2012 USFL Week 16 Recap: Breakers Edge Knights for Southern Title. Denver & Portland Nab Wild Cards.

Something of an anticlimactic final week for most teams as we saw a lot of backups and rookie QBs getting a taste of the pro game.  Denver and Portland do what they need to in order to lock up Wild Card berths, leaving Houston out in the cold.  Nashville and New Orleans battled for the final playoff spot and the Southern Division title, but most games were just not that impactful as playoff teams protected some players and non-playoff teams scouted younger players.  We start our coverage with the big game in New Orleans.  We will review all 14 games, then talk about the fallout, including a pretty hefty Black Monday across the league and several big names announce their playing days are behind them.  All right here on This Week in the USFL.

NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 17   NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 21

It seems like every year the Southern Division comes down to the Breakers playing the Knights on Week 16.  This year was supposed to be different. Birmingham was expected to compete, and both the Breakers and Knights were facing potential down years.  Well, with both at 8-7 coming into this game, it certainly was not the best season for either team, but after their clash in the Super Dome one of them would be dancing in the playoffs as the division champion.

Nashville was counting on NFL import Peyton Manning to energize the club in its final weeks of play, and his presence certainly helped get Nashville to this point with a chance to win the division again.  New Orleans, who always seem to be in position only to see their chances melt away in their final game against Nashville, were motivated not to let that happen again, and especially not in their own stadium.  It was a Sunday Night clash with playoffs on the line for both teams, and the intensity was there.

Hard to believe that a team that managed to run the ball for -6 yards on the day was able to win this game, but that is what we saw. Matt Forte handled the ball 5 times for 9 yards, but thanks to -17 yards scrambling by Drew Brees, the Breakers finished the game with an embarrassing run total of only -6 yards.  Yet, thanks in part to Brees’s arm, they managed to outlast the Knights.  The defense played a big part in that, sacking Peyton Manning 4 times and forcing two bad picks.

The game started slowly, with both offenses finding room to move difficult to find.  The only points of the first quarter came on a Kai Forbath field goal after a poor punt by New Orleans gave Nashville a short field.  Most of the second quarter went the same way, but the final minute of the half proved quite different.  The Breakers’ eschewed the run during the two-minute drill and that strategy worked well for them, moving the ball down the field in only 7 plays with Brees hitting Brandon LaFell in the corner of the endzone with 39 seconds left to give New Orleans a 7-3 lead.

Most expected Manning to take a knee when Nashville got the ball back, but Coach Johnson wanted to see if they could get a 2nd field goal before the half, so he had Manning throwing the ball.  That proved to be a huge mistake as on his 2nd attempt Breaker CB Randall Gay anticipated the out route, stepped in front of Robert Meachem, and had an easy sprint to the endzone to give New Orleans a 14-3 edge as the 2nd quarter came to a close.  It was a huge boost for the Breaker crowd and for the club as they headed into the break with a 2-score advantage and a lot of momentum.

Manning would start the third trying to make up for his first half error, and he did so effectively on the Knights’ first drive, leading Nashville to 7 points with a TD toss to Meachem.  The 2-point conversion put them within 3 at 14-11, but the defense would  need to hold the Breakers to allow Nashville to come all the way back.  That proved tougher than anticipated.

Even without a run game to speak of, the Breakers were able to move the ball on their next drive. It would take New Orleans only 8 plays to expand their lead once again.  Short passes, and the help of a defensive holding call, got New Orleans inside the 10 and from their Brees hit Donnie Avery on a quick slant that found paydirt.  The lead was back up to 10 once again, 21-11.

Nashville would chip away at the Breaker lead in the 4th, but twice the Breaker defense came up big on a third down in the red zone and twice Coach Johnson played it conservatively, going for a 38 and a 23-yard field goal instead of attempting a 4th and medium on both drives.  The result was that Nashville found themselves down 4 with only 3:01 left in the game and the ball on their own 22.

