2018 USFL Week 6 Recap: Making a Statement

Week Six of the USFL season was a week of statement games as teams across the country tried to prove their legitimacy by knocking off favored teams who came into the year with higher expectations. We saw this in Oakland, where the Invaders thoroughly dominated the defending league champion Michigan Panthers. We also saw it in Pittsburgh’s victory against the Philadelphia Stars, Portland’s road victory in San Diego, and Orlando’s 20-14 win over the Houston Gamblers. In a league that now has 9 teams at or within 1 game of .500, with no more unbeatens, and, after Seattle’s road win this week, no winless squads, the ability for teams to win the gams they are “supposed” to win has never seemed more tenuous.

We may be 6 weeks into the year, but it very much feels like we are not yet sure where this season will end up. A big piece of the mystery comes down to QB play, and just how effective the league’s 28 starting QBs can be each week. With that as our focus, we begin with our Big Story, the state of each club’s QB room, from elite to struggling. We will then review the week that was, our first big trades of the season, and take a look at the stats that are beginning to tell the tale of the season.

Quarterback Room Rankings

Whether your team is at 5-1 or 1-5, we bet you have an opinion about their quarterback. Some fans are ecstatic that their club has a clear leader at the helm, a player who can pull them out of tough situations with a late rally or simply dominate a defense. Other fans are scratching their head and wondering how their team could ever have thought they were set at the position. We ranked all 28 QB rooms into one of 5 categories for you, so you can now start debating the merits of your team’s signal callers, and whether we got it right or not.

ELITE QB SITUATION

BALTIMORE: No questions here. Roethlisberger and backup Jake Locker are both signed through 2019, so the Blitz are in a very good situation.

DENVER: They signed the player they see as their QB of the Future in Wyoming’s Josh Allen, and while Allen is impressing folks in the organization with his physical abilities, his presence also seems to be bringing out the best in Matt Leinart, who is having his best statistical season in years. He is sitting at a QBR of 96.1, his highest score since 2014, and with 11 TDs to only 2 picks, a lot is going right in Denver, at least at the QB position.

HOUSTON: The Colt McCoy era has started off about as well as anyone in Houston could have hoped. They have their 29-year old QB signed for another 3 seasons, and they like what they have in backup Landry Jones as well. Looks like Houston is out of the QB market for quite a while.

MICHIGAN: Kirk Cousins has one more year on his deal with the Panthers ,and you know they are working to sign their title-winning QB. The Panthers’ two backups, Taylor Heinecke and Drew Stanton are both in contract years. Our best guess is that Michigan signs one of them and takes advantage of what could be a rich QB pool in free agency to shore up the depth behind their starter.

OKLAHOMA: Joe Flacco may be a bit immobile, but he is still relatively young (31) and both he and his protégé, Mason Rudolph, are signed up through the 2021 season, so despite Oklahoma becoming something of a QB factory (Mayfield last year, Kyler Murray this year) the Outlaws don’t look to be shopping.

PHILADELPHIA: Before 2017 there was concern that Matt Gutierrez was not living up to the hype he got earlier in his career. But a fabulous 2017 campaign, and a pretty darn good 2018 so far have fans in Philly very happy with their QB situation. Behind Gutierrez, they have a solid, if a bit pedestrian, backup in Tony Pike, but they also like the development they are seeing in 22-year-old P. J. Walker, so it looks like the Stars are standing pat and feeling good about it.

SOLID QB SITUATION

ATLANTA: We started the season saying Atlanta had a lot of questions at QB, but right now it looks like they have a pretty good situation. Aaron Murray is playing well, with a 9:6 TD-INT ratio and an 85.9 rating.  Behind him are young gun DeShone Kizer and former NFL starter Blaine Gabbert. Murray is a free agent after this year, so the priority now is to spend this season analyzing his play, and then signing him in the final weeks of the year. We think the Fire will do just that.

CHARLOTTE: We debated between Solid and Elite here, but with Trubisky struggling a bit more this year (8 TD to 9 picks) and some untested depth behind him in Tyler Thigpen and T. J. Yates, we think Charlotte is solid, but not in the elite category right now. The good news is that any choices to change things up will be voluntary, with none of their QBs in a contract year in 2018.

MEMPHIS: We had Memphis with a big question mark before the season, but Paxton Lynch is having a very nice 2nd season at the helm. His QB Rating has gone up about 8 points (75 to 83) and while we would not call him prolific (65.3% completions, 1,368 Yds, and 5:4 on TD:INT), he is playing smart and the Showboats are winning games. Kyle Orton is a solid backup, so we think the Showboats may be feeling pretty good about where they sit right now.

PITTSBURGH: 2018 is a make or break year for Andy Dalton. He had a very rough 2017 campaign, and Kevin Hogan seemed to be pushing him with some good outings, but this year is going much better for Dalton, with 1,135 yards and 7 TDs in 6 games. He is also avoiding the mistakes that got him into trouble last year. He may not be back at potential MVP level yet, but Pittsburgh is very happy with the Dalton-Hogan duo. Now, does Hogan want to sign on for more, or does he take off this offseason to find a starting gig?

PORTLAND: With the way Marcus Mariota is playing in his 3rd year as the starter, we think we have to say that the Oregon star may have arrived. His completion rate this year is the best of his career (67.2%) and he has 6 TDs to only 2 picks. What is more impressive is that he is making the right reads, something we all criticized his first 2 years under center. Signed through 2020, with rookie Kyle Lauletta behind him. Portland is no longer a team with a big red flashing alarm going off about their QB situation.

SAN DIEGO: The Thunder and their fans are still very high on Joe Webb, and while he may not be the most consistent performer, the big play capacity is always there. The biggest question in San Diego is if they keep Christian Ponder on the roster (He has 2 years on his contract) or if they feel good about Case Keenum as the number two. If the latter, we could see Ponder move at some point soon. There are certainly teams interested in finding another QB.

