Midseason and we have some expected stories and some that haves surprised. Ohio, sitting at 6-1 atop the Western Conference is not a shocker to most, and the same can be said for Tampa Bay, with a 1 game lead in the Southeast. Houston leads the Southwest, but will have a race on their hands. While most folks thought LA needed more time to gel, their quick 5-2 start has been a very pleasant surprise, while Birmingham is the surprise division leader at the midway point. In a season that saw tragedy that all but shattered the Memphis Showboats’ season, and new hope with Atlanta winning a surprising 3 of 7 games in their first season, there is a lot happening, but a lot still to be decided as we enter the second half of the 2006 USFL Season.
MEMPHIS 34 BIRMINGHAM 27
Talk about surprises, none more so than Memphis rising up on the road to knock off their arch rival Birmingham at Legion Field . The Showboats came in losers of 5 straight, while Birmingham sat atop the Southern Division at 4-2, with a defense that had not allowed anyone more than 20 points all year. Memphis, in the weeks following Shuler’s postgame car accident, had not scored 20 all season, but somehow this week, with newly arrived QB Jon Kitna still on the sideline, Ken Dorsey and the Memphis offense came alive and shocked the Stallions.
It did not take long for most Stallion fans to get a queasy feeling about this game. Memphis took the opening kickoff, and in pretty quick order marched down the field and got the ball into the end zone, starting off the scoring with a Cadillac Williams goal line run to go up 7-0. Birmingham responded with a field goal, but after 1 quarter it was still Memphis with a lead, and driving again. They would open the 2nd quarter with a second score, a 9-yard pass from Dorsey to Robert Ferguson that gave them an 11-point lead. After a defensive stand and a short drive, Memphis would turn that into a 14-point advantage with Jeff Hall field goal.
Birmingham again tried to respond, but again had to settle for 3, going into the half trailing 17-6 to a team that had rarely scored 17 points in entire games since Week 2. Memphis got to 20 points on their first drive of the 2nd half, as the combination of Williams and Maurice Smith found enough holes in the Stallion D to get the ball into Jeff Hall’s range again. Down 20-6, Birmingham had to start throwing the ball, and that started out about as badly as it could. Jason Campbell’s 2nd pass of the next drive was picked of by Wendell Davis and returned 48 yards to put Memphis up by 21 points. It seemed Birmingham was simply not on task today.
But Birmingham was not ready to roll over either. They got serious as the 3rd quarter ended, mounting their first TD drive of the day, a 65-yard drive that was capped off by Shaun Alexander’s 2-yard TD run. The third quarter ended with the score Memphis 27-Birmingham 13. After the defense of the Stallions got a stop on Memphis’s next possession, Campbell finally hit on the big play that had been escaping him all day. He faked the ball to Marion Barber, looked deep, and found James Thrash in man coverage. Campbell arced the ball to Thrash, who had a step on the corner, caught it in stride and lunged for the endzone. Birmingham was now down by only 7, the score 27-20 Memphis.
The sudden 14-point gain by the Stallions seems to have put some urgency in Memphis’s offense, which had hoped to simply run out the clock, but now felt it needed more points. They started pressing, and got a bit reckless in trying to move the ball. Dorsey looked to connect with Robert Ferguson, but instead put the ball into the hands of Birmingham CB James Thrash. Just as Davis had done in the 2nd quarter, Thrash wove his way down the field an in for 6. With 3:42 left in the game, the Stallions had come all the way back to tie the game.
Memphis could not let this game slip away. Their offense returned to the field with urgency, but also with an understanding that it was more important to hold the ball than to score. Giving Birmingham back the ball with time left could spell disaster. The Showboats used Williams, Smith, and 3rd down back Lionel Gates on a series of draws, screens and counter plays to slowly gain ground. Dorsey would throw only 2 passes on the final drive, both under 8 yards in length. By the time the 2-minute warning stopped the clock, Memphis was just outside the Birmingham red zone, and clearly within range for Jeff Hall.
Birmingham would need a stop, but when Mike Rucker got a bit impatient and was called for encroachment on 3rd and 4, it gave Memphis a first down inside the Birmingham 15. From their, the Showboats powered their way to the 2, and on first and goal with just under 1 minute left, Cadillac Williams recorded his second TD of the day, and Memphis had picked up their 2nd win of the season.
