There are no more chances for the Nebraska Danger.
The second-year Indoor Football League team stands at 4-7 heading into Saturday’s 7:05 p.m. game against the Allen Wranglers at the Heartland Events Center.
Next week the Danger host Omaha before ending the regular season June 16 at Cedar Rapids. To have any hope of making the playoffs, the Danger must win all three of those games.
“We definitely have to win these last three and hope we get a slip up on Wichita and maybe another team or two,” Danger head coach Mike Davis said. “But we can only control what we can control. We had an opportunity to take care of that the past couple of weeks and we didn’t do it. Now you have to turn around and hope they return the favor for us.”
Danger general manager Mike McCoy said the team does hold tiebreakers over Wichita and Colorado.
“We have to win out,” McCoy said. “The Ice will probably finish 8-6. Wichita is 6-5. They could lose two of the next three because they play at Green Bay and at Bloomington which are two really good football teams.”
The Wranglers were a good team when they beat the Danger 86-57 on March 31 to improve to to 5-1 on the season, but they have fallen on tough times since then, losing four of their last five games.
Allen fired head coach Pat Pimmel, who coached with the Danger last year, after a loss to Wichita in late April. On Tuesday, the Wranglers announced former NFL All-Pro receiver and future Hall of Fame member Terrell Owens had been cut for conduct detrimental to the team.
Now the Wranglers need a win just as badly as the Danger.
The Danger are in this situation because they let some games get away, like a 54-53 loss to Wyoming on March 23 at the Heartland Events Center and a 57-50 loss on the road at Wichita two weeks ago when the Wild scored the winning touchdown with four seconds left in the fourth quarter.
The Danger led that game 50-42 after three quarters but went scoreless in the fourth.
“I told them at half time if we kept it close, we were going to lose the game just because of the circumstances of playing on their home field and things like that,” Davis said. “We let them stick around and that’s exactly what happened.
“It’s a learning experience for some of the guys and a learning experience for us coaches. We kind of got complacent as coaches in the second half trying to milk the clock a little bit on both offense and defense. We just needed to keep our foot on the gas on both sides of the ball.”
New middle linebacker Derrick Byrd, who played college football at Missouri State, made his Danger debut against Wichita.
“We definitely left plays out there on the field that we should have made,” Byrd said. “But that’s how the game goes sometimes. The ball bounces funny. We hope to come out this week and take advantage.”
Byrd has played for the Iowa Barnstormers in Arena I and for the Omaha Nighthawks of the USFL last year. He said the Danger has the talent to be very good on defense.
“We definitely have talented guys on the team,” Byrd said. “I feel we actually have the talent to dominate. There are just things we’re missing out on. If we can capitalize on those, you’ll see a different group.”
At least that group is healthy now after the off week. The same can‘t be said for the Wranglers who have had injury problems on the offensive line.
“That’s kind of the lay of the land here in the indoor game and football in general,” Davis said. “But they’re going to put a good product on the field. “It was one of the tougher, most physical games we’ve had all year when we played down there. I expect nothing less but the same thing. It’s going to take our best effort to beat them.”
"Minor league pro football is a weird universe filled with bounced checks, unpaid bills, empty promises, out-right lies, empty arenas, endless women, endless booze, occasionally drugs, endless trips on rented buses to towns on the outskirts of the Big Time and, for one night a week, a football game." -- Bill Shea
Grand Island, NE: The Allen Wranglers started the final three games of the season on a high note, knocking off the Nebraska Danger, 71-62, on Saturday Night in Grand Island, Nebraska. The reigning Special Teams Player of the Week, Ramonce Taylor led the team in receiving with 116 yards and four touchdowns to go along with yet another kickoff return touchdown, his third in as many weeks.
The Wranglers struggled early, putting up only 3 points in the first quarter as new quarterback David Knighton tried to get used to playing with his new teammates. After two early interceptions Knighton was able to take over the game, ultimately throwing for 243 yards and seven touchdowns as he completed over 60% of his passes. Wrangler RB Darius Fudge continued his stellar season as he racked up 87 yards on 22 carries and added two touchdowns to the offensive onslaught.
The two teams traded blows throughout the first half, as the Danger took a 12 point lead into the locker rooms at half time, but the Wranglers were able to come out strong for the second half, putting up 45 points while holding the Danger to only 24. The game was close near the end as the Wranglers held a slim two point lead before Knighton found Taylor for his seventh, and final, touchdown of the night. Knighton was acquired this week after being released from the Colorado Ice. Knighton played in nine games for the Ice, throwing for 30 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.
"We have had a lot of turnover at quarterback this entire season", said Offensive Coordinator and Co-Head Coach Dixie Wooten. "David took a few snaps to get comfortable, but we got to see how electric he can be during that second half."
"Minor league pro football is a weird universe filled with bounced checks, unpaid bills, empty promises, out-right lies, empty arenas, endless women, endless booze, occasionally drugs, endless trips on rented buses to towns on the outskirts of the Big Time and, for one night a week, a football game." -- Bill Shea
Administrator: #LFL-US Pacific Cup: Seattle Mist 27, Los Angeles Temptation 25 (FINAL) #IndoorScores
Dec 7, 2013 2:03:30 GMT -5
Banana Cat: This board was revised and updated on 7 December in preparation for the 2014 season. If you have any suggestions, let me know.
Dec 7, 2013 6:38:21 GMT -5
Banana Cat: LFL-AU kicks off inaugural season; New South Wales Surge 44, Queensland Brigade 6 (FINAL)
Dec 7, 2013 7:47:46 GMT -5
Banana Cat: LFL-AU: Victoria Maidens 32, Western Australia Angels 26 (FINAL)
Dec 14, 2013 21:58:09 GMT -5
Banana Cat: Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos for the Super Bowl. Who will win?
Jan 22, 2014 22:00:38 GMT -5
CF4L: Grand Island is up 13-0 early on over Lincoln
Feb 10, 2014 20:24:08 GMT -5
CF4L: 19-0 GI after a quarter.
Feb 10, 2014 20:38:55 GMT -5
Banana Cat: Did you go to the game CF4L?
Feb 17, 2014 11:34:51 GMT -5
danger10: Watching first night of IFL Regular season lets go Danger!
Feb 21, 2014 21:21:56 GMT -5
BNDC: Football bandits.
Mar 2, 2014 17:26:50 GMT -5
dubyaessoh: Sure is quiet in here this year!
Mar 14, 2014 19:15:50 GMT -5
halaroo: Does anyone know where I can watch away games for the AIF online?
Mar 22, 2014 9:53:41 GMT -5
Doom: this shoutbox at the bottom noone really sees it is prolly why its always quiet
Apr 12, 2014 19:11:41 GMT -5
Banana Cat: Everyone's on the facebook group now too, which makes it even more quiet. This shoutbox was quiet when it was at the top this past year, so maybe I should just shut it down.
Apr 14, 2014 20:55:38 GMT -5
Bring Back CFL to KC: so what are the guess about chances for indoor football back in kc
Sept 8, 2014 20:19:30 GMT -5
superpicker: Merry Christmas to all.
Dec 25, 2014 9:29:43 GMT -5
superpicker: Happy New Year 2015 to all fans, friends, players, owners, coaches and anyone else involved with the great sport of Indoor Football.
Jan 10, 2015 12:00:39 GMT -5
superpicker: Happy 2016 to all fans, friends, players, owners, coaches and anyone else involved with the great sport of Indoor Football.