There is nothing better than a weekend full of football games that go down to the wire, and that is exactly what we got this week in USFL action. Look across the league and you see games that came down to one possession, one big play, one turnover. Houston beats Oakland by 2, Memphis over Nashville by 3, same for Las Vegas in Birmingham. All in all we had 6 of 14 games come down to less than 7 points, and one in overtime. That is just fun to watch, and when playoff hopes are on the line, it just adds to the drama of it all. Let’s get right to it with our game of the week, Houston at Oakland.
HOUSTON GAMBLERS 27 OAKLAND INVADERS 25
The Gamblers came into their matchup with the 9-1 Invaders needing to re-establish themselves after a tough loss to the Denver Gold in Week 10 that cost them the lead in the Southwest Division. Denver now held the upper hand in the divisional race and Houston was on the road to face the team with the best record in the West. Oakland, playing at home, winners of 8 in a row, and well ahead of their divisional foes in the Pacific, fully expected to win this one, as they had very week since a loss to Las Vegas in Week 2, a loss they had more than made up for with a 42-13 drubbing of the Thunder only 2 weeks later.
So, it was a team feeling a bit of pressure against one that had it all going right, so you know what that means, intensity vs confidence always makes for a good game, and we got that in this one. Houston wasted no time trying to establish themselves in this one. Following an opening drive that saw Oakland get on the board with a field goal, Houston got the ball for the first time and did something no one really expected, they ran the ball, and well. Shaun Alexander, who would go on to rush for 131 yards in the game, touched the ball 6 times on the opening drive, a full 1/3 of his total carries for the day. Houston spent most of the drive, and much of the game in a 2 receiver, 2 tight end, and 1 back formation, a formation that was designed to nullify the pass rush of Israel Idonije and Aaron Schobel and force the linebackers to face chip blocks and pulling guards. On their first drive, Houston worked this to perfection, moving down the field in short order and putting 7 on the board with Shaun Alexander’s 6th carry, a 1-yard off-center plunge.
The drive sent a message to Oakland, that the Gamblers had done their homework and would match up well against the Invader defense. When Oakland failed on a 3rd and 7, punting the ball back to Houston after only 3 plays, they would be tested again. This time, Houston used the run game to set up the play action pass, with Matt Hasselbeck faking the ball to Alexander and connecting with Ike Hilliard for 31 yards. With Oakland defending Roy Williams with 2 men all day, Hasselbeck would need to look elsewhere, and on this play he had the veteran wideout in single coverage. 3 plays later (2 of them run plays), Hasselbeck used play action again, this time faking the ball to Kevin Faulk, then rolling right and throwing back left to Faulk, who beat his defender and raced 11 yards into the endzone to give Houston a 14-3 lead. Oakland needed to wake up and realize they were in a dogfight.
The Invaders fared a bit better on their next drive, with Joey Harrington connecting with both Plaxico Burress and Ricky Dudley to move the ball into scoring range, but another failed 3rd down (the Invaders would convert only 3 of 14 attempts all day) meant another Mike Hollis field goal. Houston up 14-6 with 10 minutes left in the first half. The Gamblers would again use the run game in their next drive, but a holding call on a 2nd and 3 forced Houston to the air inside Oakland territory, and when the Gambler 3rd down play was broken up by Will Allen, the Gamblers also settled for 3, a 46-yarder from Dan Carpenter.
Oakland got the ball back with just over 5 minutes left in the half, and they would mount their first TD drive of the game, using up nearly the entire time remaining to do it. Rather than going for deeper routes, Oakland settled for what Houston gave them and got the ball out of Harrington’s hands before Kavika Pittman could set upon the Oakland QB. The dink and dunk strategy worked and when Harrington hit Plaxico Burress with a fade route to the end zone, Oakland was back within 1 score at 17-13. That would be the score going into the half.
Houston would get the ball first to open the second half, and in fewer than 2 minutes, they were back in Oakland territory. Hasselbeck hit Mike Sims-Walker with the biggest pass play of the game, a 45-yard catch and run that nearly went for a score. Only 2 plays later, a quick swing route to Alexander netted the former Stallion his 2nd TD of the day. Houston again was up 2 scores at 24-13, but Oakland had figured out by this point that they needed to shrug off their casual demeanor and start throwing some punches (figuratively).
The Invaders would score the next 13 points in the game, capitalizing on a tipped ball interception by LB Patrick Chuckwarah to turn a field goal into back to back 3-pointers, drawing them within 24-19 by the close of the 3rd quarter. As the 4th opened, they were driving again, taking a page out of Houston’s playbook by bringing in a 2nd TE and putting the ball into Ricky Williams’s hands. Williams, who would finish the game with 94 yards on 22 carries, would get the score that put Oakland on top, a 9-yard run that saw him plow right over safety Shaun Williams at the goal line. Oakland went for two to get a 3-point lead, but the toss to Greg Jennings was off target and the lead stood at only 1.
Houston would have one shot to get the lead back as time was running down, but needing only a field goal, and holding 3 timeouts, there was no sense of urgency caused by the clock. Matt Hasselbeck was content to throw to his tight ends over the middle, connecting with Vernon Davis twice and Dante Rosario once, mixed with draws to both Faulk and Alexander. As the clock ticked down, Houston crept closer and closer to Dan Carpenter’s range. The key play in the drive was a 3rd and 3 from the Houston 49. This was the draw to Alexander, as they set up with 3 wideouts for one of the first times in the game. Oakland took that as a sign of a pass coming, and dropped into a 2-deep zone, which gave Alexander all the room he needed to rush for 5 yards and give Houston a new set of downs.
