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.

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.

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.

Division Friday, Power Travels to Cleveland

******************UPDATE***********************
Due to the league and players shooting themselves in the foot, aka labor disputes, no game will be aired on the NFL Network tonight.
*************************************************

Friday is upon us once again, and it's time for some prime time Power football.


Or, at least it was until the AFL decided to use the flex schedule option to air the Soul/Mustangs match-up to the NFL Network tonight instead of our rivalry match-up with the Gladiators. It's just another black mark on a season that had looked so good on paper before week one. I can't really blame the NFL Network or the AFL - the Soul/Mustangs game should be really entertaining, especially after the new life breathed into Milwaukee last week after beating the top-flight Sabercats. However, that doesn't mean that I have to be happy about it.

Another reason it is rumored that the game was flexed was because sources say that another strike is "highly likely" tonight. Here's were things get confusing. On one hand, they're saying that the Power is going to sit this one out, having already been "put through the wringer" as they put it. However, on the other hand, the article says "at three games tonight." Well...there only are three games. Maybe this means the Gladiators will strike, the Power won't and we'll be the team without scabs. I don't know.

Continuing this line of thought, one of the other games is San Jose hosting the Orlando Predators. If we aren't going to be asked by the union to strike again, I really don't see them asking the Preds, but it's possible. The Power is on shaky ground and would be wiped out in every sense of the term with another strike. The Preds have nothing to lose in the season, and have a long, strong history - so they could probably weather it. The Sabercats I wonder about. They're one game back in the toughest division in the league. Do they really want to throw a game tonight when everything is on the line? I guess it depends on if the players have more of a commitment to the cause (and their wallets) than they do the standings.

Finally, there's Philly/Milwaukee. If the league moved this game to the NFL Network out of fear of a strike, I think they done eff'd up. Of the three games tonight, this is the one I think is most likely to make a statement. Philly actually doesn't need this game much. They could safely throw it and not worry about their division lead. Sure, there's still a lot of football left, but they're 3 games up on their closest challenger. The playoffs are almost assured. Milwaukee is in a more precarious position. With a strong finish to the season and some help from Cleveland, they could make a wild-card berth. I guess we'll have to wait and see, but if there's a strike, I think it will be this game. Highest-profile game of the night, even without being on the NFL Network, means the biggest chance to get the league's attention.

I hate, hate, hate the fact that I've dedicated this entire column so far to talking about a strike that may or may not happen and not about the game itself. However, the fact is, that's the more important story. All we have going into this game is a measure of pride. It's a road game against a division rival who beat us once already this season and kept us from the post-season last year.

The same problems will remain from the last match-up, and that is that we don't have an answer for Dutton at QB, and guys like Redd and Goodman can run all over us. It's cheap, but frankly playing against some scabs tonight might be a good thing. So, I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping that there's actually some football tonight, and if there is, we can bring home a moral victory on the road.

Tune in at 8pm...just not on the NFL Network.

Elsewhere in the League

Okay, here's the deal: My look at the league is going to be predicated on the fact that there won't be a strike. Any picks are subject to change should there be one, but in the mean time, I'm going to pretend that there's nothing afoot at the Circle K and everything's going to work out fine.

