A season-ending, perhaps career-ending injury added a sour taste to Week 5 action in the USFL as QB Joey Harrington suffered a non-contact injury that forced Oakland to place him on IR in what might be his final season of pro football. It is not the headline anyone wants to see, but it is a part of the game. Quarterback play was very much on everyone’s mind this week, in part due to the Harrington injury, but also because two teams that seemed to have their QB situation well-defined now could be facing a controversy as short-term injury created opportunity for backups to step up and they have. We will start our coverage with that story, then review all the week’s action, go deeper into the Harrington injury, as well as Memphis’s big injury loss, and also perhaps a sneak peek at a USFL club getting a new logo. All that is coming up right here in This Week in the USFL.
Do the Bulls & Maulers have QB Controversies on Their Hands?
Sometimes there are teams where you just know that they have 2 quarterbacks and no clear idea of who the starter should be. We have seen that quite a bit over the years, and usually it means that the club has 2 flawed players and need one to work their way through their issues and come out the other side. But sometimes a team will think they have a clear vision of their QB pecking order, a clear starter and a developmental backup. But then the games start, the backup gets some playing time, and surprisingly seems to outperform the starter. That creates controversy. It was not supposed to be a QB competition, but now you have evidence that you may have been starting the wrong guy. That is the situation that we are seeing in both Pittsburgh and Jacksonville after both starters missed a pair of weeks and the backups have outperformed expectations.
The situation in Pittsburgh is a confusing one. After all, starter Andy Dalton is barely a year removed from winning the league’s MVP trophy in 2015. He had 47 touchdowns in that amazing season, jumping up from 18 the year before. He also threw for over 5,000 yards. But 2016 he crashed to earth, throwing for only 2,800 yards and dropping to only 20 touchdowns. The Maulers crashed with him, from 13-3 to 6-10. Cut to this season. The Maulers start the year 1-2, with Dalton throwing 2 TDs and 3 picks in the opening 3 weeks, earning an overall 62.8 QB rating. Dalton goes down and in Weeks 4 and 5 the Maulers are led by 2nd year QB Kevin Hogan. Hogan in two games throws for nearly 200 yards more than Dalton had in 3, throws 4 touchdowns, no picks, and sits at 105.2 in the QBR system. After a tough loss to New Jersey the Maulers came back this week with a big win over Charlotte, a win in which Hogan threw for 315 yards and led Pittsburgh on 6 scoring drives. So, what do you do? Go back to the Week 1 starter now that he is cleared to play or go with the hot hand? The Maulers face unbeaten Houston this week, and while Dalton certainly has more experience, Hogan provides the Gamblers with less film to study and less certainty in how they can defend him. Coach Fangio is playing it coy, not letting on who will get the start, which makes sense, but come the weekend, we will get our answer. Does Hogan keep Dalton on the bench or does Coach Fangio go back to his former MVP?
In Jacksonville the contrast may even be more profound. Unlike Pittsburgh, where Andy Dalton and Kevin Hogan essentially run the same offense, the injury to Jacksonville’s Robert Griffin III meant that the Bulls had to recalibrate their entire offensive scheme to meet the talents of rookie backup C. J. Beathard. Whereas Griffin is a true dual-threat QB, one you can scheme on roll outs, bootlegs, and QB runs, Beathard is a classic pocket passer. So varied are the two styles, that many in and around the Bulls questioned why Coach Del Rio and the personnel team went after Beathard in the draft.
But, after two starts, Beathard is making his case. The former Iowa Hawkeye has not put up huge numbers, throwing for only 393 yards in the 2-game span, his 2:2 TD:INT ratio is also not eye-popping, though it is certainly better than Griffin’s 0 TD, 1 pick numbers after 3 games, but what is noticeable is that the Bulls, 1-2 under Griffin, won both games with Beathard at the helm, including this week’s huge upset win over the division-leading Orlando Renegades. Beathard may not be making huge statistical waves, but when we look at offensive production as a team, the Bulls seem to be responding to his style and skill set. With Griffin at the helm, Jacksonville was held to only 6 points in Week 1, 6 again in Week 2, and jumped up to 17 points against winless Tampa Bay. Enter Beathard and the Bulls stun us all by scoring 30 against Ohio in Week 4. This week against Orlando, they put up 23 points. With one of the better defenses in the league, a Bulls offense that can score 20+ points could win them a lot of games. So now Coach Del Rio has to try to determine if the less-dynamic, but perhaps more reliable Beathard gives them a better chance at doing just that. Do you give up the big play capacity of Griffin to stick with a more traditional approach?
