AFL Best Games of the 2008 Season
These are the best games in the 2008 arena football season. More games will be added as the season continues.
Week 1 - Arizona vs Utah: Both teams came into this opening week matchup with high expectations for their offenses and hoped the defenses would be just enough to get them a victory. This turned out to be an exciting matchup as each quarterback was able to find open receivers through the first half and Utah led 42-35 after the second quarter. The defenses forced a few stops in the second half as Arizona tied the game at 49 entering the fourth quarter. Utah and Arizona traded touchdowns, but a missed extra point by Utah resulted in a one-point defecit as they had the ball with a minute remaining. With short passes and a Rattlers penalty, the Blaze moved the ball into position for a field goal, but it was missed and Arizona ran out the clock for a close road victory, 63-62.
Week 2 - Kansas City vs New York: Each team was looking for their first win after opening week losses. The first half was low scoring and featured 7 defensive stops as Kansas City led 19-16 at halftime. The second half was the exact opposite as the teams combined for 9 touchdowns resulting in an entertaining finish. New York took the lead on a touchdown with 22 seconds left to go up 50-47. Kansas City got the ball with one last chance to win the game but a pass to the end zone was intercepted and New York held on for the win. Kansas City did not attempt a field goal on the last play since they were too deep in their own territory and their kicker has had trouble with long attempts.
Week 3 - Cleveland vs Columbus: Cleveland was coming off a surprising 2-0 start and Columbus entered the game on a disappointing 0-2 start after making the ArenaBowl the previous year. Columbus led 31-23 at halftime and both offenses were moving the ball with success. The Gladiators scored twice to open the third quarter and take the lead, but Columbus rallied to go ahead at the beginning of the fourth. Another lead change allowed Cleveland to go ahead 59-51 with under a minute remaining. Columbus scored on a three-play drive to cut the margin to 59-57, but failed on the two-point conversion and could not recover the onside kick. Cleveland ran out the clock for their third consecutive win.
Week 4 - Orlando vs Georgia: This has always been a physical and closely contested matchup and this game lived up to all the hype. After a high scoring first half with big plays and touchdowns from each team, Orlando held a narrow 31-28 lead. Georgia opened the third quarter with two staright scores and the game was tied at 38 entering the fourth. Each team quickly scored on their next possessions, but a missed Orlando extra point let Georgia hold a 45-44 lead. After three consecutive defensive stops, Orlando got the ball back still down by a point. Shane Stafford took control of his offense and the Predators moved the ball down the field and scored on a 23-yard touchdown reception. Georgia had one final possession and a receiver was tackled at the Predators one-yard line as time expired, although many believed he has crossed the goal line for the game winning touchdown. This controversial ending allowed Orlando to escape with a 50-45 victory.
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Week 5 - Dallas vs New York: This was the lowest scoring game of the year, but also one of the most interesting. Dallas took an early lead, 14-7, after the first quarter. Their were only 10 points scored in the second, all of them by New York, giving them a 17-14 advantage at halftime. New York shut down Dallas again in the third and extended their lead to 31-17. However, they would not score any more points after that. Dallas turned two fourth quarter possessions into touchdowns and the game was tied at 31. A safety by New York gave Dallas a 33-31 lead and that ended up as the final score. In what was a tough, physical game, there were 8 defensive stops. New York has not lost a game since, with 5 consecutive wins.
Week 6 - Chicago vs Orlando: These are two successful franchises and they put together a great game. The Predators had a defensive and special teams touchdown in the first half and they took a 27-21 halftime lead. The third quarter did not have any offensive points but Chicago did score twice on defense to take a one-touchdown lead. Orlando tied the game early in the fourtn quarter and both teams traded touchdowns until time expired in regulation. Each team got one possession in overtime. Chicago put veteran quarterback Sherdrick Bonner back in the game and he led the Rush to a quick touchdown. Orlando got the ball and proceeded to score on a 14-yard reception. They went for the two-point conversion and scored on a running play with a direct snap to the runningback. Orlando won in an exciting televised game, 57-56.
Week 7- Philadelphia vs San Jose: The Soul were one of the two remaining undefeated teams and San Jose had been struggling throughout the season. The Sabercats had an incredible home field advantage, losing just once in almost two complete seasons. San Jose took a 20-0 first quarter lead and were up by three touchdowns at halftime. The Soul chipped away at the lead and got the ball down by 8 with 2 minutes left. Philadelphia scored on a 41-yard pass and made a two-point conversion to tie the game at 50. San Jose scored on a deep pass to take the lead, 57-50. Philadelphia scored on a running play and ran the ball for a two-point conversion to go up 58-57. The Sabercats missed a game winning field goal and Philadelphia remained undefeated after this exciting matchup.
