Winless Cobras Prepare for Undefeated Division Leaders
Chuck DiLullo
Thursday February 20, 2003
Not that it will be easy. The Cobras will be charged with stopping an offense that has been clicking on all cylinders this season, posting a 3-0 start under offensive coordinator/QB Jay Gruden.
Carolina head coach Mike Hold understands that being 0-3 is difficult but he sees the team making strides. "I`d be worried if we were regressing at 0-3 but we`re not. We`re progressing and the guys have great attitudes and we got some new players that I think are going to have an impact and it is just a very positive situation."
Carolina’s defense played a respectable game against the Detroit Fury last week, despite two interceptions called back on illegal defense penalties. The Cobras’ D will have to provide much more pressure on Gruden than they did on QB Andy Kelly of the Fury if they hope to force him into errant throws.
Defensive coach Flint Fleming understands the intangible Gruden brings to the field, who’s now running the offense he once coached. "Gruden is an X-factor. He is a coach on the field. He has a lot of experience. He is very tough. He is a consummate competitor and a guy who never quits on a play or anything."
Adding WR/DB Van Johnson to the roster this week had Hold excited about his own offense. "You can see in his route running,” said Hold. “He understands the field. He understands how to work the defensive backs."
Johnson played four seasons with the Firebirds and posted 61 catches for 794 yards and 11 TD`s last season. He joins a receiving corps that includes Ty Law, Bernard Harris and Ben Bronson and his presence will help to improve a passing game that showed signs of coming together last Friday versus Detroit.
Robert Hall makes his second start this Friday and is quickly becoming more comfortable with his receiving corps and with the Cobras offensive scheme. "My jobs is even harder having not played QB since 2000,” said Hall. “We`re getting better with each other but I still have some kinks that I need to work out so I can be the best player I can be. This is only our second week working together and the stuff other teams worked out in camp we are trying to work out during the season."
Not that Hall is intimidated by Gruden or the Predators. "I played against him (Gruden) before when he was coaching and playing, and I am concentrating on getting our team moving in the right direction."
Even with even odds, the Cobras are definitely underdogs. However, they’re developing the continuity that will make them much tougher to play each week. They face one of the more dominant and successful franchises in AFL history and they are looking forward to the challenge.
Chuck DiLullo works for a manufacturer of process control instrumentation as a sales engineer. He has been a fan of professional, college and high school football since he could walk. Chuck is originally from Philadelphia and he became a huge Arena Football League fan while living in Buffalo. Chuck has lived in Charlotte since 2000 with his wife & three children.
