A huge upset and an overtime thriller: You cannot ask for much more than that in Conference Title weekend. We were first stunned as rookie Brandon Wheedon outdueled Cinderella QB Matt Gutierrez as Charlotte scored 30 unanswered points in their huge upset of the Philadelphia Stars. Then, as if that were not enough, Las Vegas and St. Louis found themselves in a shootout that ended regulation tied at 27 and saw 12 points scored in extra time. A wild game to be sure and it sets up a completely unanticipated Summer Bowl matchup of two teams that have been in the league only 6 and 4 years, with 2006 expansion St. Louis facing off against 2008 expansion club Charlotte in one of the most surprising and exciting Summer Bowl matchups in years. We will go deep into the two games this week, preview next week’s Summer Bowl clash in St. Louis, and reveal the 2012 All-USFL Team and League Award Winners. All that, plus Dallas makes their pick for Head Coach, tapping a former Aggie to be their team’s first front office leader.
CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 30 PHILADELPHIA STARS 14
The Cinderella story for QB Brandon Wheedon and the 6th seed Charlotte Monarchs continues with a stunner in Philadelphia. Most around the league saw this game as a clear victory for the Stars, but no one apparently told the Monarchs as they stunned the top seeded team from Philly, rattling off 30 unanswered points and punching their ticket to the Summer Bowl. Charlotte did it by controlling the clock (38:30 time of possession), avoiding mistakes, and pressuring QB Matt Gutierrez from the LB position. Rolando McClain, Rey Maualaga. and Jerod Mayo, rotated blitzes, throwing Philadelphia’s line into disarray as they kept the heat on all game, producing 6 sacks of Gutierrez and a costly pick. Meanwhile, Brandon Wheeden went 28 of 36 as the Monarchs did not shy away from the passing game at all.
It was a stunner as the 2008 expansion club makes its first Summer Bowl in only its 5th season of existence as Jim Mora Jr comes back to bite the club where he first started coaching under his father’s tutelage. The Monarchs’ line in this one was impressive, outgaining the Stars 419 to 231, with 23 first downs to Philly’s 11, and a 50% conversion rate on third down. Charlotte kept themselves out of trouble, ensured they had shorter third downs to convert and mixed run and pass very effectively. HB Fred Jackson, the game’s offensive MVP rushed 24 times for 119 yards and a score, but all kudos went to rookie Brandon Wheedon, who stayed calm under pressure and completed 77% of his passes on the day.
Philadelphia started the game well, using scripted plays, as most teams do, on their opening drive, a 9-play scoring drive that saw Matt Gutierrez connect with Daniel Fells, but they would then remain silent for over 3 quarters as Charlotte simply did not give them room to breathe. Following the Fells score, Charlotte took their own scripted drive for 11 plays, ending with a Fred Jackson TD run from the 13 that saw him spin off an initial tackle and split the safeties to reach paydirt.
That moment was likely the sign that Philadelphia would be in for more of a fight than most pundits anticipated. The second quarter proved it as Charlotte held Philadelphia to only 39 total yards in the period, while putting together three scoring drives of their own to push the score to a stunning 20-7 at the half. The Monarchs got two field goals from league scoring champion Brandon Coutu and added a Wheedon to Derrick Mason TD to stun the unhappy and unruly Philadelphia crowd.
When the Stars opened the second half with a 3-and-out, Philly got nasty as boos rained down on the Stars and the refs (a controversial non-call on third down did not go over well.) When Charlotte took the next drive 82 yards on 13 plays and Shonn Greene put the visitors up 27-7, well, let’s just say that Santa Claus was probably happy he was not in Philly that day or he could have gotten booed again, because the Stars certainly did.
By the end of the third the score had reached 30-7 and it was clear that Philadelphia was not coming back in this one. Their offense was simply not productive, their defense unable to get the Monarchs off the field. Yes, the Stars added a garbage time Caldwell TD catch late, but by then Charlotte had already put in some backups and was in a celebratory mood on the sideline. The upstart Monarchs, in their 5th season of existence, had knocked off the mighty Stars and were heading to the Summer Bowl.
