Week two and now the questioning starts. Is my 0-2 team really in trouble? Is that 2-0 team as good as they seem? We had some blowouts this week, a couple of interesting upsets, and a big win for a couple of new starting QB’s to hang their hats on. It’s early, way too early to make judgements about the year, but that has never stopped us before. We look at all the Week 2 action and see if we can make sense of the early portion of the season so far. And we start it all off with the Game of the Week between the Bandits and the Knights.
TAMPA BAY 19 NASHVILLE 23
A good one in the Music City as Nashville combines some defensive clout with timely offense to upend the Bandits in front of 45,303 happy purple-clad fans. It’s only week two, but at 2-0 the Knights are doing better than expected and their new offensive starters are looking good in doing so. For Tampa Bay, a frustrating day as they get big yardage from Randy Moss but cannot find the end zone against the Knights. Moss would catch 5 balls for 145, but never reach pay dirt as time and again the Bandits have to settle for field goals.
Tampa Bay would score the first TD of the day, but little did they know it would be their last. On their 2nd drive, after an initial 3-and-out, the Bandits put together a solid drive, aided by a defensive PI call that put the ball on the 1. From there Willis McGahee would dive over the top for the score and Tampa Bay was feeling good. Nashville countered with a short drive leading to a Matt Stover field goal, but the first quarter ended with the Bandits up.
Culpepper would make a bad read on the next drive, trying to hit McGahee over the middle but failing to account for MLB Hunter Hillenmeyer. The big backer stepped in front of the pass and gave Nashville great field position. They needed only 4 plays to cash in, QB Jay Cutler riling up a Nashville crowd that has known him since his days at Vandy by connecting with veteran Derrick Mason on an over-the-shoulder pass for six points. Stover doinked the PAT, which meant it was only a 2-point lead at 9-7.
By the end of the first half, Tampa Bay had wiped out the lead, scoring on 3 straight short drives, but all of them Nate Kaeding kicks as Culpepper simply could not find the connection with a receiver downfield to get six. At the half the Bandits enjoyed a 7 point lead at 16-9.
In the third quarter, the combo of Frank Gore and Leon Johnson helped Nashville produce a grinding 13-play drive to open the half. Gore would do most of the heavy lifting, rushing for 39 of his 90 yards on the day in this one drive, but, from the 5 it would be Johnson on a pitch who would score the equalizer. Stover did not miss on this one and it was 16-16. That score would hold until the 4th.
In the final period, Nashville, who had stifled Tampa Bay’s offense throughout the third quarter, would do so again, stuffing LaBrandon Toefield on a 4th and 1 play to end a promising early drive. That stop got the crowd and the team motivated, and on the ensuing possession Nashville would take the lead. Jay Cutler connected with TE Justin Peele and a screen to Gore to get the Knights in scoring range before hooking up with rookie wideout Robert Meachem on an in-breaking route in the red zone. Meachem made the catch over the middle, and ducked under the safety blow, diving for the endzone. It would take an official review, but the ref’s hands would eventually go up, signalling a touchdown for the Knights.
Up 23-16, it would be up to the defense to hold off the Bandits. On Tampa’s next drive, a long completion to Moss put the score at risk. But, from the 17 yard line, two straight endzone shots were foiled and the Bandits opted to go for 3 yet again, seeing that there were nearly 4 minutes left to get the needed TD and the win. They would rely on their defense to get the ball back.
Needing to kill the clock, Nashville trotted out the goal line package on both first and 2nd down. The strategy worked well, getting them eight of the needed 10 yards to earn a first down. On 3rd and 2 they came out in a pistol formation with 3 wideouts, and that decision helped spread the D just enough for the draw to Gore to work. Four yards and another set of downs gained. Nashville would suffer a holding call that made another first down challenging, so they simply ran the ball 3 more times, taking the clock as low as they could before punting. They would again rely on the defense.
Coach Johnson is always one to trust his D to put a game away, and on this day he was certainly right to do so. Yes, the Knights had allowed some big plays to Moss earlier in the game, but he was now blanketed, and the Bandits were forced to try to get the ball to someone else. On first down it was Jeremy Shockey, who gained only 2 on a TE screen. On second down Culpepper could not connect with Kevin Johnson, and on third Karl Williams could not bring the ball in. Fourth and 8 and Tampa Bay needed a big play. They would not get it. With Moss covered, Culpepper turned again to Shockey, but he had rookie safety LaRon Landry on him like glue. The ball may have hit Shockey’s hands, but Landry was right there to disrupt the catch, and the ball dribbled away, ending Tampa Bay’s hopes.