Both Griffin and Dalton are expected back from injury this week. Both coaches are keeping their decision on who gets the start this week under wraps. But come Sunday we will see how each competition has panned out and whether or not 2 weeks of solid play has convinced a coach to go with the understudy over the more established starter.
OHIO GLORY 34 ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 31
Two teams sitting at 1-3, division rivals, both hoping to crawl back towards .500 and give Michigan a run for the Central Division title. This game had just a bit of desperation in it, as well as all the usual division foe energy. Ohio came into town having lost 2 in a row, including a bad beatdown at the hands of the Jacksonville Bulls. St. Louis had lost 3 in a row, though their last two games (@ Michigan and vs. San Diego) had seen them hang tough with two of the league’s better clubs. Both teams needed a win, and this game played out like an early round playoff game because of that sense of urgency.
The game started off with about as much energy as you could ever ask for. Ohio took the opening kickoff and in only 4 plays had put the ball in the endzone. They hit a huge play right out of the gate when Rashard Jennings, filling in for the injured Isaiah Pead, took the 1st play from scrimmage for 32 yards, escaping the initial tacklers and making his way deep into the secondary. 3 plays later, Christian Hackenberg found Mario Manningham for the game’s first score.
The 2nd score of the game was no less surprising as Ohio picked off Josh Freeman on the Glory 41 yard line and returned it into St. Louis territory. Hackenberg again found a receiver for a score, this time Justin Blackmon from 5 yards out and with 10 minutes still remaining in the 1st quarter, Ohio had themselves a 14-0 lead. But St. Louis is capable of some big plays as well and they hit one on their second possession as Josh Freeman found speedy Erik Decker deep for a 42-yard gain that put St. Louis in scoring position just as quickly as Ohio had done. 2 plays later it was Freeman to David Nelson and we knew we had a game.
Ohio would add a field goal on their next drive, but even a 17-7 after the first quarter we had a feeling this game was far from over. After a couple of failed possessions, Ohio again put points on the board midway through the 2nd, as Hackenberg hit on his 3rd TD of the game, a 21-yard strike to Blackmon for the receiver’s 2nd score of the game. Ohio was now up 24-7 and seemed to be in control. St. Louis would add 3 points on a short Andrew Hamilton field goal, but then Ohio seemed to put the game away before the half, scoring on a Rashard Jennings 1-yard run at the 1-minute mark to take a commanding 31-10 lead. St. Louis used the half’s final minute to get into field goal range again, and after Hamilton connected on a final play kick, they went into the half trailing 31-13, a formidable deficit.
The furious pace of the first half was not repeated in the 3rd quarter. It felt very much like Ohio had taken their foot off the pedal, handing the ball off to Jennings and rookie Marion Mack more often than not. St. Louis mustered another field goal, but still trailed 31-16 after 3 quarters, a 15-point deficit. When Ohio added a field goal just a minute into the final quarter, it seemed they had an insurmountable advantage, up 18 at 34-16, but in the USFL, even that lead can be in doubt.
St. Louis shifted gears, all but abandoning eddie Lacy and the run game, a run game that had produced a very solid 120 yards for Lacy in 3 quarters. They went with Bobby Rainey, their receiving back, in the backfield for most of the quarter, and opted to keep 3 wideouts on the field, sometimes boosted to 4. It would be TE Rob Gronkowski and wideouts Erik Decker, Allen Robinson, and David Nelson in spread formations for the rest of the game.
The move worked almost immediately as St. Louis moved the ball well against the Glory defense, Freeman completing 4 of 5 passes on their next drive, including the 8-yard fade to Robinson in the endzone to pull St. Louis 7 points closer, 34-23. On Ohio’s next possession, St. Louis would hold on a 3rd and 3, stuffing Mack in the backfield and forcing a punt. With 2:34 left to play, they got the ball back on their own 26, down by 11. Again the spread offense and a lot of crossing and slant routes produced good results, but cost the Skyhawks time. When Freeman hit Erik Decker for his 2nd TD of the game, there was hope, but also there was only 1:31 on the clock and only 1 time out left. The 2 point PAT throw to Gronkowski connected and St. Louis, once dead in the water, was now within 3 points and a chance to pull off a huge comeback.
