Upside down this year in the FWL

[Paul-London]

Montreal 8-6     - 4-4 this year
Berlin 10-4        - 2-6 this year
London 10-4     - 4-4 this year

Its a crazy year this year in the FWL.  Two teams from the EFC last year (Berlin and London) were 10-4 last season, this year Berlin is just 2-6 and London 4-4 and struggling to make the playoffs.

Over in the AFC perrenial playoff powerhouse Montreal is 4-4 and have lost 3 straight and now face a tough battle for the playoffs

Should be a great final few weeks of the FWL with lots of surprises to come no doubt

[jcompton-Orlando]

And it never, ever seems right to see Frankfurt with a losing record.

And surely this is the first time in the Harwood Era (barring maybe 2002 season, but I forget who was running the team at the time) that Montreal has been out of playoff position past the halfway point of a season. Not that I actually expect that situation to continue, but it's still a statistical anomaly.

[Paul-London]

I think Frankfurt have a very good team (even their WR's are doing well this year) - 6th ranked offense, 8th ranked defense

Every loss has been by 7 points or less.  5 games have been by 3 points or less

Could easily be 6-2 with the right bounce of the ball, have been unlucky.  Think they could rebound next year as they have a very good team on paper, so many close games though this year.

[Marco_Frankfurt]

actually I did think exactly that if my team this season.

I was 8-6 last season, missed the playoffs and then traded my whole draft away to get a few key players that could make an immediate impact in the areas I needed most (OL, LB and DB). The result is ... well not as expected :-(

Unlucky is one way to describe it, but maybe its just that the other teams have improved even more then my team.

[Paul-London]

Dont think Frankfurt are a bad team though.  The stats dont lie in your top 10 defense and offense, but you are losing lots of close games, your kicker is having a great year so i would expect you to win many close games but its been the opposite.

Again not that it helps but i do think Frankfurt has been very unlucky.  Losing Skip Hicks to injury hasnt helped either.

I do think Frankfurt will be back, do think you need a new HB1 though.  Some of the top teams have HB's averaging 4 or even 5 yards a carry, Hicks is averaging 3.1 yards and i know this year the league has been very defensive but Frankfurt historically has been a great rushing team through the years.  On paper Hicks is very very good but just hasnt done well this year, is it your o-line or Hicks ?

I personally think once FB Snellings ST hits 90 he would be a brilliant HB1, great all round skills and very young.  Thought he would have got a shot this year at HB1 instead of Galloway

[Marco_Frankfurt]

well Galloway played very well last season as a replacement to Hicks:

Galloway               62     317   5.1   79    3

but maybe I should start to try new things, on the other hand, if Hicks is healthy he is the starter, at least for this season.

[Paul-London]

Yeah true, didnt realise how good Galloway was last year.  A quick scout around the league, some players i would like to see starting are...

HB Gerald Riggs Jnr (NY) - Had a chance this year and failed, DeMario Brown has come in and has done very well, Riggs could be one in the future but for now Brown is on fire.
FB Quincy Wilson (NY) - Has done a great job diving in over the goalline, great stats, great FB but would like to see how he might do as HB1 one day

HB John David Washington (Bir) - If he has a good camp i think he could be the new Fire HB1.  Reshard is great but a veteran, Flowers isnt that bad but Washington intrigues me

HB Jackie Battle (Ral) - Curtis Alexander could probably still start next year but Battle could be even better after camp next year.  Great young back

FB McKenzi Smith (Mon) - Looks a brilliant RB with most stats in his 90's, great FB for Ken Simonton (Still playing very well), would like to see him as HB1 one day though to see what he could do

FB Jason Snelling (Fra) - Once his ST hits 90 he could be an excellent HB1 for many years to come, good young player

FB Butchie Wallace (Ber) - Always thought a team would trade for him, great FB1 for Berlin and for HB Avon Cobourne but think he could be an excellent HB1

HB DeJuan Green (Ams) and FB Sha-Ron Edwards (Ams) - Amsterdam have a great set of backup running backs, both Green and Edwards could be HB1 for many teams out there

FB Terry Witherspoon (Scotland) - Still has great SP (90) and ST (90), shame hes an inactive FB3 for Scotland.  Great veteran of Austria FWL Bowl sides and Scotland, Witherspoon is still better than some FB's currently starting out there.

HB Jermaine Allen Jnr (Aus) - McCullough is the clear starter here but when given the chance last year Allen was sensational.  Could be HB1 for many teams out there

Lots of good RB's in the league, perhaps too many really but some good young guys out there ready to take over in the future.