2000 USFL Week 7 Recap: Divisional Donnebrooks!

Week 7 was a week of divisional matchups that could have a huge impact on the future playoff runs of most of the USFL’s 24 clubs. We saw a battle for the top of the Atlantic Division, a showdown of two unexpected 3-3 clubs in the South, a preseason favorite assert their claim in the Central, and a showdown of 5-1 clubs trying to lay claim to the Pacific Division title out West. We also saw every single 0 or 1-win team go down to defeat again as the battle of haves and have-nots seems to be pushing away from league parity this season. We start our coverage with a real shootout in the South as two clubs who did not expect to be at .500 this late in the season fought to get above that line and start a push for the playoffs.

For the second consecutive week the Bandits find themselves in our Game of the Week, again at home, and again a nailbiter, though the folks in Tampa Bay are certainly not going to be as happy with this one as they were with last week's win against New Jersey. This one did not look like a game that would go to overtime, much less one that would see the trailing club score 20 unanswered points to take the win, but that is exactly what happened as Tampa Bay blew a 14 point lead in the final 6 minutes of their home game against Memphis. It was an epic comeback led by Heath Shuler as the Showboats came all the way back, tying the game with only seconds to play, and then taking that momentum into the extra period to stun the crowd at Tampa Stadium.

The Bandits looked like a team on a mission early, scoring 24 points to Memphis’s 3 over the first 22 minutes of play, but slowly and surely the Showboats pulled themselves back into this one and Tampa faded down the stretch. The Bandits went up 14-0 in the first as Errict Rhett rushed for a TD on his 3rd carry of the game, a game that would see him touch the ball 26 times (3 receptions included) and score 2 TDs. His game-opening score was quickly followed by a Randy Moss deep ball that went for a 43-yard TD. After a Showboat field goal, Tampa came bac with a Vanderjagt kick and Errict Rhett’s second score, this time a 4-yard reception from Aikman.

But, despite trailing by 21, the Showboats would not go away. Memphis added a Garrison Hearst TD run and a Bobby Olive TD reception to pull within 7 at the half. For Hearst it was part of a rare 100-yard game as he carried 23 times for exactly 100 yards. For Olive it was one of only 3 catches on the day, but it would foretell a much more important catch later on.

Despite a pretty raucous first half, there was no scoring in the 3rd and Tampa retained their 7 point lead. They added to it at the start of the 4th with another Vanderjagt kick, but Memphis would respond with a field goal of their own, a 41-yarder from Jeff Hall. Tampa would then put up what most in the stadium certainly saw as the game clincher, an Aikman to Doering 48-yard TD play that sent the crowd into hysterics. With only 6:44 left to play, Memphis was down 14.

The Showboats used a full 4 minutes on their next drive, but it was a drive that ended with a score as little-used TE Dennis Ransom caught a short TD pass from Shuler. 2:24 left to play and Memphis would try the onside kick. After a high bounce, the ball was touched by Tampa LB Ron Moten, but he could not fully grasp the ball and it was recovered by Memphis’s Summer Bowl hero, Tydus Wynans on the 50.

Memphis wasted no time, moving down the field on only 3 plays before Shuler again found the former Seattle Dragon, Bobby Olive, this time from the 5 yard line, and with only 21 seconds left the Showboats had tied the game. Tampa Bay, rattled by the quick 14 points put up by Memphis played it safe and took a knee to go to overtime. That proved to be a mistake as Memphis won the toss and never gave Tampa Bay’s offense a chance to touch the ball.

The Showboats used 7 plays to move the ball once again inside the 10 yard line, and when Aaron Stecker, the 2nd year scatback who had only touched the ball 2 times all day, took a pitch out right, the Tampa defenders were not well positioned and the speedy back found the pylon for 6, ending the game and sending the dejected Bandit faithful home with a sour taste in their mouths. The win moved Memphis to 4-3, only 1 game behind 1st place Jacksonville, while Tampa fell into a 3-4 rut and 4th place in the division.

