Managed to squeeze one more week in before going silent for the next week. So, Regular season in the books with a very exciting finish, and we will get to the Wild Card Round and the Playoffs starting next week. Enjoy.
Week 16 delivered everything in one amazing, action-packed, heartbreaking, edge-of-your-seat weekend. We had games that likely saved their coach’s jobs, and games that definitely cost a job or two. We had records broken, as well as hearts, and we had amazing turns of fate that kept eyes across the country on the scoreboard as teams jockeyed their way in and out of the postseason. Yes, we had a nother Black Monday to follow, and we will get to that, but first we have to look at the action that made this one of the most exciting final weeks of football in a long time. Instead of our Game of the Week format, we are going to focus in chronological order on each set of games, beginning with the Saturday 12:00pm games in the South, then the 4:00pm Central Division Saturday games, followed by the Sunday 12:00pm Atlantic Divison matchups and finally the 4:00pm Pacific Division games that wrapped the weekend up.
SATURDAY, 12:00 PM GAMES
BIR 21 JAX 18
Birmingham was at one point this season 3-7 and written off as dead, with a defense that could not stop anyone and a one-dimensional passing game. But the Stalliions were finishing the year strong, winning 4 of the last 5, and at 7-8 were in a position to possibly sneak their way into the playoffs thanks to one of the greatest 2nd halfs of a season any QB has ever had. All they needed was a win against 3-12 Jacksonville and a loss by the Maulers and they would have their shot. It did not come easy, but they got the job done.
Jacksonville scored first (Means 1-yard plunge), but Birmingham responded with TDs by Robinson and Stephen Davis. But that pesky Stallion defense lived down to their reputation and on 4 straight Bulls possessions the home team got 3 field goals and a safety to move ahead 18-14. Their defense had held Brett Favre and the passing game largely in check for 3 quarters, but this year being what it was for the Bulls, it could not hold. In the 4th, Favre mounted one strong drive and it was enough. He found Robinson again, for a second score, and Birmingham got the 21-18 win to set themselves up for an anxious day watching the Maulers-Glory game on Sunday to see if their 8-8 record would get them into the postseason, something no team with a shaky secondary wants to see. For the Bulls, the 3-13 season was too much, and on Black Monday Coach Fassel became the scapegoat. He had taken the Bulls to the playoffs in 1997, but the sudden collapse this year was too much for ownership, so he will now be seeking another opportunity.
MEM 31 ORL 24
Memphis spent most of their game in Orlando scoreboard watching, knowing that they would need losses by Birmingham (at the same time), and then both Pittsburgh and New Jersey the next day to qualify at 8-8 for the playoffs. But, to their credit, they played like a team that had destiny in their hands. Orlando played well too, since a win would likely earn them a home Wild Card game, but in the end it was the visitors from Memphis who had a bit more desperation, even as the Stallions’ win ruined their chance for a late run at a Wild Card.
Memphis got 3 TDs from Heath Shuler and a good day of rushing between Garrison Hearst and FB Larry Centers to come from a 24-17 deficit and pull out the 31-24 win. Shuler hit Joe Horn for a game-tying TD with 13:00 left in the game, and then on their next drive it was Hearst who put the Showboats on top. Orlando had gone back to Scott Mitchell after several weeks of Scott Zolak at the helm. Mitchell, while not 100%, played well, going 22 of 39 for 272 yards and 3 touchdowns. This loss means Orlando will travel to their first playoff game, but their QB has shaken off the rust and should be ready to roll. They would now have to wait for Sunday’s Altantic Division games to see where they were heading. For Memphis the win brought them to 8-8, but Birmingham’s comeback meant there would be no prize for equalizing their record. They would be hitting the links next week.
ATL 39 TBY 24
Coach Seifert went for team health over individual records, resting 10 starters for the Bandits, including QB Troy Aikman. Aikman was within range of a stunning 6,000 yard season, but finished with 5,675, which still gets him the league record for yardage, nearly 200 yards more than Jim Kelly’s 2 year-old record. He also finished with 54 TDs, 5 more than the previous record of 49 held by Favre.
