San Jose SaberCats game notes

February 27, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:

Game: SaberCats (0-0) at Los Angeles Avengers (0-0).

Date: Sunday, March 4, 2007.

Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. (PDT).

Site: STAPLES Center (17,942).

Officials: Referee: Barry Anderson; Umpire: Rick Lowe; Head Linesman: Brent Durbin; Line Judge: Art Lucky; Back Judge: Scott Helverson.

Television: Fox Sports Net Bay Area might carry the game. If so it will be live and in HD with Ted Robinson and Keena Turner calling the action. FSNBA is available on Comcast Cable channel 40 (720 HD), DirecTV channel 654 (96 HD) and Dish Network channel 419.

Radio: San Jose's flagship station KNBR-1050 and KNBR 680 will broadcast the game live with Grant Napear and Steve Papin. The two will host a 30-minute pre-game show starting at 6:30 p.m. live from the STAPLES Center.

Internet: A live webcast is available at www.KNBR.com.

Series Record: SaberCats lead 9-5

Last Meeting: SaberCats 53, Los Angeles 36 (April 29, 2006 in STAPLES Center).

Series Streak: SaberCats Won 1.

Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (9th season; 83-37 regular season, 93-42 overall).

Los Angeles, Ed Hodgkiss (6th season; 43-35 regular season, 43-39 overall).

OVERVIEW: The SaberCats begin their 13th season in the Arena Football League and defense of their Western Division title by traveling to Los Angeles for a matchup with division rival Los Angeles on Sunday, March 4 from STAPLES Center. San Jose's new TV partner, Fox Sports Net Bay Area, will air the game live and in HD in Northern California and KNBR 1050 and 680 will broadcast the game...San Jose QB Mark Grieb, who set an AFL record with 4,841 passing yards in 2006, has thrown for more yards over the past four years than any QB in the league and has started 72 consecutive regular and postseason games...The SaberCats have lost their last two season openers and are 6-6 all-time with a 3-2 record in season openers on the road...Head Coach Darren Arbet enters the 2007 season just 7 wins shy of reaching 100 for his career...The 2007 AFL season will have a decidedly new look as the league has adopted a free substitution rule, meaning players will no longer have to play both offense and defense, however, with the roster size remaining at 20 for game-day, several players will continue with the 'Ironman' tradition. The league will also enter into the first year of a 5-year deal with ESPN that will see the Worldwide Leader in Sports show a weekly game of the week, postseason games and the ArenaBowl on ABC.

THE SCHEDULES:

2007 SAN JOSE SABERCATS (0-0)

Date Opponent Time (PT) Radio/TV

Mar. 4 @Los Angeles 7:00 pm 1050-680/FSN

Mar. 9 @Chicago 5:00 pm 1050/FSN+

Mar. 24 @Georgia 4:00 pm 1050/NBC11

Mar. 31 TAMPA BAY 7:30 pm 1050

Apr. 6 COLORADO 7:30 pm 1050

Apr. 13 @New Orleans 5:00 pm 1050/FSN+

Apr. 21 LOS ANGELES 7:30 pm 1050-680

Apr. 28 UTAH 7:30 pm 1050

May 5 @Arizona 7:00 pm 1050-680/FSN

May 12 LAS VEGAS 7:30 pm 1050

May 19 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30 pm 1050

May 25 @Nashville 5:00 pm 1050/FSN+

Jun. 1 ORLANDO 7:30 pm 1050

Jun. 9 @Utah 6:00 pm 1050/FSN

Jun. 16 ARIZONA 7:30 pm 1050

Jun. 25 @Las Vegas TBD 1050/FSN

2007 LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (0-0)

Date Opponent Time (PT) TV

Mar. 4 SAN JOSE 7:00 pm

Mar. 12 @Orlando 4:00 pm ESPN2

Mar. 24 @New Orleans 5:00 pm

Apr. 1 @Chicago 10:30 am ESPN2

Apr. 6 ARIZONA 7:30 pm

Apr. 13 @Utah 6:00 pm

Apr. 21 @San Jose 7:30 pm

Apr. 28 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30 pm FSNW

May 6 @Las Vegas 3:00 pm FSNPT

May 12 TAMPA BAY 7:30 pm FSNW

May 19 GEORGIA 7:30 pm FSNW

May 26 @Kansas City 3:00 pm

Jun. 2 CHICAGO 7:30 pm

Jun. 11 @Arizona 7:00 pm ESPN2

Jun. 17 LAS VEGAS 3:30 pm FSNW

Jun. 23 UTAH 7:30 pm FSNW

SABERCATS/FSNBA REACH DEAL?:

Details on a pending agreement between the SaberCats and Fox Sports Net Bay Area will be released when the deal is finalized.

SABERCATS SIDELINE REPORT: Bob Fitzgerald returns as host of the SaberCats Sideline Report, which airs every Sunday during the season on NBC11 at 11:50 p.m. immediately following Sports Sunday. Join Fitz and a special guest every week for this action-packed 8-minute segment. The season debut airs this Sunday, March 4 with Ted Robinson serving as fill-in host. San Jose QB Mark Grieb is the scheduled guest.

