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Demons QB
Mike Pawlawski
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The Demons head into Orlando this Saturday (8 p.m. EDT on NBC) in the first playoff
semifinal game. The Demons finished the season in second place in the West Division with a
5-5 record. The Rage finished first in the East Division with an 8-2 record. What follows
is a breakdown of the matchups by position.
Quarterbacks
Rage QB Brian Kuklick vs. Demons QB Mike Pawlawski
Kuklick has filled in nicely since the Rage lost Jeff Brohm for the season in Week
Seven, but clearly Kuklick is not the player Brohm had been for Orlando. Pawlawski has
been very solid, when healthy, and he is one of the hearts of the team.
Edge: San Francisco
Running backs
Rage RBs Derrick Clark, Michael Black and Brian Shay vs. Demons RBs Terry Battle and
Juan Johnson
The Rage and the Demons both seem to be pass-first offenses, though Orlando tends to
use its backs in the red zone more often. Evidence of that comes from Rage RB Derrick
Clark’s league-leading seven touchdowns. Brian Shay, who’s listed as probable
for the game, has provided an occasional spark out of the backfield and on special teams.
Demons RBs Terry Battle and Juan Johnson aren’t used as rushers very often but play a
key part in the passing game via the screen pass.
Edge: Orlando
Receivers
Rage WRs Dialleo Burks, Mario Bailey and Kevin Swayne vs. Demons WRs Brian Roberson,
Jimmy "The Jet" Cunningham and James Hundon
The Demons have some very solid receivers who are definite scoring threats. The Rage
receivers are big-play threats across the board. The difference between the two groups had
been the ability to get down the field. San Francisco tends not to take as many shots down
the field as Orlando. But any of these receivers could bust out and lead his team.
Edge: Even
Offensive linemen
Both teams’ offensive lines have done a very good job protecting their
quarterbacks and haven’t been asked to run-block as much as some of the other
offensive lines in the league. They’ve been effective and have given their
quarterbacks plenty of time, in most cases. Of course, in a league such as this, the
"no-names" are the guys on the offensive line, which makes it tough to give one
the edge.
Edge: Even
Defensive linemen and linebackers
Demons DL Eric England leads his team with six sacks on a line that has wreaked havoc
upon its opponents. The Demons have the second-toughest pass defense, in part because of
the pressure their line provides. While the Rage do have several players among the top 10
in tackles in the league (LB James Burgess lead the team with 57), they don’t
pressure the quarterback as well as other teams.
Edge: San Francisco
Defensive backs
With the Rage’s big-play ability, the Demons seem as though they could be in deep
trouble this week. The Demons have given up four touchdowns of 40 yards or longer this
season, but the last big play of that magnitude was given up in Week Six. Since then, San
Francisco hasn’t given up a touchdown of more than 18 yards. Orlando’s defensive
backs have created some turnover opportunities and have quietly done their job. Their
second-best tackler, Cory Gilliard, is in the secondary, but that’s not a good sign
of what’s in front of him.
Edge: San Francisco
Special teams
Both sides have a return touchdown, and both have a very, very dangerous return man.
For Orlando, Brian Shay already has a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and is very
elusive. San Francisco has Jimmy "The Jet" Cunningham returning punts, and he
has a 63-yard punt-return touchdown.
Edge: Even
Head coach and intangibles
Rage head coach Galen Hall and Demons head coach Jim Skipper have both done fine jobs
with their squads. Both had to convince a backup quarterback that he could fill in while
the starter was out injured, and they did just fine. If it came down to the coaching
alone, this category would be a tie. But Orlando has the home-field advantage, which,
against San Francisco, could mean a lot. The Demons already lost to the Rage in the
regular season at the Citrus Bowl, 26-14, in Week Two.
Edge: Orlando
Summary
I think this will turn into a shootout. Both teams are very geared toward the pass, and
while the Demons’ pass defense has done well of late, nothing seems certain in this
league. The Rage have the best record in the league but have lost two of their last four,
both losses coming against playoff teams (L.A. and Chicago). The Demons have seesawed
between wins and losses this year, their biggest win-loss streak being two games. Despite
their pass-first mentality, the Demons are averaging just 15.6 points per game. Orlando is
averaging 21.3 points. If the Demons get the ball first, look for them to try to take the
crowd out of the game early. If they can keep the crowd quiet and pressure Kuklick into
making mistakes, they’ll win. If Orlando gets the ball first, don’t be surprised
to see the Rage test the Demons’ secondary early. If Kuklick can get the protection
he needs to take advantage of soft deep coverages, Orlando could jump out to an early lead
and put the Demons away early. The Demons’ hopes, whether ahead or behind during this
game, will rest on the shoulders of Pawlawski. If both he and Kuklick are on target,
expect an exciting, pass-happy bonanza.
These two similar teams will battle in Orlando, where the Rage beat the Demons 26-14 in
Week Two. Both teams have very solid passing games and just average running games. The
defenses are pretty good, but I’m not sure the Demons’ defense is better than
the Orlando offense, with or without Jeff Brohm. Orlando wins a shootout.
You can e-mail Andy Hanacek at: ahanacek@primediasi.com |
