Jack Brown, Jett Zero, Merrick Itera, Mike Improta, Ray Bentley
Banner Image by J.R. Lawless
Week 2 of Season 14 in the Simulation Football League is gone. Yes, the inexorable march of time is playing its tricks on us mortals once more. Well, everyone, except Stephen Hacker. Seriously, what’s with that guy?
Well folks, here it is. As you might expect, another set of Power Rankings that you can both admire and deride. Things can change quickly in the SFL, and that’s exactly what has happened over a two-week span. There was snow, four touchdowns and the second highest amount of receiving yards ever in a game, 8 rushing yards in a Storm (wait, what?!), and! There was the first triple-overtime in SFL history! The first two weeks of the season have seen their share of developments, some bad and many good, but we’re taking the sunny-side-up approach this week! The SFL Beat Team has your Power Rankings for Week 2. Let’s dig into the madness.
(Movement) | Recap |
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|---|---|---|---|
1 |  | (-) | It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness. No truer words could be said about Baltimore’s campaign thus far in Season 14. After decimating the S13 runner-ups in Week 1, the Vultures continued their crusade in Week 2 with the flattening of an offensive dynamo on foreign soil. The Aztecs proved ineffective against Baltimore’s defenses, and even less so against the potent Mike Dazzo led offense. If the Vultures can travel to the Mile High city next week and escape with a win, they will have effectively dismantled the triumvirate and earned a much smoother road down the stretch. |
2 |  | (🡅 2) | Atlanta sneaks into the #2 spot this week after a strong showing against the Las Vegas Fury. Running back BDG Hollewood has been out of control in recent weeks, posting the best yards per carry average in the league and falling just short of Seattle’s Zack Sandlin for the most rushing yards. The Fury had no answers for Hollewood as he compiled 217 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground while adding 52 yards on 7 catches through the air. QB Marcus Dunhill hasn’t looked too shabby himself while hooking up with his favorite target Boo Chisholm. Surprisingly, rookie wideout Dave Axis has seen no action offensively yet this season; time will tell if he will be called upon soon to help the Swarm retain their #2 status. |
3 |  | (🡅 3) | Way to rebound from a disappointing defeat Week 1 by spoiling the newly minted Florida Storm’s grand opening in Ft. Lauderdale this week. Kudos to the Jacksonville defense for holding the Storm to only 12 points andzero touchdowns in their home stadium. This may be a high ranking for the Kings based on their offensive and defensive numbers so far this season, but the trustworthiness factor is ever alive and present with this franchise. It will be HC Frank Goodin’s responsibility to put that Week 1 loss to the Swarm in the rear view, and focus on the positives that his unit portrayed this past Tuesday. Only then can the Kings cement their rightful place in the Top 5, and it starts next week in Seattle. |
| 4 |  | (🡅 3) | Another dominant performance by the Eternal Frost. I swear I heard the roars of the Canadian faithful all the way over in NY on Saturday night as 2nd year rushing stud Sudo Nakai plunged through the Predators front seven for his 3rd score of the game. Vancouver’s opponents thus far this season have had zero answers offensively or defensively for what HC and playbook guru Andy Hamilton has been cooking up these first two weeks. They have rightfully earned their spot near the top. The question that will linger for this team until after Week 5: Can the Legion continue to play at a high level against Top 10 teams? I believe they can and they will, thus pushing the envelope for their bid to the finals this season. |
| 5 |  | (🡅 3) | Seattle’s week 2 performance was what we had expected. They protected their turf, and their defense held the Season 13 defending champion Nightwings to just 13 points. The “J-Train” never got out of the station and the front-line of the Tyrant’s defense never let that engine get going, holding the Denver running back to a pedestrian 48 yards on the ground. The strength and power of a T-Rex is channeled through its powerful bite and it was the defense that chomped down on Denver, only allowing one touchdown and two field goals. The largest carnivore was linebacker EK Vinson, who led the team with 10 tackles, along with defensive ends, Jukin Roukyn and the Season 13 sack-leader, Gib Leedoo - each recording one sack. Their secondary was also opportunistic, picking off Denver QB Josh Miller twice - Mahmoud Ajlouni and Cain Vasquez with one each. On offense, Jacques Luyindula threw for two TD’s, one to his tight end, Tristan Carr, and the other to they guy who always seems to score touchdowns, Junior Senior III. However, the Star, as well as the Week 2 breakout player of the game was none other than the “Sandman,” Zack Sandlin himself. 30 carries for 227 yards and a TD! Need we say more? For Seattle, week 3 brings Jacksonville long across the country into the Emerald City, and they’ll be wandering around in the greenery in search of their fossils if they’re not careful with the King’s air-attack. However, if the Tyrant’s devouring defense decides to grasp its “passing” prey, perhaps it’ll be the lions who end up sleepless in Seattle. |
