The final week of the season sees 4 teams lock up playoff berths, 5 teams nab division titles, and two very disappointed squads miss out on a chance to extend their season. Texas and Tampa Bay get season-ending wins without their starting QBs to secure in Texas’s case the division and the top seed in the West and in Tampa’s the division crown and a bye week. Las Vegas and Ohio disappoint their fans as weak second halves to the season mean they miss out on postseason play, while Houston avoids a last-minute stumble, losing to the Denver Gold but maintaining the 6 seed in the West thanks to the Thunder and Glory losses. We will break down all the games of the week, preview the Wild Card round of playoffs, and give you all the news from Black Monday right here, right now.
TEXAS OUTLAWS 28 BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 23
With Birmingham sitting at 7-8 and eliminated from playoff contention, this game could have easily been a playoff warmup for the Texas Outlaws, but with Joe Flacco out, and having lost in Week 15 with Kyle Boller at QB, the pressure was on the Outlaws. A loss and they very likely would drop from the top seed in the West all the way to a 4 seed Wild Card. That was the reality for the Outlaws, who needed to see that Boller could lead them to victory, a victory that would assure Texas the top seed and a very needed bye in the playoffs.
With a bye next week, Texas would almost assuredly have Joe Flacco back in action for their playoff premiere, a result that could allow them to take home field advantage all the way to the first Summer Bowl appearance in team history, possibly the first title for the club as well. So, when Birmingham announced that they would not shutter Cam Newton to protect him in the final, and that all regular starters would be on the field, it forced Texas to bring everything they could to this game to ensure the win and their seed in the playoffs.
Birmingham did not make it easy on Boller or the Outlaws, but, called upon to provide leadership and guide Texas towards that top seed, the backup came through. The Outlaws came in with a focus on the passing game, providing only 10 carries to Chris Johnson while Kyle Boller threw for 306 yards and 4 touchdowns. While this was partly the result of falling behind 17-0 in the 2nd quarter, it was also very much the strategy of the Outlaws, to feature the skills of receivers like Marques Colston, Brandon Marshall, and Marquise Goodwin against a Stallion secondary that had shown a tendency to lose focus.
Despite their desire for a fast and decisive start, Texas found themselves very much in trouble early. Birmingham got the only score of the first quarter on a Newton TD toss to Dontrelle Inman as the Texas passing game was not finding success early. That lead expanded to 10-0 and then 17-0 for Birmingham when Cam Newton broke containment and raced 59 yards for a score on a play that could have broken the spirits of the Outlaws, but with over 9 minutes still left in the 2nd quarter there was time for Texas to regroup and recover, and the Outlaws did both.
Texas put 14 points up in the second half of the quarter, first with an absolute momentum-shifting play as Boller hit speedster Marquise Goodwin with an 83-yard catch and run for the first Outlaw points of the game. That was followed by the first of 3 turnovers by the Stallions, a tipped ball that was picked by Nate Vasher, putting Texas in position to cut the lead to only 3. Texas marched the ball down to the 6 as time ticked down, with Boller hitting TE Bo Scaife for the score in the final minute. From a 17-0 deficit, Texas had quickly jumped back in the game with two 2nd quarter scores, signaling that this game was by no means over.
The third began with a pair of three and outs as both defenses adjusted to their first quarter failings. Birmingham would add a field goal on their 2nd drive, following a nice set or runs by much maligned HB Joseph Addai. Texas was down 6 and would respond with their first scoring drive of the second half. Once again it was Boller and the passing game at the center of the attack, with Brandon Marshall the hero of this drive, first with a 31-yard play on a 2nd and 3, and then with the 10-yard TD play from Boller, his third TD toss of the game.
Down 21-20 as the 4th quarter began, Birmingham seemed content to feed the ball to Addai and Marion Barber, to slow the game down and sneak out with a win at the end. They retook the lead early in the 4th on another Hartley field goal, but now would have to hold that lead for nearly 12 minutes. With Texas having all but abandoned any semblance of a running game, Birmingham stayed in nickel and dime coverage for the remainder of the game. This worked at first, with Texas forced to punt on the post-field-goal drive, but it proved ineffective after a Barber fumble gave the Outlaws the ball back at their own 48 with plenty of time left.
