The last game of the season is upon us already. Seems like just yesterday that we were playing the Soul with our whole season ahead of us. It also seems like just yesterday that we lost to the Soul to start the season. Now it's time to play them again to close it.
At this point, we have beaten both other teams in our division at least once and have a better record overall than the Soul. By most accounts, the Power is the better team, but the Soul has pulled off some upsets before. Coach Ho has made it clear that they're still playing for their fans, even if their season is over. I'm not sure that the Power is up to the same standards at this point, especially on the road.
Last time they played, they made fools of the Gladiators, whom you might remember, rather handily beat us. Also, given that they've already beaten us once, I'm sure they'd love to beat us again and have a sweep to add to their record.
When they won against Cleveland, it happened because they were able to beat the Gladiators, literally, at their own game. They owned the field, destroyed Rocco and pressured him at every opportunity. If they bring it at the same level against us, then we should expect even more pressure than the Gladiators gave us last week.
Larry Brackins and Keith Stokes stepped up big time to fill the shoes vacated by the impressive Donovan Morgan, who departed for the UFL. Unfortunately, pretty much during the game last week, he announced his departure from the UFL to come back to the Soul. So...that's great for us.
The fact of the matter is, this game is on the road, and the Power have little to play for. However, winning would give the Power - if not a winning season - an even record. For psychological reasons, both for the team and for the fans, I think that this can't be discounted. Same thing goes for beating the one team left in the division we haven't beaten yet.
Tune in tonight at 7:05 on NiftyTV and catch the Power's last game until next season!
Showing posts with label Power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Power. Show all posts
Friday, July 22, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Power Razed By the Blaze
Well, that game was downright sucktastic.
As Weidman already covered in his review of Saturday's game, there was really nothing positive to take away from the Power's "performance" on Saturday night.
They got down big early, Kevin McCabe coughed the ball up twice in the first three possessions, Chris Wallace stepped in and was thoroughly underwhelming, and the defense allowed 11 touchdown passes.
Injuries were a factor, since the Power only dressed three defensive backs for the game, Neil Purvis was hurt, and Bernard Morris didn't make the trip to Salt Lake City. Turnovers were a factor, especially early, and they always seemed to strike when the Power were trying to gain some momentum -- not that there's ever a good time to turn the ball over. Tackling has been an issue at times this season and, on Saturday night, the Power secondary looked like they were trying to show the world what it would be like to tackle without using your arms. They took bad angles, were generally out of position, and didn't adjust to the fact that the Blaze were running mostly screens and quick hitches by playing closer to the line of scrimmage. You don't lose a game by 41 points because of just one team. It takes a village bad play to get blown out this badly.
First and foremost, some work on the fundamentals needs to be done. The receivers and quarterback (whoever that may be this week) need to work on reading the defense at the line and making adjustments. The Blaze showed just how effective this can be, as they switched to a more conventional drop-back offense midway through the third quarter after the Power defensive backs finally figured out that they needed to scoot up. At that point, the secondary was so demoralized and exhausted that Tommy Grady and company were able to pick them apart fairly easily. The defense needs to work on their recognition skills as well. Even if the coaches didn't say anything at halftime, Josh Lay and his two counterparts should have known to step up and force the issue before things got out of hand.
At this level, in theory, guys should know how to tackle. It's like how you can't teach a receiver how to catch by the time he's a pro. If he catches the ball with his body, he's been catching the ball with his body for about 20 years and there's no way to un-teach it. You can give him some pointers, try to get him headed in the right direction, but two decades of muscle memory are not changed easily. Gary Butler is the best tackler on the team by far. He can give the other guys on the team a crash course and talk about how he approaches it. He's often brought as a fourth rusher, so the coaches can have him drop back and roam a bit, which will help contain any kind of short passing attack. And, ultimately, Lonnell Dewalt needs to understand that he should learn how to tackle, since he's going to be playing a lot more defense for the balance of the season. His current strategy of diving at the feet of the ball carrier is not sustainable. He did have one solid tackle earlier this year and it was on a crucial goal line stand -- Dewalt is definitely a clutch player with an acute sense of "the moment" -- but one solid tackle in six games isn't a ratio that's going to get these guys to the playoffs. In addition, Royce Adams -- one of the stars of the secondary -- signed a contract with a UFL team, so he's probably not coming back. Someone needs to fill his shoes, which will not be an easy task.
Wallace is not the answer at quarterback. I know that he didn't even have a full week of practice before being thrown into the action on Saturday, but he was horrible. I re-watched the second half of the game and I could tell that his timing with the receivers was off. That's understandable, given the fact that he didn't have much of an opportunity to work on it, but timing is usually off by a couple of steps or a few yards. Wallace was, very frequently, five yards behind a receiver and ten feet over the receiver's head. At one point in the fourth quarter, announcer Edmund Nelson commented that, "The fans have got a lot of balls tonight." I'm just going to leave that there.
It could be that he'll improve considerably after a full week as the number one guy. It could be that he'll have more success against the Mustangs. To Utah's credit, their secondary did an amazing job in coverage. (As an aside, the Blaze played extremely well. It was partly that the Power laid a giant egg and partly that Utah played extremely well, as you don't win by 41 points because of just one thing, either.) It could be that he's a completely different guy against Milwaukee. It's possible. I just think that it's highly unlikely and I can't wait for Morris to come back. I caught the first half of the game on the radio, so I didn't see McCabe play. As I understand it, he was worse than Wallace, which I find hard to believe, but I trust Weidman's judgement.
Since Cleveland lost, the biggest development in this game was that Morris has gone from, "He's back? Ah, crap!" to, "He's hurt? Ah, crap!" in a hurry. He's the guy to run this offense and he's the guy that's going to lead this team into the playoffs. If he's out for a long period of time -- especially if he goes on injured reserve again -- then the Power's chances at the postseason go with him.
