Week 8 gave us 10 divisional matchups and the first showdown of expansion clubs, and what we ended up seeing was a lot of uneven football, blowouts, and only a few close games to enjoy. At the midpoint of the season, what we see are that there are some teams that simply know how to win, others that cannot seem to get out of their own way, and some whose performance varies wildly week to week. With half the season gone, some of the USFL squads may already be looking ahead to 1996, while others might be tempted to make some changes just to try to spark some consistency.
Our game of the week takes us to St. Louis, where the Knights have been playing much better ball over the past 3 weeks. After back to back wins, they had a tough draw in facing the 6-1 Houston Gamblers, but they held their own against the explosive Gambler offense. Was it enough for St. Louis to pull off the unexpected third win in a row? Well, not quite, but Coach Johnson has to be happy with their grit in this week’s tough game.
Containing Jim Kelly and the Gambler offense is no small task, but St. Louis was largely successful in using a 2-deep zone for most of the game, forcing Houston to think small-ball rather than going for the kill shot. The Gamblers did put the first points on the board, as a long opening drive ended with a short Kelly to Ron Heller TD pass. St. Louis had a response as on their first drive of the game, they found holes in the Houston defense, and then Darrell Thompson had his best run of the year, a delay draw that caught Houston off guard and went for 32 yards and a score. St Louis was up for a game.
The two teams would swap field goals for the rest of the first half as the Knights defense simply did not allow Houston to connect on any big gainers, forcing Kelly and Thomas to play for short third downs. Penalties and missed opportunities led to frustration as the Knights built up a 16-10 lead on 3 Cole Ford kicks.
In the 2nd Half, Houston regained the lead on one key drive as Kelly connected with James Pruitt at the end of a 14 play drive to give Houston the 17-16 edge. Todd Collins and the Knights would respond on their first drive of the 4th quarter, as he again got Cole Ford in range, and with a 48-yarder, the Knights were back on top. Collins had a modest day, avoiding turnovers and completing 21 of 32 short passes for only 166. The star of the day for St. Louis was clearly Darrell Thompson, whose 132 yards rushing on 22 carries kept the Knights on the field. Thurman Thomas for Houston also drove the Houston offense, as he rushed for an equal 132 on 20 carries. But it would not be Thomas who would give Houston the win, but his backup, Keith Woodside.
Houston knew they would need to rely on another patient drive to get the lead back, and so, with 7:22 left in the game, they embarked on what would be a 77-yard drive. Kelly dinked and dunked, hitting Perriman for 7, Freeman for 5, and Heller for 9, mixing in these passes with 33 yards of Thomas rushes. After a failed screen from the 6 gained nothing, Thomas came out and the Gamblers set up for a 2nd and goal in a 3-wide receiver set that screamed pass. Kelly instead handed off to Woodside, who found a hole on the left side of the line, and pushed past 2 tacklers to barely cross the goal line. Houston played the small ball game, was patient with their final drive and took the game, 24-19. It was Houston’s 7th win on the year, and kept them atop the Western Conference. For St. Louis it was a moral victory, but still on the standings would go down as their 6th loss.
BAL 14 PHI 36
Baltimore just did not have it in gear against Philly in this lopsided divisional loss. Charlie Garner had the answer for the Blitz defense, rushing for 169 yards and 2 scores on only 19 carries. Add in 10 catches for Cris Carter and you get a definitive win for Stars, who even their record with Baltimore’s at 5-3.
NJ 14 PIT 41
The surging Maulers looked like real contenders in the way they dominated the Generals. It was not a huge statistical day, with Rozier rushing for only 62 yards and risher completing 22 of 28 for only 243, but both accounted for 2 TD’s each, and the Mauler D just made Doug Flutie’s day a horrible one, as two tipped balls and three bad throws led to 5 Mauler interceptions on the day.
OHI 17 WSH 27
This one looked like it would be ugly, with Washington building up a 20-0 lead early in the 3rd quarter. Joey Walters had 122 yards in the first half, on his way to 143 for the day, and the combo of Word and Kirby would rush for 100 yards combined, but in the 2nd half either the Feds took their foot off the brake, or Ohio started to figure them out, as the Glory scored 17 points to make the game look a bit more respectable. Sticking to their run-first gameplan, Byner and Workman eventually wore down the Washington line, rushing for a combined 121 yards.
SEA 31 MEM 38
Memphis would get the win they desperately needed, but it would not come easy against the expansion Seattle Dragons. The two teams traded scores throughout the day before a Jeff Query 98 yard kickoff return would break the backs of the Dragons. Add on a Tommy Agie TD run and Memphis would get the win against the fired-up Dragons, despite a pedestrian 245 yard, 3 Int game from Mike Kelley.
