Houston and their new starter, Colt McCoy, continue to roll. Baltimore continues to put points on the board, while also playing solid defense. Arizona plays it close to the vest, but comes out on top, and the New Jersey Generals win a defensive slog in Jacksonville. Week 2 sees the number of unbeatens drop to 8, and the number of winless clubs at the same number. We have a strong start by Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Michigan, and troubling starts from Washington, Pittsburgh, and Dallas. We will break it all down, take a look at the big performances of the week, and a couple of players whose years have not started how fans would hope. We kick it all off with the Houston Gamblers new dynamic duo, QB Colt McCoy and his favorite target, TE Vernon Davis.
McCoy & Davis Becoming a Dangerous Battery
It is not hard to figure out how Houston has started the year at 2-0. They are averaging nearly 370 passing yards per game, which has them at 37.5 points per game. After saying goodbye to their veteran leader, Matt Hasselbeck, the reins of the Gambler offense have been turned over to Texas product Colt McCoy, who waited patiently for 3 seasons to become the starter, and now that he has his chance, he is quickly making headlines. McCoy followed a 310-yard, 2-TD season opener with an even better 281-yard, 4-TD Week Two. And while Houston has a strong receiver group headlined by veteran Mike Evans and enhanced with rookie starter Juju Smith-Schuster, it is tight end Vernon Davis who is not only McCoy’s favorite target but leads all receivers in the USFL by averaging over 150 yards per game.
Davis had a solid 655 yards in 2016 but is nearly halfway to that total after only 2 games in 2017. He and McCoy are finding gaps in zone coverage, exploiting the safeties as they try to deal with the outside speed on the roster, and making huge plays. Davis, a tight end, is averaging nearly 35 yards per catch after having huge gainers, often for scores, in both games this season. McCoy is also atop the league’s leaderboard after two very strong performances that have his TD:INT ratio sitting at 6:0.
Davis is not doing it alone, with Mike Evans also at 9 catches after 2 weeks and Smith-Schuster starting strong with 149 yards and TD in his first 2 pro games, but the story of the Gamblers so far has been McCoy to Davis for big play after big play. Defenses are going to have to divert more coverage to Davis, and that is a dangerous shift as it means one of Houston’s outside receivers could end up in single coverage, and that too could be fatal. It is an attack bolstered by the strong run game of Carlos Hyde, and one of the reasons the Gamblers are an early season favorite to represent the East in the Summer Bowl this year. It just goes to show that sometimes patience pays off as a seasoned and schooled Colt McCoy steps in and finds immediate success as a starter after spending 3 seasons learning at the side of Matt Hasselbeck.
SAN DIEGO THUNDER 30 OAKLAND INVADERS 27 OVERTIME
Both the Thunder and the Invaders are starting the season with three consecutive divisional games, both playing LA and Seattle as well as each other, so getting some wins in these early weeks is absolutely essential. Oakland got a 3-point win in Seattle last week, but San Diego fell to the LA Express, setting up a situation where the visiting Thunder had some early season pressure not to let another game slip away in the division.
The Thunder came into the Saturday night game on ESPN/EFN with a plan to contain rookie HB Christian McCaffrey and to get the ball to their playmakers, HB Ryan Williams, and WRs Chad Johnson and Nick Toon. Oakland hoped to keep the pressure off of Joey Harrington by using a lot of McCaffrey and by focusing on shorter routes against the Thunder defense. Both teams succeeded in one aspect of their plan, but not in others.
The San Diego offense looked very prepared for Oakland’s zone schemes, with Joe Webb able to find receivers sitting in zones most of the day. He would finish 33 of 45 for 340 yards and 3 touchdowns. Ryan Williams would struggle (only 50 yards on the day) but both Toon and Johnson would finish the game over 100 yards apiece. On the Oakland side, while San Diego did not make life easy for McCaffrey, the rookie back did manage to average 4.2 yards per carry on his way to 85 yards on the ground. Joey Harrington would throw for 254, mostly on shorter routes but throwing over the middle also produced three picks, including one to LB Kyle Van Noy that was just a momentum killer for the Oakland offense.
San Diego had the early momentum in the game, scoring the only points of the first quarter (a 19-yard Webb to Toon strike), and building a 17-7 lead at the half after also connecting with Chad Johnson. Oakland got an early touchdown from Taylor Gabriel, who would finish the game as the lead receiver for the Invaders, making 6 catches for 80 yards and 2 scores by game’s end. As the 2nd half started, Oakland was determined to draw closer to the Thunder, and succeeded thanks to a 74-yard opening drive that concluded with McCaffrey going off-tackle to the left and plunging in from 3 yards out.