QB POSITION IN FLUX

ARIZONA: You may have been surprised to not see Arizona in the Elite category, what with a 2-time defending MVP on the roster and a backup in Ryan Nassib looking like a quality starter with Carr out. But, here is the issue: Both Carr and Nassib, along with backups Tom Savage and recently signed Brooks Bollinger, are on the last year of their contracts. There is no way Arizona can afford to resign both Carr and Nassib, so they are in a bit of flux. They almost have to resign Carr, the 2-time MVP, despite being 34 years old and coming off a season-ending injury. That means Nassib could be on the market and a new Number 2 is needed.

NEW ORLEANS: The Breakers cannot count on Drew Brees to play into his 40s. While they like T-Draft signee Chad Kelly, it seems unlikely that they will hand him the reins without trying to add more competition. Pat White is a solid backup, but we think that the 2019 starter for New Orleans could currently be playing on another team. Bradford? Freeman? Maybe even an NFL starter available in the transfer window?

OAKLAND: While Jimmy G’s first ffew games have not been great, Oakland seems committed to the NFL import at least through 2019. They recently extended backup Kellen Moore, so we think that Ryan Lindley may be in the market this year. Expect Oakland to consider a QB if one stands out in the draft, but for now it looks like Jimmy Garoppolo is on a pretty long leash with time to improve.

ST. LOUIS: It looks like we are about to get our first look at Lamar Jackson, given the start in Week 7 against Las Vegas. Could this be a changing of the guard? Can the rookie handle the pressure? We will soon see. If he does well, it could be the end of an era for the Skyhawks. Josh Freeman has one more year on his current deal, but a good few games from Jackson and we could see St. Louis float their former MVP as a tasty trade bait morsel. If Jackson struggles, well, then the issue remains unresolved.

QB QUESTIONS

CHICAGO: Here is the weird thing, Chicago could be considered solid, with Ryan Fitzpatrick playing very well this year, and with a solid backup in Mike Kafka and a young developmental player in Trevor Siemian, but they don’t seem to be happy where they are. That is why they went after Sam Darnold last offseason. With both Fitzie and Siemian in contract years, this could be a time when Chicago decides to either fish or cut bait. Do they build on what they have and focus on resigning their talent, or do they go a whole new direction?

JACKSONVILLE: Teddy Bridgewater got the start for the Bulls this week, and struggled. Now, if he starts to improve over the next few weeks, then we think the only question is whether Jacksonville tries to move Robert Griffin or just lets his final year wrap up and move to free agency. The issue is if Bridgewater continues to struggle. The Bulls may well be in the market for a QB by season’s end, and may be trying to sell off their two athletic, but seemingly erratic QBs.

LAS VEGAS: I think most folks believe that the 2019 starter for Las Vegas is not on the roster today. Eli Manning is struggling this year, and we think that even if he did not retire, with his contract ending this July, we think Vegas uses the lapse as a chance to bring in a youth movement. Backups Jeff Tuel and Curtis Painter are not QBs in training, so we think Vegas will be very seriously looking at NCAA talent like OU’s Kyler Murray, Duke’s Daniel Jones, Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, or Missouri’s Drew Lock.

NEW JERSEY: The Generals have to have mixed feelings about Nick Foles. He has had moments, but he has also had some pretty bad games. His current QB rating of 78.1 is not what you want from a starter, and an 8:7 TD to INT ratio is also not ideal, not for a contender. Foles is in a contract year, and we think New Jersey will want to resign him, letting Brett Hundley go, but do they try to upgrade if there is a better option available?

OHIO: Yes, right now, Ohio has issues, with their top 2 players at the position injured, but both could be back in just a couple of weeks, so that is a short term issue. The bigger issue is what to do about Osweiler. The Glory like what Hackenberg has done as a starter, and he is under contract through 2020, so he is not going anywhere, but both Osweiler and Troy Smith are due for a new deal this year. We could see Ohio sign and trade one of the two, because they do not want to go into the offseason with 2 open spots.

ORLANDO: For the 2nd year in a row, Russell Wilson is missing time with injury. The Renegades like what they saw with Tim Tebow in the game, but Tebow does not seem like a long term solution. Orlando needs to decide if they renew Wilson this year or look somewhere else. We think Wilson’s best years are ahead of him, so we are a bit puzzled by Orlando’s lack of commitment, but those injuries are a concern.

WASHINGTON: David Garrard is showing us he can still play this game, especially the past couple of weeks, but at 36 and in a contract year, does Washington commit long term or do they let their starter for the past 9 seasons walk into the sunset? Garrard can still play, and certainly someone will sign him to a short term deal if he opts to stay in the game, but what is Washington’s future without him? It certainly is not either Mike Flynn or Tajh Boyd. So, big questions all around.

QB CUNUNDRUM

BIRMINGHAM: No one doubts that Cam Newton has physical gifts, but he is struggling to turn those gifts into wins and consistent success. Folks in Birmingham are getting tired of the roller coaster, but with only A. J. McCarron and Byran Kohler behind him, Newton is not getting pulled. That said, he could very well be on the trade block this year, especially if ownership decides to blow it all up and start from scratch.

DALLAS: Too early to know if Wheedon can prove himself as a viable starter. His history of leading the league in picks has to have Coach Kingsbury feeling antsy about him. With Tyrod Taylor and Chase Daniel behind him, there is a chance we see multiple QBs this season. And what about Manziel? Clearly the most talented, but with this year’s suspension he will have lost 19 of the last 32 games to suspension, and there are voices both inside and beyond the organization saying that the club should let Manziel leave for the NFL. That is a classic QB Conundrum.

LOS ANGELES: There is no doubt that Sam Bradford has a talented arm, but he is just not getting results in LA. He has one more year on his contract and he is not getting challenged by either Nick Mullens or veteran Brodie Croyle. Is Bradford possibly a trade candidate in the offseason? If the coaching shift we are now expecting happens, that would be the time to make a wholesale change.

