Breaking it Down - 2010 Week Five
Andy Lopusnak
Tuesday May 4, 2010
After three games decided by ten or more points on Friday, Week Five blessed us with four exciting contests on Saturday night that all came down to the final minute of play. Three previously winless teams earned their first victories and Milwaukee suffered its first loss of the year. Home teams still keep on winning, as does Tim Marcum. This and more AFL information than anywhere else await you in this week’s edition of Breaking it Down. Click here to view photos that I took from this weekend's Rattlers-Storm.
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WEEK FIVE RESULTS
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Iowa 50, ORLANDO 40
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DALLAS 55, Oklahoma City 34
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UTAH 65, Bossier-Shreveport 46
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JACKSONVILLE 62, Tulsa 60
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TAMPA BAY 62, Arizona 61
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ALABAMA 75, Milwaukee 67
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Cleveland 72, SPOKANE 68
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Home team in ALL CAPS
BYE: Chicago
WEEK FIVE FEATURED….
· The home team went 5-2 and is now 20-9 on the year.
· Dallas, Cleveland and Utah each got their first victories of the season.
· Milwaukee lost its first game of the year.
· The top three scoring teams all lost this week (Milwaukee, Tulsa and Spokane).
· Just three passers went over 300 yards and 14 receivers had at least 100 yards receiving.
AFL HIGHLIGHTS THROUGH FIVE WEEKS
· Chicago is the last team without a loss (4-0).
· Orlando is the last team without a win (0-3).
· The league still hasn’t published a record book.
· The stats program still stinks and stats are still wrong.
IT’S NEVER BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
The AFL posted the stats from Friday night’s game between Bossier-Shreveport and Utah at about 1:00 PM Eastern on Monday. This is the third time in five weeks that the AFL has not published a boxscore or report for a game within 48 hours of the end of the game. Sure most of the boxscores are still wrong, but not having something up is unacceptable, unprofessional and just plain lazy. If you go to DakStats.com, you’ll see that the company proclaims that this stats program is “quick, easy and accurate.” DakStats, like the Orlando Predators, is 0-3. Posting stats three days late is not quick. This program is not easy with AFL rules and God knows this thing very, very little accuracy.
NO MORE af2 RECORDS – ONLY AFL
It’s been five weeks and the AFL hasn’t published a Record & Fact Book (I don’t have any confidence that the league will do so anytime soon). Therefore, for historical purposes, I will not mention any individual or team af2 records in these articles from now this date forth. However, I will talk about some old af2 things from time to time, but for everything else, it’s only AFL.
THE FIRST EVER ZERO-YARD MISSED FIELD GOAL RETURN FOR TD?
In the OKC-Dallas game, Vigilantes returnman Kenny Henderson returned a missed field goal for a touchdown to put Dallas up 20-0 late in the first quarter. The online boxscore and game report says that the yardage is zero, while the play-by-play does say the FG attempt was short without giving any yardage. It’s impossible to have a zero-yard MFG return for touchdown especially if the FG was short. Nothing surprises me anymore with this crazy stats program, but wait there’s more...
SHORTEST FIELD GOAL IN AFL HISTORY?
