Breaking it Down - 2008 Week Six
Andy Lopusnak
Monday April 7, 2008
The AFL’s sixth week of 2008 was one of dominance by the home teams which won all eight games and the National Conference which won five inter-conference matchups. Orlando had its fifth-straight game decided on the final play; Dallas and Philadelphia are still undefeated; and Kansas City and Utah are still winless. This and many other news and notes will be featured in the sixth addition of Breaking it Down.
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WEEK SIX RESULTS
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GEORGIA 70, Kansas City 63
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COLORADO 67, Los Angeles 54
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NEW YORK 63, Grand Rapids
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NEW ORLEANS 72, San Jose 43
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PHILADELPHIA 64, Utah 56
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COLUMBUS 51, Tampa Bay 49
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DALLAS 58, Cleveland 51
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ORLANDO 57, Chicago 56 (OT)
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BYE: Arizona
WEEK SIX’S EIGHT GAMES FEATURED:
- 15 touchdowns scored on returns: fumble (2), interception (9), net recovery (2) and kickoff (2).
- One safety.
- One player with over 40 yards rushing.
- Three players had 200 or more all-purpose yards.
- Six quarterbacks had 300 or more yards passing.
- Twelve players had 100 or more yards receiving.
HOME SWEET HOME
All eight home teams won this weekend. It marks the first time since Week Ten of 2005 (April 8-10) that the home team won every game in the same weekend. That weekend, all eight home teams won. In league history, there have been a total of ten weeks with the home team winning all games played, but only three weekends with at least eight home games played. Here’s a list of all ten undefeated home weekends.
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WEEK, YEAR
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HOME TEAM RECORD
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Six, 2008
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8-0
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Ten, 2005
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8-0
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Four, 2004
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9-0
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Nine, 1994
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5-0
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Ten, 1991
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4-0
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Five, 1991
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4-0
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Eight, 1990
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3-0
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Five, 1988
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3-0
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Six, 1987
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2-0
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Three, 1987
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2-0
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NATIONAL DOMINANCE
It seems like a weekly feature, but the National Conference has overwhelmingly dominated in games against the American Conference this season. There were five inter-conference games this weekend and the National Conference won all five. On the year, the Nationals are an amazing 17-3 in 20 games played through six weeks. Because of this dominance, National Conference is home of the only teams in the league with multiple-game winning streaks – Dallas (six), Philadelphia (six), New Orleans (five), Orlando (four) and Georgia (two). In Week Seven, there will be four inter-conference matchups: Colorado at Cleveland, Philadelphia at San Jose, Arizona at Tampa Bay and Orlando at Grand Rapids.
BYE, BYE BLUES
With Tampa Bay and Cleveland losing, the trend continues for teams to lose their first and second game back after a bye. Other than Grand Rapids, which played Kansas City that was coming off its bye week, all teams have lost their third game after a bye. Tampa Bay plays Arizona, which had its bye this past weekend, so that trend might continue with the Storm breaking its losing streak and the Rattlers becoming the sixth team to lose their first game after a bye. Also if the trend continues, Kansas City might be looking at its first win of the season since both teams to play four games after a bye (Grand Rapids and Colorado) won that fourth game.
RESULTS AFTER BYE WEEK
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TEAM
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1st GAME
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2nd GAME
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3rd GAME
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4th GAME
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Grand Rapids
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LOST
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LOST
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WON
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WON
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Colorado
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LOST
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LOST
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LOST
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WON
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Kansas City
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LOST
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LOST
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LOST
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vs. CHI this week
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Tampa Bay
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LOST
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LOST
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This Week vs. AZ
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------
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Cleveland
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LOST
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------
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------
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Arizona
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This Week at TB
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------
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-------
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IT’S DÉJÀ VU ALL OV ER AGAIN
For the second-straight season, the San Jose SaberCats have started 3-3 with their sixth game and third loss coming to the hands of the New Orleans VooDoo. Last year, the loss was a wake-up call and the SaberCats would win their next 13 games, including winning the ArenaBowl that happened to be in New Orleans. This year, ArenaBowl XXII is also in New Orleans, so will history repeat itself?
