It is already being called one of the most exciting weekends in USFL history as both #1 seeds change hands, a star finally gets his due, and the USFL races towards what should be a truly engaging postseason, full of great matchups and hard-to-call games. We saw all that and some young players got their shot as teams eliminated from playoff football give the proverbial “cup of coffee” opportunity to some rookies who have not seen much of the field yet. We begin it all with two Games of the Week, as it was impossible to decide which battle for each conference’s top seed was a better game for fans. They both were outstanding action-packed, high-stakes games.
BOSTON 24 NEW JERSEY 27
When these two clubs met in Week 2 we said it may be the beginning of another great NYC-BOS rivalry, and if this week proves anything it is that the rivalry will be one that could be huge in the USFL for years to come. The Cannons and the Generals battled not only for the Northeast Division Title, but for the top seed in the East, a title that brings both a bye week and the guarantee that the entire playoff run would have to go through either Alumni Stadium or the Meadowlands.
The Generals had fallen to Boston by the narrowest of margins in Week 2, a 21-19 affair that was the first sign that this rivalry was going to be a good one. This game, held on the Generals’ turf, would prove that the Generals were very much going to be the prime obstacle to Boston’s success in their new division. Boston came in with a 10-game winning streak, and with one of the best offensive “triplet” units in the league, Bledsoe at QB, Tiki Barber at HB, and Chad Ochocinco at wideout. New Jersey was not impressed.
After a slow start that saw both defenses get off the field quickly on each club’s first possession, New Jersey sent a message as they pinned Boston on their own 3, and then proceeded to nab Tiki Barber in the endzone on the first offensive play of Boston’s drive, producing a safety and a quick 2-point advantage. They would add to that advantage as the post-safety kick to the Generals led to a quick 4-play drive that culminated in a 19-yard Curtis Enis run for 6. Boston would leave the first quarter a bit shell-shocked, down 9-0.
It would not get better right away for Boston as a 3-and-out again gave New Jersey the ball in prime field position. Tom Brady would lead a second strong drive, 8 plays and 51 yards later, Brady would hit one of his favorite targets, Anthony Becht, for a 3-yard TD toss to go up 16-0 on the Cannons.
Boston needed a spark, and they got it in the shape of the league’s leading rusher. On the ensuing drive, Tiki Barber would finally begin to find holes in the New Jersey defense, carrying the ball 5 times on the drive, and getting into the end zone from one yard out with a dive over the pile. Boston was back in business. When they added a field goal to close out the first half, the deficit was down to only 6 points and the Cannons felt confident they were back in charge.
That feeling would persist into the second half, as Boston held New Jersey on the opening drive, and then put together a long 81-yard drive of their own. When Drew Bledsoe found Chad Ochocinco from 22 yards out, it was Boston suddenly on top, 17-16. It was New Jersey’s turn to show they could stop the bleeding and put together a drive. Tom Brady would do just that, dinking and dunking with short passes to Becht, Houshmanzadeh, and Terry Glenn, mixed with 3 runs form Enis and an offsides call against Boston, the Generals marched into Boston territory. Brady would go for it all on a double move route for Terry Glenn from the 35. The play worked to perfection, with the corner biting on the first move, after all, short passing had moved New Jersey this far. With Glenn having a step on the corner and the safety too far to make a run at him, Brady found his #1 target for the 35-yard TD strike. When the Generals also converted on the 2-point PAT, they again took the lead, up 24-17.
Fourth quarter and time for Boston to bounce back once again. This time it would be Barber again, touching the ball on 6 of 9 plays in the drive before again diving over the pile for his 2nd TD on the day (to go along with 108 yards rushing). Boston had tied up the game and New Jersey had only 2:40 to play to get avoid overtime. But, as we have come to learn with Tom Brady, the last 2 minutes may be when he is at his best.
Coach Parcells had his OC call a slow, methodical series of plays, using all three of New Jersey’s timeouts to milk down the clock, get the Generals in field goal range, and ensure that Drew Bledsoe would not have time for a response if the Generals took the lead.
Kicker Ryan Longwell, the league’s scoring leader, did what he has done all year, put the ball between the uprights, and with almost no time on the clock, the die was cast. New Jersey had not only avenged their Week 2 loss, but in doing so had also captured the Northeast Division title and the top seed in the conference. Boston would be relegated to 4th as the top Wild Card, meaning that they would get no bye, would host a game this week, and would then not play again in front of their home fans, while the Generals would see only friendly Meadowlands crowds when they resumed play in the Divisional Round. This is the stuff that good rivalries are made of, and we could very well see these two face off once more as the playoffs develop.
