A big week for the Wranglers as they upend the defending champs and remain unbeaten. Equally big for the Monarchs, who topple Tampa Bay and join the Bandits atop the Southeast Division at 4-1. Not so great for the Machine, Generals, Showboats, and Breakers, who all have dropped to 0-5 and are doing some deep soul searching as the season quickly gets away from them. Add in big wins by the Renegades, Stags, and Express and we have some interesting races to follow across the USFL. We will cover these stories and give those of you playing Fantasy Football an update on who is emerging as must haves, and who are looking like must drops after 5 weeks. It's all right here, so let's get to it.
BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 28 ORLANDO RENEGADES 31
A really intriguing interdivisional matchup that was a regional broadcast on Saturday, meaning that much of the country did not get to watch rookie Cam Newton and veteran Eli Manning go head to head for the first time. While there is little history between these two clubs, the drama was still there as Birmingham, surprises at 3-1 after the season’s first quarter, were in Orlando to face a 2-2 Orlando squad that believes they can be legitimate contenders in the Southeast.
Orlando would have to survive 3 turnovers, all of them Manning picks, to come from behind, but Manning, when the pressure was on, delivered a drive to remember. Meanwhile one of the league’s rising stars, Cam Newton threw for 3 scores and impressed with his ability to absorb, deflect, and avoid sacks from one of the league’s most ferocious pass rushes. Yes, Calais Campbell did get to Newton 3 times on the day, to raise his league leading total to 10 sacks this year, but Newton stymied the big man on several occasions as well.
As many games between unfamiliar foes do, this one started slow. The only scoring in the first quarter was a long Bill Grammatica field goal. After probing the defenses in the first quarter, both offenses started to make plays in the 2nd. Birmingham had its first touchdown drive as the second quarter began, with Newton avoiding the rush, then hitting Julian Edelman for a 22-yard connection that took the ball to Orlando’s 5 yard line. From their he put up a perfect jump ball for veteran Terrell Owens, and the big receiver came down with the ball and the Birmingham lead.
It was a short-lived lead as Orlando would score twice in the rest of the quarter to take a 17-7 lead into the half. The first score was a Dwayne Bowe connection with Manning, the second a Knowshon Moreno run, as the Renegades’ line was winning the day early on. After the half, that would change and Eli Manning would find his time in the pocket, as well as Moreno’s rushing lanes, significantly decreased.
Birmingham got the opening kick of the second half, and again Newton eventually found Terrell Owens in the endzone, pulling the Stallions back to within 3 at 17-14. After one drive ended with a Manning pick, Orlando got a second chance and this time they found their rhythm again, putting together a 73-yard drive that concluded with Jacob Hester pounding the ball in from the 1. After 3 quarters it was a 10-point lead for the Renegades, 24-14.
As the fourth quarter opened, Birmingham struggled to move the ball, but after punting to Orlando, they would catch a break. Manning would mistime a throw, putting the ball behind Justin McCaerins and into the hands of cornerback Antonio Cromartie. The free agent acquisition for Birmingham returned the ball all the way to the 1-yard line before being bumped out of bounds. He insisted he had reached the endzone, but Birmingham lost the coach’s challenge and the ball was placed at the 1. Only one play later Ben Tate put Birmingham on the board again. Stallions again trailed by only 3.
Manning had been seeing more pressure since the half, and that continued on their next drive. The combination of Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves got help from a blitzing DeMeco Ryans, and, after only 4 plays, Manning again had a near fatal miscue. Trying to throw the ball away as he was being hit, he misjudged the distance to the sideline and his fluttering pass was picked off by safety Shiloh Keo. Birmingham again would have a short field to work with. With only 3:43 left in the game, this looked like a chance for the Stallions to take the lead and kill the clock at the same time. They moved the ball methodically, but perhaps too well. When Jerrel Jernigan caught the go ahead score from Newton, there was still 1:55 on the clock.
That remaining time would be enough for Orlando, down 4, to put together a drive at the end to steal back the lead and the win. Manning would need to avoid the poor decisions that had produced 2 Birmingham scores, but he would have time to turn from the game’s goat to its hero. Orlando got the ball on the 25 after a touchback on the kick and Manning went to work.
