2018 USFL Week 7 Recap: Jackson Shines in Debut

Week 7 is in the books, and it is a week that brought us some big performances and a few surprises. We saw rookie QB Lamar Jackson throw for over 300 yards in his first action of the year, helping St. Louis snatch a victory in Las Vegas. We saw Seattle hold off Oakland to win their second in a row after an 0-5 start (sound familiar?). We saw Arizona’s defense again prove it is on the rise, New Orleans overpower another opponent to improve to 6-1. We also saw Orlando explode for 45 points after falling behind 20-0 in Atlanta, and we saw Pittsburgh show us they are a team to be taken seriously, as is Memphis, after they moved to 6-1 with a solid win in Charlotte. We also saw big games from HB Rashard Jennings (ORL), Jordy Nelson (NOR), Mike Evans (HOU), and Ryan Nassib (ARZ), but we start with the debut of the week, and perhaps of the season, with Lamar Jackson making a claim to the starting job in St. Louis and doing so with gusto.

Jackson In, Freeman Out?

It has only been one week, just one game, but how quickly the tide has turned in St. Louis. With just one performance, former Louisville QB Lamar Jackson has Skyhawk fans believing and has management considering a permanent shift and a possible trade for former MVP Josh Freeman. All this from a single outing. But, that is the way things can sometimes go. Frustration with Freeman has been growing for several years as the veteran QB and 2012 MVP has just not been able to find the same swagger over the past few seasons. Following his 2012 MVP year, in which Freeman threw for 3,900 yards and 39 touchdowns, with a 114.3 QB rating, the St. Louis quarterback’s numbers have dipped considerably. He has not played a full 16 games since that 2012 season, suiting up for only 9 starts last year, and his production has slipped as well. From 39 touchdowns in 2012 to only 13 last season. He has not topped 20 touchdowns in a season since 2013, and the Skyhawks have also seen their fortunes take a major hit over the past 6 years as well.

Enter the newly signed former Heisman trophy winner. Following a 1-5 start with Freeman at the helm, Coach Reich, in something of a desperation move for the 2nd year coach, opted to give his rookie quarterback the start Week 7 in Las Vegas. And while it was hardly a perfect game by the rookie, the results were pretty stunning, including a road win for the first time this season. Jackson, expected to be something of a dual threat QB, stayed mostly in the pocket, throwing the ball 34 times, completing 25, and finding some big plays on the way to 301 yards passing.

The rookie QB looked poised, had good rapport with his receivers, and, most importantly, delivered a win for the struggling Skyhawks. Former Philadelphia Star receiver Stevie Johnson, who finished with 7 catches for 103 yards and a score, seemed more than pleased with his new QB, saying “This kid is special. I love Josh, but I am excited about what we have going on now.”. Coach Reich also praised Jackson, stating that his quarterback “made good decisions, played within himself, and executed the gameplan like a pro”.

It was, without a doubt, a strong start for the 2016 Heisman winner, one of only two “top tier” QBs signed by the USFL in this offseason’s wild QB frenzy. His fellow USFL signee, Denver’s Josh Allen, has yet to see the field, but in his debut, Jackson made a lot of Skyhawk fans very happy. It may be a while before his home crowd gets to see him play, with St. Louis at the front end of a 3 game road trip that sees him in Chicago next week and Jacksonville in Week 9, but number 8 jerseys are already selling well in St. Louis, and local sports radio is ready to anoint the kid as the new starter, with fans already expecting the Skyhawks to deal Josh Freeman in the coming weeks, with the trade deadline coming up in Week 10.

How realistic is that? Actually, the potential is there. With Kyle Boller a capable backup to Jackson, and with so many clubs across the league dealing with uncertain QB situations, either due to injury or lack of production, Freeman may never have more value than he does right now. St. Louis has to be ready to field offers and to consider making a move quickly. Of course, that can all change if Jackson struggles this week against Chicago. After all, one game does not prove much, but for fans in St. Louis, that one game is more than they could have hoped for from their new QB, and with discomfort over Freeman’s production and injury history the past few seasons, the time does seem right for a changing of the guard and a new face of the franchise in the Gateway City.

OAKLAND INVADERS 17  SEATTLE DRAGONS 21

For the second straight year, Coach Mike Riley’s Seattle Dragons stumbled out of the gate, opening the season with an 0-5 start. And, for a second straight year, Week 6 proved to be a turnaround point, with Seattle earning their first win of the season, a 28-27 nailbiter in Los Angeles. But could the Dragons really go on a run again? That was the question when the club returned home to face division-leading Oakland, coming in at 5-1 and looking very much like the best club in an unsettled Pacific Division.

Oakland QB Jimmy Garoppolo was ready for his 4th start in the league, after mixed results statistically in his first 3 games, but 3 wins nonetheless. The Oakland defense was looking very solid, holding teams to only 14.9 points per game, and producing turnovers along the way. On paper, this looked like an easy win for the Invaders, but once again, the Dragons seem to be finding their way after a very rough first month of action, and they are doing so without starting QB Jacoby Brissett.

