Week 1...write up

Friday New Orleans (0-0) at Los Angeles (0-0) These two teams may be going in opposite directions in 2008. Los Angeles appears to be poised to at least challenge defending AFL champ San Jose in the Western Division, while New Orleans appears to be a team in transition and it will struggle to get out of the basement in the competitive Southern Division. The VooDoo have a QB they can count on, Steve Bellisari, but he has limited offensive weapons available and his pass protection is not good enough to give him time to see the whole field. Defensively, they have some good players, but there are no stars and you wonder where the key defensive stops will come from, especially with an offense that may struggle to put up points. The Avengers have a proven QB in Sonny Cumbie and a deep group of receivers, but they must stabilize their pass protection. They have a go-to WR in free agent acquisition Timon Marshall, who also upgrades their special teams as a kick returner. Defensively, they will be excellent up front and their pass rush will be a big problem for New Orleans. Los Angeles will build an early lead and then unleash their defensive line. The VooDoo will not be able to keep pace and the Avengers will win fairly easily. Saturday Tampa Bay (0-0) at Kansas City (0-0) The Storm hope to start 2008 like they played in the second half of the 2007 season, when they won eight of their last nine games, before losing in the playoffs. They may be the deepest team in the league and they have competition at every position. QB Brett Dietz looks like the real deal and he has a lot of weapons at wide receiver. Defensively, they will be solid and stingy. Offensively, they will be a lot more explosive than they were a year ago. Kansas City had an unexpected positive turnaround in 2007, going 10-6 after finishing 3-13 in 2006. However, the Brigade had a lot of turnover on their roster and only 14 players remain from a year ago. Their biggest loss was QB Raymond Philyaw (Cleveland) who is being replaced by a rusty John Fitzgerald. They will be a solid defensive team, which could keep them close in some games, but versus Tampa Bay they don’t have enough guys to matchup to the depth of the Storm’s passing game. Plus, the Brigade will not be able to score a lot of points versus a Tampa Bay defense that doesn’t dazzle you statistically, but plays smart. The Storm doesn’t lose games like this. Orlando (0-0) at Philadelphia (0-0) These are two proud franchises and they know each other well, but they may be going in slightly opposite directions. Orlando is not a real high-scoring team and it usually relies on its defense to keep the game close. The Predators have brought in several veteran players with good AFL production, but it remains to be seen they can gel for one more run. They need a bigger year out of QB Shane Stafford and he must get better pass protection. Plus, the Predators must figure out a way to replace Greg White’s (NFL) 15 sacks and protect a new secondary. Philadelphia appears to be loaded and it now has a go-to WR, Chris Jackson that the Soul have been looking for. Offensively, they have the best OL in the AFL and they will protect Tony Graziani versus the Predators’ pass rush allowing him to pick apart a secondary that’s still in a period of adjustment. Look for Philadelphia to come out of the gates fast and make a statement versus an Orlando team that will get better, but the Predators won’t be good enough in Week 1 and this one may not be close. Arizona (0-0) at Utah (0-0) This is always a competitive game within the division, but there are additional storylines in this one. The best player in the league a year ago, Utah WR Siaha Burley, is now playing in Arizona, so he gets to face his old team in Week 1. The problem for Burley is figuring out who will throw him the ball. Jeff Smoker and Lang Campbell are competent QBs, but asking them to replace Sherdick Bonner’s production is unrealistic. With questions at QB and in both lines plus a lot of roster turnover, this looks like a team in a rebuilding mode. Utah has worked hard to upgrade in the trenches and especially on defense, where it couldn’t stop anybody a year ago. The Blaze needs to play better defense in 2008 because without Burley they no longer look like an offense that can win by outscoring their opponents. Arizona is too young and too inexperienced to be real competitive early, and while Utah is not great, QB Joe Germaine will be able to attack the Rattlers’ defense and make enough big plays to secure a home win, while Burley may wonder why he left Utah. Sunday Columbus (0-0) at Colorado (0-0) These two teams are hard to get a handle on heading into the 2008 season. Columbus was mediocre during the regular season a year ago, going 7-9, and then the Destroyers got hot in the playoffs and went all