Washington Valor Place Quarterback Erik Meyer on IR, Reactivate Quarterback Sean Brackett

The Washington Valor’s nightmarish start to the season just got worse. According to the Arena Football League’s Twitter account, starting quarterback Erik Meyer was placed on IR.

The Valor have activated quarterback Sean Brackett from the injured reserve. Bernard Morris would’ve likely been the one to take over for Meyer, but he left to join the Monterrey Steel of the National Arena League. Washington has gotten off to a 1-4 start in their inaugural season.

Meyer has completed 59.3% of his passes so far this season and has thrown for 1,132 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. He ranks last in the league in QBR rating (97.2).

Brackett will be called upon to replace Meyer for the time being. He has spent only two seasons in the AFL. In 2015, he was the quarterback for the Las Vegas Outlaws. He completed 51.3% of his passes, while throwing for 1,109 yards and 22 touchdowns.

He was a member of the Jacksonville Sharks last season, but he only threw 10 passes. Brackett attended college at Columbia, where he spent four years with the Lions. He never started for a full season, but he did play in at least four games every season. Over his college career, he threw for 6,273 yards and 46 touchdowns.

Brackett might not have a lot of experience, but he definitely has a lot of weapons to help him be successful. He can throw to stars such as Greg Carr, Mike Washington and legend T.T Toliver, who have all combined for 11 touchdowns this season. The Valor will play the defending champion Philadelphia Soul this week.

The Valor are playing in their first ever season. They and the Baltimore Brigade are the two expansion teams in the Arena Football League. The league is currently playing its 30th season. ArenaBowl XXX is set to be played on Saturday, Aug. 26.  All five teams are currently fighting to hold the Foster Trophy at season’s end.

Bernard Morris Signs with Monterrey Steel

The Monterrey Steel have signed quarterback Bernard Morris. Morris was recently a backup quarterback with the Arena Football League’s Washington Valor.

Morris has also spent time with the NAL’s lone undefeated team, the Jacksonville Sharks, the Pittsburgh Power, the Arkansas Twisters . He spent time as the starter in Jacksonville, but broke out with the Predators in 2016.

On June 23, 2016, Predators quarterback Randy Hippeard tore his ACL. The team was now Morris’. He went on to lead them to the best record in the AFL. He also threw for 1,249 yards and 27 touchdowns to just three interceptions. Unfortunately, he couldn’t lead them to the promise land.

In their first round match against the Sharks, Orlando missed a potential game-winning field goal as time expired in regulation. The Sharks would go on to shock the Predators in overtime.

The Predators folded on Oct. 12, 2016 and Morris announced his retirement. Still, he found himself on Washington Valor roster in 2017. He didn’t start, but he did play. He competed all four passes he threw for 55 yards and one score. Morris also rushed six times for 13 yards and one touchdown.

Washington is currently riding a three-game losing streak after winning their first ever game against the other AFL expansion team, the Baltimore Brigade. They face the defending champion Philadelphia Soul Saturday night at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

The Steel are currently in fourth place in the National Arena League playoff race. Should they make the playoffs, they would most likely travel to Jacksonville to face the Sharks in a semifinal game.

The High Country Grizzlies could still catch up to them, pushing them out of the playoff race by season’s end. Maybe starting Morris will help boost their confidence and chances of making the playoffs.

Monterrey’s next  game is against the Georgia Firebirds in Albany, GA on Saturday. A win would help their playoff chances substantially.

Philadelphia Soul Silence Washington Valor in Second Half of 49-31 Win

The Washington Valor hosted the Philadelphia Soul at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on Saturday night. Both teams came in as the last two undefeated teams in the Arena Football League.

The Valor struck first when backup quarterback Bernard Morris rushed for a one yard touchdown on a fourth down. On the following play, a Dan Raudabaugh pass was intercepted by former teammate Tracy Belton and returned for a touchdown. All of a sudden, Washington found themselves up 14-0 on the defending champions.

On the second play of the ensuing drive, Philadelphia cut into the lead when Raudabaugh found a wide open Darius Reynolds for a deep touchdown. Following a Mike Washington fumble recovered by Philadelphia, the Soul would give it back as Shaun Kauleinamoku fumbled on the very next play.

Meyer would find Washington for the second time of the night as Washington went back up 14. Reynold’s second touchdown to start the second quarter made it a one-score game once again.

With one minute left in the half, trailing 24-21, the Valor missed a field goal and James Romain returned the ball all the way for a Soul touchdown to give them their first lead at 28-24. The Valor would score to make the halftime score 31-28.

The Soul would re-take the lead with a touchdown pass to Shaun Kauleinamoku to begin the second half.

Raudabaugh found Reynolds for a touchdown pass to extend the Soul lead up to 11 points, 42-31, with under 10 minutes left to play in the game.

Later in the game, Valor quarterback Erik Meyer would be picked off by Philadelphia defensive back Dwayne Hollis which turned into another Kauleinamoku touchdown going the other way which would seal the game for the Soul, 49-31.

After the impressing opening night victory over the Baltimore Brigade, the Valor find themselves at a respectable 1-1 record heading to the 0-3 Cleveland Gladiators next week, looking to get back on the positive side of their .500 record.

The Valiant Valor

The Arena Football League‘s newest team, the Washington Valor, took advantage of the league’s dispersal draft to lay the foundation for their roster. With the Los Angeles KISS, Orlando Predators, Portland Steel, and Jacksonville Sharks all leaving or folding, the remaining five teams picked players from those teams. Washington had the first five picks in the first round, and the draft continued until every team passed on a selection.

Washington addressed the most important position in football with the first overall pick, when they picked former Sharks quarterback Tommy Grady. Widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the AFL in recent memory, Grady led the Sharks to the American Conference Championship last season. Grady completed 68 percent of his passes, while throwing for 94 touchdowns, and leading the league in passing yards with 4,495.

Grady threw seven interceptions, one of the lowest totals in the entire league. After taking offensive lineman Moqut Ruffins with their second pick, Washington picked up a weapon for Grady to throw to. The Valor selected former Predators wide receiver Greg Carr with their third overall pick. Carr caught 83 passes for 1,146 yards and 28 touchdowns, and he averaged 13.8 yards per catch.

Carr was the Predators second best wide receiver all season behind dynamic wide out Brandon Thompkins. After trading their next two picks to the Tampa Bay Storm, Washington had the sixth pick, which they used to take a backup for Grady. The Valor chose former KISS quarterback Nathan Stanley, who only managed to play 11 games due to injury. He completed 58% of his passes for 2,057 yards and 41 touchdowns.

The Valor had a rather interesting pick in round seven, when they selected former Predators quarterback Bernard Morris, who just announced his retirement from the league.

After Washington and the four other teams drafting passed on a selection in round ten, the draft was over. The Valor did their job, which was to lay the foundation for their roster. They have two quarterbacks who started last year, including one of the best in the league in Grady.

They also got one of the better wide receivers in the league in Carr. Washington will be ready to compete in 2017, and that’s because these picks will prove to be beneficial when the time comes.