The Hammerheads started off strong after receiving the ball and starting on their own 16 yard line. The first play of the game was a handoff to HB Rudi Johnson, and he juked his way to an 84-yard touchdown run to give the Hammerheads a quick 7-0 lead with 6:45 remaining in the first quarter. On the Blizzard's first possession of the game, Hammerheads' OLB Takeo Spikes intercepted QB Aaron Rogers. The Hammerheads returned the favor, however, as Hammerheads' QB Patrick Ramsey threw an interception to Blizzard MLB Mike Vrabel. After a long pass from Rogers to Glenn, the Blizzard put three points on the board on K Jay Feely's 23-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 Hammerheads with 4:35 remaining in the first quarter. The Hammerheads moved into Blizzard territory thanks to a timely catch by WR Reggie Wayne, and the Hammerheads responded to Feely's field goal with a field goal of their own - a 44-yarder by K Paul Ernster to make it 10-3 Hammerheads. On the Blizzard's next possession, it was CB Shawn Springs who made a big play for Ocean City - picking off QB Aaron Rogers and taking it 36 yards to the endzone to increase the lead to 17-3 Ocean City with 1:11 remaining in the first quarter. The Blizzard, however, were able to get something going early in the second quarter as QB Rogers completed a few passes to TE Alge Crumpler to get into Hammerheads' territory. QB Rogers didn't let the Blizzard fans down as he found WR Torry Holt open and he took it to the endzone - an 11-yard touchdown reception to make the score 17-10 Hammerheads with 6:13 remaining in the first half. The Hammerheads responded in tremendous fashion, putting the ball into the hands of HB Rudi Johnson for a few runs, and then connecting with WR Isaac Bruce for a first down to get to the Blizzard's 46-yard line. Next play, Hammerheads QB Patrick Ramsey handed the ball off to HB LaMont Jordan and he did the rest, scampering 46 yards untouched to the endzone to extend the Hammerheads' lead to 24-10 with 4:15 remaining in the first half. The Blizzard were forced to go three-and-out on their next possession, giving the Hammerheads a chance to gain some more seperation. The Blizzard were able to sack Ramsey on their next possession and the Hammerheads were conservative by putting the ball into the hands of their runningbacks and then punting. The Blizzard were able to put together a time consuming drive that ended in another Feely field goal - a 35-yarder to cut the Hammerheads' lead to 24-13 with 1:17 remaining in the quarter. After a run, the Hammerheads decided to stay aggressive and QB Ramsey hit WR Reggie Wayne deep to get into Blizzard territory. After a few passes and runs didn't get them into the endzone, the Hammerheads called timeout with one second left and K Paul Ernster put a 32-yarder through the uprights to kill the Blizzard's momentum going into halftime as the Hammerheads extended their lead to 27-13 going into halftime.
On the Blizzard's first possession coming out of halftime, the Blizzard took advantage on a pass interference call on CB Shawn Springs covering WR Torry Holt, and the Blizzard were able to score on HB Shaun Alexander's 9-yard touchdown run with 5:10 remaining in the third quarter, score now 27-20 Hammerheads. After a Hammerheads' punt, the Blizzard got the ball and moved into Hammerheads' territory. On a passing play, the Hammerheads' secondary did a superb job covering the Blizzard receivers and QB Aaron Rogers took off scrambling - and was hit hard by OLB Takeo Spikes, jarring the ball loose. After a few seconds, it was Spikes himself who recovered the fumble to stall what looked to be another successful Blizzard drive. The Hammerheads drove and and added three more points on a Paul Ernster 23-yard field goal to make it 30-20 Hammerheads with 3:04 remaining in the third quarter. The Blizzard's next possession would stretch into the fourth quarter, but it was halted as CB Shawn Springs came up with his second interception of the game off of Rogers. The Hammerheads failed to capitalize, but CB Deltha O'Neal was hurt on the punt return after being hit. With about 5:00 remaining in the game, QB Aaron Rogers dropped back, and after looking off his receivers, scrambled again, but OLB Takeo Spikes - like before - was ready and nailed Rogers again, forcing another fumble - and then recovering it again as well! The Hammerheads put together a few runs and a short pass to get the Hammerheads to their own 28-yard line, and then a handoff to HB LaMont Jordan would help bring the Hammerheads' momentum back as Jordan ran the distance - 72 yards for the touchdown making it 37-20 Hammerheads with 3:43 remaining in the game. On the ensuing kickoff to the Blizzard, KR/CB Deltha O'Neal returned the kickoff 46 yards to their own 49-yard line, giving them great field position. The Blizzard put together a few quick passes and then Rogers hit TE Alge Crumpler in the endzone for a 16-yard touchdown reception to cut the lead to 37-27 Hammerheads with 3:11 remaining in the game. KR Dante Hall then returned the Blizzard's kickoff 44 yards to the Hammerheads' own 35 yard line. The Hammerheads ran to kill some clock and then punted with 2:48 remaining in the game still up by 10 points. The Blizzard, again, left it to the arm of QB Aaron Rogers, and he was up for the challenge, driving the Blizzard upfield and then hitting TE Alge Crumpler in the endzone again for a 5-yard touchdown reception with 1:54 remaining in the game, score now 37-34 Hammerheads with 1:54 remaining in the game. The Hammerheads attempted to kill some clock, but the team foolishly got a delay of game penalty on first down. Thankfully for the Hammerheads, HB Rudi Johnson was ready to put the game away as he took the handoff and powered his way towards the endzone - a 72-yard touchdown run to make it a two possession game as the Hammerheads now took a 44-34 lead with 57 seconds remaining in the ball game. The Blizzard got into the hurry up offense and gave the ball to Rogers again, who guided the team to the endzone again on only two passes - a 35-yard touchdown reception by WR Reche Caldwell with 35 seconds remaining in the game to make the score 44-41. The Blizzard went for the onside kick, needing to recover it to stay alive with all of their timeouts used, but Hammerheads' TE George Wrighster dove on the football to seal the deal and give the Hammerheads their fourth win of the season against one of the best teams in the league.
The Horse Trailer Player of the Game was Takeo Spikes for his superb defensive effort, finishing with 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 INT, 1 return yard, and 1 pass defensed. Honorable mention goes to HB's Rudi Johnson and LaMont Jordan and CB Shawn Springs. HB Rudi Johnson rushed for 219 yards on 17 carries (12.8 ypc) with two rushing touchdowns of 84 and 72 yards. HB LaMont Jordan finished with 115 yards on 6 carries (19.1 ypc) with two rushing touchdowns of 72 and 46 yards. CB Shawn Springs recorded 6 tackles, 2 interceptions, 37 return yards, 1 defensive touchdown, and 1 pass defensed.
