By Ryan Altizer -- Just one weekend left in the wild 2007 AFL regular season, and the playoff picture is pretty much set. Just two of the 12 postseason spots are still up for grabs, and three of the four division champions have already been determined.
But, as an AFL fan, this isn’t a week you want to take off and go catch a movie or hit the beach. There are still several loose ends that need to be tied up before the postseason kicks off next week. And unlike some of our favorite mob-centric television shows, you better believe that all of these storylines will be played out to their conclusions.
The first and most obvious games to watch involve the four teams that are still in the hunt for those final two spots.
In the National Conference, the final playoff spot will most likely come down to who wins Saturday’s game between New York and Columbus. If Columbus wins, they move on to the playoffs. New York, on the other hand, needs to win by nine or more points or just win and have New Orleans upset Georgia. Why New Orleans you may ask? Well, if the Dragons win and wind up in a tie with Columbus, a win by the VooDoo in their final game would actually give New York a tiebreaker in the form of a better record against common opponents.
One would tend to believe that Columbus would have the edge in this game, what with New York’s miserable performance last week at Dallas. But let’s not forget that the Destroyers have not exactly been setting the world on fire down the stretch, so anything is possible. Still, the Dragons have struggled to show any signs of life this season when Aaron Garcia has played, and what makes anyone think they will suddenly wake up on Saturday?
Over in the American Conference, Nashville and Utah will scrap for the final spot, although not with each other. Utah currently has a one-game lead on the Kats and will lock up the sixth seed in the playoffs with a win at Los Angeles on Saturday. Nashville, on the other hand, must beat Grand Rapids and hope that L.A. can beat the Blaze in order to sneak in.
Utah’s task will not be an easy one. Not only do they have to go on the road and play a hot Avengers team, but they must find a way to be ready to play after the tragic death of teammate Justin Skaggs. There is a good chance that the Blaze will ride a swell of emotion to a win against an L.A. squad that really doesn’t have much to play for. However, the emotions can sometimes take their toll. Just ask the Avengers. After losing lineman Al Lucas in a game two years ago, L.A. had to make the trip to Nashville and played flat in a loss. The Blaze will most likely be up for the challenge, however, and get a win to clinch that coveted postseason berth.
If Utah stumbles, Nashville will most likely take advantage and take care of business. Despite losing their game against them earlier in the season, Nashville should be able to handle Grand Rapids at home on Saturday. That is, however, assuming that quarterback Jeff Smoker decides to show up and play the game. The rookie inexplicably missed some preparation for last week’s contest against Kansas City and was benched in the Kats’ 66-63 loss to the Brigade. How the offensive leader of a team battling for the playoffs can show that kind of selfishness during such a key time boggles the mind.
In Chicago, the Rush and the Kansas City Brigade will play a game between two teams which already have their playoff tickets punched. What makes this contest a must-see, however, is that the winner will claim the Central Division title and get to take the week off next week while the loser must play in the first round. Such a win can be the spark a team needs to make it a playoff force to be reckoned with.
So who has the edge? You would have to believe Chicago. As the defending champion, the home team and the squad that has played in (and won) numerous key games like this before, the Rush seem to be the clear favorite.
But let us not forget that the Brigade won this matchup earlier in the season, and that Kansas City is as hot as any team in the AFL as the season comes to a close. If they were to go on the road and win the division against such an accomplished and powerful opponent, the Brigade would easily become my favorite to win the American Conference (okay, here comes the hate mail from San Jose).
No matter how it all shakes out, the fun part is knowing that it will indeed shake out. By Monday, these questions will all be answered. No need to worry about your screen cutting to black.
Ryan Altizer has more than 10 years in sports communications, including six seasons in Arena Football. He spent four years (1998-2001) with the original Nashville Kats organization as Director of Communications, accompanying the team to ArenaBowls XIV and XV. After three years in college athletics, as the Director of External Affairs for the Ohio Valley Conference, he rejoined the new Kats franchise in 2004 and spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons as the team's Director of Marketing and Communications.
