They say the cream rises to the top, and that appears to have happened in the USFL in 2013. All four of the 1 and 2 seeds won their home playoff games this week, with three of the four winning by double digits. Perhaps it was the bye week that helped these division champions come out ready to dominate, or perhaps there just is a bit of a gap between the top teams and the Wild Card clubs. Whatever the reason, we once again have two Championship Games that feature 1 v. 2 matchups, as it will be New Orleans at Philadelphia, and Oakland at Arizona in next week’s action. We will recap all the scores from Divisional Weekend, take a look ahead at the Conference title games, refresh our list of potential free agents, and report on possible news out of Las Vegas, all right here.
CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 7 NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 21
The only non-divisional matchup of the four playoff games this week, the Monarchs-Breakers matchup had a weird feel to it all day. It was a game that saw 17 penalties accepted, for over 150 yards, and one where the Monarchs were expected to run the ball quite a bit, but only managed 80 yards rushing, while New Orleans, which was expected to throw the ball quite a bit more, rushed for 115, with the leading rusher in the game being Mike Tolbert, with 74 yards. It was a game largely played between the 30 yard lines, with limited scoring opportunities and a dearth of big plays, There were only 3 plays of over 20 yards the entire game. But in the end the Breakers had held court and taken the home win, moving them on to their first Conference Title Game since 2009.
In a slow first quarter, neither team seemed to have a sense of how to convert their possessions into sustained drives. Four drives but nothing particularly threatening from either team as the defenses seemed to have things under control. It was not until Charlotte’s first possession of the 2nd quarter that either team reached the 30 of their opponent. Charlotte did more than that, taking advantage of a defensive pass interference call to get within the 10 and then Brandon Wheedon connecting with TE Luke Wilson for the score. Little did the Monarchs know that this 7-0 lead would be their only points on the day.
The Breakers quickly removed the Monarchs’ lead, driving 73 yards in 11 plays, and, with one of the few 20+ yard plays of the day, Drew Brees equalized the score by hitting Santana Moss on a perfect over-the-shoulder throw into the end zone. 7-7 would be the score going into the half, but even after 30 minutes there was no real sense that either team had put the pieces into place to take over the game.
We saw the first clear turning point in the game when, after a 5-play possession fizzled out for Charlotte, punter Ken Walter caught the ball on the side of his foot, producing a shank of a punt that went for only 21 yards. That put New Orleans on the Charlotte side of the field and they would not squander the gift. On their only scoring drive of the quarter, the Breakers dinked, dunked, and rushed their way to the endzone, with little-used Jawan Jamison getting the call from the 4-yard line and pushing the ball to the corner pylon for New Orleans’s first lead.
Charlotte would try to respond as the third quarter winded down, but after a holding call, they found themselves with a 3rd and 17. Wheedon forced a ball towards D. J. Hackett, but it was picked by CB Randall Gay, and once again New Orleans took over. That drive would fizzle and Caleb Sturgis was brought out to try a 54-yard field goal. When it sliced to the left, it was Charlotte’s ball again. Penalties and solid Breaker defense had held the Monarchs in check all game, and the combination would do it again. On a 2nd and 3, it appeared that Wheedon had found Hakeem Nicks for a sizeable 17-yard gain, but an illegal shift penaltie called it back. The drive again fizzled, and the Monarchs again punted the ball away.
Midway through the fourth, New Orleans put the game away with a bit of a herky jerky drive, but one that eventually found paydirt, with Tolbert busting a 16-yard run to get the Breakers inside the 10 and then Brees, rolling right to find Early Doucet in the back of the endzone. Up 21-7 with just about 10 minutes to play, the Breakers just needed to do what they had done all day, eliminate big plays by the Monarchs and force them to sustain drives slowly and methodically.
That was something that Charlotte could not do. Their first possession was stymied by a Ricky Jean-Francois sack, and their second by a poorly thrown 3rd down pass that was nearly picked off by Corey Chavous. With 3:02 left to play, the ball went back to New Orleans and the Breakers ground down the clock, converting on a 3rd and 2 with Mike Tolbert’s final run of the day, and then 3 kneel downs to end the game and send New Orleans on. They would not know to where until the next day, but they knew that they had advanced.
LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 18 OAKLAND INVADERS 31
A sunny 78 degrees with a slight breeze coming off the bay greeted the LA-Oakland game, perfect California weather for a football game. The two rival California clubs would celebrate with 10 scoring drives in 16 possessions, but the final tally would favor the Invaders by quite a margin, as they were able to put the ball in for 6 when LA often was forced to settle for 3. It was a game that saw Joey Harrington toss 4 touchdowns, and which left LA frustrated by its own miscues and mistakes.
A good example of LA miscues came on the opening drive, when a dropped pass in the end zone removed 6 points from the scoreboard and forced the Express to kick a game-opening field goal. When Oakland moved the ball into LA territory on the next drive, they did not have the same difficulty, with Harrington hitting TE Zack Ertz, a game time decision to play at all, with the first touchdown of the day.
LA would drive the ball effectively once again, but this time it was a penalty, one of 10 by the Express on the day, costing them 105 yards. This one was a false start, and it pushed a 3rd and 2 into a 3rd and 7. Once again, Damon Duvall would put 3 on the board and after 1 quarter it was LA down 7-6. The second quarter would not be as forgiving to the Express. Oakland opened the quarter with another touchdown drive, this time Harrington hitting Pierre Garçon for the score, giving the homestanding Invaders a 14-6 lead.
When LA’s Rod Smart, playing in what would be his final pro game, slid to the ground when he stepped from the turf to the dirt infield at the Coliseum, it stymied a 3rd and 3 run attempt and forced an Express punt. The Invaders saw their chance to take control of the game and put together a well-orchestrated drive, with Harrington completing 3 of 5 attempts, including a 5-yard pass to rookie Keenan Allen for the young star’s first of 2 touchdowns on the day. The Invaders and Express would go to the half with Oakland holding a healthy 21-6 lead.
In the 3rd, LA got a rare break in the game when a poor snap forced Joey Harrington to fall on the ball in the end zone, giving the Express two points and possession. They could not produce points on the post-safety possession, another missed opportunity. After a pair of 3-and-out possessions, Oakland again found their offensive groove, this time with Ryan Williams taking the lead thanks to 3 very nice runs on the drive. 36 of his 97 total rushing yards would come on the drive, and once again Harrington found Allen for the score, pushing the Oakland advantage to 28-8.
With time quickly running down, LA was forced to abandon the run game. The Express would add 3 on their next drive, and would score a late touchdown, but it was too little too late against an Invader defense that did not have to stop all scoring, just ensure that adding points to LA’s tally would take time and effort. They did just that, and by game’s end the Invaders still had a 13 point cushion as they celebrated a win over their in-state rival and a trip to the Conference Title Game.
WASHINGTON FEDERALS 21 PHILADELPHIA STARS 33
Hot and muggy was the situation in Philadelphia when the Feds and Stars clashed on Sunday afternoon. A high of 90 meant an on-field temperature hanging around 100 degrees. But the heat did not seem to diminish the firepower of either team as they both seemed pretty comfortable executing their game plans. The two teams would combine for over 700 yards of offense and 54 points, well over the expected over-under of 41. And yet, despite the high score, this game was largely out of hand for the Federals by the half.
Philadelphia dominated the first half, putting up a 19-0 lead by the break. They did it thanks in large part to the return of two key players, WR Stevie Johnson and HB Steve Slaton. Slaton would have the bigger day in yards, with 127 rushing yards on 22 carries in the game, while Stevie Johnson would add two touchdowns to help Philadelphia get the advantage over their division rival. The defense would also chip in with a safety, six total sacks, and a pick in the red zone that ended a scoring threat from the Federals. The first half saw both Slaton and Johnson score as Philadelphia got two touchdowns to go along with the safety, caused by a Sean Lee blitz of Webb deep in the Washington end. Add on a Mike Nugent field goal and it was a formidable lead for Philadelphia at the midway point.
