It was quite a week for those who want drama in their football. We had three games go to overtime, and four more with a margin of victory of 3 points or less. Not every game was extremely close, but there certainly were enough last minute heroics to keep fans glued to the ESPN Football Network’s split screen highlights as games across the country on both Saturday and Sunday provided a lot of late game drama. We begin with a surprisingly close game between expansion Atlanta and the Tampa Bay Bandits, then will look at overtime matchups between the Generals and Breakers and the Renegades and Stars, before moving on to some close calls and fantastic finishes.
ATLANTA 19
TAMPA BAY 22 OVERTIME
The Atlanta Fire may be an expansion club, with a 1-3 record anticipated of a new franchise, but they are no cupcake. Tampa Bay found that out this week when the Fire took the game into overtime before the homestanding Bandits could pull out their third win. Atlanta got 116 yards rushing from their duo of Kevin Faulk and Rod Smart and put a real scare into the division-leading Bandits.
The game started comfortably enough for the Bandits, as they took the opening kickoff and drove deep into Atlanta territory before settling for a Nate Kaeding 39-yard field goal to open scoring, but from that point on nothing was easy. Atlanta responded to the Bandits later in the first quarter, when, following a tipped ball at the line, CB Aaron Beasley, one of the more veteran Fire defenders, snagged the ball and set up Atlanta deep in Bandit territory. Six plays later Rod smart was running the ball in from the 1 and the Fire were on top. “No worries” thought Tampa Bay fans, one fluke play led to a short field and an Atlanta score, but now the Bandits would take control. They did not. After a three-and-out, Atlanta got the ball back, and proceeded to march the ball down the field without a lot of resistance from Tampa Bay’s defense. When Jeff Lewis hit slot receiver Dante Hall with a 20-yard touchdown, the game got very real for the folks at Raymond James Stadium. Josh Scobee would doink the extra point, a point Atlanta certainly could have used later, but the Fire were still up 13-3 on the defending division champs.
Tampa Bay fought back, first on defense, snagging a safety 6 minutes later, when Atlanta was called for holding while backed up on their own 2-yard line. That safety led to Tampa Bay getting the ball on their own 47, and in just a few plays the Bandits were back in the game, with Culpepper hitting HB Willis McGahee for a 23-yard touchdown pass to pull within 13-12. That was the score at the half, but no one was confident that the game was back in Tampa Bay’s hands.
The Atlanta defense had proven itself capable in the first half, and that was certainly the story in the third quarter as neither team was able to put points on the board. Tampa Bay failed to convert third downs on two straight drives, while Atlanta staggered a bit when QB Jeff Lewis was knocked out of the game and inexperienced David Garrard was called into action. Garrard would need most of the quarter to get his feet under him, but he was able to lead Atlanta to a field goal 4 minutes into the final period, increasing the Fire lead to 4 points.
Tampa Bay needed a big play, and with one of the best big play offenses in the league, they found it. Daunte Culpepper used a pump fake to force the corner to respect a hook route by Randy Moss, and by the time he recovered, Moss had 2 yards on him. The rainbow throw was perfect and Moss had himself a 50-yard TD to put the Bandits back up by 3 with only 1:55 left to play. Surely the Fire would now fold under the pressure.
Not quite. David Garrard, perhaps more comfortable with the limited 2-minute playbook, connected on 3 of 4 passes, and got the Fire in range for Josh Scobee to attempt a very difficult 56-yard kick. The ball went right down the center, just barely gliding above the crossbar with 14 seconds left in the game and we had overtime. Garrard, who had gone only 6 of 17 since coming in for Lewis, had done enough to get the game to extra time, but in the extra period he was unable to connect on a third and 7 play, giving up Atlanta’s advantage of first possession. Tampa Bay would not give the Fire another chance. Culpepper led the Bandits into Atlanta territory, and Nate Kaeding did the rest, kicking the Bandits to their 3rd win in 4 games, and putting an end to Atlanta’s hopes for a major divisional upset. A tough loss for the Fire, but one that shows just how much moxie this expansion team brings to each game.
