SCORES
PIT 38 NJ 10
Alan Risher was determined to lead the Maulers to the playoffs, and he did just that, crushing the Generals with 273 yards passing and 4 TD’s as Pittsburgh punched their ticket to next week’s Wildcard game. New Jersey was already a virtual lock for a playoff spot, and their loss this week simply means that they will face off against the Maulers again next week, and again in the Meadowlands.
WSH 17 PHI 27
Philadelphia could not rest their starters in case New Jersey won, so they did their best to remove any doubt and in the process elimated the Federals from the post-season. Their win, combined with a shocking Stallion loss gave the Stars another #1 seed. It was a full team effort for Philly as Chuck Fusina connected with rookie Quinn Early for 101 yards in the rook’s best game to date, while Kelvin Bryant gained 94 and a score to help Philly to the win and the top seed.
ORL 6 JAX 17
Jacksonville upends the Renegades thanks to a solid defensive gameplan and 17 unanswered 2nd half points. For Orlando, high hopes of edging into the playoffs at 8-8 fell flat as their offense completely fizzled in the game. Reggie Collier was held to only 142 yards passing and was sacked 4 times by a Bulls defense that was playing for pride.
TBY 21 MEM 23
Memphis got the win and their first Southern Division crown, but Tampa did not make it easy. The Bandits hung tough the whole game as Oliver Luck threw for 3 scores, but in the end, the Showboats did just enough to win and to edge the Stallions for the division crown.
NOR 22 CHI 19
The Chicago Machine were a much more competitive team in 1988, but New Orleans was the better team on this day. Nolan Franz caught his 14th TD on the year to lead all receivers and Tim Mazzetti scored the winning kick in overtime for the Breakers, who finish the year with the league’s best record at 13-3. They will now take a well-earned rest and see who comes calling after the Wild Card round.
MGN 7 HOU 16
Michigan had a shot at a Wild Card berth, and Houston had nothing to play for, but don’t tell that to these Gamblers. Their rivalry with Michigan fired up the Gambles and their defense held Michigan to only 1 score on the day despite a solid 100 yard performance from Anthony Carter. The loss eliminates the Panthers from postseason play for the first time in team history, while Houston will host a game against Denver in two weeks.
OAK 30 ARZ 14
It was too late for a playoff run, but the Invaders end the season on a hot streak and move their record to a respectable 7-8-1 with some late season victories. Gale Gilbert found Henry Ellard twice for scores and Richard Williams added another 93 yards to his rushing total as the Invaders had what it took to score a season-ending win on the road.
TEX 7 BAL 27
Texas could not do much against the Baltimore Blitz, and yet it is the Outlaws, not the Blitz who will be playing next week. Texas got help from Oakland, who eliminated Arizona from contention, while Baltimore loses out on a tie breaker to the Pittsburgh Maulers.
LA 6 DEN 24
Denver’s defense came alive in this one, shutting down the Express and granting the Gold another Pacific Division title. The offensive star for the Gold was wideout Bill Brooks, who caught 8 balls, including a key TD to seal the deal. LA still makes the playoffs at 9-7 and will host the upstart Texas Outlaws next week, while Denver hosts Houston in 2 weeks.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Portland Thunder 14 Birmingham Stallions 13
Call it malaise, call it a trap game, call it overconfidence, but you never want to go into the playoffs losing the last game of the year, and certainly not the way the Stallions lost this one. Birmingham had a chance to win the Southern Division, but with Memphis’s victory well in hand, it seemed that the air went out of the balloon for the Stallions.
Birmingham played tough early, building a 13-0 lead by the half, but the killer instinct just wasn’t there to put away the Thunder. Portland only put together 198 total yards in the game, as Brent Pease was largely ineffective, throwing 19 for 36 for only 170. The run game wasn’t there either, as Owen Gill only gained 22 total yards on the day, but one of those runs was a 2 yard plunge for Portland’s first score in the 3rd. It brought the lead down to 13-7 Birmingham, but the Stallions seemed unimpressed and unfased.
That attitude changed when a Stallion punt was received by Portland receiver Aubrey Matthews, who proceded to juke, spin, and fly past defenders on what would become a 90 yard TD return. Suddenly it was 14-13 Thunder, and the Stallions were deflated, stunned, and unable to mount a serious comeback. Portland played the clock as much as they played the Stallions for the rest of the game, and Birmingham seemd unable to find their offensive mojo as drive after drive stalled. When the final whistle blew, they had lost a game no one had expected to be close, and they had lost their shot at a division title at the same time.
The Stallions will still get a bye before having to face Memphis in 2 weeks, but this loss will still sting, and it certainly does not put them in a mindset to face as tough a rival as the Showboats. This one will hurt, and if the Stallions cannot get past the Showboats next week, it could be a game that lives in infamy among the Birmingham faithful for years to come.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
Tight ends rarely get the accolades they deserve, so let’s celebrate one of the USFL’s best this week. Pittsburgh big man Mike Shaw has been a solid weapon all season long, often leading the team in receptions as Alan Risher’s favorite safety valve. This week he caught only 4 balls, but proved to be a dangerous man in the open field, gaining 95 yards and scoring twice in those 4 catches. Shaw caught a 28 yarder for a score on a perfect seam route, and then, one quarter later, returned to the endzone on a 40 yard out route that included a devastating stiff arm to the safety as Pittsburgh just demolished the Generals and gained their first ever playoff appearance.
For Shaw, who is 2nd in receptions at 74 (tied with rookie Keith Jackson and behind only Todd Christiansen), 2nd in yards (again Christiansen), and tied for first (guess who) with 7 touchdowns, this year was just another in a series of solid outings for the Maulers. His best year was still the first for the Maulers, when he caught 87 balls for 1037 for the talent-deprived expansion club, but he has been over 700 yards and 50 receptions every year since. A solid player who deserves more attention, and may just get it from the Generals’ D next week after the way he carved them up this Sunday.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
OK, here are the basics, with details to come in our playoff preview. Next week we have two very different matchups in the Wild Card round as Pittsburgh returns to New Jersey for a rematch of this week’s beat down of the Generals. Out West the Texas Outlaws get their first taste of playoff football as they travel to Angel Stadium to face Steve Young and the LA Express.
The Wild Card winners would next face the #1 seeds in each conference, so Philly and New Orleans are waiting. Meanwhile the #2 seed Division Winners and the #3 top Wild Cards face off as well. Denver hosts Houston in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Championship. In the East it will be a brutal divisional battle between the Birmingham Stallions, who led the division almost all season, and the homestanding Memphis Showboats, who stole the crown thanks to this week’s games. The Liberty Bowl is sure to be rocking as we expect thousands of Stallion faithful to make the trip alongside a huge Showboat crowd for their first ever playoff game.
No News & Notes this week, as we prep for our Playoff Preview. News about Black Monday and other league business will be part of our Wild Card Weekend coverage next week. For now, let’s revel in another amazing season of USFL football, let’s congratulate the Maulers, Showboats, and Outlaws for their first franchise playoff appearance, and let’s lament the absence of two franchises that have never missed the playoffs before, as both the Michigan Panthers and the Tampa Bay Bandits will be sitting this one out. It’s on to the playoffs and a chance for glory for one of ten teams still alive.