A big opening weekend, only partially impacted by weather, as rain pounded the East Coast and a cold wintery day in Denver made fans bundle up. But the weather could not diminish the fan excitement as the USFL season kicked off. The week included 2 overtime games, a nailbiter between New Orleans and Birmingham, and a couple of big upsets as Houston stunned the Pittsburgh Maulers and Portland won their home opener against the favored Express. We also saw Calais Campbell start the year with a 3-sack game, and QB Joe Flacco begin his MVP defense with a nice 331-yard performance. A lot of action, a lot of excitement, and just a lot of happiness that football is back as USFL season 30 kicked off.
NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 17 MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 20 OVERTIME
A good one at the Liberty Bowl where two in-state rivals went head to head in an opening week rivalry game. Neither the Showboats nor the Knights are expected to have stellar seasons, but they put together a really nice opening week clash in front of 40,202 in Memphis. Quincy Carter got the start at QB for the visiting Knights and went 30 of 42 for 274 yards and 2 scores. Second year Showboat QB Ryan Mallett also threw for 3 scores on his 24 of 48, 233 yard day.
The game began very slowly, with both teams struggling to move the ball in the scoreless first quarter, but things started to heat up in the 2nd. Starting with a short field after a poor Nashville punt, Memphis took advantage, driving down the field and putting up the first points on a Jim Kleinsasser TD catch for Mallett’s first TD of the season. Nashville responded with a drive of their own, with Carter connecting on 3 of 5 passes on the drive, including the 7-yard TD to his own TE, Justin Peele. Getting the ball back with 2:45 left in the half, Mallett again drove Memphis down the field, this time using a no-huddle offense. With just under 30 seconds to go in the half, Mallett connected with WR Robert Ferguson for a 30-yard score to put the home Showboats up at the half, 14-7.
In the third quarter, Nashville would equalize the score, the only scoring drive being a 14-play slow grinder that ended with Carter finding Ahmad Merrit in the endzone from 4 yards out. The game would stay tied at 14 throughout the rest of the 3rd quarter, with both teams still struggling to make headway on the ground. Frank Gore would finish the game with 53 yards on 17 carries (3.1 per carry) while Cadillac Williams only averaged 2.6 YPC on his way to a total of 50 yards on the day. But, in the 4th quarter both clubs were able to get in range for their kickers, with Nashville breaking the tie with a 31-yarder from Connor Barth, and Memphis coming back to once again tie the game and send it to overtime on a Dan Bailey kick.
In overtime, Memphis won the toss and managed to get in range for Bailey to add a 53-yard kick on the opening possession, meaning that Nashville would need to score on their opening drive or loss the game. The Knights moved the ball well until they reached the 50, but then struggled as Memphis turned up the defensive pressure. A sack of Carter by FS Tebucky Jones on a 2nd and 12 forced Nashville to try to get into field goal range on 3rd down. They gained back 8 yards, but that forced Connor Barth to go for a 48-yard field goal to tie, and the kick sailed off to the left, giving Memphis a home win to open the season, and a big bragging point as they knocked off their in-state rival to start the year 1-0.
TEXAS 20 DENVER 7
Friday’s season opener showcased Joe Flacco and the Outlaw offense once again. With NFL import Arian Foster not yet activated, the onus of the offense was on Flacco, and he came through with 331 yards passing on a 20 of 33 day. Flacco connected for scores with both Brandon Marshall and Marques Colston, with Colston catching 7 balls for 133 yards in an impressive opening week performance.
BOSTON 14 WASHINGTON 29
Deuce McCallister put up 118 yards and a score, while Deion Branch added 2 TDs in an impressive opening week win for the Federals. Jake Locker threw for 300 yards but had to leave the game in the 4th after getting sacked as Boston struggled to keep pace all game. It was 22-0 early in the third before the first Boston score and Washington was never truly threatened in their home opener.
MICHIGAN 21 BALTIMORE 24
Baltimore came back to win after falling behind 21-17 midway through the 4th, with Ben Roethlisberger hitting Darrius Heyward-Bey with the winning touchdown in the final minute. Big Ben, who only threw for 177 yards against the Panther D got 44 of those yards in the final drive which clinched the home opener for the Blitz.
