Midway through the USFL season and a lot has not gone as anticipated, to say the least. Seattle and Orlando started off horribly, but appear to have found their mojo once again. But both Boston and Jacksonville, picked by many to win their divisions, are flirting with the basement instead. Oakland has had a brilliant first half, losing only once in 8 games, while the Philadelphia Stars have been consistently good enough to get the W each and every week. As we review the latest results from Week 8, we will also look at the stories of the first half of the season and make some recommendations for the second half as we look at all 28 clubs and where they stand. But, first, let’s start with the results from this week, including a massive comeback by the Gamblers, spurred by 2 minutes of frantic action.
HOUSTON GAMBLERS 30 BOSTON CANNONS 27
Call it one of the greatest comebacks in league history, or one of the biggest collapses, both are equally true. How did Houston come back from a 21-point deficit in one quarter? Well, they outscored Boston 24 points in 3 drives and a defensive game-changer, that is how.
This one was all Boston for three quarters, until it wasn’t. The Cannons came out firing in the first quarter and by the midway point of the 2nd it was already 21-0 Boston. Everything was working. Jerrico Cothery caught a Bledsoe TD on the Cannon’s opening drive. The next two drives for the Cannons ended with TD runs, first from Tony Hunt and then from rookie Rashard Mendenhall. It was utter domination, and even when Houston could get on the board it was only thanks to the right foot of Dan Carpenter.
Houston got their first points as time wound down in the 2nd and a pretty dejected looking group went into the locker rooms down 21-3 at the half. Boston had racked up 280 yards in 30 minutes, and Houston had failed on all 5 third down attempts. Things were not looking good. But, Wade Phillips took stock at the half, made some adjustments, and asked the team to dig deep.
The third quarter was quite a bit quieter for both clubs, with Houston adding 3 more points, but Boston also content to kick field goals, two in the period to build up their 27-6 lead. Houston fans were not in a good mood, but they got a break on a Boston Pass Interference call and just as the 4th quarter began, Houston was in scoring range. It took them 4 more plays after the PI, but when Shaun Alexander dove in from the 1, it at least gave Houston life. Only 9 seconds later they would get the moment that they needed.
After a touchback, Boston took over on the 20 with Bledsoe in the shotgun. Bledsoe was hoping to go deep to Ochocinco, but he never saw Zak DeOssie coming. DeOssie crashed into Bledsoe and the ball flew out of his hand, back 7 yards. A mad scramble ensued, someone kicked the ball, and it rolled into the endzone, with players from both teams in hot pursuit. HB Kevin Faulk managed to get to the ball, but he was touched down by CB Jimmy Knox before he could get to his feet. It was a safety, not the 7 points Houston fans were hoping for, but still a huge play that brought the crowd to their feet and seemed to inspire the Gamblers.
Houston would take the ensuing kick and in only 3 plays they would put a shock into the Cannons. After a short pass to Vernon Davis and a shorter run by Alexander on 2nd down, Houston went to the shotgun, and Boston blitzed. It was a perfect time to call a screen, and Kevin Faulk was the perfect back to receive Matt Hasselbeck’s pass. He juked, spinned, and then outran the secondary, 50 yards to paydirt. In a matter of less than 2 minutes the Gamblers had scored 3 times and turned 27-6 into 27-22.
Boston could not recover. They went too conservative on their next possession, trying to slow the game down and take the now-boisterous Gambler crowd out of the game. It did not work. Three plays, barely any yardage, and the Cannons were kicking back to the red hot Gamblers. Houston would make them pay for the quick turnaround. The Gamblers took 12 plays to score, but that also killed much of the final quarter. On a 2nd and goal from the 3, Hasselbeck found Vernon Davis, and with a 2-point play to Ike Hilliard, the Gamblers were now on top by 3 and Boston was done.
For the Gamblers, it was a triumphant win, a spark that could impact their season moving forward. For Boston it was their third loss in the past 4 games, and now, at 3-5, they have a huge mountain to climb in the second half if they want to get anywhere near the expectations everyone had for them in the preseason. It was the worst loss of the 5 Boston has suffered, and could well produce a hangover as the Cannons head to Baltimore next week, hoping to get closer to .500 and avoid dropping to the basement in the division. With the win, Houston earned a share of1st place with Denver, and could well be on their way to a division title.
SEATTLE 33 NASHVILLE 21
The Dragons appear to have found their groove as they even their record at 4-4 with their fourth consecutive win. Much like Orlando last year, it appears that the Dragons needed time to find their rhythm, but now appear to be making all the right moves. Byron Leftwich won OPOTW with his 3 TD performance as Nashville simply was not able to get any pressure on him With Nate Burleson proving his worth to his new team (4 catches for 127 yards and a TD) and David Boston seeing fewer double teams, the Dragons appear to have found a winning formula.
ORLANDO 17 CHARLOTTE 13
The Renegades win their 3rd in a row to also even their record. It was not easy, but an early Pick-Six from Lito Sheppard, and a Justin McCaerins TD catch helped the Renegades outpace the Monarchs in Charlotte. The Orlando D made life tough for Chris Weinke all game, sacking the immobile QB five times in addition to the forced throw that resulted in the interception return for a TD. Jacob Hester got the start at HB for the ‘Gades and looked very good, rushing for 96 yards on only 16 carries, with one 41-yard scamper making up the lion’s share of that total.
LOS ANGELES 13 MEMPHIS 20
Memphis got back to their winning ways after a 2-game losing streak. They struggled at first with the LA Express, but were able to get a key score form Lee Evans late in the game to take the W. Favre was limited to 203 yards by a pretty good Express defense, but the Express are just not strong enough on offense to do much, even with Keyshawn Johnson returning for limited action (22 snaps) in this game.
BALTIMORE 15 WASHINGTON 27
The Feds also snap a 2-game losing streak with a big win in their biggest rivalry game. Baltimore got out to an early lead but got burnt by a former player as Eddie Kennison took a simiple slant and ran it 59 yards for a score as the 2nd quarter concluded, putting the Feds up for good. A 2-yard Stewart bootleg run and a Bob Sanders pick-6 for Washington helped them pull away and improve their record to 6-2.
DENVER 17 TEXAS 20
The Outlaws played one of their most complete games of the year and despite giving up 121 on the ground to Mewelde Moore (who is looking more and more like Denver’s main back), were able to hang on and defeat the Denver Gold. Texas got TD runs by Duckett (2 yards) and Troy Davis (34 yards), but needed a Rian Lindell field goal in the final minute to secure the W. Denver got 2 Leinart TD passes, but just had no time to respond to the late Outlaw field goal.
OAKLAND 27 ARIZONA 10
Another week, another ugly loss for the Wranglers. Ricky Williams rushed for 112, Norwood for another 72, and Oakland had a 20-3 lead at the half. Jake Plummer could do nothing to get back in it and Arizona fell once again. They had chances, especially after Joey Harrington left the game with a nerve pinch. His replacement, Ingle Martin, was also knocked out of the game, so it was emergency QB Billy Volek to the rescue. Volek went 0 for 4 throwing, but the run game for Oakland killed time. The defense did the rest.
