You'd have to be an optimist of the highest degree to suggest that the 2-4 Colonials might make the championship this year, but damn if it don't feel good to win, and after a long string of losses and a tense 27-26 win, you allow yourself some hope once again. So I'm not saying that Hartford will make it, but 2-4 feels much, much better than, say, 1-5.
Playing against type, the Colonials started the game looking shaky and seemed to build confidence as the game wound on. Red zone woes are to blame for the score, which could easily have been much higher on Hartford's part. They proved that they're capable of sustaining long drives in addition to putting up quick scores.
Were they perfect? Of course not, but the most important thing to take away from this game is that they're capable of improving even within games. Markee White stepped up as the #1 receiver last night, and Booker was his usual self, averaging and astounding 8.6 yards per carry. The offensive line was terrible in the first quarter, and while McCown (and Perriloux in his limited time) was still getting pressured, I think that it's evident that they're starting to figure things out.
Doug Flutie commented last night that we might be seeing the "maturation" of the lines in the UFL. I'd extend that to every position. I'll be negative here and say that, yes, play has been sloppy in some games. But is that so surprising with so many players never having played for any length of time together? And without four preseason games to give them a chance to gel? This is not an indictment of the level of play in the UFL (and not a suggestion that the league needs a preseason). It's a reality that a league with about twelve weeks of games in its history has not previously had units with long relationships, but these are now beginning to crystallize. Quarterbacks now have a good idea who their go-to guy is. Lines are getting better at picking up who is blocking who. Defensive backfields are figuring out where their teammates are going to be on a given play. It's a rush to see it all come together.
That being said, there's still room for improvement. Colonials defenders were frequently rushing in for the big hit and missing completely, which suggests to me that they either need a bit more schooling on how to wrap up, or need to quit trying to make the highlight reel. The "D" is still playing too soft and giving up moderate yardage on some plays, though this could be more of a problem with scheme than with any individual Colonial defender.
And, of course, there's the elephant in the room in Tyler Mehlhaff. Mehlhaff's accuracy issues seem to stem more from jitters than anything else. You can argue that one of last night's field goals (the 22-yarder) was ruined by an awkward snap, but the others? Any decent kicker should be able to make those, and Mehlhaff has in the past, making me think that his recent troubles are entirely mental. There are only two games left in the Colonial's season. I think it's too late to think of cutting him, but it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't have a job in Hartford next year.
Too sad a point to end on, so I'll leave you with this: We won! We won!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Winding Down
Quick, name a forty-something-year-old quarterback whose threw away a game on interceptions this week. No, it's not Brett Favre, though, like Favre, Jeff Garcia is probably the biggest name in his league.
So that was a bit of a harsh opening, and I don't mean to rag on Garcia overly much. It's funny how similar Favre and Garcia are, if not in general, than at least right this very moment. Both are battling foot injuries, both have spectacular longevity in what is arguably the toughest sport in the world. Favre gave up three interceptions on Sunday: Garcia threw four last night.
Are they washed up? Overrated? No. But, when injured, they do show their age. It's tough enough for even a young player to go out there and play with an injury. Each is in trouble, however, because as risky as it is to send a limping Garcia or Favre out there, it's not certain how much confidence anyone has in their backups. Tarvaris Jackson is probably a league average QB, but how rusty is he after not playing a regular season game in two years? Matt Gutierrez is young, and likely very raw. You have to ask yourself the same question: is it better to play the injured vet and risk a game, or to play the young guy and give the old men a chance to heal? For the 2-4 Vikings, it may already be too late.
For the Nighthawks, it's a much tougher call. After last night's loss to a strong defensive showing by Las Vegas, their hopes for a championship appearance may be in jeopardy if their star quarterback can't get healthy. It may also be in jeopardy if they fall to 3-3, which could realistically happen if they risk sending in a quarterback with some thirteen fewer years of experience.
