Denver wins their third in a row as they seek to reenter the playoff hunt with a huge win over Houston. Seattle also makes a statement, possibly ending any hopes LA had to salvage the season. Portland gets their first win of the year as interim coach Joe Vitt gets the defensive performance his club has lacked all season. Nashville and Memphis start off their new rivalry with an overtime thriller, and both New Orleans and Chicago make sure that everyone knows they are in their divisional battles with undefeated Memphis and Ohio. A big week around the league, let’s get to it.
After their 0-3 start to the year there were voices, some quite loud, saying that Denver was done, that their window had shut. The loss of Rashaan Salaam, for at least a year if not longer, the weight of two straight Summer Bowl runs, and the defeat at the hands of Orlando were all reasons why Denver was being exposed, was failing to deliver this year. Well, if this game is any indication, the Gold are not ready to hear that just yet. In defeating the Houston Gamblers, and in winning the way they did, this Denver squad not only returned to .500 at 3-3, but also sent a message to the league that reports of their demise were premature.
The Gold had knocked off New Jersey and Oakland in the two weeks prior, but that was not exactly considered a demonstration that they were back in form. Defeating the 4-0-1 Houston Gamblers, and breaking through the Gambler’s rock solid defense, would show us something entirely different. So just how did Denver pull it off?
Well, first off we have to note that the game was in Denver, where the Gold are always tough, but more importantly the Gold dominated the ground game on both sides of the ball. The D-line was impressive, proving almost impossible against the inside run (Mike Anderson, Houston’s big back, had 14 carries for a measly 21 yards). The linebackers cleaned up the outside game too, with Kevin Faulk only averaging 2.2 yards per carry. On offense, Denver found ways to work their own inside-outside game, with Robert Holcombe averaging 5.1 yards per carry on his way to a 61-yard performance, while Rod Smart handled the outside runs, and did so to the tune of 103 yards on 13 carries, a 7.9 YPC average.
Denver also limited the success of the Gambler passing game, though Matt Hasselbeck did finish with a respectable 227 yards on an 18/25 day. While Hasselbeck found receivers, what he did not find were big plays, with the Gamblers’ two top receivers, Antonio Freeman and Koren Robinson combining for only 5 receptions and 75 total yards.
And yet, despite the success of the Gold defense, when Kevin Faulk plunged in from the 1 yard line with 7:03 left in the game, Houston still held a solid 24-13 lead. It would come down to Mark Brunell standing in against the vaunted Gambler pass rush to make plays during the final half of the 4th quarter. Brunell did just that. He led Denver on a 5-minute drive and found little-used wideout Danny Farmer for a score with just over 1:50 left to play to draw within 3. After converting 2, Denver did the unexpected and kidcked the ball deep. Pinning Houston on their own 10-yard line. The decision to skip the onside kick and depend on their defense (and their 3 time outs) to get them the ball back proved to be a really judicious call from Coach Jauron. Houston rushed the ball 3 times, but gained only 6 yards, and with only 18 seconds run off the clock, the Gamblers found themselves punting the ball back to Denver from their 16 yard line with 1:36 left, up only 3.
Denver could have played for the tie, but opted instead to take a shot, and that decision also proved quite providential. After a poor punt from the Gamblers, a 6-yard return got Denver the ball on the Houston 42. Their first play from scrimmage would be the game-winner, as Brunell faked the ball to Smart, bootlegged to the left, and found TE Greg Clark wide open. The play had been designed to get the Gold between 10-12 yards, but Clark did much better than that, executing a perfect stiff arm against the Gambler safety and racing to the corner of the endzone. Houston’s Jamar Fletcher tried to bump the big TE out of bounds at the 3, but Clark maintained his balance and found the endzone to give Denver the lead, and eventually the win as Houston could do nothing in response.
Denver not only knocked Houston from the ranks of the unbeaten, but pulled within 1.5 games, just 1 game down in the win column at 3-3 to Houston’s 4-1-1. They silenced a lot of the critics as well, looking very much like the ball control team that has made two straight title games, but also showing a flare for the big play. Look out world, the window for this Gold squad may not be quite so closed as you had thought.