The Onside kick was a no-brainer call. Ohio put in their hands team, but Hamilton’s kick was a perfect 3rd bounce looper that forced Ben Obomanu to try to reach up to catch the ball. Hit by a St. Louis gunner, Obomanu could not bring down the ball, but having touched it, the ball was live. St. Louis CB Jordan Pugh was the hero, recovering the ball on the St. Louis 47 and giving the Skyhawks the chance they needed to complete the comeback and either send the game to overtime with a kick or take the win with a touchdown.
St. Louis’s offense took the field, 1:22 left to play, one time out, and 53 yards from an improbable comeback. Josh Freeman, who had shaken off a 4 of 12 start, had gone 11 of 18 over the past 2 quarters, and had 3 touchdowns already on the board. He needed a 4th to finish off the story. It looked very much like he would get it after his first pass went 12 yards to little used 3rd TE James Casey, in for Gronk on the play. Gronk returned for the next play, but was not open, so it was dumped off to FB Jeremy Felton, who gained 10. St. Louis was on the move. A third pass, this time to David Nelson, put the ball just outside of the red zone on the 21. But time was ticking. Freeman spiked the ball with 41 seconds left and a first and 10 from the 21. They were already well inside field goal range, but had a shot at a touchdown to win the game.
The next play would crush the dreams of the Skyhawk faithful, already “ka-kawing” with every stop of the clock. Coach Reich put the offense in a spread formation again, and Freeman got the look he wanted, a shell zone. He used a 3-wide cluster to the left to produce natural rubs against the corners, freeing up Allen Robinson streaking across the middle. Robinson made the catch at midfield, turned to go upfield and was immediately laid out by MLB James Laurinaitis. The ball came loose, the scramble produced a dogpile, and at the bottom was Ohio DT Jarron Gilbert. Whether Gilbert recovered the fumble originally is impossible to know. Perhaps the big man just had more arm strength to rip it away from the smaller St. Louis skill players, but in the end, Head Referee Pete Morelli signaled recovery Ohio. The call, as a turnover in the last 2 minutes, went to replay, but there was nothing to see. It was clearly a fumble, and the pile of bodies made it impossible to overturn the on-field call. Ohio had possession and ran out the clock to take the W. St. Louis fans left the game frustrated as once again the day was “close but still too far”. St. Louis fell to 1-4, Ohio stepped one game closer to .500 at 2-3.
MEMPHIS 23 BIRMINGHAM 14
The Showboats have 2 wins on the season and both are against the Stallions as the rivalry takes a new turn. The 3-1 Stallions again fell to their arch rivals, this time at home and favored by more than a touchdown. Memphis was aided by a very early injury to Cam Newton after only 4 snaps. Newton went out with a stress fracture in his foot that could cost him 2-3 games, and that gave Memphis all they needed to grind out a win over Birmingham, that and 121 yards from Todd Gurley, who left the game late with an injury as well, his potentially season ending.
POTG: Memphis HB Todd Gurley: 17 Att, 121 Yds
LAS VEGAS 10 OAKLAND 3
It was not a pretty game to watch, and it was certainly a rough one as Invader fans watched as their star QB, Joey Harrington, went down with a non-contact knee injury, later defined as a complete MCL tear. Without their starter, and with backup Ryan Lindley nursing an injury, Bob Volek came in for his first real action since 2010. Oakland’s defense kept them in it, but Volek could get nothing out of the offense and Las Vegas got all they needed on a Manning to Baldwin TD toss to get the divisional road win.
POTG: Las Vegas QB Eli Manning: 27/34, 205 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int
CHARLOTTE 17 PITTSBURGH 30
The Monarchs drop a 2nd straight game as Pittsburgh and backup QB Kevin Hogan have themselves a day. Hogan went 22 of 31 for 315 yards, putting Victor Cruz over 100 on the day as well. Meanwhile, Mitch Trubisky was chased, hit, and sacked by the Mauler front 7 all game long. Were it not for a nice 118-yard day from Adrian Peterson, this one could have gotten uglier.
POTG: Mauler WR Victor Cruz: 5 Rec, 135 Yds, 1 TD
DALLAS 26 CHICAGO 15
The Machine came out on the wrong end of this one despite outgaining Dallas 324-214, but a 2-0 turnover deficit will do that to you. Dallas had a 19-15 lead late and a desperate pass by Fitzpatrick quickly turned into a pick-six for Melvin Ingram, extending Dallas’s lead as time ran out. It was a big win for a much maligned Roughneck defense, as they limited Matt Forte to 51 yards rushing and sacked Fitzpatrick 4 times on the day.
