Call it Desperation Week as teams at or near the bottom of the standings, knowing there backs were against the wall, stood up and took a swing at the favorite in their games. We see this in our game of the week, where not only did the 1-5 Express need to find a way to prove to themselves that they were not dead yet, but also where Mark Sanchez may be playing for his job. We see it in Washington trying not to fall completely out of the NE Division race by knocking off the Generals at MetLife Stadium. We see it in Michigan going into St. Louis and earning their 2nd straight win to pull back into contention in the Central. And we see it with Charlotte holding off the Atlanta Fire and proving they too are not out of the running in a competitive SE Division. A lot of teams rallying, and a few who seem to have found their groove as Baltimore, Birmingham, and Ohio get big wins this week. We will run down all the games, take a special look at some of the league’s best individual game performances of all time, and discuss the big news out of League Offices right here, right now.
OAKLAND INVADERS 23 LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 25
It’s rare to talk about a “must win” game before we reach the halfway point of the season. It is a designation often used in the heat of the late season playoff run, but for the1-5 LA Express, and particularly for their embattled quarterback, Mark Sanchez, this matchup, at home, against their in-state rival, was a must win game. So much had been expected from the Express with the arrival of two-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid as the head coach, and, well, the goods have not yet been delivered. Sanchez in particular was coming under fire for the lack of execution in the LA offense, and both he and Coach Reid needed to prove that they could do more, that the Express were on the right path.
In their way, of course, was a team that had no interest in proving LA’s point. The Invaders, sitting at 4-2, had a tenuous position atop a division many had expected them to run away with. Las Vegas was on their heels and both Seattle and Portland were playing better than anticipated. They too had a desire to come out of this game with a win to secure their position atop the division.
But the air of desperation for the Express led them to greater focus and that showed itself in the opening minutes of the game. The team’s initial scripted plays worked against the anticipated Oakland defensive schemes. On the opening drive of the game, the Express worked their way quickly down the field until a missed 3rd down throw to the endzone forced them to go for a 32-yard field goal. They would hold Oakland without a first down on defense and quickly get the ball back. Again their gameplan seemed to work against Oakland’s man coverage. In only 8 plays the Express were knocking on the door. In typical Andy Reid style, the used play action on first down, and Sanchez found WR Robert Woods in the endzone for the short TD toss and a 9-0 lead. Troubled kicker Damon Duvall again struggled, missing on the PAT and drawing boos from the crowd at Farmers Insurance Field.
Oakland had had enough. On their next possession they mixed up the play calling, shifted to more 3-wideout sets on earlier downs, and found success against the LA defense. Using draws and delayed handoffs, Ryan Williams started to find room, while the 3-receiver sets helped Joey Harrington find mismatches in the secondary. The former Oregon QB would connect with Taylor Gabriel and Oakland cut the LA lead to only 2.
Most of the second quarter was a battle of field position as both teams adjusted their schemes on the fly. A poor punt gave Oakland good field position late and the Invaders capitalized to take their first lead of the day. Following a 39-yard run by Williams, one in which he delivered a nasty straight arm to the LA cornerback, Harrington connected for his 2nd TD toss of the game, this time to Keenan Allen, the talented sophomore player. Oakland would take that 14-9 lead into the break, and once again, the LA crowd was nervous about their team’s chances.
The Express came out of the half refocused, stopping Oakland on their first drive with a Tracy Porter pick of Harrington on an ill-timed throw. The interception gave LA some energy and the first play from scrimmage got the crowd to their feet. Mark Sanchez dropped back, found the defense in man coverage, and took off running. It was a shock to everyone, but not to his interior line, who led the way. A called QB draw on first and 10 led to a TD as the defense was simply unprepared and the smaller safeties simply could not manage the linemen leading the way for Sanchez. A gutsy call, absolutely an unexpected one for a QB not known for his run game, and a crowd pleaser to boot.
