Allgood to return to the Talons?

One Philadelphia outlet is reporting it:

The Soul pulled the plug on quarterback Justin Allgood yesterday, sending him back to the Tulsa Talons in a three-team deal that netted Philadelphia an offensive lineman and future considerations.

I don't really know what to think. Allgood put up impressive numbers last season with the Talons. But this is Matt Bassuener's team now. As much as we loved Justin, he was inconsistent. He will lack the chemistry Bassuener has created with Troy McBroom and Brandon Copeland. So easily stated, I can't see Allgood starting.

However, it does give the Talons a better backup. We saw how Bobby Reid did at the end of the Chicago game. He could not get the ball off. Took a safety. Not something to inspire confidence in a backup. With Allgood the Talons will have a quality backup.

All in all, it could be good news for Allgood who has been benched in Philadelphia. Now he can return home to his child and girlfriend in Tulsa.

Headlines - April 16th, 2011

Arena Pigskin has Tulsa at 15: "Tulsa at 1-3 – averaging 38 pts a game in the home town of league headquarters. Not good."

Coach Allner on Matt Bassuener: "I knew going into the game that he was a very athletic quarterback and we tried to incorporate that into the game plan as much as we could. I was very pleased with the production of both our quarterbacks in last weekend’s game and hope to see improvement in both as the season goes on."

Brandon Copeland's Arena Career: "At the end of the 2008 AFL season, I was on the Philadelphia Soul’s practice squad. After the league ceased operations for the 2009 season, I spent time with the Peoria Pirates and Tri-Cities FeVeR of the af2. I also spent all of last year with the FeVeR."

Football Gameplan's preview for tonight's game.

The QB Situation for Tonight's Game: "Allner said quarterback Matt Bassuener would start Saturday's game, based on his winning performance in his first AFL start against Pittsburgh. But Allner said he would continue to evaluate both quarterbacks and was pleased with how Bobby Reid handled his backup role against the expansion Power."

The AFL apparently will now also reveal the Coach's Poll in Highlight Form too.

A look at the game from the SaberCats prospective: "The matchup features one of the AFL’s best passing attacks against one of the league’s best rushing offenses. QB Mark Grieb sits atop the league rankings in passing yards (1,511) and passing touchdowns (28) while ranking second in completion percentage (70.5) and fourth in passer rating (122.1). Tulsa QB Bobby Reid currently leads the Talons in passing (509) and rushing (211) yards with the Tulsa defense only allowing 278.0 yards per game, good for a tie of fifth in the league."

Matt Bassuerner on the effect of the Arizona loss: "Quarterback Matt Bassuener said the Talons have to win back the fans' respect, and Saturday's home game with the San Jose SaberCats would be a good place to start."

Talons at Power: Pregame Primer

vs.

Tulsa Talons (0-3, 0-2 road) vs. Pittsburgh Power (2-1, 1-1 home)

TV: N/A
Stream: Click here
Radio: KRMG 740 (740 AM)
Time: 6:30 CT

Passing Yards: Talons – 564 (16th), Power – 644 (14th)
Rushing Yards: Talons – 226 (1st), Power – 57 (10th)
Passing Yards Allowed: Talons – 849 (12th), Power – 774 (9th)

View from the enemy: Boltsburgh Blog

Tulsa is 0-3 on the season, coming off the worst loss in franchise history. So the Talons will be ready and hungry. They’ve been learning together and on the verge of turning the corner. But beating the Power will definitely be a challenge.

Pittsburgh coming in: The Power played Monday, barely escaping Milwaukee.

THE MATCHUPS

The teams are much closer than their records reflect. However, where things went wrong for the Talons, they went right for the Power.

On Offense, Bobby Reid will be pressured constantly by former Talons Terrance Carter. The offensive line will need to be on its game tonight to give Reid the time he needs to get the ball to the Talons receivers. A bright spot for the Talons is that for Pittsburgh, the defensive backfield has been the weak point on their defense.

On Defense, Jamar Ranson and Fred Shaw will need help from the defensive line that has been struggling all season. The power have had some injuries on the offensive side of the ball, especially at quarterback. So, some pressure could possibly force some mistakes that will help the Talons pull this one out.

Kickoff at 6:30 CT.

Talons get de-winged, Lose to Arizona 69-20

The term "clipped" isn't strong enough for this game. Bobby Reid could not the offense started all game, ending with 4 INTs and only 29 yards rushing. The Talons could not get on the board until the end of the third quarter, well after the game was out of hand at 49-6. But not much more could have been expected with a Talons team that is near the bottom of the league and inexperienced faced one of the best teams in the league.

Arizona QB Nick Davila ended the game 15 for 22, 158 yards, and four touchdowns. Former Talon, Odie Armstrong had 2 touchdowns and 10 yards on the ground.

