Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Dolezel returns, but it’s defense on spot

Saturday, 4 p.m., Nationwide Arena Radio: ESPN 920-AM

Last week: Las Vegas lost vs. Austin, 42-41; Columbus lost at Georgia, 55-48

Key matchup: The Gladiators vs. themselves. Las Vegas continues to rank last in the league in turnover margin at minus-9. If the Gladiators can take care of the ball against the Destroyers, a win appears likely against a team that has lost to two of the worst squads in the AFL.

Notes: Las Vegas QB Clint Dolezel returns from injury to chase three significant career milestones. He needs 18 touchdown passes to reach 600; 621 passing yards to reach 30,000; and 23 completions to reach 2,500. ... The Gladiators have not allowed a sack since the second quarter of their first game. ... Opponents complete third-down conversion attempts against Columbus at a 60 percent rate.

Next week: Las Vegas at Arizona (Saturday); Columbus at Colorado (Sunday).

More Clint Dolezel means more points, but the Gladiators hope that's only true for the offensive side of the ball.

Placing starting quarterback Dolezel under center after he missed a month with a broken right middle finger is all but certain to increase the Gladiators' offensive production from a league-worst 35.2 points per game.

The key to Las Vegas' playoff hopes, however, could be how the defense responds to being on the field a bit more as the offense moves away from plodding drives and toward quicker scores. The first test of that issue comes Saturday night in Columbus, where the Gladiators begin a stretch of five of their next seven games on the road.

Through six weeks, the defense has performed most of the heavy lifting to get Las Vegas to a 3-3 record. With Craig Whelihan and Rod Robinson taking turns leading a scaled-back offense, Stan Davis' defense did its part by holding opponents to a league-best 42 points per game and tying for the league lead with 11 sacks.

The work gets tougher in Columbus (1-4), but not because of the opponent or the expected sellout crowd of more than 17,000. Without Dolezel, Las Vegas completed just two long touchdown passes in four games, as James relied on ball control and asked the defense not to bend or break.

Now, the offense opens up with Dolezel looking for quicker strikes and the defense must keep that pace. Gladiators coach Ron James sees it as an opportunity.

"We may get more turnovers from here on, though, because we have more opportunities," James said.

They'll have those chances because of Dolezel, who is ready to take the field for the first time since leaving in the second half of the Gladiators' Week 2 loss at San Jose. He injured the finger in the season opener against Los Angeles and will be playing as close to full strength as he has all year.

The middle finger on his right hand is the last one to release on the throw, making it vital to Dolezel. While it is not completely healed, Dolezel is confident that he can take snaps and grip the ball well enough to perform.

"Once I get a few plays under my belt, I'll probably forget about it and it won't be a big deal," Dolezel said.

He looks forward to energizing an offense that is designed for him, mostly by him. Dolezel doubles as the team's offensive coordinator and his first significant stint on injured reserve in 10 years gave him some perspective on running the offense.

"I definitely learned," Dolezel said. "Honestly, it's easier to call the plays on the field than on the sideline. Out there, for whatever reason, it comes easier to me."

Lineman Wilky Bazile, who is tied for the AFL lead in tackles for loss (five) with teammate Frank Carter, said that Dolezel's return will make it easier on the defense because the unit has more faith that the offense can cover up for any mistakes.

"He has the attitude, that swagger," Bazile said of Dolezel. "Having a guy like that boosts us up on defense. He's going to make us play even better."

James said that Dolezel's presence allows the Gladiators to take more chances on offense.

"With him, it opens up," James said. "You tend to get more conservative with backup quarterbacks with the roles that they're in."

Las Vegas could use a boost after last week's stunning 42-41 home loss to Austin on a touchdown pass at the buzzer, the culmination of a disastrous final three minutes that cost the Gladiators a share of the Western Division lead. A Columbus squad that Dolezel calls "very beatable" and has lost to doormats Nashville and Grand Rapids could provide some help.

"You've got to have amnesia, especially this early in the season," Bazile said.

While a better record appeared possible upon first glance at the schedule this year, treading water without Dolezel -- as well as starting lineman Steve Konopka, who also returns this week after missing four weeks -- is about as much as the Gladiators could hope to do.

"When (Dolezel's injury) first happened, we were just saying that we didn't want to be in a losing situation," James said, calling the 2-2 record "good, not great."

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