Philadelphia loses a heartbreaker to a backup QB. Arizona cruises to 6-0. Another QB sent to IR has the league worried. And, oh yes, one of the best games of the year as Baltimore discovers their offense. All this plus a fine week for offensive football and the run game in particular. Week seven has a lot to talk about as teams try to position themselves for the season’s second half. All this, plus a potential big move on the Las Vegas Thunder ownership front as a new bid makes a splash with a big offer. Stay right here for all the USFL news as we recap Week 7 and get you up to date on all the league happenings.
WASHINGTON FEDERALS 43 BALTIMORE BLITZ 37 OVERTIME
The Blitz did everything they could to take this game, scoring 17 points in the 4th quarter to come back from a 34-21 deficit and take the lead with 1:26 left, but it still was not enough as Washington rallied for a game-tying field goal and then added the heartbreaking touchdown in overtime to move to 6-1, but what a game we got along the way. The Blitz came into this game with real questions about their offense, the Feds with Joe Webb starting his second game since losing David Garrard in Week 5. What we got as a result was a gem of a game with two longstanding rivals who left everything on the field.
The game started off looking very much like a battle of a 5-1 team and a 2-4 squad, with the better record belonging to the visiting Federals and Washington taking control early. Washington scored on their first two drives, a quick Shayne Graham field goal followed by a long drive that led to Deuce McCallister scoring from the 6 to give the Feds a 10-0 lead. But Baltimore got a huge play from Ron Dayne as time waned in the 1st quarter to get back in the game. Dayne broke 3 tackles on his way to a 49-yard romp to the endzone to put Baltimore on the board.
The second quarter was much the same, with Washington again adding 10 points, again from Graham and then from Deuce McCallister. The big back for the Feds would finish the game with 109 yards on 22 carries, and with two first half touchdowns as Washington again pulled out ahead, now leading 20-7. But, once again in the final minutes of the quarter, Baltimore battled back. This time it was an 11-play drive led by Ben Roethlisberger, who connected with Donte Do for a 56 yard bomb before hitting TE Antonio Gates for the score 2 plays later. Baltimore had the game in range at the half and they had found some offense as well. Big Ben would finish the game with an even 400 yards passing, but his day was just beginning as the second half began.
Washington’s Joe Webb would also have a productive day, throwing for 314 yards on 28 of 42 passing, and out of the gate in the second half he again stretched the Federals’ lead, connecting with Kellen Davis for the Feds’ third TD of the day, pushing the lead to 27-14. Baltimore responded with another long drive, this time connecting with Jacob Tamme, Darius Heyward-Bey and Gates again to get the ball to the 3, and from there Dayne would score his second TD of the day.
Baltimore was again within 1 score, but again Washington would find a big play on offense, this time with Webb connecting with Bryant Johnson for a 43-yard play that put the ball on the 20. Two plays later, backup HB David Wilson scampered into the endzone, giving Washington a 34-21 lead at the end of three. Every time Baltimore closed the gap, Washington would stretch it out again. But that would not be the story of the 4th quarter.
In the final period, Baltimore racked up 17 consecutive points, shocking Washington with quick strikes and forcing a takeaway as they punched the ball out of the hands of TE Heath Miller to get a short field. After scoring on a 9-play drive, with Donte Do catching a 9-yard TD toss from Big Ben, the Feds took the field, but on the first play from scrimmage, Miller caught a short pass and was immediately hit by Baltimore safety Adam Archuleta. The ball popped out of his hands and was recovered by the Blitz on the Washington 10. Baltimore advanced the ball to the 2, but failed on a 3rd and goal throw. Rather than risk it on 4th down, Coach Caldwell brought in the kicking team for an easy 19-yarder, pulling the score to only 3 at 34-31 Washington.
The Feds could do nothing on their next drive as the Blitz defense, spurred on by the crowd at M&T Bank Park, stifled the Federal offense and got the ball back in the hands of the offense with 4:22 left to play. Big Ben took it from there, connecting with 4 different receivers, including TE Jacob Tamme, who brought in the 10-yard TD toss with 1:21 left to play that brought Baltimore its first lead of the game, 37-34. But the luck for the Blitz ran out with that drive. Nick Folk clanked the PAT off the right upright, meaning Baltimore had only a 3-point lead, not the 4-points that would have forced Washington to go for a touchdown in the final minute.