• First up (on the flippin' NFL network) is the Soul at Milwaukee. The Mustangs are coming off a huge win against San Jose this week, and get to stay home and host the division leader. Philly is without a doubt the better team, and more than half of their wins have been on the road. I don't see the Mustangs repeating a shock-performance this week, and the Soul will probably get the W.
• The Sabercats will host the Preds in the late game, and this should be the "get back on the horse" game for San Jose. It was a tough loss to swallow in Milwaukee, and a cream puff team at home should be just what the doctor ordered.
• Saturday night, the Sharks travel to ATL to face the division rival Force. After a solid win against Tampa last week, they're looking to solidify their place at the top of the division where, by virtue of well-placed bye weeks, they are at 6-5 and the Force is at 6-6. My gut says the Sharks win this one based on their performance last week and what I've seen out of the Force this year...however, they're 50/50 on the road, and something in the back of my head says the Force will come out on top. So, given that I'm an overweight diabetic, I will continue tradition and listen to my gut over my head and take the Sharks.
• I've really liked what I've seen out of the Voodoo so far this season, and they're doing better than they have in a while. However, home games are still a shaky proposition for them, and the Talons have been pulling off the important wins this season because of the capable skills in Aaron Garcia and a solid set of receivers. Talons over Voodoo Saturday at 8.
• At 9, the Utah Blaze hosts the Chicago Rush. With virtually identical records, it's a tough one to call. Well, not really, I just don't want to say it. The Rush have some great players and veteran leadership. They're in the hunt for their division and have a strong 7-4 record. However, as I've mentioned in past weeks, they have a habit of defeating themselves and have seen OT too many times this year. Russ Michna is still a great QB, but I think he's starting to show his mileage. Tommy Grady has one yard shy of a thousand yards more than Russ this season, and 30+ more touchdowns. He's already be penciled in as one of the all-time greats, and I think it's going to carry the day for Utah.
• For any team that isn't the Power or the Preds, I'm looking at the KC Command as a bye week. As such, Spokane should have no problem getting another W.
• Earlier in the season when Iowa hosted the Rattlers, they won by just two points. Other than that, they've beaten the Shock and Gladiators on the respectable side, and KC and Pittsburgh on the "meh" side. Now, they need to travel to the Snakepit for the rematch, and I don't think that they'll like the results. Ratts should win this one, but it should also be a solid game to watch.
  

Power Recap and AFL State of the Union

I'm going to get to a recap of the game, I promise, but there are unfortunately much bigger issues that need to be addressed before I do.

Okay, first off, remember all that awesome stuff I said about Kyle Rowley and the future of the Pittsburgh Power? Yeah, forget about that. Not happening. For those of you that didn't tune into the game Friday night, a whole can of worms was opened. Depending on who you listen to, the players were planning to strike at kickoff (Rowley says it was an empty threat) and the league preemptively fired everyone at the pre-game dinner. Then, they planned to play the game with scrubs and replacements.

Eventually, everyone except Rowley and our kicker were re-signed, with some even making it onto the field during the game. The team seems to be holding Rowley responsible, and there have been some pretty harsh things said about him. Rowley got the chance to tell his side of the story in an interview, but of course, that's not getting nearly the exposure.

The center of the issue is one of pay. Everyone who follows the league knows - and I mentioned last week - that the pay is rather pathetic in this league. The players union wants substantially better benefits and pay, and I understand that. On KDKA the other night, Lynn Swann himself even voiced his understanding of the issue. On the other side of the coin, I also know that the pay scale is a by-product of what the powers-that-be had to do to bring the league back after it took a season off. I've often heard that they fully intended to pay more as the league became more viable. I also understand that. Both are good points, and unfortunately, both are mainly mutually exclusive.

What I don't understand is how this whole situation has been handled. Whether or not Rowley was the ringleader, he was hung out to dry over this. In his words, he was trying to stand with the players, and one way or another, they abandoned him and left him holding the bag. They had their reasons - mainly that they didn't want to lose their jobs - but it still sucks for him.

Also, the league did as much as they could to quash the news rather than deal with it head-on. There are accusations on Facebook that they deleted posts about it on their page, they didn't really release anything official about it until yesterday, and their whole comment on it after the game Friday was "After a long, tumultuous day of roster transactions..." (The Power also released a level-headed statement of their own.) On top of all that, most accounts say that players were only rehired if they renounced their unions - which defeats the whole purpose of them having one.

I hear sports guys all the time complaining about the "Twittersphere" and "Facebook journalism" that allows misinformation to spread at the speed of light while they have to take their time checking facts. It's not a great situation for them, but it is the situation that they have. With a league that has such minimal coverage as this, it's even worse. In the absence of anything official, all we had to go on for a few days was rumor. The league should have gotten out in front of this right from the beginning to get their side out. Now they look like bad guys and the sport itself is a punchline.

They say that any coverage is good coverage, but the last few days have tested that. For the first time since their season opener last year, the Power is actually being talked about during the TV sports report and by radio personalities. Unfortunately, they're only talking about the mass firing, and not about the rehires. Randy Baumann of the DVE Morning Show in particular has latched onto this like a popular kid mercilessly mocking the kid who accidentally burped in a quiet classroom and never letting it go. I've talked to several people who seem to think that either A.) the league itself is now defunct or at least B.) the Power is all over but the crying.

