A good week for the defending champs, a rough week for many others as injuries start to take their toll across the league. Two starting QB’s are quite possibly done for the year, and two teams hoping to make a playoff run now have a lot of scrambling to do to keep those hopes alive. We start with the game of the week, a miraculous finish that saw that rarest of football highlights, the successful hail mary play as time runs out. From there it is on to all the week’s action and then quite a busy week on the business side of the league as well.
OHIO GLORY 31 PITTSBURGH MAULERS 28
In a week defined by injuries and blowout games, we had one game that stood out as once again the Ohio Glory found a way to upend a division rival. After losing a close one to Chicago in Week 2, the Glory were not willing to accept defeat in Pittsburgh. With the Maulers going up 28-24 with only 1:18 left to play, fans in Pittsburgh were nervously excited that they might have just knocked off the two-time champions, but the Glory did the impossible, well, perhaps the improbable, and found a way to win in the final seconds.
It was a back and forth battle between these two Central Division foes the entire evening. The Maulers completely shut down the Ohio run game, limiting Eddie George t only 19 yards rushing, but in doing so they made room for the passing game, with both Joey Galloway and new flanker Troy Brown going over 100 yards receiving. On offense, Pittsburgh used the threat of Terrell Davis to open up the play action game, leading to Charlie Batch throwing for 3 scores, including two to Andre Rison, who led all receivers with 120 yards on 7 catches.
Pittsburgh started very strong in this one, scoring the only points of the first quarter on a Kenny Bynum 3-yard run. They would add another score early in the 2nd, when Batch found Nate Burleson open from 17 yards out. Ohio would get on the board as the 2nd quarter wrapped up, mounting a long drive that concluded with a 3-yard TD pass from Collins to FB Michael Templeton, an unusual target for the Glory.
Ohio equaled the Maulers’ 14 points on the first drive of the second half, pulling off the classic double dip by scoring to end the first half and then using the first post-break drive to add another. This time it was Galloway catching the game-tying score from Collins. The Maulers were unfazed by the quick turnaround, and only 2:44 later they were in the end zone as Andre Rison caught an 11-yard fade route from Batch to take advantage of single coverage and return to a 7-point lead, 21-14.
As the final period began, Ohio added a field goal, trimming the lead to 21-17. They would follow this with a good defensive stand, leading to a poor punt from Chris Gardocki, and with the ball on their own 44, the Glory quickly found their way deep into Pittsburgh territory, and back on top as Eddie George scored on a shovel pass to put Ohio on top for the first time all game, 24-21.
With 4:56 on the clock, the pressure was on Pittsburgh to score quickly, but not too quickly. They found their way downfield, and with 1:17 left on the clock Batch again hit Rison for a go-ahead touchdown. The question now was whether, up by 4, with 1:17 on the clock, had Pittsburgh left Ohio room to pull off an 11th hour comeback.
The Glory seemed confident as they got the ball on the 25 after a touchback on the kick. Collins began the drive with an outlet pass to his FB, Templeton, for 5 yards, an inauspicious start. He would then complete a big chuck play to Galloway for 26 yards, then 5 yards again, this time to Stephen Alexander. After an incompletion to Troy Brown, an offsides call on Pittsburgh gave Ohio a first down. On 1st and 10 but with only 8 seconds left on the clock, it was time for a deep shot, and that is exactly what Ohio did. They put Galloway alone to the right, and stacked up Troy Brown, Reche Caldwell and Malcolm Floyd on the left. Pittsburgh rushed 4 and dropped the other 7 into coverage, with both safeties at the 5 yard line. Collins got time and heaved an arcing pass towards the end zone. The ball caromed off a mass of receivers and defenders, but Reche Caldwell had stayed 2 yards behind the play, leaving him open to catch the ball on the ricochet drill. He fell from the 2 into the end zone and Ohio had pulled off the perfect Hail Mary.
The crowd in Pittsburgh was stunned, the Maulers deflated, and the Glory bench erupted in celebration. It was that rarest of feelings, the nearly impossible play working just as it was scripted and producing exactly the result desired. Ohio would move to 3-2 with the win, equaling Pittsburgh’s record, both now a game behind Chicago.
