The busiest week of playoff action all summer. Eight teams playing in four games, and everything to play for. It’s the Divisional Playoffs in the USFL and this year we had a little of everything. The defending champions playing at home against a perennial also-ran, past champions hoping to return to the biggest show in spring football, newcomers and upstarts, top tier defenses and dynamic offenses. This was a week for football fans to enjoy. And at the end of the week four teams remain in the hunt for a USFL championship.
Saturday, July 18 @ 3PM ET
Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
(42,403 in attendance)
WASHINGTON 7 PITTSBURGH 19
The Maulers, appearing in their franchise’s first home playoff game earn their first playoff win, dispatching the Washington Federals with a stifling defense and an unrelenting ground attack. Pittsburgh owned the clock, set the tempo, and never let the Federals sniff victory as they took the lead early in the first and held it for the entire game.
Pittsburgh got 116 yards rushing from Mike Rozier, added another 30 from backup Lydell Carr, and combined that with a turnover-free passing day form Alan Risher to dominate the Federals. The Maulers got on the board first with a field goal 7 minutes into the game. They would add a Rozier TD run and another field goal in the 2nd to take a dominant 13-0 lead into the half. Washington QB Don Majkowski was knocked out of the game early and Coach Rutigliano opted to go with young Will Furrer at the helm. The Federals tried to come back, scoring a lone TD in the third quarter, but there just was not enough on offense to sustain a comeback, and as the game wore on the Federals vaunted defense got tired. More and more Mauler runs paid off, more third downs were converted, and with 2 more Raphael Septien field goals in the final period the Maulers comfortably ground out the game and took the W.
Erick Kumerow finished the game with 10 tackles, John Bosa got a key sack to end a Federals drive, and free safety Pat Terrell picked off the inexperienced Furrer to seal the game. It was a full team effort, and in every phase of the game the Maulers came out ahead. They will now head off to the Conference Finals and a chance to erase 8 years of futility and frustration.
Saturday, July 18 @ 8pm ET
Houston Astrodome, Houston, TX
(43,250 in attendance)
PORTLAND 20 HOUSTON 27
In a game that was much tighter than most anticipated, the 8-8 Thunder held their own against the 11-5 Gamblers before a late TD sealed the win for the home team. Houston outgained Portland only 404-327 as Kerwin Bell threw for 222 yards and Robert Drummond ground out 86 yards rushing. But the day would belong to the Gamblers as Jim Kelly threw for 284 and 3 scores and Thurman Thomas combined 116 yards on the ground (a 6.1 ypc average) with 38 yards and a TD through the air. Brett Perriman also had a big day with 102 yards and a score, and the always reliable Ricky Proehl added 62 and a score as well.
After falling behind 14-3 with 5 minutes left in the first half, on a Mike Cade run and Adrian Cooper TD reception, Houston scored twice in the final 4:30 to take a halftime lead against a stunned Portland defense. The first score was a 35-yard corner pattern from Kelly to Perriman with 2:56 left in the half. The second came only 2 minutes later when Kelly found Proehl from 26 yards out. In the span of just 2 minutes, the Gamblers had put 14 on the board and silenced the small contingent of Thunder fans in the Astrodome.
Portland tied the game in the third with a long Del Greco field goal, but Houston added a kick of their own only minutes later to go up 20-17. Entering the 4th quarter it felt like a game that could go into overtime, as both playoff games the week before had. Portland again tied the scoreat 20 at the 9 minute mark of the final period, but the tie would not hold.
On their next drive, Houston took advantage of Portland’s overpursuit of the run game. With a first down inside the Portland red zone, they faked the outside run to Thomas, who had already carried the ball 4 times on the drive, Kelly bootlegged right, then reversed himself and found Thomas unguarded in the flat. 13 yards later it was paydirt for the Houston MVP and the Gamblers had themselves a 7-point lead late in the game. Portland would get two more possessions, but both ended badly, the first with a Robert Blackmon interception of Kerwin Bell, his only turnover of the day, and then, with time running out, a final drive ended when Bell could not hit Webster Slaughter on 4th and 10, leading to a turnover on downs and two very content Jim Kelly kneeldowns. The Gamblers, the West’s #1 seed, avoided a first round letdown and would not await the winner of New Orleans-Oakland next week.
