Other than the surprising Generals-Bulls game, the Divisional Playoffs went off as most predicted, with 3 of 4 top seeds winning and advancing, but the big new is that we saw two injuries that could have a huge impact on the Conference Title Games as Ohio lost USFL Offensive Player of the Year Eddie George and the Memphis Showboats lost one of the most reliable kickers in the league in Jeff Hall. We will break down the impact of these two injuries but first let’s take a look at this week’s playoff action.
A schocker in Duval County as the Generals ran roughshod over the favored Jacksonville Bulls. It seems like everything Coach Parcells whipped up against Jacksonville worked to a charm, from a defense that bent but would not break to a gameplan for QB Tom Brady that led to a 74% completion rate and 4 passing touchdowns. It was a huge win for a club that is peaking at the right time, and a devastating loss for a club that felt that they had the formula.
New Jersey started early, scoring on their first drive as Brady hit TE Anthony Becht for the opening score of the game, Jacksonville responded with a Kenny Bynum TD run and fans tuning in had to feel like we would be seeing a back and forth contest. What they got instead was New Jersey scoring on 8 different drives, including 3 Neil Rackers field goals, but more importantly, touchdowns from Terry Glenn (2), Donald Hayes, and Olandis Gary as the Generals punted only 4 times in the game.
Jacksonville’s Jake Delhomme was harassed all game by the Generals’ front 7, suffering 5 sacks, including 2 from…nope, not Phil Hansen, but LB Bobby Houston. Delhomme was hit another 6 times, with one glancing blow causing a throw to go off target and into the hands of the Generals’ top rookie, LB James Harrison. By the half it was 27-16 New Jersey and the Bulls would not score again, with New Jersey adding 17 more points to finish the game in convincing manner. We even got to see some of backup QB Todd Boumann, who saw some 4th quarter action long after most of the Bulls faithful had left for home.
The Portland Thunder came into this game on a high after a surprising thrashing of Nashville back in Portland last week. The Houston Gamblers were ready for them, with one of the best defenses in the league looking to shut down Rick Mirer and punch a ticket to the team’s first Conference title game since the retirement of Jim Kelly.
The game began with a big play, as the Thunder got a huge 44-yard reception on the first play from scrimmage, with Mirer using play action to freeze the safeties and finding Matthew Hatchett over the top. That was followed by another big play as Napoleon Kaufmann went around the left side for 21 yards and a score to stun the Houston crowd. The Gamblers came right back on their first drive, a bit more methodical over 7 plays, but also ending with a big play as Hasselbeck found Antonio Freeman (who was on the 1996 title team) for a 31-yard strike to even the score.
The score would be even at 14 at the half as well, with Mirer hitting on another huge play to Hatchette for a score, while Hasselbeck again found Antonio Freeman as time ran down in the half to even things up. But, after some halftime adjustments that included a move away from man coverage for the Houston secondary and a use of a 2-deep zone instead, the Gamblers held Portland inside their half of the field for the entire third quarter. The Gamblers fared a bit better on offense, getting into Portland territory twice, but leaving with only 2 Chris Boniol field goals to show for it.
Down only 6 after 3 quarters, Portland had to feel pretty good about their situation, but it would not last as the 4th quarter began. Rick Mirer, trying to find Hatchette again, threw into double coverage and paid for it as Houston’s Chris Carter instead. The pick led quickly to Houston expanding their lead to 13 thanks to a TD from TE David LaFleur, Hasselbeck’s third TD toss of the game. Portland was frustrated by the zone coverages Houston was using, and with Napoleon Kaufmann unable to sustain a running game (outside of his 21 yard scamper to open the game he had only another 12 yards all day), the Thunder were simply unable to make up the difference. They got a Carlos Huerta field goal to cut the difference to 10, but never again reached scoring range.
Houston moves on to the Conference title game, but would have to wait until Sunday to see if it would be held in their new convertible dome or if they would be traveling to a very hostile Liberty Bowl.
Houston would get their answer, but it would take the full 4 quarters and an amazing comeback for them to learn that they would, indeed, be heading to Memphis for the conference finals. In a game they trailed by 24 points at the half, Memphis came back with 28 unanswered points in the 2nd half to shock the Breakers and claim their spot in next week’s conference finals.
