Three more USFL teams lock up playoff spots as an exciting Week 14 brings us that much closer to the season finale and the postseason. Tampa Bay and Philadelphia are in the Eastern Playoffs. Texas has locked up a playoff spot in the West, but after 14 weeks there is still a lot to play for as we still sit with only 1 division locked down. Charlotte edges Orlando to get a leg up in the Wild Card race. St. Louis is back in the mix as they move to 7-7, their best record in club history. LA gets the edge on Oakland, and Arizona continues to struggle, losing their 4th in a row. All that, plus, believe it or not New Jersey and Michigan are still alive in the playoff hunt. But, let’s start the review of Week 14 with the best game of the week, a SE Division showdown between the Monarchs and the Renegades that needed extra time to find a winner.
ORLANDO RENEGADES 16 CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 19
The Southeast Division continues to be the most balanced in the league. While Tampa Bay has reached 10 wins and clinched a playoff berth, Orlando, Charlotte, and Atlanta continue to be in the mix, and this showdown between the Renegades and Monarchs would be for 2nd place and the best shot at catching the Bandits. Charlotte came into the game at 7-6, but on a 3-game winning streak, Orlando a game up at 8-5, but the winner of this game would take over 2nd place in the division, and both teams played like that was a prize worth battling for.
Orlando came into the game as the league’s sack leader, no shock when Calais Campbell is basically lapping the field with 26 sacks in only 13 games. Charlotte is no slouch in the pressure game either, with 44 sacks on the season, led by Julius Peppers with a very respectable 16 sacks. Charlotte also came into the game as the #1 defense in the league when measuring yardage gained, a measure that takes into account the league’s 3rd best defense against the run and 2nd best against the pass. So, it should be no surprise that neither team lit up the scoreboard as the defenses were the key to this one.
With Eli Manning sidelined and Matt Moore at the helm, we knew going in that the pressure would be on the Renegade defense to keep the score low, and they basically did just that. The first quarter of the matchup was a scoreless one which saw only 3 combined first downs and 4 punts. We finally saw some points on the board as the 2nd quarter began, as Orlando, helped by a nasty roughing the kicker penalty on a 4th and 3 punt, was able to sustain a drive and put up 7. Matt Moore found TE Greg Olsen for the first score of the game and Orlando was in the lead on the road.
That lead would not hold as Charlotte, motivated to return to an even score, also put together a good drive, ending with Shonn Greene (starting once again for Fred Jackson) plunging in from the 2. But, with Brandon Couto’s kick taking a hard hook to the right, the ‘Gades retained the lead 7-6. Couto would get a chance to redeem himself on Charlotte’s next drive. Following a short punt by Orlando’s Adam Podlesh, perhaps still impacted by the earlier hit, Charlotte took over on their own 42 and were able to get in range for Cuoto. The Monarch kicker was on target this time and Charlotte took a 9-7 lead into the half.
The Monarchs would expand on that lead in the 3rd quarter, with Jake Delhomme and the Shonn Greene putting together a good drive, capped off by Taiwan Jones scrambling to the right on a pitch play and diving for the pylon to put another 6 on the board. Couto’s kick was good and Charlotte had a 16-7 lead. Orlando would finish the 3rd quarter with a 3-pointer as Bill Grammatica hit from 35 after the Renegade drive came to a halt on a missed 3rd down attempt, one of 11 third downs which went uncoverted by Orlando.
With the game headed to the 4th quarter at 16-10, the lead was certainly not secure. Charlotte got a bit too conservative too soon and very quickly Orlando had the ball back and were again able to add points. In a drive that saw Knowshon Moreno get his longest run of the day (a 17-yarder), Orlando again bogged down in Charlotte territory, and again Bill Grammatica was the answer. 16-13 with 10:02 left to play.
The Renegades would struggle on their next possession, forced to punt the ball back to Charlotte with 5:02 left to play. However, when you have Calais Campbell, you are only 1 play away from a major change. That change came after Charlotte had gained two first downs with their run game. On a 2nd and 6, Campbell did not bite on the run fake, and when Delhomme spun to his left the big man was there to face him. Delhomme tried to pivot again, but all that did was lose him 3 more yards. Campbell snagged his 3rd sack of the game, giving him 29 on the year. The play meant that Charlotte would face a 3rd and 17, and that meant a quick draw play just to use some time and another punt.
