What a difference one week can make. In the span of one weekend we went from two playoff teams locked in to having 9 of the 12 playoff spots in place, including everything in the East except for one division title. There is still a lot on the line as teams jockey for position, home games, and byes, but we are getting closer and closer to knowing which USFL squads will be headed to the post-season after Philadelphia, Charlotte, New Jersey, Atlanta, Texas, Oakland and Las Vegas have all punched their tickets to the playoffs. We will start our coverage of USFL Week 14 with the game that capped off the weekend, our NE Division Sunday night clash between the Stars and Federals, run through all the scores, and then outline what this all means as we race towards the playoffs.
PHILADELPHIA STARS 27 WASHINGTON FEDERALS 21
The Sunday night tilt between the Stars and Feds was anticipated all week long and did not disappoint. These two Summer Bowl contenders faced off at RFK stadium in a classic battle of both rivals and titans in the USFL. The result was a seismic shift in the playoff standings and one more chapter in a Cinderella story for the ages as Matt Gutierrez continues to amaze the football world with his success as the Stars’ QB.
Gutierrez would finish this game with 343 yards and 3 TDs despite constant pressure from the Federal defense, pressure that produced 5 sacks, but could not slow down the Stars or their former backup QB. He was aided by huge performances from WR Stevie Johnson (6 receptions for 128 yards) and HB Steve Slaton (17 carries for 114 yards) as the Stars found ways to crack Washington’s defensive shell. For the Federal offense, it was, as always, centered around Deuce McCallister, who rushed for 110 on 24 carries. David Garrard would throw for 216 and2 scores, with David Branch and Darnerian McCants his primary targets.
The game started slowly, as many do, with both teams setting up later success on their early drives. After both teams began with short drives that quickly fizzled out, Philadelphia found success on their second go, moving the ball to the Washington 30 before settling for a Mike Nugent 47-yarder to open scoring at 3-0. Washington countered and just as the first quarter was ending they got on the board with the first TD of the day, a nicely executed drive that culminated with a short pass to Branch for 6. The first period ended 7-3 in favor of the homestanding Feds.
Washington would expand that lead early in the 2nd, when, following a rare mistake by Garrard, an overthrown ball that safety Gibril Wilson was able to corral, the Federals again moved the ball efficiently into Philadelphia territory, capping off this drive with a 5-yard scoring run from McCallister. Down 14-3, Philadelphia needed a response, and they would get one.
On their next drive, Matt Gutierrez made up for his earlier overthrow, going 4 of 4 on the drive and moving the Stars deep into Washington territory in only 2 minutes. On a third and goal from the 10, the Stars thought they had a touchdown as Steve Slaton took a swing pass to the corner of the endzone. Replay showed his elbow was down at the 1 before he crossed the plane and Coach Harbaugh would have a decision to make. He opted to go for it on 4th and goal from the 1. Faking the dive to Slaton, Gutierrez found TE Daniel Fells alone in the endzone for 6. Philadelphia was back in the game at 14-10.
The two teams would go into the half with this score, Washington in the lead but Philadelphia feeling good after their scoring drive. When they returned to action, both defenses flexed their muscles, producing three consecutive unproductive drives and three punts. On the 4th drive, a breakthrough as Gutierrez found Stevie Johnson for his longest play of the day, a 29-yarder, and then connected with Troy Williamson for 13, before getting the ball to the endzone on another swing pass, this time to 3rd down back Leon Washington. The lead changed hands and now Philadelphia was up, Stars 17, Feds 14.
As the game entered the 4th quarter another turnover hurt the Federals as HB Rod “He Hate Me” Smart drew some hate from Washington fans by coughing up the ball on Washington’s 33 yard line. Philadelphia took over and in only 4 plays had another score as Gutierrez again found his slot receiver, Tory Williamson, this time for 6. Stars up 24-14 with 8:51 left to play. They would stifle the Feds on the next drive and add a field goal to go up 27-14.
Washington, now down 13 points at home, needed a quick drive. Philadelphia, looking at the clock, needed to slow down the game. The Stars got what they needed, playing a shell defense that allowed Washington the underneath routes but never more than 8 yards in any play, dragged out the Washington drive. By the time the Feds got in the endzone on a Garrard to McCants throw, there were only 27 seconds left in the game. Washington would be forced to go for an onside kick.
