It was not the most suspenseful Week 16, with 9 of 12 playoff spots already set and many seeds also locked in, but don't tell that to fans of the Panthers or Renegades. Both clubs were on the fringe of the playoffs, and both were guaranteed a Wild Card with a win. Michigan took care of business and eliminated 5 other contenders with their win against the Maulers (starting several backups), while Orlando had their fate in their hands. Baltimore and Charlotte had fallen on the final Saturday of the season, and on Sunday Orlando could win a Wild Card with a victory over a Bandits team that had nothing to play for. To say they did not execute is an understatement. We start our coverage of Week 16, and our kickoff of the USFL postseason with that Bandits-Renegades game, but we will be here for all the news, including the firing of 2 coaches with a lot of playoff pedigree. All right here.
TAMPA BAY BANDITS 34 ORLANDO RENEGADES 31
The Renegades had it all lined up, with both Charlotte and Baltimore losing their games, all they needed was to edge a Bandit team that had nothing to play for and they would be playoff bound. They played some of their best ball of the year, but something about their chippy attitude also inspired the Bandits to come out swinging and in the end Tampa Bay got the last laugh, scoring 17 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to oust the homestanding Renegades from the playoffs despite Calais Campbell’s astounding 2nd record-setting season at DE.
The game started strong for the visiting Bandits, who rattled off 2 straight TD drives in the first quarter. Daunte Culpepper hit the ageless Joey Galloway with a 38-yard strike to start off the game, but then connected with David Tyree on the 2nd drive to silence the Renegade crowd. Orlando would rebound and would go on to score on their next 4 possessions, getting 2 TD receptions from TE Greg Olsen, a third TD pass to DeShaun Jackson, and a Knowshon Moreno 39-yard run that put Orlando up 31-17 after three quarters.
But, along the way, Orlando started to get chippy, with a couple of late hits, and some taunting. Apparently that was enough to trigger QB Daunte Culpepper, who spent the break between the third and fourth quarter riling up his team. He came out on fire in the 4th, a period when he would complete 11 of 13 passes and lead the Bandits to 17 straight points. The defense did their part, picking off Eli Manning late in the game, with the score tied at 31, and giving Tampa Bay a chance to end the game with a field goal and a win.
Earlier in the quarter, Culpepper connected with Chris Doering for a score to bring them back to within 7. Then, after the D shut down Orlando for the first time in the half, he followed it up with a perfect screen to Shane Vereen, and 32 yards later Vereen had tied the game with a score. Panic had set in for the Renegades, and they tried to rally by going to a no huddle with 2:38 in the game and now tied. That strategy backfired as Philip Buchanon stepped in front of a pass intended for Justin McCaerins, setting up the Bandits with a chance to steal the win in regulation. Willis McGahee, who returned to action with 95 yards rushing, helped get the Bandits into range and Nate Kaeding ended the game and the Orlando season with a 54 yard strike with no time left on the clock.
The Bandits enter the playoffs fired up, Orlando exits the season deeply disappointed and once again unable to take advantage of a defense that features one of the league’s elite players.
BIRMINGHAM 30 MEMPHIS 24
A week 16 game with no playoff implications, though when it is the Stallions against the Showboats it is always a party, and that was certainly the case for this game at the Liberty Bowl. Birmingham started Colt Brennan while Memphis gave Ryan Mallett the start but quickly pulled him out of the game after 2 sacks by the Stallions. So it was Brennan vs. Mike Flynn, and both offenses showed some spark. Cadillac Williams rushed for 103, Brennan threw for 344 and 3 TDs and the fans just seemed to have a good time in their last football for the year.
NEW ORLEANS 14 NASHVILLE 6
The Knights played their starters the whole way, but still lost their fourth in a row as once moribund New Orleans makes the case for Lamar Lathon to stay on as head coach with their 5th win since he took over the winless club. Lathon seems likely to get the gig as he has taken a team with no energy at all and gotten them to win 5 of 7 down the stretch. It was not a pretty game, particularly fo the Knights, and fans in Nashville have to be concerned that they enter the playoffs at only 8-8 with a 4-game losing streak on their backs.
