Some big time stumbles this week as several 4-4 teams bite the dust in a week filled with disappointment for teams eagerly chasing a playoff spot. New Orleans, Las Vegas, Ohio, and Tampa Bay all take a step back in their quest to qualify for the expanded 2009 playoffs. Things have also gotten dicey for Charlotte, who drop their 4th game in 5 attempts, while everything is going as planned for the Orlando Renegades and Chicago Machine, among others. It is no time to panic, but there are a lot of teams around the league that need to get hot and go on a streak if they want to compete for a Wild Card. We have 5 weeks left and no room for errors as the season races towards decision time and the playoffs.
TAMPA BAY BANDITS 35 ORLANDO RENEGADES 40
The predictions pre-game for this one were that both teams would lean on their defenses to try to get a vital win within the division, and the predictions were way off. This was a shootout form the beginning, It was a wild game from the onset, with Tampa Bay playing most of the game with their 3rd string QB in the game, a third stringer who would go on to have a monster game with 4 TDs in his first ever pro action. Orlando would take the early lead and hold it throughout, but the Bandits would not make it easy, throwing caution to the wind and opening up the playbook in an all out effort to get a needed divisional win.
The game opened with Brad Gradkowski getting the start as Daunte Culpepper dealt with a pinched nerve in his throwing arm, an injury that apparently had been an issue off and on going all the way back to 2008. He was unable to effectively grip the ball, so the Bandits had no other choice but to give the start to Brad Gradkowski. The 4th year backup was impressive in the opening drive, connecting on 3 of 4 passes for 60 of the drive’s 74 yards, and finishing up with a 35-yard TD toss to Chris Doering to open scoring on the day.
Orlando would immediately respond with their own drive, a 78-yarder, culminating with Drew Brees hitting Michael Jenkins for the equalizer. The game was off and running with both offenses seemingly getting the upper hand. That reality appeared to come crashing down when on the first play of the second drive, Gradkowski was sacked by DT Albert Haynesworth, and fell awkwardly on his throwing shoulder. He would go immediately to the sideline, with untested Rhett Bomar trotting onto the field. The rookie out of Sam Houston State would be taking his first snaps in pro football and would be finishing out the game.
Tampa Bay played that first drive very cautiously, and it led to a 3-and-out, but that would not remain the case for long. As the 2nd quarter began, Orlando started to look like they would take advantage of Tampa’s fragile QB situation and run away with the game. In the period they scored 12 unanswered points, starting with a field goal, then a Knowshon Moreno TD on a swing pass from Brees, and finally a safety when Chauncey Davis trapped Bomar in the endzone. Orlando would go up 19-7 and would be feeling pretty good about their situation, but that is when Steve Spurrier quickly decided to take off the training wheels and play with abandon.
The final drive of the first half saw Bomar in the shotgun on almost every play, and as the Bandits mixed McGahee runs with a lot of slant and quick out routes, Bomar started to look more comfortable, connecting with Doering for his first pro TD, a 22-yard toss & run that brought Tampa Bay to within one score. It would go into the half at 19-14 Orlando.
The Renegades would continue to pressure Bomar, collecting 7 sacks on the rookie all game long, and they would continue to push the balldown the field on offense, but Bomar did not back down. After Drew Brees hit Michael Jenkins for his second TD of the day, a 7-yard fade route, Bomar and the Bandits came right back, and once again it was Chris Doering, now with his 3rd TD of the game, as Bomar hit him on a very well placed corner route pass that got the Bandit fans in attendance to their feet. This was not going to be an Orlando route of a wounded Bandit team. This was going to be a fight.
Up only 26-21, Orlando got right back to their offensive gameplan, mixing Moreno runs (he would finish with 103 yards on the day) with quick passes. Brees would again find Jenkins for a score, his third on the day, and Orlando would once again be up by 12, 33-21. Bomar and the Bandits pushed the ball again, but this time Bomar’s inexperience showed itself. Trying to force the ball to Doering, Bomar threw an ill-advised ball and Orlando’s Atari Bigby picked it off, returning the pick 61 yards for a score to give Orlando their biggest lead of the day, 19 points, as they hoped they had put the stake in the heart of the undead Bandits.
