Everyone who had picked Charlotte to be the last unbeaten team in the league raise your hands. No one. That’s what we thought. With Texas going down to defeat in Philadelphia and Portland struggling against the Las Vegas Thunder defense, the Charlotte Monarchs became the only team to reach 4-0 at the ¼ mark of the season, easily taking care of the Orlando Renegades to win their 3rd divisional game and take a 2-game lead in the Southeast Division. Week 4 also saw four teams still sitting with a goosegg in the win column, including two franchises we did not expect to be here, the Michigan Panthers and the defending Pacific Division Champion LA Express. It has been a wild first 4 games of the year and Week 4 did not disappoint as the tight games and surprise results continued. We will review all the action from this fourth week of USFL action and also give you an on the unrest and speculation brought on by the as-yet undisclosed proposed sale of a current franchise to Dallas investors. Let’s get right to it with this week’s best game, a Central Division showdown between two teams with very different first quarter fortunes in 2012.
ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 30 MICHIGAN PANTHERS 27
We had a good one in the Central Division this week as the Michigan Panthers hosted the St. Louis Skyhawks in a battle of two teams who seem to be headed in very different directions. The Skyhawks entered the game at 2-1, having soundly defeated both the Machine and the Stallions before narrowly falling by 1 point to the Denver Gold last week. Michigan came into this matchup at a surprising 0-3, but have largely been in every game, losing to both Baltimore and Texas by exactly 3 points. The Panthers have been close, but have been unable to hold teams down to secure wins, and that would be the storyline once again as for a second straight week they would fall by the score of 30-27.
The problem for the Panthers has been their defense, which is giving up nearly 30 points per game, and against St. Louis it would fail them once again. A game that was 13-13 after three quarters would explode for 31 combined points in the final quarter, 3 more than Michigan could afford to give up. Michigan would allow 441 total yards of offense, and 130 yards rushing, but with 1:38 left to go they would have the lead, but once again would prove unable to hold it.
The first three quarters of this game would not seem to foretell the explosive 4th quarter that we saw. St. Louis would be held to only 2 field goals in the first half, while Michigan would score on only one drive, with Mike Hart getting a TD late in the 2nd quarter only to have the usually reliable Matt Prater doink the PAT off the crossbar, creating a 6-6 halftime score. In the third quarter St. Louis would finally find paydirt, with Antowain Smith scoring from 2 yards out, but on the ensuing drive, Michigan would equalize as Brian Griese, who would finish the game with 287 yards and 3 TDs, would get his first, a 24-yard toss to Mario Manningham.
Those two drives apparently cracked open the defenses for both teams and a wild 4th quarter would ensue. It began mildly enough with a St. Louis drive bogging down in the red zone and ending with a 34-yard Rob Bironas TD. After a 3-and-out for the Panthers, St. louis would get its longest play of the game as a missed coverage left Taylor Jacobs wide open for a 52-yard toss from Josh Freeman. St. Louis had built a seemingly unassailable 10-point lead with over 9 minutes left to play.
But the Skyhawks also had some issues on defense, and on their next drive Michigan would exploit the skyhawks, with Griese connecting on a 51-yard pass to Hines Ward that put the ball on the 6-yard line. One play later Griese would find Manningham for a 2nd time and Michigan would be within 3. After failing on a 3rd and 13 play, St. Louis would quickly return the ball to the Panthers, and Michigan would be in business, down only 3. They needed only 1:58 to move the ball down the field once again, thanks in large part to a successful screen play that sent Mike Hart on a 24-yard scamper right up the middle of the field. With 1:38 left to play, the seeminging unattainable comeback was in place as Gary Barnidge caught the 5-yard TD from Griese to put Michigan up 27-23. It would appear that they would earn their first win after a rough 0-3 start.
