A big week for parity as the league’s two unbeaten teams (Baltimore and Texas) both fall, while the two winless clubs, Los Angeles and Charlotte, scored their first wins of the season. It was also a week that saw two starters go down to significant injuries, with both Oakland star Joey Harrington and New Jersey starter Ryan Fitzpatrick facing a month or longer of rehab before they see the field again. We will have all the scores and results, along with our picks for the breakout players of the season’s first quarter in this Week 4 edition of This is the USFL.
MICHIGAN PANTHERS 24 TEXAS OUTLAWS 23
The undefeated Texas Outlaws faced their toughest foe of the early season, and after building up a 17-0 lead on the visiting Michigan Panthers you can understand why Outlaw fans were feeling good. But, Michigan is a recent champion, sporting an MVP quarterback, and that makes them a very tough out. Texas would learn that as the Panthers would rally in the game and eventually take home the win by a single point.
It certainly looked good for the Outlaws in the first quarter, as QB Joe Flacco led the offense on consecutive scoring drives. He hit Reggie Brown for a short TD on the first Outlaw possession, and returned 6 minutes later with a long drive that finished with a T. J. Duckett 12-yard TD run. Duckett, who would have a strong day in the game, rushing for 118 on 22 carries, was a force throughout the first half. After a third drive produced a 49-yard Lindell field goal, it was 17-0 Outlaws and it was a festive scene inside the Alamo Dome as fans saw visions of 4-0 in their heads.
But, Michigan was undaunted. The finally found the right calls to move the ball against Texas’s defense, using Leon Washington as their primary back (91 yards by game’s end) and passing the ball short to Coles, Ward and TE Marcellus Rivers. Their 4th drive of the game became their first fruitful one when Brian Griese hit his #1 target, Hines Ward, with a short 4-yard scoring play that put Michigan on the board.
The half ended with Texas adding another field goal, but the Panthers had started to figure out how to attack the Outlaw defense, and that strategy carried them into the 2nd half. In the 3rd quarter Michigan would put up the only points as Texas had two long, slow drives that failed to produce points, but certainly milked the clock. Michigan had just one drive, but it led to Hines Ward’s 2nd TD reception of the day, this time a 29-yard strike.
Down only 6 at 20-14, Michigan opened the final period by taking their first lead of the day. Just 1:43 into the final period, Leon Washington busted free on an off-tackle run and raced 26 yards to paydirt to give Michigan a 21-20 lead. The crowd had been silenced, the party atmosphere got a lot more tense, and the Outlaws needed to respond. They again moved the ball slowly and steadily, but when the drive ground to a halt on the Michigan 43, Coach Landry took a chance, sending out Rian Lindell to attempt a 60-yard kick.
Coach Landry’s gamble paid off as Lindell’s kick just grazed the top of the crossbar on its way over for 3 points. Texas was back on top with 9 minutes left in the half, but with momentum clearly against them. The Panthers failed to make a first down on their next drive and Texas again used the ground game and some short passes to keep possession as long as they could. They got the game down to 3:35, but had to punt the ball back to Michigan. Plenty of time for Brian Griese to pull the game out.
But it would not be Griese, but the combination of Mike Hart and Leon Washington who would get the job done. With newly arrived NFL veteran Thomas Jones not included among the active players, it would be the two underappreciated backs who would get the job done. For Washington it was a 9-yard run and a key catch on 3rd and 2, for Hart, a 15 yard burst, and a pair of short runs, but what Michigan had was a drive that reached comfortably into Matt Prater’s range. With 1:02 left and the Panthers facing a 4th and 4, Coach LeBeau sent out Prater and the veteran kicker put the ball comfortably between the uprights to give Michigan back its 1 point lead.
Texas would need to fly down the field to give Rian Lindell another chance, but that kind of hurry up offense is not what the Outlaws do well. Despite having hit 9 different receivers on the day, Flacco could not hit the one he needed on a 4th and 5, and the ball went back to Michigan with the win in hand. Texas would drop to 3-1, just as Baltimore would later that night to leave the league without any undefeated teams.