OHIO 31 ARIZONA 36
The match between the Generals and Cannons was about as dramatic as it gets, but this week saw two games with equally lofty impact, and the other bit head-to-head matchup, the one pitting the division champions of the Central and Southwest Divisions, in a battle for the top seed in the West, did not disappoint.
Ohio was a 5-point favorite despite having only a 1-game advantage over the Wranglers, and despite the game being played in Glendale, at Arizona’s new swanky retractable dome. The triad of Collins, George, and Galloway were seen by Las Vegas as just too much for the Wranglers, who had been a scrappy team all year, led by the ultimate gunslinger, Jake Plummer, but who were simply not viewed as a team with the pure talent level of the Glory.
No one bothered to tell Arizona this. Or maybe they did, because the Wranglers were not intimidated, not awed by Ohio’s pedigree, and not afraid to scrap for every inch and every point available. That determination would eventually get them the W and the top seed.
In a high scoring game, the stars were fully on display, beginning with a TD pass from Collins to Galloway in the first 5 minutes of action. For Arizona, the star who shone brightest was receiver Santana Moss, who would rack up 101 yards and 2 scores, but it was not a 1-player night for the Wranglers, as HB Stanley Pritchett, TE Kevin Everett, and slot receiver Thabiti Davis would also find the end zone for the homestanding Wranglers.
Galloway would have his numbers (132 yards and 2 scores), and Collins would throw for 4 touchdowns and 405 yards, but Arizona just would not go away. Every time Ohio went up, Arizona came back. When the 4th quarter began Ohio had a 28-23 lead, but the final period would belong to the home team. Maybe it was the decision to keep the dome open and allow the 87-degree temperature at dusk to soften up the Glory players, or maybe Arizona just had what it took to win the most important game of their season, but they would outscore Ohio 14-3 in the final period to take the win.
Their first score was Santana Moss’s 2nd Td of the day, a beautiful post-corner route that left the corner facing the wrong way and Moss an easy target for Plummer. The Wranglers could not pull off the 2-point play, which meant that they only led by 1, 29-28. Ohio would regain the lead 2 drives later, with John Carney connecting from 48 yards out to put the Glory up by 2. But, with over 4 minutes left, the stage was set for the Wranglers to make their stand and capture the prize, that top seed.
Plummer would lead the Wranglers on an uneven, but eventually effective drive. He would connect with his tight end, Everett, from the 19 yard line with only 1:02 left on the clock and the crowd sensed that this game could well go their way. They would be noisy and disruptive on Ohio’s last gasp final drive. The Arizona defense would also be at its best, with Jason Peter recording Arizona’s only sack of the day, LB Karlos Dansby all over the field, and CB Philippi Sparks making the big play on 4th and 6 to end the Ohio drive and any hope they had of taking the game. The Arizona Wranglers, not the Ohio Glory, would be the top seed in the West. Ohio was still a division champ and the 2 seed, so they would still get the bye and still play at home, but if it came down to the Glory and the Wranglers once again in the Western Finals, that game would be played in front of Arizona’s rowdy home crowd.
NEW ORLEANS 16 ATLANTA 13 OVERTIME
The Breakers controlled their own destiny, and while Atlanta, playing without Jeff Lewis, was not an easy out, a late surge from New Orleans, including a field goal drive in overtime, was enough for the Breakers to win the game and lock up the Southern Division crown. Down 13-5 late in the game, it took a Manning to Tillman TD, and a 2-point play in the final minutes for New Orleans to send the game to overtime, where David Green won it for them with a 51-yard kick.
BIRMINGHAM 17 ORLANDO 34
The Stallions could have won the South, and with New Orleans trailing for most of their game against Atlanta, Birmingham should have seen that goal in sight, but Orlando made that dream impossible by simply outplaying the Stallions all day. QB Matt Cassel, given the start to see what he had to offer, showed quite a bit, completing 27 of 34 passing, for 333 yards and 3 scores as Birmingham simply did not have an answer.
LOS ANGELES 27 CHICAGO 17
When the decision was made by the Machine to start Kyle Orton over Jeff George, the Express had to be ecstatic for the chance to face the untested QB. They took full advantage, scoring 27 unanswered points to take the win and lock up the Pacific Division title. Two Tory Holt TDs highlighted the win for the Express, who will be the #3 seed and will host a Wild Card game next week.
