Sharks at Power Preview/Blaze Post Mortem

Okay, last week was painful and ugly.  I'm not going to sugarcoat it, because that's what it was.  The Power got their collective and individual asses handed to them to the tune of 64-33, and it's exactly how we didn't need to start the season.

I say the reason we lost is that this place was allowed to be open during the game.

However, it's pretty much what I expected to happen given who we drew for the first game opponent, and what the Power did during their off-season.  The Blaze was a good team last year, and they're still a good team this year.  Grady's still a giant with a laser arm, and the rest of the team still does what they do.  It's a fact of nature, and there' nothing the Power could do about it.

It was almost a clinic on offensive lines and special teams.  When the Power lined up for the attack, they looked like football players.  When the Blaze lined up, they looked like monsters.  Grady is somewhere around 6'7", and yet, he just looks just a little taller than the guys around him.  His O line protected him beautifully, and the pocket stayed generously open, giving him more time than a player like him needs.  Because of this, he didn't have any trouble connecting with his receivers and scoring.

The Power's line, however, just collapsed on most plays just the way I feared it would.  Honestly, I liked what I saw out of Jefferson - he's mobile, pretty accurate, and - once he got tired of eating turf - isn't afraid to run for it (he rushed for almost 20 yards in the opener.)  However, he got sacked four times.  Grady got hit once, and frankly, that's only because the Blaze were getting cocky at the end.  I've said it before and I'll say it again:  I don't care if we had started Tommy Brady to their Tommy Grady - if our QB keeps getting planted 4 times a game, he's going to have a short, winless career.

The other concern I've had is Special Teams, and those were also mirror images in this game.  PJ Berry's a wild man, and he's our fan favorite star...but the Blaze had his number.  He was getting nailed inside the five yard line most of the game.  Utah, on the other hand, started with prime position on most drives.

Our defense is solid (Jackson is looking like a prime pickup.)  Joystick and Superman can still catch - these areas are not a concern.  However, they also don't matter a lick if the Power doesn't clean up the O Line and Special Teams.  I want a QB to actually stick around a whole season and not go to greener pastures.  Speaking of which...

...The Sharks return to Consol this Friday, bringing back former Power QB Bernard Morris.  Remember him?  He's that guy that everyone said was a bum and couldn't get the job done our Freshman season.  He keeps getting sacked, he can't get the ball off, he's always injured...and then he took the Sharks to the post season last year.  He's a good quarterback, and on the right team, he's done well for himself.

Also, we'll be facing Jeff Hughley, whom you might remember from his scoring drives against us with the Soul last year, and our former DL Justin Parrish.  Hughley is the main concern, as he's their Superman (the technical term is "Ironman.")  He can run, catch, tackle, return - he's the whole package.  If the Power can shut him down - at very least on returns - they'll be getting off on the right foot.  Unfortunately, they also have Jeron Harvey and Markee White to catch.  That's a problem that hopefully Jackson, LeFlore and Wise can keep contained.

Other than that, it's going to be a matter of keeping the pocket clean long enough for Jefferson to make some decisions.  Yep.  That simple.  No problem, right?

I just hope the jackass with a big head isn't sitting in front of me again

Elsewhere in the League
The bright point in our loss is that we weren't alone.  Since both Philly and Cleveland lost, it's a three-way tie in our division.  The downside is that Philly still looks like a contender.  They stumbled a bit in the second half in their rematch against the Rattlers, but it was a much cleaner game than the Arena Bowl.  Arizona is already looking scary good.


Cleveland got throttled by the Shock almost as badly as we did by Utah...so, we should at least be able to match up against the Gladiators.


The Talons kept the game close against the Cats and Garcia (Who now has 1200 career TDs.)  The beginning of the game didn't look like that was going to happen when the Cats jumped out 20-0, but then the Talons came roaring back, only to lose by a hair.

This week:

• Hopefully the Ratts will slap the Blaze down for us Friday.  Judging by the two teams' performances last week, it should be a slugfest.
• Game of the week is NOLA hosting the Barnstormers.  Both teams won their openers and play good, classic football.  They're well matched and not full of showboaters.  It's the kind of game I love to watch.
• Sunday is Spokane and the Rush.  If nothing else, it doesn't feel like Sunday without the Rush.

Restoring the Power

...and just like that, it's Arena season again.

After a long off-season and a fairly disappointing Steeler season, I find myself more than ready to switch gears and go back to the indoor game.  The first post of the year is hard in most sports, because you really don't know what the season is going to bring and how new acquisitions are going to work out.  This is even more true for this league.  It's almost impossible to predict what will shake out in the coming weeks, but I can show you the clues.

A few months ago, I talked about the things the team had and the things that they needed.  Specifically, I mentioned that our defense could take care of itself, kicking is killing us, and QB doesn't matter if we can't get anyone up front to protect him.

Well, the biggest moves they made in the off season were...to shore up the defense and snag a promising QB.  *sigh* It's like no one reads these posts...

Now, I'm not going to complain about us making sure to hold on to Chris "Gingabread" LeFlore to keep snagging picks, and I'm really not going to complain about them also getting Alvin Ray Jackson from the Voodoo, who grabs even more picks than LeFlore...but we had the #1 defense last year, and we still couldn't make the playoffs.  This is an offense-driven league and no matter how awesome the D is, we need something up front.

We still have Mike "Joystick" Washington, PJ "Superman" Berry, and Tyree "is he a FB or DL" Young.  This is good, and was what I really hoped we'd be able to pull off.  Fantastic and bully for us - if they stay healthy, we have some solid, experienced targets for our QB-of-the-week.

Yeah, I still really don't feel good about QB.  Why?  I mean, we have Jordan Jefferson starting at QB - an LSU standout who briefly worked out with the Tampa Bay Bucs and did some time in the CFL.  Backing him up is a fairly competent-looking Shane Austin out of Hawaii.  Well, there are multiple concerns here.  For one - Kurt Warner aside - rookies that were at the NFL level have a lot of trouble adjusting to this league.  It's a huge change.  But, even if it wasn't, they're both still green.

More importantly, we've had good QBs before.  Despite the crap the Facebook and Twitter like to heap on our past signal callers, I maintain that most of them could have done a hell of a job if they weren't thinking about how long it'd be before they got freight-trained into the turf.  The #1, no bullshit, buck-stops-here thing that I said we had to do was to shore up the offensive line, and I really don't know if we did that.  Of those four guys, we have two rookies, a guy who's played five games and returning center Beau Elliott.  Hey, maybe these guys are going to be the real deal - I don't know.   With only two years of history to look back on, and about that much combined AFL experience among them, it's a major wild card that concerns me quite a bit.

One way or another, we're going to find out Saturday night when the season starts.  Once again, Pittsburgh gets the honor of playing the first game (though it's not the nationally televised one) and that worked out wonderfully for us last year.  We're also playing one of the best teams from last year, the Utah Blaze.   They've had some turnover, which is to be expected, but they still have Tommy Grady and - frankly - that's all that really matters.

The Power really needs to start out with a solid win at home this season to get things rolling on the right foot, and Utah will make that hard.  I really wish we could have started out against someone like Orlando again - even if they beat us, we have the seeds of a rivalry there...but we're playing the Blaze and that's the card we've been dealt.  Win or lose, it should be a hell of a game.

Remember, it's a home game and tickets are cheap.  Opening night is generally the most festive game of the year with the highest energy and best attendance, so it's a great time to check the sport out for the first time.  Plus, the team is giving away some pretty slick swag this year and are offering $1 hot dogs and sodas.

Come on down, and here's to a great season of Power football!

Elsewhere in the League
While it's hard to gauge what my team is gonna do for the year, it's almost impossible to call the other teams.  But if I had to pick, these are the games to watch (and this year, they've change the viewing options AGAIN!  Now it's through the AFL site):

• Philly at Arizona:  Arena Bowl rematch is always fun.  These two teams kept most of their respective rosters intact in the off-season, so this Game of the Week (on CBS Sports) should be explosive
• San Jose at San Antonio:  Whoooo boy...first the hated 'Cats steal Garcia from the Talons, and then they get matched up right out of the gate.  Hell, the Talons even got Lil Jon for their half time show.  Seriously.

Arena Football Update

Now that the unrestricted free agency period is about to begin in the Arena League, I wanted to take a few moments to give an update on where things stand.  In the AFL, free agency proceeds in two periods.  First, there is the exclusive period, where the teams are only allowed to talk to players that were on their roster the previous season.  This period was set to expire on Monday, however, the weather issues presented by Hurricane Sandy extended this period until the 31st.

With three teams folding (Georgia, KC and Milwaukee), things are going to be interesting.  This is both good and bad.  Bad because this is all that casual fans will hear about this league.  It just makes it seem more and more like the league is in trouble.  I beg to differ.  The league needs to reign it in a bit for a little while.  This will condense the talent pool into the remaining teams, only making them better.  This will also condense the fanbase in so (in theory) each team can get more viewers.  It can go either way, but I'm a blind optimist in this area.