MICHIGAN 20 CHICAGO 17
A hard hitting game and a late Michigan score send Chicago to defeat for the first time since Week 1. The Panther star of the week was Hines Ward, who caught both Panther TDs, including the 8-yard toss in the 4th that would give them the W over the Machine. What was even more impressive is that Michigan, using a HB platoon of Fargas, Washington and rookie Mike Hart, gained 173 against one of the best run defenses in football. Even Michael Turner’s 106 rushing could not compare with Michigan’s success.
NEW ORLEANS 13 TAMPA BAY 21
If it weren’t for Houston’s rally, we might be calling Tampa Bay’s game the comeback of the year. Not quite as dramatic, Tampa Bay was contained for 3 quarters, with New Orleans building up a 13-7 lead after 3 quarters, but the 4th quarter belonged to the Bandits. Chris Doering caught a 34-yard scoring toss from Culpepper to give Tampa Bay a slim lead, and when Donnie Avery fumbled away a first down catch, it put Tampa in position to lock in the W, which they did with a 7-drive capped with a LaBrandon Toefield TD run.
NEW JERSEY 13 ATLANTA 23
The Fire get their first win since Week 2 by knocking off New Jersey in front of a marginal crowd of maybe 19,000 in the Georgia Dome. Tyler Thigpen, in his second start, avoided turnovers and let Darren McFadden to do the heavy lifting. McFadden responded with 138 yards on the ground to fuel the Fire offense. In a game that saw mostly field goals (5 in total), a Rod Smart TD run, paired with a Thigpen to Marcus Robinson TD toss, was enough to upend the moribund Generals.
PHILADELPHIA 33 BIRMINGHAM 3
Speaking of moribund, someone might want to get a mirror to see if the Stallions are still breathing after the beat down Philadelphia gave them. The Stars outgained the hapless Stallions 404-168 as rookie Steve Slaton rushed for 113 and a TD and Kurt Warner went 19 for 26 with 2 TDs. Former CFL QB Dave Dickenson was probably wishing he was in Ottawa after 5 sacks and a pick ruined his day in the hot Alabama sun.
PITTSBURGH 10 LAS VEGAS 30
Tony Banks had a good first outing replacing the injured Steve McNair, throwing for 191 yards and 2 scores as the Thunder handled the Maulers with relative ease. It was 14-10 Las Vegas at the half, but the second half saw 4 consecutive Thunder scoring drives, with Banks hitting Hatchette for a 29-yard TD as the highlight. The Las Vegas defense held Cody Pickett to 119 yards passing and the Maulers failed on two 4th down attempts, as they could not find a play that worked consistently.
JACKSONVILLE 17 PORTLAND 20
It just keeps getting worse for the Bulls as a long flight, a rainy day, and a game Stags team sent them to their sixth straight defeat. Early TDs from Bubba Franks and Koren Robinson put the Bulls in an immediate hole, and Portland did enough to keep the punchless Bulls from coming back on them,, despite Jake Delhomme attempting 49 passes in the game.
OHIO 30 ST. LOUIS 22
Ohio wins their 4th in a row but come nowhere near covering the 13 point spread as the Skyhawks give them a fight. Two Galloway TDs helped give the Glory the W, but Jeff Blake, despite 3 picks in the game, proved again why Coach Williams likes him, throwing for 2 scores and rushing for a 71-yard TD on a busted play. Randy Moss had 4 catches for 126 yards, but was held out of the endzone for Ohio.
Best & Worst of the first 8 Weeks
Halftime of a season that has produced quite a few surprises. We start our midseason review with a list of the best and worst of the season’s first half. What was the best performance, the best game, the worst outing, and the biggest upset? Let’s see what our full time USFL staff of experts selected.
BEST GAME: While we know folks from different fanbases will have their own favorites, our crew pretty quickly settled on Week 6’s matchup between the Memphis Showboats and the Las Vegas Thunder as the most entertaining game of the season so far. The 30-27 affair came down to the final seconds, with Brett Favre equalizing the game with only 1:25 left to play, only to watch Steve McNair orchestrate a final drive to provide a shot for rookie Taylor Mehlihaff a shot at a 50-yarder for the win. Mehlihaff connected and the Thunder took the win in a thriller.
WORST GAME: New Jersey has given us two real stinkers this year, both shutout losses and both in the division, but when we look at the stats, the 23-0 debacle against the Boston Cannons has to be the worst. In a game that saw New Jersey gain only 6 first downs all game, go 1 for 14 on third down, and hold the ball for only 19:10 out of a 60 minute game, there was little to enjoy, unless, of course, you are a die-hard Bostonian who loves sticking it to the NY tri-state area.
BEST OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE: We are going to give this one to Ron Dayne and his 154-yard, 3 TD game against Boston. Dayne’s ground attack was the key to Baltimore upsetting the Cannons in Boston. The big back averaged 8.6 yards every time he touched the ball, with the highlight a punishing run that went for 63 yards largely due to the Cannons’ inability to get Dayne down to the ground despite multiple hits.
WORST OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE: We could just give this to the Generals, or to Kevin Kolb for that Boston game in which he went 7 of 31 for a total of 73 yards, but we already highlighted how bad that game was. No, we will go with more of a shocker, Brian Griese, the 2007 Offensive POTY, has had a somewhat less-successful season in 2008, but his numbers are still generally pretty good. But that was absolutely not the case Week 6 against Texas, when the Panther QB went 13 of 32, for 142 yards and a whopping 4 picks in one game. It was a huge game for Texas, and a huge letdown for a Michigan squad that had been playing well. Fortunately Griese bounced back in Week 7 with 2 TDs and a win over St. Louis, but that Texas game has to feel like a winnable game that just got away.
BEST DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE: Not a name we call out often, but Ohio LB Glenn Cadrez got the job done against the Pittsburgh Maulers in Week 5. In one game he had a whole season, recording 12 tackles, 2 defended passes, a sack, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pick-six. Not a bad day at all for a linebacker.
WORST DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE: We are not going to single out any one player, mostly because defensive players can be scary (and vindictive), so we don’t want to call anyone out, but we are going to point at the entire Birmingham Stallion defense and ask how they ever gave up 44 points to a New Orleans team that is barely averaging 20 per game and has rookies at both the HB and 2 of 3 starting WR positions? You would expect turnovers to be the reason for such a lopsided loss (44-17), but Birmingham only committed one. The defense, on the other hand, gave up 155 yards rushing, 239 passing, and another 83 on penalties. No way to win a game to be sure.
