Sporting News, April 25, 1984
We have reached the midpoint of the USFL’s second season. Time to look at the surpises, the strengths and the struggles for the league and its 16 franchises. With an influx of NFL talent and bright young stars, the USFL has thrown the gauntlet down and is making a claim that they are here to compete directly with their senior rivals in the NFL. The USFL brand of football seems more wide open, more star-driven, and yet attendance is uneven, and some teams don’t seem to be fully engaged in building the USFL brand. Let’s look at the league as a whole first, and then look at each team’s strengths and weaknesses.
USFL Strengths:
Solid gameplay: This season has seen its share of blowouts, but overall the quality of games, the parity of competition, and the excitement factor has been there. There is a lot of talent in this league, especially at the offensive skill positions, and that leads to some fun-to-watch football.
Television ratings: Despite competition from the NBA and NHL playoffs, March Madness and the start of MLB baseball, the USFL has done well on both ABC and ESPN as negotiations for a new contract are in full effect.
Successful expansion: Adding 4 teams after only one year was a risk, but with all 4 squads playing solid football and competing, it seems that the impact has been largely positive. Crowds in all 4 cities have been good, with Jacksonville surprising many as the league leader in attendance with an average just over 55,000 after 5 home games.
Name recognition: When you have players like Hershel Walker, Jim Kelly, Steve Young, and Reggie White, it is not hard to get people’s attention. The young stars, plucked out from under the NFL’s nose due to the USFL’s early draft and aggressive posturing, have paid off for the upstart league.
USFL Weaknesses
Inequity and Imbalance at the franchise level: While on field play has shown great parity, the disparities between high cost/high expenditure teams like New Jersey, Tampa Bay, and Birmingham and low budget teams like Oakland, Denver, and Chicago (formerly Arizona) is beginning to put a strain on the league, whose revenue sharing model depends on all teams spending, bringing in gate receipts, and building the league brand.
Division on the issue of calendar: The push by NJ owner Donald Trump (among others) to consider a fall schedule not only divides league owners, but creates a lot of insecurity. That insecurity will undoubtedly lead to issues as the league tries to negotiate both their TV contracts and future sponsorship deals. Few corporations are eager to anger the NFL by reaching out to the USFL Fewer still want to see the USFL and NFL go head to head in the Fall.
Attendance: While TV ratings have been excellent, and there are certainly strong attendance markets in the USFL, it is not a universal trend. Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and New Jersey are the only teams to average over 40,000 a game, while 6 teams are averaging below the league’s designated goal of 25,000 a game. The league average is a reasonably healthy 35,000 per game, but with two of the league’s largest markets (Chicago and LA) lagging behind, it is not certain that good attendance in smaller markets like Jacksonville, Memphis or Denver will be enough to impress sponsors.
Uneven rosters: Each USFL has 3 players who do not count against the leaguewide salary cap. That has allowed for star players to emerge, but has also meant that play in lower-profile positions such as the Offensive and defensive lines, or the defensive secondary, has been spotty. Perhaps this is part of the strategy, with weaker defenses allowing USFL star QB’s and RB’s to put on a show, but football purists are left to ponder if the USFL will ever be able to prioritize (and pay) quality defensive and line play as much as they seem to prioritize big-play offense.
Now let’s take a look at the different USFL squads as they prepare for the second half of a season where a lot is left to be determined.
PACIFIC DIVISION
LA EXPRESS (5-3): One of the reinvented squads for 1984, the Express are the class of the West right now.
Strengths: Despite not having a big name rusher, the combo of Boddie, Harrington, and rookie, Kevin Mack have helped LA balance their attack. They are third in the league in rushing, aided in part by Steve Young’s tendency to scramble, but also by the 3-headed combo they use to move the ball.
Weaknesses: Attendance. Despite exciting play from Young, wideout Jo Jo Townsell, and their backs, LA has still had difficulty attracting a crowd. Their 21,091 average is second only to Chicago, and they don’t have early spring snow and cold to blame for it. Playing in Angel Stadium makes the smaller crowds look more reasonable compared to the LA Coliseum, but if they cannot bring their average at least up to the 25,000 league revenue sharing platform, they will start to face penalties from the league office.
ARIZONA WRANGLERS (2-5): In second only because their bye week helps their win %, the Wranglers need to find an identity.
