NEWS & NOTES (2052 WEEK 1)





And we are off!!!! The Marathon/Sprint that is the XFL has begun on the road to crowning the 35th Champion in league history.


PASSING

We had 10 QBs post a QBR over 100 and 12 QBs post a QBR over 90 in week 1 and 8 of the 10 & 10 of the 12 teams won in week 1.

RUSHING

We had 6 players rush for 100 yards and 10 players eclipse at least 90 yards rushing in week 1. Four of the first 6 & 8 of the 10 teams with those players won in week 1.

RECEIVING

We had 8 players eclipse 100 yards receiving in week 1 and 7 of the 8 players were on a winner including 3 players from Buffalo.

We only had 6 players with multiple TD receptions in week 1 led by WR James Hulbert (PNX) who had 3 TD receptions. All 6 players won including 3 players for Buffalo.

RETURNS

We had 1 KO return TD, TE Lester Litchfield (TOR) & 1 punt return TD, WR Thomas Eveland (MTG) and both of those teams won.

KICKING

We had 1 K Charles Wittington (SPP) go 4/4 on FGs & 1 K Nicholas Serrano (ATL) go 9/9 on XPs and both won.

PUNTING

We had 3 punters with at least 10 punts and all 3 lost in week 1. We had 4 punters pin at least 4 punts inside the 20 and 2 of the 4 ended up winning in week 1.

DEFENSE

We had 15 players with at least 10 tackles in week 1 led by WLB Ed Dillon (TEX) who had an amazing 26 tackles. Only 4 of those 15 players actually won in week 1 including Dillon who had 11 more tackles then the 2nd most tackles in week 1.

We had 5 players with 3 sacks in week 1 and all 5 players won in week 1. Another 10 players had 2 sacks and they went 6-4 in week 1.

We had 4 players with at least 5 knockdowns in week 1 led by CB Howard Leonard (MIA) & CB Paul Zelaya (MTG) who had 7 each. The 4 players went 3-1 in week 1 with the lose coming to Leonard with Miami who played Buffalo.

We had 5 players with 2 interceptions in week 1 and those 5 players went 3-2 but 2 players FS Eric Wicker & FS Gunnar Van Slyke both play for Dakota.

We had just 1 pick 6 in week 1 by CB Chad Meaux (VAN) and his team lost.

MISC

We had 18 players play at least 100 snaps in week 1 and 15 of those 18 players occurred in 1 game where Buffalo traveled to Miami. The players were led by Miami (10), Buffalo (5), Carolina (2) & Randoloh (1).

We had 2 players in week 1 with 2 fumbles and surprisingly both teams won.

Having 4 A.I. owned teams s*cks but those 4 teams went 3-1 in week 1 in part because 2 of them played each other!!!

so they could have went 4-0
week one games are always a toss up

NEWS & NOTES (2052 WEEK 3)






AXC


WEST

Indiana 3-0 (1-0)
Oakland 2-1 (1-1)
Kansas City 1-2 (1-1)
Vancouver 0-3 (0-1)

Indiana leads the way in the West after wins at home versus New England, on the road at Texas and back home versus division rival KC in week 3. They travel to Oakland in week 4 with a chance to take a commanding lead in the West.

OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Danny Melillo
He leads the team in rushing and is 9th in the league. He has rushed for at least 1,200 yards the last 5 seasons and he is on track to do it again.

DEFENSIVE MVP: LDE Mike Buchanan
He leads the world in sacks having reached 10 in the first three games. It's his 4th time reaching double digit sacks in his first 6 seasons and his career high in 19.

Oakland trails Indiana by 1 game after winning 2 of 3 road games to start the season including splitting road division games versus Kansas City (lose) & Vancouver (win). They finally coming home in week 4 to face first place Indiana in one of the biggest games so far this season.

OFFENSIVE MVP: RB Jose Leggett
He leads the team in rushing and he is 4th in the league while adding 8 receptions out of the backfield.

DEFENSIVE MVP: MLB Joseph Sanders
The 3× ALLPRO leads the team in tackles and is tied for 9th in the league.

Kansas City trails Indiana by 2 games after splitting home games versus Oakland (win) & New York (lose) before losing on the road to division rival Indiana in week 3. They travel to Buffalo in week 4 and they could find themselves in a deep hole unless they can pull a major upset.

OFFENSIVE MVP: QB Kevin Green
He has been highly efficient completing over 70% of his passes and has a 98.51 QBR as he has 4 TD passes to 0 interceptions.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB David Chamberlain
He leads the team with 29 tackles which is tied for 5th most in the league.

Vancouver is winless after 3 straight home loses to Brooklyn, Oakland & Miami. They travel to Philadelphia in week 4 where they will look to avoid their worst start since 2041 where they lost their first 7 games.

OFFENSIVE MVP: QB Wilbur Williams
He has been their best player on their 27th ranked offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Chad Meaux
He leads the team in knockdowns & interceptions while he is 2nd on the team in tackles & sacks

EAST

Buffalo 3-0 (2-0)
Miami 2-1 (1-1)
New York 1-2 (0-1)
New England 0-3 (0-1)

Buffalo leads the East after 2 road division game blowouts at Miami & New York plus a home win versus Seattle. They host reeling KC in week 4 and should win their division for the 18th time in the last 19 seasons.

OFFENSIVE MVP: QB Matthew Whitney
The 6× ALLPRO & 3× XFL MVP leads the league in most passing stats as usual.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Garrett Holt
He leads the XFL in tackles through 3 weeks while adding 1 sack, 4 knockdowns and 1 interception.

Miami only trails Buffalo by 1 game even after getting blown out at home by Buffalo in week 1. They bounced back with a home win versus New England in week 2 and a road win at Vancouver in week 3. They return home to host Los Angeles in week 4.

OFFENSIVE MVP: QB Kevin Trout
After a rookie campaign where he posted a 44.50 QBR in 15 starts, he has improved this season with a 71.03 QBR through 3 games.

