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Preview: Portland Thunder (5-12) vs Spokane Shock (10-7)

July 26, 2014 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Portland Thunder News Release


The Thunder are ready to turn this Battle of the Northwest into a rivalry with a win over the Shock.

In the first matchup between the teams, the Thunder hung tough and had a fourth-quarter lead before things got sideways in the fourth and Spokane converted three touchdowns in the span of a few minutes and ended up with a 55-27 win. In the second, it took a 46-yard field goal from Shock kicker Taylor Rowan in the final minute to seal up a victory for Spokane.

This time, the teams will play in Portland, where the Thunder have won four of their last five games.

The Thunder bring a vast array of weaponry into the game at the wide receiver position - five receivers have broken the 150-yard barrier in a game this season, and Jamar Howard, Douglas McNeil III, Jeffrey Solomon, and Duane Brooks should all be ready to go in this one. Solomon and Brooks, former Shock players, would love to put up another 150 yards on their old squad.

Quarterback Kyle Rowley, another former Shock player, is two touchdowns shy of the 350 touchdown mark for his career. Backup quarterback Darron Thomas also showed that he can be a weapon with his arm last week against the Arizona Rattlers, where he led two touchdown drives late in the game and added two two-point conversions to keep the game close.

The Shock, meanwhile, come in to town on a four-game winning streak, having won every game since the return of 2013 AFL MVP Erik Meyer to the starting lineup. They'll be the third seed in the upcoming National Conference playoffs, but they'd still like to keep the Thunder winless in the series.

Both teams have had issues with quarterback protection this season, having allowed 38 sacks apiece to lead the league.

The Thunder are hoping to get another game like the last home game from their defensive line, when Donte Paige-Moss, Antron Dillon, K.C. Obi, and Marquis Jackson got to KISS quarterback Aaron Garcia over and over until the Los Angeles offense simply broke.

One thing is for sure - when these two teams battle, there's never "nothing to play for." Both teams would love nothing more than to enter the postseason feeling ready to beat anybody.



Arena Football League Stories from July 26, 2014


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