All four home teams and higher seeds win out in the 2006 Wild Card round. Seattle, the defending champion, fails to recapture the magic without David Boston in the lineup. Atlanta, the little expansion club that could, finally could not. The Michigan Panthers get manhandled by a fiery LA Express club, and the Bandits and Boston Cannons put on a show, but one that leaves the Bandits once again headed home early. All this, plus news on the coaching front, more free agents added to the pool, and a preview of this week’s next big weekend of football, the Divisional Round. We will start with the games in order they occurred, opening with the Gamblers and Dragons in Houston.
SEATTLE 28 HOUSTON 31
A firecracker of a game as the Dragons and Gamblers fight down to the last minute. A big game from Dragon QB Byron Leftwich (26 of 40, 302 yards, 4 TDs) is not enough as the Gamblers match the defending champs score for score. Seattle would outgain Houston 408-326, but they could not outscore them as the difference in the game is a Josh Brown field goal.
Houston’s respected defense looked a bit rough at times, but came through when needed, and the Houston offense came on strong in the 2nd quarter, and gave the Gamblers a lead they would not relinquish. Tied at 7 after a first quarter that saw Jeramy Stevens and Mike Anderson put their teams on the board, a timely score by the Gambler’s helped them take the lead.
The second began with a long Houston drive capped by a Sean Smith 1 yard TD run. It would be the only carry of the day for the big fullback, as Anderson and Tatum Bell would split 28 carries. Seattle responded with Leftwich hitting Rasheed Davis with an equalizer with only 2:38 left in the half. Knowing that Seattle would get the ball first in the second half, Houston wanted a score to head into the locker room on top, and they got it when Matt Hasselbeck found his favorite receiver, Antonio Freeman in the endzone with just under 1 minute to play. Seattle could not respond and Houston took the 21-14 score to the break.
The third quarter started with two straight 3-and-outs before Seattle put together a game-tying drive, Leftwich hitting Corey Bradford from 11 yards out. Houston would fumble on their next drive, but only 3 plays later Byron Leftwich would throw his only pick of the game, and the ball went right back to Houston. They added the pivotal Brown field goal to go up 24-21.
After Seattle failed to get into scoring range on their next drive, Houston built the lead to 10 when Hasselbeck threw his second TD of the day, hitting David Patten to go up 31-21. Seattle would score to bring the game back to a 3-point margin, but with only 1:21 left to play, they would need an onside recovery. When Houston’s Vernon Davis fell on the ball, the Gamblers knew the win was theirs. The Gamblers would head to the next round. The champs would not be repeating.
ATLANTA 6 NEW ORLEANS 22
Two Cinderella’s met in Portland, and a crowd of over 45,000 greeted them and the return of playoff football to the Rose City. Jeff Lewis did not make the trip for Atlanta, and backup David Garrard learned first hand how the intensity of USFL football goes to another level in the playoffs. Garrard would be chased, harassed, and flushed out of the pocket all game long. He would complete only 17 of 40 pass attempts, and despite 127 yards from HB Kevin Faulk, the Fire would only put 2 field goals on the board.
Meanwhile, Eli Manning had a very productive day, completing on 18 of 22 passes for 232 yards against a tough Fire defense. Even more impressive is that the Breakers were able to run the ball, with Troy Davis rushing for 86 yards and Chris Perry adding another 35. New Orleans came on strong from the start, scoring the only 2 touchdowns of the game by the half. The first was a Tillman 28-yard reception from Manning, the second a Troy Davis 13-yard run. From that point on, the game was won by both defenses, and both clubs were limited to field goals, three for the Breakers and 2 for Atlanta. New Orleans moves on and will head to Jacksonville in the Divisional Round to face the Bulls in a #3 vs. #2 Matchup.