On his first play, Manning dumped the ball to Greg Olsen for what could have been a 3-yard gain, but Olsen slipped the tackle and rumbled for 12 before being brought down. Manning clocked the ball, and on 2nd down connected with DeSean Jackson, the club’s new slot receiver. 15-yards later Jackson slipped out of bounds. In 4 more plays, Manning had the Renegades in Birmingham territory, using mostly short slant and out routes. He still had 1 time out left, and with 47 seconds left he had a first and 10 on the Birmingham 33. Rather than go for another short route, Renegade receiver Justin McCaerins used a double move and Manning hit him on a deep ball. McCaerins initially thought he had scored, but a review showed that in tiptoeing down the sideline he had stepped out at the 6. With 36 seconds left, and one timeout, Manning would bring the Renegades to the line on the six. Once again he turned to the quick route, this time with a bit of a rub from McCaerins. The rub play freed up Dwayne Bowe and Manning hit him at the front of the endzone for the game-winning score.
Orlando would escape with a 31-28 win, moving to 3-2 and sending Birmingham to the same record. And while fans were certainly relieved to see Manning lead the game-winning drive, the general consensus is that Orlando escaped with no shortage of luck, while Birmingham proved that they were a team to be reckoned with.
OAKLAND 12 ATLANTA 3
Sitting at 1-3 and with an offense that has just not been able to get much going, Oakland traveled cross-country and put together a defensive gem to nab their second win on the year. The defense was helped by a heavy dose of the run game as rookie Ryan Williams and veteran Jerious Norwood combined for 32 carries and 169 yards rushing against a Fire defense that had played well against the run this year. Meanwhile, Atlanta struggled, with 8 offensive penalties and only 57 yards from McFadden, the Fire just could not put points on the board and fell to 2-3.
NEW JERSEY 16 BALTIMORE 31
New Jersey’s woes continue to mount as Baltimore built up a 31-9 lead thanks to a pick-six and two TD passes from backup Tyrod Taylor. Sam Bradford looked shaky, throwing two picks and throwing for only 188 yards despite being in catch-up mode most of the game. Ron Dayne was fed the ball and ended the day with 28 carries for 120 yards and a score as Baltimore survived without Big Ben able to go.
MEMPHIS 7 WASHINGTON 10
Poor footing on a wet field and a mid-game injury to David Garrard made this one appear closer than it was. Memphis could do nothing, with Cadillac Williams rushing for only 17 yards to lead all Showboat ballcarriers. Meanwhile, Deuce McCallister slogged his way to 106 yards and the combo of Garrard and Webb did enough to garner a 3-point win for the Feds, and keep Memphis winless at 0-5.
JACKSONVILLE 16 LAS VEGAS 35
The up and down Bulls were down again as Jake Plummer showed Tim Tebow how it was done, bootlegging for a 50-yard TD run in the opening quarter. Vegas added a Marshawn Lynch TD run to double the advantage and never looked back. Tim Tebow would throw for 286 as Jacksonville tried to come back, but also tossed 2 picks, while Plummer had a clean game, adding two touchdown tosses to his “vintage Plummer” run.
HOUSTON 9 ARIZONA 17
The defending champs drop their third in a row, raising all sorts of alarms in Houston, but they also faced an unbeaten Wrangler squad who now sit at 5-0. WR Antonio Bryant went for 117 on only 3 catches for the home squad, while the Wrangler D picked off Matt Hasselbeck twice as Houston falls to 2-3. Coach Tomsula praised his defense after the game for an all-out effort as Arizona sits securely atop the SW Division after 5 weeks.
TAMPA BAY 13 CHARLOTTE 20
The Monarchs avenged an early season loss in Tampa and in so doing evened their record with the Bandits atop the SE Division. A 20-0 run in the 2nd quarter proved to be the difference as Charlotte got 2 touchdowns from HB Fred Jackson and a third on a Rolando McClain pick-six of Culpepper. Tampa Bay had a chance to equalize late, but Culpepper could not connect with Chris Doering on a 4th and goal from the 11 as time expired, giving Charlotte the exciting home win and a share of first place.
NEW ORLEANS 7 PHILADELPHIA 23
The post-Summer Bowl hangover of the Stars seems to be fully dissipated as they win their third in a row, knocking off the winless Breakers in front of 41,505 at the Linc. While Steve Slaton had double the carries, it was change of pace back Leon Washington who made the big plays, including a 33-yard TD run on his way to a game best 91 yards rushing. Washington also caught the only Warner TD pass to win Game MVP.
NASHVILLE 21 ST. LOUIS 17
The Knights struggled with the much-improved Skyhawks, but Jay Cutler was able to connect with impressive rookie wideout Denarius Moore for the game winner in the final 2 minutes as the Knights escape St. Louis with a win. The Skyhawks continue to play well but have lost three in a row after a 2-0 start to the year. Troy Smith started for St. Louis after it was deemed that Josh Freeman could not go in pregame warmups.