BEST UNDERDOG STORY: While we could easily point to both Charlotte and Portland for their strong first 8 games in league history, we are going to give this one to the Washington Federals, who most picked to finish 4th if not dead last in the NE Division. A 6-2 record in the first half of the season was certainly not on anyone’s radar, and, of course, this story is also in part a comeback story for Kordell Stewart, who returned from a season-long injury in 2007 and is playing better than ever.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: It has to be the Jacksonville Bulls. Expected to compete with Orlando for the Southern Division, and winners of their opening two games, the wheels have simply fallen off the bus for the Bulls as they have now lost 6 straight and are very much at risk of being mathematically eliminated very early. For a team that has the talent that Jacksonville has, this is a huge letdown.
The Biggest Surprises of 2008
We mentioned earlier that this has been a season of surprises. What do we mean? Well, here is our bullpen’s list of the biggest surprises no one saw coming this year.
That Portland and Charlotte would be significantly better in their first season than St. Louis and Atlanta are in their 3rd. The whole point for expansion teams is to build over time, and yet it seems like no one told any of the 4 recent expansion teams. Both Charlotte and Portland are exceeding expectations for a first year club, while the 1-7 Skyhawks and 2-6 Fire seem to be regressing. Where is the Fire club that went 7-7 as a new entry back in 2006? And how is St. Louis still so thin on talent in their 3rd season?
The rookie rushers of 2008. We expected some good things, but we have gotten more than we could have hoped for. Not only is Rashard Mendenhall of Boston in the Top 5 for yards, but he is joined in the Top 20 by Philadelphia’s Steve Slaton (591 yards), Atlanta’s Darren McFadden (563 yards) and Portland’s Jonathan Stewart (513). Add to this group Breaker HB Mat Forte, with two 100-yard games to date, and Orlando’s Jacob Hester, who got his first start this week and rushed for 96, and you have quite a grouping of quality backs in one year. Of the big-name backs taken, only Felix Jones in Birmingham and Mike Hart in Michigan have yet to really bust out, and Hart was not really expected to get many touches anyway. So, all in all, this has been a very good year for rookie rushers, though we know that the 2nd half of the season is when the legs will start to feel heavy. It happens every year with the transition from fall college football to spring pro football.
Hatchette and Hackett. Two receivers with eerily similar names have found themselves near the top of the receiving yards rankngs, both quite a surprise. Matt Hatchette has been a decent, if not All-Star #1 receiver for several years, but Las Vegas was never in a position to propel him to the top of the rankings. So far this year, they have found ways to get him the ball. As for D. J. Hackett, playing for an expansion club in Charlotte, where he was expected to be the #2 to Curtis Conway, he was not expected to step up this way, But, when Conway announced his retirement in camp, Hackett was the choice to move to #1 and he has responded with over 650 yards in 8 games.
The comeback story of Kordell Stewart. Look, it is not like we did not expect Stewart to come in and play well for Washington, it is just that even when he was healthy the past 2-3 years, the Feds still did not do much. This year he not only returned to action but Coach Payton is finding ways to maximize his skill set and produce problems for defenses. Stewart is not a classic drop back thrower, and Payton has recognized that and built a gameplan around misdirection, and the threat of the run. That has helped McCallister, Stewart, and this Feds team as a whole.
The shaky play of several preseason favorites. Pick your team, Boston? Orlando? Seattle? Jacksonville? There are a lot of 4-4, 3-5, and even 2-6 clubs who everyone expected to be 7-1 or 6-2 at this point. And while it looks like Seattle, and maybe Orlando, have figured out how to right the ships, it appears that we either grossly overestimated what Boston and Jacksonville could do this year, or they are crumbling under the pressure. Whatever the reality, it seems we are not going to see either Drew Bledsoe or Jake Delhomme in the postseason this year, and we cannot yet feel positive about Drew Brees or Byron Leftwich.
Coaches Who Should Be Worried Right Now
For every rising club like the Stars and Bandits, there is another club that is falling far short of fan expectations, and in many cases, owner expectations as well. We already know that Arizona’s Jim Fassel is already on thin ice after a brutal 1-7 start, but who else is on the potential hot seat right now. We see 3 coaches whose teams are not helping their job security prospects.
A 3-5 start is not the kind of rebound that Mike Nolan needed in New Orleans. The goal was to prove that the Coach of the Year award from a surprise success in 2006 was the norm, not the disappointing 2007 campaign. Right now the Breakers look a lot more like that 2007 group than the road warriors from the year before. Unless Nolan can get the club to overperform in the second half, getting at least to 8-8, but better to get to 9-7 (requiring a 6-2 second half), it could be tough for Nolan to make the case that he has this team headed in the right direction.
Ron Rivera was already on thin ice in Pittsburgh after a disappointing 6-8 campaign in 2007 (following a disastrous 2-12 year in 2006). He needs to show growth this year, and particularly, he needs to show that Cody Pickett is growing into a viable starter. So far that has not happened, and, with the club also sitting at 3-5, in a very tough division with 3 verifiable Summer Bowl contenders, it is looking pretty unlikely that the Maulers can reach .500 and that could mean the end for Rivera.
Tom Coughlin in Baltimore has the Blitz at 4-4, which is not horrible, but it is also not great. With the Blitz not having made the playoffs since 2000, something more was expected this year. We all still believe that if the Blitz make the postseason, Coughlin is safe, but if they cannot get over the hump and show some potential for future progress, the disciplinarian may well find himself disciplined.
Five Rookies Who Need to Show Us More
We all know the rookies who are lighting things up this year, but there are others who we are still hoping to see more from. This is not abnormal. Every year there are rooks who need time to adjust and earn a spot on the field, but who come through in the final weeks and earn themselves a bigger role in their sophomore campaigns. So, who are the 5 rookies we think need to step it up in weeks 9-16?
5) Felix Jones—HB (BIR): Jones has been sharing carries with Marion Barber for the first 8 weeks, earning his first true start this week. But with so many rookie backs putting up strong numbers, Jones has yet to show that he deserved to be a first round pick. He is averaging 3.6 yards per carry and has only 2 touchdowns so far. What we want to see from Coach Austin and the Stallions is a commitment to put the ball in Jones’s hands 20-25 times a day, and what we want to see from Jones is an ability to turn a 3-yard gain into a 20-yarder from time to time.
4) James Hardy—WR (CHI): With Curtis Conway gone to expansion Charlotte, Hardy had the red carpet rolled out to him to be the #2 receiver. So far he has 24 catches for 290 ayrds, not horrible, but not starting wideout numbers, at least not in a Marty Mornhinweg offense. He has been losing snaps to unknown backup Arnold Brown, and that is not a good look for a high draft pick.
3) Dan Connor-LB (PHI): Very little has gone wrong for Philadelphia this year, but they do have to be somewhat disappointed in local star, Penn State LB Dan Connor, who signed on to become a force in the middle, and to date has only 4 tackles. Admitedly, Connor has not gotten a lot of snaps as the #2 MLB. Paul Posluszny simply does not take plays off, and in a 4-3, that means there is not a lot of opportunity for a 2nd MLB, but we do expect to see Coach Harbaugh rest Poz a bit down the stretch, so when he does, it is up to Connor to show that he belongs on the field on a more regular basis.
