While there was certainly some great action on the field this past week, including a nail biter in New Orleans, the days following the week's on-field action saw just as much excitement as several teams tried to fill gaps and prepare for a homestretch run to the playoffs by trading for key positions. We may have a QB controversy ready to explode in Baltimore as the Blitz add outspoken QB Ryan Leaf. Texas and Jacksonville try to improve their lackluster run games by swapping to bring in big backs, and the LA Express may have just gotten themselves the edge rusher they crave by nabbing Jevon Kearse in a bold midseason move. We will cover all these moves, plus the return of Rashaan Salaam and some roster shuffling as teams do what they can to prepare for the second half of the season. But first, let's talk about the games.
SEATTLE DRAGONS 41 NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 38
Are the Seattle Dragons the next big thing? The Dragons and rookie QB Byron Leftwich seem to be following in the Ohio Glory’s footsteps, relying on offensive firepower and hoping the defense will follow. Coming into Week 8 they had scored 41, 34, 27, 42, and 26 points, giving them the #2 scoring offense in the league. Against a solid New Orleans defense they showed once again that they are playing some incredible offensive football, racking up 485 yards and 41 points, but, of course, they needed to as their defense gave up an equally impressive 487 yards and 38 points. To say that both defenses looked overwhelmed would be a bit of an understatement in this one.
Byron Leftwich would start off on what would become a 5 touchdown day with the first Dragon drive. He connected with Corey Bradford for a 24 yard score to open the game. But the Dragon D could not hold the lead. New Orleans would score on their next three possessions while Seattle struggled to duplicate their early success. Trent Dilfer hit Josh Reed for a score on New Orleans’s first drive, then doubled the Breaker score on the second by hitting Az-Zahir Hakeem for a 15-yard TD toss. Hakeem would catch 8 balls on the day for 110 yards, and he would also boost New Orleans’s advantage to 21-7 as he scored again on the next Breaker Drive.
Down by 2 scores, the Dragons responded with Leftwich hitting Bradford again, this time from 34 yards out as the big play capacity of the Seattle offense was on full display. Bradford would have only 4 catches on the day, but with 2 of them deep touchdown passes his presence was certainly felt. Ken Dilger would actually be the top receiver for the Dragons on the day with 101 yards in total, but Leftwich would spread the ball around, finding 7 different receivers.
The half ended with New Orleans getting in range for their kicker and David Green connecting from only 20 yards out on the final play of the 2nd quarter to give the home team a 10-point advantage, 24-14.
In the second half, both teams would again encounter no difficulty moving the ball, although New Orleans would have some issues in the red zone, issues which turned touchdowns into field goals and kept Seattle in the game. After another short field goal from Green, New Orleans led 27-14, but Seattle would roar back in the 3rd, scoring 3 times to pull ahead for the first time since the opening minutes of the game.
The first score was a 22-yarder from Leftwich to J.J. Stokes, who had been quiet for most of the first half, and who would finish with only 2 receptions on the day. After a Breaker punt, Seattle would score again, this time with Leftwich finding O.J. McDuffie from the 3-yard line on a perfectly executed fake to Corey Dillon, freeing the receiver. Dillon, who would rush for 109 on the day, was used effectively both to move the ball and to provide Leftwich with single coverage on his top receivers. The rookie QB would hit McDuffie again only minutes later to move the lead from 28-27 up to 35-27.
Trent Dilfer and the Breaker offense would respond in the waning moments of the 3rd quarter, completing a quick 6-play drive with a 15-yard TD toss to tight end Bubba Franks. The 2 point PAT was good and the Breakers tied the score at 35. Early in the 4th, the Breakers would get the lead back, scoring on a 49 yard kick from Green. But, field goals were not enough as Seattle continued to move the ball. They too would have to settle for kicks, but with a game-tying 52-yard bomb of a kick from Jay Feely, the Dragons were still in the thick of this one.
