Breaking it Down – 2010 Divisional Playoffs
Andy Lopusnak
Wednesday August 11, 2010
And then there were four. The top two seeds in the National Conference advanced while the bottom two seeds in the American Conference won on the road. Milwaukee and Spokane are left in the National, while the league's greatest rivalry will meet for the eighth time in the postseason in the American side (Orlando and Tampa Bay). The divisional round was the highest scoring of any four-team playoff round in league history. This and more are featured in the Divisional Playoff edition of Breaking it Down.
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AFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF RESULTS
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Orlando 73, JACKSONVILLE 69
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SPOKANE 57, Arizona 49
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Tampa Bay 68, TULSA 38
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MILWAUKEE 64, Chicago 54
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Orlando 73, Jacksonville 69
In Jacksonville, the Sharks overcame a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit to take a 69-66 lead but left too much time on the clock (20 seconds) as Orlando retook the lead 12 seconds later. The Preds lucked out as the Sharks opted for the win over a potential tie and overtime in the final eight ticks when an Aaron Garcia pass fell incomplete. A combined 60 points were scored in the fourth quarter. Orlando’s 73 points is the second most by a winning playoff team in league history.
Spokane 57, Arizona 49
Spokane scored 17 points in the final 1:34 of the first half after trailing 14-13 to beat Arizona for a third time in 2010. The Shock's 160 total yards of offense are the fewest by a winning playoff team since 1988. Arizona WR Rod Windsor caught 15 balls for 215 yards and five TDs in a losing effort (all three are among the best ever in AFL playoff history). Arizona’s postgame recaps continue to entertain. This week it states: "Early in the game, the Rattlers seemed to be the better team, forcing three big fourth downs, coming within inches of two onside kick recoveries, and nearly making a couple key interceptions." Is this horseshoes and hand grendades? They forgot to add that aliens almost landed on the roof of the arena, made first contact and helped the Rattlers win the game.
Tampa Bay 68, Tulsa 38
After a Tulsa opening drive score, Tampa Bay scored on nine straight possessions to blowout the Talons by 30 and avenge its regular season Week One loss. Storm QB Brett Dietz completed 22-of-29 (75.9%) for 263 yards with seven TDs and no interceptions before sitting out the final twelve minutes because the game was decided. Talons QB Justin Allgood completed just 46.5% of his passes and was picked off three times. This marked the Storm's first playoff win since winning ArenaBowl XVII in 2003.
Milwaukee 64, Chicago 54
Milwaukee trailed 27-20 after a Chris Greisen interception was returned 50 yards for a TD, but the team never trailed again thanks to Greisen's AFL playoff record tying nine passing TDs (on 26-of-32 passing for 312 yards). His big targets were Damian Harrell who nabbed five scores and Antoine Burns who pulled in four. Chicago had its chances but two turnovers and two turnovers on downs killed the Rush's comeback.
2010 PLAYOFF SCHEDULE - CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Thursday, August 12
National Conference: #2 Milwaukee at #1 Spokane
Saturday, August 14
American Conference: #4 Orlando at #3 Tampa Bay
LOOKING BACK
At the very beginning of the season, three of the four remaining teams struggled out of the gate. Spokane lost its home opener to Milwaukee and was 2-2 before going on an eleven-game winning streak. Tampa Bay lost in Week One to Tulsa, which it beat this week to advance, and started 2-3. Orlando was 0-3 to start the season and at one point was 5-7. Milwaukee, on the other hand, shot out to a 3-0 start and is the only remaining team that never had a losing record during the regular season.
LOOKING AHEAD - Milwaukee at Spokane
Thursday night, the Iron and Shock met for the National Conference championship game. The two played in Week One of the regular season with Milwaukee beating Spokane 74-62. In that game, Greisen completed 30-of-36 for 327 yards with nine TDs and no interceptions. He three the ball to just three receivers all of which had at least nine grabs for 100 yards and two scores. The Iron took a 27-21 lead with 18 seconds left in the first half, then added a fumble return for a score as the half ended to go up 34-21 and never trailed again. In the fourth quarter, the teams combined for 60 points scored including four touchdowns in the final 55 seconds.
This game pits the league's best teams in terms of least turnovers as both tied for the league lead with just 21 total turnovers. Milwaukee finished with the league's top offensive unit in total yards, passing yards, total touchdowns, points scored, least times sacked and third down conversions. However, the Iron's 193 penalties are a league regular season record - Spokane had the fourth fewest penalties in 2010. Also, Milwaukee's defense had the second most sacks in the league and led the AFL in sack yardage.
Spokane's offensive unit was third in points scored; fifth in total yards and passing yards; and second in fourth down conversions. Defensively, the Shock was third in total defense, second in yards per play and tied for third in sacks. Spokane's special teams unit tied for the league lead in kickoff returns for touchdowns despite having the fewest number of overall returns. Additionally, the Shock allowed the second fewest first downs while the Iron gave up the most in the league.
