We have reached the midpoint of the USFL season and what a first half it has been. Teams no one saw coming are atop the divisions, squads we expected big things from are struggling, it is not 100% topsy turvey, but it is certainly not what we expected. We will take a look at our preseason picks and make some adjustments, but first, let’s look at the action from this week as we prepare for a wild second half to the year.
An overtime thriller between two bitter rivals as 61,344 crazed fans (of both teams) filled Legion Field for a midseason battle between the first place Showboats and the 2nd place Stallions. What we got was exactly the kind of high stakes game that makes pro football so much fun. Both Heath Shuler and Brett Favre had big games, with Shuler going over 400 yards passing and Favre outdoing him by passing for 524. Neither team got much on the ground, but through the air this was a spectacle, one that only ended in extra time as the Stallions pulled off the much-needed win against Memphis and moved into a tie for first in the South.
The game began with Memphis having the upper hand. Within 3 minutes of kickoff league passing leader Heath Shuler found Lawyer Tillman for his first score of the day. After what would be a rare stop on Birmingham’s first possession, Memphis doubled up the score when Shuler again found Tillman, this time not on a short pass like their first score, but a 72 yard backbreaker of a play that left the Stallions’ faithful in shock. Memphis would add a field goal as the 2nd quarter began and felt somewhat good about a 17-0 start against the Stallions.
But, we all knew this game was far from over. Birmingham all but abandoned the run game and put the ball in the hands of its MVP quarterback, Brett Favre. The Stallions’ offense responded and Favre hit Tyree Davis from 7 yards out to put the Stallions on the board. A late field goal would pull Birmingham within 7 at 17-10 as the game went to the half.
Memphis started the second half much as it had started the first, adding 10 points to their total to go up 27-10 thanks to a 28-yard field goal from Jeff Hall and then another big play against a somewhat suspect Stallion secondary, with TE Adrian Cooper going 73 yards for the score to put Memphis up 27-10. Once again Birmingham responded, scoring the final 17 points of regulation to tie the score. The star of the second half was wideout Lawrence Dawsey, who caught Favre TD passes of 20 and 35 yards on consecutive drives to get the Stallions within 3 points at 27-24. On the final drive of regulation the Stallions used Dawsey as a decoy, and dumped the ball off to Stephen Davis for what would be a huge 52-yard pass play on 3rd and7. The Showboats D used a Reggie White sack of Favre to force Birmingham to kick for the tie, and they did just that, sending the game to overtime.
Memphis never saw the ball in the extra period as Birmingham, having won the toss, marched down the field in rapid succession, 18 yards to Walter Reeves, 9 yards to Kez McCorvey, 13 to Dawsey, and the final 6 yards, the winning 6 yards to Marcus Robinson. It was a blistering comeback and a thrilling win for the Stallions, who take over a share of first place and look like a team to be reckoned with. Favre finished the day with 524 yards passing and 4 TDs, winning the duel with Shuler and thrilling the home crowd.
ORL 6 TBY 10
If the Showboat-Stallion matchup gave us just what we expected, the Orlando-Tampa Bay battle was quite a shocker. With Orlando forced to go with their 3rd string QB everyone and their uncle expected a Bandits blowout, but the Orlando defense kept Aikman and the Bandits in check all day. Aikman would pass for only 177 yards, 8 fewer than the unheralded John Walsh. But, Aikman had only 1 pick, and Walsh tossed 3, including a fatal one late in the game that led to the winning field goal by the Bandits.
JAX 42 ATL 7
The battle to escape the Southern basement was about as one-sided as a game can get. Atlanta, despite a solid 70 yards rushing from Tiki Barber, could do nothing while Jacksonville seemed to be able to score at will, with 2 TDs from Danny Wuerfell and 3 rushing scores from Sedrick Irvin. This was an ugly loss for the Fire, who simply do not seem to be able to get out of their own way.
NJ 10 OHI 31
In one of the bigger surprises of the week Ohio looked like a legitimate playoff squad as they reached .500 by upending the visiting Generals. A 21-point second quarter gave them a 25 point lead at the half. Galloway had 118 yards receiving and 2 scores to lead the Glory offense, while Robert Massey won defensive player of the week with 10 tackles, 6 passes defended and a huge pick-six to wrap up the win for the Glory.
PIT 6 BAL 27
The Maulers were expected to challenge the Blitz, but when QB Charlie Batch injured himself in Friday’s practice, they had to turn to rookie Sean King, and that did not go well. Baltimore slowly but surely just kept adding points to the scoreboard while Pittsburgh struggled to put anything together. The Maulers finished the game just 2 of 10 on third down and with only 59 yards rushing as Baltimore shut them down across the board.
