2004 USFL Conference Title Games Recap

A muggy slog and a lightning storm in Tampa for the Bandits and Generals, but nothing like the inferno in Tempe where the Wranglers and Dragons battled the extreme heat as much as each other. With a game time temperature over 100 degrees, the sun could not get low enough fast enough for the Western Conference Final. Both games saw summer extremes of weather play a part, and both saw defense win the day in part thanks to the sheer strain of playing in Florida or Arizona in July. In the end, New Jersey won with defense and a methodical and patient attack, surviving a major momentum swing when the game was delayed by lightning, and Arizona won on sheer force of will and perhaps greater assimilation into desert conditions. So, we find ourselves with a Summer Bowl where defense and drive could be the keys to a title for either the Generals or the Wranglers.

NEW JERSEY GENERALS 23 TAMPA BAY BANDITS 20

A game of two halves is what we had in Tampa Bay, two halves with a particularly long halftime thanks to some lightning. At one point it even seemed that Mother Nature was doing her best to help out the home team, stopping New Jersey in its tracks, recalibrating the game, and giving the home team a chance to regroup. And it almost worked.

New Jersey came into this game ready to face an offense that lived for the big play. They would keep both safeties back, dare the Bandits to run the ball, and keep anyone from getting over the top. If Tampa was going to beat the Generals, they were going to have to go the long way. For the Bandits’ part, their strategy was also quite clear, limit the New Jersey run game, double team Terry Glenn, and force Tom Brady to beat them with secondary receivers. Both plans worked, to a degree, but both also fell short.

New Jersey had the upper hand in the first half, that was without a doubt. Tampa Bay did not have a play over 9 yards, and while Willis McGahee was having success (on his way to a 4.6 YPC average), he did not break any long runs, and the passing game was limited to inside routes from Banta and Doering. The Bandits struggled to keep drives going, and punted on their first three possessions. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s slow and steady approach was frustrating to watch, but allowed the Generals to get into Tampa Bay territory three times in the first quarter. Each drive came tantalizingly close to producing 7 points, but each ended with a Ryan Longwell field goal. Good enough to give New Jersey a 9-0 lead after one quarter.

The same pattern continued into the second quarter, with Tampa Bay frustrated at every turn, converting only 1 of 7 first down attempts. New Jersey also struggled, in part due to the conservative nature of their playcalling, but this conservative approach led to the two biggest plays of the half, both on New Jersey’s lone TD drive, and both coming off a well-executed play action. The first was a long fly pattern to Terry Glenn, good for 30 yards on a first down, the second was the first TD of the game, a good ball fake to James Jackson that pulled in the linebackers and allowed Donald Hayes to find a gap in the zone, good for a 10-yard TD toss and New Jersey’s 16-0 lead.

But, just as it seemed the Generals were ready to walk away with this game, the skies opened up, the sound of thunder roared across the sky, and the first sign of lightning was visible in the distance. The Referees huddled, discussed conditions, continued play for a few more minutes, but with 1 minute left in the first half, they sent both teams to the locker rooms, and the crowd was advised to seek cover within the stadium. The half had come early.

It would be almost 90 minutes, 87 to be exact, before the two teams would again take the field. The decision had been made to stop the game with one minute left in the first half and resume it as if it had come to halftime. Reasonable enough as it made no sense to bring the teams out for one minute of play only to send them back into the locker rooms again. So the game resumed with a kickoff to the Bandits, and it became immediately clear that Steve Spurrier had spent that extra time altering the gameplan. Daunte Culpepper started using his short game, not as a backup plan, but as the primary mode of attack. While one receiver, often Moss, would draw coverage deep, the underneath receivers would find open areas in the field beneath the coverage. This, paired with a greater emphasis on draw plays and screens, kept Phil Hansen and the New Jersey pass rush off their game, and would produce immediate results, a 12-play drive that brought about Tampa’s first score of the day, a Kaeding field goal. It was not much, but it was enough to begin to turn the tide.

