1987 USFL Midseason Review

Sporting News May 6, 1987

Half way through the USFL season, four new teams, lots of new faces, and a lot of excitement this year as it feels a little like the old order might be shifting and new contenders coming to the forefront. After eight weeks we have no undefeated teams, and of the expansion clubs, only Chicago has failed to register a win yet. We have new stars in QB Neil Lomax, HB Stump Mitchell and rookie LB Brian Bosworth, and we have drama, with quarterback controversy in Jacksonville, and longtime playoff regulars being challenged by new upstarts. It’s a year with a lot to offer and a lot still to be decided. As we look at where things stand for the USFL’s 20 franchises, let’s celebrate another exciting and engaging season.

THE LEADERS OF THE PACK

These are the teams that seem to have it all together. Whether they have unstoppable offenses or immovable defenses, there is something special about these teams and likely a deep playoff run in their future.

PHILADELPHIA (7-1)

Oceans rise, empires fall, and the Stars make the playoffs. That has been a pretty solid bet over the past 4 years, and this year does not seem to be any different. The consistency and quality of the Stars over their USFL existence has been astounding. And it’s the same old leaders doing the heavy lifting, Fusina and Bryant on offense, Mills and Fuller on defense. The biggest new addition, WR Mike Quick, has stepped right in. He is not destroying the league, but his 600 yards and 37 catches are leading the team and helping others, like Gerald Phelan and Steve Folsom find open spots. Philadlelphia is being challenged this year, not only by the Blitz, but by much improved squads in DC and New Jersey, so it won’t be a cakewalk, but these are the Stars, so one way or another they will play postseason football.

HOUSTON (7-1)

The revelation of the season, after 3 straight 7-9 seasons, the Gamblers have found the formula that has pushed them over the hump and given them a 2 game lead in the usually Michigan-dominated Central Division. The key has been a combo of stifling defense (allowing an average of only 13.6 points per game) and a quick huddle, sometimes no huddle, offense, led by leading MVP candidate Jim Kelly. After 3 years of only marginal success, Kelly has matured, and the offense is finally catering to his gunslinging style. They are first in the league in both total yards and passing yards, and when you pair that with a defense that only allows 67 yards a game rushing and 186 passing, you have a formula for a division title and playoff success.

TAMPA BAY (7-1)

The 1987 Bandits may just be the best team Tampa Bay has had in the league’s five years, and that includes the 1983 championship team. While the defense is middle of the road (10th of 20 teams) that seems t be enough as Tampa has put together the league’s 2nd best offense. John Reaves is on pace for his best passing year and HB Gary Anderson is on pace for 1,000 yards. What is even more amazing is that despite several years to figure him out, the league still cannot contain Eric Truvillion. He has over 1,000 yards receiving after only 8 weeks and will almost certainly once again be targeting the amazing goal of a 2,000 year receiving season. Since a 1 score loss to Washington in the season’s opening week, Tampa has ripped through the competition, winning 7 straight and going undefeated in divisional play. After the collapse of Orlando, it looks like only their familiar rival, Jacksonville is in pursuit. But, we are going to still stick with the frontrunner and pick Tampa to win the Southern Division.

NEW JERSEY (6-2)

It is safe to say that no one picked New Jersey for a 6-2 start. The Generals in their best days have typically hung around the .500 mark, so the strength of what they have done this year is unprecedented. The fact that they did this despite star halfback Herschel Walker missing 3 weeks in the middle of the run is even more astounding. QB Doug Flutie has stepped up, throwing for over 2,000 yards by the season’s midpoint, and 2nd year TE Brent Jones has not cooled off after a blistering rookie campaign. The defense is better than usual as well, standing at 7th in the current rankings, and allowing under 90 yards a game rushing. They have won 4 straight, although 3 of those were against Memphis, Pittsburgh and Chicago, so there is still some skepticism, but the Generals believe in themselves and seem to have found a formula that can help. With upcoming games against Tampa, Baltimore, Denver and Philly, the start of the season’s second half will be make or break for New Jersey.

