Welcome to the 2002 USFL Season, the 20th season for this league that started out as a fool’s errand and has now turned into a billion-dollar enterprise that has turned football into a year round obsession. Before we get to the results and stories out of Week One, there was a great story in Sports illustrated this week that just merits a reprint. So, here, from this past week’s SI, an article by Paul Zimmerman that sums up just what the league has meant to football fans over its first two decades.
Has the USFL Saved Football?
By Paul Zimmerman
What began in the darkness of the unknown now shines brightly. The USFL has survived 19 seasons of tests, trials, and tribulations and finds itself not only alive but living up to its full potential as a second major league of football, turning the fall pastime into a year-round endeavor, and quite possibly saving its predecessor, the NFL, in the process. What makes this Cinderella story so incredible is that it all could have fallen apart only 3 years into the league’s history. While there are many factors which have made the USFL the success story of modern sports, it was a decision in 1985 to stay in the spring and not to move to a fall schedule to compete head to head with the NFL which most within the league point to as the pivotal moment that gave the league the legs it needed to succeed.
It began in 1984, just months after the first season of USFL play. The league had made a pretty sizable splash with its inaugural 12-team season, largely on the back of the signing of Heisman winning halfback Herschel Walker. Walker was far and away the biggest star in the league, but as the USFL prepared for a second season there was a sense that more was possible, but with some risk. With the success of their first year, one in which many teams averaged well above 20,000 fans per game and TV ratings proved that there was a hunger for spring football, there was change afoot. One of those changes was immediate expansion, with the league moving into Texas for the first time (Houston) as well as adding franchises in Florida (Jacksonville), Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh) and the Mid-South (Memphis). But perhaps more importantly, owners were basking in a successful first season, but also nervous about the continuing prospect of playing a spring schedule. The second season would open something of a bidding war with the NFL as the USFL scooped up top prospects like its 2nd straight Heisman winner, HB Mike Rozier, as well as top QB prospects Steve Young and Jim Kelly. Teams were beginning to loosen the pursestrings and compete for NFL veterans as well, with several, led by Kansas City safety Gary Barbaro and Cleveland Browns QB Brian Sipe coming to the league.
It was at this point, where the financial models showed that competing for talent would quickly blow up the more conservative budget model the league had begun with, that the idea of moving to the fall, and possibly even pushing for a merger as a means of increasing revenue to match expenditure was pitched. At the forefront of that movement was a relative newcomer to the league, New York real estate developer Donald Trump, who had bought out the original ownership of the team’s flagship New Jersey Generals franchise, the team that would be home to Herschel Walker, Barbaro and Sipe in 1984. Trump pushed the idea that a spring league would have a natural revenue cap, competing with baseball as well as the NHL and NBA playoffs, March Madness, and simply football burnout after a full NFL season. He made the case that a league that stayed in the spring was doomed to be seen as small potatoes, and that the odd timing of the league would make player acquisition a constant issue, forcing the league to overspend for talent and cut into any profitability.
Standing against the move to fall concept was one of the league’s founding owners, the charismatic John Bassett, Toronto-born owner of the Tampa Bay Bandits. Tampa Bay was the 1983 league champion and a club that helped set the tone of the league as more fun and more freewheeling than the “stodgy” NFL. It was a claim the AFL had found success with in the 1960’s and which seemed to have stuck once again after the AFL conformed to the NFL’s conservative ways once the two leagues merged.
Bassett made the argument that the success of the USFL would be exactly because it was in the spring. He argued that while it was true that there were some markets, places like Birmingham or Memphis, that might benefit from a move to fall because they were under-served regions of the country by an NFL with only 28 franchises, that many others, including many USFL clubs in NFL cities, clubs like the Bandits, the Philadelphia Stars, LA Express, Chicago Blitz, and even Mr. Trump’s own New Jersey Generals, would struggle to survive in the Fall. He was highly critical of the idea that the NFL would welcome 12 or more franchises to a merger with open arms as it had reluctantly done with the earlier American Football League. Bassett saw the pressure Trump was putting on owners as a self-serving gesture, the New Yorker already having tried to find a path to NFL ownership only to be rebuffed. Sure, the NFL might allow the Generals, and perhaps 2-3 other franchises join, but they would never accept the league as a whole, and in so doing, they would kill the entire concept of both expansion to underserved locations and of year round football.
