AVENGERS END WITH A VICTORY LOSING SKID OVER; PLAYOFFS NEXT AVENGERS 46, BUFFALO 41.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

The question of what team the Avengers will play next week in the opening round of the Arena Football League playoffs won't be determined until later today. San Jose still has to play Carolina to finish off the AFL regular season, and the outcome of that game will reveal the Avengers' opponent.

However, this much is clear after the Avengers barely held off Buffalo 46-41 Saturday night in front of a team-record 14,427 at Staples Center: They will host their inaugural playoff game Saturday at 4:30 p.m. by virtue of finishing the season 8-6, their best record ever, and securing the fifth seed in the 12-team playoffs.

Essentially, Saturday's season finale didn't have much dramatic impact. The Avengers already knew they were in the playoffs for the first time in the team's three-year history. The bigger issue was whether the Avengers would head into the postseason on a three-game losing streak or with the momentum of a season-ending victory.

A loss also would have sent them on the road to start the playoffs.

They had dropped their previous two games, and in the process blew a chance at a first-round bye and the valuable rest time that came with it. The prospect of going into the playoffs on a serious downward spiral and a growing confidence deficit was enough incentive for the Avengers to do everything they could to get back on track against Buffalo, which stumbled into Los Angeles with a three-game losing streak, a developing quarterback controversy and a struggling offense.

It remains to be seen if the Avengers pointed themselves back in the right direction. They secured the victory but achieved it in a rather mundane manner. There was little spark and even less defensive success.

In fact, had it not been for the Destroyers' early struggles, the Avengers would have been in serious danger of losing their third in a row.

L.A. still has time to get things right, but it's doubtful a performance similar to Saturday's - especially defensively - will be sufficient to advance past the first round.

The Avengers didn't seal the victory until Remy Hamilton kicked a 30-yard field goal with 15 seconds left, then survived two last-ditch Buffalo attempts at the end zone - the first a sure touchdown that slipped through the hands of Lamont Cooper at the back of the end zone, the second when Chad Dukes sacked Buffalo quarterback Jeff Loots on the final play of the game.

The game started off well enough for the Avengers, who opened with a nine-play scoring drive capped by Tony Graziani's 3-yard touchdown throw to Greg Hopkins to go ahead 7-0, a lead they never would relinquish.

Buffalo answered with a nine-play scoring drive of its own to tie the score 7-7 on Loots' 4-yard touchdown pass to Jarrai Jackson.

Loots started in place of Fred McNair in a curious decision by Buffalo coach Ray Bentley. McNair, the brother of Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair, has started the whole year, and with the Destroyers needing a victory to get into the playoffs, it seemed odd Bentley would give the nod to Loots in such a critical situation.

Not that Loots didn't play well. He finished with 253 yards and five touchdown passes, numbers that can't please the Avengers, who had trouble keeping the Destroyers out of the end zone every time they threatened to blow the game open.

The Avengers twice opened 13-point leads at 20-7 and 27-14, but each time Loots brought Buffalo back.