Breaking it down - 2008 Week Five
Andy Lopusnak
Tuesday April 1, 2008
The AFL’s fifth week of 2008 was the most competitive week of play thus far (except in three markets). Five of the eight games were decided in the final minute of the game compared to last week when five teams blew out their opponents by at least 29 each. This any many other news and notes are showcased in this week’s much anticipated addition of breakdowns.
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WEEK FIVE RESULTS
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CHICAGO 59, Arizona 35
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PHILADELPHIA 59, Tampa Bay 51
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San Jose 44, KANSAS CITY 36
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Orlando 47, COLUMBUS 44
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Georgia 70, UTAH 49
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GRAND RAPIDS 84, Los Angeles 59
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Dallas 33, NEW YORK 31
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New Orleans 54, COLORADO 51
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BYE: Cleveland
WEEK FIVE’S EIGHT GAMES FEATURED:
- A season weekly-low of seven touchdowns scored on returns: fumble (2), interception (2) and kickoff (3) – Grand Rapids had four of these.
- The road teams won five of eight games.
- Two safeties, including one that decided a game.
- Four players had 200 or more all-purpose yards.
- Four quarterbacks had 300 or more yards passing.
- 14 players had 100 or more yards receiving.
MINUTE MEN
Here’s how the final moments played out in the five games decided by eight or fewer points. Four of the five were decided at the buzzer – one by a field goal to win it and three by either interception or incompletion in the end zone that if completed would have won the game or tied (assuming a two-point conversion was good).
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FINAL
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LAST POINTS
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GAME DECIDED
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DAL 33, NY 31
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2:01 – safety after blocked FG
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Dallas ran out clock after safety
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NO 54, COL 51
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0:36 – Wimprine 1yd rushing TD
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0:00 – Shell INT in end zone
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PHI 59, TB 51
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0:38 – Jackson 3yd TD from D’Orazio
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0:00 – incomplete pass in end zone
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ORL 47, CMB 44
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0:00 – Vaughn field goal
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0:00 – Vaughn field goal
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SJ 44, KC 36
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3:12 – Frederick 30yd TD from Fitzgerald
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00:00 – Floyd INT in end zone
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BAD NEWS FOR CLEVELAND
Tampa Bay became the fourth straight team to lose a game after a bye week this season when the Storm lost 59-51 in Philadelphia. Grand Rapids, Colorado and Kansas City all lost after bye weeks the first three weeks of the season. Cleveland had a bye this week and faces undefeated Dallas this Saturday, so the chances pretty good that the Gladiators could make it all five teams with a bye losing their next game. Mad props to Storm PR guy Jim Robinson for referring to this nugget this week (it was originally in the Week Three breakdowns article).
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TEAM
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RESULT AFTER BYE
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FINAL SCORE
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Grand Rapids
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LOST
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San Jose 66, GRAND RAPIDS 58
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Colorado
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LOST
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DALLAS 51, Colorado 40
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Kansas City
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LOST
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Grand Rapids 92, KANSAS CITY 52
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Tampa Bay
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LOST
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PHILADELPHIA 59, Tampa Bay 51
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Cleveland
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????
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Next Game – Saturday at Dallas
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EVEN WORSE NEWS FOR TAMPA BAY
With Kansas City losing to San Jose, all three teams that have played two games after a bye have lost both games. That doesn’t bode well for the Storm. Tampa Bay plays Columbus this Saturday for the first time since a first-round loss in last year’s playoffs. Grand Rapids has won two straight after its 0-2 mark following a bye. Colorado has lost all three games since the bye.
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TEAM
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RECORD 2 GAMES AFTER BYE
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LOSSES
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Grand Rapids
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0-2
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SJ, CHI
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Colorado
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0-2
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at DAL, at CHI
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Kansas City
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0-2
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GR, SJ
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Tampa Bay
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0-1 plus this week
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at PHI
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WINNING WITH BIG D (AND A SPECIAL TEAMS PLAY)
The clock appeared to strike midnight for the undefeated Desperados (and backup QB Chris Sanders remarkable play in the absence of Clint Dolezel) heading into the fourth quarter against New York down 31-17. Dallas’ high-scoring, high-octane offense sputtered with Sanders getting sacked four times, picked off twice (one was returned for a TD) and losing two fumbles. The Desperados went almost 35 minutes between touchdowns in the game. Step in the Dallas “D” which held the Dragons scoreless in the final stanza by forcing a turnover on downs, sacking QB Aaron Garcia twice and forcing a long field goal attempt that was blocked and resulted in a safety in the 33-31 Desperados win. The 33 points were the least by Dallas in 58 previous games (44-20 loss to New York in 2004). Dallas’ lowest point total in a win previously was 46 (done twice, including once against the Dragons in 2006).