THE SERIES: The SaberCats lead the all-time series 9-5 and snapped a 3-game losing streak to the Avengers with a 53-36 win in Los Angeles on Apr. 29, 2006 in the last meeting between the clubs...San Jose owns a 4-3 record in games played in STAPLES Center and the teams have traded wins every year in LA since the series began in 2000...Four of San Jose's 23 70-plus point games have come against the Avengers, including two in LA...Seven of the 14 series games have been decided by 6 or fewer points...The SaberCats' point total in a 73-72 loss at Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2003 is their most ever in a defeat...The teams have played one other season opener, a 50-32 San Jose win in HP Pavilion on April 14, 2001...LA was the last Division opponent to sweep the season series from San Jose, winning both games during the 2005 campaign.

SERIES NOTABLES: Two of San Jose's five games with 400-or-more yards of total offense have come against the Avengers...The teams combined for 783 yards of offense, the highest combined total in San Jose history, in LA's 71-69 win at STAPLES Center on Feb. 20, 2005...They combined for 762 yards of offense, the 2nd highest total, in another LA win on Mar. 12, 2006 in San Jose...Los Angeles' 14-point win (75-61) on Mar. 12, 2006 was its largest in the series...The SaberCats margin of victory in their nine wins against Los Angeles is 18 points...San Jose's point total in a 73-72 loss at Los Angeles on Feb. 2, 2003 is its highest ever in a defeat, the SaberCats' point total in their 71-69 loss at Los Angeles on Feb. 20, 2005 is the second highest ever in a defeat...San Jose has four of the ten 70-point regular season games allowed by the Avengers: 78 points twice (5/27/00 and 5/11/02), 75 points (7/8/00) and 72 points (2/9/03)...San Jose scored a team record 29 first quarter points vs. L.A. (5/27/00) and allowed a team record 35 fourth quarter points to L.A. (2/9/03)...Four of Mark Grieb's 30 career 300-yard passing games have come against Los Angeles...The SaberCats 53-point win (78-25) over the Avengers on May 27, 2000 is the worst loss in Los Angeles history...San Jose also handed L.A. its fourth-worst loss with a 34-point win (78-44) on May 11, 2002...L.A. WR/DB Kevin Ingram became just the 3rd player to intercept 3 San Jose passes in a game when he did so on May 7, 2005...San Jose scored 20 points in the final minute of play in their loss to the Avengers on Feb. 20, 2005.

LAST SERIES MEETING: SABERCATS 53, Los Angeles 36 - Saturday, April 29, 2006 - STAPLES Center - Brian Johnson rushed for three TDs and Clevan Thomas made a key interception with 11 minutes left in the game as the SaberCats defeated Los Angeles, 53-36, for their fifth straight win clinching a playoff spot. The win moved the SaberCats (8-6) ahead of second-place Arizona by a full game in the American Conference West. QB Mark Grieb directed an assault on the Avengers in the first half and the SaberCats built a 31-21 margin. Johnson scored his first two TDs, both from 4 yards out, and FB/LB Phil Glover added another from 9-yards away. Glover's run gave San Jose a 28-21 lead with 28 seconds left in the half and Ben Nelson recovered Antoine Burns' fumble on the ensuing kickoff setting up Brian Schmitz' 23-yard field goal as time ran out, giving the SaberCats their 10-point halftime bulge. It took Johnson three attempts on San Jose's opening third quarter drive to collect his third running score, a one-yard blast, after a Grieb to Charles Pauley 27-yard pass play set up the series. Johnson's career-high tying score gave the 'Cats a 37-21 lead. A 13-yard toss by Grieb to James Roe kept San Jose on top, 44-28, in the third, but Avengers' quarterback Sonny Cumbie tossed a 2-yarder to Rob Turner and the pair teamed on the 2-point conversion to close within eight points, 44-36, after three. Schmitz booted a 39-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to make it 47-36 and Glover added his second scoring run midway through the final stanza. Grieb connected on 21-of-38 for 263 yards with two TDs and no interceptions. His primary receivers were Roe, with 78 yards on 7 catches, and Nelson, who had 7 grabs and 86 yards. Each had a TD reception. The running game proved more effective as Johnson had 16 yards and Glover added 19 yards and a pair of TDs.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

SaberCats............................... 7 24 13 9 - 53

Avengers................................. 7 14 15 0 - 36

SCORING SUMMARY

SAN Johnson 4 run (Schmitz kick)

LAA Ingram 6 pass from Cumbie (Hamilton kick)

SAN Johnson 4 run (Schmitz kick)

LAA Ford 3 run (Hamilton kick)

SAN Nelson 24 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)

LAA Turner 4 pass from Cumbie (Hamilton kick)

SAN Glover 9 run (Schmitz kick)

SAN FG Schmitz 23

SAN Johnson 1 run (Schmitz kick blocked)

LAA Hopkins 34 pass from Cumbie (Hamilton kick

SAN Roe 13 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)

LAA Turner 2 pass from Cumbie (Turner pass)

SAN FG Schmitz 39

SAN Glover 1 run (Schmitz kick failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

PASSING - SJ: Grieb 21-38-0-270. LA: Cumbie 20-31-2-278.