TEX 16 ARZ 13 OVERTIME
Texas rejoined Houston atop the division thanks to a late Jeff Query TD from Ryan Leaf and an overtime fieldgoal as they knock Arizona back to .500 at 3-3. Leaf completed less than 50% of his passes but got the late TD to pull Texas even in a game marred by penalties and unforced errors for both clubs. Jake Plummer was under constant pressure, leading to a stunning 20 rush attempts (of these only 6 were planned runs), but Texas spied him all game and that meant that the 20 attempts led to only 19 total yards as Arizona just could not get consistent offense going.
SEA 34 LA 31
Another great game that came down to the final minute as Seattle got a late Jay Feely field goal to take over the Pacific Division and send the Express to a desperate 1-5. Corey Dillon and Brian Mitchell combined for 145 yards rushing and Brian Griese went 22 of 28 on his way to a 3 TD day for Seattle. David Boston was his primary target, hauling in 7 passes for 93 yards and 2 of the 3 Griese touchdown throws.
POR 17 OAK 7
Interim HC Joe Vitt gets a win in his first game at the helm, thanks largely to the schedule pitting the Thunder against the equally downtrodden Invaders. Akili Smith threw for only 168 yards, but his 2 TD passes were enough to get the Thunder their firs twin. Neither team could run the ball despite both playing against poor run defenses. Portland finished with 35 yards rushing while Oakland totalled 34 in a game neither coach should be proud of.
NSH 24 MEM 27 OVERTIME
Memphis’s unbeaten run was put under serious pressure by their new in-state rival, who scored 17 points in the final period to even the score at 24 as time ran out. The effort, which included 2 late TDs from backup QB Craig Whelihan (playing for a concussed Todd Collins) was all Nashville had to give and in the extra period Jeff Hall’s field goal held up for the Showboat win.
NOR 22 BIR 15
The Breakers stay one game back of first place as they get a tough road win in Legion Field. Two Troy Davis TD runs and a 2-point conversion gave New Orleans the 7 point win over a Birmingham squad that is just not moving the ball the way they would hope, despite 116 yards from NFL import James Thrash.
CHI 20 ATL 17
The Fire proved a more formidable foe for Chicago than most anticipated, but in the end the Machine got what they needed, a late George to Conway connection to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Drew Bledsoe went 20 of 31 for Atlanta and Tiki Barber rushed for 2 scores, but as time ran down, the Fire could not mount a final drive to tie or win the game and Chicago moved to 5-1 on the year.
BAL 13 OHI 38
Jeff Garcia played, despite some concerns about his ankle, but was clearly hampered by the injury, throwing 3 picks as he avoided his usual late-play scrambles. Ohio’s offense did as it usually does, with Collins throwing for 391 yards and 4 scores, 157 of them to Joey Galloway as both he and Chad Johnson found their way to the endzone for Ohio. The Glory remain unbeaten with Chicago hot on their heels.
MGN 17 JAX 23
The Bulls improve to a surprising 5-1 thanks to their defense, which limited Drew Brees, despite the Panther QB throwing the pall 51 times in the game. The Bulls were aided by Michigan penalties, nine of them for nearly 100 yards, more than the Panther run game produced despite T.J. Duckett averaging 5.7 yards per carry on limited opportunities.
PHI 21 ORL 28
The Renegades improved to .500 with a home win as Philly remains shockingly out of synch at 1-5. They started off well with an Anthony Jordan pick-six of Will Furrer on the 3rd play of the game. Furrer would be pulled later in the half as former Gambler Chuck Hartlieb was given the reins of the Stars offense. He would connect with 3 different receivers for scores, but Orlando also found success with John Henry Mills adding 2 more TDs to his season total and the Renegades’ other TE, Rickey Dudley scoring as well as Joey Harrington continues to dink and dunk his way to Orlando victories.