It was a gutsy performance by the Showboats, and QB Ken Dorsey, who finished 22 of 30, and while most still expect Memphis coach Jim Mora to go with Jon Kitna starting next week, it showed that Memphis was not dead in the water. For Birmingham, their worst defensive showing of the year has to be a concern. Had this happened against Ohio or Tampa Bay, it might be understandable, but this is a game they could and should have won, at home, against a weakened and disheartened team. This loss in the Showboat-Stallion rivalry would certainly sting for some time to come.
OAKLAND 39 SEATTLE 24
Another divisional matchup and another surprising Week 7 result as Oakland came into Seattle and knocked off the 5-1 Dragons in impressive fashion. Seattle’s run defense was out of sorts all game, leading Ricky Williams to a 155-yard day, with 2 TD’s to boot. Justin Fargas also contributed 41 more and a score of his own as Oakland outlasted and outran Seattle despite 171 yards from Corey Dillon.
OHIO 49 CHICAGO 20
If this game was any indication, Chicago’s hopes of surpassing the Glory as the power of the Central Division seem pipe dreams. The Machine defense seems to have lost its integrity, as Kerry Collins passes for 340 yards and 4 TDs, all 4 to Joey Galloway, and the combo of Eddie George and Musa Smith account for 161 rushing yards in a romp for the Glory at Soldier Field.
HOUSTON 24 TEXAS 17
Tim Dwight made his debut for the Outlaws, and looked comfortable, catching 6 balls for 56 yards, but it was not enough of a boost as Houston got 111 from Antonio Freeman, and rookie Vernon Davis scored his first USFL touchdown. A 14-14 game after three, Houston’s final TD, a 4-yarder from Hasselbeck to Drew Bennett, sealed the deal for the visitors in this Texas Showdown.
MICHIGAN 20 ST. LOUIS 10
The Panthers avoided the trap game and did what they needed to do in St. Louis to get the W. Drew Brees threw for 256 yards and 2 scores and the defense held the Skyhawks to only 4 of 12 on third down and only 29 total yards rushing to secure the W and move to 4-3 on the year.
NEW JERSEY 23 WASHINGTON 20
The Generals held a 20-9 lead, but let Washington get back in and tie it up before a final drive provided Ryan Longwell with a chance to win the game. His 38-yarder as time ran out deflated the Federals’ crowd, and helped push New Jersey to 5-2 on the year. Washington’s newest acquisition, WR Mike Williams, caught 4 balls for 31 yards but was injured in the 2nd half and could miss the rest of the year as the Feds drop to a disappointing 2-5.
ATLANTA 13 ORLANDO 37
The Fire were hoping to finish the first half over .500 but ran into a frustrated, but focused Orlando Renegades squad. Jeff Blake threw for 2 scores and Sedrick Irvin ran for 106 yards and 2 more touchdowns as Orlando took out a lot of frustration on the expansion Fire. Rookie Brandon Marshall had his best day as a pro, catching 4 for 55 and a TD in the rout.
LOS ANGELES 9 ARIZONA 21
The Wrangler won their third in a row to go into the 2nd half at 4-3 and in the hunt in the Southwestern Division. They frustrated Cade McNown all day, with the erratic QB completing only 39% of his passes (16 of 41). Meanwhile, Jake Plummer had a more conservative 11 of 20 day, with 2 TDs. Santana Moss was his favorite target, catching 4 for 122, including a beautiful 55-yard fly pattern for a score.
PHILADELPHIA 26 TAMPA BAY 34
It was 17-14 at the half, but Tampa Bay put two quick touchdowns on the board in the 3rd and the Stars could not recover, losing by 8. Daunte Culpepper threw for 293, 133 of those to Moss, who also caught two of Culpepper’s 3 TD passes as Tampa Bay finished the first half at 5-2 and atop the Southeast. Philly sits at .500 with a 3-3-1 record.
PITTSBURGH 21 DENVER 40
The Maulers hung tough for 3 quarters, down only 23-21 after three, but Denver scored 20 unanswered points in the final period to put this one away. A pick-6 from Denver’s Barrett Rudd broke the back of the Maulers, who slide to a horrific 0-7 first half. Denver is back to 4-3 and part of a three-way tie for first in the Southwest at the midway point.