Oakland was stunned by the call and by trailing once again. The 2-point attempt after the play had failed, so the Express led only by 1 at 15-14, but they lead. They would return to the run game, and Ryan Williams would have some solid gains, helping the Invaders move the ball deep into LA territory. They would pound the ball down to the 1, but were unable to get it in the endzone. Two consecutive interior runs proved fruitless, and when Joey Harrington’s 3rd down throw missed its target, Coach Green opted to go with the chipshot kick and put the Invaders back up 17-15. That decision would haunt the Invaders later.
LA, buoyed by the goalline stand, took the ball to the endzone on the next drive, withsolid gains by Reggie Bush on the ground and a nice 15 yard pass to WR Jerrel Jernigan on a third and 9. From the 2, Sanchez would roll out on 2nd and goal and find Robert Woods again, for the former Trojan’s 2nd TD on the day. With the Duvall kick, LA was back on top 22-17. But the lead would be short lived.
Oakland took over possession and immediately started using crossing routes and underneath receivers to move the ball down the field. It was 7 yards to Garçon, 6 to Rodgers, 5 to Ertz, 9 to Gabriel, and so forth down the field. Using all three of their timeouts on the drive, Oakland managed to get to the LA 6-yard line, and spike the ball with 1:32 left to play. It took only 1 more play for Oakland to take back the lead, a nice pass again to Keenan Allen in the corner of the endzone, but in their haste to retake the lead, had Oakland left too much time on the clock. They had a 23-22 lead but had left the Express 1:27 and only a 1-point deficit.
The Express still had 2 timeouts left and all they needed was a field goal, but, of course, trust in Damon Duvall had been waning for several weeks. The Express would want to get well within his range to improve their chances. Oakland knew this, and was willing to give up short passes, particularly in the middle of the field, but not the deeper out routes LA was hoping to hit. Sanchez was forced to take his safety valves, throwing to Bush or newly-acquired TE Jason Whitten instead of Woods, Roddy White or Jernigan deeper down the field. They used their last time out with only 5 seconds to go and still only on the 35-yard line.
Duvall would come out with a 52-yard kick needed for LA to take the win. It was a lot to ask for a kicker who had missed on 5 of 12 field goal attempts on the year and who had earlier missed a chip shot PAT. Duvall lined up the kick, the snap was on the spot, the holder spun the ball, and Duvall let loose. The kick initially looked like it was headed too far to the right, but then started hooking back in. The ball slipped just inside the right upright and LA had their much-needed victory. It was not a pretty win by any measure, but it was a win and one that could potentially take some pressure off the team’s 2nd year coach and their much-criticized quarterback.
BALTIMORE 31 PITTSBURGH 21
Absolute domination by the Blitz passing game, something no one expected to say this year. Big Ben threw for 405 yards, including 170 to his number one receiver, Darius Heyward-Bey, and another 110 to NFL import Brian Hartline. Pittsburgh would fall behind 24-7 at the half and from there the Blitz coasted to the 10-point victory.
POTG: Blitz QB Ben Roethlisberger: 21/27, 405 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int.
WASHINGTON 17 NEW JERSEY 14
Both the Federals and QB David Garrard needed this one as they were at risk of falling out of contention or, in Garrard’s case, losing his starting job. Garrard responded with a 294-yard, 2 TD day, and, despite a nice 134-yard day form Odell Beckham, Washington held off the Generals to earn their 3rd win on the year. The Federal D gave up yards, but also snagged takeaways, including two picks of Sam Bradford to hold the Generals to only 14 points on the day.
POTG: Federals DT Cameron Wake: 11 Tckles, 1 TFL.
ORLANDO 31 CHICAGO 16
The Machine are in freefall, losing their third in a row after a 3-1 start. Orlando gave them their third loss of the streak, thanks to a defense that limited Doug Martin to only 44 yards rushing, sacked Brady Quinn 4 times (2 more for Campbell) and picked the Chicago QB off as well. Russell Wilson went out at the half and Connor Shaw, the unheralded rookie came in to throw 2 TD passes and lead Orlando to the win, putting them above .500 at 4-3.
