Avengers Survive Against Rush, 55-47

Through most of Saturday’s game, the Avengers and the Chicago Rush figuratively traded blows and waited for the other team to quit.

Neither did. In the end, Los Angeles was the survivor--and the winner--over Chicago, 55-47, before 8,476 at Staples Center, the Avengers’ largest home crowd of the season.

Both teams are 5-6, although Chicago has lost three consecutive.

The 55 were the most points scored by the Avengers this season, and they needed every one of them to win for the fifth time in their last six games.

J.J. Washington’s third touchdown reception, on a 43-yard pass from Todd Marinovich with 3:28 to play, was the difference. Avenger kicker Brian Reaves could have iced the game with 26 seconds left, but missed a 31-yard field goal.

That gave Rush quarterback Billy Dicken one final chance. He took Chicago to the Avenger six-yard line. But on the game’s final play, Dicken scrambled and was tackled by Carlos Fowler one yard short of the goal line.

The Avengers kept their playoff hopes alive, but the three teams--Detroit, Toronto and New York--competing with them for the final spot all won Saturday.

“Tonight was a playoff game as far as I was concerned,” Avenger Coach Robert Lyles said. “We have to finish the season strong. We really need to win the last three.”

Marinovich passed for 240 yards and five touchdowns, but was intercepted three times.

Each quarterback had an interception returned for a touchdown. Mark Ricks returned one 47 yards for an Avenger touchdown in the third quarter. It was his seventh career interception for a touchdown, breaking the league record he shared with Arizona’s Hunkie Cooper.