Tampa Bay’s cause was immediately aided by a defensive play when LB Zeke Moreno punched the ball out of Curtis Enis’s hands and recovered the fumble as well. 4 plays later, Tampa was in the end zone, with Karl Williams on the end of a short Culpepper TD toss. Now the score was only 16-10, and the stadium started to feel that this game could be theirs. Tampa would get the ball back to start the 4th, and they would again use short passes and draw plays to keep New Jersey off schedule. The result was a Culpepper to Doering TD that gave the Bandits their first lead of the game, 17-16.

New Jersey would try to battle back, but a tipped ball found the hands of Tampa’s Moreno, the defensive player of the game, and that would lead to a Bandit field goal, extending their lead to 20-16. New Jersey would need a touchdown to win the game, a field goal would do nothing for them. And this is where fate once again seemed to step onto the field of play. New Jersey failed to convert a 3rd and 9 play and was forced to punt the ball away with only 3:03 left to play. Tampa’s Tai Streets was back to field the punt, he caught it cleanly and started up the field. But, as he tried to outmaneuver New Jersey LB Rocky Calmus, he held the ball out and Calmus’s arm clipped the ball, knocking it loose and sending it flying towards the sideline. New Jersey CB Mike Rumph, saw the ball and was able to get a hold of it just as he slid out of bounds on the Tampa Bay 48. It was the break New Jersey needed. Now they would need to go 48 yards to steal away a win that at one point seemed assured, but had slipped through their hands.

On first down, James Jackson was stuffed after only a 1-yard gain, but Brady hit Patrick Hape on 2nd down for 10 yards and a first down. He then found little-used former Nebraska QB turned receiver Eric Crouch on 1st and 10 on a crossing route for 4 yards. Enis rushed for 4 more, and on 3rd and 10, Brady connected with Hape again. They were now deep in Tampa territory, but time was fleeting and the Generals only had 1 time out left. Brady tried to connect with Terry Glenn on first down, but the ball sailed too far wide. ON 2nd down he found Donald Hayes for 9 yards, setting up a makeable 3rd and 1. Enis took the dive play and gained 2 yards to give New Jersey a first down inside the 20. The Generals used their last time out, all but guaranteeing that the run game was no longer a factor.

First and 10 from the 17 and Brady found Glenn on a hook route that gained 12. First down again, now on the 5, Brady tried to hit Donald Hayes in the endzone, but the ball was too high. Flag on the play. Defensive holding, which would give new Jersey first and goal at the 2 ½ yard line with 11 seconds left to play. Brady, in shotgun formation, looked for Hape over the middle, but forced the ball a bit too soon and it sailed behind the receiver and out of the endzone. 7 seconds left, 2nd and goal. Brady scanned the field, sent Donald Hayes in motion, and took the snap. Hayes cut right then left, taking not one but two corners with him, a move that left outside receiver Jerome Pathon uncovered on the crossing route. Brady hit the lanky receiver and Pathon lunged for the endzone. The referee’s arms went up, the clock stopped at 1 second, and the Generals’ bench rushed onto the field. The coaches quickly moved them back, and Ryan Longwell connected on the Pat to give New Jersey a 23-20 lead with only 1 tick on the clock. New Jersey would squib the kick, and after a few awkward laterals, Travis Prentice was tackled with the ball, ending the game and sending the New Jersey Generals to the Summer Bowl.

As dejected Bandit fans left the stadium, Troy Aikman interviewed the Generals’ QB, who praised his O-line and Coach Parcells for having confidence in him when it mattered most. The New Jersey Generals would move on, having blown a 16-0 lead only to get the win with just over 1 second left to play. Call it luck, call it fate, but the rainbow that shown over the bay as the fans filed out of the Raymond James parking lot seemed to be saying that it was just another example of USFL football at its finest.

SEATTLE DRAGONS 3 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 18

If the New York-Tampa Bay game was all about drama, the Seattle-Arizona game was more a war of attrition as both teams tried to cope with the stifling heat, with careless penalties, with cramping, and with defensive pressure. It was a game that lacked explosive plays, with only 1 touchdown the whole evening, but what it did have was defensive plays that killed drives.

