Saturday June 25th - 7:30 PM EST - Consol Energy Center
TV: CW19 (Pittsburgh), AFL Live App on Niftytv.com
Radio: 93.7 The Fan (Pittsburgh), 540 AM ESPN (Milwaukee)
The Pittsburgh Power (7-6) will host their divisional rivals, the Milwaukee Mustangs (4-9) in a game Pittsburgh needs to win to rebuild momentum. After a four game winning streak lifted the Power into first place in the Eastern Division, a two game losing streak has put that position in peril.
Pittsburgh's offense fell apart in Utah in an 81-40 beatdown. Backup Kevin McCabe was forced to start in place of the injured Bernard Morris, and after two lost fumbles on three drives, his night was over. Chris Wallace came in and struggled to complete 50% of his passes. He did have four touchdowns and no interceptions, but he left way too many plays on the field. He'll have to maximize his opportunity to start this week against a stingy Milwaukee defense that leads the league in yardage defense and ranks sixth in scoring defense.
Whoever starts at quarterback has to get the receivers involved early on and develop a consistent rhythm. Jerome Mathis has been Pittsburgh's best receiver the last two weeks, but the Power are going to want to get more out of Mike "Joystick" Washington and Jason "Whatyoutalkingbout' Willis. The Power running game was a big factor in the first meeting of the year with Milwaukee, and the offense could use Josh Rue to change things up a bit to keep Milwaukee guessing.
Pittsburgh's defense has to improve on their performances of the last two weeks. Carlos Campbell's injuries have finally forced him to the injured reserve list and the Power have brought in former Woodland Hills and Pitt defensive back William Ferguson. In addition to his signing, they need other players on defense to step up their games. This secondary only has 10 interceptions on the year, and needs to start making more plays down the playoff stretch.
Milwaukee's starting quarterback R.J. Archer leads the league's worst offense into this divisional showdown. Archer's 80.81 QB rating is one of the worst for an AFL starter. Milwaukee cannot rely on him to win games alone. The Mustangs best offensive weapon, Mykell Benson, will be sitting this one out, and the status of their leading receiver Damian Harrell is also up in the air. Even facing a weak Power secondary, the Mustangs don't have enough firepower to fully take advantage of this.
The Mustangs defense might take a hit if the rumors of leading defensive back Andre Jones leaving for the CFL are true. Jones is third in the AFL with 11 interceptions, including a 54 yard return for a touchdown in the first meeting.
It won’t be clear sailing however as they still have a potent defensive back in Kelvin Rodgers. He has 6 interceptions on the year, three for touchdowns and he is the Mustangs leading tackler this year. He has great height for a DB (6’1”) and presents tough matchup problems for whichever receiver he is covering. If he draws Mike Washington, he’ll have almost six inches of height advantage.
Linebacker Marcus Everett is third on the team in tackles and has also added three interceptions. Look for him to help out in pass coverage this week, especially if Pittsburgh
Overall, the Mustangs work well as a team on defense, mostly because of their ability to slow down the pace of play on the other side of the ball. They limit your amount of opportunities, so that makes it very important to score when you can.
The key to this game will be how well the Power develop a rhythm on offense. Even at half strength, the Power offense should still be able to score enough points to outpace the Mustang offense.
The Voice Says....Pittsburgh 49, Milwaukee 42
For more previews of the game I recommend the following links:
John Buffone - Examiner.com
Matt Popchock - 93.7 The Fan
Jerry DiPaola - Tribune-Review
Craig Meyer - Post-Gazette
For more previews of the game I recommend the following links:
John Buffone - Examiner.com
Matt Popchock - 93.7 The Fan
Jerry DiPaola - Tribune-Review
Craig Meyer - Post-Gazette
8 comments:
Report today says Morris probable, whats the scoop?
My cohost on the Power Plant said Coach Siegfried was guardedly optimistic about Morris playing, but my coworker at the Trib, Jerry DiPaola, writes Morris has been ruled out in his article from yesterday.
I'd say the optimism is gone and Wallace and Colston will suit up as the Power QB's this week.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11176/1156169-139.stm
Post Gazzette VS Pitt Live!
Getting accurate info in this league is like pulling teeth.
If Morris can suit up he will, the Power offense is way better with him in the lineup. I also know from previous conversations they will not jeopardize the health of a player if they can't handle it.
It's possible Jerry jumped the gun on ruling Morris out of the game. He would only write that if someone in the "know" told him that though.
Is that line you mention even still in the article? I don't see it anymore where it says he is ruled out.
In Jerry's? It says "For the second week in a row Pittsburgh will start the game without Morris" I assume if he's not well enough to start they would go with Colston as the backup.
Kind of dumb to dress your starting QB as a backup. If he's able to play he should start, plain and simple.
Agree with you either hes healthy enough to start or shouldn't be active. How long do they have to make that decision?
Not sure what the deadline is for setting gameday rosters.
Post a Comment