Denver played angry, Washington played smart, Chicago played nasty, and Atlanta played with composure, and that has moved all four on to the next round of the playoffs. The Wild Card round saw four very different games, with only one (Atlanta-New Orleans) kept within a single score. The Machine rolled over a dispirited Oakland squad. Washington just had too much for the Blitz as they rolled to a 24-3 halftime lead and never let up. Denver played with fire in their eyes and took Las Vegas out early, while the Fire exploded out of the gate and then hung on as Eli Manning and the Breakers kept battling back. It was a fun weekend of playoff football, and it sets up a divisional round that could be non-stop energy on the field, with 3 out of 4 divisional playoff games being between divisional foes. We will lay out what happened last week, look ahead to this week, and give you updates on retirements, the coaching searches in Ohio and Tampa, and the upcoming league meetings. All this week in This is the USFL.
NEW ORLEANS 16 ATLANTA 19
An explosive first quarter was followed by three much quieter periods as both defenses settled down and the Atlanta Fire held their lead through the remaining 45 minutes of action to take their first ever playoff victory. HB Darren McFadden came up big with 117 yards rushing and a score as Atlanta took a 16-9 lead into the half and never looked back.
The first quarter seemed to portend a high-scoring game but after 3 TDs in the opening period, there was only 1 more the rest of the game. The game opened with Atlanta scoring on their initial drive, Kyle Orton connecting with rookie Demaryius Thomas for the score to open the game. New Orleans responded 4 minutes later when Chris Cooley caught a 5-yard scoring strike from Eli Manning. But, the game turned to Atlanta with a 2nd scoring drive that saw McFadden rush the ball 5 times for 39 yards on the 72-yard push. He finished the drive with a 5-yard run to paydirt and Atlanta took the lead, a lead they would hold the rest of the game.
The 2nd quarter saw 4 points scored, as field position battles led to a safety for each team (the first time that two teams have scored only a safety in any quarter in USFL history. In the 3rd, Atlanta added 3 more to their lead, going up 19-9. New Orleans would not give up and with 3:27 left in the game, they got back to within 3 thanks to a Manning to LaFell pass that got them back in the endzone. Down by 3 with over 3 minutes left, the Breakers decided to play the field position game, trusting their defense, and kicked the ball away to the Fire. That proved to be a miscalculation as Atlanta was able to ride McFadden to two first downs, draining the clock all the way down to the final whistle. The Fire win their first ever playoff game in franchise history, and the Breakers again come up short in the postseason.
CHICAGO 37 OAKLAND 17
The Oakland Invaders, with Joey Harrington still sidelined, simply did not have enough to overtake the Chicago Machine. Chicago built up a 24-10 lead, largely on the strong performance of HB Michael Turner (144 yards rushing on the day), and cruised to a comfortable 20-point win in Oakland. Chicago got 2 TDs from short-yardage specialist Maurice Clarett, added TDs from Tate to Anthony Fasano and rookie Golden Tate, and kept Oakland on their heels all game, limiting the home team to 1 third down conversion in 12 attempts. Bo Volek did what he could (20 of 36 for 225 and 2 TDs) but with the Chicago front 7 limiting Ricky Williams to only 40 yards on 16 carries, the Oakland offense just did not have the capacity to keep pace with Chicago.
BALTIMORE 17 WASHINGTON 31
Duece McCallister may not have been in the hunt for the rushing lead this season, but he certainly proved his worth in this game, rushing for 141 yards on only 16 carries, and adding a TD to boot. McCallister helped Washington stay on track even after David Garrard was knocked out of the game. Kudos as well to backup Joe Webb, who came off the bench and played heroically, going 13 of 19 for 143 and finding both Deion Branch and Eddie Kennison for touchdowns as the Federals built up a 24-3 lead int the first half and then hung on and ran down the time for Baltimore.
Two early picks by Ben Roethlisberger, one on a tipped ball, one just a bad throw, helped Washington build up the early lead, and the deep hole meant that Ron Dayne simply was not as useful as the Blitz would have liked. Washington played most of the second half in nickel and dime packages, daring Baltimore to use the run and run down the clock. The strategy was effective, and the Federals took this one and advance to a matchup against another division foe next week, when they head to Philly to face the Stars.
