponents grabbing a win that seems like gold on a possible tier at the end of the season. Their next two games should allow them a bit of relax before they face their last real deal this season when visiting the Bocs on week 7.
Next three: Motown, Snakes, Bocs
4.Milano Mamertini (2-2) L1
We can say that Milano has completed their toughest part of the schedule and despite they were not able to put any upset on the top teams they have demonstrated that they can compete at this level and with some little tweaks they could become too a team to fight for the championship. They need know to do the work out of the field to bring the players they need to make that little step as the next few weeks shouldn’t be too complicated for them.
Next three: London Storm, Manglers, Scourge
- Don’t understimate them -
5.Pamplona Bulls (3-1) W3
Pamplona has been revealed lately as the most consistent contender for the 5th seed, just waiting their opportunity to hold up the 4th in case any of the top teams trip. Against them is a calendar which will match them up with a top team every 3 weeks or so, so they won’t have a big run unless they are able to put some upsets on those teams. This week they have the chance to start when they face the Iberian Bocs who have been consistently winning them on the past seasons.
Next three: Bocs, Warlords, Nuts
6.Bologna Nips (3-1) L1
The Nips are one of those teams that like to be in the contrary, when I bet against them, they win big time, and when I bet for them they appear unable to get the work done. However, their 3-1 balance is still good at this time of the season and that W over the Scourge should get them and edge on a possible tier after w16. Next game is one of those that they need to win if they want to hold their status.
Next three: Warlords, Stallions, Dragons
7.Dublin Dragons (2-2) W2
The Dragons move up one place this week after taking care of Manglers 80-6. They had a tough early schedule with Mighty Wingmen and VCA but they have been able to bounce back and now appear as a solid candidate to be on the post-season. However, after this week we will have a better insight as they face the Scourge who are also looking for a position on the top8.
Next three: Scourge, Knights, Nips
8.Blackpool Scourge (3-1) W2
The Scourge mentioned early this week in the press that they don’t feel the pressure to be a winning team this year, after an early comparison with one of the ruling teams on the league. However, it must be said that with such a team if you don’t make it to the playoffs you should do some extra homework, especially now that London has said goodbye, they have no excuses to buy their playoff ticket. This week they have a good opportunity as they visit the Dragons on Dublin on a matchup that will really clarify things on this part of the table.
Next three: Dragons, The Hague Pirates, Milano
- No room for mistakes -
9.Bastogne Nuts (1-3) W1
And the 4th was the good one… It has taken Bastogne 4 weeks to get their first W on an A league and it was on a great show off against the Legends. It has to be said that Bastogne has suffered probably the most brutal early schedule of all WEA5, facing Baton Rouge, Hague and Milano on back-to-back games. On their favor runs that after wk8 they will be done with the elite teams and could have a nice run until the end of the season. Against them could work the low team morale after a very likely 2-6 start. Their game against Pamplona could be the key of the season.
Next three: Snakes, Bocs, Bulls
10.Motown Legends (0-4) L4
The Legends are now 0-4 and definitely not looking good. They have only scored 1 TD so far in 4 games and the upcoming week is not very promising for them as they face one of the candidates for the title. After that they’ll have 2 games to recover before they face their true season deciding game against the Scourge. At mid season with 3-5 you still have some little options to make the playoffs but after a 2-6 you are probably dead and just looking forward for the next season. I thought that a former BBB champion would make more noise on the league, however these guys might be running on stealth mode just to knock us down on season 9.
Next three: Vatican City, London Storm, Manglers
11.Tillburg Snakes (1-3) L2
Tillburg is living from their win against Motown, however, that win won’t take them far if they can’t put more up on the boards soon. I guess it will be the same case as for Motown, at mid season they will have a clear view if they can fight for a playoff game or they better look forward for season 9. I just hope none of them choose the same path London did today.
