In a week that saw several teams working with backup quarterbacks, we saw several more starters go down. Jim Kelly lasted only 1 quarter before getting knocked out. LA’s Walter Lewis didn’t even get that much as an injury during practice caused him to be a game time scratch. Which backups came through and which failed to step up. That is the story of many of this week’s games.
SCORES
BAL 17 PHI 29
A 21 point explosion in the 4th quarter turned a 10-9 Baltimore lead into a 29-10 deficit very quickly as Chuck Fusina hit Quinn Early for the go-ahead score, then Chris Snyder returned a Vince Evans INT into 6, and finally Jaime Mueller found the corner on a 4 yard TD run as the Stars pulled past and away from the Blitz in the final quarter.
BIR 10 MEM 23
Once again playing without Joe Cribbs, the Stallions could not keep pace with the Showboats. LB Mike Douglass had a huge day, including a sack-fumble and recovery and an interception run back for a score on a poor decision by Cliff Stoudt to throw the ball on a screen play that had clearly been blown up. Neither QB looked solid, throwing 2 INTs each, but Stoudt’s mistake gave Memphis a healthy lead and dimmed any chance for a Stallions’ comeback.
ORL 22 TBY 26
A great back and forth battle that ended with an Aikman to Collinsworth connection for 6 with 3 minutes left in the game. Reggie Collier’s 2 picks and a Renegade fumble helped Tampa hold back Orlando for the home victory. Chris Collinsworth had a huge game, snagging 9 passes for 100 yards and the game winner while Orlando’s John Jefferson caught 5 for 112 in a losing cause.
HOU 17 NOR 30
When Jim Kelly went out early in the game, the tide turned heavily in favor of New Orleans. Add a whopping 214 yards rushing (including 100 from Marcus Dupree) and you have a solid Breaker win. Kelly may miss a game or two, while backup Sean Salisbury, who was also knocked out of the game, is expected to be able to play next week. 3rd stringer Chuck Hartlieb finished off the game for the Gamblers.
MGN 23 TEX 18
The Outlaws fell behind early and spent the entire game playing catchup as Michigan did just enough to hold on and win. John Williams was pivotal as his 25 carries and 120 yards kept the pressure off of Jack Trudeau. Derrick Holloway had his best game of the year as well, with 120 yards receiving.
DEN 14 OAK 16
Denver’s defense kept them in this one, but QB Cody Carlson struggled against the Oakland defense and rookie Barry Foster only rushed the ball 7 times for -1 yards on the day. For Oakland, Gale Gilbert was efficient, throwing for 318 yards and a score. Richard Williams was pulled early after a hamstring concern, and Paul Palmer subbed for most of the game.
LA 27 POR 7
Kudos to Frank Suerer, the longtime LA backup QB, who came in on short notice when Walter Lewis came up lame during a Saturday practice. The little used Suerer threw for 3 scores as LA had one of their better offensive games of the year. Portland’s Kerwin Bell was not so successful in relief, throwing 3 picks to 1 TD, essentially confirming the fans’ belief that David Archer was the future of the team.
NJ 13 CHI 23
A big 4th quarter, including a Mike Fox interception for touchdown, powered the Machine to a victory over the reeling New Jersey Generals. The defending league champions have now lost 4 in a row, and seem out of synch on both offense and defense as their usually solid run game has just not been able to produce, with Walker held to only 68 yards rushing on the day.
JAX 14 ARZ 17
Jacksonville once again played tough but once again fell short as a late Mick Luckhurst field goal gave the win to Arizona. The Wranglers finished the game with Blair Kiel at QB as Robbie Bosco became the latest QB to leave a game injured. Kiel threw 2 picks, helping to keep the Bulls in the game, but also mounted the final drive to give Luckhurst his shot for the win.