TAMPA BAY 24 BOSTON 35
The most anticipated game of the weekend, and the one that promise the greatest offensive firework display, did not disappoint. The two teams combined for over 800 yards of offense, and 7 touchdowns in a high-scoring affair. It would be a 17-0 run between the 2nd and 3rd quarters that would provide the cushion Boston needed to hold off the Bandits and take the win. Tied at 10 after scores from Tiki Barber and Randy Moss, two of the league’s best, the Cannons would go on the run, beginning with the biggest play of the day, an 83-yard bomb from Bledsoe to, who else, Chad Ochocinco. After a penalty forced Tampa Bay into a 3rd and 25, Boston got the ball back and added a field goal to take a 10-point lead into the half.
Boston would receive the second half kickoff, and the drive that ensued would be the backbreaker for Tampa Bay. Already down 10, the Bandits could not afford to give up another score, but when Tiki Barber broke off a 14-yard TD run, the Cannons took a commanding 17-point lead. Tampa bay would get back into the game, getting scores from Travis Prentice on two late drives, but it would not be enough. Another Bledsoe TD pass and Boston was up for good. Boston heads to New Jersey in what could be an epic matchup next week, a divisional 3rd game between the Generals and Cannons, between Boston and NYC.
MICHIGAN 20 LOS ANGELES 45
The final game of the week turned into a walk for the Express as they turned a 17-10 halftime lead into a 45-13 lead with 4 consecutive scoring drives that included 3 Cade McNown TD passes (two to TE L.J. Smith) and a pick-six from FS Darnell Bing. Bing, who had been injured late in the season, returned to action this week and had a huge impact with his game-clinching 42-yard interception return.
LA was bolstered not only by Cade McNown’s 3 TD passes, but by a run game that had success all game long. Whether it as DeShaun Foster averaging 4.1 yards per carry and scoring twice, or rookie Maurice Jones-Drew carrying 18 times for 92 yards, LA had balance and big play potential on the ground and in the air. For Michigan the same was not true. Fred Jackson had a respectable 4.6 yards per carry, but that stat was bolstered by some draw plays late in the game, when the LA defense was expecting pass on every play. He had gained only 21 yards in the first half, when Michigan was still in contention.
The Express seemed very comfortable rushing only 4 and having 7 in coverage for most of the game, and that worked to their advantage, limiting big plays and forcing Michigan to try to convert on third downs. They would manage only 2 of 13 on the day. So now the Express move on, heading to Ohio to take on a very dangerous Glory squad that has eyes on a third title.
Playoffs Demonstrate Value of QB Play
As if it were not generally understood, the 2006 playoffs are already showing how valuable a top flight QB can be. Whether it is Eli Manning for the Breakers, Cade McNown in LA, Drew Bledsoe for Boston, Matt Hasselbeck, or even Byron Leftwich in Seattle, it seems clear that QB play has been and will remain the key to success in the USFL. We haven’t even gotten to Kerry Collins, Tom Brady, or Jake Plummer yet and we can already see how vital it is to have a QB who can not only work a system, but also improvise and make something out of nothing.
As much as the football of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s was about having a dominant halfback, the state of football today is all about the quarterback. Sure, it is great to have a Tiki Barber, Eddie George, or Curtis Enis to get some tough yards, but without Bledsoe, Collins, and Brady, do those offenses really get the job done? Just look at Texas, with a strong back in T.J. Duckett, but insufficient QB play out of Trent Dilfer to get over .500.
This is exactly why the USFL is so worried about this year’s offseason, when it appears that some of its best and brightest QBs are going to test the free agent waters, and the NFL is circling like sharks that smell blood in the water. Without a QB a team, and perhaps a league, has less to offer and will be less competitive. That is just the nature of the modern game.
Chicago & Texas Open Trading Block with a Bang
Speaking of QB’s, the first big trade of the offseason addresses just that issue. After a very lackluster year from the aforementioned Trent Dilfer, and with the veteran QB set to enter free agency in 3 weeks, the Texas Outlaws have opted to cut the veteran loose and start fresh, well, sort of fresh.
