18-0: A Legitimate Possibility for the San Jose SaberCats?
Griffin Aseltine
Sunday May 10, 2015
Currently, with a 7-0 record, a Point Differential of 147, and a decisive victory over every single one of their opponents so far despite an inevitable plague of injuries, the 2015 San Jose SaberCats appear to be in a similar state to their 2002 incarnation: unstoppable with complete control over the National Conference. It seems as if their only competition at this point is the American Conference leader Philadelphia Soul, who are also undefeated at the moment, though their dominance hasn't been quite as strong with a Point Differential of 88.
An undefeated season may be an unrealistic concept for any professional sports league to fathom, and with eleven games left to play, it is certainly no guarantee or simple task even for this current SaberCats team. But consider this: the average margin of victory for San Jose so far this season is three touchdowns per game. Their weakest victory by far was a 36-27 Week Three win in Tampa Bay after allowing 20 irrelevant points in the closing minutes. Their defense is ranked the highest in the league in terms of scoring, with an average of just under 35.86 points allowed per game. Upon first look at the schedule, many thought the matchups in Jacksonville and Arizona were probable losses, but they ultimately turned out to be convincing triumphs (albeit the absence of Rattlers Quarterback Nick Davila in the latter game). Major injuries brought key contributors Adron Tennell, Virgil Gray, Erik Meyer, and Reggie Gray off the field, yet their replacements all stood up and proved that not even physical restrictions could stop this team from excelling.
On Saturday night, Wide Receiver Reggie Gray, the team's number one receiver in terms of statistics, was knocked out towards the end of the first half. In response, replacement Brandon Collins had a touchdown reception in the third quarter. "He has all the attributes that you want in a receiver," Head Coach Darren Arbet said in discussion of Collins. "He has good hands, and he was able to get out there and play. We felt comfortable putting him out there."
Quarterback Nathan Stanley also received praise from his teammates following his first start of the season against the Las Vegas Outlaws, which included seven touchdown passes and no interceptions. "He's not a backup. He's our guy," Defensive Back Francis Maka stated in reference to Stanley. "He's brought us far. We're really hopeful in how the rest of the season will play out regardless of who we have under center."
This significantly speaks not only for the vast depth of the SaberCats' roster, but also for the team's chemistry and how it transfers out onto the field. With such a favorable mentality towards teammates like Stanley and Collins, it makes sense that injuries, even the most critical, have hardly affected the momentum of this team. They feel that their replacements are starting material and worthy of the spotlight, and because of that, the loss of any teammate does not shake them up. They feel confident that as long as they work together, they can overcome anything.
The primary reason as to why an undefeated regular season has potential is because the toughest matchup for the SaberCats has already passed: the Rattlers were defeated 56-34 in the desert, a location where San Jose struggled heavily over the past few seasons. Of course, Nick Davila was not present, so it may not be the best indicator as to how these teams would compete against each other in full force. Despite all things considered, the SaberCats will not have to return to Arizona over the entire course of the regular season, so their toughest obstacle is out of the way as long as they can maintain a better record than the Rattlers.
The eleven games that remain on the SaberCats' 2015 schedule are listed below in order:
Remaining Schedule:
VS. Spokane Shock
VS. Los Angeles Kiss
AT Las Vegas Outlaws
AT Spokane Shock
BYE
VS. Portland Thunder
BYE
VS. Arizona Rattlers
AT Los Angeles Kiss
Upon first sight, there are two matchups that stick out as the most difficult, and they are both home matchups against franchises that reached the ArenaBowl last season (Cleveland and Arizona). Arizona, however, likely won't perform much better on the road in San Jose than they did at home, and the Gladiators currently sit at a 4-3 record, hardly frightening to an undefeated team. While these games are certainly not locks, they are more winnable than not. In fact, all matchups listed above are more winnable than not. It's only a matter of if the SaberCats can avoid the trap game that usually haunts most historically dominant teams.
So is it a possibility? Certainly. Is it the most probable outcome? Not necessarily. There will more than likely be that one matchup that the SaberCats have no business losing that will keep the concept of a perfect season from becoming a reality in the Arena Football League. But of course, as long as there is a "0" in the losing column, the dream still remains alive. It's merely a matter of if the stars remain aligned and if the SaberCats are able to remain on their course week by week, starting with their next matchup in Spokane.