Seattle started off the game well-rested and well-hydrated. On their first drive they moved the ball well, getting down to the Arizona 22 before stalling out. They would send out Jay Feely for the game’s opening score, little suspecting it would be their only score on the day. Following this drive, both teams would struggle to move the ball into the opponent’s end. Both defenses found ways to get off the field on third down, and get back under the impromptu canopies and misters. Arizona would manage a field goal to tie the score before the half, but the halftime stats told the story for both teams. Seattle was 2 for 7 on third downs, both successful conversions on that early FG drive. Arizona was 2 of 8, with both first downs on the late drive that produced their field goal. The combined yardage for the two teams barely reached 200 yards.

Halftime gave both clubs a chance to cool off in the lockerrooms at Sun Devil Stadium. The fans, also sweltering, turned to the shaded interior levels of the stadium, and the many ice cream, soda, and beer vendors around the main level, to cool off. When the second half started, both teams again seemed to have a bit more energy. Arizona got the second half kickoff, and just as Seattle had done in the first half, the Wrangler used their fresh legs to move the ball well against the defense. Jake Plummer connected with Santana Moss and the Wranglers took a 10-3 lead just 4 minutes into the second half. Seattle tried to have a drive of their own, but costly penalties forced them into a 3rd and 17, and that was the end of their drive.

Arizona would go on to add three field goals over the final 25 minutes of action, each on a short drive dictated by opening field position. The Wranglers would shuttle in players, leading to Jake Plummer connecting with 11 different receivers on the day. That strategy paid off as Arizona was simply a step quicker than Seattle, allowing them to control the field position for the second half and slowly build up their lead.

By the time it was 18-3 in the 4th quarter (Rob Bironas having missed on the lone TD’s PAT earlier in the game), the Dragons were spent. Coach Lewis tried putting in Jeff Garcia just to see if he might be a bit more agile than Leftwich, but he too struggled to get the offense to move. In the end, Arizona simply outlasted the Dragons and the heat to take the win.

The Wranglers would be on their way to Orlando to face New Jersey in Summer Bowl 2004. They had won the division, been named top seed for the conference, and now had taken home the conference title. Not a bad first year for Coach Jim Fassel, but the season still has one week left and Arizona will not have the advantage of their scorching home field in Orlando’s Summer Bowl.

Four of Five USFL Coaching Vacancies filled.

This was a big week for teams in the USFL looking to sign a new head coach. We started the postseason with five clubs looking to fill the position, well, really 4 since Orlando had already agreed that defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas would step in to replace George O’Leary when he resigned. So, Thomas was officially the first hire, but this week we saw three more positions filled, two with names very familiar to those who follow football, and one with a coordinator who certainly earned his shot this season.

We start with that lesser-known commodity, Boston’s OC, Brad Childress. Childress, who joined Coach Fox’s team in their final season in Atlanta, helped build the Boston offense that took the league by storm this year. He parlays that success into his first head coaching job as the new leader of the Jacksonville Bulls. Childress replaces Gunther Cunningham, who stepped down after 4 seasons in north Florida. Expect Cunningham to focus on the offensive side of the ball and to bring in a new DC to help with the defense, one spearheaded by league Defensive POTY, Mike Vrabel. Childress will have some talent to work with in Jacksonville’s offense, including QB Jake Delhomme, young wideout Anquon Boldin, and an intriguing backfield of Antowain Smith and Fred Jackson.

The second position to be filled was in San Antonio, where the Outlaws went for local recognition and talent acquisition by naming former U. of Texas head coach John Mackovic as their newest coach. The Outlaws are counting on Mackovic to be a good judge of college talent, as well as to bring some offensive innovation to the Texas team. Mackovic, who came from an offensive background, has served as head coach at Illinois, Texas, and, most recently, at the University of Arizona. He does have some pro experience, having served as QB Coach for the Dallas Cowboys, and, for one year only, as the OC for the 1987 Arizona Wranglers.