WSH 28 PHI 16
After a shaky start to the season the Federals seem to have found their feet and move back to .500 with a road win in Philadelphia. Kordell Stewart kept to the pocket this week and that also worked for him, throwing 3 TD passes and completing 24 of 34 attempts. Barry Word added 65 yards on 8 carries, and the defense, while allowing 307 yards passing, kept Bobby Hebert out of the endzone. The win moves Washington into solid playoff contention at midseason.
TEX 10 STL 34
It was the game that those who love defensive football had been waiting for, with two of the league’s best defensive squads facing off. St. Louis got the upper hand early, with scores from Bert Emmanuel and Ahman Green providing a 14-point lead. They would then shut down both Kelly Stouffer and Reggie Cobb to keep Texas at a comfortable length all game.
HOU 20 MGN 31
Michigan was a home dog to the Gamblers, but showed that they are still a big cat thanks to a solid 282 yard-3 TD day from the diminutive Doug Flutie. Add in a solid 78 yard day from Tyrone Wheatley and you have enough firepower to outpace Houston, which relies too heavily on defense to win games. Houston only ran for 37 total yards and that meant that Michigan could pursue Chuck Hartlieb all day.
CHI 6 NOR 27
The Machine again proved that they may be the worst team in the league, producing only 188 total yards. It was a performance that led the club to immediately make a big move to change things up (see below). For New Orleans, a solid 92 yard day from rookie HB Ricky Williams allowed Jamie Martin room for play action and the veteran connected on 3 scoring tosses to easily upend the Machine.
POR 13 DEN 10
The Thunder were outgained and outplayed most of the game, but their defense kept Denver out of the endzone and kept them in the game until one key play allowed them to take the W. Denver was frustrated by unforced errors all day, missing on open receivers, getting big plays called back by penalties, and simply not executing against a weakened Portland offense with Bill Musgrave at the helm. Musgrave had only a few good throws all day, but one of them was a TD toss to Webster Slaughter that would produce a W for the Thunder, who have now won 4 in a row after starting the year 0-4, evening their record.
ARZ 31 OAK 20
The Wranglers are hoping this win springboards them back to a possible playoff run, while Oakland seems to be fading fast. Ryan Leaf was injured in the 2nd quarter and longtime backup Cary Conklin came in to try to rally the Invaders, but his rust was evident. Meanwhile Jake Plummer’s 296 yards, 109 of which wen to Carl Pickens, was the catalyst for one of the better offensive games of the year for Arizona.
LA 48 SEA 20
Those who still doubt the Express this year may want to watch the replay of this game. The Express looked solid in all 3 phases, and rookie Cade McNown looked like he had full grasp of the Express offense, throwing for 333 yards and 4 touchdowns against a midling Dragon defense. Darnay Scott caught 2 of those 4 TDs, but Tory Holt and Mike Pritchard also contributed, combining for 180 yards and 2 scores between them as the Express raced past the Dragons and now hold a 2-game lead in the Pacific.
MOVING THE DECK CHAIRS?
We will get to our midyear reevaluation in just a moment, but with midseason comes a major push for coaches and GMs to save their jobs, and that means midseason trades designed to kickstart things. Usually these are clubs adding a piece needed, or upgrading a key position, but occasionally, like this year, you get something a little bigger. Most of the trades this week were fringe adjustments, but there were some interesting moves that could mean more. Let’s start with the big one.
Chicago & Atlanta Trade Signal Callers
Fed up with the miscues and missed opportunities, both Atlanta and Chicago opted to shake up their quarterback situation. We had speculated for weeks that Chicago might move on from Jeff Garcia as the starter, and with Atlanta benching Jeff George 2 weeks ago, the writing was on the wall that the former NFL top pick was not long for the Peach State. Well, this week both clubs tried to address this pivotal position on their clubs. In a somewhat unprecedented midseason deal Atlanta sent former starter Jeff George to the Chicago Machine and in return received a mid-round draft pick as well as promising young QB prospect Aaron Brooks. What does this mean for each club? Well, we expect Chicago to start George as soon as he has a chance to absorb even a portion of the playbook, likely in Week 10, with Alex Van Pelt taking over this week. They have already cut Jeff Garcia, a somewhat awkward move, but one they felt they needed to make. In Atlanta we believe this is the coaching staff’s endorsement of Eric Zeier as the starter for the remainder of the season. In Brooks they get a project, a solid player, but one not ready to start at this point in his career, so the position seems to be Zeier’s, and we will see how that plays out for the rest of the year.
