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AFL Insider: Wild Card Round
Courtesy: Wayne Morris
           Release: 06/27/2008
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Courtesy: Tom Cammett/AFL/GettyImages.com
Gladiators WR Otis Amey

 

 

 

By Wayne Morris -- Each week, former AFL player and current broadcasting analyst Wayne Morris takes an insider’s look at every game. Check out Wayne's breakdown for Monday's Wild Card match ups. 

 

 

 

 

MONDAY'S GAMES

 

Grand Rapids Rampage (6-10) @ Arizona Rattlers (8-8)

 

 

Why to Watch

This may be the most intriguing of the four Wild Card games. Both teams have been streaky all season long. The Rattlers made good on their playoff guarantee by winning 4 straight games and clinching a playoff spot in Week 15, but finished the season losing two straight. Head Coach Kevin Guy has a young team and he must find a way to get them refocused and help them get back the momentum they had when they won four straight.  Meanwhile the Rampage ended the season winning three straight, including an impressive 86-70 win in New Orleans. The VooDoo needed the game to make the playoffs and had been 6-1 at home prior to that game.  The Rampage scored 80+ points four times in 2008, which is the most in AFL history. Head Coach Steve Thonn’s offense is rolling right now and they will look to have a different outcome in the second meeting with Arizona. The Rattlers won the regular season meeting 52-48 and the game ended in dramatic fashion. Arizona controlled the tempo of that game keeping the scoring down and controlling the football or most of the night. Yet, the Rampage had a chance to win the game in the final minute, but could not convert a fourth-down play near midfield. The atmosphere in Arizona for a postseason game has always been great so expect an exciting one tonight. 

 

Keys to the Game

Protect MacPherson!  The Rampage signal caller took over in Week 4 and he has had a breakout season finishing 6th in passer rating (119.2) and 5th in touchdowns passes (81).  But he struggled when his offensive line was in flux as he did not deal with the pressure well. The Rampage has allowed 29 sacks this season, which is second most in the league. But the Rattlers defense has not been exactly causing havoc with their pass rush as they have managed just 9 sacks this season, which is good for last in the AFL. So something must give in this game between these two units.

 

Control the football! The Rattlers have been great at holding onto the football and controlling the tempo of their games. Arizona led the league in time of possession (32:13) and in the first meeting, which they held the Rampage to just 48 points, the Rampage only had the football for 19:25.  The Rattlers moved the football methodically on the Rampage defense.  Look for the Rattlers to try and control the tempo of this game as a shootout favors the Rampage’s style of play.

 

Special Teams! The overlooked aspect of many big games in football has been the special teams.  So the x-factor in this game may be rookie DB/KR Chris Martin. Martin led the AFL with 6 returns for scores and averaged 20.3 per return. The Rampage’s offense does not need any help scoring points and the Rattlers’ coverage teams must stay disciplined in their lanes and avoid giving Martin any seams.

 

Key Match Ups

Grand Rapids DB Ahmad Hawkins vs. Arizona WR Siaha Burley

Burley sets up this entire offense and Hawkins will look to contain one of the league’s best receivers. Hawkins does not look to play aggressive tight man coverage particularly at the line of scrimmage or vs. the motion man, but he does a good job reading routes and closing on the football. The difficulty he will face in trying to contain Burley is that Burley’s game is diverse, as he is a great route runner who has the quickness to separate from a defender and the speed to get deep down the field.

 

Grand Rapids WR Kenny Higgins vs. Arizona DB Isaiah Trufant

Higgins had a huge sophomore season earning Second Team All-Arena honors, as he led the Rampage in all receiving categories. Higgins is a big play receiver with 1,552 yards, averages 13.9 yards per catch and has 34 receiving touchdowns. He will be counted on even more by the Rampage as another key receiver since Chris Johnson broke his leg in the regular season finale. Trufant, who led the Rattlers’ defense in tackles (76), forced fumbles (3), pass break ups (17), and also had 4 interceptions, has the speed and quickness to match up with Higgins. 

 

Edge: Grand Rapids

 

 

 

Orlando Predators (9-7) @ Cleveland Gladiators (9-7) 

 

Why to Watch

This game features the Orlando Predators (one of the great franchises in the AFL) vs. a city that has gotten a second chance at an AFL franchise. The Cleveland fans have embraced this sport and a team that was basically brought together for the first time at the beginning of the season. The Gladiators relocated from Las Vegas and despite their awful 2-14 record in 2007, the move to Cleveland,  new coaching staff and players they have had success both on and off the field and have earned respect with their 9-7 record. One of those wins came against this very same Orlando team. The Gladiators handled the Predators easily in the regular season meeting played in Cleveland and they will look to have a repeat performance in front of what should be sellout, raucous crown at the “Q.”  The Predators organization is uses to the postseason and they are certainly use to tough road games in the playoffs. But this Orlando team struggled down the stretch losing 5 of 7 games.  The good news for head coach Jay Gruden is that they won the game they needed to get in and had to sit around and wait to see if they qualified for the postseason in Week 17 because of their bye week. The Predators should be well rested and prepared to play this game. Gruden by the way has never missed the playoffs in his entire AFL career as a player or coach.   This game should be a good one as you have great coaching on both benches, talented veteran quarterbacks, and playmaking wide receivers on both teams.

