Shakey Start Not All There is to Indiana
Matthew Pickut
Wednesday February 11, 2004
The disappointment was evident after the game. “In general, I’m very disappointed,” Head Coach Steve DeBerg said. “Right now, we should have played better. It is all on us, we just made too many mistakes especially on special teams and the interception. We just need to keep progressing.”
The running game, not normally a major factor in the indoor game, shone even through the disappointment of losing. FB/LB Leroy Thompson set the all-time record for the Firebirds rushing with a 29-yard performance that included a TD. Thompson is now the Firebirds’ all-time leader in carries (251), rushing yards (803), and rushing touchdowns (52).
“Obviously, it has always been a goal of mine to leave some effect on this league, and if not the league than the team,” Thompson stated. “Everything you do, you want to be known as the best that has ever done it. I have been fortunate to have taken care of my body long enough to play this long”.
WR/DB Evan Hlavacek knows the talent is there and hopes that time will help. “They’re great players,” said the lone returning starter from last year’s defensive backfield. “I wouldn’t say [the mental mistakes were] expected the first game. The more we play together, the more we’ll gel together. When you get back there for a while, hopefully, we’ll have a good time.”
The Firebirds seemed to take the momentum at the end of the first half, stopping the Destroyers on downs inside the Indiana 5 yard line. Two 4th quarter interception returns for TD’s by Columbus turned the tide, however, and turned out to be too much for the ‘Birds.
“Well, you know in this game it’s how quickly [things change when] you get down there in the fourth quarter and the momentum changed,” recalled Hlavacek, “We tried to get it back, but it didn’t go our way.”
Up front the Firebirds played well according to OL/DL Chris Snyder but mistakes took their toll as the game went on. “I thought we were controlling them pretty good on both sides of the ball,” said Snyder. “ It was just stupid mistakes here and there that got us, just like last year. I made mistakes, everybody else did too, and you can’t have that. Special teams, two kick-offs really hurt us big-time.”
“It’s hard, because they took away our preseason game, so you’re kind of winging it the first game,” continued Snyder. “Coaches can’t get you prepared as well as they think they can. It’s really hard to tell, either you’re going to be on, or you’re not. You do as much in practice as you can. I think they prepared us well. The coaches did a great job. You know, it’s just little things, the kick-off’s, things like that.”
WR/LB Brett Bech echoed his teammates assessment of the mistakes the team made. “I don’t think we’re doing too bad. We had a couple missed tackles,” Bech admitted, “we could have tackled more soundly, but we held them for the most part. I thought we played solid on defense. You can always improve.”
On offense Bech sees a need for better communication and hopes moving quicker before the play will help. “We just need to get to the ball with enough time to run the play. If we do have a screw-up, somebody can adjust, get in their right spot before the clock runs out. If we have to use a time out, just execute the plays they give us, basically.”
Next week the Firebirds take on a New Orleans Voodoo team that played well against fellow expansion team Philadelphia. As any coach or director will tell you, how you practice determines how you perform – this week’s practice for the Firebirds’ will make the difference between being a group of very talented individuals who have mental lapses and being a good football team who can put teams away in the fourth quarter.
Extra Points
As I watched the game unfold one thing stood out about Coach DeBerg’s play calling: it is a lot like the outdoor, west-coast offense (here in Indiana we’ll have to call it the “No-Coast Offense”). It uses a lot of balance and short to mid range passes to set up deep shots.
The Firebirds had over 60 yards rushing and averaged about 10 yards a completion, both odd numbers by normal AFL standards, but the overall balance seemed to work well to keep the Destroyers off balance. It will not show up on the stat sheet, but there were a number of times when deep passes were called where the receivers were open. Unfortunately, QB Kevin Daft lacked the touch to get the ball where it needed to be.
In the off-season, the team focused on bringing in speed players. Speed can be used in one of two ways: before or after the catch. Short passes, which in the west-coast offense are the equivalent to runs, rely on players using speed to make defenders miss. Longer routes rely on speed for the receiver to get separation. In the AFL, the difficulty in calling short routes (especially quick slants out, like the two interceptions) is that the DB’s can use the wall as an extra defender to pin the receiver once the catch is made, or gamble on the slant knowing that the receiver can only get so far away to the outside.
I have personally thought the indoor running game was underused and hope the coaching staff stays with a balanced, play-calling strategy for that reason. What remains to be seen is if the receiving corps of the Firebirds will be constantly able to make the first receiver miss and get to the second level. If they cannot get the yards after the catch, it will be all that much harder to maintain a balanced attack.
On a more personal note, I want to thank the Firebirds’ Fanatics for some of the best jambalaya I have ever had. It alone was reason enough to tailgate. Some people just know how to stay warm on a cold day.
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.
