A quick note before we get started. Between work and some travel I do not think I will be able to post the Week 16 story (or upcoming playoffs) any earlier than midweek next week, so take a week off, watch some USFL 2.0 on tv, and we will be back as soon as possible with the thrilling conclusion to the 1998 regular season and what I hope will be a really fun playoff ride.-- Thanks all, Allen.
The playoffs are coming into shape as 4 more clubs punch their tickets, all in the East. Philadelphia wins the division title thanks to a dominant performance over the Atlanta Fire. Orlando, Washington, and Baltimore also clinch spots, though the Blitz cannot be happy with yet another late season loss. Out West it looks like we have a lot to play for in Week 16 as Denver and Portland come down to the wire while 4 clubs fight for 2 Wild Card spots. Meanwhile the LA Express are already scouting QB’s as they are assured the #1 pick in the USFL Draft.
With playoff hopes on the line, the Orlando Renegades and New Jersey Generals faced off in Giants Stadium, both clubs knowing that a win was essential if they hoped to be playing in Week 17. That reality brought out the best in both clubs as the two squads battled to the very end before a winner was produced.
Orlando looked to be on fire early, jumping out to a 16-0 lead before New Jersey knew what hit them. Picking off Spence Fisher on New Jersey’s first drive, the Renegades turned the pick into points, landing a Charlie Baumann FG to open up the scoring. Bauman would have a slip up on his next chance, as Orlando went up 9-0 on a Tamarick Vanover TD reception from Scott Zolak. Baumann would shank the extra point, a weird kick that would fly off to the right. But, later on the kicker would have a chance for redemption.
New Jersey floundered for most of the first half, and when Terry Kirby put Orlando up by 16, things were looking dire for the home team, but a late half rally by the Generals led to a Fisher to Glenn 11-yard TD to put New Jersey back in the game.
The Generals would maintain that momentum in the second half despite a hard hit to the head which forced Fisher out of the game. Tommy Maddox came in and looked solid, catching Glenn for a 2nd TD and New Jersey was back in the game at 16-14. Orlando would respond, with Zolak hitting Vanover again late in the 3rd to expand their lead to 23-14.
In the 4th New Jersey got a Vinatieri FG to pull back within 6. After Orlando stalled on their next drive, New Jersey used 13 plays and 7 minutes to get on the board and take the lead for the first time all game. Maddox hit little-used receiver Orlando McKay on the drive’s final play and suddenly the home crowd was in the game and the Generals were up 24-23. But there were still 3 minutes left in the game and Orlando had been moving the ball well both in the air and on the ground. The Renegades proceeded to take the ball on their own 17 and 6 plays later they were in field goal range for Baumann. With time running out, the Renegades did not even try to throw to deal with a 3rd and 9, they ran the draw up the middle with Kantroy Barber, setting up Baumann for a 39-yarder to win the game. The veteran kicker lined it up and with 22 seconds left on the clock booted it straight down the center, giving Orlando the road win, pushing their record to 9-6 and securing themselves a playoff spot. Dropping to 7-8, New Jersey is now on life support, needing a lot of help in Week 16 to snag the final Wild Card spot.
DEN 28 OAK 25
Denver came into this one on a 7-game winning streak, while homestanding Oakland had lost 2 in a row to fall out of first place. With the win, the Gold had a chance to clinch the Pacific and its bye week as division champ. Denver built up a 28-3 lead over 3 quarters but then had to withstand a late rally from the Invaders, who woke up in the 4th, with Ryan Leaf throwing 3 TDs in the final period, but it was one possession too few and the Gold, despite the scare, hung on to win their 8th in a row and move to 11-4.
ARZ 26 POR 32 OT
The Thunder are keeping the pressure on Denver, even if Oakland is not, staying 1 game back and keeping the Gold from clinching by defeating the Arizona Wranglers to move to 10-5. It was not easy, as a late Carlos Huerta field goal for the Wranglers tied the score and sent the game to overtime. In the extra period, QB Jack Trudeau, back from injury, threw his 2nd TD of the game, a game-winning toss to Webster Slaughter. Arizona is now in need of help to snag a Wild Card, while Portland can win the division with a win in LA and a Denver loss to Seattle.
ATL 3 PHI 41
With a division title on the line the Philadelphia Stars did not mess around, dominating the Atlanta Fire and locking up a bye week and a home playoff game. Bobby Hebert went 34/43 and threw three touchdowns to pace the Stars to a huge win at home. TE Eric Green was his favorite target, catching 8 balls, including 2 TDs.
