Week 16 had a bit of everything. Teams playing for playoff position. Others with nothing to lose. Players making a statement as free agency approaches. And at least in one case a player openly calling out his head coach. It was a bizarre week in which all 10 playoff teams were already in position, but with some teams hoping to reach .500, others hoping to earn a bye or a home game. A weird ending to the season to be sure, but now it is on to the playoffs and thing get serious really quickly.
Was this the most meaningful game of the week? No, not by a longshot, but what we got from Tampa Bay and Ohio were two clubs hoping to reach .500 and salvage a season. We also got a post-game press conference for the ages. But first the game.
Both the Bandits and the Glory came into this game at 7-8 and hoping one more win would at least prevent them from suffering a losing season. For Ohio it was a chance to improve just a hint more, after a 5-win inaugural season and a 6-win sophomore year, going 8-8 would be a nice step. For Tampa Bay, who were in the Summer Bowl a year ago even an 8th win would not salvage a lost season, but it sure is better than 7 wins.
Ohio looked like the team eager for that 8th win, jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a 1-yard plunge from veteran Ernest Byner and a Silvestri field goal. Tampa stormed back in the second, outscoring Ohio 17-7 to even the score at the half. They got TD catches from Baker and Rhett, two of 4 that Troy Aikman would throw on the day. Jeff Hostetler also connected with Derek Brown for a score as both clubs seemed eager to take the W.
In the 3rd quarter Aikman hit on his third TD pass, an 11-yarder to Chris Doering. They would hold that 7-point lead as both clubs traded field goals as the 4th quarter began, but Ohio would get back to a level field on a blown defensive coverage. Jeff Hostetler found Robb Thomas wide open down the left sideline as the corner clearly thought he had help over the top, but he did not. It was all knotted up at 27 with only 2:09 left to play. Once again Aikman would have to move the Bandits to avoid overtime.
The Bandits got the ball on their own 27 after a shaky kickoff from Silvestri. In short order, Aikman moved the team down to the Ohio 22, missing on only one pass as he seemed to audible on nearly every play. After a draw to Rhett and a time out, Aikman scrambled on 2nd down, getting out of bounds after a short run. On the next play he would hit Ben Coates down the middle and Tampa would take the lead for good. Aikman finished with 323 yards and 4 scores, but it was his post-game press conference that really made the day.
Asked how he was getting along with Head Coach Jerry Glanville after a notable blow-up only 2 weeks ago, Aikman started giving a pat answer, then shook it off, and surprised everyone by stating “Let’s just say I spent a lot of that game calling my own plays. Jerry has a reputation as a gunslinger, but his offensive calls are so vanilla I don’t think we would have scored if I didn’t.” Stunned, the reporter stumbled a bit, before asking “So, Troy, do you see the two of you working this out over the offseason.”. Aikman was in no mood for diplomacy, despite the win, responding: “We will get along just fine, because one of us won’t be here any more.”.
It was one of those rare moments when you get actual honesty from a post-game interview. Rumors had been swirling that Aikman had complained to management and that he was prepared to demand a trade. Now it looks like something is going to have to give. Will Tampa Bay stick with Glanville and trade a clearly disgruntled star QB, or will the player win out and lead to the dismissal of a coach who helped Tampa Bay reach a title game only a year later? Stay tuned folks, this is going to get messy.
ORL 34 NJ 27
A calmer, but equally interesting match in the Meadowlands as Spence Fischer’s 3 TD day helped keep New Jersey in the game against playoff-bound Orlando. In the end, however, Scott Mitchell had enough to edge the Generals and move the ‘Gades to 10-6. Throwing scoring tosses to Emmanuel, HB Kantroy Barber and TE Dante Whitakker, Mitchell seems to be in good form heading into next week’s Wild Card.
ATL 7 PHI 34
The Stars also look ready for next week’s Wild Card round, roughing up the Atlanta Fire as they built a 34-0 lead before letting in a garbage time score for the road team. Charlie Garner and former Invader Glyn Milburn both got considerable carries and combined for 146 yards and 2 scores as the Stars finished the season 10-6 and held on to the 4th playoff spot, ensuring that they would host the Renegades next week.
