Soul Host San Jose Sunday As Battle For Playoffs Continues
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- With just two games left in the regular season, the Philadelphia Soul are still very much alive for a playoff berth in the Arena Football League, as they get ready to host the San Jose SaberCats on Sunday.
Philadelphia is 8-8 and they are battling with Orlando and Tampa Bay for the final postseason spot in the American Conference. They have won two straight games and they are coming off a well-placed bye week.
"We needed that bye week," Soul head coach Clint Dolezel tells KYW Newsradio. "We were a little beat up. Get some guys healthy, get them back. Two guys especially that are key to our team, (DL) Bryan Robinson and (WR) V'Keon Lacey, have a chance to get him back as well this week. We'll also get Carlos Martinez back, our kicker, so the bye week was a good thing for us."
Philadelphia was playing some of its best football of the season before the bye week, thanks in large part to a tremendous pass rush that picked up eight quarterback sacks in the last two games.
"Our young guys especially have been really getting after the quarterback," Dolezel says. "And we'll add, like I said, Brian Robinson back into the mix to give us a little bit more of a pass pressure. That's the key. It's all about pressure. If you don't have pressure, you can have the best secondary in the world and eventually (receivers) are going to get open. That's crucial for us."
San Jose is one of the best squads the AFL has to offer. At 12-4 they have already clinched the Pacific Division and they handed the Soul a beat down in their first meeting this season way back in week two, San Jose winning 70-33 out in California.
"They are very deep in talent," Dolezel says. "They've got a great coaching staff that's been there forever and they've got a nucleus of players that came back from last year. And they can get after the quarterback as good as anybody as well."
Philadelphia and San Jose kick-off at 4:00pm on Sunday at the Center.
You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.
Clint Dolezel
You may also be interested in these Sports stories:
