A great start to a new season. The USFL kicked it all off with a rematch of the 1995 Summer Bowl between Houston and Pittsburgh, then gave us some great interconference games like Chicago-Philly, Michigan-Baltimore, N’Awlins-Washington, Arizona-J’ville and Denver-Birmingham. We saw huge crowds across the league, despite some dicey mid-March weather (especially Sunday on the East Coast) and we had some down-to-the wire games. It was a weekend to remember for spring football fans and a great way to kick off 1996 in style.
While Saturday night’s Summer Bowl rematch was the most anticipated game of the week, we give the nod for the best game of the week to the matchup of the Michigan Panthers and the Batlimore Blitz. It was a game that saw several lead changes, 4 scores in the final quarter, a huge game from Panther wideout Weegie Thompson thanks to his new QB, and a late game-winning drive from a QB not known for his ability to win the close ones.
The game marked the first start for longtime NJ General Doug Flutie as the new Panthers QB, and while his 289 yards and 74.4% completion rate were solid, he also threw 2 picks, leading to 10 Blitz points. Chris Miller, the oft-maligned Blitz QB had himself a solid day, throwing for 256 yards and 3 TDs to lead Baltimore to the win.
After a couple of short drives ending in punts, Chris Miller led the Blitz on the first scoring drive of the game, finding Rob Moore for the TD. Michigan responded as Flutie got the Panthers into position with a dynamic scramble to the 2 yard line, and Tyrone Wheatley scored his first TD of the season on the next play. Michigan pressed their advantage in the 2nd quarter, scoring 10 points in the quarter to take a 17-7 lead at the half.
Baltimore came out inspired in the second half, and put up 13 unanswered points in the 3rd and beginning of the 4th, with both the TD drive (Alexander Wright TD catch) and the first field goal coming off of two poor throws by Flutie leading to picks. Down 17-7, Baltimore flipped the score and took a 20-17 advantage with 7 minutes left in the game. Down 3, Michigan rallied as Doug Flutie got them in range for a 31 yard Daluiso field goal to even the score. With 1:48 left on the clock, the Generals kicked the ball away to Baltimore, hoping to hold the Blitz and take the game to overtime.
Miller and the Blitz got the ball at the 14 after Torin Dorn questionably took the ball out of the endzone. After a short Barry Foster draw play, Michigan helped the Blitz with two consecutive penalties (Neutral Zone Infraction and Facemask) to get the ball to the 42. Miller hit Kyle Brady for 10, then found him again, 2 plays later, for 20 yards, getting the ball to the Michigan 37. After spiking the ball, a bit of controversy as Miller completed a short pass but was thrown to the ground by Michigan’s Renaldo Turnbull. Turnbull got called for Roughing, and Miller had himself a first down at the Michigan 17 with 34 seconds to play. Rather than milk the clock, as Michigan expected, the Blitz faked the ball to Foster and Miller found Bill Brooks on a post-corner route that fooled the safety. Touchdown Blitz, and the Blitz fans, who had not been kind to Miller all offseason, hoping a trade or signing would dethrone him as the starter, cheered the QB off the field.
45,000 Baltimoreans returned home happy, while Doug Flutie and the Panthers resigned themselves to a tough road loss. For Doug Flutie, a frustrating day but overall a solid opening performance with his new club.
DEN 27 BIR 24
Saturday’s 2nd afternoon game was equally thrilling as the Gold held off the Stallions to snag a road win in Birmingham. Mark Brunell had a huge day, completing 28 of 39 for 385 yards against an often-confused Stallion defense, with Odessa Turner busting coverages for 134 yards on only 6 catches as the Gold get the 3-point win.
HOU 31 PIT 41
The nightcap was the game everyone waited for, and it provided plenty of fireworks as Jim Kelly threw for a whopping 533 yards and 4 TDs but in the end it was Pittsburgh, thanks in part to 2 TDs from Mike Rozier (111 yards rushing) and 4 Alan Risher TD’s upended the Gamblers once again. The Maulers showed off the trophy at the half, much to the delight of nearly 50,000 at Three Rivers Stadium.
CHI 17 PHI 24
Scott Zolak returned as Chicago’s starter, throwing for 319 and 2 scores, but a 7 catch, 128 yard day from Philly’s #1 receiver Cris Carter helped the home team snag a season-opening win. Philly veteran LB Frank Stams had himself a day with 2 sacks to lead the Stars to victory.