the way to the championship game before losing to San Jose. Colorado looked like an elite team at times in 2007, beating some of the best teams, but the Crush also seemed to play down to the level of their competition at times, losing to beatable teams. Colorado still has QB John Dutton, but they are without WR Damien Harrell (Chicago) and their explosiveness will be down, but on defense DB Rashad Floyd will be the anchor and they should be solid. Despite their playoff run, the Destroyers made a lot of offseason changes, but they do have stability at QB with Matt Nagy. The key to their success will be the play of their pass offense and pass defense, but right now neither looks like a dominating unit. Dutton is capable of making bad decisions if Columbus can put pressure on him with its pass rush, but the difference maker in this game should be Floyd, who will key a good defensive effort and bring Colorado a low scoring Week 1 win at home. Monday New York (0-0) at Cleveland (0-0) The AFL makes its debut in Cleveland and there is a lot of excitement about this Gladiators team that was awful when they played in Las Vegas a year ago. They made a great offseason move when they acquired veteran QB Raymond Philyaw from Kansas City and he gives them instant credibility and a good chance for early success. The Gladiators don’t have a lot of overall depth, especially on offense, and their offensive line must improve. Plus, the chemistry of their passing game may take some time to establish, but they should be pretty good on defense with a decent pass rush and an underrated secondary. New York struggled in 2007 and the Dragons were without their best player, QB Aaron Garcia, for 10 games. He is back in 2008, but he doesn’t have a lot of help on either side of the ball, but they have a trio of receivers who have a chance to be pretty good. However, they also have an offensive line that gave up 21 sacks a year ago. In this opener look for Philyaw to exploit the Dragons’ secondary with some big plays while Cleveland’s pass rush will harness Garcia. The Gladiators will win their opener and surprise a lot of people.

Dallas at Georgia, Saturday, ABC, 1 p.m. ET These were two of the best teams in 2007, but both had devastating finishes a year ago and neither realized their championship dreams. Dallas had a magical regular season (15-1), but it was bounced out in the first playoff game and Georgia was expected to be in the championship game, but it was knocked out also. The Desperados are loaded again and they have even added some quality role players and they look like a team that will dominate on a weekly basis. But will they have a 2007 hangover? The Force lost two great receivers, Chris Jackson and Derek Lee, and their explosive offense from a year ago will be challenged to match their production in 2008. This is a matchup between two great AFL QBs, Chris Greisen and Clint Dolezel and two excellent coaching staffs. It should be a very entertaining offensive game. When Dallas has the ball The Desperados are a scoring machine. Dolezel does the best job in the league of reading defenses and finding the matchups that he likes. Georgia has a good veteran defensive line that led the AFL in sacks in 2007 with 29. Dallas has an offensive line that only gave up four sacks a year ago. With all the marquee offensive players in this game, the battle in the trenches could be a huge key. If Dolezel has time to read the DBs he will pick them apart. DB Hamin Milligan is the only real player in the secondary for Georgia, but he doesn't have great players around him. The Force were a middle of the road pass defense with only 13 interceptions, and while they are a good tackling secondary they don't make a lot of big plays when the ball is in the air. Dallas can spread the field and take Georgia deeper in its matchups than it is prepared to go. If the up front pass rush doesn't dominate, this secondary will be vulnerable to good one-on-one matchups for the Desperados. Georgia does play good run defense and that should help the Force in the red zone. Dallas will likely come out very aggressively, trying to score early, often and force Georgia's offense, which is not explosive, to match it score for score. That puts a lot of pressure on the Force's defense to make two or three key defensive stops. When Georgia has the ball This was the No. 1 pass offense in the AFL in 2007, with a league leading 119 touchdowns, but two-thirds of the receiving trio (Jackson and Lee) are gone and that is a lot of production to make up. They are left with Greisen, WR Troy Bergeron and a group of complimentary receivers. This no longer looks like an offense that can win by simply outscoring its opponents. The Force faces a Desperados' defense that was second in the AFL in 2007 in pass defense, fourth in run defense and seventh