CHI 17 MGN 9
Chicago snatched up sole possession of first in the division by shutting down Michigan’s offense, limiting the Panthers to 3 field goals. Touchdowns from rookie HB Michael Turner and WR Brandon Lloyd were enough to provide the win to the Machine as Michigan was held to only 228 total yards, despite a 20 of 29 day for Drew Brees. But it was not all cake for the Machine as starting QB Jeff George went down early in the game, and backup Ray Lucas had to finish out the game. George went down in a heap after being sandwiched between two defenders and struggled to get his breath. He would be taken to the locker room and not return.
BOS 44 JAX 20
It was seen as a big early season test for the Cannons to travel to Jacksonville to take on last season’s division champions, and despite initially dropping behind 10-0, the Cannons rallied and by halftime were up by 11. Chad Ochocinco received 2 of Drew Bledsoe’s 4 touchdown passes on the day, and HB Tiki Barber rushed for 103 and a score as the Cannons steadily pulled further ahead over the course of the second half to take an impressive 24-point road win against the Bulls.
ORL 17 TBY 28
In the other Southeast battle, Tampa Bay jumped out to a 14-0 lead on the Renegades and then went into cruise control to win by 11. Duante Culpepper threw for 213 and a score before going out late on a dubious late hit that drew a 15-yard penalty against LB Zach Thomas. Kent Graham came in and mopped up the final quarter, largely handing off to McGahee and Prentice to kill clock.
BAL 7 NJ 41
Tom Brady would also leave the game early for his club, but under very different circumstances. Up 41-0, Coach Parcells gave Todd Bouman the task of wrapping up the game. Brady had thrown for 173 and a score, but it was defender Shaun Ellis who had the back-breaking play, a strip fumble and return for a score that put the game out of reach early in the third. Ryan Leaf was visibly upset, yelling at both teammates and coaches on the sideline, but he was shut down by Coach Coughlin, who, after the game, stated that he would not tolerate undisciplined players. He would not answer if Leaf would get the start in Week 6 after two pretty horrible outings.
PHI 14 WSH 38
Another one-sided win as the Federals scored 35 unanswered points after initially trailing 7-0 to the Stars. Two Brian Griese picks helped the Federal cause, as did a 4-TD day from Kordell Stewart, connecting with Deion Branch twice and also throwing scoring tosses to TE Cam Cleeland and veteran WR Cedric Tillman. The Washington defense also got the job done, holding Philadelphia to only 90 yards rushing.
MEM 10 SEA 34
Trouble for Coach Mora as the Showboats return to their losing ways and once again the offense fails to produce. Memphis went 0 for 11 on third down and produced only 9 first downs all game against the Dragons. A steady offense from Seattle, paired with a dynamic 102-yard kickoff return TD from Troy Walters was more than enough to comfortably salt away a home win and move Seattle to 3-2.
NOR 14 TEX 13
It was not pretty, but New Orleans slogged out a 2nd win for the year, largely on the strength of their run game. The Breakers rotated all 3 halfbacks, with newly arrived Olandis Gary getting 16 carries for 51 yards, while Troy Davis added 61 yards on only 8 carries and Amos Zeroue added another 11, including a TD. It was 13-7 Texas into the final quarter, but midway through the 4th, Trent Dilfer connected with Josh Reed for the game winner. Texas tried and failed to win the game on a last second kick, but the 51-yarder fell wide to the left.
BIR 32 LV 14
The Stallions came up big both on the scoreboard and in the stands as it seemed half of Alabama had made the trip out to Las Vegas to watch their Stallions. The rowdy crowd was in high spirits as Birmingham was effective in all three phases against a lackluster Thunder club. Brett Favre connected with Lawrence Dawsey for a beauty of a TD toss (42 yards) and the added a second to Joe Horn as the Stallions rolled.
NSH 17 HOU 30
The Gamblers get a big home win against a tough opponent, but at significant cost as QB Matt Hasselbeck was sidelined with an injury to his throwing arm. Caught by LB Na’il Diggs just as he released the ball, Hasselbeck’s arm fell to his side. It would be a full bicep tear, one likely to end Hasselbeck’s season. Kris Kershaw came on in relief, but the game was already decided thanks to three earlier Hasselbeck TD tosses. What happens next week is now the concern for the Gamblers.