Now, there hasn't been a lot of news out of the Power camp during this period, which is both unsurprising and a little disturbing.  Now that teams are allowed to sign players for more than one season, players are probably thinking a lot harder about where they want to be and giving a lot more thought to seeing where offers will be made - meaning that they'll wait for the unrestricted period to begin.  So far, we've re-signed Chris "Gingabread" LeFlore and Mike "the Joystick" Washington.  This is great news, but it's still a long way from a  complete team.

Skuttlebutt said that the Power was going to release a "big" statement Monday, but that didn't happen, probably because of the weather.  The options are limited to what this could have been, as they can only technically talk to people from their 2012 roster.  Now, I suppose they could have skirted that and been ready to announce someone as soon as open free agency began...but I don't think so.  The only player aside from the above that would have been that exciting is Superman.  (Though, I suppose, they could still be over-estimating his popularity and continued to beat the Bill Stull drum.)  So, it's not a done deal, but it's my gut feeling.

So, what can we expect in the coming phase?  More specifically, what should the Power do?

Well, assuming we have Superman in addition to Joystick, we've got a start on the receiver corps.   That's it for sure.  Frankly, I think that our receivers will take care of themselves.  LeFlore was the star on defense, and we know he's back.  They say defense is underrated in this league - and, to a degree, this is true.  However, you look at teams like the Rattlers last year that had great offense and defense that stopped their opponents in their tracks.  It's important.  However, it's useless without offense.  You need to score fast and often in this league, and the Power didn't.  We had great D, but our offense couldn't get it done.

So, having said that, you're going to start screaming at me when I say that our top three concerns should be - in this order - Offensive line, Kicker, QB.  "What the hell are you talking about, Weidman?" you might be yelling.  "You said we needed offense!  Nick Davila and Tommy Grady are free agents!  At very least, how about some more receivers and some running backs?"  Calm down, hypothetical reader.  'Tis madness, but there is method to it.

I'd love to see guys like Christian Wise and Tyree Young back, but they're not crucial.  We've got some stars locked up, and frankly, the Power hasn't had a lot of trouble getting quality people out front - we've had problems getting the ball to them.  ("So, yeah!  A quarterback!"  Quiet, you.)  We've been through a lot of QBs over the last two seasons.  Why is that?  Well, aside from Rowley, we've lost every single one of them to injuries at one point or another.  This goes back to the O line.  They have not been able to offer the protection needed.  I firmly believe that most of the QBs we've had could have done a lot better if they had more time to think in the pocket, or at very least, didn't have that voice in their head screaming "OH MY FRICKIN' GOD, THEY'RE GOING TO MURDER ME!"  Case and point is Bernard Morris.  He goes to Jacksonville and makes the playoffs.

Connected to this is how the league works.  Every team pays the same amount for their players (I'm pretending that non-pay extras don't happen.)  This means that the players have to look at intangibles - especially quarterbacks.  They're going to want to go somewhere with a lot of exposure, a great fanbase and some place that won't end their career early.  Pittsburgh has none of those things right now.  Sure, the fans that show up are into it, but the following hasn't gained the traction of old-market teams like Orlando, Arizona and San Jose.  Because of this, they won't get a lot of exposure.  This leaves protection.  If we can shore up that line, we can either get someone of higher caliber, or at least let our guy play up to his ability.

As for free agents like Davila and Grady, don't get your hopes up.  Grady went to U of U and went far with the Blaze last year.  I don't see him leaving there any time soon, unless it's to the NFL.  Likewise, Davila has two Arena Bowls, one ring and his family in Arizona.  The fact that he isn't signed is probably just a matter of paperwork.

So....yeah.  That's why I think focusing on a QB is a waste of time.   Why did I pick kicker next?  I've hammered this point in over and over again - the kicker is key in the AFL.  How many games have the Power lost based on shoddy kicking?  When you score 6-7 TDs a game, a lousy kicker can swing that final score by 6-7 points.  Along with the QB carousel last year, we had  kicker hot-potato.  That needs to stop (Though, I'd like to bring the Vampire back on defense and special teams for his tackling ability.)

After all this is done, we can think about the QB situation...but only if there aren't any good receivers/backs out there.  If we're "stuck" with Hines or Stull, I can deal with it.  Like I said - they had more to offer, they just kept getting steamrollered.


Elsewhere in the league

• Now that Clint Dozel in the coach's seat, he seems to be trying to meld his dreams into reality.  When he came up east from the Vigilantes, he brought as many of his favorites with him as he could  From there, he molded the D in his image.  He and Dirty Dan are now signed for two years, so I think he's going to hold on tight to as much of his creation as he can and see if he can get that ring this year.
• Bernard Morris is returning to the Sharks.
• Kurt Rocco looks to take the Voodoo even farther this coming season.  New Orleans is one of the teams with the most activity during this period.  They seem to know what they want.
• Despite some serious ups and downs,  Steve Wasil is returning to Tampa Bay
• The Talons are getting both Fred Shaw and Robert Quiroga back

There are a lot of big names unaccounted for - Davila, Grady, Ship, Brackins, Morgan, Jones, Armstrong, etc - so once the floodgates are thrown open, anything can happen.  Stay tuned!

Feeding Frenzy

*sigh* Don't worry, Power. The big, mean season can't hurt you anymore.

This week's loss came at the end of a long, brutal season where 5 wins was actually more than we had the right to hope for. The Power was never really in this game, so there's not a lot to talk about. Of the keys to victory that I laid out in the preview, the Power really didn't accomplish any of them.

Due to some excellent kicking on the part of the Sharks, PJ Berry didn't get many opportunities to make huge returns, and this was obvious right from the beginning. The Power didn't start farther than the 5 yard line on their first three possessions, and they never converted. The Sharks scored three touchdowns before we made our first first down. It was pretty damn obvious right from there that we weren't going to win this one.

Andrico Hines barely made it out of the first quarter before Randall got a shot. He didn't do a hell of a lot better, completing only about 50% on his passes, with 4 touchdowns and a pick. A bright part was the fact that he rushed for two, which is always fun to watch.

Defense had a pretty big breakdown in this game. They only came away with one pick and weren't able to really pressure the slippery Bernard Morris. Our offensive line is also going to get put under this header, because the whole game, the blind side didn't even seem to be in the game.

As for kicking, the less said, the better. Gates was back - probably because it just didn't matter anymore - and his kicking was weaker and less accurate this week. It was so bad that, when a National Guardsmen put one through the uprights during an on-field intermission contest, even the arena announcer said, "Sign him!"

It wasn't all bad, however. Superman put three up on the evening, which is great for him. (Hopefully no scouts were there.) On one of them, he pulled down his socks to show a second pair of Superman ones under them, complete with mini capes. Also, the Power's last score of the season was to him, with a followup two point conversion as well.

In the end, we booted it deep instead of on-siding it, and Jacksonville had the decency to run the clock, even though they had time outs remaining. There's always next season, and we can hope for the season we deserve then.

Elsewhere in the league

• It was a close but meaningless game in Cleveland, and the Gladiators actually pulled off the win against the Rush, 60-54.
• New Orleans was in control of most of their final game of the regular season, but as often happens, they beat themselves at the end with silly turnovers. 55-48 Georgia, and NOLA falls to 4th seed - so, they're still in the playoffs.
• Iowa managed to make a statement with their last game of the season, beating the Talons with a last second field goal, ending their 11 game winning streak. I guess the Talons will just have to settle for 14-4 and a #1 seed.
• KC lost to AZ, 47-22. They end the season 3-15.
• Spokane decided TB's fate Saturday, knocking them out of the playoffs, 63-53.
• Orlando salvaged one last win for the season to tie KC's record with a win over the Mustangs, 49-39.
• Finally, Philly decided that there is no such thing as a meaningless game - they wanted to prove that they were better than Tommy Grady and the Utah Blaze...and they did. 69-34.

Tune in Thursday for a full breakdown of the playoffs as the Arena League begins to wind down for the year.

Blood in the Water

Well, here we are already: Last game of the season.

And, we get to leave the season the way we entered it: On the NFL Network, prime time and nationally televised. (Hopefully with a win as well.) It would be really hard for them to flex us out of the slot as we're the only game Friday night.

For our last outing, we're facing off against the defending Arena Bowl champion Sharks along with our former quarterback, Bernard Morris. Now, yes, they won the big game last year, and yes, they're already locked for the playoffs - but this is not the team that mopped the field with us last year. They're tough, but beatable...maybe.

The only reason they are where they are is that they've been on a tear the last several games and had a late season surge. Bernard Morris has gotten a lot more comfortable in his skin and has held off some of his main weaknesses: Mainly the fumbles and holding the ball too long. Both are things that we saw last year when he played for us, and he had it happen a fair amount earlier this season.

