So what did we get from the USFL this week? Well, perhaps one of the wildest offensive games ever, including a new record for passing yards and 10 passing TDs in one game. We also got an overtime showdown for St. Louis, and several games with huge playoff ramifications. In other words, it was end of season football in the USFL. What else do you expect?
We had a feeling this weeks matchup of Invaders v. Bandits would be a shootout, but even we could not have imagined what we got. Just leave the punters home because they were not needed in this one. Tampa Bay and Oakland were both unstoppable on offense, with the two combining for 998 combined passing yards. Troy Aikman set a league record with 574 yards in the air, including 5 TDs as he completed 33 of 40 attempts. Across the field, rookie Ryan Leaf tried to keep pace, with 424 yards and 5 scores of his own. Randy Moss had 184 in the air but no scores, while Ben Coates added 120 with 2 scores, Errict Rhett caught 2 TD passes and for Oakland both Henry Ellard and Christian Fauria had 2 scores apiece, while Ed McCaffrey scored once and led the Invaders with 139 yards receiving. It was just up and down the field all day, on almost every drive of the game, a game that needed overtime and, yes, a TD pass to end with a Bandit home win.
The game was even throughout, with both teams trading scores throughout the entire 60 minutes and into an extra period. Rather than try to walk through every one of these scores, let’s sprint.
3:11 in 1st: C. Fauria 17-yard TD 7-0 Oakland
0:04 in 1st: E. Rhett 7-yard run 7-7
13:04 in 2nd: R. Sparkman Pick 6 14-7 Oakland
2:44 in 2nd: B. Coates 9-yard TD 14-14
0:16 in 2nd: Vanderjagt FG 14-17 Tampa Bay
11:43 in 3rd C. Fauria 19-yard TD 21-17 Oakland
5:55 in 3rd: E. Rhett 1-yard TD run 21-24 Tampa Bay
1:28 in 3rd: J. Nedney FG 24-24
0:21 in 3rd: R. Brooks 2-yard TD 24-31 Tampa Bay
11:33 in 4th: H. Ellard 16-yard TD 31-31
7:42 in 4th: E. Rhett 3-yard TD 31-38 Tampa Bay
2:53 in 4th: H. Ellard 5-yard TD 38-38
1:39 in 4th: E. Rhett 4-yard TD 38-45
1:29 in 4th: E. McCaffrey 75-yard TD 45-45
10:12 in OT: B. Coates 5-yard TD 45-51 Tampa Bay
Yes, you read that right, 4 TDs for Errict Rhett, 2 in the air and 2 on the ground, and 10 total TD passes in one game. It was a thing of beauty, unless you are a defensive coach that is. Oakland had the early lead but by the end of the 2nd quarter the game was one of catchup for the Invaders. Every time the evened the score Tampa would respond and take the lead again. That works in regulation time, but once you get to sudden death overtime you cannot play catchup, and that is what ended the game for the Invaders, a really tough loss considering how well so many players performed. For Tampa Bay, the win solidifies their standing as the odds-on favorite to take the title this year.
STL 27 NJ 21 OT
If any team is going to be able to stop Tampa Bay, it is the Knights, who also took a game to overtime to get a win. The Knights were in New Jersey, where Spence Fisher avoided mistakes and had New Jersey up 21-18 late in the 4th, but the Knights did just enough to get Ryan Longwell into field goal range to end regulation, and then in overtime Collins found little-used TE Carlos Etheridge for the game winner as the Knights move to 12-1.
NOR 6 BAL 22
Baltimore looked every bit the division leader as they easily dispatched a New Orleans team that expected much more this season. Wally Richardson continued to play well, and the Blitz also got 93 yards from former Arizona Wrangler Derrick Fenner as they shut down New Orleans and took a comfortable win to move to 9-4.
HOU 22 PHI 27
The Stars kept pace, 1 game behind Baltimore, by fending off the Houston Gamblers at the Vet. Charlie Garner had a very nice game with 122 yards and a score on 17 carries. Bobby Hebert threw for 319 despite being constantly harassed by the Houston front 4 (7 sacks on the day). Houston had the lead until a final minute TD form Hebert to Brown gave the home team the W.
