Week 9 was another to forget for the NPIFL’s Metropolitan division, which went 1-5 for the second time against its Plas Coch opponents. This certainly made for interesting reading and could have postseason repercussions for the Metro’s teams. With it being Week 10, it’s time for the NPIFL Power Rankings.
First, let’s take a look at the last Power Rankings so we can see how the landscape has changed:
- St. Lewis Rams (4-0)
- San Wrexham 49ers (4-0)
- Brymbo Storm (3-1)
- You are in Chubble (3-1)
- Santos XI (3-1)
- The Love Train (2-2)
- Old England Pats (2-2)
- Tyreek or Treat (1-3)
- Lloyds Leviathans (1-3)
- Wardiefence Wins Championships (1-3)
- Brymbo Originals (0-4)
- Eagles Raid Steelers (0-4)
NPIFL Power Rankings after Week 9
#12, Tyreek or Treat (1-8)
PF: 957.46/PA: 1,122.9/L8
It has been a nightmare Super Bowl defense for Tyreek or Treat, and it seems that everything that could go wrong has. Being on an extended losing streak of an NPIFL record 8, fans would be forgiven for thinking it’s all but over. However, one lesson the NPIFL has taught us is that if you can’t win, you can still spoil for others, and ToT is still within range of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
If you were to dissect the 2024 season thus far the root issue for ToT has been Tyreek Hill’s falloff without QB Tua Tagovailoa and a shift in the scheme in Houston. With the Texans running the ball in the red zone so often and so many receivers injured, QB C.J. Stroud is not putting up good numbers.
There are rumors that the Treat may look to change it up and acquire a new QB. Could it save their season? Maybe not, but it could certainly wreck someone else’s. Tyreek or Treat face a Brymbo Originals missing some key pieces and troubling matchups, and even HC Nathan Adams has picked ToT to end the O’s rampage.
#11, Eagles Raid Steelers (2-7)
PF: 986.36/PA: 1,107.5/L2
The ERS have been very unimpressive in 2024 and were the lone Plas Coch team to lose in Week 9. Worse, there have been occasions where the team has been accused of mismanagement, with players ruled out days in advance being fielded.
The lone trade move that sent Davante Adams to the 49ers for Allen Lazard and Alexander Mattison didn’t really move the needle in the ERS’ favor, although Mattison has been an improvement over Zamir White.
The forecast for the ERS could get a little brighter, with them facing a Leviathans team without Jakobi Meyers and possibly A.J. Brown in Week 10. After that, they face the bottom-of-the-table Tyreek or Treat before returning to taking on their division rivals.
The ERS don’t have the worst offense in the NPIFL (9th for pts scored) but have a penchant for running into the wrong team at the wrong time, or coming up short in close games. Unfortunately for their fans, NPIFL expert Nathan Adams has them to lose to the Leviathans, effectively eliminating them from the Super Bowl playoff bracket. That does, according to Adams, depend on “if Tom remembers to sort his team out this week.”
#10, Old England Pats (4-5)
PF: 942.10/PA: 992.82/W1
The Old England Pats got a much-needed win in Week 9 against the ERS. There are, however, some concerns that lead to them being No. 10 in the power rankings. The Pats are not putting up enough points to win consistently, and rank 11th in the NPIFL for points scored.
Injuries to their intimidating WR core has really hurt Old England, with Stefon Diggs out for the season, Chris Olave having multiple concussions and Mike Evans having a serious hamstring injury. However, the Pats appear to have papered over the cracks with the breakout form of sophomore stars, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Bijan Robinson.
If the Pats can dig deep and pull out a few more wins while they await Evans’ return, this is a team that could run the Metro. Next up is an unenviable game against the San Wrexham 49ers, but if Old England can slay the Welsh dragon, there will be a lot of optimism.
#9, Wardiefence Wins Championships (3-6)
PF: 938.88/PA: 1,068.72/L1
The WWC are hanging on in their hunt for their first Super Bowl postseason run, but at 3-6, there is very little room for error. Coming off a difficult defeat, the mood around camp was bleak and the WWC have the worst offense in the NPIFL. So why are they coming in at No. 9 over the Pats?
