Baltimore gets a shock from the visiting Bandits, and we see a huge win for Seattle, as they keep their slim playoff hopes alive with an overtime surprise in Chicago. Charlotte falls again, as do Boston and Philadelphia, while Oakland keeps on rolling. The stakes are getting higher with each week, and this week’s results create a logjam in the middle of the standings in both conferences, assuring we will continue to have meaningful games all across the league each week. In addition to running through the scores of the week, we will take a look at the coaches feeling the heat, review the one last-second trade before the league’s trade deadline, and look at the best of the best when it comes to edge rushers in the USFL. All that in this Week 10 edition of This is the USFL.
SEATTLE DRAGONS 44 CHICAGO MACHINE 38 OVERTIME
Someday we are going to focus on a hard fought but low-scoring defensive game, but that day is not today. This week’s game of the week was viewed as a battle between a team that relies on its offense against one that is dominated by its defense, but what we got, and pretty early on, was a shootout that would take the game into extra time before it was decided.
Seattle, sitting on the fringe of playoff elimination at 3-6 was heading into Chicago to face a 6-3 Machine club that had designs on catching the frontrunners in the Central Division. These two would amass over 900 yards of total offense and over 700 yards passing in a game that saw Chicago lead from the early moments until the late 3rd quarter, then fall behind before equalizing and sending the game to overtime.
The game began with Chicago receiving the ball and taking nearly 8 minutes to drive the length of the field, an 81-yard drive that culminated in a short TD toss from Brady Quinn to Donald Driver. After a quick 3-and-out from Seattle, the Machine got the ball back and scored again, this time on a 17-yard run from their workhorse, Michael Turner. After going down 14-0, Seattle woke up, and on their 2nd possession they closed out the first quarter by marching 67 yards and capping off their drive with Byron Leftwich hitting David Boston for a 17-yard TD throw. 14-7 at the end of one.
In the second quarter Seattle evened up the score, and they did it on one play. After forcing a Chicago punt, Seattle got the ball on the 30 and on 1st and 10 they faked the ball to Corey Dillon. Chicago bit on the fake, and the safeties surged forward. That allowed Nate Burleson to find single coverage as he flew down the right sideline. Leftwich avoided the rush and hit Burleson in stride. In one play, the Dragons had gone 70 yards and added a second TD to their score, evening the game at 14.
Chicago would rebound from the defensive slip, again using a mix of the run game of Michael Turner and short passes from Quinn to move the ball down the field in a methodical 10-play drive that culminated with their lead back’s 2nd TD run of the day. But, while the offense was doing its part, the vaunted Chicago defense was struggling to get to Leftwich, and the Boston receivers were taking advantage to get behind the coverage. Seattle again struck quickly. They needed only 5 plays before David Boston again equalized the score, getting the connection from Leftwich on a 30-yard strike. Leftwich, who would finish the day with an epic performance of 453 yards and 5 TD passes, was just hitting his stride.
Chicago continued to battle for the lead, retaking a 7-point advantage late in the half as Quinn found Anthony Fasano for a short TD in the half’s final minute. We went into the break with the Machine leading (tenuously) 28-21.
The second half saw Seattle get their first lead. They would hold Chicago scoreless in the third, and after getting a Dave Rayner field goal to get within 4 at 28-24, they would finally grab their first advantage when Leftwich again found a path to the endzone, connecting with TE Tyler Eckler from 26 yards away. The score put Seattle up by 3 and sent a clear message that Seattle was not intimidated by the Machine or their defensive reputation. They would add to this slim lead as the final period began, Leftwich landing his 5th TD pass of the game, a short crossing route from the 3-yard line to Dwayne Jarrett that gave the Dragons a 38-28 lead.