The third, and final, hire of the past week is probably the best known to football fans, in part because he is more than happy to talk about what a good coach he is to anyone who will listen. The man in black, the former Bandits head coach, and most recently the voice of Houston Gambler radio, Jerry Glanville, returns to coaching after a 7-year hiatus. Glanville, who last coached briefly for the Atlanta Falcons after leaving the Tampa Bay Bandits, is back in pro coaching after a short career in the broadcast booth, and appropriately enough, he goes from the Gamblers’ radio crew, to the capital of gambling, Las Vegas.

Glanville will take over a Las Vegas Thunder squad desperately in need of a culture shift and a new focus. No doubt his Elvis obsession and his swagger will fit in well in Sin City, but can Glanville do what he almost did in Tampa Bay, where he built a winning squad, only to be let go a year before they peaked and won a title? Can he keep from disrupting things to such a degree that ownership feels obligated to let him go? We know he can coach defense, we think he can motivate players to excel, but can he stay focused? That seems the big question as Glanville takes over in a city already known for distraction.

The hirings leave the Philadelphia Stars as the only team that has yet to hire a head coach, and while the Stars have had some folks in for interviews, there has been no indication which way the Stars will go. Owner Miles Tanenbaum has said that they want to have a coach in place as the NFL-USFL transfer window opens up, so that essentially gives Philly 2 weeks to get it done.

Seattle & Tampa Bay face Player Departures After Postseason Bow-Outs

With this weekend’s Conference Championship defeats, the season is over for the Dragons and Bandits, and with that reality comes the other difficult part of this time of year, releasing players into the free agent pool. The Bandits and Dragons released their lists of players whose contracts have ended and who will now be able to test the waters this offseason.

Seattle is potentially losing both backup halfbacks as speedy scatback Brian Mitchell as well as June Henley head into free agency. The Dragons will also say goodbye to backup QB Jeff Garcia, LB Barry Minter, and their kicker, Jay Feely.

For Tampa Bay the story is much the same. They too are losing a backup HB in Tony Vinson, and a backup QB in Kent Graham. In addition to those two, TE Bradford Banta, who had a strong Conference Title Game, DT Pat Riley, and RT Andre Johnson are expected to seek a deal on the free market.

Tampa Bay also had their first retirement announcement this week as All-USFL Free Safety LeRoy Butler has stepped down after 15 seasons in the USFL. Butler, who played with all 3 Florida clubs, starting in Jacksonville, moving on to Orlando (after a brief stint in Houston) and finishing his career with the Bandits. All-USFL four times, twice with the Bulls and twice in Tampa Bay. He retires with 1,116 tackles, 31 sacks and 11 interceptions.

First Trades of the Offseason

We are still two weeks away from free agency opening in the USFL, but there is no limitation on trades, and we have had our first few moves as teams over or close to the cap limit try to find room to operate this offseason by offloading some pretty talented players to teams that have cap room to spare. We had two such trades this week as cap pressure forced teams to move players they likely did not want to part with.

Nashville was hoping to upgrade at LT, a key if they are going to protect Todd Collins and potentially get a new running game in place after Ahman Green joined the free agent pool. They found exactly who they wanted in Baltimore’s Wayne Gandy, an elite LT whose contract was a bit unwieldy for the Blitz. Baltimore had tried to rework the deal that provides Gandy with nearly $4M a season, but he was unwilling to drop his price, so Baltimore had to deal him. They made the deal with Nashville, sending Gandy to the Knights and getting back in return a 6th round pick and backup LT Adam Meadows. Nashville, which had more than enough cap room to absorb Gandy’s big contract, gets an elite lineman, and Baltimore, with Blake Brockmeier on the roster, will almost certainly move Brockmeier over from RT and hope that either Matt Hill or Meadows can serve as a solid RT option.