CHI 10 PIT 17
The Maulers also stayed in the playoff picture but struggled against the Chicago Machine. Chicago had a shot lae, but a costly interception by Alex Van Pelt ended their attempt to force overtime. Andre Rison was the star for the Maulers, bringing in 10 receptions for 125 and 2 scores on the day.
MGN 10 WSH 38
The Federals D manhandled the Panthers to stay over .500 at 7-6. Doug Flutie threw 2 picks and Tyrone Wheatley was limited to only 26 yards rushing, while Kordell Stewart completed 20 of 31 passing for 217 and 3 TDs as the Federals cruised to a comfortable home win.
TEX 24 OHI 17
We wrap up games with Atlantic squads with Texas outlasting Ohio in a battle of teams fighting for relevance. Reggie Cobb rushed for 113 and Carl Pickens caught 6 for 91 and a score to lead the Outlaws. Ohio got a good game from Eddie George with 113 yards on 13 carries, but it was not enough in the end as the Outlaws pulled away at the end and took the win to move to 6-7.
POR 28 ATL 24
Portland got their 8th win of the season on the strength of a balanced offense, with Drummond running for 82 yards and Musgrave, still playing for the injured Trudeau, throwing 2 scores to only 1 pick. Jeff George led the Fire, but their running game was held in check, leading to some long 3rd downs and one two many 3-and-outs for the Fire offense.
ARZ 28 BIR 17
Just as the Stallions start to feel feisty, they lay a complete egg against the Wranglers. Arizona converted only 1 third down attempt all day, but still managed to win on the basis of big plays, the biggest of which was a 91-yard TD from Plummer to Rocket Ismael in the first quarter. Stokes and HB Tim Lester added TDs of their own and Brett Favre threw for only 165 before a wrist injury forced Danny Kanell into the game.
DEN 31 JAX 6
The Gold look like a team ready for the postseason as they get their 9th win of the year on the road in Jacksonville. Mark Brunell threw for 314 yards and 3 scores to pace the Gold. In an amazing statistic, Denver rushed the ball 33 times while Jacksonville only attempted 4 rushes all game. Hard to win with that level of imbalance on offense.
SEA 20 MEM 17
Seattle got a solid game (414 yards on 34 of 57) from Brian Griese, and Memphis struggled with only 65 yards rushing as the Dragons got the road win. The combo of Dillon, Potts, and Loville gained 111 on the ground for Seattle, and wideout Courtney Hawkins had his best game of the year, 7 for 132 and a score.
LA 9 ORL 33
Another rough day for the Express as Brent Pease was sacked 5 times and the run game produced a lot of nothing. Memphis got 4 field goals, a pick-6 and scores from Kantroy Barber and Terry Kirby to pull away and cruise to the win, putting them 1 game over .500 and in the thick of the Eastern wild card chase.
We are going to use our Story section to focus on something a lot of folks are already talking about, a possible record setting QB draft in 1999. With several teams already in the market for an upgrade at QB, and with potential retirements creating even more opportunities, this could be the year we see as many as 6 or 7 QB’s come off the board in the USFL’s first round. Not since the epic draft of 1993 have we seen as many college QB’s rated so highly, and with a lot of possible QB needs across the USFL, this could be a year to go for broke in the draft and hope you get a franchise player. So, how do we look at this. Let’s go in draft order (as it currently stands) and determine which teams are in the market and which players may just fit the bill.
LA Express: A very likely 1st overall pick, which means they could take any QB they want. At the top of our draft chart is Kentucky’s Tim Couch, which might work for the Express, but they have a homegrown option out of UCLA who could also fit the bill and at half the salary cap hit. Don’t be surprised if LA goes for the bargain and looks to sign UCLA’s Cade McNown to be the next Bruin turned USFL starter.
Chicago Machine: Are the Machine in the market for a signal caller. Alex Van Pelt has had a very erratic year, Chris Miller almost immediately got injured, and the team is desperately in need of a shot in the arm, so we think the answer is yes. They have a ton of needs as their defense has completely fallen apart, so they may bypass QB and go another direction, but if they want a QB we think the best fit is someone like Syracuse’s Donovan McNabb, a big, strong, but mobile QB with a ton of experience.