FIRE-BREATHING FOOTBALL
In back-to-back weeks, the New York Dragons held two of the top scoring teams to less than 35 points. Entering the Week Five matchup, Dallas was scoring 51.8 points per game. New York held Dallas’ offense to just 31 points, but lost 33-31 when the special teams unit allowed a safety that was the game-deciding points. This week, the Dragons doused the red-hot Grand Rapids offense, which was averaging a league-high 67.3 points per game, holding it to just 20 points - the Rampage had two returns for touchdowns which accounted for the other 14 points.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
There were season-high 15 total returns for touchdowns this weekend, including another season-high nine interceptions in the same week of action. So far this season, there have been 63 returns for touchdowns. Eleven of these returns for scores came on defense with the jack linebacker recording nine of them.
IT AIN’T OVER ‘TIL IT’S OVERTIME
Orlando’s 57-56 win in overtime over Chicago was the first overtime game in the AFL since April 21, 2007 when the Austin Wranglers beat New Orleans 45-38 in the extra stanza. The game was the twelfth overall overtime game in Predators’ history, which is tied with the Tampa Bay Storm for the second most in league history. Chicago, in just its eighth season, has the fourth-most overtime games played. In league history, there have been 78 overtime games, including three in the playoffs (the winner in the playoffs advanced to the ArenaBowl with the win and two of those teams went on to win the title).
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TEAM
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OT GAMES
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OT RECORD
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15
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10-5
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12
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8-4
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Tampa Bay Storm
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12
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5-7
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10
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4-6
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9
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4-5
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GIVE IT AWAY NOW
Seven of the eight winners this week won the turnover battle. It took overtime, but the Predators were the only team to be negative in turnover differential to win this weekend. Orlando was -4 in turnover differential after giving the ball away five times and forcing just one takeaway.
SOUTHERN COMFORT
Orlando and Georgia overcame early double-digit deficits to win in Week Six. The Predators trailed 14-0, while the Force was down 21-0 before battling back to win. Both beat teams from the American Conference’s Central Division (Chicago and Kansas City).
RAMPAGE’S SCORING BUBBLE BURSTS
Grand Rapids posted the highest two-game point total in league history the previous two weeks, but failed to score in the game’s first 36 minutes and 44 seconds against New York trailing 49-0 before scoring its first points of the game. The 36:44 scoring draught is the longest in franchise regular season history (previous was the final 36:24 at San Jose in 1998 during the Rampage’s inaugural season). It also marks just the fourth time in team history the Rampage has failed to score in two consecutive quarters. In the 176 combined points scored the previous two weeks, the Rampage did not turn the ball over a single time, but coughed it up six times against New York. The Rampage defense did cause four turnovers, including three in the second half. Without those three second-half takeaways, which resulted in three touchdowns, the game would have been much, much uglier than the 63-34 final score.
EVERY SECOND COUNTS
The last five weeks have come down to the final play for the Predators with Orlando coming out victorious four of the five games. Here’s a look at the final points scored and the final play in all five games.
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FINAL SCORE
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LAST POINTS/LAST PLAY
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NO 54, ORL 53
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00:00 – 2pt conversion broken up (after Toliver 26-yard TD from Stafford)
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ORL 69, UTAH 61
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00:27 – Toliver 5-yard TD from Stafford – PAT failed
00:00 – Utah pass broken up in end zone
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ORL 50, GEO 45
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00:22 – Gessner 23-yard TD from Stafford – 2pt pass failed
00:00 – Allison tackles Pauley at goal line
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ORL 47, CMB 44
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00:00 – Vaughn 32-yard field goal
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ORL 57, CHI 56
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00:00 in regulation – Gessner 2-yard TD from Stafford – PAT good
10:38 in OT – Moye-Moore rushing 2pt conversion (after Toliver 14-yard TD from Stafford)
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DAILEY TRIPLE
Colorado Crush head coach Mike Dailey was sitting on 99 wins for three straight weeks until reaching his elusive 100th win Friday night in the Crush’s 67-54 win over Los Angeles. He became just the fourth head coach in league history to reach triple digits in the regular season. San Jose head coach Darren Arbet could have reached 100 regular season wins on the same weekend, but the SaberCats lost 72-43 at New Orleans. All four previous coaches to hit 100 wins hit the mark on home games. San Jose hosts undefeated Philadelphia this week as Arbet tries a second time to win number 100.
