SCORES
PIT 26 BAL 3
In a battle of backups, the Maulers’ Jeff Hostetler looked a lot sharper than Baltimore’s Eric Kramer, despite Kramer being several weeks into his starting gig. Hostetler completed 73% of his passes, finding Raynard Brown for an early score and leading 6 different scoring drives, while Kramer completed only 41% against the often-porous Pittsburgh D, and tossed two interceptions in the loss.
WSH 3 NJ 17
The Generals took care of business and won the Atlantic Division title with a strong defensive showing at home. Herschel Walker rushed for 98 yards and Flutie hit on 2 TD passes to lead the Generals, but it was the D that completely shut down Washington backup Mike Hohensee and secured the title for the home squad.
ORL 20 BIR 33
The Birmingham Stallions kept on track to win the South by knocking off the Wild Card hopeful Renegades. Joe Cribbs rushed for 118 and a score, while the D contributed with a pick-6 of their own, one of 3 picks thrown by Reggie Collier on the day. Orlando is still in a position to snag a playoff berth but are now out of any range to compete for the division title.
TBY 24 JAX 21
In a back & forth battle, the Bandits ended up on top, knocking Jacksonville from playoff contention and keeping one game behind the division leaders with 2 games to play. Gary Anderson was a beast with 148 yards rushing, while Eric Truvillion also shone with 2 scores and 111 yards receiving.
POR 6 OAK 19
Portland’s D played a respectable game, but the Ed Luther led Thunder offense simply could not get much done in Oakland. The Invaders, starting Jeff Kemp again as Gale Gilbert continues to struggle with his health, were hardly dynamic, but 2 touchdowns from Richard Williams were more than enough to lead the Invaders to victory and a possible playoff spot.
HOU 20 CHI 17
Houston burst out to a strong 17-0 lead and then held on as Chuck Long tried to lead the Machine back. A later Dave Jacobs field goal kept Houston in front, but it was not an easy win for them against a Machine club that outgained the Gamblers. With the win, Houston moves closer to a playoff return after a very shacky season so far.
TEX 23 NOR 33
New Orleans continues to show that their offensive rhythm is back, gaining 413 yards of total offense, largely on the legs of DuPree and Hilliard who rushed for a combined 181 yards. Texas kept pace through three quarters but could never get closer than a 7-point deficit as New Orleans kept the pressure on throughout the game with timely scoring drives.
PHI 13 LA 17
The Express keep their slim playoff hopes alive, despite Steve Young going down with a 4th quarter injury that could cost him the next 2 vital weeks. LA’s defense came up big, limiting Kelvin Bryant to only 42 yards on 19 rushes, and picking off Chuck Fusina twice. Christian Okoye rumbled for 103 yards to help LA pull out a close win.
MEM 42 MGN 23
Mark Hermann played well for the Panthers, despite being sacked a stunning 10 times on the day, a USFL record. Despite the constant pressure, Hermann threw for 3 touchdowns and no picks, but without John Williams the Panther run game just was not there. The same cannot be said for Memphis. Greg Boone may have only had 75 yards rushing, but he added 4 touchdowns on the day, single handedly outscoring the Panthers. Add in TD catches from Mel Gray and Tim Moffett and this one got out of hand pretty quickly.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Denver Gold 24 Arizona Wranglers 19
Denver found themselves behind the 8-ball once again, down 9 to start the 4th, but once again they found the internal drive to fight back and pull out a much-needed win. Trailing 19-10 with one quarter to play, the gold got a Harry Sydney run and a Bill Brooks TD catch in the final 6 minutes to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The loss eliminates Arizona from playoff contention. For Denver, they still find themselves in a heated battle with Oakland for the division title.
The game began well for Arizona as the defense chipped in a safety after a botched snap rolled into the endzone and Bob Gagliano could do nothing but fall on it, giving the Wranglers 2 points. Denver would get back on top, putting 10 points on the board in the 2nd, but Arizona was also game, as Robbie Bosco hit Trumaine Johnson in the 2-minute drill to produce a 10-9 Denver lead at the half.
In the second half, Arizona played the field position game, and it paid off with a Mick Luckhurst field goal and a James Wilder run helping them move from 10-9 down to a 19-10 lead. They seemed to have the game well in hand, killing off 8 minutes in the 4th quarter, only to end a drive with a missed fieldgoal.
Denver built momentum off the miss, marching down field and using a no-huddle approach to save time. The strategy worked, and with 6:52 left in the game, Denver got to within 2 on the 7-yard Harry Sydney TD run. They would hold Arizona on the next drive and took over with just over 2:30 left in the game.
Once again Denver found holes in the Arizona defense. Bob Gagliano wisely threw the ball away on a 2nd and 10 rather than take the sack, and on 3rd and 10 he found Jay Novacek for a first down in the series most pivotal play. 3 plays later it was Gagliano to Brooks for the score and Denver was up by 5. With just under 2 minutes left, and no time outs, Arizona had to try to go 76 yards for the score. Denver allowed them short passes, primarily in the middle of the field, and the clock kept ticking. When Bosco spiked the ball with 2 seconds left, Arizona was on the Denver 44, and the Hail Mary remained the only option. Denver put in 7 DB’s (including putting Bill Brooks in the game as a deep safety) and while Bosco’s pass made it into the endzone, it was quickly swatted down by Denver defenders, ending the game with a Gold victory.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
While there were lots of individual accolades this week, with Gary Anderson winning Offensive Player of the Week from the AP, we are giving our focus this week to the performance of the Memphis defense, particularly the pass rush. We all expect some pressure from the DE combo of Reggie White and Booker Reese, but what Memphis did this week was special, and we expect, horrifying for poor Mark Hermann. Memphis, recognizing that certain blitzes would work to bottle up HB Vince Workman as well as pressure Hermann, brought pressure from linebackers and safeties in addition to their usual 4-man rush with Reese and White.