At first glance it appeared that the kick had succeeded, but very quickly the yellow flag was out. Washington’s Sheldon Brown had touched the ball before it had gone 10 yards and a rekick was needed. On the second attempt, the verdict was not in doubt as Leon Washington fell on the ball for the Stars. Philadelphia took a knee and celebrated a huge victory which not only vaulted the Stars over Washington and into first place in the NE Division, but also to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Philadelphia now controlled their destiny and could lock up the top seed in the East with 2 more wins, assuring them both a bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
For Washington the loss meant a drop all the way from the top spot to the sixth and final seed in the East. With earlier victories by Atlanta, New Jersey, and Charlotte, all three were now ahead of the Federals in the standings. A sour feeling for the first club to have locked up a playoff spot.
TAMPA BAY 17 CHARLOTTE 20
The Bandits led this one 14-7 at the half, but Shonn Greene went off in the second half, with Fred Jackson out. Greene rushed for 91 of his 119 yards in the second hald and added the TD that tied the game. After that it was a battle of field goals and league scoring leader Brandon Coutu had one more kick in him than Tampa Bay’s Nate Kaeding.
TEXAS 31 BOSTON 14
In a game played in Detroit to avoid more damage at BC’s Alumni Stadium from angry Boston Cannon fans, the Texas Outlaws outpaced the Cannons, thanks in large part to Arian Foster’s dominant 144-yard ground attack. Luke McCown threw for 3 scores as well as the Outlaws clinched their second consecutive SW Division title with the win.
ORLANDO 14 MEMPHIS 24
For a game that neither team should have really wanted to win (because of draft position) both actually put in a strong performance. Eli Manning threw for 2 scores, but Ryan Mallett and Antony Allen got the last laugh with a late TD to secure the win for Memphis, which actually bumped them from the first overall pick to 4th in the current rankings.
BIRMINGHAM 17 BALTIMORE 27
In a game that would not, by the end of the weekend, help Baltimore avoid elimination, the Blitz still did their part, moving to 8-6 with a home win over the Stallions. HB Anthony Dixon, just off a new contract extension, put up 109 yards on 23 carries. The defense held Cam Newton to -12 yards on his various scrambles and designed runs, and the Blitz got the W.
NEW ORLEANS 3 NASHVILLE 16
In the first battle of these two division rivals over the final 3 weeks, Nashville used home field advantage and an early concussion to Drew Brees to shut down the Breakers and reclaim first place in the division. Frank Gore ran for 60 yards and Peyton Manning went 17 for 27 as Nashville slowly and methodically pulled away from the offensively troubled Breakers.
OHIO 14 DENVER 17
Denver struggled for 3 quarters, falling behind 14-0 at home, but lit a fire in the final quarter, getting TDs from Peerless Price and DeMarco Murray and finishing the game with a final minute Greg Zeurlein field goal to move to 8-6 and stay in playoff position with their 4th straight win.
OAKLAND 6 LAS VEGAS 13
Las Vegas had no mercy on backup QB Pat White of Oakland. The Thunder threw everything but the kitchen sink at White. The inexperienced QB threw two costly picks and was replaced by Curtis Painter late in the game. Meanwhile Las Vegas managed only 1 TD against the equally tough Invader defense, but the Plummer to Ponder TD toss was enough to give them the win and equal their record with Oakland’s atop the Pacific Division.
MICHIGAN 13 ST. LOUIS 28
Another week, another win for St. Louis, who make it 7 in a row with a home W against division rival Michigan. Antowain Smith took over the league rushing lead with 112 yards on 24 carries and Josh Freeman threw for 2 scores as the Skyhawks more than doubled up the Panthers despite 144 yards from Hines Ward of Michigan.
SEATTLE 3 ATLANTA 17
The Dragons appeared to have little in the tank as they sleepwalked through this game in Atlanta. The Fire got early TDs from Ted Ginn and Darren McFadden and were happy to speed the game up with their run game as they moved to 10-4 and locked up a playoff spot.
HOUSTON 10 NEW JERSEY 35
New Jersey also locked up a postseason bid with their home win, while dealing a blow to Houston’s chances as they send the Gamblers to a 7-7 record. Sam Bradford was cleared to play just hours before the game, and it certainly seemed the right call as he threw for 4 scores before letting Bryan Hoyer finish out the game in the 4th.
PORTLAND 23 ARIZONA 20
Portland stays alive in the West by knocking off Arizona in Arizona. The Stags pulled out to a 23-7 lead but Arizona fought back on TDs form Fitzgerald and Gronkowski, but it was too little too late for the Wranglers as Portland held on for the W and equalized their record at 7-7, good enough to sit in 6th place with 2 weeks left in the season.
