Arena Football League Playoffs - Conference Championships Preview
Cleveland @ Philadelphia
Cleveland won its second straight road game last week, defeating Georgia 73-70 in a high scoring shotout. Raymond Philyaw and the offense overcame a rough first quarter and exploded for big plays throughout the remainder of the game. The offensive line gave Philyaw great protection and that allowed receivers to get open on deep routes. In the two playoff wins, Cleveland has combined for 16 passing touchdowns and just 1 interception. Robert Redd and Otis Amey are keeping up the consistent performances which guided the team to the success its had so far. Both receivers have sure hands and speed to gain considerable yards after completions. Randy hymes was a nice addition to the offense against Georgia, catching two deep passes, one for a touchdown and the other to set up a goal line situation. With all of the talent in the passing attack, Cleveland will need to see a strong effort from their defense. They have given up 66 and 70 points in the playoffs and need better results because it will be a challenge for the Gladiators to outscore Philadelphia.
Cleveland on offense: The Gladiators have a very aggressive offensive strategy, which is to always look for the big play by attempting a lot of long passes. That gameplan along with the quick pace in which they run plays provides plenty of opportunities to score and some unusually high scoring games. Cleveland is among the league leaders in yards per play, points scored, completion percentage, and time per play. Averaging over seven yards a play makes it relatively easy to convert first downs and set up fast touchdowns. Philyaw has superb accuracy and it lets Cleveland run the deep pass patterns and shorter crossing patterns. Last week, the Gladiators used short passes and a few trick plays to open up the secondary. From pre-game interviews, it appears Cleveland will continue with the fast pace and all-out passing attack. Although the dangerous combination of Redd, Amey, and Hymes have torched defensive backs for an incredible amount of yards and points, Philadelphia is talented enough to play tight coverage and cut off routes before it turns into long gains.
Cleveland on defense: Cleveland has not shown the ability to defend receivers or contain any type of offense. They have allowed the most points in the playoffs and in the regular season allowed over 57 per game. The Gladiators are among the worst in yards per play, passing yards and completion percentage. They give up a lot of completions with many of them on deep passes. The pass rush is non-existent because the defensive line is undersized and lacking speed. The secondary is struggling since almost all of the defensive backs were replaced prior to the start of the season and they haven't found the rhythm to play as a unit. Philadelphia will have a lot of time to throw so Cleveland will likely drop back in coverage and allow the short passes in order to prevent the quick scores. Even if they succeed in making Philadelphia turn to a slower paced offense, they could still surrender well over 60 points if they don't get defensive stops.
Philadelphia was lucky to get a win over New York and despite being in the conference championship, can't be too happy with their performance. After touchdowns on the first two possessions, the Soul struggled to complete passes and Matt D'Orazio was frequently forced to scramble out of the pocket. Philadelphia was put into a lot of third down situations and it lead to several defensive stops. Larry Brackins and Chris Jackson did not come up with the long gains like they usually do and the energy and crowd wasn't really a factor. The defense played pretty well and produced several stops to change the flow of the game and keep the Soul competitive. Philadelphia knows they were the favorite to advance to the ArenaBowl and this game is a second chance to prove all of their success hasn't been a fluke. They should have much more energy and fluidity on both sides of the ball.
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Philadelphia on offense: The Soul rely on a high completion rate and consistent gains to move the ball and set up scores. Last week, New York created a lot of pressure on Matt D'Orazio and he was off target on some passes. This time the protection should be improved and receivers will have more time to fully run routes. The Soul use screens and crossing patterns very frequently because the speed of their receivers and the size of the offensive linemen allow for good blocking and additional yards after the catch. Once Philadelphia gets a few first downs, they will test the secondary with deep routes in an attempt to get some quick scores. Both Brackins and Jackson need to have a solid game because most of the throws will be to them. Cleveland is poor at tackling in open space so Philadelphia will have many opportunities to turn short completions into long yardage plays.
Philadelphia on defense: Philadelphia was one of the top teams in scoring defense but has struggled a few times in close games. They are a good pass rushing team because of their size and experience with their linemen. The Soul can take an offense out of rhythm with a few quarterback scrambles and incompletions. Philadelphia is strong at red zone defense, forcing their share of turnovers inside the ten yard line. The tackling was pretty good against New York and it has been consistent in recent games. The Soul allow few completions over 20 yards and force teams to make first downs to advance the ball. They have a bend but don't break defensive mindset but the only drawback is they are on the field for a high amount of games and fatigue plays a factor in the second half. Philadelphia will probably play deep in coverage and take away the deep routes from Cleveland to see if Philyaw and his receivers can beat them using a methodical offense.
