top of page

2017 USFL Week 1 Recap: New Season, New Stars

USFL LIVES

This season we celebrate the Mascots, featuring 16 of the league's favorite fluffiest and most fanciful team mascots. Week One features a rarity, a non-cartoonish mascot, as the Tampa Bay Bandits go for a very real rider and a fierce black steed named "Midnight".

Opening week and all the celebrations it brings across the country. This year’s opening week of USFL action was hampered by a major late winter storm that made travel and gameplay tricky across the Midwest and into the Atlantic region, but the games went on. We had the defending champs in a tough Friday night battle, the debut of rookie QB Mitch Trubisky for the Monarchs and Eli Manning in a Las Vegas Vipers jersey. We also had big games from unexpected places, with a huge weekend for tight ends. TE Vernon Davis came within inches of a 200-yard game and both Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce had huge outings. Finally, it was a week for rookies to show their stuff, and we saw very good games from both Trubisky and Oakland HB Christian McCaffrey. But we also had our first bad injury of the season, and now news of a possible suspension for a starting QB. We start there with the league’s decision to suspend Johnny Manziel following his arrest for a DUI this winter. We will then return to the field, reviewing the weeks’ games and looking ahead to Week 2 as the new season gets rolling.


Dallas QB Johnny Manziel suspended for 6 games.


We knew it was just a matter of time before the league’s investigation into Johnny Manziel’s offseason auto accident and arrest for DUI turned into league action. This week that action was announced, a six-week suspension for the Dallas Roughneck quarterback. The suspension, as expected, is under appeal, which could take 2-3 weeks to complete, and in the meantime Manziel will be permitted to practice and play for Dallas, but if he fails to win a lighter verdict from the league’s Judiciary Committee, Manziel could miss a month and a half of action, pushing Dallas to prepare former Charltte QB Brandon Wheedon for action.

 

The suspension is the result of a mid-winter car accident in College Station, Texas, where Manziel was returning to his alma mater. Manziel crashed his Alfa Romeo roadster in a one-car accident that did not see the quarterback injured, but did take out both a fire hydrant and a street sign. Police administered a breathalizer at the scene and took Manziel into custody with a reported blood alcohol level twice the legal limit. He was released on his own recognizance, and has a court date set for mid-May. The league immediately began its own investigation into the incident, with the resulting finding that Manziel had violated the misconduct clause of his contract with the USFL and the Roughnecks, and issuing the 6-game suspension on Monday, following Manziel’s solid performance in the Roughnecks’ game on Sunday afternoon. Manziel’s agent immediately filed the appeal paperwork and now we wait and see if the suspension is lifted, shortened, or remains to be served later this season.

 

Dallas made a deal with Charlotte in early February, just as camp was opening, that brought Brandon Wheedon over to the Roughnecks, very much aware that Manziel did risk suspension by the league. Now Wheedon is likely to see action perhaps as soon as Week 4. In the meantime, as the league reviews the appeal documents and convenes an appeal committee, Manziel will be at practice and is certainly expected to suit up next week against the Denver Gold. Just how much the looming league sanction, and possible legal issues in Texas will impact his play is yet to be seen.

 

LAS VEGAS VIPERS 24  DALLAS ROUGHNECKS 23

How often is it that the best game of the week is not between two teams at the top of everyone’s expectations list, but two teams scrapping for respect. That is what we got Sunday in Dallas in a showdown of SW Division teams as Las Vegas came into the Cotton Bowl to face the Dallas Roughnecks. The hype pre-game was about Eli Manning’s first outing in a Vipers’ uniform, and Manning certainly made news in the game, but this was a well-played opening week game from both teams and one that would come down to a final drive before it would be decided.

 

The game began very well for the visiting Vipers, who built up a 17-0 lead midway through the 2nd quarter, but Dallas fought back and was able to take back the lead in the 3rd. Johnny Manziel would finish the game with 323 yards passing but threw two costly picks. Eli Manning would throw for only 224, but avoided turnovers and connected for scores three times, all three to veteran WR Doug Baldwin.

