ESPN AFL

It is safe to say that neither one of these teams is satisfied with its results so far in 2007, although Los Angeles is still in good shape to make the playoffs. These are two proud organizations that expect to win, but they have not played up to those standards. Both teams are capable of putting on an entertaining offensive show. This is also an opportunity to watch one of the all-time greats in AFL history, Rattlers QB Sherdrick Bonner, who routinely shreds apart opposing defenses. Arizona will be playing for pride and showing a national TV audience what it can do. For Los Angeles, this game has huge playoff ramifications and coming off a huge win over Chicago, the Avengers' confidence will be high. These may not be the two hottest teams in the league, but they will put on an exciting show.

When Los Angeles has the ball
The key to the Avengers' offense is the pass protection for QB Sonny Cumbie. His offensive line does a good job of protecting him and eliminating sacks and that usually leads to good decisions by Cumbie and a lack of throwing mistakes. Arizona does not have a great pass rush and that exposes a secondary that is short on defensive playmakers. The Rattlers' one potentially productive pass-rusher, DL Wendall Gaines, is coming off a huge game versus Las Vegas in which he had two sacks. Los Angeles has a big problem at wide receiver, shuffling guys in and out of the lineup all year because of injuries, and is hard-pressed to put three quality WRs on the field at the same time. But Arizona has only one quality DB -- Keyuo Craver, who already has 94.5 tackles, which is second-best in the AFL. Cumbie must do a good job of converting on third and fourth downs, which has been a little bit of a problem area, because as bad as Arizona is on defense, its offense is very explosive and can score on almost every possession. Two or three stops by the Rattlers' D could be enough to get a win.

When Arizona has the ball
Bonner faces an Avengers defense that is ranked 14th in the AFL in pass defense and 13th in scoring defense, so there are big plays to be had. The problem for Bonner & Co. is their inconsistency and lack of depth at wideout. It has been a revolving-door position and the only go-to guy right now is Jeremiah Pope. He will likely be matched up against the Avengers' best DB, Damien Wheeler, who is confident, aggressive and will likely use some press coverages to hinder Pope's release and ability to separate. Los Angeles also has a tackling machine in Eddie Canonico (85.5 tackles), who can also get physical with the Arizona complementary receivers. The key to stopping Bonner is to frustrate him, ruin his timing and force him to move around a lot. Look for the Avengers to pressure him from the inside to force side-to-side mobility rather than pressure off the edge, where Bonner can step up into the pocket. Los Angeles' best pass-rusher, Silas Demary, needs a big game, but the Arizona OL does a nice job of protecting Bonner. If the defense can take away Pope with Wheeler and force Bonner to look at receivers with whom he is not comfortable, it will be a huge advantage for the Avengers.

Los Angeles keys to success
1. Manufacture an inside pass rush: Bonner is a pocket passer and likes to step up and throw, but he's not the same guy when he is flushed out of the pocket and forced to scramble east and west. That is how the Avengers' defense should attempt to pressure him.

2. Trust your receivers: With a rash of injuries at WR, Cumbie has had to resort to guys like Rob Turner, LaShaun Ward and Terrence Stubbs, instead of his injured go-to receivers Kevin Ingram and Lenzie Jackson. He can have a lot of success spreading the field versus this weak Arizona secondary, but he can't be afraid to open up the game.

3. Play with a sense of urgency: You never know what Avengers team will show up. Los Angeles has great wins over heavyweights Chicago and Georgia, but it has also lost to struggling teams like Tampa Bay and Utah. When the Avengers' backs are against the wall they seem to rally and this game qualifies in that category.

Arizona keys to success
1. Consistency at wide receiver: The Rattlers have been hurt by injuries at the WR position and when you watch Bonner on film, it looks like his lack of chemistry with this group affects his timing. Last week the only guy he really seemed to trust was Pope. The Rattlers need a complementary guy to step up this week.

2. Get pressure on Cumbie: He makes good decisions and does an excellent job of not turning the ball over, but a lot of the credit goes to an offensive line that is excellent in pass protection. The Rattlers need Gaines, their best pass-rusher, to put some heat on Cumbie and force him into some quick throws and mistakes.

3. Make some stops on third and fourth downs: This is not a defense that makes a lot of quality stops and when the Rattlers win, it's because their offense scores on almost every possession. As careful as Cumbie is with the ball, the Avengers' lack of depth and experience at WR right now is making it tough to finish drives -- they were just 3-for-7 on third down last week versus Chicago -- and if the Rattlers can make two or three defensive stops, they have a chance to win this game.

Prediction
Arizona needs this game for pride to take the sting out of what has become a very disappointing year, while Los Angeles needs a win to stay in the middle of the playoff race and keep its momentum going. These teams have similarities -- they have QBs who can put up big numbers if they get solid pass protection; they have major problems with injuries at WR, which have really affected their depth and ability to spread the field in the passing game; and they have defenses that struggle to stop the pass and that give up a lot of points. The Avengers probably have better overall talent and playmakers, but the Rattlers always have a puncher's chance with Bonner at QB. This will be an entertaining offensive game with a lot of points and not a lot of defensive stops. Los Angeles has beaten two of the big boys, Georgia and Chicago, but the Avengers almost seem to play down to some of the lesser-talented teams. Arizona will play hard in front of a national TV audience and although the Rattlers are nothing more than spoilers at this stage of the season, they have an excellent chance to pull off an upset.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.