Bad start halts Dragons
by David Holusha
April 3, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New York Dragons
Coming off their first win of the season last week on the road, the New York Dragons looked to build on that in front of the hometown crowd at the Nassau Coliseum. However, their opening drive turned out to be a harbinger of things to come.
On the opening play, Dragons quarterback Rohan Davey fumbled the football, allowing Philadelphia Soul lineman Felipe Claybrooks to recover it for a 1 yard run into the endzone. One observer credited Soul defensive lineman Bryan Save with knocking the ball loose out of Davey's hand, while another saw it as linebacker Idris Price forcing the New York QB into the fumble. Whether is was defensive pressure or just poor ball control on the part of a veteran NFL (yet rookie AFL) quarterback, it set the tone that led to the eventual 65-60 defeat at the hands of the now 4-0 Philadelphia team.
"The most obvious thing is we've got to take care of the football," exhorted head coach Weylan Harding after the game. "You can't survive like that, not taking care of the ball the way we did"
Despite his miscues, Davey actually went on to put up some pretty good numbers. Eight touchdowns (though two interceptions) and a career high 375 yards passing. However, the three fumbles during the game were crucial mistakes that have to be corrected.
"Our protection was decent," added coach Harding. "He didn't get hit too often. But it's a different game (NFL to AFL). You've got to make the right reads and get the ball there. Nothing prepares a quarterback for this game except for getting out there.
"Realistically, this is his third game in Arena," continued coach Harding. "It's a learning process at every point and time. That Philadelphia team he faces is a very good defensive team. The fact that we were able to put up the points that we did shows that he's making a progression. It's like anything else - kids learn to walk and they're going to scrape their knee sometimes. Before you get upright and run. He's getting to that point and we believe in him. I'm confident he's going to be alright.
Another glaring error for the Dragons this day was their inability to finish tackles. There were far too many shaken off holds by Dragons defenders, when it appears they had a solid chance to complete the stop. In particular was Charles Pauley 57 yard kickoff return late in the fourth quarter that staked Philadelphia to the final points they would need to win. However, the most glaring tackling error was allowing defensive back Eddie Moten off the turf, after he intercepted the ball in the endzone, and ran it back 50 yards for a TD at the 9:12 mark.
It was a bizarre turn of events, as he intercepted the ball just inside the end zone, and it appeared for a moment that intended receiver Mike Horacek had hit Moten into the boards and downed the play. In fact everyone seemed to have stopped at that point, including Moten. Then, realizing the officials neglected to blow the whistle, Moten started running.
He put on an impressive running display at that point, getting key blocks from his teammates at crucial points on the field. A devastating hit from Idris Price completely flattened Dragons WR/LB Chris Anthony. It was a scary moment for Anthony as he lay on the field for some time after. However, true to his toughness, he made a full recovery and actually scored the Dragons final touchdown of the game.
Despite that one miscue by the usually reliable Mike Horacek, he did have a solid game offensively, leading the way with 188 yards received and three touchdowns. Fellow standout receiver Kevin Swayne also pulled down three touchdown catches for 138 yards.
Arena Highlights: The Dragons FireDancers put on another athletic and stylish demonstration, and were clearly the stars of the halftime show. Video clips of their halftime performance, as well as in-game action can be found by following these links.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmSlmv3tVd0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4vvyNXp-cY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lABPWVyULEA
The Dragons next head to Grand Rapids on Saturday for a 7 p.m. start.
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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 3, 2007
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