POTG: Dallas LB Melvin Ingram: 6 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD
DENVER 16 MICHIGAN 23
The Panthers take command of the Central by moving to 4-1, thanks in large part to a strong day from Kirk Cousins and a key 4th down play on Denver’s late drive that turned the ball over to the Panthers to end it. LB Sean Porter caught Matt Leinart with a blitz on 4th and 5 with only 37 seconds left to end the Gold’s chance to come back in the final seconds. It was the 4th sack of Leinart on the day, and the biggest of the game to be sure.
POTG: Michigan QB Kirk Cousins: 23/32, 257 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int
LOS ANGELES 17 SEATTLE 15
Seattle played it tough but had to keep settling for field goals (5 in the game) instead of touchdowns, and that gave LA just enough to escape with a win. The Express defense gave them an early 7-0 lead on a Stephon Gilmore pick-six, and Paul Perkins added another TD, but Seattle kept hanging on. They had a chance to win it late, but kicker Jeffrey Harris missed on a 49-yard kick as regulation ended and LA escaped with win number 4.
POTG: Express HB Reggie Bush: 15 Att, 86 Yds, 1 Rec, 15 Yds
BALTIMORE 14 NEW JERSEY 20
Tied at 14 midway through the 4th, this was anyone’s game to win, but after New Jersey went up 3 with 1:48 left, a botched handoff on 4th and short caused Baltimore to give the Generals back possession with 23 seconds left, and New Jersey added another late field goal to ice the game. Backup Nick Foles threw for 2 scores, matching Ben Roethlisberger’s total as the General defense kept Baltimore off rhythm all game long.
POTG: New jersey WR Odell Beckham Jr: 8 Rec, 103 Yds, 1 TD
OKLAHOMA 24 ARIZONA 38
This one was not as close as the final score indicates. It was 38-7 after three quarters and Oklahoma finally found some success against mostly Wrangler backups in the 4th. Despite 3 picks, David Carr absolutely destroyed the Outlaw secondary for 337 yards and 4 touchdowns. Larry Fitzgerald caught 5 for 138 and a score while Jimmie Graham had 2 scores as Arizona rolled over their rivals.
POTG: Wrangler QB David Carr: 16/30, 337 Yds, 4 TD, 3 Int
WASHINGTON 27 PHILADELPHIA 37
Washington’s defense continued hemorrhaging points as Philadelphia scored on 7 of 9 possessions and racked up 387 yards, including 109 from WR Stevie Johnson. Three David Garrard picks did not help as Washington had the lead at the half, but then gave up 3 straight TD drives as Philadelphia came up huge in the 2nd half.
POTG: Philadelphia QB Matt Gutierrez: 20/40, 313 Yds, 3 TD, 2 Int
ORLANDO 20 JACKSONVILLE 23
A huge win for the Bulls as rookie QB C. J. Beathard connects on 2 TD passes and the defense picks off Russell Wilson 3 times to secure a Bulls win over first place Orlando. Jacksonville safety David Bruton returned one of those picks 49 yards for a score and Beathard held up in the pocket to connect with both Gavin Escobar and Mike Williams for scores as the Bulls now sit at 3-2 and have a share of first place.
POTG: Bulls’ QB C. J. Beathard: 18/28, 135 Yds, 2 TD
ATLANTA 20 TAMPA BAY 0
Another bad loss for the Bandits as Atlanta shuts them out, picking off E. J. Manuel twice and sacking him 4 times in a very ugly offensive game for Tampa Bay. Meanwhile Aaron Murray remains hot, throwing for 223 and 2 scores as he leads Atlanta to back-to-back wins. Rookie O. J. Howard had another nice game, catching 5 balls for 81 yards and a TD for the Fire.
POTG: Fire QB Aaron Murray: 19/29, 223 Yards, 2 TD, 0 Int
PORTLAND 17 SAN DIEGO 34
Portland is no match for the Thunder and now will meet equally bad 0-5 Seattle next week in a battle of winless clubs. San Diego improves to 4-1 with another nice game from Joe Webb, who throws for 334 and 4 TDs on the day. Webb connected with TE Kevin Everett twice, but also threw to Chad Johnson and Nick Toon for scores as the Thunder roll over the Stags.
POTG: Thunder QB Joe Webb: 22/32,334 Yds, 4 TD, 2 Int
NEW ORLEANS 27 HOUSTON 40
Houston takes command of the Southern Division with a convincing game against the Breakers. Carlos Hyde rushes for 104 and 3 scores and Mike Evans joins the top 5 receivers thanks to a 132 yard day. Rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster also had a great game, catching 4 balls, 2 of them Colt McCoy TDs. Drew Brees threw for 384 in a losing cause, including 158 to Jordy Nelson and 107 to Kenny Britt, but it was just not enough as Houston’s offense was just too much for the Breaker D.
