When we last left the “Power” Rankings, Baltimore was trending up after three consecutive wins, Albany and Washington were each recovering after a dog fight, and Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and Columbus were each looking to possibly move up in the rankings. So, what happened this week and did it affect the “Power” Rankings?

To the Rankings!

1. Albany (8-1): After a tremendous comeback the previous week in Washington, the Empire found themselves in another dog fight with an Atlantic City team desperate to stay in the playoff race. Both teams matched each other score for score, but DB Cheatham Norrill’s interception late in the third quarter swung the momentum in Albany’s favor. Only a dropped two-point conversion attempt and an onside kick recovered with less than 10 seconds remaining was the difference in the game. This game might have been a gut check for the Empire going forward as they prepare for the final stretch.

Next Week: The Empire travels to the City of Brotherly Love for a match against their chief rival Philadelphia Soul with the chance to possibly wrap up the top seed in the playoffs.

2. Washington (5-4): Many fans were curious to see how the Valor would respond after relinquishing a 27-point lead to Albany in Week 8. Whatever head coach Benji McDowell did in practice during the week worked because the Valor played a cleaner game in terms of discipline. The Valor was the recipient of biggest break in the game when K Pat Clarke’s missed field goal bounced fortuitously away from four (FOUR!) Brigade players and into the hands of WR Josh Reese, who ran into the end zone for the touchdown. They also got away with a potential pass interference call on the last play of the game that could have been the game-tying (or game-winning) TD for Baltimore. Some days, it’s better to be lucky than good.

Next Week: The Valor will have the opportunity to wrap up a playoff spot as they host a scrappy Atlantic City team on Saturday night.

3. Baltimore (5-4): The Brigade walked into the Capital One Arena for a Thursday game against Washington riding a three-game winning streak and looked to take a grip on second place in the league. But sloppy play on offense (QB Shane Boyd went 19/34 for 184 yards and 4 TDs) and an uncharacteristic lack of discipline on defense (three penalties that led to three Valor first downs) kept the game low scoring. And how did four (FOUR!) players on the Brigade miss the bounce off of Pat Clarke’s missed field goal? All the momentum that the Brigade had entering the game was gone after that play and the Brigade wound up on the short end.

Next Week: The Brigade will seek to get back their momentum and control their playoff destiny when they host a lowly, but tough Columbus.

4. Philadelphia (5-4): On the heels of a win that saw the Soul go back to .500, it would be interesting to see if they would continue that trend in Columbus. It was a back and forth battle which even saw the Soul be held scoreless in the third quarter. But Philly sorted things out on defense in the fourth quarter, forcing Destroyer QB Grant Russell to throw two interceptions, one inside the red zone with less than two minutes remaining. The Soul are well-known for their offense, but their defense shined in this game. Once again, DB James Romain was the difference: 10.5 tackles, two pass BU, and two interceptions.

Next Week: The Soul will have the chance to go on their first three-game win streak next week, but they’ll have to do so against top-ranked Albany.

5: Atlantic City (3-6): The Blackjacks had their worst game of the season in Week 8 in Philadelphia. They lost starting QB Randy Hippeard and was held scoreless in the first and third quarters. A lesser team would mail in their next game with their backup QB, but Warren Smith was determined to keep the Blackjacks competitive against Albany. In fact, he nearly singlehandedly did so: Smith threw for 7 TDs and ran for another. If not for a failed two-point conversion, the Blackjacks would have been in line for their first ever road victory AND the biggest upset of the season. The loss was a big blow to their already fledgling playoff chances.

Next Week: The Blackjacks will travel to the Nation’s Capital to face the Valor in an effort to not only get their first road win, but increase their slim playoff chances.

6. Columbus (1-8):  Even though the Destroyers have been at the bottom of the “Power” Rankings for basically the entirety of the rankings, you have to give them credit for staying in games. The Destroyers have made games difficult for every team in the league; Week 9 against Philadelphia was no exception. DB Varmah Sonie had a standout game: six tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a pass BU. But the offense has been a quagmire all season, particularly on offensive line, who has had trouble protecting the quarterback. The Destroyers were guilty of giving up a sack and four QB hurries, one which led to Grant Russell throwing an interception to Soul DB Dwayne Hollis to seal their fate as they were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Next Week: The Destroyers visit Baltimore to take on the Brigade in an attempt to not only get their first ever road win, but also be a playoff seed spoiler.

Ryan McCarthy has been an on-and-off Internet columnist and blogger since 1997. He has been an avid follower of Arena Football since 1990 when the Albany Firebirds were established. Ryan currently attends Regent University, where he is pursuing his Bachelors degree in Communications with a Journalism concentration. He anticipates graduating toward the end of 2019. You can follow Ryan on Twitter at @rwhoisryanmcc