Jackson has huge game for the Soul

It’s not as if the Avengers didn’t know what Chris Jackson could do to an opponent. Jackson played for the Avengers for five seasons and caught 157 touchdown passes.

What really killed the Avengers on Thursday was their own mistakes, and maybe the fatigue of playing three games in 11 days.

Jackson caught six touchdown passes for Philadelphia on Thursday, the Avengers’ offense gave up 16 second-half points, and the Soul scored a 71-34 Arena Football League victory.

Jackson left in 2005 via free agency, but he played Thursday as if he never left the Staples Center carpet.

Jackson caught 10passes for 167 yards, including touchdowns of 23, 22, 28, five, 15 and 30 yards, as the Soul (4-0) remained the league’s highest-scoring team.

It was a successful debut for Matt D’Orazio, who replaced quarterback Tony Graziani in the Philadelphia lineup because of the latter’s knee injury.

Although he missed on eight of nine passes at one point, D’Orazio – who led Chicago to the championship in 2007 – completed 28 of 42 passes for 338 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns.

It was the third game in 11 days for the Avengers (2-2) but first at home. They were beaten Saturday, 58-34, at Georgia.

The second half was completely different from the first.

Philadelphia led, 34-27, going into the third quarter.

After trading scores, Gabe Nyenhuis recovered Avengers quarterback Sonny Cumbie’s fumble in the end zone for a gift touchdown with 3:41 left to give Philadelphia a 48-34 lead, and Cumbie’s fumble out of the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter for a safety extended Philadelphia’s lead to 50-34.

Bryan Save returned a fumble five yards for another score in the final minute.

martin.henderson@latimes.com