(2-2)
vs.
(3-1)Saturday, April 16, 2011
7:30 PM
TV: Pittsburgh's CW Channel 19
Radio: 93.7 The Fan
Consol Energy Center - Pittsburgh, PA
TV: Pittsburgh's CW Channel 19
Radio: 93.7 The Fan
Consol Energy Center - Pittsburgh, PA
After two weeks of strife, arrests, injuries, and other general bad press, the Power return to action at the Consol Energy Center to take on one of the hottest teams in the AFL, the Jacksonville Sharks. Let's hope the week off was a good thing, because this is going to be Pittsburgh's stiffest test yet.
The Sharks are led by 17 (yes, seventeen) year veteran and career 46,000 (not a typo, either) yard passer Aaron Garcia. This is by far one of the, if not the head-and-shoulders, greatest players in the history of the AFL.
Jacksonville also boasts three big-time, productive receivers in Jomo Wilson (25 REC 398 Yds 9 TD), Jeron Harvey (26 REC 353 Yds 10 TD), and Sale Key (24 REC 232 Yds 5 TD) -- an absolute offensive wrecking crew. Heh. Jomo.
On top of all that, they have a fantastic former offensive coordinator in Power Head Coach Chris Siegfried. Perhaps that could be an ace in the hole for the Power defense.
The Power come into the game with two injured starting QB's -- Bernard Morris is still on the IR and Kevin McCabe was just placed on it, meaning that Penn State grad Anthony Morelli gets the nod. In limited action this season, Morelli is 11-17 for 141 yds and 1 TD. This week, he is backed up by new signing Xavier Lee, the Florida State graduate who fills the infamous Pittsburgh favorite "slash" role. Last year for the Yard Dawgz, Lee amassed a respectable 700+ receiving yards, and also is a rushing threat. He will serve as Morelli's backup in case of another disaster. It will be curious to see if he plays any WR in this game, given the Power's bad luck with injuries as of late.
As usual, it will be up to the Power's cadre of talented receivers to prop up a patchwork QB/OL -- Lonnell DeWalt, Jason Willis, and Mike "Joystick" Washington as well as Jerome Mathis and Eddie Thompson. Productive WR Irv Campbell is on the IR, as well.
As for the Power defense, will Josh Lay play? He's not on any kind of official league suspension, and rumours abound that his recent run-in with the law may have been overstated. He's been a key piece in the Pittsburgh secondary and would be sorely missed. Lay also suffered a brutal helmet to helmet hit in the last game, and may still be feeling that a little bit.
When the Power have been successful, it has been when they've been able to control the clock and slow down the pace, putting together long and methodical drives. Let's be honest -- they have absolutely no chance if they get into a shootout with Jacksonville. They are going to need to dink and dunk and keep the football out of the hands of Garcia if they have any chance to win this game.
PREDICTIONS:
For every Power game we cover here on the BOLTSBURGH POWER BLOG, our three contributing editors will pass along their expert picks for the game, along with the key to victory. We call these our BOLTSBURGH POWER BLOG KEYS TO VICTORY! There are three of them. One each.
- Perry -
Pittsburgh needs to be conservative yet productive on offense. Control the pace. They can't let Aaron Garcia get too much time with the ball - he will torch them. This is my first time picking against the Power. I hope I'm wrong.
Sharks 65
Power 42
- Pro -
(PREDICTION PENDING)
- Schwartz -
The Sharks never get good goaltending after the weather breaks.
Power 57
Sharks 45
KEYS TO VICTORY:
1) Ball control.
2) ???
3) Sharks goaltending collapse?
The Sharks are led by 17 (yes, seventeen) year veteran and career 46,000 (not a typo, either) yard passer Aaron Garcia. This is by far one of the, if not the head-and-shoulders, greatest players in the history of the AFL.
Jacksonville also boasts three big-time, productive receivers in Jomo Wilson (25 REC 398 Yds 9 TD), Jeron Harvey (26 REC 353 Yds 10 TD), and Sale Key (24 REC 232 Yds 5 TD) -- an absolute offensive wrecking crew. Heh. Jomo.
On top of all that, they have a fantastic former offensive coordinator in Power Head Coach Chris Siegfried. Perhaps that could be an ace in the hole for the Power defense.
The Power come into the game with two injured starting QB's -- Bernard Morris is still on the IR and Kevin McCabe was just placed on it, meaning that Penn State grad Anthony Morelli gets the nod. In limited action this season, Morelli is 11-17 for 141 yds and 1 TD. This week, he is backed up by new signing Xavier Lee, the Florida State graduate who fills the infamous Pittsburgh favorite "slash" role. Last year for the Yard Dawgz, Lee amassed a respectable 700+ receiving yards, and also is a rushing threat. He will serve as Morelli's backup in case of another disaster. It will be curious to see if he plays any WR in this game, given the Power's bad luck with injuries as of late.
As usual, it will be up to the Power's cadre of talented receivers to prop up a patchwork QB/OL -- Lonnell DeWalt, Jason Willis, and Mike "Joystick" Washington as well as Jerome Mathis and Eddie Thompson. Productive WR Irv Campbell is on the IR, as well.
As for the Power defense, will Josh Lay play? He's not on any kind of official league suspension, and rumours abound that his recent run-in with the law may have been overstated. He's been a key piece in the Pittsburgh secondary and would be sorely missed. Lay also suffered a brutal helmet to helmet hit in the last game, and may still be feeling that a little bit.
When the Power have been successful, it has been when they've been able to control the clock and slow down the pace, putting together long and methodical drives. Let's be honest -- they have absolutely no chance if they get into a shootout with Jacksonville. They are going to need to dink and dunk and keep the football out of the hands of Garcia if they have any chance to win this game.
PREDICTIONS:
For every Power game we cover here on the BOLTSBURGH POWER BLOG, our three contributing editors will pass along their expert picks for the game, along with the key to victory. We call these our BOLTSBURGH POWER BLOG KEYS TO VICTORY! There are three of them. One each.
- Perry -
Pittsburgh needs to be conservative yet productive on offense. Control the pace. They can't let Aaron Garcia get too much time with the ball - he will torch them. This is my first time picking against the Power. I hope I'm wrong.
Sharks 65
Power 42
- Pro -
(PREDICTION PENDING)
- Schwartz -
The Sharks never get good goaltending after the weather breaks.
Power 57
Sharks 45
KEYS TO VICTORY:
1) Ball control.
2) ???
3) Sharks goaltending collapse?