MEMPHIS 9 SEATTLE 30
The Express win made this game a moot point, but Seattle did not know that as they played. They did their part, trouncing the Showboats thanks in part to the emergence of Ashley Lelie. With David Boston out with an injury (a certain concern for the playoffs), Lelie and Corey Bradford both stepped up, but it was Lelie’s 118 yards that helped Seattle blow past the Showboats and finish the year with 8 wins.
NASHVILLE 13 JACKSONVILLE 28
The Knights were eliminated from playoff contention and started rookie Jay Cutler. The Bulls needed to win to ensure they stayed a game up on Tampa Bay. That difference in motivation showed throughout. Cutler struggled, and eventually went out with a minor shoulder injury, while Jake Delhomme had a strong game with 2 TDs and no picks. Add in 77 yards on 26 carries for Antowain Smith and the Bulls won this one handily and captured the Southeastern Division.
TEXAS 16 HOUSTON 19
A good rivalry game, and one that allowed Houston to capture the top Wild Card spot with the win. The Gamblers got 72 yards from HB Mike Anderson, who tweaked an ankle late in the game. Antonio Freeman also contributed 101 yards, but it took the foot of Josh Brown to score the final 9 points of the game and give Houston the win at home.
LAS VEGAS 6 TAMPA BAY 34
A deflated Thunder team, having been eliminated from the playoffs last week, faced a motivated Bandits team, creating a bit of a mismatch in energy. Tampa Bay got 153 yards rushing from its combo of McGahee (107) and Prentice (46), who also added 3 TDs combined. The Bandits, still hoping for a shot at the division title, played like their playoff lives depended on the game, while Las Vegas was tentative all game long, players trying to avoid injury in what was a meaningless game for them.
ST. LOUIS 17 MICHIGAN 14
The Panthers started all their usual stars, but the energy was simply not there. St. Louis took advantage, as young QB Luke McCown made his bid to be the starter in 2007 with a 2 TD, 341-yard day against the playoff-bound Panthers. Both Taylor Jacobs (142) and Bryant Johnson (148) had big days for the Skyhawks, who finish their inaugural season at 4-10, while Michigan heads to the playoffs as the #6 seed at 8-6.
WASHINGTON 10 PITTSBURGH 15
The Maulers finish the year with a 2nd win for the season as both clubs looked ready to be done with 2006. In the less-than-stellar matchup of Jared Lorenzen vs. Brad Gradkowski, the game was actually decided by the one player with something to prove, HB Terrell Davis, who rushed for 113 even as he has asked Coach Rivera to trade him. It would be a big loss for the Maulers, but Davis is clearly unhappy with the new direction of the team (as are most Mauler fans).
PHILADELPHIA 9 BALTIMORE 28
Philly started a young backup in Jeff Smoker, and Baltimore gave Alex Van Pelt the start, and in this case the veteran QB just had more going for him. Baltimore got scores from several backups, including Corell Buckhalter and Derrick Ward as they took this game in front of a pretty sparse crowd of 21,200 in Baltimore.
OAKLAND 19 DENVER 30
In a game to decide which club would finish at .500 and which would end up 6-8, the Gold had more in the tank. Oakland made the odd choice of having Trent Green start after Joey Harrington had such a strong game in Week 13, but this may be more a sign of Green’s departure than a concern for Harrington. Denver started Matt Leinart, who had a strong 16 of 19 performance in his season finale. Denver also go two defensive scores as both Jamar Fletcher and Kendrell Bell returned picks for scores to secure the win.
Ohio Loses Game, Top Seed and Rookie Wideout
It was a rough final week for the Ohio Glory. They went into Arizona feeling like they had it all in place, the top seed, the top offense, and a very viable path to Summer Bowl 2006. They left with a lot on the line. Not only did the loss cost them home field advantage, but in the process they lost rookie wideout Santonio Holmes for the postseason. Holmes, who finished 2006 with 34 catches for 596 yards and 3 scores, was the third leading receiver for the Glory, behind only Galloway and TE Stephen Alexander. The next best wideout on the team, Reche Caldwell, had only 11 receptions all season. But now Caldwell will have to come in and show something so that pressure could be taken off of Galloway to carry the load for the passing game. Ohio will certainly continue to spread the ball around to Alexander and HB Eddie George (29 receptions this year), but without Holmes occupying the safety, Galloway is almost certain to face a lot of double, perhaps even triple coverage. That, combined with the prospect of having to head to Arizona to face the Wranglers again if both clubs make it to the Western Conference title game, could be adding some grey hairs to Coach Luginbill’s head. It certainly is not making Ohio fans feel as cocky about their chances as just 1 week ago.