New Orleans got the ball back with 8:22 to play, and they started shifting gears, trying to downshift to a slower, more methodical pace. The problem there being the need to avoid mistakes, and a holding call on what had appeared to be a successful 3rd and 7 conversion gave the Breakers a 3rd and 17, a conversion they could not make, and they were forced to kick the ball back to Seattle.
The Dragons had more success playing a slow game down the stretch, using runs by Corey Dillon and Brian Mitchell, mixed with short passes to Dilger, Dillon and McDuffie, to move the ball across midfield and set up Feely for a game winner. He would take the kick with 20 seconds left on the clock, and it would sail through, giving Seattle their third win of the season and a possible tipping point for their year.
For New Orleans, the loss meant that their lead over Memphis would tighten up. For Seattle, the win meant that they could continue to develop and have hopes for a late surge to get them potentially into Wild Card position.
DEN 10 MEM 20
Memphis had seen the Breaker loss by the time they kicked off, but they had a tough foe to face themselves. Denver was 6-1 and in no mood to give the Showboats a win. The two battled to a 10-10 tie at the half, but in the second half it was all Showboats. Heath Shuler connected with Tydus Wynans for a score and the Showboat defense picked off Mark Brunell on the one deep penetrating drive the Gold mustered in the half. Despite Denver having 3 different receivers go over 100 yards (Battaglia, Smith, and Price) the Gold could not muster 2nd half offense and suffered their 2nd loss of the season.
WSH 26 BAL 20
The Federals moved to 8-0 on the road, but they got all they could handle from a determined Blitz squad. Baltimore got 114 yards and a TD from Ron Dayne, but Jeff Garcia made too many mistakes, including 4 picks, and that sank the upset attempt. The bad day from Garcia may have been the last straw triggering a midweek move only 2 days later. For Washington, Deuce McCallister rushed for 121 and Cedric Tillman hauled in 2 scores to help Washington stay unbeaten.
PHI 23 NJ 30
A late Brady-to-Hayes TD broke the 23-23 tie and gave New Jersey a rousing home win before nearly 58,000 at the Meadowlands on Saturday night. Philadelphia looked good on both sides of the ball, getting pressure on Brady (2 picks, 4 sacks), but Brian Griese suffered 7 sacks against the Generals’ front 7, including one on 4th and 5 that ended their last gasp drive at the game’s conclusion.
TBY 24 BOS 27
The Cannons get the close win at home to thrill the Alumni Stadium crowd. Tiki Barber was again the star for the Cannons as he rushed for 85 yards and 2 scores on the day. Robert Ferguson added a score and 101 yards receiving for Boston. Kent Graham played well for Tampa Bay, throwing for 254 yards and 2 scores, while Willis McGahee rushed for 98 yards and a score in what was a very entertaining game between two clubs on the rise.
OHI 45 MGN 31
The Michigan Panthers showed signs of an actual pro offense on Sunday, but it was just not enough against the Glory. Drew Brees threw for 321 and new HB Ladell Betts averaged 7.8 YPC on limited touches. Meanwhile Eddie George had a massive game through the air, going for 3 scores, two of them over 50 yards, as he racked up 152 yards through the air on only 4 receptions. Kerry Collins would throw 5 TDs and the Glory pulled away over the 2nd half.
PIT 30 CHI 44
Chicago needed this win to stay alive in a very competitive Central Division, and to get it they relied on some surprising contributors. With Duce Staley dinged up in the 2nd quarter, backup Charles Rogers got the majority of carries for 2 ½ quarters and he showed his stuff, rushing for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns. Chicago needed every inch as Pittsburgh got 123 yards from Andre Rison, 92 from Alge Crumpler, and 102 from Terrell Davis, but 2 turnovers in the second half helped the Machine pull away, building a 44-23 lead and then keeping the clock ticking to end the game.
