Seven weeks into the season and Philadelphia remains the league's only unbeaten. Of course, with Tampa Bay, Oakland, and Chicago all at 6-1, it hardly means the Stars can rest on their laurels, but this is a better start than any pundits could have picked for Coach Harbaugh's team. On the other end of the spectrum we have Arizona, St. Louis, Texas, Birmingham, and Atlanta, all sitting at one lone win. That is a lot of teams down at the bottom that are in need of some answers. Will those answers come with a midseason coaching change? That is the rumor in Phoenix, where the calls for Jim Fassel to be let go are getting louder.
MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 25 SEATTLE DRAGONS 29
What a game at Qwest Field this week as the Sunday Night primetime closer was all we could have asked for, a down to the wire game, and we even got to see a league record field goal along the way. Seattle is definitely back after winning their third in a row, and taking out the defending league champs as well. The game saw Byron Leftwich give his best performance of the season, connecting on several deep balls on his way to 315 yards on the day. Corey Dillon only rushed for 77 yards, but had two scores, while David Boston, Nate Burleson, and Darnerien McCants all came up big when Leftwich dialed their numbers. Meanwhile, Brett Favre suffered 5 sacks and a pick, but thought he might have the game won in the final minutes thanks to a league record 63-yard field goal by Jeff Hall. But it was not enough, as we will see.
The game did not start off well for Memphis as a bobbled punt after Seattle’s first drive put the ball on the 2 yard line. On 1st and 10 from the 2, the Showboats tried to fake out Seattle, but DE Kenyon Coleman was having none of it, and got to Favre before the play action pass left his hand. Two points up from the start, and Seattle would add 3 more on the short-field possession that followed the safety. The first quarter would end with Seattle up 5-0 and once again with the ball.
The Dragons would expand the lead to 12 on a drive that spanned the final minutes of the first and into the 2nd quarter. Corey Dillon had his best run of the game, breaking free of three tacklers and rushing 27 yards to the end zone to put Seattle up by 2 scores. Memphis was staggering, but Favre calmed down the offense, or pumped them up, hard to say which. Regardless, Memphis had their first solid drive of the game, going 63 yards in 11 plays, and capping it off with a David Martin TD from Favre to drop the Dragon lead to 5.
Seattle would drive again, and put those lost points right back up on the board as Dillon scored his second TD of the day, this time a 7-yarder on a well-designed sweep. When Brett Favre threw a pick on the next drive, an ill-advised throw into traffic, Seattle had dreams of going up 26-7, but they could only muster a 44-yard field goal off the turnover, so it was a 22-7 lead with 25 seconds in the half. With fans beginning to filter out for halftime snack runs, Brett Favre shocked the crowd and the TV audience by connecting with Sidney Rice on a beautiful deep ball, producing a 71-yard TD with only 11 seconds left in the half. The game was down to an 8-point differential.
In the third quarter Memphis would wipe out that deficit, using up nearly 8 minutes on a long, methodical drive before Cadillac Williams plunged into the end zone from the 2. With the conversion (a pass from Favre to Martin), the Showboats had tied the score. The next 18 minutes of action saw both teams struggle to get past midfield. Memphis’s defense had stiffened, and Seattle’s had held their own as well. But, in the final minutes of the game, with neither team moving the ball well, Memphis coach Jim Haslett faced a 4th and 3 from the 46. Trusting in his defense to deal with Seattle if he missed, he sent Jeff Hall out to the 46 yard line to attempt the 63-yard kick. The wind was in his favor, and Hall has a strong leg, but most Seattle fans expected a runback as Troy Walters was back in the end zone to return a missed kick.
Hall did not miss. The ball had just enough to get over the crossbar and we had the first ever USFL field goal of more than 60 yards, setting up Jeff Hall as the all-time record holder for longest field goal. That kick, right outside of the 2-minute warning, had Memphis breathing a sigh of relief. They kicked off to the Dragons, expecting to play some prevent defense with 2 minutes left and hopefully eke out a tough road win. Those hopes lasted only 1 play. With the ball on their own 20 after a touchback, Seattle got lucky. Darnerien McCants, who had been demoted from the #2 spot when Nate Burleson was acquired by trade, came in as the slot, and Leftwich, on 1st and 10, caught him with a quick slant. But as McCants turned to go upfield, both the safety Coy Wire and corner Mark Donahue closed in to lay hits on McCants. The two ended up laying pretty good hits on each other, and McCants remained upright and with a lot of field in front of him. The Dragon wideout sprinted down the field with a 10-yard advantage on any Memphis defender. It was a 1-play, 80-yard drive, putting Seattle up 4 with just under 2 minutes to play.