Well, the franchise has received some very good news that could lead to significant improvements for the remainder of the season. The 2024 NPIFL draft’s No. 1 pick, Christian McCaffrey, is rumored to be back in Week 10, much to the chagrin of the Brymbo Storm fanbase.
This could be a real game-changer for the WWC and those close losses could turn into wins hereon out. They certainly have the pieces to threaten any team, but have been lacking some consistency. It will be interesting to see if they can keep up their tag of “Giant Killers” against the Storm, as the WWC is 3-0 against teams with winning records in 2024. Nathan Adams, however, does not believe in the WWC this week and has the Storm taking the win.
#8, Lloyds Leviathans (4-5)
PF: 1,022.92/PA: 1,062.26/L1
Week 9 saw Lloyds HC Tom Lloyd boldly claim Brymbo belonged to the Leviathans and that they would ‘salt the fields’ of North Wales (etc.),’ but a stunning overtime defeat silenced all that talk. The loss was caused by an accidental throw, with Amari Cooper fielded after being ruled out an hour before the game.
Lloyds had been on the up, and have gone 3-2 since the last rankings. That defeat, however, saw the O’s (and Plas contenders) get a jump on them in the playoff race as we approach the witching hour of 2024.
The injury to A.J. Brown appears to be of little concern, which is huge news for the Leviathans. QB Jalen Hurts has been putting the team on his back of late, with 110 points in the last four games, and as long as he is on fire, Lloyds can keep pace with anyone.
They face an ERS in desperation mode next, and if they can come out on top, the Leviathans will be well in the mix for the final third of the season. Nathan’s Pix sees the Leviathans piling on the misery for the ERS and moving to .500.
#7, Brymbo Originals (4-5)
PF: 1,059.16/PA: 1,079.86/W4
The 0-5 Brymbo Originals have, against all odds, turned their season around. Fans are ecstatic about the ongoing rampage and the atmosphere atop Mt. Sion is almost feverish. Neutrals would be forgiven for thinking the O’s were undefeated this season given the cacophony of noise, and it will be interesting to see if their winning streak can continue.
As for the cause of this change in fortune? Hot running backs and a little luck. As for the luck, Amari Cooper not being replaced against the Leviathans was decisive in Week 9, while in Week 8, the O’s won by one point in a game where Stefon Diggs was injured before halftime.
However, the Originals certainly deserve their cookie as they have, apart from in Week 9, been putting up a lot of points. This has predominantly on the back of their RB room of Kyren Williams, Josh Jacobs, Kareem Hunt and Kenneth Walker III.
While Brymbo is second bottom of the Plas Coch, they are only two games off the playoffs, which is truly an eye-opening stat. Interestingly, O’s HC Nathan Adams fears ToT in Week 10 and is predicting the league’s longest active losing and winning streaks will stop here.
#6, Santos XI (5-4)
PF: 1,044.16/PA: 1,008.74/L1
After a much-discussed and controversial move to cut Patrick Mahomes, Santos XI have potentially entered QB-streaming purgatory. Geno Smith has been up and down, and his high ceiling comes with a worrying floor, while Drake Maye has flashes of brilliance but is difficult to entirely trust at this stage. Whether Mahomes is declining is another matter, because he was certainly a valuable trade chip on past glories alone.
Looking at the on-field product, the XI will be delighted to see De’Von Achane and David Montgomery in the endzone so frequently, but an injury to Dak Prescott shrouds CeeDee Lamb’s fantasy outlook. This is clearly a very good team and they put up 146.92 points in the loss to the 49ers, a record number for a losing team in 2024.
Santos will be an intriguing watch, especially in Week 10 when they face a Love Train that has been ‘two steps forward, one step back’ in the last month. Whichever of these teams wins certainly gets an advantage as we enter the run-in for the playoffs, and Nathan’s Pix has the XI taking the W.
#5, The Love Train (5-4)
PF: 1,052.08/PA: 970.16/W1
The Love Train have been hard to predict of late and much of that has been due to a slate of injuries. Puka Nacua, DK Metcalf, Deebo Samuel and Jordan Love have missed plenty of games between them, with problems ranging from MCL sprains to pneumonia. TLT is another of the many teams struggling this season for good QB play, and are in the streaming business for this position.
