We finally have our first playoff teams punching their tickets to the show as Memphis, Birmingham, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Texas make it official this week. The Blitz get in with their first win thanks to the switch to Jeff Garcia at QB. LA pulled out a major slugfest with a very game Bulls squad to earn their ticket, while Memphis and Birmingham are gearing up for a race to the finish to claim the Southern Division. Pittsburgh is surging Tampa Bay and Michigan seem to be fading, and the fringe of the Wild Card spots is getting crowded with a cluster of 7-6, 6-7 and even 5-8 clubs still in contention.
If you missed the Wrangler-Showboat game in the Liberty Bowl on Saturday night, you are likely kicking yourself right now. This one was just plain fun. Jake Plummer left it all on the field, but Shuler and Hearst kept right there with him all night long. In a game that saw more than 1,000 yards of total offense, Arizona racked up 477 yards, including over 100 yards rushing from their QB (most on a beautiful 75 yard run) while Memphis’s MVP candidate Heath Shuler threw for 458 yards against a Wranglers defense that just did not know what was coming on each play.
The fun started on the first drive of the game, when Plummer hit Rocket Ismail for an opening shot across the bow of the Showboats. Memphis responded immediately with a long drive ending in a Shuler to Adrian Cooper TD pass. The two clubs would then combine for 4 TDs and a safety in the 2nd quarter as this game kicked into overdrive really quickly. First it was Garrison Hearst busting out for a 12-yard TD run, then Plummer found Carl Pickens for a tying score. Arizona got the ball back after a controversial offensive pass interference call on Joe Horn, and we got to see the first of Jake Plummer’s 2 TD runs, a broken play that turned into a 27-yard scamper for a score. Memphis responded with Cooper getting his 2nd TD on a drive that looked like it would finish out the quarter, but when Memphis’s Tydus Wynans muffed a punt the Showboats were stuck with a 1st and 10 at their own 2. The half ended with Garrison Hearst stuffed in the endzone by Broderick Thomas to give Arizona a 23-21 lead at the half.
Memphis retook the lead in the 3rd with a Jeff Hall field goal, but then had a huge mental breakdown. On a 2nd and 3, the entire Memphis defense crashed the line to stop Olandis Gary, but Gary did not have the ball. Plummer had kept it and bootlegged to a totally open right side of the field. He was 30 yards down the field before any Memphis player got within diving range of him, and despite not being a track star, Plummer went untouched 75 yards for a score. You could almost see the veins in Jim Mora’s eyeballs from the press box after that play, but despite the shock of it, the Showboats did recover. They would go on to score the next 20 points in fact.
They pulled within 4 thanks to another Hall kick just before the close of the 3rd, and then in the 4th they added a big play of their own, a 76-yard run and catch by Adrian Cooper, his 3rd TD of the day. That was followed by a solid defensive stance and then a Garrison Hearst 7-yard run. Add another Hall field goal and Memphis had taken charge at 44-31. But this game was not over. Plummer would find Terry Orr with a TD with just over 1 minute left to pull the Wranglers to within 6 points. The onside kick was absolutely guaranteed, and yet somehow the Memphis special teams still messed it up. Arizona recovered a looping kick without it ever touching a Memphis player and with 54 seconds left, they had a shot. Plummer would get them to the Memphis 39, but two straight Hail Mary plays fell to the ground, the one hitting Hines Ward on the hands, but contested by two Memphis defenders. It was close, but no cigar after an amazing performance by Plummer. And it was “skin of their teeth” for the Southern Division leaders as they escaped with a home win in one of the most engaging and thrilling games of the year.
STL 21 PHI 14
Bobby Hebert struggled against the Knights, throwing 3 picks and getting sacked 6 times as the Stars watched their playoff hopes fade. They did get a solid 122 yards from newly-acquired HB Darrell Thompson, but it was not enough as Ahman Green’s 114-yard day helped the Knights move to 8-5.
TEX 44 WSH 28
The Federals defense seemed a shadow of its former self in this one as Houston racked up 327 yards passing and seemingly scored at will. Reggie Cobb contributed 3 touchdowns (2 through the air) as the Outlaws locked up the Central Division with a big road win.
MGN 24 BAL 34
The Blitz switched to Jeff Garcia at QB and got their best offensive game since Trent Green went down. Garcia completed 65.7% of his passes and threw for 2 scores as the Blitz also got a good game from Derrick Fenner. Michigan moved the ball well, gaining 424 yards on the day, but simply could not score when they needed to, with a redzone pick from Flutie and a failed 4th and goal.
