(Hey USFL fans. A quick update that the Teams page has been revised with all uniform updates through 2011 and new histories for many clubs. And don't forget to use the comment feature to vote for your preferred New Orleans Breakers' color scheme.)
Philadelphia gets in the win column, but it was not easy. Tampa Bay, Nashville, and Arizona remain unbeaten, while Birmingham and St. Louis taste defeat for the first time this season. We had overtime in DC, a blowout in St. Louis, and concern galore Chicago, New Jersey, and New Orleans as each club drops to 0-3 on the season. There was also a tough injury to a promising rookie, and we will take a look at three coaches, all of them with long tenures, who may well be at the end of their rope after stumbling out of the gate this year. Stay tuned, it is only going to get more exciting as we move through Week 3 and look at Week 4 in the USFL.
JACKSONVILLE BULLS 29 ATLANTA FIRE 28
We finally get out of the NE Division and get a Game of the Week that does not involve Philly (though we could have made it 3 for 3 had we wanted to.). We knew the Southeast Division would be a really interesting battle all year, with a lot of balance from top to bottom in the division. Right now Tampa Bay, thanks to a quick start, is out to a 3-0 lead in the division, but the winner of this matchup between the Bulls and the Fire would be right there with them, a game back at 2-1. Both clubs have reasons to be optimistic about 2012, Jacksonville with their fan-favorite QB, Tim Tebow, and Atlanta coming off of their first division title as a franchise last season.
The matchup had a lot of storylines, but the one that emerged at the end was the maturation of Tim Tebow as a passer. He has always been an outstanding athlete and a strong character guy, but this week against a pretty fierce Atlanta pass rush, Tebow showed that he could be an effective passer. He would finish the game 24 of 32, an even 75% rate, and would throw for 340 yards. Now, it was not all glitter and magic, while he did throw three touchdowns, he also threw three picks, including one returned by Tra Battle for a touchdown in the 4th that put Atlanta up by 11. But, following that pick, Tebow pulled off one of the greatest comebacks not only in Bulls history, but in league history as well.
The first three quarters saw a very even matchup, with the two teams trading scores back and forth. Jacksonville got on the board first at the end of the first quarter when the corner jumped on a double move and left Rashaun Woods with a 2-yard advantage on the left sideline. Tebow hit him with the pass in stride and just like that the Bulls had a 70-yard touchdown and the early lead.
Atlanta came right back and on their next drive marched 77 yards down the field with Darren McFadden taking in the equalizer for the Fire. Looking very much like a game that would go into the half at 7-7, Jacksonville caught a break when Jay Cutler tried to force a ball to Josh Reed. Tramon Williams nabbed it instead and Jacksonville went into the half up 14-7 on the pick six late in the quarter.
Atlanta would get the only score of the third quarter, a second McFadden TD run to knot things up at 14. Early in the 4th it looked like that drive had been a momentum changer as the Fire scored on their next drive, just as the final period began, a 12-yard Orton to Marcus Robinson strike. After a Bulls field goal and back to back 3-and-outs by both teams, Atlanta struck again when Battle picked off Tebow, his third of the day, and clearly the costliest, as it put Atlanta up by 11 at 28-17 with only 2:06 left to play. Jacksonville needed 2 scores, including a 2-point PAT to tie. Two touchdowns to take the win.
They would need only 1:02 of game time to get the first. Moving quickly, Jacksonville stayed mostly in 4-and 5-manreceover sets as Tebow first found Whitten for 11, and then got another big play, connecting with Johnny Knox to take the ball all the way to the Atlanta 10 yard line. 2 plays later it was Tebow hitting Jerrico Cotchery as he bootlegged to his left. The PAT failed, which meant that Jacksonville trailed by 5 with only 54 seconds left. They would need a touchdown, in less than a minute, and with only 1 time out left.
Josh Scobee set up for the onside kick, and he nailed it, getting the perfect big 3rd hop that all kickers want. No Fire player touched the ball. Before it could hit the turf a 4th time, it was pulled out of the air by CB Ricky Manning and Jacksonville would have their shot to pull off the miracle.