With 1:12 left to play, Houston eventually bogged down at the Oakland 25-yard line and Dan Carpenter came out. He put the ball through the uprights and Houston was back on top 27-25. But, 1:12 and down only 2, Oakland would get a shot to come right back.
The Invaders got a solid kick return from DeShaun Jackson, placing the ball at the 28. On first down, Harrington hit Ricky Williams with his 4th reception on the day, a 9 yarder to kick off the drive. That was followed by a short run for a first, and then a short pass to Dudley. Oakland continued to work the entire field, mixing short throws with 2 Williams rushes, using two time outs and a spike to keep the clock from ticking away too fast. But, as they approached a safe range for Mike Hollis, a mistake cost them 10 yards. Holding called against tackle Kwame Harris on a 2nd and 4 pushed the Invaders back to the 36 yard line and created a 2nd and 14. Harrington could not connect on 2nd down, and again on 3rd, so with 19 seconds on the clock and the ball at the 36, Coach Green had no choice but to send Hollis out for what would be a 53-yard attempt to win the game. Houston iced Hollis with a timeout, and the Invaders lined up again. The kick looked good coming off the foot of the Invader kicker, but slowly curved to the right, drifting too far and missing the target. Houston had held on and would move to 7-4. Oakland, still atop the Pacific at 9-2, would go down to their first defeat in 2 months.
MEMPHIS 23 NASHVILLE 20
A nice rivalry game in Nashville as the Memphis Showboats slugged it out with the Knights. Brett Favre threw for 334 and 2 scores to help the visitors get the divisional win. Frank Gore had a solid game with 90 yards, but was stuffed on a key 4th and 2 late in the game to help Memphis preserve the win. Cadillac Williams also played well for the Showboats, rushing for 110 yards on only 15 carries.
LAS VEGAS 20 BIRMINGHAM 17
The Stallion defense played well at home against the Thunder, but Birmingham could not get that final drive needed to either win or send the game to overtime. With Dickenson dinged up and Jason Campbell still in the doghouse, Coach Austin turned to Anthony Wright, who would go 24 of 37 for 184. Not a bad game but not enough as Thunder QB Tony Banks completed 20 of 29 for 19 and a touchdown to give Las Vegas their their 3rd win in the past 4 weeks.
PITTSBURGH 28 ATLANTA 6
Tyler Thigpen had a nightmare game, throwing 4 picks to the Mauler defense, as Pittsburgh rolled to a 22-point victory. Kareem Larrimore returned one pick for 6 and kicker Bill Grammatica connected on 5 field goals as the Maulers took advantage of several short field possessions to keep adding points to the scoreboard. Darren McFadden had 108 yards in the loss, but Atlanta never really threatened in this one.
TEXAS 20 PORTLAND 31
The expansion Stags find themselves at 6-5 and deep in the playoff picture after another solid home win. A. J. Feeley looked at the top of his game, connecting on 21 of 29 passes for 213 yards and 3 touchdowns, while James Stewart outgained league leader T. J. Ducket 116-83. Eight penalties for over 70 yards hurt Texas, who were in this game at the half, but faded down the stretch.
WASHINGTON 21 ARIZONA 10
The Wranglers under interim coach Tom Olivadotti held the lead at 10-7 at the half in front of a disappointing 17,404 at University of Phoenix Stadium, but Washington would own the 2nd half. A 75-yard scramble-sprint from Kordell Stewart was the play of the week as he simply outmaneuvered the Wrangler defenders. He also added a short TD pass to Deion Branch to secure the win for the visiting Federals.
PHILADELPHIA 10 BOSTON 34
Stars fans are getting worried after their club goes down for the third straight week. Meanwhile, Boston fans are getting excited about Adrian McPherson after the young QB goes 19 of 23 for 407 yards in what can only be described as a coming out party for the former Syracuse Orange. McPherson honed in on Chad Ochocinco, connecting with the league’s receiving yard leader 6 times for 204 yards and a score as Boston wins their second in a row under McPherson, and gets themselves into the Wild Card hunt with the win.
CHARLOTTE 14 JACKSONVILLE 20
The Bulls get TDs from Rahsaun Woods and Antowain Smith to topple the Monarchs in this divisional game. Henry Burris got the start for the injured Chris Weinke, and had a solid game, completing 21 of 28 for 223 yards, but when a 33-yard TD toss to Stevie Johnson was called back due to a holding call, it sucked the air out of the room for the Monarchs. Kicker Brandon Coutu would miss on all 3 field goal attempts on the day for Charlotte, nine potential points that could have won the game for the visitors.
TAMPA BAY 15 NEW JERSEY 10
We will say this for the Generals, their defense is improving and they do not give away easy wins. Tampa struggled to get anything done on the day, but a TD from LaBraondon Toefield, a safety, and two field goals proved to be enough as the Kris Kershaw-led Generals could only put up 10 points on the day, despite a combined 132 yards rushing from Ray Rice and James Jackson.
ORLANDO 16 BALTIMORE 26
Orlando’s win streak is cut down as Baltimore gets a late Ron Dayne TD to ice this game in the 4th. Dayne, who finished the day with 155 yards rushing and 2 scores, was just a runaway train against Orlando’s defense. Drew Brees tried to keep Orlando in the game, but a late TD to Justin McCaerins was not enough to bring the Renegades back from a 26-9 deficit.
DENVER 41 SEATTLE 31
Denver went toe to toe with one of the hottest teams in the West, and came out on top thanks to two 2nd half TD tosses to Anquan Boldin and a tipped ball drill that turned into a pick six for LB Barrett Rudd. The Rudd score was one of 4 picks of Byron Leftwich as Denver blitzed the Seattle QB into several rushed throws. James Fletcher, would get two of the 4 picks on the day, with an earlier pick-six in the game as Denver scored twice on defense to help boost them over the Dragons.
ST. LOUIS 27 CHICAGO 30 OT
Neither the high score nor the tenacity of the St. Louis Skyhawks was expected in this game, but the Chicago Machine have to feel lucky to escape this one with a win. St. Louis had a 27-13 lead at the start of the 4th, with Machine fans in shock, but Kyle Orton came on strong after a rough first 3 quarters. He connected with Arnold Brown for a score midway through the final period, then hit Anthony Fasano for another in the final 2 minutes to even the tally and send the game into overtime. In the extra period, Orton found Donald Driver on a key 3rd and 6, and got Chicago into field goal range for what would be the winning kick. Jeff Blake, who had 2 TDs on the day, missed Sinorice Moss on 4th and 3, ending St. Louis’s attempt to answer Chicago’s overtime score as well as the Skyhawks’ attempt at a major upset.
LOS ANGELES 33 NEW ORLEANS 21
Maurice Jones-Drew scored twice and combined with Ladell Betts for 107 rushing yards as the Express pull past the Breakers in the Super Dome. New Orleans made too many mistakes, with over 85 yards in penalties and 2 turnovers, both off the arm of Eli Manning. LA, playing without DE Keneche Udeze, still managed to limit Matt Forte to only 34 yards rushing and force some bad throws from the Breaker QB as they win their 4th of the year.
OHIO 20 MICHIGAN 34
The Sunday Night Special was a back and forth game that saw Ohio with a slim 9-3 lead at the half before Michigan exploded for 31 points in the final 30 minutes. Brian Griese threw two 3rd quarter TDs and rookie Mike Hart added another Td in the 4th as Hosuton outpaced Ohio 31-11 over the final two quarters to take the win and retain not only 1st place in the Central, but, with Oakland’s loss, the #1 position in the West.
Adrian McPherson is Winning Over Cannon Fans
What can we say about Adrian McPherson’s two week performance for the Cannons? How about this, if the QB rating system did not require a minimum of 200 pass attempts to qualify, McPherson would be the #1 rated passer in the league right now. His 824 yards and 6:1 TD:INT balance is a huge reason that the Cannons have won both games since Bledsoe went down for the year.
Yes, there is a sense that the entire team is rallying after Bledose suffered a season-ending injury, and it certainly is true that rookie HB Rashard Mendenhall has had two very solid weeks for the Cannons, but McPherson’s game has been outstanding. After throwing for 199 in his mop-up performance in the game Bledsoe went down, he has followed up with 222 yards and 2 scores last week and a whopping 407 yards and 3 scores this week against a highly-rated Philadelphia Stars defense.
This is a story we don’t see often, the backup coming in and possibly saving a season for a floundering club after their All-League starter goes down to injury, but it is just the type of story that can propel a player from obscurity to stardom, and for Boston fans, it is exactly the story they have hoped for ever since their All-USFL quarterback was slammed to the ground 3 weeks ago.
Oakland Stumble Offers Hope to Michigan & Chicago
The Invaders’ loss to Houston this week is huge, not just because it ends a major win streak for the Pacific Division leader, but because it very much puts the #1 seed in the West up for grabs. Now tied with Michigan and Chicago, Oakland slips to #2 in the West, with Michigan at #1 and Chicago, sitting with the same 9-2 record but losing out to Michigan on a tiebreaker, very much in the hunt. The Machine will face off against the Panthers in 2 weeks, and the winner of that game could very well control their own destiny towards home field advantage in the playoffs.
For Oakland, the loss means they may well have to run the table and hope that whoever wins the Panther-Machine showoff finds a way to lose one of their other games. With upcoming games at Memphis, at Seattle, and home to the Ohio Glory in the season’s final week, Oakland is going to have to regroup and be at their best down the stretch. Chicago has perhaps the easiest path, with Ohio at home, then games with Pittsburgh and Arizona on the docket in the season’s final month. For Michigan, in addition to the home game against the Machine, they also have to deal with the Stars in the season finale, though games against St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and the plucky Portland Stags could be helpful for them.
This very well could come down to the final week, when Oakland faces Ohio, Michigan hosts the Stars, and Chicago travels to Arizona to finish out the year. But before we get there, we should all circle that Week 13 game between the two division leaders in the Central. That game will be enormous for the playoff seedings.