Boston was another team dealing with some major cap constrictions, and not a lot of good options to remedy the situation. They were able to restructure a couple of contracts, but in the end they knew they would have to part with a quality player to get within range to have funds for this offseason and the incoming draft class. The player who ends up getting shipped off is starting NT Anthony McFarland, who now becomes the newest member of Washington’s D-line. McFarland is a 28-year old true Nose Tackle who was an ALL-USFL player in 2000 and who should fit right in with Washington’s aggressive defensive scheme. This is a big loss for Boston, who will now rely on Casey Hampton to occupy the middle in their 3-4 scheme. In return for McFarland, Boston lands two draft picks, a 4th this year and another in 2006.

We expect this is only the beginning as Seattle and New Jersey, the two teams most in trouble with the cap, have yet to enter the market. Even with several players scheduled to come to the end of their contracts, we will not be surprised to see major sell-offs of contracts through trades as both teams try to get themselves enough cap space to at least add a few players this offseason. They both have very deep rosters, so there are sure to be some truly high quality players departing both clubs as they try to get legal with the league’s financial crew.

Only one new injury to report for the two Summer Bowl competitors, as both enter the championship game with very healthy squads. Arizona will be without OT Chad Clifton, who normally locks down the right side of the line. That may be great news for New Jersey DE Sean Ellis, who may not get the fanfare of Phil Hansen on the left side, but is a weapon as well for the Generals’ defense. Expect New Jersey to test Clifton’s replacement, Matt Anderle, with stunts, or by spreading Ellis out wide to force Anderle to stretch his positioning.

Free Agents to Monitor

We are one week away from the Summer Bowl, which means we are also only 2 weeks away from the opening of USFL free agency, and 3 weeks from the NFL-USFL transfer window. It seems like every year there are players who choose to decline an offer from their club and to try their luck in free agency. For many it works out very well, for a few it is a wake-up call as to how valued they are around the league. This year is no exception as we have a large pool of free agents prepared to offer their talents to the highest bidder from two leagues. Before the frenzy begins, we thought we should highlight the players we believe will garner the most attention. Here is our Top 20 Free Agents, and yes, we are including members of Arizona and New Jersey who are still without 2005 contracts.

20— Darwin Walker, DT, CHI: A solid plugger and runstuffer in the middle of the line who, at 28, could have several good years left to play. Lots of clubs looking for DT help, including Arizona, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Nashville could be interested.

19— Brian Griese, QB, PHI: The top rated QB available, and a bit of a surprise after the price Philly paid to bring Griese to town, but despite the fact that he has started in both Seattle and Philadelphia, we are not hearing a lot of excitement about him. Las Vegas is a possible destination if he is going to start. If he is a veteran backup to a young player he could end up back in Seattle, or find his way to Orlando, Baltimore, or Michigan. We could also easily see him end up in the NFL.

18— Brian Westbrook, HB, TEX: Outstanding on special teams, and a good 3rd down back for a team that likes to throw the ball but has a bruiser as their lead back. Could be a good option for either Houston or Seattle, who just lost their equivalent players in Mitchell and Faulk.

17— Mike Flannagan, C, BIR: The 2nd best center available, but 28, a possible 4-6 year plug in player who can help a lot of teams. We know Birmingham is interested in resigning him, but there is also interest in Las Vegas, New Orleans, LA, and Ohio.

16— Joe King, FS, JAX: The Jags had two solid free safeties, so it is not a surprise they opted to allow King to go for cap reasons. He will find a home (either USFL or NFL), even at age 33. Teams looking for this position include the Breakers, Invaders, Maulers, and Dragons.

15— Je’Rod Cherry, SS, ARZ: The Wranglers are trying their best to resign Cherry, but he seems to want to explore options. With only a few days before the Summer Bowl, it seems an extension is not very likely. He almost certainly will have several teams vying for his services, including the Federals, Bandits, and Gamblers, all looking to upgrade the position, although, perhaps the jubiliation of a Wranglers championship, if they can pull it off, will help him choose to stay put.

14— Norman Hand, DT, LA: A disruptive player and one who will make your edge rushers more effective by taking on multiple blockers. New Jersey is interested, but their cap issues may make that hard to set up. Texas and Las Vegas seem more likely destinations due to cap room alone.

