Avengers Flop in Oklahoma
Steve Jacobson
Tuesday July 24, 2001
Perhaps the only thing that resembled any of the previous games was an opponent’s kick returner running wild up and down the field. Oklahoma’s Lamont Cooper returned kickoffs, missed field goals and caught passes for a total of 330 all-purpose yards. In the process, he set AFL single-season records for kick return yards, all-purpose yards, kickoff return yards, total kick returns and total kickoff returns.
Without the services of the first four quarterbacks they used earlier in the season, the Avengers managed to hang with the Wranglers during a first half shootout, only to find themselves trailing 36-30.
Both teams marched the length of the field in a minimal number of plays in the first 30 minutes. Oklahoma (5-9) scored once off a four-play drive, twice on two plays and two more times on one-play drives. The Avengers (5-9) scored on seven plays, four plays and two one-play drives.
Wally Richardson, who was the fifth starting quarterback for Los Angeles this year, completed 7 of 16 passes for 151 yards and no interceptions. Richardson was effective throwing the long ball as evident by his touchdown passes to Anthony Rice (41 yards), Travis Hannah (45) and J.J. Washington (37) in the first half.
Jim Druckenmiller came in to play the second half, a move that Avenger coach Robert Lyles said would happen sometime during the game. Druckenmiller struggled on his first two possessions, going 0-for-5 with both possessions ending in missed field goals of 50 yards or longer. Druckenmiller ended the game 5-for-13 with 82 yards and one touchdown and one interception.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Avengers line did a solid job of putting pressure on Oklahoma quarterback Jeff Loots. Despite Loots’ statistics, 21-for-28 passing for 344 yards and seven touchdowns, Los Angeles managed to collect four quarterback sacks. Carlos Fowler and Victor Hall each had 1.5 sacks and Bronzell Miller added one more as the Avengers nearly doubled their season total going from five to nine sacks.
In the defensive backfield, Mark Ricks didn’t suit up, nursing injuries to his right leg and ankle. Instead, Los Angeles started rookie Mel Miller, Jr. He struggled early with three first-half penalties, but he did end up with a team-high six tackles and had an interception of 17 yards for a touchdown.
Miller was one of several Avengers to get a look as a possible kick returner. Rice and Hannah also were deep backs on kickoffs with Ricks out of the lineup. Los Angeles needs to find a proven threat on kick returns as the average field position following a kickoff or missed field goal was just inside the 10-yard line against Oklahoma.
With the Avengers failing to make the playoffs, the offseason might be spent wondering “what if.” What if Lyles began the season as the head coach, instead of taking over with the team 0-3? What if the Avengers wouldn’t have had injury problems at quarterback?
For the front office, the offseason will most likely be spent trying to solidify the line and find a game-breaker on offense to take the pressure of wide receiver/linebacker Chris Jackson. A decision will also need to be made whether to keep Lyles as the head coach.
Steve Jacobson was a writer for ArenaFan Online during the 2001 season.
