There are only four teams left in the Arena Football League playoffs, the Arizona Rattlers, Jacksonville Sharks, Philadelphia Soul, and the Spokane Shock. On Saturday, the Soul are going to face the Sharks in Jacksonville, while the Shock will head to Phoenix to face the Rattlers. These four teams have a recent history in the playoffs. The last four ArenaBowl champs have come from these four teams (Soul, 2008-Shock, 2010-Sharks, 2011-Rattlers, 2012) as well as the last two runner-ups (Rattlers, 2011-Soul, 2012). I have high hopes for some high scoring and very exciting action. Here's a preview of the match-ups.
Philadelphia Soul @ Jacksonville Sharks
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Anthony Jones
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The Soul and the Rattlers were destined to face themselves on Saturday. They were the only two teams in the American Conference to have winning records. Both teams were 12-6. The Soul's offensive is the most all-around in the league. Their quarterback, Dan Raudabaugh, was third in the league in passing yards with 4699 and fourth with 96 touchdowns. Derrick Ross, their starting fullback, is number one in the league with 506 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns. Raudabaugh also has one of the best receivers at his use. Anthony Jones leads the league in yards with 2121 and also has 37 touchdowns. The Sharks road to the title game was almost derailed in their first round game last week against the Tampa Bay Storm. They were down 48-33 at the start of the fourth quarter. But, they score 36 points in the final quarter, including a touchdown with eight seconds left to take a 63-62 lead and then a fumble recovery and score with four seconds left to seal the deal. The Sharks were led to the victory by their duel-threat quarterback Bernard Morris. Morris, who is third in the league in rushing yards and fourth in competition percentage, is a scary player for defensives to face. This should be a good game with the Soul returning to their second straight ArenaBowl.
Spokane Shock @ Arizona Rattlers
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Nick Davila
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This is going to be a great game. Not only did these two teams have the two best regular season records, the Rattlers were 15-3 and the Shock were 14-4, and are the two best scoring offensives in the game, they are division rivals. They split the season series, with each team winning at home. The Rattlers had no ArenaBowl hangover. They had the best record in all of Arena Football and the most points per game. They are led by Nick Davila, arguably the best quarterback in the league. This season he has thrown for 4847 yards, 110 touchdowns, a QBR of 121.8, while only throwing 15 picks. The ArenaBowl XXV MVP is the first QB in history of football to throw for 100 touchdowns four years in a row. The Shock have a strong team, offensive and defensively. Terrance Sanders is having a great year, both on defense and in the return game. He has 101 tackles, which is third in the league, and seven interceptions. On kick returns, he had a record breaking season. His 2265 kick return yards is a new league records and his six touchdowns is tied for third all-time. Shock QB Eric Meyer also had a great season. He had 4667 passing yards, a QBR of 123.6, a completion percentage of 68.2, 112 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions. This game is going to be exciting and thrilling. I would be surprised if the game did not go down to wire. In the end, I see the Shock winning the game and clinching a spot in ArenaBowl XXVI.