Atlanta Enters Playoffs Without QB Lewis
The Atlanta Fire’s surprising playoff season as an expansion club has been largely due to their defense, currently #1 in the league in scoring, but when your starting QB goes down one week from the playoffs, you have to worry that the success of this season is now in a precarious position. Jeff Lewis started all 13 games for the Fire before his injury in Week 13 kept him out of the finale. And while his numbers are not exactly going to light the league on fire (bad pun), with 14 TDs to 10 picks and only 2,141 yards, his leadership has helped Atlanta avoid the pitfalls of a first year club, namely big mistakes at bad times.
The Fire now turn to David Garrard, who had 3 starts in 2002 with the Stars, 1 in 2003, and only this past week with Atlanta. Garrard is athletic, but raw. He holds, with his limited playing time, a career completion rate of only 52%, but, more importantly, he does not have the 11 years of experience that Lewis has. Lewis, who began with Michigan in 1997, and who has also been on the roster in Denver, New Jersey, and, most famously, with Texas, brings a lot of savvy and a lot of experience to the position. Garrard does not.
So, what can Coach Gruden do to make Garrard’s first playoff appearance an easier ride. First off, get that run game going. Atlanta is ranked 6th in the league in rushing yards, which is a good start. They have two backs who can make plays in Kevin Faulk (890 yards) and Rod Smart (826 yards), so use the run to keep the defense honest and keep the pressure off Garrard to make big plays. In the passing game, the key might be TE Jim Kliensasser and the backs, particularly Faulk, out in routes. Garrard is not going to be throwing a lot of deep balls to Josh Reed or David Tyree. He needs to know where his outlets are and rely on them to make catches, break tackles and get first downs.
Then it all comes down to the defense, which, like we said, finished the year as the #1 scoring defense, allowing only 15.6 points per game. They have not allowed more than 20 points since Week 9 against Tampa Bay. Against New Orleans this week, they gave up only 16, and since they face the Breakers again, they will have to do something special to duplicate that, while also finding new ways to attack the Breaker defense to get more points for themselves. A tough task, but that is the hand the Fire have been dealt.
Seattle Wins Big But Loses David Boston For Playoffs
Seattle is another club impacted by a Week 14 injury, as their star wideout, David Boston, is out indefinitely with a neck injury. Boston missed several games this year, and finished the season with only 757 yards, well below the 1,100 or 1,200 of the past two seasons. He still managed 8 touchdowns while in games this year, but now that he is out, Seattle becomes another team which will have to alter their gameplan and reimagine their offense to compete this postseason.
Expect to see a lot of Corey Dillon, and a lot of balls thrown in the direction of TE Jeramy Stevens. After Boston, the next highest total catches was for Corey Bradford, who had 37 receptions this year. The man who will step into Boston’s shoes will likely be Ashley Lelie, the 5th year receiver who has a career high of 207 yards this year on 12 catches. He will need to prove that he is ready for prime time or it could be a very difficult and very short postseason for the Dragons.
Tiki Gets it Done in Style, Despite Boston Stumble
The Cannons suffered a bad loss this week, falling to New Jersey and dropping from the #1 seed all the way to #4. So, it is understandable if Tiki Barber wants to be a bit under the radar in celebrating his personal accomplishments. After years of lingering near the top of the rushing leaders each season, including dropping from 1st to 2nd on the final week of the year last season, Barber has his crown in 2006.
The UVa product held the lead for most of the second half of this season, just like last year, but whereas in 2005 he was overtaken by Frank Gore in the final week, this year, he kept Gore at bay, finishing nearly 200 yards ahead of the 2nd year back. Barber not only won the rushing title this year, but became the first back in nearly a decade to carry all 4 regularly measured rushing totals: carries, yards, touchdowns, and yards per carry. He still has more work to do, with Boston hosting a Wild Card game this week, but after years of coming up just short, Barber now stands as the king of the mountain when it comes to USFL rushers.
Kavika Pittman’s Big Day Snags Sack Title
Another player who made good with his final week of action is Houston sack artist Kavika Pittman. The left end had a 3-sack finale to leapfrog over Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila by just 1 sack in total and capture his third title as the league’s best passrusher. KGB had been holding Pittman for most of the season, but with a big final week the Houston Gambler overtook his rival from Nashville and took home the title.
Pittman is in his 11th season with Houston and has a career total of 193 sacks, good enough for 4th all time behind legendary DE’s Hansen, White, and Doleman. He finishes the year only 5 sacks behind Doleman for third place (well behind White’s 259 or Hansen’s 289 career totals). And while his 18 sack performance this year is not going to add him to the list of greatest seasons ever, it is a bounce back after injuries limited him to only 12 games and 13 sacks in 2005.