Prior to this season, the shortest field goal, any team had ever made was 17 yards (ball on one-yard line + eight-yard end zone + holder set up eight yards back). Not so anymore. This week, Alabama’s Brian Jackson apparently connected on an eight-yard field goal according to the boxscore, but the game report has it listed as 16 yards, which is still a new AFL record. If the 16-yarder stands then Jackson’s skills as a kicker must be amazing since the Iron had the ball at the eight and if you add the eight-yard end zone, then he was kicking at the line of scrimmage. In the same game with two-seconds left in the first half, Milwaukee’s Chris Greisen tossed a TD to Tiger Jones, but the game report has it as a zero-yard score and the boxscore has it from seven-yards out. Is there more? Of course there is…
THE FASTEST TWO SECONDS IN SPORTS HISTORY
According to the play-by-play, game report and boxscore of the Cleveland-Spokane game, the final two seconds had four plays. Spokane took the lead with two seconds left when Kyle Rowley connected with Raul Vijil on a four-yard TD to go up 68-65. Instead of a bouncing squib kick to run out the final two ticks, the Shock decided to kick long. The Gladiators’ Brent Holmes nabbed the ball off the nets sprinted faster than Superman 56 yards for a touchdown to put Cleveland up 72-68 – amazingly no time expired from the clock. Cleveland kicked off long, this time Spokane’s Eddie Thompson returned it 18 yards and again no time ran off the clock. Sadly for the Shock, time didn’t stop again as Rowley attempted a pass that fell incomplete and the final two seconds floated away. The Gladiators’ press release has some different times for these plays (8.2 seconds left is when the Shock scored and 1.6 seconds was when Holmes had the kickoff return for a TD). However, since the league wants to use this crappy stats program, I too will use it to show how stupid the AFL is for using this ghetto software. Even Billy Mays wouldn’t be giving you more, but DakStats has more to offer…
SHOCKING - MORE ERRORS FROM SPOKANE
The final stats show the teams combined for just over 50 minutes of game play - where'd the final ten minutes go? Additionally, Cleveland's Russell Monk's 48-yard TD run was actually only a two-yard score that the Glads got after a net recovery (a stat this stupid program doesn't even recognize). The same exact thing happened in the Milwauke-Alabama game were the onsides kick in the play-by-play had the correct yard line, but on the next play it was switched and eventually Larry Shipp had a 48-yard TD run, but the yardage was actually only seven yards. Wait, you guessed it, there's even more...
ALABAMA AND UTAH HAVE PLAYED FIVE GAMES?
Until Tuesday morning (when it was finally fixed), the AFL terrible stats system had the Alabama Vipers and Utah Blaze playing in five games when in fact both teams have played just four. This apparently “quick, easy and accurate” program decided to count the April 17 game between the two clubs as two separate games. There's even more messed up stats from this week, but I have to move on to the actual game action.
MORE HOME COOKING
Home teams posted their fourth straight winning week going 5-2 in Week Five. In the past four weeks, the home team is an outstanding 18-5 (78.3 winning percentage). On the year, the home team is 20-9 (69.0%). Both numbers are higher than normal based on the last season for the AFL (59.6) or af2 (59.5%). Comparing 2008 with this season through five weeks, the home teams were 23-17 (57.5%). As for the penalty disparegy mentioned last week, this was the first weekend that the home team as a whole was out penalized (67-476) than the road team (58-360) – four of the seven road teams were still called for more penalties than the home teams they respectively played.
DIRTY LAUNDRY
Through five weeks of game play, there have been a whole lot of flags thrown on the field. Compared to the 2008 AFL season, this year’s games apparently are very sloppy. In 2008, the 17 teams played 40 games through week five and each team averaged 7.5 penalties and 45.1 penalty yards per game. This year the 15 teams have played 29 games and each team is averaging 9.1 penalties and 56.0 penalty yards per game. Each team is averaging almost two more penalties and 11 penalty yards than in 2008. Guess everyone is still a bit rusty.
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AFL PENALTY COMPARISON THROUGH FIVE WEEKS
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YEAR
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PENALTIES
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PENALTY YARDS
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2008
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7.5
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45.1
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2010
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9.1
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56.0
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DIFFERENCE
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1.6
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11.1
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WINLESS NO MORE
Three of the four winless teams entering Week Five exiting the weekend with wins. Dallas and Utah won home games on Friday, while Cleveland won on the road Saturday night. Orlando is the last on the winless team.
