The first divisional games of the year and some quality clashes in the Western Conference highlight the second week of USFL action. We come out of the week with several clubs starting off stronger than expected, a few hoping to turn things around quickly, and a few clubs still trying to figure themselves out after a long offseason. We start with a nip & tuck battle in Houston that went to overtime before a winner was decided.
It is no easy task to go into the Astrodome and keep pace with the Gamblers, but that is what Denver did this week as Mark Brunell battled with Jim Kelly through 4 quarters and a little more. The two teams combined for over 900 yards of offense on the day, with Denver getting a strong performance from their run game to complement Brunell’s arm, while Houston relied on another huge day from Jim Kelly, with 437 yards passing, to earn the win.
Houston started fast, and after only 5 plays found themselves up 7 as Keith Woodside took over for Thomas at the goal line and plunged in from 3 yards out to give Houston the early lead. Denver was not going to sit back and let Houston earn all the momentum, and with their second drive they found some holes in the Houston secondary, with Brunell hitting Odessa Turner for a game-tying score. In an action-packed first quarter, Kelly then responded by hitting Antonio Freeman with a 48-yard scoring strike to again go up by 7. Denver finished the quarter with a long drive ending in a Jeff Wilkens Field goal. 14-10 after one.
The 2nd quarter saw the two clubs swap scores again as Houston got a Kelly to Heller TD pass and Denver responded with a nice Rashaan Salaam run for 14 yards to go into the half down only 21-17. The 3rd quarter slowed down the pace a bit as both defenses made halftime adjustments. The lone score was on a short field after a Denver takeaway as rookie HB Rickey Whittle found space around the left side and danced along the sideline before falling into the endzone to give the Gold their first lead of the day, 24-21.
Houston kame on strong in the final quarter, scoring on their first two drives, a Kasay field goal and then a second Woodside run to build up the 7-point lead at 31-24. But, scoring with 3:45 left meant that Denver would have a shot at an equalizer. Brunell moved the ball down the field and capped off the game-tying drive with a nicely thrown corner route to Mark Carrier for 17 yards. With 1:37 left to play, Houston tried to get the ball into field goal range for Kasay, but when his 52-yarder went wide left, it was on to overtime.
Both clubs held fast on their opposition’s first drive, meaning the game would be a true sudden death situation. After a 3-and-out on Denver’s second possession, Houston took over with 5:28 left to play in the extra period. They took advantage of a roughing the passer call and a blown coverage to get the ball well into field goal range, but, not satisfied to sit on the ball, QB Jim Kelly found Brett Perriman on a play action pass and Perriman loped into the endzone for the winning score.
Kelly finished the day 25 for 46 for 437 yards and 3 TDs, despite being sacked 5 times by the aggressive Denver D. Mark Brunell went 33 for 43 for 257 and 2 scores, and was helped out by 118 yards from Rashaan Salaam. For Houston both Freeman and Perriman went over 100 yards, while Mark Carrier led the Gold with 9 catches for 81 yards and a score.
Houston, with the win, moves to 1-1 while Denver, which has played well these first two weeks, falls to 1-1 after their week 1 win in Birmingham. They have one more road game next week before their late home opener in Week 4. Houston will now prepare for a vital road game in Chicago against the top contenders in the Central Division.
BAL 19 NJ 13
New Jersey’s defense again played well, but so did the Blitz D, and a low-scoring game was won on 10 fourth quarter points from the Blitz. The big play on the day was a late Miller to Derrick Fenner TD which put a positive spin on a 3-interception game from Miller. New Jersey’s Rob Johnson also threw three picks against that tough Blitz secondary, and with Bam Morris only able to muster 3 YPC (15 for 45 yards) it was tough sledding all day for the Generals’ offense.
