Seven weeks in the books, seven yet to be written, and what do we have? For the second year in a row we have a team unbeaten at the halfway point, we have several major surprises including the success of Pittsburgh, Denver, and Los Angeles, and we have two teams yet to notch a win as both Michigan and Orlando are struggling at 0-7. Ohio and Memphis, last year’s dominant teams, have been targets, and both have stumbled a bit but seem to be recovering. We also have a rookie class that is starting to assert itself, with strong first impressions from QB Byron Leftwich, HB Willis McGahee, WR Anquon Boldin, and S Troy Polamalu among others. Midway through the year and the storylines are beginning to take shape. Backup QB play has been essential for some teams, defensive might for others, but we know that the big offenses are just tuning up for the final half of the year, so this could tighten up quite a bit. We start our rundown with this week’s games, but then evaluate where all 24 clubs sit at the midway point in our Midseason Report Card.
Denver Gold 27 Chicago Machine 26
Call it a choke or a comeback miracle, but what happened at Soldier Field absolutely left a sour taste in the mouth of the 45,000 Machine faithful who attended the game, as unwelcome as a hot dog with ketchup for the Chicagoans. After three quarters Chicago held what seemed to be an unassailable 26-10 lead. With their defense playing well against Denver all game, the crowd was ready for a clock-killing final quarter and a Machine victory. What they got was 17 unanswered points, all in the final 5:10 of regulation.
Chicago had built their lead slowly over the first three quarters, with 4 field goals from Tim Seder, but also early TDs from HB Charlie Rogers (7 yard run) and Duce Staley (29-yard reception). Chicago’s defense had limited Denver to only 9 first downs over the three quarters and the only Denver TD came after a Jeff George pass had been tipped at the line and picked off at the Chicago 17 yard line. This did not look like the formula for a late comeback as Denver had simply not been able to establish any kind of offense through the first 45 minutes of play.
But, in the 4th quarter Denver shifted gears, abandoning any attempt to maintain a run game that had averaged only 2.1 yards per carry. They turned the ball over to Mark Brunell, and the veteran QB started to find options. He would throw for over 200 yards in the final period, connecting with 8 different receivers but relying most heavily on veterans Marco Battaglia and Dedric Smith. Peerless Price would catch a couple as well, but Chicago had ensured that Price was double covered on most plays so it came down to secondary receivers.
Denver got their first score of the quarter when Jeff Wilkens connected on a 48-yard field goal. Chicago seemed nonplussed by this score, as they still held a 13-point lead with barely 5 minutes to play, but when Trent Dilfer had a second pass picked off only 3 plays later, it again gave Denver a short field and a chance for a quick score. The Gold moved the ball down the field in a modified 2-minute drill, and Brunell found Battaglia to cut the Chicago lead to only 6 with 1:36 left on the clock An onside kick ensued, and, with fans now getting antsy, the ball careened off of one of Chicago’s up men and ended up in the hands of CB Clayton Holmes for Denver.
The Gold would waste no time, with Brunell connecting with Danny Farmer for 13 on first down, then with Smith to reach the red zone. Two plays later it was Brunell to Smith again, this time for a touchdown and the game. Chicago was stunned, even Denver players seemed stunned by the quick turn of events. They had survived 9 penalties, 3 turnovers, and a major time of possession drought, to overcome a 16-point deficit in 5 minutes and steal a road win from one of the better defenses in the league. The win moved Denver to 5-1, tied with New Orleans atop the Western Conference. The loss dropped Chicago to 3-4 and third place in the division, a full 3 games below division-leading Pittsburgh.
HOU 13 PIT 27
The Maulers finished the first half of the season at 7-1 and atop the Central by a game over Ohio thanks to a solid defensive game against Houston. Matt Hasselbeck was picked three times, including a 22-yard pick six from Pittsburgh DB Dre Bly in the 2nd period that gave the Maulers a 21-0 lead. The second half saw only field goals as Pittsburgh wore down the Gamblers and walked away with a 14-point win.
POR 24 WSH 37
The only team in the league with a better record than Pittsburgh is Washington, still unbeaten after knocking off the Portland (for now) Thunder at RFK. Kordell Stewart threw for 2 scores and Deuce McCallister rushed for 95 and a TD, but once again it was the Federal D that stole the show. They struggled to contain Akili Smith on the ground as he scrambled and ran for 147 yards and 2 scores, but they shut down Portland’s passing game and even former Federal Reuben Droughns did not have answers as Washington pulled away in the 2nd half to finish the season’s first half a perfect 7-0.
NOR 20 ORL 19
The Breakers bounced back from their first loss of the season, beating the Orlando Renegades by 1 in a game that was a lot closer than most expected. Az-Zahir Hakeem caught 6 balls for 102 yards and the go ahead TD for the Breakers, but the defense could not keep Orlando from sticking around all game. Touchdowns from backups R.J. Redmond and Doug Gabriel kept Orlando in it, but they simply could not get one last drive for a game winning field goal and fell to a crushing 0-7 on the season.
ARZ 44 MGN 13
The Panthers also fell to 0-7 after being absolutely dissected by Jake Plummer and the Wranglers. Plummer not only threw for 207 yards (10 of 14) but rushed the ball 17 times for 166 yards and 2 scores as he was largely unphased by Michigan’s defense. Spence Fischer was sacked 4 times and was unable to sustain offense all game as the Panthers again came up with fewer than 14 points in a game. The win gives Arizona a 3-4 record at the midseason point, while Michigan is flirting with a potential winless season.
