Post by Eielson on Oct 19, 2006 16:27:32 GMT -5
1) Hawaiian Surge (8-0, 1st W) - When an undefeated team is considered third-best in the league, something isn't right. Kudos to new GM Ty Summers for keeping this team together through a very tough time, but the loss of Ladanian Vick, Derrick Johnson, and John Smith all at the same time will really hurt their efforts on the field. They've already clinched a playoff berth and won't see another East team until the LJB, so the opportunity is still there for an undefeated season, though at this point they don't match up favorably against the top East teams. They held on to a 23-17 victory against the Thunder since the turmoil, but it remains to be seen how they'll be able to contain the more explosive offenses in the league now. This week's game against the Cougars should help answer that.
2) Chicago Sharks (7-2, 1st E) - The perennial contenders came up just short against the Dawgs but have the opportunity this week to make amends. Offensively they remain extremely dangerous, though Boomer Sooner remains the team's only big-play threat. Since the aborted attempt to upgrade their playmaking with Vick, they've scored 44 points in their last two games combined. Defensively they're about as complete as any unit in the league could possibly be, and that means they have to be taken seriously as a title threat.
3) Orlando Dawgs (6-3, 2nd E) - Last week they had a tough win against the Sharks. A repeat performance could give them the #2 spot. Cornerbacks Peyton Carter and Troy Woodson came up with clutch interceptions to keep the game close and shut down their men all day, sending superstar QB David Manning home with his worst outing since his rookie season. This game marked the first true test of the new-look defense, since adding Trav Man and moving Victor Cross to the outside, and the unit performed superbly. Adam Manery carried the offensive load on the way to his third-straight POG.
4) Ohio Thunder (5-4, 3rd E) - The two-time champs decided to rebuild early rather than make a final run at a third title and face a massive rebuilding effort this coming offseason, and at this point the decision has looked very good. First-year QB David Colon and second-year FB-turned-HB Silver Fox lead an offense that has been similar to the Thunder trademark in previous years... one which protects the ball well, takes time off the clock, and makes enough plays to be in position to win. Defensively Mike McComas leads a linebacking crew second to only Surge's, and Jason Gap remains a force in the secondary. However, the young players around Gap are still very much a work in progress, and the significant change in the performance of that group remains the difference between them and a successful title defense.
5) Colorado Cougars (2-6, 2nd W) - Man, can these guys score! Every game is a shootout in the rarefied air of Colorado, and these guys give their team a shot to win every time. Reggie Williams and Marion Bush provide the most dangerous receiver tandem in the league, and the players around them have given them the opportunity to shine. The problem is, too many of those chances to win have been squandered by their defense and special teams. With a vacuum of leadership surrounding this team for most of the season, no adjustments are being made to help out what could be the most underachieving team in the league.
6) Louisiana Panthers (3-6, 4th E) - It's hard to sugarcoat their performance offensively, which has scored the fewest points in the league so far. QB Alex Morton is not developing as fast as the other rookies, but he doesn't have much help downfield. Converted fullback Ben Mott has made a successful transition to HB by the simple method of running straight at defenses and refusing to go down easily. The defense has a solid core to built up the middle, with linebacker Jordan Kaplan and one of the best safety tandems in the league, but it must develop more on the edges to compete with the better teams. Still, this team has continued the trend for surprising teams in the East, and will finish stronger than their final record will indicate. This expansion franchise is off to a good start.
7) Los Angeles Falcons (2-7, 3rd E) - Wins are hard to come by in LA for the third straight season, though they can take pride in winning one of the strangest games of the season against the Dawgs. Offensively Deuce Fitzgerald remains their only playmaker, and his capacity will suffer since the Falcons permitted QB Deron Lucas to depart to run the rival Wolves. Defensively they're got a handful of standout players, and are really just a couple pieces away from having a strong unit. But until they can find those last couple of pieces, get their rookie QB Nat Reay up to speed, and get Camell Clayton going on a consistent basis, they'll continue to lose a lot of close ones.
