Destroyers Looking To Rebound
Tom Ando
Thursday May 3, 2001
"We let down last week against the New York Dragons. We`ve put that behind us, but I believe we`re going to get better based on that experience,” said Head Coach Ray Bentley. “We did not play very well. I was able to point that out to the football team in our film session after watching the game and there were no doubts of the mistakes that were being made. There were far too many, for whatever reason. We really killed ourselves in there. We realize that, and we`ve worked hard for a good game preparation. We`re working hard and the attitude is very solid."
In that loss, Buffalo found a new weapon in Offensive Specialist Reggie Allen. Allen led all receivers with eight receptions for 158 yards, and two touchdowns. Allen also tallied big numbers returning kicks. On nine returns, he had 208 yards, including one touchdown. In all, Allen had 366 total yards, breaking the Destroyers team record.
Although Bentley claimed that Allen was capable making big plays days before the game, few believed it, but to Allen, his first taste of Arena Football success was no shock.
"I wasn`t surprised as far as productivity, because we practice hard and we play that way, so…one of the things I was looking forward to is playing how I practice."
This week the Destroyers will showcase Allen and the league`s number one ranked passer in total offense, Jim Kubiak, as they travel to Carolina to take on the Cobras.
Last weekend, the Cobras traveled to Chicago for what many thought would be an easy win, but they dropped the ball game by a score of 41-38 to the expansion Rush. McNair was 25 of 43 for 240 yards and five touchdowns. On the season, McNair has completed 63 passes on 91 attempts for 12 touchdowns and no interceptions for a rating of 120.8.
To Bentley, shutting down McNair won`t consist of any big secrets. "You`ve got to get pressure on Fred, and that`s no different that any Quarterback. Nobody likes to get hit, except maybe boxers," joked Bentley. "We need to get the pressure on him, and do it early. Don`t let him get into a groove because Fred is a little bit of a streaky guy. If he gets hot, he can do whatever he wants to, so we need to get hits on him early and mix the coverages up a little bit, and try to keep him out of a rhythm."
Another player that Bentley feels is a threat to the Destroyers is Offensive Specialist Carl Bond, who, much like Allen, can be dangerous whenever he touches the ball.
"Carl Bond is playing outstanding. He`s just got a knack. If you ask me what he does that`s so special, I can`t put a finger on it and say he`s fast or he`s got this or that. He just does everything well, and he finds where he can beat you. If you make a mistake, he`ll beat you, especially returning," explained Bentley. "If we aren`t sound in our kickoff coverage, he`ll find that mistake, and he`ll beat you. He`s very good that way, so we just have to be disciplined. We`ll try to defend him both on defense and in the kicking game. We have to play disciplined, make sure everybody just does their responsibility, and don`t worry about what other people are doing."
So far in this young season, Bond averages 204.3 yards per game, ranking him third in the league, he also has scored 48 points.
This week Buffalo will have debuted several new players, including a recent member of the XFL`s Los Angeles Xtreme, Offensive/Defensive Lineman Jerry Crafts. "He brings some solid experience as an offensive lineman," said Bentley. "All my guys are defensive linemen that we`ve taught to play offense, and now I have a guy that`s really an offensive lineman, and now we teach him to play defense, so it adds a little balance to that equation. Jerry`s a veteran guy, he`s been around, he`s played forever, and he`s seen it all, so he`s going to be a big influence in the locker room as well."
Bentley believes that the addition of Crafts should present an interesting battle in the trenches. "The Carolina Cobras are a good football team. They have as good of a pass rush as there is in the Arena Football League. They get after the quarterback pretty good. That`s a challenge to us with the new people we`re going to have on our offensive line. I think we`re going to be more solid though. I think we`re going to give Jim Kubiak a chance and give him some time to throw the football. We`ve got some talented receivers. When we get the ball in people`s hands, we can make exciting things happen. I think it`s key for us to slow the rush down, so we have to do that."
Another move is in the kicking department, where Buffalo waived Kicker Pete Elezovic, and as of the time of the press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Bentley was unable to name the new kicker due to contract finalization.
Offensively for the Destroyers, it may be a struggle to get on top of Carolina, who are ranked number six in the league in total defense, and third in scoring defense. Allen and the offense hope practice makes perfect as far as the match-up goes. "They have a very good defense. We watched film, we`re preparing for them, we`ve talked about them and we try to simulate them as much as possible. I think we should fare pretty well."
As for the defensive side of the ball, that is where Buffalo has struggled this season at times, but Bentley believes that his team is game. "I think we match up good. We`re going to get Willie Latta back in there this week, that`s going to help us defensively a little bit, and we worked well in practice this week. A key for me in this one is getting pressure. Don`t give them anything. We have a problem of breaking down and just giving people things. You can`t do that because at that point, you`re beating yourself, and we`re not good enough to play that way. That`s the biggest thing, don`t give them anything."
Buffalo is 2-1 and so is Carolina, this could be a key game if there is a tight playoff race near season`s end. "The stakes are high," said Bentley. "I know it`s early in the year, but the winner of this could possibly have sole and individual claim to first place in our division."
"Touchdown" Tom Ando is a free lance writer from South Buffalo, NY and has been covering the Arena Football League in one capacity or another since the 2000 season, when he was 17 years old. Tom Currently writes for Sports & Leisure Magazine in Buffalo covering the NLL's Buffalo Bandits and NCAA Division I football. In 2001, Tom was the only writer in the country to cover the Houston "Travelin' " Thunderbears, where he befriended his mentor John F. "Hondo" Hahn.
