Is 1987 ushering in a new wave of contenders? Is Michigan a shell of its former self? Are New Jersey, Houston and Washington for real? Week 10 seems to say yes to all these questions.
SCORES
NJ 24 BLT 16
Doug Flutie throws 2 TDs and the NJ defense shuts down a Tim Spencer-less Blitz run game to lock in a 6th straight win for the Generals. Despite the loss, rookie Eric Kramer throws for 302 yards replacing the injured Vince Evans.
PIT 21 PHI 30
The Maulers put a bit of a scare into Philadelphia, but 107 yards and 2 scores from Kelvin Bryant, along with 3 David Trout 2nd half field goals give the Stars what they need to hold off Pittsburgh and keep a game up in the Atlantic Division.
JAX 27 BIR 41
Birmingham explodes for 21 points in the 4th quarter as they outpace the Bulls. Jacksonville rookie Chris Miller got the start and completed 77% of his passes fro 359 but also threw 2 costly interceptions. Birmingham rookie Brent Fullwood had his best game of the year, scoring twice, including a stunning 63 yard rush on his first carry of the game.
ORL 20 MEM 27
Memphis switched things up at QB and Mike Kelley earned his first USFL win with a solid 2 TD game to lead the Showboats over the spiraling Showboats. Curtis Bledsoe returned for Memphis, but was held to 3.2 yards per carry by the Memphis defense.
SAN 34 CHI 10
Chicago’ scoring woes returned as Todd Blackledge looked helpless, completing only 7 of 36 pass attempts. Damon Allen fared much better, throwing for 2 scores and helped by Scott Stamper’s solid 92 yards and 2 scores. Putt Choate led the defense with 7 tackles and a key forced fumble.
OAK 31 LA 20
Oakland knew they needed this one, and they got it. Arthur Whittington rushed for 118 yards and 2 scores, while the Invaders D was able to contain LA despite rookie Christian Okoye’s 89 yards rushing. The win moves Oakland back into a tie for first in the Pacific.
OKL 16 ARZ 27
A solid win for Arizona, and a good day for Robbie Bosco, who threw for 267 and 3 scores. Doug Williams threw for 318, but the Outlaws could not get points on several key drives,due in part to 75 yards of penalties and a 3 for 14 record on third down.
HOU 45 WSH 24
Houston solidified their position as a Championship favorite with a thorough dismantling of the Federals. Kelly throws for 3 scores, and Todd Fowler has one of his best days, rushing for 78 and 2 scores. Neil Lomax tries to keep pace with 288 yards and 3 scores of his own, but Houston’s D also sacked him 5 times in the game.
DEN 27 TBY 42
Tampa pulls away in the second half thanks to 28 consecutive points (3 Reaves TD’s and a pick 6 from Milton Mack). Reaves would throw 5 TD’s on the day to win Offensive Player of the Week. Truvillion, Collinsworth and TE Chris Kelley all go over 100 yards receiving in the game.
GAME OF THE WEEK
New Orleans Breakers 30 Michigan Panthers 20
We are not sure if this is a sign that the Breakers are turning things around or a sign that Michigan may be losing some of their edge. The New Orleans D, which has been unremarkable all year, came out strong this week, holding Michigan to 2 of 10 on third down, sacking Jack Trudeau 4 times and limiting John Williams to 56 yards rushing. On offense, the day again belonged to the Breakers run game. Marcus Dupree had 21 carries for a respectable 80 yards, but backup Dalton Hilliard stole the show, rushing for 129 yards on only 13 carries, including a tackle-busting, rumble of 53 yards in the 2nd quarter to help New Orleans take the lead for good.
On a day when Michigan looked vulnerable, Jack Trudeau spent a good part of the day avoiding a vicious pass rush, one that caught him 4 times, including once for a safety. He would complete only 55% of his passes and gain only 218 yards. Tony Eason, who was benched earlier this year for Matt Robinson, had a solid game, completing 68% of his passes for 212 yards and 3 scores, but the star of the game was the run game, which when it is on its game is perhaps the most dynamic in the league.
