2001 USFL Week 15 Recap: Down to the Wire

No room for error. That is the message this week. With playoff spots becoming harder to pin down, and a whole slew of teams within range but not secured, there are few games that don't have meaning for teams across the league, just how we like it.

Did we just witness a possible Eastern Conference Championship preview? A lot of folks seem to think so as Orlando and New Jersey fought down to the final seconds. Both of these clubs look solid from top to bottom, and while that was expected for the Renegades, the fans in New Jersey have to be excited about a season going much better than anticipated, even with Orlando getting the edge in this one.

Second year QB Tom Brady has been a revelation for the Generals, and he again showed a lot of poise as he faced down one of the league’s best pass rushes. He would finish the day with 278 yards passing on 26 of 38 attempts, throwing 2 touchdowns to 1 pick in the game. Across the field from Brady was veteran Scott Mitchell, the undisputed leader of the Renegade offense. Mitchell would win the day, completing 31 of 41 attempts for 279 yards and 3 scores without a pick. Neither team did well in the run game (Enis gained 64 yards, Kirby only 56) so it was on the defenses and the quarterbacks to win this one.

New Jersey started off well in front of an enthusiastic 53,302 in the Meadowlands. They opened with a defensive stop on Orlando’s first possession, and followed that with an 11-play drive that put them on the board with a Curtis Enis 4-yard counter run to pay dirt. They would add more points, a Neil Rackers field goal on their next possession before Orlando would get their feet under them. But, Orlando was not going to take long to get back in this one. They closed out the first half with Scott Mitchell hitting Donald Driver for the first Renegade points of the day. Four minutes later, after a 3-and-out gave Orlando the ball in good field position, Orlando took the lead on a Mitchell to McCardell strike. But New Jersey was not done, not by a longshot.

The Generals drew closer thanks to another Rackers kick, but the big play was a solid hit by LB Dwayne Rudd on Orlando back Amos Zeroue. Rudd forced the ball out of Zeroue’s grasp and it would eventually be covered up by All-USFL DE Phil Hansen. Three plays later Brady found Ahmad Merrit for a 3-yard TD toss and New Jersey was back on top 20-14. An Orlando drive fizzled on the New Jersey 40 to open the 3rd quarter and the Generals got the ball back and again took it down the field, this time Brady hit the league’s top receiver Terry Glenn with a 27-yard corner route to expand their lead to 27-14, and all looked good for the homestanding Generals.

But Orlando is a veteran group and they don’t panic easy. Scott Mitchell closed out the 3rd quarter by connecting with Donald Driver for a 2nd time, cutting the New Jersey lead to a precarious 6 points. The two teams would then battle between the 20’s for most of the remainder of the game, at least until the 6-minute mark, when Orlando got the break they needed. Mitchell hit TE Ricky Dudley on a short 4-yard in route on a 3rd and 6, but LB Bobby Howard could not wrap up the big receiver, and he spun out of the defender’s grip and gained another 22 yards before he was finally brought down. The play sparked the Renegades, and 4 plays later Terry Kirby pounded the ball in from 2 yards out to put Orlando on top 28-27. Still, with over 3 minutes left, the defense would be called on to stymie the Generals and keep them out of field position.

New Jersey started their 2-minute drill with 2:55 left to play, skipping the huddle and pushing the ball downfield with a series of 5-8 yard tosses on the edges of the field. Brady hit Glenn on a comeback, Johnson with an out route, Becht with a hook, and then Wayne Chrebet on an out from the slot. With 1:22 left, Brady had moved the Generals into field goal range, but there was time to go for more. And this is likely where Bill Parcells got ahead of himself. Rather than position the ball and kill clock with a couple of Enis runs, he called a play action pass to try to get within the 20. Becht, the intended target, was open, but the big paw of DT Pat Williams clipped the ball on its way over the line, and instead of finding the waiting hands of Becht, it fell right into the waiting arms of LB John Folston. Orlando had taken the ball, killed the drive, and in so doing, clinched the top spot in the conference.

A tough day for the Generals, a tough way to lose, but there was a lot in the game to feel good about, that and a sense that this may not be the only time these two clubs meet up. We could easily see this as a key playoff game down the line.

LA 29 SEA 20

The Express clinched the top seed in the West by knocking off Seattle in Husky Stadium (and getting a little help in New Orleans). Cade McNown threw for 331 and 2 scores and LB Barry Minter logged 13 tackles and a pick as the Express held Seattle at bay all game.

CHI 24 NOR 28

The Express clinched in part because New Orleans refused to roll over for division champion Chicago. Trent Dilfer had a great game, throwing for 3 scores and 326 yards against a pretty solid Chicago D. Chicago hurt themselves with 9 penalties on the day, and just could not make the big play when it was needed. They still have the division and the bye, but home field goes through Los Angeles this year.

