With several “win & in” games scheduled this week, we would not have expected the best game of the week to be between two clubs with playoff bids already secured, but when the Federals and Machine faced off in RFK, both teams still had a lot to play for, and it showed. Washington needed a win to secure the Atlantic Division Title and a bye to rest players before the Divisional Playoffs. Chicago had already landed their first playoff berth in club history, but a win could provide them a bye as well, as the top Wild Card team in the West. So what we got was two teams fighting for a week off, and apparently that is a huge motivator in the world of pro football.
The two teams spent much of the first half trading scores. Chicago started the game off when Bernie Kosar hit Aubrey Matthews for a short TD pass to give the Machine the early lead. Washington came back, and as the 2nd quarter began it was Majkowski to the everpresent Joey Walters for the equalizer. Both teams relied heavily on their QB’s all day, with Majkowski accounting for 351 of Washington’s 409 yards of offense, while Bernie Kosar was responsible for 361 of the Machine’s 385 total yards. But, on their first drive of the second half, it was a short run that regained the lead for Chicago as Rodney Carter found space between the left tackle and guard for a 2-yard score. Washington responded once again, with Majkowski throwing his second of 4 TD’s on the day, this time to TE Mike Jones. But, with time left on the clock Chicago was able to get into field goal range, and when John Carney’s 42-yarder stayed true, it was the Machine up 17-14 at the half.
In the second half we saw much of the same. Washington started off the scoring with Majkowski hitting the lanky Herman Moore on a 6 yard fade route to retake the lead 21-17. Chicago responded with a TD of their own as Kosar hit Michael Haynes from 12 yards out. As the 4th quarter began, they would add to their lead as Carney added another 3 to make the score 27-21. But that 6-point lead is a tenuous one, and with 4:02 left, Washington got the ball and made their way down the field patiently, on their way to a second TD for TE Mike Jones, this one on a busted play that saw Majkowski leave the pocket, and stall just long enough for Jones to get open in the endzone. Chicago had 1:42 to try to get into field goal range, but a penalty on a 2nd down from their own 32 left them with a 2nd and 20, and they simply could not convert, turning the ball over on downs with only 43 seconds left. A couple of kneel downs and Washington won not only the game but the Atlantic Division, a bye, and a home game against Pittsburgh in the divisional round. Chicago, by the end of the day, would also earn a bye, thanks to a loss by the Denver Gold, but would travel to Arizona in the divisional round for their first ever playoff appearance.
NJ 30 BAL 7
The Generals needed a win and a Philly loss to make the playoffs, and with both games happening simultaneously, there was sure to be a lot of scoreboard watching, but despite this, New Jersey made sure they did their part. The Generals built up a comfortable 20-0 lead over 3 quarters, thanks in large part to their run game, which saw both Walker and Amp Lee score first half TDs. With the game well in hand, the Generals watched to see if Pittsburgh would take care of the Stars and give New Jersey the 5th playoff spot in the East.
PHI 10 PIT 24
Fighting for a shot at the division title, Pittsburgh was motivated to take the Keystone Clash seriously, and their intensity spelled doom for the overmatched Stars. The Maulers’ D was opportunistic all game, picking off Chuck Long 3 times, and Alan Risher threw scores to three different receivers as the Maulers finished the year 11-5 and condemned the Stars to an 8-8 finish and playoff elimination on a tie-breaker to the Generals.
JAX 27 BIR 38
With Cliff Stoudt dinged up and Brett Favre being rested, Bob Lane got a start for the Stallions, and proved that Birmingham has the deepest QB room in the league. Lane went 14 for 22 and threw 4 TD’s as the Stallions, who had nothing to play for, still took it to the Bulls in Legion Field. Lane found Lawrence Dawsey for 2 scores, also connecting with Clarence Collins (starting in place of a resting Ernest Givens), as Birmingham finished the year an impressive 14-2, the best record in the league.
MEM 13 ORL 20
Two teams that had much higher hopes for the season met in the Citrus Bowl, and , thanks to a 4th quarter TD pass from Craig Erickson to Shawn Jefferson, Orlando came out on top. Gino Torretta got the start for Memphis, and while his 25 for 55 performance is not going to impress too many, it was a chance for Memphis to see what they had in Torretta for the future.
MGN 12 HOU 21
David Klingler got the start for Houston, but it was Thurman Thomas who everyone came to see. The league leader rushed for 66 yards and caught 2 balls in the game, finishing the season with 1,381 yards rushing and 654 through the air, a season total of 2,035 yards from scrimmage, becoming the first USFL back to ever break the 2,000 yard mark.
TEX 21 NOR 24
New Orleans finished out the season with a win in front of a sparse 18,202 in the Super Dome. Tim Rosenbach got another start, finishing with 184 yards passing, a TD and an Int, while Texas rested Kelly Stouffer. Rookie Alex Van Pelt of Pitt completed 20 of 43 passes and went 2-2 on TDs-Ints for the Outlaws. It was a lackluster game for two teams who had lackluster seasons. Texas started the year strong, standing at 6-4 at one point, but yet another second half swoon (0-6 down the stretch) doomed them to an identical 6-10 record as the rudderless Breakers.