PREDS SKID RARE
The Orlando Predators are the last winless team in the AFL. This is just the second time in team history that the Preds have started 0-3. Orlando was 0-3 in 2001 before winning its next six games en route to an 8-6 record. This marks just the eighth three-game losing streak (playoffs not included) in the club’s 19-year history. The longest losing streak by Orlando is four games set in 2003 when QB Jay Gruden missed those four games due to injury. That year, the Predators were 12-4. Including playoff games, the team lost five straight between the end of 2007 and start of 2008.
WHAT THE DEUCE?
The old AFL posted its first winning week against the old af2 teams with Cleveland and Utah beating Spokane and Bossier-Shreveport respectively. In doing so, both also notched their first wins of the season. The af2’s only win this week was Iowa giving a jungle beating to Orlando. On the year, teams from the former af2 are 8-4 against old AFL teams.
DEFENSIVE START
The first three offensive series in the Iowa-Orlando game all ended with an interception. First Iowa’s Tanner Varner (more on him at the end of this article) picked off Orlando QB Nick Hill on the seventh play from scrimmage. The Barnstormers squandered the opportunity when Orlando’s Jerrain James intercepted Iowa QB Ryan Vena on fourth down. On the next play, Varner got Iowa on the board after intercepting Hill for a second time and returning it seven yards for the game’s first points. There were six interceptions in the game (Hill and Vena had three each).
HE’S BRINGING RUNNING BACK
Alabama fullback Dan Alexander continues to bulldoze his way into the end zone, this week he added two more ground scores to give him 15 on the year. Just four games into the season, Alexander’s 15 rushing scores are tied for 19th all-time in single-season history. At his current pace, Alexander would have 60, which would be 19 more than his own AFL record 41 set in 2007 with the Nashville Kats. With one more TD, Alexander will become just the sixth player in league history with 80 rushing scores. Alexander is the active all-time rushing TD leader and the next closest active is Orlando’s Marlon Moye-Moore with 50.
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AFL’S ALL-TIME CAREER RUSHING TD LEADERS
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RANK
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PLAYER
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RUSHING TDs
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1
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Barry Wagner
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127
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2
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Andre Bowden
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92
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3
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Chris Ryan
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89
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4
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Bo Kelly
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88
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5
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85
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6
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Dan Alexander (active)
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79
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FANTASTIC FINISHES
The four games Saturday night all came down to the final minute. In all, 60 points were scored in the final one minute of play in those contests. The Cleveland-Spokane game featured 26 points while the Tulsa-Jacksonville contest had 21 points scored in the final minute.
In Jacksonville, Tulsa took the lead with eight seconds left when QB Justin Allgood hit Jeff Hughley on a four-yard score. A 19-yard kickoff return and a pass interference penalty set up Aaron Garcia’s nine-yard TD to Dallas Baker as time expired to give the Sharks the 62-60 win. This marks two straight weeks that the Talons have lost on the final play of the game as time expired.
Down south a couple of hours, the Storm defense prevented a two-point conversion with seven seconds left to secure the Tampa Bay 62-61 victory. On the play, it appeared that pass interference could have been called by the officials in a game that featured 27 accepted penalties, but this one was not one of those penalties.
The Alabama Vipers knocked off the previously unbeaten Milwaukee thanks to recovering an onside kick after the Iron pulled within eight.
Finally, the Cleveland Gladiators won their first game of the season after an explosive final minute. Entering the final minute, the Gladiators led 59-55, and then the Shock took the lead on Kyle Rowley’s two-yard TD to Huey Whittaker. Cleveland regained the lead one second later when John Dutton hit Ben Nelson on a 23-yard TD strike. Rowley then led the Shock down for another TD to go up 68-65 with two seconds left. However, Cleveland’s Brent Holmes returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards for the game’s final score.