Apropos of nothing, it also struck me today that the UFL season is more than half over. Seems like it'll be ending right about when all the leaves are finally off the trees. As a writer, I like the narrative appropriateness of this, though I already miss not having home games at the Rent to look forwards, and have since I took my Colonials/Nighthawks season tickets off the wall. With such a long off season, it'll be interesting to see what the Colonials can do to keep them in the public consciousness. It's a big job, but I hope that next year we'll rival Omaha for fans in the seats.
So that was a bit of a harsh opening, and I don't mean to rag on Garcia overly much. It's funny how similar Favre and Garcia are, if not in general, than at least right this very moment. Both are battling foot injuries, both have spectacular longevity in what is arguably the toughest sport in the world. Favre gave up three interceptions on Sunday: Garcia threw four last night.
Are they washed up? Overrated? No. But, when injured, they do show their age. It's tough enough for even a young player to go out there and play with an injury. Each is in trouble, however, because as risky as it is to send a limping Garcia or Favre out there, it's not certain how much confidence anyone has in their backups. Tarvaris Jackson is probably a league average QB, but how rusty is he after not playing a regular season game in two years? Matt Gutierrez is young, and likely very raw. You have to ask yourself the same question: is it better to play the injured vet and risk a game, or to play the young guy and give the old men a chance to heal? For the 2-4 Vikings, it may already be too late.
For the Nighthawks, it's a much tougher call. After last night's loss to a strong defensive showing by Las Vegas, their hopes for a championship appearance may be in jeopardy if their star quarterback can't get healthy. It may also be in jeopardy if they fall to 3-3, which could realistically happen if they risk sending in a quarterback with some thirteen fewer years of experience.
Apropos of nothing, it also struck me today that the UFL season is more than half over. Seems like it'll be ending right about when all the leaves are finally off the trees. As a writer, I like the narrative appropriateness of this, though I already miss not having home games at the Rent to look forwards, and have since I took my Colonials/Nighthawks season tickets off the wall. With such a long off season, it'll be interesting to see what the Colonials can do to keep them in the public consciousness. It's a big job, but I hope that next year we'll rival Omaha for fans in the seats.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Daydreaming
So I'm an admitted UFL homer (and Colonials homer, obviously) so when I say that part of what what I've loved about the league so far is the amount of speculation surrounding it, it probably just sounds like I'm being a fanboy. You could accuse me of that, and I guess it wouldn't be unfair.
But I like to think about the future. Not just the things that get tossed around on the UFL Access forums, like where the expansion teams will be, what big names might get signed, or what unknowns might rise out of the murky depths of free agency. These are all well and good, but I'm thinking in different directions.
For example, I wonder when we'll begin seeing fans in "enemy" markets. Right now, a Colonials fan makes sense in Connecticut. Massachusetts? Sure. And fans may begin to trickle in from other New England states as the team gets more and more press. But how about a Colonials fan in...dun dun dun...Omaha? Or vice versa? Come to think of it, that's probably more likely. If Omaha's fan base continues to grow as it has (last I checked they were sniffing 15,000 fans on Facebook) and if they keep playing at a high level, I could see them becoming the Dallas Cowboys of the league--which ultimately means that their fans would become insufferable. No offense. For now, I'm sure there are already a few UFL fans in markets that will soon have teams, like Virginia for instance. So what might, say, a Tusker fan in that area do? Sometimes life throws you hard decisions.
Other than that, I like to think about what a UFL video game would be like. Electronic Arts' "Madden" series has completely dominated the simulationist category for years, and shows no signs of slowing down. I haven't been a huge gamer since my teenage years, but to my knowledge, there isn't currently a big name, arcade-style football game out there. Or at least one that could compare with the world champion of football games, Tecmo Super Bowl. Who out there didn't love seeing Vinny Testaverde hurl a ninety-nine yard touchdown pass, or running Barry Sanders down the field, and then back to the line of scrimmage, and then back again in a five minute TD run? The over-the-top, big plays, cool music and colorful graphics were a twitch gamer's dream. I play and like Madden, but I think it's telling that people still think back on a twenty-year-old game so fondly, and I think that when the times comes, the UFL would be smart to pounce on that market.
