2001 USFL Week 7 Recap: Petrino Out, As Promised

(Quick editorial note: I am in the process of fleshing out more of the history page. I have added league leaders from 1983-2000 and I am hoping to add short "top stories" for several years this weekend, and more after that, so check in periodically. I have also recently updated the teams page with the new uniforms created over the past 2-3 years, including new "figures" showing off the look.)

Orlando faced a big challenge and came out looking like the league’s best team. Atlanta faced an ultimatum, failed to rise to the occasion, and Fire ownership did what they promised to do, letting Bobby Petrino go after only 23 games as head coach. Washington, Philly, and Ohio won big games in a tough division, Tampa got a huge upset win on the road, and Oakland shocked the Arizona Wranglers. All this in a wild Week 7 of USFL action. We get started with the game of the week, Tampa’s big win in Memphis.

Bandit fans did not go into this weekend feeling good about their chances. The Bandits were a miserable 1-5 and were on the road in a very tough place to win, Memphis’s Liberty Bowl, against a pretty good 4-2 Showboats team and one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the league, Heath Shuler. What the few Bandit faithful who made the trip got to see was just a hint of the old Bandit Ball, going deep early and often, and a bit of dramatics at the finish as the Bandits stole this win.

The Bandits came into this game talking quite a bit about how they had to find their offensive identity. Even before the departure of Troy Aikman, Tampa Bay’s offense had seen significant drops in their long-ball vertical game, had relied more on HB Errict Rhett, and had simply not produced the big plays that had made their 1999 squad so deadly. All of that changed in this game, and it changed quickly.

Tampa Bay failed to move the ball on their first drive, but their second, third, and fourth drives (if you want to call them drives) were each punctuated by long TD tosses from Trent Green. Green hit Randy Moss from 30 yards out to open scoring midway through the 1st quarter, then Chris Doering on a 3-play drive for a 2nd, and then back to Moss on a backbreaking 69-yard TD toss in the 2nd quarter to take a commanding 21-0 lead, shocking the Memphis faithful. Midway through the 2nd quarter and Errict Rhett had only touched the ball 4 times, with one of those being a swing pass. Randy Moss had over 100 yards at the half, and Memphis found itself reconsidering the run game at all.

But the Showboats are a plucky team, and Heath Shuler was not going to let a 21-0 deficit end the story. Before the half he rallied the Showboats to their first score, a 4-yard Tony Carter run. When the 3rd quarter began with a Memphis possession, they used the opportunity to double their score and pull the game to within 1, with Shuler hitting Justin McCaerins with his own deep ball, a 45-yard TD reception. McCaerins would end the game with 140 yards on only 4 receptions as Memphis tried to match Tampa Bay’s early deep ball success. Tampa, for their part, would seemingly play into Memphis’s hand, trying to slow down the game by switching to the run, a strategy that would get Rhett 100 yards rushing, but would drive Bandit fans crazy as Memphis continued to draw closer.

The Showboats would tie the score as the 3rd quarter drew to a close, Shuler hitting TE Erron Kinney with the equalizer on the last play of the period, an 8-yard seam route for 6. Tampa had squandered a 21-point lead, and it was about to get worse. Whether from Memphis adjustments or simple lack of execution, the Bandits had failed to hit on any chunk plays for the entire quarter, and as the 4th began, two consecutive 3-and-outs gave Memphis plenty of time on the ball. The Showboats responded, moving into field goal range for Jeff Hall twice, and taking the lead, 27-21. Memphis could not get in the endzone, which we have to call a win for the Bandit defense, an oft-maligned defense. That minor victory for Tampa would allow for the full victory of the club in the final minutes.

Following Hall’s 2nd field goal, Tampa Bay got the ball back with 3:34 left on the clock. On a drive that lasted nearly the full time, the Bandits looked deep but connected short, slowly moving the ball down the field. They were helped by a bad encroachment call on a 3rd and 3, but for the most part it was Trent Green making the smart call and dumping the ball off to Chris Doering, Bradford Banta, and Lonzell Hill rather than trying to force the ball to Moss. When Moss did get open, it was on hitch routes or hooks, making use of the cushion the Memphis defenders were giving him. That is until the Bandits were on the 11 yard line with 39 seconds to play. On a first and 10 from the 11, Moss hit the fade route, Green kept the ball high, where only his lanky wideout could reach it, and Moss went up in an almost slam-dunk-contest style and snatched the ball out of the air, just barely getting his right foot down in time before falling out of the back of the endzone.