DEFENSIVE MVP: MLB Ken Pace
The former ALLPRO leads the team in tackles and is tied for 2nd most tackles in the XFL to "pace" the defense.

New York trails Buffalo by 2 games after losing to Phoenix in week 1, beating KC on the road in week 2 then losing at home to Buffalo in week 3. They host winless New England in week 4.

OFFENSIVE MVP: RB Fransico Leedom
He leads the team in rushing for the leagues 20th ranked offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Joseph Duffy
He leads the team in tackles & knockdowns.

New England is winless after dropping the first 3 games on the road at Indiana, Miami & Los Angeles. They wrap up a brutal 4 game road trip at New York in week 4.

OFFENSIVE MVP: QB Alonzo Gibson
This 3rd year signal caller drafted in the 3rd round isn't at fault for the winless start. He has played well and led New England to the 16th ranked offense & 9th ranked pass offense. He is coming into his own after QBRs of 68.06 & 67.50 his first 2 seasons, he has posted a 90.36 QBR this season.

DEFENSIVE MVP: FS Earnest Nowicki
He leads the team's 27th ranked defense in tackles and interceptions.

NORTH

Cincinnati 2-1 (2-0)
Toronto 2-1 (1-1)
Pittsburgh 0-3 (0-0)
Houston 0-3 (0-2)

Cincinnati now leads the North after losing at home to Dakota in week 1 before winning back to back division games at Houston then home versus Toronto in week 3. They travel to Montana in week 4 for an intriguing non-conference matchup.

OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Julio Hamilton
This 3× ALLPRO is considered the of the top 5 players in the XFL and he sits 2nd in the league in rushing. He is well on pace for his 4th straight 1,600 yard rushing season.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Christopher Barcomb
He leads the team in tackles on the team's 4th ranked defense.

Toronto sits in 2nd place in the North after back to back home wins versus Houston & Saint Paul before traveling to Cincinnati in week 3 for an early division showdown which they lost 20-3. They host Orlando in week 4 as they will look to rebound from the lose.

OFFENSIVE MVP: QB Patrick Dixon
This 2nd year QB drafted in the 2nd round is trying to build off a rookie season where the team went 13-3. He has the team's offense ranked 10th in the XFL.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Kenneth Fuller
He leads the team in tackles for the team's 6th ranked defense.

Pittsburgh is winless after back to back loses on the road to Saint Paul and Daytona before coming home to host undefeated Dakota in week 3 where they lost a close game 16-10. They host winless Texas in week 4 and the team is very close to turning it around under their new owner.

OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Scott Rodriquez
He leads the team in receiving for the 24th ranked offense which ha struggled to score the first 3 games. They have managed just 23 points the first 3 games including being shutout in week 2.

DEFENSIVE MVP: FS John Sandoval
He leads the 13th ranked defense in tackles and is 4th in the XFL in tackles.

Houston is winless after losing back to back division games on the road at Toronto in week 1 then at home to Cincinnati in week 2. They stayed home to host Daytona and lost in week 3 before hosting 1st place Saint Paul in week 4.

OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Edward Frost
He leads the team in receiving for the leagues 32nd ranked offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Pedro Johnson
He leads the team in knockdowns and interceptions plus he is tied for 4th on the team in tackles.

SOUTH

Daytona 3-0 (1-0)
Dakota 3-0 (0-0)
Orlando 2-1 (0-0)
Texas 0-3 (0-1)

Daytona leads the South despite Dakota also being undefeated thanks to their 1 division win at Texas in week 1 followed up with a home win versus Pittsburgh and a road win versus Houston. They travel to Dakota in week in the game of the week between 2 undefeated division rivals.

OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Roland Compton
He has 90+ yards rushing & receiving for the leagues 11th ranked offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Donald Michael
He leads the team in interceptions & pick 6's while being 2nd on the team in knockdowns for the league's #2 defense.

Dakota is undefeated but haven't played a division game yet which puts them in 2nd in the South. They starting the season with back to back road wins at Cincinnati in week 1 then Memphis in week 2. They traveled to winless Pittsburgh in week 3 and won a tight game. They host Daytona in week where 1st place in the South plus remaining undefeated the prize.

OFFENSIVE MVP: QB Stephen Gibson
Dakota traded for this veteran QB in the off-season after the failed free agent signing of QB Remy Beaucamp last season. Gibson has posted a 111.99 QBR the first 3 weeks which is the 3rd highest among all starters.

DEFENSIVE MVP: FS Eric Wicker
He leads the team with 3 interceptions and he is 2nd in the league.

Orlando is in 3rd place in the South after they won at Tampa Bay in week 1 before beating Carolina in week 2. They traveled to Atlanta in week 3 for their 3rd straight NXC South matchup and they were destroyed, 52-9. They visit Toronto in week 4 for their first conference game of the season.

OFFENSIVE MVP: RB James Arnold
He leads the team in rushing & receiving for the leagues 23rd ranked offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: MLB Clint Moore
He leads the team in interceptions and is 2nd on the team in tackles.

Texas is winless and trail 2 division teams by 3 games already after losing back to back to back home games versus Daytona, Indiana & Tampa Bay. They travel to Pittsburgh in week 4 in a battle of winless teams.

OFFENSIVE MVP: TE Michael Gray
He leads the 30th ranked offense in receiving for a team that has scored a combined 12 points.

DEFENSIVE MVP: SS Ed Dillon
He leads the team and is tied for 2nd in the XFL in tackles.

NXC


EAST

Providence 2-1 (1-0)
Brooklyn 2-1 (1-0)
Washington 1-2 (1-1)
Philadelphia 0-3 (0-2)

Providence is tied with Brooklyn atop the East after losing at home to Seattle in week 1 before back to back home wins versus Washington & Vegas in weeks 2 & 3. They hit the road for the first time in week 4 to face Phoenix in a big NXC showdown. Providence is 6-3 versus Phoenix the last 6 seasons including 2-1 in the postseason.