MEM 24 BOS 20
A good game in Boston, where the Cannons held a 20-10 lead after 3 quarters but could not contain Heath Shuler who connected with Justin McCaerins and Tydus Wynans for 4th quarter scores to take the road win. Tiki Barber added 83 yards to his league lead but was outgained by Dorsey Levins of Memphis, who added 86 yards. The win moves Memphis above .500 at 4-3, with Boston dropping to 4-3 as well.
BIR 29 JAX 20
The Stallions improve their record to 3-4 thanks to a solid mix of pass rush and balanced offense. Jacksonville, playing with backup Josh McCown at QB, struggled, with their QB tossing 3 picks in the game. Meanwhile, Birmingham mixed the pass and the run effectively, with Shaun Alexander getting 20 carries, while Brett Favre went 21 of 34 and threw 2 touchdowns, including a perfectly thrown deep ball to Joe Horn. The Stallions are still trailing New Orleans and Memphis in the division, but look like they could be serious about a run in the second half.
NSH 24 TBY 31
Nashville seems to be fading while Tampa Bay gets another win with Kent Graham at the helm. The Bandits get a big day from Willis McGahee to help power them to the 7-point win. Graham, for his part, went 19 of 30, with 3 TD passes and no picks as Tampa Bay protected him with play action. Randy Moss caught 6 balls for 109 and a 42-yard TD as Tampa Bay held off Todd Collins and the Knights.
TEX 19 OHI 38
Ohio continued to reestablish themselves with another strong offensive performance at home. Eddie George averaged 5.1 yards per carry on his way to a 91 yard day, while both TE Stephen Alexander and WR Chad Johnson went over 100 yards receiving, Alexander adding 2 TDs as well as Ohio rolled to a home victory to move to 5-2, just a game behind the Maulers.
OAK 6 BAL 17
Baltimore’s defense kept Oakland out of the endzone and a Marquez Pope pick-six was all the scoring they would need as Oakland struggled to establish anything. The Blitz did just that, blitz, and that helped them rack up 5 sacks of Marques Tuiasosopo. Ron Dayne and Travis Minor helped slow the game down, and Baltimore came away from the game at 3-4 and still very much alive in the Northeastern Division.
LA 17 NJ 34
A big win for the Generals as they knock off the LA Express to move back over .500. Tom Brady had a stellar game, returning from injury once again, as he completed 22 of 25 passes for 314 yards and 3 TDs. Add in 102 yards from Curtis Enis and you have a strong Generals performance against a solid LA defense. It did not hurt that Cade McNown did not make the trip as Quincy Carter completed only 9 passes all game against the Generals’ defense.
SEA 26 PHI 29
Flying from the West Coast to the East Coast is never easy, and winning in Philly can also be a challenge. That is what Byron Leftwich discovered as the Stars sacked the rookie QB 4 times and held Seattle’s offense in check to snag a much-needed home win. Brian Griese only completed 47% of his throws, but he did connect on three touchdown passes, including 2 to wideout Bobby Engram, as the Stars move to 3-4 and leave Seattle at 2-5 at the midway point of the year.
MIDSEASON REPORT CARD
The midseason point gives us a chance to look at all 24 USFL clubs and assess how well they are meeting, exceeding, or falling short of their goals and expectations for the year. It is also a good time to single out performers who are rising to the challenge of the USFL season or others who are simply not living up to the hype. Here, for your consideration, is our midseason report on each USFL club, starting with the undefeated Federals and ending with the woebegone Michigan Panthers at 0-7.
WASHINGTON FEDERALS (7-0)
Top Performers: A defensive line that was supposed to be rebuilding after the retirement of Jerome Brown. Washington has not missed a beat, with a league-leading 13.6 points per game allowed, and the #1 pass defense in the league. All kudos to Coach Hackett for developing a 3-4 with rotation of linemen that keeps players fresh and allows for blitzing to complement good line play. There is no one star on defense, as all levels have played well, but we should acknowledge the quality of the secondary with Charles Woodson and 2nd year FS Ed Reed leading the way.
Needs Improvement: Honestly, the only thing that should concern the Federals is that they have lived very much by the defense and the 2nd rated run game. If they ever do fall behind, can they come back? They are 22nd in pass offense, but that seems to be by design, so can we really say that is a problem? It has not been yet.
Overall Assessment: While we think Washington is clearly a championship contender, we are not ready to say that this is a team that will run the table as Ohio did last year. The Feds have some tough games on the horizon, including a matchup with Ohio in Week 11, so while we are bullish on their chances to win the division and potentially the top seed in the East, we are not expecting perfection here.
Predicted final record: 12-2 and the Top Seed in the East.
NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (6-1)
Top Performers: The offense. Despite dealing with a 4-game suspension to HB Ricky Williams (a suspension that ends this week), the Breakers are in the Top 10 in rushing, passing, yardage, and scoring. We did not see that on the horizon for this club, but Coach Nolan has them working very well together. Special kudos to diminutive HB Troy Davis, who has stepped up in the absence of Williams and provided the Breakers with 463 yards over the past 4 weeks.
Needs Improvement: New Orleans’s only loss was to an angry Ohio Glory squad, so we are not going to criticize them too much. The one area they do need to improve is pass coverage. They are giving up nearly 280 yards a game, and with teams like Seattle, Birmingham, and Memphis on the schedule in the second half, they will want to tighten that up.