Needing only a field goal to tie the game and send it to overtime, Washington was methodical in moving the ball down the field. Runs by Jahvid Best and McCallister were paired with short passes to Darnerien McCants and TE Kellen Davis, and with 16 seconds left on the clock, Shayne Graham did what he was called on to do andtied the game up with a 34-yard field goal, sending the game to overtime.
In overtime, Washington got the ball first, and they would never give Baltimore a chance to steal the win away. They drove 77 yards in 13 plays, again dinking and dunking their way down the field, using the run to keep the defense honest and hitting receivers over the middle against the Baltimore zones. On a 2nd and 7 from the 12-yard line, they went for the win, using the threat of Deuce McCallister to pull in the safeties with their 2-TE formation. Webb kept the ball and found Kellen Davis in single coverage over the middle. He crossed the endline and gave the victory to the visiting Federals, ending one of the best games of the season and one of the best in the long history of the Federals-Blitz rivalry.
LOS ANGELES 12 LAS VEGAS 31
Jake Plummer and his starting receivers were all back in form and it showed as they simply overwhelmed LA’s defense. Plummer connected for TDs to both Johnson and Houshmandzadeh on the way to a 19-point victory as LA simply had no answers. The Thunder scored first and never gave up the lead. Midway through the third, with LA having no luck against the Vegas defense, Coach Reid sent Mark Sanchez to the bench and brought in Brody Croyle, but that also failed to produce results as Las Vegas dominated from kickoff to final whistle.
CHARLOTTE 32 BIRMINGHAM 20
The Monarch defense was ready for Cam Newton and the Stallions, as they raced to a 26-3 lead on TDs from Fred Jackson (2) and D. J. Hackett. They then picked off Newton three times in the second half to preserve the win despite two Terrell Owens TDs. Brandon Wheedon looked good once again, going 17 of 23 for 198 and throwing for a score.
OHIO 14 NEW JERSEY 21
Charlie Whitehurst’s first start as a General was not perfect (2 picks) but he did enough to get the W, with a lot of help from Maurice Jones-Drew, who rushed for 107 and scored all 3 New Jersey TDs. Ohio struggled to run the ball against the Generals, who held Isaiah Pead to only 33 yards on the day, and a late TD was called back on a holding call, disallowing the potential game-tying play as New Jersey steps up to 4-3 after 7 weeks.
PHILADELPHIA 19 NEW ORLEANS 24
A huge win for the Breakers and for backup Kyle Boller, who stepped in for a concussed Drew Brees and went 23 of 31 for 257 with two scores, including the game winner with only 4 seconds left to play. Trailing 19-17, Boller found Santana Moss on a miraculous Hail Mary to give New Orleans the surprise win against the formerly unbeaten Stars. Matt Forte topped all rushers with 106 yards and a TD, but it was Boller to Moss for the play of the week as New Orleans knocks Philly form the unbeaten ranks.
ORLANDO 10 HOUSTON 28
Russell Wilson was sacked 5 times by the Gamblers and Michael Turner returned to action this week with 109 yards to help spark Houston to victory. Matt Hasselbeck also had a strong game, completing 17 of 24 passes and tossing 3 touchdowns, including 2 to Michael Sims-Walker, who stepped in for the injured Roy Williams. The win puts Houston above .500 with a huge game at Arizona next week.
ARIZONA 21 DENVER 10
The Wranglers now stand alone as the only unbeaten team left after a nice rivalry win in Denver. Matt Leinart was knocked out of the game after throwing 2 picks in the first half, and Dan LeFevour could do little to muster the Gold against that nasty Wrangler defense. David Carr suffered 7 sacks but held it together to throw 2 TDs, including a beauty of a seam route to TE Rob Gronkowski as the Wranglers move to 7-0 on the season.