The good news -- not a silver lining, just good news -- is that this abomination is now behind us and we can focus on next week. The AFL is a week-to-week league and last week's blowout loss only counts as one in the "L" column.
The Power need to focus on the next game on the schedule. As they say in the tow truck business, a wreck is something you leave behind you. They need to continue to keep pace with/distance themselves from the Cleveland Gladiators. With only two divisions in each conference, winning your division is Priority Number One.
I think Coach Siegfried will get this team back on track and we'll see a better brand of Power football against the Mustangs this coming Saturday.
As Weidman already covered in his review of Saturday's game, there was really nothing positive to take away from the Power's "performance" on Saturday night.
They got down big early, Kevin McCabe coughed the ball up twice in the first three possessions, Chris Wallace stepped in and was thoroughly underwhelming, and the defense allowed 11 touchdown passes.
Injuries were a factor, since the Power only dressed three defensive backs for the game, Neil Purvis was hurt, and Bernard Morris didn't make the trip to Salt Lake City. Turnovers were a factor, especially early, and they always seemed to strike when the Power were trying to gain some momentum -- not that there's ever a good time to turn the ball over. Tackling has been an issue at times this season and, on Saturday night, the Power secondary looked like they were trying to show the world what it would be like to tackle without using your arms. They took bad angles, were generally out of position, and didn't adjust to the fact that the Blaze were running mostly screens and quick hitches by playing closer to the line of scrimmage. You don't lose a game by 41 points because of just one team. It takes a village bad play to get blown out this badly.
First and foremost, some work on the fundamentals needs to be done. The receivers and quarterback (whoever that may be this week) need to work on reading the defense at the line and making adjustments. The Blaze showed just how effective this can be, as they switched to a more conventional drop-back offense midway through the third quarter after the Power defensive backs finally figured out that they needed to scoot up. At that point, the secondary was so demoralized and exhausted that Tommy Grady and company were able to pick them apart fairly easily. The defense needs to work on their recognition skills as well. Even if the coaches didn't say anything at halftime, Josh Lay and his two counterparts should have known to step up and force the issue before things got out of hand.
At this level, in theory, guys should know how to tackle. It's like how you can't teach a receiver how to catch by the time he's a pro. If he catches the ball with his body, he's been catching the ball with his body for about 20 years and there's no way to un-teach it. You can give him some pointers, try to get him headed in the right direction, but two decades of muscle memory are not changed easily. Gary Butler is the best tackler on the team by far. He can give the other guys on the team a crash course and talk about how he approaches it. He's often brought as a fourth rusher, so the coaches can have him drop back and roam a bit, which will help contain any kind of short passing attack. And, ultimately, Lonnell Dewalt needs to understand that he should learn how to tackle, since he's going to be playing a lot more defense for the balance of the season. His current strategy of diving at the feet of the ball carrier is not sustainable. He did have one solid tackle earlier this year and it was on a crucial goal line stand -- Dewalt is definitely a clutch player with an acute sense of "the moment" -- but one solid tackle in six games isn't a ratio that's going to get these guys to the playoffs. In addition, Royce Adams -- one of the stars of the secondary -- signed a contract with a UFL team, so he's probably not coming back. Someone needs to fill his shoes, which will not be an easy task.
Wallace is not the answer at quarterback. I know that he didn't even have a full week of practice before being thrown into the action on Saturday, but he was horrible. I re-watched the second half of the game and I could tell that his timing with the receivers was off. That's understandable, given the fact that he didn't have much of an opportunity to work on it, but timing is usually off by a couple of steps or a few yards. Wallace was, very frequently, five yards behind a receiver and ten feet over the receiver's head. At one point in the fourth quarter, announcer Edmund Nelson commented that, "The fans have got a lot of balls tonight." I'm just going to leave that there.
It could be that he'll improve considerably after a full week as the number one guy. It could be that he'll have more success against the Mustangs. To Utah's credit, their secondary did an amazing job in coverage. (As an aside, the Blaze played extremely well. It was partly that the Power laid a giant egg and partly that Utah played extremely well, as you don't win by 41 points because of just one thing, either.) It could be that he's a completely different guy against Milwaukee. It's possible. I just think that it's highly unlikely and I can't wait for Morris to come back. I caught the first half of the game on the radio, so I didn't see McCabe play. As I understand it, he was worse than Wallace, which I find hard to believe, but I trust Weidman's judgement.
Since Cleveland lost, the biggest development in this game was that Morris has gone from, "He's back? Ah, crap!" to, "He's hurt? Ah, crap!" in a hurry. He's the guy to run this offense and he's the guy that's going to lead this team into the playoffs. If he's out for a long period of time -- especially if he goes on injured reserve again -- then the Power's chances at the postseason go with him.
The good news -- not a silver lining, just good news -- is that this abomination is now behind us and we can focus on next week. The AFL is a week-to-week league and last week's blowout loss only counts as one in the "L" column.
The Power need to focus on the next game on the schedule. As they say in the tow truck business, a wreck is something you leave behind you. They need to continue to keep pace with/distance themselves from the Cleveland Gladiators. With only two divisions in each conference, winning your division is Priority Number One.
I think Coach Siegfried will get this team back on track and we'll see a better brand of Power football against the Mustangs this coming Saturday.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Power vs. Gladiators Review: Keller's Take
First place was up for grabs and the Power seized it by the throat and didn't let go.
Now, the only reason the final score was 35-32 was that Cleveland missed three extra point attempts and Paul Edinger didn't miss any, but this is not a team that counts style points; they only count victories.
