Two big upsets mark week 9 as the Chicago Machine score their first win of the year and the Pittsburgh Maulers stun the Bulls as part of a 5-0 sweep of the Southern Division by the Atlantic.
SCORES
ORL 17 BLT 28
Another week another backup QB comes in and impresses. With Vince Evans out of the game, Baltimore’s Eric Kramer was called in to play and went 11 for 14 with 2 scores to lead the Blitz over the Renegades at home. Reggie Collier’s 3 interceptions did not help the cause for Orlando, in a game where both teams were missing their leading rushers.
TBY 21 NJ 38
People are beginning to believe in the Generals after another impressive win over top level competition. Walker had 95 yards and 3 scores, and the Generals’ D picked off John Reaves 3 times to secure a pretty comfortable 17-point win.
BIR 13 PHI 24
Birmingham’s 4 game win streak ends as they run into a buzzsaw in Philly. Kelvin Bryant’s 132 yards was enough to overcome 3 Chuck Fusina picks as the Stars get the home victory. Joe Cribbs was also impressive, rushing for 144 on only 20 carries, but it was just not enough against a Stars defense that bent but did not break, holding Birmingham without an offensive TD on the day.
JAX 14 PIT 28
If Ed Luther wants to hold onto the starting job, he cannot have more days like this one. Against a poorly rated Pittsburgh D, Luther threw 2 costly interceptions. The Bulls D did not help either as Alan Risher was able to find holes and avoid pressure to throw for 3 scores in the upset win for the Maulers.
MEM 20 WSH 24
Washington completes the Atlantic sweep of the Southern Division with a 4th quarter comeback to knock off the Showboats. Once again Neil Lomax waits for drama time in the 4th to shine, hitting Webster Slaughter and Mike Holmes with late scores to steal a win.
OKL 16 HOU 38
The Outlaws were outmatched and outgunned by the Gamblers as Jim Kelly goes off for 447 yards passing and 5 TDs. HB Todd Fowler, in addition to leading the rushing attack with 15 carries, also catches 6 for 99 yards and 2 scores as Oklahoma tried to contain Ricky Sanders, leaving others open.
ARZ 6 MGN 20
Michigan’s defense won the day, containing Robbie Bosco and limiting the Wranglers to 278 total yards of offense. Meanwhile the deep ball was working as Jack Trudeau completed only 14 passes but gained 323 through the air, including a 56-yard score by Holloway and a 63 yard completion to Carter.
DEN 26 NOR 17
Denver consolidated its spot as a Pacific Division frontrunner with a tough road win in New Orleans. The combo of Harry Sydney and Timmy Smith again helped lead the way, rushing for a combined 97 yards, while the defense forced Tony Eason into 2 interceptions and garnered 4 sacks on the day.
LA 31 SAN 14
The Express got back in the win column with a solid performance against the expansion Gunslingers. Steve Young was hot, throwing for 330 and 4 scores against an outmatched San Antonio secondary. Mel Renfro, usually relegated to special teams and the slot, had a great game, catching 6 balls for 80 yards and 2 scores. The bright spot for the Gunslingers was Carlos Carson, who caught 8 balls from Damon Allen for 127 yards and a score.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Oakland Invaders 14 Chicago Machine 23
Sure, it was not the closest or most dramatic game, but after 8 straight losses to start out their inaugural season you have to give this one to Chicago on the occasion of their first franchise win. Despite being outgained both in the air and on the ground, Chicago found a way to win behind a stingy defense and a solid day for HB Albert Bentley. The former Invader decided to show his old team just what they missed out on, rushing for 96 yards and a score, an exact match of Arthur Whittington’s performance on the day. Todd Blackledge only completed 41% of his throws, but avoided turnovers, whereas Brian Sipe, who has been struggling of late, threw two picks and only accounted for 188 yards passing against the Chicago D.