Washington would battle back in the second half, finally making some of the plays that had been missed in the first half. While they largely had to give up on the run by the half, Joe Webb survived the 6 sacks and put up 293 yards, most of it in the second half, to help Washington claw slightly closer. A TD pass to McCallister were the first points for the Federals, but they were quickly offset when Matt Gutierrez hit Stevie Johnson on the longest play of the game, a 36-yard touchdown strike. By the end of 3 quarters, Philly still held a 19-point lead, up 26-7.
Washington would add two more touchdowns in the final period, Joe Webb tosses to Chase Coffman and Bryant Johnson, but sandwiched between them was a Zac Stacy TD run for the Stars, which maintained their comfortable lead. The Stars would hold the ball for the final 1:57, comfortable with a 2-score advantage, and Philly would move on to host New Orleans in the Eastern Final. Slaton would be named game MVP, and after nearly 6 weeks inactive, it was a sight for sore eyes in Philadelphia to see their top tailback performing so well in his first game back, a sight that the Breakers had better prepare for.
TEXAS OUTLAWS 15 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 20
A rematch of the regular season finale, but this time with all the starters on the field, the Outlaws and Wranglers hooked up again inside the comfortable climate-controlled University of Phoenix Stadium. Good thing too, with temperatures outside soaring over 100 degrees. The final matchup of the week would prove to be the most balanced, with the lead switching 3 times, including twice in the final 10 minutes. It would also be the lowest scoring of the weekend’s 4 contests, but that certainly did not mean it was not an exciting matchup.
The hero of the day would be WR Larry Fitzgerald, league leader in yards per catch, as he contributed 125 yards on 5 receptions, two of which were long TD catches. His first would come early in the game, on Arizona’s first possession. Down 3-0 after an initial drive for Texas garnered them a field goal, Arizona struck quickly, with David Carr finding Fitzgerald in single coverage and connecting for what would be a 53-yard strike. Fitzgerald would also come into play in the 2nd quarter, when, again after Texas added 3 on a Kai Forbath field goal, Arizona would find a flaw in the Texas defense and again exploit it with Larry Fitzgerald. The 25-yard touchdown throw from Carr, who finished the day 15 of 24 for 231 yards, would give Arizona a 14-6 lead at the half.
Normally an 8-point lead for the Wranglers might mean the end of the game’s drama, but Texas fought back in the second half. They added a 3rd field goal as the only score of the third quarter, and then shocked the Wrangler faithful with an extended 13-play drive, that ended with Flacco finding fullback Rick Razzano, a favorite playoff target for the QB, for the go-ahead touchdown with 6 minutes left in the game. Texas was ahead 15-14 after the failed 2-point play, but with 6 minutes left, Arizona had time to take the game back.
The Wranglers would do just that, using up more than 5 minutes on a methodical drive led by HB and MVP candidate Frank Gore. Gore would finish the game just shy of 100 yards rushing, with 94 total, but on this drive he was the centerpiece, helping to use up clock and position Arizona for a possible game-winning field goal. That kick would not be needed as a short pass to Rob Gronkowski, thanks to a missed tackle, turned into a 23-yard play and put the ball on the 2 with about a minute to play. On 2nd and goal, David Carr found Antonio Bryant for the touchdown and gave Arizona their 20-15 final score. Texas could not mount a last second scoring drive against a ferocious Arizona pass rush (Joe Flacco was sacked a nasty 10 times in the game, twice on this final drive), and the Wranglers would punch their ticket to the Western Conference Final. Their first trip to a championship game since 2004.
Double Whammy for Fans as Retirements Follow Playoff Ousters
It is bad enough to have your favorite team knocked out of the playoffs, but then to find out that one of the best players on that team has decided to retire from the game, well that puts a little salt on the wound. That has to be the feeling for fans of 5 of the USFL’s ousted playoff sides as defeat in their post season matchup has been paired with a retirement announcement. Three wide receivers, all top targets for their teams, have announced their departure from the game, along with a not-entirely unexpected announcement from Jake Delhomme, and one of Chicago’s linebacking core group all hang up the cleats.