Now, however, he's been getting in the habit of throwing perfect games. That's what we need to change. He still hangs in the pocket a little too long (not near as much as he used to) and the Power needs to exploit that. When he gets hit when he falls back or when he's making a scramble (he has almost a hundred more rushing yards than the next closest Jacksonville rusher) he doesn't always protect the ball very well. We've had a few games second half of the season where we brought the pressure hard on the QB.

Next is his pick-free games. That's always a concern, especially when the Power are absolutely ridiculously on the wrong side of the turnover ratio. If we want to ruin Bernie Mo's record for the night, we need look no farther than Christian Wise. The last two weeks, he has snagged the ball at least three times a game (whether they got called back or not.) As long as this hasn't gone to his head, he can be the turning point.

Coverage needs to be on Jeron Harvey and Josh Philpart, as they have been Mo's preferred targets recently. Also, we're going to have to be ready to cover the hell out of Terrance Smith and LaRoche Jackson on returns. Who knows what we can expect from the kicking game this week, but I think we need to at least be ready for soft kickoffs and spotty PATs. This means being prepared to shut returns down (something we're not good at), solid 3rd and 4th down lock-downs (something we've been doing well) and think about two point conversions (something we can do at times.)

Bottom line is that we need to fly in the face of everything the AFL stands for and concentrate on our strengths at defense. If PJ Berry, Mike Washington and Andrico Hines are on their game, the offense can take care of itself. We need to just make sure to keep Bernie Mo and the Sharks from doing the same.

Let's go Power and let's bookend the season with wins.

Elsewhere in the league

• First up on Saturday is Chicago at Cleveland in a game that pretty much no one cares about. Neither team has anything to play for, so I'm going to pick my Chicago Rush because I can and because screw Cleveland. Also, Russ Michna's the better quarterback, if I need a reason.
• Big game for the Voodoo when they host the Force. They've split the series with Jacksonville, but beat them by more points than they lost by and have the better division record. If they win and the Sharks lose, they snag first place in the South. They're also at home against a hot-and-cold Force. If they lose and TB wins, they're out, so they need to bring it. I'm taking the Voodoo because, even though it didn't work against TB, they're the better team.
• Talons at Iowa is another meaningless game. Iowa's out, Talons are in charge and there's nothing on the line besides being a division matchup. Iowa's at home and want the same thing we do - close their season with a win at home. However, unless the Sharks play soft to preserve themselves, the Barnstormers won't get their wish.
• AZ gets a softie to close out the season by hosting the Command.
• Tampa Bay has their work cut out for them. They need to travel to Spokane and need the win to have a shot at the post season. Their road record has been crap and Spokane - though streaky - is really good. I'm taking the Shock to win and the Storm to reserve tee time.
• Not much to say about the next game aside from the fact that the Mustangs should be able to end their season on a high note. It's a road game and the Preds are dangerous...but just like us, they're easy to overlook this year.
• Finally, Utah travels to Philly. Utah needs the win a lot more than the Soul does, because first place in the division is on the line. Normally, I'd say that a team in Philly's position is best served by rolling over. The Blaze is strong, has one of the best offenses in the league, possibly the best quarterback and are hungry for a win. Philly has nothing to gain in regards to the post season, and everything to lose in regards to injuries. However, Philly never says die. I'm still going to take the Blaze.

The Force Was Weak in this One

That's how it's done!

As one friend of Keller's and mine made sure to point out, this game was meaningless. Well, that might have been true for us, but not so much for the Force. The South division loves three-way ties, and this loss bounced the Force down to 3rd place, tied with NOLA and Tampa Bay. One more slip down, and they don't go to the playoffs - and they have to play NOLA next week.

So, what I'm getting at is, even Debbie Downer above can't take this victory away from us by saying it was meaningless for both teams and Georgia just laid down. They needed this win, and they dropped the ball - literally and figuratively.

I'm not 100% sure if Georgia played really sloppy, or if the Power just made them look that way, because this game was pretty firmly in Pittsburgh's hands the whole game.

Hines came out and showed fully what he's capable of - finally. He was 21 for 30, threw for 266 yards, 6 touchdowns and - yes - zero interceptions. That's as close to perfect as we're likely to see. He was confident, took his time (without over doing it) and made the connections. This includes making a perfect pass after a touchdown up to the luxury boxes to none other than Hines Ward. Hines to Hines reception. Love it.

Receiving was mainly the Joystick and Superman show. Both of them counted for 4 touchdowns - Washington straight up and Berry got two in the air and two on the ground. Joystick was textbook all night, fielding them cleanly, whereas Berry pulled them off with style. On one of his touchdowns, the crowd all turned against him and started booing. Berry flashed that grin of his and lifted his jersey, showing the Superman logo beneath.

The big stars of the evening, however, were on defense. This is what won us the game, even more than the near-flawless performances on offense. Georgia only converted 5 of 9 3rd downs, and we fully stopped them on all 3 4ths. Christian Wise continued to make himself my favorite member of the defense (sorry, Gingabread. You still rock.) He hauled in two big interceptions that the offense was able to convert into points (one TD and one FG) and would have had another, had it not been called back.

The only downsides on the evening were familiar - albeit, watered down - ones: Kicking and stupid mistakes. The latter came during the longest, most annoying series of downs in the game. Coverage was blown, and Georgia returned a kickoff to the 2. What should have been a quick score after that dragged on forever. First, they completed the pass for the TD...but got called for offensive pass interference. Then they threw for the TD and...got called for offensive pass interference. They completed a pass (finally), almost got there and then blew the next three tries. So where was the mistake for us? Well, after that first pass, Williams got way too chippy, threw a punch and got ejected from the game. In most games, a defensive loss like that coulda killed us, but thankfully the team picked up the slack.

Kicking. Well, what can I say? It's not a Power review if I don't bitch about kicking. Boyer got the boot, and a new booter was called in. His name is...screw it, who cares? As the announcers said, he probably won't be here next week (and then they gave out the coach's email address.) Sure, he made all but one PAT and converted a FG...but his kickoffs were weak as hell. To put it in perspective, Berry was averaging about 15 yards a return. CJ Johnson, on the other hand, averaged over 30. This was because Nobody-Ass McKickypants never even made the net in this game and dropped all his kicks right in Johnson's hands.

Oh well - we beat the tar out of them (58-41.) At one point, we hit exactly a 31 point lead, and it was nice to know that only one team had ever come back from that.

Us.

Elsewhere in the league

• For some reason, still unknown, the league decided to show Cleveland/Utah as the featured game this week, and as I suspected, it wasn't really exciting at all. Utah completely stomped the Gladiators, and ended their hopes of the playoffs. 83-63 Blaze
• The game they didn't show - and the Ustream feed cut out on - was the Rattlers at the Talons, both looking for first place. These teams are super well matched, and now stand at a win a piece - and as mentioned, will likely meet in the playoffs at some point. The final, that I would have loved to have watched, was 62-61 Talons.
• The game of Orlando at Jacksonville was never in question, despite the possibility of the Preds pulling an upset against one of their hated rivals. In the end, the Sharks pulled off the win 48-30 and secured a place in the post season again.
• The Voodoo should have won in Tampa Bay, and they didn't give up without a fight. This battle went to OT, where the excitement didn't stop. NOLA won the toss and quickly went 0-3 on their attempts. Rocco made one last all-or-nothing Hail Mary to Bush for the TD. Tampa Bay responded by quickly moving back down the field themselves. The gutsy call was to go for 2. Complete it, they win. Miss, they lose. They made it, and the game ended 78-77 TB.
• The less said about the Shock at Command, the better. The Shock were a team hoping for the playoffs, and would have made it in nearly any other division and in any other year with their record. This week, they won by one point (49-48) to the worst team in the league because of a missed FG. Pathetic.
• Chicago pulled off a win for their morale against the Mustangs, 57-54.
• Finally, the Sabercats hosted the Barnstormers. There is a lot of speculation that aging great Mark Greib might retire after this season (though, he's kinda the Favre of the AFL), and if so, this might have been his last home game with the Cats. Well, good for him, they pulled it off 57-48.

Storm Knocks Out Power

The Power suffered another heart-breaking loss at home in their second-to-last game in Consol for this season. Once again, it was a loss made harder by the fact that we should have won it - on several levels - but missed it by that much in the end. Personally, I think the big responsibility for it was some very bad coaching calls at the end of the game, but more on that later.

The team played very well Saturday night, and continued to look like a team that was on the rise and continuing to gel. As Keller and I were discussing after the game, we scored just as many touchdowns as TB, we just got beat in a few key areas.

The Good:

Aside from two picks - which we've kind of come to expect with this team - Andrico Hines had a great night, throwing for over 300 yards and 7 TDs. Protection on him was adequate, and he had time to think things through and make precision throws. The two picks in question both came in the second half after the battle of attrition had started to take its toll on both teams. Also, those two plays, I feel, were more great defensive plays by TB than they were screw-ups by Hines.

