A rough week for quarterbacks as several starters are knocked out of games. For Philadelphia it could be a major issue as Kurt Warner could miss a month or more. For Oakland, losing Joey Harrington early was not enough to bring defeat as they shock the Bulls. Speaking of shockers, Orlando dealt one to the Tampa Bay Bandits as Drew Brees is beginning to look like a QB who is feeling more comfortable in a new system. New Jersey wins their third in a row, and Arizona looks hapless without Plummer under center. All this plus a look back at the amazing USFL running backs of the 1980's, this week in the USFL.
JACKSONVILLE 38 OAKLAND 41
A truly wild one out in the East Bay as the Oakland Invaders show off their offensive power even without Joey Harrington, but then have to hold on for dear life as Jake Delhomme throws 4 touchdowns to make this one a nail-biter by the end.
Things did not look good early for Oakland as Joey Harrington was injured after attempting only 3 passes. He took a blow to the head on a scramble, seemed to be fine, and then got woozy and had to sit down. He would not be back in the game and Oakland would have to call on former Chicago Machine QB Ray Lucas. Down 7-0 after a Donald Hayes TD catch, it did not look good for Oakland, but Ricky Williams quickly reminded the Invader faithful on hand that this team was more than just their former Heisman finalist.
Williams busted off a 39-yard touchdown that included a devastating stiff arm on safety Pat Watkins that sent the defender sprawling. It would be the first of three Williams touchdowns on a day that saw him gain 198 yards rushing despite Jacksonville’s best efforts to contain him. Not to say that Ray Lucas did not do his part, completing 17 of 26 passes and tossing a TD to Plaxico Burress, but this was a Ricky Williams party from start to finish.
Following his first score, Oakland added a field goal, and then, in the final seconds of the 1st quarter Williams did it again, this time on a sweep from the 14-yard line. The Bulls were stunned. They had knocked out Oakland’s starting QB before any Invader points were on the board, and somehow, without offensive balance, the Invaders were up 17-7 after only 1 quarter.
Jacksonville would tighten the game early in the 2nd on another Delhomme to Donald Hayes strike, but Oakland would again prove difficult to stop. On two straight possessions the Invaders would score on 1-yard runs, the first by Williams and the second by understudy Olandis Gary. Jacksonville went into the half shellshocked, and trailing 31-14.
The third quarter provided much the same. The Bulls again tightened the score, picking off Lucas and returning the interception 49 yards for a score, but, undaunted, Lucas took to the air again and found Plaxico Burress to restore the 17-point lead. It appeared the Invaders could do no wrong. The problem was, they were losing steam, despite the Burress score. Jacksonville would score quickly on their next drive, with Delhomme finding TE Jason Whitten from 21 yards out. When they added a field goal only 4 minutes later, the lead was down to 7 and Oakland was clearly feeling the pressure.
Delhomme had already connected with Donald Hayes twice, and Whitten to keep Jacksonville in the game. He would need one more to tie the score, and he would get it. Getting the ball back with 1:33 left to play, Delhomme marched the Bulls down the field, using his time outs to allow the team to use the whole field, He would eventually find backup HB Michael Hayward, the most unlikely of heroes, on a swing route with only 16 seconds left. When Haywards dove into the endzone the Bulls were within one point of tying the game. Rookie Justin Medlock would do his part and the game would go to overtime.
Now it was Oakland’s turn to be shellshocked, but they did not fall into a spiral, Coach Green got them up, and when they won the coin toss, there was an air of optimism in the stadium. The Invaders would move the ball well, again relying on Ricky Williams, who had 4 carries in the overtime drive. The drive bogged down at the Jacksonville 39, but Coach Green had confidence in kicker Joe Nedney. He sent Nedney out to attempt a 56-yarder, and the veteran connected, getting the ball just over the crossbar to give Oakland a 3-point lead.
