2018 USFL Week 5 Recap: Bell, Ben & Brees

A big week for big performances, from LeVeon Bell’s combined 229 yards of offense to Ben Roethlisberger’s 379-yard, 4 TD day, and the surprising 5 picks taken from Drew Brees by a Washington Federal defense that has been one of the league’s worst so far this season. We also saw Todd Gurley rush for 128, Nick Foles throw for 416 in a tough loss, Wrangler QB Ryan Nassib throw for 320 and 3 scores, and rookie Nick Chubb help Atlanta move to 4-1 with 121 yards for his first pro 100-yard game. Week 5 was a week that brought us some surprises atop the divisions, with Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Memphis, and Oakland all now either atop or tied for the lead in their divisions. We will break down all the action, discuss the Manziel suspension, made official this week, and highlight several players who have not lived up to our expectations so far this season, but we start with the 2020 expansion and a group of owners putting together a pretty serious bid for a city most would not have included on their wish list. Could Hartford, Connecticut outperform some much larger cities and become the 30th USFL franchise? With some big money behind their bid, the group that wants to add Hartford as a major league city seems to think so.

USFL in Hartford? An Oddly Comprised Ownership Group Says Yes.

When the USFL announced that it would return a franchise to San Antonio and add a 30th club, both in 2020, the usual suspects were named. Certainly the league would look at returning to Boston, despite two failed franchises in the past (largely due to the intransigence of NFL owner Robert Kraft and his hold on Gilette Stadium), that other cities under consideration would include Miami and the Twin Cities, and that we might see bids coming in from NFL cities like Indianapolis or Kansas City, with owners aligned with the local stadium authority to try to expand use of their very expensive facility. What was largely unexpected was the idea that a city with no current major league franchises would join the bidding process, but that is what we are seeing.

The USFL opened up the first round of bidding in recent weeks and one of the first publicly announced bidding groups does not represent Boston, Miami, or another NFL city, but the capital of Connecticut, Hartford. Hartford, a metro area of roughly 1.2M inhabitants, and without a “Big 4” franchise since the departure of the NHL Whalers in 1997, seems an unlikely site for a new USFL franchise, but before we dismiss the bid entirely, there are some very strong points to be made by the bidding group, including the makeup of the group itself.

We start with the moneyed interests, the investors who bring the big checkbooks to the table. At the forefront of the Hartford USFL bid are two very deep-pocketed investors, Ray Dalio, head of Bridgewater Associates, and Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google. Dalio has been co-Chief Investment Officer of Bridgewaters since 1985, a position that places his net worth at over $8 billion. Sergey Brin co-founded Google with Larry Page and is considered among the Top 100 richest men in the world. A Russian-born computer scientist, Brin’s connection to the city of Hartford is tenuous, but his association with Dalio seems to have brought him into the fold with the Hartford bid. But, just in case the money these two represent is not adequate influence for the USFL to consider Hartford, the investment group also added two minority owners well known to fans of sports in the region. Both Geno Auriemma and Jim Calhoun are listed among the minority ownership, and were on hand in Hartford when the bid was officially announced to local press. Fans of college basketball will recognize the two as icons of UConn basketball, as the incredibly successful coaches of the UConn Women’s and Men’s teams, with a combined 15 NCAA tournament championships between them.

So the money is there for this to be a successful bid. What about the stadium? That has always been the issue in places like Boston, where access to a suitable stadium has cost the city two teams. It seems the UConn connection is the answer here as well, with the University’s Pratt & Whitney Stadium, often referred to by its pre-naming rights title of Rentschler Field, as the home to a potential franchise. P&W Stadium currently has a maximum capacity in the high 30,000’s, but the proposal includes a 3-year plan to expand seating capacity to 49,000, on the lower end, but certainly within a sound capacity for a USFL franchise, as most clubs average between 39,000-45,000 fans per game.

And, of course, the Hartford franchise bid is not marketing itself as purely a local franchise, but a regional one, a New England franchise, with the initial plans calling for the team to draw fans from Connecticut, but also from Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and areas north of New York City. Looking at this potential regional fanbase, Boston proper is approximately 100 miles away, well within the 2-hour driving radius that the league uses to assess markets. The same can be said for New York, with Yankee Stadium in the Bronx also approximately 100 miles away, meaning that the northern borough, as well as Westchester, Rockland, and other northern suburb counties of the city might find Hartford a more amenable drive than the trip to East Rutherford.

There will likely be resistance from the New Jersey Generals for this very reason, and certainly we will see counter-arguments from a Boston-based bid, particularly if their proposal can break the logjam and place a franchise at Gilette Stadium, but for now, we have to acknowledge that in funding, logistics, stadium availability, and local connection, this Hartford bid has a lot of positives in its favor.

NOTE: As new bids go public, we will continue to review each and provide you with an updated list of potential expansion cities for the USFL’s 30th franchise. All bids should be known by the league-set deadline of September 1st.

NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 24  WASHINGTON FEDERALS 31

It is not often that a 2-touchdown favorite goes down, especially not when they outgain the underdog by nearly 70 yards and have an even time of possession, but when your All-USFL quarterback throws 5, yes 5 picks against one of the worst-rated defenses in the league, anything can happen. In a game that did not see a single sack of Drew Brees, the Breaker QB threw for 311 yards and 3 scores, but it will be the 5 picks that will haunt him.

The problem for the diminutive Brees was getting the ball past his own line. He had 3 of his passes tipped in the air, which is how MLB Shawne Merriman of Washington ended the game with 2 picks, and 3 other Federals also nabbed interceptions, including one in the endzone that cost New Orleans a chance to even the score late in the 4th quarter.

But kudos should also go out to David Garrard and the Federal offense, which found ways to avoid the issues so many teams have had with the Breaker D. Garrard was sacked twice, but threw no picks and completed 17 of 32 passing with 3 touchdowns. Garrard had Washington up 14-0 by the end of the first thanks in part to a tipped pass interception by Merriman that gave them a short field after their first score. Following a nice drive that was capped off by Brandon LaFell’s 6-yard TD reception, Washington got the ball back only 2 plays later on the tip drill pick. In less than a minute they added a 2nd score, this one a 20-yard TD completion from Garrard to TE Kellen Winslow II.

When the Feds added a field goal early in the 2nd, you could see the panic in the Breakers. They largely gave up on the run game, forcing Brees to have 45 pass attempts, and we saw more tips along the way. Brees did find Jordy Nelson for a 2nd quarter TD, but with Washington responding with a Garrard to Keenan Allen TD toss, the score still showed a 17-point advantage for the Federals.

New Orleans would drop the lead to 10 with a late Kenny Britt score before the half, but they were flustered by more turnovers in the 2nd half. A pick by Washington CB Brandon Boykin helped Washington add yet another TD, a 2-yard Orleans Darkwa plunge to make the score 31-14. The Breakers would fight back, but, late in the 4th, with Washington’s lead down to 7 and the Breakers closing in on the redzone, the tipped ball mania would strike again. This time a Brees pass towards Jordy Nelson got tipped at the line, turning into a duck and was easy pickings for safety Kyshoen Jarrett, ending the threat and helping preserve the Federals’ lead.

Washington, despite struggling on defense all year, came up with a gameplan that took advantage of Brees’s pocket issues (height mostly) and were efficient on offense, efficient enough to turn 5 short field drives into 24 points. The 5-interception day for Brees was the worst of his 17-year career, ending the Breaker unbeaten streak at 4 games and setting up a 3-way tie atop the Southern Division with Houston and the surprising Memphis Showboats. For Washington, their 2nd win of the season means they are only 1 game out of first place, a position currently held in the NE Division by another surprising team, the Pittsburgh Maulers.

NEW JERSEY 21  PHILADELPHIA 38

Nick Foles threw for 416 yards as the Stars forced New Jersey to be one dimensional, but even the big numbers were not enough as the Generals trailed from the beginning. An early pick-six from Glover Quinn helped Philly take a 10-0 lead that they would never relinquish. With both top tier rushers severely limited on the day (MJD with 18 carries for only 16 yards and Derrick Henry with 14 for 39) it was the passing game that provided the offense. And while Foles outpaced Gutierrez 416-197, his two interceptions were very costly, with both returned for scores.

POTG: Stars’ CB Sam Shields: 7 Tck, 1 PDef, 1 Int, 1 DefTD

SAN DIEGO 31  SEATTLE 21

San Diego absolutely ripped the Seattle run defense, rushing for 292 yards as a team in an impressive display of zone blocking by the O-line. Ryan Williams led all rushers with 128 yards on 21 carries, with QB Joe Webb getting in on the act with 99 yards and 2 TDs as a rusher, and Lamar Miller and Terrance West combining for another 65 yards on the day. All in all, the Thunder had 43 rushing attempts and averaged 6.8 yards as a team against Seattle’s overwhelmed defense.

POTG: Thunder QB Joe Webb: 14/25, 214 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int, 13 Att, 99 Yds, 2 TD

MEMPHIS 17  TAMPA BAY 7

Two first quarter Todd Gurley TDs were more than enough for Memphis to take down the Bandits in Tampa Bay. Despite 244 yards passing from Dak Prescott, Tampa Bay simply could not find the endzone, while Memphis was happy to shorten the game with the running of Gurley, who finished with 128 yards on 22 carries. The Memphis defense held the Bandits to 3 of 11 on third down and grabbed two takeaways as the Showboats improve to an unexpected 4-1 record.