SAFETY DANCE
Dallas lineman Colston Weatherington’s blocked field goal with 2:01 left in the game was the determining factor in the Desperados 33-31 win over New York. After Weatherington blocked the 50-yard attempt, the ball went through the back of the end zone for a safety. This may very well be the first game in league history decided by a safety in the closing moments.
ON A SCORING RAMPAGE
Grand Rapids’ 84 points this week against Los Angeles gives the club 176 over its past two weeks which is a new AFL record for the most in two straight games – the previous mark was by the 2005 SaberCats who posted 172. The AFL mark for three games in a row is 234 by the 2001 New York Dragons, so Grand Rapids needs just 59 this week against New York for yet another record. However, the overall Arena Football (including af2) record for three games is 244 set by the undefeated 2000 Quad City Steamwheelers (during that stretch QC won a game 103-3), so GR needs 69, dude. Many thanks go out to afdave from the ArenaFan message boards for doing the research!
MOST POINTS IN TWO GAMES MOST POINTS IN THREE GAMES
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TEAM
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YEAR
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POINTS
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TEAM
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YEAR
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POINTS
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Grand Rapids
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2008
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176
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New York
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2001
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234
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San Jose
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2005
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172
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San Jose
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2002
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232
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Arizona
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2003
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164
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San Jose
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2005
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227
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New York
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2001
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161
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Arizona
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2003
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226
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Nashville
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2001
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160
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Arizona
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203
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226
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BIG MAC
In the matter of seven days, Rampage QB James MacPherson has emerged from obscurity to be the hottest QB in the league completing a blistering 85.7% of his passes. Six of his seven incompletions have been broken up, while the other was a throw away to avoid a sack. It is believed that his completion percentage and rating over the last two games are the best ever by a quarterback making his first two starts. If he would have passed for 91 more yards and one more TD, MacPherson would have had a combined “perfect” passer rated two-week stretch (158.33).
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GAME
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COMP
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ATT
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PCT.
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YARDS
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TD
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INT
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RATING
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at KC
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24
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27
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88.9
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307
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9
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0
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153.6
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LA
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18
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22
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81.8
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215
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5
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0
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147.0
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TOTAL
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42
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49
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85.7
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522
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14
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0
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150.6
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MARTIN, YOU SO CRAZY
Grand Rapids DB/WR Chris Martin set team marks for kickoff return yards (249) and kick returns for TDs (three) in the Rampage’s win over Los Angeles. The Rampage was one of the league’s elite kickoff return units the past five seasons, but struggled in its first three games. Combined in those three games, Grand Rapids had just 235 kickoff return yards and averaged 13.1 yards per return. Martin alone had 249 yards with an average of 31.1 per return against the Avengers.
YOUR WEEKLY T.T. TOLIVER UPDATE
Five weeks, five games with 100 or more yards receiving and 200 or more all-purpose yards for Orlando WR/KR T.T. Toliver. He is the first player in league history to go for 100 receiving yards and 200 all-purpose yards in each of the first five games of a season in league history. If Toliver posts 200 or more all-purpose yards in the next two games, he will tie the league record for the most to start a season with Lamont Cooper, who accomplished the feat in 2001 with the Oklahoma Wranglers.
CRUSHED AGAIN
The Colorado Crush has dropped three straight games for the first time since losing its last four regular season games last season. In its last eight regular season games, Colorado is just 1-7. The Crush’s lone win was against winless Kansas City 50-47.
SIMPLY O-MAZING
After four-straight games decided in the final minute, Orlando fans don’t have anymore nail beds! The Predators won their third straight game when rookie kicker John Vaughn hit a 32-yard field goal as time expired in Orlando’s 47-44 win over Columbus.
EXTINGUISHED
The Utah Blaze’s 0-5 start might seem shocking with AFL Hall of Famer Danny White coaching the team and the explosive passing game of Joe Germaine, but over the last 14 games Utah is a league-worst 3-11. The Blaze lost five in a row last season after starting 5-2 and stumbled into the playoffs at 8-8 before taking an early exit when Los Angeles beat Utah by 22 in the first round (64-42). If the postseason loss is included the Blaze is 3-12 in its last 15.