LAS VEGAS THUNDER 30 ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 36 OVERTIME
After the stunner in Philadelphia, USFL fans were ready for anything in St. Louis, and what they got was a classic shootout that would require a fifth quarter to be decided. It was to be a classic matchup of the top defense in the league against the top offense, but while offense ruled the day, the Las Vegas Thunder took advantage of their opportunities and had chances to win in both regulation and overtime.
It certainly did not look like that early as St. Louis raced out to a 21-0 lead before Las Vegas even got on the board. The St. Louis offense, led by League MVP Josh Freeman, looked to be on fire in the first half, with Freeman connecting with both Jabari Holloway and Taylor Jacobs for scores. When Antowain Smith capped off a third St. Louis drive with a 4-yard TD run, it seemed like we were certainly headed for a blowout win by the home team. But something happened at the half. Las Vegas, bolstered by a late field goal to get on the board, did not fold, but doubled down.
When the second half opened, Las Vegas changed gears, they put aside the blitzes which had been very effective all year and moved to a complex zone scheme that had the safeties frequently move to the line of scrimmage only to back off as the ball was snapped. The change in tactics worked, limiting St. Louis to only 2 field goals in the second half and producing more sacks (5 of 6 on the day) despite not sending additional rushers at Josh Freeman. The offense also changed gears, switching to more 3-wideout sets and leaving Marshawn Lynch without a fullback in one-back sets, Las Vegas started to find holes in the St. Louis defense. The Thunder would get their first TD midway through the third on a Marty Bookier TD catch. It would be the first of three Jake Plummer touchdowns in the half as the Las Vegas QB channeled his younger self to throw for over 250 yards in the second half after having only 71 yards the entire first half.
The two style changes worked well for Las Vegas. Going into the 4th quarter down 24-10, the Thunder saw the differential grow to 17 after a St. Louis field goal, but then rapidly chipped away at the Skyhawk lead. First it was Plummer to Chad Johnson, then, 4 minutes later, Plummer hit TE Kevin Everett with a 5-yard toss to pull within 3. By this point St. Louis was showing signs of cracking. When Josh Freeman missed on a 3rd and 7 toss with 2:17 left to play, Las Vegas had their chance. They would march down the field, eventually connecting on the game tying field goal from the 18-yard line. It was the first of 2 clear chances to win the game, but the Thunder missed on a third down throw to the endzone and were forced to settle for a tie and an extra period.
Overtime began with St. Louis getting the ball first. They moved well, using Antowain Smith’s legs to move into field goal range. Smith, who would finish the game with 120 yards on 23 carries, could not help the Skyhawks get the ball into the endzone, and they settled for a Rob Bironas kick to go up 3. Las Vegas would need to score on the next drive or lose the game.
The Thunder proceeded to mount their own drive, using the threat of Marshawn Lynch runs to set up effective play action passes. Vegas moved the ball to the St. Louis 20 but were stymied when tackle Marcus Gilbert was called for Unsportsmanlike Conduct after a skirmish with a Skyhawk defender. The untimely penalty forced the ball back 15 yards and on third down Plummer could not connect with T. J. Houshmandzadeh on a long ball to the end zone. They would bring out kicker Jeff Reed to try the 51-yarder, and Reed would connect, keeping the game and Las Vegas’s hopes alive.
St. Louis received the kickoff with 8:20 left in overtime. They would not give the ball back. Once again, they used Antowain Smith’s legs, mixed with some short passes, to move the ball down the field. On a 4th and 1, they faked the HB dive and Freeman scrambled to the left and off tackle for the first down. Aided by a defensive pass interference call, they got the ball down to the Las Vegas 22. Seeking to position the ball for a Bironas field goal, they called a counter run to the right. The run did not go for the 2-3 yards expected as a brilliant block by center Shaun O’Hara popped Smith free. The big back rumbled all the way to the 5-yard line. From there Josh Freeman connected with WR David Nelson on a nice play action call, and Nelson, slanting across the middle, fell into the endzone for the game winner.