NEW JERSEY 13 NEW ORLEANS 16 OVERTIME
There must be something about the home-away-from-home games. Facing unbeaten New Jersey in a game hosted in Memphis, New Orleans again pulled off an upset. After knocking of Nashville in a game played in Birmingham, the Breakers now upset New Jersey in another road “home” game. Kudos to Coach Nolan, and to Eli Manning, who went 30 of 46 for 302 yards. Manning did not panic when New Jersey scored 10 points in the 4th quarter to send the game to overtime. He led the Breakers on a drive that would provide David Green with an easy 23-yard game winner as New Orleans, now 2-2, moves to 2-0 at “home”.
ORLANDO 17 PHILADELPHIA 17 OVERTIME
Our third overtime game did not have a happy ending for either team as both the Stars and ‘Gades struggled to put points on the board all game, and that did not change with an extra 15 minutes. Mike Nugent missed on the only FG attempt in the extra period, a 51-yarder that got caught in the swirling winds in Lincoln Financial Field. Despite 142 yards rushing from Ahman Green, the Stars simply could not shake the Renegades, who got 126 on the ground from their combo of Sedric Irvin and Anthony Davis. A tie means both slip a half game further back in their divisions.
NASHVILLE 13 BIRMINGHAM 14
No overtime in Legion Field, just a razor thin margin once again for a Stallion club that somehow has reached 3-1 despite having an offense that is just not getting much done. It was again the Stallion defense that came up big, limiting Frank Gore to 71 yards on 23 carries (3.2 YPC) and which kept Todd Collins uncomfortable all game long. LB Chris Daft was the hero of the day with 6 tackles, 1sack, a pick, and a defensive TD as he helped Birmingham reach 14 points despite only gaining 220 yards on offense all game.
MICHIGAN 27 OAKLAND 24
A very entertaining game in Oakland as the Panthers and Invaders both celebrated HOF nominee Bobby Hebert. Hebert, who was on hand to be recognized at halftime, got to watch Drew Brees throw for 292 and 3 touchdowns for the Panthers as he connected all three times with his favorite target, Hines Ward (8 catches, 124 yards and 3 scores). Rookie Greg Jennings was Trent Green’s favorite target, but in the end Oakland fell as Ward’s final touchdown was followed only 17 seconds later by a Matt Prater field goal as Coach Mornhinweg opted for a surprise onside kick late in regulation and it paid off for the Panthers.
BOSTON 29 DENVER 28
A rare home loss for the Gold as Boston got one miracle play from their backup QB to take the win. With Bledsoe knocked out in the 4th quarter, Adrian McPherson had struggled to move the Boston offense, but, down 28-22 with time waning, McPherson uncorked a deep ball to Joe Jurevicius, and the big Cannon receiver outdueled the DB’s to bring it in for a 73-yard TD. Denver could not recover, and when Jeff Wilkens missed on a late FG attempt, the visiting Cannons got the win.
WASHINGTON 13 BALTIMORE 16
Typical of Federal-Blitz games, defense was the order of the day in Baltimore as neither team was able to get into the endzone until the waning minutes of the third quarter. Ron Dayne put Baltimore on top to stay with a 9-yard TD run and the Blitz D did the rest to hold on and even the record of both teams at 2-2.
TEXAS 6 LAS VEGAS 9
We are still not sure if what we saw in Las Vegas was quality defensive football or simply offensive ineptitude. In a gametime decision Coach Glanville stuck with Henry Burris once again, but Burris struggled all day to make plays. He would throw for only 122 yards, which was actually 40 yards more than Texas backup Chris Simms’s 84 total passing yards. Neither offense seemed capable of doing much, and only 2 Outlaw turnovers eventually gave the war of field goals to the Thunder.
OHIO 27 ST. LOUIS 14
The Glory took the W in their first game against new divisional foe, St. Louis. Eddie George feasted on St. Louis’s shaky run defense, averaging 5.4 YPC on his way to 178 yards. It was 27-0 until the 4th quarter, when backup Chris Redman came in, along with a lot of defensive backups, and St. Louis was finally able to get on the board. Ohio moves to 3-1 atop the Central, while St. Louis joins the Maulers as the only winless clubs in the league.
ARIZONA 25 SEATTLE 35
A 3-point game until a late Darren Sproles TD run gave the advantage to the Dragons in an entertaining game. Jake Plummer threw for 239 and 2 scores, while Byron Leftwich topped him, throwing for 331, but throwing 2 picks. Corey Dillon helped bail out the Dragons, rushing for 122 and 3 scores on the day to help Seattle retain a claim on 1st place in the Pacific.
