1997 USFL Week 3 Recap: So Much to See.

The Atlantic Division is getting chippy, the South is all about aerial assault, and Texas and St. Louis surprising some folks, but not in the same way as the USFL completes its third week of action. We had a clash of titans as the Maulers faced off against Pittsburgh, and a pure clinic put on by Stallions’ QB Brett Favre. Houston proved they still had some firepower behind them, and a nice rivalry game in Michigan as the Machine and Panthers squared off in a Central Division Clash. Let’s get to it with the big game in Baltimore.

Robbie Bosco is earning some believers with his play in Pittsburgh. A whopping 424 yards passing on 31 of 45 helped the Maulers upend the Blitz in Baltimore, keeping Pittsburgh undefeated while dropping the Blitz to a surprising 1-2. Bosco did throw two picks, but with touchdowns to Shaw, FB Nick Sualua, and rookie Derrick Mason, he did his part to earn the road win.

Baltimore was in this one the whole way, with Barry Foster rushing for 85 yards and Chris Miller throwing for 3 scores himself, but three picks also hindered the Blitz offense and put the defense in the rough position of having to defend a short field. The Maulers scored 17 points off of turnovers, and that was more than the margin of the game.

Tied at 21 after 3 quarters, Pittsburgh took an initial 4th quarter lead when Bosco found Mason on a rub route that left the corner 2 steps behind and Mason able to find paydirt. Baltimore was able to respond with a Miller TD toss to Alexander Wright, but Pittsburgh had over 2 minutes left, and they milked the clock as they drove down into field goal range. The winning score was actually a pretty safe play that should not have led to 6, as Bosco dumped down to his fullback, Sualua, on a 2nd and 3 from the 33, but great blocks out in front by WR Raynard Brown and TE Mike Shaw sprung Sualua, who rumbled all the way to the endzone for what would be the winning score.

Pittsburgh now stands with Philadelphia at 3-0 atop the Atlantic, while Baltimore finds itself 2-games back and tied for 4th in the division. What is even worse is that in 3 games the Blitz D, viewed as the core of the team, is giving up an average of 26.7 points and 392 yards per game. That has to change if these Blitz are going to live up to expectations this year. The Maulers are showing they have some offensive skill, averaging 449 yards per game (1st in the league) after 3 weeks, with Robbie Bosco leading the league in passing yards, something no one could have predicted.

OAK 21 POR 24

We start our scoreboard roundup out west, where the Invaders scored 14 in the 4th to make this one closer than it initially seemed. Robert Drummond was unstoppable, rushing for 178 on 32 carries as the Thunder relied on the ground game, but two late scores made this one close as Bobby Hebert hit Johnnie Morton to bring Oakland within 3 at the 2-minute warning. But, with that run game Portland simply never gave Oakland another shot, and with the win moved to 2-1.

DEN 44 LA 0

This one was ugly early and never got any better. All 3 Denver QB’s got to see action as Mark Brunell threw for 3 scores and then took a well-deserved break midway into the 3rd and up 34-0. Jeff Garcia did not make a strong case to remain the LA starter, throwing 4 picks and scoring a QBR of only 32.3 on the day.

ARZ 24 SEA 27

Arizona looked good for 3 quarters, holding a 24-14 lead thanks to 149 yards rushing from Tim Lester, but in the 4th, Jon Kitna, playing for the dinged up Timm Rosenbach, found his groove and led Seattle to 3 scoring drives, including a TD pass to Robert Claiborne and a late Mike Hollis FG for the win.

NOR 17 TEX 23

Texas held off the Breakers and moved to 3-0 thanks to solid games from Stouffer and Cobb. The defense was the key for Texas as they sacked Jamie Martin a painful 9 times, including 2 from LB Levon Kirkland and 2 from Brian Bosworth, not known as a pass rusher. The Outlaws’ multiple blitz packages were just too much for the shellshocked Breaker line.

HOU 41 STL 27

The much-heralded Knights defense was nowhere to be seen as Houston QB Chuck Hartlieb threw for 3 scores, despite completing only 48% of his throws. Add in TDs from Mario Greer and the always dangerous Thurman Thomas, and Houston ran away with this one. Houston’s new slot receiver, Willie Jackson proved that he could take up for the loss of free agent Ricky Proehl, catching 4 balls for 151 yards, including a back-breaking 69 yard TD for the Gamblers.