POTG: Memphis HB Todd Gurley: 22 Att, 128 Yds, 2 TD

ST. LOUIS 13  MICHIGAN 24

LeVeon Bell put up some MVP numbers against St. Louis’s abysmal defense, rushing for 157 yards on 23 attempts (6.8 YPC) and adding 5 receptions for 72 yards as well. Behind Bell’s 2 rushing TDs and a Rob Housler score Michigan built a 21-0 lead in the 2nd quarter and coasted from there as St. Louis just did not find any answers, with Josh Freeman sacked 5 times and completing only 11 of 25.

POTG: Panther HB LeVeon Bell: 23 Att, 157 Yds, 2 TD, 5 Rec, 72 Yds

JACKSONVILLE 3  CHICAGO 18

In a game that saw the two teams combine to go only 3 of 26 on third down, it was Chicago kicker Daniel Carlson who had the biggest role in the final outcome. Carlson scored 12 of Chicago’s 18 points (oddly missing a PAT while hitting on 4 field goals). With Matt Forte out, Jeremy Hill was Chicago’s main weapon, rushing the ball 30 times for 89 yards and the game’s only touchdown. Both QBs struggled on the day, with neither throwing a TD.

POTG: Chicago safety Bob Sanders: 9 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int

HOUSTON 29  OKLAHOMA 10

Houston’s D focused on Marshawn Lynch while the offense stayed balanced as the Gamblers built a 13-3 lead after 3 quarters and then added 16 points in the 4th. McCoy had TD tosses to TE Tony Moeaki and Mike Evans, while backup HB Alfred Blue scored the lone rushing TD. Joe Flacco struggled against the very solid Houston pass rush, sacked 5 times and throwing a costly pick right before the half on a drive that could have leveled the score.

POTG: Houston DE Antwan Applewhite: 3 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 Sfty, 1 FF

DENVER 16  ARIZONA 35

Ryan Nassib continued to impress as the new Wrangler QB, completing 17 of 22 for 320 yards and 3 scores. The ageless Frank Gore added 2 rushing TDs and Antonio Bryant caught 5 for 123 and 2 scores as the Wranglers got a definitive win in their rivalry game with the Gold. The win puts the Wranglers back atop the division at 3-1-1, a half game over both Denver and Oklahoma.

POTG: Arizona QB Ryan Nassib: 17/22, 320 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int

BIRMINGHAM 13  PITTSBURGH 33

The Maulers looked solid in stepping over the .500 mark, while Cam Newton struggled, evident in his numbers: 16 of 37 for only 152 yards and 2 picks, sacked 4 times, but with 10 rushes adding only 2 yards for the day. Meanwhile, And Dalton rushed for 2 scores (both goalline plunges) and added a third by connecting with Adam Thielen for a 21-yard strike in a 4th quarter that saw Pittsburgh score 24 points on 4 possessions. Without an Antonio Cromartie 103-yard kickoff return, the final would have been even uglier for Birmingham.

POTG: Pittsburgh DE Dwight Freeney: 7 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF

LOS ANGELES 7  BALTIMORE 34

A huge day for Big Ben, and a rough one for the Express, as the Baltimore QB threw for 379 yards and 4 scores against an Express defense that was on the field for nearly 40 minutes. Darius Heyward-Bey came up big with 9 catches, 131 yards and 2 scores, while Brian Hartline and Harry Douglas also caught scoring tosses from Roethlisberger. LA simply could not sustain drives, going 0 for 10 on third down.

POTG: Blitz QB Ben Roethlisberger: 31/45, 379 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int

ATLANTA 26  ORLANDO 10

The Fire took over sole possession of first in the SE Division with a nicely complementary game. The offense got TDs from Chris Ivory and rookie Nick Chubb, while the defense limited Orlando to only 47 yards rushing. Nick Chubb got his first 100-yard game, rushing for 121 on 20 carries as Atlanta used the ground game to keep pressure off Aaron Murray. Calais Campbell got 1 sack in the game, but the Orlando passrush was simply not a major factor as Atlanta controlled the tempo.

POTG: Atlanta HB Nick Chubb: 20 Att, 121 Yds, 1 TD

LAS VEGAS 17  DALLAS 21

In what is now confirmed to be his last game of the season, Johnny Manziel went 25 of 36 and led the Roughnecks to a divisional win against the Vipers. Freeman and Perine combined for 100 yards rushing, and while Las Vegas outgained Dallas with Hardesty and Hunt adding 135 yards on the ground, the Roughneck defense found ways to pressure and fluster QB Eli Manning, giving him one of his worst outings in years, a 4-interception debacle that included 2 picks from CB Brandon Carr and one each from FS Jamal Adams and LB Brandon Spikes.

POTG: Dallas K Chandler Catanzaro: 5/5 on Field Goals

OAKLAND 19  PORTLAND 13

A 4th quarter Garoppolo to Adams TD toss proved the winner as the Invaders escaped a tough game in Portland and moved to 4-1 on the year. Neither offense was particularly prolific in this one, with both teams held under 300 yards of total offense. CB Eric Wright of the Invaders led all players with 11 tackles, but it was 2 sacks from DT Tyson Alualu that helped spur the Invaders to victory, with both coming on key 3rd down plays for Portland.

