SCORES
BAL 17 MEM 33
In the spotlight game of the week Memphis wins convincingly over the Blitz to move to 4-0 despite losing QB Mike Kelley early in the 2nd quarter. Walter Lewis came in and showed he still has it, completing 71% of his passes for 221 yards. Memphis’s D also lended a hand, shutting down the Blitz run game (13 total yards on the ground for the Blitz).
NJ 19 ORL 31
Orlando scored their first win of the year, thanks in part to a defense that caused 2 turnovers, sacked Doug Flutie 3 times, intercepted him twice and held Herschel Walker to 77 yards on the day. Despite being outgained by New Jersey 443-296, the Renegades were able to build a 24-10 lead and hold on for the 31-19 win.
PHI 20 TBY 38
It was a battle between a team that is rebuilding and one which may just now be realizing they need to do the same. Philadelphia, playing without an injured Kelvin Bryant, could not muster a ground game, while Tampa rookie QB Troy Aikman had his best game of the young season, going 26 for 40 and 314 yards. He did throw 3 interceptions, which kept Philly in the game, otherwise this would have gotten ugly.
PIT 14 BIR 24
Birmingham used an enthusiastic home crowd to carry them to a second straight victory. While Pittsburgh’s D held Joe Cribbs in check (only 56 yards on 26 carries), Cliff Stoudt took advantage of their focus on the run to throw for 289 yards and 2 scores.
CHI 31 LA 21
Chicago had their best offensive performance of the season as Chuck Long threw for 3 scores and Albert Bentley saw a lot of action, getting the ball 11 times and taking it for 64 yards. Bentley also caught a ball for a score as Chicago found ways to defuse the LA defensive pressure. LA got 104 yards from Christian Okoye, but it was not enough as they simply could not keep pace.
HOU 20 OAK 33
Oakland made a statement that they may just be legit at 3-1 by beating the defending champs this week. Gale Gilbert played mistake-free ball, using throw-aways instead of forcing balls, and that kept Oakland from giving Houston a short field. The Oakland D, led by CB Tory Nixon’s 2 interceptions of Jim Kelly and LB Ken Harvey’s 6 tackles, made Kelly uncomfortable all day as the Invaders get a big win on their path to legitimacy.
MGN 48 POR 19
When an undefeated team faces a winless team it goes one of two ways, either the better team gets lazy and the two stay close, or the records reflect each team’s quality. The latter happened in this game, where Jack Trudeau had a field day against a pretty threadbare Portland D. Trudeau went 20 for 33 for 400 yards and threw 5 touchdowns, including two each to Carter and Halloway.
NOR 31 ARZ 14
New Orleans got back to their winning ways as their offense returned against the Wranglers. The Breakers jumped out to a 21-7 lead and kept the pressure on as Matt Robinson threw for 284 and Marcus Dupree eclipsed the 100-yard mark with 105 yards on only 12 carries.
TEX 21 DEN 37
Texas played well early, as both teams combined for 28 points in the 1st quarter, but could not keep up the pace as Denver’s defense started to clamp down. Denver scored the final 20 points in the game over the course of the final 20 minutes of action, including a Timmy Smith TD run and a Bill Brooks reception to leave Texas in Denver’s dust.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Washington Federals 14 Jacksonville Bulls 21
In a week which did not see a lot of close contests, Jacksonville’s comeback from a 14-0 deficit was the best drama of the weekend. Washington started strong, with Don Majkowski finding TE Mark Bavaro for two scores and by the midpoint of the 2nd quarter it all seemed to be going the Federals’ way. But, momentum is a tricky thing. A shanked punt and a good return from Jacksonville gave the Bulls solid field position as the 2nd quarter was winding down, and they capitalized, scoring on a Miller to Gary Clark pass to reanimate the home crowd and turn the tide.
The second half was a back and forth battle of field position, with both teams trading punts throughout much of the half. It was not until 5:37 that Jacksonville equalized the score when Miller hit former Steeler Weegie Thompson on a 12 yard TD score. The Bulls were now energized and a quick 3-and-out by Washington meant that they would get the ball back with just over 2 minutes to go.
But Washington was intent on holding the line, and after two incompletions, cornerback Eric Thomas knocked the ball out of the hands of Hassan Jones on 3rd and 10 and it looked like the Bulls would have to punt. But, there was a yellow flag on the field. Washington was called for defensive holding on Gary Clark, away from Miller’s throw, but the penalty gave Jacksonville new life.
The Bulls’ very next play was a simple screen to George Adams, but sometimes a simple play becomes a big play, and when Adams stiff-armed the safety he was off to the races. A big assist from Jones on a downfield block cleared the path and Adams scampered into the endzone 60 yards later to give the Bulls a 21-14 lead with ony 1:07 left in the game. The Federals tried to advance the ball, but time was their enemy, and with no time outs, a desperation heave from Majkowski into the endzone fell harmlessly to the ground, giving Jacksonville their 2nd win on the year.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
Let’s be honest, Jack Trudeau has caught a lot of heat from Michigan fans simply for the fact that he is not named Bobby Hebert. True, the Panthers have not been the same since Hebert left, but Trudeau has had more than his fair share of solid games, certainly enough to hold onto the starting job for the Panthers. If this week’s game is any indication, Trudeau may be ready to take the center stage and lead the Panthers back to their former glory. His arm does not have the snap that Hebert’s did, but that did not stop him from throwing for 400 yards on the day, finding both Carter and Holloway for two scores each, and moving to the top of the QB Ratings. This season he has thrown 11 touchdowns to only 1 interception and it looks like he has found a rhythm with his All-USFL receivers. So, let’s acknowledge that while it is hard to replace a legend, Jack Trudeau is doing his part to make Michigan a contender again.