Once again, the team fed off the energy and determination of Coach Siegfried and made the necessary plays to close out the game. Siegfried even got a little aggressive towards the end of the first half and tried on onside kick. He took a risk. If it had worked out, he'd be a genius. I'm not going to call him an idiot just because it didn't work out. The Power were starting to gain some momentum, it was close to the end of the first half, and the Gladiators were getting the ball in the second half. If they recover the onside kick, maybe they really take over that game and blow Cleveland out. If they don't, the Gladiators weren't necessarily lighting up the scoreboard, so it was a low risk/high reward situation. But, it still took some stones to make that call and I'm happy that Siegfried went for the jugular.
Jerome Mathis came back for this game and made a huge impact on offense and special teams. With the entire Cleveland defense focusing on stopping Mike Washington, there were some very good opportunities for Mathis, Jason Willis, and Lonnell Dewalt. Joshua Rue even scored on the ground after a long drought. Once Eddie Thompson comes back, this is going to be a pretty explosive offense.
The more I see of Bernard Morris, the more I like him. He put the game away with a 40-yard scramble with under a minute to play. He then showed fantastic body control when he took a "forward knee," gaining 1 1/2 yards on two carries and keeping the clock running after Cleveland used their last timeout. The Gladiators were in full-on Holmgren mode on Morris' second carry. They were trying to let him score so they could get the ball back and the defensive line basically sprinted backwards when the ball was snapped. Morris was able to gain at least some yardage to keep the clock running, but stopped just short of the end zone, effectively tackling himself and twisting his body so that the ball didn't cross the plane. He threw some downright crappy passes and fumbled another snap, but he also ripped a great deep pass to Willis in the first half, showing off the arm strength I didn't think he had. Anthony Morelli and Kevin McCabe couldn't have made that throw and neither of could have taken that forward knee at the end of the game. This team is in good hands with Morris and their turnaround has a lot to do with the progress he's made in the last three games.
Carlos Campbell and the defense stepped up in a big way, with Campbell closing out the game by intercepting a Kurt Rocco pass in the end zone. The Gladiators aren't really an offensive juggernaut and they've been winning some ugly games themselves this season, but any time you can hold an opponent to 32 points, you have an excellent chance of winning that game.
The only issue is that the league is so up-and-down each week and it's very difficult to tell whether the defense that let up 75 points against the Vigilantes is going to rear its ugly head again. It's also difficult to tell when (and if) the offense that put up 50+ points against the SaberCats and Shock, then put up 70+ points against Dallas will be back. It's possible that the Power could continue grinding out games like the one on Saturday, especially if the defense keeps playing this well. But, it's possible that they could have another meltdown on defense.
But, it's an up-and-down league. The good news is that Siegfried has enhanced this team's mental toughness and they're extremely composed (and dangerous) in close games. I like their chances in any close game, so it could be that the rest of the season will feature a lot of nail biters, which is just fine with me. Although, really, I could use a nice blowout at this point.
Now, the only reason the final score was 35-32 was that Cleveland missed three extra point attempts and Paul Edinger didn't miss any, but this is not a team that counts style points; they only count victories.
Once again, the team fed off the energy and determination of Coach Siegfried and made the necessary plays to close out the game. Siegfried even got a little aggressive towards the end of the first half and tried on onside kick. He took a risk. If it had worked out, he'd be a genius. I'm not going to call him an idiot just because it didn't work out. The Power were starting to gain some momentum, it was close to the end of the first half, and the Gladiators were getting the ball in the second half. If they recover the onside kick, maybe they really take over that game and blow Cleveland out. If they don't, the Gladiators weren't necessarily lighting up the scoreboard, so it was a low risk/high reward situation. But, it still took some stones to make that call and I'm happy that Siegfried went for the jugular.
Jerome Mathis came back for this game and made a huge impact on offense and special teams. With the entire Cleveland defense focusing on stopping Mike Washington, there were some very good opportunities for Mathis, Jason Willis, and Lonnell Dewalt. Joshua Rue even scored on the ground after a long drought. Once Eddie Thompson comes back, this is going to be a pretty explosive offense.
The more I see of Bernard Morris, the more I like him. He put the game away with a 40-yard scramble with under a minute to play. He then showed fantastic body control when he took a "forward knee," gaining 1 1/2 yards on two carries and keeping the clock running after Cleveland used their last timeout. The Gladiators were in full-on Holmgren mode on Morris' second carry. They were trying to let him score so they could get the ball back and the defensive line basically sprinted backwards when the ball was snapped. Morris was able to gain at least some yardage to keep the clock running, but stopped just short of the end zone, effectively tackling himself and twisting his body so that the ball didn't cross the plane. He threw some downright crappy passes and fumbled another snap, but he also ripped a great deep pass to Willis in the first half, showing off the arm strength I didn't think he had. Anthony Morelli and Kevin McCabe couldn't have made that throw and neither of could have taken that forward knee at the end of the game. This team is in good hands with Morris and their turnaround has a lot to do with the progress he's made in the last three games.
Carlos Campbell and the defense stepped up in a big way, with Campbell closing out the game by intercepting a Kurt Rocco pass in the end zone. The Gladiators aren't really an offensive juggernaut and they've been winning some ugly games themselves this season, but any time you can hold an opponent to 32 points, you have an excellent chance of winning that game.
The only issue is that the league is so up-and-down each week and it's very difficult to tell whether the defense that let up 75 points against the Vigilantes is going to rear its ugly head again. It's also difficult to tell when (and if) the offense that put up 50+ points against the SaberCats and Shock, then put up 70+ points against Dallas will be back. It's possible that the Power could continue grinding out games like the one on Saturday, especially if the defense keeps playing this well. But, it's possible that they could have another meltdown on defense.
But, it's an up-and-down league. The good news is that Siegfried has enhanced this team's mental toughness and they're extremely composed (and dangerous) in close games. I like their chances in any close game, so it could be that the rest of the season will feature a lot of nail biters, which is just fine with me. Although, really, I could use a nice blowout at this point.
