SCORES
BLT 19 MEM 21
Mike Kelley gets back to winning ways as Showboats win homestand game against the slumping Blitz. Kelley throws for 263 and 2 scores while Baltimore flounders on 3rd down, going 2 for 10.
NJ 29 ORL 17
Herschel Walker starts, but almost immediately reaggravates his injury, could miss the next two games. Keith Byars again shifts from FB to HB, and rushes for 97 yards, catches 5 for 27. New Jersey gets the needed win, but what does the loss of Walker mean down the stretch?
PHI 17 TBY 6
Sam Mills and the Philly D stifle the Reaves-less Bandits as Kelvin Bryant and Jaime Mueller combine for 153 yards rushing. Tampa backup Oliver Luck finds Collinsworth for 109 but cannot get the ball into the endzone in a game that assures Philly of the #1 seed in the East.
PIT 13 BIR 28
Birmingham remains white hot as Joe Cribbs rushes for 129. Cliff Stoudt leaves the game with what looks like a minor injury in the 4th but could miss next week.
WSH 28 JAX 34
Neil Lomax duels with Bulls rookie Chris Miller for 4 quarters, but in a game where the Feds could only muster 36 yards rushing without Craig James and Bulls HB rushes for 148 it is too much for Washington.
CHI 14 LA 19
Chicago’s defense holds tough all day, but after building a 14-0 lead on two Chuck Long TD passes, the Maulers offense wilts and LA methodically builds back with 9 points from the defense and a 4th quarter Young to Christiansen TD toss.
MGN 24 OKL 5
Michigan’s late season lineup of expansion clubs works out for the Panthers again as they manhandle the Outlaws. Doug Williams suffers 2 picks and completes only 50% of his passes against the stout Panther D, while Michigan’s Derek Holloway gains 117, including a 52-yard TD from Trudeau.
NOR 23 ARZ 21
Kelly Stouffer looks solid, completing 64% and tossing two scores, but it is not enough as Hilliard and Dupree combine for 140 and Tony Eason connects with Dan Ross and Charlie Smith for scores. The win moves New Orleans to .500 for the first time in 2 months.
SAN 7 DEN 31
San Antonio gives Mike Shula a start and he struggles as San Antonio passes for only 151 on the day. Bob Gagliano completes 80% of his passes against the overmatched Gunslinger defense as Bill Brooks hauls in 2 scores for the homestanding Gold.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Houston Gamblers 20 Oakland Invaders 23
Having already clinched the #1 seed in the Western Conference, Houston could not find the motivation to win a close one as Oakland, desperate to keep pace with Denver, edges Houston in overtime. Kelly and the Houston offense was game, gaining 411 on the day, including 365 from Kelly’s powerful right arm, but the Houston D, which has been stalwart all year, let up a little too much. Brian Sipe had one of his best games, throwing for 288, while Whittington contributed 122 on the ground to help Oakland pull off the upset.
It was a battle for field position early as both defenses held tough in the first half. Houston was able to score only 6 points on two Dave Jacobs field goals while Oakland used good field position after an uncharacteristic Kelly interception to punch it in and take the 10-6 halftime lead. That lead was wiped out only 1:35 into the 3rd as Kelly found Clarence Verdin for a score to jump up 13-10. Four minutes later, Whittington would again cross the plane and Oakland would retake the lead 17-13. They added to that lead with a Kevin Shea field goal to start the 4th. Kelly and Houston responded with a 6-minute scoring drive that concluded with Kelly finding HB Todd Fowler on a beautifully set up screen that went for 32 yards and the score.