It could be years before we see fan bases in opposing markets, or before the Colonials grace the cover of a PS3 game case, but it's fun to think about.
But I like to think about the future. Not just the things that get tossed around on the UFL Access forums, like where the expansion teams will be, what big names might get signed, or what unknowns might rise out of the murky depths of free agency. These are all well and good, but I'm thinking in different directions.
For example, I wonder when we'll begin seeing fans in "enemy" markets. Right now, a Colonials fan makes sense in Connecticut. Massachusetts? Sure. And fans may begin to trickle in from other New England states as the team gets more and more press. But how about a Colonials fan in...dun dun dun...Omaha? Or vice versa? Come to think of it, that's probably more likely. If Omaha's fan base continues to grow as it has (last I checked they were sniffing 15,000 fans on Facebook) and if they keep playing at a high level, I could see them becoming the Dallas Cowboys of the league--which ultimately means that their fans would become insufferable. No offense. For now, I'm sure there are already a few UFL fans in markets that will soon have teams, like Virginia for instance. So what might, say, a Tusker fan in that area do? Sometimes life throws you hard decisions.
Other than that, I like to think about what a UFL video game would be like. Electronic Arts' "Madden" series has completely dominated the simulationist category for years, and shows no signs of slowing down. I haven't been a huge gamer since my teenage years, but to my knowledge, there isn't currently a big name, arcade-style football game out there. Or at least one that could compare with the world champion of football games, Tecmo Super Bowl. Who out there didn't love seeing Vinny Testaverde hurl a ninety-nine yard touchdown pass, or running Barry Sanders down the field, and then back to the line of scrimmage, and then back again in a five minute TD run? The over-the-top, big plays, cool music and colorful graphics were a twitch gamer's dream. I play and like Madden, but I think it's telling that people still think back on a twenty-year-old game so fondly, and I think that when the times comes, the UFL would be smart to pounce on that market.
It could be years before we see fan bases in opposing markets, or before the Colonials grace the cover of a PS3 game case, but it's fun to think about.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Pack it up, Pack it in
Let me begin by saying that while we Hartford Colonials fans can comfort ourselves with the notion that our losses have generally been close ones, there comes a point where you have to wonder why these were not close wins. Cite all the flukes you want; Mehlhaff's missed extra point, the snap-fumble by Gray against Omaha, or the wind at Sammy Boyd, but the simple fact is this: if you want to win a championship, you can't leave yourself in a position where any of your games can be decided on a single play.
It's interesting to look at the statistics through week five . With the season half over and every team having been in four games, patterns are beginning to crystallize. Offensively, Hartford lead in yardage and yards per game. Josh McCown was still the league's highest-rated passer. Defensively, Hartford had given up the fewest rushing and passing yards per game. Wherein like the problems?
Defense: One thing that sticks out is--again, as of week five--Hartford's defense has never failed to give up points in the red zone. Of sixteen trips past the twenty-yard line, Colonials' opponents have scored nine touchdowns and six field goals. The team apparently know what it's doing between the 20's, but struggles when the field gets short. Compounding matters is the low number of turnovers that the team has forced; only two interceptions and three fumbles. And n that span the Colonial's pass rush has generate only four sacks. Overall, this paints a picture of a defense that is solid across the board, but with little to no ability to deliver the knockout punch. It seems that offenses have realized this and are capitalizing on it.
Take a look at the Las Vegas game this past Saturday as proof. Hartford faced a young, unproven quarterback in Drew Willy. Willy carved up the Colonials' secondary on short and intermediate routes all day. Defensive backs were playing far off of their receivers, leaving the Locos offense with modest gains every time Willy dropped back to pass. The run defense on Saturday was hit-or-miss, with DeDe Dorsey (can we just call him "3D?") alternately being stuffed in the backfield and breaking long gains.
Offense: Offensive lineman are a tough breed to find; there are only so many 6'5, 300 pound athletes out there. In a sport where that talent is tough to find, sadly, the Colonials have had to make due with a group of questionable talent. Pushing the issue is the simple fact that--and by no means is this peculiar to the Colonials--the line has had very little time to gel.
