James Roe limped into the San Jose SaberCats' training room Monday hoping his mildly damaged left knee could mend quickly and allow him the opportunity to play in the Arena Bowl for a fourth time.

Yesterday, the Richmond native tested the strained medial collateral ligament that forced him to exit an Arena Football League divisional playoff victory over Colorado last Saturday. The knee did not respond well, leaving the seldom-injured Roe sidelined for tomorrow's American Conference final in San Jose.

Still, the eight-year veteran expects to be in good enough shape to play in Arena Bowl XXII in New Orleans on July 27 -- that is if the heavily favored SaberCats (11-5) can survive surprising Grand Rapids, which enters the conference final with a 6-10 record.

Roe, a Henrico High School graduate, is confident the SaberCats won't skip a beat without him. But his teammates, including former Hampton lineman Jason Thomas, are convinced the passing game executes better with Roe in the mix.

"We are so deep at most positions, but we'll still feel the effects of not having [Roe] on the field," Thomas said. "It won't be a major letdown for us."

But it's a big disappointment for Roe. Typically, he thrives in playoff situations, including a five-touchdown performance in Arena Bowl XVIII in 2004.

A sixth-round pick in the NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens in 1996, Roe played in 20 games with seven starts over four seasons with the Ravens before signing as a free agent with San Jose on March 10, 2000.

Roe caught seven passes and scored three touchdowns in the SaberCats' 64-51 divisional playoff win over the Crush before being forced out midway through the third quarter.

"It's upsetting having to sit this one out," said Roe, whose 250 touchdowns are a franchise high.

Roe said there's a better than even chance he'll suit up for the defending AFL champions in the Arena Bowl.

"It's very big for me to get back into the title game," Roe said. "I've been fortunate to play this long.

"I just hate to have my teammates go to war without me. So, I want to do whatever I can to help them out against Grand Rapids."

For now, Roe will settle for sharing his playoff knowledge with his replacement Jason Geathers.

"They won't miss a beat without me," Roe said. "We challenge one another during practice just in case someone goes down.

"[Geathers] brings a quality that I don't. He's fast, and I'll tell him some of the things I see and how to run a route. I don't want it to be a guessing game for him."

The SaberCats are loaded at the flanks, but Roe has earned a reputation has one of the league's most feared receivers. He is the reliable veteran of a San Jose team that has three receivers with at least 100 catches, 1,000 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns.

At 34, the SaberCats' all-time leading scorer isn't ready to wind down. In fact, he says, "I'm just getting started."

In a league in which the passing game arouses the pulse of the sport and its energetic fans Roe hasn't skipped a beat throughout his remarkable tenure with San Jose. He owns several all-time team records: scoring, touchdowns, receiving touchdown, receptions and receiving yards.

Roe, a former Norfolk State All-American, has put together another solid season. However, his role has evolved into that of a crafty possession receiver who has ceded the spotlight to big-play weapons Cleannord Saintil and Rodney Wright.

Still, his 102 receptions and 31 touchdowns are impressive numbers. He'll like to back those numbers up in his fourth Arena Bowl appearance.

"I feel if I'm capable of doing some things I like to do on the field, it'll be a go," Roe said. "But I don't want to hurt the team by being selfish going out there on a bad wheel."