MEMPHIS 13 JACKSONVILLE 31
Mike McMahon continued to struggle for the Showboats, throwing 5 picks against a very feisty Bulls’ defense. Antowain Smith outrushed Cadillac Williams 122-113 as both teams found success on the ground, but with Jake Delhomme simply not making the mistakes that McMahon did, it was an easy win for the 3-1 Bulls.
PITTSBURGH 14 CHICAGO 24
The Maulers again played hard, but again to no avail, falling to 0-4 in Chicago. Michael Turner (69) and Maurice Clarett (47) combined for 116 yards rushing, and rookie TE Anthony Fasano again proved a valuable red zone target, hauling in his 2nd TD in the past two games for the Machine.
HOUSTON 14 LOS ANGELES 34
A bad loss for the Gamblers as Cade McNown survived 6 sacks without turning the ball over and the combo of Maurice Jones-Drew and DeShaun Foster ran for 135 yards and 3 scores. Houston was hurt by sloppy play, including 3 turnovers and 9 penalties for 76 yards as the Express frustrated Gambler efforts all game long. The win moves LA to 3-1 and a share of first with the Dragons, while Houston drops their first game of the year.
First Quarter Rookie Report
Four weeks in, and while a lot of rookies are still hoping to see the field, there are certainly plenty making an impact. Here is our Top 5 rookie performers ¼ of the way through the USFL season.
LB A.J. Hawk, Las Vegas: Along with fellow rookie Haloti Ngata, a lot was expected of Hawk coming into the Thunder defensive starters, and he has largely delivered. With 2 sacks (one a safety) and 20 tackles so far this year, the numbers may not be staggering, but the Thunder defense is one of the stories of the year this year, and a lot of credit goes to Hawk and the LB corps.
HB Maurice Jones-Drew, Los Angeles: The plan to provide more rest to DeShaun Foster and mix up the run game a bit has been a big success for the Express. Jones-Drew has a shiftiness and ability to avoid tackles that is very distinct from Foster’s style. So far, those abilities have allowed him to rush for 3 scores and catch 6 passes for 157 and another score. Not bad for a pick initially panned by LA fans who wanted the Express to go after USC’s Reggie Bush, not UCLA’s less-heralded MJD.
FS Darnell Bing, LA: Another LA success story, as Bing has stepped in at Free Safety and made a good first impression. He has 28 tackles, a sack and a pick in 4 games, and, most importantly, has helped the Express get off to a 3-1 start by keeping receivers from busting open some big plays against a secondary that was prone to mental errors last season.
WR Greg Jennings, Oakland: An early ROTY candidate, Jennings has been impressive in his ability to get open and sit down in empty spots in the zone. He has 20 receptions for 317 yards and 2 scores in his first 4 games, becoming a quick favorite for QB Trent Green.
QB Matt Leinart, Denver: Not a big surprise, Leinart was handed the keys to the Denver offense and Coach Jauron has been trying to put him in winnable situations. Denver is 2-2, but Leinart has not been the issue. His numbers are very strong after 4 weeks, with 1,104 yards passing and 6 TDs over his first month. Yes, he occasionally misreads defenses, and is susceptible to pressure, but what rookie isn’t? So far, so good in Denver for a transition year and for this rookie QB.
Philadelphia Wideout Woes
The Stars may have eked out a tie with the Renegades this week, but even that unsatisfying result came at a price. Philadelphia lost two of the top thre receivers in the game, and while neither injury will cost the players more than 1-3 weeks, it leaves Philadelphia short-handed for a vital stretch of their season. Both slot receiver Roddy White (neck) and flanker Amani Toomer (hamstring) went out in the game against the Renegades, and both could miss a stretch that has the Stars playing at Washington, home to new Jersey, and then at Tampa Bay. Not that there is ever a good time to have two top receivers on your roster out, but these three games will certainly be a challenge for Kurt Warner without Toomer and White available. Add to this the absence of HB Cedric Cobbs and the Stars are struggling on offense. They scored only 3 points against Denver a week ago, and were not able to put away Orlando this week.
