Week Twelve was a good one for both the Generals and the Bulls as they locked up a playoff berth with wins. Ohio held on in a tough matchup with Chicago for their 12th win, remaining unbeaten. New Orleans handed Memphis a second loss in 3 weeks, and Nashville came away with a big win in Birmingham. All this plus chaos in the Western Conference as both the Southwest and Pacific Divisions are just getting messy.
We start with everyone’s game of the week, the 11-0 Ohio Glory visiting their toughest division opponent, the Chicago Machine. Chicago had the D, Ohio the Offense, which would win out? Early on it seemed Chicago was poised to crush Ohio fans’ dreams of a perfect season, but in the end a huge comeback from the Glory helped them preserve their perfect record, and send Chicago crashing down to earth.
Chicago dominated the first half, pulling out to a 17-7 lead at the half thanks to two Jeff George TD passes, the first to Curtis Conway and the second to TE Jim Kliensasser. If not for a late 2nd quarter Chad Johnson TD for Ohio, this game could have easily been out of reach at the half. It almost was early in the 3rd as Chicago added another TD as George connected with Conway again. With the lead ballooned to 24-7 Chicago, everything was going there way. But momentum is a fickle animal, and all it took was one big play to turn the tide towards the unbeaten Glory.
That break was a 39-yard punt return by Malcolm Floyd, that gave Ohio exactly what they needed, a quick score to get the game back in range. It only took Kerry Collins 2 plays after the long punt return to put Ohio in the endzone, finding Robert Ferguson for a score. The Glory would start to roll after this quick score, while Chicago could only watch as their lead shrank, their offense struggled, and the Glory came all the way back.
Down 24-14 with 1 quarter to play, Ohio shrunk the lead to only 3 points midway though the 4th, when Collins hit Joey Galloway for an 18-yard touchdown to pull to 24-21. They would even the score with only 1 minute left on a Don Silvestri field goal. What happened next is the sign of a truly confident team. Ohio lined up for a deep kick, and everyone in Soldier Field, including the entire Machine roster, thought this game was headed to overtime, but it was a fake out. Silvestri clipped the ball on the tee, sending it just over the first line of Machine defenders, and creating chaos as both teams scrambled to pick it up. It would be LB Glenn Cadrez of Ohio who would recover the onside kick, perhaps his biggest play of the year. 3 plays later, and with the clock down to 3 seconds, Chicago fans were crushed as Silvestri connected from 46 yards out to end the game with a walk-off field goal.
Ohio had survived, their perfect record intact. What had begun as a celebratory summer night in Soldier Field completely flipped in large part due to the special teams of the Glory. Chicago missed their shot at Ohio, and with only New Jersey and Michigan on the schedule, both games in Columbus, that Ohio could very well complete the season without a single loss, a feat no USFL team has ever accomplished. For Ohio the heroes on this night were familiar to all, Collins with 301 yards passing, George with 110 on the ground, Galloway leading all receivers with 135 yards receiving, and a team effort on defense, led by LBs Craig Powell, Glenn Cadrez, and Clint Kriewaldt. Two weeks to go and Ohio has a shot at perfection.
WSH 6 NJ 20
New Jersey will play Ohio next, but first they had to take care of business in their division, and they did, knocking off their closest competitor, Washington, thanks to a Brady to Glenn TD in the 4th quarter to pull out of range of the Federals. Kudos to the Generals’ D, who sacked Kordell Stewart 6 times and limited Deuce McCallister to only 2.9 yards per carry. New Jersey consistently rushed 5, blitzing linebackers, safeties and corners. Stewart rarely had time to think, much less adjust as a new General was coming on the blitz on almost every down. It was a brilliant gameplan for Coach Parcells and the Generals, one that clinched them a playoff spot with 2 weeks left to play.
TBY 24 JAX 27
Tampa Bay was game, but with a playoff berth on the line, Jacksonville found the will to win as they scored the game’s final 17 points to wipe out a 24-10 deficit and win the game on a Kris Brown field goal. Jake Delhomme looked like a worldbeater in the 4th quarter and finished the game 31 of 40 for 312 yards. Terrell Owens was his top target, catching 10 of 11 targets for 150 yards and a TD as the Bulls win their 8th game of the season.
NSH 23 BIR 21
In a battle of 6-5 clubs, Nashville used a late Ryan Longwell fieldgoal to edge the Birmingham Stallions. Birmingham held rushing leader Ahman Green to only 66 yards (a 2.6 YPC average), but Nashville got 3 field goals to go along with TDs from Green and Emmanuel to nip Birmingham at the end.
