Four more games and four more winners headed on to the Conference Championships. Once again we had two home favorites fall to underdogs, but we also got to see the two best teams in the league in action this week and both lived up to the hype, seemingly destined to face off in Summer Bowl 1998, but not so fast, there is still a lot of football to be played, and after this week’s action, more is always welcome. Let’s get right to the action with one of the #1 seeds showing how they got there.
Baltimore’s defense kept it close for 30 minutes, but they could not keep Tampa Bay down all game long and that lead to their downfall. After holding Troy Aikman to only 122 yards passing in the first half, Tampa Bay and their QB exploded in the second half as Tampa outscored Baltimore 17-7 after the break to win going away.
Aikman would finish the day with 375 yards and 4 TD passes, including two scoring tosses to rookie Randy Moss, who seemed to have benefitted from his 2 week hiatus. Add in a solid 82 yards rushing from Errict Rhett, and you have a strong offensive showcase that simply had answers to every trick Baltimore tried to throw at them. The Tampa D also played better than average, shutting down Baltimore’s already problematic run game (Derrick Fenner held to 0.5 yards per carry) and forcing Wally Richardson to dump the ball down on almost every play, leading to Fenner and TE Kyle Brady being the team’s top two receivers.
Up only 17-14 at the half, Tampa opened up the 2nd half with scoring tosses to Moss and TE Troy Drayton to open up a 31-14 lead, and they would never look back. The Bandits will now host the Eastern Conference Championship with a chance to return to the Summer Bowl for the first time since 1996’s loss to Houston and only the 2nd time since their 1983 title.
The other #1 seed, St. Louis, looked equally as driven, though their victory was less about offensive fireworks and more about a pressure D that held Texas ton only 31 yards rushing and a total of only 293 yards on the day. St. Louis put the pressure on in part by scoring early, with Collins finding Amani Toomer for one score and then getting a TD run from Chris Howard to go up 14-0. It would be the first of 3 rushing TD’s for Chris Howard as the rookie ended the day with 118 yards on only 10 carries, a nice addition to Ahman Green’s more workmanlike 61 yards on 13 carries. Howard, playing for the injured Darrell Thompson, made some dazzling moves on his way to TD runs of 45 and 28 yards in the 4th quarter as the Knights rolled up the score and ran down the clock.
Texas had trouble from the very start of the game, with Reggie Cobb limited to only 21 yards rushing by the Knights’ defense. Add 7 sacks by 7 different Knights and you have a very rough day for Coach Pardee and the outmanned Outlaws. Texas just could not protect Kelly Stouffer, and Stouffer, running for his life, was not accurate enough to make them pay for sending blitzers. It was 21-7 at the half, 31-7 after 3, and never really in doubt as St. Louis marches on. They will be at home next week and just one win away from their first Summer Bowl as a franchise (both in LA and St. Louis.)
We largely expected to see the Bandits and the Knights advance, but the outcome was very much in doubt when two Atlantic Division rivals, both 10-6 on the season, faced off. Philly, as division champs, had home field, but Washington came in the more experienced playoff team, hoping to defend their 1997 title by winning in Veterans Stadium to get past the rival Stars. Washington wasted no time pushing their advantage, scoring the only points of the first half, a 2 yard plunge from HB Barry Word on a penalty-aided drive. At the half the defensive nature of the game had truly been well-established. The two teams combined for only 7 first downs and 188 total yards. But the second half would see adjustments from both clubs.
Washington got the first big break, an errant throw from Philadelphia’s Bobby Hebert that found its way into Charles Woodson’s hands. Woodson returned the ball to the Stars’ 17 yard line, and from there the Feds built on their lead with a Stewart to Herman Moore scoring toss. By the end of 3 it was Washington in command with a 17-0 lead. But Philadelphia was not dead yet. They opened the 4th quarter with a long drive that ended in a Marcus Pollard TD to drop the lead to 10. The game seemed to be turning their way as on the next drive they had Washington pinned with a 3rd and 14 play, but the Feds got the biggest play of the game on that 3rd down, a beautiful 45-yard toss from Stewart to Moore once again, aided by two defenders taking bad angles and essentially blocking each other from the tackle. Moore’s score put Washington up for good, and while a late Star TD brought the game down to a 10-point margin, the Federals were in control. They will now take their title defense to Tampa Bay, where they hope their smashmouth defensive style can do to Tampa Bay what it had done to Birmingham a week ago and to Philly this week.