Exect to see Charles Lee lined up outside in Toomer’s spot, and either Edward Stinnett or Rasheed Marshall in the slot, but we should also expect to see the Stars use a lot of 2-tight end formations with Roland Williams and Dallas Clark, both capable receivers, on the field at the same time. We should also expect that they may try to incorporate more big personnel formations into their plan against New Jersey this week, with fullback Terry Alexander lining up along with Ahman Green, both tight ends and only Steve Smith on the field. Against Washington’s tough defense this week, and New Jersey’s front seven the week after, Philadelphia will have to find a way to control the line of scrimmage and avoid 3rd and long because their multiple receiver sets are going to be an issue.
A Quick Look at Squads in Trouble
As we enter the 2nd quarter of the season, it seems clear that there are some squads, and by this we mean subsets of team rosters, that are in need of major support or upgrades if their clubs hope to pull out more wins this year, or to compete come playoff time. We will take a look at the bottom 3 clubs in terms of passing and rushing offense, and pass and run defense, and make a few suggestions on what they might do to improve their status.
PASSING OFFENSE
24. Birmingham 131.5 Yards per game
23. Texas 149.3 Yards per game
22. Washington 151.5 Yards per game
No surprise that Birmingham has the worst passing offense in the league. Jason Campbell has struggled in his 2 years in the USFL and the retirement of Lawrence Dawsey has not helped the Stallion receiving corps. Our suggestion here is to focus on the run game, get Alexander the ball 25 times a game and then focus on play action off of the run. For Texas, the issue is the receiving corps. Ike Hilliard is just not a true #1, and while Freddie Solomon has had moments, he is also not a major threat. Texas should consider working a trade to bring in a quality receiver and shift Hilliard to the #2 spot. As for Washington, we are at a loss here. Stewart is solid at QB, though his protection has been a bit shaky, and the combination of Deion Branch and Bobby Engram should be producing better results than we have seen so far.
RUSHING OFFENSE
24. St. Louis 59.2 Yards per game
23. Las Vegas 66.2 Yards per game
22. Denver 72.2 Yards per game
The only shocker here is the Denver Gold. Coach Jauron has preached the run game since arriving in Denver, and they have always found success with a tandem backfield, but this year, with Cedric Benson as the clear lead back, the yards have just not come. Benson is averaging a miserable 2.4 yards per carry, and that is not nearly enough to support the Gold’s offensive scheme. We knew Las Vegas would struggle to run the ball, and it appears that this week they are again rotating backs, with Julius Jones now listed as the starter over Dominic Rhodes, but is that enough to really get better results? Finally, St. Louis took a shot on Larry Johnson as a player whose college career promised more than he has provided in his short USFL career. So far, while Johnson is averaging 3.9 yards per carry, he is not making the plays needed for St. Louis to fully trust in the run game, and so they are giving him only about 10-11 carries a game. They have to commit to a run game as part of their offense or they become too easy to scheme against.
PASS DEFENSE
24. Baltimore 284 Yards per game
23. Boston 268 Yards per game
22. Los Angeles 250 Yards per game
In all honestly, none of these numbers are horrible. We don’t have anyone allowing 300+ yards, but these are the three lowest at the moment. Baltimore’s number makes sense. Their run defense has been very solid this year, so teams are forced to pass. Boston has issues to address. They, like their model, Ohio, have always been a rush out to a lead kind of team, but that should allow the D to focus on the pass. Right now, they are not good enough to keep teams from staying in games with them. They have 11 sacks as a team, but need to blitz more to keep offenses off balance. As for LA, they are among the league leaders in sacks with 14, but they have been burnt in single coverage when they don’t get to the quarterback. They might consider mixing in a bit more 2-deep zone on passing downs and count on their D-line to create pressure instead of blitzing as much as they do.
RUN DEFENSE
24. St. Louis 155 Yards per game
23. Birmingham 154 Yards per game
22. Memphis 135 Yards per game
Amazing that Birmingham is among the league leaders in scoring defense with a run defense this porous. Perhaps it is that teams continue to use the run all game because the Stallions are incapable of scoring enough points to build a sizable lead and force teams to go to the pass, but whatever the cause, the Stallions need to lock down the front 7, particularly on early downs, to continue to eke out low-scoring wins. In Memphis the issue is also tied to offense. Without Heath Shuler, the Showboats are falling behind in games early and teams are using the run to close out games. If the Showboats can find some way to improve on offense, the defense will not be on the field nearly as much. And, finally, the expansion Skyhawks. This is not entirely unexpected as they too have trouble falling behind early. Their other issue is that their LB trio of Powell, Greenwood, and Rainier, while good tacklers, are slow, which has made the outside run game very effective against them. The solution, draft for speed, at this position and several others. Not a help this year, but the Skyhawks knew going in that they would have a multiple year roster development plan.
