Jack Brown, Jett Zero, Mike Improta, Ray Bentley
Banner Image by J.R. Lawless
We’ve all been on some of the best teams… and we’ve been on some of the worst teams. The difference between the two? A handful of plays or decisions. There are no “favorites.” There are no “upsets.” Just two really prepared teams full of athletes who made it to the highest level in the game. Think about that before you look at our Week 4 power rankings. We have a good idea about who the top five to six teams are. Same goes for the bottom five to six. But the margin between those two groups and the rest of the league (really, a big blur) is growing thinner every week. These rankings reflect that reality. Let’s all be quick, but not too fast, and get into it!
(Movement) | Recap |
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1 |  | (🡅 1) | Well, well, well, it's a new number 1 team around town! Yes, after some chaos that we will get to a bit further down, Atlanta has swarmed to take number 1 on our rankings. That's not to say they're here by default. They've proven they deserve it. Especially this past week, beating Mexico City 42-30. A large portion of that, of course, came from the fact they picked off Matt Willson a whopping 5 times in what was supposed to be one of Matt's most phenomenal days of his career - which set up Marcus Dunhill for 4 passing TDs on the day and to pound the rock with BDG Hollywood for 2 more. The Swarm have shown through the first three weeks they are a bonafide contender. Besting two of the league's elites and steamrolling all those who aren't. Now they they have to face the team they've dethroned, the Vultures, under the glitz and glamour of Monday Night Football. We'll have to see if they can hold up in their defense as king. |
2 |  | (🡅 2) | Vancouver the past week continued to impose their dominance upon all teams that dare cross their path by eviscerating the (admittedly very jet-lagged) London defense and putting up a whopping 52 points on them in Vancouver. The Legion have pretty much looked like a Big 12 on offense, scoring pretty much at will with 45 points per game being their average. They mainly seem to dominate via their extremely potent rushing attack from early MVP candidate Sudo Nakai. Who currently leads the league in yards per carry with 8.5 and rushing TDs with 7. Helping steamroll even what would be considered respectable defense such as Charleston. The defense has some bright spots too especially in the Bash Bros pair of linebackers. However letting up 41 from London has certainly knocked them down a few pegs. On the whole, the only thing keeping Vancouver out of number 1 for the time being is getting one of these huge statement wins over a top of the line SFL club. Which they won't get a chance to do so until Week 5 against Seattle. However, for the time being they got Carolina up on the docket this week in what one would expect to be an easy win. |
3 |  | (🡅 4) | If you really think about it, Sioux Falls are much like actual Sparrows. They stay quiet and in their own lane during Discord chat, but then once they hit the field, BAM! They come out with their sharp talons and cool teeth and uh… wait what? Actual Sparrows don't have that stuff? Lame! Anyway, Sioux Falls after a nail biter week one has posted some rather convincing wins at their home in Liberty Park, most recently evading the Scorpions 28-14. Sioux Falls comes out, much like Vancouver above, with one of the league's most potent rushing attacks, ranked 3rd best in yards per game led by the HB/FB tandem of Colin Hart and Jaylin Wells. On their own, they aren't lighting up the leaderboards, but together, they make for a screaming pair of backfield talent. Sioux Falls also boasts one of the league's premier defenses, being within the Top 5 of pretty much every category and is currently second in total yards, only down by 2 yards, nonetheless! With this overall monster, the Sparrows should be able to keep rolling on throughout the season with not too much of an issue. |
| 4 |  | (🡇 1) | Jacksonville, after losing to Atlanta back in week 1 has absolutely roared (pun intended? Sure) back to life. The past week they showed that by taking Seattle back behind the woodshed and subjecting them to the might of Frank Goodin and his pride. As to be expected from the personal on hand for the Kings, they've gotten a lot of it done through the air on offense. With Christian Christiansen not only getting big yards, but accurately, too. Currently sitting in 3rd at both passing yards and completion percentage with the most attempts of the Top 3 in the latter statistic. With his favorite target being Grayson Willis, currently 3rd in the league in receiving yards. Elsewhere the Kings have been serviceable, although maybe not a premier ballclub in that statistic. Now, this week they host the Mexico City Aztecs in Jacksonville, with big implications on the line for whichever team is holding the L at the end of regulation. |
| 5 |  | (🡇 4) | A midair collision with the Denver Nightwings has sent the Baltimore Vultures into a tailspin this week, dropping four spots from their spot atop the roost to just barely inside the Top 5. The final score of 17-31 tells only part of the story; while the Vultures running game was frustrated all night long, they still posted 26 more yards through the air than their opponents, and without a single turnover! Unfortunately, Baltimore's defense, who allowed 23 points scored against them through the first two weeks, wasn't able to tamp down the 'no McFly zone' this game. Now the Vultures travel back home to try and figure out what went wrong while they attempt to regain their throne - by taking down the very team that usurped it from them this week. |