in scoring defense. They are returning all of their key players from a year ago. Plus, they have even added some veteran role players. That depth allows the Desperados to play any type of defensive philosophy they choose. They also have the ability to make better defensive adjustments than any team in the league. With the new freedom of movement for the Jack linebacker, look for Dallas to change up its looks while trying to confuse Greisen. DB Will Pettis will likely lock up in coverage with Bergeron and he can get help, if he needs it because the other Georgia receivers won't require any type of double coverage. Dallas will also come after Greisen with a versatile pass rush and if Georgia doesn't have excellent pass protection, the Force could be in trouble. It will also be interesting to see how much Georgia misses former offensive coordinator Steve Thonn, who ran the most innovative offense in the league last year. Dallas keys to success 1. Take Bergeron out of the game With Jackson and Lee no longer on the roster, Bergeron is now the go-to guy and much of the passing game production must come from him. Dallas will likely cover him with Pettis, but the Desperados could also roll their coverages and give Pettis some help with another DB or LB. 2. Good pass-protection The Desperados have a good offensive line, but they thought that was an area that they could improve in 2008, even though they only gave up four sacks a year ago. Georgia DEs Ernest Allen and Jermaine Smith are veteran pass rushers (14 combined sacks a year ago), but if Dallas can block them Dolezel will pick Georgia's defense apart. 3. Dominate on special teams Because they are deep at every position, it seems to carry over to the special teams. Pettis is an explosive returner and new free-agent PK Remy Hamilton is one of the most consistent kickers in the league. Georgia struggled on special teams in 2007 and it must not give away points on field position in this phase of the game. Georgia's keys to success 1. Give Bergeron some help The Force coaches no longer have three great targets in the passing game. Now they have one and that puts a lot of pressure on the talented Bergeron. Georgia will look to young Brett Holmes and free-agent Willie Marshall to pick up the slack, but replacing the production of Jackson and Lee is unlikely. 2. Block DL Colston Weatherington He is one of the best edge rushers in the AFL and he beats a lot of offensive linemen with his first-step quickness (10 sacks in 2007). Georgia has a competent offensive line, but Dallas can create pressure from a lot of directions and Weatherington is a tough guy to single block. 3. Early stops against Greisen Georgia doesn't look like the explosive offensive group it was a year ago and it is not likely Georgia will score on every possession. So Georgia must stop Dallas early in this game. Key Matchups 1. Georgia WR Troy Bergeron vs. Dallas DB Will Pettis Pettis is an excellent cover guy and he can get physical with Bergeron. He will use some press techniques and Dallas may even give him some help. Bergeron must stay on the move with motion to avoid the press and he must work hard to separate. 2. Dallas QB Clint Dolezel vs. Georgia DL Earnest Allen and Jermaine Smith If Dolezel has time to throw the football, he can pick any defense apart and he is the best in the league at recognizing matchups. Allen and Smith combined for 14 sacks a year ago and they are savvy veterans. Plus, Georgia has an interesting third pass rusher, R. Kal Truluck, who the Desperados should watch out for. The Dallas OL must do a good job of protecting the edges. 3. Georgia QB Chris Greisen vs. Dallas' secondary This is strength versus strength. Greisen makes great decisions, reads the field well and is coming off a 2007 season where he had a 132.0 QB rating. However, Dallas' secondary is smart, deep and matches up well versus a thin Georgia receiving corps. Greisen must not force the ball versus this group. Prediction A year ago this game would have been advertised as an offensive shootout between two great QBs and innovative passing games. That billing still holds true for Dallas, as it looks like it has another complete and deep offense. But Georgia lost two of its best three receivers in the offseason and its offensive coordinator. That translates into less high-scoring games and it puts pressure on the defense and Greisen to almost be perfect every week. Dallas will try to take Bergeron out of the game and force Greisen to throw to his complimentary receivers. Offensively, the Desperados will come out of the gates fast with early scoring, which will put pressure on Georgia's offense to match them score for score. A year ago that was likely, but in 2008 it isn't. Dallas will make a statement in this opener. The Desperados are still the team to beat in the AFL.