Nashville moved to 2-0 and fans who had gone into the season concerned about the change of leadership were given hope that Jay Cutler could lead the team, that Meachem and Landry were all that were promised, and that the Knights could be in the running for the Southern Division yet again.
OAKLAND 10 LOS ANGELES 20
The weekend opened with Friday Night’s Cali Derby, and for the second week in a row new LA quarterback Seneca Wallace got the W. it was a tough win for the Express as Wallace threw 2 picks and only completed 8 of 16 passes, but they were bailed out by the combo of Jones-Drew and Foster, who combined for 120 yards rushing. Oakland also had the run game going with 33 carries between Williams and Norwood leading to 177 yards, but they could not punch the ball in, and 3 Harrington picks were devastating to their cause. Oakland falls to 0-2, the only team in the Pacific not to be a perfect 2-0.
MICHIGAN 44 OHIO 21
One of two big surprises to come out of the Central Division this week as Ohio’s defense was simply unprepared for the Panthers. Four different backs shared carries for the Panthers, accounting for a whopping 214 yards rushing. The fact that Eddie George put up 210 on his own did not diminish the impact of Michigan’s success on the ground. Justin Fargas rushed for 2 scores, while Fred Jackson added a score to his 96 yards on the day. The Panthers stun the Glory in Columbus with 44 points on the board.
PITTSBURGH 23 BIRMINGHAM 12
The other shocker was the Maulers going into Birmingham and wresting the Steel City title from the Stallions. Cody Pickett threw 2 more picks, but also added 249 yards and TD, while the combo of Betts and Brandon Jacobs was far more successful this week, combining for 123 yards. Birmingham did not have their run game going, with Shaun Alexander limited to 31 yards on the day. Add in 6 sacks of Jason Campbell by the Mauler D (another 2-sack day from Vanden Bosch) and you have an upset road win for a Mauler team hoping that this is a sign of things to come.
JACKSONVILLE 42 ORLANDO 13
A blow out in the Citrus Bowl as the Bulls ran roughshod over a hopeful, but overmatched Renegade squad. Both Antonwain Smith and Travis Minor scored twice apiece as the Renegades put up little defensive resistance all game. Jake Delhomme went 17 of 22 for 266 and J’ville was cruising. Orlando’s best option was Sedrick Irvin, who rushed for a strong 140, but by the 3rd quarter the ‘Gades were too far back to rely on the run, and too far back to come back too.
CHICAGO 13 MEMPHIS 17
The Showboats get a home W as their defense keeps Chicago in check all game. Brett Favre found a connection with Robert Ferguson, throwing for 282 and 2 scores, while Ferguson caught 11 passes for 127 and a TD. Brady Quinn completed 14 of 23, but could not get Chicago into scoring position late as the Showboats held off the Machine in the final minutes to preserve the win.
BALTIMORE 27 ARIZONA 10
The Blitz get their first win of the season as they limit Arizona to only 37 yards rushing on the day. Ben Roethlisberger had himself a day, throwing for 265 and scores on a 22 of 26 performance. With Moss and Fitzgerald combining for only 4 catches and 33 yards Arizona was simply unable to keep drives moving against Baltimore’s coverage schemes.
ATLANTA 9 LAS VEGAS 20
That Thunder defense continues to impress, holding Atlanta to only 157 yards passing and only 280 total yards. The Las Vegas offense was not exactly dynamic, but it did enough to win the game by 11 as a 4th quarter TD from Kahlil Hill gave the Thunder a 13-9 lead, and then the D locked it up when Will Allen returned a bad Garrard throw for 26 yards and a score. Vegas moves to 2-0 and Atlanta drops to 1-1.
WASHINGTON 12 PHILADELPHIA 20
A good battle in the Northeast opened the Sunday slate, with the Stars holding off the Feds to move to 2-0. Ahman Green and Michael Robinson combined for 110 yards and Kurt Warner Amani Toomer for the game winner as Philadelphia knocked Kordell Stewart out of the game and befuddled former Thunder QB Henry Burris.
