2001 USFL Divisional Playoffs Recap

The Divisional playoffs gave us four really interesting games, including three upsets as road Wild Card teams knocked off their divisional champion opponents. We had a 1-point game, a 2-point game, and a 3-point overtime game among the three. We had a shootout and a surprisingly low-scoring game between two clubs with solid offenses. And with three of four division winners ousted, we have a Wild Card team getting a home playoff game for the conference title game. Twelve playoff teams now down to four. Let’s see how it happened.

ORLANDO TAKEN TO OVERTIME BUT MOVES ON

MEM 20 ORL 23 OT

It took nearly 75 minutes of play to get a winner in the Showboat-Renegade matchup, but in the end, Charlie Baumann’s right foot gave Orlando the win and made them the only one of four division winners to hold court and take the home win. It certainly did not look likely early on however. Memphis came into the game with a plan and that plan was working early on. Memphis relied on 1-deep zone coverages to cut off the intermediate passign game of Orlando and used run blitzes on first down to keep the Renegades in longer third down situations. On offense they fed the ball to Garrison Hearst and they tried to protect Heath Shuler as much as they could. It certainly worked in the first quarter as Memphis scored on their first two drives, both field goals, and then got a huge play from the defense, who tipped, picked off, and ran back a Scott Mitchell pass for a score. It would be one of three picks Mitchell would suffer on the day, and while Heath Shuler was also under pressure (8 Orlando sacks, including 4 from a simply possessed Chris Doleman), early in this game the Showboats were managing the front line of the Orlando defense.

Orlando gained momentum in the second quarter thanks to their defense, when a makeable 3rd and 3 turned into a 4th and 16 at Memphis’s 7-yard line thanks to Doleman’s pursuit of a retreating Shuler. Orlando would get the ball on their own 49 after a bad punt from the Showboats, and 4 plays later Mitchell connected with Keenan McCardell to pull back into the game at 13-7. They would add a Baumann field goal to close the half, now down only 3. The third began with a Joe Horn TD reception, boosting Memphis’ lead to 10, but Orlando would use the second half, and the pass rush of Shuler to slowly make their way back. First Baumann hit on a 50 yarder to make it a one score game, and then, on a game-saving drive as time wore down, Mitchell found TE Rickey Dudley for the game tying score with under a minute to play. Momentum had moved to the Renegades, and the tie, going into overtime, meant Memphis needed to come up with something. The Showboats were in field goal range 4 minutes into the extra period, but again Orlando found a way to push them back, this time with a blitzing Deon Figures surprising Shuler in the backfield and bringing him down before he could release the ball.

The Renegades used the play to rally the troops and on their next possession, though it took all of 9 minutes of the 15-minute overtime, Orlando would slowly work their way into position, driving the ball to the Memphis 25 before setting up a kick on 3rd and 7. Baumann connected from 42 yards out and the Renegades celebrated a hard fought win and a chance to come back next week with the Eastern Conference title on the line.

DENVER DOMINANT AS MACHINE MAULED

DEN 34 CHI 15

The Denver Gold, the league’s defending champion, played like a team on a mission to repeat, rolling the Chicago Machine in Soldier Field. Denver’s D held Chicago to a 3 for 13 third down conversion rate, and despite a solid outing from Duce Staley (10 carries for 7.9 yards) was able to disrupt Chicago drives before they could get into the endzone. Meanwhile, the Gold’s offense certainly found holes in the run defense of the Machine as Rashan Salaam ran the ball 16 times for 111 yards (a 6.9 YPC average) and backup Rod Smart added 70 more on 17 carries as Denver just kept finding run plays that worked.

Chicago would move the ball, with both Curtis Conway and Johnnie Morton going over 100 yards receiving, but they just could not finish drives, ending five drives with field goals instead of touchdowns. Meanwhile, Denver got scoring plays from both backs as well as wideout Peerless Price and a rare touch for 3rd string TE Jason Gavadzah. Add to this a time of possession advantage of 37-23 and it is clear that Denver had a plan in place for the Machine and it was a good one. Their reward? Well, how does hosting the Western Championship game at Mile High sound? An unexpected but very welcome opportunity for the 2000 league champions to book their ticket for a repeat right from home.