San Jose at Chicago, Monday, ESPN2, 9 p.m. ETThese are two of the proudest franchises in the AFL and both have championship expectations in 2008. This Week 1 matchup could be a preview of the American Conference Championship game in July. When you break down these teams you see quality players at every position, you see veteran leadership, explosive playmakers on both sides of the ball and you see very few weaknesses. Ironically, even though San Jose is the defending AFL Champions, the SaberCats have the easiest schedule on paper. This game will feature two dynamic passing duos with Sherdrick Bonner to Damien Harrell (Chicago) and Mark Grieb to James Roe (San Jose) and two opportunistic defenses. This is truly an early heavyweight AFL matchup. When San Jose has the ball The SaberCats are an explosive offense, especially in the passing game, but they will run into the best pass defense in the league when they meet the Rush. The DB trio of Dennison Robinson, Jeremy Unertl, and Jonathan Ordway combined for 16 interceptions and 57 passes broken up a year ago. They are absolute ball hawks and they do a great job of reading the QB and breaking on the ball. Grieb must be patient and not force the ball into coverage and he must have a good ball handling day by not telegraphing his throws and allowing the Rush DBs to jump routes. He has an excellent go-to guy in Roe, but he must develop other weapons, especially WR Rodney Wright, to prevent defenses from rolling their coverages towards Roe, but his offense will miss Ben Nelson (Colorado). Chicago struggles in its rush defense, but it probably doesn't matter because San Jose struggles to run the ball. Look for the SaberCats to keep Roe on the move with motion to make it tough for Chicago to get physical. This is a great matchup between a smart San Jose offense that doesn't make many mistakes versus an opportunistic Chicago defense that loves to gamble and create turnovers. When Chicago has the ball This is a new-look Chicago offense, with Bonner (Arizona) and Harrell (Denver) replacing QB Matt D'Orazio (Philadelphia) and WR Bobby Sippio (NFL). That's a lot of production to make up, but the coaches are optimistic. Much like Chicago's defense, San Jose has an excellent trio of DBs including Omarr Smith, Clevan Thomas and Marquis Floyd, who combined for 20 interceptions a year ago. They are good matchup DBs. All of them can either play zone or man schemes and they all do a good job of reading the QB and jumping routes. The SaberCats ranked fourth in pass defense and third in scoring defense a year ago, so big plays are hard to come by versus this group, especially if the pass rush is applying pressure to opposing QBs. Bonner must become comfortable with Harrell early because this is not a deep receiving corps and the complimentary receivers are not real explosive. This means the Bonner - Harrell duo must provide most of the offensive firepower. Bonner has proven over the years he will spread the ball around. If his second and third options step up and produce, he will get them the ball, which could take some double teams and rolled coverages away from Harrell. The wild card in Chicago's offense is FB Dan Alexander. He is a great red zone threat and he scored a whopping 41 TDs for Nashville in 2007. He is even more effective if the passing game spreads out the defense. He gives the Rush a chance to score touchdowns instead of field goals when they are close and that could be the difference this game. San Jose's keys to success 1. Double pumps and pump fakes by Grieb Chicago has a secondary that loves to take chances and jump routes. They led the AFL in pass defense in 2007 and they close on the ball quickly. Grieb must look the DBs off and keep them off-balance with his ball handling and force the Rush to sit back and play a little more conservatively. 2. Play mistake-free football San Jose is a very cerebral team and it plays with excellent discipline. The SaberCats are smart and opportunistic and they wait for their opponents to make mistakes. They are not flashy, but they just make plays when they have to and capitalize on turnovers. 