Only two weeks into the season and we already have some surprises. Jacksonville, Birmingham, Houston, and the Texas Outlaws are surprisingly 2-0 and looking like they have found midseason form. LA, Denver, and Tampa Bay are 0-2 and not at all happy about their start to the season. The Bulls in particular have to be overjoyed that their defense has allowed only 14 points combined in their first two games. The D was a big concern for them last year and they have started strong. On the other side of the spectrum, New Orleans is currently dead last in points allowed and 2nd to last in yards allowed, meaning their defense has a long way to go. Let’s turn to our Week 2 action and see how it panned out and then we can discuss Tuesday’s big press leak and its ramifications for the league.
A wild finish in RFK as Tom Brady and Terry Glenn connect on a miracle play to upend the Federals and send the crowd home in utter disbelief. In what was a back and forth game all day, it was New Jersey that found the big play at the big moment to take the win on the road and even their record at 1-1. In a game that saw both teams try to use the run to control the clock, and one where the D-lines were a constant factor, in the end it was big stars acting like big stars that gave New Jersey the win.
The game started out somewhat inauspiciously for the Feds. After both clubs had unproductive opening drives, Washington’s Yatil Green misread a punt and ended up falling on the ball on his own 2-yard line, putting the Federal offense in a dangerous position. When Reuben Droughns tried to make a backfield move on LB Kendrell Bell, he lost his footing and fell to the turf in the endzone. Bell got credit for the safety and New Jersey took a 2-0 lead into the 2nd quarter. Droughns redeemed himself with a 7-yard TD run to open the 2nd, and would finish the day as Washington’s lead rusher with 14 carries for 35 yards. Deuce McCallister, nursing a sprained ankle, would carry only 10 times for 30.
New Jersey’s offense finally got on the board midway through the period, with Neil Rackers connecting from 46 yards out to pull within 7-5. When the Feds next drive ended with a Phil Hansen sack of Stewart on 3rd and 8, New Jersey got the ball back and hit on a big run play. Curtis Enis went off tackle, and when LB Michael Barrow glanced off Enis instead of getting a wrap up, it allowed the big back for the Generals to rumble 37 yards to paydirt. Both clubs would add field goals to end the half, and we went into the locker room with the Generals up 15-10.
In the third quarter, Neil Rackers helped put New Jersey up 8 with another field goal, but Washington responded with a 12-play drive that ended with Kordell Stewart bootlegging to the left pylon and putting 6 on the board. He then found new TE Cam Cleeland for the 2-point conversion and we were tied at 18. In the fourth New Jersey again moved the ball well between the 20’s, with Enis adding to what would become a 98-yard day, and backup Olandis Gary also getting 11 carries as New Jersey kept pounding the ball into the Washington line. The drive stalled outside red zone but Rackers again gave New Jersey the lead, now up 21-18.
Washington took over with 5:43 left to play, and Kordell Stewart led the Feds down the field for what appeared to be a game-winning drive. When he found Deuce McCallister on a swing pass for 12 yards and a score, only 1:16 remained on the board and the Feds were now up 4, 25-21, meaning New Jersey would need to go the length of the field with only 1 timeout left.
The Generals did just that, but not in a conventional manner. On 1st and 10 from their own 25 after a touchback on the Washington kickoff, Brady was forced to scramble, not his forte to be sure, but he gained 3 yards before just barely getting out of bounds. On 2nd an 7, he connected with Anthony Becht for what looked like an 8-yard completion and a first down, but the refs marked the ball short of the 1st down. Coach Parcells opted to use his last remaining TO in an effort to give the replay booth time to review, but they opted not to. So, third and inches from the 29 ½ yard line. Parcells, knowing they would go for the QB sneak on 4th down, dialed up a play fake. Brady put the ball into the gut of Enis, and then pulled it out. Rolling to his right as he did. The fake worked and the entire Washington D crashed on the interior line to prevent Enis from gaining the 1 foot needed, but Enis did not have the ball. Brady, all alone by the numbers on the 25 had a wide open field and speedster Terry Glenn on a fly pattern. He lofted the ball for Glenn and his top receiver hauled it in without having to adjust his stride. The CB dove to try to snag Glenn’s ankle, but it was to no avail as the speedy wideout raced down the sideline and into the endzone to the full jaw-dropping shock of the Washington faithful in attendance.
The Feds would get the ball back with 54 seconds left, now down 3, but the wind had been taken out of their sales, and when a Stewart pass towards rookie Deion Branch missed wide, the game was over. New Jersey had a hard-earned divisional win, Tom Brady a highlight reel game winner, and the Kelly green sea of Federal fans a day they would talk about for years to come.
