For the first time in many years we had a Week 18 where no team felt safe enough in its standing to rest its starters. All 24 clubs had a reason to try for the win, and all 24 let the week play out, though some did opt to bench key players who were injured and a few were able to swap in some backups late in the game. Still, with division titles, playoff seeding, and playoff berths still on the line, there was a lot to play for, which gave us that rare joy of quality Week 18 games.
It all came down to this, a Southern Division showdown, winner gets the Wild Card, loser is out of the playoffs. After a stunning loss to New Jersey in Week 15, the Orlando Renegades now would have to face a Memphis squad that just knocked off the Baltimore Blitz. This would be a slugfest, with everything on the line, just what you want from a Week 18 play in game.
The game started off fully in Memphis’s favor, with over 53,000 on hand at the Liberty Bowl, and a pumped up Showboats squad. The ‘Boats came out of the gate ready to roll, scoring on their first two possessions, with Heath Shuler racking up 1st quarter yardage and finding both of his big receivers, Carl Pickens and rookie Joe Horn on scoring strikes to take a 14-0 lead in the 1st.
Orlando would calm things down in the 2nd with a Mitchell to Danny Knight TD that brought them back to within a score, and the defense started to find answers as well, holding Memphis to only 39 yards of offense in the quarter as Orlando crawled back, first with Knight’s TD and then with back to back Charlie Baumann field goals. At the half it was a paper thin lead for the Showboats, 14-13.
That lead disappeared in the 3rd as Orlando continued to frustrate Shuler and the Showboats. Moe Williams was simply not able to get much going on the ground, and would finish the day with only a 2.3 yards per carry average. Orlando, on the other hand, got good production from both Terry Kirby and Kantroy Barber, with both averaging just over 5 yards per carry. The Renegades would add 6 points on two field goals to take a 19-14 lead in the the final period before Memphis again found the endzone.
Memphis shifted things up at the end of the third, going with more 2-tight end formations and using Adrian Cooper as an offensive weapon. Shuler would connect on 7 consecutive passes and with 10:07 left in the quarter he found Joe Horn in the endzone. The 2 point conversion, a bootleg run with a pitchout to Williams, put the Showboats back on top by 3 at 22-19. But it would be a short-lived lead as Orlando hit on a deep ball from Mitchell to Bert Emmanuel, getting them in range for Charlie Baumann to even the score with 1:03 left to play.
But, as we have seen all season, a tie score with a minute left is not a guaranteed ticket to overtime. But, when Memphis missed on a 3rd and 11 at their own 38, things looked bleak. The Showboats punted, and punter Chris Becker hit a beauty. The coverage team did their job and downed the ball at the 1 yard line. Despite the poor field position Orlando still had all the cards. All they needed was one first down and Memphis would have to burn all their time outs. But, as we all know, any time you snap the ball there is a chance for something to happen, and that is exactly what we saw when on 2nd and 10 from the 1, Mitchell gave the ball to Kantroy Barber on a dive left, but the exchange was not ideal, and when Eddie Simmons clipped Barber at the line, the ball came loose, there was a mad scramble as the ball rolled back into the endzone, and when the pile was sorted out it was DE Tony Hill of the Showboats who held it. Memphis was awarded the touchdown and the stadium erupted in delirium. The Showboats would be headed to the playoffs. At the end of a crazy season that saw their former head coach dismissed after taking a swing at their current head coach, the Showboats had pulled it out in the most unexpected way.
HOU 35 NOR 30
The other big games this week were in the Central, as all 3 had playoff implications. Houston came into the week leading the division and thanks to 4 TDs from Kelly (Perriman, Heller, Dilger, and Pruitt), the Gamblers walked away with the division crown. New Orleans fought hard, and had a strong day from HB Terrell Davis, and they will be in the playoffs as a Wild Card, but the loss pushed them to the 5th seed, meaning a road game next week.
CHI 23 STL 44
The Knights got a strong game from Todd Collins (4 TDs) and when the St. Louis defense knocked Dan McGwire out of the game in the 2nd quarter, this game was all but over. Alex Van pelt came in and threw two TD’s to make it respectable, but he also threw 2 picks, which helped St. Louis build up a sizeable lead. The Knights will be a 3-seed in the West, giving them a bye and a Divisional round matchup at Denver.
