Divisional games always produce amazing results, and this week’s full slate did not disappoint. All three Central Division matchups went to overtime, making our Game of the Week decision an impossible one. In addition to that we had a huge upset in Denver, a battle for the Pacific Northwest in Seattle, a battle royale between two Florida clubs, and an epic battle between the Feds and the Stars in the East. It was a week of serious football in the USFL, and it should only get better from here.
When you have 3 games in the same week go to overtime, that is outstanding, but when all three are division matchups in the same division, that is something special. So, rather than try to split hairs to focus on just one, we give you three deep dive recaps on all three Central Division battles.
STL 26 TEX 20 OVERTIME
Brian Bosworth had 15 tackles for the Texans, but it was not enough as Todd Collins threw for 328 and 3 scores to help lead the Knights to the win and better place them in the playoff hunt. Down 20-10 early in the 4th quarter, St. Louis scored the final 10 points in regulation, tying the game on a Collins-to-Greg-Scales TD pass with just over 2 minutes to play to even the score. When Chris Boniol’s long attempt came up short and wide to the right, the game went to overtime. St. Louis won the toss and never gave Texas time to adjust, marching down the field with Collins finding Alex Higdon for 6 and the game. The Knights won, thanks in large part to a defense that kept Texas in check despite Kelly Stouffer’s 71.4% completion rate. Dinking and dunking did not produce big plays as the longest pass completion on the day for Texas was 18 yards, while for St. Louis both Rocket Ismail and Amani Toomer averaged over 10 yards per catch, with the two combining for 13 receptions for 164 yards.
MGN 20 NOR 26 OVERTIME
The Panthers also came back from a 20-10 deficit at the end of regulation, but all for naught as the Breakers reasserted themselves in overtime to get the win. Both Doug Flutie and Jamie Martin had ups and downs, with 5 interceptions between the two of them, but with Terrell Davis and Tyrone Wheatley both helping to carry the offenses (Davis with 83 yards and 2 scores, Wheatley with 107 and a TD), the two clubs were very evenly matched. The two teams were evenly matched all day, and finished within 15 yards of each other in the final stats. Turnovers were also a wash, so it came down to overtime execution. Michigan won the toss, but after scrambling to tie the game on a late Brad Daluiso field goal, they were not able to produce on their first drive in the extra period. New Orleans’s offense was far more successful, finding holes in the line to be exploited by Davis and Erric Pegram, and ending when Jamie Martin faked the ball to Davis and found the ageless Clarence Collins for the game winning score.
CHI 24 HOU 30 OVERTIME
Finally, in a game that last year would have likely been for the division title, the Gamblers got all they could handle from a reawakened Chicago Machine club. With Dan McGwire under center, the Machine have found offensive success, while Houston once again relied on Jim Kelly and the passing game as Chicago was able to stifle Thurman Thomas as a runner. Kelly would pass for 388 yards and 3 scores to power the Gamblers, but it came down to a late Brett Perriman TD with a 2-point conversion for Houston to equalize the score. Chicago got 2 TDs from Mario Bates and had managed to build up a 24-16 lead until the final Houston drive of the game. After holding Perriman in check most of the game, it all fell apart for Chicago in the end. Not only did he catch the 27-yard TD toss to send the game to overtime, but in the extra period he again asserted himself and again was on the receiving end of what would be the game winning play for the Gamblers.
ARZ 16 DEN 9
As if the three overtime games were not enough, Arizona gave us a major upset, going into Denver and upending the division-leading Gold. Now, to be fair, a late decision to start Billy Joe Tolliver over the aching Mark Brunell played a big part, but Arizona’s ability to shut down Rashaan Salaam was also huge in this defensive slugfest. The Wrangler defense was able to keep Denver out of the endzone, and Trent Green did just enough, finding Curtis Duncan for the game’s lone TD, to get the win for the visitors.
POR 17 SEA 28
The Dragons improve to 4-8 with a big win over their rivals from Portland. Jon Kitna looked like a seasoned veteran, going 20 for 38 for 247 and 2 scores without a pick. He was helped by the choice to provide more carries to Derrick Loville and his outside run game than to Roosevelt Potts’s inside runs. Loville rushed 17 times and gained 88 yards and a TD for his efforts. With Seattle pressuring Jack Trudeau all day (4 sacks and 7 hurries) the Dragons were able to disrupt the Portland offense and come out on top.
LA 3 OAK 20
Jim Mora finally got a defensive performance he can be proud of as the Invaders shut down the Express, holding them to only 211 total yards and only 3 of 12 on third down. With Hebert hitting Ellard twice for scores in the first quarter, LA’s interest in a balanced attack went out the window and the shift in strategy put inexperienced QB Jeff Garcia in a bad position. Oakland kept the Express at bay with a strong balance of short zones and run blitzes to garner their 4th win of the year.
