Rattlers QB situation unclear before Sunday home opener
The Arizona Rattlers expect a good crowd Sunday as they kick off in their new Glendale digs against the Vegas Knight Hawks at 3:05 p.m.
But who will fans see leading the offense at Desert Diamond Arena?
Dalton Sneed, signed in the offseason after he led the Bay Area Panthers to the Indoor Football League title, was injured in the first half of last week’s seasonopening win against Northern Arizona in Prescott Valley. He tossed three touchdowns in the game. Garrett Kettle played the second half for the Rattlers at quarterback, throwing a TD pass.
This week, the Rattlers signed former Sioux Falls Storm quarterback Lorenzo Brown as an insurance policy in case Sneed is out for an extended period.
Coach Kevin Guy is calling Sneed a “game-time decision” on whether he starts Sunday. If he’s not able to go, Kettle will start at quarterback, Guy said.
Brown led Sioux Falls to three United Bowl championships in 2015, 2016 and 2019. He led the Storm over the Rattlers at Desert Diamond Arena for the 2019 championship. He was MVP of that game, completing 15 of 19 passes with five TDs in a 56-53 win.
Brown was the Storm’s all-time leading rusher for yards and touchdowns and was second all-time in passing yards and touchdowns.
Guy said the move to bring in Brown was “to cover ourselves in case Dalton can’t go.”
Brown — 6-foot, 195 pounds — is a quick study who faced the Rattlers many times in his career, having some of his best games against them.
A new era for Rattler football
This is a renewal of sorts in the Valley for the Rattlers, transitioning from downtown Phoenix, leaving Footprint Center, which was their home since they began playing Arena Football in 1992.
Glendale rolled out the red carpet to the Rattlers. This is the 20th anniversary of Desert Diamond Arena. There is a $40 million plan to renovate the arena, former home of the Arizona Coyotes that remains a big part of the Westgate Entertainment District.
“We felt like family, and welcomed,” Rattlers owner Ron Shurts said in November during a ribbon-cutting ceremony about the City of Glendale and Desert Diamond Arena.
The Rattlers won five Arena Football
League championships and then an IFL title in its first year in that league in 2017, while making the downtown Phoenix arena home.
After so much heartbreak losing in the playoffs in the final seconds of games since 2018, the Rattlers are hoping this year offers a fresh start to regain league championship form.
There has been a different team each of the last six seasons to win the IFL championship due to the structure of the league creating parity.
Sneed was brought in to get the Rattlers over the playoff hump.
Revenge on the Wranglers
In last week’s win against the NAZ Wranglers, the team that beat the Rattlers in the playoff each of the last two years, it showed how much the Rattlers missed running back Shannon Brooks, who was a big part of the 2022 team but played in the Canadian Football League last season.
Brooks ran for 60 yards and three TDs on 13 carries. Sneed was 8 of 15 for 114 yards and three TDs and no interceptions. There were dropped passes. Kettle was 3 for 6 for 38 yards and a TD and no interceptions.
Guy said the team had a great week of practice, but there needs to be improvement from Week 1.
“It’s about us and what we do,” Guy said. “The details are in the little things. It’s important that we know our opponent but there’s not much to go off of and they’ve made a lot of personnel changes.”
This is the Knight Hawk’s season opener. Former Rattlers QB Jorge Reyna signed with Vegas in the offseason. Reyna threw for 892 yards and 19 TDs in seven games for the Rattlers last year, while Drew Powell was out with an injury.