MGN 10 TEX 37
Michigan had a shot at a bye but came out flat against Texas. The Outlaws were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs but played like a team on the cusp of a postseason bid as they outmuscled the Panthers. Reggie Cobb looked solid, rushing for 132 yards on 19 carries, a 6.9-yard average. Meanwhile Tyrone Wheatley, nursing a sore ankle, had only 11 carries for 23 yards. The Panthers still head into the postseason, but will now have to play next week, hosting New Orleans in the Wild Card round.
DEN 31 SEA 3
Denver looked to be firing on all cylinders as they prepped for the playoffs with a blowout win over the Seattle Dragons. The defense held Seattle to 240 total yards and the Gold took a 14-0 lead at the half and just kept adding to it throughout the game. Denver will be a 2 seed and will host St. Louis in the divisional round.
BAL 22 PHI 14
The Blitz played their starters for only 3 quarters but still were able to upend the Stars in Philadelphia. The Stars have struggled on offense down the stretch and that was certainly the case against Baltimore’s defense as Chuck Long was picked off twice. Baltimore rested Barry Foster in the game, but backup Derrick Fenner did well in relief, rushing for 65 yards on 18 carries.
NJ 7 WSH 16
With nothing to play for but pride the Federals gave Kordell Stewart the start and the young QB showed more skill, passing for 241 and evading several Phil Hansen sacks (though Hansen would get to him twice on the day to set a new USFL record.) New Jersey was uninspired on offense, gaining a grand total of 204 yards and we fully expect a new OC to be helping out Chuck Knox next Spring after a truly miserable offensive year by the Generals.
OHI 14 PIT 38
Rickey Foggie finally had a halfway decent game for Ohio, but it was not nearly enough as the Maulers put the first 38 points on the board before Ohio could score late. Robbie Bosco started for the Maulers and looked solid, completing 16 of 20 before giving way to John Fourcade after 3 quarters. With the win the Maulers secured a Wild Card and will now face the Showboats in Memphis next week.
TBY 24 ATL 19
Atlanta gave Tampa a scare, as the Bandits still had a shot at the East’s #1 seed when the game began. Atlanta QB Cliff Stoudt, in what may be his last game as a pro, completed 36 of 54 attempts for 336 yards on the day. For Tampa the deciding score did not come until late in the 4th quarter when Troy Aikman hit Freddie Solomon for a 32-yard TD to ice the game and set up a playoff matchup against Philly next week in Tampa Stadium.
JAX 41 BIR 20
The long, odd season for Brett Favre came to a close as his Stallions were thoroughly outplayed by another team with an equally disappointing year, Jacksonville. Chris Chandler threw for 3 scores and the combo of Jamie Morris and Marquette Smith rushed for 131 yards against a dispirited Stallion defense. Both teams will head home to reassess and decide what missing pieces they need to find in order to meet expectations next year.
ARZ 7 OAK 17
In what most expected to be Ted Tollner’s last game, the issues that cost him games all year were there again. Trent Green, the supposed future at the position, threw 4 picks to Oakland defenders and the run game simply never showed up. For Oakland, little solace was taken in Siran Stacy’s 119-yard day. Expect to see a new HB sharing carries with Stacy next year as he clearly is not meant to be a bell cow back. Meanwhile, all eyes in Arizona now turn to the draft and the prospect of signing local hero Jake Plummer.
LA 10 POR 20
Portland ended the year 8-8 by knocking off a shorthanded and uninspired LA Express club. Robert Drummond locked up his second consecutive league rushing title by adding 104 yards to his season total, but there was little joy in the Rose City as 8-8 was not what fans expected from the Thunder last year. Time for both Coach Tobin and Coach Neuheisel to start assessing needs, shortcomings, and prospects as they offseason awaits.
BLACK MONDAY: As the regular season draws to a close two things are inevitable, that 10 teams have more football to play, and that 14 other clubs look at their season and hope to do better next year. A big part of that process is changing leadership, and so we come to another Black Monday, when USFL coaches who failed to show improvement, meet expectations, or guide their teams where preseason hopes anticipated them being are shown the door. This year appears to be a rather mild year, with only two new transitions announced on Monday. We already saw Buddy Ryan released midseason after a bizarre sideline blowup. Cam Cameron retains the position on an interim basis at least for another week as he has guided Memphis to a Wild Card match against Pittsburgh. We also knew that Ted Marchibroda would be stepping down and Emmitt Thomas would become the new Head Ball Coach in the Steel City, but Marchibroda has at least one more game with the Maulers as well.
