Week 3 in the USFL proved to be a week of burst bubbles as Ohio, Birmingham, Los Angeles, and Seattle all saw their unbeaten streaks end at 2 games. This leaves, Michigan, Memphis, Texas, and Houston as upstart 3-0 clubs, alongside St. Louis who is not sneaking up on anyone. On the flipside, we also saw Philadelphia, Jacksonville, New Orleans, and Oakland earn their first wins of the year. But that still leaves 5 clubs still searching for their first win of the year, with Arizona, Pittsburgh, and Portland all scratching their heads, while Chicago and Atlanta really cannot be too surprised by their situation. There is still hope for the 0-3 teams, and even the 3-0 clubs cannot get too cocky this early in the season, but what we are seeing so far is some clubs overachieving based on our preseason estimations while others have yet to gel and are dangerously close to becoming also-rans before they figure things out. However, even with the storylines not matching what we thought we would see, we are still seeing a lot of good football, so let’s dive right in with our game of the week, a gutwrenching overtime loss at home for the Portland Thunder.
This was a wild one, a game where neither club, both sitting at 0-2, could afford to take another loss. It is also a game that saw the home favorite blow a 17-0 lead to a club not known for its comeback ability. This matchup also featured two of the most highly touted rookies to sign with the USFL, and the two that their clubs traded away a lot of draft capital to obtain. It was Ricky Williams for the Breakers against Akili Smith for the Thunder, but it was also Williams taking on the 2-time rushing champion, Robert Drummond in a battle of big backs, and a coming out party for a former Mauler who now steps in as the clear #1 receiver for the Breakers.
We started off by teasing that Portland somehow blew a 17-0 lead, and that is absolutely what we all saw. They got on the board thanks to their run game, with both Robert Drummond and 3rd down back June Henley finding room on the ground and finding the endzone. New Orleans did get on the board with a field goal late in the first half, but then immediately boosted the Thunder when Jamie Martin threw a pick-six to CB Corey Sawyer. So, rather than 17-0, the half saw the score at 24-3, a 21 point deficit.
But, as so often happens, the halftime adjustments led to a massive swing of momentum. New Orleans came out of the half invigorated and Martin began to atone for his earlier mistake. He hit Az-Zahir Hakeem with a short TD on the Breakers’ first drive and then brought New Orleans to within 7 by hitting Horace Copeland for a 2nd score in the 3rd quarter. From a 21 point lead, Portland now had only a 7 point margin.
Despite his success in the 3rd, or perhaps because of it, Martin was not error free, and once again as the 4th quarter began, he made another huge mistake, tossing a second pick-6, this time to Portland’s newest defensive acquisition, FS Mike Dumas. The 43-yard return put Portland back up by 14 with only 8 minutes left in the game. Martin responded again, finding game-leading receiver Raynard Brown from 18 yards out to again pull within 7. Brown would finish the game with 138 yards on 10 receptions, but this one was by far his most important catch of the day.
New Orleans lined up for a deep kick, but caught the Thunder daydreaming when Lin Elliott pooched the kick and it was recovered by backup HB Eric Pegram, one of Portland’s better special teams players. This flub by Portland gave New Orleans exactly what they needed to finish the game strong and send it to overtime. Martin used runs by Williams (72 yards on the day) to help position the offense for a final push, and with one more nice toss to Hakeem the game was tied. Portland, stunned by the late score, seemed content to let the game run out, handing the ball off to Robert Drummond on consecutive plays instead of going for a late field goal.
That decision proved to be a huge error as New Orleans won the toss and never let Portland see the ball in overtime. The Breakers used short passes and the running of all 3 of their halfbacks to move the ball deep into Thunder territory. On a 1st and 10 they faked the ball to Ricky Williams, drawing all the defenders to the right of the line and out of position when the ball was flipped instead to James Bostic, who had an easy romp 8 yards into the endzone for the game winner.
