Sabercats at Power: Final home game

Pretty much, it's all over but the crying at this point.  Technically, the Power is still playoff eligible, but we would need to win out and have the Predators lose out.  Not gonna happen, but we can dream.

If nothing else, this weekend will be one last chance to see the Power play at home for the season and -- win or lose -- Sabercats games are fun.  Defying all logic, we've always matched up very well against them, despite them being way out of our league.  The games are generally close, and we've been capable of winning against them.

So, we should just sit back, relax, and watch some football.  It's going to be a short and sweet post, but that's because everything's been said before.  Next week, we'll have a better idea of the playoffs and we can get back to it.

The Sabercats are led by one Russ Michna, known primarily as being the long-time QB of the Chicago Rush and looking just like Keller's brother.  I'm still not sure why Chicago decided to part ways with him, but their loss has been San Jose's gain.  Once they kicked Aaron Garcia all the way back to Florida, Michna turned their offense around.  He's accurate and mobile, with the experience that makes him hard to rattle.

Our offense really hasn't been the same since Jason Willis left, and unfortunately, his return is going to be on the wrong side of the line.  He already has 31 TDs with the Cats, and I'm sure he'll rack up a few more this weekend.

On defense are Clevan Thomas who is an interception machine and Ken Fontenette, who is a tackling machine.  Also, his last name always makes me think that it's the word for the soft spot on a baby's head.  I need help, seriously.

Last week in Cleveland, the Power should have won.  The refs even did everything they could to give us the game, and we still frittered it away.  It was pretty sad.  That kind of play will not stack up against the Sabercats, however, I really think that it's more because the Power have already packed it in for the season.  The record they've had the last two seasons would demoralize anyone, and these guys are only human.  I just hope that they can pull it together one more time for the paying home crowd - especially since the game will be nationally televised.

Elsewhere in the League

• Utah has nothing left except to play spoiler.  Philly clinches the number one seed in our conference with a win (and a Shock win) this weekend.
• Iowa is just about out of this if they lose, and the Preds have buffer space.  Given that they have more to play for, the Barnstormers might pull this off - but my money's on the Preds
• Spokane travels to Jacksonville this week and it could go either way
• Cleveland's out if they lose this week, and I'm fairly sure that the Rush can accomplish that objective.
• Tampa pretty much just needs to beat the Talons to get a postseason spot, and they've historically been pretty good when their back is against the wall.
• Finally, there's NOLA at AZ....which is a freebie for the Ratts.

Voodoo at Power preview

Another tough loss last week.  The Power kept it competitive, but at some point they need to start winning games, even if other teams losing keep us in the playoff hunt.  There are three teams that need to finish with a worse record than the Power, and they had a chance to beat each of them, one right after the other.  So far, that didn't work against the Preds -who were the most important of the three - but we still have NOLA and the Gladiators to go.

This week is the New Orleans Voodoo, a team that the Power successfully beat in their house and is also a team that hasn't won on the road so far this season.  Granted, the Power doesn't have a great record at home, but it's a winnable game.

The big problem Saturday night is going to be Captain Morgan himself.

I can't count the number of times that's been the case

Donovan Morgan is a force of nature on offense.  When he's on his game, no one else on the team seems that scary - and given that this game is just as important to the Voodoo as it is to the Power, expect him to be on his game.

The question mark for both teams is quarterback.  The Power continue their random roll call for QB every week - it looks like Sheffield will be under center this week, but that's never a sure thing.  He might have "family issues" again at the last minute, Austin might be really on it in practice, or Coach Sting might just feel like throwing Cassidy in again.  We don't know.  On the Voodoo side of things, Kurt Rocco is their starter.  He let the team to a strong showing last year, but he's been struggling this season.  After a pretty bad showing last week, Chris Dixon might be in.  I'd rather that - replacement QBs on the road are generally less dangerous than a troubled starting QB.

Wrapping up the season:

Down the stretch here, the Power is 2 games back from the Preds, and some wins need to stack up.  The Preds will face Sharks, Rattlers, 'Stormers, Gladiators and Voodoo.  Sharks are a rival, so it's tough to call.  Ratts will be a loss.  Iowa, Cleveland and NOLA should all be wins, but they'll probably drop one of them.  So, optimistically, the Preds will go 2-3 in their last five.  Optimistically.

What does that mean for the Power?  Nothing good.  That would mean that the Power needs to win out.  Our final opponents are Voodoo, Gladiators, 'Cats, Storm and Shock.  Voodoo and Gladiators are the best bets.  Cats are a strong maybe, Storm's unlikely and the Shock ain't happening.  Best - absolute best - case, the power goes 4-1, though I'd expecct 2-3, and that won't be enough.

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer about the situation, but that's really what it comes down to - and it's not taking into consideration the Voodoo and Gladiators going on a tear...I mean, the Preds could just as easily fall apart.  I'm not putting money on either.  The simple fact is, the Power probably won't make the playoffs, but still have a chance of ending the year with a better record than last year.

Baby steps.

Elsewhere in the League

• Orlando at Jacksonville - as I said above, it's a rivalry game and it was a three-point game last time they met up.  I need to think positive and say that the Sharks will pull it off again.
• Philly at Cleveland - Philly's better on the road, and Cleveland's not good.
• Another division match-up, and it's between the Talons and Barnstormers.  The Barnstormers took the Talons at home last time, and they should be able to do it on their home turf as well.
• As far as I'm concerned, the GotW is once again featuring the Cats, even if it's not the TV game.  Last time the Cats and Blaze met up, San Jose won by a point.  Utah needs this win hard, but I'm still betting the Cats win the rematch.

Heading to the Jungle - Predators rematch

Okay, yeah...we lost last week.  Badly.  Definitively.  A division loss, no less.  But, strangely, it's not that important in the grand scheme of things.  We're playing for the 4th spot in the conference.  We're not going to get the division, so Philly getting farther out in front isn't going to make them win it any more than they already are.  The teams we have to be concerned with are Cleveland, New Orleans and Orlando - which makes this week's game somehow more important than our division game last week.