Next three: Nuts, Vatican City
- Too sad to be true -
12.London Crimsom Storm (2-2) L2
And so we arrive to the team of the day. They lived the raise to heaven on WEA5 after leading the table on wk2 and the fall to hell after selling the team back and going CPU early today. I don’t know the reasons behind this decision, however I have to say that it’s sad news for us as we always appreciate competition on the league and I felt these guys could have done a good job on the long run. Most of their players are already leaving the team and probably for next week they won’t even have a place on the rankings as they will be cannon fodder for relegation.
Next three: Milano, Legends, Tillburg
NOTE ON THE PREDICTIONS: I do not use any of the league projectors, so this is my prediction based purely on observation.
GAME OF THE WEEK: DUBLIN DRAGONS – BLACKPOOL SCOURGE
This is another game with strong playoff implications as both teams are on the list for one of the four places in contest for the playoffs. Dublin is looking quite good after a hard start and Blackpool seems to find his path on the league after trembling early in the season. Whoever takes this one will definitely get an edge on the playoff run.
Dublin 44-27 Blackpool
MUST SEE TV: IBERIAN BOCS – PAMPLONA BULLS
The matchup between the two Spaniard teams on the league is a classic on Zeta. The Bulls has been in the league since season 5 and still doesn’t know what it means a W against the Bocs. However, all their previous games were resolved for small margins and this season the Bulls are looking better than ever, so it should be a promising one.
Iberian 33-23 Bulls
And finally there were two… After only 4 weeks of play there are only 2 unbeaten teams on Zeta. Twin souls are these two teams who have been around the league for quite some time and that have had a fierce rivalry until the recently appearance of Vatican.
This week all the attention was on “The Judgement Seat” Stadium of Vatican as they hosted the much anticipated game against the Mamertini. Both teams had similar expectations before the coin toss as they are for now fighting for similar objectives. Mamertini Kicked off the game and just on the first drive the Vatican showed their fellow mates that this week they were going to leave no loose ends. Excellent drive supported on their new star HB Biggs Darklighter who rushed for 8 times before his team put the ball into the endzone for their first score of the day.
After such an impressive demonstration, Mamertini’s offense stumbled and left the field after a 3 & out. The first quarter came to an end and Vatican was clearly dominating on the field.
The second quarter started with another scored from VCA, this time on the feet of Richie Folk who made a 30 yarder to put the 10-0 on the scoreboard. Milano tried to counter back with a great drive from their star duo Lefty Johansen and Welcome to the Show but the drive ended on a FG after VCA defense stopped them on the Red Zone. They had 6 attempts inside VCA’s 20 but they couldn’t come up with more than 3.
Inspired by their great defensive effort, VCA wanted to definitely pull the game away from Milano and that’s what they did after rushing the ball again for their second TD of the day. The scoreboard showed at that moment a lead 17-3 for VCA and Milano guys were starting to think that probably this was not going to be the day. The first half of the game ended with another score from Vatican after a quite interesting 2-min drill in which they moved the ball from their own 44 to the opponents 1 and Kicked a FG after having spent all their timeouts on the process.
The second half was not much better for the Mamertini as it started with a pick from Chicken Bits after a bad pass from Johansen. That pick was converted into another 3 points by VCA offense which was really effective all day long. Milano scored again but immediately VCA answered back with another TD to definitely close a game 30-6. In the 4th Quarter with nothing but their pride on the field, Vatican was still able to score another FG which put up the final score.
The numbers clearly speak for the winner. This time, they were able to move the ball on both sides of the field and didn’t give a chance to Milano to display their football. I’m sure that after the last week defeat against Hague, PowersConnection and his teammates really put hard work to fix their mistakes and so they did by grabbing a very important victory against a team that has still something to say on the league.
The second great game of the night was the game between the Bulls and the undefeated Nips. Bologna came to the field as the leader of Zeta conference and wanting to demonstrate that they were on the honor places for their own merits. The Bulls played at home trying to demonstrate that this year they are a solid team and a true candidate to get the 5th. Both teams appeared to be taken by the fear during the first half and the scored showed a tight 13-7 for the Bulls but Bologna bounced back with a great defensive play to put the 13-14 after a 49 yd INT return for a TD. The turnover festival was clearly won by Bologna who Intercepted 3 times the ball (2 for TD) and forced 2 fumbles on their opponents, but the difference this time was made by Tossda Ball and Bull Catch who combined for 78yds play to give the Bulls their third consecutive win.
