Philadelphia beats Predators 63-49

Friday June 22, 2007

PHILADELPHIA, PA  --  Tony Graziani fired six touchdown passes and ran for two others to lead the Philadelphia Soul (8-8) to a 63-49 win over the Orlando Predators (8-8) in the regular season finale for both clubs.
 
The win guaranteed that the Soul will open the playoffs at home.  A Tampa Bay win this weekend against Austin will send the Predators back to Philadelphia next week.  A Tampa Bay loss will keep the Predators at home.
 
The loss was also the Predators fourth in their last five games.  “We have actually played fairly well in a lot of those games,” Head Coach Jay Gruden said.  “But in everyone of those games it seems like we do five or six insanely idiotic things that cost us any chance of victory.”
 
This game was no different as the Predators took 14-point leads on three different occasions in the first half.  But a late second quarter touchdown by Philadelphia, combined by a quick four out by the Predators, allowed the Soul to tie the game at the half.  “We just needed to complete a stupid hitch pass and we weren’t able to do it,”  Gruden lamented. “That and Levon Thomas’ fumble in the third quarter were devastating and certainly the turning points of this game.”
 
After Thomas’ fumble, the Predators were forced to play catch-up for most the of the second half and could not get closer than seven points.
 
For the game, Graziani completed 25 of 42 for 262 yards and two touchdowns.  Former Preds player Jerrian James scored two of those touchdowns, while JJ McKelvey added three touchdowns – catching seven passes for 100 yards.  Michael Brown, another former Pred added a 56-yard kickoff return and also had an interception.
 
Shane Stafford threw for 301 yards for the Predators and five scores, but also had an interception and fumble.   TT Toliver was the big play guy for Orlando, catching 12 passes for 114 yards and three touchdowns and adding a 56-yard kickoff return for touchdown.  Javarus Dudley (10-104) also went over the 100-yard mark for the Predators.
 
But it was Orlando inability to convert on several key third and fourth down plays, while the defenses’ inability to stop Graziani in the same situations that hurt the Predators.  “We were a half second late getting to him on a couple of plays and it was a difference maker,” Gruded added.
 
When asked who he wanted to face in the playoffs, Gruden was not committal.  “I just want to regroup and play again and I don’t care who it is and I don’t care where it is.  I’d like to play tomorrow, but we need to get rested, figure out who are best 20 guys and get ready for the post-season.”
 
The Soul took the opening kickoff, but after getting two quick first downs the Preds defense stiffened and held Philadelphia on downs to take over on the 11.   But Predators gave the ball right back on the next play, as former Orlando defensive back Michael Brown intercepted Shane Stafford on the Predators 2-yard line.
 
Still Orlando would take a 7-0 lead on the very next play as defensive end Chaz Murphy intercepted a Tony Graziani pass and ran it for a touchdown from four yards out at the 10:42 mark of the first period.
 
Orlando would then up the lead to 14-0 as Rayshun Reed intercepted Graziani.  From there, Stafford would direct a three-play, 33-yard drive capped by a 14-yard TD pass to TT Toliver.
 
A 34-yard pass from Graziani to JJ McKelvey cut the Predators lead to seven at 14-7 with 3:51 remaining in the first.  Orlando upped the lead back to 14 when Toliver returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards for a touchdown.  But Michael Brown cut it right back to a seven point deficit, taking the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown.
 
On Orlando’s ensuing possession the Predators regained a two-score lead on Javarus Dudley’s 14-yard touchdown pass.  Dudley also had the key play on the 43-yard drive, grabbing a 26-yard pass on a third and 12 play.
 
It took a 4th down conversion, but Graziani made it a 28-21 game with a four-yard touchdown pass to McKelvey on a fourth and goal play.
 
Orlando upped its lead to 14 again on a 2-yard pass to Toliver.  The key play came on a third and goal from the nine, when the Soul was called for defensive holding.
 
Graziani would then use all but 27 seconds of the first half, capping off a long drive with a one-yard touchdown run to make it 35-28.  The Predators saw its lead shrink to zero by halftime.  The Soul held on downs and on a second and 14, Graziani hit  former Pred Jerrian James on a screen pass and James picked up one block and walked in untouched to make it 35-35 with 1.8 seconds remaining.
 
Orlando finally answered on the first drive of the third quarter, going 48-yards to make it a 42-35 game.  Stafford capped the drive with an 8-yard pass to Toliver for his fourth touchdown of the game.
 
But the lead was short-lived as Philadelphia answered with its own touchdown drive.  James again burned his former team, catching a short screen, making a move and going 10 yards for a touchdown to make it 42-42 at the 7:26 mark.
 
The first defensive stop of the second half belonged to Philadelphia.  After Stafford completed a pass to Levon Thomas, defensive back Brian Mance ripped the ball out of Thomas’ hands and Sean Scott recovered on the 20-yard line for Orlando’s second turnover of the game.
 
Philadelphia would then take its first lead of the game, again on a 4th down play.  Faced with a 4th and goal from the two, Scott beat Jo Jo Polk to the corner of the end zone and Graziani lofted the ball over the outstretched hands of Preds “jack” linebacker Barry Wagner to make it a 49-42 lead with 34 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
 
After picking up a first down inside the Philadelphia five, only to see Stafford sack and fumble.  Scott recovered the fumble again.  Four plays later, Graziani hit McKelvey for a touchdown.  But the extra point was blocked and the Soul lead was 13 at 55-42.
 
Orlando made it a six-point game on Thomas’ brilliant nine-yard touchdown grab in the left corner of the end zone with 3:19 remaining.