POTG: Houston HB Carlos Hyde: 22 Att, 104 Yds, 3 TD
Huge Win has Jacksonville Fans Bullish
Bulls fans are feeling giddy after their team won their 3rd game in a row, and a big one at that, knocking off Orlando and taking a share of 1st place in the SE Division. After an 0-2 start that saw them score only 12 total points, the Bulls have beaten Tampa Bay, Ohio, and Orlando and looked very solid doing it. While the issue of the QB position is now one that could cause some controversy, as outlined earlier in our report, there are some aspects of Jacksonville’s 3-game streak that are not being questioned and could be indicators that the Bulls may be turning the corner after 6 consecutive 10+ loss seasons, including a disastrous 0-16 disaster in 2014.
So, other than perhaps a QB Controversy, what are we seeing in the Bulls that provides reason to be optimistic?
First up, the scoring defense is looking solid. They currently rank 3rd in the league, behind only Baltimore and New Jersey, allowing a mere 14.2 points a game. That has been the strength of the team the past 2 seasons, so it is no surprise that they are holding down scoring and giving their offense a chance each week.
Secondly, it’s all about the turnover differential. The Bulls have racked up 19 takeaways in only 5 weeks, that is nearly 4 per game. That includes 10 picks and 9 fumbles recovered. Dominique Rogers-Cromartie is leading the way with 4 picks, but we should also look at Sean Lee, the former Stars’ MLB, who has 2 picks and 3 forced fumbles. Throw in 2 pick-sixes and we have a defense that is helping put points on the board and create lots of short fields.
So, what about the offense? That has been a big issue for the Bulls over the past half-decade. What is different this year? Well, to start, the Bulls may have found themselves a back, as unheralded Matt Jones is averaging a respectable 3.8 yards per game and is providing an option in the backfield, especially on shorter third down plays. The 3rd year back already has more yards than in any previous season and is possibly on pace for a 1,000-yard season.
Then there is the passing game. We already know that Coach Del Rio has a decision to make, return to Robert Griffin and his less traditional style, or continue to allow rookie C. J. Beathard learn on the job and give the Bulls a more prototypical profile of pocket passing. Jacksonville is improving, though their passing offense is still ranked 26th out of 28 clubs, with only 180.8 yards per game. They may well be in the market to try to secure a trade for a topflight receiver as currently they do not have a receiver over 200 yards or 20 catches. Andre Caldwell, Mike Williams, and Tavon Austin have all been splitting targets, but no one has truly proven to be a go to receiver that defenses need to focus extra attention on.
Finally, one last positive sign for the Bulls, unlike past years, they seem to be staying healthy in 2017. Now, we don’t want to jinx them by pointing this out, but they are currently the only team in the league with no one on either Injury reserve or on the Week 5 injury list. That is a rare feat, and one that certainly helps as they face some tough games ahead. They are home to Atlanta this week in another big divisional game, then have their rematch with Orlando in Orlando, before facing Charlotte in Week 8. If the Bulls can sweep that 3-game stretch, they will be 5-0 in the division, which is a huge help come tiebreaker time.
Jennings Makes Most of Opportunity to Start
Identified as a “3rd down” or “receiving” back, Rashard Jennings has has a very specific role both with the Thunder and in Ohio. It is why we have seen him averaging fewer than 120 carries a season throughout his career. But, the recent injury to Isaiah Pead may be giving Jennings a chance to prove he can be more than a 1-down back. Averaging about 10 carries per game through the first 4 weeks, Jennings got a chance to take on the lead back role when Isaiah Pead suffered a hyper-extended knee in Week 4. Jennings responded with a day that had to surprise everyone from Glory fans to Coach Coughlin, taking 23 carries for 165 yards and a score.
Now, that performance was against the Skyhawks and their troubled defense, so we perhaps have to tone down the Jennings-mania just a touch, but it was still a performance that showcased the back’s elusiveness and open field moves. Pead is questionable this week, so again we should expect to see Jennings get the majority of the carries, with rookie Marion Mack backing him up. With Ohio facing a much tougher defense in the Michigan Panthers, this will be a true test to see if Jennings has what it takes to perhaps start splitting carries or even surpassing Pead in carries regularly.