The result was a stunning 10 sacks on the day, along with 6 other hits on Hermann. Reese recorded 3 sacks, more than doubling his year-to-date total of 2. Reggie White got 2, boosting his total for the year to 14 (one behind the league leader). In addition to these five, there were sacks recorded by LB’s Mike Douglass and Mike Junkin, FS Bubba McDowell, CB Derrick Cudrup and backup DE Gerald Robinson. It was a showcase of schemes, stunts, and blitzes that bewildered the Michigan offensive line and flustered Coach Stanley. That Memphis, who rarely blitzed in earlier games, found such success even with Anthony Carter, Derrick Holloway and Butch Rolle on the field, may inspire them to bring out the high-pressure, blitz-heavy strategy in future games, including the playoffs. If this game is any indication, that may be their ticket to a deep playoff run.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
Speaking of playoff runs, we are finally getting some sense of what to expect. New Jersey has clinched the Atlantic Division title and will host the highest rated Wild Card team in the second week of the playoffs. In the South, it is down to a 3-team race, with Tampa waiting in the wings if either Birmingham or Memphis stumble. The Division winner will almost certainly have the #1 seed and will face the weaker 4th or 5th seed after the Wild Card round. The 2nd place finisher will be off to New Jersey for their divisional round game.
In the Pacific it is also a lot clearer, with Denver a game up on Oakland. Only a 2-game flip will give Oakland the division. If they tie, Denver has the better division record and would take the title. LA is now in the hunt for a Wild Card but need a lot of help from Central Division teams ahead of them in the rankings. In the Central, Michigan’s 3-game slide since losing Jack Trudeau has allowed New Orleans to pull even, and with Houston and Texas only a game back, the Panthers’ prospects are slipping away. All 5 teams remain in contention, and it is possible, though unlikely, that all 3 Wild Cards could go to the Central if Oakland stumbles.
NEWS & NOTES
There is a lot happening in the league this time of year, with teams jockeying for playoff berths, teams testing out younger players, player resignings coming down to the wire before the season ends and the NFL can swoop in, and with the upcoming transition from Chet Simmons to Wayne Duke as commissioner. But, the business of the USFL never stops either, and this week the league office and outgoing commissioner Chet Simmons made an announcement that is sure to thrill younger fans of the league. The USFL is getting into the video game business.
The Japanese company Tecmo, the USFL, and the USFL Players Association, have agreed on terms which will allow the popular arcade and Nintendo home gaming system product, Tecmo Bowl, to now feature all 20 USFL teams, with current players. The game made popular in its arcade version, but now available on the Nintendo gaming system for home use, will feature team logos, uniforms (in a basic form) and players. Gamers will be able to play individual games with USFL teams or play out an entire season with their favorite club. It is expected that TECMO will release a modified version of the game with the USFL branding in time for the 1989 Christmas season and the 1990 USFL season. The timing is likely to mean that 1989 draftees will not be present in the game, but veterans like Kelvin Bryant, Doug Flutie, Steve Young and Joe Cribbs could soon see a version of themselves in the game.
At the joint press conference, USFL Commissioner Chet Simmons hailed this as a great collaboration, one that will place the USFL in the hands of millions of young fans, while providing Tecmo with a real-world connection for its popular game. Simmons suggested that the agreement may lead to annual versions of the game to be produced, allowing Tecmo to update rosters and, of course, sell multiple versions of the game over time. The arcade and home arcade markets are expected to grow exponentially over the next few years, with Atari, Mattel’s Intellivision, and Nintendo all anticipating new game systems, and with Tecmo looking to provide a version of this popular game for the new Sega Genesis. That the USFL has signed on with the leading American Football simulation game is viewed as a huge boost for the league, beating out the NFL into the gaming market.
While it is far too early in the development stage to see visuals of the game with the USFL trademarks, TECMO did have a mockup of a cartridge box on display at the press conference (shown here) and the USFL and Tecmo announced that they have worked with ABC and ESPN to utilize Tecmo-styled imagery in 1989 playoff game telecasts as an early marketing campaign for the new USFL Tecmo Bowl. With the USFL expected to redub their Championship Game for the 1990 season, one now has to wonder whether this agreement may lead the USFL to hold their own “real world” Tecmo Bowl next year.
LOOKING AHEAD
Week 15 could determine a lot of playoff outcomes as the USFL is back with 8 divisional matchups. New Jersey could still catch the Southern Division Winner if they win out, so don’t expect them to rest their starters against Pittsburgh. Washington and Philadelphia may test out some young talent as they play out the string with this game at Veterans Stadium. Orlando looks to keep their playoff hopes alive as they take on the 5th place Bulls in Jacksonville. In a huge matchup, Tampa can knock off one of the two teams ahead of them with a big game at Memphis, but now have to worry about that blitzing defense. In the Central, New Orleans will try to get past Chicago and one step closer to the division title. Houston and Michigan will also face off in a matchup of possible wild cards, though the title is not out of range for either.
Oakland heads to Arizona needing a win to keep pace with the Gold. Denver is at home, where they have been very good again this year, but the LA Express are playing better ball right now. The big question is whether or not Steve Young will be able to play, and if not, can rookie Rodney Peete step in? In inter-divisional play Texas hopes they can snag a road win against the now-eliminated Baltimore Blitz, while Portland may play sacrificial lamb to the 10-4 Birmingham Stallions.