You'd be crazy to argue that the team doesn't have enough playmakers on offense. Lorenzo Booker makes opposing defenses look foolish and has more burst than the Fourth of July. Patrick Carter is a good deep threat, and Markee White has decent hands. McCown is a very accurate passer, but he has a fatal flaw which, unfortunately, is exacerbated by a porous line. That problem is that McCown will throw the ball into traffic before he'll throw it away. His receivers aren't getting enough time to get open before the ball comes out. This is as much on our star QB as it is on the line. It's a bad habit too easily exploited by a weak front five, and defenses have exploited it.
I would also think that by now the Ryan Perriloux experiment should be over. Too often, Perrilloux is brought in only for handoffs. it may have worked (or at least not been a hindrance) for the first two games this season, when teams didn't know what to expect from the rotation, but it has become stale and predictable.
Special Teams: Little to say here. I still have faith in Mehlhaff despite the botched extra point, and the field goal this past Saturday was problematic. We need better returners than Steptoe and Lawson, who have seven yards per punt return and 18.1 per kick return, respectively.
So am I being a pessimist by saying that the season is over? I'd argue that I'm being a realist. A 1-4 team is about as likely to win the UFL championship as a 2-8 team is to win the Superbowl. In any case, my spirits are still high. I've always loved rooting for the underdog.
It's interesting to look at the statistics through week five . With the season half over and every team having been in four games, patterns are beginning to crystallize. Offensively, Hartford lead in yardage and yards per game. Josh McCown was still the league's highest-rated passer. Defensively, Hartford had given up the fewest rushing and passing yards per game. Wherein like the problems?
Defense: One thing that sticks out is--again, as of week five--Hartford's defense has never failed to give up points in the red zone. Of sixteen trips past the twenty-yard line, Colonials' opponents have scored nine touchdowns and six field goals. The team apparently know what it's doing between the 20's, but struggles when the field gets short. Compounding matters is the low number of turnovers that the team has forced; only two interceptions and three fumbles. And n that span the Colonial's pass rush has generate only four sacks. Overall, this paints a picture of a defense that is solid across the board, but with little to no ability to deliver the knockout punch. It seems that offenses have realized this and are capitalizing on it.
Take a look at the Las Vegas game this past Saturday as proof. Hartford faced a young, unproven quarterback in Drew Willy. Willy carved up the Colonials' secondary on short and intermediate routes all day. Defensive backs were playing far off of their receivers, leaving the Locos offense with modest gains every time Willy dropped back to pass. The run defense on Saturday was hit-or-miss, with DeDe Dorsey (can we just call him "3D?") alternately being stuffed in the backfield and breaking long gains.
Offense: Offensive lineman are a tough breed to find; there are only so many 6'5, 300 pound athletes out there. In a sport where that talent is tough to find, sadly, the Colonials have had to make due with a group of questionable talent. Pushing the issue is the simple fact that--and by no means is this peculiar to the Colonials--the line has had very little time to gel.
You'd be crazy to argue that the team doesn't have enough playmakers on offense. Lorenzo Booker makes opposing defenses look foolish and has more burst than the Fourth of July. Patrick Carter is a good deep threat, and Markee White has decent hands. McCown is a very accurate passer, but he has a fatal flaw which, unfortunately, is exacerbated by a porous line. That problem is that McCown will throw the ball into traffic before he'll throw it away. His receivers aren't getting enough time to get open before the ball comes out. This is as much on our star QB as it is on the line. It's a bad habit too easily exploited by a weak front five, and defenses have exploited it.
I would also think that by now the Ryan Perriloux experiment should be over. Too often, Perrilloux is brought in only for handoffs. it may have worked (or at least not been a hindrance) for the first two games this season, when teams didn't know what to expect from the rotation, but it has become stale and predictable.
