1993 Week 14 Recap: Punching Those Tickets.

The Houston Gamblers got a monster game from Thurman Thomas to knock off the plucky New Jersey Generals. In a game that saw Doug Flutie throw for 4 scores, league yardage leader Jim Kelly was surprisingly quiet, throwing for an equal 288 yards to Flutie, but only connecting on one TD. He did not need to be the star on the day as Thomas combined 72 yards rushing (with 2 scores) with 136 yards receiving to lead the Gamblers to a key home victory and one step closer to the #1 seed in the playoffs.

Thomas opened the scoring in what would become something of a shootout, breaking to the outside on an off-tackle run, and finding daylight for a 19-yard score. New Jersey responded as Doug Flutie, who would go 30 for 50 on the day, found rookie Mark Chmura for a score from 20 yards out. The Gamblers would take a 3-point lead on their next drive with John Kasay’s 26-yarder, but it would be the Generals going into the half with a lead as with 1:34 left on the clock Herschel Walker received a shovel pass from Flutie to score from 3 yards out and put the visitors up 14-10.

The third quarter began with Houston again retaking the lead. This time it was a poor throw from Flutie that led to a short pick-6 by linebacker Quentin Coryatt. Flutie recovered and once again New Jersey went up, now 21-17 on another Flutie to Chmura connection. The two teams would trade touchdowns again, first a short run by Thurman Thomas and then a Flutie to Lam Jones pass, and again New Jersey would hold a 4 point lead, 28-24. But that was the last that the Generals would score, while Houston still had some points in them. With 5:14 left, Kelly finally got on the board, finding Brett Perriman for a score that put Houston up for good, 31-28. They would tack on another 3 points to finish out the game, but the close victory in front of a rambunctious home crowd showed that New Jersey was a serious player, but in the end that Houston was the better squad.

BAL 10 CHI 19

Chicago kept pace with Houston in the Central thanks to a 9-point win at Soldier Field. Once again it was the foot of John Carney that helped Chicago hold off the Blitz. Four field goals, helped by 4 interceptions from Chris Miller and the Machine was in business despite a poor game from Kosar (0 TDs and 1 Int). Disturbing news for Chicago as their lead back, Ricky Watters, went out in the 3rd with an injury that could prove a factor as the season winds down.

PHI 23 MGN 12

Philadelphia took advantage of New Jersey’s loss, defeating Michigan in the Silverdome and evening their record with the Generals’ at 7-7. Chuck Long threw for 2 scores and the Stars D did their part by containing both Jack Trudeau (192 yards passing) and the Michigan run game (Jenkins and Culver combine for only 51 yards.)

PIT 39 NOR 24

Both Risher and Rosenbach threw for 3 scores, but a safety and a pick-6 by the Maulers defense helped Pittsburgh pick up the road win and clinch a playoff spot. TE Dan Ross had a strong game for the Breakers, totaling 112 yards receiving and a score, but with Lipps, Brown, and Pritchard all scoring for Pittsburgh it was just too much for the Breakers to match.

WSH 27 TEX 17

Washington took advantage of 6 sacks, 2 turnovers, and Kelly Stouffer’s early departure from the game to pull out a win in San Antonio. With Stouffer knocked out after being sacked 4 times, Glen Carano had trouble shaking off the rust and threw 2 late interceptions to help Washington get the win. Rookie Michael Barrow had a solid game for the Feds, earning Defensive POTW honors, while Dexter Manley added another 2 sacks to his league leading total.

BIR 31 ARZ 24

Arizona was game, but in the end it was just too much of the Stallions offense for the Wranglers to contain. Brett Favre ended the day with only 125 yards passing as the Wranglers focused on keeping everything short, but it was enough as he also tossed 2 touchdowns and watched as James Joseph scored on a late TD run to give Birmingham a 31-17 lead. Arizona would tighten the gap, but could not equalize the score late.

JAX 17 DEN 24

A big home win for the surging Gold. Denver overcame a 17-14 deficit after three by sticking to their game plan. Dave Krieg’s short pass game paid off when he hit Odessa Turner for a late TD. Krieg would finish the day with three scoring tosses and no picks as Denver shut down the Bulls’ run game and harassed Tony Eason throughout the game. The win pushes Denver 2 games over .500 and in the running for a division title should Arizona slip.