POTG: Oakland DT Tyson Alualu: 3 Tck, 2 Sck

CHARLOTTE 16  OHIO 9

Another defensive showcase as both the Glory and the Monarchs dealt with a lot of setbacks on offense. For Charlotte it was turnovers, with Mitch Trubisky throwing 3 picks and Taiwan Jones losing a fumble on what appeared to be an early touchdown. Ohio had its own issues, with Isaiah Pead giving up a safety in the endzone and the Glory converting only 3 of 11 third down attempts. Charlotte did get 2 TDs in the game, one each from TE Brandon Pettigrew and FB Glenn Smith, and that proved enough against the Glory, who lost Brock Osweiler midway through the game and finished with Troy Smith at QB.

POTG: Charlotte LB Rolando McClain: 9 Tck, 2 TFL, 1 Sfty

Manziel Loses Appeal, Suspension Upheld

Just 24 hours after leading the Dallas Roughnecks to a home victory over division rival Las Vegas, QB Johnny Manziel learned that his appeal had been denied by the USFL league office, and his full season suspension would be upheld. By Tuesday morning, Manziel’s locker had been emptied, teammates had said their goodbyes, and Manziel was on his way to his Arlington home to figure out how to spend the next 11 months.

The suspension, which now entails 13 games, plus the entire 2018 post-season, does not allow Manziel to participate in any team activities, including using the facilities for private workouts. He is permitted to receive support from the Roughneck medical team, but at an outside facility, and he is allowed to communicate with 2 Roughneck officials, the team GM and Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury, but for all intents and purposes, Manziel is now no longer a member of the Roughneck roster, though the club still holds his rights and his current contract remains intact.

The suspension also requires Manziel to undergo league sanctioned alcohol awareness programming and life coaching in order for reinstatement to be authorized for off-season activities beginning in December. Because his contract remains intact, Manziel is not free to sign with an NFL team in lieu of awaiting his USFL reinstatement. Despite this, Manziel’s agent has said that he continues to negotiate with the USFL and the Roughnecks to allow his client to pursue a possible NFL jump during the August-September transfer window. This would require mutual nullification of his contract with the Roughnecks. That seems unlikely, at least in the short term. For now Dallas will move on, with former Charlotte Monarchs’ QB Brandon Wheedon at the helm of the offense. The club also signed former Missouri QB Chase Daniel to bolster the QB room that also includes Wheedon and Tyrod Taylor.

Washington Upset Creates 3-Way Race in South

The stunning 5-interception performance from Drew Brees and Washington’s unexpected victory over the unbeaten Breakers has had broad impact on the entire Eastern Conference. In addition to pulling Washington right into the mix in the Northeast Division, where their 2-3 record is just one game behind Pittsburgh’s and Philadelphia’s division-leading 3-2 mark, but the Washington victory also created a 3-way logjam atop the Southern Division, with the Breakers, Houston Gamblers, and upstart Memphis Showboats all sitting at an impressive 4-1 after 5 weeks.

New Orleans still holds the tiebreaker to lead the division, thanks to their 2-0 division record, but the loss to Washington, a team few believe will escape a 10-loss season this year, means that the Breakers have no margin for error. They will face the Gamblers and Showboats in back-to-back weeks, with both games on the road, in weeks 9 and 10. Houston, which lost to the Breakers 34-31 in Week 3, sits in 2nd thanks to their Week 2 win over the Memphis Showboats. They will next face Memphis in Week 16 to end the season, with the Breakers playing at NRG Stadium in Week 9. Memphis has yet to face the Breakers face-to-face, but will have two games against them in a 3-week span, playing at home in Week 10 and then heading to the Big Easy in Week 12. So, we could well be in for a very intense set of divisional games as all three clubs hope to come out on top of what may now be the league’s best division.

Northeast Division a Logjam

As we mentioned, Washington’s upset of New Orleans, paired with Philadelphia’s 38-21 defeat of New Jersey and Week 4 victories by both the Blitz and the Maulers, has created a logjam in the NE Division, with every team within 1 game of .500. Pittsburgh actually takes over first place, thanks to their single division game being a W. Philadelphia is right there with them at 3-2, with New Jersey a half game back due to their tie game with the Wranglers, and both Washington and Baltimore now sit one game back at 2-3. Do we think it will stay this close throughout the entire season? No. We think space will develop, but we cannot tell you between whom.

