Cup O' Joe - Week 11 Rumblings & Grumblings

Here are some news and notes from around the league:

- The Houston Oilers are in deep trouble if Steve Banks' injury IS more serious than originally thought. He's listed as probable for this week's game in Chicago, but still may not suit up, due to the team's approach that they are not playing to win the division. They have already done that in theory. What they are looking at, however, is the playoffs, and right now, they're the third team in. Losing to Chicago, should they do so (and I think they are underdogs if Banks does not play), will put them in the fourth spot, and staring at a game against either San Francisco or Seattle (the current top wild card team). Basically, Houston has proven they cannot win without Banks, and if he is going to be shelved any longer this year, this team's in DEEP trouble.

- Meanwhile, people in Philadelphia are wondering whether or not the Shamrocks have a chance to make the playoffs. There's a glut of teams at 5-5, but the Grays seem to have turned a corner in their season. However, the corner they have turned has led them to a street filled with winning opponents. Included are dates at San Diego and Los Angeles, at home against Boston and Arizona, and this week at home against the Breakers. Portland has been up and down, and this game will be a big barometer of how these two teams will end up.

- One player not getting any attention is WR Dennis Teig of Atlanta. A 6'4", 205-pound receiver out of Bowie State, Teig has been turning heads in the deep south. He's currently second in the league in receiving yards, and third in catches and touchdowns. His work ethic is amazing, and he's quickly becoming a leader on offense. All this, and he's a rookie. Despite the stats, he may not even make second-team All-HFC; Gary Thompson of Tampa leads the league in yards, and Andre Eisenhauer (NSH) and Buck Cunningham (CAR) each have comparable stats, and bigger pedigrees. Despite this, we think Teig is worthy of an All-League bid.
Last week, we did the Top 10 QBs of the league. And now, for your enjoyment, here are the Top 10 RBs of the AFL, 1990:

10. Dennis Zimmerman, Philadelphia. Zimmerman was off to a slow start, but has picked it up in Philly's small winning streak. He's up to 896 yards on 179 carries, good for a 5.0 YPC stat. He was in Chicago, but got dealt for a player who has been a big disappointment (Dan Moss), and has been a great fit for the Shamrocks. It's expected that he'll re-sign with the team in the offseason, and become the fulltime feature back for years to come.

9. Jim Martin, Arizona. He's been under the radar this year, rushing for 790 yards and six touchdowns while averaging over five yards a carry. He's been a big reason why the Rattlers have climbed back into the thick of things in the HFC race, and his durability--he has yet to miss an offense down--definitely gives him some points as well.

8. Kareem Wood, San Diego. There has to be a reason why Ladell Suggs is the best at the playaction in the league. Wood is sixth in the league with 939 yards rushing, and a workhorse: he's fourth in the league in carries. And yet, he hasn't fumbled, making him one of two in the top ten with no fumbles (Zimmerman being the other). Wood gets the ball so much, it opens up things for Suggs, who leads all QBs in rushing. Wood has also proven to be a worthy blocker, opening up the QB draw. He only has four touchdowns, but the team tends to pass in the red zone.

7. Christian Fortuna, New Orleans. He has been hurt and hasn't played in two games. And that's a shame, as he'd probably be the fifth back in the league to be over a thousand yards if he were healthy to play in the other two games. He's fifth in the league in yards/game, with 102.5. He's low on touchdowns, but that's as much the playcalling around the goal line as anything. Fortuna shows explosiveness that maybe only Quincy Jones and Sammy Hoambrecker have, and he hits a hole quicker than maybe anyone in the league.

6. Ahmad Davis, Miami. Davis is fifth in the league in rushing, with 941 yards and a 5.3 YPC. Fumbles drop him on this list though...but his importance to Miami's offense keeps him high. He may be the reason why Darrell Hickerson has been so successful this season. Anytime Miami has needed a key run, Davis has been the man. His 77-yard touchdown against Cincinnati breathed new life into a team down on their luck. He's the emotional leader of the team, and his presence is necessary if this team is going to succeed in the postseason.

5. Barry Robinson, Cincinnati. On the other side, we see Barry Robinson, a quiet, reserved back who lets his game do the talking. I don't even think he's spiked a ball on a touchdown, he's that quiet. It's definitely not that he hasn't scored...he has put ten into the end zone. He's just a rock, and his teammates feed off of that well, too. Robinson, when asked by a boisterous young reporter about a hit put on him by ML Donald in the old EFL, said "It hurt." That's all you need to know about his outwardness. But his ability to carry the ball and break it for a long score--he has two scores of over 70 yards this year--show enough about his ability to run the ball.

4. Bryce Cross, Louisville. Cross has more fumbles than touchdowns, and while that hurts, he's still very talented, and with the offensive line he's behind each week, it's amazing to see he's got a thousand yards on the year. He's been consistent, with no less than 66 yards in a game, and hitting over 130 three times. He does need to get into the end zone more and cut down on turnovers, but he's had an amazing season, and we should see 1500 yards out of him this year, and maybe 6,000 in his should-be short AFL career (he is 30).

3. Brian Barrett, Boston. Okay, he's the leading rusher in the AFL, and he's on pace for 1700 yards. He has 11 touchdowns. So why is Brian Barrett ranked third? Simply put, there's just two guys that are putting up even more incredible numbers than he is. And that should not take away from Barrett--it's more of a 1a, 1b, and 1c...and Barrett happens to be the 1c. He decimated the Tritons for 148 yards and two scores last week, and if that shows that he's starting to turn it on...2,000 yards is not out of the question. He's also a great receiving running back, as he's closing in on 50 receptions out of the backfield. He gets this spot, rather than one of the top two, because of his YPC...a full yard lower than our #2...

2. Quincy Jones, Seattle. Jones deserves this spot. He would be leading the league in rushing if he had 200 carries. He averages 6.2 YPC, a ridiculous amount. He has 12 touchdowns, which leads the league. I can't justify him being anything less than second. He's also had to deal with an erratic rookie (Monte Meier) and some bad backups, and he's been extremely consistent. He's had 80 or more rushing yards in NINE of his ten games. But, he doesn't hold a candle to...

1. Sammy Hoambrecker, Los Angeles. The Home Wrecker. Slammin Sammy. He holds the league record for yards in a game, with 239 against Arizona. He was held to 31 yards in the team's only loss, against Indianapolis. But the guy flatout is the best running back in the league. He's 5'11", 265 pounds, and just a cannonball coming out of the backfield. He's leveled several linebackers, and just made cornerbacks look silly with a few of his moves, including a juke that took two Boston defenders and put them on their rears. He's also a rookie, meaning he's going to get BETTER. Twenty-five hundred yards is not out of the question for him in the near future.