Rattlers Yet to Reach Potential
Patrick Daly
Sunday March 2, 2003
In last week’s win over previously undefeated Indiana, QB Sherdrick Bonner returned to the lineup with a stellar performance that earned him Offensive Player of the Week. WR/LB Hunkie Cooper earned Ironman of the Week honors, an award that could have easily gone to WR/DB Randy Gatewood, who sparked the team with three touchdown catches and two interceptions.
As solid as the win turned out, it only provides a glimpse of what the Rattlers are truly capable of this season.
“We haven’t played anywhere near how we’re capable of playing,” said WR/DB Randy Gatewood. “I don’t think we really know where we’re at yet. We’ve shown signs of greatness, but this team could be so good once we figure it out and get people in the right place and get everything else lined up. We haven’t even scratched the surface of how good we can be.”
For now, the focus of the Rattlers rest squarely on themselves. Once Arizona cuts down on the mistakes like turnovers and penalties, they will be able to turn their focus to their opponent.
“I think we got some glimpses of what our potential is,” said Rattlers head coach Danny White. “We had the ball 11 times and scored nine touchdowns. The only two times we were stopped we fumbled once and threw an interception with the guys wide open in the end zone. My sermon has not changed. We have to stop beating ourselves. We’ve met the enemy, and it is us. Let’s defeat that enemy and then we’ll worry about beating the guys across the line from us.
“We just have to execute and do our thing and eliminate mistakes, and that’s what we’re in right now; we’re in an eliminate mistakes mode. I’m going to play the players that are most dependable, the guys that are the healthiest, and I’m going to worry about us, and then, once we get things on track with our offense and our defense and our special teams, we can start focusing on the weaknesses of our opponent and their schemes.”
With three consecutive home games over the next three weeks, the Rattlers don’t have to worry about travel, although playing at home has been a mixed blessing. Last season, Arizona finished 5-2 at home after stumbling to a 3-4 home record in 2001. So far, the Rattlers are 1-1 at home, a place that used to witness a victory nearly every game. In contrast, Arizona has posted an 18-3 record on the road over the past three seasons, mainly due to the ability to eliminate the distractions of day-to-day life at home.
“Home games are not necessarily an advantage for us. The home fans are, but I worry about home games because we don’t have control over the players. Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, I don’t know where they are. When we’re on the road I do [have control]. I’ve got them all right there in the hotel. I know what they’re doing. I’m the same way. I’m sitting on the airplane for four hours going to Buffalo and I’m studying the game plan and making all my notes and developing my strategy. Whereas, when I’m at home, I’d probably at home, doing yard work.
“When you go on the road it seems that you focus a little bit more and you study a little bit harder. The home fans are certainly going to be a welcome sight, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to play better.”
However, this three game home stand remains critical since it’s an opportunity to generate some momentum that could carry the team through to the second half of the season. Dallas and Detroit are tough opponents, while Colorado may not have a win, but they’ve given teams like Los Angeles and Grand Rapids a good run.
“It’s not too often a team gets three home games in a row,” said Gatewood. “Playing at home, for us, used to be a guaranteed victory. We hardly ever lost at home. Now, teams are just getting better. Players are getting better. The competition is getting better. With this level of play you have to play just as hard at home as you do on the road.
“We’ve got three pretty tough games coming up. If we can go in and just worry about ourselves and not worry about the other team – take care of our own and not make mistakes and not make mental errors – and get us some momentum going early I think we’ll be fine.”
Looking at Dallas, the Desperados have dropped two tough games after starting 2-0. After trading QB Andy Kelly to Detroit in the offseason, Dallas has made this Jim Kubiak’s team. Kubiak has some potent weapons in receivers Andy McCullough and Dialleo Burks, both of whom shined last year in the Desperados’ first season. However, the place that may be Dallas’ strength is the line.
“They’ve really loaded up on the defensive line,” said White. “That’s the strength of their team. They have a different quarterback, which has a big effect on a team. The big difference in their team is the pass rushers. They just keep coming after you. The have five or six guys that are just pure pass rushers. The challenge is there for our offensive line.”
That means the Rattlers need to provide good protection for QB Sherdrick Bonner, who returned to the lineup last week after suffering an injury to his non-throwing shoulder in the season opener against San Jose. If the Rattlers are unable to shut the Dallas line down, backup QB Chris Hixson could find himself back at the helm.
Another Rattler that returned to the lineup in Indiana was Gatewood. After sitting out of the Buffalo game in week three, Gatewood recorded his second two-interception performance of the season, both of which have come in Rattler wins. While he was disappointed about not playing in Buffalo, the move was for the best.
“I really wanted to play that Buffalo game and we came out for pre-game on Friday morning, the day of the game, and they took me through some drills and I ran a few routes,” said Gatewood. “Offensively, I didn’t look that bad, but defensively I probably couldn’t have contributed the way I wanted to.
“We sat down and talked about it and [coach White] made the decision to sit that game and get healthy and get ready for next week. I’m just glad I was able to come back and have a game like I had last week, to have a pretty good game offensively and defensively.”
To say Gatewood had a pretty good game is probably an understatement, especially considering the impact he’s had defensively. Gatewood’s six touchdowns – one came on an interception return – ties him with OS Chris Horn for the team lead, while his four interceptions is second only to San Jose DS Clevan Thomas’s six picks.
“It’s been fun to go out and have some success defensively,” said Gatewood. “Over the last two years I don’t think I’ve really played as well defensively as I’ve played this year. We’ve worked pretty hard this offseason trying to keep ourselves in shape and to get myself ready in a position where I could be one of the best two-ways in this league. I think I’m there now, but I’ve got to try to maintain and continue to get better each week and keep improving.”
With last week’s win, the Rattlers avoided their first ever 1-3 start, although the team could easily be 0-4 or 3-1. Putting all records aside, the Rattlers must focus on one game at a time.
“There’s a big difference between 2-2 and 1-3,” said White. “We were one play from being 0-3 and two plays away from being 0-4, and there’s really a big difference between 0-4 and 2-2. I try not to get too caught up in stuff like that and just take it one game at a time. We have to look at this game that way. Forget our record, forget their record, and just go out and hope to be 1-0 after this game.”
Old Friends
New York head coach John Gregory became the first coaching casualty after the Dragons began the season at 0-4. Former Rattlers defensive coordinator and form SaberCats head coach Todd Shell takes over a team that has no shortage of talent with players like QB Aaron Garcia and OS Steve Papin. Shell, who was tabbed to be the color man on the local WB61 broadcasts for the Rattlers, coached the Arizona defense from 1992 to 1994 before getting his shot as a head coach in San Jose.
“I think that Todd was one of those guys that was born to be a coach,” said White. “He has a great mind for the game. He has a passion for the game and for coaching, and you can see it in him. I think he’ll do a great job.”
With twelve games remaining in the season, Shell has time to turn things around in New York, which starts with demanding more discipline from the talented set of players already donning Dragons uniforms.
“I think the players in New York probably got a little bit of an eye opener at practice,” said White. “I think things probably have changed quite a bit already in terms of the discipline that he’s going to expect.”
Patrick Daly has been an Arena Football League enthusiast since he first stumbled across the late-night ESPN broadcasts and has followed the Arizona Rattlers since their inaugural season in 1992. He graduated from Arizona State University with an engineering degree and is currently a member of a web development team for Direct Alliance in Tempe. Patrick currently resides in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Arizona with his beautiful wife, son and a very large football helmet collection.