MICHIGAN (5-3)

Despite losing 3 of their last 4 (Philly, Oakland and Houston), the Panthers still have to be considered one of the better teams in the league. They are clearly not the same squad that has raced out to 12 or 13 game win streaks in past seasons, but these Panthers still have a lot of the trademarks of past Michigan teams. The defense still scares opposing coaches, as they are 1st in the league in yards per game, and allow only 17.4 points per game. On offense they are still explosive, only now, with Jack Trudeau in place of the NFL-bound Bobby Hebert, sometimes they explode on themselves. Trudeau, overall, has looked very solid, a capable replacement to be sure, but his 6 interceptions and only a 52% completion rate have led to some concerns. This past week’s debacle against Houston (sacked 6 times, only completed 4 passes) is not the look you want heading into the 2nd half of the year. The good news is that Michigan has a nice stretch of winnable games, with 7 straight opponents sporting losing records, before a season finale at Houston, so Michigan could still end up as a 12-4 or 11-5 team.

IN THE MIX

These teams have show the ability to impress, but lack the consistency to push well above .500. They have potential, and a solid showing in the final 8 weeks could propel them up the rankings.

OAKLAND (5-3)

Oakland has a lot to like. You have to respect HB Arthur Whittington, already over 750 yards rushing, and that normally allows QB Brian Sipe to use play action effectively. They have two outstanding receivers in Mark Duper and Henry Ellard, and their defense, while not smothering, can keep teams from blowing past the Invaders. What worries fans is that Sipe seems to be showing his age, having more errant throws and bad games than in his MVP season only last year. A bad loss in Denver, and a stunning loss at home to Memphis are not good signs for the mindset of the Invaders, but their victory over Michigan and a shelacking of Arizona indicate that Oakland still has what it takes to win the Pacific.

DENVER (5-3)

If Oakland does not win the division, the likely culprit will be the resurgent Denver Gold. Still not a dominant offense (12th in scoring), Denver relies on a combination of ball control and reliable defense to win games. It is odd to think that Mouse Davis is trying to run ball control through a run & shoot offense, but with the talent on the Denver squad, that is their best option. Milk the clock, shorten games, keep possession through short passes and the rushing of Harry Sydney, and get timely defensive stops. It has worked well, allowing Denver tow in 5 of their last 6 with only a no-show collapse against the Wranglers in the L column. Their slow and steady approach may make the Gold a surprise playoff team this year if they can avoid injuries and a late season slump.

JACKSONVILLE (5-3)

A 2-3 start and the initial success of both Orlando and Tampa Bay did not look good for the Bulls after 5 weeks, but a 3 game win streak, paired with Orlando’s collapse has vaulted the Bulls back into the playoff conversation. But, rather than talking playoffs, the Bulls faithful are talking QB controversy. When Ed Luther went down to injury, rookie Chris Miller came in and exploded for 4 TD’s in his first game. His next outing was far more subdued, but he still led the Bulls to a needed victory in Orlando. Ed Luther is slated to return this week, and Coach Infante has repeated the cliché that players do not lose their jobs to injury, so we expect Luther to be back under center against the Maulers, but fans are excited about Chris Miller, and any slips by Luther could lead to a quick hook. We think this uncertainty, if not handled right, could lead to some issues and likely could keep the Bulls from being a serious contender this year.

BALTIMORE (4-4)

At 4-4 it is almost too easy to say that the Blitz have been an up-and-down team, but when you realize that they have essentially been altering wins and losses all year (W-L-W-L-W-W-L-L) it seems fair to say that there are 2 Blitz teams and you never know which you will get. Tim Spencer gains 8 yards one game and over 100 the next. Vince Evans, even with added weapons like WR Stanley Morgan (leading the team with 617 yards) has not found a rhythm. Baltimore is only 15th in scoring and 16th in passing yards. Not a good combo for success in the USFL. On defense the loss of Junior Ah You is clearly being felt. The team ranks 18th against the pass as the lack of consistent pass rush allows opponents to include deeper routes in their gameday plans. Baltimore could still make a run, but have not shown the ability to string together good games into a streak, so we are skeptical.