Arena Football is still alive and more-or-less well. The Power is still around, and has only lost a quarterback and a kicker. After last season, is that really that different than business as usual when it comes right down to it? No. So, buck up, put on your big boy pants and cheer on a local sports team that's really getting the short end of the stick here. It's only our poor luck that this happened - whichever two teams played that first game were going to be made an example of, and we just happened to draw that schedule.



Now, the game. Remember that? We played a game Friday night and we won the damn thing decisively with replacements, a rattled QB and no kicker! I don't know about you, but that makes me pretty happy over here.

I'm going to ignore the sour grapes the Predators have been putting out there about a gentleman's agreement about the number of starters each team was going to use instead of replacements. It was a chaotic scene, and not only did the right hand not know what the left was doing, it didn't seem to even know the left was there.

The first quarter was an anomaly in the Arena League in that there wasn't a point scored. This was mainly because no one knew what was going on, and no one had played with each other before. Hell, Kyle Israel started the game in the Preds locker room and finished the evening wearing black and gold!

In the second quarter, original starters began to return to the field and things got a bit more normal. (Plus, I started to breathe again and stopped thinking the sky was falling.) Overall, it was tough to judge the team as a whole based on this game, but there were a number of things about players that I can.

First off, the King is dead, long live the King: Andrico Hines looks to be the heir-apparent now that Kyle has left the building never to return. He looked shaky as all get-out during the game, but the end result looked a lot better in retrospect. The game book isn't out there yet, so I unfortunately can't break down too many specifics, but his overall stats were nice. Averaging almost 15 yards a completion, he threw for a total of 266 yards and 6 touchdowns and no interceptions. When you take into account the fact that he was dealing with unfamiliar receivers and the additional fact that games like this favor the defense, it's downright impressive.

Although DeWalt didn't get his hands on the ball, our other Iron Man, PJ Berry really showed his stuff Friday. He had 52 yards plus a TD on offense, broke up a few plays on defense and averaged 12 yards a return on special teams. Is it any wonder he won Iron Man of the Year last season with the Voodoo?

Mike Washington. Mike "the Joystick" Washington.

Man, it is so good to have him still on the team. 166 yards and 4 TDs, he returned to the field in explosive fashion. The fact that the only Orlando receiver to see the end zone was also named Washington just made it seem like Joystick was everywhere at once. A few replays even looked like they sped up the film when he turned on the jets.

Two other players to take note of are Bryan Williams and Chris "Dodgeball" LeFlore (I'm gonna make that one stick if it kills me.) Both of these defensive players made a splash Friday night, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do against a team of starters. Leflore was in on a lot of plays and also managed a turnover in there. Williams was dominating. Several of his hits were both vicious and completely legal - the sweet spot for the position. By the end of the game, you could tell the Preds were designing plays to avoid him (which left them with LeFlore...)

Finally, I'm not too worried about the kicker situation right now. Without one Friday, both teams just went for 2, and the Power had pretty good luck with that. Maybe we should make that "our thing."

We have a bye next week, which means that we can get everything evened out before our home opener against the Soul.

Elsewhere in the league

Verdict on Ustream: it has potential, but everyone seemed to be having issues this weekend, so I didn't get to watch as much as I wanted to. The Talons game was stuttering too much to attempt to watch, the Rush game had no sound, and the Rattlers game just completely cut out. Everyone is promising to do better next week, so we shall see.

• The Talons hosted the Blaze at their new San Antonio location, and proved that Garcia is still the man. 350ish yards and 8 TDs sealed the deal for his new team.
• Although there was no sound, Russ Michna sure looked great in the Rush's opener against the Storm. Hooking back up with veteran Reggie Grey, he destroyed Tampa 70-48
• If there was a game that had me weeping because of technical issues with ustream, it was this one. Watching the live scoring back-and-forth between these two bitter rivals told me that it must have been GREAT to watch. The Ratts lost a nail-biter, 71-70 in OT
• Good news! Philly and the Mustangs haven't played yet and the Gladiators lost. We're #1 in the division!
• Finally, Coach Ho got the job done with his new team in Iowa. Barnstormers win in OT.
  