PORTLAND 26 MICHIGAN 12
Portland improves to 3-2 by knocking Michigan to 1-4 in front of 44,211 at Ford Field. Give the credit to Portland’s defense, which accounted for 16 of their 26 points. The Stag D picked off Brian Griese three times, returning two for scores as both DeAngelo Hall and Marquand Manuel scored pick-sixes in the game. HB Thomas Jones also fumbled a ball in the endzone only to fall on it for a safety as Michigan made too many mistakes to overcome.
SEATTLE 16 LOS ANGELES 23
Is LA a contender? They seem to think so as Kevin Kolb leads them to another win. Kolb threw for 2 scores and Ray Rice had his first 100-yard game of the year as the homestanding Express knocked off Byron Leftwich and the Dragons. The LA defense, even without rookie LB Akeem Ayers, shut down the run game of Seattle and picked off Leftwich twice to preserve their third win of the season.
OHIO 7 TEXAS 40
Is this the game that pushes Ohio to start Vince Young? Maybe, maybe not. The big loss in San Antonio was not so much Anderson’s fault, though he did complete only 17 of 30, but that of the defense, which gave up 427 yards of offense to the Outlaws, including 100-yard games by both Marques Colston and Brandon Marshall as Texas rolls to a 3-2 record, chasing Arizona in the SW Division.
BOSTON 14 DENVER 24
Denver also wants to stay in the race in the Southwest, and while their offense has been spotty all season, the Gold D has been one of the league’s best. They limit Jake Locker to 17 of 37 passing and Rashard Mendenhall to a miserable 19 total yards rushing. Meanwhile Matt Leinart, despite throwing 3 picks in the game, managed to connect with James Hardy for 144 yards and the go-ahead TD to secure the win and keep pace with Texas at 3-2, two games behind unbeaten Arizona.
PITTSBURGH 24 CHICAGO 10
Rumors are flying that Marty Mornhinweg could be out by midseason as the Machine lose their fifth in a row to start the season. The Machine simply could not get anything going against Pittsburgh, while the Maulers got 2 scores from NFL import Ronnie Brown and a third from Pickett to Vince Jackson as they win by 14 and stay atop the Central at 4-1.
World Turned Upside Down
A look at the standings and it is easy to understand why many are calling 2011 the Season Turned Upside Down. At the bottom of the 6 divisions we have the defending Champs (Houston at 2-3), and the defending division champs of the Pacific (Oakland 2-3) and Southeast (Atlanta 2-3) as well as playoff regulars Chicago (0-5) and New Orleans (0-5). Add in an 0-5 New Jersey squad and you have a lot of teams sitting in the basement after five weeks who many pegged as playoff if not Summer Bowl contenders.
Meanwhile, atop the 6 divisions we find at least two teams not expected to be there in Charlotte (4-1) and Arizona, the last remaining unbeaten at 5-0. So, what can be said about this season? Well, first off, there is a cluster of teams between 3-2 and 2-3, including Houston, Atlanta, and Oakland, and by no means are they locked into the basement for the season. More questions exist for Chicago, New Orleans and New Jersey as their lofty aspirations for this year have come crashing down. As for the top of the standings, it seems fair to say that many expected Arizona to be more competitive this year, but not this good, while Charlotte was very much a team viewed as on the rise, and maybe they are just rising a bit faster than anticipated. This is the joy of the USFL. It is not predictable, tends not to develop dynasties, and has more upward and downward mobility than the NFL typically sees. We could be looking at a shifting of power, especially if Michigan and Chicago’s decline is for real or if teams like Arizona, Birmingham, or St. Louis are truly ready to step forward. All part of the game, and all part of why fans should be tuning in each week.
Fred Jackson Finds His Happy Place
Has Fred Jackson finally found his groove? In his 9thyear in the league it seems he may have finally found a system and a team that allows him to show his full potential. Jackson came into the league with Jacksonville in 2003, and for the better part of his career served in halfback-by-committee systems, first with the Bulls and then in New Orleans. His best year before moving to Charlotte was a 689-yard output in 2009 with the Breakers.