MORE WAR ON I-4
This Saturday night, the league's great rivalry will play out for the 46th time and eighth time in the postseason. Orlando leads the overall series 23-22 and there's just eight points separating the teams in scoring in these games (1976-1968). In all previous seven playoff matchups, the winner either won the ArenaBowl or at least played for the title. Twice the teams met for the ArenaBowl (in 1995 TB won; in 1998 ORL won with both games at Tampa Bay).
The game features two of the best defenses in the league. Tampa Bay finished second in points allowed (by eight points), tied for third in sacks, third in passing defense, sixth in total defense and its opponents were penalized the most in the league (AFL record for penalties and penalty yards). Orlando's defense was fifth in points allowed, but led the league in turnovers, interceptions, opponent passer rating and tied for the league lead in safeties.
Offensively, Tampa Bay had its best season in the franchise's 23-year history led by QB Brett Dietz's 5,034 yards and 106 TDs (both were good for third in the AFL and team records. The Storm also had three receivers with at least 1,000 yards and 20 TDs. Orlando struggled for the early part of the season losing its first three games, but had impressive wins over four playoff teams (MIL, TUL, JAX and TB) as well as a one-point loss to Spokane. Rookie QB Nick Hill has had an up and down season, but after teammate Kenny McEntyre called him out after the Spokane loss, Hill has been on a tear. In those eight contests, Hill has had a passer rating of over 100 in seven and has completed almost 70% of his passes (also has 51 passing TD to six INT - in previous nine games he had 34 TD and 12 INT).
ALL AMERICAN
The American Conference championship game features the only two former AFL teams that comprise that conference. If Orlando wins, it will become the first AFL team to win a conference championship in both the National and American conferences. The AFL changed the way the playoffs were structured in 2005 and made it based on conference instead of overall record. Orlando was the National Conference champions in 2006 but lost to Chicago in the ArenaBowl. Though Tampa Bay has been to six ArenaBowls (winning five), the team hasn’t been back to the title game since 2003 – two years before the league made the game between the two conference champions. Orlando and Tampa Bay were members of the National Conference until 2008, then when the AFL re-launched this season was moved to the American Conference because the league adopted the af2 conference and division structure. An Orlando win will put the Preds into the ArenaBowl a record eight times (two wins). It would also tie the Storm for having three different head coaches lead the same team to an ArenaBowl (for Orlando only Jay Gruden won though while all three different Storm coaches won titles). A Tampa Bay win will give the Storm its seventh ArenaBowl appearance (five wins) which would tie Orlando for the most.
NATIONAL PRIDE
If Spokane wins, it will mark the fourth time in the team’s five-year history that it will play for an Arena Football championship. From 2006-09, the Shock was a member of the af2 and won the ArenCup in its expansion 2006 season as well as the final af2 year of 2009. In 2008, the Shock lost in overtime to Tennessee Valley (now Alabama) in that year’s ArenaCup. Both wins were at neutral sites, while the one loss was a home game.
For Milwaukee, a win could put the league in a percarioussituation. Though the Iron has a better record than Orlando and has a head-to-head tiebreaker over Tampa Bay, Milwaukee doesn’t have access to its normal arena and the team’s attendance this year was less than half that of either American Conference team, which finished with the top two attendances. Tampa Bay averaged almost triple the attendance of Milwaukee.
Would the league allow the title game in an arena that will produce the worse attended ArenaBowl game ever? Or will it do like it did right before the playoffs and give the game to the opponent? The AFL said if Arizona clinched the #3 seed, it would host #2 seed Milwaukee because the alternate arena in Milwaukee was deemed too small by league commissioner Jerry Kurz, who added "we need to maintain standards." But Arizona lost and the Iron playoff game against Chicago ended up being in the small and not up-to-standard alternate arena.
WARNER TO BE IN THE BOOTH
Former AFL QB Kurt Warner will be in the broadcast booth for the NFL Network telecast of the National Conference championship game instead of Michael Lombardi, who numerous times last week called the Predators "Tampa Bay." Lombardi uses his extensive and very knowledgeable NFL logic to explain the indoor game. Though football is football, this is not always the case with Arena Football and in the small instances where NFL logic doesn't apply, Lombardi doesn't look good. If he's brought back for the ArenaBowl, please NFL Network let him spend a film session with both head coaches. Lombardi is awesome with Xs and Os in the NFL and if he just got that little help in the AFL, he'd be outstanding (and of course not calling Orlando by the name of its most hated rival would help too).