With the starters resting, Tampa Bay fell behind Atlanta early, and while they were competitive, they could not match Atlanta’s energy as the Fire played hard for Coach Lewis. Lewis survived Black Monday in large part due to his team’s support, though the win did not hurt. Tiki Barber, hoping to snag the league’s rushing title away from Rashaan Salaam, rushed for 101 yards, which gave him the title at least until Denver would play on Sunday, with 1,206 for the year.
SATURDAY 4:00pm GAMES
NOR 30 HOU 27 OT
In what was clearly the game of the week, at least for gameplay, Houston came in knowing that a win was essential for them to reach the playoffs. With 2 Wildcard spots open, losses by either Texas or Arizona would be enough for them to edge their way into the dance. New Orleans was going another direction. A loss here likely meant the end of Mike Ditka’s tenure as coach of the Breakers. Even a win may not be enough as Ditka was still engaged in disputes with several players, most notably HB Terrell Davis. But, a loss almost certainly meant he would be out.
The Breakers fought for their coach, even Davis, who finished the day with 21 carries for 62 yards. At one point late in the 3rd, the Breakers held onto a 27-13 lead, having outplayed Houston most of the game, but Chuck Hartlieb and the Gambler offense came on strong in the 4th, getting TDs form Brett Perriman and a 1-yard run (following a 22 yard near TD from Antonio Freeman) by little used FB Theron Wilson, tied the game. We went to overtime. In the extra period, both clubs failed to score on their first possession, so it would be whomever could get their kicker into position, and that was New Orleans, thanks to 3 consecutive completions from Jamie Martin to Raynard Brown, Scott Gailbreath, and Herman Fontenot. Lin Elliott’s kick was true, and the Breakers had crushed the hopes of the Gambler faithful, sending Houston to a 5th straight loss, so the once 7-4 club at the heart of the playoff race, ended 7-9 and watching from home the rest of the way. For the Breakers it appears that Ditka will get at least one more season at the helm, but something big is going to need to change for a club that has made the playoffs only once in the past 6 years.
TEX 17 MGN 20
Texas came into the game knowing that with a win they would lock up no worse than the 5th playoff spot, with a shot at a home game if Oakland also lost. Kelly Stouffer had been one of the hottest QB’s in the league over the past month , but on this day Michigan’s defense played with pride and they held Stouffer to only 194 yards and 1 score. The Panthers defense was the big story on the day, limiting Texas to only 273 total yards and helping give Doug Flutie and the offense short fields to play on. They still trailed 17-10 at the half, but shut out Texas in the second half and got the points they needed to upset the Outlaws and finish the year at 7-9, avoiding the dreaded 10-loss season. Texas got help with Houston’s loss, but would still need to wait to see if both Arizona and Seattle won on Sunday. If that happened, they could be out of the postseason alltogether.
STL 38 CHI 24
In a game that had the immediate effect of ending Coach Marty Schottenheimers long run as the head man in Chicago, a St. Louis Knights team that rested 9 of its usual 22 starters, including 5 defenders and its starting HB, still managed to defeat the Machine by 2 touchdowns. Chicago just did not have anything to throw at St. Louis’s B team, while the Knights got 100 yards and 2 scores from rookie HB Ahman Green and 99 yards and another 2 scores from 3rd receiver turned starter Emile Harry. St. Louis opted not to rest Todd Collins and that very well could have been the difference as they got 323 yards and 3 scores from their starter. Schottenheimer stepped down on Monday, joining Coach Fassel of Jacksonville on the Black Monday ritual.