But, league rules require a TD to end the overtime, either that or the other club gets one drive to try to equalize the field goal. Jacksonville would have one drive to try to tie the game again, or go home in defeat. Delhomme would get the ball on the 23, and get to work. He connected with HB Travis Minor on first down, then TE Tim Euhus, followed by Donald Hayes for the 6th time. But Jacksonville’s drive would bog down in almost the same spot as Oakland’s had, placing the ball at the 35, meaning that rookie Justin Medlock would be asked to kick a 52 yarder to keep the game going. Medlock got the kick off, it had the distance, but it started to slice left almost immediately after leaving the UCLA product’s foot, and by the time it reached the back of the endzone it was well wide. Oakland had won their fourth in a row, and beaten the 1st place Bulls in the offing. A very good night in Oakland, even if concern over Joey Harrington would dampen the postgame celebrations.
ATLANTA 3 MEMPHIS 41
Friday Night’s big game started off ugly and stayed ugly as Atlanta, playing without David Garrard, was no match for the Memphis Showboats. Rookie Tyler Thigpen could get nothing going, and Atlanta’s defense, which had been a big part of their 7-7 inaugural season, was simply not up to defending Brett Favre on this night. Favre would throw for 3 scores, and get an early break as Memphis put in Mike McMahon for most of the 4th.
ST. LOUIS 14 PITTSBURGH 28
The Maulers move to 3-3 after a big day from their new lead back, Ladell Betts. The big man rushed for 106 yards and added another 81 through the air, most of it on one perfectly executed swing pass that would go for a score. Cody Pickett also looked good, connecting on 13 of 21 passing for 201 yards and 3 scores against St. Louis’s ineffective defense.
SEATTLE 34 BALTIMORE 21
The Dragons built up a 31-7 lead after three quarters and then let up on the gas as Baltimore made the game look closer than it was. Darren Sproles scored on a 108-yard kickoff return and David Boston brought in a 41-yard TD as the Dragons were clicking in all three phases of the game.
BIRMINGHAM 20 NEW ORLEANS 26
The Breakers finally break into the win column as they take down division rival Birmingham. Fred Jackson barely missed landing his first 100-yard game with the Breakers, finishing with 91 yards on 22 carries. Shaun Alexander had 88 for the Stallions in a very balanced game between both. After 3 quarters it was tied up at 20, and only two Breaker field goals were scored in the final period, sending the Breaker faithful home happy for the first time this year.
NASHVILLE 14 HOUSTON 26
A big win for the Gamblers as they move to 2-4, thanks largely to the right foot of Josh Brown, who kicked 4 first half field goals. Add in 2nd half touchdowns from Tatum Bell and Koren Robinson and the W goes to the homestanding Gamblers. In a game where Frank Gore was out with a minor injury, Nashville managed only 25 yards rushing and could not sustain drives. Houston’s Matt Hasselbeck had better luck, with a 21 of 29 performance, enhanced by 88 yards on the ground from Kevin Faulk.
LAS VEGAS 20 LOS ANGELES 7
The Thunder defense again proved its mettle in this one. After giving up a Tory Holt touchdown on the opening drive, the Thunder limited LA to only 229 yards on the day and no more points. And while Las Vegas’s offensive production was not exactly electrifying, it proved enough as Marshawn Lynch’s lone TD, paired with 4 Mike Vanderjagt kicks were enough for the Thunder to get the road win.
TAMPA BAY 24 ORLANDO 38
Orlando’s offense put all the pieces together, with Drew Brees throwing for 314 yards and 2 scores, while Sedrick Irvin ran in 3 touchdowns as Orlando pulled away with 21-points in the 2nd quarter and never looked back. Daunte Culpepper went out before the half, which stunted Tampa Bay’s comeback ability. Koy Detmer did throw 2 touchdowns, but it was not enough for the Bandits to keep pace.
WASHINGTON 25 BOSTON 27
Boston moves to 6-0, but it was not easy as the Federals used 141 yards from Deuce McCallister to keep this one close. A Henry Burris TD toss to Deion Branch with 1:05 brought the Feds within 2 points, but the pass attempt on the PAT failed and the Feds could not equalize the game. Tiki Barber returned to action and ran for 93 yards on only 14 carries, a 6.6 YPC average.