SEATTLE: Jacoby Brissett has had some very good moments, but the year Matt McGloin has put in for Seattle in the games since Brissett went down may well have created a real controversy. McGloin came out of nowhere to lead the league in passer rating after his 5 starts. He has over 1,200 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only 2 picks, is completing passes at a 71.4% clip, and Seattle is looking at only about 2 more weeks before they have to decide if they stick with the hot hand or go back to their Week 1 starter. That is a tough situation.

TAMPA BAY: We do not like Tampa’s QB situation at all. Not that Dak Prescott is a horrible option, but he has hardly been a consistent presence for the Bandits, and his contract is up in July. He is basically auditioning each and every week to keep his job. Not that E. J. Manuel or B. J. Daniels are going to steal it, but we could see Tampa Bay try again to find another answer, as they did this offseason. Unless Prescott really starts to put the pieces together, they may well start over once again.

BALTIMORE BLITZ 26  WASHINGTON FEDERALS 31

We love a good divisional battle, and when it is two teams separated by only 57 miles, you just know the two clubs will have a lot of bad blood, and the fanbases even more. Throw in the fact that both Baltimore and Washington came into this game at 2-3 and were fighting to reach .500 and you have a lot of motivation in this game.

The Blitz had started the season well, edging the Stars 15-10 on a rainy opening weekend in Philadelphia, but then went on to lose 3 in a row before rebounding last week with a thorough drubbing of the LA Express. Washington started very slow, beaten badly by the Maulers and the Stags before winning a shootout against Seattle. But a huge upset over New Orleans last week gave the Federals confidence that they were on the right track as they prepared to host their arch rivals in the Beltway Brawl at RFK.

And this one would truly be a brawl, a game initially dominated by the Blitz, but a game that Washington would not abandon as they clawed their way back, taking the lead, after trailing for much of the game, on their final drive, a game-winning drive that could well have broad ramifications for the season ahead for both teams. It was a game that saw veteran QBs Ben Roethlisberger and David Garrard battle it out over 60 minutes, with both defenses struggling to find answers as the two combined for over 600 yards passing.

Early on it appeared that the day might belong to Baltimore. After the Blitz were stopped on their opening drive, a coffin corner punt pinned the Federals back at their own 1-yard line, and on their first play from scrimmage DE Da’Quan Bowers drew a holding call in the endzone, giving Baltimore the safety and another possession after the free kick. Baltimore used that possession to put up 7 points as they mixed the run and the pass to get inside the 10 and Anthony Dixon punched the ball in from 8 yards out.

While the Federals struggled to find their groove, the Blitz were in full form already. On their 3rd possession of the game, Ben Roethlisberger found Brian Hartline on a fly route, gaining 32 yards in one fell swoop and placing on the ball on the Washington 9. Two plays later, Big Ben hit Jaydon Mickens, a little used target, for his only catch of the day, a 9-yard TD reception. Baltimore was up 16-0 after the PAT and the Federals looked to be struggling on defense.

But, sometimes the best defense truly is a good offense, and Washington finally found some positives on offense on their next drive. David Garrard used pistol and shotgun formations to survey the field, connecting on 4 consecutive throws and moving the ball 53 yards in those 4 plays. After a short run by Anthony Allen (held to 46 yards on the day), Garrard went back to the air, connecting with Brandon LaFell for the first Washington score of the day.

But the defense was still struggling to contain the Blitz, and Baltimore used only 8 plays and 1:22 off the clock before they countered the Washington touchdown. This time it was Roethlisberger to Harry Douglas for 7, on a drive that began with a 20-yard Anthony Dixon run and finished with the Blitz back up by 16 at 23-7. Still, Washington was not going to go away. Garrard again moved the ball well, this time helped by some carelessness on a 3rd and 4, as Baltimore jumped offside and gifted a first down to the Federals. Washington did not waste the opportunity, with Garrard finding LaFell for a 2nd time, putting them at 23-14 with 2:36 left in the quarter.

Baltimore failed to pick up a first down on their next possession, giving the Federals a chance to get even closer with a final drive. They could not find the endzone, but with time running out Adam Vinatieri put the ball through the uprights and the Federals went into the half very much in the game, down only 23-17.

The Federals would put up the only points of the third quarter as Baltimore started to struggle to convert on third down, missing on 3 attempts in the quarter. The Federals opened the half with the ball and Garrard found Kellen Davis from 23 yards out for his third TD of the day. Garrard would finish the game with 351 yards, completing 31 of 43 throws as the Federals gave up on the run against Baltimore’s front 7, but had good success in the passing game. The TD drive spurred on the Federals and for the rest of the game they would keep Baltimore out of the endzone and struggling to string together first downs.

Both clubs spent most of the third and fourth quarters battling for field position, Baltimore trailing 24-23, but unable to get into range even for Josh Lambo to take a shot. That would change with 4:46 left to play when a poor choice by Washington’s Tyreek Hill would cost the Federals the ball. Hill caught a short slant and was on his way to a 17-yard gain, but thought he could spin his way past the safety and get even more. The spin move caused Hill to hold the ball out to his side and Baltimore safety Kendrick Lewis, stripped Hill of the ball. Baltimore recovered and had a short field to get in range for Josh Lambo.

The Blitz would convert on the drive, putting up 3 points and retaking the lead at 26-24 with just 2:22 left to play. But Washington had time, and, needing only a field goal to retake the lead, they would mount a drive that would send Baltimore home with a 4th loss. The drive lasted only 1:12 on the clock, but included 8 plays and a back-breaking TD toss, Garrard’s 4th of the day. Garrard hit Kellen Davis twice on the drive, including a 17-yarder on 3rd and 12, a brutal blow to the Blitz defense. Only 2 plays later, Garrard would find Keenan Allen on a fade route and the Feds would take the lead (and the win) with a 31-26 advantage.

The win put Washington at a surprising 3-3 after 6 games, while Baltimore slid to 2-4. Both teams clearly have problems to fix and a need for more consistent defensive play, but what we learned about Washington was that they were finding ways to compensate for issues in the run game by allowing David Garrard to use his experience and vision to pick apart a defense. A good win by the Federals and a short, but unhappy bus ride back to Baltimore for the Blitz.