Favre and the Showboats were stunned, and their usually smooth offense looked completely out of synch when they came on the field for a 2-minute drill. A false start put them at 1st and 15 on the 19, and, after a short gain on the replay down, on 2nd down John Abraham got to Favre for a loss of 6, making it 3rd and 14. Memphis played a 3-deep zone, forcing Favre underneath, and even with a catch by Martin, it was 4th and 9. Favre tried to connect with Robert Ferguson but the Seattle D was there. Turnover on downs and a win for the homestanding Dragons, their 3rd in a row, and the second loss in a row for a Memphis squad that started their title defense 5-0.
LAS VEGAS 6 CHICAGO 10
Friday night’s weekend opener was not one for offense junkies or fantasy players, but for those who love slobberknocker football, it was a thing of beauty. Chicago was outgained by the Thunder 352-137, but they just kept making big plays on defense. The Machine sacked Steve McNair 3 times, picked him off once, eventually knocked him out of the game, and stuffed the Thunder on a 4th and goal that preserved the win for the home team.
CHARLOTTE 33 PITTSBURGH 27
Strong games from Chris Weinke (34 of 46, 278 yards and 2 TDs) and Robert Edwards (119 yards on 34 bone-crunching carries) help the Monarchs topple the Maulers in Pittsburgh. The Monarch D picked off Cody Pickett twice, including a game-saving pick in the final minute to move Charlotte to 3-4 in their inaugural campaign.
ATLANTA 3 ORLANDO 24
The Renegades have now won 3 in a row as their defense shows Atlanta, and first-time starter Tyler Thigpen, no mercy. Thigpen threw for only 104 yards, and was harassed by Orlando’s pass rush all game long. The entire Atlanta offense mustered only 154 yards against Orlando, who were content to control the ball with Drew Brees going 21 of 28 with 2 scores on the day.
BALTIMORE 17 TAMPA BAY 20
The Bandits take a 20-10 lead into the 4th and hold off a late Blitz rally as Martin Grammatica’s game-ending 48-yard attempt sails to the right. Chris Doering’s 113 yards and 1 TD was matched by Blitz WR Tory Holt, who gained 129 and had 2 scores, but a TD from Willis McGahee helped Tampa Bay build their lead, and then it was just holding on for dear life at the end.
BIRMINGHAM 16 OAKLAND 24
A great crowd of over 48,000 in Oakland to watch the Invaders take care of business against Birmingham on a beautiful NoCal summer day. Ricky Williams and Jurius Norwood combined for 175 yards and all 3 Oakland touchdowns on the day, while the Invader D held Birmingham at bay despite a solid game from Dave Dickenson.
LOS ANGELES 6 PORTLAND 20
Apparently switching to Jeff Garcia at QB was not the solution for LA, as Garcia looked rusty and the LA offense simply could not sustain drives. Portland got3 scores from its run game (2 from Chris Perry) and newly-promoted WR Andre Davis made the most of his first start in Portland with 5 catches for 95 yards as the Stags keep pace with Charlotte in the expansion club race to the best record.
DENVER 31 ARIZONA 10
An absolutely dominant performance by Denver over their archrivals. Arizona had only 10 first downs and was 1 of 8 on third down against Denver’s D. Without Sedrick Irvin, they had nothing in the run game, and Denver contained Plummer throughout. Meanwhile the Denver offense put up 407 yards, including 137 on the ground, with Mewelde Moore getting more carries and more yards than Cedric Benson (94 to 41). Matt Leinart went 23 of 33 and threw 3 TDs in one of his better games this year as Denver moves to 5-2.
BOSTON 13 NEW JERSEY 16
What is going on in Boston? Drew Bledsoe was sacked 4 times and completed on 12 passes against a Generals defense that has hardly been world-beaters this year. Kevin Kolb was back under center after Kris Kershaw suffered an injury midway through the 2nd quarter, and Kolb led new jersey on all 4 scoring drives to come back from 13-0 down to steal a 16-13 win at home.
