Week Ten is a good time to put all the pieces together, something we saw from Ohio, Houston, and Chicago, and a horrible time to be slumping, as we are seeing with Boston, Washington, and New Orleans. With so many tight divisional races, this is the time to make a statement and get on a roll. Time to stake out a position at the top of the standings and fight off all comers. Four weeks left in the season, a month to make your name or crumble into ruins. It’s some of the best football all season, and it starts this week.
BOSTON CANNONS 20 HOUSTON GAMBLERS 27
A big win for the Gamblers as they try to prove to us and to themselves that they are a contender. Kris Kershaw has availed himself well since stepping in for the injured Matt Hasselbeck, as once again Doug Flutie was able to watch the game with a baseball cap on. Kershaw completed 15 of 29 passes for only 148 yards, but had two touchdowns, including the game winner on a furious last minute drive to victory.
The key, as you might expect, was the Houston defense getting after both QB Drew Bledsoe and HB Tiki Barber. Barber rushed for 79 yards and a score, but his longest run was only 9 yards. Tatum Bell was able to up that, with 70 yards rushing, including a 16-yard touchdown for Houston. Ronde Barber was the big hero for Houston, making 12 tackles on the day, while Kavika Pittman nonchalantly added 2 more sacks to his league-leading total.
The Cannons were first on the board as they had a successful first drive, ending with a Tiki Barber TD run, but that would be the only TD for Boston until the final 2 minutes of the game. In between, Houston held the Boston offense in check, despite giving up over 470 yards of total offense, it was almost all between Boston’s endzone and Houston’s 35. After a field goal by Josh Brown, Houston took its first lead of the game with a Kershaw to Dan Campbell TD toss to make the halftime score 10-7. In the third quarter both teams traded field goals, so it went to the 4th at 13-10 Gamblers.
In the final period, Houston started strong, finishing off a drive with a Tatum Bell TD run that gave them a 10 point lead, but Boston, sensing that time was eluding them, put together a quick drive for a field goal, and then got the ball back and went down the field in quick time, finishing with Tiki Barber swinging out of the backfield and taking the ball 33 yards for a game tying score. With the game tied at 20 with only 1:19 left to play, Houston could have played it conservatively and headed to overtime, but Coach Philips showed faith in Kershaw and let him run a 2-minute offense. The confidence was well-placed as Kershaw led Houston down the field efficiently, using 2 of the team’s 3 timeouts and spiking the ball to conserve time. The Gamblers had the ball within range for kicker Josh Brown, and were simply trying to run some time and set up the kick, when a huge mistake by Boston LB Roman Pfifer gave the Gamblers a chance for more.
Pfifer took a cheap shot at Kershaw after he had handed off to Bell, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and riling up both the fans at NRG Stadium and the entire Gambler team. The Gamblers lined up for what appeared to be one final handoff to Bell to place the ball for the kick, but Kershaw instead pulled the ball back and found rookie Roy Williams wide open for the game-winning touchdown. Houston erupted, the fans, the team on the sideline, even the coaches seemed to express vindication and great joy in having stuck it to Boston with the play action and the score. So, a lesson learned for Pfifer and the Cannons, who apparently messed with Texas and paid the price.
WSH 17 MEM 20
Washington loses their 4th in the past 5 games as they seem to have lost all sense of who they are offensively. Memphis did not exactly blow the doors off against the Feds’ defense, but the Washington Offense simply did not put anything together despite 102 yards from Deuce McCallister. It was 17-13 Feds at the half and they did nothing in the entire second half, while Memphis got a Dorsey Levins TD midway through the fourth to take the lead and the win, only their 3rd of the season.
BAL 20 NSH 17
Almost the opposite story in Baltimore where the new culture of Coach Tom Coughlin is producing results. The Blitz played solid defense and mustered just enough offense to pull this one out in Nashville. Two fourth quarter scores pulled them first into a 17-17 tie (thanks to a D’Wayne Bates TD catch) and then got them the win as Martin Grammatica hit a walk-off field goal as time expired to move the Blitz to .500 at 5-5.