If ever the cliché of a game of two halves were real, it was in this game. New Orleans seemingly could do nothing wrong in the first half, but fell apart entirely after the halftime break. Memphis, who struggled to string together any type of offense in the first half went on to score on 4 consecutive drives, make up the huge deficit and win the game in the second. All this despite giving up 248 yards rushing to the Breakers.
Now, admittedly, one of the reasons the rushing total was so high was because Ricky Williams broke off two huge runs in the first half, a 44-yard TD and a 55-yarder only 1 drive later. These two plays accounted for 95 of his total 157 yards rushing. On the opposite sideline, 260 of Heath Shuler’s 330 yards passing were in the second half, including all 4 touchdown passes. Down by 21 points at the half, Shuler came out firing in the second half as Memphis all but abandoned any attempt to hand the ball to Garrison Hearst. He first hit TE Johnny Mitchell on a short 4-yard TD play, but then, after a quick 3-and-out on defense found Mitchell again, this time a huge 74-yard scoring play that clearly impacted the Breakers, now up only 7. New Orleans seemed lost, and again were forced to punt after only 5 plays.
Shuler went right back to the air, connecting with 4 different receivers on a drive that got Memphis within 3 on a Cedric Wilson TD reception. 3:41 left to play and Memphis had recovered 21 of the 24 points they needed to get even with the Breakers. The Showboats, confident now in momentum and their defense, opted not to go onside, and that paid off as once again New Orleans failed on 3rd down and punted on a 3-and-out after only using up 41 seconds. The Showboats would not go for the tie, they would go big and they would once again find the New Orleans defense wanting. Shuler connected with Joe Horn first, then Tydus Wynans, and then the game winner, a beautiful seam route, very similar to the one that Breaker TE Johnny Mitchell had scored on early in the game, but this time it was Memphis’s All-USFL TE Adrian Cooper, and Cooper went the distance, putting the Showboats up for good with 1:28 left to play.
New Orleans could not recover and Lin Elliott never got a chance to equalize the score. Memphis had pulled off a monumental comeback and would host the title game in one week’s time. The only downside for the Breakers is that on the kickoff after their 3rd of 4 second half touchdowns, kicker Jeff Hall came up gimpy, apparently suffering a hamstring injury. Punter Brad Costello would actually kick the fina point of the game on the 4th touchdown. With Hall unsure of his status for next week, expect the Showboats to sign someone off the street (ok, the waiver wire) to fill in if needed.
This was the game everyone was waiting for this weekend, and it did not disappoint. Chicago and the unbeaten Ohio Glory fought it out like two heavyweights in a title match, and despite losing one of their best players to injury, the Glory found a way to come out on top once again, with an unlikely hero putting them on top.
The game was a battle of strengths all day, Chicago’s punishing defense against Ohio’s explosive offense. After an opening drive by Ohio that gained a couple of first downs but was eventually snuffed out before it could get in range for a field goal, Chicago took over and they had a solid first drive ending in a Curtis Conway TD catch. The Machine were up early and when Ohio could only muster a field goal and Conway scored a second time, the 10,000 or so Chicago fans who made the trek to Columbus were getting boisterous. But Ohio was just beginning to find their game. On their next drive, the combination of George runs and Collins connecting with 3 different receivers led to a play we have seen so many times this year, Galloway on an out and up and Collins connecting with him for 6. What was a 14-3 lead for Chicago was now down to 14-10.
Chicago would keep going back to what was working, with Jeff George finding Curtis Conway once again, this time on a 66-yard bomb, and it was Chicago back up by 11. Ohio did not panic and mounted an 11-play drive that ended with Eddie George finding room on the right side of the line and scoring from 11 yards out. 21-17 Chicago at the half, but plenty left to be decided.
The second half flipped the script, with Chicago going out in 3 plays on their opening drive, and Ohio scoring on theirs, again Eddie George, this time from 16-yards away. But, up 24-21, Ohio would have a huge scare on their next drive as on a simple counter run on 1st and 10, George would go down with what appeared to be a non-contact injury. He was unable to put weight on his leg, as it appears he suffered a significant injury. He was helped to the sideline, where he was visibly upset, and eventually carted to the locker room. Ohio would have to hold off Chicago without one of their primary weapons.