JACKSONVILLE 15 LOS ANGELES 14
The Bulls edge the Express on a late David Akers field goal. LA had taken a 14-0 lead early with scores by Keyshawn and Ray Rice, but over 3 quarters Jacksonville clawed their way back, all the while shutting down the LA offense. They got help with 2 LA fumbles in the second half, one of which was inside the 5-yard line of Jacksonville and produced a 10-point swing, as a possible LA TD became a Bulls field goal.
PITTSBURGH 14 CHICAGO 16
The Maulers were officially eliminated from playoff contention with yet another poor offensive game. Andy Dalton went 17 of 27, but the Mauler run game failed them completely. Chicago just kept plugging away, with Michael Turner getting 28 carries for 122 yards by the time the whistle blew. Brady Quinn gets the W despite only throwing for 84 yards in another lackluster performance.
Brian Griese Hints at Retirement
The post-game comments from Michigan’s loss to St. Louis were expected to be the usual conciliatory statements and cliches about preparation and playing one game at a time, but what we got this week was a bit of honesty and a hint at what the future may hold for at least one member of the Panthers. Brian Griese, the starting QB for the Panthers since 2007, basically said the inside things outside. He all but admitted that he was planning to retire at the end of the season, talking about how he has been disappointed in his play, and that he believes that his body is just not responding the way it used to.
Many have noticed that since his injury-shortened 2010 season, Griese has not been as sharp and his arm has not been as lively. The stats also show this. While his accuracy has remained solid, his ability to drive the ball to the outside of the field or to hit deep routes has just not been the same. His QB Rating has not crossed 93.0 since the injury, when it had regularly been over 100 in prior years. Now, there are a lot of QBs who would love to be living in the 90’s when it comes to QBR, but Griese has clearly noted that he is not the player he once was, and, it appears, he may be looking at another losing season in Michigan and another long offseason, and perhaps he is considering that the time may have come for him to pass the torch and move on to broadcasting as his father did back in the day.
Harrington Expected to Return for Season Finale
Good news for Oakland fans who could not have been happy with this week’s performance in Las Vegas. Joey Harrington has been cleared to practice again, and while he is unlikely to appear in this week’s clash in Jacksonville, he does plan to be back for the season finale in Houston. More importantly, with Oakland already clinched for a playoff spot, Harrington will be back for the postseason. There is a good chance that Oakland will need to play its starters on Week 16, particularly if they want to avoid starting the playoffs on the road, so having Harrington back under center in the season’s final week could be a huge addition for Oakland.
Dallas Ownership Seems Ready to Move on from John Fox
Nothing official has been said, but the writing appears to be on the wall for the coach who has been with the Boston Cannons since their time in Atlanta. Dallas ownership seems ready to make major overhauls to the Cannons as they prepare for their first season as the Dallas Roughnecks, and, from comments made this week, it seems that Head Coach will be one of the targeted areas for a new path forward.
John Fox has been the only head coach in Boston’s history in Beantown. He joined the then-Atlanta Fire in their last season in the South, then guided Boston through 10 seasons in Boston, including 4 playoff appearances and a league title in 2009. In a way it seems almost fitting that as the club leaves behind Boston, they also part ways with Fox, who will forever be associated with a decade of growth for the franchise.
Expect Fox to be a likely Black Monday casualty and for Dallas to try to find a coach for 2013 who is well-known to fans in the DFW area. That could mean a former Cowboys player or coach or a coach with ties to one of the bigger college programs in the area. We should also expect Dallas to see a considerable amount of roster turnover, likely beginning with the QB position and the as-of-yet underwhelming results brought by Jake Locker to the club.
Seattle Seeks Permission to Interview Stump Mitchell
The Seattle Dragons, already announcing that Marvin Lewis will be stepping down after Week 16’s season finale, are not wasting any time trying to line up interviews for the first weeks of the offseason. According to reports they have their eye on St. Louis OC Stump Mitchell. The former HB who came into coaching as a position player, has the Skyhawks flying with an average of 27.7 PPG and nearly 370 yards, with both the rushing and passing offense ranked in the Top 5 in the league. Seems only natural that he would be of interest for a club in Seattle who are averaging over 12 fewer points per game, and under 275 yards per game.
While Seattle can request permission to speak with Mitchell, there is only a short window in which they could speak with him before the Summer Bowl, and only if Seattle is offered a bye in the playoffs. If the Skyhawks get the bye during the Wild Card Weekend, then, as with any coach on a bye week, he would be available for an interview in the week leading up to the Wild Card games. If not, then Seattle would need to wait until St. Louis’s run in the playoffs is over. That could mean waiting until after the Summer Bowl, since it looks like the Skyhawks could be a top seed, and with the Summer Bowl in St. Louis, they will be extremely motivated to make an appearance in the big game.
