With Week IV in the books, the season is beginning to shape up, and teams are beginning to hit bye weeks. All that, and one of the more significant drafts of the year.
Boston and Addis Ababa remain undefeated at 4-0 and Tokyo–Tokyo!–is yet to find a victory, at 0-4.
The Bulldogs retained their perfect record at the expense of London in a 34-10 dismantling, while Addis beat a game, but ultimately overmatched, Sydney team 49-29. While Boston is building a solid lead in the Northish Division (Berlin is in 2nd place at 2-1), both Rio de Janeiro and Istanbul are only a game behind the Emperors in the Southish Division, with Istanbul’s 34-21 victory over Rio leaving both teams at 3-1.
Jim Brown has 600 yards rushing through 4 games, with both Addis’ LaDainian Tomlinson (558 yards) and Istanbul’s Franco Harris (544 yards) also averaging over 100 yards per game. Tokyo’s Lionel Taylor (517 yards) and Sydney’s Harold Carmichael (473 yards) are averaging over 100 yards receiving.
Perhaps more impressively, London’s Bobby Wagner (55), Tokyo’s Chris Harris, Jr. (40), and Sydney’s Zach Thomas (40) are all averaging 10 tackles a game, with Wagner averaging over 13.
Harris, Jr.’s 10 tackles per game from the secondary is worth noting, as it indicates how porous Tokyo’s defense has been as much as anything else. The Swallows are giving up over 500 yards and 45 points per game, making their defense an even higher priority than a running game that is averaging 18.5 yards per contest. You read that right: under 20 yards per game on the ground on average.
The Week IV Draft saw the rich get richer, as Boston picked up a quality addition on defense in DE Jack Youngblood. Among the other more intriguing arrivals are 2 DBs (London’s Terry Kinard and Rio’s Kenny Easley), LB James Farrior going to New York, and WR John Taylor arriving to help out Rome’s offense.
Boston’s and New York’s selections were both driven by injury, as 2 of the Bulldog’s better DLs–off-season acquisition Elvis Dumervil and Joe Klecko–are both out for at least 2 months and New York’s stalwart LB Jon Beason is out for most of the rest of the regular season. Tokyo’s dismal running attack took another hit: with Kimble Anders already out, Abner Haynes joined him with an injury that may keep him out for close to 3 months.
But the most devastating injury of week 4 clearly happened in Sydney, where the Great White were finally looking like a decent team. They’ll be without QB Dan Marino for about 2 months, with untested Carson Wentz looking to step in with veteran Sammy Baugh also an option.
