We open the season with anticipation, excitement, and a lot of high hopes. Two new expansion teams held their home openers, bringing football back to Atlanta and St. Louis after a short but painful absence. The Breakers, beginning to heal after Katrina, play their first home game in temporary housing, hosting Nashville in Birmingham. The defending champs try to keep the magic going against the expansion Skyhawks, and the two top seeds from last year's playoffs, Chicago and Houston, face off in a Week 1 showdown. But we start with the best game of the week, a defensive struggle that saw three of the league's top rookies in action for their new clubs.
DENVER GOLD 15
LAS VEGAS THUNDER 14
The game of the week saw the debut of rookie QB Matt Leinart as well as two top rookie defenders in Las Vegas’s Haloti Ngata and A.J. Hawk. And while the defenses for both teams got the better of the day overall, Leinart did what was needed to pull out the W for the visiting Gold in front of a hostile Thunder crowd.
Leinart’s numbers were not astronomical, but they were not horrendous either: 21 of 33 passing for 187 yards, both Denver touchdowns and only 1 pick. These numbers were almost identical to Las Vegas QB Henry Burris’s 16 of 32 for 119, 2 Tds and a pick as both teams dealt with a cold NW wind in the desert and two pretty solid defenses. Neither team fared well on the ground, with Cedric Benson leading all rushers with only 38 yards, while Las Vegas saw Julius Jones and Dominic Rhodes combine for only 28. If there was a star on the day it was Denver TE Lonnie Johnson,who caught 6 balls from Leinart for 75 yards, but honestly, this was more a war of attrition than of big plays or star performers.
Denver had a good opening drive, with scripted plays for Leinart leading to an opening TD on a 5-yard TD run from newly acquired change-of-pace back Ahmad Galloway. Las Vegas would equalize the score in the 2nd quarter when Burris hit his TE, Christian Fauria with a short goalline toss on a 3rd and goal. And that is the way it would go into the half, with both defenses looking a little more coordinated and prepared than the offenses, not unusual for Week 1. Both teams also had penalty issues, also not unexpected, with each committing 7 penalties on the day in a somewhat typical first week development.
Denver had a promising drive midway through the third quarter, but an end zone interception by Las Vegas safety Sean Jones spoiled the fun. Problem is Jones stepped out of the end zone trying to control the ball, and that led to Las Vegas taking over on their own 1 instead of the 20. On their very first play, Henry Burris was snagged in the backfield by a blitzing Dat Nguyen and Denver took a 9-7 lead. The Gold would not advance the ball on the post-safety drive, and Las Vegas got their legs under them on their next possession. Burris had his best drive of the game, completing 5 of 7 passes, including a 4-yard TD toss to his other tight end Jason Dunn. The Thunder were making the home opener crowd happy, up 14-9 after 3 quarters.
That lead held until late in the final period, when Matt Leinart led the game winning drive in the final four minutes. It was not a smooth drive, and likely would not have resulted in points had it not been for a defensive holding call on a 3rd and 12 that gave Denver a first down when needed. But, in the end. Leinart found slot receiver Kassim Osgood for the game-winning TD just at the 2-minute warning. The 2-point play, a scramble that led to an incomplete pass to Peerless Price, failed, and Denver clung to a slim 1-point lead, 15-14 with a full 2 minutes to play. Las Vegas took the kickoff for a touchback, and started their drive at the 25, but Burris was unable to connect with Matthew Hatchette on 3rd and 6, leading to a 4th down try from their own 33. Burris targeted Troy Williamson in the slot, but safety Dexter Jackson was there to get a hand into Williamson’s grasp of the ball and swat it away. Two kneel-downs later and Denver had escaped with a one-point victory. The first win of what Gold fans hope will be many for their rookie QB, and a good showing from two defenses that are generally considered the keys to success for both teams this season.
CHICAGO 3 HOUSTON 24
The 2006 season kicked off on Friday Night with what many thought would be last year’s Summer Bowl Matchup as the two #1 seeds from 2005 went head to head at NRG Stadium. Houston put up the first 24 points of the game as Chicago looked shaky all game long. The Machine were sloppy and penalty-prone (9 on the day), while Houston looked efficient, especially QB Matt Hasselbeck, who completed 21 of 28 and threw for 3 scores.