St. Louis had survived a very tough Las Vegas team, a team that had come back form the brink only to go down in overtime. And now St. Louis would have the chance to do something no team had ever done in 30 years of USFL football, they would have the chance to win the Summer Bowl at home, in their own stadium. It would be a battle of recent expansion clubs as the Skyhawks and Monarchs, both appearing in their first league championship, would face off for the USFL Title.
Delhomme to Return for Monarchs
The news out of Charlotte is that Jake Delhomme’s ankle is good to go and the veteran QB will be back under center for the Summer Bowl, following an impressive run of wins for rookie Brandon Wheedon. Delhomme was injured in the team’s Wild Card victory over New Orleans and was forced to sit out the Divisional and Conference Title games. Rookie Brandon Wheedon came in, having only thrown 12 passes in the entire regular season and led the Monarchs to upset wins over Atlanta and Philadelphia. But, with his ankle healed and his mobility (limited as it has always been) back, Jake Delhomme will resume his duties as the team’s QB.
Delhomme, who finished 6th in the league with a QB Rating of 96.5 threw for 3,297 yards and 26 touchdowns this season, starting all 16 regular season games before his Wild Card game injury. He returns to an offense that has focused on the short pass and the run game of Fred Jackson and Shonn Greene in his absence. That focus may well continue as the Monarchs prepare for a matchup against the Skyhawks. Most teams attempt to minimize St. Louis’s scoring opportunities by controlling the clock and shortening the game, and we expect much the same from the Monarchs, with or without Delhomme at the helm.
Antowain Smith Dodges Questions About his Future
At 36 years old, Antowain Smith is a rarity in pro football, a veteran player in his second decade of pro ball and at the halfback position who is playing at a top tier. Halfbacks, who average only 4 years in the pros, have a reputation for falling off a production cliff at the age of 30, with the wear and tear on their bodies taking a toll earlier than with other positions. And yet, Smith, at the age of 36, had one of his best years ever, leading the league in rushing with 1,502 yards, and averaging exactly 5.0 yards per carry, a mark few backs sustain for a full season.
And so, it is not surprising that Smith was coy about his future when asked during Media Day in St. Louis. While it certainly appears that he is in great shape and would have no trouble returning to action at the amazing age of 37, the reality may well be quite different. Smith had 300 carries in the regular season and will likely top 350 by the end of the Summer Bowl. That is a significant load for any back, much less a 36-year-old. When asked about whether he is considering stepping away from the game, Smith only laughed and said he was focused on one thing only, Saturday’s big game.
If Smith does choose to return, there is a 2-year deal on the table form the Skyhawks. Smith is a free agent as soon as the Summer Bowl is over, but all expectations are that he will either resign or retire. Moving on to a different team with a different offensive philosophy would hold little interest for Smith, and most teams are unlikely to provide the financial package that St. Louis would to retain a fan favorite in the region. For now, we will have to wait, because as Smith himself said this week, he has other things on his mind for the next 3 days.
Richard Seymour Hoping to Go Out on Top
Another member of the Skyhawks has not been shy that this is his last year in pro football. DT Richard Seymour made this known weeks ago when he directly answered a question about his future with the team. Back in Week 7, Seymour, speaking with local media, stated that he believed this would be his final season in the pros, looking to step away after 11 years in the league, split between Houston and St. Louis. Seymour, at over 300 lbs and with a style that has him often taking on double blocks, has seen a lot of wear and tear on his body, and with St. Louis doing better than any team he has been a part of, he is looking to go out on top. A championship win would all but guarantee that the big man in the middle would snag his championship ring and ride off into the sunset. A loss in this week’s title game and there may well be a chance St. Louis could bring him back for one more run. That is the nature of the game, to get so close and fail is a motivator. To reach the mountain top is often a good time to walk away with the glow of victory on you forever.
No new injuries appeared on the Monarch’s official pre-game roster, which means that the team is now dealing only with known quantities. Having Jake Delhomme drop from the list is certainly a relief for the club. For St. Louis, there was a new addition after their victory over Las Vegas, as cornerback Vontae Davis is now listed as questionable after tweaking his knee in the outing this past week.
