Soul Handle Rush, Hand Chicago First Defeat
Craig T. Mackey
Sunday March 7, 2004
“It is a really big win today because if we would have lost, we would have gone to 1-4 and three game under .500,” Soul head coach Michael Trigg said after the game. “Now, winning this game we are just one game under, and now it is within reach and that is important since only eight teams make the playoffs.”
The game did not start out the way Trigg had hoped. The Rush needed only three plays to jump out on top. Quarterback Raymond Philyaw connected with offensive specialist Jeremey McDaniel on a 36-yard pitch and catch. Philyaw then did the rest on a quarterback sneak form one yard out.
Early in the game, the Soul game plan really seemed to be affected by the pressure that Trigg knew the Rush could put on. Knowing that his offensive line has struggled to protect quarterback Nick Browder, Trigg seemed to run a version of the West Coast Offense. Browder was taking three step drops and the fullbacks were able to run the ball effectively. In all, the drive consisted of 7 plays (2 runs and 5 passes) and took over three minutes off of the clock, ending with an 8-yard rushing touchdown by fullback Travis McDonald.
On the ensuing kickoff, Soul kicker Ken Hinsley hit the scoreboard. Unfortunately, that is the equivalent of kicking the ball out of bounds and the ball was placed on the 20-yard line. The Rush took advantage of the field position and penalties to take the lead back with a touchdown by lineman Riley Kleinhesselink. Kleinhesselink recovered a fumble by fullback Jamie McGourty that bounced right into his arms.
Tyronne Jones used a great block by Patrick Scott for a 25-yard return. That would be the only good that come out of the drive. A holding penalty that negated a Soul first down and then a blocked field goal would again give the Rush great field position. This time the Rush would start their drive at Philadelphia’s 16-yard line and fullback Bob McMillen would cap off the drive with a 4-yard run.
The Soul would again shoot themselves in the foot with penalties. The Soul were called for illegal defense twice, illegal hands to the face and then encroachment on the extra point attempt. And that was just on one drive. It must be something about the Wachovia Center, because the Soul played with a lot more discipline in their win at the Spectrum. Yesterday, the Soul seemed to start getting back to old habits. They had eight penalties for 40 yards in the first half alone. That is just unacceptable if you want to win against a team like Rush, and Trigg agreed.
“Aggression and hard play is great, but I can’t deal with the penalty thing,” Trigg said. “I knew Chicago was going to try and provoke them and try to punch them and all that, but it drives me crazy. Chicago loves to try and get under a player’s skin and we were usually the ones who did the pushing back and got called for the penalties”.
The Soul would regroup after their defensive meltdown and scored on Sean Scott’s 6-yard touchdown, but the Rush would come right on Philyaw’s second 1-yard run of the game. Philyaw, who now leads the league with eight rushing touchdowns, was not called on to throw much in the first half. He finished the first half completing 4 of 9 for just 87 yards.
Ricky Ross cut the lead to 27-20 with a 24-yard touchdown pass. Philadelphia may not be getting Terrell Owens, but Ross did his best impression. After his touchdown, Ross grabbed a pair of pom-poms and did a little cheer for himself, a la T.O.
“I am just always trying to do something,” Ross said after game. “I just the love the game and the fans in here, so why not just try and interact.”
Despite all the penalties and mistakes in the first half, the Soul were down just seven at the break. The Soul would come out of the locker a completely different team. Whatever Trigg said worked. Browder, who was named the Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game, looked like a different quarterback. He was getting better protection and was staying in the pocket longer. He would finish 22 of 33 for 237 yards and five touchdowns. The defense also played with a lot more discipline. They were called for just two penalties and both were on Chicago’s last drive.
“The game slowed itself down and I tried to impress upon them at halftime how important it is to let the game decide the outcome and not the officials,” Trigg said. “We were also able to calm down some.”
The injury bug would again hit the Soul as they had to play most of the game without one of their best players in Tyronne Jones. Jones was forced to leave the game early in the second quarter with a concussion. Ross, who himself missed last weeks game and spent two days in the hospital with an infection in his leg, would be forced to step in and he did just that. Ross scampered 19 yards to even the score on the Soul’s first possession of the second half.
Trigg showed why his regarded as one the league’s top offensive minds on the Soul’s next offensive series. After the Soul defense would hold, Trigg made some great play calls. The Soul ran a reverse and then a couple short passes and then they went for it. Browder ran a perfect play fake and then threw a perfect strike to Scott for a 19-yard touchdown to give the Soul their first lead of the game at 34-27.
The Soul defense really seemed to come alive as they shut out the league’s top offenses in the third quarter. The defense and the crowd also seemed to get to the Rush and they started to self-destruct getting called for 4 penalties in the third quarter alone. They also had a touchdown taken off the board when they were called for illegal motion and then fumbled the snap on the next play. Chris “Soul Train” Ryan would then block a field goal attempt that took the roof off the Center.
Sean Scott would score again, but Hinsley missed his second extra point of the game. Not to beat a dead horse, but it may be time for the Soul to start looking for a new kicker. Hinsley is only a rookie, but he continues to hurt the Soul with key misses and bad kickoffs.
Chicago would finally put an end to Soul’s 26-0 run with a 8-yard touchdown run by McMillen. The touchdown came a play after Philyaw had to leave the game after taking a hit to the knee, but he would return on their next series. The Soul would keep their momentum going and had an answer to every Rush touchdown in the fourth quarter. Chicago’s defense just could not hold and Philadelphia would hang on with the win.
The Rush did live up to their team on offense. Led by McMillen’s three touchdowns, Chicago scored on the ground six times yesterday. This league is advertised as pass happy game and then the Rush go and do this; talk about breaking the trend.
I do not know what it is about the Soul, but they seem to start playing in the second half. In all five games, they have come out of the gates slow only to turn it on in the second half. The slow starts have killed them in their three losses. In this game, they were able to overcome it and actually put the game away in the second half.
“Right not we are starting to look like a second half team,” Ross said. “We have been able to come out in the second half a play Soul football. It seems we like to get behind before we start to play. Right now that is just not good and once we are able to put together a full 48 minutes, we be able to be fine.”
It is not just the defense that needs to start playing for four quarters; it seems that Browder has more protection after halftime. The offensive line did not allow a sack to John Moyer and the rest of the Chicago front line, but Browder did have to throw the ball away a few times.
Extra Soul
This win now puts Trigg just two wins behind Rush head coach Mike Hohensee for fourth place on the Arena Football League all-time wins list… Ross had another solid outing with eight catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first player in franchise history to record a 100-yard receiving game. He also had 23 yards rushing and a touchdown… Local product Sean Scott also continues to impress as he finished with 6 catches for 62 yards and three touchdowns... Ross and Scott shared the Army Ironman of the Game award... Lineman Dwayne Missouri took home the ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors… Defensive specialist Joseph Todd led the team with seven tackles and two pass break-ups... Kicker Ken Hinsley missed three extra points and had field goal blocked.
Next Up:
The Soul will next travel to Columbus to take on the Destroyers (1-4). The game is Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at the Nationwide Arena. The game can be seen locally on UPN-57. The Soul defeated the Destroyers back in week three 56-34 for the franchise`s first ever victory. A win can get the Soul to the .500 mark for the first time.
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.