Right now, the series is tied between these two teams.  The Power swept them last season, but lost hard both in their first season and earlier this year.  The acquisition of Aaron Garcia was key in starting to turn Orlando around - but they're still down at the bottom of the pack with us.  Regardless, he's one of the best in the game, and the Power will be playing on his field.

His prime receiver is T.T. Toliver, but it's really a triple threat of Toliver, Prechae Rodriguez, and Jason Geathers, accounting for almost 50 TDs on the year between them.  Last time the two teams met up, the majority of the damage (yards-wise) was Toliver, and that's pretty standard fare for him.  Rodriguez put up 3 touchdowns, and Geathers generally just made plays when needed.  Marlon Moye-Moore is also a concern in the running game (but not nearly as much as "Boss" Ross last week.  Ugh.)

As with most weeks, turnovers were an issue last time the Preds/Power met up, and there is no reason to think that it won't happen again.  Dominic Jones is Orlando's player on defense and special teams, but that's not really important - our turnover issue is more of a failing on offense than it is a success for the opponent's defense.

It's an important game in Florida and all-but-a-must-win for the Power.  Tune in Saturday to see how it plays out.

Elsewhere in the League

• Utah came up big last week against Jacksonville in the Battle of Replacement QBs.  The decision to start Jason Boltus instead of Tommy Grady turned out to be the right one.  The question is, will it be the right call again this week in a big division match-up against the Shock?
• The two big things to consider in Saturday's match between the Soul and the Barnstormers are Iowa's defense and the Soul's habit of choking at home.  I think that those two things might spell a win for Iowa.
• With Bernard Morris on IR and newly acquired Kyle Rowley taking snaps, the Sharks have been on a two-game skid, but they're still at the top of their division.  With a game against Cleveland this weekend, they should return to their winning ways and help us out.
• Chicago and Tampa Bay are tied in the standings, and both coming off losses.  Tampa is still the better team, but the Rush needs the win to stay on top of their division.
• Likewise, the Talons need a win to catch up to the Rush.  New Orleans actually got win number three last week, so I for one, will be rooting for the Talons this week.
• Every now and again, the CBS game of the week gets it right:  The game between Arizona and San Jose should be the best game this week.  Normally, in a game as unpredictable as this, I'd take the home team...but I've also been predicting a Rattlers fall for weeks now.  So I just don't know.  Watch the game, it'll be fun.

Soul/Power Round Two

I'm strangely optimistic about this game.  Philly hasn't won a division game yet, we've beaten them, they've made some consistent mistakes, and we looked good last week.

First off, even though the Power lost in San Jose last week, it kind of felt like a win.  Cassidy took the snaps and looked confident the whole game.  In fact, in the last minute of the game, it was tied up.  Everything after that was a matter of risk/reward that didn't fall our way.  San Jose is one of the toughest teams in the league, and the Power hung in against them and played a good, clean game.

Philly, on the other hand, very nearly lost to New Orleans at home last week.  It was a sloppy, sloppy game where they never held a lead until almost the end.  Also, they continued messing up in a critical area they've repeated week after week: Blowing it in the fourth with stupid mistakes.  When the Power was out there, they were in the driver's seat until Dirty Dan threw a pick right at the end.  When the Rattlers were out there, they were looking good until Dirty Dan tried to throw it away between the wall and the iron...and had the ricochet picked.  This past week with NOLA, they actually had to burn their last time out or they would have lost by one point because the clock ran out!

I know, a Power fan ragging on a team for 4th quarter meltdowns is a bit hypocritical.  However, when the Power melts down in the fourth, it's generally because they gave up in the third.  Philly, on the other hand, lets sub-par teams hold in way longer than they should and/or make one truly stupid mistake late in the game that turns things around.

So we've got it made in the shade, right?

Well, no.  The first catch is that Philly tends to do these things to themselves at home, not on the road.  Secondly, they have a very solid team on paper - one that is pretty similar to the Arena Bowl team from last year.

As usual, Tiger Jones is going to be the aerial threat that we need to watch out for.  The most annoying part is, every time he scores, he'll do an obnoxious dance (that tends to be fun to watch...)  Also, we have to accept the fact that Derrick "the Boss" Ross is going to set an AFL record this week.  It's going to happen.  He's 7 yards shy of the all-time rushing record, and he can get that on one carry.  Philly is just about the only team in the league that actually plays a running game, and they play it a lot.  (Side note:  The record Ross is going to beat took Bo Kelly 12 years to set - and Ross has been in the league for three.  So, he's going to push it out of reach by the time he's done playing.)

One last player to note for this week is Ryan McDaniel.  In many ways, he reminds me of an evil Gary Butler.  He's Philly's big time hot-head.  He's been playing great on offense, but at the same time, he's drawn some big-time penalties because of his short fuse.  Here's where the Bully can come in - if Butler and McDaniel clash enough, they might get each other ejected, and that could be exactly what we need.  Regardless, getting him to lose his cool could be that 4th quarter screw-up for this week.

Elsewhere in the League

• First up is Cleveland at Orlando.  Really, this game can't work out badly for us - merely "good" and "better."  Obviously, we want Cleveland to lose, on principle and because they're in our division.  But, if they happen to win, Orlando losing is good as well.  Even if we lose, whichever of those teams win can only tie our record, and we have more division wins than Cleveland.  Right now, 4th place in the conference is a playoff spot, and we're still on pace for that.
• I don't have nearly as much to say about Tampa Bay at NOLA.  They're gonna beat the Voodoo, and that's good for us - the Voodoo is the other team we need to stay at a worse record than us to get into the playoffs.
• Likewise, San Jose shouldn't have much trouble against the Barnstormers.
• The match-up between Spokane and Arizona is being touted as a preview of the division championship.  It might be - regardless, it's going to be a great match-up.  I'm not going to feel comfortable until the Ratts lose again.  I mean, they can beat the Shock, but they've won 8 in a row and are still due for a stumble.
• The main thing San Antonio's meeting with the Chicago Rush has going for it is that it's a division match.  They're pretty evenly matched, and I'm going to give a slight edge to the Talons.
• I'm still baffled that Utah has had such a crappy season.  I honestly haven't watched enough of their games to really get a feel for why, but the fact is, things haven't gone their way.  Jacksonville, on the other hand, is in it to win it.