BIRMINGHAM 17  MEMPHIS 19

The Stallions’ absolute inability to sustain a run game may have cost them another game as Memphis held their arch rival to a truly pathetic 30 total yardsrushing, with both Kerryon Johnson and T. J. Yeldon held under 3 yards per carry, pushing the Stallions to make a mid-week trade (see below). The entire offense produced only 178 yards of offense as Rex Ryan’s defense kept Cam Newton in check. While it was not a banner day for the Showboat offense, with Paxton Lynch throwing 2 picks and Todd Gurley struggling to gain 66 yards on the day, it was enough as Memphis came back from a 17-10 halftime deficit with their three 2nd half Lewis Ward field goals the only scoring of the final 30 minutes.

POTG: Showboat rookie TE Dallas Goedert: 7 rec, 103 Yds

SEATTLE 28  LOS ANGELES 27

The Dragons earn their first win of the season as LA continues to find new ways to disappoint their shrinking home crowds. The Express went down 28-21 with 2:47 left, got a nice 2-minute drill from the offense, capped off by a Bradford to Demaryius Thomas TD toss with 1:35 left, only to have Dan Bailey shank the PAT into the right upright. Seattle got a stellar game from Matt McGloin, one of this season’s surprise successes, as the career backup completed 29 of 35 passing for 289 yards and 3 TDs. The Dragon defense also showed up, holding a somewhat gimpy Reggie Bush to only 18 yards on the day.

POTG: Dragon CB Xavien Howard: 7 Tck, 1 PDef, 1 Int.

OHIO 17  ATLANTA 13

A tough home loss for the SE Division-leading Fire as Ohio’s defense came up big with 5 sacks of Aaron Murray and, worst of all, a 4th quarter pick-six that gave the Glory the upper hand and the W. Tim Smith got the start at QB for the QB-shy Glory, completing 19 of 30 for 165, a TD and 2 picks. Isaiah Pead added 65 yards rushing, but the story of the game was the Glory defense, led by LB Daniel Ellerbe, whose 47-yard return of a tipped ball would be the deciding score of the game. The D produced 3 takeaways (1 pick and 2 fumble recoveries) and held Atlanta to only 236 total yards, with Nick Chubb gaining only 42 yards on 14 carries.

POTG: Ohio LB Daniel Ellerbe: 7 Tck, 1 TFL, 1 FR, 1 PDef, 1 Int, 1 Def TD.

TAMPA BAY 26  NEW JERSEY 35

Maurice Jones-Drew came up big with 122 yards rushing and 4 TDs (1, 1, 2, and 35 yards) as the Generals got the W despite Tampa Bay outgaining them 465-351. Dak Prescott did his best, throwing for 3 scores and 389 yards as the Bandits fell behind early and abandoned the run game, but it was not enough as New Jersey scored 4 first half touchdowns and controlled the clock in the 2nd half. Dez Bryant had his best game with the Bandits, catching 6 for 106 and 2 scores, but no one could outshine MJD on this day.

POTG: Generals’ HB Maurice Jones-Drew: 24 Att, 122 Yds, 4 TD, 2 Rec, 24 Yds

MICHIGAN 17  OAKLAND 34

An absolute statement win for the Invaders as they try to gain respect they feel is due. The defending champs came into Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and were bombarded early, with Oakland putting up the first 24 points of the game to take a dominant lead a the half. Touchdowns from Christian McCaffrey and Davante Adams got it started, but the true backbreaker was a 2nd quarter scoop and score of a fumble by former Panther Michael Bennett. The Invader D continued to impress, holding LeVeon Bell to 62 yards rushing, sacking Kirk Cousins 4 times and snagging 2 picks and 2 fumbles in a dominant win.

POTG: Former Panther, now Invader DE Michael Bennett: 3 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Def TD, 1 FR

PORTLAND 13  SAN DIEGO 10  OVERTIME

Another team trying to earn respect, Portland went into defending Pacific Division Champ San Diego’s back yard and came away with a hard-fought overtime win. It was not a pretty win, but it was a win as Portland forced two Joe Webb interceptions and limited Ryan Williams to 0.9 yards per carry in a very impressive defensive showing. The Stag offense was not impressive but did enough to get the win in overtime. Marcus Mariota completed 4 of 5 passes in the game-winning drive before Dan Carpenter put the W on the board with a 44-yard kick with only 1:42 left in the extra period.

POTG: Stags’ CB Dale Luong: 5 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int

DALLAS 7  ARIZONA 24

We are not sure if Arizona’s rebuilt defense is beginning to find its stride under Coach Tomsula, or if Dallas, with Brandon Wheedon at the helm, is just not ready to mount an offense yet, but this was a strong defensive showing for the Wranglers, holding Dallas to only 252 total yards and only 140 yards passing. It helps that the Wrangler ground game was in good form, with Carey and Gore combining for 162 yards on 35 carries. Samaje Perine had a solid outing for Dallas, with 82 yards, but Brandon Wheedon averaged only 4.5 yards per completion on the day, limiting Dallas to 3 of 12 on third down.

POTG: Wrangler HB Frank Gore: 16 Att, 66 Yds, 2 TD

PHILADELPHIA 22  PITTSBURGH 24

In a week of statement games, the Maulers announce to the league that they are to be taken seriously, with Andy Dalton putting up 3 touchdowns, Sony Michel and Marcus Lattimore combining for 134 yards rushing and the Pittsburgh D holding an admittedly hobbled Derrick Henry to only 18 yards rushing. Down 24-13 after 3 quarters, Philadelphia did mount a comeback in the 4th, but it fell short when DT Aaron Donald sacked Matt Gutierrez on 4th and 11 from the Mauler 44 in the game’s final minute.