CHA: SS John Keith (IR), FB Justin Green (IR), LB A. J. Nicholson (OUT)
STL: WR Eric Weems (IR), CB Vontae Davis (Q)
While both teams are largely healthy, the injury to Vontae Davis could be a concern for St. Louis, as he typically was matched up with the opposition’s top receiver. This means that Jordan Pugh, himself coming off an injury, will likely have to step up to face D. J. Hackett, although we expect Charlotte to try to employ more zones to compensate.
All-USFL and League Award Winners Named
If there was any doubt which team caught the imagination of USFL fans this year the Annual USFL Awards Night put any doubt to rest. Not only did the St. Louis Skyhawks see 6 players, all on the offensive side of the ball, land All-USFL honors, but three of the league’s five big awards also went to members of the Skyhawks. MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year all went to St. Louis after their 13-3 season. Quite a haul, to be sure.
MVP: Josh Freeman wins the MVP award thanks to finishing the season as the league leader in both passing yards and touchdowns, and by leading his club to a 13-win season. Freeman got 42 of the 50 first place votes in balloting, with Philadelphia’s Matt Gutierrez getting the other 8. It was one of the cleanest victories in recent memory as nearly everyone acknowledged Freeman as the player that had the biggest impact on the season.
OPOTY: It is extremely rare that the MVP and OPOTY come from the same team, but that is what happens when you have the passing and rushing leader on the same team. At 36-years-old, Antowain Smith becomes the oldest OPOTY in league history. He led the USFL in rushing and was the only player to top 1,500 yards this season. Add to that a stellar 5.0 yards per carry and it is easy to see how he outpaced a range of receivers and backs for the award.
Coach of the Year: Not much debate here either, though there were some votes for both Jim Harbaugh (PHI) and June Jones (LV), but again, the vast majority (39 of 50) went to the Skyhawks’ rep, in this case Head Coach Bruce Arians. Arians, who took over a 1-13 team in 2009 would get 5 wins from the Skyhawks in his first year, then finish 2011 with an 8-8 record. Even with that solid growth over 2 seasons no one expected a 13-3 season and for St. Louis to win the division by 6 games (13-3 vs. 2nd place at 7-9). Arians is only 3 days from adding yet another accolade as the Skyhawks have a real chance to become the first USFL team to ever win a title in their home stadium.
DPOTY: Not every award can go to the same team, and St. Louis’s defense, while serviceable, was certainly not the focus of the team. Once again the USFL honored their Defensive Player of the Year and once again it was a downlineman with a huge sack total that garnered the award. However, this year it was not Calais Campbell, the 2-time winner and this year’s sack leader, but the 2nd place contender in the category. Texas’s Reynaldo Wynn benefited from the collapse of the Orlando Renegades, as even with 25 sacks there was no way Campbell would win the title on a team that went 3-13. Texas’s 10-6 record, and the roll Wynn had in that record were good enough for him to outduel CB Charles Woodson and LB James Farrior for the title this year. Wynn, who finished the season with 22 sacks, 62 takles and 6 forced fumbles, has become the chief rival to Campbell among DE’s. Only in his 5th season, we could be seeing Wynn v. Campbell for a long time to go.
Rookie of the Year: Talking about players with a long and potentially very good career ahead of them, this year’s ROTY certainly seems to have the right stuff to be a featured player for years to come. WR Justin Blackmon played on a pretty awful Boston team, and dealt with a pretty shaky QB situation, and yet he finished the year with 111 receptions for 1,305 yards and 5 TDs, all great numbers even for a veteran wideout, much less a rookie on a poor team. Expect Blackmon and HB Rashard Mendenhall to be two members of the new Dallas Roughnecks who will be marketed heavily in the DFW, particularly as they search for a QB to be the face of the franchise.
Finally, we have our All-USFL team for 2012. A few surprises here, but mostly surprises from our preseason picks, not from the results we saw this yar. As always, there will be some players who feel snubbed, but overall this is a very reputable roster of top USFL talent. Here is your 2012 All-USFL Team.