New Orleans Hopes to Boost the Passing Game
It is well known that this season could easily be Mike Ditka’s last. He barely hung on to his job last year, and the remarkable trade made to secure the #1 pick and Ricky Williams has placed a lot of pressure on this year for immediate results. A 3-5 record at the halfway point is not good enough for the Breakers’ coach, to be sure, and so this week he and the front office made a move to improve their passing game and provide Jamie Martin with another weapon. New Orleans sent backup receiver D’Wayne Bates and a 5th round pick to Oakland to acquire wideout Johnnie Morton, a good route runner with some speed who could fit into the slot right away and eventually push for the #2 slot on the team. For Oakland this is a sign that they are looking to rebuild a bit around Ryan Leaf. The Invaders have issues on both sides of the ball, so an extra pick may be of more value to them than Morton has proven to be. In the short term this will mean that rookie Marty Booker moves into the #2 slot in Oakland. Booker has had some good games in his first year, and this week’s 6 catch, 77 yard performance clearly left Oakland with a good feeling about the young receiver.
Stars Look for More Explosiveness
Another trade of receivers as the Stars hope to improve their offense and provide Bobby Hebert with some dynamic playmakers. Denver sends two wideouts, speedy Kevin Dyson and untested Alex Van Dyne to the Stars, receiving a 2nd round pick as well as backup possession receiver Germaine Crowell from the Stars. Dyson has only 7 receptions for Denver this year, his second in the league, but as a rookie he was something of a revalation, catching 94 balls for 1,133 yards. It is somewhat surprising that Denver would part with such a dynamic receiver, but with Odessa Turner and former Express wideout Dedrick Smith occupying the top two slots, Dyson’s value was diminished. Denver will now likely go with either Lloyd Hill or promising rookie Peerless Price as the third option in the passing game. In Philadelphia, Dyson immediately moves into the #2 slot behind Cris Carter, pushing Troy Brown into the slot position, though it is likely that the two will split work inside and on the outside. Van Dyne will likely only see limited action for the Stars just as he did with Denver, and could contribute on special teams.
Ohio Making a Push
Two moves this week seem to indicate that Ohio wants to make a push to get into the upper half of a pretty congested Atlantic Division. First, they signed NFL castoff and former Breakers wideout Qadry Ismail to a 1-year deal. Ismail was thought to possibly be returning to New Orleans, but after a rough departure from the Ditka-led Breakers he opted instead to join Ohio after being released by the Miami Dolphins last month. Ismail cleared the NFL waiver process, making him a true free agent, able to be signed even outside the NFL-USFL transfer window, a rarity in recent years. Ismail will be lined up opposite Joey Galloway in hopes of relieving some of the double coverage the former Buckeye receiver has seen, or, if not, creating a tough single coverage matchup for defenses too used to blanketing Galloway.
The other move made by Ohio this week is to improve a mediocre pass rush. DE’s Alonzo Spellman and Cedric Harden have a combined 8 sacks on the year, and Ohio has often resorted to using blitzes to create pressure, exposing their secondary. This week they traded for Seattle’s top DE John Copeland. Copeland has 5 sacks for the Dragons this season, and has had double digit sacks over several seasons in Seattle and Birmingham. He will rotate, most likely with Spellman, and be used frequently on third down passing situations to pressure the QB. Seattle, for their part, picks up a 3rd round pick in next year’s draft and puts some depth in their D-line by adding Lamar King from Ohio. King is likely a bench player, meaning that the two primary DE’s in Seattle will now be Steve Bates and Lorenzo Bromell, with Joe Johnson and King rotating in as well. That is not exactly a murderer’s row for the Dragons, with Bromell and Bates combining for only 4 sacks in 1998. Is Seattle going to make another move to improve that group or are they now going to be a heavy blitz club? The latter seems likely with Takeo Spikes being the most likely candidate to serve as a 4th or 5th rusher on passing downs. Gilbert Brown locks down the center of the 3-4 defense in Seattle, but unless they add more to the pass rush, the Dragons seem to have a weakness when it comes to QB pressure without Copeland. We will see if they opt to do something in the next 2 weeks before the trade deadline.
SECOND HALF PREVIEW
Time to look ahead, clean off our clearly tarnished crystal ball, and see if perhaps we can actually get some of our picks right as we head down the stretch. Looking ahead, division by division, this is what we see, hopefully a bit more clearly than we did earlier this year.
ATLANTIC
While Baltimore was predicted by many to be a playoff contender in the Atlantic, it is safe to say that no one thought they could have a 3-game lead on the division after 8 weeks. After watching the division struggle to compete at a level we thought they would, and particularly the collapse of the Stars, We feel pretty confident that Baltimore will maintain that lead over the second half.
Washington is coming on and we see them as the 2nd best club. After that it is a crapshoot and any one of the other 4 clubs could make a second half surge to move into playoff position. The problem is they are likely to keep knocking each other off. We are picking New Jersey to just barely edge the others and snag the 6th seed at 8-8, but it honestly could be any one of the 4 clubs in the pack.
