Winning is a product of turning what you say, into what you do. The Philadelphia Passion talk the right game, the talent is abundant, the coaching is phenomenal, and they have one of the most explosive players in the league, Tyrah Lusby. But for everything positive Philadelphia seemingly has going for them on offense, their uninspired defense last year produced more questions than answers, and left everyone wanting:
A little more Passion this season, please.
It is no secret to anyone that Philadelphia was successful last season because they fit the mold of any good LFL team in the East: they had two solid running backs. Tyrah Lusby and Tabby Haskins complimented each other beautifully, and together they made-up the second best rushing duo in the league, averaging just over 114 yards per game. But perhaps what separated them the most from any other rushing duo in the league, including the league leaders Saran Dunmore and Tasha Pryor from Chicago, was that where Lusby lacked, Haskins excelled, and vice-versa. Sure, Lusby averaged more yards, about 61 per game, and garnered more attention from her 5’10 counterpart, but when you needed one more yard, or 5 more for a touchdown, Haskins was the one you could count on. And when Philadelphia had the ball with a ton of field left to cover, everyone knew that Lusby was there to provide the quickness to get around the end of the defensive lines for big plays. Lusby was the reason you went to the lot, and Haskins was the reason you bought the car, they were the flash and the power of the Philadelphia offense.
But all that begins well, does not necessarily end well, and as news broke that Haskins would not be returning for next season, Philadelphia is left trying to find to find a replacement for next season. Perhaps, they could try to rely on Lusby as the sole back, but if one learned anything from last season, it is that the two back system is a major key to winning. Case in point, with Lusby taking most of the snaps last season she began to falter a little as the season winded down, says coach Chandler Brown, “(Lusby) broke down a little bit towards the end of the season, so she went through a demanding off-season training program. Her main thing is finishing every play, we need her going full throttle at all times.” But with just one running back, do not count on a fully energized Lusby lasting the whole season, she definitely needs someone to share the load during the LFL grind.
One possible option could be Cheryl Fairweather, a 5’4 wide receiver/running back, who flashed moments of brilliance during the season, and ran for two touchdowns on four carries, averaging 15 yards per carry. A Reggie Bush type back, she lacks the size to handle the majority of the carries, but certainly showed an explosiveness that could compliment Lusby every now and again, but probably could not handle splitting the hand-offs 60/40 with Lusby.
Another possibility for next year: relying on a quarterback to carry you through the season. Though, if one learned anything from Tampa’s first two games with Jenn Myers, it is that a positive outcome from that theory is far from a certainty. And in all honesty, Philadelphia’s previous quarterback, Jackie Danico, was not at Jenn Myers’ caliber of play. Danico was solid, averaging 50 passing yards per game with a passer rating of 113, but she lacked the arm to take the Passion to the next level, and if it was not for her tandem of running backs supporting her throughout the season, her lack of arm strength would have eventually been exposed.
But hope exists for the Passion fans in the forms of Christie Bell and Colleen Burns, two new quarterbacks whose buzz is resonating all over Philadelphia. Bell is reported as having the arm strength the Passion lacked last year, and according to Cheryl Fairweather, “can hit me on a 40 yard fly, bomb a bullet on a slant, make good reads, and seam the ball through defenders.” Fairweather was as equally excited about Burns, comparing her to a certain NFL star that anyone, besides Tom Brady, would feel great about, “Colleen has a solid arm and the patience of Manning, both quarterbacks are strong and athletic, if you think you are going to hit them and take them down, you are wrong. The Passion team is in heaven!” Begging the question, will Philadelphia replace the two running back blueprint with a two quarterback one? However, the historical lack of success and potential ego problems caused with running this type of system would lead one to believe that Philadelphia will have to make a potentially season changing decision before the season even starts.
But this offensive discussion is perhaps a moot point if Philadelphia doesn’t step up in the area they lacked the most last year: defense. Statistically, they were second to last in total defense, and dead last in rushing yards allowed, giving up almost 20 more rushing yards than any other team. And in a league conducive to running, this stat is devastating. Coach Brown attributed it to tackling and will, citing a whole new defense next season centered around players who are not afraid to sacrifice their bodies and hit someone. But they are also going to need to bulk up their line with size, and focus more on their run defense than their passing defense if they want to win next year. They were fifth in 3rd down conversions allowed last year, and seventh in 1st downs allowed, stats evident of a defense lacking in run stopping. Otherwise, if they do not change, they will be in the same position they were last year, with their only solid victory coming against a pass-heavy Tampa they were able to hold to six points. And if they had their same defense against Tampa later in the season, with Crawford at quarterback, Philadelphia would be looking at a 1-3 season. But with a better commitment to the fundamentals of tackling, and a renewed focus on stopping the run, the defense has the potential to be solid. And a solid performance is all the Passion needs from their defense with such a powerful offense backing them.
So Philadelphia comes into next season without one of their biggest stars, and without a quarterback, riding on the second worst defense in the league. But for some reason, hopes are still high for them. They have two quarterbacks deemed solid upgrades to Danico, a potential game-changer in Fairweather, and the steady Lusby, and with a new and improved defense promised by Coach Brown, this team could be one of the biggest surprises next year. My prediction is a solid season and third place in the Eastern Conference behind Miami, but if Coach Brown delivers a stronger defense and the quarterbacks deliver a better offense, I see no reason why I could not be writing about them playing in the Eastern Conference championship.
