HFL Week 3-4 Power Ranking
- Levente Szeifert
- May 9
- 7 min read
With the playoff picture mostly settled, teams are now jostling for position—but Week 5 still had its share of surprises. The Győr Sharks stunned the Saints with a gritty, all-out performance that turned heads across the league and may have reshuffled expectations. While some squads are hitting their stride at the right time, others are still trying to shake off the rust as we head into the final stretch of the regular season.
1st. Győr Sharks
The Sharks delivered perhaps the biggest surprise of the HFL season so far with their statement win over the Saints. They came to Diósd with one mission: dethrone the frontrunners and they were ready to do whatever it took.
This week we saw a composed, organized, and aggressive team in blue. From the opening whistle to the final snap, they gave it their all. While they didn’t dominate the Saints from start to finish—the Saints' superior individual talent kept them in it through the first half—the second half made it clear which team wanted the win more.
QB Brickhandler led the offense with poise, tossing two touchdowns and running in two more himself. He was a constant threat, both through the air and on the ground. The offensive line bought him just enough time to go through his progressions—although it must be noted that Saints DE Rampersaud’s injury made their job considerably easier. Still, Brickhandler was able to feed the ball to his playmakers, who racked up yards.
On defense, the Sharks were just as impressive. They became the first team all season to hold the high-flying Saints under 30 points. CB Mehdy went toe-to-toe with Mészáros in a thrilling battle, snagging two takeaways. S Walock deserves special mention as well as he seemed to be everywhere, stepping up against the run and breaking up key passes all game long.
The Sharks did suffer a setback with Pretorious going down injured, while their running back was already sidelined heading into the game. That raises some concern ahead of their next clash with the Titans. Still, while the Titans are capable of pulling off an upset, it’s unlikely they’ll stop this rolling wave from Győr.
2nd. Budapest Cowbells
The Cowbells are still struggling to shake off the rust. After a chaotic first half, they finally pulled themselves together in the second and managed to mount a comeback.
Nothing seemed to click early on. The offense was plagued by dropped passes, even in critical situations, and the play calling was one-dimensional, with barely any run plays in the first half. Promising drives were derailed by penalties or a fumble, and they went into halftime scoreless.
But the second half told a different story. The offense found its rhythm, and the big plays finally started to land. QB Everson connected on a deep bomb to WR Tóth, and the team began to exploit the openings in the Titans defense, especially in the flats, where they gained chunk yards consistently. The run game showed signs of life, particularly with Everson keeping it himself on RPOs, one of which resulted in a hard-earned touchdown.
Defensively, they adjusted well and managed to bottle up Novakov's ground game. The turning point came in the fourth quarter when S Csumán came up with a beautiful pick-six to seal the win.
Fortunately for the Cowbells, they’ll now face two of the league's lower-ranked teams, the Wolves and the Rangers. These games could be just what they need to fully shake off that rust because when the regular season finale rolls around against the Saints, they’ll need to be firing on all cylinders.
3rd. Diósd Saints
Since the last power ranking, the Saints have played twice. Their first was a continuation of their dominant form, steamrolling the Rangers. The game itself wasn’t much of a contest, but O’Connor delivered a flawless performance, literally. Every pass was completed, five touchdowns thrown. Another reminder of why he’s among the league’s elite.
But the second game, against the Sharks, was a different story entirely. Right from the start, it was clear they were up against a much tougher opponent than they’d faced so far. Their opening drive ended in a three-and-out, and the Sharks responded immediately with a touchdown. That early punch seemed to rattle them, but they still managed to stay in the game, scoring even 2 TDs
Losing import DE Rampersaud was the turning point. From there, the Saints unraveled. Flags flew at the worst times, the secondary fell apart with blown coverages and communication breakdowns, and tackling was shaky at every level. The Sharks kept the tempo high, and the Saints defense simply couldn’t keep up.
O’Connor made some poor reads and tossed two ugly interceptions. The chemistry with his receivers seemed off with many key pass drops. Still, Ambrus stepped up big time, scoring all five of the team’s touchdowns and doing everything he could to carry the Saints on his back. Unfortunately, though, it was merely a band-aid on a bullet wound — the Saints spent the entire game chasing the scoreboard and could never quite catch up.