NJ 16 NOR 10
A battle of backups as Tom Brady was out and Trent Dilfer was a late scratch after injuring his ankle in Friday’s practice. That meant that we got to see Eli Manning get the start for the Breakers. He got a huge round of applause from the Breaker faithful, but struggled in the game, throwing 2 picks and averaging only 5.8 yards per pass. Todd Boumann did a solid job filling in for Brady, completing 14 of 24 for 261 yards and the team’s lone TD, a 12-yarder to Terry Glenn.
TBY 28 DEN 20
Denver tested the Bandits, but Coach Spurrier’s squad did what they needed to get the W, with Daunte Culpepper surviving 5 sacks to throw TD passes to George Wrightster, Kevin Johnson, and Randy Moss. Denver’s Peerless Price had a big game with 133 yards on 12 receptions, but the Gold had trouble in the red zone, with two red zone turnovers in 4 trips into scoring territory.
ORL 34 ARZ 24
The Renegades pull off a second upset, two weeks after upending Nashville, as Jeff Blake throws fo r2 scores and the run game garners 142 yards and 2 scores as well against the Wranglers. Orlando was helped by two picks of Jake Plummer, and helped themselves by totally shutting down Stephen Davis (12 carries for 17 yards).
PIT 25 OAK 20
Oakland loses a third game in a row as the Maulers edge them thanks to 16 points from the defense. Oakland held the Pittsburgh O in check all game, but Trent Green threw 3 picks, two of them returned for scores, and got sacked for a safety as Pittsburgh’s defense almost won this game without the offense’s help at all.
CHI 26 LV 10
Chicago smothered the Thunder, who have lost 6 of their last 7, by confusing and pursuing Aaron Brooks all game long. Adding 136 yards rushing between rookie Michael Turner and veteran Duce Staley and you have a convincing Machine win on the road. We also got to see our first Tony Banks action for the Machine as Ray Lucas got poked in the eye and missed a series getting treatment before returning to finish the game. Brooks would play 6 plays, going 1 for 1 passing.
MGN 17 SEA 20
The Panthers are becoming a tough out each week, but Seattle, playing at home, had just enough in the tank to edge Michigan and move to 5-5, atop the Pacific Division. Chris Perry had a solid game, averaging 6.4 yards per rush as he gained 77 yards on the day, while Corey Dillon, averaging only 3.5 per carry needed 22 carries to reach the same total. Michigan actually led with 3:19, following Perry’s lone TD of the day, but Seattle had a 2-minute drill in them and won the game on a Leftwich to McDuffie TD pass.
PHI 25 BIR 10
The Stars snap a 3 game losing streak as Birmingham coach Dennis Franchione stays true to his word and sits Brett Favre due to team policy violations. His replacement, Danny Kanell, showed all the rust you would expect of a player who almost never sees game action, throwing 2 picks and getting sacked 6 times by the Stars. The other surprise of the game was that Ki-Jana Carter came in for a dinged-up Larry Johnson and did quite well, rushing for 73 yards on 19 carries.
JAX 20 TEX 27
Texas wins only their second game of the season as the Bulls seem lifeless in this one. T.J. Duckett rushes for 80 yards and a score and WR Ike Hilliard brings in two Jeff Lewis TDs as Texas gets a W and Jacksonville now falls 3 games behind the leader, Tampa Bay, in the Southeastern Division.
OHI 51 LA 17
How would Ohio fare without Joey Galloway? How about their best point total of the season as Troy Brown hauls in 3 TDs from Kerry Collins, and TE Stephen Alexander gets 2 more. The game was close at the half (20-14 Ohio), but the Glory scored 24 unanswered points to put the game out of reach in the second half. Rob Johnson completed only 13 of 41 pass attempts as the Express are just not looking like a team that can compete until Cade McNown returns from injury.
FIVE QB’s WHO COULD BE ON THE MOVE
As we look at the final month of the season, we know that QB play will make a huge difference across the league. It is rare that we see a team head into the playoffs with confidence if they are not seeing outstanding QB play. What we do see are more often teams struggling because the position is either unsettled or underperforming. We thought we would take a moment to look at 5 teams whose quarterbacks have seen better days. The question at hand is whether any of these starting QB’s are now looking ahead at the final month of the season with their jobs on the line. Which might be auditioning for another year, and which might just be looking for another team come July?
