After two straight weeks of intriguing upsets, the favorites had a very good week in USFL Week 7. It was not always easy but frontrunners in each division looked like frontrunners this week. We will speak later on about just who those frontrunners are and whey they are such a surprise, but first lets see just how this week’s games played out.
We knew this would be a good one and it certainly lived up to the hype. With Randy Moss still working his way back from injury the Bandits offense has not been quite as intimidating these past weeks, while in Baltimore, their revamped defense has been one of the most impressive revelations of the season. That dynamic came into play in a big way in this game, with the Blitz and that defense coming out on top, but only after a late rally by the oft-maligned offense.
Baltimore was able to pressure and keep Tampa QB Troy Aikman off balance all day with a mix of coverages. Aikman completed only 28 of 47 passes (59.6%) which for some teams would be fine, but for Tampa means their offense could not produce as needed. They relied a bit more on Errict Rhett to offset this, but while his 4.8 YPC average was solid, it did not produce the big plays that the Tampa Bay offense thrives on. Meanwhile, Trent Green, settling in to the starting job after missing nearly all of last season with an injury, had a strong performance, completing 25 of 36 attempts for 271 yards and 2 scores. With Derrick Fenner unavailable, the rushing duties fell to rookie Mike Cloud, who carried the ball for only 45 yards on 18 carries, but did break off a 20-yard run on a key drive late.
The game started slowly from an offensive perspective, with only 2 field goals each in the first half, a pace and score which favored Baltimore as they hoped to avoid a shootout. Both teams struggled with penalties in the first half, with 4 apiece, while the defenses both limited opportunities for big plays. The first real shot of the game would come at the start of the third quarter when an effective play fake to Mike Cloud allowed Trent Green to find Tim Dwight for a 34-yard gain on the Blitz’s longest play of the game. That long completion got Baltimore in range and they capped off the drive with Green hitting TE Kyle Brady for an 8-yard TD to go up 13-6.
The Baltimore lead would be short lived as only 3:22 later Troy Aikman would find Orlando McKay for a scoring toss of his own and the game would once again be tied up. Tampa Bay would take the lead one drive later as Aikman, forced to look underneath to receivers like Curtis Marsh, Troy Drayton and Chris Doering, dinked his way down the field on a drive that led to a 27-yard Vanderjagt field goal. It was a slim lead, but Tampa was up in the 4th, 16-13. Baltimore would not answer on their next drive, a 3-and-out, but they would catch a break when on the next possession a completed pass on 3rd and 8 went for 6 yards to Doering. In his attempt to stretch the ball forward, it would pop loose and be recovered by LB Cedric Figaro, giving Baltimore solid field position on the Tampa Bay 38-yard line.
The Blitz offense again struggled, but got the ball close enough for rookie Martin Grammatica to boot home a game-tying 29 yard attempt. With 6:21 left to play we were back to a tie ball game. Baltimore would come up big once again on defense. This time, after a 5-yard Errict Rhett run on first down, Aikman would try to connect with TE Ben Coates, but SS Bennie Blades would break up the pass, leaving Tampa with a 3rd and 5 on their own 25. Aikman looked off a pass to Coates and tossed the ball to Robert Brooks, but CB Donnell Woolford was up to the task, barely missing out on a pick, but deflecting the ball out of bounds to force the Tampa Bay punt.
Baltimore would get the ball on their 37, and it would be up to the offense to put them in position for a winning kick. They would do that and more as Trent Green found holes in Tampa Bay’s zone, first hitting Rob Moore for 7, then Brady for 8, and Cam Cleeland for 5 more. Add in a couple of Mike Cloud runs, and a nice catch by Lamar Thomas and Baltimore was in the red zone. They played it conservative on first down with Cloud diving into the middle of the line, but on second down they used Tampa’s expectation of a second run play to force man-on-man coverage outside. Green faked the dive play to Cloud and lofted the ball towards the endzone. Tim Dwight beat his man and made the catch towards the back right corner of the endzone. Baltimore was up 23-16 with barely over a minute to play.
Tampa Bay would have one more chance, but when Troy Aikman was sacked by Mike Piel on 2nd and 7, it left the Bandits with a tough 3rd and 13 to go. Aikman could not connect with Moss, who was bracket covered by the Blitz, and on 4th and 13 the pass went to Robert Brooks, but Woolford was again up to the task, making a textbook open field tackle of the Bandit receiver 4 yards short of the line to gain.