WASHINGTON (4-4)

Early in the season it looked like the Federals had found the formula to success, winning 3 of their first 4. But, going 1-3 down the last 4 games has taken some of the shine off this squad. Clearly the acquisition of QB Neil Lomax has been huge. The Feds are now 3rd in yards per game, and Lomax’s success has given Craig James fewer stacked fronts to face, allowing him to gain 725 yards in 8 games. The defense has had its moments too, but they are still not there, ranked only 17th against the pass. So, Washington will likely have to outscore opponents over the next 8 weeks if they hope to make their first playoff appearance as franchise. They have some tough matchups as well, with Houston, Baltimore, New Jersey, Jacksonville and Philly still to play. It will be tough, but at least this year the Feds seem up to the challenge, if they could only win a division game.

BIRMINGHAM (4-4)

After an 0-4 start we were all ready to throw in the towel and wait for Rollie Dotsch to get the pink slip in Birmingham. But, somehow, the Stallions have rallied, won 4 in a row, and are surprsinging back in the playoff mix. A lot of credit has to go to Cliff Stoudt, who has been efficient and effective in the last 4 weeks. The defense, often overlooked, also needs to receive kudos, as they have held their last four opponents to 10, 13, 17 and only 3 points as Birmingham streaked back to .500. It won’t be easy the rest of the way, as the Stallions next face Philly and then have matchups against Jacksonville and Tampa, but a late season stretch of Orlando, Pittsburgh, Memphis and Oklahoma to finish the year could translate into a late season run to relevancy. Don’t be surprised if the Stallions make it to 10 wins this year, which may just be enough in the 10-team playoff field.

NEED TIME TO GROW

The four expansion teams all fall in this category. Their rosters are not as deep, their cohesion is just not there yet, and the results are visible on the field. In some cases early success has faded, for others success has been hard to find all year.

ORLANDO (4-4)

It was fun while it lasted, but as the weather warmed up this Spring, the Renegades began to wilt. After a 4-0 start, the ‘Gades have lost their last 4. It is pretty easy to see how. They started the year with Pittsburgh, Memphis, and Oklahoma in their first 4, with only a surprise win over Oakland to impress. Since then they have lost to Birmingham, Tampa, Philly and Jacksonville. So what does the future hold? A mixed bag really. They will struggle against seasoned winners like Baltimore, Michigan, Tampa and Jacksonville, but they could snag some wins against foes like Memphis and New Orleans. We still think 7-9 or even 6-10 would be a solid record for a first year franchise, but after exciting fans with a 4-0 start, it may seem like a letdown.

SAN ANTONIO (3-5)

Playing in the league’s smallest stadium, and with significant roster issues, we expected the Gunslingers to be facing an uphill battle this year. That is why their 3-2 start was so surprising. Much of that start was them feeding on fellow expansion teams, and much can be credited to the play of QB Rick Neuheisel, a veteran of 3 USFL seasons in Arizona. But with Neuheisel down for the year to injury, the Gunslingers may simply not have enough for too many more wins. What they hope to avoid are more 45-6 or 40-3 beatdowns (Michigan and Birmingham respectively). Their second half schedule is not favorable, with only a game at Chicago where they will be favored. The Gunslingers will have to hope for development from their new starter Damon Allen, and hope that they can eke out some upsets along the way.

OKLAHOMA (2-6)

Doug Williams may now fully understand the “be careful what you wish for, you may just get it” refrain. Upset with his financials in Jacksonville, he agreed to a sign-and-trade deal that increased his net worth, but put him on an expansion team in a good deal of disarray. Not only did he find himself playing in Tulsa instead of San Diego, but the Outlaws roster, with the notable exception of HB Stump Mitchell and rookie LB Brian Bosworth, is not particularly rich in gamebreakers. The Outlaws are 19th in PPG and 20th in Points Allowed, so that points towards very few wins on the horizon. They do have a rematch against Chicago coming up, a potential win there, and a late season game against erratic New Orleans may be another, but between those two are a lot of teams with winning records, so the Outlaws are going to have to play spoiler if they hope to avoid the Western Division basement.

CHICAGO (0-8)

The Machine were the only one of the 4 expansion teams not to trade to get a proven commodity at QB. They signed two promising rookies and a veteran who already lost his job in Pittsburgh, and many expect that they are regretting that decision these days. But you have to feel for QB Chuck Long. After playing several passable games, he came out with a stinker of a 6 INT disaster and all but forced coach Joe Bugel to remove him. Former Mauler Todd Blackledge will likely start at least the next few games to see if the Machine can garner a win. At this point it is not about trying to avoid the basement, it is about avoiding the disastrous 0-16 season. This is not the way to attract and retain an already cynical Chicago fanbase, one still angry about the departure of the Blitz just as they became a playoff contender.

