Saturday’s win over the Chicago Rush was something the Nashville Kats desperately needed.  The 44-27 upset gave the Kats a much needed confidence boost, but may have been a pyrrhic victory as they lost three players to injuries.

DL/LB Bendan Givan may return soon after injuring his elbow, but receiver Demetris Bendross and defensive back Eric Joyce will spend at least the next four weeks on injured reserve.  

This, along with other recent changes and injuries and roster changes, leaves quarterback Jeff Smoker with an unenviable challenge.  “I don’t think I’ve had too many games here where I’ve had the same set of receivers,” he reflected, “You just try and get up to speed with them as quickly as you can.”

With Bendross out indefinitely and Maurice Brown still unavailable because of a hamstring injury, that leaves Kenny Higgins and Rocco Forgione as the only active receivers that Smoker has thrown a pass to.  The new faces (and hands) in camp are C. J. Johnson and Lynarise Elpheage.

“We have to make [Johnson] a player for us, put him within our system and find a way to use him and be effective,” head coach Pat Sperduto explained, “Elpheage will be out there too. We got him in last week and he’ll be pressed into duty. That’s what you do. When one guy goes down the next one picks up the flag, and carries it. That’s how it goes.”

New Arrivals

Dan Alexander almost didn’t make it to last week’s game in Chicago.  There was this small matter of his wife Amy having a baby on Friday.  After their son Braxton was born, she insisted that Dan go ahead and fly to Chicago.  He arrived about three hours before the team left the hotel for the arena and had a dominating night running the ball.

He’s not the only Kat with a new baby.  On Monday, Charlie and Paige Morris welcomed their son Rhett.