The drive did not start well, a holding penalty on the first play brought the ball back to the Bulls’ 44. They would get 6 yards back on 1st and 20 as Jason Whitten caught a quick out and ran out of bounds to stop the clock. Second and 14 with just over 30 seconds to play. Tebow lined up with 4 wide, including Whitten. Three were lined up on the right side, Woods, Whitten and Knox, while Cotchery was alone on the left side and Spiller lined up split to the left of Tebow. The QB received the shotgun snap, faked a toss to Spiller, and looked deep. Both Woods and Knox had gone straight down the line, while Cotchery made for the endzone corner. Whitten, trailed behind, going 20 yards up the field and then into the middle before Tebow released the ball. He found Whitten, and suddenly the three remaining Bulls receivers turned into blockers, cutting down the angles of the safeties and helping Whitten find a clear path to the endzone. Fifty yards flew by and the big tight end dove into the endzone with 23 seconds on the clock, pulling off a 12-point swing in less than a minute for the Bulls.
Atlanta was stunned. They thought they had this one in the bag, but big plays and a poorly defended onside kick did them in. When they got back on the field after the score, they were clearly not in a mindset to race downfield for a field goal. Orton misfired on both 2nd and 3rd down and the game ended with a Hail Mary that had no shot. Jacksonville moved to 2-1 and Atlanta would fall to 1-2 after 3 weeks.
TAMPA BAY 30 WASHINGTON 24 OVERTIME
The Bandits continue to impress as they survive a late Washington surge and take the win in overtime on a Culpepper TD to David Tyree. Culpepper would throw for 3 scores, while McGahee’s strong season continues with 128 yards rushing. McCallister was right there with him at 104 yards and 2 Federals TD in a game that was an early season gem.
NEW JERSEY 10 BOSTON 20
The Cannons get their first win of the year and send rival New Jersey to an unwanted 0-3. Rashard Mendenhall was the star on offense, rushing for 130 yards, while rookie QB Jake Locker gets his first start and his first pro win, despite pretty midling numbers (15 of 33 for 155 yards and 1 TD).
PHILADELPHIA 17 BALTIMORE 16
The Stars get one in the win column as they travel to Baltimore and escape with a 1-point victory. Steve Slaton scored both Star touchdowns and the Philadelphia defense came alive, limiting Ron Dayne to only 66 yards on 22 carries. Baltimore drove late, but could not get in field goal range and Big Ben’s Hail Mary attempt was swatted to the ground, securing the Stars their first victory of the season.
SEATTLE 23 LAS VEGAS 10
Las Vegas cannot get the run & shoot going as Jake Plummer is held to 18 of 35 passing and throws 2 picks, including one returned for a score by Seattle’s Paris Lenon. Both defenses played well, but in the end it was Dave Rayner’s leg that helps boost the Dragons to the W and knocks the Thunder from the unbeatens.
PORTLAND 25 DENVER 21
The Stags get a much-needed win as Denver trailed throughout and could not mount a final drive for the W at home. In his first start for Portland, Ryan Fitzpatrick put up 249 yards and 2 scores, including the game winner as he connects with Koren Robinson in the 4th to give Portland the win. Denver gets TDs from Daniel Graham and James Hardy but cannot muster a drive when they need one as the game winds down.
HOUSTON 14 TEXAS 30
A huge statement game for the Outlaws as they give Houston their first loss in 16 games. Joe Flacco continues to impress and T. J. Duckett busts out with 122 yards and 2 scores as the Outlaws race to a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter and never look back. Matt Hasselbeck was chased, sacked, hit, and picked off twice as the Outlaws stake their claim to the state of Texas.
OAKLAND 10 CHARLOTTE 20
The Invader offense continues to struggle despite 70 yards rushing from Ryan Williams. Charlotte’s D holds them to only 1 third down conversion in 12 attempts, and scores on a Rolando McClain Pick-6. It was close at the half, but a 2nd half Fred Jackson TD run gives Charlotte the cushion they need, holding Oakland scoreless in the 2nd half.
OHIO 24 MEMPHIS 17
Ohio moves to a surprising 2-1 while Memphis drops to 0-3 with a home loss. The Glory use the run game, rushing for 217 yards between Kevin Smith (88), James Jackson (70), and DeMarco Murray (59) as they rush the ball 39 times against the Showboats. Smith also caught the lone TD toss for Dereck Anderson as Ohio gets the win on a final drive that broke a 17-17 tie.
BIRMINGHAM 6 NASHVILLE 10
A defensive slugfest in a driving spring rain in Nashville as the Knights give Birmingham their first loss and win the battle of unbeatens on a Frank Gore TD run through the mudpuddle that was Adelphia Stadium. Splashing and sliding was the theme of the day, but Gore appears to be a mudder as he rushed for 143 yards and the key score on a day when most others seemed waterlogged.