Orlando wasted no time on offense once they got the ball back. Matt Moore hit Michael Jenkins for 17 yards, then tossed a screen to Leon Johnson before connecting with DeShaun Jackson for 10. The hope, of course, was to finally put the ball back in the endzone, but as time started to become an issue, and Charlotte’s defense stiffened, it became clear that Orlando was going to let the clock run down and put the ball into Bill Grammatica’s hands, or his feet, to tie the game. Grammatica came through and Orlando knotted up the score at 16. The game would go to overtime.
Charlotte won the toss and opted to go on offense. Jake Delhomme would connect with Dereck Mason and TE Brandon Pettigrew to get into Orlando territory, but just as we saw with Orlando’s offense at the end of regulation, moving into the red zone was quickly taken off the agenda and Charlotte was forced to send out their own kicker, Brandon Coutu. The long kick was good and Orlando would now get the ball needing to score to either win the game or keep it going.
The Renegades tried to get the ball rolling with a run play but Moreno was stuffed for no gain. On 2nd down Moore was flushed from the pocket and tried to hit Moreno in the flat, but the ball bounced at his feet. Third and 10 and Moreno looked to Greg Olsen. The TE caught the ball over the middle but was brought down immediately by LB Rey Maualaga. Fouth and 4. Again pressure from Julius Peppers and Ryan Sims forced Moore out of the pocket, and again he was unable to connect with his receiver, this time Justin McCaerins. Turnover on downs, and the game goes to Charlotte for their 4th win in a row and a share of 2nd place two games behind the surging Tampa Bay Bandits.
BALTIMORE 10 WASHINGTON 24
The Federals looked every bit the part of a top seed, rushing out to a 10-0 lead on the Blitz and then holding off their rivals from Baltimore all game. Deuce McCallister bolstered his MVP case with 121 yards and aTD on the day, while a dinged up Ron Dayne had only 9 carries for 12 yards as he is clearly not 100%.
BOSTON 21 NEW JERSEY 24
New Jersey stays alive by knocking off the struggling Cannons in the Meadowlands. Jake Locker got the start for Boston, completing 14 of 28 with a TD, but Sam Bradford had the better day, throwing 3 TDs and passing for 294 yards against the Cannons’ questionable defense. Maurice Jones-Drew also had a strong game, rushing for 109 yards on the day, while Austin Miles got POTW honors for his 2 TD performance.
TEXAS 30 PITTSBURGH 14
We had a feeling this could happen. With the #1 seed in the West guaranteed, motivation is the question for the Maulers in these final weeks, and that was clearly a factor against a very good Texas club. T. J. Duckett rumbled for 118 yards on the ground and added another 63 in the air as the Outlaws racked up 448 yards of offense on the Mauler defense.
NASHVILLE 10 BIRMINGHAM 21
The Stallions stay alive in the playoff hunt with a strong game against the visiting Knights. Cam Newton throws for 212 and 2 scores and the defense bent but would not break against Nashville. Frank Gore had 115 yards rushing with a score, but the passing game for Nashville was sporadic at best. For Birmingham, Terrell Owens made the plays needed, catching 6 for 100 even.
ATLANTA 10 NEW ORLEANS 27
A game Atlanta had to take seriously, but New Orleans plays spoiler again, thanks to a big game from WR Early Doucet (113 yards) and a defense that picked off Kyle Orton 3 times, Drew Brees went 18 of 27 for 237 yards and 2 scores and the Breakers D had one of its best games of the year.
TAMPA BAY 23 LAS VEGAS 21
Marshawn Lynch was back in action for Las Vegas, rushing for 54 yards on limited carries, but it was not the boost the Thunder needed as Tampa Bay edges the Thunder in Las Vegas. Culpepper found both Galloway and Doering for scores and the defense picked off Jake Plummer 3 times as the Bandits score the cross-country victory in the desert.
DENVER 16 HOUSTON 17
A huge loss for the Gold as they cannot generate enough offense against the Houston D to take the road win. It was 16-7 Denver at the half, but Houston got 10 points in the second half, including a Hasselbeck TD pass to Howard Gannon, and the D held Denver out of scoring range to help the Gamblers get the upset and play spoiler against the Gold.