Birmingham WR Randy Moss made the announcement on Saturday during a short interview during halftime of the Charlotte-New Orleans game. The former Marshall product has played 16 seasons in the league, his first 10 in Tampa Bay, where he won a title with the Bandits in 1998, his last 6 in shorter stints with Ohio, Los Angeles, and Birmingham (2 years at each). He retires as one of the best in the history of the league, third all time in receiving yards with 19,841, fourth in receiving touchdowns with 144, and still considered one of the best long ball receivers ever to play in the spring league.
An iconic figure in LA sports, former USC Trojan and career-long LA Express receiver Keyshawn Johnson announced just this Monday that he was also stepping away from the game. At age 37, Johnson played 10 seasons with the Express, racking up over 9,000 yards and 56 touchdowns. Once a teammate of Randy Moss, Johnson had four 1,000-yard seasons during his time in the USFL. He will now join FOX Sports as a studio analyst.
The third receiver to step away from the game is Denver’s Peerless Price, who spent all 15 of his pro seasons in Denver. Price retires as the team record holder for career receptions (1,246), receiving yards (14,495), and receiving touchdowns (80). He also still holds the Gold’s record for the longest punt return in team history with an 86-yarder back in 1999. Price currently ranks third all time in receptions, behind only Joey Galloway and Henry Ellard, having surpassed former Wrangler Trumaine Johnson just this year.
Perhaps the least surprising announcement was that of QB Jake Delhomme. The Monarchs’ QB missed most of the 2013 season with a knee injury, he had previously missed 2 playoff games in 2012 to injury as well. At 38 years of age, Delhomme was one of the elder statesmen among USFL QBs, having played 3 years in Charlotte, 1 in Memphis, 8 in Jacksonville and several years as a backup developing in Philadelphia. He retires as a 2-time All-USFL quarterback and the Monarchs record holder for passing yards and pass completion rate.
Finally, Chicago’s departure from the playoffs came with the announcement that one of their core linebackers would be stepping down. No, it was not the injured Brian Urlacher, but the teammate who stepped in to fill his MLB role when he went down, Kendrell Bell. Bell arrived in Chicago in 2010 after 5 years in Denver and 4 more in New Jersey. The rangy outside LB retires with 49 career sacks and 11 picks to go along with his 868 career tackles.
Also filing for retirement this week, but perhaps without the same fanfare, were Charlotte WR Derrick Mason, Express guard Solomon Page, Seattle wideout Anquon Boldin, and Texas tackle Ryan Tucker.
A League of Favorites
It does not take much digging to realize that when playoff time rolls around, the USFL has often been a league of favorites, with top seeds often making the run to a league title. Yes, there are exceptions like the 2005 Seattle Dragons who rode a 6th seed all the way to a title, but the general trend has been for 1 and 2 seeds to find their way to the title game and the championship, a trend now guaranteed to continue with both of the conferences’ 1 and 2 seeds advancing to next week’s conference title games. Looking over the past 10 years, what we see is a clear trend of top seeds taking the shorter route (with their bye weeks) to the title. Just a quick look at the past 10 champions shows this to be the general rule:
2012 St. Louis 1 Seed in the West
2011 Tampa Bay 2 Seed in the East
2010 Houston 1 Seed in the West
2009 Boston 1 Seed in the East
2008 Michigan 4 Seed in the West
2007 Memphis 2 Seed in the East
2006 New Jersey 1 Seed in the East
2005 Seattle 6 Seed in the West
2004 New Jersey 2 Seed in the East
2003 Ohio 2 Seed in the East
Other than Seattle’s miracle run, and an 11-5 Michigan team that would have been a 2-seed if not for the guaranteed spots for all 3 division winners, it has pretty much been a battle between 1 and 2 seeds for the title, as it will be this year. The good news for New Orleans and Oakland, who take their games on the road this week, is that of the past 10 winners, as many began the playoffs as the 2 seed than as the 1 (4 wins apiece).
