Divisional weekend is often the best of the playoffs. 8 teams in 4 games, all with a lot on the line. This year proved no different as we got 4 really entertaining games in this round, and now we are looking at the very real possibility of two new teams facing off in the Championship as 3 of 4 winners have not participated in a Championship game. It is a new day in the USFL and it looks like some new fanbases will get a shot to fight for a Championship.
And while the games were being played on the field, more news from the NFL/USFL cold war turned hot. With only 2 teams eliminated from the playoffs last week, there was not quite the impact we saw when the regular season ended and 10 teams suddenly had free agents available. But, for Tampa Bay and Oakland, there have already been losses. Oakland caught word early that the NFL Buccaneers were making a play for Invader DE and former Dolphin Kim Bokamper. They reacted quickly and resigned Bokamper to a 2 year extension, but at a price that may force them to name Bokamper as one of their 5 allowed salary cap exemptions, which means that one of their current five will need to be either removed, to count against the cap, or to be released or traded.
Tampa Bay was not so fortunate. Only 2 days after losing to the Orlando Renegades, and only 1 day after their unsigned players officially became available as free agents, the NFL’s San Diego Chargers announced the signing of Gary Anderson, the Bandits’ dual threat running back. Anderson had given no indication that he was looking to leave Tampa Bay, and, as with several deals made in the past two weeks, there is widespread suspicion that NFL contacts must have reached out to Anderson or his agent prior to the completion of his contract, a very legally tenuous situation. So, Tampa becomes the latest USFL team to lose one of their elite players to an NFL swoop & sign deal. It seems the ongoing barrage of quick signings is not over and the USFL squads still engaged in the playoffs may want to consider coming to terms with some of their unsigned players even as they focus on playoff football.
OK, enough front office frenzy. Let’s talk about the games themselves. We had four dynamic, engaging, and close football games this week, leading to four teams punching their tickets to their conference title games. Let’s check them out.
Houston Gamblers 16 New Orleans Breakers 19
A classic game of strength v. strength and weakness v. weakness. It was New Orleans’s high octane offense vs. Houston’s shut down defense, and Houston’s inconsistent offense against the Breaker’s often erratic defense. Which combo would come out on top? Chalk this one up to the two defenses coming out strong. New Orleans in particular was effective at corralling the Gamblers. Despite giving up 388 total yards of offense, the Panthers found themselves behind the 8-ball early and had to fight back in the second half.
New Orleans also had trouble finding the endzone, settling for 3 field goals in the first half to go with their one TD, a short pass from Robinson to Franz. But, with Houston unable to push into scoring range, the Breakers found themselves with a 16-0 lead at the half. In the 3rd, Houston made some adjustments and started focusing on incorporating HB Thurman Thomas into the passing game. The refocusing worked, and midway through the 3rd Thomas scored on a swing pass from Kelly to get the Gamblers on the board. They would add another score to open the 4th, a short strike from Kelly to Ernie Jones, and with both scores they were able to successfully convert the 2-point plays, leading to a 16-16 tie with 5 minutes left in the game.
New Orleans, despite not moving the ball well in the 2nd half, found what they needed in the final minutes as Matt Robinson completed 3 key passes and the combo of DuPree and Hililard rushed for 33 yards on 5 carries to move the Breakers to the Houston 13 with just over a minute left in the game. Tim Mazzetti put New Orleans on top, and nervous fans watched as Houston’s last second drive could not get closer than the Breaker’s 34 yard line. Houston brought Dave Jacobs out to tie the game, but 51 yards is no gimme, and Jacob’s kick hooked left, giving all of the Big Easy a collective sigh of relief and a victory dance as they head to the Western Conference Finals.
Memphis Showboats 31 New Jersey Generals 34 OVERTIME
If the drama of Saturday’s early game was not enough for you, how about an overtime thriller from the Meadowlands for the nightcap? In a game that saw a furious 27 points scored in the 4th quarter, Memphis came back from a 10-point deficit to tie the game, only to watch Roger Ruzek win it for the Generals in overtime.
Both teams had offensive schemes that found success, though not in the usual ways. Memphis gained 455 yards on the day, with a huge combined day from Greg Boone (83 yards) and Buford Jordan (45 yards), while New Jersey relied heavily on Doug Flutie’s 328 passing yards to counter a defense set on containing Herschel Walker (74 yards). Walker would be the Generals lead receiver, a tactic that got the ball in his hands in space. Memphis would find Mel Gray for 11 catches and 102 yards, but it was unheralded backup receiver Jeff Query who stole the show for the Showboats, catching 10 balls and 2 TD’s for the visitors.
After 3 quarters Memphis held a tenuous 21-14 lead, but a Walker 9 yard run was followed by a Brent Jones TD catch and a Ruzek field goal as the score flipped and the Showboats seemed to be fading, now down 31-21. But Mike Kelley rallied the Showboats, hitting Michael Coates for a 3 yard score with 1:38 left. Memphis got lucky on the onside kick as the ball grazed a NJ blocker and a mad scramble led to a Showboats recovery. Just over a minute later Ali Haji-Sheikh put the ball through the uprights and we were headed to overtime.
In the extra period, both teams traded drives, both defenses held, and we looked like we were headed for a second overtime period. But, with just over a minute to go, New Jersey got a break when a missed tackle sprung Lam Jones, turning a 10 yard in route into a 57-yard gain and putting the Generals well within range for Ruzek. New Jersey ran the ball 3 straight plays to set Ruzek up and he was true from 41 yards out to give New Jersey the win and a berth in the conference title game.
