Sharks visit VooDoo Saturday

This is the second of three scheduled meetings between Jacksonville and New Orleans.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville (3-5) heads into this week's action with a chance to capture a third consecutive win, as the team defeated the Cleveland Gladiators and the Philadelphia Soul over the last two weeks. Thanks to those back-to-back victories, Jacksonville currently sits just one game behind the first-place Orlando Predators in the South Division race.

This is the second of three scheduled meetings between Jacksonville and New Orleans (2-6). The Sharks opened the 2015 season on the road against the VooDoo, falling by a 51-50 count after allowing a touchdown in the final minutes. Dating back to last season, the Sharks have lost each of their last two games against the VooDoo by just a single point.

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Moving past their slow start to the season, the Sharks have won three of their last four games, and one key to that recent success has been the offense's ability to protect the football. Jacksonville has turned it over just once in its three victories – and that one lost fumble came when the team had a 39-point lead over Las Vegas in the fourth quarter. On the flip side, the Jacksonville defense has forced a total of nine turnovers in the last two weeks, recording four interceptions and recovering five fumbles between the victories over the Gladiators and Soul.

Beyond the turnovers, the Sharks' defense found the recipe for more consistent play on an every-down basis. Against the Soul last Saturday night, Joe Sykes' first-down sack keyed a turnover on downs on Philadelphia's second drive of the game, allowing the Sharks to take an early lead. Then, nursing a 55-47 lead in the final minute, Jacksonville clamped down again, forcing another turnover on downs to seal the game.

Since the teams' first meeting, New Orleans has undergone a change at quarterback, as starter Adam Kennedy is currently on injured reserve. Kennedy had started each of the VooDoo's last three matchup against the Sharks, but now Brian Reader has stepped into that role under center. Seeing significant action each of the past three games, Reader has protected the ball well, throwing 13 touchdown passes against one interception. But Reader has only completed 51.4 percent of his passes, and the Sharks will look to prevent him from finding a consistent rhythm

This week, the Sharks will look to generate a consistent pass rush against a New Orleans offensive line that has allowed 17 sacks, tied for second-most among all Arena Football League teams. It is worth noting that the first matchup with the VooDoo was the only game in which Sykes has recorded a sack this season. Leading the League with 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks, Sykes has spearheaded the Sharks' pass rush this season and will aim to so do again this week.