NEW ORLEANS 19 NASHVILLE 24
This one easily could have been our game of the week as the two Southern foes went toe to toe all game. The key play was a 59-yard pick six from Terrell Buckley that put Nashville up by 15 early in the 4th. Both defenses frustrated the run game, but Jay Cutler’s 2 TD day was better than Eli’s 1 TD- 1 Pick 6 day, so Nashville comes out on top, evening their record with New Orleans, now both sitting 2 games behind Memphis.
JACKSONVILLE 10 PHILADELPHIA 27
The Bulls drop another one, their 5th in a row, as Philadelphia’s D just smothers the Bull offense. HB Michael Robinson continues to impress, scoring twice on the day, but later falling to an injury, while Steve Slaton hit big on a 62-yard run for a score that helped Philly pull away in the 3rd. Turnovers and missed opportunities meant that Jacksonville converted only 3 of 11 third downs.
TEXAS 23 OHIO 38
Ohio moves to 5-2 and looks like they are firing on all cylinders as they dismantle the Outlaw defense. Kerry Collins threw for 4 touchdowns and Eddie George had a dominant 144 yards on the ground as Ohio blew past Texas despite a strong 189 yard day from T. J. Duckett. TE Stephen Alexander, who had no catches last week, got plenty of chances this week, catching 4 passes with 3 being red zone scores, as Collins makes sure his safety valve feels valued.
WASHINGTON 13 HOUSTON 23
Washington stumbles again as they cannot get the run game going against a stacked front from Houston. Meanwhile, former Stallion HB Shaun Alexander has his best game in Gambler black, rushing for 135 yards and a score as Houston grinds out the win against the Feds.
ST. LOUIS 10 MICHIGAN 33
The Panthers get back on the right foot against a Skyhawks team that is still trying to figure itself out. The Skyhawks started Larry Johnson at HB, and he did gain 100 yards on 12 carries, so that was good, but Jeff Blake struggled, going 13 of 30 for only 177 as Michigan put the clamps on the passing game. The Panthers had their own strong run game with Justin Fargas racing to 165 yards on 20 carries and Leon Washington adding another 72 as the Panthers limited Brian Griese to only 20 pass attempts.
Atlanta Surprises Many with QB Switch & Trade within Division.
The Atlanta Fire, sitting at 1-5 and following two consecutive weeks in which the offense could not get more than field goals on the board, had to try something. Coach Gruden decided the thing to do was to give Tyler Thigpen a chance to start, benching David Garrard for Week 7’s matchup at Orlando. Did the move work, well a 24-3 defeat seems to indicate that it did not. Thigpen completed 16 of 23 passes, a very respectable 69.6%, but they added up to only 104 yards. He was also sacked 4 times and gave up a costly pick. Needless to say, Gruden did not have the immediate boost he was looking for. Thigpen will start again, but this week’s game sent another message to Gruden, you don’t have your QB yet.
The Fire moved quickly to try to do something about that as well, on Tuesday they executed a trade with a division rival, a very rare thing to see. Atlanta sent the Charlotte Monarchs safety Michael Waite, a 3rd round pick and rookie QB John David Booty, and in return they bring in former NFL QB Kelly Holcombe and safety DaJuan Morgan. Neither Booty or Holcombe had seen any snaps this year, but by taking Holcombe off of Charlotte’s hands for the more affordable Booty, the Fire help Charlotte free up some cap space, and gain a mid-round draft pick, while Atlanta hopes they might get some stability at QB with Holcombe as well as an upgrade at safety. Will this move work? We will have to wait and see.
LA Gives Jeff Garcia the Ball.
The Los Angeles Express also made a move at QB this week, giving veteran acquisition Jeff Garcia a chance to start against Portland. Garcia was a bit rusty to be sure, and just like in Atlanta, the Express were again unable to put a TD on the board as they fell to Portland 20-6. Garcia certainly worked out the arm, throwing 47 passes, of which he completed 26 for 224 yards. But, just as with Thigpen in Atlanta, the Express just could not sustain offense. It did not help that Keyshawn Johnson was ruled out with his stress fracture in the right foot, meaning that Garcia had to work with Brandon Lloyd and Dez White as his primary receivers. He ended up throwing more balls (11 receptions) to TE L.J. Smith and slot receiver Tab Perry than to the combo of White and Lloyd (8 combined catches.