LOS ANGELES 17 PORTLAND 20
Portland gets the first official upset of the day as the 5-point home underdogs upend the Express in the Stags’ home opener. LA had led most of the day, but Portland tied the game up with a Mason Crosby field goal early in the 4th and then got one more to earn the win as Ryan Fitzpatrick went 21 of 32 for 238 and 2 TDs. Portland held Randy Moss to only 1 reception on the game, while both Koren Robinson and TE Cameron Jordan each had 6 catches for the Stags.
OHIO 9 LAS VEGAS 31
Chad Johnson’s first game in the electric lime jerseys of the Thunder was equally electric, with the All USFL receiver catching 7 balls for 70 yards as Las Vegas rolled at home. Marshawn Lynch rushed for 106 yards and Jake Plummer completed a stunning 25 of 28 throws for 286 yards and 2 scores against an Ohio defense that did not look ready for the season to start.
PHILADELPHIA 14 NEW JERSEY 9
A rainy, blustery day made offense difficult for both NE Division teams as Philadelphia managed to get the road win despite trailing 9-0 at the half. Two 2nd half TD tosses from Matt Gutierrez to Reche Caldwell helped Philadelphia eke out the win after Kurt Warner went down to injury in the first half. New Jersey focused on run defense, and put up a wild number, with Steve Slaton rushing the ball 21 times for only 4 total yards, but it was not enough to get the Generals the home opening win.
ORLANDO 24 JACKSONVILLE 13
The Renegades picked off Tim Tebow twice, held rookie HB Lamar Miller to only 12 yards rushing, and got 9 receptions for 103 yards and 2 scores from #1 receiver Michael Jenkins as they nearly doubled up the Bulls’ score. Eli Manning looked solid, going 17 of 23 for 167 yards and the two scoring tosses to Jenkins. And, as usual, Calais Campbell had a big day against the Bulls, recording 3 sacks in his season opener.
NEW ORLEANS 19 BIRMINGHAM 21
A good one between two familiar division foes, with Birmingham building up a 21-13 lead in the 3rd and then disrupting a 2-point play to preserve the lead after New Orleans scored on a pick-six in the 4th quarter. Cam Newton threw for 234 and 2 scored, but threw three picks, including the one late that could have tied the game had the D not stopped the 2-point play.
ATLANTA 25 CHARLOTTE 33
Two teams expected to live on defense ended up in a shootout in Charlotte as both Jake Delhomme and Kyle Orton threw for 3 scores apiece. Free agent acquisition Mark Clayton caught 2 scoring tosses from Delhomme, while Orton connected with Reed, Thomas, and Demetrius Williams for scores in this back and forth game. Charlotte safety John Keith recorded 9 tackles and 2 sacks as the Monarchs used a complex blitz scheme to try to disrupt Orton, and it was just enough to get the home and season opening win.
ARIZONA 20 OAKLAND 6
Arizona starts strong on both sides of the ball, with David Carr throwing for 2 scores, Rob Gronkowski going for 109 yards on only 4 receptions and the defense holding Oakland to only 2 field goals on the day. Not the debut the Invaders were hoping for as nothing seemed to work for them. The Invaders were outgained 339-229 and converted only 3 of 15 third down plays as Arizona kept them in check all game.
HOUSTON 27 PITTSBURGH 21
The week’s most surprising result saw the Houston Gamblers come into Pittsburgh and shock the defending Western Division Champions. Houston got 324 yards from Matt Hasselbeck, as the veteran QB also threw for 3 scores, including 2 to Michael Sims-Walker, who broke free for 143 yards, including a 93-yard scoring play in the third quarter that made the score 24-7. Pittsburgh struggled early on, and by the time they found their offense it was too little too late.
CHICAGO 6 ST. LOUIS 26
A dominant season opening performance from the Skyhawks, as they held visiting Chicago to only 2 field goals and HB Michael Turner to only 28 yards rushing on 21 carries. Josh Freeman completed only 7 passes all day, but 3 of them were for touchdowns. Antowain Smith carried the load, rushing for 91 yards on 21 carries, but it was St. Louis’s defense that won the day, with LB Aldon Smith recording 10 tackles, 5 for a loss, and rookie Olivier Vernon recording 2 sacks, including a safety against Brady Quinn.
