Rush Really are an Expansion Team
Kevin Sheller
Thursday July 12, 2001
The Chicago Rush played one of their better offensive games last week against the Grand Rapids Rampage. They lost because the Rampage just scored more often – actually, on every single possession.
With two games remaining, the Rush need help and they need to win at least one more game to have a chance at a playoff spot. The Rush find themselves in a position that we should have expected from an expansion team – and a good one at that.
At the beginning of the season when head coach Mike Hohensee and his staff assembled the inaugural Rush squad, we were made to believe this was not an expansion team. These were experienced veterans with an experienced coach. These guys expected to surprise the league and wind up as a playoff contender from the start. Of course, many critics were wary -- until the team started to beat up some good opponents early. The Rush created believers out of all of us, and our expectations skyrocketed.
After watching Chicago flounder during this four-game losing streak, our frustrations replaced our expectations. The bizarre plague of turnovers against Indy and then Detroit dumbfounded all. Then the heart-breaker in Los Angeles made us wonder if the Rush knew how to win anymore.
Finally, last week, the Rush traveled to Grand Rapids and played exactly how they should have played. They made only one turnover. They played a solid offensive game. They returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Overall, they played like a good team – certainly a very good expansion team.
But Grand Rapids played like they`ve won nine games. They made no mistakes. They marched up and down the field effortlessly. They made a few critical stops on defense. They ran fast, they called good plays. They were all-around the better team.
Excuses? You can just look at the difference between the Chicago Rush and the Grand Rapids Rampage. You don’t look at turnovers, scheme, injuries, mental lapses, or a lack of fundamentals. You look at skill and ability. Player-for-player, heart-for-heart. Grand Rapids’ Clint Dolezel is a great Arena Football quarterback. The Rush’s Billy Dicken isn’t quite there yet. The Rampage line was better. They got more pressure and protected their own quarterback with vigor. The WR/DBs seemed a bit quicker, a bit more skilled. (Dicken`s interception was earned, not given away.) Play calling was spot-on. Chicago’s was not consistent.
Across the board, the Rush just aren’t quite there yet. How do they get there? Wait for your rookies to become veterans. Keep your eyes open for available talent. Keep practicing. Keep learning. Keep the desire burning.
That’s a good Ladd
This week, WR/DB Anthony Ladd made his first regular-season start, and he did surprisingly well. The former NFL and NFLE player had broken his foot in the preseason, and finally made it back. Based on his performance against one of the league’s best teams, Ladd may make a difference for the Rush this year and next.
Playoff Picture
The Rush’s best chance to earn a berth is to win both of their next two contests. But even then there’s no guarantee. With games against Milwaukee and Orlando, it will be difficult. Win only one, and there’s still a chance, but lots of scenarios make this route treacherous. The Milwaukee game is not technically a must-win, but beating Milwaukee seems more likely than Orlando.
If the season ended today, the Rush would be in the 15th spot due to their head-to-head loss to Los Angeles. Only the top 12 make the playoffs.
Kevin Sheller ia founder of Arenafan Online and was the principal owner until 2004. Kevin graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in technical writing, and has been a member of the Arena Football Internet community since 1993. He has worked as a professional web programmer and is also the executive producer for a computer/video game company. The most recent Xbox title to his credit is called Hunter: The Reckoning.