 

Las Vegas’s first possession started off Baldwins strong day, as he helped turn the drive into 7 points with a 20-yard touchdown from his new quarterback. Las Vegas would add another 3 points on their next drive but as the first quarter wound down, Dallas was driving. With the ball at the Las Vegas 17, Johnny Manziel tried to hit Tiquan Underwood to put Dallas on the board, but the ball was caught instead by Las Vegas corner E. J. Gaines, producing a touchback and giving Las Vegas the ball back.

 

The Vipers would turn that pick into seven points as the 2nd quarter began. The pick turned into an 80-yard, 13-play drive that concluded with Manning finding Doug Baldwin for a second time. Now up 17-0, it all looked to be going the Vipers’ way. But, Dallas was not willing to give up and fought back in the 2nd quarter. On their next possession, Manziel guided the offense down to the 2-yard line, connecting with Tim Wright and Ben Watson on key third down throws. From the 2 it was veteran C. J. Spiller who got the ball into the endzone and put Dallas on the board. Spiller would have only 4 carries on the day as Dallas split the majority of carries between Texas rookie Donte Freeman and OU’s Samaje Perine.

 

With a late field goal before the half, Dallas was back in the game, down only 7 at the break. They came out for the second half determined to come all the way back. They did just that with the only scores of the period, a 31-yard Catanzaro field goal, and, on a drive that began when Dallas recovered a Montario Hardesty fumble, a 5-yard run by rookie Samaje Perine that gave Dallas a 20-17 lead, having scored the last 20 points in the game.

Ka

Midway through the 4th it would become the last 23 points as again Catanzaro connected on a short field goal after a 3rd and goal touchdown was called back by an illegal motion against Geronimo Allison. Dallas could not convert, so they sent out the kicker and took a precarious 6-point lead.

 

Las Vegas would have just over 6 minutes to try to get a score and retake the lead, but after a holding call they found themselves with a 3rd and 16, which proved too much, forcing them to kick the ball back to Dallas with just over 4 minutes in the game. They needed a defensive stop or a takeaway to have a shot at getting the ball back with time to get the touchdown they needed. They would get the latter when, on a 3rd and 7, Manziel scrambled to his right and then tried to throw back to the middle of the field towards TE Ben Watson. Safety Eric Berry was there to snatch the ball away form Watson, giving Memphis possession at their own 46 with time to move the ball into scoring range.

 

Eli Manning was at his best during the final drive, connecting on 4 of 5 throws as he moved the ball using out routes, a quick strike slant to Denarius Moore, and scrambling for a first down on a key 3rd and 3. With 1:10 left to play, he had the ball inside the Dallas 10, and he did not wait around to put las Vegas back on top. On 1st and goal he again looked for Baldwin, and again found him. Doug Baldwin’s third TD, and the ensuing PAT, gave the Vipers a 1-point lead with just over a minute left.

 

Las Vegas would have a chance, and all they would need is a field goal, but the clock was against them. With only 1 time out left, they had to play the sidelines, and while they got close, they did not get close enough. With only 2 seconds left on the clock they asked Catanzaro to attempt a 61-yard kick, a career long. The ball slid off to the right and lacked the distance, giving Las Vegas the win and Eli Manning his first official comeback drive as a member of the Vipers, a good start to a new chapter in his career.

 


WASHINGTON 13 NEW JERSEY 20

It took a 4th quarter rally, but the Generals won their season opener at MetLife thanks to a solid performance on both sides of the ball. Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 90 yards, Brett Hundley threw for 2 scores, and the defense held Donald Brown to only 15 yards rushing on the day as the Generals take the W on Friday night.

POTG: Generals’ DE Aaron Kampman: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF

 

DENVER 20  ARIZONA 26

Friday’s late game was a good one as Denver gave Arizona fits all night long. David Carr was sacked 5 times, but the Wranglers still managed to build up a 23-3 lead before Denver came alive in the 2nd half. TD throws from Leinart to Crabtree and newly-acquired Kelvin Benjamin put a scare into the defending league champions, but a 4th quarter Haden interception on Denver’s final possession preserved the win for the Wranglers.

