Only 3 weeks left in the season and so much is still unknown. With each conference clustered together either on the winning side of the ledger or just under .500, it means that the playoff push for many teams will have to extend all the way to Week 14. The week's results did provide the first playoff berth to a club, with the Denver Gold becoming the earliest team to lock up a spot, but even they are still very much in a dead heat with Houston to decide the Southwest Division. We also got our first official elimination as the Birmingham Stallions continue to struggle in a rebuilding year, just as their rookie QB struggles to make the adjustments to the wide open USFL game. Week 11 was a week that saw some teams slip a bit, while others seem to be standing up at just the right time. With two of the final 3 weeks being purely divisional games, it seems like Week 11 is in many ways the last of the "regular" season games, with everything from this point on being a quasi-playoff, or perhaps play-in scenario.
CANNONS 29 GENERALS 23 OVERTIME
It is practically a right of summer, Boston v. New York, but this time it is not the Sox and the Yankees, but the Boston Cannons taking on the New Jersey Generals. The two teams are not even in the same division yet, that will come next year, but for now it is still Beantown vs. the Big Apple (or Big Apple Adjacent) and that is always fun.
Over 51,000 rowdy fans provided the ambience as the Cannons came to New Jersey to face the Generals. Both teams came in at 6-4, and both were deeply embroiled in a brutal Wild Card free-for-all in the Eastern Conference. A loss, any loss, could be a deciding factor between who will get to the dance and who will be headed home. Both teams knew it, and both came with their A-games.
Defense was the order of the day in the first half, with both teams testing each other and both getting turned away from the endzone on multiple occasions. Boston suffered 2 turnovers, but held New Jersey to only 3 points off of the mistakes as the two teams battled to a 9-3 Boston lead after 30 minutes. Despite an early Bledsoe pick by Deion Sanders, and a fumble inside the New Jersey 15, the Cannons still had the advantage at the half.
The third quarter was more of the same, though New Jersey was able to tighten the game with their 2nd field goal, as the two clubs slugged it out over 45 minutes of play, a 9-6 Cannons’ lead. The key to both offenses has been the ability to dominate the run game and produce gaps in pass coverage on shorter third downs. Both clubs struggled to achieve that goal, but as the game wore on, the defense started to wear out. New Jersey cracked first, giving up a 15-yard run to Tiki Barber and then a 22-yard smashmouth run by FB Justin Green. With the Cannons having success on the ground, New Jersey committed forces to stop it, and that left Chad Ochocinco in single coverage. Boston’s first touchdown was a classic deep fade to Ochocinco, who had gotten a step on Deion Sanders, no easy task.
New Jersey retaliated immediately, using short passes and a 19-yard draw play by Enis to get deep in Cannon territory. The drive would be capped off by a James Jackson TD Run, and we were back to a 3 point difference at 16-13. But New Jersey was not done. When Brian Dawkins forced a Mike Cloud fumble on 3rd and 3, Boston may have recovered, but they were forced to punt. The punt drove General Andrew Woolfork back to his own 73, but Boston’s Frank Whalen had outkicked his coverage. By the time Boston defenders got to Woolfork, he was at full speed and had some help. He dodged the first tackler and had a clear path to the endzone. New Jersey took the lead for the first time in the game thanks to Woolfork’s timely return.
The Generals would expand on that lead in their final possession of the 4th quarter, adding a field goal to make the score 23-16, but that was a very precarious 7-point lead. Boston, with just over 2:30 left to go, had plenty of time to mount one final offensive. They picked apart the General defense, and with 39 seconds to spare, Bledsoe found TE Bob Slowikowski in the endzone for the game-tying score.
The two clubs went into extra time, but New Jersey was spent, while Boston seemed to have all the energy in the house. When Boston won the toss, they wasted no time putting the game to rest. 4 straight passes from Bledsoe and they were in the endzone, the final play a 34-yard strike from Bledsoe to Joe Jurevicious against a tired Generals defense. Boston moves to 7-4 and by Monday would share first place with the Bulls and Bandits. New Jersey slips back to 6-5, 2 games behind Philly, and a game behind the other two Northeast rivals.
STARS 24 MAULERS 14
Philadelphia took control of the Northeast with their 4th straight win, a defensive gem that saw them force Alex Van Pelt out of the game. Kurt Warner’s 3 TD passes were more than Jim Sorgi could match for Pittsburgh and Philadelphia earned their 8th win of the year, and a heartening win against their in-state rival.
