GSL Mid-Season Review

Hello GSL and welcome to my Mid-Season Review! I figured instead of weekly power rankings I'd instead write a little summary on how each team is going so far up to this halfway point, and also rate how their season has gone so far on a scale of one to ten. I'll split this up into two posts with the East first, followed by the West later this week. Feel free to comment and discuss in the replies, as I feel everyone's opinion should be heard! Other than that, without further ado, let's jump right into this!

Eastern Conference:

North Division:
Pennsylvania Keystones
Record: 9-0, 1st in North Division, 1st in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 5, 34-30 Vs. Memphis
Most Worrying Loss:
Biggest Upcoming Game: Week 13, @ San Antonio on SNF
Review: I honestly have nothing to say other than keep up the great work! Their list of victims include every team currently in the Eastern Conference playoff picture (as well as the tough Wisconsin Stags), and still have six more games coming up to prove themselves as the Gridiron Bowl favorites. While we have seen teams utterly implode down the stretch (cough cough Steelers) I feel that such a fate won't happen to the Keystones. Don't rest on your laurels just yet Pennsylvania.
Rating: 10/10

Cincinnati Knights
Record: 6-3, 2nd in North Division, 4th in Eastern Conference (1st Wild Card)
Statement Win: Week 5, 30-21 Vs. San Antonio on SNF
Most Worrying Loss: Week 3, 10-27 @ Memphis
Biggest Upcoming Game: Week 17, Vs. Norfolk
Review: After stumbling out the gate early and drawing the ire of a certain idiot who sometimes wrote power rankings, the Knights used the criticism to fuel a five game win streak. This streak includes wins against San Antonio, Louisville, and Toronto in a possible wild card preview. That being said, I chose their win against the Texans as their real statement, as that was the game that kicked off their streak and really made me realize they might be better than I had pegged them to be. That being said, I feel they need one more really big win for me to consider them to be a Gridiron Bowl contender, which makes Week 17 against Norfolk and Week 19 against Pennsylvania very important.
Rating: 8.5/10

Toronto Terror
Record: 6-3, 3rd in North Division, 5th in Eastern Conference (2nd Wild Card)
Statement Win: Week 3, 42-28 @ San Antonio
Most Worrying Loss: Week 9, 13-21 @ Cincinnati
Biggest Upcoming Game: Week 19, Vs. Wisconsin
Review: If I had wrote this three weeks ago I'd consider the Terror arguably the second best team in the Eastern Conference, and a dangerous threat to make a run in the playoffs with the point differential to back it up. Since then they have been on a bit of a skid, blowing a 24-8 lead to Washington and failing to keep up on Thursday Night at Cincinnati, which bring a little more skepticism as to if they can beat top quality competition. Especially with the gauntlet of games left on their schedule where they only play two games against teams outside of the playoff picture, they desperately need to keep pace or risk losing their spot in a cutthroat Wild Card race. This could make their final game of the season against the Stags extremely important, as if the game tightens up it might come down to who wins this game to see who goes on to the playoffs.
Rating: 8/10

Wisconsin Stags
Record: 5-4, 4th in North Division, 6th in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 4, 17-14 Vs. Cincinnati
Most Worrying Loss: Week 8, 23-30 @ Norfolk
Biggest Upcoming Games: Week 16 @ Cincinnati and Week 19 @ Toronto
Review: The Stags are arguably the most unlucky team in the GSL. Stuck in a division with three playoff contenders and pegged with the most difficult upcoming schedule in which the only game against a non-contender is all the way in Week 18 against Atlanta, it's easy to sympathize with the Stags. That being said, I don't think we should chalk up all of their struggles to bad luck. Their wins have either been squeakers or against the worst teams in the league, while their recent slump has been against teams they'll have to beat if they want to keep up. This makes nearly every game must win going forward, and if they want to have any hope of securing a Wild Card spot, they'll have to win at least one (but more likely both) of their road games against division rivals Cincinnati and Toronto.
Rating: 7/10

South Division:
Louisville Lightning
Record: 6-4, 1st in South Division, 3rd in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 9, 26-17 Vs. Washington
Most Worrying Loss: Week 7, 10-38 @ Pennsylvania
Biggest Upcoming Game: Week 12 Vs. Norfolk
Review: The diamond in the rough of the absolutely awful South Division, while I feel the Lightning wouldn't be leading any other division, that isn't to say they aren't a good team. I put a lot of stock into big games against quality competition, and so far they've had some good ones (against Washington and Seattle) and some not so good ones (Cincinnati and Pennsylvania), so I feel they need to show up during their gauntlet of games coming up against Wisconsin, Norfolk, and Oakland. Norfolk in particular is absolutely must win, considering that most likely this will be a preview of their first round matchup, so losing this game would seriously damage my view on how deep they can go once they win the South (and they will win the South). Lock in and keep up the streak to show me you're legit!
Rating: 7/10

