If this season’s opening week was defined by road teams crushing the home openers of their hosts, week two is all about the unexpected. Upsets were the order of the day as our pundits and prognosticators had a rough week, as we expect the boys in Vegas did as well. Whether it was New Jersey falling in Baltimore, Jacksonville upending Boston in Beantown, Memphis getting the road win at Legion Field, Denver absolutely throttling the Wranglers in Tempe, or Oakland edging Seattle, this week was unpredictable and unforgettable. Sure, a lot of favorites won, but to see this many upsets all at the same time means we simply may not know what to expect this season, which is, in itself, exciting.
EXPRESS 41 THUNDER 35 OVERTIME
We begin our rundown of all the week’s action with an overtime thriller that few would have predicted. Not only did the often-hapless Thunder take the Express into extra time, they did it with a completely unexpected offensive explosion. In the end the Express were able to emerge victorious, thanks in large part to a monster day from QB Cade McNown, but this was a challenge the Express did not anticipate facing when they got off the buses at Sam Boyd Stadium.
The Express came into this game a 7-point favorite despite the game taking place in the Thunder’s back yard. And the way the game started, that looked about right as the Express got a 3-and-out on Las Vegas’s first possession and then marched the ball down the field on their own first go, never facing a third down before McNown found wideout Arnaz Battle open on a quick slant from the 2. Only 5 minutes in and the Express were up 7-0. But Las Vegas responded, with Aaron Brooks connecting with TE Jason Dunn on a 21 yard play to put the ball into Express territory, and then finding WR Matthew Hatchette from 31 yards out on a beautifully thrown ball that just dropped into the basket for the veteran wideout. 7-7 after one quarter and Las Vegas showing some fight.
The Express failed on a 3rd and 3 as DeShaun Foster juked left when he should have gone right, and Las Vegas got the ball back. Again they showed some offensive moxy, taking the ball 63 yards before Reuben Droughns plunged in from the 2. Droughns, who would impress with 54 yards on only 8 carries, was just one of several Thunder players to come up big against an LA defense that most figured would have an easy time of it. TE Jason Dunn would be the big star for Vegas, catching 6 balls for 121 yards, but Muhammad, Hatchette and rookie Troy Williamson would also contribute to Aaron Brooks’s 257 yard, 3 TD day.
Down 14-7, LA responded with a moon shot that unnerved the Vegas faithful. After the kickoff return to the 23, LA’s first play was a flea flicker and it caught Vegas completely off guard. Foster tossed the ball back to McNown, and the veteran found slot receiver Dez White wide open on a blown coverage. Just 9 seconds and 77 yards later, White was in the endzone and LA had tied the score.
Las Vegas did not panic, and they ended the half with a modest drive that got the ball into range for Mike Vanderjagt. The veteran kicker put the ball through the uprights and the homestanding Thunder went into the half up by 3. But the issues with blown coverages continued for the Thunder in the second half. On their first drive of the half the Express again connected on a long bomb to retake the lead. This time it was a pump fake aimed at White across the middle that froze the safety, McNown reloaded and found Keyshawn Johnson alone with the corner. A well-placed ball found Johnson in stride, and the big receiver took the ball in for a 64-yard TD toss as once again Las Vegas’s secondary made a fatal mistake.
With 5 minutes left in the third, Las Vegas again scored 3 on a Vanderjagt kick and we went into the final period with LA clinging to a 1-point lead. When the Express could not move the ball on their first drive, Las Vegas had a shot to take the lead back, and they did when Brooks found Muhsin Muhammad from 17 yards out. The 2-point try was good and the Thunder briefly held a 7-point lead at 28-21. LA would again fail to reach scoring range, but on their next drive Las Vegas went 3-and-out and was forced to punt. The punt set up perfectly for the return team and speedy return man Ricky Manning found a crease, returning the kick 74 yards for a score to help LA pull even once again. Las Vegas would need to put together a drive to retake the lead, but on a 2nd and 3, halfback Detron Smith coughed up the ball, giving LA the ball on the Vegas 27. It did not take long for McCown to find a target for his 4th TD of the day, connecting with Keyshawn Johnson again and giving the Express a 35-28 lead with only 1:13 left to go.
While some Vegas fans started to hit the stairs out, those who stayed saw a rarity, a Thunder team succeeding on a needed 2-minute drive. Aaron Brooks connected with Jason Dunn once again and this time for 6 as the big tight end sloughed off a tackle and plowed his way into the endzone with only 6 seconds left to play. This game was going to overtime.
The two teams traded short drives in overtime before LA’s second drive proved decisive. McCown found TE L.J. Smith for the winning score and the Express came out of the game with a hard-fought win, but despite outpacing Las Vegas 511 yards to 397, the Express came away with a greater respect for the club and for the mindset that Coach Jerry Glanville was instilling in his Thunder team.
BULLS 27 CANNONS 20
The first of our big upsets of the week was Jacksonville’s road win in Boston. A close game throughout, it was 20-20 until the final 3 minutes when Jacksonville put together the game winning drive, and Antowain Smith scored the game winner. Smith finished the day with 106 yards on the ground, and QB Jake Delhomme went 20 of 29 for the Bulls, but the big story was the defense, which picked off Drew Bledsoe twice and sacked the somewhat immobile QB 6 times. Terrell Buckley and Antoine Winfield snagged the picks, while 6 different Bull player recorded a sack for the visitors.
BANDITS 22 RENEGADES 17
It took 12 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for Tampa Bay to avoid a second upset in the Southeastern Division as Orlando’s defense played them tough. Daunte Culpepper was picked of twice, and Orlando took a 17-10 lead on a Keenan McCardell TD as the third quarter ended, but Tampa Bay mounted two field goal drives and finished off the ‘Gades with a Culpepper to Moss 24-yard TD with 1:14 to play to spoil the upset bid and go home with a W.
GENERALS 14 BLITZ 24
The big upset in the Northeast was Baltimore’s handling of the league champions. Curtis Enis was held to only 47 yards on 14 carries while Ron Dayne found plenty of holes in the Generals’ D on his way to 145 yards for the day. Add in a Roethlisberger to Kennison TD and a late Adam Archuleta pick-six of Brady and the 17-14 lead that Baltimore held with 28 seconds to play became a 10 point victory in the final seconds.
FEDERALS 34 STARS 30
No upset as the Federals were a 1-point favorite in Philadelphia, but the Stars showed some issues with Washington’s defense in this tight game. Ahman Green is proving a vital asset as he rushed for 119 in the loss, but Deuce McCallister equaled his effort with 114 and a TD to boot. In a very close game throughout, the game was not decided until the final minute when rookie TE Heath Miller came up on the receiving end of a Kordell Stewart pass for the game winner.
PANTHERS 35 MACHINE 41 OVERTIME
A shootout in Chicago as the Panthers showed the Machine that they were not the same offensively-challenged team from last season. Drew Brees threw for 321 yards and three scores, including two to Laverneus Coles as the Panthers took this one down to the wire. The Machine needed a Jim Kliensasser TD in the final 2 minutes to even the score and send it to an extra period, but Chicago held momentum in overtime and took the opening drive for a TD to end the Panthers’ hopes for a road divisional victory.
MAULERS 27 GLORY 37
Ohio moves to 2-0 but struggled against a very game Maulers squad. Eddie George was the hero of the day with 195 total yards, 136 on the ground and another 59 in the air. Ohio would outgain Pittsburgh 546-292, but the Maulers D kept Ohio from running away with it. A late Stephen Alexander TD from Collins gave Ohio the final 10-point margin and that held up as Pittsburgh could not come back in the final minutes.
SHOWBOATS 17 STALLIONS 10
Not a huge upset, but any time the road team wins in this rivalry it is a bit of a surprise. Memphis got a huge 2nd game from rookie HB Cadillac Williams, as his 112 yards on 21 carries was their main offensive threat. With Eric Zeier suffering 5 sacks and 2 picks, Birmingham simply could not overcome even a 7-point lead at the half. They would go down by 14 when rookie Lionel Gates scored for Memphis, and could only muster 1 score to pull back in the game down the stretch.
BREAKERS 14 KNIGHTS 17
It came down to a 49-yard FG attempt by New Orleans in the final seconds, but the ball sailed wide and the Knights held on for the close victory. Frank Gore had a huge 2nd game as a pro for Nashville, rushing for 129 and scoring on a 3-yard run to give Nashville a 17-14 lead in the final period. New Orleans got back to within 3 thanks to Troy Davis’s TD scamper, but they could not connect on the kick to send the game to overtime and the Knights earned their first win in what looks to be a very tough Southern Division.
GOLD 45 WRANGLERS 17
An upset, both in result and in execution as the Gold simply manhandled last year’s Western Conference Champions. And this was not a game marred by turnovers for Arizona, they simply got beat. Denver got scores from everywhere, including 3 Mark Brunell TD tosses (two to slot receiver Kassim Osgood) and 2 TD runs from Rod Smart, who got 1 fewer carries than rookie Cedric Benson, but outgained the highly-touted Benson 116-19. Arizona got 133 yards from Duce Staley, but the offense simply could not turn yards into points as the Wranglers fall big time.
OUTLAWS 13 GAMBLERS 28
The Texas Shootout was not much for fireworks as both teams struggled to move the ball in the first half. Up only 14-13 at the break, Houston turned up the heat in the second half, with Antonio Freeman scoring his 2nd and 3rd TDs of the game against a Texas secondary that clearly was not getting it done against the top Houston receiver. Freeman would finish with 11 receptions for 140 yards and 3 scores as Houston pulled away after the half.
DRAGONS 28 INVADERS 31
Seattle drops to a surprising 0-2 as the Invaders looked good at home. Trent Green played a conservative game, throwing for only 151 yards, but a big 129 on the ground from Justin Fargas, paired with 83 more from Ricky Williams, and we had enough Oakland offense to keep Seattle guessing. Seattle played from behind most of the game, which explains why both O.J. McDuffie (131) and David Boston (124) went over 100 yards receiving, but it was not enough as Joe Nedney kicked Oakland to a 10-point lead with 2:17 to play. Seattle would get a late score, but not enough to pull this one out.
Matt Hasselbeck Returns With Authority
After missing most of the 2005 season with a serious injury, Matt Hasselbeck is not wasting any time asserting his authority as the #1 QB in Houston. Hasselbeck leads the league with a 129.8 QB Rating after two weeks, which includes a 6-0 TD-INT ratio and over 600 yards passing in two games. The Houston QB has never been known as a gunslinger, but this season he is maximizing his opportunities and finding plenty of receivers to connect with. His 3 TD combo with Antonio Freeman is part of a pass-catch duo that leads the league with 282 yards in 2 game and 4 scores. Hasselbeck seems more confident with his receiving corps, and is in the zone with Freeman, who has 16 more targets than any other receiver. He will likely need to start spreading the ball around to TE’s Dan Campbell and Bradford Banta, as well as receivers Roy Williams, Koren Robinson and Drew Bennett as the season moves along, because double coverage shaded towards Freeman has to be coming down the road, but for now, Hasselbeck is asserting that the job is once again his in Houston, and doing so with authority.
The Forgotten Guys
When a club brings in a big name back, the expectation is that the run game will be dominated by the star player, but that is not always the case. Look at Denver and Oakland for example. Denver drafted Cedric Benson to be their next big back in a long line of power backs that goes all the way back to Harry Sydney. Oakland did very much the same after the retirement of Rashaan Salaam, acquiring the rights to Ricky Williams. But it is not Benson or Williams who are powering the Gold and Invader run games, it is the forgotten man on the roster all along. Denver’s Rod Smart has outgained the rookie Benson 156 to 22 over the first two games. Now, Benson is a rookie, and that can take time to develop for a new pro, but the Gold have to feed the ball to Smart if he is going to produce these results, including a 6.2 YPC average. For Oakland the margin is not nearly so profound, with Justin Fargas gaining 160 yards on 32 carries while Ricky Williams has 141 on 22. Both are well over 4 yards per carry, but it has been Fargas providing the spark, with two scores on the season. Williams is still getting into full football shape after a one year suspension for marijuana, and if he can regain his full power, this could be a run game to watch.