PIT 24 WSH 21
Pittsburgh got the better of Washington in RFK this weekend, despite Mike Rozier being limited to only 32 yards rushing on 21 carries. It was the Mauler D that won the day as Demetrius DuBose had a huge week, capped off by a 51-yard interception return in the 4th to turn a 17-13 lead into a 24-13 advantage, just enough as Washington came back to within 3 in the final minutes.
PHI 17 OHI 9
Ohio and Philadelphia found themselves in a defensive struggle as well this weekend, with the Stars holding Ohio to only 3 field goals, while Ohio kept Philadelphia from running away with the game. The Stars were hamstrung, literally, by an early game injury to Charlie Garner. Pat Chaffey struggled in relief, rushing for only 44 yards on 16 carries (2.8 YPC) while the Philly D had their hands full with a pretty decent outing from the HB duo of the Glory, Eddie George (77 yards) and Ernest Byner (31 yards). Ohio had their chances but could not turn yards into points, settling for 31 and 32 yard field goals from within the red zone.
BIR 31 ATL 6
After a tough home loss to Denver, Birmingham was happy to take their frustrations out on the Atlanta Fire. Brett Favre threw for 334 yards and 3 scores and the rookie duo of Davis (8 for 37) and Alstott (13 for 79) made life difficult for the Atlanta defenders. Atlanta came after Favre (5 sacks) but were unable to keep pace on offense despite 109 yards from wideout Ernie Jones.
MEM 19 JAX 7
Memphis’s good start continued as their defense got after Chris Chandler for 6 sacks, while Moe Williams had a good 2nd outing with 82 yards rushing. Add in 99 yards and a score from #1 receiver Carl Pickens and you have a formula for a Memphis division win.
TBY 20 ORL 13
Tampa Bay also moved to 2-0 after a hard-fought road win against the Renegades. Errict Rhett came up big with 105 yards rushing and a score, while James Stewart added a 2nd rushing TD for the Bandits. Tampa held Terry Kirby to only 27 yards rushing and Orlando had to rely on Scott Mitchell to keep pace. Despite 290 yards passing from Mitchell, the big plays did not come their way and the Bandits escaped with a division win.
ARZ 20 CHI 34
Arizona again struggled to put points on the board, while Scott Zolak had a strong game with 73% passing and 3 TDs for the day. Ricky Watters added 75 rush yards and a score on the ground while also catching 5 balls for 48 yards and a 2nd score in one of his best games to date. Throw in 2 Wendell Davis TD catches and you get a 14-point win for the homestanding Machine.
LA 10 MGN 37
Brent Pease had a rough day, throwing 4 picks against the Michigan D, while Doug Flutie made the most of his chances and got a HUGE day from Tyrone Wheatley. Wheatley rushed 28 times for 217 yards and a score, including a 46-yard run for a score that has to be seen to be believed. LA quickly got down double digits, taking Marcus Allen largely out of the game and putting a lot of pressure on Pease. SS Tony Covington of the Panthers was the beneficiary, picking off 2 Pease throws to lead the Michigan defense.
OAK 10 NOR 35
Oakland’s rough start under Jim Mora continues as the Breakers got 2 TD’s from Terrell Davis and 2 from Qadry Ismail against the porous Invader defense. With Bobby Hebert sacked 4 times and hit many more, it was a long day for the Invaders offense, which did not score a TD until the final 3 minutes of a game already long out of reach.
POR 13 STL 23
The Thunder also continue to underperform as St. Louis got the home win on the strength of a solid 3-TD day from Todd Collins. Rocket Ismail found himself on the receiving end of 2 of those passes while rookie Amani Toomer stepped up with 4 catches for 56 yards and a score himself. Despite 95 yards from Robert Drummond, the Thunder could not overcome the St. Louis defense as Trudeau was sacked 4 times and got picked 2 times in the defeat.
SEA 13 TEX 34
Texas rebounded from an opening week shutout by putting up 34 against the Dragons in Seattle. The Outlaws were dominant from the opening kickoff, thanks in large part to 172 yards rushing from Reggie Cobb. Add in 3 Kelly Stouffer TD passes and a defense that limited Seattle QB Timm Rosenbach to a 47% completion rate and you have Texas’s first win of the year.