Never doubt the power of momentum, and in this game that momentum belonged to the Arizona Wranglers. Arizona is beginning to believe in themselves and it showed as they came back on the Gold in Denver, a tough feat even without playoff pressure on them.
Denver had taken a 14-0 lead on two scoring runs as they had their ground game working early. Scoring opened not with Rashaan Salaam, but backup Ricky Whittle, busting off a 12-yard TD run to put Denver up. Salaam would score the next time Denver had the ball, and after 1 quarter it looked like the Pacific Division Champs had the number of the 4th place club in their division, the 8-8 Wranglers.
“Not so fast” said Coach Shell and his Wrangler squad. Arizona would score the only points of the 2nd quarter, a Plummer to the ageless Terry Orr TD pass. The score, with only 1:43 left in the half, gave Arizona hope, and even an Odessa Turner TD to make the score 21-7 did not squelch Arizona’s optimism. They would get back to within 7 when Plummer, who finished the day with 4 TDs and 396 yards throwing, found rookie Hines Ward for a big 42 yarder with 4:22 left in the 3rd.
On their next possession, Arizona would hit on an even bigger play, as a blown coverage let Rocket Ismael find wide open space behind the safety, space he used to dash 71 yards for a game-tying score. Denver was feeling the pressure, and when early hero Ricky Whittle fumbled on their next possession, you could feel the air leave the stadium and the fans lose faith in their club. Arizona moved the ball down the field, and with 1:34 left to play, HB Vaughn Dunbar, on his only positive gain all day, dove into the endzone and scored the go ahead TD for the visitors. Denver tried to get an equalizer, but time ran out on the Gold and the game ended with them trying to rush to get a 3rd down play in on the Wrangler 22. Arizona had pulled off a second straight upset road victory. The Wranglers now face the toughest task of their playhoff run, trying to get a W in St. Louis against the Knights.
The good news for playoff football fans is that it seems that Jake Plummer is back in full form after a Wild Card game scare, having an outstanding full-game performance against the Gold. The bad news is that while he may be back, others were not so lucky. St. Louis may well miss HB Darrell Thompson again in the Conference Final as his right knee continues to have swelling and stability issues. Washington will be without guard Scott Conover after he suffered a knee injury against Philly, and in a strange bit of fate, Tampa Bay had to hit the waiver wire this week after kicker Mike Vanderjact somehow injured his ankle on a kickoff. Vanderjact made the kick but came down awkwardly after the ball started its way down the field. The kicker hobbled to the sideline and despite finishing the game (with only 1 PAT to follow), he was evaluated and ruled out next week in the Eastern Conference title game. Tampa would sign former Houston Gambler kicker John Kasay off of free agency on Wednesday, and it looks like Kasay may have to be the fill-in both this week and in a possible Summer Bowl contest.
BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE
Not a lot of news this week, outside of the playoffs, as Free Agency is still a week away and few players have announced their retirements. But there was one story (or is it two stories?) that came out of the trading block this week. We all knew there was no love lost between the New Orleans Breakers’ best halfback, former Georgia Bulldog Terrell Davis, and embattled head coach Mike Ditka. So when Big Mike was renewed for another year despite a pretty poor showing in New Orleans this season, the question was how he would make amends with Davis. The answer should have been obvious, he wouldn’t.
Ditka made a deal this week, sending Davis away, off to Pittsburgh, where he is a perfect option to bolster a Mauler run offense that never got rolling this year with Dorsey Levins as the main back. Levins has talent, that is clear, but it just did not happen for him in Pittsburgh. So now the Maulers get a big, bruising back in Terrell Davis, and one likely to be very happy to have a new coach. Pittsburgh sent New Orleans only a 2nd round pick to get the bruising runner, so a pretty good deal for them.