But 1:38 proved to be too much time. Michigan’s defense moved to a shell, trying to protect against the deep ball, but allowing out routes and sideline patterns that were far too easy. Josh Freeman connected on 5 consecutive passes, none longer than 11 yards, but quickly enough to put the ball at the 10-yard line with nearly 30 seconds left on the clock. It was an epic failure of the prevent defense as the Panthers simply could not both protect against the deep ball and cover the outside routes that allowed St. Louis to pick up yards and stop the clock. When Freeman took the snap from the 10, Michigan finally switched things up, sending pressure for the first time the entire drive, but when the blitz failed to get home, Freeman was able to find Taylor Jacobs fro his 2nd TD of the game, a perfectly thrown jump ball that Jacobs could pinpoint while his defender had his back to the ball. Jacobs came down with it and St. Louis pulled ahead 30-27. Michigan would drop to 0-4 while the Skyhawks, very much looking like a team that believes in its own ascendency, would rise to 3-1 on the year.
TEXAS 21 PHILADELPHIA 28
As impressive as last week’s win over Atlanta was, this victory by the Stars over the unbeaten Outlaws may have just reminded the league that this team is so much more than a QB. Matt Gutierrez only completed 10 of 22 passes, but the Stars still managed to hold off the Outlaws and move to 3-1. Quentin Jammer again came up huge with his 2nd pick-six in two weeks, this time a 68-yarder that again got the crowd to their feet. The Stars sacked Joe Flacco 7 times and limited the Outlaws to 4 of 14 on third down as they proved that they were still a force to reckon with in the East.
NASHVILLE 29 OHIO 27
With 142 yards from scrimmage and 2 touchdowns, Frank Gore is doing his best to keep Nashville as a contender in the Southern Division. Ohio had a good day from their lead back, DeMarco Murray (98 yards and 2 scores) but a failed 2-point conversion meant that the Glory fell to 0-4 on the season. Nashville sits at 2-2 in large part due to Quincy Carter’s efforts to protect the ball and the defense’s ability to force teams to settle for 3 once they get into scoring range.
PITTSBURGH 10 MEMPHIS 7
A second consecutive rainy and muddy week in the Mid-South forced both teams to slog through a tough game. Kenny Watson was the man this week for the Maulers, as he rushed for 96 yards and Pittsburgh’s lone TD. Memphis got within 3 on a 4th quarter TD to Sidney Rice after 3 quarters without a scoring try, but Dan Bailey went 0 for 3 on field goal attempts in the game, all from 40+, as the conditions made life miserable for the fans, the players, and the kicking game.
NEW JERSEY 27 BIRMINGHAM 24
Birmingham got skirted by the rain on Friday, but by game time the field was in decent shape and both offenses could run a full playbook. That worked out well for both QB’s as both Bradford and Newton threw for 3 scores apiece. Bradford found Doug Baldwin twice for scores, and by the half had a 24-3 lead. Newton heated up in the second half, connecting with Terrell Owens twice, but could not get a final drive to tie or take the lead. New Jersey escaped with the win and a 3-1 record at the ¼ mark of the season.
LOS ANGELES 6 ATLANTA 9
Weather was not an issue inside the Georgia Dome, but poor offense certainly was. In a sloppy game that saw the two teams combine for 17 penalties and go a combined 6 of 30 on third down, both offenses were inefficient, mistake prone, and just plain bad. Randy Moss was again held under 50 yards in the game as his longest completion was for just 11 yards, and Atlanta could only muster 52 yards rushing against the Express in a game that was a joy for no one.
PORTLAND 3 LAS VEGAS 16
The Stags’ surprising 3-0 start came to a halt as Las Vegas put up the first 13-points in the game and played shut down defense throughout. Nine penalties for 80 yards did not help the Stags’ cause, and neither did Jonathan Stewart being held to only 2.3 yards per carry. The Thunder fared a bit better, with Lynch and Cedric Benson combining for 89 yards and backup QB Ingle Martin connecting with TE Ernie Williams for the lone TD of the game. Las Vegas survives with Jake Plummer out, and gets the win to take a share of the Pacific lead with Portland.
ORLANDO 10 CHARLOTTE 39
The Monarchs continue to impress as they blow out the Renegades and now sit as the league’s only unbeaten. Jake Delhomme, who struggled through most of 2011 is looking right at home now, throwing for 200 yards on an 18 of 28 day. Fred Jackson and Shonn Greene combined for 124 yards and 2 scores, and the Monarchs found the Renegade offense, without Knownshon Moreno, to be no threat at all.
