AFL Team Reviews

The season is quickly coming to an end and here are the reviews of each team's performance. Each team will be listed according to their current record, from best to worst.

1. Dallas Desperados (11-2) - They had the best regular season record last year and they have a chance to accomplish it again this year. The Desperados were able to overcome an early season injury to Clint Dolezel and found a capable backup quarterback in Chris Sanders. Dolezel is considered to be the most intelligent quarterback in the league and he also has amazing accuracy. The Dallas receivers have great hands and have the ability to generate yards after the catch. Although Dallas uses a lot of short passes in their offense, they score touchdowns with ease. A tough offensive line gives Dolezel plenty of time to throw from the pocket and he rarely gets sacked. Kicker Remy Hamilton struggled in the first few games, but has gotten progressively better. The Desperados defense is excellent in the red zone, creating a lot of stops. Dallas creates a lot of pressure on the quarterback and that combined with a low pass completion rate makes it difficult for offenses to move the ball. At every position, the Desperados have talent. Dallas will definitely be a contender for the ArenaBowl championship, the only thing that will stop them from reaching their goal is complacency and unforced errors, which is why they lost their first playoff game last year. With extra motivation, it will be tough for any team to defeat Dallas in the playoffs.

2. Chicago Rush (10-3) - This team currently has the best record in the American Conference and has already clinched a playoff berth. Veteran quarterback Sherdrick Bonner has not played much, but Russ Michna has proven to be a premier starter. He does not have great speed, but makes up for it in accuracy, game management, and determination. Michna does not force passes and hardly ever throws an interception. The Rush receivers are led by Damian Harrell, who was acquired during the offseason. Along with Travis LaTendresse and Donovan Morgan, this group is one of the most explosive and can score at any time. The Rush are a consistent offense and very tough to stop at home. Fullback Dan Alexander is another weapon for Chicago when near the goal line. On defense, Chicago is great at tackling and preventing big plays. The secondary plays tight coverage on receivers and can force interceptions to change the momentum of a game. The Rush take opponents out of a game by scoring quickly and forcing turnovers to build on their lead. Chicago made all of the necessary adjustments with a new quarterback and offensive players and are in a great position to win their conference and secure an ArenaBowl berth. Their biggest challenge will likely come in the conference championship game and if they can win that, then an ArenaBowl title is within reach.

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3. Philadelphia Soul (10-3) - They were the last remaining undefeated team at 9-0, but have since lost 3 out of their last 4 games. Philadelphia is still the most talented offense, despite the fact that their scoring has declined in recent games. If the Soul get back on track and cut down on turnovers and silly mistakes, they are more than capable of scoring 60 points per game. Tony Graziani and Matt D'Orazio are two of the most well-rounded quarterbacks and the receiving core can explode for touchdowns at any time. Larry Brackins is a difficult receiver to tackle and Chris Jackson is speedy and led the league in touchdowns last season. Wes Ours can run for positive yardage and convert first downs, and is very reliable in goal line situations. The defense is very good in making red zone stops and allowing a low amount of yards per completion. The Soul will not be beat on big plays or quick scores, but they do have some trouble with third down defense. In their losses, the Soul have struggled to make stops on third and fourth down and are letting teams get into short yardage situations that are easy to convert. Philadelphia is still an elite team and possesses great talent, but they will need to enter the playoffs with some momentum to make a serious run at the championship.

4. San Jose Sabercats (9-5) - The defending champions look to be regaining their form from last year. After a shaky 3-4 start, the Sabercats have won 6 of their last 7 games. As usual, the offense is efficient and able to score from anywhere on the field. Mark Grieb is once again leading his team to victories and the Sabercats are scoring with regularity. San Jose has won their last 4 games by 10 points or more and they have been putting away teams in the second half. San Jose has a bunch of receivers who are effective and consistent, including Cleannord Saintil, Rodney Wright, and James Roe. No player is the star on the team, instead each player performs their assigned duties and makes the team better. On defense, San Jose has been generating a stronger pass rush and has been forcing receivers to adjust their routes. The defense has always been able to tackle well, now they are creating more turnovers and incompletions. To win another championship, the Sabercats will have to play defense at the level they did last year, holding teams to around 50 points and creating 4 to 5 stops per game.

