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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Hot Questions

May 15, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


Is STEVE SMITH a secret weapon for the champs? A former Big West Offensive Player of the Year, Smith, who played in one game for the Destroyers last year, stepped up for a Rampage offense that had struggled to find scoring options beyond TERRILL SHAW. In the last two games, Smith has averaged 12.5 receptions for 160 yards and 3.5 touchdowns.

Which SHANE STAFFORD will show up against the Avengers? In two previous appearances, Stafford struggled as the Storm starter, passing for only four touchdowns before breaking out against the Rush, when he completed 26-of-35 passes for 243 yards and a career-high six touchdowns.

How do you lose a game in which your quarterback completes 80 percent of his passes for more than 300 yards and seven touchdowns, one shy of a career high? Simple, it takes costly turnovers and by playing less defense than a chain link dam. The Rush allowed the mediocre Storm offense to 10 scores on 11 possessions. Georgia and Arizona are coming up next, and both rank among the league's top 5 offenses.

Can the Predators find offensive magic before its too late? Besides CLIF DELL's nine touchdowns, JAY GRUDEN's receiving corps has been largely inconsistent and unhealthy. Only three receivers registered stats in a loss to the Rampage. Injuries are taking a toll, but with San Jose and Indiana up next, giving the ball more to rookie ANTONIO STANLEY or tight end B.J. COHEN could be the answer.

Four points, and the expansion Desperados are undefeated? JOE AVEZZANO, one of the NFL's most acclaimed special teams coaches, may not have any hair left unless kicker JASON WELLS can continue his solid effort against New York, when he connected on 9-of-10 extra points and nailed a 50-yard field goal.

Good things do come in small packages, right? Arizona's 5-10, 170-pound Ironman, CHRIS HORN is proving it each week. So far, Horn is ranked No. 4 in scoring and No. 3 in receptions. He's also the team's leading kick returner and third-best tackler. With HUNKIE COOPER next to him, Horn has plenty of time to emerge as one of the best.

Will the signing of former Bengals and FSU star, COREY SAWYER make a difference in the Storm secondary? The unit has given up 21 airborne touchdowns, and nearly 275 yards per game, good for 12th in the league.

What's happening in Georgia? In any other year, losing three straight in the Southern division may have been too perilous to overcome, but this year with usual champs, Orlando and Tampa Bay both struggling, Carolina has emerged as the front-runner. However, the Force, who leads the league in penalties, isn 't out of it. They simply need more production from vets like JARRICK HILLERY and KEVIN MCDOUGAL. RON CARPENTER and TRAVIS REECE are the only players ranked among the top 10 in any statistical category.

Is CONNELL MAYNOR the most underrated "winner" in the league? Before a train wreck last year in New Jersey, Maynor had guided the Orlando Predators to a pair of championship appearances, including in 1999 when he came off the bench and in 2000 when he claimed the title as a starter. After replacing AARON SPARROW in a Week 1 loss to Dallas, Maynor is 3-0 as a starter. Hmm, he just may have gotten his playoff taste buds back.

Who's to blame for Detroit's tailspin? With ROBERT GORDON out with an injury, and the quarterback spot just as precarious a situation, emerging star CHUCK LEVY must step up along with Detroit's other receiver, CHUCK WINTERS and get this unit on track; it boasts only two receivers with more than one touchdown. Look for MOUSE DAVIS to make the tweaks, just as he did last year when the Fury rebounded from a 2-5 start and won five of their last seven games to make the playoffs.

Will the Firebirds get that killer instinct back? Like the Predators, the Firebirds are generally regarded as a sure-thing playoff team, not necessarily a 12-win regular season juggernaut. Games against Detroit, Orlando and Tampa Bay could be exactly what the doctor order or, instead, lead to more head scratching.

Although the Firebirds remain a force in the Central division, is RAYMOND PHILYAW able to get the ball to more than one receiver, EDDIE BROWN, in crunch time? Could Philyaw be in a slump? Or has the secret to Indiana's offense traveled westward with former offensive coordinator (now Avengers head coach) ED HODKIGSS and standout GREG HOPKINS in Los Angeles? Indiana currently ranks No. 14 in scoring with less than 45 points per game, very unlike the Firebirds of the past few seasons.

Is it DANNY KANELL's time yet? The Dragons are 1-3 with the Destroyers and Phantoms coming on. MATT NAGY been surprising one game, erratic the next. Or will New York turn to backup SCOTT SEMPTIMPHELTER, who stepped in for Nagy in the fourth quarter of last week's loss to Dallas, but took only 14 snaps?

Are the SaberCats as balanced a unit as Storm championship teams of the late 90s? While they certainly can make a case for being the best in the league today, three rushing touchdowns in the last nine minutes of a 78-44 win over the Avengers further proves their balance - and shines a light on an Avenger weakness others will try to take advantage of.

Are the Destroyers ready to face a team with playoff fever? The Phantoms are coming to town, bringing a 3-1 record and the league's stingiest defense. The Destroyers haven't faced an opponent with a winning record yet, and after the Phantoms, its defending champ Grand Rapids and then San Jose. A crucial stretch, but veteran FRED MCNAIR's been through the wars before and they'll need him to step up.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 15, 2002


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