Oakland would take their first lead of the game only 3 minutes later when an errant Joe Webb pass was snatched out of the air by FS Jahleel Addae and returned 55 yards for an Oakland score. Now down 21-17, San Diego finally got back on track just as the 3rd quarter rolled to a close. On a drive that started with 2 minutes left in the 3rd and extended well into the 4th, Webb connected on 5 of 7 passes before finding HB Ryan Williams out of the backfield for a 10-yard score. The Thunder would add a field goal only 3 minutes later to take a 27-21 lead into the final minutes of the game.
A six-point lead is a tricky one, because a field goal is no use, but a touchdown can swing the lead to the opposition. San Diego tried their best to keep Oakland from getting that late touchdown, but a bad pass interference call helped the Invaders out of a 3rd and 13 play and gave them new life in San Diego territory. Only 4 plays later, Harrington found Gabriel for the 2nd TD combo of the game. A PAT kick would put Oakland on top. But when Roberto Aguayo overcorrected for an earlier FG miss, the ball rattled against the goalpost and slid outside, a stunning missed PAT that caused the home crowd to groan and moan in Levi’s Stadium.
The game would be going to overtime, but, the good news for Oakland is that they won the toss and could take the win with an opening drive touchdown. They seemed to be on their way towards doing just that, gaining 2 first downs on their first 3 plays of overtime, but on a 1st and 10 from their own 47, Joey Harrington and his receiver got their signals crossed and the result was Harrington’s third pick of the day. While Harrington expected Donte Moncrief to make a quick hook in the zone, Moncrief instead took a sharp turn to an out route. The problem was that the ball was already on its way inside, making it easy pickings for San Diego CB Tye Smith. Smith picked the ball off at the San Diego 44 and returned it all the way to the Oakland 22 before Christian McCaffrey pushed him out of bounds.
The turnover meant that a field goal could win it for the Thunder. They had Lamar Miller dive into the center of the line twice and then brought out Jeff Reed to kick the game winner on third down. The kicker did his part, and San Diego got their first win of the year, evening their record and sending Oakland to an identical 1-1 start.
MEMPHIS 7 OKLAHOMA 44
It was a party in OKC as the Outlaws, in their home opener, absolutely demolished the Showboats in front of a sellout crowd. It was 7-7 midway through the first, but the Outlaws scored the next 37 points in a rout of the Showboats. Marshawn Lynch had 95 yards and 2 scores. Joe Flacco threw for 2 more, and Pacman Jones returned a pick for a score as the Outlaws simply rolled in this one. Memphis 2nd year QB Paxton Lynch was sacked 5 times, threw 3 picks, and ran for his life most of the game.
POTG: Outlaw HB Marshawn Lynch: 22 Att, 95 Yds, 2 TD
MICHIGAN 45 LAS VEGAS 14
Friday saw 2 blowouts as Michigan also manhandled the Vipers in Eli Manning’s home opener. Manning was picked 3 times, but it was LeVeon Bell who just crushed all hope for the Vipers, rushing for 156 yards and 3 scores (Mike Hart added a 4th). Kirk Cousins was again hot early, connecting with Cody Latimer for two early scores, and then the Panthers just let Bell run wild in the 2nd half, scoring on TD runs of 18, 1, and 4 yards on his way to a big night on the road.
POTG: Michigan HB LeVeon Bell: 27 Att, 156 Yds, 3 TD, 3 Rec, 25 Yds
TAMPA BAY 12 ORLANDO 21
Bandit QB Dak Prescott was sacked 5 times, but hung in. After 3 quarters the score was only 14-12 Renegades, who played without Russell Wilson due to a flu bug. Backup Connor Shaw struggled for most of the game but found Jeremy Maclin for the game clinching score in the 4th quarter to help Orlando start the year at 2-0.
POTG: Orlando DE Calais Campbell: 4 Tck, 2 Sck
CHARLOTTE 29 NEW ORLEANS 21
The Monarchs move to 2-0 with rookie Mitch Trubisky at QB. The rookie got help from Adrian Peterson’s 95-yard day, and from a defense that held Leonard Fournette to 46 yards and returned a Brees pick for a score. Trubisky played well, completing 20 of 28 passes for 170 yards and a TD. New Orleans pulled within 1 score late but could not recover the onside kick and fell short at home.
