A huge win for the Las Vegas Thunder as they knock off the previously unbeaten Memphis Showboats at home in the desert. Seattle wins their 2nd in a row, and both Boston and Ohio seem to be gearing up as midseason approaches. The biggest off-field story is a trade that brings an elite passrusher to the Baltimore Blitz as they get serious about a run in the Northeast. Chicago and Oakland are trying to pull away in their divisions, but it looks like there will be several contenders in both as Michigan, Ohio, Las Vegas, and even Seattle are not giving up yet.
MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 27 LAS VEGAS THUNDER 30
Las Vegas needed a signature win, and nothing could be more signature than facing the undefeated defending champions for a Sunday Night prime time game. Fans across the nation who stayed up late to watch this one got their money’s worth as it came down to the final seconds before it was decided.
Along the way the Thunder defense proved it could contain Brett Favre and the potent Memphis offense, while Steve McNair and the Thunder offense looked a lot more polished than they have in previous games. McNair completed 18 of 26 throws for 213 yards, while Marshawn Lynch rushed for 93 yards and two scores on the day. For the Showboats, the run game was working, with Williams, Maurice Smith and Lionel gates rotating to keep Las Vegas off balance, with the combination of the three gaining 159 on the ground. And while Favre threw for a very respectable 275 on the day, he missed on 15 of his 37 throws, including a pick that helped set up a Thunder touchdown.
Las Vegas started strong with the ESPN crew on hand at Sam Boyd, taking the opening kickoff down the field in only 6 plays before Marshawn Lynch scored his first of 2 touchdowns on the day. Memphis responded on their first drive, with Maurice Smith getting a score of his own, and the race was on. In the second quarter, the Showboats took an early lead when Favre got Memphis down to the 1 and Maurice Smith did the rest. But Memphis’s lead would be short lived. Just 2 minutes later Las Vegas would equalize the score again when McNair found Matthew Hatchette in one-on-one coverage and connected with his favorite target for a 38-yard touchdown pass. Following a quick three-and-out from a Memphis team trying to pick up the tempo, Las Vegas was able to get the ball in range for their rookie kicker, and Taylor Mehlihaff gave the Thunder a 17-14 lead at the half.
The third quarter saw Memphis equalize on a Jeff hall kick, but after a good defensive stance of their own, Las Vegas caught a good bounce as Favre threw a pass to Pierre Garcon, only to have the ball glance off his fingertips and into the waiting hands of Antonio Winfield. The Thunder DB returned the pick 23 yards, setting up a short drive that ended with Lynch diving over the right guard and in. Las Vegas finished the 3rd up 24-17.
Memphis drew the score closer on their first drive of the final period, Hall connecting for a 46-yard kick to pull within 4, but Las Vegas got a 3-pointer of their own 4 minutes later and were back up by 7, 27-20. Brett Favre would have to lead a closing drive. He had 4:23 left to make something happen, and perhaps in this case he should have used more of it to get the ‘Boats to a tie score. He used only 3 minutes to even the score, hitting Sidney Rice for the game-tying score. And while Las Vegas is hardly known as a fast break offense, when you have 1:25 left, with 2 time outs, and you only need a field goal, it does not take the ’02 Glory offense to get something done.
Las Vegas came out in a 3-receiver set, but continued to run with Lynch as well. The lead back for the Thunder had 3 carries on the drive, forcing Memphis to respecf the chance of the run, and with that, McNair was able to get favorable looks, connecting with Matthew Hatchette twice. A Memphis penalty for neutral zone infraction helped move the ball from the 38 to the 33 with only seconds left, and from that distance Taylor Mehlihaff had a clear line for a game-winning kick. The rookie put the ball up and 50 yards later it was through the uprights and the Memphis Showboats were unbeaten no longer. With the win, Las Vegas remains only 1 game behind division-leading Oakland, while Memphis, despite their first blemish, still has a commanding lead over the Southern Division at 5-1.