OFFENSIVE MVP: QB Gary Villicana
He is 5th in the league in passing yards, TDs & QBR while leading the leagues #4 offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB John Blaker
He leads the team in knockdowns & interceptions for the team's 5th ranked defense.

Brooklyn is tied with Providence for 1st place in the East after wins at Vancouver and home versus Philadelphia sandwiched around a home lose to Phoenix in week 2. They host division rival Washington in week 4.

OFFENSIVE MVP: QB John Bennett
This is Bennett's 4th team and after splitting starts with failed Washington 1st rounder QB Jack Harber, he finally got the keys to the car and he is 2nd in the league in passing yards & 3rd in the league in passing TDs.

DEFENSIVE MVP: WLB James Felipe
He is tied for the team lead in tackles & interceptions for the team's 8th ranked defense.

Washington is in 3rd place, 1 game behind both Providence & Brooklyn after a week 1 road win versus Philadelphia before losing 2 straight at Providence then home versus Oakland. They travel to Brooklyn in week 4 to complete the 1st game versus all 3 division opponents.

OFFENSIVE MVP: RB Timothy Hernandez
He leads the team in rushing plus he is 4th on the team in receiving for the team's 29th ranked offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: MLB Nicholas Marchand
He leads the team in tackles fornthe 25th ranked defense.

Philadelphia is winless and in last place in the East after winning the division Title last season after going 14-2. They have a brand new owner so hopefully they can quickly turn in around after losing at home to Washington in week 1 followed by back to back road loses to Los Angeles & Brooklyn. They host winless Vancouver in week 4 where someone has to win, right?

OFFENSIVE MVP: RB John Hayes
He leads the team in rushing & is 3rd on the team in receiving for the 25th ranked offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: WLB Rick Basham
He leads the team in tackles for the 31st ranked defense in the league.

WEST

Phoenix 3-0 (1-0)
Vegas 2-1 (1-0)
Los Angeles 2-1 (0-1)
Seattle 1-2 (0-1)

Phoenix is undefeated and in 1st place with a 1 game lead over both Vegas & Los Angeles. They won back to back road games at New York & Brooklyn before a home win versus Seattle. They host Providence in week 4 which has been an Achilles heel for the Predators the last 6 seasons.

OFFENSIVE MVP: WR James Hulbert
He is 6th in the league in receiving while he is tied for 1st in TD receptions.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB David Smothers
He leads the team in interceptions while being 3rd in tackles for the league's 11th ranked defense.

Vegas is in 2nd place, 1 game behind Phoenix in the West after winning their first 2 games on the road at LA & Gem City before losing in week 3 at Providence. They finally play a home game in week 4 versus division rival Seattle.

OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Harry Smith
He leads the team in receiving for the league's 15th ranked offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: WLB Alfred Wilson
He leads the team's 10th ranked defense in tackles & knockdowns.

Los Angeles is in 3rd place despite sharing the same record as 2nd place Vegas due to a week 1 lose at home to Vegas. They bounced back with wins at home versus Philadelphia & New England in weeks 2 & 3. They play their first road game in week 4 at Miami.

OFFENSIVE MVP: RB Alfredo Barr
He leads the team in rushing for the league's 18th ranked offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Eddie Mayo
He leads the team in interceptions for the league's 9th ranked defense.

Seattle is in 4th place, 2 games behind Phoenix and 1 game behind both Vegas & Los Angeles. They shocked the world in week 1 when they won on the road at Providence 23-20 before losing on the road at Buffalo then Phoenix in weeks 2 & 3. They wrap up one of the toughest 4 game roadtrips in the history of the XFL with a trip to Vegas in week 4.

OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Todd Pilon
He leads the team's 22nd ranked offense in receiving.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Garrett Lansberry
He leads the team and is tied for 5th in the league in tackles for the team's 30th ranked defense.

NORTH

Montana 2-1 (2-0)
Saint Paul 2-1 (1-0)
Gem City 1-2 (0-1)
Randolph 0-3 (0-2)

Montana is in 1st place thanks to a 2-0 division record after beating Gem City at home in week 1 then beating Randolph on the road in week 2. They hosted Memphis in week 3 and lost a close game before welcoming in Cincinnati in week 4 for a battle of 1st place teams.

OFFENSIVE MVP: RB John Sheller
He leads the team in rushing and is 5th on the team in receiving for the league's #7 offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: WLB William Ward
He leads the league's 15th ranked defense in tackles while hebis tied for 5th in the league for tackles.

Saint Paul sits in 2nd place despite sharing the same record as Montana due to division record. They beat Pittsburgh at home in week 1, lost on the road to Toronto in week 2 then won on the road at Randolph in week 3. They remain on the road in week 4 to play winless Houston.

OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Mike Johnston
He leads the team in receiving for the league's 14th ranked pass offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Deshawn Dennis
He leads the league with 4 interceptions for the league's 11th ranked pass defense.

Gem City is in 3rd place, 1 game behind both Montana & Saint Paul I'm the North after losing their first 2 games at Montana then home versus Vegas before traveling to Carolina in week 3 where they won their first game. They travel to Randolph in week 4 with a chance to get themselves back into the race.

OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Fab Morvan
He is 4th in the league in receiving for the team's 9th ranked offense

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Martin Van Nostrand
He leads his team in knockdowns & interceptions while he is 2nd in tackles for the team's 14th ranked defense.

Randolph is winless and sit in last place in the North after losing 3 straight home games to Atlanta, Montana & Saint Paul. They wrap up their 4 game homestand against Gem City where they will look to avoid losing to all 3 division teams in 4 games.

OFFENSIVE MVP: RB Brian Schulze
He leads the team in rushing and is 4th on the team in receiving for the 26th ranked offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Thomas Kincaid
He leads the team with 2 interceptions and is 2nd on the team in tackles for the league's 32nd ranked defense.