You have to wonder what could have happened if Bologna would have kicked that easy FG on the first instead of going for on 4th down on a game that was predicted to be on the line right until the end, however, when you have no success running the ball your chances to win are seriously affected. The only reason why Bologna was able to stay on the game for so long was because of their great defense and how they were able to make plays and create turnovers on the other team, however, if you want to be a top team you have to be able to make plays on both sides and this time they clearly lacked the help of one part.
Let’s see how the rankings are looking after 4 weeks.
- Will fight for the championship -
1.The Hague Pirates (4-0) W4
The Pirates come to the field of London on a very sad day for that franchise as their owner sold back the team to the league just after 4 weeks of tough football in A league. That’s a problem that has been around on this game for quite some time and there is not an answer yet. It’s so frustrating when you have to face teams that outlevel you by 10, 15 or even more levels and especially if you used to be a successful team the year before. Last season we see that happening with Copenhaguen Preachers and this time it was time for London to actually open the “closed season”. I just hope that you guys have learn the lesson and so we don’t see more cases this year as it’s pretty sad when someone sells back a team in the middle of a season. I know myself that this game is cruel sometimes, it took my team 3 to 4 seasons to start being competitive and 7 seasons to be able to fight for a championship, it’s a long road, sometimes you will feel alone, but at the end, if you work hard with your teammates you will have your chance.
Back to the topic not much to say though, the Pirates put 70 points on the boards on another exhibition of the running game who combined for more than 300 yds on the ground. Next week is another cupcake for them against the Manglers before they face one of those teams you can’t sleep on them.
Next three: Manglers, Scourge, Knights
2.Iberian Bocs (4-0) W4
My Bocs came to the field today reluctant to think that Tillburg was going to be an easy opponent. However, when you start the game leading 7-0 after the kickoff there is not much more you can ask for. After that, great offensive effort with more than 300 yds both on passing and rushing. Next game will be a regional matchup against the other Spaniard team on the league, the booming Bulls will try to demonstrate that they can be a real alternative to the Elite of the league if the make a wrong move.
Next three: Bulls, Nuts, Vatican
3.Vatican City Apocalypse (3-1) W1
Vatican was able to put another W on the table after staggering last week against Hague. This time they had the lesson well learnt and they didn’t give a chance to their opponents grabbing a win that seems like gold on a possible tier at the end of the season. Their next two games should allow them a bit of relax before they face their last real deal this season when visiting the Bocs on week 7.
Next three: Motown, Snakes, Bocs
4.Milano Mamertini (2-2) L1
We can say that Milano has completed their toughest part of the schedule and despite they were not able to put any upset on the top teams they have demonstrated that they can compete at this level and with some little tweaks they could become too a team to fight for the championship. They need know to do the work out of the field to bring the players they need to make that little step as the next few weeks shouldn’t be too complicated for them.
Next three: London Storm, Manglers, Scourge
- Don’t understimate them -
5.Pamplona Bulls (3-1) W3
Pamplona has been revealed lately as the most consistent contender for the 5th seed, just waiting their opportunity to hold up the 4th in case any of the top teams trip. Against them is a calendar which will match them up with a top team every 3 weeks or so, so they won’t have a big run unless they are able to put some upsets on those teams. This week they have the chance to start when they face the Iberian Bocs who have been consistently winning them on the past seasons.
Next three: Bocs, Warlords, Nuts
6.Bologna Nips (3-1) L1
The Nips are one of those teams that like to be in the contrary, when I bet against them, they win big time, and when I bet for them they appear unable to get the work done. However, their 3-1 balance is still good at this time of the season and that W over the Scourge should get them and edge on a possible tier after w16. Next game is one of those that they need to win if they want to hold their status.
