2000 USFL SUMMER BOWL: Golden Night For Denver

It appears that the 4th time is the charm for the Denver Gold and their longsuffering fans. After three defeats in the league championship, dating back to the USFL's inaugural season in 1983, the Denver Gold have won their first title. Denver came into the game as a 4-point underdog to the Jim Mora Jr. led Philadelphia Stars, but they came in with a gameplan that was designed to maximize their strengths and minimize the chances for 2-time champion QB Bobby Hebert to beat them. Denver ran the ball 43 times, splitting carries between Rashaan Salaam, their bell cow back, and backup Ricky Whittle. They also kept Philadelphia's passing attack in front of them, playing deeper zones to avoid big plays and force the Stars to slowly move the ball down the field. It did not always work, as evident in the longest play of the game, a 41-yard Eric Green TD reception, but it worked well enough to hold Philadelphia to 20 points for the game, and to keep them scoreless in the final quarter as Denver took home the title.

Coach Dick Jauron stated in the week leading up to the game that he felt the strength of his team was their ability to adapt to the talents and weaknesses of their opponents. In some games he would play press defense or put the ball into the hands of QB Mark Brunell, while in others he would soften the zones on defense and rely on the run game. It seems he scouted Philadelphia correctly, using the run game and those softer zones to slow down the game, control the ball, and shut down the big plays from the Stars. For his part, Coach Mora stated on Friday that he expected this exact strategy from the Gold, but when it came time to finding ways to crack the defense, especially in the fourth quarter, the Stars simply could not break through.

The game started on the right foot for the Gold, who took the opening kickoff and marched into Philadelphia territory, largely thanks to their run game but not without on ebig passing play, a 23-yard catch and run from fullback Jeff Cothran. The drive stalled inside the 20 but Jeff Wilkens put the ball between the uprights to give the Gold the 3-0 lead. Both clubs then traded quick and short drives but Denver got back into scoring position with their 3rd possession, again using the run to set up easy passes over the middle. This time it was Peerless Price who got them into position with an 11-yard catch on 3rd and 8. 3 plays later Rashaan Salaam crashed into the endzone for the first of his 2 TDs on the day.

But Philadelphia is a quality club and they would not stay down for long. On their first drive of the 2nd quarter, Bobby Hebert found Troy Brown for a 29-yard reception, and got a couple of good runs from Stephen Davis to get the ball into field goal range, and with Jeff Jaeger’s first attempt of the day, the Stars were on the board. After a Jeff Wilkens 44-yarder put Denver back up by 10, Phillly would again bounce back, this time with an Hebert to Engram TD toss. Engram would finish the day as the leading receiver for the Stars, catching 6 balls for 62 yards and this score which brought them within 3 at the half.

The Stars would come out of the half with a new energy. They received the kickoff and in fewer than 3 minutes had taken their first lead of the day. After moving the ball into Denver territory with short passes and Davis runs, Bobby Hebert executed a perfect play fake, putting the ball in Pat Chaffey’s gut and pulling it out at the last second. The ploy worked, drawing in the linebackers, and TE Eric Green found himself open on a seam route. Hebert hit him in stride, and Philadelphia got the biggest gainer of the day, a 41-yard TD that put them up 17-13.

Denver was stunned, and after a 3 and out, Hebert and the Stars increased their lead, kicking another field goal. It could have been worse for the Gold. Philadelphia had the ball on the 8 yard line and only a fingertip graze of an Hebert pass by CB Bruce Pickens kept the ball out of the hands of Engram in the endzone. Down 7, Denver had to get something on offense. They turned to their backs, alternating swing passes, screens, draws, and counter runs, 2 for Salaam, then 1 to Whittle, then back to Salaam. The strategy worked, winding the Philly defenders and methodically moving the ball deep in to Stars territory. The drive ended with Salaam plunging into the endzone from only 1 yard out to equalize the score just as the 3rd quarter wound to a close. 15 minute to go and we were back even, a whole game left to be played in one quarter, a title on the line.

