Home finale fizzle: Contenders? Blaze look like pretenders

Perhaps the Utah Blaze just like to play in front of ESPN's cameras more than Ch. 14's.

Or maybe there were impostors in their jerseys (either Saturday or Monday).

But for whatever reason, just five days after playing their best overall game in franchise history in their first-ever national television appearance, the Blaze got thumped Saturday by the San Jose SaberCats, 70-49. It was not the way the team wanted to end their 2007 home season in front of 15,336 fans at EnergySolutions Arena and a local television audience to boot.

"We just weren't ready to play mentally or physically," said Blaze coach Danny White. "I don't know what to attribute that to. It's amazing that this was the game team that played Monday night. We just got dominated in every phase of the game."

On Monday night — in an ESPN2 game — it was the Blaze that did the dominating in every phase of the game. They beat up the playoff-bound Colorado Crush, 51-14. Utah's defense was so impressive, the team was feeling like it could be Arena Football League title contenders.

But now, instead of feeling they are ArenaBowl contenders, the Blaze will likely be playing just to get into the playoffs in their regular season finale June 23 at Los Angeles. Utah, which has a bye next weekend, is 7-8 after having its modest two-game winning streak snapped. The Blaze are one game ahead of Nashville for the American Conference's final playoff spot.

The SaberCats, who had little to play for after already clinching the Western Division title and a first-round playoff bye, improved to 11-3. San Jose, after a 3-3 start to the season, has now reeled off eight consecutive victories.

"Those guys are good," said Blaze quarterback Joe Germaine. "They are 11-3 and the No. 1 seed in the conference. They've got good players on both sides of the ball."

The Blaze tied the game 7-7 midway through the first quarter, but then the wheels fell off.

The SaberCats raced to a 43-14 lead at halftime behind brilliant quarterback play by Mark Grieb, some timely sacks by their defense and, frankly, a few big breaks that went San Jose's way.

The SaberCats' final touchdown of the half, for instance, was a doozy. Grieb rolled back, felt some pressure and threw on the run. The ball caromed off the helmet of one of his lineman, bounced high into the air for what looked like a jump ball, but instead landed in the waiting arms of a wide-open receiver, Cleannord Saintil, in the back of the end zone — almost as if it was a designed play.