Since coming in for Brissett in Week 2, Matt McGloin has been impressive, throwing for 11 touchdowns and only 2 picks, and producing the Dragons’ first win last week, but in this game, he would not be the hero. Trailing 10-0 midway through the 3rd quarter, McGloin would go down after taking a hard hit, head to turf on a sack. McGloin had gone 11 of 14 to that point, but the Dragons had not been able to put any points on the board. Former Atlanta QB Brad Gradkowski would have to come in and finish the game, further darkening the mood of Dragon fans who were leery of their team’s chances.

But Gradkowski, while not perfect (throwing a pick on his 2nd attempt), did produce results. On his second possession in the game, he led a 2-minute drill that cut Oakland’s lead to 3 with a TD toss to Marshall Newhouse getting Seattle on the board with 30 seconds left in the period. Gradkowski went 2 of 4 on the drive, getting help from his backs as Knowshon Moreno had his best run of the game, a 15-yarder, and Wendell Smallwood took a toss for another 12. It was the first drive that saw Seattle enter the red zone and the first scoring drive for the Dragons.

Oakland was not impressed. They took the ball on the very next possession and pushed the lead back up to 10, with Jimmy G finding Davone Bess for a key 20-yard gain on a 3rd and 14 breaking the Seattle defense. Garoppolo, who had hit Davante Adams for a 64-yard score early in the 3rd to bust open what had been a 3-0 halftime lead, connected with Bess and then found Taylor Gabriel for 16 yards to put the ball at the 8. From there, Christian McCaffrey took the ball into the endzone to restore the 10 point lead at 17-7 with 11:35 left to play. Seattle would need to hold and to find more offense if they were to win their 2nd game of the season.

The Dragons did both. First came the defense, when FS Donte Whitner picked off Garoppolo on his first pass of the next drive, returning the ball 32 yards for a score and sending the Seattle crowd into a frenzy. The Seattle defense would rise in the final period, not only with this huge takeaway and score, but with two more big plays, shutting down Oakland on 3rd down twice more before the game was out. But, the offense also had to produce. Now down only 3 points, Seattle needed a drive. And when they got the ball back with 3:32 left to play, they would get one.

It was not the prettiest drive, and, admittedly, they were helped out by a costly defensive holding call on a 3rd and 8, but the ball just kept moving down the field, with Gradkowski hitting John Brown for 16, then C. J. Anderson gutting out a tough 3rd and 2 run to keep the ball in Seattle’s hands. Anderson also came up big with a 10-yard catch and run on 3rd and 7 as Seattle put the ball into the red zone. With time winding down, Gradkowski found TE Dennis Pitta on a seam route, lofting the ball over the linebacker and dropping it into his receiver’s hands. The score gave Seattle their first lead of the day, and gave the fans a reason to believe.

Oakland would get the ball back with just over 1 minute to play, needing a touchdown. The Dragon defense would not allow them even a first down, much less a last minute miracle. Pressure from Muhammad Wilkerson forced Garappolo to dump down the ball on first down, and good coverage from Seattle’s strong CB group of Richard Sherman, Xavien Howard, and nickel corner Desmond Truffant kept the ball from reaching the receivers on 2nd and 3rd down. On 4th and 8, Wilkerson, along with Calvin Pace, again collapsed the pocket, forcing Garoppolo to throw the ball too soon and it did not find a target, giving the Dragons the ball and the win.

Now, after only 2 wins, we are not willing to say that Seattle is going to duplicate their miracle run last year, one that saw them go from 0-5 to 9-7 and a playoff berth. But, what we do think we can say is that the Dragons are feeling more confident, and that they believe they are a much better team than the one that opened the year. They will get to prove that this week when they host the 5-2 Pittsburgh Maulers, and then the rematch with a stunned Oakland team in 2 weeks in the Coliseum.

CHICAGO 10  OHIO 17

The Machine and the Glory came into this one both sitting at 3-3 and both knowing that a win would put them in position to challenge Michigan in the Central Division. Ohio got off to a fast start when CB Chimdi Chekwa returned a tipped ball 16 yards for a TD. And despite having to go to their 4th QB of the season, with Keith Null stepping in when Troy Smith was injured, Ohio managed to hold Chicago at arm’s length, thanks in part to 4 total picks by the Glory defense in a rough outing for Ryan Fitzpatrick. Isaiah Pead led all rushers with 79 yards and a decisive TD as Ohio step up at home to take the important win.

POTG: Ohio SS Tyran Mathieu: 8 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int, 1 FF

WASHINGTON 19  NEW JERSEY 31

Maurice Jones-Drew had 97 combined yards from scrimmage and 2 TDs as New Jersey held home court and knocked off the surging Federals. David Garrard threw for 308 yards but the Federals settled for field goals on 4 of 5 scoring drives while New Jersey got TDs from MJD, OBJ, and Muhammed Sanu to improve to 4-2-1 on the season.

