Shock really want win tonight

Week Two of the 18-game Arena Football League regular season is way too early for panic buttons and must-win hyperbole.

Still, Spokane really, really wants to find the win column against Philadelphia in its home opener tonight at the Arena.

“You just can’t go 0-2,” head coach Andy Olson said. “We can’t get ourselves into a hole that’s too hard to get out of.”

The Shock’s 10th arena season began ominously last week when starting quarterback Carson Coffman went down with a knee injury in the second quarter of a 60-43 road loss to Arizona. Coffman and No. 2 quarterback Warren Smith are expected to miss at least the next two games before the Shock’s bye in Week 4.

Jarrett Brown, released in training camp, made his AFL debut last Saturday in relief of Coffman and handled virtually all of the repetitions earlier this week in practice. Matt Bassuener, who has played for San Antonio, Cleveland and Tulsa, was signed midweek to compete for the starting job.

Bassuener, who played at Georgetown University, has passed for 3,516 yards with 58 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in three seasons. He has a 58.7 career completion percentage, including a career-best 65.9 with the San Antonio Talons last season.

Spokane’s game notes list Brown as the starter and Bassuener as the backup.

“In 2012 with (Erik) Meyer going down in the first game and then against last year (when Meyer broke his collarbone) and again this year, the defense has to step up and make plays and give the offense as many opportunities as possible,” defensive end James Ruffin said.

The defense had mixed results against the Rattlers, producing two sacks and a couple of stops but no turnovers. Spokane committed four turnovers. One of Arizona’s touchdowns came on a bar-ball kickoff.

“We just need more push, more pressure,” Olson said. “We got into the defensive line meetings (Monday) and we let them know that wasn’t going to work.”

Philadelphia (1-0) scored four fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the game-winner with 12 seconds left to defeat Orlando 70-63. Quarterback Dan Raudabaugh passed for 422 yards and eight touchdowns to earn AFL offensive player of the week honors.

Raudabaugh is one of 14 players in AFL history with more than 400 career touchdown passes. Former Shock receiver Shaun Kauleinamoku, Marco Thomas and Ryan McDaniel each had at least 118 receiving yards last week.

Ex-Shock standout linebacker Beau Bell joined the Soul after spending last season with the L.A. Kiss.

“They were on point; our defense has its hands full,” Olson said. “They have three receivers that can come at you in different ways. Raudabaugh gets rid to the ball faster than anybody.”