So, with this cluster in the division, what should we be looking at in the next few weeks? Well, there are several big games that could start to give shape to the division. This upcoming weekend we have a huge Keystone Clash, with the two 3-2 clubs meeting in Pittsburgh with first place on the line. Baltimore will also be in Washington as the two 2-3 clubs renew their Beltway Brawl series. Then, in Week 7 we will see Washington head up I-95 to New Jersey and Pittsburgh heads to Baltimore. Week 8 wraps up the first half of the season with Baltimore now headed to New Jersey and Philadelphia visiting the Federals at RFK. In other words, every week from now until the midpoint of the season we have 2 divisional games in the Northeast, so we could very well find ourselves in Week 8 with a clear hierarchy of clubs, or quite possibly, an equal mess hovering around the .500 mark.

 Bell Explodes for 229 Scrimmage yards

We all remember that last year LeVeon Bell was shooting for a 2,000 yard season, but fell quite a bit short of that. This year, Bell has been hyping up the team, a Michigan squad seeking to repeat as champion and win a 6th title. He has been quiet on his personal goals, but with 572 yards rushing already this season, a pace well above 100-yards per game, he seems again on pace to challenge for the league title and perhaps even a league record. This week he reminded us that he can also be effective in the passing game, pairing his outstanding 157-yard rushing total with 5 receptions, adding another 72 yards to his offensive stats.

Bell has become a prolific pass-catcher in the somewhat run-oriented Michigan offense, rarely coming out on 3rd down. He had a career high 49 receptions in 2016, and added 41 in last year’s title run. This year he sits at only 9 receptions, but this week’s game jumped his per-catch average up to a career best 14.4 yards per game (compared with the prior best of 12.4 as a rookie). It seems that the MVP candidate wants to be a part of the offense in every way possible. We are still waiting for him to throw a pass, but you can imagine he is thinking about it.

Big Ben Puts Blitz Back on the Map

With three consecutive losses, it was beginning to look like Baltimore was not going to be much of a factor in the USFL NE Division hunt this year, but their performance this week against a struggling LA Express squad sent a message that this club, and particularly its All-USFL quarterback, are not done yet. In a thorough decimation of the LA defense, Roethlisberger put on a classic Big Ben game, standing in the pocket, extending plays, looking deep for receivers Darius Heyward-Bey and Ben Hartline, and putting the ball in the endzone. Roethlisberger finished with 379 yards and 4 touchdowns, including 2 to Heyward-Bey, and seemingly sent a message to the other 4 clubs in the Northeast, that the Blitz may not be frontrunners just now, but they are hardly out of the conversation. The Blitz will have a chance to drive that message home as they set up for a run of 4 consecutive divisional matchups, starting this week with a trip to DC and a game with the Feds. That is followed by a home game against the Maulers, a trip to New Jersey, and another home matchup as the Stars come to town. This 4-game stretch could well be the key to their entire season. Run the table and they almost certainly take over first place. Lose all 4 and they are likely out of any playoff hunt. It is a brutal stretch, but one the Blitz are preparing to take on as if their season depends on it, because they know it does.

No new injury reserve additions, but some key players who will be out in Week 6 and some for longer. Rookie Gus Edwards suffered a stress fracture in his foot, likely to miss up to 2 months in recovery as St. Louis promotes Bobby Rainey to the 2nd spot and brings rookie free agent Kenny Runyon into the active roster from the practice squad. A tough week for guards across the league, with 3 starters going out, all with various leg injuries. New Jersey and Las Vegas will also be without key defenders as LBs Matt Milano and DeAndre Levy are each expected to miss at least 1-2 weeks.

OUT

HB           Gus Edwards          STL         Foot                 6-8 Weeks

G              John Troutman        ATL         Leg                  4-6 Weeks

G           Logan Mankins       OAK      MCL                 2-4 Weeks

G         Ted Karras             NOR      Hamstring      1-2 Weeks

LB           DeAndre Levy          LV           Knee               1-2 Weeks

LB         Matt Milano            NJ           Hand                1-2 Weeks

DOUBTFUL

CB          Stephon Gilmore  LA          Ankle

TE            Vernon Davis          HOU     Back

DT         Haloti Ngata           SD          Personal

DT         Fletcher Cox           JAX         Shoulder

QUESTIONABLE

FS          Tre Flowers             POR      Eye

TE          Andrew Quarles     NOR      Concussion

DT         Damon Harrison     LV           Ankle

OT          Eric Fisher              SEA        Concussion

WR        Robert Woods        MEM     Hamstring

Players Who Have Underwhelmed in 2018

While we certainly do not like to dwell on the negative here at This Week in the USFL, there are times were it is necessary to look at what is not working, at teams not living up to the hype, or, in our case today, at players of whom a lot was expected and from whom teams have not gotten what they had hoped for. We have chosen 10 players who had a lot of high hopes for a strong 2018, but who, so far, after 6 games, are not producing the kind of results, numbers, or impact that their teams had hoped for. There is still time, of course, and we tend to find that when we call out teams or players they often react with a strong on-field response, so in the hopes that by noting the weak starts we can inspire some strong finishes, here are 10 players who have underwhelmed us this spring.