POTG: New Jersey CB Aqib Talib: 7 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int

NEW ORLEANS 26  TAMPA BAY 13

The Breakers double up the Bandits, scoring the first 26 points of the game as Drew Brees and Jordy Nelson connected for 146 yards and a score. Leonard Fournette also had a strong game, rushing for 87 yards and a TD as the game got out of hand early for the Bandits. Dak Prescott threw late touchdowns to Bryant and Ryan Grant, but it was too little, too late as the Breakers move to 6-1 on the season, the mirror image of Tampa Bay’s disappointing 1-6 record.

POTG: Breaker WR Jordy Nelson: 7 Rec, 148 Yds, 1 TD

BIRMINGHAM 14  HOUSTON 20  OVERTIME

The Stallions held a modest 6-0 lead at the half, but Houston came on with Colt McCoy hitting Mike Evans in the 3rd on a 34-yard strike. That was followed by a second scoring drive, with Carlos Hyde doing the honors. Birmingham evened the score when Cam Newton connected with Julian Edelman, and the game went to overtime, but in the extra period, McCoy found Hyde for a 2nd TD toss and the win went to the homestanding Gamblers.

POTG: Gambler QB Colt McCoy: 20/36, 348 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int

ST. LOUIS 24  LAS VEGAS 14

Lamar Jackson makes a great first impression, throwing for 301 yards and 2 scores as the Skyhawks take down the Vipers in Las Vegas. Jackson went 25 of 34, and avoided any turnovers in his league debut. A much better day than Eli Manning, who suffered a late 2nd quarter injury and missed the second half. The Skyhawks’ much-maligned defense allowed only 251 total yards to the Vipers, and held Las Vegas to only 1 of 9 on third down to earn their 2nd win of the season.

POTG: Skyhawk rookie QB Lamar Jackson: 25/34, 301 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int

SAN DIEGO 19  PHILADELPHIA 27

Joe Webb left the game early and NFL import Christian Ponder struggled against the Stars’ defense as Philadelphia moved back over .500 with the home win. Derrick Henry rushed for 109 and a score while backup Karlos Williams added 2 scores and 31 yards rushing for the Stars. Eight penalties by the Thunder meant that their 436 yards of offense went for naught, wasting a 104 yard rushing day from Ryan Williams.

POTG: Philadelphia CB Sam Shields: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int

DENVER 13  LOS ANGELES 10

A good game from both defenses or an ugly one for both offenses, either way, Denver fought back from a 10-3 deficit, putting up 10 points in the 4th quarter as LA’s defense withered. It was Matt Leinart to Golden Tate for the equalizer and then Greg Zeurlein with 51 seconds left put up the winning points. The Express managed only 9 first downs in a game where Reggie Bush just could not get going against Denver’s front 7. Bush rushed for only 22 yards on 17 attempts, a paltry 1.3 yards per carry.

POTG: Gold QB Matt Leinart: 25/37, 271 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int

MICHIGAN 22  JACKSONVILLE 16

The Panthers built up a 19-6 advantaged, but a late TD run from Bulls’ QB Teddy Bridgewater made the game close in the 4th. Bridgewater, who had suffered a safety early in the game, escaped another endzone situation and rambled 99 yards for a score as he got outstanding blocks from WR Mike Williams and TE Gavin Escobar on the called QB bootleg. Outside of that amazing play, however, it was all Panthers, with LeVeon Bell and Jerrel Jernigan scoring for Michigan and the defense holding Jacksonville to only 58 yards rushing outside of the one big play.

POTG: Panther DE Dee Ford: 7 Tck, 5 TFL, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty

PITTSBURGH 26  BALTIMORE 21

The Maulers make a statement with a big road win in the division. They now sit at 5-2 atop the Northeast after falling behind 21-10 in the 2nd. They went on to score the final 16 points in the game, thanks to a Rasul Douglas pick-six and 3 Andrew Franks field goals. The Mauler D struggled early, giving up two long Roethlisberger to Heyward-Bey touchdowns in the first half, but adjustments at halftime worked out for the Maulers, with DHB limited to only 1 catch for 8 yards in the 2nd half.

POTG: Mauler CB Rasul Douglas: 3 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD

MEMPHIS 24  CHARLOTTE 10

Time to take the Showboats seriously as they move to 6-1 with a big win on the road in Charlotte. Todd Gurley 108 yards rushing and caught a 1-yard pass for a TD as Paxton Lynch had an efficient game against the tough Charlotte D. Lynch went 25 of 31 for 229 yards and 2 scores.  Mitch Trubisky did not look as smooth, completing 18 of 31 but throwing 2 picks. Rex Ryan’s defense held Charlotte to only 224 total yards and forced 2 takeaways to help Memphis stay atop the South.

