2001 USFL Week 1 Recap: Sprinting & Stumbling Out of the Gates

The first week of the 2001 USFL season is in the books and overall it was a very good week for the road teams. 8 of 12 games saw the road clubs win, including big wins for Jacksonville @ Arizona and Baltimore @ Michigan, and Washington against a tough New Orleans squad. It was not all road warriors this week as LA got a huge come from behind win in the final minute to win their home opener and St. Louis also held court at home, but overall a good opening week for the teams playing in hostile environments. Welcome back to football everyone.

Several good games this week, a bit sloppy perhaps, but exciting to watch, but none had the last minute drama of the Bandits visiting the Express at Farmers Insurance Field. For Bandit fans it was a day for discovery. After losing Troy Aikman so unexpectedly in free agency, the Bandit faithful were hoping that Trent Green could provide a spark and help them see positives in an offseason that has been largely negative in Tampa. For the Express faithful, the question is whether their club will rebound back to the lofty heights of the 1999 season or if they were doomed to another year of uneven play. The answer may be a bit of both as LA struggled at times but then found a way to pull the game out in the final minute.

As for Tampa Bay, the first game seemed to prove that they chose wisely in trading to acquire Trent Green from the Baltimore Blitz. Green had a very solid game, throwing for 284 yards and 3 scores, including a strong connection built with superstar receiver Randy Moss, who caught 6 balls for 159 yards and hauled in 2 of Green’s 3 TD passes. The Bandits looked very much like a club that was seeking offensive balance, handing the ball to Errict Rhett 15 times for 72 yards. But perhaps the best news for the Bandits is that their defense looked quite a bit better than what we saw last year. New arrivals played a big part in that. Former Bull and Renegade strong safety LeRoy Butler made the Florida Trifecta official with his first start for the Bandits and had a POTG performance, making 10 tackles, nabbing a sack on Cade McNown, forcing a fumble and recovering the ball for the Express. Rookie LB Zeke Moreno also looked good, with 8 tackles on the day, and yet, we have to say that at the end of the game, the defense failed the Express.

After battling to a 14-14 tie after 3 quarters, the game was anyone’s to win. LA had relied heavily on their run game, an attack that would earn 191 yards on the ground (Antowain smith with 118 and Michael Pittman with 71), while Cade McNown would only complete 9 of 24 passes against a stingy pass defense for the Bandits. Midway through the quarter the Express would take the lead on a Doug Brien Field Goal, but Tampa would get the ball and would go in for what looked like a potential game winning touchdown with 3:11 left to play.

Green hit WR Bobby Shaw with a 26-yard TD toss on a corner route and the Bandits looked to be in good shape. The Express had time left, but they had not proven to be a quick strike offense, needing either good field position or a long 12 play drive in the past to score. So, with 3:11 on the clock, the defense settled in to play the field position game. The only problem was that they proved too soft on defense to stop the Express. Yes, it took 9 plays for LA to score, but nearly every play gained yards.

The drive started with a 21-yard completion from McNown to Tory Holt, his favorite target. This was followed by completions to TE Brandon Manumalena and Curtis Mayfield, and LA was in Tampa Territory. Down 4, they would need a TD to win, so field goal position was not a concern. Two more passes (mixed with a couple of incompletions) gave LA the ball on the three yard line. An offsides penalty moved it to the two, and while there were only 22 seconds left to play, LA had preserved a timeout, so they had time to run multiple plays. They would not need to. On 1st and goal from the 2, Cade McNown rolled right and found his TE again, this time for the game winner.

The rookie TE, who had only 3 receptions on the day, all in this final drive, went from non-factor to hero of the game. Manumaleuna tightly gripped the ball, his first pro touchdown, as the Express celebrated the win with the diehard LA fans in the South endzone. For Tampa Bay it was shades of last seasons, where no lead seemed safe and the defense failed when most needed. While Trent Green’s successful debut will help Tampa fans see some positives in the game, the defense remains a concern.

