It all came down to one week. Every division up for grabs. Playoff spots to be won or lost. It does not get more dramatic, and when it was all said and done ten franchises would play on and ten would reflect, reexamine, and start planning for the future. Who is in? Who is out? And which league records fell along the way? It all happened this week.
BAL 9 NJ 5
In a game that felt like no one wanted to win, the Blitz get their third straight W thanks to 3 field goals and defense that stymied and harassed rookie QB Dave Brown in his first USFL start. Coach Wyche gave Brown a start to see what he could do, and the answer was “not much”. 13 of 47 (a horrid 27.7%) for 138 yards and no scores. Even Herschel Walker was affected, going for only 40 yards on 16 carries and finishing under 1,000 for the year for the first time in his career.
PIT 17 PHI 14
The Stars played hard for Coach Bicknell, but came up short, giving Philly their worst record in team history and ending the Bicknell era. Pittsburgh got a late Louis Lipps TD to upend the home team and secure their first division title. Eric Kumerow had 10 tackles and forced a key fumble to help the Maulers earn the W. Kelvin Bryant had one of his best games in a down year, rushing for 116, while Rozier gained only 42 yards, falling short of Herschel Walker’s season rushing record.
BIR 41 JAX 24
Birmingham left no doubt, crushing the Bulls and securing a playoff spot while knocking Jacksonville out, after 4 straight losses. Brett Favre’s 379 yards and 5 TD’s on the day not only got Birmingham the win, but also set new league records for season passing yardage and touchdowns. Ernest Givens also went wild, gaining 171 yards and scoring 3 times as the Stallions moved from 4th to 2nd in the division with this one key win.
ORL 20 MEM 18
Orlando needed a win and a lot of help to get into the playoff field at 9-7. They got the win, knocking off a somewhat uninspired Showboats squad, but did not get the help they needed. The Renegade D came to play, holding Greg Boone to only 33 yards on the day. On Offense it was not spectacular, but it was enough as a Dalton Hilliard TD run and a Wamon Buggs reception for a score were enough. Memphis knew they had the division won regardless of the result, so they played with an eye on staying healthy.
HOU 33 MGN 21
The Gamblers did what they had to do to lock up the #1 seed in the West, getting 4 TD’s from Jim Kelly as he set new league records for passer rating and completion percentage for a season. Brett Perriman caught 7 balls for 158 and 2 scores, and the defense got a safety on Jack Trudeau to go along with a solid game all around. Houston will now await the Wild Card winner, while Michigan finishes the year at 7-9.
NOR 37 TEX 24
It looks like New Orleans will be fine with McManus at QB. The FSU grad threw for 282 and 2 scores, and the Breakers added TD runs from Dupree (133 yards on the day) and NFL signee Reuben Mayes to vault over the Outlaws, knocking Texas from playoff position, and securing a bye in the process. Kelly Stouffer had trouble with the Breaker secondary all day, completing only 58% of his passes and throwing a key interception when the game was in range.
OAK 24 DEN 21
The Gold played hard in their final outing, and the last game under Head Coach Joe Walton, who was let go on Black Monday, but Oakland needed and got the W to secure the Pacific Division and the much-desired bye week. Gale Gilbert threw for 234 and 2 scores, Kevin Shea added 3 field goals, and Oakland got the win they needed. They will host the Breakers in 2 weeks on their path to a repeat title.
STL 27 POR 10
Talk about backing in, the Thunder were manhandled by the Knights, but still earn the final playoff spot at 8-8 thanks to losses by Texas and Michigan. St. Louis once again showed how poor the Thunder run defense is, with the combo of Thompson and Jordan gaining 123 on the day. Dan McGwire added a TD pass, and that was all the Knights needed as Kerwin Bell threw 4 interceptions, including 2 right into the hands of FS Roman Lewis. LB Bob Crable caught another and ran it back for a score as the Knights finish the year with an improved 7-9 record and a grateful fan base in St. Louis.