Chicago took advantage of the dour mood on the Ohio bench, mounting a long drive that ended when Duce Staley plunged in from the 1 yard line to put the Machine back on top again. With 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter the Glory were up against the wall in a way they simply hadn’t seen for most of this charmed season. They would go 3-and-out on their next drive, and gain only 21 yards on the drive after that. But, to their credit, the Ohio defense stood strong, and helped keep Ohio in the game by shutting down Chicago on three consecutive occasions.
injuryWith just over 7 minutes left to play, Ohio would dig deep and start a drive that would eventually win them the game and a chance to host the Eastern Finals next week. It began with Collins finding Chad Johnson for 7 yards, then a first down on a Lamont Warren run. Collins again, this time to Stephen Alexander, then a penalty against Ohio for offsides added more yards on. Within 7 plays the Glory were at the Chicago 24-yard line, but down 4 a field goal was not a thought. They handed the ball to little-used HB3 Michael Wiley, and the young back stunned everyone by finding a hole and racing all the way to the endzone. He was practically untouched on the winning score, and although there was some drama as Don Silvestri missed the PAT, meaning the lead was only 2, not 3, the Glory would not allow Chicago to get into field goal range and the game would end on a Jeff George Hail Mary that fell to the ground out of reach of his receivers.
Ohio had survived their biggest scare of the season, had found a way to win without one of their best players, and were now 2 games away from a historic perfect season. They will have to do it without Eddie George unfortunately as an MRI revealed that George had, in fact, suffered ligament damage in his knee. While it appears that surgery will not be needed, the recovery time will simply not allow George to return for the Conference Title Game or for any potential Summer Bowl appearance. That will be a huge factor in how Ohio moves ahead, but the result of this game is that they are moving ahead.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2003
Last week we looked at the biggest offseason needs for all 12 non-playoff teams. And while it is a little odd to do the same for clubs that are still in the frenzy of the postseason, we already know which players are very likely to be free agents, and what positoins are considered weak spots for each team. So, without a good sense of any potential retirement losses from most playoff clubs, we will still venture to guess where these teams may look to improve in free agency, the NFL transfer window, and the draft. We will go in order of their regular seaosn record, regardless of their playoff position for this review.
PORTLAND THUNDER (7-7): Portland made great strides after an 0-5 start just to get to .500, but they still have some major issues. The run game needs more than Napoleon Kaufmann and Correll Buckhalter can give it. They are also lacking in pass rush after trading away Clyde Simmons, and they just need to build up talent across the defense as a whole. We expect HB, DT, and DE to be top areas of interest for the Thunder. Problem is their protected schools (Oregon, Oregon State and Boise State) are not going to help them there. Expect them to go after a free agent halfback, or to make a trade to try to get more in the backfield. As for D-line, the Open Draft may be their best bet. Not a lot of top level edge rushers end up in the free agent pool.
ORLANDO RENEGADES (7-7): The Renegades believe they have their QB of the future, but they still need a backup behind him. Gus Frerotte is gone (not too many Orlando fans are upset about this), so expect Orlando to go after a veteran to sit behind Joey Harrington and provide guidance and security. The bigger issue for Orlando is the retirement of Chris Doleman. His impact for the defense will be hard to replace. Orlando normally has a strong protected rookie pool with Florida, UCF, and South Carolina as their protected schools, but we don’t see an impact edge rusher in the mix from those three schools this year. So, once again we look at the open draft, unless Orlando uses some draft capital or trades some talent to get a shot at other protected edge rushers like Terrell Suggs of Arizona State (Wranglers) or Ty Warren of Texas A&M (Houston).
WASHINGTON FEDERALS (7-7): Washington cannot hope to replace Jerome Brown, but they have to do something to build a solid interior line. Birmingham’s Joe Salave’a would be a great start, or they could look to the draft and go after a player like Kentucky’s Dewayne Robertson, an unprotected player. Beyond DT the Federals need to find a 2nd receiver to place opposite Deion Branch. They opted not to retain J.J. Stokes, despite a pretty solid year that saw him lead the team with 63 receptions and 844 yards, but only 1 TD. Expect Washington to be a major player in the bidding for Memphis wideout Joe Horn if Memphis cannot sign him immediately. He becomes a free agent as soon as their season ends, which could be as soon as next Sunday.
NASHVILLE KNIGHTS (8-6): The Knights have made a living off of their defense, but this year that defense was not as strong as in past years. Yes, it was Top 10 in most categories we measure, but they also had some games where teams found big holes and easy scores. The key for Nashville will be to build up a more athletic, more dangerous front 3. That means, and we know we seem to say this for each team, that they need to look at DT and DE as key positions. Nashville got some concessions in reworking the territorial draft after their move, but losing Kansas State and gaining Vanderbilt is not what they wanted. They wanted the rights to Tennessee Volunteer players but the league opted to keep Memphis’s priority with UT players. That hurts Nashville at a time when they need to find talent and youth.
