Four games, eight teams, and one chance to survive and advance. This week we saw four clubs step up and grab that chance. Three of them were road dogs who shocked their hosts with a very unwanted homewarming gift, a big L in the first round of the playoffs. We saw two division rivals shoot it out in Seattle, a first time playoff team knocking off a heavy favorite in a battle of backups, a rivalry game that swung heavily to the underdog, and a favorite very much act the part in the Crescent City. Let’s get to it.
Not happy just to be invited, the Ohio Glory made the most of their first playoff game in franchise history, and took advantage of Orlando’s key injury to QB Scott Mitchell to upend the home favorite. The Glory hounded and pursued backup Craig Ericson all game long, producing 4 picks that were decisive in a 5-point win. The Glory, playing without Eddie George at halfback, leaned on Kerry Collins, and while his 193-yard, 2 pick performance was hardly a thing of beauty, it was enough to help Ohio get the win.
Orlando pressured Collins all day, with 7 total sacks, 3 from Chris Doleman, but the mistakes by their offense were too many to overcome as Orlando blitzes caused Ohio to slow down, but not stop, producing 6 Don Silvestri field goals as Ohio consistently crept into Orlando territory only to be stopped in the red zone. The lone TD for the Glory was a 6-yard run from George’s backup, Darrell Thompson, but it was enough as the foot of Don Silvestre kept adding points to the Ohio scoreboard.
Orlando got TDs from HB Terry Kirby and a pick-six of Collins, perpetuated by LB Greg Biekert, but their offense simply could not move the ball, consistently and those constant Ohio kicks kept adding up until Orlando was down 6 and unable to get a final drive going. Ohio won ugly, but they won, and now they move on to face the top seed from the South, the Memphis Showboats.
Few gave LA a shot to win this one against that league leading Breaker defense, and when Cade McNown went out with a concussion after throwing only 2 passes the game quickly got out of control for the Express. Brent Pease, who has barely seen the field in 2 years, was ineffective against the tight coverage of the Breaker D, and slowly but surely the Breakers pulled away.
New Orleans got 109 yards and a score from Ricky Williams, and Trent Dilfer, in classic “game manager” mode, threw for 163 yards but added 2 TDs as the Breakers put the game away against an Express team that simply could not put much on the scoreboard. Raynard Brown won game MVP for his 7 reception, 110 yard, 1 TD game, but it was Breaker DE Jerry Reese (a free agent after this postseason) who should have won the award for his 2 sacks, including the one that ended McNown’s game and LA’s chances.
The Breakers now take that aggressive D and ball-control offense to Denver, where they will face another club built in a very similar mode, the ball-control, low score, smashmouth Denver Gold.
Ron Dayne had a coming out party, scoring twice and rushing for 114 yards against a Federals’ defense that rarely allows triple-digit totals. Baltimore, scored 33 unanswered points after falling behind 7-3 and forced 5 Federal turnovers in a game dominated on both sides of the ball by the visiting Blitz. The Blitz defense won the day, sacking Scott Zolak 6 times, all from different players as they blitzed early and often. They also forced Scott Zolak to throw on the run, not a skill set he excels at, and the result was 4 picks, including a 28 yard pick-six from Tyrone Bell.
Five total turnovers cost the Federals any chance of shifting momentum as Baltimore dominated for the better part of 45 minutes, with only a late field goal from Doug Pelfrey breaking the series of Baltimore scores. Far too little, far too late for the Federals and their fans, many of whom were long gone before the final whistle, while the blue and red-clad Blitz fans stuck around at RFK to celebrate a playoff win against a hated rival. Baltimore moves on and will travel once again, once again to a well-known divisional foe, the Philadelphia Stars.
For the second straight week the Dragons ended up in a shootout, and for the second time it finished at 42-39, but, unfortunately for the homestanding Seattle club, this time they ended up on the short end of the stick. And do we really have to say who made it happen?
Almost certainly the league MVP now, Jake Plummer had another one of those games, but this time it was both on the ground and in the air. Plummer accounted for all 6 Arizona touchdowns, four through the air and 2 more on the ground. He would rush for 102 yards and throw for another 350 in a game where Seattle simply could not defend him. Rocket Ismail also excelled, catching 2 long TD passes from Plummer, and TE OJ Santiago also got into the mix with 95 yards and a TD reception of his own.
Seattle stayed on pace as well, with Brian Griese passing a bit more than Coach Tiller probably wanted, but having success, completing 32 of 41 passes for 285 and 4 TDs. Corey Dillon was equally impressive, rushing for 101 yards, but kept out of the endzone all game. It just was not enough against Plummer’s MVP performance.