With good QBing comes good receiving. Joystick was the man of the night for the Power with 126 yards and three clutch touchdowns. Superman put up almost a hundred yards himself, along with three touchdowns of his own - two in the air and one on the ground. Finally, there was Oderick Turner, continuing to carve out a place for himself on our team with 81 yards and a touchdown.

Defense was coming up very strong in this game, especially with Christian Wise's contributions. Fairly early in the game, QB Nick Hill was taken out after a defensive collision (though, he did lower his head into the hit all by himself) but not before throwing a pick to Wise. He was also there on pass coverage and a number of good hits throughout the game. LeFlore and DeGrate also made key contributions.

Finally, there was the fact that we played 4 solid quarters again this week, the importance of which cannot be understated.

The Bad:

Kicking, kicking, kicking. I just don't know what it is, but we cannot seem to get this kicking thing down for more than a week or two at a time. Missed PATs are a fact of life in the AFL, but they shouldn't be the norm. Also, our snap timing always seems to be off, which leads to stuffed PAT attempts - one of which was recovered by TB and run back for two.

Penalties - granted, TB had almost twice as many yards as we did on penalties, but ours came in key areas that lost us more than yards. Two separate times, picks were called back because of procedural penalties - one of which Wise had run all the way back to the house. Had either one of those stood, we would have at least tied the turnover battle, and in one case, been ahead another TD.

I'm slotting this in the bad, 'cause it just really sucked, but Steve Wasil of Tampa Bay came up big. The Storm had not won yet on the road this year, and that's due in large part to him. For some reason, the road just seems to get in his head and he falls apart. When Hill got helped off the field, I was glad to see Wasil come in. Unfortunately, he played like he does at home.

Last, there was a failure to capitalize on opportunities. In the second half, the defense came up strong and forced a big 4th down stop on Tampa Bay, but it was squandered a few plays later when Hines was picked off. It's things like that that win and lose games, especially a game where the score just goes back and forth like this one did. A big stop has to lead to a score, or else you've done nothing.

The Ugly:

The Ugly can really be summed up by the last minute of the game. TB had scored, on-side kicked it, recovered and ran it back almost to paydirt. Okay, this is bad, but it's not the end of the world when there's still a full minute left. If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm going to Monday morning quarterback this. (Normal disclaimer - I'm not a coach, never will be a coach and don't know as much as the coach.)

There are two schools of thought here in Arena Football in this situation, the first of which is to trust your defense to hold the line on the one and either stop them completely or at least hold them to a FG. That one yard is often the hardest, and with certain teams - the Georgia Force does this well - this is the right call, and is what Coach Stingley (a defense man by trade, so it's not surprising) did.

The other school of thought is to just let them score, and then give yourself most of a minute and any remaining timeouts to burn as much clock (or save it if you need it) as possible before scoring and hopefully leave the opponent with nothing left. Even with as well as our defense has been playing recently, I still think this would have been the better call.

The Power just is not a goal-line stand kind of team. We don't have that kind of defense, and it's a pretty forgone conclusion that the other team is going to score eventually. Well...they did. But not until almost 30 seconds and both of our remaining timeouts were burned. The Power did all it could to score in those last 30 seconds - including one mad dash to spike the ball after Hines scrambled on a play and left the clock running - but it just didn't happen. They were rushed, they were flustered and they were staring defeat in the eye again. Three shots at the end zone - the last as time expired - failed to connect, and the Power lost, 65-61.

Elsewhere in the league

• The Mustangs had a good shot at an upset, but as I suspected, they couldn't pull it off. The Sharks really had no problem defeating them, and Bernard Morris was looking perfect at QB. Almost 200 yards in the air (for 6 TDs), 26 on the ground (including a TD) and no picks made him the man of the night. More importantly, he didn't fumble - which some of you might remember was his problem here last year. He's going to be tough when we close our home season against the Sharks in a few weeks.
  
• WHAT? The Predators beat Cleveland? Well, that's that Spoiler stuff I was talking about. the Preds came up big and really put a hurting on the Gladiator's playoff hopes. Preds 55, Glads 34.
  
• All week, the late game between Utah and Arizona was being touted as an Old West showdown between gunslingers Davila and Grady. Strange, then, that the first half was a defensive exhibition that set the tone for the whole game. The Rattlers were pounding on Grady, whereas the Blaze was picking Davila and recovering on-side kicks. The unfortunate part for the Ratts was that their defensive plays cost Grady yards and downs, whereas it cost Utah possessions. It was a battle that Arizona beat themselves in. The team is good at on-side kicks, but it just wasn't working for them Friday - but they kept trying it. In the end, those lost plays and Davila's picks cost them the game, 62-49
  
• Not surprisingly, the Barnstormers were able to decisively defeat the Command.
  
• As expected, the Voodoo lost on the road to San Jose, 55-31. However, as I had also pointed out, the loss didn't really cost them anything more than breathing room. They still hold the top spot in their division with a couple of key tie-breakers, so they just need to hang in there and end strong.
  
• Chicago needed the win, and they didn't get it. Garcia and his Talons are just too strong, and they were able to hand the Rush a close defeat, 61-54
  
• Okay, I get it - my crazy picks don't pan out...and picks didn't pan out for Rowley, either. Dirty Dan only threw for 179 yards this week, but that's more than enough when your defense picks up 4 interceptions for you. With that, the Soul set a franchise record of 14 wins in a season, and they still have a game to go.

Playoff Picture
In the National Conference, it's all over but the crying. The playoff berths are all reserved, it's just a matter of which cabin each team is getting. The Talons have clinched their division with two games remaining. They have a head-to-head with the Rattlers that might decide the 1 seed, but that's about the only concern they still have. The Ratts, Cats and Blaze have all locked up spots, and just need to figure out who's going where.

Right now, round one would be the Cats at Talons, and Blaze at Ratts. I know I picked a Cats/Soul Arena Bowl a few months ago, but if these are the match-ups, I don't see it. I see the Talons coming out of the first round with the Rattlers - but as this weekend proved, the latter isn't a done deal. In the second round, if the Ratts play the Talons, it'll be almost a rematch of the Arena Bowl last year, and that makes it too close to call. If the Talons play the Blaze, I see see San Antonio advancing to the big show.

In the American conference, it's still a mess. Philly's still in the top spot and - barring a major upset - the favorite to go to the final. Below them is a three-way tie between NOLA, Jacksonville and Georgia, with a few other teams on the outside looking in. There's no real point in rehashing the "what-ifs' for the other teams and the "who-knows" of the teams that are currently in. There's still a few weeks left in the season and about 5 teams within a game of each other.

If the brackets today stand, then Jax will get stomped by Philly for the third time this year in the first round, while the Voodoo will probably beat the Georgia Force for the third time this year (they end the season against each other, and I will reassess then.) In the second round, the Voodoo will put up a good fight, but ultimately be eliminated by the Soul.

Whether it's a Talons/Soul Arena Bowl or a Ratts/Soul one, there's no way to call it from here. Philly is the favorite over everyone in the league, but both of those other teams can pull off strong wins. If I had to pick, I'd say the Soul over the Rattlers, but possibly losing to the Talons. However, neither team has matched up against Philly this year, so there's not much to go on. It'll come down to how they play through the first two rounds, and what kinds of injuries happen. We'll just have to wait and see.

Consider them 'Barns stormed

Wow. I stared at a blank screen for a while here trying to game-plan actually writing a post about the Power winning. Not only winning, but winning with authority over a team with more than one win under their belt. Sure, we're in garbage time of a losing season, but seeing a win was fantastic, and it was a very entertaining game to watch.

Coach Ho of Iowa is known for really changing things up and keeping opposing teams on their toes. Well, it looks like Coach Stingley learned a few things from him, because he caught everyone off guard by putting Hines in at QB. When I say everyone, I mean that Hines was on screen for a full minute before the announcers realized they were talking about the wrong guy.

He had us nervous for his first few drives, despite scoring, because he was all over the place. He looked about like a QB who hadn't played in a long time against a team that picked him 5 times before. But, eventually, he got into a rhythm and started getting things done. About his only real black mark (once he got in the groove) was the single pick of the game thrown (both sides.) It was a really bad read, and he threw it straight to Jason Simpson a few yards out and he ran it in for six.

It has to be said that Simpson is really, really good. If someone's going to get a pick, or a runback or any combination thereof, it's him. What is surprising is that this pick six didn't deep six the Power. I've commented before, generally the Power commit that one turnover that takes all the wind from their sails, but this time, it didn't happen. It seemed to rally the team and focus them on the task at hand.

Stand-out performances were had by Joystick, Superman and Oderick Turner. Hines was able to get back in the swing of things targeting Washington and Turner in the end zone for 4 TDs, which is impressive given the vast difference in height with those two receivers. Overall, he might have thrown some real wildcat passes in the red zone that probably shouldn't have been done, but when it counted, he was able to rely on those two to have sure hands. This is especially nice since they've both had some trouble with dropped balls this season.