BLITZ 26 PANTHERS 24
The Blitz are right in the heart of the action as they held off Michigan thanks to 2 scores and 97 yards from Ron Dayne. Michigan got 137 yards and a score from Hines Ward, and new HB Fred Jackson looked good, rushing for 52 yards on only 10 carries, but a late TD toss from Roethlisberger to D’Wayne Bates put away the Panthers, who slip to 6-5 with the defeat at home.
RENEGADES 17 FEDERALS 34
The Feds doubled up the ‘Gades at home, thanks to 2 picks of rookie Matt Cassel and a two TD day from WR Deion Branch. Kordell Stewart looked more comfortable back under center, going 18 of 23 on the day and connecting with Branch twice. Orlando struggled with Cassel filling in for Jeff Blake, losing their third in a row to fall to 4-6-1.
MACHINE 20 BANDITS 3
Up the road from Orlando, the Bandits were having an even worse time of it as Chicago was dominant throughout the game, limiting Steve Spurrier’s offense to only 207 total yards, and Willis McGahee to an anemic 0.8 yards per carry (14 carries, 11 yards), as the Machine roll to their 8th win of the year, and a share of first place in the Central Division.
GLORY 17 BULLS 31
Ohio dropped into a tie with Chicago because they ran into a buzzsaw in Jacksonville. The Bulls had Ohio’s defense spinning all game, racking up 511 yards to Ohio’s 258. That included 212 yards rushing for the Bulls, who got 106 from Travis Minor and 91 from Antowain Smith. Both Boldin and Woods went over 100 yards, and the duo combined for 3 scores as Jacksonville played lights out football at home to knock off Ohio and regain a share of first place in the South.
INVADERS 17 GOLD 20
Oakland has been one of the stories of the season, but even Cinderella hears the midnight chimes sometimes, and a trip to the Mile High City can be very rough on those glass slippers. Denver got a solid game from backup Eric Wilhelm and the combo of Cedric Benson and Rod Smart produced 102 yards rushing to hold Oakland’s offense at bay on the sidelines. Five sacks of Trent Green also kept Oakland from coming out on top in this one as LB Kendrell Bell led the charge for the Denver D.
THUNDER 23 OUTLAWS 20
Aaron Brooks beat Jeff Lewis in the battle of benched QBs who were back in action this week. In a close game the difference was minute as a safety from Las Vegas’s Hugh Douglas helped the Thunder pull to a 3-point lead late. Texas was rallying late for what could have been a game-tying field goal, but a fumble by Marcel Shipp spelt doom for the Outlaws, moving Las Vegas to 2-9 on the season.
GAMBLERS 16 BREAKERS 19
The Breaker defense was in fine form against Houston, holding the Gambler offense t only 1 touchdown, while Chris Perry provided a spark with a first quarter scoring run. Eli Manning added a TD to Bobby Engram and the defense did the rest. New Orleans is still alive in the playoff hunt, while Houston drops a game behind Denver in the Southwest.
KNIGHTS 13 DRAGONS 10
Call Derrick Mason “St. George”, because this Knight slew the Dragons. Down 10-6 with only 1:26 left in the game, Mason caught a short pass from Craig Whelihan, shook off the tackler, dodged the safety, and raced to the endzone for a 52-yard TD that stunned the Dragon faithful. Seattle drops to 3-8, while the Knights stay atop the South with a 6-5 record, despite playing without Todd Collins and struggling to move the ball all game long.
WRANGLERS 7 SHOWBOATS 38
Andrew Walter’s pain is Memphis’ happiness, as the Showboats manhandle the Wranglers in the Liberty Bowl. Cadillac Williams’s 90 yards and 2 scores from Robert Ferguson emphasized the Showboat dominance in this one, as Arizona seems destined to slink towards the end of the season.
STALLIONS 6 EXPRESS 29
Birmingham is another team that just seems to have nothing left in the tank. Jason Campbell completed 17 of 29, but threw 2 picks as the Express capitalized on Stallion mistakes to make Marques Tuiasosopo’s debut as a member of the club as easy as could be. Tuiasosopo struggled to an 11 of 25 day, but got help from Foster and Moore in the run game, as well as a defense that produced 6 sacks of Campbell.