JACKSONVILLE 20 TAMPA BAY 17
Two losses in a row for the Bandits as they underestimate their in-state rival, let them hang around all game, and then look on in disbelief as the Bulls get 2 scores in the 4th, including a game winning TD from Tebow to Johnny Knox to take their first win of the season. Tebow would go 22 of 38 for 226 and the score, while Lamar Miller, the rookie back, is beginning to look like a good catch, rushing for 86 yards on the day.
BOSTON 6 BALTIMORE 14
Baltimore caught the front end of the rains for most of their game against Boston, but they may have found an answer as Anthony Dixon rushed for 102 in his best game of the year. The defense was rough on Jake Locker, who has yet to settle into the pro game, and Boston could not get in the endzone again as the Cannons fall to 0-4 with another low-scoring loss.
CHICAGO 13 NEW ORLEANS 21
After blowing out Arizona last week, the Machine came out flat against New Orleans. The defense pressured Drew Brees but the Breaker QB got the last laugh, completing 82% of his passes and connecting with both Early Doucet and rookie TE Coby Fleener for scores. Doucet had himself a game with 150 yards on 6 receptions as New Orleans moved to 2-2, joining the 3-way tie atop the Southern Division.
HOUSTON 20 ARIZONA 27
The Wranglers bounced back nicely from their loss last week, getting TDs from Fitzgerald, Mike Williams, and Stevan Ridley to upend the Gamblers. David Carr had to leave the game just after the half, but Jim Sorgi rallied the Wranglers with a TD to Mike Williams to seal the win. Ninety-five yards from LT helped as well as Arizona now moves to 2-2, along with the Gamblers.
SEATTLE 16 OAKLAND 0
The Invaders drop to 2-2 with a stunningly ineffective showing at home against the winless Dragons. Seattle held Oakland to only 59 yards rushing and controlled the ball for 38:25 of the 60 minutes, thanks in large part to the rushing of Jahvid Best and Jackson Smith, who combined for 98 yards on 31 carries. Byron Leftwich hit Anquon Boldin for the game’s only touchdown, and Seattle got their first win of the year while shutting out a division rival.
WASHINGTON 16 DENVER 3
Denver’s offense was also a no show on Sunday night as the Federals limited the Gold to 287 total yards and only 72 yards rushing. A safety from Corey Liuget and a pick-six from LB Antonio Pierce highlighted the dominance of the Federal defense in this game. Five different Feds also got sacks as the visitors moved to 3-1 and now have a share of first place in the very competitive NE Division.
Charlotte Moves to 4-0 But Cannot Shake Doubters
The Charlotte Monarchs are beginning to understand what Rodney Dangerfield was talking about. They just cannot get no respect. The Monarchs are the last remaining unbeaten team, have won the last two games by a combined 76-10 score, are currently 1st in the league in scoring, 5th in scoring defense, and can boast a 19.3 point average margin of victory after 4 weeks, but no one seems to care. The most recent ESPN Power Rankings have them 4th behind Texas, Pittsburgh, and Washington. USA Today has them third, with only Washington falling behind, and the general opinion on sports talk is that this club is expected to start faltering and many are even saying they could finish 3rd in their own division.
So, what does a team have to do to get some respect? Well, the first thing may be to beat a team with a winning record. So far, after 4 games, their toughest opponents have been 2-2 Atlanta and 2-2 Orlando, but that may change this week when they head out to Las Vegas to face the 3-1 Thunder on their own turf. The game will also be the first road game of the year for the Monarchs, who have benefited from a quirky schedule that had them play an entire month of home games before hitting the road. They will now head to Las Vegas, then to Nashville, and on to Jacksonville and Orlando in a 4-game road stretch.
Charlotte will be challenged this week as both Fred Jackson and Shonn Greene appeared on the injury list. Jackson is doubtful, Green questionable, but we expect one or both to be able to play. The Monarchs will have their entire receiver group available, including D. J. Hackett, who leads the club with 303 yards, 23 receptions, and 4 TDs. Former NJ General Mark Clayton has 3 scores of his own, despite only having 7 receptions so far this year. The defense will also be intact, which includes Rolando McClain, who had a huge game this past week, as well as sack leader LB Rey Maualaga, and CB Asante Samuel, who already has 2 picks on the season.