Both Oakland and Arizona should note that Western Conference teams have not won back to back titles since Ohio did so in 2002 and 2003. We should cite as well that of the 4 remaining teams, Philadelphia is the club with the most recent Summer Bowl appearance, losing to Houston in 2010. Oakland appeared the year before, defeated by Boston in Drew Bledsoe’s fabulous swan song season. For Arizona the drought goes back 10 years to the 2004 title game, and New Orleans counts it at 11 years, back to 2003, when they fell to the Ohio Glory in their repeat title year. Of the four contenders, Philadelphia has won 3 titles, the last in 1994. Oakland has one lone title from back in 1991, and neither New Orleans nor Arizona, despite both being founding franchises from 1983, have ever won a title.
Campbell Ready to Sit Out in Orlando
News out of Orlando where arguably the best defensive player in the game today, DE Calais Campbell, is threatening to sit out camps and possibly the preseason if he is not offered a new deal for 2014. Campbell is entering the final year of his 4-year deal, and, believe it or not, is currently the 11th highest paid player on the Renegades, behind far less impactful players like TE Greg Olsen, OT James Carpenter, and even rookie CB Dee Milliner. Campbell is asking for a deal in the range of $5,000,000 per year for 4 years, a reasonable request when we look at the production he has put forward over the past 6 years. The problem, of course, is the cap. Orlando enters the offseason with just about $8M in available cap space, expanding Campbell’s cap hit another $3M would make it nearly impossible for the Renegades to do much else this offseason. Of course they could and should rework several contracts to free up more space, so there is room for them to find money for Campbell and still build their roster. But is there will to do so, and to do so quickly, so that Campbell does not need to miss valuable offseason training time?
Chad Johnson Seeks a Trade
Another player unhappy with his current situation is perennial human loudspeaker Chad Johnson. The former Chad Ochocinco is apparently not satisfied with his role in Las Vegas, despite his 1,129 yards, good enough for 10th in the league. It appears that with 118 targets, nearly 60 fewer than Steve Smith received, and with only 5 TDs on the season, Johnson feels he is not being used to his capabilities. Johnson does not seem to be complaining about his $4.7M contract, but seems to be largely making the case that he needs to be a focal point of the team’s offense. Well, with June Jones relieved of duties, and a new head coach yet to emerge, we are not exactly sure who Johnson is making his case to. Perhaps once a new coach arrives, he will be able to make peace with the flamboyant, and often outspoken, receiver, and perhaps we will see Johnson once again among the league leaders in targets in 2014.
An intriguing dance with the injury report for Oakland as they are now listing DE Junior Galette as out for the Conference Title Game, but at the same time, the man he was subbing for, Justin Smith, appears ready to return to action, so is this really an upgrade? Arizona continues to list no injured players, definitely a plus for them, while Philadelphia added one big name, sack leader Anthony Hargrove, to their injury report. Hargrove is listed as probable with an ankle injury, but by all accounts, the big man is expecte to play.
NOR—OT Nat Dorsey (PRO)
PHI—WR Reche Caldwell (OUT), G Steve Edwards (PRO), DE Anthony Hargrove (PRO)
OAK—DE Junior Galette (OUT), DE Justin Smith (PRO)
ARZ—No injuries reported.
Thunder Suitor Wants to Move Team
It appears that the sale of the Las Vegas Thunder may be even more complex than first expected. One of the lead bidding groups, in fact the one that many had as the favorite to acquire the team, may have thrown down an ultimatum. Reports out of New York seem to indicate that the ownership group headed by minority owner of the LA Express, John Tu, and former owner of the San Diego Padres, John Moores, have informed the league that their bid is contingent upon the league allowing the relocation of the franchise to San Diego.
