Arena Football on the NFL Network: Jacksonville at Chicago
By SCOTT COOLEY
The NFL Network will showcase the third and fourth-ranked teams from the AFL Coaches’ Poll in this Friday’s Game of the Week.
The Rush (6-2 SU, 4-4 ATS) come into this matchup on a two-game winning streak after squeaking out a victory in Cleveland last Saturday. Chicago’s Chris Martin returned a kickoff 57 yards with 14 seconds left which proved to be the game-winning touchdown.
Jacksonville (6-2 SU, 4-4 ATS) was humbled in Spokane last week as the Shock hung 67 points on the team’s league-leading defense, never failing to score a touchdown after the opening drive. The Sharks are led by one of the most prolific signal-callers to ever step on the indoor turf in Aaron Garcia.
Up in the air
Jacksonville could be road weary heading into this game.
The team made the longest road trip of any squad this season last weekend, traveling 2,243 miles to Washington State.
The Sharks flew home from that game Sunday, had an off-day Monday, practiced Tuesday and Wednesday and then hopped on a flight Thursday morning to Chicago – a 1,000-mile trek.
Jacksonville will hold an evening practice in Chicago Thursday night and then have a walk-through in preparation for the game at Allstate Arena Friday morning.
Mt. Rush-more
Chicago started the season 4-0, dropped two straight decisions and now has won two games, but head coach Mike Hohensee doesn’t believe this team has reached its peak.
“I really don’t think we’ve played our best game yet, our best football is ahead of us,” he said. “We’re very young in a lot of areas and still growing as far as a team goes.”
Hohensee explained that many of the younger players are still learning the nuances of the indoor game. He added that two of the team’s receivers and one offensive lineman had never played arena football before this season, but they come ready to learn and play every day.
“We haven’t had a bad practice yet. The team is great at preparation,” he said.
On the defense
These squads boast the top defensive units in the AFL. Jacksonville holds opponents to an average of 49.4 points per game while the Rush surrender 51.1 points per outing.
Led by linebacker RaJohn Myles (4.0 sacks), the Sharks’ front four has registered 12.0 sacks this season and coach Hohensee understands it will be a challenge for his blockers to keep quarterback Russ Michna upright, but he doesn’t plan on altering any of the schemes.
“We don’t plan on changing what we do,” he stated. “What we do is pretty diverse, you can’t just focus on the downfield pass or even the short pass because we have a tight end and fullback and we give you a lot to think about. So I don’t think we’re going to keep an extra receiver back for protection. They are going to get a rush; it’s just a matter of how we handle it.”
Chicago’s offensive plays totals have been down each of the last two games. Last week, the team recorded 38 plays from scrimmage and the game prior only 43. This tactic could be a discreet way for the Rush to control the clock and rely on its defense.
So with two great defenses and efficient but not desperate offenses, this game could be a much slower-paced affair than most Arena Football shootouts.
Injury report
Chicago’s third-leading receiver Kenny Higgins was inactive for last week’s game after suffering a leg injury in practice. Allen Turner replaced him in the contest and caught five passes for 87 yards and a score. Hohensee said Higgins and a few other players are day-to-day going into Friday.
“We really could be decimated a little bit going into this football game,” he admitted.
Jacksonville placed wideout Sale Key on injured reserve prior to last week’s loss. The team did return Jason Willis from a broken arm to somewhat alleviate Key’s absence and Jeron Harvey rose to the occasion by hauling in three touchdowns.
Sharks defensive back Micheaux Robinson will be a game-time decision with a sprained knee.
Trends, notes and stats
- This is the first meeting ever between Chicago and Jacksonville.
- The Sharks are 2-2 ATS on the road this season.
- Chicago is 2-1 SU but 0-3 ATS at home in 2010.
- The Rush hold a 49-20 all-time record at Allstate Arena (including postseason).
- Chicago added defensive lineman Quartez Vickerson in a trade with Oklahoma City this week. Vickerson appeared in four games for OKC this season, recording six tackles and 2.0 sacks.
- Jacksonville ranks 11th in the AFL in scoring (53.6 ppg) while the Rush rank seventh (55.8 ppg).
- The Sharks lead the league in third down conversion rating at 57.1 percent.