WSH 35 TBY 34
Both Federal and Bandit offenses looked unstoppable on a sunny day by the bay. Trent Green threw for 308 and 3 scores, but was outdone by Kordell Stewart who threw 4 TD passes and amassed 347 through the air. Bubba Franks came up big for Washington with 2 scoring catches, while J.J. Stokes caught 6 passes for 122, the same yardage as Randy Moss on his 7 receptions. The difference in the game turned out to be two drives where the Federal D tightened up in the redzone, forcing Tampa Bay to go for 3 instead of 7. That allowed Washington the narrow 1-point margin of victory.
NJ 45 PIT 24
Talk about an offense on fire, the Generals torched the Maulers thanks to a 4 TD day from Tom Brady. It did not always look that way as Brady’s first TD pass was actually a pick-six for the Maulers, but after that, the young QB found his stride, connecting with Terry Glenn for 109 yards and 2 scores and with Donald Hayes 4 times for 106 and a score as New Jersey romped. Five sacks of Charlie Batch certainly helped as Phil Hansen nabbed him twice to get back in the hunt for the sack lead with 7.
MIDSEASON RANKINGS SHOW HAVE AND HAVE NOTS
We thought that as we approach midseason it would be a good time to use the statistics available on U.com to try to explain some of the success stories and unexpected flops this year. As usual, stats cannot tell the full story, but they can point us in the right direction. What we see in the team numbers typically aligns with what we see in the standings and that is certainly the case this year.
OFFENSES (scoring)
1. Ohio 33.3 PPG
2. New Orleans 26.8 PPG
3. Seattle 26.7 PPG
23. Portland 15.3 PPG
24. Michigan 15.0 PPG
OFFENSES (yards)
1. New Orleans 388.5 YPG
2. Memphis 388.5 YPG
3. Ohio 384.3 YPG
23. Michigan 282.7 YPG
24. Portland 270.7 YPG
No shock that Ohio is doing it with offense. I think we all expected that to be the case this year. But when we ask how New Orleans has made such a strong start, we have to give praise to Coach Nolan and how he has balanced the offense with solid leadership from Trent Dilfer and a good 1-2 punch at the halfback position with big Ricky Williams and scatback Troy Davis (a new addition to the squad.). Wonder why the Thunder went 0-5 to start the year, well, look no further. They just don’t score enough points. Add Michigan to that list as the Panthers are still trying to build an offense around the talents of 2nd year QB Drew Brees.
DEFENSES (scoring)
1. Chicago 14.7 PPG
2. Jacksonville 15.7 PPG
3. Houston 16.8 PPG
23. Pittsburgh 27.5 PPG
24. Philadelphia 29.5 PPG
DEFENSES (yards)
1. Washington 287.8 YPG
2. Denver 298.5 YPG
3. Texas 299.0 YPG
23. Tampa Bay 360.2 YPG
24. Baltimore 369.7 YPG
Chicago is not blowing out teams, but what they are doing is holding them down. The Machine are better than all other USFL clubs in limiting scoring chances and keeping teams out of the red zone and it shows in these numbers. Want to understand Denver’s comeback after an 0-3 start, just look at how effective they are in controlling the ball and limiting opponent drives. If you just looked at the last 3 weeks, they would shoot to the top for certain. Now, if you cannot figure out why Philly is struggling this year, it is right here for you. They are allowing nearly 28 points a game. You will not win many games with that average. As much as fans in the City of Brotherly Love want to yell at management about the lackluster QB play this year, they probably should be paying more attention to the issues on the defensive side of the ball.
TURNOVER MARGIN
1. Orlando +11
2. New Orleans +10
3. Arizona +10
23. Atlanta -4
24. Portland -5
Orlando’s defense is solid, though not as dominant as it was last season. But where they are excelling is in takeaways, a huge reason why they have the best turnover margin in the league. We can also see here another solid reason for New Orleans’s success this year as well as the just horrible results Portland and Atlanta are showing. You cannot win if you are weak on one entire side of the ball and if you cannot limit turnovers. Both the Fire and the Thunder are having trouble scoring and both are committing way too many unforced errors.
