Liberty Ties SaberCats in Overtime
By Phil E. Chezestake
The Philadelphia Liberty had full confidence that they would proclaim victory going into week 3 against the San Jose SaberCats coming off a competitive game against the defending champions. The first of their back to back road game series, the Liberty traveled to San Jose with an improved defense and confident quarterback in Clifford Rove. This back and forth game saw the Liberty come close to victory again, only to have the SaberCats come back in the third and fourth quarters to tie up the game. Both teams were unable to score in overtime and the game resulted in a 21-21 end.
What Went Well?
Clifford Rove had his best game yet as a member of the Liberty offensive squad. He had 306 yards passing with 28/45 completion/attempts. He even scored a touchdown late in the second quarter off a 1 yard rush. Rove will continue to have the spotlight on him as the season progresses and he’s shown that he’s not one to shy away from the attention. He has heeded the bell and is firing successful passes at a decent rate thus far.
Omar Wright protected the ball well this game as he rushed 82 yards to earn a touchdown for the Liberty. Wright had a subpar performance in week 2 with two crucial fumbles against the Arizona Outlaws, but he redeemed himself this game averaging 2.7 yards a carry. The Liberty offense doesn’t rush as often as some of their NSFC counterparts, but will look to Wright to be the playmaker in these situations. You can guarantee that any run play will involve Wright in this season’s offensive scheme.
The Liberty defense continues to impress as armored stalwarts Lincoln Jefferson and Luke Washington led the team with 11 tackles and 9 tackles respectively. The standout defensive player this game was linebacker William Ridley. The ‘Iron Horse’ showcased his athletic ability on defense with 8 tackles, 2 tackles for losses, 1 sack, and 1 pass deflection. Overall, the entire defense played well as Drew Davidson, A.C. Hackett, Vikian Marmeladov, and Mark Ramrio contributed 6 tackles each.
What Didn’t Go Well?
Despite having his best offensive game, Rove threw three interceptions with two leading into SaberCats touchdowns and one field goal late in the fourth quarter. Rove will need continue to develop his vision and feel for the game, but he will also require work to make better decisions down the stretch to prevent precarious scoring opportunities for future opponents. These interceptions were costly and allowed the SaberCats to claw their way back into this game, even getting a 2 point conversion early in the fourth quarter. This might be a common theme for the Liberty offense as the season progresses.
The Liberty offense continues to struggle. Both team's stats are nearly identical in this game and had the Liberty turned over the ball less (five total) or didn’t fumble twice this may have been an entirely different ball game. The Liberty were lucky to squeak out a tie since SaberCats kicker Iyah Blewitt missed the 35 yard field goal at the end of overtime.
Liberty Impact Player of the Game
This week’s Liberty Impact Player of the Game goes to running back Omar Wright @`xdave2456`. He redeemed himself after a rough week 2 game and scored a touchdown in the second quarter. In addition to the stats mentioned above, he also had 2 receptions for 12 yards. Philadelphia Liberty fans look forward to seeing the running back improve and (hopefully) rush the team to victory!
Next Game
On the road against the Baltimore Hawks at the Aviary
GRADED
By Phil E. Chezestake
The Philadelphia Liberty had full confidence that they would proclaim victory going into week 3 against the San Jose SaberCats coming off a competitive game against the defending champions. The first of their back to back road game series, the Liberty traveled to San Jose with an improved defense and confident quarterback in Clifford Rove. This back and forth game saw the Liberty come close to victory again, only to have the SaberCats come back in the third and fourth quarters to tie up the game. Both teams were unable to score in overtime and the game resulted in a 21-21 end.
What Went Well?
Clifford Rove had his best game yet as a member of the Liberty offensive squad. He had 306 yards passing with 28/45 completion/attempts. He even scored a touchdown late in the second quarter off a 1 yard rush. Rove will continue to have the spotlight on him as the season progresses and he’s shown that he’s not one to shy away from the attention. He has heeded the bell and is firing successful passes at a decent rate thus far.
Omar Wright protected the ball well this game as he rushed 82 yards to earn a touchdown for the Liberty. Wright had a subpar performance in week 2 with two crucial fumbles against the Arizona Outlaws, but he redeemed himself this game averaging 2.7 yards a carry. The Liberty offense doesn’t rush as often as some of their NSFC counterparts, but will look to Wright to be the playmaker in these situations. You can guarantee that any run play will involve Wright in this season’s offensive scheme.
The Liberty defense continues to impress as armored stalwarts Lincoln Jefferson and Luke Washington led the team with 11 tackles and 9 tackles respectively. The standout defensive player this game was linebacker William Ridley. The ‘Iron Horse’ showcased his athletic ability on defense with 8 tackles, 2 tackles for losses, 1 sack, and 1 pass deflection. Overall, the entire defense played well as Drew Davidson, A.C. Hackett, Vikian Marmeladov, and Mark Ramrio contributed 6 tackles each.
What Didn’t Go Well?
Despite having his best offensive game, Rove threw three interceptions with two leading into SaberCats touchdowns and one field goal late in the fourth quarter. Rove will need continue to develop his vision and feel for the game, but he will also require work to make better decisions down the stretch to prevent precarious scoring opportunities for future opponents. These interceptions were costly and allowed the SaberCats to claw their way back into this game, even getting a 2 point conversion early in the fourth quarter. This might be a common theme for the Liberty offense as the season progresses.
The Liberty offense continues to struggle. Both team's stats are nearly identical in this game and had the Liberty turned over the ball less (five total) or didn’t fumble twice this may have been an entirely different ball game. The Liberty were lucky to squeak out a tie since SaberCats kicker Iyah Blewitt missed the 35 yard field goal at the end of overtime.
Liberty Impact Player of the Game This week’s Liberty Impact Player of the Game goes to running back Omar Wright @`xdave2456`. He redeemed himself after a rough week 2 game and scored a touchdown in the second quarter. In addition to the stats mentioned above, he also had 2 receptions for 12 yards. Philadelphia Liberty fans look forward to seeing the running back improve and (hopefully) rush the team to victory!
Next Game
On the road against the Baltimore Hawks at the Aviary
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GRADED