POTG: Monarch LB Gabe Miller: 2 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD
ST. LOUIS 20 OHIO 33
Ohio QB Christian Hackenberg had his best game to date, throwing for323 yards, and the Glory Defense held St. Louis in check, sacking Josh Freeman 5 times and limiting Eddie Lacy to 71 yards rushing. The Glory had a 30-7 lead early in the 4th but allowed two late scores to make the game look closer than it was. The Glory outgained St. Louis 410-238 and converted 50% of their 3rd down plays, while the Skyhawks struggled to 1 of 10.
POTG: Glory QB Christian Hackenberg: 25/34, 323 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int
DALLAS 13 DENVER 17
Both offenses struggled to turn yards into points as the Gold put up an early 14-0 lead and held the Roughnecks at bay the rest of the afternoon. It was 13-14 halfway through the 4th quarter, but Denver held on for the win by shutting down Dallas on 4th down on their final drive.
POTG: Denver HB Jamaal Charles: 22 Att, 72 Yds, 1 TD
WASHINGTON 6 BALTIMORE 31
A lopsided Beltway Brawl as the Blitz put up 457 yards of offense, including 128 yards from Darrius Heyward-Bey and another 115 from Brian Hartline. David Garrard connected with 9 different receivers but could only muster 2 field goals against the Blitz defense. Big Ben once again went over 300 yards and threw for 3 scores, despite 5 Washington sacks.
POTG: Blitz QB Roethlisberger: 17/33, 347 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int
BIRMINGHAM 25 PITTSBURGH 20
A tight game, broken open by DB Corey White, who had 3 picks of Andy Dalton, returning one for a score. Dalton would throw for 367, including 128 to Thielen and 101 to Cruz, but the picks stymied 3 drives and helped Birmingham cash in on short fields, getting 17 points off turnovers despite being outgained by the Maulers.
POTG: Stallion FS Corey White: 5 Tck, 3 Int, 1 Def TD
PORTLAND 20 PHILADELPHIA 26
A good one in Philly as Mariota hit both Cooks and Jeffery For scores to keep Portland in the game the whole way. Philly got TDs from Stevie Johnson and Zac Stacy but needed two 4th quarter field goals to break the tie and claim the win. Gutierrez got the W despite throwing 4 picks in the game, including 2 to CB Cedric Griffin of the Stags.
POTG: Stars’ WR Stevie Johnson: 4 Rec, 98 Yds, 1 TD
NEW JERSEY 9 JACKSONVILLE 6 OVERTIME
No snow, no monsoon, no hurricane winds, just two teams playing defense in this one. Both clubs were able to move the ball, but could not get points on the board. It would come down to a 51-yarder in overtime, but Ka’imi Fairbairn connected and gave the Generals the win in this defensive showdown.
POTG: New Jersey DE Vic Beasley: 6 Tck, 4 TFL, 1 Sck
ATLANTA 10 HOUSTON 38
Aaron Murray threw for 340 and a score, but was outpaced by Colt McCoy, whose 4 TDs and 10 of 18 day helped put him atop the league QB ratings. Both Mike Evans and Vernon Davis finished with over 100 yards and 2 scores apiece. With Carlos Hyde dealing with the after-effects of a concussion suffered in practice, Alfred Blue subbed in, but it was all Colt McCoy in this one, as the Houston QB orchestrated scoring drives on 4 consecutive possessions to pull away.
POTG: Houston QB Colt McCoy: 10/18, 281 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int
SEATTLE 21 CHICAGO 24
Seattle again played a tight game but came up short to fall to 0-2. Chicago got a 4th quarter field goal to take the lead late and the defense stuffed Seattle on a 4th down play to preserve it. Chicago won without a single offensive TD. They got 5 field goals from Hopper, a safety, and a pick six from Josh Norman, and that was enough to eke out the win against a very game Seattle squad.
POTG: Chicago CB Josh Norman: 7 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD
ARIZONA 24 LOS ANGELES 23
The Week came to a close with a nailbiter on Sunday night. LA took the lead 23-17 with just 1:18 to go, but David Carr pulled a miracle out, connecting with Antonio Bryant for the winning score with just 31 seconds left on the clock. It was Carr’s 3rd TD pass and Bryant’s second of the game. La Had gotten a great game from the HB duo of Bush and Perkins, combining for 130 yards, but the defense just could not hold the lead in the final minutes and Arizona moves to 2-0.