Ironically in this Blizzard's shootout, the defense helped the Hammerheads win the game despite giving up 41 points. The Hammerheads' defense forced five turnovers - versus the Blizzard's defense's one forced turnover - which resulted in 17 points for Ocean City. In addition, while the Hammerheads were 2-2 in redzone opportunities (2 field goals), the Blizzard were 6-9 (4 touchdowns, 2 field goals, 3 turnovers). The Blizzard offense was spectacular despite the turnovers with QB Aaron Rogers finishing 22-33 for 435 yards with 4 touchdowns, 3 INT's, an astonishing 13.1 yards per attempt, and a QB rating of 111.4, an amazing rating for a player with 3 INT's. QB Patrick Ramsey improved his record to 2-3 as Hammerheads' starter. The Hammerheads travel to face the Rickards Redskins in week 12 PFL action.
The Hammerheads started off with the ball but they were unable to make anything happen and were forced to punt. The Centurions fed off of play action and were able to score on HB Willis McGahee's 3-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Centurions with 2:00 remaining in the first quarter. On the Hammerheads' next possession, Ocean City dodged a major bullet when a LG Eric Steinbach recovered a fumble by HB LaMont Jordan in Centurions' territory. The Hammerheads put three points on the board when K Paul Ernster connected on a 37-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 Centurions with 6:36 remaining in the first half. Hammerheads' OLB Julian Peterson sacked Centurions' QB Joey Harrington twice on the next drive and forced them to punt. KR/PR Dante Hall returned the Centurions' punt 21 yards to give the Hammerheads good field position. Centurions' SS Ed Reed was injured, which left part of the Centurions' secondary vulnerable, and QB Patrick Ramsey took advantage of this when he connected with WR Isaac Bruce for a 17-yard touchdown reception to make the score 10-7 Hammerheads with 3:12 remaining in the first half. After a Centurions' drive was halted when a beautiful hit on WR Antwaan Randle El jarred the ball loose on third down, the Hammerheads got the ball back late in the first half. The Hammerheads added three more points on a K Paul Ernster 41-yard field goal to give the Hammerheads a 13-7 lead going into the half.
On the Centurions' first drive of the second half, a drive could have been halted but FS Erik Coleman was flagged for pass interference to give the Centurions a first down. The Centurions play-actioned their way to the endzone and scored via a HB Kevin Faulk 10-yard touchdown reception, giving the Centurions a 14-13 lead . The Hammerheads went three-and-out on their next drive and after OLB Takeo Spikes sacked QB Joey Harrington, the Centurions put together another drive and scored when FB Jim Kleinsasser caught a pass and took it 12-yard to the endzone on playaction, making it 21-13 Centurions with 1:35 remaining in the third quarter. Trailing by eight in the fourth quarter, the Hammerheads drove upfield and scored when FB Chris Faumatu-Ma'afala plowed into the endzone for a one-yard touchdown run and followed it up with doing the same on the two-point conversion attempt, tying the score at 21. The Centurions responded with nothing as they were forced to punt and on the Hammerheads' next possession, SS Ed Reed was hurt again and left the game. The Hammerheads took advantage of this and HB Rudi Johnson was able to score on the next drive via a 22-yard touchdown reception from QB Patrick Ramsey to make it 28-21 Hammerheads with 3:46 remaining in the game. The Centurions responded by play-actioning their way to the endzone with several dumps to FB Kleinsasser on playaction and finally a pass to WR Antwaan Randle El for a 20-yard touchdown reception to tie the score at 28 with 2:24 remaining in the game. Following a KOB by the Centurions, which gave the Hammerheads good field position, QB Patrick Ramsey threw a costly interception into the hands of CB Nathan Vasher. The Centurions ate up the clock and won the game on K Ryan Longwell's 33-yard field goal - final score 31-28 Centurions.
The Hammerheads offense played a great game up until the Ramsey interception, but Ramsey looks to finally be settling in as the Hammerheads' starting QB. Hammerheads face the tough Boston Blizzard in week 11 PFL action.
The Hammerheads got the ball first and KR Dante Hall took the kickoff 99 yards to the house to give the Hammerheads a 7-0 lead from the start. After the Sheepheads' drive was stalled, forcing a punt, and the Hammerheads punted on their ensuing possession, the Sheepheads got the ball back. After moving the ball a bit on the first two downs, a third down pass to WR Eric Parker for what would have been a first down was broken up on a beautiful hit by SS Sean Jones to force a Sheepheads' punt. The Hammerheads' began to make things happen on their next possession, and it didn't help the Sheepheads' defense when SS Corey Chavous fell to injury. A pass to WR Reggie Wayne got the Hammerheads even deeper into Sheepheads' territory and QB Patrick Ramsey finished the successful drive by hitting WR Michael Clayton in the endzone for a 6-yard touchdown reception with 1:36 remaining in the first quarter, making it 14-0 Ocean City. The Sheepheads made a costly error on their next possession when QB Marc Bulger threw an interception into the hands of Hammerheads' FS Erik Coleman, giving the Hammerheads good field position. The team easily got into field goal range and K Paul Ernster added a 45-yard field goal as the first quarter came to a close to make it 17-0 Ocean City. On the Sheepheads' next possession, they got off on the wrong foot again as Hammerheads' DT Jonathan Babineaux got into the Sheepheads' backfield and sacked Bulger. The Sheepheads rebounded and found WR Joe Horn open for a reception that moved the Sheepheads to midfield. TE Marcus Pollard also got in on the action and before they knew it, the Sheepheads were in a fourth and inches situation on the Hammerheads' 2-yard line. Sheepheads' coach dave_82_82 decided to go for it and it worked as the Sheepheads converted the first down and then scored on QB Marc Bulger's 1-yard touchdown run to make it 17-7 Ocean City with 3:29 remaining in the first half. The Hammerheads' offense stalled on their next drive and were forced to punt, giving the Sheepheads a chance to get some momentum, but Hammerheads' young MLB Boomer Grigsby intercepted Bulger late in the second half. The Hammerheads took advantage of this with a 32-yard Paul Ernster field goal to make it 20-7 Hammerheads, which would remain the score going into halftime.
