The Bandits keep their hopes of a repeat alive with a gutsy performance in St. Louis, edging the Knights to move to 7-7 and within range for a Wild Card. St. Louis was undone by 2 turnovers, and, of all things, a return to the run game for the Bandits, just as we urged them to consider. Errict Rhett did not get a ton of carries, only 12, but the run game proved effective, with the elusive back averaging 6.1 yards on the day. This helped Troy Aikman get some man coverage on his big receivers, with Moss and Brooks both catching 7 balls each and combining for 179 yards and 2 scores on the day. St. Louis stayed close thanks to a solid performance from Jim Miller, going 30 for 43 for 373 yards and finding little-used TE Carlos Etheridge for 2 scores.
St. Louis opened strong, with their first drive of the day leading to an Ahman Green TD run. Green would rack up 43 of his eventual 53 yards in the first half, leading many to wonder why St. Louis went away from him in the second half. Tampa responded with 2 drives leading to Mike Vanderjagt field goals, , but when Miller found Etheridge for a mid-period TD, St. Louis was out to a 14-6 lead.
This score seemed to galvanize the Bandits, who essentially need to win their 3 remaining games to have a legitimate shot at a Wild Card. Tampa got 2 Troy Aikman touchdowns to close out the quarter, the first to their dynamic 2nd year receiver, Randy Moss, and the second to the always dependable Ben Coates. They would go into the half with a 20-14 lead, hoping their defense could contain the Knights and allow them to build on that lead in the 2nd half.
Coming out of the gate with the ball in the 2nd half, St. Louis had other ideas. Miller hit on several big pass plays, including a 42-yarder to Patrick Rowe that put the ball on the 1-yard line. Ahman Green notched his 2nd TD on the day, and it was the Knights back on top 21-20. Tampa again responded with an Aikman to Moss TD toss, his second on the day, but the 2-point conversion failed, leaving the Bandits with only a 5-point lead.
That lead would evaporate by the end of the 3rd quarter as St. Louis mounted a long drive capped off by Etheridge’s 2nd TD of the day, on his way to a career day (7 receptions for 76 yards and 2 scores). The Knights extended their lead to 32-26 early in the 4th with a Ryan Longwell 34-yard field goal. But we all know that a 6 point lead is hardly a safe space for a team to have in the USFL, and the tension of holding onto the 1-score lead was exactly what permeated the final half of the quarter.
St. Louis got a stop on Tampa’s first drive after the Longwell kick, but on a 2nd and 4, the Knights gave Tampa Bay a lifeline when Bandit LB Bobby Houston (set to become a free agent this offseason) punched the ball out of the hands of Chris Howards hands, and Jerry Azumah, a good-looking rookie corner, fell on it to give Tampa good field position with just over 4 minutes to play. Tampa took advantage, moving within the 10-yard line on 3 plays. On 2nd and goal from the 8, Tampa showed pass with a 4-wide formation, but Aikman gave the draw to James Stewart and Tampa’s big back found a crease, broke an arm tackle and took it in for 6. The extra point put the Bandits up by 1 with just over 3 minutes left in the game. St. Louis would have to find a way back, at least into field goal range.
The Knights got the ball back at the 25 after a touchback and Jim Miller connected with Hayward and Toomer to get the ball to the Tampa Bay 34. After spiking the ball, Miller completed a short pass to Hayward, but he could not get out of bounds. The Knights would be forced to burn their last time out just to stop the clock. On 3rd and 9 they brought out Longwell to try the 50 yarder, but when the kick went wide to the left, Tampa Bay could celebrate. Aikman took a knee, and the Bandits were at .500 and within the pool of 7-7 clubs chasing Eastern Conference Wild Cards.
ORL 28 TEX 10
We stay focused on the Southern Division with another club that is making a late push for a Wild Card. Orlando knocked off the Central Division leaders in pretty solid fashion to pull themselves to 7-7 and into the mix. The Orlando D pressured Kelly Stouffer all day, with 2 sacks from Chris Doleman, and 5 overall, and with 4 big interceptions as Stouffer kept forcing the ball into coverage. Deon Figures, the former Memphis Showboat, came up big with 2 picks and one run back for 6 as Orlando got a huge win in their quest for a Wild Card.
BIR 24 MGN 31
On Saturday, Birmingham struggled with Michigan and fell ½ game behind Memphis (who would play the next day), thanks to 105 yards from Panther HB Tyrone Wheatley and 5 sacks from the Panther D. Brett Favre still threw for 357, thanks in part to the return of Ernest Givens (6 for 113) to the lineup, but it was not enough as Michigan got late scores from Jeff Campbell and Butch Rolle to pull out and hold the lead on the visiting Stallions. Michigan, with the win, moves to 8-6 and puts itself back in the Western Wild Card hunt.