Philadelphia and Nashville Getting Hot at the Right Time
The Knights and Stars are headed in the right direction as they get hot just as the playoff push of early summer gets underway. Philadelphia’s 4-game winning streak puts them atop the Northeast Division with an 8-3 record, which, thanks to Ohio’s 2 straight losses, means they are in the hunt not only for the division title, but are right there for the #1 seed as well. They have done it with a balanced offense that is averaging 103 yards rushing and 218 yards passing per game, but also with a defense, that while not intimidating as Chicago’s, Denver’s or Baltimore’s may be, is proving effective, forcing 17 takeaways this year and limiting teams to 22 points a game.
Nashville earned their 3rd straight win this week, the first with backup Craig Whelihan at the helm. Whelihan did not wow anyone, going 23 of 40 for 221 yards, but he did show presence in the pocket and avoided turnovers, which, in a close game against the Dragons, proved to be enough to help Nashville move to 6-5. Rookie Frank Gore continues to impress, sitting 2nd in the league behind only Tiki Barber, with 961 yards on the ground. The defense has also been helping Nashville on this streak, allowing 14, 17, and 10 points over the past three weeks. When the Knights keep teams below 20 points they are 5-0, so expect them to slow down the game on offense, to keep Whelihan out of trouble and to depend on the defense to stay in every game. With Memphis only ½ game behind them, they will need to be consistent. They face the Showboats in a final week showdown at home to potentially decide the division, but cannot afford any slip ups until then.
Michigan and Orlando Fading Down the Stretch
If Nashville and Philadelphia are the hottest teams in the league right now, Michigan and Orlando are getting cold at the worst time. Sure, there are teams with longer losing streaks, Seattle and Arizona have both lost 4 in a row, but Michigan and Orlando were in the playoff mix, and now appear to be falling back. Orlando has to be considered out of the hunt right now, sitting in 11th position in the 12 team Eastern Conference at 4-6-1, while Michigan, at 6-5 after 2 straight losses, is still technically alive, but sits behind a big cluster of 7-4 clubs.
The issue in Orlando would seem to be a mix of offensive sluggishness, averaging just under 18 points a game the past 3 weeks, and defensive wear-down, as the Renegades have given up over 27 points in each of their past three games. Of course, it does not help that they every team they have played in the past 5 weeks has 7 wins or more. That is not hard to say in the East, and Orlando still has Boston this week, followed by Nashville and Jacksonville to round out the season.
Michigan, after a 4-game winning streak to get into the hunt in the Central, has lost consecutive games to the top 2 teams in the Northeast, Philadelphia and Baltimore. They look to rebound over the next two weeks as they face the 4-6-1 Maulers and the 5-6 Express. They still struggle to get a consistent run game, though Fred Jackson, newly arrived from Jacksonville, does seem to be showing some signs of quality in his short time with the club. They also need to shore up the run defense, but with 3 rookies starting at LB, it is not surprising that there are still communication and assignment issues. Realistically, the Panthers may need to run the table these next three weeks to have any shot at a post-season bid, and while the Mauler and Express games may be potential W’s, the season finale against the Ohio Glory in Columbus could be a big ask.
Jeff Lewis Vocal About his Displeasure
We saw this one coming a mile away. Jeff Lewis, thrust back into the starting role after Trent Dilfer was injured in his first start for Texas, is not a happy camper. Displaced by Dilfer, Lewis is very openly stating that he both expects and desires to be let free after the season, either through the expansion draft or allowed to test free agency. The starter in San Antonio since coming over from New Jersey in 2003, Lewis has had two 3,000 yard seasons for the Outlaws, but his QB Rating, and his win total have never been strong enough for him to be considered a Top 10 starter, and Dilfer, who put up over 3,500 in his past two seasons in New Orleans before being benched for Eli Manning, is certainly on a par or generally considered a step up from Lewis.
If he is left unprotected by the Outlaws, which many expect, he could easily see himself in either Atlanta or St. Lewis next year. Having just turned 30, Lewis is entering prime QB years, and he has had flashes of real quality in his tenure with the Outlaws, including a 343 yard, 4 TD game just as Dilfer was arriving in trade from the Breakers. If he is not signed by an expansion club, a possibility that would certainly be an ego-crushing situation for the QB, he might have to resign himself to the role of backup with another club, but perhaps could find a situation where QB competition would be in his favor. For now the Outlaws QB must continue to show up in games while Dilfer is out, and if benched again must show the maturity to support Dilfer as Texas tries to muster something out of a lost season.