Power at Sabercats preview

Three things are true about last week:  We got our asses kicked, the Sabercats got their asses kicked, and both other teams in our division lost.  So, we're all starting from a blank slate this week.

That being said, the Sabercats are going to crush the Power on Saturday.  They're just too solid of a team to begin with, and they've gotten stronger in the second half of the season with the addition of Russ Michna at  quarterback.  As mentioned in past posts, the Cats had trouble with veteran QB Aaron Garcia, but when they swapped him out for Michna, everything gelled.

We will also get to see former Power receiver Jason "Watchu Talkin' Bout" Willis in action again...which isn't so hot in this situation.  He primarily headed out to San Jose to follow Garcia, but seems to like it out there.  The short version is - he's a scary, scary individual and their current top scorer.

What concerns me is their defense, which is second in the league. Last week, the Power hung in there the first half and kept it respectable, if not hopeful.  The announcers - who were super, pro-Jacksonville - spent the first half lamenting how lack-luster the Sharks were playing.  The second half was a different story.  The trademark Power Critical Turnover happened, and the wheels fell off.  That one magic turnover that causes more to follow until the team is just trying to get the game over with.

Against a normal team, this is bad.  Against a team that plays as dirty as the Sabercats, this could, and would, be disastrous.


Elsewhere in the League

• First up is Iowa at Cleveland.  Both teams are at the bottom of their divisions and on a three-game slide, badly in need of a win.  Iowa is the slightly better bet here.
• NOLA at Soul.  Philly can take the Voodoo without much difficulty, but I'm hoping for an upset!
• The Blaze continues to struggle and I think that the Rush, who continue to heat up, have a good shot at beating them
• Arizona travels to Texas to play the Talons this weekend.  As powerful as the Ratts continue to be with only one loss on the season, I can't help but think that a stumble is coming at some point.
• Spokane and Jacksonville are too evenly matched to call.  Both whooped the crap out of their opponents last week (Sabercats and Power, respectively) and have tied records.  When in doubt, take the home team, which in this case is Spokane.

Power @ Sharks Preview

Well...here we go again.  We're into the back half of the season and that means we get to start playing good teams again.  This week, we get a rematch against the Sharks, and this time, we're in their house.  I have mixed feelings about this.  On one hand, the Sharks are still the dangerous team we faced in week #2...but on the other hand, the Power's gotten a taste of them and tends to be slightly better on the road.  Out of the last four games, the Sharks have had three losses and a win against the Preds...by three points  That's not a stunning record, so we might have a chance.

Our win last week against the Gladiators was just what the doctor ordered, but we can't make it more than it was.  Cleveland is a lousy, lousy team.   However, that game was a blast to watch, and there was actual life in Consol for the first time in more than a year.  Plus, it was a division win - so I think that, more important than the victory itself, it was a confidence builder.

So, what are we looking at this week?  Well, it's a road game, as mentioned earlier, which is good and bad, given the Power's history.  The more important part of the team's history is the fact that we've never beaten the Sharks, and we've never ended a game within 20 points of them...and that's something the team CANNOT think about.

The biggest thing that that worked against the Power in the most recent match-up was Jacksonville's defense.  They had six sacks and three picks, and that will kill you every time.  Normal suspects - Swiss cheese line and a rattled QB.  Sheffield is still throwing picks, but he seems to be settling into his role.  Also, the line is giving him more time to think.  That keeps up, we're in a better place.

Other than that, it's business as usual.  There's nothing I can say this time that I didn't say last time we played them specifically, or most weeks in general. 

A few notes:  last week, Chris LeFlore returned a huge kickoff for a TD that helped earn him Week 10 AFL MVP.  Obviously, he's getting more comfortable in his role.  Also, Twitter holds rumblings that Oderick Turner has returned, strengthening the receiver position.  (I didn't see Graves playing last week, so Turner might be filling Graves' shoes.)

It's a road game, but it will air at 7 on ThisTV, this Saturday, June 1st.

Elsewhere in the League

• I am just giddy this week.  Three games are airing in Pittsburgh, and Philly shifted their kickoff, so I get to watch football from 4 until after midnight.  First up is Philly hosting Arizona.  The Ratts have lost one game this season thus far, so I'm really hoping they'll do the Power a solid and take the Soul down.
• The Rush maintains their slim grip on the lead in their division as they travel to Florida to play the Preds.  My money is on the Rush.
• Statistically, the Gladiators are slightly better than the Voodoo.  But, the Voodoo is at home in the Graveyard and has lost 8 in a row...dare we hope for a double smack-down on our division rivals this week?
• Tampa travels to Iowa with hopes of getting back to their winning ways...and Iowa really needs a win as well to keep up with the Joneses in their division.  Too close to call.
• Speaking of the Joneses in that division, San Antonio plays host to the Utah Blaze at 8:30 Monday, and the Talons are sporting their fourth QB of the year - former Power thrower, Xavier Lee.  You never seem to see much of him at any one point or position.  He's a utility player who does a bit of everything, but QB is what he seems to really want to do.  I've always liked him, but I'm not sure he has what it'll take to beat Tommy Grady.
• Finally, the prime time game of the week is the Saberkitties and the Spokane Shock.  It's a division grudge match between two teams that are virtually tied and both riding a winning streak.  The Cats tend to win high-pressure games, but the Shock doesn't just lie down.  I'm just glad we all have the chance to watch this one.

Cleveland Gladiators at Pittsburgh Power Preview

Finally, in week ten of the season, we have a division rivalry game at home.  As some of you may remember, the last time we were scheduled to play the Gladiators, they were so intimidated that they didn't take the field, making them the only AFL team in history to forfeit a game.  (That's the way I choose to remember it, rather than think about the vast amounts of strike BS that plagued the league last year.)

As we all know, the Power is having a rough go of it this season, but frankly, so is Cleveland.  We both stand at 2-6, so this is a pretty important game.  We've both beaten Philly so far, so - believe it or not - we both still have the right to dream of taking the division.  Sure, any one of us would exit the playoffs early, but who cares - making it to the post season is all that really matters.

