Power Rankings! (Week 11)

The playoff runs begin as the top teams in each divisions gear up for the final games of the regular season. The Inscrutable Drama Kings Division is seeing a heated race to the wire as the top 4 teams in the league are separated by only 2 games. On the other side of the ocean, the Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses are brewing a drama of their own as the Angels are feeling the heat as team Skool has somehow managed to rake off two straight wins to pull even with the Angels. However, close behind are team TAGHeuer and the Green Team, both two games behind and fighting desperately for that last playoff position.

1. Buffy (8-3) Buffy has been awesome all year long and seems to show no signs of slowing down. Despite failing to surpass the century mark after 5 straight weeks, Buffy is still averaging an impressive 120 points the last 5 games, highest in the league.

2. Chunky Monkeys (7-4) The Monkeys have been stumbling the previous two weeks, with a stunning loss to the Green Team and barely managing a win over the struggling Jammers last week. However, the Monkeys are clearly the second best team as they are the only team besides Buffy to have averaged over 100 points per contest throughout the season. The Monkeys are also currently on an incredible streak of 8 consecutive games with over 100 points scored. The Monkeys will attempt to reclaim their top position as they face division rivals, the DIRTeByRDeeZ and Buffy, in the last two weeks of the season. The much anticipated showdown against Buffy will give the Monkey's a chance to show who's truly the top dog in the league. (The Monkeys holds the advantage and are 1-0 against Buffy this season)

3. Battle Angels (6-5) Despite a mediocre record, the Angels are still first in their division while featuring one of the top offensive lineups in the league. The Angels, despite losing last week, have averaged an amazing 117 points per game the last 3 weeks! 2nd only behind team Buffy.

4. DIRTeByRDeeZ (6-5) After a 5 game winning streak, the Birds have cooled while enduring two consecutive losses. However, the DIRTeByRDeeZ still feature one of the most explosive lineups in the league with young rbs Ahman Green and Corey Dillon leading the way. Bolstered by the surprising play of FA Tom Brady, the solid receiving unit (Harrison, Carter, Ward) have seen plenty of action the past couple of weeks. Despite the recent slump, the Birds are one of the few teams to have averaged over 100 pts per game the last 5 games. The key to the Birds rests with the QB -- if Brady can perform consistently at a high level, the Birds will be a tough team to play. This week's matchup with the Monkey's will be the Birds first big test before the playoffs.

5. Tiiite End Jammers (6-5) Even amidst a disastrous slide in the standings, the Jammers are still in the hunt for that last playoff spot. The Jammers have been heating up the past two weeks, as the team posted a respectable 97 points per game. The Jammers are staring at a relatively easy schedule in its last two weeks of regular season play (Ante Up and Skool). To have a chance at landing that last playoff position, the Jammers must prove that it is playoff worthy and put teams like Ante Up and Skool away.

6. Skool (6-5) Skool has been the model of efficiency ... or luck, whichever works for you. Defying all odds, Skool has managed a 6-5 record and a tie for first place with the Angels despite only exceeding the century mark once this season. While the rest of the league has averaged over 100 points per game in games they have won, Skool has averaged only 90 points. Even more astounding is the fact that in the games that Skool has lost, Skool is averaging 86.4 points per game, 3rd highest in the league! Is this a team that plays only as much as it needs to? Or is it just a mediocre team that gets lucky? It probably won't matter -- with a 2 game lead over Tag and the Green Team with weeks to go, Skool is almost a lock to make the playoffs. Go figure.

7. Ante Up (5-6) A solid team in the wrong league. If Ante Up were to have been fortunate enough to be in the Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses division, Ante Up would almost surely be a lock for a playoff berth. Unfortunately, despite being the 4th best offensive team this year, Ante Up is toiling in the cellar trying to catch divisional powerhouses such as team Buffy, the Chunky Monkeys, the DIRTeByRDeeZ and the Jammers. Hopeless? Actually, the team is only one game behind the Birds and the Jammers. But Ante Up will have their backs to the wall as they face the Jammers and Birds in the last two games of the regular season. A sweep will garauntee them a position for the playoffs, while a loss will almost surely knock them out.

