Welcome to Week One. A new season, with new faces, new dreams, new chances to reach for glory. The USFL returns for a 12th season, twenty cities vying for the newly-dubbed Basset Trophy. Twenty clubs, fresh off training camp, reworking their rosters and their playbooks, ready to take on the world. It is the beautiful arcing pass, the perfectly-timed juke, the clash of pads, and the sound of hard hits. It’s spring football, spring rains turning sod to mud, spring gales turning spirals into floating ducks, it’s the smell of dewy grass, the sound of helmets crashing, and the sites of USFL football. Week one is here, and with it a new season of possibilities. Let’s get ready for some football.
Cris Carter made an immediate impression with his new club, but even 2 TDs from the prolific wideout were not enough for the Stars to defeat the Gamblers in the AstroDome. Jim Kelly threw for 3 scores as well as the Gamblers had just enough to edge the Stars to begin the season. Philadelphia came ready to contain Thurman Thomas, and they largely did, holding him to only 23 yards rushing and only 1 reception on the day, but Kelly had other weapons, and a key defensive TD helped push Houston over the top in the season opener.
The game began with a bang as Jim Kelly connected with his new wideout, James Pruitt, on a 73 yard TD on the game’s first play from scrimmage. The Stars bit on the fake to Thomas, and Kelly found Pruitt in single coverage on the edge, hitting him with a perfect arcing toss that allowed the speedy wideout to race down the sideline and score on the opening play of the game.
Philadelphia rebounded, and on their first drive, Chuck Long helped guide the Stars to an equalizing score, finding the newly arrived Carter in the corner of the endzone for 6. Long would throw 4 TDs on the day, but it was offset by 4 interceptions, including two which Houston returned for scores. On this first drive he went 3 for 5, including the tying score.
Houston rebounded as Kelly again took advantage of the Stars’ obsession with Thomas. On another play fake, Kelly then found Clarence Verdin, who took it for another long score, a 69 yard completion. Philly would pull back to within 4 thanks to a long David Trout field goal, but they would never lead in the game. Kelly boosted the Gamblers to a 21-10 lead as he found Thurman Thomas for the prolific back’s only catch of the day, a 7-yard score.
While Philly’s defense was aggressive, shutting down Thomas and sacking Kelly 4 times, it was Houston’s defense which was more opportunistic. In the 2nd quarter, CB Reggie Sutton jumped in front of the Philly receiver, and got the first of Chuck Long’s 2 pick-six tosses. Up 28-10, Houston was then able to sit back and work with the commanding lead. Philly would pull back to within 28-23, thanks to a Derek Brown TD catch and a second reception from Cris Carter. But just as it looked like the Stars were going to make this a game, Long again was pickpocketed, this time by CB Ashley Ambrose. Ambrose battled with Cris Carter all day, and while Carter ended the day with a stunning 13 receptions for 109 yards and 2 scores, on this play it was Ambrose who won the play, pulling the balls from Carter’s hands and returning it for a score that would prove essential.
The Gamblers would allow a late Kelvin Bryant TD run, but it was too little for the Stars as Houston got the 5 point win despite being outgained by the Stars 395-256. The Houston Offense got them the lead early, the defense drove the win home with their two scores, and the Gamblers start the year off right with a home win.
NJ 27 CHI 21
New Jersey fended off a spirited Chicago club, thanks to two second half TDs from Doug Flutie. Both Irving Fryar and Lam Jones went over 100 yards to help power the Generals to the win. Chicago’s Wendell Davis, taking over the #1 receiver position with Michael Haynes now in the NFL, had 6 receptions, including 2 scores for the Machine.
PIT 34 MGN 10
Pittsburgh lost Alan Risher early to a concussion, but Jeff Hostetler guided the Maulers to a comfortable win as new arrivals Joe Montana and Marcus Allen struggled in their first games as Michigan Panthers. Mike Rozier had 92 yards and score, and Hoss threw for two more as Pittsburgh held the Panthers to only 189 total yards of offense.
WSH 23 NOR 16
Washington struggled early as New Orleans built up a 16-3 third quarter lead, but exploded in the 4th to take the road win. Barry Word and Terry Kirby combined for only 75 yards, but Majkowski hit Herman Moore on a 68-yard bomb to put the Breakers up late in the 4th as New Orleans’s defense could not contain the Federals.
BAL 3 TEX 15
Neither offense was able to find a rhythm in this one, so it was the newly signed right foot of rookie Chris Boniol that gave Texas the win. The two defenses combined for 6 sacks and both running games were out of synch in this early matchup between two teams who are hoping they have added enough to be playoff contenders.