LAS VEGAS 20 NASHVILLE 17
The Thunder remain the surprise success story of the season’s first half, moving to 5-2 with a win in Nashville. Down 17-7, the Thunder rallied to score 13 in the final 17 minutes of action, including a Mike Vanderjagt field goal to win it in regulation. Steve McNair threw for 155 and two scores and the defense picked off Todd Collins twice to help the Thunder into a share of first in the Pacific.
BOSTON 38 JACKSONVILLE 20
The Cannons remain tied with New Jersey atop the Northeast, while Jacksonville slips a game behind the Bandits with this home loss. Tiki Barber ran for 117 and a score, helping out Adrian McPherson, who had to sub for Bledsoe in the third. Bledsoe had thrown for 192 and 2 scores when a blow to the head forced him out of the game. McPherson came in and availed himself nicely, going 8 of 13 for 141 and a late TD to James Whalen as Boston won going away.
NEW ORLEANS 26 BALTIMORE 20
After settling into new digs in Portland, the Breakers flew across the country to face Baltimore and showed up with an intensity that helped squelch Ben Roethlisberger’s return under center. Former Panther Chris Perry was the hero of the day, going for 126 yards on only 19 carries for the Breakers. The defense held Baltimore to only 1 third down conversion in 10 tries and New Orleans (via Portland) arrive at midseason with a 4-3 record.
Midseason Report
We have reached the halfway point of the season and it has certainly been a surprising one. A lot to break down as we look back at the first seven weeks and ahead to the final seven. Rather than a team by team analysis, we are going to look at a series of topics which encapsulate the season so far and the possibilities ahead.
5 Biggest Surprises to the 2006 Season So Far
T.J. Duckett Playing with the Big Boys.
Look, T.J. Duckett of Texas has been a solid player for several years, gaining 892 yards as a rookie in Michigan before getting sent to Texas, where he had 1,014 in 2004 and 1,112 in 2005, but this year the former Michigan State Spartan seems to have found another gear. With 7 weeks left in the season, Duckett already has 712 yards, on pace for over 1,400, which puts him right in the running for a rushing title. Duckett finished 5th in rushing last year, but currently sits in 3rd, only 10 yards behind second place Deuce McCallister. His increased production has certainly raised some eyebrows. Now, if Texas could just develop a passing game, they might have something.
Renegades and Thunder Top Defensive Categories
This one is a huge shock to most folks. The fact that the #1 and #2 scoring defenses are the ‘Gades and the Thunder is simply not something anyone expected. The two are only 1 point apart (114 for Orlando, 115 for Las Vegas), with Houston and Jacksonville close behind, two teams most folks expected to be near the top of the list. How have they done it? Orlando seems to be doing it by shutting down passing lanes, 2nd in the league with only 179 yards per game allowed, and they are brining pressure from every direction, with 5 different players having at least 3 sacks (including LB Al Wilson and DT Pat Williams). Las Vegas is giving up considerably more yards than Orlando, but they are making more big plays, timely sacks, drive-killing stops, and takeaways. For Las Vegas this defensive success has helped propel them to a 5-2 start, while Orlando still struggles, sitting only at 2-4-1.
New Orleans’s Composure
In a revelation which is very much a feel good story, the New Orleans Breakers are finding ways to pull together, play solid team football, and win games, despite the turmoil of the post-Katrina fallout and the constant relocation. Now they are based in Portland and will have a somewhat stable home, though by no means their usual home. Over the first 7 weeks, playing 3 “home” games in 3 different USFL cities, the Breakers have managed to win 4 of 7 games, including their pseudo-home games in Birmingham and Memphis. They now move to the Pacific Northwest, where they will host Orlando in Week 8, followed by the Showboats, and Bulls in a 3-game “home” series, before taking to the road in Nashville. The Breakers have a legitimate shot to take the Central Division in a year when most assumed they would struggle just to reach .500 with all the distractions, obligations, insecurity and emotion that this season has presented.
