Week 12 was a week defined by rivalry upsets. Baltimore knocked off Washington, while Dallas snapped a 9-game losing streak to surprise the Houston Gamblers, Jacksonville dealt Atlanta a big blow to their playoff hopes, and Portland sent LA to 6-6 with a surprising road win in SoCal. It was also a big week for blowouts in interdivisional play as St. Louis just manhandled Seattle, 41-7. Oakland dispatched Birmingham by 14, Texas crushed Orlando by 21, and Denver outpaced Tampa Bay by 10. The end result? Two teams have clinched playoff spots, and a huge cluster of 6- and 5-win teams are all headed towards some potential tiebreaker clusters as the season gets serious. We will have all this, plus an update on some key injuries and a look at the potential mess that the USFL has as they try to find new ownership in Las Vegas and Chicago.
HOUSTON GAMBLERS 18 DALLAS ROUGHNECKS 19
If you are a struggling team, playing in their first season in a new city, this is how you build a rivalry. Knock off an in-state competitor who are deep in the playoff hunt, late in the season, when an upset loss hurts the most. That is what Dallas pulled off, earning their first win in 10 weeks by hanging tough against Houston and then pulling out the win in the final minutes of action. Houston needed this win. It would have set them up at 7-5, deep in the Wild Card pool, but instead their “little brother” from Dallas got the W and dropped the Gamblers to 6-6, putting a serious crimp in their Wild Card hopes, and making a statement that this Dallas club was looking to become a full-fledged part of the in-state battles in Texas.
It was Jake Locker’s second game back after a 3-game benching, and the former 1st round pick of the then Boston Cannons, made good, completing 16 of 28 passes for 224 yards and one of the biggest plays of the season for the struggling Roughneck squad. The Dallas defense also came up big, harassing Matt Hasselbeck, who returned to action this week, and limiting Michael Turner to only 52 yards on the ground. That combination of stingy defense and solid offence helped keep Dallas in the game all afternoon, and, in the end, helped them earn their third win on the season.
The first half was very much Dallas’s as the enthusiasm of nearly 47,000 at the Cotton Bowl helped spark the team to early wins on both sides of the ball. The offense struggled to get into the end zone, but solid drives provided points on the foot of Stephen Haushka. Midway through the 2nd period it was Dallas up 9 on three Haushka field goals, and Houston struggling to make plays against a fired up defense. The Gamblers would find a way, however, and on a well-executed play action pass, Hasselbeck did as he has done throughout his career, taking advantage of a misaligned Dallas secondary to hit Mike Sims-Walker on a 38-yard scoring strike that silenced the Dallas crowd.
The Roughnecks finished the half with a fourth field goal, but the fans were visibly troubled by the fact that their club could not get the ball into the end zone. A 12-7 lead was nice, but it was not enough to help the oft-disappointed Dallas fans feel good about their situation. That feeling of discomfort with a 5-point lead was well-founded. On their first possession of the 2nd half, Houston looked to have turned the tide. A 12-play drive was capped off by a Cedrick Cobbs TD run from the 10, and after a successful 2-point play, Houston had themselves a 3-point lead at 15-12.
Dallas would need to rediscover the early success they had in the first half. They entered the fourth down three and feeling very much like they were again playing into a familiar script, a high-energy start leading to a fading down the road and an eventual loss. When Houston managed another drive, adding 3 off the foot of Dan Carpenter, the lead was now 6 and many in the stands seemed to be sitting on their hands, expecting their team to again fritter away a game.
But, with 4:02 left to play, Dallas would get the ball with a chance to win the game if they could just find the end zone. Jake Locker got the crowd engaged and on their feet with a beautiful throw on first and 10 from their own 20. Hitting Justin Blackmon on a perfect out route, squeezing the ball just over the arms of the corner, the play not only gained 19 yards for the Roughnecks on their first play from scrimmage, but it got the Dallas faithful engaged and feeling like their club was not done yet.
