You would think that with only 3 weeks left to play the playoff picture would be pretty clear by now, but with some of the tightest division races we have seen in years, it is still wide open in both conferences. This week’s games saw a shift in the Atlantic, but there is still a lot to be settled over the season’s final weeks. Even some clubs at 5-8 still hold faint hopes for a playoff spot, though time is running out.
Washington, who started the year at 6-0 and looked like the immovable object at the top of the Atlantic Division faced off against the Pittsburgh Maulers, the irresistible force as winners of 8 in a row, in one of the most anticipated games of the year. What resulted was a classic battle and a game that shook the league to its core, two heavyweights going blow to blow in a title match that could, in the end, determine who has home field throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
In one of the better played games all season, these two contenders jabbed and parried all day, and yet it was a game where the lead changed only once, and not until the 4th quarter. Washington got on the board first, on their second possession, when Mike Hohensee, a surprise start for Don Majkowski after the Majik Man got cursed by an ankle turn in Saturday’s practice, found Herman Moore for a 5-yard TD at the end of a 65-yard drive. Hohensee would play well all day (32 of 43 for 306), but would also rely heavily on the HB duo of Barry Word and Terry Kirby. Moore, would also have a big day as the Feds’ deep ball receiver, catching 5 balls for 111 yards.
Pittsburgh immediately evened up the score as Alan Risher connected with his deep threat, Louis Lipps, on a medium range 13-yard TD score on the Mauler’s next drive. The two defenses soon settle down, and for the remainder of the first half it was a trade off of field goals for the two as key third down plays from the defenses, first by Pittsburgh’s Demetrius Dubose, and then by Washington’s Lester Lyles forced each club to go for 3 in the red zone. Washington added a late field goal as the 2nd quarter wound down and went into the locker room with a slight 13-10 lead.
The second half saw Washington expand on their lead, first with a 4th Doug Pelfrey field goal, and then with a 1 yard run from an unusual source, backup to the backup Mark Montgomery. Down 23-10, the Maulers were in need of a spark and once again it was Louis Lipps who provided it. Lipps would have 6 catches on the day, 3 on the Mauler’s next drive, including the TD that would pull them back to within 6 at 23-17. The two defenses traded victories over the next 4 drives, with each able to shut down the opposition before reaching scoring range, But, with 5 minutes left to play, and with Moore drawing the #1 CB in man coverage, Pittsburgh put together another TD drive, this time highlighted by Moore’s opposite across the field, flanker Raynard Brown. Risher found Brown from 20 yards out on a well-executed play action pass to get their first lead of the game with only 1:39 left to play.
Washington had time to mount a field goal drive to retake the lead, but it was at this crucial point that Hohensee made a fatal error. On a 3rd and 3 from his own 33, the longstanding Federals’ backup, threw a pass to Duane Gunn, but the ball trailed the crossing receiver. Gunn reached back for the ball, but was undercut by Pittsburgh’s Quintin Jones, who snagged the misplaced toss and ran it back 42 yards to boost the Mauler lead to 31-23. Washington would not recover. With only 1:16 left to play, the Federals went into full panic mode, but Hohensee struggled to find open receivers and a 4th and 7 pass to Joey Walters found the veteran double covered, the ball deflected and harmlessly dropping to the ground.
Pittsburgh had taken the win at Three Rivers, and with it propelled both themselves and Philadelphia ahead of Washington in the standings. The Maulers now controlled their own destiny atop the Atlantic, the division crown and the #1 seed fully within their grasp. With only games against slumping Portland, expansion Ohio, and last place New Jersey on their schedule to close the season, the Maulers are perfectly positioned to take both titles and enter the playoffs as the kings of the hill. Washington, now a game behind 2 divisional foes, has to hope for upsets against both the Stars and the Maulers, as they do not play either foe again this season. With 9 wins, they are assured a playoff spot, but it may now require them to play in the Wild Card game after spending 12 weeks atop the division.
PHI 17 OHI 15
The Stars joined the Maulers at 10-3 but it did not come easy. The plucky Ohio Glory kept the Stars offense in check most of the game, but the combo of Charlie Garner and Pat Chaffey eventually wore down the Glory linebackers. Ohio had a chance to equalize after a late Ernest Byner TD, but their attempt to go for 2 for the tie at the game’s end failed and Philly escaped with a win that keeps them in the hunt with Pittsburgh. With Oakland, New Jersey and Baltimore on the docket for the Stars, they will need to find more offense to keep pace with Pittsburgh.
NJ 6 BAL 25
Baltimore, while out of the Divisional Title hunt, remained a game up in the fight for the final playoff spot by knocking off the Generals in Memorial Stadium. The defense sacked Rob Johnson 3 times and forced three interceptions from the USC rookie. The two teams combined for 8 field goals, 6 from league scoring leader Luis Zendejas, as the Blitz still continue to struggle in the red zone.
DEN 17 ARZ 24
The Wranglers continue to play their best ball and hold onto the Pacific title lead as they knocked off rival Denver in Tempe. Arizona fell behind 17-7 early in the 3rd, but got a Tim Lester TD, and a toss from Bosco to Richie Anderson to overtake the Gold and retain first place.