ARZ 19 BIR 26
The Stallions reach .500 thanks to a strong defensive outing. Mike Rucker added 2 sacks to his total and Renaldo Turnbull secured a safety to help Birmingham outlast the Wranglers. What is more impressive is that it seems the Stallions have learned to run the ball. With a lead late, they turned to Shaun Alexander and the big back came through with 44 yards in the final period and 109 for the game. That was enough to withstand a 373-yard passing day from Jake Plummer and even their record at 4-4.
TEX 26 OAK 10
Texas also leveled their record at 4-4, earning a road win in Oakland against the 1-7 Invaders. In his first game back from suspension Rashaan Salaam looked a bit out of shape, carrying the ball only 5 times for 6 yards. Meanwhile, Texas got touchdowns from Brian Westbrook and Ike Hilliard, and they picked off Marques Tuiasosopo 3 times to seal the win. After the game Coach Green stated that he is continuing to evaluate the QB situation and that Jon Kitna would be considered for a Week 9 start as part of that ongoing process.
HOU 16 LA 31
Cade McNown returned to action and in top form as well, withstanding 4 Houston sacks to throw for 248 and 3 scores. The combo of Antowain Smith and DeShaun Foster combined for 156 yards rushing in what would be their last game together (see Stories for details). Tory Holt and Amani Toomer would both score for LA, who built up a 31-9 lead before allowing Houston’s only TD of the game late in the 4th.
POR 0 NSH 13
A downpour in Nashville made this game a quagmire of mud, which was fine for both defenses but brutal for fans and offensive playmakers alike. Despite the muddy field, this game ended with no turnovers on either side. The only TD was a short pass from Collins to Ahman Green as neither team could do much. Rick Mirer, starting for the injured Akili Smith, ended up running the ball 14 times, but gained only 4 yards for his efforts. Portland had a chance to get on the board late, at least to save face, but Thunder kicker Carlos Huerta slipped in the mud on his approach to a late field goal, creating a football follie blooper that will likely follow him for a while, and keeping Portland at 0 points for the game.
As we hinted in our game summaries, this was a week of action that produced several major roster shifts over the days to follow. We have no fewer than 3 trades involving current starters changing teams as some clubs look to deal with weaknesses as they push for a playoff spot while others look to unload salary and obtain draft picks in what are already lost seasons. In addition to this we had several announced promotions from bench to starter across the league, but let’s start with the trades.
Jacksonville has apparently decided that highly-touted DE Jevon Kearse is simply not an ideal fit for their defense, and were willing to trade the speedy edge rusher to acquire a potential starter at halfback. LA was more than happy to split up their HB duo by sending veteran Antowain Smith to Jacksonville in trade. In total the deal saw 4 players and one pick change hands as Jacksonville sent Kearse and 3rd down back Marquette Smith to Jacksonville. In return the Express send their leading rusher, Antowain Smith and swing DE Israel Ifeany to Jacksonville along with a 5th round pick in next year’s draft.
The move means that Deshaun Foster is now the true lead back in LA, ending Smith’s 4-year run as the Express’s leading rusher. Expect Foster to see a major increase in touches after the move, and expect Kearse to be a part time player this week, but almost certainly to take over the Left End position within 2 weeks. For Jacksonville, the trade is bad news for Kenny Bynum, who has struggled this year. The Bulls are expecting to start Smith right away, backed up by Bynum and rookie Fred Jackson. The move likely marks the end of Bynum’s tenure in Jacksonville, as the player is a free agent at the end of the season. DE Israel Ifeanye will likely also get significant playing time for the Bulls’ defense, replacing Kearse on the left side.
Antowain Smith was not the only starting back to find himself with a new address by midweek. Upset with a lack of production from T.J. Duckett, the Michigan Panthers sent the big back and former Michigan State player to Texas, who have been struggling to find a bell cow back since the retirement of Reggie Cobb. Duckett and WR Dedrick Ward were on a flight to San Antonio by Wednesday. Flying up to Michigan are Outlaw HB Autrey Detson (more of a receiving/special team contributor) and WR Eugene Baker. The Outlaws also threw in a 3rd round pick to sweeten the deal. The move frees up over $3.6M in cap space for the year as they avoid a 3rd year bubble payment to Duckett. For Texas, the goal is to improve the offense right away in hopes of making a playoff run this year.