RUSHING - SJ: Glover 4-19; Johnson 7-16; Geathers 2-5. LA: Mann 1-3; Ford 1-3; Cumbie 1-0.

RECEIVING - SJ: Nelson 7-93; Roe 7-78; Pauley 3-44; Glover 2-18; Battle 1-23; Geathers 1-14. LA: Locke 6-102; Hopkins 4-74; Ingram 4-57; Turner 3-12; Ford 1-14; Anderson 1-10; Burns 1-9.

KICK RETURNS - SJ: Pauley 4-80. LA: Burns 4-57.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES

Date Score

Apr. 29, 2006 San Jose 53, @Los Angeles 36

Mar. 12, 2006 Los Angeles 75, @San Jose 61

May 7, 2005 Los Angeles 54, @San Jose 42

Feb. 20, 2005 @Los Angeles 71, San Jose 69

Mar. 26, 2004 @San Jose 55, Los Angeles 52

Feb. 22, 2004 San Jose 61, @Los Angeles 55

May 17, 2003 @San Jose 47, Los Angeles 43

Feb. 9, 2003 @Los Angeles 73, San Jose 72

June 8, 2002 San Jose 52, @Los Angeles 33

May 11, 2002 @San Jose 78, Los Angeles 44

June 2, 2001 @Los Angeles 47, San Jose 44

Apr. 14, 2001 @San Jose 52, Los Angeles 30

July 8, 2000 San Jose 75, @Los Angeles 72

May 27, 2000 @San Jose 78, Los Angeles 25

FINAL 2006 TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON

Category (Rank) SaberCats Avengers

Scoring Offense 56.1 (2) 50.6 (12)

Scoring Defense 53.1 (12) 56.6 (18)

Total Offense 316.6 (1) 282.0 (11)

Total Defense 291.2 (12) 283.7 (8)

Pass Offense 297.6 (2) 261.9 (10)

Pass Defense 276.9 (15) 259.5 (7)

Rushing Offense 19.0 (10) 20.1 (7)

Rushing Defense 14.3 (2) 24.2 (15)

Pass Rating 116.9 (5) 100.1 (13)

Pass Defense Rating 111.4 (11) 118.0 (17)

Interceptions 18 (t-6) 14 (13)

Kickoff Return Avg. 16.6 (13) 16.4 (15)

Field Goal Return Avg. 12.8 (16) 16.8 (10)

Turnover Margin +7 (4) E (10)

3rd Down Conversions 49.1% (6) 44.7% (12)

4th Down Conversions 41.4% (13) 53.3% (t-6)

Sacks By 17 (9) 13 (t-12)

Sacks Against 15 (t-10) 32 (17)

RETURNING SABERCATS AMONG '06 AFL LEADERS

Player Category No. Rank

Mark Grieb Total Offense 4,844 2nd

Mark Grieb Pass Yards/Game 302.6 1st

Mark Grieb Pass Attempts 606 3rd

Mark Grieb Passing TDs 83 t-5th

Mark Grieb Passer Rating 116.5 5th

Mark Grieb Passing Yards 4,841 1st

Mark Grieb Pass Completions 396 2nd

James Roe Scoring 188 10th

James Roe Scoring (TDs) 31 10th

James Roe Receptions 113 10th

James Roe Receiving TDs 31 8th

Phil Glover Rushing Yards 156 6th

Phil Glover Rush Attempts 55 3rd

Phil Glover Rushing TDs 15 1st

Brian Johnson Rush Attempts 48 7th

Brian Johnson Rushing TDs 12 t-3rd

Ben Nelson Receiving Yards 1,405 8th

Clevan Thomas Interceptions 7 t-8th

Clevan Thomas Forced Fumbles 4 t-3rd

Clevan Thomas Fumbles Recovered 3 t-4th

Clevan Thomas Passes Defended 20 t-13th

Clevan Thomas Total Tackles 85.0 8th

Marquis Floyd Forced Fumbles 4 t-3rd

Omarr Smith INT Return TDs 2 t-3rd

THE IFS...:

If the SaberCats defeat Los Angeles it would...

*Break their 2-game season opening losing streak.

*Give them a 7-6 record in season openers.

*Be their 10th series win over the Avengers.

*Be their 50th regular season road win.

*Be their 5th straight win over a Western Division foe.

*Give them a 42-26 regular season record against Western Division opponents.

*Give them an 18-15 regular season road record against Western Division opponents.

*Give them a 50-38 all-time regular season road record.

*Give them a 113-62 all-time regular season record.

*Give them 123-70 all-time record.