POTG: Orlando HB Knowshon Moreno: 16 Att, 92 Yds.
SEATTLE 20 OHIO 23
The Glory also jump over .500 with a 3-point win over visiting Seattle. The run game was working for Ohio, with the combo of Pead and Jennings combining for 119 yards and 2 scores. The defense gave up 414 yards to the Dragons, most of it on the arm of Byron Leftwich, but they kept Seattle out of the endzone on 3 of 5 red zone visits, and that proved the difference.
POTG: Glory DE Isaac Hilton: 3 Tck, 2 Sck.
ATLANTA 24 CHARLOTTE 48
At risk of becoming an also-ran in the SE Division, Charlotte came out with their most complete effort of the year. Brandon Wheedon threw for 2 scores, Fred Jackson rushed for 2 more, and the defense came up with enough big plays to thwart the Fire, despite 102 yards form Steven Jackson and a 132-yard receiving day form Josh Reed.
POTG: Monarchs’ CB Derech Cox: 9 Tck, 1 int, 1 Def TD, 1 FF.
TEXAS 34 DENVER 28 OVERTIME
The Gold and Outlaws battled for 60 minutes but needed overtime to find a winner. Despite 2 picks and a fumble in the game, Denver had a 28-14 lead with 4:59 left to play, but Texas got two late TDs from Brandon Marshall to even the score and send the game into overtime. In the extra period, Denver never saw the ball as the momentum-filled Outlaws won the toss and drove the ball into the endzone to end the game. Joe Flacco put up over 400 yards and threw for 4 TDs, while Denver got a 97-yard kickoff return in a thrill-packed SW Division game.
POTG: Outlaws QB Joe Flacco: 27/41, 412 Yds, 4 TD, 2 Int.
NEW ORLEANS 24 JACKSONVILLE 21
The Bulls were surprisingly stalwart in this one, but Caleb Sturgis’s final drive field goal gave the win to New Orleans and sent Jacksonville to 0-7 on the year. Drew Brees started, but could not finish the game, giving way to Quincy Carter, who put the Breakers in position late for that Sturgis kick. Hill and Tolbert combined for 103 yards and a score, but Jacksonville hung tough with Tim Tebow having his best game of the year, going 20 of 34 for 149 yards and 3 scores.
POTG: Breaker WR Early Doucet: 5 Rec, 103 Yds, 1 TD.
MEMPHIS 20 NASHVILLE 17
The battle at the bottom of the standings between the 1-win Showboats and the 1-win Knights goes to Memphis, thanks to a 10-0 scoring run in the final period. Down 17-10, Memphis got a 4th quarter Peyton Hillis TD plunge and a Jason Neal field goal to take the win. Nashville had signs of life with Montario Hardesty running for 101 yards and Denarious Moore catching 6 balls for 106 yards and 2 scores, but in the end it was not enough as Memphis held the Knights scoreless for the final 15.
POTG: Memphis CB Keiwan Ratliff: 5 Tck, 1 FF, 1 FR.
LAS VEGAS 7 TAMPA BAY 23
Jake Plummer returned for the Thunder, but looked a bit shaky, completing only 11 of 32 passes as Tampa Bay ran away with this one. Jahvid Best and Rex Burkhead combined for 120 yards rushing on 29 carries, while Daunte Culpepper connected for scores with both Vincent Jackson and Luke Stocker. The Bandit D doubled Chad Johnson all game, holding the outspoken wideout to only 2 catches for 22 yards.
POTG: Bandit OT Levi Brown: 12 pancakes, 0 sacks allowed.
PHILADELPHIA 21 PORTLAND 17
Portland looked solid for 30 minutes, taking a 17-10 lead into the half, but Philadelphia roared back in the 2nd half to take the road win. Ryan Fitzpatrick got the start, with Coach Mornhinweg stating that Matt McGloin had personal issues to address and could not attend the game. Bit of a mystery there. Fitzie played well, throwing for 226 yards and a TD to Brandin Cooks. But, with 2 TD tosses from Matt Gutierrez and 101 yards from Steve Slaton, the Stars were able to pull out the win on the cross-country trip.