This comes as something of a shock as much of the appeal of the franchise was expected to be the share of Las Vegas’s new domed stadium. For an ownership group to bid on the club but turn away the chance to have partial ownership of the stadium seems counterintuitive, and to a degree, perhaps, counterproductive. The league seems dead set on having a USFL franchise occupy the new stadium located just off the famous Las Vegas Strip. After all, the league has already sunk nearly $300M into the construction of the facility, so to do so, and to own a portion of the stadium, but to have no USFL franchise housed there is both bizarre and potentially very problematic.
If the rumors of the San Diego group’s ultimatum are to be believed, the premise would be that the new owners would purchase the Thunder identity, roster, history, and staff, relocating the franchise to southern California, but would not impede the relocation of another USFL franchise to Las Vegas, foregoing the potential revenue that comes with the new domed facility. Such a move would certainly be unusual, and could spur additional interest in Las Vegas as a potential haven for any number of teams, but it also throws a wrench in the idea of a simple purchase and hand over of the reins of an already existing franchise to a new ownership group.
In other words, if San Diego’s bid is, in fact, the strongest, it may well force the league to engage in a two-stage process, with the first stage being the sale of the Thunder, but not the stadium rights, and then a second stage in which a second owner would be brought in to take over the league’s role in the stadium’s construction and management, quite possibly bringing a new team to the city to replace the departed Thunder. It would be a complex process, but not necessarily one which the city or the league would entirely reject. And so the plot thickens.
Chicago Expected to Seal the Deal at League Meetings
While the sale of the Thunder seems to be gaining in complexity, the sale of the Chicago Machine seems all but a completed affair. A proposal has been submitted for review, already approved by current owner, Rocky Wirtz, heir to the team’s founder, and it seems that the upcoming league meetings this summer will quite possibly approve the sale to the Pritzker Group, formed by two cousins, both heirs to the Hyatt Hotel fortune.
By all accounts the sale to local Chicagoans has been well-received by fans in the Windy City, and the financial depth is certainly there to support the Pritzker’s bid for the team. With the Wirtz family hoping for a quick resolution, and with the league not wanting the Machine sale to be in any way complicated by the ongoing drama in Las Vegas, we fully expect a very brief presentation to the owners and an equally swift vote to approve the sale this August.
The Pritzker Group has already promised to assist the city with renovations of historic Soldier Field, and have expressed publicly their desire to make the Machine the premier sports franchise in the city, a tough task when you consider the history of the NFL Bears and the success of the NBA Bulls. But, it is the kind of expression of home town pride that makes a sale all the more attractive to the public. With the Machine winning the Central Division this season, the Pritzkers seem to be buying in at the right time, with the club seen to be in a phase of ascension and the possibility of a good run of initial years, the new owners could very well benefit from the success of current ownership and management.
Knights and LP Field at an Impasse
If there is a city that should be worried, especially following the news out of San Diego, it may well be the fans of Nashville. Ongoing negotiations between the Nashville Knights and the stadium authority that operates LP Field, home to the Knights, seem to be at an impasse. The desire to retain the NFL Copperheads as the primary tenant is a significant sticking point, one which removes any possibility that the Knights will receive the concessions they have sought, mainly expanded revenue from on-site sources such as parking, concessions, and facility use during the March-July season. To provide that to the Knights, the stadium authority would need to violate the terms of the contract already in place with the NFL and the Tennessee Copperheads. That is simply not something the city or the stadium authority is willing to do. It would seem that the Knights ownership is in a tough position.
The Knights ownership conglomerate, and their CEO, could opt to rescind their initial demands, but not without losing significant face with the fanbase and force a much weaker negotiation stance from the club. Their other option would be to wave the possibility of relocation in front of the stadium authority and hope that the threat, whether empty or legitimate, would move the negotiators to find means to provide some of what the Knights are asking, even if it forces restructuring of their current NFL deal. Of course, if the stadium authority were to call the Knights on that claim, it would all but force ownership to find a new home for the franchise.
That prospect has been largely the reason why Knight fans and the local media have not given much credence to any talk of relocation, even if only to Vanderbilt’s stadium in town. But now, with the very real possibility that ownership could stumble into a very attractive deal to relocate the club to Las Vegas and get in on a lucrative stadium deal, the risk is suddenly a much more plausible one. There are, of course, local ties within the Knights ownership, but sentimentality about the region may not be able to outweigh the financial benefits of a move, and at the very least the potential negotiating position that discussion with Las Vegas and with the league could provide.