Seattle had an impressive 420 yards of offense, but gave up 535 to the Wranglers, who simply looked unstoppable for most of the game. And it was almost all big plays, a 1st quarter 50-yard TD for Ismail, a 64-yard scramble for Plummer, an 81-yard TD catch and run for Santiago, and then a 75-yarder for Ismail. Seattle just could not cover the receivers long enough and with John Abraham double-teamed all game, he could land only 1 sack against Plummer, who used roll outs and bootlegs to buy time and get his receivers deep.
Not the type of first impression the Dragons wanted to make in the playoffs, but for fans of offensive football, a great spectacle in which one of the league’s most exciting players did exactly what he wanted and thrilled the few Wrangler fans in attendance along the way. The Wranglers now face a much tougher test, a trip to St. Louis and a Knight’s secondary that is likely to have a much better shot at containing the Wrangler big plays. At least they hope so.
Looking ahead to the divisional round, there are some injuries which could be a factor in the 4 games next week. In the Arizona-St. Louis matchup the Wranglers will be without HB Tim Lester, but his role of late has not been particularly big to begin with. St. Louis has no significant injuries, at least none that are new to the team. When Denver hosts New Orleans, their biggest concern is likely to be the absence of CB Darrell Boykin and SS Sean Lumpkin, two potential gaps that Trent Dilfer might try to exploit.
In the Baltimore-Memphis game, the only significant injury is on Memphis’s side as the Showboats are likely to be without tackle Anthony Clement, a loss that could impact the run game considerably. And finally, in the matchup of the Stars and the upstart Ohio Glory, Eddie George is still listed as doubtful, and now Ohio could be without DT Tony Stephens and DE Cedrick Harden, though both are listed as “questionable” which could mean almost anything. Philadelphia will be without LB George Koonce, but have been playing without him for the past month.
Coaching Carousel Gets Spinning
It did not take long for the USFL coaching carousel to get up to speed as we had one late change and some early interviews happening across the league. The change was the announcement on Tuesday, a week after Black Monday, that Michigan would part ways with Coach Skip Holtz. Holtz, who has held the reins of the Panthers since the 1994 season, lost the ownership’s confidence after the club again slipped into a mediocre 7-9 record. It is the 2nd time in 3 years that the club dropped below .500, with a 9-7 1999 season the exception. Michigan has not been bad under Holtz, an overall record of 74-54, but they also have not been particularly good, always on the fringe of the playoffs and only winning the division once in 7 years of Holtz’s leadership. The move puts Michigan a week behind the other clubs seeking new coaches, but that hardly seems a major disadvantage.
So who are teams looking at? Well, as suspected, New Jersey does seem to be making a case to NY Jets GM Bill Parcells. The former Super Bowl winner with the Giants is rumored to be considering an offer that would not only make him the best paid coach in the USFL, but which would grant him the rare double of GM and Head Coach, allowing him to put together a roster to match his preferred style of play.
In Houston and San Antonio, the battle seems to be between the two Texas clubs to lock up former Denver Gold head coach, and son of a Texas legend, Wade Phillips. Phillips, whose tenure in Denver was hardly the thing of legends, benefits from the reputation of his father Bum Phillips in Texas, and it appears that both the Gamblers and Outlaws are in a bidding war to sign the local legend as their next head coach. Only one can get him, and the question then becomes who the loser in the battle opts for.
With Birmingham hiring from within, moving OC Kevin Gilbride up to the Head Coach position while Ron Erhardt moves to the front office, the only other open position is the newly opened Michigan job. Rumors have the Panthers looking for an offensive mind to take over a Doug Flutie led offense that got a bit of a boost with the arrival of Natrone Means this year. There is talent in Michigan, and taking over a 7-9 team is better than what most new coaches face when joining a new team. The Michigan job, more than any other this offseason, could be an attractive one.
FIRST RETIREMENTS ANNOUNCED
While the focus of most football fans this time of year is on the USFL playoffs, for players, particularly those on non-playoff teams who are dealing with sore bodies, injuries, and changes in their roles, it is a time for reflection. And so, as we see each year, the beginning of the offseason is also a time when players who feel the time is right will announce their retirement. The first few weeks of the offseason are frequently a period of announcements of retirement, and this season that has begun with several significant announcements made in the days following the regular season’s conclusion. Over the past week the following players have made their intention to retire known to their respective USFL clubs.
Michigan LB Hardy Nickerson, having returned to the team after a stint in the NFL retires as a Panther after a short stint in the NFL and one year return to the team that drafted him out of college. Nickerson came into the league with the Panthers in 1987, played for Michigan through 1997, then went to the NFL for 2 seasons before returning and finishing his career in the USFL this year. He retires from the USFL with 2 All-USFL seasons, 966 tackles, 41 sacks and 10 interceptions.
