Game Fourteen Preview: at San Jose SaberCats
July 9, 2015 - Arena Football League (AFL)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release
THE OPPONENT: SAN JOSE SABERCATS (13-1)
Ranked #1 in the official AFL Power Rankings for the vast majority of the season, the San Jose SaberCats enter Friday night's game with a league-best 13-1 record. They are led by AFL MVP-candidate quarterback Erik Meyer. Meyer has thrown for 3,138 yards and 68 touchdowns while completing 260-of-398 passes, good for fifth in the league. Adding to the top top-ranked SaberCat offense are fullback Odie Armstrong and wide receiver "Big Play" Reggie Gray. Armstrong is coming off a three touchdown game last outing against Spokane, and is fourth all-time in league history with over 100 rushing touchdowns. Gray has 124 catches for 1,349 yards and 33 touchdowns this season. The defense also boasts two players who sit near the top of their respective positions - leading a defensive front that has four players with over six sacks, linebacker Francis Maka is second in the league with 9.5 sacks. The SaberCats secondary is the best tackling unit in the league with a combined 217.5 tackles, and defensive back Ken Fontenette is second in the league with 10 interceptions.
STEADY KENNEDY
Quarterback Adam Kennedy has been a steady hand since recovering from a shoulder injury sustained against the Spokane Shock on May 2 that caused him to miss four games. In his last three outings Kennedy has completed 67-of-121 passes for 794 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions, adding three rushing touchdowns on the ground as well. Despite missing four games with injury Kennedy ranks eighth in the league in total offense with 2,100 total yards, averaging 233.3 per contest. To date this season Kennedy has completed 188-of-309 passes for 2,024 yards with 28 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and has rushed 24 times for a team-leading 76 yards and six touchdowns.
SPIDERMAN STICKING AROUND THE TOP
Roger "Spiderman" Jackson enters this week's contest at San Jose closing in on a pair of franchise rookie records. With 62 catches for 684 yards and 12 touchdowns, Jackson is now within striking distance of Kenny Henderson's rookie records for receiving yardage (895) and touchdowns (18) set in 2007. Among AFL rookies this season Jackson ranks second in receptions behind Spokane's Anthony Amos (74), third in receiving yards behind Tampa Bay's Kendrick Ings (813), Amos (800), and fourth in receiving touchdowns behind Tampa Bay's Julius Gregory (20), Ings (14) and Amos (13).Â
SECONDARY BEEN STRONG DESPITE ROTATING CAST INFRONT OF THEM
The defensive backfield trio of Tracy Belton (54.5), Cortez Stubbs (58) and Cameron McGlenn (55.5) have been tackling machines this season, ranking fifth in the league with 168 total tackles despite a rotating front five in front of them. The trio have started eight of New Orleans' games this season together, and have combined for nine interceptions despite playing with 11 different starting front fives this season featuring 17 different players and a pass rush that has generated just four sacks since season.
HALFTIME BEWITCHMENT
Halftime seems to bewitch the VooDoo this season. New Orleans has been outscored 176 to 63 so far this season in the third quarter, and recently had given up 70 straight third quarter points before scoring against Cleveland two games ago. Nine times this season the VooDoo have been outscored in the third quarter, and the VooDoo has been held scoreless during the third quarter in six of the last ten contests. Turnovers have come in bunches just after halftime, with seven turnovers on downs, six lost fumbles and four interceptions all coming during the third quarter this season.
RATHER NOT TAKE A WEEK OFF
With a span of two bye weeks in a three week period New Orleans looks to reverse a trend of poor results following the bye. All-time the VooDoo are just 2-9 following an off week, but have never faced San Jose following the bye. New Orleans has lost five games in a row following a bye week, including two weeks ago at Orlando, with the last victory coming on the road with a 34-33 victory over the Cleveland Gladiators on April 16, 2011. Dean Cokinos has fared slightly better however following a week off with a 3-4 record as a head coach in the Arena Football League, but has also never faced the San Jose SaberCats following a bye week.
LAST TIME ON ESPN2
Friday night's contest will be nationally televised live on ESPN2, and online via the WatchESPN platform. Making their first appearance on both national TV and ESPN2 since last season's 36-35 victory at Jacksonville the VooDoo are just 1-3 all-time on ESPN2. Current VooDoo players Adam Kennedy (18-of-36, 176 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT), Chris Duvalt (4 receptions, 47 yards), Kevin Ashak (1 rush, no yards), Cameron McGlenn (11 tackles), and Kwame Jordan (.5 tackles) played in that contest. All-time on national television New Orleans is 12-20 (0-4 CBS Sports, 1-3 ESPN2, 8-6 NBC, 3-5 NFL Network), and have played the San Jose SaberCats one time on national television - a 62-61 victory in New Orleans on 2/13/05.
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