PHOTO BY MATTHEW PAWLOWSKI
BY SHAGGY SHRAGIS
After grinding out a wind plagued win in DC, Philadelphia stretched its win streak to two after knocking off the Toronto Rush at home: 19-16. This was a much cleaner performance by both the Hotbirds and their Canadian opponents, answering several questions we had regarding if Philly could win a battle between two efficient offenses. Ultimately, it was a historic performance from veteran stars and new talents that led the Phoenix to its first 2-0 start since 2021.
A big bounce back this week for the Philly offense, who despite the win, allowed 15 break opportunities for the DC Breeze in week one. The Phoenix cut that number down to just five total break opportunities last weekend, giving up only two breaks in the game. Scott Heyman led the Phoenix in big plays, and outside of an ill advised cross field blade to Calvin Trisolini, showcased a more efficient aspect of his abilities. If Heyman can continue to have 10 score outings with two or fewer turnovers, the Philadelphia Phoenix will win a lot of games in 2025.
However, the true tale in efficiency lies with the other members of the Hotbird backfield: Sean Mott and Sam Grossberg. Mott, the 10 year veteran, and Sam Grossberg, a rookie in his first ever UFA game, combined for 1062 yards, 102 completions and 0 turnovers. Mott — having taken more of a handler role in 2025 — is on pace for 600 completions, the second highest number in the league, and is averaging above a 95% completion rate for the second time in his career. All of Sam Grossberg’s career stats are from Sunday evening — his rookie debut — yet the 19 year old is already the proud owner of a game most league vets would drool over, with five assists and three goals. Brandon Pastor also chipped in on the efficiency end, going 13 for 13 and becoming the proud owner of the longest “perfect game” streak in UFA history, with 16 consecutive appearances without a turnover.
Philadelphia’s defense did not have as many chances to score, but made their opportunities count, converting six of 10 break opportunities, a 60% rate that would have them as the best scoring defense in the league if they could replicate it for every game. Nate Little had another two block outing, and rookie Jack Wisner chipped in with two blocks as well. In back to back games, Philly forced the opposing team to convert long possessions with tons of throws, and while both DC and Toronto were able to do it at times, neither could maintain the offensive execution as consistently as the Philly offense, leading to two wins and two smart defensive outings.
The Phoenix now prepare for a week three road trip, as they travel to Toronto in a rematch with the Rush. This is an obvious opportunity for revenge for Toronto, as they faced Philadelphia on the second leg of a double header, falling to DC by one point on Saturday before being defeated by the Hotbirds on Sunday. With fresh legs, and a full week to prepare for only a single opponent, the Rush will likely expect a reversal of fortunes in Canada. Two pieces who will likely step up their roles in the offense are Arvids Karklins and Connor McHale, who had less than a full week with the team before embarking on the road trip. The Latvian Karklins had a big game against the Breeze, but was limited in the first half against Philadelphia before going out with an injury in the third quarter.
We should also see the much anticipated return of Mark Lloyd. One of the greatest players in UFA history, Mark Lloyd has not played in the league since 2018. Philadelphia has beaten Toronto in nine straight attempts, dating back to the 2019 season, however they have never defeated Mark Lloyd, and it is no coincidence the Hotbird winning streak over the Rush started the year Lloyd left. While it is unlikely Mark Lloyd still has all of the game breaking athleticism which once made him so dangerous downfield, he may well still possess the cannon of an arm that earned him his spot on the UFA top 10 throws of the decade. Toronto converted six of 13 hucks against Philadelphia on Sunday. That is fewer deep looks than they would like to throw, and certainly a worse success rate. With a new, for Lloyd, toolbox of athletic deep cutters, look for a Mark Lloyd led deep game to be a bigger factor in the rematch.
Since 2019, the Phoenix have defeated the Rush nine straight times, and have done it in many different ways. While Toronto has a much improved squad from 2024, the Hotbirds have displayed a remarkably improved offensive attack that has them sitting atop the East in sole possession of first place. If the Philadelphia handlers can continue to orchestrate such a devastating flow through opposing defenses, they should emerge from week three with another hard earned victory. Tune in to WatchUFA.tv this Saturday at 6 p.m. and see how the Hotbirds take on round two against the Rush.
