Even at 3-9, Team Has a Shot at Playoffs

The Avengers have lost four games in a row and with a 3-9 record, they’re assured of finishing under .500 for the first time since 2001.

But that doesn’t mean the team is out of the Arena Football League’s postseason picture.

“We have four games left and we have to win them all, it’s that simple,” veteran linebacker/fullback Lonnie Ford said of the injury-plagued Avengers, who had this week’s game against New York moved from Saturday to Sunday night to accommodate the Clippers’ playoff game at Staples Center.

With the AFL expanding from eight playoff teams to 12 this season, the Avengers can sneak in as a wild card in the American Conference with a strong finish. The Avengers, who have not won since they defeated Colorado at Staples Center on March 19, trail Chicago by one game for the conference’s final playoff spot.

“We’re fortunate that we still have an opportunity to go to the playoffs,” Ford said. “But we have to capitalize on the last chance that we do have.”

The Avengers will play their final four games at home with two against Western Division rivals San Jose and Las Vegas. The stage is set for a great comeback, according to Ford.

“I’m one of the veteran players on the team and [losing] has been tough to deal with,” said Ford, a former defensive lineman at USC.

“This is a physical league and a lot of people play both ways. So you always know that there’s a great chance [of injuries]. You see other teams go through it and you see how they are affected when people are missing.... This year, it’s affecting us.”

Despite losing key players such as fullback/linebacker Josh Jeffries and defensive specialists Antuan Simmons and Anthony Derricks for part or most of the season because of injuries, Coach Ed Hodgkiss said the Avengers have grown as a team.

“We’ve spent the last four weeks on the road and played six of our last seven games away from Staples,” Hodgkiss said. “We’ve been fighting hard to get back on the winning side. We think that we’re getting better.”

After juggling starting quarterbacks at the start of the season, Hodgkiss is excited about the development of rookie Sonny Cumbie, who has passed for 2,267 yards and 43 touchdowns and has no interceptions in his last 94 attempts.

“It’s a quarterback-dominated league and with every snap, Sonny gets better and better,” Hodgkiss said. “He has a few games under his belt now ... we just need to give him some help up front.”