SOUTH

Atlanta 3-0 (1-0)
Memphis 2-1 (1-0)
Tampa Bay 1-2 (0-1)
Carolina 0-3 (0-1)

Atlanta is undefeated and in 1st place in the South with a 1 game lead over Memphis. They won at Randolph in week 1, at home versus Tampa Bay in week 2 then at home versus Orlando in week 3 by a combined score of 149-9. They host 2nd place Memphis in week 4 with a chance to take a commanding lead in the South.

OFFENSIVE MVP: QB Charles DeLeon
The league's #2 offense is lead by QB DeLeon who is 3rd in passing yards & 2nd in passing TDs.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Dale Wilson
He leads the team in knockdowns and is 2nd on the team in tackles for the league's #1 defense.

Memphis is in 2nd place, 1 game behind undefeated Atlanta in the South. They hosted Carolina and won in week 1, hosted Dakota and lost in week 2 before traveling to Montana and winning in week 3. They travel to Atlanta in week 4 with a chance to move into 1st place in the South with a win.

OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Bobby Covert
He is 2nd in the league in receiving yards and 1st in TD receptions for the league's 5th ranked offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Levi Dolan
He leads the team in knockdowns and is 2nd on the team in tackles for the team's 19th ranked defense.

Tampa Bay is in 3rd place, 2 games back of Atlanta and 1 game behind Memphis in the South. They hosted Orlando in week 1 and lost a close game before traveling to Atlanta and getting blown out. They traveled to Texas in week 3 and won a low scoring game before coming home to face winless division rival Carolina in week 4.

OFFENSIVE MVP: RB George Bailey
He leads the league's 31st ranked offense in rushing while being 2nd on the team in receiving.

DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Carlos Kirby
He is 2nd in the league in knockdowns for the team's 20th ranked defense.

Carolina is winless and in 4th place after losses on the road at Memphis & Orlando before losing at home to Gem City in week 3. They travel to Tampa Bay in week 3 where they will be looking for their first win and a chance to get out of the cellar in the South.

OFFENSIVE MVP: RB Raymond Lecompte
He leads the team in rushing & receiving for the league's 27th ranked offense.

DEFENSIVE MVP: SLB Gino Davis
Thus former ALLPRO leads the team in tackles for the team's 26th ranked defense.

NEWS & NOTES (2052 WEEK 4)






XFL

☆We have 4 undefeated teams plus 5 winless teams at the ¼ pole mark.

☆We have 12 teams with winning records and 11 teams with losing records leaving 9 teams at 2-2.

AXC

☆We have 2 undefeated teams (Buffalo/Daytona plus 7 teams with a winning record at the ¼ pole mark.

☆We have 4 winless teams plus 6 teams with losing records at the ¼ pole mark.

NXC

☆We have 2 undefeated teams (Phoenix/Atlanta) plus 5 teams with a winning record at the ¼ pole mark.

☆We have 1 winless team (Carolina) plus 5 teams with losing records at the ¼ pole mark leaving 6 teams at 2-2.

THE WAY TOO FREAKING EARLY POWER RANKINGS

I do my custom power rankings using the following formula:

☆ wins (+5) loses (-5)
☆ 66 - (Total offense + Total defense)
☆ +/- Turnover margin
☆ opponents record modifier where (8-8=0), (7-9=-2), (9-7=+2), (6-10=-4) etc etc.



1. Buffalo 80
1. Atlanta 80
3. Phoenix 69
4. Daytona 65
5. Toronto 63
6. Brooklyn 60
7. Cincinnati 59
8. Dakota 56
9. Providence 54
10. Oakland 46
11. Los Angeles 41
12. Saint Paul 40
13. Montana 38
13. Memphis 38
15. Vegas 34
16. Seattle 33
17. Indiana 32
18. New York 28
19. Orlando 27
20. Gem City 24
21. Kansas City 21
22. Pittsburgh 20
23. Miami 16
23. Tampa Bay 16
25. Texas 7
26. New England 6
27. Vancouver 5
28. Washington 3
28. Randolph 3
30. Philadelphia 1
31. Houston -2
32. Carolina -9

NEWS & NOTES (2052 WEEK 5)

We take a look at each Conference Biggest Surprise!!!



And each Conference's Biggest Bust!!!







XFL

☆We have 16 teams with winning records including 3 undefeated teams, 6 teams at 4-1 and 7 teams at 3-2.

☆We have 16 teams with losing records including 4 winless teams, 4 teams at 1-4 and 8 teams at 2-3.

AXC

☆This Conference has 8 teams with winning records including just 1 undefeated team, 4 teams at 4-1 and 3 teams at 3-2.

☆This Conference has 8 teams with losing records including 1 winless team, 3 teams at 1-4 and 4 teams at 2-3.

BIGGEST SURPRISE
Oakland (4-1)

The francise has gone 8 straight seasons without making the postseason while never finishing with a winning record in that time period. The current owner bought the team in 2049 for his second stint as owner of the francise which ran from 2036-2044. The current owner was the last owner to take the team to the postseason in 2043 and he made the postseason 5 times during his original 9 years as owner.

BIGGEST BUST
Vancouver (1-4)

The francise missed the postseason last year for the first time in 10 seasons and had their first losing record (7-9) since 2041 when they went 2-14. The francise won 3 AXC Conference Championships and 1 XFL Title the last 10 seasons but now find themselves without an owner and in last place in the AXC West.

NXC

☆This Conference has 8 teams with winning records including just 2 undefeated teams, 2 teams at 4-1 and 4 teams at 3-2.

☆This Conference has 8 teams with losing records including 1 winless team, 3 teams at 1-4 and 4 teams at 2-3.