POTG: Showboat HB Todd Gurley: 18 Att, 108 Yds, 2 Rec, 1 Yd, 1 TD

DALLAS 12  PORTLAND 7

A rain-soaked field in Portland produced a sloppy game for both the Stags and the visiting Roughnecks. Marcus Mariota would be sacked 4 times and throw a costly pick late in the game, while Brandon Wheedon avoided mistakes and the Roughnecks were content to settle for field goals to earn the W. Dallas’s Patrick Peterson had a monster game, with 12 tackles, a pick, and a forced fumble which he then recovered. Kiko Alonso was the star for Portland with 3 of his 5 tackles stuffing runs behind the line of scrimmage.

POTG: Dallas CB Patrick Peterson: 12 Tck, 1 Int, 1 FF, 1 FR

ARIZONA 24  OKLAHOMA 13

Ryan Nassib continues to impress, throwing for 252 and 2 scores, while Mason Rudolph, getting the start for a dinged-up Joe Flacco, looked a little flustered, taking 4 sacks and missing on several key 3rd down plays. The game was close, 17-13 Arizona going into the 4th, but a Nassib to Larry Fitzgerald TD early in the final period put Arizona up 11, and they would not relinquish another point to the Outlaws. With the win, Arizona moves to 5-1-1, while Oklahoma slips below .500 at 3-4.

POTG: Wrangler QB Ryan Nassib: 13/28, 252 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int

ORLANDO 45  ATLANTA 23

The Renegades join a 3-way cluster atop the SE Division as they go down 20-0 in the first quarter and then outpace Atlanta 45-3 the rest of the way in a true momentum shift game. Atlanta got early TDs from Roy Williams and Kenyan Drake, but then started to self destruct, with Aaron Murray (8 of 8 at the time) knocked out of the game, Blaine Gabbert came in and struggled, throwing two pick sixes in the second half. Russell Wilson added TD tosses to Brashad Perriman and Jeremy Maclin and Orlando ran away with this one, scoring 6 touchdowns in their final 7 possessions.

POTG: Renegade LB Sean Spence: 7 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD

Reid Steps Down as Express Lose 5th in a Row

Rumors had been in the wind for a while, but this week, following another lackluster showing, Andy Reid put the rumors to bed, opting to step down as head coach of the LA Express rather than await a decision from ownership. The two-time Super Bowl winner in the NFL has just not been able to bring life to a moribund LA Express squad that has never tasted a championship in its entire existence. He came to LA with a lot of hopes and dreams of an Express title run, but the magic just never materialized for Reid and the Express.

After a strong first season that saw LA qualify for the playoffs as a Wild Card and upset Chicago to advance to the divisional round, 2014 saw LA regress, dropping to 6-10 and a last-place finish in the Pacific. LA dropped even further in 2015, sinking to 4-12, but with Reid bringing in talent via free agency, there was hope for a quick turnaround. The 2016 season bolstered faith in the head coach and his new squad as LA rebounded, improving from 4 wins the year before to 11, becoming one of the hot risers in the league. LA got a bye but fell in their opening game, a victim of payback as the Chicago Machine upended them 24-23. That defeat was followed by a disappointing 2017 campaign that saw the defending Pacific champions drop to 8-8 and finish out of playoff contention, third in the division.

The problem, consistently, had been offense. Despite talented players like QB Sam Bradford, HB Reggie Bush, and WR Demaryius Thomas, the Express simply could not generate points. Reid, who came to the USFL with a pedigree as an offensive strategist, has simply not been able to find the right combination of talent and execution to become anything like his dominant NFL offenses in Philadelphia. Seven games into the current season, LA ranks 22nd in points per game at only 19.0 (a number inflated by one ridiculous 48 point outing against St. Louis) and 19th in yards per game.

After becoming Seattle’s first victim of the season, a tough loss at home in Week 6, talk was getting loud that Reid would not last until the season’s conclusion. That talk apparently was very much happening behind the scenes. Following this week’s poor outing, again at home, a 13-10 loss to Denver, Reid opted to call his own number, announcing on Monday that he was stepping away from the team, resigning his position. Whether this is a true resignation or an indication that a firing was eminent is unknown, but the result is that the Express, languishing at 1-6 and in last place in the division once again, will be starting over with an interim head coach.

That interim coach is one familiar to USFL fans, former Orlando Renegades’ head coach and the DC for the Express the past 2 seasons, Emmitt Thomas. Thomas’s defense has been a bright spot for the Express despite poor game results this year. Thomas now takes over the top spot, though he is likely to continue to make the defensive calls. The offense will likely now be taken over fully by OC Greg Lewis, though we don’t expect a radical shift in either squads. Thomas is certainly going to lean into the defense, while Lewis might try to add more shotgun formations for Bradford, who has had some mobility issues this season. The Express were non-committal on whether or not Thomas would be given consideration for a permanent position as the Head Coach in LA, but certainly how the Express finish out the season over the next 9 weeks will go a long way to determining if the former Renegades’ coach will get a 2nd shot at a USFL head coaching gig. For now, the story is that Reid, so successful in the NFL, becomes just another in a long list of coaches who have simply not been able to find success with the Express.