Special Teams: Little to say here. I still have faith in Mehlhaff despite the botched extra point, and the field goal this past Saturday was problematic. We need better returners than Steptoe and Lawson, who have seven yards per punt return and 18.1 per kick return, respectively.
So am I being a pessimist by saying that the season is over? I'd argue that I'm being a realist. A 1-4 team is about as likely to win the UFL championship as a 2-8 team is to win the Superbowl. In any case, my spirits are still high. I've always loved rooting for the underdog.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Beatpaths
If you weren't already aware, last night the Sacramento Mountain Lions faced off against the Florida Tuskers in Orlando. What's that? Yes this is the second post in a blog about the Hartford Colonials, so why, then, am I spending time on a game between two other teams?
I said it earlier and should reiterate: to be a fan of a UFL team is to be a fan of the league. Not only that, but with a mere five teams, the competition has been even more interesting. Every last team in the league either has faced Hartford or will in the future, and so every game can tell you a little but about the team you beat, or the team that beat you. Every game is important.
Prior to last night, the Mountain Lions shared the bottom of the UFL standings with the Colonials, with both teams sporting unflattering 1-3 records. The Mountain Lions were beaten decisively in the Colonials home opener by the score of 27-10, and were dominated in every phase of the game. They went on to lose two other games, and only narrowly pulled out a single victory against Florida (whom they've subsequently swept. Daunte Culpepper threw for four interceptions in Sactown's loss against the locomotives and looked washed up. But what does that all mean?
Apparently nothing. The Mountain Lions have twice rebounded for wins against a team that soundly defeated the Colonials in their first game. Apparently we still have no way of knowing just what every team is capable of. I'm not certain that any of them know yet either. Hartford beat a team that beat a team that beat Hartford. There's no way of knowing the outcome of any of these games.
Of course, I would argue that Hartford has beaten themselves as much as they've been beaten. I recall watching the Colonials first road game. I was absolutely elated in the third quarter. We not only had a football team in town, we had a damn good one. Then the fourth quarter happened, and all bets were off.
Penalties ruined the team's chances in Omaha, and penalties and turnovers have continued to dig huge holes that the team can't quite pick themselves out of. The comment I've heard, from more than one source, is "It looked like an entirely different team." I agree. The Hartford Colonials first seven quarters of football this year were impressive, and so I wonder, what happened? Was this a team without talent? Did they get lucky?
I sincerely doubt luck had anything to do with it. Take a look at Hartford's last game a home against Omaha. Both team's stats are nearly identical. Time of possession is within one minute. Total yardage is exactly the same. Penalties and penalty yardage are nearly the same. Third down conversions and percentage are nearly the same. What sticks out like a sore thumb is Hartford's four turnovers to Omaha's one. I think that bear's repeating. The Colonials turned the ball over four times as often as the Nighthawks, and still managed to stay within one score. It may sound ridiculous to say, but that doesn't suggest a lack of talent. If anything, it's amazing that the score wasn't higher. We can stay in the game despite mistakes, and might even still snatch a game or two away, but for the love of god, we can't win a championship playing like that.
The Colonials can join the Mountain Lions and Tuskers both in 2-3 Land. They did not beat a bad team on September 18th, but a competitive one. They lost to a competitive team. The talent levels in the UFL are apparently solid across the board. Winning games is going to be about taking those precious few opportunities the other guys will give you, and not giving them anything in return.
I said it earlier and should reiterate: to be a fan of a UFL team is to be a fan of the league. Not only that, but with a mere five teams, the competition has been even more interesting. Every last team in the league either has faced Hartford or will in the future, and so every game can tell you a little but about the team you beat, or the team that beat you. Every game is important.
Prior to last night, the Mountain Lions shared the bottom of the UFL standings with the Colonials, with both teams sporting unflattering 1-3 records. The Mountain Lions were beaten decisively in the Colonials home opener by the score of 27-10, and were dominated in every phase of the game. They went on to lose two other games, and only narrowly pulled out a single victory against Florida (whom they've subsequently swept. Daunte Culpepper threw for four interceptions in Sactown's loss against the locomotives and looked washed up. But what does that all mean?