For the Bandits it was only their 2nd win of the season, but it was a win that seemed to indicate that the club might just be returning to the big play style that had won them a title 2 years ago. They still have a lot to work on with their defense, but if the Bandits can revive the deep ball, they have weapons to attack with. For Memphis, now trailing the Orlando Renegades by 2 games, it was a tough home loss. They had come back from a 21-0 deficit to take a 6-point lead, but the day was simply not theirs.

ORL 35 BIR 14

We stay in the South with a game that may just end the doubt anyone had about Orlando’s legitimacy. The Renegades utterly dominated the Stallions in Birmingham, scoring the first 28 points in the game and easily coasting to a divisional road win against a solid 4-2 Stallion squad. Scott Mitchell threw for 265 and a score, Terry Kirby just missed on a 100-yard game, finishing with 99, and the defense just manhandled Stallion QB Brett Favre, recording 8 sacks of the frustrated signal caller. It was a solid team victory that demonstrated just how tough the Renegades were going to be as they remained unbeaten.

JAX 42 ATL 13

If the Renegades proved their legitimacy this weekend, the Fire proved their utter incompetency. With Coach Petrino’s job on the line, Atlanta showed absolutely nothing, giving up 466 yards on defense, while mustering only 13 points in an utterly unimpressive showing to save their coach’s job. Chris Chandler threw for 4 scores and Sedrick Irvin had his best game of the year, rushing for 122 on a Fire defense that simply did not play with any fire. Atlanta ownership kept their end of the bargain and by the next morning Petrino was out.

BAL 13 PHI 34

Jeff Garcia struggled against a fired up Philly defense and the Stars got a solid 1-2 punch from running backs Stephen Davis and Pat Chaffey as they outpaced the Blitz to take a commanding win at home. A 91-yard pick six from Stars DB Anthony Dorsett highlighted a solid three-phases game for the Stars as they moved to 5-2 and dropped Baltimore below .500 with the win at Veterans Stadium.

NJ 14 WSH 27

Tom Brady threw for 327, but it was not enough as the Federals got early scores from Herman Moore and Rueben Droughns to build a 17-0 lead. A crutial pick-six by Clarence Love, taking advantage of a ball deflected at the line, was the nail in the coffin for the plucky Generals as Washington’s defense turned up the heat in the second half to take the division win and move to 6-1, atop the Atlantic.

OHI 48 PIT 38

It was not easy, but the Ohio Glory moved above .500 with a shootout win against a feisty Pittsburgh Maulers team at Three Rivers. Both clubs gained over 500 yards as Ohio barely edged Pittsburgh 531-517. Among the many offensive stars of the game Kerry Collins, with 3 TD tosses and Eddie George with 2 TD runs were essential. Pittsburgh got 115 yards and 2 scores from Terrell Davis and their top receiver, Andre Rison, finished with 10 catches for 144 in a back and forth game that stayed within 1 score until the final minutes.

ARZ 14 OAK 24

A clear case of a team looking past an opponent they did not respect as the Wranglers fell into a trap in Oakland. Jon Kitna was back under center and went 32 of 44 for 313 yards and 2 scores in the upset win for Oakland. Jake Plummer was limited to 20 of 36, was sacked twice and got no help from his run game (a familiar refrain) as the Wranglers’ top flight offense looked flat and out of synch.

DEN 16 SEA 13

A rare sunny gameday in Seattle highlighted a defensive war of attrition between two clubs sitting precariously at 3-3. Seattle held the lead going into the final 3 minutes, having limited Denver to only 3 field goals all day, but in a classic late game drive, the Gold found victory in a Brunell to Peerless Price TD toss. With Salaam still on suspension, Rod Smart led the Denver ground game with 92 yards on 17 carries, while the Gold defense limited Corey Dillon to 82 yards and the Dragons’ lone touchdown.

LA 42 POR 22

The Express rediscovered their offense this week as Antonwain Smith (105) and Michael Pittman (71) combined for 176 yards on the ground. Pittman would also notch 3 touchdowns, with Smith adding a 4th as the Express manhandled the Thunder run defense and made it an easy day for Cade Mcnown. The win puts LA right at the top of the division at 5-2.

MGN 7 TEX 19

No ultimatum for first year Panther coach Mike Martz, but it is not looking good for the winless and listless Panthers. Drew Brees struggled to find open receivers, completing only 19 of 40 passes, and the run game was utterly lost as the Panthers again failed to cross 10 points on the day. Texas, starting Tommy Maddox for the injured Drew Brees, was not exactly an offensive juggernaut, but a 101-yard game from Reggie Cobb helped them control the tempo and take the home win, their 3rd.