While the defense struggled, Chicago showed that they too were capable of moving the ball, first garnering a field goal to pull back to within 7 and then mounting a 2-minute drill to close out the game’s four quarters. Quinn relied on his receivers in the final drive, the only Chicago drive not to heavily feature Michael Turner. With connections to Driver, Fasano, Johnny Knox, and finally a 9-yard TD strike to Anquon Boldin with only 5 seconds left on the clock, Chicago came back from the 10-point deficit and sent the game to overtime.
In overtime, both teams failed on their first possessions. Chicago got a second chance and believed they were in position to win the game with a Tim Seder field goal, but the winds at Soldier Field are tricky and Seder’s kick sailed to the right, giving Seattle a chance to win the game with a final drive as the overtime period hit 3 minutes remaining. Seattle did just that, moving the ball crisply down the field, helped at one point by a neutral zone infraction, but largely once again on tosses from Leftwich tohis primary receivers, David Boston (104 yards on the day), Nate Burleson (88 yards), and his tight ends. With the ball placed at the 3-yard line after a Tyler Eckler catch, Seattle turned to their short yardage back, Ladell Betts, and the big man earned his keep, plunging into the endzone on a dive play. Seattle took the W, keeping their somewhat slim playoff hopes alive, while Chicago slid to 6-4, now 2 games behind Michigan and 1 behind Pittsburgh, with 4 games left to play.
TAMPA BAY 30 BALTIMORE 20
Friday’s week opener was all we could have wanted as the Bandits found their offense and Baltimore, even with Roethlisberger in the lineup, struggled to stay with only 1 loss on the year. Big Ben would throw three picks to the suddenly ball-hawking Bandits, while Willis McGahee stunned the Blitz with 120 yards rushing. Ron Dayne added 121 of his own, but it was not enough as Tampa Bay wins by 10 thanks in part to a tenacious defense that made life tough for Big Ben all game long.
NASHVILLE 27 BOSTON 19
The Knights also get a valuable road win as they upend Boston thanks to TD runs from Cedric Cobbs and Peyton Hillis. The Knights sacked Drew Bledsoe 5 times and held him to 17 of 41 passing, which kneecapped the Boston offense and gave Nashville their 7th win of the season, keeping them in first place in the South.
CHARLOTTE 10 WASHINGTON 31
Desperation time for the Monarchs, who acquired a new QB just days before this game. That may have been prescient as Chris Wienke struggled with 2 picks and 5 sacks against the Feds. On offense Washington relied heavily on Deuce McCallister and his 134 yards rushing to get the job done. Kordell Stewart added two short TD passes to help the Feds pull away and win by 21.
LAS VEGAS 17 PITTSBURGH 6
The Maulers expected to face a tough D when they met the Thunder, but they also had to deal with a rejuvenated offense, thanks to the arrival of WR Willie Ponder, who caught 5 balls for 91 yards as Jake Plummer got the W on the road.
JACKSONVILLE 27 BIRMINGHAM 30
A really good game that very few across the country watched. Birmingham would just not go away, scoring the game-tying field goal with 4:57 left and then racing down the field in the final seconds to set up Kris Brown for the game winner. Michael Bush got his first TD as a Stallion and Kyle Boller found Dedrick Ward as the Stallions pulled out the win at home.
TEXAS 20 OHIO 24
Texas was game but this was a win that Ohio had to have. They struggled early, but came back to win this one on a Kevin Smith TD catch. Eddie George and T. J. Duckett both went over 100 yards in this game, a close match where the difference may well have been the 7 penalties that Texas committed in the 2nd half.
HOUSTON 10 MICHIGAN 14
A defensive slugfest that only saw scoring in the first and final periods. Mike Sims-Walker (HOU) and Hines Ward (MGN) scored in the first, and Houston went up 10-7 midway through the fourth, but backup Drew Stanton (in for a dinged-up Brian Griese) completed only 1 pass in the 4th quarter, but it was a long TD pass to TE Bennie Joppru for the win.