BAL 12 PHI 20
The other Northeast Clash was also a good game, locked at 10-9 at the half before Philly got 2 scores in the final period to pull away. Will Furrer improved over his Week 1 performance, throwing for 228 and a TD to Troy Brown and rookie Ladell Betts got his first USFL touchdown, a 1-yard plunge in the 4th to move Philadelphia up by 8. The Stars defense played well also, with Regan Upshaw nabbing 2 sacks while LB George Koonce forced a key fumble to preserve the Stars win on the game’s final drive.
ATL 12 ORL 28
The 2nd home game for Orlando was just what rookie Joey Harrington needed for his first start in the pros, a friendly crowd and the underachieving Atlanta Fire in town. Harrington looked much more comfortable, with mostly short passes on the menu. He would complete 16 of 20 against the Fire defense, throwing a TD to TE John Henry Mills along the way. Sedrick Irvin, another offseason acquisition, also played a big role, rushing for 113 and a score for the Renegades.
JAX 19 TBY 7
The year’s first Florida Derby went to the Jacksonville Bulls as their defense limited Tampa Bay to only 2 third down conversions all game. Jacksonville outgained Tampa Bay 404-251 as Kenny Bynum rushed for 137 and Jake Delhomme threw for 239, brushing off 3 picks that kept Tampa in this one for most of the game. Trent Green’s lack of mobility proved an issue as Jacksonville harassed him in the pocket all game, producing only a 13 of 32 passing day for the Bandits QB. The Bulls now sit at 2-0, atop the Southeastern Division.
CHI 24 OHI 27
Billed as the game of the week, with two 2001 division winners now living in the same division, this one went to Ohio thanks to a late Don Silvestri field goal. Both QBs played well, with George throwing for 254 and Collins for 208, but the difference was Eddie George’s success on the ground. George would run for 95 yards on only 15 carries, scoring twice on the day. Chicago’s Duce Staley did not have the same success, though his 71 yards were hardly a bad day. A close game between two clubs expected to duke it out all season.
MGN 13 PIT 26
The Maulers get their first win as they limit Michigan to only 146 total yards in the game. Kyle Vanden Bosch came up big for Pittsburgh with 9 tackles, 3 for a loss, and a sack. Add in two picks of Michigan’s Drew Brees and you have a comfortable 13-point win for Pittsburgh. A good day as well for rookie WR Antwaan Randle-El, who caught his first TD pass and found success returning both kicks and punts for Pittsburgh.
ARZ 17 BIR 24
With the game tied at 17 midway through the 4th quarter, it was Shaun Alexander and not Brett Favre who gave Birmingham the push they needed to pull out a home win. Alexander carried the ball 5 times on the game-winning Stallion drive, including a 5-yard TD run in which he carried 2 Wrangler defenders into the endzone. Is this a sign that Birmingham may actually be serious about offensive balance after years of Favre, Favre and more Favre?
DEN 27 MEM 30 OVERTIME
A good matchup turned into a great game as Denver and Memphis went back and forth all game long. The game went into overtime thanks to a Joe Horn TD from Shuler with 1:28 left to play, and in the extra period the Showboats scored on the opening drive, forcing Denver to match it or go home. They could not connect on a desperation 61-yard field goal attempt and Memphis took the win.
HOU 20 LA 13
Houston spoiled LA’s home opener in front of a solid 40,502 in Farmers Insurance Field. The Gamblers move to 2-0 thanks in large part to the outside runs of Kevin Faulk. Faulk carried the ball only 13 times, but they were big plays, leading to a 103-yard total on the day. The Houston D also got after Cade McNown, sacking the LA quarterback 5 times and forcing a costly late game pick. As usual it was Kavika Pittman and Michael Sinclair causing havok and combining for 3 sacks and 9 hurries.
TEX 32 OAK 28
Texas kept pace with their in-state rivals, but it was not easy as Oakland got a very solid game from 2nd year QB Marques Tuiasosopo. Ryan Leaf got the start for Texas, and despite the success of Jeff Lewis last week, Coach Gailey opted to keep him in the whole game, not rotate him with Lewis as he had done in the first game. The gambit paid off as Leaf hit both Carl Pickens and Lake Dawson with 4th quarter scores to come back from a 28-18 deficit and take the win.
POR 13 NSH 24
The Knights defense is still the Knights defense, regardless of what city they call home. Akili Smith was harassed all day and Correll Buckhalter was limited to only 2.4 yards per carry as Nashville limited the offensive potential of the Thunder the entire game. Ahman Green and George Layne combined for 136 yards and 3 scores to pace the Knights offense, keeping pressure away from Todd Collins, who had been roughed up the week before.
SEA 30 NOR 34
The Breaker defense is a concern, having given up 30 points or more in both games this year, but this week their offense compensated against Seattle. Trent Dilfer had a career game with 4 TD passes, including 2 to TE Steve Johnson. Ricky Williams added 93 yards and a score as the Breakers just barely edged the visiting Dragons despite a strong 131 yards rushing from Corey Dillon.