Locker would hit TE Robert Royal two plays later for another first down, and then solid runs from Rashard Mendenhall put the ball in Houston territory. A Locker scramble on 3rd and 3 got the crowd even louder as the first down kept the drive alive. Locker still had 2 timeouts to play with, so he had the whole field available. He used the middle of the field to get the ball inside the Red Zone, connecting with big TE Brandon Manumaleuna on a 10-yard toss to the 17. Mendenhall then ripped off a nice draw play down to the 8, giving Dallas a 2nd and 1 inside the 10 with over 1:40 left to play. They would get the first on the next play, a dive over the center by Locker. The former first rounder would then make the play that erupted the stadium. Taking a shotgun snap, Locker had to move into the pocket as the Houston outside rush crashed around his original spot, he stepped out to the left, and spotted WR Tim Wright streaking across the back end line of the endzone. Throwing sidearm to avoid a rusher, he flung the ball towards Wright and the rookie hauled in the pass close to his knees, rolling to the ground before holding the ball aloft.
The entire stadium erupted in cheers as the Roughnecks tied the score. When Haushka put them up by one, the crowd again cheered, but more cautiously, with 1:32 still left on the clock. Houston only needed a field goal to take back the lead and likely the win. It would be on the defense to hold this game. Three plays into Houston’s drive they would do just that. DE Elvis Dumervil would pressure Hasselbeck on a 3rd and 6 throw, the Houston QB would try to hit slot receiver Jeremy Kerley, but DB Jason David saw the ball coming and outwrestled Kerley for the ball. When the ref signalled Dallas ball, the crowd let out a huge sigh of relief and the win was assured for the Roughnecks.
Dallas had upended the Gamblers, won their first game in 3 months and, very possibly, started a new rivalry.
MICHIGAN 6 CHICAGO 34
It all went as planned for the Machine as they roll past the Panthers at Soldier Field. Doug Martin went wild, rushing for 153 and 3 TDs against a Panther D that had no answers. The Panther offense did not fare much better, with Kirk Cousins picked off twice and LeVeon Bell limited to only 29 yards rushing as Chicago takes a strangle hold on the Central Division, with a chance to clinch next week. It was a big win for Chicago, but came at a big cost, as we will outline in our Top Stories.
OAKLAND 31 BIRMINGHAM 17
Birmingham’s third consecutive loss drops them to 6-6, while Oakland takes a 2-game lead over Las Vegas in the Pacific with the road win. Joey Harrington took advantage of a defense designed to stop the run, completing 21 of 26 attempts for 275 yards and 4 scoring tosses to 4 different receivers. Pierre Garçon led all receivers with 133 yards and a score. Cam Newton was sacked 8 times by an Invader defense that simply did not give up lanes for him to run as the Invaders move to 9-3.
CHARLOTTE 13 PHILADELPHIA 20
After coming back on Atlanta last week, the Monarchs simply did not have enough in the tank this week to do it again. Matt Gutierrez had another strong game, going 31 of 41 for 276 yards and 2 TDs, despite playing without Stevie Johnson. Fred Jackson rushed for 114 for the Monarchs, but Charlotte was shut out in the 2nd half by that tough Stars defense.
MEMPHIS 10 NASHVILLE 24
With Birmingham’s loss, Nashville finds itself only 1 game back and after their win over Memphis they are still very much alive in a Southern Division that could see 8-8 take the title. Ray Rice rushed for 119 and the Nashville D recorded 6 sacks of Eli Manning in this battle of brothers. Peyton fared much better, sacked only 2 times and able to complete 26 of 35 passes for 235 and 3 scores.
SEATTLE 7 ST. LOUIS 41
St. Louis stays alive at 6-6 with another offensive explosion against another week team. The Dragons actually outgained St. Louis 320-260, but it was the ability of St. Louis to turn yards into scores that made all the difference. Josh Freeman threw 3 TD passes and William Bethea ran for another as St. Louis built up a 21-0 lead at the half and coasted from there.
BALTIMORE 27 WASHINGTON 19
If not for our GOTW, this would have been the upset of the week as that plucky Blitz squad went into Washington and cost the Federals a share of first place. Washington had leads of 10-0 and 19-7, but could not hold them as the Blitz scored the final 21 points of the game on 2 Robert Ferguson TD grabs and a late Anthony Dixon TD run. Joe Webb was picked off 4 times in his worst game of the year, and despite 132 yards from Deuce McCallister, those turnovers did in the Feds.
DENVER 27 TAMPA BAY 17
A huge setback for the Bandits, and a needed win for the Gold as Denver came into Tampa Bay and stole a win. DeMarco Murray and LaTavius James combined for 145 yards, rolling over the Tampa rush defense all game. Throw in 2 Matt Leinart TDs and Denver is the one to move up to 6-6 after 12 weeks.