The Power got their collective asses handed to them again at home last week (one of the head office guys commented to me afterwards that, since I was in Philly, I'm one of the lucky few to actually see our boys win this year) and that's sad.  Thing is, there was a lot of good in the game - it's just that turnovers killed us.

Right from the word go, our defense was all over Tampa's QB.  They weren't able to close the deal often (only one recorded sack on the game) but they were back there in his space a lot.  Conversely, our O line was actually looking half-way decent.  They certainly were giving Sheffield time to think, or at least to scramble, which is something that's been lacking up until now.

Sheffield himself was looking promising during his first home start.  He has the range, he has accuracy, he seems good natured when coaches correct him on field and he can move (35 yards on the night.)  The problem was INTs.  The best that I can figure is that he has tunnel vision.  Nearly every pick was seemingly a perfect throw to a defensive player who was wide open.  I think what's happening is that he's so focused on his receiver that he just plain doesn't see anyone else on the field.  This is not good, and it's something that I sure hope he can shake.

Cleveland is, again, not the strongest team in the league, but they're not a pushover.  Brian Zbydniewski completes about 50% of his passes (most while the other team is spell-checking his name) and averages only about 1 pick a game.  Also, he is mobile enough that he has 6 rushing TDs on the year.  This is concerning only because McPhearson was able to put up some serious yardage on us last week, and the defense wasn't able to do much about it.

While the Gladiators lost some key players in the off season - most notably Robert Redd - they kept Dominick Goodman.  He, Johnathan Lewis and Thyron Lewis are going to be the main threats that we have to contain this week.  They make up the bulk of Cleveland's yards and scores and will likely be the main targets.

Cleveland has a bad habit of giving up a lot of yards on penalties, just like we do.  I know I say it a lot, but we need to capitalize on those tendencies and play the cleaner game.  Our officiating crew at home royally sucks, but if the Power can manage not to piss them off and let Cleveland rack up the penalty yards, it could make or break the night.

We haven't seen a home win since April 14, 2012 for crying out loud.  This is a streak that HAS to end.

Elsewhere in the League

• At some point while I wasn't paying attention, the Talons managed to get to the top of their division, and the Shock started getting back on track.  This game might actually be worth watching
• Jacksonville at Orlando.  The Preds stumbled last week against Philly, but in general, Garcia is trying to turn them around.  Things went completely pear-shaped for the Sharks last week (both on and off the field) and they got beat hard to continue their slide.  They need a big win this week, and facing their former star QB in the interstate War on I-4 matchup might just be  the tonic they need.  I'll take the Sharks in this one.
• Football is never an if A>B and B>C then A>C equation.  Just because we beat Philly and Tampa Bay beat us doesn't mean that Tampa is going to beat Philly....but I still think Tampa can beat Philly.  They're playing at a higher level and have all the right ingredients   Philly just seems to be a bit lost this season and haven't quite gelled. 
• Iowa is not a bad team.  They're not a great team, but they're not horrible.  Arizona, on the other hand, is 8-1 and destined to go to the Arena Bowl again.  The only way Iowa wins this one is if the Ratts overlook them or play easy this week...neither of which is something the team is known for.
• Utah at San Jose....oh dear.  Where do I start?  On one hand, it's a division match, Utah continues to be kinda crap and San Jose's winning streak is running the same as Utah's total wins - 4.  On the other hand, the Cats are showing their true colors as that team I love to hate when, after beating the Sharks handily, still felt the need to start some shit with the dance team for interfering with the game.  The end result - several arrests, a senior-citizen coach hospitalized and an appearance on Fark.com.  What does this mean for the game?  Probably very little, but I still hate the Sabercats because they're a bunch of douchebags...but I love watching them play.
• Finally, Chicago needs every win they can while they stay neck and neck with San Antonio in their division, and a cream puff team like the Voodoo is probably the best thing to happen.

Tampa Bay Storm at Power Preview

Better late than never, right?  Almost forgot to write something this week.

The Power return home this week after an exciting win in Philly.  Much like the one in NOLA, a road win is great and all, but the average fan probably doesn't even know it happened - and that's sad.  I had a great time out there again this year, and everything that was true last year remains so this year:  Crab fries are awesome, cheesesteaks are tasty, beer is everywhere, Philly fans are still frickin terrible and the Soulmates Dance Team is still ridiculously hot.

Last week, things were changed up around the team, and it showed.  Steven Sheffield was obviously uncomfortable at QB, but after 3 seasons, we're kind of used to the quarterback shuffle.  At least this one got to get his sea legs while on the road and away from that one jackass in my section who spends every game looking miserable and periodically yelling, "Go home <insert name of QB>!"

During the last home game, Superman Berry took a vicious hit that left my wife concerned for his well-being.  Well, he didn't show up in the game in Philly and is listed as injured again this week, so I'm guessing the hit was as painful as it looked.  Chris "Gingabread" LeFlore is covering returns for him, and Berry's offensive slot is being filled by committee.  Shamar Graves has been an increased presence on the field the last few weeks and leads the team in "Not needing a nickname" yards.  (Seriously - dude's name is 'Graves,' and that's awesome.)  He plays ironman like Berry, and seems to be everywhere on the field.  Even when he doesn't snag picks that it looks like he should have, he at least breaks up plays.

Also appearing on offense is newcomer James Robinson.  He was injured in the pre-season, so we hadn't gotten to see him on the field yet this year, and the man knows how to make an entrance.  In his debut, he put up 4 touchdowns for the Power, so it'd be great if that's going to be the norm.  Likewise, Joystick continues to be a force on the field this season with good numbers of his own.

Defense was able to keep the pressure on Dirty Dan, and was even able to get that last-minute, over-the-wall pick that they needed to save the game.  The new kicker had a pretty rough game, and I really hope that improves before kickoff tomorrow night.