For the rest of the 4th quarter both teams took advantage of their opposition’s errors to stall drives. Oakland missed out on a key 3rd down conversion due to a drive-killing holding call, while Houston’s last gasp attempt to avoid overtime died on a 3rd and 9 when a catchable ball slipped between TE Victor Marchand’s hands. In overtime, Houston got the ball first, but was unable to convert on a 3rd and 3 run, so Oakland received the punt at their own 44. Sipe was efficient, finding TE Raymond Chester twice and completing a key 3rd down to Mark Duper. The drive eventually stalled, but not until Oakland had reached the Houston 12-yard line. The Kevin Shea chip shot was right down the middle and the Invaders pulled off the much-needed win to remain only 1 game behind Denver, with a huge Pacific Division matchup between the two next week in Oakland.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
The Nigerian Nightmare, that is what fans are calling Express HB Christian Okoye. The huge halfback with the exotic accent and a tendency to run right over tacklers, has become something of a celebrity in star-studded LA, despite the overall mediocrity of the Express squad. This week Okoye solidified his standing with Express fans by almost single-handedly carrying the Express offense to a win vs. Chicago. Okoye, in his first 100-yard game since coming to LA from tiny Asuza Pacific University, ran through and over Chicago defenders on his way to 136 yards on only 18 carries. Okoye, who is soft-spoken off the field, is truly a nightmare to tackle once he starts heading north-south. LA might want to consider readjusting their offense next year to more of a power game to benefit Okoye, who struggles with outside runs compared to longstanding LA back Tony Boddie. But, when the call goes up the middle, watch out. Okoye is big, he has good acceleration, and he does not waste energy on jukes or spins, he just hits defenders like a freight train, and more often than not they fall to the wayside as he heads on through. This week his efforts led LA to a win, something the Express have to hope becomes a much more common occurrence in 1988.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
With only 2 weeks left to play, the playoff picture is all but confirmed. Philly and Houston have locked up the #1 seed in each conference. 6 other teams have punched their tickets for the postseason, and really the only questions now are division title races between Tampa and Birmingham in the South and Denver and Oakland in the Pacific. New Orleans is in the most tenuous position, only 1 game up on LA for the final Wild Card, while the loss this week means that Washington, while happy to be in the playoffs, will not be overtaking New Jersey or avoiding the Wild Card round. Still a lot to play for in the next 2 weeks, though we do expect that both Philly and Houston may consider resting some starters at least in week 16 if not next week.
NEWS & NOTES
Expect a lot of experimentation with rosters during the final 2 weeks as playoff teams rest some starters and non-playoff teams look at some talent to see if changes are in order for next year. We have already seen this with San Antonio giving Mike Shula a shot at QB. Chicago went back to Chuck Long this week but may give fellow rookie Steve Beurlein a game or two to see what they have in him. Don’t be shocked as well if Baltimore gives Eric Kramer another game under center or if Oklahoma let’s Doug Williams rest in favor of perennial backup Blair Kiel. It is a time of year to see some rookies who have languished on the bench get their chance to show their wares, while teams like Houston and Philly may try to protect key players like Kelvin Bryant or Jim Kelly from late season hits. With playoff positions still on the line for the other contenders, we don’t expect Oakland, Denver, Tampa, Birmingham or the others to have a chance to do the same, but for the frontrunners it is one of the perks of locking in their seeds early.
INJURY REPORT
Late season injuries are always the fear of playoff contenders, and we have a few this week that could impact some of the teams seeking to get hot as the postseason approaches. New Jersey in particular has to be nervous as Herschel Walker played only 4 downs before reaggravating his hip. He is likely to miss the final 2 weeks of the year, and the Generals have to try to avoid the Wild Card round to give him another week to recover. Oakland will have to chase Denver without their best lineman, rookie guard Kevin Gogan. Tampa has 6 players on their injury list this week, not the least of which is QB John Reaves, who is listed as questionable and may be a game time decision. Washington is hoping that Craig James can return this week. He is listed as probable. Houston may keep Howard Ballard out, despite him being listed as probable, just to make sure he is ready for the playoffs. And it looks like Birmingham will have to rely on veteran backup Bob Lane to help them down the stretch as QB Cliff Stoudt is likely to miss the next two weeks, and possibly the Wild Card matchup after suffering a rib injury this week.
LOOKING AHEAD
Week 15 marks 2 consecutive weeks of divisional matchups to end the season in a flurry of key matchups. 8 of 10 games will see divisional foes clash and playoff teams jockey for position. This week is not particularly dramatic in the East as Philly hosts slumping Baltimore while Washington will welcome Pittsburgh to RFK. New Jersey is out of division as they travel to Arizona to face the Wranglers. The same is true in the South, where both Birmingham and Tampa are expected to win. The Stallions faithful will make the trip up to Memphis to watch their team face the Showboats, while Tampa and Orlando battle in the Big Sombrero. Jacksonville is in Chicago for the other non-divisional game. In the Central New Orleans hopes that home field helps them overcome the Houston Gamblers, while Michigan heads down to San Antonio in a game they should win. LA is in Tulsa to face the Oklahoma Outlaws in what may be their last game in the state (see news coming this week), while in the biggest game of the week, the Denver Gold (10-4) face the Oakland Invaders (9-5) with the division title and a bye on the line.