Overall Assessment: A better than anticipated first half. The second half schedule is a tough one, but the Breakers look like a team that knows who they are and can win in a variety of ways.
Predicted final record: 11-3 and a division title.
DENVER GOLD (6-1)
Top Performers: Two players stand out to us as guys who are exceeding expectations. On defense you have to appreciate what Marcellus Wiley is doing After playing several years behind Leslie O’Neill, Wiley gets his chance and is grabbing for the brass ring. He has 6 sacks already on the year, and is playing well against the run as well. The other overachiever is wideout Peerless Price. We know Price is a solid possession guy, but this season he is stepping up as the clear #1 for Mark Brunell. He is among the league leaders in both yardage and receptions, and while he has only 3 TDs so far, he is about as reliable a target as Brunell could want.
Needs Improvement: This was Robert Holcombe’s year to shine. He was named the starter over Rod Smart, who essentially was to play the 3rd down back role, but Holcombe has struggled, with only 3.3 yards per carry, and over the past few weeks it has been Smart who has gotten more carries. At the midway point, Holcombe is barely on pace to reach 600 yards, and you know Coach Jauron wants more than that if Holcombe is going to be a bell cow, and not a HB by committee guy.
Overall Assessment: Denver is surprising many. We all thought they were going to suffer, particularly on defense, this year, but they are looking very much like a team that could win a weak Southwestern Division. Thanks to that division record, we could easily see them locking up the top seed as well.
Predicted final record: 11-3, Top Seed in West thanks to a weaker division in front of them.
PITTSBURGH MAULERS (6-1)
Top Performers: On a team that has been a revelation this year, how do you highlight just a player or two? We are not, we are going to highlight Coach Jack Bicknell, who is maximizing his talent all over the roster. With Charlie Batch at QB he still has the 5th highest scoring offense (though dead last in passing). He is using Terrell Davis the way the big man needs to be used, and has the #1 run offense to show for it. Even more impressive he is getting a largely no-name defense (except for DuBose who everyone knows) to hold teams under 18 points a game, and that is producing a lot of wins, close wins, but wins nonetheless.
Needs Improvement: Easy to point to the 24th overall passing game and say that Charlie Batch has to play better. Yes, the Mauler QB is sitting at 87.8 for his QB Rating, and has only 8 TDs on the season in 7 games, but he also has only 3 picks, and is not making mistakes. Pittsburgh is not a high-flying offense. They are a grind it out team, but at some point they are going to have to play from behind or make a comeback and we are not sure Batch can get that done.
Overall Assessment: A very solid team that is very well coached, but we think the talent gap between the Maulers and some of the other top teams will eventually show. We see Pittsburgh falling behind Ohio at some point this year.
Predicted final record: 10-4 and 2nd in the Central, but a dangerous team come playoff time.
LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (5-2)
Top Performers: LA is a tough team to figure out. They are not outstanding at any one thing, and rank in the middle of the pack in several areas, but they are winning games. I guess we should praise their balance then. Even with Cade McNown having some injury issues, the combo of McNown and Carter has produced 12 touchdowns to only 4 picks. The run game has also been very balanced with Antowain Smith and DeShaun Foster proving to be an ideal 1-2 punch, each with almost equal yardage through 7 weeks.
Needs Improvement: The defense is doing fine with yardage but is not producing takeaways. That is an area they will need to improve if they want to make a deep playoff run. The team as a whole has only 3 picks to date, so more should be expected from Aeneas Williams, Ray Crockett, and even Troy Polamalu, who has excelled as a “close to the line” safety, but has not turned big hits into turnovers yet.
Overall Assessment: A very solid team across the board and in the Pacific that is certainly enough to win the division.
Predicted final record: 10-4 and Pacific Division Winner
OHIO GLORY (5-2)
Top Performers: First in scoring again, 2nd in yards per game, and iin passing, but it has not felt as natural as last year. That said, we are going to praise the receiving corps as we often do. Joey Galloway leads the league with 869 yards receiving, while Chad Johnson (we are not comfortable calling him Ochocinco) has 6 TDs on only 17 catches. Stephen Alexander has 5 as the ball is getting spread around for sure.
Needs Improvement: The defense that helped Ohio go undefeated last year is struggling to duplicate their success this year. They currently rank 24th in yards allowed and 19th in points allowed. Those are not numbers that will get you a repeat as champion. The D-line is not getting to the QB (8 sacks combined from the linemen) and the leader for interceptions is a LB, not a DB, Nick Griesen with 2. That needs to improve and we expect it will.
Overall Assessment: Ohio has suffered a short losing streak and now seems recommitted. We think they can overtake Pittsburgh for the division but likely not Washington for the #1 seed.
Predicted final record: 11-3 and 1st in Central Division.
JACKSONVILLE BULLS (4-3)
Top Performers: The run defense for Jacksonville has been outstanding, allowing only 57.4 yards per game. A lot of credit has to go to the LB group of Vrabel, Arrington, Solomon and Neuman. While the Bulls still struggle to get Jevon Kearse in one-on-one passrush, their line is a huge help in the run game.