OAK 7 DEN 24
Erik Wilhelm was solid in a rare start for Denver, subbing for the injured Mark Brunell. The longstanding backup to Brunell went 14 of 23 for 234 and 2 scores as Denver used a balanced offense to slow the game down, milk the clock, and keep the ball away from the Invaders. Former Gold HB Rashaan Salaam had a a solid game (79 yards on 13 carries) but hardly the “major beatdown” he had predicted as he prepared to face his former team.
LA 13 ARZ 31
The Express continue to disappoint both fans and the pundits who picked them as a division favorite, failing once again to put the pieces together on offense. Stephen Davis had his best game as a Wrangler, running through and over the LA defense for 111 yards and 3 touchdowns as Arizona improved their record to 3-2 and sent LA to a surprising 1-4. The play of the game was a 74-yard pitch and toss between Plummer and rookie Larry Fitzgerald, a play that Wrangler fans hope is a portend of many more to come.
Quarterbacks Out, Teams Scrambling
Two franchises that were hoping for playoff runs this year, including one leading their division, are now scrambling as both may face season-ending injuries to their starting quarterbacks. We start in Chicago, where QB Jeff George is looking at a minimum of 8 weeks out after suffering 4 broken ribs in this week’s game against Michigan. The Machine are 4-1 and sit a game up on Ohio and Pittsburgh in what is expected to be a very tight race. With George out at least 2 months, which is all but the entire regular season, the Machine faithful have to be nervous. Chicago will start backup Ray Lucas this week. An 8-year backup in Chicago, this will be Lucas’s first USFL start. Behind him is only rookie Casey Bramlet, a late round pick out of Wyoming.
In Houston, Matt Hasselbeck has already been placed on IR and is done for the year after rupturing the bicep on his throwing arm. This has the potential to be a career-altering injury as a full rupture is a tricky injury to recover and rehab from. Houston will start former Knight Kris Kershaw next week, his first career start in 7 USFL seasons with St. Louis and Houston. Behind him is former Washington Huskie Brock Huard, who also has never had a regular season USFL start.
So, what options do these two clubs have if, as we suspect, they are not feeling comfortable with their current QB options? Well, the answer is not much, at least not much on the open market. The best available QB’s in the free agent pool are Mark Bulger, Spence Fischer, and Giovanni Carmazzi. All three have started games before, with Bulger and Fischer serving as a team’s starter, but none are considered players who can step in and lead a team to the playoffs, not at this stage of their careers.
A second option might be to try to tempt back a player who has recently retired, with the top candidates being Gus Frerotte or, believe it or not, 40-year old Doug Flutie. Flutie has dabbled with playing again after retiring in 2001, showing up at the Buffalo Bills camp in 2003, but not signing a contract. Could the long-time General and Panther make a comeback at 40 and play for one of these two teams? Seems a longshot, but not entirely impossible.
Finally, with seasons that had a lot of potential, a club might be willing to make a deal with another USFL club if it means that they could revive their playoff aspirations. But where would either Chicago or Houston find a solid starting QB who a team would be willing to part with? It would have to be a current 2nd stringer, and even with that the price could be quite high. Looking around the league, the most likely candidates might be these 10:
Tony Banks (ARZ): Banks is currently 2nd string in Arizona. Banks played in one game for the Wrangles last year after coming over from the NFL. He went 29 of 44 for 356 yards and 3 scores. That is a very nice day, but is that enough to base a move like this on?
Ryan Leaf (BAL): This all depends on the issues Leaf is bringing on himself with the Blitz. He is the starter, at least as of this week, but if Coach Coughlin is fed up with him and ready to start Ben Roethlisberger, we could see Leaf being expendable.
Eric Zeier (BIR): A former starter with the Atlanta Fire, the Georgia product has been sitting at 3rd string in Birmingham behind both Brett Favre and Danny Kanell. His last start was in 1999, so there would be a lot of rust to shake off.
Elvis Grbac (DEN): The former Wolverine has had a few starts over his time in Michigan and Denver, with his last start coming in 2002, but it was a pretty poor showing with 3 picks and a 48% completion rate. Not exactly inspiring confidence that he can lead a team to the playoffs.
Aaron Brooks (POR): The former NFL starter is an intriguing option, but we hear that there is a good chance that Las Vegas Head Coach Joe Vitt may be looking to Brooks in the near future, unsatisfied with Akili Smith’s lack of improvement over the past 2 years. So this begs the question of whether Vitt would consider trading Smith and not Brooks at this point.
