SCORES
MEM 33 OAK 20
Memphis builds up a 26-0 lead before errors (3 Ints) and overconfidence let Oakland climb back into the game. After Oakland got within 7 at 26-20, the Showboats put one last score on the board to assure the win. Mel Gray keeps on churning out good games, this time with 7 catches for 118 yards and a score.
JAX 17 LA 13
We may have written off the Bulls too soon. Another good defensive performance against the reeling Express, and the Bulls are at .500. Steve Young again struggled, with 0 scores and 3 Ints. Chris Miller had a better day, throwing for 2 scores and no picks.
TBY 19 ARZ 14
Robbie Bosco returns, but looks rusty, and James Wilder can only muster 43 yards for the Wranglers. Tampa relied on backup HB Lars Tate, who outgained starter Gary Anderson despite having 10 fewer carries. Add two Aikman to Truvillion scoring throws and Tampa now finds itself at 7-3.
BIR 22 DEN 14
In a battle of division leaders and defensive stalwarts, Birmingham gets the better of Denver at Mile High. The combo of Cribbs and Fullwood outgained the Sydney-Smith duo 101 yards to 71 to power the Stallions. Two Denver fumbles and a safety for the Stallion D helped Birmingham get the edge and the win.
ORL 42 POR 18
Another blowout loss proves to be the last for Coach Patera (see below) as Orlando just runs wild over the punchless Thunder. Reggie Collier throws for 4 scores and Curtis Bledsoe rushes for 153 and two touchdowns as the Renegades just manhandle Portland’s defense.
NJ 10 MGN 14
In a season-changing blow, the Generals sack Jack Trudeau early in the game and may cost him the rest of the season. With Mark Hermann at the helm, the Panthers still manage to score two early touchdowns to build a 14-0 lead and their defense simply does not let New Jersey fight back. A big win for Michigan, but a very costly one.
WSH 14 CHI 27
Washington again comes up short and Chicago evens their record at 5-5 with a home victory. The Machine were humming, accumulating 423 yards of offense, including Albert Bentley’s first 100-yard game in over 2 years. Chuck Long also completed 74% of his passes as Chicago controlled the clock for 35+ minutes of the game.
BAL 27 HOU 24 OVERTIME
Houston stakes a 24-10 lead after 3, but the Blitz come storming back in the 4th as Eric Kramer tosses two late touchdowns to send the game to overtime. In the extra period Coach Schottenheimer trusts his kicker and Luis Zendejas just edges a 57 yarder over the crossbar to give Baltimore a come-from-behind victory and get them right back in the Atlantic Division hunt.
PIT 23 TEX 28
Williams to little-used rookie FB Undra Johnson in the 4th gives Texas the win in a game where Stump Mitchell outgaines Mike Rozier 104 to 65 and Williams tosses three touchdowns. Pittsburgh had a chance to win, but a drop by Raynard Brown in the endzone with 17 seconds left preserved the win for the home team.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Philadelphia Stars 30 New Orleans Breakers 34
Don’t look now but the Breakers have won four in a row and it would appear that their offense has found its groove. New Orleans outgains Philadelphia 407-276 as the combo of Dupree and Hilliard gain 113, with each scoring on the day. Philadelphia hangs tough however, and it comes down to a 2-minute drill by Matt Robinson to win the day.
The first half of this game saw both teams move the ball well, with Philadelphia getting two early scores, one each from Mike Quick and Quinn Early. New Orleans countered with a DuPree TD run and 2 Mazzetti field goals. The game was even at the break as Philadelphia’s David Trout got two scoring tries while Robinson hit the reliable Nolan Franz for a last second TD before the half. 20-20 in an exciting first half.
Things calmed down a little in the second half, as the defenses began to gain their footing. A 3rd quarter interception by Stars safety Todd Bowles turned into 7 points for the Stars, but was equaled by Dalton Hilliard’s 12 yard TD run to end the 3rd at 27-27. In the final quarter Philly went up on a Trout field goal, but New Orleans used the 4 minute drill perfectly, killing clock and driving the length of the field for the eventual game winner. Franz’s touchdown with 1:27 left in the game gave Philly time to try to score the win, but the Stars could not muster the offense needed and the game ended on a hail mary that fell harmlessly to the turf at the Breaker’s 10 yard line.