MEM 28 BAL 16
The Blitz could have kept pace with Philadelphia, but their offense sputtered as Wally Richardson had his worst game of the year, throwing two picks and playing under constant pressure from the Memphis D-line all game. Memphis got a strong game from Heath Shuler, winning the Showboats QB the Offensive POTW with his 350-yard, 3 TD day.
JAX 19 WSH 37
A workman-like win was all Washington needed to move their record to 9-6 and lock up a Wild Card as they rolled over the Jacksonville Bulls. Kordell Stewart had a strong day, throwing 3 TDs, including scoring tosses to both Bill Schroeder and Herman Moore in the first quarter to propel the Feds to an early lead they would never relinquish.
BIR 31 PIT 17
The Maulers had a chance to lock up a spot as well, but their defense could not contain the Stallions as Brett Favre had yet another strong game, throwing for 404 yards and 4 TDs. The Maulers now face a desperate Week 16 game against the Glory. Lose and they could easily be bumped out of the postseason hunt.
HOU 16 TEX 28
A season that once looked very bright for the Gamblers has now taken a turn as their 4th straight loss moves them out of playoff position and into very desperate territory. Texas helps their cause with the rivalry win at home, getting another strong performance from Kelly Stouffer, but also got a solid day in relief from Rodney Thomas, who took over for a dinged up Reggie Cobb and produced 82 yards on 23 carries.
MGN 21 STL 27
The Knights struggled with a perky Michigan Panther squad, but came through late with an Ahman Green TD and a late goal line stand to take the game and move their record to 13-2. Michigan’s Jeff Campbell continued to prove that he is the best possession receiver in the game, catching 9 more balls fo r133 and 2 scores.
TBY 27 OHI 24
Just as with St. Louis, the Bandits struggled early in Ohio, but came through in the end, getting 13 points on their 3 fourth quarter possessions. Troy Aikman added 3 TDs to his league record, now at 54 in the season. With a bye in the Wild Card round, the question now is whether or not Tampa Bay will rest their starters next week, creating a 2-week hiatus.
CHI 13 NOR 27
The Breakers and Machine played before a small but enthusiastic 19,000 in the Super Dome as both clubs look to wrap up the season with some optimism. Chris Miller got the start for Chicago, and had a decent day, but the star of the day was Breaker HB Terrell Davis, who, despite being on the outs with Coach Mike Ditka, was solid in his performance.
LA 23 SEA 26
A pretty good game between two teams most folks have stopped following. Seattle actually remains in Wild Card contention with the win, but will need help next week. They got a solid 28/36 performance from Brian Griese, throwing for 300 yards and 1 score with no picks. LA got 100 yards rushing between Smith and Pittman, but again failed to close out a game.
DANGEROUS FOE
Sure, their defense may be atrocious, and the run game may not be anything to worry about, but if there is one team no one wants to face in the playoffs it is the Birmingham Stallions, and Brett Favre is the reason. In a year defined by the amazing offensive explosion of the Tampa Bay Bandits, Brett Favre and the Birmingham passing game is still one of the league’s most dangerous attacks. Favre is still chasing Aikman’s amazing numbers, but his 49 TD passes tie his own previous record, and he isn’t done yet. Even with Ernest Givens done for the year (and possibly on the verge or retirement),
Favre has put together a one man show on offense. He is likely to finish the year with over 5,000 yards passing and 50+ touchdowns, and he has two receivers already over 1,200 yards receiving and leading the league in TDs scored. Lawrence Dawsey, perhaps the most underrated receiver in the entire league has 66 catches for 1,522 yards and 14 touchdowns, which gives him a 23.1 yard per catch average, right up there with Randy Moss atop the league. He also has Cedrick Tillman with 57 catches for 1,271 yards and another 14 touchdowns. Even 3rd receiver Marcus Robinson could reach 1,000 yards, as he now stands at 815, and he has 12 TDs as well. Oh, and did we forget TE Shannon Sharpe? 51 catches, 689 yards and 6 TDs. If you are in the Eastern Conference playoffs you are just hoping the Stallions’ D is bad enough for them to lose this week, or that some combination of tiebreakers keeps Birmingham out of the postseason because that kind of passing attack could be deadly in the postseason.
SACK RACE
Will Chris Doleman do it? That is the big question in the league’s sack leader race. Doleman has 2 more sacks than reigning Edge Master Phil Hansen, which will put the pressure on in the season’s final week, especially with New Jersey still battling for a Wild Card berth, but even more pressing is that Doleman needs 2 sacks to tie the all time record of 25 set by Hansen and 3 to break it. That may be tough to do. Orlando faces Memphis, and Heath Shuler has not been sacked often this year, and with the Showboats also fighting for a possible playoff berth they will be focused on keeping Shuler in action and upright this week. This could come down to the wire, with Hansen facing Kordell Stewart and the Federals, a mobile QB who also is not often sacked, we may see both DE’s fall short of 25, but it should be exciting to see how they both go after it.
