CHI 13 BAL 17
Marty Schottenheimer returns to Baltimore, where he was unceremoniously released after 3 unremarkable years, and the Blitz upend Chicago to essentially prove that their management was correct to do so. In a game that lacked offensive fireworks, the biggest play was a goal line stand by Baltimore that included a sack of Scott Zolak, a 2 yard loss on an Albert Bentley run, and a goal line tackle by Bryce Paup to force Chicago to kick a field goal rather than gain 7 points as the second quarter ended. That would prove to be the difference in the game.
HOU 31 NJ 25
Jim Kelly threw for 3 scores and Thurman Thomas rushed for 115 as the Gamblers edged the Generals in the Meadowlands. After several weeks of favoring the pass, Sam Wyche returned to handing the ball off and got 82 yards from Herschel Walker and another 34 from Amp Lee to keep the game close. Doug Flutie threw for 3 scores of his own, but in the end it was Kelly to Dennis Ransom on a 17-yarder that proved the game winner.
MGN 39 PHI 38
A nip and tuck battle all the way as Michigan fought for their playoff lives. Jack Trudeau had a career game, throwing for 485 yards and 4 TDs, and he needed every one of those yards as the Stars simply would not quit on the game. Browning Nagle threw for 395 and 4 TD’s of his own as neither defense was able to consistently disrupt the offenses. Once again Butch Rolle played a big part, catching 5 balls for 132 yards, including an incredible 75 yard dash for the big man.
NOR 26 PIT 21
The switch to Danny McManus at QB once again proved a solid move as the young signal caller threw for three scores, including the game winner with 4:06 left on the clock. Pittsburgh finished the game with Jeff Hostetler at the helm after Alan Risher was hit hard by Breaker Jeff Herrod on an ill-advised scramble. Hostetler played well but could not get the Maulers into the endzone until late in the game, when two scores were needed. Just a little too late for the Maulers.
TEX 17 WSH 48
Washington came out of the tunnel on fire, and by the half it was 24-7 Federals, built up to 34-7 after 3. The Outlaws just could not compete as the combination of Brown, Manley and Haley harassed Kelly Stouffer all game long. Reggie Cobb was the best performer for Texas, with 115 yards on the day, but it was not enough as Washington got 3 scores from Majkowski and a combined 117 yards from Word, Jenkins and Jamie Covington.
ARZ 16 BIR 23
A good game for the Stallions defense as they held the Wranglers in check all game. Brett Favre threw for 329 yards as he closes in on the league record for both yardage and touchdowns in a season. Add in 3 Scott Norwood field goals and the Stallions had just enough at home to hold off the Wranglers.
DEN 14 JAX 7
The Bulls’ recent woes continue as this time their offense was simply off key all day. Tony Eason got the start, and he finished with 350 yards, but Denver’s bend-but-don’t-break strategy paid off. The Gold, led by Vince Evans, slowed the pace of the game way down, and kept Jacksonville guessing on both offense and defense. Denver blitzes produced 5 sacks of Eason, and two of them were safeties (one on a holding call in the end zone) as the Gold shock the Bulls and severely hurt their playoff chances.
OAK 17 MEM 13
This one was a defensive gem as neither team could muster 300 yards of offense on the day. Gale Gilbert suffered 4 sacks but Oakland’s D forced 3 turnovers in the tight battle. Both Siran Stacy and Greg Boone were held under 50 yards rushing apiece, but Oakland got one big play that Memphis could not, a 75-yard bomb from Gilbert to Duper, and that single big play proved to be the difference maker in this one.
STL 17 TBY 27
The Knights held tough through 3 quarters, down only 20-17, but a big play from Aikman to Truvillion put the game away for the Bandits, who are streaking up the standings with another win. Neither team had a run game to speak of, so it was Aikman’s 408 yards passing with 3 scores that made the difference in the game. Truvillion ended the game with 149 yards on 5 receptions, and Chris Collinsworth added another 78 as Tampa’s pass offense proved too much for the young secondary of the Knights.