One of those Sipe picks was the catalyst for Chicago’s whole day, as CB Woodrow Wilson ran back an errant Sipe throw for a pick 6 to start the 2nd quarter. After that the Chicago D was fired up. LB Gary Reasons had 10 tackles on the day, containing the Oakland run game, while Clay Matthews harassed both receivers and QB Brian Sipe. Oakland would go only 3 of 13 on 3rd down, and their 9 penalties, including several holding calls against Chicago blitzes, would hinder their offense. It was not a pretty game, and it was held in front of a sparse crowd of only 17,344 in Soldier Field, but those that were there got to cheer on a Chicago victory for the first time in 2 years.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
What can we say about the year that Jim Kelly is having that has not been said already? Against the clearly unprepared defense of the Outlaws, Kelly demonstrated why he is the clear frontrunner for MVP this season. Throwing for 5 scores, to 3 different receivers, including HB Todd Fowler twice, Kelly was at the top of his game against the Outlaws. Completing 74% of his throws on a day when the run game was adequate but not intimidating (it rarely is for Houston), Kelly showed full command of Houston’s fast-paced offense. Only in the late stages of the game did the Gamblers slow down their play-to-play timing, a mercy shown to the Outlaws’ gassed defenders. The Outlaws tried to limit WR Ricky Sanders with a lot of rolled zones and double coverage, and while Sanders was held to only 4 catches, we should acknowledge that one of them was a 51-yard scoring toss from Kelly that took the roof off the Astrodome. Kelly is on pace for over 40 TD passes this year and now leads the league in QBR after today’s performance.
NEWS & NOTES
I think we all expect expansion teams to have some struggles, but usually these are on-field issues. But this year in the USFL we have two expansion clubs that are dealing with off-field situations that can only distract the team. In Oklahoma it is well known that owner William Tatham is still unhappy with the idea of owning a team in Tulsa. A lot of the Outlaws’ attendance woes can be blamed not on the 2-win season they are currently enduring, but on the constant stories in local press about Tatham speaking with stadium groups and local authorities around the country, trying to peddle the Outlaws for relocation. So far there are no takers, but the process alone is leading many within the USFL to rethink the franchise altogether.
Meanwhile in San Antonio, attendance has been solid even as the Gunslingers have slumped after a 3-2 start. Fans in Texas expected the team to need time to build, and the Alamo City has embraced the team, even if tiny Alamo Stadium is not an ideal venue. And yet there is clearly trouble in the Alamo City. Players have begun to become vocal about financial issues. Paychecks are not forthcoming, or if they are, players are asked to drive to a small rural bank to obtain their pay, leading to a sort of Cannonball Run from San Antonio to the bank each week. Vendors and team partners are also complaining about delayed or delinquent payments. There are also rumors that owner Clint Manges is under state investigation for potential financial malfeasance.
Our answer, merge the Outlaws and Gunslingers. William Tatham is well financed, but looking for a new city, San Antonio is welcoming the Gunslingers, but their owner seems to have overrepresented his finances. A merger between the two franchises seems a natural fit. Sure, it would bring the league down to only 19 teams, but an expansion team from the bids not chosen last year could be brought in to keep the league at an even 20. A merged Gunslinger team would instantly be more competitive, and it would solve the two nagging issues that seem to be holding both teams down. Of course, that assumes that the egos of Tatham and Manges can handle the thought of working together, but, if they get on each other’s nerves, perhaps the team could be called the Inlaws. Seems appropriate.
INJURY REPORT
While Eric Kramer looked good for the Blitz, losing Vince Evans was not part of Baltimore’s plan. The good news is that the concussion which created a visibly woozy Evans on the sideline will likely only cost the Blitz one more week of his services. The same cannot be said for Blitz HB Tim Spencer, whose hand injury is not healing the way the doctors would like to see. Spencer may have to opt for surgery which would hold him out for at least 2 months, or he could try to play with a special glove to minimize lateral movement. Neither option sounds good for the Blitz back. Some players we may see back in action in week 10 include Orlando HB Curtis Bledsoe, NJ Safety Gary Barbaro, Birmingham TE Trey Junkin, Houston LB Johnny holland, Michigan HB John Williams, and LA linebacker Niko Noga.
LOOKING AHEAD
Some intriguing matchups in a heavy divisional game Week 10. New Jersey heads to Baltimore to face the Blitz, while Philly gets their cross-state rivals, Pittsburgh in Veteran’s Stadium. Jacksonville will test Ed Luther again as they face the Stallions in Birmingham. Orlando tries to snap their 5-game losing streak against 2-win Memphis. Chicago has a shot to go back-to-back as they face a beleaguered San Antonio squad, while New Orleans has the unenviable task of playing the Panthers in the Silverdome. Oakland and LA spark their cross-state rivalry in Angel Stadium, while Oklahoma heads out to the desert to face the Wranglers. In inter-division play, the Feds try to contain Jim Kelly and the Gamblers at RFK, while Denver heads down South to face the Tampa Bay Bandits.