POTG: Stars LB Terrell Suggs: 9 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF.
MICHIGAN 28 ST. LOUIS 17
A much-needed road win in the division for the Panthers as LeVeon Bell ran wild against the Skyhawk defense. Bell would rush for 121 and 2 scores, both goalline leaps over the line. Kirk Cousins would go 17 of 28 for 264, with 2 scores but also two picks that helped St. Louis stay close. Eddie Lacy also had a good day in the battle of 2013 rookies, rushing for 106 and a score as well. But, in the end, Michigan just had more in the tank and improved to 3-4 with their 2nd straight win.
POTG: Panther HB LeVeon Bell; 23 Att, 121 Yds, 2 TD.
DALLAS 6 ARIZONA 13
Both offenses struggled in this one as Arizona went 0 for 11 on third down while Dallas went only 3 of 16. It was a sloppy game all around with only 1 TD drive. Frank Gore was held to only 37 yards rushing by the Dallas defense while Johnny Manziel was held to 192 yards passing by the Wrangler D. Antonio Bryant’s goalline TD catch would prove the difference in the game as Arizona held Dallas scoreless in the second half to claim their 4th win of the year.
POTG: Arizona LB Karlos Dansby: 10 Tckles, 3 TFL.
BIRMINGHAM 33 HOUSTON 20
A huge road win for the Stallions, making it back to back victories over SW Division foes, with Arizona and now Houston falling to the Stallion stampede. Cam Newton was again the star, throwing for 295 yards and 2 scores but also running for 55 yards and another touchdown. Chris Chambers is becoming Newton’s favorite receiver, with 9 catches for 124 yards and 2 scores in this one. Houston was close at 19-13, but two additional 4th quarter TDs from the Stallions made it a 33-13 game and the Gamblers just could not come back this week.
POTG: Stallion QB Cam Newton: 24/37, 295 Yds, 2TD, 1 Int, 7 Att, 55 Yds, 1 TD.
Bandits Lose Best for 4-6 Weeks
A bad break for the surging Bandits as their new lead back, Jahvid Best, is expected to be out no less than a month, and possibly the better part of the regular season after suffering a back injury, which included a cracked vertebrae in this week’s game. He has full motion and feeling in his legs, which is always good news, and the doctors believe that the spinal cord has not been damaged, but they are going to want to have Best in traction for at least 2 weeks, and then a slow recovery before they would clear him to run, practice, or play again.
The Bandits subbed in 2nd year back Rex Burkhead for Best this week, and the backup did well, gaining 50 yards on 11 carries. We expect Burkhead and veteran Shane Vereen to share carries for the time that Best is out, though Tampa Bay also has on their practice squad undrafted rookie free agent and son of former Buccaneer, Wrangler and Bull, James Wilder, James Wilder Jr. Could we see the sun of a Buccaneer legend now get on the field for the Bandits?
Manning Moved to Questionable, Creating QB Conundrum for Roman
Positive medical news, but potentially controversial roster news as Peyton Manning was moved from “Out” all the way to “Questionable” this week in the team’s injury report. The move could mean that Cody Pickett’s starting gig could end as early as this week, or it could produce a quarterback controversy with some wanting Pickett to stay on and others seeking for Manning to return to action as soon as he is able. Picket has been solid, but not inspiring in two games at the helm, and he has not yet been able to conduct the Knights to a 2nd win this season. Mired at 1-6, with some tough games coming up at Birmingham this week, then home to Washington and on the road again to New Orleans, there is no easy place to test out Manning’s health or to determine if Pickett is ready to lead. It will be into the fire for either QB against some pretty nasty defenses.