Prediction: Cleveland 69, Philadelphia 63
Gran Rapids @ San Jose
Grand Rapids pulled off another road upset, this time defeating Chicago 58-41. James MacPherson was accurate and poised throughout the game, completing 33 of 39 passes and throwing 5 touchdowns. Kenny Higgins had a solid performance, connecting with MacPherson on several long passes and helping Grand Rapids keep the momentum in their favor. Cole Magner was a decent receiver to throw to on third downs and for moderate gains. The Rampage really stepped up their defense with 4 stops, including a fumble and an interception near the goal line. They will need to continue utilizing the screens and sideline patterns against a stingy San Jose defense. Grand Rapids will also have to force San Jose to check down to the other options in the passing game and have them use a methodical offense to score points. If Grand Rapids finds themselves down by multiple scores, the game is likely out of reach.
Grand Rapids on offense: James MacPherson had lead Grand Rapids from a shaky team trying to find their identity to a serious contender for an ArenaBowl championship. He has had an extremely high completion rate in the postseason and has gotten better on third and fourth down coversions. MacPherson has two reliable receivers in Kenny Higgins and Cole Magner, both with good speed and able to adjust to routes. Chris Johnson is becoming a productive player to this offense with several catches in last week's game and 24 touchdowns on the season. MacPherson looks for the easy gains, willing to take a 5 yard completion instead of forcing a deep pass into tight coverage. The Rampage will rely on crossing routes and sideline patterns for moderate gains and first downs. Grand Rapids has scored points on every possession in the postseason, not including times where they ran out the clock at the end of the fourth quarter.
Grand Rapids on defense: The Rampage have suddenly become a force on defense, allowing just 41 points in each of the playoff victories. The pass rush has been amazing, turning pocket passers into scrambling quarterbacks and causing throws to be off target. Linemen have been able to block around offensive players and get to the quarterback from a side angle. Grand Rapids has cut down on the yards after completions and most plays are not resulting in first downs, a sharp contrast from the easy scores in the regular season. The potential has always been there for the defensive backs and now they are showcasing it with close coverage on receivers and more incompletions and deflections. Grand Rapids will have their hands full with San Jose, but based on the playoff run so far, everyone is playing towards the team goal of a championship and anything appears to be possible.
San Jose moved a step closer to defending their championship with a 64-51 victory over Colorado. Mark Grieb had another consistent game and the Sabercats took a comfortable lead and halftime and won with ease. Except for one bad pass resulting in an interception, Grieb was very accurate and found open receivers for quick, short gains. James Roe and Cleannord Saintil came up with many first down completions and the majority of the touchdowns. Rodney Wright also caught a few passes as the third option for San Jose. The pass protection was excellent and allowed the methodical Sabercats offense to score on all but one of their possessions. At home, San Jose plays very well and is a huge favorite to beat Grand Rapids and advance to consecutive ArenaBowls, but they need to play hard through the entire game and not underestimate a determined Grand Rapids squad.
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San Jose on offense: Mark Grieb is a good team leader and has great communication with all of the offensive players. He is determined to help his team win at all costs and that serves as motivation for San Jose's consistent performance in recent years. Grieb passed for over 100 touchdowns on the season, but also has the most interceptions because he sometimes forces throws when trying to make a big play. Saintil and Roe are good for 100 receiving yards and multiple touchdowns in every game and with so much on the line in this game, expect another solid outing from both of them. The offensive line should be energetic and pass protection will likely be no problem for San Jose. The Sabercats may take more chances at home and attempt deep passes early in the game to score and set the pace. If not they can always fall back on the short, consistent gains that has lead to touchdowns and victories throughout the season. A strong offensive output and lots of points should occur in this game.
San Jose on defense: The Sabercats are content to give up short gains and force teams to gain first downs and slowly move the ball. They have a good pass rush and constantly pressure the quarterback and affect the timing with receivers. San Jose is one of the better teams at forcing turnovers from quarterback pressure and in their last game, it turned the momentum and crowd support in their favor. The Sabercats allow very few yards after the catch and that is caused by proper tackling and players reading routes and being in position to make a play. San Jose has an average secondary but in important situations they have proven the ability to put together a nice performance. The Sabercats want to get a few stops early in the matchup to take Grand Rapids out of their flow and if they get the lead, it will be an almost certain victory. If San Jose falls behind, making a comeback could be more difficult than expected.
Prediction: San Jose 62, Grand Rapids 51
By Chad Fukoka
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer
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