Two More Trades as Teams Get Serious

Midseason brings many things, panic in some cases, confidence in others, and trades as teams try to find the missing piece before the Week 10 deadline. Two teams very much in the playoff hunt made moves this week to try to do just that, find a missing piece and fill a need that, if well done, could help propel them into the postseason.

STARS ADD VETERAN RECEIVER

Philadelphia, sitting at 4-3 and looking up at both Pittsburgh and New Jersey, made a move to add another option in the passing game. With Stevie Johnson off to St. Louis, Philadelphia has struggled to turn good passing yardage (268 yards per game) into big plays, with Randall Cobb struggling as the new number one target, having only 15 catches this season. Ronald Johnson has also struggled to clear coverages, despite having 10 more catches than Cobb. And so the Stars went dealing.

Philadelphia brought in a veteran known for his ability to slip coverage, nabbing wideout Doug Baldwin from the Las Vegas Vipers for a 3rd round pick in 2019’s draft. Baldwin, in his 8th season, already has more catches than any receiver on the Stars, with 42 in 7 games with Las Vegas this year. The former New Jersey General returns to the NE Division and could well become the top target right away for Stars’ QB Matt Gutierrez. He is expected to see a lot of snaps this week when the Stars take on the Federals at RFK. Now, Philadelphia is still expected to be a run-first offense, relying on HB Derrick Henry to pull defenders into the box, but having a bona fide weapon in Baldwin to diversify the passing game could make the 4-3 stars more of a challenge in a very tough division race.

FIRE HOPE TO STUFF THE RUN WITH POUHA

Atlanta is also in a tough division race, currently mired in a 3-way tie atop the Southeast Division with Orlando and Charlotte.  But with the least productive offense of the three contenders, many expected the Fire to go after an offensive weapon, much as Philadelphia did. But, it seems Coach Arians is more concerned about the Fire’s 22nd ranked run defense, hoping to add more muscle in the middle to complement one of the league’s best pass defenses. The Fire sent LB Raekwon McMillian and a 4th rounder to the Birmingham Stallions to acquire that muscle, in the form of DT Sione Pouha.

Pouha, who 3 seasons in Denver and 3 more with the Stallions since coming over from the NFL, will slot in next to Nick Fairley, pushing Sylvester Williams into swing duty. The hope, of course, is that the Fire defense can be as stalwart against the run as they have been against the pass, believing that even with a middling offense, the strength on the defensive side of the ball will help them overtake the Renegades and Monarchs.

With one of the best 3-man linebacker groups in the game in Luke Kuechley, Patrick Willis, and Dannell Ellerbe, Atlanta could be a dominant defense if their front line can hold up and allow the linebackers to be more dynamic. Pouha is a space eater, and with Fairley’s aggressive style, the combination could both help shore up the middle of the line and give both Chris Kelsay and William Gholston more opportunities for single blocks outside.

As for Birmingham, they lose a solid contributor in the middle, but feel good about their combo of Corey Liuget and Montravius Adams. McMillians, who was not seeing many snaps in Atlanta, could slot in right away as a weakside linebacker next to MLB Reuben Foster and team captain, strongside LB DeMeco Ryans.

Several Starting QBs Set to Miss Time

While there were fortunately no season-ending injuries to league QBs this week, there certainly were a fair share of signal callers removed from games for medical concerns and several likely to miss next week’s action if not more games. Here is the rundown of the QB injuries we saw this week:

Marcus Mariota (POR)

The most serious and potentially season-impacting of the injuries this week. Mariota was forced out of the game after taking a vicious hit to the head. He was seen spitting blood, and it was clear that the team had to gingerly remove his helmet. X-rays would later reveal that Mariota had suffered a concussion, but also a broken jaw. With a significant fracture to his jawbone, Mariota could miss up to 6 weeks before he is cleared to return to game action. In the meantime, Portland is looking pretty thin at the position, with only career backup Kellen Clemons (who will get his first start this week) and rookie Kyle Lauletta behind Mariota on the depth chart. Expect the Stags to bring in another QB and to move someone to the practice squad so they can avoid putting Mariota on IR.

Matt Gutierrez (PHI)

Gutierrez came out late in Philadelphia’s loss win over the Thunder with an apparent knee injury. X-rays were negative and it appears that there is no ligament damage, but the Stars’ QB did suffer a dislocated kneecap, which will hold him out of Week 8’s game at RFK, and possibly the following week as well. In his place, Philadelphia is expected to start former Ohio backup Tony Pike.

Eli Manning (LV)

In what is being called a “groin strain” (sounds painful), Eli Manning was listed as “Out” for this week. The Vipers have been a bit secretive about exactly what the injury entails and its severity. It was clear when Manning left the field that he was having difficulty moving with any pace, so it is possible we are talking about a significant muscle strain or light tear, but the Vipers insist that they expect Manning to be back as soon as Week 9. So, for this week’s home game against the division rival Wranglers, expect the Vipers to have Jeff Tuel under center. Tuel has proven effective as a backup and when called on due to injury.