Friday, June 03, 2011
Power vs Gladiators Preview - The Division is up for Grabs
I hate writing previews for big games. I find it nearly impossible to remain journalistically detached from the situation and be cut and dry about it. I just want to write, “ZOMG IT’S GONNA BE AWESOME, I CAN’T WAIT” and hit “post.” However, I really can’t do that – especially for a game this big.
It’s week 13, and we’re just now meeting our division rivals, the Cleveland Gladiators, for the first time. All season, we’ve seen them be a strong team, lead our division and wonder, “can we beat them?” This week, we get to find out, and the situation could not be more picture-perfect.
It doesn’t take much looking online to see the buzz around the league about this game. After a shaky start to the season, the Power now find themselves #8 in the Coaches’ Poll, #5 in Big Ant’s power rankings, and meeting up against Cleveland for the division. As Keller said in his review of last week, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be typing those words during the 2011 season.
Last week, we maintained our momentum after the bye week, which was a relief. Now, we’re sitting at three in a row and Cleveland is coming off of a loss. Also, Cleveland is slightly weaker on the road, and we’re strengthening up at home. It’s going to be a tight match all around, but we have a slim psychological edge coming into this one.
What is it going to take to win this game?
With the way he’s been playing, I think that we have the better quarterback in Bernard Morris. He’s getting more consistent with each week, and his interception percentage is low. When he’s not rattled, he’s good, albeit unimaginative. Kurt Rocco is average at best. He’s not bad, but he’s not really that great, either. Much like Pittsburgh, he is the product of a three-man quarterback roulette situation, and is the best option that they have available. That having been said, his numbers are still better than Morris’ on the season.
So why do I say we have the edge? Morris is on a roll, and Rocco is coming off a tough loss. Last week revealed a lot of character about both of them. When Dallas started applying the pressure and pulling ahead, Morris put his head down and charged. He didn’t get rattled; he kept his focus and ground out a hard-fought win. Rocco, on the other hand, let Arizona get to him and started making a lot of mistakes late in the game. Where Morris dug deep, Rocco fell apart. Couple that with a road game and a lot of pressure from a high-stakes game, and I think he’ll lose a step.
Is that going to be enough? Hell no. Football is a team sport, and no matter what the media tries to convince us, the quarterback isn’t the only factor in a game. The two guys behind center are going to be important, but they’ll be worthless if their team doesn’t pull their part.
On offense, I’m still strangely comfortable with Morris going to the shortest freakin’ receiver ever on most of his plays. I’m comfortable because it has been working. If Joystick can put another 5 TDs on the board this week, I’m A-OK with that. Since everyone’s going to be watching him, though, I’d feel a lot more confident if Morris would remember that Willis is out there. Cleveland’s defense is solid, and we’re going to need options for when they figure us out (assuming that the plan isn’t already, “murder the wee little man.”)
For Cleveland, the story is going to be all Robert Redd and Troy Bergeron (sorry, I read that and see “Robert Redford and Tom Bergeron,” and expect it to be a new reality show hosting duo.) These two are responsible for the majority of Cleveland’s scores this season, so it’s not going to be any surprise when the ball goes to them.
Which brings us to our main key to victory this week: Our defense getting it together.
They came up big when it mattered last week, and they were huge against the Cats…but they still leave a lot to be desired. As Keller said, Campbell stunk the place up last week. Also, Butler got booted for fighting, and DeWalt was actually kind of quiet. The tactic against Dallas seemed to be “Let them wear themselves out scoring so that we can win when they get tired.” Winning a game like we did last week is like letting a prize-fighter punch you in the face until his hand gets tired – and is about as effective in the long-term. Had Dallas not gotten a bit cocky at the end of the game, we probably wouldn’t have won it.
We know where the ball is going, so we know who to cover. It’s not an automatic “cover and they shall not receive” situation, but the pressure needs to be on. Last week, every Dallas receiver was wide open with no coverage. It reminded me all too much of the game against the Shock when Greg Orton had time to fix a sandwich after catching the ball before anyone was in the same time zone as him.
And really, this has been a problem much of the season. Our D is very streaky. There are some games where they could join hands, dig in their heels and stop the Coors Light train if it came roaring out of the tunnel onto the field. Then, the very next week, they’d be running around the field, confused by the bright lights and loud noises. Hopefully, last week got it out of their system and this week they’ll come up huge.
Bottom line: First place in the division is within our grasp if we build on our strengths, learn from our mistakes, and take it one down at a time. The offense can keep doing what it’s doing if the defense can keep Cleveland off the board (and strip the ball a few times, please.) I know that Keller would like Siegfried to open the playbook and reenact the last 15 minutes of The Longest Yard, but I’d rather he not get too risky this week. There’s too much on the line, and the Power need to go out there and win. Doesn’t need to be fancy, doesn’t need to be pretty – it just needs to be done.
ZOMG IT’S GONNA BE AWESOME, I CAN’T WAIT
Elsewhere in the league
- The NFL Game of the Week is Jacksonville versus New Orleans. Expect to see the Sharks extend their streak to 10, unless the Voodoo pulls another baffling upset like they did against Cleveland earlier this year.
- Whereas we’re squaring off against Cleveland this week, the other half of our division is meeting up Friday night. While still a few games behind Pittsburgh and Cleveland, a win for Philly this week will bring them closer to whoever loses our game. This could make for a tight race in a weak division as the season wears on.
- The Rush is playing an afternoon game this week, making it a lot easier to catch two games Saturday.
- In the West, Saturday will be a group-therapy session as the last two teams that we beat – Dallas and San Jose – will meet up and see which one can end their 3+ game losing streak.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Power vs. Vigilantes Review: Keller's Take
First of all... wow. Saturday's game is proof that arena football is exciting and unpredictable and that more people should watch it. General admission tickets are only $15 and there are always tickets available on game day. The Power play the Cleveland Gladiators on Saturday, June 4th for first place in the division. Come out and see for yourself. Now that I got the plug out of the way, on with the review.