It would take the Outlaws only 3 plays to score after the turnover. The lead-changing play was another deep ball, this time to Marshall as a bunch formation allowed the taller receiver to find himself matched on Birmingham’s shortest corner, with safety help trapped in the middle of the field. Boller got the protection he needed and lofted a deep ball to Marshall. The bigger receiver went up for the ball at the 3, brought it down and fell into the endzone for the decisive score, Boller’s 4th TD toss of the day, and a 28-23 lead.
That play seemed to break the spirit of the Stallions, who put up little resistance in the final minutes. Texas would get the ball back for the last time with only 57 seconds left, allowing Boller to take a knee and the Outlaws to douse Coach Landry with the sideline water coolers, champions of the SW Division and the 1 seed in the West, guaranteeing both a bye week and a run through San Antonio if the Outlaws wanted to punch a ticket for Atlanta and Summer Bowl 2014.
We are going to do things a bit differently this time, going through the weekend based on the game start times. So that you can get a feel for how the final week impacted playoff position at different points of the weekend. We start with three games on Saturday that locked up the top seed in the East.
Saturday @ Noon
PHILADELPHIA 30 WASHINGTON 24
The Stars locked up both the NE Division and the top seed in the East with this victory on the road in DC. At first it looked like it might be a cakewalk, with Philadelphia racing out to a 24-0 lead, but Washington showed some moxy, scoring 24 unanswered to tie the game before a late Travis Kelce TD catch sealed the win for the Stars, who finish the season atop the East at 13-3.
POTG: Stars WR Stevie Johnson: 7 Rec, 117 Yds, 1 TD
BALTIMORE 36 NASHVILLE 20
The Blitz tried to avoid scoreboard watching, but after going up 16-7, the got a bit lax and Cody Pickett brought Nashville to a 17-16 lead. That is when Baltimore went on a 21-0 run and put the game away. They would end up stuck as a Wild Card and the 4 seed, but they kept from falling behind Charlotte or Atlanta, so a home playoff game will start their postseason.
POTG: Blitz QB Ben Roethlisberger; 18/29, 358 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int
NEW JERSEY 19 NEW ORLEANS 30
The Breakers played their starters, still hoping for an outside shot at a bye. That did not work out, but they did get a solid win over New Jersey and avoided any Week 16 injuries as well. Drew Brees threw for 3 scores and both Kenny Britt and Early Doucet went over 100 yards as the Breakers found plenty of room against New Jersey’s struggling secondary.
POTG: New Orleans QB Drew Brees: 28/40, 345 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int
Saturday @ 4pm
SEATTLE 22 OAKLAND 21
Oakland led most of the way, but let up in the second half. That was enough for Mike Flynn to rally the Dragons with a TD in the final 3 minutes and a field goal at regulation to upend the struggling Invaders. Oakland would need help now to hold on to the Pacific Division lead. Joey Harrington played well, but Seattle’s Mike Wallace showed that the Oakland D is not what it had been earlier in the year.
POTG: Dragon WR Mike Wallace: 7 Rec, 131 Yds, 1 TD
LAS VEGAS 17 DALLAS 24
If the Thunder could knock off Dallas, they would be the Pacific Champions, but the Roughnecks have been gelling as a team lately and were game to play spoilers. Johnny Manziel threw for 2 scores and the defense frustrated Jake Plummer all game. With the score tied at 17, it would be a Plummer mistake that would cost Las Vegas the game and a playoff bid. Manny Lawson picked off a Plummer ball and returned it 22 yards for the game winner, a pick-six that ended Las Vegas’s playoff bid.
POTG: Dallas LB Manny Lawson: 3 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD
PITTSBURGH 23 MEMPHIS 26
A pretty decent game considering that both 5-10 teams were playing only for pride. Memphis recovered from an early 13-0 deficit with 21 straight points in the third quarter. Eli Manning threw for a TD and got help from HBs Darren McFadden and Anthony Allen as the Showboats roared back and took the win.
POTG: Showboat CB Keith Smith: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty
Saturday @ 8pm
ST. LOUIS 10 MICHIGAN 31
Saturday wrapped up with the Michigan Panthers locking up the Central Division crown in convincing fashion. Kirk Cousins looked primed for the playoffs, completing 23 of 28 passes and throwing for 4 scores as the Panthers rolled to the division title and a bye in the Wild Card round. Rookie Cody Latimer had 2 TDs in one of his best games as a pro, while LeVeon Bell added 73 yards on the ground and another 27 through the air.