DEN 10 OAK 18
The scenario was clear for Oakland, win and they become the 5th and final playoff team. For Denver a win could mean a bye, but that depended on Chicago. Oakland was the more motivated team, and while it was both defenses that dominated the game, Bobby Hebert did just enough to get the win. Trailing 10-6 in the 3rd, Hebert led the Invaders on a score-shifting drive that ended with a TD to Sam Bowers. The Invaders would add a late safety and a field goal to wrap up the game. Their prize, a trip to Denver for a rematch next week.
POR 14 STL 41
Portland did not look like a team fighting for a playoff spot, falling behind the Knights 17-7 after one quarter, and they simply did not have any response in the second half, when St. Louis scored 24 unanswered points. Kerwin Bell’s lead leading 23 interceptions (thanks to 4 in this game) are a major issue for the Thunder, while St. Louis got a strong performance (89 yards and 3 scores) from backup HB Terrance Flagler, in for a rested Darrell Thompson.
ARZ 6 TBY 10
Arizona rested several starters, though not QB Scott Mitchell, and Tampa protected Troy Aikman by giving John Fourcade the start. The result was a snoozefest on the field in Tampa Stadium. The big winner on the day was Robert Brooks, who got the start for a rested Eric Truvillion, and came away with 4 receptions and a TD.
With the Baltimore defense focusing their attention on league receiving TD leader Lam Jones, it was Irving Fryar who came up big this week to help New Jersey secure a playoff spot. Fryar caught 8 balls from Doug Flutie, for 122 yards and a score as the Generals rolled over Baltimore and into the playoffs. With the stellar season Lam Jones has put up this year (94 receptions for 1682 yards and 14 TDs) it is easy to overlook the cagey veteran Fryar, but Fryar too had a banner year as Doug Flutie passed for over 4,500 yards and 35 TDs.
Fryar went over 1,000 yards at 1,145 after an initial season in New Jersey where he gained only 796. He also increased his TD production from 6 in 1992 to 8 this year. This is clearly a result of Sam Wyche’s offense turning Flutie into more of a deep ball QB, but it is also a sign of the comfort level that the receivers are having in New Jersey’s more diverse and aggressive passing game. With Herschel Walker barely reaching the 1,000 yard mark this season, while Flutie flourished, it appears to be a new day in New Jersey, a day in which it is the pass that will set up the run after a decade of smashmouth football in the Meadowlands.
When the dust cleared on Sunday, we were very much in the same position as when the week started. Washington turned their 1-game lead into a division title, Chicago, Denver and Oakland all maintained their positions, and Pittsburgh and Jacksonville held their #3 and #4 spots. The only shift was in the Atlantic, where Philadelphia’s loss to Pittsburgh and New Jersey’s win over Baltimore flipped the division and sent New Jersey into the playoffs while a disappointed Stars team has to be content with an 8-8 record, a 4-game improvement over 1992 in Coach Berry’s first season.
So we now know the matchups for the 1993 playoffs. New Jersey will play Jacksonville in the Gator Bowl in the Eastern Wildcard, while Oakland will travel to Denver for a rematch of this week’s game. Waiting in the wings are the #1 seeds, Birmingham and Houston. In the divisional matchups we know it will be Pittsburgh @ Washington in an All-Atlantic affair, while Chicago will travel to Arizona in the West, a game between two teams who basically switched places a decade ago. Early odds heavily favor the Gamblers and Stallions to reach the Summer Bowl, but predictions have been wrong before. We shall see, starting next week with the Wild Card Round.
A Black Monday first this year, as we had our share of firings, but we also had a hire. With Michigan’s legendary coach Jim Stanley retiring, the Panthers took advantage of Black Monday to celebrate the 2-time champion coach and introduce his successor. At a ceremony in downtown Detroit, the Panthers said goodbye to Stanley, providing him with a gold whistle and a key to the city. The departure was bittersweet as the Panthers suffered through their worst season in Stanley’s swan song, finishing 4-12. Looking to the future, Michigan used the opportunity to introduce their new head coach. Coming from the college ranks, the Panthers presented Skip Holtz, son of Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz, and Defensive Coordinator for the 10-1-1 Fighting Irish. Holtz who helped build one of the best Notre Dame teams in years, and who held Texas A&M without a TD in a dominant 28-3 Irish win in this past January’s Cotton Bowl, will begin working with Michigan’s front office to rebuild a club that has been in decline since a 10-6 season in 1989. The last 4 years have seen Michigan drop from 10-6 to 9-7, then back to back 7-9 seasons and this year’s 4-12 lowpoint.
