Predators beat New York

Saturday April 21, 2007

ORLANDO, Fla.  --  Shane Stafford threw for five touchdowns and added a sixth touchdown running to lead the Orlando Predators to a 52-47 win over the New York Dragons in front of 13,755 fans on Friday night.

The win lifted the Predators to 4-3 on the season; while New York fell to 1-6.  “This was a hard-fought game and give the Dragons a lot of credit tonight,”  Predators head coach Jay Gruden said.  “With the exception of some long pass plays, I thought we really played well tonight.  Give credit to both teams.”

Stafford completed 21 of 29 passes for 259 yards in the game.  He did not throw an interception and with the exception of a long pass to Javarus Dudley that was ruled incomplete when it appeared he held onto the ball for a touchdown – the Predators scored on every drive other than the final one when they ran out the clock.

Dudley scored three of Orlando’s seven touchdowns to earn Offensive MVP honors.  He had 83 yards on five catches for two scores and added a third TD running.  RJ Russell led all Predators receivers with 91 yards on seven catches.

For the Dragons, Rohan Davey had 259 yards and five touchdowns on a 21 of 35 night, but threw two interceptions.  Mike Horacek had eight receptions 131 yards and two touchdowns.

It took NewYork just three plays to jump on top in the game.  A 40-yard pass from Davey to Horacek set up a 1-yard TD run by Ja’Mar Toombs and the Dragons led 7-0 at the 12:37 mark of the first quarter.

Orlando answered on their first possession as Stafford hit Dudley on a 31-yard touchdown pass at the 8:38 mark of the first quarter to tie it at 7-7.  But the Dragons needed just one play to take the lead again.  After a long kickoff return by DeShane Dennis, Davey hit Jason Willis on the five-yard line. Willis was hit and fumbled but the ball bounced into the end zone where Chris Anthony recovered it for a touchdown.

Dudley then made it a 14-14 game on a five-yard touchdown run.  The key play of the drive was a 11-yard completion to Clif Dell on a 4th and eight play. The Dragons made it three-for-three on their next possession, this time Davey hit Horacek on a 5-yard scoring pass.   Chris Eggleston came up with a blocked kick on the PAT however and the Dragons lead was six at 20-14 at the 9:57 mark of the second quarter.

Dudley’s 10-yard touchdown reception on a third and goal play gave the Predators their first lead of the night when Jay Taylor tackled on the extra point to make it 21-20 at the 4:20 mark of the period.

New York would drive down to the Predators four-yard line and pick up a first and goal.  But the Dragons elected to run all but 18 seconds off the clock in effort to keep the ball out of Orlando’s hands.  The strategy backfired, as Rayshun Reed stepped in from of Horacek in the end zone and made a diving interception.

Stafford hit quick passes for JR Russell and Dell and Taylor nailed a 44-yard field goal attempt as time expired as the Predators took a 24-20 lead into the locker room.

Orlando drove 49 yards on their first possession of the second half to make it a 31-20 game.   Stafford’s 34-yard pass to Dudley set up a first down on New York’s three-yard line.  On the next play, Stafford faked a sweep to the fullback and hit tight end Charles Hill in the end zone for the score.

The Dragons made it a four-point game as Davey found Anthony on a 10-yard scoring pass at the 7:12 mark of the third quarter.  The drive was set up when Orlando’s kickoff failed to hit the net, setting New York up on its own 20-yard line.

But Orlando answered on their second possession of the quarter, with Stafford capping off a 30-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown pass to Russell at the 3:34 mark of the third period to take a 38-27 lead.

The Preds then took a 18-point lead in the game when Marlon Moye-Moore intercepted a pass and Stafford hit Dell on the first play from scrimmage for a 14-yard touchdown and a 45-27 lead.

But the Dragons needed just two plays to cut the lead to 11.   Faced with a second and ten on his one seven, Davey hit Horacek on a 43-yard bomb to cut Orlando’s lead to 45-34.

New York would then get a huge break when officials ruled that Dudley was out of bounds on a potential touchdown grab on fourth down.  Toombs would convert the stop with a short touchdown run and the Predators lead was five at 45-40.

Orlando upped the lead to 12 when Stafford ran it in on a naked bootleg from the four-yard line at the 6:04 mark to make it 52-40.  Anthony would then grab a 10-yard touchdown pass with 33 seconds remaining to make it a 52-47, but the ensuing on-sides kick failed and the Predators held on for the win.