PORTLAND 27 BALTIMORE 10
Another club that cannot be happy about their final stretch as Baltimore loses their third straight, this time at home to a 4-win Stags squad. In Rich Brooks’s last game at the helm, the Stags go with Mike McMahon at QB due to the injury to Fitzpatrick, and the backup leads them to a win in the finale. The defense was particularly effective, forcing 3 Roethlisberger picks and nabbing him for 3 sacks. The Blitz would still get a Wild Card, but questions persist about the club’s ability to rally.
HOUSTON 21 OAKLAND 9
It seems like the 2-8 Gamblers are gone and there are signs of hope that Houston will rebound from this bizarre season in 2012. Both clubs kept their starters in and Houston found running room against the usually solid Invader D, with Shaun Alexander leading all rushers with 116 yards on 19 carries. Cedric Cobbs added another 56, creating concern for the Invaders as they enter the playoffs on a home loss.
LOS ANGELES 6 LAS VEGAS 17
The Express, secure in the #3 slot, rested a lot of starters, while Las Vegas, still fighting for a Wild Card spot, did not. The result was a comfortable win for the home team as Marshawn Lynch rushed for 74 yards nd Jake Plummer connected with former General T. J. Houshmandzadeh to give Vegas a 17-3 lead which they would not let slide against Brody Croyle and the LA second string. But would the victory mean anything? Only if the Panthers lost to Pittsurgh.
CHICAGO 19 SEATTLE 11
Playing at the same time as the Thunder, these two teams were still in the hunt for a Wild Card and played tough football throughout. Michael Turner led Chicago with 137 yards and a TD, while Seattle struggled on offense with Leftwich sacked 5 times and hurried on almost every passing down. The Machine dominated with defense and held a 19-3 lead until the waning minutes, when Seattle got a late TD from Tyler Eckler and a 2-point conversion to pull within 8. But that was all for Seattle as Chicago improved to 8-8. But with Las Vegas’s win it was not enough, and by Monday Coach Mornhinweg would face the consequences of another disappointing showing.
WASHINGTON 13 CHARLOTTE 3
With the #1 seed still to be won the Federals’ defense took this game in their hands and held Charlotte in check all game, forcing a league leading 21st pick from Jake Delhomme and limiting the Monarchs to a sole field goal. Charlotte’s D was also solid, holding Deuce McCallister to only 74 yards on 24 carries, but it was enough to help the Feds get the win and lock up home field advantage for the playoffs.
PHILADELPHIA 14 BOSTON 13
With Warner, Slaton, and Stevie Johnson all wearing sweats on the sidelines, Philadelphia struggled on offense, but still managed to get the W thanks to 5 sacks of Jake Locker and a late Gutierrez to Marshall Newhouse TD pass with 1:02 left to play. Boston finishes the year with 1 lone win, but despite the struggles, ownership confirms that John Fox’s position is secure.
OHIO 14 ST. LOUIS 17
Despite having been eliminated from playoff contention by the Thunder’s Saturday win, St. Louis showed some pride and won their 8th game of the year, creating their first ever .500 season as a franchise. Josh Freeman threw for 228 and a score, with both Taylor Jacobs and Jordy Nelson going over 100 yards receiving. The finish strong in the final month of the year and will now look forward to 2012 with optimism.
PITTSBURGH 17 MICHIGAN 26
Much to the dismay of the Las Vegas Thunder, Pittsburgh did as expected, starting rookie Andy Dalton at QB and resting several key players, and that was enough for Michigan to earn the W and lock up the final playoff spot in the West. Thomas Jones was the hero for the Panthers, rushing for 51 yards and a TD, but also nabbing a 2nd TD through the air. Brian Griese continues his hot streak as the Panthers win their 4th in a row to go from 5-7 to 9-7 and a playoff spot.
ATLANTA 41 JACKSONVILLE 31
Both defenses apparently took the finale off as the Fire and Bulls went back and forth in this shootout. Kyle Orton threw for 266 and 3 TDs while Tim Tebow matched him with 387 yards and 3 scores of his own. It was a fun game to watch, but only 22,407 were there in Jacksonville after a disappointing season ends with the Bulls at 3-11-1.