QB Decision
On the other side of the ball, the Renegades are in a spot. Scott Mitchell is listed as probable this week, but do they pull Scott Zolak, who has helped them clinch a playoff spot and has played well, to get Mitchell back in the game? It all may depend on the mindset of Head Coach George O’Leary. He may opt to keep Zolak in this week to allow Mitchell to be at 100% for the Wild Card round of the playoffs, or he may want to get him some snaps in a game that may be important to determine if Orlando plays at home or on the road. Orlando is at home, and perhaps they will give both QB’s some snaps, but with Reggie White opposite either on the line, it may not be worth risking Mitchell, who is expected to be back for the Wild Card game. A tough call for Coach O’Leary to be sure.
So we have 9 of 12 slots now filled, with Philly, Baltimore, Orlando and Washington all punching their ticket this weekend. Of the clubs now in, we see some playing their best ball, like Denver on an 8-game win streak, Orlando and Portland with 4 wins in a row, and Philadelphia not only winning their last 4 but also clinching a bye week. Baltimore and Oakland need to be concerned. Early success helped them clinch playoff berths but the Invaders have now lost 3 in a row, and the Blitz, who held onto 1st place for a good part of the season have lost their last 2 and now will be playing in the Wild Card round.
Looking at the last 3 spots (2 in the West and 1 in the East) we find that Pittsburgh has the easiest path. Win against Ohio and they wrap up the 6th and final spot in the East. Lose and either Birmingham or New Jersey could sneak into the show. There is even a remote scenario where Memphis jumps up and gets that spot. In the West we have 2 spots in play. Texas has a one game lead on the field and can snag no worse than 5th place with a win in Week 16, which would leave Seattle, Arizona, and Houston all scrambling for the newly added 6th playoff spot. A loss by any and we know they are out, but if all 3 were to win, it would be the Dragons that hold the edge. So, what this means is that while we might see St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia rest some starters, with so many teams battling to either get into the postseason or playing to get a home game in the Wild Card round, expect a lot of good games next week, the season finale.
A light week for impactful injuries, which is just what the league wants to see going into the postseason. Among playoff contenders Tampa Bay lost reserve tackle Robert Bahr with a hip injury, Texas tackle Ryan Tucker may also miss the next month with a broken arm, while Philadelphia is concerned for guard Mike Wythcombe, who has a broken nose, though that may only keep him out this week, a game where many starters may be out. Baltimore will be without SS Lawyer Milloy due to what could be either a deep bruise or a hairline fracture in his left leg, while Orlando CB Deon Figures is doubtful due to a hamstring injury. Likely returning to action this week (Probable) are Reggie Cobb (shoulder), Barry Word (elbow), Baltimore DT John Randall (concussion), Texas WR Irving Fryar (also concussion), and Portland FS Vencie Glenn.
HERE WE GO AGAIN?
A bit of a shocker coming out of the 60-Minutes interview with new USFL Commissioner Dick Ebersol, as the soon-to-be-empowered former NBC executive spontaneously brought up the realignment and scheduling issue which ripped the league apart last year. Ebersol, answering a question about NFL-USFL relations spoke to the issue of the offsetting schedules and the difficulty for both leagues to negotiate their off-season signing windows. In doing so he praised the idea put forward and initially approved by the USFL last year to reduce the season to 14 games, but cited that it had been mishandled due to the issues around player compensation.
Could this be a reopening of a pretty fresh wound? It seems Ebersol sees value in a shorter season, but may be willing to work with the USFLPA to avoid a repeat of what happened last year, a labor crisis that ended with the owners rescinding their plan to shift to a 6-division format and 14-week schedule. Ebersol also stated that any adjustments would likely require that the NFL also make concessions, since the move would benefit both leagues. That seems unlikely as the NFL has been set on their current 16-week format for some time now, and while the senior league surely is hurting from the success the USFL has had with signing top college talent, their ratings and attendance have never been better, leading many to suspect that they are in no mood to take a hit simply to help both leagues better poach players one from the other.
