A Powerful Storm Brews

I'm cautiously optimistic about our second-to-last home game. It's not a slam dunk - after all, we lost to the KC Command - but I think we have a good shot.

The Storm has been hot and cold this season, but they've gotten pretty banged up. Their reciever Amarri Jackson has now been put on IR, and that's a great thing for us. He's been out a few times this season for injuries, but even with a shorter season, he's still set records. Him not being there is great for us. There is also the fact that the Storm hasn't won a game on the road yet this year (and started dropping them at home.) Again, we lost to the winless Command, but it's still a factor in our favor that they're a weak road team.

Last week showed that the Power is capable of gelling as a team. We finally got some protection on our QB, and that allowed him to keep the picks to a minimum. The question is going to be who's behind center. I'm not sure who I'd prefer - and we know it doesn't matter who they say they're starting - but Hines looked good last week. It might have been a fluke, but it's tough to say. Randall has the field time and knows his players... but he's a known quantity. Known both to opposing teams, and to us as a guy who gets happy feet.

Therefore, the most important part will be protecting whoever is there, and holding on to balls when they are passed. Again, we did well with that last week. So, not to belabor the point, but basically we need to do what we did last week, and we should be able to give the home fans a win for once.

The most important part this week is the opposing coach. Long ago, I wrote one of our most popular posts, the famous Tomlin or Epps quiz. Now, I could do something similar with Dave Ewart and Chris Farley, but that's just a cheap shot.

Seriously, I just want to watch him contest a call.

Elsewhere in the league

• For the game of the week, the Mustangs have a good chance to play spoiler against the Sharks on national television. The Mustangs aren't technically eliminated, but the stars would have to align to Shakespearean levels for them to make the post season. The Sharks, however, are in the position of being 4th in the conference, and can only pull ahead with better records than the two non-Philly teams ahead of them (stupid tie-breakers.) It's going to be close, but I take the Sharks.
• Cleveland is getting a bit of a gift this week. In order to make the playoffs, they still need to pretty much win out, and Friday they match up against the Preds. Orlando has blown a few chances to spoil recently, so I don't see them upsetting the Cleveland applecart.
  
• The late game is gonna be a good one. #1 in the West faces off against #2 on the road. The Rattlers already beat Utah at home this season, and they most likely can do it on the road, but the Blaze needs this win. Take the Ratts, cautiously.
• First game on Saturday should be a win for Iowa over the Command.
• It's a good thing for New Orleans that Geogia has a bye week this week. They have to play San Jose on the road, and I just don't see them winning. A loss this week would tie their record with Georgia, and NOLA has the tie-breaker right now, which would leave them in first. This will remain true, even if the Sharks win, as they have the head-to-head there as well.
• Chicago really needs the win this week to keep their playoff hopes alive, and they're strong at home. However, I think that the Talons will win for the Chicago sweep.
• Finally, Sunday at 6:05 is the explosive match. The Shock handed Philly their first road loss earlier this season, and now it's time for the rematch. However, they got blown out last week. Philly is strong, but again, they're in WTF time of the season, and the Shock had their number last time. Another big problem developing is that Philly offensive weapon Tiger Jones has been signed by and invited to camp with the Eagles. The Soul have got one of the most packed rosters in the league, but Jones is one of their biggest play-makers. The development is great for him, but bad for the Soul. Crazy pick again: Shock win.
  

Road Battle Against the Soul, and heading to enemy territory

There's not a lot to be said about this week's matchup. The Power has improved in the last few weeks, but not enough to make it likely that we'll beat the juggernauts from Philly. Frankly, the only chance we have is if the Soul collectively say, "Eh...we'll wait until next week to lock up the one seed in the conference. Let's put Denis the Donut Boy in to cover kick returns."

But, I'm still looking forward to this game. The Brothers Keller and I (and Brother-in-Law Tim) are heading to the Wells Fargo Center to catch the Power on the road. Now, to be honest, we planned this outing at the beginning of the season when we still had stars in our eyes and Rowley in the locker room. However, there's still some excitement for me. I've never actually gotten to see a team I root for on the road.

Now, consciously, I know that teams regularly play on the road. Half the time, to be exact. But having never experienced this, it almost feels like this is a special occasion. An exhibition game. It's not, but that's how it feels. Also, I'm not used to being in a hostile sports environment (even if Philly's probably looking at us the way we look at the Browns.) I'm also not used to rooting for a pathetic underdog without much of a traveling fanbase.

All around, this is going to be interesting. Win or (likely) lose, I'll probably also have a bit of a different outlook in my review. Go Power, and I'll be back on Monday.