2) Brian Kehl-LB (LV): A BYU product graded as a first round pick by both USFL and NFL Scouts, so far Kehl has been a bust. He has not seen a single snap on the field. Not one. And while Las Vegas picked Kehl up in the territorial draft, so he was not technically a high draft pick a lot was expected of the former Cougar. Currently he sits behind Brady Poppinga as a backup to either Shawn Barber or Joey Porter on the outside. Why he is not subbing for either or for MLB Orlando Huff on run downs is still a mystery, but the clear message is that he is just not showing enough in practice.
1) Ray Rice-HB (NJ): We ran through our list of halfbacks above, and we mentioned Jones as a disappointment, but he comes nowhere close to Ray Rice in that department. Rice was handed the reigns and offered a shot to be the heir apparent to the retired Curtis Enis. What has New Jersey gotten? How about 2.5 yards per carry. That is not going to keep you in the lineup for long, that is for sure. Now, we understand, New Jersey has lots of issues, but when you have no run game, it can make a lot of other problems much worse. Rice needs to show something or he should expect New Jersey to go in a different direction in 2009.
Baltimore and Memphis fall prey to the injury bug this week, with Blitz safety David Trujillo and Memphis tackle Anthony Clement both placed on the IR after suffering major injuries this week. They are joined on IR by Arizona safety Brian Dawkins, who was injured last week but was reevaluated this week as swelling in his injured back worsened. He is expected to be fine, but the medical team recommended his season be suspended.
The only other injuries of note were the right foot of Portland strong safety Terreal Bierria (a bad week for safeties this week) and the big toe of Orlando guard Damion Cook. Expect both to be out around 2 weeks.
Expect these players to be back in action after being upgraded to Probable on today’s injury list: NSH CB Lenny Walls, HOU LB Keith Brooking, CHA DE Julius Peppers, NSH WR Derrick Mason, NOR CB Billy Austin, ARZ HB Sedrick Irvin, PHI FS Anthony Dorsett, ORL OT Jonas Jennings, OHI C Richie Incognito, and MEM FB Theron Wilson.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
PHILADELPHIA STARS
CURRENT GRADE: A+ (8-0, First in NE)
HIGHLIGHTS: Pretty much everything. The defense is the best in the league (both in yardage and scoring) and the offense is 3rd, which is a huge surprise. Perhaps the biggest surprise success has been the run game, a combination of two young players, Michael Robinson and rookie Steve Slaton, both exceeding expectations. Slaton is on pace for 1,000 yards, and Robinson is not far behind. If the Stars can keep feeding the ball to these two, they will be tough to beat.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: As good as the Stars have been, we are surprised to see Kurt Warner with fewer than 2,000 yards (only 1,709) and only an 8-5 TD-INT ratio. Clearly Philly does not need Warner to be Brett Favre in order to win, but improving the TD-INT ratio at a minimum should be a goal.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: A to A+, 13 to 14 wins. We don’t see a 16-0 season as possible here, but the top seed in the East should be the target.
TAMPA BAY BANDITS
CURRENT GRADE: A+ (7-1, First in SE)
HIGHLIGHTS: Before the season we noted that Tampa Bay’s receiving corps could be the worst in the league after the departure of Randy Moss. Guess it is time we ate some crow. Tampa has the 8th best passing offense, and while that may not sound like much, it is truly impressive when we look at who they have catching the ball. Chris Doering has stepped up big time, with over 581 yards and 8 TDs this year. Karl Williams, best known as a kick returner, has over 550 yardsas well, and they are getting contributions from others like Roscoe Parrish and Davone Bess as well.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: While the defense is looking solid at #4 in scoring D, they Bandits do give up a lot of passing yards. Their pass rush is not as dynamic as Coach Spurrier would like, forcing the club to blitz quite a bit. That is fine now, but come playoff time, that could provide an opening for a team to exploit a thinner coverage on the back end.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: A, 11 to 13 wins is very possible, and with 5 of their final 8 games in the division, Tampa Bay could wrap up a bye week pretty soon.
MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS
CURRENT GRADE: A (6-2, First in Southern)
HIGHLIGHTS: The #1 passing game in the USFL is a clear and obvious highlight for the Showboats. Brett Favre is a serious MVP candidate with 14 TDs and leading the league with over 2,300 yards passing. Lee Evans has come on as a premier receiver, on pace for a 1,300 yard season, and Robert Ferguson remains one of the best possession receivers in the game. 2nd year receiver Sidney Rice has also developed into a major threat in the slot. All good on this front.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: The defense gives up a lot of yards, a lot of first downs, and a lot of time of possession. A shrewd club with the ability to run the ball and eat clock can limit Memphis’s offensive capabilities. Ranked 24th in yards allowed, the Showboats have to do better on 3rd down, as their 2-game losing streat against Las Vegas and Seattle demonstrated recently.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: A-, 10-11 wins and the Southern Title. We see the Memphis defense as a significant flaw in the champion’s defense title run. There are a lot of teams out there who can take advantage of that, so unless the Showboats want to win every game as a shootout, they need to find a way to shut down drives.
WASHINGTON FEDERALS
CURRENT GRADE: A (6-2, 2nd in NE)
HIGHLIGHTS: If grades were curved against expectations, Washington would be our top team. No one saw this level of success coming. We all knew they could run the ball, and that their defense would likely be Top 10, but it is the return of Kordell Stewart, and the Federal passing game, that has made this unexpected success possible.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: As good as the Federals have been on defense (6th in scoring), they are not creating a lot of turnovers. That means the offense is typically facing longer drives and longer odds to score. It has not been an issue yet, but you know Coach Payton would like to see the D creating more short fields and momentum-shifting plays.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: B+, 9-10 wins. Recent losses to both Philadelphia and Houston seem to indicate how you go about beating the Federals. If other teams can copy the ball-control model of those two games, they might find success against a Feds team that many are still not totally sold on.
ORLANDO RENEGADES
CURRENT GRADE: B- (4-4, 2nd in SE)
HIGHLIGHTS: Pass defense, particularly the pass rush, has been the highlight of the season for the Renegades. The team ranks #1 in passing yards allowed, at 163 a game. That is tremendous, and a big part of that has been the immediate impact of rookie Calais Campbell. Orlando is just not a team you want to come back against, because they will just pin their ears back and go after your QB.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: The ‘Gades are only 4-4 for a reason, and that reason is their rushing game. Yes, rookie Jacob Hester had 100 yards this week, but that was against expansion Charlotte. The combo of Hester and Najeh Davenport has not been atrocious, but it has not been enough to keep pressure off of Drew Brees, one big reason the passing attack is ranked only 17th right now.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: B+, 8-9 Wins. We think Orlando can improve in the 2nd half. Three straight wins, all games where they allowed fewer than 14 points, seem to indicate that defense will be the reason.
