With labor concerns and their real potential impact for the USFL at the forefront of league news, it is hard to concentrate on the games at hand, but this week gave us some good ones. We had a classic Keystone Clash between the Stars and Maulers, another key divisional win for the Federals over the surprisingly slow-starting Blitz, a statement game from the Birmingham Stallions, and a nail biter between the Bulls and Renegades, and that is just in one conference. Out west we had fewer close games, but we did get St. Louis’s first win of the year (in a pretty ugly, hard to enjoy 10-0 game), a big road win for the Gold, and Texas retaining their status as the league’s only undefeated team. A lot to break down, so let’s get to it.
Over the past decade and change the Keystone Clash between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh has provided us with some of the best rivalry football in the league. Sure, Philly also has a rivalry with New Jersey, and Pittsburgh fans also like to razz their neighbors from Ohio, but this in-state game has always held just that little extra edge of familiarity breeding contempt. This season is clearly no exception as both clubs raced out to 3-0 records and it seemed clear that the two team’s from the Keystone State would be battling over the Atlantic Division this year.
This week’s game, held in Three Rivers Stadium brought out a healthy crowd of just over 41,000 fans on a windy, but warm Saturday night. It would be a battle of the league’s passing yardage leader, Robbie Bosco of Pittsburgh, and one of the league’s best play action passers in Chuck Long. It also featured quality at the HB position, in the receiving corps for both clubs, and two solid defenses. So it is no surprise that the game not only went down to the wire, but also went to an extra period before it was decided.
Philadelphia started strong, scoring on a Charlie Garner 6-yard reception after the Maulers had opened the game with a field goal. Garner’s TD would be the lone 6-pointer of the first half as both defenses limited opportunities for the opposition. At the half, the game would be a very tense 10-3 in favor of the visiting Stars. This was increased to 13-3 after Chip Lohmiller capped off Philly’s 2nd half opening drive.
Pittsburgh responded with a long drive of their own. Thirteen plays and 5 minutes later, Mike Rozier, the ageless wonder, ran off the right side for 4 yards to pull the Maulers back to within 3 at 13-10. Philadelphia answered with a score of their own, with Long hitting TE Eric Green on a huge play as the Mauler safeties were badly out of position on a play action play, leading Green to a 61-yard score. Pittsburgh would end the 3rd quarter with a field goal and the Stars took a 20-13 lead into the final period.
The Stars grew their advantage to 14 points after Long found his other receiving TE, Marcus Pollard on a short scoring toss. With just over 13 minutes left to play, Pittsburgh needed to get serious. They started by quickly moving the ball down the field against Philadelphia’s 2-deep zone. When Bosco hit Louis Lipps for a 13-yard scoring toss, the Maulers were back within one score. They would get a chance to get that score thanks to their defense. On a 3rd and 6 the Stars went for a seam play over the middle, but this time safety Jay Bellamy was in position, stepping in front of Pollard and snatching the ball for the Maulers. Pittsburgh would waste no time evening the score, with Bosco finding Shaw for the game tying touchdown only 4 plays later.
Philadelphia was unable to get the ball into field goal range for Lohmiller, so the game headed to overtime. The Maulers won the toss, and all the momentum was theirs as they drove down the field. A 6-point score would end the game, and that is exactly what the Maulers got when Dorsey Levins broke free from an initial bottleneck at the line, and raced 7 yards for the game winning score. The win snapped a 2-game losing streak for the Maulers and evened up both PA squads (along with the surging Federals) at 4-2 atop the contentious Atlantic Division.
BAL 14 WSH 20
Washington finds a spot among the Atlantic Division leaders with a home victory over the surprisingly 2-4 Baltimore Blitz. Kordell Stewart threw for 234 and a key TD to Bill Schroeder as the Federals blitzed Baltimore, going up 20-0 at the half before the visitors made it a game in the second half.
NJ 30 OHI 16
Spence Fischer’s improbable Cinderella story continues as the former Duke Blue Devil goes 23 for 28 for 202 yards and a TD. He got a huge assist from Bam Morris, who se 138 yards rushing was a career high. Ohio struggled against the front 7 of the Generals, with Eddie George still disappointing Glory fans with only 20 yards on 13 carries.
ATL 20 MEM 27
Atlanta came close but could not pull off the road upset of Memphis, as Heath Shuler threw for 233 and 3 scores to lead the Showboats. Tiki Barber was the star for Atlanta with 106 yards on 13 carries as the Fire got within 4 after 3 quarters but could get no closer.
