"You're going against the defending champs, and there's a respect level there," Soul coach Bret Munsey said after a recent practice. "San Jose, we feel, is one of the best organizations in the league, and we also feel that for the first time in a long time, the two teams that are probably playing the best football are playing for the championship. I think that's good for the league."

After taking the weekend off, Munsey and his staff had two days to fine-tune the Soul (15-3) before the team was to leave for New Orleans today.

The only member of the Soul who has played in an ArenaBowl is quarterback Matt D'Orazio, who led the Chicago Rush to the title in 2006.

D'Orazio, who last week was named AFL quarterback of the year after replacing injured starter Tony Graziani early in the season, doesn't expect his experience to help a lot on Sunday.

"This is another team and another year. Maybe a little bit, but not as much as people may think," D'Orazio said. "I'm just a part of the team, and now we have to figure out a way to knock off the champs."

When the Soul visited the SaberCats (13-5) on April 12, they squeezed out a 58-57 victory after San Jose missed a last-second field goal.

"They're a proven group," said all-league defensive back Eddie Moten. "They're champions. We just have to prepare hard. . . . That offense is a tough offense, and they run it well. All we have to do is do our part. . . . We just want to end this year off as champions. Nothing less."

Soul wide receiver Chris Jackson, AFL offensive player of the year, said his team's approach to the ArenaBowl is no different from any other game.

"To be honest, we're trying to make it as regular as possible," Jackson said. "I know there's a lot riding on the game, and it's a little bit more intense being it's the ArenaBowl and the championship, but it's another game, and that's the best approach to go about it. We'll go down there and worry about ourselves and focus on trying to do things the right way."