Needs Improvement: The offense needs to step up. Jake Delhomme has not yet reached the 1,000 yard mark (in part due to injury) and Kenny Bynum has fewer than 400 yards rushing. That is not playoff quality right there. While rookie Anquon Boldin has been a revelation, many are asking where the heck Terrell Owens has gotten. Owens has been a league leader in past years and currently ranks 33rd in receptions. That is odd and has to change in the second half of the year. We know he is upset about his contract, but having a tank-year is not going to help that at all.
Overall Assessment: Unless Jacksonville can get more from their offense, they could easily finish the year under .500 and this year the competition in the East looks fierce.
Predicted final record: 7-7 and out of the playoffs.
MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (4-3)
Top Performers: Two offensive players have really shown this year. The first is not a surprise as TE Adrian Cooper has flirted with being among the league leaders (among all receivers) and not just for tight ends. His 59 receptions and 632 yards are phenomenal for a wideout, and astronomical for a tight end. The other is HB Dorsey Levins. Having escaped Arizona’s HB quagmire, Levins is having a break out year in his first season with the Showboats. He has 461 yards to date and could reach 1,000 for the first time if he continues to get handed the ball.
Needs Improvement: Memphis is struggling against the run, and that is allowing teams to slow down the game and keep Heath Shuler and the offense off the field. We saw this in losses against Baltimore and Nashville, and it could be a huge issue as they face some good rushing teams in the 2nd half of the season.
Overall Assessment: We still like Memphis to make a run and finish strong. This is a team with too much offensive weaponry to be ranked outside the Top 10 in scoring.
Predicted final record: 10-4 and a dangerous Wild Card team.
BOSTON CANNONS (4-3)
Top Performers: Tiki Barber has been very good for very long, but now he seems to be getting support. He leads the league with 739 yards rushing, and could reach 1,500 if he maintains his 4.7 YPC average. Combined with Barber’s ability to keep drives alive, the defense is one of the league leaders in producing 3-and-outs, allowing Boston to mask their ongoing issues with the passing game.
Needs Improvement: We knew this going into the year, but a receiving corps of Robert Ferguson, Terrance Mathis, and James Whalen is not going to blow the doors off of a defense. Boston needs to invest in some speed if they want to truly have a dangerous offense.
Overall Assessment: We are happy that folks in Boston are seeing some early success with their new team. Happy as well for all the players who struggled in Atlanta these past few years, but we are putting the breaks on the unrealistic expectations being set up in Bean Town for this club. They already have more wins than all of last year, and we don’t see them being a club that will challenge when things get tight. Better than last year, but not there yet.
Predicted final record: 7-7 and barely missing the playoffs.
NEW JERSEY GENERALS (4-3)
Top Performers: The receiving corps has stepped up this year, for both Brady and Boumann. While the team played rotating QBs due to two different injuries to starter Tom Brady, the receivers have been active in getting help to both QBs. In past years it felt like Terry Glenn was a one man show, but this year Donald Hayes, Kevin Johnson and TE Anthony Becht have certainly stepped up as well. While Glenn leads the team with 34 receptions, Hayes is only 2 behind at 32 and has good yardage totals as well. Becht and Johnson have also been strong in support.
Needs Improvement: While no one is going to say Phil Hansen needs to do more, the rest of the New Jersey D-Line needs to step up, especially against the run, where the Generals rank 23rd of 24 clubs, allowing 126 yards a game. That means DTs John Parella and Darwin Walker need to do more to help out the linebackers. Far too often backs are getting past the line of scrimmage before they are even touched by a defender and that makes things far too easy for teams to keep drives alive.
Overall Assessment: New Jersey can make a run if Tom Brady can stay on the field. While Boumann has played adequately, New Jersey is simply a better offense with Brady at the helm.
Predicted final record: We are going to predict that Brady does stay healthy and New Jersey makes a run. 8-6 and 2nd place in the Northeast, with a Wild Card.
NASHVILLE KNIGHTS (3-4)
Top Performers: The Nashville O-line has been the strength of the club this year. They are providing time for Todd Collins (91.7 QBR) and making holes for Ahman Green (641 Yds) and have helped Nashville to the 6th best scoring defense in the league. And this year they appear to need it.
Needs Improvement: We all talk about the Knights defense as if it has not changed year to year. It is no longer an elite defense. This season Nashville is actually among the worst in the league after 7 games. They rank 23rd of 24 teams in yards allowed at 401.1, and are in the bottom four in both passing and rushing yards allowed, which also means teams are scoring on them, providing them the 22nd best scoring defense. So where are the issues? Pretty much everyone other than veteran Kevin Hardy and SS Rodney Harrison are a bit suspect. Their edge combo of Chad Brattske and Mike Ulufale have a combined 5 sacks. Their DTs are nowhere to be seen on the tackle leaders list. Other than Hardy, the linebackers have been vulnerable, and the CB combo of Steve Israel (looking well past his prime) and Reggie Rusk (has not found a prime yet), are not getting the job done. St. Louis has all of 4 picks as a team this year, and none from the cornerback position. That is not the sign of a good defense.
Overall Assessment: If Nashville is going to make a run, they are going to have to improve that defense considerably. Honestly, in a division with Memphis, New Orleans and Birmingham, the Knights may well be headed for 4th place.