WORST RECORD LAST 14 REG. GAMES
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TEAM
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RECORD
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CURRENT STREAK
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Utah
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3-11
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LOST 5
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Grand Rapids
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4-10
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WON 2
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Columbus
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4-10
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LOST 1
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Cleveland
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4-10
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LOST 1
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New York
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5-9
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LOST 3
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Arizona
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5-9
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LOST 1
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New Orleans
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6-8
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WON 4
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Kansas City
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6-8
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LOST 5
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Colorado
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6-8
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LOST 3
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STILL PURR-FECT AFTER ALL THESE WEEKS
San Jose kicker A.J. Haglund nailed all eight of his scoring opportunities (five extra points and three field goals) in the SaberCats’ 44-36 win over Kansas City. Against the Brigade he also posted 1.5 tackles and recovered a loose ball after one of his kickoffs. Haglund is a perfect 44-for-44 on scoring kicks (all 34 extra points and all ten on field goals) on the season (last season he made ten FGs combined the entire season). Additionally, his play has been so extraordinary that Haglund has earned Offense Player of the Game (Week Three vs. Arizona) and Ironman of the Game honors (Week Five at Kansas City) despite the fact he only plays on special teams. The AFL record for field goal percentage in a single season with a minimum of 15 field goals attempted is 80% by Seth Marler last season with Tampa Bay (16-for-20). Don Silvestri hit all 50 of his PATs in 2001 with the Florida Bobcats and Remy Hamilton was 61-of-62 with Grand Rapids as a rookie in 1998.
DIETZ DROPS 400
Tampa Bay quarterback Brett Dietz posted just the 28th 400-yard passing game in league history. To showcase how much the game has changed over its 22 seasons, the first 400-yard game came in the league’s eleventh season (Clint Dolezel had 449 against Iowa in 1997). Last season, there were seven 400-yard games. There were just six 400-yard games in the previous five years combined (2002-06).
SITTING ON 99
San Jose’s Darren Arbet and Colorado’s Mike Dailey are both just one win shy of their 100th career regular season victories. Dailey has lost his last three games trying to hit triple figures and faces Los Angeles on Friday night. Arbet won last week against Kansas City, but faces one of the hottest teams in the league, New Orleans, on Saturday.
LET’S GO STREAKIN’
There are six teams on multiple-game win streaks this season heading into Week Six, while there are six more on losing skids of at least two games. The five other teams don’t have multiple-game streaks of any kind. Overall, Dallas is on a 13-game regular season winning streak and Philadelphia has won its last seven regular season contests. Including last season’s playoffs, both Kansas City and Utah have last their last six overall.
2008 CURRENT WINNING STREAKS 2008 CURRENT LOSING STREAKS
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TEAM
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STREAK
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TEAM
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STREAK
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Dallas
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5
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Utah
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5
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Philadelphia
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5
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Kansas City
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4
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New Orleans
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4
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Colorado
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3
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Chicago
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3
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Los Angeles
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3
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Orlando
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3
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New York
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3
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Grand Rapids
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2
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Tampa Bay
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2
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BRING OUT THE BROOMS
The National Conference swept the two inter-conference games this week: Georgia beat Utah and New Orleans beat Colorado. Overall on the season, the Nationals are 13-3 head-to-head against the American Conference. Week Six will feature five of the eight games between inter-conference foes: Kansas City at Georgia; Grand Rapids at New York; Utah at Philadelphia; San Jose at New Orleans; and Chicago at Orlando.
THE DEUCE IS LOOSE
The af2 kicked off its ninth season (yes, it really has been nine years) this past weekend. Since most of the players in the AFL come from the “deuce,” there will be updates from time-to-time with some impressive things from the af2 in the breakdowns the rest of the season. Two former AFL clubs (of sorts) made their af2 debuts this past weekend and both lost. The Austin Wranglers lost to Corpus Christi 61-48 – Austin was in the AFL from 2004-07. After a seven-year hiatus, the Iowa Barnstormers returned to Arena Football, but lost 58-28 to Louisville. The Barnstormers became the New York Dragons in 2000. Iowa did play one year (2001) in the af2 going 9-7 (including winning its last five) before closing shop while a new arena was built.
