2002 USFL Week 11 Recap: Memphis & Ohio Clinch Top Seeds

Memphis rebounds with a win and locks up the Southern Division and the top seed in the West all at once. Ohio also locks up the top seed in the East by winning their 11th game. Philadelphia loses a heartbreaker after an amazing defensive effort and becomes the first team eliminated from the playoffs, and with an astounding 10 of 24 teams sitting with either 6 or 5 wins on the year, league parity is making the playoff race both incredibly complex and incredibly compelling. We will focus on this as we review each game of Week 11 of the USFL 2002 season.

For the first time in a month our game of the week does not involve the Memphis Showboats. Instead we have two teams on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot battling it out for a chance to move into a more advantageous position. Nashville has started coming on after a surprisingly weak start to the year. They started 2-5, but have now won 4 in a row to get right in the thick of the playoff hunt in the West. Texas has been battling with Houston all season to stay atop the Southwest Division and was hosting this matchup of two teams with solid rosters but mixed results this year.

In a game that saw both defenses play well, limiting each team to very few successful 3rd down conversions (Nashville was 2 of 11, Texas 3 of 15) it came down to field position and opportunities taken. Both clubs can run the ball, though Texas’s Erric Pegram has struggled of late. Pegram would rush for 74 yards and rookie Brian Westbrook would add another 36 to help Texas build a 13-7 lead at the half. Nashville relies on Ahman Green, a contender for the rushing title, and he delivered on this day with 108 yards on the ground. The first half was a war of attrition with Nashville having only 1 successful drive, a short 54-yard drive that ended with a Collins to Derrick Mason 6-yard TD pass, while Texas would only manage 2 field goals on offense. The biggest play occurred early in the 2nd period, when Collins missed on a pass to Bert Emmanuel and the ball was snatched by Texas’s interception leader, Jimmy Hitchcock, who ran the ball back 39 yards for a score, giving the Outlaws the 13-7 lead.

In the 2nd half, things did not look much better for either offense, as between the two clubs we saw 6 consecutive drives end with punts. We did not get another score until midway through the fourth quarter, when a pick from Texas QB Ryan Leaf gave Nashville the ball on the Texas 22 yard line. The Knights did not miss this opportunity, scoring with Collins again hitting Mason for a short TD pass. That flipped the script of the game, with Texas now trailing 14-13. They had been playing conservatively all game, but now had to play catchup, at least to reach field goal position. They got their best chance with 2:33 left to play, as the offense had marched down to the Nashville 36, but on 2nd and 3 Ryan Leaf was sacked for a loss of 7, putting Texas out of field goal range and leaving them with a 3rd and 10. On the next play, a holding call pushed them back to 3rd and 20, and they were unsuccessful even trying to get some of that back for Rian Lindell, forced to punt. With just over 2 minutes to go, Nashville milked the clock, rode the back of Ahman Green, and eventually kicked a field goal to go up 4 with only seconds remaining. Texas got in their own way, with 2 penalties helping Nashville keep their drive going and the clock ticking.

The loss puts Texas 1 game behind Houston for the Southwestern division, but at 6-4-1 they are still in strong position for a playoff spot. Nashville, with this 4th consecutive win, now sits at 6-5, and within the top 6 in the West. Will they stay there? There is a lot of competition so the key will be to continue winning, but if they can win 2 of 3 to wrap up the season, their odds are very good.

NJ 24 BAL 37

A bad loss for division-leading New Jersey as they slip into a 6-5 tie with Washington. A playoff longshot-saving win for Baltimore, who got a huge game from wideout Rob Moore, with 132 yards and 2 scores, including a game-opening 49-yarder to shock the Generals. QB Jeff Garcia had his best game of the season (one week after we listed him as a huge disappointment this year), completing 22 of 26 with 3 touchdowns. Baltimore still has a big hill to climb at 4-7, while New Jersey still holds the tiebreaker over Washington, both at 6-5.

WSH 7 PHI 6

The Federals move into a tie for first thanks to one drive that saved them from an ignominious loss. Philadelphia played like their season depended on it, especially on defense, where they held Washington scoreless through 57 minutes of play. The Federals could not run the ball (limited to only 62 yards on the ground) and Philly held them to only 3 third down conversions all game, but the Stars were also unable to score against the Washington D, and when the Feds finally broke through with a Rueben Droughns 4-yard TD run just prior to the 2-minute warning, there was no response from the Stars, who fall to 2-9 and become the first team officially out of playoff contention.

