After watching his team give up 164 points in the past two games, Colorado Crush coach Mike Dailey wasn’t about to stand pat.
A day before the Crush is scheduled to leave for Grand Rapids, Mich., to play the lowly Rampage (1-11), Dailey announced defensive specialist Rashad Floyd, the Arena Football League leader in tackles, isn’t making the trip.
“I don’t make decisions to harm our team, I make decisions that I hope will help us,” Dailey said. “It’s a coaching decision based on performance over the last couple of weeks.”
Floyd, who was benched during last Friday’s 89-41 loss to San Jose at the Pepsi Center, has been at the top of the league’s tackle charts almost all season. He leads in combined tackles with 99 1/2 and in solo tackles with 94.
Dailey said he and Floyd had discussed the move all week and both agreed something had to be done to end the Crush’s free-fall in the standings, with a playoff berth hanging in the balance. The Crush lost 75-51 at Chicago two weeks ago, and the consecutive losses left Colorado clinging to the Central Division lead by one game over Chicago.
“Rashad just hasn’t played up to his capabilities, and this will give him a chance to refocus and rededicate himself,” Dailey said.
This week, Floyd said the Crush’s biggest need was to get back to winning. The rest of the team agrees.
“We have to make up our minds that we want to win the last four games,” receiver/linebacker Kevin McKenzie said. “We have to prove to ourselves that we can get back on the winning track. We have been up and down and when we have been down, we’ve really been down.”
Floyd wasn’t Dailey’s only change.
Fullback/linebacker Rich Young and lineman Donny Klein were placed on injured reserve. Dailey added receiver/linebacker Darcey Levy, fullback/linebacker Chad Dukes and lineman Maurice Anderson from injured reserve and receiver/linebacker Toure Carter from the practice squad. The Crush will have 21 players to face Grand Rapids.
For the Crush’s defense, it could be an interesting rematch with Grand Rapids quarterback Michael Bishop.
In Colorado’s 72-56 victory over Grand Rapids in the second game of the season, Bishop set a league record with 100 yards rushing. He needs 48 yards to set a league single-season rushing record of 429 yards.
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
