A long time coming.
That sentence sums up the wait for Pittsburgh Power fans who had not seen the Power (3-6) win a game at home in over a year. It all changed tonight after a kickoff return by Chris LeFlore helped lead to 27 unanswered points in the 4th quarter as the Power won 55-44 win over the Cleveland Gladiators (2-7).
It was the spark the team needed although they’ve gotten sparks in a few other places and no I am not referring to the smoking hot dance team. This team has gotten a shot in the arm with quarterback Steven Sheffield in the lineup although Sheffield wasn’t too focused on his seven total touchdowns (six passing, one rushing) after the game but instead dwelled a bit on the two interceptions he threw. He spoke of being able to play better and to me that is a sign of a guy with strong passion and a will to be the best. He is the leader the Power need right now.
I would argue that he did just fine and was making the throws the team needed exactly when they needed him to. He finished with 286 yards passing and showed good chemistry with his receivers, two of whom were making their Power debut tonight Kenny Stafford had 6 catches for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns, Julian Talley had 6 catches for 99 yards and a score, and Washington finished with 6 catches for 68 yards and three touchdowns. 6-6-6? Sometimes the devil is in the details.
Defensively the Power got the stops when they needed them the most. Cleveland’s inability to add to a 44-28 lead allowed the Power to keep fighting their way back and grab a much needed home win for the Consol Energy Center faithful. Brandon Freeman’s interception late in the game was a godsend as the Power stretched it to a two possession game on the ensuing drive. Amazing what a little breathing room can do.
After averaging 33 points per game before Sheffield joined the team, they have now gone over 50 points in two of his three games. The Power will need this kind of offensive production as they have two tough games coming up now with Jacksonville this week and San Jose the week after that. 50 points is merely a good starting point if the team has any hopes of winning those games, but the old days of wondering if the team would score in a half are hopefully over.
Bringing in Steven Sheffield isn’t the only move on offense the team has made that has paid dividends this year. The move to bring in Jon Lyles as offensive consultant has also brought a strong amount of experience to the team, and unfortunately finally cost Mike Tomczak his job. He was let go by the team this week and all Coach Stingley would comment on about the situation was that it was his call to let Tomczak go.
If the offense can add a touchdown or two per game and continue playing “Lights Out” defense, I think fans will be happy with the direction the team is headed. It might just spark a playoff run for the Power who currently sit alone with the American Conference’s 4th best record. The top 4 teams get in so why not the Power?
I know the possibility certainly sparks my interest.
Photo Courtesy Of The Pittsburgh Power Facebook Page
