Week 5 saw the debut of several NFL transfers, including WR Antonio Bryant (ARZ), HB Thomas Jones (MGN), and LB Jason Taylor (BAL). It also saw what might be the transition point in Jacksonville where struggles by Josh McCown likely led to the decision of Coach Frazier to start Tim Tebow next week. Texas got back to their winning ways, while Seattle dropped their 4th in a row to bring back unpleasant visions of last year. And, after another defeat, Ohio started making moves left and right, but are they trying to get back into this season or writing it off. We will debate that and review all the news of the week, starting right now.
HOUSTON GAMBLERS 32 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 31
Sitting at 1-3, both Houston and Arizona needed this one, and they played it like a playoff game, down to the wire. It was all Arizona early, with the Wranglers taking a 31-16 lead into the half, but Houston shut down David Carr in the second half and bit by bit the Gamblers worked their way back into the game and the lead.
The first half of this game was wild, with both teams trading body blows and haymakers throughout. Houston started on offense and scored on their first drive with Hasselbeck connecting with TE Dante Rosario for 6. But, on Houston’s next drive, CB Mike Mickens stepped in front of Roy Williams, picking off the Hasselbeck pass and running it back for a score. Later in the quarter, David Carr hit Antonio Bryant from 22 yards out and Arizona had their first lead of the game.
The Wranglers would add a field goal before Houston got on the board again. The Gamblers rebounded with Hasselbeck leading Houston on a field goal drive, and then connecting with Arnaz Battle to pull within 17-16. But Arizona was not done. They had a long drive end with an LT 6-yard TD run, six of 82 yards on the day for the NFL import. Then, in the waning seconds of the half, Houston was driving, only to have a tipped ball end up in the hands of LB Karlos Dansby. Hasselbeck made a half-hearted effort to tackle Dansby, but the backer was too much for him and rumbled into the endzone to make the halftime score a healthy 31-16.
At the half, Coach Phillips pushed the defense to be more aggressive, and the offense to protect the ball. The twin messages hit home, and in the second half both goals were achieved. Arizona would not get on the board again, and Houston patiently kept chipping away. The only score in the 3rd was a Dan Carpenter 43-yard field goal to bring Houston to 31-19. But as the 4th quarter opened, Houston was in the Arizona red zone and on a 3rd and goal trusted the ball to Kevin Faulk. Faulk made a defender miss with a strong juke move, and dove into the endzone to pull the Gamblers to within 5 at 31-26.
Houston would find themselves still down 5 with 1:58 left to play after an Arizona punt (their 4th of the half), and Matt Hasselbeck would dink and dunk his way down the field, connecting with Ike Hilliard 3 times on the drive. Hilliard, who finished the game with 177 yards receiving, was the weak link in the Arizona defense, which had made life tough for Roy Williams all game. A 31-yard Hilliard catch and run got the ball inside the 5 with just under a minute to play, and Hasselbeck again found his tight end, Rosario, open in the endzone. Houston took the lead with less than a minute to play, but after a failed 2-point attempt, it was only a 1-point lead.
Arizona got the ball back with just under 1 minute to play, but a holding call on first down put them in a hole at 1st and 20. They would not recover. On a 4th and 7 Carr missed on a throw to Antonio Bryant (who had a good game in his USFL debut, catching 4 balls for 71 yards and a TD), and the game was over. Arizona would fall to 1-4 while Houston would move to 2-3.
CHARLOTTE 24 MEMPHIS 10
The Monarchs win their second in a row thanks to a stifling defense that limits Memphis to only 70 yards rushing and 254 total yards. Brandon Coutu racks up 5 field goals and the D adds a safety as the Monarchs run off 6 consecutive scoring drives to pull from a 7-0 deficit to a 21-7 lead in this one.
BIRMINGHAM 6 PHILADELPHIA 31
Another stellar defensive outing from the Stars, holding Birmingham to two field goals while the offense gets TDs from Reche Caldwell, Brent Celek, Dallas Clark, and Steve Slaton. Rookie Ben Tate was the lone bright spot for Birmingham, gaining 73 yards on 16 carries on a day when Kyle Boller threw for only 147.
TEXAS 27 NEW JERSEY 7
It was all Texans on the day of Sam Bradford’s first pro start. The 4-1 Outlaws got rushing TDs from Duckett and from former General James Jackson while holding New Jersey to only 86 yards on the ground. Bradford had some moments, finishing 21 of 37 for 176 yards and TD, but it was not enough to stay with the surprising Outlaws.