OHI 38 STL 45

Defense may also be a concern in St. Louis, where the Ohio Glory racked up 38 points and 418 yards against a Knights’ D that was expected to carry the team. The good news is that St. Louis outpaced the Glory on both counts, scoring 45 and totaling 439 yards of offense. Todd Collins, in an unusual burst of scoring, threw 5 TD passes, completing 27 of 38 passes for 312 yards. Ahman Green added another 119 yards on the ground as the Knights built up a 45-31 lead and avoided a late Glory rally to take the W.

JAX 21 ARZ 16

Defense was more on display, along with far too many penalties (14 in the game) as the Bulls stole a win in Arizona. The homestanding Wranglers had a slim 16-15 lead until the final minutes of the game, thanks to a huge game from rookie wideout Santana Moss (6 receptions for 133 yards and a score), but Jacksonville got a late score on a Chandler to Terrell Owens TD toss with 1:21 left to play to earn the road win.

BAL 12 MGN 6

As much as we want to say that defense was the key to the Blitz win, the reality was that this was a pretty sloppy game all around, and it seemed that self-inflicted wounds were the issue for both clubs. Ron Dayne rushed for 102 yards, while Michigan’s Siran Stacy had no luck at all, gaining only 5 yards on 5 carries before a hamstring concern pulled him from the game. Doug Flutie actually finished the game as the Panther’s top rusher with 53 yards, most of it on a single scramble for 37 that produced the game’s only TD.

WSH 31 NOR 28

The Federals built up a 31-7 lead in the 3rd before New Orleans finally woke up and made it a game. Kordell Stewart had one of his best days as a pro against a Breaker defense that did not look ready for the regular season. Stewart completed 22 of 26 passes for 355 yards and 4 scores, with both J.J. Stokes and Herman Moore going over 100 yards receiving. New Orleans pulled within 3 with 3:32 left to play, but never saw the ball again as the combo of Rueben Droughns and rookie Deuce McCallister ground out the win for the Feds.

NJ 21 TEX 9

The new look Generals got a big win, but concern for QB Troy Aikman as a hit late in the game led him to be examined for a potential concussion. Aikman would finish the game with 189 yards passing and 2 scores, while Curtis Enis added 61 yards on the ground, but the big story for the Generals was the defense. Former General QB Jeff Lewis, now the starter in Texas, was sacked 5 times and completed only 24 of 46 attempts, while Reggie Cobb was held to only 38 yards rushing for the Outlaws. Phil Hanson and 2nd year lineman Shaun Ellis both finished the game with 2 sacks apiece.

PIT 23 HOU 35

The battle of two teams desperate for signs of improvement gave a lot of hope to Houston fans. The moribund Gambler offense from 2000 looks very different, putting up 35 and scoring on 7 drives. Matt Hasselbeck won the QB duel in the preseason and looked good for Houston, completing 23 of 37 for 244 and 3 scores. Rookie Koren Robinson also got off to a great start, catching 7 balls for 79 yards and 2 scores, while Antonio Freeman had 5 for 98 and a score.

PHI 27 CHI 10

With the run game not working for either club on a wet field in Chicago, it was up to the QB’s to win this one and Bobby Hebert got the better of Jeff George, though his 2 picks helped Chicago stay close for most of the game. The decisive play for Philly was a pick-six of a bad George throw by CB Reggie Givens. Philly also got pressure on George with 4 sacks of the Chicago QB.

BIR 26 DEN 16

In the season’s first game, the new NBC Friday Night showcase, Birmingham found enough holes in the Denver defense to knock off the defending league champions. Despite getting sacked 4 times, including a safety on the 2nd play of the game, Brett Favre would throw 2 TD passes and connect with Marcus Robinson for 120 yards on the way to victory.

ORL 41 OAK 7

A true blowout as the Invaders looked utterly inept against the Renegades in every phase of the game. Ryan Leaf spent most of the game running for his life as his line could not handle Chris Doleman and the Oakland defense gave up a 23 of 26 day with 3 TD passes to Scott Mitchell before a late hit on an ill-advised scramble led to Craig Erickson taking over. Erickson would throw only 1 pass but it too was a TD as the Renegades romped over a very shaky Invader squad.

