Hungarian Football League - Week 1 Power Ranking

The first week of the HFL season is officially in the books. Six teams took the field, showcasing what they’ve been working on all offseason. Fans were treated to three action-packed matchups, full of twists, surprises, and a few expected outcomes as well. With Week 1 behind us, it's time to break down what we learned from each team and how these early performances have already started to shift the league’s balance of power.

1st. Diósd Saints 

Előd Ambrus is still phenomenal. He proved once again why he was last year’s MVP with a spectacular 2-TD performance, featuring multiple explosive runs that left the defense helpless. The team secured a confident victory, but there is still a lot more in them. O’Conell didn’t live up to his full potential, struggling with accuracy and decision-making at times. Overall, though, he was solid and his performance being underwhelming wasn't a factor as his skill players delivered outstanding performances, with the starting quartet of Goodman, Mészáros, Ambrus, and Pfisztner all making an impact. While the first three scored touchdowns, WR Máté Pfisztner also played a crucial role, racking up almost 100 yards and successfully converting two two-point attempts. Pass protection wasn't flawless but O’Connor had enough time in the pocket to find his targets, but the play calling kept things relatively simple to help them out, relying heavily on screen passes and the running game.

The defense did their job with confidence, leaving little to criticize. They even recorded the first interception of the franchise in the HFL, courtesy of S Gergő Monostori. LB Lukács Imre had a good game, consistently making plays against the run. The defensive line played at the level expected of them last season, though they have even more to give. DE Rampersaud showcased exactly why he was recruited from last year’s championship team, registering both a sack and multiple TFLs.

Although their performance wasn’t as sharp as expected, there’s no denying that the Saints remain the most promising team in the league. Their next game is on the 13th against the Wolves, who are coming off an unexpectedly strong showing, so the Saints can’t afford to let their guard down.

2nd. Budapest Cowbells

I wouldn't consider it fair to move a team that we haven't seen even a single moment of yet. However, based on the performances we've seen from the other teams so far, I believe there is no need for such action.

3rd. Győr Sharks

While putting together the preseason power ranking, I originally had the Sharks ahead of the Bulldogs but changed at the very last moment. The team has now proved me wrong. That said, it’s clear they still have much more potential to unlock. QB Eli Brickhandler showed just how dangerous he is with his legs, rushing for all three of the team’s touchdowns. Whether it was a designed QB run or an escape under pressure, he consistently picked up valuable yards, or found the end zone. And he had to run, especially in the first half, as the offensive line didn’t provide much support. The ground game wasn’t bad overall, but most of the rushing yards came from the quarterback. The game only ended up being so close because Brickhandler only started targeting his import receiver late in the game. But once he did, the offense came alive and showed a completely different side. Moving forward, they’ll need to get the ball into their star playmaker’s hands much more often.

Defensively, they looked solid. The clear standout was French CB Mehdy Benamara, who played like a true lockdown corner all game. The defensive line, with the help of well-timed blitzes, was able to generate significant pressure on the opposing quarterback, especially LB Hercules Pretorius, who was particularly effective and even managed to score a safety. The unit as a whole played well and sealed the game with a late interception by DB Andrew Walock.

One concern is the early-game injury to their young defensive back, Marcell Kiss. If he can’t return for the next few games, he’ll be tough to replace. Fortunately, their next matchup is on the 19th, so hopefully, he’ll have time to recover.

4th. Budapest Titans

It’s clear how important this year’s departures were, as the team’s performance in the first game was far from convincing compared to what they showed last season. The offensive line struggled against the defense. To be fair, they were up against arguably the best D-line in the league. The run game had some success, but the bigger issue was the passing attack. Unfortunately, QB Ferenc Györki was inaccurate, struggling to connect with his receivers, and the play-calling was predictable. The team lacks the kind of playmakers who used to turn basic plays into big gains and put the team on their shoulders. The import skill players don’t seem as dominant as last year either. I think it would be worth involving WR Benedek László more in the offense, as he could be a huge asset. In this isolated setup, it didn’t seem like the quarterback was looking his way as much as he should have.

Defensively, they got a taste of what opposing defenses went through last season when Előd Ambrus was still on their side. It’s hard to say they played well when the Saints put up 36 points against them, but they managed to stay in the game during the first half and even forced punts. It was clear they were familiar with their former OC’s system and had prepared well for it, but unfortunately, the Saints’ offensive players simply had stronger individual performances.