It was a position Peyton Manning had faced many times in the NFL, a final drive to win the game.  He would start with a screen to Gore, but the quick recovery of LB Hannibal Navies held the play to 4 yards.  Manning would connect with TE Jordan Peele on 2nd down to get a new set of downs with a 7-yard completion.  After a pass to Meachem was broken up, Manning tried to get the full 10 yards on 2nd down, testing Randall Gay again, and again Gay would be ready for it.  The ball to Meachem was high and it glanced off of Meachem’s hands, right to Gay, who bobbled it, but corralled the ball and fell to the ground.  New Orleans ball with a chance to grind out the win, but with no run game to speak of. 

The Breakers tried their best, with Mike Tolbert hitting the center of the line on first and second down, but he gained a grand total of 1 yard in two plays.  Nashville was itching to get the ball back, and New Orleans needed a first down to be able to run out the clock.  On 3rd and 9 the Breakers made no effort to disguise that it would be a pass, putting Brees in the shotgun and sending 3 wideouts to the field along with TE Coby Fleener and HB Matt Forte.  The Knights went to a 2-man coverage, doubling Early Doucet, whose 143  yards on the day had already hurt Nashville.  In single coverage, Fleener was the target, and with him being covered primarily by LB Hunter Hillenmeyer, it was a speed mismatch.  Brees found the rookie TE and Fleener brought the ball down 14-yards downfield to give New Orleans the first down and, after 2 kneel downs, the Southern Division title.  The Breakers would be headed to the playoffs.  The Knights, despite the comeback of Peyton Manning from spinal fusion surgery, would need to wait another year to see if their NFL superstar could return them to the postseason.   

NEW JERSEY 38   TEXAS 24

Watch out for the Generals. They are peaking at just the right time as Sam Bradford again goes off, throwing for 409 yards and 4 TDs against a pretty good Texas defense, his third consecutive 4-TD day.  Add in 2 sacks from recently acquired DE Jevon Kearse and this Generals squad could be a handful in the playoffs.  They need Philadelphia to lose if they want a division crown and a bye, but even without that they could be tough to take in the first round.

BOSTON 9   PHILADELPHIA 45

The Stars wrap up the season with a dominant win to claim the NE Division and the Eastern Conference’s top seed.  And so ends the run of the Cannons in Boston. The team that brought the first pro football title to Bean Town in 2009 Is, only 3 years later, a part of history as the club prepares to relocate to Dallas. A sad day for football in New England to be sure.

CHARLOTTE 22   WASHINGTON 28            OVERTIME

A really good game between two teams that needed a win to have any shot at a division title.  Jake Delhomme hit his only TD pass of the day with 2:56 in regulation to tie the game up at 22, but in overtime David Garrard found Deion Branch for the game winner as Washington finishes 12-4, but still amazingly finishes in 3rd place in the brutal NE Division.  Charlotte finishes 11-5 and an Atlanta win would mean they are a Wild Card team.

JACKSONVILLE 10   ATLANTA 28

A little bit of nervous scoreboard watching in this one as the Fire needed Charlotte to lose in order to garner the division title.  They had the game vs. Jacksonville in hand early, thanks to 3 TDs from Kyle Orton and a Patrick Willis pick-six but had to wait and watch as the Charlotte game went to overtime.  The Federals’ win was greeted with cheers and champagne in Atlanta as the Fire wrapped up the SE Division and a bye week.

OAKLAND 9   HOUSTON 41

Houston needed this game to have any chance at the postseason. Oakland had already clinched a playoff spot, and that disparity in intensity showed up in a big way in this game.  Houston raced to a 31-0 lead in the first half alone, thanks to 3 Hasselbeck TDs on the Gamblers’ first three drives.  Now they had to wait and watch to see if either Denver or Portland would go down to defeat.

DENVER 36   ARIZONA 21

Arizona and rookie QB Nick Foles put up a good fight against the Gold but could not get over the hump as Denver scored the final 10 points of the game to take the W and lock up a Wild Card berth.  Matt Leinart threw for 109 yards and the Gold also rushed for a crushing 207 yards (109 from Maurice Hicks) as they snatched a playoff berth.