Washington Gets Divisional Hopes as Philly Falls
Philadelphia’s sudden vulnerability has given very real hope to the Federals that the division is not locked up. The Feds moved into a tie with the Stars this week, and with 2 of Philly’s 3 losses coming to division foes, the 4-2 division record of the Stars is very much reachable for a Federals team that has only played 3 division games to date. Their 2-1 record could easily be boosted if they can win upcoming games against Boston (2x), New Jersey, and Baltimore, but the biggie is likely this upcoming week when the Feds travel up I-95 to Philadelphia for a showdown for 1st place. A win there would even their record with Philly and put them a game up in the division with 4 to play.
Washington has been one of the truly surprising success stories this year. After suffering back to back 4-10 seasons, there was a concern that the Feds needed to tear down the current roster and start from scratch, but Sean Payton, and a reinvigorated Kordell Stewart, have breathed new life into the Federals. Washington currently has both a Top 10 scoring defense and a Top 10 scoring offense, a very good combination to have when you are hoping to win a division. In addition to the Stewart comeback story, Payton has apparently done what his predecessor could not, devise a passing scheme that diversifies the targets for Stewart to choose from. Yes, Deion Branch remains the team’s primary receiver, but the arrival of Eddie Kennison and a very good season from TE Heath Miller (409 yards and 3 scores this year) has breathed new life into the Federals’ passing game. That, in turn, has helped free up Deuce McCallister, who is only 11 yards behind T. J. Duckett for the league’s rushing title.
The defense has also found new life under Payton and his Defensive Coordinator, former Thunder Head Coach Joe Vitt. Vitt has adopted an aggressive 4-3, led by the inside game of DT Anthony McFarland and two speedy, hard hitting linebackers in Cameron Wake and Antonio Pierce. The loss of All-USFL corner Charles Woodson was thought to be a death blow to the Fed defense, but the combo of Rashard Bauman, Brandon Flowers, and Sheldon Brown has been solid, while the best safety duo in all of football, Bob Sanders and Ed Reed, have been dynamic against both the run and the pass.
The Federals are a legitimate contender, and if Philly’s 3-game losing streak drops to 4 against this Washington club next week, they could also garner themselves a division title and a bye week.
Portland A Playoff Team?
Maybe we should not get ahead of ourselves, but there are a lot of folks wondering if Portland has a legitimate shot at a playoff spot in their first year. Sitting in a 6-5 cluster that includes Ohio and Seattle, and all three 1 game out of the #6 seed, it is not inconceivable that Portland could go into the final weeks of the year very much in the hunt. After all, Atlanta was able to make a playoff appearance at 7-7 in their first year. Who is to say that Portland cannot repeat that with an 8- or 9-win season?
But before we get all the folks up in the Rose City too excited, we should point out a few things. The two teams at 7-4 who currently occupy the #5 and #6 slots in the playoff rankings are the Thunder and Gamblers, two clubs who are far from flukes and who could easily finish the year with 10 or more wins. Then you have Ohio and Seattle in that cluster with the Stags. As much as we love a Cinderella story, those are two more very dangerous and very capable teams.
Portland will get their shot at Seattle this week, hosting the Dragons in the Cascade Clash, and they will face off with the Thunder in Las Vegas in Week 16, so they do have the capacity to improve their own odds with upset wins in both games, but the rest of the way is also not an easy path. After their game with Seattle, they must win when they visit 1-10 Arizona, but then they host the 9-2 Michigan Panthers and travel to 8-3 Philadelphia before finishing with the Thunder in Vegas. It is not an easy path by any means. But, that said, just the fact that Portland fans can have the conversations and debate the odds is a great feeling for an expansion club, especially when St. Louis, Atlanta, and Charlotte have yet to get past 3 wins this year.
With 5 weeks left we have our first clinched playoff spot and our first elimination. The 10-1 Tampa Bay Bandits have not only locked up a postseason berth, but have also become the first team, and one of the earliest in league history, to lock up a division title. Their 5-game lead over 5-6 Orlando, combined with their division record ensures them of the Southeast title. They now can focus, with a 2 game lead over Philadelphia and Memphis, on securing home field throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Arizona Wranglers, 1-10 in the West, have also settled their playoff status, but not in the way any team wants to, becoming the first club officially eliminated from contention, sitting a full 6 games behind Houston with 5 to play. Birmingham narrowly avoids this fate thanks to the muddle of 5-6 teams in the East, but another loss could and should remove them as well from postseason feasibility.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s 3-game losing streak has produced a tie in the NE Division, one which likely hinges on this week’s game with the Feds in Philly. Michigan and Chicago are similarly tied atop the Central Division, and the two will face off in 2 weeks at Ford Field with that division likely on the line. In other division races, Oakland holds a 2-game lead over Las Vegas in the Pacific, Denver is one game up on Houston, and Memphis has a 3-game lead on Nashville in the Southeast.
Looking at the current Wild Card situation, the West is relatively simple, with both Las Vegas and Houston a game up on the other challengers, essentially allowing them to control their own fate. In the East, Nashville currently holds the tiebreakers among the pack of 5-6 clubs that also includes Orlando and Boston. That can shift week to week, so it is very much in flux, and even 4-7 New Orleans and Jacksonville are not out of the picture.
A relatively quiet week as far as major injuries, and, thankfully, after two straight weeks, no starting QB’s went down this week. That is not to say that all teams escaped the week unscathed. Michigan had to place nickel back Donovan Greer on IR after a fracture to his pelvic bone, a tough one to isolate. Orlando FS Kevin Williams is also on IR with a fracture, but this one in his scapula. Baltimore will miss backup safety David Trujillo for at least 6 weeks, meaning the season, with a broken wrist, while New Orleans CB Billy Austin could miss the rest of the regular season with a broken arm.
