The Arena Football playoff slate will have one of the season’s best matchups on Saturday night. The Nashville Kats (3-4) will travel to Montana to take on the Billings Outlaws (7-1) in a rematch from Week 7.
Nashville was the lone team to beat the Outlaws this season, winning 57-54 on the road. The Kats will be confident that they can prove themselves again, while the Outlaws will be out for redemption. The winner of this game will advance to the ArenaBowl in New Jersey.
How The Kats Got Here
Nashville held a sub-.500 record this year, but that doesn’t quite tell the entire story. They were able to secure the final spot in the playoffs, taking down the Orlando Predators in the first round and cruising to a 62-32 beatdown.
Boasting the league’s third-best offense (320 points scored), the Kats played in multiple close games this year. Led by Ramone Atkins, who was fourth in the league in passing yards, Atkins found ways to put points on the board quickly. Atkins turned to his top target, Braxton Hailey, early and often. Hailey generated the fourth-most receiving yards and third-most touchdowns in the league.
Defensively, Nashville held opponents to the fourth fewest in the league (294 points allowed). They are led by a pair of chaos-causing linemen, Ezekiel Rose and Reggie Howard. The tandem is tied for third in the league in sacks (5).
Three of the league’s top ten tacklers play on the back end of the Kats’ defense: Trae Meadows, Jay Woods, and Derrick Jones. Meadows and Jones are also tied for third in the league in interceptions(3).
If the Kats want to advance, they will again need to play mistake-free football and cause the Outlaws to make some mistakes.
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How the Outlaws Got Here
The Billings Outlaws dominated teams, with their lone hiccup coming against the Kats. With their record, the Outlaws secured the top seed in the playoffs and had a bye in the first round.
The offense powered the second-best production in the league (376). Isaac Harker a clear MVP canidate, finished third in passing yards (1210) and second in passing touchdowns (30).
Harker has had a plethora of great weapons, one of which was running back Hunter Swoboda, who led the league in rushing for most of the year (163). Duane Brown and Ka’Ronce Higgins were among the most dynamic duos receiving threats in the league.
Higgins will be dealing with injury and may make his return this weekend. He was held out of the last two contests. Derrick Harvey and Arthur Anderson Iv have helped soak up the missed productions.
The Outlaw’s defense has stifled opponents, allowing only 232 points, which was good for second-best in the league. The defensive line is powered by Siaosi Finau and LaQuan Johnson Jr., both of whom finished in the top ten in sacks.
Cedric Thomas has been one of the league’s most consistent tacklers and rarely misses. On the back end, Derrick Harvey, playing both sides of the ball, is tied for third in the league in interceptions (3).
The Outlaws will be out for blood in this matchup, but know the Kats have found their weaknesses.
This will be one of the most anticipated games of the season, a chance to advance to the ArenaBowl. Fans can catch the action on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, July 13th, at 10 PM EST.