ARIZONA 17 PHILADELPHIA 33
David Carr got a rough welcome back to game action as the Stars came out on fire, scoring 27 unanswered points to blow past Arizona and take the W. Two Steve Slaton TDs helped the home team pull out to a big league. Carr, who threw two picks, had his first TD throws in a month, but Arizona was simply too far behind to make a meaningful comeback late.
MEMPHIS 22 JACKSONVILLE 19
A pretty good game between 10-loss teams as the Showboats and Bulls battled for 60 minutes. It was a Mallett to Robert Ferguson TD with 1:37 that would give the Boats the win. Tim Tebow was pulled at the half after producing only 1 field goal in 6 drives. Josh McCown would go 12 of 23 in the second half but could not get the team into range for David Akers, and the final second 57-yard desperation kick fell short and wide.
OHIO 7 CHICAGO 13
The Machine improve to 6-8 with a home win, but it was not exactly a thing of beauty. Neither Quinn nor Vince Young could sustain drives, despite both clubs having a back go over 100 yards. Michael Turner led all rushers with 112 yards on 20 carries, but Ohio also got 100 when DeMarco Murray busted a 25-yard run to put him over the century mark late at 104.
SEATTLE 10 ST. LOUIS 14
St. Louis is hoping their good play of late is not too little and too late. They knock off a pretty hot Seattle club, and they do it with defense, sacking Byron Leftwich 4 times. St. Louis again leaned on 2nd year back William Bethea, who responded with 128 yards and a 5.8 YPC average. Throw in TD tosses to Fred Baxter and David Nelson and the Skyhawks now even their record at 7-7.
MICHIGAN 30 PORTLAND 23
A big road win for the Panthers as they return to .500 with a W in Portland. Thomas Jones led the way for the Panthers, rushing for 114 yards and a score to balance the Panther offense. Brian Griese survives 3 picks by the Stags and connected with Mario Manningham in the 4th to give the visitors the lead and the win.
OAKLAND 17 LOS ANGELES 20
Another great battle of California as LA edges Oakland to retake sole possession of first place in the Pacific. It would take a 2-minute drill by Mark Sanchez to put the ball in position for kicker Damon Duvall, but the drive worked out and LA held on to win the game despite 311 yards from Joey Harrington and a stunning 161 yards receiving for Pierre Garçon. LA now controls their own destiny as they seek their first division title since 2006.
Brooks to Step Down in Portland
Rich Brooks to Step Down from StagsRather than wait for Black Monday, it appears that former Oregon Duck has taken flight on his own. Brooks announced on Tuesday that he would finish out the final 2 games of the 2011 season, but then would resign from the Stags organization after 4 seasons. Brooks had found some early success with the Stags, building a pretty solid start for an expansion club with a 7-9 opening season. But since then the hump of .500 has been one the Stags have not been able to overcome. They made the playoffs in 2009 with an 8-8 mark, but were unable to repeat that feat in 2010, and this year, well, it has not gone well. The Stags sit at 4-10 and they rank in the bottom quartile of the league in pretty much every offensive an
defensive category.
Brooks thanked club ownership for the opportunity to return to pro ball, but said he now looks forward to having more time for his family after the rigors of 4 USFL seasons. For the Stags, the clock now starts on their search for a new head coach. Rumors have ownership interested in a coach with pro experience, likely a current coordinator, who can step in and build from a roster that has more talent than their 4 wins would seem to indicate.
Calais Campbell Closes in on 30 Again
With three sacks this week, Calais Campbell is only 1 away from achieving a feat only one man has ever achieved, a 30 sack season, and that man was himself. Campbell could again hit the 30 mark next week against LA, but also has a buffer game against Baltimore to close out the year. Neither Mark Sanchez nor Ben Roethlisberger are particularly elusive, though both clubs have solid lines, particularly on the left side. That said, we all seem pretty resolved to the fact that once again the Orlando DE is going to hit that stunning total of 30 sacks in 16 games, and will almost certainly walk away with another DPOTY award for that effort.
While Campbell’s total of 29 puts him over 2 sacks per game, he has been doing it more in spurts this year, with the big guy recording 3 or more sacks in a single game 5 times this season, while in other weeks he has been largely contained by offenses designed to shut him down. But, that said, 3 of the 5 biggest games for Campbell this season have been the past 3 weeks, with 3 sacks against Charlotte in Week 12, 4 against Atlanta in Week 13, and 3 more against the Monarchs this week. The fact that all three were divisional games is no shock to anyone as Campbell does tend to ride the emotion of rivalry games and big games. So, what does that mean moving forward? Let’s just say that the next two weeks will be big games, and, if Orlando can get wins to end the year, Campbell could try his hand at the intensity of playoff football as well. QBs beware.