MEM 14 OAK 35

Memphis stuck with Shawn Moore for another week and once again they simply could not generate offense. Meanwhile, Bobby Hebert threw for 310 and 5 touchdowns in his best game of the season. With 123 to Henry Ellard, along with 2 scores, Hebert helped give Oakland fans something to cheer about. At 6-8, they are still alive in the West, but need more games like this one to crawl back into the Wildcard discussion.

ORL 14 POR 16

The Portland Thunder find themselves back in playoff contention as they equal their record at 7-7 with a win over the Renegades. With Cris Carter sidelined, it was Hart Lee Dykes again, catching 5 balls for 126 yards to lead the Thunder. Robert Drummond added a 107-yard day and the D actually held their own against the Renegades, led by Craig Erickson after Collier tweeked his ankle in practice on Friday.

TBY 24 STL 21

The Bandits seem to be playing well for interim coach Ron Zook, winning their second in a row. In this one it was Aikman tossing three touchdowns, including a final score with only 40 second left to give the Bandits a road win. Tampa’s D played well against the explosive Darrell Thompson, limiting him to only 39 yards, and forcing St. Louis into an uncomfortable one-dimensional offense.

Thurman Thomas’s performance this week, combining strong running with dynamic receiving, just highlighted why he is a frontrunner for Offensive Player of the Year, if not MVP. Thomas is on pace to break the 2,000 yard mark for yards from scrimmage. He sits atop the leader board for rushers with an even 1,200 yards and has another 621 yards receiving, leaving him only 179 yards short with 2 games left to play.

In the game this week, Thomas’s 2 touchdowns included a dynamic opening score from 19 yards out. He also had the longest reception on the day, a 58-yarder on a perfectly executed screen. While Jim Kelly may be the face of the Gamblers, Thomas is clearly the engine for the team. His dual threat nature opens up the Houston offense, creating space for Kelly to go deep on play action, while also creating a dangerous outlet should the deep ball not be available. While Brett Favre is looking solidly in the lead for the MVP this year, Thomas deserves to be in the conversation and will likely walk away with the Offensive Player of the Year if Favre takes the MVP. And it would be well-deserved.

Things are finally beginning to take shape, at least at the top of the standings. Four more teams punched their playoff tickets as both Washington and Pittsburgh joined Birmingham in the Eastern Conference and both Arizona and Chicago joined the Western Conference postseason along with frontrunning Houston. Still very much up in the air are two Wild Card slots in each conference.

At 8-6, Denver has a leg up on 7-7 Portland, but both have to worry about 6-8 Texas and now Oakland. In the East, Jacksonville needs only 1 win to clinch, while New Jersey and Philadelphia are both locked up at 7-7 in a battle that may come down to matchups both have with Baltimore over the next 2 weeks. New Jersey has a huge advantage in division record, where they are 4-2 to Philly’s 1-5, so the Stars have to hope that they finish a game ahead of the Generals to get that final playoff spot.

We have a team in Atlanta. This week the 1995 Atlanta franchise, headed up by Augusta newspaper magnate William Shivers Morris, revealed the team name, colors, primary logo, and then a surprise, introduced the coach for the team., a full year before they would play their first game. At a ceremony at Bobby Dodd Stadium on the campus of Georgia Tech, team owner Shivers Morris introduced the newest USFL franchise with fanfare and a surprise announcement.

With a focus on the 1994 Olympics and a reputation as a city that rose from the ashes of the Civil War, Atlanta has opted to embrace the image of flames as the Atlanta Fire. The name, which may be controversial to some, evokes not only the destruction of the Civil War and Sherman’s March to the Sea, but also the rebuilding of the city, a phoenix out of the ashes, as well as the Olympic flame that will signal the arrival of Atlanta as a world class city. This Olympic symbolism was not lost on the design team that created Atlanta’s fiery logo. The primary logo is the team name, with the “I” in “Fire” being replaced by a flaming torch. The lettering is in a dark navy blue, highlighted by the red and athletic gold flames.