Overall, the team’s performance wasn’t hopeless, there were definitely moments to build on. They’ll have a chance to bounce back and gain some confidence on the 12th against a struggling Rangers squad.

5th. Újpest Bulldogs

The season got off to a rough start for the Bulldogs, as they were highly inconsistent on both sides of the ball. Emhő, despite being an incredible runner with great pocket presence - which he demonstrated by scoring the team’s first touchdown, struggled with his passing throughout the game. Every deep ball he threw was inaccurate, which was a major issue, especially since the running game never really got going. This was frustrating because they have some excellent skill players who can make magic happen with the ball in their hands. To be fair, Emhő didn’t have many opportunities to properly go through his reads or step into his throws, as the pass protection frequently collapsed, especially when the Sharks sent a blitz. WR András Schrieber scored the other touchdown, and that was almost the only accurate pass that traveled beyond the line of scrimmage.

Defensively, they weren’t bad, but there were still plenty of mistakes. When the opposing quarterback took off running, they had a tough time bringing him down. The defensive line did manage to generate consistent pressure, with DL Billy Hatten once again proving why he’s been feared by opposing offenses in Hungary for years. The bigger issue came when the quarterback managed to escape the pocket.

If the offense can get itself together, this team still has the potential to be very strong. With so many talented players, they could run a deep and versatile playbook, and Újpest has the coaching staff to capitalize on the roster’s strengths. However, they’ll need to step up quickly, as their next opponent is the Cowbells, a team with a strong roster that hasn’t played yet this season. That means the Bulldogs will be heading into a tough matchup with little idea of what to expect.

6th. Budapest Wolves

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the round for me was what the Wolves brought to the field. And I’m not even necessarily talking about the win itself, but about how disciplined and organized each unit of the team played. Everyone executed their role without any major mistakes. As expected, the Varga brothers were the stars on offense, the older brother, Péter scored two touchdowns and racked up a bunch of yards. Their young quarterback showed solid game management throughout, avoiding any significant mistakes. While his deep passes lacked accuracy, he at least managed to avoid turning them into interceptions.

The defense also performed really well. Every level of the unit held up, and the low number of points allowed speaks volumes about how solid they were. The only slight weak spot might’ve been the cornerbacks, but to be fair, the VSD quarterback was able to extend plays quite a bit, which always makes coverage harder. It's worth highlighting some of the young stars who stepped up. LB András Hárs had a strong showing, and especially Máté Hegedűs, returning from injury, who played mainly as a nickelback. He was seemingly everywhere: pass breakups, tackles, even a blocked extra point. Of course, it does slightly alter the picture that they played this convincingly against a poorly performing Rangers team. But their next matchup against the Saints will be a great chance to prove they can hold their own against a much stronger opponent as well.

7th. VSD Rangers

If there was a low point in Week 1, it was the Rangers’ performance.The team struggled significantly on both sides of the ball. Their biggest weakness was clearly the pass protection, QB Schoeppe was under pressure on nearly every play, often forced to scramble. To be fair, he didn’t do his offensive line many favors either, often bailing on the pocket too early, making their job significantly more difficult. That said, when he did take off running with purpose, those plays often resulted in first downs or big gains. The lack of run threat made the passing game struggle even more. Schoeppe had little chemistry with his receivers, with several passes being off-target and numerous drops throughout the game. Tellingly, on their first touchdown, Schoeppe immediately looked for Ákos Steigervald’s matchup after the snap, the backup quarterback who hadn’t played as a wide receiver in recent years.

Defensively, the team was equally underwhelming. The secondary appeared almost non-existent, defensive backs were rarely in position, and incompletions were mostly the result of inaccurate throws by the opposing team's 17-year-old quarterback, rather than effective coverage. When catches were made, tackling was inconsistent and often ineffective.The only defensive unit that showed promise was the defensive line. Notably, Benedek Kis delivered a strong performance, frequently disrupting the Wolves' quarterback, forcing him to scramble, and even recording sacks.

While the Wolves played surprisingly well, there was little justification for such a poor showing from the Rangers. There’s no cause for concern at this point. The team had a chance to reset during the two-week break, and there’s still plenty of football left to be played.