Sharks Hope To Take Third Bite Out of Tampa Bay This Season
Adam Markowitz
Friday August 2, 2013
The 2013 Tampa Bay Storm are making some history, and it's not the type of history that they would like to be making. Going just 7-11 marked the worst season in franchise history, and a loss in this game to finish up at 7-12 would not only be the most losses that the team has ever suffered, but it would be the worst winning percentage that the team has ever had as well. It's fitting that Storm are going to try to avoid their worst season in franchise history playing against the team that they have the worst record against in franchise history as well, the Jacksonville Sharks.
The Sharks hold a 7-1 advantage all-time in this series, including sweeping the season series this year. The Storm have never won a game in Jacksonville in franchise history. This is also the only active team that Tampa Bay has never beaten on the road in which there are more than two visits in franchise history.
There are questions at the quarterback position for both of these teams. The Sharks played without QB Bernard Morris in the second half of the game last week against this same Tampa Bay outfit, and he was replaced by QB Kyle Rowley. Morris is expected to get the start, but it will be interesting to see how well he fares after getting his bell rung last week following a vicious face mask penalty that caused his entire helmet to get ripped off.
The Storm though, have been a lot more secretive about their quarterback plans. Last week, QB Shane Boyd started against Jacksonville and went 27-of-42 for 315 yards with four TDs and an INT. Boyd though, also lost three fumbles. Whether it is going to be Boyd or QB Randy Hippeard under center will be a game-time decision. Sources have told ArenaFan though, that Boyd has the edge as the starting position as of Thursday.
The bottom line for the Storm is that they need to figure out how to generate some more offense without QB Adrian McPherson under center. Over the course of the last seven games, five of which have been played without McPherson, the Storm have averaged just 45.7 points per game. All seven games were lost.
Tampa Bay is lucky just to be in the playoffs, as it is on the longest losing streak for a team in league history going into the second season.
Jacksonville has had an up and down season, and the 12-6 record that the team put up this year was one that DB Micheaux Robinson admitted was something that, "We aren't happy with."
The Sharks were the last undefeated season in the league this year after winning their first six games of the season, and they finished the year with wins in four of their last five. They only went 2-5 in the middle of it all though, and that nearly cost the team the best record in the league.
Jacksonville posted the third ranked defense in the league this year at 49.1 points per game. The team set the league record for sacks in a season with 45. DL Jerry Turner led the team with 12 sacks. There was only one game this year in which the team did not record a single sack, and that was the team's worst loss of the year, a 76-41 loss to the Spokane Shock.
The offensive line for the Storm has been much beleaguered over the season. The team allowed 51 sacks this year, the second most in the league. Tampa Bay has also surrendered seven sacks in the last two games combined, and both Hippeard and Boyd have been under tons of pressure.
Keep a close eye on WR Joe Hills for the Storm. Hills led the team with 133 receptions, 1,861 yards, and 42 TDs this year. Hills broke the franchise records for touchdowns scored (42), points scored (252), receiving yards (1,861), receiving yards per game (116.3), and receptions (133).
The Sharks are 4-2 all-time in postseason games. Tampa Bay is 22-12 in the second season, but the team has only gone 1-4 in its last five road games in the playoffs dating back to 2002.