5. Georgia Force (8-5) - The Force were expected to be one of the dominant teams in the National Conference, and after a slow start they have found their way to a likely postseason berth. At one point, Georgia was 3-5 and were just trying to avoid being in last place, now they have won 5 straight games and are the hottest team in the league. The five wins are over Philadelphia, New York, Tampa Bay, and New Orleans twice. Chris Greisen has found his rhythm at quarterback and has been putting together big games during the winning streak. The Force receivers are finally playing to their full potential, Troy Bergeron and Carl Morris are the two primary receivers who are thrown to for first downs and touchdowns, and Tiger Jones is a nice addition to the team and is good for short and moderate gains. The Force do not have a great defense, but they don't allow too many long gains. They force opponents to complete short passes and grind out yards, so if they do allow scores, it won't be easy. Still, Georgia does give up a lot of completions and even if they are for short gains, they add up throughout the game and it leads to points. The Force do not have a consistent pass rush so they have to rely on their secondary and linebackers to stop offenses. Georgia is a good team but it will take a nearly perfect game to defeat Dallas or Philadelphia in the later stages of the playoffs if they do get that far.

6. New Orleans VooDoo (8-5) - The VooDoo are heading in the wrong direction and right now are barely in a playoff spot. New Orleans got off to a 7-2 start, but now the offense is struggling and the VooDoo lost their first home game against Georgia two weeks ago. New Orleans did score 83 points in their most recent game against a last place Columbus team, but given the quality of the opponent, there is no way to know whether that game was a fluke or if the VooDoo are back to the excellent form they displayed in the beginning of the season. Danny Wimprine is a tough quarterback who hates to lose and he will do whatever it takes to win games. The offense is still very explosive and the VooDoo often score in bunches. New Orleans is pretty good at converting on third down plays and long yardage situations so the offense is never really in a bad position. On defense, the VooDoo have a solid pass rush and it has become more consistent. Even in their losses, New Orleans was able to create some pressure on the quarterback. The secondary is able to force interceptions but are allowing more completions and big plays. Before, the defensive backs used to force both incompletions and interceptions, now if they don't create a turnover, they are often giving up a touchdown. New Orleans has not defeated a team with a winning record on the road, losing to Dallas and Georgia. If they make the playoffs, they will probably not have home field advantage in any game, so winning will be a huge challenge.

7. Orlando Predators (8-6) - The Predators are in a mini slump, losing 3 of their last 4 games and falling back in playoff positioning. They will make the playoffs, but it's always improtant to go in on a winning streak to get momentum. Orlando is stronger on offense than on defense, which is a contrast to how the team has traditonally been constructed. Shane Stafford has lead the Predators to a lot of quick touchdowns and has put up a lot of points on the season. Orlando has scored more than 60 points in several games and Stafford has thrown for 7 or 8 touchdowns on numerous occasions. T.T Toliver is one of the most improved receivers on the year and is always catching deep passes and scoring touchdowns. He can catch any type of pass and is dangerous after the catch. Kevin Nickerson has had a great season for Orlando and has become another reliable receiver. Orlando chose to focus on offense this season and it has worked out for them. The pass rush isn't there for the Predators, although they have made improvements in coverage. The secondary isn't getting beat on deep balls as often and the Predators have forced a few turnovers in their recent games. Orlando will have to rely on their offense to have a chance at winning in the postseason, but with their past experience, they will be a tough team to beat.

8. Cleveland Gladiators (7-6) - Cleveland is in the middle of a very difficult part of their schedule, after their next two games, they would have played five of their last seven against teams with winning records. The Gladiators have shown the ability to defeat top teams, as they acquired victories over Philadelphia and Orlando in consecutive weeks, although they lost to Dallas a week ago. Raymond Philyaw is leading the offense to consistent scores, and the Gladiators have really cut down on turnovers. Otis Amey and Robert Redd has proven to be the top receivers on this team and catch a variety of short and long passes. Cleveland has been using a more methodical offense and have been scoring frequently, which is a change from their quick-strike offense early in the season that produced long gains but was very unreliable. The Gladiators have made a lot of improvements on defense and are capable of holding a team to under 50 points. Cleveland has forced opponents into a lower completion rate and are creating stops inside the red zone. Once they started playing as a team, then the results started to show. Cleveland will be one of the lowest seeded teams in the playoffs and may win their wild card game, but to defeat a tougher team such as Dallas or Philadelphia in the next round will be unlikely.