NEW JERSEY 7 BALTIMORE 13
Kris Kershaw gets his first start for New Jersey, and struggles to only 14 completions in 41 attempts. Baltimore dominated the clock (35:48 to 24:12), thanks in large part to Ron Dayne’s 29 carry, 124 yard day. The only touchdown for Baltimore was a Roethlisberger pass to Reidel Anthony in the 1st quarter. New Jersey was within 3 at 7-10 after a Mark Clayton TD in the third, but could not get any closer.
TAMPA BAY 27 JACKSONVILLE 17
The Bandits send their in-state rival to a 4th consecutive defeat, thanks to a big game from receiver Karl Williams (113 yards) and good running from both McGahee and LaBrandon Toefield. Jake Delhomme threw TDs to Woods and Hayes but could not keep pace with the Bandits as Jacksonville outgained Tampa Bay but failed to score 3 times inside the red zone.
OHIO 21 ATLANTA 3
Collins hit Randy Moss twice and Santonio Holmes for a third TD as he moved to the top spot as the league’s best passer. He got a lot of help form the defense and from Eddie George, who had a combined 175 yards of offense. Atlanta struggled on 3rd down, converting only 3 of 15 attempts.
ARIZONA 17 BOSTON 30
Boston evens their record thanks to a big day from rookie HB Rashard Mendenhall, whose 134 yards on only 21 carries powered the Cannon Offense. Chad Ochocinco also found plenty of room in the secondary, catching 6 balls for 123 yards and a score. Boston’s Jason Babin also had a big day, sacking Jake Plummer twice, two of 5 sacks on the day against Plummer.
NASHVILLE 13 BIRMINGHAM 23
The Stallions switch quarterbacks and earn their first win, knocking off a division rival along the way. Former CFL QB Dave Dickenson went 22 of 34 for 181 yards and a score, and that balance helped Felix Jones rush for 72 yards as well. Birmingham’s D also helped out as Clarence Love returned a poor Cutler pass for 6 points. Cutler went 18 of 37 but that pick was a costly one.
PITTSBURGH 24 ST. LOUIS 20
A pretty good game in St. Louis as the Maulers edged the Skyhawks at the end to return to .500 on the season. Cody Pickett went 25 of 39 and threw for 2 scores in victory. Jeff Blake connected with Taylor Jacobs for six, but also threw 2 picks including one to set up the Maulers’ game-winning drive.
PHILADELPHIA 16 WASHINGTON 13
The battle of unbeatens in the Northeast went to overtime to decide a victor as Washington evened the score at the end of regulation, but was unable to respond when Philadelphia scored on their opening drive of overtime. Stewart and Warner both had strong games, but it was the defenses that dominated this game, keeping both teams under 300 yards of offense.
CHARLOTTE 9 ORLANDO 10
A tough win, but a win nonetheless for Orlando, as they outlast Charlotte in a game marred by intermittent rain stoppages due lightning in the area. The only touchdown of the day was a Jacob Hester 1-yard run, otherwise it was Nugent vs. Pelfrey for all the scores.
OAKLAND 24 NEW ORLEANS 17
The Invaders stay hot, moving to 5-1 thanks to a late TD from Harrington to TE Joel Dreesen with 4:24 left in the game. Harrington threw for 2 scores in the game and Ricky Williams added a third as the Invaders survived a 116-yard, 1 TD day from rookie HB Matt Forte. New Orleans had a shot late to tie the game, but from the 33-yard line, the hail mary fell incomplete as time ran out.
SEATTLE 23 HOUSTON 20
The Dragons win their 2nd in a row, as new acquisition Nate Burleson has a great first game, catching 4 balls for 78 yards and a 3rd quarter TD. Byron Leftwich had his best game of the season, throwing for 310 yards and 2 scores. Houston used 3 QB’s in the game as Matt Hasselbeck got knocked out of action in the third, and only 1 drive later Luke McCown was also bounced, leaving 3rd QB Brock Huard to finish the game for the Gamblers.