Yes, this "preview" sounds a hell of a lot like a "review" so far, but that's by design.  The lineup should look very much this same this week, and we can probably expect the same things on our side of the ball.  Kicking is concerning, returns leave a bit to be desired, the QB is not comfortable yet and the offensive line still sucks.  If the positions that can improve do so (basically, everything but the O line), then things are going to look more hopeful for us.

Unfortunately, Tampa Bay is - as usual - a good team this year.

There are certain things that I learn to expect when I watch other teams around the league.  I love watching Rattlers games, because the local TV station streams the live games online with the same feed as TV (announcers and all.)  Voodoo and Sabercats games usually have the scores up on screen.  And, Tampa Bay has their radio feed piped in for audio.  I love these guys.  They're that rare combination of good sports coverage and an obvious love for this sport, not just sports in general.  I'm always entertained by them, and look forward to watching Tampa games because of them.

Except for the week before they play the Power.

The Sabercats were trouncing the Storm pretty good last week, and it got hopeless pretty fast.  Later in the game, Jack and Darek started looking ahead to this week and for the second year in a row, they said something to the effect of, "Well, at least we're playing Pittsburgh next week..."  I mean, really guys - just because it's fundamentally true, could you maybe throw us a bone next year and pretend like you're a little concerned?  Thanks.  Long time listener, first time complainer.

But, as I was saying, the Cats were putting a hurting on them and beat them pretty hard.  As such, I expect them to come in here tomorrow night and bring some anger.  They're still in the running for their division, and they're looking for every win they can get.  Historically, we've matched pretty well against them, the games have been high-scoring and close...we just haven't beaten them.

This year, they're lead by QB Andrian McPherson.  Last week - this early in the season - he locked up the AFL record for rushing touchdowns by a QB in a season, and he's thrown for 34 as well.  So, needless to say, containing him is going to be job #1 for the Power defense.  If Alvin Ray Jackson or Sergio Gilliam want to pick a few in the process, I won't be complaining - however, McPherson doesn't throw many of those.  Only three this year, and two of them were during last week's disaster.

However, the Storm is currently third in the league for picks themselves, and that's worrying.  I can sugar coat things as much as you want, but I can't change the fact that picks are now and always have been the Power Achilles heel.  When a team comes in that is good at them - like the Storm in general and DB Chris Smith in specific - we're often boned.  I hope that Sheffield doesn't get rattled by the lack of protection and throw too early as so many of our new QBs do, and actually avoids that trap.

So, the short version is that we need to keep doing what we did last week in Philly, and play the Storm like we have in the past....just more so.  A win is not out of the question this week, but they're not going to hand it to us like they did the Sabercats.

A Word on Tebow

Ah, Tebow.  He is the Paris Hilton of football.  Someone decided at some point that he should be famous, and we all just went right along with it.  When he didn't live up to the hype, he started getting passed around and mocked.  Now, he has been cut by yet another team (and, really, when the Jets cut you, how can you hold your head up?) and we're still talking about him.

This week, water cooler sports talk briefly acknowledged that the Arena League existed when Ron Jaworski, Soul owner and Philly legend, offered Tebow a contract as a backup to Dirty Dan Raudabaugh.  Now, the Soul isn't the first team to express interest - back in March, the Predators considered it - and certainly isn't the first team to make an NFL player an offer.  Chad OchoJohnson and T.O. have both been offered jobs in the indoor game in the past.  What makes Jaws' offer different than the others is that he's mostly serious and people have had constructive arguments as to why it could work.

Most of the time, these offers go out with absolutely no expectations outside of a little free publicity.  Jaws is an anomaly by being a respected voice in the NFL and being a very hands-on owner in the AFL (I love Swanny to death, but I never see him in the front row screaming at refs like I did Jaws last weekend.)  He's not saying that he'll move heaven and earth for Tebow and let him start next week - he's saying he'll pay him league wage and let him come in for special plays not covered by the guy currently getting the job done.  All of this lends an air of plausibility to the equation.

I had a conversation the other day where people pointed out that Tebow was never given the time to develop in the NFL because of his hype.  That he's not very accurate and doesn't process well under pressure.  These are things that the AFL could either cure him of, or destroy him with (QBs trained for the NFL don't often play well in this league.)  I mean, hey, it worked out for another Christian QB who couldn't quite hack it in the NFL...

However, it's not going to happen, at least not in the current climate - but maybe it should.  In the NHL and MLB, the farm system is well utilized to develop players for the pros when they need a little extra polish.  How often do we hear about a winger "called up" or "sent down" as needed, or a pitching prospect that is going to break out any day now as soon as he gets his act together?  Right now, the NFL will pull players from the AFL for camp that look promising, and nearly always cut them before the season starts - and that's it.

They know these guys are pinning everything on the hope of the NFL, and they'll jump ship in a heartbeat if they get and offer...and their teams accept this.  The fact that NFL camp happens during the late AFL season is just bad luck.  Last year, Tiger Jones - one of Philly's absolute best players - got called up by the Eagles right before the playoffs.  They tied him up in camp just long enough that the Soul didn't have him during the playoffs, and then they cut him.  Think about that:  A receiver the NFL felt might be good enough to go to the big show, and they took him away from a team right before the playoffs.  Think that had any unfortunate side effects?  (Okay, bad example:  Soul went to the Arena Bowl because of their insane depth on that roster.  They melted down in the Arena Bowl, but that was more Raudabaugh than lack of Jones...but you see my point.)

And this isn't an isolated incident.  Every year, several teams lose good players right when they need them most to the NFL when they know damn well they aren't going to stay there.  Why not work together?  Tebow is hardly an anomaly.  Every year, there are draft picks that don't pan out for any number of specific reasons, but a common general one is that they're just not quite ready for the NFL yet.  Why not "send them down" for a season or two in the Arena League?  It'd be a win for everyone.  Let the NFL subsidize the AFL a bit so they could offer better salaries, their players get some work in key areas, the AFL gets more talent which means more viewers, which means more money, which means more salaries...  There are holes, but overall, this could improve both leagues and get us closer to the ideal of quality football year-round.

My name is Weidman, and I approve this message.