CHI 29 MGN 24

The Central Division is going to be a dogfight all year if this game is any indication. The two clubs swapped scores all day as Ricky Watters rushed for 117 and a score while Doug Flutie threw for 3 touchdowns, including 2 to wideout Jeff Campbell. It came down to an onside kick at the end, as Michigan tried to double up on late scores, but rookie back Duce Staley was there on the hands team for Chicago and pounced on the ball to preserve the win for the visitors.

TBY 27 JAX 19

Another big day for the running backs in the USFL, and Errict Rhett certainly cashed in with 143 yards on 23 carries. Add in 3 touchdowns from Aikman, and the Bandits come away with a big win in a Florida showdown. Jacksonville got a big day from Brian Blades (152 yards and a score) but neither Natrone Means or Kenny Bynum could get anything going on the ground as Jacksonville falls from the ranks of the undefeated.

MEM 27 BIR 35

Over 56,000 were on hand in Legion Field, including a sizeable Showboat entourage, as the Boats battled the Stallions. Brett Favre put on a show for the crowd as well, throwing for 353 yards and 5 scores to lead the home team. But it was not all Favre’s arm. The combo of HB Stephen Davis and FB Mike Alstott had plenty of success as well, combining for 144 yards on only 22 carries. Memphis stayed in it thanks to 3 touchdown tosses from Heath Shuler, but were down 15 in the waning minutes and a late Joe Horn TD was not enough as they needed a second.

ORL 14 ATL 17

Coach Lewis may have found something in Atlanta. The defense played exceptionally well against Orlando, allowing only 3 third down conversions, and the combo of Tiki Barber and Blair Thomas had some success, with the two rushing the ball 33 times to keep pressure off of Cliff Stoudt. Stoudt responded, hitting Ernie Jones and Terrance Mathis with touchdowns as Atlanta pulled off the home upset of Orlando.

WSH 31 OHI 14

Kordell Stewart played a conservative but effective game, throwing for 2 scores with no picks, and the Federals got a huge pick-six from linebacker Michael Barrow to pull past Ohio and secure a win. Ohio QB Jeff Hostetler struggled, throwing 3 picks and getting sacked 4 times by the Federal pass rush. With Washington not turning the ball over all game, those three takeaways from Hoss were huge in the Washington win.

PHI 16 NJ 13

It took until the 4th quarter of their 3rd game, but the New Jersey Generals finally scored a touchdown. A 27 yard Bam Morris run actually put the Generals on top 13-9 at the halfway point of the 4th, but could not hold the lead as Charlie Garner scored just before the 2-minute warning to earn the W for the visiting Stars. With Maddox out for the game, and Rob Johnson going down early, it was little-used third stringer Spence Fischer who actually led the Generals to their first 6-pointer of the season. Bam Morris rushed for 125 as the Generals relied heavily on the run, but in the end the Stars were just good enough to pull it out.

Tampa's Troy Aikman is just one of many big time QBs in the Southern Division.

Go Deep South: If aerial assaults are your thing, head to the USFL Southern Division, the 3 top rated QB’s in the league (Favre, Aikman and Stoudt) all reside in the Southern Division, with Favre also leading the league with 10 passing TDs after his 5-score week against Memphis. And this is not to say that Orlando, Jacksonville, or Memphis don’t have passing attacks either. Heath Shuler has thrown for over 880 yards in Memphis, and Jacksonville has 2 receivers in the Top 5 in yards (Brian Blades and Terrell Owens.) It comes at a cost to running backs, with the South being the only division without a back in the Top 10 for rush yards (Errict Rhett is 12th in the league and the top rusher in the division). But, if you like the deep ball you can watch Favre and Shuler air it out, for controlled high-efficiency passing, check out Cliff Stoudt in Atlanta, who is completing a ridiculous 78.2% of his passes. The South has a bit of everything for fans of the passing game.

RUNNING WILD: We cannot get over some of the big games had by running backs this year. In a league known for passing, we have seen some explosions out of the running game. Whether it was Charlie Garner’s Week 2 game (139 on 17 attempts), Kenny Bynum’s unexpected 155-yard day, Blair Thomas coming out of nowhere to gain 110 in Week 2, or Errict Rhett’s 143 this week, we are seeing big games from unexpected players pretty much every week. It seems just a question of time before we see a 200-yard day in one of these games. It is just a question of who and when. We still may be a ways away from Joe Cribbs’s record 262 yards in a game against Memphis in 1986, but a 200-yarder may be on the way.