Charlotte may find that respect takes time, but as they venture out for a long road trip, this is the time for them to prove that they are not an early season fluke, but a true contender.
Stewart the Story in Portland
Portland fell to defeat for the first time this season in their game against Las Vegas, but don’t put the blame on HB Jonathan Stewart. The 5th year back is having his best season with the Stags and could exceed 1,000 yards for the third straight year if he can keep up the pace. He is on pace for 400 carries this season, something we have only seen once in 30 years of USFL football, 2008, when Michael Turner barely topped it at 402 for the season. But, the 97 carries we have seen already have been productive ones for Stewart. They include a 160 yard game in Week 2 against Orlando and two more games over 80 yards.
The Stags need this kind of production from their lead back as the passing game has not exactly lit things up. Ryan Fitzpatrick is doing pretty well this year, raising his completion percentage to a respectable 67.5% and he has been protecting the ball, with only 1 pick in 4 games, but he is not making huge plays downfield. The Stags rely on the run, play action, and short passes to keep the chains moving, and it has been Stewart’s steady gains on early downs that have made it possible for the Stags to keep those chains moving and avoid the problematic third-and-long situations which tend to cause drives to stall.
The defense has been a huge help to the Stags, ranked 2nd in points allowed at 12.2 per game (only Las Vegas is better) and barely 222 yards per game, but even that is partially a result of Stewart’s success, as Portland currently has the highest time of possession total through four games of any team in the league, nearly 37 minutes per game. If the Stags are going to be a legitimate contender for the Pacific Title, especially after being picked by most to finish in 5th place, they are going to do so on the back (and the legs) of Jonathan Stewart.
Flacco Holding the Triple Crown Despite Week 4 Loss
As we look over the stats after 4 weeks (see our standings page for current totals) it seems clear that Joe Flacco is again on pace for a possible MVP award. The Texas QB is currently holding the Triple Crown of yards, TDs and QB Rating. It is a trifecta he was able to hold last year in his MVP season, an honor which only 5 QBs have ever achieved (Jim Kelly, Brett Favre-twice, Kerry Collins-twice, Troy Aikman, and Brian Griese) and one only Kerry Collins achieved in back to back seasons, the “Glory Years” of back to back titles in 2002-2003. Texas fell short last year, falling to Pittsburgh in the Conference Title Game, but if Flacco can keep up this pace all season, the Outlaws may again be poised to reach their first Summer Bowl.
Express Last in Scoring But First in Complaints
The 2012 season is not going the way most expected for the LA Express. After a 10-6 season that saw the Express win the Pacific Division and advance to the Divisional Playoff Round, there were high hopes that this year LA could go even further, maybe win the top seed and earn a bye, and make a serious push for the club’s first Summer Bowl appearance since 2006. But, sitting at 0-4, and boasting the worst offense in both yards and scoring, it does not feel like that team has shown up yet.
What has shown up in Los Angeles is discord. It started with Randy Moss speaking publicly about the team’s offensive struggles, and calling out both the playcalling of his coach and the decision-making of his QB. Now, after another brutal loss, and a 2nd straight game without scoring a touchdown, more and more fingers are being pointed in more and more directions. Yes, Moss was again vocal about the team’s need for a more wide-open gameplan. Keyshawn Johnson, the other distinctly extroverted receiver on the club, spoke out as well, stating that he felt chances were missed and that the gameplan continues to be far too conservative. Halfback Ray Rice, who has yet to crack 1,000 yards in his career, is grumbling about a lack of carries, with only 52 this season. Compare that to backs like Jonathan Stewart (97), Deuce McCallister (93) and Fred Jackson (88) and you can see why he is upset, but unlike those three backs, Rice is not providing enough bang for the buck at 3.8 yards per carry to warrant 20-25 carries a game.
