By Jason Dixon – Congratulations to the Philadelphia Soul. They have earned the right to call themselves champions. I have to say, it is good to see an organization that has done everything right off the field reap the rewards on it. I have been a critic of how the league tends to overemphasize its celebrity owners, but Jon Bon Jovi is an exception to the rule. Since the day he entered the AFL, he has gone the extra mile to support the league that we all love, even when that meant voicing an opinion that did not toe the company line. This week we’ll look at ArenaBowl XXII and what the Soul did to be able to hoist that shiny trophy Sunday afternoon.
Pregame
I was planning on breaking this game down quarter by quarter, but that plan changed when ESPN’s Marcellus Wiley popped on my TV screen to tell me that First Team All-Arena LB Steve Watson and his 9.5 sacks would not be playing in the game because he violated team rules.
Last week I picked the SaberCats because of the fact that they had “been there, done that.” I thought they would know how to conduct themselves in a championship manner both on and off the field. When I heard that one of their team leaders had done something that would cause San Jose head coach Darren Arbet to bench him for the entire game, I thought “Uh oh,” San Jose could be in trouble. Playing without Watson wasn’t necessarily a gigantic blow to the Cats, but the distraction that Watson’s suspension caused probably was a contributing factor in the game’s result.
1st Quarter
The game started out as expected with both offenses able to find the end zone on a regular basis. I like what Philadelphia did the first time that they got the ball. The Soul showed their swagger. The first throw went in the direction of Chris Jackson to get him into the game. Then they went up top to Brent Holmes who beat Clevan Thomas for six.
Both clubs made their pass rush known early. Philly forced Mark Grieb to throw one into the stands on San Jose’s second possession, but the Cats were able to record the first sack when Frank Brown got to D’Orazio on the first play of the Soul’s second possession.
The Cats avoided the first big mistake of the game when Mike Brown (is this guy everywhere, or what?) knocked the ball away from Rodney Wright on a kickoff return. The ball took a good hop for San Jose and they retained possession.
The first quarter ended at 14-14, both teams made it through the first 15 minutes without making a major mistake.
Advantage: Draw
2nd Quarter
San Jose started the quarter with the ball. The drive ended with Jason Geathers scoring a TD while knocking ESPN sideline reporter Stan Verrett’s notes all over the field. All was not good though, as A.J. Haglund missed the extra point. That was mistake number one.
San Jose had a golden opportunity to gain an advantage when it pushed the Soul to a fourth down, but Clevan Thomas was called for pass interference and extended the drive. Chris Jackson put the exclamation point on it with a big catch in the corner of the end zone. Connor Hughes gave a point back when he missed the extra point.
On the ensuing kickoff, Clifton Smith laid the lumber to Rodney Wright. Sometimes the turning point of a game isn’t necessarily the biggest play, but the hit by Smith sparked Philadelphia. The defense forced a four and out, and D’Orazio went right to Brackens in the end zone. Then Eddie Moten stepped in front of a Mark Grieb pass and the Soul was in control.
Philly outscored San Jose 23-13, but they also used the second quarter to set the tone for the rest of the game.
Advantage: Philadelphia
3rd Quarter
San Jose could have folded its tent at halftime, but the Cats came out looking strong by forcing a stop.
Their momentum was short lived. The Soul defense took the field and answered with a stop of their own when Gabe Nyenhuis sacked Grieb, forcing a fumble. The play went to instant replay but the call was upheld. I’m guessing Darren Arbet is not the biggest fan of replay (he went 0-2 on challenges for the night).
The Philadelphia pass rush was not dominant all night long. Instead, it came in waves. One of those waves occurred in the third quarter. There was the sack mentioned above. Then, on San Jose’s next possession, Kevin Carberry sacked Grieb in the end zone for a safety.
Philly had the chance to put the game away with a TD after the safety, but you have to give it up to San Jose. They forced a turnover of their own and capitalized with a TD to keep the game within reach.
San Jose trailed by 12 to end the 3rd.
Advantage: Philadelphia...but things were tilting the other way.
4th Quarter
Philadelphia started the second quarter with the ball. They were forced to try a field goal to go up by 15, and then things got crazy. Bad snap, crazy pass by (holder) Graziani, interception by Rodney Wright, fumble ruled down by contact, goes to replay, call reversed, Philadelphia’s ball first and goal, D’Orazio to Brackins TD, Darren Arbet’s blood pressure goes through the roof.
The craziness continued into the last minute of the game where San Jose recovered an onside kick and had the Soul back on their heels until the final gun. If the game was 63 minutes long, we might be talking about San Jose as the 2008 champions. The Soul held on to win their first ArenaBowl.
Advantage: The team that gets the big trophy and the gaudy jewelry.
Jackson’s Actions
We said last week that Chris Jackson would have to have a championship performance and he answered the bell: 11 catches, 146 yards and three scores. Not that I’m stepping out on a limb here, but the greatest wide receiver to ever play Arena Football is Chris Jackson. He has the numbers, now he has a ring.
Philly QBs
We speculated in this space a few weeks ago that Tony Graziani would be playing elsewhere next season. The veteran QB confirmed after the ArenaBowl that he will be hitting the free agent market. You would think adding Graziani would be a no brainer, but the amount of time that he has spent on the injured list makes signing him a risky proposition.
What we did not speculate about is where D’Orazio might end up. D’Orazio signed a one-year deal at a bargain basement price to start the season, as injury concerns dogged the now two-time ArenaBowl MVP. Will D’Orazio be content with the starting job in Philadelphia, or will he test the free agent market? With the departure of Graziani, Philadelphia should have plenty of cap room to sign D’Orazio. I fully expect D’Orazio to be back in the powder blue and black next season, but it would be an interesting proposition if D’Orazio decided to listen to other offers.
Congrats to P.O.
I believe that good things happen to good people. A good thing happened to a good guy at ArenaBowl Week in New Orleans. The Los Angeles Avengers named former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Pat O’Hara as their new head coach. P.O. was a pioneer as a player in this league, winning championships with both Orlando and Tampa Bay. He was also one of the best holders in the history of Arena Football (seriously...the guy was good). I had the opportunity to watch him grow as a coach as an assistant in Tampa Bay. I knew it would be just a matter of time before he would become a head coach. What is even better for O’Hara and his family is that he gets his first head coaching job in his hometown of Los Angeles. Keep an eye on the L.A. Avengers next season.
Putting a bow on the season
In my 10-plus years of covering the Arena Football league, this one will go down as one of the most memorable. Midway through the season we had Philly and Dallas meeting up as undefeated clubs, we had the Cleveland Gladiators Cinderella run through the regular season and into the playoffs, there was the story of Matt D’Orazio going from backup to league MVP, Lawrence Samuels became the league’s all time leader in receptions, there was the emergence of Grand Rapids QB James MacPherson, Will Pettis along with Samuels showing that Ironman football is not dead, the retirement of the great Barry Wagner, “the call,” the resignation of Commissioner David Baker, and of course the Philadelphia Soul winning their first ArenaBowl.
That’s a lot to fit in one 17 week season.
It’s time to roll up the turf, take down the walls, and lower the nets on another season. It has been a pleasure being able to follow the best conference in the AFL and pass along my thoughts to you. Thanks to the players, coaches, PR Directors and fans for their help in putting this column together each week and of course thanks to all of the good folks in the AFL office for allowing me the privilege to spout my thoughts, opinions and musings to your each week. See you next season.
Jason Dixon is a regular contributor to ArenaFootball.com and TampaBayStorm.com. He has spent the last 10 seasons as the radio color commentator for the Tampa Bay Storm. He is on the Board of the Arena Football League Writers Association.
