AFL Week 2 Game Previews

After an exciting opening week of Arena Football, let's get ready for Week 2 with some game previews.

Georgia vs. Tampa Bay Preview

The Georgia Force appear to be in a rebuilding mode. Losing WR Chris Jackson, DB David Philyaw, and WR Antwone Savage will be difficult to replace as they are among the 13 roster changes this year. Georgia coach Doug Plank said, " I believe the players we kept on this team will help us reach our ultimate goal of winning an Arena Bowl." Right now, adjustments need to be made on offense. The Force were stopped on 5 consecutive possessions and scored only 7 points in the second and third quarters combined in a 51-41 opening week loss to Dallas. This happened despite the fact that the Force outgained the Desperados by 47 total yards and averaged more yards per completion and per play.

Gerogia on offense: QB Chris Greisen will throw to leading receiver Troy Bergeron. The Force will be able to complete short and intermediate level passes against a tough Tampa Bay defense. Look for them to attempt 5 to 15 yard passes while occasionally testing the Tampa secondary with a deep route to Bergeron. If Georgia can cut down on their turnnovers, they can score consistently, as they did outgain a top team in the Desperados last week.

Georgia on defense: Their defense appeared to struggle last week, forcing only two stops. Although it was against the top offensive team in the league, the Force still allowed Dallas to score 6 touchdowns and a field goal when in the red zone, making no stops and losing the time of possession battle in every quarter, they couldn't keep Dallas off the field. They face a ball control offense in Tampa this week, and third down defense will be important in determining how many stops and turnovers will be forced.

Tampa was disappointed in not winning a playoff game last year and look to improve this time around. The Storm have always been known for having a great defense and this year is no exception. They have added DL Kelvin Kinney and DB Rayshun Reed. Last year, Reed lead the Orlando Predators in forced turnovers with 10 and also had 72 tackles. Kinney was a member of the 2007 Columbus team that went to the ArenaBowl. The Storm were outgained by 100 yards and were on the field for 16 more defensive plays and still beat Kansas City 51-49.

Tampa on offense: The Storm will try to pick up first downs and move the ball until they score. They don't have a dominant receiver, everyone tries to contribute equally. The Storm have always been a good fundamental team, with little turnovers and penalties. Look for QB Brett Dietz to find the open receiver, pick up short gains and first downs, and keep the Georgia defense on the field in this game.

Tampa on defense: This is the strength of the team. Tampa's secondary will try to shut down Troy Bergeron and force Georgia to resort to short passes throughout the game. The Storm will look for interceptions against an inexperienced and unsure group of Force receivers. Georgia will be forced into a lot of second-and-long and third-and-long situations, expect some incomplete passes by the Force.

Prediction: Tampa 52 - Georgia 42

Columbus vs. Dallas Preview

Columbus was the surprise team from last year, coming out of nowhere to win the National Conference. They only resturn 10 out of 23 members from last year's team, and lose key players in LB Nick Reid, DL Jon Simmons, WR CJ Johnson, and OL Jacob Hobbs. However, they have veteran QB Matt Nagy who will atempt to lead a young team back to the playoffs. Five new players will make their AFL debuts for the Destroyers this year. Columbus used a lot of quick passes and short routes to get their receivers adjusted to the offensive system. The special teams unit really struggled, as the Columbus kicker missed 3 field goals and 2 extra points, which proved to be vital in a 3 point loss to the Colorado Crush.

Columbus on offense: Matt Nagy is obviously the leader of this team. He will have to work with a young group of receivers as only 3 of the 7 members have more than 2 years of experience. Columbus will be utilizing a lot of short routes, such as screens, curl and hook routes, and comeback routes to allow the recievers to feel comnfortable catching easy and quick passes. Receivers Jason Shelley and Tremain Neal had success in the upset of Dallas in the playoffs, and will need to do the same in this matchup. Dallas is one of the top teams in forced turnovers and Columbus will need to score on almost every possession to be able to beat them.

