SCORES
BIR 16 BAL 13
Baltimore’s sweet start has turned sour as the Blitz not only lose their 4th in a row, but also lose Vince Evans for the year. Evans suffered a torn ACL in the game against Birmingham and his season, perhaps his entire career, may have ended Sunday. Eric Kramer came in and played well (20 of 35 for 193 yards), but the Blitz fell short again as Birmingham kicked 3 field goals in the 4th quarter.
JAX 28 NJ 21
Another 4th quarter collapse saw New Jersey lose a 21-13 lead in the most disastrous way possible. George Adams scored with 1:11 to go and with a 2-point conversion, Jacksonville tied the game. New Jersey tried to counter but on his 2nd play of their hurry-up drive, Doug Flutie did not see Bulls LB Paul McGown had dropped into coverage. McGown slid in front of the receiver, grabbed the errant pass, and returned it 27 yards for the winning score.
MEM 17 PHI 12
The Stars were unable to find the endzone against the Memphis D, and Mike Kelley got help from his 2-headed HB combo of Boone and Jordan to do just enough to pull out the road victory. Philly’s Kelvin Bryant was the motor for the Stars, gaining 126 on 22 carries, but the Stars offense fizzled in the red zone, forcing them to rely on David Trout for all 12 points, which was not enough to counter two Mike Kelley TD passes.
ORL 28 PIT 13
Orlando got a big day from Curtis Bledsoe (115 yds and a TD) to outpace the Maulers despite a solid 20 of 28 throwing for Alan Risher and 122 yards from Mike Rozier. Two key sacks from LB Winston Moss helped Orlando keep the pressure on Risher and keep Pittsburgh out of the endzone.
ARZ 14 CHI 49
What happened to the Wranglers? Well, injuries seems to be the answer. Without Robbie Bosco or James Wilder, the Wrangler offense managed only 219 total yards (only 41 rushing) to Chicago’s 456. Albert Bentley rushed for only 36 yards for Chicago (2nd behind Jamie Morris’s 65) but scored 3 times against the Wranglers D. Add in three Wrangler TD’s and you get the biggest score in Chicago Machine history.
DEN 30 HOU 27
Another classic between these Western Conference rivals, as Denver gets a late Bill Brooks TD and a game ending Brian Speelman FG in the 4th to upend the homestanding Gamblers. Harry Sydney had one of his best games in recent memory, rushing 21 times for 133 yards and the Gold D limited Thurman Thomas to only 99 combined yards from scrimmage as the two heavyweights engaged in a see-saw scoring battle.
LA 18 MGN 21
The Express came up just short, as did kicker Scott Olivera on a last second field goal attempt to tie the game. Michigan, playing without the dinged up Anthony Carter, got contributions from TE Butch Rolle, HB Vince Workman and a final TD from John Williams to upend the Express.
OAK 15 NOR 23
Injuries also held the Oakland Invaders back, as little-used 3rd QB Tim Koegel got the start with both Gilbert and Kemp unable to play. New Orleans took advantage, sacking the unsure Koegel 5 times and picking off two passes, including Joe Restic’s 43 yard pick-six, on their way to a 4-0 turnover victory and an 8-point win.
POR 25 TEX 26
Portland started veteran Ed Luther and nearly pulled off the big win in El Paso as the Thunder fell to a Nick Mike-Myer field goal with only seconds left. Luther threw for 281 and 2 scores on the day, but it was not enough as Doug Williams (25 for 38 for 312 yards) rallied the Outlaws and moved the ball down to the 12 yard line to allow Mike-Myer to win the day for the home team, playing their annual game outside of San Marcos in front of 31,200 in El Paso’s Sun Bowl.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Tampa Bay Bandits 31 Washington Federals 30
Troy Aikman had a game MVP performance against the struggling Federals defense, leading the Bandits to the win with only seconds left. In a game that Washington led since the early moments, Tampa would not go away, and in the end it was Aikman to Collinsworth for the win.
Washington started off the scoring on a Craig James 5 yard swing pass from Majkowski midway through the 1st. James, who had 102 on the ground, also caught 4 balls for 23 yards and this score. But, Tampa would answer, as Aikman led the Bandits down the field quickly, hitting Eric Truvillion for a game-tying score. As the first quarter ended, Washington once again used James, this time on the ground, to go up by 7 once again.
The 2nd quarter began with a Ray Wersching field goal to boost the Federals’ lead to 17-7, but once again Tampa retaliated, this time with Lars Tate catching a screen pass from Aikman and scoring from 7 yards out. The Bandits would add three more points with a Benny Ricardo field goal to close out the half tied at 17.
Washington would win the 3rd quarter, scoring twice, another Wersching field goal and a Majkowski to Slaughter 13 yard scoring toss. The Feds were once again up by 10 at 27-17. But, once again Tampa would be up for the challenge. Aikman found Gary Anderson on a simple swing pattern, but Anderson avoided the tackle and wove his way for 22 yards and the score to pull within 3. Washington would build the lead back up to 6 at 30-24 with another Ray Wersching field goal just before the 2-minute warning, but this left too much time on the clock for Tampa Bay and Troy Aikman.