ATLANTA 24 PHILADELPHIA 19
A bad home loss for Philadelphia, who clearly did not take Atlanta seriously enough. Kyle Orton went 20 of 24, but it was the Atlanta run game that did in the Stars, with Darren McFadden and J. J. Arrington both scoring for the Fire. Philadelphia went 3 for 14 on third down and just could not get Atlanta’s offense off the field as they fall to 5-5.
NEW ORLEANS 16 NEW JERSEY 23
The Generals played a good game at home, despite the boo birds at Giants Stadium. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 21 of 28 for 259 yards and connected with T.J. Houshmandzadeh and R. J. Redmond for a 2-TD day. Eli Manning did not fare as well, and the Generals defense also held the Breaker run game in check as they earned their 3rd win of the year.
ORLANDO 21 MEMPHIS 7
Maybe Brett Favre should have stayed out one more week. The Memphis line was dominated utterly by Orlando, with Calais Campbell getting to Favre a painful 5 times. Three more from blitzing safety Tony Carter gave Orlando 8 sacks of the former MVP and made sure his return to action was memorable but not in a way Favre would have wanted.
LOS ANGELES 4 ST. LOUIS 10
The Skyhawks finally get one in the win column as their defense holds LA scoreless. The only LA points came on an early safety and then a later deliberate one on a punt backed up to the 1-yard line. Not that it was an offensive showcase for St. Louis either as the only TD was a Fred Baxter swing pass from Josh Freeman. But, a win is a win, and St. Louis showed spirit throughout the game, holding LA to only 10 first downs all game.
OAKLAND 29 ARIZONA 17
The Invaders continue to find ways to win, this time getting TDs from Pierre Garçon, Ricky Williams, and Greg Jennings on their way to a 12-point win in the desert. It was only 20-17 after 3 quarters but Oakland dominated the final period and pulled away for the 9-point win, their 8th on the year.
PORTLAND 23 DENVER 6
A bad day for the Gold as their run defense totally collapsed, giving up 140 yards to Jonathan Stewart and the Stags. Portland QB A. J. Feeley also had an easier than expected day, completing 21 of 28 passes against the usually staunch Denver defense. Denver was held to only 2 of 11 on third down, cutting drives short and allowing Portland to pull away in the second half.
Campbell Manhandles Favre in Return to Action
It was a dream game for Calais Campbell and a nightmare for Brett Favre. Memphis’s offensive line could do nothing right against the USFL sack leader, providing Campbell with the kind of game that DE’s dream of. Campbell was in the backfield so much he should have been given credit as a Memphis running back. Five sacks and another 8 QB pressures. The haul put him 1 game behind Chris Doleman’s league record of 29 sacks and the Renegades still have 4 games to play, almost guaranteeing Campbell the record.
Of course, what makes this even sweeter is the success the team is having. The ‘Gades have won 4 in a row after a stumble against Pittsburgh, have a 3 game lead on the Southeastern Division with only 4 left to play, and are now tied with Baltimore at 8-2, giving Orlando a real shot at the #1 seed and the only bye week available in this year’s expanded 7-team Eastern Conference Playoffs. Campbell is a huge part of that success, as his pressure on opposing QB’s has helped Orlando rise up to be the #2 defense in the league for yards allowed and third in points allowed at only 16.2 per game. Next up for Campbell are the Atlanta Fire, so you might want to include QB Kyle Orton in your prayers for this week as Orlando and their sophomore sensation at DE square up to take down the Fire and possibly clinch the division in Week 11.
11th Hour Trade Sends QB to Charlotte
Not willing to cede the Southeast to Orlando just yet, Charlotte finally addressed their offensive concerns and made a deal at the deadline to try to bolster that side of the ball. All season long the Monarchs have depended on their defense, but the calls that Chris Weinke is not getting the job done finally led Charlotte to bring in some competition. On Thursday the Monarchs pulled the trigger on a deal that sent their 2nd round pick in the upcoming 2010 draft to the LA Express to bring former Express starter Seneca Wallace to the Queen City.