NEW JERSEY 20 PHILADELPHIA 17
Don’t look now, but the Generals have ripped off three wins in a row. The defending champs got 17 of their 20 points in the 4th quarte as the Stars wilted at the game’s end. Kelly Holcombe’s two touchdown passes, both to Terry Glenn, came in the final 15 minutes, and a Ryan Longwell field goal with 18 seconds on the clock avoided overtime and helped move the Generals to 3-3 after 6 weeks.
DENVER 14 CHICAGO 20
The Gold drop to 3-3, the Machine improve to 3-3 after a hard fought game at Soldier Field. Chicago got 85 yards and the game-winning TD from Michael Turner as they turn back the Denver Gold despite 303 yards passing from Matt Leinart. Brady Quinn would throw for only 137, but would add at TD to Anthony Fasano and would return Chicago to .500.
TEXAS 16 ARIZONA 3
Andrew Walter would complete 20 of 40 passes, but the Wranglers rarely looked threatening as Texas grinds out a win on T. J. Duckett’s big 212-yard day. The big man rushed the ball 29 times as Texas simply kept the clock moving and kept the ball out of Arizona’s hands. Despite two turnovers, the Outlaws held the ball for nearly 40 minutes and Arizona just looked unable to threaten them without Jake Plummer.
OHIO 22 MICHIGAN 47
Sunday Night’s showcase game saw the Panthers, for the second time this year, blow past the Ohio Glory. Brian Griese would attempt only 18 passes, but connected on 13 of 18 for 269 yards and 2 scores. The combination of Justin Fargas, Troy Davis, and Leon Washington would gain 200 yards on the ground as Michigan simply had Ohio’s number. Kerry Collins was sacked 4 times and would throw no TDs and 2 picks as the Glory fall for the 2nd time this year, both times to Michigan.
Kurt Warner out 4-6 weeks
Major concern in Philadelphia, where Kurt Warner went out in the third quarter of a tight game with New Jersey and now could miss a month or more of action. Warner was hit as he threw late in the 3rd and immediately clutched at his arm. The diagnosis on Monday was a partially torn bicep. No surgery would be needed, but Warner would need time to heal and might miss as much as two months before his arm is back to full strength. The former Rams’ QB stated he hoped to be back much sooner, but that he would listen to his physicians and not rush his recovery.
Philadelphia, which fell to 4-2 with the loss to New Jersey, is now 2 games behind Boston in the Northeast, and will be turning to untested rookie Matt Gutierrez for the next month or longer. Gutierrez beat out former MSU Spartan Jeff Smoker in camp for the 2nd QB position, but looked somewhat shellshocked in the final period of the New Jersey game. He will get a lot more reps in practice this week, but don’t be surprised if Philadelphia puts more on the shoulders of HB Ahman Green against Tampa Bay, and for the next few weeks.
Teams on the Rise
New Jersey’s third win in a row makes them one of our USFL Teams on the Rise. Along with Memphis (5 straight wins) and Oakland (4 straight), the Generals have turned around an 0-3 start and are back at .500. Credit the learning curve for Kelly Holcombe at QB, but also an improved defensive scheme which has held the Breakers, Stallions, and Stars under at or under 20 points. Of course, the fact that New Jersey has scored 20 or more each week, as opposed to the 26 points total they scored in weeks 1-3 and you can see how they have turned the season around.
Memphis’s success has been one part Brett Favre and one part solid play across the roster. While Favre is not putting up the astronomical numbers he did in his youth, he is managing games, making big plays when needed, and doing what all good quarterbacks do, elevating those around him. Cadillac Williams and Maurice Smith are doing their part, combining for nearly 600 yards rushing in 6 games, and receivers Robert Ferguson and Lee Evans are proving to be a dangerous combo. Add in 21 receptions for NFL acquisition, TE David Martin, and Memphis seems to have found a winning formula.