STILL UNBLEMISHED
Despite suffering his first loss of the season, Milwaukee QB Chris Greisen has yet to throw an interception this season. This week, he completed 33-of-46 for 360 yards with nine scores. On the year, he has completed 114-of-159 passes for 1,339 yards with 32 TD passes and no interceptions. His 136.5 passer rating tops the AFL as does his completion percentage (73%) and 32 TD passes. Greisen’s last AFL interception was on June 21, 2008 when he tossed three of them at San Jose. In the playoffs, he didn’t throw an interception on 39 attempts but his Georgia Force lost the game.
GREISEN TOSSES TWO PASSES TO HIMSELF
According to the stats (like their correct nowadays), Milwaukee QB Chris Greisen tossed two passes to himself for minus six yards. I didn’t see the game but from accounts from those that did, these plays were not passes and the league will have to attempt to correct these later.
“AARON”ING IT OUT
Jacksonville QB Aaron Garcia surpassed the 900 passing TD mark in the Sharks’ 62-60 win over Tulsa. Garcia becomes just the second player in professional football history to reach the mark with the same league. Clint Dolezel was the first and is the AFL’s all-time leader with 931. Dolezel, who last played for the Dallas Desperados in 2008, is now the head coach of the Indoor Football League’s San Angelo Stampede Express (Wow! Two weeks in a row with IFL references). The Stampede Express is 6-2 on the season, good for second in the Intense Conference’s Lonestar East Division. This week, Dolezel’s boys beat the Austin Turfcats 52-27 powered by a great performance by Derrick Ross who had 52 yards rushing (with two TDs), a six-yard TD pass and caught three balls for 15 yards and a TD. Ross is the IFL’s leader in rushing yards (462) and is tied for the league lead in ground scores (14) with the Wichita Wild’s Darius Fudge.
MARCUM ADDS TO IMPRESSIVE RESUME
With the Storm’s 62-60 win over Arizona, Tampa Bay head coach Tim Marcum became the first to win 200 career AFL games. The next closest coach in victories is Danny White, who is now the Rattlers’ offensive coordinator, with 162. Marcum also won his 150th career game against the Rattlers (in 2003). This is just another first for the seven-time ArenaBowl champion (I’m sure there’s more but this is all I could think of off the top of my head).
MARCUM’S AFL FIRSTS
- First AFL champion (1987, Denver Dynamite)
- First AFL Coach of the Year (1987, Denver Dynamite)
- First AFL coach to win two straight ArenaBowl titles (1987, 88)
- First AFL coach enshrined in AFL Hall of Fame
- First active coach enshrined in any professional football Hall of Fame
- First AFL head coach to reach 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175 and 200 career wins
- Only AFL head coach to win ArenaBowl in first three seasons
- Only AFL head coach to take his team to eight straight ArenaBowls
- Only AFL head coach to take his teams to 17 straight playoff appearances
- Only AFL head coach to win ArenaBowl with two different teams (Denver, Detroit Drive)
- Only AFL head coach to win ArenaBowl with three different teams (Denver, Detroit, Tampa Bay)
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS BABY
In addition to the Storm’s win being the 200th overall victory for head coach Tim Marcum, it also marked the 100th regular season win in Storm history (not including Pittsburgh Gladiators records) which is the most by any team in league history. The next closest is the Arizona Rattlers that have posted 93 home wins followed by the Orlando Predators’ 87.
DeANDREW DA’MAN
The Storm lost Cleannord Saintil and Lawrence Samuels for at least four weeks following the Week Four loss to Milwaukee, but the team signed Tampa Bay area native DeAndrew Rubin, who excelled in his first game with the team. He caught nine passes for 184 yards with five touchdowns, including the game winner. The Storm has produced four different players with at least one 100-yard receiving game (eight total) this season – Rubin (1), Saintil (1), Hank Edwards (3), Tyronne Timmons(3).
CALL ON TYRONE
The Storm’s Tyrone Timmons has already posted multi-TD performances in all nine of his career AFL games, including in all four games this season. He played in the final five games of 2008 for the Storm and had 23 catches for 267 yards and 13 scores. This year in four games, he has posted 34 grabs for 450 yards and 12 TDs, including three games with at least 100-yards receiving.
