
Authors Note: These rankings were taken going into week 3. We were unable to get this out before today, so the rankings here do not reflect the week 3 game results.
The Start of week 3 is upon us, and we have seen some great football so far. Some teams have really started to hit the ground running, and some teams are really struggling to find themselves. I and Ambush Sports co-writer Drew Wells are here to break down the teams from best to worst.
1)
Jesse
Houston Roughnecks
I feel like this was one of the easier decisions to make. Blowout win against Orlando last week. Win against Arlington on Sunday night. Wade Phillips has the defense firing on all cylinders. Brandon Silvers is proving to be an effective Quarterback. Max Borghi is also proving to be a solid dual-threat target in that offense. Not sure how Houston has managed to do it, but they are still undefeated going back to 2020.
Drew
Houston Roughnecks
This is an easy call to this point in a young season. Houston has the best defense in the league, and one of the highest-scoring offenses as well. Players like Trent Harris and Brandon Silvers have really established a balance across all phases of the game, and even when they have looked “bad”, they have never really been in danger of losing a game this season.
2)
Jesse
St. Louis BattleHawks
The heart attack hawks have managed to be 2-0 in exciting fashion. Pulling off a 15-3 comeback in the final minutes of Week one against the Brahmas. In Week 2, a walk-off field goal secured their 2-0 Start. This team is gonna be difficult for anyone to put down, but right now number 2 is as far as I can put them.
Drew
St. Louis Battlehawks
A.J. McCarron has settled into a rhythm, and the Battlehawk’s defense is playing strong, balanced football. As the season ages, the Battlehawks will likely only gain momentum, especially with an anticipated crowd of 30,000+ at their home games. They face a tough matchup in Week 3 on the road against another good squad in the D.C. Defenders.
3)
Jesse
DC slides in at number 3, if for no other reason than I am still not sure what to make of them. They managed a victory in week 1, off a fumble at the one-yard line with very little time left. In week 2, they handled business against a struggling Vegas team. The two-headed monster at QB of Jordan Ta’amu and D’eriq King seems to be working for them.
Drew
DC Defenders
D.C.’s defense paired with fans to create an absolutely legendary and iconic moment in this young league’s history with the beer snake/lemon-throwing/pick-six sequence of events in Week 1. Their offense has started to put things together as well while learning how to strike a balance between Jordan Ta’Amu and D’Eriq King behind center. Look for a slugfest to determine the difference between these two teams this week in the Defenders’ house.
4)
Jesse
San Antonio Brahmas
This team could wind up much higher by the end of the season. A meltdown against the Battle hawks is the only reason they are sitting at number 4. The Defense is playing lights-out football, Their running game has proven to be one of the most effective in the league. Jack Coan, if he continues his solid play, could be a real problem for the rest of the league.
Drew
San Antonio Brahmas
San Antonio has a stout and consistent defense, that is without a doubt. Most of their questions are on the offensive side of the ball. Jack Coan had a huge showing last week, as did the wideouts and tight ends. Coan had 3 TDs and looked great while doing so against Orlando. The same couldn’t be said in Week 1, as St. Louis really got to Coan with their pressures. When they couldn’t pass, San Antonio showed the ability to run the ball with gusto. Kalen Ballage is a rare talent.
5)
Jesse
Seattle Sea Dragons
I know what you are thinking. I have 0-2 Seattle ahead of one win against Arlington. Seattle’s losses on the season are to undefeated St. Louis and DC. Both games were very winnable for Seattle. One was the result of a DiNucci fumble, the other a walk-off field goal. Of all the teams in the league they had by far and away the hardest first two games. They have a couple of things to clean up, but when they do they can be a problem.
Drew
Arlington Renegades
Arlington’s defense is top 2 in the league behind Houston for now. They are stingy and get great pressure on the quarterback. Honestly, they probably have the best blitz package in the league hands-down. That offense, though? Not a great look so far. Arlington will look to bounce back with a QB change this week as Kyle Sloter steps into the fold looking to kickstart that unit for the Renegades. If they get that offense going, watch out…
6)
Jesse
Arlington Renegades
This was one of the hardest teams to rank. I feel like we will know a lot more about them after this weekend’s game against Orlando. But at the moment, they slide in at number 6. To this point, their offense has looked bad, only managing 14 points. However, they may have the best defense in the league. In week one, they had 2 pick-six touchdowns to help seal the win. In Week 2, their defense kept Houston from pulling away, However lack of Offensive execution wound up being too much to overcome.
Drew
Seattle Sea Dragons
Ben DiNucci has been a puzzler thus far, but that offensive line has been a failure so far. Can they protect DiNucci at all, and if they can, can they just run away from teams? I think that answer is yes. The Sea Dragons sport an average defense, but they have playmaking capabilities. It will be interesting to find out if DiNucci can contain his own mistakes if he finally gets protection.
7)
Jesse
Vegas Vipers
At number 7, We have the Vegas Vipers. This team is still trying to find its identity. Week one started out really well. Luis Perez had two first-half touchdowns, and they looked very much in control. Then the second half, a complete meltdown cost them the game. In Week 2, it was more of the same. They were 6-0 in the third until allowing 18 unanswered points to the defenders. This team is still searching for answers, but they are closer to finding them than the last team on our list.
Drew
Vegas Vipers
Las Vegas, like Seattle, have a massive problem on the offensive line. Will they be able to make adjustments to help that line out, or will they stay the course and ride out the storm? The defense is slightly above average with Vic Beasley leading the charge, but they may be even better if the offense can give them a breather sometimes. This team is on the cusp of being good, but it just isn’t playing out to this point.
8)
Jesse
Orlando Guardians
There isn’t really much more to say. Two blowout losses to start the season. Granted both blowouts were to upper-echelon teams in the league, however, there is a lot to fix here. The offense, particularly the passing game, has been horrid. It’s been so anemic that it has ruined two pretty decent defensive performances. Compounding mistakes have taken their toll, and there are serious concerns about whether Terrell Buckley is the right guy for the head coaching spot. This number 8 is well deserved indeed.
Drew
Orlando Guardians
This is probably the easiest ranking of the 8 teams in the league. Beyond their defense being prone to giving up big plays, their entire team is currently a cultural disaster area in terms of football (not to mention the Quentin Dormady saga). Can Head Coach Terrell Buckley find something to stir up leadership and accountability in that locker room, or will Orlando continue to kind of fizzle out? Time will tell…