Moyer puts it all on the line for Rush

There is much about the AFL that is different from the outdoor game, but controlling the line of scrimmage is a constant at any level of football.

In its last game, the Chicago Rush dominated at the point of attack against the Arizona Rattlers, and the result was a convincing 59-35 victory.

Defensive lineman John Moyer had half of the Rush's 4 sacks as the Rush put constant pressure on former Michigan State quarterback Jeff Smoker. Moyer also played a central role in forcing 4 turnovers. Moyer picked off one pass, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.

"His mindset is exactly what you want as a coach," Rush coach Mike Hohensee said. "He understands his opponent better than (anyone)."

Defensive back Dennison Robinson said the Rush's pass rush allows the secondary to take more chances.

"It's a great feeling knowing we can gamble on a couple of things because of our defensive line," Robinson said. "If we didn't have a great pass rush, we would have to sit back on our heels a little and pick our spots."

Defensive lineman James Baron said the Rush (4-1) is forcing opposing offenses to work for each score.

"The objective is to make teams take more snaps," he said. "The more snaps they take, the better opportunity we have as a defense to make plays, whether it's a sack, fumble or interception."

Each of the last three Rush opponents has scored 35 points. This is the first time in team history the defense has limited opponents to less than 40 points in three consecutive games.

Through five weeks, the Rush ranks second in the league in scoring defense (42.4 ppg) and is third in takeaways (15).

On to Orlando: It will be a battle of three-game winning streaks when the Rush travels to Orlando today (1 p.m., ESPN2) to face coach Jay Gruden and the Predators at Amway Arena.

"They have some very talented guys on their team, and (Gruden) is great at play-calling and in-game adjustments," Hohensee said. "He's been the heart and soul of that thing for a long time."

The last time these teams played was in 2006 when the Rush defeated the Predators 69-61 in ArenaBowl XX.

Starting with Orlando (3-2), the Rush plays four of its next five games on the road. Hohensee is counting on a strong work ethic to drive the Rush through this difficult stretch.

"I don't see our guys taking plays off the way I see other teams do sometimes," Hohensee said. "Our guys consistently work hard and play all out."