Joe Webb (SD)

Another vaguely defined “groin injury” has Joe Webb listed as questionable this week when the Thunder take on the Express. Webb clearly came up a bit gimpy after a scramble against Philadelphia, and groin seems like a reasonable assessment, but again, we are not certain how severe the injury is, though being placed on the injury report as Questionable means that there is not a long term concern for Webb. When the Thunder take on LA this week they will have former NFL starter Christian Ponder under center, with Case Keenum as the number two, though Webb will dress as the emergency QB.

Kirk Cousins (MGN)

Well, hamstring is not groin, but it can still be a tough injury to overcome. Cousins is also listed as questionable, though Coach McDermott has not ruled him out for this week’s game against the Orlando Renegades. If he cannot go in the Sunday night game it will be Taylor Heinecke getting the start.

Before we go, an update on some QB injuries from earlier this season with potential return dates: As we know, Arizona’s David Carr was placed on IR and is ineligible to return this season, but the word out of Phoenix is that his recovery is moving along well and he has attended the past couple of home games, sitting in the owner’s box. Oakland backup Ryan Lindley has moved from “Out” to “Questionable” in the Invader injury report, a sign that he might be ready to return to duty. Should he return, then expect the Invaders to release Kellen Moore, signed when Lindley went down. Ohio is still not fully sure that Christian Hackenberg can return. He was moved to Doubtful this week, and could be in action as soon as Week 9. Backup Brock Osweiler is still listed as “Out” and could miss at least another 2-3 weeks with his fractured arm. For this reason, expect Ohio to keep both Troy Smith and Keith Null active for the foreseeable future. Finally, Jacoby Brissett is considered 2-3 weeks from a possible return, meaning that we are likely to see Matt McGloin for the next few weeks, though with the quality of his play recently, Coach Riley may not jump to bring in a rusty Brissett unless McGloin begins to struggle. McGloin was knocked out of this week’s game, but is expected to start in Week 8.

Is Seattle Going to Do It Again?

It cannot be happening again, can it? For the second consecutive year, Seattle started the season with a deeply troubling 0-5 record, and for the second season in a row, weeks 6 and 7 have produced upset wins. Last year, it led to a 9-2 finish and a playoff berth. This year, with wins over two division foes the past two weeks (LA and Oakland), there are some saying that the Dragons are on a mission once again. It seems a mission no team should want to take on, to dig themselves out of a nearly bottomless 0-5 pit, but these Dragons believe they can do it again.

That belief will be tested the next two weeks as the Dragons face the 5-2 Pittsburgh Maulers this week and then head to Oakland for a rematch of this week’s narrow 21-17 victory. It seems very unlikely that Seattle can duplicate the success they had in the second half of 2017, an unprecedented run of victories that took them from last place into the divisional round of the playoffs. For one thing, unlike last year, this Dragon team is playing without starting QB Jacoby Brissett.

While career backup Matt McGloin has impressed many with his performance since coming on in Week 2, throwing for 11 touchdowns with only 2 picks in his run, there are still doubts about the offense in general. It has been the Seattle D which has helped them earn W’s the past two weeks, but a defense that is still ranked among the league’s worst in several key categories, giving up 27.4 points per game, nearly 120 yards per game rushing and 391 yards per game overall. The numbers were certainly better against Oakland this past week, but with upcoming games against the Maulers, Blitz, Outlaws, Thunder and Panthers in the season’s second half, the defense will need to prove it is not the team that was simply run over and through in the season’s first five weeks. All this to say, yes, we know they did it last year, and we are not ruling out a late run, but to expect the same nearly miraculous comeback two years in a row seems a very tall order to us.

Are We Ready to Take Memphis Seriously Yet?

Sitting at 6-1 after 7 weeks, and having knocked off some pretty good teams along the way (including New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma, and the Monarchs this past week), maybe we need to reevaluate our perception of the Memphis Showboats. The Rex Ryan-led defense is among the best in the league, allowing only 16.1 points per game, and the offense is finding its stride, built on the run game of Todd Gurley and a much-improved Paxton Lynch, who has improved his QB Rating, accuracy, yards per game, and completion percentage over last season.

Memphis may not have the household names of division rivals Houston and New Orleans, but this team is playing complementary football and finding success with a simple formula of no-nonsense defense, a solid run game, and play action passing. The Showboats face off with the rival Stallions this week in Birmingham, but then have a run of games that could prove their real status within the league, including two matchups with the Breakers in a 3-week period. They finish the season at home against Houston in a game that could have huge playoff implications for both teams.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, we should stop to recognize some of the Showboats who have helped the club exceed expectations this season. We start with HB Todd Gurley, who currently sits in 5th place on the leaderboards. With Anthony Allen’s departure this offseason, Gurley was asked to step up and take on the full load of the run game, and with 536 yards in 7 games, he has answered the call. His role may need to be even greater moving forward as this week saw backup Jacob Hester added to the IR with a ruptured Achilles tendon. David Williams and newly promoted practice squad back Zac Brooks will get some carries, but it will be Gurley taking on the main load. The other player getting plenty of accolades on offense has been rookie TE Dallas Goedert, who trails only WR Mark Clayton with 30 catches this year. Memphis has distributed the ball to plenty of receivers with Clayton, Goedert, Robert Woods and Brandon Marshall all seeing plenty of action.

