|
|
 |
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- A pair of teams that staggered into the postseason square off as the fifth-seeded Indiana Firebirds visit the fourth-seeded Tampa Bay Storm. At one point, Indiana was 7-2 and shared first place in the Central Division with Grand Rapids. But the Firebirds finished the regular season with a 2-3 record, including a loss at Detroit in the regular-season finale, eliminating any chance of a first-round bye and a home playoff game. Indiana is coming off a 58-41 victory over the Carolina Cobras in last week's opening round, the first time in six games it held an opponent under 49 points. The Firebirds outscored Carolina, 17-0, in the final quarter and used a courageous return by quarterback Raymond Philyaw, who suffered a mild concussion in the second quarter. Philyaw completed 16-of-30 passes for 213 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Carlos Brooks' 25-yard interception return for a touchdown with four seconds to go in the second half cut Indiana's lead to three and almost forced Philyaw to miss the rest of the game. During the return, Philyaw was hit away from the play and suffered a concussion. He returned midway through the third quarter, leading the Firebirds to victory. Indiana enters as the league's third-highest scoring team during the regular season, averaging 58.1 points per game, and is the third-most prolific offense in the league with 301.6 total yards per contest. The problem is on defense, where the Firebirds allow 51.2 points per game, tied for 12th in the league. They allow just under 284 total yards per game, 15th in the league. That may be a pefect fit for Tampa Bay, which had problems with its offense during the final weeks of the regular season. After winning its first seven games, the Storm stumbled to a 3-4 record the rest of the way and needed a three-point win over New Jersey in the regular season finale to secure their first-round bye last week. During a seven-game unbeaten streak at the beginning of the season, Tampa was averaging 58.5 points per game. Over its final seven games, that average dipped to 50.1. That included a 67-point performance against Florida in Week 11, followed by a 38-point performance versus Orlando six days later. After the eight-point loss to Orlando, the Storm came back and tied a season-high with 70 points against Houston. The inconsistency continued one week later as Tampa tied its season-low with 38 points against Nashville. Overall, Tampa Bay averages 54.3 points per game, good for sixth in the league, and allows just 43.8 points each game, second-best in the AFL. This is the 14th meeting between these two clubs and third in the postseason. The is the first meeting with the Firebirds hailing from Indiana. The franchise operated out of Albany, New York from 1990-2000. The Storm lead the all-time series, 8-5, but have lost the last two meetings.
|
