Recap
During pre-game warm-ups it felt like deja vu all over again as the Portland Thunder played host to San Jose SaberCats for the second time in this still young season. And while the game unfolded in a completely different manner, unfortunately for the Thunder, the end result was the same. The Thunder fell to the San Jose SaberCats in a nail-biter of a game, 38-32.
In their first matchup, San Jose manhandled the Thunder, winning 64-34. This game was very much a different beast. In a reverse of their pattern for the year, the Thunder managed to shutout the SaberCats in the first quarter while putting up a defensive touchdown of their own. Shortly into the second quarter, the Thunder’s Michael Braunstein kicked a field goal giving the team a 10-0 lead. However, in a pattern that has become all too familiar, the Thunder offense could not score enough points.
For the third time this year, the Thunder had a new face at quarterback. Kyle Rowley was acquired in a trade earlier this week and joined the team with one practice under his belt. While Rowley missed some throws early, he started off relatively well, throwing for 244 yards and two touchdowns. He did have one interception, a freak play where they ball said on the boards surrounding the field and was just picked up by a San Jose defenseman. Apparently, this is a situation unique to the Moda Center field as head coach Matthew Sauk expressed a belief that this would be addressed.
San Jose began making a comeback in the second quarter, scoring twice and bringing the score to 16-14 at the half. This marked the first time the Thunder had held a lead at the half. The team’s traded scores until San Jose took the lead 38-32 with 4:50 to play. It was Kyle Rowley’s moment to shine. He drove the team down to within the ten yard line but fell short, turning the ball over on downs, despite a controversial no-call on what looked like pass interference. In their closest game of the season, the Thunder fell just short.
Analysis
It can’t be stated enough. The Thunder defense stands as one of the best in the Arena Football League. Holding a team to 38 points normally ensures a victory in the AFL. Despite his frustration with the loss, Coach Sauk had to gush about his defense in the post-game press conference.
“Our defense is absolutely a beast. I’m so proud of my defense … They are absolutely shutting people down.”
This game showcased how quickly this defense has progressed. In the first match-up, the Thunder surrendered 64 points to the San Jose team. On Friday, the Thunder surrendered just 38 points, scored seven of their own directly on a fumble recovery and notched a whopping four turnovers. For such a points happy league, the Thunder are establishing themselves as a defensive powerhouse.
As it has all season, the problem rests with the offense. Up until this point, the Thunder faced a revolving door at quarterback. Now, with Rowley at the helm, Coach Sauk says the search is over.
“Kyle is our starter… Without a doubt.”
Even though the offense failed to score points again, Coach Sauk is frustrated with someone else.
Referring to the last offensive play, Coach Sauk said, “Without a doubt, 100 percent PI [pass interference]. I’m sick of them not calling it. I can only send the plays in so much to the league before something will hopefully be done. This is our home field. We don’t get any calls.”
After the game, Rowley expressed optimism and says his standard is scoring 70 or 80 points per game. He believes this offense has what it takes to get there. Certainly, an offensive outburst would be a welcome sight to loss-weary Thunder fans.
While the Thunder have certainly improved, at 0-5, it is at the point where this improvement needs to translate to wins. The Thunder return for another road trip, heading to Jacksonville to take on the Sharks next week.
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