Bill Musgrave (MEM): One of the league’s better backups, Musgrave has proven he can come in and win games when Heath Shuler has been injured. But would Coach Mora part with him hen he has a 31-year old QB who is getting hit a lot this season ahead of him on the depth chart?
Marques Tuiasosopo (OAK): With Trent Green looking like a very solid starter for the Invaders this season, does that make the former Invader starter from Samoa expendable? Would the Invaders feel comfortable with only Randy Fasani behind Green, who missed most of 2003 with an injury?
Jeff Blake (ORL): Another NFL castoff, Blake has experience, and we know he is athletic, but Joey Harrington is struggling in Orlando, so this could be another situation where the coach won’t let his backup go, because that backup could be starting soon.
Kent Graham (TBY): With Duante Culpepper ahead of him on the depth chart, Graham may be expendable. It would leave Tampa Bay with only Ken Dorsey behind Culpepper, and that is a possible concern for Coach Spurrier.
Scott Zolak (WSH): Zolak is the consummate backup, able to come in on a moment’s notice and find success. He is the closest the USFL has come to a Don Strock of the old Dolphins in the NFL. With Washington having signed Jon Kitna this offseason, and with a rookie on their practice squad (Jared Lorenzen, the “Hefty Lefty”) they might be willing to part with Zolak for the right price.
So, not exactly a sure-fire solution for either team. Will Chicago and Houston go with what they know or go another route and try to turn a diamond in the rough into a bonafide playoff starter for their clubs. Time is fleeting in the USFL so both clubs are going to have to decide and soon.
Receiving Duos Are Big News
While debates may rage about who the best receiver in the game, or in the league, is, the reality seems to be that in order to win in the USFL you had better have more than one go-to guy. We are seeing this a bit with Ohio, as the loss of Chad Ochocinco has made life a lot more difficult for Joey Galloway. Troy Brown has come on a bit over the past two weeks, but the balance that made it tough to shift coverage towards the clear #1 guy seems to be key to getting an offense to hit that highest gear. Thinking along those lines, we looked for the top receiving duos (receivers and/or tight ends) in the league. Here are our nominees for the five best duos of 2004, with players listed with their current receptions, yards, and TD totals.
BIRMINGHAM: Lawrence Dawsey (29-350-3) and Joe Horn (28-338-3)
Thirteen year veteran Lawrence Dawsey may not be the speedburner that he once was, but his pairing with Joe Horn, the former Showboat #1, has been a really solid combination for Brett Favre and the Stallions. Dawsey just barely missed 1,000 yards last season, his first sub-1,000 yard season since 1990, if you can believe that. Horn also dipped last year, finishing with 791 yards, but both are on pace to possibly regain 1,000 yard status again this year.
OHIO: Joey Galloway (19-439-2) and TE Stephen Alexander (20-305-2)
We mentioned Troy Brown as well, but the two main targets this year for 3-time MVP Kerry Collins have been Galloway and Stephens. Long & short short is the name of the game, but, as we have seen, having that third factor was a huge factor for Ohio the past few seasons, and they are still looking to reconfigure the passing attack with Ochocinco not there any longer.
TAMPA BAY: Randy Moss (19-450-2) and TE Jeremy Shockey (17-385-2)
This is all Steve Spurrier. Moss has always been a freak and a real threat to make defenders look bad, but Spurrier has given life to Shockey’s role on the offense and the results have been outstanding. With the middle of the field now requiring safety attention, the long balls are there for Moss far more frequently, and that makes defensive coordinators pull their hair out.
LOS ANGELES: Tory Holt (14-518-3) and Keyshawn Johnson (14-357-4)
One of the best combination of speed and professional route running. The signing of Keyshawn has been a huge coup for the Express. They sit at 1-4, but there are a myriad of reasons (including 22nd ranked pass defense and a run game producing only 88 yards an outing. The fault does not lie with this outstanding duo.
BOSTON: Chad Ochocinco (20-525-5) and Robert Ferguson (21-385-5)
Boston’s biggest issue in past years has always been the lack of a true #1. Terrance Mathis was not it in Atlanta, and Robert Ferguson is much better suited to be the intermediate guy who helps spring the #1 deep. The arrival of Chad Ochocinco from Ohio has opened up the Boston offense, made life much easier for MVP candidate Drew Bledsoe and for the run game of Tiki Barber. Through 5 games Boston is averaging 42 points a game and over 300 yards passing. That is what we saw from Ohio the past two years, and now with Ochocinco moving to Boston, he seems to have brought the mojo with him.