The move makes sense for both clubs. With LA having moved on to rookie Mark Sanchez as their starter, and with Jeff Garcia, Seneca Wallace, and Brodie Croyle in a crowded QB group, LA gets some value for their former starter and is able to call up Croyle from the practice squad. Charlotte brings in some competition for Chris Weinke, hoping to see a reaction similar to what we have seen this year in Pittsburgh, where the presence of Pat White seems to have lit a fire under their starter, Cody Pickett.
Despite the early season success of the Monarchs, Weinke has been a question mark all year. Now that they have dropped 5 of 6 and slid well out of first place, the questions have become louder. Weinke’s numbers explain why. He has an 8:12 TD:INT rato, and is under 60% completions for the year. His QBR, which was a mediocre 84.7 last year, has dipped to 70.1 this year, third worst among regular starters (with Arizona’s David Carr and Texas’s Joe Flacco the only sub 70.0 starters in the league.) The hope, of course, is that Wallace’s presence will inspire better play from Weinke, because it is unlikely that the traded Wallace will be able to start for at least 2 weeks. Wallace is also at the end of his contract year, so Charlotte will have to pony up some funds if they want to keep him into 2010. They have the room to do that under the cap, but may be tempted, if they fall even further, to start Wallace in the season’s final weeks just to see what they have traded for. So, for Weinke, he may have only 1-2 weeks to show that he can handle the position and retain the starting job. At 5-5, Charlotte is still very much in playoff position, but their current run of losses has to get turned around if Weinke and the Monarchs have any hopes for the future.
Houston could miss Shaun Alexander for Home Stretch
A bad break for a player having a very good year as Houston halfback Shaun Alexander could be done for the year after a nasty collision left him with two broken bones in his dominant arm. Alexander crashed into two Michigan defenders in the third quarter of the Houston loss in Detroit on Saturday night. Immediately it was clear that something had gone horribly wrong, as the camera shot quickly turned away from the halfback. What has since been seen was Alexander’s right arm dangling awkwardly, showing evidence of at least one bone broken clean through. X-rays revealed that both the radius and the ulna were broken by the collision, with the radius broken through. The injury will force Alexander to forego the rest of the season. He is already in a full plaster cast, with the bones reset and isolated for the foreseeable future.
Prior to his injury, Alexander was having perhaps the best season of his career, with over 700 yards in his first 9 games. He was well on pace for a third consecutive 1,000 yard season, and was among the top 5 rushers in the league. Now, with 4 games left in the regular season and the Gamblers in a dead heat for the SW Division title with Denver, Alexander is out and Houston will turn to a combination of 3rd down back Kevin Faulk and former rotational back Tatum Bell to get the job done. With the trade deadline already passed, Houston just does not have much of an option beyond the two players already on their roster. Alexander is expected to be able to resume play for 2010, but even if Houston makes a deep playoff run, the expectation is that the big back will be out of action.
Big Day Means No Griping from Moss, For Now.
After blowing up in post-game media after a Glory loss last week, there was something of a morbid curiosity over what would happen were Randy Moss and the Glory to suffer another defeat this week against Texas, but, with a 24-20 win, and with Moss targeted 6 times, catching 4 for 125 yards, it was radio silence out of the extroverted wideout. Moss did not always seem happy on the sideline as Texas did give Ohio a tough game, but after the game Moss was largely quiet and largely towed the line for the Glory. While there are reports that he had been fined by the team for his Week 9 outburst, one in which he questioned both his QB and his head coach (despite their undeniable success over the past decade) and demanded to either get the ball more or get a shot to play elsewhere, any fines levied by the team have not been made public.