But, Tampa Bay was just not going to go away. With time winding down in the third quarter, Bomar continued to look to throw the ball, now with little choice, down by 3 scores. As the period came to a close, he connected with Karl Williams on another well-thrown ball, and Tampa Bay cut into Orlando’s lead, finishing the period at 40-28 and within range for a potential comeback.
The 4th quarter saw both teams trying everything to slow down the opposition. Both defenses began blitzing with abandon and both QBs were impacted. Drew Brees would throw two picks in the quarter, giving Tampa Bay hope, but Orlando would garner 4 of its 8 sacks on the day in the period as well, keeping the Bandits at bay for most of the period and forcing Rhett Bomar to scramble and toss away several throws. Bomar would get the Bandits closer than was comfortable for Orlando with 2 minutes left in the game, when a blitz left slot receiver Davone Bess with only 1 man to beat in the secondary, and the quick slant turned into a score, Bomar’s 4th TD toss on the day. Tampa Bay was back within 7 at 40-35, but time was running out.
The Bandits elected to go for the onside kick, hoping to recapture the ball and have nearly 2 full minutes to get the game winner. Initially it appeared that the Bandits recovered the short kick, but upon review, gunner Philip Buchanon had his foot out of bounds when he first touched the ball, which disqualified him and gave the ball to the Renegades. Orlando fed the ball to Moreno on first down, then brought in Cedric Benson on 2nd and 3rd down, converting a 3rd and 2 with a 3-yard Benson run to bring the clock under one minute and use up all of Orlando’s time outs. From there Drew Brees took a knee twice and the Renegade faithful finally breathed a sigh of relief. Orlando had come out on top, solidifying their division lead with a 7-2 record, at the same time knocking Tampa Bay below .500 and out of the 7-team playoff grouping with 5 weeks left to play. But, along the way, the Bandits may just have discovered their potential future at QB with an impressive debut for a largely unheralded rookie QB. They, of course, are hoping to see Culpepper back in action next week, but Bomar is likely to be the backup with Gradkowski likely out for 1-2 weeks, so we may see the young QB in action again.
NEW JERSEY 14 BALTIMORE 17
Despite losing Ryan Fitzpatrick to injury early in the game, New Jersey held a surprising 14-3 advantage at the half, but Baltimore rallied with 14 unanswered points to take the win. Two Martin Grammatica field goals surrounded a Ron Dayne TD run with 2 point PAT as Baltimore avoided the trap game and came out with the win in the end.
ST. LOUIS 7 PITTSBURGH 24
The Maulers took care of business in front of a raucous 42,450 at Heinz Field as they scored the first 17 points of the game to take control. Vincent Jackson caught both first half TD tosses from Cody Pickett, while Kevin Johnson contributed 113 yards receiving and added the game’s final score, as Pittsburgh moved to an impressive 7-2 on the year.
OHIO 17 CHICAGO 20
Randy Moss threw a fit after this one. He was targeted only 6 times and held to only 60 yards on 3 receptions as Ohio again struggled to put the pieces together against Chicago’s defense. Michael Turner had no complants, fed the ball 28 times, he rushe for 123 and a score as Chicago improved to 6-3 and sent Ohio under .500 at 4-5.
BIRMINGHAM 7 ARIZONA 42
No one saw this coming as Arizona explodes for 6 TDs in this one. Sedrick Irvin exploited the Stallion D for 123 yards and 2 scores. Ahmad Galloway had another 58 and a score, while Colt Brennan, in after a blow to Dereck Carr sent him to the locker room, went 11 of 16 to help Arizona pull away in this one. Kyle Boller’s 4-interception day certainly did not help as Jimmy Williams returned one for a score a swell.
NEW ORLEANS 16 TEXAS 17
A very nice home win for the Outlaws as nearly 50,000 cheered on Texas in Dallas. New Orleans took the lead on a Fred Jackson TD run, but in the 4th Joe Flacco executed a perfect screen pass to T. J. Duckett to give Texas the 17-16 lead and the defense did the rest, picking off a desperate 4th down Manning pass to preserve the 3rd win of the year for the Outlaws.
