Playoff berth at stake for San Jose tonight
Andy Lopusnak
Saturday May 24, 2008
A win and they’re in. That’s all it’ll take for the defending ArenaBowl champion San Jose SaberCats to earn their ninth-straight playoff appearance. If/when the SaberCats reach the “second season” they will be the second team to do so this year (Chicago clinched two weeks ago and is likely to earn home-field advantage until the ArenaBowl). Both Dallas and Philadelphia have ten wins, but because the National Conference is more competitive than the American Conference neither has sealed their postseason fate.
It’s been a heck of ride this season for San Jose, filled with distinct ups and downs. All five wins have been to the only five teams with a better record than the SaberCats, while all seven wins have come to teams that currently have non-winning records. Tonight, the SaberCats face the Colorado Crush (4-7) which has lost its last two contests including a 35-point loss to Utah two weeks ago (San Jose swept the Blaze this season).
After twelve games last season, the SaberCats were 9-3 and had won six straight. Aside from the record, the biggest difference statistically from last year’s title team to this year is the increase in offensive interceptions and deficiency in third and fourth downs. The team has actually improved on defense (as evident of them leading the AFL in sacks) and in special teams from last season, thanks to a fantastic season by kicker A.J. Haglund and a defensive unit that is completely intact from 2007.
Quarterback Mark Grieb, who celebrated his 34th birthday yesterday, has thrown the most interceptions in the AFL this season (15) and is just one pick away from tying his single-season high. In his first five AFL seasons, Grieb tossed just 16 interceptions compared to 276 touchdowns. This season, the two-time ArenaBowl MVP has tossed just 67 scores.
Prior to the year, Grieb predicted his interceptions would go up as a direct result of the league instituting a new rule that allowed the “jack” linebacker to roam freely from sideline to sideline. Even with the unusually high number of interceptions, Grieb is still having a great season. He is number two in the league in attempts and completions, while ranking third in passing yards, total offense and passing touchdowns. Additionally, he is fifth in completion percentage.
The SaberCats are 6-0 against Colorado, including 5-0 in the comfy confines of HP Pavilion, in the regular season, but are 1-1 in the playoffs against the Crush (Colorado’s lone win was in 2005 en route to winning ArenaBowl XIX, San Jose won last season on its way to winning ArenaBowl XXI).
In the offseason, the SaberCats lost one major free agent, while retaining most of the ArenaBowl XXI championships team. Receiver Ben Nelson left Silicon Valley for the Rocky Mountains and took his 101 catch, 1,257-yard and 25 TD season in 2007 to the Crush. If he hadn’t left, Nelson’s 83 catches and 885 yards this year would barley be good enough for third on the SaberCats this season (Rodney Wright has 96 for 1,043 yards in just nine games, while Cleannord Saintil has 84 grabs for 1,055 yards – James Roe has 78 receptions for 797 yards).
Another reunion of sorts is the return of Crush QB John Dutton, who was named ArenaBowl XVI MVP with the SaberCats in 2002 after Grieb was injured late in the season and missed the playoff run. The following year, Dutton left San Jose to join the expansion Crush and three years later led Colorado to an ArenaBowl victory.
Andy Lopusnak is an 11-year AFL front office veteran, spending time with the Tampa Bay Storm, San Diego Riptide and Grand Rapids Rampage. He works as a statistician for NFL and college sports for CBS Sports and is a freelance photographer. Lopusnak received two Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of South Florida and has been a fan of ArenaBall since its inception.