I actually needed to read Weidman's review of the game before I wrap my brain around it enough to comment. For starters, the following things happened on Saturday night:
This was a huge road win against a very talented Dallas team. With Cleveland losing to Arizona, that puts the Power at 6-4 and tied for first place in the division. Heading into the season, I really didn't think I'd be able to type those words at any point. After the first few games, I felt pretty confident that I wouldn't be able to type them during the 2011 season.
When Morris re-gained the starting job, I described him as being "capable." Now that he's more comfortable with the offense and has gained the confidence to take off and run with the ball instead of holding onto it too long, I'd say he's moved into the realm of "solid." He has Mike Washington on his side and Washington is an electric playmaker. Washington gives the offense that "one guy" that the defense is focused on stopping, which makes everyone around him better. Once Eddie Thompson and Jerome Mathis come back from injured reserve, we could be looking at a great offense and Morris might have a cast around him that is talented enough to raise him to the level of "very good." But, having seen Mark Grieb play a couple of weeks ago and having witnessed the clinic that Raudabaugh put on Saturday night, I think that Morris will ultimately fall short of greatness.
With a great offense and an excellent defense -- one of the big reasons the Power let up 75 points was that Carlos Campbell had an absolutely atrocious game, but I have a feeling that he'll bounce back against the Gladiators and so will the rest of the defense -- this team has the potential to do well. Do I think they'll go on a run and finish the season at 14-4? No. Do I see a trip to the Arena Bowl in their future? I do not. I think they're a great team and they'll most likely get to the playoffs, but they don't have the talent to go all the way. But, I also thought this about the 2008 and 2010 versions of the Steelers, so what do I know? There are two elite teams in the league: Arizona and Chicago. There is one dominant force: Jacksonville. Aside from that, you have a bunch of talented, hard-working clubs that will try their best but ultimately fall short.
Now, before I say something bad about the guy, let me say this: I think that Coach Siegfried has done a tremendous job thus far. He has taken an expansion team that isn't incredibly talented and has struggled staying healthy at quarterback and willed them to a 6-4 record. He has a ton of mental fortitude and determination and that has rubbed off on his players. Now for the bad part: I think his mental fortitude makes him downright stubborn and too conservative.
I agree with Weidman's assessment of Dallas coach Clint Doelzel's decision to go for two (seriously, read his post, that's right on the money). That was a dumb move and it will probably come back to haunt Doelzel.
I'm not saying I want Siegfried to be wildly aggressive, but he does need to go in for the fatality more often. For example, he continued to kick away in the final minute of Saturday's game. Conventional NFL wisdom says that's the smart move. Make your opponent fight their way down the field and earn whatever points they get. Conventional AFL wisdom says to onside kick, especially if your defense is gassed and couldn't stop their grandmother from catching a 30-yard touchdown pass. If the kick succeeds, then you retain possession and get to play keep-away for a bit. If the kick fails, then you get the ball back faster. This turned into a shootout and Siegfried kept his gun holstered. They continue to play conservative on offense and defense. The past two games, the offensive game plan has been plodding and possession oriented for the most part and they have played some very lax prevent defense in the final seconds holding a lead.
I still believe in Coach Siegfried and I still think he's the man for the job. I also see a little too much Cowher and Shottenheimer in him and that makes me uneasy now that I have an eye towards the playoffs. But, the playoffs are still a long ways away and are certainly not assured at this point, so we might as well enjoy the ride.
So... 151 points in one game. Five touchdowns in the final minute. If nothing else, it will be entertaining.
I actually needed to read Weidman's review of the game before I wrap my brain around it enough to comment. For starters, the following things happened on Saturday night:
- The final score was 76-75.
- Bernard Morris started out slow (9-for-19), but finished strong, with 25 completions in 40 attempts for 280 yards and seven touchdowns, adding in a 27-yard rushing touchdown for flavor. He was also the worst quarterback on the field by far. Dallas quarterback Dan Raudabaugh had 433 yards passing and more touchdown passes (ten) than incompletions (eight). He was an unstoppable force in this game, but, fortunately, so was the Power offense.
- A total of 69 points (insert joke here) were scored in the fourth quarter, with five touchdowns coming in the final minute. Five touchdowns -- and a failed field goal attempt -- in one minute of football.
- There were so many swings in momentum that, at some point in the fourth quarter, I stopped keeping track of the exact score and only focused on whether the Power were up by seven or tied.
- The Power held the ball for over 35 minutes and the Vigilantes still managed to put up 75 points.
This was a huge road win against a very talented Dallas team. With Cleveland losing to Arizona, that puts the Power at 6-4 and tied for first place in the division. Heading into the season, I really didn't think I'd be able to type those words at any point. After the first few games, I felt pretty confident that I wouldn't be able to type them during the 2011 season.
When Morris re-gained the starting job, I described him as being "capable." Now that he's more comfortable with the offense and has gained the confidence to take off and run with the ball instead of holding onto it too long, I'd say he's moved into the realm of "solid." He has Mike Washington on his side and Washington is an electric playmaker. Washington gives the offense that "one guy" that the defense is focused on stopping, which makes everyone around him better. Once Eddie Thompson and Jerome Mathis come back from injured reserve, we could be looking at a great offense and Morris might have a cast around him that is talented enough to raise him to the level of "very good." But, having seen Mark Grieb play a couple of weeks ago and having witnessed the clinic that Raudabaugh put on Saturday night, I think that Morris will ultimately fall short of greatness.