Baltimore Moves to 1st in Yards with Surprising Aerial Attack
It feels like we may be showing a Baltimore bias this week with how much we are talking about the Blitz, but their on field performance does deserve some attention. Not only did Big Ben put up over 400 yards passing this week, but the Blitz passing attack all season has been dynamic, diverse, and difficult to defend. Whether it is using Antonio Gates as a flanked wide option, passing to the fullback as a regular designed play, or getting the ball deep to Darrius Heyward-Bey, the Blitz and head coach Jim Caldwell have been mixing it up, confounding defensive schemes, and moving the ball very well.
The Blitz now sit atop the league with the 1st rated offense in the USFL, and that includes having the 2nd best passing attack in all of spring ball. This is not a position anyone foresaw for this club, except maybe for Coach Caldwell, who did not go crazy trying to pursue a new lead back for the run game or any high-cost free agent receivers to upgrade his wideout group. He built an offense around the players he had and what they can do well, and that strategy is paying dividends for the Blitz this year.
McGloin Absence Irks Stag Fans
Dropping a home game to the now 6-1 Philadelphia Stars should not be the kind of thing that disrupts a team, but when many point the finger to the mysterious absence of your team’s starting QB, that can cause some friction and some distraction. We still, 4 days later, have no idea why Matt McGloin was not in uniform and not able to play for the Stags in their game against Philadelphia. Coach Mornhinweg initially cited a persona issue, and he is sticking by that vague and unenlightening statement. McGloin does not appear on the injury list, and did not last week either. He has been seen in practice starting on Tuesday, so it does not appear to be a long term issue, and we have gotten no reports of an emergency or death in the family. Quite frankly, we have no idea what may have caused McGloin to miss the home outing this past Sunday.
That lack of understanding has been a field day on social media, as both Facebook and Myspace have lit up with theories. Everything ranging from McGloin coming out to the team as gay, to a DUI, to abduction by Sasquatch, to a raging case of herpes. You name it, someone out there has proposed it. But, we all know that any legal issues would be public, that medical issues would have to be reported in the injury report, even if they are embarrassing, and that McGloin has not been arrested. If he was abducted by Sasquatches, they seem to have released him unharmed, as he was able to fully practice this week. Will we get an answer? Will either McGloin or his coach publicly acknowledge the issue? We just don’t know.
Chicago Fires GM, Promotes Former Player
Chicago Machine Head Coach Greg Schiano made a midseason move to improve his offense. The Machine, who currently rank 26th in yards per game and 25th in points per game, at only 15.6 per outing, have struggled all season to do enough on the offensive side. With a 3-game losing streak dropping them to 3-4, Coach Schiano had seen enough. On Monday, Coach Schiano announced that his OC, Mike Sullivan, had been let go and that the decision had been made to promote Running Backs Coach Paul Ott Carruth, a former HB/KR for the Machine to the role of Interim Offensive Coordinator.
Ott Carruth’s charge will be to revitalize a run game that had garnered HB Doug Martin 1,500 yards and 12 TDs in 2013, but which was noticeably weaker in 2014 even with the addition of former New Orleans starter Matt Forte as a second option. So far this season, Martin has gained 505 yards and has only 3 touchdowns, well off pace from 2013. Of course, the other half of the offense also needs attention. Brady Quinn currently ranks 18th of 28 starters with 1,374 yards, behind Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow, two QBs being discussed as potentially losing their jobs. Quinn is 19th in touchdowns with only 9 on the year, and his QB Rating of 85.7 is one of the lowest of his career.
Ott Caruth and the Machine will get their next chance to improve on the offensive output this week when they kick off a 2-week road trip within the division, heading to Columbus to take on the Ohio Glory this weekend before traveling to St. Louis for Week 9.