BALTIMORE 21   PORTLAND 23

Another tougher than expected game as Baltimore backup Mike Flynn played well, throwing for 2 TDs despite being sacked 5 times by the Stags. Portland needed a late Jonathan Stewart TD and a 4th quarter field goal to get the W, but with that win Portland makes the playoffs for the first time.

SEATTTLE 17   CHICAGO 26

Two teams playing out the string gave us Alex Brink and Mike Kafka at QB.  Michael Turner played the whole game, hoping to rise to the top of the rushing leaderboard.  He finished with 143 yards on 29 carries, but it was not enough to vault him into 1st place.

ORLANDO 10   TAMPA BAY 17

Two teams that were disappointed by their seasons, one with a total collapse that would see their coach pay the prices as Orlando finishes a miserable 3-13 on the season.  Tampa Bay finished 9-7, which would typically mean a playoff spot, but not this season.  Rookie QB Ryan Lindley gets the win for the Bandits, going 28 of 34 for 238 yards, 2 scores and 1 pick.  Russell Wilson, another rookie QB, goes 19 of 29 for 137 yards for the Renegades.

MEMPHIS 21   BIRMINGHAM 38

The Stallions finish with a win as starter Cam Newton was a surprise starter in this rivalry game.  He would have a field day against several backups on the Memphis defense, throwing for 230 yards and 4 TDs.  Matt Cassel got the start for Memphis, going 20 of 39 for 192 yards and 2 TDs, but also threw 2 picks as Birmingham finishes the year 6-10 to Memphis’s 4-12.

LAS VEGAS 26   LOS ANGELES 17

With Oakland’s loss on Saturday, Las Vegas locked up the Pacific Division title, and with this win on Sunday they get the 2nd seed and a bye in the playoffs.  Marshawn Lynch rushed for 74 yards in 3 quarters before beings subbed out.  Chad Johnson caught 4 balls for 92 yards and a TD as Las Vegas claims the Pacific Division crown.

ST. LOUIS 26   OHIO 13

As promised the Skyhawks played their starters in the season finale, with Josh Freeman going 12 of 26 for 221 yards and 2 scores.  Jordan Pugh returned a pick-six and Freeman hit Jacobs with a 32-yard strike as the Skyhawks end the season with a 9-game winning streak.  Ohio finishes 5-11, once again at the bottom of the Central Division.

MICHIGAN 7   PITTSBURGH 27

The Maulers get a hollow victory to finish the year 7-9, not where they expected to be.  Andy Dalton went 21 of 29 and threw for 3 TDs as he tries to make the case to be the 2013 starter.  Michigan started rookie Kirk Cousins, who looked poised in completing 22 of 42 passing for 237 yards. The Panthers again cannot run the ball to save their lives, creating a clear need in the offseason for Michigan to find a running back and some help on the line.

Retirement Announcements Begin with Griese & Others

It did not take long for the first of the season’s retirement announcements to come.  Week 16 post-game interviews can sometimes produce announcements, and that was certainly the case for 5 well-known players from across the non-playoff squads this year.

The first of the announcements was not really a surprise, as Michigan QB Brian Griese had alluded to the possibility several weeks ago.  In the media room after the Panthers’ 27-7 loss in Pittsburgh, an emotional Brian Griese thanked the organization for letting him play in Michigan, where he had played college ball in Ann Arbor, and where he had led the Panthers to a title in 2008.  Griese, who retires a 5-time All-USFL selection, played 8 seasons in Michigan after several years split between the Seattle Dragons and Philadelphia Stars. He had his best seasons as a Panther, including his title year, in which he helped Michigan earn a 3rd title and the first one since Bobby Hebert’s time at the helm in the late 80’s.

Another somewhat anticipated announcement came in Glendale, after the Gold defeated the Arizona Wranglers. LaDainian Tomlinson, finishing his 3rd year with the Wranglers after a potential HOF career in the NFL, and at the age of 32, announced he would be stepping away from the game. Tomlinson came to the USFL after the 2009 NFL season and rushed for 1,278 yards in his first USFL season.  In his second year he helped the Wranglers to the playoffs and rushed for another 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns.  This season was a tougher grind, and it seemed clear that Tomlinson lacked the same burst as before, not surprising for a 32-year-old back.  He leaves the Wranglers with a pretty big hole to fill in the backfield, though the team has liked what they have seen from 2nd year back Stevan Ridley.