Other shorter term injuries include Atlanta DT Robaire Smith (MCL), Birmingham center Chukki Okobi (concussion), Ohio safety Mike Doss (turf toe), Oakland DE Justin Smith (Doubtful-groin), Chicago HB Maurice Clarett (Doubtful-concussion), and Tampa Bay WR Davone Bess (Doubtful-shoulder).
Teams Race to Resign Players As Season Draws Down
With just about a month to go, teams are battling on the field to get the wins needed to lock up a playoff berth, but off the field, the personnel teams are working just as hard to lock up contracts, ensuring that the stars of today are in the same uniforms next year. Salary cap management, player performance, incentive packages, and value are the lexicon of the GM, the Director of Player Personnel, and the scouts. Every team needs to assess what is possible, and what tough decisions may need to be made. As we look ahead to playoff football, we also recognize that players unsigned by the end of Week 16, at least for the 16 non-playoff teams, are free agents, with no real incentive to stay put if they can find a better offer. So, looking at the current standing of things, where do the league’s 28 clubs stand. Who has been locked up in the past few weeks and who is a potential defection, either to another USFL club or in the NFL transfer window? Let’s go division by division and see what we see.
BALTIMORE
Resigned: HB Ron Dayne, G Eric Steinbach, CB Chris McCallister
Still Unsigned: TE Antonio Gates, QB Alex Van Pelt, HB Correll Buckhalter, WR Ted Ginn Jr., FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo
Outlook: Gates is the priority, but the Blitz would also love to find a way to retain Ginn and Ayanbadejo.
BOSTON
Resigned: WR Chad Ochocinco, WR Joe Jurevicious, CB Fred Smoot, OT Joseph Bragg
Still Unsigned: DE Hugh Douglas, OT Stockar McDougal, FS Corey Hall, G Jamie Nails, LB Manny Lawson, LB Roman Pfifer
Outlook: The Cannons locked up the three offensive players they could not afford to lose, but does that leave them enough cap room to resign a key veteran like Douglas or the two starting linemen still waiting for a deal?
NEW JERSEY
Resigned: TE Anthony Becht, DE Reynaldo Wynn, C Casey Wiegemann
Still Unsigned: C Jeremy Newberry, G Bobbie Williams, LB James Harrison, G Tuten Reyes, WR Kassim Good
Outlook: Even a team looking to rebuild wants to keep some pieces in place. Becht was a priority for the Generals, as should be James Harrison, but does that mean they let quality offensive linemen go?
PHILADELPHIA
Resigned: OT Flozell Adams, DE Regan Upshaw, HB Cedric Cobbs
Still Unsigned: FB Deon Dyer, TE Roland Williams, OT Barrett Brooks, WR Charles Rogers, FS Anthony Dorsett
Outlook: The Stars did well to lock up both Adams and Upshaw. They are in a good cap space, so they can opt to work on several more contracts or try to upgrade in the offseason.
WASHINGTON
Resigned: WR Deion Branch, DE Greg Spires
Still Unsigned: SS Gibril Wilson, SS Bob Sanders, HB Antwone Womack, OT John Stinchcomb
Outlook: There is no way the Feds are going to let both of their outstanding strong safeties go, but are they ready to pay what Bob Sanders is asking or will they retain the more affordable Wilson and let Sanders ply the free agent waters?
ATLANTA
Resigned: CB Charles Woodson, WR Josh Reed, CB Andre Woolfork, WR Dante Hall
Still Unsigned: OT Willie Anderson, TE Jim Kliensasser, HB Rod Smart, SS John Howell, LB Corey Miller
Outlook: This is the first year that Atlanta is actually pressed by the cap. They did well to get Woodson resigned early, but now they will have some tough choices to make.
CHARLOTTE
Resigned: OT Wayne Gandy, WR Brandon Marshall, HB Robert Edwards, FS Chris Crocker
Still Unsigned: QB Chris Weinke, WR D. J. Hackett, C Aaron Graham, LB Jeff Ulbrich, WR Ashlie Lelie
Outlook: The Monarchs inherited a lot of contracts, and signed both Weinke and Hackett to “look and see” 1 year deals. So now they have looked and seen, will they resign both? They have more than enough cap room to do so.
JACKSONVILLE
Resigned: LB Mike Vrabel, WR Donald Hayes, TE Jeb Putzier
Still Unsigned: WR Rashaun Woods, DE Israel Ifeanyi, WR Javon Walker, SS Keith Lyle
Outlook: the priority has to be to pull Woods out from what would be a very expensive free agent competition. If that means losing the other three significant players on this list, that may be the price to pay.
ORLANDO
Resigned: WR Greg Jennings, CB Cortland Finnegan
Still Unsigned: DT Pat Williams, DE Sedrick Clark, WR Jabar Gaffney, K Neil Rackers, DT Kenny Smith
Outlook: While we like Sedrick Clark at DE, the priority for the Renegades has to be to offer Pat Williams enough not only to stay in Orlando, but also to not consider retirement. The big man is getting on in years.