HEBERT AND COLLINS IN A CLASSIC QB SHOWDOWN

PHI 42 OHI 40

In a game that saw a whopping 11 touchdowns, including 4 each from both starting QB’s, the Philadelphia Stars upset the Ohio Glory in Columbus to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Title Game. Both QB’s made mincemeat out of the opposing secondaries on their way to a combined 780 yards passing (Hebert with 428, Collins with 352). Each would throw four touchdown passes, but in the end only one could get the W and advance. The difference? While Eddie George was largely bottled up (3.4 yards per carry for a total of 65 yards on the day), Philadelphia’s Stephen Davis ran roughshod over the Glory defense. With an 8.3 YPC average, Davis’s 16 carries translated into 131 yards and a score that proved pivotal in the game.

Bobby Engram was a game time scratch, but his replacement, Troy Brown, showed that he was no slouch, going for 137 and 2 scores in the air as Ohio’s defense simply was not ready for a hot-handed Bobby Hebert. The game stayed within 1 score throughout, until the final quarter when Hebert hit Brown from 65 yards out, turning a 2-point lead into a 9-point lead. Collins would get back 7 of those 9 points, but without a successful onside kick they simply ran out of time in this wild game. The Stars, who were the final team to clinch a playoff spot, now find themselves headed to Orlando to face the team with the best record in the conference and a team with a much more proficient defense to deal with.

WRANGLERS SHOCK THE EXPRESS WITH DEFENSE AND A RUN GAME

ARZ 17 LA 16

Defense and ground attack are not what you think of when you picture the Wranglers, and it certainly was not what LA was expecting as they prepared for Arizona to come to town, but it Is what they got. Arizona outschemed and outhustled the Express and that proved fatal for the West’s #1 seed, and they did it without forcing Jake Plummer to play hero ball. Plummer had a good game, to be sure (24 of 32 for 236 and a score) but only ran the ball 7 times all game. Instead it was Dorsey Levins rushing for 70 yards, and a defense that only allowed LA 3 converted third downs on the day that won the game for the visitors.

It was tight throughout, with a 10-10 halftime score thanks to TDs from Antowain Smith and Dominic Rhodes. LA built up a meager 6-point lead thanks to two Doug Brien field goals, but could not pull away without scoring touchdowns, and Arizona was finding ways to keep that from happening. All it took was one successful drive in the 4th quarter for the Wranglers and the game was theirs, and they got it. Arizona mounted a 15-play, 9 minute drive in the final period to take the lead on Rhodes’s 2nd score of the day, this one a plunge over the top from the 1, as Arizona took the lead with 6:28 left to play.

Six and a half minutes was more than enough time for the Express to mount a winning drive, after all, they only needed a field goal, but after going 3-and-out, Coach Hall chose to punt instead of risking it all on a 4th and 7 deep in their own territory. Arizona was able to burn nearly 3 minutes before punting the ball back to LA, and now Cade McNown faced a hurry up drill to try to get into field goal range. Arizona held, the final play being a 4th down pass deflected out of the hands of Tory Holt by a lunging Philippi Sparks. Arizona would hold on for the improbable win. LA was one and done in the playoffs and now it is the Wranglers moving on, headed up to face their arch rivals at Mile High next week with a ticket to the Summer Bowl on the line.

Only one of the four teams playing in next week’s Conference Championships did not add new players to the injury report this week. Orlando has no new names to add, and could actually be getting at least 1-2 players back as both wideout Donald Driver and FS Myron Guyton could see action this week (both are listed as the always enigmatic “questionable”. Their opponent is looking at possibly losing both CB Corey Fuller and Strong Safety Al Harris, both with hamstring injuries and both listed as questionable as well.