POTG: Arizona TE Jimmie Graham: 4 Rec, 146 Yds, 1 TD
Bell Runs Wild in Panther Mauling of Vipers
After a tough week against the Ohio Glory that saw 2,000-yard hopeful LeVeon Bell limited to only 75 yards rushing, the Michigan Panther back more than doubled his Week 1 total as Michigan ran roughshod over the Las Vegas Vipers. Bell, who stated his target for the year is not just Herschel Walker’s 1983 rushing record of 1,767 yards, but the 2,000-yard mark, went from a reasonable but underwhelming 3.1 YPC against the Ohio Glory to an impressive 5.8 YPC against the Vipers. With 2,000 yards his target, he needs to average 125 yards per game, so his current 2-game pace of 115 is getting closer.
Teams are clearly going to prioritize stopping Bell and the Panther run game each week, some with more success than others. That has already proven to be a dangerous tactic as both Cody Latimer and Jerrel Jernigan have benefited, combining for 345 yards and 4 touchdowns (all from Latimer) in the Panthers’ two games. Much like Houston’s inside-outside conundrum for defenses, the need to stack the box against Bell undoubtedly produces great coverage options for Kirk Cousins to take advantage of in the play action game. And when teams feel pressured to drop their safeties back and play more of a shell coverage, well, that is when we start to see Bell getting to the secondary untouched and with a head of steam. It’s another dangerous game of “choose your demise” for defenses.
Corey White helps Stallions Win Steel City Clash
After a rough Week 1 loss to Memphis in which the Stallions could do nothing right and scored only a lone field goal, Birmingham needed someone to step up against Pittsburgh. That person was cornerback Corey White, who proved to be a major headache for Mauler QB Andy Dalton. Birmingham continued to struggle on offense, gaining only 227 yards total in the game and rushing for only 53 yards, but White bailed them out with three picks, including a 29-yard pick-six that helped propel Birmingham to a narrow 25-20 win.
White got some help from a front 7 that harassed Andy Dalton all game, producing 5 sacks, including 2 from DE Dereck Harvey, but it was White’s positioning in coverage against Adam Thielen that made the difference. White was assigned Pittsburgh’s top receiver all game, and of the 12 targets for Thielen, White came away with 3 of them. He continuously forced Thielen towards the sideline with inside position and then stepped in front of him to make plays on the ball. It is a risky play, as a whiff could lead to a long gainer, but it proved effective as it seemed Dalton’s throws were often a step late and in range for White to steal away.
Birmingham will need to find some offense, but when your defense can produce turnovers and score points, it can help as the offense tries to find an identity and a rhythm. For White, more weeks like this could well have him in the conversation for DPOTY and could have Birmingham in more games than in recent years.
Lynch Struggling to Adjust to USFL Speed
While Colt McCoy is finding immediate success as he replaces Matt Hasselbeck in Houston, 2nd year QB Paxton Lynch is having quite the opposite experience as he steps in for Eli Manning. Lynch currently sits as the worst-rated starter in the league after 2 weeks, averaging only 151 yards per game, with 3 picks and no touchdowns yet this season. The University of Memphis product was brought in last year through the Territorial Draft to be the future of the franchise, expected to compete with Eli Manning in his rookie year. But, as we are sure most USFL fans are well aware, Manning had a career year, guiding the upstart Showboats all the way to the Summer Bowl, only to move on to Las Vegas for one of the richest contracts in the league, paving the way for the local hero to step in and become the new leader of the ‘Boats.
Well, so far, it has been rough waters for the Showboats. Despite a very solid overall game in Week 1 against the Stallions, Memphis is not showing the offensive strength that got them to the title game last year. In that win, Lynch looked solid, going 21 of 27, but was unable to put the ball in the endzone. In Oklahoma this week, facing a very boisterous crowd and a pumped-up Outlaws squad (making their debut in their new home), Lynch was just not up to the task. Going 18 of 37 with 3 picks, 5 sacks, and only 133 yards, he looked very much like a rookie thrown into the deep end.
