Saturday, April 7, 2012

Even Superman can't save the day. Power fall to Iowa 55-42

We all love the happy endings when a superhero saves the day.  On a night the Pittsburgh Power (1-3) dedicated to honoring the heroes of our military, "Superman" P.J. Berry, electrified the 4,491 fans in the first half. 

His first feat was a stunning 30 yard catch and run that saw him change direction multiple times as he evaded the bad guys.  It left many in the stands with their jaws on the floor.  Berry also scored on a 58 yard kickoff return and later added a 9 yard touchdown catch with three seconds left in the first half to stake the Power to a 28-27 halftime lead, plus they would get the ball to start the second half.

Unfortunately Iowa controlled the game the rest of the way.  The game saw a number of bad bounces go against the Power.  Their first offensive drive stalled late when Andrico Hines' pass bounced off the end zone boards into the waiting hands of Antoine Thompson.  Two more passes later in the game hit Randy Hymes in the hands and deflected right to a waiting Jason Simpson. 

Simpson, celebrating his birthday, would add a third interception late in the game to seal the deal.  He caught the pass from Hines and lateraled to Cameron McGlenn who returned the ball deep into Power territory. 

Even the special edition camouflage jerseys the Power wore could not hide the problems facing the team.  Turnovers continue to plague the Power offense, as they also lost a fumble on an Iowa kickoff that was recovered by John Mohring for another Iowa touchdown.  Pittsburgh had five turnovers in the game versus zero for Iowa. 

The Power defense continued their strong play early in the season with three goal line stands, but unless they find a way to keep opposing offenses to under 40 points, the offense really needs to pick things up.

Coach Siegfried wasn't very happy in the post game presser.  He is struggling to understand why this team can't seem to handle adversity well.  When asked to comment on how well the defense played he replied, "Any loss is a failing grade."  He also refused to comment on why Lonnell DeWalt was suspended by the team other than to say it was his decision. 

I asked P.J. Berry how morale was in the locker room and he mentioned how this is a veteran team and they aren't going to stop fighting.  They know what they have to do to get the ship headed in the right direction.

Andrico Hines echoed Berry's sentiments and said that it comes down to execution.  It's easy to see that point when a wide receiver misses two catches that bounce to the other team's defensive back.

The Power will continue to search for answers this week as they prepare to play the Orlando Predators.   The game is currently scheduled for Friday night, but could be moved to accommodate the Pittsburgh Penguins and their playoff series.

No comments: