San Jose SaberCats vs Portland Thunder Game Preview
Published on July 15, 2015 under Arena Football League (AFL)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
San Jose SaberCats in Action
(San Jose SaberCats)
(SAN JOSE) - The San Jose SaberCats (14-1) will host the Portland Thunder (4-10) on Saturday, July 18th at the SAP Center. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm PDT and the game can be found on sanjosesabercats.tv and 1220AM KDOW.
The Pacific Division rivals will meet for the third and final regular season matchup and second in San Jose. In each of the first two games, the SaberCats defeated the Thunder by a margin of 19 points.
Returning from the league's bye week, the SaberCats defeated the New Orleans VooDoo, 56-35. San Jose was led by eight total touchdowns from quarterback Erik Meyer and four touchdowns from receiver Reggie Gray. Meyer is ranked fourth in the Arena Football League with 75 touchdowns, while only throwing six interceptions. The efficient passing from Meyer has led San Jose to an average of 59.3 points per game, tops in the AFL.
Meanwhile, Gray leads the AFL with 37 receiving touchdowns (40 total) as well as receptions (133). "Big Play" is only two receptions away from breaking Rodney Wright's franchise record of 134 receptions in a single season set in 2008. Gray is also four touchdowns away from breaking James Roe's franchise record of 40 touchdowns in a season, set in 2007, the last year the SaberCats won the ArenaBowl.
While the offensive attack from the SaberCats has been tremendous, the defense has been just as dominant. Surrendering only 36.4 points per game, the bend but don't break mentality of the San Jose defense has provided a plus-22 turnover margin and has forced opponents to an astounding 25-percent fourth down conversion rate. This combination has provided the offense with the necessary field position and opportunities to capitalize.
With 40 sacks on the season, San Jose has 12 more than the next team, the Arizona Rattlers (28). Up front, the SaberCats are led by the tandem of Jason Stewart and Francis Maka. Entering his seventh year in the AFL and fourth with San Jose, Stewart, the reigning AFL Defensive Player of the Year, had two sacks against the VooDoo last week, brining his season total to 10, ranking him third in the AFL.
Maka is in his fifth season with the SaberCats, where he has been named to the All-Arena team three times, is second in the league with 10.5 sacks and is one shy of his career high of 11.5 sacks, set in 2013. The ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks has been a catalyst for the SaberCats, who also rank first in the AFL with 28 interceptions.
Against the VooDoo, defensive back Ken Fontenette had a record-breaking performance that saw him break a 2015 AFL Hall of Fame inductees' record. Fontenette had 17.5 total tackles, setting a team-high this season and broke Omarr Smith's franchise record for most tackles in a season (114). Leading the AFL with 121.5 total tackles, he has also added 10 interceptions and 25 pass breakups, both ranking second in the league.
Not to be overlooked, fellow defensive back Fredrick Obi had a stellar performance as well. Last week, the rookie had 11 tackles, two tackles for a loss, forced a fumble and grabbed his fourth interception in four games. With veteran Clevan Thomas second on the team with five interceptions, the SaberCats' secondary has been able to nullify the offensive attack from their opponents.
Last week, Portland rode a 26-point fourth quarter in order to defeat the Jacksonville Sharks and remain in the playoff mix. Led by seven total touchdowns from quarterback Kyle Rowley, the Thunder capitalized on three Jacksonville turnovers. Rowley reached the 50 passing touchdowns mark in a season for the fourth time in his AFL career and will look to build on the success from last week.
Defensively, Portland is led up front by the duo of Marquis Jackson and K.C. Obi. Jackson leads the team with 6.5 sacks and is second with 10 pass breakups, while Obi has added 4.5 sacks. The Thunder is also among the best in the league in holding opponents to a 43.3-percent conversion on fourth down.
In his second season with the Thunder, Bryce Peila has continued his success from his rookie season in 2014. Last year, Peila earned Second Team All-Arena honors at his linebacker spot, with 64.5 total tackles and eight interceptions. Through 14 games this season, the Western Oregon University product has amassed 46 total tackles, two interceptions and six pass breakups.
The SaberCats possess a 1.5 game lead over the Arizona Rattlers for the top seed in the National Conference, while the Thunder are currently tied with the Spokane Shock for the final playoff spot in the conference. With four weeks remaining in the regular season, this matchup could sway the playoff outlook down the stretch.
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 San Jose SaberCats in Action |
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