WSH 13 CHI 9
The Chicago defense came ready to play, taking Washington to the final minutes before a late Barry Word TD run gave the Federals the win they needed to lock up a playoff spot. Washington’s D also played lights out football, holding Ricky Watters to only 16 yards rushing and sacking Scott Zolak 6 times. The win moves Washington to 10-6, and the loss, Chicago’s 6th in a row, drops them to 5-10-1 after a 5-4-1 first half. Expect some player turnover in Chicago as Coach Schottenheimer tries to put his stamp on a roster that simply did not match his coaching mindset.
TAMPA BAY BANDITS 30 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 35
Other results of the day would have allowed both Arizona and Tampa to make the playoffs regardless of the result of this game, but they could not know that at the time, and both clubs played as if their playoff lives depended on a win. Arizona would build a 35-17 lead midway through the 4th quarter, but Tampa came roaring back into the game in the final 8 minutes, scoring 3 times, converting an onside kick, but falling just short as time ran out on their comeback attempt.
It was a very god game for QB Robbie Bosco as he threw for 3 scores, all to flanker Bruce Hill, as Tampa focused all their attention on Trumaine Johnson and Terry Orr. For Tampa Bay, Troy Aikman would throw 4 touchdowns, including 2 to league leader Eric Truvillion and a late score to TE Ben Coates. But, with only 39 seconds left, even a 2nd successful onside kickoff return would have been tough to turn into points. When Arizona recovered the 2nd onside kick, the game was over, with Arizona scoring the home victory and locking up a playoff spot at 9-7. Tampa’s 9-7 record also proved enough to give them the final Wild Card spot.
Expect both clubs to look to address defensive weaknesses revealed in this game as they head into the postseason. Arizona will host Portland, so you know they will try to run the ball against the weak Thunder run defense, while Tampa, as the lowest seed, will head to Birmingham to face Brett Favre and the Stallions. That one could produce 1,000 yards passing and 8 TD tosses as both teams have trouble on pass defense and both QB’s are playing lights out football right now.
The obvious choice here is Birmingham’s Brett Favre, who set two league records with his 379 yard, 5 TD performance. Favre has been a revelation in his 2nd year with Birmingham and is now among the league’s hottest young stars. But, we want to shine some light on a player who has been solid all year and who simply does not get the recognition he deserves.
That player is tackle Richmond Webb. Webb has been a starter since the second game of his rookie year, and has been among the league leaders in both pancake blocks and sacks allowed since stepping into the role. He is the road grater that frees up Joe Cribbs for huge gains, and the brick wall that has kept Cliff Stoudt, and now Brett Favre, upright. This season he was the league leader in pancakes, and only allowed 1 sack (his first allowed in 3 years) all season. When you look at the success of Brett Favre, a lot of credit should go to his blindside protector and one of the most dominant tackles in the game. This week, as Favre threw for 2 league records, Webb was once again a dominant force, holding Jacksonville’s best pass rusher, DE Jim Reynosa, without a single solid touch on Favre. It was another in a long line of clean games for the big tackle, and another win for Favre and the Stallions.
As expected, it was a crazy week, leading to teams climbing the standings, others falling hard, and a lot of tiebreakers. What was the end result? Well, all 4 division leaders clinched their division titles and byes this week. Houston as the top seed in the West and Memphis in the East, with Pittsburgh and Oakland getting byes and home games in the divisional round.
The biggest riser was Birmingham, which jumped from 6th position (and out of the playoffs) to 4th after beating Jacksonville. The Bulls, who lost their last 4 games, fell all the way out of the playoffs and will have to watch from home. Washington tied Pittsburgh at 10-6, but lost the tie breaker with both the Maulers and the Stallions, so they will host Tampa Bay this week in the Wild Card Round. Tampa, thanks to a 5-3 division record, ended up atop a 3-way tie of 9-7 clubs with Jacksonville (4-4 in division) and Orlando (3-5).
Out west, the play of Danny McManus may have just saved the season for the Breakers. New Orleans won their last 4 games, moving to 10-6 and snagging the top Wild Card and its bye. They will head to Oakland to face the Invaders in the Divisional Round. Arizona snagged the 2nd Wild Card and will host the 8-8 Portland Thunder, who secured the 5th and final playoff spot despite losing badly this week. Losses by Texas and Michigan helped secure the position for the Thunder.