POTG: Panther QB Kirk Cousins: 23/28, 238 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int
Sunday @ Noon
CHARLOTTE 27 ATLANTA 10
It was a battle to finish 2nd in the SE Division, even though both teams knew that they would be starting their playoff run on the road, thanks to Baltimore’s earlier win. While the starters played quite a bit, both teams also subbed in some backups as well, particularly after Charlotte had a solid 24-0 lead and the game was all but done. Kyle Orton threw 3 picks trying to come back in the game, but wiwth Fred Jackson rushing for 155 yards the run game of Charlotte just wound down the clock.
POTG: Monarch WR D. J. Hackett: 5 Rec, 180 Yds, 1 TD
ORLANDO 20 TAMPA BAY 31
Orlando looked to spoil things for the Bandits, but QB Ryan Lindley responded well, despite being sacked by Calais Campbell a stunning 6 times, and with the home crowd behind him, the Bandits put away the Renegades and claimed the SE Division title at 12-4. Lindley came close to cracking the 300-yard mark, and connected for 4 TDs, including 2 to Vincent Jackson, giving Bandit fans hope for the playoffs. Lindley and the Bandits will get a bye as the 2 seed, time to prepare Lindley for playoff football.
POTG: Orlando DE Calais Campbell: 10 Tck, 6 Sck, 1 FF
CHICAGO 23 JACKSONVILLE 19
Fans with a morbid curiosity about the Bulls got to watch the club on FOX as they blew their 16th and final game of the season. At one point it was 19-7 Jacksonville, but the Bulls collapsed at the end, with Chicago scoring the final 16 points to take the win. To no one’s surprise, Mike Nolan was let go the same day.
POTG: Chicago WR Aaron Dobson: 9 Rec, 96 Yds, 1 TD
Sunday @ 4pm
PORTLAND 7 LOS ANGELES 34
A somewhat meaningless game played before barely 12,000 fans in LA saw the Express dominate a lackluster Portland squad, leaving both teams at 6-10 for the season. Aaron Murray played only a series before Coach Reid put Mark Sanchez back in. The running theory is that he is hoping to get a little interest going on the trading block for Sanchez. A 10 of 20 showing for Sanchez may not be what Coach Reid was hoping for.
POTG: LA halfback Reggie Bush: 16 Att, 130 Yds, 2 TD
OHIO 13 ARIZONA 30
With Michigan having won on Saturday, Ohio had already been eliminated from playoff contention. That showed as they faced the Wranglers, who were hoping for a Texas loss to propel them to the 1 seed. They did not get the help they needed, but did their part with a solid win over the Glory. Rob Gronkowski, set to become a free agent, showed his worth with 122 yards and a TD for Arizona.
POTG: Wrangler CB Joe Haden: 5 Tck, 2 Int
Sunday @ 8pm
HOUSTON 13 DENVER 24
With Las Vegas and Ohio both losing, this game was not for a playoff berth, but for positioning within the Wild Card round. The winner would go to Arizona, the loser to Oakland. That is an odd scenario because by most accounts these two teams would both prefer to play the Invaders than the Wranglers. It seems Houston understood the mission more than Denver as they kept Hasselbeck out of harm’s way, let Hyde run the ball, and came away losing by 11, but perhaps winning the bigger battle.
POTG: Denver LB Hannibal Navies: 12 Tck
Boller & Lindley Get the Job Done
The pressure was on, the playoffs, or at least each team's role in them, was on the line, and backups Ryan Lindley and Kyle Boller were on the spot to guide their teams into the postseason with a season ending win. Both were subbing for injured starters, with Joe Flacco expected back in action as early as the Divisional Round of the playoffs, while Tampa's Daunte Culpepper was lost for the year, putting Lindley in position to guide a team that had been among the league's elites all season.
In the finale for each, pressure was on to get a W and secure the division title and a bye week for both clubs. Both, with losses, could slip out of first in their divisions and into the Wild Card mix. For both clubs, this would be seen as a disastrous result after leading not only their divisions, but the conferences as well for much of the season.
First up was Tampa Bay, playing in the Sunday noon slot. In their game against rival Orlando, Ryan Lindley absolutely did not have it easy, sacked 11 times by a ferocious Orlando pass rush, 6 alone from DPOTW and likely DPOTY Calais Campbell. And yet, despite constant pressure from the Orlando front 7, Lindley succeeded in 20 of 28 passing, for just short of 300 yards (296) and 4 TDs as the Bandits put up 31 on the Renegades and locked up a SE Division title.