HOUSTON 9 DENVER 15
Another defensive slugfest for the Gold, but this week they prevailed in their home opener. Denver held Houston to only 3 field goals, limiting Hasselbeck to 188 yards and containing Ike Hilliard. While Denver’s offense had its issues (Leinart’s protection was not great), they got 85 yards from Cedric Benson and the only TD of the game, a Peerless Price 42-yard strike from Leinart in the 4th to break open the 9-9 tie.
NEW JERSEY 10 BOSTON 37
Kelly Holcombe was picked off twice, while Drew Bledsoe threw for 4 scores as Boston avenged their three defeats to New Jersey last season. Add in 123 on the ground from Tiki Barber and you have a convincing win by the Cannons. TE James Whalen was game MVP with three TD receptions in 4 catches.
ST. LOUIS 13 TEXAS 29
T. J. Duckett just went off against the Skyhawk D. We already saw Eddie George rush for 210 against Michigan, but T.J. topped, it, averaging 7.5 yards per carry on his way to 217 yards on 29 carries. He also added 2 rushing TD’s both less than 3 yards long, for a good home win in San Antonio. Duckett was dominant and the Texas defense kept St. Louis from mounting a comeback as Texas gets their first W of the year.
NEW ORLEANS 14 SEATTLE 24
The Breakers drop to 0-2 after a tough matchup in the Pacific Northwest. David Boston had a monster day, catching a 69-yard bomb from Leftwich on his way to 163 yards for the day. New Orleans’s offense struggled despite 72 yards from rookie HB Kenny Irons. They actually only scored 1 TD, but got 2 safeties (the last one intentional) to get to 14. Seattle joins LA and Vegas at 2-0 in the Pacific, while the Breakers sit at 0-2.
Duckett and George Run Wild
A good weekend for fans of the run game as T.J. Duckett and Eddie George both top 200 yards in Week 2. While Duckett’s big day helped wrap up a win for the Outlaws, Eddie George’s monster production could not do the same as Michigan’s 4-back rotation actually kept pace with 214 yards combined, along with 3 touchdowns in the Panther win.
It is odd to see this kind of production early in a season, as it is usually the D that is ahead of the O in early games, and particularly the run defense, which is more fundamental than the more complex pass coverages seen in the league. The big games pushed both backs to the top of the league leader table, with Duckett sitting atop the rankings for rushers with 285 yards in 2 weeks and George behind him at 244. Only Frank Gore stands with them as players with 200+ yards in the first two weeks of action.
Griese Making His Case
With rookie Drew Stanton in the wings and viewed by many as the future for the Michigan Panthers, veteran Brian Griese is making his case to hold off on the rook. Griese tops the QB Ratings after 2 weeks with a score of 140.5. He also stands 5th in the league with 462 yards in 2 games and 4th in scoring with 4 TD tosses. The thing is, these numbers should not surprise us. Griese was a very solid starter in Seattle before being traded to the Philadelphia Stars in 2003. He regularly had a QBR over 90, and in 2001 threw for over 4,000 yards and 30 TDs for the Dragons.
He lasted only 2 years in Philadelphia, while playing for some troubled teams, and then spent 2 years in Michigan as Drew Brees’s backup, throwing only 1 pass between 2005 and 2006. So, he is savvy, and clearly rested, as he prepares to be the QB in 2007 for the Panthers. The question now is whether or not he plays well enough to remain the QB beyond this year. Stanton is there, and did not come cheap, but for the time being, this is Brian Griese’s job to lose and he seems intent on holding on to it.
Mauling the QB Key to Pittsburgh Season
If you want to know how the Maulers won this week, and how they plan to win moving forward, just look at the pass rush. That is the key. After two weeks Coach Ron Rivera’s D is leading the league with 11 sacks, 4 of them from rising star Kyle Vanden Bosch, but the other 7 coming from a combination of linemen, backers, and even corners. Blitzes, including zone blitzes last seen in this town with the Steelers of the 90’s are the strategy of the day. It is a strategy that has Pittsburgh 3rd in the league in yards allowed, and has opposing QB’s worried.