With 2 time outs left, and with Aikman using the sideline effectively, the Bandits were able to move the ball well into Feds territory, and with 29 seconds left on the clock, Aikman found Chris Collinsworth with just enough space in the endzone to thread the needle and put 6 on the board. With Ricardo’s extra point the Bandits took their first lead of the day and the Federals once again fell back into a familiar position of disappointment. There simply was not enough time left for Majkowski to show some magic and get the Feds into field goal range. Tampa won their 4th of the year and Washington fell to 2-5.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
Troy Aikman is quickly putting his stamp on the Bandits and his bid in on the Rookie of the Year Award. The Class of 1989 overall is not yet proving to have much immediate impact, with the possible exceptions of Aikman,his teammate Keith DeLong (7 sacks) and Denver LB John Roper (also 7 sacks). Robert Drummond has been pedestrian for Portland, as has WR Hart Lee Dykes, and few others have had a chance to shine yet. Meanwhile, Aikman has thrown for over 1900 yards and 10 touchdowns and has Tampa poised to contend for the Southern Division crown.
In a year when many expected Steve Spurrier to have to reinvent the Banditball philosophy, the move to trade with Los Angeles and acquire Aikman has proven to provide immediate results and help offset the loss of John Reaves to retirement. Aikman has been poised, accurate, and resourceful in helping Tampa build up a 4-3 record. If the Bandits D could find the same steadiness the Bandits could be right there with Memphis and Birmingham at 5-2. In this game, the rookie played like a savvy veteran, despite never having the lead all day, the Bandits hung in the game, Aikman took advantage of opportunities, and when the pressure was on to produce in the 2-minute drill, he was sharp, driving the Bandits to the winning score. Things are looking up in Tampa, and the front office has to be over the moon that their gambit to acquire Aikman is paying immediate dividends.
NEWS & NOTES
No more notable free agent signings this week, but potential danger in another sphere as it appears that NFL teams are openly reaching out to some of the USFL’s top coaches with potential offers. There were 7 Head Coach openings in the NFL after their version of Black Monday, and with several teams still seeking a coach, eyes have turned to the USFL. The 3-13 New Orleans Saints are one squad still hoping to sign a proven winner, while the 4-11-1 Chiefs and the 2-14 Dallas Cowboys are also in the hunt.
The release of longtime Cowboy coach Tom Landry by new owner Jerry Jones has many upset in Dallas, and some are wondering if a move up the highway by Jack Pardee may be Jones’s best option to offset the fan ire. New Orleans has reportedly been in discussions with both Tampa’s Steve Spurrier and Philadelphia’s 2-time Championship coach Jim Mora, while Kansas City has made inquiries about Michigan head man Jim Stanley. One NFL team has already jumped on the USFL bandwagon, as the Buffalo Bills hired former Baltimore head man Marv Levy as their Assistant Head Coach for the 1988 season, made him interim coach when they fired Hank Bullough after a 2-7 start, and now have named Levy the full-time head coach of the Bills.
While Spurrier, Pardee and Stanley are coming up on the end of their contracts, the mention of Mora in the group is troubling as the Philadelphia coach has a year left on his contract with the Stars. He could resign, but if he does so to join the NFL, there would almost certainly be claims of tampering from the spring league to their fall rivals. All this is happening at a time when it is well-known that the NFL is seeking to poach players from the deep pool of USFL free agents soon to become available. It is a tense time between the two leagues, one that could lead to significant offseason chaos for the 7-year old USFL.
INJURY REPORT
While Vince Evan’s ACL tear was certainly the news of the day around the league this past Sunday, his injury was not the only blow dealt to USFL squads. Pittsburgh DE John Bosa will miss at least 6 weeks with a back injury suffered in a dogpile this week, while Jacksonville guard Duval Love suffered a stress fracture in his right foot which could cost him a month. Houston wideout Ernie Jones has a hairline fracture to his collarbone, but could be back in 2-3 weeks, while fellow receiver Ricky Sanders could also miss this week after suffering a broken finger. Hard to catch those Jim Kelly fireballs with a gimpy finger.
Expected back in action this week are Oakland QB Gale Gilbert, Philly CB Lorenzo Lynch, Memphis DT Curtis Maxey, Arizona HB James Wilder and QB Robbie Bosco. Also back after being pulled last week are New Jersey LB Chris Spielman, LA wideout Robb Thomas, and New Orleans HB Marcus Dupree.
LOOKING AHEAD
As we approach the midpoint of the season, we have a lot of key races in each division, and this week’s lineup of divisional games will go a long way to setting the tone for the second half. Baltimore, losers of 4 straight, still have a chance to remain in the hunt if they can knock off New Jersey (4-3) at home. Pittsburgh, likewise can even their record at 4-4, but must beat Philadelphia in Philadelphia to do it. A resurgent Jacksonville squad (3-4) has a chance to make a statement at Birmingham (5-2), and Orlando cand do the same if they can knock off Memphis in the Liberty Bowl.
Texas and Chicago are hoping to stay relevant with a win this week in Soldier Field, while New Orleans, surprised to already be 3 games behind the Panthers, can edge closer if they can beat Michigan in the Silverdome. Oakland expects to get Gale Gilbert back, and just in time as they face the Express this week. Portland, still seeking their first win, heads to Arizona, where the Wranglers D will try to rebound from a horrid performance this week. In Intra-division matchups Houston hopes Washington’s bad luck continues as they visit RFK while Denver hopes to cool off Aikman and the Bandits when they match up at Tampa Stadium.