Post by lionsroar on Jun 7, 2008 6:16:19 GMT -5
Offense fails to produce
Quarterbacks miss several opportunities
BY CHRISTA TURNER
After an inconsistent night in which he overthrew, underthrew and plain out just missed open receivers, Columbus Lions quarterback Joey Conrad still had one last chance to atone for a rough game.
With 4 seconds remaining in the game and the Lions trailing by five, Conrad took the snap and looked for a receiver, needing to cross the goal line 25 yards downfield. He never got close.
A Florence defender hit Conrad's arm as he released the ball and it fell harmlessly onto the turf, a mere 10 yards upfield. That allowed the Phantoms to escape Columbus with a 40-35 win Friday night at the Columbus Civic Center.
"I don't know what it was," Conrad said. "It was an inch here and an inch there. I was a little off. I made the right reads, but I couldn't hit the receivers. I don't know if my timing was off."
Conrad missed Columbus' last game with a hyper-extended knee, then the Lions had a bye week, which could have resulted in rustiness, he said.
Trickery gave the Lions one last chance. Conrad threw down the line of scrimmage to Anthony Merritt, mimicking many such passes during the game. However, this time, Merritt pulled up and threw to a wide-open Silas Daniels in the end zone. The Lions defense then got a stop, forcing a missed field goal.
That gave Columbus (8-4), which had rallied from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit, one last chance to pull out the win. The Lions took the ball at their 10 with 21 seconds remaining, but a sack second-and-10 proved costly.
"We didn't do anything," Columbus coach Jason Gibson said. "People were wide open and we couldn't make the throws. They were just sitting back in a zone, but we couldn't make catches or throws."
Gibson tried switching quarterbacks early in the third quarter, but Maurice Mullins was intercepted by Larry Thompson, who returned it 15 yards for a score.
"I don't think we've ever scored 35 points in a game," Gibson said.
The Lions jumped out to a quick start thanks to a Keon Newson interception and return, which set the Lions up at the Phantoms 3. Conrad piled in from the 2 for a 7-0 lead. After stopping the Phantoms on downs, the Lions drove again, taking a two-touchdown lead on a Merritt 1-yard run.
The Lions offense struggled after that point with Conrad often overthrowing open receivers
www.ledger-enquirer.com/293/story/341399.html
Quarterbacks miss several opportunities
BY CHRISTA TURNER
After an inconsistent night in which he overthrew, underthrew and plain out just missed open receivers, Columbus Lions quarterback Joey Conrad still had one last chance to atone for a rough game.
With 4 seconds remaining in the game and the Lions trailing by five, Conrad took the snap and looked for a receiver, needing to cross the goal line 25 yards downfield. He never got close.
A Florence defender hit Conrad's arm as he released the ball and it fell harmlessly onto the turf, a mere 10 yards upfield. That allowed the Phantoms to escape Columbus with a 40-35 win Friday night at the Columbus Civic Center.
"I don't know what it was," Conrad said. "It was an inch here and an inch there. I was a little off. I made the right reads, but I couldn't hit the receivers. I don't know if my timing was off."
Conrad missed Columbus' last game with a hyper-extended knee, then the Lions had a bye week, which could have resulted in rustiness, he said.
Trickery gave the Lions one last chance. Conrad threw down the line of scrimmage to Anthony Merritt, mimicking many such passes during the game. However, this time, Merritt pulled up and threw to a wide-open Silas Daniels in the end zone. The Lions defense then got a stop, forcing a missed field goal.
That gave Columbus (8-4), which had rallied from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit, one last chance to pull out the win. The Lions took the ball at their 10 with 21 seconds remaining, but a sack second-and-10 proved costly.
"We didn't do anything," Columbus coach Jason Gibson said. "People were wide open and we couldn't make the throws. They were just sitting back in a zone, but we couldn't make catches or throws."
Gibson tried switching quarterbacks early in the third quarter, but Maurice Mullins was intercepted by Larry Thompson, who returned it 15 yards for a score.
"I don't think we've ever scored 35 points in a game," Gibson said.
The Lions jumped out to a quick start thanks to a Keon Newson interception and return, which set the Lions up at the Phantoms 3. Conrad piled in from the 2 for a 7-0 lead. After stopping the Phantoms on downs, the Lions drove again, taking a two-touchdown lead on a Merritt 1-yard run.
The Lions offense struggled after that point with Conrad often overthrowing open receivers
www.ledger-enquirer.com/293/story/341399.html