A win by the homestanding Chicago Machine and the division would be back in their hands, but the visiting Gamblers would have none of it. Jim Kelly threw 5 TD’s, including 2 to slot receiver Ricky Proehl as the Gamblers took an early lead, lost it, and then stormed back with a 17-0 third quarter to hold off the Machine and become the first team to clinch their division in this year of tight races.
Kelly found Proehl early, connecting for a score on their opening drive. That would be answered by Dan McGwire of Chicago as he hit TE Wessley Walls for a score on Chicago’s first drive. After the Machine took a 10-7 lead on a 27 yard John Carney field goal, Houston scored 14 straight in a 2nd quarter that saw no punts and 6 consecutive scoring drives. Kelly hit Proehl again for the 14-10 lead, then connected with Antonio Freeman, the stud rookie who finished the day with 123 yards receiving on 6 catches.
Chicago would respond with 2 scoring drives of their own, first a 37 yard McGwire to Wendell Davis toss, and then an Eric Thomas pick six on one of Kelly’s very few poor throws on the day. Not to be outdone, Kelly drove the Gamblers down the field and with time ticking off the clock John Kasay evened the score at 24-24 going into the half.
Houston would dominate the 3rd quarter, scoring on 3 consecutive plays and forcing 2 Chicago turnovers in the period. Kelly worked the tight ends on 2 key drives, first finding Jamie Asher for a TD and then another to Ken Dilger. Add a John Kasay field goal and the 24-24 tie was now a solid 41-24 lead for the Gamblers.
To start the 4th, Houston got the ball on their own 2 yard line after a perfect coffin corner punt. That was followed by a botched center exchange, which led to Jim Kelly taking a safety. With the ensuing short field, Chicago pulled closer, scoring on a Reggie Langhorne TD reception, but 8 points would be as close as they would get. Houston’s blitzes in the final quarter started to rattle McGwire, who missed on 2 key third down passes and an even more vital 4th and 11 toss. Houston swept the series with the Machine, and in so doing clinched the Central Division title and the top seed in the Western Conference. Chicago is still sitting pretty at 10-4 as the top wild card club also gets a bye, but will likely have to travel to Arizona for their divisional round game, while Houston sits home and looks forward to a mismatch game against either the 4th or 5th seed in the postseason’s second round.
BAL 7 ARZ 15
The Wranglers win their 5th in a row after a dogfight with the Baltimore Blitz. Both defenses proved their muscle, with each club failing to reach 300 yards of total offense. Arizona built an 15-0 lead on 2 field goals, a safety and a 3rd quarter Bosco to Richie Anderson TD. Baltimore got back in it with a late Miller to Lamar Thomas toss, but it was not enough as the homestanding Wranglers got their 9th win.
TBY 21 ORL 18
Orlando had a chance to even up with Baltimore at 8-6, but 2 Troy Aikman TD tosses and an Errict Rhett run proved enough for the Bandits to escape the Citrus Bowl with the upset win. With Scott Mitchell hurt, Orlando turned to Craig Erickson, and the Renegades could only amass 236 total yards of offense against a mediocre Bandit defense. They fall to 7-7, but could still catch Baltimore with 2 straight wins.
BIR 38 SEA 24
Birmingham gained ground and stayed alive in the hunt for the last Wild Card in the East by knocking off the Dragons in Seattle. Brett Favre struggled, with 2 interceptions to boost his league lead to 23 picks on the season, but Birmingham benefitted from two pick-sixes, one each from Milton Fields and Darryl Williams, as Dave Krieg looked completely out of synch all day.
PIT 38 POR 24
Pittsburgh looked every bit a championship contender, dispatching with Portland by 14. Alan Risher had 3 TD passes and Mike Rozier rushed for 123 and 2 scores as the Maulers led nearly the entire game. The Mauler D held rushing leader Robert Drummond to only 68 yards rushing to keep Portland at arm’s length and snag their 10th consecutive win.
PHI 27 OAK 17
The Stars kept pace with Pittsburgh thanks to 98 yards and 2 touchdowns from Charlie Garner. The defense limited Siran Stacy to only 36 yards rushing and stifled the Oakland offense on 3rd down (5 of 14) to take the road win. They still need a Pittsburgh loss if they want to win the Atlantic, but a bye as the top Wild Card team is pretty much assured if they don’t get it.
WSH 17 ATL 30
The injury to Don Majkowski has led to a collapse of Washington’s position and play. The Federals simply could not generate consistent offense, and even their usually staunch defense seemed to struggle as the game wore on. Atlanta, bolstered by an early pick-6 of Mike Hohensee, kept the pressure on, with Ricky Blake and Bernie Parmalee carrying the ball a combined 25 times, while Cliff Stoudt, still getting starts despite Eric Zeier being cleared from the injury list, completed 70.7% of his throws.