NOR 21 MEM 13
Memphis seems to be losing their mojo, falling for a 2nd time in 3 weeks as the Breakers defense held the Showboats to only 207 total yards. Heath Shuler only completed 6 of 17 pass attempts, as New Orleans played keep away, killing clock from the onset of the game as they combined carries from Troy Davis, Troy Hambrick, Ricky Williams, and FB Danny Greene to rush the ball over 33 times. Williams left hurt, but the Breakers kept running the ball. Their defense did the rest, limiting Shuler to only 108 yards passing as the Showboats looked tired.
HOU 10 ARZ 20
A huge win for Arizona as they knock off Houston to move to 6-6 and tighten up the Southwest Division. All 4 Southwest teams are at .500 or higher thanks to wins by the Wranglers and Gold. For Arizona it was Plummer and more Plummer, who not only completed 17 of 24 passes, but rushed the ball 21 times for 98 yards. The Houston pass rush was neutralized by Plummer’s bootlegs, sprints, and scrambles, making Houston’s defense far less effective than against more sedentary quarterbacks.
TEX 14 DEN 24
Denver knocked off Texas in a bad day for the Lone Star State. Mark Brunell threw for 264 and 2 scores and the combination of Holcombe and Smart combined for 109 yards on the ground as Denver equalized their record at 6-6 with the win. Ryan Leaf was knocked out of the game, and could be looking at serious time away due to injury as he was unable to walk to the sideline. Jeff Lewis came in and looked like a player who had not seen the field for several weeks. Trouble for Texas to be sure.
POR 23 LA 19
The Thunder get their 5th win of the season, remaining a game back in the Pacific by knocking off the LA Express. Akili Smith threw for 329 and 2 scores as Portland all but abandoned the run game against the Express. McNown threw for 325 for LA, but it was not enough in the end as Portland scored twice in the final period to pull ahead and stay ahead.
SEA 9 OAK 31
Oakland retained their slim lead in the Pacific by dominating Seattle in every way. The Invader D picked off Brian Griese twice, sacked him 4 times, and shut down Corey Dillon in his first game back after injury. Jon Kitna looked far more comfortable under center, throwing for 295 yards with 2 scores a she connected with Marty Booker and Plaxico Burress for scores. Oakland controls their destiny and 1 more win may be enough to lock up the division.
PHI 18 BAL 13
Philly went with youth and it got them their 3rd win of the season. Ladell Betts rushed 22 times but gained only 43 yards. David Garrard, in his first pro start, fared a bit better, completing 14 of 29 passes for 190 yards and a TD, but the big story was the much-maligned Stars defense. Philly got 6 sacks of Jeff Garcia, including 2 from Regan Upshaw, and a safety recorded by DT Kendrick Clancy as the Stars held Baltimore scoreless in the second half.
ORL 24 ATL 13
Joey Harrington returned under center for Orlando, but the star of the game was Chris Doleman, who terrorized Drew Bledsoe all game. His big play came late in the 3rd when Doleman not only sacked the immobile QB, but caused a fumble and then was able to fall on the ball. 2 plays later, Harrington hit Donald Driver for a score that put Orlando up 24-3.
PIT 31 MGN 27
A really good game between two 4-win clubs that simply have not stopped playing hard. T.J. Duckett had a solid game at HB, rushing for 127 yards and 2 scores, but it was Andre Rison’s show, as the veteran Mauler hauled in 3 touchdown passes from Charlie Batch to help the Maulers edge the Panthers for win #5.
THE BIG DECISION
It is a decision no club has ever had to make before, to go for a 14-0 record but risk potential injury to a key player, or to rest starters in the season’s final 2 weeks and potentially risk a chance at history. That is what Coach Al Luginbill faces as he looks ahead at the last two weeks of the regular season. On the one hand, the Glory have two home games, with a chance at an amazing feat, an undefeated season, but on the other you have the even loftier goal of earning the team’s first ever Summer Bowl appearance and possible title.
What if the Glory were to lose Kerry Collins, Joey Galloway, or Eddie George from their offense due to a late season injury? That fear has to be there. As much as we all want to see Ohio fight for a potential perfect season, the concern for player wear and tear, for a possible injury that could deeply impact the club’s playoff viability is very real. Coach Luginbill knows all this, and may take some solace in the fact that the season is 2 games shorter than in the past, which means his players are not quite as worn down as in a 16-week season, but that does not eliminate the risk.
