2001 USFL Week 3 Recap: Upsets & Near Misses

A major upset and a few close calls highlight just how much parity exists in the USFL. It was a rough week for Las Vegas bookmakers, with Portland pulling off an upset as a 12-point underdog and teams like Oakland, Chicago, Arizona, Michigan, Texas and New Jersey either defying the odds to win unexpectedly, or coming close enough to defy the point spreads that were predicted. What is a bad week for Vegas is often a very good week for football fans, and this week proved to be a very entertaining one.

“This is why they play the games” goes the old saying. As much as we think we know how games look on paper, there is nothing like the ebb and flow of action on the field to overturn our preconceived notions. By every metric in the books Seattle should have won this game, at home, against a Portland squad that has been moribund for nearly 2 years, and yet, on that field this Saturday the Thunder proved that they too are professional football players and that on any given Sunday any team can put it all together and win against any opponent. The fact that it was their rivals from up the I-5 just put icing on the cake.

So, how did the Thunder do it? Particularly when they lost the turnover battle 0-2? The basic answer is that it took all three phases of the game. The run game was varied, with Napoleon Kaufmann sharing carries with rookie Correll Buckhalter. The line protected QB Akili Smith, and he, in turn, had one of his best games of his spotty 3-year career, throwing for 313 yards and 4 scores. The defense held Corey Dillon to only 2.6 yards per carry, leading to a season low of 44 yards on the ground, and the special teams contributed with 5 solid returns from Troy Walters and a 50+ yard field goal from John Kasay.

Even with all this it took a ferocious 4th quarter for the Thunder to pull off the upset. Down, 27-16 after three quarters, the Thunder came alive in the 4th. The defense shut down Seattle in the quarter, with Brian Griese only completing 2 of 5 pass attempts, while the Dragons suffered two three-and-outs, and a drive cut short by a sack from Portland’s best defender, DE Hugh Douglas. The offense did what it needed to do to mount the comeback. Only 2 minutes into the quarter, a well-played misdirection had Smith hold onto the ball while the entire Dragon defense followed Napoleon Kaufmann. The bootlegging Smith found Matthew Hatchette behind the D and 56 yards later Hatchette was in the endzone. The 2-point play failed, but the score cut the difference to only 5 points.

Portland would get the ball back 10 minutes later (after a series of punts from both teams) and with time winding down, would mount a desperation drive. Smith used screens to Kaufmann, short tosses to TE Lonnie Johnson and WR Patrick Rowe, and finally a sprint right shovel toss to FB Arnulfo Cowley to get in the endzone. Cowley, an unlikely receiving hero had only 5 receptions to date in the season, and in 4 years had only accumulated 30 total. But, with defenders keying in on Akili Smith as a potential runner, Cowley was left open and the unexpected toss from Smith caught the Dragon defenders flat-footed. With only 21 seconds left, Portland went up by one. Again they tried the 2-point conversion, and again it failed, but with a 1-point lead and only seconds left on the clock the win was theirs. Seattle’s Brian Griese does not have a cannon, so his desperation Hail Mary fell well short of the endzone and landed harmlessly at the 10. A huge win for the Thunder over a rival and a sign that this club may not be the same as the 1-15 debacle from last season. For Seattle, a tough loss at home to a division opponent, and one that proves the point that no game is won before the field is taken.

LA 16 OAK 14

In another game that proved how close the difference is between victory and defeat in the USFL, the LA Express needed a late Doug Brien field goal to nip the Oakland Invaders, despite an abysmal 5-interception game from Ryan Leaf. It was Oakland’s defense that proved their worth, limiting LA to only 10 points off those turnovers, and yet, they could not hold forever. With Oakland’s offense struggling to complete drives, the Express eventually got the points they needed to upend the plucky Invader squad.