MEM 24 HOU 27
Memphis could not take advantage of Birmingham’s slip the day before, as they too fell prey to a hungry Central Division wild card contender. Houston came back from a 24-17 deficit in the final 4 minutes, first with a Dan Campbell score to tie the game and then, after a risky onside kick call, the Gamblers got the ball back and Adam Lindsey nailed a 54-yarder to win the game with only 8 seconds left. The win moves Houston to 8-6 along with Michigan and St. Louis as things heat up out West.
OHI 10 SEA 28
Seattle revived its slim playoff hopes by using home field and a rainy afternoon to knock off the visiting Ohio Glory. Corey Dillon had one of his best games of the year, rushing for 130 and a score, as Jon Kitna and the Dragon offense came alive in the 2nd half to score the game’s final 21 points, after trailing 10-7 at the half. The Dragon D also proved up to the task, sacking Kerry Collins 4 times and limiting Eddie George to only 47 yards rushing as Seattle moves to 7-7.
PIT 20 ARZ 16
The Maulers are looking more and more like a contender as they win again, this time in Tempe. The defense again led the charge, limiting Arizona to only 35 yards rushing and keeping Jake Plummer locked into the pocket. Plummer would be sacked 7 times on the day as Pittsburgh used Godfrey Miles as a spy, keeping the elusive QB from running. Terrell Davis was the catalyst on offense, averaging 5.2 YPC on his way to 93 yards on the day.
WSH 26 POR 23 OT
The Federals are not out of the playoff hunt just yet, also moving to 7-7 with a big overtime win in Portland over the fading Thunder. Down 23-7 at one point, Washington got late TDs from Glyn Milburn and Travis McNeal to pull the game even and then kicked the winning field goal on their second drive in overtime. Portland got 104 yards from Robert Drummond but could not keep Kordell Stewart in the pocket as he kept plays alive with his feet on the way to the record-evening win.
PHI 27 DEN 38
Denver locks up at least a Wild Card spot in the West with a home victory over the underachieving Stars. Rashaan Salaam looked ready for the postseason with 120 yards and 2 touchdowns on the day. Bobby Hebert threw for 303 yards and 2 scores, but Denver simply kept the pressure on all day, scoring on 3 of 4 possessions in the third quarter to pull away.
NJ 12 LA 33
The Express had their biggest crowd of the season on hand to watch them dismantle the New Jersey Generals. Antowain Smith rushed for 80 yards and unheralded Curtis Mayfield led all receivers with 80 yards and a TD for LA. The Express defense, which has had a stunning improvement over 1998, got to Fischer 4 times and picked off three passes to boot. Aaron Glenn led the secondary with 9 tackles, a forced fumble, 5 passes defended and a pick.
BAL 34 OAK 28
Oakland got a feisty performance out of their club this weekend, something sorely lacking in the last few weeks of Dan Reeves’s tenure, but it was not enough as Jeff Garcia again helped Baltimore score over 30 points for the second time in 2 weeks. He got some help as Baltimore’s D scored 3 pick-sixes against a flustered Cary Conklin, two from defensive POTW Donnell Woolford.
JAX 44 CHI 17
Believe it or not, the Bulls are still technically alive for a Wild Card after a crushing victory against an overmatched Chicago Machine club. Terrell Owens, making a push for a new contract, had a big day, catching 9 balls for 152 yards, and Sedrick Irvin looked good both as a rusher and a receiver as Jacksonville took a 27-10 lead at the half and never looked back. They need 2 more wins and a lot of help, but they remain alive for now.
ATL 0 NOR 27
The Breakers shut out the Fire in one of Atlanta’s worst performances of a bad year. Expect to see rookie Aaron Brooks in next week as Eric Zeier could get nothing going for the Fire. Atlanta needs to see what they have in Brooks, because Zeier simply is not proving he can be a permanent starter. For New Orleans Raynard Brown came up big with 8 catches for 112 yards, and Lamar Lathon led a tenacious defense as they harassed Zeier all game.
COACHING DEPARTURES
While we did not have another firing this week, we did get news from two clubs that will likely diminish the impact of Black Monday. Two longstanding coaches are stepping down after Week 16’s games conclude. The first, Portland’s Vince Tobin announced that he would finish the season as Portland’s head coach but will not return in 2000. Stating that he believes it is time to move on and seek other opportunities, Tobin preempted what was considered to be a likely firing later this summer. Expect the former Philadelphia Stars DC to seek a position in that role for someone in either the NFL or USFL next year.
