AFL Week 4 Game Previews

Philadelphia vs Los Angeles

The Soul-Dragons ravalry reached new heights after a controversial hit caused Tony Graziani to be put on the injured list for the next four games. Matt D'Orazio is one of the premier backup quarterbacks, leading Chicago to its 2006 championship and gaining knowledge of the offensive plays and formations under the assistance of Graziani. The Soul had another decent performance, defeating the Dragons by three touchdowns and containing Aaron Garcia, who made his first appearance after an opening game injury. The Soul repeatedly forced New York into interceptions resulting from desparate third and fourth down passes into multiple coverages. Matt D'Orazio proved to be a capable quarterback, leading his teams to scores on all but one of his possessions.

Philadelphia on offense: Since the Soul have a veteran quarterback in D'Orazio, there won't be many changes to the offensive strategies. Philadelphia knows that each possession must be treated carefully against a Avengers team that is among the best in producing turnovers. D'Orazio will be going into a difficult environment and Los Angeles will be looking to get back on track after a disappointing loss against Georgia. Chris Jackson and Larry Brackins are the top receivers on the Soul and they will face pressure from the Avengers defensive backs. Philadelphia has one of the best completion rates in the AFL and that will be important in allowing D'Orazio to gain confidence and keep the crowd and the Los Angeles defense from taking over the game. Look for Philadelphia to complete a lot of short and mid-range passes and attempt to shorten the game, while keeping the Avengers offense off the field.

Philadelphia on defense: The Soul have had the luxury of playing with the lead in all three of their games. Usually, they made a couple of first half stops and the game was out of reach by the fourth quarter. Philadelphia will face a much more competitive game in Los Angeles and catch the Avengers at a time when they are trying to redeem themselves after a terrible offensive performance. There was a lot of frustration in the locker room after the loss to Georgia and players were talking about the need to get off to a good start the next week against Philadelphia. Sonny Cumbie is all about efficiency and scoring every time his team has the ball, so the Soul will have to be opportunistic by turning any bad passes into interceptions and limiting the Avenger's yards after completions. They need to keep Los Angeles in check by forcing them out of their primary options on routes and forcing the Avengers to slowly and methodically move the ball down the field.

Los Angeles looks to rebound after a shocking loss to the Force. After a first half that saw them score only 7 points, the Avengers regained a little momentum by scoring 4 touchdowns in the second half. The Avengers expressed their frustration and in media statements, they felt a strong desire to execute better in the opening possessions of the next game. Sonny Cumbie is too much of a veteran and efficient quarterback to have two consecutive mediocre games, so look for him to rebound nicely against the Soul. He only had one inteception in the first two games combined and the three red zone turnovers in the first half against Georgia was just a fluke and nothing to worry about.

Los Angeles on offense: The Avengers are happy to be playing at home and will want to put on a good show for the fans after their first loss the previous week. They face the undefeated Soul and understand that the game will most likely be decided in the final minutes. The Avengers and Soul were the top two teams in scoring efficiency and fewest offensive turnovers before week 3 and I still think both offenses are among the league's best. Los Angeles knows they can score at will if they execute properly and with a solid quarterback and experienced receivers, expect them to return to the top form that they displayed in opening the season. Sonny Cumbie will put the game in his hands and Los Angeles will score consistently.

Los Angeles on defense: Although the Avengers are among the leaders in interceptions, they could not stop Georgia and allowed a season-high 58 points. The Force completed 65% of their passes, and the Avengers were holding opponents to only 48% before that game. The Avengers can take away a team's momentum at any time, they held their first two opponents to only 21 total second half points. Los Angeles will need to make stops against a Philadelphia team that leads the AFL in scoring. Although the Soul are starting their backup quarterback, they still are experienced and know how to bounce back from difficult situations. Los Angeles will make just enough plays to pull out a close home win over a tough Soul team.

Prediction: Los Angeles 55, Philadelphia 49

Cleveland vs New Orleans

The Gladiators are the feel-good story of the AFL and they proved they can win on the road, defeating Columbus by two points. They took the lead late in the third quarter and stopped a two-point conversion to end a Columbus comeback attempt. The offense is the strength for Cleveland, Raymond Philyaw threw for five touchdowns and 209 yards in a 59-57 win. Robert Redd and Otis Amey were the top receivers, catching all five touchdown passes and combining for 145 yards. Cleveland does not have a consistent defense and that could hurt them when they travel to New Orleans to take on another surprise team and a VooDoo offense that cannot be stopped in recent games.