Rough Starts
As is always the case, some players begin the year hot and others struggle. This year is no exception. Among those having initial troubles is a QB who was already being challenged by team moves this offseason, Texas’s Jeff Lewis. Many expected Lewis to come out of the gate on fire, fueled by the indignity of Texas’s offseason attempts to replace him as the starter, but quite the opposite has happened. In Coach John Mackovic’s new offense, Lewis has struggled. He currently has the lowest QBR of any starter at 52.2, which is due to a 54.4 completion rate and a 0-2 TD-INT ratio. He will need to snap out of it if he wants Texas to think he is a long term solution at the position, or they will surely look for another option.
Another player struggling out of the gate is Nashville QB Todd Collins. Asked to do more on offense for the Knights now that Ahman Green is gone, Collins has already thrown 4 picks to only 2 scoring tosses, and has a QBR of 64.4, well below his career average. Never a flashy “put it on my shoulders” QB, Collins clearly needs a strong run game to allow him to live off of play action. While rookie Frank Gore has looked good, defenses are still keying on Collins and that is proving difficult for the veteran QB.
Corey Dillon and Shaun Alexander are our two concerns at the HB position as neither has accumulated even 100 total yards over the first two weeks. Dillon has 90 total yards on 37 carries, a poor 2.4 yards per carry, while Alexander sits at 90 yards on only 18 carries. Why Birmingham is not feeding him the ball, especially as Eric Zeier is forced into action at QB during Jason Campbell’s recovery, is beyond us. He should have at least 40-50 carries by now, not 18.
Finally, Among receivers, there is concern for David Boston, who has hauled in only 7 of his 16 targets. That is not a ratio that looks good on the stat sheet. Now, admittedly, a lot of those are deep balls, which is clear when you see that those 7 receptions have netted 178 yards, a 25.4 yard average, but to have so many targets fall incomplete is not something that will make Coach Fox happy, or Drew Bledsoe for that matter.
No new season-altering injuries this week, but a flurry of minor dings that could keep players out 2-4 weeks. Those listed as OUT for this week include Thunder TE Christian Fauria (arm), Texas QB Jeff Lewis (concussion protocol), Memphis rookie LB Kirk Morrison (ribs), Nashville LB Hunter Hillenmeyer (knee), and Texas SS Mike Minter (shoulder).
Jacksonville’s #1 receiver Anquon Boldin is questionable with an elbow injury, Olandis Gary may not suit up for New Orleans due to swelling in his right knee, and Pittsburgh may be without TE Alge Crumpler due to what may be turf toe.
Hall of Fame Announces Semi-Finalists for Class of 2005
Last season’s Hall of Fame class was dominated by first year eligible players, with all 5 entrants into the hall getting in on their first attempt. With so many making the hall, it left a lot of worthy candidates out in the cold, and that is reappearing in this year’s list, with 8 of 12 nominees being returning players. This year’s roster of semifinalists was released this week, and while there were some names from the retiree pool from 2000, the names everyone was speaking about were those overlooked last year.
CB Chris Dishman
(Stars 1988-1990, Stallions 1992-1999)
The 2x All-USFL Corner retired with 819 tackles and 38 career interceptions, 7 of which he returned for scores. He had a 1-year dalliance in the NFL in 1991 after 3 seasons in Philadelphia, but returned to the league in 1992 with the Stalions, where he would win a title a year later in 1993.
TE Ben Coates
(Bandits 1991-1999)
Often overshadowed by the bigger personality TE’s like Shannon Sharpe and Keith Jackson, Coates was a 3x All-USFL player for the Bandits, winning a title with the club in 1998. He retired in 1999 with 505 career receptions and 57 touchdowns.