PORTLAND THUNDER 28 ORLANDO RENEGADES 31
In a game that saw Cris Carter go off for 135 yards and 3 scores, it was the ageless combo of Collier to Wamon Buggs that proved decisive as Orlando rallied late to overtake Portland and earn a much needed win if they are going to squeak into the playoffs. Both teams remain on the outside looking in, but both are right on the cusp with one game to go.
Orlando started the game looking like they would run away with it. Thanks to a Collier to Carpenter TD, a Winston Moss pick-six, and then a Hilliard TD run, the Renegades found themselves up 21-0 midway through the second, but they may have become overconfident as Portland would score the next 28 points. The comeback began with the first of 3 Cris Carter TD’s, this one a 15 yarder from Bell to end the first half. He would add 2 more in the 3rd quarter, a 33-yarder and a 14-yarder. Webster Slaughter would catch Kerwin Bell’s 4th TD pass as the 4th quarter began and unexpectedly the Thunder had turned a 21-0 deficit into a 28-21 lead.
Orlando, sensing the real danger of an epic collapse, rallied in the 4th, getting a Fuad Reveiz field goal to pull within 4 at 28-24, but it would come down to a final drive to decide the game. Orlando got the ball on their own 33 after a short Portland punt, and Collier guided the Renegades down the field in the final 3 minutes. With 56 seconds left in the game, he saw Slaughter opening a gap on a corner route and threw a perfect ball over the outstretched hands of the corner and just inside enough for Slaughter to get both feet down and ensure the win for the home team.
It was a crushing defeat for Portland, who fought their way back only to have victory slip from their grasp. For Orlando, the win moved them to 8-7, and gave them hope, admittedly slim hope, of catching some of their divisional rivals and qualifying for the postseason. For Portland, the loss is not a season-ender. They remain in the hunt at 8-7 and could potentially qualify at either 9-7 or even at 8-8, depending on what happens next week.
I realize that we focus on the QB position a lot in reporting on the USFL, but it is impossible to deny that this is a QB-driven league, with passing being the preeminent feature of USFL play. So it should come as no shock that this week our top contenders for POTW are all quarterbacks. We opted to split the award this week as we focus on two signal callers who are doing all they can to keep their teams alive in a very tight, and precarious playoff hunt.
Jack Trudeau is in a tough spot. He has no run game to speak of, the offense has been spotty all year, recording two games where they were shut out, but also having some explosive weeks, and in the end it all comes down to him. This week against Philadelphia, he needed everything he had just to keep the Panthers on top and alive (marginally) for the playoffs. Trudeau responded with 485 yards passing, the second highest total behind Brett Favre’s record-setting 500-yard game. He also threw 4 TD’s to help power the Panthers to an absolute must win result against the Stars on the road.
Troy Aikman found himself in a very similar situation. With a run game which simply has not been able to spring any big plays despite the focus on speedy Eric Bienemy, and a defense which can be extremely erratic, it has often been on Aikman’s shoulders to produce wins, and this week they needed a win at home against the Knights to propel themselves within one game of the division lead. Aikman, like Trudeau, responded with a big game. He went 25/31 for 408 yards and 3 scores, including the game-securing 44-yard toss to Truvillion in the 4th.
If either Michigan or Tampa are going to make the postseason and have success, it will depend on the ability of these QB’s to overcome the weaknesses and deficiencies in other parts of their teams. That is a lot to ask of a QB, but it is what the best of the best do.
Rather than review the thousands of permutations that this last week of the season could produce, let’s look at each contender and their Best Case Scenario. What should they be aiming for.
DIVISION LEADERS
MEM: Win and they are the Southern Division Champs and #1 Seed in the East.
HOU: Win and they are the Central Division Champs and #1 Seed in the West.
PIT: Win and they are the Atlantic Division Champ.
OAK: Win and they are the Pacific Division Champ.
IN PLAYOFF POSITION
TBY: Win = in. Win + MEM loss and Tampa is the Southern Division Champ.
JAX: Win = In. Win plus Tampa + Memphis losses and they win the South.
NOR, ARZ, POR, WSH: Win = In.