9. Arizona Rattlers (7-6) - The Rattlers have secured a playoff berth and hace come thorugh with their promise to all season ticket holders. Arizona has won three straight games, two of those were road wins against Dallas and Orlando. The offense has been much more effective in the second half of the season, the receivers and quarterbacks are communicating and know which plays to run in certain situations. It took time for the offense to learn to play as a team, but now they are a very productive unit. The majority of the Rattlers completions are for short gains, but they have found success with the occasional deep pass. On defense, the Rattlers have been able to generate an effective pass rush and passes are being thrown off target. The secondary plays deep coverage and allows the short, check-down passes to be completed. Arizona wants teams to slowly move the ball down the field, it increases their chances of forcing a turnover and forces teams into more third and fourth down situations. Arizona plays in the weaker American Conference and may actually have home field advantage for a game. They should be able to win their first playoff game and have the potential to advance deep into the playoffs if everything goes right.

10. New York Dragons (6-6) - The Dragons have lost two consecutive games and are currently out of the playoffs. They are a half game behind Cleveland for the last spot in the National Conference. New York has gotten better on offense and Aaron Garcia is a veteran quarterback who knows how to win important games. New York is completing lots of passes and they are going for longer gains. Many of their scoring drives take only a couple of minutes and with that explosiveness, the Dragons have the ability to come back from any defecit. The Dragons must win their next game against Colorado because they play New Orleans, Philadelphia and Dallas in their final three games and none of them is an easy victory. New York has a good pass defense and they force a lot of incompletions. They are able to force teams into long yardage situations, but sometimes struggle to make stops on third downs and get the ball back. The Dragons have been inconsistent in their games, they play well for one quarter and struggle in the next one. With their previous two losses, the Dragons may have taken themselves out of any playoff hopes.

11. Tampa Bay Storm (6-7) - Tampa Bay has been playing well to close out the season, but it may not be enough to make the playoffs. The Storm lost a one-point game to Georgia, after the Force intercepted a pass and drove down the field to score as time expired. The win would have put the Storm at 7-6 and in a tie for the last playoff position with Cleveland, instead they have one more game to make up in the standings. Brett Dietz has been accurate in his passes and has a good completion rate. The ball control offense is still working for Tampa Bay and they are scoring on most of their possessions. Turnovers and mistakes late in games is what has cost Tampa Bay a few victories. The Storm seem to make these mistakes at the worst possible time and all of their hard work in getting a lead becomes wasted. The offense is capable of scoring on any possession and the defense excels at tackling and preventing big plays. The weakness for Tampa Bay is turnovers and third and fourth down defense. Tampa Bay will need to win all three of their remmaining games to make the playoffs and that doesn't seem likely. This will be a learning experience for a team with lots of past success and next year they should be better.

> Check out Chad's Arena Football Rules & AFL Basics article and see how your team is doing in the 2008 AFL standings as AFL teams continue to battle for a chance to play in Arena Bowl XXII!

12. Colorado Crush (4-9) - The Crush have lost 6 of their last 7 games and although they are still safely in the playoffs with an outside chance of hosting a first round game, going into the postseason on a losing streak will increase the chances of an early exit. Offensively, Colorado is capable of being one of the most productive in the league, but turnovers and inaccurate passes have resulted in less points than usual. John Dutton has great accuracy, but sometimes overthrows passes or misses wide open receivers. The Crush have good receivers in Willie Quinnie, Ben Nelson and Chad Owens and all are able to gain yards after the catch. Defense is a big weakness for this team as the quarterback pressure has been non-existent in recent games and little turnovers are being forced. Quarterbacks are standing in the pocket, just waiting for routes to develop. Even though receivers are not exactly wide open, the coverage is very loose and there is space for passes to be completed. Most completions are going for more than ten yards, and the Crush wanted to force opponents into grinding out yards but that has not been the case at all. Colorado is going to make the playoffs as they close the season with a weak schedule, but to make an impact and win a game will require a well rounded effort on both offense and defense.

13. Los Angeles Avengers (4-9) - This team was expected to be a force in the American Conference and possibly contend for a championship, now they will be fortunate just to make the postseason. There is indecision in selecting a permanent quarterback as Tim Hicks and Sonny Cumbie have been sharing the role, but neither is excelling at what they do. More possessions are resulting in turnovers than ever before, and the offensive line is getting beaten and battered. The Avengers are allowing a lot of sacks and can't move the ball with any consistency. Watching them play gives you the feeling that they want the season to end so they can start over next year. The tackling has been getting worse and five yard completions are turning into touchdowns or very long gains. Players seem to be out of position on defense and receivers are easily beating the linebackers and are open deep down the field. On some plays, the defensive backs are able to play good coverage, but even a few mistakes can lead to touchdowns for the opposition. Los Angeles may make the playoffs, but it is almost certain they will lose in the first round. In the offeseason, they will have to decide what direction the franchise is headed in.

