One game left to reach the Summer Bowl. One game to prove you have the heart of a champion. Four teams vying for a shot at the big dance. Will it be the two time champion Gamblers looking to become the first USFL team to ever repeat as Champions, or the plucky squad from Chicago led by an NFL import QB? Will young gunslinger Brett Favre will his Birmingham Stallions to the title game for the first time in a decade, or will Dan Majkowski and the Federals get a shot at joining the exclusive club of two time champions? The only way to get a shot at the title is to get a win this week.
Sunday, July 18, 1pm ET. Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
The Federals came into the Eastern Conference Championship knowing that they needed to run the ball to control the clock, and they needed Don Majkowski to come close to matching up with Brett Favre in order to leave Birmingham with a win and earn a Summer Bowl Berth. They did both, and still lost the game. With Barry Word gaining 98 yards on the ground on only 12 attempts, Curvin Richards adding 61 of his own, and Don Majkowski throwing for 3 scores, it all should have spelled out a Federals win. Birmingham only rushed the ball 12 times, for a ludicrous 6 total yards, and yet, somehow the Stallions pulled it out.
Brett Favre basically put his team on his shoulders and willed them to a win in Legion Field. Throwing for 443 yards against the usually stout Federals defense, and enduring 8 sacks along the way, Favre still managed to put up 3 scores and help Birmingham outpace Washington, thanks to 2 Scott Norwood field goals. Favre would finish 27 of 37, with 3 TDs as the Stallions abandoned all hope for a run game and just kept dropping back and exploiting the Federals’ secondary. Favre found 8 different receivers on the day, including 5 catches for 139 yards for Givens, 5 for 81 to TE Walter Reeves, and 6 for 96 yards for Clarence Collins.
And it was not as if Washington was not getting pressure. 8 sacks over the course of the game, including 2 from Jerome Brown and another 2 from LB Curtis Talifero, but as the game grew longer, and Washington started blitzing more to put greater pressure on Favre, the secondary became exposed. The game remained close, with Birmingham leading 17-14 through three quarters, but in the 4th a Norwood field goal and a back-breaking Favre to Collins TD pass gave Birmingham an untouchable 13 point lead. The Stallions were headed back to the championship and proved that even a well-executed game plan by their opponents may not be enough this year.
Sunday, July 18, 5pm ET – Astro Dome, Houston, TX
Just as Brett Favre proved unstoppable in Birmingham, Chicago learned this week that Thurman Thomas was the most dangerous player in the USFL. Thomas rushed for 73 yards on only 10 carries, including 2 TD runs, which is a strong day, but what killed the Machine was his 5 receptions for 182 yards and 3 more touchdowns. It was a one man show as Jim Kelly just kept looking to #34 every time he needed a big play, and the former OK State Cowpoke kept delivering.
Thomas’s day included a 68 yard reception on a simple circle route, a 47 yard TD reception, another for 37 yard, a 14-yard score on a screen, a 1-yard TD plunge, and a gamebreaking 20-yard run to shift Houston from a 28-27 lead to the final 35-27 margin. It was an MVP performance from a top MVP candidate.
Chicago was able to stay close throughout the game, despite Thomas’s explosion, and despite a bad day for Bernie Kosar, who threw 3 picks n the day. Albert Bentley was a big reason why as the savvy veteran rushed for 109 yards and a score. 4 John Carney field goals, and a Reggie Langhorne TD from Blair Kiel during a drive when Kosar was getting medical attention, helped Chicago to a 16-14 halftime lead and a 24-21 lead after 3. But during the game’s final quarter there just was not enough left in the tank. Thomas gave Houston the lead with his 14-yard reception from Kelly, and then slammed the door shut with his 20-yard run on a 3rd and 2.
And so the Gamblers will return to the Summer Bowl, their 4th appearance since joining the league in 1984. And we may be in for a real treat as it will be Favre vs. Kelly, but perhaps more accurately, Favre vs. Thomas, the two top candidates for this year’s MVP trophy, squaring off.
