Pittsburgh Power @ Dallas Vigilantes Preview

American Airlines Center

8:30 EST/7:30 CST

TV: NiFTYTV.com, Time Warner Cable Sports (Dallas)

Radio: 93.7 The Fan (Pittsburgh), KFXR 1190 AM (Dallas)

LIVEBLOG coverage starts at 8:00 PM EST here on "The Voice Says...."

The Pittsburgh Power enter this matchup with the Dallas Vigilantes confident after two comeback wins over Spokane and San Jose.  They are also rested coming off their second bye week of the season.

The Power defense comes into this game having given up the third lowest amount of points on the season, and they possess the 6th best scoring defense in the AFL.  They will need to be on their game if they want to contain one of the better passing attacks in the AFL.

Dallas is on a two game losing streak and hopes to turn things around by coming back home where they are 4-0 on the season.  Pittsburgh boasts a 2-1 record away from the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.  Dallas has not beaten a team with a winning record yet this season, a trend the Power hopes will continue. 

Pittsburgh quarterback Bernard Morris has been solid in his return from IR, leading the Power to those comeback wins.  He has not been perfect in either matchup, going 8 for 20 in the first half against Spokane before coming on strong in the second half.  He got the team off to a 14-0 lead before turning the ball over 4 times to let San Jose take the lead.  His 8 touchdowns were key in the win though as the offense did just enough to complement a strong defensive showing.

Mike "Joystick" Washington continued a strong season by posting 120 yards and four touchdowns.  Jason "Whatyoutalkinbout" Willis added 89 yards and three scores, including the game winner with 14 seconds left.

Dan Raudabaugh leads the Dallas offense and has thrown for 2532 yards, 47 TD’s, and 13 Interceptions.  He’s not in the upper tier of QB’s in terms of touchdowns and his 13 interceptions leave a bit to be desired.  This is a quarterback who has feasted on some weak competition.  He is not a threat to run the ball so look for the Power front 3 to try and generate the pressure they are known for and force Raudabaugh to rush his throws. 

This week the Power get to face the AFL's leading rusher, Derrick Ross.  So far this season he has 354 yards and 23 TD’s.  He’s built similarly to San Jose’s Chad Cook, who gave the Power D fits 2 weeks ago.  Pittsburgh struggles against the run and this could be a key matchup.    I can easily see Ross scoring multiple times.

Dallas has three wide receivers all having great years statistically.  On paper they dwarf the Power in terms of production, but that’s only translated to one more win at this point.  Still the ability to spread the ball around is key.  Pittsburgh struggled against Georgia, who also had this ability. 

Anthony "Tiger" Jones is a 5’10” receiver out of Louisville.  So far this year he has 1038 yards (6^th in the AFL) and 20 TD’s (11^th in the AFL)  A 2010 second team all arena wide receiver, he’s making a move to the elite this year.   Dallas also has Matt Fields with 766 yards and 14 TD’s, plus 5 rushing TD’s.  DeAndrew Rubin is another standout from South Florida and has amassed 770 yards and 14 TD’s this year. 

On defense, keep your eye on Chris LeFlore.  He leads the Vigilantes in tackles, has 4 interceptions, 14 passes defended, and also a forced fumble.  He’s a factor in the return game as well.   Dallas also will get a huge boost with the return of 2 time all arena mac linebacker Steve Watson, who will make his 2011 debut after being sidelined all season with a foot injury. 

This is an interesting matchup because Dallas has multiple threats which will make it tough for Pittsburgh to defend.  Pittsburgh has faced two other offenses with this much firepower, Jacksonville and Georgia, and lost both times.   Raudabaugh is not as efficient as Aaron Garcia or Brett Elliott.  Dallas also does not possess the strong defense either of those squads has.

If Bernard Morris can limit his turnovers in this one, I think the defense can cause enough chaos up front to bring home the win.  If Morris turns it over more than twice, the Power could be in trouble.

I'm still not convinced Dallas is an elite team, and until they beat a team with a winning record, I'm not alone in that regards.  I don't think they get that win this week.  Look for the Power defense to continue their strong play and once again the offense will do what it takes to secure the victory.

THE VOICE SAYS....Pittsburgh 55, Dallas 48