With every new season there are always surprises. Positive surprises like discovering an unheralded rookie talent, or bursting out to an unanticipated fast start, but also some negative surprises. That is what the 4 teams sitting at 0-4 are discovering. While there was certainly some expectation that clubs like Texas and Birmingham might struggle to find wins this season, the disastrous starts of several 2004 playoff teams, particularly Arizona at 1-3 and both New Orleans and Seattle at 0-4 are not the kind of surprises either club wanted to experience.
Teams with 0-4 starts do not have a strong track record of pulling themselves back into contention, the league is just too tough for that to often happen, so fans in Seattle, along with Texas, Birmingham, and New Orleans are facing a tough reality as they look at the situation their teams find themselves in. We start our review of this week with the most shocking of the 0-4 clubs, the Dragons, whose offseason cap purge seems to have forced the team into an uncomfortable reality, that they are not very good without some of the players let go.
DRAGONS 24 GAMBLERS 30
Seattle may need an exorcist, because this season has turned into a nightmare and the evil spirits are not letting them go. The Dragons, after losing their first three games, were up 10 on the Gamblers, only to watch their lead slip away and their record plummet to 0-4 on the road against Houston. The culprit was not hard to find, a pass defense that simply could not contain Houston’s attack, allowing Matt Hasselbeck to pick the Dragons apart in the second half, on his way to 383 yards passing.
That was not the story in the first half, where Seattle seemed to have the Gamblers figured out, picking Hasselbeck off twice as they built up a 21-14 lead. Both teams moved the ball well, but atypical bad judgement allowed Seattle to end two Houston drives with takeaways as Matt Hasselbeck seemed to be forcing the ball. But in the second half, Hasselbeck found his rhythm and proceeded to pick the Dragons apart, completing 18 of 20 passes in the half for 240 of his 382 yards.
The game began with a give and take as the two clubs traded scores for most of the opening half. Houston got on the board first, thanks to a Tatum Bell TD run from the 9. Seattle responded with Leftwich leading the team on a 13-play drive that ended with a short TD to O.J. McDuffie. Houston was unphased by the score, and on their next possession Hasselbeck hit Roy Williams for a 32-yard TD that put the Gamblers up a second time. Seattle responded again, this time with Corey Dillon plunging over the top from the 1.
It was at this point in the game when Hasselbeck started to have issues. On the ensuing drive, he moved the Gamblers across the 50, but then threw a ball behind Freeman and it was picked by Seattle corner Marcus Truffant. That turnover quickly became 7 more points for the visiting Dragons as Leftwich hit McDuffie for a second time to give Seattle the 21-14 lead. But there was plenty of time left for an equalizer from the Gamblers, but once again, just after crossing midfield, Hasselbeck misjudged his receiver’s position, and once again Truffant came up big with the pick. Seattle would not score here, but went into the half with a 7-point lead.
The second half opened with a quick 3-and-out by Houston and Seattle upped the lead to 10 on their first drive, thanks to a short Dave Rayner kick. But something shifted after that play, not all at once, not perceptible at first, but slowly, steadily the momentum started to turn to the Gamblers. Houston opened their 2nd half possessions with a nice 9-play drive that saw both TE Dave Campbell and WR Roy Williams contribute first downs on key plays. Tatum Bell would pull Houston back to within 3 on an explosive run from just outside the red zone.
Houston would even the score on their next possession as Josh Brown would hit on a chip shot from the 9 yard line after another long Houston drive. And this would be the story of the final period as well, with Houston burning clock as they drove deep into Seattle territory twice. With 12:06 left in the game they took the lead on a 2nd Brown field goal. They then held Seattle out of scoring range on two drives, including one that had a bit of controversy as a 3rd and 12 catch was reviewed after a challenge by Wade Phillips, and on video review was overturned, producing a 4th down. When Houston killed 5:23 on their final drive, they put up another field goal just as the clock reached the 2-minute warning to lead by 5 and force Seattle to go for a touchdown. The Dragons could not produce the score, with a final heave into the end zone failing to find a receiver as time wound down.
Seattle drops to a shocking 0-4, a hole that could define their entire season, while Houston, with the home W, moves to 2-2 in what looks to be a very tough Southwestern Division.
BLITZ 14 STARS 33
In something of a theme for the week, Philadelphia pulled away from the Blitz for what would be a pretty easy 9-point win. The Stars got TDs from Ahman Green, Amani Toomer, and Dallas Clark, and added a safety as Quinton Caver nabbed Ben Roethlisberger in the endzone, all powering a solid divisional win that brings Philly even at 2-2 and hands Baltimore their first loss of the young season.
GENERALS 35 FEDERALS 21
Another big divisional win for the Generals, as they outpace the Federals to capture a share of the Northeast Division lead. Tom Brady threw TDs to 4 different receivers on a 27 of 34 day against Washington’s D. The Federals struggled to keep composed, committing 8 penalties in the second half as the game got away from them.
CANNONS 24 RENEGADES 45
A shocking score out of Orlando as everything went right for the Renegades. Jeff Blake threw for 3 scores and Sedrick Irvin rushed for 3 more as the Renegades had their best offensive game in 2 years against the Cannons. Drew Bledsoe was sacked 9 times as the Boston line had no answers for Orlando’s pressure game. Four different Renegades landed two sacks as it was open season on the immobile Boston QB.
BULLS 33 BANDITS 20
It was a week for upsets in the Southeast as Jacksonville went into Tampa Bay and slapped the Bandits. Antowain Smith scored 3 times for the Bulls, and Jacksonville, very much like Orlando, used pressure to rattle the opposition QB, sacking Daunte Culpepper 6 times. Anquan Boldin’s return to action was also successful as he led the Bulls with 8 receptions on the day.
MACHINE 17 GLORY 27
Ohio returned to old form, beating Chicago through sheer offensive power. While Chicago limited Eddie George to only 31 yards rushing, Joey Galloway had 109 yards and a score, and Kerry Collins found Stephen Alexander for the go-ahead touchdown as Ohio scored the final 17 points of the game after trailing 17-10 at the half.
PANTHERS 28 MAULERS 41
Do we have a QB Controversy in Pittsburgh? Probably not, but with Alex Van Pelt showing he can still play the position, throwing for 336 yards and 4 scores, it seems Pittsburgh fans can still root for the former Pitt Panther to undo the Michigan Panthers. 115 yards from Terrell Davis, and 2 TDs from WR Nate Burleson helped Pittsburgh put away the rival Panthers in this one.
GOLD 37 STALLONS 27
Jason Campbell returned to action, but fell behind early. That did not suit the rookie, who would go on to complete only 18 of 54 passes, although 4 did go for scores. Mark Brunell actually came out of the game early, but backup Eric Wilhelm threw 2 TDs and got help from his run game, with both Rod Smart and Cedric Benson scoring as well as Denver got the 10-point road victory.
EXPRESS 37 WRANGLERS 23
Another bad loss for the Wranglers as Cade McNown seemed right at home in Tempe, throwing 4 TD passes on the day. Keyshawn Johnson was the big game receiver for McNown, catching 5 balls for 160 yards, including a 79-yard strike for a TD, one of two on the day. Jake Plummer tried to rally the troops, but 2 second half picks thwarted Arizona’s comeback attempt.
SHOWBOATS 17 THUNDER 34
The Thunder finally landed their first W of the season as QB Aaron Brooks threw for 286 and a score, but also ran in 3 TDs on 8 carries (all from within the 5 yard line). Matthew Hatchette had 118 yards receiving and the Las Vegas D actually looked solid, holding rookie HB Cadillac Williams to only 53 yards rushing as Las Vegas doubled up the Showboats.
OUTLAWS 23 KNIGHTS 24
Down 23-17 in the 4th, Nashville mounted a final drive that ended with rookie Frank Gore scoring from the 2 to give the home team their 2nd win and sent Texas to 0-4. Gore finished the day with 86 yards on 21 carries but the surprise hero for Nashville was WR Ahmad Merritt, who had 7 catches for 124 yards and a score, his best game as a pro.
BREAKERS 21 INVADERS 27
New Orleans joins Texas at 0-4 as they lost a close one to the Invaders in Oakland. Touchdowns from Marty Booker, Justin Fargas, and Joel Dreesen built up a 21-0 lead for the Invaders before New Orleans got on track and started to fight their way back. But it was too little, too late as two Joe Nedney field goals were the margin of this one.
We are going to dedicate this week’s roster stories to the 4 remaining winless teams. Each one is different, facing different issues, but all share one thing in common, a desperation to turn things around and get that first W on the standings sheet.
Coach Nolan stands by Eli Manning as the Starter
In New Orleans the issue on most fans’ minds is whether or not Eli Manning should have replaced Trent Dilfer this season as the starter. In 4 starts, Manning has 7 TDs but also 7 picks, and his QB rating of 84.8, while not horrible, is not what you want to see from the Golden Child of the South. New Orleans currently sits at 22nd in scoring, but Coach Nolan is not willing to put all the blame on his 2nd year QB. The Breakers are actually in the top 10 in passing yards, but a 21st ranked run game, averaging only 70.2 yards per game is perhaps a bigger issue. Olandis Gary currently leads the club with 178 total rushing yards, just about 60 per game. That is just not going to do it in Mike Nolan’s offense, but can they really turn to roy Davis full time? Davis has a better YPC average (4.4 vs. Gary’s 3.1) but he is not a 25-carry guy.
Seattle At a Loss to Explain Losses
The Dragons were supposed to build on their 2004 division title, and yes, they had major cap issues that forced them to trade away several players, but an 0-4 start was not what was anticipated form this group, even with those losses. So, looking at the Dragons, what is the big issue? Well, run defense is one area of obvious concern. The Dragons allow an average of 121.8 yards per game, practically the worst mark in the league, and one that gives them the 21st rated overall defense for both yardage and scoring. You cannot allow nearly 28 yards per game and expect to win many.
Now, we should note that the 4 teams Seattle have played include 3 with record of 3-1 after 4 weeks, so it is not as if the Dragons have lost to bad teams. But that is no excuse, especially with more winning clubs on the way. Seattle’s offense has been solid, but the defense needs to find its way and get some stops in order for Seattle to have any chance of building back their season.
Stallions Seek Stability
Starting a rookie QB was a sure formula for a rough start. Having that QB go down to injury and having to start a backup for 2 early games is not any better. So it is no wonder that Birmingham, famous for their wide open offense during the Favre years, now is barely over 200 yards per game passing, ranking 21st in the league. What is a bit surprising is that they are even worse at running the ball, 23rd out of 24 clubs with only 60.5 yards per game. It seems that with no threat from the passing game, defenses are just crashing down on the run game and daring Eric Zeier or Jason Campbell to beat them in the air. The good news is that with Campbell back under center, Birmingham had their best offensive outing of the young season, scoring 27 on Denver, but unfortunately the D also has issues, giving up 37 points in that same game.
Texas Has Nowhere to Turn
The Outlaws have been just plain bad in pretty much every aspect of their game. They are 24th in passing, with only 156 yards per game, 23rd in scoring with only 13.8 PPG, and 23rd in pass defense, allowing 306 yards per game. That is a 150 yard difference between the O and the D. Hard to win with that in place. It has, of course, not helped that they have been forced to deal with a nagging injury for QB Jeff Lewis, but Lewis was not exactly looking like an All-USFL starte before he went down. Texas needs to find a way to shut down the pass on defense, and more balance on offense if they want to get out of the Central Division basement, a task that looks like a major uphill climb right now.
And while these 4 clubs are scratching their heads at 0-4, we should also remember that there are a few teams sitting not much higher at 1-3 who also have some issues to figure out. Arizona certainly expected better from their first month of play. That is for certain.
I guess we should be happy that it took 4 weeks of play to reach this point, but we had our first season-ending injury officially on Sunday when Las Vegas TE Jason Dunn went off the field in obvious pain after his leg was bent back awkwardly. By Monday the word was out that it was a full ACL tear, a potentially career-ending injury for the 30-year-old. New Jersey also learned that the injury to WR Jerome Pathon could be more than the original 3 months expecfed, but they have not yet put the wideout on IR. Arizona will miss guard Chuck Johnson for at least a month, perhaps longer with a torn biceps, while Houston DT C.J. Mosely could miss a month as he waits for a fracture in his arm to heal.
