Three out of four for a Wild Card weekend is not bad at all. Three games that were close throughout, two ending in road team victories, and one blowout, actually a shutout. And while fans of New Orleans likely did not enjoy this weekend, those everywhere else at least got their money’s worth out of the weekend. It was a disappointing end for a very good season in New Jersey, a playoff run cut short by injury in St. Louis, and an end of year slump fully confirmed by a club on an end of year hot streak. So, basically, playoff football.
HEBERT HEROICS FOIL THE FEDS
PHI 20 WSH 13
The Philadelphia Stars, who needed to win their final two games of the season and get help from other results came into Washington confident, while the Federals, losers of three straight, which cost them the division crown, did not, so it is no wonder that with the score tied at 13 with 3:02 left to play and the ball in Philadelphia’s hands, there were a lot of anxious folks in Kelly green at RFK, and with good right. Bobby Hebert did what he is known for, finding a way, as he led the Stars on a 2-minute drill and found little-used TE Mondriel Fulcher on a bootleg throw with only 24 seconds to play to crush the spirits of the Federal faithful.
Hebert, who went 22 of 34 on the day threw both of his touchdowns in the 4th quarter as a 6-6 game after 3 quarters finally showed some life. Hebert had hit his starting TE Marcus Pollard with a scoring toss to open the quarter, only to have Washington equalize with a J.J. Stokes TD at the 3 minute mark, but three minutes was more than enough time for the Stars to avoid overtime and secure the win. In a game where defense ruled, it was the Stars, led by 11 tackles from LB Quentin Caver and 2 sacks from Regan Upshaw, who prevailed. Philly will now move on to face the top seeded Orlando Renegades.
GOLD SHUT OUT BREAKERS IN DOMINANT FASHION
DEN 22 NOR 0
The Denver Gold limited New Orleans to only 43 yards rushing and got solid games from both Rashaan Salaam (73 yards) and Mark Brunell (19 of 27 for 211 yards as they slowly built their way to a dominant 22-0 win at home. The Breakers could not get much going at all against Denver’s defense, with Trent Dilfer throwing four picks in an error-filled game. Bruce Pickens nabbed two errant Dilfer passes, including the first passing play of the game, and the Breakers did not get inside the Denver 40 once all game in a dominant performance from the Gold defense. The 2nd quarter was the turning point as a 3-0 lead ballooned to 19-0, thanks to a 49-yard Brunell to Robinson TD toss, a Salaam TD run (missed PAT) and a late field goal. Down 3 scores at the half, New Orleans had to turn to the passing game, and Dilfer simply was horrible on this day, leading to 3 of 5 possessions in the second half ending with an interception. Denver now moves on to face a tough road game in Chicago.
SHULER POSITIONS SHOWBOATS FOR LATE GAME WINNING KICK
MEM 19 NJ 17
Down one with 1:45 left to play the Showboats turned to Heath Shuler to pull out a win at home and the former MVP delivered. Both New Jersey and Memphis had balanced tough defense with the occasional big play all game, but in crunch time Shuler did what was needed to drive the ball into field goal range for kicker Jeff Hall, and Hall delivered a 53-yard dagger to the heart of General fans. Tom Brady and Curtis Enis had played well for the Generals, who took a 17-16 lead on a Neil Rackers kick only 1:22 earlier, but they left too much time on the clock for a veteran Showboats squad.
Shuler, who had thrown touchdowns earlier in the game to TE Adrian Cooper and HB Garrison Hearst, only needed to get close enough for Hall, and with 2 timeouts in his pocket, he did not rely on sideline throws to do it. Rookie Justin McCaerins, who would finish the day with 7 catches for 122 yards, was big in the final minutes as the Generals opted to double cover Joe Horn and devote resources to keeping Cooper under wraps. In the final drive, Shuler connected with McCaerins 3 times for 33 yards before setting up Hall with a toss over the middle to fullback Larry Centers. For New Jersey a tough end to a very promising season. For Memphis, a step towards their goal to return to the Summer Bowl. The next step will be a visit to Columbus to face the Ohio Glory.