Jacksonville Captains
Record: 2-7, 2nd in South Division, 10th in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 2, 35-34 Vs. Louisville
Most Worrying Loss: Week 5, 16-17 @ Atlanta
Biggest Upcoming Game: Week 19 @ Louisville
Review: The first bottom tier team of this review, I don't honestly have a ton to write about a lot of these teams considering they've let it be known they'd rather tank for a potential franchise player next year. The Captains in particular are infuriating, as they looked pretty solid for the first couple weeks, then decided to take the rest of the season off. It isn't even because of a hard schedule, they just have been coasting. That being said, the Captains aren't as awful as the next two teams on this review, and while it'd be extremely hard, they could turn it around. They also have quite a few close losses, so perhaps they're a few adjustments away from a decent end to the season.
Rating: 2/10

Louisiana Royals
Record: 1-8, 3rd in South Division, 11th in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 2, 27-24 Vs. Atlanta
Most Worrying Loss: Week 4, 10-38 @ Norfolk
Biggest Upcoming Game: Week 19 @ Atlanta
Review: Another bottom feeder, their lone win was against Atlanta all the way back in Week 2. They pretty much need anybody in the draft, and that's where their mind should be as they round out what looks to be a brutal end to the season. That being said, New Orleans still is hosting the Gridiron Bowl, so it's not all bad!
Rating: 0.5/10

Atlanta Flying Fleet
Record: 1-9, 4rd in South Division, 12th in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 5, 17-16 Vs. Jacksonville
Most Worrying Loss:
Biggest Upcoming Game: July 21st vs. (TBA) in the Union Cup
Review: Directly transferred from the UWFLL, unlike the Terror, they have had quite a bit of struggle adjusting to the GSL. Their fans should be excited however because: 1. they won't be relegated, and 2. they'll be in position to get an elite franchise altering talent in the draft. That being said, I do respect their player's decision to protest Georgia's voting bill, so they've won off the field in a sense!
Rating: 0.1/10

East Division:
Norfolk Commanders
Record: 6-3, 1st in East Division, 2nd in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 7, 16-9 Vs. Washington on Easter Sunday
Most Worrying Loss: Week 5, 17-24 @ Colorado
Biggest Upcoming Game: Week 12 @ Louisville
Review: After stumbling out the gate to start out, the Commanders have justified rbonish's high ranking of them by winning 5 in a row. What's best about this streak is the quality of their opponents, as while they don't have a true huge win against a top tier team, they've been knocking off a string of great wins against solid competition (Washington, Baltimore, Wisconsin). Similar to what I wrote for the Lightning, their Week 12 game @ Louisville is must win, as odds are it'll be a preview of their opening playoff match. Winning against the Eagles would also strengthen their bid for the Bowl.
Rating: 8.5/10

Washington Stars
Record: 5-4, 2nd in East Division, 7th in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 10, 14-10 Vs. Colorado
Most Worrying Loss: Week 9, 17-26 @ Louisville
Biggest Upcoming Game: Week 18 Vs. Norfolk
Review: DEEEEEEEEEFENSE! Easily the GSL's most suffocating unit, the Stars' defensive front has kept them in games that their anemic offense can't pull them out of. They live and die by their D, and it has cost them dearly in some situations. While they have allowed 20+ points only three times this season, they lost two by considerable margins and were bailed out by a miracle run against Toronto. And that's why I'm skeptical for their long term success: they really don't have a true "statement" win. They've beaten some good teams, but all of those have been squeakers, and when they've lost against high quality opposition they lose big. All in all this is a good squad, but I feel they'll have to rely on either their division of the Wild Card race cutting them some slack.
Rating: 7/10

Baltimore Bluebirds
Record: 5-5, 3rd in East Division, 8th in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 10, 31-17 Vs. Arizona
Most Worrying Loss: Week 5, 27-31 @ Las Vegas
Biggest Upcoming Game: Week 13, @ Colorado on MNF
Review: This team is such an enigma: one week they're destroying Louisville, the next they'll lose to a winless Las Vegas on national television. Personally, as a Baltimore team fan I feel like I always am either astounded or frustrated by this team (kind of like some other bird teams in the city) on a level that I shouldn't be feeling for a team in the opposite conference. Personal biases aside, they've found ways to maintain offense in every game they've had and tend to play to the level of their competition (which can be a blessing and a curse). They're another team (along with Washington and Wisconsin) that all are cursed by an extremely competitive conference, as I feel the 'Birds would have more success had they been in a different conference or division. Other than that I feel, just like with Washington, that they need to get lucky if they want to extend the season.
Rating: 6.5/10