MEM 42 POR 17

Another blowout as the Showboats and Thunder appear to have picked up where they left off last year, good for Memphis, bad for Portland. Akili Smith was named the starter for Portland only 2 days before the game and he did not look ready, completing only 23 of 43 passes, whereas Heath Shuler looked like he was in midseason form, completing 14 of 18 for 276 yards and 3 scores as the Showboats rolled in this one.

ATL 3 SEA 26

And, finishing the week, it seems that Atlanta still has not found an answer on offense. They were outgained by Seattle 426 to 136 as they amassed only 31 yards rushing and starter Mark Bulger completed only 13 of 32 passes for a paltry 105 yards. For Seattle’s part, Brian Griese threw for 347 yards, with both Eric Metcalf and TE Ken Dilger each going over 100 for the day.

We hate to start the year with major injuries, but that is football. Three players, all offensive linemen. are now looking at between 8-12 weeks out of the lineup. New Jersey’s rookie tackle Matt Light injured his back in his first pro game. Jacksonville guard Joe Cocozzo and Baltimore guard Hayward Haynes are also likely out for at least 3 months with a ruptured disc and a torn hamstring respectively.

Things are not much better for Houston TE Dan Campbell who could miss 2 months with a shoulder injury. In Ohio the concern is for star wideout Joey Galloway, who could be out a month or longer with a hip injury. The Glory also lost LB Brendon Ayanbedejo, though likely only for 2 weeks due to a meniscus injury in his right knee. Seattle could be without SS John Lynch for 1-2 weeks and Tampa DT Roland Putzier is also expected to miss a week or more with a fracture in his forearm.

Others listed as doubtful or questionable this week include Bulls’ CB Terrell Buckley, Texas TE Frank Wainright, Birmingham SS Darryl Williams, Philly LB Sam Rogers, and Houston LB Gerald Dixon. Troy Aikman is listed as probable, but the concussion he suffered is his 4th in the past 18 months, which is a serious concern for New Jersey.

ROSTER MOVES

You expect that once the season starts the rosters are largely set, but there is always a bit of shuffling at the beginning of the season. What has been surprising this year is the number of pretty solid players who have stuck through camp only to retire either right before the season began or even after a week of play. The most surprising of the sudden announcements was that of former Houston Gambler LB Quentin Coryatt, who was expected to be a rotational player for the Washington Federals, but who saw no action this week, and announced his retirement a day later. Speculation that there is a lingering injury at the heart of the announcement could not be verified.

Just before the season’s first week we got other retirement announcements as former Philly TE Eric Green decided that a new season with a new club (Jacksonville) was not what he needed. Jacksonville scrambled to sign TE Lovell Pinkney to fill in, but that is clearly a downgrade from a talent level. Similarly, Texas had to sign James Dexter from the free agent pool when former Machine tackle Jeff Wright announced his retirement, stating that his body was simply telling him the time was right.

In Portland, it feels like the club helped HB Darrell Thompson make the decision, placing him 3rd on the HB depth chart behind starter Napoleon McCallum, but also behind rookie Correll Buckhalter. That appears to have been a step too far from seeing the field for the veteran back, who announced his departure on Thursday. Portland signed former Atlanta back Blair Thomas, who saw no action last year, to fill the roster spot, but we expect them to seek another option as well. Thompson retires with 8,282 yards and 61 career touchdowns. He had his best season as a member of the 1997 St. Louis Knights, before spending one season in Philly and another in Ohio as a backup.

One final roster move, again produced by depth chart decisions. Fourteen-year veteran safety Bennie Blades demanded a trade after he was demoted behind both and rookie Adam Archuleta on the Blitz depth chart. Blades began his career with 7 years in Memphis and played the past 7 years with Baltimore, where he was a popular figure in the community. Baltimore, seeing value in trading the 8-time All-USFL safety got on the phones and by Wednesday of this week Blades had a new home as an Arizona Wrangler. Arizona sent a 3rd round pick in next year’s draft to Baltimore, and immediately started talking about Blades competing for the starting safety position. With only 3rd year player Anthony Poindexter and 2nd year “starter” Clifton Black to compete with, there is a good chance Blades moves into a starting roll quite soon.