NOR 20 WSH 7
The Breaker secondary was on fire as four different backs snagged interceptions off of Don Majkowski, including Darren Woodson’s pick-6 as the Breakers confused and confounded the Federals all game long. Jamie Martin avoided turnovers, throwing for only 169 yards, and the combo of Terrell Davis and Eric Pegram helped New Orleans milk the clock and control the game.
STL 23 OHIO 26
Joey Galloway exploited the opening day secondary for the Knights, racking up an impressive 216 yards to help Ohio open the season with a home win. While Galloway shone, rookie HB Eddie George had a tough introduction to pro ball, contained to only 15 yards on the day. But, with St. Louis unable to slow down the pass game for the Glory, Ohio still earned the W.
TEX 0 NJ 13
Sunday’s all-day soaker meant it was a wet field and rough conditions when the Outlaws faced off in New Jersey against the Generals. The Run & Shoot of Mouse Davis was waterlogged as Kelly Stouffer completed only 53% of his passes and tossed 2 interceptions. Rob Johnson did not do much better after earning the starting job over Tommy Maddox, but Bam Morris’s plodding 77 yards on 17 carries helped the Generals hold off the punchless Outlaws for a shutout win to open the season.
ARZ 6 JAX 9
Another rain-soaked game, though significantly warmer in Florida, mean no touchdowns on the day. Jacksonville kicked 2 fourth quarter field goals to defeat the Wranglers. LB Broderik Thomas for Arizona helped keep Jacksonville’s offense in check with 11 tackles, a pick, and 2 forced fumbles on the sloppy field.
LA 7 TBY 33
The Express started off well, scoring on their opening drive, but Tampa got momentum off of a 59 yard Aikman to Baker TD pass, and rattled off 33 unanswered points. Aikman would throw for 367 on the day, despite some lingering rain from the stormfront, and Errict Rhett had a solid 75-yard day to help propel the Bandits to an impressive opening day win.
OAK 28 ORL 34
Oakland made the long distance flight to Orlando, but came up just short as the Renegades got 3 TD’s from Scott Mitchell and held off a late rally for a home win. Terry Kirby started off well with his new club, rushing for 50 yards while sharing carries with rookie Kantroy Barber. Bert Emmanuel stepped up as well, catching 12 balls for 123 yards and a score.
POR 20 MEM 33
Heath Shuler looked good, throwing for 343 and 3 scores, as the Showboats upset the visiting Portland Thunder. Memphis was able to contain Robert Drummond (only 59 yards) while rookie Moe Williams and Tommy Agie combined for 104 yards rushing. A strong first game from rookie WR Joe Horn (107 yards and a score) also helped the Showboats get the home win in front of 39,000 happy Memphians.
SEA 17 ATL 21
Atlanta won the battle of 2nd year clubs, thanks to a late Zeier to Mathis TD with 3:41 left. The Fire still struggle to run the ball as new HB Blair Thomas amassed only 25 yards on 12 carries. Mathis was the hero for Atlanta, catching 2 TDs from Zeier, including the game winner. Eric Metcalf, Seattle’s big offseason acquisition, had 8 receptions but only a 7.9 yard average in the Seattle loss.
Offense Wins the Day: Other than a couple of foul weather games, it appears that offense got the jump on defense in week 1. Whether Jim Kelly’s 533 yards passing, Galloway’s 216 receiving, or a strong 20 carry, 111 yard day from the ageless Mike Rozier, offensive stars came out in force. That is not to say that defenders did not have their moments (Eddie Simmons’ day was a good one with 8 tackles 2 sacks, 2 fumbles caused and one recovered) but the overall win went to the offenses.
Welcome to Pro Ball, Rookies: Other than the surprise performance from mid-round pick Joe Horn, the rookie class of stars had a rough opening week. Eddie George was completely stifled. Terry Glenn had New Jersey’s lone score, but managed only 3 receptions in his first start, and no rookie QB started this week. That latter situation was anticipated as there were no QB’s taken who were expected to begin the year as starters. On defense, several rookies got the starting nod, including LB Kevin Hardy in St. Louis (4 tackles), CB Walt Harris (8 tackles) for New Orleans, and two big DE’s: Regan Upshaw in Philly (1 Sack) and Simeon Rice for Chicago (1 tackle).