8) Springfield Wolves (2-7, 4th E) - The new-look Wolves are showing a spark on offense, with new GM Deron Lucas showcasing some explosiveness now that he's got the best receiving corps he's ever worked with. Unfortunately, they'll be passing a lot, as they don't have a running game which can take the pressure off of Lucas or grind out the clock. And while they have a couple of decent playmakers on defense, there are far more holes. Still, they've come a long way in a very short time, and I was ready to rank them ahead of the Falcons until they came up just short this week against them.
2) Chicago Sharks (7-2, 1st E) - The perennial contenders came up just short against the Dawgs but have the opportunity this week to make amends. Offensively they remain extremely dangerous, though Boomer Sooner remains the team's only big-play threat. Since the aborted attempt to upgrade their playmaking with Vick, they've scored 44 points in their last two games combined. Defensively they're about as complete as any unit in the league could possibly be, and that means they have to be taken seriously as a title threat.
3) Orlando Dawgs (6-3, 2nd E) - Last week they had a tough win against the Sharks. A repeat performance could give them the #2 spot. Cornerbacks Peyton Carter and Troy Woodson came up with clutch interceptions to keep the game close and shut down their men all day, sending superstar QB David Manning home with his worst outing since his rookie season. This game marked the first true test of the new-look defense, since adding Trav Man and moving Victor Cross to the outside, and the unit performed superbly. Adam Manery carried the offensive load on the way to his third-straight POG.
4) Ohio Thunder (5-4, 3rd E) - The two-time champs decided to rebuild early rather than make a final run at a third title and face a massive rebuilding effort this coming offseason, and at this point the decision has looked very good. First-year QB David Colon and second-year FB-turned-HB Silver Fox lead an offense that has been similar to the Thunder trademark in previous years... one which protects the ball well, takes time off the clock, and makes enough plays to be in position to win. Defensively Mike McComas leads a linebacking crew second to only Surge's, and Jason Gap remains a force in the secondary. However, the young players around Gap are still very much a work in progress, and the significant change in the performance of that group remains the difference between them and a successful title defense.
5) Colorado Cougars (2-6, 2nd W) - Man, can these guys score! Every game is a shootout in the rarefied air of Colorado, and these guys give their team a shot to win every time. Reggie Williams and Marion Bush provide the most dangerous receiver tandem in the league, and the players around them have given them the opportunity to shine. The problem is, too many of those chances to win have been squandered by their defense and special teams. With a vacuum of leadership surrounding this team for most of the season, no adjustments are being made to help out what could be the most underachieving team in the league.
6) Louisiana Panthers (3-6, 4th E) - It's hard to sugarcoat their performance offensively, which has scored the fewest points in the league so far. QB Alex Morton is not developing as fast as the other rookies, but he doesn't have much help downfield. Converted fullback Ben Mott has made a successful transition to HB by the simple method of running straight at defenses and refusing to go down easily. The defense has a solid core to built up the middle, with linebacker Jordan Kaplan and one of the best safety tandems in the league, but it must develop more on the edges to compete with the better teams. Still, this team has continued the trend for surprising teams in the East, and will finish stronger than their final record will indicate. This expansion franchise is off to a good start.
7) Los Angeles Falcons (2-7, 3rd E) - Wins are hard to come by in LA for the third straight season, though they can take pride in winning one of the strangest games of the season against the Dawgs. Offensively Deuce Fitzgerald remains their only playmaker, and his capacity will suffer since the Falcons permitted QB Deron Lucas to depart to run the rival Wolves. Defensively they're got a handful of standout players, and are really just a couple pieces away from having a strong unit. But until they can find those last couple of pieces, get their rookie QB Nat Reay up to speed, and get Camell Clayton going on a consistent basis, they'll continue to lose a lot of close ones.
8) Springfield Wolves (2-7, 4th E) - The new-look Wolves are showing a spark on offense, with new GM Deron Lucas showcasing some explosiveness now that he's got the best receiving corps he's ever worked with. Unfortunately, they'll be passing a lot, as they don't have a running game which can take the pressure off of Lucas or grind out the clock. And while they have a couple of decent playmakers on defense, there are far more holes. Still, they've come a long way in a very short time, and I was ready to rank them ahead of the Falcons until they came up just short this week against them.
too Ty.