OAK 30 LA 35
Oakland’s once promising season has come crashing down as they were outmuscled by the LA Express in Angel Stadium. Brent Pease threw for 2 scores and LB Bryce Paup snagged an early pick-six to undo the playoff hopes of the Invaders. Add in a Darnay Scott 104 yard kickoff return and you have an upset in favor of the Express.
ATL 16 POR 31
Portland got the break they needed to snap their losing streak as they nearly doubled up the expansion Atlanta Fire. Robert Drummond had a monster game, rushing the ball 23 times for 191 yards and 3 scores as the Thunder kept the ball on the ground and just overpowered the visiting Fire. The win helps keep Portland alive for a Wild Card as they hold a tie breaker over both Denver and New Orleans, all at 7-6 and fighting for that last spot.
CHI 23 SEA 13
Chicago traveled up to the Northwest and got the job done, with Mario Bates stepping in for a dinged up Ricky Watters and gaining 83 yards in the Machine victory. Wessley Walls also helped the cause with 6 catches for 97 yards as a 6-3 halftime lead became a 10 point Machine victory.
HOU 41 BIR 27
Birmingham’s hot streak came up against a red hot Jim Kelly. Kelly would throw for 417 yards and 4 scores against the struggling Stallion defense, and the Gamblers pulled away from a 20-17 deficit to win by 14. Brett Perriman had only 2 catches on the day, but they were both huge. The first was a 72-yard TD in the 2nd quarter and the second was an even more impressive 75-yard catch and run in the 4th. Add in 2 Thurman Thomas TDs and you have a solid win for the 11-2 Gamblers, who still remain only 1 game up on Chicago.
MGN 14 JAX 10
Michigan, once written off, win again, and a big one as they take down Southern Division leader Jacksonville in the Gator Bowl. In a sloppy game, that saw the two clubs go a combined 4 of 23 on 3rd down, Joe Montana found Johnny Holloway for the game winner and kept themselves on life support for a Wild Card at 6-7. Jacksonville’s fall to 8-5 means they are now only 1 game up on the surging Orlando Renegades for what likely will be the only playoff berth from the South.
STL 24 ORL 27
Orlando had their own struggles against the Knights, but held on despite a furious 4th quarter from St. Louis to win by 3. Scott Mitchell threw for 2 scores and the return of HB Dalton Hilliard helped Orlando control the clock down the stretch as the Renegades drew closer to Jacksonville with a huge Week 15 showdown between the two looming on the horizon.
NOR 22 MEM 20
New Orleans remained in the Wild Card mix with a key win at the Liberty Bowl. Qadry Ismail had a big game with 9 catches for 109 yards, and kicker Lin Elliot’s 5 field goals were just enough to overcome a solid game by Memphis’s Heath Shuler. New Orleans QB Jamie Martin was hurt in the game, replaced by season starter Timm Rosenbach, and could miss their important week 14 clash with Michigan.
TEX 20 TBY 27
A setback for the Outlaws as they fall in Tampa Bay to a resurgent Bandits club. Texas is still in solid position at 8-5, but now fall 3 games behind Houston and will likely find themselves playing host to a Wild Card game. The Bandits survived 3 picks by Troy Aikman, getting a key score from TE Ben Coates late to take the home win and move to 5-8.
With 3 games left the picture is getting a little clearer, but these division races could come down to the wire. Pittsburgh and Philly are tied at 10-3 atop the Atlantic. Jacksonville’s lead over Orlando is down to one game in the South. Houston has a 1 game lead over Chicago, with the two slated to battle again next week in what could be a game to determine the division, and Arizona has only a 1 game lead on both Denver and Portland in the Pacific.
With 3 weeks left clubs like 5-8 Memphis and Tampa and 6-7 Oakland and Michigan remain mathematically alive, but must sweep their final 3 to have any shot, while clubs like Texas, Portland, Denver, New Orleans and Baltimore must avoid upsets to keep themselves within the top 5 in each conference. We are now at 4 of 10 playoff spots claimed, with Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Chicago joining the Houston Gamblers as clinched playoff teams. Washington needs only 1 more win to clinch, but they have lost 2 in a row, while Texas, Arizona, and Jacksonville need some help if they want to clinch in Week 14.
1. BIG GAME: You know someone had a huge game when Jim Kelly’s 4 TD, 417 yard day did not garner him the Offensive Player of the Week honors. Those went to Robert Drummond, who toyed with a possible 200 yard rushing day this week for Portland. Drummond had 191 yards on 23 carries, an 8.3 yard per carry average. Now, admittedly, it was against Atlanta, which has one of the worst rush defenses in the league, giving up an average of 103.3 yards per game, but even so, that game was enormous for a Portland squad that had lost 4 in a row and desperately needed to get a W to stay alive in the playoff hunt.