On Monday two very anticipated moves were made. Arizona, after a catastrophic season, and despite an overall record of 61-67 in his 8 seasons in Tempe, have released Ted Tollner from his duties. Tollner, who was an early favorite in the desert, guiding the Wranglers to the 1990 Summer Bowl, has found it hard to meet expectations, and this year in particular there were claims that he had lost the locker room. A 4-win season is never fully the blame of any one person, but in the case of Tollner, the inability to use his background as an offensive guru to produce a top tier offense in Arizona was clearly a core reason why management opted to move on. Just what Arizona will look for in a head coach is very much up in the air, but one thing seems clear, they are going to lobby hard to try to get Arizona State’s Heisman nominee QB Jake Plummer to become the next leader of the Wranglers. Having traded Robbie Bosco to Pittsburgh, and with Trent Green having a rough year in Arizona, it seems very likely they will do all in their power to have Plummer as their golden boy next year.
In Atlanta, it is less about faded glory and more about missed expectations. Dan Reeves was expected to build a winner quickly with the expansion Fire. While 2 seasons hardly seems adequate to turn an expansion roster into a playoff contender, Atlanta’s absolute inability to generate offense, and their propensity to be blown out did not bode well for the former Bronco head coach. Stories of clashes between Reeves and the front office of the Fire also did not help the situation. Conflict arose as the front office pushed the idea of starting former U. of Georgia QB Eric Zeier, while it seemed obvious that Reeves preferred the veteran Cliff Stoudt. When Reeves returned to Stoudt as the starter in the final month of the season, it was viewed by many as a thumbing of the nose at the ownership in Atlanta. He was unlikely to be resigned for a 3rd year prior to that, but that move certainly burned the bridge between Reeves and management. Expect Atlanta to look for an offensive playcaller like a Mike Shanahan or Sherm Lewis of the NFL, or possibly Houston Gambler OC Chan Gailey.
Sighs of relief we expect from two other coaches as the ownership of both the LA and Seattle expansion clubs must have felt that improvement over year 1 was on pace. The Express had only a modest improvement on the field, from 4-12 in their inaugural season to 5-11. Seattle, under Woody Widenhofer, saw better growth, jumping to 6-10 after a miserable 1-15 inaugural year. The emergence of unheralded rookie QB Jon Kitna has folks in the Emerald City optimistic, while a season of rotating QB’s as Brent Pease had trouble staying healthy, doomed the LA Express, and Head Coach Rick Neuheisel to a series of erratic performances. The only other coach who was on a potential hot seat, Orlando’s George O’Leary, had his Renegades in contention up until the final 2 weeks of the year, when back-to-back losses doomed their playoff chances. But, it seems Orlando ownership is content with back to back 8-8 seasons, at least for now. Expect pressure to be on in Orlando in 1997 as a third season with no playoff tickets to sell may not go in O’Leary’s favor.
RECORDS BROKEN: While not all the records we have been watching were busted this year, we did see a few fall by the wayside. Jim Kelly was able to tie, but not surpass Brett Favre’s record of 47 touchdowns in a season, but a strong Week 16 game did propel him to a new record for yards passing in a season with 5,417, nearly 300 yards beyond the 1992 mark set by Favre.
Mark Brunell had a pair of rough games at the end of the year for Denver, missing out on Joe Montana’s record completion percentage of 72.5, and landing 9th at 71.1 for the year. Two other passing marks we were not even tracking were surpassed this year as well, as Kelly Stouffer set new marks for both pass attempts (690) and Completions (476). In both cases Stouffer lept past Jack Trudeau’s marks of 682 and 470, evidence that the USFL continues to be a passing league. Stouffer also landed on the Top 10 list in an area he did not want, as his 14 fumbles this year are 3rd all time, though well behind the stunning record of 28 fumbles set by Walter Lewis back in 1985.