We already mentioned the issue with Philadelphia and their receivers, but some other teams are seeing issues as well in key positions. Boston has both London Fletcher (IR) and Greg Ellis (probable-ankle) potentially out of their D for their game this week. Denver just lost DE Ryan Denney for the year with a broken scapula. Houston has both T Mike Pearson and C Brad Meester out for the next 1-2 weeks, and Jacksonville’s secondary will be without SS Keith Lyle and CB Dereck Combs this week.
In LA, there is concern that both DE Keneche Udeze and LB Lofa Tatupu will miss this week’s game, with both listed as questionable and considered game time decisions. Still, that has them in a better position than Seattle, who will be without their starting center, Mike Flynn for at least 3 weeks (shoulder), DT Brandon Noble for at least a week (knee), and very likely HB Darrin Sproles (knee), which impairs all three phases of their game.
Is the NFL Planning to Plunder?
News coming out of this week’s NFL Meetings in New York should be a major concern for the USFL. It seems the NFL is not at all pleased by the recent signings by the USFL of NFL free agent QBs. In the past three years we have seen Daunte Culpepper (2004), Kurt Warner (2005), and Steve McNair (2006) all use NFL free agency to jump at bigger contracts with the spring league. When you add in the draft signings of players like Eli Manning, Matt Leinart, and Jake Cutler, it seems the NFL is feeling the pressure. Sure, they have also had their share of big signings, players like Peyton Manning, Vince Young, Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers, but it seems the senior league is looking to make things more difficult for the USFL.
NFL Owners this week discussed the idea of adjusting both free agency and the salary cap system to allow for greater retention of veteran QB’s and higher rookie contracts for top flight rookie QB’s. It seems the owners feel that a more robust “franchise player” option at the QB position will help them attract and retain signal callers. There is concern in other positions as well, particularly other offensive skill positions like HB and WR, but it seems that with QB still seen as the glamor position in pro football, the ability of the USFL to both develop quarterbacks into household names, and to attract and sign NFL veterans and top rookies has produced a desire to turn the tide.
This is, of course, not good news for the USFL. While the two leagues have grown closer together in their overall revenue, attendance, and buying power since the early days of the spring league, the NFL still holds a significant advantage in all three areas. Were they to make greater room to enhance QB compensation, particularly for rookies, the competition could start to skew their way. So, who should be concerned? Well, USFL squads with starting QB’s on their final contract year are the obvious answer. So that means New Jersey (Brady), Atlanta (Lewis), Oakland (Green), LA (McNown), and Nashville (Collins) should be particularly worried. And while Atlanta may be looking to bring in a QB, and both Nashville and Oakland may have alternative plans (Cutler and Harrington in house), none of these clubs want to be forced to compete to retain their veteran starters.
The other teams that should feel threatened by a renewed NFL effort to land top QB’s are any team that is hoping to snag a blue chip rookie in the 2007 or 2008 drafts. With players such as LSU’s JaMarcus Russell, Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn, BC’s Matt Ryan, and Delaware’s Joe Flacco all looking like early 1st round picks in the next two drafts, there are plenty of teams in both leagues who are hoping they can be more attractive options for these potential draftees. If the NFL were to adjust their rookie caps, it is possible they could simply make offers too good to refuse, which would impact the USFL significantly. The spring league made a name for itself by signing top college talent, first with Herschel Walker in 1983, but soon after with QB signings like Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Rick Neuheisel, Walter Lewis and others. If the NFL starts both signing and then holding the top QB talent each year, the USFL could see its star power fade, which is certainly not what anyone involved in the league wants to see, especially on the cusp of another expansion draft. Something to monitor for certain over the coming months.
Date Set for Decision on 28th USFL Club
Speaking of the coming expansion, we have just a hint of news about the 28th club just as the Portland Name the Team contest winds down. We are expecting an announcement on Portland’s identity any day now, but USFL owners have announced that they will be announcing the 4th and final expansion club the week of June 11th, which is just before the final week of the season and the playoff run. Owners are expected to meet that week to review the final results of the financial and logistical viability studies being conducted and we should have our final franchise announced at that time.
