AFL Playoffs

[superhornet]

Turn on ESPN2 RIGHT NOW. Otis Amey is kicking a$$ in the wild card round.

Gotta have SOMETHING decent happen; for their third year in a row, my favorite AFL coach, the immortal Danny White, has gone down in the first round. Amazing what he pulled this year, though: start 0-9, and then clinch the 4 seed. That's freaking AMAZING! Joe Germaine is doing some amazing things under White's tutelage.

Anyways, tune in Amy NOW. He's kicking Orlando's shell right now for Cleveland. Could be the first home team to win in the playoffs this year.

 

[superhornet]

At the one minute warning in the 4Q (actually, just less than 1 minute), Amey caught a bomb inside the 10 for a first and goal. This followed a crucial Orlando fumble in the red zone; the dude coughed up the ball with no Cleveland man on him. Cleveland got the TD on the next play with a zone running play.

BTW, word is that the immortal Danny White resigned today after three tough seasons in Utah. The Blaze started 0-9 following the temporary loss of QB Joe Germaine, but went on a furious tear to get the 4 seed before losing to 6-10 Colorado at home with a HORRIBLE 4Q. It seems as if the resignation caught the ownership by surprise; White was their first HC as an expansion team, but they made the playoffs every year despite losing records. Utah was one-and-done in the playoffs each year.

I'm at a loss here. White claimed that he wanted a break. There is no indication that this resignation was forced. Perhaps he's taking a sabbatical; he's way too young to retire as a coach; even with these losing seasons with an expansion team, White still has the AFL HOF on his resume. I'm thinking that either Arizona State or the Dallas Cowboys are next. Certainly, we'll see him in the future.

Back on topic: about 30 ticks left and Orlando has 1st and goal down 69-60.

 

[superhornet]

Orlando TD with 21 sescond left. Inexplicably, they went for 2 and missed. Cleveland with Fred Amey up 69-66. Onside kick expected.

I don't understand the conversion call. A FG following a successful onside kick would have won REGARDLESS of a 1 or 2 point conversion; now, a FG merely ties.

Amey recovers the onside. Now all Cleveland needs is two or three plays with forward progress to bleed clock; ORL only has one TO.

Ooh! CLE tailback just about blew the game with a fumble on a toss sweep play. Amey saved the day with the recovery.

 

[superhornet]

More drama. CLE QB Raymond Philyaw gets called for false start then throws two straight incompletions.

All for naught. Philyaw runs out the clock and chucks it out of bounds. First home win.

Next week, Otis Amey vs. National Conference #2 Georgia Force. The other National Conference game will include another Hornet, QB Aaron Garcia with the New York Dragons.