Another week of fruitless talks between the USFL ownership and the USFLPA and another week of intriguing games from players who simply do not know what the future will hold. We had a slugfest between the Gold and the Maulers, a close call for the Outlaws, a pretty significant upset in Birmingham, an actual tie game between two division leaders, and the possible signalling that St. Louis is not out of this season quite yet. A lot to get to in a busy week of inter-conference play.
We had a feeling that some of this week’s interconference games would be heated affairs, and we were not wrong. There were several really interesting matchups, and of those the game between the Gold and the Maulers was perhaps the best. After all it did come down to the last 6 seconds to be decided, and it had some moments to remember along the way.
The first of these was only 6 minutes into the game when a well-executed fake to HB Mike Rozier, drew in the Gold linebackers and allowed veteran TE Mike Shaw to find himself in wide open space. It was a play we have seen the Maulers run for what seems like forever, and it worked to perfection. Shaw had 10 yards between himself and a defender so when Robbie Bosco found him with the ball, it was an easy TD.
Denver, sticking to their usual ball control offense, did not panic, and only 5 minutes later a long 9-play drive ended with Brunell finding Odessa Turner on a fade route to the corner of the endzone. All tied up at 7-7 after one period, the second would remain close. Pittsburgh would manage only two field goals in the second quarter, while Denver would take a 1-point lead on a second TD from Brunell to Turner. The combo was solid all day, with Turner finishing with 6 receptions for 65 yards. Brunell would hit 9 different receivers on the day, a diverse attack that would keep Pittsburgh on their toes. It helped that between starter Rashaan Salaam (94) and backup Terry Battle (70) the Gold racked up 164 yards on the ground.
For their part, Pittsburgh focused on the passing attack. In addition to Shaw’s early TD, Robbie Boscoe relied heavily on 2 of his 3 wideouts. Denver blanketed Louis Lipps, but Bosco found both Raynard Brown and Derick Mason frequently. Brown would finish the day with 134 yards on 7 receptions to lead all receivers.
Down 1 at the half, Pittsburgh would regain the lead on their first possession of the second half. Dorsey Levins, subbing for an aching Rozier, pounded the ball in from 2 yards out to give the Maulers a 19-13 lead. They tried for 2, but the ball glanced off of TE Mike Shaw’s hands and was ruled incomplete. After trading field goals to reach 22-17, Denver got it’s only really big play of the day, a 23-yard scoring strike from Brunell to Carrier. With Turner now facing frequent double coverage, the Gold had lined up Carrier on the inside, with Willie Gillespie outside of him. The combo route gave Carrier a step on the defender and the corner route worked to perfection. The Gold now led by 3.
But, with 7:52 left to play, the game was far from over. Once again Bosco relied on his short passing game, finding Mason, then Shaw, and finally Freddie Scott to get the Maulers in field goal range. With 2:47 left to play, the Septien kick evened the score, but left way too much time on the clock for Denver to use. The Gold did not rush their final drive, milking the clock down to the final 6 seconds before using their last time out and trotting out Jeff Wilkens for a final kick. Knowing they would head to overtime if he missed, Wilkens lined up for the 52-yard kick and seemed to show no pressure. The ball sailed true, just barely crossing over the bar for the long kick that would give the win to the visiting Gold.
TEX 24 MEM 22
The snakebit Showboats almost gave us another fantastic finish, as this time it was them, and not there opponents who mounted a last second comeback. Down 24-13 after 3 quarters, the Showboats got a Shea field goal to pull within 8, and then, with 1:16 left, Heath Shuler found Joe Horn for a late score. The Showboats were within two, but needed to convert on the 2-point PAT to send the game to overtime. Shuler missed high on a pass to Carl Pickens in the endzone and the Outlaws escaped with their 8th win of the season. More on this game below, as it produced a season-altering injury we will need to explore.