SUNDAY 12:00 GAMES
PIT 6 OHI 9
All the Maulers needed was a win and they were in, but playing in oppressive heat (92 degrees and humid at game time in Columbus) and seemingly lacking any firepower at all on offense, the Maulers failed, costing them a chance at 9-7 and a playoff berth. Instead they came up completely flat, losing in a game that produced no touchdowns, and giving Birmingham the gift they most wanted, a Wild Card slot. Pittsburgh started the game out with 2 scoring drives, taking a 6-0 lead but seemed to melt as the game went on, converting only 1 third down all day. Even their defense seemed to fade as Ohio did just enough to kick 3 field goals in the second half to upend the Maulers and get the win. It was a horrible game to watch, and even worse if you were a Maulers fan. Pittsburgh, 8-6 only 2 weeks ago, needed one win in their last 2 to make the postseason but got crushed by Birmingham in Week 17 and simply had nothing left in the tank this week against the Glory. Despite the win, a 4th straight losing season and a lack of progress over their 1997 season was too much for the Glory ownership who announced the departure of Coach Nick Saban on Monday, the third Black Monday fatality.
PHI 10 BAL 12
As expected, Philadelphia opted to rest several starters on their division title squad, even opting to start young QB Jake Delhomme just to see what he had. Baltimore, still playing with backup Wally Richardson at QB, struggled to take advantage. They again struggled mightily to score, ending the game with only 4 field goals. The win assures Baltimore of 2nd place in the division and a home playoff game next week, but they Blitz do not look like a club built to go far in the postseason, not unless they can get some energy back into their failing offense. The Blitz D was sound, holding a Philly team without Hebert, Garner or Cris Carter to only 257 yards and 10 points, but the Blitz cannot feel confident going into the playoffs even as a #3 or #4 seed.
WSH 30 NJ 0
In what would be Coach Chuck Knox’s final game as a pro ball coach, the Generals simply failed to come through. They knew, after Birmingham’s win on Saturday, that even finishing 8-8 would not get them into the postseason, and they played like a team whose season was done. Coach Knox would announce his retirement the next day, making it clear this was his decision and not a force-out by ownership.
Washington, for their part, played like a team that knew a win meant the #3 seed and a home playoff game. Kordell Stewart went 22 of 27 for 232 and the Federals defense which had carried them to a title in ’97 played like title contenders again, shutting out the Generals and holding them to a paltry 188 total yards of offense. Tommy Maddox, playing for the injured Spence Fisher, was sacked 7 times, including 2 each from Michael Barrow and Tony Brackens as the Federals flexed their defensive muscles ahead of the playoffs. A good thing too, because their opponent in the Wild Car round will be Brett Favre and the Birmingham Stallions who live and die by their wide open passing game. That should be quite a show.
SUNDAY 4:00PM GAMES
POR 20 LA 26
We start with the one game that had no playoff implications, just to build drama. Going into the late games on Sunday, we knew that wins by both Arizona and Seattle would give them each playoff berths and doom Texas to an ignominious exit from contention. For Portland, in this game, a win could give them a shot at the Division title and a bye, but only if Denver lost to Seattle at home. The Thunder seemed to recognize that the odds of that with a title on the line were not good. They played a bit lackluster, a bit vanilla in the playcalling, and they let this one slip away. Robert Drummond was rested for most of the game, ending with only 14 carries and 58 yards, but healthy, unlike last year. Webster Slaughter looked good, catching 123 of Jack Trudeau’s 317 passing yards. Doug Brien, the LA kicker sent the game into overtime with a late kick, and in the extra period, Brent Pease had a pretty easy first drive against a Portland defense that was playing only basic coverages, finding Darnay Scott for the score, and giving LA their 2nd win of a lost season. The very next day, 1st year coach and former Detroit Lions’ head man, found out that it would be 1 and done as his 2-14 season did not have even enough highlights to get him a second year. Back to the drawing board for LA, into the postseason as a Wild Card for Portland.