BIGGEST SURPRISE
Los Angeles (4-1)

This francise has missed the postseason the last 12 seasons including 9 straight under the current owner. The team hasn't been completely bad the past 12 seasons having won at least 8 games in 5 of those 12 seasons including a 9-7 season in 2050. It's the teams best start since 2048 where they started 8-1 before losing thier last 7 games to finish 8-8. The hope is the team won't collapse this time and a week 5 win over perennial contender Buffalo is a good sign that this year's team can compete with the best teams in the XFL.

BIGGEST BUST
Philadelphia (1-4)

This francise has made the postseason the last 14 seasons and won the NXC East last year with a 14-2 record. They have posted double digit wins in 13 of the last 14 seasons. Unfortunately, the team lost its owner at the end of last season and they have already doubled their loses from last season. Their only win this season was against ownerless Vancouver by a score of 12-10 in week 4 and Vancouver was just named the AXC's version of the biggest bust.

NEWS & NOTES (2052 WEEK 7)





POWER RANKINGS

1. Phoenix 94
2. Buffalo 87
3. Atlanta 83
4. Daytona 78
5. Cincinnati 74
6. Brooklyn 72
6. Dakota 72
8. Providence 71
9. Montana 59
10. Memphis 58
11. Indiana 56
12. New York 54
13. Los Angeles 52
14. Toronto 49
15. Pittsburgh 46
16. Oakland 36
17. Gem City 34
18. Saint Paul 28
19. Orlando 20
20. Seattle 17
21. Tampa Bay 13
22. Vegas 9
23. Kansas City 8
24. New England 3
25. Vancouver 0
26. Philadelphia -9
27. Miami -10
28. Washington -12
29. Texas -13
30. Carolina -18
31. Randolph -20
32. Houston -32

AXC


WEST (37)

Indiana 5-2 (2-2)
Oakland 4-3 (2-1)
Kansas City 2-5 (1-2)
Vancouver 1-6 (1-1)

Indiana

TOTAL OFFENSE: 14
TOTAL DEFENSE: 12
TURNOVER MARGIN: +1
RANKING SCORE: 56

Oakland

TOTAL OFFENSE: 19
TOTAL DEFENSE: 19
TURNOVER MARGIN: +3
RANKING SCORE: 36

Kansas City

TOTAL OFFENSE: 16
TOTAL DEFENSE: 27
TURNOVER MARGIN: 0
RANKING SCORE: 8

Vancouver

TOTAL OFFENSE: 25
TOTAL DEFENSE: 20
TURNOVER MARGIN: +4
RANKING SCORE: 0

EAST (34)

Buffalo 6-1 (2-0)
New York 5-2 (2-1)
Miami 2-5 (1-2)
New England 1-6 (0-2)

Buffalo

TOTAL OFFENSE: 1
TOTAL DEFENSE: 7
TURNOVER MARGIN: +4
RANKING SCORE: 87

New York

TOTAL OFFENSE: 18
TOTAL DEFENSE: 15
TURNOVER MARGIN: +6
RANKING SCORE: 54

Miami

TOTAL OFFENSE: 27
TOTAL DEFENSE: 22
TURNOVER MARGIN: -12
RANKING SCORE: -10

New England

TOTAL OFFENSE: 14
TOTAL DEFENSE: 25
TURNOVER MARGIN: +1
RANKING SCORE: 3

NORTH (34)

Cincinnati 6-1 (3-0)
Pittsburgh 4-3 (1-0)
Toronto 4-3 (1-1)
Houston 0-7 (0-3)

Cincinnati

TOTAL OFFENSE: 6
TOTAL DEFENSE: 1
TURNOVER MARGIN: -10
RANKING SCORE: 74

Toronto

TOTAL OFFENSE: 9
TOTAL DEFENSE: 8
TURNOVER MARGIN: -5
RANKING SCORE: 49

Pittsburgh

TOTAL OFFENSE: 13
TOTAL DEFENSE: 6
TURNOVER MARGIN: -6
RANKING SCORE: 46

Houston

TOTAL OFFENSE: 32
TOTAL DEFENSE: 31
TURNOVER MARGIN: 0
RANKING SCORE: -32

SOUTH (31)

Daytona 6-1 (3-1)
Dakota 6-1 (3-1)
Orlando 3-4 (1-2)
Texas 0-7 (0-3)

Daytona

TOTAL OFFENSE: 10
TOTAL DEFENSE: 5
TURNOVER MARGIN: +2
RANKING SCORE: 78

Dakota

TOTAL OFFENSE: 8
TOTAL DEFENSE: 16
TURNOVER MARGIN: +5
RANKING SCORE: 72

Orlando

TOTAL OFFENSE: 24
TOTAL DEFENSE: 24
TURNOVER MARGIN: +7
RANKING SCORE: 20

Texas

TOTAL OFFENSE: 30
TOTAL DEFENSE: 13
TURNOVER MARGIN: -1
RANKING SCORE: -13

NXC


EAST (35)

Brooklyn 6-1 (3-0)
Providence 5-2 (2-0)
Washington 2-5 (1-3)
Philadelphia 1-6 (0-3)

Brooklyn

TOTAL OFFENSE: 3
TOTAL DEFENSE: 10
TURNOVER MARGIN: -6
RANKING SCORE: 72

Providence

TOTAL OFFENSE: 7
TOTAL DEFENSE: 2
TURNOVER MARGIN: -1
RANKING SCORE: 71

Washington

TOTAL OFFENSE: 29
TOTAL DEFENSE: 28
TURNOVER MARGIN: -6
RANKING SCORE: -12

Philadelphia

TOTAL OFFENSE: 26
TOTAL DEFENSE: 32
TURNOVER MARGIN: +8
RANKING SCORE: -9

WEST (27)

Phoenix 7-0 (2-0)
Los Angeles 5-2 (0-1)
Seattle 3-4 (1-1)
Vegas 2-5 (1-2)