PORTLAND 3 DENVER 10
A hailstorm interrupted the 4th quarter, extending the game an extra 45 minutes, but Denver’s 10-3 lead held throughout the delayed final period as the Gold defense held Portland to only 251 total yards. Peerless Price and Keary Colbert (in for the injured Boldin) combined for 187 yards receiving, with Price getting the lone TD of the day. Portland’s Jonathan Stewart played well, averaging 4.1 yards per carry on his way to 86 on the day.
MICHIGAN 7 TEXAS 36
A huge game for the Texas defense and a nightmare for Brian Griese as the Outlaws pick the Michigan QB off 4 times and sack him another 5 times. Lawyer Milloy, the veteran safety, was a thorn in Griese’s side all day, picking off two balls, while secondary teammate Ike Taylor ran back another Griese flub for 36 yards and a score. Add in 123 yards from TD Duckett and TD runs from both Troy Davis and R. J. Redmond and you get a dominant win by the formerly winless Outlaws.
CHICAGO 30 LOS ANGELES 3
Utter domination by the Machine as LA could do nothing right at home. Michael Turner ran for 108 and a score, and despite 3 picks, Brady Quinn added another 2 scores as Chicago survived the QB mistakes thanks to a defense that limited LA to only 233 total yards and only 7 first downs all game. Urlacher was classic Urlacher with 11 tackles and a forced fumble as Chicago moves to 5-1, alone atop the Central Division.
More Trades As Teams Try to Improve Mid-Year
Two more significant trades as teams in the middle of the pack try to make a push to get into clear postseason form. Baltimore and New Orleans fit squarely in the mid-range across the league standings, and both have tried to address weaknesses this week.
Baltimore made the boldest move, sending next year's first round draft pick as well as a 4th rounder in 2010 and backup DE Gary Stills to the Nashville Knights for edge rusher Jared Allen. Allen formed a 1-2 combo with Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, but the Knights have been open to dealing the high motor DE and found a price they liked on offer from the Blitz. Baltimore, who rank 24th this season with only 10 team sacks, certainly would like the boost in pressure that Allen will bring, as well as the rah-rah spirit he brings to every game. Expect Allen to start at LE, switching over from the right now that he is the clear #1 DE for the Blitz. Chuckie Nwokorie will switch over to the RE position, though, knowing Coach Coughlin, expect a lot of shifting on the line. As for Nashville, they bump up 5th year reservist Jimmy Wilkinson into the RE spot opposite KGB.
The other move of note this week saw the New Orleans Breakers try to shore up their run game for rookie Matt Forte, making a deal with Arizona to bring young FB Ira Johnson and blocking TE Matt Cushing over to New Orleans in exchange for a 4th rounder and TE Bob Slowikowski. Johnson had looked very strong in camp and the preseason for Arizona but could not beat out LeRon McClain for the lone FB position on the roster. The 22-year old rookie gets an instant upgrade, from Arizona's practice squad to a real shot at starting within a week or two. New Orleans had been disappointed in Thomas Tapeh's performance, so the arrival of Johnson will either motivate a change or cause Tapeh to be cut. As for the TE positoin, both Slowikowski and Cushing are better blockers than receivers, but Cushing is viewed as both more physical with incoming edge rushers and a better route runner as well. Expect Cushing to act as TE2 behind Chris Cooley, coming out on more short yardage and 2 TE formations. Slowikowski will do likewise in Arizona, where he sits behind Kevin Everett on the depth chart.
Collins Finding His Stride
It may have taken longer than most Glory fans had hoped, but it seems that Ohio has begun to find their sea legs. They have won their last two games in convincing fashion, and while the Maulers and Fire may not be the most stout of opponents, they are no slouches either. Perhaps more importantly, it appears that Kerry Collins is returning to his usual MVP-style form. After a few rough weeks, the past two have seen Collins throw 5 TDs to only 1 pick, and improve his completion percentage as well, helping him move up the rankings. He now sits as the top rated passer in the league, and when he occupies that position, it is usually bad news for anyone trying to slow down the Glory offense.
