Our Road & Football film series kicks off with a classic rebel road movie, "Easy Rider". The 1969 film starring Peter Fond and Dennis Hopper is a story that captured the tensions of the nation in the turbulent late 60's.
Welcome back to football! We know it has really only been a little over a month since the NFL Super Bowl, but something about that cold, dark, long month of February makes it fee so much longer. Well, never fear, the USFL is back and, man, oh man, did it start with a bang. We had 2 QBs go for 400 yards, a 200-yard receiver, and a ton of close games in the first week of action. We had one player return two picks for scores, we had whiteout conditions in Chicago, and we had a couple of tone-setting blowout wins. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get right to it with our Big Story of the Week.
Big Individual Performances Highlight Week One
While every game this weekend had its stories, the big picture story of the first week of 2015 was individual performances, from huge numbers to huge plays, it was all about stars being stellar and big players making big plays. Five performances stood out this week, so let’s take a quick look at each as we ramp up for USFL football being part of our weekly schedule for the next 5 months.
Andy Dalton (PIT)
The Cover Boy of ESPN’s USFL preview had exactly the kind of breakout game that everyone in Pittsburgh was hoping for. Dalton had the kind of day that every QB dreams of, sacked only once, no picks and numbers that are off the chart. Dalton threw only 19 passes, completing 13, but with an almost unbelievable 21.5 yards per completion we are looking at 409 yards passing, oh, and by the way, 5 touchdowns. He hit Victor Cruz for 147 and 3 scores, but also threw scoring tosses to Josh Cribbs and TE Anthony Hill. He took a 10-7 Washington lead early in the 2nd and turned it into a 28-10 halftime lead for the Maulers. Pittsburgh scored on 5 consecutive drives, including 4 Dalton throws and a TD run from new HB Marcus Lattimore. The Federals were shell shocked by the 4th Quarter, and Dalton was resting on the sideline as he earned a well-deserved rest, watching Jeff Smoker finish the game out.
Marques Colston (TEX)
If I told you that one receiver topped 200 yards this week, your first guess might well be Marques Colston, and you would be dead on. Despite Joe Flacco being sacked 10 times in a tight game that eventually went to the Ohio Glory, Marques Colston still made a statement. Colston averaged an outrageous 42.8 yards per reception against Ohio, including a 67-yard play and a 61-yard touchdown catch. What makes it even more amazing is that he was not alone in the Texas air attack. Brandon Marshall caught 4 balls for 131 yards and a score. New TE Julius Thomas had a 33-yard catch for a score as well, but on this day, it was Colston making a statement that it is time to recognize just how good he is.
Cam Newton (BIR)
We have gotten used to seeing Cam Newton explode early in the season. Usually, it is a mix of rushing and passing, but this year the athletic QB stayed in the pocket and did his damage with his arm. The final numbers were impressive: 37 of 56 passing, 331 yards, and 4 TDs. Down 28-13 after 3 quarters, Newton did most of his damage late in the game, tossing a 31-yard TD to rookie standout Amari Cooper, then following that with TD tosses to TE Jabari Holloway and possession receiver Chris Chambers. He had the Stallions within a 2-point PAT of tying the game with the Houston Gamblers, but on his final pass of the day, LB Ramik Wilson got between Cam and his receiver and swatted the ball down, giving Houston the win, but a win that came with a lot of tense moments thanks to Newton’s huge day.
Eric Wright (OAK)
Down 13-10 in the 2nd quarter, Oakland needed a boost, and boy, did they get one. On a routine 2nd and 5 throw, Eric Wright tipped the ball in the air, came down with it, and then proceeded to wind his way down the field 43 yards for a score to give Oakland the lead 17-13. Only 2 plays later, he did it again. This time it was a clean snatch, pulling the ball away from Nate Burleson and dashing 33 yards for the score. Two pick-six touchdowns in less than 90 seconds and suddenly Oakland was up 24-13 and never looked back. Wright would finish the day with 7 tackles and two of the most impactful interceptions of his career as he willed Oakland to victory with a flurry of action in just 90 seconds.