Boller had it only slightly easier in Birmingham, where he was not shown quite the same violent welcome. Birmingham played mostly conservative zones, but the Stallions had the lead at the half and required Boller to put up some scores in the second half. He did just that, connecting with Brandon Marshall twice in the final 30 minutes to give Texas the win, and with it the SW Division title and the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The win means that Boller may just have seen his last action. While there was concern about bringing Joe Flacco back for the Wild Card round, the bye week that the top seed receives means that Texas will get a week off and Flacco could and should be back under center for the Outlaws in 2 weeks. For Lindley, the win also gives him two weeks to prepare for his next action, as he will be the starter when Tampa Bay takes on its first opponent in the Divisional Round.
Houston & Denver in, Las Vegas Out… Again
We speculated about it and it came to pass, four teams from the same division have made the 2014 playoffs, with Texas as the 1 seed, and all three Wild Card spots now held by Arizona (4), Houston (5) and Denver (6). That means that for the second year in a row the Las Vegas Thunder have fizzled down the stretch, turning what looked like a possible Division Title into a non-playoff year. This is a trend we used to see from the Texas Outlaws with late summer swoons, but now it seems that Las Vegas is the squad that cannot finish a year out strong.
We should also mention that this is also the case with the Ohio Glory, who spent the first half of the year looking like the team to beat in the Central only to be overtaken by a rising Michigan Panther team, dropping out of first place and now dropping out of playoff contention with an 8-7-1 record. For the SW Division however, this is great news, a situation that acknowledges if not confirms what many have been saying, that the Southwest is the best and toughest division in the league this year. It also means that two of the three Wild Cards from the SW Division will face off in Week 1 of the playoffs. Those two will be the Arizona Wranglers and the Denver Gold, who will meet in Glendale on Sunday.
Seattle Upsets Oakland, but Invaders Get Last Laugh
The Dragons played spoilers on Saturday, upsetting the Invaders in Oakland and sweeping the season series, but to no avail. The hope among Dragon players was that a win over Oakland would lead to the club falling all the way out of the playoffs at 9-7. And while that would have been the case had Las Vegas beaten Dallas, it was the Roughnecks who got the honor of knocking a club out of playoff position with their upset of the Thunder.
The Seattle win helped the Dragons avoid a 10-loss season at 7-9, a better record than most predicted for them, but the win did not produce the additional pleasure of ruining the season for Oakland fans, long disliked by Dragon faithful. Oakland may be limping into the postseason at 9-7, having lost 4 of 8 in the season’s second half, including 2 losses to the Dragons, but they still managed to hold onto the Pacific Division title. The only potential joy for Seattle is that Oakland’s lost makes them the 3 seed, costing them a chance at a bye week and forcing them to take on a tough Houston squad next week. A pyrrhic victory, but for the Dragons, winning over the Invaders is still a good feeling.
League Leaders Include Lots of New Names
Every year brings rising stars and surprises in the standings. It also brings surprises in the statistical leaderboards, and 2014 is certainly no exception. Preseason picks had names like Joe Flacco and Daunte Culpepper listed among the potential passing leaders, with Deuce McCallister, LeVeon Bell and Steve Slaton expected to compete for the rushing title, and perennial contenders Hines Ward, Marques Colston and Deion Branch expected to battle it out for the top spot on the receiving lists.
What no one predicted, either on a team level, or on an individual level, was the rise of the Baltimore Blitz. Along with Baltimore’s win-loss success came a lot of statistical success. As we look at the end of year stat leaders, we see Baltimore’s success written into their passing game. Ben Roethlisberger had his best year as a pro, throwing for over 4,700 yards to finish as the yardage leader, while also topping the boards in both TD passes (36) and QB Rating (118.5), a very nice trifecta for the big guy. With his success we also saw Darrius Heyward-Bey have a huge year, breaking out as a top tier threat in the passing game. His 1,650 yards are among the best ever by a Blitz receiver and good enough to get him third on the yardage list, behind only Colston and Tampa Bay’s Vincent Jackson.