| 6 |  | (🡇 3) | Before the season started, Mexico City was ranked #5, and after two games, they drop down to just past #5 in the Power Rankings. Last week we praised Owner/Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, Ramos Lynn for his offensive prowess. This week? The Aztecs, at home (!), were not nearly as explosive, only scoring 17 points. Add to that the unfortunate situation of star wide receiver Richard Montague leaving the game after only 1 catch; he had to be taken into the locker room with a shoulder injury that ended his night. Perhaps, this was one of the main reasons Mexico City couldn’t get much going? Maybe, just maybe, it was the stout Baltimore Defense who picked off Quarterback Matt Wilson, three times? Hall of Fame running back Ray Bentley wasn’t himself either, only rushing for 46 yards on 15 carries. Tight end Mike Daggs hauled in 7 receptions for 97, and the bright spot continues to be rookie standout, fullback Phoenix Jones, who scored his second touchdown in as many games with a 22-yard run. On defense, Pablo Zamora and Jeffrey Daggs played well with 7 tackles each, with Daggs adding an interception. The issue, though, was that nothing took place in the Vulture’s back field, as the Aztec’s did not record any tackles for losses, nor were any of their defenders able to get a sack. Mexico City gets their passports ready to travel to Atlanta where the Swarm are “buzzing.” Things are heating up and if the conquistadors of Mexico City aren’t ready for the challenge, the smell of sweat seems to aggravate wasps and make them more aggressive; it would be no surprise to see the Aztecs slip to 1-2. |
| 7 |  | (🡅 2) | When is the SFL Community going to give this team the respect it deserves? Week 1 was a fluke, week 2 was…uh… don’t look now, but the Sparrows are 2-0, and with all due respect, have Arizona coming to Liberty Park for week 3. This team doesn’t blow you away with numbers that jump off the page, but they go about their business, punching-in to do their jobs and not punching-out until they find a way to win. The winning culture of Sioux Falls starts with their leader, Quarterback Julian Tyree, who flies under the radar but always finds a way to get his team over the falls. Tyree has been extremely efficient with an incredible completion percentage of 87.5% (42 for 48). Their run game has started to grow wings, too. Fullback Jaylin Wells has been a steady contributor in short yardage situations, and running back Colin Hart busted out in week 2 singing a melody of 142 yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns. Kicker Maxwell Falk is also perfect on the season making 7 field goals combined. The area some may overlook is how Sioux Falls puts together drives, as they possessed the ball for a total for just over 13 minutes more than their opponents. On defense, strong safety AJ Levye has been outstanding, with and interception at Queen City and picking-off two passes versus Houston, as well as adding a huge 62-yard punt return for a TD. This team doesn’t have players that make you cringe…but this team isn’t the sexiest, either. However, when there’s no time left on the clock, the Lakota people are screaming, “Victory!” Season 14 is now a time for renewal and the Great Plains has never looked better. If the high-flying Sparrows are able to swoop away a victory over the Arizona Scorpions, they may just find themselves building their nest in the top 5 of the Week 4 Power Rankings. |
| 8 |  | (🡇 6) | Florida drops 6 spots as the Storm was not very powerful, losing in at home 24-12. If you had bet anyone in the SFL that the Storm would only rush for 8 TOTAL yards in the entire game, it’s our belief that large sums of money would have been won, or lost! That’s exactly what happened when this “storm” was over. Yes. 8 yards rushing for the entire game. You’ve read this correctly… 8 yards for J.W. Doyle on 14 carries. Period. What a frustrating night for Owner, Mighty Max Paul, and jeesh, what a difference a week makes for a team’s performance. Week one, the Storm were swirling through the defending champion Denver Nightwings, and week two, it was the Jacksonville Kings who were bashing Florida around, all over the field. Mr. Reliable, Ron Cockren was sacked three times along with throwing four picks on 61 pass attempts. Despite throwing for 315 yards, he was never able to find the endzone. The sun shined on Stephen Bush as he corralled 6 catches for 109 yards, but it wasn’t enough, with the only scoring coming off the foot of Ethan Sneed who notched four field goals. Currently, the Storm sits still with a record of 1-1. Cornerback Even Carroll had two interceptions for the Florida Defense, and Andrew Francis snagged one more, but they also gave up three touchdowns through the air giving the Kings their first win of the season. Florida heads to Las Vegas to test their luck against the Fury for week 3. To quote the great Stevie Nicks, “Thunder only happens when it’s raining..” Have you ever seen a hurricane in Sin City? Anyone interested in gambling? |