Jerry Hughes (TBY)
Not every outstanding performance can lead to a victory. Sometimes even in defeat you have to recognize the efforts of a single player. That is certainly the case for Jerry Hughes, the Tampa Bay Bandits’ left defensive end, and the man charged with taking over for Jason Pierre-Paul. Hughes stepped up big time on opening weekend, finishing the game with 11 solo tackles and all three Tampa Bay sacks of Russell Wilson. With a lot of offensive issues for the Bandits, Hughes’ performance was not enough to give Tampa the edge, but it was as impressive a first game as we saw from any defender this past weekend.
TEXAS OUTLAWS 27 OHIO GLORY 28
Anatomy of an upset as the Glory weather a blistering passing attack from the Outlaws. They bent, but they did not break, as Joe Flacco compiled 416 yards passing but also withstood 10 sacks, 4 of them drive ending plays. Ohio won the game with a pressure approach, giving up plenty of big plays, but also ending several drives thanks to a strategy of constant pressure from additional pass rushers. Of course, it also required some offense from the Glory, and QB Troy Smith in his first start since 2011, got the W with a masterful final drive that produced the winning points.
Texas got off to a fast start, thanks to a blown coverage (one of many by the Ohio secondary), a 2nd and 7 throw that went for 61 yards and a score as Flacco found his favorite target, Marques Colston, deep down the left side. Ohio’s strategy of blitzing Flacco heavily seemed to be a failure on this drive, and on the next, when the Outlaws again moved the ball well. But a key sack from Tommy Harris on a 3rd and 6 forced Texas to settle for a field goal and was a sign of things to come.
Ohio would score the next 13 points in the game as their defense pressured and flustered Flacco in the 2nd quarter. David Green would add two field goals and Troy Smith would connect with Ohio’s best receiver, Steve Smith, on an 18-yard touchdown. Leading 13-10 at the half, the Glory had few changes in mind for their defensive strategy. Texas, on the other hand, opted to leave one more player in protection, often TE Chris Cooley or HB Felix Jones. That gave Flacco just enough time to start to find success regularly against the Ohio zones. In the biggest play of the third quarter, he connected with Brandon Marshall on another deep throw, a 51-yard touchdown that gave Texas the lead.
The Outlaws would extend that lead early in the 4th when the passing game helped Texas march the ball 74 yards before Flacco found Julius Thomas for a score and a 24-13 lead. Ohio would need to make some changes, and they would need to crank up the offense again. They would do the latter on their next drive, moving the ball quickly down the field in a no huddle and putting up 6 on a Troy Smith TD run. The 2-point conversion was good and Texas’s lead was cut to 3. The Outlaws would take over, move the ball again, but again settle for a field goal after yet another sack of Joe Flacco. Up 6, the Outlaws were vulnerable with 2:34 laft. Ohio would need a touchdown, but they had both time and timeouts.
Troy Smith led the Glory down the field, with nearly 51,000 fans in Ohio Stadium urging the former Buckeye on. Short passes and a draw to Rashard Jennings got the ball into range, and Smith finished off the drive on a 1st and goal, faking the ball to Isaiah Pead, then bootlegging out to the left. Smith threatened to run, and that drew the linebacker in, allowing the QB to lob the ball over him and right to WR Justin Blackmon for the game-tying score. The PAT from David Green gave Ohio the lead, and with only 47 seconds left, they would agein rely on their high-pressure defense to keep Texas out of field goal range.
Texas had only 47 seconds and no time outs left, having blown two earlier in the game on offense. It was not enough time, after a quick out to Goodwin, the 10th sack of the game, this one from DT Tommy Harris, cost the Outlaws valuable time. They scrambled to get a 3rd down play called, and when it failed, they were forced to go for a 3rd and 12. That too failed, with pressure on Flacco from both Harris and DE Kamerion Wemberley, and the Ohio fans got to cheer as Troy Smith took a knee and got the win for the underdog Glory.