Our first QB under pressure is Brian Griese in Philadelphia. The Stars gave up quite a bit to bring Griese to the City of Brotherly Love, but Griese has not been feeling the love from the Stars’ fanbase. His numbers are not horrible—68.9% completion rate, 12 Tds to 7 picks, nearly 2,500 yards, but the Stars are floundering, sitting 16th in yards per game and 12th in the league in scoring. But here is the thing, can we really blame this on the former Seattle Dragon QB when the Stars have the worst run game in the league? The Stars are averaging only 61 yards per game on the ground. While fans love to blame the QB for any team woes, this feels a lot more like an issue for Coach Mora and the OC, and not the fault of a solid, if not particularly exciting, QB.
The next concern has to be in Memphis, where former MVP Heath Shuler looks like he has fallen off a veritable cliff. He is among the worst rated QB’s in the league right now, sitting with a 69.8 QB Rating, nearly a 40 point drop from his 2003 season. Yes, the receiving corps needs a major infusion of talent, but something else is going on. Shuler is only completing 59.5% of his passes and has 3 more picks than TDs. He has not even hit the 2,000 yard mark after 10 weeks. None of that is a good sign that Shuler should be the unquestioned starter for 2005. We expect Memphis will bring Shuler back with the hope that he rebounds, but they would be foolish not to sign a younger, potentially hungrier QB to challenge the veteran.
Oakland brought in Trent Green out of desperation after failing to sign Philip Rivers to a contract. Green had a strong start, and his overall numbers are not horrible, but as the Invaders have slumped, more questions have arisen about Green’s long term viability. With a top prospect like Cal’s Aaron Rodgers available in the Territorial Draft, Oakland may be tempted once again to take a big swing on yet another top rated QB prospect. That is not really a challenge to Green for 2005, but if the former Blitz and Bandit QB wants more than 1 more season he may well have to show up big time in the next year.
Down in Jacksonville, fans seem to be tiring of Jake Delhomme’s unmet potential. In his third season as a starter for the Bulls, Delhomme’s numbers are looking a lot like last year, and they are not all that bad, with 71.1% in completion rate, just under 2,300 yards, and an 11-7 TD-INT ratio, but the issue for Delhomme is that the Bulls seem to be falling behind in the arms race that is the Southeast Division. After two straight 9-5 seasons, the Bulls are currently sitting at 5-5 and could be on their way to a non-playoff season. Delhomme helped Jacksonville get to the playoffs the past two years, but a drop this year could have the Bulls looking for an upgrade.
And what to do about Trent Dilfer in New Orleans? This is a QB who led the Breakers to the Summer Bowl last season, but when the club drafted Eli Manning, it sent a clear signal that they thought they could get more out of the position. The result? Dilfer has been more erratic, more prone to mistakes, and more fragile. The Breakers could very well view Dilfer as one does a family car that has had its best years and now is time to trade in. Dilfer still has some value, and it is that value that may tempt New Orleans to try to shop the 5-year USFL veteran. They could very likely find a buyer, and moving Dilfer now means that Eli Manning gets his shot to earn his big rookie deal in 2005 after a year watching Dilfer and subbing only when the veteran was too bruised to play.
FIVE QB’S WHO DESERVE A SHOT
We have looked at 5 QB’s who could be traded, cut, or just looking for another position unless they maximize the next 4 weeks. What about the flipside? Who are the non-starters who could push for a better opportunity to win a starting role. We think these five players in particular are primed to seek a more competitive chance to win that starting gig.
I think we are all pretty confident that if he stays in Ohio Chris Redman is not going to get many chances to start. The Glory have a 3-time MVP at QB ahead of Redman, but in those rare moments when Kerry Collins has been sidelined, Redman has shown us some talent. He has yet to get his first start as a pro, but his play in mop up duty and subbing for a dinged up Collins have shown some promise.
Folks like to think of Todd Boumann as a system QB, able to succeed when Tom Brady goes out of a game because he plays within a conservative, QB friendly system. And yet he makes plays. Bouman has made several appearances this year, scoring a ranking of 116.9, 20 points above Tom Brady in the same system. Of course, with most of his action in garbage time he is not always facing the opposition’s best effort. Unlike Redman, Boumann has had 3 starts in the past 2 years, and he has looked solid in them. Will he get a shot in New Jersey? Unlikely, but if he moves on, he can compete.