Hyde Powers Houston to 5-0.
No surprise at all that Carlos Hyde had a big game when his team needed him to. In their key divisional matchup with New Orleans, Coach Phillips went in knowing that the Breaker pass defense, was formidable, and that Colt McCoy could use the kind of help a good day from Hyde could provide. A gameplan was put in place to get the ball in Hyde’s hands often. The result? Hyde got 22 carries, and with those carries racked up 104 yards (a 4.7 average) and 3 touchdowns. Hyde was unstoppable inside the 20, touching the ball 8 times and averaging over 5.5 yards per carry in the Red Zone, including his 11, 7, and 1 yard TD runs.
Hyde is not among the league leaders, as teams earlier this year focused on the run and tried to force Colt McCoy to make plays, but as McCoy has demonstrated more and more poise and ability to make plays, defenses have had to account for the Houston passing game, and that very well could give Hyde an opportunity to thrive in the weeks ahead. The Houston back currently sits in 10th place on the rushing table with 327 yards, but we think it is a safe bet he could finish in the Top 5 by season’s end.
Harrington Lost for the Season. Was it his Last?
It is what every coach, every owner, and every fan dreads, that the player viewed as most valuable and least replaceable on their team will fall to injury. That is what Oakland is facing as Joey Harrington, the clear number one at QB for the past 11 seasons, is likely done for the year after suffering a fully torn MCL. It happened on a completely innocuous play with no contract, as we often see with knee injuries. Harrington had dropped back, left the pocket to his left, and looked to be sixing up a pass to TE Zach Ertz when his right foot landed awkwardly, twisting on its side. Harrington went down, the ball fluttering out of bounds, and the trainers came out.
Initially the concern was Harrington’s ankle, but he quickly pointed the trainers to his knee. He was helped to the sideline by two linemen, not putting pressure on the leg at all. From there it was quickly off to the locker room and by that evening the verdict was in. A full tear of the ligament and a lengthy recovery. Harrington, who turned 37 this year, has been rumored to be in his final season since last October, but no player wants their career to end this way.
For Coach Green and the Invaders, the ‘next man up” theory has to come into effect. That man will almost certainly be Ryan Lindley, the former Bandit. Lindley missed this last game with an injury of his own, but is expected to be back and ready to start this week, allowing 9-year veteran Bob Volek to take on a 2nd string role. Oakland also could activate practice squad QB Tom Savage to the active roster to allow for 3-player depth at the vital position. Lindley last started a game in 2014 with Tampa Bay, when he had 2 starts and appearances in 4 games for the Bandits. With Oakland already breaking in a new WR group after the offseason departures of both Pierre Garçon (NFL) and Keenan Allen (WSH), adding in a largely inexperienced QB can only cause worries for Green and the Invaders.
Todd Gurley Placed on IR after Breaking Wrist
A second big injury this week as Memphis starting HB Todd Gurley will again miss significant action. The former Georgia Bulldog played in only 14 games last year, but it looks like his 2017 total will be only 5 games as he left the Memphis loss to Birmingham late, after racking up a very nice 121 yards in the game. Gurley had an awkward landing on his right arm and immediately came out of the game. X-rays revealed a compound fracture in his wrist, and as this is his dominant ball-carrying hand, and it would require a hard cast, the verdict was that his season was over. Gurley came within 50 yards of his first 1,000-yard season in Memphis’s Summer Bowl run last year, and currently leads the Showboats with 288 yards in 5 games, but is done for the year.
The obvious step up will be from Anthony Allen, who showed some real spark in a 700-yard season in 2016, subbing in for Gurley for several games. Allen now becomes the primary back for the Showboats, though we also expect we will see more of former Orlando and Denver back Jacob Hester, and maybe even practice squad player and undrafted Idaho rookie Scott Fox.
OUT
G Rokevious Watkins PHI Neck IR
OT Nat Dorsey LV Shoulder IR
HB Todd Gurley MEM Wrist IR
QB Joey Harrington OAK MCL IR
FS Jalen Mills LA Wrist 1-2 Weeks
DE Da’Quan Bowers BAL Ribs 1-2 Weeks
QB Cam Newton BIR Foot 1-2 Weeks
LB Nate Irving LV Concussion 1-2 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
LB Sean Spence ORL Hip
CB Shaquile Grifffin ATL Jaw
CB Dunta Robinson PIT Arm
CB Prince Amukamara WSH Concussion
HB Chris Ivory ATL Hand
G Mike Briesel SD Concussion
QUESTIONABLE
WR Robert Woods MEM Concussion
WR Percy Harvin OKL Knee
G Mike Iupati ORL Personal
CB Alphonso Hodge OAK Turf Toe
DT Sione Pouha BIR Hand
Hundley & Prescott Expected Back
Good news on the injury list for a pair of teams as New Jersey’s Brett Hundley and Tampa Bay’s Dak Prescott return to action this week. Hundley missed the past two weeks with back spasms, and while Nick Foles played well and got the Generals wins over both Baltimore and Pittsburgh, everyone expects the former USC Trojan to be back under center for the Generals when they take on the Federals this week.
