Week six was all about moxie, chutzpah, and grit. Teams that many were writing off stood up, others who injury had seemingly devastated, decided to carry on. Yes, there were games that went exactly as many planned, and we again saw a star player go down for the season in another tough blow to the game, but what we also saw were some teams telling us that the story of this season is not written yet. That was the case for the Bandits, earning their first win; for St. Louis pulling off a big road upset; for Memphis, standing tall against the unbeaten Wranglers, and Dallas, showing they are more than just Johnny Football. We saw Ohio take a big step towards a closer divisional race, and we saw Seattle win the battle of the winless. In other words, it was a week when teams did their best to prove us wrong and show us they had heart. We like that, and we think you did too as you tuned in. But, before we recap all the action, we should acknowledge that it was not all feel good stories this week. We kick off our coverage with a team reeling from yet another gut punch in a season that has had plenty of them.
Feds Season to Forget Continues with Garrard ACL Injury
To say this season has not gone the way Sean Payton would like is a huge understatement. The Federals’s coach entered the season on a hot seat already, having failed to produce a winning season in 3 years, including a bad losing streak to end out 2016. The Federals, who have been struggling on defense for several seasons, were awful last year, and so far, in this year’s 0-6 start, matters have not improved. The Federals are giving up an average of nearly 28 points per game (27th in the league) and 388 yards each outing (dead last of the league’s 28 teams. The run game has not rebounded from the retirement of Deuce McCallister, averaging only 58 yards per game (27th of 28 teams) and the “heir apparent” former Invader HB Donald Brown, has already been benched behind Wendell Smallwood after averaging a paltry 2.1 yards per carry this season. So, to say the year has not started well kind of sums it up.
Well, it got a whole lot worse this weekend, with one of the few veteran stars on the team, and perhaps Washington’s most vital offensive contributor, QB David Garrard, lost for the season with a torn ACL. The 35-year old QB is not as spry as he once was, and that was a factor in the scramble that led to him getting sandwiched and his leg being bent awkwardly in this week’s loss to the New Jersey Generals. It is an injury everyone could tell was a big one on the replay, and it could well be not only a season ender, but like the injury to Joey Harrington, there are questions floating around out there that Garrard may not feel motivated to put in the hard work of rehabbing the leg back to playing strength, opting to retire instead. Honestly, the way this season (and the past few) have gone, who could blame him?
So, what does Coach Payton do now? He has veteran backup Mike Flynn (career QBR of 69.8 as his starter now. He has a scatback trying to be a bell cow back in Wendell Smallwood, an apparent bust behind him on the bench, and his star WR, brought in during free agency, former Invader Keenan Allen, is already grumbling because he is just not getting the ball often enough. Add to that the utter incompetence of the Federals’ defense and the fact that they play in one of the toughest divisions in the league, and this could very well be a very long year for Payton and Feds fans, though some fans would likely love to see Payton’s year shortened with a quick pink slip if he cannot get some W’s on the board soon.
ARIZONA WRANGLERS 32 MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 30
Going into the Sunday night game on ESPN and the ESPN Football Network, there was real fear that this could be a blowout. Arizona has been playing lights out football all year while Memphis has been very up and down, very much like their 2nd year QB, Paxton Lynch. But, from the opening drive, Memphis proved a game opponent, able to find ways to make plays and hold their own with their Summer Bowl opponent from last August.
The opening drive had to come as a shock to the Wranglers as Paxton Lynch went 3 of 4, including a 22-yard deep out to Brandon Marshall and a nice third down throw to TE Luke Stocker to keep possession and get into Wrangler territory. At the end of their 13-play drive, Lynch found HB Anthony Allen, in for Todd Gurley, placed on IR this week. Allen took the short pass and plowed his way into the endzone for 7 as Memphis declared with authority that they would not be intimidated by the 5-0 Wranglers.