TAMPA BAY 19 SEATTLE 13 OVERTIME
The Sunday night finale became the 2nd overtime game of the week as Tampa Bay got a touchdown on their opening drive of overtime to take the win on the road. Seattle had fought back form a 13-3 deficit, with a late Jahvid Best TD and a Dave Rayner field goal in the 4th quarter to equalize the score on a rainy night in Seattle, but in overtime, Tampa Bay went 71 yards on 13 plays and ended the game with Jared Cook catching the gamewinner from Culpepper. Joey Galloway was the leading receiver in the game with 109 yards on 9 catches, while Willis McGahee led all rushers with 78 yards on the day.
Ron Dayne Breaks Wrist, to Miss 8-12 Weeks
It was not all good news in opening week as the spectre of injury struck the league right from the get go. Despite pulling out the 24-21 win against Michigan, a dark cloud in Baltimore as their star halfback, Ron Dayne was forced out of the game with an injury, only to discover after X-rays that they could lose Dayne for 3 months or more with a broken wrist.
The big back landed awkwardly and the replay showed the wrist bent backwards uncomfortably, Dayne immediately grabbed his right arm and rushed off the field and quickly into the locker room. X-rays would reveal two fractures and a displacement that would require immediate care and a cast be put on the halfback’s dominant hand. It is possible that Dayne could return to play perhaps in Week 9 or 10, but there is no guarantee. In the meantime the rushing duties will have to be taken up by 3rd year back Anthony Dixon, who had only 5 rushing attempts in 2011, and by rookie Michael Harper from South Carolina State, a late round draft pick.
We expect Baltimore, who still have significant cap space to go after a third option, as the run game is key to their entire offensive scheme. That may mean a trade, or the Blitz could look at free agents like Marion Barber, Kevin Smith, or Reno Mahe. Whatever path they take, the absence of Dayne will certainly be felt.
Vince Young Knocked Out on Field
Another injury, though one without the long term prognosis, occurred in Las Vegas, where visiting QB Vince Young of the Ohio Glory was knocked unconscious in the game and had to be revived using smelling salts. Young was scrambling and took a hard hit, helmet to helmet from the Thunder defender. He would lie on the field until team trainers got to him and revived him. Out of precaution they put a back brace on him and took him to the lockerroom. He would return to the sideline later in the game, with the prognosis being a concussion and a fracture to his eye socket, one that produced a pretty noticeable black eye.
Young is expected to miss 1-2 weeks to allow the bone to heal and to avoid risking a more serious break were he to take another hit. Terrelle Pryor finished the game for Ohio and is expected to start in Week 2, with Tony Pike in reserve.
Warner Out, Gutierrez Gets Win
Kurt Warner was also removed from the season opener as the former All-USFL QB suffered a neck stinger in the game against New Jersey. He is listed as probable for this week, but is expected back on the field. Once again, backup Matt Gutierrez, who led the Stars to two playoff wins and a Conference Title Game when Warner was injured in the Wild Card round last year, came in for Warner and again looked like a solid option. Gutierrez finished the game 13 of 15 for 202 yards and threw both second half TDs to win the game for the Stars. Had he qualified, he would have been the league’s passing leader with a 158.3 QB Rating, but his 15 attempts were insufficient to meet the minimum requirement in the category. That said, Gutierrez again proved how valuable a quality backup is in this league, helping Philadelphia tough out the road victory in their season opening rivalry game with the Generals.
Olivier Vernon Makes Huge First Impression
While many of the offensive stars who signed on with the USFL as rookie draft picks this year did little on the field, defensive end Olivier Vernon of the Skyhawks made the most of his debut in the league, recording 2 sacks, a forced fumble, and a safety for St. Louis as they crushed the Chicago Machine in front of nearly 45,000 in St. Louis to open the season strong. Vernon, a 2nd round pick out of the University of Miami, played 40 downs, and looked dangerous on most of them, shrugging off the right tackle on several plays and showing both power and speed as he harassed Brady Quinn. He made his presence known right away, scoring a safety on the opening drive of the game after a muffed kickoff return gave Chicago the ball on their own 5. On 2nd and 12 from the 3, Vernon got past the right tackle and found Brady, who apparently thought he would have more time. Vernon hit the QB as he was winding up to throw, forcing a fumble, which was recovered in the endzone by a Chicago lineman, but resulted in a safety.