Elsewhere in the League

• The Spokane Shock still need every easy win they can get given their tough division, and hosting NOLA looks to be just what the doctor ordered.
• San Antonio at Cleveland is going to be a matchup of two teams that are just struggling.  Both teams are coming off of a win, and it'd just be nice if the Talons can make up for beating us by beating our division rival.
• San Jose at Jacksonville is looking like the game to watch this week (which you won't, because you'll be watching the Power, right?)  Both teams are powerhouses right now, and this game will show who the real deal is.  The Sabercats have been on the warpath since they picked up Michna, winning their last three.  The Sharks slipped and lost their first two games of the season in their last two starts.  Hosting the Cats, they'll be looking to get back to their winning ways.  The Sharks can win this, and probably should, but matching Michna and Morris, I'm going to have to take Michna.
• Every year, there's a good example of divisional strength, and this game is it.  At 3-4, the Utah Blaze is sitting in last place in their division.  At 4-4, the Barnstormers are tied for first in theirs.  The Blaze has just not been living up to expectations, but I think they can take the 'Stormers.
• GotW is Preds at Soul.  Just like the Cats are proving that they're totally doing great with Michna in their life, Garcia has been showing them that he's totally over them and happy with his new squeeze, the Orlando Predators.  Winning two in a row, they're trying to make a comeback, and Philly would be another great feather in their cap.  They way they're playing and the way Philly has looked, they might just do it, too.
• Sunday, Arizona travels to Chicago to close out the weekend.  I expect them to TCB and bring home a W.

Hit the Road, Jack

This week, the Power head back out on the road, Keller and I follow them again, and several players get the boot.  It's action-packed, and I haven't even gotten to the part where I talk about Chickie's and Pete's Crabfries.

I mean, just look at them.  LOOK AT THEM!

Let's start with what we will be facing when we meet up with the Soul for the first time this season.  At 3-3, they're not quite the powerhouse they were last season...but that doesn't mean they're not decisively at the top of our division.  Part of their slide this year is due to the loss of Tiger Jones, Captain Morgan, and few others.  However, they've kept stars like Dirty Dan Raudabaugh, Derrick Ross and LaRico Stevenson (seriously, I miss that guy.)

Dirty Dan continues to be the red-headed menace that he's always been.  This season, he's on the right side of a 32/6 touchdown vs interception ratio.  He has good protection, thinks well on his feet, and is mobile.  He is the prime threat, and there's no two ways about it.

On the receiving side, Larry Brackins - stud of the last Arena Bowl -is still around and doing his thing, but definitely in more of a supporting role.  The heavy lifting is being done by Anthony Jones, and that dude is a monster, with 775 yards and 14 TDs in just six games this season.

While he's the threat in the air, Derrick Ross is most assuredly a threat on the ground in a league that doesn't use infantry very often.  His 14 TDs on the ground is a pretty good stat for a fullback for a season.  In just a third of a season, it's phenomenal. 

On the other side of the ball, LaRico Stevenson and Joe Goosby are twin terrors, putting up respectable numbers in sacks, turnovers, and tackles.  Given the continuing situation with our offensive line, these are the two that scare me the most.  Add to that the fact that Stevenson can return...


In typical Power fashion, it's time to replace some QBs and swap out kickers.  Czajkowski who, while formidable in Words With Friends, has been struggling.  He was let go, while Baker and Wolford have been placed on IR.  This makes room for a new kicker, a new receiver, and QB Steven Sheffield.  If that name sounds familiar, it's because we had originally signed him to a 3-year contract in November.  That's good.  It means he was someone the Power thought was worth locking in.  He was Garcia's backup, after all.  On the other hand, he didn't play for us because he didn't show up. That's bad.  But it was for family reasons.  That's...none of our business, really.

I'm just not super stoked about the situation.  Quarterback drama has become our bread and butter.  Last week, we brought back Derrick Cassidy - architect of the killer comeback against the Preds last year - to fill in while Shane Austin is out with an injury.  However, not only did they only use him for one or two plays, but Jefferson kept running back on the field like he was going to play whether coach liked it or not.  I have no frickin' clue what the situation really was, but best case it's that everyone was confused and worst case, it was that Coach Sting has no control over Jefferson.  Neither is good.

So, what's going to happen is, the Power, Keller, and myself are going to drive to Philly, the Power are going to figure some stuff out while we drink some beers, and then I'm gonna eat a cheesesteak and some crabfries while I enjoy some football and Soulmate cheerleaders.

LOOK AT THEM!

Elsewhere in the League

• Tampa at San Jose is mainly interesting to me because we're playing Tampa next week.  Both teams are looking strong right now, but being in different divisions, there's not a lot riding on this one.
• Chicago at Cleveland.  You know what?  This game is pretty important.  (Just bear with me for a second on this one.)  Playoff spots go to division leaders, then the next two best records.  Right now, Philly and Jacksonville are leading their respective divisions.  Tampa Bay is coming up on the Sharks hard.  That leaves a spot open.  NOLA, Cleveland, Orlando and Pittsburgh are all tied at 1-5.  If we can't get the wins honestly, I'll take our rivals losing.  So....Go Rush.
• NOLA at Iowa.  See above.  Go 'Stormers
• Utah at Arizona:  The Blaze is still at the bottom of a strong division and need every win.  I really don't know how to call this game.  Blaze is better than their record and the Ratts need to lose occasionally.   But I don't think they will this week.
• Sharks are on the road in San Antonio, and they will most likely rack up another win.
• Orlando at Spokane.  This will show whether or not the Preds beating us was a fluke or if Garcia is going to make them the real deal.

Predators at Power Preview

Hello Sports Gods, it's me, Weidman.  I realize that you're probably already busy with hockey playoffs and all, but if you're going to be around Consol - and I think the first playoff game the other night proved that you are - could you just throw the Power a bone?  There is one team in the entire league with a worse record than us, and that's the Preds.  Please don't let us be their first win.

Right now, the Power holds the all time series edge...but at 2-1 it's not that impressive, really.  However, after last season's sweep and the 31 point comeback game (that the Power marketing team refuses to let us forget) the Predators are the closest thing that we have to an actual, factual rival.  As such, I'm really looking forward to Saturday, even if it scares me to my core.

