The Orlando Apollos opened the AAF by destroying the Atlanta Legends 40-6 in the season opener. Week Seven’s rematch was a closer affair, technically speaking, as Orlando won the rematch by a slimmer margin of 36-6. Orlando, now 6-1, didn’t let last week’s upset loss bring them down, as they controlled all three phases of the game from the opening minutes. In all, Orlando remains the best team in the league while the Legends continue to look like one of the worst.
AAF Week Seven Recap: Orlando Apollos Crush Atlanta Legends (Again)
Last time the Legends faced off against the Apollos, Atlanta was able to stay competitive early. Back in that season-opening loss, the Legends actually jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the Apollos took control of the game. Atlanta couldn’t even do that this time, as Orlando jumped out to an 8-0 lead to start the game. Atlanta got a touchdown in the second quarter to make it 8-6, but that was the closest this game ever got. Orlando scored 28 unanswered points en route to pulling off a dominating 36-6 victory.
Typically, putting up 36 points would mean that the quarterback had a fantastic day. However, Orlando Apollos quarterback Garrett Gilbert didn’t have to do too much in this matchup. Fresh off the first loss of his AAF career, the MVP frontrunner completed 82.6% of his passes for 217 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He performed admirably when throwing the ball, he just didn’t need to do it all that often.
Aaron Murray, meanwhile, is looking like a guy who isn’t worthy of starting over Matt Simms. Murray has the pocket poise for the job, but his decision-making is simply too erratic. The Georgia product tries to make throws that he’s simply not capable of making. His physical limitations are on full display every time he tries to go deep down the sideline, and the underwhelming skill players around him aren’t talented enough to make up for his subpar arm strength. Murray inspired some confidence for a bit, but this is simply an offense stuck in neutral, and nobody on the roster can fix it.
Stars of the Game
The Orlando Apollos running back duo of D’Ernest Johnson and De’Veon Smith once again combined for a fantastic performance. Johnson led the team in yardage, recording 54 yards on just seven attempts for an impressive 7.7 yards-per-carry. Smith was less efficient, recording just 40 yards on 13 carries. However, Smith still managed to find the endzone on three separate occasions, so it’s not like he had a bad game.
Defensively, the star of the game was probably Orlando Apollos defensive back Cody Riggs. Riggs was all over the place on defense, recording three tackles, two passes defended, and one interception. Safety Will Hill also had a strong game near the line of scrimmage, as the one-time Baltimore Raven recorded six tackles, one tackle-for-loss, one sack, and one pass defended.
Wide receiver Malachi Jones was one of the only good players on the field for the Atlanta Legends. The Appalachian State product recorded six receptions on seven targets for 54 yards and a touchdown. A decent bit of his production came while the game was still somewhat close, and he was the only player consistently capable of making anything happen for the Legends.
Atlanta’s best defender was easily linebacker Khalil Bass. Bass finished his night with five total tackles and two tackles-for-loss. He obviously wasn’t good enough to singlehandedly stymied Orlando’s offense, but he did everything he was asked to do. If only the rest of Atlanta’s roster could say the same.
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