Of course, that leaves Levins in a bit of a pickle. But, the Maulers turned right around and remedied that as well. Just 2 days after the TD Trade, Pittsburgh packaged Levins with wideout Derrick Mason in a deal to Houston that immediately gives the Gamblers two solid, if not spectacular, playmakers. Houston, in return, helps Pittsburgh with their shaky secondary, sending the Maulers CB Patrick Surtain and a 3rd round pick.
So, the Maulers have a new HB and a quality corner, Houston’s miserable run game gets a boost with Dorsey Levins, and the passing game too with Mason’s sure hands, and New Orleans gets a pretty solid 2nd round pick, but now has only Erric Pegram at HB. We all know Mike Ditka adores UT Heisman candidate Ricky Williams, but there is no guarantee he will be there when they pick at #5. Even with a glut of QB talent, there is some chance that either Chicago at #2 or Jacksonville at #3 could snatch up Williams first. Or, with 2 second round picks, can Ditka and the Breakers entice someone into a trade to ensure that Ricky Williams is wearing Ocean Blue in the Big Easy next year?
One last note, since we brought the draft into this. We now have the top 20 picks ready to go in the draft, so let’s take a look at the clubs that hold them and what they need most:
1—Los Angeles Express: What don’t they need? QB is obvious, but defense is also a huge issue. We think they are not looking for a halfback as the combo of Antowain Smith and Michael Pittman was pretty solid, so we think it has to be QB.
2—Chicago Machine: The Machine could also go QB, as neither Alex Van Pelt or Chris Miller looked like the answer, but without a head coach in place we are not sure what they will prioritize. They too have a lot of defensive question marks.
3—Jacksonville Bulls: Another team without a coach right now, but with Chris Chandler still a solid option, this could be the first non-QB slot in the draft. Could this be where Ricky Williams goes? Natrone Means has been underwhelming, but so too has that D-line.
4—Atlanta Fire: They have Jeff George under contract, and Tiki Barber nearly won the rushing title, so that means this almost has to be a defensive pick, right? How about someone like Georgia CB Champ Bailey, a hometown hero?
5—New Orleans Breakers: If they stay put, they will have a shot to get their HB, either Williams or Edjerrin James, but if Ditka has his heart set on Williams, they may just try to move this pick and get into the top three.
6—Seattle Dragons: They could go defense here, or they could throw us a curve ball, give up on Jon Kitna and go for a big name QB. How about we throw them a curveball and say they should look at someone to replace the gimpy vet, Eric Metcalf, and draft NC State’s burner Tory Holt?
7—New Jersey Generals: I like Spence Fisher, but if Donovan McNabb is still on the board, the Generals have to try to get him, right? Pair him with Curtis Enis and this team may be headed in the right direction.
8—Michigan Panthers: As much as drafting a Buckeye could be seen as an issue in Michigan, the Panthers need a new Anthony Carter gamebreaker, and OSU’s David Boston looks like he has that potential.
9—Ohio Glory: We want to see who the coach is before locking in a pick here, but it absolutely, positively has to be on defense, where Ohio was just horrendous. How about Florida DE Jevon Kearse?
10—Houston Gamblers: We are not even into free agency yet and Houston has a new WR and a new likely starter at halfback thanks to their trade with Pittsburgh. Do they go for the trifecta and replace Chuck Hartlieb with a new QB?
11—Pittsburgh Maulers: Robbie Bosco is a likely retirement candidate, and even if he opts to return, Pittsburgh has to be thinking of an upgrade. Can they get who they want here or do they need to move up to try to get one of the blue chippers? That is the question being asked at Three Rivers these days.
12—Memphis Showboats: At 8-8 Memphis outperformed expectations. They have a solid QB option in Shuler, and while Garrison Hearst’s 688 yards were less than many in the Mid-South were hoping for, we don’t see that as a priority. Memphis was 22nd in yards allowed, so expect a big defensive name to come off the board here, perhaps a corner like Bailey or OSU’s Antoine Winfield, or maybe a D-lineman like big DT Anthony McFarland from nearby LSU.
13—Birmingham Stallions: The offense is there, at least in the passing game, but QB Brett Favre was sacked more than any other QB in the league, so they may have to shore up that line. How about Georgia Tackle Matt Stinchcomb here?
14—Orlando Renegades: The ‘Gades surprised many by making a playoff run this year, but their O-line could use an upgrade, especially on the interior. That feels like a round 2 pick, especially if Dante Culpepper is available and interested in staying in Florida.