The Power Returns! Season Intro and Opening Night Preview

It's that time again, folks: Arena Football season is once again upon us.

After a long winter full of nothing much exciting (aside from the Steelers, Pens, player news/fears for both, and some very bad predictions on my part) it is time once again to get some use out of the Consol Energy Center and see some football!

For those of you new to Arena Football in general and my posts in particular, let me lay things out in a nutshell: Arena Football is similar to the outdoor game we all know and love in that there are two teams in helmets and pads where one is offense and one is defense at any given time. The offense moves the ball down field by throwing or carrying it, and then scores by crossing a line or kicking it through the uprights. The other team attempts to stop them through subtle and nuanced measures that amount to running into each other as hard as they can. The two teams then change sides and continue for 60 minutes with a break in the middle so that the spectators can get beer.

The difference with the indoor game is that it is played on a field half the size with no sidelines and smaller uprights. The clock rarely stops and the emphasis is on scoring. Offense is king, the ball is rarely carried and the players are barely paid. In this form, you have a game played by a combination people who are either just playing for the love of the game, or are desperate as all hell to get into the NFL. The result is a fast-paced, high-scoring game that requires a different strategy than the outdoor one, full of a different kind of excitement and passion on the field.

There - now you know more than 90% of the people out there when asked, "explain the Arena Football League to me." For a more detailed breakdown, see the Pittsburgh Power's page.

Now back to the topic at hand which is - YEAH, BUDDY! IT'S TIME FOR ARENA FOOTBALL AGAIN!

Once again, the Power get the honor of opening the season for the whole league on a Friday night NFL Network broadcast. This year, it's a road game, but it's still awesome that we're first out of the gate. We must have picked up a decent following last year, because between the NFL Network and the CW, all but two games will be broadcast on TV this year. Four of them will be seen nationally on the NFL Network. Although it's handy that every game in the league last year was broadcast online through NiftyTV, I'm glad that I won't have to monkey around with that as much for the home team.

The first post of the season is always difficult, because it's hard to make predictions. The way the AFL works is that players are only under one year contracts, and most are paid a couple of hundred bucks a game. Because of this, there is massive turnover each season, and a team can be a completely different group of guys each season. As such, you can really only go on what you know about veterans, what the local support for a team is, and the coaches. Don't get me wrong, that can mean a lot - but just look at the Sabercats last year. Historically great team, total crap most of 2011.

That being said, we have an exciting game lined up this week. Once again, we travel to Orlando to play the Predators in the Friday night spotlight. This did not work out well for us late last season, but honestly, it was one of the best-played games the Power had all season. The Preds have insane fans and always have, their arena is generally packed, and national games are always more intense. I expect this outing to be no different.

Like I said, it's tough to say what will happen the first outing with a team each year. We have some old faces returning and some new ones we can only guess about. Here's what I can say based on our game last year:

On the Power side, Josh Lay was clutch on defense, LaRico Stevenson was big in pass coverage, Total Chaos showed some stuff, DeWalt, Joystick, and Campbell were key on offense, but were outshone by DJ Hall and, last but not least, even Edinger went 6-8 on PATs. It was a standout game, but we ran out of gas in the second half and we continued to be plagued by our QB woes.

On the Preds side, the show was run by TT Toliver, Josh Bush and Robert Quiroga on offense with Bobby Sippio putting up yards. Coach O'Hara continued his history of risky calls by putting in Collin Drafts at QB instead of his starter, and Chris Dubalt teamed up with kicker Mark Lewis twice in a frickin' row to recover off the uprights for a score on a kickoff.

How does that stack up this year? Well, Coach O'Hara is gone, as is Bush, Quiroga and Dubalt. On our side, we've lost Hall, Campbell and Total Chaos - the latter of these to none other than the Orlando Predators!