But the big story in Memphis has been the defense. Even with the injury to team captain NaVorro Bowman, the Memphis LB group has been playing outstanding ball. An unheralded group of Jarvis Jones, Ryan D’Imperio, Jason Williams, and Marcus Smith, has been containing the run, allowing only 68 yards per game, while the front four of Mario Williams, Dan Williams, Dontari Poe, and Sam Acho has also been outperforming all expectations, with Mario Williams among the league leaders with 7 sacks in 7 games. The secondary, led by yet another Williams, Marcus, has also come up big, with former Bandit and Gold DB Patrick Robinson showing he still has the juice at 31. It is not a big name defense, but it is a squad that is playing aggressive, downhill football, and that has Memphis sitting pretty at 6-1, well beyond what most saw for them this season.

Another rough week as we see several QBs hit the injury list, including Portland’s Marcus Mariota and Philadelphia’s Matt Gutierrez, both of whom will miss several weeks. Memphis loses backup tailback Jacob Hester for the year with the most dreaded ruptured Achilles injury, while Atlanta’s offense takes a hit as guard Trevor Canfield is out after tearing his MCL. While the news is not as bad for QB’s Eli Manning, Kirk Cousins, and Joe Webb, all three could be held out of this week’s action with minor injuries. Here is the full rundown of a pretty lengthy injury report.

OUT

HB           Jacob Hester          MEM     Achilles      IR

FS           Rudy Ford                       POR      Hip                 IR

TE            Kellen Winslow II            WSH     Groin              IR

G           Trevor Canfield              ATL         MCL                IR

HB           Gus Edwards                STL         Foot                4-6 Weeks

QB       Marcus Mariota            POR      Jaw                   4-6 Weeks

QB        Matt Gutierrez            PHI        Knee                 1-2 Weeks

C          Robert Vega                  PHI        Arm                  1-2 Weeks

DOUBTFUL

QB          Eli Manning               LV           Groin                                   

DE            Dante Fowler              HOU     Knee

QB         Kirk Cousins                 MGN     Hamstring

QUESTIONABLE

QB        Joe Webb                     SD          Groin

LB           Rey Maualaga               NJ           Hamstring

WR        Tandon Doss                 ORL       Concussion

C           Jimmy Hook                  OKL       Arm

Four Possible Takers if St. Louis Trades Freeman

With a great first performance, and likely more starts very much in the plans for Lamar Jackson in St. Louis, speculation has already begun as to what the Skyhawks will do with Josh Freeman. The 2012 League MVP has just not been able to replicate his success from that year, but he still certainly has value, the question is whether that value keeps him in St. Louis or has him headed elsewhere. Certainly a case can be made for having Freeman sitting behind the rookie starter, as plenty of QB injuries have shown us how important depth can be. But, with another year on his contract, there may be no better time than now for St. Louis to seek top value if they are open to trading their former starter before the Week 10 trade deadline. Just where a player like Freeman might make the most impact, and where he would likely be amenable to moving, is a very interesting question. We looked over all 27 clubs who are not St. Louis and we came up with four potential fits for the 9-year veteran.

OHIO GLORY: The fact that the Glory had to play their 4th QB of the season this week is a pretty good reason to add them to this list. They like what they have seen from Christian Hackenberg, but after the 2nd year player they have not exactly been overjoyed with the play of Osweiller or Troy Smith, and with both now dinged up, perhaps bringing in a known commodity, and a pretty solid QB may not be the worst idea. They could have him for this year, next year, and then decide if they want to hold him or let him walk in free agency, all depending on how Hackenberg shapes up.

DALLAS ROUGHNECKS: With Johnny Manziel on his second suspension for alcohol-related issues, the Roughnecks could very well be ready to cut the former Aggie loose. Even if they don’t, they cannot be feeling too confident with a QB room led by Brandon Wheedon. Adding Freeman could be an easy solution to both the current need and a long-term issue with the position. Many in our camp think that Dallas would be the slam dunk for a trade, but the issue is what St. Louis will ask for in return.

PORTLAND STAGS: Marcus Mariota is expected to miss at least 4-6 weeks, and after a strong start, the offense is sputtering, so bringing in a veteran like Freeman could be a true benefit for the Stags. Portland, very much like Ohio, could have Freeman see a lot of action this year, then use 2019 to determine if Mariota or Freeman is the future and make a decision on a new contract after a verdict is determined. For right now, Portland will go with Kellen Clemons at QB, with rookie Kyle Lauletta behind him, but adding Josh Freeman could be an immediate impact for the Stags.

