For better or worse, Tim Marcum appears to be sticking with his guys.
The Storm coach threatened to trade or release players, including "some big names," early last week but eased off those comments Monday despite a 40-35 loss to New York that dropped Tampa Bay to 2-4.
In Marcum's estimation, the Storm simply is a better team with those players than without them.
"I just try to get the best ones on the field that we can," he said. "We're a team in disarray. We're looking for answers, and the only way I know to do it is to get them better or get some guys in here."
Marcum never has been bashful about what he calls "drawing to the hand," and made a minor move Tuesday, trading offensive/defensive lineman Cyron Brown to Philadelphia for future considerations.
The Storm also will bring in a few players, most notably former South Florida quarterback Marquel Blackwell. Blackwell, released by the Jets during training camp, could get a look at wide receiver/defensive back.
But quality players who can step in and contribute right away seldom are available once the season starts.
"Not unless there's a guy with a story somewhere are you going to get a decent player," Marcum said. "You get a guy off the street, he's got to learn how to play Arena football if he's an NFL alumnus."
Any further moves could come from within. Linemen Jerome King or D.J. Bleisath could be promoted from the practice squad or wide receiver/defensive back Carlos James could be activated from injured reserve.
QB RATING: Marcum wasn't pleased with Pat O'Hara's performance in his first Storm start. But he didn't pin the blame for the offense's struggles on the veteran quarterback either.
"We have to get better," Marcum said. "We've got to get better on every aspect of our offense. We've got to protect him better, we've got to get open and he's got to throw the ball better."
O'Hara tied a career high with 25 completions in a career-high 49 attempts for 264 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a score.
Facing constant pressure, O'Hara misfired on eight of his first 12 attempts as the Storm was held scoreless in the first quarter. But he threw three second-half touchdowns to Freddie Solomon to help Tampa Bay trim a 19-point deficit to five before falling just short when an official ruled Lawrence Samuels did not have possession on a potential game-winning touchdown.
O'Hara blamed himself for the incompletion.
"I think if I threw that ball about 6 inches higher, the guy wouldn't have knocked it out of Law's hands," O'Hara said.
WHATEVER IT TAKES: O'Hara's touchdown run around right end on fourth-and-1 brought the Storm to within six points at the end of the first half. But the play wouldn't have worked without some improvisation on O'Hara's part.
The play was designed to go to fullback Basil Proctor, but Proctor was slow getting to the line of scrimmage and O'Hara's handoff hit the cast on Proctor's left hand. Feeling penetration from the defensive line, O'Hara pulled the ball back out and kept it himself.
"It was one of those things you just feel and react," O'Hara said. "I'm not very fleet of foot, but just to get it in there felt pretty good."
SHORT GAME: New York's defensive pressure forced the Storm to shorten its drops and throw underneath more than it would have liked. Lineman Nyle Wiren said the Dragons keyed the snap count and used their size advantage to get upfield.
"They have big heavy guys who still are big athletes," Wiren said. "It doesn't really matter how strong you are, it's still weight against weight. It's a ratio, and it's just a little harder for smaller guys to block those bigger guys like that, especially when they're coming right at you."
EMPTY-HANDED: Tackling will be a point of emphasis after New York returned six kickoffs for 153 yards and a touchdown and a missed field goal 38 yards for another score.
"We're not tackling; we're out there grabbing," Marcum said. "I don't know what the heck they're doing. Even when we make tackles, we're carrying them 4 or 5 yards past the thing. We're going to have a tackling session. I guarantee we're going to know why we're not tackling by the end of this week."
STORM FLURRIES: With 103 receiving yards against New York, Samuels moved past George LaFrance (5,392) into second on the Storm's all-time list. Samuels, with 5,406 yards, trails only Stevie Thomas (7,784). ... Solomon continues to battle a shoulder injury that forced him to miss practice last week. Wiren has a dislocated shoulder.