HOU 31 NOR 47

Bobby Hoying got one more start before Trent Dilfer returns this week, and he went out with a bang, throwing for 2 scores as a New Orleans squad missing injured HB Ricky Williams, found inventive ways to get on the scoreboard. The defense helped with a pick 6, one of 3 interceptions of Matt Hasselbeck, and the Gamblers were limited on the ground as an early injury to Kevin Faulk left Kantroy Barber as their only viable option. The win boosts the Breakers to 4-3 while Houston falls a game under .500 at 3-4.

CHI 24 STL 21

The Sunday Night game did not disappoint as the Machine outlasted the Knights in a tough slugfest of a game. Jeff George found Johnny Morton twice for scores and the Machine defense loaded the box to limit Ahman Green to only 54 yards rushing as Chicago held off the Knights in the Trans World Dome. It came down to an onsides kick after a Collins to Emmanuel scoring play got St. Louis within 3, but sure-handed Jim Kliensasser recovered the kick and the Machine moved to 5-2 along with St. Louis.

ATLANTA PULLS THE TRIGGER

William Shivers Morris laid down the ultimatum, and when the Fire could not respond with a win for Coach Petrino, he carried through on his threat to remove the coach after only 7 weeks. The Fire certainly did not help Petrino with their play. In the 2 weeks since the ultimatum was made they lost both games by a combined score of 80-23, that is just plain ugly. So, Petrino will probably find himself back in the college game, not really having had a shot in the USFL. The Fire now turn to something of a coaching combo. Morris promoted Defensive Coordinator John Pease, but they are also shifting duties for former USFL QB and LA Express Head Coach Rick Neuheisel, who had been serving as an offensive consultant. Neuheisel will now be the official QB coach and Assistant Head Coach. That does not mean he will be calling plays, but likely will assist the inexperienced Pease with game management (clock, penalty decisions, gameplan preparation, etc.).

So what do we expect from the club under this pair of coaches? Honestly, not much. The big question is whether the change can really impact play at all. We expect Neuheisel will want to stick with Bulger at QB, he is a player very much of Neuheisel’s style. We cannot imagine that the 24th ranked defense gets any better when the DC now takes on the head coaching duties. Honestly, we don’t know what the Fire can do this year except try to minimize self-inflicted wounds such as turnovers and penalties. Tiki Barber is a quality back, so maybe focus more on his skillset, with more of a screen and short passing game. On defense, perhaps more shell zone defenses to minimize big plays and hope that teams commit mistakes of their own. Atlanta’s strength on defense is their LB corps with Mo Lewis, Randall Godfrey, Johnny Holland, London Fletcher, and Roman Phifer rotating into the 3 LB spots, but that only helps them if the line and the secondary can at least do a marginally adequate job, which we just have not seen this year.

So, big picture, don’t expect either Pease or Neuheisel to earn the full-time job at seasons’ end. We expect a full national search, and the Fire may want to consider a new GM along with a new coach, because they simply have not done enough to bring in talent on either side of the ball. Aside from hitting on Bruce Smith, who may well retire after this year, they just haven’t made a lot of successful moves these past few years.

NEXT ON THE HOT SEAT?

I think we all know the next team to watch on the coaching “firing” pool. Michigan is equally horrible, actually worse in both points scored, though slightly better than Atlanta on defense (17th in the league). And yet, pretty much everyone believes that only a winless season could cost Mike Martz his position in his first year. Even 1 win is enough for Martz to get a second year and start transforming a roster that has gotten both old and thin in recent years. Brees is a talent and they can build a team around him, but they need to improve the line, the run game, the receiving corps, and the defense as a whole. So, a lot of moves need to be made to bring them up to respectability.

So, if not Martz, who is the most likely casualty of their team’s poor play? There are several candidates whose teams have not been meeting expectations. In Jacksonville patience is growing thin for Gunther Cunningham, whose 3rd year in the league now features the league’s worst defense in points allowed. An 8-8 season in 2000 spared him last year, but the 2-5 start does not bode well for him hanging on for year 4.

Another prime candidate is Emmitt Thomas in Pittsburgh. Thomas inherited a playoff club, only 1 year removed from a league title in 1997. Since then he has had seasons with 9, 7, 8, 10, and 3 wins. That 3-win season was viewed as a fluke, but a 2-5 start has everyone wondering if that was really the case. We don’t see Thomas surviving a 4-12 season, and even 5 or 6 wins may not be enough, which means, in the toughest division in the league, Thomas has to start winning games.