13—Carl Pickens, WR, TEX: The veteran wideout has lost a step or two, but can still make contested catches. The Outlaws are looking for youth on offense, so they allowed him to enter the market. There are certainly no shortage of teams who could use veteran leadership at the position.

12— Brian Mitchell, HB, SEA: Another quality 3rd down back and kick returner. Don’t be surprised if he ends up with either of the other two teams who lost their parallel players, as this could just be a musical chairs situation between Seattle, Houston, and Texas.

11— Michael Sinclair, DE, HOU: Three to four years ago, Sinclair would have been at the top of our list, but any team that signs him this year is likely looking only at a 1-2 year return on investment. He can still terrorize right tackles, but he is best suited to a team that has a strong option on the left side as well, just as we saw in Houston with Kavika Pittman.

10— Kevin Faulk, HB, HOU: In our opinion, the best of the smaller, 3rd down receiving backs, but we acknowledge that all three are really good options. Honestly, the team that should be going after him is probably Nashville, but they also want a 3-down back who can pound the rock inside.

9— Jim Pyne, C, CHI: A premier player at the position, Pyne came to Chicago on a 1-year deal, proved his worth, and is now looking to make even more with a new destination. Chicago would love to resign him, but there will be other bidders for a center of his quality.

8— Jerome Woods, FS, OAK: We like Woods over Joe King for one reason, he is 5 years younger. That is a nice chunk of time you could have a top flight safety. The same teams who will speak with King will certainly be talking to Woods.

7— Matt Light, LT, NJ: The only truly talented left tackle we expect in the pool, which means big money is headed his way. New Jersey just simply did not have the cap room to retain him. No shortage of teams hoping to upgrade at this vital position, including several with big cap room space like Oakland, Chicago, Birmingham, and Las Vegas.

6— Andre Rison, WR, PIT: While he has had some issues off the field, he is an unquestionable #1 receiver, and that makes a lot of teams look the other way at his non-football issues. Not a speed burner, but a great route runner with good hands. If he is not signed within the first week of the USFL free agency period, we could easily see him headed to the NFL.

5— Ryan McNeill, CB, ORL: Not a true shut-down corner, but one of the best in zone defense, and a very capable tackler, which is a good combination to have. Teams in the market for a #1 CB are many, but we think that either Oakland, Nashville, or Denver are potential options here.

4— Ricky Williams, HB, NOR: The Breakers sat through the full year suspension, communicated with Williams throughout the year, and still let him go in free agency. That has to be a red flag. The talent is there, no doubt, but what are the odds that signing Williams means signing a potential headache? Buyer beware, but sometimes the risk can pay off. Philadelphia, Nashville, or Las Vegas could be potential landing spots.

3— Ted Johnson, LB MGN: The Panthers hate losing Johnson, and they may try to find a way to resign him, but if they cannot, then he will be a coveted player, with no shortage of bidders. Denver could use him, but they are notoriously cheap when it comes to free agents. Others who are more likely to pay the big bucks are Houston, Pittsburgh, Washington, or New Orleans.

2— Phil Hansen, DE, NJ: The greatest sack artist in USFL history is very likely going to be a free agent in 2005 if he does not retire after Summer Bowl 2004. We expect that we are talking about a 1-2 year deal here as he is certainly in the retirement range for a DE. But, getting a player who can bring you 15+ sacks for one year may be exactly the kind of “win now” signing that a team would jump at. There are no shortage of teams in that mode, including Ohio, Boston, and Tampa Bay.

1—Ahman Green, HB, NSH: There is no other way to say it, the Knights screwed the pooch on their negotiations with Green, coming in way too low and pissing off the league’s rushing leader. Green is only 26, and will undoubtedly be the highest paid free agent, coveted by both the NFL and several USFL squads. Expect a big offer made right away as the league would like to see him stay in the Spring. Philadelphia seems a very likely option, but could Denver break their tendency and actually open up the pocketbook for a top flight bell cow back?