1992 PLAYOFF SEEDS
EAST: 1-Memphis 2-Pittsburgh 3-Washington 4-Birmingham 5-Tampa Bay
WEST: 1-Houston 2-Oakland 3-New Orleans 4-Arizona 5-Portland
As you may have noticed above in the game breakdowns, this week’s season finales were also the final games for two USFL coaches, let go on “Black Monday”.
After 3 years replacing legendary coach Jim Mora, “Cowboy” Jack Bicknell earned Philly the #1 pick in the draft and himself a quick ticket out of town. Bicknell never recovered from the retirement of Chuck Fusina, and his efforts to groom Browning Nagle for the starting job, along with a weak receiving corps, left the Stars unable to compete offensively. No word yet on candidates for the position, as Philadelphia is expected to look into a wide range of both college, NFL, and USFL coaches to find someone who can revive the team’s once dominant defense, and groom either Nagle or a new QB into a consistent winner.
Joe Walton, the other Black Monday casualty, had two rough years with the Gold. He had hoped that the signing of NFL quarterback Dave Krieg would inject some energy into the Gold offense, but Krieg struggled behind an unathletic line, and had little help from a weak running game. Denver tied Philly at 4-12 this year, and after two years of futility, the Gold decided a new direction was needed. Despite the fact that the offense is the biggest issue for the Gold, Denver is expected to pursue Broncos Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips hard as their top candidate to fill the position. Phillips, the son of legendary Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips, could certainly help the Gold on defense, but will need to find someone who can help improve the team’s last place scoring offense.
With New Jersey, Chicago, and Baltimore all working with first year coaches, it is no surprise that despite poor seasons all three coaches are safe and will be given more time to shape the roster and the character of their teams. St. Louis was the other potential hot seat, but with the Knights making a serious playoff run, and finishing a respectable 7-9 in their first year in the Gateway City, it is no surprise that Jack Elway will be back to see what he can do in a third season with the squad.
Looking at the 10 playoff teams, we are happy to see that their rosters are largely free from new injuries as they head into the playoffs. Here are the players who will not be in action this week (and perhaps in the Divisional Round) for our playoff qualifiers:
ARZ: DE Al Noga (IR)
BIR: CB Anthony Blaylock (Out), FS Vencie Glenn (Out)
HOU: No reported injuries
NOR: QB Matt Robinson (IR)
OAK: No reported injuries
PIT: CB Mike Mayes (IR), G Mark Krenowitz (IR), G Steve Kenney (Out)
TBY: LB Ed Brady (Questionable)
WSH: G Mark Hutson (IR)
Two games on the docket for next week as Tampa visits Birmingham in the first of two Wild Card games. The winner will go on to face the Memphis Showboats, so it is 2 straight divisional matchups for one lucky team. Both the Bandits and the Stallions can score at will, as both have dynamic young quarterbacks. It may all depend on if Birmingham can get more out of Joe Cribbs, who had his first season below 1,000 yards rushing this year. Coach Erhardt has been happy to let Brett Favre carry the load, but this is playoff season and having a back like Cribbs is a luxury that the Stallions should not ignore. We like Birmingham, always tough at home, to find a way past the 9-7 Bandits and on to Memphis for what should be a packed stadium of Tennesee, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas partisans of both teams.
The Sunday game sends Portland out to Tempe to face the Wranglers. This game will be played at 7pm local time, in hopes of avoiding the heat of a July day in the desert. Both clubs have had a lot of ups and downs this year, with solid performances followed by complete collapses. It makes this game very hard to predict. We like Robbie Bosco at QB more than Kerwin Bell, and both clubs have solid #1 receivers in Trumaine Johnson and Cris Carter. It may be a game where a few key defensive plays or takeaways could be huge. On paper Arizona has the better scoring defense, but Portland is certainly capable of forcing turnover too. We are going to give home field advantage to the Wranglers and send them into the divisional round to face the Houston Gamblers.
LETS GO BANDITS!!!!