In Oakland, their 4-game win streak , including an impressive win against the Bulls this week, has been the result of a Top 10 offense and one of the league’s best run defenses. Yes, Oakland is giving up nearly 285 passing yards a game, but that is less a sign of trouble and more an indication that they are playing with a lead. Ricky Williams and Jerious Norwood have combined for over 800 yards rushing, with both men averaging 4.7 yards per carry, and Joey Harrington is spreading the ball around, with 5 different receivers at or above 10 receptions so far, led by Plaxico Burress and Greg Jennings. The defense is getting pressure on QB’s with both Roosevelt Colvin and DE Justin Smith sitting at 5 sacks apiece, and Israel Idonije only 1 behind them. Oakland has moved from 0-2 to 4-2, and sit in second only behind the unbeaten Dragons, who they will face this week.
Teams On the Slide
On the other side of the spectrum we find Atlanta, losers of 5 in a row; Arizona, losers of 3 straight, and Birmingham, also losers of 3 straight. Early season optimism has descended into midseason concern for all three clubs as each faces their own unique issues.
We know what Arizona’s problems are, having focused on their anemic run game and pourous defense last week. For Atlanta, the issue is a surprise, as the defense which was ranked #1 in both scoring and yardage last year has fallen far from that point. After their 41-3 trouncing by Memphis, they are now dead last in scoring defense, giving up nearly 30 points per game. Each of their last 3 foes (Memphis, Tampa Bay, and Jacksonville) have scored 30 or more when facing the Fire. Admitedly, this was the toughest 3-game stretch of the year, as they now face several teams with 2 wins or fewer in the next 6 weeks, but if the defense is truly that big of an issue, even this run could be daunting for the Fire.
Birmingham’s troubles seem to be multiple. The offense is simply not effective enough to provide enough scoring, and the defense tends to give up big plays, allowing over 25 points per game. Since beating New Orleans in Week 3, the Stallions have lost consecutive games to the Knights, Generals, and then to the Breakers this week. Once again fans are questioning when and if Jason Campbell is ever going to mature in to the type of QB Birmingham hoped for when they drafted him. But the club also has to look at the defense and wonder when there will be more help provided to Mike Rucker, who seems to be the only top tier defender on the field each week. The Stallions host 5-1 Memphis on Sunday Night Football this week in what is not only a classic rivalry, but a grudge match now that Brett Favre returns to Birmingham in a Showboat jersey. If this cannot motivate the Stallions, then they may well be headed to a 4th straight losing season and once again Coach Franchione will have some tough questions to answer.
It was apparently Pittsburgh’s turn to deal with IR as cornerback Kareem Larrimore is now out for the year with a neck injury. No risk of spinal injury, but still an injury that will keep Larrimore off the field through the rest of the spring. It occurred in a head to head collision with St. Louis receiver Drew Bennett. Bennett came out of the collision without incident, but Larrimore stayed down, eventually put in a neck brace, but allowed to sit up in the cart.
We already mentioned Kurt Warner’s injury, which falls into the 4-6 week category. He was not the only player to get a similar timeframe as Las Vegas WR Samie Parker and Oakland CB Billy Austin also were given a one month minimum timeframe to recover from a quad injury and a hairline fracture in the leg, respectively.
Four QB’s and last year’s Offensive Player of the Year are on the Doubtful list for this week, with Jake Plummer and David Garrard both expected to miss a 2nd consecutive game, while Joey Harrington, Daunte Culpepper and Tiki Barber are also expected to be out. Harrington will be replaced by former Machine backup Ray Lucas, Culpepper by Koy Detmer, and Tiki Barber by Notre Dame rookie Tony Hunt.
Next Round of NFL “poaching” a Concern for USFL GM’s.
With no one expecting that the NFL emphasis on signing top flight players off of USFL rosters was a one year plan, and with agents now hoping to use the inter-league competition to increase player salaries, and, equally, their cut of new contracts, a lot of USFL GM’s are getting nervous about the upcoming 2007-2008 offseason. Add in the fact that once again the league’s current teams will be participating in an expansion draft to stock the rosters of the new Portland Stags and Charlotte Monarchs, and there is a lot to be nervous about.
We are still over 2 months away from free agency, but the list of players who have not been renewed at this point in the year is clearly a focal point for nearly every club in the league. Looking over the various rosters and who is in the final year of their deals, we get a pretty deep pool of players. Past years would seem to indicate that about half of these players will sign before they become free agents, but with players and agents motivated to hold out, that number may not hold this year. Here is our quick survey of the best players as of yet unsigned beyond July.