Portland had two announcements this week as LB Bryce Paup and CB Torin Dorn both announced that they would be leaving the game. Paup joined the USFL in 1990 with Baltimore, played 4 seasons with the Blitz before short stints with LA, Michigan, Philadelphia, and his final season in Portland. He retires with 780 tackles, 20 sacks and 12 interceptions in an 11-year career. Dorn also came into the league with Baltimore, playing with the Blitz from 1990 until 1998, when he too relocated to Portland. He retires with 102 starts in the league, 495 tackles and 17 career interceptions.
Tampa Bay strong safety Chris Crooms retires after 9 seasons in the league, all with the Bandits. Known as a solid “center fielder” in the secondary, Crooms amassed 419 tackles at the position and earned a championship ring with the 1998 Bandits.
Chicago tackle Eduardo Vega hangs up the cleats after 10 seasons in the USFL. Vega started all 16 games of his rookie season as the right tackle for the New Orleans Breakers, playing 8 seasons in the Crescent City before his final year in Chicago. While he appeared in all 16 games for the Machine this year, Vega was moved to a shift tackle and started only 3 contests.
Expect that over the next month or so, particularly as more clubs are removed from the playoff tree, that we will see further announcements. We will bring those to you as we continue to cover the playoff rounds and the offseason for the league.
Here we go again, four playoff games down, four on tap. So, who do we like in this second round of action? Let’s see.
OHIO GLORY (10-6) @ MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (12-4)
Saturday, July 16 @ 3pm ET
Liberty Bowl Stadium, Memphis
Can the Glory do it again? Can they upend a home favorite even when Eddie George is unlikely to play (listed as doubtful in the injury report)? Memphis is not Orlando. They are not themselves dealing with a major injury. Heath Shuler is playing some of his best ball, and the Showboats can put up some points. This looks like a game that Memphis should win going away. Even with George the Glory were not an overpowering offense, and the defending league champions have proven all year that they can defend a wide range of offensive styles. And while Memphis does not have the strongest run game, it is good enough to force opponents to respect it, which means the passing game will have its chances.
OUR PICK: We see the Cinderella story ending here for the Glory. Memphis is not only the better team, but the more experienced one. They won it all last year, and we see them doing what needs to be done to reach the Conference Title Game again.
ARIZONA WRANGLERS (9-7) @ ST. LOUIS KNIGHTS (12-4)
Saturday, July 16 @ 7pm ET
The TransWorld Dome, St. Louis
This one could be very interesting. Jake Plummer has been a handful all year, and this will be the first time the Knights have faced him in 2 years. That lack of familiarity certainly plays to Arizona’s advantage, but that may be the only advantage they have. St. Louis can play keep away with Ahman Green rushing against Arizona’s 19th ranked run defense. If they can limit Arizona possessions, and if they can keep Plummer contained, despite the roll outs and bootlegs, they can shut down his receivers, making the run game the only option for the Wranglers.
OUR PICK: Hard to go against the Knights in this one. Arizona has not been consistent all year, while St. Louis has rarely had a let-down game. We think the consistency and quality of the Knights will win out.
BALTIMORE BLITZ (10-6) @ PHILADELPHIA STARS (13-3)
Sunday, July 17 @ 1pm ET
Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
It has only been 2 weeks since a season finale win for the Stars, completing the Philadelphia sweep in the regular season. But, this last matchup was only a 3-point win for Philly. Did they let up in the season’s final week, with their division title assured? Will an extra week of rest be the difference for Philadelphia? Or will Baltimore manage to do what so many seem to, to win a 3rd game against a team that won the first 2 matchups? Both clubs can run the ball effectively, and neither has a quick strike passing game, so this could be a pretty even matchup. Turnovers and missed opportunities could be the difference in this one.
OUR PICK: When two teams are this closely matched, we have to go with home field, and that means we pick the Stars to edge Baltimore. Add in the playoff experience of Bobby Hebert against the complete lack of experience that Jeff Garcia brings to the game and we have to like the Stars here.
NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (12-4) @ DENVER GOLD (12-4)
Sunday, July 18 @ 5pm ET
Mile High Stadium, Denver
We are not sure if either team will be able to score a TD in this one. We have two teams that love to win with defense, run the ball, eat the clock, and set themselves up for a late kick to win it. So, will either club find a way to break through? We have the #1 scoring defense in New Orleans and the #3 in Denver. New Orleans is also rated somewhat higher in offensive categories, though Denver has the ability to dominate on the ground with Rashaan Salaam. A tough call in this one, and very likely it all comes down to the right feet of either Lin Elliott of New Orleans or Jeff Wilkens of Denver.
OUR PICK: Denver has a long history of playoff faceplants. And while New Orleans was also once known for their failures in the playoffs, this feels like a very different Breaker squad. We are going to go with the road visitor and the higher ranked defense in this one. New Orleans on a late kick, of course.