The Iowa defense might have been able to keep Berry out of the end zone all night (with the exception short-yard rush), but he was still explosive on the field. Yardage-wise, he was the top Power receiver, and only 4 yards shy on top receiver of the night. He averaged 23 yards a return, with a top one of 50. Amongst all of these things, he was entertaining and athletic on clutch plays that he made seem easy. The one scary part of the evening came in the second half when he took an awkward tackle that looked to screw his leg up, leaving him to be assisted from the field. A few plays later, he was back in and we could breathe again.

For me, the best part of this game was to see another team suffer from something that's been heaped on us all season - namely, a quarterback who is constantly under pressure. Although the Power did not pick JJ Raterink at all during this game, they sure did get in his face. He spent a lot of time on the ground and got hit hard. Over the course of 60 minutes, you could see that it was taking its toll. He only completed 19 of 32, and the Power stopped him on two 4th down situations.

Finally, where the Power was weak in some areas, they came up big on others. For example, Boyer was having a lousy night kicking. His kickoffs seemed lackluster, and his PAT ability was a no-show. Everyone has a bad night, but with Power kickers this season, we might see a new face next week. But, what he lost us on PATs, the defense made up for on safeties. Raterink got steamrolled in the end zone for one, and was forced into a poorly timed shuffle-pass that Neil Purvis was able to strip for the other.

Again, this game meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, but the Power came up big. They've been saying right along that they are still out for wins every week, and this week they proved it. Now that the CBA is supposedly going to allow for multi-year contracts, it's time for the Power to start thinking about a core team that they want to lock up long term. If this is the team we have every week, and this is how they can play, there are a number of people that proved the Power can be a team to be reckoned with in the future.

Elsewhere in the league

Well, my picks did not go as disastrously as I'd thought they would. I still missed a few, but did better than the 50% I was thinking. Also - screw you, Preds! I had wild-man faith in you, and you let me down!

• Philly might not know how to lay down, but the Storm still made them work for it. There was no blowout in Tampa Bay this week as the game came down to the final minute. No quarter was offered or given in this 83-79 slugfest. Tampa's loss came as the result of two critical non-catches. At around the one-minute mark, TB was holding Raudabaugh in the red zone, and on 3rd down, a defender leaped for a pass, got hands on it and dropped it, allowing Dirty Dan to connect with Captain Morgan on 4th for the TD. On TB's final drive, with one second left, Nick Hill passed to Joe Hills, who caught it, only to be freight-trained by two defenders and coughing it up before he hit the ground. Philly wins.
  
• Oh God...There's not a lot to be said about the Game of the Week, except "Damn..." A Cleveland player remarked before the game that the Gladiators are already in the playoff mode - one loss and their season is over. Milwaukee was in the same situation, as they also needed to win out to make the post season. They didn't. Cleveland simply leveled them in this run-away ass-whoopin'. Final score, 69-32 Cleveland, and Milwaukee gets to join Pittsburgh on the division "It's Over" bench.
  
• Arizona knew they needed a win and a San Jose loss to secure the division, and they sure did their part, proving me wrong in the process. I figure that even if they beat Spokane, it'd be close. However, a lot of people on the Internet like to talk about Rowley choking when it comes down to it, and he sure did Friday, getting picked a staggering 5 times. Final score in this blow-out was 61-35
  
• KC did far better in this matchup than I'd thought they would. A few times, I looked down and the score was way closer than it should have been. Wish I could have seen it, but the Arena streams were not being nice and I could get it in. In the end, Garcia and the Talons won by ten points to put this one to bed, 58-48.
  
• Speaking of bad feeds, this one really infuriated me, but probably kept my heart in better shape. On while the Power was playing, I had this one up on my laptop to switch over to during commercials. I swear, every time I looked over, there was another turnover. The feed cut before the end of the game, but the Voodoo was able to get the win and take back first place in the division, 65-55.
  
• The Cats also wanted to prove me wrong this week, as well as keep AZ from securing the division. Given how the Rush perform in their home arena, I thought they were going to have this one, but the Sabercats just wanted it a lot more. The final from Allstate Arena was 75-61.
  
• I really thought that the Preds could win against the Force and salvage some pride for their season. They obviously thought so too, as the game came down to the wire. At 56-53, Orlando had the chance to tie it up and go to OT with a long field goal, but it just was not meant to be. Georgia wins and slips only to second place in their division.
  

Power at Barnstormers Preview

Ah, rematches. They're a chance to see if you've learned from mistakes, or in the case of a win, a chance to see if you've gotten too cocky. Either way, it's an opportunity to exorcise demons and give it another go.

The last few weeks have been a solid line of rematches, and unfortunately, they have not gone well for us. (I mean, except for the Gladiators, but that doesn't really count.) The good news is that the Barnstormers have a losing record and are pretty much out of the running for the playoffs. (Maybe not mathematically, but things would have to go very badly for several teams for it to happen.) Neither of us really have anything on the line but pride. Since they already beat us once, I'm going to stretch the definition of it a bit and say that pride's on our side.

In many ways, we're a different team than we were the last time we played, so things might turn out differently. Hines was our QB and Wagner was our kicker. Hymes was just starting out with the team, replacing a fan favorite in DeWalt. PJ Berry had been struggling in the first two games and was starting to break out. Most importantly, we had a different coach.

Stingley is still a question mark for me. He doesn't make the boneheaded calls that Siegfried did and he actually seems to have confidence in a quarterback (Randall will be starting again.) However, as can be seen in this extremely creepy conference, he still doesn't seem comfortable in the role of head coach. Another entry in the plus column is that he knows Coach Ho well. He's an unpredictable coach, but knowing him has got to dial that in a bit.

Last time we played, we lost by two touchdowns, which is A.) fairly close and B.) pretty damn good considering there were 5 turnovers. We've been averaging less than that since then (although it's still an issue) so if we can keep a lid on that, we have a better chance.

The other big problem is that the Barnstomers' defense ran all over us. The good news is that Sione Ohuafi is supposed to be back at center, which is a position our offense has been very weak at. Bad center means worse protection for Randall. Worse protection for Randall means that he gets pressured. When Randall gets pressured, he gets sacked and/or turns the ball over. I know this sounds like a DirectTV commercial, but it's the progression of events.

If we can keep the ball, force a few turnovers of our own and protect Randall, we might have a chance to get another win on our season.

Elsewhere in the league

Full disclosure - I have a feeling my picks might go about 50% this week. Just some ugly choices to make.

• Starting out is Philly at Tampa Bay. Tampa's only lost at home once, and the Soul don't need to play a single game the rest of the season if they don't want to...but I don't think they know how to lay down. Look for Philly to win and Tampa to start planning picnics in late July.
  
• Assuming it doesn't get flexed, the Game of the Week this week is Milwaukee at Cleveland in an important division game. Cleveland needs this win big time. Losing this one puts the Mustangs at the same record as them and splits the series. Both teams are still in the hunt, and this could decide their post season hopes. The Gladiators have now dropped 5 in a row, so it'd be easy to pick the Mustangs...but they're on the road, they've already lost to the Gladiators and Cleveland needs to repair their image at home and on the national stage. I'm pulling for the Mustangs because screw the Gladiators, but my gut tells me Cleveland has this.
• Arizona will secure the division with a win in Spokane and a Sabercats loss. Easy to write, hard to pull off. Rowley still has gas in the tank this season and the Rattlers can't just smile and walk away with the win. When they last played in Arizona, the Ratts barely came away with the win. I hate to pick against them, but I think Arizona will have the loss.
• Finally, an easy choice - KC loses to the Talons.
  
• The game to watch this week if you can is Jacksonville at New Orleans. Tied records separated by one head-to-head. Winner jumps ahead to the top of the division (for this week, at least.) Normally, home team would be the tie-breaker here, but there's still a stigma attached to the Voodoo at home. So, instead, I'm going with the quarterback. So long as Rocco doesn't beat himself with the stupid mistakes he makes when he gets cocky, he's better than Bernie Mo. Take the Voodoo, cautiously.
• In the crowded 8PM slot, the Chicago Rush host the San Jose Sabercats. Both teams need this win pretty badly, and both teams are known for dropping stupid games that they shouldn't. This is a case where the close call most certainly goes with the home team - the Rush haven't lost at Allstate Arena yet this season.
• Final game of the week is Sunday at 3 and should be fun spoiler-bait. The Predators came damn close to beating the Voodoo last week, and they have a shot at making things sticky for Georgia. It was a close, low-scoring game last time they played. I think I'm going to be wild and crazy and pick Orlando. Yep - gonna throw caution to the wind. I'm a wild man.
  

Visiting Enemy Territory: Power vs Soul Review

As I mentioned in my brief preview last week, I had the chance to travel to Philly this weekend to catch the Power on the road. Despite the fact that we lost (hard) it was a lot of fun, and I look forward to doing it again some time.

Approaching enemy territory.