Baltimore moves to 6-1 with the win, alone atop the Atlantic Division. Tampa Bay drops to 4-3, now 2 games behind the surprising Showboats and now in third with both Memphis and Birmingham ahead of them.
MEM 48 NJ 14
The Showboats retained sole possession of first in the South with a solid trouncing of New Jersey in the Meadowlands. Garrison Hearst rushed for 3 scores and Heath Shuler threw 3 more as the Showboat offense simply overwhelmed New Jersey’s defenses. While Joe Horn led all receivers with 115 yards, it was slot receiver Bobby Olive who cashed in to the tune of two scores. TE O.J. Santiago also came up big, with 4 catches for 86 yards and a score.
BIR 31 OHI 19
Birmingham kept pace with the Showboats by knocking off the Glory in Columbus. Early TD tosses to Lawrence Dawsey and Derrick Walker helped Birmingham build up a 21-0 lead that they would never relinquish. Stephen Davis added 2 TDs as well and the Stallions kept Ohio at bay with defensive pressure, creating 6 sacks and keeping Joey Galloway under 100 yards.
ORL 7 PIT 9
Orlando was not as lucky, falling in Pittsburgh thanks to a late safety given up when Terry Kirby and Craig Erickson bobbled the handoff at their own 2 yard line. The delay in putting the ball away gave the Mauler defense all they needed to bring Kirby down in the endzone and turn a brutal defensive 7-7 game into a 9-7 Pittsburgh win. Pittsburgh relied almost entirely on the D to win this one, with the offense gaining only 194 total yards, but holding Orlando to only 192 and only 3 third down conversions in 15 attempts.
JAX 7 WSH 35
The Bulls looked very much like a 1-win team as they struggled agains the Federals’ defense. Kordell Stewart starred in a somewhat unorthodox way, throwing for 260 and 1 score, but rushing for 110 yards and 4 TDs on the day, one of the best QB rushing days we have seen in a long time. For Jacksonville the run game again looked inept, as Sedrick Irvin gained only 15 yards on 10 carries and Natrone Means was given only 2 carries on the day.
ATL 24 PHI 31
The Fire fell behind early but came back to make it a game, thanks to the return of Tiki Barber to the starting lineup, a week ahead of schedule. Barber rushed for 149 yards and a score against the Stars, but two TDs from Charlie Garner, including a 4th quarter score that gave Philly a 10-point lead, was enough for the homestanding Stars to get the win, their 3rd of the season.
SEA 7 DEN 31
In a key Pacific Division battle, the Gold thoroughly dominated the Dragons, putting up the games first 31 points before a late score in garbage time got Seattle on the board. Former LA Express wideout Dedrick Smith led Denver with 75 yards receiving and 2 scores, while Rashaan Salaam and Ricky Whittle combined for 101 yards rushing, with Whittle actually outgaining the starter 53-48.
OAK 6 POR 22
A nice game from Robert Drummond (136 yards on 17 attempts) helped Portland outpace Oakland. The run game allowed QB Bill Musgrave to survive a 15 of 36 performance in relief of Akili Smith. Oakland’s Ryan Leaf struggled against the blitz, completing only 47% of his throws, with 5 sacks and a pick against him. It did not help that the combo of Abdul-Jabbar and Troy Davis accrued only 30 yards rushing between them.
LA 27 ARZ 20
The Express are proving they are no mirage, knocking off the preseason favorite in the division thanks to 3rd quarter TDs from rookie Tory Holt and veteran TE Tony McGee. With Cade McNown knocked out earlier in the game, it was Brent Pease, the one-time starter, who brought the Express back from a 17-10 deficit in the second half to earn a key road divisional win.
CHI 17 HOU 34
Chuck Hartlieb tossed 3 touchdown passes, all to Derrick Mason, and both Kevin Faulk and Dorsey Levins found the endzone as well as the Gamblers moved their record to 5-2 at the expense of the floundering Machine. Houston controlled the clock, holding possession for nearly 37 minutes in the game, while Chicago converted only 3 of 13 third downs and committed 10 penalties to stall drives.