BIR 48 TBY 19
The Stallions rolled their way to 4-2 and a share of first with a balanced attack. Brett Favre went 13 of 20 for only 265 but hit on 4 TD passes, while Mike Alstott and Stephen Davis combined for 125, with the big fullback adding two short TD runs to boot. Troy Aikman struggled all day behind a reshuffled line, getting sacked 7 times, including twice by Stallion DE John Copeland.
JAX 23 ORL 24
The Bulls and Renegades also join the 4-2 club in the South, as Orlando gets the 1-point victory thanks to a last second Charlie Baumann field goal. Scott Mitchell threw for 2 scores, as did Chris Chandler in this nip & tuck battle in the Citrus Bowl.
ARZ 14 MGN 34
Arizona remains winless as the Panthers pick off Jake Plummer 3 times and the combination of Doug Flutie and Jeff Lewis rack up 5 TD passes. Flutie suffered a turf-related injury to his foot, which took him out of the game (and could cost him a week or two) but Lewis came in and played like a savvy vet, completing 14 of 18 and adding 3 scoring plays to help Michigan to the big win.
DEN 31 NOR 20
Denver got back on track and upended the Breakers, thanks to a 20-carry, 110-yard day from HB Rashaan Salaam. Mark Brunell also looked sharp against the Breaker D, completing 34 of 41 passes for 326 yards and 2 scores as the Gold reasserted their claim on the Pacific Division lead.
LA 0 STL 10
In an ugly game all around, St. Louis held the shut out, a rarity in the USFL, and got just enough from Todd Collins to pull out their first win of the season. LA was held to only 208 total yards, including a paltry 23 yards rushing by the suddenly awakened Knights defense.
OAK 21 TEX 38
The undefeated Outlaws scored early and often against the Invaders, with Quinn Early and Reggie Cobb contributing 1st quarter TDs to build a 14-0 lead that Texas would never relinquish. Cobb finished the game as the MVP with 25 carries for 168 yards and 2 scores. The Texas D also found a way to shut down Bobby Hebert, with his top receiver, Ellard, catching only 3 balls for 14 yards.
POR 20 CHI 27
Chicago moved their mark to 4-2 and dropped Portland to the same record with a 4th quarter TD from Van Pelt to Calvin Williams. Van Pelt would finish with 287 yards and 3 TDs despite being sacked 5 times by the aggressive Thunder D. Ricky Waters would add 77 yards rushing to help pace the Machine, while Robert Drummond’s 112 were not enough for the Thunder to get the road win.
SEA 13 HOU 16
Seattle nearly pulled off the upset, but a TD overturned as offensive pass interference against Robert Claiborne left them 3 points short of the Gamblers in the AstroDome. Houston struggled without QB Chuck Hartlieb, as both rookie Chase Clements and backup Perry Klien failed to reach 40% completion rate on the day. Meanwhile, Jon Kitna was knocked out of the game, leading Seattle to call on Damon Huard, who looked a bit rusty, going 11 of 31.
UNSUNG STORY #1: This week we are focusing on the players and stories that have been flying under the radar and deserve a bit of spotlight. We start in Jacksonville, where the 4-2 Bulls have been getting strong performances week in and week out from their dynamic duo at receiver. Both Brian Blades and Terrell Owens are among the Top 5 in receiving yards, with Blades leading the league this week with 602 yards and Owens just barely behind with 562. The key with both is big plays, as neither one is in the top 20 in receptions (35 and 32 respectively, well behind league leader Jeff Campbell’s 45). Chris Chandler has been working the play action game with Natrone Means and Kenny Bynum drawing in safeties, and that has proven effective as both Blades and Owens can muscle out corners and win those 50/50 balls on the edges. We have never had 2 players from the same team finish in the Top 5 in receiving yards before, though the Michigan Panthers came close on a couple of occasions with their combo of Anthony Carter and Dereck Holloway back in the day. Could the Bulls keep up this pace and make it a first? We shall see.
