BAL 10 MEM 16
In a battle of 0-3 teams, Memphis had just enough to edge Baltimore. Coach Schottenheimer made the switch, starting Eric Kramer, but Kramer was only able to complete 50% of his passes for a mere 124 yards. Mike Kelley fared significantly better, thanks in large part to an effective run game from Boone & Bienemy (106 yards combined).
NJ 26 ORL 31
Chris Miller rallied the Generals late, but the Orlando 31-12 lead after 3 was too much for the Generals to overcome. Wamon Buggs scored twice for the Renegades, who also ran back a Miller interception for a score in a game that got away from the Generals early.
PIT 13 BIR 49
Hostetler struggled and Joe Cribbs outdueled Mike Rozier as the Stallions evened their record at 2-2 and gave the Maulers their first defeat of the season. Three Mauler turnovers helped Birmingham take a 14-10 halftime lead and run away with the game, scoring on 2 pick-six plays in the 3rd and getting TD’s from Cribbs and Clarence Collins.
WSH 41 JAX 14
Don Majkowski had a near perfect day against the suspect Bulls defense, completing 24 of 26 passes for 259 yards and 3 TD’s. Kevin Harmon rushed for 97 yards as well as Washington turned to the run in the second half, after establishing a 27-7 lead after 3 quarters. Jacksonville could not get anything going on the ground, which put pressure on Timm Rosenbach, and allowing the Washington D to tee off on pass rush. Dexter Manley got 3 sacks on the day to take over the league lead.
CHI 21 LA 20
The Express again blew a late lead as Chicago scored on a Chuck Long to Wessley Walls TD with just over a minute to play. Long finished the day with 287 yards and 2 TD tosses, while rookie Dan McGwire survived 4 sacks to throw 2 scores himself. LA’s Scott Olivera missed on 2 of his 4 FG attempts, including a 33 yarder that would have put Chicago out of reach in the 4th.
HOU 27 OAK 21
Jim Kelly found a new favorite target in former Bandit Brett Perriman. Kelly hit Perriman 4 times for 1332 yards, including a huge 47 yard TD in the opening quarter. Thurman Thomas contributed a TD run himself, and the Gamblers survived a late rally by Jeff Kemp and the Invaders to take their second in a row and even their record at 2-2.
MGN 16 POR 24
It was billed as a big test of Portland’s legitimacy, and the Thunder passed with flying colors. After falling behind 9-7 at the half, Portland scored the next 17 points before giving up a late TD to Danny Knight to make the game look closer than it was. Gill Byrd scored on an errant Trudeau pass, and David Archer, despite a mixed home reaction when he came onto the field, played well, completing 74% of his passes and hitting both Cris Carter and Hart Lee Dykes for scores to help move the Thunder to an unexpected 4-0.
NOR 20 ARZ 10
In classic Breakers form, the duo of Dupree and Hilliard ran over and around the Wrangler D, combining for 128 yards. The Breaker defense helped by sacking Robbie Bosco 6 times and forcing some poor throws, particularly on 3rd down. Arizona would complete only 2 of 16 attempts on the vital down, and were just not able to string together first downs to drive towards the endzone against a well-structured New Orleans defense.
TEX 30 DEN 27
Denver was game, but in the end it was too much of Kelly Stouffer and the Texas offense. Denver held Reggie Cobb in check, but that meant playing the run and allowing Stouffer to use play action to his advantage. He did so for 341 yards and 4 TD’s in the game. Denver’s offense did well to keep pace, but in the end they simply did not have enough possession to overcome the Outlaws.
Philadelphia Stars 31
Tampa Bay Bandits 33
A classic matchup of two proud franchises that included a huge lead from Tampa, a furious comeback from Philadelphia, and a final minute kick for the win. Tampa had more success on the ground than many expected, with Tate, Bell, and Neal combining for 84 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Bandits. Philadelphia vet Tom Donovan had a strong game as well, reeling in 2 TD tosses from Fusina.
The game began well for both offenses, with Tampa managing a long drive ending in a 1-yard Lars Tate plunge on their opening drive, though rookie kicker Robbie Keen missed the extra point. Philly responded with a TD drive of their own, with Chuck Fusina finding Tom Donovan in a mismatch against a linebacker for the go-ahead score. Tampa would finish the quarter with a field goal to retake the lead.
They added to their lead in the 2nd, as Oliver Luck completed the longest pass in league history. Well, in actuality it was an 11 yard toss, but when TE Chris Kelley shook off the safety, there was no one left to tackle him, and with HB Speedy Neal running alongside for protection, the 11 yard play turned into a 94 yard TD for one of the longest plays in league history. But, again Philadelphia would respond, this time with a 9 play drive that saw Kelvin Bryant put another 7 on the board. Tampa once again drove, this time with Speedy Neal getting across for the score, and Tampa led at the half 23-14.
The only score of the third quarter was a second Lars Tate short run, putting Tampa up 30-14 and looking to keep the Stars at a distance, but the 4th quarter belonged to Philadelphia. Their first drive in the half led to a David Trout field goal to bring them within 2 scores. This was followed by a Quinn Early TD catch, but with little over 2:00 left in the game, time was not on their side, still down 30-24. The Stars went for the onside kick, and found paydirt as the ball bounced off the chest of a Tampa lineman and was recovered, under the pile, by Philadelphia. 4 plays later Fusina found Tom Donovan again, and suddenly the Stars were up 31-30.