POTG: Mauler QB Andy Dalton: 22/33, 240 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int

JACKSONVILLE 10  CHARLOTTE 38

The Monarchs recaptured a share of 1st place in the SE Division by dominating the Bulls. Charlotte outgained Jacksonville 406-231, picking off NFL import Teddy Bridgewater 3 times and sacking him another 4 times. Mitch Trubisky threw for 253 and 3 scores, with Justin Blackmon catching 5 for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns, but it was Adrian Peterson’s 114 yards on 13 carries that kept Charlotte in control the entire game.

POTG: Monarch HB Adrian Peterson: 13 Att, 114 Yds

OKLAHOMA 7  NEW ORLEANS 17

Joe Flacco was forced out of a 7-7 game in the 3rd quarter and New Orleans added 10 points in the final period to move to 5-1 on the year. Another gimpy running back, Marshawn Lynch had only 8 carries in the game before being sent to the locker room. Both defenses played well, but with 3 turnovers, 2 in the final period, including a late pick from Flacco’s sub, rookie Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma simply could not counter New Orleans’s two scoring drives.

POTG: New Orleans DT Ricky Jean-Francois: 8 Tck, 1 Sck

LAS VEGAS 33  DENVER 23

Denver’s defense had a surprisingly poor outing against the Vipers as Eli Manning threw for 334 yards and the combo of Hunt and Hardesty combined for 87 yards and a score for the Vipers. In a game that had no turnovers, field position was key and on multiple occasions Denver simply could not get the ball out of their end. Despite this, it was Denver up 23-12 after 3 quarters, but the 4th quarter saw Las Vegas come alive, with 4 scoring drives, including touchdowns from Montario Hardesty, and the backbreaker, and 59-yard, game winning punt return from Arnold Brown.

POTG: Viper QB Eli Manning: 27/36, 334 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int

CHICAGO 34  ST. LOUIS 6

In a game that may herald the end of an era, Josh Freeman completed only 6 passes for 53 yards as Chicago dominated, outpacing St. Louis with 412 offensive yards to a pitiful 121 for the Skyhawks. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 21 of 26, but it was the Chicago run game that dominated, with Matt Forte running for 88 yards and Jeremy Hill for 94 and 2 scores. St. Louis managed only 6 first downs all game, and by the third quarter the fans at the Dome could be heard chanting for Lamar Jackson to come in. He did not, but it looks like he will get the start in Week 7 as Josh Freeman’s tenure in St. Louis could be coming to an end.

POTG: Machine CB Josh Norman: 1 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD

HOUSTON 14  ORLANDO 20

Russell Wilson finally looked back to his regular self, throwing for 229 yards and 2 TDs, while the Orlando defense made life difficult for Colt McCoy, and especially Carlos Hyde. Hyde finished with only 7 yards rushing as Orlando took an early lead and forced Houston to play catch up. Despite outgaining the Renegades, Houston just could not break into scoring position for most o fhte game, getting their 14 points in the 4th quarter when the game was all but locked up for Orlando.

POTG: Orlando DE Calais Campbell: 3 Tck, 2 Sck

Bridgewater Struggles after Surprise

Start

It is something of a cliché that teams should not count on their NFL imports to light things up in their first year. Trying to add a 2nd season into a year when you don’t give yourself time to rest and recover after a long NFL season is not easy. And yet, every year we get excited by players coming over from the fall league. Well, if Teddy Bridgewater’s first game is any indication, fans in Jacksonville may want to wait until 2019 before they expect much from their NFL import QB.

Bridgewater was a surprise start this weekend, with most indications being that Robert Griffin III would get another start against Charlotte. But when the Bulls’ offense took the field it was Bridgewater, returning to his college number 5 who took the field. Charlotte may have been surprised, but they were not flustered by the unannounced change of QB. The Monarchs proceeded to make the former Louisville Cardinal’s first start one he would like to forget. Charlotte’s D picked off the new USFL starter 3 times, got him to the ground with 4 sacks, and hit him more times than Coach Flores wanted to see. The result? A pretty easy 28-point win for Charlotte and only 231 yards of offense for Jacksonville. A rough start for the NFL import, but nothing we haven’t seen before. Expect to see Bridgewater back under center this week, when the Bulls pull a tough assignment, hosting the defending champion Panthers and their top ranked USFL pass defense.

Skyhawks Moving On? Set to Start

Jackson in Week 7

After an absolute stinker this week that saw Josh Freeman complete only 6 passes in a 34-6 drubbing by the Chicago Machine, it is no surprise at all that Coach Reich is now going to hand the keys to the offense over to rookie Lamar Jackson. With a 1-5 start and his job on the line, Reich has to do something. And while St. Louis’s problems on defense are sizeable, switching up the QB can potentially do some good, especially if it means keeping that miserable defense off the field for more of the game.

Jackson will start under center for the Skyhawks, but what does that mean for the St. Louis offense. Expect him to be given some pretty basic pass pattern combos to decipher, lots of opportunities to scramble if protection breaks down, and very possibly some planned runs. Jackson is far more mobile than Freeman, and Coach Reich would be a fool to try to keep him in the pocket. But, this will be Jackson’s first pro start, so we should also expect some issues with the speed of the game, with the complexity of defenses, and with indecisiveness. Going on the road for his first start will certainly not make things any easier, but Las Vegas is not a particularly aggressive defense, so there is a chance that Jackson will have a shot at putting together some drives and showing us his potential.

Two Big Trades Set Up Rush to Week 10 Deadline

We have 2 more weeks until the trade deadline and only now did we get our first big trade of the season. Well, two trades actually. Will this trigger more movement, or are teams leary to make midseason deals? Well, four teams were not, and we got two pretty meaningful player swaps as a result.

Birmingham and Tampa Bay Swap Five as Both Seek to Bolster Run Game

Two offenses both looking to shake things up and find a run game made a deal to swap backs, with Birmingham throwing in even more collateral to also upgrade at right tackle. The deal involves 5 players and 2 draft picks as the Bandits will send underrated but effective dual use back Rex Burkhead to Birmingham, along with starting right tackle Jake Long. In return, Birmingham, having already demoted former Alabama back T. J. Yeldon, now ships him off to Tampa Bay, along with swing tackle Brennan Williams, reserve DE Jarius Wynn and two 5th round draft picks (2019 and 2020).