Tampa Bay 7 New Orleans 27
Eli Manning and Matt Forte both had strong games against the Bandits, with Eli throwing for 292 yards and 3 scores while Forte rushed for 109 as the Breakers held Tampa Bay in check all game. Only a late garbage time Jeremy Shockey field goal got the Bandits on the scoreboard, long after the outcome was known.
Portland 14 Memphis 10
The Showboat offense sputtered against the Stags, with Cadillac Williams held to 32 yards rushing and the ‘Boats committing 2 turnovers. Ingle Martin was efficient, completing 13 of his 18 throws and connecting with Koren Robinson for an early touchdown. The Portland defense held Memphis to 3 of 13 on third down and the offense played within themselves on the road to get the W.
Charlotte 19 Ohio 0
Just a nightmare game for Ohio and QB Chris Redman in front of the home fans. Redman completed only 6 of 22 attempts, and was sacked a painful 9 times by an aggressive Monarch defense. Three different players (Julius Peppers, Reggie Tongue, and Rolando McClain) came away with multiple sacks as Charlotte simply overpowered the Ohio line.
New Jersey 27 Jacksonville 10
The Generals run game accounted for 2 scores and Curtis Fuller’s pick 6 added a third TD as New Jersey sprinted out to a 17-0 lead and never looked back. In a game hailed as a potential battle of rookie QB’s, both saw the field, but only for a kneeldown in Bradford’s case, and only for 1 short yardage run for Tebow. Fans in Jacksonville started chanting Tebow’s name after falling behind 17-0 but Coach Frazier did not put the rookie in.
Houston 24 Chicago 41
Brady Quinn returned to action after 2 weeks and made a statement about why he is the starter, throwin for 3 scores as Chicago blew past the Gamblers. Donald Driver brought in 2 of the 3 Quinn scoring throws, two of his 9 receptions on the day. The defense also forced 2 Houston turnovers that helped them build up a lead and keep the pressure on all game.
Los Angeles 31 Seattle 13
Byron Leftwich returned to action but struggled against LA’s pass rush and coverage schemes. Meanwhile the Express got 105 yards and a 19-yard scoring run from Maurice Jones-Drew and 117 yards with a score from Randy Moss. LA evened their record at 2-2, while sending Seattle to another bad start at 1-3.
Nashville 19 Washington 24
A good game in the nation’s capital as Nashville took the lead with 7 minutes to play, but David Garrard found Rod Smart with a late TD to snatch the lead back, a lead the Feds would hold. With Deuce McCallister a scratch from the game, Rod Smart was given the lion’s share of carries, rushing for 52 yards on 13 attempts.
Boston 10 Birmingham 6
The Stallion defense is proving to be stout, but they still have not figured out an offensive scheme with Kyle Boller at the helm. Limited to only 2 field goals, Birmingham was undone by a single Cedric Wilson D catch. McPherson only threw for 129 yards, but his one TD toss was enough to upend the Stallions in Birmingham.
Orlando 14 Atlanta 9
Two very tough defenses went head to head in this one, but a late Brees to McCaerins TD gave Orlando the win, the second combination for those two in the game. The two teams struggled to move the ball all day, with a combined 5 of 25 on third down. Atlanta, in particular, just could not get the run going, with Darren McFadden struggling to a minimal 13 yards on the day. Orlando had better luck with Moreno gaining 72 yards and helping them earn the win and move to 3-1 on the year.
Pittsburgh 22 St. Louis 21
Even with Josh Freeman on the bench St. Louis put up a very good fight against the visiting Maulers. It did not start that way, with the Maulers running out to a 16-0 lead after one quarter, but St. Louis got back in it thanks to their run game and actually took a 21-16 lead on a Jeff Blake to David Nelson TD pass, but in the end, it did not hold as Pittsburgh got a late Vincent Jackson TD to pull ahead by one, a score that held up for the Maulers.