| 6 |  | (🡅 3) | Queen City continues to sail the high seas this week with another confident win - this week, on the road in Tulsa. The Corsairs are off to a strong start in the 14th season, with their only loss coming from a single point deficit in the first week. Since then, it's been fairly smooth sailing for the Great Lakes buccaneers. Queen City has looked strong in the first quarter of the season, racking up three POTW honors and proving once again that the league should never take the four-time champions for granted. Next week they travel to the arid lands of Arizona to take on the Scorpions; considering how topsy-turvy the season has been so far, this might just be the match-up of the week. |
| 7 |  | (🡅 6) | Charleston so far this season has beaten London by 24, lost to Vancouver by 31, and beaten Carolina by 14. Vancouver is the only team to score more than 1 TD against their defense. This team is tough to truly get a handle on. Is the defense that good? Is the offense capable of 2+ possession wins each week? This week against St. Louis, the Predators will try to answer a lot of these questions and put them to rest. St. Louis has been stout against the run, allowing less than 60 yards per game, but have allowed the most passing TDs in the league. Charleston has the tools to take this game and continue to rise in the rankings while proving that Week 2 was a fluke against a team that is having a strong start to the season. |
| 8 |  | (🡇 2) | The Aztecs fall again in the power rankings after falling short to the newly minted leaders of this list, the Atlanta Swarm. Although MXC has had a rather challenging schedule to start the season, it has been the down year statistically for many of their star players, which has directly attributed to their sub-par record through three weeks. Former MVP and HOF RB Ray Bentley has only 173 yards and 2 TDs total on the season to this point. Reigning league MVP Matt Willson has been struggling, currently sitting on a pedestrian 75.2 QBR. One of the lone bright spots has been rookie FB Phoenix Jones, who has been outpacing his veteran counterpart through last week. With another tough road game on the docket in Jacksonville this week, the Mexico City brass need to prove to the world that they can win without former play-calling wizard Steven Mullenax. |
| 9 |  | (🡇 4) | The Tyrants roared; the Kings roared louder. Seattle drops this week after taking down their former rivals from the Championship game the week before after turning in a palindromic 42-24 performance. It's not all bad news though; through the first 3 weeks of the season, Tyrant running back Zack Sandlin is leading the pack of running backs with 515 total yards, while defensive standout Slinn Shady is ranked in the top five total tackles with 36! Next week, the Tyrants will head to Florida to take on the Storm in a game that will have the winner sitting at an even-keeled 2-2. What's makes this an interesting statistic? Other than the Jacksonville Kings, every team that has played in the Championship since Season 9 is currently sporting that same 1-2 record, and are vying to get back to breaking even. That leaves us with the question: will Seattle regain its voice, or be blown away by a resurgent Storm? |
| 10 |  | (🡅 4) | Even with a big win at home against the historically formidable Storm franchise, the Fury are still technically last in the standings due to their last ranked net points at -36. Averaging a multi-score deficit in every game thus far is not a recipe for success. Vegas has been leaning more heavily on QB Tom Ramen this season under coach Steven Mullenax, as Ramen is 3rd in the league in pass attempts. Compare that to RB Robert Redford, who is 11th in rush attempts and has zero rushing TDs on the season. This is an interesting change, as the success of the Fury in previous seasons has stemmed from their top rated rushing game under Redford. The defense has always been a pain point for LV, but it was balanced by their mild successes on offense; getting away from the one element that WAS working previously and in turn not addressing other areas of concern is a head-scratcher. Let's hope the warriors of the Silver State can build on their momentum this week when they host their rivals in the ever anticipated Vice Wars match-up. |
| 11 |  | (🡅 1) | Impressive win for the defending champs. With a surprising victory over the previously top ranked Baltimore Vultures in Week 3, the Nightwings almost assuredly saved themselves from a bottom spot in these here power rankings. Weeks 1 and 2 were downright frightening for this Denver squad, offensively and defensively. The defense stepped up considerably in Week 3 at home in a snowstorm, allowing the team to secure the unlikely win. The Denver offense appeared slightly less anemic, however they are still 2nd to only Florida for having the worst overall scoring in the league at 18 PPG. Heading into Week 4, the Nightwings are on the outside looking in of the Top 10, with a strong win in the Neon City during the Vice Wars rivalry game potentially boosting them closer to the promised land. The jury is still out on the S13 champs; are they a playoff team getting off to a slow start, or are they suffering from a championship hangover that all too many teams experience after they finally reach the summit? The remaining 9 games on the schedule will decide. |