The third and final trade seems to have been the result of frustration from two different coaching staffs. Frustration in Texas with the constant mouthing off of QB Ryan Leaf, and frustration in Baltimore with the poor play of Jeff Garcia. Baltimore is hoping to make a run in the Northeast, but Garcia has been a weak link. They send a 4th round pick and backup Billy Joe Tolliver to the Outlaws for the outspoken Leaf, who could begin to compete with Garcia right away. Expect a bit of fireworks as this is Leaf’s third team in 4 years and he is unlikely to stay quiet if his trade does not immediately provide him with a chance to prove that he deserves to be the starter in Baltimore. For Texas, they get rid of a distraction, add a very viable backup behind Jeff Lewis (and one who won’t whine about that status), and they get a midround pick as well.
In other player news, the big change is in Oakland where Coach Green has opted to start Jon Kitna over Marques Tuiasosopo for Week 8. We cannot really call this a surprise, as Tuiasosopo’s 74.9 QBR is one of the lowest of any starter in the league, and his 14 picks have proven costly for a team that cannot afford to make mistakes. Kitna is almost certainly a short term answer for Coach Green and the Invaders. They toyed with the idea of trading for Leaf, but ownership in Oakland, having been burned by Leaf’s temper and attitude quickly put a stop to any talks with Texas for the controversial QB.
So Kitna is the starter for now, but you know Oakland, having missed on trying to sign Carson Palmer from the 2003 draft will be looking at the 2004 rookie class, one that includes 3-4 potential 1st round picks in Ole Miss’s Eli Manning (brother of NFL MVP Peyton), NC State’s Philip Rivers, Miami (OH) star Ben Roethlisberger, and Tulane’s J.P. Losman. With two of the four QBs playing for teams that are not among any USFL’s protected list (Roethlisberger and Rivers) the odds are good that Oakland will be among several teams vying for a big name rookie QB next offseason.
Oakland is also expected to shift their backfield beyond the Kitna for Tuiasosopo move, as, despite a less-than-stellar first game back, the Invaders are also expected to give Rashaan Salaam a much larger role in the Week 9 game against Seattle. So it will be Kitna and Salaam for the Invaders as they face one of the most explosive offenses in the league.
In Baltimore, Coach Infante has stated that Jeff Garcia will get the start against Boston in Week 9, but was unwilling to name him the starter beyond this week, stating that they traded for Leaf to create competition and that once Leaf has a familiarity with the playbook, it should be expected that the starter will be determined on a week-by-week basis. We shall see if this motivates Garcia, who is having one of his worst seasons as a starter for the Blitz, with only 7 touchdowns and 13 picks.
In Michigan, where the run game is the league’s worst, producing only 402 total yards in 8 games, T.J. Duckett is gone and Ladell Betts, recently acquired from Washington, will be the new starter. Expect to see Betts a lot on first and 2nd down, with either Autry Detson (newly acquired from Texas) or Winslow Oliver seeing action on 3rd downs.
Texas is unlikely to start T.J. Duckett as he just arrived from the Panthers, but he should see some action this week in limited packages. That said, with Duckett now in San Antonio, expect Brian Westbrook to become more of a true 3rd down back, as he may see his touches drop considerably over the next month but his role become more refined. Will Duckett succeed in Texas when he had such issues in Michigan? That remains to be seen, but the Outlaws feel he has untapped potential and they could certainly use a boost as well. Wideout Dedrick Ward could also contribute right away, as he is expected to occupy the 4th receiver spot, and could compete with Kirby Dar-Dar for the slot position.