BALTIMORE 34 PHILADELPHIA 17
Not how the Stars wanted to start the season, with both QB Matt Gutierrez and newly acquired WR Ronald Johnson injured and out. Baltimore dominated the game after the Gutierrez injury, with Ben Roethlisberger throwing for 3 TDs, two to 2014 OPOTY Darrius Heyward-Bey. Chad Henne finished the game for Philly and will likely be the starter for the next 1-3 weeks. He finished 10 of 17 for 76 yards on a lot of checkdowns, while Big Ben threw for 390 on a 16 of 23 day as the defending champs get the divisional win to start the new year off right.
POTG: Blitz QB Ben Roethlisberger: 16/23, 390 Yds, 3 TD, 2 Int
WASHINGTON 17 PITTSBURGH 42
We predicted that Washington might have a down year, and Pittsburgh was on the rise, but even we were surprised by the utter domination by the Maulers in this game. Pittsburgh won the yardage battle 508-299, with Andy Dalton averaging a ridiculous 21.5 yards per completion. Victor Cruz had a huge game with 147 yards and 3 TDs for the Maulers as Pittsburgh looked to be in very high spirits in their home opener.
POTG: Mauler QB Andy Dalton: 13/19, 409 Yds, 5 TD, 0 Int
ORLANDO 24 TAMPA BAY 3
The Mark Sancez era in Tampa Bay got off to a rocky start as the Renegades dominated the Bandit offense. Jahvid Best rushed for only 1.8 yards per carry, Sanchez was sacked 4 times (twice by Campbell), and the Bandit defense tired out as the game progressed. Tampa was only 2 of 12 on third down, compared to 8 of 14 for the Renegades. On the positive side for Tampa, DE Jerry Hughes recorded 3 sacks and 12 tackles, but still not enough as they fall by 21.
POTG: Orlando QB Russell Wilson: 20/28, 204 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int
BIRMINGHAM 33 HOUSTON 35
A beauty of a shootout in NRG Stadium as the Gamblers had a 35-20 lead only to see Birmingham score twice in the final 3 minutes. A failed 2-point PAT attempt is all that kept this game from overtime. Both Cam Newton (37 of 56 for 321 and 4 TDs) and Matt Hasselbeck (16of25 for 370 and 3 scores) lit it up against a pair of defenses that looked pretty shaky. Birmingham did hold Carlos Hyde to only 31 yards, but Mike Evans lit them up for 110. Rookie Amari Cooper had a great debut with 110 yards and a score to be the ROTW.
POTG: Houston LB Ramik Wilson: 8 Tackles, 1 Int, and the key 2-point PAT breakup.
CHARLOTTE 14 ATLANTA 17
A tight one in the Georgia Dome as the Fire came back from a 14-0 deficit, held Charlotte scoreless in the 2nd half and got the W in their home opener. It was Darren McFadden’s return to Atlanta, now as a Monarch, and he led all rushers with 62 yards, but the day went to Atlanta thanks to a Kyle Orton TD pass to Matt Jones with 3:28 left to play.
POTG: Fire LB Patrick Willis: 9 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF
DENVER 20 ARIZONA 25
Another good divisional game as the Wranglers left the dome open on a mild March day in Glendale. The day belonged to HB Frank Gore, who looked rested and ready to roll, racking up 116 yards on 25 carries for the Wranglers. Kicker Elliott Parson was the main weapon for Arizona, going 6 for 6 on kicks to account for 18 of Arizona’s 25 points. Matt Leinart connected with Michael Crabtree 6 times for 122 yards and a score, but had to watch helplessly as Arizona got the winning field goal with 12 seconds to play.
POTG: Wrangler kicker Elliott Parson: 6 for 6 on FG.
JACKSONVILLE 3 NEW ORLEANS 20
The Bulls’ losing streak reaches 17 as they lose the opener in New Orleans. The Bull defense actually played well, holding Drew Brees to only 163 yards passing, but the offense was a problem as Adrian McPherson got the start (over a newly arrived Robert Griffin III) and struggled, sacked 5 times by the Breakers. Breaker SS Brandon Taylor was the star of the game with 12 tackles and a sack, but it was a team effort to hold Jacksonville to only 282 total yards.