ARZ 49 DEN 20

The Wranglers finally committed to the run, and not from Jake Plummer, and it paid immediate dividends. Dorsey Levins rushed for 127 yards, including an epic 42-yard scoring play, and that balance allowed Jake Plummer to play pocket passer, which resulted in a 15/20, 215 yard, 4-TD day. Even during a spell in the 3rd when Plummer was temporarily out of the game, backup Craig Whelihan benefited from the balanced attack, going 6 of 9 for 123 and 2 scores in two drives that helped put the game out of reach for a lackluster Denver offense. Denver would at one point trail 49-6 before garbage time brought them to a respectable 20 points. A bad loss for sure for the Gold, but a much-needed statement game from Arizona.

CHI 23 HOU 20

This battle between two clubs hoping to gain some respect went all the way to overtime as the Machine got a late John Carney field goal to tie the game in regulation and then turned to the veteran kicker again in OT to seal the win. In a game where both offenses struggled at times, it was TE Jim Kleinsasser and backup HB Adrian Murrell who helped but Chicago over the top thanks to their late game and overtime performances. Houston got 101 yards on 6 catches from Antonio Freeman but QB Matt Hasselbeck missed on a potential TD toss to him in overtime that would have won the game for the home team.

MGN 21 NOR 24

Michigan finally showed signs of life on offense, but it was not enough as New Orleans built up a 24-13 lead and did not leave the Panthers enough time for the comeback. Doug Flutie threw the ball53 times, completing 34, while also scrambling for 82 to become the club’s leading rusher for the game, but the Panthers simply ran out of time. Breakers’ QB Trent Dilfer was injured in the game, forcing Bobby Hoying into action, but the backup went 13 of 18 and threw a decisive 3rd quarter TD to TE Steve Johnson to help the Breakers get the W.

STL 19 TEX 37

Another shocker, this time in the AlamoDome, where the Knights offense, playing without dinged up Todd Collins, simply looked unprepared for an aggressive Texas D. Backup Rob Johnson completed only 17 of 31 tosses and threw two picks in the game, while Texas got back to their roots, rushing the ball 23 times with Reggie Cobb for 113 yards and 2 scores. The issues around St. Louis’s defense came to the fore as Texas exploited holes in the front 7 and mismatches in the passing game to rack up 37 points.

PHI 10 MEM 7

A slug fest in the slop as a rain-soaked field made this game at the Liberty Bowl tough to watch. Memphis scored on an Adrian Cooper TD in the first quarter, and then it was nothing but football follies on the hydroplane ready turf in Memphis. The Stars mounted their comeback in the 4th, first with a 40-yarder from Jeff Jaeger and then a short drive (following a rare Heath Shuler interception), that gave the Stars the win on an Hebert to Mondriel Fulcher TD pass.

PIT 19 ORL 31

Pittsburgh hung tough for 3 quarters before Orlando pulled away to win their 3rd in a row. Terrell Davis was a menace to the Renegades all game, rushing 22 times for 178 yards and a score, while the Renegades got a good game from wideout Keenan McCardell, who caught 5 balls for 101 yards and a score. The Memphis D got to Charlie Batch 7 times, with 3 coming in the final 8 minutes of the game, as the home team stayed unbeaten.

WSH 31 TBY 17

Washington compounded the concerns about the Tampa Bay Bandits, exploiting the defense for 160 yards rushing, including the first 100-yard game for rookie Deuce McCallister. Tampa also ran the ball well, with Errict Rhett adding 111 yards, but two key turnovers, both fumbles by receivers, doomed the Bandits to their third loss of the season.

OHI 47 JAX 21

The Glory never trailed in this one as rookie wideout Chad Johnson made Kerry Collins look like an MVP. Johnson caught 7 balls for 177 and 3 scores, with Mike Bellamy catching another 6 for 110 and 2 scores as Kerry Collins had a field day against the Jacksonville secondary. Never sacked in the game, Collins had all the time he needed to throw deep balls to his receivers. Meanwhile, Chris Chandler tossed 3 picks as he struggled with the Ohio zones.