With a great offense and an excellent defense -- one of the big reasons the Power let up 75 points was that Carlos Campbell had an absolutely atrocious game, but I have a feeling that he'll bounce back against the Gladiators and so will the rest of the defense -- this team has the potential to do well. Do I think they'll go on a run and finish the season at 14-4? No. Do I see a trip to the Arena Bowl in their future? I do not. I think they're a great team and they'll most likely get to the playoffs, but they don't have the talent to go all the way. But, I also thought this about the 2008 and 2010 versions of the Steelers, so what do I know? There are two elite teams in the league: Arizona and Chicago. There is one dominant force: Jacksonville. Aside from that, you have a bunch of talented, hard-working clubs that will try their best but ultimately fall short.
Now, before I say something bad about the guy, let me say this: I think that Coach Siegfried has done a tremendous job thus far. He has taken an expansion team that isn't incredibly talented and has struggled staying healthy at quarterback and willed them to a 6-4 record. He has a ton of mental fortitude and determination and that has rubbed off on his players. Now for the bad part: I think his mental fortitude makes him downright stubborn and too conservative.
I agree with Weidman's assessment of Dallas coach Clint Doelzel's decision to go for two (seriously, read his post, that's right on the money). That was a dumb move and it will probably come back to haunt Doelzel.
I'm not saying I want Siegfried to be wildly aggressive, but he does need to go in for the fatality more often. For example, he continued to kick away in the final minute of Saturday's game. Conventional NFL wisdom says that's the smart move. Make your opponent fight their way down the field and earn whatever points they get. Conventional AFL wisdom says to onside kick, especially if your defense is gassed and couldn't stop their grandmother from catching a 30-yard touchdown pass. If the kick succeeds, then you retain possession and get to play keep-away for a bit. If the kick fails, then you get the ball back faster. This turned into a shootout and Siegfried kept his gun holstered. They continue to play conservative on offense and defense. The past two games, the offensive game plan has been plodding and possession oriented for the most part and they have played some very lax prevent defense in the final seconds holding a lead.
I still believe in Coach Siegfried and I still think he's the man for the job. I also see a little too much Cowher and Shottenheimer in him and that makes me uneasy now that I have an eye towards the playoffs. But, the playoffs are still a long ways away and are certainly not assured at this point, so we might as well enjoy the ride.
So... 151 points in one game. Five touchdowns in the final minute. If nothing else, it will be entertaining.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Shocking Upset:: Keller's Take
As Weidman pointed out in his review, we were both a little worried on Saturday night when we heard the announcement that Bernard Morris was going to be starting. Actually, it was less "a little worried" and more "ah, crap, now we're sure to lose." As it turns out, Morris played an excellent game.
You could tell that his timing was off in the first half. He was a split-second behind his receivers, which led to a number of early incompletions. He was at least half a second behind DJ Hall on one errant first half pass, which led to Morris' only interception. After got settled in, he played lights out in the second half, finishing with seven total touchdowns -- five passing and two rushing. He was the team's leading rusher with 66 yards on eight carries, including a seriously sweet 31-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
The good news is that I think he's redeemed himself for his early season struggles and I believe that he's a capable quarterback. He's not holding the ball too long, he's learned to tuck the ball and run when he needs to, he's a more dangerous scrambler than Anthony Morelli, though Morelli has more of a blood thirsty take-no-prisoners approach when he runs with the ball, and he even showed off some arm strength on a 40-yard bomb to Jason Willis on a critical fourth quarter completion.
The bad news is that he's just capable. He runs a bit better than Morelli and a lot better than McCabe, but there's nothing that really separates him from the pack. He's a decent quarterback and you can win games with him, but I don't get the sense that he's a great quarterback. It could be that I'm way off base and that he'll get way better with another week of practice under his belt. As always when I say something negative about the home team, I hope I'm off base, but I don't think that I am.
Overall, the 11,000 or so fans that didn't show up for the game missed a great show, even if the Sparks didn't come out at halftime to dance. The offense put up 51 points, Edinger converted a 45-yard field goal, and the defense overcame some early struggles, holding the Shock to 14 points in the second half. More importantly, they made the big plays when they needed to. There's the aforementioned bomb to Willis, which came on third and ten from the Power three yard line. LaRi Stevenson intercepted a pass when Spokane was driving for the game-tying touchdown with under a minute remaining. Edinger made the aforementioned field goal, which would have changed the complexion of the game had he missed and salted the game away given that he made it. They avoided critical mistakes and came through with clutch plays when they needed them. With a capable quarterback and a decent defense, they can win more than they lose if they keep that up.
Other thoughts:
You could tell that his timing was off in the first half. He was a split-second behind his receivers, which led to a number of early incompletions. He was at least half a second behind DJ Hall on one errant first half pass, which led to Morris' only interception. After got settled in, he played lights out in the second half, finishing with seven total touchdowns -- five passing and two rushing. He was the team's leading rusher with 66 yards on eight carries, including a seriously sweet 31-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
The good news is that I think he's redeemed himself for his early season struggles and I believe that he's a capable quarterback. He's not holding the ball too long, he's learned to tuck the ball and run when he needs to, he's a more dangerous scrambler than Anthony Morelli, though Morelli has more of a blood thirsty take-no-prisoners approach when he runs with the ball, and he even showed off some arm strength on a 40-yard bomb to Jason Willis on a critical fourth quarter completion.
The bad news is that he's just capable. He runs a bit better than Morelli and a lot better than McCabe, but there's nothing that really separates him from the pack. He's a decent quarterback and you can win games with him, but I don't get the sense that he's a great quarterback. It could be that I'm way off base and that he'll get way better with another week of practice under his belt. As always when I say something negative about the home team, I hope I'm off base, but I don't think that I am.
Overall, the 11,000 or so fans that didn't show up for the game missed a great show, even if the Sparks didn't come out at halftime to dance. The offense put up 51 points, Edinger converted a 45-yard field goal, and the defense overcame some early struggles, holding the Shock to 14 points in the second half. More importantly, they made the big plays when they needed to. There's the aforementioned bomb to Willis, which came on third and ten from the Power three yard line. LaRi Stevenson intercepted a pass when Spokane was driving for the game-tying touchdown with under a minute remaining. Edinger made the aforementioned field goal, which would have changed the complexion of the game had he missed and salted the game away given that he made it. They avoided critical mistakes and came through with clutch plays when they needed them. With a capable quarterback and a decent defense, they can win more than they lose if they keep that up.
