Let the games begin, and boy did they. It was mayhem across the league in Week One as new players tried to make their mark, from veteran NFL QB’s trying to go back to back with a fall season followed by a spring season, to recent college draftees trying to make a big first impression. We had huge passing numbers, but also tons of picks as there was some careless play across the league. No need to wait, let’s get right to the action.
In the best game of the week the high-flying Birmingham offense discovered that Denver could be equally potent. Mark Brunell and Brett Favre both threw for 4 scores, but Brunell outgained Favre 422-312 and got the most important yards, the final drive that put Jeff Wilkens in range to kick the winning field goal with 18 seconds left on the clock.
Denver had 3 receivers go over 100 yards as they struggled to run the ball with Rashaan Salaam, but found plenty of space in the Birmingham zones. TE Keith Jackson led all receivers with 12 catches on 15 targets. Rookie Kevin Dyson was also a big part of Denver’s plans, catching 9 for 118 and a score, while veteran Odessa Turner scored twice and caught 6 for 108.
Birmingham had their stars too, with Cedric Tillman drawing single coverage opposite Givens all day. Tillman caught 3 balls all day but all 3 were scores. The problem for Birmingham was pass protection as Brett Favre was felled 9 times by the aggressive Denver pass rush. Denver SS Sean Lumpkin blitzed early and often, and now leads the league with 3 sacks. Add in 2 each from Leslie O’Neill and DT James Manley and you have a rough day for Favre.
And yet, after Cedrick Tillman’s 3rd TD of the day with only 55 seconds left on the clock, the game was tied. But, Brunell had found receivers all day, and in his last minute drive, he found them again, first TE Keith Jackson, then Dyson, then Jackson again, and within 4 plays the Gold set up Wilkens for a 52 yard kick on a 4th down play. Wilkens’s kick sailed true in the thin Mile High air and the Gold got a big opening day win in front of a solid 44,202 crowd.
WSH 19 NOR 6
Washington’s championship defense took things up right where they had left them off last August, holding the Breakers to only 232 total yards and limiting Terrell Davis to only 53 yards rushing in the Superdome. It was not a high scoring game, with both clubs mostly sticking to field goals, but the Federals proved that they were going to rely once again on one of the league’s best defenses to get the job done.
MEM 28 POR 45
If this game is any indication, Robert Drummond is playing angry this year after a playoff injury cost him a shot at glory in the Fantasy Bowl. Drummond racked up an impressive 160 yards and 2 scores on only 17 carries, a 9.4 YPC average as the Thunder just overpowered the Showboats. Garrison Hearst had a much less auspicious start to his USFL career, rushing for only 19 yards on 14 carries for the Showboats.
PHI 22 CHI 20
In a battle of two clubs thought to be major contenders this year the Stars edged the Machine on a late Chip Lohmiller FG. Bobby Hebert looked rejuvenated in Coach Berry’s offense, throwing for 350 yards against a solid Chicago defense. Cris Carter was his main target with 8 for 113 and a score, but Hebert hit 8 different receivers on the day in an impressive opening week comeback victory for his new club.
JAX 37 ARZ 24
Jake Plummer threw 4 picks including two pick-sixes to an aggressive Bulls defense that also recorded 4 sacks. The turnovers helped Jacksonville build up a 27-10 halftime lead and coast to a comfortable win in the desert despite only 39 yards rushing from Natrone Means.
ATL 36 SEA 14
Atlanta’s gambit, signing NFL veteran Jeff George paid off as the former Falcon went 30 of 47 for 395 and 3 scores in his first spring game since Illinois. Lake Dawson was his main target, catching 7 balls for 136 and 2 scores. Seattle had good games from Eric Metcalf and Courtney Hawkins, who combined for 182 yards receiving, but could not turn yardage into points.
ORL 7 OAK 30
Ryan Leaf had a solid game in his first pro outing, and 4 Orlando turnovers helped Oakland pull away for a big home win in front of nearly 45,000 at Oakland-Alameda, there to see their #1 pick. Leaf’s 320 yards on 19 of 30 throwing helped propel the Invaders, but it was the surprising aggression of Coach Reeves’s defense that did in the Renegades, forcing 2 fumbles and picking off Scott Mitchell twice.
