(Glendale, AZ) The Rattlers limped back home after a close but devastating loss 37-24 to Western Division leader Bay Area Panthers in San Jose.
Arizona (7-5) had lost four consecutive games which dropped them into a tie for third place with the Las Vegas Knight Hawks.
With a bye week coming next week, this game was crucial that the Snakes get back on track. The top two seeds in each division begin the Playoffs at home.
Arizona’s defense had carried the team all year, but often times the offense couldn’t capitalize on the good defensive play.
Rattlers offense has gone dormant in this four game skid and needed a breakout performance tonight.
Green Bay (8-4) found themselves in a tie for second place in the Eastern Division with the Jacksonville Sharks. The Quad City Steamwheelers lead the Eastern with an (9-3) record.
The game was key for both squads heading down the stretch of the seasons with a month to go.
First Quarter
Arizona got the ball first after the Blizzard won the coin toss. On their first possession. Green Bay forced a fourth and three. Dalton Sneed found a wide open Ron Brown Jr. on the near sidelines on a blown coverage for a touchdown and an early 7-0 lead. Just what the doctor ordered.
Green Bay tried to bring the thunder on their first play from scrimmage on a fly pattern in the end zone that was dropped by TJ Davis as he crashed into the wall.
Max Meylor still had success moving the ball and got enough yardage on a third down to put the ball at the Rattlers 2 yard line. Meylor called his own number on the next play and scored to tie up the game 7-7 just past the midway mark of the opening quarter.
Sneed needed to wake up the lethargic offense from the last four games, all losses to get this team back into playoff contention for that #2 seed.
The Blizzard didn’t do themselves any favors with back to back penalties which kept the Arizona drive alive.
Sneed seemingly had shaken the cobwebs off and consistently found open receivers and ended the quarter at the Green Bay 3 yard line.
Second Quarter
On the first play, Isaiah Huston ran a sweep to the far side to put the Snakes back up 14-7.
Green Bay’s started off slow after another offensive penalty, but converted a key third down. On a dead ball tripping penalty cost the Blizzard 15 yards as they kept putting themselves in bad situations.
On fourth and twenty five, the Blizzard attempted a 41 yard field goal which Arizona’s special teams blocked the kick and the ball went back over to the Rattlers. Opportunity squandered for the Visitors.
Taking over at the Green Bay 18 yard line, the Rattlers got bottled up by the Blizzrd defense who held them on a fourth down play to get the ball back on downs. Arizona passed up a chance to attempt a field goal.
On the first play after the turnover, Meylor threw a pick in the end zone to Rattler’s Ethan Caselberry as turnabout was fair play and ball back to Arizona.
Sneed flooded the pattern and went weak side to Brown Jr to get the ball to the Blizzard 4 yard line. Again, Sneed with a curl around run into the end zone to put the Snakes up 20-7 after the point after attempt was blocked.
Arizona inexplicably tried an onside kick after the one minute warning timeout and the ball went to the Blizzard deep in Rattler territory. A run up the middle got Green Bay back in the game 20-14 and they will get the ball first in the second half.
Sneed with no one open in the pattern, took it up the near sidelines for a long run down to the Green Bay 8 yard line. Two plays later, Brown Jr, waltzed into score. The extra point was tipped but went through the uprights. Rattlers up 27-14 just before halftime.
A 44 yard field goal attempt with a second left drifted wide right.
Halftime
The latter part of the second quarter, Arizona found more consistency on offense. A large part of that was the good field possession they had because of Blizzard penalties that made them have long fields to get first downs and the defense did the rest.
The Rattlers are 5-1 at home this season and needed to maintain the upper hand in the second quarter.
Third Quarter
The second half began with two penalties that gave Green Bay the at the Rattlers 19 yard line. After three plays, the Blizzard could only muster 3 yards and failed on fourth and seven on a near interception. Turnover to Arizona.
Brown Jr. wasted no time as the went untouched into score from 22 yard out. Arizona widened their lead 34-14.
The kickoff had a lot of spin on it and hugged the sideline wall resulting with no return and the bal at the Blizzard 7 yard line to begin the possession.
Meylor unfazed and with the help of Rattler infractions drove the ball to the Arizona 14 yard line. Snake miscues kept the drive alive Davis scored on a pass at his shoe tops to cut the Arizona lead to 34-21 with 5:25 left in the quarter.
Sneed went back to work moving the ball effectively into the Green Bay red zone. Using his legs, Sneed kept it from 4 yard out to score. Rattlers back up 41-21.
The Blizzard still trying to put consistent play together, had early success on the drive near midfield as the quarter came to a close.
Fourth Quarter
Meylor found the going tough inside the 5 yard line, but Jalyn Cagle redeemed the offense on the following play scoring from 4 yards out to keep the Blizzard’s hopes alive down 41-28.
Arizona’s ground game had set the pace all game long for Sneed and company.
Sneed almost gave up an easy score when he was intercepted but there was a fumble in the end zone recovered by the Snakes for a touchback and dodged a bullet.
Trying to keep the clock moving, Arizona bogged down and was forced into a fourth and two from the Blizzard 19 yard line. Keeping their composure, Brown Jr, took matters into his own hands and blew past the defense to score from 18 yards out as the Snakes got the points back and again were up by twenty 48-28.
With a tad over six minutes left, Green Bay had to get defensive stops to have any chance of a victory.
Now with the ball on their own 2 yard line, the Rattlers defense pinned their ears back and put more pressure on Meylor.
A pass at the wall, Cagle went into the stands to haul in the competition and ball out by midfield. The next series, Cagle couldn’t find any open receivers and a fourth down and ten at the one minute warning. After a Cagle scramble, he was stripped by Castleberry and recovered by the Arizona defense.
No amazing comeback this week as all the Rattlers needed was to use up the final few seconds to break the losing streak.
Final 48-28 Rattlers. Tonight’s attendance 9,342.
Wrap Up
Green Bay came in as one of the league leaders in total offense and the stout Rattler defense held them to four touchdowns.
Sneed broke out of his malaise from the last four games to have a solid game b0th through the air but also on the ground.
Ron Brown Jr. broke off runs which blew past the Blizzard defense and made crucial first downs to keep drives alive which ultimately Arizona put in the end zone.
Now that the ship has been righted, the Snakes head into a bye week to rest and heal minor injuries.
Stryker, the Rattlers mascot celebrated his birthday with other mascots from Valley teams, Tucson teams and from Portillo’s and ATL Wings.
A game of note takes place Sunday in Tucson where the Sugar Skulls can help themselves and the Rattlers with a win over Las Vegas.
With four games left, the West is still up for grabs for playoff spots. The remaining games every team in the Division will play each other.
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