Finally, a bit of a shakeup for Pittsburgh in the receiving corps as rookie Nate Burleson has been making an impression on Coach Bicknell. Expect to see Burleson more frequently lined up opposite Andre Rison in 2-receiver sets, and we also anticipate seeing more of 2nd year WR Antwan Randle-El in the slot as well. Looks like the Maulers are hoping to get a bit more out of their passing game.
A bad week across the USFL as we witnessed several players carted off the field and several more who received news this week that their season was over. If there is any silver lining it is that no one team was hit with multiple season-ending injuries, but that is little comfort for teams losing a key player for the year. Among those who will be concerned are the Jacksvonville Bulls, who traded away DE Jevon Kearse and now learn that DT Renaldo Wynn is out for at least 3 months due to a back injury suffered this week. He is expected to make a full recovery, but this sidelines him at least until October. LA is in a similar situation with center Bryan Stoltenberg, who suffered a scary back injury during the Express game and was carted off. He too is expected to recover fully, but will be out the rest of the season. The Express will also be without WR Dez White at least for 1-2 weeks due to a hamstring injury.
In Houston, wideout David Patten got the news he was dreading, that his hip injury would require surgery, ending his season. Houston also learned that DE Michael Sinclair would miss at least 2-4 weeks with a significant groin injury, though he is expected to be back in time for the season’s final weeks. In Boston, wideout Chris Calloway is done for the year with a PCL injury and DT Anthony McFarland will also miss up to 2-3 weks with a significant hamstring issue.
In Chicago, CB R.W. McQuarters is hit with a significant injury for the second season in a row, expected to miss up to 6 weeks with a broken collarbone. Nashville will be without Darnay Scott, their primary kick returner, after suffering a meniscus tear in his right knee. Finally, New Jersey could be without Terry Glenn this week and perhaps next week as well due to a hyperextended knee, a test of the depth of the New Jersey receivers group.
Showboats Look for Concessions
The question of the Showboats’ status continues to get muddled as both the city of Memphis and St. Louis are putting efforts into sweetening the pot to either relocated or retain the USFL club. Meanwhile the Showboats themselves are asking that special contingencies be put into place should USFL owners approve a proposed expansion plan in their summer meetings. We start with the city of Memphis, which has successfully placed a bond issuance proposal onto a special election to be held in early June. The concept is to provide the Showboats with a significant refurbishing of Liberty Bowl Stadium, adding 20 luxury suites, additional high-tech audio-video components, improved concession and restroom facilities, and to convert nearby unused warehouse space into a team facility. The proposed changes would decrease the capacity of the stadium from 62,338 to roughly 58,000, but with greater revenue capacity thanks to the luxury suites. The city is asking voters to support the bond issuance to finance 80% of the proposed renovations, with the Showboats kicking in 20%, a shift from earlier proposals which had capped the city’s contribution below 70%.
For their part, St. Louis is looking at increased tax benefits for the Showboats, should they opt to relocate to the city and the Dome at America’s Center. The St. Louis bid still has some potential issues, namely the status of the Showboats in relation to the NFL Rams, an issue which was a serious sticking point for the St. Louis Knights before they relocated to Nashville. The proposal from St. Louis is a strong one however, with far more favorable revenue options for a relocated Showboats club. The city is, however, hedging their bets after the leak of the USFL expansion plan, opening up the current deal being made to the Showboats for any approved investor group which would bring a 2006 expansion club to the city, as was proposed in the USFL’s internal expansion report. The possibility of putting together local ownership and starting with a new expansion club does seem to temper the urgency for the city to work with the Showboats to bring the club to town.