JAX 3 ARZ 13
Another example of early season struggles as the Wranglers and Bulls had difficulty putting points on the board. A 1-yard Lionel James run was the only TD on the day as Tony Eason went 14 of 34 and Robbie Bosco fared little better.
MEM 9 DEN 31
As if the QB controversy were not hot enough in Denver, Dave Krieg threw two TD’s before suffering an ankle injury that will keep him out 2-4 weeks, so Mark Brunell came in and also threw 2 TD’s I guess it is a problem other teams would like to have. Mike Kelley got the start, but after an iffy performance, calls for Heath Shuler may not be far off.
ORL 12 OAK 14
The Renegades defense was game, holding Oakland to only 159 total yards, but the offense simply could not convert field position into points, kicking 4 field goals for their entire offense. Oakland, despite their troubles moving the ball, got two Hebert TD’s one each to Henry Ellard and rookie Johnnie Morton to eke out a home win.
TBY 24 POR 45
Portland jumped up 31-7 at the half, squashing Tampa’s plan to use Errict Rhett to balance the offense. He would only carry the ball 6 times as Tampa played from behind. Robert Drummond, on the other hand, had a career day, rushing for 109 and 4 touchdowns as Portland rolled under new QB Jack Trudeau.
BIR 21 STL 27
The shocker of the week as St. Louis played Birmingham close, limiting Brett Favre to 292 yards. The combo of Darrell Thompson and Terrance Flagler scored 3 times to help David Archer get the W. Favre looked a bit rusty, but ended the game with two second half TD’s.
This week’s POTW has to go to the Houston secondary, which picked off Chuck Long 4 times, including 2 run back for scores. Reggie Sutton’s 11 tackles, 2 interceptions and timely pick-six won him the AP Defensive POTW, but Ashley Ambrose was equally vital, despite the big numbers garnered by Philadelphia’s Cris Carter. Ambrose also racked up 11 tackles, 2 picks and a defensive TD on his late game interception return. With Houston’s offense sputtering all day against the tough Philly D, it was the defense which stepped up and helped Houston get a win on the board.
Transitions can be tough. Not all players succeed when they find a new home. Others jump right in and find a new level of success immediately. For the veteran free agents who find themselves with new teams, and in some cases a new league, and for the rookies just starting their pro careers, this week was an early benchmark of where they are and how they are adjusting. Let’s take a look at some of the big acquisitions for USFL teams and give them a first week report card.
A-STUDENTS
QB Jack Trudeau did not take his trade to Portland well. After 7 seasons leading the Panthers, he was not happy to be sent off unceremoniously. Well, if his first week as a member of the Portland Thunder is any indication. Trudeau is going to make Michigan regret that decision. 29 of 36 (80.6%) for 289 yards in a lopsided win over Tampa Bay is a good start.
Denver looks like they have hit the jackpot with their two big name signees this year. TE Keith Jackson was a force in the Gold’s game against Memphis. He came down with 5 balls for 31 yards, including 2 TD’s in Denver’s impressive win. Meanwhile, on the defensive side, DE Leslie O’Neill garnered 2 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in his first action as one of the Gold.
Wideout Cris Carter is back in his old stomping grounds, Veterans’ Stadium, and it is like he never left. Yes, the Stars lost to the Gamblers, but Carter, with 13 receptions, 109 yards and 2 TD’s certainly made a great first impression, or perhaps second impression, on Philadelphia fans.
Anthony Blaylock, who came to DC from Birmingham, was a factor in the Feds’ game this week, making 8 tackles, defending 3 passes and snagging a pick in his first game for Washington.
Darnay Scott made an immediate impression on Arizona fans. The rookie wideout caught 5 balls for 65 yards, including a 33-yard over the shoulder catch that brought the Wrangler faithful to their feet. A nice start for the rook.
We are going to give an A+ to the entire St. Louis player personnel squad. Not only did they get good production from rookies like SS Rodney Harrison (7 tackles) and tackle Jason Matthews (45 snaps), but they also made good use of the sure hands of veteran wideout Gary Clark, who returned to the USFL with a 5-catch day. And while he does not show up on the stat sheet, newly-acquired FB Craig “Ironhead” Heyward is a big reason why Darrell Thompson and Terrance Flagler topped the 100-yard mark in combined rushing.
A SOLID B
Oakland rookie tackle Todd Steussie had a solid game on the right side. He did give up one sack, but it was on a busted play, so we give him a pass on that. He was solid against the Orlando passrush, and showed mobility in the run game for Oakland.
