Texas rallies around Luke McCown just as the team makes a move to have a Plan B. Peyton Manning throws for 300 yards but the Knights cannot topple Baltimore. Final hour trades send Jevon Kearse and Joe Haden, and Jabari Holloway to contenders as teams try to fine tune ahead of the home stretch. All that plus we reconsider the standing of the Bulls and the Blitz as they push for legitimacy in the playoff hunt. Throw in a major upset in Las Vegas, and a huge win for the Bandits over Atlanta and we have a week that could be the start of a wild playoff push down the stretch. We get to it with Luke McCown and the Outlaws as they hold off Denver and regain sole possession of first place in the Southwest Conference.
DENVER GOLD 14 TEXAS OUTLAWS 20
A huge game for both teams as Denver, coming in at 4-5, needed a win to get to .500 and pull closer in the race for the Southwest Division. Texas, sitting at 6-3, but reeling from the loss of Joe Flacco to a season-ending season, wanted to shut the door on any talk about a competitive division and stake their claim to the SW for the 2nd year in a row after more than 20 years of frustration. With backup Luke McCown under center, the Outlaws would need a full team effort to stay on top in this showdown at the Alamodome.
McCown would face heat all game, taking4 sacks and countless pressures, but Texas would use the run game to try to keep the defense honest. Halfback Arian Foster, new to the SW Division rivalry after coming over from the NFL, would hear the call to action, rushing for 104 yards on 25 carries. The defense would also come through, with Denver held to only 3 converted third downs all game and 7 offensive penalties called against Denver.
The game started well for Texas as they received the opening kick and in only 7 plays scored on a Jay Finley run from the 2. They would then shut down Denver on the Gold’s first drive and follow that up with a field goal to close out the first period. In the second, Denver would finally figure out the Texas defensive scheme and, aided by a defensive pass interference call, would get on the board with Matt Leinart connecting with TE Daniel Graham to pull back within 3. That margin would not hold, however, as Texas milked the clock and maintained possession for over 6 minutes at the end of the half before McCown found Brandon Marshall for a 9-yard scoring strike.
Down 17-7 at the half, Denver hoped to change the tone of the game in the third, pushing the ball downfield with a combination of DeMarco Murray runs and quick strike passes to both Golden Tate and Leonard Hankerson. But, when they got close to scoring range they were hit with a 4th and 1, tried to rush in a run call, but were called for illegal substation, forcing a punt on what had been a promising drive. That punt proved fateful as Texas’s Jordan Shipley returned the punt 37 yards and put Texas in position to increase its lead to 13 points with a Rian Lindell field goal.
Denver now had just under 13 minutes to pull back from a 13-point hole. It would prove to be not enough time. Denver needed 5 minutes and 27 seconds to get on the board again, but the pass from Leinart to Murray got them within 6 with only 53 seconds to play. Denver would need an onside kick and a quick strike to close the gap on Texas, now down by a TD. They would get the onside kick, a nice recovery by TE Richard Quinn, but as they drove the ball down the field, mistakes cost them precious seconds. Hankerson turned into the field when he should step out of bounds. HB Maurice Hicks stayed upright, fighting for one yard when going down could have saved 3-4 seconds. It all came down to a 2nd and 7 with only 2 seconds left, the ball at the Texas 21 yard line. One play to turn this game to the Gold.
Leinart started in the shotgun, with Hankerson and Tate to one side and James Hardy and TE Daniel Graham to the other. Certainly Leinart wished he had Peerless Price available for this game, but the veteran was on the injured list and could not take a spot on the field. Leinart looked to hit Hardy with the game’s final play, but his throw was off target and pulled the receiver out of bounds. Time ran out during the play and Denver came up short, dropping them to 4-6 and boosting Texas and their fill-in QB to 8-2 and a solid position atop the division.