Cleveland on offense: Raymond Philyaw has taken over this team and is making everyone around him better. The Gladoators don't have any brand name players, but Robert Redd and Otis Amey are proving to be reliable receivers. Cleveland is averaging 62 points per game, so they're scoring on nearly every possession. Even though the Gladiators are a young team, they don't get rattled since they are among the best in third down conversions. Cleveland has not faced a serious defensive challenge, all three of their opponents have a losing record and shaky defenses. Utah is last in scoring and total defense, New York is allowing 57 points per game, and Columbus is only allowing 51 points per game because they faced two slow-paced teams before the Gladiators. Cleveland has a real challenge when they play the VooDoo, which shut down a previously undefeated Tampa Bay team and held them to 14 first half points.

Cleveland on defense: The Gladiators are nothing special on this side of the ball, but they are able to make stops when the game is in doubt. They stopped a game-tying two-point conversion against Columbus and prevented Utah from scoring and tying the game on its final possesison. Cleveland needs to have a good start to keep New Orleans from getting an early lead and using the crowd energy to carry them through the game. If Cleveland can get a couple of stops and keep the VooDoo from dominating in the beginning of the game, they have a chance to stay close and possibly pull off a second consecutive road victory. The VooDoo are a team that feeds off emotion and the home crowd, so Cleveland must force them into incompletions and turnovers to limit their home-field advantage.

New Orleans may have surprised a lot of people by scoring 77 points against Tampa Bay, which is known for its defense. The VooDoo used a 34-0 second quarter to take a huge 48-14 halftime lead and both teams traded scores in the second half. Danny Wimprine threw eight touchdowns and that allowed his team to take an early lead and pile it on through the game. After a losing record last year and missing the playoffs, New Orleans is now in first place in the Southern Division. They play their third straight home game against a better than expected Gladiators team.

New Orleans on offense: The VooDoo are great at home and average on the road in every facet of the game. Last week, Danny Wimprine tossed eight touchdown passes and New Orleans scored twice off missed field goals returned for touchdowns in a 77-point scoring outburst. The 48 first half points set a team record, as did the 34 points in the second quarter. The VooDoo had a lot of easy scoring opportunities, besides the field goal returns, they scored on three possessions after Tampa Bay onside kicks in the second half, all three times starting inside the Tampa 15. Danny Wimprine was able to expose the Storm secondary and New Orleans recorded several plays of 20 yards or more.

New Orleans on defense: Similar to Cleveland, the strength of the team is on the offensive end. New Orleans look to continue its momentum after two good home-field performances, both against division opponents. The VooDoo have held all three opponents to under 60 points and that is one reason for their 2-1 start. Last week, the VooDoo sacked Brett Dietz four times, a team record. They also shut out an opponent in the second quarter, the first time in team history and only the 11th shutout quarter ever for New Orleans. The VooDoo face the second best offense in Cleveland and need to use their momemtum and great home-field advantage to contain the Gladiators if they want to get another home win.

Prediction: New Orleans 63, Cleveland 61

Georgia vs Orlando

Georgia brings some momentum into this game after a dominant performance against Los Angeles. The offense finally played like a team and Chris Greisen was given a lot of protection and comfort from the offensive line. He was able to drop back in the pocket and wait for his receivers to get open on deep routes. Even more surprising was the suffocating defense put on the Avengers. The Force harassed and knocked Sonny Cumbie to the ground on numerous occasions and this was able to disrupt the flow of the Avengers pass routes. Nobody could get open and Cumbie threw interceptions throughout the first half. Georgia goes into a tough environment and will battle an Orlando team that finally got its first win.

Georgia on offense: The Orlando defense is really struggling this year so the Force won't have as difficult of a matchup as in past seasons. However, they will be in the same role as the Avengers were last week when Georgia completely dismantled them at home, a surging team going into a tough road game. Chris Greisen is coming off a solid outing and will need to have silimar statistics and big-play ability as he recently displayed. Georgia is playing better as a team and each player is contributing to the offense. Receivers are where they are supposed to be, compared to the first two games where they either underran the route and allowed an interception or incompletion or dropped easy catches. The Force will want to test the underperforming Predators secondary with a lot of crossing and post routes. They will look for quick scores since they know Orlando has the ability to shut down an offense at any time.

Georgia on defense: The Force have played well in two of their games, a loss to Dallas and last week's win over Los Angeles. Now they face an Orlando team which seems to be more competent on offense and is staying in games thorugh the strength of their passing. Orlando feels that it will take a while to correct the problems on defense, so their approach is to outscore their opponent. The major changes in their gameplan is partially out of necessity and because its the easier adjustment to make. Georgia will have to treat the Predators like the high scoring team they're trying to become. They need to defend the deep ball first and be willing to surrender the shorter passes. The Force need to keep the ball and opposing receivers in front of them and make Orlando march down the field on long drives. If they don't give up big plays, eventually the Predators will be forced into third downs, where the defense has a chance to create a stop and get the ball back.