Texas worked out a deal this week with the Chicago Machine that will bring yet another veteran QB to San Antonio. After bringing in Dilfer from the Breakers only 2 years ago, the Outlaws are moving on, and they have opted once again to go for a veteran instead of bringing in a rookie. The deal, which will almost certainly not be the last of what we forecast to be a very busy offseason, sees Chicago starter Jeff George relocating to central Texas to be the new starter for the Outlaws. No other players change hands, but a swap of picks is a big part of the deal. Texas sends their #1 pick as well as their 4th rounder to Chicago, while Chicago sends a #2 and a #5 to Texas.
So, in addition to having George as their new signal caller, Texas now has two second rounders and two fifth rounders, while Chicago now has both the #6 and #8 picks in the Open Draft this year, as well as two fourth rounders. We had a feeling Chicago would look to trade George, who has lost favor with management and with fans after a truly bad 2006 season, only 1 year away from a run to the Summer Bowl.
George will get a new start in San Antonio, with the Texas Outlaws, but unless Texas can improve the receiving corps, we are not sure if George will find much more success than he saw this past season in Chicago. And what about the Chicago QB situation? They started 2nd year player Kyle Orton in Week 14, but he was hardly impressive. We know what fans want. They want Chicago to use the T-Draft, and their protection of Notre Dame as a pipeline school, to select and woo golden domer QB Brady Quinn, a player many are comparing to another Irish QB, Joe Montana.
Chicago could very well go that direction. Selecting Quinn costs them nothing, and they now have 2 early first round picks to spend on other positions, but will Chicago have the cap room to sign three first round talents in the draft? That is the question they must answer if they are going to pursue Quinn. For Texas, the question of QB seems solved for the moment. You don’t bring in a player like Jeff George without an expectation that he will be your starter. But, will Texas have enough around George for success? Losing a top 10 draft pick is not a great way to build up a roster, but perhaps with 2 number 2’s they can find a couple of immediate contributors.
In a fall when we expect to see several significant trades, and the possibility that several teams will not only want, but desperately need, a quarterback, securing a veteran presence under center seems like a good move, and Texas may well have already done so.
Terrell Davis Asks to be Traded.
Bad news for Mauler fans, or should we say more bad news on the heels of a pretty horrible season. The one true superstar, and one of the few players on the ’06 squad to put up solid numbers, HB Terrell Davis, is asking to be traded. Citing irreconcilable differences with Coach Ron Rivera, Davis has stated that he does not wish to finish his contract with the Maulers, a contract that still has 1 more season on it. He would like to finish his career elsewhere.
There would likely be no shortage of takers, after all, Davis has had a Hall of Fame career, and after concerns that an injury-plagued 2005 season that produced only 736 yards rushing might be the new norm for the 31-year old back, Davis returned in 2006 with over 1,200 yards and his first 4.0 YPC season since 2003. This past season marked the 9th season in which Davis eclipsed 1,000 yards, and the 2nd in a 14-game season. While at 31 there are concern about his long term viability, there are none about his talent and his drive.
So, if Davis is able to get a trade, one that provides Pittsburgh with picks or players, who is likely to pay what will almost certainly be a high price for the superstar back? We see three possible candidates.
#3 Las Vegas. The Thunder finished the year with only 599 yards rushing as a team, dead last in the league and a pathetic 42.8 yards per game. The Thunder did not have a back who surpassed 4 yards per carry and their lead rusher, Dominic Rhodes could only muster 3.2 YPC and had only 2 rushing touchdowns all season.
#2 Houston. The Gamblers are another team that struggled to run the ball, gaining only 1,188 yards as a team, far better than Las Vegas but still not good. The advantage Houston has is that they have a far better team than the Thunder, and they have depth enough to provide decent value to the Maulers to acquire Davis. Davis could be the piece Houston has been lacking as they push for a league title.