NJ 7 DEN 10
In an ugly game that was delayed twice due to lightning in and around the Mile High City, Denver slogged out a much needed win, their 8th of the year, as the muddy field and windy conditions kept either offense from looking smooth. Rob Johnson was sacked 3 times and had horrible issues on 3rd down, where the Generals converted only 2 of 15. Brunell’s 3 of 12 record on that key down was also nothing to brag about, but the Gold get the win and move on.
NOR 10 MGN 34
Timm Rosenbach did not win over any of the Jamie Martin fans as he was unable to help the Breakers generate yards or points. Meanwhile, with Joe Montana dinged up, Sean Salisbury relied on the running of Tyrone Wheatley to keep the Panthers marginally alive for a playoff spot at 7-7. Wheatley’s 2 scores, paired with a momentum-shifting Weegie Thompson TD catch, gave Michigan the energy they needed to win this key divisional game.
TEX 13 STL 31
The Knights played spoilers to the visiting Outlaws, shutting down the Texas run game, and getting a combined 107 on the ground from their backs, Darrell Thompson and Alfred Jenkins, to derail Texas’s playoff drive. David Archer completed 23 of 28, and even though he only threw for 153 yards, his two TD tosses were enough to keep Texas at bay.
MEM 27 JAX 44
The Bulls reasserted their place as Southern Division champions with a solid beatdown of the Showboats. Chris Chandler threw for 3 scores and both Jamie Morris and Owen Gill got into the endzone in the absence of injured Natrone Means to give the Bulls their 9th win of the season. Heath Shuler struggled for Memphis, throwing 4 picks, but threw for 450 yards as Memphis fell behind early and abandoned the run to try to stay in the game.
OHI 23 LA 20
In a battle between the two winningest expansion clubs, Ohio got the edge by picking off Tampa Bay QB Brent Pease 3 times. Joey Galloway had his best game of his rookie season, catching 8 balls for 109 yards, and the Glory defense limited Marcus Allen to only 24 yards on 11 carries as Ohio moved to 5-9, a game up on New Jersey in the division.
A little bit more clarity emerged this week as we now have our first Division Winner (Houston) and we now have 7 of 10 playoff spots secured. Arizona, Washington, and Jacksonville punched their tickets this week, though we have to say that the Federals appear to be backing into the playoffs, having lost 5 of 8 since starting the year 6-0. Three division titles are still out there, with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia battling for Atlantic supremacy. Denver is still within a game of Arizona in the Pacific but needs help to overtake the Wranglers, who hold the tie-breaker. Jacksonville just needs a win or a Stallions loss to claim the South, as Orlando’s loss this week relegates them to the Wild Card chase.
Speaking of that last Eastern Wild Card, a win would have clinched it for Baltimore, but with the loss, they still are only 1 game up on both Birmingham and Orlando. Baltimore did not play either, so a tie with either one of them would go to conference record to decide. The Blitz are 6-4 in the conference, while B’ham is 4-4 and Orlando is 5-5, meaning that the Blitz can basically claim the playoff spot with a win in either of their remaining games.
Out in the West, while Arizona, Chicago, and Houston are in, there are 2 wild card spots still very much in doubt. Denver and Texas have an edge at 8-6, able to control their own destiny, but do not count out Portland, Michigan or New Orleans, all at 7-7. Denver’s 4-5 conference record makes them more vulnerable than Texas (6-3 in the West) and a late surge of 2 straight wins by any of the 7-7 clubs could make things interesting. Texas has a tough game against Chicago this week, and Denver is in Oakland, so a loss by either could put a 7-7 club right in the mix. Things could get real interesting in the season’s final week as Denver hosts Portland and Michigan has Texas in town. A lot could flip in the next 2 weeks.
1. CHICAGO’S “GOOD” PROBLEM: We have praised Chicago and Coach Schottenheimer’s ability to play “Next Man Up” with their QB sitution, but what does this mean long term? It was not an issue when Bernie Kosar went down and Scott Zolak helped lead Chicago to the 1994 Summer Bowl, in large part because many expected for Kosar to retire, which his what happened. That avoided a QB controversy as 1995 began with Zolak firmly placed as the starter. But when Zolak went down and former LA/STL washout Dan McGwire stepped in, most expected it to be a rough patch for the Machine and for Zolak to regain his starting gig as soon as he was able. Well, Zolak has begun basic workouts, and in theory could be available at some point during the playoffs. But, at the same time Dan McGwire, in Schottenheimer’s run-first, play action system, has had an outstanding year. He currently ranks 7th among starting QB’s, with 2,893 yards, a 63.2 completion rate, and a very respectable 21-9 TD-Int ratio. Assuming Chicago gets a bye, would Coach Schottenheimer return to Zolak for the divisional game or would he ride McGwire as the Machine has done all year. This is a huge question going forward.