Finally, as weird as it may sound to some, we have to look at the precipitous decline of the Tampa Bay Bandits since their 1998 league title. Just one season later Tampa fell to 7-9 and out of playoff contention. Last year it was 6-10 and even further from contending. This year they have started 2-5 and all indications are that the magic that made the Bandits all but unstoppable on offense in 1998 is now thoroughly depleted. Those who say that George Seifert inherited a championship team from Jerry Glanville, used to seem silly, after all, the Bandits were 8-8 in Glanville’s final year, but something went right in 1998 and more and more evidence seems to be pointing out that it was not Seifert’s arrival that got Tampa Bay over the hump.

SALAAM SET TO RETURN

It has been 4 weeks since the league put Rashaan Salaam on suspension, meaning he is due to return next week when Denver takes on Pittsburgh. What has happened to the Gold in the meantime? Well, it started off rough, with the Gold getting slaughtered by the LA Express, 45-17 and having no run game at all. But, the Gold rebounded, showing some grit and some ability to adapt as Rod Smart took over rushing duties. They have won three straight, knocking off New Orleans, Portland, and Seattle without their star back.

Smart, who is certainly a very different style of runner from Salaam, has found ways to be effective, mostly on outside runs. The past three weeks, all wins, Smart has been the primary back, gaining 76 yards (with 2 TDs) against the Breakers, a really solid 123 yards (1 TD) against Portland’s punchless run defense, and then 92 yards against Seattle. Those are solid starting HB numbers. So, what this may mean is that Denver does not need to push Salaam for 25 carries this week, or possibly for the season. The Gold could well become yet another team using a thunder & lightning combo, though in this case it is more like thunder and little thunder as Smart is not exactly a track star, he is clearly good at finding the hole and making opposing players miss, but speed is not his top quality. Regardless, Denver may come out of the suspension in better shape than they went in, having learned how to use Smart effectively.

Well, Texas must believe that their 3-4 start is a sign of good things to come, because they went out and added made a deal to improve the one aspect of their club that has proven the most problematic, the receiving corps. The Outlaws made a deal with Arizona for veteran receiver Carl Pickens. Pickens, one time the #1 receiver for the Wranglers, has slipped to platoon duty as Arizona has opted to go with rookie Santana Moss and possession man Hines Ward as their two primary receivers. So what does Arizona get out of the deal, how about a real thumper at MLB with Zach Thomas coming over from Texas. The two clubs also swapped bench players at each position with Arizona adding Texas wideout and special teams gunner Scotty Anderson while Texas gets backup MLB Mike Stonebreaker from the Wranglers. Texas also sends a 3rd round pick in next year’s draft to Arizona.

The second big swap of the week was between two teams in better shape, with Philadelphia hoping to improve their pass rush in a tough division while Jacksonville, perhaps looking to the future, added a quality backup QB. The Stars sent little-used Jake Delhomme to the Bulls, who may just have some inside new on Chris Chandler’s 2002 plans. Delhomme has been a preseason hero in Philly, but he sits behind both Bobby Hebert and Will Furrer on the depth chart. In Jacksonville he immediately gets in the running to be the #2 with Danny Wuerfel, and could have a shot at the starting gig if Chandler does, as suspected, hang it up after this season. For their part, the Stars get a more dynamic edge rusher in Jacksonville’s Derrick Burgess. Burgess, who has played the swing position, rotating with Aaron Wallace opposite Jevon Kearse, will be an immediate upgrade for the Stars. Jacksonville also adds Philly DE Ta’ase Faumui, while Philly gets a true 3rd stringer in Bulls QB Stoney Case in another swap of equal positions but unequal talent.

We still have 3 weeks in the trade window, and it looks like we may get a few more moves before the window closes for the final run of the season.

A rough week for cornerbacks across the league, with the biggest blow in a place that cannot afford to lose any defenders, Oakland. Nickel back Clayton Holmes is lost for the year, placed on IR this week after tearing his posterior cruciate ligament on an awkward landing as he went up to defend a pass. The Invaders estimate an 8 week recovery as a minimum expectation and opted to place Holmes on IR rather than rush the process.

In addition to Holmes, two other starting corners are now expected to miss multiple weeks. Darrien Gordon, New Jersey’s top pass defender, could be out up to a month due to a partial hamstring tear, while St. Louis’s #1 corner, Steve Israel is expected to miss 1-2 weeks with a diagnosed stress fracture in his left foot.

Tackle was another position that saw a couple of noteworthy injuries, though fortunately both may be of the 1-2 week variety. Birmingham’s LT Todd Steussie suffered an elbow injury with dislocation and hyperextension but could return in Week 10. Likewise, Jacksonville’s Todd Runyan is expected back in either Week 10 or 11 after getting his ankle rolled up in this week’s game.

Players listed as doubtful this week include Ohio DT La’Roi Glover (wrist) and Michigan TE Butch Rolle (knee). New Orleans is hoping to have HB Ricky Williams back in the lineup but he is still listed as questionable.