Seneca Wallace is still at least 3 weeks away from returning to action, possibly as many as 5-6 games, so the Garcia/Lewis backup plan is going to have to find a way to keep LA competitive. They now sit at 3-4, tied with Portland and Seattle for third (or fifth, depending how you look at it.), but with Seattle winning 3 in a row, and looking a lot more like their 2007 selves, and even Portland playing solid football, especially on defense, the Express cannot afford to muddle through for the next month, hoping Wallace can return in prime form. They need to find a way to generate offense to stay competitive.
St. Louis Just Cannot Pick a Back and Run with Him.
We understand that it is Doug Williams’s first year as a USFL head coach, and that he is just getting to know his roster, but the halfback rotation in St. Louis does not seem to be helping anyone, much less Williams’ plans for an open offense. When you look at the breakdown of carries for the Skyhawks, you have Bush with 57, Rhodes with 65, QB Jeff Blake with 54 (mostly self-preservation scrambles) and Larry Johnson with 16, and yet, this week Johnson got the start and earned 100 yards with his solid day. So does Williams stick with Johnson, or does he go back to rotating backs almost endlessly?
Fans seem to think that none of the three are worth handing the ball to 20+ times a game, and yet they too are frustrated by the revolving door of backs Williams is using. With Jeff Blake throwing 10 picks to only 5 TDs this season, the Skyhawks clearly need a solid run game to have any chance at winning games, and right now there is more confusion than production coming out of the constant rotation of backs. Maybe Larry Johnson made a statement this week against Michigan, despite the lopsided loss, but is it a statement that Williams is going to heed?
Bulls Lose 5th in a Row, But What’s the Problem?
What has happened to the Jacksonville Bulls? One of the favorites to win the Southeastern Division, Jacksonvillestarted the year off right with 2 wins, but has since lost 5 in a row to drop to the bottom half of the division. Yes, they have faced some tough foes including 7-0 Philadelphia, 6-1 Tampa Bay, 5-2 Memphis and 5-2 Michigan, but at the same time, these are games a good team needs to win to be considered a legitimate playoff contender. The fact that Jacksonville lost three of those games by double digits (32-16 to Memphis, 27-17 to Tampa Bay, and 27-10 to Philly) along with a 22-6 collapse against New Orleans, does not bode well.
So what do the numbers tell us? Well, the Bulls defense certainly is getting a lot of negative attention. Ranked 24th in points allowed is a bad sign to be sure, but when we look at the yardage, they do not look like a team that has lost 5 in a row, sitting mid-rankings against both the run and the pass. On offense, they have Top 10 rankings in passing, rushing, and total yards, but they are only scoring 19 points a game, which is not enough when the D gives up nearly 25. It certainly does not help that the Bulls are currently dead last in the league in turnover differential, having committed 11 turnovers while gaining only 8 takeaways. Too many mistakes, to be sure. They are also near the top of the league in another negative stat, penalties. So, mistakes, sloppiness, and an inability to turn yards into points seems to be the formula that has led to 5 consecutive losses. The good news for Jacksonville? They have several games against teams with losing records on the horizon, starting with a trip to Portland this week, with other games against Orlando (2x), Charlotte (2x), and Atlanta (2x), all division foes sitting at 3-4 or worse. So the meatiest part of the schedule is over. If Jacksonville can get on track, they still have a shot at a strong second half.
Fassel Feeling the Heat in Arizona
Arizona may not have lost 5 in a row, but sitting at 1-6 cannot be seen as anything but a major issue for Coach Jim Fassel. Fassel barely survived his club’s 2-12 season last year, mostly due to a 10-4 mark the year before, but this year is looking a lot like 2007, and you don’t survive two of those kinds of seasons in a row. Arizona is just not playing well in any phase of the game. They rank 19th in points scored, and are even worse on defense, allowing 25.3 points per game, good enough for 26th in the 28 team league. Every single defensive statistic worth measuring is 20th or worse, and only Jake Plummer helps the offense avoid the same fate. Plummer is no spring chicken, with rumors swirling that he may want out of Arizona after this year, and is not against using retirement as a bargaining chip.
It does not get easier for the Wranglers either. They face 6-1 Oakland this week, and have Michigan (5-2), Washington (5-2), Houston (5-3), Denver (5-2), Las Vegas (4-3), and Chicago (6-1) still to go. It seems almost guaranteed that this will be another 10+ loss team, and that means Fassel may not be long for the big chair. Listen to local sports radio in the Valley of the Sun, and his ouster is the main programming note. The fact that the club traded players for picks last week is not a good sign that they are pushing to improve right now, but that they are already thinking about 2009, another bad sign for the current leadership. Keep an eye on this club, as we could be looking at a mid-year firing unless they show some signs of life and soon.