Harrington’s First Start a Lesson in Winning Football
After unexpectedly coming in halfway through the team’s first game when starter Gus Frerotte went down to injury, Joey Harrington looked lost and overwhelmed last week, but with a week of practice and a pretty conservative run and play action gameplan he had much more success this week. Harrington went 16 of 20 against the (admittedly shaky) Fire defense, at one point completing 7 in a row. He threw to 6 different receivers, with his TE security blanket John Henry Mills being his primary target. But, he did hit a few bigger plays, including a 26-yard strike to Donald Driver. It is clear that Coach O’Leary does not want to throw too much at the rookie, and will likely lean more heavily on Sedrick Irvin after his solid 113-yard day against Atlanta, but for now Harrington has his first W and his confidence is building.
Pickens finds new life in San Antonio
Last year when the Arizona Wranglers traded Carl Pickens to Texas midseason it felt like a slap to the face, like they felt he was spent and they were putting him out to pasture. Pickens had moderate success at Texas in the second half of the 2001 season, but dedicated himself this offseason to proving the Wranglers wrong. If these first two games are any indication, Pickens is making his point. He leads the league after 2 weeks with 233 yards receiving and is 4th in the league with 14 receptions. He has become a top target for both Jeff Lewis (last week) and Ryan Leaf (this week) as he lines up opposite Lake Dawson in the Texas lineup. It is very early, but Pickens’s confidence in his own abilities and his willingness to put the work in over the offseason seem to be paying off for the 11 year vet.
Rookie Receivers Seeing Plenty of Attention
Carl Pickens is not the only receiver garnering attention across the league. Two rookie wideouts have impressed in the early weeks. While neither has yet to find the endzone, New Orleans’s Josh Reed (8 receptions for 113 yards) and Washington’s Deion Branch (10 receptions for 184 yards) are both quickly becoming reliable targets for their QBs. Washington needed that to be the case, having lost Herman Moore in free agency (Moore would then decide to retire during camp, much to the dismay of his new team, Memphis). In New Orleans, Reed is being taken under the tutelage of veteran Raynard Brown, and is now only 1 catch below Brown after 2 games. In both cases it seems like a case of the right player in the right fit for both to have success. We will continue to monitor their stories as we go through the season, checking in to see who scores first and who might have a shot at a ROTY award.
Vrabel Leads Revived Bull Defense
The bright spots across the league are not all redemption stories or rookie surprises. Mike Vrabel is playing the exact part that everyone has expected, a part he has grown into as a Jacksonville Bull. The MLB is leading his club with 17 tackles, has a sack, three forced fumbles and 2 tackles for loss in the young season. More importantly he has the Bulls LB corps playing together as a squad, and the Bulls defense playing their best football in several years. Vrabel leads a talented LB group that includes Jessie Armstead and Lavar Arrington in the Bulls’ 4-3 scheme. Known as a coverage backer (not prone to blitz), but also a smart player, Vrabel is calling the defensive plays and adjustments, aligning his fellow linebackers, and generally making life difficult in the middle of the field. Coach O’Leary has said of Vrabel that he is like having a coach on the field, but a coach who can take down a 220 pound halfback when the occasion arises.
Another week, another set of injuries to report, the sad truth about the violent game of football. This week we got our first potential season-ender. LA has reported that DT Cletidus Hunt has torn his bicep on the right arm. They have not yet placed him on IR, as his recovery window is expected to be 8-12 weeks. They will continue to assess his rehab after the reattachment surgery planned for this week, and hope Hunt will be available for the final weeks of the year and any playoff run.
Tampa Bay got bad news in the form of a torn ACL (partial tear) for LB Kevin Mitchell. The injury is expected to sideline the hard-hitting linebacker for 6-8 weeks. Other significant injuries this week include a fractured arm for Seattle guard Russ Hochstein (4-6 weeks), a torn bicep for Memphis TE Erron Kinney (4-6), a broken collarbone for Portland tackle Kenyatta Walker (2-4), and a case of appendicitis for new Michigan DE Leonard Little (1-2 weeks).
Expected to miss only 1 week, perhaps two are Mauler TE Jay Riemersma, Memphis CB Terance Shaw, New Jersey DT Darwin Walker, Washington DE Bobby Hamilton, and Chicago DT George Little.
Unofficial But Compelling News from Atlanta
A story out of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week reports that the sale of the Atlanta Fire to the Boston Colonials Football Group is all but assured. The story, which quotes various unnamed sources within both the Fire organization and the league office, states that the sealed proposal received from the Fire was, in fact, from the Boston-based ownership group that had also been a serious contender to purchase the Portland Thunder. It asserts that the bid has cleared the financial and structural due diligence phases of the review and could be put to a league vote as early as the April owners meeting in New York.