Arizona did what Arizona does, scoring on their first drive after only 8 plays, a quick drive that was capped off by a nice Ka’Deem Carey outside run to the corner of the endzone. When Memphis was unable to move the ball on their second drive, the fear set in that perhaps they had gotten lucky with their first drive of scripted plays. Arizona scored again, this time a field goal as the Memphis D held inside the 5 and forced a three-pointer. But, as the 1st quarter closed, Arizona had the lead and many might have expected them to start to pull away. Quite the opposite happened.
Memphis absolutely owned the 2nd quarter, shutting down Arizona’s offense on 3 possessions and scoring twice to jump ahead at the half 21-10. The first drive was very similar to the game opener, a methodical mix of Allen and Hester runs, and crisp passing from Lynch, who looked more comfortable than most when facing Arizona’s pass rush. Lynch drove the ball down the field and then threw his 2nd TD of the game, a nice 11-yard fade route to the lanky Brandon Marshall. That drive began the 2nd quarter, the one that ended it might have even been better. The late drive included a very nice 13-yard run by Allen, a pair of third down completions and another Lynch to Marshall scoring toss. Memphis had to feel good as they headed to the locker room, up 11 on the heavily favored Wranglers.
The Wranglers received the ball to open the 3rd quarter, and they came out determined to reestablish themselves in the second half. It took them only 6 plays to do so as Carr followed up a 21-yard toss to TE Jimmie Graham with a 23-yard strike to Taywan Taylor for 7 points. Memphis would add 3 points on their next drive, but that left them only with a 6-point lead. Arizona saw an opportunity and took it. They got the lead back at the end of a 77-yard drive that saw them convert a 3rd and 17, not with a 17-yard pass, but with a swing route to Frank Gore that went for 53 yards, the biggest play of the game.
Only 3 plays later FB LeRon McClain dove into the endzone to give Arizona the lead, a narrow 25-24 lead, but a big shift after being down 11 at the half.
The 4th quarter began slowly but heated up late. After two short drives produced nothing, the Wranglers had the ball back and it was Carr finding his favorite target, Larry Fitzgerald, to extend the lead to 8. Fitzgerald would finish the game with 117 yards, including a couple of nice deep balls, but it was this short 11-yard catch and score that would prove to be the most important. With 4:27 left on the clock, Memphis knew they likely had only 1 possession to try to tie the game and send it to overtime.
The Showboats got the ball after a touchback on the kickoff. They were 80 yards away, but they had plenty of time. Marc Clayton would catch 3 passes on the drive, all three of his targets. Jay Finley would add a nice 3rd down catch, scooping the ball from the turf, and Anthony Allen converted another on a 1-yard dive play. With just under 45 seconds left, the Showboats were in range on the 12. On first and 10 from there Lynch scrambled but was tripped up. He gained only 2 yards, but his roll out had shown Arizona a willingness to run. On the next play, he started on a QB run, drawing up the safeties, then lobbed the ball over them to reach TE Luke Stocker. Stocker initially thought he had scored, but replay showed his right foot had hit the sideline at the 1.
On the next play, Memphis went back to Stocker, this time on a fake HB dive. Again, he was open and again Lynch found him. This time the score was irrefutable. Memphis was back within 2. This was a situation we saw twice in last year’s playoffs, but then it was Memphis, on both occasions, with a slim 2-point lead and having to squelch the PAT to hold on for the win. This time it was Memphis trying to convert and Arizona trying to hold them off. On the PAT, Lynch gave something of a half-hearted fake to Allen before looking for Cordarelle Patterson over the middle. Patterson was there, but so was safety Troy Polamalu. Lynch made the throw, Polamalu made the swat, and the ball landed harmlessly in the endzone.
Memphis would try an onside kick with only 24 seconds left, but when Arizona fell on it the game was truly done. The Wranglers moved to 6-0, but Memphis showed a lot of heart and a lot of ability to make plays. Call it a pyrrhic victory, but the Showboats made the case that they are not so far off from their 2016 Summer Bowl squad, even if their record may not currently make that case.