POTG: Wrangler CB Joe Haden: 7 Tck, 2 Int

 

NEW ORLEANS 23  PITTSBURGH 7

Snow caused some issues for both teams, but New Orleans rallied behind Drew Brees as Leonard Fournette had a brutal day against Pittsburgh’s front line ( negative 4 yards on 11 carries). Down 10-7, New Orleans scored the final 13 points, with Brees taking over in the 2nd half, throwing for 352 in the snow, including a 72-yard strike to Kenny Britt that secured the win for the visiting Breakers.

POTG: Breaker QB Drew Brees: 17/24, 352 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int

 

BIRMINGHAM 3   MEMPHIS 22

The Showboats got a solid game from Paxton Lynch (21 of 27 for 170 yards), and the defense contained Cam Newton to give the Showboats an opening week home win in their big rivalry game. Of the Showboats 23 points, 15 came off the foot of their kicker, with a short Todd Gurley TD run in the 4th quarter the only 7-pointer of the game.

POTG: Memphis CB Patrick Robinson: 9 Tck 2 FF, 1 FR

 

OAKLAND 26   SEATTLE 23

Seattle got a big game from CB Xavien Howard, with 2 picks, one returned for a score, and hung tough all game long, but in the end Oakland pulled the game out on a Roberto Aguayo field goal with 11 seconds to play in a heartbreaker for Dragon fans. There were 5 picks in the game on a sloppy outing for both Brissett (2 Int) and Harrington (3 Int). Rookie Christian McCaffrey was, as expected, the center of the Oakland offense, with 72 yards rushing and another 42 in the air.

POTG: Seattle CB Xavien Howard: 6 Tck, 2 Int, 1 Def TD

 

BALTIMORE 42  PORTLAND 7

Doug Martin had a solid opening game as a Stag, with 111 yards on 22 carries, but that was about the only thing that went right for Portland as Baltimore rolled. Ben Roethlisberger averaged 16.3 yards per completion on his way to a 359-yard, 4-TD day. Brian Hartline caught 3 of the 4 scores, with newly arrived TE C. J. Uzomah adding 104 yards and a TD as well.

POTG: Blitz WR Brian Hartline: 4 Rec, 173 Yards, 3 TD

 

OHIO 10  MICHIGAN 32

The weather produced several thousand no-shows in Detroit, but did not impact the game inside Ford Field, as Michigan outgained Ohio 395-288 and had zero penalties to Ohio’s 12 for 88 yards. The game was close at the half ,13-3, but the Panthers pulled away in the 2nd half to take a 3-score victory. Both Cody Latimer and Jerrel Jernigan went over 100 yards as the passing game was effective all game long. Ohio focused on LeVeon Bell, limiting the back to 3.1 yards per carry and a total of only 75 yards on the day.

POTG: Panther WR Cody Latimer: 9 Rec, 102 Yds, 2 TD

 

LOS ANGELES 17  SAN DIEGO 10

LA’s defense struggled against the pass, but came up with a big 4th down stop late in the game to preserve the win in a low scoring but fun game. Reggie Bush had 81 yards on 17 carries, but also led the team with 4 receptions, including a 43-yard touchdown. Chad Johnson had 159 yards on 10 catches, but the Thunder just could not get the points they needed after LA built up a 17-3 lead.

POTG: Express HB Reggie Bush: 17 Att, 81 Yds, 4 Rec, 69 Yds, 1 TD

 

CHARLOTTE 19  ATLANTA 13

Despite the low score, both clubs moved the ball surprisingly well. Rookie QB Mitch Trubisky debuted with a 16 of 24 performance, throwing for 138 and avoiding turnovers. Atlanta went with former UGA QB Aaron Murray, who went 30 of 38 for 293 but also threw 3 picks and was sacked 5 times. The key to the game was the 2-back strategy of the Monarchs, with Adrian Peterson and Taiwan Jones combining for 108 yards on the day.