A long list this week of new injuries, with the Jahvid Best injury being the one with perhaps the most notable impact, but there are several that will certainly impact this week’s games, including the loss of WR Greg Jennings (MEM), Larry Fitzgerald (ARZ), and Marqise Lee (LA) from various offenses. Halot Ngata will certainly be missed in Las Vegas, as will Khedrick Gholston in Chicago. QB Russell Wilson in Orlando is listed as Questionable and could be a game-time decision. Here is the full list of injuries added to the growing report this week:
OUT
G Kyle Long TEX Back IR
CB E. J. Bigger MEM Arm 6-8 Weeks
FS Dominique Barber STL Hip 6-8 Weeks
HB Jahvid Best TBY Back 6-8 Weeks
OT Mario Henderson DAL Arm 4-6 Weeks
DT Haloti Ngata LV ACL 2-4 Weeks
DT Khedrick Gholston CHI Back 2-4 Weeks
WR Marqise Lee LA Foot 1-2 Weeks
WR Larry Fitzgerald ARZ Concussion 1-2 Weeks
OT Riley Reiff BIR Abdomen 1-2 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
WR Greg Jennings MEM Hand
C Brad Meester POR Concussion
SS Chad Scott ORL Concussion
WR Davante Adams OAK Hamstring
QUESTIONABLE
G Evan Mathis NOR Hand
CB Brandon Carr DAL Concussion
DE Justice Cole DEN Neck
CB Marlin Jackson CHI Concussion
C Tim Barnes ATL Shoulder
FB Roosevelt Nix TEX Arm
QB Russell Wilson ORL Concussion
DT Marcell Dareus OHI Shoulder
DE Cliff Avril OAK Ankle
League Locks in Las Vegas Relocation, But Won’t Reveal Who.
This is a new one. We don’t think we have ever heard of a league approving a team’s sale, but keeping the buyer secret. That is what the USFL is trying to do with the Las Vegas market. At a conference call this week among the league office and the 28 league owners, a decision was made, a franchise was cleared to bring in new ownership, at least minority ownership, and the path to relocation to Las Vegas was approved. This means that one of the league’s 28 existing franchises will be playing in the new domed facility off the Las Vegas strip next spring, but we are not to know which team it is, not yet.
We understand the idea. Don’t reveal the team and no one market will have fans turn on their team in the middle of a season. But, the risk of course is that what you will get instead is smaller uprisings in multiple markets as no one is sure whether or not their club is safe. And, let’s be honest here, just for how long does the league believe it can keep the lid on this before legal proceedings or internal leaks force the name of the franchise into the public sphere? They will be lucky to get 2-3 weeks of extended uncertainty out of this, which means that right around the playoff push in Weeks 9 or 10, the information could get out and the league, and one of its teams in particular, could be in for a very messy 2 months.
Here is what we know so far, and it is not much. We know that the league approved this week the sale of a minority share of one of its franchises to casino developer Steve Wynn. That Wynn, in turn, agrees to not only buy a portion of what will be a relocated franchise, but that he will take as well a $100M stake in the new stadium, a stadium which will take on the name of his organization. The newly dubbed Wynn Arena will host the relocated team and the league will recoup a portion of the $600M invested in the facility.
We do not know the timeline for formally recognizing the franchise that will relocate, but we do know that the league, in partneship with the City of Las Vegas and with Adidas will begin a “Choose the Identity” contest, allowing fans through online and local voting to choose form three potential team identities, beginning as soon as two weeks from now. Apparently Adidas has had Las Vegas identities in the works since the sale of the Thunder to a San Diego investment group was made official. This new identity means that we also know that whatever team moves to the desert, their identity will not travel with them, meaning that if the USFL does move for expansion later this decade, as it has indicated, the city losing its franchise now could regain not only a USFL presence, but the very same franchise, much as we saw with the LA Express and the Atlanta Fire.
We will continue to investigate, to see just when and how the identity of the market that will lose their team to Las Vegas will be revealed. We do not expect this incredibly explosive bit of information to stay under wraps the entire season, and when it breaks we will be here to break it to you. In the meantime, it seems there will be a “name the team” or “pick the nickname” contest ready to roll by Week 9 of the season, so stay tuned for that as well.
Five Teams Surprising USFL Pundits
Every year we do our best to predict how the new season will proceed, and every year the USFL finds ways to surprise us. While the midway point of the season is quickly approaching and many of our early picks are looking pretty good (a rising Bandit squad, a crashing Knights team, solid play in Texas and Philadelphia), there have been some surprises this year. Here are five teams that are not where we thought they would be.