ARIZONA WRANGLERS (8-6): Arizona has needs at guard, as always at HB (especially with Dorsey Levins leaving in free agency) and they need a backup to Plummer, because he will not stay healthy forever with his penchant for running the ball. All that said, they would be nuts not to try to sign Terrell Suggs, one of the best looking edge rushers in a decade and a protected player out of ASU. If they can land Suggs, they can adjust their defense around him, and then in free agency try to build up some of the other areas of need.
CHICAGO MACHINE (8-6): Chicago took a big step this year, but tehre are still so many questions, particularly about the offense. Curtis Conway needs someone to take away some of the double coverage. Duce Staley may not be a permanent answer, and at the very least needs a backup to take some carries away from his load, and the club needs more talent at Tight End as well. The good news is that a very good looking receiver is in their protected pool, Brandon Lloyd of Illinois. They also have some good offensive line talent in that pool, so in free agency they can try to land a solid running back, perhaps Levins, or even Errict Rhett, who has refused to resign with Tampa Bay after ownership tried to lowball their bid for him.
NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (8-6): There is a lot to like about this Breaker squad, but they have major needs on the O-line, particularly at guard, and there is a very good chance that Bobby Hoying will retire after an injury sidelined him for a good part of the year. Add to that the expected retirement of Raynard Brown and the issues are pretty clear. New Orleans might be happy with their younger receivers, Josh reed and Kevin Dyson look like they are ready to step up, but if not, the Breakers could go after a free agent like Stokes, Mike Pritchard, or Muhsin Muhammad just to bring in some experience to the group.
NEW JERSEY GENERALS (8-6): We love the direction Coach Parcells has the Generals going. Their defense is more diversified, their offense more consistent. Tom Brady is developing nicely into a leader and the team has good depth at several position. If they have one clear need, it is for a shut down corner. They could also use a good outside linebacker to bring on blitzes, but corner is a more immediate need. Do they go for a veteran like Tyrone Hughes or Deon Figures, or do they look to the draft? If they look for youth, they don’t have to look far. One of the best looking corners coming out this year is Oklahoma’s Andre Woolfolk, and with Oklahoma being New Jersey’s one out-of-region T-Draft school, they would be wise to go after him.
HOUSTON GAMBLERS (8-5-1): The defense is solid, we know this, but that does not mean they don’t have needs. Free safety and linebacker are two positions of potential concern, depending on any 11th hour resignings, but Houston might actually be in a good position to trade picks for players or to package picks to go after 1-2 difference makers. If someon out there is desperate for a retooling, Houston would be a good trading partner.
JACKSONVILLE BULLS (9-5): The Bulls were certainly pleased with the progress this year, they don’t have a lot of potential high impact free agents, and while Jake Delhomme has to rein in his tendency to throw picks, they feel pretty comfortable with him at QB. So, where are the holes? TE is one place they could look, with rookie Jeb Putzier having a decent, but not explosive skill set, they might try to add a 2nd receiving tight end. They also could look at wideout again. Rookie Javon Walker was a nice addition, but the slot is still a position of need. Dez White has just not developed the way they would hope. They are solid at DT With veterans Sam Adams and Renaldo Wynn, but they need to find ways to free Jevon Kearse up to fully use his speed and power, so perhaps a 2nd DE. All in all, however, the talent level is good, but is it good enough to take the next big step?
MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (11-3): The Showboats were all about offense this year, finishing 2nd behind Ohio in scoring, 2nd in passing and 3rd in scoring. But here is the issue: both HB Garrison Hearst and FB Larry Centers are free agents either next week or the week after, and it seems that Showboat management has not felt much pressure to sign either. Rumors have been going around that Centers is planning to retire, but if they lose him and Hearst, then they need a major rebuild. And, as if that is not bad enough, it seems they have reached an impasse in negociations with WR Joe Horn. Horn would likely be one of the top 2-3 players in free agency if he refused to sign a deal in the next couple of weeks. If Memphis loses him, and Hearst, and Centers, then that is a full on rebuild for an offense that has carried the Showboats pretty damn far this year.