Miami Sol
Record: 4-5, 4th in East Division, 9th in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 3, 24-21 @ Norfolk
Most Worrying Loss: Week 7, 17-21 Vs. Baltimore on Easter Sunday
Biggest Upcoming Game: Week 11, @ Washington on TNF
Review: The Sol are interesting to me. They're not nearly as bad as the three bottom feeders below them, yet they haven't proven themselves to be in the mix for the next tier up with their other division-mates. So for now they're trapped in their own tier, the Atlanta Falcons level of being too good to tank but missing too much to truly compete. That being said unlike the Falcons, the Sol have been carried by a criminally underrated defense tasked with keeping G. Stanstill from getting sucked into the void known as their offense. Their upcoming schedule also provides a chance to prove themselves, as they play 8 games against the exact type of competitive team (and also Atlanta ) they need to beat to keep up in the Eastern Conference .
Rating: 4/10

Nice review ! Yes we were on a skid but we just came off of a bye and we`re hungry. We have a big game at Pennsylvania coming up too in week 16 but we`re not looking too far ahead. QB Joe Heismann says the bye week helped his weary arm and he`s ready. LB Riquan Lemon has been racking up the sacks and the D was playing better the last few weeks. We`ll be in the mix...

Wow this is really cool.
After watching our past 3 games I can say our defense is starting to wake up. Sure there were a couple of bad offenses like Washington and ATL, but outside of some 4th quarter choking we were holding Seattle to nothing but field goals.
I think if the defense can keep it up then we've got a good shot at taking the second seed.

Awesome review. Looking forward to the Western Conference!

Even if the Outlaws are doing terrible this year, at least we're someone's worst loss (kind of makes it better that we beat Baltimore).

92Mafia wrote:Hello GSL and welcome to my Mid-Season Review! I figured instead of weekly power rankings I'd instead write a little summary on how each team is going so far up to this halfway point, and also rate how their season has gone so far on a scale of one to ten. I'll split this up into two posts with the East first, followed by the West later this week. Feel free to comment and discuss in the replies, as I feel everyone's opinion should be heard! Other than that, without further ado, let's jump right into this!

Eastern Conference:

Wisconsin Stags
Record: 5-4, 4th in North Division, 6th in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 4, 17-14 Vs. Cincinnati
Most Worrying Loss: Week 8, 23-30 @ Norfolk
Biggest Upcoming Games: Week 16 @ Cincinnati and Week 19 @ Toronto
Review: The Stags are arguably the most unlucky team in the GSL. Stuck in a division with three playoff contenders and pegged with the most difficult upcoming schedule in which the only game against a non-contender is all the way in Week 18 against Atlanta, it's easy to sympathize with the Stags. That being said, I don't think we should chalk up all of their struggles to bad luck. Their wins have either been squeakers or against the worst teams in the league, while their recent slump has been against teams they'll have to beat if they want to keep up. This makes nearly every game must win going forward, and if they want to have any hope of securing a Wild Card spot, they'll have to win at least one (but more likely both) of their road games against division rivals Cincinnati and Toronto.
Rating: 7/10

You won't feel so bad for us once we start ripping off wins lol

Looking forward to a realignment next year to get out of this division.

92Mafia wrote: Atlanta Flying Fleet
Record: 1-9, 4rd in South Division, 12th in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 5, 17-16 Vs. Jacksonville
Most Worrying Loss:
Biggest Upcoming Game: July 21st vs. (TBA) in the Union Cup
Review: Directly transferred from the UWFLL, unlike the Terror, they have had quite a bit of struggle adjusting to the GSL. Their fans should be excited however because: 1. they won't be relegated, and 2. they'll be in position to get an elite franchise altering talent in the draft. That being said, I do respect their player's decision to protest Georgia's voting bill, so they've won off the field in a sense!
Rating: 0.1/10

Lol 0.1 I love it... oh we have that Week 19 rematch with Louisiana circled on our calendar too!

Rob Holecko wrote:

92Mafia wrote: Atlanta Flying Fleet
Record: 1-9, 4rd in South Division, 12th in Eastern Conference
Statement Win: Week 5, 17-16 Vs. Jacksonville
Most Worrying Loss:
Biggest Upcoming Game: July 21st vs. (TBA) in the Union Cup
Review: Directly transferred from the UWFLL, unlike the Terror, they have had quite a bit of struggle adjusting to the GSL. Their fans should be excited however because: 1. they won't be relegated, and 2. they'll be in position to get an elite franchise altering talent in the draft. That being said, I do respect their player's decision to protest Georgia's voting bill, so they've won off the field in a sense!
Rating: 0.1/10

Lol 0.1 I love it... oh we have that Week 19 rematch with Louisiana circled on our calendar too!

That might very well be for the number 1 overall pick!

Patrick Davis wrote:

You won't feel so bad for us once we start ripping off wins lol

Looking forward to a realignment next year to get out of this division.

Realignment next year could get you out of that division, but that'll depend on where the new teams are geographically.
But also, if you remember, results this year will have no impact on next year. Everyone starts fresh, and every team gets new random rankings assigned. Think of it like yearly fantasy football drafts. It'll give even the worst teams a shot the following season.

I'll post my Western Conference review before Thursday of next week.