JACKSONVILLE 24 ATLANTA 14
Another bad result for Atlanta as they come out flat against the Bulls and pay the price. Despite being sacked 5 times, Tim Tebow completes 63% of his throws, including 2 scoring tosses. The Bulls also held Steven Jackson to only 46 yards rushing and the entire Fire club to 44 total rushing yards. At 6-6, Atlanta is barely clinging to the 6th playoff spot, though they are still only 1 game behind Charlotte for the division.
NEW JERSEY 6 PITTSBURGH 25
Switching back to Bryan Hoyer did not help the New Jersey offense, as they had only 63 rushing yards and Hoyer threw 3 picks on the day. Andy Dalton struggled as well against a pretty fair Generals defense, but got 6 Elliott Parson field goals to go along with a Robert Sands 67-yard pick six, and that was all the scoring the Maulers needed to get the home win.
OHIO 21 ARIZONA 24
Ohio showed some character in this one, leading 21-14 at the half, but the Wrangler defense shut them down in the second half and the Wranglers found a way to win once again. This time it was a game-shifting 75-yard TD from tight end Rob Gronkowski that set the tone of the second half and helped Arizona move to 12-0. Gronk finished with 5 receptions and 121 yards to lead all receivers, while Frank Gore added another 91 yards to his MVP campaign.
ORLANDO 13 TEXAS 34
Joe Flacco made it happen for the Outlaws, throwing for over 425 yards and connecting on 4 TD tosses, including 2 to Marques Colston to go along with the receiver’s 167 yards on the day. HB Arian Foster also had a big game, with 102 yards as a receiver and another 64 on the ground. Orlando struggled against the Texas blitz, with Moreno limited to only 3.3 yards per carry and Russell Wilson picked off twice.
NEW ORLEANS 14 LAS VEGAS 11
A huge win for the Breakers, who even their record and take a share of first place in the Southern Division. For Las Vegas, another game without Jake Plummer is another tough loss as the offense racked up 324 yards, but simply could not turn drives into points. It was not a pretty win for the Breakers, but at 6-6 they can still take the Southern Division on their terms.
PORTLAND 20 LOS ANGELES 15
The Express’s win streak ends at 3 as Portland continues to improve as the season goes along. The Stags now sit at 5-7, only 1 game out of a playoff spot, after knocking off LA in Farmers Insurance Field. Matt McGloin gets the W despite going only 18 of 31 and throwing for only 173 yards. Mark Sanchez’s 3 interceptions, certainly helped the Portland cause as well. LA now drops to 6-6 and is at risk of falling behind Portland if they don’t get back to winning games.
Urlacher Lost to Broken Leg
A bad break for the Central Division leaders, literally, as All-USFL and team captain Brian Urlacher’s leg injury was confirmed as a fractured femur. That is a nasty break, especially for a veteran player, and one that will cost him the rest of the season. It happened on a pretty humdrum mid-game play against Michigan, but it was clear immediately that Urlacher was in great pain. He was helped to the sideline but then the cart took him to the locker room. X-rays revealed a fracture, fortunately not a radial fracture, in the thigh bone. It should heal well with time, but time is not what Urlacher was hoping would be the remedy.
With Urlacher out for the rest of the summer, Chicago will move Kendrell Bell from the strong side to the MLB spot, bringing Beau Bell in at Kendrell’s old position, and will shift Alvin Bowen into a swing position behind both Bells. The Machine also brought Curtis Lofton in from the practice squad to fill the slot, but can anyone really take the place of Urlacher? This could be a big blow for the title hopes of the Machine, to be sure.
New Jersey Still Unsure of Bradford’s Best Path
Medically Sam Bradford is on pace for a Week 15 return, but whether or not the 4-8 Generals want to have their star QB on the field is another question. There are some who argue that getting Bradford even a few snaps in the season’s final weeks would be a huge boost to the team, and to their offseason ticket sales for 2014. On the other hand, would they really want to risk a possible aggravation of the injury that put him out of action for most of the year, or risk another injury in meaningless games? Were New Jersey sitting at 6-6, we might expect to see Bradford come in and try to get two season-ending wins to get to the postseason, but with the club at 4-8 and fading from playoff contention, the pressure may be to keep him sidelined and prepare for a healthy 2014 campaign. The Generals still have 2 weeks to decide, and, should they go 2-0, they might still have a tough call on their hands, but if they lose even 1 more, we expect that Bradford will be placed on IR at this late date and plans for 2014 will begin.