And Collins is not the only one whose production has gone up the past 2 games. Eddie George had his two best games of the year in weeks 5 and 6, rushing for 85 yards and 2 scores a week ago, and 106 yards this week. Both Joey Galloway and Randy Moss have also started to connect on deep routes in the past two weeks. Perhaps most interesting is the development of Santonio Holmes, as the young receiver has had two of his best games as a pro these past two weeks, with his first 100-yard game against Pittsburgh.
No, the Glory are not the 40-point-per-game juggernaut that some predicted when Moss signed on, but hey could be a team that continues to improve and by playoff time they may just be finding that extra gear, and that is a premise that worries a lot of folks, especially defensive coordinators, around the league.
Mendenhall, Campbell, and Rivers early ROTY Frontrunners
It is always good to see rookies succeeding early on, and this year we have three who seem to be making a quick adjustment to the pro game. Halfback Rashard Mendenhall has fit right in with the Cannons, as he just had his third 100-yard game in his first six. This week’s 134 against Arizona was his best game to date, and it seems clear that Coach Fox is happy to be able to balance the offense and keep defenders from keying on Drew Bledsoe and his less than agile style of play.
In Orlando, four straight losses provided a very unwanted surprise, but despite struggling to a 2-4 record after 6 weeks, there are no complaints about rookie Calais Campbell. The speedy big man has had at least one sack in every game this season, including two against division-leading Tampa Bay. He is consistently drawing double teams, and that has allowed Chauncey Davis to start getting free on the other side. Davis is now only 2 sacks behind Campbell with 6, giving Orlando one of the best 1-2 attacks in the league right now. If they could get their offense to contribute, they could easily have a run like last year’s, when 7 straight wins propelled them to the division title.
Finally, we cannot say enough about the season that Keith Rivers is having with the Express. The USC grad is making his home-town team very happy. Leading a talented LB corps with 37 tackles, he also has been a solid blitzer and a good coverage option as well, with 4 sacks and 2 picks this season. LA has issues, as we have said before, but the LB group is not one of them.
Other rookies are also looking like they have the right stuff, including a slowly-developing Joe Flacco in Texas, who had his best game of the year this week with the win over the Panthers. In Portland, former Oregon Duck Jonathan Stewart has 467 yards, on pace for a 1,000 yard season. In Charlotte, their top rookie pick, Jerrod Mayo, has 33 tackles and 2 sacks as he starts to take on more responsibility for the Monarchs. Finally, the top corners taken in the draft, LA’s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Seattle’s Leodis McKelvin are both showing some skill. McKelvin has had 12 passes thrown his way, but only 1 in 3 is getting to the receiver, a very solid catch ratio. Rodgers-Cromartie already has 2 picks and 34 tackles, but he is also seeing a lot more action, with 54 passes thrown his way. That is the difference between a nickel corner and a starter as DRC is often matched up against a team’s top speed guy.
Oakland Wins 4th In a Row With Underrated D
The Invaders are looking very solid at 5-1, and this is due in large part to their 5th ranked defense. They may give up some yardage (12th in the league in yards allowed) but they are proving tough to score against, allowing only 14.2 points per game, well below the 23.2 points they score on average each week. Part of their success is the ability to control the clock with Ricky Williams, but a lot also comes from their defensive philosophy of keeping everything short and in front of them, counting on teams to make mistakes as drives drag on. Be it a penalty, a poor throw, a bobbled ball, or just ineffective 3rd down calls, a lot of drives are stalling before they get to the endzone. Oakland has not allowed more than 17 points all season, and with their next two games against 1-5 clubs, they may very well have a strangle hold on what was thought to be a tight division by Week 10.