Another big back has used the season-ender as an opportunity to say goodbye to the game.  Houston’s Shaun Alexander came out to the media room after Houston’s dominant 41-9 win over Oakland, clearly upset that the win did not translate into a playoff berth but resigned to step away after a 1,072 yard rushing season with the Gamblers.  Alexander played 13 seasons in the USFL, beginning his career on some pretty bad Birmingham squads before jumping to Houston in free agency in 2008. With the Gamblers he found greater success and helped the Gamblers return to championship form with a win in the 2010 Summer Bowl.  He will retire with 11,575 yards rushing and 59 career touchdowns.

Alexander’s was only one of two retirement announcements made in that Houston post-game presser as longtime edge rusher and sack superstar Kavika Pittman also declared that he would not be back for a 17th season.  Pittman has had an amazing, almost certain Hall of Fame career with Houston, racking up 288 career sacks, recording 10 or more sacks every season of his pro career, a truly astonishing feat of both endurance and skill.  Pittman had 12 sacks this year, the 5th consecutive year of declining numbers after a heyday in the 2000’s that saw him win the Sack title three times in 4 years (2004, 2006 and 2007).

Finally, in Portland, Baltimore Blitz WR Tory Holt came out after a tough 23-21 loss and announced that 2012, his 13th season in the USFL, would be his last.  Holt, who came into the league with the LA Express in 1999, played the final 5 seasons with the Blitz, and has had huge numbers with QB Ben Roethlisberger in command of the offense. This year he was among league leaders with 100 catches for 1,450 yards and 10 touchdowns.  His absence will be a tough one for the cash-strapped Blitz to address this offseason.

Free Agent Pool Fills with Unsigned Players

Wild Card week means so much for football fans and for the teams competing, but for those teams outside looking in it means that the regular season is over and a range of players who have either not been offered new contracts or who have held off on signing a deal are now free agents.  For the next few weeks only, their current teams can negotiate with them, but once we are past the Summer Bowl and the pool is official, all 28 clubs can make bids for a player’s talent, and only 3 weeks after that the NFL is also permitted to offer players a chance to sign.  As we look over the 16 non-playoff teams, there is certainly a lot of talent that teams must hope to sign quickly or risk losing, either to a rival in the USFL or to the fall league that has pretty deep pockets.  Here is our breakdown of the biggest names now potentially on the market when Free Agency begins in 4 weeks.

ARZ: C Ben Claxton, LB Pat Angerer, DE Justice Cole, WR Arnold Brown

BAL: C Ethan Albright, DT Atiyyah Ellison, LB Nate Irving, QB Mike Flynn, LB Cato June

BIR: WR Julian Edelman, G Otis Hudson

CHI: WR Donald Driver, CB Rashad Bauman, LB Tommy Polley, OT Mo Collins,

FS David Young

DAL: C Antoine Caldwell, QB Kris Kershaw

HOU: DT Kenard Lang, SS Corey Gaines, LB Zak DeOssie, G Manuia Saveea,

OT Charles Spencer

JAX: FS Eric Weddle, TE Dustin Keller, WR Chastin West

LA: DT Anthony McFarland, HB Ray Rice, C Ryan Khalil, FS Bhawoh Jue,

DT Brandon Whitting

MEM: LB Kirk Morrison, C Casey Rabach, HB Cadillac Williams, CB Tyrone Bell, G Carl Nicks

     DT Kendrick Clancy, DE Reggie Torbor, DT Rashad Moore, OT David Stewart,

QB Bob Volek

MGN: LB Andy Katzenmoyer, LB Nathan Triplettt, SS Nick Harris, LB Odell Thurman

NSH: HB Frank Gore, LB Jarret Johnson, TE Justin Peele, WR Malcolm Floyd, K Kai Forbath,