At this point this is all speculation. We know that the league wants the Las Vegas sale in place by their November meetings, but the viability of the city as a site for any current franchise lies entirely with the decision as to which bidding group for the Thunder wins out. While the San Diego group has been seen as a frontrunner, their push for possible relocation could actually move the league to accept a lesser bid, simply to create a more direct path towards having a franchise in Las Vegas without losing another market to do so. Stay tuned, USFL fans, as the next few months could be a very dynamic period for not only the Thunder, but for the league as a whole.
Here we are, only 2 games on the schedule and the winner finds themselves in the Mile High City ready to battle for the USFL title. Can either New Orleans or Oakland get the road upset and find themselves fighting for a title or will the two number one seeds use their home field to maximum advantage?
EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
New Orleans Breakers (9-6-1) @ Philadelphia Stars (12-4)
Sunday, July 21 @ 2pm ET
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Stars -7
These two played a pretty good game back in Week 7, with the Breakers getting the win 24-19. That game shows us quite a bit about how the two will match up. In that game, the Breakers focused on Steve Slaton, holding the back to only 66 yards on the ground, and also used shifting zones to limit Matt Gutierrez’s effectiveness, leading him to complete only 16 of 36 passes on the day. They also got a strong game from HB Matt Forte, who rushed for 106 on the day. That was the game where we saw Drew Brees knocked out of action, so it was Kyle Boller who got the win, but that also means that we are not sure how the Breakers’ plan would have been different with Brees in for all 4 quarters.
The fact that the Breakers won that earlier game is not lost on Philadelphia, who do not plan for a repeat performance. The Stars came out flat that day, but at home, in front of their raucous crowd, we don’t expect any half measures from the Stars this week. Expect Philadelphia to try to pressure Brees from the get-go, bringing not only Hargrove and Reggie Torbor on the edges, but to regularly send LB’s Sean Lee and Greg Lloyd Jr on blitzes. On offense we think the Stars will expect New Orleans to try to push safeties up to stifle the run, so don’t be surprised if we see more of Matt Gutierrez with quick passes to Stevie Johnson, James Hardy and TE Travis Kelce to try to loosen up the run-stuffing defense the Breakers want to play.
Our pick: The return of Slaton and Stevie Johnson to the lineup means that Philadelphia has its full range of weapons available. The defense is among the league’s best, and with home field as well we just cannot pick against them. Our pick is Philadelphia 22-17.
WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Oakland Invaders (13-3) @ Arizona Wranglers (15-1)
Sunday, July 21 @ 6pm ET
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale AZ
Wranglers -3
The Wranglers and Invaders also met earlier this year, way back in Week 2, when the then unsung Wranglers came into Oakland and handed the Invaders a defeat by a 14-11 margin. That game saw Arizona knock Joey Harrington out of action, and harass Pat White for the remainder of the game. We also saw Ryan Williams limited to only 24 yards rushing. It was a major eye-opener to the league that maybe this Wrangler team was to be taken seriously. But, while Arizona has now earned our respect, folks still seem to be sleeping on Oakland, despite the Invaders having now rattled off 11 straight wins.
We see Oakland as a very viable threat to the Wranglers. They can beat you either on the ground or in the air, and their 3rd ranked scoring defense is going to be a problem for the Wranglers. The Invaders boast the league’s best scoring offense, and while we don’t think this will be a 35-34 shootout, we do see that Oakland has as good a chance as anyone of breaking down the Arizona defense. Look, we love what the Wranglers have done on D this year, and we even like their offense centered on Frank Gore and Larry Fitzgerald, but Oakland should not be ignored.
Our Pick: We are going with the underdog in this one. Something in our gut tells us that Oakland is being sold short, and that even the Wranglers may not be taking them seriously enough. We say Invaders by a score of 20-18.