Through the muck, there were some flashes of hope. Defensive back, and veteran, Fred Shaw was physical all night; with 3 tackles and a highlight reel of hard hits. Linebacker Jamar Ransom came in on offense to score a rushing touchdown followed by another rush for a two-point conversion. Finally, QB Matt Bassuener came in to replace Reid in the fourth quarter and looked impressive, despite some failures on the offensive line.

The Talons travel to Pittsburgh Saturday to take on former Talon Terrance Carter and the Pittsburgh Power.

Headlines - March 28, 2011

2011 Player Bios

Tulsa World's recap of last week's game: "The Tulsa Talons looked impressive scoring 33 second-quarter points. But what have they done for fans lately? Not much in Saturday's second half. The Talons were held to a lone touchdown after intermission and lost to the Dallas Vigilantes 64-40 in the American Airlines Center."

A good, and fun, look at AFL clock management.

Trent Shelton on why he came to Tulsa: "Coach Mitch said he wanted some playmakers and his passion for the game made me want to play for a coach like him. He really wants to be out there with us if he could and that fuels my fire playing for a coach with that much passion for the game. And of course hearing that we have the greatest fans in arena football played a big part!"

An Update on Anthony Bolden: "The Talons aren't overloaded with veteran players, but one could be reporting soon. Allner said he's trying to get three-year Talons offensive lineman Anthony Bolden back in the harness as quickly as possible. Bolden hasn't reported because he's been helping coach the girls basketball team at his old high school in Baldwin, N.Y."

Bobby Reid set a league record: "Talons QB Bobby Reid became the first player in league history with back-to-back games with at least 80 yards rushing and three rushing scores."

Bleacher Report's preview of the game tonight: "The Talons have a two game losing streak to start to their season and will be looking for their first victory. Their only problem is they may not have the team necessary to hold off the Rattlers attack on any side of the ball. The Talons have a team of inexperience that has only scored 87 points in the last two games. That would be the lowest points for a team in their division if the barnstormers didn’t have a humble 28 points to start their season. However they do lead their division in the most points allowed. Statistically speaking the Talons will have their hands full against the Rattlers. But, we know statistics only speak six days of the week during the season."

AFLInsider's look at the Talons: "The Talons are in my opinion, clearly the best of the remaining teams. Bobby Reid has a ton of talent and their rookie cast could eventually make up a top tier team. However, this team needs to get used to the arena game and gel before they are a factor. It is possible that a large crowd for Monday’s free game could propel the Talons to upset the highly favored Arizona Rattlers."

Veteran Talon is impressed by Reid: "Reid continues working to develop a quicker passing release. Veteran linebacker Jamar Ransom sees the progress. 'You can tell his throwing has changed. I always thought he had an elongated throw at OSU, but he’s come in here and tapered off to where he doesn’t have to wind up before he throws,' Ransom said."

Great article from Urban Tulsa: Reid continues to improve. "The ball was on-time and he had good footwork," Allner said after his first game of the season. "The one thing a lot of teams don't have is a quarterback that can do that in the passing game, but also beat you with his legs. That is something he is proving that he can do especially early on in his arena football career."

Mitch Allner on improvement: "Right now we are mainly concentrating on cleaning up the small mistakes that we are making, which has been the difference in winning and losing the first two games we’ve played. Once we get that taken care of we are going to be a tough team to beat."

Allner on Jamar Ransom: "He definitely is a coach for us, especially for the guys up front defensively," Allner said. "Yes, we're young, but we wanted to have enough veterans at key positions to help with the young guys."

Don't forget to get all your friends to come out tonight for the game against Arizona! Go Talons!

Offensive Miscues trip Talons, fall to Dallas 64-40

While competitive through the half, the Talons fall apart offensively in the second half to the Dallas Vigilantes. The Vigilantes had jumped up 14 on the Talons quickly as the the Talons turned the ball over on downs on their opening drive. This began the hole that the Talons nearly crawled out of.

After taking a 21-6 lead the Vigilantes attempted an onside kick to catch the Talons off guard. Fred Shaw recognized this quickly grabbing the kick and running it in to bring the Talons within 8. This started a momentum swing to Tulsa. On the ensuing drive, the Talon DB Jeremy Gray picked off Dallas QB Dan Raudabaugh. Bobby Reid then found Brian Copeland diving in the endzone for touchdown. A great run by Jamar Ransom would give the Talons the two point conversion and tie the game at 21. The teams would trade touchdowns until the half, leaving the Talons behind 35-33.

Coming out after halftime the Talons offense looked lost. On the first two drives the Talons turned the ball over on downs. The Talons only break came on a missed field goal attempt by the Vigilantes, which even then left WR Trent Shelton injured for most of the game. The Talons would bring the game within two at 42-40 after an outstanding rushing TD by Bobby Reid before the Vigilantes just pulled away to win 64-40.

The one thing that can be said about this game is that the offensive line needs work. The line committed several false start penalties and gave up several sacks, including a safety. Without time to throw, Reid looked panicked and shaken. However, in addition to line problems, the offense seemed to lack diversity. Everything was underneath throws or runs by Bobby Reid. Mitch Allner rarely let the team air it out and stretch the field.