For Tampa Bay, the two games with E. J. Manuel at the helm have not gone as well as Nick Foles’s outings. A 19-7 defeat in Baltimore was followed by this week’s embarrassing 20-0 drubbing by Atlanta. In Prescott’s absence, Manuel threw 3 picks and no TDs, and the offense simply did not move the ball well at all (187 yards passing followed by 158). That said, with many glad Prescott is back under center, the fact that he too went winless in his 3 games this season still has many Bandit fans pining for a better option.
Federals Cut DC Allen Loose, Promote Fewell
A team accustomed to being among the league’s elite defenses is not sitting down as their defense proves to be among the league’s worst this year. On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Bruce Allen was let go and secondary coach Perry Fewell given the interim position. It is not really a big surprise that Coach Payton let Allen go after a 5-game stretch that had the Federals’ defense giving up over 300 yards passing per game, and nearly 28 points on average. Fewell, hoping to land the permanent gig at DC, will need to find a way to tighten up the secondary, improve the positioning of the linebackers, and, perhaps most importantly, get more pressure from DE’s Chris Long and Mathias Kiawanuka. The two have only 6 sacks between them, and Coach Allen was forced to use blitzes to create many of those opportunities, blitzes that often led to wide open receivers in single coverage. It won’t be an easy fix for Fewell, but Washington needs to see improvement if they want any chance to recover this season after a dismal 0-5 start.
Possible Stallion Logo Leak?
We have a possible leak out of Under Armour that could reveal that the 2018 uniform redesigns by the USFL’s new uniform partner, could herald a logo change for the Stallions. An image of a souvenir pennant seems to show a new logo depicting a horse’s head in motion, a departure from the reared-up Stallion the team has used since they swapped out their full-body horse logo for the 2000 season.
The new logo, if proven to be authentic, shows a white stallion with gold highlights and red outlines, complete with a flowing red mane. The logo includes only the head and neck of the rowdy horse. At this point, with no official confirmation from either Under Armour or the Stallions, it is not known whether this is only a partial logo, paired with the team’s wordmark on the pennant, or if this is to be the full logo. It is also not known if or how this logo would appear on the helmet.
Under Armour did promise when they got the USFL contract that they would not shy away from modernizing the look of USFL teams as part of the process. With 6 USFL clubs due for a “refresh” for 2018, it may well be that Birmingham is one of the teams getting a more comprehensive redesign. We expect several designs to be released over the next month to both build excitement for the new looks and to possibly provide teams with their new looks in time for the 2017 playoffs. In addition to Birmingham, we expect updated designs for the Baltimore Blitz, Jacksonville Bulls, New Orleans Breakers, Pittsburgh Maulers, and Washington Federals.
San Antonio Stadium Update Good News for USFL Fans
Celebration in San Antonio as ground was broken on the rebuild of the Alamodome. The ceremonial shovel was cast into the dirt by Mayor Rob Nirenberg, assisted by former Outlaws owner Red McCombs, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and lead architect Bill Johnson of HOK. The groundbreaking is itself a monumental feat when you consider the challenges of getting the funding and approvals together for the project. But, over the past 6 months several pieces fell into place. First was a settlement with Chubb insurance, which provided the project with $210M towards the project, about 23% of the estimated build cost, far less than a full payment on the insurance would have provided, but far more than Chubb had initially offered after revelations of sub-standard construction during a 2010 renovation put the claim of tornado damage at risk.
Following the successful settlement, and with the promise by McCombs and his partner Trevor Ross-Jones to fund up to $500M into the project, roughly 50% of the expected $1B price tag for a newly designed dome, it was up to the city and the state to find funding for the remaining $290M. It took several months, and two different ballot initiatives, but the project finally secured funding through a combination of bond sale (statewide) and a hotel/restaurant tax of 0.75% within the City of San Antonio and 0.5% within Bexar (San Antonio) county and the surrounding counties of Wilson, Atascosa, Medira, Corral, and Guadalupe.