Predicted final record: 6-8, 4th in South
HOUSTON GAMBLERS (3-4)
Top Performers: We have to give it to Matt Hasselbeck and the passing game. We expect the defense to be solid, and they have been (3rd in yards allowed), but for Houston to have the 5th best pass attack in the league is a bit of a surprise. Matt Hasselbeck is completing 70% of his passes and has almost 1,900 yards. A lot of this is due to the ability of his receivers to find gaps in zone coverage and provide good targets. Antonio Freeman leads the group wit h65 targets and 692 yards receiving, but TE’s David Lafleur and Dan Campbell have also been reliable. They need more from Koren Robinson and Drew Bennett to truly be dangerous, but this is a good position for them.
Needs Improvement: As much as we want to praise the Gambler passing game, we need to recognize that Matt Hasselbeck has 9 touchdowns and 10 picks this year. He is completing a high percentage of passes, but those mistakes can be deadly against better teams. If Hasselbeck can cut down on the forced throws, Houston might well be a very dangerous club down the stretch.
Overall Assessment: A good team with an aggressive defense and an improving offense. They need to stop shooting themselves in the foot with turnovers and find a way to improve their 19th ranked run game if they want to make waves.
Predicted final record: We see Houston missing out on the playoffs this year in a division that is very balanced but has a resurgent Denver at the helm. 7-7 final record.
BALTIMORE BLITZ (3-4)
Top Performers: The defense which was so bad last year has done a full 180 turn. They currently rank 2nd in the league in points allowed, 1st in yards allowed, 3rd against the pass and 4th against the run. That is astounding, and a lot of credit has to go to the middle of that defense. NT John Randall is a monster to deal with in the center, and then behind him you have LBs James Farrior and Tracy Scroggins, both with 47 tackles and 5 sacks each this year. Finally, at Strong Safety you have Adam Archuleta, making backs and receivers hesitant to play the middle of the field. Baltimore’s scheme is not complex, but what is happening is that players are trusting their instincts and that is leading to disruption and turnover opportunities.
Needs Improvement: The offense is middle-of-the-pack in yardage, but 23rd in scoring. That always points to one thing, red-zone conversion rate. Baltimore is kicking far too many field goals, which is nice for Bill Grammatica, but bad for the win-loss ratio. The offense needs to find ways to be more creative in the red zone. Handing off to Ron Dayne or forcing the ball into tight coverages is not working. Of Jeff Garcia’s 9 picks already this year, 5 have been in the red zone. If they could just turn a few more drives into 7-pointers, they can be a tough out.
Overall Assessment: Any team with a defense as good as Baltimore’s should be a playoff team. The issues in the red zone are really problematic, however, so if they get in, we think it will be as a low seed Wild Card.
Predicted final record: We are going to be optimistic and say they can get to 8-6 and a Wild Card.
TEXAS OUTLAWS (3-4)
Top Performers: For all the whining we hear from Ryan Leaf, the truth is that Jeff Lewis is doing a solid job at QB. He has a 10-2 TD-INT ratio, is completing just under 65% of his throws, and is avoiding the big mistakes we have seen from Leaf in the past. It may not make the current backup happy, but we are goin to say that Coach Gailey made the right call here.
Needs Improvement: The run game is not what it needs to be. Brian Westbrook is a talented back, but he is ideally suited to be a 3rd down back not a guy getting 20 carries a game. He is averaging only 3.2 yards per carry and he is wearing down. But when we look behind him on the depth chart, we are not impressed with Kevin Barlow or Autrey Denson. Could Leaf be traded for a HB and solve both problems?
Overall Assessment: A middle of the road team with a middle of the road record. That is a pretty honest assessment of the Outlaws across the board.
Predicted final record: 7-7, that just seems about right to us.
PHILADELPHIA STARS (3-4)
Top Performers: It feels at times like two players are carrying the entire Philadelphia defense. CB Kenny Gales, acquired from rival New Jersey, is having a career year, with 4 picks and 40 tackles already this season. DE Regan Upshaw is equally impressive with 8 sacks and 33 tackles. These two are the main reason Philadelphia is hanging in games as Upshaw pressures the QB and Gales makes them pay.
Needs Improvement: The Brian Griese trade has been largely beneficial for Philly, but now they need to upgrade at receiver. Steve Smith is playing well, with 34 receptions for 382 yards and 4 scores, but he cannot get deep, one of his strong suits, because Griese does not have reliable underneath receviers. Marcus Pollard is just not fast enough to be a major threat (averages only 6.9 YPC), and neither Bobby Engram or veteran Troy Brown are getting open for Griese.
Overall Assessment: The Stars are clearly in rebuild mode after a 3-win 2002. They have 3 wins already, and could double their win total from last year, but what they really need is to keep adding talent on both sides of the ball.
Predicted final record: We see the Stars falling back a bit. 5-9 is a decent rebuild year for them.
PORTLAND THUNDER (3-4)
Top Performers: When your leading passer and leading rusher is the same guy, you should probably pick that guy, right? That is the situation in Portland, where Akili Smith’s 301 rushing yards lead the team, but he only has 1,174 yards passing and has struggled to find open receivers. So, we cannot pick Smith. Who can we point to as outperforming expectations? New arrival Muhsin Muhammad is our guy. On a team with a weak passing game he still has 54 catches for 621 yards and 5 touchdowns. He has outpaced last year’s #1 target, Matthew Hatchette by 33 catches. That is amazing for a player in a new system.