Phoenix

TOTAL OFFENSE: 4
TOTAL DEFENSE: 4
TURNOVER MARGIN: +1
RANKING SCORE: 94

Los Angeles

TOTAL OFFENSE: 21
TOTAL DEFENSE: 9
TURNOVER MARGIN: +1
RANKING SCORE: 52

Seattle

TOTAL OFFENSE: 20
TOTAL DEFENSE: 23
TURNOVER MARGIN: -1
RANKING SCORE: 17

Vegas

TOTAL OFFENSE: 17
TOTAL DEFENSE: 26
TURNOVER MARGIN: +1
RANKING SCORE: 9

NORTH (41)

Montana 5-2 (3-0)
Gem City 3-4 (1-3)
Saint Paul 3-4 (1-1)
Randolph 1-6 (1-2)

Montana

TOTAL OFFENSE: 11
TOTAL DEFENSE: 11
TURNOVER MARGIN: 0
RANKING SCORE: 59

Saint Paul

TOTAL OFFENSE: 23
TOTAL DEFENSE: 18
TURNOVER MARGIN: +8
RANKING SCORE: 28

Gem City

TOTAL OFFENSE: 12
TOTAL DEFENSE: 14
TURNOVER MARGIN: -1
RANKING SCORE: 34

Randolph

TOTAL OFFENSE: 28
TOTAL DEFENSE: 30
TURNOVER MARGIN: -3
RANKING SCORE: -20

SOUTH (32)

Atlanta 6-1 (3-1)
Memphis 5-2 (4-1)
Tampa Bay 3-4 (1-3)
Carolina 0-7 (0-3)

Atlanta

TOTAL OFFENSE: 2
TOTAL DEFENSE: 3
TURNOVER MARGIN: -3
RANKING SCORE: 83

Memphis

TOTAL OFFENSE: 5
TOTAL DEFENSE: 17
TURNOVER MARGIN: -1
RANKING SCORE: 58

Tampa Bay

TOTAL OFFENSE: 31
TOTAL DEFENSE: 21
TURNOVER MARGIN: +4
RANKING SCORE: 13

Carolina

TOTAL OFFENSE: 22
TOTAL DEFENSE: 29
TURNOVER MARGIN: 0
RANKING SCORE: -18

POWER RANKINGS COMPARISON

Since the topic was discussed recently, let's compare the systems (broken) power rankings to my own custom power rankings which is based on a discernable mathematical formula.

Below is my power rankings with the systems ranking for every team in parenthesis after my ranking score followed by this week's change in system ranking.

I've spent a great deal of time trying to figure out what formula JDB uses for his rankings and I could never come close to figuring out the logic.

A team's roster default player weights, previous years record, last 3 seasons record and it never quit makes sense especially when a team makes a huge jump up or slide down in the systems rankings.

1. Phoenix 94 (1) 0
2. Buffalo 87 (3) -1
3. Atlanta 83 (7) -2
4. Daytona 78 (5) +1
5. Cincinnati 74 (9) 0
6. Brooklyn 72 (8) -5
6. Dakota 72 (4) +8
8. Providence 71 (10) -6
9. Montana 59 (13) -3
10. Memphis 58 (2) +12
11. Indiana 56 (12) +6
12. New York 54 (6) +9
13. Los Angeles 52 (11) 0
14. Toronto 49 (16) -3
15. Pittsburgh 46 (15) +10
16. Oakland 36 (14) +2
17. Gem City 34 (22) -5
18. Saint Paul 28 (17) +9
19. Orlando 20 (23) +1
20. Seattle 17 (20) -1
21. Tampa Bay 13 (19) +4
22. Vegas 9 (24) -16
23. Kansas City 8 (25) -5
24. New England 3 (28) 0
25. Vancouver 0 (27) -6
26. Philadelphia -9 (21) -14
27. Miami -10 (18) +11
28. Washington -12 (29) -7
29. Texas -13 (26) +6
30. Carolina -18 (31) -1
31. Randolph -20 (32) -5
32. Houston -32 (30) +1

In general the rankings have the good teams near the top and the struggling teams near the bottom but several rankings are unexplainable to me.

Let's take Memphis for example, I have them ranked 10th which makes them a definite playoff caliber team but the system ranks them #2 after an incredible 12 spot climb from #14 last week. Memphis is good but why the giant leap to the 2nd best team in the league? They are coming off 3 wins in a row (TBY/ATL/TBY) and the win over Atlanta earned them a split in the season series. So Memphis is 5-2 with loses to Atlanta (6-1) & Dakota (6-1) this season but they rank #2 ahead of #4 Dakota & #7 Atlanta. Memphis is 9-7 over their last 16 games, 14-9 over their last 23 games and 27-12 over their last 39 games. Atlanta is 14-2 over their last 16 games, 18-5 over their last 23 games and 25-14 over their last 39 games. Dakota is 11-5 over their last 16 games, 15-8 over their last 23 games and 26-13 over their last 39 games.

Texas is a real head scratcher!!!! The system has then ranked 26th this week after a 6 spot climb from 32nd. Texas is 0-7 and has lost 25 straight games dating back two seasons. They just lost 30-3 to Atlanta for their 25th straight lose and climbed 6 spots in the ranking??? Why? They are 4-35 the last 2 full seasons plus 7 games. If we take it further back into 2049, they are 4-44 the last 3 seasons of games. What in the world would indicate a 6 spot rise in the standings?

I also have a hard time seeing previous seasons records influencing the rankings since Cincinnati is ranked #9 by the system at 6-1 this season, 14-2 the last 16 games, 19-4 the last 23 games and 31-8 the last 39 games. There aren't 8 teams better than Cincinnati this season, the last 2 season or the last 3 seasons.

In fairness, in broad strokes the system power rankings are fine but it's hard to take them serious when they throw several weird anomalies into the mix which make no sense. Phoenix is the only 7-0 team and deserve to be #1 and the 6 teams at 6-1 rank in the top 9 with Memphis at 5-2 the anomaly.