TAMPA BAY
Resigned: LB Jonathan Vilma, QB Daunte Culpepper, C Trey Teague
Still Unsigned: HB Willis McGahee, DT Ellis Wyms, FB Jerold Sewell, SS Brandon Merriweather, HB Julius Jones
Outlook: After losing Randy Moss last year, the Bandits absolutely cannot let McGahee bolt this year. They restructured and extended Culpepper’s deal, so they now have a bit more cap room to try to retain their star halfback, so let’s see if they get the deal done.
BIRMINGHAM
Resigned: FB Shaun Bryson, WR Donte Do, WR Dedrick Ward, OT Jonathan Sullivan
Still Unsigned: QB Jason Campbell, CB Ken Irvin, WR James Thrash, CB Michael Booker, DE Antwan Odom
Outlook: The expectation is that Campbell will not be resigned and Birmingham will focus on the QB position in the offseason. Does that mean they have the cash to resign either Irvin or Booker at corner?
MEMPHIS
Resigned: DE Marcellus Wiley, WR Robert Ferguson, LB Kirk Morrison, K Jeff Hall
Still Unsigned: OT Anthony Clement, CB Wendell Davis, HB Lionel Gates, WR Marquise Walker
Outlook: Getting Ferguson signed was huge for Memphis, as was extending former Gold DE Marcellus Wiley for another 2 seasons. Now the Showboats will turn their attention to Clement, a big piece of the puzzle to keep Brett Favre upright.
NASHVILLE
Resigned: HB Frank Gore, WR Derrick Mason
Still Unsigned: OT Jason Fabini, LB Michael Barrow, CB Terrell Buckley, HB Leon Johnson, G Jeb Terry, TE Reggie Kelly
Outlook: The Knights gave Gore a major contract upgrade over his rookie deal, but that now places them in some tight quarters when it comes to cap space for other signings, and with so many veterans perhaps past their prime, we may see some big names let go.
NEW ORLEANS
Resigned: DE Ty Warren, LB Bradie James
Still Unsigned: QB Eli Manning, DE Corey Sears, LB DeWayne Dotson, DE Brandon Mitchell, TE Matt Cushing, SS Devin Bush, C J. R. Conrad, DT Brandon Whiting
Outlook: The word out of New Orleans is that Coach Mike Nolan wants to try his hand with a new QB, but Nolan is not on the solidest of ground himself, and ownership still sees Manning as a cash cow, even if his on field performance has not yet been lighting the town on fire.
CHICAGO
Resigned: DE Anthony Weaver, HB Michael Turner, K Tim Seder
Still Unsigned: WR Donald Driver, FS Eric Weddle, HB Reno Mahe, WR Terrence Wilkens, OT Charles Spencer
Outlook: the Machine have locked in Weaver and Turner, their two top priorities, so now they turn their attention to Donald Driver and Eric Weddle, both of whom are players the Machine do not want to place onto the open market.
MICHIGAN
Resigned: DE Jevon Kearse, TE Bennie Joppru, LB DeMarcus Ware
Still Unsigned: G Chris Villareal, C Jeff Faine, SS Mike Brown, OT Mo Collins, HB Leon Washington, CB Deltha O’Neal, HB Musa Smith
Outlook: It took quite a while for Kearse to sign a longer deal with Michigan, but signing both the former Express DE and linebacker DeMarcus Ware are two very solid moves. Now the Panthers have to take a look at that offensive line, with three potential free agents still to deal with.
OHIO
Resigned: LB Glenn Cadrez, TE Stephen Alexander, CB Jason Webster
Still Unsigned: WR Joey Galloway, G Bill Ferrario, WR Santonio Holmes, TE Jermaine Wiggins, OT Doug Niehuis
Outlook: With Alexander resigned, it does not look likely that Wiggins will be retained. The real question is whether Galloway retires, signs back on for 1 more year in Ohio, or finishes his career off with a new team, a-la Jerry Rice.
PITTSBURGH
Resigned: HB DeShaun Foster, DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, WR Vincent Jackson
Still Unsigned: SS Sean Taylor, LB Dwayne Rudd, HB Fred McAfee, C Dennis Morrison, K Bill Grammatica, QB Quincy Carter
Outlook: Sean Taylor was a priority for the Maulers, but his agent is playing hardball, and may push Taylor to test the open market, a very lucrative one for him, one would expect. Signing Foster and Vanden Bosch is a good start for a Maulers team that does have cap room to spare.
ST. LOUIS
Resigned: G Jeffrey Fisher, FB Vontae Leach, OT Maurice Williams
Still Unsigned: DE Santana Dotson, DT Pat Riley, G Tre Johnson, HB Larry Johnson, SS Rich Coady, CB Tod McBride
Outlook: The Skyhawks have been a bit tight with the pursestrings, resigning only some lower cost positions and players. They seem to expect Dotson will retire at the end of the year, but perhaps they have started giving Larry Johnson the ball more to test whether they want to work to retain him or let him go.
ARIZONA
Resigned: CB Jimmy Williams, DT Kimo VonOelhofen, WR Domenic Hixon, SS Clifton Black
Still Unsigned: DT Jason Peter, C Ben Claxton, WR Bobby Wade, TE Bob Slowikowski
Outlook: The Wranglers have what looks like a light free agent pool in front of them. They very well can focus on retooling and improvement rather than retention.