Chalk it up to a tough outing against a very fired up team, but Memphis fans are already getting nervous that their present may include a significant step back from last year’s unforeseen success, and that their future may need more work. It is early, granted, and Coach Ryan will need time to get Lynch up to speed as the pro game is a long way from the American Athletic Conference. It also does not help that the Showboats lost their OC to the NFL and a head coaching job in San Francisco. Ryan, and new OC Terry Robiskie, have some work cut out for them. With Todd Gurley currently averaging a paltry 1.4 yards per carry (42 yards on 29 carries), the Showboats need to take pressure off Lynch by getting the run game going. They also need to find ways to get some depth into the secondary. Robert Woods is averaging only 10.4 yards per catch and Brandon Marshall, the speed receiver on the squad, has only 2 catches to date, as does slot receiver Cordarelle Patterson. That is not a formula for success for a young QB who is seeing the game move very quickly past his eyes.
Gutierrez has Stars 2-0 Despite Poor Play
The Stars sot at 2-0 after victories over Jacksonville and Portland, but they have reached that record despite of, not because of, the play of their QB. Matt Gutierrez has not started the season well, completing only 50.8% of his throws and sitting with a 3:6 TD:INT ratio after two weeks. His current 57.2 QB Rating is among the worst in the league and a solid 24 points below last year’s season ending 80.4 QBR.
The Stars, despite their two wins, rank only 14th in points scored and have admittedly played two of the league’s weaker offenses, which may indicate how they have found early success despite poor play on offense. That will change very quickly as they face New Jersey this week and Baltimore in 3 weeks. Gutierrez, in particular, has been coming under a lot of scrutiny over the past 2 years. After starting his career with two very strong seasons (a 121.7 QBR in his first year as a starter in 2012 and a very solid 92.1 in his 2nd season), his results have declined every year. He has not topped a 90 QBR since 2013 and last year’s 17 picks were the worst of his career. After 2 games this year, he is already on pace to shatter that number, with 6 picks, a pace that would give him over 40 on the season.
Now, we don’t expect that to happen, but something has to be done to give him better options, whether that means more carries for Dereck Henry, who has yet to crack 20 touches in a game this year, or more options beyond deep balls to Johnson and Cobb, something is needed. Gutierrez has had some success connecting with TE Travis Kelce (who went over 100 yards this week), so perhaps more use of the TE position is needed if Philly is going to give their QB a shot at a successful season. Either that or they may well have to consider an upgrade.
Donald Brown Not the Answer for Federals
The Washington Federals, spoiled by season after season of incredible numbers from future Hall of Famer Deuce McCallister, are finding that post-Deuce success is no guarantee. The Federals made a deal with Oakland to bring in the Invaders’ 2016 lead rusher, Donald Brown, confident in their ability to turn Brown from a 900-yard back into a 1,200-yard back. Well, so far that has not gone as planned.
Brown has accumulated only 39 yards in his first two games in the Kelly green jerseys of the Federals. He is averaging a miserable 1.3 yards per carry to date, outpaced by 3rd down back Wendell Smallwood’s 4.2 YPC and 51 total yards. Despite having 3 times the touches as Smallwood, Brown is not proving productive. Call it adjustment to a new blocking scheme and a new offense, but so far the investment that saw Washington send DE David Bass and a 4th round pick in the 2018 draft to the Invaders is not paying dividends.
Of course, we cannot expect Brown to step in and immediately look like McCallister. The former Federal back was a rare generational talent, rushing for over 1,000 yards for 13 consecutive seasons and playing at an All-USFL level until the age of 35. Those are ludicrous expectations for any back, but 1.3 yards per carry and a per game average under 20 yards per game are what you might expect from a backup getting 5-8 carries a game, not your lead back. Washington sits at 0-2, and just how long Coach Payton can be with Brown and the Federal run game remains to be seen, but some sign of success is needed soon if Brown hopes to keep the position uncontested and Washington could very soon be looking to trade once again.
No new injured reserve additions, but plenty of players who will be out at least a week, some up to 4 weeks. Michigan looks to have several players out in Week 3 and St. Louis has 2 of their starting O-line out for their Week 3 game. Oakland will be without their defensive captain for at least a week, one of several star linebackers who are on the list after Week 2.