Likewise, we have 3 winless teams and they are ranked 26th, 28th & 30th by the system while I have them ranked 29th, 30th & 32nd. Texas is the anomaly with the 6 spot jump up to 26th this week after losing their 25th straight game.

I just can't make it make sense!!!

NEWS & NOTES (2052 WEEK 9)





ROOKIE REPORT



AXC


WEST

The West is a 2 horse race between Indiana & Oakland unless Vancouver or KC can win their remaining 7 games. The division may be decided in week 10 when Oakland travels to Indiana for the rematch where Oakland won at home in week 4 in an overtime game, 22-19. A win for Oakland gives then a series sweep plus a 4-1 division record as they would move into 1st place with an identical record as Indiana. A win by Indiana would earn then a series split, a 3-2 division record plus a 2 game lead over Oakland making this one of the games of the week.

Indiana 6-3 (2-2)
Oakland 5-4 (3-1)
Vancouver 2-7 (1-1)
Kansas City 2-7 (1-3)

Indiana

They have 3 rookie starters including 2 offensive lineman plus RDE Kenneth Strauss who has 12 tackles, 8 sacks & 6 hurries.

Oakland

They have 2 rookie starters both on the offensive line led by C Fransico Brennan who has started all 9 games with 377 pass blocks & 349 run blocks while allowing 2 sacks & 24 tackles.

Kansas City

They have 2 rookie starters in LT Thomas Light & WR Christopher Oneal. Oneal has 31 receptions for 355 yards plus 2 TD receptions.

Vancouver

They have 11 rookies including 7 starters on the team. On offense, they have WR Ian Lopez, WR Scott Castro & TE James Davis that all start while on defense they have LDE Mike Dale, DT Louis Tincher, DT George Watkins & CB Gregory Johnson playing significant snaps. WR Lopez leads the team in receiving with 333 yards.

EAST

The East is definitely a 2 team race as Buffalo leads per usual with New York 1 game behind with a lose to Buffalo already in the books. Buffalo host New York in week 10 which will help decide the eventual East Champ. If Buffalo wins, they will have a sweep of New York, a 3-0 division record plus an almost insurmountable 3 game lead in the division. If New York pulls the Upset then things get interesting since they will have split the season series, have a 4-1 division record plus sit with the same record as Buffalo with 6 games to play.

Buffalo 8-1 (2-0)
New York 7-2 (3-1)
Miami 2-7 (1-3)
New England 1-8 (0-3)

Buffalo

Buffalo never has rookies on their roster, they don't believe in them!

New York

They have 4 rookies on the roster but only RB Duane Clark sees significant playing time and is 3rd on the team in rushing (207 yards) & 5th on the team in receiving (131 yards) with 5 Total TDs which leads the team.

Miami

They have 6 rookies on the roster including their starting Kicker, a starting DT and 2 DBs that start including CB Howard Leonard. He is 4th on the team in tackles (56), leads the team in passes defended (74) & knockdowns (16).

New England

They have 8 rookies on the roster including a backup QB, 2 depth OL, a rotational DE, a starter at MLB & WLB plus 2 starting DBs. SS William Fernandez is the starting SS who is 2nd on the team in tackles (51) and leads the team in passes defended (44).

NORTH

Cincinnati has complete control of the North, holding a 3 game lead over Toronto plus they beat Toronto in their first matchup and boast a 4-0 division record. They travel to Toronto in week 16 for the rematch which may be a meaningless game given their current lead.

Cincinnati 8-1 (4-0)
Toronto 5-4 (2-1)
Pittsburgh 4-5 (1-1)
Houston 0-9 (0-5)

Cincinnati

They have 4 rookies on the roster but only WR Stanley Post plays on a regular basis. He is 3rd on the team in rushing (189 yards) & 6th in receiving (199 yards) plus he has 3 Total TDs.

Toronto

They have 3 rookies on the roster but only 3 start including a rookie Kicker, a DT and starting MLB John Munoz who is third on the team in tackles (39) & fifth on the team in passes defended.

Pittsburgh

They have 7 rookies on the roster but only 2 start as DBs. CB Ali Claypool & CB Brian Brown are the starting CBs for the team's 12th ranked pass defense. The duo have combined to defend 126 passes with 15 knockdowns and 3 interceptions.

Houston

Winless Houston has 8 rookies on the roster including 3 OL who have combined for 14 games & 9 starts. They also have 3 WR, 1 FB & 1 QB led by WR Edward Torst who leads the team in receiving yards (176).

SOUTH

The South is led by Dakota by 1 game over Daytona with Orlando 3 games back and still in it. Dakota & Daytona split their season series while Orlando has lost to both teams once with the rematches in weeks 14 & 16.

Dakota 8-1 (4-1)
Daytona 7-2 (3-1)
Orlando 5-4 (2-2)
Texas 0-9 (0-5)

Daytona

They have 5 rookies on the roster including a depth FB, a starting LDE, a backup WLB and 2 CBs. CB Carl Parramore starts and is 2nd on the team in passes defended with a 26.2 catch allowed percentage.

Dakota

They have 6 rookies on the roster including 1 RB, 2 WR, 1 OL, 1 DE and 1 CB. WR Smurf Murphy leads the team in receiving (576 yards), is 2nd on the team in rushing (302 yards) and has 9 Total TDs which leads the team and is tied for 7th in the XFL.

Orlando

They only have 4 rookies on the roster but only SLB David Hartzler starts. He is 7th on the team in tackles (27) plus has added 1 sack, 1 hurry & 4 knockdowns.

Texas

This francise is in a complete rebuild and they have 13 rookies on their roster. On offense, they have 1 RB, 1 FB, 1 TE, 2 WR & 3 OL while they have 1 DT, 1 DE, 1 MLB & 2 CBs on defense. WR Donald Singletary leads the team in rushing (233 yards) & is 5th on the team in receiving (97 yards). DT Jose Negron is the starting nose tackle and leads the team in sacks (6). MLB Toby Walton starts and is 2nd on the team in tackles (50).