The other big surprise was in Houston, where the Gamblers connected with two outstanding rookie picks. While WR Mike Evans has looked more than solid as a number one receiver, it is Carlos Hyde who sits as the almost locked-in Rookie of the Year. His 1,456 yards was the best of any back this year, and serves as a warning to all run defenses across the league that Houston has themselves a stud at tailback. Throw in 13 rushing TDs, a league best as well, and Hyde is quickly becoming a player to follow in the league.
Before we wrap up we should also acknowledge one ludicrously consistent stat leader. It just seems that no one is going to be able to remove Calais Campbell from his throne as the king of the QB Sack. Campbell once again ran away with the title after a purely nasty 6-sack game against Tampa Bay’s Ryan Lindley. That gave him 33 sacks in 16 games, another absolutely mind-boggling total. The closest competitor was Aaron Kampman of New Jersey with 18. Think about that for a second, Campbell had 15 more sacks than the closest competitor. That is the same as having Kampman at 18 and a second DE on the team with 15. We would consider that a truly amazing edge rush duo, but in the case of Campbell it is all just him. Truly stunning.
Jacksonville Joins Worst Team Ever Discussions at 0-16
What more can we say about the 2014 Jacksonville Bulls. They, by every measure of a team, just flat out stunk. No one is surprised that Mike Nolan is out after only one year when it is a year that saw the Bulls go 16 games without a win, and with major blow outs in several outings. The Bulls did wrong just about everything you could do wrong, from a complete lack of blocking to some truly horrible tackling, to more turnovers than a Danish bakery. It was ugly. So now what?
Well, they start by overhauling the front office, from GM to Head Coach and most of the staff as well. They will start all over. Then you look at the roster. Do they cut Tim Tebow loose? There are still many Floridians who give him a lot of love and seem hesitant to see his role in the team’s failures this year. The Bulls need a more reliable run game, some breakaway capacity in the receiving corps, much better O-line play, and, well, maybe 11 new starters on defense. Whoever takes on the job of GM in Jacksonville will be a busy man, and whoever signs on as the team’s new head coach is likely to turn grey before the Bulls reach playoff contention. Best of luck to both, you will need it.
DeMarco Murray Out for Denver Wild Card Game
Denver will be shorthanded in their playoff matchup with rival Arizona. After leaving the game by hopping off the field, it was determined that HB DeMarco Murray fractured the big toe on his left foot. The injury could be addressed with extra taping and perhaps a special splint in a week or two, but there is little that can be done right away other than to not attempt to practice or play. That means that Denver will be without their lead rusher (844 yards this season) as they face one of the league’s best defenses in the Arizona Wranglers.
Arizona currently ranks 2nd in the league in both scoring and yards allowed, and their run defense in particular is strong, allowing fewer than 90 yards per game. Denver will now go into Glendale with 3rd year player LeMichael James as the likely starter, though we expect to see a good deal of Andre Williams as well. James has had a good year, with 646 yards on only 212 carries, but at 3 yards per carry he is a full yard off of Murray’s pace.
Denver will likely try to compensate by putting more on Matt Leinart and the passing game, but it is exactly that type of one-dimensional attack that Arizona is so capable of snuffing out. Without a strong threat from the run game, expect Matt Leinart to be under constant pressure from the Wrangler front 7.
There was a lot on the line this weekend, and yet, as seems to happen nearly every year, the teams in position to earn berths after Week 15 all held that position and qualified in Week 16. Losses by both Las Vegas and Ohio meant that the 6 teams already in playoff position in the conference survived, including Oakland (who lost to Seattle) and Houston (who lost their season ending matchup against Denver).
When the dust settled Sunday night, we had our 12 playoff teams, with the Invaders, Panthers, Gamblers and Gold all locking in their spots. Texas held on to win the top seed in the West, while Philadelphia’s win gave them the best record in the East at 13-3. The Stars join Tampa Bay, Texas, and Michigan with Wild Card Round byes, while Oakland, Arizona, New Orleans and Baltimore will all host games next week.
The week also settled the first half of the draft. No surprise at the top, where the Jacksonville Bulls locked up the top pick several weeks ago. They will be followed by 3-13 Nashville, 4-12 St. Louis, and then a cluster of Dallas, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey at 5-11. The full draft order will be known once the playoffs conclude, with the 12 playoff teams assigned their slot based on their success in the postseason paired with their regular season standings.
