XXKSXX
07-28-2007, 04:26 AM
Columbus Destroyers vs. San Jose SaberCats
ArenaBowl XXI, New Orleans
(ESPN, 3 p.m. ET)
Columbus continues to defy logic. The Destroyers are on a magical postseason run, winning three road games in a row, including wins over the two best teams in the league (Dallas and Georgia) in back-to-back weeks. Their three playoff wins have been over teams with a combined 38-10 record. The Destroyers aren't flashy and don't have a lot of marquee players, but right now they are not making mistakes and are really playing smart football. San Jose is somewhat similar in the fact that the SaberCats don't get a lot of publicity and tend to fly under the radar. But it's easy to see why they are in this game -- the SaberCats are an excellent football team with no weaknesses and a lot of veteran leadership and poise. Nobody expected Columbus to be in this game and a lot of people probably thought Chicago would be here instead of San Jose, but as they say, "that's why we play the game." This will be fun.
When Columbus has the ball
QB Matt Nagy does not put up huge numbers and does not have a lot of offensive weapons, but he plays smart football and has excellent toughness and leadership skills. During the regular season he seemed to force the ball to WR Damien Groce, but in the playoffs he has spread the ball around to his other receivers. That has led to a less predictable and more explosive offense. The San Jose secondary matches up well with the Columbus wide receivers and DB Clevan Thomas, the SabersCats' best DB, will likely try to shut down Groce. The SaberCats have a very physical secondary and love to play press coverages to disrupt the timing and routes of opposing receivers. Even though they are aggressive, they don't commit a lot of penalties, don't blow coverages and don't beat themselves.
The key for Columbus will be pass protection and the short passing game. If the offensive line can protect Nagy, he will have the luxury of waiting for his receivers to separate from tight coverage or use double moves to get open. Or the Destroyers' wideouts can negate the pass rush by using the underneath routes. They'll be in front of the DBs still, but with a move or two, the Destroyers' receivers will have a chance to make yards after the catch. The Destroyers also run the ball very well with their 270-pound fullback, Harold Wells. He could be a secret weapon which would slow this game down and create a ball-control attack that could be very effective in the red zone and, as a bonus, keep the ball away from the more potent San Jose offense.
When San Jose has the ball
QB Mark Grieb has three receivers who have over 1,000 yards this year and he's a master at spreading the field and finding the matchup he likes. When he gets solid pass protection from his young and inexperienced offensive line (which is most of the time), he is very effective at holding on to the ball until the last second to let his receivers separate. Columbus has a good edge pass rush and an underrated secondary. The Destroyers match up against San Jose pretty well with their top two DBs, Jerald Brown and Brandon Hefflin, but the guy that the SaberCats may pick on is the Destroyers' third DB, B.J. Barre, who will likely be assigned to cover WR Rodney Wright.
San Jose takes pride in trying to score on every offensive possession and because of all its weapons, it is very difficult to get key defensive stops. Look for Columbus to attack Grieb with an all-out pass rush by defensive ends Ken Jones and Kelvin Kinney. They must make Grieb uncomfortable in the pocket and force him to get rid of the ball early to protect their secondary, which won't hold up in coverage if Grieb has all day to throw. This game may be won in the trenches.
Columbus keys to success
1. Generate a pass rush: The Destroyers have an excellent edge rush with Jones (9.5 sacks) on one side and the 6-foot-7, 280-pound Kinney at the other end. Grieb is great if he gets into a rhythm. If he has time to read the entire field, he will get the ball to any of his three wide receivers. The Destroyers must make him uncomfortable in the pocket.
2. Spread the ball around: Usually, Nagy looks to Groce when he needs a big play, but in recent weeks he's been looking at his complementary receivers -- David Saunders, Josh Bush and Cole Magner. If Nagy sees the whole field, it will make it difficult for the San Jose secondary to zero in on one guy. The more the Destroyers' offense can stretch the SaberCats' pass defense, the better off Columbus will be.
3. Force a turnover or make a defensive stop: Easier said than done. San Jose has a goal of scoring on every offensive possession and prides itself on not making mistakes. In its playoff run, Columbus has done a great job of being patient and waiting for the opposing offense to self-destruct, but that is not a likely scenario against San Jose. The Destroyers know that they cannot match San Jose possession for possession and must get a couple of stops to stay in this game.