BIR 31 ORL 14
Every time we are about to write this off as a lost season for Birmingham, they come up with a game like this. The Stallions got their 3rd win of the year by focusing on their stars. Lawrence Dawsey caught 9 balls for 158 and 2 scores as the Stallions found holes in the Orlando secondary. Scott Mitchell tried his best to rally the Renegades, with 312 yards passing and 2 scores, but with no run game to speak of, Orlando was just too predictable on offense and Birmingham was able to play zones throughout the game to slow down their attack.
JAX 17 TBY 13
Both Chris Chandler and John Fourcade struggled in this game. Chandler would eventually get the advantage, hitting Brian Blades for a late score in a game that few would describe as textbook offensive football. Neither team topped 275 total yards, and they were a combined 5 of 25 on 3rd down in a game only a punter’s mother could love.
CHI 10 NOR 6
In an even uglier game, Chicago again managed to scrap out a win despite looking just atrocious on offense. The Machine defense made Jamie Martin look so bad that the Breakers actually went with Rosenbach in the second half, but he fared no better as the Breakers simply could not generate offense against the aggressive Chicago defense. The lone TD on the day was a Ricky Watters plunge at the end of a short drive which followed a poor handoff from Rosenbach to Pegram, a fumble which gave Chicago its only red zone visit all game.
MGN 12 TEX 20
Michigan slipped to 4-4 with another close loss. In a game with no turnovers, it was a lack of big plays which hurt both clubs. Michigan was forced to stick to field goals as their red zone offense simply did not get it done. Texas had a bit more success, with Stouffer finding Eric Metcalf for one score and Reggie Cobb, who averaged only 2.8 YPC on the day, finding room for a 3-yard score in the 2nd quarter.
ARZ 14 OAK 37
Oakland came out of the gates fast against the Wranglers, and by the half they had built up a 31-14 lead. The deep hole was too much for Arizona to overcome and their need to get one-dimensional just played into the hands of the Oakland defense. Robbie Bosco would throw for 403 yards in the losing effort, but this was mostly unproductive yardage that did not draw the Wranglers closer to the cruising Invaders. Milking a lead, Siran Stacy was able to gain 136 yards and we even got a rare Mike Pawlowski sighting late in the 4th.
DEN 31 POR 38
Denver was game, and played one of their better offensive games, but Portland still had their number, Building a late 38-24 lead and then holding on as Denver went for two consecutive 4th down trick plays. Robert Drummond was the star of the day, scoring 3 TD’s and carrying the ball 24 times. Mark Brunell played well for the Gold, going 34 of 47 for 390 yards and 4 TDs against Oakland’s D, but it was just not enough to get the win for the now 4-4 Gold.
LA 26 ATL 12
In a game that many in Atlanta saw as their best chance for a first win this season, the Eric Zeier-led Fire still came up short against the visiting Express. Bernie Parmalee could only gain 24 yards and newly acquired Ricky Blake had an unimpressive 5 yards on 3 carries to start his Atlanta career. For LA Brent Pease found Mike Pritchard 8 times for 117 yards, and Darnay Scott returned from injury to catch 5 for 102 as well.
We have reached the halfway point of the season, and the stories seem to be writing themselves. To sum up the first half of the year, here are our Top 5 Pleasant Surprises, Top 5 Disappointments, and Top 5 Stories to Watch over the season’s 2nd half.
PLEASANT SURPRISES
1. Rookie Success: The rookie seasons of Tyrone Wheatley (739 yards rushing in 8 games) and Antonio Freeman (57 receptions, 475 yards, and 5 TDs) have to be making fans in Michigan and Houston smile. The two are neck and neck for Rookie of the Year honors at this point, but if Wheatley can overtake Robert Drummond, he may become the runaway winner.
2. Martin To the Rescue: To say that Jamie Martin’s season has been an unexpected surprise for Breaker fans is a huge understatement. Martin won his first 4 games and was the league’s QBR rating leader after his first month, and while this week’s performance was a head scratcher, Martin seems to have laid claim to the starting job in New Orleans after 3 years as an unmentioned and largely unseen bench player.
3. Federal Surplus: The sudden success of the Washington Federals has the nation’s capital abuzz. They went 6 games undefeated, and stand at 7-1 at the halfway point. The defense looks fierce, the offense more than capable, and the team seems to have everything going there way. Even a Sam Rutigliano broken leg caused by a sideline collision did not derail the Feds. They have a tough slog to go and they will be challenged by Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but these Federals seem to have found their groove.
4. High Value Import: Chris Chandler’s arrival from the NFL seems to have reawakened the Jacksonville Bulls. They still have some issues, but their offense has been a total revelation under Chandler’s command. Adding Natrone Means from Denver also has helped bring balance to the Bulls, but Chandler’s 2200 yards and 16 touchdowns have fans already forgetting the earlier success of Tony Eason in Duval County.