On the Sheepheads' first possession, Bulger made another mistake when he was intercepted by Hammerheads' CB Lito Sheppard. The Hammerheads weren't able to make anything happen as QB Patrick Ramsey was intercepted by CB Al Harris and returned 72 yards. Kicker Mike Vanderjagt added a 42-yard field goal to help close the score to a 10-point margin at 20-10 with 5:10 remaining in the third quarter. The Hammerheads responded well and put together a drive concluded by HB Rudi Johnson's 7-yard touchdown run to make the score 27-10 Hammerheads with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter. On the Sheepheads' next possession, CB Lito Sheppard intercepted another QB Bulger pass and the Hammerheads added three more points on a 47-yard Ernster field goal, score now 30-10 Ocean City with 1:05 remaining in the third quarter. After this, the Sheepheads punted on numerous occasions - as did the Hammerheads who were focused on more of a ball control offense with their lead (and replacing QB Patrick Ramsey with QB Philip Rivers) - and this helped to kill the clock. The Hammerheads had an opportunity to add 3 more points on a 52-yard Ernster field goal but it was no good, giving the Sheepheads a chance to respond. They did and scored on a 23-yard TE Chad Lewis touchdown reception with 1:16 remaining in the game to make the score 30-17. This would be the final score as well.
Player of the game was shared by KR Dante Hall and CB Lito Sheppard. Hall's early touchdown set the tone for what was a successful game for the Hammerheads all-around and Sheppard played a great game on the defensive side of the ball with his 1 tackle, 2 interception, and 3 passes defensed performance. Hammerheads have a week ten showdown in New Jersey versus the Centurions in week 10.
Ocean City Hammerheads' head coach/GM Joshua Biddle said of the trade "I'm satisfied with the returns we got for these guys. I wish KGB and Kassim well and I hope Howard and Wrighster help the Hammerheads in the short and long run".
Howard will immediately take over at the RE position for the departed Gbaja-Biamila. Early reports out of Ocean City are that Wrighster will either be number two or number three on the depth chart at TE as he will compete with week one free agent acquisition TE Joel Dreessen for the number two spot.
The Hammerheads started off with the ball but were forced to punt - P Andy Groom pinned the Storm on their own 3 yard line and this would be huge for the Hammerheads' defense. The Storm called a fake FB run/pitch to the HB and OLB Takeo Spikes read the play from the start and nailed HB Tatum Bell in the endzone for a safety, making it 2-0 Hammerheads with 5:27 remaining in the first quarter. On the Hammerheads' ensuing possession, the team drove upfield and QB Ramsey threw an interception in the endzone. After the Storm couldn't get anything done on their next possession, the Hammerheads got into field goal range and K Paul Ernster missed a 42-yard field goal attempt with 1:59 remaining in the first quarter, score still 2-0 Hammerheads. The Storm were able to put points on the board about midway through the second quarter when K Shayne Graham made good on a 21-yard field goal to make it 3-2 Storm with 4:52 to go in the first half. The Hammerheads were forced to punt on their next possession. The Storm, on their own nineteen-yard line, let QB Carson Palmer throw and he threw an interception into the hands of FS Daylon McCutcheon who returned the ball 19 yards to the endzone for 7 points after Ernster's extra point, making it 9-3 Hammerheads with 2:10 remaining in the first half. The Storm were able to get a quick drive deep into Hammerheads territory and on a handoff to HB Tatum Bell, he ran to the right side and was hit by OLB Julian Peterson, jarring the ball loose. The fumble bounced out of bounds as the Storm caught a major break. The Storm took advantage of the break in the form of a 3-yard HB Tatum Bell touchdown run to make the score 10-9 Storm with 32 seconds remaining in the first half. The Hammerheads prepared to go to the hail marry after two quick passing plays and pass interference was called on a deep pass, putting the Hammerheads in field goal position with no time on the clock. K Paul Ernster was called out and he missed a long field goal attempt to keep the score at 10-9 Storm going into halftime.
The Hammerheads defense came out ready to play in the second half and started the half off well when MLB Boomer Grigsby picked off a QB Carson Palmer pass. A few punts by both teams eventually gave the ball to the Hammerheads around midfield. Unfortunately for Hammerheads fans, QB Ramsey threw the football into the hands of CB Ronald Bartell, who returned the football to the Hammerheads' seven yard line. The Storm capitalized on a 11-yard touchdown pass from QB Palmer to WR Dante Stallworth to put the Storm up 17-9 with 2:20 remaining in the third quarter. The Hammerheads decided to switch quarterbacks and handed the ball to QB Philip Rivers. The Hammerheads drove downfield and added three points on K Paul Ernster's 30-yard field goal, score now 17-12. After forcing a Storm punt, the Hammerheads had a chance to gain the lead; however, QB Philip Rivers threw an interception with 4:21 remaining in the game. The Storm added a field goal by K Shayne Graham to extend their lead to 20-12 with 2:44 remaining. In desperation, the Hammerheads gave the ball to rookie QB Stefan LeFors to see what he could do in crunch time. He quickly threw an interception with 2:05 remaining in the game, leading to a HB Tatum Bell 45-yard touchdown run, seemingly putting the game out of reach for Ocean City with the score now 27-12. The Hammerheads offense surprised though as QB LeFors connected with receivers to move the ball downfield quickly and reached the endzone on a screen to WR Isaac Bruce who took it 8 yards for the touchdown, making it 27-18. The Hammerheads went for two and FB Chris Faumatu-Ma'afala plunged into the endzone to make it 27-20. The Hammerheads, figuring they needed the ball sooner rather than later, went for the onside kick but the Storm recovered, ending the game at 27-20.
The only real notable performance was that of WR Reggie Wayne, who had six catches for 124 yards with 32 YAC, but also had three drops. In fact, the Hammerheads' receiving corps had a total of 8 drops, with four by WR Isaac Bruce and one by WR Michael Clayton. On top of that, two missed Paul Ernster field goals helped the momentum stay with Mentor as they escaped with the victory. Hammerheads fall to 2-5 and face the Dordrecht Sheepheads in week 9 PFL action.
"The bottom line was Randy wasn't getting the ball and that was hurting the team" head coach/GM Joshua Biddle said in a statement. "It's definitely not due to a lack of talent, as he is a talented player. It's more that he just doesn't fit the mold of this team and just couldn't make things happen in our style of offense for whatever reason. He was still worth the trade we executed to acquire him and we wish him luck in Clarksburg".
The Hammerheads now have five picks on the first day of the upcoming draft with two first rounders, two second rounders, and a third rounder - the extra 1st and 2nd both being the Jethroes'. The Hammerheads hint that the dealing may not be over as the deadline looms.
McMichael will still suit up and will be the #2 tight end on the depth chart in the Hammerheads' week 8 game versus the Mentor Storm. TE Brian Jones will start.