JAX 34 ATL 31

It took 10 points in the final period for Jacksonville to outlast and upend Atlanta. The Fire looked really solid despite playing without star HB Tiki Barber. Mario Greer rushed for 77 yards and scored on a 69 yard punt return to help Atlanta put the pressure on the Bulls. But, in the end, a Drew Bennett TD catch and a late Kris Brown field goal helped the Bulls reclaim sole possession of 1st place in the Southeast. Atlanta fall to 3-8 and needs to win out to have any shot at a slim Wild Card chance.

TBY 31 ORL 12

Orlando’s taste of first place was short-lived as the Bandits ambushed them in the Citrus Bowl. Errict Rhett rushed for 93 yards and a pair of scores, but it was a late Travis Prentice TD run that put the game away. Orlando, playing without Joey Harrington for a second straight week, struggled to mount offense as Gus Frerrote threw for only 218. The Renegades are still in the hunt at 6-5 and with Harrington expected back in action in Week 12, and Tampa has some life left even at 4-7 if they can win out to reach .500.

MGN 10 CHI 18

Another typical Chicago slugfest as the Panthers had the early lead but Chicago battled back, thanks to a safety (Brees downed in the endzone) and a Jonathan Linton FB plunge for 6 on the ensuing drive. Michigan’s defense played well, limiting Chicago to only 229 yards on the day, but they had their issues on offense, only reaching the redzone 2 times in the game. Chicago’s win puts them at 7-4 and almost certainly in the playoff mix despite trailing Ohio by 4 games in the division. Michigan drops to 4-7 and needs help and 3 straight season-ending wins to have any shot at a Wild Card.

PIT 23 OHI 34

It was close early, but Ohio pulled away late, turning a 28-23 lead to an 11-point victory at home. The win clinched Ohio the top seed in the East, while Pittsburgh drops to 4-7 and will need a lot of help to sneak into Wild Card position. Joey Galloway continues to be dominant, catching 5 balls for 136 and a score, while Chad Johnson added 6 catches, 2 for scores as Ohio just keeps rolling.

LA 14 DEN 22

The Gold, despite having a losing record (5-6) now find themselves right in the playoff mix. Rod Smart, who moved into the Top 5 rushers this week, had 73 yards on the ground and TE Marco Battaglia caught 2 scoring tosses from Mark Brunell to help Denver get the home win. LA started the game with Quincy Carter playing for the ailing Cade McNown, but late in the 3rd lost Carter as well and finished the game with QB3 Glenn Foley at the helm. Foley’s 2 of 10 performance meant no late comeback for the Express.

OAK 10 ARZ 38

Arizona’s big win in Tempe means that they too are in Wild Card range. The Wranglers picked off Jon Kitna twice in his first start this season. Plummer threw for 3 scores and ran for another to boost the Wrangler offense. Oakland still holds a lead in the Pacific, but needs to find a way for Kitna to keep the offense afloat or they could get caught by either Seattle or Portland. We may very well see a team with a losing record representing the division unless one of the 3 gets hot late.

NOR 6 HOU 27

Houston’s defense had a great game against the 6-4 Breakers, and Antonio Freeman found openings against the Breaker D to lead the Gamblers to a key inter-conference win and sole possession of first place in the Southwestern Division. Freeman caught 6 balls for 111 and a score in the game, and Hasselbeck also connected with TE Dan Campbell for another big TD as the Gamblers kept New Orleans out of the endzone all game. New Orleans is still alive at 6-5, but all hope of catching Memphis is long gone.

BIR 35 SEA 13

The Stallions are even with New Orleans at 6-5 after a drubbing of Seattle in Seattle. Brett Favre went 19 of 29 for 249 and 3 scores and Shaun Alexander rushed for 83 as Birmingham’s more balanced offense looked efficient in this one. Seattle started Griese but he looked pained at times and was replaced by Erickson at the half. Seems they might have tried to bring Griese back a bit early. With Corey Dillon still out, the run game just was not there and Seattle struggled to move the ball. They are still only 1 game behind Oakland for the Pacific title, but a Wild Card seems unlikely if they cannot overtake the Invaders.

