Gladiators try to secure their playoff future

Adam Candee

Friday, May 9, 2003 | 9:49 a.m.

Gone are fanciful thoughts of a first-round playoff bye and a favorable road to ArenaBowl XVII.

After their most difficult loss of the season last week against New York, the Gladiators can focus only on remaining in the postseason hunt when they visit Detroit Sunday.

With two weeks left in the season, co-division leaders Las Vegas (7-7) and Detroit (7-7) will all but decide the Eastern crown. The winner likely locks up a playoff berth and a first-round home game, while the loser could conceivably be fighting just to make the postseason in the season's final week.

"Really, this is our championship game," Gladiators coach Frank Haege said Thursday.

Last week's debacle against the Dragons at the Thomas & Mack Center, in which Las Vegas blew a 28-14 lead and missed a game-winning field goal try as time expired, prompted Haege to say he would crack down on his team. The coach was impressed by the intensity with which his team responded in practice this week, noting that a couple of small skirmishes between players were welcome.

"There's definitely some sense of urgency and it's definitely a huge game," Haege said.

The way Las Vegas handled the Fury two weeks ago, there should be some confidence in the Gladiators' ranks. Coming off consecutive blowout road losses, Las Vegas manhandled Detroit for three quarters on the way to a 58-45 victory.

Quarterback Jay McDonagh appeared to steady his flagging ship in that game by going 20-for-29 for 248 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. McDonagh played fairly well last week, although his third-quarter interception killed a key Gladiators drive.

"I think he has played really well the past couple of weeks," Haege said.

Most disturbing about the loss to New York is how the Gladiators covered their normal Achilles' heels of turnovers (two) and penalties (four for 24 yards) but still lost. Haege's greatest concerns still center on those two areas.

"It's all the same stuff," Haege said. "Just executing the gameplan -- that's what it always comes down to."

Eight of the 12 AFL playoff spots are spoken for, with Las Vegas tied with Detroit and Chicago for the ninth-best record at 7-7. The Gladiators would receive the No. 8 seed and a home game regardless of record if they win the Eastern Division. However, Las Vegas could also still miss the playoffs with two losses.