SEATTLE 34 PORTLAND 11
Seatle made sure Portland would not jump over .500, scoring twice in the 1st (Boston and Sproles) and then adding on TDs from Tyler Eckler and Corey Dillon to build up a lead Portland simply could not overcome. Dillon would rush for 79 yards and a score while Byron Leftwich picked apart the Stags’ defense for 333 yards.
CHARLOTTE 14 MICHIGAN 33
Charlotte loses their 4th game in the past 5 weeks as they simply did not match up well against Michigan. The Panthers used the run to balance the offense, with Fargas and Washington combining for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns. Brian Griese did not have to air it out, throwing only 24 times. Chris Weinke played catch up most of the game and struggledto a 23 of 43 afternoon, throwing 2 picks along the way.
JACKSONVILLE 20 ATLANTA 30
The battle for the basement in the SE Division goes to Atlanta, pushing Jacksonville to 1-7 and putting Coach Brad Childress’s job squarely on the hot seat. The Fire got 2 TDs and 222 yards from Kyle Orton while Darren McFadden rushed for 83 yards and another score as Atlanta earned their 2nd win on the year.
WASHINGTON 13 PHILADELPHIA 30
The Stars needed this one to have any hope of staying relevant in the NE Division, and they got it, thanks in large part to Steve Smith’s 106 yards. TDs from Smith, Steve Slaton and Michael Robinson helped put Philadelphia over the top despite 93 yards rushing from Deuce McCallister. Kordell Stewart threw the ball 48 times, mostly in the second half when Washington trailed by 2 scores, but he could not get the ball into the endzone.
MEMPHIS 24 DENVER 30
With Brett Favre still sidelined, many expected a Denver cakewalk, but the Showboats put up a spirited fight all game long. Denver needed a 23-yard TD run from rookie Javon Ringer in the 4th to finally pull away. Mike McMahon had 3 TD passes and threw for 351 in his best game of the season, but it was not enough to get Memphis a road win.
OAKLAND 13 LAS VEGAS 10
A chippy game that saw several skirmishes break out, this one was 10-10 midway through the final period, but Oakland had one more drive in them and with time running out Mike Hollis put them on top. Marshawn Lynch won the battle of big backs, outpacing Ricky Williams 103-49, but 112 yards and a TD from Greg Jennings helped Oakland win the war, sending Las Vegas below .500 on the year.
NASHVILLE 10 HOUSTON 31
An impressive win for the Gamblers as they scored the game’s first 31 points and then coasted down the stretch. Alexander and Faulk combined for 163 yards on the ground and Matt Hasselbeck added TD passes to Vernon Davis and Alexander as Houston rolled at home.
BOSTON 34 LOS ANGELES 17
Drew Bledsoe remained hot, winning Player of the Week again for his 363 yard, 4 TD day. LA simply could not keep pace as Boston pulled away in the 3rd quarter, thanks to TD catches from Chad Johnson and TE James Whalen. Without Troy Polamalu in the game, LA simply did not have the stopping power needed to hold Boston at bay.
Charlotte Fading Fast
After a 4-0 start, the Charlotte Monarchs are watching their hopes of a division title fade away as they have gone 1-4 over the past 5 weeks. And while three of those losses have come against top tier opposition (Orlando, Baltimore, and Michigan), there can be no excuses as good teams find a way to win these tough matchups. The defense continues to play very well, ranked 2nd in yards allowed and 4th in scoring after 9 weeks, but the offense is just not putting enough drives together to build leads. They are averaging only 18.6 points per game, and have not scored over 20 points since Week 4. Despite these issues with the offense, Coach Mora this week traded for more defensive help (see below) rather than trying to shore up the O-line or provide Chris Weinke with another weapon. Weinke is himself becoming a matter of concern, with a sub-par QB Rating of only 79.7, and a TD:INT ratio of 6:9 in the 5 game slide. There are some whispers that Charlotte might need to turn elsewhere, but looking at the QB room we just don’t think John David Booty or Curtis Painter are the answer, so that may be a question for the offseason. For now, Charlotte needs to figure out a way to infuse some more scoring into their offense and still maintain the solid defense that got them to 4-0 earlier this season.