Strengths: Statistically the Wranglers are in the middle of the pack in most categories. Their passing game started hot but has faded, but the one thing we see from Arizona each week is a lack of panic. That is likely due to the veteran leaders who came over from Chicago when the franchises swapped. What they need are some more gamebreaking talents. Trumaine Johnson remains the only big weapon, as Tim Spencer has simply not provided what other young runners have across the league.
Weaknesses: Killer Instinct. This is a team that could easily have 3-4 wins if they could just finish games strong. They have let several games slip from their grasp. They are not spectacular at anything but they are also not horrible in any phase of the game. They should at least be toying with .500 instead of a 2 win season at present.
DENVER GOLD (2-6): The 1983 Division Champs have fallen on hard times after losing their unheralded but consistent leader to the NFL in the offseason.
Strengths: Hard to point out a strength in a 2-win team. Denver is middle of the pack in almost every category. The one shining star has been CB David Martin, whose 5 INT’s lead the league, but he is out on an island on a defense that has simply not pulled its weight. On offense, the combo of Bob Gagliano and Craig Penrose have simply not been able to do what Ken Johnson did last year, steer a low-talent, grind-it-out offense to success.
Weaknesses: The Gold are dead last in points allowed and yards allowed. The steady defensive mindset they had under Red Miller last year is just not there this year under Craig Morton. At times the defensive scheme just seems mismatched against the offenses they face, while at other times it just seems like they don’t have the talent to stop the better offenses in the league. Denver’s ownership may need to open the purse strings a bit in the offseason to sign some defensive stalwarts.
OAKLAND INVADERS (2-6): Losing both their offensive and defensive leaders has left the Invaders flailing.
Strengths: There is little to celebrate about the 1984 Invaders. If there has been one name that has stood out it has been that of rookie wideout Henry Ellard. Despite the offensive woes of the Invaders, Ellard has caught 45 balls for 486 yards. He has more big play potential than last year’s leader Gordon Banks, and has shown an ability to lose defenders through solid route running.
Weaknesses: A team that is 15th in points scored and in points allowed is not going to win many games. Without RB Arthur Whittington or LB Gary Plummer, neither side of the ball seems to know what they want to be. Fred Besana can win games as a complementary QB, but not when the entire game is on his shoulders. The same is true of the defense, where the fire and drive needed to win those tough 3rd and short battles has just not been there.
CENTRAL DIVISION
MICHIGAN PANTHERS (8-0): The Panthers came on strong at the end of 1983, and, with Bobby Hebert at the helm, have been simply unstoppable in 1984.
Strengths: Offensive firepower. In 1983 we all praised the Michigan defense. While the defense is still top 5, this year has belonged to Hebert, Carter, Holloway, Williams and the Michigan offense. They lead the league in scoring, yards, and passing yards. They can beat you in the air or on the ground. This is a team with a chance to go 16-0 if they can avoid injuries.
Weaknesses: We saw what the weakness was last June, when Bobby Hebert went down to injury as the season concluded and the Michigan offense sputtered, allowing the Denver Gold to beat Michigan in the playoffs. Injuries seem to be the most likely cause to any decline in Michigan play, and to date they have done well to avoid significant harm.
HOUSTON GAMBLERS (4-3): The Run & Shoot seems to have found its stride in recent weeks, pushing Houston to 3 straight wins. Can the defense play a part in helping Houston to the playoffs in their first year?
Strengths: It may seem obvious that it would be the passing game, but it certainly is. The run & shoot offense relies on quick, small receivers able to lose defenders and the combo known as the 3 Mouseketeers has proven able to do that. Between them, Ricky Sanders, Clarence Verdin, and Gerald McNeil have 104 catches and 1267 yards receiving already. It is very likely that all three could end up with over 80 catches as Jim Kelly has proven himself a true gunslinger in this offense.
Weaknesses: Run defense. The Houston defense, perhaps due to their practice against their own offense, has proven to be quite solid against the pass, but mediocre at best against the run. In a league featuring some dynamic runners, and offenses which think to run first, having run defense be a weakness is likely to be a problem down the line. While the Western Conference does not have Walker, Cribbs, James or Rozier, the potential damage that Michigan’s John Williams, Denver’s Harry Sidney, or the LA combo of Boddie-Harrington-Mack could do in the playoffs is a concern.