After Orlando's absolute thwumping at the hands of the Rattlers last week, there have been some (rumored) changes on their team.  Nothing has been officially said as of yet, but the smart money is on Orlando releasing QB Kyle Rowley due to poor performance and a run-in with the law.  Sadly, this isn't a new occurrence for players on their team, however, they don't seem to be standing for it.  They have acquired aging gunslinger Aaron Garcia as a last-ditch effort to save their season - and their money.

In San Jose, his issue seemed to be clashing with the head office over who was - literally - calling the shots.  I don't see that being a problem in Orlando.  They're gonna let him do whatever he wants.

Because they have such an abysmal record (Note: we have one win, so our record is just "sad") there aren't a lot of things that we have to be watching out for.  The main thing is Garcia himself.  If he can get in the groove, we're in trouble.  If not...we can take them.  For my money, the biggest play last week was when Chris Terrel knocked Nick Hill the f%@# out.

Seriously - it had to look something like this to him

The fact that he still completed the touchdown should have no bearing on how awesome it was. 

Aaron Garcia is probably my favorite player of all time, he's old (for football) and he deserves respect - but if our D can take him down, I'm all for it.

As for our QB situation, it seems like they're sticking with what they're used to.  All I've read says that JJ's getting the start again this week.  I'm sure that, after his performance last week, a lot of people would like to see Shane Austin get the start.  Admittedly, he was looking pretty good, but then, he's a completely different QB.  Where Jefferson goes for the targeted assault, Austin likes to get mobile and throw it where he may.  It worked pretty well against the Talons, but they weren't expecting it.  Whichever QB they go with, protection is still the issue.  While I'm saying that we need to nail Garcia, some blogger in Orlando is writing the same thing about our guy.

The prime thing working against the Predators this season is the same thing working against us - penalties.  They are giving a up a lot of yardage and so are we.  Whichever team manages to control those will ultimately control the game.

That means:  Get down there, get a ticket and get loud.

Elsewhere in the League

• This week starts out with a division match between Iowa and San Antonio.  The two teams are pretty evenly matched, but my money's on Iowa.
• Topping their respective divisions, Chicago and Philly will duke it out Saturday night.  Neither team really looks like a division leader at this point, to be honest, but the Rush has the better record.  Take that for what you will
• The TV game this week is Tampa Bay vs NOLA.  If it weren't a bitter rival match, it would be set up to be a snoozefest given how poorly the Voodoo is playing this season.  But, these two teams always bring their A game against each other.  Plus - bonus Chris Farley the Coach. (I never get sick of that.)
• As usual, only the West Division could have a top-vs-bottom match-up that might still be worth watching.  The Blaze had been on a slide since destroying us in week one, up until they destroyed Cleveland in their last game.  The Shock have only lost one game so far, but the Blaze is anything but a pushover.
• When Cleveland heads to San Jose, about the only thing I see coming from that game is more padding for us in the division standings.  Cleveland is just bad.
• Finally, the game I most want to see is the one that airs the same time as the Power game:  Arizona at Jacksonville.  The Arena Bowl between these two a few years ago was epic, and right now, both are looking like their old selves again.  This game should be awesome.

Talons at Power Preview

"OK, we won a game yesterday. If we win today, it's called 'two in a row'. And if we win again tomorrow, it's called a 'winning streak'... It has happened before!"

-Lou Brown, Major League II

Okay, so - I forgot to write a preview last week until it was too late.  I'm hoping that wasn't the lucky omen that helped the Power win their first game of the season, because I remembered this week.  Our boys traveled to the Big Easy and won a hard-fought battle against the Voodoo.  The game went the distance, they played a full four quarters and they brought home the "W."  Does this mean their problems are solved?

No.  They're still sloppy and have their problems on the offensive line, but they're getting better.  Also, the Voodoo are struggling this season - but a win's a win.  This is largely a symbolic victory.  It wasn't in our division and the majority of Power fans probably didn't even see it since it just aired online....but they won and on the road no less.  The team knows it and they can go into this week strong and not feeling like it's futile.

Hopefully, this meeting won't be as disastrous as it was when we went to their house last year.   Honestly, I don't think that's possible.  Even if it were, they no longer have Willis and Garcia, so those are two big factors taken off the field.  The main weapons that we have to contend with are Jomo Wilson and Dwayne Eley Jr.  Shut them down and things will be a lot easier.

Honestly, the Talons are looking pretty beatable right now.  Their record is the same as ours (1-3) and they've had a change-up at QB.  Last week, they brought in Nick Hill (previously of the Storm.)  Although he's a really good QB, he seemed very confused against the Rattlers last week and the Talons got crushed.  That could easily just be because he had new guy jitters and the Rattlers are still awesome.  However, if he hasn't gotten it together by this week, our defense has a prime opportunity to go pick-crazy again.

I think the Power has just about used up their home-field goodwill in regards to losses.  They need to start stacking up wins, and it needs to happen this week.

Elsewhere in the League

• GotW: Tampa at Spokane.  This one is tough to call.  Tampa doesn't look great, but they don't look terrible, either.  Spokane is one of the only undefeated teams left and this just might be the week they underestimate their opponent.
• On the opposite end of the scale are the hapless Orlando Predators.  I'm still sad to see them struggling like this, but at least we have a better record than someone.  They're winless and have to play the Ratts this week.  They're gonna owe some people money this year...
• I'm looking for the Voodoo to get a critical win this week when they host the struggling Sabercats who ask the question, "Is Garcia washed up?"  Their signing of accountant Russ Michna to a two-year contract seems to say "yes."  Garcia hasn't been able to gel with the San Jose offense's play calling scheme, and it looks like they've decided to move on.  I don't think Michna really expected to come back to the league, and I'm betting that he's going to have a lot of rust to knock off this week.
• The other undefeated team is the Jacksonville Sharks, who travel to the City of Brotherly Love Saturday.  The Soul have gotten pretty roughed up so far this season, but they're really strong at home.  Like the Shock, I'm not sure that the Sharks will make it through this week perfect.
• I can't believe I'm saying this, but after coming up huge against Philly last week and the Blaze only beating us so far...I might actually have to take the Gladiators at home against Utah.
• Finally, the first game of the week is Chicago at Iowa in a rematch of week one.  Wanna know how this game between two bitter rivals is gonna play out?  Flip a coin.