Jacksonville does not seem to have QB as a high priority, but Chris Chandler is not getting any younger. We think a mid-round pick might be a good option to back up Chandler for a year and then maybe get a shot to start. Two mid-rounders that could be good options for Jacksonville are local kid Duante Culpepper of UCF, and Tulane’s Sean King. Both need some time to mature, but both have skill sets that could develop into solid USFL talent.
New Orleans and Atlanta both seem set on their QB’s, with the Breakers getting solid performance from Jamie Martin and Atlanta having gone big to bring in Jeff George this past offseason. So that has us moving past them to the next potential QB hunter, the Seattle Dragons. Again, not a club with a dire need, as they like what they have seen from Jon Kitna, but they might take a flyer on doubling up their Huard factor. Damon has been a backup his entire career with the Dragons, but his brother, another UW Husky, Brock Huard looks to have more upside. It would not shock anyone to see both Huard brothers in Seattle next year.
Memphis is set with Shuler, Ohio and Birmingham also look like they are not focusing on QB, so the next possible target is Michigan. The Panthers have Doug Flutie, who has put up big numbers, but translated them into wins. If they feel he might be a season or two from retirement, they could go for a QB this year to groom someone behind him. The best fit in that case would be someone like Tim Couch, though he might cost a pretty penny to snatch away from the NFL. Perhaps a better option, maybe in the 2nd or 3rd round, would be Kansas State’s Michael Bishop, whose game could align well with Flutie’s dual threat capabilities.
We are getting to the top half of the league, which usually means no QB issues to be had, but there are a couple of potential options here that we might consider. In Portland Jack Trudeau has been showing his age, and the injuries seem to mount up. Bill Musgrave has been solid in relief, keeping the Thunder’s playoff hopes alive, but even with some good games under his belt, if Trudeau were to retire, we think that might trigger Portland to go after another local talent, again at half the salary cap hit. Akili Smith, from just down the road in Eugene, is an athletic, dynamic playmaker who could really excite the Thunder fanbase.
Finally, the last team we think will likely look to go QB, and who may move up in the draft to do so, is the Orlando Renegades. The combo of Scott Mitchell and Scott Zolak has been decent, but neither one has lit the world on fire, and if Orlando believes they are only 1-2 players away from a possible title run, then they have to consider an upgrade. Tim Couch, Duante Culpepper, or maybe McNabb could be very tempting for the Renegades.
While Tampa Bay and St. Louis can all but cruise their way home, things are a lot tighter everywhere else. Denver and Oakland are tied up at 9-4, with the Gold having won 6 in a row, while Oakland’s untimely loss to Tampa Bay cost them first place on a tiebreaker. Portland is only 1 game back and right now Houston is holding onto the final Western playoff spot by 1 game over Seattle, Texas, and Arizona.
In the East, Tampa Bay has won all they can win, and has now locked up the #1 seed as well. Baltimore has a 1 game lead in the East, with Philly right behind them and only 1 more game back at 7-6 we have Pittsburgh, Washington, and New Jersey. Orlando has a shot to be the 2nd club from the South to make the playoffs, but they need help as Atlantic teams knock each other off. The final few weeks are likely to shake this tree up a bit as we have more divisional games to slow down some of the clubs and propel others up the standings.
A rough week for receivers as both Seattle and Philadelphia lose key contributors down the stretch. In Seattle it is slot receiver Bobby Olive, who will need surgery after an ACL tear, while rookie Germaine Crowell is out for Philadelphia for the forseeable future with a groin pull. In Pittsburgh the concern is for tackle Zach Wiegert, who appears to have a hairline fracture in one of the key pivot bones in his right foot. Whlie in Michigan it is back to wideout concerns as Muhsin Muhammad could miss the rest of the season with a fracture in his right leg. Orlando was hoping Scott Mitchell could return to action next week, but doctors are not happy with his progress and expect at least another 1-2 weeks of recovery. Memphis will be without TE O.J. Santiago for at least 2 weeks due to swelling in his knee, while Michigan fullback Lorenzo Neal is out with a hamstring.