Our core is still there. DeWalt returns as our Iron Man, playing both offense and defense. Unless he somehow lost his magic in the last few months, he's still going to be a play-maker. Tall, accurate and quick, he's a sure target in the end zone and never afraid to flip backwards over the boards to make a catch. Also, he's tall enough to smack down passes and a receiver so he knows what to do if he intercepts it.

Mike "Joystick" Washington is also back. The pint-sized terror is primed to get back out there and do what he does best - namely, squeak through holes and run 15 yards in the blink of an eye. From what I understand, Mike still has NFL aspirations and plays like he's trying to prove it.

Finally, Josh Lay and LaRico Stevenson are still listed on our roster to cause trouble on defense and, for better or worse, I don't have Edinger to kick around any more.

We have two big unknowns going into this game: Kyle Rowley and the Power's ability to protect the QB. Last year, we had a constant carousel of quarterbacks the whole season. We had at least 4 men fill that role, and I'm having trouble remembering if any of them played 4 games in a row. Part of this was because we had guys without much Arena experience who weren't prepared for how fast the game moves and held the ball too long. They also weren't ready for short passes and quicker defenders. The other problem was that there was seemingly no one blocking for them. They all spent more time on their backs and on IR than they did on the field.

This year, the Power needs to cut that shit out, because we have a QB worth protecting. Kyle Rowley joins us, and his resume (or at least his Wiki entry) reads like a "Here I am, try to stop me" statement. He's the only QB to win the championship in both arena leagues, has been voted MVP, and just all around knows how to win.

Come at me, bro!

Now, I'm not saying that he's suddenly going to solve all our problems, but he's a big key to it. Our weak spot all of last season was mainly at QB, be it consistency, skill, or just coverage. The first two, Rowley's got. He's also played all over the place for a number of years, so he's use to adapting to new teams, coaches and players. As long as the rest of the Power can keep him from getting broken, we're in good gosh-darned shape.

Now for the Predators. One of the only constants generally in this league is coaching. Whole rosters can change, but the same decision makers are up front. Last season, O'Hara lost some key games and for one reason or another, he and the Predators decided to part ways. It's okay, he landed on his feet with the Voodoo, and it should be interesting. So, what can we expect from new head coach Bret Munsey? Tough to say. He's been out of this league for a few years, but when he last coached, it was for the Arena Bowl champion 2008 Soul. That bodes well for Orlando.

Also, although they've lost some key receivers, but retained the total threat of fan-favorite TT Toliver. They picked up former Pittsburgh favorite Terrance "Total Chaos" Carter on defense. Furthermore, Collin Drafts is still backing up the starting QB. This QB is Trevor Harris, who used to back up none other than 2011 Arena Bowl runner-up Nick Devila. He's also worked out with both the J'Ville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. That's a good resume.

Finally, we gotta worry about that damn Mark Lewis on kickoffs.

So, where does that leave us? Several of the key ingredients of last season for both teams are in the game along with some very powerful wildcards. If both teams play like they did last year, and the Power can protect Rowley and Rowley gels with the team, I think they can win. We have more team veterans in key offensive positions. As this is an offense-driven game, that means a lot. However, if the Power gets up to old tricks of not protecting the QB and running out of gas in the second half, they're sunk.

The game airs at 8:30 on the NFL Network.

Elsewhere in the league

The Power isn't the only game in town this weekend. There's a lot more football to watch. This season, it looks like Nifty is out, and ustream is in. I haven't used it yet, but it advertises in-browser viewing as well as iPhone/Android apps. Sounds fantastic, and a huge improvement over Nifty.

• Saturday @4, the Blaze visits the recently moved San Antonio Talons. The Blaze is generally entertaining, but I'm more interested in the Talons. They are the new home for Arena Bowl Champ Aaron Garcia, the Pred's Robert Quiroga, and our own Jason "Watchu Talkin' Bout" Willis. They're going to be dangerous.
• Obviously I'm all about the Storm/Rush game at 8:00. Nick Hill, formerly of the Preds, is heading up the Storm, while my boy Russ Michna returns to the field with receivers Gray and Hall.
• The Rattlers and Sabercats meet up at 10:30. Even when the Cats stunk last year, these teams meeting up was still something to behold. They're one of the biggest rivalries of the league, and the games are always brutal, showcasing what AFL is all about.
• Monday night is mainly interesting to see how our rivals the Gladiators do in one game, and how former Soul coach Hohensee and former Rush QB JJ Raterink do in the other.

