2008 USFL Week 8 Recap: Is 14-0 Really Possible?

That is the question everyone is asking as we complete 8 weeks of a 14-week season and we still have two unbeaten teams in the league. Memphis has been tested the past few weeks, as they were this week by a Jacksonville squad that took them to the limit. Ohio has had it a bit easier, but they have a few tough games on the horizon. Can one, or even both of these teams reach 14-0? The pressure will mount each week, and all it takes is one bad day to end the dream for either club. Meanwhile, 22 other clubs are just struggling for relevance, and maybe a shot at a playoff spot. Week 8 did not shake up the standings very much, but it did kick off the 2nd half of the season with some really solid games.

For the second straight Week Jacksonville hosted a killer game, our Game of the Week, and for the second consecutive week they fall as again they cannot hold on at the end. This time it was unbeaten Memphis, who have had their own share of close calls, who once again find a way to win. The Bulls have been winning with defense, but Memphis is a tough team to defend, as Jacksonville learned in the final minutes of a great back and forth game.

The Bulls got off to a quick start, much as they did the week before, scoring 10 points in the first quarter before Memphis got on the board. Heath Shuler recovered from a shaky start (throwing a pick-6 to John Solomon of Jacksonville) and late in the 1st he connected with Adrian Cooper for the big TE’s 5th touchdown of the season. He would get his sixth just minutes later. Up 10-7 after one quarter, Jacksonville added 3 more early in the 2nd, but then Cooper struck again, this time from 46 yards as the big man just would not go down. Jacksonville finished out the half with two consecutive field goal drives, and led 19-14 after two, but settling for field goals was not going to get it done against the Showboats.

The key to Jacksonville’s success was the ability to eat up clock with their run game. The Bulls would outrun Memphis 144-50, with Kenny Bynum having a strong day with 23 carries for 106 yards. But, what hurt Jacksonville all day was the quick strike capacity of the Showboats. In addition to Cooper’s two scores, they would hit on several big plays, including a 3rd down 38-yarder to Joe Horn, a 33-yarder to Tydus Wynans, and a 20 yarder on 3rd and 17 to FB Larry Centers. The inability of Jacksonville to close out third downs was a huge reason for the loss, as were these quick strike plays from Memphis.

Down 22-14 after yet another Jacksonville kick, Memphis opened the 4th quarter with a field goal of their own, but then quickly got the ball back and scored again as Shuler found Justin McCaerins from 16 yards out to go up 25-22 at the halfway point of the final quarter. Jacksonville responded as they had all game, using the run to slowly march down the field. But, to their dismay, once again they got bogged down, this time stuck with a 4th and goal on the 5 after a 3rd down pass to Terrell Owens was swatted away. They settled for 3, tying the game at 25 with 1:27 left on the clock.

That was, as we have learned, way too much time to give Heath Shuler. He did what he has done all year, connected on big plays for chunks of yardage, and with all 3 timeouts at his disposal, it was not long before he had the Showboats in the Red Zone. 1st and 10 at the 17 with 33 seconds left to play. Memphis could have settled for a field goal, but when a Garrison Hearst run on 1st down got them all the way to the 4-yard line, the temptation to go for 7 was too great. Shuler faked to Hearst and found Centers open in the flat. Centers strolled into the endzone and with 23 seconds to play, Memphis had a 7-point lead. Jacksonville had once again fallen in the final minute, and once again at home. Memphis remained unbeaten, though again certainly tested.

HOU 20 OHI 23

The league’s other unbeaten team handed Houston their 3rd consecutive loss (after a 4-0-1 start) to remain unblemished for the season. It was a close one as Houston found some answers to the Ohio offense, but could not fully contain Chad Johnson, who finished with 121 yards receiving. Collins had to look to others to break through the Houston offense, taking 5 sacks along the way. With TD passes to Robert Ferguson and Eddie George, Ohio got the job done, winning on a late Don Silvestri field goal.

NSH 12 ORL 7

The Knights showed a bit of that old-school defense once again, and with Joey Harrington dealing with back spasms after a tough hit early in the game, it fell on Gus Frerotte to lead the Renegades. It did not go well. He completed only 11 of 26 and threw two picks as Nashville shut down the Orlando offense. They got their own offense from the defense, scoring on a safety and a pick-six of Frerotte, as the offense without Ahman Green could not do much. So the defense came to the rescue for the Knights, as they have so often in the past.

NOR 23 TBY 19

The Breakers managed to control the line of scrimmage against Tampa Bay, playing field position and using the right foot of kicker Lin Elliott to do just enough to outlast the Bandits in Tampa. Errict Rhett had a good game, rushing for 120 yards and a score, but it was not enough as New Orleans held the Bandits to a 4 of 11 third down conversion rate.