POTG: Monarch CB Derech Cox: 10 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD

 

TAMPA BAY 12  ST. LOUIS 29

Frank Reich opened his tenure with the Skyhawks with a solid game plan, shifting the offense to more of a run-focused pro-style and getting a better-than-expected showing from the defense. June Jones’s new spread style had mixed results as rookie Dalvin Cook rushed for 55 yards on 12 carries, but the passing game struggled to sustain drives. The star of the game was TE Rob Gronkowski, who Reich’s offense featured against LB and safety coverage.

POTG: Skyhawk TE Rob Gronkowski: 6 Rec, 121 Yds, 1 TD

 

JACKSONVILLE 6  PHILADELPHIA 13

Significant snow accumulation and two solid defenses kept the points down in this game. Both teams tried to use the slippery field to get receivers open, and both run games suffered, with Bulls’ HB Matt Jones slipping in his own endzone to produce a safety. Derrick Henry had the only TD of the day, a 1-yard swing pass from Gutierrez, with a 2-point dive for the conversion.

POTG: Stars TE Travis Kelce: 5 rec, 122 Yds

 

ORLANDO 17  CHICAGO 10

You would think Chicago would have the advantage on a snowy and cold day, but this defensive battle went to the Renegades. Orlando got 2nd quarter TDs from Jeremy Maclin and CB Dee Milliner who returned a tipped ball 29 yards for a score. Chicago was held without a TD until late in the 4th, and could not get the ball away from Orlando in the final minutes.

POTG: Orlando CB Dee Milliner: 6 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD

 

OKLAHOMA 7  HOUSTON 37

Old rivals clashed, but Houston got the clear advantage as Colt McCoy went 13 of 20 for 310 yards and 2 scores. TE Vernon Davis was his favorite target with 5 catches for 198 yards, including TD tosses of 68 and 66 yards on nearly identical plays. Joe Flacco struggled, completing only 15 of 31 passes and suffering 11, yes, 11 sacks from the Houston defense, including 3 from Dante Fowler and 2 from rookie safety Budda Baker.

POTG: Houston TE Vernon Davis: 5 Rec, 198 Yds, 2 TD

 

First Impressions: 10 Debuts to Note

A new season always means new opportunities, whether it is a rookie making an immediate impression in his first action or a veteran free agent shining in a new setting. After this week’s action we had more than a few notable games from newly arrived players as a combination of NFL imports, Free Agents, and Rookies all made good on the promise they brought to their teams. Here are the 10 players we believe gave us great first impressions.

 

QB Eli Manning (LV)

No doubt that Viper fans are excited about Eli Manning being their QB. His final drive in Dallas was exactly what fans hoped he could bring to the team. It was efficient, timely, and turned a loss into a season opening win. What more could you ask for.

 

QB Mitch Trubisky (CHA)

The UNC rookie did not produce an offensive explosion, but what he did was produce a win and avoid negative plays as Charlotte went into Atlanta and came away with a W. Trubisky went 16 of 24 for 138 yards but was sacked only once and did not throw a pick. For a rookie debut at QB that is a pretty solid outing.

 

HB Doug Martin (POR)

The game certainly did not go the way Portland wanted, blown out by the Blitz, but you cannot fault new starting tailback Doug Martin for that. Martin was solid in the lead back role, toting the rock 22 times for 111 yards, a 5.0 YPC average. It was pretty much everything else that went wrong, especially on defense.

 

HB Christian McCaffrey (OAK)

Perhaps the best rookie outing of the week was in Seattle, where Oakland HB Christian McCaffrey showed he was up to the task of being a centerpiece in the Invader offense. CMC ran for 72 yards on 17 carries, a healthy 4.2 YPC, and also contributed 5 receptions for another 42 yards. A very strong sign that his role in the Invader offense will only continue to grow.

 

TE C. J. Uzomah (BAL)

Fans who were worried that the retirement of Antonio Gates would cause a dip in the Blitz’s offensive production had to be happy with their 32-7 win in Portland. Not only did Big Ben and Brian Hartline put up big numbers, but TE C. J. Uzomah, brought over in trade from St. Louis, also had himself a game, matching Hartline with 4 catches, going over 100 yards on the day and adding a TD.

