Arizona rolls to 9-0 with win over Spokane; continues to hold top spot in AFL Power Rankings
Mike Delrio
Friday May 23, 2014
For the second consecutive week, Arizona had little difficulty in remaining undefeated. After downing Portland by 29 in Week 9 action the Rattlers hammered the Shock by 32 to improve to 9-0 and remain in the No.1 spot in this week’s Arena Football League Power Rankings.
Power Rankings: Week 11
1. Arizona Rattlers (9-0) (LW: W vs. SPO 70-38) – Arizona has put up 201 points in their last three games and continue to look unbeatable.
2. Cleveland Gladiators (8-0) (LW: W @ IA 63-46) – Cleveland continued their up and down play by following up a three-point win at home against a Los Angeles KISS team that had lost four straight games with a 17 point victory over Iowa. The Gladiators face a tough game this week when they host the Soul.
3. San Jose SaberCats (6-3) (LW: W vs. PO 64-27) – San Jose looked solid in their win over Portland. The 37 point win is the fourth straight W for the Cats, who should extend the streak to five after this week’s matchup with Spokane.
4. Pittsburgh Power (6-3) (LW: W vs. LA 50-26) – Pittsburgh continues to look like a legitimate threat to Arizona in the postseason. The Power need a win on the road this week when they travel to Orlando, a team that has been inconsistent on both sides of the ball this season, to show they can avoid letdowns against teams they should beat.
5. Philadelphia Soul (5-4) (LW: W vs. TB 62-34) – After an impressive outing against Tampa Bay, and a loss by Spokane, Philadelphia moves into the No. 5 spot in this week’s rankings. The Soul will travel to Cleveland to take on the No.2 Glads in what looks to be the highlight game of the week. Philly has played more consistently over the last month than any AFL team not from Arizona, so this has the makings of an upset special.
6. Spokane Shock (5-4) (LW: L @ AZ 70-38) – Spokane played uninspired ball against the best team in the league and lost by 32. The Shock will have to dig deep to find a way to bounce back when they host San Jose this week as they try to avoid their third consecutive home loss.
7. Orlando Predators (6-3) (LW: W@ JAX 57-50) – Orlando outlasted Jacksonville in a contest between the Nos. 7 and 8 ranked squads to hold their position in the Week 11 power rankings. The Predators face another challenge this week when they will be home against a solid Pitt team.
8. Jacksonville Sharks (3-6) (LW: L vs. ORL 57-50) – Jacksonville battled Orlando, but drops to 3-6 on the season after the seven points loss. The Sharks will travel across Florida this week to play Tampa Bay.
9. Iowa Barnstormers (4-5) (LW: L vs. CLV 63-46) – Iowa dropped their second straight home game by losing to Cleveland last week, and looked less than motivated in the effort. The Barnstormers need to end the skid with a win over New Orleans on the road in Week 11. After the last two home performances, the road might be a pleasant change.
10. Portland Thunder (2-7) (LW: L @ SJ 64-27) – Portland had rebounded from an 0-5 start to win back-to-back games before losing to top ranked Arizona in Week 9. Week 10 gave the Thunder another character-building opportunity as they traveled to San Jose to take on the No. 3 Sharks. Portland should get back in the win column when San Antonio pays them a visit in Week 11 action.
11. Tampa Bay Storm (3-6) (LW: L @ PHL 62-34) – Tampa Bay lost their fifth straight game, sixth in the last seven, and continue to struggle on both sides of the ball. Jacksonville will visit Tampa Bay this week.
12. New Orleans VooDoo (2-6) (LW: W @ SA 62-44) – New Orleans picked up a much needed win against San Antonio last week, and will try to start a streak this week when they are home against an Iowa team that has struggled over the last month.
13. San Antonio Talons (1-8) (LW: L vs. NO 62-44) – After showing week-to-week improvement over the last month, San Antonio took a step back with a loss to New Orleans in Week 10. Win or lose, the Talons need to play well against the Thunder this week.
14. Los Angeles KISS (2-7) (LW: L @ PITT 50-26) – Los Angeles continued to look lost in dropping their sixth straight game, a 24 point loss to Pittsburgh, in Week 10. Look for the league’s longest losing streak to continue when the KISS welcome the Rattlers to LA this week.
The Power Rankings are determined by a formula that considers Total Wins, Division Wins, Road Wins, Home Losses, and results against common opponents. Since the rankings were first released this season the higher-ranked teams are 39-14 for the season, 21-3 since Week 8.
Mike began his third season reporting on the Georgia Force in March, 2012. Coverage includes weekly game previews and recaps, exclusive interviews and AFL news. Mike has been a Gwinnett County resident (the home of the Force) for two decades and provides coverage of the counties other pro sports franchises, the Gwinnett Braves (Braves Triple-A affiliate) and the Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL, player development deals with both the Phoenix Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres) as well.