SEA 10 DEN 36
Seattle needed a road win against the hottest team in football, a Denver Gold squad that has won 9 in a row. It was not mean to be. Denver saw this game as a playoff primer, and with a bye week as the prize, they played top level football in every phase of the game. Rashaan Salaam got just enough yardage to pass Tiki Barber and claim the rushing title. Mark Brunell went 22 of 30 to control the clock, both Jamel Williams and Bruce Pickens returned picks for scores, and kicker Jeff Wilkens had fun in the thin air, kicking 5 field goals as Denver easily won. The loss meant that the longshot for a playoff season ended for Seattle, and cheers rang out from San Antonio as the Dragon loss meant the Outlaws had backed their way into a playoff spot.
OAK 17 ARZ 41
Talk about a team grabbing an opportunity by the throat, that was the Arizona Wranglers. Yes, Oakland had lost 3 games in a row, but this was still an Invader club that was already locked into a playoff spot. For Arizona, a loss last week to Portland mean they came into the weekend needing several dominoes to fall in order for them to have a shot to sneak into the playoffs with a win and an 8-8 record. The Houston loss was the key piece of the puzzle. Texas losing also helped, but they would also need Seattle to lose, and so they watched the scoreboard as the game went on, and as Denver dominated Seattle, the belief among both the Wrangler squad and their fans in the stands began to grow.
This growing belief in their chances showed up on the field, as Jake Plummer willed the club into the playoffs. Plummer went 19 for 33 for 388 yards and 3 scores, including 143 yards to young wideout Hines Ward, and a big game (5 receptions for 78 yards) for seemingly ageless TE Terry Orr. The Wrangler defense also played a huge game, limiting Oakland to an absolutely putrid 19 total yards rushing, though, to be fair, they only tried to rush the ball 8 times as they let Ryan Leaf attempt 45 passes, most in an effort to come back from a deficit. The Wranglers blew past Oakland, looking not only the better team, but a dangerous team to face in the Wild Card round. They will get their chance next week to avenge that loss to Portland as they face the Thunder in the Wild Card round as the #6 seed. Oakland, having slumped into the post season, will host Texas in a battle of clubs that cannot be feeling very confident right now.
Before we look at records and the coaching carousel, let’s take a quick look at the playoff scenarios. Tampa Bay and St. Louis both wrapped up their conference’s top seeds and byes weeks ago. Philadelphia had their division title in hand going into this week, and Denver, with their 10th straight win, locked up the last division title and the bye. These four clubs will rest this week and watch the expanded 4-game Wild Card round. In this round we have Birmingham, a very dangerous offense, facing off against the title-winning defense of the Washington Federals. We have Orlando at 9-7 traveling to 10-6 Baltimore in a game that looks very winnable for the road team. Out West we have a feisty 8-8 Arizona Wrangler squad headed up to Portland to face a familiar foe, while in Oakland, the slumping Invaders face a similarly struggling Texas Outlaw squad. Four games that combine desperation with opportunity. It will be a question of heart, of strategy, and of opportunities grabbed or missed. Should make for a fun weekend of football.
BLACK MONDAY
Yes, we start with the annual ritual of coaching turnovers, and this year is no different as several USFL coaches and teams severed their ties this week. In New Jersey, the horrid 30-0 defeat handed the Generals will now live on as the last coaching job of legendary NFL and now USFL coach Chuck Knox. Knox announced his retirement on Black Monday, after a 3-year stint in New Jersey that saw slow growth (from 4 wins in 1996 to 6 in ’97 and 7 this year) but not the kind of turnaround that the veteran of decades of NFL action expected. Coach Knox leaves New Jersy with an overall record of 17-31 in 3 years.
Wayne Fontes probably wishes he had that record, as his lone season in LA produced a pitiful 2-14 season, 2 games worse than the 4-12 season last year that got Fontes the gig with the Express. After a long tenure in Detroit with the NFL Lions, Fontes bows out of LA after only 1 season and once again the Express, who have never failed to lose 10 games or more in any of their seasons since returning to action as a 1995 expansion team, start over yet again, this year with the #1 overall draft pick and an eye on the big crop of QB’s coming out in the draft pool.