Slumping Machine & Federals
Fans of the Chicago Machine and Washington Federals have to be wishing that their team had the spiritual fortitude of the Breakers. With both 2005 Division Champs currently wallowing at 2-5 there is a lot of finger pointing and a lot of head shaking at the southward turn their seasons have gone. Both clubs have struggled with divisional games, with Washington currently a horrendous 1-4, while Chicago has lost 2 of 3 divisional games, with far more on the way in the second half. Both teams, expected to challenge for a division title, have seen their defenses fail to live up to last year’s success. For Chicago, the loss of 3 starters from the 2005 secondary is an obvious place to point blame, while for Washington, the issues on defense are not as clear. Can either recover and reach the playoffs? Seems very unlikely since both are in 5-team divisions and currently trail their division leaders by 3 (WSH) or 4 (CHI) games.
Streaking Thunder & Stallions
On the opposite side of the surprising record calculation we have the Stallions and Thunder. We have already explored how Las Vegas’s defense is helping them win games that in past years they would have thrown away, but in Birmingham, we are seeing a very interesting mix of defensive fortitude and a rediscovered run game. Statistically the Stallions do not look like a 4-3 squad. They are 17th in scoring, 13th in scoring defense, but 25th in yards allowed and 24th in yards gained. So what has been their secret? They lead the league with 10 forced fumbles and in interceptions, giving them 23 takeaways in 7 games, a fantastic 3.3 per game. That production helps them tie Jacksonville as the team with the best turnover difference, sitting at +10 for the year. With Jason Campbell currently the 2nd worst-rated QB with a 68.4 QBR (Charlie Batch sits at 63.5), the Stallions have had to be resourceful, using Shaun Alexander to solid effect and playing on short fields thank to a defense led by DE Mike Rucker, CB James Trapp, and LB Ted Johnson.
5 Breakout Stars of 2006
Players who have shot into the spotlight this spring have a range of backgrounds, from a highly touted rookie who is living up to the hype, to a veteran who found new life in a new city. Each player has a different story, but each has made an impact this season and has been gaining a lot of attention for it.
QB Matt Leinart (DEN): The first seven games of rookie Matt Leinart’s season may not exactly be the 1993 Brett Favre, but they are as good or better than most fans in the Mile High City could have hoped for. Leinart’s 1,779 is good enough for 7th in the league. His 9-5 TD-INT ratio may not be All-USFL quality, but for a rookie those are very solid numbers. His 68.9% completion rate is keeping drives alive, and his receivers are beginning to talk up Leinart’s decision making and ball placement. Good news for Denver and for the league as Leinart was the only top tier QB to sign with the spring league this year.
LB Antonio Pierce (WSH): A free agent signing out of the NFL, Pierce has had an immediate impact on the Federals’ D. His 54 tackles lead the team and are good enough for 5th in the USFL. He also has 8 tackles for loss, 2 picks, and a forced fumble in 7 games. Fans in DC may not be happy with the Federals’ 2-5 record, but they cannot lay the blame on this NFL signing.
WR Taylor Jacobs (STL): The Skyhawks snagged Jacobs in the Expansion Draft, signing him away from the Oakland Invaders, where he had 65 catches for 861 yards last year. So far with St. Louis he has 20 catches, but at 27.0 yards per catch, those 20 catches have accounted for 540 yards, more than half way to 1,000. Add in 4 TDs and Jacobs is on his way to becoming a very popular #81 in the Gateway City.
DE Jason Babin (BOS): Boston has to be overjoyed with the year-to-year growth in DE Jason Babin. He started strong as a rookie with 9 sacks in 8 games. Last year, as a full time starter he finished the year with 10 in 14 games, and this year he is among the league leaders at the halfway point with 7 sacks in 7 games, on pace for 14 for the year. Teamed up with 8-year vet Greg Ellis, Babin is shaking off blocks, and powering his way to opposing QBs, a huge part of Boston moving into the Top 10 in scoring defense.
DE Eddie Freeman (STL): A second standout for the expansion Skyhawks, Freeman came into 2006 with his best sack performance ever being 2 sacks for the Wranglers in 2004. With 7 already this year for St. Louis, Freeman is blowing past his career bests and getting his first true chance to shine as a starter. Yes, the Skyhawks are still only 1-6, but they seem to have found two solid pieces to build around in Jacobs and Freeman.
5 Biggest Concerns at the Midway Point
The optimism of February has worn off, and the reality of a tough USFL season leaves teams and fans with questions and concerns for the second half. These are the five we see as the biggest across the league as we enter the 2nd half of the regular season.