The good news is that there is enough about this team to see a high floor, and we have had glimpses of how the ceiling might be. Zay Flowers, Aaron Jones and Breece Hall have pulled the Train through some adversity, and if these receivers can be healthy at the same time, we should see some consistent winning.
The Love Train has a fascinating matchup with Santos XI to look forward to in Week 10, and if they can overcome their historic playoff rival, the future could be looking rosy. That pleasant future, however, is to be replaced by a hellscape, as according to Nathan’s Pix, the XI will stop the Love Train.
#4, St Lewis Rams (6-3)
PF: 1,078.98/PA: 982.44/L1
The St. Lewis Rams have slid somewhat after making some extremely misadvised comments about going 5-0 before their Week 5 defeat. The Rams have been inconsistent of late and with their offense stalling, have dropped two of their last three games.
The current ‘woe is me, abandon your posts’ mood around St. Lewis is almost as hyperbolic as celebrating being 5-0 before it happened, as there are a lot of positives for the team. Aside from having one foot in the postseason at 6-3, this is the No. 3 offense in the NPIFL. The Rams have potentially the QB1 of the year in Jayden Daniels, and one of the best points-per-game RBs in Jonathan Taylor.
Their ability to milk points from unexpected places has been almost legendary in 2024 and with Jonathan Brooks soon to be activated, St. Lewis’ RB room could be getting a major boost. The upcoming game against You are in Chubble is certainly a scary matchup, but the Rams can stay with the best and could definitely take the win here if there are any slipups. Perhaps with this in mind, Nathan’s Pix has the Rams to win in Week 10.
#3, Brymbo Storm (6-3)
PF: 1,037.08/PA: 1,025.94/W2
The Brymbo Storm just about hold onto their earlier ranking of third, largely because they defeated the Rams in Week 9. Brymbo went through a patchy period but managed to get the job done in back-to-back weeks and still holds the season-high for points in a game (166.8).
The Storm have not been in the postseason since losing back-to-back Super Bowls and will want to rectify that in 2024. They have several players who get good target volume or rushing workloads, so the team has a solid floor and a high ceiling. If they can finally crack their QB problems, Brymbo could be a force to watch out for.
HC John Maxwell has a very tough run of games remaining, with matchups against Santos XI, San Wrexham and Chubble standing out, and the Battle for Brymbo potentially being a decisive end to the regular season.
In Nathan’s Pix, Brymbo gets the nod to wreck the WWC’s bizarre pattern of losing to every team at .500 or below, while beating teams with winning records. If that seems confusing, well it is, but the Storm are favored to win in Week 10.
#2, San Wrexham 49ers (7-2)
PF: 1,135.62, PA: 994.02, W1
San Wrexham has the league’s best record and best offense, and self-proclaimed “Manager of the Month” Chris Blockley has put the league on note. The 49ers come in at No. 2 only because it is so close between them and YAIC for points scored and SW found themselves in Chubble when the two teams met.
Other than a blip in Week 8, the 49ers have been superb and there are few week spots on their roster. With good depth, great scoring potential and a 7-2 record, you can book the 49ers as a playoff lock.
While you’d imagine the key to this supercar would be QB Josh Allen, he hasn’t consistently hit the heights you’d imagine. However, Joe Mixon, Tony Pollard, James Connor and Amon-Ra St. Brown have been more than enough to win games, and with Davante Adams and Travis Kelce finding their form, SW could win out in 2024. However, Nathan Adams dismisses that outlook and has the 49ers down as losers in Week 10 vs. the Pats.
#1, You are in Chubble (7-2)
PF: 1,133.36/PA: 972.76/W1
You are in Chubble lost the top spot in the NPIFL in Week 9, despite recording a comfortable win over Tyreek or Treat, but get the No. 1 spot in the league. However, while Chubble comes in first, there is very little separating the top two teams, who do look a cut above the rest in 2024.
The Ravens’ stack of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson are putting teams to the sword, with Saquon Barkley and Terry McLaurin putting up regular touchdowns, have made Chubble the betting man’s favorite for the Super Bowl.
This looks like a team that can only be ruined by injuries, and if YAIC can stay healthy, they could go all the way. Up next for the “People’s Champions” are the St. Lewis Rams, a team in need of a statement win. Nathan Adams has the Rams to make that statement here, and it will be interesting to see if they do.