 

WR Jordy Nelson (NOR)

We thought that the addition of Nelson would be a big deal in New Orleans, and we think we were right. Six catches, 161 yards, and enough draw to pull defenders off of Kenny Britt showed just how impactful his arrival could be as New Orleans scored 23 and easily defeated the Maulers, even during snow and ice.

 

LB Trey Hendrickson (STL)

A rookie we have not said much about, Henderson got the starting gig at strongside linebacker for the Skyhawks, and had himself a nice debut. Hendrickson helped St. Louis knock off Tampa Bay in their home opener, with 3 tackles and a sack which produced a safety. Keep an eye on Hendrickson, who the Skyhawks are using as a passing down pressure option.

 

CB Stephon Gilmore (LA)

Gilmore came into the USFL after a solid career in the NFL and immediately showed why he was a high profile free agent target. In LA’s 17-10 defeat of the Thunder in San Diego, Gilmore led all Express defenders with 10 tackles, he also had 3 pass defenses, including an endzone swat in the 2nd that forced San Diego to go for 3 instead of getting 7.

 

SS Budda Baker (HOU)

With 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 pass defenses, and a pick, Budda Baker was one of the most impressive rookies to debut this week. He was all over the field, playing deep coverage on one play, blitzing on another, stacking the box against the run on yet another. It seems Coach Phillips and the Gamblers may have themselves a playmaker in the secondary with Baker.

 

K Younghoe Koo (HOU)

Just to give some love to the kickers, we chose Houston’s Younghoe Koo to highlight. The Korean-American kicker from Georgia Southern had a nice debut, going 3 for 3 on field goals and 4/4 on PAT’s in Houston’s opening win. Koo was not the only rookie kicker to open the season, as he was joined by Michael Beam (MGN), Harrison Butker (TBY), and Jeffrey Harris (SEA) as newly-minted pro kickers.

 

McCoy to Davis a Week One Debut to Remember


Houston fans had to be overjoyed with what they saw this weekend out of their offense. With Matt Hasselbeck retired and Colt McCoy announced as the heir to the QB position, there was understandable trepidation in Houston. What if McCoy was not able to replicate the success he had in a handful of outings last year? Well, if Week 1 did anything, it helped dispel those concerns. McCoy had himself a major coming out party against the Outlaws, completing 13 of 20 passes for 310 yards and 2 scores, both to his new favorite target, tight end Vontae Davis. Davis went off with both a 68-yard and a 66-yard touchdown, both on seam routes opened when the safeties ran off to deal with Mike Evans and rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster.

 

McCoy was cool in the pocket, extended plays like a savvy veteran and found 6 different receivers on the day. It seems that with McCoy taking over for Hasselbeck, the talented Gambler squad did not so much rebuild as reload. They look dangerous once again, and fans can apparently rest easy that the QB position is in good hands.

 

Big Ben Makes Big Plays in Blitz Bombing Run


Any game where your QB throws for over 350 yards is a big day, but when he can do that with only 12 completions, well, you are just connecting on big play after big play. That was the scenario for our Player of the Week, Ben Roethlisberger, who just kept finding his receivers open deep against a stunned and clearly underprepared Portland secondary. Ben’s day included a 75-yard TD to Hartline, a 41-yarder to TE C. J. Uzomah, a 34-yard toss to Jacob Tamme, another 34-yarder to Darrius Heyward-Bey, a 33-yarder to HB Anthony Dixon, and, oh yes, another deep TD to Hartline, this one for 82 yards. So, in other words, the deep ball was there for Roethlisberger whenever he felt like connecting on one.

 

Hartline and Uzomah both finished the game with 4 catches and both went over 100 yards on the day. Heyward-Bey, Dixon, and Lance Moore each had only 1 catch, but again, when your catches are over 30 yards apiece, well, that is pretty impactful.  Portland clearly missed the mark in trying to pressure Roethlisberger. They got to him for 4 sacks, and they had a few more hurries, but they also left their secondary in a very awkward place whenever the pressure did not immediately displace Roethlisberger from the pocket. The Blitz QB did finish the day with incompletions on 10 of his 22 throws, but the 12 that connected were huge and helped Baltimore blow out Portland by a score of 42-7.