NJ 31 BIR 14

Don’t tell Bill Parcells he has a QB crisis. He is as happy as a clam after Tom Brady went 15 of 22 for 232 and 2 scores on Sunday. The Generals got help from a solid run game that added 132 yards, and a defensive gem from Phil Hansen, who found Brett Favre 3 times on the day, 3 of 5 sacks accumulated by the Generals. Favre would complete only 13 of 30 passes on a day that saw him constantly harassed by a much improved General defense.

BAL 24 ATL 14

Baltimore opened up a 10-point lead in the 1st quarter and never looked back as they took the W from Atlanta in Bobby Dowd Stadium. Jeff Garcia would complete 28 of 34 pass attempts and Ron Dayne would carry the ball 27 times as the Blitz played keepaway for most of the game.

NEW JERSEY STANDS PAT

It seems that at least for the time being New Jersey is opting to stand pat on their QB situation. They did sign John Walsh, the 5 year veteran backup, to fill the emergency QB role, but with 2nd year QB Tom Brady having won his first two appearances, it appears that Bill Parcells is in no hurry to rush out and replace him. Should the Generals continue to find success with Brady, the pressure likely will be reduced to bring in a big name QB, though some fans in the Tri-State area have started a petition to bring back Spence Fisher, the one time Generals’ starter who has been languishing as a backup in Atlanta for the past year. Fisher was a popular underdog story, but we just don’t see New Jersey making a major move to bring him back to the Meadowlands.

SALAAM SUSPENDED

Well, we saw this one coming. The USFL, after a brief investigation and an interview by league officials with the Denver Gold HB, have suspended Salaam for the next 4 games. It appears that there is enough concern around allegations of drug use, and paired with his recent drug test failure, it was enough for the league to act. Salaam’s absence will put pressure on Denver backups Rickey Whittle and Rod Smart. Denver also moved backup FB Robert Flanigan up to the active roster to fill Salaam’s spot, meaning that we may see some of starter Heath Evans also playing a HB role in a new look Denver run game. Had the suspension been longer we might have seen Denver try to sign a veteran free agent HB, but with only 4 weeks, the path forward seems to be to fill in by committee.

ROOKIE STANDOUTS

Three weeks into the season and the rookies are certainly making a name for themselves. With Joey Galloway out, Ohio’s Chad Johnson has exploded onto the scene. He currently leads the league with 363 yards receiving and a whopping 7 TDs in only 3 games of action. That is simply astounding. In Arizona, Santana Moss is also turning heads, with 258 yards on 12 catches and 3 TDs so far this season, while Philadelphia’s Steve Smith has also worked his way into the starting lineup and has accounted for 12 catches and 226 in his first three games.

On defense, the standout so far has been New Orleans free safety Idris Basheer who has 2 picks already this year, tied for the league lead. Michigan’s rookie DE Aaron Schobel has also started off fast with 3 sacks in his first 3 games, while Pittsburgh’s Kyle Vanden Bosch has racked up 2 QB sacks in the same timeframe.

Not as exciting on the halfback front, with only Washington’s Deuce McCallister getting regular action. The former Ole Miss star has accounted for 197 yards and 3 TDs in his first three weeks as a member of the Federals, with 107 of that total coming this week in his first career 100 yard game. The next highest rookie on the list is Correll Buckhalter in Portland with 88 yards, though Buckhalter has clearly become the goal line favorite for the Thunder, rushing for 3 TDs already this year.

And while fans may be clamoring for Drew Brees in Michigan, the former Purdue star has yet to take a snap, although he is not alone in this. No rookie QB’s have yet to see any regular season playing time. I guess this is not a surprise for developmental projects like A. J. Feely in Portland, Jesse Palmer in New Orleans, or Quincy Carter in LA, but three weeks into the year and no sign of either Drew Brees (MGN) or Marques Tuiasosopo (OAK). Which will see action first? Well, both clubs are 0-3, and both current starters, Doug Flutie for the Panthers and Ryan Leaf in Oakland, are feeling the heat to be sure.

COACHES FEELING THE PRESSURE

Yes, we are only 3 weeks in but we are already talking about coaches feeling pressure. While several of the clubs at the bottom of the standings have new coaches who are just starting to try to turn things around, there are a few teams that have come out of the gate slowly despite having a veteran coach and a familiar roster.