MGN 14 TEX 34
The Outlaws rebounded from last week’s upset loss by taking care of Michigan early. They got on the board on a pick-6 from Jimmy Hitchcock on the 4th play of the game, and added TD passes from Stouffer to Cobb and Query to build a 21-0 lead after one quarter. Michigan tried to mount a comeback but Doug Flutie’s 2 picks and a whopping 12 penalties by the Panthers made any attempt at coming back a pipe dream.
NOR 31 STL 34
St. Louis’s defense had difficulty with the Breakers as Jamie Martin passed for 337 yards and 3 scores in a surprising aerial assault. Ricky Williams did well to gain 81 yards on only 12 carries, but with 39 pass attempts it was clear that New Orleans thought they had the answer for St. Louis’s defense. But, Todd Collins also found success, throwing 3 TDs. Down 31-24 after three quarters, Collins found Patrick Rowe for a game-tying score with 9:08 left to play and then the Knights added a game winning kick with just under a minute to go to eke out a 3-point win at home.
Let’s start this week’s story round up talking about what everyone is talking about, the stunning situation of the league standings. We have 4 division leaders atop the 4 divisions that no one saw coming. Only Baltimore was even in the discussion of potential playoff teams from this group. Memphis, Los Angeles, and Texas were simply not seen as viable contenders and yet each of these clubs no leads their division and is well over .500 for the year. This is not an instance of a division having a ton of 3-3 clubs, we have Baltimore, Texas and Memphis all with only 1 loss on the year, and LA at 5-2 is also well beyond leading the division because of a fluke tiebreaker. So how are they doing it? Well, each club has their own story. Let’s take a look at all 4:
BALTIMORE: The key to the Blitz’s success is a bit tricky to figure out. While they seem to be solid on both sides of the ball (4th in PPG and 10th in Points against), they are not dominant in any one area. Their best ranking is 9th in run defense, so not exactly a full shut-down defense. Their offense is 12th in total yards as well, so this is not a team that is blowing people away. So, what is working? Takeaways and ball control seems to be the answer. Baltimore is tied for first with a +12 turnover ratio, thanks primarily to only 7 turnovers in 7 games and 19 takeaways. Protect the ball, slow down the game to reduce the number of opposition possessions, and turn mistakes into takeaways and you get wins. That appears to be the formula in Baltimore.
MEMPHIS: Memphis is perhaps the easiest team to figure out. They currently have the top ranked scoring offense in the league, thanks in part to Heath Shuler’s 2,046 passing yards and 17-2 TD-INT ratio, but they also have the third ranked scoring defense, leading to a 32.3 to 16.9 scoring difference, that is 15.4 point margin of victory. Garrison Hearst is running hard, with 349 yards to date, and the combination of Joe Horn and Lawyer Tillman have combined for 52 receptions and nearly 1,000 yards already. The duo also has 11 touchdowns between them, one of the better duos in the league. Coach Mora has himself a legitimate contender that can win with both offense and defense. A surprise, yes, but also a very tough looking team.
TEXAS: The Outlaws are all about the defense, the league’s best, allowing only 13.9 points per game. They are 4th in yards per game, 4th in passing yards allowed, and 5th in rushing yards allowed. This combination of defensive stats has helped them hold 6 of 7 opponents to 20 points or less, with only their single loss to Arizona breaking that trend. The Outlaw offense still has room for growth, but they are 2nd in the league in rushing, which means that they shorten games and make life easier for their defense. Leading the way on defense are LB Levon Kirkland (43 tackles and 3 sacks), LB Garth Jax (6 sacks), and DE John Bosa (8 sacks), but this appears to truly be a team defense, with several players already over 30 tackles for the season.
LOS ANGELES: Perhaps the biggest surprise of the four division leaders. The Express won only 2 games last season and many expected that with a new rookie QB and a lot of youth across the roster, this club would struggle this season. It seems that coach Hall has found a formula for immediate success. LA is currently 3rd in the league in scoring, averaging 29.1 points per game, and they are also 4th in scoring defense, allowing only 17.4 PPG. They seem to be doing it on the front lines, evident in their top 10 rankings in both rushing and rush defense. They are also not beating themselves, with only 7 turnovers in the first 7 weeks of the season, and only 36 penalties called against them (5th in the league). Cade Mcnown’s 88.1 rating is not blowing people away, but his 14-3 TD-INT ratio is certainly keeping Coach Hall happy. Add in 564 rushing yards between Antowain Smith and Michael Pittman and you have a nicely balanced offense.
