Week 2 Delivers Across the Board as the AFLE Begins to Take Shape
Four games, four results and a league that is starting to find its identity. Week 2 of the American Football League Europe brought more football, more big moments and more evidence that this season is going to be an entertaining one from start to finish.
Vikings survive a Panthers test in the headline clash
The Vienna Vikings remained unbeaten with a 43-23 win over the Panthers Wroclaw, but it was far from straightforward. The Panthers fumbled on their opening drive and again at Vienna’s five-yard line when a score would have completely changed the dynamic of the game. Jameson Wang completed 32 of 43 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort, and the Panthers will feel they left something on the field. Ben Holmes was brilliant for Vienna, but this was a game that lived on a knife edge for long stretches.
Thunder bounce back as Rams show promise
In Switzerland, Berlin Thunder bounced back from their Week 1 defeat with a 24-14 win over the Alpine Rams, but the scoreline was kinder to the Thunder than the game itself. Gabriel Cunningham caused real problems with his mobility, the Rams competed hard throughout and over 240 penalty yards from both sides made for a chaotic afternoon that could have tipped either way. Berlin were the more composed side when it counted, but the Rams showed enough to suggest they will be a different proposition as the weeks go on.
A league still finding its feet
The same can be said across the league as a whole. Teams are still learning their systems, still building chemistry and still working out what they are capable of. As rosters settle and players find their rhythm together, the football will only get tighter and more competitive. The foundations are there.
Week 3 is next, and the stakes keep rising.