PHILADELPHIA 27 BALTIMORE 21
The Stars keep rolling as Matt Gutierrez goes 21 of 33 for 301 yards and 3 scores against Baltimore’s D. In a back-and-forth game, Baltimore had the lead at the half, but TDs to Randall Cobb and Travis Kelce helped Philly take over in the 2nd half. Stevie Johnson found lots of space in the Blitz secondary, catching 6 passes for 140 yards and a TD. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 388, with 3 scores, but was sacked on a key 4th and goal, costing Baltimore a possible go-ahead score.
POTG: Stars’ WR Stevie Johnson: 6 Rec, 140 Yds, 1 TD
OAKLAND 9 SAN DIEGO 12
Ryan Lindley looked rusty in his first outing as Oakland’s starter. He avoided any picks, but failed on 13 of 20 third down attempts. It was no offensive showcase for the Thunder either, as Joe Webb was picked off twice. But, in a game that saw all the scoring come from the kickers, it was Jeff Reed of the Thunder who got the last shot at a game winner and put it through to give San Diego the 12-9 win (4-3 in soccer terms), connecting on 4 of 5, while Roberto Aguayo went 3 of 5.
POTG: Thunder LB Myles Jack: 10 Tck, 2 TFL
ORLANDO 21 CHARLOTTE 24
The Monarchs rebound from 2 straight losses by taking care of business at home against a Renegades team that has seen their losing streak reach 3 games. It was backup HB Taiwan Jones who provided a spark, rushing for 2 scores and averaging 8 yards per carry on his way to a 72-yard day. That big day, combined with 3 Charlotte interceptions, all from Zachary Bowman, helped offset 3 picks by Mitch Trubisky on a rough day for the rookie. Bowman also turned one of his picks into points, returning it 58 yards for a score.
POTG: Charlotte CB Zachary Bowman: 5 Tck, 3 Int, 1 Def TD
TAMPA BAY 24 CHICAGO 21
Dak Prescott returned to action and the Bandits get their first win of the year against a surprisingly unsettled Chicago club. Prescott accounted for 351 yards of Tampa’s 454 total yards, throwing for 2 scores and completing 26 of 40 attempts. The combination of rookie Dalvin Cook and veteran Rex Burkhead combined for 103 yards rushing as well. Chicago’s defense seems completely out of ideas as they allowed 9 of 14 third downs to be converted and gave up a season high in yardage.
POTG: Bandits’ WR Santonio Holmes: 8 Rec, 82 Yds, 2 TD
ST. LOUIS 19 DENVER 16
The breaks finally go St. Louis’s way as they knock off Denver in Denver. Eddie Lacy rushed for 82 yards, Jaosh Freeman completed 19 of 32 passing, and the defense limited Denver to only 87 yards rushing. The game was tight throughout, with Denver taking a 16-11 lead with1:26 left, but St. Louis put together a final drive when they needed it, marching 71 yards in just over 1 minute, with the winning score, a 2-yard crossing route to David Nelson, coming with just 20 seconds left to play.
POTG: St. Louis DE Kony Ealy: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty
SEATTLE 28 PORTLAND 21
In a battle of two winless rivals, someone had to get their first victory of the season, and, thanks to 310 yards and 3 touchdown tosses from Jacoby Brissett, that team was the Dragons. Brissett and Mariota both had success against the troubled defenses of the opposition. Doug Martin also found holes for Portland, rushing for 117 yards and a score, but it was WR Emmanuel Sanders who stole the show. Sanders put up 121 yards and scored all three Brissett TDs, including 2 in the fourth quarter to help Seattle reach the W column for the first time all season.
POTG: Dragon WR Emmanuel Sanders: 5 Rec, 121 Yds, 3 TD
LOS ANGELES 16 OKLAHOMA 21
Another nice home crowd greeted the Outlaws, and they gave the fans something to cheer about, with Joe Flacco throwing 2 TD tosses and Marshawn Lynch combining runs, screens and swing passes to gain 124 yards from scrimmage. Add in 4 sacks of Sam Bradford and you have an Outlaw win.