Teams Devalue the Run Game
Football diehards cannot be happy with the number of teams who simply seem to be ignoring the run game altogether in favor of a pass happy scheme. With 7 games down, we have 4 clubs who have not even reached 600 yards as a team (We normally see most clubs finish with between 1,500-2,000 team rushing yards.). Las Vegas, who are sitting at 5-2, are dead last with only 341, followed by St. Louis (408), Arizona (544), and Houston (568). Denver and Michigan are not much better. Is this the future of the game? Or, is it just that there are not enough good linemen and effective backs in the league? Fans who love to watch teams pound an opponent into submission with the run are certainly not enjoying this trend.
NFL QB Focus
At the same time as the run game is suffering for many teams, the recent focus of the NFL on the QB position has to make USFL fans nervous. If the NFL starts outbidding and outdrafing the USFL, the quality of QB play would be the first major hit we could see from the new emphasis. A USFL without top flight QB play is a much different product than the wide open, high flying, brand of football that USFL fans have been accustomed to since the days of Young, Kelly, Reaves, and Johnny Walton.
Jason Campbell’s Slow Development
Stallion fans have to be feeling frustrated with the slow improvements most are seeing in Jason Campbell’s game. It is not made any easier by the immediate success we saw from Byron Leftwich in Seattle, and now Matt Leinart in Denver. Campbell is still struggling to read defenses and follow his progressions. Campbell’s 1,212 yards are certainly ahead of his 2005 pace, but his 51.4% completion rate is still a big concern, and his 7-6 TD-INT ratio is not what Birmingham fans want to see. Campbell has a solid corps of veteran receives with Joe Horn, James Thrash, Marcus Robinson, and TE O.J. Santiago all more than capable, but unless Campbell can start to make faster reads and more accurate throws, the success of the Stallions will continue to be handcuffed.
Mauler Misery
Of all the teams that are not where they want to be this season, Pittsburgh is clearly in the worst situation. Winless after 7-weeks, a Mauler team that was 10-4 and competing for a division title only 2 years ago has now seemingly bottomed out. Terrell Davis is not the back he once was. Charlie Batch appears to be regressing as a quarterback. And the defense, what can we say about the once-proud Mauler D? They currently rank 23rd in points allowed, and are allowing over 100 yards per game on the ground. With an offense that cannot sustain drives, the D is being asked to do too much, and they are tiring in games. The loss to St. Louis in Week 6 was a definite low point, but then to go out this week and give up 40 to the Denver Gold, that is real trouble. Coach Rivera has dedicated himself to upgrading the roster and building a culture of toughness, but so far, even with the trade that brought Memphis DE Dameaion Jefferies to town, the Maulers are not looking like a team that has turned the corner. They look like a team that may be on the verge of having a fire sale.
Future of Heath Shuler
No shock here. The concern felt for QB Heath Shuler after he was knocked out for the season, and perhaps for his career, by a drunk driver, is real and profound. Sympathy and support has come from across the league and across the sports world. Shuler has avoided the spotlight, avoiding all interviews or public appearances since being released from the hospital, but the news is very much that these past 2 months have been about regaining basic function, not about rehabbing for a return to football. Any decision on that likely will not come until we hit August or September. With Memphis struggling to put points on the board without their veteran QB, the pain for Showboat fans is real, but the only pain that really matters is that of Shuler himself.
5 Potential 2nd Half Surges
Looking ahead to the next 7 weeks, and knowing full well that there are some teams who are doing well now that will likely swoon as the heat of summer arrives, we also understand that there are teams that started slowly who now could start to heat up and find their swagger. Here is our pick of 5 teams that could surprise some folks in the second half of the season
New Orleans
Now that the Breakers have moved into a stable environment in Portland, one that seems to be welcoming them with open arms, their 4-3 start could easily develop into a 5-3 finish, putting them right in the heat of the playoff race. Not bad for a club that many predicted to finish last in the Southern Division due to the chaos of this year as a whole. Coach Nolan has his team playing well, and that should only improve now that they are playing and practicing in the same city.
Arizona
The Wranglers are 4-3 because they have been able to turn opportunities into points. They have the league’s 6th rated offense, averaging just over 24 points per game, and we think they are just scratching the surface. Their run game still needs a lot of focus, but they have weapons at every level when it comes to the passing game, which could make them very dangerous down the stretch.