SUMMER BOWL PREVIEW
This one is going to be a show. No doubt about that. Brett Favre and his 42 TD passes against Thurman Thomas and his 2,000+ yards from scrimmage. Ernest Givens, Jim Kelly, and two defenses who simply have to try to contain their opponent, because stopping them seems out of the question. It will be a game between two teams that did not face each other this year, and between two teams that ran roughshod over the league all year. It is the matchup everyone has been wanting to see ever since the season began, and now we are going to get to witness it in the biggest game of the year. Who has the edge? Let’s break it down position by position.
QUARTERBACK: This one is actually pretty tight. In Favre and Kelly you have the #1 and #2 QBR quarterbacks in the league. Kelly threw for more yards this year, but Favre led all players in TD tosses. After this week’s performance we have to give the nod to Birmingham, but it is not a clear victory.
RUNNINGBACK: This one is easy. Thomas is an MVP candidate, the league leader in rushing, and the first NFL player to ever cross the 2,000 yard mark for yards from scrimmage. Birmingham’s leading rusher, Brent Fullwood, finished the year as the 21st best rusher in a 20 team league, with only 545 yards. Birmingham is not a team that is going to seek offensive balance, whereas Houston can throw with the best of them, or switch it up and win on the ground.
RECEIVERS: Another lopsided result as Birmingham has one of the deepest and deadliest receiving corps in the league, particularly with flanker Lawrence Dawsey expected back this week. Ernest Givens, Dawsey and Clarence Collins are the wideouts, and the combo of Shannon Shape and Walter Reeves provide the inside options. Houston has talent in Brett Perriman, Ernie Jones and their TE’s, but it is still Thomas who is the most dangerous receiver for the Gamblers. Advantage Birmingham.
O-LINE: This one may be a toss-up. Brett Favre has been sacked more than Kelly, but he has also thrown a lot more, whereas the Houston line is there for both the pass and the run game. If it is 3rd and 1 we side with Houston, but in a game of 7-step drops and deep balls, Birmingham can get the job done. We will call this a Push.
D-Line: Neither club can get consistent pressure without some blitzing, and both have shown that they have the ability to stop the run, but not always consistency in that effort. The DE’s for Houston, Gerald Williams and Michael Sinclair have a very pedestrian 11 sacks between them, while Birmingham’s combo of Anthony Pleasant and John Copeland have a slightly better 14 combined sacks. Where Birmingham may have the advantage is up the middle, where we like Collin Scott and George little slightly more than the 3 man front of Houston with Ike Readon taking up the middle. But, when comparing a 3-4 with a 4-3 we also have to look at the LBs.
LINEBACKER: Both clubs have dynamic stars in their LB corps, Houston with Pat Swilling, Quentin Coryatt and Kiki DeAyala, and Birmingham with Kevin Greene and Manu Tuiasosopo. Houston’s backers are asked to do more in their 3-4 alignment, and they are certainly a more aggressive and more athletic group, but the problem arises in that Birmingham may force 1-2 of them to leave the field as they trot out multiple 3 and 4 receiver sets, pushing Houston into nickel and dime sets. We give the edge in talent to Houston, but the matchup does not favor LBs in this game.
SECONDARY: Birmingham’s CB combo of Blaylock and Dishman are among the league’s best, with Chris Dishman ending the year tied for the league lead with 8 interceptions. Houston’s combo of Ashley Ambrose and Reggie Sutton is simply not as productive, and while we like the hitting power of Houston FS Donald Dykes and SS Robert Blackmon, that suits them best against a team that runs the ball more than Birmingham does. In a wide open passing game, the advantage here has to go to the team with better corners, and that is Birmingham.
KICKING GAME: Both Scott Norwood and John Kasay are top notch kickers, so we have to call this a push, and does anyone really think that punting will be a big factor in this game? Nope.