LA’s problems appear to be many. Their line is struggling to hold blocks, their QB is rushing plays to avoid getting hit, and the receivers are not getting separation. And while we can also critique the overall gameplan for not opening up the passing game, the truth is that the offense is not stable enough to allow for slow-developing plays or frequent deep shots. Coach Gregg Williams is by nature a conservative coach with a defensive mindset, but the roster he has to work with on offense is not a classic smashmouth, grind it out, squad. They are better aligned for a faster pace, more spread, deep ball vertical offense, but that is not the preferred strategy for Williams, so we are not seeing it on the field. So, for the near future, expect to hear more grousing, more discord, and more post-game discussion as the losses continue to pile up.
Injuries continue to mount as the USFL season continues, with the biggest hit coming in Memphis, where HB Cadillac Williams will be placed on IR after suffering a hip injury that will require surgery this week. The Showboats were not alone in their pain as Washington suffered two potential IR-inducing injuries, with RT Vernon Carey down with a ruptured Achilles tendon and DT Geno Atkins out with a fracture to his tibia. A rough week all in all, with several season-impacting injuries to report.
INJURED RESERVE
Vernon Carrey OT WSH Achilles
Cadillac Williams HB MEM Hip
Andy Alleman G BAL Achilles
Geno Atkins DT WSH Leg
OUT
Terreal Bierria SS POR Arm 6-8 Weeks
David Bowens DE JAX Arm 4-6 Weeks
Michael Floyd WR CHI Abdomen 2-4 Weeks
Jason Babin DE BOS MCL 1-2 Weeks
Marshawn Lynch HB LV Ribs 1-2 Weeks
Shonn Greene HB CHA Ankle 1-2 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
Sinorice Moss WR STL Concussion
Jamar Fletcher CB DEN Knee
Tebucky Jones FS MEM Concussion
Marcus Truffant CB LA Shoulder
QUESTIONABLE
Michael Jenkins WR ORL Turf Toe
Robbie Tobeck C ATL Concussion
John Greco OT BIR Jaw
Bobby Wagner LB OAK Turf Toe
Bob Sanders SS NJ Hip
Fan Groups Across USFL Call For Owners to Nix Sale
This had to be expected. With news that the USFL league offices had received the intent to transfer ownership paperwork from the Destination Dallas investment group fronted by tech billionaire Mark Cuban, but without naming the franchise in question to be transferred, fans in several cities have started making noise. Organized efforts to protest the sale have emerged in all of the most likely cities impacted by a club sale: Boston, Chicago, Oakland, and Nashville, but also in Orlando, Memphis, and San Antonio, all cities not generally viewed as being in danger of a sale & relocation plot.
The greatest pressure seems to be building in Chicago, where not only have over 25,000 fans signed a petition to ask the USFL to keep the Machine in the Windy City, but where Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, former White House Chief of Staff, has called for the city’s lease with the Machine to be held securely, requiring major punitive damages be paid to the city should the team leave town. In Boston, fans have organized rallies to support the Cannons, but have been unable to get official support from City Hall. In Nashville the local government is open to renegotiating the Knights’ contract with Adelphia Stadium, but have, as of yet, been unable or unwilling to go so far as to threaten legal action against the USFL should Nashville’s Knights be proposed as the club to be sold to the Dallas investment group.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, the news of a potential club purchase has been greeted with widesweeping approval. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings has said that the USFL will be welcomed with open arms. The Cotton Bowl renovations are near completion so a club could begin play in March 2013, and nearly 24,000 fans have already placed non-binding $100 deposits on seat licenses for a potential franchise, a number that has already put nearly $2.5 million in the coffers of the Destination Dallas group.
Our reporters have, as yet, been unable to obtain any reliable information as to the identity of the team which has signed off on the agreement to sell the franchise. We know the league owners will be reviewing and very likely voting on the sale in just a couple of weeks, but clearly word has gotten out around the league that this is a topic to keep under wraps, lest one of the existing franchises suffer a midseason crisis of faith, with protests impacting both attendance and public image in the club’s current location. We will continue to reach out to both league and various team sources to see if we can get a better sense of the future, and we will continue to follow the actions of the Destination Dallas Group, as they seem to exuding confidence that approval is forthcoming and planning for a Dallas USFL club is moving forward.
Would League Consider a Double Move to Save a Market?