TEXAS 21 NEW JERSEY 13
The Outlaws, looking at a bye in the first round, played Joe Flacco only a couple of series, but kept T. J. Duckett in the whole game to try to bolster his rushing stats. That,plus 7 sacks of a shellshocked Sam Bradford, were enough to get the Outlaws their 12th win of the season. They will now rest before playing in the Divisional Round. New Jersey finishes the year a disappointing 6-10 and look to figure out how to improve their roster despite a tight cap.
ARIZONA 19 DENVER 13
Denver drops to 7-9 with a loss in their big rivalry game. A good win for Arizona as they prepare for a Wild Card matchup next week. David Carr looked solid, throwing for 263 and 2 scores, while LT rushed for 107 to finish the regular season strong. Denver had been eliminated from the Wild Card by Las Vegas’s win on Saturday and the spark just was not there for the Gold.
Final Wild Card Spots Stay in Same Hands
The Michigan Panthers, Charlotte Monarchs and Baltimore Blitz held the three final playoff positions after Week 15, and with this weekend’s results all three retained their spots after Week 16, locking themselves into Wild Card playoff spots. Michigan did it the way most teams hope to, capturing a “win and in” game to eliminate all 5 other contenders without having to rely on anyone else. Baltimore and Charlotte did it the hard way, losing their season finale and then having to hope that Orlando did the same so that they did not get leapfrogged by the Renegades.
Both the Blitz and the Monarchs lost on Saturday and had some waiting to do. With Baltimore’s loss, Charlotte knew they would at least capture the #6 slot, even with a Renegade win, while the Blitz had to hope for Orlando to fall to the Bandits. Tampa Bay, riding a 3-game win streak had hoped that Charlotte would knock off the Washington Federals, opening the door for the Bandits to steal away the #1 seed, but when Charlotte fell in one of the two Saturday night games, it meant that Tampa Bay was playing for pride, locked into the #2 position. And yet, despite the somewhat meaningless nature of their game in Orlando, the Bandits came to play, leaving their starters in the game despite the risk of injury and rallying back from a deficit in the final period to stun the Renegade faithful. That comeback not only gave the Bandits a 4-game winning streak heading into their bye, and knocked Orlando out of the playoffs despite a winning record (8-7-1), but also saved Baltimore from dropping out despite not winning a game in a month.
Baltimore and Nashville Back into Postseason Play
Let’s talk more about the idea of backing into the postseason because we had not one, but two teams fall into that category this year. At one point this season Baltimore was 9-3, Nashville 8-4, and both looked headed for 10-win seasons and high seeds, but the past month has not been kind to either club.
Baltimore had a nice win At Philadelphia in Week 10, and had expected wins in Boston and against the Breakers, but then fell to Washington for the 2nd time in 3 weeks, dropped a game in Michigan, and came into the finale needing a win against Portland to lock in their playoff destiny. The Stags stunned the Blitz and put it all in doubt. In all three of their final losses, the Blitz scored only 10 points. That is a real concern as Ron Dayne and the offense had been a major factor for the Blitz all season long. Had Dayne hit a wall? There were no major injuries on offense, so why the sudden power outage. That is a a question the Blitz will have to answer as they head to Nashville to face the Knights.
Nashville has its own big questions to answer in that matchup as they too enter the playoffs with a major slump in effect. After a solid 30-3 victory over Ohio in Week 12, the Knights have dropped 4 in a row, including defeats to all 3 division rivals. Again offense seems the issue as the Knights could only muster 3 field goals against Tampa Bay, and only 10 points vs. Birmingham, finishing the year with a truly poor outing against New Orleans, a 5-win team, as they scored only 6 points.
Frank Gore topped 1,000 yards again, but his last few games have been very much a disappointment, rushing for only 59 yards against Memphis and then only 53 in the season finale. Meanwhile, Jay Cutler has also failed to pick up the slack. Over the past 4 games he has thrown 2 TDs to 8 picks, not a good ratio at all. It seems the Knights have simply forgotten how to sustain drives, and they are putting a lot of pressure on a defense that has dropped out of the Top 10 in pass defense. The edge rushers are not getting to the QB, and that is allowing opposing QB’s to have success connecting on deeper routes. That is not a good thing to say about a defense about to face Big Ben and Tory Holt. But, with both of these teams entering a matchup on cold streaks, one of the two is going to find success, snap the streak and get a playoff win. The other will be left to wonder what went wrong down the stretch.