Bad Day for the Majik Man: Not often an ALL-USFL QB finds himself last in the QBR, but that is what we see with Don Majkowski after week 1. Aided by 4 picks, Majkowski sits at a 41.2 QBR, last in the league, though Kelly Stouffer is not much better at 48.6. Bobby Hebert, despite losing to Orlando, leads the league with a 150.3 QBR thanks to 344 yards passing and 3 TDs in a losing effort.
Injury Report: We have a near miracle this week, a full slate of USFL games and no noteworthy injuries. Yes, there are some bumps and bruises, but no players are ruled out for next week, perhaps the only week in league history when we can say that. So, enjoy while you can, but we all know this game too well to expect this good fortune to last.
It seems a little cruel to start off a new season by looking at coaches on the hotseat, but football is a cruel game, and nowhere is that more true than when it comes to the often herky jerky careers of coaches. Last year we saw 3 positions change, though two of these were due to retirements rather than firings. We expect that this year might not be as kind. With four expansion clubs entering their second year, the pressure will be on to make strides, and while we don't see the 4 expansion head coaches as being under the most pressure to win now, they certainly will feel some pressure to improve on last year, especially in Seattle, where the 1-win Dragons need to show more this season.
So, who is under the most pressure? Well, that all depends on who you ask and what your standards are for your club. Looking at the league's 24 head coaches, it is relatively simple to see who is secure, who is wavering, and who may be feeling the heat. Here is our grouping:
NOT GOING ANYWHERE
This group is securely in place and only a major scandal is likely to shock them out of a position: Marchibroda (PIT), Willsey (HOU), Berry (PHI), Erhardt (BIR), Schottenheimer (CHI), Fassel (JAX)
BEING GIVEN ROPE
This next group is secure for the moment only because they are new enough in their positions to be allowed rope to hang themselves with. We cannot picture any of these 1st or 2nd year coaches getting pulled even with a bad year this season: Reeves (ATL), Neuheisel (LA), Johnson (STL), Knox (NJ), Mora (OAK), Saban (OHIO), Tobin (POR), Pardee (TEX), Hackett (WSH).
PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING
These are veteran coaches who are expected to show strides this season after decent years last year and could be at risk if they do not produce: Tollner (ARZ), Infante (BAL), Holtz (MGN), O'Leary (ORL)
FEELING THE HEAT
This is a pretty well-known group of coaches, but their teams have not responded as hoped to their guidance yet. One more bad season and this could be the end of their time at the helm:
Wade Phillips (DEN): Another .500 season, another early playoff exit, and it may be time to look for a more dynamic offense and more aggressive defense in Denver.
Buddy Ryan (MEM): The Memphis defense has gotten sloppier each season, and the impact of Reggie White won't be enough if the Showboats don't start showing something. A lot rides on Heath Shuler's development and Buddy Ryan is not exactly known as a QB guru.
Mike Ditka (NOR): The Breakers have been just good enough to get hopes up each offseason, but so far Ditka has not been able to recreate either the smothering defense of his '85 Bears or the fan frenzy that the Breakers used to muster. Another 8-8 type year may mean the end for Big Mike's tenure in the Big Easy. He needs the decision to go with Jamie Martin and jettison Timm Rosenbach to work out in his favor.
Jerry Glanville (TBY): Another huge personality who has not taken huge strides with a talented Tampa Bay roster. Many claim that Glanville's lack of offensive knowledge has wasted some prime years for Troy Aikman. Even worse, the defense has not been good enough to compensate for Glanville's offensive woes. Another weak season, and particulalry another weak offensive show from Tampa Bay could likely mean that the man in black will see pink, a pink slip that is, in August.
Week Two gives us our first divisional action as the Atlantic and Southern Divisions stay in the division while out west the Pacific Clubs travel to face Central Division foes. Expect some real nasty battles as Baltimore heads up I-95 to face the New Jersey Generals, as Pittsburgh heads to DC to face the Federals, and as the Stars face off against the Glory in Columbus. In the South it is Birmingham @ Atlanta, Memphis @ Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay in an in-state clash at Orlando.
The best of the Pacific @ Central matchups has Denver heading into Houston. Arizona @ Chiago and Oakland @ New Orleans could also produce some fireworks. We also have LA heading to the Silverdome to face the Panthers, Portland hoping to get a win on the road in St. Louis, and the Seattle Dragons on the road in San Antonio to face the Outlaws.
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