DENVER
Resigned: G Elton Brown, WR Keary Colbert, WR Devery Henderson
Still Unsigned: C Dereck Smith, HB Derrick Ward, DT Tommy Harris, K Curtis Fries
Outlook: Other than expecting a kicking competition, and a likely push to resign Harris, Denver also could be looking more at improvement than retention after resigning both Colbert and Henderson to a deep WR group.
HOUSTON
Resigned: QB Matt Hasselbeck, LB Zak DeOssie
Still Unsigned: DE Kavika Pittman, CB Shaun Springs, HB Kevin Faulk, CB Jason Bell, FB Sean Smith, WR David Patten
Outlook: You know Houston will throw everything and anything to retain Pittman, but that means that they are unlikely to be able to retain Springs, Faulk or both. The new deal for QB Matt Hasselbeck is cap friendly, at least for next year, so there is some room to work with.
TEXAS
Resigned: LB Kailee Wong, FS Tavares Tillman
Still Unsigned: WR Muhsin Muhammad, WR Tim Dwight, SS Lawyer Milloy, CB Michael Boulware, CB Cedric Griffin, TE Johnny Mitchell, QB Chris Simms, LB Vernon Crawford
Outlook: The good news? Texas has plenty of cap room to work with. The bad news? They have a lot of potential free agents left to sign and could also lose some quality veteran leadership to retirement. Both Muhammand and Milloy could be eyeing the end unless they feel the Outlaws are close to breaking through.
LAS VEGAS
Resigned: CB Will Allen, CB Antoine Winfield, OT Kenyatta Walker
Still Unsigned: QB Steve McNair, WR Matthew Hatchette, G Taylor Whitley, QB Tony Banks, CB Kenny Wright
Outlook: Quarterback is the big question mark for the Thunder. Do they try to convince McNair to come back for one more year or let him walk into the sunset? Do they resign Banks and then try to land a true #1? How Las Vegas proceeds with the QB position will largely determine the rest of their offseason.
LOS ANGELES
Resigned: LB Akin Ayodole, HB Maurice Jones-Drew, TE L. J. Smith
Still Unsigned: WR Keyshawn Johnson, DE Keneche Udeze, OT Kenyatta Jones, C Gene McGuire, DT Igor Olshansky, HB Ladell Betts, QB Jeff Garcia
Outlook: The Express have decent cap room, thanks largely to a pretty affordable QB room, but if, as expected, they go after USC QB Mark Sanchez in the draft, that could force them to be frugal elsewhere. The obvious players to focus on for resigning are Udeze and Johnson, two of their top players right now.
OAKLAND
Resigned: G Ruben Brown, C Jeff Saturday
Still Unsigned: OT Matt Light, OT Vernon Carrey, TE Rickey Dudley, HB Jurius Norwood, WR Sean Morey, FB Leo Benson
Outlook: The Invaders have prioritized the protection of QB Joe Harrington both with their offensive scheme and their signings, locking up both Brown and Saturday. Now they will turn their focus on the tackle position, and we expect they will prioritize Matt Light over Vernon Carrey if they cannot get a deal with both that keeps them under the cap. HB Jurius Norwood has been very good in relief of Ricky Williams, but that could cause his value to rise significantly, making him a tough player to resign.
PORTLAND
Resigned: QB A. J. Feeley, SS Terreal Bierria, DE Elvis Dumervil, LB Channing Crowder
Still Unsigned: OT Korey Stringer, C Brad Meester, CB James Trapp, LB Ben Leber, WR Craphonso Thorpe
Outlook: Like Charlotte, Portland is looking good on salary cap after a somewhat frugal set of expansion draft choices. They have already extended QB A. J. Feeley’s contract for another 3 years, reducing his cap impact, and they have resigned both of their better defensive players in Bierria and Dumervil. The question now is whether or not they resign Korey Stringer to a 1-year deal, or let the 36-year-old go.
SEATTLE
Resigned: LB Takeo Spikes, DE Travis LaBoy, OT Chad Clifton
Still Unsigned: WR David Boston, G Vince Manuwai, LB Godfrey Miles, OT Lomas Brown, HB Kenny Watson, C Mike Flynn
Outlook: We fully expect David Boston to sign with Seattle, with a major bump up in compensation. Brown and Miles are both 37 by season’s end, so they could be let go as Seattle seeks younger players, but Vince Manuwai must also be a priority if Seattle wants to keep Leftwich safe and happy.
Our last two teams for team specific Mt. Rushmores. We have looked at the 12 founding franchises, the 4 expansion clubs from 1984 and now we finish up the 4 from 1987. For these two it was a bumpy road to begin with as both clubs ended up relocating after the 1987 season, the Outlaws merging in a sense with the San Antonio Gunslingers and forming the Texas Outlaws, while the San Antonio ownership all but folded their club, but allowed the players to sign with the new Portland Thunder club brought in to replace them. So, two teams with rocky starts, and pretty rocky histories as well, so where will their Mt. Rushmore players come from? Let’s see, starting with the Outlaws.
TEXAS OUTLAWS
The Outlaws played their first season in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it was for that reason that they went all out to sign one of OU’s biggest stars, linebacker Brian Bosworth. The Boz made an immediate impact in 1987 and would become a central figure in the early years of the club, so it is no surprise to find him as the #1 vote getter among Outlaw fans. And in the case of The Boz, for as much hype as he produced as a character, the results on the field also attest to his value as a football player on the field. Bosworth retired in 1997 as the Outlaw all-time leader in tackles, tackles for a loss, and forced fumbles. He still holds these club records, while also holding the league record for his 1990 season total of 155 tackles.