Michigan, Texas and Tampa Bay Peaking At Right Time
On the opposite side of the momentum swing we have the Panthers, Outlaws, and Bandits, all of whom prepare for the postseason on nice winning streaks. Michigan came from 5-7 after a Week 12 loss to St. Louis and rattled off wins against Houston, Portland, Baltimore and the Maulers to move from near irrelevancy to the final Wild Card spot and a showdown with Los Angeles in the Wild Card round. They did it with a combination of improved pass defense and, most notably, with a significant return to form for Brian Griese. Griese’s late season run included a 4 TD day against the Blitz and over 1,000 yards passing over the past month.
For Texas, their 4-game win streak is part of a 7 of 8 second half that was only diminished by a loss to the Stars in Week 12. Since then they have raced past Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Denver, and New Jersey to lock up the 2nd best record in the West and a bye. The win against the top seeded Maulers was perhaps the jewel in that climb as they demolished a 1-loss Mauler squad to the tune of 30-14 in Pittsburgh. The two could very easily meet again at Heinz Field in the Western Conference Final.
For Tampa Bay, a 5-game win streak is also part of a larger trend as they have won 8 of their last 9. Their only defeat was a home game against in-state rival Orlando in Week 11, a game they thoroughly avenged this week by not only beating Orlando in Orlando, but in doing so knocking them out of the postseason altogether. Tampa Bay is doing it with a balanced offense that also has quick strike capability. “Old Man” Galloway has had a monstrous season after coming over from Ohio and rookie HB Shane Vereen has done an admirable job subbing in for Willis McGahee when called upon. The Bandits get a week to rest before their first playoff game, and that should be good news as we expect McGahee back in full form for the Divisional round. Entering in the playoffs as the number 2 seed and possibly healthier after a week of rest, Tampa Bay is certainly in a position to challenge Washington to represent the Eastern Conference this year.
Black Monday Comes for Mornhinweg and Haslett
As we look forward to the postseason, we also recognize that the end of regular season play always comes at a cost. Retirements, free agency, and the inevitable decisions to relieve coaches of their duties is just a part of the transition from season to offseason, and this year was no different. In addition to the earlier departures of Mike Nolan in New Orleans and the resignation of Rich Brooks in Portland, Black Monday, the first day after the conclusion of regular season play, claimed two more coaches as the Chicago Machine and Memphis Showboats opted to make a change.
Coach Marty Mornhinweg had been on the cusp of being let go after the 2010 season, and an 8-8 year this year, missing the playoffs after several season of postseason disappointment, was the final straw. Machine management were simply not satisfied with decent regular season play that led to a quick playoff exit, and the failure of Chicago to qualify this year was enough for them to call Coach Mornhinweg into the meeting room for the hard news.
Mornhinweg, who has been at the helm of the Machine since 1999 and who has helped Chicago make the postseason 9 of the past 11 seasons, including two Summer Bowl appearances, is clearly the victim of high expectations and the slow build up of postseason frustration. With an overall coaching record of 124-86 in Chicago (a .600 winning percentage), we expect that Martyball will find a place to be sooner rather than later. After all, there are plenty of teams who would jump at the chance to make the playoffs as often as Chicago has the past decade.
As for Jim Haslett in Memphis, the trajectory has not been kind to him. After a league title with Brett Favre at the helm in 2007, Memphis returned to the title game again in 2008, but with the retirement of Favre, the club’s success has plummeted. Memphis won only 4 games in 2009 as they searched for an option at QB. After a 6-win campaign in 2010, they drafted Ryan Mallett of Arkansas and Haslett’s future rode on the success of the rookie QB this year. The successes for Mallett, and the wins, were hard to come by this year, with Memphis finishing with only 4 wins again (4-11-1). That lack of improvement was a huge factor in the decision to let the defensive-minded coach go. We expect that Memphis will look to bring in an offensive coordinator or offensively-minded coach to help Mallett develop in 2012. They have invested a lot in that pick, and both finances and pride will want them to see a much better sophomore season for the former Razorback.