POTG: New Orleans SS Brandon Taylor: 12 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Pass Def
SAN DIEGO 7 CHICAGO 6
A nasty winter storm in Chicago made this game a tough one to play, and an even tougher one to watch as whiteout conditions made TV viewing an adventure and made offensive football a bit of a joke. The visiting Thunder got the win on a lone Marshawn Lynch catch & run. Lynch took a short swing pass and disappeared into the snow, rumbling his way past slipping and sliding defenders to put San Diego on the board in the 4th quarter and ruin what had been a 6-0 shutout until that point.
POTG: San Diego HB Marshawn Lynch: 17 Att, 35 yds, 2 Rec, 58 yds, 1 TD
LAS VEGAS 20 ST. LOUIS 23
The Las Vegas Vipers debuted on the road in St. Louis, where they gave the Skyhawks a scare before a late Rob Bironas field goal gave St. Louis the opening day win. The Vegas duo of Hardesty & Blount combined for 82 yards rushing and a TD, and Cody Pickett found rookie DeVante Parker for another, but St. Louis countered with TD passes from Freeman to rookie TE C. J. Ozumah and Arizona transfer Rob Gronkowski in what ended up being a TE dominated offensive attack.
POTG: Skyhawk QB Josh Freeman: 25/38, 325 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int
MEMPHIS 7 PORTLAND 13
Rain in Portland kept both teams a bit on edge, as the field was a quagmire. Todd Gurley debuted in a muddy 38-yard day as the game’s leading rusher, while Eli Manning struggled to only 157 yards passing in the rain. Things were not much better for Ryan Fitzpatrick, who got the start despite the fans’ chants for Mariota. But Fitzpatrick did get the game-winning score, throwing to TE Jordan Cameron in the 3rd.
POTG: Memphis DE Mario Williams: 6 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR
NEW JERSEY 17 MICHIGAN 20
The Panthers struggled to find offensive rhythm despite LeVeon Bell’s 18 carry, 100-yard effort. Trailing 17-13 late in the 4th, Kirk Cousins connected with Cody Latimer with only 27 seconds to play to give the Panthers a hard-fought win. New Jersey had played well, with CB Devin McCourtey recording both a pick and a forced fumble and Maurice Jones drew getting 78 yards rushing, but it was not enough in the end as the late Panther TD was the game winner.
POTG: Panther WR Cody Lattimer: 5 Rec, 103 Yds, 2 TD
LOS ANGELES 7 DALLAS 20
Dallas picked off Aaron Murray 3 times, including a Will Allen pick-six, as the Roughnecks thrilled a big crowd at the Cotton Bowl with a season-opening win. Despite only 25 yards from Rashard Mendenhall and only 148 in the air from Manziel, the Roughnecks held off LA, thanks in large part to the defense, which allowed only 3 conversions on third down all day and forced the 3 Murray turnovers.
POTG: Dallas FS Will Allen: 2 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD
OAKLAND 34 SEATTLE 16
The final game of the week saw Oakland march into Seattle and march out with a win. It was a sloppy game for the Dragons, who lost the turnover battle 3-1, and who just could not convert third downs (2 of 10) against the Invaders. Joey Harrington was much more on target, completing 22 of 26 throws (84.6%) and connecting with both Davante Adams and Richard Rodgers for scores. Add in two pick sixes from Eric Wright on two consecutive drives and that was all she wrote for Seattle.
POTG: Oakland CB Eric Wright: 7 Tck, 2 Int, 2 Def TD
Maulers and Blitz impress, Bandits & Express Implode
While we want to be cautious about jumping to conclusions or overreaching in our analysis of just one week’s games, it is hard to argue against the idea that the Maulers and Blitz looked really good and the Bandits and Express looked to have a lot of work to do after this opening weekend. Let’s not overreact and pencil anyone in for a Summer Bowl or a top draft pick just yet, but it is hard to argue with the results of week one as an indicator of where each program sits at the moment.
Baltimore came out of the week looking very much like the club that stormed through the playoffs last year and took the title. They passed the ball extremely well, forced Philadelphia to be one dimensional by shutting down Zac Stacy and the run game, and with Matt Gutierrez out, that one dimension was a lot shakier. The Blitz run game still needs to find itself (only 46 yards on the ground) but by most measures, their 34-17 win over the 2014 division champs was a cannon shot across the broadside of the East that this team was not going to fade as many past champions had.
