San Jose SaberCats at Spokane Shock Game Preview
Wednesday May 13, 2015
(San Jose, Calif.)- The San Jose SaberCats (7-0) will head north to take on the Spokane Shock (2-4) on Saturday, May 16th at 4:00PM PDT, from the Spokane Veteran's Memorial Arena.
It will be the first of three matchups this season for the Pacific Division foes. The last meeting between the two teams was in the 2014 Playoffs, when San Jose defeated Spokane 54-28, on August 2nd at the SAP Center.
The SaberCats have been dominant through the first seven weeks of the season, winning by an average margin of 21.0 points per game. In fact, San Jose has only trailed once, when the Jacksonville Sharks scored the first points of the game to lead 7-0 in week four. Eventually, San Jose would win 68-48. The 7-0 mark is the second best start in the SaberCats’ history.
After spending four seasons as teammates (2011-2014) with the Shock, quarterback Erik Meyer and wide receiver Adron Tennell joined the SaberCats this off-season in pursuit of an ArenaBowl Championship.
Last Week, the SaberCats defeated the Las Vegas Outlaws 61-28, behind the arm of Nathan Stanley. In place of Meyer, Stanley completed 90-percent of his passes for 242 yards and tied a career-high with seven touchdowns. San Jose is fortunate to have two talented players at quarterback and regardless of who is starting under center; the SaberCats will remain among the best in the league.
Aiding in the aerial attack for the SaberCats is the surplus of capable wide receivers. In the win over the Outlaws last week, four SaberCat receivers caught a touchdown pass from Stanley. On the season, eight different receivers have a touchdown reception from either Meyer or Stanley with Reggie Gray leading the way with 13.
Additionally, Tennell is second on the team with 10 receiving touchdowns and D.J. Stephens has also totaled 393 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in four games. The SaberCats’ receivers can attack opposing secondaries in several different ways, with several different skilled players, including the 2014 Second Team All-Arena receiver Darius Reynolds and his five touchdown receptions.
San Jose has benefited greatly from a combination of an intense pass rush as well as a cohesive secondary of playmakers. The SaberCats lead the league with 21 sacks and are also plus 12 in terms of turnover margin. With four players with four or more sacks and three players with multiple interceptions, the defense has provided the offense with great field position to capitalize on. As long as the SaberCats’ defense continues to force turnovers and the offense operates at a highly efficient level, they will be set up with favorable outcomes.
Spokane is coming off a 68-46 victory over the Los Angeles KISS last week, led by rookie quarterback Warren Smith. In place for Carson Coffman, Smith completed an impressive 79-percent of his passes for 313 yards and seven touchdowns in his first AFL start. The rookie out of Maine relied heavily on his favorite target, receiver Mike Washington. With a team-high 13 receptions for 129 yards and four touchdowns, Washington took advantage of the KISS secondary en route to victory.
Not to be outdone was receiver Rashaad Carter, who grabbed six receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown. For the Shock to have any success against the SaberCats, it will need its receivers to step up yet again. Spokane has gone through five different quarterbacks through its first six games but seem to have settled in with the potential of either Smith or Coffman to excel.
Although the statistics indicate that the 54.7 points per game surrendered by the Shock is among the highest in the league, its defense possesses some of the league’s best. Reigning 2014 Defensive Lineman of the Year James Ruffin is ranked second in the league with 5.5 sacks this season. The Northern Iowa defensive end has also forced an impressive four fumbles as well as three recoveries. Ruffin’s ability to get to the quarterback and force turnovers will be an integral part of Spokane’s ability to knock of San Jose.
The Spokane defense also boasts one of the best defensive backs in Devon Dace. A second year player, Dace has exploded on to the scene in 2015 and is among the league leaders in tackles (41.5), pass breakups (11) and interceptions (2). Expect a great battle between Dace and any number of the SaberCats’ receivers who will matchup against him.
The SaberCats have a 4.5 game lead in the Pacific Division, the highest of any division and on Saturday, they will have a chance to extend that lead in a pivotal matchup against the Shock. For San Jose to continue its unbeaten streak, it will need to avoid falling short on the road, in a tough atmosphere.
ABOUT THE SAN JOSE SABERCATS
The ArenaBowl XVI, XVIII and XXI champion San Jose SaberCats finished their 19th season in the AFL with a Pacific Division Title after making their return in 2011. Fans and sponsors can go to sanjosesabercats.com or call 408-673-3400 to sign up to receive the latest news and updates about the SaberCats, as well as to purchase 2015 season tickets. Make sure to follow the SaberCats on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news on the team.