Needs Improvement: Got to be the run game. Rueben Droughns is averaging only 3.3 yards per carry and Correll Buckhalter is even worse at 2.4. That puts a lot of pressure on Akili Smith, and does not provide him the advantage of using a credible run threat for play action. Portland needs to figure out how to build a run game, and that may mean waiting until 2004.
Overall Assessment: The Thunder got lucky to reach 7-7 and even luckier that they got the division title with that last year. This year Coach Vitt is not getting those breaks.
Predicted final record: We think 6-8 is about where the Thunder should expect to end up.
CHICAGO MACHINE (3-4)
Top Performers: For a club that is underperforming overall, this normally would be tough, but for all the issues they have on offense, we have to say that they still have the #1 run defense in the league, and that is largely due to their LB corps. The top 3 tacklers on the club are the three starting LBs—Urlacher (50), Polley (38), and Keith Brooking (37). So, for all the handwringing about how far behind Ohio the Machine are, this group deserves kudos for keeping Chicago in nearly every game.
Needs Improvement: With a solid run game led by Duce Staley, and a decent set of receivers (Curtis Conway, Donald Driver, Jim Kliensasser, and Johnnie Morton), why is Chicago so underwhelming as a passing team? The finger points directly to QB Jeff George. The “Million Dollar Arm” is not making the throws he needs to for his receivers to make yards after the catch, and he is not making the big plays in play action. Chicago should be able to do a lot more in the air, but George is struggling once again, and that does not bode well for them.
Overall Assessment: Chicago is a talented team, but with George struggling, they cannot put enough offense together to truly challenge. We think they might be able to get to .500 or a bit over this year, but can they really make a run? Right now we are not seeing it.
Predicted final record: Even with a strong 2nd half, we would say 7-7 is the most realistic outcome.
BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (3-4)
Top Performers: Birmingham has long been the Brett Favre Show, and this year feels no different. The defense is not great (again), the run game has moments, but never seems to take command, so again we see Favre doing all he can to make big plays. This year, he has been able to make quite a few while also avoiding the picks that have regularly plagued him. He has a 12-3 TD-INT ratio, one of the best in his long career.
Needs Improvement: Despite the emergence of DE Mike Rucker as a major force, the Stallions still have the 24th ranked pass defense, allowing over 304 yards a game. Rucker is not getting a lot of help from the rest of the defense, particularly a secondary that has Deion Sanders in it. Beyond Sanders the secondary is vulnerable, so it is far too easy for teams to avoid the superstar corner and still find open receivers. That is a big issue, especially after Birmingham snagged SS Lawyer Milloy from the Panthers with hopes that the secondary would be a strength.
Overall Assessment: Another frustrating season for Stallion fans as once again the plans to get Brett Favre some help just are not panning out. Perhaps the best option is to blow it all up, trade Favre while he still has major value, and build from the ground up. Seems like blasphemy to suggest but they seem to be running in place everywhere else.
Predicted final record: We think 6-8 is about the cap unless other aspects of the team start to pull their weight.
TAMPA BAY BANDITS (3-4)
Top Performers: Kudos to QB Kent Graham for filling in as well as he has and getting Tampa to within range of .500, but we cannot call him a top performer. That award has to go to rookie HB Willis McGahee. The rookie started off slow, but has come on over the past 5 weeks, with three 100-yard games as he takes a lot of weight off of Graham’s shoulders. With McGahee playing well, the Bandits do not have to rely on a backup QB to do it all on offense.
Needs Improvement: Seen as a second weapon to draw coverage from Randy Moss, TE Jeremy Shockey has been a huge disappointment. He has only 12 catches this season, his 2nd with the team. He had only 24 his rookie year, so he is on pace, but everyone was hoping for a huge step up in his productivity this year. It simply has not happened. Yes, Trent Green is out, but with a backup QB under center, you would expect the TE to benefit from a lot of dump down passes. It has not happened, and backup TE Brantford Banta is only 1 catch behind Shockey.
Overall Assessment: Tampa Bay is actually an intriguing team down the stretch. Their defense has been decent, not great but decent. Graham has played within himself, and McGahee is helping Tampa Bay reach offensive balance. We think Tampa Bay could have a good second half.
Predicted final record: We are optimistic here. We think 8-6 is very possible with their remaining schedule.
ARIZONA WRANGLERS (3-4)
Top Performers: After a very rough 1-4 start, the Wranglers have won back to back games and are in range of .500. And we could praise Jake Plummer all day as the team’s leading rusher and passer, but we are going to look at the defense, which has been up and down. Specifically we are going to praise the veteran of the team, SS Bennie Blades. The former Memphis and Baltimore standout, in his 16th USFL season (3rd in Arizona), is having a really strong year. Not only does he lead the Wranglers with 2 picks, but he is tied with Broderick Thomas to lead the team with 3 sacks.
Needs Improvement: Your defense has an issue when the Strong Safety is leading the D with only 3 sacks. What has happened to the pass rush? DE Gary Walker and Chike Okeafor are not earning their pay and the opposition QB’s are getting the time they need to throw deep. Arizona has started blitzing more to get pressure, but that forces corners to deal with one-on-one coverage, which is an issue for Arizona.
Overall Assessment: If Arizona wants to make a run at LA, they need to get on it in a hurry. But once again it looks like it will be the Jake Plummer show if they do. The HB combo of Pritchett and Rhodes is not getting any traction (2.8 YPC for Rhodes, 3.8 for Pritchett) and the D is just not getting pressure.