BIG CITY SHUTOUT
We talk about this once in a while, but it should be a point of focus for the USFL. Unlike the NFL, which pretty much has the top 30 markets in the country locked up, the USFL is still absent from several key TV markets, a fact which is impacting their TV deals as well as the perception of the league as an equal to their fall rivals. Dallas, Boston, Miami, the Twin Cities, Kansas City, and both Cleveland and Cincinnati are absent from the spring league, while smaller markets like Memphis, Portland, Birmingham, and Orlando are in the fold. While some disparity between NFL and USFL cities is a good thing for both leagues, it certainly cannot be helping the USFL to have these major markets empty. We know of ownership groups in at least 3 of these markets that are eager to see the USFL expand again, with both Dallas and Miami having been players in recent expansion attempts, and we are seeing in several non-NFL markets that stadium improvements or replacement is a huge issue, often not going the USFL’s way as they speak with state and local governments.
With the USFL holding a hiatus on expansion over the past few years, and not eager to add 2 teams (which would throw both scheduling and alignment off) the more likely scenario is that one of these big markets starts making a pitch towards a smaller market club in the league. We know that both Portland and Memphis have stadium issues, and while attendance is solid (as a percentage of seats available) in both cities, and in other smaller markets like Birmingham and Orlando, the ability to generate revenue or to get stadium expansion, improvements, or replacement done, is a factor which could eventually lead a team to consider relocation. However, all 3 of the largest open markets, Dallas, Miami, and Boston have issues. In both Boston and Dallas the issue is an intransigent NFL owner who views the USFL as competitor not collaborator, and who would not be open to sharing their stadium with a spring club. That would force any team in those cities to go to inferior college stadiums, something we already saw fail in Boston with the Breakers back in the early 80’s. Miami is not quite the same situation, but the push there seems to be getting a MLB team, something the city’s population, which has a huge Caribbean population that prefers baseball to football, would seem to support. So for now, nothing is moving, but don’t be surprised if we start to see some pressure from NFL cities to double down on football by trying to persuade a stadium-
Here it is,Week 16 and so much on the line. Here is our ranking of the games not to miss and those that may be of less importance.
1. Seattle @ Denver: The Dragons need to win to get into the dance, but Denver needs the W, their 9th in a row, if they want to lock up the Pacific Division and a much coveted bye next week.
2. Oakland @ Arizona: Oakland is in but has lost 3 in a row. Arizona needs a win and a bit of help to get a Wild Card, but it is still very possible for them if Seattle falls at Denver.
3.Pittsburgh @ Ohio: Will the Glory play one of their rivals tough or is their season done? The Maulers certainly hope it is the latter as they need to win to assure themselves of a playoff spot. A loss and they could easily be out.
4. Memphis @ Orlando: The Showboats have a slim chance at getting that 6th Eastern slot, the Renegades need the win to lock up a home game in the Wild Card round. Expect both teams to go all out for the win this week.
5. Washington @ New Jersey: The Feds are in, but again, the quest for a home game is key for them. For New Jersey only a win, with some help, will get them into the postseason. They will almost certainly be scoreboard watching to see how Pittsburgh and Birmingham are doing.
6. Texas @ Michigan: The Outlaws have not yet locked up a playoff spot, but it is win & in for them. That said, Michigan played St. Louis tough last week so expect them to be a challenge for the Outlaws.
7. Philadelphia @ Baltimore: Had the Blitz won last week, this would have been for the division title. Now, with the division settled, we expect the Stars to play something of a vanilla game, possibly even removing Hebert at the half, while Baltimore wants a home game in the Wild Card round, so they need the win.
8. New Orleans @ Houston: Will the Breakers phone this one in or will they try to play for pride against a Houston team that needs a win and significant help to stop their 4 game losing streak and sneak into the postseason?
9. Birmingham @ Jacksonville: Not a great matchup, but the Stallion have been fun to watch and Brett Favre is playing amazingly in the second half of the season, so expect some offensive fireworks against a Bulls squad that tends to give up the big play on a regular basis.
10. Atlanta @ Tampa Bay: While we expect the Bandits to rest a lot of their starters, they may just let Troy Aikman have the first half to build on his record pace and make a shot at 6,000 yards. He needs 325 to get there, which is not automatic by any stretch, but is possible.
11. Portland @ Los Angeles: This one could be ugly. The Thunder have a chance for the Division Title if Seattle can upend Denver, but the games are being played at the same time, so they have to make quick work of the Express, who have already guaranteed themselves the top pick in the draft with their quite miserable 1-win season so far.
12. St. Louis @ Chicago: Usually an interesting rivalry game between two clubs that play really tough defense, but Chicago’s D has been AWOL all season and the Knights are almost certainly going to put in the B-squad to avoid injury this week, so this game will likely be a snoozer.