Western Woes: After 2 weeks the Pacific Division has a combined 1-11 record, with Denver’s opening week win in Birmingham as the only bright spot. Offensive struggles seem to be the common theme among the 0-2 Pacific clubs, with Seattle still looking like a team without a clear offensive identity, LA still unable to make use of the talents of Marcus Allen, and Arizona still unsure about their future with Robbie Bosco at QB. Expect Coach Tollner to give Bosco one more week to show what he can do, but the option of Trent Green is there for him whenever he decided he has had enough.
Oakland does not have a QB controversy, but Bobby Hebert is going to need more help from the players around him if he is going to turn this around for the Invaders, while in Portland teams are loading the box against Drummond and challenging Jack Trudeau to beat them. He needs to step up if Portland is going to meet expectations this year and take the division. Denver, with Mark Brunell having outdueled Brett Favre, and held his own against Jim Kelly, looks to be in the best position, with a solid run game and an up and comer at QB.
Beasts of the East: If the Pacific looks like a division in search of a quality team, the Atlantic has the opposite issue. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Baltimore all look like legit contenders. Ohio and New Jersey have shown some spark, and no one expects Washington’s 0-2 start to represent their actual talent level. This is a division that again could contribute 4 clubs to the playoff pool come July, if they don’t beat each other up too much along the way that is.
Fast Starts Down South: Tampa Bay and Memphis have gotten off to 2-0 starts and have looked good doing it. With Errict Rhett and Moe Williams providing solid games and with both clubs showing some defensive moxie, the two clubs look primed to compete for the division this year. And we are not yet ready to count out Birmingham, who looked good this week after being a bit rusty against Denver in the opening game. Even Atlanta has a win on the season so far, so this division may continue to be a close one all year.
And, in the Central, what can we say? New Orleans has burst out to a 2-0 start, but with the rest of the division at 1-1 it is still anyone’d game. We like what we saw from Michigan this week, with Wheatley and Flutie complementing each other’s games, and we know that both Houston and Chicago can bring it. If Texas is also able to play solid ball in all 3 phases, the division could be home to a dogfight all season long.
Injury Report: We knew the good luck would not last long. After a week of play with no significant injuries, we followed it with a 2nd week that saw a few clubs taking hits. The biggest knock of the week is the news that Houston would be without two of its big playmakers for several weeks. Ricky Proehl looks to be out at least 4 weeks with a torn meniscus while Thurman Thomas will likely miss 2-3 weeks with a stress fracture in his left foot. Philadelphia also got unwanted news as RT Chris Conlin could miss as much as 2 months with a neck injury that was quite scary to watch. The good news is that he is expected to make a full recovery as there was no fracture within the spine.
Other injuries likely to cost players a week or two include Pittsburgh receiver Freddie Scott (collarbone), Oakland HB Mike Gaddis (hamstring), Philly HB Charlie Garner (knee), Ohio wideout Rob Thomas (concussion), and Birmingham rookie back Stephen Davis (ankle). Jim Kelly and Denver CB Anthony Tuggle were both briefly out in their game this week, but both are expected to play in Week 3.
In Week 1 we looked at the coaches around the league, this week we take a look at the stadium situation for each club. Stadium capacity, amenities, age, and support can make or break a team's bottom line, and there is a wide range of situations around the league. As the 1996 season begins, let's explore how each team sits and where there may be issues.
ARIZONA: Sun Devil Stadium is adequate, though mid-summer games in the desert heat are a concern for the Wranglers and the league. There has been some talk of the city trying to develop a domed stadium for the Cardinals and Wranglers, but with the cost of the recently built baseball stadium (for the upcoming Diamondbacks team to join MLB in 1998) it may be a while before citizens of the Valley of the Sun are willing to foot the bill for a football venue.
