Yes, it is Wild Card weekend, and yes, there were games played in the USFL playoffs this week, but all the attention around the league was on the contract front as the NFL onslaught of USFL rosters began in earnest for the 14 clubs not involved in the postseason. With no CBA in place USFL clubs have no way to resign players and no barrier to the NFL poaching players from across the non-playoff clubs. While rumors of an emergency league meeting scheduled for Monday persist, it seems too late to help some clubs, who are seeing both retirements and NFL raiding decimate their rosters. But, while we will certainly cover this developing story, we begin with the actual games played this weekend, Wild Card Weekend in the USFL.
We got exactly what we expected from the Renegades’ visit to Philadelphia for this Eastern Wild Card, two clubs battling down to the end, each with strong defenses and some offensive concerns. Both a bit too pass-heavy on offense, and both hoping they could catch a break. Philly got the only turnover of the game, committed 4 fewer penalties, and converted on one more first down than Orlando, and the combined impact of those small victories was one big one.
The Stars tried to balance Chuck Long’s passing with Charlie Garner on the ground, and they had middling success with both, particularly in the 1st quarter, when Long connected on a 9-yard TD pass to Jeff Graham. The Stars defense had itself a strong game as well, holding Orlando to only two field goals in the first half as Philadelphia went in at the half up 7-6. Neither Terry Kirby nor Kantroy Barber would find much running room on the day, limited to a combined 62 yards on 14 carries. Scott Mitchell would fare a bit better, connecting on 28 of 41 passing, but for only 219 yards. His arm got Orlando the lead as the 3rd quarter opened up as he moved the ball into Stars territory with back-to-back completions to Bert Emmanuel, but they again would have to settle for a field goal and go up 9-7.
Philadelphia responded with a big play. Long handed the ball off to Garner for what looked like a standard 1st down run, but Garner turned, flipped the ball back to Long, and the Stars QB found WR Jeff Graham wide open downfield for a 41-yard TD. Philly retook the lead 14-9. Orlando would get the last score of the quarter, this time earning the touchdown on a Mitchell to Shawn Jefferson pass. The 2-point play to go up 3 failed, and Orlando went into the final quarter with a paper thin 1-point lead, 15-13.
With just under 13 minutes to play, Philadelphia would retake the lead for good, on the foot of Chip Lohmiller, and would turn the game over to their defense with a 17-15 lead. The defense stepped up, first with the only turnover of the day, a pick of Mitchell by CB Reggie Givens, and then with a huge 4th and 1 stuff of Barber by big Leon Lett. The Stars survive at home but will have to play a lot better and with a lot more energy as they head to Birmingham to face a confident and rested Stallion squad.
The key to the Western Wild Card game was a solid gameplan to get the ball into the hands of Chicago’s playmakers. Ricky Watters rushed for 71 yards and added another 15 on two receptions. Wendell Davis caught 7 balls, while Aubrey Matthews used YAC to gain 108 on only 4 catches. Finally, former Houston Gambler Ricky Proehl proved hard to cover as he caught 3 balls for 44 yards, most of it after the catch, and a big score for the Machine.
Denver was unable to match the pace, though they did have the game equalized at 22 after 3 quarters. Mark Brunell was efficient, completing 76% of his throws, but Denver just did not get much from their run game as Rashaan Salaam had to sit out with a gimpy hamstring. Odessa Turner and Mark Carrier both had 7 receptions and combined for 166 yards receiving, but it was not enough to upend the Machine in Chicago. Alex Van Pelt found Proehl late and he slipped between two safeties to score what would be the winning score for the Machine. Chicago now heads off to Portland to face the Thunder in the Divisional Round.
Looking ahead to next week’s Divisional Round, there are some injuries to contend with in all 4 games. Chicago will be without LB Robert Hinkley and both TE Wesley Walls and C Frank Winters are gametime decisions. Meanwhile, their opponent, Portland, has only 1 player on the injury list, probably starter LB Todd Howard.
In the Philadelphia-Birmingham game, there is concern that in addition to missing their strong safety again, that star wideout Cris Carter may also be unable to play. He is listed as “probable” but inside sources are not feeling confident that he will sign up. Birmingham also has some concerns as both SS Darryl Williams and LB Kevin Greene, who has had a masterful season, are out for this game. DE John Copeland is also questionable, which could mean trouble for the Stallion defense.
The Michigan-Texas game is a pretty healthy one, with the Panthers missing only LB Ted Johnson. We know that Texas will be without QB Kelly Stouffer, G Larry Allen, and DE Shawn Patterson. They are also playing Reggie Cobb’s status close to the vest, listing him as probable but not revealing much about his condition. His absence would be a huge blow for Texas.