It was a humiliating loss for Coach Tobin and the Thunder, a huge win for Coach Ditka and the Breakers. With the defeat Portland falls to 0-3 and questions about the decline of a club that had recently had Summer Bowl aspirations were starting. Many felt that the transition to Akili Smith would require a retooling, after all his skillset and that of 1998 starter Jack Trudeau are very different, but it remains the defense (and in this game, the special teams) which seem to regularly let down the Thunder. For Big Mike one win is not enough to prove him right to go after Williams, and he will need to get Jamie Martin to avoid those big mistakes, but a win is a win and he will certainly take it.
TEX 24 SEA 20
Our GOTW was hardly the only solid matchup of Pacific and Central clubs, as we had several good games on the weekend. Texas and Seattle both came into the weekend undefeated, so we knew someone was going to come away at 3-0. Thanks to 328 yards and 3 touchdowns from Kelly Stouffer, that someone was the Outlaws. Seattle was handicapped by yet another injury to Jon Kitna, leading to Brian Griese again getting the start. It was a rough one for him, despite Seattle hanging around all day. Griese completed only 41.7% of his passes and was sacked 6 times, including 2 from Texas’s dynamic LB Jevon Kirkland, the POTG thanks to his 2 sacks and 10 tackles.
MGN 34 LA 31
Another matchup of unbeatens saw 2-0 Michigan head out to LA to play the 2-0 Express. Both clubs availed themselves nicely in this one, as the game went back and forth all day before a Winslow Oliver run put the Panthers up for good. In his third game as a pro, Cade McNown threw for 3 scores, but also 2 picks, while for Michigan the story was TE Butch Rolle’s 96 yards receiving. Known more as a TD-scoring red zone guy, Rolle proved invaluable as the Express double covered both Muhsin Muhammad and Jeff Campbell all day. Despite taking the loss, we had to give LA wideout Mike Pritchard our POTG because his 144 yards, 9 receptions and 2 scores helped LA stay in this game until the waning moments.
STL 37 ARZ 31
The Wranglers, desperate to avoid 0-3, did their best against that St. Louis defense, and they found some holes, gaining 374 yards on the day, but the Knights found more in the Wrangler D, racking up almost 450 yards passing on one of Todd Collins’s best days under center. Collins would be POTG and POTW thanks to 448 yards passing and 5 TDs. While his favorite target was Bert Emmanuel (14 receptions on 16 targets, for 179 yards and a score), rookie TE Reggie Kelly also played a big part, catching 9 balls for 66 yards and a score. The leading rusher for Arizona was actually Jake Plummer, who ran for 121 yards on the day, most of it on an 89-yard TD run that caught St. Louis totally by surprise. It was not enough, however, as the visiting Knights got the 6 point win.
HOU 24 DEN 23
Yet another beauty of a game in the Western Conference as the Gamblers came back from 14-3 down and got a late Hartlieb to Hart Lee Dykes TD to upend the homestanding Denver Gold. Houston was outgained by Denver and struggled on 3rd down all day (2 of 9), but found a way to win at the end to move to 3-0. Our POTG could have been Mark Brunell for Denver (41 of 56 for 377 yards and 3 scores) but with the Houston win we gave it to LB Allen Aldridge, who contributed 3 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
CHI 13 OAK 26
Our final game of interdivisional play saw winless Chicago again struggle to mount an offense as they faced the Oakland Invaders. They got a solid 84 yards rushing from Ricky Watters, but another underwhelming day from Jeff Garcia meant that Chicago would fall to 0-3 on the season. Oakland blended rushing from their top 2 backs, with Siran Stacy getting 41 yards on 14 carries, while Troy Davis found room outside, rushing for 65 yards on only 10 carries. That, plus 4 field goals by Oakland’s Joe Nedney in the 3rd quarter helped the Invaders double up the Machine and earn their first win of the year.
