Philadelphia Soul Look to Get Back on Track
May 10, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
PHILADELPHIA (May 10, 2012) - The Philadelphia Soul (6-2) complete their two-game home stand against the Jacksonville Sharks (3-4), live on TCN on Saturday, May 12 at 7:05 p.m. Jacksonville is the fifth team from the South Division the Soul will face this season and they are slated to meet a second time this season on June 16. Currently, the Sharks hold a 1-0 series lead over the Soul after defeating Philadelphia, 58-42, on Friday, May 6, 2011.
The Soul are currently atop their division, but last week's loss to the rival Milwaukee Mustangs (3-4) has moved Philadelphia back into a four-way tie for the best record in the Arena Football League. The Chicago Rush, San Jose SaberCats, and Utah Blaze hold identical 6-2 records along with the Soul.
Last week's setback saw the Soul come inches short of completing a come-from-behind victory in the final seconds of the game as Milwaukee's Kelvin Rodgers made a big stop, holding Philadelphia's Emery Sammons just outside the end zone as time expired. Milwaukee preserved their one-point lead, defeating the Soul, 64-63.
Now, the Soul turn their attention to the Jacksonville Sharks as they look to get back on track at home at the Wells Fargo Center.
Philadelphia heads into Week 10 looking to get a win at the Wells Fargo Center before they embark on a two-game road trip. Like last week, the Soul face one of the AFL's best rushing defenses. Jacksonville possesses the No. 3 rushing defense that will be tasked with stopping the League's leading rusher and Philadelphia's record-setting fullback Derrick Ross.
Against Milwaukee, Ross set Philadelphia's single-season record for rushing attempts (61) and rushing yards (229). Ross now sits two touchdowns shy of moving into the No. 2 spot in Soul single-season history. He is six scores removed from No. 1 (held by Ryan Vena, 20 touchdowns in 2011). Ross looks to continue his production while keeping focus on the team's success, not his numbers.
"It's nice to be ranked, but that isn't what I'm worried about this season," said Ross. "I set records last year and at the end of the day, the team didn't have anything to show for it. I came to Philadelphia to help this team get wins. Whether or not that means I get more carries isn't my main focus, I just want to get wins."
This week, the matchup in the air appears even. Philadelphia ranks No. 5 in passing offense while Jacksonville's defense ranks No. 6 at stopping the pass. Soul quarterback Dan Raudabaugh completed 26-of-45 passes for 366 yards and seven touchdowns without any interceptions against the Mustangs' passing defense. The performance matched many of Raudabaugh's previous efforts this season, as he has been one of the most successful and consistent signal callers in Arena Football in 2012.
Raudabaugh has completed 164-of-253 attempts (64.8%) for a passing efficiency rating of 124.0 that ranks No. 2 in the League. Through eight games, he has thrown for 2,219 yards and his 53 touchdowns rank No. 2 in the AFL, as do his 13.5 yards per completion. Thanks to Raudabaugh's contributions, the Soul offense is ranked No. 1 in terms of scoring and No. 3 in total offense.
"I know the players are frustrated over our last game. They want to get that taste out of their mouths. I believe this team has the leadership and talent to do what it takes to get back on track and put last week behind us. It all starts under center," said Soul head coach Doug Plank. "As I've said before during the season, Dan's a big reason for our success. I think the best part about it is that he realizes that our success comes as a team. He knows he has talented teammates that have helped him and contributed to our success."
Helping Raudabaugh has been the performance of his offensive line. The Soul - led by Christian Johnson, Brennen Carvalho and Zipp Duncan - have only allowed their field general to be brought down behind the line of scrimmage twice (No. 1 in the AFL).
Through the air, WR Tiger Jones has been Raudabaugh's top target. Jones ranks No. 1 for yards per catch (15.8), No. 2 for receiving yards (1,059) with an average of 132.4 yards a game, No. 4 for receiving touchdowns (24), and No. 6 in receptions (67). Tiger has been a reliable piece of the offense for Raudabaugh to lean on.
Philadelphia's defense has become a huge asset after getting off to a slow start. The defense has built a +10 turnover margin through the first eight games of 2012, good enough to rank No. 1 in the AFL. Jacksonville ranks No. 15 with a -10 margin. Soul defensive lineman Bryan Robinson ranks No. 2 in the AFL with four forced fumbles. Fellow defensive back Kent Richardson ranks No. 2 in interceptions with five interceptions returned for 84 yards and a touchdown. Linebacker Joe Goosby leads the League with three interceptions returned for touchdowns.
The Soul know they can't take any opponent lightly as they head into the midpoint of the season. With three other teams with identical 6-2 records and a rematch with division rival Cleveland only two weeks away, Philadelphia looks for a win against Jacksonville before they hit the road for a two-game trip.
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