SEATTLE 22 ST. LOUIS 14
The defending champs were the visitors as St. Louis welcomed USFL football back to the Gateway City. A boisterous crowd of over 51,000 greeted the teams to the Dome and helped buoy the spirits of the ‘Hawks as they fell down 19-0 before recording their first TD in franchise history. Quincy Carter hit Taylor Jacobs to get the home team on the board, but the game was well in hand for Seattle, who saw Corey Dillon start off strong with a 99-yard day.
PITTSBURGH 24 OHIO 26
A solid debut for Coach Rivera in Pittsburgh as the Maulers held their own with the Ohio Glory on a blustery March day in Columbus. Charlie Batch threw 3 touchdowns, but a huge day from Eddie George kept Ohio on the winning end of the scoreboard as the veteran back accounted for 216 of Ohio’s 420 yards of offense. Rookie Santonio Holmes was held to only 1 reception for 10 yards in his Glory debut, but George and the home town Glory prevailed in the end.
ORLANDO 10 WASHINGTON 15
A defensive struggle for the ‘Gades and ‘Feds as rainy conditions in DC made this one a bit of a slog. The Federals won the game on 5 Doug Pelfrey field goals as both teams struggled to mount much offensively. The only TD of the day was a 1-yard Anthony Davis run after a Kordell Stewart fumble gave Orlando the ball deep in DC territory. A bit of an ugly game all around, as neither team handled the conditions well.
NASHVILLE 13 NEW ORLEANS 34
A warm but smallish crowd of 33,102 welcomed the Breakers to their first home-away-from-home in Birmingham, and the Breakers responded to the support by throttling the Southern Division favorites, Nashville. Eli Manning threw for 244 and 2 scores, and Troy Davis rushed for 75 as New Orleans played inspired football in their post-Katrina opener.
MICHIGAN 13 PHILADELPHIA 23
Rain and wind also an issue in Philly as two teams with a lot of promise faced off on opening weekend. Michigan committed 5 turnovers, including 3 picks of Drew Brees as the Philadelphia defense (and the weather) wreaked havoc on the Panther passing game. Ahman Green was held to only 60 yards, but the Stars pulled out a win by protecting the ball.
BIRMINGHAM 3 OAKLAND 18
The Invaders looked solid on defense, or perhaps Birmingham’s offense is the concern we thought it could be, as Oakland picked off Jason Campbell three times and limited Shaun Alexander to only 37 yards rushing. New Stallion Marion Barber actually provided the only spark for the Stallions, rushing for 33 yards on his 7 carries, while Oakland’s Justin Fargas had a big day. Despite Ricky Williams getting the lion’s shar of carries (22 to Fargas’s 7), Fargas was the game’s leading rusher with 82 yards.
ARIZONA 27 ATLANTA 13
The Fire opened to an enthusiastic 41,020 in the Georgia Dome, but struggled to contain Arizona’s Duce Staley, who averaged 6.3 yards per carry on his way to 101 yards rushing, a good sign for Arizona’s often criticized run game. Jake Plummer added 237 in the air and TD tosses to TE Matt Cushing and WR Thabiti Davis as the Wranglers built up a 27-6 lead before a late Lewis to Reed TD gave Atlanta their first franchise TD.
BOSTON 34 BALTIMORE 11
A rough debut for the 2006 Blitz as neither the rain, wind, or secondary for Baltimore seemed to phase Drew Bledsoe. Boston’s QB was barely pressured all game and that led to 425 yards passing on the day. Add in 86 on the ground for HB Tiki Barber and 2 costly Balltimore turnovers and it was an easy 23 point win for the Cannons.
JACKSONVILLE 10 NEW JERSEY 17
A solid debut for both clubs, but three Bulls turnovers helped New Jersey earn the home opening win in front of 54,311 at Giants Stadium. Antowain Smith fumbled twice, and a third from TE Tim Euhus, and that was enough to give New Jersey short scoring drives of 33 and 47 yards. James Jackson and Anthony Becht got the scores while Curtis Enis won Offensive POTG for his 20 carry, 82 yard day. LB James Harrison forced one fumble and recovered another to win Defensive POTG.
TAMPA BAY 34 MEMPHIS 13
The Tampa Bay offense looked to be in midseason form as they ripped through the Showboats, aided by two Memphis turnovers. McGahee rushed for 62 yards and a score, while Chris Doering and Randy Moss combined for 168 through the air. DE John Copeland had the play of the game for the Bandits, sacking Heath Shuler on the 11, and then picking up the ball and running it back for the score.
