SCORES
PIT 14 BAL 20
The Blitz got a much-needed divisional win at home by knocking off the Maulers. Tim Spencer outmatched Mike Rozier as the Blitz D held the former Heisman winner to only 2.6 yards per carry. 2nd year receiver Derrick Hill came up big as well, catching 7 balls, including 1 for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. Alan Risher was knocked out of the game in the 2nd quarter and Jeff Hostetler kept Pittsburgh in it with 2 TD tosses, but came up short in the end.
WSH 10 NJ 3
Doug Flutie returned, and expected big things facing off against Washington backup Mike Hohensee, but what we got was a defensive struggle as both teams had difficulty moving the ball. Washington held Herschel Walker to 63 yards rushing while their own combo of Harmon and Jenkins combined for only 75. The big hero on the day was LB Dante Jones, who not only recorded 8 tackles, but a vital strip-sack and fumble recovery as New Jersey was driving to tie the game in the 4th.
ORL 28 BIR 34
In a highly entertaining game at Legion Field the Stallions pulled out a 6-point win while playing without HB Joe Cribbs as Keith Collins returned a Reggie Collier int for a score and Ernest Givens had his best game of the year, catching 6 balls, including a key touchdown. The Renegades kept pace, but three Collier interceptions helped seal the deal for the Stallions.
DEN 17 ARZ 23
A tough game for Gold fans as they watched Bob Gagliano carted off the field with what turned out to be a season-ending injury for the veteran QB. Cody Carlson came in and guided the Gold to a 3rd quarter TD to pull the game within 3, but in the 4th it was all Arizona as they used Clack and James to slow the game down and control the clock.
POR 3 OAK 29
Shades of the old Thunder as Oakland dominated the game from kickoff to final whistle. David Archer had his worst game as a member of the Thunder and the improved Portland D simply did not have an answer for Oakland HB Richard Williams, who used his 156 yards to vault into the league rushing lead. Kim Bokamper had a big game as well, notching 8 tackles and 2 sacks on the day, while Gill Byrd snagged his league leading 4th interception in the Thunder defeat.
HOU 19 CHI 22
A nice game between two teams desperate to pull back into the pack in the Central Division. Chicago came out on top thanks to a final drive TD toss from Chuck Long to Wendell Davis. Long, who finished the day with 273 yards and the Davis TD, kept pace with Jim Kelly who had 224 and one score as well.
TEX 35 NOR 38
The Breakers simply refused to lose in a classic shootout between two of the league’s most dynamic offenses. Matt Robinson’s 277 yards and 4 TD tosses matched Kelly Stouffer’s 336 and 4 TDs as the two teams just could not consistently stop the other. Reggie Cobb gained 102 on his 15 carries, including a rumbling 50 yarder that featured a massive stiff arm to free the back. The combo of Hilliard and Dupree also did well, adding 146 combined rushing yards in the free-for-all battle. Charlie Smith’s 3 TD receptions proved the tipping point for the Breakers as they move to 4-1 on the season.
PHI 17 MGN 7
It was 3-0 Philly as the 3rd quarter ended, but two Fusina TD passes in the 4th helped the Stars to their 4th victory and sent Michigan to their 2nd straight defeat. It was all about pass defense in this one as the two teams combined for 12 sacks (8 by Philly, 4 from the Panther D). Lorenzo Lynch had a season high 5 passes defended, including one which was a sure interception had Lynch been able to stay in bounds along the sideline.
MEM 34 LA 17
The Express were hanging with Memphis until a 21-point explosion in the fourth quarter left LA reeling. Greg Boone scored twice in the final period and a desperate Walter Lewis tossed a killer pick-6 interception to Memphis’s Bubba McDowell to seal the fate of the homestanding Express. Boone finished the day with 104 yards, and Buford Jordan added another 60 as the Memphis offense ran over the frustrated LA D.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Tampa Bay Bandits 25
Jacksonville Bulls 22
Nothing like a good in-state rivalry game to bring out the best in both clubs. Jacksonville was game all day against the highly favored Bandits. They played a solid first half on defense and led at the break 12-3 thanks in part to a rare mistake by Tampa QB Troy Aikman, leading to a safety for the Bulls. But the Bandits would not be contained all day and in the second half Aikman found three different receivers for scores as Tampa roared back and took the 3-point win in front of a split crowd in Jacksonville.
