Albany Firebirds Playoff Primer

The Albany Firebirds have been in control since the very start of the season. They've completed a perfect 10-0 season where they dominated most games. Now, they'll face the Salina Liberty, a team that took them to overtime the last time they played. With kickoff set for 7:00 PM ET in Albany, both teams will give their all in a win-or-go-home game.

Season in Review 

The Firebirds were in control all season long. They opened their season against Southwest Kansas, one of the playoff teams, and came out firing on all cylinders. They won that game 78-20. They then faced another playoff team, Nashville, in what became more of a defensive battle in the second half. However, the Firebirds came out on top 42-34.

After that, they played the third playoff team, and the team they'll face this weekend, the Salina Liberty. The first time against the Liberty, they won easily, 57-27. The Firebirds were the number-one-ranked power team from the very start of the season. 

Their next two games would be against the team that was the number-two-ranked team all season, the Billings Outlaws. Billings had also dominated everybody all year, and this was a much-anticipated showdown. However, the Firebirds didn't blink as they cruised to a 62-24 win in the first matchup in Albany. They then hit the road to Billings and continued cruising, winning 39-7.

In the next game, the Firebirds made history. They became the first Arena team to score 100 points as they beat the Corpus Christi Tritons, 100-12. It was the next game that pushed Albany as much as they had ever been pushed. 

They faced off against the Salina Liberty for the second time, and the game went into overtime. Albany started on defense, but they were able to hold the Liberty, stopping a fourth-down conversion by batting down a pass at the line. The Firebirds scored on the very next play to win 64-58. 

MVP-candidate, quarterback Sam Castranova, has had this team playing top-notch all season. After the overtime thriller, the Firebirds played Nashville for the second time. They beat them 77-55. The Firebirds finished the season against Corpus Christi and Washington. They won these games easily, 67-27 and 98-12. The games had a two-week break in between, and the team was focused on making sure they came out executing even after not being on the field for two full weeks. 

Coaches Thoughts

The Firebirds have attacked this season with a feeling of unfinished business. Last year, the Firebirds team made it all the way to the Championship and then lost to the Billings Outlaws. 

"A lot of the guys here now were here last year. They know what it felt like to lose that game, and we don't want to feel that again. We've talked about unfinished business," Coach Damon Ware said. Week after week, they got each team's best. Every team wanted to beat them in the regular season to help boost their season.

"Beating us would be a lift on their season, and we know that. We know we're getting everybody's best, and we just keep preparing for that. Mostly, we focus on ourselves and our execution," Ware said. 

Completing the undefeated season was something the Firebirds' fans loved watching. However, for the team, it was just a matter of achieving a goal. They had a couple of goals to start the season.

"Going undefeated was one of our goals, and we did that. Getting the number one seed in the playoffs was also a goal, and we accomplished that. Winning the Championship is next."

With the undefeated season and number one seed, they made sure all roads would go through Albany. Salina will have to travel to New York for the showdown this weekend, and if Albany wins, the Championship game will also be in Albany. 

The Firebirds have had a fired-up home crowd all year and will benefit from the home-field advantage and a loud crowd. 

Offensive Player to Watch

There are so many players to pick from for an offensive player to watch. Sam Castranova has been the quarterback at the helm all year and is an MVP candidate. However, opposing defenses have to pay attention to Duane Brown. Brown, a wide receiver in his second year of professional ball, has been dominant all year. 

After defeating the Firebirds in the Championship last year on the Billings Outlaws, Brown came to Albany. It was an opportunity that put him closer to home. You can read more about Brown's journey to the Firebirds here. 

He finished the season second in receiving yards with 909 total yards, just seven yards behind the leader in receiving yards, Darius Prince. Brown finished the season with the most receiving yards per game at 90.9 yards per game. He also led the league in receiving touchdowns with 30. While his stats cooled slightly in the last few games, I have no doubts he's ready to turn it on again in the playoffs. In last year's Championship game, he scored five touchdowns. Look for him to try and do that again.

Defensive Player to Watch

Much like the offense, there are multiple players on defense to watch. Last time Salina and Albany played, Dejon Walden had an interception and two sacks. They'll definitely be careful and try to avoid him this week. 

However, the main defensive player to watch is defensive lineman Ezekiel Rose. He finished second in the league in sacks with 12. He's a high-motor player who is a leader on the field and in the locker room. 'Zeke' is an outstanding player and an outstanding person. You can learn more about Zeke here.

The Salina Liberty will have to slow this defensive line, and that starts with slowing Rose. The only issue is, I'm not sure you can stop Rose. He'll be getting after the quarterback all night long.