Week 8 of the third European League of Football season is in the books. Clear-cut wins and thrilling fourth-quarter endings were all part of the past weekend. But what are the major takeaways after another week of the regular season is behind us?

Are the Guards turning their season around?

The Guards just won their third straight game yesterday. Since Week 6, the Swiss franchise has found ways to win against the Barcelona Dragons (2-5), the Stuttgart Surge (6-1), and now the Milano Seamen (1-6). So, are the Guards beginning to turn things around?

In my opinion, the Guards are not there yet. They have put together a nice three-game run over the last weeks, but they are not ready to compete for a playoff spot out of nowhere. Their offense produced a total of 138 yards compared to over 400 offense yards their defense gave up. Because of big plays from their defense and special teams, the Guards were able to somehow come away with a win in overtime. Their offense also evolves around Silas Nacita who does everything in his power to make it work. But one playmaker on offense is just not enough to move the ball in this league, as proven in many games during this season so far.

So, do I think they will win their fourth game in a row against the Munich Ravens in Week 9? I don’t. But are the Guards finding ways to win no matter what? Yes. And at the end, no one cares about stats. It’s always about the wins.

Are the Raiders still a Top 5 team without QB Strong and WR McClam? 

Before I go into the Tirol Raiders and their 6-2 record heading into back-to-back bye weeks, I want to quickly recap the situation this franchise finds itself in. Following the 25-24 victory over the Munich Ravens, the Raiders announced the release of quarterback Christian Strong. In connection with this release, wide receiver Jarvis McClam who ranks second in receiving yards this season so far, wanted to part ways with the franchise because of his loyalty to Strong. The two have played together in college, in Australia, in the GFL and now in the European League of Football. But what does this mean for the Raiders heading into Week 9?

Before anything else, the timing of releasing your quarterback could not have been any better if this was your plan over the past weeks. The Raiders have their next game in Week 11 after two bye weeks and are able to sign a new quarterback before the Week 9 deadline. But why are the Raiders releasing their starting quarterback in the first place?

Christian Strong has played solid overall this season with 17 touchdowns compared to 7 interceptions. He also threw for an average of 266 yards and was only sacked 13 times in eight games. But the Austrian franchise must have felt that Strong is not the quarterback who can take them to a championship game. In their statement on social media, the team writes that “As part of an evaluation process, the Tirol Raiders have decided to part ways with quarterback Christian Strong.”

For the moment, this takes the Austrian franchise out of my Top 5. But they have almost three full weeks to think of replacements for Strong and McClam in the meantime.

What to make of the Galaxy at Musketeers thriller  

The Galaxy were able to pull away with a win because of a last-minute field goal against the Paris Musketeers on Sunday. But me placing them at six in my power ranking last weekend proved to be the right decision, nevertheless. The 6-1 Frankfurt Galaxy are not able to win big against their opponents. Their last three games were all one-score games versus opponents with far worse records, like the Musketeers (2-6), the Milano Seamen (1-6), and the Hamburg Sea Devils (3-4). The Galaxy definitely have a shot at the playoffs, but I doubt that they have what it takes to win it all this season.

As far as the Musketeers are concerned, the French franchise is getting better and better every week. Their 1-6 record does not reflect the talent on their roster. So, when will they finally rise up to their potential? Maybe they win their third game of the season against the Barcelona Dragons on the road in Week 9.