Philadelphia eyes Week 15 for Slaton Return
Unlike the Generals, Philadelphia is not only in the thick of a playoff run, but looking to lock up a top seed, so their decision on halfback Steve Slaton is not a hard one. If he is cleared to play in Week 15, you can bet he will be on the field. He has begun light practice with the team, even as he continues rehab on his back and ongoing therapy.
Slaton was having an outstanding season prior to his Week 8 injury, with 578 yards in his first 7.5 games. In his stead, Philadelphia has turned to veteran Leon Washington (459 yards this season) and rookie Zac Stacy (164 yards), but they will certainly be eager to have Slaton’s dual threat skills back on the field for a playoff run. Will he start in Week 15? That is to be seen, but can we expect a heavy dose of Slaton when the Stars start their playoff campaign? You bet.
Plummer Hopes for Clearance
Jake Plummer missed last week’s matchup against New Orleans and the Thunder struggled, dropping their 2nd in a row. They had previously lost to Houston 33-10 in the game that saw Plummer taken off the field, and against New Orleans, the Ingle Martin-led Thunder managed only 11 points. Those two losses dropped them out of a tie for first in the Pacific and they now find themselves two games behind their division rivals and even in peril on the Wild Card front at 7-5.
Plummer is listed as Doubtful in this week’s injury report, and reports out of practice say that his ankle is still very tender. But, of course, Plummer wants to be on the field. He could potentially wear a brace on the ankle, which would limit his mobility quite a bit, but would allow him to play out of the shotgun. We don’t think Coach Jones wants to risk him in that vulnerable position. With a game this week against 5-7 Portland, it seems that Jones is content to go with Ingle Martin once again and to rely on the team’s solid defense to get a W. That would allow Plummer to return to action, healthier and more mobile, when the club returns to Sam Boyd Stadium to take on the Denver Gold. With a final 3 games against Denver, Oakland, and Seattle, all at home, the Thunder are hoping that they can have a healthy Plummer and get 4 wins to end the year.
Can Culpepper Win MVP if Bandits .500?
When you have a QB who is leading the league in passing TDs, with 33, 10 more than the 2nd place contender, and when that QB is also 2nd in the league with 3,451 yards, likely on pace to hit 4,000, and has a QB Rating on the north side of 110. You expect that the QB would be an MVP frontrunner. But, in the case of Daunte Culpepper, that is not the case, at least not at present.
Tampa Bay’s 28th ranked defense and 5-7 record is making it hard for Culpepper to gain traction as an MVP candidate despite his top-of-the-league numbers. The Bandits may be scoring over 27 points a game and Culpepper’s passing attack is among the league’s best, but that defense is giving up 382 yards per game and over 28 points, making it difficult for the Bandits to hold a lead or win close games. Yes, in back to back wins Culpepper and the Bandits scored 44 against Texas and 52 against Jacksonville, but equally noteworthy, they lost by 10 to the Gold this week and were utterly thumped at home by Arizona, 45-17.
Culpepper is almost certainly a frontrunner for Offensive Player of the Year, a more statistically-focused award, but without support from the rest of the team, he still lags behind other MVP candidates on winning clubs, players like Frank Gore (ARZ), Joe Flacco (TEX), Jake Plummer (LV), and Cam Newton (BIR), despite putting up numbers that are equal to or which surpass those other superstars.
Delhomme Hints at Retirement
“We will see what we see.” Those were the enigmatic words uttered by Charlotte Monarchs’ QB Jake Delhomme when interviewed by ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio this week. Asked about his plans for 2014 and whether he was expecting to be back under center for the Monarchs in what would be his 18th season in the USFL, Delhomme seemed to hem and haw, and gave us an answer that certainly felt very noncommittal.
Delhomme has missed all but 6 games this season due to injury, a year after he missed two of Charlotte’s 4 playoff games with another injury. For a player who has had his share of injury-riddled seasons, and with the very real possibility that he would need to compete with Brandon Wheedon for a starting job in 2014, the veteran of 4 USFL teams (PHI, JAX, MEM, CHA) may well be considering another path. There has been talk that FOX wants to hire the QB as an analyst for their weekend pre-game crew once his career is over, but to date the possibility of him handing the reigns over to Wheedon and stepping away from the game has always just been speculation.