So, four openings across the league, though we suspect that 5 wins in the final 2 months of the season may well have locked in the New Orleans job for interim HC Lamar Lathon. Chicago is looking for a coach who can keep them in the playoffs and get them a title, Portland a coach who can take a club with a lot of potential over the hump and into the mix in the Pacific Division, and Memphis a coach who can develop a QB and get a team back to a competitive stance in a pretty weak division.
Not much to say that has not already been reported. The seeding and the final Wild Card berths do not shift, so we see Washington and Pittsburgh at the top in each conference, Tampa Bay and Texas getting Wild Card Round byes, and Nashville and Los Angeles hosting games as the third division winner in each conference. Philly, Charlotte and Baltimore will be the Wild Cards in the East, with the Stars hosting the Monarchs and Baltimore traveling to Nashville. Oakland nabs the 4th spot, with Arizona claiming 5th and the Panthers locking in the final spot in the West with their win this week. It will be Panthers at Express and Wranglers at Invaders in the Western Wild Card roundup.
We can also say that we have the draft order set for the 16 teams that did not make the playoffs. Boston, with a truly horrible 1-14-1 season, will have the #1 pick and, it appears, John Fox will be there to make that pick. In second are the 3-12-1 Jacksonville Bulls, followed by Memphis, Portland, New Orleans and Ohio. The 2010 league champions have the ignominy of a top 10 pick, along with fellow 6-win team New Jersey. After them, the cluster of 7-9 and 8-8 clubs will have the mid-round picks, before the playoff teams start to fill in picks 17-28.
As we look at the Wild Card matchup, we do see some key injuries that will impact the ability of each team to put their best foot forward. Only Arizona reports having a clean roster with no injury designations, while some teams are dealing with significant injury concerns. Here is the breakdown of each Wild Card matchup on the injury front.
BAL: OT James Brewer (Out), LB Angelo Crowell (D)
NSH: CB Willie Middlebrooks (P)
Good news for Nashville as they do expect Middlebrooks to be a go on Saturday. That has them clean, while Baltimore will be without a key defender in Crowell as well as their RT in Brewer.
CHA: DE Fred Perry (Out), DT Jimmy Kennedy (Out), HB Fred Jackson (Out)
PHI: FB Frank Sosa (Out), LB Sean Lee (Q), TE Daniel Fells (Q)
The Fred Jackson injury is huge for Charlotte, but so too is losing 2 of their 4 starters on the D-line. The Monarch defense has simply not been as effective without those two beefy linemen in the game, and against a high-flying Stars offense, the lack of line control could be huge.
MGN: DT Marcus Springs (Out), SS Tyrone Carter (Out)
LA: DT Gabe Watson (Out), QB Brodie Croyle (Out), WR Brandon Lloyd (Out)
Michigan is down two defenders, with Carter joining Marcus Springs on the injury report this week. Meanwhile, LA will be without DT Gabe Watson and WR Brandon Lloyd. The injury to Croyle, who got the start in a meaningless Week 16 matchup, did have to leave the game, which means that it will be Kevin Kolb backing up Mark Sanchez for the playoffs.
OAK: DE Israel Idonije (Out), WR Pierre Garçon (Out), FS Chris Conte (Q)
ARZ: No injuries reported
Arizona has to be happy to be at full strength, while Oakland will miss WR Pierre Garçon, one of Joey Harrington’s favorite targets. The loss of Israel Idonije could also be huge as it means less pressure on David Carr of the Wranglers, and when Carr can stay in the pocket he is a much more effective passer.