MEM 26 POR 21

The Showboats escaped Portland with a win, rebounding from their first loss of the season, but it was not easy. Garrison Hearst found no room to run, limited to only 29 yards on 17 carries, and Portland picked off Heath Shuler 3 times in a surprisingly inaccurate game for the MVP candidate. Six penalties for 53 yards also hindered Memphis, but they were able to pull it out thanks to two late Jeff Hall field goals. Portland, now 4-7, like Seattle, is a game behind Oakland and their only real hope of a playoff spot is to overtake the Invaders and win the division.

Hidden Gems

With the season coming down the home stretch a lot of attention is, rightfully, paid to the teams at the top of the standings, those competing for playoff spots, and the players who have made those team successful, but even on teams that are struggling, there are players who are bringing their best every week, and we felt it was appropriate to highlight these gems on teams that may not be very shiny as a whole. These are our Diamonds-in-the-Rough-Year players:

Rob Moore is having a career year for a Baltimore Blitz squad that is just not coming together. Moore has been a solid performer for Baltimore for years, with 2002 looking like it will be his 6th consecutive 1,000 yard season. He sits at 992 yards after 11 games and he leads the league with 86 receptions, both impressive when you consider the rough year that Jeff Garcia has had at QB. With three games left to play, don’t be surprised if Moore ends the season with over 100 receptions, which would be the 3rd time he has accomplished that feat, but this time in only 14 games. He is not a flashy receiver but Rob Moore is one of Baltimore’s only consistent weapons.

The same could be said of Tiki Barber, the little engine that keeps plugging along for bad Atlanta team after bad Atlanta team. Barber currently sits in 2nd place on the rushing leader board, about 110 yards behind Ahman Green, but what makes his accomplishments so amazing is just how bad the rest of the offense is. Barber’s 927 yards on the ground represent 90% of all rush yards (until his absence this week for injury he was closer to 97% of all rush yards. That he is looking at yet another 1,000 season for a team that again seems mired in mediocrity is quite a testament to his professionalism.

It has not been a good year for the Pittsburgh defense, currently ranked 22nd in points against an d17th in yards against, but don’t lay that on 2nd year DE Kyle Vanden Bosch. Foloowing a 12-sack rookie campaign, Vanden Bosch has 10 sacks already this year and is likely to reach or exceed his 2001 total even with 2 fewer weeks in the season. Vanden Bosch is also making an impact against the run, with 38 total tackles and 11 tackles for loss. Pittsburgh could use more players with the motor that Vanden Bosch has shown.

We all saw how good Mo Lewis was when he was with Atlanta. Moving over to the LA Express has not changed that. While LA still struggles on defense (20th in PPG Allowed) Lewis is on pace to potentially lead the league in tackles, with 96 already on the books. Add to that 3 sacks and Lewis is quickly becoming a leader for the Express. He needs more help around him for the Express to regain some of their swagger, but this year’s struggles are certainly not due to a lack of effort or results on his part.

ROOKIES COMING ON LATE

Late in the year is often when we see rookies start to blossom, and get more chances as either injury or strategy dictates. This year is no different. We are seeing more opportunities and more first year players stepping up to take on a new role. Here are 4 that we have taken note over during the past few weeks.

Javon Walker-JAX-WR: Walker has been named Rookie of the Week twice this past month as he becomes more and more a part of the Bulls’ offensive gameplan. His last 4 games he has logged 5, 8, 6 and 8 receptions, with 111 yards in Week 9 and 95 yards with a score this week. He currently sits second in receptions on the team, behind only Terrell Owens, and could finish the year with 800 yards or more.

TJ Duckett-MGN-HB: Duckett started Week 1 as the bell cow back for the Panthers, but it has taken time for him to adapt. In his first 5 games he rushed for 11, 35, 19, 70, and 30 yards. Not what Michigan needed, but in his last 5 we have seen significant growth, with yardage totals of 87, 61, 61, 111, and 76 yards. He also has 5 TDs in the same span. As he grows into his role, expect more and more of Michigan’s offense to take advantage of his bruising style and the play action opportunities it creates for Drew Brees.

Anthony Weaver-CHI-DE: Chicago’s rookie end started the year very strong, with 3 sacks in his first 3 games. He then suffered a drought before reemerging in Week 8 with a 9 tackle, sack, fumble and recovery against Arizona. Still working in rotation rather than being a clear starter, Weaver is contributing more and more, and could end the year with double digit sacks.