While the season ending injury to Matt Hasselbeck, and the potentially equally disruptive injury to Jeff George were among the headline stories this week, they were certainly not the only significant injuries suffered in this past week’s games. Three additional players were added to IR this week, with the biggest impact likely being in Boston, where DE Greg Ellis is done for the year after suffering a significant injury to his right ankle. He is joined on the IR by Baltimore wideout Bill Schroeder and Jacksonville DE Bryant McNeal. Both of these players were rotational contributors, so their absence is more a depth issue than one of immediate impact to the starting lineup.
The same cannot be said about another injury suffered by the Bulls as star LB Lavar Arrington is now expected to miss as much as a month of action after suffering a significant injury to the quad on his left leg. Likewise, Philadelphia is looking at a minimum of 2-3 weeks without their top receiver as Steve Smith suffered an elbow injury (dislocation with some tendon concerns) that will cost him no less than the next two games.
Denver is also concerned about their top wideout, Peerless Price, who suffered a high ankle sprain early in this week’s game, an injury you generally do not want to see in a receiver. Among those who may miss only a week due to short-term injuries we find Houston WR David Patten, Seattle WR Ashley Lelie, and Denver DT Montae Reager. All three could return for Week 7, assuming their rehab goes as planned.
Portland to enter Expansion Pool
It is official, Portland will be bidding for a 2008 Expansion club after losing the Thunder to Las Vegas in an ownership shakeup. What is more, the bid will come with a stadium in place as the city has approved construction of a fully financed 52,000 seat facility on the city’s east side. The news is a huge boon for the city, though certainly not a guarantee that a club will be forthcoming. With stiff competition from at least 5 other markets for only 2 expansion franchises, it is a considerable risk, though, as we have seen, cities that do not win expansion can always make a play on an existing team, as Portland well knows.
The bid will be brought by a group that is calling itself the PDX Football Town LLC, PDX being the airport code for the city's international airport. This entity is headed by the principal investor in the bid, Timothy Boyle, the founder and CEO of Columbia Sportswear. The group also includes at least 5 other minority investors, including at least two affiliated with Nike, the sportswear brand whose owner Phli Knight helped bring the Thunder to Portland in 1988. It is also said to have one of the deepest investment pools of any of the bidding groups, with nearly $500M in resources available to them. With that kind of bank behind the bid, Portland will have to be taken seriously.
What makes the Portland bid even more attractive in the eyes of the league is the expectation that the new stadium will be completed in the Fall of 2006, a full year before the 2008 season would kick off. If all goes to plan a team could begin to play in the new facility as early as Spring 2007, and certainly by 2008. The facility will be a retractable roof stadium, designed around two wings that extend out horizontally beyond the main building, creating an open air venue when weather permits, while fully sealable as well, as seen in the pictures below.
If Portland were to obtain one of the 2008 expansion clubs, this would be only the second retractable roof stadium in the league, though Glendale, AZ is in the process of building one which would house the NFL Cardinals and USFL Wranglers as well.
Speaking of Stadia
Memphis cannot be happy about how things are going on the field, and certainly starting the year with games being played in Little Rock (v. Birmingham and Michigan) and Oxford, MS (vs. Denver) is not helping. They got some more bad news this week when it was revealed that the stadium renovation is indeed behind schedule, likely pushing back the return to the Liberty Bowl by at least another 2-3 weeks.
The Showboats had been scheduled to play next week’s game in Little Rock against the Knights, and return to a newly refurbished Liberty Bowl Stadium in Week 7 for a matchup against the Wranglers, but if that date has to be pushed back, it means scrambling to get the game relocated to Oxford, and delaying the return to Memphis until Week 10 against the Washington Federals.
While no one is pointing to the lack of true home games as the reason that Memphis has begun the season at 1-4, it certainly does not help that the team has been traveling back and forth to either Little Rock (137 miles away) or Oxford (86 miles) on game day mornings. The trip to Oxford routinely takes the club nearly two hours, while travel to Little Rock is easily a two and a half hour trip. With kickoff times varying between 11am and 3pm central time that can mean some early mornings for players and coaches, reporting to a central location to take their buses to the game.