TBY 23 JAX 17
Another close game as the two top teams in the South squared off. Jacksonville got scores from Dokie Williams and rookie wideout Terrell Owens, but it was Tampa’s consistent offense that won the day. Troy Aikman threw for 2 scores, including a beautiful catch and run from Errict Rhett, and both Robert Brooks and Shannon Baker went over 100 yards receiving as the Bandits escape Duval County with a win.
MEM 34 BIR 17
Birmingham’s slide continues as their defense again proves ineffective, while the Stallion offense sputters without Ernest Givens on the field. Cam Cameron put the game in the hands of Heath Shuler, and the young QB, despite 2 picks, got a solid win for the Showboats, throwing for 349 yards on the day. But the story of the day has to be Reggie White. After trailing the sack leaders all season long, White apparently decided to get back in the race all at once. He had 4 sacks of Brett Favre, and just for good measure, snagged backup Danny Kannell once as well. The 5 sack day pulls White into the top 5 among edge rushers with 14 sacks on the season.
ORL 31 ATL 20
The Cliff-Stoudt-led Fire gave Orlando a scare, but it was not enough as the Renegades were able to pull away late, thanks in large part to a combined 114 yards from Kirby and Kantroy Barber. Bert Emmanuel also got on the highlight reel with an over the shoulder catch for a 36-yard TD in the 4th quarter as the Renegades even their record at 6-6.
NJ 10 PIT 35
Pittsburgh also evened their record with a must-win home game against the struggling New Jersey Generals. Robbie Bosco won his 2nd in a row, going 24 for 30 for 270 yards and a TD against the Generals. Dorsey Levins again took the lead in the run game, pounding out 78 yards on 21 carries. The win helps Pittsburgh move up the playoff ladder, part of a huge cluster of 6-6 clubs in the Eastern Conference.
OHI 10 BAL 38
Baltimore became the first team to clinch a playoff spot with their 11th win on the year, and the loss moves Ohio back to 6-6 to join the cluster. Barry Foster won Offensive POTW with his 149 yard, 3 TD performance as the Glory simply did not have an answer for the Blitz run game. Eddie George had a good game in the loss, rushing for 84 yards, but it was not enough as the Blitz D never really felt threatened by deep incursions from Ohio.
WSH 24 PHI 27
In a back-and-forth battle, Philadelphia, led by backup Eric Kramer, held off the Federals and retained the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference. Kramer, coming in for Long, threw for 3 scores, including a big 45 yarder to Cris Carter, to help Philadelphia build up a 27-17 lead. Washington got within 3 just at the 2-minute warning but was unable to recover the onside kick and the Stars used runs by Charlie Garner and Pat Chaffey to keep possession and wind down the clock.
Cameron Starts Strong: Well, for a first week in the hot seat, Cam Cameron did pretty well. A convincing road win against an arch-rival is a good way to start things off, and a win where both the offense and defense performed very well is a strong start towards rebuilding cohesiveness on the squad. Memphis looked good, and clearly had a plan for Birmingham that was both effective and appropriate. And while neither players nor Cameron himself would comment on the Buddy Ryan incident and firing last week, it seems clear that leaders on both sides of the ball were ready to rally behind their new coach and try to make a push towards the playoffs.
Uncharacteristic of the Showboats, the team has been buoyed by their offense this year, an offense which currently ranks 2nd in the league in both points per game at 29.2 and yards per game at 395.3. Most of this has been due to the strong year put together by Heath Shuler, who is closing in on 4,000 yards passing and has a very respectable QBR of 90.6. The defense, while having its issues this year (ranked 18th in PPG) is still leading the league in sacks with 56. They need to translate that aggressiveness into stops, as their yardage per game has been mediocre and the club currently has a Turnover rate of -1, with only 21 takeaways and 22 giveaways. But, with two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference headed towards clubs that are currently at 6-6, there is no reason that this Showboats squad cannot rally behind their new coach and make a run at the postseason.
Defenders take center stage: While Reggie White’s monster 5-sack game rightly won him top honors this week as Defensive player of the week, there were several standout performances which deserve mention in this week’s round of divisional games. In Seattle, Scott Stephen, the long time Michigan Panther stalwart at LB, had himself a game, In addition to 5 tackles and a sack on Portland’s Jack Trudeau, Stephen forced two fumbles, including a strip of halfback Amp Lee on the Portland 11 yard line, which he then scooped up and ran in for a score as the 2nd quarter was winding down. That score gave Seattle the lead at the half and they would never look back.