USFL & Riddell Announce New Helmet to Debut in 2006

After several years working together on a concussion initiative, one largely inspired by the sudden retirement of Troy Aikman from the Tampa Bay Bandits, the alliance between the USFL and Riddell is apparently about to produce results. There have been some small victories over the past few years, and certainly more has been learned about the dangers of head to head collisions. Some new rules have been implemented, and guidelines for team physicians designed to prevent players from returning to action too quickly, but the technology of the helmet has not seen significant changes until now.

The USFL and Riddell announced this week that they would be working with players to pilot a new helmet design, one which they hope to bring to the league in 2006 for broad use. The design is to be called the Riddell Revolution Speed (pictured here). Some sharp-eyed USFL fans, particularly in Atlanta, may have noticed that the design was already being used, at least virtually, as the Pick the Helmet contest for the Fire opted to use the futuristic design in their imagery for the vote.

Designed to provide more protection along the crown of the helmet, particularly at the front, where most collisions occur, the Speed helmet disperses impact across an enhanced raised centerpiece and contains several vents along either side to allow for greater flexibility and release of energy. The helmets will be tested by 65 players in 2005 and, if results demonstrate what Riddell anticipates as a more successful design, the helmet will transition into one of 3 designs for official use in the USFL.

No players have been named yet, however, Riddell stated in their release that they are hoping to focus primarily on the positions of halfback, linebacker, safety, and guard, four positions where head to head collisions are more prominent. So, if you tune in next Spring and see some odd designs on your favorite players’ heads, know that it is the final stage of testing for a technology that has been years in the works, and which both Riddell and the USFL hope will bring about a safer game without watering down the hard hitting gameplay that fans of the spring league have come to expect.

It all comes down to this. We don’t think many would have predicted a New Jersey vs. Arizona Summer Bowl this year, but by season’s end these two teams were among the best in the country. With both it is about a controlled offense and a shut down defense, so this could very well be a low scoring game with big plays decided by the defenses through turnovers or drive-stopping sacks. The hitting will be hard, we know that. The pressure on both quarterbacks will be there, and how they react could make all the difference. Let’s take a look at several key aspects of this game and who we favor in each.

QB Play: Two very different styles in Jake Plummer and Tom Brady. Coach Fassel has kept Plummer in the pocket and discouraged designed runs for the gunslinger, but Plummer can still be dangerous with his legs. Brady’s biggest gift is his ability to deal with pressure and hit receivers with a well-placed ball. Not one to improvise, Brady prefers to read his progressions and dump the ball when pressure comes. So, expect the Wranglers to have to focus on TE Anthony Becht as Brady’s favorite safety valve. For New Jersey, they are going to have to use Shaun Ellis and Phil Hansen to not only rush Plummer, but to keep him in the pocket. If he breaks containment, he could hurt the Generals with his ability to scramble.

Run Game: Prior to Jim Fassel and Stephen Davis coming to Arizona, this would have been a no brainer, but the new ball coach and new bell cow have proven that a run game can exist in the desert. Curtis Enis has more yards this year than Davis (952 to 864) but both teams have shown they can effectively use the run game to set up the pass or to earn those hard third and short yards. The advantage for New Jersey is the ability to bring in the quicker, more agile James Jackson to spell Enis when needed, or to help out in the passing game. Arizona’s tends to rotate in more players, such as Dominic Rhodes or Earnest Graham, but neither of them is quite the change of pace that Jackson provides to the Generals.

Receiving Corps: This is perhaps the biggest advantage for the Wranglers. Rookie Larry Fitzgerald has been outstanding in his first year, but his presence also means that teams cannot overload coverage to defend against Santana Moss. Tim Dwight can still come in and blow the top off coverages, and Nate Jacquet is a nice slot option. Where Arizona is hurting is at TE, where the injury to Matt Cushing leaves them a bit thin. New Jersey has long been a one-man show, with Terry Glenn being the first man Brady tries to find on every route. Anthony Becht is a solid drop down option, but he is not going to bust a play for 20 or 30 yards. If Arizona’s All-USFL defensive backfield contains Glenn, the pressure will be on Jerome Pathon and David Tyree to step up.