Predicted final record: We think Arizona is just not ready to compete right now. They could surprise us, but we aren’t counting on it. We are going to say 5-9 and perhaps a change at the top.
SEATTLE DRAGONS (2-5)
Top Performers: Rookie QB Byron Leftwich is the talk of the Emerald City. Leading the league in passing yards and he already has 20 TD passes this year. He has been a revelation for the Dragons, only problem is he cannot play defense.
Needs Improvement: The Dragons rank 21st in Points allowed, and that is not going to produce a lot of wins. John Abraham has 7 sacks, but overall the line is not doing enough to pressure QBs or keep HBs behind the line. Gilbert Brown is clearly too heavy right now and needs to drop weight to be effective. The LB’s are getting overrun with linemen and that is making them far less effective against the run. And with Abraham not getting help on the line, the Dragons need to blitz to create pressure, and that is leaving their secondary vulnerable.
Overall Assessment: The Dragons have two great pieces to build around with Leftwich and Corey Dillon. The offense looks ready to roll, but that defense is holding them back.
Predicted final record: 2-3 more wins looks like the best the Dragons can hope for. We predict 2. 4-10.
OAKLAND INVADERS (1-6)
Top Performers: We are reaching the part of the list where finding items to be optimistic about is harder. There is not a lot to like about what we have seen from Oakland this year, especially after showing some signs of life last season. LB Roosevelt Colvin looks solid and FS Antuan Edwards has started strong with 3 picks in the first 7 games, but there is such chaos on defense that it is hard to praise even these two players. And, when we look at the offense, well… best not.
Needs Improvement: This offense needs more than a facelift, it needs a whole body transplant. Marques Tuiasosopo is not the answer at QB, with 11 picks and only 8 TDs. Rookie HB Justin Fargas is having major issues with the speed of the USFL, and has not learned how to pick up blitzers yet, which is no good for Tuiasosopo. The Invaders signed Rashaan Salaam, who could start to see action this week, but we are not sure that is the answer. Expect QB to be a major priority in the offseason for Coach Green.
Overall Assessment: A team that needs more talent, and a scheme that plays to their strengths. If Salaam is truly clean and rehabilitated, that could help, but not enough for this season.
Predicted final record: We see 3-4 wins total. We are going to say 3-11 as the final record.
ORLANDO RENEGADES (0-7)
Top Performers: Believe it or not, Orlando, sitting at 0-7, is actually in the Top 10 in a key defensive category. They rank 7th in passing yards allowed. But yes, that is because they cannot stop the run. Looking for someone who is stepping up on the defensive side, it is hard to find anyone. The Renegades are close to last in the league with only 4 picks as a team, which is in part due to the fact that they are also near the bottom in sacks, with only 7 as a team. So, who is playing well? LB Robert Hinkley is the league leader with 67 tackles, so kudos to him, but the question is why does he need to make so many? Where are the other 10 guys?
Needs Improvement: The defense has huge issues, the run game has been MIA, and Joey Harrington is not progressing without that support. So, basically, the whole team needs to do better, or Orlando has to bring in a better team. They are 0-7 for a reason.
Overall Assessment: This is a team that is hitting rock bottom. They failed to address offseason losses, or improve talent around their young QB, and they are paying the price.
Predicted final record: It is very hard to go winless, but Orlando could. They have a Week 11 matchup with 0-7 Michigan, and that may be their only win. We predict 1-13.
MICHIGAN PANTHERS (0-7)
Top Performers: On an 0-7 club, you don’t expect to find any position group doing well, but we are going to say that despite the issues we see with Michigan’s offense, the fault does not lie with the receivers. Hines Ward has 45 receptions for 629 yards despite some truly horrible weeks from backup QB Spence Fischer. Laverneus Coles and Charles Rogers have solid numbers as well. The problem for Michigan is that with no run game to speak of, Drew Brees is getting pressured so often that he cannot take advantage of a pretty decent receiver group.
Needs Improvement: As bad as the O-line has been this year, and we worry for Drew Brees’s safety, the bigger issue is a 24th ranked defense that simply cannot provide any relief for the offense. Their leader in sacks (Leonard Little) has only 3. The team does not have a single interception in 7 games. That is unheard of. The defense looks slow, unorganized, and unmotivated.
Overall Assessment: Coach Martz has been with the Panthers for 2 ½ seasons and to say he has not produced results feels like an understatement. We honestly don’t expect him to make it to Week 14.
Predicted final record: 0-14 is a very realistic possibility here.
Life is not easy for offensive linemen, no glory, no fame, and you generally only get your name called when you screw up and your QB gets sacked. Add to that the propensity for injury. Some of the biggest men on the field are also some of the most vulnerable. All it takes is a crackback block to take out your knee, or for someone to roll up on your ankle, and you are down. It should not come as a surprise then that the IR list is getting a bit crowded with offensive linemen. This week we saw Memphis guard Anthony Redmon added to IR with a shoulder injury, Philadelphia center Steve McKinney, with a fractured leg, Chicago RT Marcus Spears with a hamstring, and Houston guard Matt Lehr with a torn biceps. And sure, there were others as well (Pittsburgh backup safety Shaunard Harts and Michigan FS Mike Prior were both added to IR this week), but the number of linemen on IR dwarfs any other position on the field.