Finally, in the Bulls-Federals game, expect Jacksonville to go without HB Kenny Bynum, and very likely either Vaughan Johnson or Tedy Bruschi. Washington has only Kordell Stewart on their injury report, and he is listed as probable, which means he almost certainly is able to start this week.
So much to talk about this week, an avalanche of news, one that seems to have finally triggered action on the part of the USFL owners. Let’s start with the biggest tidal wave of impact of the current labor talks, the NFL’s flood into USFL rosters.
NFL SIGNINGS
We cannot overstate how big a week the NFL just had in draining talent from the USFL. Sure, a ton of USFL talent remained under contract and not available, and the 10 playoff teams were not impacted, yet, since negotiations can only start once a team has completed their seasons and the current player contracts end, but it has already been a blood bath for the USFL.
Here is what we have witnessed just this first week of the post-season/off-season: 15 starters signed away from the 14 non-playoff teams, including a starting QB (Jeff Hostetler to the LA Raiders), running back (Barry Foster from the Blitz to the Pittsburgh Steelers), 5 starting left tackles, including the best LT in the game (Bruce Armstrong from the Gamblers to the NFL Oilers), the league’s leading receiver, Shannon Baker (leaving Tampa Bay for the Colts), as well as other notable names like WR Qadry Ismail (NOR to the Vikings), Oakland’s defensive Captain, Bill Romanowski (to the Broncos), Memphis FS Bubba McDowell (Panthers), DT Tony Siragusa (Ravens), and DE Tony Tolbert (Cowboys).
This is brutal for the USFL, which is currently unable to both sign their own free agents or return the favor by poaching unsigned NFL players before their camps open. It is so bad that the league has called an emergency meeting, not with the union, but the owners and the commissioner. We are not sure what they can decide without negotiating with the USFLPA, but the tone of the meeting certainly seems urgent if not full on panic. We are only a matter of days or weeks away from 8 of the 10 playoff teams also being open for poaching, names like Favre, Flutie, McGwire, Long, Thomas, Morris, Levins, Perriman, Givens, McCants, Bosworth, DuBose, Herrod, Hacket, Gouveia, Greene, Gilbert Brown, Rocker, Perry, Fuller, Reggie White, Thierry, Copeland, and more all becoming possible targets.
As if that were not bad enough, we also have to remember that the usual wave of retirements is part of this time of year as well, and while there are some quality players hanging up their cleats across the league, one club in particular is looking like a team in need of an entirely new offense. Let’s start with the league as a whole, but then talk about the unique crisis that has hit the Pittsburgh Maulers.
RETIREMENTS
Among the announced retirements at the end of this season we find some pretty important pieces in most teams’ plans. Among those having already announced a change of career status for next year we find:
ATL Quarterback Cliff Stoudt: Stoudt retires after 14 seasons in the league, 11 with Birmingham, where he was the starter from 1984 through 1991 before several years backing up Brett Favre. He finished his career with 3 seasons in Atlanta, where he had managed to hold off young UGA QB Eric Zeier to get most of the starts for the expansion club. He retires with over 34,000 yards passing, 215 TDs to 118 interceptions and a lifetime QBR of 88.0.
ARZ Defensive End Charles Buchanon: The longtime Baltimore Blitz DE retires after one year in the desert. He leaves the game with a career total of 88 sacks, 14 forced fumbles and 143 games played.
BAL Corner Leslie Frazier: The longest-tenured member of the Baltimore Blitz leaves the team after 12 seasons. He retires with 172 games for Baltimore and 36 picks. After several years as clear starter injuries cut short both his 1996 and 1997 seasons.
BAL Wideout Bill Brooks: Another long-term member of the Blitz, Brooks spent the past 6 years in the Charm City after beginning his career in 1986 with the Denver Gold. He was an immediate starter for Denver, with 87 receptions and 1,083 yards as a rookie. His sophomore season he had one of his best years, 100 receptions, 1,304 yards and 10 TDs. After declining numbers in Denver, Brooks signed with the Blitz and had a 2nd career. He caught more than 100 balls in 3 of 6 seasons in Baltimore and had 120 receptions for 1,215 in 1996. He retires with 1091 receptions, 12,424 yards and 72 career touchdowns.
HOU Free Safety Todd Bowles: The hard-hitting safety began his career in Philadelphia in 1986 as a backup. He earned a starting spot in 197 and was a steady performer for the Stars until signing with Houston in 1994. He retires with 378 tackles, 186 games and 135 starts.
