Mettle to be Tested Against AFL`s Top Team
Steven Herbert
Sunday February 9, 2003
In their one-on-one drills, the Avenger receivers have worked against the press coverage the SaberCats use that so stymied Los Angeles in its two most one-sided losses in regular-season play in 2002, coach Ed Hodgkiss said. He has also installed some schemes to increase his team’s chances of success against press coverage.
“I think we’re better prepared for what San Jose does,” Hodgkiss said.
The Avengers (1-0) will get an opportunity to see the results of their efforts Sunday when they play host to the SaberCats (1-0) at Staples Center in a game to be regionally televised by NBC.
“It’s going to be a big challenge for us,” Los Angeles quarterback Tony Graziani said.
Graziani believes the San Jose defense is probably the best in the AFL.
“They have a good rush and their cover guys do a good job of covering the receivers,” Graziani said.
The Avengers lost at San Jose, 78-44, May 4, and the rematch at Staples Center, 52-33, June 8.
“We just didn’t make any plays,” Graziani said. “The plays were there for us to be made and nobody stepped up and made a play and it snowballed after that.”
Los Angeles offensive lineman/defensive lineman Mike Ulufale played with the SaberCats last season, said this week the Avengers were "not in synch" when they faced San Jose.
"San Jose I guess intimated them a little," Ulufale said.
Los Angeles offensive specialist Chris Jackson missed the first game against the SaberCats because of a broken right wrist. In the second, San Jose became the only team to keep Jackson from catching a touchdown pass in his 34-game AFL career.
"They`re physical," Jackson said. "Clevan Thomas is probably one of the best safeties in the game. He came up and disrupted a little bit of the timing that me and Graziani had.
“But it`s not just one person. Their defensive line is so quick to get to the ball. That was disrupting a little bit of the time. They were getting to Tony, who took some shots. Those are the things that we had fixed up this year with our protection and working against such a physical player like Clevan."
One common denominator of the Avengers two losses to San Jose was lopsided scores in the second half. Los Angeles was outscored, 34-10, in the second half in the first game and 31-3 in the second.
“Both those games we played well in the first half and in the second half it got away from us,” Hodgkiss said.
Hodgkiss said he told his team he took the blame for the first loss, with one mistake being calling too many five-step passing plays. Graziani was sacked three times and had to face a fierce rush countless other times.
“They really put the pressure on you,” Hodgkiss said. “They really play up in your face, so almost by alignment defensively, they take away a little bit of the underneath stuff, so they’re inviting you to go deep. By also doing that, it’s helping their pass rush, making you go five steps and they get to you.”
To counter that, the Avengers need “to be smart with running the ball, throwing screens for the quick stuff,” and throwing long passes with their better blockers are in the game, Hodgkiss said.
“We have to do a good job mixing,” Hodgkiss said.
In addition to the efforts to better handle the SaberCats press defense, Hodgkiss said his team’s chances are also bolstered by its increased familiarity with his offense, his added knowledge of his players’ abilities and the hiring of Doug Kay as defensive coordinator.
“Now I’m just focusing purely on offense as opposed to spreading myself a little thin last year,” said Hodgkiss, who said he called the wrong coverage on a play that led to a San Jose touchdown in the first game between the two teams last season.
The SaberCats were 13-1 in regular-season play in 2002 and won all three playoff games to capture their first championship. San Jose got a measure of revenge for its only loss of 2002 with a 49-28 victory at Arizona last Sunday.
“[They look] no different,” Hodgkiss said. “I mean that as a compliment because they still look very strong. Hopefully we’ve improved enough where we can match them.”
Steven Herbert began covering Arena Football in 1988, the league’s second season. He has covered the sport for The Associated Press, Arizona Republic, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Providence Journal-Bulletin, Palm Beach Post, Daily Oklahoman and other publications. Herbert has also written on college and NFL football for The Washington Post and spent five years as a Los Angeles Times staff writer.
