PREVIEW – Week 5: Soul on the Road in Baltimore
The Philadelphia Soul (2-2) will travel to Baltimore (2-2) on Sunday, looking to avoid just their fifth three game losing streak in seven seasons under head coach Clint Dolezel. Fans can watch live on NBC Sports Philadelphia+, ESPN3 or the ESPN app, or listen to the action on 97.5 The Fanatic.
After beating Baltimore in Week 2, Philadelphia has dropped two in a row, including last Saturday’s meeting with the defending ArenaBowl-champion Valor. While the Soul battled back from a 15-point deficit to take the lead with 23 seconds remaining, Washington responded with a 46-yard touchdown to seal the victory. Meanwhile, the Brigade are coming off their second loss of the season, falling to the Blackjacks in Atlantic City.
Sunday will mark these teams’ second meeting of the season, with the Soul winning 36-27 at Royal Farms Arena in Week 2. While Philadelphia has struggled defensively in its last two outings, the team held Baltimore quarterback Shane Boyd in check in that game, limiting him to a season-low 54.5% completion percentage. Boyd enters this weekend’s matchup as the fourth-highest fantasy scorer in the league, though his 24.1 points in the teams’ Week 2 matchup were his fewest of the season.
Part of Boyd’s struggles stemmed from the Soul’s ability to neutralize big-play threat Joe Hills. The league leader in receiving touchdowns last season, Hills was limited to just one catch (albeit a touchdown) for seven yards in Week 2.
On the other side of the ball, Soul quarterback Dan Raudabaugh threw five touchdowns in the win. He’s only improved from there, throwing seven touchdowns and completing 73.1% of his passes against the Valor last weekend.
The veteran quarterback will again lean on top targets Darius Prince, who’s tied for the league lead with eight receiving touchdowns, and Aaron Wascha, who is coming off his second three-touchdown performance in three games this season. The pair accounted for all five scores in the Soul’s Week 2 victory over Baltimore.
Sunday’s kickoff is scheduled for 3 pm at Royal Farms Arena.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
WR Aaron Wascha
In three appearances this season, Wascha has two three-touchdown games, including one against Baltimore in Week 2. He joins Columbus’ Fabian Guerra as the only receivers with multiple three-score performances this season.
QB Shane Boyd
Boyd has posted the second-best passer rating in the league but had his worst game of the season against the Soul in Week 2. The quarterback completed just 54.5% of his passes while throwing a costly interception on the team’s final drive of the game that sealed the win for the Soul.
BY THE NUMBERS
8 – Darius Prince’s eight receiving touchdowns are tied with Albany’s Malachi Jones for the league lead.
7 – The Soul have trailed at the half in seven straight games dating back to last season. The team is 2-5 in those games, with the last win coming against Baltimore on May 3rd.
4 – Soul receivers have accounted for four of the 10 three-touchdown games by receivers this season. Aaron Wascha is one of two players with multiple such games this season (Fabian Guerra).
Most Receiving Touchdowns in a Game – This Season
May 18 Fabian Guerra 4
April 26 Dezmon Epps 4
May 18 Aaron Wascha 3
May 18 Malachi Jones 3
May 11 Lonnie Outlaw 3
May 11 Darius Prince 3
May 4 Fabian Guerra 3
This weekend’s matchup will feature three of the top six overall fantasy scorers this season in Baltimore’s Shane Boyd and the Soul’s Dan Raudabaugh and Darius Prince.
Most DraftKings Points – This Season
Arvell Nelson 168.2
Malachi Jones 145.1
Tommy Grady 137.98
Shane Boyd<< 120.4
Dan Raudabaugh 119.7
Darius Prince 116.4 >>Season-low 24.1 points vs Soul in Week 2
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