This loss isn’t the end of the world. The season is far from over, and the Saints are still one of the league’s best. Frankly, they’d still rank above the Cowbells if not for the uncertainty surrounding their injured imports, Goodman and Rampersaud. Without them, it’s a toss-up. But there’s time to recover, and up next is a more manageable matchup against the Bulldogs on 18th of May.
4th. Budapest Titans
For one half, the Titans looked like they might join the Sharks in delivering a major upset this week. They led 14–0 at halftime against the Cowbells, with the run game absolutely dominating. RB Novakov rushed for well over 100 yards, and QB Györki finally looked like the quarterback Titans fans had been hoping for, reading the field well and hitting several deep shots.
The defense didn’t exactly shine, but they managed to capitalize on the Cowbells’ mistakes and held them scoreless in the first half. It was clear that the absence of their import defensive lineman left a noticeable gap on the D-line. Unfortunately he wasn't allowed to suit up due to a suspension.
But the second half was a different story. The defense crumbled. They’d clearly game-planned to defend the deep ball, with corners playing even as deep as 10 yards off. The Cowbells took full advantage of this, frequently targeting the short zones with quick passes and racking up yards after the catch. The run game lost steam, Novakov had fewer explosive plays, and Györki started to force things, leading to poor decisions and stalled drives.
The Titans need to figure out how to maintain their first-half form for a full 60 minutes. They currently sit in a playoff spot, and if they can recapture that early momentum, they could hold onto it. Their next test is a tough one: a trip to Győr to face the red-hot Sharks, followed by a crucial clash against the Bulldogs.
5th. Újpest Bulldogs
There were no big surprises in the Bulldogs' win over the Wolves, but they got the job done thanks largely to a disciplined defense.
Their opening drive looked sharp, organized, confident, and ended in a field goal. That level of preparation was clear throughout, particularly on defense. The secondary deserves a ton of credit, they were glued to receivers on every throw, breaking up passes left and right. The game ended with a statement interception by Santana. In total, they allowed just seven points which is a testament to their defensive performance.
Offensively, however, things weren’t quite as smooth. They managed only 10 points total, and after the first drive, the unit sputtered. QB Emhő ran well but struggled through the air, throwing two rough back-to-back interceptions. He did score the team’s lone touchdown, scrambling for it off a broken snap. TE Fred Nash was a bright spot, connecting for multiple big gains.
All in all, it was the defense that carried them, aided by a lackluster showing from the Wolves offense. That defense will need to shine again in their next matchup against a wounded but dangerous Saints team on May 18.
6th. Budapest Wolves
The Wolves didn’t manage to show what they’re truly capable of in their loss to the Bulldogs. The defense wasn’t outstanding, but it held its own, limiting the Bulldogs offense both in the air and on the ground. They managed to come away with two interceptions, and the defensive line chipped in with a few nice plays, including some sacks and TFLs.
But the offense couldn’t capitalize on any of it. The run game showed occasional spark, with RB Benke breaking off multiple big gains, including the 50-yard touchdown.
The passing attack, however, faltered. Bulldogs DBs played tight, and QB Zalán was inconsistent, forcing throws and missing open receivers. He tried to take the game into his own hands, but the execution just wasn’t there.
With the Cowbells on deck, things won’t get any easier. The Wolves will have to step it up big time to stay in the fight.
7th. VSD Rangers
The Rangers once again failed to bring anything new to the table, falling easily to the Saints. Their offense remains disorganized and overly dependent on QB Schoeppe. He’s a strong runner, but when asked to do it all, either as the starter or as a receiver target in wild situations, it backfires. Backup QB Steigervald threw a costly interception into triple coverage trying to force it to Schoeppe in the end zone. Can’t really blame him, though, this young receiving corps struggles to get separation.
That being said, Dániel Bende and Soma Németi made the most of their touches, earning hard yards. Németi even scored the team’s lone touchdown on a short-yard run.
Still, the team’s lack of structure and overreliance on individual plays remains a major problem.
At this point in the season, the race for the playoffs is narrowing, and the true contenders are beginning to separate themselves. For teams on the outside looking in, time is running out to make a push. Meanwhile, the frontrunners are fine-tuning their game with postseason football in mind. With just a few crucial matchups left, every snap, every drive, and every decision will carry even more weight. The stage is nearly set, now it's about who can finish strong.
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