GAME OF THE WEEK
PITTSBURGH MAULERS 21
WASHINGTON FEDERALS 27
In a game between two teams surprising some folks in the Atlantic Division, Washington overcame a big day from Pittsburgh HB Mike Rozier and mounted a 4th quarter comeback for the win and a share of 1st place in the division. Washington has been surprising teams all season long. After the departure of HB Craig James and TE Mark Bavaro to the NFL many, including this reporter, expected the Federals offense to suffer and for the team to struggle to put together wins, but the Feds now stand at 5-1 and seem to be doing quite well despite a somewhat weaker run game with Kevin Harmon and Alfred Jenkins splitting carries. Don Majkowski and backup Mike Hohensee have played well and found options in the passing game, and the Federals D has been effective when called upon.
This game saw both teams mix up the pass and the run effectively, with Pittsburgh going into the half with a 14-10 lead on a late Risher to Raynard Brown TD toss. Washington got solid production from Jenkins and Harmon to keep it close, and with a swing pass from Majkowski to fullback Barry Word, the Feds retook the lead at 17-14 in the 3rd. But Mike Rozier was a wrecking ball all day, rushing for 155 yards on only 17 carries. His 28-yard TD run on the next drive gave Pittsburgh the lead once again. Washington would answer with a field goal to bring it closer at 21-20, and a key 3rd down stop by the Federal defense on the next drive gave the Feds the ball with just over 4 minutes left and a chance to win with another kick.
Don Majkowski led the Federals into Pittsburgh territory, hitting 2nd year TE Terry McNeal on two key plays and getting a big 15 yard run from Harmon as the Feds got the ball within the 10 with just over a minute to go. After a dive play on 1st down got the ball to the 6, everyone expected the Feds to play it safe, run the ball to set up a field goal, but Coach Rutigliano left it up to Majkowski. The Feds QB saw the defensive lineup and called an audible, faking the ball to fullback Word and finding McNeal open in the endzone for the game winning TD. It was a huge play for the usually reserved Federals and sent the Washington faithful into cheers and shouts of joy. Washington moved to 5-1, the best start in franchise history, and gave hope that this year would be different in DC.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
In a tough divisional battle, between two teams with huge and loud fanbases in the stadium, linebacker Mike Douglass had the game of his USFL career. Two plays defined his day, both big momentum shifters and both halting what appeared to be a Stallion comeback. The first was the strip-sack and recovery on the Memphis 11 yard line as Douglass chased Cliff Stoudt out of the pocket, knocked the ball out of his hand, and fell on it to set up the Showboats for a key 2nd quarter TD to take the lead. The second was his late game pick-6 in which Douglass read the Birmingham screen play perfectly, stepped in front of HB Eddie Hunter, and tipped the ball to himself before rumbling 35 yards for the score to crush the Stallions’ hopes for a comeback and put Memphis up by 2 scores. Douglass is not known as a dynamic playmaker, but as a solid, fundamentals guy, but on this day he showed that he can raise up his game and make big plays when the team needs them. A big day for a guy who just puts in the work, does his job, and doesn’t seek the limelight.
NEWS & NOTES
Things are getting rough for USFL quarterbacks this year. This week’s injury report has 6 of the league’s 20 starters listed as doubtful or worse. We know that Bob Gagliano is out at least for another 8 weeks and maybe the year. Chris Miller in Jacksonville is looking at a month before he can return after MRI’s showed more extensive injury to his ankle than first believed. Now we are also looking at time missed by David Archer, Robbie Bosco, Jim Kelly and Walter Lewis. The situation makes us all realize the importance of a solid backup to come in and lead the team, maybe on no notice, maybe for weeks at a time. For some, this is a chance to shine and maybe play their way into a starting gig, for others it is panic time, as they face tough USFL defenses for the first time. So just which teams are well-positioned to play with a backup, and which are in trouble. We rank all 20 backup QB’s in this week’s breakdown.
Jeff Kemp, OAK—Once and NFL starter, Kemp’s biggest issue might be that he did not expect to be a backup in Oakland.
Sean Salisbury, HOU—We have seen him in action before, and we are shocked that with all of Jim Kelly’s INT issues he has not gotten a shot to dethrone Kelly.