WASHINGTON 27 NEW ORLEANS 24
One of very few close games this week, this one came down to a final drive TD from Deuce McCallister as the Feds pull it out in the Super Dome. David Garrard continued to struggle, throwing 3 picks, but McCallister’s 144 yards and a solid red zone performance from the defense was enough to make the difference for the visiting Federals.
LAS VEGAS 31 OHIO 13
Jake Plummer had one of his better games in June Jones’s new system and the Thunder defense did the rest as Ohio continues to struggle. Limited to only 60 yards rushing and only 3 of 13 on third down, the Glory fell behind 17-3 at the half and never found their way back. Plummer, who threw for 233 and rushed for 82, including a TD scramble, looked like his old self, a rarity these past two seasons in Las Vegas.
OAKLAND 18 LOS ANGELES 10
It was not easy, but backup Bob Volek got the W for the Invaders over the struggling Express. Helped by 4 Mike Hollis field goals, Oakland won with defense as they held LA to only 1 converted third down and a total of 213 yards of offense. Mark Sanchez was sacked 4 times and picked once by the Invaders as they move their record to 4-1, alone atop the Pacific Division.
BALTIMORE 17 BOSTON 27
Adrian McPherson has found his stride and the Cannons have turned the ship around as they win their third in a row. This one was the Rashard Mendenhall Show as the former Illini back rushed for 159 and caught 4 balls for another 52 on the day. Boston also got TDs from James Whalen and Cedric Wilson as they pull into a 2 way tie with Baltimore for 2nd place behind Philly.
JACKSONVILLE 7 PITTSBURGH 33
Josh McCown struggled in what could be the game that sends Tim Tebow to the starting lineup. Throwing 2 picks and sacked 3 times, McCown could not get the Bulls going on offense, while across the field Cody Pickett threw for 2 scores and Kenny Watson had 97 yards rushing as he subbed for DeShaun Foster. Add in a Dunta Robinson 41-yard pick-six and you have the Maulers now over .500 at 3-2.
CHICAGO 28 ATLANTA 31
Kyle Orton not only got the win, but his 306 yard, 4 TD day helped him take over the top spot as the league’s top-rated QB. Orton found Josh Reed and Demaryius Thomas for 2 scores each as Atlanta found holes in Chicago’s secondary all game long. Chicago kept it a game, thanks in large part to Brady Quinn’s 4 TD tosses, but a late Josh Scobee field goal gave the homestanding Atlanta Fire their 2nd win of the season.
ST. LOUIS 3 MICHIGAN 32
Michigan was 7-1 all time against the Skyhawks, and they made it 8-1 quite easily this week. Josh Freeman was knocked out of the game in the 3rd quarter after being sacked 5 times, and Troy Smith did not get a welcome party when he came on the field either. For Michigan, Brian Griese threw for 282 and 3 scores and while Thomas Jones got his first action (9 carreis for 14 yards) it was again Leon Washington with the big numbers, including a 35-yard scamper.
SEATTLE 6 DENVER 22
Byron Leftwich returned but likely wishes he hadn’t as Seattle drops their 4th in a row and Leftwich is sacked 5 times by the Gold front 7. For Denver the run game of Ringer and Hicks combined for 106 yards, and Ringer contributed on special teams as well, returning a a punt 66 yards for a touchdown, the only Denver 6-pointer of the day.
NASHVILLE 24 PORTLAND 9
Ingle Martin struggled, despite throwing for 316 yards, as he was picked off twice and could not turn drives into touchdowns. For Nashville, Frank Gore’s 91 yards and 2 touchdown runs were enough as the Knights shut down the Stags scoring. Hunter Hillenmeyer finished the game with 14 tackles and a pick in a dominant performance.
ORLANDO 25 TAMPA BAY 30
A good one on Sunday Night as the Bandits upset the Renegades in front of nearly 61,000 at Raymond James Stadium. The Florida Derby had a bit of everything, with Drew Brees throwing for 312 yards, but Tampa Bay got TDs from a Roscoe Parrish punt return TD, a McGahee run, and Parrish again with an 82-yard catch and run from Culpepper. That long Parrish TD proved to be the game winner as Tampa Bay’s Zeke Moreno blitzed and sacked Brees on the game’s final drive, forcing Orlando out of field goal range and setting up a failed Hail Mary by the ‘Gades. Tampa now moves to 2-3, only 1 game behind Orlando.