ARIZONA 13 WASHINGTON 24
That nasty Washington D held Arizona to only 8 first downs and 1 converted third down all game as Washington outpaced the Wranglers 429 yards to 271, and held the ball for over 39 minutes in a one-sided affair on NBC’s Friday Night Lights. Deuce McCallister again topped 100 yards with 111 on 20 carries. Kellen Davis continued to improve at TE with another TD, and both Chris Long and Kamerion Wemberley left the game with 2 sacks apiece as Washington rolls to 8-2.
BIRMINGHAM 3 JACKSONVILLE 19
We may need to start taking Jacksonville seriously as they move to 5-5 with another solid win. The game was even in yardage, but not in scores as Birmingham only crossed into the red zone 1 time. Cam Newton was sacked 5 times and rushed for only 1 yard on 7 attempts as the Bulls showed that their defense is much improved over last year. Mike Vrabel had 2 sacks as he mirrored Newton all game in a surprisingly effective spy strategy.
OHIO 13 NEW ORLEANS 27
Ohio’s win streak ends at 4 games as the Breakers hold home court and move to 5-5 to take over sole possession of first in the South. Drew Brees threw for 255 and 3 TDs, including 2 to Santana Moss. Forte and Tolbert combined for 127 yards and the Breaker defense benefitted from Vince Young coming out of the game with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder on a rough slide after a scramble. Terrelle Pryor replaced Young and was largely ineffective in relief.
NEW JERSEY 13 CHARLOTTE 27
The Monarchs rebounded after their big loss to Atlanta with a nice home win over a very tough New Jersey squad. Charlotte was outgained 375-262, but held the lead from the first drive and never relinquished it. Fred Jackson had 72 yards rushing and both Derrick Mason and FB Justin Green had TD catches to power Charlotte to their 8th win on the year.
PORTLAND 14 OAKLAND 27
Portland falls to .500 as Oakland takes over 1st place in the West with a solid defensive showing. The Invaders snagged 2 takeaways, including a huge fumble right before half. Ryan Williams added 2 TDs and 75 yards rushing and the Invader D held Portland out of the endzone for the entire 2nd half, outpacing the Stags 13-0 after going into the half tied at 14.
SEATTLE 16 LAS VEGAS 13
A stunner of a loss by the Thunder, who now slip back into a tie with Oakland in the Pacific. Marshawn Lynch had only 9 carries before reaggravating his earlier injury, and the Las Vegas D gave up a surprising 123 yards rushing to the combo of Jahvid Best and Robert Turbin as Seattle just hung in all game, scoring the final 6 points on two late field goal drives to take the win.
PHILADELPHIA 17 BOSTON 10
The boo birds were out in full force even before the initial kickoff, but the added police presence kept the game from getting out of hand as Boston fans let their displeasure with the club’s sale be known. On the field, Boston played well, but in the end could not muster enough points against the Stars to come back from 14-10 and then 17-10 deficits in the 2nd half. Steve Slaton and Stevie Johnson scored for the Stars, with both going over 100 yards as well, Slaton with 114 yards on the ground and Johnson with 116 through the air.
ATLANTA 14 TAMPA BAY 17
Tampa Bay got the divisional win they desperately needed, holding Kyle Orton under 200 yards passing and riding another big day for Willis McGahee as the dual use back rushed for 130 and caught 2 passes as well. The Bandits even their record at 5-5, but still remain 3 games behind division-leading Charlotte.
ST. LOUIS 35 MEMPHIS 19
St. Louis traded for TE Jabari Holloway on Thursday, and the big receiver caught 3 balls for 38 yards and a TD on Sunday. Not a bad move form first impressions. Holloway’s score was one of 5 touchdown passes for Josh Freeman as he carved up a tired and undermanned Memphis defense. Antowain Smith added 109 yards rushing as the Skyhawks sit atop the Central at 7-3.
ORLANDO 13 MICHIGAN 37
Orlando loses a 7th in a row as the 3-6 Michigan Panthers get a good win under their belt. Mario Manningham was lost in the game and could miss several weeks, but Michigan got solid production from both offense and defense to take the win and send Orlando to 2-8, a very unexpected collapse that could cost Emmitt Thomas his job.