We look over the 4 Wild Card games and see quite a few known issues, and just a couple of new concerns among the 8 teams that will be in action next week. Here is the breakdown, game by game.
The Fire are certainly hurting on defense with Kelsay on IR and questions around CB Darius Slay and DT Jason Ferguson. New Orleans certainly will miss Chris Spencer on the line, but seem the healthier team.
ATL: DE Chris Kelsay (IR), HB J. J. Arrington (IR), CB Darius Slay (Q), DT Jason Ferguson (P)
NOR: C Chris Spencer (D), CB Mark Donohue (Q), SS Brandon Taylor (P)
Houston is hoping that both Andrews and Applewhite can go, though the former seems a bit more unlikely. For Oakland, the key is how Justin Smith looks on game day. They would hate to miss his pressure on the outside.
HOU: FS Willie Andrews (D), DE Antwan Applewhite (Q)
OAK: DE Justin Smith (P), FS Sean Jones (P), G Logan Mankins (P)
Charlotte is looking quite healthy, while Baltimore has possible concerns if Tavares Gooden cannot go. They have him as probable, so the hope is that he is good to go on Sunday.
CHA: FS Tre Boston (D)
BAL: G Andy Alleman (IR), QB Vince Young (IR), HB Cedric Benson (P), LB Tavares Gooden (P)
Arizona has some concerns on the O-line, but both Smith and Schlueter seem to think they will be able to go on Sunday. That is not the case for DeMarco Murray, which puts Denver in a pretty sizable disadvantage as they plan for a very solid Wrangler D.
DEN: CB Patrick Robinson (IR), HB DeMarco Murray (Out)
ARZ: OT Wade Smith (P), C Blake Schlueter (P)
Black Monday Taps Out Four USFL Coaches
For as long as the USFL has been around, the Monday after the final regular season games has been a date when teams release head coaches from their duties after a rough season or after a series of disappointing ones. This past Monday saw four teams change directions, removing their head coach on the day after season, concluding games.
Mike Nolan: Jacksonville
It should not come as a surprise that the coach of an 0-16 team is let go. Even as a first year head coach, Nolan could not survive a year in which his Bulls squad simply did not look like they were up to par with any of their opponents. Nolan joins a franchise-wide purge that includes the GM, the head of scouting, the Director of Football Operations and all of the assistant and position coaches. Only a few scouts and the medical staff survived the purge. And now the Bulls start from scratch. Expect them to seek a GM as well as a new Director of Football Operations first, before landing on a head coach.
Brad Childress: Memphis
Three seasons, three bad years. Yes, Childress saw the Showboats improve each year, but going from 4 to 5 win, then 5 to 6 is just not the pace of change that Memphis, or any other team, would accept as a positive. Three consecutive 10-loss seasons doomed Childress, as did the expectation that this was the year for the Showboats to compete with New Orleans for a possible division title. Their inconsistency and the fact that they finished in the bottom 4th of the league on both offense and defense (scoring and points allowed) was enough for ownership to move on.
Mike Shanahan: Birmingham
Birmingham was a bit of a surprise, as they were in the mix for most of the season, trailing New Orleans, but alive in the playoff hunt. But, when you have a dynamic talent like Cam Newton at QB and the club still finishes 22nd in offense (yards) and 17th in scoring, something has to change. Add yet another year of mediocre to just plain bad defense, and Childress was the piece to go. Childress finishes his tenure at Birmingham with a record of 21-27 and a playoff appearance with the 8-8 squad in 2013.
Marty Mornhinweg: Portland
The Stags seemed to have gone in reverse with Mornhinweg at the helm. The former Chicago Machine head coach raised hopes in the PNW with a 9-7 Wild Card season his first year. But the club fell to 7-9 in 2013 and this year finished at 6-10. Along the way, Mornhinweg experimented with Matt McGloin at QB, only to go back to Ryan Fitzpatrick. James Stewart proved to be a star, but one many felt was underutilized and not complemented with a viable passing game. Add to that a defense that struggled to stop the pass or to keep foes out of the endzone, and ownership decided they could do better. We anticipate that this is just the first in a series of changes, including at QB, where all indications are that the Stags will lobby hard to sign Oregon senior QB Marcus Mariota, a lock to be protected by the club in January’s Territorial Draft.
