The Juice of the Lime
by Simon McGrother
Closer Look: Georgia Force
Georgia have started the season 2-0, have showcased the league's hottest young QB, have the most fearsome receiving trio in Arena Football, and promise to be amongst the contenders come playoff time. The Force have amassed a heady 129 points, but have shown a degree of defensive frailty conceding 116 points along the way. As long as the offense keeps firing on all cylinders this should not prove a worry, but if Griesen's form dips or they pick up any key injuries, they may rue that leaky D.
Greisen has been backup QB at Dallas for 2 years and must have learned a lot: he has already thrown 619 yards, 16 TDs and only 2 picks. There is nothing a young quarterback likes to see when he looks up from the pocket than a bevy of class receivers - and that is just what the Force has. Troy Bergeron, Chris Jackson and Derek Lee would, in any other offense, be standout receivers, but sharing the glory with one another is going to pinch their fantasy numbers just a little. Probably by season's end one of them will be a little above the other two but at this stage it is impossible to guess which one it will be.
On the ground, the Force is not particularly well equipped and Greisen has not shown much scrambling ability, but with the passing game in full flight, who needs rushing?
Whilst the defense has conceded points, there are a few bright spots; for instance, their defensive line has proven to be a force unto itself, leading the league in sacks with 5. Georgia also leads the league in tackles, but this is probably more a symptom of their rapid-fire offense scoring quickly and giving the ball back to the opponents. With all this D being played, they may be a little disappointed to have only managed a single interception, but this may be something that they develop over the course of the season.
I picked Georgia to finish 3rd behind Orlando and Austin at the start of the season, but with a caveat that Georgia would make the playoffs and win the ArenaBowl. Now I am beginning to think that I was unduly pessimistic.
Simon McGrother is a founding member of ArenaFootballOnline.com, the #1 source for Arena Fantasy Football information, and has been following the Arena Football League for 4 years. Contact Simon at smcgrother@arenafootballonline.com
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