Indoor Football League: Roughnecks take on high-flying Fever

For better or worse, the primary battle in the game of indoor football is waged in the air near the rafters, through one-on-one matchups on the outside.

Twelve teams reached the Indoor Football League playoffs this season. Most punched their ticket by lighting up the scoreboard primarily on the strength of their quarterback’s right arm.

Only one has come close to perfecting the art of bringing other team’s aerial attacks back down to earth. When the Tri-Cities Fever play host to the West Texas Roughnecks in a first-round playoff game at 9 tonight in Kennewick, Wash., the Fever’s first priority has to be solving the league’s best defense.

A defense built around the talent of its secondary.

“In this league, on defense, defensive backs are who they are,” West Texas defensive coordinator Bryant Grove said. “Our defense is designed to be simple, relaxed and let guys play.”

Defensively, the Roughnecks (10-4) shy away from trying to mystify quarterbacks with a dizzying array of coverages or hidden formations.

On most plays, West Texas simply lines up and covers receivers man-to-man.

Sounds simple, but the strategy is working. The Roughnecks lead the league in scoring defense at 27.9 points per game, in total yards at 123 yards per game and racked up a league-leading 40 interceptions, six takeaways better than the Green Bay Blizzard in second place.

“When the ball’s in the air, we turn into receivers,” Roughnecks defensive back Marrio Norman said. “We want to get the ball at the highest point. We just have a knack for it.”

Part of the reason for the Roughnecks’ improvement in pass defense lies in a wealth of increased talent at the back end of the defense.

When West Texas head coach Chris Williams began building the 2011 squad, he identified one problem from last year’s playoff run that had to be fixed. The Roughnecks needed more talent in the secondary.

Too many times, the 2010 Roughnecks gave up big-play touchdowns, long back-breakers that allowed opposing teams to get the ball and score in one or two plays.

Big plays that broke West Texas’ back once the team got to the playoffs.

Williams knew he had to find a solution back there. Maybe more than one. In addition to holdover Clarence Wright, Williams added Norman, Anthony Beck and Derrick Boyd.

That trio has combined to pick off 26 passes this season, led by Norman’s 10, and the Roughnecks only give up 86.9 passing yards per game.

“We simply have the most talented secondary in the league,” Williams said. “When you have guys like that, you’re going to have numbers. With this kind of group, you can lean on them.”

Tri-Cities is built like a traditional indoor power. Ranked second in the league in scoring points, the Fever rely on the decision-making skills of quarterback Houston Lillard, who racked up 2,517 passing yards and 68 touchdowns this season.

But even though the Roughnecks respect the Fever’s passing prowess, Norman, Beck and the rest of the secondary has been looking forward to the matchup all week long.

This group of defensive backs wants a challenge.

“We think we can guard any receiver in the league,” Beck said. “Whenever we hear that a group of receivers are supposed to be good, we step our game up.”

BY  THE NUMBERS
Offense
Category........Roughnecks......Fever
Points...................46.2..............58
Total Yards............206.9............245.4
Rushing Yards..........66.3............ 51.5
Passing Yards..........140.6.......... 193.9

Defense
Points Allowed..........27.7............ 41.1
Total Yards Allowed..123.8........... 216.2
Rush Yards Allowed...38.1............. 65.4
Pass Yards Allowed...85.7............. 150.8
Sacks.....................36................ 21
Interceptions.......... 40................ 23