STL 32 TBY 24
The Knights finally seem to have found their offensive rhythm, while Tampa, losers of 5 straight, seem to be completely out of synch. The Knights got the game rolling on the ground, with Darrell Thompson rushing for a season high 128. He, Ironhead Hayward and Albert Jenkins all scored on the ground as the Knights protected Todd Collins. Tampa got 3 scores from Troy Aikman, but at a cost. Aikman was harassed all day, sacked 6 times and picked off twice by a very aggressive St. Louis blitz scheme.
MGN 14 ORL 17
Two of the league’s hotter teams met in the Citrus Bowl, and, thanks to a late Charlie Baumann field goal, the homestanding Renegades got the win and moved their record to 6-3. With little in the run gam working, Scott Mitchell got the job done with scoring tosses to Bert Emmanuel and HB Terry Kirby. Jeff Lewis played well, but Orlando managed to bottle up Tyrone Wheatley and that handcuffed the Panthers all game long.
NOR 17 ATL 24
The Fire got another home victory as they bumped off the slumping Breakers. Tiki Barber only carried the ball for 36 yards, but his late TD run helped to put Atlanta over the top. The Breakers built up a 24-10 lead in the 3rd quarter and while a Jamie Martin TD toss got New Orleans within one score, they could not find another as the Fire got their 4th win in 9 games.
CHI 25 JAX 32
In a game that was tied at 25 with only a minute to play, Coach Schottenheimer went against character and tried for the big play, a call which backfired completely as the Dan McGwire toss was picked and LB Paul McGowan found himself with a convoy to the endzone for what would be the game-winning score. The game had been back and forth all day, and McGwire, back from injury, had a chance to get Chicago into field goal range for the win, but his second pick of the day was a shocking turn of play, one very welcome to the big Gator Bowl crowd.
POR 33 WSH 33 OT
It seems to happen every season, a game where neither team can absorb a loss and we end up with a tie game. It happened again in RFK, when neither the Thunder or the Federals could score a TD in overtime and two field goals in extra time meant the game ended in a tie. It was a game that saw both Trudeau an Stewart throw for more than 350 yards, and where Herman Moore seemed unstoppable, with 123 yards on 10 catches, but it was not enough for either team to get the W.
SEA 7 NJ 9
In a game where it seemed neither team was worthy of a W, the Generals got 3 Vinatieri field goals and held Seattle to a lateKeith McKellar TD as both clubs struggled to move the ball in the Meadowlands. Spence Fischer had one of his weaker games, throwing for no scores and one costly pick in the redzone, while Jon Kitna returned to action, went 20 for 30 but for only 175 yards as Seattle could not hit on any deep balls.
HOU 36 BIR 30
Houston has won two straight since Chuck Hartlieb returned to action, and this one may prove to be a big one as they knock off the 6-2 Stallions. Thurman Thomas would prove dangerous against the Stallion D, rushing for 117 and a score, and scoring again through the air. Shannon Sharpe came up big for Birmingham with 2 scores and 164 yards receiving, but it was not enough as Houston pulls off the road upset.
ARZ 17 PHI 45
The Stars were in no mood to be upset, and the Wranglers simply did not have the horses to get that done anyway. Chuck Long would throw 4 Tds and Charlie Garner added 2 more along with 145 on the ground as the Stars manhandled an overmatched Wrangler squad, sending Arizona to their 9th straight defeat this year.
LA 21 OHI 41
In a game that would cost Rick Neuheisel his job, the Glory scored TDs on their first 4 possessions and put the Express out of contention early. Joey Galloway looked like his old self, catching 5 Hostetler passes for 129 yards and a score, and Eddie George scored twice to go along with 86 yards rushing as Ohio rolled. The Express announced the firing of Neuheisel the next day, naming defensive coordinator Mike Nolan the interim head coach.
OAK 9 BAL 28
The Blitz move to within a game of .500 with a home win against the Invaders. Barry Foster rushed for 109 yards and a score and Rob Moore added 98 more and a score of his own through the air, all part of a 28-0 scoring run for the Blitz after an initial 6-0 lead for Oakland.