TEXAS 22 JACKSONVILLE 17
The Bulls did not make it easy, but in the end the Outlaws survived thanks to a 4th quarter Flacco to Colston TD pass for the win. Colston finished the game with 124 yards receiving and 2 Texas touchdowns, while CB Michael Boulware scored the third on a 72-yard pick six as the Outlaws moved to 5-2 on the season.
PITTSBURGH 42 MEMPHIS 30
A surprisingly high scoring affair between the Showboats and Maulers as the two teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards of offense. Memphis racked up 526 yards, including 382 through the air as Eli Manning went 24 of 38. HB Knile Davis rushed for 127 as he proved a tough back to bring down. But it was not enough as both Kenny Watson and Ronnie Brown topped 100 yards rushing on the day, each averaging an equal 8.3 yards per carry against a Memphis D that had no answers at all for the Mauler run game.
TAMPA BAY 25 ATLANTA 29
With 3:09 left, the Bandits thought they had pulled this on out with a Nate Kaeding field goal, but Atlanta had one drive left in them and with 47 seconds still left on the clock Kyle Orton found TE Matt Schobel for the go ahead TD to give Atlanta their 3rd win of the season. It was Orton’s 3rd TD of the day, equaling Culpepper’s total and giving the Fire a divisional win.
SEATTLE 9 OAKLAND 38
The Invaders roll at home, thanks to 116 yards from Keenan Allen and another 93 with 2 TDs from Pierre Garçon as Oakland just demolishes the Seattle secondary. It was a bad day all around for Seattle, who saw Byron Leftwich go down to injury early in the 4th quarter, an injury that will cost him the rest of the season.
PORTLAND 24 NASHVILLE 28
The Stags got 3 TDs from Ryan Fitzpatrick, but a costly interception late in the game gave Nashville the chance to steal the win and when Peyton Manning hit Denarius Moore for the game winner, the Stags had no response. Manning finished with 250 yards and 3 scores as the Knights win their 2nd game of the year, and push Portland to a miserable 1-6 record.
DALLAS 14 MICHIGAN 23
The Roughnecks drop their 5th in a row, prompting a QB change for Week 8. Michigan got a pick-six and three Matt Prater field goals to break a 7-7 tie and take the win. In a game where neither team could convert on third down (3 for 28 combined), Michigan just made fewer mistakes and was able to pull out an ugly win.
CHICAGO 23 ST. LOUIS 7
The Chicago D had an answer for everything St. Louis threw at them, limiting Eddie Lacy to 88 yards rushing and sacking Josh Freeman 4 times. Meanwhile Doug Martin’s 92 yards and 2 Brady Quinn TDs proved to be enough as the Machine took over first place in the Central with the win. Former NFL receiver Emmanuel Sanders had only 3 receptions but two were for scores as he helped Chicago get the big divisional win.
Byron Leftwich The Latest QB Injury
This is getting to the point where the league may have to investigate what, if anything, can be done to protect quarterbacks. Byron Leftwich became the 4th starter in 7 weeks to go down for the year with a significant injury. Seattle was already down big to the Invaders (28-6 in the third) when Leftwich scrambled to avoid the rush, only to take a nasty hit and hard tackle at the line of scrimmage. When he did not immediately get up, the Oakland crowd knew something was wrong. The trainers from Seattle came out, followed by the Oakland team, and both would end up helping to put Leftwich in the cart to be wheeled of the field. He would be taken to a local hospital where it was confirmed that he had suffered both a dislocated hip (a very painful injury) and a chipped pelvic bone. The combination of the two would require isolation and traction to allow the hip joint to reform around the femur, a diagnosis that meant no less than 3 months without taking the field. In other words, Leftwich was done for the year.
Mike Flynn wrapped up the game for the Dragons, and now looks to be the starter for the rest of the year. Seattle had brought Flynn in from Baltimore as a free agent backup, but now he appears to be the man they will have to rely on if the 3-4 club hopes to compete in the Pacific conference. He will be backed up by longstanding Dragon reservist Alex Brink, and by former CFL and Portland QB Dennis Dixon, signed on Wednesday.