Vernon would be a factor the entire game, recording a second sack in the 3rd quarter, but forcing Chicago to shift their line away from LE Adrian Clayborn and towards the rookie. A very good opening week for a player we have not talked much about this offseason, as well as a very good start to the year for the Skykhawks, who enter the season with high hopes to reach their first postseason in franchise history.
Chad Johnson’s First Game in Las Vegas
No surprise that when he took to the field for the first time as a member of the Las Vegas Thunder, Chad Johnson would show a little swagger and a little style as he soaked up the spotlight in Sin City. Johnson had himself a very strong outing as Las Vegas cruised to a 31-9 victory over the Ohio Glory. He finished the game with 7 receptions on 8 targets, racking up 70 yards, and while it was T. J. Houshmandzadeh who would bring in both of Jake Plummer’s TD tosses, it was Johnson who was taking in the limelight, seen often on the Thunder sideline pumping up the crowd and making sure fans saw when he caught passes for first down, to the point of being called for taunting on one occasion, a rare call in the USFL, where exuberant post-play celebration has long been allowed.
Johnson joined the Thunder after 8 seasons in Boston, and seemed energized by the city, the fans, and their reaction to his arrival. In his 12th year in the league, Johnson already has Hall of Fame numbers and three league titles (two with Ohio in 2002 and 2003, and Boston’s title in 2009). Fans in Las Vegas are absolutely hoping he can bring a title to the city and are more than happy to feed #85’s love of the spotlight to help him do it.
While the injury to Ron Dayne is certainly the headline from Week 1’s injury report, and the Vince Young injury was unnerving to watch, these two were not the only unfortunate knocks to USFL clubs in their first week of play. The injury list is sadly quite long after only 1 week. Here are the players in each category for Week 2:
OUT
Ron Dayne HB BAL 18-12 Weeks Wrist
Andy Alleman OG BAL Placed on IR Achilles
Austin King C WSH Placed on IR Quad
Deltha O’Neal CB MGN 6-8 Weeks Foot
Zach Miller TE OHIO 1-2 Weeks Finger
Patrick Demarco OT PIT 1-2 Weeks Abdomen
Jeb Putzier TE OAK 1-2 Weeks Shoulder
Vince Young QB OHI 1-2 Weeks Eye
Morris Claiborne CB WSH 1-2 Weeks Neck
Mark Barron FS LV 1-2 Weeks Knee
DOUBTFUL
Greg Scruggs DE LA Abdomen
Matt Light OT OAK Hand
Jake Locker QB BOS Concussion
Clyde Adams FS TEX Shoulder
QUESTIONABLE
Casey Hampton DT BOS Thigh
Ben Grubbs OG BIR Neck
Lee Evans WR MEM Hip
LaRon Landry SS NSH Shoulder
Randy Moss WR LA Concussion
First Impressions: 2012 Draft Class
We already highlighted the strong first outing of DE Olivier Vernon of the Skyhawks, but Week 1 is always our first chance to see how the draft class starts off, and with several players obtaining starting positions this year, there were plenty of faces to get to know and impressions to make. Here is our list of the most prominent first year players in their first week of pro football.
Justin Blackmon – WR – BOS
The Cannons started two prominent rookies, Blackmon on offense and Luke Kuechley on defense. Blackmon lined up opposite Cedrick Wilson for the Cannons and led all receivers with 97 yards on 6 receptions for the Cannons. He saw 9 targets, second only to veteran Cedric Wilson, and had a nice 2/3 competion rate with those tosses.
