Monster games are not just reserved for the big name stars. Sure, Hershel Walker gained a combined 175 yards with 2 scores, Reggie Collier threw for 356, and Don Majkowski tossed 3 scores in a huge Federals win, but unheralded journeyman backup Blair Kiel may have had the best week of anyone as he led the Wranglers over the Machine with an incredible stat line. If he keeps this up he may end up a fan favorite in the desert.
SCORES
BAL 9 BIR 20
Birmingham gets a great defensive performance and pairs that with solid days from both Cliff Stoudt and Brent Fullwood to snag a big win at home against the Blitz. Stoudt found 8 different receivers on the day, including a 2 TD performance from rookie TE Shannon Sharpe as they knocked off the Blitz.
NJ 27 JAX 20
The Generals get the win they needed to end a 4-game losing streak, but in doing so they send Jacksonville to a horrific 0-7 start. Herschel Walker won AP Player of the Week for his 2 TD, 175 combined yards on the day, a day where he had 23 carries and 6 receptions for New Jersey. Tony Eason completed only 43% of his passes on the day as he once again struggled to move the Bulls.
PHI 16 MEM 35
QB Mike Kelley returned to full health and shredded the Philly D for 315 yards passing and 3 TDs. The Memphis D did their part as well, sacking Chuck Fusina 3 times and picking him off 3 more to keep the Stars offense from posing a serious threat. CB Derrick Cudrup was the defensive star with 2 picks and 3 pass deflections, while Reggie White had some fun chasing Fusina and recording his league leading 8th and 9th sacks.
PIT 13 ORL 26
The Maulers did not have an answer for Reggie Collier and his 356 yards passing. Once again Collier to Jefferson is just making DB’s look bad as he goes huge with the deep ball, snagging only 4 passes but for 141 yards on the day. For Pittsburgh, a rough day for Mike Rozier, who gains only 21 yards on the day as Orlando loaded the box and forced Alan Risher to play a one-dimensional game.
WSH 28 TBY 21
Washington just keeps winning, this time getting a last second Majkowski to Gunn TD with only 10 seconds on the clock to pull past the Bandits. Aikman had 3 TD’s on the day, including 2 to Chris Collinsworth, but it would be the Majik Man’s third on the day which cemented the Federals win. Another star on the day for the Feds was little-heralded rookie wideout Kerry Simien, who stepped in at slot receiver and caught 5 passes and 2 TD’s for Washington in this big road win.
CHI 23 ARZ 48
A huge game for journeyman Blair Kiel as he completes an incredible 25 of 28 against the Machine for 274 yards and 4 scores. Trumaine Johnson had to be happy with his day, catching 8 for 109 and 2 of Kiel’s 4 touchdowns. And the combo of Lionel James and Darryl Clack also racked up good yardage, a combined 153 on the day for the RB combo.
HOU 14 DEN 33
Houston’s freefall continues as Sean Salisbury fails to provide the Gamblers with enough momentum to keep pace with Denver’s surprising offensive output. A good game for Cody Carlson as he tosses two scores to help lead Denver to a much-needed home win. With the loss Houston now stands at a miserable 1-6. Not the season fans expected out of the Gamblers to be sure.
MGN 31 LA 3
If Gambler fans are distraught, imagine how LA Express fans must feel. After a solid game from Frank Seurer last week the LA offense again completely fails to show up as Michigan crushes the Express. Three different halfbacks scored on the day as Michigan ran in 4 TD’s. LA’s run game was as bad as any we have ever seen with a combined 6 yards rushing on the day. Yup, 6 yards rushing total.
NOR 33 OAK 27
A nailbiter between two solid clubs as New Orleans shocks the Invaders. Tied at 27 with 1:47 left in the game, New Orleans gets a Tim Mazzetti field goal to take a late lead, and then a fumble on the kickoff gives them the ball right back, and with a 2nd Mazzetti field goal as time expired they locked up the win. The Invaders, playing without Richard Williams, got a solid day from Paul Palmer (73 yards rushing) but it was not enough in the end.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Texas Outlaws 30
Portland Thunder 27
Overtime
A back and forth thriller between the Outlaws and the Thunder goes to overtime before the foot of Nick Mike-Myer gives Texas the win. Portland let this one slip away as they led at different times 14-3, 20-6, and 27-13 before Texas roared back.
Kerwin Bell looked good early, tossing first half TD’s to Cris Carter and Clint Didier to help the Thunder build a 20-6 halftime lead. A missed Al Del Greco extra point would prove deadly at the end as that missing point allowed Texas to tie the game and head to overtime.