Philadelphia initially moved the ball well on their first drive after the Denver score, but a false start followed by an exchange bobble by Chaffey, left the Stars with 2nd and 18, and they could not recover. They punted the ball to Denver and the Gold just kept putting together just enough yards to earn another set of downs. 3rd and 1 became a gain of 2, 3rd and 4 a gain of 5. It was as if Coach Jauron simply always had 1 yard more than he needed in his pocket. Ricky Whittle would carry the ball 4 times on the drive for 19 yards, including the 4-yard touchdown that finished off the drive and gave Denver it’s 2nd lead of the game.

A little over six minutes left and Philadelphia was down 7. This was where Hebert could shine, if Denver would just make a mistake. Their zone defense had allowed Hebert to dink and dunk but kept Philadelphia from making the big play. On several drives either a penalty or a poor play call left Philly with a 3rd and long, and they just could not make the deep play to convert them. 5 plays into the Philadelphia drive, they had another, 3rd and 7. This time Herbert was not going to check down just to have the defenders swarm his receiver before the 7 yards could be gained. He was going to hang in the pocket and wait for the deep route to emerge. The problem with this plan was that Leslie O’Neal also had a plan, and that plan was to get to Hebert before the receiver could come open. O’Neal’s plan worked, and Hebert was sacked for only the 2nd time in the game, but it was a drive killer. 4:21 left to play and Philadelphia had to kick.

Denver got the ball at their own 16, not great, but the key for them was time, not field position. 6 yards to Salaam, 5 to Whittle, another 3 to Salaam. It just kept adding up. On a key 2nd and 5 they faked to Salaam and Dedric Smith was an easy target on a hook route. On the drive’s first third down play it was Battaglia who found a hole in the coverage and converted. Denver eventually stalled, a 3rd and 4 run by Salaam got only 3, and on 4th and 1 from the Philadelphia 44 the Gold opted to punt. Philadelphia got the ball back with just over 1 minute left to play, down 7 and desperate to figure out how to get the ball down the field against the Denver zone scheme.

All semblance of the run game was over, Hebert would attempt 8 consecutive passes, and he would have some success. 8 yards to Tyson (tik tik tik), 8 to brown (tik tik), a drop by Engram, a completion for 6 to Brown (tik tik), then a swing to Chaffey (tik tik), and with just 21 seconds left, Philadelphia found itself in the red zone. Hebert hit Kevin Dyson on 1st down, but he stepped out only 4 yards later. 17 seconds left. A toss to Dyson falls short. Stop the clock with 12 seconds. Third down, an out route to Engram. Caught but one foot was on the line. Out of bounds. 7 seconds left, 4th and 6. One last play to tie the game. No field goal here. Hebert went into the shotgun, looked left to Dyson, then swung his gaze to the right and Bobby Engram. With Robert Porcher getting close, Hebert had to make the throw towards the endzone. Rushed and unable to set his feet, Hebert threw high, Engram stretched but the ball was just out of reach. Turnover on downs, game over. Denver had held on against a very game Philadelphia squad to win their first title.

MVP Rashaan Salaam

Coach Jauron was doused in Gatorade. Mark Brunell raised one of his kids onto his shoulders and hugged his wife. Leslie O’Neill knelt on the ground awash in emotion. On the Philadelphia sideline a resigned sadness. Bobby Hebert had never lost a championship game before and he was clearly not loving the feeling. The Commissioner would come on stage to congratulate Coach Jauron, co-owners Charles & Richard Monfort, and then Brunell lifted up the league trophy. The MVP was given to Salaam, who rushed for 117 yards and 2 scores on the day. The fans from Denver who had made the trip sang “Rocky Mountain High” in the endzone. A good night for the Gold and Black, and a great end to a fun season of USFL football.

DENVER STATS PHILADELPHIA STATS