By Adrian King

On Sunday, the Chicago Wildfire hosted the Detroit Mechanix in a game that played out according to expectations. Chicago won with a final score of 24-16.

But, don’t confuse an easy W for an insignificant one. Several themes underpinned the victory and may prove indicative as the race for a playoff position heats up.

Strengthening Roster

Chicago’s Nate Goff has been unavailable for the first 6 games due to school commitments. Sunday was his first game of 2019 and his impact was immediate. Two throws into the Wildfire’s opening possession Pawel Janas yanked a 70-yard backhand to Goff, who topped two defenders for the score. 1-0 Wildfire with only 12 seconds off the clock. To give perspective on Goff’s potential effect, he touched the disc eight times in the first half and five of those were either catching or throwing a score.

Wildfire is still missing players due to injury or scheduling conflicts. Look for this to be a significant factor in the next few games. If they can play at the top of their roster, this team is deadly.

Offensive Posture

Chicago’s offense played a moderately clean game, but a few turnovers had them trailing for much of the first quarter. Against a team like Pittsburgh or Minnesota that might cause nervousness and tentative throws, but Chicago’s O-line stayed relaxed and took shots opportunistically. Hopefully, this was good mental conditioning for tighter games in the future.  

Defensive Effectiveness

On the AUDL’s large field, a defender’s primary objective isn’t to force turnovers, but to dictate play and limit their opponent’s available options. Wildfire’s defense did this successfully throughout long stretches of the game. But, don’t mistake that for being passive. The D-team showed appropriate moments of outright aggression, such as a momentum-saving play to close out the first half. Detroit had the disc with 11 seconds left in the 2nd quarter and called timeout to draw up a play. On the initiating throw, Wildfire’s Cal Tornabene poached off his man, did his best Von Alanguilan impression and snagged a layout catch-D. He flipped it for a quick score. What might have been a Detroit morale-booster turned into a strong Chicago statement.

And, Chicago’s defense showed an appetite for converting turnovers into scores. Although most of the firepower is loaded on the O-line, Wildfire’s defenders proved capable of possessing and setting up scoring drives. This is exactly what you want to see from a team gunning for a playoff spot.

And Looking Forward…

The playoff picture in the Midwest continues to look more stochastic, not less. After the weekend, perennial powerhouse Madison dropped to second-to-last; just above Detroit.

Bonkers.

The middle of the pack - Pittsburgh, Wildfire, and the Wind Chill - are sitting on records of .571, .571, and .556, respectively.

Chicago will be on the road this weekend giving Detroit a rematch. It should be an almost guaranteed victory, but with the way the Midwest has gone, anything is possible. Margin for error has evaporated. In some respects this will be their most crucial game yet.