BIR 17 ORL 24

Despite 132 yards from HB Rodney Thomas, who would have to leave the game in the 4th, Birmingham could not hold a lead against Orlando as the Renegades came back from a 17-7 deficit to upend the Stallions. Scott Mitchell hit Donald Driver for one 4th quarter TD and, in a rare feat, ran in another to end the game with an Orlando W. Chris Doleman was the defensive star for Orlando, sacking Brett Favre twice and forcing a key fumble late in the game to secure the win for the ‘Gades.

ATL 13 JAX 23

The final game in the South was a bit less dramatic, as Atlanta’s only TD came on defense (a Tyrone Legette pick six). Coach Petrino had given rookie Marc Bulger the start as once again Akili Smith was not 100%. Bulger would complete only 11 of 34 pass attempts for a miserable 29.3 QB Rating. Meanwhile Jacksonville, playing without Sedrick Irvin, turned to backup Kenny Bynum, who came up big as this week’s Offensive POTW with his 25 carry, 125 yard, 2 TD performance to move the Bulls to 5-2 on the year.

PHI 37 BAL 21

The big game in the Atlantic saw the upstart Stars upend the Blitz in Baltimore. Philly got 88 yards and 2 scores from their new bell cow, Stephen Davis, and with Bobby Hebert using the short game to perfection, he completed 26 of 32 passes (81.2%) for 284 yards and 2 scores as well. Baltimore rookie HB Ron Dayne did not fare as well, rushing for only 59 yards, and Trent Green struggled to a 16 of 36 day with two picks. At the end of the game you could hear some fans chanting for backup Jeff Garcia, but Coach Infante kept Green in until the very last play as Philly bested the Blitz.

WSH 29 NJ 24

The Generals’ “close but no cigar” streak continued again on Saturday as a late Herman Moore TD catch once again pulled defeat from the jaws of victory for the homestanding New Jersey Squad. Jeff Lewis threw for 3 TDs and hit Terry Glenn for 131 yards receiving, but in the end it was Scott Zolak’s 295 yards and 2 TD tosses that did in the generals. Rookie HB Reuben Droughns got 2 more carries than Barry Word as the Generals struggled to contain the outside run, Droughns rushing for 81 yards to Word’s 36.

PIT 17 OHI 30

Ohio took a share of 1st place as well, thanks to a solid day on both sides of the ball against a Pittsburgh club that is struggling to score. Terrell Davis had 111 yards and a score for the Maulers, but balance was the key for Ohio, who got 2 scores in the air from the Collins to Qadry Ismail connection, and another from Eddie George as the Glory moved to 5-2.

STL 38 CHI 35

The game of the week in the Central was St. Louis at Chicago, a budding rivalry in the USFL to match the baseball rivalry of Cardinals-Cubs. Chicago proved their mettle, but in the end the experience of St. Louis paid off as they scored the game’s final 17 points to come back from a 35-20 deficit in the 4th. Bert Emmanuel was the hero with 3 second half TD receptions. Ahman Green and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar combined for 131 yards rushing to lead St. Louis, and even a stunning 240 yards rushing between Watters (140), Staley (75) and Bates (23) could not help Chicago as their defense simply wore out in the final quarter.

NOR 27 HOU 13

New Orleans’s defensive domination and Houston’s offensive woes were an ugly matchup on paper, and that proved to be the case on the field as well, with the Breakers outgaining Houston 415-202 on the day. Ricky Williams was dominant with 141 yards on 23 carries, but it was backup James Bostic who got the goalline plunges, 2 scores on the day. Houston started Matt Hasselbeck, back from injury, but he struggled to only 12 completions on the day as Houston fell for the 6th straight week. The win was a costly one for New Orleans as QB Trent Dilfer is likely out for 4-6 weeks after a poorly-executed slide led to an MCL tear.