| 9 |  | (🡅 5) | Queen City looked a little lost in their 1st game, but boy, did they make up for their missteps in their second outing of Season 14! Hosting an always dangerous Wildcat squad to open their S14 home stand, the Corsairs broadsided Shann Varner's club all game en route to a 46-10 shellacking of the 'Cats, that answered a lot of the SFL communities' questions as to what type of team QCC was going to be this season. They won both Offensive AND Defensive Player of the Week nods as WR Stephen Hacker had a gazillion yds and 4 TDs off of 12 receptions, while DE Jeff Duffy recorded 5.5 sacks on the day! No one wants to face this team of scallywags and ne'er-do-wells, but after drawing lots, Tulsa ends up with the next shot at 'em. Personally, I don't think it matters WHO plays them next; if they play like they did last week, they're too much for any opponent on the docket this season. |
| 10 |  | (🡅 2) | Woof! Houston's first-week victory is definitely a memory they'll want to remember instead of their 21-40 shellacking at the hands of the Sioux Falls Sparrows in week 2. So... they rise? Well, think about it this way. Houston was a team that, going into the season, people said wouldn't have the defense that helped propel them to the postseason last year. They then proved that all wrong with a 28-30 win over said defensive coordinator. Against the Sparrows, who are now 2-0, they were still able to put up three touchdowns - two through the air, past the vaunted Sparrows air attack defense! They also had their yellow rivals in first downs, third down conversion, and passing yardage. So, really, while the Hyenas are sitting at 1-1 after a 19 point loss? It could be far, far worse. Something tells me that this team definitely has the dog in them. |
| 11 |  | (-) | Turns out, that didn't sting too much. The Tulsa Desperados traveled to Arizona last week to take on their former quarterback , Ashley Jackson, in a friendly rivalry match that ended up being much closer than many could have predicted. Though the Scorpions notched their first-ever victory in the contest, there were plenty of reasons to be optimistic in Oklahoma. For one, offensively Tulsa had more yards and almost double the first downs that Arizona did, as well as five more minutes of possession. They even threw less picks (3) than the Scorpions (4)! When a game this close is decided by a field goal, the only thing you can really do is go back and look at the tape, then press forward. For Tulsa, that means "on to Queen City." A battle of supremacy between Bandits and Pirates will surely be an explosive one to watch. |
| 12 |  | (🡇 8) | Oh, Denver. Would anyone have expected the reigning champions to be sitting at 0-2, much less looking like extreme underdogs against a team that just handily dismantled the Aztecs in Mexico? The defending champs have just not had the best of luck to start Season 14 out, dropping their first game to the rebranded Florida Storm before stumbling mightily against their championship-game rivals, the Seattle Tyrants. Jeremy Vega's team will have to find a way to stop the seemingly unstoppable Vultures at home in Mile High stadium next week. If the Nightwings are able to pull that win off, expect to see their season turn around, and quick. Otherwise, they might be falling back to earth in more than one way. |
| 13 |  | (🡇 3) | Yeeee-ouch. After a dominant first week showing against the London Knights, the Predators traveled to Vancouver to try and keep their streak alive. Unfortunately, there was a Legion of whalers ready for them, mercilessly deconstructing the Predators to the tune of 10-41. Offensively, Charleston was nowhere to be seen all night, as they threw six picks and weren't able to break the plane of Hollywood Blvd. even once. Fortunately for them, DPOTW runner up Brandon Haight was there to scoop up a fumble and take it back to the house; otherwise, this would have been a devastating 3-41. Silver linings, and all that. Week 3's matchup against their northern Carolinian rivals will be one to watch, as both teams now are nursing losses that sting in their own ways. Will the Skyhawks prevail over Charleston, or will the Predators start up the hunt once again? |
| 14 |  | (🡅 4) | Arizona the past week notched their first win as a franchise in the SFL, in an absolutely thrilling contest over the team whom they pillaged front office members from. The Scorpions put up some fight and showed they can hold their own in the ever-competitive league. However, if they want to make a push to move up these here rankings, they have to stop throwing INTs. Ashley Jackson leads the league in that dubious category with 10 - 6 in Houston, 4 from Tulsa. Even in this league that's a worrying statistic. You can't necessarily score on drives where you don't even have the ball, so AJ better figure out her routes soon before they come back to sting Arizona in later weeks. |