Sports radio has lept on the news of the Dallas sale, and in an interesting move, both on radio and on ESPN’s USFL coverage a new wrinkle has been discussed. Would the league consider a double move if the Dallas deal costs the league one of its cornerstone cities? What does that mean? Well, we all know that the league is largely TV revenue dependent, and we know that the revenue stream is tied to markets across the USA. The concern, both within the league offices and among all 28 owners is that a move, even to a large market such as Dallas, could lead to reconfigured deals with both ABC/ESPN and FOX, particularly related to the Saturday and Sunday slates of simulcast games.
The fear, of course, is that Chicago is the team on the chopping block. The league already dealt with the loss of the country’s second largest city back in the late 1980’s when the Chicago Blitz relocated to Baltimore. The league was able to assuage the networks then through a guaranteed reinstating of a Chicago franchise in 1987 as well as an expansion that added additional markets such as intended franchises in Miami, San Diego, and San Antonio. That plan backfired a bit when Miami turned out to be Orlando, and San Diego ended up in Tulsa, but Chicago did return with the Machine in 1987, and by 1988 the Orlando, San Antonio and now Portland squads helped expand the market coverage into the Pacific Northwest and within Texas.
In the current scenario, there is no immediate plan for expansion, so the departure of a Chicago franchise would be hard for the league to swallow. Or, would they simply not allow that to happen. The case put forward in sports media has been that if Chicago is indeed the franchise under the microscope, the league might push hard for a 2nd team, particularly a team in a smaller market, Nashville, Orlando, or Columbus, for example, to be pushed, cajoled, or enticed to relocate to Chicago immediately. What we could see is for the Machine to suffer a major upheaval, perhaps with new ownership coming from one of the other cities, and with the full staff and roster of that relocated 2nd team to replace the Machine roster and staff, while the original Machine franchise would move to Dallas, with all the players and personnel traveling to their new city as part of the deal with Destination Dallas. This would not be the first time we have seen something like this, not even for Chicago.
Older fans may remember that after only 1 season in the USFL, when the league was still struggling to establish itself, and right as the antitrust lawsuit and discussion of a fall calendar were getting underway, the owners of the then Chicago Blitz and the Arizona Wranglers all but traded entire franchises. Chicago’s initial ownership took over the Wranglers, and brought most of the Blitz roster as well as head coach George Allen to the desert, while Chicago got handed most of the Arizona roster and staff.
Considering the long history of Chicago being a somewhat unstable location, a history that has largely been forgotten as the Machine have resided in the city without much incident since 1987, discussion of a double move seems both plausible, and concerning. Of course Chicagoans would not be happy to lose the team they have rooted for, even if the shell of the Machine were picked up by another team, but a double move would also mean that somewhere else in the USFL nation a city would be losing their franchise entirely, despite local support, just to ensure that the league retained a huge TV market in Chicago.
Of course, this all assumes that Chicago is the franchise that the Dallas investment group has targeted and come to an agreement with. Were the agreement to be with a club like Nashville, we likely would not be discussing any double move. The Knights and Memphis Showboats have struggled to not cannibalize each other’s fanbase, and further splits exist with some Tennessee and regional fans also supporting Birmingham, Atlanta, or St. Louis. If the team being sold is either Boston or Oakland, then there is a debate. Boston is the 11th largest market in the USA, and while the league would like to retain as many Top 20 markets as possible, a move to Dallas, the #4 market, could not be defined as a negative impact move by the league. Similarly, with the Bay Area currently the 13th largest market, relocation of the Invaders to Dallas would still be a net pick up for the league.
Of course, this all assumes that the network don’t look at the numbers and decide that losing all of New England, or the Bay Area and all of northern California as a more significant subtraction than the addition of a 3rd Texas squad would represent. With Houston and San Antonio already represented in the league, there is an argument to be made that adding Dallas is not as big a gain as may be anticipated, with many DFW football fans having already signed on with the Gamblers or Outlaws as their team. Losing the Boston or Bay Area markets could actually produce a greater impact than the addition of the DFW metro area could counteract.