Orlando’s rookie punter Mitch Berger also had a solid game, punting 4 times with a 47.1 yard net average. Only 1 kick went inside the 20, but it was a beauty of a kick that pinned Oakland at their 2 yard line, a position that would eventually lead to Orlando getting position to make a field goal.
Tampa rookie LB Kevin Mitchell looked solid on a defense that was anything but impressive. He made 8 tackles, 2 for loss, but was also at times in the wrong place with missed assignments. The talent is there, now he just needs to grow into the scheme.
A "C" WILL DO
We are giving DE John Bosa a C for his first game as a Texas Outlaw. He played 80% of the defensive stops, and snagged 2 tackles, but was unable to get to Blitz QB Chris Miller all day, which is sort of the thing Texas brought him in to do.
Rookie Aaron Glenn of Birmingham looks good on paper, leading the team with 8 tackles, but several of those were on pass plays where the receiver should never have made the catch. The Stallions are going to need for Glenn to be more aggressive prior to the catch, or more games like the one against St. Louis may hinder their season.
Michigan’s first big name signee, QB legend Joe Montana, had a midling day, and I think we are being generous. He completed 75% of his passes, but for only 88 total yards, and put no scores on the board before getting knocked out in the late 3rd quarter. Fans expected magic, what they got was mediocrity. More has to come from Montana for sure.
LOOKING FOR MORE OUT OF YOU
If Montana’s first game for Michigan was mediocre, Marcus Allen’s was a disaster. Allen was given the ball 17 times and gained only 16 yards. Now, we can put a lot of that on the shaky Michigan front 5, but not all of it. Allen needs to be more explosive in the hole, and have better vision. We know the talent is there. We saw it with the Raiders, but the next few games need to show growth, or Allen could be sat behind Rodney Culver, which would be devastating for Michigan’s front office.
Fans in Baltimore have to be underwhelmed with the first impression of NFL signee Barney Bussey. Not only did Bussey not crack the starting lineup, when he was in the game, he simply did not make an impact. Fans expected more out of the former Lion, but clearly, he has not picked up the defense yet.
Jacksonville may be having buyer’s remorse on two of their big defensive acquisitions. Former Houston LB Johnny Holland and top rookie signee John Thierry had a combined 3 tackles on the day and no pressures or real impact on the game.
We cannot really blame Errict Rhett for his lack of production this week. Tampa fell behind so early that the Bandits all but abandoned the run game by the end of the 1st quarter. We will say that a 4.7 average in his 6 carries is promising, but we want to see him get a shot at 15-20 carries before we get excited.
We are not sure what grade to give TE Jay Novacek. He came to Tampa with a lot of fanfare, stayed in camp through the preseason game, dinged his hip in that game, and then 4 days before the opening game he announced his retirement. We are not sure what that is about, but as a free agent signee we have to give this an F because Tampa gained nothing in that deal.
And yes, some of the biggest names, like Memphis QB Heath Shuler, did not play this week, so no grades for them. We expect to see Shuler and others soon enough, so we will hold off until we get a chance to assess their work.
It did not take long for the injury bug to hit the USFL. After only 1 week there are more than 30 players listed as questionable or worse. Of the significant injuries (Out next week), we find Memphis HB Greg Boone, whose broken leg is going to need a solid month to heal. We also see that Houston LB Fred Strickland could miss more than that with a fracture in his left shoulder. New Jersey will be without slotback Scott Schwedes for several weeks thanks to a stress fracture in his right foot. Denver QB Dave Krieg is likely to miss at least 2 weeks with his ankle injury, giving Mark Brunell a shot at earning the starting position in Denver. In Oakland, Bobby Hebert may have to miss next week with, of all things, turf toe, and in Michigan, DE Jim Reynosa could be out 1-2 weeks with his own ankle issues.
Others likely to miss next week due to a variety of dings include St. Louis WR Rocket Ismail, Portland LB Todd Howard, New Orleans TE Dan Ross, Arizona CB Vince Buck, and Birmingham’s star receiver Ernest Givens.
After opening the season with inter-divisional play, Week 2 offers us the first divisional matchups. They include an in-state rivalry in Pennsylvania as the Maulers host the Stars, a star-studded Southern scuffle between the Bulls and Stallions in Legion Field, a key Western matchup with Denver traveling to Oakland, and a big test for Montana, Allen and the Michigan Panthers, as they head to Houston to face the Conference Champs. Other divisional games include Baltimore hosting New Jersey, Memphis at Orlando, Texas in New Orleans, and Portland visiting St. Louis. The two inter-divisional games are also interesting as Chicago heads to DC to face the Federals and the Arizona Wranglers take the long flight to Tampa Bay to face the Bandits.