#1 Atlanta. We pick the Fire as the top option for three big reasons. First, they have a lot of draft capital, in picks and in players. Second, they play in the opposite conference as Pittsburgh, which means it is very unlikely that Davis would come back to bite the Maulers in a matchup during the season. Perhaps most important, Davis is a UGA alum, and a natural fit to finish his career in Atlanta. It would be a marketing coup for a team that already has exceeded expectations as an expansion club, and for Davis it would be a a homecoming, one that he might welcome at this phase of his career.
While we certainly want the Maulers to do all they can to mend fences and repair their relationship with the player who, more than anyone, has come to define the Mauler culture over the past decade, if the damage is irreparable, then we think the best option may well be to send the multiple time All-USFL back to Atlanta, where he can have his farewell tour and his reunion with Georgia fans all at once, and where the Maulers would not constantly be reminded of what they let go.
We enter the divisional games without much news on the injury front. But with 4 teams joining the playoff hunt, it is a good idea to return to the listings and see where these clubs stand.
NEW ORLEANS @ JACKSONVILLE
NOR: DT B. Whiting (Out), G T. Metcalf (D), WR J. Pathon (Q), T K. Butler (P)
JAX: DT B. Bunkley (P), LB B. Green (P), TE J. Putzier (P)
The Bulls are in pretty solid shape, with no one listed even at Questionable, while New Orleans is a bit more banged up than last week.
BOSTON AT NEW JERSEY
BOS: LB M. Lawson (Out), FS C. Hall (P)
NJ: WR B. Stokely (Out), T O. Brown (Out), DT J. Thornton (Out), DE T. Hali (D)
Boston just continues to lose linebackers. Only 1 of their 4 original starters is still active, which may be exactly what New Jersey and Curtis Enis hope to exploit. The biggest issue for the Generals will be whether or not Tamba Hali can be present to clog up the middle. If not, then Boston may find room for Tiki Barber to roam.
LOS ANGELES AT OHIO
LA: G A. Faneca (Out), T J. Ogden (D), CB R. Hill (P)
OHIO: WR S. Holmes (Out)
The Glory lose rookie starter Santonio Holmes for the playoffs, which puts more pressure on Galloway to come up big this week. LA has injury issues as well with LT Jonathan Ogden being the biggest concern. Without Ogden and Faneca, that left side of the line seems pretty shaky.
HOUSTON @ ARIZONA
HOU: G K. Dielman (D), T B. Thure (D), CB R. Barber (D), HB M. Anderson (P)
ARZ: LB L. Briggs (Out)
Ronde Barber’s absence for Houston will be felt, but so too will Lance Briggs’ absence from the Arizona lineup. A lot will be determined by whether or not Mike Anderson can go or not. Houston needs to be able to at least pose a threat to run and if Anderson is out, that puts a lot of pressure on Tatum Bell to deliver the entire rushing attack.
Coaching Carousel Begins to Spin
Just a week after Black Monday and we are already hearing rumors about the three coaching positions across the league, Memphis, Washington, and Texas. The news this week comes out of Memphis, where the Showboats are set to interview both the current OC and DC within their own franchise. This is not surprising, as there is still a lot of respect for the coaching staff that Jim Mora had put together. Both Bruce Arians and Jim Haslett are respected for their prowess as coordinators and have been interviewed for coaching positions before. However, despite having two internal candidates, the Showboats have also expressed an interest in bringing in more candidates. The problem is that the candidates who most attract them are all currently involved in postseason play. Boston, Ohio, and New Jersey have all had inquiries from the Showboats, but none will allow their coaches to be distracted by meeting with potential 2007 landing spots until the playoff run for each team is complete. So, for now, the Showboats will start to talk with their internal candidates and bide their time waiting on potential hires away from current playoff teams.
