Record-Setting Gladiators Top Final AFL Field Pass vPower Rankings
July 28, 2014 - Arena Football League (AFL) News Release
CHICAGO - The Cleveland Gladiators (17-1) claimed the No. 1 spot in the final AFL Field Pass vPower Rankings of the 2014 season after setting the AFL record for most wins in a single season with 17. The Gladiators held off the Tampa Bay Storm (8-10), 56-49, last week. The AFL's "Kardiac Kids" return home this Saturday to host the Philadelphia Soul (9-9) in the AFL Quarterfinals. Cleveland beat Philadelphia twice in the regular season, securing victories in dramatic fashion with game-winning touchdowns on the final play of both contests. This week's "NET10 Wireless Arena Football Saturday" matchup is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Not to be outdone by their East Division rivals, the Pittsburgh Power (15-3) also set an AFL record last weekend by ending the regular season with 12 consecutive victories, the most by any team to close out a regular season in League history. Pittsburgh, who finished the year at No. 2 in the vPower Rankings, will hit the road this week to challenge the South Division champion Orlando Predators (11-7) in the AFL Quarterfinals. Kickoff from "The Jungle" is set for 2:00 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN3.
A big win by the San Jose SaberCats (13-5) in Week 20 propelled the Pacific Division champs up two spots to No. 3 in the vPower Rankings. San Jose knocked off Iowa, 72-43, in Des Moines last week. The SaberCats return home this week to host the Spokane Shock (11-7) in the AFL Quarterfinals. This will be the fourth meeting between the two squads this season, but the first time the division rivals have ever met in the postseason. Kickoff is set for 10:00 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN3.
The back-to-back defending ArenaBowl champion Arizona Rattlers fell one spot to No. 4 in the vPower Rankings following a 50-56 loss to Orlando last weekend. The loss was the Rattlers third in the last four games and their first defeat at the hands of the Predators, who moved up to No. 6 in the vPower Rankings, since 2005. However, the West Division champs still roll into their AFL Quarterfinal against the Portland Thunder (5-13) with a great deal of confidence, having swept the first-year franchise with three wins in the regular season. Kickoff for the Quarterfinal contest is set for 6:00 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN3.
Despite rolling to five straight victories to close out the regular season, the Spokane Shock (11-7) fell one spot to No. 5 in the vPower Rankings. One week removed from a season sweep of the Portland Thunder, the Shock will aim to take out the other Pacific Division foe, this time in the playoffs as they travel to San Jose. A Spokane victory would put the Shock back in the National Conference championship game for the second straight year and third time in the last five seasons.
AFL Field Pass is the online fan club of the NET10 Wireless Arena Football League. The AFL vPower Rankings are calculated on AFLFieldPass.com using vPowerâ=84 cent, a scoring system based on winning percentage, strength of schedule, scoring percentage, and win-streak. The scale is normalized from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest).
July 28 AFL vPower Rankings
RANK TEAM RECORD WIN PCT SCORING STREAK vPOWER LAST
1. Cleveland Gladiators 17-1 0.944 10.4707 0.09 100 1
2. Pittsburgh Power 15-3 0.833 10.7630 0.09 91.6 2
3. San Jose SaberCats 13-5 0.722 10.6960 0.05 73.1 5
4. Arizona Rattlers 15-3 0.833 10.4716 0.00 71.1 3
5. Spokane Shock 11-7 0.611 9.8658 0.09 68.4 4
6. Orlando Predators 11-7 0.611 9.4396 0.05 66.7 7
7. Jacksonville Sharks 7-11 0.389 9.4396 0.05 38.7 9
8. Philadelphia Soul 9-9 0.500 9.6553 0.00 38.6 6
9. Tampa Bay Storm 8-10 0.444 8.9865 0.00 30.9 8
10. Iowa Barnstormers 6-12 0.333 8.4503 0.00 18.9 10
11. San Antonio Talons 3-15 0.167 7.7339 0.07 16.3 12
12. Portland Thunder 5-13 0.278 8.3913 0.00 13.8 11
13. New Orleans VooDoo 3-15 0.167 7.7547 0.00 1.4 13
14. LA KISS 3-15 0.167 7.4194 0.00 0 14
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