San Jose’s second half surge
Andy Lopusnak
Saturday May 31, 2008
They’re back! It seems like a yearly routine. The San Jose SaberCats limped through the first half the season for the third straight year. And in each season, the team has turned it on in the final eight games. The SaberCats are 19-2 in the last eight games the past three seasons. And that’s without even playing the final three games of this year. Through the first half of 2008, San Jose was 4-4 and 5-5 through ten contests.
In 2006, the SaberCats won their last seven games en route and advanced to the American Conference championship game before losing to Chicago, the eventual ArenaBowl champion, after starting 3-6. Last season, San Jose opened 3-3 then won its next 13 overall including ArenaBowl XXI.
San Jose has won an AFL record 16 straight regular season games against Western Division opponents and look to sweep the West for the second straight year when the SaberCats head down to Los Angeles to take on the Avengers. Los Angeles has lost four of its last five and eight of its last ten since starting 2-0. The Avengers are coming off a bye after scoring just 28 points in the team’s 72-28 loss at Chicago.
A win coupled with an Arizona loss secures San Jose its third straight division title and a first-round bye in this season’s playoffs. It would also mark the team’s seventh division championship in the last nine seasons. The Rattlers are in Orlando to take on the Predators, which the SaberCats lost to 61-35 four weeks ago. Arizona has the best record of any American Conference team against National Conference foes – winning four of five contests.
After Saturday’s tilt, the SaberCats will have its bye before ending the season at home against Southern Division opponents Tampa Bay and Georgia. The SaberCats are 0-4 against the National Conference and suffered their two worst losses against teams from the Southern Division (29-point loss at New Orleans and 26-point loss at Orlando).
Two SaberCats players earned kudos from the AFL this week with quarterback Mark Grieb being named AFL Offensive Player of the Week and defensive back Marquis Floyd nabbing Defensive Player of the Week honors. It marked the first time in San Jose team history that teammates earned weekly honors. Grieb tossed eight touchdowns and Floyd intercepted his ninth pass of the season in the SaberCats’ 59-42 win over Colorado last week.
When looking at the statistical matchup and recent history for this week’s game, the SaberCats edge out the Avengers in every way. San Jose has won the last four games and overall has won 12 of the 17 games played in the series history.
Los Angeles enters the game with the league’s worst red-zone offense, overall pass rating, turnover differential, sacks allowed and scoring defense. Additionally, the Avengers do not rank in the top ten in only two offensive categories – fourth-down conversions (eighth) and pass offense (tenth). San Jose only ranks outside the top ten in just a couple of overall categories – rushing (offense and defense) and third & fourth down conversions. On paper, the SaberCats should manhandle the Avengers, but after all that’s why the games are played.
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.