Team Stats Breakdown
With 2 weeks left, and a lot on the line for a lot of teams, we thought it might be a good time to take a look at the leaders not seen in each week’s statistical breakdown. We took a look at team offense and team defense to try to see who may have an edge in these pivotal two weeks. Here is what we found.
Points Scored is an easy one to see, since we can just look at the standings, and what we see is that the Stars, Federals, and Outlaws are the only clubs averaging over 25 points per game, with the Stars topping all others at 27.8 per game.
Passing: The Stars’ success in scoring is very much the result of their top-rated pass offense. Kurt Warner has been healthy all season and is producing 279 yards per game, a healthy average that has placed the Stars just ahead of Joe Flacco’s Outlaws and, believe it or not, the St. Louis Skyhawks, sitting in 3rd with 254 yards a game.
Rushing: Don’t tell the Washington Federals and their star HB Deuce McCallister that the USFL is a passing league. The Feds are averaging 129 yards per game on the ground, a total 15 yards per game higher than 2nd place Oakland. With the best record in the East and a playoff spot locked up, the Feds are proving that a solid ground game can be a successful formula in any league.
Points Allowed: No surprise here that the Maulers are sitting pretty at number 1 with an average of only 14.9 points per game allowed. That defense has been the key to their run to the top seed in the West. Behind them we find Texas, a very balanced club, and the Las Vegas Thunder, still more in the mold of Jerry Glanville than new coach June Jones.
Rushing defense: The Feds run the ball and they defend the run. There, you have learned their formula. At only 70 yards per game allowed, Washington has the top spot. Philadelphia and Charlotte round out the top 3 run defenses, none of those clubs allowing even 80 yards per game.
Pass defense: Oakland, Pittsburgh, and Charlotte lead the league in pass defense, with the Invaders the only club to hold their opposition under 200 yards per game (191.4). The Invaders are not quite as good against the run, and their offense is not producing big leads, so there is a reason teams are not throwing on them.
Turnovers: Believe it or not, the Boston Cannons are the club that has produced the most takeaways, 31, with Portland and Chicago tied for the lead in turnover margin at +15. That defies all logic as those three teams are not among the elite of the league, with Boston dead last in the standings. They say turnovers are the key to winning, but that has clearly not been the case for any of these three teams. A strange stat if ever there was one, at least this year.
We enter Week 15 with 5 playoff spots locked up and 7 still available to be claimed. Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Texas all punched their postseason tickets this week as all the 10-win teams are locked in. We still only have 1 division winner secured, the Maulers dominanting the Central. All other divisions are within 2 games, with Tampa Bay and Nashville needing only 1 win in their final 2 games to lock up their Divisions. Texas, LA, and Washington are all in 1-game races.
The jockeying for position among Wild Card contenders continues, with Charlotte and St. Louis currently holding the tiebreaker edge in each conference. The Monarchs are tied with Orlando, who they just defeated this week, with 8-6 records, but control their own destiny. Two wins in their final 2 games and the Monarchs are in. St. Louis is tied with Seattle, Denver, Michigan and Las Vegas, all at 7-7, but the Skyhawks are the only one who is guaranteed a playoff spot if they go 2-0. All the others need help to leapfrog other 7-7 clubs. Even at 6-8, Chicago, Atlanta, New Jersey, and Birmingham are still alive in the hunt, but each of those clubs needs a major alignment of the stars over the next 2 weeks to make a move and leap over several other clubs for a spot at 8-8.
The injury lists really start to get long as we get further and further into the year. No surprise, football is a brutal game and the wear and tear of 16 weeks is enough to mess with even these elite athletes. This week the good news is that only 1 player, Orlando SS Atari Bigby, has been placed on IR. Bigby suffered a knee in jury and Orlando fears it may be a full ACL tear. The Renegades also lost CB Lito Sheppard, perhaps for 2-4 weeks with a knee injury of his own, though it looks like no ligament damage for Sheppard. Orlando did get some good news as it is expected that Eli Manning will be back under center this week.