NEUHEISEL OUT: With only 1 win on the season and a three-year record of 10-32, it is not really a shock that the LA Express have let Coach Neuheisel go. The only real question was which of their coordinators would get the shot at the intermim gig. After all, the offense is ranked 23rd in points and 21st in yards, while Mike Nolan’s defense is ranked dead last in points allowed and 18th in yards allowed, so it is not as if one side of the ball was carrying the team.
Nolan walks into a tough situation. The Express have 2 QB’s neither of which has shown the abilty to turn yards into wins. They have a rookie HB who also cannot carry the team on his back, and they have a defense which allows over 107 yards a game on the ground and an average of 31.3 points per game. If not for a win over the 0-9 Arizona Wranglers, the Express would also be winless on the year. They don’t face Arizona again, and looking ahead at their schedule (@ NJ, SEA, @ TEX, OAK, @ ORL, POR, @ SEA) their best chances to avoid a 1-15 chance may be to steal a divisoin win against Seattle or Oakland. Threee years after rejoining the league, the Express are having trouble establishing themselves in a crowded LA market, and even more trouble earning wins.
LIKELY NOT ALONE: We do not believe that Coach Neuheisel will be the only casualty this year, and he may not even be the only coach let go during the season. Here is our list of the coaches who need to start showing some results.
Nick Saban (Ohio): Yes, they got the win vs. LA that ended Neuheisel’s season, but one win over a 1-8 club is not nearly enough to make Saban a solid candidate to return next year. Ohio had hopes for a playoff season this year, but they have regressed and are now solidly in last place in the division. Our best bet is that they need to win at least 4 more games of their final 7 to save Saban’s job.
Cam Cameron (Memphis): Cameron, you will recall, took over for Buddy Ryan last season when the fiery coach was let go after a sideline incident. The move seemed to work as Memphis finished the 1996 season strong. But this year the Showboats have floundered, often blowing late leads, or failing to complete comebacks in games they have a chance to win. They too languish at the bottom of their division and fans may be turning on Cameron.
Woody Widenhofer (Seattle): The Dragons improved from 1-15 to 6-10 in their second season, but they have slid again this year, back to only 2 wins so far. If Widenhofer can get them to win another 3 games, maybe he keeps his position, but the Dragons are not looking like a team that is going to upset too many foes, with the 22nd scoring offense on display. The Dragon ownership may very well move on after this year.
Jim Mora (Oakland): It seems almost sacreligious to say that Jim Mora, the legend of the Philadelphia Stars, could get canned in Oakland, but in his 2.5 years by the Bay, the Invaders, who competed in 6 straight playoff seasons, have gone 7-9, 5-11, and now have only 3 wins on the year. Sometimes it is just not a good fit, and that appears to be the case between Mora and the Invaders.
Art Shell (Arizona): Do you fire a coach after only 1 year? Well, if the club goes 0-16 there is a really good chance. Shell has not gotten a fare shake, and likely deserves a full offseason to help rebuild a club that was flailing before he arrived, but to get that chance, he needs to at least win 1 game, maybe 2, down the stretch. 0-16 demands a change, and coach is usually where that happens.
We mentioned it somewhat coyly earlier, but the Showboat-Outlaw game did produce an injury that is likely to profoundly alter the season for Texas. QB Kelly Stouffer was hit by two Showboat rushers at once, and immediately went down. Showboat DE Reggie White could see that something was not right and called over to the Texas bench. The replay showed what could only be described as a disjointed femur. The leg simply became detached from the hip socket. Stouffer would be taken to the locker room and immediately to a local hospital where it was determined that he had indeed displaced his femur from the hip, an injury that came with significant ligament damage. For fans of the Outlaws this means that they will have to go the rest of the way with either Tony Sacca or Tony Graziani under center, but for Stouffer it could mean much more. This injury, so late in his career, could be career ending, and in a season when he had led Texas to an amazing 8-1 start, that is a deeply troubling thought.