Josh Reed-WR-NOR: Reed is another player who started strong (22 catches in weeks 1-5) then had a midseason slump (3 games with no catches) but has come on strong these past 3 weeks, with 11 receptions for 177 yards and a touchdown for the Breakers. Expect to see Reed continue to fight for time behind Raynard Brown as he rotates with Kevin Dyson and Az-Zahir Hakeem in the Breaker’s 3-receiver sets.

PHILLY TO LOOK AT YOUTH

Philadelphia is the first team eliminated from playoff contention, and, as we often see, that also means that they will be the first team to rest older starters and put rookies in positions to show their value over the final weeks of the year. Coach Jim Mora Jr. has all but confirmed this by announcing that his week 12 starters will include halfback Ladell Betts over Stephen Davis, and QB David Garrard, a mid-draft pick from East Carolina, will take over, jumping over both Chuck Hartlieb and Will Furrer to get the start. Garrard is a bit raw, but showed good accuracy at ECU. Philadelphia knows that Furrer and Hartlieb are not a long term answer at the vital QB spot, so this is Garrard’s chance to impress Coach Mora before he starts looking for other options in the offseason. For Betts it is a chance to secure his spot on the roster and perhaps push Coach Mora towards a platoon HB role next year instead of depending on Davis as the dominant ballcarrier for the club.

Another tough week for some clubs still fighting for their playoff lives. LA may be out of contention realistically, and losing HB DeShaun Foster to a quad tear certainly will not help. In Orlando, LB Anthony Jordan had to be put on IR this week with a broken leg, while in Baltimore, wideout Lamar Thomas is out the rest of the regular season with 3 broken ribs. Tampa Bay, if they are going to make a push, will do so without Randy moss, sidelined with a foot injury for the next 2 weeks.

Seattle could be without John Abraham for the remainder of the regular season due to a hamstring injury, and Pittsburgh will miss LB Kendrell Bell at least that long after he broke 2 bones in his right hand. Chicago has placed Brian Urlacher on the injury list as Doubtful for their big game against Ohio this week. Urlacher is dealing with a hamstring injury and Chicago does not want that to extend to the postseason. In LA, Cade McNown returns to action this week, which is good considering that backup Quincy Carter is out with a shoulder injury. Finally, don’t expect to see Tiki Barber running for Atlanta this week as his hand is still an issue. No need to risk further injury in what is already a lost season for the Fire.

Let’s start with what we know. Ohio and Memphis are both division winners and both #1 seeds guaranteed for the playoffs. No shock there. Philadelphia at 2-9 is out, no shock there. That’s it. The rest is all mutable. Jacksonville looks solid at 7-4, but are only up 1 game on Orlando. Houston also looks good at 7-3-1, but are up only 1 game on Texas. New Jersey and Washington are tied at 6-5 in the Northeast, Oakland leads the Pacific at 5-6, and a ton of teams are within a game of a playoff spot.

We also can see that there are 6 teams in the Eastern Conference with at least 6 wins, and the clubs at 4-7 behind them are fading fast, and need a lot of help to get back in this with only 3 weeks left. That is good news for Jacksonville, Orlando, New Jersey, Chicago, and Washington. In the West, we have Oakland, Texas, New Orleans, Nashville, Birmingham, Arizona and Denver all with either 6 or 5 wins, and all fighting for 3 wildcard spots, with Oakland only 1 game up over Seattle and Portland for what looks like it will be the only playoff spot out of the Pacific, the division winner. So, basically it’s a mess.

Portland Inquiry Begins Internal Audit for Thunder Owner

Things are getting serious for Portland Thunder lead owner, Bernard Ebbers. It appears that the concerns raised by the City of Portland’s due diligence investigation into team finances and those of Ebbers and Phil Ruffin have now sparked an internal investigation within Worldcom, Ebbers’ primary holding. It appears that the internal audit is finding irregularities within Worldcom valuation and earnings. That could be a real problem not only for the proposed stadium project in Portland, but for Ebbers’s role as the lead figure in the Portland ownership group. It also raises significant questions about the USFL’s own audit capacity, as the irregularities under investigation date back as far as 1999, and should have been evident to USFL financial reviewers had they fully vetted Ebbers as was their charge.