Tampa Bay cannot be happy about starting out 0-3, but what do you do about what appears to be a precipitous decline when your head coach is responsible for winning you a league title only 2 years ago? Could George Seifert actually be in trouble in Tampa? It seems that a lot of people are crediting his predecessor, Jerry Glanville, with putting together the team that won the title in 1999.

Meanwhile, in Oakland, Dom Capers needs to show that his plan for the club is moving them in the right direction. An 0-3 start in his second season is not helping him make that case. The same could be said in Atlanta, where Bobby Petrino’s list of moral victories needs to turn into a list of actual victories pretty quickly for the 0-3 Fire.

Finally, the ice seems to be getting mighty thin under the feet of Mauler head coach Emmitt Thomas. Since taking over the Maulers in 1997, Thomas’s teams have had one solid season, a 10-6 Wild Card campaign in 1999 that seemed to have them on the pinnacle of a solid run, but they dropped to 3-13 last year, and now sit at 1-2, in a very tough division. Another losing season could be real trouble for Thomas in Pittsburgh.

Another week tarnished by some pretty significant injuries as several key players are likely gone for the season. A week after Michael Sinclair went down, in Memphis another, perhaps less well-known edge rusher, Dameaion Jeffries, suffered a full tear of his hamstring, an injury that is both painful and lengthy in its recovery. Expect him to be out for the year and placed on IR. Oakland placed CB Clayton Holmes on IR this week after a torn PCL ligament ended his season. Texas FB Robert Booker could miss up to 8 weeks after suffering a hip injury, and both Baltimore and Jacksonville are likely without a starting guard apiece for the next 2 months as both Joe Cocozzo (Bulls) and Hayward Haynes (Blitz) suffered injuries to their knees.

Other multiple week concerns include FS Marcus Wimberly for Birmingham (ACL), Denver WR Dedric Smith (stress fracture), Ohio free safety Pat Terrell (ankle), and New Orleans QB Trent Dilfer, who left this week’s game with a stress fracture in his foot. He was initially listed as Doubtful, but now has been shifted to “Out” for Week 4. Ohio could be without HB Eddie George, who is listed as Questionable with a stiff neck, while Chicago’s dynamic kick returner Dante Hall is also questionable with a sprained knee. Atlanta may be without Terrance Mathis (shoulder) and Pittsburgh’s veteran DE Bob Kuberski could miss this week as well with swelling on his knee.

While New Orleans tries to figure out how to substitute for Dilfer, it is good news in St. Louis, where Todd Collins is expected to return to action after missing this past week. The Knights looked completely hapless with Rob Johnson at the helm, so the return of their starter is certainly welcome news for Knights’ fans.

No huge breaking news on the league level this week, but a few stories to keep track of.

ORTHWEIN TRIAL BEGINS

The saga of the St. Louis Knights’ owner starts a new period today as the fraud trial commences in federal court. There is a growing expectation that either through court order or league action the embattled member of the Anheiser Busch family will be forced to sell off his majority share in the league. We have already seen engagement from at least 2 ownership groups representing other cities (Boston and Nashville) make gestures towards the league about the potential sale, and we expect others will also line up. Meanwhile, in St. Louis there are few potential bidders, but one potential ownership group is being headed by Scottrade CEO Rodger Riney. The online financial & investiment firm founder has begun to put together a potential ownership group with some potential, but is still seeking investors.

STADIUM UPDATES

While progress continues on the construction of new stadia in several USFL cities, with Houston and Detroit slated to get new venues in 2002 (shared with NFL franchises in both cases), the Seattle Dragons continue to negotiate to possibly relocate from Husky Stadium to the new downtown stadium primarily financed by the NFL Seattle Seahawks. The presence of Husky Stadium as a venue has reduced the urgency of the efforts and the Dragons are unlikely to move if the stadium revenue options are not amenable. Meanwhile the city of Chicago has approved significant renovations to Soldier Field, in part thanks to the shared contribution of the USFL Machine and NFL Bears ownership. The newest agreement for stadium construction is in Arizona, where the NFL Cardinals, USFL Wranglers, the state, and the city of Glendale have come to an agreement for funding of what could be the league’s most expensive stadium, a retractable roof facility to be located in the Phoenix suburb.