LAS VEGAS 10 DENVER 29
Denver came into this game still fuming about the league’s late reversal of their status as division champs and the stunning turn that forced them to play a Wild Card game in the first place. They took that fury out on the Thunder, forcing three turnovers (2 Plummer picks and a fumble) and building up a 13-0 lead which became a 19-3 halftime advantage. Las Vegas tried their best to stay in the game, but at every turn Denver simply refused to give an inch. The combo of Hicks and Ringer combined for 111 yards and a score, while Plummer was held to 23 of 45 passing and gave up two costly interceptions.
Denver now goes on to face the Houston Gamblers, and we expect that their anger at the league’s late announcement of status prior to Week 16 will fuel them once again as they face the team that “stole” their division crown and their bye week. Should be a good one.
Tampa Bay Wastes No Time Finding Coach
Well, that did not take long. It seems clear that the Bandits had significant advance notice of Steve Spurrier’s retirement plans and were working behind the scenes to study options, because they took less than a full week before announcing that they had found their man, and he comes to Tampa Bay with a last name that Florida football teams will be sure to recognize.
This Monday the Bandits introduced Mike Shula as their next head coach. Son of the legendary Dolphins’ head coach Don Shula, Mike has been making a name for himself as an offensive coordinator and QB guru since retiring from the USFL as a player. Shula, who played 10 seasons as a backup with the Texas Outlaws and Jacksonville Bulls, starting only 3 games in his career, left the field for the coaching staff at Alabama. He started as a grad assistant at his alma mater, before taking on the role of QB Coach, eventually signing on to serve in that capacity for his father’s team, the Miami Dolphins. From there he returned to Alabama, this time as Offensive Coordinator, even taking on the interim head coach position in 2008. Returning to the USFL with the Orlando Renegades, Shula again served as OC. He comes to Tampa Bay as a true son of Florida football and will now have his first shot as a head coach in the spring league.
Many are taking the signing of Shula as a sign that the Daunte Culpepper era is perhaps going to be short lived moving forward. Known for his work with young QB’s, Shula could be positioned to help usher in a new era for the Bandits perhaps with a new QB coming along in the next year or two. Tampa Bay does have the territorial rights to Florida State, which could be a sign that the Bandits are looking long and hard at Christian Ponder as a potential target this offseason. Having Shula on board might be a tip of the hat to the young QB that the team is serious about building an offense around a young QB.
Ohio Interviews Three for Open Position
While Tampa Bay jumped right into their signing, Ohio is taking a more patient approach. Word is out from Columbus this week that the Glory will be scheduling interviews with several coaches over the next few weeks. This is to include Baltimore DC Bart Andrus, Seattle OC Jeremy Bates, and former Texas head coach Norv Turner. Expect Ohio to interview at least 5-6 candidates before settling on a new coach. Whoever that coach is, he will need to deal with a roster in a major rebuild mode after the retirements of Kerry Collins in 2009 and Eddie George just this week. Ohio is expected to make a major push to bring in a new QB, but whether that will be a rookie through the draft or a veteran like Jake Delhomme may very well depend on just who the coach is and what his preference for a restart for the Ohio offense looks like.
Retirements Alter Offseason Plans Across the League
One week into the offseason and the retirement announcements have begun in earnest. While there are some players who linger over the decision or wait until the strains of camp in February to make a determination, every year we see a good number of players who know now that they will not be back the following year, and we get a spate of announcements over the first few weeks of the postseason and offseason, informing us who will not be returning for another year. For 2010 this wave has already included some pretty noteworthy names. Here is our list of the retirements of note already announced this week.
Eddie George, HB-OHIO: An Ohio State Buckeye who would stay in Columbus for his entire pro career, George retires after 14 seasons in the USFL as a 2-time league champion, two time USFL offensive player of the year, and 6-time All-USFL nominee. We fully expect George to be wearing a gold jacket in 2015 as a first ballot entrant. He finishes his illustrious career with over 16,000 yards rushing (16,265) and 102 career touchdowns.
Mike Rucker, DE-BIR: The all-time sack leader for the Stallions, Mike Rucker retires at the age of 35 with 11 consecutive 10+ sack seasons as his legacy. In 12 seasons of action as a member of the Birmingham Stallions, Mike Rucker garnered 199 sacks, an average of 15.5 sacks per year, truly awesome. Rucker was a 5-time All -USFL nominee, but never saw a championship with the Stallions, often a lone bright spot on some pretty bad defenses. He will leave the field, but not the game as he is returning to his alma mater, Nebraska, to serve as a grad assistant and position coach for the D-line of the Huskers. We have no doubt that we will, at some point, see Rucker patrolling the sidelines as part of a USFL coaching staff.