LOS ANGELES 24 TEXAS 12
The Express got a late Tory Holt TD reception to pull away from Texas in what had been a nick and tuck game through three quarters. Texas got a strong opener from HB T.J. Duckett, rushing for a league-best 110 yards on 23 carries, but In the end Cade McNown, who threw only 17 passes on the day, connected with Holt from 15 yards out to give LA a 12 point lead and the eventual win. Rookie Maurice Jones-Drew ended the game with 1 more carry than veteran DeShaun Foster, and his 33 yards added with Foster’s 58 helped LA stay ahead in a game defined by the run games of both teams. New Outlaws Lawyer Molloy and T.J. Slaughter led the Outlaws with 7 tackles apiece.
Breakers’ Feel Good Win
It certainly was anything but a typical home opener for the Breakers this week as they started off their 2006 campaign with a “home away from home” game at Legion Field. The crowd of just over 33,000 was about 2/3 Breaker fans with a healthy dose of folks down from Nashville as well, but the spirit in the stadium was overwhelmingly supportive of the Breakers and the city of New Orleans. There was a bit more pomp and circumstance than at a typical USFL game, with plenty of reminders about how to donate to the USFL Cares campaign, just as many saw on their TVs during all USFL broadcasts this week. There were a few celebrities on hand from NOLA native Aaron Neville opening the game with “God Bless, America” to Tyler Perry hobnobbing with fans on the concourse. And there was certainly a lot of emotion on the sidelines as well, emotion that helped carry the Breakers to a surprisingly one-sided victory over the Knights. Eli Manning was joined after the game by his famous brother, Peyton, and his dad, Archie as the whole family thanked the crowd and shook hands in post-game. It was a good feeling for the league, and the team, on what is certainly just the start of a long journey back.
St. Louis & Atlanta Welcome Back USFL Football
The Breaker game was not the only special event on the weekend as both Atlanta and St. Louis welcomed the league back with big crowds and extra fanfare. In Atlanta, the B-52’s were on hand for a halftime show that had folks dancing in the aisles, while over 50,000 fans, most decked out in navy and royal blue, welcomed the Skyhawks to town, with a chant I think we will all be hearing this entire season, a rowdy “Ka-Kaw” chant that started in one fan section and just caught fire as the game went on. It is an odd phenomenon to see the return of football to these two cities after only a few years absence, cities that many considered tough markets to crack, but which seem to have taken to heart how special it is to have football year round. Both the Fire and the Skyhawks will have growing pains this season, but if this opening week is any indication, the support is their to maintain these clubs as they develop and grow.
Both clubs also begin with much better conditions than in 1992 (St. Louis) or 1995 (Atlanta). For one, the stadium situation is much improved for both. When St. Louis started in 1992, the dome was not yet complete, and they competed with the Cardinals for dates in a busy spring schedule. For Atlanta, the choice of Bobby Dowd Stadium at Georgia Tech meant the facility was largely theirs, but hot humid summers in Atlanta do not mesh well with daytime football. Playing in the climate-controlled Georgia Dome may not seem like such a big deal now, in moderate March, but come June fans will be plenty happy to not be dealing with Atlanta’s notorious muggy climate. Both teams also seem to have learned some lessons from the first time around, using a variety of resources and media to build more outreach to the community, to fan groups, and to local businesses. Financially both ownership groups appear to be a lot more stable than in the earlier iterations of each city’s USFL past, and while the rosters may not be as star-studded as some other USFL squads, a combination of solid pros and players with local connections helps to build a connection with the community. A good start overall to a new era in both cities.
Rookie First Impressions
Speaking of good starts, we love to look at the rookie class after the first week of the year and see who may have started off making a strong first impression. While a lot of rookies are just dipping their toes into the pro game this week, there were a few who were thrown into the deep end of the pool as starters right out of the gate. How did those few starting newbies do?
QB Matt Leinart (DEN): Leinart got the start in his first game, as many expected, and fared well enough to get Denver a W on the road. His numbers were not great, but he showed poise under pressure and delivered on a final drive that gave Denver the lead and the win. His longest pass of the day was a 54-yarder to TE Lonnie Johnson (that was actually about 11 yards in the air and the rest Johnson’s legs). But he also connected on some nice outside routes to Price and Stokes, as well as the occasional effective dump down to Ahmad Galloway or one of his tight ends. Overall a solid premier.