Apparently nothing. The Mountain Lions have twice rebounded for wins against a team that soundly defeated the Colonials in their first game. Apparently we still have no way of knowing just what every team is capable of. I'm not certain that any of them know yet either. Hartford beat a team that beat a team that beat Hartford. There's no way of knowing the outcome of any of these games.
Of course, I would argue that Hartford has beaten themselves as much as they've been beaten. I recall watching the Colonials first road game. I was absolutely elated in the third quarter. We not only had a football team in town, we had a damn good one. Then the fourth quarter happened, and all bets were off.
Penalties ruined the team's chances in Omaha, and penalties and turnovers have continued to dig huge holes that the team can't quite pick themselves out of. The comment I've heard, from more than one source, is "It looked like an entirely different team." I agree. The Hartford Colonials first seven quarters of football this year were impressive, and so I wonder, what happened? Was this a team without talent? Did they get lucky?
I sincerely doubt luck had anything to do with it. Take a look at Hartford's last game a home against Omaha. Both team's stats are nearly identical. Time of possession is within one minute. Total yardage is exactly the same. Penalties and penalty yardage are nearly the same. Third down conversions and percentage are nearly the same. What sticks out like a sore thumb is Hartford's four turnovers to Omaha's one. I think that bear's repeating. The Colonials turned the ball over four times as often as the Nighthawks, and still managed to stay within one score. It may sound ridiculous to say, but that doesn't suggest a lack of talent. If anything, it's amazing that the score wasn't higher. We can stay in the game despite mistakes, and might even still snatch a game or two away, but for the love of god, we can't win a championship playing like that.
The Colonials can join the Mountain Lions and Tuskers both in 2-3 Land. They did not beat a bad team on September 18th, but a competitive one. They lost to a competitive team. The talent levels in the UFL are apparently solid across the board. Winning games is going to be about taking those precious few opportunities the other guys will give you, and not giving them anything in return.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The UFL: Marching Onward
They put a team in Hartford.
That was really all the United Football League had to do to gain my support. The team could have been the Hartford Hitlers; their symbol, a boot stomping a kitten, and I probably still would have been a fan. Months before the season opened I had declared that I’d be happy if the team—the former New York Sentinels, who went 0-6 last year— won just a single home game (I now retract that statement and hope for a more positive outcome on the season). I bought a pair of season tickets in May and I’m glad I did.
As a season ticket holder and a regular watcher of the UFL games (online, as the league streams all of its games through its own website) I have not been disappointed. The first half of the 2010 season is behind us, and I don’t think anybody could be disappointed by the product out there on the field. You’re not getting the NFL, no, but what you’re getting is close enough that any football fan should be happy. Big plays abound, such as Lorenzo Booker’s eighty-yard touchdown reception in week one, or the Tim Rattay to (wide receiver) Tab Perry to DeDe Dorsey trick throw in week four, that went for sixty yards and nearly netted the Las Vegas Locomotives a touchdown. Gameday atmosphere at Rentschler field has been great, with cheerleaders and Revolutionary War re-enactors mingling with the tailgating fans before the game.
The big question mark is now not if the team is any good (as of week five, Hartford has proven they have the talent, though perhaps not the discipline) but can the UFL succeed. I think that for now, to be a fan of any UFL team is also to be a fan of the league. Connecticutians have to support the Colonials—Connecticut’s only pro sport’s team—under the assumption that the entire organization isn’t just going to just fold up and disappear. It’s a bit of a catch twenty-two for the average fan: you don’t want to get behind a team that may not be there next year, and yet, if you don’t get behind them, you may actually be the cause of the problem. So I root not only for the Colonials, but for the success of the league itself. So while I feel like a schill saying this, plunk down fifteen bucks and catch the team’s last home game against the Locomotives in November, or at least check out the team’s away games online at www.ufl-football.com. You’re bound to see a great game, and years from now you can tell your bandwagoning friends that you were a fan way back when.
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