TEXAS TWO STEP?
So, can we now say the QB battle is over in San Antonio? After 6 games the breakdown is Ryan Leaf 4 starts, Jeff Lewis 1 start, and a Week 1 game where both got about equal snaps. Leaf has started consistently since Week 4, three starts in a row, and with pretty good results as the Outlaws have regained a share of 1st place at 4-1-1. Leaf has not been playing All-League football, but his 86.5 QBR and 6-4 TD-INT ratio are certainly good enough with that tough Texas defense to get W’s on the board. The question is just how long or short the leash is on the fiery QB. Jeff Lewis in basically 1.5 games has a higher completion percentage (62.7 vs. 60.3 for Leaf) and a higher QBR (87.8 vs. 86.5), but Leaf is getting the job done. So for now it appears that Leaf has the starts if he continues to produce wins, and that also has the added effect of limiting his tantrums to those against the refs or his OC, but will there come a game where his play suffers and Lewis gets another shot? That is one of the key questions Texas fans have as the Outlaws make a case for a divisional title.
UNSUNG HERO?
Jacksonville’s defense has been one of the revelations of this year and a big piece of their success has been the unheralded play of an unsung rookie, cornerback Mike Echols. The rookie out of Wisconsin finally got some recognition this week, earning the Rookie of the Week award for his 11 tackle performance with the exclamation point of a pick-six on it. But this is not the first big game for the former Badger turned Bull. Echols had a big 7-tackle game against New Jersey, earned his first pick of the year against Tampa Bay, and forced and recovered a key fumble in the surprising Bulls loss to Oakland. He is averaging nearly 85 snaps per game, and coaches cannot praise him enough in Jacksonville. He may not have been a big name on draft day, not selected until the 4th round with a pick the Bulls got from Orlando, but he is getting his day in the sun on the field with the Bulls, and is a big part of a defense that has helped Jacksonville start strong at 5-1.
Midseason means rosters start to look a bit frayed as injuries start to mount. This week a few more names were added to the injury lists and roster depth charts around the league. Perhaps most troubling is the loss of LT Bernard Williams of Chicago, likely to be out the rest of the regular season, but targeting a playoff return after x-rays revealed a fracture in the tibia of his left leg. Arizona got hit twice in the defensive backfield in their game as both FS Tyrone Drakeford and CB Jimmy Williams are likely out several weeks, Drakeford with a neck injury and Williams with a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Oakland loses a defensive leader as Roosevelt Colvin will be out at least 2-4 weeks with a sprained knee, while Memphis could be without LT Anthony Clement due to a sprained wrist that could cost him at least 2 weeks. Atlanta DT Anthony McFarland will miss 2 weeks thanks to a dislocated knee that looked nasty on the replay, but does not appear to have any ligament damage. Hosuton DT Richard Seymour is also potentially out 2 weeks after suffering a stress fracture in his foot against Denver.
The decision whether to bench Will Furrer in Philadelphia seems to have been made by the injury report, as the Stars’ starting QB is expected to miss at least 1 game, perhaps more, with a pulled hamstring. Philly will also be without their best D-lineman, as Regan Upshaw is out at least this week with a dislocated finger. Bobby Engram is also added to a long injury list in Philadelphia with his own hamstring injury, listed as Doubtful for this week.
Expected back in action this week we have Portland LT Kenyatta Walker, Michigan TE Roland Williams, Oakland DT Tim Johnson, Houston G Todd Kalis, and Nashville QB Todd Collins, who will not appear to miss any games after being in concussion protocols this week.
NEW LOOK DRAGONS
The Seattle Dragons are the first of the three clubs getting Reebok redesigns to reveal their look for 2003 as they unveiled a new look dragon on Wednesday at an event at the exclusive Rainier Club. The Club was open for a press conference as the team revealed their new look, which includes a brand new dragon logo as well as more futuristic uniforms utilizing side panels, thin piping, and blocks of color.