For Birmingham, this is about trying to build a run game that has simply been ineffective with Yeldon. Burkhead can split carries with Kerryon Johnson, their 2018 draft choice, providing more of a pass-catching threat as well as some pretty good close-yardage skills. He will run behind Jake Long, who is certainly an upgrade on the right side for Birmingham.  Meanwhile, Tampa Bay adds depth at OT and DE, and has a back similar in some ways to their starter, Dalvin Cook, to utilize when Cook needs a breather. They also add a couple of draft picks, part of the addition of Long to the deal, without a doubt.                           

Fire & Gold Exchange Starters 

The Atlanta Fire made a deal with Denver in hopes of adding a solid 2nd option for QB Aaron Murray. The deal brings WR Kelvin Benjamin to the Fire after barely a full season in Denver. The former Federal had his best year in Washington in 2016, catching 66 balls for 1,026 yards before joining the Gold in free agency. In Denver, he started all 16 games in 2017 but dropped to only 671 yards receiving. He had 29 catches for 364 yards and 2 touchdowns with the Gold this season, but was being challenged for snaps by Michael Crabtree. In Atlanta, he will line up with Roy Williams as the starting receivers, with Pharoh Cooper and Dorial Green-Beckham sharing the slot. The deal for Benjamin is a clear sign that bringing Leonard Hankerson back from a short NFL stint has simply not worked out.

Meanwhile, with the deal Denver solves a question they had struggled with over their recent 3-game losing streak, who to line up alongside Shaquile Barrett and Patrick Onwuasor in their 4-3 LB group. Atlanta sends them veteran Justin Houston in the deal, along with both teams swapping 2nd round picks in 2019 for some reason (no one can figure out who wins that, at least not yet.)  Houston will likely share time with Harold Landry in the short term, but the goal, it seems, is to move Landry inside behind Onwuasor and to have Barrett and Houston outside.

With 2 weeks left to go, and several teams still hoping to salvage the season or make a move to the top of their division, it is safe to say that the trading block is not done seeing deals yet. We may just be getting started.

Denver Drops 3rd in a Row After Fast

Start

After a very sweet start for the Gold, one that saw them knock off Arizona, Las Vegas, and Dallas in consecutive weeks, things have turned sour over the past 3 games, with tough losses to Oklahoma (a 35-30 shootout) and then losses in the rematches with both the Wranglers and Vipers. The up and down season means that Denver is sitting at 3-3 not only in the overall standings, but within their division as well. They now embark on a 4-game out-of-division run (they have only 2 division games left all season), beginning with a Week 7 trip to LA before they face the Breakers, Thunder, and Stallions.

Clearly Denver feels a need to shake things up, otherwise they would not have traded Kelvin Benjamin to obtain more help at linebacker, but they are also looking at their offense and wondering what else can be done. The run game has been solid, with DeMarco Murray and rookie Phillip Lindsay combining to average 114.8 yards per game, good enough for 6th in the league, but Matt Leinart and the passing game have started to sputter after a good start. Denver ranks 24th in the league with only 195.3 yards per game, and while Matt Leinart’s QB Rating of 96.1 is good enough for 4th in the league, there is concern that he has cooled off after an opening 3-game stint in which he had 6 touchdowns to only 1 pick. Trading away Benjamin may not be a positive in this direction, though Coach Hufnagel stated that he has the utmost confidence in shifting Michael Crabtree into the 2 slot and having Kevin White take over in the slot.

The question, of course, is whether Hufnagel will consider putting rookie Josh Allen in to spark some big plays. For all of Leinart’s efficiency, he is not getting the ball deep, and there is a growing sentiment that if Denver continues to struggle with big play production, that giving Allen a shot may help spark some potential highlight plays that will make Denver both more challenging for defensive coordinators and more exciting for a fanbase that has been a bit underwhelmed with the style of play.

Oakland Does it with Defense

The Oakland Invaders have started 3 different quarterbacks in 6 games, are ranked 28th in yards per game, and yet are sitting pretty at 5-1. How are they doing this? Defense. The old fashioned way to win games, just keep the opponent below 20 points a game. Well, how about under 14 points a game?  Oakland’s defense is currently ranked 1st overall in points allowed at an average of only 13.8 per game. The only team to top 20 points was Arizona, which is also Oakland’s only loss.

The stars of that defense are easy to spot. Linebacker and defensive captain Bobby Wagner is all over the field, racking up 43 tackles on the season. He and squadmate Tavares Gooden have also combined for 6 sacks in the early weeks of the season. Of course this week the big hero was former Panther Michael Bennett, who got a nice shot in on his former team with Oakland’s big win and his big game. He leads the club with 5 sacks, but with 6 different players currently with multiple sacks on the year, it is clear that Oakland’s pressure packages are varied and effective. We should also highlight the work of the secondary, with Chris Gamble sitting at 4 picks on the year, followed by CB Jahleel Addae with 3.

It has been a team effort, and not only playing tight D, but using the D to put points on the board, with 3 defensive touchdowns already this year, 2 from CB Chris Gamble and one on Bennett’s scoop & score fumble recovery this week. Oakland may not have the most explosive offense, and QB Jimmy Garoppolo may still be trying to find his way in his first USFL season, but the Invader defense is proving to be a formidable force and a big reason why Oakland is looking at the league from atop the standings.

After a few pretty light weeks on the injury front, Week 6 turned the tables, with significant injury reports across the league, including 4 new additions to the IR list, with Memphis LB and defensive captain NaVorro Bowman perhaps the toughest injury to account for in the list. Certainly Orlando will also miss CB Dee Milliner, though he is expected to return in time for a possible playoff run. The same for Portland tackle Roger Saffold. Both Baltimore and Atlanta lose a starter on their offensive lines, and Oklahoma may well play Week 7 without their starting QB and star HB, as both Joe Flacco and Marshawn Lynch appeared on the injury report this week.