With Moss, there is no doubt an issue with being viewed by many as the #2 option behind Glory legend Joey Galloway, a position the former Bandit never had in Tampa Bay. That, combined with two seasons of reduced productivity have clearly gotten to the Marshall U. product, who is very outspoken about his own belief in his value as a player. Should Ohio continue to win games to get back in the hunt in a very tough Central Division, and should Moss continue to see more balls headed his way, we expect the outbursts will be contained, but should Ohio falter, or should Moss feel looked over by QB Kerry Collins, we could well return to a very vocal, very disgruntled wideout in Ohio.
With a 14-team playoff field it is still too early for any clinching or any disqualification, but we are not far off. Several teams sitting at 8-2 (Baltimore, Orlando, Washington, Michigan, and Oakland) could, with the right combination of results, lock up playoff berths next week. Likewise, several 1-win teams could see themselves officially out of contention with another loss. For now it is all still unsettled, and what may be more interesting, there are 14 teams, a full 50% of the league sitting between 6-4 and 4-6.
With 4 weeks left to play any of these 14 midling clubs could find their way to postseason play or flop right out of the picture. Yes, even early season write offs like Birmingham and Seattle are back in play, along with some teams that seem to be swooning late in the season (Charlotte’s 4 game losing streak, as well as LA’s 2 game slide come to mind.) A lot to be settled, and a lot just unknown at this time.
A bad week across the league, not just for the Gamblers, who lose both HB Shaun Alexander (IR) and wideout Mike Sims-Walker (1-2 weeks, foot). Portland saw DE Ebenezer Ekuban suffer a neck injury that will require surgery, ending his season. Charlotte HB Travis Prentice suffered a partial tear of his hamstring in a non-contact injury. New Orleans put OT Mark Tauscher on IR with a fracture to his tibia, and St. Louis lost HB Dominic Rhodes for the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his foot.
Add to this the decision by Tampa Bay to put Brad Gradkowski on IR, in part due to the success of Rhett Bomar last week, and the news out of the Bay that veteran LB Kevin Mitchell could miss 2-4 weeks with a shoulder injury and you have a lot of teams looking for a lot of answers.
Coaches on the Hot Seat
Ten weeks in, only four to go, and for several USFL head coaches, these final four weeks could be the difference between getting another year to prove their plans are moving in the right direction or finding themselves suddenly free each Sunday. By our count there are at least 6 coaches whose positions are very much in jeopardy right now. For some it may well be too late to salvage anything out of the season, while for others their future hangs very much in the balance in the final month of the season. Here is our look at the six head coaches who are feeling the heat right now.
Brad Childress (JAX): It does not look good for Childress, or for the Bulls in general. In his 11th season with the Bulls, Childress has had some success, including playoff appearances in 5 of those seasons, but a playoff record of 4-5 and a decline from 10 wins in 2006 to 8, 7, and so far only 1 win this year likely means that his tenure in Jacksonville is coming to an end. The Bulls are likely to make some major overhauls this year, and we think that will start at the top.
Hue Jackson (LA): The promise was there. Jackson took LA to the Summer Bowl in his first year (2006) but since then it has been diminishing returns, with a Wild Card appearance the next year, then 6-10 in 2008, and this year a 4-6 record so far means that a turnaround is needed for Jackson to qualify for the postseason again. It may well take at least a 3-1 final month to get LA into contention, and while there is some leeway given to a coach managing a rookie QB, a losing season again this year could mean that the Express bring someone new in to help ready Mark Sanchez for more success in the future.
Jerry Glanville-LV: The situation in Las Vegas is very similar to that of LA, with one glaring difference, Jerry Glanville, despite all his bravado and bluster, has yet to get the Thunder over the top and into the playoffs. His best season in the 4 completed years was a 9-7 campaign last year, and there was promise there, but at 5-5, the Thunder need to win 3 of 4 to have a shot at a playoff spot. If he can attain that, then Glanville may get one more year, but if the Thunder finish 7-7 or worse, it just does not seem viable that ownership would keep “The man in black” on the sideline for 2010.