Leftwich represents the 4th established starter to go down this year, following Sam Bradford (NJ-Week 2), David Garrard (Week 5), and Jake Delhomme (CHA-Last Week). At this pace, half the league could be playing with backups by season’s end. Of course, each injury is unique, with Leftwich’s hip very different from Delhomme’s torn ACL, Garrard’s skull fracture, or Bradford’s bicep muscle detachment, but what is the common factor is that we now have 4 contending teams all working with backups at the most important position on the field.
Kyle Williams to IR for the Thunder
Las Vegas also suffered a big blow due to injury this week as star D-tackle Kyle Williams went down with a season-ending injury. Williams, like QB Sam Bradford before him, was diagnosed with a fully separated bicep muscle. The timing however, with only 11 weeks left in the season, meant that even with a fast recovery, Williams would be out until at least the Divisional playoff round. Unlike the Generals, who kept Bradford on the active roster, Las Vegas opted, due to the timing of the injury, to place Williams on IR and promote Trevor Laws up from the practice squad. Terrance Knighton and Ellis Johnson will likely share the spot opposite Haloti Ngata in Las Vegas’s 4-3 alignement, with Laws limited to respite snaps only.
The loss of Williams is a big one for the Thunder defense, as not only was the big man responsible for 11 tackles, but was a team captain and rallying point for the defense. In his absence, more responsibility will be put on Ngata and on LB Joey Porter to help lead the defensive squad.
Bradford On Pace for Playoff Return
Let’s finish our quick injury assessment with some good news for a change. All indications are that Sam Bradford’s recovery from a separated bicep is on pace for a possible return this season. The Generals have placed a possible return as early as Week 15 on the table, meaning that if they can qualify for the playoffs, the Generals could have their All-USFL starting QB back in time for the season finale and all playoff games.
Of course, for this to matter, the club has to be in position to qualify for the postseason. They currently sit at 4-3 after earning a tough win over the Ohio Glory this week, the first with former Monarch and NFL QB Charlie Whitehurst at the helm. Th club had been erratic with Bryan Hoyer starting, losing 3 and winning one, as Hoyer struggled to a 60.2 QB Rating. In his first game as the Generals’ starter, Whitehurst went 24 of 40 for 233 yards, but threw two picks. That gave him only a 54.5 rating, but thanks in large part to Maurice Jones-Drew’s 3 TDs, the Generals pulled the game out. Whitehurst will need to do more to hold the job, and the Generals will have to play complementary ball the rest of the season if they hope to make Sam Bradford’s anticipated return a meaningful one.
USFL Backs Run to Daylight in Week 7
It was a big week for the tailbacks across the USFL this week, with 100-yard days all over the map. In a league known for passing, sometimes the backs just take over, and that certainly seemed to be the case this week. Here is the full list of all the 100-yard rushers in Week 7 and where each stands so far this year.
Frank Gore (ARZ) 151 in Week 7 693 through 7 weeks
Ron Dayne (BAL) 140 in Week 7 544 through 7 weeks
Rashard Mendenhall (DAL) 127 in Week 7 569 through 7 weeks
Knile Davis (MEM) 127 in Week 7 211 through 7 weeks
Ryan Williams (OAK) 116 in Week 7 576 through 7 weeks
Deuce McCallister (WSH) 109 in Week 7 681 through 7 weeks
Michael Turner (HOU) 109 in Week 7 212 through 7 weeks
Kenny Watson (PIT) 108 in Week 7 377 through 7 weeks
Maurice Jones-Drew (NJ) 107 in Week 7 549 through 7 weeks
Matt Forte (NOR) 106 in Week 7 431 through 7 weeks
Ronnie Brown (PIT) 100 in Week 7 222 through 7 weeks
That is 11 backs on 10 teams that all crossed the century mark, and that does not even count some of the league leaders like Doug Martin (615 this season), Willis McGahee (600 this season), Eddie Lacy (583 this season), and Jonathan Stewart (528 this season) who just missed the century mark this past weekend.
The message is clear, running the ball can work in the USFL, and when you pair a good run game with a solid defense, you can win a lot of games, just ask Arizona, Washington, and Chicago.
