ELF: Week 2 Power Rankings show the gap already widening

With Week 2 of the European League of Football (ELF) now in the books and all teams playing at least one game, we have created a power ranking of all 17 teams in the 2023 season.

1. Rhein Fire

Despite only getting through two weeks in the ELF, it’s hard to see the Fire dropping game the way they are playing. With Paris not being quite what people expected and the likes of the Surge and Vikings not on the schedule, the Fire should prance into the playoffs.

2. Vienna Vikings

The reigning champions began their 2023 season with a bang as they picked apart a red-hot Berlin Thunder. It was quite worrying that they nearly blew that sizable lead in the second half, but they are still an excellent team on paper who seemingly improved from 2022.

3. Raiders Tirol

Quarterback Christian Strong and the Raiders put on a show in Week 1 against the Ravens. They weren’t quite as convincing offensively in Week 2 against a worse opponent, but they still have one of the most potent offenses in the league.

4. Wroclaw Panthers

The Panthers surprised everyone in Week 1 as they dismantled the ELF’s 2022 runner up, Hamburg Sea Devils. They looked just as good in Week 2 against the Kings. Quarterback Matthew Vitale and wideout Tony Tate have already proved to be one of the deadliest duos in the league.

5. Stuttgart Surge

First game in the league with a brand new team against a side who were already a week into their season, and the Surge still managed to get a clutch win in Paris. The future looks bright for the Surge.

6. Hamburg Sea Devils

Despite being just as good if not better on paper than they were last year, the Sea Devils have lost their first two games of the season. Granted they have been against two of the best teams in the league, but the record will still count at the end of the season regardless of who it’s against. Hamburg are still a great team, but they really need to get things rolling if they hope to feature in the playoffs again this year.

7. Berlin Thunder

The Thunder did an excellent job recruiting during the offseason. Their Week 1 dismantling of the Enthroners was impressive. They lost this past weekend against the Vienna Vikings, but mounted a monstrous comeback in the second half and nearly stole it. They will need to learn how to start and finish games if they hope to feature in the postseason. But one thing’s for sure, they have the talent.

8. Barcelona Dragons

After losing their two best players in the offseason, the 2023 season looked bleak. The Dragons have however looked fantastic across two weeks of football. Receiver Theo Landström is currently one of the most deadly weapons in the league. They will get their first true test this weekend though against the Raiders.

9. Paris Musketeers

Fair or unfairly, expectations were very high for the Musketeers this year. After securing the number one quarterback and receiver in the offseason, fans expected high scores. This did not happen in Week 1 against the Centurions and their Week 2 loss against the Surge has been a tough pill to swallow. They are still a new team with a lot of kinks to work out, but the biggest of them all is how to protect Zach Edwards.

10. Frankfurt Galaxy

The Galaxy were clobbered in Week 1 by the Fire and did some clobbering of their own in Week 2 against the Enthroners. The coming weeks will show how good the Galaxy truly are, but at the moment they look about as mediocre as it gets.

11. Munich Ravens

Like all new teams in the ELF this year, the Ravens struggled a bit in Week 1. Quarterback Chad Jeffries came out red hot against the Raiders Tirol but the team quickly faded in the second half. They will likely be able to get some of their mojo back this weekend as they face the Guards.

12. Milano Seamen

The Seamen lost a painful home opener this past weekend against the Barcelona Dragons. Their offense seemed out of sync and defensively there was very little stability. The Seamen are a good team who have been playing together for years. They will surely climb the table in the weeks to come.

13. Cologne Centurions

The Centurions gave the Musketeers a run for their money in Week 1 and managed their first victory of the season against the Lions in Week 2. Their roster is a little light on talent, but they are over performing and will likely be this way all season due to some great coaching and hearty leadership from linebacker Zachary Blair.

14. Leipzig Kings

Similarly to last year, the Kings are again struggling against strong competition. They have secured some solid American as well as European imports this year, but their domestic depth is not where it needs to be. There needs to be a concerted recruitment drive if the fortunes of the Kings are to change.

15. Prague Lions

The Czech Republic is not known for being a powerhouse of football in Europe. This talent pool has also been split by the country’s football politics. To compound this all, quarterback Shazzon Mumphrey has been throwing a lot of balls into the dirt. This year, the Lions will likely just be looking to acclimatize before making a playoff push next year.

16. Helvetic Guards

Silas Nacita has single handedly won plenty of European championships. He is a one-man wrecking crew. This year may be too tall a task however. Much like the Lions, the Guards don’t have the deepest talent pool to pick from when it comes to domestic players. They may struggle to win a game this year.

17. Fehérvár Enthroners

The Enthroners have not had a good start to 2023. They have been manhandled by both Berlin and Frankfurt, the latter being without their starting quarterback. They have been competing across the continent for years, so their current lack of success is quite surprising. Like the Guards, the football that is currently on show may result in them going winless in 2023.

Graphics: Igor Lazarevic