The Maulers may have Vanden Bosch as the face of their “New Blitzburgh” attitude, but it is the rotation of defenders that is proving effective. Whether it is rookie Amobi Okoye and NFL transfer Dan Klecko switching for each other inside, or former Showboat Dameaion Jeffries sharing time with Cedric Harden, the fresh bodies in the trenches are forcing offenses to deal with faster and stronger rushers all game long. Add in blitzes from LB’s Nate Webster, Dwayne Rudd and Joe Odom, and even the occasional CB blitz coming from Patrick Surtain, and you have a tough package to protect, just ask Jason Campbell, who was sacked 6 times but hit hard many more times this week in Pittsburgh’s big win. The offense may not be there yet for the Maulers, and they may not win a lot of games that way, but it seems clear that teams will feel it when they play these Maulers, and quarterbacks will not be happy to visit Heinz Field.
Two big injuries mar Week 2’s results. In Washington the news was not good for Kordell Stewart, who left the game with a knee injury and who learned on Monday that it was the feared ACL tear. That is his season, with surgery scheduled for next week and a long recovery time expected after that. Washington will go with Henry Burris at QB with Jared Lorenzen backing him up. Expect them to also look to free agency to sign a 3rd option.
In Baltimore it was LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson who went down, and he too is out for the year after breaking his tibia. That is bad news for Big Ben, who relies on “the Brick” to protect his blind side. Expect Matt Hill to slide over to the left side, and either James Lloyd or Jimmy Martin to take over on the right. Baltimore also signed veteran Ephraim Salaam, who was released by St. Louis in the preseason.
Once again, beyond the IR placements, we have only a mix of 1-week departures and doubtful or questionable categorizations. Among those expected to miss this week, we have CB Jimmy Hitchcock of Texas, CB Duane Starks in Arizona, WR Joe Jurevicious from Boston, tackle Kurt Vollers (CHI), WR Muhsin Muhammad (TEX), LB Lavar Arrington (JAX), DT Larry Triplett (STL), and HB Ron Dayne (BAL). All are expected to return for Week 4.
Season Ticket Sales a Mixed Bag
The 2007 season is here and all 26 teams have reported their season ticket numbers to the league. The good news, the leaguewide target of 30,000 season tickets has been met, with the average a solid 32,320 across all 26 teams. The bad news, quite a bit of disparity across the league. As expected, clubs that have struggled in recent years are also struggling with season ticket sales, while those who have seen success continue to see strong numbers.
Leading the way, as usual, are several southern teams. Jacksonville, Nashville, New Orleans, Bimingham, Tampa Bay, and Orlando all made the Top 10, joined by Denver, Seattle, Michigan, and St. Louis. New Jersey and Philadelphia both missed the top 10, but still have strong numbers, well over 30,000. On the other side of the spectrum, there are concerns in Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington. The Feds saw their season tickets drop more than 17% after a truly horrible 2006 campaign and a sense that the team is heading into a rebuilding phase. LA and Chicago have always been tough markets, and Oakland, after a brief glimmer of success with Dennis Green, continues to struggle both with on-field performance and a widely disliked stadium.
St. Louis and Atlanta both did well in their inaugural season, with St. Louis landing at #7 with over 36,000 season tickets sold, while Atlanta hit their projection of 25,000, with just under 27,000 as of opening week. While that does not make Atlanta a league leader, it is significantly better than any season for the 1995 expansion club which played outdoors at Bobby Dowd Stadium. It would appear that moving this new version of the Fire to the Georgia Dome has helped to boost numbers, though we expect the early success last year and the trade for Terrell Davis were also significant factors.
One last note, both Boston and Las Vegas came in well below the league average, but, as most are aware, this has more to do with stadium capacity than with interest level. Both clubs sold out their season tickets (25,200 in Las Vegas, 27,344 in Boston) but with stadiums that have a maximum capacity right around 40,000 it will be difficult for either to move out of the bottom of the league averages.
Former USFL Players In the Coaching Ranks
While the USFL has certainly proven itself over the past 25 years, doubling the football options for fans, producing household names in its rosters, setting up a second national football holiday each July, and developing fanbases in many cities that had not been considered pro-ready in the past. One of the areas where we have seen a great deal of influence is in the coaching ranks, where many USFL players have moved to the sideline after their playing days and now find themselves rising in the coaching world.