LAS VEGAS VIPERS: Certainly less of an immediate play, but with only Jeff Tuel and Curtis Painter behind Eli Manning in Las Vegas, adding Freeman could also be a good move for the Vipers. What makes this intriguing is that Manning has struggled in a year many thought would be his victory lap around the league. He has thrown 12 picks this year, to only 8 touchdowns, and his rating of 75.6 has him among the worst of the league’s Week 1 starters. We could envision a situation where Freeman not only comes in but has a real shot to unseat Manning in his final contract year. The Vipers have shown a preference for adding veteran QBs rather than developing rookies, so a move for Freeman now could be a move for the future as well, even if Manning finishes out the year as the starter.

We probably should restate that there is no guarantee that St. Louis is in the market to move Josh Freeman. After all, behind Lamar Jackson they would then have only 31-year old Kyle Boller, but Boller has proven to be a solid player when called on, so it is not unthinkable that St. Louis would make a deal, get some value for Freeman, and rely on their rookie to finish out the year for them, gaining valuable playing time ahead of an anticipated passing of the torch in 2019. With only 2 weeks left before the trade deadline passes, the Skyhawks will have to make a decision quickly, and see what they can get if they do shop Freeman around.

League considering suspension for Viper’s Kareem Hunt

Things are just not going Coach Neuheisel’s way right now. His QB got hurt, his defense is struggling, they just lost to a pretty bad St. Louis squad, and his shiny new NFL import may now be facing a suspension from the league. Of course, in the case of HB Kareem Hunt, this was not fully unexpected. Hunt was facing potential domestic abuse charges when he was let go by the Cleveland Browns of the NFL, and Las Vegas knew that should the charges lead to legal action, the USFL would have to act. Well, they have, and the league is now investigating, and could potential lead to a suspension in the next few weeks. The severity of the league action will likely be determined by the case against Hunt in the courts. If he reaches a settlement or a plea arrangement that removes any felony charges, well that could remove the threat of suspension, but if the case goes to trial, the league may feel pressure to suspend him for the season. For now, the Vipers must watch and wait.

While not the lead back for the Vipers, Hunt has seen considerable snaps this season. Montario Hardesty has more touches (87 to Hunt’s 59) but Hunt has been effective when called on, rushing for 294 yards (a 5.0 YPC average) and leads the team with 4 rushing touchdowns. If he is suspended, Las Vegas would likely add more carries for Hardesty and we are likely to see more of James Wilder Jr, who has only 14 carries so far this year.

Plenty of drama on tap in Week 8 as the USFL season hits the midway point. We kick it off on Friday night with the surprising 6-1 Memphis Showboats heading down the highway to Birmingham to face their archrivals, the Stallions. Later, Emmitt Thomas returns to the sidelines as the interim head coach in LA as the Express head down to San Diego to face the Thunder. On Saturday, we have a big game to start the day off, with 4-3 Denver heading into New Orleans to take on the 6-1 Breakers. Baltimore is in New Jersey for the other early game. At 4pm, Pittsburgh is hoping that Seattle cannot repeat their 2017 rebound this year, as they face the Dragons at Lumen Field.

Saturday night features a divisional double header, starting at 7pm on NBC with the Stars facing the Federals in DC. The late game features two Southwest foes as Las Vegas hosts the 5-1-1 Arizona Wranglers. Two more divisional games are on the slate on Saturday, with Atlanta and Charlotte fighting for a share of first place in the Southeast and St. Louis headed to Chicago for the Battle of I-55. But, perhaps the best game of the day is the nightcap, where the Orlando Renegades make a rare trip up to Detroit to face the Michigan Panthers, with both teams currently in first place in their divisions (Orlando being part of the 3-way logjam atop the SE).

Friday @ 6pm ET              Memphis (6-1) @ Birmingham (2-5)           NBC

Friday @ 8pm ET         Los Angeles (1-6) @ San Diego (2-5)             ABC

Saturday @ 12pm ET     Denver (4-3) @ New Orleans (6-1)                 ABC

Saturday @ 12pm ET      Baltimore (2-5) @ New Jersey (4-2-1)            FOX

Saturday @ 4pm ET         Pittsburgh (5-2) @ Seattle (2-5)                       ABC

Saturday @ 4pm ET         Oklahoma (3-4) @ Dallas (3-4)                         FOX

Saturday @ 7pm ET        Philadelphia (4-3) @ Washington (3-4)             NBC     

Saturday @ 9pm ET        Arizona (5-1-1) @ Las Vegas (3-4)                   ESPN/EFN

Sunday @ 12pm ET       Atlanta (4-3) @ Charlotte (4-3)                       ABC

Sunday @ 12pm ET         Oakland (5-2) @ Tampa Bay (1-6)                   FOX Regional

Sunday @ 12pm ET       St. Louis (2-5) @ Chicago (3-4)                       FOX Regional

Sunday @ 4pm ET          Ohio (4-3) @ Portland (4-3)                               ABC

Sunday @ 4pm ET            Jacksonville (1-6) @ Houston (5-2)                  FOX

Sunday @ 8pm ET           Orlando (4-3) @ Michigan (5-2)                       ESPN/EFN