Arizona’s big upset of Denver was due in large part to the 3 interception day for CB Philippi Sparks. Billy Joe Tolliver kept trying to feed the ball to Mark Carrier and Sparks just kept taking it away. In Oakland it was Ron Rivera, showing he may have lost a step but is still an intense competitor, with 6 tackles, a forced fumble and a recovery to help the Invaders get the home victory. We mentioned Brian Bosworth’s 15 tackle day in a losing cause for Texas. Bosworth was all over the field against St. Louis and his big haul helped propel him to 3rd in the USFL rankings for tackles on the year.
Baltimore’s D seems to do it week in and week out, and the big star of that effort this week was SS Bennie Blades, the former Memphis Showboat had 7 tackles, a sack, a play against Robb Thomas where he both forced the fumble and recovered it to help the Blitz avoid the upset against Ohio. Finally, in Tampa’s close win against Jacksonville the defensive star was CB Eric Allen, who picked off Chris Chandler early in the game and then added a forced fumble in the 2nd half, both of these key turnovers alongside 8 tackles on the day as the Bandits edged the Bulls by 6.
Award Wrap Up: As the season plays out, it is looking like this year’s annual awards are not going to be nail biters. With over 4,100 yards already and 10 more passing TD’s than any competitor, the MVP has to go to Jim Kelly of Houston. He may not eclipse Brett Favre’s passing records, but it seems clear that Kelly is on his way to the award and the postseason.
The Offensive MVP award is another award that seems wrapped up. Ohio’s Joey Galloway is still pursuing the record for receiving yards, and still seems indefensible each week. Sure, Tyrone Wheatley is having a solid year, but the distance between Wheatley and other bell cow backs is not particularly great, while Galloway is a solid 300 yards ahead of his closest competitor.
Coach of the Year is another no-brainer, as the dominant season being put together by the Baltimore Blitz, a domination over what many considered the most balanced and toughest division in the league, is certainly going to result in the award going to Lindy Infante. Infante, known as an offensive guru, has put together one of the league’s best defenses, and while credit absolutely must be shared with Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau, Infante is being praised for the rise of the Blitz.
One of the closer races among the awards has to be rookie of the year. New Jersey receiver Terry Glenn has had a very solid rookie season, with 870 yards to date and 6 scores, but with the Generals floundering as one of the league’s worst teams, it seems unlikely he will garner the award. Moe Williams is also playing well, with 10 total TDs to his name, but his 659 yards rushing after 12 weeks does not guarantee a 1,000 year season and it would be hard to name him ROTY without that accomplishment under his belt. The most likely candidates are two defenders, Regan Upshaw of Philadelphia and Tony Brackens of Washington. Both are tied at 11 sacks for the year. Upshaw has 10 more tackles, but Brackens has also forced 2 fumbles. It honestly may come down to how each club finishes the year, or, quite possibly the two will split the vote and Glenn may end up with the award despite playing on a 10 loss club.
Injury Report: A big blow for the hopes of the Pittsburgh Maulers to return to playoff contention as Louis Lipps, the club’s clear #1 receiver, will be out for the rest of the year after tearing the quad on his left leg. Lipps, who has 68 receptions for 901 yards and 6 scores this season, will be unable to help the Maulers emerge from the 6-6 cluster in the Eastern Conference as he has been placed on IR and will begin rehab.
Arizona got the win this week, but in doing so lost one of their chief offensive weapons as Tim Lester went down with a hamstring injury that could cost him the rest of the season. He could be back in as few as 2-3 weeks, but more conservatives estimates say 5-6, which would mean the offseason.
Portland will finish the year without FS Vencie Glenn, who broke his jaw in a major collision with his own teammate on Sunday. In Ohio, wideout Mario Bailey went down with a torn abdominal muscle, which will make it easier for teams to shift coverage to Galloway for the rest of the season. And in St. Louis, Darrell Thompson came back this week and immediately reaggravated his ankle, which now could cost him up to 2-3 more weeks of action.
Expected to return to action this week we have Chicago FS George Teague, Atlanta LB Mo Lewis, Orlando LB Greg Bickett, Tampa wideout Chris Doering, Baltimore wideout Bill Brooks, Birmingham’s Ernest Givens, and Denver QB Mark Brunell, good news for the Gold who did not look good with Tolliver at the helm.
Baltimore became the first club to stamp their ticket to the playoffs at 11-1. With 4 games left to play they hold a 3 game lead over Philadelphia in the division, so a win this week could also give them the division title. Denver’s surprising loss kept them from clinching the Pacific, but they retain a 3-game lead as well, so it could be this week for the Gold. Philly and Tampa both look good at 8-4, and then the East is just a mess, with 7 teams all knotted up at 6-6. Memphis and Pittsburgh leapfrog to the current playoff positions due to tiebreakers, but there is sure to be a lot of sifting to be done before this season ends and we find out who is in.