TBY 56 LA 7
George Seifert had about as good a coaching debut in Tampa as anyone could have hoped for. Troy Aikman and Kerwin Bell combined for 7 passing touchdowns against a disorganized and clearly underprepared LA defense. TE Ben Coates had 6 catches for 158 yards and 2 scores, but all anyone could talk about was the deep ball ability of rookie WR Randy Moss, who caught only 2 passes, but both were TDs of over 40 yards. With Moss’s speed and height, and Aikman’s accuracy, this looks to be one deadly combo Coach Seifert has.
OHI 28 STL 34
A nice back and forth game between two intriguing teams. Kerry Collins, in his USFL debut, threw for 312 but his two TDs were offset by two picks. For St. Louis, rookie Ahman Green shared time with Darrell Thompson and the two combined for 24 carries for 80 yards, though it was Green who scored twice for the Knights. Joey Galloway looked to be at peak form for the Glory as he caught 10 passes for 177 yards and 2 Ohio scores in a losing cause. New Knight Bert Emmanuel had 6 for 104 and a score for St. Louis.
NJ 28 TEX 14
New Jersey got solid games from Fischer, Leeland MacElroy, and rookie Curtis Enis as they doubled up on a Texas squad that has not found its legs yet. Fischer connected with Terry Glenn 8 times for 111 yards and 2 scores and TE Mark Chmura chipped in 7 catches and a score as well.
BAL 18 MGN 16
It was not a pretty game from new Blitz QB Trent Green, but he did throw for 2 TDs and no picks. The Blitz might be worried about a run game that gained a pitiful 8 yards on the day. Michigan meanwhile has to be scratching their heads as to how their 96 yards rushing and solid Flutie game did not lead to a win. They let the Blitz hang around all day and the foot of Luis Zendejas gave the visitors the final points of the game, winning points, with only 26 seconds to play.
PIT 20 HOU 3
In perhaps the sloppiest game of the day, Pittsburgh got a TD off a pick by Godfrey Miles and held Houston to only 44 yards rushing as the Maulers outscored Houston 13-3 in the second half to take a road win. Both offenses struggled to establish much in this one as neither Bosco nor Hartlieb had much luck putting together a gameplan that was effective.
Back in the Game:
Texas must have felt that their offense lacked punch, because just 3 days before the opening game of the season they went out and lured a former All-Pro NFL receiver (and 4 year starter in New Jersey) out of retirement to suit up. Irving Fryar returned to football after a 2 year hiatus and actually got into the game after being with the Texans for only 3 days. He caught 2 balls for 52 yards in Texas’s loss to New Jersey, not bad for a guy who has not laced up the cleats in nearly 900 days. He also seemed to have some speed, as he got deep a couple of times but was the victim of a couple of off-target Kelly Stouffer passes. Great to see Fryar back in action, and from the look of it, the Outlaws, whose receiving corps is not as deep as Coach Pardee would want, can certainly use his talents.
Rookie Watch:
We saw more than the usual number of rookies get significant playing time this week, with over 30 listed as starters across the league and several high profile starters in that bunch.
QB Ryan Leaf took the helm on day 1 for Oakland and helped the Invaders start the year with a big crowd and a comfortable win over a 1997 playoff team (Orlando).
New Jersey HB Curtis Enis got the start, and struggled at times (3.5 YPC average) but had 3 nice runs that showed a bit of flash to the Generals fans.
Ahman Green in St. Louis was the other back to get considerable touches, handling the ball 14 times for 36 yards and his first 2 USFL touchdowns.
WR Randy Moss was the flashiest of the rookie starters, cashing in on an 87-yard and a 43 yarder for scores in his only two catches of the day. You know Coach Seifert and QB Troy Aikman are going to be looking for him more after showing his deep ball talent this week.
Denver’s rookie wideout Kevin Dyson, while not as flashy, also had a strong day, hauling in 9 balls for 118 yards in the shootout between the Gold and the Stallions.
Among rookie defenders some solid work was put in by Seattle’s Takeo Spikes (5 tackles), Atlanta’s Greg Ellis (2 tackles & 1 sack), and Memphis FS Tebucky Jones (6 tackles), but the best defensive day for a rookie had to be Charles Woodson, the Heisman winner who now laces them up in DC. Woodson started opposite Derrick Beasley, had 6 tackles and defended 4 passes. No picks, but a couple of near misses as he spent most of the day defending against veteran Herman Fontenot of New Orleans. He got burnt only once, when the Breakers put Fontenot inside and split out rookie Az-Zahir Hakeem wide. The speedy and quick Hakeem caught Woodson with a juke move and found 15 yards before Woodson could recover. Other than that one play, the Heisman winner looked very much like a 1st round signing.