NXC


EAST

It's a 2 team race in the East with Brooklyn holding a 1 game lead over Providence. Both Brooklyn & Providence are undefeated in division games so they have yet to face one another. Game 1 between the two happens in week 10 at Providence with the rematch occurring week 16 in Brooklyn. The division could be won during week 16 which us awesome.

Brooklyn 8-1 (4-0)
Providence 7-2 (3-0)
Washington 2-7 (1-4)
Philadelphia 1-8 (0-4)

Brooklyn

They have 5 rookies on the roster including a WR, DT, 2 LBs and 1 CB. Only DT Atticus Finch starts at nose tackle with 8 tackles, 2 sacks & 6 hurries.

Providence

They have 5 rookies on the roster but none are starters but WR Jimmy Teague has contributed to the offense where he is 4th on the team in rushing (77 yards) & 6th on the team in receiving (219 yards).

Washington

They have 6 rookies on the roster including 3 RBs, 2 TEs and 1 MLB. RB Victor Onorato is the biggest contributer where he is 2nd on the team in rushing (163 yards), 6th in receiving (41 yards) and he leads the team with 2 rushing TDs.

Philadelphia

The collapse of Philadelphia this season is made even more concerning since they have just 1 rookie on the roster, MLB Lee Neal who hardly plays and has just 3 tackles.

WEST

Phoenix is well on their way to winning their 12th straight division Title since they have a 4 game over LA plus they beat LA on the road in the 1st of 2 matchups this season.

Phoenix 9-0 (4-0)
Los Angeles 5-4 (0-2)
Vegas 4-5 (2-2)
Seattle 3-6 (1-3)

Phoenix

They have 7 rookies on the roster including 2 WRs, 2 OL, 1 DT & 2 DBs. All the rookies play some but only DT Steven Fonville starts where he has 4 tackles, 1 sack & 6 hurries.

Los Angeles

LA carries 4 rookies on their roster including a depth WR & depth DE plus starters in LG Clyde Torres & SS Keith Aronson. Aronson is 2nd on the team in tackles (46) plus he has 2 knockdowns & 1 interception.

Seattle

They have 5 rookies on the roster including a backup QB, backup RB, starting TE, backup DT & backup FS/CB. FS Billy Davis has has the biggest impact while defending 28 passes and getting 21 tackles & 5 knockdowns.

Vegas

Vegas has 9 rookies on the roster including 1 RB, 5 WRs, 2 DEs & 1 CB. 6 of the 9 rookies are either primary backups (2) or simply depth (4). WR William Bonomo starts and leads the team in rushing (250 yards). WR Carlton Bellows starts but only has 122 yards recieving while WR George Mahlum is the primary returner.


NORTH

Montana is currently King of the North with a 2 game lead over Gem City. Montana is 4-0 within the division and have already swept the Gangsters which essentially makes their lead 3 games since Gem City would need to finish with a better record than Montana to dethrone them.

Montana 7-2 (4-0)
Gem City 5-4 (1-3)
Saint Paul 3-6 (1-2)
Randolph 2-7 (1-2)

Montana

They only have 3 rookies on their roster including a depth WR, a backup WLB and MLB Michael McConnell who starts and is 2nd on the team with 54 tackles.

Saint Paul

They have 7 rookies on their roster including 2 starters (FB Walter Ahner/FS Adam Beiler), 3 backups (LDE Christopher Chang/DT Robert Manzo/WLB Wilfredo Essex) and 2 depth players (C Loren Ross/MLB Dale Sanford). FS Beiler leads their rookies with 40 tackles and 6 knockdowns.

Gem City

They have 5 rookies including 2 starters (RDE Rulon Gardner/MLB Jim Thorpe), 2 backups (C Mark Spitz/SS Edwin C. Moses) and 1 depth player (RB Bob Beamon). RDE Rulon Gardner is 2nd on the team with 6 sacks while MLB Jim Thorpe is 2nd on the team with 46 tackles while adding 11 knockdowns and 1 interception.

Randolph

It's a new day for this francise as the new owner relocated the francise and is completely rebuilding the roster. They have 10 rookies on the roster including 5 starters & 5 backups. The biggest contributers are all on defense as WLB Dean Sims is 3rd on the team with 58 tackles while SS John Ayers is 2nd on the team with 60 tackles.

SOUTH

It's been 4 seasons since Atlanta won their 8th straight XFL Title and everyone rejoiced in 2050 when they missed the postseason entirely but they bounced back and won the South last season. They currently sit atop the South again with a 2 game lead over Memphis and they have already split the season series. Atlanta travels to Dakita in week 10 in a battle of 10-1 teams while Memphis host winless Texas.

Atlanta 8-1 (3-1)
Memphis 6-3 (4-1)
Tampa Bay 4-5 (2-3)
Carolina 0-9 (0-4)

Atlanta

They only have 3 rookies on their roster including a backup QB, a depth WR and starting RT Daniel Powell who has 450 pass blocks & 318 run blocks while allowing just 1 sack & 14 tackles.

Memphis

They have 6 rookies on their roster including 3 starters, 2 backups & 1 depth player. The starters are led by QB Raymond Pica who hit the ground running as he has thrown for 2,580 yards (6th) with 18 TD passes (7th) and 9 interceptions. WR Robert Tolliver is a distant 2nd on the team in receiving (278 yards) and MLB Claude Loftis leads the team with 50 tackles.

Tampa Bay

They have just 3 rookies on the roster but all 3 have been healthy scratches every game this season.

Carolina

They have 6 rookies on their roster including 1 starter at Center, 2 backups at RDE & MLB & 3 depth players. C Harold Washburn has started 6 of 9 games where he has 249 pass blocks & 164 run blocks where he has allowed 3 sacks & 7 tackles.