COACHING: Ron Erhardt has fully embraced the gunslinger mentality of his quarterback, is willing to give up on the run and just fling the ball, and has the creativity to exploit weaknesses in any defense through a wide range of combination routes that find openings. Ray Willsey has already won a championship with these Gamblers, and while less creative than Erhardt, knows his team well, what they do well and what they don’t. He is unlikely to stand in awe of Favre and the Stallions’ passing game, but does he know how to slow them down? We are giving Erhardt the edge here despite Willsey’s playoff experience.
OUR PICK: It’s all about who maximizes their talent to the maximum. And despite their greater experience and the amazing skills of Thurman Thomas, we are going to go with the wildcard here and pick the Stallions. Repeating is tough, hunger favors the challenger, and Birmingham has been the best team in the league all season. We don’t see that changing here. Our Pick is Birmingham 42-35 over a very game Houston squad. And yes, we expect a shootout here.
Some interesting stories from around the league. Let’s get right to it.
ORLANDO— Count the Renegades out of the Mike Ditka rally, as they have found their coach. Orlando this week announced that George O’Leary of the San Diego Chargers would be their next coach. A lower profile coach than many had expected, O’Leary has served as a D-line coach and Defensive Coordinator in the college ranks, particularly at Syracuse and Georgia Tech before signing on with the Chargers as their D-Line specialist. Clearly Orlando is going for substance over splash, while still acknowledging that the club’s defense has simply not been solid enough to compete and win in the USFL. This will be O’Leary’s first head coaching job since taking on that role at Central Islip and Liverpool high schools in New York in the 1970’s. He steps into an Orlando squad that was in the Summer Bowl only 2 seasons ago, but which seems to be in a retooling phase.
MICHIGAN—New Michigan coach Skip Holtz did not waste any time putting his stamp on the franchise. In a stunning trade, Michigan this week sent 7-year starter Jack Trudeau to the Portland Thunder in exchange for a 2nd round draft pick and backup tackle Dean Steinkuhler. The move, which frustrated Portland fans cheered as the end of the up and down Kerwin Bell years, has Panther fans scratching their heads as the team is now left with former Houston backup Sean Salisbury and untested Pat O’Hara at QB. It seems pretty clear that Holtz is not done yet, and that there is a QB plan in place. That could mean more trades, an early draft pick spent on Michigan State signall caller Jim Miller, or perhaps an NFL poach? We mentioned Joe Montana as a free agent target of the USFL. Would Michigan make sense for the 4-time Super Bowl champion QB? Well, Holtz has a strong background with Notre Dame, Montana’s alma mater, and the Panthers play in a dome, so weather is not an issue. It is intriguing to say the least.
ST. LOUIS--- The first NFL signing of the season is a homecoming of sorts as former Jacksonville Bull wideout Gary Clark returns to the league with the Knights. Clark, who has spent the past several years as a member of the NFL’s Washington Redskins returns to the USFL with Coach Elway’s Knights, where he is rumored to be possibly taking the place of another veteran, Eric Martin, rumored to be seeking to retire.
TAMPA BAY—They don’t have a coach yet, though Ron Zook remains on staff at the moment in an interim position, but Tampa Bay has already started making player moves, signing two NFL starters to the roster. They have signed 8-year veteran kicker Dean Biasucci away from the Indianapolis Colts, and free safety Terry Hoague from the Redskins. Hoague is an instant upgrade at the position, which has been a weak spot in the Tampa defense for several years. Biasucci cannot be any worse than 1993 kicker Lin Elliott, who was last in the league in FG % and only made 17 kicks all season.
SEATTLE-- The 1995 expansion club is wasting no time on building an identity. The Seattle Times and KONO (Seattle’s ABC affiliate) have released the 4 team names that will be part of the Name the Team contest over the next few weeks. The choices are the Seattle Sea Devils, Seattle Dragons, Seattle Pirates, and Seattle Admirals. Clearly a nautical theme seems to be in the works. The contest is set to run for the next 2 weeks, with a running vote tally announced each day in the paper and on the nightly newscast of KOMO. Team officials say they have early mockups of a logo for each name, through assistance with the USFL marketing team and Nike, so once the contest is over, it likely will be a quick turnaround before we see an official announcement from the club.
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