ATLANTA: Despite the Georgia Dome offering air conditioned bliss, the Fire set up shop across town in Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium. The stadium itself is a good size for the USFL and it is in good shape, but those mid-summer humid games are not as enjoyable as one would like. We don't see a shift in the next few years, but the dome is there if the Fire opt to negotiate for a spring schedule indoors.
BALTIMORE: The news this year of the relocation of the Cleveland Browns brought with it a new stadium deal that will benefit the Blitz greatly. Memorial Stadium is a bit of a dump, well past its prime, but it looks like by 1998 we will see a brand new football-specific stadium for the Blitz and their new, as of yet nameless, fall counterparts.
BIRMINGHAM: Legion Field is too old, too big, and too revered, so it is not going anywhere. The Stallions share it only with a fledgeling UAB program and while other cities may have stadia with more luxury boxes and better amenities in general, there is a love for this old warhorse in Birmingham and fans will come out in droves for the Stallions despite the stadium's lack of modern features. Don't expect a new stadium any time soon.
CHICAGO: Soldier Field is a bit big for the typical Machine crowd, but not so much that the stadium feels empty. It could use some updates, and with the Bears on board we may see a major renovation in the years to come, but the location is priceless and the atmosphere is plenty strong for the Machine.
DENVER: Talks are well underway between the city and both Denver ballclubs to share funding for a new football-specific stadium. As with Arizona, Denver is still recovering from the expense of their new baseball club, and in Denver's case, the building of Coor's Field. That said, Denver is a football town and there is no way the beloved Broncos, and the well-supported (if not beloved) Gold will get the short end of the stadium stick for long.
HOUSTON: The Oilers have been hoping for a new stadium for years. The rabid fanbase of the Gamblers and the team's ongoing success, have just given the city even more reasons to make it happen. Talks are under way, and if the Astrodome continues to become less desirable there is both Robertson Stadium (U. of Houston) and Rice Stadium available to both clubs.
JACKSONVILLE: The Gator Bowl could use a facelift, to be sure, but unless the Bulls can assist the city with financing, this could be a big ask. While there is no immediate concern about the Bulls, this could become an issue down the road, as the viability of the Bulls franchise in Jacksonville could depend on the city and the region's willingness to fund a renovation.
LA: The Express are sitting pretty in the newly dubbed Farmer's Insurance Field. The newly-opened stadium, which houses both the Express and the Raiders of the NFL has all the amenities, tons of luxury suites and boxes, state of the art tech, and, especially useful for the Express, the ability to tarp over some of the unused upper deck sections so that the typical 25k-30k Express crowd has an intimate feel while the 65k Raiders crowd can be accommodated. The Express would love to reach a point where they could open up those sections, but so fare the lower decks are all they need.
MEMPHIS: The Liberty Bowl is not going anywhere. It is certainly large enough for the Showboats, but its lack of amenities and luxury boxes could become an issue for the club. It's a venerated stadium in a city with a long football history, but it will never be a major revenue generator.
MICHIGAN: Pontiac and its SilverDome suffice for now, but the Panthers and Lions are going to be pushing the state and the city for a downtown stadium similar to the upgrade the Tigers are pushing for. With baseball and football both moving away from the multi-use stadium model, the city of Detroit, which is not exactly flush with cash, may have difficulty building venues for both sports.
NEW JERSEY: The main complaints about Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands revolve around the commute and lack of public transit from NYC to East Rutherford. The stadium itself is a pretty decent venue, though larger than the Generals have needed the past few years (which is more about the team's performance than the stadium).
NEW ORLEANS: While not the most modern or most beautiful dome in the country, the SuperDome is a fine home for both the Saints and the Breakers. Don't expect anything new in the near future.