A big week for teams clinching playoff spots as we went from 2 of 12 playoff berths locked in to 9 of 12. Charlotte, Atlanta, New Jersey and Philadelphia all locked up spots in the East, with Philly moving to the top seed position in control of their own destiny. In the West Texas, Oakland and Las Vegas also secured spots, with the Outlaws also securing their 2nd consecutive division title after not having won one in their first 26 seasons. There are two Wild Card spots still open in the West and mathematically there are still 6 teams that can potentially win one of them. Of those 6, Denver is in the driver’s seat as the only 8-6 club among a throng of 7-7 and 6-8 teams. Back in the East, the only playoff spot not yet claimed is the Southern Division title, with Nashville and New Orleans both sitting at 7-7 and the Knights holding the tiebreaker due to both a better division record and a win over New Orleans this week.
On the other side of the playoff spectrum, LA, Michigan, Ohio, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Birmingham join the list of eliminated clubs looking ahead to next season.
Only 2 weeks left of regular season action and you hate to see injuries at this point in the season, especially if you are a playoff-bound team, but they are a reality. Looking at our new IR listing, there are several injuries that could play a part in how the postseason goes for several teams, from Oakland and Washington losing a key safety valve at TE, or Denver and Charlotte losing a key contributor in the linebacker group. You never want to see a player go down to injury, but at this time of year those lost contributions can become huge factors for playoff football.
OUT
Jeb Putzier TE OAK Hip IR
James Brewer OT BAL Achilles IR
Shawne Merriman LB DEN Neck IR
AJ Nicholson LB CHA Abdomen IR
Heath Miller TE WSH Quad IR
Max Jean-Gilles G NSH Shoulder 4-6 Weeks
Rolando Heredia DE LA Knee 2-4 Weeks
Amini Silatulo G SEA Back 2-4 Weeks
Bhawoh Jue FS LA Ankle 2-4 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
Arrelious Benn WR OHI Wrist
Fred Jackson HB CHA Neck
Victor Cruz WR PIT Back
Cedric Cobbs HB HOU Concussion
Donterrious Thomas LB NJ Foot
DaJuan Morgan SS ATL Hamstring
League Frustrated by Impasses in Thunder Financial Probe
Initial reports out of Las Vegas are showing frustration from the USFL in their investigation of Thunder ownership and their financial backing. The Thunder, particularly their lead owner Phil Ruffin, have been talking a good game about opening the books to the league office, but have been throwing up roadblocks throughout the initial process. They have been reluctant to divulge key data, provide interviews of key personnel, and have made the case on several occasions that conflicts between Nevada state law, issues tied to Mr. Ruffin’s casino ownership and restrictions brought on by the Nevada Gaming Commission, and federal tax protections do not allow for full disclosure to the league. In turn, the league has been trying to work closely with the state and its gaming commission to ensure that their investigation is within the boundaries of the possible.
According to sources within the league, what has been most unnerving, is the seeming desire of Mr. Ruffin to conflate his Thunder finances with his casino development and management business, something the league had been assured would not be the case when the franchise was purchased and relocated from Portland. Concerns over the blending of organized gambling and a pro sports franchise in Las Vegas were one of the biggest sticking points for the sale, but it was approved when assurances were made that the revenue streams would remain separate. Now, in seeking to potentially stall or divert the USFL’s investigation, the concerns that the two have not been kept at arm’s length are growing.
At the same time, the stadium project is now a huge issue for the league. There was no intent for the USFL and its 28 franchises to fund 70% of the building project for a team that is not contributing its pledged share of the funding, but more and more it is appearing that when the Thunder fail to comply with their obligations, the league must step in. The stadium, which is scheduled to open in 2015, is still on schedule, but also still looking for a second potential tenant, and the USFL is hoping that both the Thunder and a potential fall NFL tenant will help pull some of the cost of construction away from their own funds. This is what was anticipated when the deal was cut, but with the Thunder balking at their first major payment due date, the concern is very real that the Las Vegas stadium deal could turn into a major liability for the USFL, and that the Thunder may simply not be as viable and reliable a franchise as the league had envisioned.