DEN 21 OAK 14
Denver got their second win in a row to finish the year at 9-7, but they still looked pretty shaky as they faced off against an Invader club that had nothing to play for. Bobby Hebert played only 2 series before the Invaders put in Mike Pawlowski, but even with the young untested QB under center Denver could not pull away. Things are not boding well for the Gold as they head off to a road playoff game next week.
CHI 17 NOR 28
While Denver may not be looking great, at least they got the W. Chicago, who will host the Gold next week came out flat against the Breakers and fell down 14-0 early. They fought back but with 3 picks in the game from Van Pelt, and the Watters-Staley combo accounting for only 31 yards rushing, they did not look like a team primed for a deep playoff run.
BIR 34 PIT 19
Birmingham did what they needed as they locked up the #1 seed in the East with a solid win over the Mike Cherry-led Maulers. Stephen Davis rushed for 79 yards on 13 carries, Mike Alstott added another 42, and Brett Favre looked ready to roll, going 18 for 26 for 314 and 3 scores. In what might be his last game in Pittsburgh, Mike Rozier played only 1 quarter, carrying the ball 3 times for 5 yards before going off the field to a standing ovation. No official word yet, but with his first sub-1,000 yard season in his pro career, this may be the end for the future first ballot hall of famer.
JAX 31 WSH 28
Without knowing the score of the Stallions game, both Jacksonville and Washington had a lot to play for on Sunday. The Bulls got 329 and 3 scores from Chris Chandler while Washington relied on Barry Word’s 120 yards rushing as the two fought back and forth for the full 60. In the end, a late Pete Stoyanovich field goal put Jacksonville up by 10, and while Washington got a late Herman Moore TD, they were left with only seconds to play and needed an onside recovery that did not come.
MGN 20 STL 35
The Panthers had a shot at taking the division title, which would have led to an Outlaws-Panthers game in Pontiac in 2 weeks, but instead got upended by the Knights, leading to a Panthers-Outlaws game in San Antonio instead. Todd Collins connected with Amani Toomer and Emile Harry and Darrell Thompson scored twice on the ground to spoil the day for the visiting Panthers.
HOU 9 TEX 23
Texas players watched the scoreboard all game as Michigan fell to St. Louis, but they still clamped down on defense, limiting the Gamblers to only 2 third down conversions and 10 first downs in a dominating win. With Reggie Cobb resting a sore hip, it fell on Rodney Thomas, who responded with a 23 carry, 117 yard day to pace Texas to their best record in club history, 12-4.
ARZ 12 POR 14
With nothing to lose, and with Jack Trudeau nursing some major bruises, Portland went with Bill Musgrave at QB. The move got them the win over the punchless Wranglers but may have cost Robert Drummond a shot at a rushing title. The Wranglers kept 8, sometimes 9 men, in the box, and Drummond was limited to only 79 yards rushing. Portland finishes the year at a surprising 13-2-1 and now gets a well-earned bye before facing off against the Denver-Chicago winner.
LA 24 SEA 16
In what might be the last game for both Mike Nolan and Woody Widenhofer, both clubs looked ready for the season to be over. Antowain Smith looked like the only player giving 100% as he rushed for a 7.1 yard average, amassing 171 yards on 24 carries for the Express.
MEM 20 BAL 27
After last year’s dominant season, an 8-8 season is hardly something the Blitz are ready to brag about, but they finished the year with back to back wins, and can make some noise in free agency (assuming the league ever gets a deal in place to allow signings.) For Memphis, ending the season with 4 consecutive losses and losing their starting QB is likely to mark the end of Cam Cameron’s short stint as head coach. The former interim coach was given a shot this year, but did not seem to have what it took to motivate the Showboats offense or to garner the respect of a defense still sour about Buddy Ryan’s firing.
