Brigade runs out of chances in 44-40 loss to Colorado Crush

Published on March 10, 2007 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Kansas City Brigade News Release


DENVER - The Brigade traveled to Denver for its second-straight Central Division contest Saturday expecting the Colorado Crush's very best effort. Colorado delivered its punches and the Brigade absorbed them, but Kansas City was unable to counter punch when it needed to and fell 44-40 in front of xx,xxx at the Pepsi Center.

It was a typical back-and-forth Arena Football game even in the final few minutes. Colorado built a 37-27 lead on a Jason Ball 23-yard field goal with 6:31 left. Raymond Philyaw then drove the Brigade deep into Crush territory, converting a pair of third downs along the way. He lofted a first-down pass to Charles Frederick for an 11-yard touchdown and Clay Rush added the extra point to cut the lead to three with 2:11 left.

Kansas City's strategic onside kick was recovered by Colorado, who turned it into a John Dutton-to-Damian Harrell touchdown on third-and-long with 56 seconds left. A second 10-point lead did not last, as Philyaw worked quickly from the five yard line, hitting Jerel Myers for 22 yards and again on a picture-perfect 23-yard touchdown pass with just 27 seconds to play. Rush missed the extra point after a bobbled snap, but it did not matter. The Crush again recovered a necessary onside kick and ran out the clock.

The Brigade had opportunities to take control of the game long before those final seconds. With Colorado leading 10-7 early the second quarter, Simmons set up Kansas City nicely with a 21-yard return and the Brigade used a Crush penalty to convert a third down. Inside the 10 yard line, Kansas City ran the ball three straight times, with Dawan Moss barreling to the two yard line on third-and-goal. The offense lined up to go for it on fourth down, but a false start penalty moved the ball back. The offense lined up again, but Philyaw led Frederick too far across the end zone and his pass fell incomplete.

Kansas City did not fall too far behind, though. After a Dutton touchdown pass made the score 17-7 in favor of the Crush, Philyaw and the offense went back to work. The Brigade drive started at its own 2.5 yard line and consumed more than six minutes of the second quarter. Kansas City faced a second-and-goal from the Colorado five yard line after the one-minute warning when the drive got interesting. Frederick lost a yard on the ensuing rush, but a defensive penalty gave the Brigade a first-and-goal from the Crush three yard line. An offensive penalty on the next play moved the ball back to the 13 yard line. Two plays later an illegal defense penalty put the ball at the six yard line.

With the clock winding down, Philyaw found Frederick in the middle of the end zone for a touchdown. Rush's kick was true to cut the lead to three with 10 seconds left. The first half should have ended uneventfully, but a personal foul penalty on the Brigade after the touchdown gave Colorado enough extra yards to attempt and make a 38-yard field goal as time expired, pushing the Crush lead back to six at 20-14.

Kansas City and Colorado traded scores through the third quarter. On the first Brigade possession of the half, Philyaw hit Myers on a quick out just inside the end zone, but Rush had his kick blocked to leave the game tied at 20. Philyaw answered again late in the third quarter, this time on a throwback to tight end Cyron Brown on the left side after faking the option to the right. The extra point by Rush tied the game at 27.

The back-and-forth game was interrupted early in the fourth quarter after Travis Coleman recovered a surprise onside kick by the Crush at the Colorado 11 yard line. Trailing 34-27, the Brigade incurred 15 yards in penalties that eventually put the ball at the 22 yard line. James Jordan made a leaping grab for eight yards on third down, but Philyaw's fourth down pass to Frederick was incomplete, resulting in the Brigade's second turnover-on-downs of the game.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 10, 2007


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