Parity Taking Over
There are 28 teams in the USFL and as of Week 5 18 of them are either 3-2 or 2-3, and with no unbeatens or winless clubs, everyone else is only 1 game away from that mark. That is what is known as parity, though some might call it parody. For fans of dynasties and dominant performances, this may not be the season for you. For those who prefer the “any given Sunday” line, this could be a very good year for you. We know the folks at the sports books in Vegas are loving the chaos of upsets, close wins, and lines not being covered. For the rest of us, it is edge of your seat time as you may still have no idea, 5 weeks in, whether your team is looking good or about to collapse.
It certainly looks like we have at least 1 upstart in the mix this year as Texas moves to 4-1 and looks very much like a team to take seriously. Philadelphia too could be considered a surprise at 4-1, while fans in Ohio may well be looking at the end of an era, sitting at 1-4 and grieving over the retirement of Kerry Collings as their offense is looking very much out of sorts. In LA they are beginning to question whether Mark Sanchez is the man after all, while in Atlanta fans are hoping a strong start to the season is a sign that Kyle Orton is ready to be a force for the Fire.
It’s still early, with 11 weeks left to play, but the 2010 season is turning out to be one of surprises, close calls, and more balance from top to bottom than we have seen in a long time.
Atlanta Riding Orton’s Strong Start
We really should say something about Kyle Orton’s first 5 weeks. No one predicted that at this point in the season we would be seeing his name at the top of the QB Ratings, above Griese, Brees, or Roethlisberger, and yet, there he is, with a 108.9 QBR and 11 touchdowns to only 1 pick. The Fire may only be 2-3, but they are in the Top 5 league wide in passing yards and total yards. Orton has played nearly flawless ball and receiver Josh Reed is the current league leader in receiving yards with 518 yards in 5 games. Right behind him is rookie Demaryius Thomas, who has 22 catches for 232 yards and 3 scores already this season.
Atlanta has struggled to get Darren McFadden on track, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry, but if the passing game can stay hot, teams will have to start leaving safeties back and respecting the deep ball threat, and that could benefit Atlanta in the run game. If that happens, then the Fire could be a team to contend with in the Southeast, where everyone is either 3-2 or 2-3 at the five week mark.
Tebow to Start After Bulls Drop below .500
We mentioned it earlier, and on Tuesday it was made official. Tim Tebow will get his first pro start on Saturday night ESPN football as the Bulls host the Tampa Bay Bandits. That fact alone could push attendance up over 60,000 at Alltell Stadium as the place is likely to be jam packed with Gator fans as well as the usual large crowd for a Florida rivalry game.
Tebow has waited patiently through five games, getting only a few plays in, mostly as a decoy or a QB run play specialist, but now he will have his shot, on national television, to show what made him such a fan favorite in Gainesville and across the South. As for Josh McCown, a good start has devolved over the past few weeks and he now sits ahead of only Ohio’s Chris Redman among starters with a 61.0 QB Rating, 5 TDs and 7 interceptions. Coach Frazier has said that it is a QB battle, and that Tebow has not been crowned the permanent starter, only given the start this week to try to spark the Bulls and hopefully get them back to. 500 with a home win. But, despite the coach’s words, fans in Florida are hoping this is the start of something big.
Losing Streaks hit 4 games for Arizona and Seattle
A good first week has been followed by four straight losses for both the Dragons and the Wranglers, and fans are not at all happy about it. After improving from a 1-15 2008 to a 5-9 season in last year’s lockout-shortened season, there was a lot of hope that Coach Tomsula’s squad in Arizona was on the right path and could possibly get into the conversation with Denver and Houston at the top of the SW Division. But, so far this year, it has been Texas who are the surprise contender, and Arizona, now mired at 1-4, are looking very much like a team that is still lacking direction. Certainly it is not for a lack of spending as the Wranglers coughed up some big money to lure LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Bryant away from the NFL, but so far those two big names have not transformed the Wranglers into winners. It may still be early, as we often see NFL stars arrive and struggle at first to excel in back to back seasons, but if Arizona cannot show some signs of growth in the next few weeks, there may need to be more changes made.