Pittsburgh also came out with guns blazing, putting up 42 points on a Federals defense that almost never cracks that wide open. They too did it in the air, with Andy Dalton proving why ESPN made him their cover shot. But they also did it with defense, holding Deuce McCallister to only 21 yards rushing on 17 carries. That Mauler front line has three potential All-USFL players on it in Freeney, Allen and Donald. It should be a major concern for any team facing the Maulers.
On the other side of the spectrum, the Tampa Bay Bandits looked anemic on offense in Mark Sanchez’s first game at the helm. Jahvid Best rushed for only 32 yards and Sanchez struggled to get the ball to his receivers at key times in the game. Both Santana Moss and Santonio Holmes found ways to get open, but often too late as Sanchez was feeling pressure and dumped the ball short. The defense had some moments, including 3 sacks by Jerry Hughes, but over the course of the game they just wore down due to the lack of rest during short offensive possessions.
Sanchez’s former team, the LA Express did not fare any better with Aaron Murray the new starter. Against Dallas, Murray struggled, throwing 3 picks into the Roughneck secondary. He completed only 54% of his throws and struggled on third down, where the Express only converted 3 of 16 attempts. The LA defense looked solid, holding Dallas to only 179 total yards, but still fell by 13 points due to the lack of offensive production.
But, as we said, one game is much too soon to make final decisions about any of these teams. We see it every year where a hot start does not translate to overall success or where a slow start is followed by a late winning streak. But, for all four of these teams, the first week provided talking points to emphasize ahead of Week 2.
Henne to start after Matt Gutierrez Injury in Philly
Week 1 certainly did not go the way the Stars would have liked, losing badly to division rival Baltimore, losing free agent WR Ronald Johnson for the year, and losing QB Matt Gutierrez at least for 1-2 weeks with a knee injury. So, what is the plan for Week 2? Well, we expect Chad Henne, brought in via trade from Orlando via trade this offseason, to get the start at QB. Henne has looked good in camp and, with almost no snaps during the week, still had decent numbers against the Blitz, throwing for 260 yards on a 27 of 44 day. At wideout, it looks like 2nd year receiver Allen Robinson will step into the starting role opposite Stevie Johnson. Robinson had 41 targets, 24 catches and 192 yards in his rookie year. Used mostly as a short route receiver, Robinson will now need to show he can stretch the field and add medium and deeper routes to his tree. Philadelphia takes on Washington this week in another early season divisional matchup. With both teams suffering losses in their openers, we expect a lot of intensity in that game.
Cooper leads all rookies with big day.
While we saw a a lot of rookies on the field this weekend, only one really made a big first impression. Birmingham wideout Amari Cooper opened his pro career with a 6-catch, 110-yard, 1 TD-game, impressing Coach Givens with his poise and ability to find open spaces in zone coverage. Other rookies also had moments, but none with the overall game that Cooper displayed. Cooper’s teammate from Alabama and now in Birmingham, HB T. J. Yeldon, finished with 47 yards on 14 carries, not bad, but not earth shattering either. Todd Gurley for Memphis also struggled in his first game, rushing for only 38 yards on 14 carries, and Matt Jones, who at one point was seen as the starter for the Jacksonville Bulls until Cadillac Williams was signed, saw only 3 carries, but looked like the most explosive of the three backs, rushing for 38 yards on the day.
Among the other rookie receivers, Las Vegas Viper DeVante Parker had a very solid outing, catching 3 balls for 71 yards and a score, while New Orleans’s Tyler Lockett also scored on one of his 2 catches on the day. In Orlando, Breshad Perriman was on the field for only 3 plays and was not targeted.
Among USFL rookie defenders, we saw DE Vic Beasley of New Jersey snatch his first pro sack, as did Houston’s Dante Fowler. LB A. J. Johnson of Charlotte also snagged a sack in his first action, along with 3 tackles. But the best first day among rookie defenders had to belong to Houston LB Ramik Wilson, who not only had 8 tackles and a pick, but whose deflection of a 2-point PAT try at the end of regulation won the game for Houston, preventing the game from going to overtime.