OUT

TE            Kellen Winslow II            WSH     Groin                    IR

G        Trevor Canfield               ATL         MCL                      IR

CB         Artie Burns                       DEN      Hamstring         IR

LB          NaVorro Bowman             MEM     Hamstring         IR

OT        Ryan Ramczyk                  BAL        Leg                        6-8 Weeks

CB         Dee Milliner                      ORL       Miniscus             6-8 Weeks

C           Wesley Johnson               LV           Ribs                       6-8 Weeks

OT         Roger Saffold                   POR      Hip                        6-8 Weeks

G           MacKenzie Bernadeu      SD          Arm                       4-6 Weeks

C             Robert Vega                     PHI        Arm                       2-4 Weeks

LB         Rey Maualaga                   NJ           Hamstring         1-2 Weeks

FS         Kyzir White                       MGN     Finger                   1-2 Weeks

DOUBTFUL

HB         Zac Stacy                   PHI        Hip                       

SS          Tarvarious Moore       MGN     Hamstring

QB        Joe Flacco                      OKL       Concussion

QUESTIONABLE

DE         Deshon Hall                  SEA        Concussion

TE         Vernon Davis                  HOU     Back

DT       Gabe Wright                    PIT         Neck

G           Parker Ehinger               PIT         Broken Nose

TE      David Njoku                    ORL       Hand

DT       Fletcher Cox                   JAX         Shoulder

HB           Marshawn Lynch              OKL       Concussion

A Quick Look at Team Rankings After 6 Weeks

While we publish player rankings each week, highlighting the league leaders in several statistical categories, we rarely look at teams as a whole, so this week we decided to do just that, review the top and bottom of the league in six significant categories. This will give you an idea where teams are finding their success and where they may be struggling. Expect to see something of a parallel between wins and losses and success in these categories, though an occasional outlier can slip in, as you will see.

Passing Yards

TOP 5                                                    BOTTOM 5

Tampa Bay         1,712                       Oakland              828

Houston              1,710                        Ohio                      981

Philadelphia     1,622                         Pittsburgh          1,135

New Jersey        1,586                         Atlanta                1,172

Arizona                1,585                         Denver                 1,172

Several surprises here, from Tampa Bay’s top position to the low output of Pittsburgh’s new spread offense. But, in nearly all cases what we are seeing are veteran QBs, solid receiving corps, and teams with solid O-lines among the leaders, while both Oakland and Ohio have used multiple QBs this season, explaining why their production has not been particularly strong.

Rushing Yards

TOP 5                                                         BOTTOM 5

Michigan            844                           Oklahoma          352

San Diego           819                         New Orleans    359

Charlotte            729                            Birmingham      384

Pittsburgh          724                            Houston              410

Portland              700                            Washington       421

The biggest shocker here is the absolute failure of Oklahoma’s switch to a smashmouth, power run game. They are dead last in rushing despite focusing their attention on Marshawn Lynch. It seems defenses have also been able to focus on Lynch and the hoped-for ground dominance just has not materialized. No surprise that the Breakers, Stallions and Feds are struggling, but Houston seems to have de-emphasized Carlos Hyde, and that may be an issue for them. On the other side of the spectrum, Portland, Pittsburgh and Charlotte seem to have found life through their run games, something we knew would be the case for the Panthers and LeVeon Bell.

Pass Defense

     TOP 5                                              BOTTOM 5

        Michigan            1,060              Philadelphia      1,856

        Ohio                      1,106               Seattle                1,690

        Dallas                  1,128               New Jersey        1,661

      Chicago              1,138             Denver                 1,627

        Jacksonville      1,198               Los Angeles       1,626

When you look at defense, the best thing to do is first to look at both run and pass, because one can suffer if the other is really strong. Take the Generals, for example. Their run defense is very solid, so teams fall behind early and have to pass to catch up, leaving the Generals looking like a weak pass defense when the truth is that they are a strong run defense. Of course, if you can hold down the pass, especially in the USFL, that is often a good sign for your club.

Rush Defense

TOP 5                                                     BOTTOM 5

Pittsburgh          323                          St. Louis              1,119

New Orleans    377                        Seattle                782

Memphis            390                           Washington       764

New Jersey        437                            Charlotte            716

Houston              443                            Arizona                697

No surprise to find Pittsburgh atop the run defense list. Their front 7 is so tough to run against. Memphis, New Orleans and Houston also do a great job making teams one dimensional. And if this list shows us anything it is that St. Louis may well be historically bad against the run. With nearly a 400-yard difference between the sad state of affairs in Seattle and the 2nd worst team up in Seattle.

Sacks

TOP 5                                                 BOTTOM 5

Orlando               26                     Portland              5

Oakland              25                     Seattle                9

New Orleans    24                    Jacksonville      9

Houston              23                    Arizona                10

New Jersey        20                     Washington       10

Is anyone surprised that Orlando leads the league in sacks? Probably not, but did you expect Oakland to be right there with them. The Invader D has proven itself very worthy this year. Meanwhile the Wranglers are struggling to find a pass rush with their new defense, but not as badly as both Seattle and Portland, whose entire teams are not keeping pace with the top 5-6 edge rushing ends in the league.

Takeaways

TOP 5                                              BOTTOM 5

Charlotte            17                     St. Louis              3

Oakland              17                     Houston              5

Dallas                  16                    Memphis            5

Birmingham      16                   Arizona                6

Orlando               16                    Michigan            7

What is the saying? Turnovers equals points? Yup. Turnovers lead to short fields, short fields lead to more scoring opportunities, and that can easily lead to wins. Charlotte and Oakland are living well thanks to the short fields (and defensive scores) put up by their defense. The same is not true for the 1-5 Skyhawks, though it is surprising to see 3 really good teams struggling to get takeaways (Houston, Arizona, and Michigan).