Enjoy the season, everyone! I'll be back next week with the recap.


Also, don't forget that there's a comments section right down there. Let me know you're out there

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.

Power vs. Mustangs Review: Keller's Take

Check out Weidman's review for his breakdown of the Power's 49-47 victory over Milwaukee, as well as his thoughts on some of the other action around the AFL.

I think the team is still trying to find their identity.  I think coach Siegfried is still getting his sea legs.  I think the team was damn lucky to come out of Milwaukee with a victory and, as they say, a win's a win.  They're still sitting pretty a 2-1, tied with Philly for the division lead, so they haven't dug themselves a big hole like the 0-3 Mustangs or the 0-3 Talons (our Week 4 opponent) have.

As nice as it is to go on the road and notch one in the win column, I couldn't help but come out of this game feeling uneasy.  The game itself was a tale of two halves, was sloppily played, and unfolded at an uneven pace.  The Power owned the first half, forcing turnovers and jumping out to a 28-7 lead.  Milwaukee turned the tables in the second half, forcing a couple turnovers of their own before they were ultimately undone by their special teams.  So, I don't feel good about this game -- certainly not as good as I felt after the Week 2 drubbing of Iowa -- but I don't feel bad, either.  Like I said, I just feel uneasy.

My big issue is the fact that Siegfried may be forgetting he's coaching an Arena team.  The Power jumped out to a big lead -- just like they did against the Soul in the opener -- then they took their foot off the gas and seemed to be playing it safe in order to protect the lead.  The problem there is that the concept of a "safe lead" doesn't exist in Arena ball.  You just keep scoring until the clock runs out, then try to score some more.  They looked like they were especially playing it safe in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter.  In the NFL, heading into the fourth quarter with a 15 point lead is a pretty good time to turtle up and protect the lead.  Not at all in the AFL, as we discovered last night.  Hopefully, Siegfried was also paying attention.

Then there's Kevin McCabe.  I haven't pulled a 180 on him after I fell in love with him last week, but I think that he and Siegfried need to realize and understand McCabe's limitations as a quarterback.  On both his interceptions, he looked like he was trying to be too precise, trying too hard to make the perfect throw, and really thinking too much about not screwing it up.  The result was that he screwed it up and threw two picks.  The reason is that he's just not precise enough to put the ball where only his receiver can catch it.  We take quarterback play for granted at the NFL level and fail to realize that there's only a handful of guys on the Earth that can throw to a specific spot at a high velocity on the run while being pressured.  It's not easy and physically not being able to do it results in turnovers.

Before you forsake McCabe and the Power forever, I think I should point out that there is a silver lining.  The best way to insulate McCabe from his mistakes and limitations is to not change anything.  The Power jumped out to a big lead, then they took the foot off the gas and tried to grind out a victory.  The fact that they did manage to grind out a victory is incidental and should not be a reason to try this strategy again in the future.  They need to keep doing what they're doing.  They need to keep their foot on the gas.  They need to keep scoring until the clock stops, then try to score some more.

Yet another silver lining is that it looks like they have plenty of tools on offense to accomplish that objective.  They can plow through short yardage or goal-to-go situations with Joshua Rue and Eddie Thompson.  They can dink and dunk down the field with those little slip screens and quick hitches/slants to Mike Washington and Jason Willis.  They can go vertical with Lonnell Dewalt and Jerome Mathis.  McCabe can throw every route on the passing tree.

If you add all that up, they just need to mix it up, keep it moving, and kill the bastards.  As the great John Madden said, "The team that is going to be able to score the most points is the team that's going to win this game."  Sage advice. I think the Power should follow it, especially since the defense had some issues on Monday night.

I still have a huge man-crush on Carlos Campbell and Neil Purvis, so they're excused.  Josh Lay is a good read-and-react guy, but he's not a great cover corner and he's absolutely horrible at staying with a receiver until the whistle.  He gets distracted or starts looking into the backfield and then he gets burned.  Until the NFL draft comes and goes and all the undrafted free agents hit the open market, there's not much that can be done.