With the win, New Orleans at 4-6 finds itself in a pack of teams with the same record, all vying for the 5th and final Wild Card slot in the conference. This is a position the Breakers have found themselves in nearly every season, scrapping for the lowest playoff seed. With the loss, Michigan is now 3 games behind Houston and all hopes of yet another division title are fading. Michigan, for the first time in years, may be looking at playing any playoff games on the road.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
Denver’s defense is no cupcake, so for Tampa Bay’s John Reaves to throw for 420 yards and 5 touchdowns is a major coup for the veteran signal caller. Reaves was on fire this week, sending 3 different receivers over 100 yards for the day, all three also finding the endzone. Reaves threw a good number of short to mid-range passes, but also hit both Truvillion and TE Chris Kelley with a couple of beautifully thrown long balls, including a 75 yard gamechanger to Kelley on their first play of the 2nd half to stun Denver. Reaves may have the best Bandits team since 1983 around him. Standing at 8-2, Tampa is still 1 game behind Philadelphia for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but John Reaves seems eager to overtake the Stars and play some home playoff games this season.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
Speaking of the playoffs, it may be a bit early for anyone to clinch, but a clear picture is emerging. Tampa Bay (8-2) has a solid 3 game lead over Birmingham and Jacksonville (both 5-5). Houston (9-1), shockingly, has the same lead over a 6-4 Michigan squad. In the East it looks like Philly (9-1) and New Jersey (8-2) will battle to the end, as both are well ahead of Baltimore and Washington (both 5-5), while out west it is still close with 2 clubs (Denver and Oakland) at 6-4 and two more (LA and Arizona) at 4-6. Looking at the Wild Cards, in the East it looks like the four teams at 5-5 (BLT, WSH, BIR, JAX) will battle over 2 playoff spots. Out West we expect that both Houston and Michigan will be in, which leaves 3 spots for the Pacific Division winner and 2 teams from the 6-4 and 4-6 cluster. That means that San Antonio, New Orleans, LA and Arizona are likely to battle for a spot down to the wire. A lot of teams playing a lot of meaningful football late in the year is exactly what the USFL wants to see and this year it seems they will get their wish.
NEWS & NOTES
It has been a while since we talked of attendance, so let’s take a look at where things stand after 10 weeks. As you might expect, winning fills the seats, while prolonged losing streaks definitely kill the buzz. At the bottom of the league attendance numbers are San Antonio (20,765), whose stadium can only hold 24,000 when sold out, and Pittsburgh (20,781) whose fans are growing tired after 4 years of mostly forgettable play by the Maulers. In good news for the league, the only other team below 25,000 average is Oklahoma, and, as discussed last week, there are clear reasons why fans are not flocking to Skelly Stadium. On the other end of the spectrum, league attendance leaders include Philly (45,954), Baltimore (45,197), the resurgent Generals (44,884), Jacksonville (44,534), Tampa (43,771) and New Orleans (43,103). The league can boast a total of 9 teams averaging over 40k and another 4 at or around 35k. That is a good position for the league to be in.
As we move into summer, expect some melt in cities like Chicago and Memphis, while we hope to see numbers improve in places like Houston, Denver, Oakland and other contenders gearing up for the playoffs. The league, if it can solve its San Antonio and Oklahoma issues, and if Chicago can show improvement leading into 1988, could be in a solid position towards profitability. TV numbers remain strong, despite spring NBA and NHL playoffs, March Madness and other distractions. Sponsorship is solid, and most clubs are managing the salary cap pretty well. Players are coming to the USFL for exposure and a chance to play, and salaries are competitive with the NFL, which may be in trouble with a CBA in dispute and a potential strike by the NFLPA this fall. Were that to happen, the USFL, with solid relations between players and management through the USFLPA, might benefit significantly.
INJURY REPORT
A good week for the league, injury wise, as no major injuries were reported. It is week 10 so there are a lot of aches and bruises to go around, but with no new injury reserve moves, and only a few players expected to miss action, there is generally good health around the league. Of the walking wounded, Herschel Walker is perhaps the biggest concern. He has apparently aggravated an older hip injury and is listed as doubtful for week 11, but team doctors say that they do not see a major issue and he should be back in 2 weeks. Pittsburgh receiver Danny Buggs may also be out a week with a concussion, while several key players are expected to walk off recent injuries and return to action, among them Orlando SS Bill Bates and New Orleans CB Gene Atkins. Vince Evans is also expected to return, sending Eric Kramer back to the bench after 2 weeks of solid play.
LOOKING AHEAD
Week 11 is an inter-conference week, with no divisional games. Among the key clashes for playoff position we find 6-4 Oakland at 5-5 Baltimore, 6-4 Denver at 8-2 New Jersey, 4-6 New Orleans at 5-5 Birmingham, 6-4 Michigan at 4-6 Orlando, and 4-6 San Antonio at 8-2 Tampa. Games that perhaps won’t be as attractive to TV audiences include 2-8 Oklahoma traveling to 5-5 Washington, 4-6 LA at 2-8 Pittsburgh, 4-6 Arizona at 9-1 Philadelphia, 9-1 Houston at 5-5 Jacksonville, and our stinker of the week, 1-9 Chicago at 3-7 Memphis.