Game Preview - Pittsburgh Power at Iowa Barnstormers
July 17, 2014 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Pittsburgh Power News Release
PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Power (13-3) hit the road for the final time in 2014 when they travel to Des Moines for a divisional battle with the Iowa Barnstormers (6-10) on Saturday, July 19. Kickoff from Wells Fargo Arena is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET. The game can be viewed on ESPN3 and will be broadcasted on TribLIVE Radio with Dan Dudley and Mike Logan calling the action.
THE GAME:
Pittsburgh Power (13-3) at Iowa Barnstormers (6-10)
Saturday, July 19 - 8:05 p.m. ET
Wells Fargo Arena - Des Moines, IA
TV: ESPN3
Radio: TribLIVE Radio
All-Time Series: Pittsburgh leads 3-1
LAST WEEK:
The Power are coming off of their second Bye Week of the 2014 season riding a ten-game winning streak. Their last win came over the New Orleans VooDoo on Monday, July 7 where Pittsburgh avoided the upset in the Graveyard with a 48-43 victory. Tommy Grady and Prechae Rodriguez connected for five scores which proved to be too much for New Orleans in the end as the Power improved to 13-3.
With Cleveland beating San Antonio with a field goal in overtime in Week 18, the Power have been locked into the third seed in the American Conference for the upcoming Arena Football League playoffs. Pittsburgh now waits for the South Division to be decided. If the Predators beat the VooDoo on Saturday or the Tampa Bay Storm lose in Spokane on Monday night, the Power will play against the Predators on the road in the first round.
The Barnstormers are on a five-game skid that started back on June 7 when they lost to the Cleveland Gladiators and includes a 57-27 loss to the Power four weeks ago when the two teams met at CONSOL Energy Center in Week 15. The Barnstormers have a short week of preparation after losing to the Orlando Predators 66-33 on the road on Monday night. Two Barnstormer quarterbacks saw action, combining for five interceptions in the loss, which eliminated them from playoff contention.
POWER OFFENSE TO WATCH:
Power WR Prechae Rodriguez was voted AFL MVP for Week 17 after catching seven passes against New Orleans for 154 yards and five touchdowns. Rodriguez leads the AFL in 2014 averaging 9.5 receptions and 125.0 yards per game. Rodriguez averages 19.5 points per game, which is also the best in the League.
Power QB Tommy Grady cracked the Top 10 in Arena Football history for career touchdown passes. He threw seven against the VooDoo to put him one shy of 500 on his career. Grady has thrown for 4,271 yards and 102 touchdowns in 2014.
BARNSTORMERS OFFENSE TO WATCH:
The Barnstormers have two of the league's best wide receivers at their disposal. Marco Thomas and Darius Reynolds both rank in the Top 10 in the League in receptions, receiving yards per game and receiving touchdowns. Thomas' 1,785 yards are the most in the AFL in 2014
POWER DEFENSE TO WATCH:
Power DB Virgil Gray was knocked out of the Power's Week 10 win over Los Angeles with an ankle injury, but has been removed from injured reserve after missing eight weeks of action. Gray has eight interceptions in 2014, which means he only needs two to claim the Power franchise single-season record for picks. Brandon Freeman, who also has eight picks this season, will have the same goal for the next two weeks.
BARNSTORMERS DEFENSE TO WATCH:
The Barnstormers defense is fueled by the strength of their secondary. De'Mon Glanton leads Iowa this season with 86.0 tackles. In just 11 games, Tramain Thomas has six picks for the Iowa D. The Barnstormers will be without injured Jack linebacker Jason Simpson, who has three career interceptions against the Power.
Arena Football League Stories from July 17, 2014
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- Sharks Announce Guaranteed Win Ticket Redemption Information - Jacksonville Sharks
- Portland's Peila Voted Week 18 AFL MVP - AFL
- Game Preview - Pittsburgh Power at Iowa Barnstormers - Pittsburgh Power
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