With just over a minute and a half left, Tampa got the ball on the touchback and went to work. An encroachment penalty by Philly gave them an initial boost. Luck then found Ben Coats for 16, Chris Collinsworth for 13, Davis for another 13, and after calling a time out, trotted out Keen for the winning field goal with only 4 seconds on the clock. Keen was true and Tampa won 33-31.
The win, and especially the final drive, was a moment of triumph for much-maligned QB Oliver Luck, who finished the day with 331 yards passing and a fourth quarter comeback victory to boast about. Luck is clearly not going to replace Aikman as the starter, but this type of clutch performance will likely quiet many of the critics who have not felt that he was adequate even as the primary backup to Aikman. Coach Spurrier, who also has Mike Rae, a former starter for LA, on the roster, has been adamant that he has faith in Luck as the backup, and this game may just provide both Spurrier and Luck with the type of evidence needed to shut down those voices asking that a new option be found.
After an 0-2 start, the Birmingham Stallions have rebounded with two straight wins to level their record and get back in the mix in the Southern Division. In this week’s home win against the previously unbeaten Pittsburgh Maulers, it was both the offensive firepower of HB Joe Cribbs, and the defensive tenacity of Kevin Greene that helped Birmingham pull off the upset. Cribbs is a known commodity in the league, having been among the best backs since coming over from the NFL’s Buffalo Bills in 1984, and yet he still finds ways to upend defenses that are targeting him. This week his 133 yards rushing (a 7.8 yard average) and 2 scores were the difference for the Stallion offense.
Greene, on the other hand, has not always produced the way Birmingham fans would want. He had a strong season in 1989 with 102 tackles, but last year had only 87 despite starting in 15 of 16 games for the Stallions. Well, this week Greene played like the top draft choice he was, securing 6 tackles (1 for loss), two pass defenses, and a highlight reel interception on the Birmingham 15, which he ran back for six. The score was part of a 28-point third quarter which turned a modest 14-10 halftime lead into a blowout victory for the homestanding Stallions. If Birmingham is going to compete with the very talented Bandits and Renegades, it will be through their top players playing their best. We are used to seeing that from Joe Cribbs, who has been a consistent threat regardless of the Stallions’ record, but Greene is just the type of player who has to step up for Birmingham to return to playoff form.
With Doug Flutie expected to miss another 1-2 weeks, and Chris Miller struggling against the Orlando defense, things are getting interesting in New Jersey. After an 0-2 start, fans seemed anxious to see if Miller could replace Flutie (who went down with a knee injury) and potentially oust the longstanding vet from his starting position. Miller looked ready for the challenge in his first start, a 31-21 win over rival Philadelphia, but against Orlando Miller had the stats (333 yards passing) but was not able to drive New Jersey consistently. Playing catchup most of the second half, Miller threw the ball often, but New Jersey was unable to complete plays on crucial drive-sustaining third downs. Now 1-3 on the season, fans in the tough NY-NJ market are splitting into two camps.
There are many who revel in the unorthodox style and late game magic of Doug Flutie, while a new camp, perhaps made up of those who had sided with Timm Rosenbach in his hopes to be made the starter, are now siding with Chris Miller, as a more polished pocket passer with a more traditional skillset. Miller is likely to have only one more chance to prove himself, this week as the Generals face the division-leading Washington Federals. If New Jersey can pull off the upset, and particularly if Miller is instrumental in leading them to victory, then it could be a rough week for Coach Perkins as he determines whether to start Doug Flutie in Week 6 against Chicago, or go with Miller. That decision is likely to outline the tack which Perkins will take for the rest of the year. Despite Flutie having helped New Jersey win the league title 2 years ago, there remains significant pressure to go with the more archetypal QB in Miller, a pressure which could build if New Jersey is looking at another lost season. If, however, Flutie can return in Week 6, and plays well, then we may see a delay in any transition. As we see with so many teams, the QB position is the most important, and often the most controversial on a team.
Texas will have to reshuffle their line as they look to be without their All-USFL center, John Adickes for at least a month after he suffered a dislocated knee this week. Likewise, New Jersey guard Dave Widdell will be out for at least the next 2 weeks and Philly tackle Mark Van DerPoel cold miss up to 6 weeks with a knee issue as well. New Jersey is hit with another tough injury in an ankle issue for J.J. Birden, which will likely keep him sidelined at least until week 7. In Oakland the concern is for WR Henry Ellard, who is still nursing a hamstring injury and will likely miss another week, while Pittsburgh is hoping that LB Eric Kumerow is able to return, moving him from doubtful to probable this week. Also potentially returning to action are Denver wideout Odessa Turner, Michigan DE Ronnie Paggett, Pittsburgh QB Alan Risher and Tampa QB Troy Aikman.
Back to divisional play in week 5, including the New Jersey-Washington matchup already mentioned, and a rough game for struggling Baltimore as they head to 3-1 Pittsburgh. Birmingham will try to prove they are a contender as they face the Renegades in Orlando, while Jacksonville tries to get a 2nd straight win at rival Tampa Bay. Arizona travels to winless Denver and a big matchup in the Pacific as 3-1 Oakland heads to 4-0 Portland in a battle for first. In the Central, we have a battle of 2-2 squads as Chicago heads to Houston, and atop the division it is 3-1 New Orleans visiting 3-1 Texas in a Saturday Night game that is sure to get a lot of viewers. In the two inter-divisional games we have 2-2 Michigan facing 2-2 Philadelphia in a game that neither team feels they can lose, while 1-3 LA are at Memphis, who are stunned to be 1-3 and hoping for a spark to head them in the right direction.
Flute has another good 8-10 years left in him!