With the news last week that Reebok will be replacing Nike we know that the Oregon-based sports company is on their last year working with USFL clubs to redesign uniforms and in some cases logos as well. Despite the end of the contract coming up, Nike has 2 more clubs to complete and dress for 1999. We have seen the changes coming to the Pittsburgh Maulers, a pretty significant uniform overhaul but only minor tweaks to the team logo.
That is not the case for the Portland Thunder. This week Nike revealed the 1999 look for the Thunder and it comes complete with an entirely new logo. Let’s start with that revelation and then talk about the uniform. Since their creation in 1988 the Portland Thunder have used a somewhat cartoonish cloud with lightning bolt logo as their primary. The logo in navy, sky, and gold did not contain the signature neon lime which was such a revelation for the club and became the signature element of their uniform, making it a best-seller nationwide. The new logo incorporates the green and also introduces a new interpretation of the team’s name. The new Thunder logo features a swinging hammer producing a lightning bolt, captured within a framing circle of motion lines. The hammer, an allusion to the famous thunder-creating hammer of the Norse god Thor, is primarily navy, with sky as highlights in the handle, and with a golden lightning bolt trailing behind. The entire logo is surrounded by an electric lime aura, adding the team’s signature color to their helmets for the first time. Apparently this will be a total swap out, with the former cloud-bolt logo not making an appearance anywhere on the uniform.
That uniform continues to heavily feature electric lime as the primary color, at least for the home jersey. What is new for the jersey is the use of sublimation to create a gradient on the sleeves, where the lime which is dominant on most of the jersey slowly morphis into a bright yellow down by the cuffs. The rest of the elements, navy numbers with white outlines and sleevel logos instead of stripes, remains very similar to their prior look.
The road uniform features two significant changes, the first of which is the use of gradient once again, in the sleeves, shifting from yellow to lime, but also in the numbers, which have the same 2 colors as a gradient, and surrounded by a navy outline. The second change is in the pants, with a new navy set to go along with the white set. Both sets have a yellow-lime gradient stripe. On the navy pants this is the lone stripe, while on the white set thick navy stripes outline the gradient. Sky blue is all but absent from the uniform except for appearing in the logo itself.
It is a bold look, and initial reactions to the new Thunder-Hammer logo have been overwhelmingly positive. There are even some hoping that if Portland can make a return trip to the Summer Bowl they may just debut the look early, though Nike seemed to indicate that this was not permitted by the current contract between the league and the uniform & merchandise manufacturer.
Week 14 has the Eastern Conference in divisional play, and the matchups, at least in the Atlantic Division, are looking really engaging. First place Baltimore takes their 9-4 record on the road to face the tough D of the Pittsburgh Maulers, while in Philadelphia the New Jersey Generals are hoping to make up some ground if they can knock off their rivals at their home. Washington is back at RFK to face a feisty Ohio Glory squad hoping to hit .500 with a win this week.
In the South what looked like a killer matchup earlier this season may not be that close as the Bandits are in Birmingham to face the Stallions. But, Birmingham can score points, which is a threat to the Bandits as it appears that a shootout is the only way to beat them these days. Finally Orlando hopes to get safely over .500 with a road win against the 3-10 Bulls in Jacksonville.
Out West the best matchup is one that focuses on two strong defenses as 9-4 Denver heads into St. Louis to take on the 12-1 Knights. St. Louis has wrapped up the #1 seed, so you have to wonder how focused they will be against a Gold team hoping to continue their 6-game win streak and put some space between themselves and the Oakland Invaders. Oakland is also on the road, but with what looks like a much easier task, a matchup against the 2-11 Chicago Machine. Portland @ Houston should be a good game as both clubs are still embroiled in the Wild Card battle. Seattle still has faint hopes of a playoff spot, and will be tested in Michigan by an experienced, if underperforming, Panther squad. Arizona can reach .500 if they can win in New Orleans, as can Texas at home against the likely #1 draft position LA Express.