Cribbs holds the mark with 262 yards in one game.

RECORDS TO WATCH: Speaking of single game records, here are a few to keep in mind as USFL offenses seem to be in midseason form already. Aside from the Cribbs single-game rushing record, we have Jackie Flowers’s record 229 receiving yards from 1986, Trumaine Johnson’s record 15 receptions in a game against Birmingham from 1993, Mike Rozier’s 34 carries against New Jersey in ’92, and Troy Aikman’s 1994 record 68 pass attempts in a single game. On defense, the records we keep an eye on are Lester Lyles’s 4 interception game from 1991, Phil Hansen’s 5-sack game against Michigan, also from ’91, and John Corker’s longstanding record for tackles, set at 18 in one game back in ’87. And, just in case you are a fan of special teams, the record for most fieldgoals in a game is 6, set by Brian Speelman of Denver back in 1983. The longest field goal? That would be David Trout’s 60 yarder in his final season with Philly, 1994.

As if things were not rough enough for Coach Knox and the Generals, it looks like they are going to have to get inventive at QB as Rob Johnson is now expected to miss up to 4 weeks, to go along with Tommy Maddox, who is still listed as questionable. New Jersey will have to give the start to the untested Spence Fisher, and have called up rookie Todd Bouman from the practice squad. Maddox could conceivably return to action in another week, so this may be a short term issue, but certainly not what New Jersey needs as they try to shake off an 0-3 start.

Several more players join the 3-6 week recovery path, including Houston CB Reggie Sutton (collarbone), Seattle QB Timm Rosenbach (shoulder), Atlanta TE Frank Wycheck, and Pittsburgh FS Alton Montgomery. LA, who has not looked good in their 0-3 start, will be without rookie HB Antowain Smith 1-2 weeks due to a fracture suffered in this week’s game, while St. Louis receiver Amani Toomer could also miss 2 weeks with swelling in his knee, believed to be an issue with his meniscus. Denver will be without WR Mark Carrier (doubtful) this week, and Texas will have to get by without both HB Rodney Thomas and LB garth Jax.

As we wait for news out of the league owners’ meeting, we pause to take a look at a huge point of intrigue this season. While the USFL is all about the present, with all 24 clubs doing what they can to qualify for the 1997 playoffs, we cannot help but wonder what folks in the front office are thinking about the prospect of not one, but two franchise QB’s coming out in the 1998 draft.

Whether you prefer the cerebral play of Tennessee’s Peyton Manning or the gunslinger mentality and big arm of Washington State’s Ryan Leaf, it is undeniable that the 1998 draft will provide some lucky USFL or NFL teams a chance to sign a QB who could lead them to glory for a decade. Not since the 1983 draft where we saw Elway, Kelly, Marino and 3 other quarterbacks selected in both USFL and NFL drafts have we had this much hype for potential draft picks. Of course, now, certainly more than in 1983, these two QB’s have options. They can do, as Elway did, and play teams against each other to try to end up in the best possible situation, but they can also pit the two leagues against each other, using each as leverage against the other. It is something of an unprecedented situation where these young superstars have more leverage than ever before. But just where could they end up if they end up in the USFL? We are going to put our fortune teller hats on and take a look at the most likely landing spots for both Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf, working from the premise that one or both end up in the USFL rather than the fall league.

PEYTON MANNING: A heady QB who makes reads both pre-snap and on the fly, has a solid arm and great football IQ. He is seen as the next potential Joe Montana. Cool under pressure, analytical in his approach, and with enough physical skills to get the ball where it needs to be on time and in a spot the receiver can use. So, where are the best fits for this Tennessee Volunteer?

PHILADELPHIA STARS: Chuck Long is a fine QB, but hardly an icon, and he is not getting any younger. Signing Manning would be a coup for the Stars and with a club built on solid defense, Manning would have a relatively easy transition to pro ball. But, by all accounts Philadelphia will is expected to be drafting at or near the bottom of the first round, so unless a major trade allows them to leap past many more contenders, this is a longshot at best.

ATLANTA FIRE: Yes, the Fire invested in UGA product Eric Zeier only 3 years ago, but Zeier has been having trouble adjusting to the pro game or getting past grey-haired vet Cliff Stoudt. It is entirely possible that the Fire will cut their losses, trade Zeier to one of the other QB-needy clubs, and swing for the fences with Manning. It would be a huge boost to the Atlanta fanbase, a big enough market for Manning to cash in on national advertising contracts, and a club that very well could be positioned for the first pick in the draft.