No running backs were designated as lead backs or starters in this opening week, but that did not keep some from getting their hands on the ball. The best day was had by LA’s Maurice Jones-Drew, who split carries with veteran DeShaun Foster and finishd the day with 14 carries, 33 yards and one reception for a nice chunk of 28 yards. Michigan’s Leon Washington got his first USFL carry, a 5-yarder in the 4th quarter, and was targeted once in the passing game in the only other rookie appearance at the position.
Among receivers, we saw Santonio Holmes make his first catch in Ohio. Texas rookie Marques Colston did him a little better, ending the day with 3 catches for 36 yards, and Orlando’s Brandon Marshall topped that with 5 receptions on 7 targets for a totl of 39 yards. Orlando’s Greg Jennings had 2 catches for 33 yards, and Chicago TE Anthony Fasano finished his first day in the pros with 4 catches for 50 yards.
On defense, the biggest premier was that of Philadelphia’s new corner, Antonio Cromartie, who racked up 6 tackles, a pick, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, for quite an impressive debut. Birmingham’s DeMeco Ryans started and landed 4 tackles in his debut game, while New Jersey’s Tamba Hali recorded his first pro sack.
As we get into the season, we will see more names appear in the box scores and more first year players get their spring football legs under them, but for now, any chance to get on the field is a good chance for these young players.
A rough first week across the league as three defenders are looking at potential IR classification, meaning their seasons could be over just as they began. Several others are looking at multiple weeks on the sideline after suffering injuries during the first week of regular season action. The three most significant injuries were all suffered by defensive players on the interior, with Birmingham DT Ryan Sims suffering a broken leg, with some ligament damage, which is expected to require he be placed on IR for the remainder of the year. In Memphis, 2nd year MLB Kirk Morrison could also be done for the year after suffering 2 broken ribs and a partial abdominal tear. A return in 8-12 weeks seems to be the current guidance, so Morrison has not yet been placed on IR, but the Showboats may have to make the move in order to fill his spot on the roster unless they can identify a player to shift to the practice squad. Finally, La’Roi Glover, a key cog in the Ohio defensive line, is also expected to miss as much as 12 weeks with a partial ACL tear. That is not good news for a Glory team that was hoping to see their defense take a step up this year.
Others who could be out at least 1-3 weeks include Oakland strong safety Pearson Prioleau (wrist) who is expected to miss no less than 3 weeks, perhaps as many as 6. Boston tackle Stockar McDougle and Texas LB Kailee Wong are both listed as out for Week 2, and both with hamstring injuries. Jacksonville DE Kenny Mixon is also out for next week’s game, in his case with a hip injury. On the Doubtful list we find Baltimore rookie LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson, with a shoulder issue, Las Vegas DE Hugh Douglas, with a hip pointer, Michigan WR Laverneous Coles, with knee inflammation , and Memphis WR Lee Evans, due to a shoulder. One more receiver, who was upgraded from Doubtful to Questionable on Thursday, is Chicago’s Donald Driver, who has a deep bruise on his left foot.
Season Ticket Sales Strong
Week one brings us to the annual review of season ticket sales, and the news for 2006 is very solid. 24 of 26 teams met or exceeded their 2005 totals, with Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Denver, Ohio, Seattle, and New Jersey leading the league, each with over 38,000 season tickets sold. Teams with the largest increase from 2005 include the Dragons (up 7%), Oakland (up 8.5%), and Philadelphia (9.1%). Of course, some franchises have maxed out their season ticket sales for several years, and have waiting lists for season tickets, so it is not always fair to look at annual increases. Only two teams saw a decrease in season ticket sales of more than 1% from 2005. The first is fully explicable, with the New Orleans Breakers playing away from the Super Dome and not truly offering a season ticket package. The asterisk next to their numbers is entirely understandable, though we should say that with over 17,000 tickets sold for the 4-game package in Portland, the “Portland” Breakers are already doing better than anticipated as far as sales for their 2nd half season package. The other team with a dip in ticket sales is Pittsburgh, which saw a 5.4% drop in season ticket sales from 2005. That too is somewhat understandable as the Maulers entered the 2005 season with visions of a playoff run, but finished quite poorly. This year the optimism is not there yet as Ron Rivera is overhauling the culture and roster of the team, so a dip in season ticket sales is not unexpected.
Special kudos to both Birmingham and Orlando, who, despite poor teams over the past few years, continue to have strong fan support and wait lists for season passes at both Legion Field and the Florida Citrus Bowl. The two smallest stadia, Las Vegas’s Sam Boyd Stadium and Boston’s Alumni Field have placed those two franchises at the bottom of the season ticket sales (excluding New Orleans this year, of course), with 21,302 sold in Las Vegas and 22,432 in Boston, however, as a percentage of seats available the numbers for both clubs is comparable to many clubs in the middle of the pack, such as Chicago, Baltimore, Texas, and Arizona, who have larger capacities to fill and therefore have more packages available.