SOUTHERN
Birmingham and Tampa Bay were thought to be the two who would battle it out at the end, and while we love what Memphis has done, we still see those two pulling ahead over the course of the season. Memphis is still a very strong team and should easily qualify for the playoffs after a 6-2 start.
Orlando is a bit of a mystery. We had high hopes for them, but they have been forced to use 3 different QB’s in the last month, and if that kind of issue lingers, they could easily fall out of contention. As for Jacksonville and Atlanta, we think they are going to be playing for draft position and to see what talent they have by Week 12 or 13 because we don’t see either one stringing together wins to get back in this.
CENTRAL
St. Louis has caught up to Texas and we think they are a smidge better than the Outlaws on offense, which can make the difference as the two battle it out down the stretch. Houston is fading just a bit, and they have offensive issues to sort out as well.
We still see all three reaching double digit wins and a playoff spot, but watch out for Michigan. If they can string together some good games from Flutie and their run game, they could sneak into this picture. New Orleans likely has to reach 8-8 to save Coach Ditka’s job, and with their erratic play that seems unlikely, and Chicago, well, best not to dwell on Chicago right now. It isn’t pretty in the Second City.
PACIFIC
This is the division that is just causing us all to scratch our heads. The 2-14 LA Express from 1998 did change a lot of personnel, but for them to be 6-2 and 2 games up on the field right now in the Pacific is just astounding. If Coach Galen Hall does not win Coach of the Year, it may lead to riots, because he is a slam dunk right now.
Behind the Express we find a mishmash of inconsistency, but of the clubs in that quagmire, we still like Denver to come out of the mix and end the year with a winning record. And since we picked Arizona to win the division, we are still clinging to a belief that they are better than they have played thus far, and can sneak in at 8-8 as they did last year. Portland and Seattle just do not have our confidence right now, and Oakland clearly looks like a team that needs to find its path. Could this be another short tenure in the USFL for Dan Reeves? Right now it sure looks that way.
The second half of the year opens with divisional games out west and with all 6 Atlantic clubs traveling to face Southern Division foes. Starting with the Pacific Division we have a huge game to determine how quickly the division title will be settled. 4-4 Denver already trails 6-2 LA by 2 games, a win for the Gold would bring them back in striking range, a loss could all but wrap up the title for the surprising Express. Portland is also 4-4 after turning around their 0-4 start with 4 straight wins. They are in Arizona, where the 3-5 Wranglers are hoping to turn their season around and get back to the playoffs. One more 4-4 club in the division, Seattle, will host a disappointing 2-6 Oakland squad. A win for the Dragons would keep them in the thick of the playoff chase, especially if LA falls to the Denver Gold.
In the Central the big drama is in Houston where the Texas Showdown looks to be a really good matchup of tough defenses. 6-2 Texas will face off against the 5-3 Gamblers with a possible 3-way tie for first on the table. That possibility depends on a Houston win, but also an unlikely result in another rivalry game. Chicago, likely with Alex Van Pelt at the helm at least for 1 week, is hosting the 6-2 Knights. It would be a huge upset for the Machine to pull this one out. The last game in the division is a mid-table matchup between 4-4 Michigan and 3-5 New Orleans. We will have to wait and see if new wideout Johnnie Morton will start for the Breakers, but we know Michigan will prepare for him either way.
In the Eastern Conference, the best matchup is the rematch of Summer Bowl 1998, with the 4-4 Federals getting another crack at the Tampa Bay Bandits. Both Washington and Tampa Bay are trailing the leaders in their divisions this year, but their fans still think they both have what it takes to make a run to the top of each division. Another club hoping to make a run is the Pittsburgh Mauler squad that sits at 4-4. They have a tough matchup as they head to Birmingham to face the 6-2 Stallions and one of the most explosive offenses in the league. The other 6-2 club, Memphis, has their own mid-table contender from the Atlantic in town as Ohio visits the Mid-South to face the Showboats and top rated QB Heath Shuler.
The leader in the Atlantic, Baltimore (7-1) is in Orlando, where the Renegades are being coy about who will start at QB for them this week. Both Scott Mitchell and Craig Erickson are listed as questionable, meaning either or both are a 50/50 proposition to take the field. If neither can go Orlando may be in trouble starting John Walsh against that nasty Blitz defense. The final 2 games in the East are less dramatic, though both could impact playoff positions down the line. The Philadelphia Stars (3-5) are in Jacksonville and cannot afford a loss to the 2-6 Bulls if they want to get into the mix. New Jersey, sitting at 4-4, needs to string together some wins, and starting with the 1-7 Atlanta Fire seems a good place to begin a run.
Comments