Since coming to Charlotte, he has been handed the reins and given the choice to stay in or come out on pretty much every play. No rotation, no shared load. The results? Last season we saw Jackson’s first 1,000 yard season, racking up 1,016 yards over 12 games (4 lost to injury). This year, 5 weeks in, he is on pace to break 1,500 yards. He is sitting at 463 yards in 5 games and has become a focal point for the Monarch offense. Having Jake Delhomme providing a viable passing attack has certainly helped, but it also seems that Jackson is feeling at home in Charlotte and with the offense that Jim Mora Jr. wants to run. Add to that a 4-1 start and this is feeling very much like a happy home for the back out of tiny Coe College in Iowa.
Calais Campbell Has Another Beast of a Game
For the second time in 3 this season, Calais Campbell has shown us why he is the most feared pass rusher in the USFL. Back in Week 3 he lit up Memphis for 4 sacks and this week, against Birmingham, he took celebrated rookie to the woodshed with 3 more sacks. Maybe we have gotten complacent because Campbell’s 2010 looked a lot more like a typical good year for a top flight DE, but nothing like the ridiculous 2009 numbers Campbell put up. Well, if the games against the Boats and Stallions shows us anything it is that Campbell has the potential each week to go wild and put up nasty numbers.
What we are seeing from teams that have success against Campbell, teams like Nashville (1 sack, 4 tackles) or Portland (1 sacks, 3 tackles) is that you need to do two things, chip him with a back or TE to alter his initial plan of attack, and then get the ball out of your QB’s hands as quickly as possible. Both Portland and Nashville used the run game to slow Campbell down. Both also used quick inside routes to the slot and to the tight end to get the ball out of the hands of Jay Cutler and Ryan Fitzpatrick. That seems to be the best strategy. Oh, and don’t have a rookie at QB. Both of Campbell’s big days have come against rookies who held the ball way too long (Mallett and Newton). This may be good news for Jake Locker, since he can look ahead at the rest of the schedule and see that Orlando is not on it.
Sanchez Expected Back for Surprising Express in Week 6
Coach Williams revealed this week that the Express are hopeful that Mark Sanchez is on schedule to return to action for Week 6 against the Thunder. It is a huge game for the 3-2 Express as they try to keep pace with 4-1 Las Vegas. They will be at home for a 2nd straight week, and after knocking off Oakland and Sattle in successive weeks, with Kevin Kolb under center, there are hopes that they could be in play this year for a pretty wide open Pacific Division.
As you recall, Sanchez suffered a fracture in his jaw when he took friendly fire from the elbow of one of his own linemen. It was a bizarre injury, but one that has caused LA to go with journeyman Kevin Kolb for the past 4 games. Kolb struggled at first, but has looked better in the two divisional wins for the Express. But, as solid as Kolb may have been, there is clearly a desire to get Sanchez back at the helm. LA has an intriguing set of weapons, including Randy Moss, of course, and the hope is that they have done enough to bolster the defense that they can be a real threat in the division. If Sanchez is able to return this week (he is still listed as “questionable” on the injury report) and if LA can win a third straight divisional game, it could put the Pacific Division on notice.
Let’s start this week’s report on a positive note. There are several players expected back on the field after recovery from a variety of injuries, so let’s first mention who should be back in action. We already referenced that the Express are hoping that Mark Sanchez will return to action for the first time since his bizarre jaw fracture in Week 2. Also back on the field we should see another key Express player in LB Lofa Tatupu returning from a pinched nerve. Jason Pierre-Paul should be back from a strained knee for Tampa Bay, as should Las Vegas cornerback Will Allen. Ohio plans to have Steve Smith back in the lineup this week and Orlando wideout Michael Jenkins is as well. Mike Doss returns from his rib injury for the Breakers and Pittsburgh is happy that recently acquired DE Aaron Schobel is coming off the injury list as well.
News was not all good this week, however, as injuries continue to be a factor for many teams. Baltimore learned this week that TE Jacob Tamme will miss as much as 2 weeks after suffering a significant fracture in the radial on his right arm. Michigan, already struggling with pass rush, will be without Jevon Kearse for as much as 6 weeks due to a strained knee. Jacksonville’s defensive captain, Mike Vrabel, could also miss a month or more after suffering a broken wrist. Finally, Washington center Austin King could miss the rest of the regular season with a broken leg suffered not in this week’s game, but on the drive home as he was the victim of a car accident that produced significant but not life-threatening injuries.
Time to reevaluate your USFL Fantasy Rosters
Five weeks seems enough time to get a good sense of who is hot and who is not, and that goes particularly for fantasy players, looking to add that one piece that will make their team unstoppable. Well, this USFL season has been one to rattle the rosters as some players have outperformed all expectations while others have not shown the way we expected. We are going to look at 4 key fantasy positions and make our case for players to pick up if they are not already rostered and others to trade away or cut if they are on your team. We will evaluate QBs, running backs, receivers, and defensive stars to give you the edge moving forward.