Orlando finally got a win in their first home game. There were oth good and bad things to be gained from the victory. The Predators looked amazing on offense with 10 touchdowns and 69 points. Shane Stafford got into a rhythm and his receivers caught nearly everything that was thrown to them. Orlando scored on almost every possession, they were stopped just twice during the entire game. The defense that was ranked last going into the matchup failed to make any significant improvements. Utah was able to match Orlando's scoring up until the last possession, when the Predators made the game winning stop as time was about to run out. The Predators new identity is a high scoring, fast paced team, a sharp contrast to the teams of previous years.

Orlando on offense: Orlando was always a ball control offense that liked to convert first downs and move the ball down the field. Now they are constantly looking for the quick score, focusing more on the long crossing patterns or just going deep to their best receivers. They will again try to execute this gameplan against a Force team coming off an excellent defensive showing. Orlando's success will be determined by whether their players can stay a step ahead on the routes and generate a lot of yards after the catch. Georgia knows about the drastic changes made by this team and will plan accordingly. Orlando probably wants to score on all of their possessions early in the game because the Force will do whatever they can to shorten the number of plays and possessions in this matchup.

Orlando on defense: The strength of this team is now its biggest weakness. Orlando has undergone a big change in their priorities and is basing everything around its offense. The Predators know that they are not learning and executing the defensive schemes and packages, and with some new players, it's proving to be too complex to understand. They need to go back to the basics, starting with not losing track of receivers on routes. The Predators are giving up an unusually high amount of wide-open completions and teams are scoring so quickly on them. They are not putting any pressure on quarterbacks and not only does this not force turnovers, it puts defensive backs in a tough position, being forced to cover the receiver for so long. This is a reson why there are so many completions by the opposing team. Orlanso needs to create pressure on the Force quarterback and force him to get rid of the ball before he wants to. If they can do this, they might be able to slow down the Force.

Prediction: Orlando 52, Georgia 49

Colorado vs Chicago

Colorado got off to a nice start against Dallas as John Duton completed his first 11 passes but the Dallas pressure eventually became too much for him to handle. The Crush were shut down in the second half as Dallas pulled away to a 50-41 win. Dutton was forced to scramble often in the second half and that led to interceptions and sacks. The Crush were always playing from behind, whether it was the fact that they trailed from early in the third quarter or that they always faced long yardage situations on many of their possessions. Colorado faces another team that likes to pressure the quarterback and they play in front of another hostile crowd. They have to find a way to give Dutton more time on his passes if they want to pull of the victory.

Colorado on offense: The Crush like to complete short passes and take whatever is given to them by opposing defenses. They are not looking for the big play that leads to the touchdown, they are looking for consistency in their offense and the opportunity to play the game at their pace and style. They have shown the ability to do that, they just need to be consistent. John Dutton is not a quarterback that can scramble or keep a play alive with his feet, so the offensive line will have to be at its best and give him maximum protection. Colorado will go into the game and try to make first downs and slowly but surely move the ball down the field, and their execution and team chemistry will go a long way in determining how well the gameplan goe.

Colorado on defense: The defense has actually been above average so far, but an inconsistent offense doesn't allow people to notice that. In both games, the Crush have forced stops and incompletions from opposing quarterbacks. They have given up a few big plays, but both games have been against veteran quarterbacks. The Crush focuses on taking away the explosiveness and effectiveness of the best player on the opposing team. They will have a difficult time doing that against Damian Harrell, the star receiver of the Rush and one of the best to play the game. Colorado should focus on making Chicago complete short passes to their other receivers and they need to take away the quick scores from the Rush in order to get a road win.

Chicago comes off a convincing victory at Grand Rapids and they return home to face a pesky and experienced Crush team. The Rush were disappointed and felt that they let a lot of opportunities get away from them in their last home loss to Philadelphia. The Rush have put lots of focus on their defense, and it had blossomed into one of the most intense in the entire league. The Rush are always physical on defense, they tackle well and don't allow many yards after catches and they put pressure in opposing quarterbacks. Their hard-hitting players force a lot of turnovers and bad execution from offenses. Chicago has a great combination in Sherdrick Bonner and Damian Harrell, one of the best in the AFL. They can score on offense and shut down teams on defense, the only thing that stops them is unforced turnovers and penalties at inopportune times.