14. Utah Blaze (4-10) - The Blaze are 4-1 after losing their first 9 games and are in a good position to sneak into the playoffs. The offense has been great all season, with Joe Germaine leading the league in touchdown passes and passing yards. He often throws for over 300 yards and more than 7 touchdowns in a game. Utah has solid receivers in J.J McKelvey and Huey Whittaker, both of them are able to catch passes at any distance and both can run for extra yards. The Blaze average a high amount of yards per completion, over 12 yards, and most completions are already for first downs. The reason they are winning games is because of their defense. The quarterback pressure has been much more disruptive and it is causing inaccurate passes. The secondary still has some problems to work out as the coverage is inconsistent. Utah can't play tight coverage all the time and defensive backs are sometimes faked out by moves put on them by opposing receivers. Some of the kinks on defense can be worked out by watching additional film and going through more coverage drills in practice. The defense has come a long way since the start of the season and the Blaze should not be underestimated, despite their poor record.

15. Grand Rapids Rampage (3-10) - At this point in the season, the Rampage appear to have fallen short of making the playoffs. Throughout the year, there was no consistency in anything they did. One game, they would score 70 or 80 points, the next they would score 40. Even within a game, the Rampage would have a good first half and take the lead, and get outscored by a large margin in the second half. James McPherson has the potential to be a good quarterback, but hasn't learned enough to make good decisions. He doesn't know when to throw the ball away, when to dump the ball to his second or third receiving option on a play, or how to manage the clock when trying to make a comeback. Basically, Grand Rapids is an inexperienced team that needs to learn from this season. Similar problems can be found on defense, the secondary is getting beat by receivers who can run good routes and get defenders out of position. The tackling is below average because players don't stay where they should be on the field and the ballcarriers can pick apart the defensive alignment. Grand Rapids is in a rebuilding mode and in a few years may be a better team.

16. Kansas City Brigade (3-10) - This was supposed to be one of the weaker teams in the league, and Kansas City hasn't done anything to disprove it. The Brigade have really struggled on offense and they are not exactly equipped with good players. Both quarterbacks are rookies, and can't complete any type of deep pass. D Bryant has been inaccurate and has the lowest quarterback rating of anyone. Cesare Manning and Mike Horacek are decent receivers and have been productive. Both have caught their share of touchdown receptions and receivng yards. The other receivers on this team have not made any impact and are not even taken as a serious threat by opposing defenses. Both the offensive and defensive lines are average and neither has been a serious problem. The Brigade are okay in that area and should keep those linemen for next year. The secondary and linebackers are struggling because they are put in a bad position by the offense. They always have to defend short fields and are playing from behind, and that's why they are allowing more points. If the offense can improve, then the defense will be at the level they were at last year when the team made the playoffs. Kansas City should make a lot of changes to the offense in the offeseaon and if they can start scoring, they have the potential to win games.

17. Columbus Destroyers (3-10) - This is the most disappointing team and the Destroyers were the first team eliminated from the playoffs after being in the ArenaBowl last year. The offense has been terrible and it has come as a surprise. Matt Nagy is an excellent quarterback and is still trying his best in every game. The receivers are not doing their share of work for the team. Derek Lee has been the lone bright spot for the offense with 28 touchdowns and over 1300 yards. The other three receivers are unreliable in difficult situations, such as long yardage plays and in close games. Harold Wells is a solid fullback and can be counted on to score from near the goal line. Unfortunately, the Destroyers are not inside the red zone very often and scoring has decreased a lot this year. The defense has been playing okay considering the tough circumstances they are forced into. The linebackers have been making solid tackles and the secondary isn't giving up big plays like they did in the first few games. The coverage can be improved since Columbus is allowing a lot of completions. Columbus either needs to find a new offensive gameplan or needs to add new players on the team because the offense will have to be completely rebuilt in the offseason.

By Chad Fukoka
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer

> Check out Chad's Arena Football Rules & AFL Basics article and see how your team is doing in the 2008 AFL standings as AFL teams continue to battle for a chance to play in Arena Bowl XXII!