The second announcement came out of Philadelphia, again a preemptive strike from a veteran coach who is likely to be on the chopping block at year’s end. Raymond Berry, who helped guide the Stars to a league title in 1994 as well as 5 playoff appearance, announced this week that he will retire from coaching at the end of the 1999 campaign. Berry has been coach of the Stars since 1993, and to date has a record of 65-46 in that role. He came to the USFL after coaching the New England Patriots in the NFL and serving on several staffs as a position coach (WRs). Rumors in Philadelphia were that the Stars were already looking at a candidate who many view as a means of “returning to glory”, Jim Mora. Not the current head coach of the Memphis Showboats, but Jim Mora Jr., the current Defensive Coordinator for Chicago. Seems odd in a week when the Machine defense was ravaged by Jacksonville to speak of their DC getting a head coaching job, but with the obvious legacy connection in Philadelphia, and a pretty solid resume in the NFL, where Mora has served with San Diego, New Orleans, and San Francisco before following Marty Mornhinweg to Chicago this year, it is not that strange a pick.
HITTING THE MEAT MARKET
In our game analysis we hinted at a couple of players who might be opting to test the free agent waters this year. One who has made his desire to move on very clear is QB Chris Chandler of the Jacksonville Bulls. Chandler has had a decent season, his 5th with the Bulls, throwing for 3,828 through 14 games, with 29 TDs but also 18 picks (not a good number). His tenure with the Bulls has been a bit of a roller coaster, with the club making the playoffs in 1995 and 1997 only to flop the very next season. After a 3-win 1998 campaign, the Bulls seem to be stepping back up again, though are longshots to make the playoffs this year. Chandler has a solid receiving corps and a good young back in Sedrick Irvin, but his relationship with Head Coach Gunther Cunningham, a defensive guy, this year has been bumpy. Considered a 2nd tier QB, but certainly one that a club can win with, will make Chandler an attractive target in free agency, with both the NFL and the USFL. We would not be surprised to see Chandler end up with any number of USFL clubs, with Chicago, Atlanta, New Jersey, and possibly even Houston potentially in the market. With the only other realistically potential free agent QBs being backups like Scott Zolak, Jeff Lewis, Kent Graham, and possibly St. Louis’s Jim Miller, Chandler will certainly be a big target and he knows it.
OTHER POTENTIAL BIG NAME FREE AGENTS
Chandler is not the only name that will attract a lot of suiters. WR Terrell Owens may also be seeking his way out of Jacksonville, and he has made himself very attractive with his on-field performance even if his flamboyant and outspoken personality may not be for everyone. Herman Moore is less likely to move, but Washington is not known as a deep-pockets club, so if he wants a big payday, he may opt to leave the Federals to get it.
Among running bakcs, the big names are going to be Texas backup Rodney Thomas, who certainly believes he deserves a shot at a #1 positoin. Philadelphia got Darrell Thompson in trade from Arizona, but he is unlikely to resign and play behind Charlie Garner, so expect the former Knight, Express, Wrangler and current Star to move on once again.
On defense, Tampa Bay’s Bobby Houston may be a good commodity for a team looking for veteran leadership, though we expect that the market will be higher for Atlanta’s Roman Phifer or Portland’s Mike Vrabel. DT Luther Ellis in Houston may be a tough sign for the Gamblers, who also have to try to resign Michael Sinclair.
Another club with a signing conundrum is Birmingham. With both Lawrence Dawsey and Marcus Robinson due for renewal this year, the Stalliions are almost certainly going to have to make a decision, signing one and letting the other go. Will the stick with the veteran or go for youth with Robinson? Other veteran receivers likely to be looking for a new home are Ricky Proehl in Chicago and Eric Metcalf in Seattle. They are just too expensive for their squads and no longer the threat they once were. Finally, do not be surprised if there is a hot market for interior linemen, with two really good ones, Chicago’s Leo Goeas and New Jersey’s Will Shields likely to seek both financial and on-field success with a new club.
One more team punched their ticket this week, with Denver’s win locking up a Wild Card at worst. Amazingly none of our division leaders were able to clinch this week, so it may be Week 15 before we see those byes start to go off the table. Baltimore, LA, and Texas can all lock up their divisions with a win next week as all three have 2 game leads. Memphis and Birmingham are still neck and neck with both losing this week. Baltimore is hoping both fall at least once so they can sneak into the #1 seed and get home field for the playoffs, but they need to stay on track themselves to make that happen.
Looking at the Wild Card situation, Pittsburgh, Michigan, St. Louis, and Houston, all at 8-6, all control their own destinies. Any of these clubs that goes 2-0 is absolutely getting in and could also end up hosting a playoff game. Seattle needs at least one team from the Michigan-St. Louis-Houston trifecta to fall, preferably twice, to jump up, but they too need to go 2-0 to make it happen. The same is basically true for Washington and Ohio as well, due to bad tiebreakers against Tampa Bay and Orlando, who sit above them with all 4 sitting at 7-7 with 2 weeks left. Again, go 2-0 and your odds are very good. Lose even one game and it may be over. Sounds like the playoffs are starting early for several clubs, and as fans that is good for us to be sure.
