Week 1 of the third European League of Football season is in the books. As difficult as it is, let’s see where I rank the teams before Week 2 kicks off!

Rhein Fire is the team to beat this year. There is no doubt in my mind that we will see the German franchise making a deep playoff run after demolishing the Galaxy with a final score of 33-9 at home in Duisburg!

The Vikings had a bye week to start the season. However, I still keep the Austrian franchise at two because of their championship roster which stayed in shape and maybe even improved during the offseason.

Talking about a statement win. I highly underestimated the Raiders coming in to the 2023 season. Wide receiver Jarvis McClam proved to be one, if not the best, playmaker in the entire league. If they keep up this production on offense, there are only a few teams who can beat them! And remember, they will add former NFL running back Sandro Platzgummer to the mix once healthy. He was not even part of the 59 points performance in Munich!

No game in Week 1, but still moving up. I had high hopes for the Musketeers coming into their first season, but they fell short of my early expectation in a shaky win against the Centurions last Saturday (Read more below). The Surge have a talented roster and are looking to win their first game of the season under head coach Jordan Neuman in Paris this Saturday!

What a dominant performance against the Enthroners in Week 1! I ranked the Thunder at five before the season and the Enthroners at 13. So, hold your horses for now. But it was still an incredible performance by the Thunder defense. Their offense did not find any rhythm early but bounced back with some nice plays in the second half. If they can get more fluent offensively, the Thunder may have a shot against the Vikings at home in Week 2!

The Musketeers are 1-0, but I still have to put them out of my top five. A win is a win, which is why they only fall three spots. But I had higher expectations for the Paris franchise. With quarterback Zach Edwards being sacked six times, the Musketeers offensive line needs to improve quickly. On defense, the Musketeers successfully shut down the Centurions running game as they only allowed 37 rushing yards on the ground. I assume that they will pick up the pace once the team has more time to jell over the season. But for now, they fall a few spots. 

If they play more disciplined and start to move the ball early in the game, the Musketeers have a legitimate shot at winning against the Surge in Week 2.

The Galaxy were overrun by Rhein Fire in Week 1. Despite their talent on both sides of the ball, their offense looked one-dimensional in crucial situations which cost them points. Quarterback Jakeb Sullivan and wide receiver Reece Horn were the bright spots, but it takes more than two great players to have a chance against the Rhein Fire defense.

However, I do believe that the Galaxy will bounce back in Week 2 against the Enthroners in Hungary.

What was that? The Panthers switching their starting quarterback and American wide receiver just two weeks before kickoff might have been a genius move! Matthew Vitale and Tony Tate connected for three scores against the Sea Devils, looking like they are long lost brothers!

Moving up four spots is generous, considering they have only played one game so far. But the Panthers overall looked ready to compete which is not what I thought based on their offseason losses and short-term changes at important positions.

The Milano Seamen sat out in Week 1 as they started the 2023 season with a bye week just like the Stuttgart Surge and the Vienna Vikings. They will have a direct matchup in Week 2 with team number ten on this list: the Barcelona Dragons!

In Week 1, the Barcelona Dragons have surprised not only me, but I also a lot of fans around the league. Although they have won against a brand-new team in the Helvetic Guards, the Dragons showed great poise and hustle throughout the game. Wide receiver Josh Johnston and Theodor Landström really impressed me as a receiving duo. Their early chemistry with former Leipzig Kings quarterback Conor Miller was also astounding. Let’s see if they can keep it up in Week 2 against the Milano Seamen!

The Munich Ravens lost the shootout against the Tirol Raiders in Week 1. However, they have a lot to build on with quarterback Chad Jeffries and running back Tomiwa Oyewo showing how good they are. Their offense is capable of moving the chains and putting up points on the board. But their defense secondary looked more than shaky in Week 1 which is why I believe they will struggle to keep future opponents out of their endzone.

The Hamburg Sea Devils had a similar game compared to the Munich Ravens. Offensively, new American quarterback Preston Haire showed his ability to be a dual-threat quarterback on great touchdown run. He also connected well with his receivers like former Panthers wideout Malik Stanley or homegrown Benjamin Mau. But no matter what they did on offense, the Panthers found a way to have a receiver run free deep in the Sea Devils secondary to score. This has to change if the Sea Devils want to have a shot at the playoffs in the highly competitive Western Conference.

The Centurions move up one spot although they are 0-1 after Week 1. Their defense showed great potential against the Musketeers, sacking former Dragons quarterback Zach Edwards six times. The Centurions defense even managed to keep the Musketeers off the scoreboard in the entire first half of the game. However, their offense lacks a sustainable running game so far and quarterback Dylan Jacob struggled to stay upright with five sacks taken. With upgraded offensive line play, the Centurions would be able to extend drives and keep their hungry defense fresh with fewer defensive downs to play.

The Guards struggled in Week 1 against the Dragons. With American running back Silas Nacita leading the team in rushing yards (49), receiving yards, (166), catches (15), and all-purpose yards (225), the Guards were too dependable on one player to put points on the board. This league takes more than one special playmaker to win, and their Week 1 loss proved that. However, wide receiver Anton Jallai could develop into a reliable weapon for quarterback Collin Hill on the outside.

The Leipzig Kings won against the Prague Lions in Week 1 and move up two spots. However, this game could have gone either way with a final score of 18 – 15 and multiple turnovers on both sides. I am interested to see how running back Steve McShane will be used in future games since he led the Kings with six catches for 90 yards and a score through the air. He could develop into a difference maker for the Kings.

The Enthroners had their “Welcome to the European League of Football” moment in Week 1. They hosted the Berlin Thunder and were overrun by their dominant defense and their dangerous playmakers on offense. The Enthroners offensive line stood no chance against Kyle Kitchens as he sacked quarterback Jerod Evans four times. The Enthroners have to protect Evans if they want him to make plays on the ground and through the air. Defensively, the Hungarian franchise had some positive flashes but generally were overwhelmed by the number of playmakers on the Thunder offense.

The Lions lost against my previous rank 17: the Leipzig Kings. It was a game dominated by interceptions and fumbles which ended with one of the craziest laterals after an interception of a two-point attempt. However, I can only give the Lions the last place for now, as they have to find a true identity on offense and need to play more disciplined on defense. Let’s see what they will do against the 0-1 Cologne Centurions at home in Week 2.