Denver has the good fortune of having a solid, consistent backup in Eric Wilhelm, and after 8 years in that role, perhaps it is unrealistic that he will suddenly crave the limelight of a starting gig. Wilhelm is often mentioned as one of the best backups to get into a game on sudden notice, and while that is a good quality, it is not exactly one that screams for a player to become a full-time starter.
He may be injured at the moment, but LA’s Quincy Carter has to be on the short list of backups who could be starting elsewhere. Carter started 5 games between 2002-2003, and despite completing only around 43% of his passes, he still amassed nearly 1,400 yards over that span, with 11 TDs to only 4 picks. Those are pretty strong numbers for any quarterback. Carter has 4 years of experience under his belt, and folks in LA should be concerned that he will bolt for a sweeter deal. There certainly would be takers if he opted to leave the Express as athletic, mobile QBs are certainly a priority for many teams.
And finally, Houston simply did not know what they had in Kris Kershaw until Matt Hasselbeck went down with a season-ending injury 5 weeks ago. And what has Kershaw done? He has won 2 of 5 games, not great, but he has also thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and 6 touchdowns to only 1 pick. He is completing 78% of his throws, a very high percentage, especially for a backup, and he is not making fatal mistakes. Houston does not need a flashy QB to win games, and Kershaw is doing more than enough to put the team in a position to win. Does that translate into an offseason jump to a team needing a starter? We are not sure, but it certainly does not hurt for him to put together a quality highlight reel.
SHORT V. LONG
Receivers in the USFL seem to come in one of two formats, the deep ball threat and the possession receiver. There are a few top talents who can do both, and sometimes it depends on the offensive scheme of the club, but it just seems amazing to us that there can so often be such a big gulf between the two types of wideout. Want to know how this pans out? Just look at the league leaders in receptions vs. the league leaders in receiving yards. Other than the occasional freak, the two categories have very different compositions.
Looking at the top receivers by reception we see a lot of guys averaging under 15 yards per catch: Deion Branch (13.8 with a league best 78 receptions), Bert Emmanuel (averaging only 9.7 YPC on 68 catches), Hines Ward (13.3 YPC on 68 catches), Peerless Price (8.9 YPC on 66 receptions), and Keenan McCardell (11.6 YPC on 63 balls).
Now look at the top yardage receivers and, other than Branch, who is tops in both categories, what you see are speed receivers who rack up big yards on big plays. The next 5 names on the yardage list are all averaging 23 yards or more per reception. They include Chad Ochocinco (27.3 per catch, 1007 yards on only 37 receptions), David Boston (41 receptions at 24 yards per catch), Randy Moss (41 receptions but averaging 23.2 yards per catch), and the always dangerous (though now injured) Joey Galloway, whose 24.7 yards per catch allow him to be a top yardage gainer despite having only 37 catches this season.
For every Tory Holt (30.5 YPC, unreal!!) we have an Anquon Boldin (11.4 YPC) who is getting those tough first downs, driving over the middle, and taking on safeties. Not every receiver can have 4.3 speed, but in the USFL it seems that the two receiver classes both have a pretty good home. Look at teams near the top of the standings, or the passing yardage lists, and you can pretty much guarantee that they have found a good combo of speed & precision, medium routes and over-the-top deep balls. Seems smart to us.
Two very different stories between the two conferences in the USFL this season. In the East the top 6 clubs already have at least 2 games over the 7th team and beyond, meaning that unless someone makes a major run from the 5-5 clubs, we could see all 6 playoff spots clinched very early, and then the battles will be for division titles, with Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Ohio in one corner, Tampa Bay and Boston in the other, and New Jersey hoping they all knock each other out of the top spot so the Generals can get that #1 seed.
