In the time slot that baffles everyone, the XFL
Million Dollar Game — the championship — takes place this Saturday (8 p.m. EDT
on NBC). But this is an XFL column, so we’ll ignore the fact that the 2001 NFL Draft
is the same day. The San Francisco Demons (5-5 regular season) knocked off the team with
the best regular-season record, the Orlando Rage (8-2), 26-25 in the first playoff
semifinal last week. The Xtreme (7-3) were able to shut down the Chicago Enforcers’
offense and RB Saladin McCullough had a field-day, leading to a 33-16 win in the other
semifinal. What follows is a breakdown of the matchups by position.
Quarterbacks
Xtreme QB Tommy Maddox vs. Demons QB Mike Pawlawski or QB Pat Barnes
No matter which quarterback San Francisco throws in, Maddox and the Xtreme still get
the edge here. That’s not to downplay the ability of the Demons’ passers,
it’s just that Maddox is that much better than any of the other quarterbacks in the
XFL. Pawlawski was a late-week scratch for the semifinal game, and Barnes stepped in and
played very well. It almost begs that Demons head coach Jim Skipper should leave Barnes at
the helm, for consistency’s sake. But if Pawlawski’s healthy, he’ll
probably be in there.
Edge: Los Angeles
Running backs
Xtreme RB Saladin McCullough vs. Demons RB Kelvin Anderson
McCullough had a breakout game, rushing for 164 yards and one touchdown against the
Enforcers, who weren’t expecting him to be featured as much. He won’t have the
benefit of surprise against the Demons, who will now balance their defensive attack to
account for him. It’s not likely he’ll duplicate those numbers in the Million
Dollar Game. Anderson has been a solid back for the Demons, but needs to have a breakout
game or two himself to be considered on the same level as McCullough.
Edge: Los Angeles
Receivers
Xtreme WRs Jeremaine Copeland, Darnell McDonald and Damon Gibson vs. Demons WRs
Brian Roberson, Jimmy "The Jet" Cunningham and James Hundon
The Xtreme didn’t feature its passing game as much against the Enforcers as it had
in its previous games. Expect the receivers’ involvement to increase this week,
especially in a game that could easily turn into a shootout (I sound like a broken record,
I know). Both receiving corps are very good and feature a good mix of styles. And both
corps benefit from strong-armed, accurate passers at the helm.
Edge: Even
Offensive linemen
The Xtreme’s offensive line did a fabulous job of run-blocking for McCullough last
week, and will have its hands full with a very good Demons’ front line this week. The
Demons’ offensive line has been solid in passing situations, but hasn’t given
its backs many holes to run through.
Edge: Los Angeles
Defensive linemen and linebackers
These two units are very good in different areas. Los Angeles proved last week that its
run defense is very solid, holding Enforcers RB John Avery, the league’s leading
rusher, in check. But a cotton ball could probably stop the Demons’ running game, so
the Xtreme are heavy in the wrong area here. San Francisco had the second-best pass
defense in the league in the regular season, and has been able to pressure opposing
quarterbacks consistently.
Edge: San Francisco
Defensive backs
Both of these units have gotten the job done lately. The Demons have been particularly
tough against the Xtreme’s offensive strength, the pass. But the big concern is the
big play and the fact that the Demons did allow the Rage to jump back into their semifinal
matchup.
Edge: Even
Special teams
Xtreme PK Jose Cortez continued to distance himself from the rest of the kickers in the
league last week, hitting on attempts of 31 and 48 yards, and not missing one attempt. San
Francisco’s return game, led by Cunningham, is very dangerous. But remember,
potential doesn’t win ballgames, production does.
Edge: Los Angeles
Head coach and intangibles
Xtreme head coach Al Luginbill has kept his players relaxed, yet motivated, and has
kept several potential ego problems early on from destroying the team. In fact, the egos
seem to complement each other now. Demons head coach Jim Skipper has his team flying high,
led by the defense and the thought that the passing game can click no matter which
quarterback is throwing the ball. The game will be played in Los Angeles Coliseum, where
the Xtreme are 5-1, including last week’s playoff game. The Xtreme beat the Demons at
the Coliseum 24-0 in Week 10, but the Demons won the first matchup, in Week One, on a
last-second field goal by PK Mike Panasuk. San Francisco is 3-3 on the road, including the
playoffs.
Edge: Los Angeles
Summary
If the Xtreme stick to their guns and follow their tempo and their gameplan, I think it
will have no trouble handling the Demons. The Demons must come out of the box with several
stops on defense to force their tempo. Both teams also must realize that no lead is safe,
no matter how big. Look for an up-tempo game if the Demons do force their tempo. The key
will be whether the Xtreme can keep up with San Francisco if the Demons’ passing game
gets hot. Typically they haven’t had a problem with modifying their gameplan to do
so, but they will be facing one of the top pass defenses in the league. If the Demons can
shut down Tommy Maddox and keep putting up points on their side of the scoreboard, they
could take this one away from Los Angeles.
Hanacek’s prediction
Los Angeles 36, San Francisco 15
You can e-mail Andy Hanacek at: ahanacek@primediasi.com |