With funding in place, HOK was hired, and Bill Johnson, who is also working on Atlanta’s new retractable dome, were hired to revise the original plans of the Alamodome and produce a new, 68,000 seat facility. Unlike Atlanta, the new Alamodome will not be retractable, but will feature 4,000 additional seats along with 8 additional luxury suites. HOK was the architecture firm for the original dome but was not hired for the renovations in 2010 that produced significant structural and material flaws cited by Chubb in their initial denial of coverage when a tornado caused major damage to two sides of the facility on Memorial Day Weekend in 2015.
The timeline for the stadium calls for completion by November 2019, which means that the USFL’s promise to return a franchise to the city when the facility is completed could push the league to look at 2020 as an expansion season. Of course, the possibility still exists that a current USFL owner could choose to sell their franchise to the McComb/Ross-Jones endeavor, but at present we are not seeing any ownership groups that are eager to sell what has become a pretty solid investment over time. With the price tag set by the OKC Football Group’s purchase of the Outlaws last season, current owners are very much looking at solid year-to-year growth in the value of their clubs, so expansion does seem the most likely prospect.
Expect the San Antonio Group to make their pitch for a 2020 expansion date at next month’s Owner’s Meeting in New York. And while Outlaw fans in and around San Antonio must be feeling a bit left out right now as their former club sells out OGE Energy Stadium in far off Oklahoma City, the fanbase of the former Texas Outlaws may now see a new light on the horizon as the Alamodome is set to be rebuilt, bigger and better than ever.
With 3 unbeatens and 4 winless clubs in the league right now, the odds for an upset here and there, and for those numbers to decrease is very real. Will a team sneak up on someone and get their first win? Will someone else knock off one of the three unbeatens? The chances are good we will see at least one of these two scenarios happen this week, as we saw in both Week 3 and Week 4.
We have our first unbeaten team taking action on Friday Night, when the 5-0 Stars face a very tough challenge in traveling to Baltimore to take on Ben Roethlisberger and the Blitz’s top ranked defense. This could be a very tough one for the Stars. On Saturday, we have 3 of the 4 winless teams playing, with 2 playing each other, almost certainly assuring that the number of winless clubs will shrink by at least 1 this week. First off, at noon, we have 0-5 Tampa Bay, with Dak Prescott returning to action, headed to Chicago to face a struggling 1-4 Machine club. Then at 4pm, it is 0-5 Seattle visiting 0-5 Portland in a Cascade Clash that could leave one team sadder than an all day PNW soaker of a rain day.
Sunday we have two unbeatens and one winless club trying to earn W’s. Washington hopes they can turn the tide of pain as they host the New Jersey Generals in a key divisional game in the Northeast. Then, at 4pm, it is Pittsburgh hoping they can surprise the unbeaten Houston Gamblers in Houston, a tough task indeed. Finally, on Sunday night, the ESPN/EFN simulcast features 5-0 Arizona headed to Memphis for a rematch of Summer Bowl 2016. Memphis seems a very different team this year without Manning and now with Todd Gurley on IR, while Arizona looks possibly even more dominant than in their title run last year.
FRI 7PM ET Philadelphia (5-0) @ Baltimore (3-2) FOX
FRI 9PM ET Oakland (2-3) @ San Diego (4-1) ESPN/EFN
SAT 12PM ET Orlando (3-2) @ Charlotte (3-2) ABC
SAT 12PM ET Tampa Bay (0-5) @ Chicago (1-4) FOX
SAT 4PM ET St. Louis (1-4) @ Denver (3-2) ABC
SAT 4PM ET Seattle (0-5) @ Portland (0-5) FOX
SAT 7PM ET Los Angeles (4-1) @ Oklahoma (1-4) NBC
SAT 9PM ET New Orleans (3-2) @ Las Vegas (3-2) ESPN/EFN
SUN 12PM ET Atlanta (2-3) @ Jacksonville (3-2) ABC Regional
SUN 12PM ET New Jersey (4-1) @ Washington (0-5) ABC Regional
SUN 12PM ET Michigan (4-1) @ Ohio (2-3) FOX
SUN 4PM ET Birmingham (3-2) @ Dallas (2-3) ABC
SUN 4PM ET Pittsburgh (2-3) @ Houston (5-0) FOX
SUN 8PM ET Arizona (5-0) @ Memphis (2-3) ESPN/EFN
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