BALTIMORE BLITZ
CURRENT GRADE: B (4-4, 3rd in the NE)
HIGHLIGHTS: The arrival of Tory Holt has helped add some danger to the Blitz passing attack. It is now a Top 10 unit, averaging over 230 yards a game, and Holt is the leader of the pack with 45 receptions and over 600 yards.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: Inconsistency is the biggest bugaboo for Baltimore. They have been up and down all season long, and while nearly all their losses are close games, they need to find a way to win those. Their pass rush was shaky, so they made a big trade for Jared Allen, who they hope can add some real menace to their front four.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: B+, 8-10 Wins. We are big believers in the Allen trade. If he can create more pressure, allowing the Blitz to drop 7 into coverage, their 24th ranked pass defense can get a lot better, and that may make all the difference in a team that has been in nearly every game they have lost.
NASHVILLE KNIGHTS
CURRENT GRADE: C+ (3-5, 2nd in South)
HIGHLIGHTS: In an inconsistent and disappointing first half to the season, the one constant highlight is HB Frank Gore. Gore’s 619 yards put him on pace to hit 1,200 yards again this year. He is the one dependable feature of the Knights’ offense, and should be a candidate for All-USFL again.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: As much as we want to point the finger at Jay Cutler and his 1:1 TD-INT ratio, the truth is that the big letdown this year has been the defense. Nashville is ranked 22nd in scoring D and 21st in yardage allowed. That is not typical Knights football, and it cannot be making Coach Johnson happy. The issues on defense make the trade of Jared Allen a real headscratcher for the Knights, but more problematic is a secondary that has been prone to mistiming runs on receivers, leading to a lot of missed picks and long gains instead.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: C (7 or 8 wins at most). We just don’t see a way for Nashville to turn this around this year. 6-10 or 7-9 is very possible for this squad, and that is not what anyone associated with the Knights wanted for this year.
CHARLOTTE MONARCHS
CURRENT GRADE: A- (3-5 and 3rd in SE)
HIGHLIGHTS: Yes, the Monarchs have a losing record right now, but wins over Boston, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh are solid results for a first-year expansion club. Statistically they are not great, midrange or worse in most areas, but Jim Mora Jr.’s group is finding ways to win. They appear to have a solid comeback story in HB Robert Edwards and D. J. Hackett has impressed at wideout. When Curtis Conway retired in camp, there was fear for the receiving corps, but Hackett, brought over from the NFL Seahawks, has been a quality option for QB Chris Weinke.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: The Monarchs have all the usual issues that expansion teams have, a line not used to playing together, a lack of quality depth, a need for a few more gamechanging players, but overall they are exceeding expectations.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: A- , 6-7 wins. If Charlotte can equal Atlanta’s 7-7 inaugural season from 2 years ago, that would be a major accomplishment, and one that could actually have them in the playoff hunt.
NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS
CURRENT GRADE: B- (3-5, third in South)
HIGHLIGHTS: As much as fans want to criticize Eli Manning’s leadership style or demeanor, you cannot argue with an 11-4 TD-INT ratio or with a rating in the 90’s. New Orleans is not an elite team, but Manning is not the reason, at least not this year.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: The young receiving corps is doing better than expected, but they still are struggling to make yards after the catch, which is forcing the team to sustain long drives in order to score. They need more big plays from Bowe, Doucet, and Avery, and a lot of that may depend on more aggressive playcalling from the sidelines.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: B, 7-8 Wins. We suspect New Orleans will edge Nashville for 2nd in the division, and could be in competition for a Wild Card. That would be a good outcome for this club.
BOSTON CANNONS
CURRENT GRADE: D (3-5, 4th in NE Division)
HIGHLIGHTS: It has to be Rashard Mendenhall. The rookie leader in rushing yards, on pace for a possible 1,400 yard season, the Illinois product has been all that Coach Fox could have asked for a year after losing Tiki Barber.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: Everything else. Boston was expected to be an elite team for Drew Bledsoe’s farewell tour, geared to challenge for a Summer Bowl berth. Instead we have a 3-win team at the midway point and a team that is losing games to teams that, on paper, should not be able to compete with them. Losing to expansion Charlotte was embarrassing, but to lose 2 weeks ago to the moribund New Jersey Generals, that is shameful. This is a team that has all the talent you could want, but it is not playing good football right now.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: C, 7-8 wins. We just cannot imagine Coach Fox will allow this to continue. Boston will surge in the second half of the year, and could still eke out a playoff spot if they get serious.
ATLANTA FIRE
CURRENT GRADE: C- (2-6, 4th in SE Division)
HIGHLIGHTS: Another rookie as the highlight, with Darren McFadden proving to have been a good choice with the Fire’s 1st round pick. McFadden should finish with 1,000 yards and is the one highlight in a pretty dismal 3rd campaign in Atlanta.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: The passing game is a shambles. The recent trade for Kelly Holcomb may finally be a sign that Coach Gruden has realized that David Garrard is not the man. He is now starting Tyler Thigpen, and that did produce a win this past week, but we don’t think they have either the QB or the receivers to win this year.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: C-. 5-6 wins. The Fire seem to be getting worse each year. 10 losses is a real possibility this season.
NEW JERSEY GENERALS
CURRENT GRADE: D (2-6, 5th in NE Division)
HIGHLIGHTS: Finding something that is going right in New Jersey is tough. They have already been shut out twice this season and are only averaging 9.9 points per game. If there is one player who is showing up each week it would have to be DE Reynaldo Wynn, whose 6 sacks is at least on pace for a decent 10+ final result.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: Name it. Run game? Defense? QB Play? We could point to any one of them. The only reason we did not give New Jersey an F this year is that we did not expect them to be very good, so they have not failed in meeting that expectation.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: D. 3-4 wins. The Generals have some attainable games on the schedule, and could pull off another upset as they did against Boston. If they get more than 5 wins, we have to upgrade them, but for now a D seems generous.
JACKSONVILLE BULLS
CURRENT GRADE: F (2-6, 5th in SE Division)
HIGHLIGHTS: The offense is still putting up yards, so we cannot entirely fault them. We wish they scored more than 18 points a game, but they are putting up nearly 350 yards each week. That ought to be good enough to win more games.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: The entire defense minus Mike Vrabel. Vrabel appears to be the only player on D who is playing up to his talent. Lavar Arrington has become mostly invisible, the D-line is not getting the job done (Ifeanyi leads the team with only 3 sacks) and the secondary is giving up big play after big play. A total disaster for a team that was expected to be a contender.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: F. 3-5 wins. Unless the entire defense suddenly figures out what their issues are, we just don’t see the Bulls being able to turn this dumpster fire of a season into something a little less horrific.
BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS
CURRENT GRADE: F (1-7, 5th in South)
HIGHLIGHTS: If there is one positive in this season for Birmingham it may be that the ownership and coaching staff have finally come to the conclusion that Jason Campbell is not the answer at QB. Fans have been saying it for a long time. Problem is, CFL import Dave Dickenson also does not appear to be the answer. If it were not for the fact that nothing else is working either, we would say the Stallions were a lock to go for a QB in the draft.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: This team is dead last in scoring defense, yards allowed, 27th in yards for, and 26th in scoring. The list of concerns is endless. First off they need a major talent infusion at nearly every position. The Stallions look and feel more like an expansion club than either of the actual expansion teams.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: F. 2-3 wins would be the most we could see coming. A 1-win season could very easily happen.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
OAKLAND INVADERS
CURRENT GRADE: A+ (7-1, First in Pacific)
HIGHLIGHTS: A lot has gone right for the Invaders this year, but we want to celebrate a defense that is allowing only 14 points per game. For us, the key to that success is a defense that is putting on a clinic on tackling. The Invaders, led by LB’s Dan Morgan and Roosevelt Colvin, are just not allowing players to break free, or find angles. They swarm to the ball, and they bring the ballcarrier down. That is a good thing to be known for.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: While Burress, Jennings, and Alex Bannister are proving to be a solid 1-2-3 receiver option, the TE position is just not working for the Invader offense. Yes, both Dreesen and Dudley are being asked to run block a lot more, but when your lead TE has only 97 yards receiving at midseason, you need an upgrade. They have 2 weeks before the trade deadline comes around, so perhaps there is a move to be made.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: A. 11-13 Wins and a top seed in the West seem very attainable, even playing in a very tough division.
MICHIGAN PANTHERS
CURRENT GRADE: A (6-2, First in the Central Division)
HIGHLIGHTS: If I told you in the preseason that the Michigan Panthers would be the #1 rushing offense in the league, you would have laughed me out of the room. But that is where we are. Michigan’s 3-man rotation of Justin Fargas, Leon Washington, and rookie Mike Hart is averaging 146 yards a game. That is a huge improvement over past years, and it is propelling Michigan to surprising success.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: While there are some concerns with Brian Griese’s dropoff in production, the honest concern is that they are looking at Ohio in the rear-view mirror, and they are getting nervous. There is still a sense in Michigan that the Panthers just don’t believe they are as good as Ohio, and that they will atsome point crack. They beat the Glory in Week 1 and face them again in Week 11. A win in that 2nd game could be the best thing for Michigan’s sense of self.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: A, 10-13 wins and quite possibly a bye in the playoffs, if, and only if, they can hold off the Glory.
HOUSTON GAMBLERS
CURRENT GRADE: A- (5-3, 1st in the SW Division)
HIGHLIGHTS: The Gamblers have found balance, thanks in large part to the arrival of Shaun Alexander to boost the run game. They don’t beat themselves, and they are in nearly every game, as was evident this week when they overcame a 27-6 deficit in the final quarter against Boston.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: We are concerned that the offense has lost some of its explosiveness by attaining greater balance. Matt Hasselbeck is just not taking the risks in the passing game that he did in the past, and that is actually hurting the Gamblers. They rank 23rd in passing yards, which seems like a fixable problem, but one they have to acknowledge first.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: A. 10-12 wins. We still see Houston as the frontrunner in the division, but they have to find more explosiveness if they want to compete with Ohio, Michigan, or Oakland in the playoffs.
OHIO GLORY
CURRENT GRADE: A- (6-2, 2nd in Central)
HIGHLIGHTS: Four straight wins have calmed the nerves of Ohio fans who were not ready to be 2-2 after 4 weeks. The biggest reason is, drum roll, yup, the #1 rated offense in the league. Are you surprised? Kerry Collins is back in MVP form, leading the league in TD throws, Eddie George looks 24 again, and the combo of Galloway and Moss is beginning to dominate the way Ohio fans hoped it would.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: Another explosive offense paired with a defense that has trouble against the run. The pass rush is there, which is good when you have a lead, but again the Glory could be susceptible to a team shortening the game and limiting possessions by using the run game against them.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: A. 11-14 wins is possible. We could easily envision Ohio overtaking the Panthers and earning a bye in the playoffs. They are on a 4-game win streak, but with matchups against Tampa Bay, Chicago (2x), Michigan, Oakland, and Seattle on the docket, they do not have an easy path forward.
CHICAGO MACHINE
CURRENT GRADE: A (6-2, 3rd in Central)
HIGHLIGHTS: If you want to know how the Machine plan to defend their Western Conference title and reach the Summer Bowl again, all you have to do is look at the defense. The Machine are #2 in scoring D and #1 against the run. They have a dominant DE in Anthony Weaver and one of the best MLB’s in the game in Brian Urlacher. Their only losses were against Michigan and Tampa Bay, so they are not playing down to their competition. They face Ohio twice in the 2nd half, so that could be huge for them.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: The offense needs to be able to take some pressure off of that defense. Brady Quinn is suffering from a bit of a sophomore slump, putting up barely 1,100 yards in his first 8 games this year, and the loss of Curtis Conway has definitely left a hole in the receiving corps, one rookie James Hardy has not stepped into yet.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: A-. 10-12 wins. We are worried that the offensive issues will make it a struggle when Chicago faces Ohio, Michigan, and Houston in the 2nd half of the season. The difference between 1st and 3rd in the Central could be as slim as a tiebreaker, so Chicago cannot afford to lose focus.
LAS VEGAS THUNDER
CURRENT GRADE: B+ (5-3, 2nd in Pacific)
HIGHLIGHTS: The best thing we have seen this season from the Thunder is a greater balance between offense and defense. Yes, the defense has slipped a bit from last year, but still allows fewer than 18 points per game, while the offense is markedly improved, at least until the injury to Steve McNair. Whether they can continue their better production without him is perhaps their biggest issue right now.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: We just said it. McNair is down for at least 6 weeks. Can the Thunder score enough points with Tony Banks at QB? Will they bring in a Dilfer or George to help if Banks struggles? It is a huge issue, because there is very little room for mistakes with both Portland and Seattle just 1 game behind them.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: B. 7-9 wins. We think Las Vegas will struggle to win another 5 games. If they can just break even, winning 4 of 8, they should be in playoff contention. We will learn a lot in the next 2 weeks when they play Seattle and LA back to back.
DENVER GOLD
CURRENT GRADE: A- (5-3, 2nd in SW Division)
HIGHLIGHTS: The absolute surprise this year is that Coach Jauron has officially made Mewelde Moore the primary back and limited Cedric Benson to a role as a short yardage guy. And it is working! Moore, in his last 2 games, has rushed for 94 and 121 yards. Now, that was against Arizona and Texas, so we are a bit dubious, but if he can average even 80 yards a game, add in 20-30 from Benson, and you have a run game that can keep pressure off Matt Leinart.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: The defense is solid, so nothing there, which makes Matt Leinart the biggest concern. His QB Rating has bounced back from a truly bad 2007 (from 77.3 up to 92.3), and his 14-5 TD-Pick ratio is looking really good, but there is still a lot of concern that he is one bad game away from crumbling.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: A-, 9-11 wins, and a possible shot at the Division Title. Denver has 2 games left against the Gamblers. A sweep and they likely take the division, a split and we shall have to see how the tiebreakers fall.