Elsewhere in the league

Now that the Soul have locked up the division and a playoff spot, the post season officially begins. From here out, it gets really hard to call games, and it's still a long time until the end of the season. Some teams are going to be playing their ass off to right the ship that is their season, other teams are going to slack because it doesn't matter anymore, others will play soft to guard against injuries because they know they're most likely in and yet other teams are going to say "screw it" and just try to play spoiler against a hated rival. So, what I'm saying is...take these picks with a grain of salt.

• First up is Arizona at Milwaukee. This right here is what I'm talking about. AZ is 99.9% in the playoffs, it's just down to seeding. Without doing the math, I think they'd need to lose out and get some "help" in order to miss out. However, at 10-3 , they're tied with the Talons (and a game behind Philly in the whole league) they're in a footrace for the top spot in the National Conference. On the other hand, Milwaukee is in the hunt with basically everyone in our conference and can't afford a loss. Skill-wise, the Rattlers should win this one, but Milwaukee might want it more. I'll take AZ, but....salt.
• "Friday" game of the week is NOLA visiting ORL. This is another example of what I'm talking about. Everyone in that division except the Preds is within a game of the top spot, and Orlando has some momentum after beating a rival last week. Also, they've already been shamed on a Friday night game - they might as well take the field as the Orlando Spoilers. The Voodoo is the better team, but they still currently have a losing record. I pick them, but I have a bad, bad feeling about this. If you want to take a risk on an upset this week, this is it.
• Cleveland at Jax on Saturday night is almost impossible to call. Same record, both teams in second place in their respective divisions, playoffs still possible. However, I'm taking Jacksonville because Cleveland is on a slide, Jacksonville has a shot at their division and they're at home.
• Next we have the Talons heading down to Tampa Bay for the third Florida game. Talons are the wise choice, but there's still that pesky little road/home curse that the Storm have. I still think the Talons are going to win, because they want home field in the playoffs, and TB is just looking to get in.
• Chicago has a tougher division match on their hands than they really should. KC has been sad this season, but Chicago has struggled on the road. I'm picking the Rush because they have the better team, plain and simple - but I'm not going bet my mortgage on it.
• Georgia has a match on the road against Utah, and they need the win to keep the lead in their division. However, I've been saying all year, they're a mediocre team and their road record isn't great. They're in the lead in a weak division and Utah is seriously in the hunt in a tough one. And they're at home. Take the Blaze.
• Finally, the late game is Spokane visiting the Cats. This one's going to be brutal. Spokane's record in any other division would put them solidly in third place, and likely in second. The Cats need the win to have any chance to scoop the lead from the Talons and Rattlers. The Shock has struggled (even with a solid record) this season...but San Jose also lost to KC. However, given that they slaughtered Spokane (without Rowley) on the road earlier this season, I'll take them.
  

Shredded by the Talons, a post-mortem

Well, this weekend sure proved why I don't gamble. Both the Power and the Rush dropped games that they should have won, and pretty much everything I said should – had to – happen, didn't.

The Power got it handed to them at home on Saturday and the Tulsa Talons walked away with a well-deserved win to break their losing streak. It was a tale of missed opportunities, stupid penalties and vacant roster sports. It pains me to have to do it, but let's break it down.

Not to make excuses, but the Power was at a disadvantage from the word go. Only five days from their last game, this injury-plagued team had to take the field down some key players. Morris is still out for at least one more game, Mathis was out with a thigh injury, Purvis with an ankle, and “The Power Tool” DeWalt out for a mysterious, Siegfried-ain't-discussing-it suspension. Add to that the fact that the team – especially McCabe – was tired and it was a mess.

On the other side of the ball, Tulsa was angry, fired up, and anxious to get rid of that “0” on the wrong side of their win/loss column. Just coming off of their worst loss in franchise history at the hands of the Rattlers, they had something to prove. Instead of the Power keeping the pressure on them, Tulsa brought down the hammer on McCabe (and later, Morelli) forcing a brutal five turnovers during the game. A lot of the credit goes to jittery mindset by the home team, but the lion's share goes straight to Tulsa for being wherever the ball was. If they didn't pick it out of the air, they were right there to force a fumble and recover it.

The first half of the game was a total slugfest that looked like both teams were going to be trading a small amount of scores throughout the game to see who gets the last one before the clock runs out. The halftime score was just 14-14, more of an outdoor score than an indoor one. The second half, however, was all Tulsa.

They came back with 24 unanswered points, and you could just feel the air go out of the place. It was over at that point, but there was still game to be played. Somewhere around this point, I began to wonder why sports venues ever give out souvenirs that can be thrown.

Pictured here: A bad idea

In the second half, despite announcer warnings that anyone caught could face prosecution, these mini-footballs rained on the field. The fans should, frankly, be ashamed of themselves. End of digression.