Can these four remain hot all season, that is yet to be seen, but what is true is that these four clubs are proving that preseason picks are about as useful as a fish with a bicycle. As the saying goes “This is why we play the games”, because what we see on paper is not always what you get on the field.
BACK TO 100%
Robert Drummond is back where he wants to be, atop the rushing leaderboard after 7 weeks. His big week this week pushed him a solid 70 yards ahead of Terrell Davis of Pittsburgh. Portland is going to need him to stay hot as neither veteran backup Bill Musgrave nor rookie Akili Smith have been particularly effective in the passing game this year. Drummond, who averages an impressive 5.3 yards per carry so far this season, is finally looking like the player that all defensive coordinators feared in 1996 and 1997, before an ACL injury took him out and required a long rehabilitation. Younger backs like Salaam, Davis, and Ahman Green are not ready to give up on the rushing title just yet, but for many the return of Drummond atop the leader board is a welcome sign for a player that so many respect and admire.
ROOKIES IMPRESS EARLY
This year’s rookie crop is looking like a good one, with several outstanding performers among the list of first year players in the USFL. Ricky Williams, the player that cost New Orleans nearly an entire draft to get, is certainly proving valuable with 469 yards and 3 scores in his first 100 carries, a nice 4.7 YPC average. Orlando’s Donald Driver has earned a starting job after only a few weeks and now has 513 yards on 45 receptions in his first season. Michigan’s Andy Katzenmoyer has taken over as the MLB for the Panthers and already has 39 tackles and 4 sacks in his rookie campaign. In Baltimore they are ecstatic about the performance of rookie CB Tyrone Bell, who has 40 tackles and a pick-6 so far. But, perhaps the best story of the year is the success of rookie DE Mike Rucker in Birmingham. The Nebraska product has become a popular figure in the yellowhammer state, racking up 20 tackles and 10 sacks in his first 7 games as a Birmingham Stallion. With numbers like that Rucker could be the first defensive player to win Rookie of the Year since sackmaster Phil Hansen did it with New Jersey in 1991.
QB Trouble for a couple of clubs that cannot afford it right now. In addition to losing Scott Mitchell several weeks back, it now looks like Orlando will be without Craig Erickson for at least 1 or 2 weeks after he injured his non-throwing shoulder in this week’s loss. Mitchell is still expected to be out for the same length of time, which means that Orlando will be forced to go with untested John Walsh at QB for the next couple of weeks. The Renegades will also have to move someone to the practice squad so that they can sign a backup for Walsh among the slim pickings in free agency right now.
Jacksonville, sitting at 1-6, may also be without Chris Chandler for a week or two. The long time Bulls QB suffered a hernia this week and will need time to recover. He is listed as doubtful and we expect to see Danny Wuerfel under center this week when the Bulls travel to Atlanta.
Among other impactful injuries Tampa Bay CB Samari Rolle may be done for the year after an MRI proved that his wrist was broken and not simply strained. Washington will miss WR Bill Schroeder for at least 2-3 weeks with a collarbone fracture, while NJ Free Safety Brian Dawkins is listed as doubtful with turf toe.
Possibly returning to action this week (listed as probable) are HBs Siran Stacy (OAK) and Derrick Fenner (BAL), DT Gilbert Brown (SEA), LB Pat Swilling (HOU), and LA Quarterback Cade McNown.
This week we are focusing on contract negotiations around the league. There are several high profile players expected to either sign on the dotted line in the next 9 weeks or brave the open seas of free agency. Some of these star players will be hot commodities if they become free agents, but can their teams afford to lose them? Here is our pick for the player on each club that is the biggest questionmark or the biggest potential loss for their squad.
ARIZONA: WR Carl Pickens—Signed to a 1 year deal this offseason, Pickens has had mixed results in Arizona and may well opt to try the free agency market once again.
ATLANTA: LB Mo Lewis—Leading the league in tackles and the heart of the Fire defense, but the losing has to be getting to Lewis and we could see him holding out for a chance to land on a contender.