The Invaders don’t match up against a team that currently has a winning record until a Week 2 clash in Memphis. In fact, only that game, and a season finale at home against Ohio are against teams currently over .500. That has to be a welcome site for Coach Green as well as for defensive captains Roosevelt Colvin and Joe Salave’a. If the Invaders can just win the games they are favored in, and avoid slip ups in the division, they could well be on their way to their first division title since 1994, 15 years ago.
Chicago Has Sights Set on Summer Bowl 2008
The Chicago Machine were clearly not happy getting so close to Glory last year but falling just short against the Showboats. They are off to a great start at 5-1 and boast the best run defense in the league, while also currently second in scoring D. After their season opening loss in Tampa Bay, the Machine have been solid, if not always overwhelming against their next 5 foes. They have played in some tight games to be sure (16-15 vs. Pittsburgh, for example), but that is part of the style of this club. Keep the score low, keep the clock moving, and pull it out when it is needed.
And they are doing it as a team effort. The LB corps has combined for 106 tackle so far, with Brian Urlacher’s 51 leading the way. They also have been solid putting pressure on the QB across the lineup. While Anthony Weaver remains the team leader with 7 sacks, the Machine have 5 players with 2 or more sacks and 12 total players with at least one. That depth and balance makes them hard to prep for, as LA learned this week when the Machine shut down Jeff Lewis and the Express attack on their way to a 30-3 victory. Michigan and a surging Ohio Glory squad are still going to make Chicago work for a division title, but this Machine club seems focused and they have their eyes on the prize, a prize they could almost touch last year.
A few key injuries to defenses across the league this week. Michigan is likely to miss their best corner for the next 4 weeks or longer as Deltha O’Neil suffered a painful groin injury this week. In Oakland the concern is for SS Pearson Prioleau, who came up hopping with a hamstring injury while chasing down Donnie Avery of the Breakers this week.
The Breakers did not escape that game unscathed either. CB Billy Austin suffered a concussion and team doctors have ruled him out for this week’s game in Nashville. But not all the dings and bruises are on the defensive side. Arizona tailback Sedrick Irvin is doubtful for this week thanks to a nasty dislocation of his right elbow this past week. No ligament or tendon damage, but the arm is still swollen, making ball protection nearly impossible for the back. The Express are likely to face Portland this week without Keyshawn Johnson in the lineup as a stress fracture in his foot needs time to set before Johnson can truly push off or make good cuts. Expect him back in Week 8. In Oakland, Plaxico Burress is listed as questionable thanks to a knee that is retaining fluid, while the Baltimore Blitz have Marty Booker also listed as questionable thanks to a pinched nerve in his back, between the scapulae.
USFL Stars Cash In on their Q Rating
While a financial crisis hardly seems a good time to expand one’s financial portfolio through spokesperson deals, that does not seem to be impacting life in the USFL, at least not for its biggest stars. It is hard to turn on a tv this spring without seeing USFL players at every commercial break. Whether it is Brett Favre spoofing his “Something about Mary” film for a new Wendy’s Ad or Marshawn Lynch with new Mountain Dew Beast Mode, the USFL’s biggest names are expanding their notoriety and making quite a decent amount of side cash as well.
So which is our favorite? We do love the “Something About Wendy’s” campaign, and the new Ford F-Series commercial that has a Ford truck in a tug of war with Houston’s duo of Kavika Pittman and Osi Umenyiura is certainly fun, but our favorite has to be Marshawn Lynch’s other big spot. Not only does he have a Mountain Dew ad out now, but he is apparently the face of Skittles. His spots showing him sneaking the fruit candy on the sideline, in the ice tank, in the water cooler, and finally sharing a few with Steve McNair during a huddle midgame is just hilarious. It does not hurt that Lynch sports gold teeth with tiny colorful skittle “gems” when he smiles wide and tells McNair to taste the rainbow. Just hilarious stuff.