Meanwhile, discussions continue in New Jersey as the Jets, Giants and Generals all seem prepared to assist the state of New Jersey with plans to build a new stadium in the same general vicinity as the current Giants Stadium, converting parking spaces to a new open air stadium, which would then lead to the demolition of the current stadium. Finally, rumors of the Atlanta Fire finally reaching a deal to play in the air conditioned Georgia Dome seem to have fallen through. The Fire appear to be out of favor in Atlanta, a bad sign overall, and now must try to see what kind of deal they can develop with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Ga Tech) to continue to use Bobby Dowd Stadium, so Fire fans (the few that will call themselves that) will continue to endure midsummer heat and humidity at the outdoor facility.

REEBOK ANNOUNCES 2002 UPDATES

It is that time of year again when Reebok and the USFL announce which teams have requested to have branding, logo, and uniform revisions for the following season, and once again 3 clubs have signed on for a refreshed look. Baltimore, the last of the original 12 franchises to retain their original logo and colors, has indicated that a new logo may be on the way. Though the club is expected to maintain their royal, red, and silver color scheme, the wordmark “Blitz” logo has started to age and the club may be looking for a new, more iconic and easily marketable logo. Jacksonville is the second franchise to request an update, but it is not certain whether the full-helmet wraparound charging bull logo will be modified or not. It too seems somewhat dated in its design, but it is wildly popular among Bulls fans. More likely is a new stand alone logo and new uniform designs. Finally, the Seattle Dragons are looking to revamp their look as part of a new outlook. The club, which made its first appearance in the postseason last year, is expected to go for a modernized uniform, and many expect that the Dragon’s head logo will also undergo a transformation as the Dragons seek a more “Xtreme” or modern style.

Week 4 is a full-on divisional rivalry week across the entire league. It starts on Saturday with a very intriguing Turnpike Tussle between Philadelphia and New Jersey. The two face off in the Meadowlands with first place very much up for grabs. Pittsburgh will try to even its record as they head to Baltimore to face the Blitz, while Washington may have an easier task than originally expected when they travel to Columbus to face a Glory squad likely to be without both Eddie George and Joey Galloway.

The big game in the South is a battle of 2-1 clubs and bitter rivals as Birmingham faces the Memphis Showboats in Legion Field. Expect well over 50,000 on hand for this classic grudge match. In Florida the Renegades will travel to Jacksonville to face their in-state rivals, while the 3-0 Orlando Renegades hope to avoid a trap game in Atlanta against the winless Fire.

In the Central Division we have no unbeaten teams, but what we have is desperation in Michigan, where the 0-3 Panthers need a win, and they face their rivals from Chicago to try to get it. The Machine are looking solid this year, off to a 2-1 start, but Michigan is a cornered animal, and that makes them dangerous. The 3-time division winning Knights are at home, facing off against a Houston club that is hard to pin down, though with Michael Sinclair injured, the Knight offensive line has one less nightmare to worry about. Finally New Orleans travels to Texas, where the Outlaws hope that their Week 3 success against a backup QB can be duplicated as the Breakers will likely start Brian Hoying in place of the injured Trent Dilfer.

Denver, the defending league champions, is surprisingly at 1-2, and now without the suspended Rashaan Salaam, they will have a tough assignment facing the 3-0 LA Express, who seem to have found some of their 1999 magic. Arizona, fresh off their big win in Denver, travel again, facing the 2-1 Dragons in Seattle. Seattle likely will come into this game angry after an embarrassing loss to Portland at Husky Stadium this past week. And our final game to highlight has Oakland at 0-3 hoping the Thunder got winning out of their system this week and won’t block the Invaders from getting their first win of the season.