Baltimore (5-2)
I guess we owe the Blitz and their fans an apology, at least 7 weeks in. We had Baltimore pegged as a team in decline, picked to be the basement dweller in a very tough NE Division. We did not like their plan to replace Ron Dayne, felt their receivers were underwhelming, and didn’t really think much of the defense either. Shows what we know.
The decision to stick with Anthony Dixon may not be prodicing a league rushing champion, but Dixon’s 480 still have him in the top 10 and he is less than 90 yards out of the top 5. We called their WR group one of the worst, if not the worst in the league, and now Heyward-Bey is in the top 5 in yards with 644, Brian Hartline has 4 TDs already, and Antonio Gates is also reminding us that a Tight End is a receiver, with 556 yards and 5 TDs in his first 7 games this year. The defense we were quick to dismiss is 2nd in the league in points allowed at 17.6 and is among the league’s best against the pass, allowing only 207.4 yards per game.
So, a huge Mea Culpa to the Blitz, who currently sit in 2nd place behind 6-1 Philadelphia and look like legitimate contenders for both the division and a deep playoff run.
Las Vegas (4-3)
We expected a collapse here. After over a year of insecurity, front office confusion, legal actions, and the fall out from a 1-7 second half last year, all that plus a change in the Head Coach’s office, we thought for sure that Las Vegas would be on the fast track to a total rebuild. But, to his credit, former Michigan Panthers’ head coach Dick LeBeau has brought with him a sense of calm, a structure and discipline the team needed, and a focus on their on-field actions, not the craziness surrounding their sale and eminent relocation to San Diego.
And while a 4-3 start may not be lighting the sky on fire, it is impressive considering all they have had to deal with, including home games where the few remaining Thunder fans are outnumbered by tourists from the opposition’s fanbase. Of course, we all wonder if another collapse is on the way. But, this is a different team, with a different mindset, and a new head coach who may simply not allow history to repeat itself.
Birmingham (4-3)
It is not so much that Birmingham is 4-3, which we probably could have accepted in the preseason as a reasonable record, it is more that they are showing an ability to knock off very good teams. Whether it is their two recent back-to-back victories over Arizona and Houston, or their earlier wins on the road at both Memphis and Nashville. The Stallions are showing that they can raise their level up to that of the competition.
Now, if we look at their three losses (at New Jersey, home to New Orleans, and at Philadelphia) we could say that all three are games that we could not have foreseen a Birmingham win even if we had set our expectations higher. With their upcoming schedule including another Breakers showdown as well as games against Denver, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Washington, and Texas to end the year, Birmingham is going to have to raise their game week in and week out if they hope to outperform our preseason expectations.
Memphis (2-5)
Not all failed predictions are because the team outperforms expectations. In the case of the Showboats it is because they are not meeting the level of quality we expected of them. Yes, losing Eli Manning was a huge blow, and having a struggling offense that puts up barely 15 points a game is a huge issue with the Showboats, but this is also a team that we expected had improved on defense, and that is just not coming to pass. The Showboats are 26th in yards allowed, at over 350 per game, and even worse in points allowed, 27th out of 28 teams, with an average of 28.6 points per game. Those numbers cannot be the fault of Manning’s absence alone. Where is the rally by the rest of the team? Where is the pride in keeping games close and playing for the upset. Memphis has lost games by 20, 32, and 33 points in their 4 game losing streak. They got a win this week, but only because Nashville is as bad a team as we thought they would be. The Showboats think they could get Eli back for Week 9’s trip to Orlando, but that could already be too late for a club that was expected to have more to offer than their passing game.
Washington (3-4)
It is not too late for the Federals, but they have two big problems, both of which have led them to a shaky 3-4 start. The first is that they may be in the midst of a full blown quarterback controversy. After leading the Feds to the playoffs last year, Joe Webb looked very capable of unseating David Garrard in the offseason. He did not, but with Garrard struggling with consistency and turnovers, there are many who believe Webb is the answer.