15—Oakland Invaders: Siran Stacy totally disappeared in the second half of the year. It is time to find someone more dynamic and more reliable. If he is still here, we love Edjerrin James here, but if he is gone (which is likely), a good fit would be James Johnson from Mississippi State.
16—Portland Thunder: Could take a shot at moving up to snag Akili Smith, which would be smart, or could go for a defensive player to help them hold leads, an issue all year. A lot depends on whether or not Jack Trudeau is on the roster by draft day.
17—Texas Outlaws: Texas needs more push on the D-Line. Selecting a DT here would be smart. They should also be concerned about protecting Kelly Stouffer, or about Stouffer calling it quits either this year or next. We don't see them jumping into the early round QB hunt, but a later round QB could be something to consider.
18—Baltimore Blitz: Trent Green should be back and able to start again next year, but he needs more weapons. Derrick Fenner and Rob Moore are not going to scare too many defenses, but Holt, Boston, or Troy Edwards out wide would certainly draw some attention.
19—Philadelphia Stars: The Stars need to decide if they want to fight Washington’s dominance over them by creating their own killer D-line or by trying to build a more dynamic offense for Bobby Hebert. We would expect that the defense is an easier path to success, especially at this slot in the draft.
20—Denver Gold: The collapse this week is going to sting for a while, especially for a club that finished the regular season looking like a dominant team. They don’t have a lot of needs, honestly, so they could be a possible trade-down kind of team, especially if someone is looking to get a QB late in the first round.
OK, back to on field action. We are down to the Final Four, with both games to be played on Sunday. We begin with an Eastern Conference clash of styles as Washington brings their championship calibre defense to Tampa Stadium to face the high-flying Bandit offense. Early odds have Tampa as only a 2 point favorite, clearly a nod to Washington’s championship credentials. The Bandits will be a test for the Federals defense, however, as they do not lack for weapons in Moss, Brooks, Coates, and Rhett. You may recall that these two faced off much earlier in the season, back in Week 3, with Tampa edging the Feds 33-31. There is that two-point spread again. In that game Randy Moss began to gain some notoriety, while Troy Aikman evaded the Federal pass rush and threw for 302 yards and 3 scores. Kordell Stewart also had a strong game that week, facing a less-than-dominant Tampa Bay defense.
We expect much the same next week, with Tampa finding ways to score and their defense struggling against a pretty decent Federals attack. This one could be an instant classic, assuming one team does not figure out the key to disarming the other’s biggest assets. Will it be Aikman to Moss, or will Jerome Brown and Michael Barrow win the day?
OUR PICK: Tampa Bay by a late field goal from their just-signed, off-the-street kicker.
In the late game, we have Arizona, the biggest Cinderella in this ball, headed to St. Louis to face the Knights. Las Vegas has little faith in the Wranglers to pull off a third consecutive road upset, putting them as 9-point underdogs to the Knights. If they are to compete, it will be because Jake Plummer keeps plays alive and avoids costly mistakes. Arizona does not have a strong run game, 13th in the league, with Tim Lester leading the club with only 653 yards, so it all falls on Plummer to make the Wranglers a viable offense. He has weapons in Ismael, Hines Ward and veteran TE Terry Orr, but is it enough against the team that finished the season #2 in points per game, yards per game, and passing yardage allowed.
St. Louis wins with defense, and with the short fields that defense affords their somewhat inconsistent offense. They could be without Darrell Thompson again, but if this past week was any indicator, the combo of Ahman Green and Chris Howard could be enough to keep the game balanced. If that happens, it makes life easier for QB Todd Collins as receivers like Bert Emmanuel and Amani Toomer end up in 1-on-1 coverage. St. Louis does not have much at TE (Alex Higdon is their leading receiver at the position) and their slot receiver, Emile Harry is not the shifty speedster he once was, but if they are tough on defense, they often do not need much explosiveness.
OUR PICK: We have got to go with the 14-2 Knights here. It has been a good run for Arizona, but St. Louis is the clear favorite for a reason, and besides, the whole country is itching to watch the replay of the epic 42-35 game that the Bandits won in Week 9.