As we have already said, a huge weekend for shifting seeds as both of the top seeds going into Week 14 were upset and dropped. Ohio only dropped to the #2 seed, so they keep their bye and their divisional home game, while Arizona jumps up to the #1 slot and home field throughout the playoffs. It is much worse for Boston, who dropped all the way from #1 to #4 as the top Wild Card. They lose the bye week, and will host a Wild Card game this week, but any further games will be on the road.
The one playoff spot left in play was claimed by New Orleans, who beat Atlanta to retain the Central Division crown at 8-6, meaning that Birmingham is out. The other shifts were that Michigan’s loss to St. Louis means they drop from the #5 slot out west to #6, changing their foe from Houston to Los Angeles and meaning that Seattle heads to Houston to face the Gamblers. As we knew going into week 14, New Orleans defeating Atlanta means that the two will face off again, this time in Portland, home to the Breakers this year.
New Jersey and Arizona now hold home field, while Jacksonville and Ohio will also have byes this week.
We have already reported on three of the bigger injuries impacting the 2006 playoffs (Lewis, Holmes and Boston), but there is no team unaffected by the wear and tear of the season. Here are the matchups of all four Wild Card games, showing the potential impact of injuries on each game.
ATLANTA @ NEW ORLEANS
ATLANTA: QB Jeff Lewis (Out), G Gennaro DiNapoli (Out), DE Andre Wadsworth (D), DT Jason Ferguson (Q)
NEW ORLEANS: DT Brandon Whiting (Out), G Terrance Metcalf (Out), DT John Thornton (D), WR Jerome Pathon (D)
The Lewis injury is clearly the biggie here, but the absence of Wadsworth and Ferguson could also be huge as Atlanta tries to limit the success of New Orleans’s offense. The Breakers will miss Thornton and Whiting, but look good in most other areas.
SEATTLE @ HOUSTON
SEATTLE: WR D. Boston (Out), WR Reggie Brown (P), QB Byron Leftwich (P)
HOUSTON: T Brian Thure (Out), G Kris Dielman (D), HB Mike Anderson (P), CB Ronde Barber (P)
David Boston will absolutely be missed, but if Ronde Barber cannot go for Houston, that could provide opportunities for Corey Bradford and Ashley Lelie out wide. Leftwich has a minor issue, and is fully expected to play despite showing up on the injury report.
TAMPA BAY @ BOSTON
TAMPA BAY: CB Devin Hester (Out), LB Kevin Mitchell (D), QB Chris Simms (P)
BOSTON: LB Pat Thomas (Out), LB Chris Claiborne (Out), LB London Fletcher (Out), FS Corey Hall (D)
Losing return man Hester is a big loss for Tampa Bay, as is losing the 2005 tackle leader in Mitchell. For Boston, the LB injuries have occurred throughout the season, with 2 of the 3 already on IR, so while they are certainly missed, their replacements are already in games.
MICHIGAN @ LOS ANGELES
MICHIGAN: DT Kevin Vickerson (Out), T Sean Bubin (Out), G Benji Olson (Out), WR Bobby Shaw (P)
LOS ANGELES: T Jonathan Ogden (Out), T Kenyatta Jones (P), FS Darnell Bing (P), WR Tory Holt (P)
We expect Holt, Bing, and Jones to all suit up for this one, so it is only the absence of Ogden that concerns the Express. It is a big absence, since Ogden is Cade McNown’s body guard, but the Express will try to keep whoever is at LT fresh by cycling players. Michigan will miss Sean Bubin in a similar vein, but otherwise are quite healthy.
Black Monday Creates Three Vacancies Across USFL
It would not be another final week of USFL play without another Black Monday, the day after the final games of the season when teams notify head coaches that their services are no longer needed. It is an annual ritual for teams that underperformed or failed to improve from year to year. This year we had two such notifications and a third where the coach himself opted out after a rough year.
We start in Washington, where the rapid decline from Division Champ to a 4-10 disaster of a season. The 4-win total was the lowest since Washington’s first season in the league, 1983, when they went 3-13. It also marks the first losing season for the Federals since a 6-10 season back in 1989, marking one of the longest such streaks in league history. The result? After being hand-selected by departing Head Coach Paul Hackett, Kurt Schottenheimer is relieved of duties after only 1 season as the main man.