     QB Jeff Smoker

OHI: DT Wendell Bryant, FS Haruki Nakamura, HB Antonio Pittman, LB Bradie James,

    OT Kwame Harris

ORL: SS Atari Bigby, DT Kenny Smith, OT Chris Terry, HB Jacob Hester, G Ross Hochstein,

    HB Leon Johnson

PIT: WR Vincent Jackson, DT Amobi Okoye, G Chris Kuper, OT Barrett Brooks,

LB Barrett Green, QB Dennis Dixon

SEA: TE Jeramy Stevens, DE John Abraham, DT Brandon Noble,OT Chad Clifton,

HB  Jahvid Best, G Chris Kemoeatu, WR Roberto Wallace, DT Jesse Mahelona,

QB Seneca Wallace

TBY: WR Joey Galloway, C Trey Teague, G Ben Hamilton, P Matt Turk, OT Marvel Smith

    QB Rhett Bomar

Some big names who could be changing teams this offseason, even in this partial list.  Popping out to use are wideouts Vincent Jackson (PIT) and Donald Driver (CHI), with Joey Galloway likely to either resign with the Bandits or announce retirement.  Some decent halfbacks as well with Frank Gore (NSH) at the top of the list, followed by Ray Rice (LA), Cadillac Williams (MEM), and Jahvid Best (SEA).  Among defenders, there will certainly be a market for LBs Andy Katzenmoyer and Odell Thurman of Michigan, as well as safety Atari Bigby (ORL), LB Kirk Morrison (MEM), FS Eric Weddle (JAX), and an underrated player, Ohio FS Haruki Nakamura.

We have our 12 playoff teams.  New Orleans’s win at home gives them the Southern Division crown and the 3 seed in the East.  Wins by both Denver and Portland this weekend mean that they are in and Houston is out.  Philadelphia’s big win means they are the 1 seed and will have home field throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs, a stunning achievement for Coach Harbaugh and one of the season’s biggest Cinderella stories, QB Matt Gutierrez. 

So it will be 6-seed Charlotte (with an impressive 11-5 record for a 6 seed) heading to New Orleans and Washington facing a familiar foe as they travel to New Jersey to face the Generals.  Atlanta and Philly wait in the wings as they rest during their bye. 

In the West it will be Portland heading to Texas as the 6-3 matchup.  Denver will be in Oakland to take on the Invaders in the 5-4 matchup, and the Thunder and Skyhawks get a week to rest up before hosting the winners. 

Houston, Baltimore, and particularly Tampa Bay, cannot be happy with how the season panned out, with the Gamblers and Blitz a respectable 8-8, while the Bandits finished 9-7 and still were 2 games out of a Wild Card slot.  Better luck next year, I guess.

And finally, in a weird bit of trivia, and one that no one likely predicted this year, all four members of the expansion class of 2006-2008 (Atlanta, St. Louis, Charlotte, and Portland) have qualified for the playoffs. It would appear that we can now declare the expansion phase over and the full-fledged expectations of any USFL club are now required of these four clubs.

With Wild Card Weekend ready to kick off the USFL Playoffs, we take a look at the 8 teams ready to gear up and take to the field, and the injuries which could impact each club.

CHA:      FB Justin Green (IR), SS John Keith (IR), LB A. J. Nicholson (IR)

NOR:       WR Santana Moss (Out)

Two hits for the Monarchs as they lose their lead blocking FB and are going to go with an untested rookie Michael Estrada out of UTEP, though we also expect to see HB Taiwan Jones take some snaps at FB as well.  The bigger loss may be SS John Keith, who was one of the leaders of the D.  He is subbed by former Boston Cannon Shane Welton.  New Orleans will again be without Santana Moss, who is replaced by Brandon LaFell.  Expect to see DeMetrius Byrd in on some plays as well.

