For the first time this year, I was really totally comfortable with the game and the reads. I couldn't tell you what made the game easier for this game, it just was. I hope that it continues to go this well for the whole season... Now saying that I still realize we are only 1-2 so I'm not getting ahead of myself.
The game really got off to a good start when I hooked up with our OS Rob Mager for a 36 yard touchdown to start the game off after the Steeldogs had posted an early score. Then we traded touchdowns with them as I ran my first rushing touchdown of the season. (they missed their extra point so we were leading 14-13.) Then we got a defensive stop, which is huge in the Arena game. Then my buddy from college Scott Power scored his 3rd rushing touchdown of the season to give us a bigger lead.
Then our defense came up with another stop leaving the Steeldogs 0 points in the 2nd quarter which was huge. I hooked up with Dennis Fryzel on a 30 yarder to close out the 1st half.
Our team was feeling really good at halftime but our coaches made sure that we weren't done with the game and reminded us that in Arena football there is no lead that is big enough. We lead 28-13 at halftime.
On the second play of the second half since we got the ball first I hit Rob Mager on a 43 yarder to give us a 35-13 lead. But this is when the passing attack started for the Steeldogs. The started going deep real fast and were scoring on one or two play drives.
However our offense remained constant scoring on every drive. Midway through the fourth quarter we were leading 48-32 and all was going well until one of our receivers fumbled the ball getting ready to score a touchdown. Birmingham made the most of it scoring on their drive and cutting our lead to 48-40.
Our offense didn't panic though and we came through with our biggest drive and touchdown of the game when I hit Dennis Fryzel again for a 16 yard score. Then our defense came up with a late fourth quarter stop to seal the game. The my backup Joel Steele came in and threw his first TD of the season hitting Rob Mager to cap off the scoring 62-40.
I didn't know it at the time but one of our receivers broke a receiving record and I broke two of the Fire records. Rob Mager broke the single game most receiving yards with 208 yards. I broke the QB Rating mark of 158 something, I don't know exactly what the number is. The other one was completion percentage, 85%. I finished 23-27 for 281 yards and 6 TDs with 0 ints. If I can match that or do better than that for the rest of the season I think we will be winning a lot of games and that is the main thing.
This week we play the Green Bay Blizzard who was one of the other teams I was looking to sign with. We get another one of our receivers back this week, Lance Taylor who played for Green Bay last year. They are a pretty good football team year in and year out they are currently 2-2. We play at home at 7:30 on Saturday.
p.s. I'm still looking for a job!