QB: Josh Freeman (STL), Matt Gutierrez (PHI), Sam Bradford (NJ)
HB: Antowain Smith (STL), Willis McGahee (TBY), Deuce McCallister (WSH)
FB: Justin Green (CHA)
TE: Rob Gronkowski (ARZ), John Carlson (NJ)
WR: Joey Galloway (TBY), Steve Johnson (PHI), Marques Colston (TEX)
Taylor Jacobs (STL), Tory Holt (BAL)
OT: Lomas Brown (TBY), Brian Bulaga (STL), Kenyatta Jones (SEA)
OG: Dunta Robinson (NJ), Chester Pitts (TEX), Leonard Davis (STL)
C: Mike Pouncey (CHA), Shaun O’Hara (STL)
DE: Calais Campbell (ORL), Reynaldo Wynn (TEX), Justin Smith (OAK)
DT: Jason Fisk (POR), Sean Rogers (NSH), Rene Jean-Francois (NOR)
LB: James Farrior (HOU), Terrell Suggs (OAK), Clay Matthews (LA)
Mike Vrabel (JAX), Rey Maualaga (CHA), Terrance Marshall (NOR)
CB: Charles Woodson (ATL), Dre Kirkpatrick (MGN), Antoine Winfield (LV)
Quentin Jammer (PHI)
SS: Terrance Holt (TEX), Chad Scott (LV)
FS: Jarious Byrd (PHI), Chris Crocker (CHA)
K: Brandon Coutu (CHA)
P: Nick Harris (NJ)
So that makes 6 Skyhawks, 5 Monarchs, 4 Generals, 4 Stars, and 4 Outlaws on the 44-man roster. The only rookie to make the list was not ROTY Justin Blackmon but Michigan CB Dre Kirkpatrick. The oldest player, no question, HB Antowain Smith.
Dallas Hires Mike Sherman as Head Coach
The Dallas Roughnecks have selected their first head coach and it is a name familiar both in Texas and to pro football fans. Former Texas A&M and Green Bay Packer head coach Mike Sherman has been named the new coach of the franchise which began in Atlanta, won a title in Boston and begins its first season in Dallas in 2013.
Sherman, who started as a HS coach before getting positions at Pitt, Tulane, Holy Cross, A&M and UCLA, jumped to the NFL with the Packers in 1997, worked with Mike Holmgren in Seattle and then returned to Green Bay to lead the Packers form 2000-2005. He would then have a short stint In Houston before taking the Texas A&M job in 2008. Sherman led the Aggies to a 9-3 recored and a share of the Big 12 title in 2010, but suffered a disappointing 6-6 season in 2011 which led to Sherman’s release.
Sherman will take over a team that struggled to find consistency on offense, despite having a solid HB in Rashard Mendenhall and the Rookie of the Year in WR Justin Blackmon. He inherits a shaky situation at QB, where highly touted Jake Locker has not yet proven he can translate his college success to the pros. In Boston in 2012, the club went 3-13, finishing with the top pick in the Open Draft for the second consecutive year after a 1-win 2011 season. The Cannons finished 2012 24th in the league in points scored and dead last in the league in points allowed, giving up 27 per game. Sherman comes with an offensive background and is expected to focus on developing a viable passing game while leaving the defensive concerns to his DC, as yet unnamed.
Baltimore Looks at 2 Finalists
The Baltimore Blitz are also closing in on a head coach candidate, and reportedly have limited the search to two finalists, former Indianapolis Colts head man Jim Caldwell, and former LA Express coach Hue Jackson. Caldwell, who came up through the college ranks before becoming the QB Coach for the Oakland Invaders, left the USFL for the NFL and a gig with Tony Dungy in Indianapolis, rising from QB Coach to Assistant HC and eventually Head Coach in 2002. Working closely with then Colts QB Peyton Manning, Caldwell led the Colts to two consecutive playoff seasons in 2009-2010 before the Manning injury led the team to drop to 2-14 in 2011. Jackson served as the LA Express head coach from 2006-2009, leading the Express to the Summer Bowl in his first year with the club and returning to the playoffs in 2007, but back-to-back losing seasons in 2008 and 2009 led to his dismissal. Both Jackson and Caldwell are considered player-friendly coaches with an offensive pedigree, very different from the defensive-minded and disciplinarian style of former Blitz coach Tom Coughlin.
