New Approach for Avengers
After the Avengers’ season ended last year with a 52-45 first-round playoff loss to the Chicago Rush, Coach Ed Hodgkiss decided to take a long look at his team.
The Avengers had reached the Arena Football League postseason for the fourth consecutive year but were upset at home by Chicago. So Hodgkiss decided to tinker with his approach this season, which opens Sunday against the Arizona Rattlers at Staples Center.
“We made the decision to keep some younger guys this year and get them some playing time early, with the hope that we can build some depth,” said Hodgkiss, the Avengers’ coach since October 2001. “We want to have a situation where we are still climbing the ladder as the season comes to an end ... instead of leveling off.”
Changes were made but none bigger than at quarterback, where veteran John Kaleo -- picked up in a trade before the start of last season -- left as a free agent.
As a result, the Avengers will go with two untested quarterbacks in Brian Mann and Ryan Van Dyke. Hodgkiss will start Mann against the Rattlers, but Van Dyke is also expected to play.
“Neither one has any significant game type of experience and we didn’t have an opportunity to go against anyone else in camp,” Hodgkiss said. “I felt like both had done very well, but neither had separated himself from the other.”
Hodgkiss did not want to start the season with dueling quarterbacks and had hoped that the Avengers’ scheduled Jan. 16 scrimmage against the Colorado Crush would help decide it. But Colorado’s home arena, the Pepsi Center, was determined to be unplayable, so Hodgkiss was stuck.
“I just didn’t want to make a decision on the whim,” Hodgkiss said. “It could be an ongoing evaluation as the season goes on. It could be one game or it could be eight games. Hopefully we can get this figured out pretty soon.”
In three seasons as a backup with the Avengers, Mann has played in eight games, completing 25 of 45 passes for 366 yards and six touchdowns. In his only appearance as a rookie last year, Van Dyke attempted two passes, completing both for 35 yards and one touchdown.
Mann, a former Dartmouth standout who earned All-Ivy League honors in 2002, has waited patiently for this opportunity. He backed up Tony Graziani for two years and Kaleo last season.
“I’ve been fortunate to play behind two proven quarterbacks in the league,” said Mann, who worked as a stand-in for Adam Sandler in the movie remake of “The Longest Yard.” “I just need to focus on not trying to do too much. I know that sounds cliche but if you look at our offense, you understand. We’ve had the same coach and same offense the last four years. I know it pretty well and on top of that, we have just about everyone returning from a pretty productive offense.”
Hodgkiss said Mann’s experience gave him the nod over Van Dyke, who played one season in NFL Europe after an injury-plagued career at Michigan State.
“If Brian Mann does well, he could play the whole game but I definitely want to give Van Dyke a chance to get in there and see what he can do too,” Hodgkiss said.
As the defending Western Division champions, the Avengers have made their goal to play in ArenaBowl XX in Las Vegas in June. But that won’t be easy in the vastly improved AFL.
“I didn’t know much about the Arena league when I first came out of college and the thing that continues to surprise me is the level of talent in the league,” Mann said. “I guarantee that’s it is better than anyone thinks. There are plenty of guys who could or should be playing in the NFL.”
With the return of key two-way players such as Greg Hopkins, named to the AFL’s all-time team earlier this month, and Kevin Ingram, an All-Arena selection last year, the Avengers hope they have the right mix of veterans and young players to make a serious run at the championship.
Hodgkiss believes that his team is ready after last year’s challenging season, which included the death of lineman Al Lucas, who collapsed during a game after suffering a spinal cord injury while trying to make a tackle.
“We’ve grown as a team, but it’s not” easy to reach the ArenaBowl, Hodgkiss said. “It’s something that we have talked about since day one. But first, we’ve got to get into the playoffs, win a playoff game and then go from there. Then we’ll see.”