DOLEZEL RETURNS
The Dallas Desperados welcomed back Clint Dolezel to the starting QB role after he missed four games due to a Week One injury. Dallas went 4-0 without him at the reigns. In his first game back, Dolezel led the Desperados to a 58-51 victory over the Cleveland Gladiators, one of Dolezel’s former teams (when it was in Las Vegas). Professional football’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns completed 18-of-27 passes for 220 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He also had a two-yard rushing score in the game.
TOLIVER TOPS 100 AND 200 AGAIN
Orlando’s T.T. Toliver has once again extended his AFL record for the most 100-yard receiving and 200-yard all-purpose yard games to six to start the season. If he reaches 200 all-purpose yards this week at Grand Rapids, he will tie the AFL mark to start a season with Lamont Cooper who had 200 or more yards in the first seven games of 2001 with the Oklahoma City Wranglers. Additionally, Toliver has scored at least three touchdowns in five of six games this season. He has also been named Offensive Player of the Game three of the last four games. On the year, Toliver leads the AFL in all-purpose yards (1,460), 100-yard receiving games (six), 200-yard all-purpose games (six), receiving yards (761) and kickoff returns (35).He is second in kickoff return yards (672), third in scoring with 18 touchdowns for 108 points and sixth in receptions (51).
“JACK”ING FOR POSITION
Six weeks into the season, Philadelphia receiver Chris Jackson is leading the league in scoring with 144 points on 24 touchdowns. This week, he posted another outstanding game catching 13 balls for 138 yards with five touchdowns. Jackson is on pace for 64 touchdowns which would be a new league record. The current record is 60 by Damian Harrell in 2006 with the Colorado Crush. Jackson’s single-season high for receiving scores is 47 from last season with Georgia.
JACKSON NEARING 300
Philadelphia’s Chris Jackson is third in league history in receiving touchdowns and needs seven to reach 300 for his career. Jackson has double the amount of receiving scores as Damian Harrell on the season and if that trend continues then Jackson will be the league’s all-time leader in receiving scores by the end of the season. Also, in the Soul’s 64-56 win over Utah, Jackson moved into a tie with Harrell for the third-most points in league history (1,876). Jackson is likely to reach 2,000 points against the SaberCats this week with four touchdowns scored (24 points).
MOST RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS - AFL HISTORY
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PLAYER
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RECEIVING TDs
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Damian Harrell
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307
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Eddie Brown
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303
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Chris Jackson
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293
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MOST POINTS SCORED – AFL HISTORY
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PLAYER
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POINTS SCORED
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Barry Wagner
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2,490
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Eddie Brown
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2,076
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Chris Jackson
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1,876
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Damian Harrell
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1,876
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IT WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN
San Jose kicker A.J. Haglund missed his first extra point of the season with 5:31 left in the SaberCats’ 72-43 loss in New Orleans. He had made his first 38 of the season and had a streak of 59 dating back to last season, which is a new team record. Haglund is still a perfect 11-for-11 on field goals on the year. The presumptive AFL record for consecutive FGs made is 12 by Remy Hamilton from 2005-06 with Los Angeles. Haglund missed his last field goal of the 2007 season, a 27-yarder at Las Vegas.