NEWS & NOTES
We are one quarter of the way through the season, and we have some surprises around the league, but we also have some teams that are desperate to turn things around. 0-4 Philly, 0-4 Portland, 1-3 Washington, Orlando and LA need to find fixes, and we are here to help. Knowing that there are a lot of players on the last year’s of their contracts, now might be a great time for some of these teams to work out a sign-and-trade deal or two with some fellow USFL clubs who may not be able to afford key star players. Here are our Top 5 Proposed Trades that we would execute if we were in each team’s front office.
PHILADELPHIA: Trade HB Steve Howell and a draft pick to Chicago for LB Clay Matthews.
Philly needs leadership on defense after the retirement of Sam Mills. Matthews would bring both experience and a ton of talent to the Philly linebacking corps. Chicago needs backs and Philly has a solid roster behind Kelvin Bryant to offer. Howell was a starting back in this league and still has gas in the tank to help Chicago’s run game.
PORTLAND: Trade Willie “Flipper” Anderson to Memphis for QB Walt Lewis
Yes, Portland needs to figure out how to play defense, and that should be a focus for them, but it seems clear that neither Craig Penrose or Kerwin Bell is getting it done for the Thunder. Memphis still relies too heavily on the ageless Mel Gray, and need some speed around him to help Mike Kelley. With Aubrey Matthews, Gerald McNeil and rookie Hart Lee Dykes, the Thunder can afford to send off Anderson if it settles their QB situation, and as we saw this week, Walt Lewis can still play this game.
ORLANDO: Trade DE Cedric Hardman to Texas for HB Scott Stamper.
Curtis Bledsoe is just not doing what is needed for the Renegades, averaging a paltry 2.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile Texas is solid at linebacker and in the defensive backfield, but lacks pass rush ability. This trade would help both teams fix a glaring weakness.
WASHINGTON: Trade CB Eric Thomas to LA for SS Chuck Cecil.
Washington has depth at corner but their defense lacks an intimidation factor. Cecil provides that in spades, but is not the best in LA’s zone coverage scheme. By sending a top flight cornerback to LA, the Feds could get the big hitter they need and LA could play more man-to-man with a clear #2 corner to line up opposite Raphel Cherry.
LOS ANGELES: Trade LB Niko Noga to Tampa Bay for HB Speedy Neal.
While breaking up a very solid LB corps in LA may seem like a risky move, the Express have the depth to afford a loss like the one proposed here. But with Christian Okoye as their primary back, the Express offense has a hard time engaging running backs in their pass game. They could use a scatback like Neal to balance out their offense and create more dump-off options for Steve Young. Tampa, whose defense has been hit-or-miss for a couple of years could benefit from an athletic and savvy vet on the squad.
INJURY REPORT
It is relatively easy work for a GM to know what to do when a player has a season-ending injury, and not all that complex when they are out for a week or 2, but when you get a diagnosis that will lead a player to miss between 4-8 weeks, you have some tough decisions. Put them on IR and they are gone for the year. Hold them on your roster and you have dead space there, plus you have to find a replacement or hope you already had adequate depth. It is a tough balancing act, but one that several teams are now playing. Washington has to look at their O-line and decide if they can wait 6-8 weeks for Jim Lachey to return at tackle. New Jersey is still trying to figure out what to do with Gary Barbaro’s injury. Birmingham is up in the air with CB Kenneth Howard’s sprained knee, and Philadelphia LB Frank Stams could be back in 2 weeks or not for over a month.
For other teams the news is more positive. Memphis QB Mike Kelley was knocked out of this week’s game but is expected back for Week 5. New Jersey should have WR Steve Schwedes back after he dislocated his index finger in the game this week. Baltimore Safety Dave Dumars is listed as probable and should play for the first time since week one, and New Orleans’s best CB Terry Daniels had a concussion scare, but has been cleared to play this week.
LOOKING AHEAD
Back to divisional play in Week 5, with some early clashes that could shape the seasons ahead for several teams. Baltimore is in Pittsburgh hoping to avoid a second straight loss, while 2-2 New Jersey is visiting 1-3 Washington. The Stallions are hoping to top .500 with a win in Orlando, while Jacksonville and Tampa renew their rivalry at the big sombrero. Arizona has a key matchup at Denver while Oakland hopes to get a win to move to 4-1 as they face the winless Thunder. Chicago will try to prove they are legit by stealing a win from the Gamblers in Houston, while New Orleans faces the Outlaws in San Marcos. Outside of the divisional play we have two games that looked better before the season started. 4-0 Michigan faces their long time rival Philadelphia, who are still winless at 0-4, while 4-0 Memphis hosts the surprisingly 1-3 LA Express at the Liberty Bowl.