Five Burning Questions
Matt Eichenblatt
Thursday April 13, 2006
1. Both Matt Nagy and Joe Hamilton have been the subject of criticism this season, but both are playing their best ball of the season, if not their entire careers in recent weeks. Which quarterback has the upper hand going into this week's battle?
Matt Eichenblatt: "I think Matt Nagy has the upper hand. Right now, Nagy is setting the world on fire, and has been on a blistering pace this entire season. While he played poorly in a few games, he was still putting up impressive numbers in those games, and gave his team a chance to win. Joe Hamilton is a good quarterback who, when given time can do great things, especially on the run. But the way Georgia has played Hamilton lately by putting immense pressure on him and taking away his ability to scramble, Hamilton will have to throw from the pocket, which means more balls batted down. Joe has made great strides this year, but after struggling against Columbus last week, look for no improvement this week against a much tougher defense."
Adam Markowitz: "Though I’m not a huge fan of either of these quarterbacks, Matt Nagy has a superior set of wide receivers to Hamilton. Super Joe is a lot more likely to beat you with his legs and make that big play to change a game than Nagy, but the problem is that he can change the game for either team. Neither quarterback has to win this game on Friday, but neither one can lose it, thus making Nagy the more valuable quarterback to have. Keep in mind though, Georgia’s come across a number of late game critical situations that have seen Nagy throw some of the most horrific passes you’ve ever seen. If this game stays tight like it should, Nagy’s hands better stay away from his throat, or the Predators will capitalize."
2. Chris Jackson, Derek Lee, and Jamin Elliott have been unstoppable for the Force of late. Can Orlando's defensive backs keep up with arguably the best receiving trio in the AFL?
ME: "They can, but not the whole game. The reason this core of receivers is so successful is because all of them are viable deep threats in a game. With Chris Jackson’s ability to fly down the field and catch a streak in double coverage, the defense is required to be alert at all times for the Force’s other talented receivers to make a move. For Orlando, it’s only a matter of time before this core of receivers explodes. If they want to shut down Georgia’s offense, they need to worry about forcing Nagy into bad decisions because their corners do not match up well with the AFL’s most vaunted group of pass catchers."
AM: "For Orlando’s secondary, images of the 87 points Dallas dropped on them has to be dancing in their heads, as they haven’t faced a trio of wide receivers this good since the beat down the Desperadoes put on them four weeks ago. Though Orlando’s secondary is still one of the best in the league, it’s very apparent that DS Kenny McEntyre has lost a step and cannot blanket receivers like he used to. I’m not sure anyone can keep up with Georgia’s receivers, but the trick will be how long those receivers have to run routes. If Orlando’s line gets pressure on Nagy, none of those receivers will have time to run 20 yards down field and then make a move to get open. If not, this could be another very long day for the Preds’ defense."
3. Two of the AFL's finest coaches are featured in this game. Will a coaching advantage for either team play a role on Friday night?
ME: "This Friday night, two of the games best coaches will be going at it and that will make this game all the more exciting. Doug Plank in his second season as a head coach has been nothing but a success, and Jay Gruden is a household name to AFL fans for his feats as a player and as a coach. There is no edge as far as coaching is concerned because both are fantastic leaders. What will be interesting to see though is how the coaching styles counteract each other. Georgia plays a very physical brand of football, especially on defense, while Orlando plays in a finesse offense which, when clicking is very hard to stop. So far, Doug Plank is 3-1 against Jay Gruden and his team will have to play with extreme aggression to move that mark to 4-1."
AM: "Coach Plank simply outfoxed Coach Gruden last year in the National Conference Championship game by introducing the tactic of grabbing and dragging down wide receivers until the officials didn’t call it. No one will ever be able to convince me that coaching didn’t win that game, and I think some bold coaching maneuver will once again prove to be the difference this weekend. The Predators once again lacked killer instinct against Columbus, but have done a much better job of keeping teams down at home this year than in year’s past. Georgia is by no means as flawless this year as they were last year, and the mental mistakes have to be attributed to the coaching staff. For that reason, I think the preparation advantage goes to Coach Gruden, but the in-game advantage is a push."
4. Emotions always run high in this series and home field advantage always seems to play a deciding factor when these two teams hook up. Particularly on Friday nights, the Jungle has to be considered one of the most difficult places to go play football. Will the fact that this is the 3rd straight game on the road for Georgia take its toll on the Force?
ME: "You can’t deny the Predators have a home field advantage, because playing in the Jungle on Friday night can be down right miserable for opposing teams. But to say the Force are going to be at any less of an advantage because they are at the tail end of a three game road trip is ridiculous, especially after having their best game of the season last Sunday in their 61-29 rout of Austin. The Force are 2-0 on this road trip, but winning in the Jungle is always a tough task."
AM: "The fact that this game is in the Jungle might be the deciding factor of the game. It’s been quite some time since the Predators lost on a Friday night at home, but ironically, the last time was in 2004 against this same Georgia Force team. Though Georgia is on their final game of a three game road stretch, the Predators might be caught guilty of looking ahead to their in-state rival, Tampa next weekend. That being said, there’s no love lost between these teams either, and the more personal this game gets on the field, the more the fans will prove to be a factor."
5. Bottom Line: Who's winning the game?
ME: "Georgia will win this game, but by a very close margin. The way the Force offense has been performing lately, the pressure will be on the Predators to defend their home turf. The division lead is on the line, as well as bragging rights in one of the AFL’s most famed rivalries. Look for a good game, but for the Force offense to overwhelm the Predators defense."
AM: "On paper, this looks like a game the Force have a very good chance of winning. They’ve got the superior receivers for certain, and look to be fairly even with the Predators everywhere else on the field. But Orlando’s line played tough as nails in Georgia to open the season, a game that was much closer than the 17 point victory suggested. If the Preds can repeat that line play this weekend, we’ll likely see another close one, where the crowd can will them to victory. Orlando 50 – Georgia 45."
Matt Eichenblatt is a free-lance writer from the Atlanta area. He has followed Arena Football since 1999 and has been attending Georgia Force games since they moved from Nashville five years ago. As well as being a football enthusiast, he is also looking forward to graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in Finance and Communications.
