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Game 10: April 7, 2001
Memphis Maniax at Las Vegas Outlaws |
>> Game
Stats | Game
Boxscore
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SUMMARY
 This
was an absolutely pathetic way for the Outlaws to close the season,
and a slap in the face to all the loyal Las Vegas fans who helped
the team garner the #2 overall media market. Once again the offensive
line was simply OFFENSIVE and horrible; only 26 total rushing yards
were posted on a rainy, sloppy, dreary day. The passing game kept
giving glimmers of hope, with QB Mark Grieb at the helm, but failed
when it really counted as Grieb threw 2 hope-crushing interceptions,
and the best the Outlaws could do was a single field goal by K Paul
McCallum in the second quarter.
While the Outlaws' Offense was simply pathetic, the Defense held
their own and the Special Teams provided the bulk of the work. K
Paul McCallum had 7 punts (!) totalling 252 yards and a 36.0 yard
average per punt, and was 1/1 on field goal attempts. The Special
Teams unit blocked a Memphis field goal attempt late in the 4th
Quarter, but the Las Vegas Offense promptly pissed that opportunity
away by turning the ball over on downs after driving 42 yars into
Maniax territory.
OUTLAWS GRADES:
OFFENSE: F
The Outlaws offense, or lack of it, is pretty much summed up in
the Summary above. NO run-blocking AT ALL, very poor pass protection,
stupid mistakes resulting in drive-killing penalties, all combined
to completely eliminate any hope the Outlaws might have had of finishing
the season at .500. AWFUL, simply AWFUL!
DEFENSE: B-
The defense could have done a better job, but they consistently
had to go right back out on to the field after forcing a Memphis
stop; they did the best they could in spite of the difficult circumstances
forced on them by the Las Vegas offense.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A
The special teams unit worked their butts off in this game, and
did well in spite of it. Coverage was very good, and while kick/punt
returns could have been better, the field was soaking wet and very
sloppy, so in spite of this they did a good job. They were 1/1 on
field goals and blocked a Memphis field goal try.
COACHING:
B
What else could they do? As in the previous game against San Francisco
Demons, the coaches tried their hardest to motivate the players,
but the message was completely lost on the offense.
ANALYSIS
This game was supposed to be the crowning affair for an Outlaws
post-season run, being able to close out their inaugural season
at home. Instead, it was a miserable time, with the offensive players
already having hung up their cleats for next year (if there is a
next year). Fans braved the rainy weather & cold only to be
sorely disappointed by their Outlaws, with the exception of the
Defense & Special Teams. Ah, if only the Defense could have
scored! The only silver lining to this abysmal affair was that the
Maniax were already eliminated from post-season play, so their victory
was a meaningless one.
Interestingly, the league announced the playoff scheme would be
as follows: the #1 East team hosts the #2 West team, and the #1
West team would host the #2 East team. However, this defeats the
purpose of the April 21 Championship game (“The Big Game At The
End”) being the Best of the West vs. the Best of the East. For example,
if that playoff scheme results in the Rage hosting the Demons, if
the Demons happen to win, as well as the Xtreme beating the #2 East
team, then that would mean the Xtreme hosting the Demons for the
Championship! It would seem more likely that the #1 West team hosts
the #2 West team, and the #1 East team hosts the #2 East team for
the first round of the playoffs; this way the spirit & intent
of the Championship game is preserved. I just don't see the point
in NOT having the Championship game feature the Best of the East
vs the Best of the West; this potentially alienates the eastern
& Midwest fans. |
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