The team’s colors remain the same—forest green, flame red, and a deep yellow—but the look is quite different. The gold dragon head is now replaced by a curving dragon body, forming a subtle “S” shape while also focusing on the writhing body of an Asian-inspired dragon. In their primary logo the dragon is now depicted in green and red, with a yellow outline, rather than the gold dragon with black outlines of the former. However, when shown against the forest green helmet, the upper body of the dragon returns to yellow and the black outline returns. The red lower body and the flame emerging from the dragon’s mouth remain the same on all backgrounds.
The helmet remains stripeless, with the new dragon taking up more of the vertical space on each side. The new jerseys feature green side panels, piped in yellow, with red shoulder stripes and red color blocks at the waist. These color blocks align with the red pant stripe which is cut off about mid-hip. The yellow piping also extends to the pants, where it outlines the pant stripe, moving from front to back when the color shifts from red to green. On the white jersey and pants these stripes are quite prominent, while on the green jersey and pants the green stripe is absorbed into the background color, producing more emphasis on the red and yellow elements. Seattle is expected to primarily pair the white pants with the green jersey and vice versa, though fully white uniforms or a fully green look is not impossible.
The final touch to the new look is a new wordmark, moving away from the thin, almost Times New Roman look of their original font, the new Dragons wordmark features a thicker but more vertically oriented font with accent points at the vertical midpoint, creating a more angular and “spikey” look, just as the dragon’s back and neck ridges create an almost sawblade look. Dragons officials have stated that they are in negotiations with the league office to allow the club to wear the new uniforms this season should Seattle appear in the post-season, and since the league allowed such a concession to the new Nashville Knights for their first post-St. Louis look, it seems likely that Seattle will also be allowed this concession.
Week seven is the new half-way point of the season, and what we have at the half-way point is a lot of tight races at the top of each division and a lot of teams in desperate shape trying to stay relevant or turn around a horrible start to the year. We wrap up the first half of the league’s 14-game season with divisional matchups for the entire Eastern Conference, including a fascinating clash between Orlando and Jacksonville as the Bulls try to put more space between themselves and a very new-look Renegades squad. A win by the Bulls would give them a 3-game lead in the division at the midway point, ensuring that they remain the only club in the division with a winning record. Tampa Bay has disappointed this year, but a game against a lame duck Fire squad could be just what they need to jumpstart the second half oftheir year.
In the Northeast, Washington and New Jersey share the division lead and both are facing division foes who have disappointed their fans this year. The 1-5 Stars come to the Meadowlands hoping that a win over their arch rival can help save their season, but they may be without Will Furrer, which puts the target on Chuck Hartlieb’s back. Washington faces their arch rival as well, and with Baltimore sitting at 2-4, only 1 game back of the Federals, the pressure will be on for the Blitz to take advantage of what should be a very loud Baltimore crowd. In the Central, Ohio and Chicago are dueling atop the division, but both face 2-4 clubs this week as Ohio travels to Ford Field to face the Panthers while Chicago enjoys some home cooking as the Maulers come to Soldier Field to face the league’s top scoring defense.
The Western Conference has some interesting inter-divisional matchups as clubs try to put the right foot forward as we head into the league’s second half. Arizona sits at 3-3 and would love to get well above .500, but have a herculean task as they travel to Memphis to face the unbeaten Showboats. They also must deal with the fact that both of the 4-1-1 teams that lead their division are facing much easier competition as Houston travels to Oakland and Texas is in LA. We are still trying to figure out just what is wrong with the Express, but the Outlaws hope that whatever the issue is, the Express don’t choose this week to remedy it. An intriguing battle of 3-3 clubs will take place in Birmingham, where the Stallions host a Denver Gold club that lost their first 3 games but seems to have found their way, winning the next 3. Another 3-3 club, Seattle, hopes to get a bump this week, but has a tough road game in Nashville to contend with. Meanwhile, Portland, fresh after their first win of the year, has a much tougher task as they head to 5-1 New Orleans, with the Breakers hoping to stay within 1 game of Memphis with another win.