Joey Galloway also fell short of a record as he was severely hamstrung by the injury to QB Jeff Hostetler. With the erratic Rickey Foggie closing out the season under center, Galloway’s production took a huge hit, and he ended the year below 1,900 yards and well short of Eric Truvillion’s 1986 mark of 1,959 yards. Galloway places 6th all time, with Truvillion ahead of him 3 times along with Derek Holloway and Carlos Carson once each.
Chris Snyder becomes one of many to reach for Raphel Cherry’s record of 9 picks in a season only to fall 1 interception short. The simple fact is that when he raced out to 6, then 7, then 8 picks, teams noticed and started avoiding putting the ball in his range. It is just that simple. His 4 interceptions returned for TD’s is a record for a season however, and his 209 yards in interception returns is 2nd all time.
And finally, Phil Hansen is his own toughest competition, as he broke the record he set 5 years ago, securing 25 sacks in 16 games this year, 2 more than his prior mark (shared with Dexter Manley’s 1993 season). Hansen was the one positive thing to come out of a chaotic year for New Jersey, making him clearly the biggest name on the roster for the Generals. The other star in New Jersey was, unfortunately for Generals fans, punter Ray Criswell, who set a league record with 5,364 yards in punts, not exactly a statistic that most clubs want to own.
INJURY REPORT: Rather than review all the bumps and bruises for clubs that are either resting for a week or setting up to play some golf, we are going to limit our look at the injury situation for just the 4 Wild Card clubs that will be in action next week. Here, before we comment, is the injury report from each club:
Pittsburgh—Louis Lipps WR (Out), Rod Milstead G (Probable)
Memphis—Reggie White DE (Probable)
Michigan—Ted Johnson LB (Out), Butch Rolle TE (Questionable), Frank Cornish C (Probable), W. Thompson WR (Probable)
New Orleans—Lamar Lathon LB (Probable)
Honestly, for teams that have played 16 grueling games, this is a remarkably healthy set of Wild Card clubs. The injury to Lamar Lathon in New Orleans is unlikely to keep him out, and we know Reggie White will play for Memphis even if not 100%. So that leaves Pitsburgh and Michigan. The Maulers have depth at the guard position, so even if Milstead cannot go, they should be solid, and they have been playing without Lipps for several weeks without missing a beat. Michigan could miss Ted Johnson’s athleticism and motor in the LB corps, and they would love to have Butch Rolle on hand, but that seems unlikely. But all things considered, we don’t think injuries will play a big factor in next week’s games.
Two interesting Wild Card games on the docket. In the first we have two division foes going at it for a 3rd time as Michigan hosts the New Orleans Breakers. The Panthers thrashed the Breakers 45-23 in Pontiac on the season’s 3rd week, but New Orleans evened the series with a 26-20 win in the Super Dome. Both clubs come in relatively healthy (as outlined above), though the loss of LB Ted Johnson could be an issue for the Panther D. They will likely replace him with either Ricky Shaw or Alondra Johnson, while defensive play calls will now run through outside linebacker Hardy Nickerson. The key for this game is likely to be the run game. If either Tyrone Wheatley or Terrell Davis can start off strong, that will take pressure off of Flutie and Martin, and that makes play action so much more dangerous. Our pick: We like the way the Panthers have been playing (this week’s loss excluded) and we like the experience of Doug Flutie at QB in this one. Panthers by 5.
In the other matchup we have something of a rarity, two teams that did not meet in the regular season. Both Pittsburgh and Memphis had to win some tough games late to get into the playoff mix, with Memphis winning 4 of their last 5, including an impressive win over Baltimore and a Loser Goes Home showdown with Orlando this week. Pittsburgh has also been impressive since getting Robbie Bosco in trade from the Wranglers. Winners of 5 of their last 6, Pittsburgh also pulled off the win against the Blitz, but the rest of their wins were not as impressive (Arizona, New Jersey, Chicago, Birmingham and Ohio). We know what to look for from the Maulers, Rozier, and more Rozier. If it ain’t broke, why fix it. For Memphis, it all comes down to how young Heath Shuler deals with the pressure. Our Pick: We have to go with the defending league champions. Sure, this is not the same team, and without Alan Risher or Louis Lipps, they are far more reliant on Mike Rozier than they should be, but for a 32-year-old, Rozier still has it, and experience is all in Pittsburgh’s favor.