Playoff picture after week 8: Who's in and who's not?

We've completed eight weeks of the 2024 European League of Football regular season, so let's take a look at the early playoff picture.

Semi-Finalists:

1) Vienna Vikings (8-0)

The Vienna Vikings remain undefeated at 8-0 and have secured the first seed, ensuring their spot as the first semi-finalist. They continued their unbeaten season with a surprisingly close 49-40 win over the Helvetic Mercenaries.

2) Rhein Fire (7-1)

There's been movement here. Rhein Fire has moved past the Stuttgart Surge to claim the second seed due to more wins. Fire extended their winning streak to Week 8 with a decisive 61-23 victory against the Hamburg Sea Devils.

Wildcard Round:

Raiders Tirol (#6) at Stuttgart Surge (#3)

After Week 8, the Raiders and Surge are set for a rematch in the wildcard round. They met recently, with the Surge prevailing 30-25 in a closely contested game marred by turnovers from the Raiders. The Surge, now 6-0, dropped one spot due to fewer games played, given their bye weeks. The Raiders hold the sixth seed with a 5-3 record.

Paris Musketeers (#5) at Madrid Bravos (#4)

The Madrid Bravos moved up to the fourth seed, swapping places with the Paris Musketeers due to better statistics. They notably crushed the Barcelona Dragons 54-0 in their recent match, securing a 5-1 record. The Paris Musketeers, also at 5-1, secured the fifth seed with a 35-27 victory over the Berlin Thunder.

In the Hunt:

The Berlin Thunder and Munich Ravens are currently chasing the Raiders, with records of 4-4 and 3-3 respectively. They hope for slip-ups from the top franchises to secure coveted playoff spots of their own.