OHIO GLORY (14-0): Yo would not expect there to be many needs for a team that just finished a 14-0 regular season, and you wuld be right. The defense is much improved over 2001, and the offense is just scary. We will see just how deep their HB stable is with George now out. That might be a focus for them, particularly if they struggle to run the ball without their main back. They also would love to add some depth to the LB corps and perhaps a pass rusher. Looking at their protected schools (Ohio State, Wisconsin and Cincinnati), there is a lot of talent they could sign just from the territorial draft. How about safety Mike Doss, LB Antwan peek, LB Cie Grant, or even a backup QB who looks a lot like Kerry Collins in Badger Brooks Bollinger. With a very late pick in the open draft, do not be surprised if Ohio is part of the trading that goes on pre-draft, packaging late picks to get one good earlier pick.
We all know what the big injury of the week is, Eddie George ruled out of the remaining playoff games with MCL and PCL damage in his right knee. We also know that Memphis is on the market for a kicker after losing Jeff Hall for the forseeable future. As we look ahead to the Conference Title Games, these two injuries are the most concerning, but there are a few others we should mention as they could impact the games.
In the Houston-Memphis showdown, Houston will be without WR Koren Robinson as he is still dealing with a PCL injury of his own. TE Dan Campbell could also be out after taking a shot to the eye this week. You do not want a one-eyed receiver in this game, to be sure. Finally, LB Pat Swilling is listed as questionable with a foot injury. For Memphis, in addition to the injury to kicker Jeff Hall, the other potentially problematic absence will be that of DT Barrett Tanner, who is listed as questionable due to a recurring hip concern. Questionable is 50/50, but if he is even close to 50% he likely will try to play.
For the New Jersey-Ohio game, we know that Eddie George is out for Ohio, but so too is LB Brandon Ayanbedejo (arm) and possibly DE Vonnie Holiday, who suffered a concussion this week and is still under observation. On the New Jersey bench there are no new injuries, so the Generals enter this game with a full roster available to them.
CALLING IT A CAREER
Four more teams (our Wild Card losing squads) have wrapped up their season and with that a few more announcements of planned retirements. In addition to that we got a few later announcements from non-playoff teams as well, meaning more needs for more teams as we prepare for an active offseason. Here are the latest players to announce their intention to file for retirment from pro football.
Denver loses another key contributor on defense as CB Bruce Pickens, long their #1 corner, announced his departure this week.
LA strong safety Carnell Lake also announced this week that he is ending his stellar career.
Former Houston starter and Philadelphia backup, Chuck Hartlieb, will step away to get into announcing.
Seattle linebacker Eddie Robinson steps away from the game after an 11-season career.
But the biggest hits are being taken by Washington, who, in addition to All-USFL DT Jerome Brown are also going to lose a quality DB in safety Louis Oliver, and a solid receiver in wideout Lawyer Tillman.
COACHING CAROUSEL STARTS SPINNING
With the offseason we also have coaching searches to follow. With four positions currently open, there is plenty of competition as teams look to find the right man for the job. Let’s take a spin around the 4 clubs in the hunt and see what is happening.
PORTLAND: While no official interviews could begin as long as the Thunder were alive in the playoffs, we did get news that the team has reversed the terms of the contract that interim HC Joe Vitt signed when he took over after 5 games this year. The change allows Vitt to be a candidate, which seems a shrewd move for the Thunder since Vitt did nothing less than go 7-2 and win a playoff game in his interim role. It would be foolish to not at least provide him with a chance to interview for the permanent position, a position he very likely should be the frontrunner for.
SEATTLE: After the departure of Joe Tiller, the Dragons are hoping to bring in a coach with a pro pedigree. That may mean a USFL retread, like a Jim Fassel, Skip Holtz, or Jerry Glanville, but it also could point to a position coach or coordinator who is ready to step up. With a team that has talent but needs discipline and direction, we think the best option would be to bring in an experienced head coach, either from the USFL or the NFL, and it seems that there are plans to do just that, with interviews scheduled this week with Fassel and with NFL veteran Norv Turner. Expect one of the hottest coordinators in the league, New Jersey OC and former General FB Maurice Carthon to also get a shot to interview.
BIRMINGHAM: An interesting choice awaits the Stallions. Do they also go after a pro pedigree, perhaps signing a top coordinator away from another USFL team, or do they go for someone with regional appeal? Fans want the Stallions to try to bring Ron Erhardt out of retirement, but that seems an unlikely outcome of the search this year. Far more likely is that the Stallions go after a head coach with Alabama connections like former Auburn HC Terry Bowden, former Alabama HC Mike Dubose, or even former Falcons and Bandits head coach Jerry Glanville.