Someone might want to get Lynch’s writers to some of the other USFL stars, because for every brilliant spot there are some clunkers too. Kerry Collins may be a 3-time MVP, but he is not great in front of a camera. His attempts to be the USFL’s aw-shucks version of Peyton Manning falls flat, and no one really believes he drives a Toyota, do they? Another tough one is Brian Urlacher’s spots for Old Spice. I am sure it is a fine product, but no one wants to see Urlacher rolling it on his head before he dons his helmet. Does his head smell? Is that a thing?
But, bad taste aside, it is good to see USFL stars on the small screen, pitching everything from official USFL sponsorship partners to local community organizations. Most of the country has not seen the ads in New Orleans that the Breakers have put together, but they are legitimately cool, helping to rebuild the 9th ward.
Denver reveals new look to debut in 2009
We finish our league news this week with the first club to reveal their Reebok redesigns for 2009. Week 6 does seem a bit early, and perhaps the Denver Gold are going to hurt sales of their current look with the early reveal, but it is nice to see the look while there is still hope that the club will make the postseason and don them for the traditional playoff preview.
So what did Denver do this year, with Reebok’s help? Nothing too radical. The primary logo stays the same, and why would they want to change that beauty? They did add another secondary, a rondel with two crossed pickaxes and the classic Denver Gold starburst. It is fine, but don’t expect to see it on the uniform any time soon. Clearly it is for marketing materials more than on field looks.
Speaking of the uniform, there are several notable changes. The first thing you will certainly spot is the new striping on the helmets. Instead of a single gold stripe, the helmets now feature two partial starbursts, one at each bumper, with a longer “ray” of gold reaching toward the crown while shorter rays extend out at various angles. This feature uses both shades of gold that the club has adopted for the past decade.
The jerseys are very similar to their current look, with two notable exceptions. The first are the sleeves on the white jersey, which are now black and capped by the familiar shoulder “swishes” of gold. The second is the number font, which is a bit more traditional, but also contains a bevel effect, again using the two tones of gold. Gold numbers on both sets allow for the effect to be used both on the home black jerseys and the road whites. The pants and socks are essentially the same as in past years, so the main changes are really the helmet and the white jersey.
NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS
Selecting the best of the best for the New Orleans Breakers is an interesting question. The perennial bridesmaids have had a lot of talent over the years, but without any titles, some of their best players fall into the category of “underrated” which makes consensus picks a lot harder. So what did the Breaker Armada say about their favorites for the Breaker Mt. Rushmore?
Believe it or not, the top pointgetter for the Breakers was not a QB, not a wideout or halfback, not even a flashy DE, but a kicker. But, when that kicker is Hall of Famer Tim Mazzetti, you can understand why. Mazzetti played 12 years with the Breakers (83-94) and was as much a personality as a clutch kicker. But, don’t let his reputation for fun in the Big Easy distract you from his numbers, Mazzetti, the Kicking Bartender, holds every single kicking record for the Breakers, including a lifetime 91.9% conversion rate on field goals, of which he kicked 367.
Second among Breaker voters was a toss up between former OU halfback Marcus DuPree and wideout Nolan Franz, so they both get in. DuPree came out of OU early, signed on to transfer to Southern Miss, but then jumped to the USFL in 1984. Once in New Orleans, DuPree quickly became the main man for the Breaker offense, rushing for over 1,000 yards in 5 of his 11 seasons. Injuries eventually cost him his final years, but DuPree still holds team records for carries, yards, rushing TDs and longest run, a 97 yarder in 1988 that still brings goosebumps when you watch it.