OAKLAND: Oakland-Alameda stadium is reaching the end of its lifespan. Sharing it with the A's is also not ideal for the Invaders. There has been some noise in recent years of moving the team up the road a bit to Berkely to play on the Cal campus, but unless a deal can be made regarding alcohol sales, we don't see that happening. As for a new stadium, that seems a longshot in Oakland. The question is more whether the lure of either San Francisco or San Jose may cost Oakland their hometown team.
OHIO: The Horseshoe is way too big, that is clear. The Glory are trying to work with the city and the new MLS club in town to see if a more "right sized" option (something in the 35-45k range) might be possible. Problem is that the Glory prefer 45k and the Crew would be happier with 20k. That is a big difference in scale.
ORLANDO: The Citrus Bowl is a solid venue, and modern enough to suit the Renegades just fine. Sure, some new screens and updated concessions would be nice, and those may happen if the USFL club continues to be the primary tenant. UCF is also growing their football program, which could help the city cough up some funds for an interior renovation.
PHILADELPHIA: We all know what makes the Vet a mess, it's that horrible turf. Yes, the entire stadium needs work, but if they could just put in a more modern turf system the players would feel safer. That won't help the in-stadium experience for fans, so eventually a new building may be needed, but safety first.
PITTSBURGH: We love Three Rivers, but as the Maulers and Steelers, along with Pitt, look to modernize, we expect the city will capitulate and a new stadium will be in the works soon. The football scene in the Steel City is way too big for this to be dragged out.
PORTLAND: Despite the expansion that took Civic Stadium up to 34,000 seats, it remains a lesser quality venue within the league. But, with no prospect for an NFL club, no major college team in the city, and no local support to spend the money it would take for a top notch facility, it may come down to whether Phil Knight wants to spend his own money to develop a venue for the Thunder. If not, then Portland is at risk of losing their club eventually.
ST. LOUIS: The new dome is great, as domes go, but the Knights have only been able to fill it occasionally (mostly in their first year) and mostly out of spite for the NFL after the Cardinals left town. Now that the Rams are filling the NFL void, will attendance dip even lower for the Knights? We think it is the club, not the stadium, that may eventually lead to problems for the USFL in St. Louis.
SEATTLE: Husky Stadium is a solid venue, and the atmosphere at Dragon games is great, even if the club has been pretty tough to watch. With UW as the primary tenants, it would take a major campaign by the university to update the stadium, but that is not out of the question.
TAMPA BAY: Work is already underway on a new stadium for the Bucs and the Bandits to share. Expect it to take advantage of the perfect Tampa weather with only a bit more shade provided, and a lot of open air amenities throughout.
TEXAS: The AlamoDome works really well for the Outlaws. They can add or remove seating through tarping, can avoid the summer heat, and still have a solid revenue stream from not only their games, but other events co-hosted by the club. A solid situation.
WASHINGTON: The shelf life of RFK is dubious, and with the NFL Redskins refusing to share their new prize out in Maryland, the Federals are going to have to find a way to persuade the District to spend some money in the near future. Perhaps a deal with the MLS DC United could help, though the Federals' best chance may be to help lure a MLB club to the city and build a joint-function stadium, though that seems a longshot at this time.
Week 3 reverses what we saw in Week 2, with the Pacific and Central divisions engaged in divisional play while the Eastern conference clubs from the Atlantic take on those from the South. The best matchup is clearly going to be the Houston-Chicago tussle at Soldier field, but we are also looking forward to New Orleans headed to Michigan, Denver out in Arizona, and Oakland trying to get a W in LA. St. Louis also hosts Texas and Portland will host Seattle in a battle of 0-2 Pacific Northwest clubs.
In the Eastern Conference the Memphis-Philadelphia game should be a real slobberknocker, while Orlando-Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay-Washington promise some fireworks. Don’t sleep on the Bulls visiting Ohio as the Glory have some talent to compete in this one. Birmingham will bring their high-powered O against the tough New Jersey D in the Meadowlands this week, and Baltimore tries to move to 3-0 as they head down to Atlanta to face the Fire.