Other thoughts:
- As Weidman also mentioned, Shock receiver Greg Orton was destroying the Power secondary in the first half. This was a direct result of the defense they were playing, which basically involved placing two members of the secondary 20 yards off the line of scrimmage and having them stand there until Orton caught the ball. In the second half, Coach Siegfried made the adjustment of realizing that Lonnell Dewalt is very tall. Siegfried placed Dewalt at Jack linebacker and told him to follow the quarterback's eyes. Wherever the quarterback's eyes ended up when he started to throw, Dewalt headed quickly in that direction and jumped. He broke up a pass early in the second half and came down with a great pass break-up that was called back for Illegal Defense. With the secondary covering things deep and Dewalt jumping around like a mad man in the intermediate area, Spokane had to dink and dunk their way down the field until they reached the red zone, which is where the Power defense tends to step up. This is not a fool-proof defensive strategy, but they may want to roll it out every now and again.
- The good news is that Josh Lay should be back against the Sabercats. He's been suspended for the past two games, according to the AFL's transactions page. He's their best cover guy and they'll need all the help they can get against San Jose.
- The bad news about the Lay suspension being lifted is that the Power cut Xavier Lee to make room for Lay on the roster. Now, I'm not sure that they cut him. The transactions page says that he was placed on something called "recallable reassignment"... which sounds downright Orwellian. I'm not sure if that term means that he's basically been placed on waivers and will be back, or if it means that he'll be gone for two weeks and come back saying that fumbles are "double un-plus good". My hope is that it means he'll be back without any kind of re-education. Lee is an explosive, versatile player and the Power need him on the roster. In fact, he should replace DJ Hall as the third receiver until Jerome Mathis gets off injured reserve. Which brings me to my other observations...
- First of all, this team misses Mathis and Eddie Thompson. I found out from the transactions page that Thompson was placed on IR on 4/15 and Mathis on 4/27. They miss Thompson and Mathis on offense and on special teams. Willis did his best returning kicks on Saturday, but he's a filler player at best. Mathis is the team's best deep threat and Thompson is a critical player in the red zone. Hopefully, both players will be good to go soon, but they won't be there to help out against San Jose.
- I don't like DJ Hall. He dropped one pass, short-armed another when he heard footsteps, and made just enough of an effort to get to the ball that was behind him (and intercepted) so that he could say that he tried. If he had made a serious effort to get back to the ball, he may have knocked it down and could have at least tipped it. Both of those efforts would have avoided the interception. Basically, put in Lee as the third receiver until Mathis is healthy, then figure out what to do with Lee. But, cut ties with Hall.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Week 6: Sharks at Power Preview
The preview is a bit short this week, because there's frankly not a lot to say. This week is going to be a “come to Jesus” week for the Power. I could talk about how good the Jacksonville Sharks are, and how they're currently 3-1. I could talk about the fact that their quarterback is already at almost a thousand yards on the season and has a solid receiving corps of three men he is comfortable going to.
I could, but that's not why we're here.
The Power need to focus on the other side of the ball, and focus hard. I'm really hoping that last game was an effect of fatigue and injures and that we can bounce back this week – but there's still a lot to consider.
Morris is still out for at least another week. That's bad. Powertool is off of (mysterious) suspension. That's good. McCabe is sitting on IR with Morris. That's bad. We still have Morrelli to stick behind center. That's...er... Well, let's just call that the cursed frogurt.
Morrelli hasn't had a lot of time in charge yet. Unfortunately, none of our QBs have. McCabe has the most experience, but it's been a mixed bag. Morrelli has had big moments, but no cohesive four quarter stands. He hasn't even had a solid half yet – but he is who we need to rely on this weekend. One way or another, he needs to make it happen.
If Morrelli can get his act together, he has to take advantage of his receiving corps. It's still an offensive advantage that we have a lot of guys to go to, but we're getting to the point where I'd feel a lot more comfortable if there were a few “go-to” guys with the rest being utility players. Now that we have DeWalt back, we've got five candidates for this.
Another factor this week is that the Sharks are Coach Siegfried's old team. This means we're going to have combined factors of them knowing how he thinks, and him having an idea what they're going to do. We can also hope for a bit of him trying to prove something, but that backfires as often as it works in sports.
This week, we also need to see the Power speeding up the game. Both Keller and I have hammered on the point that Siegfried is playing it too safe. Those plodding, meticulous drives are great when we're in the lead – but that hasn't been happening as often as any of us would like. The game needs to speed up, and the Power need to take command of the field.
Here's the brass tacks on this week: It's not as important as it could be. The Soul were nice enough to lose last week and give us that breathing room we were hoping for. They play Tampa this week, and I'm sure they can win. However, even if they win and we lose, that will just tie our standings up. Philly still has the head-to-head, but it could be worse.
As such, I'd say it's time to take some risks. Get Morrelli out there and light a fire under him. Get him to get that ball in the air and move it down field. Winning is great, but changing the team's overall momentum is better.
They just need to protect the hell out of him, because if he goes down, we really don't have any one to put in his shoes against the Voodoo next week...
****UPDATE****
Power have signed QB Xavier Lee. Unclear at this time if he's a backup or is starting.
****************
Elsewhere in the league
- Like I said above, the Soul lost to the Preds last week, but not for lack of trying. Coach Ho made some ballsy moves – including letting the Preds score with 35 seconds left just to make sure they got the ball one more time, and benching Allgood for a QB Orlando had no preparation for – but it wasn't enough. Despite a replacement QB with a lot of hustle and attack, but he was no match for Nick Hill's use of TT Toliver and Robert Quiroga.