NOT WHERE THEY WANT TO BE

These are the underperformers, the disappointing, the not-there-yets, or the nevertheres. Expect changes for each of these teams as the season progresses. If not, expect some firings and roster turnover when the year is done.

NEW ORLEANS (3-5)

Is Tony Eason’s time in New Orleans coming to a close? Despite the Breakers making the playoffs three straight years under Eason, their erratic record, and his unreliable play in particular, may simply be too much for the Breakers to tolerate for another year. But what option do they have? They have started journeyman Matt Robinson the past 2 weeks, but now an injury means Eason will have to return. Unless his play improves dramatically over past years, we expect the Breakers to let him walk in free agency this offseason and for them to work to find another QB. Unfortunately this is a year when the college draft does not have any slam dunk candidates, so it may be a costly proposition to wrangle a starting calibre QB from another USFL or from an NFL team.

ARIZONA (3-5)

QB is not the issue in Arizona, where Robbie Bosco has proven to be more than capable of filling Rick Neuheisel’s shoes. Bosco has already thrown for 2484 yards, leading the league in that category. But, with only minimal returns on the signing of HB James Wilder, and with a defense that is giving up 348 yards a game, the Wranglers, while dangerous, are simply not consistently coming out on the right side of the scoreboard. Of the teams on this list, with the possible addition of LA, we see Arizona as the squad that has the potential to rip off 4 or 5 wins to get back in the mix, but to do so they will need to find a way to both run the ball and play more consistent defense. Bosco and star wideout Trumaine Johnson cannot do it all on their own.

LOS ANGELES (3-5)

The Express are just a tough team to figure out. They have talent across the board, a solid QB, two halfbacks who can look dominant at times, and a good receiving corps, and yet they are 19th in total yards. They have yet to beat a team with a winning record, and they will face several more over the final 8 weeks of the year. But with 5 games against teams with losing records, the Express have the ability to climb back into this season. Perhaps 8-8 is just about where they belong.

MEMPHIS (2-6)

When a team does this poorly, the tendency is to look at the head coach and the quarterback as the reasons. That seems fair with the Showboats. In his second year in Memphis, Vince Tobin, the guru of the early years of Philly’s D, seems unable to find talent to surround Reggie White. The Showboats are again near the bottom of the defensive rankings (18th in ppg allowed and 18th in yards allowed as well). If Tobin cannot get more out of his defense, he may not be the coach much longer in Memphis. As for Walter Lewis, we know he is a dual threat, but at the same time he seems to be no threat at all. His 11 interceptions all but wipe out his 12 touchdowns, and are a key reason why other teams seem to have such success against the Showboats, playing on short fields and given momentum by a big turnover. Memphis has a lot of issues, O-Line still seems problematic, the secondary is not effective, and the team simply does not believe in itself. None of those are signs that they are about to turn it around any time soon.

PITTSBURGH (1-7)

Unless they can somehow convince Terry Bradshaw to come out of retirement and suit up in purple, the Maulers again seem doomed to a top draft pick and a really bad season. At the end of last season they brought in Alan Risher and thought they had found a solution at QB. That has not proven to be the case. The Maulers just cannot move the ball effectively. They have one of the best running backs in the entire sport, but without an effective passing game they cannot keep drives alive. Worst of all, players are beginning to seek other options. WR John Jefferson has openly stated that he hopes to hit the free agent market this year. Things look bad in Pittsburgh again. Roman Gabriel does not seem to inspire much enthusiasm among fans or even his own players, and the Maulers just don’t strike fear in their opponents. Could Gabriel be one and done? And just how and when will this team find its quarterback?

Eight weeks down, eight to go. What do we see in the future? Here’s our breakdown.

Our predicted division champions are Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Houston and Oakland. The 6 Wild Card teams: New Jersey, Jacksonville, Washington, Michigan, Denver and Arizona. Our pick for the USFL Championship is unspectacular, we are going with the two best teams we have seen this year, Philly and Houston. Our MVP is Jim Kelly and our Rookie of the Year is Brian Bosworth.

Eight weeks to prove us right or show us up. Let’s get back on the field and see what happens.