On the Skyhawks' opening possession, the Hammerheads contained HB Fred Taylor and forced them to punt on a three-and-out. On the Hammerheads' first possession, they drove the field with good running and passing from QB Philip Rivers. On a third and four in Skyhawks' territory, Rivers threw to an open WR Reggie Wayne, but Wayne dropped the ball, making it fourth down and forcing the Hammerheads to settle for a field goal - a 39-yarder by K Paul Ernster to make it 3-0 Hammerheads with 3:45 remaining in the first quarter. The Skyhawks came out punching on their next drive, pounding the football and putting together a fantastic drive which was concluded when HB Fred Taylor pushed his way into the endzone for a 2-yard touchdown run, making it 7-3 Skyhawks with 2:08 remaining in the first. The Skyhawks defense stepped up and forced a three-and-out, getting the ball back and keeping it as the first quarter came to an end. As the second quarter began, the Skyhawks resumed their drive into Hammerheads' territory on the Hammerheads' 16-yard line, and HB Fred Taylor was able to scamper the distance on the first play of the second quarter to make it 14-3 Skyhawks on Taylor's second touchdown run of the game. After another Hammerheads' three-and-out, the Skyhawks scored again after driving when QB Aaron Brooks found TE Dallas Clark in the endzone for a 21-yard touchdown reception, making the score lopsided in the Skyhawks' favor at 21-3. On the Hammerheads' next possession, QB Philip Rivers threw an interception late in the second to screw up an opportunity to show the coaching staff that he could handle a two-minute drill. The Skyhawks looked to make something happen going into the half as they put their two minute drill to use. At their own 35-yard line, QB Aaron Brooks dropped back and threw to the left side of the field and threw the ball right into the hands of Hammerheads' nickle CB Eric Green, who took the ball 35-yards to the house to give the Hammerheads' a spark as they cut the Skyhawks lead to 21-10 with 56 seconds to go in the first half. The Skyhawks surprsingly would make use of this short amount of time with great passes from Brooks and solid running as HB Fred Taylor punched the ball into the endzone for the third time of the game for a 1-yard touchdown run to make the score 28-10 Skyhawks going into halftime.
At halftime, the Hammerheads benched QB Philip Rivers for QB Patrick Ramsey, who came into the game with an absolutely horrific 1.9 QB Rating with 0 TD passes in 30 passing attempts. Additionally, the Hammerheads' defense got some moves done as they let MLB Boomer Grigsby start in place of MLB Lofa Tatupu and FS Daylon McCutcheon start in place of FS Erik Coleman. Though Ramsey had struggled, he was money on the first play from scrimmage of the second half and his first action since his week four start as he hit WR Isaac Bruce in stride and he took it to the endzone for a 75-yard touchdown reception to make it 28-17, Skyhawks lead. The Hammerheads kept the momentum going as they forced the Skyhawks to punt on a three-and-out on their first second-half possession. Unfortunately for the Hammerheads, QB Patrick Ramsey threw an interception to stall the drive and kill the momentum. The Skyhawks would just use the running game to effectively kill any remaining momentum for the Hammerheads as Taylor pounded his way to 180-yards rushing on the day. The Skyhawks had a few opportunities to put the game away but K John Hall missed a 45-yard field goal in the third and a 53-yarder in the fourth. The Hammerheads were not able to take advantage of the good field position in the third when a drive was halted, nor in the fourth when QB Stefan LeFors got to see his first career action on second down, throwing one pass incomplete and then getting sacked on the next play. Skyhawks win the game 28-17.
Hammerheads' head coach Joshua Biddle attributed the loss to abandoning the run game that has been their rock. The team only attempted 14 carries with standout HB Rudi Johnson receiving only nine. QB Patrick Ramsey finished the game 7-10 for 122 yards with 1 TD, 1 INT, and a 104.9 QB rating. This brought his QB rating for the season to 27.7, up from 1.9. Though the rating is still poor, it was by far his best outing of the season - and it was in unfavorable conditions down 18. CB Eric Green, who recorded two tackles and the 35-yard interception return for a touchdown was a solid contributor on the defensive side of the ball.
The Hammerheads (2-4) return home to host the Mentor Storm (3-3) in week 8 PFL action. QB Patrick Ramsey is expected to get the start after the poor showing from Rivers.
Rivers, a 23-year old from N.C. State, is a pure pocket passer with a great combination of accuracy and strength. He has a decent deep ball and is able to hit receivers anywhere in the field of play. The only weakness Rivers possesses is his lack of mobility - but that is a typical trait in QB's who are effective pocket passers. With the offensive line that the Hammerheads are developing, head coach/GM Joshua Biddle believes that it will not be a problem. Rivers has been mediocre this season, going 41-84 (48.8%) for 517 yards with 6 TD passes, 7 INT's, and a 57.49 QB rating - also posting a 2-2 record as starter of the Hammerheads.
Ramsey, a 26-year old from Tulane, has had a poor season thus far. Regardless, his attributes are extremely comparable to Rivers, and another good training camp but make him one of the better quarterbacks in the league. Ramsey, though more mobile than Rivers, is not extremely mobile relative to the faster quarterbacks in the league. He has the arm to make all the throws, and his poor play is more due to his head than his abilities. In one start and two relief appearences, Ramsey is 9-30 (30%) for 104 yards with 0 TD's, 5 INT's, and a miserable 1.9 QB rating. Better things are in store for Ramsey, however, so the team is not giving up on him.
LeFors, a 24-year old rookie from Louisville, was too intriguing a prospect for the Hammerheads to pass up. He has a relatively weak arm and lacks accuracy at this point in his career, but he is the Hammerheads' speed threat at QB. He has the ability to escape a collapsing pocket and can make some throws. Oddly enough, his receivers have been able to make great plays in practice on LeFors' passes. Though inaccurate, he puts the ball in places where the Hammerheads' talented group of receivers can go up and get it, making plays. Drops have clearly hurt the numbers of both Ramsey and Rivers, but if LeFors gets playing time, he'll need the receivers to bail him out.
On offense, the biggest surprise has been the super effective running of HB Rudi Johnson. Johnson wasn't taken in the PFL Draft until round 10 (300th overall) and has been one of the best runningbacks in the league. He is ranked 5th in rushing with 590 yards on 99 carries (5.96 ypc) with 2 TD runs and 0 fumbles. He, and partner in crime HB LaMont Jordan, have led the Hammerheads to become #1 in the PFL in rushing offense.
