The Gladiators have lost two in a row and are 3-5 at the halfway point of their Arena Football League season.
John Dutton is the Gladiators quarterbackThe Gladiators have lost two in a row and are 3-5 at the halfway point of their Arena Football League season.Regardless, they need to guard against overconfidence entering tonight’s game against the Utah Blaze at The Q.
The Blaze is awful and in turmoil, its entire coaching staff having been dismissed not long after a sixth loss in seven games to open the season. Utah fell to Arizona, 83-58, at home last Friday; Ron James replaced Ernesto Purnsley as head coach Tuesday.
In 2005 and 2006, James coached the Las Vegas Gladiators. The franchise relocated to Cleveland in 2008.
“It’s going to be really hard to prepare for them because of all the uncertainty,” Gladiators coach Steve Thonn said. “We’re looking at personnel and not at their schemes because we don’t know what they’re going to do.”
Utah has lost three straight, including a 77-28 smackdown by host Spokane on May 22. It has been outscored, 456-334, in seven games.
The Gladiators won in Spokane, 72-68, May 1. Despite being sub-.500, they have outscored the opposition, 465-460.
“If certain things had gone our way, we’d be 5-3,” Thonn said. “But there are reasons why those things didn’t go our way. We’re 3-5 and need a win, no matter what team we’re playing.”
Utah’s hope comes on special teams. It owns one of the league’s best kickoff-return units.
Meanwhile, special-teams breakdowns continue to cost the Gladiators. Last Saturday, they lost at home to Chicago, 52-49, after giving up a kickoff return for a touchdown with 14 seconds remaining.
As players and coaches shook hands after the game, Thonn felt dizzy and disoriented. He required medical attention and was unavailable to reporters.
Thonn returned to coaching this week.
“My blood pressure was pretty high at that point, and they told me I was a little dehydrated,” he said. “I’m going through a physical, but there’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine. I’m not on the injured list.”
Where Thonn’s players are concerned, receiver Chris Johnson likely will miss a second straight game because of a shoulder injury. Johnson ranks among AFL leaders with 76 receptions.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com; 216-999-4664