| 12 |  | (🡇 4) | My, how the *Mighty* have fallen. Its tough to imagine that a mere 14 days ago, the Florida Storm were ranked #2 on this list. Two weeks and two questionable performances later, here we are. The bigger question here is: what is happening with the former Alaska natives? The combination of a turnover happy QB in veteran Ron Cockren and virtually zero running game will give you exactly what we have here, a league worst 15 points per game. It doesn't help when your defense isn't performing much better. I believe most SFL fans entered this season expecting the Storm teams from seasons past. What they are getting... is not that. The good news is that their schedule begins to lighten up again around Week 6!.. only to pick back up by the end of the season. Yikes. Keys to success: limit the turnovers on offense and utilize the running game more to make the team less one dimensional. Just behind #1 in passing attempts is not entirely hard to predict game-planning wise. Next up: Seattle. |
| 13 |  | (🡅 3) | With their backs against the wall and facing a possible 0-3 start to their tumultuous season, the Wildcats found themselves clawing to stay alive versus the Houston Hyenas. Week 1, the Wildcats saw a last second hail mary break their hearts. Week 2, they were neutered by Queen City, and Week 3, they were in a heavy-weight, Hyena-baiting blood sport. Coming into the game, the only thing Chicago had going for them was to find themselves playing at home inside the friendly confines of The Thunderdome. The game started off slow, with two field goals coming from Chicago’s Kicker, Anthony “Automatic” Cece, hitting from 42 and 49 yards, holding a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, when the 2nd quarter began, Brady Clarke, Houston’s sure-handed Free Safety, picked-off E.T. King taking it back 91-yards to make it 7-6, giving the Hyenas the lead. The Chicago offense seemed to struggle throwing the ball, but Wildcat Captain, Shann Varner took-in 5 receptions for 79 yards and seemed to make the big catches to move the chains when it was needed. Ash Odom was the offensive workhorse with 37 totes for 168 yards, but the Chicago Defense was the reason why the home team won the game. The ‘Cats held Warren Murray to 32 yards on 21 carries, and it was Cornerback, Greg Gaines who intercepted Houston’s Quarterback, Kentez Johnson, three times, stopping the Hyena momentum. With 1:30 left to play, the Hyenas seemed to stop the Wildcats, forcing a punt from the Chicago nine-yard line. The punt returner fumbled the return, and the Wildcats pounced on it to seal their first win of the season. Chicago is excited and feeling good to feast on some Sparrow, but if they’re not ready for this sneaky-good undefeated Sioux Falls squad, don’t be surprised if we’re watching the birds flying away with the road win. |
| 14 |  | (🡇 4) | The road has not been kind to Houston, and while playing away, this team seems to continue to hurt themselves with unforced errors. A week after a maddening loss at Sioux Falls, the Hyenas again struggled with execution in a one-score loss at Chicago. Coach Demond Simien must be scratching his head when he sees his defense records 5 sacks, intercept two passes, and only give up one touchdown… you’d expect to win the game? It wasn’t meant to be. Houston came-up short in all statistical categories. The Hyenas team possessed the ball for a total of only 15:46 minutes, only ran 42 total plays compared to Chicago’s 79, and was held to just 9 first downs versus 21 for the Wildcats. Warren Murray couldn’t find any room running the ball for only 32 yards, and although Quarterback Kentez Johnson hit wide receiver Duke Wilson for a 74-yard touchdown, the Houston offense wasn’t able to move the ball and score like they’re accustomed too. The defense was solid throughout, and defensive end Ckyler Kingsley and defensive tackle, Mike Johnson had 2 sacks each. Both safeties, Ethan Kye and Brady Clarke picked off Chicago Quarterback, E.T. King, with Clarke taking one back, 91 yards for a TD. The Hyena “D’ was on the field for a total of 28:14 minutes and seemed to tire, but late in the fourth quarter with the score 16-14, they forced Chicago to punt and set-up an opportunity to try and kick a game winning field goal…To their demise, the punt-returner coughed up the pigskin to be recovered by the Wildcats, handing the Hyenas their second loss of the season. Fans know this team is set-up for success, and the defense is one of the best in the league. Houston must take care of business going back home to Hyena Den Park verse the Desperados (1-3), where their pack will have to hunt intelligently to take down these cowboys without being shot. The Hyenas are much better than their record indicates. Does Houston have a problem? Gotta clean it up. |