The Federals suffered a complete collapse from 9 wins last season and a division title, to only 4 this year and a last place finish in the 5-team Northeast Division. The main culprit was an offense that, despite very few changes in personnel, dropped from 10th in the league to 25th out of 26 teams, averaging barely 14 points per game. The team was also 25th in yards, and dead last in passing. Despite a defense that remained competitive (7th in scoring, 1st against the pass, but 25th against the run), the Federals simply could not put points on the board. Kordell Stewart, in his 11th season with the club, saw his numbers plummet. He started 13 of 14 games and yet finished the year with 600 fewer yards than in 2005, when he played in only 11 games. He threw only 6 TD passes all season, and the Federals as a team scored only 11 offensive touchdowns all season long.
Expect Washington to look at a major overhaul, though we expect that both Deuce McCallister and Deion Branch will remain key pieces in any plan going forward. With the defense looking like less of an issue, we would not be surprised if the team went after an offensive-minded coach this offseason.
Our second stop is in Texas, where former Longhorn Head Coach John Mackovic quickly wore out his welcome with the Outlaws. In the case of “Mack”, it seems the fit with pro football was just never right. He had issues in the lockerroom, spats with his assistant coaches as well as his quarterback, and in several games seemed unable to maintain focus on the task at hand, making some bad time management, time out, and penalty play calls.
Mackovic leaves the Outlaws after two seasons, the first a 3-11 rebuild, and this year, a slight improvement to 5-9. The team may be heading in a better direction, but issues internally seem to be too much for ownership, who will look to go in a new direction. Whoever they hire, the Outlaws are going to have to do more to improve the roster in Texas. That might start at QB where Trent Dilfer has not been what fans had hoped after coming over from New Orleans. Could Texas be a big player in the offseason QB carousel? That will depend a lot on the team priorities as well as those of their new coach. Expect Texas to try to sign someone soon, and, if the past is any indicator, expect a Texan or a coach with significant Texas connections.
Finally, we stop in Memphis, where Coach Jim Mora has announced he will step away from the game after a very difficult season that saw the Showboats fall from a 6-7-1 mark last year (good enough for a Wild Card in a weird year) to only 3-11 in 2006. The Showboats have not had a winning mark since 2002, when they went 11-3 and appeared in the Summer Bowl. The long season, combined with the horrible car accident that cost the team the services of Heath Shuler for the season, have weighed heavily on the 71-year old former Stars and Invaders coach. Mora would not call his decision a retirement, but at 71 it may well be.
Memphis is expected to conduct a full coaching search, though there is at least two assistant coaches who are hoping that internal candidates are part of the mix. Both Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians and Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett are well thought of in the Memphis organization, and should get interviews. And while the 2006 season is a tough measure for either, with the offense ranked 20th in scoring and the defense ranked 26th in points allowed, there is a belief that both of these candidates do have supporters within the leadership of the franchise.
Finally, a word about two coaches who were on the hot seat but have rebounded. With a playoff berth still in play until the final week, Dennis Franchione, Head Coach of the 6-8 Birmingham Stallions appears to have bought himself another year to develop Jason Campbell and the Stallion team. Franchione was considered a coach who needed to show considerable progress this year. The team did stay relevant through the entire season, despite finishing 20th or lower in each of the major team totals (points, yardage, points against, and yardage allowed). Jason Campbell did see his numbers improve, including completion percentage, TD-INT ratio, and yardage, but still ranked close to the bottom in the league with a 66.2 QB rating. For now at least this appears to be enough improvement from the team’s 2-12 low point in 2005 to merit another year for Franchione, despite what some in the Yellowhammer State might say on sports radio.
Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, the ownership of the Maulers is promising a significant change in attitude and performance in 2007 after the club struggled to finish 2-12 this season, their worst record in franchise history. Coach Rivera has been given a vote of confidence and the ownership and GM seem to believe that the task of building a winner in Pittsburgh depends on Rivera and his vision for a hard-hitting, smashmouth club in the mold of the Federals. Expect to see a lot of player personnel shifts this offseason as Rivera puts his stamp on the franchise. We already saw that Charlie Batch was removed from starting mid-season, and now, as a free agent, will likely be elsewhere. Brad Gradkowski does not seem like the answer either, though he did have a moment against Ohio in the most surprising Mauler win in a long time.