PITTSBURGH MAULERS (3-4): The Maulers were not expected to do much their first year, but when you can run the ball, you can often win the close games.
Strengths: Rozier. He was expected to be the star, and he has been. While Pittsburgh has tried not to overload him with carries, he was the offense for the first 7 weeks as QB Glen Carano struggled. Now that the Maulers have given the ball to rookie QB Todd Blackledge, there might be a passing game to speak of, which will open things up for Rozier, who has managed to be a top 5 rusher despite 8 and 9 man fronts lined up against him.
Weaknesses: The receiving corps for the Maulers is a no-name assortment of castoffs and never-weres. This has not made life easy for Carano, and will likely be tough for Blackledge as well, who had better options at Penn State than in Pittsburgh. Until the Maulers can sign some talent at the wideout spot, they will likely have to trust in Rozier and hope for the best.
CHICAGO BLITZ (2-5): No one is surprised by this. The team Chicago got in the swap with the Wranglers was far inferior to even the 5-11 squad they had last year. This, paired, with only 1 home game (and 1 bye) in the league’s first 8 weeks is not bound to create a good start.
Strengths: Well, I guess we could say that the second half schedule will be a strength. Due to some poor scheduling, Chicago has only played host once in the first 8 weeks, meaning that they will have 7 home games out of 9 left to play. That may help on the field, and it may help with attendance as the weather gets better in Chicago, but only if the team can scrap together some wins.
Weaknesses: This is a team struggling to build an offense around weak talent. Vince Evans had some moments before injury cost him the season. Now, with rookie Blair Kiel at the helm, the Blitz lack both experience and explosiveness. Kiel is a game manager, but you have to have some spark to manage and Chicago just does not have enough on offense to help out their stalwart, but overwhelmed defense.
SOUTHERN DIVISION
Birmingham Stallions (6-1): Defense and a running game can win championships. Will it do so for Birmingham?
Strengths: The signing of Joe Cribbs was both a box office and playing field success. The former Buffalo Bill and Auburn star is challenging Walker for the rushing title, and bringing along the Birmingham offense for the ride. Cribbs has been exciting to watch, often breaking off long runs and stunning moves, but more importantly he has created a buzz around Birmingham, with both Roll Tide and War Eagle fans getting on board.
Weaknesses: Cliff Stoudt has been solid, but when push comes to shove, can he carry the team if and when someone figures out how to bottle up Joe Cribbs? He has a solid, if not gamebreaking, set of receivers, and the defense is solid, but can Stoudt put the team on his shoulders in a tough playoff game and get the win? We are not yet sold that he can.
TAMPA BAY BANDITS (6-1): The defending champs seem poised to make another deep run in the playoffs. They have shortened their passing game a bit but it is still very dangerous.
Strengths: Balance. Last year it was Reaves hurling deep balls all day that led the way for the Bandits. This year they have given RB Gary Anderson a bigger role and he has run with it. While not racking up huge totals week in and week out like Cribbs or Walker, Anderson has shown that he can dominate a game, and that allows Reaves and Co. to play for higher percentage passes and a more time-killing offense.
Weaknesses: Top 5 in both scoring and scoring defense means that there are not a lot of weaknesses on either side of the ball. There is concern about the turnover margin, currently at 0. That is not bad, but coach Spurrier wants Tampa to be more aggressive on defense and more protective of the ball on offense.
MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (4-3): Reggie White is becoming a star in Memphis, and the arrival of Marcus DuPree may be just enough for the Showboats to make a serious playoff run in their first year.
Strengths: If Houston’s contribution to the USFL is the Run & Shoot, Memphis’s contribution is the QB sack. Rookie Reggie White leads a dynamic front 4 that is just terrifying OL coaches across the league. White has 9 sacks already, but don’t underestimate others on the line to contribute. The pressure has also allowed Memphis to create turnovers, including 10 interceptions, 5 forced fumbles, and 2 defensive scores so far.
Weaknesses: We did not expect the Memphis offense to provide much excitement, and they haven’t. That may all change if Marcus DuPree is all that we saw at his one year at Oklahoma, but overall this is an offense designed to win close games dominated by Memphis’s D. How will this fare against the dynamic styles of Tampa or Houston, or the explosiveness of New Jersey, Michigan or Birmingham?
JACKSONVILLE BULLS (3-5): Started strong, but then seemed to lose track. Can they get the magic back?