One final note, in their first year as expansion teams, we should note that both St. Louis and Atlanta have higher season ticket sales this year than in their last season with their prior franchises, both in 2002. In fact, Atlanta’s 2006 ticket sales are the highest count in the city’s USFL history, perhaps due to the more hospitable confines of the Georgia Dome. St. Louis’s current sales of 30,100 season ticket packages is just slightly below the first year of the Knights at the Dome at America’s Center back in 1996, when the expanded capacity from Busch Stadium (and the lack of the Rams as a competitor) allowed the Knights to sell just over 32,000 season ticket packages that year.
A strong indicator that the USFL remains a priority purchase for fans across the country, and with ticket prices for USFL game still averaging only about 61.5% of the cost of a comparable NFL package (due in part, but not entirely, to the 14-game schedule as opposed to 16 games) the USFL remains one of the hottest tickets in the pro sports marketplace.
Arizona to Christen New Stadium in Week 2
The Arizona Wranglers began the season on the road this week, but now return to Phoenix and to a brand new home in Glendale. The new retractable-roof stadium, recently christened “Valley Of the Sun Stadium” will open for its first professional game this Saturday as the Wranglers hold their home opener. With the temperature at the noon (Pacific Time) expected to be a pleasant 82 degrees, the stadium is expected to have its roof open and the field, which has been tended outside of the stadium, will be rolled in for the game on Friday.
Valley of the Sun Stadium, a name which is expected to last only through the 2006 NFL season in the fall, as the Stadium Authority reviews bids for naming rights, is a marvel of engineering, both for its sectional retractable roof, but also for its mobile turf surface. The football field for both the Wranglers and Cardinals spends most of the year outdoors, allowing the concrete floor of the stadium to be converted into seating for large concerts, or to a sand pit for monster truck shows or the state’s rodeo. The field gets the advantage of the constant natural light, which means no turf in Glendale, only real grass. But, if the stadium is not in use, there is the option of retracting the field back indoors if scorching summer temperatures were to threaten it, essentially allowing the field to benefit from partial sunlight without the scorching heat of mid-summer afternoons.
Of course, the stadium is also a huge leap up from Sun Devil Stadium for the fans as well. No more 110 degree days on hot plastic seats. Any time the temperature is over 85 degrees the stadium roof will be closed and the climate cooled to a comfortable 72-75 degree range, meaning that there will be no more Wrangler games profoundly impacted by summer heat. It also means that the Wranglers can now play host to a Summer Bowl, something that has been avoided since the league began in 1983 out of both health and quality of play concerns. Arizona is scheduled to host the Summer Bowl in 2007, but this week the Wrangler fans have the stadium all to themselves as they host the Baltimore Blitz.
We take a look at our Week 2 schedule, recognizing that unlike past years when weeks were often defined by entire divisions, if not entire conferences, engaging in internal battles, while this year we are going to see a mix of divisional, inter-divisional, and inter-conference games each week. Week 2 is no exception, with some very interesting divisional matchups at the top of our “Must Watch” list, but plenty of other interesting matchups as well. Here is the Week 2 lineup.
FRIDAY, March 24: New Jersey @ Boston provides the first divisional rivalry game between these two big baseball rival cities. The Generals and Cannons face off in a Friday night NBC game that is sure to have the I-95 corridor abuzz.
SATURDAY, March 25: Six games on a busy Saturday, headlined by the ESPN Saturday Night game featuring the Michigan Panthers at Ohio in an early Central Division clash. Other action on the day includes Chicago @ Memphis, Pittsburgh @ Birmingham, Baltimore @ Arizona, and New Orleans @ Seattle. The other big headliner on the day is in Florida where the Bulls visit the Renegades in an in-state rivalry match.
SUNDAY, March 26 has some great afternoon games, including the Bandits at the Knights, the Skyhawks in San Antonio to face the Outlaws, the Fire in Las Vegas to play the Thunder, the Gamblers facing off against the Gold in Denver, a big NE Clash as the Stars host the Federals, and a West Coast nightcap on ESPN as the Invaders visit the Express in an early season test for the two 1-0 squads from California.
Lots of great action, lots of storylines to follow.