For those of you who haven't been to Philly professional sports DMZ, Wells Fargo Center lies a subway ride away from downtown, clustered with Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field, putting everything right on top of each other. The Brothers Keller and I were lucky enough to arrive just as the first game of a Phils double-header was letting out and everyone was heading across the street to Xfinity Live to drink. Whereas my brother-in-law was being the good homer and wearing local garb, the Kellers and I stood out just a wee bit in our black n gold amid the sea of red.

Looks varied from "WTF jersey is that?" to "I don't know what that is, but black and gold means I must hate you."

After some time trying to blend in with the locals and having a few adult beverages at Victory (Pittsburgh seriously needs a setup like this place) we headed in for the game. Even though Wells Fargo only holds a couple of hundred people less than Consol, it somehow feels much more cramped. I don't know what it was - maybe the seats are smaller, maybe it's because the jumbotron is way higher or what, but it feels smaller inside. By luck of the draw, our seats were almost exactly the same as what we have every week at home (which led to a comical double-take from the highlight film crew), but the different setup put us right behind the bench.

Hi, Tomczak!

I go to every home game, but this was the first time that it really felt like my cheering shenanigans could actually be noticed by the team. When we walked down to our seats, Superman saw us and threw a salute. Cool stuff.

Now, for the game itself. I don't think any of us really expected to win, and we sure didn't - but that's more because of the strength of the Soul than weakness of the Power. This is not to say that the Power's skills didn't play a part - weak offense, poor protection of the quarterback, etc were all in play - but damn, the Soul is just a solid, solid team who has earned everything they've gotten this season.

The game got off to an inauspicious start with the Power getting stopped dead on their opening drive - but a clutch interception by "Gingabread" LeFlore on Raudabaugh's first pass of the game turned things back around. To be honest, the first half didn't get too out of control, and we actually had the right to hope. At the beginning of the second quarter, we had the lead and were slowly but surely getting the job done.

However, Philly came back with a touchdown to Brackins, a 4-and-out stop, touchdown to Morgan and then that traditional pick that we've talked about before. That one that you can look back on as the play that took the wind out of the Power's sails. Even so, the first half ended 27-13, which isn't insurmountable, but it wasn't optimal. The third was painful, but still "in there" somewhere. It wasn't until the end of the forth where it just got a bit ugly and then it was over.

I'm going to give full disclosure here. Where I was sitting, my view should have been a lot like this:

Clear, unobstructed awesome.

However, given that the delightful Soulmates actually hang out in the audience at Wells Fargo, a few times, my view was more like this:

Obstructed awesome.

It took me almost an entire quarter to realize that the guy to her left was wearing a kilt. A kilt. So, that being said, I might have missed a few details, but here are some highlights.

• Oderick Turner had a monster night this week, putting up almost identical numbers to Philly's Tiger Jones. That's fantastic. The triple threat of Jones, Hughley and "Captain" Morgan is most of what makes the Soul such a good team, and Turner should be proud to have stood with them.
• Even though Randall has protection problems with his offensive line, he still actually had some good numbers this week, putting up 60 yards more than Raudabaugh and only one more pick. To put that in perspective, Raudabaugh has solid blockers that give him a lot time to think. (He's also near-unflappable.) Much like Turner above, when put in context, it says a lot.
• In the second half, Donovan Morgan made one of those catches that belong on the highlight reel. Raudabaugh over-threw him a bit, so he had to charge through the end zone, slam into the wall and pluck the ball out of the air inches from a fan's lap. I bring this up because of something Keller's brother Erik said to me. He said that it was one of those plays that, irrespective of team, was athletic, exciting and makes people love Arena Football. He's not wrong.

Something else to mention about our little road-game adventure. On the way out, we made one rest stop between here and Philly, and I had randomly decided to wear a Power t-shirt that I'd never put on before. Turns out, this happened to be the same time and stop the Power bus chose as well. We were lucky enough to have a brief meet and greet with several members of the team including Superman himself. That was great for us, personally, but there was something for everyone there.


We chatted with a member of the Power front office who asked if we had renewed our season tickets yet. I explain to him that, to be 100% frank, we weren't sure if the team would still be here next year, so we were giving it a wait-and-see approach. His response was that Mr. Swann and Shaner are 100% committed to the team, and they will be back next season.

This is great news, because while I sat amongst nearly 10,000 crazy (and at times very...Philly) fans I happened to look up and see this:

It's blurry, but it says Arena Bowl XXII champs.

...And, dammit, I want one.

Elsewhere in the league

Given the fact that we're in the anything-can-happen phase of the season, I'm shocked that I went nearly 100% on my picks again this week.

• The Game of the Week was back on Friday night, and that was great, 'cause it meant that I got to see it. The Preds really made a run at the spoil, especially with some help from Rocco making his normal blunders. In the last minute, the Preds were up by one, but a touchdown followed by a safety sealed the deal for the Voodoo.
• Arizona didn't have much trouble against Milwaukee this week and advanced to 11-3, staying one game behind the Soul. The post-season is getting interesting.
• As I suspected, Cleveland's forfeit seems to have gotten in their head as they extended their losing streak to 5. They should be a better team than Jacksonville, and the fact that the game stayed within 7 almost the whole game proves it. Sharks win, 56-42. With the Mustangs also dropping one this week, the Gladiators remain in 2nd place in our division, but are now in the "need some help" to think about the playoffs.
• Talons definitely wanted it more, and Tampa finally dropped one at home this week. Talons remain tied with the Rattlers at 11-3, which means that the second-to-last game of the season is going to most likely have staggering implications.
• The Rush won a fairly safe game on the road against the Command, which keeps them in the running for a playoff spot. 59-41 is comfortable, but their road games are always scary.
• Once again, Tommy Grady and crew annihilated their opponent 61-38. I've talked in the past of the records that Grady is going to set this season, and you only need to look at this week. 25/28, 306 yards, 8 touchdowns and zero interceptions. I'm not saying he's the next Kurt Warner, but I'm wondering if any NFL team is eyeing him as a backup.
• Here's the one game that I missed the pick on. After getting thwumped at home earlier this season by the Cats, the Shock returned the favor with a 90-63 victory Saturday night. Re-read what I said about Grady above and realize that Rowley had a better night. 30/37, 392 yards, 12 TDs and only one interception. Take a bow, Kyle - you earned it.

Playoff Picture

Not a lot has changed since last week, except that the Rush is getting a look in and the Cats are bumped for the time being.. The Cats' loss was a blow in the standings, but they're only a half-game shy of Chicago, so it's not time to write their epitaph just yet.

Assuming neither of them royally screw the pooch, the Ratts and Talons are going to be #1 and #2 in the conference, and which one is which might very well come down to their late-season match-up. The Ratts doubled the Talons' score last time, so even if Garcia wins this round, they'll need to put up some serious points to offset that loss, all other things being equal. They also have to think about the fact that there's a very good chance they'll have to play each other again to reach the Arena Bowl.

The American Conference is just a mess. Aside from the Soul, we still can't say anything for sure - not even who is going to be in and who's going to be out (except for Pittsburgh, Orlando and KC.) The live bracket right now says Jax, Voodoo and Force, and that's as good of a guess as any. Tampa and Cleveland can both get in, but I don't think that either has got the drive to do it any more. If the Mustangs knuckle down and get some help, they might get in - but they'd need to get past Cleveland and have someone in the South nose-dive.

So, that's the weekend in review. I'll be back on Friday with the next update

Power fall to Mustangs...but only just.

This season has presented me with a varied pallet of ways to watch the Power lose - enough so that I can actually sit back and debate which way of watching them lose I prefer the most. I don't think that it's a surprise that I - if I have to watch them lose - most prefer them to lose when on the road, so that I'm already at home in my easy chair and comfy. If it's a home game and I have to schlep downtown, spend money at the bar beforehand (the extremely AFL-friendly Cafe Fifth Avenue) spend more at the game and then watch the slaughter up-close and personal, I actually prefer it when we get blown out. Why? Because I'm not sure how many 1-point-in-the-final-seconds losses my heart will take before exploding in dramatic fashion.


This week was a true heart breaker. Not just because we lost, and not just because we lost to a division rival. It was a heart breaker because the Power played so damn well and should have brought home the W on this one.


I'll admit, the game didn't look so promising after the Power's stalled opening drive that went 4-and-out and an almost immediate score by Milwaukee on the following possession. However, from there on out, it was competitive, exciting football all the way. This began with the Power returning the favor to the Mustangs by Berry running 34 yards to paydirt with a flip and a flourish over the goal line. As my wife pointed out at the time, Superman would have trouble in the NFL due to his joy of showboating (I mean this in a good way - it's always fun to see what he does when he scores.)

The next possession, the Power stopped Milwaukee dead on the far one-yard line, forcing them to "kick a field goal." (That's in quotes, because we can't say "punt" in the AFL.) Martinez wisely kicked it out of bounds, denying Superman a chance for a return and started us on the 20. Our next drive brought us our first lead (and first of two TDs to Turner) of the game, but also Boyer's first unsuccessful PAT attempt. Unfortunately, as his one legitimate miss of the night, this attempt sealed our fate.