Mike Nolan-NOR: 2009 marks Mike Nolan’s 10th season in New Orleans, and he certainly has had some success, with 6 playoff appearances over that time, but nearly all have been Wild Card spots at or near the .500 mark, and at 5-5 we find the Breakers at that mediocre middle ground once again. Throw in a 7-6 playoff record (boosted by a Summer Bowl appearance in 2003) and Nolan has to be considered another coach who needs to snag 3 of 4 down the home stretch. We think an 8-6 record and a Wild Card will help his cause, but even that may not be enough, particularly as so many are still wondering why Eli Manning has not fulfilled the promise he shows at moments but never consistently.
Norv Turner-TEX: Turner may be the victim of heightened expectations. The Outlaws were a trendy pick to be a team on the rise, potentially a challenger to Houston and Denver in the Southwest, but a 3-7 record at this stage feels very much like a team that will once again finish 3rd in the division, possibly 4th. Turner may avoid a third straight 10-loss season, and that would be good, but will 6-8 or 5-9 be good enough to give him a 4th year in Texas?
Doug Williams-STL: This is only the 2nd year at the helm for Doug Williams, the former All-USFL QB, but starting the year 0-9 is no way to demonstrate growth to ownership. They got their first win this week, but it was a very ugly win, one that does not show us a lot of potential for a 2nd win this year or growth in 2010. The one saving grace for Williams is that Josh Freeman has shown some potential. If St. Louis can eke out a 2nd or 3rd win this year, with Freeman beginning to look like a legitimate starter, then perhaps Williams gets a third season to show that the plan is beginning to work, but that is a big “if”. Odds do not look good for year 3 of the Williams era in St. Louis.
Best of the USFL—Defensive Ends
The edge rushing defensive end has been a glamour position in the USFL since the start of the league, with Reggie White still the gold standard, but the story of the year this year has been the emergence of Calais Campbell as the latest in a line of QB terrifying ends that stretches from White to Doleman to Hansen, and now appears to rest in Orlando once again. But Campbell is not the only player in the league to inspire fear in the QB or gameplans from the OC to handle their presence. We chose our Top 5, with Campbell on top and several familiar names to follow, a list no quarterback wants to see on the schedule, to be sure.
Calais Campbell (ORL): The season this sophomore pro has had is one that rivals all of the legends of the league. In only 10 games he has amassed 28 sacks, one away from the league record with 4 games left to play. After a very strong rookie year that was cut short by injury, Campbell has emerged this year as a dominant force on defense. Paired with DT Albert Haynesworth, Campbell is averaging nearly 3 sacks per game, and is redefining what success at the DE position looks like.
Anthony Weaver (CHI): In any other year, Anthony Weaver’s 14 sacks in 10 games would have him competing for the league lead. Chicago’s big man on the edge is as consistent as they come, with his 6th year of double digit sacks in the last 7 already guaranteed and the potential to reach his 20 sack total from 2008 still very much alive. Weaver is not the flashiest end in the league, but he certainly is one of the most effective.
Kavika Pittman (HOU): It is not all about longevity, though Pittman being in his 14th season in the USFL is impressive enough. It is about consistency. The last time Pittman failed to get 10 sacks in a season was when he was still in college. That is right, 14 years and 14 seasons of double-digit sacks, including several sacks titles and a career total of 244 sacks that has him 3rd on the all time list, behind only Phil Hansen and Reggie White.
Kyle Vanden Bosch (PIT): Playing on some pretty shady Mauler squads, Kyle Vanden Bosch has not always gotten the attention he deserves, but in his 9 seasons with the Maulers, the big man has never failed to reach 10 sacks in a season, and is usually closer to 20. He has 13 so far this year, and would love to catch up to Anthony Weaver for 2nd in the league. Not the fastest edge rusher, Vanden Bosch is great with his hands, and has a range of power moves to get past even the most experienced left tackles.