Stags Make Serious Inquiry to San

Diego About Naming Rights

It started as a fan petition, but it seems that the goal of reacquiring the “Thunder” moniker and history is very much of interest to the Portland Stags organization, not just for fan service, but as a way to re-ignite the passion of the region’s fanbase. With the San Diego franchise exploring a possible sale, the time may be right if Portland wanted to make a move. A new owner could subsidize his offer for the Thunder by accepting significant financial remuneration for the Thunder logo, name, and branding, allowing the new owner to craft an identity for their new investment, while also reducing their own cost of purchase.

It may sound crazy, but with the Thunder now in their third home, and with no significant ties to San Diego in their short history there, the option to secure a new identity might be quite attractive, and the fans in Portland would certainly welcome back a franchise that began in the city back in 1988. The Stags, while welcomed to the city when Columbia Sportswear Stadium was completed in 2008, the franchise has not had the type of rabid following that the Thunder saw in their best years in Portland.

So, while right now the talks between the Stags’ ownership and that of the Thunder are merely tentative, the true test when San Diego formally announces their intention to seek new ownership. When that happens, we could see immediate action from the Stags to petition the USFL for a transfer of franchise identity, paired with outreach to the selected ownership group to sweeten the pot towards the sale and ensure a smooth transition. It is certainly not a done deal, far too early to say that, but what began as a grassroots movement within the Portland football community could well be on the path to success.

Express Refresh Look for 2019

The Los Angeles, mired in a 1-5 start and potentially on the verge of removing former 2-time NFL Champion coach Andy Reid seem ripe for a change, and that change appears to be starting with the team’s aesthetics. The Express and Under Armour released their new look for 2019 and with that look comes a first for a franchise which has been in the USFL in one format or another since its inception in 1983.

Throughout the snake-bitten history of the Express, leaving for St. Louis in 1992, returning to the City of Angels in 1995, and nearly 40 seasons without a title in Tinsel Town, the Express have taken the field in a combination of navy blue, speed (pale) blue, and silver, but they have always sported silver helmets as their primary. No longer. The new LA helmet shifts from silver to a color-shifting blue, with the crown in the team’s proprietary Speed Blue, but darkening by the base and rear of the helmet to a medium navy blue.  The helmets remain stripeless and have the wrap around jet and contrail logo first introduced in 2011.

The primary jerseys, pant sets, and socks all retain elements of the past few LA Express iterations, with the dominant motif being the “split” striping, a feature also present on the jersey numbers, always presented in 2 colors with an angled cut dividing the two. The team will have both silver and navy pants and white and Speed Blue jerseys with offset colored sleeves. The secondary “Mercury” head logo will appear on the sleeves, and the LAX logo on the chest. The jerseys also feature a thin side panel stripe, interrupted by the “slash” cut that separates colors. This extends into the pant sets as well.

The Express alternate designs feature the same basic design, but in the “Silver Streak” alternate, we return to the silver helmet, along with a light silvery-grey jersey and white pant set. The silver jersey is the only one to feature piping around the numbers, with white surrounding the twin-blue numbers and comprising the color-separating slash. LA will also have a true throwback look, harkening back to the early 1980’s with a look which had to be approved by the now Las Vegas Vipers (formerly the Express until 1992). The navy and white jerseys, silver pants, and navy trim with burgundy harkens back to the team’s 1983 season.

Week 7 action kicks off with a divisional double header as Chicago visits Ohio in the NBC Friday Night Lights game, a matchup of two 3-3 teams looking to pursue Michigan in the Central. The late game, this week on FOX, features 5-1 Oakland facing the 1-5 Seattle Dragons, who, for a second season in a row, needed to wait until Week 6 to get their first win of the year.

On Saturday, the best of the early games features Washington at New Jersey in a Northeast clash. The Feds have won three in a row to reach .500 and face a New Jersey team that sits only a half-game up at 3-2-1. At 4pm, we are tuning in for Birmingham at Houston, a Southern divisional game that could determine if Birmingham is a potential factor in the division or destined for 4th place. The evening games include San Diego at Philadelphia and Denver heading to Los Angeles to take on the Express.

On Sunday, we start the day off with an intriguing matchup in the Northeast as the 4-2 Maulers visit the 2-4 Blitz, with the fortunes of both clubs seemingly reversed from preseason predictions. The national game on Fox in the noon hour features a surprising 5-1 Memphis team headed to Charlotte to take on the defending SE Division champion Monarchs. At 4pm we have a good one in the Southwest, as Arizona takes their 4-1-1 record to Oklahoma City to face the 3-3 Outlaws, possibly without either Joe Flacco or Marshawn Lynch able to play. We wrap up the week with another division clash, this time it is Orlando visiting Atlanta. A win by the Fire, with some help, could give them lone possession of first place in the division, while Orlando is hoping to get right into the heart of the division race with a win on the road.

Friday @ 6pm ET                Chicago (3-3) @ Ohio (3-3)                              NBC

Friday @ 8pm ET               Oakland (5-1) @ Seattle (1-5)                          FOX

Saturday @ 12pm ET              Washington (3-3) @ New Jersey (3-2-1)         ABC

Saturday @ 12pm ET               New Orleans (5-1) @ Tampa Bay (1-5)           FOX

Saturday @ 4pm ET               Birmingham (2-4) @ Houston (4-2)                ABC

Saturday @ 4pm ET                St. Louis (1-5) @ Las Vegas (3-3)                  FOX

Saturday @ 7pm ET                San Diego (2-4) @ Philadelphia (3-3)             NBC     

Saturday @ 9pm ET                 Denver (3-3) @ Los Angeles (1-5)           ESPN/EFN

Sunday @ 12pm ET                 Michigan (4-2) @ Jacksonville (1-5)           ABC Regional

Sunday @ 12pm ET              Pittsburgh (4-2) @ Baltimore (2-4)          ABC Regional

Sunday @ 12pm ET               Memphis (5-1) @ Charlotte (4-2)             FOX

Sunday @ 4pm ET                   Dallas (2-4) @ Portland (4-2)                    ABC

Sunday @ 4pm ET                Arizona (4-1-1) @ Oklahoma (3-3)        FOX

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