At a very basic level, there's not much you can do, period, in terms of coverage.  There's too much space and too many receivers in the pattern and not enough guys to cover them.  As I mentioned in my original post about the Power, the AFL is a purer form of football than the NFL because you can't hide.  You can't cover up the fact that Lay gets distracted.  It's just him and the guy across from him.  The other side is that everyone on defense plus Weidman plus the people that read this blog knew that Eric Ward was going to feed the ball to Antione Burns a lot, but no one was able to stop him because he's too good, there's too much space, there are too many guys in the pattern to cover.  The best you can do is pressure the quarterback and force him to make mistakes.  The Power did a good job of that in the first half, but they let Ward and back-up quarterback RJ Archer break contain and run through the huge seams in the defense that were created when the defensive line overpursued.  At a basic level, there's only so much you can do to keep that from happening.  Archer and Ward are fast dudes and they'll find a way to bust out.

Therefore, score as many points as possible. 

Now, the weird thing is that the Power are just good enough in the running game and just efficient enough in the short passing game that they could string together several long, plodding drives like they had in the first quarter against the Barnstormers in Week 3, effectively playing keep-away from the other team.  They could win a lot of "low scoring" games 42-35 that way, but the trouble with that strategy is that it doesn't give you much room for error.  In Arena ball, the rules are specifically designed for random, unpredictable things to happen, so random, unpredictable things are not outliers.  The only way to adjust for those outliers is to give yourself a buffer by scoring as many points as possible.

There's an outside chance the Siegfried actually reads this -- at least a better chance than Tomlin or Bylsma reading the ol' blog -- so I wanted to make sure I hammered the point home.

PS: Coach Siegfried, if you're reading this, Jerome Mathis needs to get more involved.  That guy is crazy explosive and you need to find as many ways as possible to get the ball in his hands.  Don't just relegate him to kickoff returns and deep post routes.

Week 3 Power @Mustangs Review

Any regular readers of this blog will know that one of our mottoes is, “An ugly win is still a win,” and tonight was an ugly win. 49 points turned out to be just barely enough to best the still winless Mustangs, but that's all it was. As with many games, the last minute is where everything was decided, almost to the last second. The game started very strong, but time took its toll on the Pittsburgh Power.

They came out of the gates hard and put the pressure on. Most of the first quarter, they kept the 'Stangs off the board didn't have a drive without a score. From this start, it looked that we'd run the table all night and hand it too them definitively. However, it was not to last. McCabe played the whole game, and I think we started to get tired as the clock ran. By the end of the second half, the ball got away from him more, and the Mustangs were able to exploit that.

That being said, he continued with what I mentioned last week is his strength: Spreading the ball around. “Whatchu Talkin' 'Bout” Willis might not have put up any points or gotten the most yardage, but he was a key receiver, pulling down 8 receptions. When it came to the end zone, Mathis, Thompson, Dewalt and Zeck all put six on the board. This will continue to keep the opposing teams guessing and is something the Power should stick with.

One area that might be overlooked but needs to be addressed is the field shape. About half the league has a rounded end zone rather than the normal rectangle. Mustangs' home turf is one of them. At least two times during the game, McCabe ran into trouble passing to the “corner” of the endzone and having it bounce back into play. If there was a corner there, the receiver probably would have had a few more steps to reach the ball. This is an area that some fans gripe about and say should be a standard shape. Personally, I look at it as Arena's version of “Dome” vs “Open” fields. It's just one of those environmental issues that you learn to deal with after gaining experience.

On the ground, our prime weapon continues to be the powerful Joshua Rue, who was the only player to see the end zone more than once tonight. In a game that emphasizes throwing, his 28 yards are no mean feat – especially when since they yielded touchdowns. In the mid-field, he also gains the yards that we need and plows through defenders with a fair amount of ease.

On the other side of the ball, we still have a lot of work to do. On one hand, we kept the pressure on Ward when we could – and in fact, he took the bench and Archer came in eventually – but only while he was in the pocket. Ward – and later, Archer – are both highly mobile once they get out, and then there was no stopping them. By himself, Ward scrambled for as many yards as both of our rushers together and found the end zone for a score. The top two rushers for Milwaukee were their quarterbacks.

