Tonight in Phoenix the defending ArenaBowl Champions took down the San Jose SaberCats (2-1) in the snake pit with a final score of 73-47. The ball hawks on the Rattlers (3-0) secondary had three interceptions on Garcia and two were returned for touchdowns in the first half.

 

The SaberCats weren’t able to secure a single game lead because their four turnovers dug them into a hole they couldn’t get out of. On the other side of the ball, San Jose’s defense didn’t make enough game impacting stops to capture any momentum.

 

In week three, the Arizona Rattlers looked just like the well-oiled machine they were when they were named ArenaBowl champions last season, but with some newly acquired weapons. The Rattlers had an outstanding night on both sides of the ball with numerous big plays and the SaberCats never could quite respond with their own big time plays.

 

Going into week four of the season, the SaberCats have a bye that they’ll surely use to work out the kinks they experienced in the snake pit. Garcia’s interceptions need to be cleaned up, team penalties need to go down and the defense needs to work on rising to the occasion.

 

Leanne is a freelance sports journalist residing in the San Francisco Bay Area as she finishes up her Mass Communication, Media Production B.A. at Cal State University, East Bay. This will be her second season as a correspondent covering the San Jose SaberCats.