EIGHT TOUCHDOWN PASSES HIGHLIGHT WILD GAME IN ST. LOUIS
ARI 31 STL 28
Knight fans had to know it would be a challenge to defeat the high flying game of Jake Plummer and the Wranglers without QB Todd Collins or Ahman Green on the field. With Rob Johnson not exactly inspiring confidence, the St. Louis faithful had to hope that Coach Jim Johnson could find a way to bring out the best in the often-erratic QB. Johnson focused on protection and trying to avoid long 3rd down asks. He largely succeeded, with the QB derisively dubbed “He Sack Me” only going down once and connecting on 4 touchdowns in the game (2 to Emmanuel and one each to Amani Toomer and Reggie Young).
Yet despite the success of St. Louis’s offensive plan, aided by George Layne’s 90 yards on the ground, the Knights could not squelch Arizona’s offensive game. Yes, they limited Jake Plummer to only 1 yard rushing, itself quite a feat for any team, but in so doing they did leave passing lanes open and Plummer found holes in the zones, to the tune of 21 of 29 passing, 289 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Santana Moss, the speedy rookie, was on the receiving end of two of those, including a 48-yarder that helped Arizona build a 24-7 lead as the 3rd quarter opened. St. Louis would rally, but a 4th quarter OJ Santiago TD catch put the game out of reach at 31-21 with only minutes to play. Johnson managed to put another score on the board in the waning seconds of the game, but it was too little as Arizona recovered the onside kick and took a knee to end the game with the road W. The Wranglers now move on to face top seeded Los Angeles, while Knights fans wait for the dreaded news of their franchise’s sale, and very likely relocation, a very bitter end to a season indeed.
Looking ahead to the Divisional Round, injuries remain a potential concern for each of the 8 remaining playoff team. Starting with Arizona-LA, we have two new Wranglers listed as questionable, with DE Greg Walker dealing with a shoulder injury and TE Matt Cushing a pinched nerve. LA opens their playoffs with TE Aaron Shea out (hamstring), CB and league leading return man Wendell Davis doubtful (arm), and guard Matt Saaveea potentially out due to post-concussion concerns.
In Chicago the Machine will e without CB Jimmy Hitchcock (shoulder) and could also miss SS Anthony Prior and center Greg Huntington, both “doubtful” for the game. Denver has ruled out LB Dat Nguyen, and has both CB Deral Boykin (finger) and guard Tony Boyd (foot) as questionable.
In the MEM-OHIO game, the Showboats avoided major issues this week, but still have Raheem Abdullah and CB Terrance Shaw out. DE Dameaion Jeffries is a potential return to action. For Ohio tackle Jerry Wunsch is out (back) and CB Jason Webster is likely a game time decision as he deals with rib issues.
Finally, in the Orlando-Philadelphia game, the Stars come to the Citrus Bowl without SS Larry Wigham (wrist), but with the possibility that wideout Bobby Engram could return from his wrist injury. For Orlando, the big issue is DE Israel Ifeanyi, out with an ACL, as is CB Fernando Bryant (hernia). Donald Driver is questionable, but safety Myron Guyton did practice this week and is listed as probable.
ST. LOUIS SEEKS TO STALL SALE
The City of St. Louis seems to have finally come around to the idea that they have a USFL team, at least officially. After years of treating the Knights as an add-on to the use of the Trans World Dome by the NFL Rams, the city is now reacting to the expected sale of the USFL club to an outside investor who very likely seeks to move the team. Local officials have been clamoring since the news of a bid being accepted by the club came out to try to call for measures to sweeten the lease the Knights have in the facility they share with the Rams.
It seems unlikely that any deal would keep the club in place, as it is almost certainly a relocation-minded outside investor that has secured the preferred spot among bidders for the sale of the Knights. Talk of tax breaks and a better split of revenue between the Dome and the club would have been helpful for the Knights in past years, but seem unlikely to persuade the potential buyer, or the league which must approve the sale, from moving on with a potential relocation. While we still do not know which bidding group has been provided to the league as the chosen option for the sale of James Orthwein’s share of the club, it seems clear that it is one of several groups intent on bringing USFL football to their city, with Dallas, Miami and Nashville the most vocal groups in the relocation quest.
