Portland Steel Hope New Name and Look Create New Success

Logo via Portland Steel Twitter (@pdxsteel)

The first two seasons the Portland franchise experienced as the Thunder had their unique mix of success and failure. One would not place much value on consecutive 5-13 records, but they finagled their way into the playoffs each time. The first of those, in their 2014 expansion year, saw a matchup that was a surprisingly close 52-48 loss against a 15-3 Arizona Rattlers squad that went on to win the Arena Bowl. In their 2015 campaign, the Thunder again defaulted into a playoff spot, this time a 55-28 drubbing at the hands of the the 17-1 San Jose Sabercats, who also went on to be Arena Bowl champions.

The franchise has had a tumultuous 2015-16 offseason, leading to big changes. After their elimination from the playoffs, the team parted ways with head coach Mike Hohensee and his entire staff. In September, the Thunder hired Andy Olson to take over. In January, due to discrepancies between team owner Terry Emmert and the league’s medical insurance policies, AFL officials were forced to assume control of the team. Since Emmert owns the rights to the name, logo, color scheme and identity, the league re-branded the team to the Portland Steel. They subsequently let go of Olson and his entire staff, replacing him with Ron James as head coach and general manager.

What to Watch For:

Offensively, Portland looks to improve an offense that ranked seventh out of 12 in points per game and was third-worst in the league in total yards. The Steel are without starting quarterback Kyle Rowley, and instead turn to 34-year old journeyman Danny Southwick to lead the offense. In his second stint with the franchise Southwick looks to improve a passing game that was among the worst in the league. Rowley ranked near the bottom of the league in yards per game, yards per attempt, and completion percentage, while having the second-most interceptions. Looking to lead the receiving corps are Jared Perry and Colt Lyerla. Perry is entering his fifth year in the league, and second with Portland. He led the team last year with 100 receptions for 1,297 yards and 29 touchdowns, finishing sixth in the league in yards per game. The recently-acquired Lyerla gives Southwick a formidable target due to his size and athleticism.

There is also much to be sought after on the defensive side of the ball. In 2015, Portland ranked last in the league in points allowed per game and were fourth-worst in yards allowed per game. They had the second-worst third down conversion percentage against, and were in the bottom half of the league in sacks and turnovers created. The defense will continue to look for contributions from third-year linebacker Bryce Peila and defensive back Dwight McLean, who returns to Portland after a year with Las Vegas. McLean has 10 interceptions, 51 pass breakups and eight forced fumbles in his six years in the league. Peila brings his 11 interceptions, 15 pass breakups and five fumble recoveries in just two years with the team.

Mark Your Calendar:

The Arena Football League season starts with just eight teams this year. The eight teams are split into two conferences: The American Conference will have the Jacksonville Sharks, Orlando Predators, Philadelphia Soul, and Tampa Bay Storm. In the National Conference, the Steel will compete against the Arizona Rattlers, Los Angeles KISS, and Cleveland Gladiators. Per the new alignment, all eight teams will make the playoffs where there will be Conference Semifinals and the Conference Championship, leading to Arena Bowl XXIX.

The season starts by hosting the Arizona Rattlers in the Steel home opener on Friday, April 1. The Rattlers will be looking to start another championship season after falling in the conference championship to eventual-champion San Jose last year. The Steel will look to impress their fans with their new name and create some momentum to start the season and continue in their two other matchups with the Rattlers on April 30 and June 11.

Where the Steel will look to take the most advantage of their schedule is in their contests with the Los Angeles KISS and new divisional rival Cleveland Gladiators. Neither team is particularly strong as they finished with respective 4-14 and 8-10 records last season.

Additionally, the Steel will look to make use of a late-season, four-game homestand from June 20 through July 16 in games against Cleveland, the Philadelphia Soul, the Orlando Predators, and the Jacksonville Sharks. The season finale is against the KISS and, if the previous seasons are any indication, will likely be the determining factor of their playoff seeding.