ARZ 45 CHI 31

Chicago limited the damage Jake Plummer could do on the ground, but he still burnt them, throwing for 312 yards and 2 scores as Arizona put up 45 points on the #1 defense in the league . Jeff George helped them a bit, throwing 2 bad picks that both led to Arizona sores (one on a pick-six from Broderick Thomas). Add in a fumble on the goal line from Adrian Murell and you have a solid road win for the Wranglers.

DEN 3 MGN 14

Despite completing 71% of his passes, Mark Brunell could not connect when it mattered most and Denver was held to their lowest offensive output in years. Michigan held the ball for almost 37 minutes, using T.J. Duckett and Winslow Oliver to control the clock. In a game that saw no points in the second half, both clubs seemed punchy, unable to string together plays to get into scoring range.

TEX 10 PIT 31

The Maulers shocked Texas, playing some true smashmouth football as they sacked Ryan Leaf 5 times and held the run game of the Outlaws to only 51 yards. Terrell Davis had a solid day, rushing for 77 yards and 2 scores, but it was Charlie Batch’s accuracy, connecting on 18 of 22 passes, that helped the Maulers overcome the favored Outlaws.

LA 35 BAL 14

It may be a bit late, but the Express seem to have rediscovered their offensive personality. Cade McNown threw for 231 and 3 scores in only 3 quarters of action (he was pulled with LA up 35-7 late.) Jeff Garcia did not look good for Baltimore, throwing 3 picks and throwing for only 143 on the day for Baltimore. The Express looked solid on both sides of the ball, a potential threat for the rest of their division even at 3-5.

OAK 19 NJ 17

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the week as the Oakland defense seems to be coming around late in the year. They limited New Jersey to only 291 total yards, including only 51 for Curtis Enis. And while the Oakland defense was holding their own, the offense did just enough to earn the W. A touchdown from Freddie Solomon and 4 Joe Nedney field goals proved to be enough as fans in the Meadowlands left for home grumbling and visibly disappointed in their club’s effort.

POR 15 PHI 23

The Stars get their second win as they outlasted the Portland Thunder in a sloppy game at the Vet. The two teams combined for 17 penalties, but in the end the Stars got the better of the deal, scoring on a Stephen Davis run and a Steve Smith TD catch to overtake the Thunder. Davis would finish with 114 yards and a 6.7 YPC average in one of his better games this season.

SEA 5 WSH 27

With Brian Griese nursing a sore hamstring, Coach Tiller opted to go with Craig Erickson, and the Federals feasted on the longtime backup. Erickson was sacked 5 times, and threw a costly pick-six right into the hands of Charles Woodson. Kordell Stewart struggled through the air for Washington, but scored on a 59-yard touchdown run late in the 2nd quarter. Yes, the Feds did give up a safety, but it was an intentional one late in the game as they hoped to avoid a blocked punt from their own 1 yard line. All in all a solid win for the home team against a depleted Dragon squad.

Eight weeks into the USFL’s new 14-week season, and one thing is for sure, our preseason picks are once again proving useless. To say this is par for the course is accurate, but that still does not let us off the hook. So, as always, we demand a 2nd chance to get it right. Here is our look at the preseason standings we predicted, and our revisions, with commentary, of course.

NORTHEAST

Predicted: 1-NJ, 2-Washington, 3-Philadelphia, 4-Baltimore

Revised: 1-Washington, 2-New Jersey, 3-Baltimore, 4-Philadelphia

Thoughts: The Feds and Generals seem the two best teams in the division, as we predicted, and neither is clearly superior to the other or supremely consistent in their play. We just like the greater use of Kordell Stewart as a rusher, so we go with the Feds. What we clearly missed is the rapid collapse of the Stars without Bobby Hebert. Probably should have seen that coming.

SOUTHEAST

Predicted: 1-Tampa Bay, 2-Orlando, 3-Jacksonville, 4-Atlanta

Revised: 1-Jacksonville, 2-Orlando, 3-Atlanta, 4-Tampa Bay

Thoughts: We still feel blindsided by the utter chaos in Tampa Bay. We still see a lot of talent on this team, so the fact that they are sitting at 2-6 right now is just a real mystery to us. The kind of mystery that could well cost Coach Seifert his job. We also did not see Jacksonville’s defense improving as much as it has in one year. Good work there from that group to be sure. And for what may be the first time ever, we don’t see Atlanta finishing in last place. Coach Fox has gotten the most out of a shorthanded roster.