Bad news for the Las Vegas Thunder as they seek a playoff spot. Quarterback Steve McNair’s injury this week has been diagnosed as a tear of the abdominal wall, which means a minimum of 6 weeks, perhaps 8-10 before he can return. That is essentially the rest of the season. So now the Thunder have to decide if they shut him down for the year by putting him on IR, going with Tony Banks at QB, or if they keep him on the active roster and hope he can come back in time for a late season return and possible playoff appearance. No decision yet, but we do know that the Thunder have been looking for a veteran free agent to sign, and have spoken with agents representing both Trent Dilfer and Jeff George, hoping to land one of the two longstanding veterans who are currently available.
Orlando has a more clear-cut decision after free safety Kevin Williams went down with a season-ending neck injury. He is now on IR and the Renegades have signed Lionel Spurlock to back up new starter Matt Ware.
Texas CB Aaron Ross is also expected to be placed on IR this week due to a broken foot. No word yet on whether the Outlaws will sign someone to fill his spot on the roster or promote someone from the practice squad. Texas is also dealing with an injury to HB R. J. Redmond, but the backup to Duckett is expected back in about 2-3 weeks. Philadelphia could be without lead back Michael Robinson, who suffered a dislocated shoulder in this week’s win, and could miss 1-2 weeks as he recovers. Houston LB Keith Brooking is expected to be out 1-2 weeks after suffering a sprained ankle and New Jersey QB Kris Kershaw could be in a similar situation after leaving this week’s game with a stress fracture in his foot.
Arizona HB Sedrick Irvin could play, but is listed as Doubtful for this week, while Darren McFadden is listed as probable after leaving the game last week with a hip pointer. Another player who appears to have gotten good news is Ohio center Richie Incognito, who at first appeared to suffer a neck injury, but was diagnosed with a moderate concussion. He is listed as probable for this week’s game. Plaxico Burress is also listed as probable despite a hyper extended knee in the game last week.
Mid-Season Award Nominees
We know that midseason is not official until next week, but with so much to talk about at the midway point, we thought we would get a jump on things and make our case for the top candidates in each of the major league awards.
We start with Most Valuable Player, which we all know tends to be a QB-dominated award. So, who are the QB’s in contention this year? Well, right now it is likely a 2-man race, with Kerry Collins and Brett Favre both back in prime form this season. Drew Brees has an outside chance as well if Orlando can continue on their winning ways. But could another player, a non-QB actually sneak in, improbable but we are keeping an eye on Ricky Williams in Oakland, who is helping the run-first Invaders off to their best start in years.
If Williams cannot sneak into the MVP vote, he still has a strong shot at Offensive Player of the Year. Alongside Ohio’s Eddie George, Washington’s Deuce McCallister, and Boston’s Chad Ochocinco, Williams seems a good candidate. Boston needs to get back in the chase in the NE Division if Ochocinco’s individual numbers are going to help him with the OPOTY award, while McCallister is a bit overshadowed by Kordell Stewart’s outstanding play, despite being the current leader in rushing yards.
On defense, the candidates are many. Mike Rucker is leading the league with 10 sacks, but his club is floundering, so that leaves the door open for others like Tampa Bay LB Kevin Mitchell, who, once again is among the league leaders in tackles, as he is almost every year. Could he garner the DPOTY as almost a lifetime achievement award? Could rookie Calais Campbell pull off an almost unprecedented feat for a 1st year player? If Orlando keeps winning and if he keeps racking up sacks it is entirely possible.
Right now the Rookie of the Year award does feel like a race between Boston HB Rashard Mendenhall, back in the Top 5 after a very strong Week 7 performance, and Campbell, who is just continuing to impress as he racks up sacks each and every week. LA has two potential darkhorses in LB Keith Rivers and CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, but if the LA offense keeps costing them games, that could cancel out the individual achievements of either, assuming they don’t split the vote anyway.
Coach of the Year is also a 2-man race right now with Jim Harbaugh of the unbeaten Philadelphia Stars and the Ole Ball Coach, Steve Spurier in Tampa Bay looking like the top candidates by a country mile over Dennis Green or Sean Payton. However, if Payton can somehow get his Federals even with the Stars, there is an argument to be made that he has done more with less than any other coach.