OUT
OT Willie Colon HOU Meniscus 2-4 Weeks
OT Ryan Considine WSH Knee 2-4 Weeks
LB Odell Thurman MGN Wrist 2-4 Weeks
G Deuce Lutui STL Shoulder 1-2 Weeks
TE Coby Fleener NOR Neck 1-2 Weeks
LB Bobby Wagner OAK Personal 1-2 Weeks
G Ron Leary LV Shoulder 1-2 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
LB Karlos Dansby ARZ Concussion
G Donald Thomas DAL Knee
LB Chad Greenway OKL Tendinitis
DT Marcell Dareus OHI Pinched Nerve
C Rudy Niswanger STL Concussion
CB Eric Wright OAK Hand
WR Mike Williams PIT Thigh
DT Star Lotuleilei DAL Wrist
QUESTIONABLE
LB Kevin Minter CHI Thigh
WR Ted Ginn Jr MGN Neck
CB Dre Kirkpatrick MGN Hamstring
CB Derech Cox CHA Hip
Third Year Coaches On Hot Seat As Season Starts With Win Now Expectations
We often talk about a 3-year plan for coaches arriving to a new team. You need a year to assess what you have and where the roster needs upgrades, a year to fully implement your system and preferred personnel, and a year when that work should turn into noticeable improvement. Realistically, pro football rarely allows a coach 2 years, much less 3 to make improvements that are visible to everyone paying attention. So the fact that we have 3 coaches all entering their 3rd season and just now feeling the heat of the hot seat is something of a surprise, but that is where we stand in Birmingham, Jacksonville, and Portland.
Of the three, Portland’s Pep Hamilton may be the coach with the most to defend. After all, he began his tenure with the Stags by taking them not just to the playoffs, but to the team’s first ever division title, edging the Oakland Invaders in the final week of the 2015 season to stand atop the Pacific Division. So, when his second year produced a pretty sizeable collapse, it put even more importance on this third year. Hamilton needs to show that the team Is on the right path, that the decision to jettison QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and go with Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, was the right call, and that he can now build a viable offense around Mariota and HB Doug Martin.
For Henry Ellard, a legend in Birmingham as a player, the welcome was all cheers and celebration, but in his first two seasons with Cam Newton and the Stallions, Ellard has not produced the offensive dynamism that he was hired to bring to the club. Birmingham dropped from 8-8 in Ellard’s first season to 6-10 last year, and the offense continues to be the biggest question that has gone unanswered. While Cam Newton can have occasional monster games, he also has far too many games where he is simply not producing extended drives or adequate points for a win. T. J. Yeldon has not panned out as the star everyone anticipated when he came out of Alabama, and even WR Amari Cooper has seen his numbers plateau, without improvement since coming into the league in 2015.
Finally, Coach Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville is coming off back-to-back 5-win seasons, not exactly a secure path to a second contract. His defense has at times looked like a real strength, but the Bulls continue to flounder without a real identity on offense. As much as we want to see Robert Griffin as a duel threat, for every big outing he has there is an equally head-scratching one, and the risk of further injury as well. Jacksonville could well be on the fringe of a major overhaul and that does not bode well for Del Rio, whose reputation for strong interior play is being undone by an offense that simply has not proven it can run the ball effectively.
Ohio Seeks Stadium Partnership with MLS Crew
With setbacks in the plan for a new Canton-based football facility turning from doubts to near definite failure, the Ohio Glory turn in a new direction in their attempts to get a more suitable venue of the ground. This time the goal is to remain in Columbus, but to work with another club seeking a new home, the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer, to get a new facility approved and funded. The Crew and the Glory are proposing a 48,000 seat stadium to be built to the NW of the city in the area of New Albany. The open air stadium would serve as the home to both clubs,, each with their own current stadium concerns, and is being proposed as a 60/40 private/public partnership. The hope, of course, is that the city of Columbus, as well as the state, will approve bond measures to cover the public portion of the funding, while a combination of funds from the two franchises, the two leagues, and an array of sponsorships and naming rights would provide the 60% private funding for construction and maintenance.
With the bill to the state and city to be about 1/3 of what Governor Kasich’s proposed Canton football campus had targeted, there is hope that the two franchises can get broader support in the Statehouse. It helps, of course, that between the two teams there is already strong corporate support and the potential for naming rights that could bring in considerable revenue. The proposed stadium, while smaller than many USFL venues, would allow for the Glory to retain an attendance number at or even slightly above their 10-year average of 41,202, and certainly above the 39,593 they have averaged the past 3 seasons. For the Crew, the new stadium would be a considerable increase in capacity from their current facility, Crew Stadium, which is capped at just over 19,000. The facility would also allow the crew to partition the upper levels on both sidelines, providing a lower bowl with 28,000 seats with the ability to expand to the upper decks (one or both) as needed for larger events like international soccer tournaments.