The injury to Philadelphia wideout Ronald Johnson is the only season-ending injury in a relatively light Week 1. No consolation to Johnson or the Stars, but good news for the other teams across the league. The Gutierrez injury will be week-to-week as swelling in the knee of the Stars’ QB will determine when he can return to action, likely with a brace on that left knee. Until he can come back, Chad Henne, acquired in a trade this offseason, will be under center for Philly.
OUT
WR Ronald Johnson PHI Groin IR
G Zach Martin CHI Groin 6-8 Weeks
DE Michael Bennett MGN Knee 2-4 Weeks
DE Malik Johnson HOU Arm 1-2 Weeks
FS T. J. Ward CHI Neck 1-2 Weeks
QB Matt Gutierrez PHI Miniscus 1-2 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
HB C. J. Spiller DAL Concussion
WR Kenny Britt NOR Neck
QUESTIONABLE
SS LaRon Landry LV Neck
WR Demaryius Thomas ATL Eye
DT Henry Melton JAX Toe
TE Zach Miller OHI Wrist
DT Brodrick Bunkley JAX Knee
HB Danny Woodhead BIR Finger
New Faces: Free Agent Roundup
Opening week across the USFL and opening day for a lot of free agents making a first impression with their new teams. Let’s round up the big names that moved zip codes this winter and see how they opened the next phase of their careers in the USFL.
OFFENSE
QB Mark Sanchez (LA to TBY): Not horrible, but not good enough as the Bandits are held to 3 points. Sanchez went 25 of 38 for 223 yards, 1 pick, 4 sacks, but just never got the offense moving against the Renegades.
HB Joseph Addai (BIR to SEA): Addai had 16 carries for 57 yards, a pretty mediocre 3.6 YPC, but showed some burst on a 13-yard run in the first quarter.
HB Cadillac Williams (SEA to JAX): 20 carries for 54 yards, only 2.7 per carry as Williams struggled behind a suspect Jacksonville line.
TE Rob Gronkowski (ARZ to OHI): 4 catches for 54 yards and a score as Gronk and rookie C. J. Ozumah appeared on the field together in over 50% of the Skyhawk plays. That may be the future for this Skyhawk offense as both Josh Freeman TDs went to his two big tight ends.
TE Greg Olsen (ORL to TBY): Olsen had 4 receptions for 40 yards, but 28 came on one play. Other than that it was a lot of check downs from Sanchez.
WR Johnny Knox (JAX to HOU): Knox saw the field on only 5 plays and had no targets. He is 3rd on the depth chart, but Houston likes to use 2 WRs and 2 backs and that showed this week.
DEFENSE
DT Ellis Wyms (CHI to BAL): Wyms had 5 tackles, 1 for loss, and looked every bit the space-eater in the middle as Baltimore stuffed Zac Stacy, holding the Philly back to only 2 yards per carry.
DE Jason Pierre-Paul (TBY to CHI): Brutal conditions in Chicago did not make for a good test, but even in the snow JPP had 4 tackles, all 4 for losses. No sacks, but that is not a surprise on this day.
DE Larry English (ARZ to DAL): English got his first sack as a member of the Roughnecks, and Dallas got the Win so no complaints from the Roughneck fans here.
LB Donterrious Thomas (NJ to OAK): A pretty quiet day for Thomas, with 4 tackles and no other stats. Still, the Oakland D came up big in their game against Seattle.
CB Cortland Finnegan (ORL to PHI): Finnegan spent most of the day matched up against Darrius Heyward-Bey, and, well, it did not go well. 1 tackle for Finnegan, 3 catches and 2 TDs for DHB.
SS DaJuan Morgan (ATL to LA): Five tackles and 1 pass defended for the new Express safety. Defense was not the issue for the Express, who held Johnny Manziel to only 148 yards passing.
NFL Stars Sit in Opener
As we have come to expect each spring, several NFL imports were not yet ready to take the field. While the NFL players who signed in September were in action, many who were signed just in the last 2 weeks are still rehabbing from the long NFL season and still learning the playbooks and the system with their new teams. Players held out this week include defenders Von Miller (DEN), Nick Fairley (ATL), Sean Smith (NJ), and Greg Hardy (BIR). On offense we did not yet see Jacksonville’s new QB, Robert Griffin III, or any of the backs brought over from the fall league: Chris Ivory (NJ), Bobby Rainey (STL) or Christian Michael (HOU).