It is a decision that will be criticized either way. If they bench some key starters and lose against New Jersey or Michigan, than the shot at glory (how ironic) is lost, but if they play all 22 starters but lose one or more to injury for the playoffs, then the potential title could be lost. It is a nasty call, and one we are glad we in the press box don’t need to make. Coach Luginbill has been dodging questions on it all week, but all indications are that at least for this week’s game against the Generals, the starters are all on duty. Will that be true in Week 14? We shall see.
PLAY THE ROOKIES?
Philadelphia was the first team removed from playoff contention, and the first to swap out some veteran starters for rookies in an attempt to test their capacity. This week we saw several more teams join them as clubs playing out the string. Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Seattle all face similar situations, though the particulars of each club are different. In Atlanta, we anticipate that Drew Bledsoe will continue to start, if for no other reason than that the new owners want to build up the “Bledsoe returns” hype for their scheduled move to Boston. They are also unlikely to rest Tiki Barber, who is listed as “Probable” this week after sitting out a week with an injury. Barber is still in the hunt for the rushing title, and in a year with little to cheer for in Atlanta, that would be something the Fire would have to celebrate. If anything we are more likely to see TE Bob Slowikowski get some reps on offense after largely being limited to special teams and the occasional goalline 3-TE formation. We could also see CB Brian Williams replace veteran Tyrone Poole or Sam Madison to get some reps. DT Wendel Bryant and LB Will Witherspoon have already had significant playing time, so we don’t see any change there.
In Los Angeles we already saw plenty of HB DeShaun Foster, who now sits on the IR, and the only other potential offensive rookie who could get swapped into the starting lineup is WR Kalill Hill, who may see some snaps in place of 11-year veteran Mike Pritchard. On defense LB Robert Thomas has been a regular on kick coverage, but could be used as a way to rest Barry Minter. Do not expect Mo Lewis to take a break as he is leading the league in tackles and has a hefty bonus coming if he can claim that title. Finally, DT Larry Triplett has been in regular rotation with David Rocker and Chester McGlockton but could easily see more snaps vs the 10 and 11 year veterans these next 2 weeks.
Finally, there is Seattle. Again no major QB or HB candidates to step in, but we could see some shifting on the O-line, with guard Brandon Moore getting some reps along with 2nd year players like T Jeff Backus and center Louis Williams. Jeramy Stevans has been the Dragons’ star rookie all year, so nothing changes there, though he is listed as doubtful this week with a shoulder injury. Wideout Ashlie Lelie is the most likely late season sub as he has simply not seen much action behind David Boston, O.J. McDuffie and Troy Walters. With Boston expected to miss this week we may well see Lelie offered a shot to shine. Another player who could see more gametime is DE Kenyon Coleman, again due to injury. John Abraham, the team’s sack leader, is doubtful with a hamstring, so his season could well be over, and Coleman is the likely replacement. A chance for him, like many on these three clubs, to show what they can do and hopefully move towards a starting role in the future.
We mentioned the Leaf injury, and while we are still awaiting definitive word, the early results point to a partial separation of the quad muscle on his left leg from the bone. Painful and not a quick heal to be sure. If this is the case, expect Ryan to be sidelined for at least 2-3 months. It could be even worse as a bad tear could even impact the start of the 2003 season.
In Portland the concern is for HB Correll Buckhalter, who left the game with a back injury. X-rays came back negative, but swelling is still impeding movement and feeling for the big back. Expect him to be added to the IR this week. Chicago could be without DT Brentson Buckner for the remainder of the regular season as the big man suffered a fracture in his right foot. In Tampa Bay the concern is for star wideout Randy Moss, who could miss 1-2 games with a collarbone injury. In Washington LB Michael barrow is listed as out for this week after suffering a sprained knee. And, finally, New Orleans HB Ricky Williams is listed as Doubtful thanks to turf toe. That could end up being a multiple week situation, something to keep an eye on.
Two more teams punch their ticket as Jacksonville and New Jersey are assured at least a Wild Card spot. With only 2 games left for each team we still have a lot of permutations that could provide playoff opportunities for more than half of the league. With only 4 spots left and several divisions with 1-game differences between the leaders and the pack, there is a lot left to be decided. We know the two top seeds, and now we have 2 Eastern Conference spots are claimed, which leaves 6 of 10 spots still out there, including 5 in the West. Looking at who has been eliminated, Atlanta, LA, and Portland now join Philadelphia on the outside and several other clubs are on life support, but life support still means there is a chance, no matter how slim.