The proposal is already before the city, as it will require backing of the city and county before it is taken to the Ohio Statehouse, and initial response has been positive. If all goes smoothly (as it rarely does, but just for argument) the facility could receive both city and state approval by June and construction could start in the spring of 2018 with a target of the 2020 USFL and MLS seasons for the grand opening.
Atlanta’s New Stadium On Track for 2019 Season
Speaking of new stadiums, Atlanta’s new facility, a retractable dome stadium with a capacity of 71,000 is moving along nicely, expected to open for the spring USFL season in December of 2018. The facility recently added a 3rd tenant with Major League Soccer approving an expansion franchise for the city to go along with the USFL Fire and NFL Falcons. The as-yet-unnamed stadium will replace the Georgia Dome, turning 25 years old this year. Located west of downtown and on the edge of the Vince City district, the new facility will allow for the outdoor football experience when weather permits, but allow the Fire, Falcons and MLS Atlanta club to close the roof when heat, humidity, rain, or winter cold would make for an unpleasant atmosphere.
Coming in at roughly $300M to construct, the new facility will be managed by the Georgia World Congress Authority, the same semi-public stadium authority which currently operates the Georgia Dome. While the Fire are expected to be the first team to play a regular season game in the facility, it is already scheduled to host the SEC Football Championship as well as the NCAA BCS Championship games in December of 2018 and January of 2019. The facility is just another example of cross-league collaboration between the USFL and NFL, something the league is actively seeking with all their dual-league locations.
There is a lot to like in the Week 3 lineup of games. We start on Saturday with Memphis @ Charlotte, a game both teams view as a winnable game that can help propel them towards the top of their divisions. The late game is another interesting matchup as Chicago tries to knock off the defending league champions in Glendale. Arizona is thinking 3-0 sounds awfully nice and has no interest in helping Chicago stay in the fight in the Central Division.
On Saturday we have a cavalcade of 0-2 teams all trying to avoid 0-3. Atlanta heads to New Orleans seeking their first win. Seattle heads down the coast to San Diego, and Dallas and Portland, both 0-2, clash in the PNW, with both hoping this game is the start of something. Then, at night, we get the opposite as four teams sitting at 2-0 clash in our Saturday night double header. It is the classic matchup of the Generals and the Stars in Philly to kick things off at 7pm, then, in the late game, we have two of the league’s most prolific offenses facing off in Houston as the Gamblers host the Blitz.
Sunday returns us to the 0-2 crowd, with both Pittsburgh and Washington hoping a division win will keep them from the dreaded 0-3 and help them build some momentum. We also have a matchup of two more winless teams, 0-2 Jacksonville and 0-2 Tampa Bay meet in a Florida Derby neither team can afford to lose. Later in the day it is St. Louis at Michigan and Denver at Las Vegas, and we end the weekend with another California Derby as the LA Express and Oakland Invaders, both 1-1 after 2 weeks, face off in Santa Clara with first place in the division on the line.
FRI 7PM ET Memphis (1-1) @ Charlotte (2-0) ABC
FRI 9PM ET Chicago (1-1) @ Arizona (2-0) ESPN/EFN
SAT 12PM ET Ohio (1-1) @ Orlando (2-0) ABC
SAT 12PM ET Atlanta (0-2) @ New Orleans (1-1) FOX
SAT 4PM ET Seattle (0-2) @ San Diego (1-1) ABC
SAT 4PM ET Dallas (0-2) @ Portland (0-2) FOX
SAT 7PM ET New Jersey (2-0) @ Philadelphia (2-0) NBC
SAT 9PM ET Baltimore (2-0) @ Houston (2-0) ESPN/EFN
SUN 12PM ET Pittsburgh (0-2) @ Washington (0-2) ABC
SUN 12PM ET Jacksonville (0-2) @ Tampa Bay (0-2) FOX Regional
SUN 12PM ET Oklahoma (1-1) @ Birmingham (1-1) FOX Regional
SUN 4PM ET St. Louis (1-1) @ Michigan (1-1) ABC
SUN 4PM ET Denver (1-1) @ Las Vegas (1-1) FOX
SUN 8PM ET Los Angeles (1-1) @ Oakland (1-1) ESPN/EFN
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