The idea of a double move, while primarily tied to Chicago as a city of concern, could, even in the cases of other markets, be a considerable consideration. Could a smaller market essentially be squeezed out by the league’s interest in maximizing their TV dollars? While that seems an unpleasant potentiality, it also feels very much like the kind of financial consideration the USFL may well be willing to consider.
Peyton Manning Cleared for Non-Contact Drills
Our final report of the week is good news for what must be a very nervous Nashville fanbase. While the club is still being named as a very possible Dallas target for sale and relocation, and while the club has had marginal success with Quincy Carter at the helm, sitting at 2-2 in the division at present, the news fans have wanted to hear has come to pass. In his most recent medical evaluation, Peyton Manning has been deemed to be improving nicely, recovering from the spinal fusion surgery which cost him the entire 2011 NFL season and has been cleared to participate in non-contact drills and practice with the Nashville Knights. Manning, who has been a regular presence at the team’s facilities, an unofficial coach to the QB group during film and gameplan meetings, and who has been seen engaging in private workouts both on the field and in the team’s weight and training facilities, is now able to join the team for walkthroughs and other non-contract drills. This is a good step towards being able to join in full practices and eventually to being moved from the PUP list to the active roster. That is something all Knight fans are hoping will happen this year. The alternative would be for the Knights to decide to give Manning more time, place him on IR for the remainder of the season and target 2013 as his potential return date. What fans are hoping for, and what the recent announcement of his eligibility for practice seems to indicate, is the potential for a late season return to action, and a possible appearance of the former Tennessee Volunteer on the field in Knight purple, silver and gold this season.
Week Five kicks off with a battle we all want to see, as two NE Division rivals square off. It will be the Federals visiting Philadelphia to take on the Stars. The Stars have found ways to win over the past 2 weeks, shrugging off the loss of Kurt Warner by redoubling their commitment to shut down defense and a balanced attack. Washington comes in with the best ground game in the league and with a desire to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division.
Saturday’s headline games include Houston traveling to Portland, and a traditional Alabama-Georgia border war between two clubs in different divisions but with a history of football rivalry, the Atlanta Fire traveling to Birmingham to face the Stallions. Saturday also features a game that could be the beginning of the end for one team as the winless Michigan Panthers travel to neighboring Ohio to face the winless Ohio Glory. Not exactly the Michigan-Ohio State clash we love each fall, but a game that could mark the end of any realistic goals for this season as one team will likely come out of the game at 0-5.
On Sunday’s slate we look forward to the Baltimore-Orlando clash in Central Florida, to the Generals headed to Denver to face the Gold, and to the Maulers and Skyhawks, both 3-1, clashing in the Gateway city, but the game of the week has to be Charlotte heading to Las Vegas for a Sunday 4pm classic of a 4-0 Monarchs club being tested in their first road game against the 3-1 Las Vegas Thunder, the club with the best scoring defense in football.
FRIDAY @ 8PM ET Washington (3-1) @ Philadelphia (3-1) NBC
SAT @ 12PM ET Nashville (2-2) @ Boston (0-4) ABC
SAT @ 12PM ET Michigan (0-4) @ Ohio (0-4) ABC
SAT @ 12PM ET Atlanta (2-2) @ Birmingham (2-2) FOX
SAT @ 4PM ET Houston (2-2) @ Portland (3-1) ABC
SAT @ 4PM ET Jacksonville (1-3) @ Seattle (1-3) FOX
SAT @ 8PM ET Texas (3-1) @ Arizona (2-2) ESPN/EFN
SUN @ 12PM ET Baltimore (3-1) @ Orlando (2-2) ABC
SUN @ 12PM ET Memphis (1-3) @ New Orleans (2-2) FOX
SUN @ 12PM ET Pittsburgh (3-1) @ St. Louis (3-1) FOX
SUN @ 4PM ET New Jersey (3-1) @ Denver (2-2) ABC
SUN @ 4PM ET Chicago (2-2) @ Los Angeles (0-4) ABC
SUN @ 4PM ET Charlotte (4-0) @ Las Vegas (3-1) FOX
SUN @ 8PM ET Oakland (2-2) @ Tampa Bay (2-2) ESPN/EFN