NEW JERSEY GENERALS: The ideal scenario for the league as a whole, desperate for the NY area franchise to revive its lagging attendance and national appeal, this placement would not only be a boon for the Generals, but for Manning as well, giving him the option of becoming one of the most marketed football players in the country. A true win-win if the league and the Generals can make it happen.

RYAN LEAF: Less polished than Manning but with a cannon for an arm and a gunslinger’s mentality, Leaf is the QB for a team and a coach that is looking for a higher risk, higher reward scenario. Leaf will produce “big play” football, always exciting for the fans, but also unpredictable. More Favre or Kelly than Aikman or Montana, having Leaf under center will put butts in seats but will he put rings on teammates fingers?

Where would he best fit in, with more adventurous teams, of course.

SEATTLE DRAGONS OR PORTLAND THUNDER: Either club in American’s Great Northwest would love to have a big-name player to market and to draw attention to a region that tends to get ignored in the bigger national consciousness. With Jack Trudeau reaching the end of his career in Portland, and with Seattle still very much unsettled at QB, the time is right for either club to make a play for Leaf, but is this a market that would be attractive to him? Would he choose either over going to an NFL club like the Giants, Cowboys, Dolphins, or Raiders?

HOUSTON GAMBLERS: If the Gamblers are looking to find the next Jim Kelly, Leaf seems the closest analogue we have seen since Brett Favre arrived on the scene. Huge arm strength and no fear of trying to squeeze the ball in. Leaf could remind Gambler Nation of a young Kelly right off the bat. Houston is not expected to be in a top draft position, so this might require some trading to get into position, but that is certainly not out of the realm of the possible.

LA EXPRESS: If the USFL bigwigs want Peyton Manning in their NY market, they would almost certainly love to have Leaf in Los Angeles. Again, the marketing potential is huge, the chance to bring some life to a notoriously hard market for the league, and to sell national NY vs. LA games on a regular basis. LA certainly provides the cache that Leaf might want if he is interested in getting those outside dollars, and why would he not want that? If the USFL were able to pull off the double down and lock in Manning-Leaf, NY-LA battles for a generation, it might be the biggest coup in league history.

Yes, we realize that just drafting either QB at #1 or #2 is risky, trading to get to that lofty draft position is even riskier, as there is absolutely no guarantee that at club would not trade away the farm only to have their QB pick sign with the NFL. That is a major factor in the calculus, and the main reason why we hesitate to see a club like Philadelphia, Houston or Portland leveraging the club to get to #1. The thing is, even without trades the odds that either New Jersey or Los Angeles will end up with the #1 pick is pretty decent. The perfect market could just be there waiting for the QB of their dreams, perfect for the club, the player and the league. We won’t know, of course, until the USFL season ends and the draft order is chosen. We may not really know until December, when the NFL season ends and their draft order is also set. That will make for some tense months for both leagues, and all because we have 2 college ballplayers who look like can’t miss superstars waiting to emerge.

Week 4 flips the script with the Western Conference playing divisional matches while the East plays across divisions. Look for sparks in the very tight Central Division as all these games are essential. Chicago is in Michigan, where the Panthers hope to even both clubs’ records at 2-2 with a win. Michigan and New Orleans are a similar battle of a 2-1 club with a 1-2 club, while St. Louis, surprisingly stuck at 0-3 is visiting equally surprising 3-0 Texas in a game they simply have to win to have any chance at climbing back into the race.

In the Pacific Division we have a battle of 0-3 clubs desperate for a win as LA is in Oakland for a Highway 1 Derby. In Seattle it’s the Northwest Border War as Portland heads to Husky Stadium to face the Dragons, and in Denver, the 0-3 Wrangler have a tough draw as they face the 3-0 Gold at Mile High.

In the Eastern Conference, the big passing attacks of the Southern Division face off against the stout defenses of the Atlantic, with the headline game being Pittsburgh at Orlando. Phliadelphia is in Memphis as they try to stay unbeaten, while Washington faces off against Tampa Bay. Ohio will be in Jacksonville, New Jersey, still seeking their first win, has a tough one against Brett Favre and the Stallions in Birmingham, and Baltimore, trying to get back to .500, is in Atlanta, who have won 2 in a row.