Free Agent Stars
Charlie Batch, mentioned above, is now a free agent, as are many players on the 12 non-playoff teams. With the NFL licking their chops, the non-playoff teams still have about 3 weeks to resign players before USFL free agency opens the Wednesday following the Summer Bowl in Philadelphia, and another week after that before the NFL-USFL transfer window opens, but with the NFL primed to offer higher salary minimums and focused on recovering talent they feel has too quickly jumped to the spring, this could be a very rough offseason across the USFL. Looking at the 12 non-playoff teams, we see a lot of talent that could be changing hands. Here is our rundown of the biggest names each team may see shuffling off.
BALTIMORE: Wideout Darnerien McCants and linebacker Daryl Smith are the two players the Blitz would most like to resign, though there is also hope that the club could also upgrade at both positions.
BIRMINGHAM: The Stallions are still hoping to resign guard Bill Ferrario and WR Marcus Robinson. Expect Eric Zeier to depart as he has slipped to 3rd on the depth chart with the Stallions.
CHICAGO: A big name here as DE Simeon Rice becomes available. The 34-year old may not have many years left at the demanding position, but could be a good short-term answer for a team looking for a quality edge player. Expect QB Ray Lucas to be let go as it seems that Chicago is more interested in Kyle Orton as the possible heir to Jeff George.
DENVER: The Gold will likely let go of veterans J.J. Stokes and Ray Crockett, but would like to hold onto HB Ahmad Galloway and QB Eric Wilhelm if they can.
LAS VEGAS: Two big names, both with some years left on their treads, are set to become free agents for the Thunder, DE Hugh Douglas and WR Muhsin Muhammad have both wrapped up their final year under contract with Las Vegas.
MEMPHIS: In addition to the 1-year deal that ends now for QB Jon Kitna, the Showboats could also see TE Ben Hartsook and WR Michael Jenkins depart. The question in Memphis is whether or not Heath Shuler plans to return, because rumors of his retirement could greatly influence the Showboats’ entire offseason strategy.
NASHVILLE: The biggie here is Todd Collins. Will Nashville hold onto their franchise passing leader, or will there be a transition to Vandy grad Jay Cutler this offseason. In addition to Collins, WR Bert Emmanuel (34) is another player who could be part of a youth movement exodus.
OAKLAND: Trent Green seems very clearly to be on the way out, making room for Joey Harrington to officially take the reins. Oakland also has issues with both starting guards now free agents. They can ill afford to lose both Brendan Stai and Cameron Spikes.
ORLANDO: Wideout Jabar Gaffney and LB Patrick Chukwarah are really the only free agents of note for an Orlando team that could be a buyer and not a seller this offseason. Will they make a play for one of the bigger QB names?
PHILADELPHIA: The Stars could potentially lose several starters this year, including Guard Ruben Brown, LB Mike Crawford, and CB Corey Fuller.
PITTSBURGH: We expect a heavy rotation out of the Maulers, with something of a roster purge. That will almost certainly include Charlie Batch, but could also include other free agents like WR Nate Burleson, DT Julian Pittman, and DT Luther Ellis. There are even rumors that the Maulers are open to a trade of almost anyone on their roster, including HB Terrell Davis.
ST. LOUIS: The Skyhawks picked up a few players in the last year of their contract through the expansion process, and while they have resigned many, there are a few prominent contributors who remain unsigned, including SS Je’Rod Cherry, HB R. J. Redmond, and veteran QB Rick Mirer. We are not sure any of these players, with the possible exception of Cherry, will be a priority.
TEXAS: Wideout Ike Hilliard should be a priority for the Outlaws. QB Trent Dilfer is also a veteran starter in his last year, but we get the sense that when a new regime comes in, they may want to start fresh (and young) with their QB.
WASHINGTON: Another team that will have a new leadership team this offseason. What does that mean for veterans like WRs Bobby Engram and Danny Farmer, guard Scott Scifres, and TE Alonso Mayes?
And, just a reminder, that as we move through each week of the postseason more and more teams will see players join the pool, with a lot of big names looming among the 12 playoff contenders.
Wild Card Preview
The Playoffs begin with 4 Wild Card matchups. It's two days of "survive and advance" for these 8 clubs as they face their first tests. Four will go home and four will hit the road to take on one of the 4 best clubs of the 2006 season. Who will take advantage of the opportunity? And, can anyone repeat what Seattle pulled off last year, for the first time since the league expanded to 24 teams, to win it all from the Wild Card position?
Saturday, June 24 @ 3pm ET
NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
With the Breakers temporarily calling Portland, Oregon home, we have a unique situation where the Eastern Wild Card game will start after the Western because it is being played further west. That puts the Dragon-Gambler game first up on the docket for Saturday’s Wild Card games. The 2005 Champions finished the year pn a bit of a downward trajectory, tying Las Vegas and losing to both LA and Michigan before a season-ending home win against a Memphis squad that had all but called it a season. They will need to rediscover the swagger that took them to a title last season, or it could be a short playoff run for them. The loss of David Boston from their offense certainly presents a challenge.