RAY RHODES RENEWED
Despite a season-ending loss that kept Portland from a playoff spot, Coach Ray Rhodes is being recognized for a much-improved Thunder squad and a season that showed promise. Rhodes received a 2-year extension on his contract this week after taking Portland to 7-9 after an absolutely abysmal 1-15 season in 2000. The leap was a big one, and the club showed improvement on both sides of the ball, with Akili Smith throwing for nearly 4,000 yards (3,966) and the defense faring much better against the run than in recent memory. Portland still has some issues to address, but the 6-game improvement from 2000 to 2001 is certainly a sign they are on a better path.
SEARCHES LEAD TO INTERVIEWS
Coaching searches in Atlanta and Pittsburgh began this week with the first interviews of the offseason as both clubs look to turn around their fortunes. Atlanta’s franchise is up for sale, which does complicate the process as any coach who takes the position will have to understand that a new owner could easily opt to go a different direction, so a 2002 contract could be a one-and-done proposition. A lot more stability in Pittsburgh, where the emphasis seems to be, at least from ownership statements to the press, that a return to fundamental football, and an offense centered around HB Terrell Davis, is the plan.
Pittsburgh brought in the first of what are expected to be 3 candidates this week, former Boston College and Philadelphia Stars head man Jack Bicknell. Since being released by the Stars after the 1992 season, Bicknell has found success first as an offensive coordinator at Temple and Duke, and the past two years as OC and Assistant Head Coach with the Tennessee Copperheads in the NFL. Bicknell is a run-first, preach balance, offensive coach, also known as a good developer of line talent, which makes sense for Pittsburgh. The Maulers are also said to be interviewing both Orlando’s defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and Denver OC Turk Schonert for the position, but cannot schedule either for a final interview as long as both clubs are active in the USFL playoffs.
Atlanta could go either way on a new coach, seeking offensive punch or defensive fortitude. With a sale pending, the expectation is that this will be a coach happy to get their first shot as a Head Coach, the one motivation that would push someone to take a risk that their position could last only 1 year, depending on the sale of the club. Top candidates include NY Giants OC John Fox, who began his coaching career in the USFL with the Express, Memphis OC Tom Moore, a Jim Mora Sr. protégé, or they may go to the defensive side with either Monte Kiffin (a popular name after a strong season in Orlando) or LA Express DC Gregg Williams. All four have conducted phone interviews, but only Fox is available now to speak with the Fire, a standing that will close by the end of August when the NFL-USFL transfer window closes and the NFL season is locked in.
MULLING IT OVER
Reports out of Michigan have Doug Flutie contemplating retirement rather than moving on to a third USFL club for 2002. Flutie, who entered the league in 1985 as the third straight Heisman Winner to opt for the spring league, played his first nine seasons in New Jersey before a youth movement led to his trade to the Panthers. Despite being too old for New Jersey in 1995, the diminutive playmaker has played 6 more seasons for the Panthers, having very productive years, including a 40-touchdown, 4,900 yard season in 1998.
This year Flutie again found himself dealing with a youth movement as 1st round pick Drew Brees was given the nod after only 3 weeks. Flutie would start only 1 more game this year, the season finale, a tough 42-35 loss Texas in which Flutie threw for 316 yards and scrambled for another 78. One of the early stars of the league, and always a fan favorite, Flutie has a legitimate shot at being added to the USFL’s Hall of Fame class of 2006 if he were to retire this year. He would leave the game as the league’s all time leader in attempts (8142), completions (5151) and yards (54,369), all due to a long career as a starter. He is also #1 in interceptions with 253 in his career, but is 4th in league history with 357 TDs, behind only Aikman, Kelly, and Brett Favre.
Four playoff games down, four on the docket for this week’s divisional matchups. It’s Division Winners vs. Wild Card victors in this week’s games. Who do we like? Well, read on and find out.
