AAF Week 8 Review: Birmingham Iron clinch playoff berth with win over Atlanta Legends

With much of the talk surrounding the Alliance of American Football heading into Week 8 focused on how much longer the league would remain in operation, the action on the field provided something of a temporary break from all the negativity currently associated with the league.

Negotiations between the AAF and the NFL/NFLPA over an arrangement to effectively loan players on the fringe of their rosters back to the AAF appear to be making little progress, and the suggestion that the league’s major investor Tom Dundon will pull his funding from the AAF without this agreement in place still threatens to end the league prematurely.

But while there is still some football left to talk about, that is what we will focus on here as we take a look back at the week in which the Birmingham Iron clinched a playoff berth with a road win over the Atlanta Legends..

Week 8 results:

Orlando Apollos 34 @ Memphis Express 31

Arizona Hotshots 23 @ San Antonio Commanders 6

Salt Lake Stallions 8 @ San Diego Fleet 3

Birmingham Iron 17 @ Atlanta Legends 9

Running back Trent Richardson once again led the way for the Iron, but it was a quiet day for a few of his notable teammates in former Pittsburgh Steelers players L’Damian Washington and Casey Sayles. Washington was held without a catch and only saw two target all day, while Sayles would fail to record a tackle. Jamar Summers would miss the game altogether due to injury.

Former Steelers cornerback Shaquille Richardson was among the leaders in tackles for the second week in a row for the Arizona Hotshots, part of an impressive defensive effort that held the San Antonio Commanders to just six points on Saturday. Two former Pittsburgh running backs in David Cobb and Trey Williams did their best to keep San Antonio in the contest, but the Hotshots were in control of the matchup throughout.

Cobb would have a productive game with nine carries for 59 yards before an apparent hamstring injury ended his day prematurely, while Williams recorded 37 carries from seven carries against Arizona.

Another former Pittsburgh running back barely saw a touch in his game against the Salt Lake Stallions, with Terrell Watson limited to just one reception for two yards and no carries. Teammate Travis Feeney, the Steelers sixth round draft choice in 2016, had a much more successful day, leading the San Diego Fleet with seven tackles and also recording a hit on the quarterback and a pass defended.

Linebacker Terrence Gavin was also among his team’s leaders in tackles in Week 8, with the 2013 undrafted free agent signing finishing the game with four tackles and a pass defended in the Orlando Apollos 34-31 won over the Memphis Express. The latest installment in the dismal tale that is Johnny Manziel’s football career saw him complete two of three passes for 13 yards before being knocked out when he attempted to make a tackle after throwing an interception.

Week 8 Highlights:

Orlando Apollos 34 @ Memphis Express 31

Arizona Hotshots 23 @ San Antonio Commanders 6

Salt Lake Stallions 8 @ San Diego Fleet 3

Birmingham Iron 17 @ Atlanta Legends 9