Eli Manning-QB-Las Vegas

The Vipers rode Eli to the playoffs last year and the club was very excited when the veteran QB said he would be back to do it again in 2018, but so far the results this year are just not meeting the expectation. While Eli Manning is 8th in the league with 1,561 yards passing, his QB Rating of 73.7 has him in the bottom third of all starters, below players like Robert Griffin III (benched already), Nick Foles, and Dak Prescott, all of whom are getting a lot of criticism. Manning’s 7:12 TD-to-Int ratio is one of his worst of a long career. The result is that Las Vegas is struggling to play consistent football.

Cam Newton-QB-Birmingham

You had to know that Newton would be on this list. The Stallions are 2-4, Newton has only thrown 3 touchdowns as has not even cracked 700 yards yet. Now, part of this is due to injury, but that always seems to be the case with the Stallion QB. What is perhaps most shocking is that backup A. J. McCarron is looking mediocre with a 71.9 QBR, but Newton’s 59.1 score is just appalling. And when you add in 7 turnovers (3 picks and 4 fumbles), Newton’s play has folks in B’ham wondering if it is time for him to move on.

Marshawn Lynch-HB-OKL

This shift midseason in 2017 to a power run game with play action vertical game seemed to produce instant impact for the Outlaws, and so they doubled down on that strategy this offseason, all in the hope that Marshawn Lynch, and not Joe Flacco, could become the engine that drives the Outlaws. But that train has gone off the rails, largely because Lynch’s numbers are just not good. He is averaging a pedestrian 3.0 YPC and has only 3 TDs in 6 games this season. Without more out of Lynch, the Outlaws could find themselves out of the running in a very tough SW Division.

Anthony Allen-HB-WSH

Allen has improved after some pretty rough opening games, and with that improvement Washington has moved to .500, but a 3.0 YPC average and only 288 yards in 6 games is not what the Feds bet on when they pulled Allen away from his duties backing up Todd Gurley in Memphis. Yes, we hyped that move, because we too thought Allen could have a break out year in D.C., and yes, maybe some of the issue is Washington’s O-line, but what we are not seeing out of the big back is an ability to escape the initial hit and gain yards after contact, something we thought he excelled at with the Showboats.

Cordarelle Patterson-WR-MEM

This was supposed to be the year for Cordarelle. After seeing both his targets and catches increase last year, this third year was his chance to become the multi-faceted threat that the Showboats expected when they drafted him. So, what do we have in 6 weeks? How about 11 targets and 1 catch? Those are numbers that get you benched. Yes, his one catch was a TD, but you have to do better than offer a 1 in 10 chance of catching the ball if you want to be a starter in this league.

Steve Breaston-WR-OAK

Breaston came over to the Invaders after having some decent numbers in Washington with a pretty bad Federals team last year. But so far this year the former General, Monarch, and Federal has largely been a no-show. He has 2 catches for 17 yards after 6 games and seems to have lost snaps to former Bandit Davone Bess as well as Stallion castoff Donte Moncrief. If Breaston does not show something in the next few weeks, we could see him becoming a mid-season drop as Oakland makes room for more depth at some thin positions.

Robert Quinn-DE-OHIO

The former Blitz end had put up solid, if not spectacular, numbers in his first 2 years in Ohio. The hope was that this year, with more help around him, we would see him return to double-digit sacks with the Glory. But, so far that has just not worked out. Quinn has only 1 sack in his first 6 games of the season, and is already losing snaps to backup Bruce Irvin, which is not a good sign for the veteran edge rusher.

Muhammad Wilkerson-DE-SEA

After a very solid career in Philadelphia, Wilkerson dropped from16 sacks in 2015 to only 5 in 2016, with many wondering if his career was winding down. But he came to Seattle in 2017 and bounced back with 14 sacks in the Dragons’ surprise second half. No surprise that the Dragons were counting on another strong year from the edge specialist. And while 20 tackles in 6 games is pretty solid for a DE, what has not been as solid has been his ability to get to the QB. He has 3 sacks in 6 games, a pace that would give him only 8 for the year. There is still time for him to find his groove again, but with Seattle setting him up as the clear focal point of their pass rush, more has to happen or the Dragons will continue to struggle on passing downs.

Vontez Burfict-LB-OKL

With only 1 tackle in his first 6 games, and with fewer and fewer opportunities coming, it seems very unlikely that Burfict will regain the form that saw him average just under 70 tackles per year the past 5 years. It seems Burfict’s penchant for getting unnecessary penalties called against him, a lack of discipline, and a bad temper, are all costing him snaps. It does not help that Oklahoma is using more nickel as a base, which leaves only Moulton, Greenway, and Scott on the field, but what we are seeing even more is a move away from Burfict’s aggressive but undisciplined play.