Arizona 7 Denver 25
Arizona struggled against Denver’s high pressure defense, with the Gold recording 7 sacks of David Carr, including 2 from Ryan Denney. The gold built up a 25-0 lead and only a late garbage time score from Arizona got them on the scoreboard. Even NFL import LaDainian Tomlinson was ineffective against the Gold’s front 7, averaging only 2.9 yards per carry for the Wranglers.
Las Vegas 10 Oakland 31
It was all Invaders in this one as within 30 seconds the Invaders scored on a Hank Basket TD in the first quarter and then got 7 more on the very next play from scrimmage as Jake Plummer was picked off by Keith Smith, who returned the pass 16 yards for a score. Las Vegas never recovered and Oakland used Ricky Williams to draw down the game, gaining 109 yards on 24 carries. But it was a victory that came at a huge price as, late in the game and up 14, Oakland QB Joey Harrington went down with what appeared to be a major injury.
Baltimore 17 Philadelphia 34
The Sunday Night game was hyped as a battle for first in the NE Division, and it played out like a late season playoff battle. Both QB’s played well, but it was the surprising success of Philadelphia’s run game, with Steve Slaton racking up a career best 159 carries that won the day for the Stars. Philadelphia ended the game with a 37 minute to 22 minute time of possession advantage and over 436 yards of offense as they take over first place (on a tiebreaker) from the Blitz.
Harrington Goes Down, Could Lose Season
It was the kind of injury you dread, Joey Harrington scrambling, trying to make a move on a cornerback when his knee simply buckles under him. Lying on the ground in obvious pain, Harrington had to be carted off the field. By Monday morning the verdict was in, a full PCL tear. This means a minimum of 2 months before Harrington could be back, possibly 3, which would put his absence well into the last weeks of the year. Oakland, an early favorite to return to the Summer Bowl, would need to do it with a backup QB.
The question for now is who that backup will be. The two QBs on the roster, both equally inexperienced, are 3rd year player Bob Volek and 2nd year trade acquisition Cutis Painter. In the game against Vegas it was Volek who led the final drive, but looking ahead to next week, Coach Green has been unwilling to reveal which of the two would be set to start. For now the plan is to keep Harrington on the active roster, hoping for a 2-month return, which would put his return date at Week 12. The Invaders did release HB Olandis Gary on Tuesday, signing 28-year old Jared Lorenzen to be the emergency QB, but they may have a tough decision to make moving forward. Do they stand pat or try to find a deal to bring another QB to what is otherwise a championship caliber roster. That decision is likely to come after several games with Volek and/or Painter at the helm, enough time to determine the pace of Harrington’s recovery. But it cannot wait too long as the trade deadline prior to Week 10 will be here sooner than you expect.
Fitzpatrick Injured, Bradford to Start
A second QB injury making news this week, and again the question of “why was he in the game” comes up. Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a broken collarbone on a sack with only 2:07 left in the game and the Generals up by 17. Fitzpatrick had handed the ball off to Ray Rice, but there was a fumble on the play, and in the melee to get the ball back, the Generals’ QB hit the turf hard and got up holding his shoulder. It is a fracture, not a dislocating break, so Fitzpatrick could be back in action within 3-4 weeks, and New Jersey certainly knows who will get the start for the next few weeks, but as rookie QB Sam Bradford himself said “This is not how any player wants to get a starting job.” Bradford will be the starter next week as the Generals host Texas, and New Jersey will go with only 2 QB’s this week, with Kris Kershaw backing up Bradford. We expect New Jersey to also find an emergency QB among the free agent pool, but that decision will wait until next week.
No Unbeatens or Winless after 4 Weeks
The two QB injuries were big news this week, so we forgive you if you did not spend the week talking about parity. Why bring it up? Well, because for the first time in a very long time the USFL has no unbeatens and no winless teams after only 1 month of play. We typically see one, the other, or both well into the season, often even past the halfway point. The fact that every single team is either 3-1, 2-2, or 1-3 is rare and worthy of commentary. That situation arose this week when Philadelphia beat the 3-0 Blitz, Michigan went into Texas and upended the surprising 3-0 Outlaws, Charlotte blanked the Ohio Glory, and the LA Express finally got their first W of the season with a pretty healthy trouncing of Seattle.
