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*Philly Sports News - PDXBaller - 09-23-2017
Hawks Screech Louder Than Liberty Bell
By Phil E. Chezestake
The Philadelphia Liberty come off another close competitive game from week 3 against the San Jose SaberCats in their second road game. For week 4, they traveled to Baltimore to face the newly rebranded Hawks. The Liberty were once again ever so close to victory with a 10-6 lead entering the fourth quarter. The Hawks made a last push around the seven and half minute mark and the Philadelphia Liberty defense couldn’t stop them in the fourth quarter. For Liberty fans, this was a nail biter until the end as they held their breath, hoping and praying that the defense could stop the Hawk’s progression towards the end zone. Unfortunately, the Liberty would fall short again with a 13-10 loss and this brings their record to 0-3-1.
What Went Well?
Despite running out of steam in the fourth quarter, the Liberty defense played well through the first 3 quarters of the game. Although the Hawks were able to score two field goals in the first half of the game, the defense stopped them well and forced them into tough possessions every time. Luke Washington continues to illustrate why he’s one of the best defensive linebackers in the league with 10 tackles. William Ridley filled up the defensive stat sheet as well with another remarkable performance. The rest of the Liberty defense did a great job with pass deflections (4 total) this game and prevented the Hawks from scoring early.
Newly minted Liberty running back Kieran O’Connell made some great plays in this game. He rushed 16 yards for the Liberty’s only touchdown and even had a reception. O’Connell gives the Liberty some much needed assistance on the offensive line with decent pass/run blocking and the Liberty offense gained much success from his performance. Although many lauded the trade, O’Connell’s presence gives the offensive line some flexibility it never had.
What Didn’t Go Well?
As a quarterback, you will always be subject to criticism as the leader of the offense. Unfortunately for Clifford Rove, he’s taken a step back from progression in this game. Rove averaged 10.2 yards and 245 passing yards and he had a tough time against the Hawk defense. He connected well with fellow rookie Budda Browning for 6 receptions and was able to find Fox North for a total of 73 yards. Unfortunately, he threw two interceptions this game that negated some of that success. You can almost count on Rove throwing at least two interceptions a game given how frequently it’s occurring. The next game is at home against the Wraiths and this should give Rove the opportunity to rewind the tape and figure out what’s going wrong.
The Liberty offensive line could not hold up against the Hawk defense, allowing Rove to be sacked a total six times this game. Against one of better defenses in the league, the offensive line struggled to protect Rove as Bert Metas and “The Living Beefcake” Ricardo Sandoval sacked Rove three times between them. 7 penalties for a loss of 45 yards also played a significant factor in the Liberty’s downfall. These came at crucial times where the Liberty where in position to score and they will have to learn how to stay composed if they hope to win future games.
Liberty Impact Player of the Game This week’s Liberty Impact Player of the Game is “The Iron Horse” William Ridley (@MacTonight). He was a close candidate last week with a spectacular performance against the SaberCats. The linebacker rookie continues to impress as he fills up the defensive stat sheet. Against the Hawks, Ridley had 8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery. Ridley will be a candidate for defensive player of the year if he maintains this level of defensive performance.
Next Game
At home against the Yellowknife Wraiths at Taco Bell Stadium
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