HOU 15 PIT 20
In a battle of clubs that win with defense, the Maulers stayed hot and picked up their 3rd consecutive win. The Maulers held Houston lead back Dorsey Levins to only 16 yards rushing and picked off Chuck Hartlieb at a key juncture in the 4th to hold onto a slim but hard-fought victory. Charlie Batch looked solid again, completing 71.4% of his throws and finding both Terrell Davis and Freddie Solomon for scores.
NOR 21 OHI 16
Ohio got caught in a trap game as they clearly looked past the Breakers and let this one get away. Jamie Martin threw for 2 scores and Ricky Williams averaged 4.2 yards per carry on his way to 93 yards and a TD for the Breakers. Ohio at one point was down 21-0 and fought to get back in it, but the deficit proved too big to overcome for a team not built for offensive explosiveness.
CHI 15 NJ 18
New Jersey kept their playoff hopes alive by avoiding another Chicago upset. It was all about defense in this one as neither club did much on offense. Trailing 15-10 in the fourth, Spence Fischer made the play that was needed, hitting Wayne Chrebet with the game winner with 1:04 left to play.
DEN 27 TBY 24
Tampa’s offensive woes continue as they could not overcome the Denver defense and two early TD passes from Brunell to Odessa Turner. The Bandits outgained the Gold 437-353 thanks in large part to 338 yards passing from Aikman (111 of it to Randy Moss on a persona best 11 receptions), but Denver kept the Bandits from turning yards into points, at least not enough points to get the win.
POR 10 ORL 19
Portland watched as Orlando slowly built a lead thanks to 4 Charlie Baumann field goals and a late Terry Kirby TD run. Kirby would be key to this game, rushing for 71 yards on 14 carries 95.1 average) but also catching 6 balls for 92 yards. The win keeps Orlando in a crowded field for a Wild Card, while dropping to 5-8 all but ends Portland’s hopes.
OAK 13 BIR 24
The Stallions were not at their best on Saturday, but it was still enough to get a double-digit win against the Bobby Ross-led Invaders. With Stephen Davis injured, FB Mike Alstott moved to halfback but rushed for only 38 yards in a slow-paced Stallion victory. Dave Brown got the start for a dinged up Cary Conklin, and his rust showed as he was sacked 4 times and completed just over 50% of his throws.
SEA 24 ATL 15
Seattle got back on the winning side of things with a victory at Bobby Dowd. Both clubs struggled to put together long drives, but Seattle got what it needed when Kitna hit Courtney Hawkins late to pull out to a 2-score lead.
LA 41 JAX 35
A really good game for fans that tuned in. LA needed everything they had to outpace a plucky Bulls squad, led by 5 TD tosses from Chris Chandler. TE Steve Johnson had a big game, catching 2 TDs and 6 balls for 84 yards. For LA, it was the run game that helped them get the W, with Antowain Smith and Michael Pittman combining for 117 yards on the day. Add in a 6 for 103 day from rookie Tory Holt and LA came out on top, locking up a playoff spot.
Baltimore Rebounds Big
After a rough 3 weeks in which Wally Richardson simply could not move the offense and the Blitz averaged only 11 points a game (18, followed by 9, then 6), the move was made to replace Richardson and see if the signing of former LA Express (and shortlived Chicago Machine) QB Jeff Garcia could do any better. Well, this week’s game against the Michigan Panthers may have given us the answer. Garcia went 23 of 35 for 283 yards and 2 TDs, which is not going to make him the MVP, but for fans in Baltimore it was certainly enough to inspire hope that when paired with their run game and their solid defense, the Blitz might not be watching their Summer Bowl hopes fading away. Garcia was effective connecting with the Blitz’s outside receivers, with both Rob Moore and Tim Dwight going over 100 yards on the day. He also largely avoided the Panther passrush, sacked only once and pressured into one bad throw leading to a pick. Overall it was a very solid performance, one which the Blitz faithful certainly hope he can repeat as Baltimore hopes to wrap up the Atlantic Division and head into a home playoff game.
Plummer Has a Career Day in Loss
There are a lot of things you can point to as reasons the Wranglers lost that shootout with Memphis, but don’t put the blame on Jake Plummer. Plummer, who currently ranks 6th in the league in QB Rating, certainly helped his cause and his club this week, throwing for 316 yards and 3 scores while also running for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a dynamic 75 yard TD run on one of the best bootleg fakeouts of all time. Plummer was certainly not perfect, completing only 28 of 51 pass attempts, but he hit on big plays, kept drives alive with his feet, and had his club up 31-27 after 3 quarters before Memphis dominated the 4th quarter.
Last Rodeo For a Gunslinger?
Rumors are swirling that this season may be the last for Bobby Hebert. The 2-time USFL champion with the Michigan Panthers spent several years in the NFL before returning to the spring, first with Oakland and now in Philadelphia. But, the time in Philly has not always been easy. His first year went quite well, with the Stars winning the Atlantic and Hebert throwing for 4,560 yards and 25 TDs. He may match those numbers this year, but without the wins to rally behind. To make it worse, he is taking a pounding.