Five Coaching Prospects Being Talked About
With four spots open in the USFL as we enter the offseason, there are jobs to be had. As we mentioned earlier, we fully expect Interim Breaker HC Lamar Lathon to get more than a fair shot at the job with the club he pulled out of a winless collapse to get 5 wins during the interim period. But who else is being talked about as a top prospect for a possible coaching job this offseason. Here are five names we are hearing a lot about:
Brad Childress, Former NFL Vikings HC
Childress, a former Running Backs coach who served as OC for the Philadelphia Eagles before taking the HC job in Minnesota, was let go by the Vikings in 2010 despite winning a division title with the Vikings in 2008 and going 12-4 with the club in 2009. After two straight playoff seasons, a 3-7 start in 2010 and friction with team owner Zygi Wilf, led to Childress being relieved of duties. He remains without a position and is considered a frontrunner for several NFL and USFL positions. An offensive-minded coach, we could see both Memphis and Chicago taking a long look at the former Viking coach.
Mike Mularkey, Texas OC and former NFL Bills HC
Nothing surprising about this. The Texas offense under Mularkey has become one of the league’s best this year. A lot of that is on the development of Joe Flacco into one of the league’s best passers and a clear MVP candidate. Mularkey will not be able to interview as long as the Outlaws remain in the playoffs, but he should expect his phone to ring once they are done for the year. Memphis, and possibly New Orleans if Lathon is not signed, could be the top contenders to help them improve their offensive attacks.
Pepper Johnson, Maulers DC
If you are looking for defense, you cannot do much better than the Maulers’ squad led by DC Pepper Johnson. The former NFL linebacker has proven he can put together aggressive schemes and solid gameplans. We could easily see him doing the same with the Machine’s talented defense, or brought in to improve the situation in Portland. Pittsburgh will do what they can to extend Johnson’s deal, but he could walk if the deal is on the table.
Perry Fewell, Federals DC
Another DC with a lot of clout after a very strong season. Fewell will be in demand for interviews as soon as the Feds are done in the playoffs, which could be a while. His defense has been impressive in that they have found ways to manufacture pressure without a clearly dominant edge rusher. They are nearly impenetrable against the run and have a knack for timely takeaways.
Marty Mornhinweg, former Chicago Machine HC
Look, if you are a team that has issues reaching the postseason, Martyball has a track record you have to like. 10 appearances in 11 years is a pretty good resume. Yes, he was let go by Chicago after an 8-8 season, but his clubs are always in the mix. We see him as a possible candidate in Portland, where the Stags have enough talent to compete, but fell well short of expectations this year. He could also be a good fit in New Orleans, where the Breakers need to find an offense to put around Drew Brees.
Free Agency Pool Begins to Fill
With the conclusion of the regular season players with 2011 contract terminations are now free to play the field and seek out better opportunities. While Free Agency does not officially open until 8 days after the Summer Bowl, we already know that for the 16 non-playoff teams there are players no longer under contract who could soon be looking elsewhere for employment. Looking across the league, there are some names worth taking a long look at. Yes, those players could still resign during the playoff period, but if they have lasted this long without a deal, the odds are very good that they will be looking to move on. Here is our look at all 14 non-playoff teams and the best player on each who could be in the market for a new home.
ATLANTA: LB Rahim Abdullah is going to be a big loss for the Fire, but you know he will earn top dollar as a free agent. Abdullah started 12 games this year (injury), but nabbed 81 tackles in that span. After 6 seaosns in Atlanta, the 12-year vet wants to find a spot to finish his career with playoff expectations.
BIRMINGHAM: WR Donte Do had some flashes in his 5 seasons in Birmingham, but never really developed up to his talent. His best year was 2010, where he had 586 yards on 60 receptions. Best suited as a number 2 receiver on a team that already has a speedburner, Do could find this a tough market this year.
BOSTON: No question here, Chad “85” Johnson is a star who will demand superstar money. A league champion with the Cannons, and a top receiver in the league for a decade, Johnson wants to go to a team that has a solid QB in place and a shot at another title. Oh, and he wants Bill Gates money and a lot of camera time too.
CHICAGO: SS Reggie Tongue could still resign with Chicago. He is 34, which will make some teams wary, and his one year with the Machine was not ideal, but he is still highly regarded around the league.
DENVER: WR Keary Colbert is clearly the odd man out after Denver resigned veteran Peerless Price to a big deal. Colbert is talented, and at 30, could be in the market for a 3-4 year deal with any number of teams.