San Jose keys to success
1. Make it an up-tempo, fast-paced game: Columbus does not come close to possessing the offensive explosiveness of the SaberCats and the Destroyers would love to make this a slower-paced, low-scoring game that comes down to one or two offensive mistakes. San Jose needs to score on almost every possession and force Columbus to respond. That's exactly what Columbus doesn't want to have to do.
2. Contain Damien Groce: He accounts for a third of the Columbus offensive production and gives the Destroyers almost all of their big plays, including ones returning kicks. San Jose will likely assign Clevan Thomas to cover him and look for him to try to play aggressive press schemes designed to prevent Groce from making plays in space.
3. Pass protection: Grieb has three receivers who each had over 1,000 yards this season, so it's obvious he knows how to spread the field. He is at his best when he can sit in the pocket and let his receivers have time to separate. Columbus has a quality pass rush and an underrated secondary behind it, but if the San Jose offensive line of Troy Reddick, Dan Loney and William Obeng can give him time, Grieb will pick apart Columbus using a lot of double moves by his wide receivers.
Prediction
At what point do we start actually believing in the Columbus Destroyers? They have been huge underdogs in all three of their playoff wins, but they won all three on the road and not one was a fluke. The Destroyers are playing smart football right now. They're not making many mistakes and they wait for their opponents to self-destruct. They are solid, but not flashy, in all areas and if they catch San Jose on a bad day, they have a chance for an upset.
However, the SaberCats are also a very smart team and are not prone to making mistakes or giving the ball away. They have an explosive offense and can score on every offensive possession. If that happens, Columbus does not have the firepower to match them score for score. Look for San Jose to spread the field with three-wide receiver sets and take the Columbus secondary deeper in its matchups than it is capable of going. Both defenses will play well, but the SaberCats will make a couple of key stops that will likely be the difference and their playoff experience will pay off. San Jose will cap a great 2007 season with an ArenaBowl XXI win.
ESPN
Bookie is located here http://www.uowforums.com/showthread.php?t=106964
ArenaBowl XXI, New Orleans
(ESPN, 3 p.m. ET)
Columbus continues to defy logic. The Destroyers are on a magical postseason run, winning three road games in a row, including wins over the two best teams in the league (Dallas and Georgia) in back-to-back weeks. Their three playoff wins have been over teams with a combined 38-10 record. The Destroyers aren't flashy and don't have a lot of marquee players, but right now they are not making mistakes and are really playing smart football. San Jose is somewhat similar in the fact that the SaberCats don't get a lot of publicity and tend to fly under the radar. But it's easy to see why they are in this game -- the SaberCats are an excellent football team with no weaknesses and a lot of veteran leadership and poise. Nobody expected Columbus to be in this game and a lot of people probably thought Chicago would be here instead of San Jose, but as they say, "that's why we play the game." This will be fun.
When Columbus has the ball
QB Matt Nagy does not put up huge numbers and does not have a lot of offensive weapons, but he plays smart football and has excellent toughness and leadership skills. During the regular season he seemed to force the ball to WR Damien Groce, but in the playoffs he has spread the ball around to his other receivers. That has led to a less predictable and more explosive offense. The San Jose secondary matches up well with the Columbus wide receivers and DB Clevan Thomas, the SabersCats' best DB, will likely try to shut down Groce. The SaberCats have a very physical secondary and love to play press coverages to disrupt the timing and routes of opposing receivers. Even though they are aggressive, they don't commit a lot of penalties, don't blow coverages and don't beat themselves.
The key for Columbus will be pass protection and the short passing game. If the offensive line can protect Nagy, he will have the luxury of waiting for his receivers to separate from tight coverage or use double moves to get open. Or the Destroyers' wideouts can negate the pass rush by using the underneath routes. They'll be in front of the DBs still, but with a move or two, the Destroyers' receivers will have a chance to make yards after the catch. The Destroyers also run the ball very well with their 270-pound fullback, Harold Wells. He could be a secret weapon which would slow this game down and create a ball-control attack that could be very effective in the red zone and, as a bonus, keep the ball away from the more potent San Jose offense.