Dan Campbell, TE-TEX: A 12-season veteran of the Gamblers, Monarchs, and Outlaws, Dan Campbell announced his retirement this week after a very nice season in San Antonio. Campbell, who saw his career peak in his first season in Charlotte, finished his career strong, with 94 catches in 2008, 82 in 2009, and 70 with his new club in Texas in 2010. He finishes his career with 607 career catches and 38 career touchdowns.
Roosevelt Colvin, LB-POR: Though he played his final season with the Portland Stags, Roosevelt Colvin will forever be remembered as a member of the Oakland Invaders. Colvin joined Oakland out of Purdue in 1999. He would go on to play 11 seasons for the Invaders, making the All-USFL team in 2005 and 2007 and retiring with over 800 career tackles, 29 sacks, and 14 interceptions.
Kailee Wong, LB-TEX: Another longstanding member of the Invader linebacking group, Kailee Wong found new life and a new purpose when signing with Texas in 2006. He was named a team captain in his first season with the Outlaws, and would play 5 seasons in San Antonio. Known as a thumper who was never afraid to go for the hit over the tackle, Wong had his best statistical season in 2000, when he amassed 79 tackles in only 7 starts.
Leonard Little, DE-MGN: A member of 2008’s USFL title team with the Panthers, Leonard Little has been a staple of the Michigan D-line since coming into the USFL from the NFL in 2002. He had double digit sack totals in both 2005 and 2006, while also building a reputation as a stout run defender at the DE position. He retires in 2010 after 9 USFL seasons.
Andre Weathers, CB-BIR: Something of a late bloomer, Weathers only became a starting cornerback with Birmingham iin 2008 after 10 seasons in Washington as a nickel corner and backup. In three seasons in Birmingham, Weathers would start 37 of 43 games, would amass 156 tackles, and 5 interceptions in 2.5 seasons.
Karl Williams, WR-ORL: An outstanding return man and a part-time wideout, Karl Williams made a name for himself with the Tampa Bay Bandits before spending 2010 with Orlando. Williams returned both punts and kicks for the Bandits for 8 seasons, returning 2 for scores and averaging 9.4 yards per punt return and 22.6 yards per kick return. As a receiver, he had his best season in 2006, when he caught 37 passes from Daunte Culpepper, amassing 673 yards and 2 scores. Never able to break into the starting lineup as a receiver, he was still a valued member of the special teams in both Tampa and Orlando.
While we anticipate many more names will be added to this list, particularly once the playoffs are completed, we should note one interesting name that has not come up yet, that of Ohio wide receiver Joey Galloway. The Glory released Galloway at the end of 2010, with most anticipating an immediate announcement of retirement. Will another team be able to persuade the Ohio State and Ohio Glory standout to give it a go, in the style of Jerry Rice with the Raiders?
Free Agents from Baltimore, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Oakland Hit the Pool
With four eliminations from the Wild Card round, four sets of unsigned players now hit the free agency pool. Some interesting names from the Blitz, Thunder, Breakers and Invaders as we expand the marketplace with these newly-out-of-contract additions.
Baltimore: Among the newly released Blitz players we find QB Mike McMahon, kicker Martin Grammatica, DE Tim Crowder, and veteran Chuck Nwokorie, who may be ready to announce retirement. Center Robbie Tobeck and OT Chuck Rinehart are also now unprotected and available to negotiate when free agency opens next month.
Las Vegas: Veteran wideout Derrick Mason leads the list of names from the Thunder who are now on the free agent market. The 34-year old is hoping to catch on with another team. Also released are backup QB Brock Berlin, kicker Shayne Graham, and, after a long, drawn out dispute about contract terms, leading edge rusher for the Thunder, Vonnie Holiday.
New Orleans: The Breakers had tried to resign both TE Chris Cooley and backup QB Tim Rattay, but both now join the free market and can look for other offers. Joining them are DT John Thornton and DE Israel Ifeanyi, both of whom are 34 and may find the marketplace a bit harsher than anticipated for older d-linemen. CB Billy Austin, also 34, could be an easier signing if he is ready to take a 1-2 year deal.
Oakland: Several players that Oakland had hoped to resign are now free agents, chief among them slot receiver DeSean Jackson. The speedy receiver and return man could be a prime target for teams looking to add explosiveness to their offenses. Also a key target will be safety Pearson Prioleau, an All-USFL player at the position, but one unhappy with Oakland’s lowball offers to date. Also in the Oakland free agent pool we find QB Kevin Kolb, and linebackers Duane Bishop and Joe Odom. Guard Ruben Brown is technically a free agent, but we anticipate a retirement announcement within the next few days as Brown has indicated he is seriously considering stepping away from the game.