CENTRAL

Predicted: 1-Ohio, 2-Chicago, 3-Michigan, 4-Pittsburgh

Revised: 1-Ohio, 2-Chicago, 3-Michigan, 4-Pittsburgh

Thoughts: Hey, look, we got one right! Sure, we would never have predicted Ohio to be unbeaten after 8 games, but at least we recognized that they and Chicago have the stronger squads this year. Pittsburgh and Michigan will likely finish close to the same record, but the question is whether either is actually headed in a good direction as the season winds down for them.

SOUTHERN

Predicted: 1-Memphis, 2-Nashville, 3-Birmingham, 4-New Orleans

Revised: 1-Memphis, 2-New Orleans, 3-Birmingham, 4-Nashville

Thoughts: We got 1 out of 4, acknowledging Memphis as the strongest club in the division. What we did not see coming was the stress the move to Nashville has put on the Knights. Not sure why, but the Knights are just not the same club. They did not have huge losses this offseason, but the defense is just not what it has been under Coach Jim Johnson this year. The other surprise is the quality of the Breaker defense, which has really gelled this season and is helping a mediocre offense get a lot of short fields to work with.

SOUTHWEST

Predicted: 1-Denver, 2-Arizona, 3-Houston, 4 Texas

Revised: 1-Houston, 2-Arizona, 3-Texas, 4-Denver

Thoughts: This one is still so hard to pick. Denver has been up and down all year, losing 3, winning 3, losing 2, hard to make sense of the Gold. We like Houston only because they have the best defense, but honestly any one of the 4 could make a late run, so this is the division we are least confident about even after 8 weeks of play.

PACIFIC

Predicted: 1-LA, 2-Seattle, 3-Portland, 4-Oakland

Revised: 1-Seattle, 2-LA, 3-Oakland, 4-Portland

Thoughts: We are not giving up on LA just yet. They have had some really strong games but not nearly enough to trust them fully. Seattle are a bit more boring, but you know what the formula is and it is one that can win games. We did not think Portland would regress as much as they did after a 7-win season, but they are playing better under interim HC Joe Vitt. Oakland have also showed some signs of life after a really bad start to the year.

SUMMER BOWL PICK We went with Denver v. Ohio, so maybe half right. At this point in the season, with two unbeatens still in play, you would have to be nuts not to go with Memphis v. Ohio. We also think that the over-under on the number of punts in a Glory-Showboat Summer Bowl should be 1. This could easily be a 49-48 thriller, with both clubs still unbeaten. That would be wild. Or we could have just now jinxed both teams and they will lose in Week 9.

MVP

We originally said a battle between Kerry Collins (Ohio) and Cade McNown (LA), and again we were about half right. Collins is indeed the frontrunner, but it is Heath Shuler of Memphis in second place. We are leaning to Collins just because he has the lead in TD passes. Shuler has more yards, but scoring always impresses the voters.

With only 6 weeks left, the reality is that even a short-term injury can have major impact on a franchise making a playoff run. We have a lot of 2-4 weeks knocks this week, and that could be enough to derail a team. Of all the teams impacted this week, Chicago should be the most nervous. Not only do they lose their starting center, Greg Huntington, for the year with an ACL injury, but DE Simeon Rice, a big part of their pass rush will miss at least another 2 weeks with his groin injury (always hurts us to think about a groin injury, doesn’t it?). Jacksonville also loses a key player in DE Kenny Mixon, would could be back just in time for the playoffs if all works out as planned.

Other injuries that could impact late runs around the league include a knee injury that will keep Denver guard Evan Pilgrim sidelined 2-4 weeks, an issue with meniscus tissue for Houston DT Mua Tunavasa. The big man may be out 1-3 weeks, depending on rehab. Baltimore HB Ron Dayne got his hand stepped on this week, and that has proven problematic as he could miss 1-2 weeks before his dominant hand is fully able to grip the ball as it should. LA has listed veteran wideout Mike Pritchard as doubtful after suffering a high ankle sprain, while another Houston player, captain Pat Swilling, was diagnosed with a fracture to his jaw. It won’t be wired shut, and he may be able to play in Week 10, but he is doubtful this week.

USFL in Boston Gaining Momentum

Good news out of Boston, where fans seem to be embracing the return of USFL football. Not only has the Boston Globe reported nearly 38,000 votes for their team name in just one week of action, but the team’s management has also reported early demand for season tickets has been higher than expected. The team’s mailing list is already over 20,000. Officially tickets will go on sale for the 2003 season in October, but the mailing list offers fans a chance to get priority position for the 7-game season passes and having 20k already on board is a great sign that the as-of-now-nameless Boston club will exceed their goal of 25,000 season ticket holders.