QUARTERBACKS TO KEEP OR SIGN
1. Joe Flacco (TEX): A no brainer, right? Well, not before this season. Flacco has been a QB2 or a marginal player in past seasons, but with 1,359 yards and 10 TD passes already this year, with only 1 pick, if he is on your team you are very happy and have him at QB1 now, if he is somehow still available, add him now.
2. David Carr (ARZ): The rise of the Wranglers has coincided with David Carr finding an offense that suits his skills. He may not lead the league in TDs and his 1,195 yards is not lighting the league on fire, but he is consistently getting yards and opportunities to put points on the board. He may not be an All-USFL QB1, but if you can get him on your team, he will make a difference for you.
3. Tim Tebow (JAX): The Bulls are a very up & down team but Tebow has been pretty consistent. His 8 picks in 5 games is an issue, but he has 10 passing TDs and he is always a threat to run one in as well. If your current QB is on our disappointing list, perhaps try to swing a deal to bring Tebow in to replace him.
QUARTERBACKS TO BENCH OR CUT
1. Matt Leinart (DEN): Sure, the Gold are winning games, but it is almost in spite of Leinart and the anemic pass game. The Denver QB has only 4 TDs in 5 games and has 7 nasty interceptions on his sheet as well. He will get you some yards but you are never going to get a high fantasy score from him or this Denver offense.
2. Joey Harrington (OAK): We hate to say it, but Harrington does not look like the same QB after coming back from injury this year. He has only 3 TDs in 5 games, and has yet to crack 1,000 yards. The Oakland Invaders are relying on defense to win games as Harrington is just not putting fear into defenses.
3. A. J. Feeley (POR): If you took a risk that Feeley would win the QB competition in Portland I think it is now safe to say that it is time to cut him lose and nab Fitzpatrick if you can. The former Harvard QB has locked down the position with 3 wins and has also put hup better numbers.
RUNNING BACKS TO ADD
1. Joseph Addai (BIR): We expect that those who are dual USFL-NFL fans already took a shot at Addai, but if by some miracle he is still out there, see if you can catch him on the waiver wire. He has been a major revelation for a Birmingham club that has struggled to put together a run game ever since Joe Cribbs retired in the early 90’s.
2. Jerious Norwood (OAK): Ryan Williams may be the official starter in Oakland, but Norwood is the more reliable start for fantasy. His ball skills and role in the pass game make him a more valuable fantasy player. He also tends to vulture a lot of touchdowns, something he did with Ricky Williams and is continuing with Ryan.
3. Ronnie Brown (PIT): Fantasy owners may have shied away from Brown after some rough time in Miami and because Kenny Watson looked very good in relief of DeShaun Foster last year, but what we are seeing is that Coach Rivera wants to feature Brown, particularly in the red zone, so the scoring chances are there for the taking.
RECIEVERS TO START OR SIGN
1. Reche Caldwell (PHI): There is a very good chance Caldwell went undrafted in your league, and if none of the owners have picked him up yet, well, you are in a league with a group of morons. Sure, he has no touchdowns yet, but he is leading the league with 536 yards in only 5 games. That is steady and very valuable production.
2. Marques Colston (TEX): A guy who was viewed as a late round add, if he is available you should sign him. If he is on your roster, you should start him. The rise of Joe Flacco has meant a parallel rise for Colston, who has nearly 500 yards and 3 TDs already this year.
3. Victor Cruz (PIT): A bit of a sleeper, Cruz has been seeing more and more snaps in Pittsburgh. Yes, Vincent Jackson is still the clear #1, but Cruz is showing he can be a valuable option both outside and in the slot. With 3 TDs already this year, we think he has a chance to be a double-digit TD guy.
RECEIVERS TO DROP OR BENCH
1. Greg Jennings (OAK): Joey Harrington’s dip in performance directly impacts Jennings. But he is also getting the yips, with 9 drops already. He is talented, we know that, but this offense is not going to give him enough opportunities to have big games. He is a bench player or maybe a flex at best right now.
2. James Whalen (BOS): Once a premier TE on a premier offense, Whalen is now not only dealing with a struggling rookie QB (Locker) but seems to be phased out of the offensive plan as well. More often than not we are seeing him adding extra protection for Locker, not servings as a safety valve at receiver.