Boston, Denver, and Orlando Rising
If Charlotte is heading down the chute, Boston, Denver, and Orlando are certainly climbing the ladder. Boston has won 3 in a row to move to 6-3, 2 games behind Baltimore, but right in the mix with Washington. Denverhas also won 3 in a row, also sits at 6-3, but in their case, that puts them in a dead heat with Houston once again for the Central Division. The two have split their series already, but with games coming up against Texas and Arizona, Denver is hoping to finish the season at 4-2 in the division, hoping that may be enough to give them the title. As for Orlando, their 3-game win streak has them now in sole possession of first in the SE Division, and with Charlotte fading, their biggest challenge looks like it will be the 4-5 Tampa Bay Bandits. With a 3-game lead on Tampa Bay, and having already swept the series with their rivals, the Renegades are in a very good position and may now be setting their sites on the #1 seed in the East. They trail Baltimore by 1 game, and do not play the Blitz, so they will need help, but Baltimore has tough games coming up against Tampa, Philly, Washington, and a season finale in Boston, so there is a lot of hope among ‘Gade fans that they can catch the Blitz and snag the only playoff spot that comes with a bye this year.
Randy Moss Vocal as Glory Lose 2nd in a Row
We mentioned it briefly in our game recap, but the Randy Moss blowup deserves more attention. Moss, clearly upset not only by Ohio’s loss in Chicago, or even their 1-5 run over the past 6 weeks, is also fuming because he is not getting the targets or the stats he expected when he came to Ohio. He views himself as a clear #1 receiver and yet Joey Galloway is still viewed by many as Kerry Collins’s favorite target. Moss has more catches (by 1) and more TDs (by 1 again) but he is not putting up the kind of numbers he did in Tampa Bay, and he is letting people know that the blame for that is not his. He had some choice words for Coach Luginbill, and for Collins his QB, comments that were recorded by local media and will almost certainly result in team disciplinary action. He may not be wrong about his underutilization in Ohio, or about the Glory being on the downside of their dominant years, but throwing his coach and QB under the bus hardly seems to be the way to remedy the situation. More likely than not it is the kind of tantrum that gets a player shipped off in the offseason, even a player as talented as Randy Moss. And maybe that is exactly what he is hoping for.
Pre-Deadline Trades Defined by Postseason Hopes
The trade deadline is tomorrow (Friday), and we have seen a frenzy of activity with several trades made by playoff contenders seeking players and basement dwellers sending off solid talent in trade for draft picks and depth in key positions. Basically the distinction between buyers and sellers has been a strong one this year, a factor which could come to fruition as some of these clubs make a run at a Wild Card or even their division crown.
New Orleans made a big move to try to solidify their chances, not only trading for a top tier veteran linebacker, but doing so in division. Memphis, the two time division champion, but sitting on a 1-8 record, has become a seller, and this week they sold LB Hannibal Navies to the Breakers, getting backup QB Mike Flynn and two draft picks (2nd rounder in 2010 and 4th in 2011) in return. Navies is a 2x All-USFL linebacker who has averaged 84 tackles per year over his career with the Showboats. He had a dip last year, and at 32, he may only be a short-term solution, but for this year, he is expected to have an immediate impact for a young and undersized Breaker LB group.
Charlotte, in the midst of a 1-5 dip, and facing some offensive challenge, opted to double down on their Top 5 defense, bringing in a quality cornerback to line up alongside Carlos Rogers. They send TE Mark Bruener and back up CB Mike Mickens to the Arizona Wranglers to acquire 7-year veteran Asante Samuel. Samuel, is considered a strong bump & run coverage guy at the corner, and can go one on one with receivers, freeing up the safeties in Charlotte’s blitz-heavy defense. Bruener will take over the #2 TE position for Arizona behind Kevin Everett. A solid route runner and receiver, Bruener could allow Arizona to run more play action from 2 TE formations.