Houston comes into this game off two consecutive division wins (Arizona and Texas) and have a 5-2 record in the second half of the season. Their defense is ranked in the Top 5 in both scoring and rush defense, which could mean a tough day for Corey Dillon. The offense has been solid in the air, but near the bottom in rushing, so they too may end up being a bit one dimensional. Matt Hasselbeck has had a very solid season with over 3,500 yards passing and 23 touchdowns.
OUR PICK: Maybe we did not learn our lesson last year, but we are betting against the Dragons again. We just think Houston has been a more consistent squad and has a better feel going into the postseason. Houston Gamblers by 3.
Saturday, June 24 @ 8pm ET
PGE Stadium, Portland, Oregon
Two teams that were not supposed to be here and two of the best feel good stories of the year. Atlanta is the first USFL expansion team to ever make a playoff spot in their first season, and their 7-7 record makes them the first expansion club to post a non-losing record in their first year. As for New Orleans, they have weathered the nomadic season following Katrina better than anyone could have hoped. After playing games in Birmingham, Memphis and Houston, they have found a true home advantage in Portland, where USFL fans have embraced the Breakers as they wait for the expansion Stags to arrive in 2008.
On the field what we see is a very tough defense for the Fire, ranked first in both scoring and yardage, and a solid three-phase team in New Orleans. This will be a low scoring game to be certain, and with Atlanta missing Jeff Lewis, they may have to hope that their defense can win the game for them. Eli Manning will be under pressure to show some playmaking ability, and he has some targets to make it happen in Keenan McCardell, Cedrick Tillman, and TE Bubba Franks.
OUR PICK: We think Atlanta has to be overjoyed to be here in their first year, but the Breakers are a team that needs to do more than just show up. We think they will, and with their starting QB on the field, unlike Atlanta, we think they get the W in front of their adopted home fans. New Orleans (Portland) Breakers by 6.
Sunday, June 25 @ 12pm ET
Alumni Stadium, Boston, Massachusetts
Sunday gives us perhaps the most anticipated of the four Wild Card games, as the Bandits and Cannons face off in a battle of high-powered offenses. It’s Culpepper, McGahee and Moss vs. Bledsoe, Barber, and Ochocinco in a who’s who of offensive stars. So, what about the defenses? Boston and Tampa Bay are both middle of the pack in terms of scoring defense, but the Bandits have a distinct advantage in two areas, yards allowed (particularly rush yards, where they rank 2nd in the league) and I takeaways. The Bandits finished with a +16 turnover margin, second best in the league to Birmingham’s +17, while Boston broke even, a 0 margin, near the bottom of the pack (Memphis was worst in the league at -15).
OUR PICK: As tempting as it would be to pick the Bandits for the road upset, we look at Boston’s offense and Tiki Barber’s production this year in particular, and we just have to go with the Cannons as the favorite to win this one. It will be close, and it could be a shootout, but we will pick Boston to take the W. Boston Cannons by 2.
Sunday, June 25 @ 4pm ET
Farmers Insurance Field, Los Angeles, California
Michigan had won 3 in a row before they took their foot off the gas against St. Louis this week. LA had that surprise loss in overtime in Oakland last week, but rebounded well by beating Chicago in their finale. Both clubs have firepower and defensive muscle as well. The combo of Udeze and Kearse produced 21 sacks between them for the Express, while Michigan got 18 from the combo of Ebenezer Ekuban and Leonard Little. Both have solid LB corps, but the advantage for LA may be in the secondary, where Troy Polamalu strikes fear into anyone who comes across the middle.
On offense, you have to love the receiving combos in this game: Keyshawn Johnson and Tory Holt for LA, Hines Ward and Laverneus Coles for Michigan. On the ground, LA has a distinct advantage with their combo of rookie Maurice Jones-Drew and veteran DeShaun Foster. Michigan also rotates backs, but the mix of Fred Jackson, Ladell Betts and Leon Washington has not been a huge plus for the Panthers.
OUR PICK: A lot will depend on the QB’s in this one. Both Brees and McNown can be lights out performers or can underwhelm. The hotter hand is likely to take this game. We are going to go with Brees here because we think he has been playing better than McNown of late, so a slight upset with Michigan getting the W in LA. Michigan Panthers by 3.
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