THE COACHES:

San Jose - Darren Arbet, 9th season

83-37 (.692) reg. season; 93-42 (.689) overall

9-5 (.643) career vs. Los Angeles

6-4 (.600) career vs. Ed Hodgkiss

Two-time Arena Football League Coach of the Year and ArenaBowl champion Darren Arbet enters his ninth season as head coach of the San Jose SaberCats and his second as the club's general manager. Last season Arbet guided the SaberCats to their seventh straight winning season and playoff appearance by going 10-6, the sixth time in his eight seasons the team has posted a double-digit regular season win total. The team also captured its fifth Western Division title under Arbet (sixth overall) and advanced to the semifinal round of the playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. Arbet enters the 2007 campaign with 93 career wins, the fifth-most in AFL history, and his .689 overall winning percentage is the third-highest among coaches who have been involved in at least 25 games. Arbet has also compiled the third-best postseason winning percentage (.667) and is one of just six head coaches in league history to amass 10 playoff victories. Under the direction of Arbet San Jose has enjoyed unmatched success vaulting the franchise to elite status in the AFL. Since the start of the 2000 season, Arbet's second as head coach, the SaberCats have claimed two ArenaBowl championships (2002, 2004), compiled the most regular season wins (77), the second-most playoff wins (10) and have averaged nearly 12 victories a season. In addition, the club has set league records for regular season wins in a season (13 in 2002), overall wins in a season (16 in 2002), consecutive regular season wins in a season (12 in 2002), regular season wins to end a season (11 in 2000) and the longest regular season win streak (15 in 2000-01). Arbet's ties to the AFL date back to the late 1980s when he played two seasons as a fullback/linebacker with the Los Angeles Cobras (1988) and Maryland Commandos (1989) before a wrist injury that required three surgeries ended his career. During his playing days, Arbet lined up against former Philadelphia head coach Michael Trigg, who was a quarterback with the Detroit Drive, and Georgia Force offensive coordinator Steve Thonn, who played WR/DB with the Chicago Bruisers.

Los Angeles - Ed Hodgkiss, 6th season

43-35 (.551) reg. season; 43-39 (.524) overall

4-6 (.400) career vs. San Jose

4-6 (.400) career vs. Darren Arbet

Now in his sixth season as head coach of the Avengers, Hodgkiss has compiled a regular season record of 43-35 and advanced to the AFL Playoffs in four of his previous five seasons as head coach. In 2005, Hodgkiss led the Avengers to their first Western Division title posting a 10-6 record and his 19 wins in his first two seasons were the most of any coach at the time. In 2003, the Avengers won a franchise-best 11 games and earned a first-round playoff bye. Hodgkiss was runner-up for the 2003 and 2005 AFL "Coach of the Year" award. He became the head coach of the Avengers on Oct. 5, 2001, and in his first season as a head coach at any level, he instantly established the Avenger offense as one of the most feared in the AFL, scoring an average of 52.2 points per game. Prior to joining the Avengers, he was the Indiana Firebirds' offensive coordinator for three seasons (1999-2001) and was part of an ArenaBowl championship in 1999.

CHASING 100 - San Jose head coach Darren Arbet is on the verge of his 100th career win and currently ranks 5th all-time in coaching victories. In just eight seasons, Arbet has amassed 93 career wins, an average of nearly 12 per season, and has directed San Jose to double-digit regular season win totals in six of his eight campaigns at the helm.

CAREER COACHING RECORDS

Rk. Coach (Year) Team Record

1. Tim Marcum (19th) Tampa Bay 181-77

2. Danny White (15th) Utah 148-75

3. Mike Hohensee (14th) Chicago 106-94

4. Mike Dailey (11th) Colorado 99-64

5. Darren Arbet (9th) San Jose 93-42

ROSTER MOVES: The SaberCats reduced their roster and got under the league maximum by making a variety of moves. The team traded DB Rufus Brown to New York and OL Kyle Rasmussen to Grand Rapids for future considerations while releasing nine players from the training camp roster. The team signed veteran lineman Chuck Reed and immediately placed him on RTR.

TRAINING CAMP ROSTER MOVES

Date Action

Feb. 4 Signed DL Garrett McIntyre and DL Tim Martin. Placed OL Michael 'Mookie' Moore, WR James Roe and OL Rex Richards on Refused to Report.

Feb. 8 Signed OL Patrick Afif and DB Brandon Smith.

Feb. 12 Activated DB Omarr Smith from IR. Activated WR James Roe from Refused to Report. Placed FB Brian Johnson on IR.

Feb. 14 Signed DB Reynard Carrie and OL Troy Reddick. Placed FB Matt Kinsinger and DL Chris Solomona on IR. Re-signed DB Omarr Smith

Feb. 21 Placed WR/LB Adam Herzing on Refused to Report.

Feb. 23 Placed DL Jeff Littlejohn, DL Tim Martin and DB Brandon Smith on IR. Traded OL Kyle Rasmussen to Grand Rapids for future considerations. Re-signed WR/DB Marquis Floyd, LB Phil Glover and DB Clevan Thomas.

Feb. 24 Signed OL Chuck Reed. Traded DB Rufus Brown to New York for future considerations. Placed OL William Obeng, OL Troy Reddick, QB Scott Rislov, WR Cleannord Saintil and FB Shawn Willis on IR. Activated FB Matt Kinsinger from IR. Released-Exempt WR Burl Toler. Waived-injured DB Reynard Carrie, Tyler Moore and DL Chris Solomona. Waived DL Barrett Allen, LB Daniel Garay, WR Rufus Skillern and DL Ron Warner.

Feb. 26 Placed OL Chuck Reed on Refused to Report.