PHI 27 WSH 24
In the East it was all about divisional matchups again, and this week we got some real grudge matches. Philadelphia needed a win after starting the year a surprising 0-2, but the Federals were not in a giving mood. Washington outgained Philadelphia 423-281, but only had a 7 point lead after 3 quarters. In the final quarter Bobby Hebert came alive, leading the Stars to two consecutive scoring drives, the final one ending with an Hebert to Stinnett TD with only 1:49 left on the clock. Washington had a chance to tie the game late, but the kick from Doug Pelfrey, a 48-yarder in a swirling wind, veered to the left and missed its target, giving Philadelphia reason to celebrate. Our POTG for this one should have been that wind, but we decided to keep it to a human winner, so we picked DE Regan Upshaw, who harassed Kordell Stewart all day, creating 2 sacks, a forced fumble and a recovery.
OHI 29 NJ 39
The Glory hoped to move to 3-0 this week, but the Generals had other ideas. New Jersey got 3 TDs from their HB corps (2 from backup Lamont Warren) and the D sacked Kerry Collins 5 times to preserve a hard-fought win in the Meadowlands. A strong 2 sack day boosted POTG Phil Hansen’s total for the year to 5, so he now shares 1st place once again. Joey Galloway played big for Ohio, with 170 yards on 8 catches, but it was not enough for the Glory, who fall for the first time this year.
BAL 21 PIT 17
Pittsburgh played the Blitz tough in Three Rivers, but in the end it was too much from Trent Green and the Blitz. Green hit Ferrell Edmunds with the go-ahead score late in the 4th to squash any Pittsburgh hopes of a home win. Pittsburgh had gotten a solid day from Charlie Batch and the offense, putting up 212 yards passing, but Baltimore made good use of their tight ends all day, with all 3 catching passes from Green and Kyle Brady leading all receivers with 7 receptions. Green would win POTG for his 273 yards passing and 2 scores, but honestly this could have been a game where we just recognize the O-line, because they kept Green’s jersey clean all day despite Pittsburgh’s best efforts.
TBY 23 ORL 20 OT
One of the bigger games of the week saw the Bandits hold off the Renegades to get a tough road win. Orlando actually outgained the usually prolific Tampa Bay offense, but in the end, there was just a bit too much from Tampa Bay. Orlando needed a field goal as time ran out to tie up the game, but in overtime they simply could not find a rhythm, while Tampa Bay got an early field goal from Vanderjagt and then stumped the Renegade offense to lock up the win. Our POTG in this one was HB Errict Rhett, who finished the day with 112 combined yards (12 for 78 rushing and 4 for 34 receiving) and 2 scores as the Bandits rebounded from their loss to Birmingham.
BIR 17 MEM 32
The Stallions’ victory over Tampa last week must have left them hungover, because they did not look like the same team at all against the Showboats. Brett Favre threw two picks and suffered 4 sacks as the Memphis pressure seemed to overwhelm the Stallion line. Meanwhile Heath Shuler threw for 260 and 2 scores. The defense also added points as POTG, SS Alvin Walton, took back a Favre pick 74 yards for a high-stepping TD to open the 3rd quarter and put Memphis up 26-3. Birmingham would add two late scores, but this game was over after 3 quarters. Memphis moves to 3-0 and can lay claim to sole possession of first in the Southern Division.
ATL 20 JAX 35
The most complete game of the young season for Chris Chandler and the Bulls as the veteran QB threw for 4 scores and 367 yards against an Atlanta secondary that simply did not have anyone locked down. Terrell Owens led all receivers with 9 catches for 127 but it was his teammate, Brian Blades, who got POTG for his 2-TD performance. Altanta had a good game from Tiki Barber (158 yards rushing), but were unable to control either the clock or the Bulls as Jacksonville pulled away in the second half.
Collins Starting Strong
While no one is surprised to see St. Louis jump out to a 3-0 start, what has caught some people by surprise is the success Todd Collins has had at QB this year. We have all gotten accustomed to the Knights being about defense and ball control and considering Collins a “game manager”, but after 3 weeks the former Michigan product is leading the league in all three major passing categories: QB Rating, Yards, and TD passes. Completing 69.9% of his passes is a huge reason he is atop our ratings list, but what has truly shocked folks is that he has more yards after 3 weeks than Aikman, Favre, Brunell, Shuler, or Kelly Stouffer. The emergence of Bert Emmanuel as a top flight receiver, along with what appears to be a very shrewd draft pick of TE Reggie Kelly are two huge reasons for Collins’s early success. Fans in St. Louis may now have even more reason to get on the Knights’ bandwagon. Not only able to win games, the Knights now can be entertaining as well.