Several coaches rumored to be on the cusp were able to survive their team’s non-playoff seasons, including New Jersey HC Norv Turner, St. Louis’s Bruce Arians, Dallas’s Mike Sherman, and Chicago’s Greg Schiano. Late season wins by Dallas over Tampa Bay and Las Vegas seem to have proven the case that Sherman had his club playing hard in his second year. Rumors were that Schiano might have been out had the 5-10 Machine managed to lose to the 0-15 Bulls, but their win in Jacksonville appears to have given Schiano another shot to improve the standing of the Machine.
Jake Plummer Hints at Retirement, Is Culpepper Next?
While no official announcement has yet to be made, the rumor mill in Las Vegas has been stirring with expectations that a retirement announcement from QB Jake Plummer is eminent. Plummer, who has been with the club since 2009, turns 38 this summer and after 17 years of USFL play is certainly feeling the pain of yet another failed playoff hunt. For the second year in a row the Thunder faded down the stretch, missing out on a playoff spot this week when they were upset by the 5-11 Dallas Roughnecks.
If the rumors are true and the Thunder field marshal is hanging up his cleats, that means a fresh start for the Thunder at QB when they open their inaugural season in San Diego next March. With Kevin Kolb and Case Keenum still under contract, the Thunder and head coach Dick LeBeau could go after a high profile free agent (from within the USFL or NFL), look for a trade, or we could see a true QB competition, with Keenum in particular getting a long look in the offseason.
Discussion of Plummer’s potential retirement also stirs conversation about the status of another All-USFL quarterback. In Tampa Bay there are rumors all over town that MVP candidate Daunte Culpepper may be struggling with his late season injury and the wear and tear his body has taken over 15 USFL seasons. Culpepper will also turn 38 over the summer, and is in the process of recovering from a fully torn MCL. Were he to also announce the end of his pro football career, Tampa Bay would almost definitely be looking longingly at the Territorial Draft and the prospect of FSU quarterback Jameis Winston being a top offseason target. But that may well be putting the cart before the horse. The Bandits are embroiled in a playoff hunt, and no one expects Culpepper, even if his decision is made, to distract from that while his club is still in the midst of a playoff run.
Brown Seeks Release from Maulers
Four years after jumping from the NFL Dolphins to the Pittsburgh Maulers, halfback Ronnie Brown is dissatisfied with his role on the team, the inability to escape a HB-by-Committee system, and the subsequent numbers he has produced. This week he publicly demanded an opportunity for his agent to seek a trade partner. Brown is stil under contract with Pittsburgh through 2017, so a trade would be his way out of town. The Maulers have yet to respond to the demand, and obviously, were they to lose their rushing leader they would expect significant compensation. The other option would be for the Maulers to release the disgruntled back, which would free up nearly $1.6M in cap space, though it would not bring either players or draft picks to the cash-strapped squad.
In his 4 years in Pittsburgh, Brown has rushed for 3,188 yards, averaging just under 800 yards and 6 touchdowns per season. Those are pretty solid numbers, but in a league that saw 16 different backs cross the 1,000-yard threshold, they are not the kind of numbers that are going to bring either big money offers or a clean shot at a lead back position. Brown may just find that takers are harder to come by than he imagines.
First Retirement Announcements Made
While we expect a run of season-ending retirement notices to come over the next month, the first few days saw very few immediate announcements. We had only 3 starters across the league notify the media and their teams that they were indeed stepping away from the game they love.
Dallas LB Dat Nguyen was the first to announce on Monday. The 15-year veteran, who spent most of his career with the Denver Gold, played 4 years with the Boston/Dallas franchise, starting only 24 games in those 4 seasons and serving as a swing player this year, subbing across the LB group for starters all season. He finished this year with only 6 tackles, a career low.
Another veteran LB made the announcement later the same day as LA’s Lofa Tatupu announced he was retiring after 9 seasons, all with the Express. Tatupu, unlike Nguyen, started all 16 games for his club this year, finishing 4th on the team with 74 tackles. The Samoan son of former NE Patriot HB Mosi Tatupu came to the Express in the T-Draft out of USC. He became a starter in his rookie season, scoring 83 tackles in his 2005 rookie year. The next year he had his first of two 100-tackle seasons as a full-time starter. This season was more of a battle for the 32-year old linebacker as he played through the pain of ongoing knee issues. While LA certainly hoped he would be able to return for 2015, unofficial sources had said this season that there was some expectation that it could be the last for Tatupu.