For Tulsa, Bobby Reid was not the passing presence that I expected him to be, leaving the heavy lifting in the passing game to Matt Bassuener with almost 200 yards and three TD's. Copeland was again a favored target, but being held to only 58 yards on 8 receptions. Reid made his presence felt with two rushing touchdowns, however, proving that he is a mobile QB who is not afraid to go for it.

Their defense kept the Power down to only 23 total yards and completely shut Rue down with negative yards and zero touchdowns on the ground (though he did catch one in the air.) Also, there is the matter of those five turnovers that we discussed earlier.

Not everything was bad, however. Morrelli had a beautiful end-zone-to-end-zone pass on one of his early plays (the fact that it was called back on a penalty is just unfortunate.) Thompson took advantage of Tulsa's issues on kick-returns and came all the way back to their 9 yard line early in the game. Finally, Mike “The Joystick” Washington was having a great game, gaining almost 60 yards and two touchdowns. Now, those are just the official stats. There were a few great plays that were called back on penalties, but he was out there hustling the whole time.

Also, attendance of nearly 10,000 in the house at least felt good while they were into it.

What do we take away from this game?

So, we lost, and we're 2-2. Is it the end of the world? No it is not. It's still very early in the season and we have a bye next week to think about what we've done and heal up a bit. Also, one more game and we might see Morris back on the field. Siegfried has made no secret that the QB position is up for grabs to whoever wants it the most.

At the risk of being a bit appley/orangey here, but back at the beginning of last season, the Steelers said that they'd be happy to come out of the first four games 2-2 without Big Ben. Yes, they're a much better and more experienced team than the Power, but the fact remains – it's a long season and we're not in a horrible spot right now.

We have a lot of work to do before our next game against the 3-1 Sharks, though. The Power really need to figure out what they're doing at the quarterback position. For that game in particular, McCabe needs to step up or step aside. Also, they cannot continue with the slow, plodding attack. This is a fast game, and they need start acting like it. Confidence behind center will help with this.

The fact remains that we're an expansion team in a division with two strong teams, and one that we have to keep our eyes on.

Speaking of keeping eyes on stuff, per the request, I am including a picture taken in the Lexus Club before the game:

Elsewhere in the league

• Philly Soul at Milwaukee Mustangs. Full disclosure: I had something else written here when the Mustangs were down by 25 points in the first half. Once again, everyone say it with me: It ain't over until it's over. Mustangs overcame a 25 point deficit to ultimately end up on the 2-yard line, down by five, no time outs, 4^th down, 0:01 on the clock. The pass is good, and the Soul drops a division game, and the 'Stangs end their losing streak. This is great for us, because with a game up on them, it should keep us 2^nd in the division.

• The undefeated Rush were finally defeated by the still undefeated Gladiators. Cleveland is now standing alone at the top of the division.

• It's a very light week coming up, with many teams on bye. Philly is the only game that we need to be concerned with, as the rest of the division will be sitting out.

Week 4 Preview - Power host the Talons

First off, as I'm sure you've noticed, we're trying out a bit of a redesign here at Steelers N At. In addition to snazzy new colors, we've also added in a search feature, popular posts and the ability to subscribe via email. Please check them out, and enjoy!

Now, on to football.

If we have to have a short turn-around, we should be glad that we face the Tulsa Talons on Saturday night. I would love to just write “they suck, we're gonna win” and move on, but football (of any flavor) is not that simple.

Look, Tulsa is bad. We should have this one, but there are lingering doubts that I have after this week's match-up against the Mustangs. With our developing habit of starting strong and slacking off, coupled with Tulsa likely making us want to play soft, they could surprise us. Any given Su- er, any given extended weekend, any team can win, and remembering that is job number one for the Power this weekend.

Here are some things that Pittsburgh can watch for and exploit:

1. Kickoffs – Tulsa is weak at kicking off and they go short. Also, they are not very good at covering the return. In two out of their three games so far this season, they have averaged nearly 30 yards allowed per. This gives their opponents excellent field position on every drive and they have been making good use of it.
2. 4^th down conversions – they are very hit and miss at converting this, with slightly more misses. If our defense can step up and stop the passing game, we have a good chance to turn it over there and hopefully get good field position.
3. Weak end zone defense – I know what you’re thinking – Don’t you mean red zone or goal-line? Not really. They actually seem to fight to keep people out of the end zone, but once they’re there, they leave them wide open. We shouldn't have as much need to rely on Rue for points as there always seems to be an open receiver when Tulsa is defending the goal line.