Tickets in St. Louis Up to $10,000 in Secondary Market
Summer Bowl tickets are always a prized commodity, but this year, with the St. Louis Skyhawks making their first appearance in the USFL title game, and with that game being played at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, the demand for tickets has never been higher. Secondary sources for ticket resale are posting asking prices as high as $10,000 for a seat at the 50-yard line, with other seats going for $5,000 or more, even in the upper deck and end zone areas of the domed stadium. Both St. Louis and Charlotte, as the participants in the game, are issued 18,000 seats to be provided to their season ticket holding fans, while the remaining 34,000 seats for the game are split between league officials, partners, and sponsors, and open sale to the public (roughly 29,000 seats). According to Seatgeek, a commonly used platform for secondary ticket sales, the driving engine for higher costs has been high demand from St. Louis and the surrounding area as Skyhawk fans seek to obtain seats for their team’s Summer Bowl appearance. The Charlotte Monarchs have announced that all 18,000 of their team-designated seats have been awarded, but the secondary market is seeing more and more seats, including Monarch-designated seats, being resold within Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa, which is assumed to correspond to Skyhawk fan interest. The game is expected to be sold out, filling the 67,000-seat arena, making the 2012 Summer Bowl only the 4th Summer Bowl to ever sell out fully.
SUMMER BOWL 2012
Charlotte Monarchs (11-5) v. St. Louis Skyhawks (13-3)
Saturday, July 30 @ 7pm ET
The Dome at America’s Center,
St. Louis, MO
Skyhawks -6
Breaking down the 2012 Summer Bowl is not particularly complex. We have a 1-seed facing off against a 6-seed, so, as one might expect, the numbers do tend to skew heavily towards St. Louis, but there is also a clear distinction in style, with the Skyhawks, relying on their top ranked offense, while Charlotte tends to play a more conservative, defensive-minded game. Here is the breakdown in numbers between the two teams:
Points Per Game: St. Louis (1): 27.8 PPG Charlotte (4) 26.2 PPG
Yards Per Game: St. Louis (2) 376.8 YPG Charlotte (10) 334.5 YPG
Passing: St. Louis (3) 259.6 YPG Charlotte (15) 228.5 YPG
Rushing: St. Louis (2) 117.2 YPG Charlotte (7) 106 YPG
Points Allowed Charlotte (7) 18.5 PPGA St. Louis (12) 19.8 PPGA
Yards Allowed Charlotte (4) 297.9 YPGA St. Louis (18) 320.8 YPGA
Passing Allowed Charlotte (4) 206.2 YPGA St. Louis (19) 226.9 YPGA
Rushing Allowed Charlotte (14) 91.7 YPGA St. Louis (18) 93.9 YPGA
Turnover Differential Charlotte (1) +26 St. Louis (6) +17
What is clear in these numbers is that while Charlotte’s offensive production trails that of St. Louis in all categories, the difference is not a huge one, while on defense Charlotte’s advantage over St. Louis is a bit clearer. When we add to that the takeaway prowess of the Charlotte defense, leading them to a plus-26 total for the regular season, there is reason to believe that the Monarchs are not truly a 6-seed with little chance for victory, but rather a very competitive team that could very well take advantage of any carelessness or nerves on the part of St. Louis to pull off the upset. Looking at these numbers, the 6-point advantage which Las Vegas gives to the Skyhawks may seem a bit overly generous. That, of course, is also influenced by the wagers being made, and, as with ticket sales, that has leaned decidedly towards bets supporting the Skyhawks.
When we look at individual players, many names stand out. Here are our choices for the three potential gamechangers for each club.