Finally, while there is no official award for Comeback Player of the Year (Get on this, USFL!!), Kordell Stewart’ remarkable season, not only statistically his best year, but what he is doing for the resurgent Federals team is worthy of recognition. Stewart is currently only 15th in passing yards, but his 13 touchdowns is tied for 4th and his leadership has helped Washington surprise all the pundits and build up a solid 5-2 record so far this year. Worthy of some attention in a year when many clubs are underperforming and there are few feel-good stories outside of the expected frontrunners.
Tampa Bay follows Denver in Revealing New Look
Apparently Denver’s announcement last week of their new look for 2009 has spurred the Tampa Bay Bandits to reveal their look earlier than expected. Of course, their eagerness may be tied to their surprising 6-1 record and the likelihood that they will wear a new design as early as this July for the playoffs.
The Bandits revealed a third logo to go along with their primary (the Dark Rider) and their secondary monogram (the TB with cowboy hat). The new logo is a headshot of the rider, complete with his trademark hat and face-covering kerchief. The new Bandit secondary logo will appear on the jersey sleeves and is expected to be widely used throughout team promotion as an option along with the primary logo which has been largely unchanged (with some minor revisions) since 1983.
The new uniform is noteworthy in its use of a minimalist style. For the first time the silver helmet of the Bandits will sport no stripes whatsoever. A slightly larger “Rider” logo will be on each side, and for the first time the facemask will be black, not silver/grey, part of a trend towards more black in the overall look of the club.
This stripeless helmet matches the rest of the uniform, where striping has been minimized. The pants have no stripes at all, with both silver and black sets sporting only the monogram logo on each hip. The jerseys have no sleeve stripes, only color-offset cuffs in black. The new secondary is on the sleeves, and the most prominent change is to the number font, which now utilizes both piping on the exterior and a thin color insert or stripe on the interior of the numbers. Fans have already dubbed these numbers “Alarm Clock” style, as the inset stripes have angular cuts which do resemble the digital numbers of an alarm clock. All in all it is a look that retains much of what the Bandits have always had, perhaps with a bit more black than in the past, but certainly a look that still evokes the Bandit Ball philosophy and the team’s rich history.
Our selection of 4 legendary players from each USFL Club (prior to the current expansion) marches on with the Washington Federals, a club that has won two titles and has always had a reputation for defensive playmakers. We will also visit their archrivals, the Baltimore Blitz, who began their USFL journey in Chicago before relocating in the late 80’s to the Chesapeake region. The Blitz have yet to win a league title, but they to have built up a reputation for scrappy defense. Will defenders dominate both clubs’ Mt. Rushmore lists? Let’s see.
WASHINGTON FEDERALS
We barely needed to ask in order to find out who the #1 pick of the Federals fanbase would be. Perhaps one of the greatest defensive tackles to ever play the game, Jerome Brown was a nearly unanimous selection. The 2007 Hall of Famer played all 17 highlight reel seasons in the USFL with the Feds. A dominant presence against the run, and equally devastating as an interior pass rusher, Brown retired in 2002 with 119 sacks, tops in league history among defensive tackles. He was a 12-time All-USFL selection and helped Washington wrangle titles in both 1990 and 1997.
Second among voters was a popular line mate of Brown’s, Defensive End Dexter Manley. Manley came over to the Feds after two somewhat uneventful seasons in Houston. Once lined up next to Brown, Manley exploded, becoming one of the most dangerous edge rushers in the league. He retired with 164 sacks, including one season with 23 and 8 consecutive seasons with 10 or more. Manley and Brown were like fire and ice, two very different players who complemented each other, and created nightmares for offensive coordinators and quarterbacks alike.
Speaking of quarterbacks, we had a feeling that Washington fans would nominate the Majik Man, and they did in droves. The QB who brought Washington their first USFL title has remained a popular figure in the DC area after 11 seasons with the Federals. He continues to be connected with the club, working with a local news channel as their Federals’ expert and sports contributor. As a player, Don Majkowski had respectable, if not HOF numbers, putting up 25,590 yards passing, with 201 TDs to 106 picks, but it was his indomitable spirit and his ability to pull wins out of thin air that has made him something of a folk hero around the DC area.