Jimmie Jordan, ORL—It has been a while, but he was a proven winner when he backed up John Reaves in Tampa and we expect no less backing up Reggie Collier in Orlando.
Bob Lane, BIR—A wiley veteran who on several occasions has helped Birmingham win when called upon. He even led a playoff run for the Stallions a few years back.
Eric Kramer, BAL—One of the most likely candidates to get a starting job soon, in Baltimore or elsewhere. Kramer has proven he can get the job done.
Mike Hohensee, WSH—A former USFL starter, Hohensee seems content to come on in relief if Don Majkowski cannot go, as he has done this year.
Rusty Hilger, CHI—We are still somewhat surprised how little we have seen of the former Detroit Lion, but Coach Bugel loves Chuck Long so Hilger has simply not seen action.
Matt Dunigan, NOR—A proven winner in the CFL. He will not be rattled if called upon.
Cody Carlson, DEN—Has had only a few opportunities to play behind Gagliano, but now all the weight of the Denver franchise is upon him.
Frank Suerer, LA—Rarely used, but a solid QB who can win games, as proven this week.
Blair Kiel, ARZ—Reliable, safe with the ball, not a future starter, but a solid and tested backup.
Tony Eason, JAX—A much-maligned starter for the Breakers, with Miller’s injury in Jacksonville he can now prove that he has the talent to start once again.
Jeff Hostetler, PIT—The longtime Philadelphia backup has seen little action behind Alan Risher, but when he has been called upon, he has proven effective if a bit unorthodox.
Mike Shula, TEX—Considered a “safe” game manager, the key with Shula is that he does not turn the ball over.
Cary Conklin, MEM—The rookie is a bit of a mystery but has looked good in the little action we have seen of him.
Mark Hermann, MGN—We saw him play quite a bit last year, and the results were midling.
Timm Rosenbach, NJ—Has had moments, but too often seems rattled or unsure of himself. Considered a possible starter when he came out of college, he has not shown that talent yet.
Kerwin Bell, POR—We have seen him start for 2 years in Portland, and the results were not what you want. He is still young, so perhaps some time as a backup will help him work out some of the issues.
Anthony Dilweg, PHI—A complete unknown quantity. Chuck Fusina rarely misses games so we just have not seen this 2nd year player in action.
Oliver Luck, TBY—A nice guy, but when he replaced the injured John Reaves 2 years ago it was an unmitigated disaster for Tampa.
INJURY REPORT
You already know about the injuries to Robbie Bosco (foot), Jim Kelly (ribs) and Walter Lewis (hand), and each is likely to miss no more than 1-2 weeks, but there were other injuries of note this week. New Orleans DT T.J. Turner is likely out for the season with a ruptured achilles, while Texas starting center Paul Jetton is also likely to miss the season after a possible DUI car crash left him with a significant leg injury and legal concerns. Washington rookie Terrance Mathis may miss up to 2 months with a herniated disc in his back, while Jacksonville LB Vaughan Johnson is out for at least 3 weeks with a deep thigh bruise. Denver will miss S Vencie Glenn due to turf toe, and Baltimore safety Leslie Frazier is doubtful with a neck injury. Coming back this week we expect to see Memphis WR Robb Thomas, Birmingham backup HB Calvin Murphy, LA linebacker Tommy Taylor and NJ DT Kit Lathrop.
LOOKING AHEAD
Week 7 is another week of conference play as the Southern squads host the Atlantic and the Pacific squads host the Central Division. Key games include Baltimore at Birmingham, Philadelphia at Memphis, Washington at Tampa, New Orleans at Oakland, Michigan at LA, and Chicago at Arizona. New Jersey and Jacksonville are both hoping to snap their losing streaks as they face off. Pittsburgh is in Orlando with both teams looking to get over .500 with a win. Houston is in Denver with both teams struggling, and Texas will face Portland in the Great Northwest to round out the week’s action.