Las Vegas, dipping to 4-5 in a tough Pacific Division Wild Card race, has decided to bolster their passing game for Jake Plummer, sending SS Kevin Curtis and a 6th rounder to the St. Louis Skyhawks, to acquire underutilized WR Willie Ponder. Ponder, in his 3rd year out of SE Missouri State, is a quality kick returner and a solid slot receiver who could provide Jake Plummer with a good inside target. He will line up in the slot, with Hatchette and Kahlil Hill outside, splitting time with Troy Williamson, and acting as the 4th receiver in spread sets.
Finally, Oakland, looking to provide Joey Harrington with more options after the injury/suspension of Plaxico Burress and the injury to Hank Basket, has sent two 5th round picks to Jacksonville to acquire veteran TE Jeb Putzier. Putzier, once the starter for the Bulls, has had limited production the last two years after the signing and development of Jason Whitten. In Oakland, Putzier will likely split time with Joel Dreesen as an inside target for Harrington, who now has Greg Jennings and Pierre Garçon outside.
With only 24 hours left before the trade deadline, we don’t anticipate further moves, but you never know when someone will pull off an 11th hour deal just ahead of the roster freezes.
Our first playoff picture of the year and yes, it is too early for any clinching of spots, but we are not as far from it as you would imagine. For example, Oakland, at 7-2 is already 3 games up on the closest competitor for the division, with Las Vegas, Portland, and LA all sitting at 4-5. While it is unlikely, the Invaders could clinch as early as this week. The other two Western divisions are much closer, with Michigan tied with Pittsburgh for 1st in the Central and Houston and Denver both knotted up at 6-3. Right now in the West, Portland, sitting at 4-5, has the tie breakers for the 7th and final slot, though it is a crowded cluster with the Thunder, Express, and Ohio Glory all sitting at the same record, 1 game under .500.
In the East, all three division leaders have only a 1-game advantage over the 2nd place club, with Baltimore 1 up on Washington (and Boston 1game behind that), Orlando a game up on Charlotte, and Nashville only up 1 against New Orleans. Right now all 7 clubs in the top spots are above .500, unlike the west, with New Orleans the odd team out in 8th place at 5-4. Tampa Bay is the only 4-5 squad still in the mix, but with Philadelphia and Charlotte both at 5-4, there is a lot to sort out even with an extra Wild Card team this year.
Way too early to know which teams will get the #1 seed in each conference, the only playoff seed to get a bye in this year’s expanded 7-team format (a byproduct of the labor issues this offseason). Baltimore currently sits 1 game up on Orlando for that top seed, while in the West Michigan has the tie breaker against Oakland, with both sitting at 7-2. However, You cannot count out Houston, Pittsburgh, Chicago, or Denver, all of whom are just 1 game back at 6-3.
No eliminations yet, though the odds are heavily against 0-9 St. Louis as well as 1-8 Memphis and Jacksonville. Even a 5-0 run puts them still below .500, but for now they are not mathematically eliminated.
A rough week for quarterbacks as several missed plays or were removed from games, but the good news is that most are listed as “questionable” at worst, and we will see most on the field this week. Among the players impacted but not discounted from Week 10 action we find Brady Quinn (neck), Tee Martin (shoulder), Ryan Fitzpatrick (elbow), and Drew Brees (wrist). Kerry Collins is also listed as a possible gametime decision after suffering a broken nose in the game this week, while Daunte Culpepper is hoping to be back in action but continues to deal with an issue with nerve pain in his throwing shoulder.
While QBs were prevalent on the injury report this week, there were far more significant injuries among other position players. Nashville WR Derrick Mason is done for the year, placed on IR with an ACL injury that will require rehab well into the offseason. Nashville also lost backup center Kory Lichtensteiger fo the year with a cruciate ligament injury. Washington lost one of their starting receivers as Eddie Kennison is down at least 2 months with a fractured vertebrae in his upper back. Charlotte center Derek Smith will also miss the rest of the regular season, placed on IR with a torn quad, while St. Louis HB Dominic Rhodes was diagnosed with a fracture in his left foot that could keep him out for 4-6 weeks, essentially the rest of the year.
Expected back in action this week we have Memphis QB Brett Favre, though at this point Coach Haslett must worry that another injury would be a very high price to pay for starting the veteran in a lost season. Also expected back are New Orleans DE Israel Ifeanyi, NJ DE Shaun Ellis, Boston CB Fred Smoot, Washington DT Anthony McFarland, and Philadelphia C Matt Birk.