So, what does this mean for the Thunder and Portland’s new stadium. It is very early to say for sure, but if the audit within Worldcom points to Ebbers as a principle actor in any malfeasance, it could force a reshuffling of the Thunder ownership, just as we saw with St. Louis. Minority owner Phil Ruffin, is generally not viewed as having sufficient resources to sustain the club should Ebbers be forced out, which means that additional resources and potential owners would need to be brought into the Portland group. That could be good for the long term or it could once again mean that Portland’s franchise could once again be at risk. At minimum the unsettled situation during the investigation stalls any plans to begin a construction project for the proposed east side stadium. If Ebbers is in deep legal or financial trouble, it could be stalled indefinitely, and that is not good for the Thunder or the city.

BOSTON'S IMPACT ON LEAGUE ALIGNMENT COULD BE BIG?

Reports out of NYC have the league offices proposing a major shakeup to the new 6-division format after only 1 year. The shakeup could be related to the sale of the Fire and the club’s relocation to Boston, as the proposal looks to shake up regional divisions. Reports state that the proposal would have two new conferences, as of yet unnamed, which would each have a Northern, Southern, and Western Division. What is more shocking is that clubs would be placed into pairings and then each conference (represented by a team of league officials, would select 6 pairings of teams to join their 3 new divisions. This could, for example, put Tampa Bay and Orlando, or Denver and Arizona, not only in different divisions, but in different conferences. That seems somewhat unlikely as teams are almost certainly to be paired with key rivals, but it could break up some of the divisions we have known for years.

While we don’t have any official word on the “pairings” concepts, we certainly can envision what some would naturally be. If the league owners approve the leaked plan, expect to see the two conferences (which likely would not have names based on geography) fighting over pairs of teams such as New Jersey-Philadelphia, Washington-Baltimore, Tampa Bay-Orlando, Birmingham-Memphis, Houston-Texas, Denver-Arizona, Portland-Seattle, Chicago-Michigan, or Oakland-LA. But what happens to the teams that do not have natural pairings? Where does Boston fit in this? They have no rivalry to align with, no natural partner unless New Jersey is not paired with Philadelphia, which seems ludicrous considering their history together.

We all expected that Boston’s purchase of the Atlanta franchise would produce some ripple in alignment, but this seems extreme. Perhaps it is just an idea to be floated to the owners, perhaps just one of several realignment plans, but for fans of some of the great regional rivalries in the league, this does not seem like a good direction for the league to head.

Week 12 is our first of two season-ending all-divisional game weekends. This one could go a long way to straightening out who is in and who is out of playoff contention. Games to keep an eye on:

Washington @ New Jersey: The winner holds all the cards for the Northeast title. This one could be ugly.

Ohio @ Chicago: Yes, Ohio has it all wrapped up, but Chicago wants to win this one in their house, and it may be the last chance if anyone is going to stop Ohio from a 14-0 season

Nashville @ Birmingham: It seems unlikely that both can make the playoffs behind Memphis, so the winner of this game takes a clear advantage and may just win themselves a Wild Card berth.

New Orleans @ Memphis: Can the Breakers keep pace with the Knights-Stallions winner? To do so they need to knock off a Memphis squad that really does not have more than pride to play for as they have the top seed all wrapped up.

Houston @ Arizona: This is the Wranglers’ shot to get right in the thick of things. A win and they are at .500 with 2 weeks left. A loss and it may be time to rest Jake Plummer.

Texas @ Denver: Another key matchup, with Texas hoping to catch the Gamblers for the division and Denver hoping to get back in the mix by reaching .500.

Seattle @ Oakland: Win and the Dragons are right back in the Pacific hunt, pulling Oakland down, while an Invader win and they are in command, with 2 games up on Seattle and only Portland to worry about.

Other games this week: Portland needs to knock off LA to stay alive in the Pacific. The two face off in Cali. Pittsburgh is at Michigan with both clubs 4-7 and 2 games back of the last Wild Card spot. Tampa Bay is in Jacksonville, where the Bulls hope to lock up the division with a win. Orlando is in Atlanta, where a win, plus a Bandit upset of the Bulls would put them right back in the hunt. And finally, Philadelphia will start both David Garrard and Ladell Betts to get a look at the future as they visit Baltimore, who may well start some rookies as well.