Chicago on offense: At home, the Rush play with great intensity and let everyone go loose and make plays. Bonner is the most experienced quarterback in the league and knows how to read coverages and find open receivers. Harrell is an explosive receiver along with the rest of the Rush. Chicago always has the capability to score quickly and seize the momentum and game from opponents. They usually play well in the beginning of the game and when they are playing with the lead, they are tough to beat. Chicago knows that every division game is important and those at home should always be won. Their offense won't have much difficulty in being productive, although they are facing a decent Crush team.

Chicago on defense: They are coming off a great performance where they held Grand Rapids to 14 points through the first three quarters. Chicago tries to create turnovers when they are at home, because that will allow them to gain a sizeable lead and put the game in their control. Their secondary lead the AFL in interceptions last year and are doing fine this year. They are allowing a higher completion percentage, but not that many big plays. This will allow them to slow down Colorado. The Rush will force Dutton away from his top receivers and make him pass to his secondary options. Their strong pass rush will force Dutton out of the pocket, where he will have limited time to throw to receivers and may be forced into more interceptions. Chicago should be able to make control of the game with the help of their defense.

Prediction: Chicago 59, Colorado 51

Dallas vs San Jose

Dallas has been a little surprise, nobody was sure how well Chris Sanders would play in place of Clint Dolezel, but he has filled in superbly. In the past two games, he took control of the offense and has the trust and respect of the entire team. Sanders is leading his team to touchdowns and as he continues to get playing experience, he will soon have a complete grasp of every play. His only weakness is the inability to put the deep ball in a place where the receiver can catch it, he often floats the ball too high, and that lets the defender make a play for an incompletion. Dallas is winning games with defense, the Desperados allow 38 points per game and have held every opponent to 41 points or less. They have one great half that puts the game out of reach and when that is happening, the opposing offenses are pressured into playing faster and out of control, they often panic and make the situation worse.

Dallas on offense: Chris Sanders is still the leader of the team, at least until Dolezel returns from his injury. Sanders is executing fairly well as a backup and the Desperados are still scoring with frequency. Although they now average less possessions per game because of the added emphasis on shorter routes and more completions, they still have the ability to score quickly. In the last game, Dallas scored two touchdowns off drives of three plays or less. Sanders has his toughest challenge yet, as the Desperados play at San Jose, and face one of the league's best teams. The San Jose defense is not dominant like in past years, but they shut down an Arizona team that started an inexprienced backup quarterback. Sanders is surrounded with better talent but he will have to be at his best if he wants a victory.

Dallas on defense: The pass rush is much better than previous seasons, and in every game the defensive line is forcing the quarterback to scramble and throw from awkward situations. Dallas is getting more sacks, and each time they force a quarterback to scramble, it becomes difficult for him to find open receivers and deliver an accurate throw. Opposing receivers also have to adjust their routes and that creates a lot of uncertainty for the offense. Sometimes it leads to interceptions and other times it leads to incompletions or shorter gains. Dallas is confusing offenses with their formations and play coverages and that takes them out of their gameplan. The Desperados face a premier offense in San Jose and the batle will be won by the team that has more energy and reacts better to the opposition.

San Jose has won 15 straight games at home, last losing in 2006. They are flying under the radar this year, even though they are the defending champions. Because of their bad opening week loss on national television, people have ignored this team so far. San Jose has a chance to establish themselves as a top team if they can beat Dallas at home. Their offense is performing well as usual and Mark Greib is again putting up huge numbers. Everyone is catching the ball and getting their share of yards and touchdowns. San Jose and its excellent offense will face the best defense, and the Sabercats know this is a must-win game for attention and respect from the rest of the league.

San Jose on offense: The Sabercats are a team that reacts and builds off the energy from its amazing crowd. They possess the best home-field advantage in the league and expect to win every home game. This week is no exception and Mark Greib will have to have another good performance for his team. San Jose will have to complete a lot of passes and score with ease. The Sabercats have a consistent offense because each receiver has the ability to get open and run their route properly. Each player knows their role on the team and executes it well. San Jose will try to complete longer passes and move the ball quickly. It will be a challenge against the Desperados but the Sabercats are a team that can win when it matters.

San Jose on defense: The Sabercats are underperforming in this area and their defensive statistics are worse than last year. San Jose is allowing 57 points per game, up 9 points from the previous season. They are allowing more passing yards and total yards, and a higher yards per play average. The Sabercats play a lot better at home and it is noticeable. They allow 4 points less at home, and while that doesn't seem like much, it can determine whether a team wins or loses. San Jose contained Arizona at home last week, and looks to build off their solid performance. They will face a great Dallas team and will need to be at the top of their game to win what should be a close game.

Prediction: San Jose 59, Dallas 55

By Chad Fukoka
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer

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