Hebert has been sacked 41 times this year and he does not have the same bounce-back ability he had in his first stint in the league. With Philadelphia doing some soul searching, and with Hebert approaching 40, it is not surprising that he may be wondering if now is the time to hang up the cleats rather than put in another season on what may be a rebuilding club. Of course it does not help his psyche that he has thrown 7 picks in just the last 2 games. That alone is enough to discourage a QB, even one with as much history and experience as Hebert.
Hammering Away in Pittsburgh
It was not long ago when Mauler fans were calling for the head of Emmitt Thomas, with the club sitting at 4-6, near the bottom of the division. But, after the return of Charlie Batch, and what has appeared to be a gelling of the Mauler defense, the club has won 3 in a row, all three against clubs with winning records at the time, and now Pittsburgh is on the cusp of locking up a Wild Card spot. The defense is ranked 2nd in the league for scoring at 18.9 points per game allowed. It is also 3rd in yards allowed, including the #1 run defense in the league. That covers up a lot of issues on offense, and also makes them dangerous when and if they find their way to the playoffs. Terrell Davis is closing in on both 1,000 yards and a possible rushing title. Andre Rison is looking like a solid #1 receiver, and Charlie Batch has returned form an injury that cost him 4 games, looking better than at any other point in the season. Things may just be looking up for the Steel City and for their embattled head coach.
Season Award Races Heat Up
As we come down to the wire this season, playoff spots are not the only battles we are tracking. There are three season award races that are too close to call. With only 3 weeks left in the regular season the MVP competition is clearly a two-horse race between the two QBs embroiled in a division race in the South. Both Brett Favre and Heath Shuler have good arguments to be made. Favre is leading the league with 4,543 yards and 41 touchdowns on the season, with Shuler in 2nd place in both categories, but Shuler leads the league with a 124.0 QB rating. The standard reasoning at this point is that if Memphis holds onto 1st place in the Division, the MVP will go to Shuler, but if they stumble and Birmingham swoops in, then Favre gets the upper hand.
We know that the Offensive POTY will go to whichever of those QBs who is not MVP, but the picture is a lot murkier on the defensive side. It seems a given that even if he wins the Sack race, Phil Hansen is not going to pick up another Defensive POTY. Writers and GMs are just not going to give the award again to an outstanding player on a team that is not going anywhere. If the Generals were a dominant defense, then perhaps he would have a chance, but they are midling right now, and that means that Hansen, for all his individual talent, is not having a huge impact. So, who is in a better position? There are 3 players right behind Hansen with 20 sacks already, Kavika Pittman and Michael Sinclair, both in Houston, and Chris Doleman in Orlando. The fear in Houston is that Pittman and Sinclair will split the vote and a player like Doleman will benefit from that. If the award could be split between two players, the combo of Pittman & Sinclair, known as the “Blackjack Sack Attack” in Houston, should share the title, but the POTY has never been split before. A third Gambler also has a shot at the Defensive POTY, as Ashley Ambrose is only 1 pick behind league leader Izell Reese. He may be a longshot as his 89 tackles are a sign that he is also giving up a lot of catches. Our darkhorse pick if all the DE’s cancel each other out is St. Louis strong safety Rodney Harrison. Harrison sits at 3rd in the league with 102 tackles, many of which are due to his role against the run as much as his play as a pass defender. In addition to his 100+ tackles, Harrison leads all DBs with 7 sacks, which makes sense considering how St. Louis has him playing near the line quite often. Add in 2 picks and 2 forced fumbles, and Harrison may very well be deserving of POTY honors.
Finally, the Rookie of the Year contest may be closer than many think. Yes, a strong case can be made that Cade McNown deserves the nod because of the transformation of the Express from one of the worst clubs in the league to a frontrunner. Clearly McNown has had a huge role in the sudden metamorphosis in LA, and he is currently third in QBR with a rating of 101.2. His 32-5 TD-INT ratio is very impressive for a rookie, heck, it’s impressive altogether. So, no shock if McNown wins this. But, we should also recognize that there are several other rookies making strong cases. WR Donald Driver in Orlando has been a revelation for the Renegades, with 85 receptions for 1001 yards and 6 TDs to date. He went from a 2nd stringer to a spot player to full time starter in just the first few weeks of the year, and he has earned that position each week.
In New Orleans, the hopes for Ricky Williams were really high, and despite the struggles of the Breakers this year, Williams has been a consistent bright spot. His 906 yards have him in the top 5 in the league and have given New Orleans an offensive identity it desperately needed. His odds of winning ROTY are slim since the Breakers are still on the outside looking in at the playoff hunt, and because people still balk at the high price New Orleans paid to sign him.