MYSTERY PRESSER IN TAMPA BAY

The Tampa Bay Bandits have scheduled a press conference for Monday, following their game against the Knights, and speculation is somewhat rampant about what they could be announcing. It certainly is not a midseason firing of their coach George Seifert, as a team would never schedule that this far in advance, nor want to set it up as a full press conference. The prevalent theory is that the timeline has been sped up on their release of their updated Reebok uniforms for 2002. Leaked photos seem to show the design scheme for the uniforms and logo, both of which go through significant changes, and it may simply be that the Bandits are going to release the uniforms earlier than expected due to the leak.

This image (below), obtained from the St. Petersburg Times, appears to be an official Reebok design scheme much like the ones we have seen with previous releases. It indicates a modification to the masked rider logo of the club, adding silver highlights to the horse and an updated wordmark. The uniform design itself removes the “slashing” piping and side panels and replaces them with a consistent pant & side panel stripe with a thin red line bordered by two thick black lines and those bordered by thin silver lines (which do not appear on the silver pants. The secondary logo (TB monogram with Stetson hat) remains on the sleeves, and there is a modified number font. The helmet also uses the striping pattern of two thick black lines with an almost pencil-thin red line at the center.

And yet, while it is not inconceivable that the presser on Monday is to reveal the new look for the club for next year, that too seems insufficient cause to push the event as much as team representatives have with local, and even national media. There have even been hints that league commissioner Dick Ebersol will be in attendance, which certainly seems out of the norm for a simple uniform or logo reveal. If these rumors are true, we suspect that something far larger is to be announced, and that has spawned theories of every shape and size, from a leaguewide announcement (normally made in New York) to some panicked Tampa residents claiming the Bandits are relocating to Boston, which seems very unlikely due to the quite profitable and stadium-secure position of the club in the Gulf Coast region. So, a few days to wait and ponder, but on Monday we should know.

Week Eight, the halfway point of the season and so much to play for. It’s an inter-conference weekend with the Atlantic teams hosting the Pacific and the Central visiting the South. That means unfamiliar foes and potential mismatches, upsets, and blowouts. Looking at the week, several games stand out as potential slugfests, while others might just be trap games as team focus on upcoming divisional matchups. Our picks for the games to watch and avoid:

5-STAR, Must Watch

Arizona @ Philadelphia. Two teams in the heart of divisional races, both trying to prove that they deserve to be taken seriously.

Los Angeles & Ohio. Offense against offense with two of the highest scoring clubs in the league facing off.

4-Star: Lots of potential

Seattle @ New Jersey: Can Seattle right the ship or will New Jersey’s defense help them reach a lofty 6-2 mark at the midway point in what has been something of an unexpeted gem of a season so far.

Houston @ Birmingham: With both clubs hovering around .500, Houston can get right back into the mix with a win, but a loss here means they may begin to fade from view. For Birmingham, any hope of catching up to Memphis means a win here is vital.

Texas @ Memphis: The Outlaws have clawed their way to 3-4, a win here would be huge, but Memphis cannot afford to lose and drop to .500 themselves. Not with Orlando already 2 games up.

2-Star: If you love football.

St. Louis @ Tampa Bay. This game will only be a good watch if Tampa Bay truly has found an offensive rhythm. If not, then St. Louis might make this one ugly pretty quickly.

Oakland @ Baltimore. The Blitz are stunned to be a game under .500 at Week 8, and they do not want to lose to the Invaders. Oakland may just stick with Jon Kitna instead of returning to Leaf, and that means Baltimore has to plan for either one, advantage Oakland.

Denver @ Pittsburgh. The Maulers can score points, which makes this one more interesting. Can Denver win on the road or can Terrell Davis help Pittsburgh get the home upset.

Chicago @ Jacksonville. Chicago should win this one, but Jacksonville has shown they can put up points, if the Machine are not careful, this is the kind of game that could get away from them.

0-Star: You could not pay me.

Portland @ Washington. I know we said Akili Smith was looking better, but this feels like a lamb to the slaughter situation with Washington’s defense just licking its lips for the mistake-prone Smith.

New Orleans @ Atlanta. Sure, it is the first game for a new coach in Atlanta, but does anyone really think the Fire are going to immediately turn it around and make it tough for the Breakers? We didn’t think so.

Michigan @ Orlando. Yup, a winless club at an unbeaten one. That is not a big deal in week 2, but by this point in the season we have a pretty good idea who is who, and this one just looks ugly on every level. We actually feel bad for Drew Brees here. He is going to get to know Chris Doleman in a very personal and painful way.