The first quarter was all Hammerheads as the defense came out strong. SS Sean Jones had an early interception which led to a great Hammerheads' drive. A WR Isaac Bruce reception put the Hammerheads on the Royals' 1-yard line and FB Chris Faumatu-Ma'afala punched it in for the 1-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Hammerheads. On the Royals' next possession, QB Byron Leftwich threw an interception to Hammerheads' FS Erik Coleman. This led to a Hammerheads' touchdown via a WR Reggie Wayne 5-yard run on an end-around, score now 14-0 Hammerheads. The teams exchanged possessions until the second quarter, where the Royals were able to put together a drive and added their first points under their new coach when K Jeff Reed put a 39-yard field goal attempt through the uprights, making the score 14-3 Hammerheads. On the ensuing Hammerheads' possession, they drove down the field again and got into Royals territory, eating up plenty of clock using their effective running game. With less than a minute to go, QB Philip Rivers went to the endzone and it was intercepted by Royals' CB Deshea Townsend in the endzone with 50 seconds to go in the first half. The Royals attempted to put something together to get some momentum for the second half; however, Hammerheads' CB Lito Sheppard picked off another Leftwich pass and gave the Hammerheads great field position to add more points with 23 seconds on the clock. The Hammerheads drove to eat up clock, and with time for one more play, they decided to go for a pass to be a bit more aggressive. The plan backfired in the worst possible way as Rivers threw the ball into the hands of Royals' CB Anthony Henry who took it to the house as the time ticked off the first half clock - giving the Royals much needed momentum and cutting the lead to 14-10 going into the half.
The Hammerheads received as the second half began and they would be ready to go. QB Philip Rivers hit a wide open FB Chris Faumatu-Ma'afala on the sideline and he barreled his way to a 73 yard gain, to put the Hammerheads deep in Royals territory almost immediately. Eventually, Rivers hit WR Michael Clayton in the endzone for a 9-yard touchdown reception, extending the Hammerheads' lead to 21-10. After forcing a Royals punt, the Hammerheads got the ball back, but weren't able to score. However, Hammerheads' P Andy Groom pinned the Royals on their own four-yard line with an incredible punt. The Royals decided to go playaction and young, fast MLB Boomer Grigsby found a hole in the line and sacked QB Byron Leftwich in the endzone for a safety, making the score 23-10 Hammerheads. On the Hammerheads' possession following the safety, a time-consuming drive moved the Hammerheads to the Royals' eight-yard line, where Rivers hit WR Isaac Bruce for an 8-yard touchdown reception, extending the Hammerheads' lead to 30-10 as the third quarter came to an end. In the fourth quarter, the Hammerheads subbed out many of their starters, including HB Rudi Johnson, OLB Takeo Spikes, MLB Lofa Tatupu to give some time to the backups. They played relatively well, but the Royals did score after a solid drive on a HB LaDanian Tomlinson 1-yard touchdown run with 2:22 remaining in the game. The Royals were able to get the ball back with little time remaining after the Hammerheads ate clock and punted, but SS Sean Jones intercepted a final Leftwich pass - his second of the game - to seal the deal as a Hammerheads' "W".
Hammerheads' head coach/GM Joshua Biddle gave out three game balls after the game - one to QB Philip Rivers, FB Chris Faumatu-Ma'afala, and SS Sean Jones, for their performances against the Royals. Rivers' performance ended a two-game passing touchdown drought for the Hammerheads' offense. Faumatu-Ma'afala's 73-yard reception was incredible for FB and his blocking has really keyed the Hammerheads' running game - he had five pancakes and no sacks allowed in the game and HB Rudi Johnson had his third consecutive 100+ yard performance. SS Sean Jones has played incredibly well for a player as young as he is and his 3 tackle, 2 interception, 1 pass defensed performance was a big key in the victory, helping the team start and end right on the defensive side of the ball.
After the game, the Hammerheads announced a trade that sends CB Ahmad Carroll to the Clarksburg Jethroes for the Jethroes' second round draft pick. Carroll recorded 8 tackles, 1 interception, and 5 passes defensed in four games as a member of the Hammerheads. He only played on special teams in the Hammerheads' win over the Royals. With the empty roster space, the Hammerheads signed free agent rookie QB Stefan LeFors to a two-year contract. LeFors is an intriguing prospect with speed, but limited arm strength. It is unclear where LeFors will be on the depth chart or if this implies any moves in the future, but either way, he is a member of the Hammerheads now.
The Hammerheads have a bye week in week 6 - they head to Kansas City to battle a tough Kansas City Skyhawks team in week seven PFL action. QB Philip Rivers is the likely starter for Ocean City.
In the first quarter, the only score was a K Joe Nedney 20-yard field goal with 2:04 remaining in the first quarter, giving the Indians a 3-0 lead. In the second quarter, things got scary for the Indians as Hammerheads' DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila got a nasty hit on Vick that sidelined him for some of the second quarter. The Hammerheads put together a drive in the middle of the second quarter which ate some clock and helped pave the way for a K Paul Ernster 24-yard field goal with 2:48 remaining in the second quarter, tying the game at 3. The Indians were able to get a drive going and were able to take the lead with 29 seconds remaining in the half via another Nedney field goal - a 39-yarder - making the score 6-3 Indians which was the score going into halftime.
On the Hammerheads' first possession in the second half, QB Patrick Ramsey threw an interception to MLB Andra Davis. The Indians were able to translate this crucial mistake into a 17-yard TD reception by Matt Jones from Vick to extend the Indians' lead to 13-3. On the next possession, QB Ramsey had a pass intercepted in the endzone by CB Marcus Trufant. This was a huge blow to the team's momentum. Regardless, the Hammerheads' defense came out, forced a punt, and got the ball back for the offense. The offense managed enough firepower to get downfield and put three points on the board via a K Paul Ernster 50-yard field goal with 2:31 remaining in the third quarter, score now 13-6 Indians. On the ensuing kickoff, KR Darrent Williams of the Indians took the ball and was hit by S Daylon McCutcheon, who jarred the ball loose - and the ball was recovered by S Sean Jones! The Hammerheads were still in the game! The Hammerheads put together a short drive but weren't able to reach the endzone, settling for a 33-yard Ernster field goal to get the score closer at 13-9 with 1:54 remaining in the third quarter. To start the fourth quarter, QB Philiip Rivers replaced Ramsey due to Ramsey's ineffectiveness. After the offense failed to get anything done, the Hammerheads were forced to punt. On the Indians next possession, QB Michael Vick got hurt again after being hit hard. Fortunately for the Indians, backup QB J.P. Losman didn't miss a beat as he threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to HB Deuce McAllister to give the Indians a 20-9 lead with 5:28 left in the game. After the Hammerheads were forced to punt, the Hammerheads pinned the Indians deep in their own territory. DE/DT Ian Scott came through here as he sacked Vick in the endzone for a safety with 4:09 remaining in the game, making it 20-11 and giving the Hammerheads the ball back. They weren't able to take advantage of this opportunity and the Hammerheads went on to lose 20-11.