As we enter the second quarter of the season, this parity means that the league remains wide open, which likely impacts the trading block (teams that are already feeling out of contention tend to be willing to trade talent for future considerations) and it means that nearly every game has a storyline within it to attract fans and put butts in seats. Now, we won’t get ahead of ourselves. Teams that drop to 1-4, and then 1-5 will quickly start looking to make changes, and teams that jump up to 4-1 and then 5-1 are likely to start considering strategies to enhance their playoff chances, but for this week at least, every team is in the game, and every game could be a battle to start something good.
We have already mentioned the injuries to Joey Harrington and Ryan Fitzpatrick. There was a third QB placed on the injury list this week, with Baltimore’s Ben Roethlisberger dealing with a hamstring injury. He is listed as questionable, but word out of Baltimore is that it will be a game-time decision, but that Ben himself expects to play.
We did have two players added to IR this week, the first of the season. Arizona placed cornerback Duane Starks there after a diagnosis of a full bicep tear came back from team doctors. Likewise, Houston LB Nick Barnett is also added to IR after it was determined that his back injury did include fractures to two vertebrae, fractures that will require a period of traction to avoid potential spinal cord injury. We, of course, wish both players a speedy and full recovery.
New Jersey got some additional bad news when TE Anthony Becht’s evaluation showed partial tear to the shoulder joint, requiring surgery, a process that will cost him no less than a month but possibly longer. For Denver, it was LB Dat Nguyen added to the injury list, expected to miss 1-2 weeks with a hyperextended knee. Orlando will be without LB Will Overstreet this week due to an elbow issue and Ohio’s Chauncey Davis is expected to miss a second straight week. One final item, Denver is hoping that Peerless Price will be greenlit to go this week, but a wrist injury is a concern and the team has him listed as Doubtful for Week 5.
1ST Quarter Break Out Players
We mentioned earlier that the conclusion of Week 4 marks the completion of the first quarter of play in the 2010 season. We have already seen some surprises, particularly the fast start of Texas, Philadelphia, and New Orleans, as well as the slow starts for Boston, Charlotte, Houston, and Ohio. But we have also seen some new stars start to shine. Here, after only 1 month of the season, is our pick for the 6 players who have started to make a name for themselves and gotten our attention this past month.
QB Josh Freeman (STL): Though injured this week, the first three weeks of the year gave us enough to get excited about Josh Freeman as the QB of the Skyhawks. While Freeman’s absence this week and late exit last week kept him below the passing attempts minimum for the week, were he eligible he would be the top rated QB in the league right now, with a score of 115.1. He has 7 touchdowns in 3 games, and has only thrown 1 pick. What is more, the Skyhawks currently rank as one of the highest scoring teams in the league, something barely conceivable based on past seasons. Yes, it helps a lot that they have a rebuilt RB group, and that Coach Arians is focusing on smart decision making by his QB, but we should also recognize the physical gifts of the former Kansas State star.
QB Mike Kafka (CHI): Yes, It was only a 2 game display, but the success this unheralded rookie out of Northwestern had with the Machine was certainly impressive. Five touchdowns in 2 weeks, coupled with a QB rating over 90, were impressive. Everyone expected Chicago to turn into a 1960’s Nebraska team and run the ball on nearly every play, but Coach Mornhinweg trusted his rookie to steer the ship, and Mike Kafka did that and more. He is back on the bench behind Brady Quinn, but he did get some eyes looking his way.
HB Steve Slaton (PHI): Yes, a 150-yard day will get our attention, but if that were all that Slaton had done this year we would likely not have him on this list. The Stars’ HB, who shared carries with Michael Robinson last year, has taken on the lion’s share of carries for the Stars this year. And what has that meant? Well, how about a 3-game stretch of 80, 100, and 159 yards as a start? Slaton now sits #2 behind only Ron Dayne in the rushing leaderboard, and his success has largely kept Reno Mahe on special teams. Slaton has 98 carries to Mahe’s 14, and with the success he has seen in recent weeks, we don’t expect that ratio of work to dip any time soon.