So the matchups are set, the seeds locked. Denver will travel to Chicago next week. Orlando will head to Philadelphia. The winners will prepare to face the two top seeds, a 13-2-1 Portland Thunder squad that no one predicted would make such a huge leap, and a Birmingham Stallions club that looks a lot like a more dangerous version of the 1993 club that blew through the playoffs to give the Magic City it’s first title.
We also know that in the divisional round we will get to watch Michigan face Texas for a 3rd time, as the Outlaws try to get their first win against the Panthers after 2 regular season defeats. In the East it will be a less-familiar matchup as the Jacksonville Bulls head to RFK to take on the Washington Federals. The two met this week and it was a great battle, and now they will face off again, with 2 weeks to rest, recover, and plan for a rematch. Expect even more fireworks when it is win or go home time in the divisional round.
Go to the Standings & League Leaders page for the seeds for this year's USFL Playoffs.
BLACK MONDAY
For all the excitement that playoff season brings, the end of the regular season also brings the annual pain of Black Monday, and this season was no exception. By Tuesday morning we had three firings and one mutual splitting, if reports can be believed. No real surprises, though clearly the win-now philosophy has taken hold in the USFL. Here are the four coaches now hitting the pavement in search of work.
Jim Mora (OAK): We knew this one was coming. The writing was on the wall for a while. It seems clear that the pairing of Mora with the Oakland Invaders was never a comfortable one. Mora’s conservative style, which had worked so well for him in Philadelphia, never really meshed with the Invaders’ hopes for a dynamic offense, and the defense never came together in Mora’s two seasons. Philosophical differences aside, Mora never had the control of personnel which he sought, and even his most talented player, QB Bobby Hebert, never seemed to be fully on board with the short passing game that Mora preferred. With a pedigree such as Mora’s we would not be shocked to see him rehired soon, but this time around he will need more influence on player acquisition and more buy in from both the squad and the front office.
Mike Nolan (LA): The interim coach after the firing earlier this year of Rick Neuheisel had about half a season to prove he deserved a shot to take on the position into the future, and quite frankly the Express did not see much change with Nolan replacing Neuheisel. So, when ownership told Nolan he would not be a candidate for the permanent position, it really did not come as much of a surprise. Expect LA to go with a coach that can bring some energy to the team, perhaps even some razzle dazzle to try to attract more fans to a club that has struggled to fill seats.
Cam Cameron (MEM): The former OC of the Showboats could not get the offense to work this year, and his extended interview over the season simply did not end well, with Cameron dismissed on Monday. The promise of a wide open passing game with Heath Shuler at the helm never materialized. The run game, led by Moe Williams was largely a no show, and to make matters worse, Cameron never got the respect of the defense after taking over for Buddy Ryan. It was a no-win situation for the offensive-minded Cameron, who now will likely look to another OC position and a chance to prove himself again.
Woody Widenhofer (SEA): A lot was expected of Seattle this year, at the very least a run at a Wild Card spot, though some had Seattle doing much more. The fact that they not only failed to improve on 1996’s 6-10 record, slipping back to only 4 wins this year, and all the while being harshly criticized for failing to effectively utilize rookie HB Corey Dillon, sunk Widenhofer. The Dragons are not where they wanted to be after 3 seasons in the league, and a new direction will have to try to hit the ground running to see if Seattle can make a leap out of the bottom half of the league.
AWARD FAVORITES
With the big record, Herschel Walker’s rushing title, preserved, only two major league records were broken this year. The first is the QBR record, which had belonged to Jim Kelly’s 1992 season at 130.2. It now belongs to Brett Favre, whose 132.5 will be the new standard and will almost certainly signal an MVP award for the Stallion gunslinger. Favre also finished the season with 4763 yards, only 13 behind Troy Aikman, and led the league with 48 TD’s, 13 more than Chuck Long’s 35 TD second place.
The second record was one we all watched for this week, Elbert Shelley’s 10th interception, gained at the expense of Houston’s Chuck Hartlieb. The unheralded safety had a season to remember, finishing the year with 7 picks in the season’s final 8 weeks, including two returned for scores. What had been a muddled field for Defensive POTY now has to go to Shelley, even with another near record season for Phil Hansen with 24 sacks. The fact that Texas won 12 games, while New Jersey won only 6 almost certainly will give Shelley the award.