BALTIMORE 38 NASHVILLE 23
Peyton Manning gets the start in front of nearly 60,000 happy Tennesseans in Nashville, and throws for 301 yards in his USFL debut, but the Knights defense struggles to keep Big Ben in check, giving up 3 Blitz TD passes as the Blitz spoil the debut of the newest Nashville Knight.
CHICAGO 12 HOUSTON 17
Houston edges Chicago in a tough defensive battle that saw the two teams go 6 for 18 on third down. Houston got two 4th quarter TDs with Ike Hilliard and Roy Williams both beating the Chicago secondary late. Despite 95 yards from Donald Driver and a solid 85-yard day from Michael Turner, Chicago just could not get on the board at the end of the game when they needed a TD to steal the win.
LOS ANGELES 3 PITTSBURGH 16
A huge change as Pittsburgh starts 2nd year QB Andy Dalton and the Maulers snap their losing streak, and end LA’s 3-game win streak with a dominant defensive performance at Heinz Field on Sunday Night. The Express managed only 8 first downs all game and were 1 of 13 on third down as Pittsburgh’s defense shut down Mark Sanchez and the LA passing game. With Ronnie Brown and Kenny Watson combining for 110 yards, and a key late TD toss from Dalton to Vincent Jackson, the former TCU signal caller gets a win for the Maulers in his first regular season start.
Manning Throws for 300 in Knight Debut
It was by no means a perfect game, and the Knights did not even get the win, but with 301 yards on a 31 of 38 night, there was a lot to cheer for among Nashville Knight fans as Peyton Manning made his USFL debut. Manning had an immediate rapport with lead receiver Robert Meachem, turning 13 targets into 12 receptions,130 yards, and the lone passing TD of the day. Manning took some heat, with 3 sacks on the day, but seemed unphased by contact and unafraid of reinjuring his neck. Fans in Nashville, already loading up on Knight jerseys bearing Manning’s number 18, were there to cheer on the former Vol all night. The game may not have ended the way Nashville would have liked, but the immediate impression was that the Knights are in good hands with Manning at the helm.
Freeman Makes Claim for MVP With 5 TD Day
With both Kurt Warner and now Joe Flacco out of the season on IR, there is a gap at the top of the MVP race, and St. Louis’s Josh Freeman made his case this weekend that he is the man to beat if anyone wants to claim the title. Freeman only completed 14 tosses, but five of them were scores as he connected with Jordy Nelson for a hat trick and added scoring tosses to new TE Jabari Holloway and slot receiver Eric Weems. Freeman, who leads the league with a 121.2 QB Rating and a beautiful 25:2 TD:INT ratio has to be considered at the top of the list among MVP candidates.
And what a year to turn it up! Freeman is in his 4th year, hoping to get a new deal with St. Louis as his rookie contract is set to expire this year. Expect the Skyhawks, with a season like this, to pay some hefty money to keep Freeman in Skyhawk Blue. After a rookie season with a 71.6 QB rating, Freeman has improved every season, but only hit 85.8 last year. This year’s leap to a QB Rating in the 120’s is exactly what the Skyhawks and Freeman needed in what has become a very encouraging year, one which may see St. Louis not only qualify for the playoffs for the first time since joining the league in 2006, but also win the Central Division.
Trade Flurry Before Deadline Moves Weinke, Kearse, and Haden
Several trades erupted in the last 3 days before the trade deadline. We expected Texas to go after a QB and they did just that, but three other contenders also tried to shore up key areas on their roster, producing some exciting moves just as the window for midseason trades closed. Let’s look at each in turn.
While Luke McCown was set to start in Week 10 as a replacement for Joe Flacco, Texas was looking for an option who would bring a bit more starting experience to the club. They found what they were looking for in Seattle, where former Monarch starter Chris Weinke has been acting as Byron Leftwich’s backup. With Seattle mired in a 3-7 season and unlikely to make a playoff run, the Dragons were willing to deal Weinke and go with Alex Brink as their backup. That allowed Texas to land Weinke, who will likely get a shot to start unless McCown continues to get wins as he did this week.