Strengths: Doug Williams has been like a man among boys at times this season, but is it enough? Jacksonville’s offense has been largely one-dimensional, relying on Williams to hit Perry Kemp deep or Gary Clark over the middle. The early season injury to RB Sydney Thornton has not helped, but this may also be a scheme issue with Lindy Infante’s offense. Williams looks great, but can he right the ship without help?
Weaknesses: Balance is the issue, on offense and on defense. Jacksonville cannot run effectively, and they cannot stop the run consistently. Of the two, the latter seems particularly problematic when one looks at some of the backs they face in their division and conference. The Bulls wanted to sign some big names in their first seasons, so they focused on the offensive side of the ball. That is hurting them as they have trouble keeping a lead or closing out games against the run.
ATLANTIC DIVISION
WASHINGTON FEDERALS (4-4): While a .500 record may not seem like much to celebrate, it is already 1 more win than last year and so far it has been good enough for the resurgent Feds to lead the division.
Strengths: A balanced offense. One of the surprises of the year has been the early success of new QB Reggie Collier. After a year languishing on the bench in Birmingham, Collier has stepped into the Federals lineup and proven himself a true double threat. He is Top 5 in passer rating, and that has helped open up lanes for the combo of Craig James and Curtis Bledsoe. This balance has proven tough to gameplan against, and has helped Washington silence a lot of critics.
Weaknesses: Overcoming perception has been the biggest issue. Washington was so bad last year that many fans in the DC area are slow to return to the team this year. Attendance has not been great, averaging just over 25k despite the team’s improved play. Other teams also seem to be unable to take the Feds seriously, which may play to their favor, but likely will fade as the season progresses, if they continue to win against top level competition.
PHILADELPHIA STARS (3-4): This is a very talented team, and last year they also got off to a slow start, but roared into the playoffs on a hot streak. Can they repeat that formula in 1984?
Strengths: This is a team with a lot of depth, and very few areas where they are not at least solid, if not top of the league. That they have a losing record is a bit surprising, though we saw them do this last year, getting hot in the second half of the season. They do not have the explosive talent at wideout that we see in Michigan or Tampa, but they also don’t rely on big plays to win games. They have the ability to grind out wins, to not hurt themselves, and to match up well against most foes.
Weaknesses: Slow and steady may win the race, but will it win the division? The Stars are not a “catch fire” kind of team. They get solid play from Fusina, Bryant, and their defense, but in a league where big plays and big personalities seem to dominate, can the Stars’ formula really lead them to the promised land?
NEW JERSEY GENERALS (3-5): Is there enough here to really compete, or is it Hershell and the 52 dwarves?
Strengths: I don’t want to say Walker, but it has to be Walker. The Brian Sipe signing has not led to a dramatically improved passing game. The Barbaro signing has not created a shut down defense. The ’84 Generals look and feel a lot like the ’83 Generals, despite having new talent, a new coach, and a new owner. It’s all about Hershel Walker. And he is amazing, but…
Weaknesses: There are several issues, but this is the team that is leading the league in scoring, so we cannot blame the offense. When we look at the defense what we see is that the Generals are dead last against the run, allowing over 1050 yards rushing to the opposition already. We saw this vs. Birmingham, where Walker had a very solid day, but the Generals could not stop Joe Cribbs and the Stallions won out. If they find a way to strengthen this one aspect of their game, they could make a run (sorry for the pun) at a playoff spot.
BOSTON BREAKERS (3-5): A lot of pundits picked Boston as their breakout squad for this year, but so far they have been breaking bad.
Strengths: Unheralded stars, if such a thing can exist, are the core of the Breakers. Whether it is newly arrived TE Dan Ross, underappreciated RB Buford Jordan, largely unknown wideouts like Frank Lockett and Nolan Franz, or the best kicker in the league in Tim Mazzetti, the Breakers have a good base of talent, but for some reason they just don’t get spoken about as much as they should.
Weaknesses: Last year we loved the story of underdog QB Johnnie Walton, who had all but given up on pro football after a rough career in the NFL and failed WFL. This year, Walton is just not pulling off the miracle wins or the spectacular plays like he did last year. Has age and a battered body finally failed him? Dick Coury seems to be giving him every chance, even with rookie Tony Eason on the bench, so can Walton find his old magic and help Boston right the ship?
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