Bassett argued vehemently against the move, producing models that showed a USFL capable of growth in the Spring, data that showed that a huge percentage of NFL and College Football fans did not have a deep connection with spring sports like basketball, hockey, or even baseball. He highlighted the availability of stadia in the spring, including many large university stadiums that may not be willing to share facilities in the Fall. He asked the league’s 16 owners (4 new and 12 returning for a 2nd season) to trust in the plan and the models. It was tense, with everything on the line. A lawsuit was also filed against the NFL by the league at the same time, claiming that the fall league was actively trying to sink the USFL by limiting opportunities for television coverage, particularly if the league moved to fall.
Bassett would win the debate in a momentous vote taken by league owners in early 1995 as they prepared for a third season, assisted greatly by very strong numbers around the league, especially in the new markets of Jacksonville, Memphis, and Houston, showing that spring football did have the capacity to bring in big crowds, big sponsorships, and big TV numbers. The case for the fall was sunk, and only months later the faith Bassett had shown in the spring would get a second boost as the lawsuit againtst the NFL would be won by the upstart league, bringing the USFL a windfall judgement and pouring NFL money into the coffers of their new rival, helping to buoy the league during some difficult growing pains in the 1980’s. Spring football would remain, and the NFL would have to face a new world order, one in which cooperation or collaboration with the USFL would be the path of least resistance.
Within a few years the two leagues would agree on a player transfer system that reduced poaching of players from one league to another, but it would also greatly enhance the concept of free agency within pro football, something players had been fighting for over decades. It was a win for the athlete, and a tolerable burden for both leagues to manage. The NFL started to note the success of the USFL’s more emotional, flamboyant, and gunslinging mentality, and soon the NFL started to openly borrow ideas, both on field strategies (like a more diverse passing game), game innovations (like instant replay and the two-point conversion), and off-field opportunities, such as joint-use stadium construction, allowing more teams to get modernized facilities than either league could ever obtain alone. Quickly larger cities started to get used to having year round football, and were willing to spend during both seasons. It paralleled growth seen in many industries, where having two competitors close together (like a Walgreen’s and a CVS on opposing corners) helped both expand their profits.
The NFL was saved from an overly conservative, overly dry and lifeless version of itself. The USFL was saved from its own early extravagance and overspending. Soon both leagues were flourishing and football moved from a seasonal competitor with other sports to a year round dominant force in American culture. The USFL created stars of players who may never have gotten a chance to play in the older, smaller NFL. Players like Bobby Hebert, Sam Mills, Marcus DuPree, and Chuck Long became stars in the spring. Many would go on to play in the NFL, and some even flipped back and forth at different times in their careers. NFL veterans, looking for one more shot at glory would come to the USFL to reinvent themselves. Players like Joe Montana or Marcus Allen helped boost USFL numbers, while top USFL stars like Steve Young, could negotiate with their clubs, and if unsatisfied, could jump ship for the fall. Some, like Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas of the dominant Houston clubs of the early 90’s, became icons of the USFL. Kelvin Bryant never played for anyone other than the Philadelphia Stars, but was as big a star as Barry Sanders in the NFL by his retirement.
And what of the fans? Well, there was no shame in being a fan of both home town teams. When the Eagles were horrible, you always had the Stars. Cannot watch the Jets blow another lead? Just wait until spring and root for Herschel and 1984 Heisman winner Doug Flutie. No city was horrible in both leagues for long. As a fan a bad season in one league could be forgiven if there was hope for a good season in the other. And for cities across the country, cities which seemed unlikely NFL sites, football became a reality. Whether you were a Crimson Tide fan in Alabama, or an Oregon Duck, you now had a pro team to call your own. Cities like Birmingham, Memphis, San Antonio, Orlando and Portland had their own teams and their own claim to be football towns. Cities that saw their NFL teams move away, as was the case with a heartbroken Baltimore when the Colts left, now had a team in the spring. Baltimore with the Blitz, St. Louis with the Knights (until recently), or Oakland with the Invaders, could now still enjoy football despite losing their NFL teams. And in some cases (Baltimore, St. Louis, Jacksonville, Houston, etc.) the presence of the USFL either prevented a team from leaving, providing what was needed to get that new stadium built, or helped bring back a new NFL club (the Ravens and Jaguars simply would not exist without the USFL paving the way.)