Teams Who Need a Hot Streak
Looking at the final 5 weeks of the year, as we prepare to hit Week 10, there are several teams who could really benefit from a 2, 3, or 4 game win streak to make some noise. Now this is actually true of most teams, but in the case of the 5 we are going to highlight, any hope for a playoff run could depend on the club getting hot now and building up some wins back to back to back.
LAS VEGAS: The Thunder currently sit in 8th position, tied with Portland, Ohio, and LA at 4-5. We predicted them as a club that could come on late as Jake Plummer adjusts to a new offense and develops rapport with his team. The Thunder just added another target for Plummer in Willie Ponder, and they need to start seeing better offensive production if they want to make a run. The defense has been solid, as expected, Top 10 in both yards and points allowed, but he offense struggled, with Plummer leading the 26th rated passing attack. The Thunder will need more from him and from the offense in general to make a run at a Wild Card.
CHARLOTTE: We have already discussed the slide from 4-0 to 5-4, but if Charlotte wants to turn this thing around, they need to get back to what worked early, shut down defense, and then find some more points on offense. That may mean more touches for Robert Edwards, who is averaging only 3.4 yards per carry, or perhaps giving veteran Autrey Detson more touches, after all Detson is averaging 4.1 per carry with only 35 touches this season. The Monarchs added another defensive piece this week, so the hope is still there that they can make a run at Orlando late, but each week that seems less likely unless they can turn things around and unless the Renegades start to slip up.
PORTLAND: The Stags are a bit of a surprise in the final Wild Card spot right now. They have had some pretty bad outings, including a 34-11 drubbing at the hands of Seattle this week, but they have also had some solid wins, such as recent victories over Ohio and LA. The issue for the Stags has been pass defense. They have only 3 interceptions as a team, fewer than many players, and are dead last in turnover margin, due largely to only 7 total takeaways. More aggression and more focus on ballhawking may be necessary if they are going to stay ahead of the other 4-5 clubs. It will not be easy, as they face 4 games against teams with 6-3 or 7-2 records in their final 5 weeks. A deep fade may be more likely than a win streak.
OHIO: The Glory have lost 5 of 6 after a 3-0 start, and Randy Moss is openly hostile in post-game interviews. That is not good for a club that many expected would be a major challenger in the Central. They sit in 4th place at 4-5, and it just does not seem like a 4th place team can eke into even the expanded playoffs, so they will need to try to catch Chicago to have any shot. The offense, still ranked 3rd in the league, is not enough, especially when the defense is allowing nearly 22 points per game and ranks 26th of 28 teams in yards allowed. They do have a favorable schedule, with games against 3-win Texas and Seattle, along with 2-win New Jersey in their final 5 games, but tough showdowns at Michigan and then closing the season with Pittsburgh will be the key for them. If they can win those 2 games, they could be in place in a very tight Central Division.
LOS ANGELES: Of all the teams in our list here, and in the 4-5 cluster, the Express are the hardest to figure out. Their offense is ranked 23rd, and yet, we look at the roster and we cannot figure out why. Sure, they have a rookie QB in Mark Sanchez, but it feels more like Coach Jackson is holding them back, calling a very conservative gameplan and yet somehow underutilizing Maurice Jones-Drew at the same time. If LA wants to make a run, they have some winnable games, starting next week at St. Louis, but they have to open things up a bit. Let Sanchez go deep, free up Jones-Drew by getting the safeties to respect the deep ball. Without that, the Express seem unlikely to get over the hump in a division that has 3 clubs sitting at 4-5 and fighting amongst themselves.
Best of the USFL—Wide Receivers
No other position in football has had the impact that wideout has had in the USFL. Ever since the early days of Eric Truvillion, Jackie Flowers, and Trumaine Johnson, the USFL has been about the deep ball and the speed merchant receivers. Quality receiver play remains a hallmark of the league, making the selection of only 5 receivers as the best of the league in 2009 a really hard task to settle. We are certain that there will be debates all over the country on this list, especially because we have placed two receviers from the same team in our Top 5.