Chicago says goodbye to its famous ex-NFL coach, Marty Schottenheimer, after a 7 year run. Schottenheimer had some success in Chicago, leading the Machine to a division title in 1993, a Summer Bowl run the next year, and another division title the year after that. But, since 1994, the club has slipped, and this year, with a collapse from 10 wins in ’97 down to only 3 in a lost season, the time seems overdue to make a change.
In Ohio, Coach Nick Saban began the year on the hotseat, having failed to move the team to .500 in 4 seasons at the helm of the 1995 expansion club. A 7-9 record in 1997 seemed to be pointing in the right direction, as did the signing of NFL QB Kerry Collins, but this year the Glory never felt like contenders, and another 7-9 season proved to be fatal to Saban as he got his walking papers following the season-ending win over Pittsburgh ( a win, but a sad 9-6 showing). Ohio now heads into the offseason looking for a coach who can turn mediocre results into consistent wins.
And a quick note about the coaches who survived Black Monday. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that New Orleans has opted to retain Coach Mike Ditka, despite a pretty bad run so far in a city that had been accustomed to winning. Coach Ditka has produced only 1 playoff season since coming to the Crescent City in 1994, but their big win this week, combined with a local popularity as a flamboyant man about town seem to have saved Big Mike’s job for now, but if there is any coach who has to make some big changes this offseason, it has to be Ditka in New Orleans. Also seemingly surviving are Birmingham’s Ron Erhardt, who was being questioned about yet another slow start to the year, but the late rally that got them into the playoffs certainly helped his case. Atlanta’s Sherman Lewis looks to be secure for one more year despite the club sliding over the second half of the year into a 10-loss season. In Michigan, there is still some belief that Coach Holtz may be dismissed later on this offseason, as 7-9 was not what ownership was hoping for this year, but for now he is still in the corner office.
RECORDS BUSTED
We have been tracking Troy Aikman all year, and with reason. His season will be one of legend, one Bandit fans hope is paired with the club’s first title since the inaugural seaosn of the USFL in 1983. In this one astonishing season, Troy Aikman has two broken records that few thought anyone, much less the unassuming former UCLA QB, would break.
Most Passing Yards (Season): 5,675 – Formerly 5,417 (Kelly, 1996)
Most Passing TDs (Season): 54 – Formerly 48 (Favre, 1997)
But Aikman was not alone. Brett Favre also broke his own record for TD passes, throwing 51 this season, and now holding 2nd and 3rd place in that category (for the past 2 seasons. What is yet to come?). And if you thought that was impressive, just look at the records for most pass attempts in a season. It had been held by Kelly Stouffer with 690, but not one, not two, but 4 quarterbacks surpassed that total this year, including Robbie Bosco with 692, Chris Chandler with 710, Doug Flutie with 780, and Houston’s Chuck Hartlieb with an astonishing 823. But, when we consider that none of these four QBs and clubs managed to qualify for the playoffs, perhaps the time is now for the USFL to consider greater balance. The league’s rushing leader, Rashaan Salaam did not even crack 300 carries, and with only 1,221 yards on the season he would not crack the Top 20 rushing seasons in the USFL, far short of Herschel Walkers seminal 1,767 yards in 1983.
And while Chris Doleman fell short of breaking Phil Hansen’s sack record of 25 sacks (’96), this is the first season in which 4 different defenders recorded 20 or more sacks, with both Doleman (25 to tie) and Hansen (22) joined by Denver’s Leslie O’Neil (21) and Tampa Bay’s Fred Stokes (20). We also had a record challenged late, the interception record of 10, as a late surge from New Orleans FS Darren Woodson netted him 9 picks for the year, falling one short of Elbert Shelley’s 10 picks last year. In a league where the passing game is so dominant, this is sure to be a record challenged almost every year.
We focus today on only the 8 Wild Card clubs and what they face this week in their injury reports. Which injuries will likely impact games this week?