HB Rudi Johnson had his second consecutive 100+ yard performance, recording 120 yards on 18 carries (6.6 ypc). Backup HB LaMont Jordan also averaged over 6 yards per carry with 32 yards on 5 carries (6.3 ypc). QB Patrick Ramsey had an absolutely horrid day, going 4-19 for 60 yards with no touchdown passes, two interceptions, and a QB rating of 0.7. QB Philip Rivers didn't fair too much better in the fourth quarter, but he came into an already bad game situation where he was trying to play catchup. The receivers didn't exactly make either quarterback's day great as they collectively had four drops.
Though the 1-2 Hammerheads (now 1-3) played admirably versus the 3-0 Indians (now 4-0), they are not fairing well in their division. After the game, the team signed WR Kassim Osgood to a 2-year contract. Terms of the contract were not immediately available. The Hammerheads also released OG Milton Brown.
In the first quarter, QB Philip Rivers threw an interception for the Hammerheads, but it was followed by an interception from QB Kerry Collins by MLB Lofa Tatupu. After the Hammerheads failed to put points on the board, CB Shawn Springs intercepted another QB Kerry Collins pass on the Warriors' next possession. Although the Hammerheads had great field position off of Springs' interception, the Warriors' pass rush sacked Rivers and put the Hammerheads out of K Paul Ernster's field goal range, forcing them to punt. The Hammerheads then forced the Warriors to go three-and-out, which concluded the first quarter. In the second, the Hammerheads drove and kicker Paul Ernster put the first points on the board by means of a 47-yard field goal with 5:10 remaining on the first quarter clock. On the Warriors next drive, they answered identically - a K Josh Scobee 47-yarder to tie the score at 3 with 2:03 remaining in the first half. The Hammerheads were able to put together another quick, efficient drive through the running of HB Rudi Johnson and K Paul Ernster added his second field goal of the game - a 42-yarder - to make the score 6-3 Hammerheads with 45 seconds remaining in the first half. The Warriors got the ball and moved up to their own 39-yard line, but instead of containing them, the Hammerheads' defense collapsed as WR Randy Moss beat double coverage for a 61-yard touchdown reception with 9 seconds remaining in the first half - making the score now 10-6 Warriors, which was the score heading into the locker room.
The Hammerheads, who were very unimpressed by QB Philip Rivers' first-half performance, replaced Rivers with backup QB Patrick Ramsey to see if he could fair better since it looked as if the performance couldn't get a whole lot worse. Unfortunately for Hammerheads fans, it could. Ramsey threw an early third quarter interception, and after an exchange of possessions, HB Carnell "Cadillac" Williams found a hole and hit it on his way to a 71-yard touchdown scamper to extend the Warriors' lead to 17-6. The Hammerheads answered back with a touchdown of their own - a seven-yard touchdown run by HB Rudi Johnson - who had a breakout game, making the score 17-13. The Warriors answered back in the fourth, however, and another strong drive was capped by a QB Kerry Collins one-yard touchdown run, to give the Warriors a 24-13 lead. After another Hammerheads' drive stalled, K Josh Scobee added a 43-yard field goal with 1:42 remaining to make it 27-13 Warriors. Ramsey threw one more interception on the Hammerheads' desperation drive and that sealed the game, a 27-13 loss for Ocean City.
The poor passing of both Rivers and Ramsey wasted a very exciting ground game keyed by FB Chris Faumatu Ma'afala and HB's Rudi Johnson and LaMont Jordan. Johnson ran for 203 yards on 21 carries (9.6 ypc) with a rushing touchdown and three runs of 20 or more yards. Jordan ran for 61 yards on 8 carries (7.6 ypc). The Hammerheads hope to rebound in week four versus the Okaloosa Indians.
Week two, however, was a different story for the Hammerheads (0-1) as they hosted the Charleston Royals (0-1) at Aquamarine Stadium. Aquamarine Stadium - the team's new home, which also contains a PFL-based amusement park adjacent to the stadium - was full for the opener and the fans were in for a real treat. The Hammerheads' received after winning the coin toss and the Hammerheads' offense looked very strong on the first drive. Steady running from HB's Rudi Johnson and LaMont Jordan moved the Hammerheads downfield very quick. QB Philip Rivers looked very good as well as he hit receivers on short and intermediate routes to assist in the drive. The team moved the ball into field goal range, and without being too aggressive, the team settled for a 36-yard field goal from kicker Paul Ernster - his first career field goal - score 3-0 Hammerheads. After the Hammerheads' defense stifled the Royals' offense, the Hammerheads got the ball back and made good on their next drive, moving downfield on a time consuming drive that ended when Rivers hit WR Reggie Wayne in the endzone for a 10-yard touchdown reception, making the score 10-0 Hammerheads with 1:34 remaining in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, reserve MLB Boomer Grigsby forced a fumble on the kickoff return, but the Royals recovered their own fumble. Another three and out resulted in a Royals punt and the Hammerheads got the ball as the second quarter came to a close. The Hammerheads eventually were forced to punt on 4th down and on the Royals next possession, QB Byron Leftwich threw the football right into the hands of Hammerheads' MLB Lofa Tatupu for an intereception. The Hammerheads couldn't capitalize by scoring, so the Royals got possession after another P Andy Groom punt. Again, Leftwich found the waiting hands of a Hammerheads' linebacker - this time OLB Takeo Spikes, who intercepted the pass. This time, the Royals defense couldn't hold up and the Hammerheads scored a touchdown via an 11-yard touchdown reception by TE Randy McMichael from QB Philip Rivers - McMichael's first touchdown in his first game as an Ocean City Hammerhead since coming over from the Sylvania Rams in a deal that sent former Hammerheads TE Chris Cooley and S Thomas Davis to Sylvania. This made the score 17-0 Hammerheads with 2:48 remaining in the 1st half. The Royals' offense came out desperate to score and it showed as they resorted to strictly passing. Fortunately for Ocean City, this was something they were prepared for. SS Sean Jones intercepted another Leftwich pass and returned it 48 yards to the house to increase the Hammerheads' lead to 24-0 with 2:35 to go in the first half. After another punt by the Royals with about 1:30 remaining in the half, the Hammerheads came out ready to score again. The team got into field goal position but got greedy and QB Philip Rivers threw a pass to the endzone that was intercepted by Royals' S Bryan Scott with 18 seconds remaining in the half. After three quick incomplete passes from Leftwich and a punt which PR/KR/WR Dante Hall fair caught, the game went into halftime 24-0 Hammerheads.