And that lack of urgency is likely what spurred Memphis ownership to demand that a codicil be added to the expansion proposal in order to obtain their vote (and likely the vote of several other owners who seek to keep the Showboats in Memphis). The new addendum would allow for the 2006 expansion to remove St. Louis or Atlanta as “mandated” locations for the first wave of expansion in 2006 should an existing franchise propose, and be approved, for relocation to either city. Essentially it would allow the Showboats to make the move to St. Louis if they found it preferable and then St. Louis would be removed from the list of expansion locations and the league would seek to add a different city to the 2006 2-team expansion, or potentially delay all expansion until 2008. It is a complication that could be a problem for the expansion plan’s ratification, as it creates much greater doubt and more potential variations for a plan that allows only 24-30 months of preparation if two new clubs are to join the league in 2006. If Memphis essentially has veto power on St. Louis being included in the expansion plans, then that would require the league to also consider outside bids from other markets, to potentially replace St. Louis should the Showboats opt to move.
With most owners clearly standing in opposition of a relocation of the Showboats, despite potential support for the addendum, the waters get about as muddy as the Mississippi when trying to figure out how a vote would proceed. For many the goal should be for Memphis to secure funding to retain the Showboats, with improvements to the Liberty Bowl as proposed, and then to move ahead with a targeted St. Louis and Atlanta expansion, rather than to have the Showboats draw out the process, potentially move, and provide little time for a new city to be considered.
The truth is that there are many who believe the entire St. Louis proposal by the Showboats is nothing more than a pressure tactic to get the city and its residents to pay to retain the team, something they have voted against on numerous occasions by scuttling past stadium improvement proposals. Others believe that St. Louis could provide a sweet enough offer to override even a renovated Liberty Bowl offer from Memphis. It is a larger market with a more diverse corporate base and a stronger overall economy than Memphis. That alone could lead Showboat ownership to consider the move, despite local ties in western Tennessee. And while the Showboats playing hardball by using St. Louis as a tool to put pressure on the city is certainly not sitting well with many Memphians, the idea of losing the Showboats is even more unpopular. So we wait for June and a vote on the bond initiative. If it passes, the odds are certainly far greater that Memphis will retain the team, and if not, there could be chaos 2 weeks later at the Owner’s meeting when the issue of expansion is once again the topic of the day.
So what does Week 9 bring us? Well, with the Eastern Conference in divisional play in Week 8 you might expect it to be the West’s turn, and you would be right. Looking at the key matchups in the Western Conference this week, we see what may be a mini-playoff game between two 3-5 clubs as Arizona visits Houston may be. A 6th loss for either club this early could spell the end of any realistic playoff chances. For Texas, hosting the 6-2 Denver Gold, a win would bring them within a game of the leaders in the Southwest, while a loss may well put Denver on the path to an early clinching of the division.
In the Pacific, Seattle is hoping to get back in the hunt for a Wild Card as they host the “new look” Oakland Invaders. Portland has a chance to help themselves if they can win as a home dog against the 6-2 LA Express. And in the Southern Division, we have two huge games. First we have Birmingham an Nashville, both sitting at 4-4. A win for either club could move them within a game of the lead, depending on the big Sunday night game that features Memphis visiting New Orleans. A win by the Breakers and they open up a 2-game lead on the division, but if Memphis pulls out the W, then we could have a down-to-the-finish battle, with all 4 Southern teams still in the mix.
The other half of the slate features interdivisional games in the Eastern Conference. The game we are all excited to see is Sunday afternoon’s matching of Pittsburgh visiting Washington. The Maulers have the 2nd best record in the conference, and they are headed into the home of the unbeaten Federals. Another good game will feature 5-3 Jacksonville visiting 5-3 New Jersey, playing with Tom Brady back but Terry Glenn out. Ohio is hoping that if Washington can beat the Maulers they can return atop the Central Division. They head to Philadelphia to face the 3-5 Philadelphia Stars. The Cannons and the Blitz will face off in Baltimore this weekend in a battle of teams with playoff aspirations. We also have our two winless teams in action, hoping they can muster a W. Michigan is at home to 3-5 Tampa Bay, while Orlando is visiting 4-4 Chicago. Not great matchups for either club, but on any given Sunday, right?