The most impactful is likely the loss of Shannon Sharpe for Birmingham. While his injury is a minor one (groin pull), it will keep him out of the Wild Card round. And with Ernest Givens not ready to return just yet, Brett Favre will be a couple of key weapons short as the Stallions head to Washington to face that tough Federals defense. Washington is missing several pieces, most notably DT Chris Zorich, but still have most of their starters ready to go or listed as “probable” at worst.
Orlando is down a couple of key defenders as well, with both Deon Figures and Israel Ifeanyi listed as doubtful. They face a Baltimore squad whose major injuries happened weeks ago, and the most recent, John Randle’s is not expected to keep the aggressive DT out of the game.
In Portland, both the Thunder and the visiting Wranglers are in pretty good shape. Portland has been without center Jeff Uhlenake and guard Eric Still for a few weeks now and seem to be compensating well. Arizona should also be able to work around the loss of 2nd TE Matt Cushing.
Finally, in Oakland, the loss of TE Christian Fauria for the forseeable future could hurt an already shaky Invader club. The good news for Oakland and QB Ryan Leaf is that Texas is hurting in the secondary, with SS Mike Minter out and backup FS Ryan Tucker also expected to miss the game. That leaves Texas vulnerable to a multiple receiver attack from Oakland. For the Outlaws the good news is that Irving Fryar, while not 100% is expected to play.
Here is the breakdown of the injury report for all 8 clubs going into next week’s Wild Wild Card Round.
BIR: TE Shannon Sharpe (Doubtful), WR Ernest Givens (Doubtful), SS Darryl Williams (Questionable)
WSH: LB Willis Crockett (Out), TE Travis McNeal (Doubtful), DT Chris Zorich (Doubtful), WR Mike Williams (Doubtful), FB Sam Gash (Probable), WR Bill Schroeder (Probable)
ORL: CB Deon Figures (Doubtful), DE Israel ifeanyi (Doubtful), QB Scott Mitchell (Probable)
BAL: WR Lamar Thomas (Out), QB Trent Green (Out), SS Lawyer Milloy (Doubtful), DT John Randall (Probable)
ARZ: C Gene McGuire (Out), TE Matt Cushing (Out)
POR: C. Jeff Uhlenake (Out), G Eric Still (Out), DE Mark Mraz (Out), FS Vencie Glenn (Probable)
TEX: SS Mike Minter (Out), T Ryan Tucker (Out), FS Rayna Stewart (Out), WR Brian Alford (Probable), WR Irving Fryar (Probable)
OAK: TE Christian Fauria (Out), CB Bobby Taylor (Doubtful), LB Chris Spielman (Probable)
Four Wild Card games to enjoy this weekend. Here is our breakdown:
Orlando Renegades (9-7) @ Baltimore Blitz (10-6)
Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, MD
Saturday, July 11 @ 3:00pm ET
A matchup of clubs that still don’t seem entirely sure of themselves. Scott Mitchell is back under center for Orlando after missing over a month of action, while Baltimore is still rolling with Wally Richardson at QB despite trading to bring Jeff Garcia over from LA. The Blitz tend to win with defense, finishing 4th in the league in scoring defense and are hard to run on (3rd in rush defense), while Orlando’s strength is their balance. They finished the season solidly in the middle of the pack in most major categories, though, 3rd in passing yards per game despite switching between Scotts (Mitchell and Zolak). Keenan McCardell is the main target in the Orlando attack, though Tamarick Vannover and TE Dante Whittaker also get into the action. When Baltimore has the ball the key for their offense will be containing Orlando’s league sack champion, Chris Doleman. Wally Richardson is ok when he has a clean pocket, but that may be hard to come by with Doleman across the line. If Richardson has time, he will likely try to find one of his two solid TE’s Cam Cleeland and Kyle Brady, though it is WR Rob Moore (1,115 yards on 95 catches) who tends to be the home run guy. All in all this could be a hard-fought, low scoring game, which we think favors the Blitz in general, but could easily go either way.