New Jersey, struggling to get pressure on QBs after the injury to Shaun Ellis, decided to go for a short-term solution. The Generals made a deal that sent a 4th round pick to nab Jevon Kearse for the rest of the season. Kearse, who is finishing out his contract and who many expect will retire after the season, agreed to the deal as it allows him to move from the Panthers to a New Jersey team that looks ready to contend right now. Kearse lined up opposite Aaron Kampman only 3 days after the deal was finalized, playing 30 snaps for the Generals against Charlotte and recording his first sack as a member of Big Red.
Cornerback Joe Haden also gets a deal that sends him to a potential contender. Ohio, dealing with cap concerns and trying to build some draft capital, sent Haden to the Arizona Wranglers for a 2ndround pick and a 5th rounder in 2014. Two days later, Haden had limited snaps with the Wranglers, but finished the game with 8 tackles as Washington QB David Garrard tried to take advantage of the corner’s lack of familiarity with the Wrangler schemes. Haden lined up as the number 2 corner, behind Brandon Flowers, but is expected to make the move to number 1 if he can quickly pick up the coverages in Coach Tomsula’s system.
As you may have noted in our game summary, St. Louis made a deal to bring Josh Freeman another target, acquiring TE Jabari Holloway from Birmingham for a 5th round pick. Holloway had lost his starting gig to Julius Thomas in Birmingham, but had an immediate impact with St. Louis, catching 3 balls and scoring his first touchdown for the Skyhawks.
Finally, Oakland upgraded their run game with a 4 player, 1 pick move with Boston. Oakland sent their starting FB and guard Joe Berger to the Cannons for Boston guard Chadwick Hodges and their FB, Sean Smith. Both are considered upgrades for Oakland, who are in a dogfight with Las Vegas in the Pacific Division. Boston had the pot sweetened with a 3rd round pick from the Invaders as they prepare to overhaul their roster as part of their move to Dallas in the offseason.
14 Boston Fans Arrested in Return Home for Cannons
The added police presence in Boston kept things from getting too dicey at Alumni Stadium, but that did not mean the day was without incident. Loud Chants that we cannot repeat here were heard throughout the game, mostly directed at team ownership, as well as chants of “Dallas Sucks”, which is to be expected. There were also a few skirmishes in the stands, and just a handful of folks who tried to cause damage to the facilty as the game ended. Boston police reported 14 arrests either within the stadium, in tandem with BC Security, or in the parking area, with 4 for acts of vandalism, 3 for altercations leading to assault charges, and 7 public intoxication charges. All things considered, with just under 28,000 in attendance, that is a surprisingly low number. Just a regular week in Philly, for example.
Are Bulls For Real? Are Stags Done? Up & Down the Standings
As the Bulls rise to 5-5, fans across the league are asking if they are now a team to be concerned about, while they are also asking if Portland’s strong start was a mirage as the Stags drop another game and land at .500 themselves. It just goes to show how the same record can be viewed in very different ways based on expectations.
For Jacksonville, their rise to .500 has included three straight wins, including a huge upset of Philadelphia in Week 9. Their defense has proven particularly stingy against the run, and their offense has found success with a combination of short passes and QB option plays that maximize Tim Tebow’s fearlessness as a ball carrier. The Bulls now find themselves thick in the hunt for a Wild Card, while still 3 games behind Charlotte for the Division.
For Portland, a 4-game losing streak has taken a 5-1 team and dropped them to .500 and third place in the division. The Staags have seen their offense drop to 25th in the league and Jonathan Stewart’s early season success seems a long way back. Stewart’s per carry average has dropped to a very pedestrian 3.5 yards per carry and the passing game has not been able to compensate. Ryan Fitzpatrick, with little option to use play action has seen his QB rating dip into the 80’s and the team’s points per game drop to only 16.2 per game. While the defense remains number 1 in the league in yards allowed and 3rd overall in rush defense, the offense is simply not pulling their weight, and that has caused the team to come crashing down after a rocket start that no one saw coming.