The Royals got ball first coming out of halftime, but luck still wasn't on the Royals side as QB Byron Leftwich threw an early interception deep in their own territory. Hammerheads' CB Ahmad Carroll was the ball-hawk that gave the Hammerheads superb field position and paved the way for a K Paul Ernster 29-yard field goal that was good to extend the Hammerheads' lead to 27-0 with 5:20 to go in the third quarter. After the Royals punted again, the Hammerheads began a time consuming drive that ended when K Paul Ernster missed a 52-yard field goal attempt - a kick that was short by inches as it hit the bottom crossbar and bounced towards the field of play. This gave the Royals a good opportunity to get into Hammerheads' territory, but Leftwich threw another interception to MLB Lofa Tatupu with 37 seconds remaining in the third quarter to ruin the drive. Going into the fourth quarter, the Hammerheads made some changes to the offense to give the starters a rest and to give the reserves some in-game experience. HB's Rudi Johnson and LaMont Jordan were replaced by HB's Tyson Thompson and Marion Barber; QB Philip Rivers was replaced by QB Patrick Ramsey; C Chris Spencer was replaced by C Alex Stepanovich; RG David Baas was replaced by RG Marcus Johnson; and RT Jordan Gross was replaced by RT Alex Barron. The Hammerheads offense, now just run after run, moved the ball adequately with the new runningbacks, but of course, their success was limited as the team was typically running over and over. The Hammerheads were able to add an Ernster 21-yard field goal with about three minutes to go in the game to make the score 30-0 Hammerheads. After QB Derek Anderson entered the game for the Royals, he threw his first two passes incomplete and then his third pass was intercepted by CB Lito Sheppard to give the Hammerheads the ball again deep in the Royals' territory. The Hammerheads downed the ball regardless to run down as much clock as possible and with the ball deep in their own territory, the Royals decided to cut their losses and down the ball to begin focusing on next week. Final score 30-0 Hammerheads - the first shutout in modern day Ocean City Hammerheads history.
Player of the game honors went to SS Sean Jones for his two tackles and one interception that he returned 48-yards for a touchdown. The offense was efficient as QB Philip Rivers threw for 119 yards on 13-21 passing (61%) with 2 TD's, 1 INT, and an 89.1 QB Rating. The running game was strong with HB's Rudi Johnson and LaMont Jordan combining for 109 yards on 29 carries. Kicker Paul Ernster appears to have rebounded from his week one "goat" status after choking a game-tying field goal versus the Destroyers by connecting on three of his four field goals. His only miss was just shy and he really looked much better after a tough week in practice. After the game, Ernster said "Last week was embarassing and I can guarentee that no one felt worse than I did about it, but I worked my butt of to lift this team up and I came through today and plan on coming through when called on from this point on".
Of course, while the offense and special teams was great, the defense was the story of the game. The Hammerheads' defense held the Royals offense to -39 yards of total offense, holding star HB LaDanian Tomlinson to -3 yards on 11 carries. The Hammerheads' defense didn't allow a single pass completion from either Byron Leftwich (0-19, sacked twice, 5 INT's) or young QB Derek Anderson (0-3, 1 INT) - a player that the Hammerheads were very intrigued in drafting before he was taken by the Royals. The defense recorded 4 sacks (DE's Will Smith and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila [1], DT's Ryan Sims and Jonathan Babineaux [1]), and 6 INT's. MLB Lofa Tatupu picked off two passes, OLB Takeo Spikes had one, CB Lito Sheppard had one with two additional passes defensed, CB Ahmad Carroll had one with three additional passes defensed, and SS Sean Jones had 1 that he returned 48 yards for a touchdown. The Royals didn't record a single first down and never advanced the ball into Hammerheads' territory or to midfield.
After the game, Hammerheads' head coach Joshua Biddle said "the key to this win was the improvement in our defensive line. Against the Destroyers, our defensive line did not get adequate pressure versus [Destroyers QB Drew] Brees and he was good enough to make us pay in the end. Some blame Paul [Ernster], but I told our guys there is enough blame to go around and we need to work our [butts] off if we want to finish a game better than we did against the Destroyers". It looks like the Hammerheads did just that. The Hammerheads also announced the signing of CB Chris Carr after the game - terms of the contract were not released by the front office. The Hammerheads (1-1) play the County Cork Warriors (1-0) in week three PFL action - a game that Biddle is excited about as two defensive-minded coaches duke it out. The Hammerheads are apparently fired up as well with the smack talking already beginning - OLB Takeo Spikes boldly warned the Warriors to "keep the Cadillac [HB Carnell "Cadillac" Williams] in the garage because he'll be broken down after playing our D". SS Sean Jones also stated "[Randy] Moss is the X-factor...of course meaning you should put an X next to him on the depth chart since he'll be useless versus us". Moss is coming off of an impressive two-catch, 138 yard, 2 touchdown performance versus the Sylavania Rams. On the game, Biddle said "I look forward to putting this defense to the test against a talent like Moss. He's great, but so is this defense. I'm confident they'll keep him in check".
This game-of-the-week becomes an instant PFL classic and really got the new era of PFL football started in the right manner. The Destroyers - coached by Rick, one of the PFL's most successful coaches - matched up with longtime PFL coach Joshua Biddle. The last three games between these two coaches were decided by seven points or less and the matchup surely didn't disappoint fans with the competition and gut-wrenching ending to this game.
The Hammerheads' offense struggled mightily early on. After Destroyers' K Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 43-yarder to give the Destroyers an early 3-0 lead, a QB Philip Rivers INT gave the Destroyers superb field position. They were able to translate this into a touchdown via a HB Willie Parker 3-yard touchdown run, extending the Destroyers' lead to 10-0. Another Rivers INT in the second quarter allowed the Destroyers to drive and put up another touchdown - a 6-yard touchdown reception by TE Eric Johnson in the back of the endzone to put the Destroyers up 17-0 in front of their sellout crowd. At this point, the Hammerheads were becoming discouraged, but the team didn't give up hope. Things started to turn around on the Hammerheads' next drive. The running game was utilized and Rivers finally started completing some passes. Even speedy young HB Tyson Thompson got some carries, and in the end, he was the one who found the endzone on a short reception from Rivers to cut the lead to 17-7. The Hammerheads' defense stepped up as FS Daylon McCutcheon intercepted QB Drew Brees late in the second, but desperation attempts by Rivers to get something going resulted in nothing other than another punt. Game went into halftime 17-7 Destroyers.
The Hammerheads' offense turned it up a notch on their first drive, driving with solid running and passing and the drive was capped when Rivers found WR Drew Bennett in the endzone for a 13-yard touchdown recpetion, putting the Hammerheads within a field goal at 17-14. On the Destroyers next drive, SS Sean Jones - who won the position battle versus fellow SS Thomas Jones - intercepted a QB Drew Brees pass to halt a drive. However, the Hammerheads would suffer a setback as QB Philip Rivers had to come out of the game after taking a hit. QB Patrick Ramsey - a quarterback who lost to Rivers for the start in game one - now had a chance to display his skills. His first pass was intended for WR Reggie Wayne and it was intercepted. The Destroyers didn't turn this into points, however, because Hammerheads' CB Lito Sheppard intercepted another Brees pass as the third quarter came to a close.