TEX 20 MGN 27

The Outlaws looked better than their 2-win record would indicate, but it was a moral victory only as Michigan got 139 yards from Natrone Means, including a 4th quarter TD that put the game in the Panthers’ pockets. Doug Flutie also played well, throwing for 288 yards and a score to help Michigan over the .500 mark at 4-3 in the brutally tough Central Division.

SEA 7 DEN 26

Denver held the league’s leading rusher to only 3 yards a carry and 66 total yards as the Gold wore down Seattle at home in the altitude. Neither team would gain even 200 yards passing on a day that saw high winds and intermittent rain, but it was Denver’s defense that seemed the most dangerous condition on the field. LB Chris Cowart scored 2 sacks and a forced fumble against Brian Griese, while Bruce Pickens nabbed a wayward Griese throw late to secure the win for the Gold, giving them sole possession of first place in the division.

POR 10 LA 30

The Express continue to rise, now at 4-3 after a pretty lackluster win over the 0-6, now 0-7 Portland Thunder. LA ran the ball 38 times on the day, with Michael Pittman getting 19 carries for 117 yards and Antowain Smith adding another 51 yards on 17 carries, but it was the defense that kept this game from getting close. Akili Smith was picked off three times by an LA secondary that now boasts the top two interception leaders in the league, FS Martin Bayless and CB Ray Crockett (who landed 2 picks in this game alone.)

OAK 10 ARZ 17

It wasn’t pretty, but the Wranglers are also back over .500 as they knocked off the Invaders with 10 points in the final period. In a big day for TE O.J. Santiago, the big target finished with 5 receptions for 74 yards, but it was Rocket Ismail’s 4th quarter TD from Plummer that gave Arizona the win over an Oakland club that simply could not get it done on offense.

Horrible news out of Birmingham as the Stallions’ lead rusher, former Outlaw Rodney Thomas is lost for the season when it was discovered that he was not simply suffering from a concussion at the end of the game against Orlando, but that he had actually suffered a skull fracture. Thomas complained of dizziness and double vision when taken from the field, and as the impact area began to show swelling, the medical staff for the Stallions sent Thomas to a local hospital where X-rays showed the fracture. It is not sure when in the game Thomas suffered the injury, though he did have back-to-back plays with significant helmet-to-helmet contact. Team officials did not want to mess around with questions of a possible return and placed Thomas on the IR, ending his season and allowing him extensive time to recover. It is expected that rookie back Shaun Alexander will take over as the lead back in Birmingham.

Texas also saw a key player go down for the year when linebacker Tedi Bruschi left the game against Michigan with a knee injury. Tests showed that it was the much-feared ACL tear, and that means Bruschi will be out for several months as he rehabs post-surgery.

A third huge loss this week as New Orleans could be without their new star, QB Trent Dilfer for as much as 6 weeks after the QB suffered a torn MCL on a poorly executed baseball slide. Dilfer, not know as fleet of foot, got his right foot caught in the turf and it led to his knee twisting awkwardly. Team officials hope he can return within the month, but a 5 or 6 week absence is not out of the question. New Orleans will now have to decide if they go with Gus Frerotte or Bobby Hoying at QB for the next month or longer.

Other notable injuries include STL Punter Mark Whittaker, who apparently tore an ab muscle on an awkward kick. Tampa Bay guard William Boatwright could miss 1-2 weeks with a torn meniscus. Chicago SS Anthony Prior is expected to be out at least 1 week with a similar injury, and Michigan CB Chris Canty could miss a week or longer with a fracture in his jaw.

QB Rick Mirer is expected to be out again, listed as doubtful this week, and while Jake Plummer is expected to start in Week 8, he did make the list as “probable” with a hip stinger.

TRANSACTIONS

ARZ: Trades HB K. Barber and 4th Round 2001 pick to Houston for HB Dorsey Levins

BIR: Placed HB Rodney Thomas on IR and signed HB Terry Battle.