QUARTERBACKS: Not quite as rich a pool as last offseason, but still several quality starters who are potentially headed to the fall if their teams don’t get a deal done. Among them are Seattle’s Byron Leftwich, Jacksonville’s Jake Delhomme, Washington’s Kordell Stewart, and Michigan’s Brian Griese, whose strong 2007 season is turning some heads.
HALFBACKS: Some top names here, including Tiki Barber of Boston (who may be more likely to retire than switch teams at this point), Birmingham’s Shaun Alexander, Texas big back T. J. Duckett, Michigan’s new acquisition, Justin Fargas, Oakland’s resurgent Ricky Williams, former OPOTY Eddie George, and Orlando’s Sedrick Irvin.
RECEIVERS: Among the big names potentially on the market we have Curtis Conway (CHI), Peerless Price (DEN), Tory Holt (LA), Az-Zahir-Hakeem (NOR), Randy Moss (TBY), Terry Glenn (NJ), and both Steve Smith Sr. and Amani Toomer of the Stars. That is a lot of quality potentially looking for a richer deal.
D-LINE: Some guys in their prime here as well as some older players who might want to finish their careers with an NFL stint. On the edge we have Birmingham’s Mike Rucker, Denver’s Marcellus Wiley, Julius Peppers from Memphis, Shaun Ellis from New Jersey, and KGB, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, of Nashville. Inside there are fewer big names, but Ted Washington is big enough for us.
OTHER DEFENDERS: A mixed bag among linebackers, safeties, and corners, but still some names that fans won’t want to see leaving their favorite team. Names like London Fletcher (BOS), Lavar Arrington (JAX), Ronde Barber (HOU), Patrick Surtain (PIT), Marcus Truffant (SEA), Charles Woodson (WSH), Mike Doss (CHI), and Ed Reed (WSH).
The Backs of the 80’s
While for many it was the USFL that helped usher in our current pass-happy pro football culture, but we should not forget that some of the biggest USFL stars of the 1980’s were not big name quarterbacks or dynamic receivers, but the backs who toted the rock and provided the USFL with excitement in the run game. You cannot talk about the history of the USFL without starting with the signing of Herschel Walker. In the league’s second year they added Mike Rozier, another Heisman winner. And it seemed every team had a back who could grind out a first down, turn a screen into a long gainer, or move through a crowd to gain the needed yards. Sure, some teams were pass happy from the start, but all across the USFL the 1980’s produced amazing performances from the halfback position.
If we look over the league record holders and career totals, those players from the 80’s still dominate the list. With over 19,000 rushing yards, Mike Rozier remains the king of USFL rushers. He had a career average of 4.6 yards per carry, and scored 134 TDs, more than any other back in league history.
Second on the all-time rushing list is the first big USFL star himself, Herschel Walker, with 15,569 career yards. Not far behind him is Philadelphia’s Kelvin Bryant at 15,378, the only other player in league history to rush for 100 career touchdowns after Rozier.
Jumping over Robert Drummond, who did nearly all his damage in the 1990’s we get to another 80’s back, Birmingham’s Joe Cribbs. The smaller, but oh, so elusive Cribbs finished his career with over 12,500 yards and a long list of players who got embarrassed by one of his jukes. The list starts diversifying after this with players from the 1990’s and early 2000’s, but we still see a lot of names from those 1980’s teams: Barry Word (WSH), Greg Boone (TBY/MEM), Craig James (WSH), John Williams (MGN), Gary Anderson (TBY), Tim Spencer (CHI/BAL), Curtis Bledsoe (WSH/ORL), and Harry Sydney (DEN).
The USFL may be a passing league, but these great backs helped to build the foundation for the league, and their names can still be seen on fan jerseys, and are still spoken with great admiration in stadiums all over the league. Not surprisingly, the Hall of Fame has six different USFL halfbacks from the 80’s among their enshrinees: Walker, Cribbs, Rozier, James, Williams, and Kelvin Bryant all wear the gold jacket, and deservingly so. Will other join them? Well, the USFL is anticipating adding a special category for early year players with the class of 2010 and beyond, so there is still hope for fans of Gary Anderson, Greg Boone, or Bary Word to make the hall some day. But, regardless of the accolades or honors, these players will continue to be a huge part of the history of the league and of pro football in the 1980’s.