New Faces:
Rookies were not the only fresh faces across the league. From the USFL debuts of Jeff George in Atlanta, Kerry Collins for Ohio, and Garrison Hearst for the Showboats, to USFL players in new places, like Raynard Brown in New Orleans, Bobby Hebert in Philly, and CB Deon Figures in Orlando, there were a lot of restarts, reinventions, and reboots across the league. Hebert was a particularly powerful one as he looked 5 years younger with his new club, snapping off lasers and avoiding rushers all day for the Stars.
A rarity in pro football as this week’s action produced no noteworthy injuries. Sure, some bumps and bruises, and a few guys listed as “probable” on the weekly injury report, but nothing concerning for any of the 24 USFL clubs. Guess those trainers and their off-season programs deserve some credit for a solid preparation for each club’s 53-man roster.
Dress for success:
In off-the-field news this week, the big story is the contract for uniforms and fan merchandise as the USFL contract with NIKE is set to wrap up after the 1999 season. With Phil Knight taking a back seat in Portland there is speculation that the league may be open for new bidders and we know that both Russell Athletic and Reebok are game to make a pitch to the league and secure some of that sweet merchandising money that Nike has built an empire on. The USFL is a hot brand right now, despite the weirdness of last year’s labor disputes. With a possible multi-year contract on the line, these competitors would be nuts not to at least make a solid bid for the league’s business.
Who’s the boss?:
The USFL hunt for a new commissioner begins in earnest. Bulls owner Fred Bullard is serving as the interim commissioner, but the league wants to quickly put a neutral party in the position. One candidate on everyone’s lips is 1996 Atlanta Olympics organizer and Olympic Committee lead, attorney Billy Payne. A second intriguing candidate is World Wrestling Federation President and CEO Vince McMahon, who has expressed interest in jumping into other professional sports, and who certainly has built a juggernaut in the world of wrestling, but, as you would expect, having a man known for staged athletics taking over a competitive league would raise some eyebrows. Other names include the usual list of sports attorneys, sports broadcasting experts, and former NFL officials, as well as a couple of league owners who might be willing to sell off a portion of their clubs to take on the league’s most important position.
Looking at Week 2, the first of our divisional matchups on the schedule as the Atlantic and Southern Divisions open up intra-divisional play. Some exciting matchups to follow this week as the offensive explosion of the Bandits has to worry the Orlando Renegades, who travel to Tampa Stadium to face Aikman, Moss, Rhett and that Banditball style. Jacksonville is looking good after 1 week and Memphis is looking like they have some big questions to deal with, but can home cooking help the Boats as they host the Bulls? And 1-0 Atlanta has a huge 2nd week test as they head to Birmingham to take on a very annoyed Stallions team after they gave up a final drive score to Denver and lost at Mile High.
In the Atlantic we are intrigued about the Federals-Maulers game. Both defenses played well, but we are just not sure Pittsburgh has any weapons at all to put up against the defending champs. Newly acquired WR Andre Rison did not exactly light it up in Houston, catching only 3 balls all game, and Dorsey Levins struggled to get much on 11 carries. New Jersey is in Baltimore in a matchup of two 1-0 teams that folks are still skeptical about. Will rookie Curtis Enis find running room against the Blitz, and can Baltimore get any run game going with a backfield made up of Derrick Fenner and Carlos King? With NFL star Adrian Murrell still seeking a new contract, could the Blitz go after the NY Jet to boost their run game? Finally, we have Ohio visiting Philadelphia in a matchup of two clubs with new starters under center. Hebert and Collins face off in Philly on Saturday night.
In the Western Conference it is interdivisional play between the Pacific and the Central. We are interested in the Breakers-Invaders game just to see if Oakland and QB Ryan Leaf can move the Invaders to 2-0 or if the Breakers will find more running room against the Invader’s rebuilt D. St. Louis is in Portland in another good matchup. A dynamic offense for the Thunder, and a Knights team built to win on defense. In Arizona, Jake Plummer has to start showing something as the Wranglers do not want to have the #1 draft pick a third year in a row. The Wranglers face off against a Chicago Machine club that lost a close one this week. In Denver the Gold hope to move to 2-0 by knocking off a suspect Houston Gambler squad. Michigan hopes to rebound from a tough opening week loss, and LA simply have to show that their decision to stand pat at QB was not a huge mistake. Finally, Seattle hosts their 2nd game of the year, and hopes for a better result as the Texas Outlaws come to town.