Other significant injuries this week include Atlanta DT Jason Ferguson (2-4 weeks, knee), Memphis LB Kirk Morrison (1-2 weeks, foot), Houston LB James Farrior (1-2 weeks, leg), Baltimore LB Angelo Crowell (1-2 weeks, neck), and Chicago DE Anthony Weaver (1-2 weeks, meniscus). Willis McGahee is listed as doubtful with his lingering ankle injury, while Philadelphia will likely be without DE Robert Mathis after the big man suffered a concussion this week. New Jersey will be without Michael Crabtree after the receiver was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his jaw.
Some players expected to return to action this week, outside of Eli Manning, include Ohio LB James Laurinaitis, LA LB Lofa Tatupu, Philly CB Quentin Jammer, and, hoping for a bigger week, Las Vegas HB Marshawn Lynch.
Ready to Test the Waters
We have had a flurry of extensions and re-signings across the USFL over the past month as GM’s get to work locking up players coming to the end of their contracts, but that does not mean that the free agent pool will be without any talent. There are still quite a few players unsigned, some already knowing that they will be let go this offseason, others perhaps holding out for the 11th hour to get the best deal possible. We looked across the league and identified 10 players we think could very well opt to walk away from negotiations with their current clubs and take a shot at a better deal in a new environment. Here are the players likely to be in high demand this offseason.
10— Jimmy Williams, CB-ARZ: The Wranglers and Williams are still talking, but all accounts have the corner looking for a new direction, despite a very strong year in Arizona. The 30-year old is not getting the picks he once did, but that is largely because teams are not testing him.
9— Keary Colbert, WR-DEN: With Denver signing Peerless Price to a very lucrative deal this week, it seems that Colbert, who has been a solid #2 in Denver, will have to look elsewhere. He is not likely to get the big dollars of our #1 name (below), but he should be able to find a good placement where he can increase his total targets.
8— Chris Spears, C-LA: Despite the success the Express have had this year, the pivot on their O-line has shown signs that he wants out. Maybe it is the scheme, maybe just a personality clash with his head coach, but whatever the reason, someone is going to land a very solid center to bolster their pass protection.
7— Rahim Abdullah, LB-ATL: He does not get the press that many other backers get across the league, but don’t let that fool you. Abdullah is a first class strongside linebacker, capable of covering the field sideline to sideline. Atlanta has the cap space to sign him, but they have other priorities, which seems odd to us, so someone is going to potentially get a steal this offseason.
6—Santonio Holmes, WR-NJ: Another receiver who will likely be allowed to hit the market because their team just does not have the ability to sign everyone. Marc Clayton is close to signing, and that, paired with the emergence of Miles Austin for the Generals means that Holmes will likely be looking to catch on with a team that can give him more targets.
5—Scott Shields, FS-PIT: The Maulers are having quite a season, but with that success comes an expectation for a payday. With several spots to fill, and several key players signed, the cap space is just not there for everyone, and Shields, a very solid safety who could very much boost a club’s pass defense as well as their run coverage, could be allowed to walk.
4—Marcus Truffant, CB-SEA: Rumors have Truffant looking to get out of Seattle. If that is true, and his lack of progress with the front office to date seem to confirm them, then he will be one of the hottest prospects in free agency. A true shut-down corner, Truffant is an instant upgrade for at least 20 of the USFL’s 28 clubs.
3—Patrick Willis, LB-MEM: Unhappy for some time with the inability of the Showboats to build a defense around him, and frustrated by declining numbers because of it, Willis is a LB in his prime and with a ton of talent. Expect him to limit his options to teams that are in contention. If he can be the final piece that helps a team get over the top, that is a team he will sign with.
2—T. J. Duckett, HB-TEX: One of the premier HBs in the league, Duckett wants to be paid QB money, and that is always a tough position to take. Texas is tight on cap space, and unless they want to gut a roster that has just won them their first division title ever, Duckett is not going to get what he wants. Would the Outlaws really let him walk or are others going to be willing to restructure their deals so that the HB can get paid?
1—Chad Johnson, WR-BOS: Is 85 a pain in the rear sometimes? Yes, absolutely. But is he also one of the most productive wideouts of this generation? Also true. Johnson seems resigned to step away from John Fox and the Cannons, and there will be no lack of interest, to be sure. Expect him to become the highest paid receiver in the league as someone will value him enough to open up the safe and hand him all the money.