No Air in the Windy City
On the opposite side of the spectrum we have Chicago, who simply cannot get much going in the air at all. They lost out on Donovan McNabb when he signed with the NFL Eagles instead, and after choosing to go with former LA Express QB Jeff Garcia as the season starter, the Machine have struggled through their first three games, averaging a paltry 10 points a game. But what is the solution? Do they stick with Garcia and hope some chemistry will develop? Do they go back to Alex Van Pelt, who had some big passing games but few wins for Chicago last year? Do they work a trade to try to bring in a potential starter, and at what cost? Could they even try to entice Chris Miller or Jack Trudeau out of retirement? Heck, why stop with USFL retirees? Why not reach out to Dan Marino or John Elway, both recent retirees from the NFL? Yeah, who are we kidding. Garcia or Van Pelt seem the short-term answer, though not one that is getting a lot of butts in seats or points on the scoreboard in Chicago.
Small Wonder
Not much has gone right in Oakland so far this season, as the Invaders, sitting at 1-2, have struggled on both offense and defense, but the one bright spot has been the emergence of backup HB and frequent 3rd down back Troy Davis as a big play weapon. Davis has 20 carries this year but has ammased 207 yards, a 10.4 yard per carry average. He has also been a valuable 3rd down outlet in the passing game. And while no one expects Davis to be a 20 carry per game back, or to pound the ball up the middle, defenses are going to have to take note of the diminutive 5’8” back out of Iowa State. Spinning, juking, and just getting lost in the mosh of the line seem to be providing Davis with opportunities to break into the secondary and create some big plays for the Invaders. It may not be the offense that Dan Reeves hoped to see this season, but it is a bright spot for a club looking to build something.
Sackapalooza
We have gotten used to the race for the league sack leader to be a bit of a bore, with New Jersey’s Phil Hansen being a dominant force over the past half-decade, but last year we saw Chris Doleman upend the status quo and outpace Hansen to not only a league sack title, but a tie with Hansen at 25 sacks for the season record in the USFL. Turn the calendar page to this year and what we are already seeing is a free-for-all, with no fewer than 4 players tied atop the sack list after 3 weeks. Yes, we have Hansen in his usual position, atop the board, but right there with him are Philadelphia’s Regan Upshaw, Houston’s Michael Sinclair, and an early Rookie of the Year candidate in Birmingham’s Michael Rucker. Rucker exploded into the scene with 3 sacks in his first pro game, but has added 2 more since then. Sinclair has always been an explosive player, but seems to have upped his repertoire of moves this year, and Upshaw has added some muscle to combine power moves with speed moves on the edge. And, lest we forget, last year’s title holder, Chris Doleman in Orlando, sits only 1 sack behind the leaders with 4 QB captures in 3 games. He could easily become a factor once again this season. If you love the big edge rushers, this season may be one of the best ever to watch them strut their stuff. Not great news for QB’s to be sure, but fun for the rest of us.
A pretty light week on the injury list, something we always like to see. But, light does not mean that everyone came out unscathed. Memphis is going to be without CB James Fuller for up to 3 months thanks to an MCL-ACL injury that will require extensive rehab. In Jacksonville the big loss this week was RT Jon Runyan, who could miss anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks with a hip injury. Chicago will be without CB Alan Grant for at least 2 weeks with a wrist injury, while in LA, newly acquired former Green Bay Packer George Koonce left the game with a groin injury, a painful one by the look on his face, and is listed as doubtful this week. Also doubtful for Week 4 action are Washington DE Tony Brackens and, once again, Portland QB Bill Musgrave. Up Highway 1, Seattle should have QB Jon Kitna back after missing last week’s game. With Seattle suffering their first loss during Brian Griese’s 1-game stint, we expect Kitna to get the nod as soon as his health allows.