Lawrence Dawsey Announces Plans
It was not a big secret, but this week the longtime Stallion wideout has made it official. The next three weeks will mark the conclusion of Dawsey’s illustrious career with Birmingham. Dawsey came to the Stallions in 1991, a highly-touted product of Florida State. He started 7 games in his rookie career, stepping in opposite Ernest Givens, and caught 38 balls for 370 yards and 3 scores in that year. Those would prove to be his lowest career totals as he exploded as a sophomore in the Stallions offense: 1033 yards on only 48 receptions.
Dawsey would see his production grow over the next few years, as both his role with the club and his QB situation would improve dramatically. He quickly became one of Brett Favre’s favorite targets, earning 11 consecutive 1,00 yards seasons before injuries in 2003 limited him to only 991 yards on the year. The injuries of 2003 have slowed Dawey down a bit, and he has not been able to reach the 1,000 yard mark since, with only 622 yards this season, with a rookie QB, being his lowest total since becoming a full time starter.
In 14 seasons, Dawsey has amassed nearly 1,000 receptions, for over 17,000 yards and is closing in on 150 career touchdowns. Those totals make him a very clear Hall of Fame candidate. He currently sits 2nd all time in receiving yards in USFL history, behind only the legendary Eric Truvillion. He is also behind Truvillion alone in receiving TDs, his 145 putting him 24 ahead of Stallion legend Ernest Givens, but still 30 behind the Tampa Bay receiver.
Dawsey will step away from the field, but not the game, as he has already accepted a position for Fall of 2005 as an assistant coach for receivers at his alma mater, FSU. With a reputation as a fiery rallying point for his teammates, it is no shock that Dawsey will move directly from the field to the sideline as a molder of young talent. Expect the Stallions to highlight Dawsey in Week 13 at their final home game of the year, and for Dawsey to get a respectful send off when the Stallions finish the season in New Orleans.
Three weeks left to play and only one playoff spot is locked up. Denver’s win this week moves them 4 games up on 7th place New Orleans, which clinches them a spot in the postseason. They are a game up on Houston in the division, but they play the Gamblers in a Week 14 game that could decide the division title and very likely the top seed. Nashville’s 3 game win streak has them looking good, but Memphis is only ½ game behind at 5-5-1. Oakland is the other Western division leader, but they have to watch out for LA, who have won two in a row and sit at 5-6, only 1 game behind the Invaders.
In the East, we still have 10 teams with winning records, 8 of whom are 7-4 or better. Ohio and Philadelphia lead the pack at 8-3, but Chicago is also right there, and with 5 teams at 7-4, this is still anyone’s game. New Jersey and Michigan have to be worried at 6-5 that even a winning record will not be enough this year, while Orlando, losers of 3 in a row, are fading fast and could be out of the running by next week.
Finally, we have our first official elimination as well this week, with 1-10 Birmingham mathematically eliminated. 2-9 Las Vegas and 2-9 Texas are still statistically alive, but it does not seem likely that either can go on a 3-game win streak and get the help they need to sneak into contention.
Three games left in the regular season and as clubs across the league battle for playoff position, injuries are taking a toll. Memphis battled back to 5-5-1 and is right in the thick of the chase, but may have to fight for their postseason lives without their starting QB as Heath Shuler went down late in this week’s game with a strained hamstring. That will keep him out of Week 12, but could extend further. Trent Dilfer is another QB who could be out longer, while Jeff Blake and Mark Brunell are expected back next week after missing their Week 11 games. And add Alex Van Pelt to the injured list, meaning that Pittsburgh will be playing Week 12 with untested Jim Sorgi as their QB. The Maulers signed Elvis Grbac to back up Sorgi, and are hoping that Charlie Batch can return for week 13, but it is never good to have to count on your 3rd string QB to bring you a W.
Oakland lost one of their best linemen this week, when guard Logan Mankins was placed on IR with a neck injury. No spinal cord damage, but a potential chip in a vertebrae could require surgery. New Jersey will be without LB Bobby Howard at least 2 weeks, Nashville listed FS Bhawoh Jue as doubtful for Week 12 with a knee injury, and Arizona, though not in any playoff hunt in what has become a disastrous season, now loses LB Karlos Dansby to a groin injury.
Five USFL Superstars Selected for Pro Football Hall of Fame
The 11th class of USFL inductees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio has been selected. From the 12 semi-finalists five players will be honored with permanent enshrinement in the legendary hall. As always it was a bittersweet announcement, for while there is great joy for the five who were selected, there is great disappointment for the seven who were not. It is always a difficulty process, but the hope is that each year the five most deserving players move forward and into the Hall. This year that group includes two first ballot enshrinees and three players who were on their second year of eligibility or later.