In Seattle, the question is being asked, why can’t the Dragons win in March or April? This marks the third year in a row where Seattle has struggled out of the gate. In both previous seasons they have rebounded strong in the season’s second half, actually qualifying for the playoffs in 2008 after an 0-4 start, and staying relevant in the playoff hunt last year despite a similar stunt, but as they stare at 1-4, the question needs to be asked, why is this such an issue for this team? At least this year we can point to the injury list for some explanation, as Byron Leftwich missed 2 games and backup Tee Martin was simply not up to the challenge. But, Leftwich was back this week and Seattle did not look any better for it. Coach Lewis, most famous for taking a 6-8 Dragon team all the way to a league title in 2005, and leading them to a 13-1 record as recently as 2007, is getting another claim to fame, and not one teams want. He still has time once again this season to turn things around, but it cannot be a good thing to always have to dig yourselves out of a hole each season.
Jacksonville’s hopes for a rebound season took a hit this week when testing showed that Lavar Arrington’s wrist is, in fact, broken. He will need to wear a cast for at least 6 weeks, which puts his return to the Bulls at 8-9 weeks, which is basically the full season. The Bulls placed him on IR and will call up some depth from the practice squad. In St. Louis, Jeff Blake could miss as much as a month with a broken jaw, just as Josh Freeman was cleared to play this week. St. Louis will also be without nickel corner Kendrick Lewis for at least 2 weeks with a fracture in his forearm. Charlotte could be down two defenders as both LB A. J. Nicholson and CB Asante Samuel are expected to be out this week. New Jersey, who lost both Anthony Becht and Ryan Fitzpatrick this past week, will be even weaker as WR Mark Clayton could miss 1-2 weeks after suffering a detached retina after a big collision this past week. Memphis has listed HB Cadillac Williams as doubtful fo the week as he recovers from a concussion, while Denver’s Peerless Price will also be out again with his sprained wrist.
Expected on the field this week, though listed as probable, are QB Ben Roethlisberger (BAL), HB Steve Slaton (PHI), WR Robert Ferguson (MEM), LB Mark Simoeau (WSH), QB A. J. Feeley (POR), WR Roscoe Parrish (TBY), TE Vernon Davis (HOU), and CB Randall Gay (NOR).
Ohio Hits Trading Block Hard
After making three trades in one week, fans and pundits are still trying to figure out if the Ohio Glory are desperate to turn their fate around and start winning, or if they are tanking in hopes of landing a superstar QB in next year’s draft. With a strong draft class, there was a fear that teams might give up on this season and make a play for a top draft pick, but Ohio’s move seem to indicate that they are unsure which path to take.
On the one hand, they sent backup Brooks Bollinger to Denver, along with a pair of 4th rounders (2011 and 2012) in order to bring in longstanding Gold backup QB Derrick Anderson. Anderson is certainly an upgrade, and could very well become the starter sooner rather than later. That seems to indicate that the club is hoping to turn things around and get some W’s on the board this year.
But on the other hand, the Glory also just traded away one of their best defensive performers, safety Mike Doss, to New Orleans in exchange for a 2011 2nd round pick. Doss has been a solid contributor and a fringe “star” on defense for the Glory since signing out of Ohio State. He goes to New Orleans, who are hoping he can solidify the FS position and allow rookie Earl Thomas to swing between free and strong safety, as well as playing nickel.
In a final move, another head scratcher, Ohio sent highly touted college TE Brandon Pettigrew to Charlotte, after giving the OK State product only 1 year in the pros to prove himself. With Stephen Alexander not getting any younger, the trade seems to indicate that the club just does not see quality in Pettigrew, despite his college results. They got a TE in the deal, backup Mike Merritt, and they also added a 3rd rounder from Charlotte, giving the Glory 5 picks in the opening 3 rounds of next January’s draft. For many fans, that feels like they are stockpiling picks, hoping to make a deal to move up, perhaps as far as the #1 overall pick.
Of course, at 1-4, the Glory have a real shot of earning the top pick all on their own. But, if they are trying to play it both ways, win some games now with Anderson at QB, and still have a Top 5 draft pick, trading for multiple 2nd and 3rd round picks might be a way to get there. We could certainly imagine a middle-of-the-pack Glory team trading their 1st rounder and several other picks to move up in the draft without having to “tank” the current season to get there. Of course, with both Joey Galloway and Eddie George swirling around retirement rumors, the other option here might be to keep a lot of high end picks and draft multiple positions.
It is an interesting scenario, and one that will be a topic of much debate as the season continues, especially for Glory fans who are more used to winning games and titles than worrying about draft position.
