Arizona Rattlers Face Divisional Test Against Spokane Shock

With a smashing undefeated record, the Arizona Rattlers will face another divisional opponent when they travel to Washington to face the Spokane Shock.

So far, the 2010 Arena Bowl Champions from Spokane have been completely underwhelming. They have started the year with a 2-4 record and let victories slip through their fingers.

Their record should not be the ultimate factor in determining their ability to play the game. AFL.com still has them ranked in the top five passing teams as their quarterback Kyle Rowley leads his team with 1,814 passing yards and 42 touchdowns.

Rowley is ranked the fourth best quarterback on AFL.com, and the Rattlers Defense will have to outlast his Air power like they did against Utah.

The Rattlers will be traveling to Spokane without a valuable weapon in their arsenal. Richard Olbert of the Arizona Republic has reported that wide receiver Rod Windsor was not at practice this week as the Federal Government has lifted the NFL lockout. Windsor may be reporting back to the Cleveland Browns leaving a large hole in the Rattler’s receiving corps.

The loss of Windsor shouldn’t affect the Rattlers as they had put together their offense without considering Windsor in the first place. Head Coach Kevin Guy told Olbert, "We believe in the guys we got in this locker room. We haven't won any games because of one guy. We're going to continue to execute. I like the chemistry of this team. These guys want to win."

Nate Forse and Jason Geathers, the other wide receivers from Arizona, will come back to play from their injuries and together should share the load the Windsor carried alone. They are both competent receivers that have been making their own big numbers.

Along with Forse and Geathers, fullback Oddie Armstrong has shown he is still a relevant running back and should keep the Shock Defense honest.