Scott Fitzkee: The Unlike 100-Catch Man
He is not the first name that rolls off your tongue when you talk about USFL receivers. Not the first player most people name when you talk about the early Philadelphia Stars, and not a player who evokes record-breaking performances, but Scott Fitzkee is a great USFL story. He played only 3 years in the league, joining the Stars in their inaugural season after 4 largely anonymous years in the NFL with Philadelphia and St. Louis. A 1979 5th round pick out of Penn State, Fitzkee did not come to the USFL with a pedigree that spoke to his potential. In his time in the NFL he had barely seen the field, catching only 17 balls in four years. But something clicked with Coach Jim Mora and QB Chuck Fusina, himself a 1979 Penn Stater, and longtime friend of his fellow Nittany Lion.
So, what happened in 1983, when Fitzkee became a starter for the Stars in the league’s debut season? How about 162 targets, 106 receptions, 1,384 yards and 9 touchdowns? Those were huge numbers, they still would be today, but in 1983 they were astonishing. Fitzkee finished behind only Victor James in receptions (There were actually three 100-yard receivers in the USFL that first year, with Tom McConnaughey in 3rd) and his 1,384 yards put him behind only Eric Truvillion (Bandits) and Nolan Franz (Breakers) in yardage.
Fitzkee was not the fastest receiver on the field, not by a longshot. Probably not even the fastest on his team that year, but he was shrewd, could find holes in zones, could shake single coverage, and he had a rapport with Fusina that no one could match. The two were like twins who had their own secret language. Fitzkee would repeat his 100-reception feat in his second season, and drop off a bit due to injury in his third and final USFL season, 1985. He won a title that year with the Stars, but aging knees and a lot of mileage were getting to Fitzkee. He would retire in the offseason after three amazing, but far too short, USFL seasons of success. He will not make the USFL Hall of Fame, and his #81 is not retired by the Stars, but it is still a badge of honor to wear that number in Philadelphia, something receivers have to earn. It is being worn right now by Amani Toomer, Philly’s possession receiver par excellence, a fitting passing of the torch.
(IRL: Scott Fitzkee played all three years of the USFL with the Stars, in Philly and Baltimore. He actually never played on a pro team that did not make the playoffs—Eagles, Chargers, and Stars—but is remembered for his time with the USFL. He now owns a roofing company and lives outside of Baltimore. This info from an article on the Eagles’ website: https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/where-are-they-now-wr-scott-fitzkee)
Week 7, the midseason is already here, and, man, do we have some divisional fights on our way. This week’s schedule will feature 6 divisional games, and a few really interesting inter-divisional matchups as well. No time to take a breather, time to start pushing. As always, divisional games are in blue and national coverage games are in bold.
FRI @ 8pm Los Angeles (3-3) @ Arizona (1-5) NBC
SAT @ 12pm New Jersey (3-3) @ Washington (2-4) ABC
SAT @ 12pm Philadelphia (4-2) @ Tampa Bay (3-3) FOX
SAT @ 12pm Las Vegas (4-2) @ Nashville (3-2-1) ABC
SAT @ 4pm Oakland (4-2) @ Seattle (6-0) ABC
SAT @ 4pm Pittsburgh (3-3) @ Denver (3-3) FOX
SAT @ 8pm Boston (6-0) @ Jacksonville (4-2) ESPN
SUN @ 12pm Atlanta (1-5) @ Orlando (2-4) ABC
SUN @ 12pm New Orleans (1-5) @ Baltimore (2-3-1) FOX
SUN @ 12pm Michigan (3-3) @ St. Louis (1-5) FOX
SUN @ 4pm Houston (2-4) @ Texas (2-4) ABC
SUN @ 4pm Ohio (4-2) @ Chicago (3-3) FOX
SUN @ 8pm Memphis (5-1) @ Birmingham (2-4) ESPN