Finally, early Tuesday, cornerback Mike Rumph of Portland announced he would be stepping away from the game after 12 pro seasons. Rumph, a 2006 All-USFL corner with New Jersey, came into the league with the Generals, where he played for 8 years before joining Portland in Free Agency in 2010. Rumph started all 16 Stag games this year at CB, racking up 83 tackles (2nd only to LB Channing Crowder) and adding a sole pick this season.
Playoff football begins with four games this weekend as all 6 Wild Card teams as well as the two 3-seed Division winners are in action. Will we see all 4 home favorites hold serve or will we get upsets in the opening round of the 2014 playoffs? Here are our picks as well as some notes on each game.
(6) Atlanta Fire (10-6) @ (3) New Orleans Breakers (12-4)
Saturday, July 5 @ 4pm ET
Mercedes Benz SuperDome, New Orleans, LA
Breakers -5
Most money is on the Breakers in this one, and for good reason. New Orleans averages 3 more points per game than Atlanta and has a defense that is about even with the Fire in points allowed. However, when we look closer, we see that these two teams are very even across the board. Atlanta ranks 10th in rushing, New Orleans 12th. Atlanta is also 13th in passing while the Breakers are 17th. The Fire also had a 5-game winning streak going before dropping their final 2 to Orlando and Charlotte. New Orleans had won 6 in a row before dropping an odd “trap” game to Memphis in Week 15, but they recovered nicely this week against New Jersey.
OUR PICK: The big difference for us is that we see that Ryan Denney is out for Atlanta, and we just trust Drew Brees more than Kyle Orton on offense, so we are going with the home favorites. New Orleans wins 28-24.
(6) Houston Gamblers (9-6-1) @ (3) Oakland Invaders (9-7)
Saturday, July 5 @ 8pm ET
Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, CA
Invaders -1
Houston seems to be very much the model of the “play at the level of their competition” kind of team. That is how they managed to tie Texas but lose to Dallas. Their loss to Denver this week has us wondering if they may have miscalculated in preferring to face Oakland over Arizona. On the other hand, when we look at the Invaders what we see is a team that was 6-3 at one point and only went 3-4 down the home stretch, including two losses to Seattle. They got a good win against Philly in Week 13, but other than that they have just not been impressive.
OUR PICK: We see this as the most likely upset of the weekend, just as the gambling books in Vegas do. They give Oakland a meager 1-point advantage as the home team. We don’t think that is enough. We are picking Houston to win, 21-17.
(5) Charlotte Monarchs (11-5) @ (4) Baltimore Blitz (12-4)
Sunday, July 6 @ 1pm ET
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
Blitz -4
The Monarchs have won 10 of 11 games, with only a letdown in New Orleans in the L column since Week 6, and yet, they get no respect. They are the Rodney Dangerfield of USFL clubs this season. Baltimore has been looking very dangerous all year long, 9 of 11 themselves, so this is a matchup of two teams that are accustomed to winning. Charlotte is the healthier team, and they may have a chip on their shoulder for being disrespected by the line.
OUR PICK: We think this could be a surprise. We are going to take the more experienced Charlotte squad, a team with a lot of players still there from the 2012 Summer Bowl run. Charlotte stuns the crowd in Baltimore, 27-23.
(5) Denver Gold (10-5-1) @ (4) Arizona Wranglers (11-5)
Sunday, July 6 @ 5pm ET
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Wranglers -5
We love divisional rivalries in the playoffs and Denver-Arizona is one of the best. They have only faced each other once in the postseason, with Denver getting the win. But, while they may only be separated by ½ game in the standings, we just cannot get over how good Arizona has looked lately. That said, the Gold have had their number, winning 16-13 in Week 1 and then sweeping the series with a 30-20 victory in Denver during Week 10 play. Since that loss, Arizona has rattled off 5 wins in a row, including blow out victories over Dallas, Houston, and Nashville. David Carr is in rare form, Frank Gore looks rested, and the defense has risen all the way to 2nd in the league in both scoring and yards.
OUR PICK: Denver is a very solid team, but we think Arizona is a clear Summer Bowl contender, and we think they just have more ways to beat you. Denver always keeps it close, but we see Arizona coming out on top in the 3rd meeting of the year. Wranglers win 19-14.
Is the number one Rivalry revealed next week?
Can you post the week 16 standings and stats?
edit: Thanks 👍