ESPN AFL

The 2007 AFL season has produced a lot of high-scoring, offensive games through the first five weeks. Normally that wouldn't be news, as the Arena game always has been about offense. But this year, the scoreboards are lighting up under different conditions.

A lot of people thought the new free-substitution rules would cut down scoring. With faster and more athletic pass rushers who didn't have the burden of playing both ways, people expected more pass-rush pressure, sacks and tackles for loss. However, the free-substitution rules also benefit the offense, which can use bigger offensive linemen -- many of whom are pass-protection specialists -- because they don't have to play both ways, either.

The AFL is loaded with veteran quarterbacks who have excellent touch and accuracy but limited mobility. When they have time to throw, they can put up huge numbers. It's no coincidence that the best offensive teams in the league have excellent offensive lines who rarely allow their quarterback to be touched.

• Although we have some great quarterback-receiver duos in the AFL, the level of competition is getting to the point that teams need at least two, and preferably three, quality receivers to get maximum production. Almost every top team has three receivers who can produce, while most defenses can't go that deep with quality defensive backs. A lot of teams can field one shutdown-type defensive back, but that leaves good matchups elsewhere and teams need to take advantage of that. You cannot win consistently in this league with only one top-flight receiver, no matter how good he is.

• Why do we see so many so-called superior teams in the AFL playing close games with -- or even losing to -- supposedly inferior opponents? In Week 5, Columbus beat Georgia, New York almost upset Philadelphia, Austin almost downed Dallas and Kansas City beat Arizona. Are the teams in the AFL that even in terms of personnel, or do superior teams simply not focus enough on a weekly basis? The old adage of "win the games you are supposed to win" doesn't always seem to apply to the AFL. Of course, the trend also highlights the competitive nature of the underdog teams, who have been able to keep games close and even force the better teams to rally for wins.

• The new injured reserve rule, which forces teams to keep their players on IR for four weeks instead of two, was really in evidence last weekend as a lot of veteran players came off the IR and got their first playing time. In the past, teams could use the IR as a place to stash players with little bumps and bruises and it allowed teams to keep a deep pool of players. Now, teams have to be careful how they use the IR list because losing a guy for four weeks with a minor injury is a considerable blow.

• The first month of the schedule seems grossly unfair to Los Angeles and San Jose. The Avengers have had one home game, against San Jose, but they also have had brutal stretch of road games that included trips to Orlando, New Orleans and Chicago. Fortunately, they managed to win at Orlando and New Orleans to stay competitive. San Jose has had tough road games at Los Angeles, Georgia and Chicago, with only one home game against Tampa Bay. Like Los Angeles, the SaberCats have survived, but these are two good franchises in big markets that could have been out of the playoff race early on. If there is good news, it is that both teams now have favorable home schedules and should remain playoff contenders. But until they play a couple of home games, we really don't know how good they are.

• The Chicago Rush finally are playing like a champion after a so-so start, and much of their success is due to an underrated secondary that makes a lot of plays. DBs Jeremy Unertl, DeJuan Alfonzo and Dennison Robinson are not only good cover guys who can match up with any receiving trio in the league, but they also are good open-field tacklers. With an improving pass rush up front, the Rush secondary will become even more productive with opposing quarterbacks being forced to get the ball out quickly.

• You have to be impressed at the way Nashville QB Jeff Smoker has progressed in his short AFL career. Head coach Pat Sperduto made a gutsy call after two weeks, replacing veteran QB Clint Stoerner with Smoker. And veteran offensive coordinator Larry Kuharich has done a great job of teaching Smoker how to make good decisions and avoid mistakes. The Kats have been playing nine rookies, but they now have a guy to build around, which should bode well for the future.

• Is safety the toughest spot to play in the AFL? Because of forward motion by receivers, most AFL safeties are covering slot receivers with a full head of steam when they reach the line of scrimmage. That makes it almost impossible to jam the receiver or play tight man-to-man coverage, so the safety is always trailing the play, making quickness and a closing burst critical physical attributes. The elite safeties in this league have no wasted motion, read routes, close quickly and have great hands and reactions when the ball is in the air. They will knock down a lot of passes with last-second deflections and they usually are excellent open-field tacklers.

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