In the West, we are getting more and more confident that 4 teams from the Central could make the playoffs, with only Denver representing the Pacific. With Houston, New Orleans and Michigan all with 8 wins, and St. Louis a half game behind at 7-4-1, they have a solid lead over the 5-7 clubs (Portland, Texas and Chicago). But, with a lot of division games left to play, a hot streak by Portland could take advantage of the Central Division teams knocking each other off.
Some concern around the league, and some rumblings as well, about the 1995 expansion and the lack of support being seen in LA and Atlanta. While the Ohio Glory and Seattle Dragons have drawn well in their first two years in the league, the reinstated LA Express and Dan Reeves’s Atlanta Fire have lagged behind most of the league in their first two seasons.
Admittedly Atlanta has not given fans much to be excited about, but even with the signing of UGA hero Eric Zeier, the fans have been slow to accept the Fire. Theories about why range from blanket statements that Atlanta is not a particularly good sports town, with the Hawks drawing poorly and the short-lived Atlanta Flames hockey club suffering a short-lived stint before moving to Calgary, to concerns that the bulk of diehard football fans in the area had already bought into the Birmingham Stallions as their club, and have been slow to shift to a new franchise in their city. Some have even suggested that the name of the club, while intended to link with the Olympic Games has had a more obvious connection to the burning of the city during the Civil War, a memory that many in the state wish to forget.
Of course, having the Olympics, set to begin just as the USFL playoffs hit full stride this July, has also meant a ton of competition for news, attention, sponsorship and media coverage for the new club. Atlantans are dealing with major traffic snafus as construction around the city races to be ready for the start of the Olympiad. Thousands of locals are also involved in one way or the other with the upcoming influx of visitors as well as the event itself. Perhaps waiting until after the games were over would have made more sense for the Atlanta USFL squad. Only time will tell if the Fire will find a way to garner more attention in town after the Olympic flame goes out. Of course, winning more, and looking better on the field would not hurt either.
As for LA, there is no international event to blame low attendance on. The Express, while not winning a ton of games, have been an entertaining squad, with an offense that is capable of some big plays, a star HB who is familiar to local fans, and a defense just bad enough to ensure that most games come down to a few key plays to decide. We all know Los Angeles is a tough market, with competition each spring not only from the Dodgers and Angels, but the Lakers typically making deep playoff runs, and the weather sending many Los Angelinos out to the beaches instead of to the new Farmer’s Insurance Field. The immense popularity of the Raiders, the USFL Express’s stadium “roommate” is another factor, as football fans have clamored to be part of the Raider Nation on Fall Sundays, but largely ignored the spring football season.
LA currently trails all other USFL clubs with an average attendance of 23,102, a solid 1,000 behind Atlanta and 3,000 behind 21st place Arizona. Local media are already beginning to question whether these Express will suffer the same fate as the prior club, and could eventually find themselves a more enthusiastic market. We know that there are groups in several cities who missed out on the 1995 expansion and who may see relocation as their best shot at joining the USFL club. “Bring USFL to US” campaigns are particularly strong in Boston and Dallas with grassroots groups also present in Indianapolis, Miami, Kansas City, and the Raleigh-Durham areas. But, at the same time, the USFL, and their TV partners, have no interest in losing the 2nd largest market in the USA, and the owners of the Express, who are heavily invested in their new stadium, would need a huge offer to even consider severing ties with the stadium and the city. So, LA seems locked in for at least the short term, now they just need to figure out how to get fans locked into the Express as a club.
We follow up a full division week with a full inter-conference week as the Eastern Clubs head to the Central division and the South faces off out West with Pacific clubs. With such a cluster of teams at or near .500, every win is a big win, so we look at some of the more balanced battles this week. We have 6-6 Pittsburgh at 5-7 Chicago, 6-6 Ohio headed to San Antonio to take on 5-7 Texas, 6-6 Washington with a tough game at 8-4 Michigan, and 6-6 Jacksonville in Denver to face an angry Gold team.
Other intriguing matchups include Tampa Bay at Oakland, Orlando at LA, Memphis in Seattle, and Birmingham in Tempe to face the Wranglers. Atlanta will fly across country to battle the Portland Thunder. Baltimore has a potential challenge as they face the Breakers in New Orleans. New Jersey limps into St. Louis to face the Knights, and in the marquee game for this week, we have the 8-4 Philly Stars in the Astrodome to face the 8-3-1 Houston Gamblers.
LA is a not a good pro football market.