Columbus on defense: They are an average defensive team at best. Last year's win was due to their offense and special teams turnovers. Columbus will have to stop Dallas from completing long touchdown passes and will need to force them into making shorter plays. In the previous game, Dallas had more than 10 plays of 15 yards or longer and several deep passes for touchdowns. Luckily for them, Dallas QB Clint Dolezel has been placed on the injured list and will be inactive for 4 weeks.

Dallas had the best regular season in AFL history with a 15-1 record but lost their first playoff game to Columbus last year. This season they got off to a good start by beating Georgia 51-41, but they took a huge loss in QB Clint Dolezel being placed on the injured list for at least 4 weeks. He suffered a hip and shoulder injury after taking a hit from a Georgia linebacker in the opening game. Although Dallas has a leading group of receivers in Will Pettis, Anthony Armstrong and Jermaine Jones, backup QB's Chris Sanders and Jason Fife have practically no experience. They will quickly find out if the backups and receivers can adjust to each other in time.

Dallas on offense: They will have to adjust their offense to accomadate the backup QB's and their lack of experience. I think they will rely on basic routes and look for receivers Will Pettis and Jermaine Jones to pick up the load. There will be some deep passes thrown because that is a part of the Desperados offense, but there will also be an increase in the amount of passes that are under 15 yards. If Pettis and Jones both have huge days then the Desperados will be able to have a good scoring output as usual.

Dallas on defense: The defensive unit will be more important than ever in this game. Dallas will have to create some turnovers and the secondary will have to intercept a couple of passes to slow down the Columbus offense. Columbus QB Matt Nagy is poised and comfortable in his offense and they will attack the Dallas secondary, knwoing about the struggles that Dallas could encounter on its own offensive end. First down defense will be key in this game, as Columbus can get rattled when facing long second and third down situatuons.

Prediction: Columbus 56 - Dallas 52

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Utah vs. Cleveland

Utah is known for its prolific offense and they had a solid offensive performance last week against the Arizona Rattlers. Although they scored 62 points, it was their lack of defense that cost them in a one point loss. The Blazers allowed rookie QB Lang Campbell to throw for 8 touchdowns and 313 yards, with a 10 yards per completion average. Utah simply could not make stops when it mattered, letting Arizona score a touchdown on each of their six red zone trips.

Utah on offense: Joe Germaine has quietly become an efficient quarterback, ranking among the leaders in touchdowns and completion percentage. He has a decent group of receivers in Tom Pace, Huey Whittaker, and J’Sharlon Jones. Utah is a quick-strike offense, consistently looking for the deep pass and fast scores. Many of their drives last year resulted in touchdowns in 4 plays or less. This week they face Cleveland, a team that finished next to last in points allowed with 61.6 per game in 2007. Utah should be able to at least match that number in this game, and will probably score more.

Utah on defense: As great as their offense was last season, their defense ranked among the worst in several statistical categories, such as points allowed, yards per game, and pass completion percentage. The main problem is their inability to create turnovers, which can prove costly in arena football. Since a majority of plays result in completed passes, it’s difficult for a team to get stops without forcing fumbles or interceptions. Utah faces a Cleveland team that ranked dead last in points per game in 2007, but Cleveland scored 61 points in their home opener against New York.

Cleveland began their 2008 season by taking a positive step forward with a home win over New York. They had the worst record at 2-14 last year, their final season as the Las Vegas Gladiators. In their inaugural game in Cleveland, the Gladiators jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead and never trailed, playing in front of a sold-out crowd, which could become one of the most vocal in the AFL. They won although the defense was on the field for 20 more plays. The Gladiators were able to hold starting New York QB Aaron Garcia scoreless, he left the game early in the second quarter.

