VooDoo Squander 23-Point Lead in Loss at Sharks
May 5, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release
JACKSONVILLE - The Jacksonville Sharks overcame what was once a 23-point deficit with big special teams and defensive plays, while holding off a final stab from the New Orleans VooDoo for a 41-37 win in front of an attendance of 9,064.
New Orleans quarterback, Kurt Rocco was sacked on 4th and 8 with 8:14 left spurring the Sharks' to their first lead since the late stages of the first quarter after Jamarko Simmons plunged in from 1 yard out with 4:23 left to put the Sharks on top 41-37.
With one final chance, the Voodoo drove down to the Jacksonville 15-yard line where they faced a 4th and 6. Rocco tried to float a pass to L.J. Castille, but it fell incomplete. The Sharks took over on downs, and were able to run the clock out from there to preserve the win and move to 3-4 on the season. Jacksonville also gathered their first home victory of the season. New Orleans with the devastating loss fell to 3-4 on the year.
"It's just really disappointing. It's a shame. We really played well in the first half, but you have to play four quarters and we didn't play four quarters," said VooDoo head coach, Pat O'Hara.
Trailing 37-14, he Sharks finally ended a near 29-minute scoring drought with 4:08 left in the third quarter, and started their rally as they cut the VooDoo lead to 37-21. After being held off the scoreboard for the entire 2nd quarter, Morris engineered a drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Morris to Smith. Needing to wrestle some momentum back, kicker, Marco Capozzoli executed a perfect onside kick giving time for Smith to get to the ball and wrestle it away from Alvin Ray Jackson.
Jacksonville cashed in on the extra possession with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Morris to Simmons. It was challenged by Coach Pat O'Hara as to whether or not Simmons fumbled before crossing the goal line as the ball came out close to when Simmons crossed the plane, but review upheld the initial ruling. The Sharks tried to go for two, trailing 37-27 with the thought process of trying to make it a one possession game. After getting the ball at the 1 when the first try was canceled out by an offside penalty on the Voodoo, the second try resulted in a failed attempt on a toss to Jason Holman.
Finally getting the ball back, Rocco tried to escape the pocket, but he lost the ball in his own end zone. Sharks' defensive lineman, Scooter Berry fell on it for a touchdown and cut what was once a 23-point Voodoo lead down to 37-34 with 12:33 remaining in the game.
The Sharks opened the scoring on a 6-play 45-yard drive. After quarterback, Omar Jacobs showed a quick release on the first three passes which all worked for completions, the Voodoo defense responded by forcing a pair of incomplete passes to bring up a 3rd and 10 from the New Orleans 19. However, Jacobs with time in the pocket stepped up and went over the top to a wide open Terrance Smith.
New Orleans got on the board in response after an eventful first drive that included Castille recovering a fumble after Rocco tucked the ball in and ran. With a 4th and 7 from the Jacksonville 11, Rocco showed the patience by buying time in the pocket with his feet, and finding Quorey Payne for an 11-yard touchdown. The extra point was good tying the game at 7-7.
Jacksonville jumped back on top thanks to a 3rd and 9 conversion and another pass play where Jacobs was able to stretch the Voodoo secondary running down the field. Jacobs aired one out for Bobby Sewall, and during the process, Jeremy Kellem stumbled trying to keep up. Sewall made a juggling catch at the Voodoo two-yard line, and Simmons ran it in for a touchdown on the next play to put Jacksonville back on top 14-7.
Before the first quarter clock expired, Rocco found gold on fourth down again, but this time from his own end of the field. On 4th and 4 from their own 11, Rocco checked down as Payne adjusted the route and found the soft spot in the Sharks defense. Payne made the catch around mid-field then showed great athletic ability by cutting back and making two defenders miss en route to his second touchdown of the night. The extra point was tacked on after the clock expired to tie the game at 14-14.
The 2nd quarter saw the traveling Voodoo gain some separation as they blanked the Sharks in the frame by pouncing on their mistakes. In a game that saw scores on every drive in the first quarter, the first mistake happened to the home standing Sharks with 9:42 remaining in the half. After the Sharks got a first down off a defensive holding penalty, Jacobs floated a pass into the end zone on 2nd and goal from the 3 that was snatched easily by Jorrick Calvin, his third interception of the year. The Voodoo parlayed that pick into their first lead of the game as again on a fourth down, Rocco hooked up with Payne from 10 yards out to move the Voodoo ahead 21-14.
New Orleans was set up with golden field position after their defense forced a turnover on downs by sacking Jacobs on 3rd and fourth down. Marlon Favorite got his first of the year by getting a great push up the middle on 3rd down, and Brian Johnston followed it up by coming in on a rush and taking advantage of busted protection to set the Voodoo up just two yards away from the end zone.
Said Favorite about the sack, his first of the season, "Got the sack out the way. That's collectively all of us working together to bring pressure up the middle."
The VooDoo though failed to punch it in as their possession fell apart. A false start penalty and a sack forced a 3two-yard field goal. However, Matt Denny was up to the task, knocking it through with 23 seconds remaining in the half to push the VooDoo lead to 24-14 as both teams entered the locker room.
It was a much improved defensive effort from Pat O'Hara's Voodoo, which was led by the "It's good to see that, and getting that pressure and getting to the quarterback." O'Hara noted a need for improvement though on the offensive side of the ball by needing to be more efficient on early downs.
The VooDoo opened the third quarter with an opportunity to execute O'Hara's wishes as they got the ball after they won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half. Payne recovered his own fumble on the kick-off, and after that, Rocco marched the Voodoo down 38 yards, and converting this time on 3rd down. Rocco floated a pass down the right sideline that was hauled in by Castille who took it in for a touchdown.
New Orleans got their second interception of the game off the second quarterback the Sharks threw into the contest. Bernard Morris tried the quick hitch that worked for Jacobs early in the game, but Demarcus Robinson read the play beautifully and picked it off, returning it to the house. The Voodoo had the throttle down, as they extended their lead to 37-14 after Denny missed his first extra point of the night.
After building up that lead, the onside kick which was recovered shifted the momentum back to the Sharks. In response, the VooDoo offense was kept off the field for a long stretch between the end of the third quarter and the start of the final quarter, and they started to show signs of rust with three fumbles (one lost) in the final stanza. Simply put, it was a bitter defeat snatched from the jaws of what was an impressive performance by the Voodoo for nearly three quarters of play.
I'm not sure why being off the field for a while slowed us down offensively. It's not an excuse. You got to be able to execute, and we didn't execute," said O'Hara of his team's sluggish offensive performance down the stretch.
Next week is a long road trip for the Voodoo against Spokane. O'Hara's message moving forward will be clear. As tough as this loss, it has to be put out of mind.
"It's got to be a short memory with a short week and a long trip," said O'Hara. "We have to get back to work and re-group"
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