2. QB QUANDRIES: Chicago is one of several clubs with either a looming or a very present QB controversy. We know Doug Flutie is not happy at all with being benched in favor of rookie Rob Johnson. Could he be looking for a trade or a release? Timm Rosenbach has been in for Jamie Martin of late, and it has not looked good. Does that mean that Rosenbach may again have been beaten out for a job. Could he be on his way out? And just when will Atlanta turn back to Eric Zeier? He got some starts in the midseason, but with Cliff Stoudt faring better, and unlikely to retire this offseason, will Atlanta be OK with letting the UGA Bulldog sit on the bench for a second year? Add to this a disgruntled Mike Kelley on the bench in Memphis, and potential retirements in Michigan (Montana), Portland (Trudeau), and the possible dismissal of Dave Krieg from Seattle and this could be a wild year for QB movement. In a year with no clear top flight QB’s in the Collegiate Draft, there may be a call for some moves and a chance for some of these controversies to turn into a wild free agent and trade market.
3. RUN TO DAYLIGHT?: Staying on the offensive side, we may be in for a rarity in USFL circles, a year where the leading rusher in the league has more yardage than the leading receiver. The USFL is known as a passer’s league, and in nearly every year since Herschel Walker set the league rushing record at 1,767 in the inaugural 1983 season, we may very well see rushing outpace receiving, at least at the top of the leaderboard. We still expect there to be more 1,000 yard receivers than rushers, but Robert Drummond is outpacing Henry Ellard 1,496 to 1,256 yards, a solid 200 yard lead with only 2 games left to play. Drummond has a 200 yard lead on the next rusher, the ageless Mike Rozier, so it is likely he will be the only back to surpass the top receivers, although at present Rozier and Wheatley, both over 1,200 yards, surpass all receivers except for Ellard and LA’s Mike Pritchard. It is a quirky thing, and largely due to the absolute faith that Coach Vince Tobin has placed in Drummond (whose 291 carries easily outpaces all other backs) and the loss of Ernest Givens from the race due to injury most of the season, but it also could be a sign that the run game is beginning to gain favor once again in the USFL.
4. DEFENDERS SEEK TITLES: Two really interesting statistical battles taking place on the defensive side of the ball. First we had New Jersey’s Phil Hansen overtake Washington’s Dexter Manley on the sack leaderboard. Hansen has been one of the very few bright spots for New Jersey this year, and his 18 sacks, while off the record pace of his rookie season, is still an amazing number. Manley is only 1 sack behind at 17, and the dynamic 1-2 punch of Charles Haley and Al Noga in Arizona are just barely off the pace. Those two could become the first teammates to both rank in the Top 5 in sacks in league history. Even the combo of Reggie White and Santana Dotson could not pull that off.
The other tight race is for the tackle leader. Often a dubious distinction because to lead the league in tackles implies that the defense allowed a lot of plays to the opposition offense, but this year both frontrunners are highly respected linebackers, who can truly make an impact in each game. Demetrius DuBose of Pittsburgh surpassed Lamar Lathon of New Orleans a couple of weeks back but the lead is only 1 tackle. We expect this battle to come down to the wire, and we should also note that no one else seems to be in range, so it really is up to one of these two to earn the title.
5. INJURY REPORT: As the pressure of playoff hunts intensifies, the last thing any team wants is a key injury to hamper their chances. Week 14 was relatively good for most clubs, but it is football, so that means that some injuries are inevitable. Washington is getting dinged up on defense, with 2 DE’s and 2 starting LB’s listed as either Doubtful or Questionable for week 15. Michael Barrow has a leg injury he is trying to work through, and Winston Moss is dealing with a hamstring injury. In Texas, the big concern is tackle Dave Popp, who may not be able to go after hyperextending his knee.
Portland could be without their best linebacker, Billy Ray Smith due to a lingering issue with migraines. New Orleans will have to make their playoff push without their #1 receiver as Qadry Ismail’s aching knee has been diagnosed as a torn meniscus. In Houston, LB Quentin Coryatt could miss action with a hip stinger, and in Chicago the concern is on the O-line where both RT Marcus Spears and LG Juan Casteneda are dealing with leg issues. Baltimore is reeling, and with Bill Brooks likely out for the final weeks of the year, their offense could suffer. They are hoping that Rob Moore’s turf toe is healed enough that he can take on the possession role, but cutting on a turf toe is a tough task.