But with Wheedon having a strong season, leading them to a 7-5 overall record (3-3 as starter), and recording a very solid 92.7 QB Rating in his 6 starts, Whedon has proved very capable. He may have slightly fewer yards than Delhomme, with both having started 6 games (1223 v. 1402) but his 5:1 TD:INT ratio is strong and the team has rallied behind him. While Delhomme certainly did not want to go out on the terms of an injury, a playoff run for the Monarchs could be the perfect time for him to step away, perhaps get one last curtain call on the sideline from Charlotte fans, and transition to life after football.
The first two playoff spots have been locked up and no one is surprised that it is unbeaten Arizona and 10-2 Philadelphia who have punched their tickets. The Wranglers are one win away from locking up the SW Division, holding a 4 game lead over Texas with 4 to play. Philadelphia now holds a 1-game lead over Washington, but that final game between the two will still be huge.
At the other end of the table, none of the 3-9 teams are officially eliminated yet, because as of right now, both 6th seeds are sitting at 6-6, which means it is still mathematically possible for a 3-9 club to run the table and sneak in. Not likely, but not impossible. Right now LA and Atlanta hold the two six seeds, but they both have a lot of competition for those spots, with Denver, Houston, St. Louis, and New Orleans all also sitting at 6-6, and plenty of teams at 5-7 as well.
Expect Chicago, Oakland and Washington to be the next teams to clinch a spot, with Oakland already up 2 games in the Pacific and Chicago holding a 3-game lead over the Central.
With only 4 weeks left in the season the IR list is growing as more and more players are expected to miss at least 4-6 weeks, and that, in many cases, means their seasons are done. We highlighted Chicago’s defensive captain and MVP Brian Urlacher, but several other key players are going to be out down the stretch, including young Aldon Smith of St. Louis, CB Shaun Springs in Houston, and center J. D. Walton for the Renegades. Pittsburgh thought that Andy Dalton may have suffered a neck injury, but it was ruled a concussion, meaning that he is likely to return in Week 14 if not in 13.
OUT
CB T. McBride DAL Groin IR
FB J. Felton SEA Hamstring IR
CB S. Springs HOU MCL IR
LB B. Urlacher CHI Leg IR
LB A. Smith STL ACL IR
C J.D. Walton ORL MCL IR
DOUBTFUL
QB A. Dalton PIT Concussion
QUESTIONABLE
WR G. Jennings MEM Neck
CB C. Finnegan ORL Concussion
G S. Locklear CHA Shoulder
Is Chicago Sale a Done Deal Already?
Reports out of Chicago seem to indicate that there is an insider deal ready to happen between Rocky Wirtz, current owner of the Chicago Machine and two members of the influential Pritzker family. It appears that an investment group headed by cousins Thomas and J.B Pritzker have already been in negotiations with Wirtz for the sale of the Machine franchise, with numbers being cited that would make the Machine the most expensive USFL franchise ever sold.
Wirtz has been hush on the sale of his franchise, other than filing with the league his intention to divest himself of the franchise which he inherited from his father. The timing of the sale was considered a potential concern for the league in that it was seen as competition for the league’s efforts to find an owner for the Las Vegas Thunder franchise already under league control. If, however, there is an internal agreement within the organization to sell to an already-identified ownership group, that could relieve the issue.
The Pritzker family is well-known and somewhat highly regarded within Chicago circles. Thomas and J.B. are both heirs to the Hyatt Hotels fortune produced by their two fathers, Jay and Donald Pritzker. Between the two cousins, there is an estimated total worth of nearly three billion dollars. Thomas is a major supporter of the Art Institute in Chicago, while J.B, who recently ran for congress in Illinois, has long been a figure in Democratic Party politics in the state, J.B. headed up the Illinois Human Rights Commission for then-governor Rod Blagojevich, and served as national Co-Chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.
The Pritzkers have strong Chicago ties, and certainly the financial portfolio to be approved by the USFL owners as a potential ownership group, so if the rumors are true, Chicago may be fast-tracked for sale, paving the way for the league to move ahead with the Las Vegas situation and the more complex dealings certain to be part of the transfer from private ownership, to league conservatorship, and then a new owner.