WR Robert Meachem (NSH): The 4-year veteran is not new to the league, but he may still be new to many fans around the country who just did not see much of him in the past. He had only 57 receptions last year, for 565 yards, which is a fine number, but hardly worth writing home about. This year, in only 4 games he is among the league leaders with 29 receptions (over 7 per game), 320 yards and has already doubled his total 2009 TD count, with 4 this year to only 2 the entire 2009 season. Meachem has emerged over veteran Malcolm Floyd and slot receiver Ahmad Merrit as the clear #1 for the Knights. All you need to see that is the number of targets with Meachem at 44 in 4 games, while the next highest total is TE Justin Peele with only 19.
DE Chauncey Davis (OHIO): While he has fallen 1 sack behind the leaders in the USFL, including league record holder Calais Campbell, Davis raced out to an early lead with 3 sacks in a Week 2 game against Arizona. He has a sack in all 3 games he has played, sitting out this past week due to a stress fracture in his foot. Davis was not even expected to start for Ohio this year, slotted in behind Isaac Hilton and Jamie Kirlew when camp began, but he put in a very strong camp after coming over from Orlando, and he has earned his spot as a left end for the Glory. If he can continue to show the same burst and power after returning from his injury, we could see Davis becoming a regular household name for fans and a real headache for left tackles.
LB Sean Lee (PHI): Our second breakout star from the same team as the Stars seem to have found a good one in MLB Sean Lee. Fans were worried about starting the rookie at MLB after losing fellow Penn State alum Paul Posluszny in free agency, but this Nittany Lion is proving to be quite an asset. He is tied for 7th in the league in tackles with 32 after 4 games, well above Posluszny’s total of 22 with Orlando, and he is getting into the backfield as well, with 4 tackles for loss so far.
CB Michael Boulware (TEX): Not the biggest name on the biggest team, Boulware is just making good plays and helping Texas start strong. He has 9 passes defended and 2 picks already this year, well on a pace to set personal bests in his third year in the league. Paired with Nathan Vasher and nickel corner Cedric Griffin, Boulware is part of a young, hungry, and high energy secondary that is making life tough for opposing quarterbacks.
The Case for Tim Tebow
We don’t want to tell the Jacksonville Bulls how to do their business, but it is just plain shocking how little action Tim Tebow has seen through the season’s first month. This is a star who has electrified the Bulls fan base and has been the biggest thing to hit Jacksonville in years. We understand he is a rookie, and we understand that his style is not that of a traditional drop-back passer, but there has to be a way to both take advantage of his talents and satisfy the fans who are beginning to chant his name every time Josh McCown misses on a big play.
We feel for McCown. He is just trying to take his shot after years of backing up Jake Delhomme, but it does not make financial, PR, or possibly even football sense to have Tim Tebow on the bench. Even if it is for just a couple of drives per game, the Bulls need to create a package that takes advantage of their budding star. Sitting at 2-2 certainly helps the Bulls make the case that they do not need to rush Tebow, but there is a difference between rushing a player and finding a way to make use of one. We think that Jacksonville is erring far to far on the side of caution. You have a unique athlete in Tebow, find a way to turn his skills into positive plays for your club. It takes inventiveness, yes, but that is also a key component to winning football in general.
Stadium issues Continue to Hamper Some USFL Teams
With MetLife Stadium opening in the Meadowlands this year, the list of cities that still need stadium upgrades or even new facilities keeps getting smaller. Yes, there are issues for sure in Las Vegas and Boston, where neither stadium is truly suitable, and there are plenty of other venues that could use a facelift, but when we look around the league, there are really 4 other cities that should be pulling out all the stops to get a new place. We survey them here.
BIRMINGHAM: To say that Legion Field has lived past its prime is almost 20 years too late. It is a grand old facility, but more and more “old” is the key word in that phrase. We have heard that the Stallions are talking with the city and with the University of Alabama system to see if a new stadium can be built, and we understand that neither the city nor the state have particularly deep pockets, but at some point, the future of football in Birmingham has to be addressed, or the future of football in Birmingham could well be in doubt.
