After Week 4 is in the books, the third European League of Football season begins to take shape. Let’s see where I rank the teams before Week 5 kicks off!

Previous: 1

Rhein Fire stay on top of this ranking after winning against the Musketeers in Paris. There is no question in my mind that this team will be part of the 2023 Championship Game at their own stadium.

Previous: 2

The Vikings escaped their first loss of the season with a late comeback against the Wroclaw Panthers. It really seems like the top ten teams are getting a lot closer in regard to competition compared to the start of the season. Although the almost lost their first game of the season, they stay at two for now.

Previous: 4

The Raiders were able to beat the Dragons in Week 7. If it weren’t for the Surge, Tirol would stay at four. But the Surge have to be moved down at least one spot after their loss against the Guards.

Previous: 3

What just happened? Stuttgart Surge head coach Jordan Neuman suffered his first-ever regular season game loss of his career in Europe. He now stands at 82-1 after the Helvetic Guards successfully defended their homefield. The Surge defense was not what it used to be the previous weeks, but their offense was the main reason Stuttgart had no shot to climb back into the game. With four consecutive interceptions by quarterback Jan Weinreich and two additional fumbles, the Surge faced a -5 turnover margin. There is almost no way to come back from so many takeaways.

Previous: 9

I know what you are thinking. You probably saw this ranking on social media thinking: why are the Thunder moving up to number five after only beating the 16^th ranked Prague Lions? One of the reasons is their massive production despite their turnovers against the Lions. After three interceptions and two fumbles by quarterback Slade Jarman, the Thunder still managed to hold the Lions to zero points offensively and only 38 passing yards. On top of that, wide receiver Aaron Jackson slowly but surely develops into THE gamechanger of the European League of Football with two receiving touchdowns, one punt return touchdown, and one kickoff return touchdown in one game.

Previous: 5

Despite their last-minute win against the Sea Devils, the Galaxy move down one spot in this ranking because of their sloppy play. With nine penalties for 86 yards and three total turnovers, Frankfurt did not have their best game of the season. This was also the first game for Jakeb Sullivan after he was placed on the injured reserved list following their Week 1 contest against Rhein Fire. The Galaxy are still on their way to the playoffs with a 5-1 record, but they are not a top five team at the moment.

Previous: 7

The Hamburg Sea Devils blew a 14-0 lead in the second half of their Week 7 game against the Frankfurt Galaxy. They are still a good team with chances at the playoffs. But a 3-4 record forces the Hanseatic franchise to win their Week 9 matchup against the Cologne Centurions. But for Week 8, they have time to assess their mistakes in a bye week.

Previous: 8

Before giving my opinion about the game overall, let me tell you: the Panthers are just great at replacing their American import players. Defensive back Daniel Bender had another incredible game in which he took an interception to the house for six. With the addition of former Leipzig Kings defensive back William James, the Panthers just gave their secondary another boost for the second half of the season. 

Previous: 10

The Munich Ravens come off a huge win against the Milano Seamen. Offensively, the Ravens are able to move the ball and score from anywhere on the field. But defensively, the struggle to defend deep passes. Against the Seamen, they allowed four different players to catch at least one pass for 24 yards or more. If they want to move up the board, the Ravens have to find a way to keep their opponents out of the endzone.

Previous: 9

The Musketeers looked great in the first half against the best team in the European League of Football at the moment. But Rhein Fire showed why they deserve to be 7-0 in the second half. But as far as Paris is concerned, they are more and more coming together. Slowly but surely, the French franchise looks like the team they can be if you just look at their roster on paper.

Previous: 15

Credit where credit is due. The Helvetic Guards developed into one of the most exciting teams over the past few weeks with players like defensive back Maceo Beard, running back Silas Nacita and newly signed quarterback Tristan “Skylar” Nobel. Their defense forced four interceptions and two additional fumbles against the undefeated Stuttgart Surge in Week 7. If you win against Stuttgart, you deserve to surge up to board.

Previous: 11

Another shootout, another loss for the Milano Seamen. It seems like their offense is able to move the ball despite turnovers, but Seamen’s defense is not able to keep opposing offenses in beatable distance. Let’s see what their Week 8 matchup against the Helvetic Guards has in store.

Previous: 12

The Barcelona Dragons have suffered yet another loss in Week 7. After starting the season 2-0, the Spanish franchise has lost four straight games since then. Will the Dragons bounce back in Week 8 against a seemingly weaker Stuttgart Surge?

Previous: 13

The Centurions were credited with their second win of the season after the game against the Leipzig Kings got canceled. But for now, they move down one spot because of the Helvetic Guards surging up this ranking.

Previous: 14

The Prague Lions were able to force turnovers and to stop the Thunder on third downs. But it was all for nothing after the final score stood at 43 – 6. With no offensive touchdown from the Lions in the entire game, newly signed quarterback Nate Cox looks like he still needs time to adjust to his new team and the European League of Football. But to be fair, the Lions need more than just a good quarterback to turn this season around.

Previous: 16

The Enthroners come off a bye week which gave quarterback Kevin Dolye Jr. more time to work with his new team. But will that be enough to beat the Prague Lions in Week 8? At least the Lions will be one of the easiest teams they have faced this year. 

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