The USFL announced this week the inaugural class to christen the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s USFL Wing. The inductees were notified in person by former USFL standout and current League Player Personnel Liason, Jackie Flowers, as he visited each. Included in the inaugural class is a posthumous nomination to one of the league’s early movers and shakers, Tampa Bay Bandits owner John Bassett. Bassett is joined in the inaugural class by 4 players who shone in the early years of the league, all retiring by or before 1990. The player inductees are:
QB John Reaves (Tampa Bay, 1983-1988). Reaves led Tampa Bay to the league’s first title, winning the League MVP in that first season. He was a 5x All-USFL awardee, and retired with 21,667 passing yards, 192 touchdown passes, and a stellar lifetime QB Rating of 102.8.
WR Anthony Carter (Michigan, 1983-1989). Carter played in Michigan for 7 seasons before taking an offer to jump to the NFL, where his success continued. As a Panther, Carter was a big part of two championship seasons (1984 and 1986), was a 4 time All-USFL receiver, and one of the most dangerous deep ball receivers in the league. He retired with a stunning 22.5 Yards Per Catch average, 431 USFL receptions and 57 touchdowns.
DE Junior Ah-You (Chicago-Baltimore, 1983-1987) A controversial pick in some ways as he was already mid-career when the USFL began and only played 4 seasons before retiring, but what a run it was those 4 years. Ah-You set the standard for USFL pass rushers, averaging over 20 sacks a year for his 4-year run. He retired with 83 sacks, was a 3-time All-USFL selection and won Defensive Player of the Year twice in his short USFL career. While others have broken both his 21-sack single season record and his career mark, he will always be regarded among the greats at his position in the league.
LB Marcus Marek (Boston-New Orleans, 1983-1990). One of the most consistent and feared MLB’s in the game, Marek played for 8 season, accumulating more than 100 tackles in each of his first 7 years in the league before an injury-plagued 8th year forced his retirement. Marek was a physical presence in the middle and the QB of the Breaker defense during a run of success that saw the club make 7 consecutive playoff appearances. Snakebit in the sense that he would never hold aloft the USFL Championship Trophy, Marek still remains a league legend and a favorite son of the Big Easy.
Owner John Bassett. The founder and owner of the Tampa Bay Bandits will always be remembered for his bravado, his swagger, his savvy, and his influence. Bassett, after short lived stints with other start-up leagues such as the World Hockey Association and the World Football League, struck gold with the USFL. He, along with David Dixon, were among the early visionaries who put the league on the map, and many credit Bassett’s strong leadership and persuasive way with the league’s early decision to forego a shift to a fall schedule and to double down on spring football as a winning proposition. While not directly engaged in the lawsuit that would break the NFL monopoly and provide the USFL with a huge infusion of funding in its early years, Bassett is still credited by many with the vision and foresight to set the league up for eventual success. He was awarded with a championship for his Bandits in the league’s inaugural season, and while the Bandits have yet to return to that lofty peak, it seems fitting that the first title belongs to his club. After his all-too-sudden and all-too-soon passing, the league created the John Bassett Visionary Award, given to the league executive who is recognized by the league as moving it forward into the future each season.
Five legends of the league, five stars on the field and in the owner’s box. Five very worthy inductees in the inaugural Pro Football Hall of Fame’s USFL Wing of Honor.
Turning back to the games to be played, a few important matchups highlight the penultimate week of the season. With Baltimore still hoping to clinch a playoff berth, and Washington reeling as they fall 2 games behind the frontrunners in the division, the rivalry game between the Blitz and the Federals takes on a huge added level of importance this week. Don Majkowski is expected to suit up, so we may see a very different Federals’ offense than what has been on the field the past two weeks.
Also huge for playoff positioning is the matchup between Chicago and Texas. The Outlaws are 2 games back for the top Wild Card position, and face challengers from a pool of 7-7 clubs. A win at home against the Machine will go a long way to locking up a playoff berth. Similarly, 8-6 Denver has to try to get their ticket punched by knocking off the Invaders in Oakland. At 6-8 the Invaders have lost out on a playoff run, and there are rumors that longstanding coach Dick Vermeil may be contemplating retirement, but Oakland can still be very dangerous.
Other games with playoff implications include Michigan at St. Louis, LA at Portland, Arizona at Atlanta, Houston at New Orleans, Birmingham at Memphis, and, perhaps most intriguing, Jacksonville at Orlando. With a 2 game lead, the Bulls are not concerned about losing the division, but need a win to lock it up. Orlando still can get into the Wild Card position with 2 wins, so this one is key for them.
Finally, we have Ohio visiting Pittsburgh and New Jersey visiting Philadelphia. If either underdog can steal a win, it would be a major blow to the two Atlantic Division leaders. Do we expect an upset? No, not really. Both Philly and the Maulers look like they should glide through these games, but you never know in the USFL.
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