So, did the USFL save football? Maybe. Did it expand and improve the reach of pro football? Undoubtedly. It made football something fans across the country could talk about year round, dream about year round, and get excited about year round. It made pro football the first truly 12-month sport, and it did so with style and flair. The league is not perfect, to be sure, and it still has issues, something obvious when we see what happened in St. Louis and what may now be happening in Atlanta, but we should be grateful for the USFL as they celebrate their 20th season. Without question we are in a better place, and football is a better game because of the USFL. So hats off to Mr. Bassett, and to all the intrepid dreamers who have brought us this league and the cascade of football frenzy that followed. Nicely done, and may it only get bigger and better over the next 20 years.
Week One Action is the focus of our first weekly column on U.com, the official website of the USFL. It was a rainy, windy, cold weekend in most USFL cities, despite the league's shortened season (14 weeks) starting action later in March. But, March is a tough month to prognosticate from a weather standpoint, and football is an all-weather sport, so the games go on and we are there to cover it for you.
It was not seen as a marquee first week matchup, the Maulers and the Dragons in Seattle, but it turned into a quality game that had an outstanding finish, and that is what Games of the Week often are. What perhaps gave the game just a little tinge of extra mustard was the fact that the hero of the game had suited up for the Dragons for the first time after several years in Orlando and a ring waiting for him from last year’s title game.
As we saw with so many of the opening week’s games, the 1 week later start to the season did not guarantee great weather. At Husky Stadium, 41,011 braved the on-again, off-again showers, the northerly wind, and the 52 degree temperature at kickoff (a bit lower than average for the Emerald City) to welcome the Dragons back to play. After a slow start, falling behind 6-0 on two Bill Grammatica field goals, the Dragons got a score to close out the first half and claim a 1-point lead in the game. Brian Griese found one of his new rookie weapons, TE Jeramy Stevens, from 7 yards out to put Seattle up at the half.
Griese would turn to an old faithful friend to open the 3rd as they used the “double dip” of a first half final drive and a 2nd half first possession to swing to a 14-6 lead. Griese, using the threat of Corey Dillon, found David Boston in one-on-one coverage, and hit the speedy receiver in stride on a 40-yard strike to expand their lead. But, Pittsburgh had their own weapons, and, as usual, Terrell Davis was at the heart of their attack. Davis would finish with only 55 yards on 23 carries (a soggy 2.4 yards per carry), but he plunged in to end a Mauler drive with a score, and when Charlie Batch found TE Alge Crumpler on the 2-point play, the game was knotted up.
Davis would score again on the subsequent drive, plunging into the endzone only 1:17 into the final quarter. What happened on the Seattle drive between the two scores seemed a likely ominous sign for the Dragons. Brian Griese had taken a hard hit on a throw to O.J. McDuffie, and had gone to the sideline in obvious pain. Newly acquired backup Craig Erickson, the longtime relief pitcher in Orlando, warmed up on the sideline. Now, down 7, it would be up to Erickson to find a way to brave the elements and the Mauler defense, and pull out a win.
On his first drive as the team’s signal caller, Erickson faired pretty well, completing 4 of 7 passes and making good use of Corey Dillon to balance the offense. The drive stalled just outside the 30 yard line, but that put kicker Jay Feeley in range and he connected on a 52-yarder with the wind to his back. It was now up to the Seattle D, with only 3:27 left to play, to get the ball back for the Dragons. Pittsburgh, trying to milk the clock and force Seattle to use their remaining timeouts, ran the ball on all 3 downs, but when Davis slipped on 3rd and 3, it allowed Seattle linebacker, and former Mauler, Godfrey Miles, the time he needed to get in the backfield and take out his former teammate. Miles’s tackle meant Pittsburgh had to punt, and they did, right into the wind. A 36-yard punt gave Seattle a short field, starting the drive on their own 38.
Erickson would again prove effective in relief of Griese. He connected on passes to Ken Dilger, Jeramy Stevens, a screen to Dillon, and a quick out to McDuffie to stop the clock with 52 seconds left and the ball on the Pittsburgh 12 yard line. Erickson then missed Stevens on a quick rollout pass, but on 2nd down, he found David Boston in the back of the endzone, sending the ball high (just under the crossbar) and allowing his tall receiver to bring it down. Seattle took a 24-21 lead and simply did not leave Pittsburgh time to recover. A home win to open the season for the Dragons, a good first outing for Erickson, and, fortunately, a diagnosis for Griese that should see him play in Week 3 if not next week.
