AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Quick hitters: week nine

Published on March 24, 2005 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


MARCH MADNESS: San Jose has won six straight games during the month of March and improved their all-time record to 11-1 with a 72-48 win over Grand Rapids this past Friday. San Jose is undefeated at home during March with an 8-0 record and are 3-1 on the road. The team's lone loss came in a 64-50 defeat in New York on March 7, 2005.

NOT-SO-SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY: The home venues of the Southern Division have been some of the toughest places to earn a win for visiting teams this season. The five teams in the Southern Division have a combined record of 14-6 at home and 9-4 at home against teams outside of the Southern Division.

Georgia and Tampa Bay are both 4-0 at home. Georgia, Tampa Bay and New Orleans are all undefeated at home when playing teams from outside their Division

SOUTHERN DIVISION HOME RECORDS
TEAM HOME RECORD VS. NON-SOUTHERN DIVISION
New Orleans 3-1 2-0
Georgia 4-0 2-0
Orlando 2-1 1-1
Tampa Bay 4-0 3-0
Austin 1-4 1-3


ITS GOOD TO BE OFFENSIVE: Winning the Offensive Player of the Week award has been a sign of good times to come this season. Teams with players who have won the award this season have won their next game five times out of seven. The Award winners are averaging six touchdowns the following week. The six quarterbacks who have won the award average 285 passing yards the following week. The only non-quarterback to win the award, Las Vegas OS MARCUS NASH, had nine receptions for 160 yards and five touchdowns the following week, 27 more yards than the week that he earned the award.

MR. CONSISTENT: Colorado OS DAMIAN HARRELL has caught a touchdown pass in 40 straight regular-season games, bringing him to within one game of tying the record of 41 consecutive games with a touchdown reception set by EDDIE BROWN. Harrell's streak is also the longest active streak for consecutive games with a touchdown.

SEEING RED-ZONE: Tampa Bay has been a force in the red zone this season, both offensively and defensively. Tampa Bay has scored 31 touchdowns and four field goals in 37 trips to the red-zone. The defense has stopped opposing offenses 30 percent of the time, allowing only 21 touchdowns. No kicker has been able to convert a field goal against Tampa Bay's defense while in the red zone.





THE VooDoo CURSE: Following the release of the Arena Football League Writers Association poll, the No. 1-ranked team has gone on to lose their next game all but twice. New Orleans is the only team not to lose after being ranked No. 1, achieving it on two separate occasions. New Orleans looks to continue the hex as they host the Georgia Force this Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on AFL Net. Georgia is currently ranked No. 1, first time this season, and New Orleans is ranked No. 2.

KAT BURGLER: Nashville WR/LB DARRYL HAMMOND (6-3, 220, Virginia) needs one interception to become the second player in AFL history to record 30 interceptions and 8,000 receiving yards in a career. San Jose WR/DB BARRY WAGNER (6-3, 225, Alabama A&M) is the only player to reach that milestone. The Kats (1-5) host the Arizona Rattlers (1-6) at Gaylord Entertainment Center this Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on AFL Net.

LIVING IN A FANTASY: At mid-season, former Heisman Trophy runner-up and Grand Rapids QB MICHAEL BISHOP (6-2, 220, Kansas State) remains the top overall player in AFL Fantasy, averaging 46.2 fantasy points per game. This marks the fifth consecutive week that Bishop leads the AFL fantasy point list (average only).

The AFL fantasy leader for Week 8 was Las Vegas OS MARCUS NASH (6-3, 210, Tennessee) with 50 fantasy points. Last week at Arizona, the former Volunteer nabbed nine receptions for 160 yards and five scores, including the game-winning grab with two seconds left on the clock. In Monday night football at the Thomas & Mack Center on March 28, Nash and the Gladiators (5-3) host the defending ArenaBowl champion San Jose SaberCats (4-3) and WR/DB RASHIED DAVIS, who had 44 fantasy points last week (No. 3).

Here are the Top 10 Fantasy Point Players entering Week 9 of the AFL season (by average FP/G):

TOP AFL FANTASY POINT PLAYERS OVERALL
(Minimum two games)

RANK PLAYER, POSITION TEAM FP/G
1 Michael Bishop, QB Grand Rapids 46.2
2 Siaha Burley, OS Arizona 35.3
3 Shane Stafford, QB Tampa Bay 33.6
4 Aaron Bailey, OS New Orleans 31.6
5t James Roe WR/LB San Jose 31.4
5t Andy Kelly, QB New Orleans 31.4
7 Etu Molden, WR/LB Chicago 31.0
8 Matt Nagy, QB Georgia 30.5
9 Troy Bergeron, OS Georgia 30.0
10 Tony Graziani, QB Philadelphia 29.9

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 24, 2005


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