Four games on the schedule for the Divisional Round and once again injuries could play a factor in the week’s games. Let’s see which games could see the injury list play a part in each team’s chances.
ATL: WR David Tyree (OUT), G Red Hadnot (OUT), DE Chris Kelsay (D),
CB Charles Woodson (Q)
NSH: HB Cedric Cobbs (OUT), LB Terrell Suggs (D), T Jon Stinchcomb (D),
LB Keith Burns (Q)
Atlanta will certainly miss Chris Kelsay, and if Charles Woodson cannot go, then the Fire could have some issues on defense. The pass rush and the coverage capability of the Fire depend heavily on those two standout players. As for Nashville, missing Terrell Suggs certainly impacts the defense, but they also have to be concerned without Jon Stinchcomb in the lineup to protect Jay Cutler.
WSH G Arron Sears (OUT), HB Rod Smart (Q), QB David Garrard (P)
PHI T Jaimie Thomas (OUT), LB Ben Leber (Q), G Cooper Carlisle (P)
Washington is confident that David Garrard can play this weekend. If he cannot, well, that would be huge. For Philadelphia, the offensive line might be a concern, but that is one of the deeper groups on the team, so expect the Stars to plug and play with backups.
CHI CB Reggie Smith (OUT)
PIT HB DeShaun Foster (OUT), DT Dan Klecko (OUT), T Daniel Loper (P)
Chicago is in a strong position, with only Smith on the injury report. For Pittsburgh, DeShaun Foster is the biggest loss, but don’t underestimate what it means for the Maulers’ ability to rein in Michael Turner without Dan Klecko. Seems like a clear advantage for Chicago there.
DEN DE Kamerion Wemberley (OUT), TE Daniel Graham (Q), LB Dat Nguyen (Q)
HOU No Injuries to Report
Denver could be without two of their top defenders with both Dat Nguyen and Kamerion Wemberley both expected to miss the game. When you compare that with Houston’s clean injury report, the advantage definitely goes to the Gamblers.
September Owner’s Meeting to Focus on Playoffs, Expansion, & Revenue Sharing
The league owner’s meeting for Fall has been scheduled for September 6-9 and the league has released several items related to the topics of focus for the meeting. In addition to the usual annual reports from the Competition, Media Rights, and Finance committees, the agenda will include three topics of interest to fans of the league. The first is discussion making the 14-team playoff format used in the strike-shortened 2009 season a permanent fixture in the league, essentially increasing playoff participation to exactly ½ of the league, up from the current 12-team format. The second is a discussion regarding potential expansion to 30 teams.
Spurred largely by the pressure being put on by outside investment groups such as Destination Dallas, as well as groups representing San Diego, Miami, and the Twin Cities, the owners will discuss a timeline for future expansion. This could be pivotal as while there is a general consensus that building to 30 teams would be beneficial to the league, allowing for 6 equally-sized divisions of 5 clubs each, the question of timing is very much up for debate. While, on the one hand, there is concern that another round of expansion too quickly will disrupt the progress and integration of the four 2006 and 2008 expansion clubs, there is almost an equally compelling argument for a more proximate expansion, as it appears that several potential ownership groups are willing to consider purchase and relocation of existing franchises if expansion is not on the table sooner rather than later. If the owners wish to avoid the potential disruption that franchise relocations can cause to the league, they may lean towards a more proximate round of expansion from 28 to 30 teams simply to minimize the risk.
The third topic for discussion will be the league’s revenue sharing plan. Expect broad support to increase the attendance requirement from 30,000 to 33,000 or even 35,000 as the expectation for a team to achieve full access to the league’s extensive revenue sharing model. Currently it sits at 30,000 which even the teams stuck with smaller venues have been able to reach in recent years. We have seen a few teams dip below that threshold for short stints, but rarely has it been more than a 1-year situation, which likely will spur the league to increase the requirement, hoping to spur all teams on to more effective ticket sales and higher overall attendance, a boon to the television contracts as well as the bottom line. With the vast majority of the shared revenue coming from a combination of television and sponsorship contracts, the key to obtaining higher revenue league wide is keeping the networks, as well as the sponsors, happy with overall attendance and viewership numbers.