We wondered if 3 of 4 positions on Federal Mount Rushmore would be defenders, but in the final days of voting, fan energy shifted towards another worthy offensive player, wideout Joey Walters. Walters spent 13 seasons with the Feds, beginning with those first few rough years when the Federals were not exactly world beaters. Walters still holds the club records for career catches (1,066), touchdowns (91) and Yards (15,402), though he was challenged by Herman Moore in most categories. Walters was no around for the 1997 league title, but was a big part of the 1990 championship. He was voted to 6 All-USFL teams over his long and storied career in Kelly and Black.
BALTIMORE BLITZ
The Baltimore Blitz have not yet found themselves a path to a John Bassett trophy, but as one of the founding 12 of the USFL, the Blitz certainly have plenty of star power over the years. And while some of their best players are not yet eligible because they are still in the league, there are certainly some big names to choose from.
We are not surprised at all that the fans selected linebacker Sam Norris as their all-time favorite Blitz player. The 12 year veteran who played with the Blitz from 1984 to 1994, after 1 year in Arizona, was a tackling machine, topping 100 tackles 5 times in 6 years. The 2000 Hall of Fame enshrine retired in 1994 with over 1,100 tackles, including 206 behind the line of scrimmage. A six-time All-USFL player, and an 8-year team captain, Norris remains one of Baltimore’s favorite football legends.
The second vote getter is another defender, the “Mean Man in the Middle” DT John Randle, was as competitive and outrageous as it gets. With his face often all-but-covered in eyeblack, Randle was intimidating and ferocious for his entire 14 year career in Baltimore. A 13-time All-USFL nominee and a finalist for the Hall of Fame this season, you knew Baltimore would stand up for Randle when asked for a Top 4 All-Time Blitz players.
Third in the fan vote was the only offensive player to make the mountain, wideout Jackie Flowers. Flowers, like Norris, was another of the players involved in the Arizona-Chicago roster/franchise swap in the 1983-1984 offseason. In both Chicago and then Baltimore, Flowers was a menace to defenders, able to go deep seemingly effortlessly while also unafraid to go over the middle. He retired in 1992 and was selected for the Hall of Fame five years later as a first-ballot entrant in 1997. Flowers helped the then Chicago Blitz reach the League Title Game in 1985, the closest the franchise has ever come to a league title in 25 years.
A lot of mystery about the 4th member of the Blitz Mt. Rushmore. Would it be a QB? And if so, who? Chris Miller holds nearly every Blitz passing record, but is still largely a figure of criticism among Blitz faithful. LB Ben Apuna was another star of early Blitz defenses, but would the fans really vote in two linebackers? Kicker Luis Zendejas was with the team for 14 seasons, but, really? A kicker? Well, it turns out the fans in Baltimore went back and forth, with 4 different players ranked 4th at different points in the ballot, but by the end of the voting period it was cornerback Donnell Woolford who won out. Woolford, a 3-time All-USFL selection holds the club record for tackles (1,274) and interceptiions (54), so he is certainly a big part of the storied defensive history of the club, but while he is a big name in Baltimore, he is also likely one of the players that fans from across the country might not easily remember. No matter, Baltimoreans remember him, and respect him enough to make him the “Teddy Roosevelt” in their Mount Rushmore.
Week Eight, the midway point of the 16-week season and a lot of teams are getting nervous that they are not where they expected to be. Seattle is coming on strong, Orland seems to be finding their way, but Boston and Nashville are not where they expected to be. LA is dealing with their QB issues, and Arizona is a dumpster fire right now. That should make this week’s games start to feel like a pressure cooker for many teams.
FRIDAY @ 8pm Seattle (3-4) @ Nashville (3-4) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Orlando (3-4) @ Charlotte (3-4) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Los Angeles (3-4) @ Memphis (5-2) FOX
SATURDAY @ 12pm Baltimore (4-3) @ Washington (4-3) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm Denver (5-2) @ Texas (1-6) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm Oakland (6-1) @ Arizona (1-6) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm Michigan (5-2) @ Chicago (6-1) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm New Orleans (3-4) @ Tampa Bay (6-1) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm New Jersey (2-5) @ Atlanta (1-6) FOX
SUNDAY @ 12pm Philadelphia (7-0) @ Birmingham (1-6) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm Pittsburgh (3-4) @ Las Vegas (4-3) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm Jacksonville (2-5) @ Portland (3-4) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm Ohio (5-2) @ St. Louis (1-6) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm Houston (4-3) @ Boston (3-4) ESPN