Hotshots sink the Fleet-Grab sole control of 2nd place

John Wolford completed 15 of 19 for 212 yards with two touchdowns and the Arizona ground game ripped off 189 yards as a team with two more scores (both scored by quarterbacks Wolford and backup Trevor Knight) as the Hotshots defeated San Diego 32-15 in Tempe.
The win moves Arizona above .500 at 4-3, but more importantly, breaks a tie with the Fleet and gives them sole possession of second place, one game behind division-leading San Antonio.
Arizona will visit those same San Antonio Commanders in a game that would place them in a tie for the division with a win or virtually clinch the division title for San Antonio, should the Commanders earn the victory.

Hot off the Grill

1) The play of this game was a third-quarter defensive stand that slammed the door on a long drive by the Fleet and held them without a point when San Diego QB Mike Bercovici's flip to tight end Ben Johnson barely fell incomplete.
San Diego would miss a field goal in the fourth quarter but never returned to the Arizona red zone again.

2) The other play that AAF fans are still talking came very late in the first half as San Diego tight end Marcus Baugh caught a long pass and after two Hotshot defenders mistimed their leap, Baugh strolled into the end zone but it looked like before the ball crossed the goal line, Baugh flipped the ball forward and the score should not have counted.
The referee that can overrule any missed call looked at the play and decided there was nothing he could do as the Fleet recovered it and the ball wound up out of play.
Still, Baugh, a former Buckeye, caused the entire issue by trying to look cool.

3) John Wolford threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead the offense.
The offense was outgained by the Fleet 411-391, but Wolford managed to make the plays when needed.
Wolford may not be an NFL starter, but he'll have a good chance to make a team.

4) Steve Johnson will either be the defensive player of the year or runner-up to San Diego' Damontre Moore.
Johnson finished with seven more solo tackles and a key interception in the fourth quarter that ended the San Diego chances of a comeback.
Johnson spent six years in the NFL as a journeyman linebacker, but in this league, he has been a difference maker.

5) Rashard Ross was injured and I don't have word on his status after his three catches for 53 yards.
Ross has been the most consistent receiver on the team and the main threat downfield, so a loss of Ross (rim shot) would be a severe hindrance to an offense that is just starting to hit its stride.

6) Huge win in this one.
Next week in San Antonio, a win can make things very interesting, but a loss to San Antonio after a loss in this one could have been a huge playoff setback.
The Hotshots have three games to go with two against divisional opponents on the road (San Antonio and San Diego) with a home game against Birmingham in the middle.
2-1 makes the playoffs, I think. Any less and who knows.