South Asian Football League (SAFL) – POWER RANKINGS – Week 2

Browns

The talk this week is how the Browns have retooled and improved on their roster from last year to the point that they should be crowned champs right now. We say that’s nonsense. No one likes paper champions. Besides this team could derail off the championship track with all the internal turmoil. And to crown someone because of a week 1 performance is silly to say the least. They play a game Gators team in their next game which should be more of a contest than the egg laid by the Renegades. We know the Browns’ weaknesses but we won’t tell. Teams need to pay attention and figure it out.

AK

AK put in another ho-hum whipping against the Savages. And so it continues, another quest to reclaim the crown. From what we hear, this AK team has determined that winning the regular season is the end game, rather it’s to put it all together when it counts. Leading the league in scoring is nice but it’s pretty useless if the best O doesn’t show up in the playoffs. Same with the D. Beating up on cupcakes doesn’t prep you for the focus of teams determined to win at all costs. This season is crucial for AK: if they win it all they lay claim as the next dynasty; if they don’t win it all, they will be remembered in the Hall of Very Good.

Gators

The Gators smacked around a much improved Elites team. We’ll ignore the fact that they beat a team who was being led by a dude who hasn’t touched a ball in years. The Gators are going to try again to prove that you can win without depth. Grit ‘n grind is there MO. It hasn’t translated into playoff success though the Gators have enjoyed relative success in the regular season. Ah, who are we kidding; this isn’t going to work this year either. You can play in your face ball for only so long. This style works against the little kids in the park. But against the big kids? Well, the big kids tend to hit back. Let’s see how this season goes for the Gators who may or may not be smart enough to know the difference.

Bandits

The Bandits gutted out a win. It was against a team that has been historically inept. But a win is a win. Last season the Bandits had a winless first half and ended the regular season on a hot streak. So they’re already ahead of sat year’s pace. Can they keep it going? We’re not sure a team can sustain long term success scoring two TDs a game. The Bandits have a reputation of grinding out wins, but that’s really just reputation. The actual results are much worse. They better improve their execution on offense if they want to sustain long term success.

Prime Time

PrimeTime started out really well in their first game of the season and like a drunken teenager on prom night promptly gave it up leading to an unnecessary close finish. To their credit they clamped down and scored the winning points with seconds left. Their new QB lead the way with some big throws and their dynamic new playmakers helped move the ball. This team will need some time together to gel, but boy are we excited for this team when it all comes together. They have the athleticism and smarts to legitimately challenge to the title. This year. Don’t laugh. We’ve noticed a quiet confidence about this team; like they’ve had enough of the mediocrity. We’re not ready to crown them just yet. But if they can beat up the perennial regular season champs, they might actually beat the real champs when it counts. Let’s see how it goes.

Cobra Kai

Cobra Kai sucked last year. They sucked worse than the Washington Generals usually suck. But to their credit they brought in a quality QB who looks like he knows what he’s doing. They have some rea athletic guys who know football and play with maximum effort. We are really excited with what this team can do. We’re hoping that they stay healthy and mesh quickly and make this league even more competitive. Limit the crucial mistakes fellas, like throwing a red zone pick when trying to take the lead after being down 21-0. Those are heartbreakers, but we have a feeling CK is going to rebound and show everyone that they won’t suck anymore.

Thunder

The Thunder had a chance to win last week. Now, the previous sentence accurately sums up the Thunder as franchise. They are hoping to win. Coming close to winning is a moral victory. Enough with this boys. Enough with this participation trophy mentality. The killer instinct is missing. Or maybe its just a QB. Can you guys get a functioning QB. Seriously. Do it. Like now. Get a competent QB and use the weapons on the roster to build out a sustainable scoring machine. The Browns do it with a bunch of slow old guys. AK does it with a bunch of young fast guys. It can be done with pretty much any skill set. Its time to start acting like you want to play to win and not just play to break a sweat.

The Elites

The Elites were major disappointments in week 1. They scored only 3 TDs. No extra points. And they gave up 5 TDs. You weren’t playing AK guys. Where was the D? Where was the O? Where were the new additions that were supposed to propel this team to the next level? So much talking during the off season and this is what we get? We’re better off watching paint dry than buy into this overhyped mediocrity. Prove us wrong Elites. Make our keyboard warriors shut up and write something nice for a change. Even Batman is getting tired of slapping around Robin.

Savages

Why? Why did you split into two teams Savages? Last year’s iteration was the best yet. And somehow, somewhere, some genius decided it was a good idea to split this team up. Um, hello. It’s not like the Savages won the whole damn thing last season. They were smacked off the field in the SEMIs. Not the Finals. Maybe keeping a good thing going and trying to win something first would’ve been the better move. The news gets worse for the Savages as their QB is injured and probably out for the whole year. So what can be done for the remainder of the year? How about shortening the game and playing a grit ‘n grind style. There are worse ideas than playing to strengths of your personnel.

Renegades

The Renegades played like a bunch of bums in week 1. No flow, no sense of urgency, no sense of cohesion. Guys, you’re playing the greatest team in the history of the league. How about some energy to show you give a damn. Sure they had roster issues. But when you’re overmatched, smart teams slow down the game and limit the opponent’s possessions. The Renegades played with reckless abandon and did not seem to care what the score was. The good news for this team is that they have good pedigree at the QB position and we are confident team leadership can field a competitive team. Otherwise it’s gonna be a long season.