I say "legitimate," because this was Boyer's one real miss that he can't blame on anyone else. Through the course of the rest of the game, he'd have two PATs blocked, but that's more of a credit to the Milwaukee defense than it is a failing on his part. However, long-time readers of this column (Hi mom!) know that one missed PAT can change everything in the AFL, and it certainly did in this game.

For the rest of the first and most of the second, things were exciting, but not overly noteworthy. Both teams did their thing and played good football. It was as the half wound down that things really got exciting. With around 5 minutes left, Berry made a TD reception that no one - including him - knows how the eff it happened.

Photo from the Power FB page.

What you can't see in this frozen moment of time is that before making this, Berry turned to look over his shoulder, tripped, fell, and the ball landed right in his hands as he slid into the end zone. The fact that Boyer's PAT on this one got blocked detracted nothing from this amazing moment.

An onside kick was attempted by the Power, and it didn't go so well as the Mustangs got the ball and scored. They answered with their own onside kick that they recovered - only to have Guidugli get stripped in the end zone for a safety (take that blocked PAT!) So, the only logical call for the Mustangs now was to try another onside kick (this was sarcasm, BTW) which "Hands" Hymes snagged and ran in, bringing the score to 34-27. Undeterred, Guidugli led his Mustangs down the field on his next possession, only to be picked by John Green.

Here is another point where I feel the Power might have lost an opportunity, but I can see why they did it. There were 14 seconds left in the half, and Milwaukee was going to start the second half with the ball - so they wanted to end with it. So, the plays were obviously designed to run time off the clock rather than just get in for the score. I get that. Unfortunately, the Mustangs had our number and didn't let us get much done, and we settled for a FG instead of a TD. At the time, it didn't seem like a big deal.

The Mustangs had calmed down a little bit after halftime and wasn't going for the crazy stuff any more - they seemed to just knuckle down for the rest of the fight. Their first drive ended efficiently in a touchdown scramble by Guidugli to get them back on the board. Our responding drive looked in jeopardy when an unsportsmanlike call against Berry (someone got lippy, so he chucked the ball in his face) left us at 3rd and 12 at midfield. No worries, as Randall completed to Joystick for the TD.

Although LeFlore intercepted Guidugli on the next drive, the Power were once again unable to get the TD, and in fact, this time they were just shut down on the drive and weren't able to capitalize. This was a running theme. Our first possession in the fourth, we also had to settle for a field goal. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm super glad that we have a kicker that can make FGs. That's worlds above some other kickers we've had this year.

Things went right down to the wire in this one. When it was down to it late in the game, Randall ran one in to bring it to 60-55. Then -and I don't know why more people aren't talking about this (including the AFL itself) - fans in the arena were treated to something special. For the PAT, the ball was snapped straight to Boyer. It looked for a moment that he was trying to find someone open to go for two. After all, that's the only thing he can do, right?

Wrong.

See, there's a very, very rarely used rule in professional football where you can dropkick an extra point. Doug Flutie pulled one off in 2006, 'cause the Pats were going to lose, the game meant nothing and he wanted to end his career on something special (They say Belichick's heart grew three sizes that day.) In the AFL, you're allowed to drop kick a PAT for 2, or a field goal for 4. Boyer was known in other leagues for pulling this off, and it was part of the reason Siegfried picked him up. Now, some sources say that it hasn't been done successfully since 1997, but that's untrue as Taylor Rowan pulled it off last season, but the fact is, it is very, very rare, and this brought us to 62-55.

This is where the heart breaks. In the final seconds of the game, Milwaukee scored and then followed with a successful two point conversion the traditional way. So many times this season, that's how they were beaten, and I'm sure it felt good to be on the other side of it. There was some anger on the following kickoff with 0:03 on the clock, because the refs said Berry touched the ball. From what I saw on the field and on the video, he in no way did, but that probably didn't change anything. They'd have had time for one play, and the odds were against them. Doesn't change the fact that it hurt a lot to lose by so little.

What do we take out of this game? Well, this is the Power team that I wish we'd had all season. They played hard for a full 4 quarters, tried some unconventional plays, played solid defense. Hell, Randall even went pick-free this week. Our defense held the Mustangs to 3rd down 8 times, and kept them from converting four of them. Of the 4th downs, we officially stopped one and forced them to kick on another. They also picked Guidugli twice and put him on his back several times. Our offense was on target and back to focusing on a few choice receivers, none of whom turned the ball over. Boyer only missed one kick and was clutch everywhere else (except the two blocks.)

There were only two main areas of concern, really (and when we're out of playoff contention, is it really a concern anymore?) One was the O-line. Randall got sacked, hurried and pressured way too much in this game. We have never been able to protect the QB, and I'd kinda hoped having a defensive guy as coach, this might get worked on more. The other main problem was capitalizing on turnovers. Twice in this game, we settled for a FG or less after a pick. Had either of those been a TD, we would have won this one.

All-in-all, it was a great effort for the Power, it was finally fun to watch again, and in the end, they just fell slightly short.

Next week, a special report from inside enemy territory as we take on the Soul.

Elsewhere in the league

• The NFL game of the week aired on delay this week. Hopefully now that the powers that be and the union reached terms, the NFL Network will give us another chance. With them having rights to playoff games, I don't want to see them delayed. The main thing to take away from this game is that Tampa Bay officially can't win on the road as they fell to the Predators in the War on I-4. I also need to point out that the Preds will be missing the playoffs for the first time after 19 years straight. To put that in perspective, their fans have been used to the Preds being awesome as long as we've been used to the Pirates sucking.
  
• Philly decisively (62-27) won over the Sharks, clinching the division and a playoff berth. From here on out, they're in "eh, whatever" mode as they try to stay healthy and just play for home field advantage. With 11 wins at this point, it would take some really bad luck for them to not get it.
• Looks like Cleveland got bit by the strike curse, as the Voodoo beat them at home Saturday, 54-42.
• My confidence in Garcia and crew was well-placed as they got the W over Iowa and tied themselves up with the Rattlers. The race is on for home field in that conference also.
• As expected, the Rush beat Georgia, and they were able to exorcise some demons while they did it. Final score was almost as lopsided as their loss to the Blaze, 62-27.
• Utah almost dropped a should-win against Spokane, but pulled it off in the last minutes of the game Saturday. 58-55, final.
• The one shocker this week - and Keller was all, "Oh, I was going to pick that as an upset special this week" - was that the KC Command actually beat the Sabercats, and by a good margin, too. Final score was 57-41.

If the Playoffs Were Today

That time again, already, where we look ahead to playoff season. The picture is pretty clear right now, with only a few questions of who will make it and where they'll rank.

Right now, in the American Conference, as stated earlier, Philly is in the driver's seat with New Orleans as their first match-up, while the Force and Sharks face off in the other half. Philly's going to stay right where they are, and probably take top seed, if hubris doesn't get them. The rest is going to be a run-off. Georgia sits at 7-7, but NOLA, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Cleveland all sit at 6-7, with Milwaukee only one game behind that. I'm not feeling confident in Cleveland but Milwaukee has a slightly harder schedule in their last five games. If either of them makes a stand for the playoffs, then their head-to-head in a few weeks will be key, and Cleveland already has one win.

I'm all but calling TB out of this, as they have two road games down the stretch, and have to play Philly and San Antonio at home, plus a division match-up with the Voodoo. NOLA has two division games here at the end, which are going to be huge, and the hardest other game will be the Sabercats. I think that the Voodoo has a good chance to take at least 2nd place in the division. The Sharks have a very easy end of the season, as they play all three teams that struck this year, and only have games against the Voodoo and Milwaukee to worry about. It's between them and Jax for second place, and they have the easier road. Finally, Georgia only has four games left with a critical late-season bye, plus games against the Preds and Power at home. The division is (surprisingly, given the early season) theirs if they don't screw up.

In the National Conference, things are still very exciting. The Rattlers hold the top spot, but are tied with the Talons at 10-3. They have a tough road for the end of the season, and will really have to work to keep it. They might close their season against the Command, but before that, they have the Talons, the Blaze, the Shock and the Mustangs - all teams trying for the playoffs (and the Mustangs are up first, so they'll play when they still have hope) and three of them are in direct competition with the Ratts. It's going to be ugly, ugly, ugly down the stretch for them, and they're going to be looking to win out.

The Talons, for their part, really are just going to be worrying about the Rush and the Rattlers. Iowa, KC and TB aren't going to really be scary for them, and this might actually get them the 1 seed if they run the board. I honestly didn't see that coming. The Cats are somewhat in the middle with 4 games left against the Shock, Rush, Voodoo and Barnstormers. I still think that they can go all the way to the Arena Bowl if they make it to the playoffs, but competition is steep, and they've dropped some games recently that they really shouldn't have. It's crazy that a 9-5 record isn't guaranteeing them a post-season spot yet.

