Dallas Next to Try to Upset the Undefeated
Tim Ball
Thursday June 27, 2002
“We know we won’t see the same team we faced at home.” Said SaberCats defensive coach Michael Church, “Dallas has made changes and have extremely good coaches that have put the team in order. Their defense is outstanding and with Andy Kelly at quarterback we realize it’s going to be tough.”
San Jose, Arizona, LA and Dallas all won last week. Maybe the fact that the sun sets in the west accounts for this division being the hottest in Arena Football. Four of the top five teams in the playoff picture are from the west. With Dallas the remaining question as to whether they can earn a bye round or not.
San Jose has 32 regular season wins (so far) in the last three years and there are still four more games to go in this one. Going 12-2 in 2000, 10-4 in ’01 and having won the first ten games this season shows that this year is no accident. Dallas at 6-4 is impressive for an expansion team and proves that a regular season loss is not the end of the story.
What wins championships?
San Jose has shown the way to building a winning team. Obviously Dallas took notice and took notes. The war in the trenches wins the battle for dominance and both San Jose and Dallas have awesome front lines on both sides of the ball. If these players hold up then everything flows that much easier.
SaberCats Offensive/defensive lineman Sam Hernandez, Joe Jacobs, Darrin Kenney, Frank Beede, Matt Keneley, Dan Loney, Albrey Battle, George Williams, Brian Lytle, Mike Ulufale along with fullback/linebackers Mike Jones, Matt Kinsinger, James Williams, and Bob McMillan bring thousands of pounds of non- stop action to the lines on both sides of the ball. With the addition of hard tackling 256 lbs kicker Daron Alcorn on special teams and San Jose has two tons of conditioned athletes pounding down on the opposition.
Dallas has strived to match this level of output and fields a team of fast, powerful linemen as well. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but the SaberCats won’t be bringing flowers to the Desperados. You can also bet that the Texas team will not be wishing their vistors the best until their flight leaves for California.
If defense wins championships, then it’s the offensive line that drives them to the game and special teams that keep them heading in the right direction. Look over the games that San Jose has won this year and you come up with a common theme. The big men have made big plays. Dallas knows this all too well.
You gotta have faith
Believing in yourself is one thing, but being able to rely on others takes teamwork and guidance from leaders you can trust. Michael Church has a defense that is simply outstanding. Head coach Darren Arbet has sought “continuity” from the first day in training camp and his SaberCats have responded as a cohesive unit.
Last week Aaron Garcia and the Dragons only scored one touchdown in the second half. If you think it was NFL rustiness that caused Garcia to falter, may I remind you, the Avengers could only manage a field goal in the second half against the SaberCats, in LA!
Opponents play the SaberCats as if San Jose were defending champions.
Dallas has bloodlines that cannot be questioned. The last time these teams met they played hard and with style and flair. Dallas QB Andy Kelly refused to believe they were defeated and attempted more than fifty passes. San Jose kept up the pressure to the last second with every player going all out to make sure Kelly’s throws were futile, while the SaberCats out-distanced the Desperados with a score that eliminated any chance for heroics to save the day.
More than meets the eye
Though both teams are in the playoffs, there is a lot on the line. Handing San Jose their first loss of the season is on every Dallas players’ list of accomplishments, while continuing to win is what every player plays for anyway. Gaining a bye week in the playoffs can make the difference between winning and losing, as healing and preparation time are incredibly important down the stretch and to post season success. Both teams want that.
San Jose cannot afford to stumble now because everything intensifies as teams gain confidence from their ups and downs through the season. The SaberCats don’t have the experience of overcoming adversity and soaring from the ashes to achieve the objective.
The SaberCats have to expect to play championship level football every game while opponents just have to rise to the challenge.
Except until the playoffs start San Jose has money in the bank in the form of a winning record and starters and players waiting on the sidelines of equal worth.
With the lesson of not taking a good team seriously, Chicago showed San Jose that Arena Football is a game where even the fastest teams can’t take a breather. Dallas has improved so quickly that this game will be a classic albeit a cliché in the offering… The team who wants this one the most will win.
Game time is 7:30 CST.
Tim Ball is a writer in the Chicagoland area. Married and father of three, his opinions on Arena Football reflects the positive aspect of the game as a family event second to none in pro sports.