Week 8 - Chicago vs Grand Rapids: Chicago was the best team in the American Conference and Grand Rapids was at the bottom and looking for a home upset. Grand Rapids kept the game close and trailed by 3 at halftime. Chicago scored late in the third quarter to extend their lead to 40-31. Grand Rapids scored twice and forced Chicago into empty possessions to go ahead 45-40. Both teams continued to exchange leads and Chicago went up 55-52 on a touchdown reception by star receiver Damian Harrell. The Rampage still had time for a final comeback but were stopped on fourth down in Chicago territory as they chose to go for the touchdown instead of the game-tying field goal. Chicago ran out the clock and held on for a closer than expected win.
Week 9 - Tampa Bay vs Orlando: This is a very heated rivalry and as usual, the game was physical and competitive. Each team scored once in the first quarter but Tampa Bay forced a few turnovers and led 24-14 at halftime. Tampa Bay and Orlando scored two touchdowns each in the third and the lead remained the same. The Storm went up by 20 early in the fourth and it looked like they would cruise to an easy victory. The Predators scored to cut the lead to 13, got the ball back after a missed field goal and scored again to make it a 7-point game. Orlando recovered an onside kick but were stopped on a goal line stand as Tampa Bay shut them down on four straight plays. Tampa Bay came away with a road win, 48-41.
Week 10 - Arizona vs Los Angeles: Both teams came into the game with losing records, although both had good offenses. A very high scoring second quarter featured 52 points and 7 touchdowns. Each quarterback was unstoppable and the game was tied at 38 after the first half. In the third quarter, Arizona scored the only touchdown and led by 7. The defenses appeared to have settled down but in the fourth quarter, the scoring and pace picked up. Los Angeles scored on a rushing touchdown and recovered a kickoff in the end zone for another score and went up 52-45. Arizona tied the game and the teams traded scores. Los Angeles receiced the ball with a little over a minute and easily scored to go up 66-59. The Rattlets tried to tie the game on a trick play but the receiver was tackled at the Los Angeles 5-yard line as time ran out.
Week 11 - Philadelphia vs Georgia: Philadelphia came into this matchup after suffering their first loss and Georgia was desperate to stay in a playoff spot. Philadelphia led after the first quarter and in the second, a total of seven touchdowns were scored. Philadelphia led 35-34 at halftime but with the home crowd, Georgia was expected to put up a fight. The Soul dominated most of the second half, limiting Georgia to just 7 points through 27 minutes in the third and fourth quarters. Philadelphia was up by 21 until Georgia scored on a rushing touchdown that trimmed the lead to 14. Philadelphia missed an easy field goal on fourth and goal and Georgia received the ball with a minute remaining. The Force scored on a short pass to make it a 7 point game and they recovered the onside kick. Georgia made their final score with 16 seconds remaining and were successful on a two-point conversion to go up by a point. A Philadelphia field goal was missed as time expired and the Georgia comeback was finished, as they scored 22 consecutive points in the last three minutes.
Week 12 - Arizona vs Dallas: This appeared to be an easy home victory for Dallas, but the Rattlers were able to put up a bigger fight than expected. After a low scoring first quarter with three goal line stops, Dallas lead 7-0. Arizona returned a missed field goal for a touchdown to end the first half up by one point. In the third, both offenses picked up the pace and the game became a back-and-forth, fast-paced showdown. Dallas lead 35-28 and the quarter featured 5 touchdowns. Arizona scored on a 27-yard pass with about 30 seconds remaining and it looked like they would emerge victorious. Dallas received the ball and connected on a deep pass into the end zone. They took the lead just 13 seconds later. The Rattlers got the ball and scored on a touchdown pass as time expired. The final score by Arizona was the third touchdown in the last minute of the game and capped off a shocking road victory. In a matchup with two completely opposite halfs, only 29 points were scored in the first two quarters, while 80 points were scored in the second half.
Week 13 - Chicago vs Utah: The Blaze entered this matchup in last place, while Chicago had already clinched a playoff berth. Utah scored the first 21 points after recovering a kickoff and forcing a Chicago interception. The Rush were able to score 24 points in the first half, but trailed by 10. Chicago quickly scored to cut the lead to 34-31 and later in the third, down by 7 points they recovered an onside kick. That possession would end in a missed field goal and Utah was still up by 7 at the start of the fourth. Chicago forced a stop and tied the game on a rushing touchdown. Utah regained the lead on an 8 minute, 11 play drive that resulted in a short touchdown reception. The Rush tied the game again on a 6-yard touchdown pass and less than a minute remained. Utah ran the clock down for one last play and an 18-yard field goal gave the Blaze a surprising home win. Utah moved to 3-10 and despite their poor record, were in the chase for the last playoff spot in the American Conference.
By Chad Fukoka
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer
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