Three Way Trade Moves Two Starting Receivers
We have our second big trade of the regular season, following New Jerseys’ acquisition of QB Charlite Whitehurst from Charlotte. This one involved two starting, and arguably two number one receivers, as both Greg Jennings and Robert Ferguson find themselves on new teams, adjusting to new coaches and a new QB. Here is how it went down.
Baltimore, despite a solid outing this week, has been very unhappy with their offensive production and have been roundly criticized for a lack of versatility at WR. They were in the market for a top target who could both stretch the field and make the tough inside catches. They liked what they saw in Memphis’s Robert Ferguson, but the Showboats would not move their longstanding number one without a potential replacement in place. That forced Baltimore to try to work a 3-team trade instead of a simple bilateral move. They found an interested party in Oakland, where the breakout rookie season by Keenan Allen and strong performances from Pierre Garçon had made veteran Greg Jennings less essential to the long term plans of the Invaders. Move around a few draft picks and you have a deal that all three clubs were willing to accept.
Oakland gives up Greg Jennings, and in return they get a 3rd rounder from Baltimore and a 5th round pick from Memphis. The Showboats snag Jennings to act as the mid-range target and veteran presence, and also nab a 5th rounder to replace the one they send to Oakland. Baltimore gets the WR they coveted in Robert Fergusion, and give up only a 3rd (to Oakland) and a 5th (to Memphis) to get him. It is a move that may take a couple of weeks to assess as both wideouts must adapt to their new teams, and while Allen and Garçon adapt to their new roles in Oakland, but when all is said and done, this could be a proverbial win-win-win for all three clubs.
Dallas to Make a Move at QB
It is not that Jake Locker has looked terrible, but after losing 5 in a row the Roughnecks needed to do something, and with OU rookie Landry Jones sitting on the bench, a change at QB seemed the best short-term solution to infuse the team with some more energy. At least that is the theory after Coach Sherman announced that Jones would get the start this week as the Roughnecks host the Denver Gold in a divisional matchup. Jones, who has recovered from an injury in practice that had him demoted to 3rd string for the past 2 weeks, will jump all the way into the starting lineup for the 2-5 Roughnecks. The hope is that the rookie can bring some energy to an offense that has averaged only 17.4 points per game this season, including 14 or fewer in their past 3 games.
Coach Sherman is still analyzing what he has in Dallas as both the offense and the defense have struggled to win battles over the past 5 weeks, turning a surprising 2-0 start into a more pedestrian 2-5 record. With 2 straight divisional gams on tap (Denver and Houston) and a 3rd in 4 weeks as Dallas hosts Arizona, the Roughnecks still have a chance to impress their new fanbase with some key wins this month, but they will need to tighten up their execution and avoid the mistakes that so often accompany a rookie starter at QB.
Orlando loses a favorite weapon, Washington a key defender, and several other teams see shorter term injuries affecting their starting lineups as we head into midseason. Here are the new names on the injury list for Week 8.
OUT
TE Greg Olsen ORL Broken Leg IR
DT Corey Liuget WSH Hip 6-8 Wks
CB Darius Slay ATL Biceps 4-6 Wks
OT Lamar Holmes BAL Neck 2-4 Wks
WR Deion Branch WSH Hip 1-2 Wks
LB Kirk Morrison PHI Concussion 1-2 Wks
LB Chad Greenway TEX Concussion 1-2 Wks
DOUBTFUL
LB Nate Webster BIR Toe
WR Jerricho Cotchery JAX Thigh
QUESTIONABLE
FS Darnell Bing POR Hip
SS Jaiquawn Jarrett JAX Concussion
WR Demaryius Thomas ATL Toe
QB Matt Leinart DEN Toe
Los Angeles & San Diego Ownership Groups Make Move on Las Vegas
A very interesting development in the Las Vegas Thunder saga. John Tu, a minority owner of the LA Express, and a deep-pocketed one at that, has joined forces with John Moores, the former owner of the San Diego Padres and one of the initial investors in the San Diego USFL Expansion group to put together a bid to purchase the Thunder. This combination of tech investors, Tu with ties to the USFL already and Moores with pro sports ownership background and connections with San Diego State University, could be making a move much like Mark Cuban and the group that purchased the Boston Cannons and relocated them to Dallas.