Oakland trades for QB Security
Ohio was not the only active team on the trading block this week as the Oakland Invaders, staring at a possible lost season for QB Joey Harrington, made a move to add depth and experience to their QB room. They got a win with Bob Volek at QB this week, but with only Volek and Curtis Painter on the roster, there was concern that Oakland could waste a strong roster on a season with weak QB play. They hope that they have found a solution for that by trading picks and some practice team talent to Boston in order to obtain former NJ Generals starter Kevin Kolb from the Cannons.
Kolb started 11 games for the Generals over 2 seasons, has 8 TDs to 9 picks and a QB rating of 66.6, so he is certainly no threat to Joey Harrington when he returns (either at the very end of this year or not until next season), but what Kolb brings to Oakland is a level of experience and calming presence that neither Volek or Painter could provide. We expect that after this week’s win, Volek will again get the start for the Invaders in their Week 6 matchup against New Orleans. If he keeps winning games, even if winning ugly, we think Volek will keep the job. But if he struggles, Oakland now feels they have a workable option behind him, one who at least has had some snaps in the league before.
Potential Free Agents Uoping to Up Their Game Ahead of 2011 Market
We know it is early to start thinking about free agency, but it never hurts to look around the league at the players in their final year of current contracts and try to deduce who may well be looking for an exit strategy, a move up, or to move on. In reviewing all 28 teams, we have found 13 players who we think are very likely to be viewing Free Agency with longing, hoping to improve either their finances or their options. Here is our best guess at 11 free agents who may well be quickly out of town unless their teams can come to a deal that meets their needs.
We start with 5 players who have been at the top of their game and may well want to be at the top of the pay scale.
Guard Max Jean-Gilles of Nashville has not been shy about the fact that he believes he should be the highest paid interior lineman in the game. The Knights’ LG certainly has the accolades and the game film to make a case for that, but he is not the only one who can push for top billing.
In Oakland, Ruben Brown has also made a case for a big raise, and could also be pushing for the top money available at his position. Both Brown and Jean-Gilles are clearly among the best at their position, so the question becomes whether their current teams value that position to sink top dollar into retaining their linemen (and keeping their QBs and HBs happy) or if one or both of these big men will be moving on to greener pastures.
Also hoping to acquire a significant monetary boost is Denver DE Ryan Denney. Denney, who is in his 9th season with the Gold, is hoping that recent success on the field leads to some measurable excess in his bank account. After toying with double digit sacks the past two seasons (8 in 2009, 9 in 2008), Denney already has 5 sacks in 5 games in 2010, a pace, as you can guess, to be well over 10 sacks by Week 16. Part of his success is moving from RDE to LDE in 2008, and he clearly now serves as the #1 edge rushing option for the Gold, so the hope is that he will be paid as such. The trouble could come if he wants to be in the range of Kavika Pittman money, which might be a stretch for Denney.
A player who absolutely deserves to be paid some Top 5 money at his position, but who presently is the 17th highest paid LB in the game is Washington’s Antonio Pierce. Pierce has been lighting it up for the Feds over the length of his current contract, and now he sees a major payday coming his way. The question is whether or not Washington, who may well be deep in the QB market this offseason, will also have funds to make that payday happen for Pierce, or will he need to find a new home to also find a new tax bracket.
Finally, there is Chauncey Davis, the break out DE of the Ohio Glory this year. Had you asked us in January if Davis would be pushing for a new deal and some top end money, we would have looked at you with some confusion, but Davis started the year very strong and could very well be a 10-14 sack DE by season’s end. If he is in that range, and if there is big money freed up if Galloway and George both hang up their cleats, then there is a case to be made that Ohio might need to pay their breakout star if they want to keep him.
Those are the players who we see using free agency as a financial boon, but there are other reasons why a player might look to put themselves out there, and one of the biggest motivators is the chance to find a system and a situation that can propel them to stardom, or at least to being a focal point player on their team.
In that category we find QB Tyler Thigpen of Atlanta. With Kyle Orton the undisputed #1 option at QB, Thigpen’s dream of being a USFL starter all but necessitates a move in the offseason. Thigpen got 9 starts under his belt in 2008, and has hopes that he did enough in that tenure to ensure at least a shot at a QB competition and a fair chance to be the man for a team. With several teams looking for upgrades at QB, this might be a good year for him to make his case.
