After his first game as a member of the Portland Thunder, new quarterback Kyle Rowley said that his goal was to score 70 or 80 points a game, if not more. At the time, these seemed like lofty ambitions. While these scores aren’t unusual for the Arena Football League, it didn’t seem like something that the Thunder could accomplish. Through five games, all losses, the Thunder had only managed season-high of 37 points in a single game.
Well, in the Thunder’s sixth game, Rowley fell short of his goal. But just barely. The Thunder put up 69 points, just five points shy of doubling their highest single game output in franchise history. Technically, the defense was responsible for seven of those points. So while Rowley and his offense only (tongue fully in cheek) managed to score 62 points, it was enough for the Thunder to win their franchise first game, on the road, against the Jacksonville Sharks.
When many fans picture Arena Football games, the image conjured is one of high powered, offensive shoot-outs. The team’s previous games had never really lived up to that image. Out of necessity, the Thunder offense moved a little bit slower, not pushing the pace and tempo, relying on a ferocious defense to keep the team in games.
On Saturday, that all changed. The highest scoring game the Thunder had been a part of before that was the 98 combined points scored in the Thunder’s Opening Day 64-34 lose to the San Jose SaberCats. Saturday’s game saw a total of 131 points scored. It was Arena Football action at its most compelling and the Thunder came out on top for the first time.
The biggest difference between this game and the previous outings is Kyle Rowley with a full week of practice with the team and his former offensive coordinator and Thunder head coach Matthew Sauk. One glance at Rowley’s stat line showcases the differences:
– 24 completions on 42 attempts (57.1% completion percentage)
– 277 passing yards
– 8 passing touchdowns (8!)
– 0 interceptions
The Thunder played their first truly complete game, on the back of Rowley. The defense wasn’t forced to carrying the team by themselves. Rowley avoided putting the defense in bad, short field situations. The offense clicked. Four different receivers caught a touchdown pass from Rowley, including a bona fide circus catch from Douglas McNeil III
With their first win behind them, Portland faces a couple optimistic realities. The season is only one-third over. As I’ve pointed out, the Thunder defense is one of the best in the league in recent weeks. With the revolving door at quarterback finally shut and Rowley firmly in control of the starting job, the Thunder have a chance to put a string of wins together.
The team stays in Florida for the week before taking on the Orlando Storm on Saturday. This game is a huge opportunity for the Thunder to build momentum before returning home to face the two-time defending Arena Bowl champions, the Arizona Rattlers on May 10th.
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