AFL, ESPN to Flex Week 17 Matchup

May 22, 2014

AFL Communications
CHICAGO – The Arena Football League and ESPN have announced that the Week 17 “NET10 Wireless AFL” matchup will now feature the Orlando Predators and Philadelphia Soul on ESPN2. Kickoff is set for Monday, July 7 at 8:00 p.m. ET. ESPN2 was originally set to air the Pittsburgh Power at New Orleans VooDoo contest.
“The contest between the Predators and Soul is certainly worthy of an ESPN showcase,” AFL Commissioner Jerry B. Kurz said. “Our fans deserve to see the best matchups on national television as often as possible.”
The visiting Orlando Predators (6-3) currently lead the South Division and are tied for second in the American Conference.  After starting the season 0-3, the Philadelphia Soul (5-4) have won five of their last six games. Orlando leads the League in total offense, posting 315.6 yards per game, and also boasts the second toughest rushing defense in the AFL, holding opponents to only 13.2 rushing yards each week. However, their rushing defense will surely be tested by Philadelphia. The Soul lead the League in rushing offense averaging 29.9 yards on the ground per game, thanks to the AFL’s all-time leading rusher, Derrick Ross, who last week became the first man in Arena Football history to record 2,000 career rushing yards.
The American Conference showdown will also feature two veteran quarterbacks in Dan Raudabaugh and Bernard Morris. The two signal-callers are very familiar, as Raudabaugh and Morris have guided their teams to the American Conference championship game each of the past two seasons. This season, Raudabaugh has completed more than 66 percent of his passes and thrown for 47 touchdowns, while Morris made his 2014 debut with the Predators in Week 10, passing for 342 yards and seven touchdowns in his first game with the team.
The Week 17 matchup between the Soul and Predators will be the first in a series of three consecutive Monday night Arena Football games on ESPN2.
The AFL uses “flexible scheduling” for national telecasts during the regular season. Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups and provides the ability to feature the best contests in a given weekend.