Vince Young to Miss 1-2 Weeks With Shoulder Injury
Good news in a sense for Ohio as Vince Young got word from physicians on Tuesday that the injury to his non-throwing shoulder did not include ligament damage and would not require surgery. He is likely to miss only 1-2 games as he rests the shoulder and steps away from throwing for a short time. Had the injury been to his throwing shoulder, the time frame could be much longer, but with the injury to his balance arm, the Glory should expect their QB back by Week 12 or 13 at the latest.
Young’s departure from the game this week was a big factor in the Glory’s loss to New Orleans. The loss snapped a 4-game winning streak. Tyrelle Pryor came on in relief but struggled without having taken snaps in practice. That won’t be the case moving towards Week 11, but Ohio cannot afford more losses if they hope to make a run at a Wild Card. Sitting at 4-6 already puts them in a difficult spot, in 9th place hoping to rise to 6th, but if they can get hot once again they are still only 1 game behind the slumping Portland Stags for the 6th and final playoff spot.
Speaking of playoffs, it is time for our first playoff picture of the season and what we see this week are a lot of tight races that may not be determined any time soon. It is, of course, too early for teams to clinch or to be eliminated, but in several races, the current standings and the lack of space between teams means that this could be a season that sees important matchups in Weeks 15 and 16.
The team with the largest lead of any division leader is St. Louis, who sit at7-3, two games up on both Pittsburgh and Chicago, who are both 5-5. Four of the division leaders have a one game advantage, as is the case with Charlotte (8-2) over Atlanta (7-3), Washington (8-2) over Philadelphia (7-3), Texas (7-3) over Houston (6-4), and New Orleans at only 5-5, but still up 1 game on Nashville (4-6). The only division currently seeing a tie at the top is the Pacific, where Oakland is currently ahead of Las Vegas on tie-breakers as both clubs sit at 6-4.
Another week and more players added to the growing IR list, as well as some who are hoping they can get back quickly for a playoff run as the long season starts to grind down on rosters across the league. Here are the new names on the injury lists across the USFL.
INJURED RESERVE
Todd Wade OT POR Groin
Omar Bolden CB OHI Quad
Paul McQuistan G CHI Back
AQ Shipley C SEA MCL
OUT
Chris Kelsay DE ATL Knee 2-4 Weeks
Lee Smith TE OHI Groin 1-2 Weeks
Vince Young QB OHI Shoulder 1-2 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
Grant Irons LB LA Hamstring
Kevin Johnson WR PIT Hip
David Bowens DE JAX Arm
QUESTIONABLE
Marshawn Lynch HB LV Knee
Hannibal Navies LB NOR Concussion
Deon Grant CB OAK Concussion
USFL’s 30th Anniversary Celebrates Sack Masters
The USFL continued their 30th Season celebration by releasing their choices for the 5 greatest edge rusher seasons. Rather than go purely on numbers, which would have essentially left only 2-3 defensive ends in the running, they went with impact and dynamism of the season’s performance. This allowed them to have 5 different sack artists represented.
2009 Calais Campbell (ORL): 34 Sacks
No doubt that Calais Campbell would be here. The only question is if it would be his stunning sophomore season, when he jumped from 12 sacks to a league record 34, or his equally impressive 4th season, when he matched that feat, giving him the two highest sack totals in league history and put to rest any concerns that his 2009 feat was a fluke. The league opted to go with that stunning 2009 season, one in which Campbell averaged better than 2 sacks per game and recorded his 34 sacks in only 14 games. Two years later the league would be playing a 16-game season once again and Campbell would equal his 2009 mark, but needed the added two games to do it.