 

Crowder Possibly Lost for Season with Back Injury


It was not all joy and excitement as USFL football returned. The specter of injury is always a factor in pro football, and, as if a blowout loss to Baltimore was not bad enough, a season-ending injury to a star player made Portland’s home debut one to remember. Linebacker Channing Crowder, a past league tackle leader, was having a strong game, with 6 tackles in the first half, but a bad collision with one of his own players left the MLB lying on the ground, unable to get up. The stadium was pin-drop quiet as training staff came out to evaluate the situation. Players took a knee, visibly upset. The trainers removed Crowder’s helmet, and it was clear he was communicative, but he was just not moving his lower half. A backboard was used, and Crowder was driven off the field in the cart, his hand raised to give a thumbs-up to the crowd.

 

News of his condition would not come out until the next day, when the positive news that Crowder had regained feeling in his lower extremities was mixed with the disappointing news that his recovery time would be extensive, with the season lost and the very real potential that this was a career-ending injury very much still in play. Crowder was to be held in traction as doctors would have to rebuild two vertebrae, cracked and potentially at risk to shatter. The recovery time would be 6-8 months, and only then could the medical team assess whether or not it would ever be safe for the linebacker to step on a field again. A sobering thought on a tough day all around for the Stags.

 


While Channing Crowder’s injury was the most impactful and sobering of the weekend’s injuries, it was hardly the only major medical situation the league saw in its opening week. Two additional players could be placed on IR, though neither has officially been added yet. LA wideout Earl Bennett suffered a broken wrist that is expected to keep him out of action at least 8 weeks, while guard Ryan Seymour suffered a broken leg. He too could be placed on IR, depending on how Houston wants to deal with the possibility of a return for the postseason. Hard to imagine a full 3 months before the playoffs even begin, but this is football and injuries that can cost players a season or even a career are simply part of the game.

 

OUT

LB           Channing Crowder        POR      Back                     IR

G            Ryan Seymour                 HOU     Broken Leg              8-12 Weeks

WR         Earl Bennett                   LA          Wrist                       8-12 Weeks

DT          A’Shawn Robinson         WSH     Abdomen                1-2 Weeks

DE          Chris Kelsay                     ATL         Concussion              1-2 Weeks

 

DOUBTFUL

WR         Reuben Randle           JAX         Hip Pointer                       

DT          DeMarcus Tyler            CHA      Toe

 

QUESTIONABLE

SS           Tra Battle                     ATL         Knee

DE          Anthony Zettle               CHA      Hernia

HB         Carlos Hyde                 HOU     Concussion

SS           Duke Williams             SD          Knee

OT          Dereck Newton          TBY        Concussion

 



Oklahoma Home Opener a Tough Ticket


Week 2 will see the Oklahoma Outlaws begin their new life at OGE Energy Stadium in Oklahoma City, but don’t expect to walk up and get a ticket. The first game of the relocated and “reborn” Oklahoma Outlaws is a sellout of the 55,422 seat stadium. Tickets on secondary markets are going for double face value and the entire state seems to be abuzz about their team returning pro football to the Sooner State.

 

The Outlaws have welcomed back two legendary former players, LB Brian Bosworth and QB Doug Williams to welcome the team to the state. The Governor and famous Oklahoman singer Blake Shelton will also be on hand as the Outlaws take on defending Eastern Conference Champion Memphis in their first game in the new stadium. What may be a sour start to the year for football fans in San Antonio, who lost their team after the destruction of the Alamodome in 2015 tornadoes, is certainly a sweet situation for Oklahoma City, which is expected to garner somewhere in the order of $400M in additional business and tax revenue from the Outlaws’ presence in the city.

 

And while there is some good news in San Antonio, with the stadium demolition complete, a settlement with Chubb insurance pumping $200M into the stadium reconstruction project, and a recent bond vote approving another $150M from the city, there is hope that the Alamo City will be back in the USFL within 4 years time. But, for now, it is all about Oklahoma and the Outlaws returning to the state for the first time since a short-lived love affair back in 1987, and the Sooner State is ready for it.