Stouffer’s injury was clearly the most dramatic and heartbreaking of the week, but it was hardly the only rough blow suffered by USFL squads. Both Pittsburgh and Seattle saw their top receivers go down as Louis Lipps suffered a head injury and Eric Metcalf suffered 2 cracked ribs this week. Both are expected to miss 1-2 weeks as they recover. In New Orleans, left tackle Troy Auzene suffered MCL damage as he was rolled over during the course of play. He could miss as much as 4 weeks of action. Oalkand guard Brendan Stai is likely out for the year after suffering an ACL tear, and a similar injury, but to the Posterior ligament, could take out New Jersey guard Corbin Lacina for the season as well.
Pessimism reigns after the lastest rounds of talks between the USFL executive committee and leadership of the USFLPA failed to result in even a marginal closing of the gap between the two parties. The owners seem ready to stick to their proposal that all USFL salaries be reduced by 10% to offset the shift of the league from 16 to 14 regular season games (a 12.5% cut in games). The USFLPA seems adamant as well that all current contracts remain at their original value despite the league's decision to restructure the season to 14 games and expand the playoff pool by 2 teams. There is now real concern that the impasse between these two powerful forces in spring football could extend beyond the remaining 7 weeks of the regular season, which means that it extends past the conclusion of a good number of player contracts, creating free agency havok for the league.
With no ability to resign players without an agreement on the transition of scheduling for 1998, the league is very likely to see a major round of NFL poaching, with the transfer window opening just as the USFL playoffs begin in July. With big name talent at every position looking at potential free agency, the NFL has to be licking its chops at the opportunity to hamstring their rival league and draw in major talent across its 30 franchises. Meanwhile, USFL GMs don't even have the ability to resign players ahead of their contracts expiring. A court injunction following the owners' vote all but blocked any ability for teams to resign players so long as the current CBA between ownership and the union remains in dispute.
The net result of this is that both sides are under intense pressure to come to an agreement before the July 4th holiday to avoid a major talent purge. Even if USFL players remain faithful to the league, something seen as quite unlikely, the shuffling of players among league franchises would also be a significant upheaval for the USFL. The best case scenario is that one of the two sides cracks and gives in on their to-date-solid positions. Public opinion is also split as a recent USA Today Poll found that 43% of respondents sided with the players, basically saying a contract is a contract, while 38% sided with the owners, generally of the opinion that as with most jobs, reduced hours results in reduced pay. There seems to be no groundswell in either direction for their side to be the one to give in and accept a lesser deal, and that spells trouble for both sides, and a potential windfall for the NFL.
Week 10 is our second consecutive interconference week, with the South now facing the Central and the Atlantic clubs headed to the Pacific. A scheduling oddity to be sure, but there are some games to monitor this week as we start to look seriously at the playoff situaton. Let’s start with Texas, hoping to maintain momentum with Tony Sacca at QB, as they have a home game against a good Orlando squad. Jacksonville is hoping they can take command in the South by beating the Houston Gamblers in Houston, but Houston has won 2 in a row, so look out for a possible upset here. Birmingham is hoping to rebound, but they have a tough matchup in Chicago against the Machine. In Michigan the Panthers will face the 3-6 Showboats, while in New Orleans the Breakers hope they can send Tampa’s losing streak to 6 games. St. Louis and Atlanta face off in the Gateway City in a game that likely means the end of any playoff hopes for the loser.
If Baltimore wants to get back into the playoff hunt they will need to upend the Portland Thunder at Civic Stadium. Philadelphia has a big game as they head to Mile High to face the Denver Gold, while New Jersey could move to a surprising 6-4 if they can beat the LA Express and new head coach Mike Nolan. Washington hopes to retain first place in the Atlantic by beating the Invaders in Oakland, and the Ohio Glory and Seattle Dragons, both a disappointing 2-7 face off in Seattle.