1999 Chris Doleman (ORL): 29 Sacks
Before Campbell became the first man to ever record 30 sacks in a season, the record was held by another Orlando Renegade. Chris Doleman in 1999 broke a 9-year record with his 29th sack of the season. It was part of a magical run for the Renegades that included 6 straight playoff appearances and a Summer Bowl victory in 2001. Of all his impressive seasons, it was 1999 when Doleman hit the pinnacle of his production, though, to be fair, for a man who hit double digit sacks in 11 straight seasons, there were certainly a lot of good years.
1991 Phil Hansen (NJ): 23 Sacks
While it would not be his highest sack total over a long and illustrious career, what made Phil Hansen’s 23-sack rookie season was just how much he stunned the league. Coming out of North Dakota,Now one thought Hansen would have the impact he did on the league, much less in his rookie season, setting what was at the time the league record for sacks in his very first pro season. Hansen would have an incredible 10 seasons with 20 or more sacks, including a run of 9 seasons in a row from 1992 until 2002, but it was his amazing rookie season that announced to the world that a superstar was born.
1990 Reggie White (MEM): 21 Sacks
When you think of sacks and QB pressure in the USFL the conversation almost always turns to Reggie White, the Minister of Defense. White was another rookie phenom, racking up 18 sacks in his first year in the league, a signee out of Tennessee with the expansion Memphis Showboats. He would go on to become the face of the franchise for over a decade, and in 1990, he would reach his pinnacle with 21 sacks in the season, his first of 2 seasons over 20 sacks. While he may point to his 1999 league title as the high point of his career, ever the team player, the league pointed to 1990 as his greatest individual season.
2000 Kavika Pittman HOU): 22 Sacks
The fifth and final sack master to make our list, Kavika Pittman was a key reason the Gambler defense was so feared for so long. Pittman came to Houston in 1996, putting up 13 sacks as a rookie. He would play an astonishing 17 seasons in Houston and only in his final season did he fail to record double digit sacks. Consistent and at times ferocious, Pittman was many a quarterback’s worst nightmare, and in 2000 he reached his high water mark with a 22-sack season.
Thunder Miss Deadline for Stadium Fund Allocation
Concerning news out of Las Vegas, where the Thunder have failed to produce nearly $140M in funding which was to be applied to the new stadium construction project. After an initial investment of $200M from the USFL coffers, the next installment of funding for the stadium was due more than 6 weeks ago and we are now discovering that the ownership of the Thunder has yet to make necessary arrangements to provide the funding to the joint league-team-city fund which is responsible for keeping the project on pace.
A lien from the city is the next possible step as concerns grow that the Thunder may be overextended and may not have the financial backing necessary to complete the stadium project as agreed upon. Why this would be a sudden discovery and not part of the ongoing work of the league and the city in this project is unknown, but this has clearly caught both parties by surprise. We attempted to speak with officials from within the Las Vegas Thunder organization and have not been able to get an official statement.
The concern here is real. The agreement between the league, the city, and the team, clearly places the onus of responsibility on the league to ensure that all payments are completed and that the project continue to advance in a timely manner. If the Thunder are unable to provide full coverage for their investment responsibilities, it would fall on the league to step in and ensure coverage. That would be a pretty sizeable hit for the league, one which would almost certainly lead to financial concerns on a leaguewide basis and significant pushback against the Thunder and their ownership. The hope, of course, is that with the added pressure of the league’s responsibility for covering capital investment promises, the Thunder will do what is needed to secure the funds necessary for the project to continue on schedule for stadium completion in 2015. But, if Las Vegas’s financial standing is truly in disarray, that could lead to some dramatic action by the league to ensure that there is not a breach of contract with the city of Las Vegas.