Stephon Gilmore-CB-LA

Gilmore came to the Express with a lot of hype and a lot of anticipation. He was a very solid player in the NFL, and showed that he could be a true shut down corner against NFl competition, and last year he got off to a great start with 5 picks in his first campaign. But he seemed to wear down over the season, not uncommon for an NFL transfer playing over 30 games in 12 months. But, what we usually see from talented NFL imports is that they really start to shine in their 2nd year, after finally getting a full offseason. So far that has not been the case for Gilmore, who has only 1 pick so far this year (on a tip drill play) and has given up some pretty significant completions to receivers who are not always the USFL elites. LA is counting on Gilmore to be a leader in the secondary, and so far this year we are not seeing it on the field.

Is Andy Reid On the Way Out?

The press in Los Angeles made it back page headlines when the longsuffering LA Express signed former Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach Andy Reid to be the latest in a long line of Express head coaches. Reid, a two-time Super Bowl Champ in Philadelphia was thought of as one of the best offensive minds in the game, as well as a superior game strategist. After 5 seasons, the Express must be wondering what it is that made Reid so successful in Philly but has not translated to the West Coast.

Reid has amassed a 39-46 record in his 5+ years in LA. That does include two playoff seasons, a 9-7 mark in 2013 and an 11-5 Wild Card season in 2016, but it also includes two 10-loss campaigns, and a very frustrating lack of offensive cohesiveness over the entire Reid tenure. The hope had been that the former NFL coach could help elevate the Express offense, led by QB Sam Bradford and former USC star Reggie Bush. And yet, here we are again, five games into the coach’s 6th season and once again the Express seem to be running on empty.

LA currently ranks 20th in passing, 20th in points scored and 17th in total yards. That is hardly a dynamic or dangerous offense. Bradford, now in his 9th USFL season, ranks 16th among USFL QBs in yards, 19th in passing touchdowns, and has a pretty mediocre 85.2 QB rating, placing him below not only starters like Paxton Lynch, Matt Leinart, and Joe Webb, but also subs like Ryan Nassib and A, J. McCarron. Reggie Bush’s 379 yards places him a respectable 6th in the league, but he is only 4 for 11 on 3rd down conversions even though he has only been called on to convert when the yards to gain are 3 or fewer.

In other words, Andy Reid is in trouble. The Express sit at 1-4, having just put up only 7 points for the 2nd time in the season, and against a Baltimore defense that is not among the league’s elites. Other than the Express’s shocking 48-point outing against St. Louis, they have yet to score over 20 points. This is not the offense that ownership expected when it signed Reid back in the fall of 2012. While hardly the only head coach feeling some heat, the disparity between the hype when Reid was signed by LA and the general feeling of disappointment and unrealized promises now is perhaps the biggest gap among any USFL coach. Expect a lot of pressure between now and Week 16 to see both wins and offensive fireworks. If both are lacking, we do not see LA renewing Coach Reid’s contract, regardless of the reputation he brought with him from the NFL.

Four Other Coaches Feeling the Heat

As we mentioned, Andy Reid is hardly the only coach feeling some heat right now. There are several who are being scrutinized this season, some for a lack of progression over several years, some for having apparently hit a ceiling of success. While every coach is always under some pressure and scrutiny to win games, we selected 4 who we think are beginning to feel some real heat to make improvements or risk a pink slip on Black Monday.

Frank Reich (STL)

The former NFL and USFL quarterback is under intense pressure right now, in his second season with the Skyhawks. A 3-13 opener was considered the bottom of a curve that is supposed to start moving upwards, but not only are the Skyhawks sitting at 1-4 after 5 weeks, but they might actually be looking like a worse team than their 3-win season a year ago. The defense in particular has simply been shockingly bad, allowing nearly 190 yards per game rushing, a pace that would be a league record for poor rush defense if it holds all year. In addition to this, or perhaps because of it, they are also giving up over 386 yards per game and are dead last in scoring defense giving up an atrocious 32 points per game after 5 weeks. If those kinds of numbers continue much longer, we would say that Reich would be lucky to finish out his 2nd season with the squad.

Henry Ellard (BIR)

Ellard is a legend in Birmingham. As a player he earned Hall of Fame credentials and has his name enshrined as one of the greatest Stallions in team history, but if he cannot prove that his coaching is leading to more W’s, that won’t keep him employed. Ellard is in his 4th season with the Stallions, and while the team has flirted with decency, finishing 8-8 in his first year and 9-7 last season, they have not yet made the playoffs in Ellard’s tenure. They now sit 2 games behind all three other Southern Division rivals, and will need significant improvement if they want to overtake division rivals for a possible playoff spot.

Unfortunately for Ellard, he is now inextricably tied to QB Cam Newton. Newton, who had such promise in his rookie campaign, winning the ROTY award with a stellar 2011 campaign, has been both injury-prone and inconsistent ever since. With a career passer rating of only 79.3 and not having completed over 50.2% of his passes the past two years (only 43.5% so far in 2018), Newton is very much looking like a flash in the pan, and if that is the case, then Ellard could be collateral damage. After all, there are enough moments of Newton demonstrating his dual threat talent that fans expect the player to be highlighted in ways that align with his skill set, but it seems Ellard has simply not been able to make that happen. Despite over 500 yards rushing last year, along with 9 rushing TDs, Birmingham struggles to put together consistent offense, ranked 17th in total offense this year. Ellard needs to find a way to make a quick change or he could be let go despite his history with the club.