Looking at former USFL players who have gone on to have coaching success, we start with one of the league’s first player-to-coach shifts, former Outlaw and Wrangler QB Rick Neuheisel. Neuheisel played his first 4 seasons in the USFL, 3 with Arizona and one in San Antonio, with the then-Gunslingers. He would jump to the NFL in 1988, but that jump was quickly spoiled by a series of injuries which led him to retire in 1989. He would return to UCLA, his alma mater, as a grad assistant, but rose quickly within the school’s coaching ranks. He returned to the USFL not as an assistant, but as one of the league’s youngest head coaches in 1995 with the expansion LA Express. He coached LA for its first three years in the league, but a combined record of 13-35 in that period led to his departure from the Express. He would go on to serve as an Offensive Coordinator and then head coach at the University of Washington before returning to the pro game. He currently serves as the OC for the Seattle Dragons, and is considered a potential Head Coach candidate once again.
Another former USFL player who has made his way back to the league as a coach is former NJ General fullback Maurice Carthon. After his years with New Jersey and a stint in the NFL, Carthon returned to the Generals as a strength and conditioning coach. He quickly became the Generals’ running backs coach, a position he held for 7 years before being promoted to Offensive coordinator. He has since taken a position in that capacity with the Arizona Wranglers, where it is hoped he can revive a moribund run game for the Wranglers.
Other USFL stars who now work as coaches include former Knights (and Bills) QB Frank Reich, who now serves as an offensive staff assistant with the NFL Colts, and another Bill QB with USFL ties, Joe Ferguson, who was brought in by the Breakers as a veteran backup for Tony Eason. Ferguson would go on to coach quarterbacks at his alma mater, Arkansas, a position he now holds for the Detroit Lions. John Jefferson is working with wide receivers in Orlando, LB Sam Norris is coaching up linebackers with the Blitz, where another former Blitz player, safety Leslie Frazier, also works with DBs. Former QB Doug Pederson is working with special teams with the new Skyhawks franchise, and another former DB, Todd Bowles, is now on the coaching staff in Houston.
Bandit Ball Wins Inaugural USFL Title
There is a reason that John Bassett’s name is on the USFL trophy. Not only did he form a ragtag team with a former failed NFL quarterback (the QB of the 0-14 Buccaneers) as his head coach, but he also helped the USFL gain its sea legs and avoid the temptation to take on the NFL in the Fall. John Bassett is a legend in the history of the USFL, but we should also acknowledge that his 1983 Bandits made history as the league’s first champion, despite being a team that did not sign huge college contracts or bring in NFL “ringers” as early season favorite Chicago had done. It was a team built around an idea of what football could be: wide open offense, vertical passing, exciting play calls, and dynamic playbooks. In Steve Spurrier he found a coach who knew what it was like to deal with new teammates and a developing roster, but also a coach who was tuned into the type of exciting, air-it-out football that would help put the USFL on the map.
To say the 1983 Bandits were a ragtag team is not exaggeration. Their QB, John Reaves, had been a fan favorite with the Gators in Gainesville, but his pro career had mostly been as a benchwarmer with 4 different NFL teams. No spring chicken, Reaves had been in pro ball since 1972, but it was as a Bandit that he would gain fame and find himself a Hall of Famer. The leading rusher for the Bandits in 1983 only played about half a season. Gary Anderson, a rookie out of Arkansas, was embroiled in a legal battle over a contract with the NFL Chargers and needed arbitration to be cleared to play. The lead receiver, legendary Eric Truvillion, was a practice squad player for the NY Jets in 1982 before joining the Bandits out of Florida A&M. It was a team cobbled together from NFL rejects, fringe players, CFL veterans and local college standouts who simply had not made good at the pro level.
That band of oddities would go 14-2 as the Bandits. They went 9-2 in the Eastern Conference, then proceeded to knock off Philadelphia in the Eastern Finals before defeating Denver in that 37-33 classic. Along the way they helped define USFL football through Bandit Ball. With movie star Burt Reynolds (himself a football player from Florida State back in the day) in the stands, John Bassett running the big picture and Steve Spurrier leading the men on the field, the Bandits helped put the USFL on the map as more fun than the “No Fun League” and as an incredibly enjoyable and exciting brand of professional football. Twenty Five years later Bandit Ball is still alive and well and Coach Spurrier is back for his second stint as the “Ole Ball Coach” for the Bandits. And while the names on the back of the now globally recognized red jerseys may have changed, the spirit of that 1983 Bandit team still lives on in Tampa Bay and in the USFL as a whole.