In the West we have 8 teams all within a 2-game range, and at present at least 1 team that is 2 games under .500 would get into the playoffs. Only two teams in the entire conference are over .500, which means we could be waiting a long time just to see a team clinch a berth, much less a division title or a bye week. The Southwest is now close to a 3 team race, with Houston gaining on Arizona and Denver this week. The Pacific also has 3 teams all within a game of each other, with Seattle holding a narrow 1-game lead after 10 weeks. And in the South, Nashville sits at 5-5, but New Orleans at 4-6 and even Birmingham and Memphis (yes, even Memphis) are not out of it at 3-7. If any of the top 8 teams could just get a streak of wins going they could find themselves with a plump, juicy bye week waiting for them.
With this being a relatively light week for injuries across the league, we thought we would take a pause from the rundown of new injuries and highlight the teams that have been most impacted by player losses. Looking over the current IR and injury report, these six clubs are the teams most affected by significant player injuries.
CHICAGO: QB Jeff George is still 1-2 weeks away from practicing with the club. They are also down T Marcus Spears (IR), FS George Teague (2-3 weeks), DT Ted Washington (1-2 weeks) and LB Brian Urlacher (Doubtful).
HOUSTON: They have Matt Hasselbeck on IR, a s well as TE Ryan Krause. CB Shaun Springs is doubtful this week with a stress fracture in his foot, and two linemen, T Tra Thomas and C Brad Meester are still about 50/50 for this week.
LOS ANGELES: The Express are hoping that Cade McNown can return to action in about 2 weeks, with Quincy Carter done for the regular season. Wideout Keyshawn Johnson is also on IR, and this week they also have CB ray Crockett and DE Jevon Kearse as questionable.
OHIO: Joey Galloway is done for the year, DE Gabe Wilkins could miss another month, DE Carl Powell is doubtful with an ACL injury and both TE Stephen Alexander and LB Glenn Cadrez could be out this week.
PITTSBURGH: Guard Rod Milstead may be done for the year after suffering a fracture in his lower right leg. TE Alge Crumpler is questionable with a broken finger. LB Akin Ayodele and FS Shaunard Harris may also miss this week’s game, and LB Nick Koutavides has to sit out this week due to a pinched nerve.
TEXAS: The Outlaws will be without two of their starting linebackers as both Tedy Bruschi and Tarek Salah are listed as doubtful for Week 11. Also unlikely to play are the two starting DE’s with both Dimitrius Underwood and Tony Hill listed as questionable. Finally, WR Ike Hilliard suffered a deep thigh bruise last week and could miss this week’s game as well.
Reebok Reveals Two New Looks.
Reebok was busy this week as they rolled out new looks for the 2005 season for both the Michigan Panthers and the Memphis Showboats. This is Michigan’s first update since 1993, while Memphis last changed up their look in 1998. For the Panthers the big addition is the creation of a secondary logo separate from the roaring panther head that has been their primary since 1993. The new secondary features a stylized letter “M” contained within a burgundy frame and highlighted by colored blocks in the team’s familiar Champagne and blue. Atop the M is a silhouette of a prowling panther in champagne and outlined in burgundy.
The new secondary logo will be used as the midfield logo for the team, replacing the rondel version of the team’s primary, and will also appear on the sleeves of the new jersey. The uniforms themselves are somewhat simpler than in the 1993 version, with single color maroon or champagne numbers on the jersey and the shoulder stripe changed to a single color Lake Blue strip. The collars on both jerseys feabure a highlight at the base, and are offset colors from each jersey. The pants are now stripeless, with the lone aesthetic element being the rondel primary on each hip. Both champagne and burgundy pants are now an option for the Panthers. The helmet remains unchanged.
Memphis too receives a new secondary logo, with an italicized M forming the body of the logo, with two black smokestacks atop the M’s vertical columns and a red, white, and silver sky “wake” beneath the letter. The secondary combines the look of a steamboat with the monogram for Memphis. The primary is also updated, with all black elements removed. And that seems to be the dominant feature of the new look as black is very limited in its use.
The helmets evoke earlier versions of Memphis’s look, with a silver sky shell, scarlet facemask, and a single tapered scarlet stripe that thins from the front bumper until practically the back bumper. The uniforms remain true to historical looks for the club, with white and scarlet jerseys, both with silver sky sleeves and white shoulder strips, The number font has been modified, a long vertical font with curved edges and a deep sky vertical drop shadow on both uniforms. No logos appear on the sleeves. The new secondary logo is placed on the hip of both pant sets, and a tapered line runs from the knee up to the mid-thigh, with the stripe being silver sky on the white pants and scarlet on the darker pants.