Pass Rush: Two very different styles here. New Jersey has an all-time great in Phil Hansen on one end and an underrated but very dangerous Sean Ellis on the other. With that combo, they can pressure with just 3 or 4 linemen in the game. They simply don’t blitz often at all, relying on Hansen, Ellis, and DT Tommy Harris to get to the QB so that they can leave 7 or even 8 in coverage. Arizona will bring heat, loving to mix in zone blitzes and bring both linebackers and safeties into the pass rush. Gary Walker leads the team with only 9 sacks, but then you add in 5 more form Jason Peter, 4 from rookie Karlos Dansby, 3 from LB Corey Miller, and blitzes from Winfred Tubbs and SS Je’Rod Cherry, and you have a lot of defenders to worry about. The nod still goes to New Jersey here, since getting pressure with just your line frees up so many options for coverage.

Run Defense: Arizona finished the year with the 3rd best defense, but that was mostly due to their outstanding secondary. The run coverage did not get much press, but finished 6th in the league, allowing only 83 yards per game. What is surprising is that with the #1 scoring defense and the #2 in yards allowed, New Jersey’s run defense was ranked lower at 13th. This is in part due to the issues teams faced trying to pass the ball against the Generals. Pretty much every club who faced them tried to establish the run, but if Arizona can do even a modest job of getting Stephen Davis on track, then they will have an easier time holding off the pass rush.

Takeaway Capability: Both of these teams excel at taking the ball away. Arizona finished first in the league with 39 takeaways, while New Jersey was 2nd with 38. The key for the Wranglers is that scary secondary of Je’Rod Cherry (4 picks), CB Jimmy Williams (7 picks), CB Philippi Sparks (4), and FS Tyrone Drakeford (4). For New Jersey, All-USFL FS Brian Dawkins is their pick leader with 6, but the real star of the secondary is Deion Sanders. Sanders only had 2 picks this year, but that is because no one is stupid enough to throw in his direction. The question we have is whether he will shadow Santana Moss all day, or will New Jersey put him on one side, Plummer’s preferred side, and have him cover whichever Wrangler receiver (Moss or Fitzgerald) is there? Either way, the workload will turn to Mike Rumph on the other side.

Kicking: This game could easily come down to a big kick at the end. We don’t see either team as likely to run away with this one unless turnovers are a huge factor. Looking at the kicking game it is again very close. New Jersey’s Ryan Longwell got the All-USFL nod, thanks largely to his 28 of 31 field goal record, but Rob Bironas of Arizona was also very solid, connecting on 29 of 35 attempts. Both have a lot of leg, and should do well in a pretty amiable kicking environment in Orlando. If there is an advantage it may be in the punt game, where New Jersey’s Josh Miller was a pretty clear All-USFL selection thanks to 32 of his 73 kicks ending up inside the 20, a fabulous percentage. Arizona’s return men, Cliff Russell and Damien Richardson, have better averages thanTay Cody or Andre Woolfork for New Jersey, but we would not be shocked at all if the Generals switched things up and put a scare into Arizona by sending Deion Sanders onto the field in key points of the game to return kicks.

Coaching: Jim Fassel was runner up to Steve Spurrier for Coach of the Year, and well-deserved, but Bill Parcells is a legend. We have to say that Parcells is more likely to come up with a plan to cancel out Arizona’s best offensive plays, and will also likely have a wrinkle or two on offense to mix things up. He also has a greater knowledge of his roster than Fassel will in only his first year. Advantage Generals.

OUR PICK; This is a tough one. We expect it will be a very close game. It could well be decided by turnovers and pass protection. Arizona is more capable of the dramatic gamebreaker plays, particularly in the passing game, and their secondary is more than capable of a momentum shifting pick-six, but Brady is a very controlled QB, unlikely to make the big mental mistake, and that consistency can pay off if the game is close. We are going to give the edge, but just barely, to the Generals, thanks to Coach Parcells’ experience in championship football games, having won 2 Super Bowls in the NFL before signing on with the Generals. New Jersey 18 Arizona 17, and we think it really could be that close.