There was not much news around the USFL’s New York main offices this week, and no trade action to speak of, so we thought we would take a look at the early lineup of potential Pro Football Hall of Fame nominees from the USFL this year. As always we expect a list of 8-10 semifinalists to come out mid-season, with the final vote occurring towards the late summer. We also expect a mix of first time ballot candidates along with some of the 2nd and 3rd year nominees who just missed the cut last season. Let’s start with likely returning nominees from the past two years, those who retired between 1990 and 1992.
HB John Williams (MGN): Eight seasons with the Michigan Panthers (83-90) produced 6 1,000 yard seasons, a career average of 4.2 yards per carry, and 61 total touchdowns. A nominee since 1995, when the Hall first created its USFL wing, Williams came closest to induction in his 3rd eligible year, where he finished only 3 votes behind Craig James in voting, just missing out on a spot. This year would mark his last year of eligibility.
C William Copley (BOS/NOR): A 10-year starter for the Breakers, Copley started 153 of a possible 154 games in his career. In all that time, 154 games, he allowed only 2 sacks. Center is a tough position to gauge, with few statistics kept that can help him make his case, but those two items should earn him a spot in Canton. This is his 3rd year of eligibility.
FS Frederick Wilder (BIR/NOR): Wilder played 2 years in Birmingham before moving on to New Orleans, where he would play another 11 seasons. Wilder started an impressive 155 of 169 possible games, racking up 712 tackles and 32 interceptions in his 13-year career. A 6-time All-USFL selection, Wilder was one of many Breaker players to take part in a run of 9 consecutive playoff seasons, but, as with the entire Breakers franchise never earned a Summer Bowl title.
DE Bob Barber (BIR): One of the early sack specialists in the USFL, Bob Barber started all 16 games his first year in Washington, amassing 13 sacks, but was dealt to Birmingham for the 1984 season. In Birmingham he earned another 91 sacks in 10 seasons. His high water mark was 1985, when he finished with 15 sacks. Barber, a 3-time All-USFL selection retired after the 1992 season, missing out on Birmingham’s only title by 1 year.
And among first time nominees we expect to see some pretty impressive names:
LB Ben Apuna (ARZ/CHI/BAL): A 12-year vet at LB, Apuna began his career with the Arizona Wranglers, before taking part in the roster swap that sent him, and nearly the entire Wrangler squad, to Chicago. He would remain with the Blitz through their seasons in Chicago and then on to Baltimore. In his 12 seasons, he won All-USFL accolades 5 times, always at his familiar MLB position. He retired in 1993 with 973 total tackles, including 129 recorded as tackles for loss, 19 sacks and 13 interceptions.
LB Sam Norris (CHI/ARZ): Another member of the infamous roster swap, Norris was the lightning to Apuna’s Thunder with the Wranglers and the Blitz. He too retired in 1993, leaving the game after 189 games played, 163 starts, 1,174 tackles, 206 for a loss, and 29 sacks. A weak side backer for most of his career, Norris was outstanding against the run and forced 16 fumbles in his 12 year career.
WR Eric Martin (LA/STL): Drafted by the LA Express in 1985, Martin would spend his entire career with the franchise, both as the Express and later the St. Louis Knights. In his 10-year career, he caught 689 passes for 9,561 yards and 54 touchdowns. His best year was 1988, when he had 84 receptions for 1,328 yards as a member of the Express. Despite his consistency and reliability, Martin was named to only 1 All-USFL team, in his best season, 1988.
T Arnoldo Gardner (MGN/TEX): An original member of the Michigan Panthers, Gardner played 12 years at tackle, starting on the right before moving to the coveted LT position midway through his career. He played for both Panther championship squads, a total of 10 years in Pontiac, before signing with the Texas Outlaws in 1993. He started 173 of a possible 178 games over the span of his career. Considered a strong run blocker, Gardner did have some issue swith speed rushers, giving up 95 sacks over his career, a number which could cost him a shot at Canton.