UNSUNG STORY #2: The last couple of years we have not had much to say about HB Reggie Cobb in Texas. The club has floundered and their lead back has been hampered by both injuries and inconsistency, but that is not the case this year. The Outlaws are undefeated and their bruising back is a big reason why. Cobb is among the league leaders with 540 yards, a respectable 4.5 per carry, and he is leading the league with 7 rushing TDs. Add on an 8th through the air, and he is among the leading scorers in the league. And he is doing this without a major threat in the passing game to loosen up defenses. Kelly Stouffer’s numbers are not by any means stellar. He is 19th among USFL QB’s with only 1,182 yards passing, and the top rated Texas receiver is Quinn Early, with 40 receptions but only a 12.2 YPC average. Yes, Texas is winning with defense (that sounds so odd to say), but they are also shortening games by giving Cobb a huge share of carries. Cobb has toted the rock 117 times, an even 100 more than the 2nd place back in San Antonio, Detron Smith, with only 17 carries. Seems pretty clear, if you want to stop Texas, you start by stopping Reggie Cobb.
UNSUNG STORY #3: OK, to the defensive side. We get a lot of praise for sack leader Phil Hansen, and deservedly so, and CB’s often get some love for their interceptions, but there are some defensive stats, and the men who lead them, that don’t get enough love. The first of these is Tackles for Loss, which is a nice way of saying running plays stuffed behind the line. Arizona’s Broderick Thomas has always been a beast in this area, and despite the Wranglers having a rough 0-6 start, he is still a threat to quash any running play, with 15 TFLs leading the league. Passes Defended is another deceiving stats. Not as flashy as interceptions, but often just as vital to a defense, and here we find Old Man Rivers, Michigan’s Garland Rivers once again atop the list. Rivers has never been much for picks, but he will break up passes with the best of them, and this year his 15 PDs again lead the league, one more than Oakland’s Bobby Taylor.
And finally, we look at Catches to Attempts, essentially how many catches were made against a defensive back compared to how many balls thrown his way. That can be a tricky stat because offenses will often throw at a corner they view as inferior rather than challenging the top shut down option on a defense. But when you get a CTA of below 50%, that picked-on corner is showing up big time. The best CTA among starters belongs to Denver’s Jamel Williams, who has been thrown at 54 times but only allowed 24 receptions. That is outstanding. Compare that, for example to one of the more touted CB’s in the league, Oakland’s Aeneas Williams, who has allowed 49 receptions to 62 attempts and you see how much more effective Williams has been. Anthony Tuggle may get more press in the Mile High City, again due to interception rate, but Williams is doing yeoman’s work on the opposite side.
UNSUNG STORY #4: Let’s be honest, we don’t spend much time talking about punters, and we all agree that is OK, but we should at least recognize when we have guys doing their jobs at the peak of their position. We have 2 punters this season who are doing all their coaches could ask for and more. Jacksonville’s Chris Mohr is not only leading the league in punt average at 48.5 yards per kick, but has placed 11 of 31 kicks within the 20, a strong number to be sure. It would be even more impressive if he was not competing with Orlando’s Mitch Berger, whose 47.9 average is second in the league but who has placed 17 of 33 kicks inside the 20, a stellar 51% rate. That helps the Orlando D, and gives the Orlando offense some good field position. Both kickers are making life easier for their offensive and defensive squads, and that has helped both clubs reach 4-2 and a share of first in their division. So, while you may never make the cover of Wheaties, Mitch and Chris, you have our respect, well, as much as we can afford a punter.
We are getting to that part of the season where injuries start to mount up and team’s fortunes begin to get negatively affected. Several QB’s went out this week, though most are expected to be back within a week or two. Among those knocked out of games this week we have Chicago’s Dan McGwire (ankle), Michigan’s Doug Flutie (turf toe), Seattle’s Jon Kitna (shoulder), and Houston’s Chuck Hartlieb (knee).
Quarterbacks were not the only to suffer injuries, as several players could miss as much as a month of action, not the least of these being Denver All-USFL LB Kurt Gouveia, who broke 2 ribs this week and will likely miss 2-4 weeks. Houston CB Reggie Sutton broke his collarbone, as did Pittsburgh C Bryan Stoltenberg. Seattle could be without HB Derick Loville for 1-2 weeks with a sprain to his right knee, while the condition of their study DE Jim Reynosa is week to week with a hamstring. Reggie White also has hamstring issues and is listed as Doubtful for Memphis. Houston DT Luther Ellis is also doubtful with knee issues, and Tampa could be without WR Robert Brooks this week, after he dislocated two fingers on an awkward landing on Sunday.
They say no news is good news, but in the case of the USFL owners vs. the USFLPA that may not be true. Despite ongoing meetings over the past two weeks, the two sides appear to be at an impasse over how the newly approved 6-division, 14-game format will impact player salaries. The USFLPA is hoping to retain all current contracts at their full value, but a strong cadre of owners is hoping to see a reduction in salaries to match the 1/8 reduction in regular season games. Complicating things even more are efforts by the USFLPA to build in changes to the league’s salary cap and exempt player system, hoping to provide more opportunities for players to be held outside the salary cap, while owners are looking to keep the topic firmly set on the salary structure for a shorter season.
