Rattlers Line Leads the Way
Patrick Daly
Friday April 11, 2003
So it’s not twelve steps, but, like any good self-improvement program, there is a logical progression of events that lead to success. For the Arizona Rattlers, improving up front was a necessity, especially against a talented, although struggling, Orlando Predators team. Apply pressure to the opposing team’s quarterback and you cause confusion, which turns into alarm and forces the opponent to make mistakes. Do it often enough and you reach the final step: victory.
 Sherdrick Bonner Image courtesy of Ken LaRue |
“I think the biggest factor in the game was the guys up front, defensively, getting the push,” said Rattlers head coach Danny White. “Obviously Maynor, all night, was having a hard time seeing. It’s like throwing a ball out of a foxhole when that happens to you. And that’s what we were doing a great job of—collapsing the middle of the pocket and keeping containment on him outside so he couldn’t run. He struggled and I think that was really the difference in the game.”
The success up front also translates into success in the secondary. No defensive back can cover a receiver forever, so pressure shortens the time required to shadow a receiver.
“The defensive coverage was much better mainly because our pass rush was so good,” said White. “There were times, and you could see it when Maynor did have some time, that he had nobody to throw the ball to. That’s what happens when your defense is playing well and is coordinated. When your pass rush breaks down, you’ve got great coverage. When your coverage breaks down, you’ve got a great pass rush. There were a couple of times he had guys running wide open down the field, but [Maynor] didn’t have time to find them. Tonight, we were in perfect sync between our pass rush and our coverage, and when that happens you should win.”
That synchronization also allowed the Rattlers to maintain a change from a zone defense into a man-to-man scheme. Each type of coverage has its advantages and disadvantages, but a man-to-man defense requires less communication—and less opportunities for communication breakdowns that have hurt the Rattlers this season—than a zone defense where defenders have to hand receivers over from one zone to the next.
“We just went man and said, ‘let your best guys beat our best guys’ and that’s pretty much the game plan going into the game,” said Rattlers DS Clarence Lawson. “That’s what we talked about the whole week and we came through with the win. It worked out great for us.
“We’ve got to play man. That’s our best coverage. That’s one thing we talked about early in the week. Let’s play man until the beat us. We just kept pounding them playing man, and it worked out to our advantage.”
That pounding also took the form of pass breakups at the receiving end. Without going to deep into the statistics, the Rattlers compiled a 12-0 advantage in pass breakups, with Lawson, DS Ricky Parker and WR/DB Randy Gatewood leading the way.
“That’s one of the things I thrive on, breaking passes up and hoping to get a stop for the defense,” said Lawson. “Then get the offense out there and get a score.”
The offense also was not left out, enjoying the strong defensive play that included seven stops. The same line that caused havoc on defense kept Rattlers QB Sherdrick Bonner well protected, which allowed him to take a few chances and pick the Orlando defense apart.
“Any time our defense is playing like they played tonight, you feel little more like a gambler on offense,” said Bonner. “You think you might be able to take a few more risks. We’re a ball control team and I don’t like to turn the ball over, but when the defense is playing like they’re playing there might be a couple throws where you might try to stick it in there. Any time that happens it definitely gives you confidence on offense to try and just explode and make plays.”
Another bright spot for the offense was Terence Davis’ Rattlers debut at offensive specialist. After only a few weeks on the roster, Davis stepped into the OS role with both Orshawante Bryant and Maurice Bryant out with injuries.
“Terence did well,” said White. “He missed a lot of reads—he learned a lot about our offense tonight. There are just so many things that happen in the game and you can’t cover them all in practice and we didn’t. There were five or six things that happened in the game that he missed adjustments to and he’ll be much better next week, if he’s the guy that’s in there next week. He made some great plays and some great catches, and he’s a great receiver down the field, no question about it.
“It’s a little early to say he’s going to be our offensive specialist for the rest of the season because we’ve got some guys coming back. Maurice and O will both be back next week. We just want to put our best, most experienced, healthiest players on the field.”
After struggling last week, the Rattlers sorely needed the win, especially for veterans like WR/LB Hunkie Cooper and Gatewood, who were singled out in the loss in Tampa.
“When you’re losing it’s easier to point the blame at people,” said Cooper. “You can challenge my athletic abilities, but don’t challenge my manhood. We just wanted to go out and win. There’s no reason to panic. We had seven games left. We know we can get it going at any moment.
“We’ll get it going. Nobody—believe me—still wants to come in here and play Arizona in the first or second round of the playoffs. Nobody does. We know we have it. We just have to keep playing, keep punching away, and I think winning will solve a lot of the turmoil around here.”
The win puts the Rattlers back at .500, which is a huge step in the right direction, especially in terms of playoff positioning. While it may have been a little early to call it a must win game before Sunday, the Rattlers couldn’t afford a third straight loss before going on the road to Los Angeles and Grand Rapids over the next two weeks.
“It was a must win,” said White. “It’s easy to say that now. If we have any hopes of playing at home in the playoffs, then it was. More important than that, you lose two in a row and it can very quickly become a habit. You start getting used to it and guys think let’s start getting ready for next year in the back of their mind. Against a good team, to come out and play like we did and dominate the game I think is a real shot in the arm, and it could be a launching pad and exactly what we need going into the stretch run.”
“This was a must win game for us,” said Lawson. “We put it to them pretty good and that’s a momentum builder for us going into the next couple of weeks away from home.”
Other than a brief letdown early in the fourth quarter, this was the most complete game the Rattlers have played all season, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved upon.
“There’s always room for improvement on every level, but we did play very well against a good football team tonight,” said Bonner. “They’re struggling—they’re in the same boat we were in. I think we’re two of the best bad record teams in the league. Tonight was just our night.”
In the end, Hunkie Cooper, more than anyone, the heart of the Rattlers, summed up the day nicely.
“We come in here and play for each other,” said Cooper. “It’s not about paychecks, it’s not about wins and losses, it’s about giving effort on each and every play, and guys did that. Any time we control the line of scrimmage offensively and defensively, we’ve won and we’ve had success. Our defense came out early and got great stops. Our offense was hitting early, scoring on almost every possession. That’s what wins football games for you: being consistent and persistent. We had both of them working tonight.”
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.