“We wanted a symbol for Atlanta that spoke to our spirit and our pride, and we felt that the flaming torch was an excellent fit.” Said Shivers Morris. He added that he wants this team to be a rallying point for the city as well as a symbol of the New South. The team colors, we were informed, were, very much like those of the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL, inspired by the strong local tradition of football powers of Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. “We combine the navy and gold of the Rambling Wreck with the Bulldogs’ red to create something both familiar to local fans and new for the area,” stated team president. Though most at the event felt the red-orange and athletic gold were a far cry from Georgia's pinkish red or Ga Tech's metallic gold, the point was made.

Just as reporter began to shuffle around, believing the announcements to be done for the day, Shivers Morris told everyone he had one more big news story. “Before you go, perhaps you would like to meet our head coach. Would that interest you boys?” he asked with a chesire cat grin on his face. Out from behind the curtain emerged a figure familiar to pro football fans, former Denver Bronco Head Coach Dan Reeves. Shivers added “I know you all were saying that Coach Reeves was headed to New York or down to Tampa, but I am happy to say that he is going to make his home here in Atlanta, and will help us build towards our first draft, our first free agency period, and our first season in 1995.”.

Reeves, a native of Rome, Georgia, and graduate of the University of South Carolina, spoke briefly to the crowd of reporters, his accent revealing that despite his time in Denver, he remained a son of the South. Reeves, who took the Denver Broncos to three Super Bowls, largely behind the talent of QB John Elway, but was unable to win a title in the Mile High City. He was released by the Broncos after a disappointing 8-8 season in 1992 and was a frequently named candidate for several USFL and NFL positions. Reeves will work with Atlanta’s as-yet unnamed GM as well as the front office staff to help build the Fire franchise over the next 18 months.

So, there you have it. Welcome to the league the new Atlanta Fire. Next up for the Fire is to work with Nike on uniforms and then start putting players in those uniforms. And next up for the USFL is the announcement of their remaining 2 expansion franchises. Rumors have news coming as soon as next week on that front, so stay tuned.

Looking at the final two weeks of the year, there are some injuries that could impact the final playoff push for several teams. Washington’s hopes that promising rookie Terry Kirby could return were dashed this week when it was revealed that he will miss at least a month of action due to an ACL injury, putting in doubt not only a regular season return, but the playoffs as well.

In Houston, LB Pat Swilling’s gimpy ankle could keep him out for the final two weeks of the year, but with the playoffs assured, Houston may rest him even if he is able to return. If the Gamblers can secure the bye this week, they will certainly rest many starters in Week 16. Jacksonville is gambling themselves that Tony Eason can stay upright. Despite backup Mike Shula being unavailable the Bulls have yet to sign a 3rd QB to their roster, leaving only Eason and current 3rd stringer Sam Garcia active for these final 2 weeks. And both Oakland and Birmingham may be playing key Week 15 games without their top receivers as both Henry Ellard and Ernest Givens were listed as questionable with undisclosed leg injuries.

Week 15 and so much to play for as we return for 2 weeks of divisional play. In the Atlantic both Philly and New Jersey are looking to get an advantage over the other, but Philly has the easier matchup. The Stars will be at home against Baltimore, while New Jersey hosts the division-leading Federals. In the South, Birmingham may put Memphis out of their misery in this classic rivalry game, while Tampa is in Jacksonville, hoping to win a 3rd in a row and salvage some pride out of a lost season.

In the Central, New Orleans and Michigan, both at 4-10, are playing out the string as they meet in Pontiac, while Houston faces off against the Machine in Chicago in a possible playoff preview. Out in the Pacific Division we have a huge playoff-impacting matchup as the Wranglers travel to Denver to face the Gold. The winner has the upper hand for the division title and that all-important bye week. In the other matchup, it is win or kiss your Wild Card hopes goodbye as 7-7 Portland visits 6-8 Oakland.

In our two inter-divisional games, we have Texas at Pittsburgh, in a game both desperately want to win, and we have St. Louis at Orlando in a game both clubs may simply play to avoid injury and pad their stats.