Things to watch for and stop:

1. The passing game – I know Keller seems to feel that covering the pass is too hard, but it's still possible. Reid is mobile and when he connects, he connects big. The opening game, he threw for over 200 yards, and even in the last two butt-kickings, he's still pulled off over 100. The Power needs to cover downfield and break up those deep passes.
2. Disorganization can be a good thing (for them) – Whereas I like the fact that McCabe spreads it around, he does it with purpose. Reid takes it to a new level. There is only one player that he’s passed to in all three games (Copeland, averaging about 50 yards a game) and only two he's gone to in any two separate games. Now, I don't know if this is by design or just because they're trying to find something – anything – that works, but whatever it is, it is hard to predict and defend against. Best idea is to just bring the hammer down on him and just not give him a chance to throw.
3. Mobile quarterback – We ran into trouble with that last week, and Bobby Reid is one of top rushers in the league.

The simple fact is, Tulsa is a team in drastic need of redesign. There's a lot of difference between a team like the Mustangs who are 0-3, but tend to hang in there, and a team like the Talons, that is 0-3 and gets decisively beat. There is only one game so far this season where they have finished within less than 20 points. But, they are obviously aware of this. News came out yesterday that they’ve quietly picked up former Sabercat Rodney Wright. He brings with him twice the receptions and yards as Tulsa’s current top receiver. Will this be the secret weapon that makes the difference? Will he even play this weekend? I don’t know. He’s not listed on Tulsa’s team website on the depth chart, or even on the team. Speculation might just be the secret to making Saturday interesting.

Another of those “intangible” angles for this week is Peter Fields. If you look this 6’4”, 330lbs offensive lineman up on Tulsa’s site, you will see a big “N/A” next to the college line. Not only did Mr. Fields not play football in college, he’s not even American. This native of Great Britain moved here just to play football. A veteran of the Indoor Football League (whole other can of worms), he left after three seasons to move up to the AFL level. Interestingly enough, he signed with the Power in November. Obviously, this didn’t work out, as he’s out there protecting Bobby Reid this season. It’s always interesting to see a player with a lot of heart come into a place that seemed to say, “You’re not good enough for us.” Sometimes, they prove the sentiment right. Other times, they come in and just tear the place apart to say, “How do you like me now?”

So, without looking past them, what can we take out of this game?

First of all, a team that should be a cream puff like this is a great chance to work on fundamentals. As Keller pointed out in his review, McCabe needs some more fine-detail work. Although I am still going to chalk up at least one of those INTs to the fact that he was throwing to a non-existent end-zone corner, I totally agree that he needs work on his focus. If nothing else, this team should allow him a few extra seconds in the pocket to take a deep breath and find the right guy.

Also in the QB slot, we can think about Morelli. This might be a good time to get him a few reps and work him in as a backup. If – and it is an if – we jump out to a 30+ point lead over them like their last two opponents, I see no reason not to get him a little playing time. We lost our starter after a game and a half, and if that happens to McCabe, I don't want untested command behind center.

Let me stress again that I am not looking past this game – I am just very confident about it. However, what we cannot forget is the fact that amongst the three teams that beat Tulsa, there is only one loss. They have faced undefeated, tough teams. We might find out that we're facing a team that has just been totally outclassed by skill – and we better hope that isn't the case, because we have to play every one of those teams later.

Honestly, we lucked out as an expansion team. We ended up with a season front-loaded with weak teams. Of our upcoming matches, three of the teams are currently standing at 0-3 (the Voodoo even fired their offensive coordinator this week.) The Sharks and the Force are both going to offer challenges, but are beatable. After that, it gets tough. Real tough.

The second half of the season, we have to meet the division-leading Gladiators twice, the Vigilantes, the Rattlers, and the Sabercats. If that wasn't enough, we have rematches against rival Mustangs and Soul – two games that were decided by a total of 8 pts. The next 5 games are our chance to work out kinks, get some games in the W column and gel as a team. After that, we are in for a brutal downhill drive to the end of the season. Seriously, I cannot stress that enough. As teams look right now, I am scared of every second half game except the Blaze – and then only by comparison.

Bottom line is that the Power get through this week, then have a bye next week. Hopefully they handily take care of the Talons and have two weeks to review film and figure out new tactics. Then, we have a few more weeks of teams we can try them out on before the hammer officially comes down.

Elsewhere in the league:

1. As I suspected, the Barnstormers bounced a Czech and are starting a new kicker this week
2. Despite being winless and showing a lot of empty seats, the Mustangs have signed a three-year lease at their arena, so we might be able to count on a rivalry there
3. The NFL Network game of the week is the Sharks @ Tampa Bay. TB is off to a rough start after a coaching scandal, but they're generally a very, very good team. Also, Jacksonville's QB has now thrown for over 26 miles in his career.
4. Mustangs host the Soul on Monday night. Whoever wins gains a divisional win, so this game has repercussions down the line.