 

Weather Still an Issue for USFL Season Openers

It has been an issue ever since the USFL was founded as a spring league back in 1983, foul weather impacting early season games. We see it every year, and we saw it this year as significant snowfall from the plains to the Appalachians impacted 5 season openers. The impact is not as great as it once was, in part due to more use of domed facilities and better snow clearing options for open air stadiums, but it was still certainly a factor in several games.

 

Michigan and St. Louis both held their season home openers with smaller than anticipated crowds due to weather conditions. Michigan reported a total of over 17,000 no shows, sold tickets that did not cross the turnstiles and enter the stadium. In St. Louis the number was closer to 8,000, in large part due to a lower snow total. But, for games in Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, the impact was more noteworthy because slick conditions on packed snow and ice made footing treacherous.

 

We saw this with Jacksonville HB Matt Jones just faceplanting in his own endzone of the Linc on what should have been a simple dive play, but turned into a safety. We also saw it with poor showings from HBs Derrick Henry, Matt Forte, Knowshon Moreno and a truly bad day for rookie Leonard Fournette, who finished his debut with negative yards on a very sllck turf in Pittsburgh.

               

Snow, cold, wind, and rain is simply a reality in the month of March, and it is something the USFL just has to deal with. Unlike the NFL which gets these conditions late in their season, the USFL gets them right up front, with the season progressing towards warm, sunny summer weather. So, it is a tradeoff. Some lower attendance games and sloppy play in March is a price the USFL pays for those late season tailgates and evening games on beautiful summer nights (OK, with some humidity as well. Looking at you, Birmngham).

 


Week 2 provides us with “Divisional Saturday” as 5 of 6 Saturday games are clashes within divisions. Before that we get another strong Friday night doubleheader, kicking off in OK City, where a sold out stadium greets the Oklahoma Outlaws and defending Eastern Conference Champion Memphis. That is followed by Michigan heading out to Las Vegas, where Eli Manning makes his debut in Sin City.

 

Saturday is all about the divisions with matchups in the SE (Tampa Bay @ Orlando), Central (St. Louis @ Ohio), Soutwest (Dallas @ Denver), and in the evening double header we have a NE Division clash between Washington and Philadelphia, followed by the West Coast feed, with Pacific rivals San Diego and Oakland going head to head in Santa Clara.

 

Sunday isheadlined by Arizona traveling to LA for the nightcap, but don’t miss out on what could be a very interesting showdown in Jacksonville, when the Generals take on the Bulls. Also on the slate we have a Steel City showdown with the Stallions in Pittsburgh to face the Maulers, and we have a clash of run games as Portland is in Philadelphia with Doug Martin showing up against Derrick Henry. A solid week 2 lineup with a lot of games that should be fun to watch. Now, let’s hope the weather is a bit better this week.

 

FRI 7PM ET         Memphis (1-0) @ Oklahoma (0-1)                NBC

FRI 9PM ET             Michigan (1-0) @ Las Vegas (1-0)                    ESPN/EFN

 

SAT 12PM ET         Tampa Bay (0-1) @ Orlando (1-0)                   ABC

SAT 12PM ET          Charlotte (1-0) @ New Orleans (1-0)             FOX

SAT 4PM ET           St. Louis (1-0) @ Ohio (0-1)                             ABC

SAT 4PM ET            Dallas (0-1) @ Denver (0-1)                            FOX

SAT 7PM ET            Washington (0-1) @ Baltimore (1-0)               NBC

SAT 9PM ET           San Diego (0-1) @ Oakland (1-0)                    ESPN/EFN

 

SUN 12PM ET         Birmingham (0-1) @ Pittsburgh (0-1)             ABC Regional

SUN 12PM ET         Portland (0-1) @ Philadelphia (0-1)                 ABC Regional

SUN 12PM ET         New Jersey (1-0) @ Jacksonville (0-1)           FOX

SUN 4PM ET          Atlanta (0-1) @ Houston (1-0)                           ABC

SUN 4PM ET           Seattle (0-1) @ Chicago (0-1)                           FOX

SUN 8PM ET          Arizona (1-0) @ Los Angeles (1-0)                    ESPN/EFN

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


© 2022 by A. Bertsche. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page