BIR 20 BAL 17
Brett Favre connected with HB Shaun Alexander (34 yards) and WR Marcus Robinson (17 yards) to pace Birmingham to a slim 20-17 win on a cold and blustery day in Baltimore. The wind kept Favre from his usual gunslinging ways, throwing for only 257, but the two scores, along with two Olindo Mare kicks, proved adequate to ruin the home opener for the Blitz.
MEM 19 NJ 17
Another home opener spoiled as the visiting Showboats got the best of the homestanding Generals on Sunday night, again in pretty poor conditions. Jeff Hall kicked the winning field goal, his 4th of the night, and the only score in a rainy 4th quarter to help Memphis score the W despite 5 sacks of Heath Shuler.
NSH 30 PHI 14
The road wins continue, this time with the newly relocated Nashville Knights outpacing the Philly Stars, thanks to big days from Bert Emmanuel (127 yards) and newly knighted Dereck Mason (102 yards). Philly QB Will Furrer struggled in his first game as the starter, completing only 13 of 27 tosses in pretty windy conditions. He was also sacked 4 times by the Showboats, and got little help from the run game which produced only 44 total rushing yards.
NOR 10 WSH 36
One home team that did not fall victim to a slow start was Washington. The Federals dominated the Breakers at RFK, scoring the game’s first 26 points. TE Cam Cleeland, a new arrival in DC, came down with 2 touchdowns from Kordell Stewart and the defense sacked Trent Dilfer 5 times on the day to give Washington a big home opening win to start the season.
ATL 14 ARZ 21
Atlanta rushed out to a 14-0 lead in the 2nd quarter, both scores coming from Tiki Barber, but the defense started to tire, worn out by a 72-yard TD run from Jake Plummer in the 3rd quarter, and faded down the stretch as Plummer hit Cliff Russell and Tim Dwight for scores to give the home team a 7-point win.
DEN 7 JAX 12
A nasty defensive game in nasty conditions in north Florida. High winds made passing difficult, with Jake Delhomme only completing 11 of 24 passes for 140 yards. The game was 7-6 Denver until the 3rd quarter, when the wind misdirected a Brunell pass right to Jacksonville’s Terrell Buckley, who raced for a defensive TD and gave the Bulls the W. It was one of 3 picks on the day for Brunell, who also struggled against the gale force winds. With Rod Smart and Robert Holcombe struggling to get a ground game going, Denver had little option, but it was not the day to depend on the pass to win a game.
HOU 31 ORL 3
While wind was certainly a factor in Orlando as well, the bigger issue was the injury to starter Gus Frerotte. That forced rookie Joey Harrington into action, and it was clear the pace of the pro game would take some time for him to figure out. Meanwhile Matt Hasselbeck seemed to have ways to deal with the wind, completing 3 touchdown passes and avoiding picks all game. Orlando would muster only 245 total yards on a day that did not provide much confidence among Renegade fans that this team could repeat despite its offseason losses.
TEX 19 TBY 13
In our third Florida game, also another wind-impacted game, it ended up being a battle of kickers, with both Mike Vanderjagt and Rian Lindell doing better than could be expected in the conditions. Jeff Lewis and Ryan Leaf traded series, with Lewis getting slightly better results (220 yards and 1 TD vs. 83 yards and 1 pick for Leaf). Rookie Brian Westbrook got most of the load at HB, but it was wideout Carl Pickens in his second year with the Outlaws who shone brightest, coming down with 9 receptions for 141 yards and the Outlaws’ lone TD.
LA 10 CHI 15
No wind in Chicago, which seems ironic, but chilly 27 degree temperatures on Saturday night as the Express came to town to face the Machine. Again it was a night for the kickers, predominantly new Machine kicker Tim Seder (traded from Texas in the offseason) who connected on all 5 field goal attempts to give Chicago just enough to fend off the Express.
OAK 3 MGN 13
Weather was not an issue inside the Silverdome, but offense still was for both clubs. Michigan gained only 207 the entire game, but the game’s lone TD, a first quarter shot from Drew Brees to new acquisition Hines Ward, proved to be enough for the Panthers against Marques Tuiasosopo and the Invaders. Rookie T.J. Duckett was the game’s lead rusher with 35 yards but it was the defense for Michigan that stole the show.
