Post by marinersmedia on Mar 13, 2010 18:36:01 GMT -5
Unfamiliar Foe, But Familiar Tactics Need to Secure Win for Mariners
BALTIMORE, MD (March 12, 2010) - The Mariners started the season off right last weekend in Harrisburg with a 55-48 victory over their rivals, the Harrisburg Stampede. This Sunday afternoon, they welcome a new team to the AIFA, the New Jersey Revolution. Little is known about the Revolution, but I can tell you they are not new to the game of indoor football. The Revolution was established in 2006 and was admitted to the AIFA for the 2010 season. In the four years the Revolution has been in existence, they have a combined record of 7-30.
The Mariners have been hard at work building up to this moment for the 2010 home opener. New and old fans expect to see an outstanding performance from their professional indoor football team. In order for the Mariners to come out with a win and go 2-0, here are my keys to victory:
HOT STREAK: Mariners quarterback E.J. Nemeth established himself as an elite quarterback in the AIFA last Saturday night. He was nearly perfect in last week’s game against Harrisburg, going 19 of 25 passing for four touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown. Nemeth was generous in spreading the ball around to his receivers and showed off his cannon-like arm and bull dozing running in many goal line situations.
UNSTOPPABLE OFFENSE: Although he was a big part of the offense, Nemeth cannot take all the credit for the offensive explosion during the season opener. This is a team effort, and the team stepped up big for the Mariners. The offense ran 48 plays and led in time of possession (33:59). The key to a successful offense is the ability to convert on third down and take advantage of red zone opportunities, which brings me to my next point: 60% on third down conversions and 4/4 in the red zone.
HOLD THE LINE: The defensive line of the Mariners needs to step up this Sunday afternoon. While Melik Brown did receive AIFA Defensive Player of the Week for his 2.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 tackles, I would like to see a lot more from the Mariners defensive line. Fearon Wright totaled .5 tackles for a loss and .5 sacks and Daniel Orlebar recorded .5 tackles. The key to creating turnovers starts with the defensive line, which led to the big interception last week in the 4th quarter to seal the deal for a Mariners victory. One thing you cannot deny the defense steps up big in the 4th quarter, but I would like to see more consistent pressure on the quarterback.
BACK TO BASICS: While Baltimore fans were shocked and amazed at the unbelievable aerial assault from the Mariners offense last week, fans were even more amazed to see a lack of what Baltimore football does best; smash mouth football. Isaiah Grier, who was the leading rusher in the AIFA, totaled 17 yards on 11 rushing attempts last week, and reached the end zone one time. It is very difficult to run in indoor football, and we know that Zeke can get the job done on the ground. He just needs to step up this week because if the passing game goes dormant, we need to depend on the run to get us in the win column.
BALTIMORE, MD (March 12, 2010) - The Mariners started the season off right last weekend in Harrisburg with a 55-48 victory over their rivals, the Harrisburg Stampede. This Sunday afternoon, they welcome a new team to the AIFA, the New Jersey Revolution. Little is known about the Revolution, but I can tell you they are not new to the game of indoor football. The Revolution was established in 2006 and was admitted to the AIFA for the 2010 season. In the four years the Revolution has been in existence, they have a combined record of 7-30.
The Mariners have been hard at work building up to this moment for the 2010 home opener. New and old fans expect to see an outstanding performance from their professional indoor football team. In order for the Mariners to come out with a win and go 2-0, here are my keys to victory:
HOT STREAK: Mariners quarterback E.J. Nemeth established himself as an elite quarterback in the AIFA last Saturday night. He was nearly perfect in last week’s game against Harrisburg, going 19 of 25 passing for four touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown. Nemeth was generous in spreading the ball around to his receivers and showed off his cannon-like arm and bull dozing running in many goal line situations.
UNSTOPPABLE OFFENSE: Although he was a big part of the offense, Nemeth cannot take all the credit for the offensive explosion during the season opener. This is a team effort, and the team stepped up big for the Mariners. The offense ran 48 plays and led in time of possession (33:59). The key to a successful offense is the ability to convert on third down and take advantage of red zone opportunities, which brings me to my next point: 60% on third down conversions and 4/4 in the red zone.
HOLD THE LINE: The defensive line of the Mariners needs to step up this Sunday afternoon. While Melik Brown did receive AIFA Defensive Player of the Week for his 2.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 tackles, I would like to see a lot more from the Mariners defensive line. Fearon Wright totaled .5 tackles for a loss and .5 sacks and Daniel Orlebar recorded .5 tackles. The key to creating turnovers starts with the defensive line, which led to the big interception last week in the 4th quarter to seal the deal for a Mariners victory. One thing you cannot deny the defense steps up big in the 4th quarter, but I would like to see more consistent pressure on the quarterback.
BACK TO BASICS: While Baltimore fans were shocked and amazed at the unbelievable aerial assault from the Mariners offense last week, fans were even more amazed to see a lack of what Baltimore football does best; smash mouth football. Isaiah Grier, who was the leading rusher in the AIFA, totaled 17 yards on 11 rushing attempts last week, and reached the end zone one time. It is very difficult to run in indoor football, and we know that Zeke can get the job done on the ground. He just needs to step up this week because if the passing game goes dormant, we need to depend on the run to get us in the win column.