3. Roll coverages toward Harrell As good as Harrell is, right now he is the only go-to guy in Chicago's offense, while the Rush wait for other receivers to develop. San Jose has an excellent coverage secondary and they can single cover the other Chicago receivers, which allows them some combo coverages versus Harrell. Chicago's keys to success 1. Bonner-Harrell connection Bonner is going to love what Harrell brings to the table and he will try early to establish their chemistry without a lot of other explosive receiving weapons, this duo must put up big numbers, but it will be tough versus a very good San Jose pass defense. 2. Force Grieb to throw into tight windows The Rush secondary likes to gamble and jump routes, but Grieb will pick them apart if they take chances and he finds the right matchup. They must play aggressive, but safe schemes, and not break on the ball too early. Most importantly, they must make Griebb earn every good throw. 3. Utilize Alexander He is a scoring machine in the red zone, and he posted an amazing 41 TDs a year ago for Nashville. San Jose has a solid run defense, but Alexander has a knack for finding a crease in the defense. The threat that he passes can even open up some play-action opportunities, which is rare in the AFL. Alexander gives the offense a better chance to score seven instead of three in the red zone. Key Matchups 1. Chicago WR Damian Harrell vs. San Jose's secondary San Jose has a ball-hawking secondary that closes quickly. As good as Harrell is, he is the only real go-to guy for the Rush and if San Jose can use double coverages or bracket coverage, they have a chance to negate his production. 2. San Jose QB Mark Grieb vs. Chicago Jack LB DeJuan Alfonzo Alfonzo is a very active LB and he has a great feel for where the ball is going. He is an excellent pass defender and he will try to jump the underneath passes. Grieb makes excellent decisions and he will have to be aware of where Alfonzo is at all times. 3. Chicago FB Dan Alexander vs. San Jose's defensive front Alexander is a scoring machine in the red-zone and his power and instincts in short-yardage situations is outstanding. The SaberCats are solid up front and they must step up, fill quickly and prevent Chicago from scoring seven every time it get close. Prediction This is a classic AFL matchup between two heavyweights and it is a great Week 1 test for both teams. Chicago and San Jose mirror each other in a lot of ways. Both have good veteran QBs with potentially-explosive passing games, both have solid offensive lines, both have good defenses, especially in the secondary, both are well-coached and they don't beat themselves. A key in this game will be how quickly Bonner and Harrell gel and become the dynamic duo everybody expects. This game will likely go down to the wire and the outcome could be determined by a big defensive play or turnover. Chicago led the AFL in turnover ratio in 2007. However, Alexander will be the difference maker in this game. His skill in the red zone turns FGs into TDs and that gives Chicago a slight edge in a great opening matchup.

Orlando Predators @ PHILADELPHIA SOUL: There's a lot of excitement surrounding the Soul as they open at home, with the quarterback/wide receiver combination of Chris Jackson and Tony Graziani ready to take off again after being reunited during the offseason. Jackson will be the main threat, but when Graziani gets closer to the goal line, he can also count on Larry Brackins to be a serious scoring threat. Graziani has a great offensive line and should thrive as expected in the opener. Orlando should be good on defense overall this year, but they lost some key players in the secondary and offensively, they won't be able to keep pace with the Soul. Orlando quarterback Shane Stafford doesn't have enough tools at his disposal to keep his team close in the first week. The Philadelphia secondary will rough his receiving crew up and Philadelphia will look like a championship contender in their first game of 2008.

2nd Orlando--Philly write up...I like Philly

||cool.gif' border=0> nice thanks for the time and info||an_clap.gif' border=0>||an_clap.gif' border=0>