In the air, the Power was not able to shut down Burns, who we knew it was going to. Harrell and Elay also picked up very respectable yardage. In a yards-only game, this was all Mustangs, all the way. It's hard to cover everybody with this few people on the field, but their offense is geared towards long bombs to a few targets. Both Ward and Archer had way too much time to think and get the ball to an open target.

Both teams had some amazing goal-line stands that were more reminiscent of the NFL than Arena. While laudable, these showed a failure to keep the opposing team out of the red zone. For the Power, their stands were slightly less effective than the Mustangs, and I'd like to see that shored up a bit before moving on.

Ultimately, the game was decided by Milwaukee's mistakes, not Power triumphs. Two missed PATs kept them away from tying us. Their final kickoff was an obvious onside kick that very well could have worked – had they not gotten greedy. Milwaukee's Lindholm rushed for the ball after it had touched Power players, and intentionally kicked it forward, where the Mustangs recovered. Had it stood there, they would have been in prime scoring position – however, this is an illegal move, which gave us back the ball on the 15, followed by their coach lipping off, giving us 8 more yards. From here, it was “taking a forward knee” to run the clock out and go home.

That was too close.

What did we do right?

Early, hard pressure, passing change-ups, not being afraid to rush – these are all strengths and are shaping up to be our identity. As McCabe settles more into what looks to be his job for the foreseeable future and gets his endurance up, he needs to focus on continuing what works. Rue, barring injury, is only going to keep grinding out the short yardage and score touchdowns. Our receiving corps is varied and strong, with no signs of jealousy or showmanship at this early point.

What did we do wrong?

Did not contain the quarterbacks enough. Although the Power got the pressure on, they were not able make Milwaukee panic like they did in their first two games. Also, once Archer and Ward went mobile, the Power had no answer for it. Open field situations still need a lot of work on D. Finally, they might need to realize that iron men are nice, but if the QB is tired/rattled it might be time to sit him. The Mustangs split the duties this week and both men picked up over 100 yards.

What do we take away?

A win is a win and a loss is a loss. This was a division game, so anything that puts up a W is good. Right now, the Mustangs are winless at the bottom of the division and Cleveland is up top without a loss. Cleveland has only played twice, and neither were division games, and I honestly expect to see them pick up a loss next week. Philly is also down a game, but we're currently tied with them 1-1 in the division. It's still very early in the season, but we are off to a good start.

We also showed that we can play on the road and continue to win. I'm glad that we got that out of the way. Now, we have a short week to gear up for the Tulsa Talons, who are currently 0-3.

Elsewhere in the league

Friday night was an interesting night. The NFL Game of the Week (and the only one nationally televised) was between the winless Barnstormers and the winless defending Arena Bowl champs, the Spokane Shock. This game should have been boring as all get-out, but turned out surprisingly interesting. As we saw last week, the Barnstormers weren't much to worry about, but they pulled off a 43-42 win that they should not have. The Shock pressed hard early and took advantage of constant mistakes made by Iowa – chief among them was kicker Pitor Czech (formerly of the Steelers practice squad) going 1 – 7 on PATs. One. For. Seven. If that man is not a bounced Czech shortly, I will be surprised*. Lucky for him, a timely turnover in the end zone at the end of the 4^th kept the Shock from making up that one point they needed after falling apart in the second half.

*I wanted to make that joke last week. I'm glad I waited.

Also on Friday night was the undefeated Sabercats at the undefeated Rush. This is the game that I wanted on national television, but was denied. Possibly the two consistently best teams in the league, this was a match-up worth seeing. The Sabercats are looking really good and we need to play them this season. This scares me. On the other hand, the Rush continue to look even better. Although they were hit many times with both encroachment and offsides penalties throughout the game, they were able to bring it home 54-41. Quarterback Russ Michna managed to make something out of nothing twice and gain 38 yards for two touchdowns. Remember: He actually has a day job as well, and this was a Friday night game.

So that's that for Week 3. Again, it's a short week before our next home game – which means it's a short week for me to get a preview together for you.