POR: OT Todd Wade (IR), DT Stephen Paea (Q), CB Marquand Manuel (P)

TEX: QB Joe Flacco (IR), DE Chris Canty (D)

The Outlaws have done well with Luke McCown at the helm after the Flacco injury, though clearly it has altered their offensive schemes.  The bigger concern is likely the likely absence of Chris Canty, which means that Robert Ayers will step in.  Ayers is solid, but not as explosive as Canty, however, either one will essentially be there to occupy blockers and free up Reynaldo Wynn on the other side.  For Portland, the biggest concern has been Manuel, who is a key piece of their secondary, but all indications are that the corner will be able to return for this game.

WSH: TE Heath Miller (IR), OT Vernon Carey (D), LB Aaron Curry (Q), C Austin King (Q)

NJ: DE Shaun Ellis (IR), CB Devin McCourty (Q)

If Devin McCourty can go for the Generals, that will be a big help for their aggressive man coverage schemes.  For Washington the hope had been that both King and Curry would be good to go for this game, but both are still 50/50 prospects with only 3 days to go before gametime. 

DEN: LB Shawne Merriman (IR), CB Jamar Fletcher (Q), G Travis Claridge (P)

OAK: TE Jeb Putzier (IR), G Logan Mankins (OUT), DT Tyson Alualu (OUT)

The loss of Merriman at the end of the regular season is a blow to Denver’s D for sure.  Will Overstreet will slide into the position, but Merriman’s leadership and motor will certainly be missed.  For Oakland, the loss of Jeb Putzier will force Joel Dreesen to step up his game and may cause Oakland to go to more 3 WR sets, which Is not the worst thing since slot receiver Hank Basket is certainly capable.

Black Monday Claims Five

Five head coaches were without positions by the end of Black Monday this year.  Two we knew about in advance, with Seattle’s Marvin Lewis resigning earlier this month and effective after the Dragons’ Week 16 clash.  John Fox had been notified several weeks back that he would not be moving with the club from Boston to Dallas as the new ownership is hoping to develop a new identity for the Roughnecks.  Those two were known.  A third was pretty much fully expected.

No one is shocked that Orlando let Emmitt Thomas go after a truly horrible 3-13 campaign this year.  Orlando was expected to challenge for the division and instead they put up stinker after stinker, especially on offense, where they just did not seem to be able to get out of their own way.  Expect ownership to look.  Thomas leaves Orlando with a 52-65 record over 8 seasons, including two playoff appearances, but declining returns over his past 4 seasons. 

A bit more surprising, but not totally unexpected was the announcement out of Los Angeles that Gregg Williams would not be returning in 2013.  Williams lasted only 3 seasons in LA, one of which was a 2011 Wild Card appearance, but issues in the locker room, one of which led to the club trading away big time playmaker Randy Moss, and consistent issues with underperformance on offense, set the stage for Williams to be let go.  The team limped to a 6-10 record this year despite a talented roster, and as more stories came out it was clear that Williams had lost a large portion of the locker room, a situation that rarely improves once it starts to fester.  So, LA will once again be looking for a coach who can both sustain a winning record and build a culture for a club that has never won a league title.

Perhaps the biggest surprise, and again, not a huge one, was that Baltimore opted to relieve coach Tom Coughlin of duties after 9 seasons and 4 playoff appearances.  Prior to this season the Blitz had made it to 4 consecutive postseasons, but with an overall playoff record of 2-4 in that time the pressure was on for the club to take a step towards greater success. Dropping to 8-8 and struggling to win divisional games was seen as a major sign that Coughlin simply was not going to get this club any higher, and in a division that saw 3 teams win at least 11 games, an 8-8 club is not looking like a potential champion any time soon.

We know that Seattle is very interested in St. Louis OC Stump Mitchell, and will have the chance to interview the former pro HB during the Skyhawks’ bye week.  We also expect that John Fox, who led Boston to a league title as recently as 2009, will certainly get some attention as teams look for a proven winner.  Beyond that, it is hard to know where this year’s search will go.  Certainly members of the Philadelphia, Washington, Texas, and St. Louis coaching staff will get looks, as will some NFL coordinators.  Will any teams wait out the NFL season to be able to snag a coach currently employed in the fall league?  Or will all 5 clubs jump at the chance to get a coach in the team offices before free agency and the draft push the agenda.  That is just not knowable right now.  We shall see over the next few weeks which teams are acting urgently and which are laying back and expecting to play a long game.