Orlando
The Renegades have the #1 scoring defense and #1 yardage defense in football. That is typically the pedigree of a 6-1 or 5-2 team, not a team struggling with only 2 wins on the season after 7 games. They have held 7 different opponents under 20 points and lost 4 of those 7 games, tied another, and have won only 2. If they could muster any form of offense, this could be a tough team to face down the stretch. Jeff Blake seems to have regressed from a halfway decent 2005 season. While he has thrown only 1 pick all year, he is also not producing a lot of points, and if Orlando wants to be a factor down the final half of the season, that will have to change.
Texas
Another team with a lot of positives, but nothing to show for it in the standings. Despite being 2-5, the Outlaws Outlaws boast the league’s 2nd best rushing attack, and are also nearly impossible to run against. That combo should buy them some wins, if they can just put together 4 solid quarters in the same week. They have been held under 20 points on offense 6 times in 7 weeks, including a 9=6 loss in Las Vegas that was painful to watch. If Trent Dilfer can get any kind of passing game going, perhaps with newly arrived WR Tim Dwight now available, maybe Texas can make a late run.
Memphis
It is beyond obvious why Memphis has had a rough first half of the season, but despite a brutal 2-5 record, there is a lot of talent on this team. If newly-arrived QB Jon Kitna can get the run game going with Cadillac Williams, he can then use play action to get some easy completions and perhaps get Memphis into better position to win some games. The defense also needs to find itself, as it currently ranks 25th out of 26 teams and has allowed 5 out of 7 opponents to rack up 30 points or more this year. Perhaps a change in schemes or in coordinators is needed, because there is talent on that side of the ball.
A rough week for the Gold as both DE Ryan Denney and HB Ahmaad Galloway find themselves placed on IR with season-ending injuries. For Galloway, it is a hip fracture, while Denney suffered a knee injury which was, thankfully, not his ACL, but still will require up to 5 months of rehab. Others who are likely to miss multiple weeks include Houston RT Brian Thure, Mauler CB Kareem Larrimore, Tampa LB Kevin Mitchell, St. Louis CB Chidi Iwoma, Ohio DT La’Roi Glover, and Boston LB Manny Lawson.
Doubtful or Questionable this week are Chicago LB Brian Urlacher, Seattle’s #1 wideout David Boston, Baltlimore WR Eddie Kennison, Philadelphia guard Ruben brown, Birmingham FS Marcus Wimberley, Las Vegas CB Antoine Winfield, and Wrangler wideout Larry Fitzgerald.
A USFL-NFL QB Comparison
Ever since NFL owners got together to strategize about how to prioritize the QB position, and, more directly, how to keep top talent from the draft and their own rosters from jumping to the USFL, both leagues have been engaged in parallel discussions about the need to enhance the position, protect themselves from poaching, and sign quality starters. It appears that perhaps the expectation that there are more than 60 quality QB’s available between the two leagues is false, and that QB continues to be one of the essential necessities for a league. In the first of what we expect to be several topics related to the QB position, we start with the best of the best, each league’s top 5 quarterbacks as of this moment.
NFL #!: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis—A no brainer. Since coming into the league in 1998, Manning has been everything the NFL could have hoped for. Dynamic on the field, an incredibly intelligent leader, a winner for his franchise, and a marketing coup for the league. Manning’s Colts have become the newest dynasty in the mold of the 49ers, Steelers, and Packers. Winning 3 Super Bowls in the past 6 years, Manning is generally considered the best of the best in modern day football.
USFL #1: Kerry Collins, Ohio—Another pretty easy pick. Collins has led the league’s most explosive offense for the better part of the new century, helping Ohio win back to back titles for the first time in league history. Ohio pulled off the ultimate glory (no pun intended) by completing the 2002 season undefeated, a perfect 16-0 on their way to their first title. Collins has won the league’s MVP title 3 times and an argument can be made that it should be 5 times were there not some fatigue of Ohio’s success. Offenses across the USFL try to imitate what Al Luginbill has created in Ohio, but without Collins at the helm, they often fail.
NFL #2: Carson Palmer, Cincinnati--In two seasons with the Bengals, the former USC Trojan has helped turn the club into a winner (11-5 and Division Champs in 2005), while throwing for 32 TDs last season. Palmer is the hottest young QB in the NFL and looks to have a very bright future ahead of him.