PORTLAND STAGS
CURRENT GRADE: A (4-4, 3rd in Pacific)
HIGHLIGHTS: Normally a 4-4 record would not get you an A grade, but for a first year expansion club, that is a phenomenal result. Add to that the fact this club has beaten some quality teams (Seattle, Michigan, and LA) and there is a lot to be excited about. Perhaps the best thing we see is a team ranked #7 in both yardage and points allowed. That is a great start for a franchise.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: A. J. Feeley has struggled to get the passing game going, ranked 25th in the league. His conservative approach (or is it Coach Brooks’s conservative approach) means that he rarely stretches the defense. We are not saying Brooks should look at another option, at least not this year, but what needs to happen is that Feeley has to take some shots downfield to Koren Robinson, Roddy White or Andre Davis to open up the run game.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: A-/B+, 6-9 wins. If they get to 7-7 or 8-6, they deserve an A, but if they slip a bit, which is entirely possible, a 6-10 season is still a solid B+ in our books.
SEATTLE DRAGONS
CURRENT GRADE: B (4-4, 4th in Pacific)
HIGHLIGHTS: Basically the last 4 games, where Seattle has looked like Seattle. They have looked good against both Houston and Memphis, which is not easy to do, and they finally have their offense moving the ball consistently.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: The Dragons need to do better at getting the ball into the hands of Darren Sproles. For as much as we love Corey Dillon, he should not be carrying the ball 20+ times a game at this point. Sproles is a difference maker and we are just not seeing enough opportunities in the passing game for him to help open things up for the Dragons.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: A-, 9-11 wins and a possible shot at Oakland for the division. We are going to forget the 0-4 start and say that this club could win 5-7 games in the second half. That could be enough to catch up to Oakland, especially if they can avenge their Week 1 loss when they face the Invaders again in Week 15.
PITTSBURGH MAULERS
CURRENT GRADE: B- (3-5, 4th in Central)
HIGHLIGHTS: The Maulers have two things going for them on defense, a very solid gameplan against the run, allowing only 87 yards per game, and the ability to rush the passer with only their front four. Kyle Vanden Bosch continues to be their best defender, and CB Patrick Surtain is doing a lot to eliminate each opponent’s #1 receiver.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: Cody Pickett is just not developing into the player Pittsburgh thought they were getting when they traded for him. In his few games in Seattle he held a QB Rating of over 115, but in his2 seasons in Pittsburgh (1.5 seasons really), he is closer to 80.0. That is just not good enough. He makes too many poor throws or poor decisions, evident in his 22 game TD-INT ratio of 19-22. A negative ratio is not going to keep you starting games. The Maulers are unlikely to bench Pickett for Quincy Carter, but if he cannot start making better decisions, this could be an offseason position of interest for the Maulers.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: C+, 6-7 Wins. We don’t see the Maulers winning more than 4 more games, not with Oakland, Michigan (2x), Chicago, Ohio, and Orlando on the schedule. They will be lucky to get 3 wins (Atlanta, St. Louis and a split with Michigan) to finish at 6-10.
LOS ANGELES EXPRESS
CURRENT GRADE: C- (3-5, 5th in Pacific)
HIGHLIGHTS: Rookie defenders Keith Rivers and Dominique Rogers-Cromartie have been stellar. A lot of good vibes about the future of this defense with these two added to the other top players LA has amassed on that side of the ball. Their rankings are not great, but that has more to do with having absolutely no offense to balance out games.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: No one knew how good Seneca Wallace was until he went down. Neither Jeff Lewis or Jeff Garcia have been able to generate any type of offense since taking over for the injured QB. The goal right now has to be to try to win at least 1 more game before Wallace comes back (possibly Week 10) and then hope his is ready to roll and help LA finish strong.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: C, 6-9 wins. If Wallace can come back with 6 weeks left, and if he can win 3 or more games in that 6-game run, the Express could make a late run, but that feels like a lot of ifs for a team that has looked hapless without him.
TEXAS OUTLAWS
CURRENT GRADE: D, 2-6, 3rd in SW Division)
HIGHLIGHTS: The offense has definitely been better this year. T. J. Duckett continues to produce good games week in and week out and rookie QB Joe Flacco seems to be adjusting well to the pro game. Their Week 6 and Week 8 wins against Michigan and Denver were good signs of potential success to come.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: The defense is still struggling to make stops, especially against the run, where they are giving up nearly 150 yards per game. If you cannot stop the run, you cannot prevent the play action pass, and if both of those are working against you, it is very hard to get wins.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: C, 5-7 wins. We think Texas could have a better second half, possibly going 4-4, which would be a nice way to finish off a year that started 0-5.
ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS
CURRENT GRADE: F (1-6, 5th in Central)
HIGHLIGHTS: We had to look long and hard to find something Coach Williams can be happy about. We could just praise WR Taylor Jacobs again, but that record is played to death. So, we looked over the roster and we decided to at least throw some positivity at someone different, and that someone is LB Wali Rainier. The 6 year vet is contributing against both the run and the pass, with 70 tackles, 2 sacks and a pick this year. If he had more help around him, he could be an All-USFL darkhorse, but as it stands we at least recognize that he is a player to build around.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: We are not seeing the kind of clear direction from Coach Williams that Skyhawk fans wanted. Blake has not been the answer at QB, despite his occasional dual threat potential. Throwing 13 picks to 7 touchdowns is not any way to hold down the starting job. Even worse, it seems Coach Williams cannot pick a HB and stick with him. He has started (and given dominant carries) to 3 different backs, and the only rusher on the team with more than 3.4 yards per carry is Larry Johnson, who was 3rd on the depth chart until this week. Will Williams stick with the Penn State product or is the seemingly pointless rotation going to continue?
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: F. 2-3 wins. We just don’t see this team suddenly finding their way and winning more games. They may get lucky in a couple of games on their schedule, or they could end up with the #1 pick in the draft. Either way, in their 3rd year we have to call this an F.
ARIZONA WRANGLERS
CURRENT GRADE: F. (1-7, 4th in SW Division)
HIGHLIGHTS: The new stadium is nice, no sweltering heat. There we said something positive. We dare you to find anything else positive to say about this club this year. Sorry, Wrangler fans, you deserve better.