FORSE TO BE RECKONED WITH
Milwaukee WR Nate Forse posted 207 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 15 catches in the Iron’s loss at Alabama. He has had at least 120 yards receiving, eight grabs and a TD in all four games. Forse is second in the AFL in receptions (44) and receiving yards (597)
DAWG GONE IT
All four of the opponents of the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz this season entered the game without a win on the season. The three teams that came out victorious against OKC were not members of the AFL in 2008 (Jacksonville, Iowa and Dallas). Oklahoma City’s lone win came against Cleveland, which played in the AFL in 2008. The Yard Dawgz will face four former af2 teams before they take on their next AFL 2008 foe – the Tampa Bay Storm on June 5.
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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Nate Forse, MIL
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207
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15
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4
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DeAndrew Rubin, TB
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184
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9
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5
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Huey Whittaker, SPO
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149
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11
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3
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Donovan Morgan, TUL
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131
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9
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3
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Ben Nelson, CLE
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129
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7
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4
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JJ McKelvey, AZ
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127
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13
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3
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Randy Hymes, BS
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123
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8
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2
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Jesse Schmidt, IOWA
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116
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7
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2
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Derrick Lewis, ORL
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112
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12
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2
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Markee White, SPO
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112
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8
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2
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Larry Brakins, DAL
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111
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7
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2
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Rod Windsor, AZ
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109
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8
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2
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Jomo Wilson, JAX
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106
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9
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1
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Dallas Baker, JAX
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105
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8
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4
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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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Kyle Rowley, SPO
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375
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9
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2
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Chris Greisen, MIL
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360
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9
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0
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Nick Davila, AZ
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314
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7
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0
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BREAKING IT DOWN MVP OF THE WEEK: Iowa defensive back Tanner Varner
There were some impressive performances this week turned in by Tampa Bay Storm WR DeAndrew Rubin (a fellow USF alumnus) and Milwaukee’s Nate Forse as well as two losing QBs that went over 300 yards with at least seven touchdown passes and no interceptions (Milwaukee’s Chris Greisen and Arizona’s Nick Davila). However, it was the performance of a defensive player that outshined those four offensive standouts – Iowa defensive back Tanner Varner. The Northern Iowa grad (same school as former Barnstormers QB Kurt Warner) posted 14 unassisted tackles along with two assisted ones, a tackle for loss, two pass breakups and two interceptions – one he returned seven yards for a touchdown. Varner set the tone for the Barnstormers’ ten-point road victory over Orlando with interceptions on back-to-back plays in the first quarter including one he took it to the house for a touchdown.
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2010 BREAKING IT DOWN MVP OF THE WEEK
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WEEK
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PLAYER, TEAM
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STAT NOTE
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1
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Chris Greisen, Milwaukee QB
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83 comp. pct, 327 pass yds, 9 TD, 0 INT
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2
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PJ Berry, Bossier-Shreveport WR/KR
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357 all-purpose yards, 201 rec yds, 7 total TD
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3
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Kyle Rowley, Spokane QB
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75.7 comp. pct, 316 pass yards, 8 TD, 1 INT, 1 rush TD
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4
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Rod Windsor, Arizona WR
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16 receptions, 230 rec. yards 6 rec TD, 2 rush TD
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5
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Tanner Varner, Iowa DB
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15.0 tackles, 2 INT, 2 PBU, 1 TD
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WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN WEEK SIX
· The Chicago Rush puts its lone undefeated record on the line against Milwaukee.
· Milwaukee’s Damian Harrell (13,323) is 41 yards away from passing Barry Wagner (13,363) for the AFL’s all-time lead in receiving yards. Harrell is already the AFL’s all-time leader in receiving TDs and ranks second in receptions - he needs 14 catches to pass Lawrence Samuels for the most in league history.
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.