WEEK FIVE’S TOP STATISTICAL PREFORMANCES
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100-YARD RECEIVERS
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PLAYER, TEAM
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RECEIVING YARDS
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RECEPTIONS
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TOUCHDOWNS
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Aaron Boone, UTAH
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170
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14
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2
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Huey Whittaker, UTAH
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161
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11
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4
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Rodney Wright, SJ
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165
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14
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0
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Kevin Ingram, LA
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149
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13
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4
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Larry Brackins, PHI
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139
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10
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3
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Tiger Jones, GEO
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131
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9
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5
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Lawrence Samuels, TB
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123
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10
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3
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Derek Lee, CMB
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109
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9
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2
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Javarus Dudley, NO
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106
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9
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0
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James Jordan, NO
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106
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9
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4
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T.T. Toliver, ORL
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105
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7
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0
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Ron Johnson, ORL
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105
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6
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0
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Will Pettis, DAL
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102
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9
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1
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Damian Harrell, CHI
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100
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6
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3
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300-YARD PASSERS
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PLAYER, TEAM
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PASSING YARDS
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PASS TDs
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INTERCEPTIONS
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Brett Dietz, TB
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400
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6
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0
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Joe Germaine, UTAH
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356
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7
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0
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Shane Stafford, ORL
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316
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4
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1
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Danny Wimprine, NO
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314
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6
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0
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200 YARDS OR MORE ALL-PURPOSE
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PLAYER, TEAM
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ALL-PURPOSE
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TOTAL TDs
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Chris Martin, GR
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249
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3
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Rodney Wright, SJ
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216
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0
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T.T. Toliver, ORL
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205
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0
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Will Pettis, DAL
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202
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1
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DEFENSIVE LEADERS
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PLAYER, TEAM
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TACKLES
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INT
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SACKS
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FF
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FR
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PBU
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DEF TD
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Keyuo Craver, AZ
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3.5
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1
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0.0
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0
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0
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1
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1
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John Moyer, CHI
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3.0
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1
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2.0
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1
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1
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0
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0
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Jeremy Unertyl, CHI
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5.0
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1
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0.0
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0
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0
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2
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0
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Henry Taylor, NY
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3.0
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0
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2.5
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0
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1
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0
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0
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Angel Estrada, NY
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4.5
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1
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0.0
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0
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1
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1
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1
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Rickie Simpkins, DAL
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2.5
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1
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1.0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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Lin-J Shell, NO
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7.5
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1
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0.0
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0
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0
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2
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0
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Rashad Floyd, COL
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11.5
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1
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0.0
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0
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0
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3
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0
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Anthony Dunn, PHI
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5.0
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0
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2.0
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1
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0
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1
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0
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Omarr Smith, SJ
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10.0
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0
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0.0
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0
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1
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2
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0
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Garrett McIntyre, SJ
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2.5
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0
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1.0
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1
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0
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0
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0
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Chris Martin, GR
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8.5
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0
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0.0
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0
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1
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2
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0
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Leif Murphy, GR
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2.0
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0
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2.0
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2
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0
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1
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0
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Stephen Cason, GEO
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13.5
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0
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0.0
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1
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1
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0
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1
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OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Georgia receiver Tiger Jones made a huge impact in his first AFL contest by catching nine balls for 131 yards with five touchdowns in the Force’s 70-49 win over Utah.
HONORABLE MENTION: Tampa Bay quarterback Brett Dietz passed for 400 yards on 31-of-46 passing with six touchdowns and no interceptions. Anytime you post four big ones on a team like Philadelphia, you’ve had a pretty good game even if he did lose a fumble that could have made the outcome of the game different.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Chicago lineman/linebacker John Moyer had three solo tackles, sacked Arizona QB Jeff Smoker twice, intercepted a pass, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble in the Rush’s 59-35 win over the Rattlers.
HONORABLE MENTION: Dallas lineman Rickie Simpkins posted 2.5 tackles, an interception and a sack on fourth down in the fourth quarter that helped seal the Desperados 33-31 victory over New York.
IRONMAN OF THE WEEK
Grand Rapids DB/KR Chris Martin led the Rampage with 8.5 tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery, but it was his eight kickoff returns for team records 249 yards and three scores that paced the team to an 84-59 win over Los Angeles.
HONORABLE MENTION: Chicago WR/DB DeJuan Alfonzo had a two-yard rushing touchdown, four tackles and two pass breakups in the Rush’s 59-35 win over the Rattlers.
Andy Lopusnak is an 11-year AFL front office veteran, spending time with the Tampa Bay Storm, San Diego Riptide and Grand Rapids Rampage. He works as a statistician for NFL and college sports for CBS Sports and is a freelance photographer. Lopusnak received two Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of South Florida and has been a fan of ArenaBall since its inception.