NOR: Moved FS Robert Stevens to the practice squad, signed QB Jason Maher.

STL: Moved WR Sean Morey to the practice squad, signed P Andrew Jones

TEX: Placed LB Tedi Bruschi on IR, moved LB Dhani Jones to active roster from practice squad

BREAKERS MUST WEATHER THE STORM

Breakers’ fans must feel jinxed. After several seasons of disappointment, the Breakers get off to a fantastic start, thanks in large part to imported QB Trent Dilfer’s steady hand at the till of the offense, but just as the club builds up a 2-game lead in the division, and with only 9 weeks left to play, Dilfer goes down with what could be a long term concern, an MCL injury. Likely to miss at least a month, and perhaps as much as two full months, Dilfer is now resigned to holding a clipboard and coaching up his replacements.

New Orleans’s coaching staff must now decide between two very untested players, long term backup Gus Frerotte, who has thrown a total of 91 passes in 7 seasons, or even less-tested 3rd stringer Bobby Hoyer, who has thrown only 69 passes in his 5 year career with the Breakers. The silver lining, if there is one, is that both backups have been with the club for years, but as this is the first year with a new coach in Mike Nolan, that may not be much help as his offensive schemes look very little like those of his predecessor, Mike Ditka. It is an open competition in practice this week, but if we are going purely on athletic ability the better option may be Hoying, the Ohio State product, who is the more mobile of the two.

The truth is that what we need to expect is that New Orleans will rely even more heavily on their top rated defense, a defense that is currently the only one in the league not to give up 100 total points. Expect the Breakers to use Ricky Williams and the run game to slow down games and keep scores low. If Williams can find yardage against stacked defenses, then either Frerotte or Hoying could have some success with play action passes. But that is the best case scenario for the Breakers. They do have a 2 game lead, so as long as they can play even .500 ball until Dilfer’s return, they may have a good shot at retaining their first place position in the division, but for fans who are used to seeing the Breakers disappoint them, the loss of Dilfer at this key juncture in the season does not bode well.

A CHANGE IN COMMAND

With their defense currently ranked dead last in points allowed (nearly 30 a game) and in the bottom 5 against the pass, something had to give in New Jersey, and what gave was the Defensive Coordinator position. Marty Schottenheimer this week, and likely under pressure from ownership, released DC Dave Adolph. Adolph, a longtime assistant under Schottenheimer since their days in the NFL with Cleveland, has simply not been able to get coherent play from a defense that features one of the league’s premier pass rushers in Phil Hansen. For the short term, which may well be the rest of the season, Schottenheimer will take on defensive play calling, though he did promote Linebackers Coach Greg Manusky to the position of Defensive Assistant, but that is no guarantee that Manusky, an NFL player up through the 1998 season, will have a shot at the DC position when a decision is made to hire a permanent replacement. For now the pressure is on Schottenheimer, known for his defensive schemes, to get better production from a defense that has given up far too many big plays and far too many third down conversions.

TRY TRY AGAIN

We have long watched as the Arizona Wranglers attempted to replace Tim Lester as their primary back, bringing in rookies with each draft, signing free agents and even trading for players like former General Leeland MacElroy, but to no avail. Year after year Lester ends up as the lead rusher for the Wranglers, and year after year that finds the Wranglers as one of the league’s worst rushing teams. While we feel bad for Lester, who gives it his all each week, it is clear that Arizona needs to rethink their run game in a big way, starting with line play and then consider a retool at HB. Well, that is a long and hard process, and for a club that is trying to get back to a Summer Bowl, and which has a limited window of opportunity with its defense and its star QB, slow and steady does not seem the chosen path.