Power at Rush Preview

When I saw on the schedule that the Power had their bye week this early in the season, I was pretty disappointed.  It felt like a waste to have it before the team had gotten tired out.  However, by the time that week arrived, I'd changed my tune.  The Power really needed a chance to stop, reassess and regroup after taking an absolute drubbing the first two weeks of the season.

The Sharks destroyed the home team pretty much the same way the Blaze did, and for the same reasons.  Pocket collapse, no special teams, blah, blah.  We can only hope that these were addressed in the off week.

What can we expect from the Rush?  They're currently sitting on a 1-2 record, but they've been facing solid teams in the Barnstormers, Shock, and Talons.  They might seem beatable, but they are a historically strong team and we need to face them in Chicago.

The main threats that the Power will face are Rodney Wright, Reggie Gray, J.J. Payne, and Vic Hall.  All four are standouts and any one of them could change the balance of the game.  Wright is off to a strong start as Coffman's favorite yardage target, already putting up 5 touchdowns and 326 yards on the year.  Gray has been targeted for an additional 8 TDs and over 200 yards.  J.J. Payne leads the team in awesome naming, but is also a dual treat on the ground and air.

Honorable mention goes to Nate Forse, who doesn't generally seem like a huge threat, but he played well against the Power last season with Orlando, so I don't trust him.

Finally, there's Vic Hall who is just a scary-good pick artist.  Jefferson has thrown to the wrong team a few times this year, but he hasn't looked as bad as past Power QBs.  However, Hall still has the chance to absolutely break us Sunday - especially with the old tradition of "the pick that turns the game" we had last year.

The key to the game is what is always is:  The Power needs to not beat itself.  Without protecting the QB and without playing a full sixty, they're never going to win a game unless someone underestimates them.  This week, the Rush stands a good chance of getting cocky, but they can turn that around in a heartbeat if we make them bleed a little. 

Elsewhere in the League

•  The marquee game this week is obviously the Hall of Fame game on Saturday night between the Soul and Barnstormers.  The Soul is looking strong this year with one win and one close call.  Likewise, the Barnstormers have been, well, barnstorming.  Should be a good game.
• My choice of the two early games at 8:00 on Friday would be NOLA at Jacksonville.  The Sharks are undefeated on the season, but it's a division game.  Plus, last year, the Voodoo continued to show that they play hard against the Sharks, win or lose.
• Late game is Rattlers at Shock.  It's the second battle-of-the-undefeated in a row for the Rattlers.  Last week, the Sabercats folded like wet cardboard, giving AZ an easy win.  I don't see the Shock doing this - plus, their undefeated season has been all on the road.  This is their home opener, and I see the advantage being all them in this one.

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.

Power Hopes to Play Spoiler

Well, we're deep into garbage time at this point, and the main thing we have left going for us is to play spoiler for the Georgia Force. There are a number of different scenarios for them in various playoff spots - but they mainly hinge on them winning this week. So, let's beat them, why not?

Last time we played, it was really close. The downsides of the last match-up were as follows:

They contained Berry really well: A lot of teams have done that this year, but his yards-per-return have improved since that game. He's a lot more comfortable in his role and is a cornerstone of our offense and special teams. Hopefully, it won't be as much of an issue.

Fumbles and interceptions: Randall threw a few picks in the game and that hurt us a lot. Unfortunately, he hasn't gotten a lot better at that, and Hines has the same problem. There's not a lot we can do about that - it's going to be what it's going to be. On the other hand, Joystick was having a lot of trouble hanging onto the ball at that point - thankfully that has gotten better.

Kicking: We lost by a field goal and had some lousy kicking. I mean, Boyer had a bad week last week, but he still kicks better than the Vampire did - and he tackles pretty well, too. As I stated in my review, we statistically outplayed the hell out of them. Kicking and turnovers killed us. Also, the QB they had last time - RJ Archer - is a much better QB than their current one (probably why Archer got signed by the Detroit Lions.) Their current guy was delivering pizzas until recently. (Glad it wasn't bagging groceries.)

Even though we're on the road, I think we have a shot - or at least as much of a shot as we've had in a few of our recent match-ups.

Elsewhere in the league

• For some unknown reason, the NFL Network thinks that the Utah/Cleveland matchup is the more stimulating game this week and are airing that instead of the INSANE matchup of the Rats and Talons. Utah has no excuse to not win this one given the way Cleveland has been playing.
• Not airing on the NFL Network is the powerhouse combo of Arizona and the Talons. Last time they played each other on the Rattlers home turf, the Talons got decisively beat. Now, they clinch the #1 spot with a win over the Rattlers and they're at home. The Ratts need the win to have any shot at that spot. So, aside from all that, these two teams are more than likely going to meet up again in the playoffs, so this is not only a preview, but it's probably going to determine who gets home field in that. This is a coin flip. I want to say the Rattlers, but logic tells me to take the Talons at home.
• On Saturday, Orlando has another shot at the upset and spoiler role as they travel to Jacksonville. A chance, but not a likelihood. I'm taking the Sharks.
• Next up is the Voodoo traveling to Tampa Bay in a big division game. Oh, I really don't know what to say on this one, besides the fact that I hate picks this time of year. I'm saying to pick NOLA - and I really believe that - but it's tough. They're the better team, the more consistent team and they've beaten TB already. However, TB is fighting for their lives and rarely loses at home.
• Spokane beats KC.
• The Chicago/Milwaukee game means nothing to anyone. So...I'd like to pick Chicago, but they struggle on the road, and the Mustangs are stronger than their record. Mustangs.
• Big game for the Sabercats in the late slot. They thwumped the Barnstormers on the road last time and should be able to handle them at home - and they need the win.

For a more in depth view of the seeding possibilities, go to the source. I'm not going to recap it all here - basically it boils down to a mess in the South and seeding in the National. Things will hopefully clear up a bit after this week.