WR Stevie Johnson also feels that he has more to offer than he is currently able to do as the 2nd or third option for Chris Weinke in Charlotte. Weinke has not proven to be much of a gunslinger, and with D. J. Hackett and Darnerien McCants ahead of him on the depth chart, Johnson is not getting as much attention as the extroverted wideout would like. He is the leading receiver so far in 2010 with 293 yards on 23 receptions, but we could absolutely see Johnson leaving Charlotte for a more dynamic offense and a chance to move into the #1 role.
Another wideout who has had good numbers but who may feel ready to move up to the “focal point receiver” job is Memphis’s Lee Evans. Evans had outstanding seasons during the short-lived Brett Favre period in Memphis, but his numbers have not kept pace this year with Jake Delhomme at the helm. The deep ball receiver has also had to play second fiddle to Robert Ferguson over his career and may see this year’s free agent market as his ticket to greater respect and greater opportunity.
Finally, sometimes it is not about the role or the depth chart, but the system. We finish with three players who just don’t see their current schemes as maximizing their talents. They could opt to move on if they can find a team whose system is a better fit for what they feel they do best.
It may seem odd to think that 5-time All-USFL linebacker Joey Porter would want to be anywhere else but with Las Vegas, but the move away from Jerry Glanville and towards offensive-minded June Jones has not gone unnoticed by Porter. The hard-hitting linebacker has seen his opportunities as an edge rusher disappear in Jones’s more conservative zone scheme. A Glanville guy from day one, Porter wants to attack, make plays on the run game, and get to the QB, and the fit with Jones’s style of bend-but-don’t-break is not a natural fit. There will be no shortage of teams willing to use Porter in a more aggressive manner if he does opt to hold out for the free agent market.
Halfback Mike Hart in Michigan is also feeling the pain of being a poor fit for a system. The former Wolverine has moved up the depth chart each year in Michigan, but his skills never seem to align with Coach LeBeau’s offensive scheme. The straight ahead runner is not a good fit for a run game that depends on zone blocking and misdirection. That is why, in part, we see Leon Washington getting more carries, and now, with the arrival of Thomas Jones, it may be a mutual parting for Hart and the Panthers after 3 seasons.
Our last potential Free Agent , another LB who just does not seem to fit in the system, Texas’s Chad Greenway. A top pick of Coach Norv Turner out of Iowa, Greenway also finds himself with a new head coach, a new defensive scheme, and a new role. Shifted from Strongside to Weakside LB, Greenway is a bit out of position, and would do better to find himself in a 3-4 defense instead of Texas’s 4-3. Of course, if Texas keeps winning, the urge to leave town will certainly diminish, but if the fit is not a good one, both Greenway and the Outlaws might do better to look for a sign & trade option in which Texas extends the linebacker’s contract only to make him attractive on the trade market.
We open Week 6 with an interdivisional matchup between the Stars and the Gamblers as Houston tries to reach .500 while Philadelphia is hoping to build on their 1-game lead in the NE Division. On Saturday we hae 4 divisional games, including the outstanding Federals-Blitz rivalry, a budding Boston-NJ rivalry, Chicago v. St. Louis, and another Florida Derby as the Bandits visit the Bulls. Then, on Sunday, it's Michigan at Orlando in a battle of Summer Bowl hopefuls, with the week finishing up with one of the newest rivalry matchups as Atlanta hosts Charlotte in a SE Division game.
FRIDAY @ 8pm ET HOUSTON (2-3) @ PHILADELPHIA (4-1) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET WASHINGTON (3-2) @ BALTIMORE (3-2) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET BOSTON (3-2) @ NEW JERSEY (2-3) FOX
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET ST. LOUIS (1-4) @ CHICAGO (3-2) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm ET OAKLAND (4-1) @ NEW ORLEANS (3-2) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm ET ARIZONA (1-4) @ PORTLAND (2-3) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm ET TAMPA BAY (2-3) @ JACKSONVILLE (2-3) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET SEATTLE (1-4) @ PITTSBURGH (3-2) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET NASHVILLE (3-2) @ BIRMINGHAM (2-3) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET MICHIGAN (4-1) @ ORLANDO (3-2) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET LAS VEGAS (3-2) @ TEXAS (4-1_ ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET MEMPHIS (2-3) @ LOS ANGELES (1-4) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET OHIO (1-4) @ DENVER (4-1) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm ET CHARLOTTE (2-3) @ ATLANTA (2-3) ESPN & EFN