ST. LOUIS
1. QB Josh Freeman—No doubt but that the League MVP’s performance will go a long way to determining the outcome of this game. Freeman finished the year as the leader in both passing yards (3,983) and touchdowns (39) while only throwing three picks over 16 games. That is an impressive 13:1 TD:INT ratio. His ability to hit both the deep ball and accurately play the short game makes him tough to defend. Teams have tried pressuring Freeman, only to find him quite elusive, while others have watched as 6 and 7-man zone schemes have proved ineffective as well.
2. HB Antowain Smith—One of the reasons that Freeman is so effective is that defenses simply cannot spend the game in nickel and dime coverages. If they do, Smith will eat them alive. The league’s leading rusher with 1,502 yards and a 5.0 YPC average, Smith has been a wonder at 36 years of age. His ability to keep defenses honest is a big reason Freeman has had the production he has this year.
3. CB Vontae Davis—Perhaps not the most well-known member of the Skyhawk team, Davis has come up big in 2012 with 6 picks and 79 tackles. He is at his best in zone coverages, making smart decisions to crowd or hang back on receviers and making good breaks on the ball. He is also unafraid to participate in run defense, taking away wide plays with aggressive angles on the ballcarrier. His aggressiveness could be a factor for St. Louis in this game.
CHARLOTTE
1. WR Derrick Mason—Most talk about the Charlotte passing game focuses on flanker D. J. Hackett, but the reality is that the Monarchs don’t really have a true Receiver 1, they have two pretty equal targets in Hackett and Mason. Hackett actually finished 2012 with 19 fewer catches than Mason, though he did have 50 yards more. The two were very close in scoring, with Hackett landing 9 TD receptions to Mason’s 8, but with St. Louis likely to put Davis on Hackett, that means Mason could be the key for QB Jake Delhomme.
2. HB Fred Jackson—Were it not for a 5-game span in late season that saw Fred Jackson sidelined, he likely would have been among the league leaders in rushing once again. Even missing 5 games, Jackson finished with 911 yards on the season, a pace that put him in the range of 1300-1450 in a 16-game season. In the playoffs, particularly with rookie QB Brandon Wheedon starting the Divisional and Conference title games, Jackson has been at the center of the Monarch offense, and responded with back to back 100 yard games for Charlotte. His ability to keep defenses second guessing the play call, and to grind out the tough 3rd down yardage, could be key to a Charlotte upset.
3. LB Rolando McClain—It is hard to pick out one LB from this outstanding trio, as Jerod Mayo and Rey Maualaga are also outstanding performers week in and week out, but it is McClain who tends to make the big plays when needed. He leads the team with 112 tackles, and is equally good as a run stuffer and pass defender. Expect Charlotte to try to stay in base 4-3 as much as they can, except when St. Louis brings in a 4th wideout, and to do that they will need their linebackers to hold their own against the slot receivers, as well as St. Louis tight ends Jabari Holloway and Tony Moeaki.
OUR PICK
We have been playing up the potential for a Charlotte upset. And we are really excited about Jake Delhomme returning and getting his first shot at a league title since appearing with the Stars as a backup in 2000, but, all that said, we cannot pick the Monarchs to win. St. Louis has been an absolute juggernaut this year. They have not lost a game sine a weird letdown in Ohio in Week 7, winning 9 regular season games in a row and then cruising through their playoff schedule over Oakland and Las Vegas. They have faced 2 tough defenses in those games and scored 30+ in both games. They are at home, and we expect a heavily partisan Skyhawk crowd, so we expect a lot of noise, a lot of “Ka Kaw” throughout, and a lot of energy on the St. Louis sideline.
Charlotte’s best chance is to force turnovers, but the Skyhawks do not turn the ball over. Josh Freeman has only 3 picks all season and St. Louis led the league with only 8 turnovers in 16 weeks. We see Charlotte being able to stay in the game perhaps through the half or even three quarters, but at some point as both defenses tire, the Skyhawks are either going to be able to dominate with Smith on the ground or hit the big play with Freeman and those receivers over the top. Our pick is the Skyhawks, and we are going with another 30+ point performance. We say Skyhawks 31-21.