MEM Quarterback Mike Kelley: A little heralded QB when he began as a backup in Memphis, Kelley won the starting job after a series of injuries gave him a shot. He would be Memphis’s starter from 1988 through 1994 before being unseated by Heath Shuler. He retires with a lifetime QBR of 85.6, with 174 TDs to 124 picks, and over 28,000 passing yards.
MEM Linebacker Eddie Simmons: A career Showboat since starting with the expansion club in 1984, Simons started all 16 games in his first year. He would play in over 221 games in his 14-season career. He leaves the game with 1,161 tackles, 23 forced fumbles, 59 sacks and 13 picks. Known as a sideline to sideline thumper, he was a defensive captain for Memphis for over 10 years.
NJ Tight End Jeff Spek: The dual-role TE joined the Generals in 1984 and was an on-again, off-again starter his entire career, topping 50 receptions 4 times in his 14 seasons. His best year was 1993, when he caught 70 balls for 515 yards.
OHIO Linebacker John Offerdahl: The long-time NJ General began with the USFL in 1986 and played for them until being sent to Ohio as part of the expansion draft in 1995. He was made a defensive captain for the Glory in their first season and started 46 of 48 games for the Glory. Over his career he amassed 855 tackles, 10 forced fumbles, 24 sacks and 12 interceptions.
SEA Defensive End Jim Reynosa: The lankey DE came into the league with Jacksonville in 1987. He would become a valued starter for the Bulls right away, starting all 16 games and amassing 9 sacks in his rookie season. Over his 10-year career Reynosa would also play 1 season in Michigan, where he had 15 sacks for the Panthers, and then spend his final three years in Seattle, where he amassed 38 sacks in 3 years. He retires with 127 sacks to his name as one of the league’s best and most consistent edge rushers.
As we look at the potential impact of free agency and retirements, let’s light a candle for the Pittsburgh Maulers. They had three team legends and 5 offensive contributors all opt to retire within 2 days of each other, decimating an offense that now will have to completely retool. Here are the Maulers who will be missed next season on what looks to be a very different Maulers roster:
HB Mike Rozier: We saw this one coming, with 1997 being the first year in which the former Cornhusker did not top 1,000 yards, and with retirement talk a regular feature of each offseason for Rozier since 1995. A sure first-ballot Hall of Famer, Rozier retires as the leading rusher in USFL history, with 4,180 carries for 19,088 yards and 134 TDs, all league records. Rozier rushed for over 1,000 yards over 14 seasons, this year falling 2 yards short at 998. He was the centerpoint of the Mauler attack since he arrived as the Heisman winner in 1984. He retires with a lifetime average of 4.6 yards per carry and 86.8 yards per game. An absolute workhorse, Rozier started an astounding 211 games of 220 played.
TE Mike Shaw: Another absolute workhorse, Shaw started in the league as a rookie in Pittsburgh’s first season, 1984. He started in 199 of 220 games over his career and finishes as one of the best tight ends to play in the league. His career totals are indeed impressive: 199 receptions for 11,822 yards and 89 career TDs, including a magical 1991 season in which the big TE snagged 106 passes for 1,073 yards and 13 touchdowns. In some lean years when the Maulers did not have much at wideout, Shaw was a primary weapon for QB Alan Risher. In his final season, Shaw caught 70 passes for 771 yards and 7 scores, numbers any team would love to get from the position.
WR Louis Lipps: The lanky wideout began his career in Arizona, but really took off when he moved to Pittsburgh in 1992. From 1992 through 1995 he averaged 104 receptions and nearly 1,300 yards per season. Injuries caused Lipps to lose a step and miss several games over his final two years, but he still managed to real in 142 passes and nearly 2,000 yards in receptions over his final 2 seasons.
K Rafael Septien: The former Dallas Cowboy found a home with the Maulers, joining the team in 1987 and serving as their kicker for 11 seasons. Over his career, Septien made 339 field goals (an overall conversion rate of 75.8%) including 27 game winners.
TE Cap Boso: While nowhere near as prolific as Shaw, Boso was a trusted blocker and occasional receiver for the Maulers since coming to the club in 1994. He had played previously with the LA Express and Chicago Machine. His best year was 1991 with the Machine, when he had 53 receptions for 393 yards and 6 scores.
So the Maulers find themselves with a QB nearing the end of his career in Robbie Bosco, and an offense missing its star halfback, top wideout, and hall of fame TE. They seem ready to hand the ball to Dorsey Levins in the run game, but that is not to say that Rozier will not be missed, and the absence of Lipps, Shaw and even Boso will be major issues of concern for a club that was league champions only 2 seasons ago. A lot for the fine folks of Pittsburgh to absorb.