ARZ 21 POR 37

Not a huge upset, but an upset nonetheless. Portland put themselves into a “win and you’re in” situation next week by knocking off the Wranglers at Civic Stadium. Jake Plummer was again forced to be nearly the entire Wrangler offense and gave up 2 picks in the effort, one a Joey Porter pick-six that helped Portland build a 31-14 lead after 3 quarters. Akili Smith connected early and often with Matthew Hatchette, who would finish the game with 145 yards and a score. Patrick Rowe also had a good game, scoring twice for the Thunder as Portland gets close to a possible playoff spot.

DEN 30 OAK 27 OT

Denver came close to being a 3rd victim of a trap game as Oakland forced them into overtime before a Jeff Wilkens 43-yarder earned the Gold the road win. Smart and Salaam combined for 153 yards rushing, but it was FB Heath Evans who got both rushing TDs in a game that saw Denver QB Mark Brunell knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury. Oakland QB Marques Tuiasosopo looked solid against the Gold defense, throwing for 227 and 2 scores, helped by Rodney Thomas’s 90 yards rushing.

HOU 17 TEX 24

Houston could have pulled even with Portland, but the Texas Outlaws don’t care what the records are. This was a grudge match and Texas spoiled the day for their in-state rivals. Jeff Lewis connected with Brian Alford late in the game to give the home team a 24-10 lead and then Texas just slow-played the final minutes, giving up a TD to Antonio Freeman, but not leaving enough time for Houston to get another. Houston is not mathematically eliminated, but this one put them in a world of hurt come Week 16.

MGN 9 STL 26

The Knights clinched a Wild Card thanks to a solid defensive performance. Drew Brees was limited to only 173 yards on the day and the Michigan run game gained only 69 total yards. Add in 3 fumbles and it is clear how this one got away from the Panthers. Bert Emmanuel was the main offensive weapon for St. Louis, bringing in 6 for 110 and a score.

ATL 7 PHI 23

The Stars kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a much-needed win over the 1-14 Atlanta Fire. Stephen Davis rushed for 94 yards and Bobby Hebert connected on two scoring throws as the Stars pretty much owned this game all the way from the opening kickoff.

BIR 23 PIT 33

A bad loss for Birmingham, knocking them out of a playoff position and putting pressure on for next week’s finale. Pittsburgh got a huge 179 yard, 2 TD game from Andre Rison, and their defense came up big as well, sacking Brett Favre 5 times on the day. The loss means Birmingham is tied with Philly and Memphis at 8-7, with no guarantee that even 9-7 will get them into the playoffs.

JAX 29 WSH 21

Weird how Jacksonville has started to look like a much better team only after their playoff hopes were smashed. The Bulls win their 4th in the past 5 games after hitting a low point at 2-8. Jacksonville went on a weird tear in this game, scoring field goals on 5 consecutive drives without a Washington answer, moving the score from 14-14 to 29-14 over the course of a quarter and a half as they just kept trotting out Kris Brown to kick one after another.

MEM 24 BAL 9

A big win for the Showboats as they sit in playoff position at 9-6. Win and they are in is the name of the game. The loss drops Baltimore to 9-6 but they still control their own destiny to earn a Wild Card. Memphis did it by loading the box and limiting Ron Dayne to only 35 yards on the day. Meanwhile Garrison Hearst found room on the outside repeatedly, ending the day with 97 yards and a 14-yard TD run.

TBY 35 OHI 43

We end the week with a true shootout as Ohio clinch their playoff spot thanks to a 6-TD day from Kerry Collins. Collins found TE Steven Alexander and WR Joey Galloway twice each for scores, but also connected with Qadry Ismail (the forgotten man in the new Ohio offense) and HB Lamont Warren. Randy Moss and Chris Doering each caught 2 scores and both had over 130 yards for Tampa Bay, but it was not enough as the homestanding Glory got the W and the Wild Card that comes with it.

AIR MILES GALORE

If you needed any proof that the USFL is a passing league, just look at the QB numbers this year. Kerry Collins, with one game left on the schedule is already over 5,100 yards, though still well behind Troy Aikman’s 1998 record of 5,675. But he is not alone. There is a very reasonable chance that both Heath Shuler and Cade McNown could join him the very exclusive 5,000 yard club. Three 5,000 yard passers has only happened once before, that amazing 1998 season when Aikman, Leaf and Favre all crossed that threshold. We could also see 4 QBs pass the 40 touchdown threshold as well, with Collins and Shuler already there and both Favre and Trent Green sitting at 38 with one week left. Cade McNown is at 36, so 40 is not totally out of the question for him either. And this is not counting Jake Plummer’s 40 TDs, since 12 of those are rushing TDs in addition to his 28 scoring throws. Quite a year for the QB, but so is every year in the USFL.