Chad Johnson (BOS): There is no doubt who the #1 receiver in the league is right now. Chad Johnson, formerly Chad Ochocinco, has been a revelation ever since he first stepped on the field with the Ohio Glory. His move to Boston earlier in the decade has only pushed his stock higher. He is the master of the deep ball, leading the league in receiving yards in 2008, 2006, and 2004, while racking up 71 touchdowns as a Boston Cannon.
Joey Galloway (OHI): Ohio’s number 1 receiver for 12 seasons, Galloway may be the elderstateman in the group, but his 1,175 yards in 2008 show that he is still among the most productive receivers in the game. At 35 we don’t know how many seasons he has left in him, but while he is on the field, we should just keep enjoying his smooth speed and graceful moves.
Hines Ward (MGN): Beginning his career in Arizona, Ward had his first 1,000 yard season with the Wranglers in 2001, and then proceeded to jump ship and become a Michigan Panther. That decision has paid off big time, allowing Ward to average over 88 catches per season, win the 2005 yardage title, and win himself a league title last year. Known as a tenacious blocker as well as a precise route runner, Ward is a true leader for the receiving group on and off the field.
Randy Moss (OHI): When Randy Moss was in Tampa Bay there was no doubt he was one of the league’s top receivers, but our pick of Moss as a top 5 receiver now that he is in Ohio will be controversial. The talent is certainly there, but Moss did not even reach 1,000 yards last year, and he is potentially going to come up short this year as well. His vocal criticisms of Coach Al Luginbill’s offensive gameplanning has certainly not made him a favorite among Glory faithful, and his push for a trade is likely to lead to even more friction, but for anyone to say that Moss is not an elite receiver in this league is delusional.
David Boston (SEA): A lot of prime candidates for the #5 spot, but we had to go with Boston, a one man show for the Dragons for Seattle since arriving on the scene with 1,216 yards as a rookie. Boston has been strong the past 2 seasons, with 1,436 yards and 15 TDs in 2007 and 1,358 and 11 TDs last year. He is on pace for another 1,000 yard season and we expect he will be among the league leaders once again.
Among those who just missed the cut we have a lot of clear cut #1 receivers, from Chicago’s technical wizard Donald Driver to Arizona’s young gun Larry Fitzgerald. Houston fans will likely cry foul that we passed up Roy Williams, while Showboat followers will point to Robert Ferguson as a key piece to their back-to-back Eastern Conference runs. Others in our pool of finalists included Steve Smith from Philly, Tory Holt in Baltimore, and Denver’s peerless possession man, Peerless Price.
All 28 teams go into inter-divisional play in Week 10, so that means some clashes at the top of the standings, some clashes at the bottom, and some games that look a bit like mismatches. We love the Friday night matchup of a hot Bandits squad heading up to Baltimore to face the 7-1 Blitz. On Saturday, the Nashville-Boston matchup will be a clash of styles to be sure. Charlotte at Washington is another game to keep an eye on. And Saturday’s ESPN night game between Houston and Michigan should also be a fun one. On Sunday we finish up the weekend with Orlando in a possible trap game at Memphis, especially if Favre is back under center (still questionable), and we have an interesting nightcap with up and down Portland heading to Denver.
FRIDAY @ 8pm Tampa Bay (4-5) @ Baltimore (7-1) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Nashville (6-3) @ Boston (6-3) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Charlotte (5-4) @ Washington (7-2) FOX
SATURDAY @ 12pm Las Vegas (4-5) @ Pittsburgh (7-2) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm Jacksonville (1-8) @ Birmingham (3-6) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm Texas (3-6) @ Ohio (4-5) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm Houston (6-3) @ Michigan (7-2) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm Atlanta (2-7) @ Philadelphia (5-4) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm New Orleans (5-4) @ New Jersey (2-7) FOX
SUNDAY @ 12pm Orlando (7-2) @ Memphis (1-8) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm Seattle (3-6) @ Chicago (6-3) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm Los Angeles (4-5) @ St. Louis (0-9) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm Oakland (7-2) @ Arizona (3-6) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm Portland (4-5) @ Denver (6-3) ESPN
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