And, lest we forget the defense, there are a couple of rookies in the defensive mix who may well make All-USFL in their first years and should certainly be finalists for ROTY. DE Mike Rucker in Birmingham has been a beast for the Stallions all season. Racking up 17 sacks so far in his rookie season, he could be a mainstay in the Stallion passrush for years to come. Less highly touted, and perhaps, less recognized outside of his home club, Baltimore’s Tyrone Bell has been a key to the Blitz defense since he took the field as a starter. The speedy CB has only 2 picks this year, but with 83 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 3 recoveries, and 3 defensive touchdowns on the season he has been a joy to watch. He gives up a few too many short balls, but when he guesses right and gets his hands on the ball, he is as dynamic as anyone in the league.
It took until Week 13, but we finally have the first of our playoff spots assigned. No division winners yet (which can only build excitement for the next 3 weeks), but we have 5 teams who are guaranteed a slot in the postseason. LA locked up their first playoff spot since returning to the league in 1995, and the first for a member of the 1995 expansion class. They have a 2 game lead over Denver, so the right results this week could lock them up their first division title as well. Texas is right there with LA at 10-3 and they too have a 2 game lead, with St. Louis at 8-5. Baltimore got in at 9-4 thanks to some tie breakers, but they have two clubs behind them with both Ohio and Pittsburgh sitting at 7-6. A win this week could be huge for the Blitz, but it likely will come down to the final 2 divisional games to decide this. Things are even closer in the South where Memphis and Birmingham are both locked in a tie at 10-3. Both are guaranteed a playoff spot, but both desperately want to win the division and get the coveted Wild Card bye. They have already split their season series, so it comes down to who can go 3-0 with what’s left on the schedule. Memphis has Houston, Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay left to play. Not an easy route to 13-3. Birmingham’s path is a little easier with Michigan, Orlando, and Jacksonville left to play.
The Wild Card race is about as messy as we have seen in years. Yes, either B’ham or Memphis will take one spot of the 8 available, and both St. Louis and Denver look good at 8-5, but beyond that we have a total cluster with 10 clubs at either 7-6 or 6-7, fighting over 5 likely spots. And we cannot even count out some of the 5-8 clubs, though their odds are not great. Pittsburgh is the hottest of the Wild Card contenders after winning their 3rd game in a row this week. Orlando has won 2 in a row to get back in the hunt, while Michigan has lost their last 2 and seems to be losing focus. It is hard to say if Week 14 will clarify anything here, though Denver and St. Louis would do well to win this week to avoid falling back into the pit of 7-6/6-7 clubs.
As we come down to the end of the year and clubs begin to lock in playoff spots or clinch positions, the temptation will be to rest some players. If this week’s injuries say anything it is that the decision to avoid injuries to key players late in the year can be a very necessary one. This week we saw 4 key contributors on 4 likely playoff teams go down, three headed to IR, unable to assist the clubs down the stretch or into the playoffs. RT Jason Odom in Denver is done for the year after tearing his ACL in what appeared to be a non-contact injury. Birmingham lost LB Lorenzo Styles to a hamstring tear, a position the Stallions were already weak in getting just a bit weaker. In St. Louis the concern is for TE Reggie Kelly who is done for the year with a broken leg. Kelly finishes his first campaign with a very solid 59 receptions for 480 yards and 6 TDs. Finally, LA will be without CB Ray Crockett for the next 4-6 weeks. That means he could return if the Express reach the Conference finals, but likely no sooner.
We have a rarity in the USFL, two back to back inter-conference weeks, both scheduled just before the season finishes up with divisional play. This time it is the Atlantic clubs headed out to the Pacific Division and the Southern Squads heading to the Central Division. Games you will not want to miss include Pittsburgh at Arizona, where both clubs need to win to position themselves for a Wild Card. The same is true when Ohio heads to Seattle to face the Dragons. New Jersey’s playoff hopes rest on them getting a W in Los Angeles against the 10-3 Express.
Birmingham is in Michigan and cannot afford a loss as they stay tied with Memphis. Memphis will have a tough game as well as they visit Houston. St. Louis is hoping they can use home cooking to knock the defending champs, Tampa Bay, out of playoff contention in a Championship rematch that may be very heated indeed. Orlando is on the outside looking in, but a win at Texas would move them back to .500 and contention. Washington is in Portland and hoping their playoff aspirations still have life. Baltimore hopes to win 2 in a row with Jeff Garcia at the helm as they face the rudderless Oakland Invaders. Jacksonville is in Chicago and Atlanta visits New Orleans in the two least compelling games of the week with little for any of the clubs to play for.
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