ISSUES OF CONCERN: Name it. 26th in points allowed, 27th in yards allowed, 19th in scoring, and 27th in rushing despite bringing in a consistent 1,000 yard rusher in Sedrick Irvin. This absolutely feels like a club that needs a fresh start, and you know it is bad when your local hero QB is asking to be traded, as Jake Plummer has been the past few weeks. Will they let their golden boy go? Maybe they should, just to signal a whole new direction.
PREDICTED FINAL GRADE: F. 1-3 wins. We do not see a single game on their remaining schedule that they should win. They have only 1 game against a team with a losing record (Week 10 @ Texas) and we think the Outlaws are likely to take that one, so a 1-15 season is very possible. A good reason to clean house.
We have worked our way through the original 12 franchises in our Mt. Rushmore polling, so that brings us to the class of 1984, just one year into the league’ existence, when they added 4 clubs. Today it will be two of the more successful clubs in the league, with the current defending USFL Champion Memphis Showboats and the 3-time champion Houston Gamblers.
MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS
I don’t even have to tell you who won the most votes as a Showboat superstar from the past. No player in the league is more synonymous with his team than the Minister of Defense, Reggie White. White dominated the line of scrimmage for 16 years, racking up a jaw-dropping 259 sacks, 12 All-USFL Team nominations, 1984 Rookie of the Year, 1990 MVP, and 1992 Defensive Player of the Year. His final season in 1999 was an exclamation point with the Showboats winning their first league title. Sadly White passed away far too soon in 2004, a victim of a cardiac arrhythmia. He was a giant among men in the USFL, and in the community, an obvious choice for the Mountain.
The second highest votegetter was another longstanding leader on the Showboat squads, quarterback Heath Shuler. Chosen from the University of Tennessee in the T-Draft of 1994, he would become the full-time starter mid-way through his sophomore campaign. Shuler would go on to lead the Showboat offense for 12 seasons before a tragic car accident caused him to miss most of the 2006 season and to retire at the end of the year. It was a sad end to what had been an illustrious career. Shuler led Memphis to the title in 1999 with a 4,900 yard, 42 touchdown season, his best as a pro. He retired with more than 41,000 yards passing and over 300 career touchdowns. Shuler will be eligible for USFL Hall of Fame nomination in 2011, and we fully expect him to make the hall, but for now he is enshrined in our (informal) Mt. Rushmore.
Third up was one of the best tight ends in league history, and a fixture in the Showboat passing offense for more than a decade. Adrian Cooper was not a highly touted rookie, picked in the 3rd round by Memphis in the 1991 Draft, he did not become a regular starter until 4 years later. Once he stepped into the starting role, his impact was immediate. In 1995 he caught 76 balls for over 800 yards and 5 TDs. He would only go up from there. When he retired after the 2005 campaign he had racked up over 900 catches, nearly 12,000 yards, and 99 career touchdowns at the Tight End position. He is in the conversation with Keith Jackson and Shannon Sharpe as the best at his position in league history.
And in fourth place, an NFL signee who would go on to rack up some huge numbers in the USFL, wideout Mel Gray. Gray came to the USFL a savvy veteran, having already played 11 seasons in the NFL with the St. Louis Cardinals. He would play 7 more with the Showboats, and from the start his production was off the charts. He had 100 receptions for 1,230 yards in 1984, followed by 121 for 1,553 the following year. His 143 receptions in 1987 remains 2nd all time (to Jeff Campbell of Michigan in 1998) and Gray retired with 6 seasons over 100 catches, an absolutely amazing stat and one that absolutely places him among the elite not just for the Showboats, but for the league as a whole.
HOUSTON GAMBLERS
Another club with some pretty obvious superstars to add to the mountain. We start with the man who is still the face of the franchise, appearing often at games and team events and a big presence in the city of Houston, Quarterback Jim Kelly. The orchestrator of Mouse Davis’s Run & Shoot offense, and the team leader for three title runs, Kelly is a legend for the Gamblers. Kelly was voted league MVP three times, including twice in seasons when he did not win the title. He retired in 1996 with over 53,000 passing yards and 412 touchdowns. Along with Reggie White, another indisputable Best of the Best in the USFL.
And you almost never talk about Kelly without also talking about the 1988 Rookie of the Year and 9-time All-USFL running back, Thurman Thomas. Thomas was the piece the Run & Shoot needed to get over the hump and win a title. He came on the scene from Oklahoma State in 1988, rushing for 1,331 yards and 9 TDs as a rookie, and helped Houston win the USFL title his first year. He would go on to lead the team in rushing for a decade, rushing for 11,503 yards and 86 touchdowns, while also becoming one of the most prolific receiving backs in football history.
But Houston’s success was not entirely predicated on its offense. The Gamblers quickly became known as a team that could shut down opponents as well. A big piece in Houston’s early defensive strength was linebacker Kiki DeAyala, a 2001 Hall of Fame inductee, the Gamblers’ first. DeAyala was an original Gambler, coming to the team in 1984. He would play 12 seasons on the Gambler defense, winning two titles and being named All-USFL 3 times.
Finally, a player from slightly later in the Gambler’s history. While the early Gamblers teams were led by the Mouseketeers (Ricky Sanders, Clarence Verdin, Gerald McNeil, and Richard Johnson), the acknowledged best receiver in Houston history did not arrive until 1995. Antonio Freeman, signed as a rookie out of Virginia Tech, caught 73 passes for 1,266 yards in his freshman season. He would go on to lead the Gamblers in receiving for over a decade, retiring in 2006 with over 15,500 yards, 1,011 catches, and 104 career touchdowns.
Week Nine and the 2nd half of the USFL season kicks off with a good one in Memphis as the rival Knghts come in from Nashville for a short but very meaningful road trip. On Saturday the highlight is the ESPN Saturday Night game with the Thunder and Dragons clashing in Seattle. Portland and LA are also going head to head in the Pacific Division on Saturday, while Boston clings to its playoff dreams in a tough road game in Baltimore.
On Sunday, our game of the day has to be the FOX national broadcast of the Bandits at the Glory. Three losses between these two clubs means we are in for some high quality football there. Orlando at New Orleans should be another interesting matchup, and despite their records, any game between the Texas Outlaws and Houston Gamblers is usually really entertaining.
FRIDAY @ 8pm Nashville (3-5) @ Memphis (6-2) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Chicago (6-2) @ Charlotte (3-5) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Boston (3-5) @ Baltimore (4-4) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Philadelphia (8-0 @ Jacksonville (2-6) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm Portland (4-4) @ Los Angeles (3-5) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm New Jersey (2-6) @ Denver (5-3) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm Las Vegas (5-3) @ Seattle (4-4) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm Orlando (4-4) @ New Orleans (3-5) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm Birmingham (1-7) @ Washington (6-2) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm Tampa Bay (7-1) @ Ohio (6-2) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm Arizona (1-7) @ Michigan (6-2) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm Atlanta (2-6) @ St. Louis (1-7) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm Texas (2-6) @ Houston (5-3) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm Oakland (7-1) @ Pittsburgh (3-5) ESPN