Dallas Reveals Team Colors & Uniform Ahead of Schedule

It will be blue skies and black gold for the Dallas Roughnecks. This week the newest franchise in the USFL unveiled the winning look after 8 weeks of fan voting and the winner was the look that combined black and red with a very familiar Columbia blue, familiar to Texans as "Love Ya, Blue". Of course, with that exact name a well-guarded property of the NFL Houston Oilers, Dallas will not be using that reference, but the color will be the dominant one on the team's uniforms.

Rowdy, the new Dallas mascot

The club will officially reveal the full look at the Summer Bowl, in their fan watch party, with current players, including HB Rashard Mendenhall, WR Percy Harvin, and LB Dat Nguyen on hand to model the new look, but this week the winning look was revealed and merchandise from banners to bumper stickers became available in the team's new colory scheme. The team also announced the formation of a cheerleading squad and the development of a mascot, Rowdy Roughneck, a jeans-wearing, hard-hat toting rig worker who may need to stop skipping leg day at the gym.

Jerseys, Tees, and other Roughneck gear is expected to be available by October, just in time for the Christmas rush, and with season ticket sales looking very strong, we expect a lot of folks in the DFW may well be getting USFL gear from Santa this year.

A big week of playoff action kicks off on Saturday with a doubleheader as 6th seeds head to the 3rd seed division champions for our first day of Wild Card Playoff action.  On Sunday it is a battle of Wild Cards as the 5 seed visits the 4 seed in both conferences.  Here is our rundown of each matchup.

6-Charlotte Monarchs (11-5) @ 3-New Orleans Breakers (9-7)

Saturday, July 9 @ 3pm ET

Super Dome, New Orleans, LA

Charlotte -4

Yes, you read that right, the visiting 6 seed is a four point favorite over the homestanding division champion 3 seed. It makes sense when you look at the record of the two teams and the overall performance of both this season.  Charlotte comes in with a top 10 offense as well as the 7th best overall scoring defense.  Meanwhile, New Orleans has the 5th best scoring defense, but at 18.4 points per game is only 20th in scoring.  The Breakers will need every inch of home field advantage in this one.

6-Portland Stags (9-7) @ 3-Texas Outlaws (10-6)

Saturday, July 9 @ 7pm ET

Alamodome, San Antonio, TX

Outlaws -6

Texas is a pretty heavy favorite over Portland but the Stags have been underestimated all season long.  The Stags rely on their defense, 1st overall in yardage allowed and in the top 3 against both the pass and the run.  That helps them overcome the league’s 23rd best offense, which is a nice way of saying the 5th worst.  As for Texas, we know they can score points, 26.9 per game to be exact, good enough for 2nd in the league, and they are first in yardage, so this will be a stern test for that Stag defense.

5-Washington Federals (12-4) @ 4-New Jersey Generals (12-4)

Sunday, July 10 @ 1pm ET

MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

Generals -1

I love a good divisional matchup in the playoffs and this one is a beaut. The two split the series, with Washington winning most recently with a 20-0 shutout in Week 9, a game the Generals are still sore about.   The Feds have a very tough scoring defense (3rd in the league) and their offense is no slouch either, with the league’s best rushing attack, led by Deuce McCallister. New Jersey comes in with a hot hand at QB, with Sam Bradford throwing for 12 touchdowns in just the last 3 games.  He leads the 5th best passing attack in the league, and, in a nice matchup to watch, the 3rd best rush defense, which will certainly be focused on McCallister in this one.

5-Denver Gold (9-7) @ 4-Oakland Invaders (10-6)

Sunday, July 10 @ 5pm ET

Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, CA

Invaders -4

Oakland gets the nod from the Las Vegas books, largely due to their defense, which will bend between the 20’s but is holding teams to only 16.9 points per game. Denver is at its best when it can get 100+ yards on the ground.  They have activated Javon Ringer, so expect them to use 3 backs with Murray and Hicks still getting the lion’s share of carries this week.  Will it be enough against the homestanding Invaders?