This will be Warner's second time as an analyst this season and I hope that he is brought back next week for the ArenaBowl. From 1995-97, Warner posted three fantastic seasons with the Iowa Barnstormers before being signed by the St. Louis Rams. In those three years, Warner was All-Arena First Team twice and led Iowa to two ArenaBowl appearances. Anyone reading this already knows Warner's fantastic rise from bag boy to Super Bowl MVP. He retired from the NFL earlier this year and left the game with NFL career numbers and records that put him among the greatest to ever play the game.
Among the QBs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Warner has a higher completion percentage and averaged more yards per game than any of them. Only Steve Young had a better passer rating and only Dan Marino had more career 300-yard passing games than Warner.
He was a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP and took two different bottom-dwelling teams to the Super Bowl. In his three Super Bowl appearances, Warner posted the three best passing yardage totals in Super Bowl history. All three Super Bowls were decided in the final minute and are still considered among the best Super Bowl games ever. I could go on and on about Warner and will do so in a special Breaking it Down in the offseason.
FIX THE STATS ALREADY
It's the playoffs and this league is an embarrassment when it comes to stats. The stats from the Preds-Sharks game has Orlando rushing for what would be a playoff (and overall AFL record) 148 yards, but alas it's wrong (is this really any surprise to anyone).
Orlando FB James Lynch did have a 36-yard rushing TD in the game, but the 43-yarder credited to him late in the second quarter should've been a three-yard rush but the stupid stats program instead put a Jacksonville pass interference penalty at the Orlando five-yard line instead of the Jacksonville five-yard line. Additionally, Preds QB Nick Hill's credited 45-yard run shouldn't be a run at all. On the first play of the third quarter, Hill fumbled and Sharks lineman Henry Taylor fell on it in the end zone for a zero-yard Jacksonville TD. The stats program has it as a Hill 45-yard run, then a fumble that Taylor scooped up and ran 50 yards for a TD.
There's other errors in other games as well. I've counted over 50 stats errors in the four playoff games. This is an embarrassment. At least we only have two more weeks of it. If, however, the Board of Directors vote to keep this crappy product then everyone that votes for it should be forced to operate this sad excuse of a stats program. Then it would be unanimously voted against and StatCrew would return and help bring back accountable and reliable stats.
DIVISIONAL ROUND STATS LEADERS
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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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Rod Windsor, AZ
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210
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15
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5
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Antoine Burns, MIL
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135
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9
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4
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Newton, CHI
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123
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11
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5
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Carlese Franklin, TUL
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121
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8
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1
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Bobby Sippio, ORL
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113
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9
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4
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DeJuan Alfonzo, CHI
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108
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10
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1
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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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Aaron Garcia, JAX
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346
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7
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1
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Nick Davila, AZ
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315
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6
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1
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Chris Greisen, MIL
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312
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9
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1
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BREAKING IT DOWN MVP OF THE WEEK: Orlando WR Bobby Sippio
Sippio carried the Preds to a stunning win over the American Conference's top seed thanks to six touchdowns (four receiving, two rushing). He caught nine passes for 113 yards, none bigger than the 16-yarder with eight seconds left to give Orlando the victory.
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2010 BREAKING IT DOWN MVP OF THE WEEK
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WK
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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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6
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Tommy Grady, Oklahoma City QB
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81 comp. pct, 430 pass yards, 10 TD, 1 INT
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7
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Ben Nelson, Cleveland WR
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13 receptions, 202 yards, 6 TD
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8
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Nick Hill, Orlando QB
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314 yards, 5 pass TD, 1 INT, 21 rushing yards, 3 rush TD
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9
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Caesar Rayford, Utah lineman
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3 defensive TD (2 INT, 1 fumble), 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 FF
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10
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Rod Windsor, Arizona WR
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16 rec, 162 yards, 3 rec TD, 2 rush TD, GW 2pt conv.
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11
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Tiger Jones, Milwaukee WR
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11 rec. 138 yards, 5 TD
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12
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Nick Davila, Arizona QB
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77 comp pct, 319 yards, 9 TD, 0 INT
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13
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Ryan Vena, Iowa QB
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90.9% (20/22), 245 yards, 7 TD, 0 INT, 38 rush yds (1 TD)
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14
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Chris Greisen, Milwaukee QB
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91.3% (21/23), 330 yards, 8 TD, 0 INT, 158.33 rating
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15
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Donovan Morgan, Tulsa WR
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9 receptions, 180 receiving yards, 5 TD, 1 tackle
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16
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Gabe Nyenhuis, Tulsa DL
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2 sacks, 2 FF, 1 fumble recovery
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17
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Damian Harrell, Milwaukee WR
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11 catches for 156 yards and four TD
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18
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T.T. Toliver, Orlando WR
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9 receptions for 123 yards and six TD
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DIV RD
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Bobby Sippio, Orlando WR
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9 receptions for 113 yards and four TD (also 2 rush TD)
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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.