A Look at the Draft From the 3-9 Perspective
As most teams are fighting for playoff position, the five clubs sitting at 3-9 may be mathematically alive, but we all know they are already looking at 2014. Draft position and filling key areas of need are top priorities for these basement dwellers. So, who exactly should Dallas, Jacksonville, Memphis, Michigan, and Seattle be targeting? How does their T-Draft look as a potential source of talent and who should they be scouting heavily in the Open Draft? Let’s take a very early look at all 5 clubs and their positions of need as fans for each club start dreaming of draft day.
DALLAS
Best T-Draft Prospect: Cornerback looks like a rich position for the Roughnecks, with TCU’s Jason Verrett, OU’s Aaron Colvin, and SMU’s Kenneth Acker all available. But does Dallas also take a long look at SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert?
Likely Open Draft Target: Dallas needs to add more weapons for either Jake Locker or Landry Jones. Justin Blackmon is doing it all alone. So, how about a pure speed guy like Watkins, Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks, or USC’s Marquise Lee? They could also look at TE with Eric Ebron from UNC as a really good safety valve option for the Dallas QB, whoever it may be.
JACKSONVILLE
Best T-Draft Prospect: WR Sammy Watkins seems like a natural fit for the Bulls, who need to get Tim Tebow more options. The other big need is defense, so a solid DT like Florida’s Dominique Easley could be another good target for Jacksonville.
Likely Open Draft Target: Could Jacksonville be in the QB market? Well, it depends who you ask. Tebow has put up huge numbers, but he is also amazingly inaccurate, throwing way too many picks. More likely the Bulls go for someone like Tajh Boyd in the T-Draft than make a huge deal for the Open Draft. They need so much on defense, they need these early Open Draft picks to look that direction. How about someone like LB Khalil Mack, unprotected out of Buffalo.
MEMPHIS
Best T-Draft Prospect: No real 1st round talent in Memphis’s protected pool, but some good mid-round options. We like DE Chris Smith from Arkansaw, and WR Donte Moncrief from Ole Miss as good fits for Memphis.
Likely Open Draft Target: Darren McFadden has not worked out the way Memphis had hoped, so expect the Showboats to spend some draft capital on a back who could be a 3-down option. This is not a great draft for halfbacks, but one possible target would be Ohio State’s Carlos Hyde, who has the inside run game that the Showboats love to see.
MICHIGAN
Best T-Draft Prospect: The Wolverines and Spartans have been a constant pool of talent for the Panthers but this year is looking pretty lean. We like CB Darqueze Dennard from MSU and, if Michigan wants a big run-blocking tackle, they could do a lot worse than Michigan’s Taylor Lewan, but outside of these two, there just is not much to be excited about.
Likely Open Draft Target: Hines Ward needs some help out wide, and we love the idea of Michigan making a deal with either New Orleans or Houston to take a shot at LSU’s Odell Beckham or Texas A&M’s Mike Evans, both of whom would be ideal targets for Kirk Cousins and the Panthers.
SEATTLE
Best T-Draft Prospect: HB Bishop Sankey could be exactly what Seattle wants from the T-Draft. He won’t be a 3-down back, but in combination with Cadillac Williams, he could be a perfect 3rd down option and lightning to Williams’s thunder. We also love safety Deone Buchanon as a plug & play starter for the Dragons.
Likely Open Draft Target: A lot depends on Byron Leftwich. If he steps away after an injury-shortened 2013, then QB becomes the top priority for Seattle, and they may take a long hard look at Teddy Bridgewater (unlikely to be picked by Baltimore in the T-Draft) or Derek Carr of Fresno State.
Los Angeles Express Mix Old & New in 2014 Uniforms
Adidas and the LA Express celebrated the release of their newly refashioned 2014 uniforms at an event at the LA Fashion District. Tuesday night, following LA’s weekend victory over Seattle, the Express, along with several high-profile Los Angelenos were on hand for the reveal of the new look. Modeled by QB Mark Sanchez, HB Reggie Bush, LB Lofa Tatupu and CB Marcus Truffant the new design blends elements of the past with a few new wrinkles for the team.