POTG: Outlaw DT Luis Castillo: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF
NEW ORLEANS 31 LAS VEGAS 14
The Breakers owned the first quarter in this one, going up 14-0 on two Drew Brees TDs, but after Las Vegas roared back with 2 from Eli Manning in the second, the Breakers put the game away in the 3rd. A David Wilson TD run, a 2nd TD reception for Jordy Nelson, and 2 Las Vegas turned this game into 17-point walk for the visiting Breakers.
POTG: Breaker WR Jordy Nelson: 5 Rec, 167 Yds, 2 TD
ATLANTA 20 JACKSONVILLE 14
Don’t look now, but Atlanta may be putting together some things. Aaron Murray again looked very poised on his way to 331 yards and 2 TDs, despite Jacksonville bringing pressure that produced 6 sacks. Atlanta’s defense played well also, though Matt Jones finished with 98 yards rushing, the Bulls struggled in the passing game and struggled to get deep into Atlanta territory all game.
POTG: Atlanta QB Aaron Murray: 20/27, 331 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int
NEW JERSEY 28 WASHINGTON 15
The Federals’ season is officially a disaster as they not only lose their 6th game in 6 tries, but also lose QB David Garrard for the year with a torn ACL. New Jersey got a 25-yard pick six from Devin McCourty and 160 yards rushing from Maurice Jones-Drew as they dominated the game after Garrard’s injury. Mike Flynn came in for Washington, but could not get much done, scoring only 2 field goals in the second half.
POTG: General HB Maurice Jones-Drew: 18 Att, 160 Yds, 1 TD
MICHIGAN 10 OHIO 17
Ohio took a huge step towards respectability, and towards the Central Division crown, knocking off 4-1 Michigan and moving to .500 at 3-3. It was a full team effort as the defense sacked Kirk Cousins 5 times and held LeVeon Bell to an embarrassing 28 yards rushing as the offense got 81 yards from Isaiah Pead’s return, a Hackenberg to Blackmon TD and took a 17-3 lead into the 4th quarter.
POTG: Ohio CB Chimdi Chekwa: 8 Tck, 3 PDef
BIRMINGHAM 6 DALLAS 15
The Roughnecks win their 2nd in a row with Brandon Wheedon at the helm Wheedon threw for 211 and 2 scores, while the combination of rookies Samaje Perine and Donte Freeman produced 107 combined rushing yards. Dallas’s defense absolutely shut down A. J. McCarron, in for the injured Cam Newton. Birmingham failed to get anything out of their run game, with only 11 carries on the day, as it seemed they gave up completely on running the ball.
POTG: Dallas DE Connor Barwin: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty
PITTSBURGH 31 HOUSTON 41
A good effort and a nice game from Kevin Hogan again, but it was not enough as Colt McCoy went off for 311 yards and 4 TDs, including a 60-yarder to possible ROTY candidate Juju Smith-Schuster. Carlos Hyde added 85 yards on the ground, and the defense did just enough to keep Pittsburgh from a late comeback, picking off Colt McCoy late in the 4th.
POTG: Houston QB Colt McCoy: 15/24, 311 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int
Wheedon Gets Win with Roughnecks
Dallas fans were skeptical at first about the deal that brought former Monarch QB Brandon Wheedon to the Roughnecks. After all, they had a rising star in former A&M QB Johnny Manziel clearly set up as the starter, and Wheedon had largely been driven out of Charlotte by his tendency to throw the ball to the wrong team. But, with Manziel now serving his 2nd week of a 6-week suspension and Wheedon once again finding a way to lead Dallas to a victory, fans seem to be warming up to their new QB.