Here is what we know right now. With Portland being added to the Pacific Division, and with the recent swap of the Central for the Southern Division. The two 5-team divisions in the West are set. The East has 5 teams in the Northeast, thanks to the restructuring of Boston to their geographical home and the expansion Atlanta Fire joining the Southeast. It is believed that regardless of which bidding group wins the 28th team, they too will be joining the Southeast Division along with the Fire and the three Florida-based teams. That makes sense, as all three bids (Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and SE Virginia) would be a good natural rivalry for Atlanta, far moreso than for any of the Southern Division teams like Nashville, Birmigham or Memphis.
We also know that each bid has its concerns, though we are not sure which bid raises more issues than answers in the eyes of league owners. The Virginia bid has the weakest stadium option, with their plan hinging on a major renovation of the stadium at Norfolk State University. Currently, Price Stadium has a capacity of only 30,000, and like the situation in Las Vegas, would require temporary seating to bring it closer to the 40,000-50,000 range desired before a more permanent addition could be built. While the Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Va Beach) area is attractive in on sense as one of the largest markets in the USA with no major league sports franchise, it is problematic in that it would be one of the locations with the lowest per capita income in the league.
Charlotte does not have that problem. A booming banking and commercial center, the city has become a very hot property for both sports (NBA Bobcats, NFL Panthers) and corporate relocation. The only major issue with the Charlotte bid is the concern that Panthers’ owner Jerry Richardson is typically aligned more with the Jerry Jones/Robert Kraft/Daniel Snyder wing of the NFL cabal, meaning the most hostile to cooperation with the USFL rather than competition. While the Charlotte group has been able to obtain an initial agreement to lease the newly-redubbed Bank of America Stadium, the terms are not great, and renewal could be difficult.
Finally, there is the Triangle region of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Their stadium issue is not a lack of options, it is a lack of decisiveness. The Triangle Football Group has been hemming and hawing about which of the region’s three major universities will provide the home for their proposed franchise. There is UNC’s Keenan Memorial Stadium (55,000 capacity) which is perhaps the least accessible to the two major urban areas of the triangle, NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium (57,000 capacity), which is well-situated in Raleigh but would have significant parking and alcohol sale issues, and Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium, which is smaller at 44,000 capacity, but also the stadium most in need of renovation and expansion of luxury seating. Just why the bidding group has yet to settle on a stadium is still unknown, but there is concern that they have run into roadblocks with all three around the very important issue of alcohol sales, since all three stadia are located on their respective campuses.
One of these three bids will be chosen on June 13, at a scheduled leaguewide conference call, but at this point there is no way of knowing which of the three is in the driver’s seat. Perhaps none of them have secured enough votes yet.
(You, the fans of “The USFL Lives” will have the chance to be the league owners, weigh the benefits and weaknesses of each bid, and vote on which new city will join the league, when we open our 28th Club Poll as part of the Week 7 Recap. The poll will be open through Week 12 of USFL action and the results will be revealed in Week 13 with the introduction of the 28th franchise.)
Our favorite matchup this week is a Saturday Night ESPN clash between the Panthers and the Cannons in Boston. Yes, we also have Chicago at Ohio as Sunday’s big game, but there is something engaging about the Brees-Bledsoe matchup that has us very interested. In addition to the Machine-Glory game, other divisional battles include Philadelphia @ Washington, Denver @ Texas, Jacksonville @ Atlanta, and New Orleans returning to Memphis, where they just played home team against New Jersey, but where they are sure to find a less sympathetic crowd when they are hosted by the Showboats.
A nice battle of 3-1 clubs on Sunday afternoon when the Dragons travel to Houston to face the Gamblers. Arizona makes a cross-country flight to face Tampa Bay, and Las Vegas heads north(east) to face the Pittsburgh Maulers, one of only two winless clubs left in the league. The other winless team is St. Louis and they do not have an easy task, heading to Oakland to face the Invaders this week.
In other action, Baltimore will be in Nashville, where fans are actively beginning to call for Jay Cutler to get into games. Not a good trend for the 1-3 Knights. Birmingham heads up to New Jersey, hoping their surprising defense can stymie Tom Brady, Terry Glenn, and the Generals. Finally, LA heads down to Florida as they face the Renegades in Orlando.
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