Luke Kuechley – LB – BOS
The second rookie starter for the Cannons, Luke Kuechley out of BC, had a somewhat less stellar game statistically, with only 3 tackles, though two were behind the line of scrimmage, but what was noticeable was his comfort extending run plays to the sideline and taking on blockers. A somewhat quiet start, but one that showed a lot of promise.
Vontez Burfict – LB – TEX
Another impressive defensive performance, this time from late round pick Vontez Burfict, who saw 30 snaps in the game against Denver, finishing the game with 4 tackles and a sack. Burfict is being used on the weak side, and was able to exploit the RT on a key down to get to QB Matt Leinart of Denver.
Isaiah Pead – HB – OHIO
Halfback Isaiah Pead split carries with DeMarco Murray in the first Glory game of the year, and while Murray ended the game with more carries (13 to 9), Pead’s numbers were better, averaging a very nice 7.5 yards per carry and rushing for 54 yards to Murray’s 49. We expect the two to continue to split carries, but if he keeps producing like this, Pead could start to see more touches.
Malcolm Floyd – WR – CHI
Chicago’s offense looked pretty rough in their big loss in St. Louis, but we did get to see a bit of both HB Doug Martin (2 carries for 0 yards) and Michael Floyd, who certainly had the better day with 5 targets, 4 catches, and 47 yards receiving. Both will continue to be phased into an offense that Coach Schiano still has to mold.
Lamar Miller – HB – JAX
Jacksonville also struggled on offense vs. Orlando, but with 14 carries, Lamar Miller was certainly a featured player, limiting C. J. Spiller to only 1 carry on the day. Unfortunately, a 0.9 YPC average is not going to build much confidence in Miller. He will need to do better in upcoming games if he wishes to remain the go to back on first and second down.
Josh Norman – CB – HOU
Of the two rookie corners, Josh Norman had the better day. Not only did he get the start as the #2 corner, but he finished the day with 2 tackles and a pass defended, while Janoris Jenkins did not register any stats in his 22 snaps.
Robert Turbin – HB – SEA
While Jahvid Best had the lead in both yards and carries for the Dragons in their game vs. Tampa Bay, Robert Turbin did see 24 snaps, and carried the ball 12 times. His 16 yards show that he did have issues with finding gaps and with the speed of the game, but he is certainly part of the mix for the Dragon run game.
Week Two brings us mor intriguing matchups, including another divisional game for Texas, who open their home schedule with the Arizona Wranglers. On Saturday New Jersey heads to Washington to face the Federals for the Generals’ second divisional game in as many weeks. Other divisional matchups this week include Jacksonville @ Charlotte, Oakland at LA in a Saturday Night showdown, Ohio visiting Chicago, and a nice Sunday Night finale with Pittsburgh headed to Michigan. Our best non-divisional game of the week has to be the Birmingham-St. Louis clash in the Dome at America’s Center, with both clubs feeling optimistic about 2012 after opening week victories.
BOLD = National Broadcast BLUE = Divisional Game
FRIDAY @ 8PM ET Arizona (1-0) @ Texas (1-0) NBC
SAT @ 12PM ET New Jersey (0-1) @ Washington (1-0) ABC
SAT @ 12PM ET Jacksonville (0-1) @ Charlotte (1-0) FOX
SAT @ 12PM ET Portland (1-0) @ Orlando (1-0) FOX
SAT @ 4PM ET Tampa Bay (1-0 @ New Orleans (0-1) ABC
SAT @ 4PM ET Seattle (0-1) @ Denver (0-1) FOX
SAT @ 8PM ET Oakland (0-1) @ Los Angeles (0-1) ESPN
SUN @ 12PM ET Memphis (1-0) @ Baltimore (1-0) ABC
SUN @ 12PM ET Boston (0-1) @ Atlanta (0-1) ABC
SUN @ 12PM ET Nashville (0-1) @ Philadelphia (1-0) FOX
SUN @ 4PM ET Birmingham (1-0) @ St. Louis (1-0) ABC
SUN @ 4PM ET Houston (1-0) @ Las Vegas (1-0) FOX
SUN @ 4PM ET Ohio (0-1) @ Chicago (0-1) FOX
SUN @ 8PM ET Pittsburgh (0-1) @ Michigan (0-1) ESPN