Not So Fast

Things not as peachy in Portland where stadium negotiations seem to have hit a snag. No official word on what led to the cessation of talks, but rumors out of the Rose City seem to indicate that there are concerns about Bernard Ebbers’ financials. This is somewhat surprising since the USFL has already reviewed both Ebbers and co-owner Phil Ruffin as part of the agreement to the sale of the Thunder. We are hearing that there are concerns related to both the funding of the Thunder and the finances of Worldcom, the nation’s second largest long-distance carrier, led by Mr. Ebbers. Just what these concerns are is as of yet unknown, but what is known is that while the site for a new Portland football stadium has been decided, and it appears that Portland State is ready to get on board as well, possibly considering a move from Division 1-AA to Division 1-A as an option, the contracts are not in place and city funding has not been cleared. Without the city’s funding and appropriate permits in place, the stadium is not moving forward just yet, putting a 2005 goal for completion in doubt.

Atlanta Organizes

In Atlanta, where the die is cast and the Fire are soon to be just a memory, some fans are fighting back. A group dubbing themselves the “Firebrands” has begun organizing an effort to retain the Fire identity for the city of Atlanta, something not really needed since we know that the soon-to-be-Boston club will have a new name, but also apparently this is an effort to bring together the community to push for a return of the club to Atlanta in the future, not as a new team or a relocated team with its own identity intact, but as a new Atlanta Fire. Honestly, the enthusiasm behind this grassroots effort is quite surprising, considering that the Fire never truly seemed to grab the full attention of the city. Attendance was not horrible, but it was never at the levels of other Southern clubs like the Bulls, Bandit, Stallions, or Showboats. The Braves routinely outdrew the Fire, and yet for some reason losing the club to Boston seems to have captured the attention of Atlantans, particularly in the city’s prominent African-American community. In addition to pushing for league recognition of the Fire as Atlanta’s USFL legacy, the leaders of the Firebrands are also calling for the city to assist in enticing a team back through tax incentives, and is actively reaching out to the city’s elite to try to find the core of a new, locally based, ownership group, particularly an African-American led ownership group. It is an interesting strategy, one that feels a bit late in the game, but if the USFL is considering possible expansion after 2005, this could be the beginning of a serious effort to include Atlanta in the mix for consideration. We already know that St. Louis has a similar effort in place and that the league is partial to the idea of “restoration” as opposed to prioritizing new markets. We shall have to see where this leads, if it leads anywhere, and if this grassroots group can maintain the passion once the club is gone and many fans move on.

LA Going Back to the Future?

LA's 2000 design monogram logo.

On a quirky note, it appears that the LA Express have heard it from the fans that their new “Mercury” logo is just not what LA fans want to see. The new look which replaced the LA monogram on the side of the helmet with a stylized image of the Greek messenger god, has simply not been selling. Since its introduction in 2000, merchandise with the new logo has lagged in sales, with shirts, hats, and other items featuring the monogram continuing to outpace the sale of the other gear. Apparently the ownership in LA has heard the message as this week they petitioned the league for a minor uniform adjustment, allowing them to replace their current helmet sticker (the Mercury figure) with the new LA monogram that was released as a secondary logo at the same time as the introduction of the new logo. The change would not require a new uniform design from Reebok, as the only adjustment would be to replace the sticker on team helmets. The league is expected to approve the change, but not to go in effect until the 2023 season. Seems like fans voted with their wallets and the team got the message. LA is in and Greek mythology is out.

Week 9 features the Western Conference engaged in divisional play, while the East has 6 inter-division matchups. We are all waiting to see in New Orleans, where the 6-2 Breakers may be the most likely opponent to prevent Memphis from running the table. This game will be huge. In Houston, the Gamblers have lost 3 in a row, and now face a 4-4 Arizona team that looked really dynamic in blowing past Chicago this week. Birmingham is hoping they have turned the corner, but have a tough matchup against a 3-5 Nashville club that cannot afford more losses. The same is true for Denver, who travel to Texas hoping to regain their winning ways after dropping their last 2. Oakland, surprisingly alive in the playoff hunt is at 4-4 Seattle, while LA, making a late push themselves, is at 2-6 Portland, hoping it is not too late to make a push for a Pacific Division that could have a 7-7 champion.

In the East, the best game is likely the Ohio Glory traveling to Washington, where pride in their defense is a way of life for a 4-4 Federals team. Jacksonville is hoping to shake off two straight home losses with a road game to Baltimore. At 4-4, New Jersey is hoping to avoid a letdown against an Atlanta squad that has been coming on since the shift to Drew Bledsoe at QB. Orlando, also at 4-4, hopes that a trip to Michigan keeps them on pace to compete in the Southeast. Tampa Bay is at Chicago in a tough matchup for a Bandit squad that is slipping further behind their division rivals. Finally, both Pittsburgh and Philly scored upset wins in Week 8, and hope that Week 9 gives them another chance to improve their standing as they face off in a Keystone Clash in Philadelphia.