Week 9 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 before the league goes into its general bye week

Galaxy cement Top 5 status

The Frankfurt Galaxy went into Week 9 with a 6-1 record. After winning against the Fehérvár Enthroners at home, they now stand at 7-1 with a real shot at the playoffs. They are sitting right behind the undefeated Rhein Fire and could earn a wild card spot because of their excellent record.

A dominant win was what the Galaxy needed. In previous weeks, the German franchise was always able to come away with a win in one-score games. Against the Enthroners, they were finally able to win big to cement their top five status.

Lions face rebuild after HC and QB change

The Prague Lions are facing a clear rebuild after parting ways with long-time head coach and club president Zach Harrod prior to their Week 9 matchup against the Wroclaw Panthers. With former defensive coordinator Dan Dish promoted to interims head coach and American Quarterback Bradley Jones taking over, the Lions will need the upcoming bye week more than any other team. For now, it looks like the Lions will have to take away their lessons from year one in the European League of Football and then return stronger in 2024.

Are the Ravens making a late playoff push?

The Munich Ravens are slowly but surely coming together for a late playoff push. Yesterday, the German franchise ended the three-game winning-streak of the Helvetic Guards with a dominant performance. A final score of 35 – 6 at home shows how well the Ravens currently play on all three phases. But will that be enough for a late playoff push?

The Ravens currently sit behind the 7-1 Stuttgart Surge and the 6-2 Raiders Tirol with a record of 4-4. It will be tough to secure a playoff spot because the Ravens at least have to be one of the two best teams not ranked first in their respective conference. So, they have to have a better record than the Raiders and also need to beat the 7-1 Frankfurt Galaxy, the 6-3 Wroclaw Panthers, or the 5-3 Berlin Thunder to the finish line. They can only allow one second-placed team to have a better record than they have. So, this is a tough challenge that does not lie completely in their own hands.

However, if they make it to the playoffs, I have no doubt that they will be a dangerous opponent no matter who they play in the Wild Card Round.