And that explains why the Wranglers have again reached out to nab another potential suitor for the lead back position. This week Arizona dealt former Renegade back Kantroy Barber and a 4th round pick to the 1-7 Houston Gamblers for the rights to HB Dorsey Levins. Levins has some talent, but has never been able to put together a full season or take on the lead back roll completely. He started his career as the heir apparent to Mike Rozier in Pittsburgh, but managed to only start 14 games in 5 seasons with the Maulers. Pittsburgh eventually moved Levins on to Houston, where he works as part of Coach Willsey’s preferred halfback rotation, gaining 9 official starts in 1999, but only averaging 3.5 yards per carry for the Gamblers. This season with Houston he has 282 yards on 71 carries, which is a slightly better 4.0 YPC, but now moves on to Arizona. Expect the Wranglers to give Levins a few starts to see if they have a solution at the position, but you know as well as we do that somehow, some way, Tim Lester will end up getting more carries and will finish the year as the Wranglers’ rushing leader once again.

MY KINGDOM FOR A QB

Quarterback is universally acclaimed as the most important position on any football team, and while football is the ultimate team sport, this cliché seems to bear itself out year after year in both the NFL and the USFL. Just look at the bottom of the standings across the USFL and you will see teams with serious QB confusion.

0-7 Portland: Akili Smith has struggled to transition to the pro game. While athletic, his decision-making and nervous feet in the pocket have led to far too many mistakes. Cue the veteran presence with Portland signing NFL journeyman Rick Mirer, but no sooner does Mirer get his first start than he gets hurt and the Thunder are back to Smith at QB.

1-6 Houston: After several years of up and down play from QB Chuck Hartlieb, the Gamblers were ready to go in a new direction. They signed Jim Miller away from St. Louis after a few good relief performances by Miller put him in the free agent spotlight. But after a 3-way competition in camp, the starting job was given to untested former BC quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck struggled in his starts, then got hurt, leading to Hartlieb being the replacement, but not the starter as Miller was given that opportunity. This week it was back to Hasselbeck as Coach Willsey seems lost as to who to trust at the position.

1-6 New Jersey: This one is a bit of a puzzler. Coach Schottenheimer, feeling that while veteran starter Spence Fischer was not the reason for declining production, still opted to sign former Denver backup Jeff Lewis, and Lewis has played well, with 12 TDs to only 3 picks and a solid QB Rating of 89.8 in his first 7 games as a full time starter, and yet, New Jersey is not winning games. Fans have started grumbling about Fischer but even they seem to recognize that there are more pressing issues on the club.

1-6 Oakland: The Invaders did not think they had a QB controversy when the season started, expecting to see growth from 3rd year QB Ryan Leaf, but the results this year have not been great. Yes, he has cut back on his picks, and he has his completion percentage back over the 50% line, but what has been new is the frequency of emotional outbursts, profane tirades, and tantrums as the losses have mounted. The Invaders recently made a deal with Seattle to bring in the cool head of veteran QB Jon Kitna, and many fans are wondering if this marks a turning point for Leaf. Will he shape up, act like a pro, or burn out and get benched for the Seattle import? It is amazing how far we have come from a very promising 44 touchdown rookie year for the highly touted Leaf.

2-5 Atlanta: Many expected the Fire to go after a big name free agent QB from either the NFL or USFL this offseason, but apparently having been burned by the Jeff George signing, they held off, retaining Aaron Brooks as the season starter, with former Bulldog Eric Zeier and rookie Marc Bulger in reserve. Brooks has struggled, throwing 3 picks to only 3 TDs and completing only 46.6% of his passes. And when Brooks went out with a minor injury, Coach Petrino bypassed Eric Zeier completely and has started rookie Bulger, the U. of West Virginia product. As expected, Bulger has had some early issues, throwing 4 picks and only 2 scores in his starts for the Fire. So what is the answer in Atlanta? Do they try to groom either Brooks or Bulger, or do they try to go fishing for a third option since Zeier seems to be a non-factor this year? Could Atlanta make a deal by the trade deadline to bring in someone like Spence Fisher or Chuck Hartlieb? Would that really help?