Tampa’s Favorite Foot
He may not be the most famous member of the 1983 Bandits, that title likely goes to John Reaves. And his bust is not found in Canton along with Reaves, Spurrier, Truvillion and owner John Bassett, but it is safe to say that when we talk about the early years of Bandit Ball there is no bigger name in Tampa lore than Zenon Andrusyshyn.
The German-Ukranian kicker, born in Germany, raised in Canada, and drafted in 1970 by the Dallas Cowboys was a huge figure in Tampa Bay’s early years. He came to the Bandits after several years moving around the Canadian Football league, kicking for Toronto, Hamilton, and Edmonton from 1971-1982. He had a brief stint in the NFL with the Chiefs in 1978, but was seen as a CFL player for the most part until John Bassett came calling, signing the “Big Zee” for his fledgling USFL Club.
Andrusyshyn (pronounced Andrew-zih-shin for those new to him) would go on to score 96 points for the Bandits in their first season, a championship season, including going 54 of 54 on extra points and kicking 3 field goals in the Bandits’ 37-33 victory over Denver in the 1983 USFL Championship. It would actually be his lowest scoring total in his 4-year Bandit career, due mostly to the prolific offense Steve Spurrier put together needing far more PAT’s than field goals.
His high water mark for scoring would be in 1985 when his 140 total points was best among league kickers, and second only to the ridiculous 150 points put up by teammate Eric Truvlillion in a league-record scoring season for a receiver that still stands today. In that 1985 season, Andrusyshyn kicked 28 field goals, and 56 PATs, including 4 field goals in the Quarterfinal Playoffs, helping Tampa Bay upend Jacksonville in Jacksonville 19-13. The Bandits would fall to eventual champion Philadelphia in the next round, but Andrusyshyn’s big day helped build the rivalry with the in-state Bulls.
Since retiring from the game in 1987, Andrusyshyn has been active in Christian athlete ministries both in the Tampa Bay area and in Nashville, where he serves as an ordained minister, having graduated from the Dallas Theological Seminary in 1995. He still makes frequent trips to Bandit games, and was in Canton when all 4 Bandit players from his time in Tampa were enshrined. Like we said, he may not be the most famous, or the most honored Bandit player, but Zenon Andrusyshyn remains a big name in Bandit history.
(IRL: Pretty much what I wrote above, according to Wikipedia, except that instead of 4 years with Tampa, he played 3, then the league shut down, he shortly returned to Canada to play with the Alouettes, but pretty much as described above. Still one of my favorite names in USFL history.)
Here is your TV lineup for Week 3, with a good battle of 2-0 clubs on tap on Saturday Night and a Florida title fight on Sunday Night. Nationwide Broadcasts are in bold.
FRI Night: Memphis (1-1) @ Nashville (2-0) NBC
SAT 12pm: Baltimore (1-1) @ New Jersey (0-2) FOX
SAT 12pm: Orlando (0-2) @ St. Louis (0-2) ABC
SAT 12pm: Chicago (0-2) @ Washington (1-1) ABC
SAT 4pm: Las Vegas (2-0) @ Oakland (0-2) FOX
SAT 8pm: Los Angeles (2-0) @ Seattle (2-0) ESPN
SUN 12pm: New Orleans (0-2) @ Birmingham (1-1) ABC
SUN 12pm: Texas (1-1) @ Ohio (1-1) FOX
SUN 12pm: Atlanta (1-1) @ Boston (1-1) ABC
SUN 4pm: Arizona (0-2) @ Houston (1-1) FOX
SUN 4pm: Philadelphia (2-0) @ Denver (1-1) ABC
SUN 8pm: Tampa Bay (1-1) @ Jacksonville (2-0) ESPN
Looks like I have my weekend planned out. Battle of Tennessee on Friday, not missing LA v. Seattle on Saturday Night, and the Florida Derby on Sunday Night, oh, and in between I will see if I can catch some other action. Philly at Denver should be fun, plus I am hoping to see Drew Brees in St. Louis, but I am not sure I get that game here.