ORLANDO: I personally have never been that big of a fan of Citrus Bowl Stadium. It’s a classic design, but one created long before the modern era of massive screens, luxury suites, and expansive fan amenities. In recent years we have seen cities like Jacksonville, Memphis, and San Antonio take older facilities and invest in them to modernize them, avoiding the greater cost of building a new stadium, while providing fans with a contemporary, almost luxury experience. We think that should be the path the Renegades, and perhaps the rising UCF football program look at.
OAKLAND: Another city that simply may not have the resources necessary to build a brand new stadium, but one which should absolutely be figuring a way to refurbish their main sports venue. With both the Invaders and A’s calling the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum home, the reason for investing in the stadium has to be clear to city officials. It should also be clear to USFL and MLB officials, because the Bay Area is such a vital market for both. And yet, we have heard nothing from Oakland or the Invaders about plans, not even negotiations.
WASHINGTON: Have you been out to RFK recently? Great location, great history, but that place is falling apart. With no option to play in the relatively new Redskins stadium, RFK remains the only option for the Feds. They tried working with MLB to see if a dual purpose stadium could be constructed when the Expos moved to DC to become the Nationals, but the age of the multi-use stadium has passed, so plans never got very far. Washington’s best option may be to work with the local MLS club, DC United, to try to get a soccer/football dual use stadium in the DC Metro area. After all, the basic shape of both soccer and football fields makes it a much easier model. The problem of course is scale. The Feds are going to want a stadium that holds at least 55,000, likely more, but MLS is hoping to build soccer stadiums of 16,000-22,000, not monstrous stadia that will never fill for regular MLS games. So, what are the Feds to do?
And yes, we focused on these four franchises, but the fact still remains that both the Cannons and Thunder are playing in sub-par stadia for the USFL. They are in very different situations, with the Thunder being the only major league team in the city, and one that is competing with a lot of other entertainment options, while Boston plays in Alumni Stadium for one obvious reason, Robert Kraft and the Patriot simply do not want to play ball. So many NFL owners have found that collaboration with a USFL franchise is mutually beneficial, but Kraft, much like Washington’s Daniel Snyder, and Dallas’s Jerry Jones, remain firmly entrenched in a “salt the earth” mindset when it comes to the USFL. So, that makes 6 clubs who have work in front of them to match what we see in New Jersey, Seattle, Philly, or Arizona, where new stadia have helped turn their USFL clubs into regular cash cows.
Week 5 kicks off with an unlikely Friday Night game as we have two 1-3 clubs going at it, but when those two are division rivals Houston and Arizona, you know you are going to get a hard-hitting and exciting game. On Saturday our pick as a “must watch” is the Texas-New Jersey tilt, in which former Oklahoma signal caller Sam Bradford can again cause despair in Texas if he can lead the Generals over the Outlaws. On Sunday, we are hoping to catch both the Baltimore-Boston clash at 12pm and then the Nashville-Portland game at 4pm Eastern. Both feature teams that are already feeling pressure to win now and both games feature some rising stars in the league.
FRIDAY @ 8pm ET Houston (1-3) @ Arizona (1-3) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET Charlotte (1-3) @ Memphis (2-2) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET Birmingham (2-2) @ Philadelphia (3-1) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET Texas (3-1) @ New Jersey (2-2) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm ET Washington (2-2) @ New Orleans (3-1) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm ET Las Vegas (2-2) @ Ohio (1-3) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm ET Oakland (3-1) @ Los Angeles (1-3) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET Baltimore (3-1) @ Boston (2-2) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET Jacksonville (2-2) @ Pittsburgh (2-2) FOX
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET Chicago (3-1) @ Atlanta (1-3) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET St.Louis (1-3) @ Michigan (3-1) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET Seattle (1-3) @ Denver (3-1) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET Nashville (2-2) @ Portland (2-2) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm ET Orlando (3-1) @ Tampa Bay (1-3) ESPN & EFN