WEEK SIX’S TOP STATISTICAL PREFORMANCES
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100-YARD RECEIVERS
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PLAYER, TEAM
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RECEIVING YARDS
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RECEPTIONS
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TOUCHDOWNS
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Jason Geathers, SJ
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188
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18
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2
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Ben Nelson, COL
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174
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13
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5
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Jerel Myers, KCB
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168
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16
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4
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Carl Morris, GEO
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152
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7
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4
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Kenny Higgins, GR
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140
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9
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1
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Chris Jackson, PHI
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138
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13
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5
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Robert Redd, CLE
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125
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10
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1
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Marcus Nash, DAL
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118
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8
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5
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Willis Marshall, CLE
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117
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8
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0
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Jason Willis, NY
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113
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9
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1
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T.T. Toliver, ORL
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111
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9
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3
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Kevin Ingram, LA
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109
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7
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3
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300-YARD PASSERS
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PLAYER, TEAM
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PASSING YARDS
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PASS TDs
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INTERCEPTIONS
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John Dutton, COL
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334
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8
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1
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D. Bryant, KCB
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332
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6
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1
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Mark Grieb, SJ
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330
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6
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3
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Raymond Philyaw, CLE
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321
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5
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1
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Aaron Garcia, NY
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311
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7
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2
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Matt D’Orazio, PHI
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300
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6
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0
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40 YARDS OR MORE RUSHING
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PLAYER, TEAM
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RUSHING YARDS
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RUSHING TDs
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Rodney Filer, UTAH
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49
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3
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200 YARDS OR MORE ALL-PURPOSE
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PLAYER, TEAM
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ALL-PURPOSE
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TOTAL TDs
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T.T. Toliver, ORL
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287
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4
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Jerel Myers, KCB
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223
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4
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Willis Marshall, CLE
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200
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0
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DEFENSIVE LEADERS
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PLAYER, TEAM
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TACKLES
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INT
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SACKS
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FF
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FR
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PBU
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DEF TD
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DeJuan Alfonzo, CHI
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2.0
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1
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0.0
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0
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1
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0
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1
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Stephen Cason, GEO
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11.0
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0
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0.0
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0
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0
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1
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0
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Rashad Floyd, COL
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5.5
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2
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0.0
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0
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0
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3
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0
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Marlon Moye-Moore, ORL
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7.0
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0
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0.0
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0
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0
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1
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0
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Cam Newton, GEO
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4.5
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2
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0.0
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0
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0
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0
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2
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Bobby Perry, DAL
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4.5
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1
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0.0
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0
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0
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3
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1
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Calvin Spears, NO
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8.0
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1
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0.0
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0
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0
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0
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1
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Daman Wheeler, LA
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4.0
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0
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0.0
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0
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0
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6
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0
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OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Colorado receiver Ben Nelson had 13 catches for 174 yards with five touchdowns in the Crush’s 67-54 win over Los Angeles.
HONORABLE MENTION: Dallas receiver Marcus Nash caught eight passes for 113 yards with five touchdowns in the Desperados’ 58-51 win over Cleveland. The game was Nash’s first against his former team (when it was in Las Vegas).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
New York jack linebacker John Walker intercepted Grand Rapids QB James MacPherson three times and returned one 15 yards for a touchdown. Walker also had 1.5 stops and two pass breakups. He had 53 total return yards on the three interceptions. His interception return for a touchdown extended the Dragons’ lead to 49-0 against the league’s highest-scoring team.
HONORABLE MENTION: Georgia jack linebacker Cam Newton returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the Force’s 70-63 win over Kansas City. He also tallied 4.5 tackles.
IRONMAN OF THE WEEK
Orlando FB/LB Marlon Moye-Moore led the Predators in tackles (7.0), including one for loss and a pass breakup on defense. He scored the game’s final points on a rushing two-point conversion in overtime.
HONORABLE MENTION: Columbus FB/LB Harold Wells had a receiving touchdown and a tackle for a loss on the goal line in the Destroyers’ 51-49 win over Tampa Bay. He finished with five catches for 43 yards and rushed five times for a yard.
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.
