Lucas Makes Good Impression

Al Lucas wasted no time impressing his new employer.

The 6-foot-1, 300-pound lineman recorded a sack and generally disrupted the Arizona Rattlers’ entire offense in the Avengers’ 51-32 season-opening victory Sunday at Phoenix.

After a practice this week, Lucas said he was just getting started.

“You really can’t get into Arena shape until you’ve played your first, second and third game,” said Lucas, who played for ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay last season and signed a free-agent contract with the Avengers in October. “You just keep coming on, coming on and coming on and keep it rolling into the playoffs and, eventually, the ArenaBowl.”

Physical presence and attitude were the main reasons the Avengers and several other teams pursued Lucas after Tampa Bay defeated Arizona in the ArenaBowl. The Avengers made the playoffs in 2002 and 2003 but have yet to win a postseason game.

Lucas, who played in 20 games for the Carolina Panthers in 2001 and 2002, said Avenger players and front-office staff members impressed him during an off-season visit.

“I had better-money offers from teams like Las Vegas, San Jose and Tampa Bay,” Lucas said. “But when you look at an organization, sometimes you have to look past certain things.

“Everybody [with the Avengers] were pretty much up-front guys. That set them apart from everyone else.”

In the locker room after Sunday’s victory, Lucas was quick to point out that Avenger quarterback Tony Graziani was hit too many times. Lucas took part of the blame and said his blocking needed to improve for Saturday’s game at Las Vegas.

“We came in and corrected that,” he said Wednesday. “I feel it will be a different outcome, as far as the quarterback getting touched, on Saturday.”

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Linebacker Josh Jeffries is still getting acclimated to Los Angeles, but he adjusted without problems in his Arena Football League debut.

Jeffries had three tackles, including a sack and another for a loss, against Arizona.

Jeffries, who played in four exhibition games for the Tennessee Titans before the last NFL season, attended high school in Durham, N.C., and was a defensive end at Appalachian State.

“Appalachian State is like 13,000-14,000 kids, but the town is small,” said Jeffries, who is living in Marina del Rey. “In L.A., we probably have that many people in our apartment complex.”

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Defensive specialist Cornelius Coe signed with the Avengers in March 2003 and played in 11 games last season.

He had one of the Avengers’ franchise-record four interceptions against Arizona and expects to be on the receiving end of more errant passes because of the improved defensive line.

“Knowing you have some big dogs up in the front at the line takes the pressure off you in the back,” he said. “You can take more chances, read things a little more, and you can play a little bit more loose.”

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Lineman Jeremy Staat, who sprained a right knee ligament against Arizona, was put on the injured-reserve list and is expected to be out about four weeks.... The Avengers next play a Las Vegas team featuring quarterback Clint Dolezel, who is in his ninth Arena Football League season, his first with Las Vegas. Dolezel has passed for 490 touchdowns.... The Avengers have won nine of their last 13 road games. They play their home opener against San Jose on Feb. 22.