For the traditionalists there is a strong return to Navy Blue as a primary color. This is not to say that Speed Blue, the lighter hue which has been the primary color in recent years is not present, but the jerseys return to using the darker Navy tone as the dominant color. Paired with a greater use of silver in the overall look, these new Express uniforms certainly harken back to the early years of Steve Young and Jo-Jo Townsell (a team history that is somewhat shared with the original franchise now located in Nashville).
Along with the new Navy blue jerseys, the team revealed three pant sets, Navy, silver and a new white set, a first for the Express. The jerseys feature offset color sleeves in silver with a three-stripe shoulder treatment, with two thick stripes containing a thin center stripe. Much of the design plays off of the two-color LA monogram, complete with the con trails of a speeding jet. Just as the logo has distinct top and bottom colors, the striping parallels this, both on the shoulders and on the horizontal pant stripes.
The jersey numbers also follow the motif of the split color, divided by the contrail. On the dark jerseys, the numbers are split with silver on the top and white below, while on the white jersey the lower portion of the number is in Speed Blue while the top is in Navy.
But by far the most striking innovation in the new uniform set is the new helmet. For the first time in team history (both the current iteration and the original 1983 franchise now relocated to Nashville), the Express will not boast an LA monogram on the helmet. While the monogram remains the team’s primary logo, the helmet features only the streaking jet plane with its two con-trail stripes. The helmet is metallic silver with a Navy blue facemask, and it features two large wraparound decals, depicting the jet in Navy, with an upper contrail stripe also in Navy and a lower stripe in Speed blue. The two stripes do not meet in the back but are separated by the player number. The striping and the jet are outlined in white to set them off from the silver helmet.
It is a bold departure for a team that has toyed with various versions of the LA monogram for years. There was a brief period when the Mercury secondary logo was tried on the helmet, but this new look represents a truly new direction for the Express, one that tips its cap to the past with its color profile, but also clearly looks to the future. If the Express can garner a playoff spot (which they are in position to do at present, they will debut the new look for their playoff appearance, as is the custom in the league. If not, then next March will see the debut of the new-look, no-monogram Express.
Week 13 looks to be a huge week for divisional races, with 10 of 14 games pitting division rivals against each other and a ton of games between teams 1-game apart in the standings. Friday Night sees the Philadelphia Stars hoping to avoid a trap game against a struggling New Jersey club. On Saturday, we have several battles of 5-7 and 6-6 teams, including St. Louis v. Ohio, Houston v. Denver, Nashville v. Birmingham (all divisional matchups) and Tampa Bay @ Baltimore.
Saturday ends up with the Invaders visiting Texas in a huge Western Conference game, then on Sunday it is back in divisional play with Atlanta facing Orlando in a key SE Division clash, while Las Vegas is in Portland and Seattle visits LA in two key Pacific clashes. We end the week with a nice game between two 9-win teams, both hoping to reach 10 and a playoff berth with a win. Chicago heads into Washington hoping to grind down the Federals.
Blue = Divisional Games
All games not indicated as "regional" are national broadcasts.
Friday @ 8pm PHILADELPHIA (10-2) @ NEW JERSEY (4-8) NBC
Saturday @ 12pm TAMPA BAY (5-7) @ BALTIMORE (6-6) ABC
Saturday @ 12pm CHARLOTTE (7-5) @ JACKSONVILLE (3-9) FOX
Saturday @ 4pm ST. LOUIS (6-6) @ OHIO (5-7) ABC
Saturday @ 4pm HOUSTON (6-6) @ DENVER (6-6) FOX
Saturday @ 7pm NASHVILLE (5-7) @ BIRMINGHAM (6-6) NBC
Saturday @ 9pm OAKLAND (9-3) @ TEXAS (8-4) ESPN/EFN
Sunday @ 12pm PITTSBURGH (5-7) @ MICHIGAN (3-9) ABC Regional
Sunday @ 12pm NEW ORLEANS (6-6) @ MEMPHIS (3-9) ABC Regional
Sunday @ 12pm ATLANTA (6-6) @ ORLANDO (5-7) FOX
Sunday @ 4pm LAS VEGAS (7-5) @ PORTLAND (5-7) ABC
Sunday @ 4pm DALLAS (3-9) @ ARIZONA (12-0) FOX Regional
Sunday @ 4pm SEATTLE (3-9) @ LOS ANGELES (6-6) FOX Regional
Sunday @ 8pm CHICAGO (9-3) @ WASHINGTON (9-3) ESPN/EFN