HOUSTON: Yes, Ronde Barber is a free agent, but we expect his retirement announcement any day now, which makes DT RaShon Harris likely the biggest Free Agent out of Houston’s roster. Not a big name, and not a major factor in the Houston defense, we don’t see a big market for Harris.
JACKSONVILLE: CB Dereck Combs struggled as a number 1, but could be an outstanding find as a second corner for a club that already has an established guy in the top spot. He is 33, so a 2-4 year deal is quite possible.
LAS VEGAS: Hard to choose between the two safeties who are testing the market. SS Chad Scott is the bigger hitter, but FS Sean Jones is better in coverage. Either way Coach Jones is going to struggle to put a secondary back together if he loses both.
MEMPHIS: LB Patrick Willis has seen enough. He wants to return to a contender, and get contender money in a new deal. Expect him to get a lot of offers. At 25 he could be a decade contributor for a club.
NEW ORLEANS: Guard Paul Zakauskas may not have name recognition among fans, but personnel experts across the league know how good this guy is. He will likely be among the highest paid interior linemen by January.
NEW JERSEY: Both Mark Clayton and Santonio Holmes remain unsigned. We think NJ will go for Clayton one more time, but if he is annoyed by their earlier lowball offers, he could walk.
OHIO: LB Glenn Cadrez had an All-USFL season and has been a stalwart for the Glory, but he has not meshed well with the new coaching regime and we think he will look for a new home. If he finds the right fit, someone could see All-USFL play for at least another 2-3 seasons.
ORLANDO: DT Jarron Gilbert and HB Jacob Hester are not household names, but both will be missed if they do not return to Orlando.
PORTLAND: Center Brad Meester was an All-USFL performer three times over the past decade, so for him to go unsigned by the Stags is a big whiff. Expect the 32-year old to get a 2-3 year deal from someone and quickly.
SEATTLE: CB Marcus Truffant is only 30, and Seattle does not want to lose him, but he will likely hit the market to earn top dollar, something Seattle just cannot pay with their cap troubles.
ST. LOUIS: FB Vontae Leach is one of the best dual-use fullbacks in the league. He can catch the ball, and he can blow up linebackers in the run game. Not an expensive position, but with limited cap space, St. Louis may well let him walk to prioritize another position.
Saturday, July 9 @ 3pm ET
Adelphia Stadium, Nashville, TNKnights favored by 1
This one is a battle of who is slumping the least. There is some homefield advantage on Nashville’s side, of course, but the reason the line is so low for them is that no one has faith in either club right now. In our minds it is whichever team can get their back rolling downhill. Ron Dayne and Frank Gore are both exceptional running backs, and if one of them can get rolling, well, that may be all it takes for either club to snap their losing streak and get a playoff win.
OUR PICK: Can we call this one a toss up? No? Well, then we will go with the home team as having a slight edge. Nashville 17-15.
Saturday, July 9 @ 7pm ET
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Wranglers Favored by 3
This is a very intriguing matchup between two teams that have had some really dominant games but have also struggled at times. If Arizona can recapture their early season form, they could roll, but we have been waiting for that ever since David Carr came back from injury and have not seen it yet. We think they will try to get LT in the game early, force Oakland to bring men up into the box, and then try to hit Fitzgerald deep. But Oakland knows that too.
OUR PICK: We are going to go with the road dog here and pick the Invaders. Oakland 20-14.
Sunday, July 10 @ 3pm ET
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Stars by 8
Las Vegas has Philly up big, and we are not sure it is big enough. We see the Stars as a legitimate Summer Bowl contender, while Charlotte, missing 2 key D-linemen, is limping their way in. Could their be an upset? Sure. But we think a solar eclipse is more likely.
OUR PICK: Philadelphia big, 31-17.
Sunday, July 10 @ 7pm ET
Farmers Insurance Field, Carson, CA
Express by 3
Michigan is hot, and if Brian Griese is on his game, this one could be a big win for the Panthers, but LA is often sold short, and they have a pretty solid club as well. We like their LBs, led by Lofa Tatupu, and we like their balance on offense. Getting Randy Moss certainly did not hurt either. One or two plays by Moss could put LA over the top.
OUR PICK: We are going with Moss and the Express to hold court in LA. Express 24-21.