The situation is not quite as explosive for 2-5 Pittsburgh or 2-5 Texas, but questions of QB play have begun to arise. After a solid season last year left the Maulers with a pretty good feeling about Charlie Batch as the starter, he has struggled this season. Batch has some talented receivers, and he is above .500 with a 10-6 TD-INT ratio, but he is missing too many open receivers to keep fans satisfied. But, with only Mike Cherry and Sean King behind him, we don’t see Coach Emmitt Thomas making a move to replace him, at least not during the season.

In Texas, Kelly Stouffer has been the undisputed starter since coming to the Outlaws in 1990, and over a decade of play with Texas he has had some very strong seasons, racking up a QBR over 100 three times. But, this year, we are seeing a clear decline. Now part of that may be a lack of top grade receivers (Shawn Collins gets a lot of catches but does little with them, Jeff Query and Darnay Scott are not scaring anyone either), but a big concern seems to be the decline in Stouffer’s power. His arm simply is not what it was in 1990. Texas is another team that really does not have a lot of depth behind Stouffer. Tommy Maddox can come in for relief for a game or two, but has never proven to be a consistent starter, and no one expects to see 3rd stringer Tony Graziani on the field.

So what are these teams to do? Each one has a different issue to deal with, and there are few midseason options for these clubs. We do think that a club like Pittsburgh or Texas would be wise to pursue a good second option, like a Spence Fischer or Chuck Hartlieb, but that is not going to turn them to an elite team. For many others it may be the 2001 draft that is their best hope to upgrade the position as it is rare that a truly elite QB ends up as a free agent. If the draft is the route, then Virginia Tech’s Michael Vick is the clear target. But Vick is a unique talent, just as likely to run for 100 as throw for 300. Not many coaches want to try to groom a running QB into a reliable passer, but Vick’s clear talent makes him an interesting pick. Atlanta certainly would be a solid location for Vick, but we could see his star quality also playing well in New Jersey, but not for Schottenheimer, who would never give him the type of offense he would need to excel. Of all the clubs that might be best suited to a talent like Vick, it might be Portland that makes the most sense, but would Vick want to play in the Pacific Northwest in the USFL’s smallest stadium?

For the others, after Vick, we look at prospects like Purdue’s Drew Brees, a shorter QB, but in a league that gives us Doug Flutie, Charlie Batch and Jon Kitna, that might not be an issue. There is also Georgia’s Quincy Carter or Washington’s Marques Tuiasosopo, but are either the type to come in and play at an elite level in year one? Not likely.

Like we said, QB is a key to any team, and the reason why top QB’s are so coveted is because they are simply rare commodities. For every Jim Kelly or Brett Favre, who can put a team on their shoulders, there are always 10 or more teams each year struggling just to get a confident game manager who won’t lose games for you.

Lets continue our exploration of the QB position with a bit of a league-by-league comparison. The USFL has made a name for itself as a more wide open, freewheeling league, one predicated on the excitement of the passing game, and yet, the NFL still has some of the biggest name signal callers in the game. Just how does the USFL stack up against its fall rival? We are going to look at what we consider the 10 best quarterbacks playing pro ball today and see just how the two leagues stack up against each other.

10) Steve McNair (Houston-NFL): McNair’s style is a bit unorthodox, but he has a cannon for an arm and has helped restore some energy to “Love Ya, Blue” in Houston. The Oilers are a perennial playoff contender with McNair at the helm.

9) Cade McNown (Los Angeles-USFL): Perhaps one and a half seasons should not be enough to put a player on this list, but when those 22 games produce nearly 50 touchdowns and turn a flailing franchise into a Summer Bowl contender you have to give respect where it is due. McNown threw 34 TDs to only 6 picks as a rookie and appears to be on pace for over 30 TDs again this year. He is a bright light for the future of the USFL.