Both looks were revealed at team facilities this week and new replica jerseys immediately went on sale for both clubs. Were either Memphis or Michigan to qualify for the playoffs, the teams would be eligible to wear their new uniforms for any playoff games, however, both clubs are currently outside of the playoff pool, which would mean a March 2005 reveal of the uniforms on the field of play.
(Yes, the new Memphis secondary is, in fact, a recolored version of the new secondary for the 2023 version of the Memphis Showboats. We are beginning to see the 2022 return of the USFL impacting the alt history USFL when appropriate.)
Atlanta Ownership Approved in League Vote
Atlanta is getting the Fire back. It became official this week when league owners by conference call approved the new ownership group led by Jim Kennedy of the Fox Cable Group. Kennedy and the new ownership have all along aligned with local grassroots groups in calling for the return of the Fire identity. The club will have downtown offices and already has an agreement in place to utilize the Georgia Dome as its home stadium. Kennedy and the Atlanta group has also worked to set up an agreement with Georgia State University for use of its athletic facilities for in-season practice, while winter training camps will be held a bit further south at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro.
The Kennedy group was approved by a 22-0 vote, with two owners unable to attend the conference call but later confirming that they too would have voted to approve. So, what is next for Mr. Kennedy and the reborn Atlanta Fire? With a stadium and training facilities in place, the next steps are to set up a marketing and ticketing team, to hire a staff, and to work with Reebok on a new look for the fire. The group has legal rights to the identity used by the Fire prior to their relocation to Boston, a deal that was brokered by the USFL, which has partial ownership of all brands related to league franchises, so the team can already start working with Reebok to release Fire branded T-shirts, hoodies and other products for the fans, but uniforms could undergo a transformation as a way of showing that the club is reborn.
With Week 10 being an interconference week, you knew divisional play would be back on the schedule for Week 11, and so it is in the Eastern Conference. And with so many Eastern teams vying for divisional titles and potential byes, the battles this week could feel very much like early playoff rounds. The best game on the slate has to be the matchup of the 8-2 Maulers and the 7-3 Glory. If Ohio can win at home, they can spring right back into the divisional race, but a loss to Pittsburgh puts them 2 games back with only 4 to play. A huge game as Ohio tries to threepeat. The other Central Division matchup has Chicago at home against the Panthers. The Machine had best not overlook Michigan as they scoreboard watch the Mauler-Glory game. Yes, a Glory win could put Chicago alone in first place, but the Panthers have been playing better ball of late and could sneak up on them.
In the Southeast Tampa has a 1 game lead on Boston, but the Bandits are on the road this week against an Orlando squad that has played much better with Jeff Blake at QB. Boston has a home tilt against the Jacksonville Bulls, who have lost two straight games that they were favored to win (Baltimore and Texas). At 5-5, Jacksonville cannot afford to fall any further back in the division or the Wild Card race.
In the Northeast New Jersey has a 2-game lead on the Feds and the surging Blitz. Baltimore has won 4 in a row and they host the Generals in what could be a season-defining game for Coach Coughlin and the burgeoning Blitz. Washington travels to Philadelphia in what feels like a must win game if the Feds hope to get into the Wild Card mix. Philly has even slimmer hopes of a playoff spot, but at 4-6 they would love to pull even with Washington by beating the Feds in Philly.
The Western Conference is in interdivisional play, but that does not mean that we don’t have some interesting matchups to follow. With so many teams at or near .500 it means a lot of potentially close and even matchups. Games we like as potentially vital for playoff runs include New Orleans (4-6) at Houston (5-5), Oakland (4-6) at Arizona (6-4), and LA (4-6) at Denver (6-4). Seattle hosts Birmingham, who simply cannot afford to lose if they want any chance at meaningful June football. Nashville is at Texas in a game they should win, but Texas rose up this past week and can be tough at home in the AlamoDome. Finally, 3-7 Memphis is at 2-8 Las Vegas in a game that may be more about draft position and pride than anything else.