ARIZONA 25 LOS ANGELES 13
The Wranglers take care of business in LA and move to 3-0 thanks in large part to LaDainian Tomlinson’s 91 yards rushing. Add in 243 from David Carr and TDs from both LT and Larry Fitzgerald and the Wranglers are looking like true contenders after 3 weeks. Kevin Kolb got the start for LA with Sanchez injured and he struggled with 2 picks and 4 sacks on his box score line.
PITTSBURGH 39 ST. LOUIS 6
Reality came crashing down on the 2-0 Skyhawks, reality in the form of Pittsburgh’s nasty defense. Cody Pickett also had a big game, throwing for 3 scores and completing 21 of 28 passes. St. Louis struggled largely due to an injury to Josh Freeman that put an unprepared Troy Smith under center. Smith would be sacked 3 times and throw for only 88 yards on the day, handcuffing any chances St. Louis had.
ORLANDO 21 NEW ORLEANS 18
The Breakers were game, but still dropped to 0-3 with a home loss in the Battle of the Swapped QBs. Drew Brees threw for more yards and more TDs than Eli, but Manning got the win, and that is what matters. He also got help from Knowshon Moreno’s 74 yards and rushing TD. Brees, who connected with Doucet and Moss for TDs just ran out of time as they tried to get into field goal range late.
MICHIGAN 21 CHICAGO 19
Sunday night’s week finale was a good one between two teams trying to avoid 0-3 starts. The Panthers got scores from Manningham, Ward, and Mike Hart to upend the Machine, who had to settle for field goals far too often in this one. Former NFL back Thomas Jones had his best game as a Panther, rushing for 127 on 17 carries and Hines Ward was huge, catching 8 passes for 143 yards and a score against a Chicago secondary that has been an issue for them in all 3 losses.
Is Flacco an Early MVP Nominee?
Look, we know it is only Week 3, and that is way too early to truly get a sense of where the season is heading, but you have to admit that Joe Flacco has started this season on a tear. He has a 135 QBR, nearly 30 points ahead of the number two passer, Eli Manning (106.5). He has 6 TD passes and no picks, and he has Texas at 2-1 having just knocked off the defending champion Houston Gamblers, their first loss in nearly a full year. The man is on fire.
Will it last? Not likely, not in this form. Flacco’s best season prior to this one had him with a QBR of 84.2, that is a far cry from 135. His highest TD total was 16. He is on pace for 32 this year. That is an impressive leap, and it is a leap being made without major infusions of talent around him. It is still Marques Colston, Brandon Marshall, and Reggie Brown, as it was last year. Yes, he has Chris Cooley at TE along with Jermichael Finley, but between the two of them they have 6 catches. No, this is something else. This may well be a QB maturing into the player he can be, the best version of himself. Will it last? We don’t think he finishes the season with a QB Rating above 130, but that does not mean that this cannot be a special season for Flacco, and by extension, for the whole Outlaw team.
Wranglers Rolling
As impressive as Joe Flacco’s start has been, the Wranglers have impressed even more. After opening the season with a convincing 14-point win against the Panthers, they go on the road and beat Portland by 17, then LA by 12. They are dominating. Well, this week they will get Texas in a game that will go a long way to setting up the early SW Division race. Arizona is 3-0, Texas 2-1, and there will be a lot on the line in Glendale for this one. Arizona currently has the top rated scoring offense, they are averaging nearly 110 yards per game on the ground, and their defense is allowing just 14 points per game. It is all working for them.
Credit Coach Tomsula for building this team from the ground up. He brought in veterans in key places, including HB LaDainian Tomlinson, DT Kimo Von Oelhoffen, OT Wade Smith, and this year’s huge catch, safety Troy Polamalu. He builit himself an offense that complements what QB David Carr does well, deep balls coming off of run fakes. Carr, like Flacco, has 6 TDs and no picks this season. He is not throwing the ball as much, but when he does, it is big, averaging 17.4 yards per completion, a ridiculous number. Tomlinson is not exploding out of the line like he did in the NFL, but he is a savvy runner who comes up big when it matters most. Rookie Stevan Ridley has also been a good addition, averaging over 5 yards per carry when he spells LT.
Of course, Arizona has a stud at wideout in Larry Fitzgerald, and young TE Rob Gronkowski is developing into a real weapon in the middle of the field. Add to this combo, a defense that is opportunistic and hits hard and you have a nice formula, one that may just shed off some of Arizona’s recent history. The Wranglers last made the playoffs in 2006, and last won a playoff game in 2004, so it has been a while. This year’s team is hoping to turn the page on that history and hope to make some noise. They have been pretty loud so far, and a 4th win, against Flacco and the Outlaws, could be just the firecracker they need to wake everyone up to what is happening in the desert.