POR 14 OHI 34
The Glory offense started up right where they left off last season, with Kerry Collins racking up 312 yards and Eddie George rushing for two scores against the Thnder. Joey Galloway again went over 100 yards, and the newest Glory defender proved his worth as NFL import Glenn Cadrez made 7 tackles, and got the trifecta, the QB strip sack, fumble and recovery as Ohio rolled.
Into the Fire
This was not the plan for Joey Harrington, not at all. Coach O’Leary had made it clear that Gus Frerotte would start the season at QB, and the hope was that Harrington would have time to get adjusted to the speed of the pro game, and to rest after a long NCAA season. That all came crashing down when Frerotte suffered a painful sack in the 2nd quarter of the season opener, forcing O’Leary to call on his rookie far sooner than anticipated. On Monday, when Frerotte was officially diagnosed with an abdominal tear, an injury that likely would cost him 6-8 weeks before he could return, well, the die was cast. It would be Harrington from this point out. Mike Pawlowski would back him up until Frerotte returned, but with 6-8 games under his belt, the odds of O’Leary going back to Frerotte this year seem slim. So, for fans of Harrington the time is now. For the Renegades’ sake, their fans are certainly hoping that the game starts to slow down for the rookie, because throwing him in the fire now was not what anyone wanted for him.
Bledsoe Sidelined for Now
Sticking to QB News, we got our first sight of Drew Bledsoe as a USFL QB, but it was the sight of a player with a clipboard and a baseball cap on. The familiar #11 jersey, now in orange and navy, spent most of the game shadowing Coach Fox up and down the field, listening to the offensive calls and checking them against the playsheet. Mark Bulger, as expected, got the start, and Bledsoe was designated the emergency 3rd QB behind Aaron Brooks. While he is cleared to practice, physicians have warned against him having game action for at least another 2 weeks as he heals from an internal injury he aggravated during a playoff appearance with the NFL Patriots just 6 weeks ago. Bulger had a midling game and Atlanta lost again, but fans did not seem to mind. Their minds are on the bigger picture. Does Bledsoe’s signing mean more than just a football move? Is he on board to help welcome the franchise to Boston? No news this week from the USFL about the closed sale proposal being considered, and the longer the question is in the air, the more those around Atlanta fear it means bigger league-wide issues are tied to moving the franchise. But, for now, Bledsoe sits and waits, as do the Fire fanbase.
Mo Lewis Makes an Impression
A former Fire player who made an immediate impression with his new club is LB Mo Lewis. Traded in the offseason to help bulk up Atlanta’s draft options, the All-USFL linebacker impressed LA fans with an opening week game of 13 tackles in Chicago. Lewis has always been a tackling machine, and that seems to be his role for the Express as well. It was not enough to get the Express the W, but it certainly made a good first impression on Express fans, who are already buying into the move, with the club selling Lewis’s #57 jerseys at a good clip even before his first game at Farmers Insurance Field.
While the Frerotte injury certainly gained the week’s big headlines, there were several others that made week one painful for several clubs. While we thankfully do not have any season-ending injuries, joining Frerotte in the 1-month-or-longer group we find Tampa LB Kevin Mitchell (ACL), Portland tackle Kenyatta Walker (collarbone), and Jacksonville free safety Paris Lenon (foot). Perhaps slightly better off, with 2-3 week diagnoses, we have another Thunder offensive lineman, center Robert Garza (foot), Memphis CB Terrance Shaw (ribs) and Tampa Bay free safety Jerome Woods (elbow). \
Nashville QB Todd Collins is listed as Doubtful for week 2 thanks to a dislocated finger on his throwing hand. Pittsburgh could miss CB Bobby Taylor this week, and Ohio tackle Jerry Wunsch could also miss 1 week. Others who left their Week 1 games are now listed as probable or better, including Houston wideout Antonio Freeman, Portland QB Akili Smith, Seattle DT Shane Burton and Philly LB Sam Rogers.
LEAGUE COMMEMORATES 9/11 AS WELL AS ITS 20TH SEASON
The first week of the season was more than just another start to another season. 2002 marks the league’s 20th season as well as the first USFL season after the attacks on 9/11. Both are being remembered on patches worn on this season’s jerseys. This week we got our first look at the new patches as game action began. Each team will wear the commemorative 9/11 patch on their left chest, symbolizing the place in each American’s heart where we remember the heroes and those tragically lost. In addition to this, the 9/11 commemorative designs will also be seen as stickers on the back of each helmet, combined with the U.S. Flag. Furthermore, as a part of the league’s support for 9/11 survivors, 25% of all merchandise sales bearing the logo (which includes all replica jerseys, minihelmets, and most T-shirt and sweatshirt designs) is earmarked for 9/11 survivor support charities in NYC, DC, and PA.
