The Gladiators continue to struggle on special teams. It is not just costing them points, it is costing them games.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Gladiators continue to struggle on special teams. It is not just costing them points, it is costing them games.
Chris Martin returned a kickoff 57 yards for a touchdown with 14 seconds left to give the Chicago Rush a 52-49 victory at The Q.
Among those in attendance was Browns All-Pro Josh Cribbs, who wore an Indians cap. Cribbs also attended Gladiators games in 2008, the franchise's first season in Cleveland.
Chicago improved to 6-2 and is tied with Milwaukee atop the National Conference Midwest Division. The Gladiators, a division opponent, slipped to 3-5. They went 0-2 in the season series against the Rush, the combined differential being six points.
Four of Cleveland's five losses have been by a combined 13 points. Special-teams fingerprints have been all over the crime scenes, beginning with a season-opening 61-56 loss to Arizona at home.
"It's a three-phase game," quarterback John Dutton said.
After Martin's return, the Gladiators had a first-and-10 from their own 5. They moved to the Chicago 19, but Chris Denny's 34-yard field-goal attempt hooked left as time expired.
Within moments of the final whistle, Gladiators coach Steve Thonn dropped to the turf and required medical attention. He eventually was helped to the locker room.
Phil Tesar, Gladiators director of communications, said Thonn had asked him for water.
"When I came back to him, he was sitting on the ground," Tesar said.
Thonn did not meet with reporters after the game. Tesar later said: "Coach Thonn had not been feeling well but was OK. He was checked out and everything's good."
Martin and the Rush spoiled a productive night by a former Brown. Receiver Steve Sanders, playing in his second career Arena game and making his first AFL start, caught a game-high 14 passes for 173 yards.
Sanders subbed for Chris Johnson. Johnson, nursing a shoulder injury, entered the weekend ranked second in the league with 76 receptions.
Dutton's first five pass attempts, including one nullified by penalty, were intended for Sanders. Two were completed; the other three bounced off Sanders' hands. Dutton's sixth pass went to Brent Holmes for a 6-yard touchdown.
"Steve practiced all week, and I don't think we missed a beat," Dutton said. "We're pretty loaded at receiver. We were taking what they gave us, and I was throwing to the guy who was open."
Sanders admitted he was anxious during the first series.
"I needed to allow the game to come to me," he said. "Once I did, it started to go well."
Sanders, though, played a role in ruining his own big day. He was part of the coverage unit that Martin burned.
"We needed to make a play, and we didn't," Sanders said. "No excuses. We've got to make a play right there. A game can change in 10 seconds."
Dutton went 28-of-39 for 351 yards and five touchdowns. He was intercepted once -- his first since May 1 at Spokane.
"We're pretty evenly matched with Chicago, but they figure out how to win in the end," Dutton said. "We've got to figure out how to do that."
Dutton connected with Ben Nelson for a 20-yard TD with 22 seconds remaining. Denny's extra point gave the Gladiators a 49-45 advantage.
In the preceding possession, Chicago kicked a field goal with 39 seconds left. But the Gladiators' decision to let about 10 seconds run off the clock before the Rush kicked proved costly.
Nelson entered the weekend leading the AFL with 1,005 receiving yards. He was held to one catch in the first half and finished with seven for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
The Gladiators scored touchdowns on all four of their possessions in the first half and led, 28-21. Dutton was 11-of-15 for 161 yards and four touchdowns in the first half.
Late in the first quarter, the Gladiators thought they had a TD on a deep ball to Sanders, but an official ruled the pass incomplete as Sanders failed to finish his roll with the ball secured. Thonn was steamed.
On the next play, Dutton connected with Holmes for a 32-yard score.
The Rush had touchdowns on three of four possessions in the first half. It was held to a field-goal attempt, which missed, in the second quarter.
Chicago pulled within 28-21 on a 1-yard TD run by DeJuan Alfonzo with 2.2 seconds left.