ROOKIES IMPRESS

It was a very strong week for rookies across the USFL, particularly among rookie recievers. We have already mentioned the 4th quarter surge that LA rookie tight end Brandon Manumaleuna had, making a great impression on his new LA fanbase. It was even a better first week for Arizona rookie receiver Santana Moss, with 133 yards receiving in his first pro game. That is an easy way to make the Wrangler faithful stop lamenting the loss of Rocket Ismail. Another rookie wideout having a good day was Houston’s Korell Robinson, whose 7 receptions and 2 TDs helped spark the Gamblers to an opening day win.

Less to report from the rookie rushers, as only Deuce McCallister saw significant carries, toting the rock 12 times, but for only 29 yards. Neither James Jackson (NJ) or Kevin Barlow (TEX) saw the field on offense in the clash of these clubs. Travis Minor got 5 touches for the Blitz, and Correll Buckhalter only 3 touches for 2 yards for the Thunder.

On defense, we saw Justin Smith (LA), Kyle Vanden Bosch (PIT), and Aaron Schobel (MGN) all get the start at DE and all record a sack in their first pro action. Kendrell Bell (NJ), Zeke Moreno (TBY), Dan Morgan (OAK), and Tommy Polley (CHI) all started for their respective clubs at LB, with Moreno having the biggest impact thanks to a 10-tackle day.

Adam Archuleta for Baltimore recorded his first sack from the safety position as he shared time with Lawyer Milloy at the position, while Tampa Bay rooke CB Jeremy Lincoln recorded the first rookie interception on the year.

QB ROUNDUP

Let’s finish our Week 1 roundup by looking at the new QB’s starting around the league. Troy Aikman brought his new club, New Jersey, a solid win in his first start wearing the red helmet, while last year’s NJ quarterback, Jeff Lewis, struggled with a Texas offense that simply does not have a lot of playmakers. In Tampa Bay, newly acquired QB Trent Green looked solid, throwing 3 touchdowns, but, of course, the question with Green is always his ability to stay healthy. Despite calls from fans as their offense struggled, Michigan coach Mike Martz did not pull Flutie for rookie Drew Brees, letting the veteran go the entire game. And while there was really no expectation that either rookie Marques Tuiasosopo or veteran Jon Kitna would get into the game for Oakland, the pressure has to be on Coach Capers to consider a plan B as Ryan Leaf continues to struggle and continues to be vocal in the lockerroom.

While the nation has turned to the field as the USFL kicks off its 19th season, the realities of daily life continue, and that includes legal proceedings, which brings us to the off-field story that is likely to have a huge ripple effect on the entire league, the James Orthwein fraud cases. Following the Grand Jury findings, the case is proceeding to a full trial, a trial which very likely could lead to significant legal concerns for Mr. Orthwein, owner of the St. Louis Knights. With the case very much tied into his valuation of the Knights franchise a spotlight has been pointed squarely at the league and its reporting of attendance, sales, and club value. While the particulars of the case have been laser focused on Mr. Orthwein and the Knights, there is concern that a broader investigation could identify irregularities across the league. Even if it does not, the negative impact of the case is already being felt and many within the league have spoken out about the path the league should take. Led by Arizona principal owner Dr. Ted Deitrich and Michigan owner Abe Taubman, there has begun to be a call for full divestment of the club by Mr. Orthwein, a call that the league office cannot ignore.

Knights' Owner James Orthwein

While a guilty verdict would almost certainly lead to a sell-off of the Knights, the calls from owners and a possible mandate from the league’s main office, could force the sale even if a definitive result in the court case does not materialize. The problem faced by the Knights in this is that the minority owners of the club are truly minority owners, holding less than 28% of all shares, and none seem to have the financial support to be able to purchase the club should Orthwein wish to sell within the current ownership group. And while a new ownership group from within St. Louis could eventually develop, there is no such group currently prepared to step up. Meanwhile we know of at least 4 different groups from 4 different non-USFL markets that are well-financed, well-organized and ready to step in.

