Kicking Game, not Penalties, do in Soul
Craig T. Mackey
Monday February 16, 2004
The Desperados (1-1) won their first game of the year, despite being called for four personal fouls and blowing a 23-point lead. Dallas was a team in disarray after head coach Joe Avezzano left for the Oakland Raiders just days before the season opener and quarterback Jim Kubiak was waived after suffering a herniated a disc in his neck.
New head coach Will McClay, who is no stranger to Soul head coach Michael Trigg as he served as Trigg’s defensive coordinator in Grand Rapids, has the team starting to look like the team that won the Central Division last year.
The Soul cut down on their penalties, but other problem areas were exposed in the loss. The offensive line gave quarterback Nick Browder, who finished 20 of 39 for 230 yards and five touchdowns, little time. Dallas’ pass rush was in Browder’s face all game, causing him to fumble twice and throw an interception. The Soul recovered one fumble, but the other fumble and interception were negated by Desperados’ penalties.
The Soul are also starting to show how much they miss the experience of kicker Brian Gowins. They had their first field goal attempt blocked, which led to a Dallas safety, and later had a key extra point blocked. Ken Hinsley, added to the roster just days before the season opener, also missed a 22-yard field goal right before the half that would have brought the Soul within six.
Despite their kicking woes and poor quarterback protection, the Soul battled back after falling behind 44-21. They would go on to score 26 unanswered points, including Browder’s 10-yard screen pass to Chris “Soul Train” Ryan that gave the Soul their first lead at 47-44 with 1:00 left in the fourth.
However, the Desperados went right back down the field to take the lead back with 23 seconds left. The Soul would get four cracks at the end zone, only to see the time expire with Browder again throwing the last pass of the game up for grabs with no answer.
The Soul have had chances to win both games this year, but have come up empty each time. This is an expansion team that is still looking their chemistry, but Sunday’s comeback showed fans a lot about their coach and their character. This team just needs to put together four good quarters and give Browder more protection, and things will start moving in a positive direction.
Game Notes: Ricky Ross had another good outing with 5 receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns, while Tyrone Jones had 5 receptions for 55 yards and two touchdowns. Jones also had a 54-yard return for a touchdown in the second quarter. Todd Joseph created the Soul’s first ever turnover with an interception in the second quarter. Browder also looked solid, but was again done in by his receivers, who dropped another four passes.
The Soul will next play Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Wachovia Center against the Columbus Destroyers. The Destroyers are 1-1 after falling to the Carolina Cobras on Friday night, 54-53. Damian Groce caught a 6-yard pass from Matt Nagy as time expired giving the Cobras the one point victory.
Craig T Mackey is a an engineer in Philadelphia. He is a huge philadelphia sports fan. He has worked for NFL Films in the past and is a 1999 graduate of Penn State University with a bachelors degree in journalism.