All the labor tension, while not impacting games, is certainly impacting perceptions of the league. If this remains unresolved going into the offseason, it may be a hard sell to get top rookies, and some free agents, to sign with the spring league, a prospect the NFL has to be ecstatic about. It was, after all, an NFL players strike back in the 80’s which really amped up the USFL’s signings of NFL talent and helped the spring league obtain a foothold in the market and a true “rival league” status. Now, with the USFL embroiled in its first true labor dispute, it is the NFL that looks to profit from the chaos.
Among players expected to be impacted by the ongoing discord between the union and ownership are those veterans whose contracts expire at the end of the season. With no agreement on salary structure, it is nearly impossible for clubs to resign their top talent, which could lead to a much higher free agency number than we have seen in recent years, and far greater potential for top talent to leap over to the NFL. Among those looking at free agency this August we find some really pivotal players on almost every team, players like:
ARZ-LB Bill Romanowski
ATL-QB Cliff Stoudt
BAL-DT William Perry, HB Barry Foster, WR Bill Brooks
BIR-LB Kevin Greene, WR Ernest Givens, DE John Copeland
CHI-CB eric Thomas, TE Wessley Walls, QB Dan McGwire
DEN-LB Kurt Gouveia, WR Odessa Turner
HOU-T Howard Ballard, HB Thurman Thomas, DE Michael Sinclair, WR Brett Perriman
JAX-LB Vaughan Johnson, LB Jesse Armstead
LA-LB Donta Jones
MEM-DE Reggie White, T Bruce Wilkerson
MGN-QB Doug Flutie, TE Butch Rolle
NJ-HB Bam Morris, LB Dino Hacket
NOR-T Troy Auzene, QR Qadry Ismail
OAK-DT Tony Siragusa, WR Ed McCaffrey
OHI-LB John Offerdahl, QB Jeff Hostetler
ORL-WR Bert Emmanuel, DT Tracy Rocker
PHI-DT Leon Lett, QB Chuck Long, DE William Fuller
PIT-DT Dan Saleamua, LB Demetrius Dubose, WR Louis Lipps
POR-T Bruce Armstrong, FS Vencie Glenn
SEA-DE Jim Reynosa
STL-FB Ironhead Hayward, CB Troy Vincent, DE Tony Tolbert
TBY-DT Rollin Putzier, DE Fred Stokes, WR Shannon Baker
TEX-LB Brian Bosworth, WR Lawyer Tillman
WSH-DE Dexter Manley, LB Michael Barrow
Any prolonged impasse between the union and the owners could lead to a significant windfall for the NFL, which could scoop up a good number of these players with almost no risk of the USFL signing any NFL talent. Even if the standoff does not extend into the late Fall and the second transfer window, the potential losses during the first transfer window, as well as the inability for clubs to restructure contracts and keep top talent from turning into free agents, could be a major blow to the league. So, basically the USFL and USFLPA have about 10 weeks to get this settled before the contracts of most of these players end and the free agent pool is flooded with talent.
Divisional play highlights week 7 around the league, with a lot of teams trying to create space for themselves. We start in the Pacific where 5-1 Denver heads up to Seattle hoping to pull away from the Portland Thunder, who host the Express this weekend. Arizona will again try for its first win of the season as they head to Oakland to take on the Invaders.
In the Central the big game is undefeated Texas hosting 5-1 Michigan. The Panthers may have to rely on Jeff Lewis again as Flutie does not appear able to go after suffering a turf toe injury this week. Chicago is in St. Louis and if the Knights have any hope of building back to relevance they need this game. Houston and New Orleans face off in a battle of 2-4 clubs that are desperate to get a 3rd win.
In the South, we have a cluster of 4-2 clubs, which makes for good matchups this week. Orlando is in Birmingham in the only clash of teams atop the division, while Jacksonville travels to 3-3 Atlanta and the Bandits hope to get a win out of their game against Memphis in the Liberty Bowl.
Finally, in the Atlantic, the 3-way tie atop the division will depend on each 4-2 club getting a win against an opponent they should beat. Pittsburgh has the easiest matchup, hosting 1-5 Ohio, while Philadelphia hosts Baltimore and Washington must hope they can slow down the suddenly dangerous New Jersey Generals.