Among the players who did see the field, Texas CB Pacman Jones finished the Outlaws game with 8 tackles, Reuben Randle for the Bulls had 4 catches for 32 yards, and QB Brock Osweiler held a clipboard as Ohio Head Coach named Troy Smith the starter midweek. Smith finished the game with a W and with 288 yards passing, so expect to see Osweiler with a ball cap and a clipboard next week when Ohio takes on the LA Express in Columbus.
Attendance Strong in 13 of 14 Home Openers
A very strong opening weekend for the USFL at the box office with a league record average of 48,202 across all 14 games. Thirteen of the 14 league games saw more than 43,000 on hand with the one exception being the blizzard in Chicago where only 19,102 brave souls sat in whiteout conditions to watch the Machine. The league leader in attendance? No surprise, the Arizona Wranglers, with the dome open on a rare cool March day in the desert. Arizona pulled over 55,000 to University of Phoenix Stadium, followed closely by the home openers for the Breakers, Stars, Gamblers, and Panthers, all of whom had more than 52,000 on hand.
We are still two weeks away from the Week 3 home openers for both the San Diego Thunder at Qualcomm and the new Las Vegas Vipers at the brand spanking new Wynn Arena, but early reports of ticket sales sound like we may eclipse 50k in both venues when they finally get that first home game. The Thunder have trailed expectations on season tickets but seem to be doing well with individual game sales, while Las Vegas has had a very strong season ticket drive, particularly when you consider that the relocated Nashville Knights won only 3 games last year. But, as you so often see, as fans of the departed Thunder dump their allegiance and embrace a new franchise in town, excitement for the Vipers is amped up.
Week Two kicks off with a classic rivalry as the Cascade Classic is renewed in Portland, where the Stags got a Week 1 win. Seattle comes to town after a tough season opener at home, a bad loss to the Invaders. On Saturday, the early window has Philadelphia in yet another tough divisional game as they host the Federals. Tampa Bay is in Birmingham and Dallas visits Charlotte. A nice night game on ESPN as well with the defending league champions visiting the Atlanta Fire in a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals from last year.
Sunday starts off with a Central Division clash on ABC as the Skyhawks visit Michigan in a battle of 10 teams. Orlando will be in Jacksonville in a Florida Derby game at noon, and at 4pm, we have Arizona visiting Oakland in a nice Western Conference inter-divisional clash. The weekend caps off with two up and coming teams meeting at Heinz Field. The Maulers take on the defending Southern Division champion Breakers in a nice early season test.
Friday @ 8pm ET Seattle (0-1) @ Portland (1-0) NBC
Saturday @ 12pm ET Philadelphia (0-1) @ Washington (0-1 ABC
Saturday @ 12pm ET Dallas (1-0) @ Charlotte (0-1) FOX
Saturday @ 4pm ET Tampa Bay (0-1) @ Birmingham (0-1) ABC
Saturday @ 4pm ET Denver (0-1) @ Chicago (1-0) FOX
Saturday @ 7pm ET Atlanta (1-0) @ New Jersey (0-1) NBC
Saturday @ 9pm ET Baltimore (1-0) @ Houston (1-0) ESPN/EFN
Sunday @ 12pm ET St. Louis (1-0) @ Michigan (1-0) ABC
Sunday @ 12pm ET San Diego (1-0) @ Memphis (0-1) FOX Regional
Sunday @ 12pm ET Orlando (1-0) @ Jacksonville (0-1) FOX Regional
Sunday @ 4pm ET Las Vegas (0-1) @ Texas (0-1) ABC Regional
Sunday @ 4pm ET Los Angeles (0-1) @ Ohio (1-0) ABC Regional
Sunday @ 4pm ET Arizona (1-0) @ Oakland (1-0) FOX
Sunday @ 8pm ET New Orleans (1-0) @ Pittsburgh (1-0) ESPN/EFN
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