Liberty Defeat Legion in the Coliseum
By Phil E. Chezestake
With a somber defeat behind them, the Philadelphia Liberty were hoping to keep their playoff dreams alive as they headed to Las Vegas to face the Legion. The loss against the Yellowknife Wraiths put the Liberty in a tough position as the two teams are currently vying for a playoff spot and both are closely ranked in standings to make it there. For the Liberty, they needed to win this game to keep their playoff momentum going as they head down the final stretch of the season. Despite having the worst record of the season, the Las Vegas Legion looked impressive in their victory over the San Jose SaberCats last week and has shown that they may not make the playoffs, but will play with heart and spirit before you can count them out. The Liberty weren’t looking great in the first half of this game as the Legion took a 13-7 lead at the half, but the Liberty came out swinging in the second half of the game to secure a 33-20 victory.
What Went Well?
Stephen Harris redeemed himself this game going 4 for 4 on field goals to keep the Liberty offense from becoming stale. It seems that special teams coach Andy Jackson needed to make some major changes this week to salvage his job after last week’s fiasco and it’s proven successful against the Legion. The offense was able to get Harris within 25 yards for 3 of his attempts and he was also successful on a 43 yard field goal late in the third quarter.
Fox North and Damien Kroetch each had 5 receptions with North scoring the first Liberty points off a touchdown in the second quarter. North and Kroetch averaged 19.6 and 11.2 yards respectively. Tight end Paul DiMirio had the most receptions this game with 8 for 77 yards and 1 touchdown. He also managed to get 2 pancakes and continues to showcase his multidimensional capabilities.
Luke Washington came through strong for the Liberty defense with 11 tackles and 1 sack as the Legion offensive line gave up a total of 4 sacks this game. A.C. Hackett, William Ridley, and Drew Davidson all took Legion quarterback Josh Bercovici to sack city this game. The Liberty defense continues to develop with each game and is already considered one of the most improved defenses in the league this season. Losing Eli Kamaka to the offensive line hasn’t seemed to impact their stalwartness so far.
What Didn’t Go Well?
Just when we thought there was a glimmer of hope that Clifford Rove could go a whole game without an interception, he throws 2 against the Legion. He didn’t have an awful game, but only finished with a 75.6 passer rating on 22/37 completions/attempts for 253 yards. This wasn’t Rove’s best game, but certainly not his worst.
The Liberty offensive line woes have sounded like a broken record player this season. They now lead the league in sacks allowed and gave up 5 sacks against the Legion. Eli Kamaka, Sammy Walters, Adam Bennett, and Paul DiMirio all gave up at least 1 sack this game. The Liberty need to aim for a maximum of 3 sacks allowed per game if they hope to compete for the Ultimus this season. Offensive coach Frank Pierce may be out of a job this season if the offensive line doesn’t improve.
Liberty Impact Player of the Game
This week’s Liberty Impact Player of the Game goes to tight end Paul DiMirio (@124715). The season 2 best TE finalist had a great game against the Legion with the most passes caught this game, a touchdown, and 2 pancakes. He’s the Swiss Army knife that the Liberty has relied on for any task on offense and should continue to put up notable numbers as the season progresses.
Next Game
At home against the Orange County Otters at Taco Bell Stadium
GRADED
By Phil E. Chezestake
With a somber defeat behind them, the Philadelphia Liberty were hoping to keep their playoff dreams alive as they headed to Las Vegas to face the Legion. The loss against the Yellowknife Wraiths put the Liberty in a tough position as the two teams are currently vying for a playoff spot and both are closely ranked in standings to make it there. For the Liberty, they needed to win this game to keep their playoff momentum going as they head down the final stretch of the season. Despite having the worst record of the season, the Las Vegas Legion looked impressive in their victory over the San Jose SaberCats last week and has shown that they may not make the playoffs, but will play with heart and spirit before you can count them out. The Liberty weren’t looking great in the first half of this game as the Legion took a 13-7 lead at the half, but the Liberty came out swinging in the second half of the game to secure a 33-20 victory.
What Went Well?
Stephen Harris redeemed himself this game going 4 for 4 on field goals to keep the Liberty offense from becoming stale. It seems that special teams coach Andy Jackson needed to make some major changes this week to salvage his job after last week’s fiasco and it’s proven successful against the Legion. The offense was able to get Harris within 25 yards for 3 of his attempts and he was also successful on a 43 yard field goal late in the third quarter.
Fox North and Damien Kroetch each had 5 receptions with North scoring the first Liberty points off a touchdown in the second quarter. North and Kroetch averaged 19.6 and 11.2 yards respectively. Tight end Paul DiMirio had the most receptions this game with 8 for 77 yards and 1 touchdown. He also managed to get 2 pancakes and continues to showcase his multidimensional capabilities.
Luke Washington came through strong for the Liberty defense with 11 tackles and 1 sack as the Legion offensive line gave up a total of 4 sacks this game. A.C. Hackett, William Ridley, and Drew Davidson all took Legion quarterback Josh Bercovici to sack city this game. The Liberty defense continues to develop with each game and is already considered one of the most improved defenses in the league this season. Losing Eli Kamaka to the offensive line hasn’t seemed to impact their stalwartness so far.
What Didn’t Go Well?
Just when we thought there was a glimmer of hope that Clifford Rove could go a whole game without an interception, he throws 2 against the Legion. He didn’t have an awful game, but only finished with a 75.6 passer rating on 22/37 completions/attempts for 253 yards. This wasn’t Rove’s best game, but certainly not his worst.
The Liberty offensive line woes have sounded like a broken record player this season. They now lead the league in sacks allowed and gave up 5 sacks against the Legion. Eli Kamaka, Sammy Walters, Adam Bennett, and Paul DiMirio all gave up at least 1 sack this game. The Liberty need to aim for a maximum of 3 sacks allowed per game if they hope to compete for the Ultimus this season. Offensive coach Frank Pierce may be out of a job this season if the offensive line doesn’t improve.
Liberty Impact Player of the Game This week’s Liberty Impact Player of the Game goes to tight end Paul DiMirio (@124715). The season 2 best TE finalist had a great game against the Legion with the most passes caught this game, a touchdown, and 2 pancakes. He’s the Swiss Army knife that the Liberty has relied on for any task on offense and should continue to put up notable numbers as the season progresses.
Next Game
At home against the Orange County Otters at Taco Bell Stadium
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GRADED