Portland has also been speaking about coaches, hoping to get a plan in place well ahead of their 2008 debut. This week, they reached out to former Showboat head coach Jim Mora Sr. But, before you get too excited, they apparently want Mora to serve as a special consultant and member of their coaching search team, not as a candidate to be the head man in Portland. Mora, who resigned from the Showboats and expressed an interest in stepping away from coaching, is reported to have accepted the short-term position, one which basically aims to take advantage of his 3 decades in coaching and his vast network of contacts and protégés to help Portland make a good decision about their first hire to the position. Obviously, Portland is hoping to get a coach who can develop talent, inspire a culture of effort and discipline, and, perhaps in the mold of the Atlanta Fire, one who can get the most out of what is likely to be something of a rag tag roster, at least in the club’s first years. That is a tall order, but bringing in a savvy coach with a championship pedigree to help direct the hiring process is a shrewd move by the Stags.
Four teams eliminated from the playoffs also means four more rosters whose contracts progress to the next phase, and four more sets of players now unrestricted and able to negotiate with their current and potentially several additional clubs, both USFL and NFL clubs. Here is our rundown of the situation for each of our Wild Card exits.
ATL: The big potential hits are QB Jeff Lewis, FS Jerome Woods, and DE Andre Wadsworth, all of whom became free agents this week. CBs Keion Carpenter and Aaron Beasley could also opt to test the market, making a lot of defensive contributors up for grabs.
MGN: The name that all Panther fans have been hoping to see signed is, of course, QB Drew Brees. But, like so many quarterbacks this year, he and his agent are looking to maximize their leverage and consider all offers.
SEA: HB Corey Dillon is the biggest concern, but the Dragons are also worried that they will lose CB Al Wilson and TE Bradford Banks.
TBY: Sean Gilbert, the big DT at the nose for Tampa turns 34 this year, and the Bandits may just let him go in free agency. Others they probably should work to retain include CB Samari Rolle, DE John Copeland, and SS Jorge Pratt. We expect HB Travis Prentice and QB Tony Banks to consider other offers.
Summer Bowl 2007 Logo Revealed
As we prepare for Summer Bowl 2006, the league is already gearing up for SB’07, which will be hosted by the Arizona Wranglers in their newly renamed University of Phoenix Stadium. Arizona, which has never hosted a Summer Bowl before, due largely to the sweltering midsummer heat, can now play host thanks to the climate-controlled retractable roof stadium in Glendale. This week the USFL debuted the logo for Summer Bowl 2007 in Glendale. The logo features familiar elements of the Arizona landscape, depicted in bright summer colors. This includes large rock formations and mesas in orange, as well as brightly colored saguaro cacti in pink, purple, and gold. A bright gold sun is also features on the logo, along with the title of the event and a reference to its location.
In addition to the new logo for 2007, the league confirmed the location of the 2008 and 2009 Summer Bowls, with Jacksonville (Southeast Division) and Baltimore (Northeast) hosting the following two Summer Bowls. Expect to see Portland, Charlotte, Atlanta, and St. Louis also get into the mix as we move forward, as it is common to see new franchises added to the rotation to help build the brand in each city.
Four playoff games on tap this week, and all four of the top seeds join the action with home games against the Wild Card winners. Will we see all four win at home or will we see an upset or two this week. Home Field is a powerful force in playoff football, but as the Dragons showed last week, it is not stronger than a team on a mission. In a league as competitive as the USFL, any week in any game we could see an upset and a surprise. Let’s take a look at the four matchups and see what might be on tap.
Saturday, July 1 @ 3pm ET
Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
The Bulls come into this game at home as a 6 point favorite in Las Vegas. Part of the reason for that is the transcontinental flight the Breakers will have to take from their temporary home in Portland to play Jacksonville. A bigger reason might be the defense that made the Bulls the 2nd best scoring defense in the league. While New Orleans got past the #1 scoring defense in Atlanta, the Bulls have something that the Fire did not, a fully stocked offense capable of putting up more than 20 points a game. In fact, the Bulls finished the year 6th in the league with a 25.2 PPG average, so they are more than capable of keeping pace with the Breaker offense.