8. Green Team (4-7) The Green Team has been hot, but it might be too late. The Green Team has averaged over 104 points per game in its last 3 weeks but is still 2 games behind 2nd place. With two playoff berths all but locked up by the Battle Angels and Skool, the Green Team will have to duke it out with TAGHeuer and Flaming Shrapnel for the final position. The team will be counting heavily on the resurgence of RBs Duce Staley and Mike Anderson.

9. Flaming Shrapnel (3-8) Analysts argue that team Shrapnel, with 997 total points scored this season, good for 7th overall, certainly does not deserve the worst record in the league. However, despite its efforts and the inspiring play of Terrell Owens, Anthony Thomas, Garrison Hearst and teen heart-throb Alex Van Pelt, Shrapnel has been unable to string any kind of winning streak together all season. Facing likely elimination, the Shrapnel team will still battle to the end. GM Liao refuses to give up and if anything, analysts around the country fully expect team Shrapnel to be a force to be reckoned with next year.

10. TAGHeuer (4-7) This has been a dismal season for team Tag. With its running back core combining for an astounding 1 touchdown all season, its leading receiver, Keyshawn Johnson scoreless this season, few are surprised at Tag's ineptitude at being able to put the rock in the endzone. With a league leading 5 games in which it has scored less than 80 points, team Tag will almost certainly have a busy off- season. However, building his team around talent including Donovan McNabb, Stephen Davis and Keyshawn Johnson, GM Ping Shen will have a few tricks up his sleeve for next year. I gaurantee it.

Taking You to Skool

Today's topic will be the incredible and some would say, miraculous season put in by Skool. With only one century game to it's credit in 11 weeks, Skool has put up a winning record of 6-5. How did they do it? Obviously, a roster sporting only one bona fide star (Daunte Culpepper) is winning due to a strange combination of luck and guts. An easy schedule is also only part of the answer because while Skool's PA mark of 1009 is low, it isn't the lowest in the league nor is it abnormally different than any other contending team.

Standing at 2-1 after three straight weeks of under 80 scoring was a pretty phenomenol feat. This publication predicted the collapse of Skool but after going 1-3 over the next four weeks (with three 90+ scores and one 75), Skool has picked it back up again with a 3-1 run. This last week's win over Green Team (by 2 points) was powered by the stunning performances of WR Kevin Johnson and the suddenly resurgent Tiki Barber.

The roster for Skool is full of superstars having subpar years (Isaac Bruce and Tony Gonzalez) but somehow they are winning. Their best player scores almost double the amount of the next best player, backup QB T Couch. The second best player to consistently take the field has been the Charger Defense (with 128 points). With a patchwork starting lineup that usually reads: QB D Culpepper, RB T Barber, RB R Dayne, WR I Bruce, WR K Johnson and WR T Gonzalez, this team strikes fear in no one. Yet they have beaten some pretty good teams. With season sweeps against both Flaming Shrapnel and the Green Team the magic for Skool may never stop. With only a few short weeks until the playoffs Skool is left to face only TAG and Tiiite End Jammers. If they can win both games they could easily take the division in a magical season.

In general, the league is as competitive as its ever been. More than half the league is playing at a better than .500 clip and it seems like any team can win any week. There have also been a number of nail biter games that have come down to the wire. In this unpredictable season, 9 of the top 10 players have been QBs and the top RBs are not named Marshall or Edgerrin. As the case with the NFL, parity rules.

Power Rankings!

There is a 4 way tie for first in one division while the other divison sports just one team above .500. What gives? In the latest edition the league's Power Rankings, here's a look at the hotties and the not-so-hotties.