With so much happening off the field, it is hard to realize that we are still smack-dab in the center of playoff football in the USFL. We have 4 big matchups this week. Let’s break those down and see who we think will come out on top.
Saturday, July 12, 3pm ET
RFK Stadium
This has all the trappings of a classic. You have two offenses which struggle at times, but can also explode if clicking on all cylinders. You also have a Washington defense that can terrorize opposing QB’s and a Bulls’ defense that tends to bend but not break. The key for the visitors will be to do what they can to get Natrone Means and the run game going. If they can, it will take a lot of pressure off of Chris Chandler, but Washington has the league’s #1 rush defense, allowing only 52.9 yards per game to the opposition. For Washington, the run game is equally important, and they will put the ball in the hands of Barry Word plenty. The Feds have the 2nd best run game in the league with 113 yards per game, most of it from Word and his 1,281 yards this season. We like the matchup of the Federals’ run game against the Bulls’ run defense. While we think Chandler, at this stage in both careers, is the better of the two QB’s, we worry that his lack of mobility will hurt him against a defense that registered 73 sacks, by far the most in the league. OUR PICK: That defense is really tough, and defense wins titles, so we have to go with the homestanding Federals.
Federals 24 Bulls 16
Saturday, July 12 @ 7pm ET
Civic Stadium
Any game involving the top seed is going to favor that club, but not so fast on this one. Chicago has a Top 5 offense, able to spread the ball around and use both the run and the pass. They also have the 4th rated defense for yards allowed, though their 21.8 PPGA is only 10th best. So this is a Machine squad that can pull an upset if they are on their game. Alex Van Pelt has emerged as a solid option at QB, and Ricky Watters finished the year with 1,035 yards rushing, and can be a danger to the Portland defense. For the Thunder, we all know who to watch. Will Robert Drummond’s regular season dominance continue, or can the Machine defense figure out a way to close the gaps and contain the big back? Portland was the league’s best rushing team, and that run game also feeds the play action passing game of Jack Trudeau. If Drummond can get a head of steam going, the Thunder can win this one. OUR PICK: This one may be tight, but we like the run-pass combo of the Thunder against a Chicago club that has a QB with no playoff experience.
Portland 28 Chicago 21
Sunday, July 13, @ 1pm ET
Legion Field
This is a classic mashup of two very different styles. Birmingham is first in the league in passing behind MVP Brett Favre and a trio of receivers in Givens, Dawsey, and Sharpe that are a nightmare for defenses. The Stars are built for ball control, and while Chuck Long has had an amazing season, he is not a gunslinger. If Philadelphia has to go score for score with the Stallions we don’t see how they can keep up, but if Favre has one of his sloppier games, and the Stars can get some picks, they could pull this off. Philly finished tied for 4th in the league with 22 interceptions this year, only 1 behind the league leaders, so it is not out of the question. That said, in Legion Field, possibly with more than 60,000 on hand to cheer the Stallions, we just don’t see it. OUR PICK: We are not going to go against that Stallion passing game. Philly is good, but they are not one of the league's best pass rush teams, so we are not sure how they will force enough mistakes to keep pace.
Birmingham 31 Philadelphia 21
Sunday, July 13 @ 4:30pm ET
AlamoDome
This one is gonna be fun, we know that already. Divisional foes know each other well, and in this case it is the visitor who had the upper hand this year, with Michigan beating Texas both times the two teams met. Can they do it again or will the third time be the charm for the Outlaws? If Texas wants to win this game they are going to have to rely on two things, the league’s top rated scoring defense (giving up only 15.6 points per game) and the running of Reggie Cobb. Cobb is expected to play despite a nagging injury, but if he cannot go, that really hurts the Outlaws who are already without Kelly Stouffer and are expected to stick with Tony Sacca at QB. For Michigan, the formula that worked all year, including twice against the Outlaws is to run the ball with Tyrone Wheatley and Rodney Culver, then use play action and rollouts to free up the passing game. Jeff Campbell came out of nowhere to lead the league in receptions and finish third with 1,537 yards receiving. If Flutie can connect with Campbell and avoid the Texas pass rush, the Panthers could move on. OUR PICK: We like the road team here. Michigan has been playing very well and they seem to have answers for Texas’s defense. If Stouffer were playing and Cobb were 100% we would give Texas the edge, but those two issues are going to make it much harder for the Outlaws and we see Michigan moving on with a close road win.
Michigan 20 Texas 17.