On any given day …
Colorado Crush coach Mike Dailey reminds that anything can happen in sports, and he hopes his team’s day comes this weekend in the Arena Football League playoffs.
Colorado (9-8) plays a second-round game Saturday at San Jose (13-3). The SaberCats are 6-1 all time against the Crush, winning by an average margin of more than 26 points.
“In sports, there’s always that chance that on any given night any team can beat the other,” Dailey said. “They weren’t champions last year and they weren’t champions the year before that. You have to go in with the mind- set of great respect, but fear none.
“It’s a new game and a new night, and in sports you play the game and see what happens.”
Not only have the SaberCats dominated the Crush, they enter Saturday’s game with a 10-game win streak and have won their past 14 home games.
“San Jose has been one of the great franchises in the league’s history,” Dailey said. “They’re so efficient in what they do. They have a fast, high-scoring offense. Tough, tenacious defense. Good special teams. Just a solid program.”
San Jose had a first-round bye. Colorado’s playoff opener was a 49-42 victory at Kansas City that stopped the team’s four-game losing streak.
“We’ve had a year of never playing as well as we’re capable of,” Dailey said. “Even when we’ve won, we haven’t played a complete game throughout. I don’t want to sound like a defeatist; every game’s a new game. We’ll have to play with great effort and great resolve.”
Defensive back Delvin Hughley hopes the Crush’s performance mirrors his. After missing eight games in the regular season because of injuries, Hughley is peaking in the playoffs. With an interception, a fumble recovery and nine tackles in the playoff victory at Kansas City, Hughley earned the league’s defensive player of the week award.
“My first game back after missing eight games, it was like a new season again,” Hughley said. “My timing is back and I’ve been able to catch up with the speed of the game. For some reason in the past, I just seem to play well in the playoffs. What better time to play well?”
It will take the Crush playing well to knock off the SaberCats. When the teams met April 6, the SaberCats won 72-44 at home.
“You never see San Jose having a bad game,” Hughley said. “If we don’t show up to play, they beat us pretty good. We have to match their intensity. They execute. We know what they’re going to do offensively. They know that, but they just say you still have to stop us.”
Hughley wants his defensive player of the week award to lead to something even more impressive.
“The individual honor was great,” Hughley said. “But I’d like to have another championship.”
Hughley and the Crush won the ArenaBowl two years ago.
Staff writer Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