Essentially, the practice of rolling out on gameday serves as a disruption to the players’ routine, as well as providing fewer of the comforts of a home game, the familiarity of the locker rooms, the daily routine, and the sense of belonging. Memphis had hoped to limit their early season “home away from home” slate to only 2 games in their first six, but the schedule simply did not work out and they are now looking at 5 of 7 home games taking place outside of Memphis. This cannot be helping the Showboats, who, by all accounts, could use any break they could get.
And One More Stadium Update
Better news out of Birmingham where the Stallions are moving ahead with negotiations with both the city and the University of Alabama @ Birmingham for potential construction of a new stadium for both the Stallions and the Blazers. The big sticking point seems to be one of capacity rather than location, though we are sure that funding is also a big point of debate. It seems that UAB would prefer a stadium in the range of 30,000 to 35,000 seats, but with the Stallions regularly topping 50,000 in attendance at home games in Legion Field, their hope is to get closer to a 60,000 seat capacity.
The answer may be the use of a tarped upper deck for UAB, which might allow the stadium to hold 35,000 for Blazer games, and “expand” through removal of the tarps to allow the Stallions to have 55,000 or more. This is all still very speculative, and there is not even an agreement on the basics at this point, but it does appear that all three parties are enthusiastic about the project in concept, something not always true when discussing projects that can require tens if not hundreds of millions to complete.
Teams to Get New Look
Reebok this week announced the three clubs that will be getting a makeover for the 2005 season. Fans of the Memphis Showboats, Washington Federals, and Michigan Panthers should prepare as they will each be sporting a new look next year. Unlike in past years where at least one of the three updates has included a full logo reinvention, it is not expected that any of the three clubs in the 2005 pool will be looking to replace their current primary logos, but we might expect potential changes to wordmarks, addition of secondary logos, or tweaks to team color combinations.
Michigan, for example, has not had a true secondary logo as part of their package yet, the same being the case for the Federals. Memphis added black as a more prominent color just a few years ago, so one could imagine that they might either expand the use of the color or remove it to return to a more classic scarlet & silver sky combo. Expect the team looks to be revealed over the second half of the season, and with the league allowing teams to move to a new look in the playoffs, rather than waiting until the next fall, it is possible that we will see a new look for one or more teams in this year’s playoffs.
Divisional matchups out west as the three Western Conference divisions battle each other and the three Eastern Conference divisions engage each other. In the Western divisional games, it could be do or die for the LA Express, sitting at 1-4 as they host the 3-2 Seattle Dragons. Another loss and they could be out of the chase already. In Oakland, the Invaders are hoping to return to .500 as they host the Las Vegas Thunder, a team that seems to always have a perpetual hangover. In the Southwest Division, Houston, with backup Kris Kershaw at the helm, have a tough assignment as they head up to Denver to face the thin air and that Denver defensive pressure.
Arizona is hoping they can start to pull away in the division, and a home game against 1-4 Texas is a good place to start. Finally, its the Volunteer State Showdown as Nashville visits the 1-4 Memphis Showboats. Both clubs have been disappointed with their starts to the season, so there is no better time to turn it around than in an in-state rivalry game. New Orleans will be in Birmingham, as both 2-3 clubs, in a division where no one is at .500, hope to reach that even mark with a win.
Both undefeated Eastern Conference clubs are at home this weekend, with Tampa Bay hosting the Washington Federals in what could be the Game of the Week. The two clubs have only one loss between them and both are eager to prove themselves this week. Boston has a huge game against a Chicago club that is reeling after losing QB Jeff George. Expect Ray Lucas to get his first USFL start for the Machine as they head to Alumni Stadium. Ohio is also at home, as the 2-time defending champions host the 1-4 Baltimore Blitz and their growing QB controversy. No word yet on who will start, veteran malcontent Ryan Leaf or rookie Ben Roethlisberger.
In Pittsburgh the Maulers will hope to rebound from this week’s loss but they host another solid squad in the New Jersey Generals. Jacksonville will play host to Michigan and Philadelphia travels to Orlando in the two remaining games this weekend. Philly can reach .500 with a win, while both Orlando and Michigan are trying to show that they are on the upswing.