Boston & Nashville Owners linked to Dallas Meetings
We knew this had to be happening, that leaders within the Destination Dallas group would be reaching out to league owners to see who might be interested in a big payday and a sale/relocation deal for their club. Boston was always on our radar. The inability to get a deal cut with Robert Kraft and Gillette Stadium has always made Boston’s stadium woes a major concern. But the news that Mark Cuban has met with Nashville ownership is a surprise. Nashville plays in a very solid, quite recent stadium, and while the deal may not be exactly what the Knights would want (serving as 2nd tenants after the NFL Copperheads), the Knights are certainly not suffering at the box office.
So, what is happening here? Is Nashville trying to build some leverage to improve their stadium deal or get some sweet funding from the state or local government? Could there really be interest in a quick sale and a move to Dallas? It has been less than 10 years since the Knights moved from St. Louis, only a decade after moving from LA. Could this franchise really be looking at a third relocation?
We suspect this is a power play by Nashville owners, but that suspicion cannot be enough to keep the Knights’ fanbase in Nashville from panicking about the possibility that they would lose their team. Meanwhile, Bostonians are in no mood to build a new stadium just for their USFL team, particularly not in a year when the Cannons have struggled to only 1 win. That could be really bad timing as rebuilding their roster and their on-field success is not the formula to get top crowds, even in a small stadium. Boston seems primed for a sale, giving ownership a quick payday while providing Dallas with a team they can mold in whatever image ownership wants.
We don’t think the Destination Dallas group is done either. We know that they have reached out to frustrated Chicago Machine ownership, dealing with their own issues with the city and the use of Soldier Field. Interest may also exist in Oakland, whose stadium is just a disaster, in Las Vegas, where Sam Boyd Stadium is even smaller than Boston’s Alumni Stadium, and in Atlanta, where even playing in the climate controlled Georgia Dome has not helped the Fire get out of the bottom quartile of teams in terms of attendance.
It is getting serious around the USFL with the Dallas group on the hunt and at some point someone is going to take the money and run, to the detriment of their current fanbase. We just don’t know who that will be.
Only 2 weeks left in the regular season so there are basically playoff implications all across the schedule. Friday night feels very much like a must win for Denver as they head to San Antonio to take on the division-leading Outlaws. A loss here could be the end of any playoff hopes for the Gold. On Saturday, we have a big game between Charlotte and Atlanta as both try to stay in the hunt in the East. A lot of chance for teams to play spoiler as well with Jacksonville, Portland, Houston, and New Jersey all facing teams that are either in or very nearly in the postseason already.
On Sunday, our attention will be in Arizona, where the Wranglers hope to break a 4-game losing streak, but they have a tough task with Oakland in town. St. Louis is hoping to guarantee that 2011 will be their first non-losing season as a franchise as they travel to Chicago with a chance to get to 8 wins this season. Baltimore takes on a very tough Michigan squad and Las Vegas is hoping to right the ship as they head to Columbus to play the Ohio Glory.
FRIDAY @ 8pm ET Denver (7-7) @ Texas (10-4) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET Charlotte (8-6) @ Atlanta (6-8) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET Jacksonville (3-11) @ Orlando (8-6) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET Portland (4-10) @ Los Angeles (9-5) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm ET Pittsburgh (12-2) @ Houston (5-9) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm ET Birmingham (6-8) @ New Orleans (3-11) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm ET New Jersey (6-8) @ Philadelphia (10-4) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET Memphis (3-10-1) @ Nashville (8-6) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET Las Vegas (7-7) @ Ohio (5-9) FOX
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET Washington (11-3) @ Boston (1-12-1) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET Baltimore (9-5) @ Michigan (7-7) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET St. Louis (7-7) @ Chicago (6-8) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET Oakland (8-6) @ Arizona (9-4) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm ET Seattle (7-7) @ Tampa Bay (10-4) EFN
I would think Vegas would be the issue, the Allegiant is much too large for them to play in ( that is if NFL would even let them) and Sam Boyd stadium is a real sh" hole
You gotta move Nashville. Seriously. It's not realistic to have TWO teams in Tennessee when the NY market, the largest market only has one team. And that team doesn't even call itself NY!!!!!
Didn't the Thunder announce plans for a new stadium in an earlier post? Also, i'd move Nashville over Boston, Tennessee probably has a tough time supporting two teams.