2006 SEASON REVIEW:

It's not how you start; it's how you finish, as the saying goes. For the 2006 SaberCats that couldn't have been truer. Sitting at 3-6 and tied for the worst record in the American Conference after nine weeks of play, the SaberCats did the unimaginable. They ran the table, won the Western Division title for the sixth time in franchise history and first since 2003, and ended with the second-best record in the Conference and a 7th consecutive playoff berth. Entering the season with high expectations, the SaberCats saw those dashed with a home opening loss to the expansion Utah Blaze. Not only did San Jose lose its home opener for the first time since 1998, also lost was James Roe, who sustained a concussion on the team's first offensive drive after catching a scoring pass. OS Rodney Wright also injured his toe and left the game early in the first quarter leaving San Jose short-handed in its 48-35 loss. The SaberCats then embarked on a record five-game road trip. They lost at Las Vegas on Feb. 6, dropping to 0-2 for the first time since Darren Arbet became head coach. San Jose got its first win of the year at division rival Arizona in Week 3, but consecutive defeats at Grand Rapids and in overtime at Chicago saw the team floundering with a 1-4 record, its worst five-game start ever. The road trip ended and the bleeding stopped - temporarily - with a win at Utah in Week 6 and the SaberCats returned home to play seven of their last 10 games in HP Pavilion. San Jose suffered a 75-61 loss to Los Angeles at home in Week 7, but a talented rookie emerged to supply a dynamic option to QB Mark Grieb and the team's offense. Ben Nelson, in just his 2nd AFL start, had 11 catches for 168 yards and a pair of scores, and teamed with James Roe, who returned to the lineup in Week 4, to provide a potent receiving duo. Also in that game the legendary Barry Wagner passed Hunkie Cooper as the league's career leader in all-purpose yardage, adding yet another record to his resume. Staring a 2-6 record straight in the face, the SaberCats dug deep in a Week 8 win over Georgia. Mark Grieb and James Roe hooked up on a scoring pass and 2-point conversion with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game to forge a 49-all tie and force OT. San Jose denied Georgia on its 2-point conversion when the Force went for the win after pulling within a point in the extra session. The momentum of a thrilling OT win a week earlier would not carry over and the SaberCats dropped a 51-48 decision at Nashville in Week 9 to drop to 3-6. The streak began with another win over Arizona in Week 10. Grieb threw for 361 yards and tied a team game record with nine TD passes in a 61-49 win. Despite their 4-6 record the SaberCats trailed the division-leading Rattlers by just one game after the win. A trip to Tampa saw the SaberCats win consecutive games for the first time all season and they did it without the help of a TD pass. San Jose tied a league and team record by scoring six rushing TDs and DS Omarr Smith supplied the go-ahead points by returning an interception 16-yards for a score late in the fourth quarter in a 52-43 win. For the first time in his career as San Jose's starting QB, Mark Grieb did not throw a scoring pass. San Jose reached the .500 mark in a 69-59 Week 12 win over Las Vegas. Grieb threw for 388 yards and eight TDs, but it was another fourth quarter defensive score that proved noteworthy. Lineman Rex Richards recovered a fumble in the endzone following a sack by Joe Jacobs, and San Jose had a 10-point lead that the Gladiators could not overcome. The 3-game win streak appeared to be in jeopardy against Austin in Week 13. In the first ever meeting between the teams, the Wranglers built a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and led by 22 points twice during the first half. The SaberCats would overcome the deficit to post the largest come-from-behind win in a regulation game in team history. A key fourth quarter special teams play helped in the rally. Following a TD that cut the deficit to 3 points, Barry Wagner stripped the ball from Sedrick Robinson, who had already returned two kickoffs for scores, on the kickoff and Wes Stephens recovered in the endzone giving San Jose its first lead of the game. It took Grieb's 500th career TD pass, however, to pull out the win. His 5-yard strike to Roe in the corner of the endzone with 17 seconds left lifted San Jose to its 4th straight win. After a 53-36 win in Los Angeles that saw Arbet post his 90th career victory, the SaberCats faced the defending ArenaBowl champion Colorado Crush in a Week 15 battle. Two touchdowns in the final 30 seconds of the first half propelled the SaberCats to a 61-56 win. Charles Pauley went 57-yards for the team's first kickoff return TD of the year with 37 seconds left and Omarr Smith returned an interception 42 yards with no time left to give San Jose a lead it would not relinquish. Despite 371 passing yards from former SaberCat John Dutton, San Jose was able to pull out the victory in a contest that featured the past two ArenaBowl champions. San Jose concluded the season with yet another dramatic victory. Columbus built a 41-26 lead late in the first half, but the SaberCats used a 35-3 second half scoring run to win their 7th straight game and deny the Destroyers a playoff berth. Grieb broke his own league record for passing yards in a season throwing for 302 in the game giving him 4,841 on the year breaking his 2005 record of 4,796. Grieb also led the AFL with eight 300-yard passing games and the SaberCats amassed a league record 5,066 yards of total offense on the year, the first team in AFL history to eclipse the 5,000 level. FB/LB Phil Glover set a team record with 55 rush attempts and led the league with 15 rush TDs. He also placed sixth in the AFL with 156 yards. The team's receiving duo of Roe and Nelson each matched the team record with seven 100-yard receiving games and Nelson became the second rookie in league history to record over 1,400 yards, falling six yards shy of the rookie with a season total of 1,405. San Jose's remarkable run also gave the team double-digit regular season win totals in six of the last seven seasons.