GROUND DELIVERY

Another year and Herschel Walker’s rushing record seems safe once again. Pittsburgh’s Terrell Davis has a solid 1,401, but would need another 361 yards in Week 16 to tie Walker. We don’t see that happening, right? But this is not to say that this year has been bad for backs. There are already 8 rushers over 1,000 yards, including Ahman Green, Tiki Barber, Ron Dayne, Eddie George, Stephen Davis, Corey Dillon, and Errict Rhett. Curtis Enis, Terry Kirby and Ricky Williams should join them next week as each needs fewer than 30 yards to hit the 1,000 yard mark. Reggie Cobb can get there with another 37 yards and Antowain Smith with 97 more. That’s a lot of 1,000 yard backs for a passing league.

COACHING HOTSEAT

We are expecting a quieter than usual Black Monday next week. After all, Atlanta already fired their coach and with Emmit Thomas’s resignation in Pittsburgh, that is already 2 coaches down. Who else could be on the way out? Dom Capers has to be feeling the heat in his 2nd season with the Invaders. Three wins is not what the Invader ownership was hoping for this year, and 4 is not much better. Seattle had a bad year, without a clear and obvious reason like a wave of injuries. But, last year’s success likely protects Joe Tiller from this year’s surprise decline.

We were worried about George Seifert’s security early in the year, but the Bandits came on strong, and they still have a legitimate playoff hope, so we don’t think George is on the outs right now. The strong 2nd half of the season could save a 2nd Floridian as Gunther Cunningham has the Bulls playing well. If they can finish 7-9, then that may just be enough for ownership to give him one more shot. If Arizona drop to 8-8, and especially if they bow out of the playoffs again in the 1st round, that may be enough for the Wranglers to look elsewhere. It would not be the first time a coach with a playoff bound team lost his job at the end of the year.

One week to go and a lot still on the line. Here is what we know. Orlando is the #1 Seed in the East and the Southern Champion. Washington and Ohio are both in, but the final week could lead to a flip of the Glory and Feds in positioning. Out West LA has locked up the top seed and Chicago is the #2. Denver, Arizona, and St. Louis are all in. Portland can lock up the final spot with a win next week at the Express, who likely will rest some starters. A Portland loss and the next team up is, believe it or not, New Orleans. If the Breakers can win in Houston they take the final spot, if not, then Houston has a chance but depends on some tiebreakers to potentially edge past Portland, all this only if Portland loses.

Back in the East again, all 3 teams at 9-6 are in with a win. New Jersey hosts Washington, Baltimore hosts Philadelphia, and Memphis visits Orlando, another club that very well could rest some key starters. If any of these teams lose, then there is hope for Tampa Bay, Birmingham, and Philly. The Stars, of course, have the most direct path, since they play Baltimore in a very big game at Aetna Stadium. Birmingham is in Jacksonville, where the Bulls have made a solid late season run. Tampa Bay is at home, facing the 1-14 Atlanta Fire, but they know that a win is not enough, they ideally need 2 of the 9-6 clubs to lose if they want into the postseason.

A lot of big games this week, to be sure.

Big games this week, and fortunately not a lot of big injuries to impede them. It’s week 15, so dings and bruises are typical, but we did not see any huge losses this week and that is good. Perhaps the biggest loss is in Denver where LB Dat Nguyen will likely miss the season finale but be back for the Wild Card round. Philly will be without Bobby Engram again, but no one new is out. Ahman Green remains out for St. Louis, and Orlando is without FS Myron Guyton for another week. Mark Brunell was injured in this week’s game for Denver but is expected to be back for the season finale. Heath Shuler is dealing with some bursitis in his non-throwing shoulder, but with the playoffs on the line we expect he will play.

USFL TERRITORIAL SCHOOLS SELECTED

This week the USFL held its selection process for each of the 24 franchises’ three territorial schools. As you will recall, the USFL ownership this year decided to return to a 5-round territorial draft to precede the open draft of college players in January. The T-Draft will occur 1 week prior to the open draft. Each club will be able to select up to 5 players from their 3 territorial schools and do have the option of trading away those picks just as they do with open draft picks. This week’s league action was for the GM’s of each of the franchise to participate in a school selection process to determine which three schools each club will draw from for the next 5 seasons. The rules were somewhat simple. Each team, in order of their combined record for the past 3 seasons (with the worst combined record first, the best choosing last) would select a school in each of 3 rounds. Two of the three selections had to be within a designated area corresponding to the franchise’s location, which meant that New Jersey, for example, could not choose Texas, USC, and Michigan. The third selection could be any school nationally, however, if a franchise selected with their first two picks a school that finished the 2000 season in the NCAA Top 25, then their third school would have to be one either from outside the ”Big 5” conferences (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, SEC, and PAC 10) or from a lower division of football. That last rule complicated things a bit, but with so many options available, it did not seem to make too much difference in the final results. As expected, most clubs selected the Big 5 schools in their home states (with some notable exceptions in the Northeast where football powerhouses are few and far between) and then largely stayed regional even with their third pick. Below are the selections for each team, listed by round in which they were taken and a designation of their category)