1. Buffy (5-3) The team with the highest number of points scored (873 pts in 8 games!) getting hotter? Impossible you say. A look at the scoreboards reveals that not only has Buffy exceeded the century mark the past 3 games, he has managed to improve his score in each game culminating in a blowout this past week against Green Team. With Faulk and Holt coming back, will there be anyone catching the Buffy team?

2. Chunky Monkeys (5-3) +1 Despite Buffy's apparent dominance, the Chunky Monkeys ARE the hottest team in the league. Despite a recent slow down, the Monkeys have eclipsed the century mark in 5 straight games while averaging over 112 pts per contests. No other team is close to that average during that span. With the eventual return of Fred Taylor, this young team doesn't figure to be second for too long.

3. DirteBrydeez (5-3) +1 Riding a 4 game winning streak, the Birds are at it again. Shaking off a terrible start, shrewd roster moves by management are making GM Jon Yang look like genius. With a young QB Tom Brady at the helm and the talented running duo of Ahman and Corey, its hard to see the Birds going anywhere but up.

4. Tiiite End Jammers (5-3) -2 What once was a proud but powerful expansion team is slowly being destroyed by injuries and inconsistent play. Averaging over 104 pts a game in the first 5 games, the Jammers have fallen dramatically in offensive output (averaging under 70 pts per game the last 3 games, worst in the league). With the early injury to Ed McCaffery, the Jammers have been relying on its younger legs with the likes of Rod Gardner and Peerless Price. However, their inexperience have proved devastating. The team is now looking for Coach Pan to work some of his trademark tiiite magic in the second half. Watch for this team to be active on the deal front in the coming weeks.

5. Battle Angels (5-3) +1 The Angels continue to dominate their division as they completed their second straight win this week. As the lone team above .500, the only knock against the Angels is that they play in a remarkeably easy league. However, their quiet demeanor belies the true strength of the team. Anchored by veterans throughout the lineup, the Angels have been rock solid all season and looks to make a strong push as playoff season rolls around.

6. Flaming Shrapnel (2-6) +1 Before sending your hate mail emails, it would be wise to realize that the Shrapnel team has been a solid team all year long despite its poor record. Fourth in the league in scoring while anchored by a strong young core, the future is bright for this team. After its string of unlucky losses, probability will undoubtedly be with the Shrapnel team from here on out as well.

7. TAGHeuer (3-5) +1 In a its longest losing streak of the year (3 games), the Tag team is primed to break out after showing signs of life with a 106 point outburst (unfortunately against da Birds who scored over 120 points). Sitting in the middle of the Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses division, the Tag team is easily within striking distance and with an active management team, more is surely to be expected from this veteran front office.

8. Skool (4-4) +2 Team Skool has been the Ugly Cinderella story of the year thus far. Despite a respectable 4-4 record, Skool has still been unable to reach the century mark in its first 8 games. In a league where the winning team scores an average of 108 points, Skool has been winning its games by averaging less than 87 points per game. Probability tells us that Skool won't be winning many more if they continue to produce at this pace.

9. Ante Up (3-5) -4 As previously mentioned, this is a team of streaks. Unfortunately, the team is on the wrong end of the spectrum as it suffered one of its worst losses this week and appears to be ready for more. Unless management can find a way to right the ship, roster moves will be inevitable. Playing in a division where the other 4 teams have averaged roughly 98 points per contest the past 5 games doesn't help either.

10. Green Team (3-5) -2 The Green Team has seemingly hit a wall. In its past 5 games, it has failed to average over 80 points per contest, not nearly enough to win consistently in this fire power oriented league. With many of its veteran leaders relegated to the bench, the coaching staff will be confronted with key decisions in the upcoming games. Sporting a 3-5 record, the Green Team is not out by any means but Coach Ng will be under the public microscope for sometime to come.

Season at the Half:
League MVP: Rod Smith - The man is incredible even without Easy Ed.
League Dud: Fred Taylor. Fragile Fred is still weeks away from any kind of return.
GM of the Half: GM Yang (DIRTeByRDeeZ) Going from worst to best? Not quite but almost.