What is Wrong in Chicago?
Everything positive we have to say about the Wranglers could be reversed for Chicago’s 0-3 start. Chicago, long the home of one of the best defenses in the league, is just not stopping anyone. They are giving up 25 points per game (25th of 28 teams) and 415 yards per game, including nearly 300 per game passing (299.7 to be exact.) While the offense has been merely mediocre (14th in scoring, 16th in yards), the defense has been unwatchable. This is a squad that still has Urlacher in the middle and Weaver threatening from the edge but they don’t seem to be able to make the big play, or stop the big play, depending how you look at it.
And the thing is, every week it is different. This past week it was the run defense unable to contain Panther HB Thomas Jones. In Week 1 it was the pass defense giving up nearly 400 yards to Josh Freeman and the Skyhawks. In between the two, They had their best outing, losing to Pittsburgh by only 1, but giving up the late drive that put the Maulers on top when they desperately needed a stop. Unless Chicago can figure out what is wrong with their defense, and quick, this could be a very tough season, and a potential last year for Marty Mornhinweg, who already had rumors swirling about his status during the offseason. This start to the year is certainly not going to improve that situation.
Brees Unflapped by 0-3 Start
Despite starting the year 0-3 and recently losing to the other half of the trade that brought Brees to the Big Easy, Eli Manning, the Breakers’ new starter is unflappable. When asked about the issues with New Orleans’s offens, Brees acknowledged that the Breakers are not where they want to do, but added “You don’t build a dynasty in three weeks.” We are not sure how much of a dynasty New Orleans thinks they can be, but at present they are not looking like they are any nearer to any form of dominance.
Now, we are not saying this is all on Brees, not by a long shot. The former Renegade and Panther QB has started relatively well, throwing for 671 yards and an early 4:1 TD:INT ratio. But, that said, his 54.7% completion rate is the lowest we have seen from Brees in years, and has him sitting at a QBR of 86.8 after 3 weeks. He has never dipped below a QBR of 91 at any point in his career before. He has a new group of receivers to work with, that is true, and perhaps Coach Nolan has not fully figured out what works best for Brees at this point, but what is certain is that upcoming games against Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh are not going to leave a lot of room for Brees and the Breakers to improve on their slow start. This is a club that could very well be 0-6 before they know what hit them.
Seattle will be without one of their top rookie picks as UCLA linebacker Akeem Ayers is out for the year after a nasty tear of the quad muscle in this week's win over Las Vegas. Ayers came up lame mid-play without contact, which is never a good sign. He was placed on IR as soon as doctors were able to confirm that the quad muscle had significant tears and had dislodged from it mooring to the femur.
Ayers was the only new addition to IR this week, but hardly the only player who will be missing significant time. Pittsburgh will be without corner Will Poole at least 4 weeks after an abdominal tear. It is a similar timeline for LA's top corner, Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, who suffered a vaguely-described leg injury. Another Dragon, WR Nate Burleson could be out a month or longer after a dislocated elbow was shown to have come with ligament damage as well. For Oakland DE Aaron Schobel, it is his hip which placed him on the injury list. He is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.
In the short term "out" list we find Thunder CB Will Allen (collarbone), Nashville primary wideout, Robert Meachem (shoulder), Memphis SS Coy Wire (miniscus), Houston SS Patrick Chung (retina), and New Orleans FS Mike Doss (ribs).
Doubtful for this week we find new Ohio #1 reciever Steve Smith (concussion protocols), Atlanta QB Charles Woodson (tendinitis), and St. Louis QB Josh Freeman (concussion), though Coach Arians is still hopeful that Freeman can clear protocols and be active for this weekend's game.
Coaches Feeling the Heat
As we look around the league after 3 weeks, the questions start to be asked about which coaches may be fighting for their positions over the rest of the season. It is not hard to see who may be in trouble already. All you have to do is look at the 0-3 teams and ask ourselves “who did not expect to be here?”. Three teams and three coaches certainly fit that bill.
Tom Nolan (NOR): The Breakers’ head coach has taken the Breakers to the playoffs in 7 of the past 9 years, but just like Bill Arnsparger in the 90’s playoff failure has worn on Breaker fans, and an inability to beat Nashville when it counts seems like a major issue for Nolan’s squad. An 0-3 start this year has the Breakers looking very vulnerable, and after a risky move like the Manning-Brees trade, a sub-.500 season could very well be enough to send Nolan packing.
