Offense Can`t be Stopped, and Firebirds will Stay in Indiana
Matthew Pickut
Friday April 25, 2003
“We’re just looking for a way to win. We’ve won a few and lost a few in the last weeks,” said head coach Mike Dailey regarding the teams up and down performance. “And I know that everyone would say they’re trying to win games. That’s the object of playing. But we’re just looking for a way to be there at the end of the game.”
Making things more difficult is the rash of injuries that seems to have plagued the Firebirds this season.
“It’s not so much just that we’ve had injuries, its that we’ve had a lot of them at the same position. We’ve had a lot of WR injuries,” said Dailey. For the record, the injury report for the ‘Birds would stand on it’s own as a pretty good roster: WR/LB Brett Bech (shoulder), WR/DB Brian Alford (hand, WR/LB Terrence Blackwell (groin), WR/LB Drew O’Connor (hamstring) and OL/DL Bill Duff (ankle), OL/DL Aaron Johnson (back); all that’s missing is a QB, a FB and a case of the SARS virus.
WR/DB Brian Alford, who led the Firebirds in receiving, remains a question mark for the game against the Destroyers with 146 yards, including the game’s first TD, which set the tone for the game.
The continuing great play of QB Raymond Philyaw -- himself only three games removed from the IR -- remains a key to the Firebirds’ success, but even with his leadership, more is needed.
“It’s great having a guy like Philyaw back. San Jose plays a gambling defense so we got a chance to put up a lot of points,” said Dailey. “But we still came up short on defense and special teams.”
Illustrating this point is the fact that over the past two games the Firebirds have failed to score on only one possession, and that was a fumble on a FB plunge on the goal line against San Jose. Their normally stalwart defense has given up an inordinate number of points and a once-spectacular return game has become merely steady with WR/DB/DS/KR Evan Hlavacek sharing time returning kicks.
This week the Firebirds will need to put together a total game if they hope to beat Buffalo and move forward as a team. Their talent isn’t in question, but the defense and special teams will need to match the offensive production if the team plans on going anywhere in this season, not to mention the playoffs.
Other Stuff
Across the field, but on injured reserve, will be a familiar face to Firebirds fans: OL/DL Mark Valvo. Valvo played for the Firebirds for 10 years and ranks as one of the most team’s popular players in Indiana or Albany.
“It’s hard. He was with the Firebirds for ten seasons and I was here for them all,” said Dailey, “And we have a relationship, but I understand his decision.”
For the record: General Manager Joe Hennessy had the following to say in response to a report that Indiana was in danger of moving or folding after this year:
“In regards to the recent article on AFL roundhouse, the statements made about the Firebirds are not true. We recently renewed our lease agreement with Conseco Fieldhouse through the 2005 season and are in the process of finalizing our marketing plan for the 2004 season. Indianapolis is one of the top markets in the Arena Football League.”
So unless Hennessy is pulling a ‘Baghdad Bob’ on us, we don’t have to worry about the ‘Birds packing up the Mayflower vans yet, [insert Colts/Irsay joke here].
Matthew Pickut is a pastor in northern Indiana and a long time AFL fan. He also writes for his own website: The Brown Paper Blog. He graduated from Taylor University in Upland Indiana (class of `96) with degrees in Biblical Literature and Sociology as well as a healthy respect for the medicinal properties of coffee.