Citing sources within the league office, the proposal makes the case for Boston as a location of greater financial growth capacity than Atlanta (though this may be marginal as both cities are significant media markets) and has signed agreements with Boston College for use of Alumni Stadium, a 44,500 seast facility located in Chestnut Hill, MA, about 10 miles west of downtown Boston. The story reports that there are currently two obstacles being considered by league executives which are delaying the official announcement of the bid and the inclusion of an ownership vote on the agenda of April’s league meeting. The first is the question of Atlanta itself, a highly valued southern hub and media market. The loss of Atlanta as a league market is somewhat countered by the relatively low footprint the Fire have made in local media and sports culture in the city, due in large part to the failure of the current ownership to produce a winning franchise in 6 seasons of play. The relatively contiguous fanbases of more successful franchises such as Birmingham and Jacksonville seem to account for this issue as well, as both had already built significant regional fanbases before the arrival of the Fire franchise.
The second concern within league offices is the potential for action from the NFL and particularly from New England Patriots ownership led by Robert Kraft. Kraft has been one of the more confrontational anti-USFL voices within the NFL, often standing as a minority vote against approval of joint USFL-NFL efforts such as the new stadia in Los Angeles, Houston, and Tampa Bay. His refusal to lease out first Foxboro Stadium and now potentially Gillette Stadium have been a significant hinderance to the city of Boston obtaining a USFL franchise. While there is no requirement that the NFL sign off on the placement of a USFL franchise within one of their markets, as was done with expansion to Atlanta, LA, and Seattle, there is a particular concern spurred by the Boston ownership bid’s designated name for the franchise, the Colonials, as a possible trademark infringement with the NFL Patriots. Fears that the NFL, and if not the NFL, the Kraft organization and Patriots as a business entity, might seek to block the franchise from using the moniker as it too closely resembles the theme and iconography of the current NFL Patriots franchise. Whether such a suit would have merit, the potential legal wrangling and the delays produced by protracted trademark lawsuits and cease and desist orders could produce significant delays in the ability of the franchise to begin play with that identity, something which the USFL simply sees as a potential obstacle to a smooth transition.
While the article in the Journal-Constitution understandably focuses more attention on the confirmation that the sealed bid for sale does, in fact, represent a proposal to relocate the franchise, it also raises questions that fans of the USFL, and the Fire, as well as those in the New England region are hoping to see answered. Primary among them is the timeline for review and potential approval of the sale, the potential for a midseason announcement which could turn things ugly for the remaining Fire home schedule, and the potential for the league’s desire to see franchises in both Atlanta and St. Louis to push owners to reconsider their moratorium on league expansion from 24 franchises to 26 or 28.
If the reporting of the Journal-Constitution is accurate, we may get answers on some of these questions within the month. If the sale is put to a vote, then the details must be made public at that time, allowing us to see what the details of the purchase are as well as a timeline for relocation. If concerns about trademark are significant, we could also see conditions placed upon the sale to address these concerns. And finally, there is the issue of alignment once again. As with the sale of the Knights and the Thunder, the creation of six smaller divisions makes a relocation more complex, unless the league is ready to accept that Boston would remain in the Southeastern Division despite its obvious geographical alignment with the Northeast. Adding a Boston franchise to the Northeast would almost certainly lead to either Washington or Baltimore being forced to shift to the Southeast Division, splitting up one of the league’s fiercest rivalries, a side effect of the sale that could actually pull some votes away from approval.
So, a lot to digest, and a lot of pressure now on the league office to provide information on where the sealed proposal stands in the process of review. We expect news out of New York within weeks if not days, and if the Atlanta reporting is accurate, that news may well mean the end (at least for now) of USFL football in the Peach City.
Week three flips the script from Week 2, with the Western Conference now engaged in divisional play while the Eastern Conference has its first inter-divisional games. In this West, we have some nice regional rivalry games to look forward to, including the California Derby as LA visits Oakland, the Cascade Clash between Seattle and Portland, and the Southwest Classic as Arizona heads to Denver. In Texas we have a clash of 2-0 squads as the Outlaws head to in-state rival Houston for the first of their 2 clashes this year. Finally, we have two southern showdowns as Birmingham is in Memphis for what is always a great battle of regional frenemies. New Orleans heads up to Nashville to face the Knights in what used to be a Central Division clash but now resides in the new Southern Division of the Western Conference.
The inter-divisional games in the East also provide some intriguing matchups as Ohio heads to Philly for these two old Atlantic foes’ only game of the year. Pittsburgh is likewise returning to a familiar game as they head to RFK to take on the Federals. Jacksonville takes their 2-0 start up to New Jersey while the 0-2 Bandits hope they can steal a win in Michigan. Atlanta and Baltimore are both winless, with only one of the two able to get in the win column when they face off this week, and finally, we have Orlando at Chicago, a good matchup of 2001 playoff teams.