On the right chest, opposite the 9/11 commemorative patch will be the 20th Season patch originally designed for the left chest. There are two different designs. All teams that were created after the 1983 inaugural season will wear the league design featuring two “X’s” flanking the league’s “U” logo, marking the 20 years of USFL football (XX being the Roman numeral for 20 of course). The logo has a banner in red across the center that reads “Twenty Seasons” as well.
Teams who were part of the original 1983 origins, including those that have relocated (Breakers in New Orleans, Blitz in Chicago) will also have their team’s original helmet above the league logo, with a team color banner across the full width of the logo and the numbers 1983 and 2002, one on each side of the helmet. The only original franchise not to wear this patch will be the 1983 LA Express, who relinquished their early team history when the Express were returned to LA in 1995. Neither the current Express, nor the relocated (twice) Knights will wear the team-specific patch, making it 11 of 12 clubs who will wear this specific patch. You can see both patches below as they appear on the current road white Washington Federals jersey.
UNIFORM UPDATE
Speaking of uniforms, a quick note that Reebok and the USFL have announced which clubs will receive updated looks for the 2003 season, and it is more than anticipated. We know that this season we have not only the generic Nashville Knights look (due to relocation) but also new uniforms for Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Atlanta, with all three getting updated logos as well as redesigned uniforms, all of which were on display this past weekend. For 2003 the word is that we will not only get a new look for the Nashville Knights, but that the LA Express have requested a shift back to an LA monogram on their helmets (likely the only change to the uniforms) and three clubs will be getting the full Reebok reimagining. All three of the participating clubs have signed on for not only a uniform revision but a logo update as well.
The first of the three is perhaps the most surprising. The Baltimore Blitz, despite relocating from Chicago in the late 80’s have never had any logo other than the text “blitz” logo with its familiar lightning bolt. Yes, they added a secondary, the somewhat infamous “Billy Blitz” figure, but that was never intended as a primary or helmet logo. Blitz officials are saying that they have asked Reebok to create a stand alone logo that can also serve as their new helmet logo, but that they will retain the Blitz wordmark for wide use.
The second club is another that has never updated their logo despite past uniform updates, the Jacksonville Bulls. The Bulls have had the same charging bull logo since their inception in 1984. While some criticize the logo as being dated, the wraparound helmet is often considered an iconic look by sports branding enthusiasts. One can only hope that whatever the new logo brings, it still retains a wraparound element.
Finally, the Seattle Dragons, a 1995 expansion team, become the last of the 4 expansion clubs of that year to update their look. Atlanta, Ohio, and the LA Express have all made changes since their inaugural season, and now it appears Seattle will do the same. Do not expect a radical overhaul as Dragon gear remains one of the best selling, but a new version of the dragon on the now-familiar forest green helmet is certainly a possibility, along with perhaps a more “modern” jersey look, as the new cuts of USFL jerseys from Reebok make traditional sleeve stripes somewhat more problematic.
So, possibly 5 new looks on hand for 2004, and that does not even count any change that could occur should rumor’s of an Atlanta relocation for next year come to fruition. We expect Reebok is aware of the potential for a new look, possibly a new name, and is in partnership with the USFL to pull that off in the event news of relocation were to develop over the next few months.
Week two gives us our first divisional action in the new six-division format. The Eastern Conference has six divisional games, while the West has its first inter-divisional games, including some new teams in new places. Looking at the three primetime games, on Friday we have a Florida derby with Jacksonville visiting Tampa Bay. Saturday Night it is a Western clash as Arizona heads to Birmingham (remember, the South is now in the Western Conference while the Midwest is in the Eastern. Don’t ask me to explain that.) Finally, on Sunday it is Denver at Memphis in what should be an exciting clash of styles.
Among the divisional games, a few good ones to watch include New Jersey at Washington, Baltimore @ Philadelphia, and a new potential rivalry as Chicago visits newly re-allocated Ohio in Columbus. Michigan will be in Pittsburgh and Orlando hosts Atlanta to wrap up the divisional matchups. The remaining games include Houston at LA, Texas visiting Oakland, Portland helping Nashville christen their new home, and Seattle heading to New Orleans.
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