 

Keys to the Game

Pressure on Philyaw! Orlando’s ability to disrupt Philyaw will be the key to slowing down the AFL’s 5th highest scoring offense. Philyaw is the 2nd highest rated QB in the AFL this season and he has been the main reason for Cleveland’s success on offense and why they have been able to score points consistently this season.  Philyaw is a veteran quarterback who does not make many mistakes on his own, so the Predators front four will need to play big in this game.  Orlando did not have DE Rob Schroeder in the line up when these two teams met back in Week 11.

 

Protect the football! The Predators lost 5 of 7 down the stretch mainly because of their inability to take care of the football and avoid crucial mistakes.  The Predators finished -18 in turnover margin which was second worst in the AFL.  The game plan is simple -- they cannot turn the ball over in this game.  This will fall on the shoulders of veteran QB Shane Stafford to make good decisions.

 

Key Match Ups

Orlando DB Ahmad Carroll vs. Cleveland WR Otis Amey

Carroll earned All Rookie Team honors this season, while Amey made the Second Team All-Arena after having a huge career year, which surprised everyone. Amey led the AFL in scoring touchdowns (50) and was second in receiving touchdowns (48).  While Amey is not the fastest receiver in the league, he runs strong routes and competes for the football. Carroll must be able to compete at a similar level and make the plays against Amey when the football is up for grabs.  

 

Orlando WR T.T. Toliver vs. Cleveland DB Brandon Hefflin

Toliver was rewarded with his First Team All-Arena selection after having a career year. Toliver has been the number one option in this offense all season and he will look to continue his terrific play into the postseason. Hefflin was an important off-season acquisition for the Gladiators and he responded leading the team in tackles and pass breakups. He is flanked by two rookies and will be counted on to try and contain Toliver.

 

Orlando FB/LB Marlon Moye-Moore vs. Cleveland FB Marlion Jackson

This is a very good match up to watch as these two FB/LB are two of the more athletic, versatile and big play players at their position. Jackson earned First Team All-Arena at fullback while Moye-Moore took home All-Ironman honors at FB/LB.  Keep an eye on this one especially when Jackson is at FB and Moye-Moore is at LB.  The red zone will be an important aspect of this game but remember Jackson has made a lot of big long runs and must be accounted for from anywhere on the field.

 

 

Edge: Cleveland

 

 

SATURDAY'S GAME

 

Colorado Crush (6-10) @ Utah Blaze (6-10)

 

Why to Watch

A lot has been made of the three sub .500 and 10 loss teams making the playoffs in the American Conference, but the fact of the matter is they won the games they needed to win and you can’t change the rules in the middle of the season when things may not look as pretty as one would like them to be.  Sure you want the 12 best teams (record wise) in the playoffs but the system is the system and these teams won the games they needed to win to make it to the postseason. The Blaze got off to a horrible 0-9 start but then won 6 of seven games to clinch a playoff berth and they had the pressure of winning every game to get into the playoffs. 

 

The Crush looked out of it after losing 5 straight, which included a 35-point loss to the Blaze, but they were able to come up with two big wins to end the season to get in. So despite their records this should be a competitive game. Besides this is Arena Football and every game brings a high level of excitement and the potential to be an instant classic week in and week out.  Colorado is a proud franchise that has won a title (2005) and has one of the all-time great coaches in Mike Dailey.  Utah has not had the success in its short time in the AFL but their Hall of Fame Coach Danny White showed why he’s one of the best by the way he kept his team together during their 0-9 start.  These teams will be prepared and compete in what should be a hard fought game.

 

Keys to the Game

Pressure on Germaine! The Colorado front four will need to play a big game if the Crush hopes to come away with a road playoff win.  The Crush could not keep up with the Blaze in the first meeting as Utah put up 71 and their secondary is going to be overmatched once again in this game.  It will be very difficult for the Colorado secondary to match up physically with the Utah big three and talented wide outs without consistent pressure by their front four. It is vital that the Crush are able to disrupt Germaine’s rhythm and timing.

 

Colorado offense must play almost a perfect game. The Crush are missing key weapons in Chad Owens and Brad Pyatt who are out with injuries so they will need Ben Nelson and Willie Quinnie to play big. The Crush also must avoid turnovers as that has hurt this offense during the regular season. QB John Dutton has had a bounce back year with his 4th straight 4,000-yard season and he will be under pressure to match Germaine without making mistakes.