MEMPHIS (10-6) @ ORLANDO (12-4)
Saturday @ 3pm ET
Citrus Bowl Stadium
A battle of southern powerhouses and a rematch from a Week 16 game that really did not show us much. The Showboats faced off against the Renegades in the season’s final week and handily defeated Orlando 38-17, but the Renegades club they faced that day did not feature about half of the regular starters. No Mitchell, no Kirby, no McCardell, and Chris Doleman played only 1 quarter before being subbed. So, hard to get any useful scouting out of that game. What we know is that both clubs have quality on both sides of the ball, with Orlando the #1 club in both points and yards allowed, a killer defense to be sure, but also the #6 scoring offense, thanks to a lot of short fields to work with. Memphis has the 2nd rated scoring offense (#3 in yards) with most of that coming from the arm of Heath Shuler. Joe Horn had a monster year as well with 1,457 yards. The defense is solid, ranked 7th in scoring, but will give up yardage (15th in yards per game.) OUR PICK: It has been hard to go against the Renegades all year. They are good up and down the lineup and in all phases. We are going to go with them, home field, and a week of rest in this one. Orlando wins 31-24.
DENVER (11-5) @ CHICAGO (12-4)
Saturday @ 8pm ET
Soldier Field
About as even as a divisional game can get with the #3 seed facing a #2 seed only 1 win better over the course of the season. These two also have met once before this year, with Denver getting the win in Chicago, 23-12. Denver lives and dies by the run game, with both Rod Smart and Rashan Salaam having strong years. Salaam sat out 4 games due to a suspension or he likely would be among the league leaders in rushing, though his per game average has dipped from 2000 to 2001, largely due to the increased use of Smart, who earned a spot during the suspension and finished the year only 90 yards behind Salaam with 794 yards rushing. Chicago makes their hay on defense, where they are 2nd in the league in points allowed. But, that said, it is their pass defense that gets them that ranking. The Machine have had issues with strong running backs, losing not only to Denver, but also to Ricky Williams and the Breakers, their only loss in the past 7 games. On offense Chicago relies on Duce Staley to keep defenses honest. Jeff George can be effective if the play action game is working. OUR PICK: We think Chicago can get rushing yards in this one, can give Jeff George time in the pocket, and can make use of home field to edge, and we do mean barely, the Gold. Chicago 21-20.
PHILADELPHIA (9-7) @ OHIO (11-5)
Sunday @ 12pm ET
Ohio Stadium
It took Philadelphia two end-of-year wins to just make the playoffs, and they got a slumping Federals club in the Wild Card round, but this week will be a much bigger challenge. Ohio comes in as the #1 scoring offense, with the league’s top passing attack (nearly 350 yards a game). They have talent across that offense, with MVP Kerry Collins leading the show, but are stacked, with Eddie George behind Collins and the deadly combo of Joey Galloway and Chad Johnson outside. Ohio’s obvious weakness is defense, where they rank dead last in the league in yards allowed (406 a game, oof!!). If Philadelphia is going to win, they are going to have to take advantage of that defense, and particularly use balance to hold the ball, not rush drives, and keep Ohio’s wide open offense off the field. That is a tall order. Earlier this year Ohio put up 42 on the Stars. OUR PICK: We think Ohio can find the plays they need and will simply outpace the Stars in this one. Glory wins 35-24.
ARIZONA (8-8) @ LOS ANGELES (13-3)
Sunday @ 4pm ET
Farmers Insurance Field
Another tough matchup of the 6th seed against the top seed. That does not often bode well for the lower seed. The Wild Card however, and he is absolutely a Wild Card, is Jake Plummer. All you have to do is look back to week 6, when Arizona took it to LA in Tempe, winning their only matchup of the season 41-14. In that game Plummer scrambled and sprinted to 79 yards rushing and 2 TDs while also throwing for 201 and 2 scores. It was LA’s worst defensive game of the year. And that is the question. Was it an aberration for the league’s #3 rated scoring defense or is Plummer the Express’s kryptonite? If the Wranglers are going to pull off a 6-over-1 upset of the Express, that is where it has to happen. OUR PICK: It is a lot to ask of one man. We think too much. LA figures out how to contain Plummer. Express win 21-17.