We have had a lot of heavy news lately, between player controversy, ownership malfeasance, and franchise relocation, so we thought we would finish up this week with a bit of light-hearted fun by looking at some of the silliest elements of the game, the mascots. These goofy sideline figures are largely for the kids, and in some cases they are more annoying than animating, but they are a part of the in-stadium experience that helps make the USFL one of the hottest tickets in the country. So, with no further ado, here is our list of the 10 best mascots in the USFL.
#10) The Tampa Bay Bandit, riding Shadow across the field. Not the plush, foam covered mascot many teams use, but a nameless rider, clad in black, riding a black stallion around the stadium. The Bandit appears pre-game with the Bandits flag in hand, but during the game you often see him riding around one of the two endzones, firing his pistols into the air whenever Tampa Bay scores.
#9) Jacksonville’s real life bull, Duvall. Yup, a fully-grown steer is on display pre-game and, thankfully, well away from the action during the games. We don’t know who thought the idea of having a live bull anywhere near the fans was a good idea, but folks in Jacksonville seem to love Duvall, so he is here to stay.
#8) Henry Gila at Wrangler games. Yup, a 7’ high foam gila monster wearing a cowboy hat, vest, chaps and boots. I guess the Wranglers wanted to avoid a cowboy image, what with Texas and Tampa already working that angle, but we are not sure why they chose a slow-moving orange and black venomous lizard. Sure, gila monsters are native to the region, but still, kind of a weird choice.
#7) General Mayhem. The big-chinned military man with an oversized head, riding pants, and a helmet certainly fits the theme of the New Jersey Generals, but the question we have is why have a modern or WW2 era general as a mascot when you have a secondary logo depicting a revolutionary war hero. Regardless of the anachronism, General Mayhem is a very popular figure on the Meadowlands sidelines, especially when he comes riding out on a mini motorcycle complete with sidecar.
#6) Outlaw Jim. Another big-headed caricature of the team’s mascot, Outlaw Jim is your typical Cowboy in a black 10-gallon hat figure, complete with boots, spurs, and a black vest. Not a dead ringer for the outlaw in the team logo, but pretty darn close.
#5) Cimarron the Stallion. Back to live animals as mascots as the Birmingham stallion have a beautiful buff and white stallion that races around the stadium, bows on command, and is more than willing to be in as many photos as fans want.
#4) Mr. Roboto. The Machine had to put some thought into their logo since the name Machine does not exactly instantly evoke an image. They opted for a cartoonish robot that is somewhere between a Transformer toy and the Iron Giant. Mr. Roboto is a big foam robot, though better proportioned than some of the Big Head variety around the league. And yes, he does dance the robot to his theme music.
#3) The Blitz Band. You thought we were going to say Billy Blitz, the rage-filled, lightning bolted, foam mascot on the sideline. Sure, he is fine. But what makes Blitz games so special is the presence of a full marching band. A holdover from the NFL days of the Colts, the Blitz Band is a weekly experience at all home games, both in the stands and at halftime.
#2) The Skipper. Our favorite of the big-headed plush figures, Memphis’s riverboat captain is about as zany as they come, riding out on a go-kart made up to look like a riverboat (complete with pyrotechnic smokestacks and a steam whistle) The Skipper is gonna mug for the camera, play the fool with the kids, but he might just down a beer with the adults as well. Apparently they rigged the mouth of the suit to a funnel system so that The Skipper can “borrow” a beer from an unsuspecting fan without having to actually drink it.
#1) Burt Reynolds. Sure, we could have listed any number of league mascots here, but the truth is that fans at Tampa Bay Bandit games want nothing more than a win and a chance to rub elbows with the Hollywood action star. More often than not, Burt is at the games, at least a few times a year, and when he is, he is there to see and be seen, taking photos, swapping stories of his time as “The Bandit” and cheering on the team he helped to create. So maybe he is not a mascot in the purest terms, but he sure is entertaining.
We start the second half of the season with the Eastern Conference facing some tough divisional matchups while the West settles in for some interdivisional battles. Our favorite game of the week is an unlikely one, but one that could show us what to expect for the second half, Tampa Bay at Boston. Boston has been a pleasant surprise this season, and could take over 1st place with a win. Tampa Bay is in contention in a division that Jacksonville has been unable to dominate. The Bulls are at home this week, with the 0-7 Renegades in town. They need to keep pace to hold Boston at bay.
In the Northeast, we have Philly at New Jersey in a game that could springboard one of them towards the playoffs. Washington, still unbeaten, is at Baltimore in a big rivalry game. Do the Blitz have enough to pull out the upset here? In the Central 5-2 Ohio will visit winless Michigan to open the second half of their title defense season. Surprising Pittsburgh has a tough road matchup at Chicago, with Ohio breathing down their neck.
Out west, the best game on the docket is the matchup between Denver (6-1) and Memphis (4-3). The Gold have been surprisingly good this year, and Memphis cannot afford another loss as they chase New Orleans in the South. The Breakers are at home against the 2-5 Dragons, hoping to get their 7th win in 8 tries. Portland and Nashville will battle to reach .500 as the two 3-4 teams meet in Adelphia Stadium. Arizona and Birmingham are in a similar situation, both 3-4 and hoping to reach .500 with a win. The Stallions hold home field advantage as they will play at Legion Field. The LA Express will host the Houston Gamblers in a game that could be a fun watch on Saturday, while Texas is in Oakland, where the Invaders may debut Rashaan Salaam in sky & yellow this week.
I like the mascot section.