5. Chicago Love Story: We love what is happening in Chicago. For the second year in a row the Machine have lost their starter for the year, and for the second year in a row they seem to be flipping the bird to convention and just keep winning anyway. Last year it was NFL star Bernie Kosar replaced by unheralded Scott Zolak, and this year, when Zolak went down, former “bust” Dan McGwire stepped in and Chicago just kept winning. Now, no one is going to give McGwire the Offensive POTY award, and his numbers have been pedestrian at best, but the team itself is finding ways to win. They have one of the most dynamic defenses in the league, led by their secondary (Eric Thomas, Derrick Burroughs, Anthony Prior and George Teague) but with solid contributors like Gary Reasons, Darryl Tally, Ray Agnew and Kevin Fagan in the front 7. They are not leading the league in any defensive category, but they are 3rd in scoring defense and still sit at 7-1 after 8 weeks.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
1. Diminishing Returns: For as much as we are praising Wheatley and Freeman, we have to wonder what has happened with some of the other major rookie signings. We are going to give the rookie QB’s a pass, as both Eric Zeier and Todd Collins have only recently been able to get starting opportunities, and Kordell Stewart is happily watching as Don Majkowski leads the resurgent Federals. But where are some of the other big name rookies like DE Mike Mamula (10 tackles for Chicago), LB Jason Kyle in NJ, WR Joey Galloway in Ohio (0 TDs), or any of the other halfbacks. With the lone exception of Rashaan Salaam, who has decent numbers (533 yards and 3 scores) for Denver, there are a lot of high round halfbacks who have simply not taken advantage of their chances this year. Terrell Fletcher and James Stewart in Tampa, Rodney Thomas in Texas, Brent Moss in Oakland, Brandon Bennett in Memphis, and Dino Philyaw in Birmingham have been non-factors. The fact that little touted Terrell Davis in New Orleans has more yards rushing (278) than all of the others combined is just sad.
2. No Rush: The run games in Atlanta, Birmingham, and Tampa Bay. What is it about the south that makes these teams not run well? Atlanta has been absolutely miserable, (247 total yards in 8 games) and both Birmingham and Tampa have been nearly as bad. Tampa is the biggest mystery as Errict Rhett was a dynamic player last year as a rookie. Where did that go? Or did all of Tampa’s best blockers go to expansion clubs in the offseason expansion draft? If they did, they did not go to Atlanta, we know that much. Birmigham has just not been good at rushing the ball since Joe Cribbs left, but James Joseph (3.4 YPC average) clearly is not the answer. Compare these three clubs with Michigan, Washington, Portland, or Pittsburgh and you can see why the top rushing teams are also pretty solidly in the playoff hunt and these three are fading fast (again, Atlanta, we did not expect much, but this has been sad.)
3. The Magic is Gone: Doug Flutie is not having a solid year, to the point where there are some in the NY-NJ area who are calling for Coach Wyche to take a look at rookie Rob Johnson, a more prototypical passer. Flutie is the league’s lowest rated starter, with a 67.6 QBR and 12 interceptions to only 7 TDs after 8 games. While his production went up during Herschel Walker’s injury, his success did not, as the Generals struggled throughout those weeks. Flutie will have to show something, and the Generals will have to start winning, because we expect that if Coach Wyche sees the season as a lost cause, it will be a chance for Rob Johnson to get some starts, and that could be big trouble for the 10 year veteran.
4. Picky, Picky, Picky: If Doug Flutie’s 12 interceptions are a disappointment, Brett Favre’s 15 are a disaster. Favre can at least say that he has been without his top receivers for much of the year, which is true. Ernest Givens is still a couple of weeks away from returning to action, and Lawrence Dawsey has been in and out of the lineup all season. This has been great for Cedric Tillman, but horrible for Birmingham in general. The Stallions have had moments, but they have been too few as the team has slipped to 3-5, a solid 3 games behind Jacksonville, and still 2 games behind even a wild card slot. There is time, if Birmingham, and especially Favre, can get it together, but this does not look much like the club that blew the league away 2 years ago on their way to a league title.
5. Expansion or Diminishing: Our final disappointment this year has been expansion in general. We knew the 4 teams would struggle, and their combined 5-27 record seems to indicate that we were right, but what has been even more startling is the impact that the expansion had on the other 20 franchises. Depth is a serious issue across the league, especially apparent on the O-line and D-line where teams are struggling to put together coherent squads and to manage when injuries inevitably take down some of the starters. We have seen more penalties, sloppier play, and more lopsided losses in these first 8 weeks than we can remember in most recent seasons. It may take the league a couple of years to truly rebound from this expansion and to restock their benches with quality players. All the while the NFL is also expanding by 2 clubs this year, so with a combined 54 pro football clubs (plus the CFL) seeking players, the talent pool may be as stretched as we have ever seen. That is not a formula for close games or good play.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE SEASON’S SECOND HALF.