Sunday, July 19 @ 12pm ET
Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN
(56,203 in attendance)
TAMPA BAY 27 MEMPHIS 30
In front of a huge and rambunctious Memphis crowd, the home team took a first quarter lead and held it despite every effort of the visiting Bandits to come back. In a game that saw QB Troy Aikman sacked 7 times by the impressive Showboat line, the Bandits would not go away, and in the end only a Kevin Shea field goal allowed Memphis to advance and prepare to host the Maulers next week.
The game opened with something we have seen repeated all year long, Aikman to Truvillion for 6. This one was particularly pretty as Truvillion lept beyond the grasp of the defender, managed to stay on his feet, and dashed 75 yards for the score. It would be the first of several big plays by both teams all night. After a quick 3-and-out for the usually bendable Tampa D, the second big play changed the momentum of the game. With Tampa Bay backed up to their own 3 after a muffed kickoff return, Reggie White got the first of his huge 4 sacks on the day, this one the biggest of all, a safety. Memphis was on the board, and after the short post-safety drive resulted in 3 points, it was Tampa 7, Memphis 5. On their next drive, Memphis would take the lead, as former Bandit Greg Boone once again came back to haunt his former team. On a 2nd and 4, Boone exploited a hole in the Tampa line, juked past the charging backer and was off to the races. His 38-yard TD scamper put Memphis up 12-7 as the first quarter ended.
The second quarter would see Tampa score on two field goals, but sandwiched between those drives was a Memphis drive that resulted in a Kelley to Townsell TD toss, allowing the home team to head to the intermission up 19-13. Tampa would come out strong in the second half, and for a few brief moments retook the lead. Aikman again found Truvillion, this time from 29 yards out, and Tampa gained the upper hand 20-19, but only 5 plays later Kelley would do his own repeat performance, finding Townsell for his second score of the day, a 38 yard beauty, and with the 2 point conversion good, the Showboats took the 27-20 lead.
As the third quarter wound down, Aikman showed he had other targets, finding little-used wideout Robert Brooks for a 22 yard scoring play, splitting the safeties down the middle of the field, and we were all tied up at 27. At this point Memphis let Greg Boone carry most of the load. With only 2 drives, one producing the final score of the game, a 33-yard Shea field goal, Boone would earn 44 of his 117 for the day, and would grind out nearly 11 minutes of game time to keep Aikman and the Bandits from having a chance to equalize or take the lead. Tampa did have one more possession, but it was cut short by yet another huge Reggie White sack, this time on 3rd and 11 on the Memphis 44. Tampa was forced to punt, and they would not see the ball again as the Showboats killed the clock and punched their ticket to next week’s Conference Title Game.
Sunday, July 19 @ 4:30pm ET
Oakland-Alameda Stadium, Oakland, CA
(37,844 in attendance)
NEW ORLEANS 27 OAKLAND 20
The story of Danny McManus and his surprising run as a replacement QB for the New Orleans Breakers just continues to get more and more exciting. The former 3rd stringer led the Breakers to a win over the defending champs, throwing for 307 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions in the biggest game of his short pro career. Aided by a defense that kept Oakland in check all day and a wideout in Charle Smith who had a career day with 152 yards receiving on only 5 receptions, McManus earned a playoff win for a team that many expected to collapse when starter Matt Robinson went down for the year.
Oakland came out flat, it must be said, and by the time they awakened, the Breakers were already up 13-0. McManus had hit Charlie Smith with the longest pass of the day, a 65-yard TD toss, and Tim Mazzetti had added both a 44-yarder and a 47-yarder. Oakland would finally show their mettle, scoring twice in the 2nd period to take the lead at the half. The first was a 1-yard plunge from rookie Siran Stacy, one of only 66 yards on the day. The second a Mark Duper TD reception as time wound down in the 2nd quarter.
Back on top, and after adding a field goal in their first possession of the second half, Oakland started to feel that they had the game, and the fans started to celebrate, but that all ended when, on a broken play, McManus escaped the Oakland rush and found Ray Rowe, hardly a household name, wide open for a score. McManus had put the Breakers up 20-17. Oakland came right back and tied the game with a Matt Bahr field goal, but the Invader defense seemed shaky, not knowing just how to defend the young Breaker QB.
