The VooDoo had visions of returning to the playoffs in 2013, but an eight-game losing streak put those dreams in major doubt. Mid-season acquisitions of Chris Dixon, Cameron McGlenn, and Dwight McClean and the healthy returns of Eddie Moten and Donovan Morgan allowed New Orleans to finish the year 4-5 and gave them a chance of clinching a playoff berth on the final night of the regular season.
At the beginning of the year the VooDoo looked to have their quarterback, Kurt Rocco, and a very deep receiving core in place; but injuries limited both Rocco and a few of the receivers and adversely effected their play in the first nine games. New Orleans' year got off to an exciting start with a 51-45 overtime-win vs. Orlando, but the injuries on offense quickly piled up and resulted to three straight low-scoring, turnover-filled performances that dropped the VooDoo to 1-3 after the first month. The losing spiraled into an eight-game skid, outscored by 200 points and minus-23 in turnovers, that made the playoffs seem like a far cry, but when the calendar turned to June New Orleans made a postseason push.
Kurt Rocco and Donovan Morgan returned to full health in June and as a result New Orleans won three of five games, which had them only one game out of a playoff berth entering July. Rocco suffered another injury that forced Chris Dixon into the lineup, and his versatile skills ultimately kept him their for the final four games. Another key piece in New Orleans' turnaround was bringing in Cameron McGlenn and Dwight McClean to join Eddie Moten in the secondary. These three, plus Chris Brown provided a major upgrade that made New Orleans worthy of vying for the final A.C. playoff spot. The VooDoo's quest at sneaking into the playoffs lasted until the final week, but came to an end in a 71-42 loss at Orlando.
The one consistent bright spot for the VooDoo this year was their defensive line, who put up a pretty solid season amidst the turnover in the secondary and inconsistency on offense.
The Good from 2013:
- A thrilling overtime home win in the season-opener.
- winning three of five games in June.
- Staying in contention until a loss in the season finale.
PLAYER STATS
- Chris Dixon 84-148, 1198 yds, 24 TD, 7 Int; 40 rush, 183 yds, 9 TD (9 games--4 starts)
- Courtney Smith 91 rec, 935 yds, 19 TD; rush TD (17 games)
- Donovan Morgan 87 rec, 1351 yds, 29 TD (13 games)
- Quorey Payne 53 rec, 798 yds, 13 TD; 66 kick-ret, 1300 yds, 3 TD; FG-ret TD (13 games)
- Cameron McGlenn 51.5 tackles, 6 Int, Def TD (9 games)
- Eddie Moten 66 tackles, 4 Int (15 games)
- Dwight McClean 53 tackles, 2 Int (10 games)
- Chris Brown 60 tackles, 3 sacks, FR, Int, Def TD (12 games)
- James Bryant 55.5 tackles (6.5 TFL), 3.5 sacks, 2 FF (17 games)
- Michael Janac 33 tackles (9 TFL), 6.5 sacks, 2 FF, FR (17 games)
- Marlon Favorite 26.5 tackles (10 TFL), 6 sacks, 2 FF, FR (18 games)
- Xavier Brown 17 tackles, (7.5 TFL), 5.5 sacks, 2 FF, FR (16 games)
TEAM STATS
- 8th in rush offense (20.0 ypg)
The Bad from 2013:
- An eight-game losing streak that resulted in being outscored by 200 points and lasted from week two to week eleven.
- The amount of injuries on offense.
- Losing three of their final four games.
- 2-7 road record.
PLAYER STATS
- Kurt Rocco 167-305, 2310 yds, 49 TD, 18 Int; 4 rush TD (11 games--9 starts)
- Derek Lee 26 rec, 263 yds, 7 TD (10 games)
TEAM STATS
- 11th in scoring offense (46.3 ppg)
- Allowed the most points (59.4 ppg)
- Worst rush defense (28.7 ypg)
- 13th in pass offense (238.0 ypg)
- 13th in total offense (258.0 ypg)
- 12th in total defense (297.6 ypg)
- 11th in pass defense (268.9 ypg)
- 12th in pass efficiency (88.7)
- Worst turnover margin (-24)
- Allowed the best opposing pass efficiency of (117.0)
- Allowed 3rd-most sacks (43)
- Worst in opponents to convert 82 of 93 Red Zone trips
- 3rd-worst red zone offense (60/82)
The Reason for a Losing Season:
The eight-game losing streak in the first half of the year was obviously a major blow to any playoff hopes. The main causes for the skid were injuries to Kurt Rocco, Donovan Morgan, DeMarcus Robinson, and a few of the other receivers. Rocco and Morgan both returned from multiple injuries, but Rocco never fully regained his top form and had a rough season. The major problem for New Orleans this year was their defense. On paper and individually, this unit seemed pretty decent in 2013, but when you look at them as a group it is the exact opposite. As shown in the stats above the VooDoo defense ranked in the bottom-three in pretty much every category, most notably last in points allowed, rush defense, red zone defense, and opposing passer efficiency. The one problem that was shared on both sides of the ball was the horrible red zone play; only making 11 stops on defense and failing on 22 of 82 attempts on offense. The failures in the red zone and an AFL-worst minus-24 turnover margin were the two glaring reasons this team struggled this year.
2013 Finish: 5-13 (2-4 in South), 5th in American Conference
For more on the New Orleans VooDoo:
http://www.arenafootball.com/
http://www.arenafootball.com/teams/aflvdo/
http://aflvoodoo.com/splash/
http://nicksblogofsports.blogspot.com/2013/03/2013-arena-football-season-kickoff_23.html
http://nicksblogofsports.blogspot.com/2013/04/2013-afl-season-frist-quarter-anaylsis_29.html
http://nicksblogofsports.blogspot.com/2013/06/2013-afl-season-midway-report-south.html
http://nicksblogofsports.blogspot.com/2013/07/afl-turning-into-home-stretch.html
http://www.arenafootball.com/sports/a-footbl/stats/2013/CONFSTAT.HTM
No comments:
Post a Comment