PLAYOFFS - The SaberCats enjoyed a first round bye in the postseason after claiming the division title and hosted arch-rival Arizona in a Divisional Playoff game. Behind 320 passing yards and 8 TD strikes from Mark Grieb the SaberCats overcame an early 20-7 deficit and defeated the Rattlers for the third time in 2006. Rookie Ben Nelson tied an AFL postseason record with 6 TD receptions and totaled 12 for 202 yards in the win advancing San Jose to the American Conference Championship game against Chicago. Beset by injuries to four different players during the game, the SaberCats were unable to overcome being shorthanded and dropped a 59-56 decision to the Rush. San Jose was playing in its sixth semifinal game in the past seven seasons and used a strong performance by Mark Grieb, who threw for 314 yards and five TDs while adding another on a 10-yard scamper, to stay close until the clock expired.

2006 SEASON RESULTS

Date Opponent Result Score Rec.

Jan. 28 UTAH Lost 35-48 0-1

Feb. 6 @Las Vegas Lost 48-51 0-2

Feb. 12 @Arizona Won 58-50 1-2

Feb. 19 @Grand Rapids Lost 52-66 1-3

Feb. 26 @Chicago Lost ot 48-54 1-4

Mar. 4 @Utah Won 65-50 2-4

Mar. 12 LOS ANGELES Lost 61-75 2-5

Mar. 17 GEORGIA Won ot 56-55 3-5

Mar. 25 @Nashville Lost 48-51 3-6

Apr. 2 ARIZONA Won 61-49 4-6

Apr. 7 @Tampa Bay Won 52-43 5-6

Apr. 14 LAS VEGAS Won 69-59 6-6

Apr. 22 AUSTIN Won 63-59 7-6

Apr. 29 @Los Angeles Won 53-36 8-6

May 6 COLORADO Won 61-56 9-6

May 13 COLUMBUS Won 68-47 10-6

Playoffs

May 27 ARIZONA Won 62-48 11-6

Jun. 3 CHICAGO Lost 56-59 11-7

THE NEW AFL:

This past offseason the AFL adopted a new 'free' substitution rule that will diminish the need for players to play both offense and defense. During the first 20 years of the league if a player who didn't start a quarter was subbed out of the game, he was done for the remainder of the quarter. These rules made it necessary for certain players to be adept at playing on both sides of the ball. The new rule allows for unlimited subs, therefore more specialized players. However, with only 20 players allowed to dress for a game, the 'Ironman' aspect will remain a part of Arena Football, just to a smaller extent.

NEW RULE II - Another change to the AFL game, as fans used to know it, will be the elimination of coaches from the field. This could pose a problem when playing in an arena where the team benches are located in the corners, Utah comes to mind. With no preseason games to test the new rules, it will be up to each team and coaching staff to adjust. The teams that make the adjustments quickest will probably have an edge at the beginning of the season.

TRENDS:

OPENERS - The SaberCats have been a streaky team when it comes to season openers. After dropping their first four, the team posted six straight opening night wins (1999-2004) prior to losing their last two. Overall the SaberCats are 6-6 in season openers and 6-2 under head coach Darren Arbet.

ON THE ROAD - The SaberCats will be playing their 6th season opening road game on Sunday and they own a 3-2 record in the previous five. San Jose last opened on the road to start the 2005 campaign and suffered a 63-33 defeat at Tampa Bay on Jan. 30, the third-worst loss in team history.

HOW THE WEST IS WON - The only Western Division title won by the Avengers came in 2005, when they finished one game better than the SaberCats. That season LA won both games from San Jose, including a dramatic 71-69 win in STAPLES Center on Feb. 20. It was the only time the Avengers swept a season series from the SaberCats and just the 6th time San Jose lost twice to the same team during the regular season.

YOUNG AND RESTLESS - The SaberCats will be a much younger team in 2007. Nine of the 22 players on the active roster were born in 1980 or later, putting them at 26 or younger. The average age of the 22 players is just over 27 years with rookie DL Garrett McIntyre being the youngest at just 22 years of age. At 35, veteran QB Craig Whelihan is the elder statesman and one of five players over 30. Whelihan will turn 36 on April 15.

ONCE BEFORE - The SaberCats are 1-0 against the Avengers when playing Los Angeles in the regular season opener. The last time the two teams met to kickoff the AFL season was April 14, 2001 in San Jose where the SaberCats outscored the Avengers 31-3 in the first half to come away with a 52-30 victory. When opening the season against a Western Division opponent, the SaberCats hold a steady 3-3 record. In the first two years of the franchise's existence, San Jose dropped consecutive opening day games to the Arizona Rattlers (37-43, OT) and the Anaheim Piranhas (18-40). The SaberCats rebounded nicely winning the next three openers against Western foes including two against Arizona. The most recent matchup came against the newly expanded Utah Blaze in 2006, where San Jose lost at home 35-48.

GRIEB AGAIN - Now in his 10th AFL season and ninth with San Jose, QB Mark Grieb is once again the starter. Grieb has started every game for San Jose since the start of the 2003 season, a total of 64 regular season games and 72 games overall, and is the SaberCats career leader in games played at 111. Over the last four seasons Grieb has thrown over 98 percent of the team's passes during the regular season (2,087 of 2,119).

SLOW STARTS - The SaberCats will try to avoid a trend that has hampered them over the past two seasons. The team has lost it last two season opening games and has gotten off to a 1-3 start after four games in each.

MARCH TO A TITLE - The month of March has been good to the SaberCats, or the SaberCats have been good in the month of March. Since the AFL moved the start of the season in 2003, the SaberCats have gone 14-3 (.823) in games played in March and they are 5-2 on the road. Sunday's opener will be the first in the month of March.

STARTERS - Mark Grieb has made 97 starts during his regular season career as San Jose's QB and owns a record of 71-26 (.732) in those games. He has started every game the team has played in the month of March with a 14-3 record and is 8-4 in starts against Los Angeles. On the road he has a 28-19 overall record, 5-2 in March and 4-2 against the Avengers.

NOTES:

ROSTER BREAKDOWN - San Jose's 22-man active roster consists of six rookies and six players with just one year of AFL experience. However, veterans James Roe, Omarr Smith, Clevan Thomas, George Williams, Dan Loney, Matt Kinsinger and Mark Grieb all have five or more years of AFL experience.

QB (2) - Mark Grieb, Craig Whelihan

WR (3) - James Roe, Ben Nelson, Jason Geathers

FB/LB (3) - Phil Glover, Matt Kinsinger, Steve Watson

WR/DB (2) - Marquis Floyd, Rodney Wright

DB (3) - Omarr Smith, Clevan Thomas, Trestin George

DL (4) - George Williams, Ronald Jones, Garrett McIntyre, Alan Harper

OL (4) - Todd Williams, Dan Loney, Patrick Afif, Julius Gant

K (1) - A.J. Haglund

WHAT'S MY LINE - The 2007 SaberCats will have a new look, especially along the offensive and defensive lines. Of the eight linemen on the active roster, only Dan Loney saw significant playing time in 2006. Loney, the team's starting center, played in 14 games last season and has played in 61 games during his 5-year career. OLs Patrick Afif and Todd Williams and DL Garrett McIntyre are all entering their rookie seasons, while DL Ron Jones will be playing his first full AFL season. Veteran George Williams, who recovered from a knee injury sustained last season against Los Angeles, played in 4 games, Julius Gant played in 8 and Alan Harper saw action in a pair of games last season.

TITLE TOWN - San Jose won its 6th Western Division title, and first since 2003, last year and now has the most division crowns of any team since the league went to a 4-division format in 1995. Arizona, Tampa Bay and the defunct Albany Firebirds each have five division championships to their credit. The Avengers became the only Western Division team other than San Jose or Arizona to capture a title when they did it in 2005.

ON THE MARK - QB Mark Grieb threw for an AFL record 4,841 yards in 2006, bettering his 2005 league record of 4,796, and has thrown for more yards over the past four seasons than any QB in the league. For his career Grieb has thrown for 27,624 yards and needs just 2,376 to reach the illustrious 30,000 level.

MOST PASS YARDS, LAST 4 AFL SEASONS

Rank Player Pass Yards

1. Mark Grieb, San Jose 17,714

2. Clint Dolezel, Dallas 17,062

3. John Dutton, Colorado 16,753

4. Andy Kelly, New Orleans 16,064

5. John Kaleo, Tampa Bay 15,910

WINNING TRADITION - Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats have owned the best regular season record of any AFL team. San Jose has won 77 games over that span while no other team has cracked the 70-win barrier. San Jose has won 10-or-more games during the regular season six times during the last seven seasons, missing the 10-win plateau by a single game in 2005 when the team went 9-7.

TEAM RECORDS SINCE 2000 SEASON

Team Record Pct

San Jose SaberCats 77-29 .726

Orlando Predators 68-38 .642

Arizona Rattlers 67-39 .632

Tampa Bay Storm 62-44 .585

Iowa/New York Dragons 57-49 .538

Los Angeles Avengers 51-55 .481

New Jersey/Las Vegas Gladiators 44-62 .415

Grand Rapids Rampage 43-63 .406

Buffalo/Columbus Destroyers 38-68 .358

PICKERS - DBs Clevan Thomas and Omarr Smith will both start in the secondary on opening night for the first time since the 2004 season. The two played in just 4 games together that year before Thomas sustained a season-ending knee injury. The following year, Smith was shelved with a knee injury after 3 games and opened the 2006 campaign on IR. Now both are healthy and looking to return to seasons past. Thomas was the 2002 and 2003 AFL Defensive Player of the Year while Smith was an All-Arena pick in both 2003 and 2004. Thomas is the SaberCats career leader with 32 interceptions and is tied for 13th place with Dameon Porter on the AFL chart. With 19 picks as a SaberCat, Smith is tied for 3rd on the team's chart and ranks 20th in the AFL with 27 for his career.