Tampa, as they have done all year, relied on the passing game as the combo of Lars Tate and Speady Neal could only account for 35 yards rushing on 18 carries. Jacksonville had more success on the ground, with James Wilder gaining a respectable 64 yards. Chris Miller, who guided the Bulls for the first half, despite completing only 37% of his passes, came up lame, with a sprained ankle, in the 2nd half, leading to the entrance of veteran Tony Eason to the game. Eason completed just over 45% of his passes against a solid Tampa D, but did find Jim Riggs for a TD to keep the game close.
In the end, however, Tampa was just too much, and when Troy Aikman hit Brett Perriman on a short TD pass, and Tampa secured the 2 point play to follow, Jacksonville just did not have enough left to mount a final comeback drive.
With the win Tampa moves to 3-2, and finds themselves in a 3-way tie for first with Memphis and Orlando, while Jacksonville, at 0-5, is the lone winless team left in the league. The question now becomes one of continuity for the Bulls. Will they give Miller the next start or did Tony Eason earn a chance at the starting job?
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
We are giving this weeks POTW to the resurgent Philadelphia Stars defense. Buoyed by the arrival of talented rookies John Jurkovic and Andre Collins, and with veteran leaders like Jumpy Geathers, Eric McMillian and Frank Stams, the Stars defense has helped the squad return to its playoff form after a rough 1989 campaign. Against the Panthers, the Stars D was the best squad on the field, dominating the line of scrimmage and forcing Jack Trudeau ton continuously throw the ball away. Trudeau would finish with only a 41% completion rate and only 130 yards passing. T
he run defense was equally as dominant, holding John Williams and Vince Workman in check all game. Michigan would finish with a meager 149 yards of total offense in the game as the Stars defenders flew all over the field, making gang tackles, and forcing Michigan to play on their side of the line of scrimmage far too often. The 8 sacks recorded by 8 different Stars players set a team record in the win, and the two forced fumbles by McMillian and backup DE Seth Bryan stalled out Michigan at two key moments of the game. It was a full team effort, one highlighted by rookie Andre Collins but ultimately the product of all 11 defenders on the field each play. If the Stars can continue this type of aggressive defense all season, they have a very good chance to once again rule the Atlantic Division and go deep into the playoffs.
INJURY REPORT
Several key QB injuries highlight this week’s report. Bob Gagliano suffered a broken jaw on a brutal hit, one not penalized at the time but likely to lead to a serious league-imposed fine for the forearm hit. While there is a slim chance he will be able to return in 8-10 weeks, the odds are that Gagliano has seen his last action for the year. Meanwhile, in Jacksonville, Chris Miller came out with a sprained ankle, the severity of which is still in question. He is listed as “out” for this week but there is no clear sense of whether this is a 1-2 week issue or one which could last much longer for the Bulls. Finally, David Archer, who has helped to invigorate the Portland offense, will likely miss at least next week's game and perhaps 1-2 more after injuring his throwing hand as it struck off of a defender's helmet late in this week's game. The Thunder will have to return to Kerwin Bell under center until Archer is able to play again. In Pittsburgh, Jeff Hostetler had to come in for Alan Risher after he suffered a possible concussion. Risher is expected to be back in Week 6, assuming that the Mauler medical staff is able to clear him after having his bell rung this week.
In other injury news, LA guard John Connor is likely out for the year with a knee injury that will require surgery. Likewise Portland free safety Darren Carrington, who suffered a fracture of his femur this week, will be gone for the year. Orlando DE Rueben Davis may be back if the Renegades make the playoffs but is unlikely to see regular season action after a scary neck injury this week.
On the positive front, both Mike Kelley and Doug Flutie were able to return to action this week and although they are still listed on the injury report, both are expected to be able to start in Week 6. The same is true for NJ linebacker Chris Spielman and Denver LB Marvcus Patton.
LOOKING AHEAD
Another great set of battles within each division in week 6 as Baltimore heads to Philadelphia to face the 4-1 Stars and that brutal defense. Pittsburgh hopes to get a share of 1st as they head to RFK to face the surprising 4-1 Federals. In the Southern Division the Liberty Bowl will be rocking as Birmingham comes to visit the Memphis Showboats. Orlando faces Tampa in another great in-state rivalry game in Florida. In the Central, Houston has to try to turn things around, but face a tough task, playing the Breakers in the Super Dome. Michigan and Texas will also rumble in San Marcos. Denver, now with Cody Carlson at the helm, will be in Oakland to face the Invaders while the Portland Thunder try to regain their winning ways as they face the offensively-challenged LA Express in Civic Stadium. Outside of the divisions we have the New Jersey Generals in the 2nd City to face the Machine while the winless Bulls hope to get on the right side of the scoreboard as they play the Wranglers in Sun Devil Stadium.