OUTLOOK: We want to call this one a tossup, but our editor won't let us, so we are going with the home team, Baltimore by 1.
Texas Outlaws (8-8) @ Oakland Invaders (9-7)
Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, CA
Saturday, July 11 @ 8:00pm ET
Both these clubs come into the playoffs on a downer, with Texas backing their way in despite losing in Week 18, and Oakland coming in on a 4-game losing streak. The key for Oakland will be the success or failure of rookie QB Ryan Leaf with pressure from the Texas defense. This will be his first pro playoff game, and coming from Washington State he does not have a lot of experience in general with high stakes games. Oakland is 2nd in the league in scoring, and they hope to put some distance between themselves and Texas early to make life easier for their defense. Texas on the othe hand is hoping to keep the ball on the ground, shorten the game by getting Reggie Cobb running, and then use play action to free up Irving Fryar and Carl Pickens deep. The two receivers have a combined 19 TD catches and over 2,400 combined receiving yards. But there is not much behind them. So it is Cobb on the ground as the answer, and to keep Ryan Leaf and the Invaders off the field.
OUTLOOK: We like Texas’s strategy better than putting so much on a rookie QB for Oakland. We think they may also be the better team at this point in the year, so we go with Texas by 4.
Birmingham Stallions (8-8) @ Washington Federals (10-6)
RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
Sunday, July 12 @ 2:00pm ET
This one should be fun. You have one of the most dynamic passing teams in pro football up against a championship defense that can pressure, play good zone, and stuff the run, making any team one-dimensional. Birmingham finished the season 4th in passing, but they are already one-dimensional, finishing the season with a measly 809 yards rushing combined for all backs. So, that means they should expect to see a lot of bull rush from Tony Brackens, Bobby Hamilton and Jerome Brown, and Washington is not afraid to blitz either Michael Barrow or Tracy Scroggins to get to Favre either. When Washington has the ball expect a heavy dose of Barry Word to keep that clock running. If Word can find holes in what has been a very porous Birmingham D, then that makes life a lot easier for Kordell Stewart. Herman Moore is, of course, his main target, but he will also try to find scatback Terrell Fletcher out of the backfield if Birmingham covers up Moore.
OUTLOOK: Brett Favre is a wild card all his own, but he can be turnover prone, and this Federals D is unforgiving. We think defense, and playoff experience for the defending champs, is likely to win the day. Federals by 3.
Arizona Wranglers (8-8) @ Portland Thunder (10-6)
Civic Stadium, Portland, OR
Sunday, July 12 @ 6:00pm ET
Is this a case of one team expecting to be here and one just happy to be invited? That seems the setup as Portland, last year’s Western Conference Champion, hosts an Arizona Wranglers squad that seemed out of contention for much of the season only to rise up at the end. The two faced off only 2 weeks ago, with a lot on the line, and Portland won that game 32-26 at home. They are home again, and they have a healthy Jack Trudeau back under center. But, despite Trudeau’s return, we all know the offense will be run through Comeback Player of the Year Robert Drummond’s run game. As goes Drummond, so go the Thunder. So, it will be up to Broderick Thomas, Barney Bussey, Sam Cowart, and Winfred Tubbs to try to corral Drummond. That can be a tall order. For Portland, their concern has to be Arizona’s passing game. It is inconsistent, but when Jake Plummer moves in and out of the pocket to extend plays, he has weapons. Rocket Ismael had 1,512 yards and 12 TDs this year. TE Terry Orr has still got some veteran tricks up his sleeve, and rookie Hines Ward has started to come on late in the season. Does Arizona have enough to win on the road, or are they just happy to be there? With the 6th best rush defense they could do well against Drummond, if they have their minds in the right place. We suspect that Portland, after last year’s Summer Bowl run, is better prepared to do what needs to be done.
OUTLOOK: We like veteran leadership and playoff experience in this one. Portland by 3.