USFL #2 Drew Bledsoe, Boston
On the opposite end of his pro career, Drew Bledsoe, is entering his 14th season as a starting QB. He is certainly less mobile than in his youth, but 7 weeks into the 2006 season it seems clear that he is as accurate and as dangerous as ever. He trails only Collins with 1,939 yards in 7 games, has 12 TDs, and a QB Rating of 121.8. How much longer he will be playing is the question fans in Boston are asking, but he certainly is playing at an All-League level.
NFL #3: Michael Vick, Atlanta
If it were all about the passing, Michael Vick would not be listed among the top 5, but we all know it is not just that. Vick is one of the most athletic, explosive, and dangerous players at any position in the game today. His ability to take off and make defenders look foolish has made him the ultimate dual threat at the QB position. He has yet to top 20 TD passes in a season, but rushed for over 900 yards in 2004, and could be looking to reach the astonishing 1,000 yard mark in 2006.
USFL #3 Daunte Culpepper, Tampa Bay
After earning multiple All-Pro honors in the NFL, Culpepper left the Vikings to sign a big money deal with the USFL Tampa Bay Bandits, and immediately provided both leadership and results. Tampa Bay went from 4-10 in 2003 to 12-2 in 2004, an amazing 8-game improvement, and largely due to Culpepper’s connection with Randy Moss. He is in the heart of his career, turning 30 this upcoming offseason, so we should be seeing Daunte at the helm in Tampa Bay for a while to come.
NFL #4 Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia
Never a huge numbers guy, what McNabb has brought to the Eagles is a cool, calm leadership that helped them capture their first league title this past February. He did throw for 31 TDs in 2004, but he seems to be at his best guiding a balanced offense, rather than being the focal point of the offensive production.
USFL #4 Byron Leftwich, Seattle
The “Man from Marshall” exploded onto the USFL scene as a rookie, throwing for 36 touchdowns in a season where he started only 13 games. This past season he won a title with the Dragons, and is now considered one of the hottest young stars in the league. Compared often to the NFL’s Carson Palmer, what makes Leftwich so fun to watch is his ability to come up big when the pressure is on.
NFL #5 Brett Favre, New York Jets
A USFL legend who retired only to show up in New York a year later, a lot is expected of Favre in year 2 with the Jets. He is perhaps the best case the USFL has that the QB drain has gone both directions and is not just a concern for the NFL. With over 58,000 yards passing in the USFL, along with nearly 500 TDs’, Favre would be a top 5 QB in any league he chose to play in.
USFL #5 Tom Brady, New Jersey
This was a tough one. We gave Brady the nod over other worthy contenders like Drew Brees, Jake Plummer, or Matt Hasselbeck for two reasons. The first is that he brought a title to New Jersey in 2004, and the second is his consistency. The consummate ‘cool under pressure” QB, Brady never seems to get flustered, and while he does not put up astronomical numbers (Coach Parcells would never let him throw the ball as much as Collins or Bledsoe do), he is consistently at or above 100 QB rating by season’s end.
Other players of note in each league, players who could find themselves on this list in a few years, are USFL stars Drew Brees (Michigan), Matt Hasselbeck (Houston), Jake Plummer (Arizona), and Cade McNown. For the NFL, some up and comers include Philip Rivers (NY Giants), Chad Pennington (NY Jets), Rex Grozzman (Chicago), and 2005 rookies Alex Smith (Washington) and Aaron Rodgers (San Francisco).
USFL OWNERS REVIEW FINAL CASES FOR 2008 EXPANSION BIDS
The briefs have been filed, the proposals reviewed and approved, the comparative data compiled. It now all comes down to a vote by the 24 USFL league owners. Which city, which region, which ownership group will be the 28th USFL franchise? That is the question the league’s ownership will discuss and decide in their Spring Meeting, scheduled for June 1st. There are three bids, three proposals, all with selling points, and all with potential snags. One of the three will be chosen to represent the mid-Atlantic region and to join the Southeastern Division as the final expansion club, and the only one introducing a truly new market to the league. After 3 of 4 expansion clubs were placed in former USFL cities Atlanta, St. Louis, and Portland. It comes down to these three bidding groups, each looking to make their city or region home to USFL football.
