Soul Look to Undo VooDoo
Jason Moyer
Saturday February 19, 2005
The Soul are coming off a victory over the expansion Nashville Kats, while the VooDoo look to build momentum after a win against the defending ArenaBowl Champion San Jose SaberCats. Both teams rank in the top four in scoring offense after three weeks. Philadelphia has scored 166 points; New Orleans is right behind them with 165 points. Look for the scoreboard in the "Graveyard" to come to life for these two teams.
Tony Graziani has brought leadership and confidence to a team that had trouble winning close games last season. Graziani’s coach and teammates know they have a chance to win those games this year.
"If you give him time he can thread it apart. We have a guy around our locker room that spreads confidence. Our players just believe he’s gonna get it done in close situations. Frankly, we just didn’t have that last year. So when you come down to tight ball games and we have to score, Tony Graziani’s the difference." remarked Head Coach Michael Trigg about his quarterback.
Philadelphia, however, is not the only team with a high profile quarterback.
Andy Kelly of the VooDoo is the leagues highest rated passer with a rating of 128.4. His 20 touchdowns tie Graziani and his 973 yards and 72.5 completion percentage lead the league. Kelly has a trio of talented receivers to throw the ball to. Aaron Bailey, Thabiti Davis, and Jacques Rumph the three have over 20 receptions this year. Kelly also holds all-time records for attempts, completions, and passing yards for the Arena Football League, so he’s been there and done that.
Trying to defend against the VooDoo’s passing game will prove to be difficult for Coach Trigg’s defense. The easiest way to disrupt New Orleans would be to supply pressure from the lineman. However, the Soul have only recorded one sack on the season and their line is designed more to protect Graziaini than pressure opposing quarterback’s.
The other way to defend is to try to mix their coverage against Kelly in an attempt to confuse his reads. But like I stated before; Kelly’s been there and done that.
Game Breakdown:
Look for a high scoring game with minimal defensive stops. The team possessing the ball last will most likely win. Philadelphia’s defensive backs of Arkee Thompson, Eddie Moten, and Joseph Todd should provide the Soul with just enough stops to allow Graziani and his gang to outgun the VooDoo. Final score: Soul 66 VooDoo 62.
What else to look for:
Chris "Soul Train" Ryan should make his season debut after missing the first three games with a fractured finger. Tyronne Jones was also upgraded on Philadelphia’s injury report to probable for Sunday’s game.
Jason Moyer is an elementary school teacher in the western New Jersey area. He is an avid follower of the Arena Football League and has been covering the Philadelphia Soul with ArenaFan.com since 2005. Jason resides in Whitehall, PA with his wife and daughter.