While no details have been released, including whether or not the new pairing of Tu and Moores is seeking to cash in on the Thunder as a Las Vegas property or if they are interested in getting in on a current franchise to relocate it to San Diego is not yet known. There is speculation, for instance, that if a current USFL owner opts to sell off his stake in his current team (and here we are thinking about the ownership in Nashville) so that they can then get an inside track on the Las Vegas franchise, then someone like the Tu/Moores combo could swoop in, buy the controlling share of that USFL franchise and make the case to relocate the team to San Diego. But, before we assume that this is what is happening, we should consider the possibility that both Tu and Moores see the value of the Las Vegas franchise and are considering a strong offer to take on the franchise, and the new stadium option in Sin City, and will abandon the cause of bringing USFL football to San Diego altogether.
What is known is that between Tu and Moores, we are looking at nearly $3B in assets, making them one of the wealthiest potential ownership groups in the USFL if they can find their way to a franchise. What is up in the air is just which franchise, and in what market?
Our Breakout Players of 2013
Seven weeks in and one week before our big Midseason Report, and we wanted to prime the pump on midyear grades by looking at some of the surprise contributors and breakout stars of the 2013 season to date. Some are names we have profiled before, others may be players you have not noticed, but ones you should be keeping an eye on. Let’s get started on offense as we look at 4 players on each side of the ball who have started 2013 on a tear and are among the breakout stars of the season.
QB Cam Newton (BIR)
No surprise here. Newton, who enters Week 8 as the league leader in passing yards (1,849) and is only 1 TD behind Daunte Culpepper, has been the driving force behind the success of the Stallions. In his third season, he has the Stallions sitting atop the Southern Division with a 5-2 record and the 3rd rated passing attack in the league. It helps, of course, that he has two outstanding veterans in Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, but what has been most impressive is that Newton is finding ways to manufacture wins even when his best targets are double or triple teamed. TE Jabari Holloway, slot receiver Julian Edelman, and HB Danny Woolford have all also been frequent targets for Newton, who is also not afraid to run the ball when needed.
HB Doug Martin (CHI)
The Machine’s gamble, trading away Michael Turner to Houston this offseason, has proven to be a shrewd move. While Turner has missed more games than he has played since arriving in Houston, 2nd year back Doug Martin has proven to be a revelation, rushing for 615 yards in the season’s first 7 weeks. He is one of only 4 backs to surpass 600 yards so far this season and has also been a factor in the passing game. Chicago finds themselves atop the Central Division in large part because of the balance that Martin has helped the Machine achieve on offense.
TE Jimmie Graham (PIT)
The 4th year TE is having a season to remember in Pittsburgh. After having 52 targets and 43 receptions in all of the 2012 season, this year he is approaching those numbers at the halfway point, with 52 targets and 37 receptions in only 7 games. He has turned those looks into production, averaging over 10.5 yard per reception and finding the endzone 3 times already this year, after a 2012 season with no TDs at all. And he has done this despite Andy Dalton missing several games due to injury. Watch out for Graham as the season continues, with Pittsburgh sitting at 3-4, they feel like they are ready to make a move on a division that is still very much in flux.
OT Chance Warmack (ARZ)
The Only rookie on our list, and one in a non-glamor position, guard Chance Warmack has been a huge gift to Frank Gore, David Carr and the Wrangler offense. He has started all 7 games for the Wranglers, clearing paths for Gore, pulling across the line, and has yet to give up a sack. The 1st round pick from Alabama was a huge signing for the Wranglers, if not a flashy one, but sometimes flash is not what you need, sometimes muscle is all that is required, and Warmack is proving he has plenty of that for the unbeaten Wranglers.
DE Chris Long (WSH)
While Long’s 8 sacks are not atop the league, they are pretty darn close, and when you consider that in 2012 Long had 9 sacks the entire season and now is on pace for 17-20, you can understand why we are excited about Long’s development as an edge rusher. Long has always been good against the run, and he has had 2 seasons with 10+ sacks, but his pace this year indicates that he is ready to take the next step and become one of the league’s premier pass rushers, something the 6-1 Federals certainly appreciate.
