This Sounds Too Familiar

Jeff Sims
Wednesday May 11, 2011

There was a quote in a story on the official league website after the Chicago Rush lost an inter-division game to the Tulsa Talons this past weekend that intrigued me. That quote came from Rush first year head coach Bob McMillen.

McMillen said after the 64-45 loss; “We have to figure a lot of things out. We have to figure out if we have the right personnel here."

Really? This sounds awfully familiar to me. (Story 4/23/11)

After the team had five turnovers in its loss to the Kansas City Command two weeks earlier, McMillen hinted during the post-game press conference that some changes would need to be made in personnel at that time.

What happened in the week between the loss to Kansas City and the win against the New Orleans VooDoo?

Not too much.

Did a win against a sub-standard VooDoo team at home convince the Rush head coach that he was okay with the team that he already had?

There have been passes overthrown. There is no way that the Rush is doing anything with Russ Michna. He is a proven commodity in this league.

There have been receivers consistently not getting open. The same three receivers started the two games after the loss.

Blocks have not been made on the offensive line. The tandem of Vance, Watkins, and Turkovich continue to protect their usually solid quarterback.

Defensive backs have been accused of playing their own coverage instead of what was called by the coaching staff. To their credit, the Rush released defensive back Greg James after the game against the Command and then had to bring him back after the player that they wanted to bring in, Marcus McClinton, had already signed with an IFL team. That IFL team would not release him from his contract to play for the Rush. McClinton had been in training camp with the Rush and suffered an injury before the start of the season and was released. The team wanted a DB that knew their defensive schemes.

Needless to say, the same tandem of players have been in the secondary for the last two games.

After a mirage the previous week against New Orleans, the offensive (and I mean that literally) Rush offense showed up again on Saturday night against the Talons.

After a score on their first possession and an interception return for a touchdown by defensive back Jason Simpson gave the Rush an early 14 – 0 lead, the Talons scored 27 unanswered points.

In that stretch from the end of the first quarter through the middle of the second quarter, the mistake prone Rush re-emerged. A breakdown on the offensive line led to an intentional grounding penalty. In that same drive, the Rush would later fumble on their six yard line. The fumble was recovered by the Talons leading to their scoring parade.

On their subsequent drives, the Rush would have a field goal blocked and another fumble that was recovered by Tulsa.

Of the 45 points scored by the Rush, one touchdown was on the Simpson interception, two points on a sack by Rush DE Quartez Vickerson, and the final ten points were scored in the last six minutes of the game, well after the outcome had been determined.

After a game in which the Rush offense turned the ball over seven times, might there actually be some signs of turnaround this time?

McMillen has stated that his players need to be held accountable. For the sake of his football team and for the fans, it is time for him to show that he means business.

Moves made on Monday show that there will be change going into next Saturday’s game against the team with the best record in the league, the Arizona Rattlers.

The team traded wide receiver Tod Devoe to the injury laden Kansas City Command for future considerations. This should ultimately mean that veteran wide receiver JJ McKelvey, who the Rush acquired the previous week, will make his first start for Chicago against the team he was with last season.

McKelvey racked up 119 catches for 1,324 yards and 39 touchdowns for the Rattlers last season. In 2008, he played with the Utah Blaze and recorded 121 catches for 1,534 yards and 38 touchdowns.

That should definitely give the team’s leading wide receiver, Reggie Gray, some help.

Center Beau Elliott, who has been recovering from a knee injury since week one, was removed from injured reserve last week and should be able to start against Arizona. This move should significantly decrease the number of center to quarterback exchange fumbles that have plagued the Rush since his injury.

While no changes have been made in the secondary, the Rush beefed up their defensive line. With an injury to defensive lineman Joe Clermond, the team has signed Kirston Pittman (6’3” 260) out of LSU. Pittman was an undrafted free agent in 2009 with the St. Louis Rams.

With games upcoming against Arizona, the central division leading Dallas Vigilantes, and the same Tulsa team that just embarrassed them, this string of games will surely display what this current Chicago Rush team is made of.

Weekly Notes

Tulsa QB Matt Bassuener finished the game with three passing touchdowns to go along with four rushing touchdowns. What is with the trend this season in the AFL in rushing the football??

Talons WR Troy McBroom returned and scored two touchdowns on 136 receiving yards after sustaining a concussion in the team’s loss against the Pittsburgh Power in early April.

Rush DE Quartez Vickerson recorded two sacks in the game. He now has six on the season.

Russ Michna was 17 for 26 passing with 248 yards and three touchdowns in the game.

DB Vic Hall tallied two interceptions within a minute of each other in the second quarter,

The Rush would score only one touchdown in the third quarter. They would then score the last 10 points of the game with less than six minutes to play.