Mike Rucker (BIR): Another bright star in a cloudy sky, Rucker has been the best defender in Birmingham for most of his career. Unfortunately, the Stallions have just not been very good for a big chunk of that career. A 20-sack guy in 2008, Rucker is a little off that pace this year, with only 11 sacks, but remains a wrecking ball of a LE for the Stallions.
Others who were part of our conversation, and who may well see their repuatation rise in the next few years, include Boston’s Jason Babin, Seattle veteran John Abraham (SEA), Oakland’s Justin Smith, and one of this year’s breakout players, Charlotte Monarch LE Julius Peppers (CHA), who is finally having the kind of year we have been waiting for.
Ohio Gets a Facelift
A new look for the Ohio Glory as they presented their new Reebok-designed logos and uniforms this week at Ohio Stadium. Don’t expect a major overhaul for the league’s only back-to-back champions, but it will be 7 years since their last title in 2010 so a tweak and a revision to their look is certainly appropriate.
The logo is the first item revealed, an updated version of the familiar bald eagle logo. A bit more linear and a bit less cartoonish than the original 1995 design, the new eagle logo remains atop a rondel, a callback to the state flag of Ohio, complete with internal stars and still gripping a red and white banner in its beak. Along with the new primary logo there is a new wordmark, featuring a more modern font with the “o” a circular “buckeye” in red, with a white star and blue outline. This new wordmark will also serve as a secondary logo along with the familiar silhouette of the state “draped banner” logo that has been used for the past few years.
The uniforms also see modest changes. We will still see the team’s well-recognized flag blue helmets with white facemasks, we still have blue and white jerseys and pant sets. The striping will be different, with red-white-red stripes paired with blue on all elements, in some cases highlighting the primary logo and in others the “buckeye” letter “O”. The new wordmark, along with 3 stars are part of the collar and chest. The three stars are said to represent the capital city of Columbus and the 2 league titles the Glory have won to date. The same 3 stars are seen on the helmet surrounding each player’s number. The jerseys feature a new number format, with a drop shadow in red on both looks. It is still a very recognizable look for a team that has been one of the league’s most popular in jersey sales for nearly a decade.
Week 11 brings us a mix of divisional and inter-divisional games as the SW Division heads to the Southern Division and the other 4 divisions stay largely in house. That means a lot of potential impact on the playoff and seeding chases across both conferences. It all begins on Friday when Denver heads to Music City to take on the Nashville Knights. Both clubs need the win to help them towards a division title, so this should be a good one. On Saturday we have some do-or-die games as 5-5 teams Tampa Bay and Charlotte clash in Florida. Both Las Vegas and Portland sit at 5-5 as well and will face off at Columbia Sportswear Stadium. LA and Seattle, both sitting at 4-6 and on life support for a playoff spot, will face off in Seattle on Saturday night, with the loser likely done.
Sunday kicks off with Boston facing Washington in a NE Battle, then at 4pm, we have Houston at New Orleans and Chicago heading to Pittsburgh in a key Central Division clash. The weekend concludes back on the East Coast, where Philadelphia (5-5) need to pull off the home win against Baltimore (8-2) to have any chance to stay in the playoff hunt.
FRIDAY @ 8pm Denver (6-4) @ Nashville (7-3) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Atlanta (3-7) @ Orlando (8-2) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Charlotte (5-5) @ Tampa Bay (5-5) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Ohio (5-5) @ New Jersey (3-7) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm Las Vegas (5-5) @ Portland (5-5) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm Michigan (8-2) @ St. Louis (1-9) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm Los Angeles (4-6) @ Seattle (4-6) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm Oakland (8-2) @ Jacksonville (1-9) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm Arizona (3-7) @ Memphis (1-9) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm Boston (6-4) @ Washington (8-2) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm Houston (6-4) @ New Orleans (5-5) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm Texas (3-7) @ Birmingham (4-6) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm Chicago (6-4) @ Pittsburgh (7-4) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm Baltimore (8-2) @ Philadelphia (5-5) ESPN
4-10 is quite the score!