In the other game, Arizona will be without DT Van Maumau due to a conconussion, and tackle Chad Clifton, another hamstring injury. LB Zach Thomas has been upgraded to probable and should see action. Denver, got good news on Tony Boyd, who should be back in the lineup. Deral Boykin is likely out again and now a possible absence for SS Sean Lumpkin as well as he recovers from a concussion suffered in the win over Chicago

ATLANTA MAKES THEIR CHOICE

The Fire believe they have found their man in NY Giants defensive coordinator John Fox. Fox, who began his pro career with the LA Express back in 1985-87 (after short stints at several NCAA programs including Kansas, Utah, and Iowa State), has made a name for himself as a no-nonsense defensive coach who believes in shutting down the run first and then adding pressure through the blitz on key downs. Fox will inherit one of the worst defenses in the league, and yet one with several quality players such as Mo Lewis, Randall Godfrey, CB Tyrone Poole and DE Bruce Smith. Smith and Poole may not be there long as the edge-rushing DE is rumored to be considering retirement after a very frustrating season and Poole is now a free agent. Fox is locked in for the 2002 season but all bets are off after that as the Fire are up for sale and are considered a potential risk to relocate unless a local ownership group steps up.

RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

As we move into the offseason for most USFL clubs, and as we add more clubs to that category with each week’s playoff losses, we see a steady growth in retirement announcements, creating new roster gaps for teams to deal with. Some are expected, some foreshadowed, and occasionally some come out of the blue, but each offseason we have come to expect a few major contributors will opt to call it a career, and we will see this over the next few weeks. We already commented on some, and this week we have a few more to report as we look ahead to each team’s plans for next year.

HB Reggie Cobb (TEX) has declared his intention to retire. Cobb has been a centerpiece in the Outlaw backfield for years, and his departure will certainly alter the plans for this year’s draft in Texas. Cobb retires with 2,896 carries for 12,385 yards and 99 career touchdowns, a total that will be hard to duplicate and should remain a Texas team record for years to come.

TE Keith McKeller (STL) has apparently tired of 1-year deals and has announced his retirement. After long stints with Arizona, Houston, and Seattle to open his career, McKeller has been with 3 teams in 3 years, St. Louis being the final stop, but has decided that his diminishing role as a receiving tight end is a signal that the time is right to step away from the game. McKeller retires with 512 career receptions for over 5,900 yards and 33 career TDs.

WR Raynard Brown (NOR) and WR Eric Metcalf (SEA) walk away from the game despite very strong 2001 seasons with their respective teams. Metcalf was the league’s reception leader, while Brown retained his role as the primary receiver for the Breakers. Brown retires with potential HOF numbers: 1,109 receptions for 14,844 yards and 96 touchdowns. He won a title with the 1995 Maulers and finished his career in New Orleans with 5 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons. Metcalf as well could be a HOF candidate with 1,154 reception for 14,515 yards and 85 TDs. He was named All-USFL 6 times since coming into the league with Texas in 1989.

CB Donnell Woolford retires a life-long member of the Baltimore Blitz. Woolford recorded over 1,100 tackles in a career that spanned 3 decades (1989-2001). In that time he also had 49 career interceptions and 23 forced fumbles.

LB Eric Kumerow, a 10 year team captain for the Maulers, also steps away from the game. Kumerow was a key part of the 1995 Mauler league championship team and was named to 3 All-USFL teams over his career. He retires with 1,186 tackles and 193 starts, combining time at all 3 LB positions.

DT Michael Dean Perry retires after a career that saw him start at DT for 4 different teams (Houston 88-92, Denver 93-96, Jacksonville 97-99, and Baltimore 2000-2001). He retires with 531 tackles and 47 sacks, along with a reputation as a nasty run-stuffing middle man.

DE John Bosa, the Texas Outlaws all time sack leader with 161 career sacks, is retiring. Bosa came into the league in 1987 with Pittsburgh but made a name for himself after signing with Texas in 1994.

DE Bruce Smith, known for his years with the Buffalo Bills, retires from the game after 2 seasons in Atlanta. While the Fire have been a pretty horrible franchise these past two seasons, Smith has provided a spark, recording 36 sacks in his 2-year USFL career.