ARZ 1. Arizona State (B5) 2. Arizona (B5) 3. Utah (Non B5)

ATL 1. Georgia (T25) 2. Ga Tech (T25) 3. ECU (Non B5)

BAL 1. Va Tech (T25) 2. Maryland (B5) 3. BC (Non B5)

BIR 1. Alabama (B5) 2. Auburn (T25) 3. So Miss (Non B5)

CHI 1. Notre Dame (T25) 2. Illinois (B5) 3. Northern IL (Non B5)

DEN 1. Nebraska (T25) 2. Colorado (B5) 3. BYU (Non B5)

HOU 1. Texas A&M (B5) 2. Texas Tech (B5) 3. Houston (Non B5)

JAX 1. Florida State (T25) 2. Clemson (T25) 3. Ga Southern (Non B5)

LA 1. USC (B5) 2. UCLA (B5) 3. SDSU (Non B5)

MEM 1. Tennessee (B5) 2. Arkansas (B5) 3. Vanderbilt (B5)

MGN 1. Michigan (T25) 2. Mich. State (B5) 3. CMU (Non B5)

NJ 1. Oklahoma (T25) 2. Syracuse (Non B5) 3. Rutgers (Non B5)

NOR 1. LSU (T25) 2. Ole Miss (B5) 3. Tulane (Non B5)

OAK 1. Cal (B5) 2. Stanford (B5) 3. Fresno St. (Non B5)

OHI 1. Ohio State (B5) 2. Wisconsin (T25) 3. Cincinnati (Non B5)

ORL 1. Florida (T25) 2. So. Carolina (T25) 3. UCF (Non B5)

PHI 1. Penn State (B5) 2. Iowa (B5) 3. Temple (Non B5)

PIT 1. Purdue (T25) 2. Pitt (Non B5) 3. W. Virginia (Non B5)

POR 1. Oregon St. (T25) 2. Oregon (T25) 3. Boise St (Non BS)

STL 1. Kansas St. (T25) 2. Mizzou (B5) 3. Louisville (Non B5)

SEA 1. Washington (T25) 2. WSU (B5) 3. Hawaii (Non B5)

TBY 1. Miami (T25) 2. Miss St (T25) 3. USF (Non B5)

TEX 1. Texas (T25) 2. TCU (T25) 3. SMU (Non B5)

WSH 1. Louisville (Non B5) 2. Virginia (B5) 3. Marshall (Non B5)

You know the drill, week 16, all games played on Sunday, either at 12pm Eastern or 4pm Eastern. Here is the breakdown:

12PM GAMES

Philadelphia (8-7) @ Baltimore (9-6):

A Blitz win and they are in. Philly still need help but must win.

Washington (10-5) @ New Jersey (9-6):

Neither team can afford to rest starters in this one.

Pittsburgh (5-10) @ Ohio (10-5):

Ohio could still pull the division title with a win and Feds loss.

Atlanta (1-14) @ Tampa Bay (8-7):

Tampa needs the win and some help to sneak into the postseason.

Birmingham (8-7) @ Jacksonville (6-9):

The Bulls would love to end the season by spoiling the Stallions’ year.

Memphis (9-6) @ Orlando (12-3):

Expect to see Orlando’s B team, which is good news for the Showboats.

4PM GAMES

St. Louis (9-6) @ Chicago (11-4):

Both teams could rest players in this one, though St. Louis could use a win to get a home Wild Card game.

New Orleans (6-9) @ Houston (6-9):

Hard to believe but the winner could make the playoffs at 7-9.

Texas (5-10) @ Michigan (3-12):

Expect young players to get some field time in this final game for two teams looking to rebuild.

Oakland (3-12) @ Arizona (8-7):

The Wrangler’s best shot at a home game next week is a win this week.

Seattle (5-10) @ Denver (10-5):

Denver will likely protect Mark Brunell by benching him here.

Portland (7-8) @ Los Angeles (12-3):

LA will rest key starters, helping Portland perhaps reach 8-8 and the playoffs.