2. DEFENSIVE STAR: The other big game this week came from an unlikely star for the Arizona defense. In a tight match against Denver, CB Philipi Sparks had perhaps his best moment of the season, snagging a Mark Brunell pass and winding his way through would-be tacklers to score on a 53-yard pick six. The score highlighted a big game for the Wrangler defense, one in which Sparks consistently blanketed Denver’s top receiver, Mark Carrier, and recorded 10 tackles to go along with his scoring play. Add in 4 sacks, including one each from Charles Haley, Broderick Thomas and Al Noga, and you have the kind of defensive day that could propel Arizona to a division title.
3. ROOKIE WATCH: With Rashaan Salaam going down to injury, we are all but assured that the Rookie of the Year votes will be split between Michigan’s Tyrone Wheatley (1,158 yards and 8 TDs) and Houston wideout Antonio Freeman (943 yards receiving and 9 TDs). That said, we should also recognize the great year that Bobby Taylor has had in the Oakland secondary (69 tackles, 3 Int, 2 FF and 1 sack) and the success Tyrone Poole has had on a pretty weak Atlanta defense, garnering 87 tackles and 5 picks.
4. INJURY REPORT: Some nasty injuries this week as we saw Baltimore’s top receiver Bill Brooks go down with a broken leg that could impact his ability to return next season. Atlanta HB Fred McAfee had a nasty looking ankle injury as well, which fortunately the TV broadcast stopped replaying after it was clear what the image held. In Washington LT Ken Lanier likely is out for the rest of the year with a torn quad, while Baltimore lost another key player, DE Mike Piel to a torn hamstring. In Orlando it was tackle Robert Curry who is likely down for the final stretch and Arizona will also be without their LT Kirk Lowdermilk as well.
Orlando also got some bad news as their starter, Scott Mitchell suffered a sprained ankle that could cost him the remaining 3 regulars season games. The home stretch for Denver will be tougher as they will have to go without rookie HB Rashaan Salaam, whose season ended with a hip injury. We are still not sure if Don Majkowski will be able to return for Week 14, and St. Louis starter Todd Collins could miss another game as well.
The New Jersey Generals this week released their new look for 1996, which combines a bit of a vintage look with some new elements. The Generals began by introducing two new logos. The new primary logo retains the five gold stars outlined in blue, but brings back the laurel leaves which were part of their first look in 1983. The second logo is a that of a revolutionary war general, complete with tri-corner hat and blue coat, arms crossed, within a circle background and with a silhouette of the state of New Jersey in the upper right. The “Jersey General” as they have dubbed him, will be included on the uniform as a patch on the right chest. Also new is the wordmark, which removes the script “Generals” in favor of a block letter format, and also includes a small outline of the state of New Jersey between the two words of the same.
All of this is to reemphasize the club’s position as New Jersey’s team, despite the fact that the Generals play in the same stadium as the New York Giants and still draw a significant portion of their fan base from New York. There has long been an issue with NYC teams playing in New Jersey, most notably the Giants, and since their inception in 1983 the Generals have always used New Jersey as their identifier.
The uniforms retain many elements of their original look including the red stripeless helmet with white facemask. The larger than required TV numbers on the sleeves and predominantly red and white color palette. What is new is the aforementioned shoulder patch, the use of gold outline and then blue drop shadows on the jersey numbers, and the addition of a thin (2 inch) blue stripe which extends from the underarm down the entire jersey. The stripe continues briefly into the pant, before a gold star and gold chevron form an epaulette-styled cutoff and the stripe shifts to red for the rest of the pant leg. This last addition is as close to a flourish as the largely basic uniform has, with a bit of military style, similar to dress uniforms in several military branches. The new red home jerseys will be available for sale at local retailers and nationwide through the league’s agreement with Walmart stores beginning in January, in time for the league’s annual draft and training camps.
All eyes will be on Soldier Field this week as the clear “GOTW” is Houston at Chicago, with the Central Division title up for grabs. Houston decisively won the first matchup of the two Central Rivals, 38-3, but that was in Week 1 of the season and Chicago has been one of the league’s best clubs since then. In addition to this clash of titans, the Central also gives us playoff-impacting games as New Orleans faces Michigan, with the loser likely losing realistic hopes of qualifying for the postseason, and Texas, hoping to lock up a playoff spot, with a win at St. Louis.
The Southern Division is also in divisional matchups, but the drama here is not quite as intense. Jacksonville hosts Memphis, and the Bulls need a win to keep pace in the division. A loss, and a win by Orlando at home against the Bandits, and Orlando pulls into a tie with the Bulls, something once thought impossible. Birmingham is out of division as they travel to Seattle, with a chance to return to .500 with a win over the hapless Dragons.
The rest of the schedule is also inter-conference as Washington hopes to get back on track with a visit to Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Portland clash in Civic Stadium, Philadelphia hopes to continue Oakland’s losing streak as they face off by the bay, and Ohio is in LA in a battle of expansion clubs. Denver and Arizona both have clashes with Atlantic Division clubs as both try to ensure a playoff spot. Denver hosts the 4-win Generals while Arizona has a much tougher task, facing the 8-5 Baltimore Blitz.