Wheedon’s numbers in his first game were a bit shaky (15 of 25 for 147), but it was enough to get past Chicago. This week, against a solid Birmingham club, the numbers were pretty darned impressive, with Wheedon completing 28 of 32 passes for an impressive 87.5% completion rate. He threw for 211 and had his first touchdowns as a Roughneck. And, what is even better, in his two game so far he has yet to throw a pick. Wheedon and the Roughnecks will have a much tougher test this week as they host the unbeaten Houston Gamblers. The Vegas books have Houston as a 10-point favorite, and after a tough game against fellow unbeaten, Arizona, that is not a surprise. But, even if Wheedon is unable to get the W this week, a good showing could put him in good standing heading into some winnable games before Manziel returns.
Reich Finally Gets a Break as Skyhawks Upset Denver
It took 6 weeks, but the horseshoe finally turned the right way up for Coach Frank Reich and the Skyhawks. After suffering a series of close defeats, including a 34-31 heartbreaker in Week 5, St. Louis finally got the result they needed in a 1-score game, knocking off Denver 19-16. It took a late David Nelson TD to swing the game in their favor, but the game swung and stayed there.
Coach Reich praised his team’s resilience and grit as they kept fighting against a tough defense in a hostile environment. The Skyhawks are hoping this win can propel them towards a better midseason, as they will not face another club with a winning record (at this point) until Week 12. That is 5 consecutive games against teams at .500 or below. Could St. Louis parlay this win in Denver to victories in their next 2 road games (@ Oklahoma and @ Atlanta)?
Sanders Sparks Seattle to First Win
When two winless teams meet, the good news is that someone is going to get a win, the bad news is that few will take that win seriously because it was against a winless team. But, be that as it may, the Seattle Dragons are still much happier this week than their foes, the Portland Stags. Seattle avoided 0-6 by knocking off the Stags in Portland. The star of the game was pretty clear, as Dragon WR Emmauel Sanders left little doubt with his 121-yard, 3-TD performance. Sanders simply torched the Stag defense time and again, helping Seattle come from behind with an 8-yard TD catch in traffic midway through the 4th quarter, only to add another, this one from 33 yards out, in the final two minutes, securing the W for the Dragons. The Dragons will face Portland again, this time in Seattle in only 2 weeks, with a tough road game in New Jersey up on the slate next.
Maulers Go with Dalton
Many expected Andy Dalton to be ready to go this week for the Maulers, but he was a late addition to the inactive list and Kevin Hogan got the start as Pittsburgh faced off against the unbeaten Houston Gamblers. The Maulers came up short, 31-41, but Hogan again made a claim to the starting job with 266 yards passing and a solid 86.2 game rating.
But, with Dalton now fully cleared to play in Week 7, Coach Fangio has already stated that his injury will not be the reason he loses his starting job. After all this is a former league MVP we are talking about. Expect to see the Red Rifle back under center this week when the Maulers host another very tough team, the 5-1 San diego Thunder. You honestly have to feel for Pittsburgh. They are in the middle of a brutal run that began with now 5-1 New Jersey in Week 4, then the 4-2 Charlotte Monarchs, the unbeaten Gamblers, with 5-1 San Diego and 6-0 Philadelphia on the docket next. That is a brutal run of games regardless of who is under center.
Beyond the Garrard injury which throws the Federals even deeper in a hole this season, no other injured reserve listings, though Tampa Bay, fresh off their first win, cannot be happy to have rookie HB Dalvin Cook out for a month or longer. Quite a few defenders on the list of players expected to miss this week ,including key defensive backfield players for St. Louis, Oklahoma, Tampa, LA, and Pittsburgh.