BALTIMORE: T Jumbo Elliott—An absolute beast of a run blocker and a key to Baltimore’s trench warfare style of offense. Elliott could be the toughest lineman to sign this year, although a real chance at a title has to make him consider Baltimore as a really good option.
BIRMINGHAM: WR Lawrence Dawsey—Both Dawsey and Erenest Givens are in their final year, but Dawsey has been making some noise that he is tired of being seen as a 2nd option in the Stallion offense. Unless Givens opts to retire this year, Dawsey may seek a new club where he is the unchallenged #1.
CHICAGO: CB Eric Allen—A consistent point of strength on a club that does not have many, the question here is whether Allen trusts new coach Marty Mornhinweg’s plan for the team. At 32, he may not want to be part of a 3-5 year plan to get back to playoff form.
DENVER: DT Dan Saleamua—We all know the Gold are going to break the bank to resign DE Leslie O’Neill, so what does that leave for relative newcomer Saleamua? The big man is turning 35 this year, which also raises some questions. If Big Sal heads to free agency it may have more to do with Denver’s priorities than his own.
HOUSTON: DE Michael Sinclair—Sinclair is having a breakout season, and his pairing with Kavika Pittman has been nothing short of electric. Keeping both in house will make or break Houston’s offseason, which is bad news for other potential free agents like DT Luther Ellis, G Todd Kaliss, and CB Sam Madison.
JACKSONVILLE: Either starting wideout—Both Brian Blades and Terrell Owens are up for new contracts this year, as is QB Chris Chandler. With Jacksonville looking like a club in need of a facelift, either one or both could decide that they are not getting any younger and need to seek out a better chance for a title elsewhere. Considering that wideout is perhaps the one position of strength in Jacksonville, the Bulls need to retain at least one of the duo.
LOS ANGELES: DE Santana Dotson—The sack leader for a rising defense, we chose Dotson over wideout Mike Pritchard as the key player to resign. With the emergence of Tory Holt, Pritchard may be expendable, whereas Dotson is a huge piece of a defense the Express need to keep building.
MEMPHIS: DE Reggie White—Had the Showboats continued to flounder around .500 as they have in recent years there would be a good chance that White might seek greener pastures. With their surprising success this year, their odds of holding onto one of the best defensive players in the game got significantly better.
MICHIGAN: DT Sam Adams—No fewer than 5 defensive starters are on the last year of their contracts in Michigan, but only Adams truly has earned the right to demand top dollar. We expect the Panthers to let 2-3 of the others go if it means keeping Adams happy and firmly entrenched at NT in Pontiac.
NEW JERSEY: K Adam Vinatieri—Honestly the Generals are in great shape, with almost no superstars on their last year. Vinatieri has been a top 5 kicker since coming into the league, and signing him will not break the bank, so the Generals can spend a little in free agency to add some talent this offseason.
NEW ORLEANS: QB Jamie Martin—A lot of folks might say wideout Raynard Brown or LB Donnie Edwards are more vital to the Breakers, but the QB Market is a tough one and behind Martin the Breakers have only Bobby Hoying and Gus Frerotte, so they cannot feel confident that they will have a true starter if they let Martin go. He will demand dollars well above what his production has merited, so there may be pressure to let him walk and take a shot at an NFL or USFL free agent. If Ditka is out after this year, which is a distinct possibility, then maybe even a rookie like Marshall’s Chad Pennington or Louisville’s Chris Redman may be an option, but not one that will turn things around quickly for the Breakers.
OAKLAND: LB Chris Spielman—Decision time in Oakland. Is this a club that needs to reboot once again? And is the LB Corps a place to do that. Spielman has been a solid player in Oakland, but he has not brought about a significant improvement in the defense, and the Invaders have a lot of needs in a lot of areas. Resigning the MLB may not be a top priority for them.
OHIO: WR Joey Galloway—Without at doubt one of the few superstar talents on this club. Despite the fact that Galloway is an Ohio guy, unless the club can compete either on the field or with the checkbook, it may be hard to convince the speedy wideout that staying in Columbus is in his own best interest.