An Early Look at the 2013 Draft Not Promising for QB-Needy Teams
There are years in which teams will do almost anything to get into position at the top of the draft to try to snag a potential franchise QB, and then there are years like this one, where you look over the draft class and wonder if there is anyone in it that could even potentially start later on in their careers. The 2013 draft is shaping up to be one without a lot of promise for the many QB-hungry teams across both the NFL and the USFL. That is not good news for teams who may be seeing their starter retire or who are just not satisfied with their QB play.
Looking at the potential draft class of 2013 QBs, it is hard to get too excited about any of the prospects. The general consensus is that Oklahoma’s Landry Jones, FSU’s E.J. Manuel, and West Virginia’s Geno Smith are at the top of the class, followed by NC State’s Mike Glennon, USC’s Matt Barkley, and Syracuse’s Ryan Nassib. But there is not a lot of excitement about any of these frontrunners, and certainly not the kind of enthusiasm we have seen in recent years for players like Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin.
Now, we can still see some QB signing happen, with a lot depending on retirements and free agency. We could certainly see Tampa Bay take a long look at E. J. Manuel before the Territorial Draft if Culpepper announces his retirement. But, after drafting and signing Ryan Lindley last year, perhaps they pass on the FSU signal caller. Geno Smith would be protected by Pittsburgh in the T-Draft Pool, but we don’t see the Maulers giving up on Andy Dalton, who has had moments this year despite the overall disappointing season put together by the Maulers.
Then you have Matt Barkley from USC, who is unlikely to be selected by LA in the T-Draft after they just extended another Trojan’s contract in Mark Sanchez. Mike Glennon would be protected by the Charlotte Monarchs, but with Brandon Wheedon selected last year and rated higher than Glennon at that time, not to mention NFL signee Charlie Whitehurst, we don’t see them clamoring for another QB. Landry Jones is an interesting prospect, but we are not even sure if he would be protected by New Jersey or if the move of the Cannons to Dallas means that there would be a reshuffling of the T-Draft selections, one in which OU could become the territory of the new Roughnecks team, a move that might actually bode well for the OU quarterback, since it seems very clear that the current Boston, future Dallas franchise is not happy at the position.
So, what do we expect? Well, there will be the usual hyping up of the QBs during the short offseason between college bowls and the USFL & NFL drafts. But what we expect is for a very hot free agent and trade market for proven commodities, even for solid backup QBs who could get a chance to start, because right now the buzz around the USFL is that the draft simply does not hold any immediate answers at the position.
Week 15 and some games that could have a huge impact on the playoff seeding. We start it off with a clash of titans in San Antonio when the Federals, losers of 2 in a row, and the Texas Outlaws clash on NBC’s Friday Night Lights.
On Saturday we have Oakland in Jacksonville hoping to hold onto first place position in the Pacific. We also have Denver hoping to lock up a spot with a win in LA, and then St. Louis heads to Chicago for a rivalry game where the Machine hope to play spoilers.
On Sunday we kick off with Nashville in Orlando. If they can get the win there, then their matchup with the Breakers in Week 16 takes on yet another Win & In showdown for these two rivals. We also have Philly at Houston in a must win for the Gamblers. New Jersey is also in Baltimore, where the eliminated Blitz would love nothing more than to take New Jersey down a peg.
FRIDAY @ 8PM ET WASHINGTON (10-4) @ TEXAS (10-4) NBC
SAT @ 12PM ET BIRMINGHAM (5-9) @ NEW ORLEANS (7-7) ABC
SAT @ 12PM ET BOSTON (3-11) @ TAMPA BAY (7-7) FOX
SAT @ 12PM ET OAKLAND (9-5) @ JACKSONVILLE (6-8) FOX
SAT @ 4PM ET ARIZONA (6-8) @ MICHIGAN (5-9) ABC
SAT @ 4PM ET DENVER (8-6) @ LOS ANGELES (5-9) FOX
SAT @ 8PM ET ST. LOUIS (11-3) @ CHICAGO (6-8) ESPN/EFN
SUN @ 12PM ET NASHVILLE (7-7) @ ORLANDO (3-11) ABC
SUN @ 12PM ET MEMPHIS (4-10) @ CHARLOTTE (10-4) ABC
SUN @ 12PM ET NEW JERSEY (10-4) @ BALTIMORE (8-6) FOX
SUN @ 4PM ET PHILADELPHIA (10-4) @ HOUSTON (7-7) ABC
SUN @ 4PM ET PITTSBURGH (6-8) @ OHIO (4-10) FOX
SUN @ 4PM ET PORTLAND (7-7) @ SEATTLE (3-11) FOX
SUN @ 8PM ET ATLANTA FIRE (10-4) @ LAS VEGAS THUNDER (10-4) ESPN/EFN
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