OUT
QB David Garrard WSH ACL IR
HB Dalvin Cook TBY Arm 4-6 Weeks
C Ben Jones WSH Arm 2-4 Weeks
CB DeMetrius McCay OKL Elbow 2-4 Weeks
CB William Gay STL Toe 1-2 Weeks
G Laken Tomlinson SEA Ankle 1-2 Weeks
T David Tremblay ORL Abdomen 1-2 Weeks
TE Anthony McCoy DAL Concussion 1-2 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
WR Mike Williams PIT Abdomen
G Dakota Dozier JAX Concussion
WR Doug Baldwin LV Wrist
FS Jalen Mills LA Wrist
LB Sean Spence ORL Hip
CB A. J. Bouye PIT Concussion
FS Will Allen TBY Ankle
LB Jordan Jenkins STL Knee
QUESTIONABLE
G Mike Briesel SD Concussion
LB Calvin Pace SEA Hip
FB Tommy Bohanon WSH Concussion
HB Chris Ivory ATL Hand
QB Cam Newton BIR Foot
LB Lance Briggs POR Ankle
Mover or Mirage: Are These 3-3 Teams For Real?
We are dubbing Week 7 the “Week of 3-3” because we have so many teams trying to get past the week with a winning record. We have 9 clubs currently sitting at 3-3. Some were expected to be well over .500 by now, others are surprising us with the fight they are putting up to reach the .500 mark after 6 weeks. So, to honor this decisive week, when some will move over the “Even-Steven” point, and others will drop off. We thought we would take a look at all 9 clubs and make a very unscientific decision on who is headed up the ladder and who is about to go down the chute.
Baltimore (3rd in NE)
We are still shaking our heads at this one. Here is a team that has a Top 3 defense in both yards allowed and scoring and the 3rd best offense (yards) in the league. Sure,their run game is a bit suspect, but how are they 3-3? Well, they lost to Houston, Philadelphia, and New Jersey, who are a combined 17-1 so far this year. That pretty much sums it up.
Atlanta (2nd in SE)\
The Fire looked very shaky early on, losing their first 3 games while scoring only 36 points in that period, but they have come alive over the past 3 weeks, with wins over three division foes (Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville). Aaron Murray has really looked solid in that streak, and with 0-6 Washington up next, the Fire could find themselves ready to be over .500 at the halfway point.
Jacksonville (3rd in SE)
The Bulls lost to Atlanta this week, snapping their win streak at 3 games. They may well be in the middle of a QB controversy between their dual-threat but erratic starter, Robert Griffin III, and their intriguing rookie C. J. Beathard, but they have a very solid defense and HB Matt Jones has shown some skills. They could be legit, and 2 more division games in the next 2 weeks (@ Orlando and home to Charlotte) could be the proof we have been looking for.
Orlando (4th in SE)
An early favorite to run away with their division, Orlando has fallen hard, losing their last 3 games to the Fire, Bulls, and Monarchs, all doubly painful as divisional losses. The defense is solid against he pass, as we always expect with Calais Campbell on the field, but they have been giving up some big runs. The offense is only averaging 17.5 points per game, not good enough to win consistently.
Birmingham (3rd in South)
The Stallions had a good run of games, knocking off the Maulers, Outlaws, and Monarchs, but the past 2 weeks they have had to play without Cam Newton and it seems the wheels have come off the bus. Newton is questionable for this week’s tough matchup against Philadelphia. If he cannot play, that could be a tough game for Birmingham to pull out.
Ohio (2nd in Central)
The Glory have had two solid outings in divisional games, with this week’s upset win against Michigan a very strong statement about their capabilities. The defense is improving but still gives up too many big plays. The offense is solid when they can get play action working, but this is not a team that will come back easily if they get down more than 7.
Denver (2nd in SW)
We keep saying that somehow, some way, Denver ends up 9-7, 8-8, or 7-9, so the fact that they are sitting at 3-3 is no surprise. They were 3-1 at one point, but back to back losses have hurt. They have a tough pair of games coming up with a trip to Charlotte followed by a matchup with Arizona. If they can somehow win those two, we may well have to take them more seriously as a challenger in the division.
