ESPN AFL

A quarter of the way through the 2007 AFL season, we are starting to get a handle on most of these teams and where they are headed. Let's take a look at 12 teams that seem to fall into specific categories.

Dallas (4-0): This is the deepest team in the league and one of the few that can survive injuries to key players. If it's not Marcus Nash beating teams, it's Will Pettis and the beat goes on and on. The Desperados have a tremendously consistent offense led by QB Clint Dolezel, but they can also run the football with FB Josh White and they just don't make mistakes. Defensively, they are opportunistic, are a great matchup unit and make key stops and create turnovers. This team can play any style at any time in the game.

Philadelphia (3-0): The Soul have dramatically improved the physicality of their team and are winning because of their dominance in the trenches. Until last week they depended on their defense to control the game, but now it looks like QB Tony Graziani and the passing game are starting to jell. Plus, this is an offense that can run the ball. The Soul are a good matchup team on both sides of the ball, can adjust to any style of game and have enough maturity and veteran leadership to stay focused.

Georgia (4-0): The Force have a head coach who specializes in defense and yet it is their offense that is carrying them right now. They have a hot quarterback in Chris Greisen, an excellent trio of receivers who are tough matchups and an offensive line that does a good job of protecting Greisen. They seem to have a new guy step up every week on offense when they need big plays. As good as their pass offense is, they can also run the ball effectively with FB Matt Huebner. Defensively, they are a middle-of-the-road group but they match up well and make enough stops to complement their high-scoring offense.

Los Angeles (2-1): With a brutal early schedule that included tough road wins at Orlando and New Orleans, this is a team full of confidence. The Avengers are led by an excellent young quarterback in Sonny Cumbie, who has yet to throw an interception. They have playmakers at wide receiver, a potentially strong run game and an excellent secondary that is deep enough and versatile enough to play any style. Defensive back Damen Wheeler is a player who can take the opposing team's best receiver out of the game.

Utah (3-1): QB Joe Germaine is an emerging star and is being tutored by a great offensive head coach, Danny White. The Blaze have excellent receivers and a lethal passing attack, but early in the season it looked like they had to put up huge offensive numbers to win because they could not depend on their defense. Now it looks like the defense is coming around with some pass-rush pressure and opportunistic play in the secondary. The Blaze don't have to be great on defense, but a couple of defensive stops a game to go along with their high-flying offense will lead to a lot of wins.

Arizona (1-3): The Rattlers lost their first three games in 2007 by a combined total of 10 points. The game plan in all three seemed to be to score as many points as possible, then hold on for dear life. In Week 4, the Arizona defense made some plays and created turnovers and that is a great sign. This offense, much like Utah's, will always move the ball and get into the end zone and if the defense becomes even a middle-of-the-road group, the Rattlers will win a lot of games.

Orlando (2-2): Right now, the Predators' depth is being severely tested by injuries and they may go through a tough stretch until they get healthy. New QB Shane Stafford is playing well, but not great. In fairness, he does not have his full complement of receivers and defenses are playing aggressive schemes and pushing the receivers around, which seems to disrupt the timing of the Orlando pass offense. The Orlando pass rush also has been slowed by injuries and when the Predators do not get pressure on opposing quarterbacks, they are not the same team. Two tough losses at home (Los Angeles and Dallas) hurt, but this is a proud organization that might not find its groove until the second half of the season. Still, the Predators will be playoff-ready.

Colorado (2-2): This is a good team that will probably get to the playoffs, but something seems to be missing. QB John Dutton has made some costly mistakes and WR Damian Harrell is the only go-to guy in the passing game. Harrell has been less than 100 percent physically for most of the season and the Crush have no running game to help take some of the pressure off the passing game. Defensively, they give up too many yards in pass defense and they don't make a lot of momentum-changing plays. Plus, they are not very explosive in the kicking game. They desperately need a spark.

San Jose (1-3): A combination of a brutal early-season road schedule and a defense that isn't making a lot of big plays has led to a slow start for the SaberCats, but they are a quality veteran team that has a chance to turn the season around. The Cats are a middle-of-the-pack team on both sides of the ball, although they are a little vulnerable in their pass defense. Right now they are just not making enough explosive plays on offense or defense. Although they play hard every week, they seem to come up short and just don't have the margin of error now that they've had in the past.

Chicago (3-1): It's hard to believe a 3-1 team might be in trouble, but something seems to be missing with the defending AFL champs. When the Chicago defense is hot, the Rush are a difficult team to play, but you don't see inspired play every week. QB Matt D'Orazio seems overly dependent on WR Bobby Sippio, and this is not a great matchup team on either side of the ball. If the opposition has a shutdown corner to stop Sippio and a quality pass rush to hurry D'Orazio, the Rush offense can sputter.

Nashville (2-2): Coach Pat Sperduto has done an excellent job of adjusting his roster because of injuries and inconsistent play. He is playing nine rookies, including productive QB Jeff Smoker and WR Kenny Higgins, and they have a big-play WR in Cornelius Bonner. Sperduto preaches toughness and tenacity and, after an awful start, this team has responded with two gutsy wins in a row. As this young group gets more AFL experience it will really grow together and can only get better.

New Orleans (2-2): This team returned to New Orleans after a year away because of Hurricane Katrina and had a lot of questions entering 2007 with an almost completely new roster. Well, veteran QB Andy Kelly has played flawlessly and the VooDoo are playing surprisingly good defense, led by DE Henry Taylor. They have captured the imagination of New Orleans and much like the Saints, the VooDoo seem committed to giving the people of this great city something to get excited about.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.