8) Jim Harbaugh (San Diego-NFL): Never really given the respect he deserves, and having played in some shaky situations in both Chicago and Indianapolis, Harbaugh is a student of the game and a pretty dynamic comeback kid kind of player. He is famous for his 4th quarter heroics, and yet he is now on his 4th team, which says something about the fickle nature of NFL quarterbacking.

7) Heath Shuler (Memphis-USFL): Yes, 1999 was an amazing year, but it has not been the only time that Shuler showed up big for the Showboats, it may just be the first time that the rest of the team was there to support him. The former Tennessee Volunteer has a legitimate claim to be the best in the USFL right now, but we are going to put a couple of longer-term performers ahead of him.

6) Randall Cunningham (Minnesota-NFL): Exactly the kind of player the USFL would love, Cunningham can run, thrown, and win. His Super Bowl victory in 1998 with the Vikings was a thing of beauty. That entire season was dynamic and even with what many consider a mid-level receiving corps that year (Jake Reed, Eric Moulds, and Frank Sanders), Cunningham managed to lead the Viking to their first title.

5) Troy Aikman (Tampa Bay-USFL): While many might argue that Heath Shuler should be in this place, we have to honor the consistently high play of Aikman over a decade rather than the recent success of Shuler. Aikman’s 1998 season was a masterpiece that few ever achieve, and the decline of the Bandits last season was hardly his fault as he still threw a solid 31 touchdowns. One of the most accurate passers in the game, we have no doubt he would succeed wherever he played.

4) Drew Bledsoe (New England-NFL): A true pocket passer, Bledsoe’s arm and his vision have helped the Patriots reach 2 Super Bowls in his 6-year career. His performance against the Packers in 1996 garnered the franchise its first NFL title, and many expect more before his career is done.

3) Peyton Manning (Indianapolis-NFL): In just 2 seasons the former Volunteer has turned the Colts’ fortunes completely around, from 3-13 as a rookie to 13-3 in his sophomore season, there is no denying Manning’s talent. He looks like the real deal, and certainly is winning the debate that started before the 1998 draft between his upside and that of current Oakland Invader QB Ryan Leaf.

2) Brett Favre (Birmingham-USFL): Despite finishing 2nd in the QB Ratings last season, there is little doubt that most consider Favre to be the best QB in the USFL and perhaps the best USFL signal caller since Jim Kelly. He is a bit of a maverick and will throw some ill-advised passes, but he is also one of the fiercest competitors in the game and a true wild card on any given Sunday.

1) Dan Marino (Miami-NFL): Yes, he is nearing the end of his career (and may retire this offseason) but there is no doubt that Marino is the best QB of his generation. He has shattered so many NFL records and helped his Dolphins to so many playoff appearances (despite no titles) that it is hard to argue that Marino be #1 on this list.

A 6-4 split in favor of the NFL, which seems about fair, but certainly enough talent in both leagues to keep fans riveted to football year-round. What the future holds, especially with several top-level QB’s getting close to retirement, is anyone’s guess. While we may see Marino, Favre or Aikman soon leave the game, perhaps in Manning, McNown, and others who are just starting out, we will continue to see heroic QB play far into this new century.

Week 8 marks the halfway point of the season, and it offers us a slate of 12 inter-conference games as the Atlantic and Southern Divisions head out on the road to face the Pacific and Central Divisions respectively. Among the more interesting matchups we have Philadelphia at Arizona, Ohio at LA, Jacksonville at Chicago, Orlando at Michigan, and Tampa Bay at St. Louis.

We also have what appear to be mismatches in other games, but beware the desperate and unfamiliar opponent as this is often prime upset territory. Among the underdogs hoping to pull off the upset we have Texas hosting Memphis, Houston hosting Birmingham, Atlanta visiting New Orleans (now with a QB issue), New Jersey in Seattle, Oakland hosting Baltimore, Pittsburgh traveling to Denver, and the winless Portland Thunder hosting the Washington Federals. We don’t expect all of these games to go to the underdog, but 1 or 2 would not be a shock.