Las Vegas (3rd in SW)
Another potential playoff team out of the SW Division, Las Vegas needs to figure out how to beat good teams. Their 3 wins so far are all against teams at or below .500 right now. Their three losses are to Michigan (4-2), Denver (3-3) and New Orleans (4-2). Perhaps we should not tell them that their net two games are against unbeaten Arizona and Houston. Ouch!
Dallas (4th in SW)
As we reported earlier, the Roughnecks have won two straight games with backup Brandon Wheedon at the helm. They have 4 more games with Wheedon before Manziel is eligible to return to action. They start with 6-0 Houston, no easy task, but then have Oklahoma, Las Vegas and New Orleans. Even going 2-2 in this rough stretch would be a bit impressive.
Five Relocated Players Making the Most of their Moves
Free agency can be a bit of a crap shoot, for the players and for the team that signs them. And while we certainly have not seen every move pay off (looking at you, Donald Brown), there are certainly some that have been pure gold, either for the player, or the team, or for both. Here is our list of the 5 free agents who are making the most of their new environs and helping their teams see success as well.
WR Jordy Nelson (STL to NOR)
No doubt this has been a huge move for the Breakers. Bringing in a sure fire target from the Skyhawks has helped Drew Brees spread the field out, break down defenses, and rebound from Early Doucet’s unexpected retirement last August. Nelson has been everything promised, speedy, good hands, a knack for the deep ball, the full package. Nelson currently leads the league in receiving yards with 769, well on pace to break 1,600, and has added 5 TDs. His 26 targets leads the team, even ahead of Brees’s usual favorite target, TE Coby Fleener. All in all, this is a clear gold star signing for the Breakers.
QB Aaron Murray (LA to ATL)
It did not start well for Murray as the new starter in Atlanta, but after an 0-3 start, Murray has started to show signs that he can be the man for Coach Arians. In his last 3 games, all wins for the Fire, Murray has thrown 6 TDs to only 2 picks, and has over 330 yards, averaging nearly 290 per game. He has also started to rally the troops, proving leadership we have not seen from him since his days down the road in Athens, leading the UGA Bulldogs.
HB Doug Martin (CHI to POR)
Not a lot has gone well for Portland this year, sitting at 0-6, but no one in the PNW is blaming tailback Doug Martin. Since coming over from the Chicago Machine, Martin has done nothing but impress, rushing for 519 yards in his first 6 games as a Portland Stag. That includes three 100-yard games, and along the way has proven to be a solid blocker when needed. He has caught only 1 pass so far, so that is something the Stags need to work on, but Martin is getting the job done in the run game. Now, can Portland get the rest of their game up to his level?
WR Roy Williams (HOU to ATL)
Yes, we are going back to Atlanta for a 2nd player, because the story of Aaron Murray’s recent success is also the story of former Gambler Roy Williams. A favorite target of Matt Hasselbeck in Houston, Williams was a contributor from Day 1, catching 10 balls for 82 yards in his first regular season game in a Fire jersey. Since then he has been consistent and dangerous. He is sitting at 35 catches and 533 yards after 6 weeks, both great numbers as he pushes for a 2nd straight 1,000-yard season. Atlanta needs to get him more red zone targets (only 1 TD so far), but no one is complaining about his contributions so far.
CB Stephon Gilmore (NFL to LA)
Our last free agent came to the LA Express from the NFL Bills. Happy to escape the cold and snow in Buffalo, Gilmore has fit right in and become an immediate leader in the Express secondary. Lined up against each foe’s top receiver, Gilmore is now 2nd on the team in tackles, behind only All-USFL MLB Clay Matthews. He has 3 picks as well, proving that he can be a nightmare for opposing QBs. Thrown in his first USFL touchdown, a pick-6 in Week 5’s win over Seattle, and the Express have to be very happy to have brought Gilmore in from the cold.
Under Armour Reveals First New Designs as Blitz Primaries Premier
With a 6 year deal in hand, Under Armour is just gearing up to style the USFL’s 28 teams. While the uniform provider is now seen with all 28 teams across the league, the plan is for 6 teams a year to get the full attention of the UA design team, developing new looks, throwback designs, and alternative uniforms. This year’s scheduled teams will take on new designs in 2018, or possibly as soon as the USFL playoffs if they qualify, and the first of the looks is now public.