While Skip Holtz was shaking Jim Stanley’s hand and getting the keys to the Panthers’ facilities, across the league there was less pleasant news being made. Two more longstanding coaches were let go on Monday. In Orlando, only 2 years removed from an appearance in the Summer Bowl, Coach Howard Schnellenberger was relieved of his duties. A 9-7 season last year and a 6-10 fall this year helped Orlando ownership make the decision to replace the only coach the Renegades have ever had. Schnellenberger leaves Orlando with a career record of 57-55-0 in 7 seasons with the team. Based on recent play Orlando could go either for an offensive guru who can help build a team, perhaps with a new QB as Reggie Collier may have seen his last action this year, or they could go with a defensive specialist who would hope to improve on Orlando’s 18th ranked pass defense.
In New Orleans, a team that finished 20th in points per game allowed, and which finished at 6-10 was a long way away from the early success Coach Bill Arnsparger brought to the team in his first 5 seaons. But, the weight of losing 3 straight Conference Title games, and a clearly botched search to sucede QB Matt Robinson has pushed the Breakers to go a new direction. Rumors are already swirling that New Orleans, along with Tampa Bay, will make a serious run at signing outspoken former Bears head coach Mike Ditka to bring some swagger to the team.
Speaking of Tampa Bay, who were also early frontrunners to sign former Denver Bronco head coach, and new coach of the expansion Atlanta Fire, Dan Reeves, the rumor mill has been in 5th gear as few expect current interim coach Ron Zook to get the job despite a solid 3-1 final month. Ditka’s name has been prominent, but there have also been rumors swirling around Florida State legend Bobby Bowden, defensive guru Bud Carson, and former Outlaws head coach Woody Widenhofer. It seems clear that Tampa Bay is looking for a tougher defense as they try to support QB Troy Aikman. Whoever comes into the position in Tampa is likely to be looking for a bellcow back this offseason as the Kevin Harmon-Eric Bienemy combo did not work out, producing a bottom 5 rushing attack.
As we enter the playoffs, let’s take a look at the four clubs set to play this week and who will be unavailable for them. New Jersey comes into the week with 3 players declared out for the game, Guard Juan Castaneda, SS Eric McMillian and C Mike Baab. Losing 2 starters on the O-line could be an issue, particularly for Herschel Walker’s production.
New Jersey’s opponent, the Jacksonville Bulls, are in better shape, expecting to get both backup QB Mike Shula and LB Charles Bratton back from injury next week. Both are listed as Probable on the injury report out today. The only player sure to miss the game is CB Tony Anderson.
Denver is also looking pretty healthy for their matchup against Oakland in Mile High. DE Vince Rafferty is out with a knee issue, and backup TE Demetrius Davis is listed as doubtful, but neither should produce major issues for the Gold.
Oakland has a bit more to worry about. They have 2 players out and 2 listed as doubtful. Guard Jonathan Richards and CB Clayton Holmes are likely out regardless of how deep Oakland’s run will be. The bigger hits will be insecurity in the secondary, as, in addition to Holmes, CB Bo Eason and FS Robert Sparkman are both Doubtful for the game.
We have already looked a bit at the teams headed into this weekend’s Wild Card Playoffs, but let’s look at matchups.
New Jersey @ Jacksonville
The Bulls’ biggest weakness all year has been pass defense, where they rank 17th in the league. That is an area of danger as New Jersey QB Doug Flutie has had a career year and both Irving Fryar and Lam Jones have eclipsed 1,000 yards this season.
For New Jersey, the key may be takeaways vs. turnovers. The Generals have been pretty middle-of-the-pack in most offensive and defensive categories, not unusual for an 8-8 team. Where New Jersey has lacked is in takeaways. They have only 28 all year, and with 24 turnovers, their +4 ratio is in the bottom half of the league. Of course, Jacksonville’s +0 ratio is even worse, so the Generals can take comfort in that.
Oakland @ Denver
Not much separates these two teams. Both rely on a good scoring defense (Oakland is 4th at 330 points allowed, Denver is 5th at 340) and both have proven they can win the close games. Oakland is a +17 in turnover margin, second best in the league, but Denver has only committed 19 turnovers all year, so they know how to protect the ball.
The key to this game may be the two running backs. Siran Stacy finished the year with 1,061 yards rushing and 7 scores, while Natrone Means, in his rookie season, gained 759 and scored 3 times. But we have to remember that Denver likes to mix in Timmy Smith, and with his 551 yards and 8 TD’s, Denver has the more dynamic and multi-faceted rushing attack.
Our picks: It is hard to win on the road in the USFL, and that is doubly true in Denver, where the altitude and the fans can be a factor. The Gold seemed to play a bit vanilla last week in Oakland, perhaps expecting a rematch, so we expect them to throw some new wrinkles at the Invaders. I like Oakland in this one. In the other game I have to think that New Jersey will find a way to exploit a weak Jacksonville pass defense. Doug Flutie had his best season as a pro, and with the threat of Walker always there it is hard to double up on Fryar and Jones, so I see New Jersey getting the W and moving on to face Birmingham. The Generals were one of only 2 teams to defeat the Stallions, so that will be a rematch that will be worthy catching.
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