LB Buster Davis (PIT)
Another impressive Mauler, Davis is another player whose production has leapt up this year. In 2012 the 2007 draftee had a very solid year with 66 tackles over 11 games, but only 7 games into 2013 Davis is already close to surpassing that number, with 60 sacks already under his belt. Add to that a personal best 14 TFL already on the season and Davis is looking very much like a breakout player in the Mauler D. It helps that Coach Rivera moved him from the weak side to the strong side, but more than a position shift, what we are seeing is a linebacker who has started to make sense of blocking schemes and how to defeat them.
LB Jason Taylor (BAL)
The former Miami Dolphin came to Baltimore with a lot of fanfare and a reputation as a pass rusher. In his first 3 season, he had modest numbers in that category (5, 6 and 2 in those years), but has quietly been improving as a run-blitzing linebacker. Coach Caldwell saw that in Taylor and asked the outside backer to focus more on the run. If the sacks come, great, but focus on the run first. That strategic use for Taylor has proven a good one. Taylor leads the league with a stunning 21 tackles for loss in the run game, an average of 3 per game. He is disruptive on both inside and outside runs, and he is even finding his way to the QB as well, with 3 sacks over the first 7 games. He is on pace for over 80 tackles and nearly 50 TFL, outstanding numbers and very important to a Blitz team that is struggling on offense.
FS Quinton Carter (NJ)
The third year player and first year starter has stepped in and stepped up at Free Safety for the Generals. After two seasons as a rarely used bench option, Carter was handed the starting position this offseason and he is making Coach Herm Edwards very happy with his play so far this year. Carter not only has 4 picks on the season, but has also allowed only 16 catches in 7 games, a paltry 2.28 average.
Week 8 kicks off with a cross country showdown as the Express hope to finish the season’s first half at .500 but will have a tough task as they face a bitter Stars team, angry after their first loss of the season and ready to defend their home turf.
ON Saturday we get the first divisional games of the weekend, with Ohio headed up to Chicago with 1st place in the Central on the line. Pittsburgh is also in Washington for a game that could thrust the Maulers into the playoff conversation. Saturday Night we have the first of two games between the Breakers and Knights this season, and you know how rough those matchups can be. The nightcap is an intriguing one with St. Louis facing Las Vegas in the desert.
Sunday we have New Jersey hoping to stay hot with Charlie Whitehurst at QB as they head to Baltimore. Denver is in Dallas with a chance to return to .500, Houston is hoping they can finally put a dent in Arizona’s armor as they face the unbeaten Wranglers in Glendale. And Sunday night we finish the week with the Monarchs hoping to put away the Bandits in Tampa Bay.
Friday @ 8pm Los Angeles (3-4) @ Philadelphia (6-1) NBC
Saturday @ 12pm Ohio (4-3) @ Chicago (5-2) ABC
Saturday @ 12pm Pittsburgh (3-4) @ Washington (6-1) FOX
Saturday @ 4pm Texas (5-2) @ Portland (1-6) ABC
Saturday @ 4pm Oakland (5-3) @ Michigan (2-5) FOX
Saturday @ 7pm New Orleans (4-3) @ Nashville (2-5) NBC
Saturday @ 9pm St. Louis (3-4) @ Las Vegas (5-2) ESPN/EFN
Sunday @ 12pm Birmingham (5-2) @ Atlanta (3-4) ABC
Sunday @ 12pm Jacksonville (2-5) @ Orlando (2-5) FOX
Sunday @ 12pm New Jersey (4-3) @ Baltimore (2-5) FOX
Sunday @ 4pm Memphis (1-6) @ Seattle (3-4) ABC
Sunday @ 4pm Denver (3-4) @ Dallas (2-5) ABC
Sunday @ 4pm Houston (5-3) @ Arizona (7-0) FOX
Sunday @ 8pm Charlotte (5-2) @ Tampa Bay (2-5) ESPN/EFN
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