3. Danny Amendola (WSH): The Federals have looked good this year, but our expectation that Amendola would be the clear #2 behind Deion Branch have not panned out. He has only 1 catch in 5 games. Far behind Darnerien McCants or either TE for the Feds. Rookie Dontrelle Inman is coming on as well, so Amendola is simply not getting the snaps to be a fantasy option.
DEFENSES TO SIGN OR PROMOTE
1. Arizona D: Most leagues use team defense, so we will focus on that here. And we fully expect that no one picked Arizona as a D to keep in this year’s draft. Well, they currently sit as the league leader in takeaways, always key for big fantasy points, and they are also Top 5 against the run. A good combo to have.
2. Charlotte D: They have been hit or miss the past 2 years, but this season they are looking like a far more consistent bunch. It would be nice to see more picks from this squad, but in all other ways they are playing lock down defense, so they are worth a roster spot.
3. Atlanta D: Probably drafted by someone, so maybe you trade for them. Why? How about 10 picks in 5 games, including 2 players in the top 3 for interceptions. They also are getting good sack numbers, which tend to lead to fumbles, another key point gainer for you.
DEFENSES TO DROP
1. Seattle D: Usually pretty stout, the problem for the Dragons this year is that they simply are not taking the ball away. They have great corners but that impacts receptions more than interceptions, at least this year. Four total takeaways in 5 games is not enough to merit a spot on your roster.
2. Michigan D: The Panthers simply have no pass rush, only 5 sacks so far, and we all know that it is pressure in the passing game that produces takeaways, pick-sixes and other big numbers for your fantasy team. With Jevon Kearse now on the injured list, it is not going to get better soon either. Michigan used to be a solid D for regular points, but this year’s squad is not that.
3. Chicago D: We know, we know. They have been one of the best fantasy defenses for forever, but again, that was then and this was now. Chicago’s secondary is way too soft. This is a team you drafted with high hopes, and if there is an owner in your league who tends to not pay attention very closely, maybe you trade Chicago on name recognition alone. Because this year it is just not the same D we have seen in the past.
Week six offers us a really intriguing starter, with Washington headed to Houston. The Gamblers have lost 3 straight and are looking like a shadow of their championship squad, but no one seems to know why. Hosting Washington on Friday’s NBC Friday Night Lights could be the perfect launching point for a rebound.
Saturday our attention will be on the Orlando-Jacksonville game in the 12:00 pm slot. Both clubs have shown flashes of quality, but have been inconsistent. If Orlando can win, they move to 4-2, which would be a big step towards being part of the mix in a very balanced division. At 4pm we want to check out the Texas-Portland game between two up and comers, but we also want to pop in on the Express-Thunder game, especially if Mark Sanchez is back on the field for the Express. Finally, Saturday Night gives us Atlanta, a surprising 2-3, against Tampa Bay, who lost their first game this past week. If the Fire can win this road game, they could be right back in the hunt, but if Tampa Bay wins to go to 5-1, Atlanta could be in real trouble.
Finally, on Sunday, we have two 0-5 squads at home at 12:00pm with New Jersey hosting Philly and New Orleans hosting Pittsburgh. Those are tough asks for two clubs that have not shown much yet, but if they cannot get a win now, their seasons may well be over before we hit midseason. At 4pm we have Arizona at St. Louis, a battle of upstarts, and we also have Charlotte, fresh off their win against Tampa Bay, headed to Oakland, where Joey Harrington is still trying to find his pre-injury form. We end the week with Nashville at Memphis for an in-state rivalry game. The Showboats have yet to win a game, but they sure would love to get that first W against the Knights.
FRIDAY @ 8pm ET Washington(4-1) @ Houston(2-3) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET Denver (3-2) @ Michigan (1-4) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET Birmingham (3-2) @ Chicago (0-5) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET Orlando (3-2) @ Jacksonville (2-3) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm ET Texas (3-2) @ Portland (3-2) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm ET Las Vegas (4-1) @ Los Angeles (3-2) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm ET Atlanta (2-3) @ Tampa Bay (4-1) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET Philadelphia (3-2) @ New Jersey (0-5) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET Pittsburgh (4-1) @ New Orleans (0-5) FOX
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET Boston (1-4) @ Baltimore (3-2) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET Ohio (3-2) @ Oakland (2-3) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET Charlotte (4-1) @ Seattle (2-3) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET Arizona (5-0) @ St. Louis (2-3) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm ET Nashville (4-1) @ Memphis (0-5) EFN