WR John Jefferson (PIT/ORL): One of the early USFL poachings from the NFL, former San Diego Charger John Jefferson came to the Pittsburgh Maulers in 1985, after playing 7 seasons already in the NFL with Air Coryell (1978-1994). He would play another 10 in the USFL, becoming one of the oldest players at his position by his retirement in 1994. Over his USFL career he caught 878 passes for 12,505 yards and 70 touchdowns. When paired with his NFL numbers Jefferson is one of the most prolific receivers in pro football history. He was a five time All-USFL selection, winning the honor in 5 consecutive years with the Orlando Renegades after leaving Pittsburgh after 3 USFL seasons.
K Tim Mazzetti (BOS/NOR): The Kicking Bartender, Tim Mazzetti, was a mainstay on the Breakers roster from their early days in Boston through the playoff run of 9 straight years, retiring in 1994 as one of the most recognizable and well-renown kickers in league history. Over his 192 games he converted 99.6% of all PAT attempts (489 of 491) and 86.8% of all field goal attempts, including an impressive 226 of 237 kicks from less than 50 yards. His longest kick actually came in his final season, a whopping 59-yarder. His 1990 season produced a record which still stands for field goal attempts with 53, as well as the record for made field goals at 48. If a kicker from the league’s first 10 years is going to make it into the Hall, Mazzetti would be that kicker.
But there is one player, and we think only one, who is a surefire first ballot entrant. If he does not get in in his first year of eligibility, we will be stunned to say the least.
WR Trumaine Johnson (CHI/ARZ): One of the earliest stars of the USFL, Trumaine Johnson terrorized cornerbacks for 12 seasons, first as a member of the Chicago Blitz, before making the switch to the Arizona Wranglers. Johnson was named to a stunning 9 All-USFL squads in his 12-year career. He went over 1,000 yards receiving all 12 seasons of his career, including reaching 1,400 yards 7 times. He also had double digit touchdowns in 6 seasons. He retired with a per game average of 89.1 yards receiving and over 16,500 total receiving yards on 1,209 catches. Johnson may not have won the titles that Anthony Carter did, or grab the records that Eric Truvilion did in Tampa Bay, but for over a decade he was a player every defense had to scheme for, and a teammate every player wanted on his side. We would be shocked if Truvillion did not get universal approval to join his fellow USFL stars in the Hall of Fame this October.
Week 4 gives us our first look at divisional action in the Western Conference, and that means some real desperation games. 0-3 Arizona has to find the will to win as they head up to Seattle to face a 2-1 Dragons club. Denver and Oakland are both 1-2 and would love to reach .500 with a win as they battle by the Bay. Portland is 0-3 and face an LA squad that still has plenty of doubters. In the Central we have perhaps the game of the week as the 3-0 Michigan Panthers face their toughest foe to date, the 3-0 defending conference champion Knights. This game could draw up to 60,000 in St. Louis. Texas takes their 3-0 start to Chicago, where Coach Mornhinweg has yet to find an offensive rhythm with the Machine. New Orleans, fresh after their first win of the year now heads to Houston, where the Gamblers are eyeing 4-0 despite Chuck Hartlieb ranking as one of the worst QB’s in the league in QB Rating.
Back East it is Atlantic v. South and a lot of clubs at 2-1 or 1-2 hoping to get the ball rolling. Philly is in Tampa Bay with the tough task of slowing down Troy Aikman and that Bandit Ball offense. Washington is in Orlando in a game that is tough to call with both clubs an inconsistent 1-2. Baltimore and Birmingham face off in a battle of 2-1 clubs, one known for offense and the other for staunch D. The only 3-0 club left in the East, Memphis, is home to 0-3 Pittsburgh. Can the Showboats start the year with a perfect 4-0 quarter? Ohio is hoping to move to 3-1 but Atlanta will do all they can not to fall to 0-4 when the two meet in Bobby Dowd Stadium. The week ends up with New Jersey in Jacksonville to face the Bulls. A win by the Generals would keep them atop the Atlantic Division.