NEED HELP
BIR: Win + Loss by TBY or JAX and they are in.
TEX: Win + Loss by POR or ARZ and they are in.
ORL: Too many tie breakers to figure. They know they must win.
MGN: Again, too many tie breakers to figure. They know they must win.
Honestly, we probably should eliminate Orlando and Michigan from contention because their divisional and/or conference records make the odds so slim as to be nigh impossible. It really is about whether Birmingham or Texas can leapfrog one of the teams ahead of them and snag the last spot. That and every single division title being in play.
With only 1 week left in the regular season, we are looking at some of the league’s most revered records potentially being shattered. In what has been a year defined by offensive explosions and dynamic playmakers, there is a real chance that we will see new marks made in passing, rushing and receiving.
Let’s start with the Rushing Title, which MIKE ROZIER has locked up, nearly 250 yards ahead of the next competitor, but now Rozier has a chance to break Herschel Walker’s league record of 1,767 rushing yards, set back in the inaugural 1983 season. With 1 game to play, Rozier sits at 1,701, needing only 67 yards to take over the record.
BRETT FAVRE this week broke one record and is in range of another. His 4,790 yards passing surpass the league record of Doug Williams (4,726 in 1985) and he could be the first USFL player to reach 5,000 yards in a season with another 210 yards in Week 16. He could also break John Reaves’s record of 44 touchdowns in a season, set in 1984, if he tosses for 3 scores in the final week’s matchup against Jacksonville. What is amazing is that he is reaching for these records in his first year as the starter for Birmingham, his first year of significant play in the league.
Favre sits behind JIM KELLY as the 2nd rated QB in the league despite his gaudy numbers. Kelly, thanks in large part to his 71.3 completion percentage and 35-9 TD-INT ratio, is atop the all time record for season QBR, held by Bobby Hebert from 1984, at 122.1. Both Troy Aikman and Kelly Stouffer came close last season, but both finished in the high teens, and could not break 120. Kelly, unless he suffers a horrible final game of the regular season is all but assured the record. Kelly has already become the career passing yards leader, jumping over Chuck Fusina with this year’s numbers.
ERIC TRUVILLION is on pace for a potential record, breaking year, though the record holder he is shooting for is himself. Truvillion holds the record for yards in a season when he gained 1,959 in 1986, just barely falling short of the astounding 2,000 yard mark. This season, with one game left, he sits at 1,844, so it would take a relatively reasonable game of 114 yards for him to reach 1,960 and gain the record. A top-level game of 154 yards would reach the 2,000 yard plateau.
Finally, Memphis DE REGGIE WHITE, who is having an amazing bounce-back year with Santana Dotson opposite him on the Showboat D-Line, stands at 20 sacks for the season. The record sits at 23, set by Phil Hansen last year. A 3-sack day, not out of Reggie’s norm, would tie the record. If he were to get 4 against the Renegades, he would set the record. Orlando’s Reggie Collier is an elusive target, so that may be asking a bit much, but White still is having an incredible season for the Showboats.
Some injuries that may impact the final playoff push (and potentially the post-season) include DE Al Noga for Arizona (8-12 weeks with a ruptured disk), G Mark Hutson for Washington (8-12 weeks, broken leg), G Duval Love of Jacksonville (6-8 weeks with a stress fracture), DT Greg Meisner of Orlando (Groin Pull), LB Curtis Taliferro of Washington (knee), and LB Ed Brady of Tampa Bay (hand). There are plenty of folks on the Questionable or Probable lists, but with this essentially being a playoff week, we expect most of them to play.
In a week where pretty much every game has playoff implications, the ones you do not want to miss are Birmingham @ Jacksonville, New Orleans @ Texas, and Tampa Bay @ Arizona. In most other games the key is whether or not the non-playoff contenders will be up to play spoiler. Do you see an upset in one of these games?: Washington @ Chicago, St. Louis @ Portland, Oakland @ Denver, Houston @ Michigan, Orlando @ Memphis, or Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia. And expect to see some backups play in the last game of the year for the Generals and Blitz, as they finish out the string.
Comments