Week 12 Preview: Cobras vs. Sharks

07/07/2022 3:09 PM -

Cold Vengeance:  Malik Henry was thrust into a difficult task last week in the wake of Jonathan Bane’s injury: Keep the explosive Cobras’ offense rolling, don’t turn the ball over, and lead Carolina to a playoff-clinching win- all while acclimating himself to a new city and team. Columbus (and fans around the league) surely thought they would have an opportunity to pull the upset. Henry and the Cobras thought differently, as they dispatched the Lions with a 61-36 blowout win in Greensboro. D.J. Myers scored 5 touchdowns, including a pick-six, and Henry threw 6 total touchdowns to pace the Cobras. The win avenged a 55-28 loss earlier this season in Columbus, when illness devastated the Cobras’ roster and many starters didn’t make the trip.

In Arvell they Trust: Jacksonville lost four of its first five games to start the season but have since won five of six. A big reason for that is quarterback and Arena football legend Arvell Nelson. Nelson has tossed 28 touchdowns since taking over for <checks notes> Malik Henry after Henry was injured early on. However, last week’s victory over Orlando was a defensive struggle. With multiple Cobras having Jacksonville ties, it should be a wild and woolly game on Saturday night.

Leading Men:  What kind of season was Bane having before suffering an injury against San Antonio? Well, after missing almost 5 quarters of action, he still leads the NAL in passing yards (2,081) and passing touchdowns (48). Albany’s Sam Castronova is nipping at Bane’s heels, but QB1 will tell you that all he cares about is a championship. As a matter of fact, the entire locker room shares that sentiment. Meanwhile, Zack Brown remains the league’s leading rusher (among non-QBs). Brown has rushed for 170 yards and 8 touchdowns on the season. While no one will touch Albany’s Darius Prince in the receiving category, Myers’ play of late has vaulted him among the league leaders in yards (632) and touchdowns (14).

Last Meeting: The Cobras and Sharks played twice in May, both times in the Greensboro Coliseum. The Cobras took the first one 53-48 while Jacksonville handed Carolina a 59-57 upset loss back on May 28. Not only is this a heated rivalry, the Sharks are still very much in the hunt for second place in the league (behind Albany). Jacksonville is a tough place to play and Saturday’s game should be a mirror image of the first two games.