Under Armour and the Baltimore Blitz revealed the new primary uniforms for the club this week, a home blue and a road white. Baltimore is not getting any new logos this year, unless you count the throwback logos revealed with the new designs, so the novelty of the new look is mostly in the design of the jersey and pant set. Retaining a blue and silver color scheme, Baltimore unveiled the new uniforms which feature one “callback” element.
It is a return of the “shock stripes” to the pant and helmet that stand out the most about the new Baltimore look. This design, a callback to their time with Nike, features a shift in the silver, white, or blue stripes on both the lower thigh and on the back of the blue helmets. The shift is supposed to mimic the lightning bolt found in the team’s main logo. Other than this element, there is a lot of familiarity to the Blitz look. They are retaining a shoulder stripe and sleeve color offset with both jerseys, using white sleeves and a silver stripe on the blue jerseys and a blue stripe with grey/silver sleeves on the white top. Silver and blue pant sets are available and the team retains the popular “mascot” of Billy Blitz as its sleeve ornamentation
No word on the alternate looks yet, though the use of the red, white, silver, and blue “blitz” logo from the team’s early years in Chicago clearly indicate the way the throwbacks may go. Expect red to be back on the table when those are revealed. And, since the league allows only 2 helmet shells, a throwback to that era certainly means that the team’s 2nd helmet will be a silver one.
Week Seven offers the chance for several 3-3 teams to get over the hump and make a push for a solid winning record. We have two 3-3 clubs on Friday night when Denver heads into Charlotte (4-2) and Dallas hosts unbeaten Houston. No easy path to 4-3 for either club to be sure.
On Saturday Ohio has a much better shot at getting that 4th win as they are 8-point favorites over the 1-5 Chicago Machine. Our other 3-3 club on Saturday has a huge game as they host the unbeaten Arizona Wranglers in a huge SW Division clash.
Finally, on Sunday we have 3-3 Birmingham also facing an unbeaten squad as they host the 6-0 Philadelphia Stars at Legion Field. At the same time Atlanta hopes to avoid a trap game as they host the winless Washington Federals. At 4pm the 3-3 Baltimore Blitz hope to one up on the 2-4 Oakland Invaders, but a win after a cross-country trip is never easy. Finally, we end up “3-3 Weekend” with two clubs, both sitting at that .500 mark, going head to head. It is Jacksonville at Orlando in a Florida Derby, with the loser dropping below the even mark and giving up a valuable tiebreaker as well.
FRI 7PM ET Denver (3-3) @ Charlotte (4-2) ABC
FRI 9PM ET Houston (6-0) @ Dallas (3-3) ESPN/EFN
SAT 12PM ET Michigan (4-2) @ Tampa Bay (1-5) ABC
SAT 12PM ET San Diego (5-1) @ Pittsburgh (2-4) FOX
SAT 4PM ET Chicago (1-5) @ Ohio (3-3) ABC
SAT 4PM ET Portland (0-6) @ Los Angeles (4-2) FOX
SAT 7PM ET Memphis (2-4) @ New Orleans (4-2) NBC
SAT 9PM ET Arizona (6-0) @ Las Vegas (3-3) ESPN/EFN
SUN 12PM ET Philadelphia (6-0) @ Birmingham (3-3) ABC
SUN 12PM ET Seattle (1-5) @ New Jersey (1-5) FOX Regional
SUN 12PM ET Washington (0-6) @ Atlanta (3-3) FOX Regional
SUN 4PM ET St. Louis (2-4) @ Oklahoma (2-4) ABC
SUN 4PM ET Baltimore (3-3) @ Oakland (2-4) FOX
SUN 8PM ET Jacksonville (3-3) @ Orlando (3-3) ESPN/EFN
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