| 15 |  | (-) | Vegas bet big, but somehow lost even bigger. Coming into the game, the Fury were looking to knock Atlanta down a few pegs. Instead, well, Atlanta is now ranked second... and Vegas is just outside the bottom 5. Rather unfortunate, I have to say. The Fury didn't break the plane of the end zone once, and only netted 2 field goals from rookie kicker Rob Emms. Overall, it was a sub par showing from Sin City. If the Mullenax tenure in Vegas doesn't want be just a single season, they better put their foot on the gas and fast. |
| 16 |  | (🡇 3) | Well Ray Bentley (Editor) told me to vary my introductions for Chicago, and Mikey Improta (Chicago fullback) told me to be honest… so here goes nothing: It's not okay anymore, Chicago. In Week 2, you guys got completely steamrolled by Queen City, with ET King sporting a woeful 44.39 QBR and getting sacked a whopping 5 times by Jeff Duffy. 46-10 is not a scoreline anyone wants to be on the wrong side of - that should be apparent. Overall, the team just did not seem to be fully there. None of the Wildcats’s receiving corps topped over 100 yards, with Cory Carter only gaining 3 catches on 12 targets. The Wildcats defense was outclassed in every way, too,giving up over 500 yards through the air to the Corsairs offense, which was nearly double the amount they had put up the week previous. The long and the short of it is, this game was very, very ugly for the Windy City. Hopefully the Wildcats can start roaring as one in Week 3. |
| 17 |  | (🡅 2) | Well, it looks like that mummy's got a bit of life in them after all! Last week, the Pharaohs opened their season by being ritually buried by the Legion. Going into Week 2, the Pharaohs were almost 2:1 underdogs against the visiting Carolina Skyhawks in the Who Ya Got - and one quarter in, trailing 21-7, a Skyhawk victory seemed almost like a foregone conclusion. New Orleans, though, had a bit of voodoo magic up their sleeves. After taking a 38 point lead in the fourth, they went to three overtimes before putting the game away, 38-44, in the sixty-seventh minute of play. Looking at the stats, though, New Orleans just had more all night - 681 total offensive yards to 458 on Carolina's side. The Pharaohs travel for their first away game next week versus the St. Louis Gladiators, and if it plays anything like this one, make sure to mark your calendars (and drink plenty of caffeinated drinks). It's gonna be a knock-down, drag-out slugfest. I, for one, cannot wait. |
| 18 |  | (🡇 2) | Seven quarters. Over a thousand yards (overall) offensively. Seven total picks - with six of them coming from the Skyhawks, and four of *those* coming from just Zane Doty himself. I could basically spend all block long talking about the mind-boggling amount of stats this game has given us across almost sixty-seven minutes (44 regulation + 23 overtime!) of digital football action. However, in the end, after all that playtime, it just wasn't to be for Carolina. While their first quarter showed them flying high, it wasn't until the fourth when they were able to get things in gear to force overtime against a team that was crushed beneath Vancouver's heel last week. If the Skyhawks hope to rise any higher, be it in the rankings or the standings, they're going to need to recapture that first-quarter magic all season long, or they're in for some turbulent skies. |
| 19 |  | (🡅 1) | Point: fish & chips. Week 2 saw the return of the St. Louis-London Fish and Ribs Bowl, a friendly rivalry between the Gladiators and the London Knights. This game had a bit of a twist to it, however: both teams were nursing 0-1 records, and St. Louis had picked up some of the coaches that left London in the Season 13 rebuild. Talk was fierce between the teams all week, but ultimately, it was the jolly old Knights who kept the victory in Queensway. Flipping the script from last season, it was quarterback Angus MacLaine who held the keys to the offense all night, spreading the touchdown love around to try and keep the Gladiators defense on their toes, while running back Jason Williams helped clean up some yardage here and there. The question for London is now this: after this win, will their momentum be enough to stop the greatest show on digital turf in the Great White North? They are many, and they are Legion - hopefully these gallant Knights are prepared! |
| 20 |  | (🡇 3) | Alas, here we are. Unfortunately, after two weeks of on-field play, St. Louis has re-gained the dreaded final position. The Gladiators have most certainly talked the talk (that’s what happens when your QB has a PR Team), but so far, they have failed to walk the walk. With another chapter in their rivalry with London written, the Gladiators dropped what should’ve been an easy revenge game for former Knight and current Gladiator Gerald Smith and company. Quarterback Jonny Pichler had a moribund game against the Knights, not finding a target in the endzone once. If there are positives to look on going into week 3 against NOLA, look no further than running back Diesel Dawson. He currently is number 5 in the league for yardage with 265 yards. Right now he, if anyone, looks like the piece to build an offense around. St. Louis had better build quick, though - London and Carolina were among the easier games on their schedule, it only gets tougher from here. |