June Jones (TBY)

Only in his 2nd year in Tampa Bay, former Mouse Davis acolyte June Jones is another coach who needs to show that his offensive philosophy is providing results. Brought in to create a dynamic spread passing game, Jones is looking at a Bandit team that currently ranks 27th out of 28 teams with an average of 279.6 passing yards per game. Despite signing NFL superstar Dez Bryant, the Bandit passing game has just not produced the big plays expected of it.

QB Dak Prescott has some upside, we see that periodically, but he is taking far too many sacks (a 10.5% sack percentage is among the league’s worst) and he all-too-often locks into Bryant as if no other player is running routes. Admitedly, if it were up to us, we too would favor Bryant over the remaining receiving corps, a group that includes an aging Hank Basket, underperforming Sammie Coates and Ryan Grant, and a less than explosive TE in Jordan Cameron. But, regardless of the players, it is the system that Jones touted when he arrived, and that system so far has been more fizzle than sizzle.

John Fox (ORL)

We all know the refrain about Fox and the Renegades. They have perhaps the greatest defensive player in USFL history and, according to most, they are “wasting him.” That is the complaint, that the Renegades should be among the league’s elites simply on Calais Campbell’s contributions alone. And while once again the Renegades are solid on defense, especially pass defense, where they rank 1st in the league at only 178 yards per game allowed, there is not enough support elsewhere. The offense is 22nd in rushing, the passing game has moments, and does include some break out stars in WR Brashard Perriman and Dwayne Bowe, but it is not producing enough week in and week out. The past two weeks included losses to both Jacksonville and Atlanta, leaving Orlando with a pretty sour 1-3 division record. They now have 3 consecutive games against 4-1 clubs (Houston, Atlanta, and Michigan) so things don’t get easier, but if Coach Fox wants to shake off the accusations of mismanagement of a talented roster, he needs to find a way to get this team to play complementary football.

Nine division games highlight a packed Week 6 across the USFL. Key matchups abound as teams either try to right the ship or pull away from their divisional rivals. We start on Friday with America’s Greatest Tailgate as Birmingham heads up to Memphis, ribs and pulled pork ready to go. Seattle is still seeking their first win as they travel to LA against an equally troubled 1-4 Express club.

On Saturday it is Baltimore at Washington in a Beltway Brawl, with both clubs sitting at 2-3. Then Portland heads to San Diego in what could be another “Prove it” game for the Stags. Dallas will start Brandon Wheedon in a tough first assignment as they head to Arizona to take on the division-leading Wranglers.

Sunday gives us another NE Division clash, a Keystone Clash to be exact, as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, both 3-2 and atop the division, face off at Heinz Field. We also have a nice inter-divisional game as the Oklahoma Outlaws head to the Crescent City to face the 4-1 Breakers. Later in the day, Las Vegas is at Denver in a big game for the SW Division, Chicago faces a struggling St. Louis defense, with a chance to reach .500 on the table, and we finish up in Orlando, where the Renegades will try to pressure Colt McCoy and get a much needed win against a very tough Gambler squad.

Friday @ 6pm ET             Birmingham (2-3) @ Memphis (4-1)          NBC

Friday @ 8pm ET             Seattle (0-5) @ Los Angeles (1-4)             ABC

Saturday @ 12pm ET       Ohio (2-3) @ Atlanta (4-1)                        ABC

Saturday @ 12pm ET       Tampa Bay (1-4) @ New Jersey (2-2-1)    FOX

Saturday @ 4pm ET       Baltimore (2-3) @ Washington (2-3)          ABC

Saturday @ 4pm ET         Michigan (4-1) @ Oakland (4-1)                FOX

Saturday @ 7pm ET       Portland (3-2) @ San Diego (2-3)              NBC     

Saturday @ 9pm ET       Dallas (2-3) @ Arizona (3-1-1)                   ESPN/EFN

Sunday @ 12pm ET        Philadelphia (3-2) @ Pittsburgh (3-2)       ABC

Sunday @ 12pm ET        Jacksonville (1-4) @ Charlotte (3-2)         FOX Regional

Sunday @ 12pm ET     Oklahoma (3-2) @ New Orleans (4-1)       FOX Regional

Sunday @ 4pm ET           Las Vegas (2-3) @ Denver (3-2)                 ABC

Sunday @ 4pm ET           Chicago (2-3) @ St. Louis (1-4)                 FOX

Sunday @ 8pm ET         Houston (4-1) @ Orlando (2-3)                 ESPN/EFN