When San Jose has the ball
QB Mark Grieb has three receivers who have over 1,000 yards this year and he's a master at spreading the field and finding the matchup he likes. When he gets solid pass protection from his young and inexperienced offensive line (which is most of the time), he is very effective at holding on to the ball until the last second to let his receivers separate. Columbus has a good edge pass rush and an underrated secondary. The Destroyers match up against San Jose pretty well with their top two DBs, Jerald Brown and Brandon Hefflin, but the guy that the SaberCats may pick on is the Destroyers' third DB, B.J. Barre, who will likely be assigned to cover WR Rodney Wright.
San Jose takes pride in trying to score on every offensive possession and because of all its weapons, it is very difficult to get key defensive stops. Look for Columbus to attack Grieb with an all-out pass rush by defensive ends Ken Jones and Kelvin Kinney. They must make Grieb uncomfortable in the pocket and force him to get rid of the ball early to protect their secondary, which won't hold up in coverage if Grieb has all day to throw. This game may be won in the trenches.
Columbus keys to success
1. Generate a pass rush: The Destroyers have an excellent edge rush with Jones (9.5 sacks) on one side and the 6-foot-7, 280-pound Kinney at the other end. Grieb is great if he gets into a rhythm. If he has time to read the entire field, he will get the ball to any of his three wide receivers. The Destroyers must make him uncomfortable in the pocket.
2. Spread the ball around: Usually, Nagy looks to Groce when he needs a big play, but in recent weeks he's been looking at his complementary receivers -- David Saunders, Josh Bush and Cole Magner. If Nagy sees the whole field, it will make it difficult for the San Jose secondary to zero in on one guy. The more the Destroyers' offense can stretch the SaberCats' pass defense, the better off Columbus will be.
3. Force a turnover or make a defensive stop: Easier said than done. San Jose has a goal of scoring on every offensive possession and prides itself on not making mistakes. In its playoff run, Columbus has done a great job of being patient and waiting for the opposing offense to self-destruct, but that is not a likely scenario against San Jose. The Destroyers know that they cannot match San Jose possession for possession and must get a couple of stops to stay in this game.
San Jose keys to success
1. Make it an up-tempo, fast-paced game: Columbus does not come close to possessing the offensive explosiveness of the SaberCats and the Destroyers would love to make this a slower-paced, low-scoring game that comes down to one or two offensive mistakes. San Jose needs to score on almost every possession and force Columbus to respond. That's exactly what Columbus doesn't want to have to do.
2. Contain Damien Groce: He accounts for a third of the Columbus offensive production and gives the Destroyers almost all of their big plays, including ones returning kicks. San Jose will likely assign Clevan Thomas to cover him and look for him to try to play aggressive press schemes designed to prevent Groce from making plays in space.
3. Pass protection: Grieb has three receivers who each had over 1,000 yards this season, so it's obvious he knows how to spread the field. He is at his best when he can sit in the pocket and let his receivers have time to separate. Columbus has a quality pass rush and an underrated secondary behind it, but if the San Jose offensive line of Troy Reddick, Dan Loney and William Obeng can give him time, Grieb will pick apart Columbus using a lot of double moves by his wide receivers.
Prediction
At what point do we start actually believing in the Columbus Destroyers? They have been huge underdogs in all three of their playoff wins, but they won all three on the road and not one was a fluke. The Destroyers are playing smart football right now. They're not making many mistakes and they wait for their opponents to self-destruct. They are solid, but not flashy, in all areas and if they catch San Jose on a bad day, they have a chance for an upset.
However, the SaberCats are also a very smart team and are not prone to making mistakes or giving the ball away. They have an explosive offense and can score on every offensive possession. If that happens, Columbus does not have the firepower to match them score for score. Look for San Jose to spread the field with three-wide receiver sets and take the Columbus secondary deeper in its matchups than it is capable of going. Both defenses will play well, but the SaberCats will make a couple of key stops that will likely be the difference and their playoff experience will pay off. San Jose will cap a great 2007 season with an ArenaBowl XXI win.
ESPN
Bookie is located here http://www.uowforums.com/showthread.php?t=106964