Very few injuries to report this week, which has to make teams across the league happy. The Gamblers are perhaps the one club not happy with this week’s injury report as there is a good chance that half of the Blackjack Sack Attack, DE Kavika Pittman, may be done for the year after suffering a tear to his abdominal wall. That is a painful injury that can take a long time to heal, so Pittman may not be available even if the Gamblers make a playoff run.
Pittsburgh also got some bad news as LB Steve Tovar was placed on IR after fracturing his left arm in this week’s action. Again, even with a deep playoff run, he will not be able to return. Finally, Portland guard Eric Still is being shut down for the rest of the year after nagging hip issues grew worse over the past week. He will be considering surgery to deal with a loose chip in the hip over the offseason.
Our third and final Reebok redesign has been released this week, and what better time for a visual refresh than after a year that saw the club rise from the ashes and ascend to the best record in the league. That is what we are seeing from a reinvented LA Express this year, and when next year rolls around the look of the Express will be brand new as well. After 5 seasons with essentially a refreshed version of the 1983 look of the original Express franchise, the new look Express will be going a totally new direction in 2000.
While the Speed Blue, Navy, and silver color scheme will remain the same, the LA monogram will be reduced to a secondary logo (and reworked in a more modern style) so that a new primary logo can be used as a rally point for the growing Express bandwagon. This week Reebok and the Express revealed the new logo, based heavily on the concept of speed. The logo which will adorn the stadium starting with the playoffs this July and will be the centerpiece of the uniform and marketing moving forward is a stylized Hermes/Mercury, messenger of the Greek and Roman gods and icon of speed. The logo features the head and helmet of the immortal speedster in profile, with large wings adorning the side of the figure. Designed as an image that evokes movement, power, speed, and classical grandeur, the Mercury figure will be seen on the new Express helmet and jerseys starting next fall.
The LA logo will also be updated, now as a 2-color logo (speed blue and navy on white backgrounds) with a single motion line streaking across the monogram, separating the two colors. This logo will be used on the front of the jerseys in place of the team’s name found on so many jerseys, and will remain a prominent image of the club, though not as prominent as when its predecessor was the lone logo used by the team.
The uniform will also undergo a significant update, with speed blue replacing navy as the primary jersey color. Navy will still be present in a big way, primarily as the color of the jersey sleeves on the home uniform, following the trend of yokes, side panels, and colored sleeves we have seen in recent years in the NFL, NCAA, and USFL. The helmet remains a metallic silver, but the stripes are now tapered from front to back, with a similar pattern on the pants as well. The club will primarily use silver pants with both jerseys, but a speed blue pant is available for both home and away as well.
Two weeks left and both are down in the dirt divisional games. So many matchups with playoff permutations to deal with, these two weeks should be crazy. Let’s start out West with the Pacific Division. LA Wraps up the division title with a home win against last year’s Cinderella, the Wranglers. Denver has clinched, and is almost certainly a Wild Card, but that does not mean they don’t want to win in Seattle. The Dragons could make their way into the playoffs with some help, so this is also a big game for them.
Portland is in Oakland for a game no one should have to watch.
In the Central the big game for playoff impact is Texas at Michigan. This would be a huge win for the Panthers, who sit at 8-6 and would all but guarantee themselves a spot with a home win here. Texas will clinch the division if they can get the road victory. Houston is in Chicago, and a road win helps them a great deal as well, but the Machine have been playing spoilers pretty well this past month. We finish with St. Louis in New Orleans, where Mike Ditka is feeling the heat. A win against the Knights would be a huge help to his argument to keep the coach in place for 2000.
In the South there are two big stories. Who will win the division, and will either Tampa Bay or Orlando make it in? The Bandits have the path of least resistance, playing in Atlanta for a team likely to start rookie Aaron Brooks just to see what they have in the young man. Orlando’s path to the playoffs is a lot tougher, having to travel to Birmingham to face a Stallion squad that is still in a heated race with Memphis for that bye week. The Showboats are in Jacksonville, hoping that the disarray around Chris Chandler helps distract a Bulls team that has been a threat, even at 6-8.
Finally, in the Atlantic, Baltimore locks up the division with a win at home, against who other than their archrival Washington. The Feds, sitting at 7-7, likely need to win out to have any shot at the playoffs, so this should be a slugfest. Pittsburgh is in good position at 8-6 but cannot take the homestanding New Jersey Generals lightly. The Generals need a ton of help and 2 wins to squeak into the postseason, but they could come out with nothing to lose in this one. Finally, Ohio, losers of 3 straight, need to use home field to get back into the mix. A win against a 5-9 Stars team that has a lame duck coach could be just the thing to get them back on track.