The Bulls have a 1,200 yard rusher in Antowain Smith, and a 1,000 yard receiver in Rashaun Woods. Paired with Anquan Boldin, who finished with 894 yards, the Bulls have the weapons to threaten the Breakers. New Orleans will need to win the turnover battle, perhaps aided by Smith’s propensity to fumble (13 this season). They will also have to maximize opportunities against the Bulls. This will not be a game that they can eke out with 16 points, they will need to show more on offense.
OUR PICK: We like the Bulls in this one. They are balanced, have strong line play on both sides of the ball, and have more than enough firepower to not only keep up with the Breakers, but outduel them as well.
Jacksonville 24-20.
Saturday, July 1 @ 8pm ET
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
The Gamblers outdueled the Wranglers twice this year, so this is certainly a situation that will not fill Houston with fear. It was only 2 weeks ago that Matt Hasselbeck and the Gamblers came into Glendale and upended the Wranglers. But, you also know what they say about playing the same team three times. Winning 2 of 3 is a heck of a lot easier than winning all 3 matchups.
In our mind, this comes down to QB play once again. In both matchups during the regular season, Matt Hasselbeck did enough to will the Gamblers to wins, but Jake Plummer is the frontrunner for MVP this season after an amazing comeback year after a disappointing 2005. Is Plummer’s pluck enough to help Arizona pull this one out and stop the bleeding against the Gamblers, or will Houston roll the dice once again and come up with a winner?
OUR PICK: We think that the playoff atmosphere and the unpredictability of Plummer’s game gives an edge to the Wranglers, but this is a vey tight one to pick. We lean ever so slightly towards the Wranglers. Arizona 28-27.
Sunday, July 2 @ 12pm ET
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
This is the one we all want to see. Boston and New Jersey go at it for a third time. Again it is the 3rd game challenge for the Generals, who swept the Cannons in the regular season, including a Week 14 classic just 2 weeks ago that shot the Generals into the top seed. It will be a rowdy stadium in New Jersey this week with the Cannons in town, and we expect to see a lot of great QB play between Bledsoe and Brady. Boston seems to have the advantage numerically, but we have already seen New Jersey beat the Cannons twice this year. If they truly have Boston’s number, then they could make it 3 times in a year.
The weapons are there for Boston, that is for sure, but they are thin at linebacker, with Lawson, Fletcher and Claiborne all on IR. That could provide just what New Jersey needs as they pound Enis and Jackson into the Boston defense. If the game becomes one of New Jersey controlling the clock, then the Cannons could be in trouble again, but if the Cannons can get the early lead, we think New Jersey would have a tough time in a high scoring situation or in one where they are playing from behind.
OUR PICK: We like Boston to break the cycle, just as we picked Arizona to not lose 3 in a row. We just trust more in their offensive talent than in New Jersey’s. Boston 21-18.
Sunday, July 2 @ 5pm ET
Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
As much as we were impressed by Los Angeles’s handling of the Michigan Panthers this past weekend, we cannot see them upending Ohio in Ohio this week. The Glory were sitting pretty in first position in the West all season long, only to drop to #2 in the final week. They have the 3-time MVP at QB, a dynamic offense, and an underrated defense. The only weakness appears to be at the second WR spot, now that rookie Santonio Holmes has been ruled out of the game.
What can LA do to stay in this game and perhaps pull off the upset? They need to maximize every possession, go for 7 instead of 3 whenever there is a shot to do so, and they need to find a way to force some turnovers to limit Ohio possessions. That is the formula for the Express, who come in as 8-point underdogs despite having only 1 more loss on the season than the favored Glory.
OUR PICK: We are going to play it safe and go with the home favorites here. Ohio is a tough draw for any team, and we think they come into this game angry after their loss in Arizona last week. Expect to get their best against the Express. Ohio 35-27.
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