 

Keep them in the 50’s!  That should be the mantra for the Blaze defense.  This Blaze defense has held this offense back for three years and it is no coincidence that when the defense started to play well the Blaze started wining games. The Blaze defense held opponents in the fifties or less in all six wins and are 6-1 this season when the have held teams under 60 points. In their other 9 games (all losses) they allowed 60 or more points. 

 

Key Match Ups

Colorado Secondary vs. Utah wide receivers

How well the Crush secondary plays will play a big part in this game. Rashad Floyd is the middleman and the best defender for the Crush, but in facing the big three from Utah the pressure falls on the entire secondary to match up. They could not do it in the first meeting as the Blaze scored 70 points including 35 in the fourth quarter. The trio of Aaron Boone, J.J. McKelvey and First Team All-Arena Huey Whittaker will cause match up problems because of their size and athleticism.  Colorado lacks the depth after Floyd to compete on a consistent level. Outside of Delvin Hughley the rest of the secondary surrounding Floyd are rookies and second-year players.

 

Colorado WR Ben Nelson vs. Utah Secondary

Nelson was brought in to replace the great Damian Harrell and has put up great numbers but Harrell’s greatness was not just about the monster numbers and Offensive Player of the Year awards he put up while in Colorado, it was the big plays in big moments. It was his ability to win the one battle when it mattered.  Nelson will need to show he can do this for the Crush as they are missing key playmakers and they will likely need to win a shootout to advance. The last time Nelson was in a big spot was with San Jose during the conference finals vs. Chicago in 2006. San Jose WRs James Roe and Barry Wagner were injured early in that game and Nelson was counted on to step up and he was shutdown.  He has a chance with his new team to play big and help his team advance.

 

Edge: Utah

 

 

FRIDAY'S GAME

 

New York Dragons (8-8) @ Dallas Desperados (12-4)

 

 

Why to Watch

Dallas vs. New York is always a big time rivalry and similar to the Giants vs. Cowboys playoff game this past season, this will be the first time that these two cities have met in the AFL postseason. Clearly the Dragons are looking to have the same faith as the Giants and the Desperadoes are looking to reverse what happened in that game. But the Desperadoes are also looking to heal a city that has been snake bitten by the postseason over the past couple of years. While the Mavericks and Cowboys have floundered away championship opportunities the Desperadoes are no different. Dallas’ failures over the last two years of not making it to the ArenaBowl after having the top seed and the best regular season record has been well documented. So while the pressure of a championship has not been felt as much this regular season it will show up at kickoff for the Desperados and it will be there until they win a playoff game. The Dragons come into this game with a different mentality but the pressure is still there for a team that has been streaky all year long. They are a dangerous team in this game because not many are giving them a chance and they played two tough close games with the Desperados, which every member of the Dragons felt they should have won. So even though the Dragons were blown out last week and lost one of their best receivers in Jason Willis, they are capable of wining this game.  Expect a hard fought battle, expect excitement, expect big plays and expect another close game.

 

Keys to the Game

Finish Strong! The Dragons have had their chances against the Desperados this season but they have failed to execute offensively in the fourth quarter in both losses. Their defense has played their hearts out in those games and if the Dragons expect to win the third and most important meeting of the season with their division rivals the New York offense must find a way to make the big plays in this quarter.

 

Deal with adversity and avoid big mistakes.   You can get into all the X’s & O’s of what Dallas needs to win this game but the biggest thing may not be in the playbook. The Desperados have had the best team in the AFL record wise over the last three years but have nothing to show for it, as they have been knocked out of the playoffs in their first game the last two years. This season they have had to deal with a lot of adversity with Dolezel missing 4 games along with numerous other injuries. They have played more close game this year than they have of the last two combined. The Desperados will need to maintain their composure if they get a couple of bad bounces or turnovers and unlike the last two playoff games be able to overcome these situations. The one thing that can help them is to avoid costly penalties. This team has committed way to many penalties at times.

 

 

Keys Match Ups

New York WR Kevin Swayne vs. Dallas Secondary

With New York losing its top receiver in Jason Willis they will be left short-handed in a game against a team that they have struggled to make key plays offensively in the fourth quarter against.  The Dragons have three receivers that have gone over the 100 reception, 1,000-yard mark and they are difficult to defend as a group. Swayne who has been the leader of this group for years has had a huge season and shown that he is still able to dominate a game. New York will need Swayne to do just that this week vs. the Desperados as they will likely shift any attention that Willis would have shared with Swayne and Chris Anthony over to Swayne.

 

New York DE Henry Taylor vs. DE Colson Weatherington

Both players were named to the All-Arena team this week and will likely be up for the Lineman of the Year award as well. While they don’t compete head-to-head in this game they will be looking to outplay each other in terms of generating pressure on the quarterback. Protection of these two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks is the big key and whichever front four can disrupt either Garcia or Dolezel for a period of time can change the course of this game. Both Weatherington (10.5 sacks) and Taylor (9.5 sacks) are the key to the pass rush for both defense and they set the tone for the rest of the defense. 
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