The win moves New Orleans to 6-4 and only 2 games behind the now suspect Michigan Panthers. For Philadelphia, their 3-7 record, while certainly not good, is still only 1.5 games out of first place in an Atlantic Division in which no team has a winning record after 10 weeks.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
It feels almost unfair to once again give the POTW to players who faced the Portland Thunder defense. It seems clear that Portland is simply not on a par with the other teams in the league and their defense is frequently overmatched and overwhelmed. But, even so, the combination day that Reggie Collier and Curtis Bledsoe had should be acknowledged. Collier threw for 279 yards and 4 scores on the day while Bledsoe had his best day of the year, rushing for 153 yards on only 21 carries, and also found the endzone twice. The Renegades, who began the season 1-4, have now won 5 in a row, and are edging closer to a possible Wild Card slot. With the Atlantic Division looking like only one team will reach playoff contention, that leaves 3 Wild Cards in play for the Southern Division, a division where all 5 teams are at or above .500. Orlando has come close to playoff contention the last 2 seasons, but if they can keep up their solid play on both sides of the ball, this looks like a year when they can get over the hump and play a 17th game.
NEWS & NOTES
Another week, another crushing defeat for the Portland Thunder, and the decision we all expected to come at some point has come early. Portland’s ownership group, led by Nike Sporting Goods CEO Phil Knight, simply could not continue to watch their franchise become a joke. Coach Jack Patera has not been able to mold the roster into a viable team, leading Portland to a 3-23 record and on pace to boast the worst defense in the USFL’s short history. Knight and the front office had seen enough. They released Patera on Monday, named Special Teams coach Rusty Tillman as the interim Head Coach, and will begin the search for a new coach for 1990 immediately.
Tillman inherits an 0-10 squad that has a real shot at going winless for the year. He also inherits a QB room that has absolutely no confidence, as veterans Ed Luther and Craig Penrose and 2nd year former starter Kerwin Bell seem unable to rally the offense. Likewise on defense, the few solid performers on the team, DE Roland Putzier and veteran LB Mike Weddington, are publicly venting frustration that there is not a winning attitude on their side of the ball. It is, quite honestly, a mess up in Portland.
Tillman is expected to put Kerwin Bell back under center, but with only modest production from the run game and event talented receivers like Flipper Anderson and Aubrey Matthews seemingly out of synch with Bell all year, there is not much hope that the Thunder can turn things around. To improve the Thunder are going to need to hit free agency hard, make solid draft picks, and find a new leader who can change the culture of the team, because they are starting behind the eight ball. We have seen expansion teams rise quickly in the USFL, but Portland looks like they are going to need time, investment, and new leadership to get there.
INJURY REPORT
Jack Trudeau becomes the second offensive standout lost by the Panthers in 2 weeks as their surprisingly strong season may be in jeopardy. Following HB John Williams’s season-ending hip injury last week, Trudeau’s torn MCL on only the 2nd play from scrimmage this week leaves Michigan with major challenges if they want to hold on to their lead in the Central Division. Houston is one of the teams chasing Michigan, but they too suffered a setback as their star 2nd year HB Thurman Thomas will miss at least 2-3 games after landing awkwardly on his right wrist in their loss this week. Backup Keith Woodside will be expected to step up.
Orlando’s big win this week did not come without some setbacks, most notably the loss of wideout Alfred Jackson for at least 4-6 weeks with a partially torn ACL, while New Jersey’s offense will be without J.J. Birden for at least the next 2 weeks with a high ankle sprain. Oakland got a scare when their top back, Richard Williams went out looking very woozy after a big hit on Sunday, but Williams has been cleared to play this week. Also returning to action are LA strong safety Al Burleson, Birmingham WR Clarence Collins, and Houston wideout Ricky Sanders.
LOOKING AHEAD
Week Eleven has cross country matchups as the 5 Pacific teams face the Atlantic division. Likewise the Central Division will travel to face Southern Division foes. Portland tries to get their first win at slumping Washington, while Oakland and Baltimore are both hoping they are still in the playoff hunt. LA and Pittsburgh, both 3-7, try to turn things around with a win this week. Arizona faces Philly at Veteran’s Stadium, and in a battle of division leaders, Denver is in the Meadowlands to face the Generals.
Some great matchups as well as the two strongest divisions in the league battle. Texas will be in Tampa to face Troy Aikman and the Bandits while New Orleans has a regional rivalry game in Birmingham. Michigan, now trying to build a new offense, is in Orlando to face the Renegades, while Chicago heads south to face the Memphis Showboats at the Liberty Bowl. Finally, Houston and Jacksonville, both 5-5, seek to get on the winning side of the standings and gain ground in the hunt for a playoff spot.