Power vs. Vigilantes Review: Keller's Take

First of all... wow.  Saturday's game is proof that arena football is exciting and unpredictable and that more people should watch it.  General admission tickets are only $15 and there are always tickets available on game day.  The Power play the Cleveland Gladiators on Saturday, June 4th for first place in the division.  Come out and see for yourself.  Now that I got the plug out of the way, on with the review.

I actually needed to read Weidman's review of the game before I wrap my brain around it enough to comment.  For starters, the following things happened on Saturday night:

1. The final score was 76-75.
2. Bernard Morris started out slow (9-for-19), but finished strong, with 25 completions in 40 attempts for 280 yards and seven touchdowns, adding in a 27-yard rushing touchdown for flavor.  He was also the worst quarterback on the field by far.  Dallas quarterback Dan Raudabaugh had 433 yards passing and more touchdown passes (ten) than incompletions (eight).  He was an unstoppable force in this game, but, fortunately, so was the Power offense.
3. A total of 69 points (insert joke here) were scored in the fourth quarter, with five touchdowns coming in the final minute.  Five touchdowns -- and a failed field goal attempt -- in one minute of football.
4. There were so many swings in momentum that, at some point in the fourth quarter, I stopped keeping track of the exact score and only focused on whether the Power were up by seven or tied.
5. The Power held the ball for over 35 minutes and the Vigilantes still managed to put up 75 points.

I was still buzzing about the game when I woke up the next morning.  It could just be that the wife makes an ungodly strong cup of coffee, but I'll go with the excitement of the game carrying over.

This was a huge road win against a very talented Dallas team.  With Cleveland losing to Arizona, that puts the Power at 6-4 and tied for first place in the division.  Heading into the season, I really didn't think I'd be able to type those words at any point.  After the first few games, I felt pretty confident that I wouldn't be able to type them during the 2011 season.

When Morris re-gained the starting job, I described him as being "capable."  Now that he's more comfortable with the offense and has gained the confidence to take off and run with the ball instead of holding onto it too long, I'd say he's moved into the realm of "solid."  He has Mike Washington on his side and Washington is an electric playmaker.  Washington gives the offense that "one guy" that the defense is focused on stopping, which makes everyone around him better.  Once Eddie Thompson and Jerome Mathis come back from injured reserve, we could be looking at a great offense and Morris might have a cast around him that is talented enough to raise him to the level of "very good."  But, having seen Mark Grieb play a couple of weeks ago and having witnessed the clinic that Raudabaugh put on Saturday night, I think that Morris will ultimately fall short of greatness.

With a great offense and an excellent defense -- one of the big reasons the Power let up 75 points was that Carlos Campbell had an absolutely atrocious game, but I have a feeling that he'll bounce back against the Gladiators and so will the rest of the defense -- this team has the potential to do well.  Do I think they'll go on a run and finish the season at 14-4?  No.  Do I see a trip to the Arena Bowl in their future?  I do not.  I think they're a great team and they'll most likely get to the playoffs, but they don't have the talent to go all the way.  But, I also thought this about the 2008 and 2010 versions of the Steelers, so what do I know?  There are two elite teams in the league: Arizona and Chicago.  There is one dominant force: Jacksonville.  Aside from that, you have a bunch of talented, hard-working clubs that will try their best but ultimately fall short.

Now, before I say something bad about the guy, let me say this: I think that Coach Siegfried has done a tremendous job thus far.  He has taken an expansion team that isn't incredibly talented and has struggled staying healthy at quarterback and willed them to a 6-4 record.  He has a ton of mental fortitude and determination and that has rubbed off on his players.  Now for the bad part: I think his mental fortitude makes him downright stubborn and too conservative.

I agree with Weidman's assessment of Dallas coach Clint Doelzel's decision to go for two (seriously, read his post, that's right on the money).  That was a dumb move and it will probably come back to haunt Doelzel.

I'm not saying I want Siegfried to be wildly aggressive, but he does need to go in for the fatality more often.  For example, he continued to kick away in the final minute of Saturday's game.  Conventional NFL wisdom says that's the smart move.  Make your opponent fight their way down the field and earn whatever points they get.  Conventional AFL wisdom says to onside kick, especially if your defense is gassed and couldn't stop their grandmother from catching a 30-yard touchdown pass.  If the kick succeeds, then you retain possession and get to play keep-away for a bit.  If the kick fails, then you get the ball back faster.  This turned into a shootout and Siegfried kept his gun holstered.  They continue to play conservative on offense and defense.  The past two games, the offensive game plan has been plodding and possession oriented for the most part and they have played some very lax prevent defense in the final seconds holding a lead.

I still believe in Coach Siegfried and I still think he's the man for the job.  I also see a little too much Cowher and Shottenheimer in him and that makes me uneasy now that I have an eye towards the playoffs.  But, the playoffs are still a long ways away and are certainly not assured at this point, so we might as well enjoy the ride.  

So... 151 points in one game.  Five touchdowns in the final minute.  If nothing else, it will be entertaining.