This time the culprit was a series of successful onside kicks by New York.

DALLAS - Curses.

That's what the Desperados were probably muttering to themselves as the final minutes ticked away, and it's what the club is seemingly burdened with in these AFL playoffs.

This time the culprit was a series of successful onside kicks by New York that racked up points against a porous Desperados defense in what wound up being a 77-63 Dragons' win in this AFL wild-card playoff game here at American Airlines Center on Friday night.

Another year and another early playoff exit.

"It's very disappointing," Desperados head coach Will McClay said. "We have, for whatever reason, not found a way to get it done."

This is the third straight year the Desperados have exited the playoffs unexpectedly at the AAC and second year in a row they've been bounced in their first playoff game by a division rival they have beaten twice during the regular season. Dallas is now 2-5 all-time in playoff games.

Shy Anderson, the team's chief operating officer, said it was frustrating to see the National Conference's third-seeded Desperados (12-4) lose because they are such a mature and experienced team.

Many players felt the same way.

Desperados veteran quarterback Clint Dolezel, who threw for 325 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception, said the offense put up the necessary points to get a win but the defense and special teams failed to make stops or plays when needed.

But unlike last year when the top-seeded Desperados were bounced out of the playoffs by Columbus in a divisional-round game thanks to two fluke bounces off the iron on two second-half kickoffs, this one turned on two onside kicks by the sixth-seeded Dragons (8-8) the Desperados had beaten 33-31 and 51-49 just two weeks ago during the regular season.

The first occurred with one minute left in the second quarter. After tying the score at 28, New York successfully recovered an onside kick and scored another touchdown with less than 10 seconds left in the quarter to go up 35-28 at the half.

The two teams traded scores early in the third quarter but once again New York decided to try another onside kick. The ball fell through Anthony Armstrong's hands and was recovered by the Dragons. They quickly scored another touchdown to go up 49-35.

McClay said lack of execution cost the Desperados.

"We prepare for everything," he said. "We prepared for it, we work on it all the time."

The final blow came early in the fourth quarter. Dallas was driving, trying to narrow New York's lead to one possession when veteran receiver Marcus Nash fumbled away a reception from Dolezel. New York recovered and scored a third consecutive touchdown to stretch the lead to 56-35 with 11:17 left to play.

The hole was too massive for the Desperados to get out of, especially considering the way the New York offense was tearing up the once proud Dallas defense. Dragons quarterback Aaron Garcia tied an Arena League playoff record with nine touchdown passes in the game. He finished 28-of-39 for 330 yards and one interception.

"We got no stops, we got no pressures, we didn't play well in the secondary and get pressure up front and when that happens the pressure is on the offense," McClay said.

After Desperados defensive back Jermaine Jones intercepted a Garcia pass bouncing off the crossbar in the end zone on New York's first possession, the Dragons proceeded to score 11 consecutive touchdowns.

The 77 points scored by the Dragons were the most given up by the Desperados all season. The Desperados finished the 16-game schedule ranked second in scoring defense, holding opposing offenses to 49.9 points per game. Only twice during the regular season did the Desperados allow more than 57 points, losing both of those games and the 57-pointer to top-seeded Philadelphia.

This made them oh-for-four when allowing more than 56 points.

"We didn't make the plays," defensive end Colston Weatherington said.

So once again the entire Desperados organization leaves the AAC to close a season with a bitter taste in its mouth. A team that has the AFL's best record the past three years during the regular season, 40-8, once again will spend the rest of the off-season wondering what happened and watch teams they've beaten continue to play.

"The football gods aren't shining on us," McClay said.

Certainly an understatement.