By RICHARD OBERT
Inside the AFL

It was bad enough losing two-time Defensive Player of the Year Clevan Thomas early in the season with an injury. But when the San Jose SaberCats' corps of receivers, fullbacks and linebackers started dropping the second half of the season, there were rumblings that they wouldn't get to the ArenaBowl.

They're back, minus Thomas. But offensive specialist James Hundon looks like all-world again. Fullback Matt Kinsinger says his injured cervical feels like new again. And the SaberCats are feeling like they're entering Sunday's ArenaBowl XVIII in peak condition to finally rid the Rattlers. They'll have to do it as America West Arena, in the Snake Pit, before a sellout crowd of more than 17,000.

"We just got to come to play," San Jose coach Darren Arbet said. "We can't be concerned about noise or anything like that. We're in the game we want to be in, and we feel we have a good opportunity to win it."

The second-seeded SaberCats (13-5) lost three of their final five games, two of those to the Rattlers (13-5), who overcame a 3-5 start to wi\nd up as the No.1 seed.

San Jose's fullback/linebacker situation will be the strongest it has been this season with Kinsinger back, helping out Brian Johnson and Keala Keanaaina. Early in the season, the SaberCats tied a single-game league record with six rushing touchdowns in a 79-62 win over the Las Vegas Gladiators.

As much as the SaberCats need their fullbacks and linebackers to counteract the Rattlers' potent attack and powerful defense, the SaberCats will have versatile receiver/linebacker James Roe for the first time against the Rattlers.

He missed the two other meetings because of a groin injury.

Quarterback Mark Grieb knows all about missing out with an injury. He had to watch from the box two years ago as his backup, John Dutton, took apart the Rattlers 52-14 in ArenaBowl XVI in San Jose. Grieb was knocked out of the final regular-season game with an injury.

"This is why I play, to play in a championship game," said Grieb, who set a league record this season for passer rating. "To get that opportunity to get here, it's something special.

"After having struggled so many years, lost in the semifinals, been injured, you really cherish to get the opportunity."

Grieb adjusted well to new receivers after injuries to James Roe and James Hundon. Both made impacts in two playoff games.

"I think the guys who played did a good job when they were in there," Grieb said. "It's always nice to have receivers you may be a little more comfortable with."

Good thing the SaberCats acquired Omarr Smith in the off-season. Smith was part of the SaberCats' championship team in '02, then signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay, where he helped the Storm beat the Rattlers in last year's ArenaBowl 43-29.

He is the only player in Arena history to win back-to-back titles for two different teams.

Smith became very valuable with the fifth game of the season when the SaberCats lost Thomas to a season-ending knee injury in a loss to New York. Thomas was considered the best cover guy in the game who would stop the forward-motion man at the line with jolting hits.

"At first I was like, 'Wow, what's going to happen now?'" Smith said. "You talk about adversity. But the team rallied around me. Clevan and I are two totally different players. He revolutionized the game. I know other teams, when he went down, weren't happy he got hurt. But it was like, 'We got a real good chance now.'"

San Jose cruised to an 11-2 record, before suffering back-to-back losses in Arizona and Las Vegas.

In the 58-41 loss at Arizona, it was the first time all season the SaberCats failed to score at least 50 points.

Despite the loss at home to the Rattlers to end the regular season, the SaberCats knew they'd have their full offense intact for the playoffs.

They showed no lack of confidence in a 59-49 win over Orlando and 49-35 victory over Chicago, setting up the rematch between teams who have met 23 times in their history.

The Rattlers have won the past three meetings and lead the all-time series 13-10.

"We've had a lot of injuries and adversity," Smith said. "It's been the toughest year for that. But we've got guys back. It's going to be a real good game. In Rattler-land, it's going to be a tough game."