Rattlers Jump To Top Spot in Week 4 Power Rankings
Mike Delrio
Thursday April 3, 2014
The Arizona Rattlers have taken over as the top team in our AFL Power Rankings through three weeks of play. Check out how the rest of the teams shake out this week!
The Power Rankings are a reflection of on-field results this season and do not consider preseason projections, last season's ranking or roster strength. A formula that includes Total Wins, Division Wins, Road Wins, Home Losses, and results against common opponents is used to determine team ranking.
Power Rankings: Week 4
1. Arizona Rattlers (2-0) (LW: Idle) - San Jose fell to Pittsburgh by one on the road to open the way for the Rattlers, who were idle in Week 3. Arizona will host Jacksonville on Saturday.
2. Orlando Predators (3-0) (LW: W @ TB 56-52) - After opening the season with two tight home victories (including a division W), the Preds picked up a big early season division road win against the Storm to remain undefeated and improve to 2-0 in division play.
3. San Jose SaberCats (2-1) (LW: L @ PIT 48-47) - The SaberCats were held 20-points below their season average of 67.0 points per game in taking their first loss of the new season. The Cats picked up a division road win against Portland in Week 1.
4. Cleveland Gladiators (2-0) (LW: W @ NO 37-26) - On the strength of their second road W, including a division victory against Pittsburgh, the Glads are are up a notch from last week's rankings.
5. Los Angeles KISS (1-1) (LW: Idle) - While the KISS did not play in Week 3, they benefited from losses by both San Jose and Tampa Bay to move from No. 8 in the rankings to No. 5. Los Angeles has played well in two road games, losing to Orlando by six and beating division rival San Antonio by a 41-38 count.
6. Tampa Bay Storm (2-1) (LW: L vs. ORL 56-52) - The Storm home loss to division rival Orlando drops them from No. 3 to No. 6. Tampa Bay and Philadelphia will play on Friday in a game that will right the ship for one club and set the other farther off course.
7. Jacksonville Sharks (1-1) (LW: W vs. SA 63-22) - The Sharks bounced back from a 2-point loss to Orlando on the road in Week 1 to hammer the Talons in front of the Shark faithful in the Jax home opener.
8. Spokane Shock (1-1) (LW: Idle) - The Shock have the talent to stay close to San Jose for the long haul in the Pacific Division.
9. Iowa Barnstormers (1-1) (LW: Idle) - The Barnstormers will need a solid effort when they travel to Cleveland this week to play their third straight road game to open the season. Iowa lost to Spokane by 29, 64-35, in Week 1 and then beat Portland by four, 40-36, in Week 2 action.
10. Pittsburgh Power (1-1) (LW: W vs. SJ 48-47) - After battling Cleveland hard in a Week 1 home loss, the Power held the SaberCats to just 47 points in earning their first W of the season. The win moves Pitt up four spots from No. 14 to No. 10, the biggest move in the rankings.
11. Philadelphia Soul (0-2) (LW: Idle) - The Soul opened the season against Arizona and forced OT before losing, 62-55, but then got blown out by San Jose in Week 2, 70-33. Philly is in an early must-win situation when it plays Tampa on the road on Friday. An 0-3 start makes the postseason a long shot.
12. New Orleans VooDoo (0-2) (LW: L vs. CLE 37-26) - The VooDoo were held to just 26 points at home by the Glads and need to make a statement in Week 4 when they host Orlando. NO needs to show consistency on offense and win the turnover battle to come away with a win.
13. Portland Thunder (0-2) (LW: Idle) - Look for the Thunder to fall to 0-3 as they travel to Los Angeles to play the KISS on Saturday. It will be the first road game for Portland after opening with home games against San Jose and Iowa, both losses.
14. San Antonio Talons (0-3) (LW: L @ JAX 63-22) - After back-to-back losses at home to Los Angeles and Tampa Bay to open the season, the Talons were battered by the Sharks in their road opener.