The Tidewater Football Group is proposing that the USFL become the first major pro sport to place a franchise in southeastern Virginia, the Hampton Roads or Tidewater region. We learned this week that their franchise would be called the Virginia Destroyers, an homage to the rich naval history and current naval presence in Norfolk and the region. Their logo depicts the named naval ship plowing through the water, forming a stylized “V” in its wake. The ownership group is headed up by Robbey Estes Jr, CEO of Estes Express, a regional trucking conglomerate. Their proposal, to place a team at Norfolk State University’s William “Dick” Price stadium, with temporary seating expanding capacity to approximately 46,000 seats, and with plans to work with regional leaders to get a permanent expansion of the stadium in place by 2012. Their greatest weakness, the stadium itself, an HBCU stadium with few amenities and even fewer total permanent seats, and the region’s relatively low per capita income, at $33,000, clearly the lowest of the three bidding regions.
The group dubbed Charlotte Football For the Carolinas has a very different proposal. Their selling point is the success of the Carolina Panthers, a plan to share the stadium with its NFL tenant, and the rapid growth of Charlotte as both a regional population and commercial center. Headed by Ben Navarro of the Sherman Financial Group, this bid does have access to the largest and most modern stadium of the three, but there are concerns that NFL Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is not exactly eager to share his market, or his facility, with the USFL . Could Charlotte be another New England or Washington, where resistance from the NFL ownership makes collaboration difficult. The CFFC has released its team identity as well. The club, which has two former NBA Charlotte Hornets in its ownership group, borrows a lot of style from the former club. The Charlotte Monarchs will use teal, purple, and gold as its colors, and, we can only hope, will bypass the temptation to have pinstriped uniforms. The logo is a crown in gold with a teal base, a purple football-shaped gem at the center, and an empty space M.
Finally, the Triangle Football Group, representing the population, innovation, and education triangle of Raleigh (NC State), Durham (Duke), and Chapel Hill (UNC) is proposing that the 28th franchise be the Carolina Surge. The name plays on the idea of a rising tide, as well as electrical current, and the push of linemen engaged in the trenches. The logo is a stylized S sitting atop a triangle to represent this region of North Carolina. The team colors are a unique blue-ish green, an electric gold, and black. The ownership includes former NC State QB and potential coaching candidate Roman Gabriel. It is led by Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, who would be the youngest principal owner and CEO of any USFL franchise. The potential hangups? How about a seemingly endless delay in selecting a home stadium. The group has been in negotiations to potentially play in NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium as well as in UNC’s Keenan Stadium, but in both cases the issue of alcohol sales (and the revenue generated by it) have been a sticking point that has hindered the bid.
On June 1st the owners will look at the pros and cons of each bid, and by January 5th we should have an answer, and one community will have a brand new pro football franchise of its own.
You, as the followers of The USFL Lives will take on a special role in this owners’ meeting. You get to be the owners. The bids can be found on the franchise poll on the menu at the top of each webpage. You can go to the site, use the chat feature to make your case for your favorite proposal, then vote in our poll. Voting will close with the publication of the Week 11 recap, and the winning bid will be announced in our Week 12 racap. This is your chance to influence the future direction of the USFL, and to persuade others to join in your vision for a 28th franchise. So, speak up,vote, and may the best bid win.
Week 8 is highlighted by two Southwest Division clashes as the Gold travel to Houston and the Wranglers are in Texas. With the division a 3-way tie between Arizona, Houston, and Denver, this week could be huge to shake things up a bit. We also have a huge game in the Southeast as the Bulls travel to Tampa, a game behind the Bandits for first place in the division. In the West, we have two 5-2 teams meeting in Las Vegas as the defending league champion Dragons face off against the upstart Thunder.
In other action, a regional rivalry is reborn when Atlanta heads to Birmingham. Ohio plays the Federals, who can ill afford another loss after a 2-5 first half. Nashville visits Memphis in one of the league’s newer regional rivalries, while Baltimore visits Philadelphia in one of the older ones. The Maulers and Skyhawks face off for a 2nd time, with Pittsburgh hoping to get revenge for St. Louis’s earlier win at Heinz Field. Orlando is the first visitor for the new “Portland” Breakers, and We see some cross-continental matchups as Oakland flies to Boston, and New Jersey revisits their first ever game as a franchise, matchup up with the Express in LA. Last, but not least, we have the slumping Machine facing the Michigan Panthers at Ford Field in the Sunday nightcap game.
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