1. Growth Spurt: One thing we are hoping to see is better play from our 4 expansion clubs as they start to gel as units. Offensive line play should improve as the players get better acquainted with each other’s styles, and the coaches should now be able to determine the skills of their players and make better use of them. Will we see any of these clubs rip off a 4-5 game win streak, unlikely, but closer games, occasional upsets, and maybe even a few top performers should emerge over the next 2 months. We certainly are hoping to see better things from LA’s Marcus Allen, Ohio’s Joey Galloway, Seattle with the return of Dave Krieg from injury, and hopefully someone on Atlanta will make waves.
2. Family Squabbles: Divisional showdowns should highlight the second half of the season. We have 4 clubs in the Atlantic all with 5 wins or more, so those battles will be nasty. It is much the same in the Central, where you have 7-1 Houston, 7-1 Chicago and then a solid cluster of Texas, Michigan and New Orleans trailing behind. In the Pacific, Portland has a tenuous 1 game lead over Oakland, but Arizona and Denver are not out of it yet. And the South, well, it won’t necessarily be a close race for the title, as Jacksonville already has a 3-game lead, but Tampa, Birmingham, Memphis, and even Orlando still have hopes for a wild card if they can catch up to some of the Atlantic Division clubs.
3. Run to Daylight: Watch the race for the rushing title. Robert Drummond currently leads Tyrone Wheatly by 21 yards, but with both clubs deep in a playoff hunt, expect both to continue to be fed the ball regularly. Behind them we have a cluster of 4 players in the 600-650 yard range who have an outside chance, and all on solid teams: Garner in Philly, Thomas in Houston, Rozier in Pittsburgh, and Stacy in Oakland. With quality around them on offense, any one of these 4 can bust out for some big games and get in the mix.
4. Who's the Boss: QB Controversy. We already know that there is a battle brewing in New Orleans between upstart Jamie Martin and veteran Timm Rosenbach. We have seen Eric Zeier take over for Cliff Stoudt in Atlanta, but will that last? Todd Collins seems to have unseated David Archer in St. Louis, and now we are hearing calls for Rob Johnson in New Jersey. As teams fade from playoff contention, one of the most common impacts is the “look see” at backup QB’s. Fans love the backup, until they start of course, and with so many young backup QB’s in the league, it is natural for clubs to wonder if their aging vet is past their prime and want to see the young gun. So, do not be surprised if we see some benching if clubs continue to struggle.
5. Make Some Space: Finally, what we expect to see down the stretch is that the consistent clubs, teams like Washington, Houston, Chicago and yes, Portland, may start to pull away from the pack as they battle not for the division title (except maybe the Central) but put their sights on the #1 seed and home field advantage. Separation could be tough as it looks like Chicago and Houston will go down to the wire, Washington has 3 hot clubs in pursuit, and Portland is still not a confident team with an experienced Oakland squad hot on their heels. Only Jacksonville has a comfortable lead, and they will need help to knock Washington down a peg or two and catch the Feds for the top seed.
The USFL this week presented a new logo to accompany the familiar monogram. The new logo, which includes the USFL monogram inside a stylized white, red and blue helmet. This new logo will be used on uniforms, located at the neckline of team jerseys, as a sticker on the back of each helmet, and on the right hip of the pants. The logo is very much in the line of the NFL shield which has begun adorning that league’s team uniforms as part of an effort to distinguish official league merchandise from knockoffs. Only official USFL merchandise (produced by Nike, of course) will include the helmet logo element. For most other uses (league marketing, documents, etc.) the flag-themed monogram will remain the primary logo.
The first time we should expect to see the new logo included in uniforms is for the 1996 season, where the stickers will be added just below the U.S. flag on each helmet and the small logo will be an embroidered patch on both the pants and jerseys. This will be uniform for all 24 clubs, including Chicago, Jacksonville, and New Jersey, who will each be receiving new uniforms for the 1996 season.
Week 9 gives us intra-conference games across the board, with the Atlantic and Southern Divisions battling and the Central facing the Pacific. Some of the better matchups include a huge game between the Federals and Bulls, both atop their divisions. Out West the Chicago-Oakland and Houston-Portland matchups could impact both divisional title hunts. A little bit lower down in the standings we find 4-4 New Orleans at 4-4 Arizona, and some 5-3 vs. 3-5 Atlantic-South games as Baltimore heads to Memphis and Pittsburgh is in Birmingham. Orlando and New Jersey, both 3-5, need a win to stay in the hunt. St. Louis will try to get back in winning ways as they visit Denver. Four games with expansion clubs see their opponents trying to avoid a trap game as Texas visits Los Angeles, Michigan heads to Atlanta, Philadelphia is in Seattle, and the Tampa Bay Bandits host the Ohio Glory.
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