Predators drop 48-45 decision to New Orleans

Saturday March 31, 2007

NEW ORLEANS, La.  (March 31) –  Quarterback Andy Kelly hit Troy Mason on a 14-yard touchdown pass with just 11 seconds remaining to give the New Orleans VooDoo a 48-45 upset win over the Orlando Predators on Saturday night.
 
Orlando had one last chance to send the game to overtime, but Jay Taylor’s 38-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left as time expired.
 
“This one is going to hurt for a while as we had our opportunities to put the game away on several occasions,” Predators head coach Jay Gruden said.  “But we made too many mistakes to win on the road.  Give New Orleans credit, they never quit.”
 
Still, it was Orlando’s inability to take advantage of turnovers and defensive stops – along with a breakdown in the kicking game that hurt the Predators.  In the first half, Orlando held a 26-14 lead and had just taken control after a third VooDoo turnover – only to see Shane Stafford throw an interception late in the second quarter.  New Orleans turned the turnover into points that allowed the VooDoo to cut the lead to five at the half.
 
After a slow second half start, Orlando again took a 12-point lead when Ryan Bowers intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown.   But New Orleans rallied with a touchdown and Orlando then turned the ball over on downs.  A James Jordan 1-yard touchdown run gave New Orleans a 41-39 lead with 3:22 remaining.
 
Orlando answered on a 41-yard pass from Stafford to Dudley on a 4th and six play before Kelly’s heroics gave the VooDoo the win.
 
For the contest, Stafford completed 24 of 37 for 305 yards and five touchdowns.  But two interceptions, along with an uncharacteristic kicking night by Taylor proved too much to overcome.  Taylor missed two extra points and two field goal attempts. Orlando also missed two, two-point conversions.
 
Orlando jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead in the game on a Charles Lee 34-yard touchdown reception from Stafford.  The score was set-up on Lin-J Shell’s second interception of the season.
 
The VooDoo took the lead on their second possession with Andy Kelly hitting Tyronne Jones on an 18-yard scoring strike to make it 7-6 at the 8:23 mark.  The drive was aided by a key third down penalty that took the VooDoo out of a third and long situation.
 
Orlando reclaimed the lead at 12-7 on Javarus Dudley’s one-yard touchdown run at the 1:58 mark of the first quarter.  New Orleans answered on their next drive – converting a pair of third down plays on a 48-yard touchdown march that ended on Dan Curran’s 1-yard touchdown run to make it 14-13 at the 13:17 mark of the second period.
 
It took Orlando just two plays to regain the lead, as Jerrian James caught a short slant and ran past the opposition for a 37-yard touchdown.  Taylor tacked on the extra point and Orlando led 19-12.
 
Orlando’s second interception of the game set up a 23-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Dudley, but Taylor missed his second extra point of the game and Orlando led 26-14 at the 2:48 mark.
 
The Predators had a chance to make it a three score-game at the half when they forced their third turnover of the game.  But the VooDoo returned the favor as Roc Haith intercepted Stafford in the end zone.  >From there, New Orleans went on a 40-yard touchdown drive that ended on a three-yard touchdown pass from Kelly to tight end Tango McCauley with just four seconds remaining in the half to make it a 26-21 game.   The drive was aided by two huge illegal defense calls on the Predators.
 
The touchdown lifted the VooDoo’s spirit, as they held Orlando scoreless on their first possession of the second half.  Taylor’s 32-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright and Orlando’s lead remained five at 26-21 with 9:11 remaining.  Orlando came up with a defensive stop of its own, but on a third and four from the seven, Kelvin Hunter stepped in front of a Stafford pass it took it 48-yards for touchdown and  27-26 lead.
 
The Predators would regain the lead on a bit of trickery of their own.  Faced with a third and one, Stafford faked a pitch to Dudley then went over top to James – who made a diving catch in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown and a 33-27 lead with 13:25 remaining.
 
Orlando then got a break of their own, as Ryan Bowers stepped in front of a Kelly pass on a third and three and returned it 12-yards for a touchdown and a 39-27 lead.  McCauley would then make it a five-point game, catching his second touchdown pass of the game to make it a 39-34 game with 8:49 remaining.
 
The Predators fell to 2-3 on the season and 2-1 in the Southern Division, while the VooDoo improved to 3-2 and 1-0.  Orlando now has a bye week before returning home to face arch-rival Tampa Bay (0-5) on April 22.