While the first half belonged to Kerwin Bell, Kelly Stouffer and the Outlaws took over in the second half, with Stouffer finding Theo Young for the first Texas TD of the day. That score was soon followed by a Dokie Williams 58 yard bomb from Stouffer. Bell answered with a 80 yard score to Webster Slaughter as the safety and corner collided trying to tackle the elusive receiver. But with time expiring, Stouffer found another receiver, Eric Metcalf for the game tying score, sending the game to overtime. In the extra period a huge mistake by Kerwin Bell led to the winning score for Texas. Trying to hit Slaughter over the middle, Bell failed to see Brian Bosworth dropping into coverage. The Boz undercut the route, and snagged the interception, setting up Texas in Portland territory. 3 plays later it was up and through the uprights for a Texas win. The result leaves both teams at 3-4 and looking up at their divisions, not a horrible record for either team, but still plenty of room to grow.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
We have to give this week’s award to QB Blair Kiel. The Chicago defense has been solid, maybe not intimidating, but certainly adequate all year and what Kiel did to them this week was totally unexpected. Kiel, on his 4th team since coming into the league as a rookie with the Chicago Blitz, has bounced around, always finding work but never getting much chance to start. The Notre Dame product had his best year in 1984 when he subbed for an injured Vince Evans and threw for 2,104 yards. But in that year he also threw 10 interceptions to only 9 TD’s. He would start 2 more games for Baltimore in 1985, then 3 games in Portland in 87 and only 1 game in 2 years with the Outlaws. When he was traded to Arizona as part of the Kelly Stouffer deal, it looked like it would be more of the same, and it largely has been, with Robbie Bosco entrenched as the starter, Kiel once again would play second fiddle.
But, with Bosco injured (as so often seems to happen to Robbie), Kiel got his shot to start again this week, and the numbers he put up were truly astounding. Four touchdowns is great, but to go 25 for 28 is simply incredible. Chicago got no pressure on him all game, with 0 sacks and only 1 hurry, and that showed as Kiel was able to find receivers all over the field. 8 passes to Johnson, 3 to Lipps, 3 to Orr, 2 each to his main backs, Clack and James. It was a balanced, multifaceted attack that simply overwhelmed the Chicago defense, and it was a day Blair Kiel will certainly cherish as one of his best over his 7 year career.
NEWS & NOTES
Huge developments out of New York as the USFL lawsuit against the NFL has taken a turn. With significant evidence being presented of tampering by several NFL clubs during the 1989 offseason, the USFL felt confident going into the trial that they would have what they needed to once again punish the NFL for its attempts to intimidate and weaken the spring league. What they likely did not expect, as we did not either, is for the NFL to agree to an arbitration hearing and ongoing negotiations to define relations between the two leagues. The lengthy process is expected to begin next month with everything on the table, from player and staff acquisition to each league’s draft and free agency format. There is even talk of the two leagues potentially developing a transfer system to minimize the poaching and early signing of players still under contract.
The simple fact that the NFL proposed and the USFL accepted an arbitration process in lieu of a full blown lawsuit is amazing in itself, that it may actually produce a structured system of engagement between the two leagues is astonishing. The negotiations will certainly be tricky, and there are concerns that any agreement which would again limit player options could be seen as a violation of anti-trust and anti-monopoly statutes could limit the potential for a comprehensive plan, but fans of both leagues have to be excited by the prospect of a cooperative rather than competitive structure that would allow both leagues to sign and retain talent without the unruly back and forth raiding of players from one league to the other.
It may be a long way off, but this type of conversation between the two pro football leagues is also long overdue.
INJURY REPORT
As we reach the midpoint of the season it should be expected that the injury list would start to grow, but this year, particularly with so many quarterbacks going down, has felt like a year when the teams that will win each week are those who have been able to keep their stars healthy. We saw a few more big names hit the injury list this week, though fortunately we have seen few major injuries in the report. Portland wideout Aubrey Matthews may miss the next game with some knee swelling due to tendinitis, while New Orleans is concerned about Dalton Hilliard’s hamstring. David Archer will likely miss another game for the Thunder and while Robbie Bosco is listed as probable for Week 8, don’t be surprised if Blair Kiel gets the start. Oakland’s Kim Bokamper will likely miss 2 weeks with a dislocated shoulder, while Texas CB Najee Mustafaa will be out as well with a broken bone in his right foot. Tampa CB Eric Allen strained his hamstring and may miss a week, and his counterpart on Philadelphia, Lorenzo Lynch will be dealing with the same condition.
LOOKING AHEAD
Week 8 marks the end of the first half of the season, and the league once again will have teams facing off against conference foes. The prime time games look like good ones with Philly hosting Orlando on Saturday night and Birmingham taking on the surprising Federals at RFK on Sunday night. Other intriguing matchups include Portland at New Orleans, Oakland at Michigan, Arizona at Texas and Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh. Also on tap this week we have the Bulls at the Blitz, the Showboats in New Jersey to face the Generals, Denver traveling to Chicago, and LA in Houston.