Cleveland on offense: Raymond Philyaw has 8 years of AFL experience and he will have to carry a relatively young Gladiators team, which will have higher expectations from the football-obsessed Cleveland fans. Otis Amey is a dual threat, with 101 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns, including 1 rushing touchdown. The Gladiators also appear to possess a rushing game, with 68 rushing yards in their first game. Three Gladiators had 50 or more receiving yards. There is still a mysterious feel to this team, since its their inaugural season in a new city, but they appear to have seriously upgraded their offense.

Cleveland on defense: The defensive unit was quite impressive to start the game against the Dragons, shutting them out in the first quarter and forcing 3 turnovers in the game. They held Aaron Garcia scoreless until he left with an injury. However, one reason for concern is the fact that they were on the field for 56 plays and 35 minutes. Although 5.5 yards per play is an above average performance and shows they forced the opposition out of their style of play, against better teams the Gladiators could get tired and allow easy scores late in the game. They will have their hands full against an explosive Utah offense, but if they play with energy, the game should be competitive.

Prediction: Utah 63, Cleveland 59.

Philadelphia vs. Chicago

Philadelphia had an amazing performance last week, scoring 77 points and 11 touchdowns against a premier defensive team in the Orlando Predators. Tony Graziani is a veteran quarterback, but he played on a completely different level, even by his high standards. The Soul averaged an incredible 17 yards per completion and 28 yards per kickoff return, setting up short fields for the offense to score quickly. Maybe even more surprising is the 1 third down attempt by the Soul for the entire game. Philadelphia only had to run one play in a third down situation, everything else was on first or second down on a short field for all 4 quarters. On defense, the Soul always played with the lead, holding Orlando to 22 first half points. Don't let the 56 total points fool you into thinking the defense was shaky, often when a team plays with a huge lead many late and meaningless scores occur, inflating the final score of the losing team.

Philadelphia on offense: I doubt they will repeat last week's scoring outburst, but this is still a great offense. Tony Graziani has another target to throw to in Chris Jackson, the leading receiver for Georgia last year who was acquired in the offseason. He accompanies Mike Brown and Larry Brackins, two go-to receivers for the Soul in 2007. This is an efficient trio for Philadelphia and they are knowledgeable about the offensive scheme and play calling. The combination of experience and athleticism will allow the Soul to operate a very productive and high scoring offense, and they will need it this game, going against the top defense from last year in the Chicago Rush. Philadelphia will have to avoid turnovers and lengthly third down situations, which is what Chicago prides itself on when putting opponents into difficult offensive scenarios.

Philadelphia on defense: The Soul actually have a decent defense, which is often overshadowed by their efficient offense. They help opponents to only 51 points per game last year and 23 pass completions and a 60% completion rate, which is good in the AFL. Philadelphia is a clutch team that makes plays when they are vital, such as on third downs and late in the fourth quarter. They will face a veteran offense when they play Chicago and ultimately the game will come down to which team can make more stops. The Soul need to avoid long pass completions and silly mistakes, like first downs allowed through penalties, open receivers catching passes, and points off turnovers. Chicago will make some plays, so Philadelphia can't panic if something doesn't go their way.

Chicago pickup up a nice opening game win over the Sabercats, the team that beat them in the American Conference finals and prevented them from going to the ArenaBowl last year. Their defense played exceptionally, forcing 5 turnovers and holding San Jose to just 47 points. They created a fumble recovery for touchdown in the first quarter and the momentum carried over during the entire game. The Rush have a revamped offense this season, with the most experienced player in Sherdrick Bonner now on the team. The Rush scored 70 points against a San Jose defense that ranked third in points allowed in 2007. Receivers Damian Harrell, Donovan Morgan and Travis LaTendressen all caught two touchdown passes.

Chicago on offense: The Rush will try to continue doing what they did last week agaainst the Sabercats. Sherdrick Bonner is arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the league, so every week he is capable of putting up a good scoring output. He will consistently complete passes to Harrell, Morgan and the rest of the Rush receivers. Chicago always looks for the game-changing play, whether its a touchdown or important first down to keep the drive going. They are a model of consistency so it's nearly impossibe for a defense to shut them down. The Rush will pick up good yardage on first downs to set up easy situations and scoring drives.

