Bring on the playoffs.
With five weeks remaining in the Arena Football League’s regular season, it’s not premature to talk about postseason spots. The defending ArenaBowl champion Crush might have the easiest road to clinching a postseason spot.
The Dallas Desperados and Nashville Kats also could clinch playoff berths this week, but their paths are a little more convoluted.
A Crush win at Kansas City on Sunday would clinch a playoff berth. It would take the right combination of losses by other teams for Dallas to clinch a playoff spot with a victory Saturday against Grand Rapids. Nashville can do it with a home victory Friday over Philadelphia and a combination of three other results.
Should the Desperados secure a playoff berth this week, it will be business as usual the rest of the way.
“We’re not going to step back, even if we clinch a playoff appearance,” Dallas coach Will McClay said Tuesday. “Keeping your players in a good rhythm of play is so important in this league. We’d want to keep our edge through the last weeks of the regular season.”
Dallas (9-2) and the Crush (8-3) have had the best records most of the season, but McClay says that doesn’t matter.
“In this league it’s a matter of who’s hot at the right time,” McClay said. “Anything can happen in this league. A team can get hot at the end and become a factor.”
After clinching a playoff berth, the next goal is securing home-field advantage. Dallas has the inside track for the top seed in the National Conference, and the Crush has the edge in the American Conference.
Columbus Destroyers coach Doug Kay has faced the top teams this season, beating Colorado and losing twice to Dallas.
“I think Colorado and Dallas are the two strongest teams in the league right now,” Kay said. “I would be remiss to pick one over the other. They’re the top two teams, and one is the defending champion.”
Doubly successful
Colorado defensive specialist Rashad Floyd earned defensive player of the week honors for the second consecutive week. In Colorado’s 73-48 victory over Grand Rapids, Floyd intercepted three passes in the end zone, made six tackles and forced a fumble that was returned 23 yards for a touchdown by Ahmad Hawkins.
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