The Hammerheads next possession was turned into something good as the running game with HB Rudi Johnson began pounding the Destroyers defense. In the middle of the fourth, Johnson pounded through the defense - breaking tackles, hurdling, and falling into the endzone to give the Hammerheads a shocking 21-17 lead with 4:37 remaining in the game. Things started to look good for the Hammerheads, but while the Destroyers hadn't put together a meaningful drive yet, they were able to drive down the field relatively quickly and scored on a 1-yard touchdown run by FB Patrick Pass to give the Destroyers the lead back with 2:36 remaining on the game clock. The kickoff to WR/KR Dante Hall was taken by Hall and he broke loose for a beautiful 74-yard return, giving the Hammerheads superb field position and a great opportunity to either tie or take the lead. A few runs and an incomplete pass later, the Hammerheads brought out the kicking team. The 46-yard attempt by K Paul Ernster was totally shanked - totally wide right as soon as it left his foot. Hopes faded for Hammerheads' fans. The game wasn't over yet, however, as the Hammerheads defense held the Destroyers to a three-and-out by using their timeouts. The final desperation drive ended after a few completions when Rivers threw the ball into the waiting hands of safety Adam Archuleta, ending a game that the Hammerheads were definitely capable of winning. Final score 24-21 Destroyers.
The Hammerheads actually had better numbers than the Destroyers in most categories, only doing worse in passing yards (Ocean City: 190; Maui: 242), passing average (Ocean City: 5.8; Maui: 6.2), time of possession (Ocean City: 13:20; Maui: 14:40) and most importantly, defensive pass interceptions/turnovers (Ocean City: 4; Maui: 3). Like the saying goes, whoever turns the ball over less usually wins. It definitely seems to hold true more often than not. After the game, coach Josh Biddle said "it was a well played game by both sides and although we didn't win this game, we played a helluva game and I definitely think good things are in store for this team".
In other notes, FB Chris Famatu-Ma'afala got the start at FB, but was later benched when the running game wasn't doing as well as hoped. He was replaced by the speculated starter - FB Eric Beverly - and he blocked well enough to secure the starting position for the Hammerheads' week two game. TE Brian Jones had a very impressive game for the Hammerheads in his spot start over TE Chris Cooley. He had three receptions for 106 yards making catches in all areas of the field. He seems to have what it takes to be a starter in the PFL and the team hopes he will develop a relationship with Rivers to help them succeed together. Young FS Erik Coleman didn't get the start at FS as CB converted FS Daylon McCutcheon played at that position. McCutcheon recorded two tackles and had an interception in his first start at safety. Coleman got to see some fourth quarter action, and it remains to be seen whether Coleman or McCutcheon will start next week. Standout players in week one for the Hammerheads were HB Rudi Johnson (16 carries, 69 yards, 4.3 ypc, one rushing touchdown; 3 receptions, 22 yards, 17 YAC; 1 tackles, 1 forced fumble [on an interception return]), CB Lito Sheppard (4 tackles, 1 INT, 18 return yards, 4 passes defensed), RT Jordan Gross (15 pancakes, 1 sack allowed [lined up against DE Julius Peppers]), LT Levi Jones (12 pancakes, 0 sacks allowed), and WR/KR/PR Dante Hall (1 reception, 19 yards, 24 YAC; 3 kick return attempts, 109 kick return yards, 36.3 avg, 74 long; 3 punt return attempts, 36 punt return yards, 12.0 avg, 12 long).
1(21) Julian Peterson OLB
2(44) Takeo Spikes OLB
3(85) Lito Sheppard CB
4(108) Jordan Gross OT
5(149) Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila DE
6(172) Shawn Springs CB
7(213) Reggie Wayne WR
8(236) Eric Steinbach OG
9(277) Levi Jones OT
10(300) Rudi Johnson HB
11(341) Michael Clayton WR
12(364) Drew Bennett WR
13(405) Philip Rivers QB
14(428) Dante Hall WR
15(469) Will Smith DE
16(492) Daylon McCutcheon CB/SS
17(533) Ryan Sims DT
18(556) Ian Scott DT
19(597) Lofa Tatupu MLB
20(620) Chris Cooley TE
21(661) Ahmad Carroll CB
22(684) Erik Coleman FS
23(725) Chris Spencer C
24(748) Sean Jones SS
25(789) Eric Beverly TE/FB
26(812) David Baas OG
27(853) LaMont Jordan HB
28(876) Patrick Ramsey QB
29(917) Alex Stepanovich C
30(940) Eric Green CB
31(981) Alex Barron OT
32(1004) Marcus Johnson OG
33(1045) Thomas Davis SS
34(1068) Brian Finneran WR
35(1109) Brian Jones TE
36(1132) Boomer Grigsby MLB
37(1173) Jonathan Babineaux DT
38(1196) Marion Barber HB
39(1237) Paul Ernster K
40(1260) Andy Groom P
41(1301) Tyson Thompson HB
42(1324) Roy Manning OLB
The Hammerheads went to defense in the early rounds, with five of the first 6 picks being defensive selections. OLB's Julian Peterson and Takeo Spikes went in the first two rounds to help give the Hammerheads two of the best outside linebackers in the PFL. Third round selection CB Lito Sheppard puts a superb pair or hands and great coverage ability in the secondary to boost the defense's big-play potential. 4th round selection Jordan Gross provides the Hammerheads with a superb young talent to anchor the right side of the Hammerheads' offensive line. 5th round pick Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and 6th round pick CB Shawn Springs help the defense in different ways. Gbaja-Biamila, a talented pass-rusher, is expected to play right end and Springs is expected to give the Hammerheads a strong one-two punch in the secondary as he teams up with Sheppard. Springs is one of the oldest starters on the team and his leadership in the secondary will be crucial. Both the 8th and 9th round selections were used on offensive linemen - OG Eric Steinbach and OT Levi Jones. Biddle, who used to believe in skill positions over non-glamour positions has developed a strong belief in the power of building from the trenches. That's why these two young men were selected early and will likely be mainstays on the Hammerheads' offensive line for years. The 10th round selection, HB Rudi Johnson, will likely be the team's main offensive threat. Although not the fastest back, Johnson has enough power and guile to be effective in the PFL. Biddle held out on choosing a runningback through the first nine rounds regardless of the fact that they were going off the board quick, but is happy with the end result. 11th and 12th round picks WR Michael Clayton and WR Drew Bennett were selected to give the team's QB some big, talented targets.