THUNDER PROPOSE STAYING PUT AND BUILDING

The Portland Thunder have made it official, the bid they have approved and sent to the league office for review and hopeful ratification by league vote is one which would keep the franchise in the Rose City. Thunder officials spoke with the Oregonian this week and announced that the bid which has been proposed is that of Bernard Ebbers, a telecom multimillionaire originally from Canada, and Phil Ruffin, a Las Vegas casino and real estate developer. The plan would call for the Thunder to remain at Civic Stadium short term, but would propose a $500M stadium project to be co-sponsored by private ownership, sale of season ticket licenses, and public funds of up to $200M. The planned stadium would be built on the east side of the city, not far from downtown, but would depend on a range of city officials and offices agreeing to the site as well as the cost. $200M is certainly a significant sum, but far less than the original plans proposed by the current ownership, which would have asked the city to pay for a much larger share of the stadium construction.

The League Offices in New York, will now conduct extensive reviews of the bid and the financial stability of the ownership group, which also includes former MLB baseball player Dave Kingman as well as at least 8 other minority share owners. If the proposal passes mustard, then it moves on to the next league wide owners meeting (either October or December) for approval. Since a relocation is not in the offing, a decision does not need to be rushed and the transfer of ownership can be accomplished at any point during the winter or even mid-season. Fans in Portland seem overjoyed by the prospect of this bid beating out the competitive bid of the Boston Colonials Football Group, a well-funded ownership LLC that is looking to bring a club to Boston College’s Alumni Stadium. Local sports radio in Portland was overwhelmingly behind the bid, even with a grassroots public buyout option still technically on the table that would have given fans a chance to become partial owners of hte club, as familiarized with the Green Bay Packers. That project simply did not get all its ducks in a row in time to be a serious contender, and of the other two options it seems clear that for fans of football in Oregon, the option to keep the team in town was certainly going to be a more popular one. The question now, if the bid is approved, is whether or not fans truly understand the concept of personal seat licenses, which essentially force you to pay twice to obtain season tickets, a PSL for the right to buy tickets and then the tickets themselves. But, if it keeps the Thunder in Portland, and helps the city finance a suitablly modern and well-appointed stadium, it seems a tradeoff that many Portlanders would be happy to make. .

Two games to decide who will be at Soldier Field in 2 weeks for Summer Bowl 2001. We have the top seed in the east, Orlando, taking on the upstart Philadelphia Stars, the 6 seed. In the West it is Denver, the defending champion, hoping to repeat, the first time in league history if it happens, but facing the unpredictable Arizona Wranglers. Arizona upset the top seed out West, Los Angeles, by essentially going against character and playing a game-shortening combination of slow play running game and stout defense. Will they go that route against Denver or try to speed up the tempo? Denver is more than happy to play the slow plodding game, as their run game is one of the league’s best, but could struggle if they end up in a high scoring shootout with Jake Plummer and the Wranglers.

Orlando is hoping that their top rated defense has an answer for Philadelphia. The Stars can mix run and pass very effectively, and if Bobby Hebert is on his game, he can help create even when plays go south. A lot will be on Chris Doleman to pursue, harass, and rattle Hebert and give Orlando the chance to disrupt any momentum the Stars have after winning 4 in a row (including 2 playoff games). For the Stars, the key on defense is to get Orlando behind on the scoreboard and see if they can make them one dimensional. Orlando is most dangerous when they can get contributions from both the run and pass game. On the rare occasions when opponents have been able to shut down Terry Kirby and the rushing attack, the Renegades have struggled to live by the pass. But, as we noted, that has proven hard to accomplish as Coach O’Leary has proven effective at keeping opposing defenses off balance through a strong screen game along with play action, inside and outside runs.

OUR PICKS: We think the most fun in Summer Bowl 2001 would be to have the defending champs trying for the repeat against the lone #1 seed left and one of the season’s best teams, so we are going to go for that. Orlando and Denver in the title game.