What this means is that if the USFL pushes for sale of the club, or if the court case forces a sale, there is a very good chance that for the second time in recent memory the city of St. Louis could be without a football club. Ownership groups from Boston, Dallas, Miami, and Nashville have been actively seeking potential USFL ownership opportunities, with little success to date. Yes, there have been rumors of the Boston group, known as the Boston Colonials Football Group, meeting with Portland Thunder ownership, and the Nashville group has been working very hard to make the case to relocated the Showboats from Memphis, but ownership in both cities has been very hesitant to give up on the USFL as it continues a pretty steady value growth phase. Even in cities with smaller or more problematic stadium agreements, the value added over the past 19 years as the USFL has grown has made the endeavor quite profitable, but the Orthwein situation could prove the perfect avenue for one ownership group to scoop up a USFL franchise and quickly relocate it to a new market.

There are certainly positives to such a move, particularly should the alternative be a franchise with a disenfranchised ownership unable to effectively negoatiate contracts with St. Louis’s stadium authority or even with local market sponsors. But, particularly on the cusp of what we expect to be a 20th Season celebration next year, a relocation would be a major negative. St. Louis has been supporting the Knights over the past decade, and even with the relocated NFL Rams cutting into the market and the fanbase, the Knights’ recent success has helped them maintain steady attendance and financial health. While there would certainly be a boost to both in a new market, particularly an enthusiastic market such as Boston, the impact on St. Louis, and the bad press that emerges from a wronged fanbase losing a club that has been supported well, is not what the USFL needs. Add to this the potential disruption to the newly-announced 6-division format should the Knights relocate to either Boston or Miami, would be another significant negative.

In the new structure for the league to begin in 2002, the Knights would be in a Southern Division with New Orleans, Memphis and Birmingham, all good regional rivals for the club, within a confined travel area. Were the club to relocate to either Dallas or Nashville, this would not be too significant an impact, though having Dallas in a different division than Houston and Texas (San Antonio) would be a bit of a missed opportunity. But, should the Knights find themselves in either Miami or Boston, the structure of the division would be disrupted and quick adjustments might need to be made. Would Atlanta leave their tight division with the 3 existing Florida teams to make room for a Miami franchise? And which Atlantic Club (New Jersey, Philly, Baltimore or Washington) would make way so that Boston could be added? The Atlantic is a particulary well-defined and rivalry-driven division, so the loss of any of those 4 clubs would be seen as a major negative.

We expect the league to address the issue of Mr. Orthwein’s continued ownership of the Knights in the next few weeks, and if the decision involves any form of sanctions or mandates that would require him to divest his holdings in the Knights, then the feeding frenzy will begin. The losers in all of this? The Knights fans in St. Louis who have done nothing wrong and who could very well lose their USFL club due to a combination of greed from its ownership and self-preservation and “saving face” from other league owners. That hardly seems like the way this should work out, but it seems a very likely scenario right now.

Week 2 is right around the corner, and with it we get some divisional games to whet our appetite. New Jersey will have a tough test as they head to Baltimore to face the Blitz. Washington is in Pittsburgh, and we have a meaty Saturday Night clash as the Ohio Glory head to Philadelphia for a clash of two division title favorites. In the South, it’s an early Florida Darby as Orlando heads to Tampa Bay, hoping they can put their stamp on a season with a lot of high expectations for the ‘Gades. Memphis hosts Jacksonville in a key clash of 1-0 clubs, while Atlanta will try to get their offense to actually score a TD as they face Birmingham in Legion Field.

The Central Division is visiting the Pacific Division in the other half of the league matchups. While none of the top teams in either division face their opposites from the other division, we see some potential for good games across the board. LA hosting Michigan should tell us a lot about both clubs. Houston hopes their newfound offense can help them as they travel to Denver, while the Chicago Machine and Arizona Wranglers are both hoping they can avoid an 0-2 start as they battle in Tempe. New Orleans is in Oakland for what looks like a lopsided game, much like what we see when St. Louis heads to Portland. Finally, Texas is on the road and facing a tough foe as they visit the Seattle Dragons for a Sunday afternoon clash at Husky Stadium.