| 15 |  | (🡇 1) | Arizona always seems to find themselves in either a “Good News / Bad News” situation. The good news, Ashley Jackson only threw one interception. On the other hand, the bad news: she only threw one touchdown. The good news! 5 different receivers caught multiple passes... but the bad news? Only one of them scored a touchdown. D.J. Moses carried the ball 21 times and scored a touchdown (good news!). He only ran for 57 yards (avg 2.7/car) with one being a long run of 21 yards (bad news!). While Arizona scored two touchdowns, they gave up four. The good news is that for the second half of the game versus Sioux Falls, they scored the last two touchdowns and didn’t allow the Sparrows to score. The bad news, they gave up four scores in the first half. If Arizona had just played the 1st, 3rd, and 4th quarters, along with erasing the 2nd quarter, they would’ve given themselves an excellent chance to win the game. During the second quarter, the Scorps gave up 21 points, finding themselves down 28-0 at the half. This was too much to recover from, as they watched themselves fall to 1-2 on their young, inaugural season. The defense, led by Eddie Gauge, Kanye Rockafella, BJ Loveless, and newcomer Joey Tropicana are going to need to starting taking out their stingers and become the venomous creatures in the desert causing severe pain If they plan to improve their record, Ashley Jackson is going to need to take care of the ball, and the two brothers at Wide Receiver, Donnie and James, are going to have to take care of her with reliable Hands. The Corsairs from Queen City sail into the hot sun for Week 4, and if the Scorpions want to give themselves a chance to win, they’ll certainly have to bring the heat. |
| 16 |  | (🡇 5) | Tulsa is probably the toughest team in the SFL to try and figure out. Sonzo Robinson is the ideal running back, Deacon Nickens isn’t afraid to sling it, and Rookie defensive end Berto Demoura is having no problem introducing himself to opposing Quarterbacks with 5 sacks in his first three games. However, when your offense only converts on one third down for the game and you only have the ball for half of the amount of time your opponent does, this usually doesn’t add-up to having more points on the scoreboard than the other team. Against Queen City, Tulsa put-up a TD in the first half and another in the second, and that is simply just not enough points to win in the SFL. During the days of the Wild West, the outlaws went to search for gold, but missed out on the big payoff. They were gamblers and runners, and killers who dared you to step into the street only to see you step into your last goodbye. These cowboys rode of into sunsets with their guns smoking, leaving you dead as a desert night. This Tulsa Team reminds us of those days as reckless bunch. They are furious at 1-2 but are urged by furious passion and quite thirsty for a win. Where do the Desperados go from here? They’re off to Houston, and if they forget to show-up with their guns fully-loaded, it’s the Hyenas who might have the last laugh. |
| 17 |  | (🡅 3) | St. Louis tasted victory this past week for the first time since Week 11 of Season 13. With their win, the league has no winless teams going into Week 4 for the first time in recent memory. St. Louis is trying hard to buck the trend and pattern of only bringing things together in the end of the season. With a strong win against New Orleans where the 37-31 final doesn't tell the whole story, their season is told of 7 point differences. This week against Charleston, the Gladiators have a challenge ahead of them. Sudo Nakai was able to take apart the rush defense handily, but the Predators have only allowed 1 TD through the air. Diesel Dawson may need to be called upon to charge this team forward into a .500 record and Jonny Pichler may want to keep the guns holstered for 1 more week until they face the struggling pass defense of Las Vegas. |
| 18 |  | (-) | Carolina has their work cut out for them this week against a Vancouver team that is revitalized under new coaching and playmakers. Carolina managed a win against St. Louis in Week 1, but has definitely been a hard luck case the past 2 weeks. Last week, they lost star WR Harish Prasad early and DE Phil Hall also went down hurt, which allowed Charleston QB TD Drew more time to pull away from Carolina in the second half. Yardage wise, Carolina is middle of the pack. Their biggest issues have been getting into the endzone with only 5 offensive TDs to their name thus far. Losing Prasad not only kills the passing game, but also the return game where he has returned a kick to the house once already. If Carolina pulls off the major upset this week, it will shake the Season 14 standings to their core. |
| 19 |  | (🡇 2) | After their playoff run in Season 12, it has been hard to find that same team from New Orleans. After the down season last season, the Pharaohs have started this season struggling as well. Or have they? Despite being 1-2 and being near the bottom of these rankings, New Orleans leads the league in passing yards per game, total yards per game, and are 3rd in offensive scoring. Although they were blown out in Week 1 by Vancouver, they won by 6 point against Carolina, then only lost by 6 points last week against St. Louis after a valient comeback effort came just a little bit too late and ran out of time. This week, New Orleans hopes to right the ship against the one team below them in the Power Rankings: London. |
| 20 |  | (🡇 1) | There was a point this past week that looked like the Knights might dethrone Vancouver as one of the hottest teams in the league. They were scoring at will against a Vancouver defense that had been looking great before facing London; unfortunately for the Knights, the Legion were also scoring at will and scoring more. A combined 93 points scored between the two teams kicked up a cloud of turf and roars in Canada Field that, once settled, had the Knights on the wrong side. The London defense has now allowed 30+ points in 2 of their 3 games. This week against New Orleans, London faces one of the top producing offenses in the league. For them to have a chance, they will need this young secondary to step up and lock down the likes of Xander Gold and Deezer Powell, which if they do, will look very good going to Mexico City in Week 5. |