It is, of course, possible that one of the committee reports will spur additional items, including possible rule changes from the Competition Committee, but with these three items on the schedule for the September meetings, the docket will certainly be packed as it is.
Three divisional rivalry matchups and a battle for the South are what we have in our divisional round of playoffs. This week could be one of the most fun weeks of playoff football we have seen in a while, because these are teams that already don’t like each other very much. These teams know each other well and will be playing a game of chess on the field. Should make for some close games, some intense games, and some real fun for fans. Don’t miss this week of playoff football because we think you will be missing a lot.
Saturday, July 17 @ 3pm ET
Adelphia Stadium, Nashville, TN
The only non-divisional matchup, but it is still a battle of Tennessee and Georgia, so the rivalry is already there. Atlanta brings in both a top 10 scoring offense and a top 10 scoring defense, so they can beat you in a variety of ways. Josh Reed has had a monster season, so he will have to be a focal point for the Nashville defense. As for the Knights. They too have both a top 10 offense and a top 10 defense, and while they will be keying on Reed, the Fire will want to focus their attention on Frank Gore. Slow down the Nashville run game and you can disrupt the entire offense.
Our Pick: Nashville certainly has more experience in this matchup, and they have had a week of rest as well, so we give the edge to the home team. Atlanta has been a tough matchup all year, but we think the defense that Jim Johnson has built aligns well with the Fire’s strengths, so we think it may be tough for Atlanta to put up points. Nashville has a bit more of a one-note offense, so they too may find their offense a bit stifled. Should be a tough, close, low-scoring matchup, but we feel like Jim Johnson has the edge when it comes to the strategic battle, so we pick Nashville to win: 17-13 Knights.
Saturday, July 17 @ 7pm ET
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
While not the biggest rivalry in the Central Division (Chicago-Michigan and Pittsburgh-Ohio are more intense), this is still a battle of two teams who know each other very well. The Machine won both regular season battles, with a combined score of 44-23, but we all know how hard it is to beat the same team 3 times in a season. Both teams also lost their final two regular season games. Chicago got a rebound last week, beating the hobbled Invaders, while Pittsburgh benefited from a bye week. We think that advantage actually goes to Chicago.
Our Pick: As tough as it is to win 3 in a row, the combination of experience, leadership, and on-field talent, especially with DeShaun Foster out for the year, has to go to Chicago. The Maulers will play tough at home, but we are just not seeing the offensive capacity for them to outduel the Machine. Our pick is Chicago, 23-16.
Sunday, July 18 @ 12pm ET
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Man, this one should be fun. The two split their series this year, and both are coming into the postseaos with a chip on their shoulders. Washington is the #4 rated scoring offense, and they can beat you on the ground with Deuce McCallister’s and QB David Garrard’s legs. Philadelphia wants to have balance, with Steve Slaton opening up the field and Kurt Warner taking advantage. The advantage on defense is with the Stars, whose 5th rated scoring defense is also the #1 defense against the run. That is key. If they can contain McCallister, and keep Garrard in the pocket, we think they will outlast the Feds. Washington has to find a way to move Philadelphia on first and second down if they want to have a shot.
Our Pick: We like the Stars here. They have a veteran QB, with plenty of playoff experience, a defense designed to limit big plays and hold down the run, and a wild card in Steve Smith, who tends to play big in big games. Philadelphia 27-21
Sunday, July 18 @ 4pm ET
NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
This one could be a war. Denver is still fuming about the league’s blunder and their failure to capture the #1 seed. A lot of that anger is targeted squarely at Houston. But the Gamblers had nothing to do with that except taking advantage of the issue by winning 10 in a row. The Gambler’s last dropped a game back in Week 6 (Philadelphia), which was in April. They have the #2 offense in scoring (#1 in yards) and they can beat you on the ground with Shaun Alexander, or in the air with Matt Hasselbeck and a diversified passing attack. Denver relies more heavily on the ground assault, using both Javon Ringer and Maurice Hicks to batter defenses into submission and to free up Matt Leinart with play action. They also have the #1 rated scoring defense, so don’t expect Houston to just run all over them. They make good decisions on both sides of the ball, and while they are not a very explosive team, they will wear you down over time.
Our Pick: As impressed as we are by Houston’s win streak, a streak that included a 21-14 victory over the Gold, we think Denver comes into this game with a huge attitude and a lot of fire. They will be playing their best ball, and they will be gunning for the Gamblers. We think that gives them the extra push that a road team needs to win in the playoffs. Our pick is Denver, 18-14.