Rattlers Take Step Backwards
Brian Knapp
Tuesday March 8, 2005
At 1-5, this is the point in the season where most coaches come out and say "there’s only one way to go from here and that’s up".
Not so fast Rattler fans.
Arizona showed a glimmer of promise in a week one victory over Grand Rapids, but its previous five performances have been putrid at best.
The latest debacle came Sunday night, as the Rattlers gift-wrapped a victory and set it in the lap of the Los Angeles Avengers.
Leading 29-26 in the fourth quarter, Arizona was in the driver’s seat with the ball on the Los Angeles eight yard-line. The Rattlers had five chances to score, including a free play on a holding penalty, and came away with zero points.
The Avengers then missed a field goal, and the Rattlers had yet another opportunity to put the game away from inside the Los Angeles 10-yardline. This time they had six opportunities and again came away with no points.
"We beat ourselves and that’s the frustrating part," Arizona coach Shell said. "We had opportunities to put the game away but we’re not gelling right now."
The question now becomes why?
This same core group of veterans has been lighting up the scoreboard across the country and all of the sudden can’t punch the ball in from one-yard out.
There’s no problem with the players. The problem is the coaching.
"Right now, we are not very good offensively," Shell said. "The first person I look at when I walk off the field is myself and my staff, and I’m going to do what I have to do to get this taken care of."
The only yards the Rattlers gained on their second trip to the red zone came via penalty. Hey Greg Hopkins, thanks for the illegal defense, but penalties wont get the offense into the end zone.
WR/LB Tom Pace and FB/LB Bo Kelly teamed up for -5 yards rushing, and QB Sherdrick Bonner misfired on three passes as the Rattlers handed the ball back to the Avengers.
"It’s been a long time since I’ve seen they haven’t put up that many points," Los Angeles coach Ed Hodgkiss said. "Bonner is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play this game and they have the talent to get it done, I just think they’re still trying to feel each other out a little bit.."
Pace is strong and Kelly has been bulldozing his way through defenders for years, but in this league it’s not the best route.
So, here’s a proposition to AFL coaches, especially those in the ‘cough’ cellar ‘cough’.
Anytime you have the ball first and goal inside the five, take a delay of game penalty. This allows more room to pass the ball, instead of this draw play, zero points, type of offense.
Taking nothing away from the Los Angeles defense, which played an incredible game, the Rattlers are better than 29 points. There’s is too much fire power on that team to not be able to find a way to score and it’s getting embarrassing.
Brian Knapp was a writer for ArenaFan Online from 2003 to 2005.
