Chicago Rush 2004: End of Season Report Card
Jeff Sims
Tuesday June 29, 2004
Quarterback
It was certainly well worth head coach Mike Hohensee’s time to stay awake and call Raymond Philyaw one minute after the free agency period had begun. Although he is not the flashy type quarterback that produces explosive numbers and makes spectacular plays, Raymond Philyaw wins games. During the regular season, Philyaw threw for 52 touchdowns against four interceptions (lowest total in the league) on 389 attempts. That is ball control at its best. He is mobile when he has to be, only being sacked four times all season and rushing for 11 touchdowns. In a game that is fast paced, with each possession being an important one, Raymond Philyaw has proven himself as a quality quarterback that any coach would be privileged to have running their offense.
The Rush have a luxury in this position. Backup Chad Salisbury is more than able to fill shoes as a starter in this league as well.
Grade: A
Fullback/Linebacker
As a 2004 member of the U.S. Army All-Ironman team, Bob McMillen has had a career season. His 285 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns are both career highs and, with 38 tackles on defense, he has a strong defensive presence as well. McMillen is a strong guy that can get you the “power” yards when needed and is a true definition of the term Ironman.
Jamie McGourty had some difficulties with injuries in the middle of season, but he also brings a physical presence to the Rush when healthy. LeVelle Brown went on IR after separating his shoulder in week six against Orlando. The depth the Rush has at this position certainly plays in their favor.
Grade: B+
Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
This is one spot that was a revolving door for the Rush this season due to injuries and inconsistency. Donnie Caldwell, Greg Williams, Aundrae Harris, Luke Leverson, and Hurley Tarver all spent some time at the position this season. Lindsey Fleshman even filled in for a while.
The grade here is raised due to the play of DeJuan Alfonso, who at times just made the big plays when they needed to be made. According to Hohensee, “He puts presence on our team. If I had to name one guy this year that has stepped up his play to get us to this point, it was him. He accepted a lower role, a back-up role, coming into this thing and I knew it was going to be difficult on him. He has been able to substitute for a lot of different guys at different positions and really contribute and make huge plays for us.” Enough said.
Grade: C
Wide Receiver/Linebacker
A very good tandem of Lindsey Fleshman and Etu Molden has made an impact for the team at this position this season. Molden was a Rookie of the Year candidate, leading all rookies in receptions, receiving yards, and scoring. He also proved himself to be a valuable addition to the team returning kickoffs and making tackles on defense. Fleshman spent some time on injured reserve during the season, but is a quality player and cannot be ignored when he is on the field. Also, picking up Anthony Ladd late in the season brought the Rush someone who already knew the system and could contribute immediately down the playoff stretch.
My knock on this group is their occasional inconsistency and taking their eye off the ball on offense. A number of missed balls early in the season made games closer than they should have been.
Grade: B
Offensive Specialist
Jeremy McDaniel was a welcome addition to the club. His familiarity with Raymond Philyaw certainly helped in his transition from the Indiana Firebirds. McDaniel was second on the team in receptions and receiving yards, and was able to fill in as a kick returner later in the season, returning kicks 37 times for 645 yards. He is a good deep threat and was also able to make big possession catches when needed against Dallas and Indiana to help the Rush secure a home playoff game. Every team needs a Jeremy McDaniel
Grade: B
Offensive/Defensive Line
This group is the heart and soul of the Chicago Rush. These guys take pride in their performance week in and week out and are the unsung leaders of this team. John Moyer, AFL first team All-Arena and AFL Lineman of the Year, James Baron, and Frank Moore are the main reason this team was second in the league in sacks with 23 and only allowed six sacks on offense. Moyer led the league with ten sacks and was a focal point of each team he faced. Baron was a weapon on offense when needed getting three receptions for 30 yards and two touchdowns. This group went through a stretch of four games where they block three extra-point attempts. Other guys such as Salem Simon, John Sikora, Riley Kleinhesselink, John Thomas, Jon McCall, and Colin Greczek help round out this team’s solid line.
Grade: A
Defensive Specialist
If it weren’t for the consistency and good play of free agent pick-up Corey Sawyer, this category would be pretty hard to evaluate only for the simple fact that so many other players have taken part in the DS merry-go-round. A number of key injuries depleted this unit early on and the team had difficulty getting replacements. Sawyer, who led the team in tackles this season with 69 and was a leader on the defensive side of the ball, and Kareem Larrimore started off the season. Larrimore was placed on the injured list early in the season and was later released midseason. Greg Williams was the next in line to be placed on IR where he missed over half the season for a ruptured tendon in his hand. Then came Malcolm Moore. And there went Malcolm Moore. Moore fractured his leg in his first game with the Rush making a great defensive play to deflect a pass and he was done for the season. Hurley Tarver came in and did a good job for a while until the team acquired Hamin Milligan late in the season from New Orleans. The team of Milligan and Sawyer has been a good duo, but will need some time to develop together as a unit.
With the number of combinations used this season, there have been a number of missed tackles and missed assignments leading to easy scores for the opposition. Luckily, this group has had the defensive line to put pressure on quarterbacks to not show how vulnerable they were.
Grade: C -
Special Teams
The play on special teams was inconsistent at times. Early in the season, the team gave up a few touchdowns on kickoff returns and appeared to be unsure of themselves. In the middle of the season, the effort was there and it seemed as if the team had corrected their errors and felt comfortable on coverage. Within the last few weeks, the team looked tired and was late on coverage, especially on kicks that came off the net. The team still gave up good field position. This should be an area for improvement next season.
Grade: C +
Kicker
Keith Gispert lasted the entire season and that is a good thing for the Rush. It was one less thing that the coaching staff had to worry about. The team’s Rookie of the Year in 2003 had a couple of bad games in 2004, but was a key to the team’s success this season. You know a team likes you when you hit the lights in the arena five times in one game (Detroit on 3/28/04) and then you come back the next game and those lights have been replaced with ones that are higher up and out of your way.
In speaking with Gispert prior to the season, his goal was to make over 50% of his field goals (he made 12 of 22 for 54.5%) and over 90% of his extra points (he made 95 of 107 for 88.8%). One out of two isn’t bad, and the team seems to have found themselves a kicker for the long term.
Grade: B+
Coaching Staff
The coaching staff has done a great job in getting through player injuries and making adjustments as needed during the season. The offense rarely turned the ball over and the defense ended the year third in the league. Special teams were questionable at times and the defense lacked intensity due to the question week in and week out of who was going to be playing in the secondary. With the number of new faces and the limited amount of time they had to prepare, the coaching staff deserves a good deal of credit for having this team ready to contend for a championship now.
Grade: B
Conclusion
There can be no doubt that the Chicago Rush had an excellent 2004 season. A loss in the semifinals of the playoffs is certainly nothing to laugh at. Take away a few of the injuries and bad breaks during the course of the season; this team could possibly have had one more game left this season. There is a core group of players for the team to be built around and 18 players are set to return next season. If they remain healthy, the Chicago Rush should be contending for an ArenaBowl championship over the next few years.
Overall Grade: B +
Jeff has been writing for ArenaFan.com since 2004. Originally from New York, Jeff has been living in the Chicago area for the past ten years and is an avid football fanatic. He holds a BA in communications from Hofstra University in New York and a sports management certificate from Loyola University in Chicago.