WR Ernest Givens (Stallions 1986-2000): It seems fitting that in the same week as Lawrence Dawsey announces his retirmement from the Stallions, the USFL, and pro football, his mentor and the first true superstar receiver of the Stalliions, Givens, is inducted into the Hall of Fame. A lifelong Stallion, Givens retired with 950 receptions for over 16,251 yards and 121 touchdowns. He was named All-USFL 5 times and won a title with the Brett Favre led Stallions in 1993, catching 13 TDs in that season, a year after a stunning 23 TD season, only 2 shy of Eric Truvillion’s league record.
LB Kevin Greene (Stallions 1985-1997, Generals 1998-2000): Another long-time Stallion star is the 2nd first-ballot nominee this year. Greene retired in 1997, but was lured back mid-season by the Generals and would play 2.5 years in New Jersey to finish his career. Green was named All-USFL 6 times, all with Birmingham. He still holds the Birmingham records for career tackles and tackles for loss. His career totals include 1,261 tackles (192 for a loss), 44 sacks, and 19 picks. He joines Givens, HB Joe Cribbs, SS William Cesare, TE Shannon Sharpe, and FS Frank Wilder as enshrinees from the Stallions’ rich history.
DE Charles Haley (Federals 1986-1992, Wranglers 1993-1997): A bit of a surprise but certainly deserving, Haley was part of Washington’s monster D-line for 7 seasons before joining the Wranglers as their primary edge rusher. He retired with 162 sacks, and still haunts the nightmares of many a veteran QB. In his final year of eligibility, it seems clear that the voters felt they simply could not leave the big man off this year’s roster.
LB Vaughn Johnson (Bulls 1984-1997): It took 11 years of HOF inductions, but the Jacksonville Bulls finally have a bust in the Hall. Johnson, also in his last year of eligibility, was a sentimental choice, especially for Bulls fans. He was the first star of the 1984 expansion club, known for explosive hits and takeaways that could change the course of a game. Vaughn retired in 1997 with 910 tackles, an incredible 154 for loss, 23 forced fumbles, 60 sacks, and a reputation as a very bad man to meet over the middle.
OT Emory Yates (Stallions 1983-1999): Call it the year of the Stallions, as another member of Birmingham’s early years makes the hall. A founding player in the USFL, Yates started an amazing 217 of 222 games over his career, all with the Stallions. He moved from RT to LT after 3 seasons in Birmingham and became the rock that would not move on the Stallion line, giving up only 28 sacks over his entire career. Both Cliff Stoudt and Brett Favre owe a lot of their success to the protection provided by Yates.
Five very deserving enshrinees, and clearly the folks from Alabama are going to have to make a pilgrimage to Canton for this October’s ceremony. But, of course, with these five making the Hall it means seven others will have to hope that they will find a spot in next year’s class. Among those who will likely be semi-finalists, if not enshrinees next year we have CB Chris Doleman, TE Ben Coates, DT William Perry, QB Jack Trudeau, and two other Class of 2005 first time nominees, WR Webster Slaughter and DT Jerry Ball.
Week 12 is usually a big week for divisional play and this year is not letting us down, with all 24 clubs playing important divisional games that could shake up the playoff scene in a hurry. We start on Friday night when Washington travels to New Jersey to take on the Generals. If New Jersey can get the home win, they could be right back in the hunt, but Washington will be ready for a fight.
Saturday we have 5 games, starting in the early timeslot with a good one as Tampa Bay visits Jacksonville in a battle of 7-4 clubs. Pittsburgh visits Michigan in another early clash as both clubs try to revive fading playoff hopes. In the late afternoon slot we have our first Western Conference clashes of the week as New Orleans is in Memphis to face the Showboats and Oakland visits Las Vegas with their eyes on 7-5.
Saturday Night features what was predicted to be a playoff game in Week 12, Houston at Arizona, but which may be a low-scoring game that could very easily go lopsided quickly.
Sunday has 6 games lined up, three in the early slot with Orlando visiting Boston, Philadelphia squaring off against Baltimore and Nashville hoping to take advantage of a crumbling Stallion squad in Birmingham. In the afternoon games we have Texas at Denver and Seattle visiting LA to face the Express. We cap it all off with what could be the best game of the week, as 8-3 Chicago hosts 8-3 Ohio for what might well be the Central Division title. Neither team can lock it up this week, but the winner of this one will have the inside track and control their own destiny.
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