Alex Van Pelt’s outstanding play this week makes the news that Charlie Batch could miss another 2-3 weeks more palatable. Others who appear to be out for this week include Denver QB Mark Brunell (concussion), Chicago FB Jonathan Linton (eye), Las Vegas LB Mark Simoneau (neck), Denver CB Terrence McGee (shouler), and Orlando’s NFL import LT, Jonas Jennings.
Rookie Vincent Jackson is questionable for Pittsburgh, while Jeff Lewis could also be out this week for Texas, meaning Todd Boumann may get the start.
St. Louis Skyhawks Announce Two Key Signings
The St. Louis Skyhawks may not yet have a logo for their team, but this week they announced two important signings to the leadership team, naming the expansion club’s first head coach and general manager. On Tuesday, at a press conference held at The Dome at America’s Center the Skyhawks introduced former Arizona Wranglers’ Head Coach Art Shell as the first head coach of the franchise, and former Denver Gold Director of Player Personnel Rick Smith to serve as the team’s first GM. Shell is well-known to USFL fans, having led the Wranglers for seven up and down seasons before being let go after the 2003 season. In his tenure in Arizona he had a 50-59 record, including playoff appearances in 4 of 7 seasons. His clubs tended to linger around the .500 mark, but had a propensity for getting hot as the playoffs began. Shell, a former NFL offensive tackle, will be charged with building up a franchise from scratch in St. Louis, but, of course, a lot of that responsibility will also fall on Smith.
Rick Smith, played strong safety at Purdue for 3 seasons, then stayed on as a grad assistant and later as the position coach for the secondary. He would eventually move on to a position as an assistant DB coach for the Gold, before moving into the front office with Denver. He served as a scout for 2 years before quickly making a name for himself within the organization and gaining promotion to the Director of Player Personnel position in 2001. It will be Smith’s job to build a roster for Coach Shell from the expansion draft, Collegiate Draft, and free agency this upcoming offseason. It will be Shell’s job to turn what may be a weak roster (largely comprised of unprotected USFL bench players, rookies and free agents) into a competitive club as soon as possible.
The hirings are an important step in the development of the club’s front office and their personnel and coaching teams. Shell is likely to have to wait before he can assemble most of his coaching staff, as he is not allowed at this time to pull any coaches from USFL or NFL squads. Unless he opts to hire from the college or CFL ranks, there won’t be much opportunity to negotiate with currently-contracted coaches until the end of the USFL season and/or the NFL-USFL transfer window, which applies to staff just as it does to free agent players.
As for the other expansion club set to debut in 2006, there has been no word of front office movement in Atlanta, where the team seems to have been focusing primarily on the sales and sponsorship side of the business and biding their time on the football operations side of the house.
Week 5 swaps the script as now the East will be in interdivisional play while the West enters into divisional games. Can one or more of the winless teams in the West find a W in divisional play? New Orleans may have the best chance, playing at home and facing the 1-3 Memphis Showboats. Seattle is also at home, but they face a tough LA Express club, while Texas, also at home in the AlamoDome, but with 3-1 Denver in town, not an easy task. The last of the winless clubs, Birmingham, has a short drive, but not an easy task as they head into Nashville to play the Knights.
In other Western divisional games, Arizona hopes to get on track but heads into a viper’s den in Houston, while Las Vegas, hot off their first win of the year, is in Oakland, where the Invaders can get to an impressive 4-1 record with a win at home.
In the Eastern Conference, where no team has worse than a 2-2 record, there are lots of good matchups. Our favorite is 3-1 Washington headed to 4-0 Ohio, which could be a true battle of styles. 3-1 New Jersey heads to Chicago, where the 3-1 Machine are hoping to take a shot at the champs. Jacksonville and Baltimore, two surprise 3-1 teams, meet in the Charm City, and 3-1 Pittsburgh heads to Orlando, where the ‘Gades are winners of two in a row. Tampa Bay has a tough road trip to Philly, and Michigan and Boston, both 2-2 face off in Alumni Stadium to wrap up the week.