Despite solid debut, Woodside not locked in as starter
Quarterback Logan Woodside’s voice was clear on the CBS broadcast as the San Antonio Commanders approached the line of scrimmage for a snap Saturday.
“Here we go. Here we go. Here we go,” Woodside shouted.
A fiery leader and a surprise starter in Week 1 for the Commanders, Woodside needed to push tempo to stay ahead of the Alliance of American Football’s abbreviated play clock. He threw for 255 yards to help San Antonio to a 15-6 win over the San Diego Fleet at the Alamodome.
Those watching on television had a glimpse into Woodside’s calls at the line of scrimmage and could hear his energized reactions to successful plays, including at least one emphatic “That’s what I’m talking about.”
Woodside completed 18 of 36 passes with two interceptions, though three of his misses were drops.
Commanders coach Mike Riley said Woodside “played well” and “made some big plays in the end that were the difference maker in the game.” But Riley did not commit to Woodside remaining the starter for Sunday’s game against the Orlando Apollos.
When the AAF held its quarterback draft in November, the Commanders protected Dustin Vaughan from their roster of allocated players, making him the team’s first pick. The Commanders took Marquise Williams in the second round, then nabbed Woodside in the third round.
Vaughan was San Antonio’s starter in the lone preseason scrimmage two weeks before the opener, but Riley said the quarterbacks split practice snaps throughout training camp and leading up to Saturday’s game.
Williams entered to attempt a two-point conversion run Saturday, while Vaughan was inactive.
“Our basic theme about this is to kind of re-evaluate every week as we go forward and kind of make a new decision as we go forward to try to be as fair and open with the players as we can,” Riley said. “This is kind of a combination for me of wanting to do everything that we can, the best decisions to win the game, but also having in mind the players that are in the league, and the development part of it, and their op-
portunity to play. So blending that is not an easy thing. We don’t want to sacrifice any one of those things.”
Working with a play clock that is five seconds faster than the NFL, Woodside said he felt the Commanders moved through their offense efficiently, drawing only one delay of game penalty. He said the adjustment was one of many learning experiences from his debut.
“You have to be able to communicate and you have to do it really fast because of that 35-second play clock,” Woodside said. “Just try to be out there, communicate, be myself and have fun.”
Woodside threw for more than 10,000 yards and 93 touchdowns in four seasons at Toledo and was a seventh-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2018 NFL draft.
Before signing with the Alliance, he also spent time with the Titans’ practice squad. He said the Commanders’ three quarterbacks exchange ideas in practice, drawing from their varied backgrounds and experiences.
“You have to bring it each and every day,” Woodside said. “I think you’re getting evaluated in practice and off the field and in the weight room and everything like that, so it’s important for us to take it one day at a time and compete each day, because nothing is guaranteed. That’s for sure.”
Sideline glimpse: The Alliance gave viewers a rare glimpse into its huddles and sideline conversations during its two Saturday games — the only contests scheduled to be shown on CBS this year.
After San Antonio called a timeout on third-and-13 late in the third quarter, CBS showed Riley, Woodside and wideout Mekale McKay debating the next play call. During the game’s closing minutes, Riley and his assistants were seen discussing why their punt formation had 10 players instead of 11.
In one instance, the broadcast showed Riley calling “Stop right, 22 zip, Kansas,” even as San Antonio signaled for a timeout because of Woodside’s inability to hear the call in his headset.
CBS also showed San Diego coach Mike Martz saying he was thinking about changing quarterbacks. During reviews, the replay officials were on camera talking through their decisions. In Orlando’s 40-6 win over the Atlanta Legends, replay official Terri Valenti initially upheld an incomplete pass call before changing the ruling after seeing a different angle.
“That’s something the fans just don’t always see that’s very important to the game, and I think it’s fun and entertaining to be able to hear what they’re saying,” Woodside said.
Commanders draw well: San Antonio drew a league-leading 27,857 fans to the Alamodome for the opener, while Orlando was second in Week 1 with 20,191. The Birmingham Iron announced 17,039 fans for their 26-0 win over the Memphis Express, while the Arizona Hotshots drew 11,751 in a 38-22 win over the Salt Lake Stallions.
Riley said everyone he spoke to was pleased with the pacing of the games, the longest of which lasted 2 hours, 40 minutes.
“From everything that I’ve heard, gathered and read or seen, the AAF hit a home run in the first week,” Riley said. “A lot of people are talking about it, and I think that it was just a really good start. … They saw good football. They saw good talent. And they saw just enough different that grabbed them.”