Chicago on defense: The league's best defense from last year didn't lose any momentum in causing the Sabercats to be confused and frustrated in their one-sided loss. Forcing 5 turnovers showed they read routes, came up with some interceptions, and allowed little yards after catch throughout the game. They also pressured Sabercats quarterback Mark Grieb, sacking him 4 times and knocking him to the ground on several occasions. Chicago's secondary is probably the best in the AFL, they lead the league in interceptions with 24 last year and are among the top in pass deflections and incompletions. They will try to make the big play against a tough Philadelphia offense, hoping to use their home-field advantage, experience, and energy to take them out of their system.

Prediction: Chicago 51, Philadelphia 45

Kansas City vs. New York

Kansas City is a team searching for its identity. They are deep at the receiver position, with 5 active players on the roster. Head coach Kevin Porter said, "We are very deep at wide-out and sometimes there are not enough footballs to go around." Quarterback John Fitzgerald threw for 5 touchdowns and 296 yards in a season opening loss to Tampa Bay. This pass-first offense is a slight contrast to last year, where the Brigade finished third in rushing yards, second in rushing attempts, and fourth in rushing touchdowns. They are able to play with some consistency on defense and allowed 51 points to Tampa in their opening game. The Brigade had a chance to win but missed a field goal as time expired.

Kansas City on offense: The Brigade will be using a pass-happy offense and will cut down on the rushing game. They need to make bigger plays since short 5 yard passes while occasionally using the deep routes won't give them enough opportunities to score and keep up with other teams. The Brigade lack a deep threat and will have to find open receivers or establish a playmaker that can make others better and more available on every play. Mike Horacek may be that person as he finished the first game with 149 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also ranks fifth in AFL history in total receiving yards.

Kansas City on defense: They were an average defensive team last year, and are at the same level so far this season. The Bridage are capable of forcing turnovers and making stops in moderate amounts, but still need to do some work to become a consistent defensive force. Last week's 51 points allowed was partially due to the slow pace and limited possessions caused by Tampa's deliberate offense. The Brigade face a team at their skill level in the New York Dragons and have the potential to create stops and put themselves in a position to win, but they need to get off to a good start and not play from behind.

New York's opening week loss can be considered a disappointment since they were facing a team that played their first game in a new location and were in last place the previous year. Even worse, the Dragons lost quarterback Aaron Garcia who suffered a knee injury in the loss to Cleveland. Backup Rohan Davey played well and kept his team in the game, but starting a second-string quarterback is neevr really a good sign for a team. New York was shut out in the first quarter last week with 13-year vetaran QB Garcia in the game, so it seems like the Dragons were out of sync with each other. Team chemistry and communication is important considering how quickly the action occurs in arena football. The Dragons may struggle to execute early in the game this week.

New York on offense: Their performance will be decided by the play of Rohan Davey. He was able to adjust last game and threw for 5 touchdowns. Scoring on the first possession will be crucial in getting the players to believe in themselves and play as a unit. If the Dragons can put together a solid first half and keep the game within one score, they will be in a decent position to win. Kansas City lost a close game to a good Tampa Bay squad, they will look to pounce on the Dragons and steal a victory on the road. New York must survive the initial attack by the Brigade and put together decent passing numbers to stay competitive.

New York on defense: The Dragons have the individual players to create a solid defense, but are unable to perform consistently. Too often they give up long plays and quick scores. In several games in 2007, the Dragons allowed over 60 points and many were the result of touchdown passes over 20 yards. New York also finds itself in the habit of allowing short fields, they can sometimes have difficulty in covering kickoff returns. The Dragons have to cut down on their mistakes or they will be outscored by the Brigade and the rest of their fututre opponents.

Prediction: Kansas City 58, New York 47

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!