DYNAMIC DUO - The SaberCats' wide receiving core of James Roe and Ben Nelson helped San Jose capture its sixth Western Division title in 2006. Nelson emerged as the top rookie in the league after posting 94 receptions, 1,405 yards and 26 TDs, and was named the AFL's 2006 Rookie of the Year. Roe pieced together another all-star season, reeling in 113 catches for 1,310 yards and 31 TDs. Together, this lethal combination ranked sixth in the league among top receiving tandems in both receiving yards (2,715) and TD receptions (57). Colorado's Damian Harrell and Andy McCullough were the top duo with 3,013 yards and 74 TDs combined.

AGAINST THE AVENGERS - QB Mark Grieb has played in 13 of the 14 series games against Los Angeles and has started 12 times, including the last 10. He owns an 8-4 record in those games and has thrown for 3,508 yards and 65 TDs on 267-of-411 passing (65%). In 2 games against LA last year, Rookie of the Year Ben Nelson had 18 catches for 255 yards and 3 TDs. San Jose's leading receiver from a season ago, James Roe, has 87 career receptions for 1,077 yards and 24 TDs in 13 games against LA.

WHAT'S AHEAD: It's a short week for San Jose as the team will travel to Chicago to take on the defending champion Rush on Friday, March 9. FSN+ will televise the game back to the Bay Area with the team's flagship radio station KNBR 1050 broadcasting the game from Allstate Arena. The SaberCats will have their bye the following week (Mar. 17-18) before ending their 3-game season opening road trip in Atlanta for a game with the Force on Mar. 24.

LOS ANGELES PLAYERS TO WATCH

QB SONNY CUMBIE - Begins his second season in the AFL after posting impressive numbers with L.A. last year which earned him a spot on the 2006 All-Rookie Team. The former Texas Tech standout emerged as the starting QB in Week 5 and went on to complete 268-of-450 passes for 3,241 yards with 59 TDs and 10 INTs. In his first game against San Jose, Cumbie demolished the SaberCats' defense by tossing 6 TDs with 348 yards passing and no INTs in an Avengers 75-61 win. Cooling off a bit in his second meeting against San Jose, Cumbie only managed to throw 4 TDs for 278 yards and was picked off twice in a 53-36 SaberCats win.

K REMY HAMILTON - Enters his 10th season in the AFL and has established himself as one of the elite kickers in the game after winning consecutive Kicker of the Year awards in '05 and '06. Hamilton led the league in kick scoring, PAT and FG percentage last year with 173 points converting on 92 of 98 (93.9%) PATs and 27 of 36 (75%) FGs. In two games against San Jose last season, Hamilton connected on his only two FG attempts (19, 25) and converted 12-of-13 PATs. In 12 career games against the SaberCats, the veteran kicker has made 70-of-81 (86.4%) PATs and 21-of-30 FGs (70%), including five of 40+ yards.

WR/DB KEVIN INGRAM - The 2005 Ironman of the Year is one of the top two-way players in the league. Ingram led the Avengers in receiving with 111 catches for 1,354 yards and 32 TDs and also had a team high five INTs in 2006. He became the 3rd San Jose opponent to intercept 3 passes in a game on May 7, 2005 with his third pick being returned for a TD securing Los Angeles' 54-42 win. Ingram has played in 9 games against San Jose in his career catching 33 passes for 351 yards and 8 TDs with 4 interceptions on defense.

THE SABERCATS RECORD WHEN...:

Scoring Allowing

'07 All-Time '07 All-Time

0 - 9 points 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

10-19 points 0-0 0-1 0-0 3-0

20-29 points 0-0 0-7 0-0 17-1

30-39 points 0-0 8-16 0-0 27-5

40-49 points 0-0 18-18 0-0 30-14

50-59 points 0-0 37-13 0-0 26-24

60-69 points 0-0 27-6 0-0 4-13

70-79 points 0-0 15-1 0-0 5-5

80+ points 0-0 7-0 0-0 0-0

2007 All-time

Games decided

by 7 or fewer points 0-0 36-32

by 3 or fewer points 0-0 15-20

Leading after the 1st 0-0 68-19

Trailing after the 1st 0-0 24-30

Tied after the 1st 0-0 20-13

Leading at Half 0-0 82-17

Trailing at Half 0-0 26-40

Tied at Half 0-0 4-5

Leading after the 3rd 0-0 89-12

Trailing after the 3rd 0-0 19-46

Tied after the 3rd 0-0 4-4

Scoring First 0-0 65-31

Opp. Score First 0-0 47-31

More Total Offense 0-0 79-34

Less Total Offense 0-0 33-28

More Pass Yards 0-0 69-35

Less Pass Yards 0-0 43-26

Equal Pass Yards 0-0 0-1

More Rushing Yards 0-0 95-28

Less Rushing Yards 0-0 16-31

Equal Rushing Yards 0-0 1-3

Thursday games 0-0 4-1

Friday games 0-0 32-18

Saturday games 0-0 57-24

Sunday games 0-0 17-17

Monday games 0-0 2-2

vs. Western Division 0-0 41-26

vs. Central Division 0-0 28-16

vs. Southern Division 0-0 24-10

vs. Eastern Division 0-0 19-10

Winning coin toss 0-0

Losing coin toss 0-0

Outscoring Opponent 0-0 112-0

Being Outscored 0-0 0-62

Records are for regular season games.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 27, 2007


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