ORLANDO: C Kevin Mawae--Another club without a lot of big name players on their final year, the Renegades would be wise to resign their pivot to a long eterm deal. The 27-year old Center is the key to their line, and while other free agents like HB Terry Kirby or LB Dexter Coakley have not exactly lit things up in Orlando, Mawae has been a consummate professional for the ‘Gades.
PHILADELPHIA: G Ruben Brown—Yes, resigning HB Charlie Garner is important, but Brown is at the top of his class and would be a far less expensive resigning. Garner is simply easier to replace, while a stud in the center of the line, and a 25-year old one at that, is pure gold. Philly needs to upgrade across the skill positions but keeping their line intact is another top priority.
PITTSBURGH: T Zach Wiegert—Pittsburgh has 4 of its 5 starting lineman on the final year of their contracts. So we could have listed any of them. Honestly, we think they need to retain at least 3 of them to have any chance of coherence for next year, but LT is always the key position, and the one that will require the most cash to lock in, so that is our pick here.
PORTLAND: CB Torin Dorn—The easier pick would be either of their Free Safeties, Mike Dumas or Vencie Glenn, but with 2 to choose from we think one will be locked in soon. Dorn is a tougher case. He is their best corner and while at 31 years old he is not a spring chicken, he has good years ahead of him.
SEATTLE: HB Corey Dillon—Dillon has not had the production many expected, but he has improved every year in Seattle, with 951 yards last year and a pace that would put him over 1,000 this year. With growth in several areas of the squad, holding onto a bellcow back seems a necessity for the Dragons.
ST. LOUIS: LB Trev Alberts—There are a lot of defenders who could bolt St. Louis, but none would be more damaging to the Knights defense than Alberts. A leader on the field and in the clubhouse, they need his energy and skillset to keep this defense aggressive and agile. If that means losing out on others like DT Mike Lodish, CB Steve Israel, or fellow LB Darrin Smith, that may just have to happen.
TAMPA BAY: DT Rollin Putzier—With most of the potential free agents in Tampa on the defensive side of the ball we had to choose between Putzier, LB Bobby Houston, and SS Chris Crooms. All three are valuable, but we feel that the DT position is harder to replace and Putzier is more valuable to the club than even their vocal LB leader.
TEXAS: HB Rodney Thomas—How could a backup HB be the most important free agent to hold onto? Well, when you consider Reggie Cobb’s age, and you see how Thomas is used in the Texas offense, we think it is key for the Outlaws to retain him. Sure, LB Levon Kirkland or G Larry Allen would be good choices too, but we expect there to be a handing off of the HB torch very soon, and you want someone who can receive that torch and immediately take off.
WASHINGTON: WR Herman Moore—As much as some of our staff wanted to say QB Kordell Stewart, especially after his amazing 5 TD (4 rushing) day this week, everyone also agreed that Moore is the face of the franchise and an elite talent that the Federals cannot afford to lose. If Stewart were to leave, there is some confidence that the combo of Scott Zolak and Brock Huard could step up, but at wideout, Moore is pretty hard to replace.
Midseason is upon us and we celebrate with a full slate of Week 8 divisional matchups. In the Altantic it is surging Pittsburgh heading to face division leading Baltimore. Philly and Washington clash at Veterans Stadium, with the winner improving to 4-4. New Jersey and Ohio are also hoping for a win that will push them to 4-4 as well. They will battle on Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
It’s a battle for Central Florida when Orlando visits Tampa Bay on Saturday Night. The Renegades can move to 4-4 with a road win, but they will have to do it with a 3rd string QB at the helm. Memphis takes their 6-1 record to arch rival Birmingham, in a game that may bring a crowd of over 60,000 to Legion Field. Jacksonville and Atlanta clash in a battle of 1-6 clubs that cannot be eager to end up 1-7.
The Central Division clashes look brutal as 6-1 Texas visits 5-2 St. Louis in what be a very low scoring slugfest. Houston takes their 5-2 record into Michigan, where the Panthers need a win to return to .500. Chicago at 1-6 visits 2-5 New Orleans in a battle of clubs trying to find their way forward.
And finally, the Pacific matchups feature upstart LA visiting the 4-3 Seattle Dragons, with a share of 1st place on the line. Arizona and Oakland enter their clash in Northern California at 2-5 and needing a win to get on the right track. Meanwhile 3-4 Oakland will be at Mile High to take on the 4-3 Gold.