The other major awards might also not be very close. We all expect Robert Drummond to be honored with the Offensive POTY for his pursuit of Walker’s rushing record. His 1,710 yards and 13 total TDs were both league leaders. Rookie of the Year may just be the tightest award as arguments can be made for Tiki Barber, who just missed 1,000 yards at 986, or for Chris Canty’s 6 Interception season for the Breakers, or perhaps Michael Booker’s 102 tackle rookie campaign.
If Rookie of the Year is not the closest race, that title may go for Coach of the Year, as the results obtained by Washington’s Paul Hackett, Texas’s Jack Pardee, and Birmingham’s Ron Erhardt are all impressive, but we have to expect that the surprising 13-win season from Portland, a perennial underachiever, has to give the award to Vince Tobin, who, in his 3rd season with the Thunder has proven to be his best as a head coach.
We look at our 4 Wild Card clubs this week to see how injuries might impact their chances in the play-in playoff games next week.
ORL: LB James Folston (Questionable)
Orlando has only 1 player listed on their injury report, which is a bit of a surprise considering the number of starters who have been playing in pain for a while. The lack of official recognition seems a bit deceiving here as Orlando may simply not want to report the reality of their late season roster’s dings, bangs, bruises, and bumps.
PHI: SS Marcus Quinn (Doubtful)
The Stars will certainly miss Quinn in the middle of the field, but his is the only injury for a club that looks to use a home field playoff game to regain some momentum.
DEN: No injuries reported.
Not only did Denver end the season on a positive note, winning their last 2 games, but they come into the playoffs healthy, with no players expected to be out due to injury.
CHI: FB Kimble Anders (Out), C Frank Winters (Probable)
The likely return of Winters should help with pass protection, while the absence of Anders is almost certainly going to make life more difficult for Ricky Watters and Duce Staley.
What do we see on the horizon for the first week of playoff action? Two hard to pick games really. Arguments could be made that any of these four clubs could be on their way to better things or on their way to a quick exit. Orlando is the most convincing of the four, having won their last 4 games to jump from 6-6 up to 10-6. But in Philadelphia they face a team with a tough defense and a potent passing game. In the West, we have Denver, who relied on one of the league’s toughest scoring defenses, going up against Chicago, whose defense was also pretty significant this year. Both games look pretty evenly matched, but it is our job to make picks, usually wrong picks, but we make them anyway.
PHI over ORL 24-20
We just trust more in Philadelphia’s offensive balance than in Orlando’s. Garner is a solid back who can create enough doubt for the defense that it allows Chuck Long to find open receivers. We like Scott Mitchell for Orlando, but he does not have as robust and diverse a supporting cast as Long can call on. Defensively Philadelphia is also a stronger club, giving up 63 fewer points this season than the Renegades. We are taking Philly.
CHI over DEN 27-21
We recognize that Denver won their last two, but those were games against weak teams, while Chicago rarely had a week off in the tough Central Division. Both clubs can run the ball. Brunell is clearly the better of the 2 QB’s but Chicago has the ability to spread the ball to a deeper receiving corps. The key factor may be the play of Leslie O’Neill, a huge playmaker for the Denver defense. If Chicago can keep him off the QB, they could well win the game, but if O’Neill finds routes to Van Pelt, Denver could easily end up on top. We expect that Marty Schottenheimer is well aware of this matchup and will find ways to protect his QB with the run, screens, draws, and play action. We are picking Chicago to win.
WHO DO YOU LIKE TO WIN IT ALL IN 1997?
Use the comment section to tell us who you think will make it all the way to Summer Bowl '97 and take home the title. Can either Portland or Birmingham run the table at home and take home the trophy? Can Texas make it to the Summer Bowl in their home stadium? Can a Wild Card like Orlando, Philly, Chicago or Denver get hot at the right time?
Make your picks and let's see who holds aloft the Bassett Trophy.
It’s Favre’s time