The Jacksonville Bulls clinched a playoff spot on Sunday, and to celebrate, on Tuesday they revealed their new Reebok design for the 2004 season, a design they will first wear in the playoffs this year. The league office has essentially declared that this will be allowed for all clubs after having first granted permission to the Nashville Knights to get an early start on their 2003 designs. Nashville has yet to reveal their new logos and uniforms, but this week Jacksonville rolled out their new look, the first major update to their logos since they joined the league in 1984.
The Bulls will have an updated primary logo, replacing the charging bull logo with… a charging bull logo. That sounds minor, but actually the new logo is quite different. Unlike the original 1984 design, which has the bull formed from a series of thin black, garnet, and orange lines that wrap around the helmet, the new bull is fully formed, striking an aggressive pose, outlined in black with a garnet body and orange highlights. The wrap-around feature is still there, but now limited to the ground beneath the bull’s feet, which is formed by thicker black, garnet, and orange stripes. It is a bold look, still retaining the essence of the Bulls’ identity, but not as obviously providing an 80’s aesthetic. The main logo now has two forms, a rondel, similar to the one used in previous iterations, and a full figure Bull with wordmark. Expect to see plenty of both at Alltell Stadium if the Bulls lock up a home playoff game.
The new Bulls’ uniform features many of the features of the prior look, but with the new 4-stripe motif (Black-garnet-orange-black) as a centerpiece. The helmet remains dark grey, with the bull logo on each side and the stripes wrapping around to the back, where the team name “Bulls” is written into the striping. The jerseys continue to feature a dark grey yoke and sleeves, now with the 4-stripe pattern on both sleeves, with the full figure bull standing above the uppermost black stripe. The numbers are more angular, but remain garnet or white with orange and black piping.
The Bulls will have 3 pant sets to choose from, including a new white set which we anticipate will be reserved for the hottest of Florida day games in June and July. The primary set are grey, with the 4-stripe pattern, the secondary garnet set has the same look, but with grey replacing garnet in the striping, and the white is identical to the grey set except for the primary color. It is a look that is unmistakably that of the Bulls, but which modernizes the imagery of the club and provides a more suitable stand alone logo for use outside of the helmet and jerseys. Fans will be able to find gear with the new logo as well as new replica jerseys at the stadium shop as early as Week 14, with wider distribution in Florida, Georgia and on the U.com shop soon after.
Two weeks left, and we have divisional games out West, which could go a long way to adding more playoff teams to the pool. The biggest games are in the Southwest, where all 4 teams are within a game and a half of each other. Denver and Arizona will face off in Tempe and the loser may just be out of luck, while the winner could well move into the top 6 and playoff contention. That is especially true if Houston can knock off Texas at home. A win for the Gamblers would clinch the Southwest Division and dump Texas beneath the Denver-Arizona winner. Expect that game to be vicious.
In the Southern Division, Nashville and New Orleans are both sitting at 7-5. They face off in Nashville, and the winner there is almost certainly locking in a playoff spot. Memphis has lost 2 of their last 3, and it will be no easy task to get a W as they visit arch rival Birmingham, who are on playoff life support at 6-6. If the Stallions can pull this off, they may greatly improve their chances and they may also shake Memphis’s confidence. In the Pacific, we expect only 1 team to make the playoffs and if Oakland can win in LA they may well wrap it up. Seattle and Portland face off in Portland and the 5-7 Thunder know that any playoff hopes depend on them going 2-0 and seeing Oakland fall.
The Eastern Conference is in interdivisional play for the last time this season, and some of these games could also impact the playoff hunt quite a bit. New Jersey gets their shot at knocking Ohio down as they visit Columbus. Washington is hoping for an Ohio win over the Generals, but they also have to take care of business as they travel to Orlando to face the Renegades. Chicago heads to Jacksonville, with both teams hoping to get a W ahead of next week’s divisional play. Chicago could clinch a playoff spot as the Bulls did this week if they can upend Jacksonville in the Gator Bowl. Believe it or not Pittsburgh is still alive at 5-7. They need a lot of help to get a postseason berth, but they also need to win at home this week against the Baltimore Blitz. And, rounding out the week we have Michigan at Atlanta and Philadelphia visiting Tampa Bay, with no real playoff factor at play in either game.