The other big issue is that the Generals and Blitz have both shown to be much better than anticipated and much closer to Washington in talent and drive than expected. The Feds have already found themselves splitting the series with both clubs, but now have to realize that they still have two dates with a very good Philadelphia club left on the schedule. It is not too late for the Federals to go on a run, but they had better not delay. The good news is that their next 3 games are against 1-6 Dallas, 1-6 Nashville, and 2-5 Memphis, so they could easily be 6-4 by the time they next face a club with a winning record.
USFL’s Best Rivalries: Number 9: The Cascade Classic
No surprise reason why the Portland Stags and Seattle Dragons form one of the league’s best rivalries. The two Pacific Northwest cities have a natural rivalry in everything from basketball (back when the Sonics still played in Seattle) to college football (Oregon & Washington), and in soccer (Sounders & Timbers). In the USFL the rivalry began in 1995, when Seattle was granted an expansion club and the Portland Thunder would acquire a new regional rival. It took no time at all for those two clubs to start mixing it up, and for 7 years the two battled it out twice a year, with Seattle taking a 9-5 advantage over the Thunder. When Portland’s team moved to Las Vegas it hurt Seattle too, so when the Stags were granted an expansion club in 2008 there was no greater advocate and no more excited fanbase than the Dragons. The two cities got right back into it, trash talking and ribbing each other as if there had never been a gap.
Today, the Portland-Seattle rivalry remains one of the most fun to watch, even if both clubs may be not in their best form, they always get up for each other and often play tight games that are not decided until the end. Currently, Portland holds a slight edge, having won 7 and lost 6 to the Dragons, including a 31-26 victory in Week 4 at home. Seattle can even the series if they can win the rematch at Lumen Field in Week 12. It’a a battle wrapped in buffalo plaid flannel, powered by coffee and doughnuts, and just a whiff of salmon in the air. It’s the PNW distilled down to a football game.
Only 5 divisional games this week, including Orlando @ Atlanta and Oakland @ Las Vegas on Saturday. That Oakland-Las Vegas game will be a huge one for both clubs, as on will emerge as the frontrunner for the Pacific Division. We also have some interesting inter-divisional games, starting with New Jersey at Charlotte on ABC on Saturday. Portland is in Baltimore, where the Blitz have outperformed all expectations. Seattle has a tough outing on Sunday as they head to Philadelphia. New Orleans will be tested in Denver, and the nightcap on Sunday has St. Louis trying to get back to .500 in the Central but facing a tough task in San Antonio against the 6-1 Texas Outlaws.
FRI @ 8pm ET Nashville (1-6) @ Birmingham (4-3) NBC
SAT @ 12pm ET New Jersey (4-3) @ Charlotte (3-4) ABC
SAT @ 12pm ET Orlando (4-3) @ Atlanta (4-3) FOX
SAT @ 4pm ET Arizona (4-3) @ Michigan (3-4) ABC
SAT @ 4pm ET Chicago (3-4) @ Ohio (4-3) FOX
SAT @ 7pm ET Portland (3-4) @ Baltimore (5-2) NBC
SAT @ 9pm ET Oakland (4-3) @ Las Vegas (4-3) ESPN/EFN
SUN @ 12pm ET Seattle (3-4) @ Philadelphia (6-1) ABC
SUN @ 12pm ET Dallas (1-6) @ Washington (3-4) FOX Regional
SUN @ 12pm ET Jacksonville (0-7) @ Tampa Bay (6-1) FOX Regional
SUN @ 4pm ET Pittsburgh (2-5) @ Los Angeles (2-5) ABC Regional
SUN @ 4pm ET Houston (5-2) @ Memphis (2-5) ABC Regional
SUN @ 4pm ET New Orleans (5-2) @ Denver (4-3) FOX
SUN @ 8pm ET St. Louis (3-4) @ Texas (6-1) ESPN/EFN
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