L.A. Clinches Bye and Home Game in the Playoffs
Steven Herbert
Sunday May 11, 2003
After throwing 187 passes without an interception, Tony Graziani threw two in a span of seven passes. The Avengers third turnover came when Colorado linebacker Javon Green poked the ball out of Chris Jackson’s arm inside the Crush’s five-yard line, with the ball rolling out of the end zone for a touchback.
Los Angeles (11-4) was penalized 10 times for 85 yards, both season highs. One assessed penalty, and another wiped out by an offsetting penalty, were committed by Avenger personnel who had lost their poise.
Fullback-linebacker Rick Hamilton was ejected after spitting on an opposing player. Los Angeles was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct when assistant head coach Brent Winter futilely argued that fan interference should negate Colorado’s recovery of an onside kick in the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles, which entered Saturday’s play averaging 59.7 points per game, second in the league, was held to four offensive touchdowns, none in the second half. The Avengers were shut out in the fourth quarter, the first time in 2003 they were held scoreless in a quarter.
“I wasn`t very happy with the way our offense performed in the second half,” said Jackson, who caught four passes for 87 yards, all in the first half. “That’s something we’ve just got to come back and start working. We’ll be all right.”
Los Angeles had 14 offensive plays in the second half, including three runs by Mathias Vavao devoted to running out the final 46 seconds. Graziani interceptions ended two of the drives, with the third ending with Remy Hamilton forced to kick a 61-yard field goal after two long Graziani incomplete passes sandwiched around a sack.
The offensive drought also contributed to the end of Jackson’s 47-game touchdown streak, the longest at the start of an AFL career. (Eddie Brown’s 65-game streak is believed to be the league’s longest.)
“Streaks are meant to be ended, nothing I can do about that,” said Jackson, who remains one touchdown catch short of tying Mike Horacek’s single-season touchdown reception record. “I`m more happy with the victory right now.”
Jackson’s best chance to score came on the play he fumbled. A wide-open Jackson caught a pass from Graziani at the Crush 16 with defenders in front of him and began sprinting for the end zone, only to be foiled by Green.
“I was trying to work too hard [to] get into the end zone,” said Jackson, who did not catch another pass after that play. “I made a couple of guys miss. A guy I didn’t account for came in and made a real good play.”
Graziani completed 14 of 25 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns, the fewest touchdown passes he has thrown in a game this season. The 14 completions were one above matching a season low.
Plays on special teams and defense helped the Avengers compensate for their offensive shortcomings.
Russell Shaw returned Geoff Groshelle’s missed field goal 56 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half, giving Los Angeles a 37-22 lead. It was the first time the Avengers had returned a kick for a touchdown in 2003 and their first missed field goal return touchdown since a June 2, 2001 game against the San Jose SaberCats.
Los Angeles increased its lead to 45-22 four minutes, 17 seconds into the first half when Cornelius Coe intercepted a John Dutton pass and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown.
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.