The Blaze only have one division game left, and that's against the Ratts. I think their schedule isn't easy, but it's not hard either with games against the Force, Soul and Gladiators to round it out. The Rush is right behind them at 8-5, but they have three out of five games on the road to close out (where they've struggled this season) and have to play the Cats and Talons at home. I hate to say it, but I don't think that my Rush are going to see the post season this year.

So, that's the picture as it stands right now. Obviously, this is going to change week-to-week the rest of the way. Just because the Power don't have a chance doesn't mean that there's not a lot of other exciting things going on. PLAYOFFS!!!

Rematch Against the Mustangs and Monkeys Riding Dogs

When we played back in game three, the Mustangs beat us rather handily. There were a number of contributing factors involved, and unfortunately, not a lot has changed. However, now we are coming off of a "win" in the first of three division games in a row, and I hope the moral victory gives us some momentum going into this home stand.

In Coach Stingley's press conference this week, he was asked flat-out what the team can take out of the forfeit by Cleveland. He pointed out that a win is a win, and whether or not we earned it comes down to the fact that we showed up, ready to play. This is an important distinction. It was known by early afternoon that the Gladiators weren't going to play - but the Power was on the field ready to go until the game was actually called. This is a team that wants to win and wants to play. Despite the myriad of reasons why even I am disillusioned with the league right now, I think it's a strong reason to still root for the summertime black n gold.

Last time around, we were weak at QB and strong at kicker. The situation is mostly reversed now, but we're still not super strong at QB. However, they've put their confidence in Randall and let him stay as starter and build his own confidence. Coach said that Stull is almost ready to return - and might even be a backup this game - but Randall is the starter. I admire that.

Our other big weakness last time was Berry's inability to return. He's pulled off some great plays in the season since, but he's still had problems with teams who put the pressure on him. I'm expecting more of the same in this game, but still hold out hope for some of his explosive, surprising plays.

Everett was our main antagonist last time. He's a good receiver and he's a hell of a defensive player. He's good at picks, and Randall is good at throwing them. He's the main person we have to try and shut down, aside from QB Guidugli. Guidugli is solid, despite the Mustang's record.

And there's the hope. The most of the Mustangs' losses have been in games that they just couldn't close it. True, the Mustangs can't win the last minute, but the Power can't generally win the last quarter.

But hey, if nothing else, the Power's halftime show will feature monkeys, riding dogs and herding sheep. Monkeys. On dogs. Herding mother-humpin' sheep. How can you not be excited about that? If you aren't, you're not American and I have no further need to speak with you.

At anywho, if we can actually commit, Predators-31pt-comeback style, we might out last them. If we do, that's two division wins in a row and then a shot at getting the Soul to underestimate us on the road.

Blind optimism - not just for Buccos fans anymore.

Now, for the elephant in the room: The strike.

Not only did it not do any favors for the Gladiators, but it didn't do any for the league in general. My post earlier this week was actually one of the less scathing ones around the Internet. Many are flat-out calling the league a joke, and fans are running for the hills. Now, the league itself has gone on the offensive with an open letter telling their side.
Handled properly, this could have been a good chance to take the highroad, but the tone of the letter (to me, at least) did the opposite. When I read that, I see the jilted ex who says, "You know what? I've kept my mouth shut this whole time while he/she ran their mouth, but I've had enough. Let me tell you all the suffering I've done!" Frankly, I don't care. Not one. little. bit. I don't. I just want this shit over before it completely kills the league again - because I doubt it would come back.

Of note in that letter is what the NFL Network said - as I feared, they're pulling their support and airing games on delay Saturday afternoon. Now, there are some lines that can be read-between there, and none of it is good. If I had to bet, they're only airing them at all because they signed an agreement that said they would, just not when. Putting it on Saturday at three is multi-faceted "Eff you" from the Network.

First, it obviously ends the Friday night spotlight. Second, it means that fans of the teams playing can't watch them live, because the Network holds exclusive rights - so it can't be shown locally or streamed online. I usually watch the games late at night after the other streaming games finish, and even then, it's hard to avoid "spoilers." Finally, middle of the afternoon on a Saturday in the summer? Yeah, no one's watching that. It's a way of taking the most exciting game of the week, burying it at a time no one casual will catch it and get zero exposure for the league when it needs it the most.

I don't blame the Network in the least little bit - they have to protect themselves from the AFL's shenanigans. However, they did it in such a way that proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that the NFL merely tolerates the AFL, holds all the power, and will crush it like a bug if it wants.

Yeah. That's right.

Elsewhere in the league

• The "Friday" game of the week is Tampa Bay on the road against their rivals, the Orlando Predators. Too bad this is getting bumped, 'cause it's gonna be interesting. Either the Storm finally wins one on the road this season, or the Preds get to have a second win. My money is on Tampa Bay, but not 100%
• Next up is Philly at Jacksonville. Now, Jax has stepped up their game recently, but I still don't think they've got what it takes to beat the Soul.
• Cleveland hosts the Voodoo Saturday night, and it's all up to them. They're coming in after both a loss and a bye week, technically, and it all depends on where their head is. If they're ashamed of themselves for being the only forfeit in history and for how they treated their fans, they can come in and run the field. On the other hand, the strike did no favors for the Power or Predators, and this could be the beginning of their slide.
• San Antonio should be able to beat the Barnstormers this week. It's kind of a gut feeling, but it's one based on my confidence in Garcia's experience (as usual) and the beating Ratterink has been taking.
• Chicago got so utterly destroyed last week that I'm not sure how they're going to cope. Also, last time they played Georgia, they got pounded. However, they are perfect at home this season and they know they need the win - so I'm gonna call the Rush in this game.
• In the late game, Utah should have the win over Spokane, so long as they aren't too big for their britches after last week. Tommy Grady is set to achieve Roethlisberger-amounts of records this season and he's honestly better than Rowley. This game is his to lose.
• Finally, Sunday afternoon the Sabercats have their rematch against the Command. Should not be a problem unless they underestimate them.
  

A Commanding loss

There are questions that have plagued philosophers, theologians and drunks throughout history. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? If you lose to the worst team in the league, who's really the worst?

Once again, the Power dropped one this week. Things started off fairly well. The game started with Superman making one of his best non-scoring returns of the year to get down to the red zone. Although the Power needed a lot of tries and some help from one of KC's (many) penalties, we got in.

Things continued back and forth most of the game, with Berry being the standout performance of the evening. He was our top receiver, averaged almost 20 yards a return and had an important pick. Turner and Joystick also made their normal contributions. Refreshingly, our new kicker could actually kick, missing just one PAT on the evening. Finally, there was the fact that Coach Siegfried made his first call in weeks that I agreed with - he put Cassidy back in.

Problem is, we still had turnovers, picks, failed defense, lack-luster offense and overall "meh." We kept it close and didn't lose by much, but....damnit, it was the KC Command. "Close" shouldn't have ever entered into the equation. It should have been "handily" or "crushingly." This loss - our fifth in a row - was shameful.

Apparently, the Powers that be feel the same way. Siegfried is out. Gone. Fired. That's the good news. The bad news is that our Defensive Coordinator Derek Stingley, who coached last year for the woeful New Orleans Voodoo, has been promoted to head coach. Also, we've added Offensive Coordinator Mike Tomczak - yes, that Mike Tomczak.

So...yeah. We have a bye week this weekend to let this all sink in and see if there's any season left to salvage.

Elsewhere in the League

• Georgia had me wondering. I called them to win, but Milwaukee jumped out to a huge lead early on (21 points, if I remember correctly) and looked to be delivering a solid whoopin. Unfortunately for them, they fell apart in the second half until they were tied up right at the end of regulation. Georgia booted a 31-yard field goal over the uprights to pull ahead. The Mustangs tried to out-do them with 2 seconds left and a 61-yard attempt. Georgia blocked it and went home winners.
• The Voodoo and the Predators pulled the same kind of game. Orlando played the Voodoo hard, brought the pressure and even sacked Rocco. It looked like the game was theirs until the Voodoo dug deep and brought the game home late in the second half.
• Out in Spokane, the Shock started the game by just pounding on the Soul. It got out of hand rather quickly until Dirty Dan and his unstoppable team came b- Wait. No. The other thing - they lost by almost 20 points.
• This one, I never saw coming. Early in the game, the struggling Sharks pulled off two picks from the Barnstormers and just rode the wave to victory. It was a crushing defeat for Iowa, who fell 55-19
• Well, I was right about Tampa Bay - they lost on the road again. This makes Cleveland the only team in our division to win this week, moving them up to second place in our division. Also, we're not that far behind the Mustangs, so there's still a chance for the Power.
• Lots of shake up in the West. San Jose got beat pretty handily by the Talons, which I didn't see coming, and the Rattlers beat the Blaze, which I did. This means the Ratts take the top spot, the Cats fall to number two and the Blaze stay at three. But, once again, the Ratts find themselves only a half game away from the team right behind them.