Snow in Denver, a torrential downpour in Memphis, cold winds and hard fields, it's football weather as the USFL opens its third season. We got to see new talent (Doug Flutie, George Adams, Eric Martin) and new faces in new places (Brian Sipe in Oakland, Cris Collinsworth in Tampa) and old standards like Hebert throwing deep, Walker hitting the line, and John Corker making some fierce tackles. Football is back, and we are ready for it.
SCORES
BOS 26 TBY 24 Despite getting outgained 350-181, Breakers win on 4 Tampa turnovers.
NJ 6 JAX 28 Rough debut for Flutie as Bulls roll over one-dimensional Generals.
PHI 14 MEM 9 Kelvin Bryant slogs through a monsoon to give Philadelphia the win.
WSH 28 BIR 33 Cliff Stoudt’s 338 yards passing helps the Stallions edge Washington.
CHI 25 OAK 12 Evans and Sipe look good, but Chicago holds Oakland out of endzone.
PIT 16 LA 10 Pittsburgh D comes up big with final drive interception to snag the win.
MGN 17 DEN 3 Tough sledding in the snow as Michigan grinds out win in Denver.
GAME OF THE WEEK
HOUSTON GAMBLERS 24 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 28
The Gamblers got an unlucky roll of the dice as a 3rd quarter injury to Jim Kelly helps Arizona pull back into the game and pull off the upset. In a back and forth affair, one in which both quarterbacks were showing their stuff, it was a sack midway through the third quarter that determined the outcome. Leading 17-6 after a Kelly to Sanders 42 yard pass, the Gamblers regained possession only to have Arizona’s Stan White ring Kelly’s bell on a 2nd down sack. Kelly was visibly groggy after the play, leading Houston to rely on their newly acquired backup, former Oakland QB Fred Besana, for most of the rest of the game.
With Kelly out, the Gambler offense lost its rhythm, giving Arizona QB Rick Neuheisel time to catch up and take the lead. The Wranglers scored 17 unanswered points to go up 21-17, with TD passes from Neuheisel to Buggs and Johnson. Down by 4 Besana tried to rally the Gamblers, and on one drive the pieces fell into place, allowing the Gamblers to regain the lead at 24-21 with 4:07 left, as Besana hit Gerald McNeil on a drag route from the 3 yard line.
But, 4 minutes is a long time in the USFL, and with that time, Neuheisel was able to work through a clearly gassed Houston defense. With just over a minute left, the plucky Wrangler QB hit Trumaine Johnson for his second score of the game and Arizona retook the lead.
Kelly was clearly visible trying to convince Coach Pardee to let him back into the game, but it was Fred Besana’s game to win or lose, and as had happened so many times in Oakland, Besana could not muster the big play when it was needed. On a 4th and 7 from their own 46 yard line, Besana’s pass to Ricky Sanders was off target, ending the drive and providing the 33,400 fans who came out for Arizona’s home opener with a reason to cheer on the home team.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
While Rick Neuheisel’s offensive performance was strong, and Kelvin Bryant found a way to lead Philadelphia to victory despite playing in a constant deluge in Memphis, we have to give the game ball this week to Jacksonville Free Safety Buster Homer. Homer pulled off a statement game with 6 tackles, a sack of the elusive Doug Flutie, and a pick 6 interception. Homer’s score came as Flutie clearly did not see the safety lingering in center field as he tried to hit TE Sam Bowers. Homer charged on the ball, leaping in front of Bowers and then winding his way 22 yards into the endzone. The score gave Jacksonville a 14-0 edge in the 2nd quarter, and New Jersey would never truly challenge that margin as they fell 28-9.
NEWS & NOTES
While there was plenty of excitement on the field in the league’s opening weekend of play, perhaps the biggest bit of USFL news this week came within the courts, as attorneys for the USFL made their opening arguments in the antitrust case against the NFL. They laid out evidence of tampering wherein the NFL attempted to pressure municipally-owned and privately-owned stadiums to refuse to do business with the USFL. They also began to lay out a case regarding television contract manipulation, a second key plank in their argument that the NFL is using monopolistic tactics to stifle the growth and profitability of the USFL. The NFL is expected to counter late next week, hoping to stave off a verdict that could cost the senior league tens, perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars. Can the USFL pull off the upset, or will the heavy favorite ride to victory in the biggest game of the year?
INJURIES
Even with a full offseason to rest, recover, and build muscle, USFL players are still only human, and football is a violent game. Week one was not without its injuries, and while most do not look to cause significant missed playing time for those impacted, at least one injury, the concussion suffered by Houston QB Jim Kelly, impacted games. Kelly is expected to be ready to roll next week, but his departure from the game this week clearly impacted the Gamblers. Players expected to miss next week’s games include Michigan HB Cleo Miller (Hip), New Jersey Center Kent Hull (Knee), and Philadelphia LB John Bunting (pinched nerve). Miller’s is perhaps the most serious, as he is expected to miss up to 4 weeks. All others plan to be back in action in week 3.
LOOKING AHEAD
A huge week early in the season as all 16 USFL teams will be playing their first divisional games in Week 2. Boston will host Washington in a game pitting two squads who hope to challenge Philadelphia this year, while Philly will host the New Jersey Generals. Tampa and Birmingham renew one of the league’s best rivalries, while 1984 expansion squads clash as Memphis heads to the Gator Bowl to face the Bulls. Houston will hope to rebound as they head to Chicago, while Pittsburgh is off to the Silver Dome to face Michigan. Out west, Oakland will try to get on the winning track at Arizona while LA and Denver replay their Divisional playoff game from last July at Angel Stadium.
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