Jim Haslett (MEM): Memphis has been very patient with Jim Mora Sr.’s hand-chosen successor. Of course it helps that Haslett started his career with Memphis with a playoff run, then won the club a title in 2007 and a repeat trip to the Summer Bowl in 2007. But, here is the thing. Brett Favre is not here any longer, and since he left, Haslett has had back to back 10-loss seasons. This year they start over at QB, so the fans are going to be patient, but they are going to want to see Ryan Mallett looking better by mid-year. If he continues to struggle (43.1% completion rate, 1 TD to 4 picks, and a QB Rating of 44.9 which is about as low as we see any starter get), the Showboats may feel that someone else is needed to bring Mallett and the Showboats back to winning form.
Marty Mornhinweg (CHI): We heard the rumors last year, that despite his success getting the Machine to the playoffs (9 times in 10 years, the inability to win the big postseason games, and the frustration of always being a bridesmaid has been wearing on the franchise. Mornhinweg is facing a battle with expectations, and a growing narrative that he can build a team, but he cannot get them to the promised land. An 0-3 start, and a defense that seems to have lost all coherence, is not the way Mornhinweg needed to start this season. If Chicago cannot turn things around, Mornhinweg’s stay of execution last fall may not carry over to 2012.
Cuban Statements Concern USFL Leadership
Never shy of a camera or a microphone, Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA Dallas Mavericks and one of the chief investors in Destination Dallas, the investment group hoping to bring USFL football to the DFW, was on the radio this week and his message to the USFL was clear, “If you don’t add a Dallas franchise one way, we will add one another”. The obvious implication is that with the recent vote of the league to postpone discussion of expansion practically into the 2020’s, Destination Dallas and their deep-pocketed investors would find another way to act on a shorter timeframe to bring about a Dallas-based USFL club.
This attitude certainly is not a surprise to USFL owners, many of whom specifically mentioned Cuban in their negotiations about an expansion timeline. They all seem to comprehend that the delayed expansion decision will almost certainly lead to feelers being sent out to some of the USFL franchises that are struggling to keep pace with league attendance and revenue growth. In fact, there may be some owners who are very much interested in swapping a middling franchise for a well-funded relocated team in one of the nation’s largest cities.
For Cuban and his co-investors, the die is already cast. Funds are already going towards major renovations and modernization of the Cotton Bowl, the anticipated home of a Dallas franchise, particularly with Jerry Jones and Dallas’s new “Jerry’s World” stadium strictly off limits to the league. Money is already at play, and in the case of Cuban, and his partners, the sooner a franchise can start playing games in Dallas, the faster their initial investment starts to produce dividends.
As for league owners, we know from the vote last year that there are some who favor quick expansion, to bring the league up to 30 teams and rebalance the divisions, but there are others who fear a dilution of talent and would, quite frankly, rather see some of the teams with sticky stadium deals or limited revenue streams shift their attention to potential new markets like Dallas or Miami, where both stadium deals and revenue streams are viewed as more lucrative options. We should also recognize that while no one will say it publicly, particularly at this early stage of discussions, there are certainly a few owners in the league who may well be looking to cash out, sell their franchise and take that money in pocket. After all, an investment is only really an investment when you cash it out.
Week 4 marks the ¼ mark of the 16-week spring season, and it looks like it could be a week to make or break the year for several clubs who are not where they expected to be. Chicago, New Jersey, and New Orleans absolutely have to find a win or they could be long gone from playoff contention before the midway point of the year. Denver cannot be happy at 1-2, sitting in the basement of the SW Division and 2 games back of unbeaten Arizona. Portland and Oakland are hoping a Week 4 win can put them at .500 and give them momentum heading into the next quarter. Here are the games that will be finishing up the first month of the 2011 season.
FRIDAY @ 8pm ET Los Angeles (1-2) @ Oakland (1-2) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET Baltimore (1-2) @ Memphis (0-3) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET Atlanta (1-2) @ Boston (1-2) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET Washington (2-1) @ New Jersey (0-3) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm ET Texas (2-1) @ Arizona (3-0) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm ET Denver (1-2) @ Seattle (2-1) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm ET Charlotte (2-1) @ Jacksonville (2-1) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET St. Louis (2-1) @ Birmingham (2-1) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET New Orleans (0-3) @ Tampa Bay (3-0) FOX
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET Philadelphia (1-2) @ Nashville (3-0) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET Chicago (0-3) @ Ohio (2-1) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET Orlando (2-1) @ Portland (1-2) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET Las Vegas (2-1) @ Houston (2-1) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm ET Michigan (1-2) @ Pittsburgh (2-1) EFN