- The Sabercats should more than likely teach the Talons some humility for us this weekend.
- The Gladiators are playing the pathetic Voodoo and that...that's not gonna be pretty. I'm gonna call it early and say that the Gladiators are going to be 4-0 and the Voodoo will keep a good thing going at 0-5.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Bye Week Spotlight: The Orlando Predators @Philly Soul
***Update***
Now sure if the schedule I read had a misprint, or if I'm just an idiot - this game was still a road game for the Soul, and their home opener is this week against the Storm on the NFL network
*************
The Power gets a much needed break to rest and rearm this week after a tough loss to the Talons in week four. It’s a light week for the rest of the league with only four games on the schedule, but there is still football to be played. In the spotlight this week is the Orlando Predators at Philly.
Why am I featuring a game by our division rival this week? Two reasons: 1.) I want to watch a game this weekend and 2.) it’s actually fairly important in regards to league standings.
Right now, we are ahead of the Soul in rankings, but we’ve only got a one game lead on them. If they win this week, our records will be tied, and they have the head-to-head. Given that the Gladiators are so far ahead that they aren’t being caught any time soon even if they go on an epic losing streak, and the Mustangs are so far behind that the reverse is true, Philly is who I’m worried about. As things stand, we might be going neck and neck with them all season, and a loss this week will give us a small amount of breathing room.
To be honest, I haven’t followed the Predators a lot this season. I’ve had a bit of a soft spot for them, as they are one of the first teams that I ever watched back in the day, but with the amount of games that I watch for future Power matchups, they just haven’t fit in my schedule this year. They are a tough team to get a read on based solely on their record – in fact, I feel that their one loss so far this year speaks more than their two wins.
Week one, they beat up on the New Orleans Voodoo, which really doesn’t say much in my opinion. It is well documented that New Orleans is team in need of a lot of help, and remain one of the only winless teams in the league. Week two, the Preds won a good one against the Blaze, which is a team with the same record as them at this point. I’ll call that one a push.
This week, however, they lost to the Arizona Rattlers by one point. One. Remember how relieved we were when the Mustangs fell short by 2 points in week 3? That’s close. When you add to this the fact that the Rattlers have steamrolled everyone else they’ve played this season, I’m impressed. Even a when playing someone due for a loss from general fatigue, hanging with a team as powerful as Arizona right to the very end says a lot. These Predators are a team to watch out for.
On the ground, they’re not much to really be concerned about. Their top rusher is their QB Nick Hill, with only 71 yards and a couple of TDs to his name. He’s certainly no Russ Michna or Bobby Reid. However, in the air, he’s good for an average of 300+ yards a game and has a very solid receiving core lead by the awesomely named TT Toliver.
Toliver is an interesting Ocho Cinco-style character. A few years back, he was playing for the then impressive Tampa Bay Storm. One day, he walked in and told (former) head coach Marcum that he was done; not going to play for the Storm anymore. He was suspended for two games, cut, and signed by Orlando a day later.
I don’t know the details and I’m not sure if many people do. Maybe he’s a show-boatin’ idiot. Maybe he saw early all the crap that came out about Marcum. Maybe it was something else entirely – the fact remains that he found a solid home in Orlando and has over 300 yards and 7 TDs on the season this year. Look out, Philly.
On the other side of the ball, we have the Philadelphia Soul. Now, they’re a division rival, they took our home opener away from us, and they’re our main threat this season. That having been said, my two most loyal readers – my wife and my mother-in-law – are both Philly girls, born and raised, so I can’t make with too much hate-talk. (Besides, hockey playoffs are around the corner, and there will be plenty of smack to be spoken then.) I’ll try to stick with the facts – at least until we get later in the season.
Right now, the Soul are sitting at 1-2, with the Power being their only win. That’s not super fantastic. On the other hand, they’ve lost to the Rush, which there is no shame in, and the Mustangs, which was their third road game in a row. The main concern is how they did in the second half last week. It might have been fatigue, but I think Coach Hohensee put it best when he said, “Everything we did right in the first half fell apart in the second half.” Yep. That’s about the long and short of it.
We’ve seen QB Justin Allgood take the field here at home and, generally, his name is about accurate. He might not have the overall yardage of Hill, but he gets the job done. He throws deep and has Donovan Morgan as a solid answer to TT Toliver. Their only rushing weapon is Ryan Vena, so they’re about even on the ground as well. This matchup is going to be a gunslinger shoot out, pure and simple.
Another factor for this week is a series of improbable flukes. First, a little history lesson: Back in 2008, the then Bon Jovi-owned Soul was on top of the world. They beat the juggernaut San Jose Sabercats in the Arena Bowl* to be crowned champions of the league. The next year, that league folded. When it rebooted the following year, neither of those two teams came back with it. Now, they are both back as expansion teams with news faces, but old traditions.
Saturday is the Soul’s first home game of the season, due to a nasty opening schedule. Because of this, this week will actually be the first time that they get to unfurl that Arena Bowl Champions 2008 banner to their home crowd. That will either fire everyone up, or just leave the team shrugging their shoulders. Not many of these guys were around to win it.
*I still, and for always will, contend that Sambora lost money on that game. He didn’t seem happy shaking Jon’s hand afterwords.
How is this game going to shake out? Frankly, I think that the Predators are the better team here. They have a slight edge at QB, better options at receiver, and they’ve proven that they can hang with the best. Philly has been beaten up for three weeks now, win or lose, and they’re coming off a short week after a Monday night game (remember how that worked out for us?) They are finally playing at home and get to use an Arena Bowl banner as a talisman, and that might make the difference – but I really don’t think so. Coach Ho seems to be having trouble bringing his Rush-style tactics to a new team, and the wins just aren’t materializing. I think it’s going to be close, but I’ll take the Preds by five at least.
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