DT William Perry
(Bandits 1985-1995, Blitz 1996-1999)
The Refrigerator was a dominant force on the inside of the D-line for both the Bandits and Blitz over his 15 season career. A huge man by any definition, both personality and physical presence, Perry was an 8 time All-USFL selection, and one of the biggest marketing faces of the league in the mid-1980’s.
LB Vaughn Johnson
(Bulls 1984-1997)
In his last year of eligibility, Johnson is 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)
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.
QB Jack Trudeau
(Panthers 1986-1993, Thunder 1994-1998)
The heir to Bobby Hebert in Michigan, Trudeau always had a mixed fan base, with some praising the game-management style he brought to the game, and others lamenting the gunslinger mentality lost with his conservative style. Trudeau was in Michigan for the 1986 title, but only as a bench player. He would become the starter when Hebert dabbled with the NFL, becoming an All-USFL QB in 1992, and again 3 more times, all with Portland. He retired with a lifetime QBR of 91.9 and 295 career touchdowns to 127 picks.
DE Charles Haley
(Federals 1986-1992, Wranglers 1993-1997)
Another player in his last year of eligibility, Charles Haley was part of Washington’s monster D-line for 7 seasns before joining the Wranglers as their primary edge rusher. He retired with 162 sacks, and still haunts the nightmares of many a veteran QB.
Along with these 8 returnees, we have 4 new candidates, all of whom retired after the 2000 season.
WR Ernest Givens
(Stallions 1986-2000)
A lifelong Stallion, Givens retired with 950 receptions for over 16,251 yards and 121 touchdowns. Speedy and able to make cuts on a dime, Givens was the deep ball specialist for Birmingham over his entire career. 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, 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.
WR Webster Slaughter
(Federals 1986-1989, Thunder 1990-2000)
Over his 17 year career, Webster Slaughter caught 1,063 passes for 14,343 yards and 105 touchdowns. He was named to the 1997 All-USFL team, and remains the Thunder’s all-time leader in receiving (811 catches), TDs (74), and yards (10,622)
DT Jerry Ball
(Express 1987-1991, Knights 1992-2000)
Jerry Ball played 15 seasons for the same team, even if the team changed from LA to St. Louis midway through his career. That is a total of 214 career starts in 217 games. A huge presence in the middle of the line, Ball was the ultimate run-stuffing DT. He retired with only 496 tackles, but that number does not identify the countless plays blown up by his domination of the middle of the line. Ball was a 5 time All-USFL selection, but, as is true of LA and the Knights, he did not win a league title in his career.
Early odds have Givens and Greene as potential first year entrants, with Ball third and Slaughter fourth. Among the returning players there is a major movement looking at Vaughan Johnson, and there is always a lot of support for William Perry and Charles Haley as larger than life figures in the league. Always tougher for O-linemen, Tight Ends, and special teams stars to get recognition, something the committee may look at when evaluating both Emory Yates and Ben Coates this year. The announcement of up to 5 new enshrinees will be made in May, between weeks 10-12 of the season, with the enshrinement ceremony, as always, in mid-October.
Week three is another interconference week, with Western Conference teams visiting the East. Among the intriguing matchups we have Ohio hosting Nashville at The Horseshoe, Pittsburgh taking on New Orleans at Heinz Field, and Jacksonville taking on the Denver Gold in Duval County.
Our favorite game of the year is a desperation game for the Seattle Dragons, as they take their 0-2 record to DC to face the Federals, who come in at 2-0. Another biggie is Boston hosting the Arizona Wranglers, with both 2004 playoff teams sitting at 1-1 right now. Philadelphia hosting Oakland should be an interesting measuring stick game for both teams, as should LA traveling to the tri-state area to face the New Jersey Generals in a cross-country rivalry that began with opening weekend in 1983.
Las Vegas is in Baltimore, where the Blitz hope to move to a surprising 3-0. Houston travels to Orlando to face an 0-2 Renegades squad still trying to find itself. Texas has a tough matchup, headed to 2-0 Tampa Bay. Birmingham is in Chicago and Eric Zeier is expected to start again. We have Memphis at Michigan to round out the lineup of inter-conference matches, often between teams that may only see each other once every 3-4 years.