Many might have imagined that NFL transfer Doug Williams would be the QB that Outlaw fans would name to their Top 4 players, after all, he helped found the franchise in 1987 and in San Antonio in 1988, but what we have to remember is that Williams left the USFL to return to the NFL in 1989, so he only spent 2 years with the Outlaw organization. The QB who most Texas fans remember as the best in Outlaw history had a much longer career in the Alamo City. Kelly Stouffer came to the Outlaws after 3 seasons as a backup in Arizona. He was immediately set up as the new starter, playing 14 games of the 16 in the 1990 season. He would remain the starter in Texas until he retired in 2000, starting over 167 games for Texas. In that time he would throw for over 39,000 yards and 274 touchdowns. Stouffer led Texas to the playoffs in 1991, and again for a 3-year run form 1997-1999, but sadly the Outlaws were never able to make it past the divisional round in any playoff year.
The third star of the Outlaw franchise is something of an obvious choice, the all-time Outlaw leader in carries, rushing yards and rushing TD’s, Reggie Cobb. Cobb was an Outlaw from the rookie draft of 1990 until his retirement in 2002, and with 12,385 yards and 99 touchdowns, he was a quick first ballot Hall of Famer in 2006, the second for the franchise after Bosworth in 2002.
Finally, the other Hall of Famer associated with the Outlaws, one who also entered the Hall in 2006, Eric Metcalf, is Texas’s 4th Mt. Rushmore nominee. Metcalf split his career between the Outlaws and the Seattle Dragons, playing 7 years in San Antonio before adding 6 more in the Pacific Northwest. Metcalf barely beat out another receiver, Carlos Carson for the honor, perhaps boosted by his Hall of Fame status. It also does not hurt that Metcalf helped propel the Outlaws to their first ever playoff appearance with a pair of enormous games down the stretch in the summer of 1991.
LAS VEGAS THUNDER
While most of their history was in Portland, the Thunder fans in Las Vegas have embraced the history of the club, so even though there was only a smattering of Thunder voting coming in from Oregon, a lot of the heroes of the early years of the Portland Thunder are well represented in our Mt. Rushmore for the club.
The voting leader for the Thunder is no surprise at all. Robert Drummond was the face of the Thunder for nearly a decade, led the league in rushing for 3 years, and set record after record on his way to the Hall of Fame. His career total of 12,824 yards, 91 touchdowns, and 2,769 carries are all nearly unassailable totals (though we suspect Marshawn Lynch will give it a shot). Drummond holds the same records at the season level with a 1,710 yard season In 1997, paired with 18 touchdowns in 1995. Drummond also holds team records with 191 yards in one game and 4 touchdowns in a 1994 opening day romp against the Bandits.
Second among voters is another easy pick. Wide receiver Webster Slaughter holds several team records, both for career numbers and season stats. Slaughter came over from the Federals after several solid but not explosive years. He joined the Thunder in 1990 and immediately became the team’s #1 target. He would stay with Portland through the 2000 season and enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame 7 years later in his third year of eligibility.
A third and final offensive player makes the cut for Outlaw fans, and that is their QB, Jack Trudeau. Trudeau was another transfer to the Thunder after playing 8 seasons in Michigan. His arrival in 1994 quickly led to the best run of play in Thunder history, with a playoff appearance in 1995, and a trip to the Summer Bwol in 1997. Trudeau could not bring a title to Portland, but he will always be remembered as one of the best players to ever wear the electric lime jerseys of the Thunder.
Finally, at #4 we have our first defensive player. It was a close vote between DB Vencie Glenn and LB Joey Porter, but in the end the 4-time All-USFL liniebacker won out. It might have been to Porter’s benefit that he spent his entire career with the Thunder, and even made the move to Las Vegas with the club. Glenn, for all his talent and numbers, spent a good portion of his career in Denver, and perhaps that soured the vote against him. Both are great players, both hoping to one day be Hall of Famers, but for now, it is Porter who gets this honor.
Only 5 games left for our 28 USFL clubs, and every one seems to be a must win for most, if not all the teams in the league. Sure, there are some clubs who are now essentially playing for pride, or for players and coaches to retain their jobs, but that is valuable too. But with only 1 playoff spot booked, and only 1 team officially eliminated, there are still a lot of games with a lot on the line as we start Week 12.
FRIDAY @ 8pm Ohio (6-5) @ Chicago (9-2) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Pittsburgh (4-7) @ Orlando (5-6) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Jacksonville (4-7) @ Atlanta (3-8) FOX
SATURDAY @ 12pm Tampa Bay (10-1) @ Charlotte (3-8) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm New Jersey (2-9) @ New Orleans (4-7) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm Birmingham (1-10) @ Los Angeles (4-7) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm Seattle (6-5) @ Portland (6-5) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm Las Vegas (7-4) @ Nashville (5-6) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm Washington (8-3) @ Philadelphia (8-3) FOX
SUNDAY @ 12pm Texas (3-8) @ Baltimore (7-4) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm Arizona (1-10) @ Houston (7-4) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm Michigan (9-2) @ St. Louis (2-9) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm Boston (5-6) @ Denver (8-3) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm Oakland (9-2) @ Memphis (8-2) ESPN
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