With 1:51 left in the game, the Breakers started a drive tied with Oakland at 20 and with an eye on Tim Mazzetti to once again with the game for them. But, after a costly pass interference call got New Orleans into field goal range with just under 1 minute left on the clock, the Breakers took a chance. McManus faked the ball to Dupree, and with the entire Oakland defense expecting run, they bit on it, leaving Erric Pegram open for a quick McManus pass. Pegram raced down the sideline, and dove over SS Chris Carrier and into the endzone to put New Orleans on top for good. The crowd was stunned, the complaints about that PI call are likely still being heard in bars all over the Bay Area, but New Orleans would be moving on. They now head to Houston to face a Gamblers squad who the Breakers had split their two games with under Robinson. Houston has not faced McManus yet, and for the Breakers, the prospect of going into a big game vs. Houston with McManus at the helm is no longer a scary prospect.
There were very few major moves this week, though we did see Denver sign their coach and several of the moves cited last week were made official. Let’s run through the news of the week.
DENVER: As expected, the Gold announced this Wednesday that their new Head Coach would be former Broncos Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips. Phillips, the son of legendary Bum Phillips, has been with the Broncos for only 3 seasons, having also served as DC in Philadelphia (86-88) and New Orleans (81-85). Technically this is his second head coaching job as he did serve as an interim HC with the Saints in 1985.
Known for his prowess in designing a defense to match his personnel, the challenge for Phillips will be to strengthen the defense while also upgrading an offense that was 20th of 20 teams in scoring, total yards, and passing yards. He is likely to retain Dave Krieg, a major NFL signee just last season, but expect a new OC and a lot of turnover in the offensive roster. On defense his best returning players are showing some age, with DE Larry White turning 33, DT James Herribone also 33, DT Dave Butz 32, and LB Kurt Gouveia now 28. Denver does have some young talent on D, with Marvcus Patton looking like the next big Gold LB at 25 years old, and rookie CB Bruce Pickens having a solid first year. We also like 25 year old Charles Mincy at Free Safety and 24 year old Kurt Schulz as a possible candidat to take over the position as 35 year old Patrick Gannon has hinted that retirement may be eminent.
ARIZONA: Long time DT Ed Weaver has announced his intention to retire this year. The loss likely means that Arizona will seek to sign a proven nose tackle as their remaining DT’s Sean Lee and Mike Lodish are best suited for support rather than over the center.
BIRMINGHAM: FS Vencie Glenn has been on the market for just under a week and has already spoken with 2 USFL clubs and the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. Glenn, who is 27 and just finished a 4 interception, 47 tackle season, is the most senior of Birmingham's three players at the position.
ST. LOUIS: The Knights have signed Philadelphia TE Alex Higdon. With the emergence of Eric Green as the primary receiving TE in Philly, Higdon was simply not going to get a better contract with the Stars. He will serve as the 2nd TE in St. Louis, behind 32-year old Todd Christiansen, but may be positioning himself to take over should Christiansen retire within the next year or two.
CFL-USFL: Baltimore wideout Derek Hill has decided that his supporting role with the Blitz is not his ideal situation and has signed a contract with the CFL Toronto Argonauts, hoping to reboot his career up north. Hill caught 59 passes in Baltimore this year but was stuck behind both Jackie Flowers and Bill Brooks in the depth chart. With Toronto he hopes to obtain a 1 or 2 position.
RETIREMENTS: A few retirement notifications have come in over the past week. Most prominent are Chicago SS William Cesare, Jacksonville QB Jason Garrett, and Orlando wideout Nathan Bruce. Chicago is perhaps the hardest hit by the retirement as Cesare has been the regular starter for the Machine since coming over from Birmingham.
We are expecting several more retirement notifications over the next two weeks, with rumors circulating that one of the league's biggest stars may be walking away from the game. No details until we get more secure intel on that, but expect something soon.
There you have it, a pretty slow 2nd week of free agency, but with 4 playoff calibre teams now joining the free agency pool, we expect next week will be a busy one. Meanwhile on the field it will be a battle of top seeds in the East as #2 Pittsburgh heads to #1 Memphis, while out West it is a divisional matchup as New Orleans is at #1 seed Houston.
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