Next three: Warlords, Stallions, Dragons
7.Dublin Dragons (2-2) W2
The Dragons move up one place this week after taking care of Manglers 80-6. They had a tough early schedule with Mighty Wingmen and VCA but they have been able to bounce back and now appear as a solid candidate to be on the post-season. However, after this week we will have a better insight as they face the Scourge who are also looking for a position on the top8.
Next three: Scourge, Knights, Nips
8.Blackpool Scourge (3-1) W2
The Scourge mentioned early this week in the press that they don’t feel the pressure to be a winning team this year, after an early comparison with one of the ruling teams on the league. However, it must be said that with such a team if you don’t make it to the playoffs you should do some extra homework, especially now that London has said goodbye, they have no excuses to buy their playoff ticket. This week they have a good opportunity as they visit the Dragons on Dublin on a matchup that will really clarify things on this part of the table.
Next three: Dragons, The Hague Pirates, Milano
- No room for mistakes -
9.Bastogne Nuts (1-3) W1
And the 4th was the good one… It has taken Bastogne 4 weeks to get their first W on an A league and it was on a great show off against the Legends. It has to be said that Bastogne has suffered probably the most brutal early schedule of all WEA5, facing Baton Rouge, Hague and Milano on back-to-back games. On their favor runs that after wk8 they will be done with the elite teams and could have a nice run until the end of the season. Against them could work the low team morale after a very likely 2-6 start. Their game against Pamplona could be the key of the season.
Next three: Snakes, Bocs, Bulls
10.Motown Legends (0-4) L4
The Legends are now 0-4 and definitely not looking good. They have only scored 1 TD so far in 4 games and the upcoming week is not very promising for them as they face one of the candidates for the title. After that they’ll have 2 games to recover before they face their true season deciding game against the Scourge. At mid season with 3-5 you still have some little options to make the playoffs but after a 2-6 you are probably dead and just looking forward for the next season. I thought that a former BBB champion would make more noise on the league, however these guys might be running on stealth mode just to knock us down on season 9.
Next three: Vatican City, London Storm, Manglers
11.Tillburg Snakes (1-3) L2
Tillburg is living from their win against Motown, however, that win won’t take them far if they can’t put more up on the boards soon. I guess it will be the same case as for Motown, at mid season they will have a clear view if they can fight for a playoff game or they better look forward for season 9. I just hope none of them choose the same path London did today.
Next three: Nuts, Vatican City
- Too sad to be true -
12.London Crimsom Storm (2-2) L2
And so we arrive to the team of the day. They lived the raise to heaven on WEA5 after leading the table on wk2 and the fall to hell after selling the team back and going CPU early today. I don’t know the reasons behind this decision, however I have to say that it’s sad news for us as we always appreciate competition on the league and I felt these guys could have done a good job on the long run. Most of their players are already leaving the team and probably for next week they won’t even have a place on the rankings as they will be cannon fodder for relegation.
Next three: Milano, Legends, Tillburg
NOTE ON THE PREDICTIONS: I do not use any of the league projectors, so this is my prediction based purely on observation.
GAME OF THE WEEK: DUBLIN DRAGONS – BLACKPOOL SCOURGE
This is another game with strong playoff implications as both teams are on the list for one of the four places in contest for the playoffs. Dublin is looking quite good after a hard start and Blackpool seems to find his path on the league after trembling early in the season. Whoever takes this one will definitely get an edge on the playoff run.
Dublin 44-27 Blackpool
MUST SEE TV: IBERIAN BOCS – PAMPLONA BULLS
The matchup between the two Spaniard teams on the league is a classic on Zeta. The Bulls has been in the league since season 5 and still doesn’t know what it means a W against the Bocs. However, all their previous games were resolved for small margins and this season the Bulls are looking better than ever, so it should be a promising one.
Iberian 33-23 Bulls
i really really didn't want to, but it was best for all the players on the team...