Franz played only 8 seasons for the Breakers (83-90) but in his career with the Breakers he went over 1,200 yards receiving 4 times, and still holds the team records for yardage and TDs. Only TE Dan Ross is ahead of him on receptions as well. Franz’s 1,636 yards in the club’s first season (as Boston) still stands as the best by a receiver in team history, with 92 receptions, 1,636 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The final member of the Mt. Rushmore in New Orleans is cornerback Gene Atkins. Atkins was a takeaway machine, still holding team records for forced fumbles (26), recoveries (13), and interceptions (45). The former Florida A&M Rattler also had two 100-tackle seasons, a huge number for a corner, even in the pass happy USFL.
NASHVILLE KNIGHTS
So, here is the thing you need to remember about the Knights. Since no arrangement was made to transfer records when the LA Express returned to the USFL in 1995, the Knights retain all team records from their time in LA as well as their time as the St. Louis and now Nashville Knights. That makes for an interesting combination of eras, one reflected in our Mt. Rushmore for Knights (and early Express players).
Some tough votes for Knight fans in part because most team passing records are held by Todd Collins, who never got a lot of love from Knight fans, despite a lot of success with the team. It was also tough for some fans to vote for Ahman Green after he left the team to play for Philadelphia. That said, enough fans did vote for the all time franchise leader in rushing attempts, yards, and TD’s for Ahman Green to make the Top 4 and the mountain. Green rushed for over 8,900 yards as a Knight before moving on. Add in 72 touchdowns, and you can understand why Green made the group of four in Nashville.
The second player named was also something of a “you have to put him in” pick, WR Bert Emmanuel came over from Orlando after three 1,000 yard seasons for the Renegades. Don’t expect him to make the Renegade Mount Rushmore, but his 6 1,000 yard seasons for the Knights, including an amazing 2001 campaign that saw him catch 113 passes for 1,403 yards and 15 touchdowns, certainly make him worthy of this honor.
CB Raphel Cherry played his entire career for the LA Express, retiring just before the team relocated to the Midwest, and yet Knights fans recognize his quality and voted him in as one of the team’s greats. The Hall of Famer retired with over 1,060 tackles and 38 picks, including 6 run back for scores. He has one of the best target-to-catch ratio’s in league history, and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996, the USFL’s second class of gold jackets.
Finally, the fans in Nashville debated a lot, voted over a wide array of players, but eventually the 4th highest vote tally went to another defensive stalwart, strong safety Rodney Harrison. Harrison, who played 12 seasons with the club, in both St. Louis and Nashville, was a defensive captain for 9 of those years, and retired as the all-time leader in tackles for a lot of very good Knight defenses. He only had 9 picks in his career, but spent most of his time near the line of scrimmage, which explains his 47 QB sacks and his 1,378 tackles for the franchise.
Week 7 includes some very intriguing divisional games, including the Breakers in Nashville, Los Angeles trying to get back on track in Portland, Orlando hosting Atlanta, and Michigan hoping they can get back on track at home against the 1-win Skyhawks, but the biggest game of the week has to be a battle of two surprising clubs as 4-2 Baltimore visits 5-1 Tampa Bay. No one expected the Bandits to be atop the SE Division after 6 weeks, and they are doing it by being more balanced than ever. Here is the full schedule, national games in bold font, divisional games in blue.
FRIDAY @ 8pm Las Vegas (4-2) @ Chicago (5-1) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Charlotte (2-4) @ Pittsburgh (3-3) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Atlanta (1-5) @ Orlando (2-4) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Baltimore (4-2) @ Tampa Bay (5-1) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm Birmingham (1-5) @ Oakland (5-1) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm Los Angeles (3-3) @ Portland (2-4) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm Denver (4-2) @ Arizona (1-5) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm Boston (3-3) @ New Jersey ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm New Orleans (3-3) @ Nashville (2-4) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm Jacksonville (2-4) @ Philadelphia (6-0) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm Texas (1-5) @ Ohio (4-2) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm Washington (5-1) @ Houston (3-3) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm St. Louis (1-5) @ Michigan (4-2) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm Memphis (5-1) @ Seattle (2-4) ESPN
コメント