In the season's 11th week, contenders start vying for possible playoff slots while the Wranglers win their 5th in a row and LA and Washington call it a year.
CHI 18 BOS 22—Boston’s winning steak and Chicago’s losing streak met this week, and both just kept on rolling. The Breakers used timely defensive stops and just enough offense to overcome 4 turnovers and hold off the Blitz. In a game that saw Johnnie Walton throw 2 interceptions and lose a fumble, the Breakers were able to keep Chicago from capitalizing. Things got so frustrating for coach Allen of the Blitz that he removed Greg Landry from the game in the 4th quarter, but backup Tim Koegel could not fare any better. The loss dropped Chicago to 4-7 and quickly their playoff hopes are fading. For Boston, the win has the potential to move them into first, depending on what happened to Philly.
BIR 34 PHI 31—In a game that had two playoff hopefuls trying to maintain their positions, it was the Stallions who found just enough to overtake the homestanding Stars. In a game in which Philly held a slight lead for most of the action, it was a Quarles TD run midway through the 4th quarter that would prove the difference. Quarles was the star of the day with 138 yards and 2 scores, allowing Bobby Lane to work play action passing for another 200 yards of offense. For Philly, Chuck Fusina had a couple of tough plays, including a deflected pass that was intercepted near the end of the game. The Stars’ loss drops them into a tie with the surging Breakers for first in the East, while Birmingham’s win could prove to be a valuable tie breaker as they seek the league’s one wildcard birth.
LA 17 TBY 35—In a game that was over after 1 quarter, Tampa raced out to a 21-0 lead early on and then put it into cruise control against an overmatched LA Express. Three rapid-fire drives ended in 2 Gary Anderson TD runs and a Willie Gillespie 3 yard catch for a score and Tampa never looked back. Anderson would finish with 141 yards and 3 scores in a day which bolted him into the rushing leaders list. For reaves it was a pedestrian 165 yards on only 8 of 20 throwing, but it was enough. LA struggled despite Tom Ramsey going 30 of 40 throwing the ball. The loss assures that LA remains in last in the Pacific Division, while Tampa, with the win, keeps its 3 game lead over the Stallions and Panthers.
DEN 9 MGN 35—Michigan kept pace with Birmingham for the wild card playoff spot with a dominant defensive performance against Pacific-leading Denver. Denver’s Ken Johnson was held to only 133 yards passing by a tenacious Panther D which also scored 5 sacks on the day. Led by John Corker’s 10 tackles and Ronnie Paggett’s 2 sacks, the Panthers simply did not give the Gold room to breathe. On offense, Bobby Hebert was pinpoint deadly with 5 TD passes, 1 TD for every 3 completions on the day. With Denver opting to blanket Anthony Carter, Derek Holloway had a big day with 92 yards receiving and 3 scores. Denver still holds the Pacific, but Arizona is charging hard, while Michigan keeps pace with Birmingham in the playoff race.
WSH 20 ARZ 27—In a game the red hot Wranglers were actually favored to win, they did just that, holding off a tenacious Washington Federals team to take their 5th straight victory and move closer to Denver in the Pacific Division. In a pretty balanced game it was Alan Risher’s strong day which made the difference. Risher completed 90% of his passes, going 27 of 30 for 306 yards and 2 scores. On the Washington side, an ineffective Mike Hohensee was benched in favor of former starter Ken McQuilken, but it was the run game that kept the Feds in the game. Craig James had his best game in weeks, gaining 112 yards, while Curtis Bledsoe ran for another 42, including a 23 yard scamper for a score. Washington has now lost 9 in a row, with no clear sign of how to end the tailspin.
NJ 36 OAK 28—Oakland was game, but in the end they just did not have enough to keep pace with the Generals. MVP candidate Hershel Walker had another big day, rushing for 130 yards and 2 scores, and the surging Maurice Carthon also contributed with 44 yards and a score. For Oakland, it was Whittington who carried the burden for the Invaders, rushing for 159 yards and a score. The win moved New Jersey over .500 while the loss dropped Oakland to 3-8 and out of the running for the division title.