St. Petersburg, Ural, Sevastopol Make Statements in Week 2 of the Russian Championship
[tps_title]Russian Championship Week 2[/tps_title]
Yaroslavl Rebels 6 – St. Petersburg North Legion 48
While the Rebels were considered a reach to play in the Big 5 this year, they put up a much tougher fight than anyone expected in week 1 against the Griffins in St. Petersburg, and that gave them reasons to be excited to host another team from the same city in week 2. But the Legion also looked to make a statement of their own, after a disappointing loss at home to the Moscow United to prove that they belong among the nation’s best, and no other team was better suited for the task than Yaroslavl.
Although the game started well for the hosts who put together a balanced opening drive and reached an endzone, they became totally outclassed once the visitors have fully gotten into an offensive rhythm. While they had some success defending the run, the St. Petersburg QB Yegor Popov that came off the bench had consistently found his receivers for long passes that kept their drives alive regardless of the down and distance. And the forced adjustments to the deep passing game has also opened the holes for the running game in the Rebels defense, which were never able to stand their ground for the rest of the game. A defensive touchdown by St. Petersburg only solidified a well-rounded and dominant victory, leading Yaroslavl to continue searching for answers.