The defense looked, at times, improved from last week. The DBs closed quickly on receivers and the front men put decent pressure on Raudabaugh. However, the defense still allowed Dallas to air the ball out by being slightly behind the receiver and out of position.

The Talons have a real test next week as the Arizona Rattlers come to town. The game kicks off on Monday, March 28th at 6:00 PM CST at the BOK Center.

Headlines - March 19, 2011

Bobby Reid set a new franchise record last week: "Reid set a franchise record by racing 39 yards for a score in the second quarter and had a 34-yard scoring run in the third quarter. The previous long run from scrimmage by a Talon was a 37-yarder by Odie Armstrong last year. Unofficially, Reid totaled 91 rushing yards on six carries and 209 passing yards. But he also had a costly turnover, fumbling after a 12-yard run to snuff out a scoring threat."

AFL Insider's Week 1 Losers: "Talon fans hoping to get a glimpse of the new look offense: Tulsa had the ball on offense for just 19 minutes at Georgia, in other words: they scored 47 points in 19 minutes! That’s like scoring 47 points with 11 minutes to go in the second quarter, to be fair, with 7:00 minutes to go in the third quarter (averaging in another team’s 19 minutes). It’s too bad Cokinos is a child that likes to play keep away and maybe Tulsa fans will get to see more of Bobby Reid on the field next week."

Talons lead the league in Rushing

Someone is impressed with Bobby Reid: "The most notable performance of the night came from Talon QB Bobby Reid. Not only did he lead a furious comeback that eventually came up short, but the speedster also racked up a crazy amount of damage on the ground with 93 yards rushing and four TDs. If you’re looking for a sleeper fantasy QB in 2011, look no further. His WRs are a little shaky and unproven, but could post some downright silly numbers on the ground this year."

Mitch Allner on the team's progression: "as the game went on I saw a lot of guys starting to understand the speed and angles of the game. That is just something that you cannot simulate in practice no matter how hard you try. For young players in Arena Football, they need to be on the field and getting a lot of that experience during the game. We learned a lot from watching and studying our game film from this past week and I was able to really point out some of the small mistakes we made at certain times this past weekend. We will correct those mistakes this week and be a much better team for it heading down to Dallas this weekend."

Some love for the Tulsa market: "With Bossier City, Alabama and Milwaukee all re-branded as former AFL franchises; and if you consider Iowa an old AFL team because of its roots back in the mid-to-late 90s, then only two af2 teams remain in the AFL (Spokane and Tulsa). I consider these two franchises as the legacy of the af2 and both should have been considered as AFL markets long ago.'

Despite some late game heroics, new-look Talons fall short to Georgia, 53-47

At the end of last season Mitch Allner had one thing on mind. Improved size and talent. While last season's team was definitely talented, they lacked the size defensively to truly compete against improved opponents. Allner went on to sign a team with only three individuals with previous arena football experience. However, the team had loads of size and talented individuals. It was known the Talons would experience troubles in their first few games as players began to adjust. That is what we saw today.

From the opening kickoff, QB Brett Elliot had all kinds of time to work with. Elliot was able to be patient and wait for his receivers to get open, then pick apart the Talons secondary. After a seven minute drive to start the game, and a valiant goal line stand by the Talons, Georgia went ahead 7-0.

The Talons offense came out rather strong to start the game. Rookie QB Bobby Reid was sharp most of the day. On the Talons first drive Reid went 2-3 before Reid scrambled for one of his multiple rushing touchdowns of the day. Kicker Juan Bongarra failed his first arena football extra point to leave the Talons behind 7-6.

After a quick score by Georgia, Tulsa began to drive again with some great underneath passes. However, before the Talons could complete the drive, Reid broke a long scramble down to the 14 before being stripped with Georgia recovering. Georgia was then able to capitalize on busted coverage to extend their lead to 20-6, which they never lost.

The nail in the coffin was the start of the second half. After back-to-back sacks by the Talons defense to keep Georgia scoring for the half, the Talons offense makes mental mistakes to back the team up and then Bongarra's field goal attempt was blocked. Georgia took a shot and caught the Talons secondary off guard, increasing their lead to 33-17.

All day the Talons secondary was unable to maintain coverage and Elliot made them pay every time. This was compounded by the Defensive line's inability to get to the quarterback. For the Talons to be competitive, they will need to improve in both areas as the season continues.

Simply put, Reid was fantastic for the most part. His ability to pull the ball down and run is something that no team in the league could do last year (at least to the ability Reid brings). Combined with his feet, Reid's arm was sharp. He was making the right decisions and throwing the ball away when he needed too. The only problem was that it seemed that Reid had a receiver picked out when he left the huddle. Better defenses will be able to read that and make him pay.

However, if the team can grow and adjust to the indoor game, their talent should make them a strong team. At this point though, things may be rough for awhile. Next week the Talons travel to Dallas to take on the Vigilantes at noon CST on Saturday March 19.