OAKLAND: The Invaders are another team that could go in a lot of directions. They have a potential QB search on the way, issues across the roster, and a history of going for retread coaches. The Invaders have already met with Skip Holtz, and are rumored to be scheduling visits by former NFL head coach Dennis Green as well as former Houston and Texas Head Man Jack Pardee. After the issues that the team has had in hiring senior coaches like Dan Reeves, Jim Mora, and to a degree even Dom Capers, we would love to see Oakland bring in a hot young coordinator, but that just does not seem to be what they want to do.
Two games to determine who will appear in Pittsburgh at Summer Bowl 2003. We know that the networks and the bookies would love nothing more than to see Ohio go up against Memphis for the title and a possible perfect season, but this is football and we determine champions on the field. Looking at these two games, just how could Houston or New Jersey spoil the party and shock the pundits? We focus on that as we prepare for the USFL Conference Title Games.
Sunday @ 2pm ET
Ohio Stadium, Columbus
The Generals have a lot to prepare for against the Glory, but we know that one big element of the Ohio attack will be missing with Eddie George’s injury. That means that New Jersey is likely to put all their efforts into pass defense, expecting Ohio to rely on the arm of Kerry Collins. That means scheming to free up Phil Collins as the main man who can scuttle Ohio’s plans. Of course, Ohio will be prepared for this as well, so expect to see both FB Damien Shelton and TE Derek Brown in the lineup specifically to offset the schemes New Jersey uses to free up Hansen. Pass protection and Pass rush will be the chess match that may well determine the whole game. Ohio is just not likely to try to run their standard offense with Lamont Warren replacing George, so expect more 3-4 wideout sets, more deep shots, maybe even the occasional flea flicker to try to loosen up what is likely to be a series of nickel and dime defenses for New Jersey.
On offense, New Jersey will try to maintain balance, using Curtis Enis to create good matchups in the playo action game for Tom Brady. Just as Ohio likes to hit Galloway deep, New Jersey will try to do the same with Terry Glenn. Ohio is sure to focus on Glenn, which means that Brady will have to look for other options like TE Anthony Becht, flanker Donald Hayes, or slot receiver Kevin Johnson. Unlike Ohio, who has Chad Johnson as a near equal to Galloway as a threat, New Jersey’s depth is just not as strong, so a lot will depend on Curtis Enis. If he forces Ohio to stick to a base defense to protect against the run, then that makes life a lot easier for Brady and Glenn.
OUR PICK: We are not going against Ohio, even without George in the backfield. It will be close, we expect that, but we see Ohio moving on. Glory 21 Generals 19.
Sunday @ 6pm ET
Liberty Bowl Stadium
Memphis does not have the aura of Ohio (losing 3 games in the season’s final weeks will do that), so the folks in Vegas have wavered quite a bit on their line. Right now it is Memhphis by 3, but that is just a courtesy of having home field. Houston comes into this game with the league’s best scoring defense, allowing only 16 points a game. They do it mostly by locking down the passing game and putting pressure on the QB. Heath Shuler is a savvy vet with a lot of weapons at his disposal, but even he could feel the heat if Pittman and Sinclair are not dealt with. The two combined for 28 sacks this year, and the pressure they create with only a 4-man front means that Houston can keep 7 players in coverage. That makes it tough to pass. Memphis has a decent, but not deadly rushing game, so it may well come down to keeping Shuler mobile, rolling him out, and creating some short routes that get the ball out of his hands. The key here will be how Houston covers Adran Cooper, one of the toughest tight ends in the game to cover.
On offense, Houston needs to make good use of Mike Anderson’s inside game and find ways to get the ball into Kevin Faulk’s hands in space. Faulk should not be running counters and inside runs, but should be a big part of the passing game if Houston wants to break down Memphis’s defense. Memphis has issues against the run (ranked 23rd, but they too have a solid pass defense, so Houston would be wise to try to get the run game going early and free up Matt Hasselbeck on play action.
OUR PICK: They say defense wins championships, so we should lean towards Houston, but Houston has had issues scoring, and even with a good defense, we don’t think Memphis will be held under 20 points, so we are going to go with the more veteran, more tested, and more experienced team. Memphis 24, Houston 18.