Orlando Renegades 23 Birmingham Stallions 13
After Saturday’s wild games, many expected a letdown on Sunday, but that did not happen. In Birmingham the upstart Renegades got the news they had hoped for when the Stallions had to remove Joe Cribbs from the active roster due to his ongoing knee injury. This news buoyed the Showboats chances, and they took advantage early, going up 7-0 on a Curtis Bledsoe run. Birmingham showed they were not toothless without Cribbs, marching down the field and pushing the ball in with Michael Haddix diving into a goalline pile for the equalizer.
But Orlando was feeling fortunate on the day, and they responded with a quick strike to John Jefferson to go up by 7 in an exciting first quarter. The second quarter saw significant movement up and down the field, but both squads were limited to field goals to end the half, two for Orlando and 1 for Birmingham, giving the ‘Gades the 20-10 advantage at the half.
In the second half, the lack of a consistent running game by the Stallions, and a game-shortening strategy on offense from Orlando paid off for the Renegades, as again both teams were only able to trade field goals. The slowdown allowed Orlando to retain their 10 point lead, and when Kevin Edwards dropped a potential TD on a long pass that just would not settle in his hands, the Birmingham sideline deflated and the air went out of the stadium. The #1 seed had lost, and the 8-8 fifth seed Renegades were now one game away from the USFL Championship Game.
Michigan Panthers 21 Denver Gold 22
The final game of the weekend was another gem, as the Panthers took an early lead and then watched as the slow and steady Gold marched back and took the game in the final seconds. The Panthers, expected to struggle on offense, got off to a lightning quick start that stunned the Denver faithful in Mile High. Mark Hermann led a scripted first drive that took only 2:04 to go 78 yards and ended with Anthony Carter spiking the ball in the end zone. Denver struggled on their first drive, but a booming punt in the thin air backed Michigan up to their own 3 yard line. After an unsuccessful running play lost them a yard, Denver guessed pass, and were right, finding Mark Hermann in the endzone and almost causing a strip fumble. Denver settled for the safety, and on the short drive following the safety kickoff, added another 3 to trail 7-5 after 1.
Denver would add another field goal to go up 8-7 as the 2nd quarter got underway, but Michigan was showing that their offense still had some weapons. They scored twice in the 2nd to build a 21-8 lead at half. Denver was rattled, and in the 3rd quarter, while their defense held Michigan in check, their offense struggled. It was not until the start of the 4th and a shift of focus away from the often double-covered Bill Brooks to the speedster Odessa Turner that Denver would gain an edge. Turner would have an amazing 7 receptions in the 4th quarter, including a 19-yarder on third and 9 that put the ball on the Michigan 9 yard line. Timmy Smith would dive for the pylon on a wide run to bring Denver back to 21-15, only 6 points behind Michigan.
The lead held for most of the rest of the quarter, but Denver would get the ball back with 2 time outs and just over 2 minutes to play. Bob Gagliano was no stranger to this situation, and he moved the ball downfield efficiently until, with only 22 seconds left, he took the snap, looked the safety towards Odessa Turner, and then pivoted to find Bill Brooks, the forgotten man in the 4th quarter, with a step on the DB. He hit Brooks with a perfect strike just over the hands of the linebacker and Denver had tied the game. With the Speelman kick, Denver was on top, the crowd was apoplectic, cheering and drowning out Mark Hermann on Michigan’s desperation drive, and when the clock struck :00 Denver had punched their ticket to New Orleans and the title game.
LOOKING AHEAD
Four great games and a very interesting set of matchups for the Eastern and Western Conference Championships next week. The four finalists represent a major shift in the league, with three teams that have not been to a USFL Championship before and one who last appeared in the title game in the league’s first season.
DENVER GOLD (2) & NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (1)
Saturday, July 15 @ 7:00pm ET
Louisiana Superdome
The two top seeds in the West have made it here, though it was not easy for either. It is a classic Tortoise and Hare contest. Denver comes into the game hoping their defense can withstand the Breaker’s fast paced offense, while New Orleans hopes that this time the tortoise cannot outlast the hare. All eyes will be on the Breaker Offense – Gold Defense matchup, but this may be more about the Gold offense vs. the Breakers defense. If Denver can control the tempo, slow down the game and milk the clock, keeping close, they have shown that they can win out in the end. If New Orleans is able to find big plays and exploit Denver’s secondary, they could blow the game out of range for the Gold. We like New Orleans at home. They have the offensive balance needed to disrupt Denver’s defense, and they will have a rowdy Big Easy crowd in their corner.
ORLANDO RENEGADES (5) @ NEW JERSEY GENERALS (2)
Sunday, July 16 @ 6pm ET
Giants Stadium
It’s the classic cinderella story, or maybe the somewhat more rare David vs. David story. The fifth seed Renegades have knocked off two divisional rivals, Tampa Bay and Birmingham to get here. The 2-seed Generals had to go to overtime to knock off the other Southern contender, Memphis, but they are here, at home, and with a chance to redeem a Conference Title Game loss last year. Last year the Generals fell flat against the Showboats. This year they have overcome that hurdle and now face a plucky underdog, while they themselves feel like a perennial underdog. It will be Scrambler (Collier) vs. Scrambler (Flutie), RB by Committee (Boone & Buford) vs. Bellcow (Walker) quick cuts (Buggs) vs. speed (Jones) and the pass rush of Rueben Davis vs. the hitting power of Barbaro and Spielman. It’s a great matchup but someone has to win. We give the edge to the more experienced home team. Generals end the Cinderella story and finally make the big show.