Oakland and NFL 49ers Agree to Stadium Partnership
On a more positive side, we have received word this week of an agreement in principal between the NFL San Francisco 49ers, the USFL Oakland Invaders, and the city of Santa Clara in the South Bay region of the Bay Area. The agreement would lead to construction of a new facility in the South Bay which would serve as home to both franchises with a possible start date of Fall 2014. That is an ambitious timetable considering the often convoluted California and Bay Area red tape that surrounds any construction project. It is also a significant hit to both the cities of San Francisco and Oakland, which would essentially lose their pro football franchises to the South Bay. While for fans the inconvenience is in the longer trip to the stadium from either city, for the cities themselves, the departure of each club would be a significant economic hit as both cities receive both direct funding from tax revenues and indirect funding through taxes levied for local hotels, restaurants, and businesses which see revenue boosts during each team’s football season, from both out of town and in-city fans. The city of Santa Clara, and the larger “Silicon Valley” would, of course, benefit from the same revenue streams.
Both the Invaders and the 49ers have tried for several years to get public backing for a new stadium in their current cities, but both have been denied funding time and again, in both public referenda and within government bureaucratic committees. The end result very much looks like both cities will lose out and Santa Clara will gain not one, but two pro football franchises.
Early speculation is that both clubs would retain their current identities, despite the relocation, meaning that Santa Clara would be home to both clubs, but that they would still use San Francisco and Oakland as their identifying city despite the location in the South Bay region. Not unheard of, with the NFL Giants and Jets both playing in New Jersey, the Dallas Cowboys playing in Irving, or the Detroit Lions having spent many years in Pontiac before relocating downtown.
Potential good news for Bay Area USFL fans who had been very concerned that investment groups from Dallas, San Diego, or even Oklahoma City could find a way to woo the Invaders. Sure, they will now have to find a way to get to Santa Clara for games, but that is a heck of a lot easier than rooting for their favorite club when it is 1,000 miles or more from your home.
Week 11 and some good matchups across the entire weekend, starting with a battle of 6-4 clubs on Friday Night as Baltimore travels to New Jersey. A loss sends either team to 4th place in the division, a win and a potential jump to 2nd place.
On Saturday, Tampa Bay, fresh off their win over Atlanta, faces another tough SE Division foe as the Charlotte Monarchs bring their league-best 8-2 record to Raymond James Stadium. St. Louis visits Nashville, where another capacity crowd is expected to be there to cheer for Peyton Manning. Las Vegas will be a challenge for the rising Jacksonville Bulls, and Atlanta heads out to the West Coast to face the Pacific Division leading Invaders.
On Sunday, a good early clash as Philadelphia heads to New Orleans to face the 5-5 Breakers. At 4pm Texas will be in Ohio and Washington heads to Memphis, and a weekend finale that looked great on paper back in February with LA visiting Seattle, a game expected to pit two contenders in the Pacific, but now looks like a battle for draft position.
FRIDAY @ 8PM ET BALTIMORE (6-4) @ NEW JERSEY (6-4) NBC
SAT @ 12PM ET CHARLOTTE (8-2) @ TAMPA BAY (5-5) ABC
SAT @ 12PM ET ST. LOUIS (7-3) @ NASHVILLE (4-6) FOX
SAT @ 12PM ET LAS VEGAS (6-4) @ JACKSONVILLE (5-5) FOX
SAT @ 4PM ET ARIZONA (4-6) @ HOUSTON (6-4) ABC
SAT @ 4PM ET ATLANTA (7-3) @ OAKLAND (6-4) FOX
SAT @ 8PM ET CHICAGO (5-5) @ PITTSBURGH (5-5) ESPN/EFN
SUN @ 12PM ET PHILADELPHIA (7-3) @ NEW ORLEANS (5-5) ABC
SUN @ 12PM ET DENVER (4-6) @ BOSTON (3-7) ABC
SUN @ 12PM ET ORLANDO (2-8) @ BIRMINGHAM (3-7) FOX
SUN @ 4PM ET WASHINGTON (8-2) @ MEMPHIS (2-8) ABC
SUN @ 4PM ET TEXAS (7-3) @ OHIO (4-6) FOX
SUN @ 4PM ET MICHIGAN (4-6) @ PORTLAND (5-5) FOX
SUN @ 8PM ET LOS ANGELES (3-7) @ SEATTLE (3-7) ESPN/EFN
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