Orlando Apollos (1-0) at San Antonio Commanders (1-0)
Date: Sunday, February 17th at 4 p.m. ET Live From the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
The Orlando Apollos (1-0) and the San Antonio Commanders face each other in the only game that features undefeated teams. Of course, it’s only Week 2 but this game is important for both teams in a ten-game season. The Orlando Apollos were the highest-scoring team in week one after pounding the Atlanta Legends 40-6 while San Antonio earned a 15-6 victory over the San Diego Fleet. Even though the Orlando win was so lopsided, we must remember that not a lot is expected out of Atlanta. San Antonio’s defense was in a little deeper against San Diego but they were quite good.
Can Orlando Explode on Offense Again?
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Garrett Gilbert and the Apollos’ offense did a pretty good job against Atlanta even though the Legends’ defense looked lost in Week 1. Gilbert completed 15 of 25 pass attempts for 227 yards including TD passes to Jalin Marshall and D’Ernest Johnson. Just to add to his stats, Gilbert reeled in a touchdown pass from Jalin Marshall after the ol’ Philly Special was called. Akeem Hunt racked up 73 yards on 10 carries including a nifty 31-yard run.
On the defensive side, Earl Okine and Ryan Davis Sr. wreaked havoc on Matt Simms and Aaron Murray as they both recorded sacks and a pair of QB hits each while Terence Gavin was a one-man wrecking crew with seven solo tackles, two pass deflections, and a pair of interceptions. Will Hill III was also credited with an interception. Once again, all of this success came against a pretty weak Atlanta team and San Antonio will provide a lot more competition on both sides of the ball.
Can San Antonio’s Defense Have a Repeat Performance Against Orlando?
The offense that San Antonio (1-0) faced in Week 1 was a notch or two below the offense they will face in Week 2. Logan Woodside’s 18 for 36 performance for 255 yards and no touchdowns was far from spectacular while his two interceptions made things even tougher. However, we should see a lot of potential after Mekale McKay, Alonzo Moore, and Greg Ward Jr. combined for 13 catches for 223 yards. No, they did not record a passing TD but they seem to be on the cusp. It will be up to the defense to slow things down and keep San Antonio in the game.
The Commanders’ impressive defensive display was the result of a team effort although Shaan Washington was a bit of a standout with a pair of sacks and two quarterback hits. Zack Sanchez, De’Vante Bausby, and Orion Smith added to San Diego’s woes with each hauling in an interception. Stopping Orlando’s run game will be crucial. Akeem Hunt had 7.3 YPC last week while D’Ernest Johnson averaged seven yards. San Diego’s attack in Week 1 was mostly done through the air but their ground attack was impressive when called upon. Another six-sack performance will go a long way in helping San Antonio’s cause.
Prediction
The Orlando Apollos are 6-point road faves and that should draw a lot of action on them based on last week’s results. However, this game looks like it will be a lot closer than a small sample size of statistics would indicate. San Antonio should be able to hang in with Orlando and we might even see an upset.
The Pick: San Antonio Commanders +6
The Total
Even though Atlanta’s offense didn’t give Orlando too many troubles, the Apollos have a pretty good defense. As for San Antonio, the defense played a huge role in their victory. The total is set at 44.5 but with two very good defenses, we could be in for a low-scoring game. Orlando won’t be posting close to 40 points this week.
The Pick: Under 44.5