2019 USFL Divisional Playoffs Recap

After a Wild Card weekend that saw all 4 games settled by 3 or fewer points, the Divisional Round hit us with more disparity among teams, though in at least one case we had a major upset. With Arizona winning by 31, Houston by 25, and Tampa Bay by 12, the 8-point margin in the Denver-Michigan game does not seem so bad, but when you highlight that it was the heavily favored Michigan Panthers who went down to defeat, becoming the first home playoff favorite to lose in this year’s postseason, the shock is still there.

We will start our report with Denver’s surprising upset of the 14-2 Panthers, break down all 4 games and prepare you for the USFL Conference Championships, featuring a 1 v. 2 matchup in the East as the Bandits head to Houston to face the Gamblers, and a surprising 4 v. 2 matchup in the West, where the upstart Denver Gold head to face their archnemesis, the Arizona Wranglers with a trip to the Summer Bowl on the line. We will also discuss Two coaching hires, one a major head-scratcher, and the latest from post-season retirements across the league. All this and a look at how a certain 10-time USFL Sack Leader is having the time of his life with a new club.  We start, however, with the story of the week, a major upset as the 1-seed Panthers stumble at home.

Denver Strikes Gold, Upsets Top-Seeded Michigan

In 8 playoff games this season the home favorite has won 7. The lone exception was perhaps the biggest upset possible this weekend as the 4^th seed Denver Gold upended the 14-2, top seeded Michigan Panthers. Denver came in with no pressure, no expectation to win, and so they played loose, they played with intensity and abandon, and they got Michigan to seize up, to choke when they could least afford it. The Gold did what an underdog has to do on the road in the playoffs, they rattled the favored Panthers, got their quarterback to make bad choices, stayed in the game, kept the pressure on, and found a way to win in the end.

What Denver did was pretty much textbook underdog strategy: keep the score close, shorten the game by milking the clock for all 60 minutes, avoidself-inflicted wounds, and keep the pressure on the opponent to see if they crack. The Gold did not play home run ball, they bunted, stole bases, took what they could get, and kept reminding the Panthers throughout that they were not the team everyone thought they were. Josh Allen, in only his second playoff game as a pro, went 15 of 20, threw no picks, and kept a cool head against pretty solid pressure from the Panther defense. Phillip Lindsay and DeMarco Murray combined for 95 yards, but also for 32 carries, each one taking 30+ seconds off the clock. The Denver defense contained Cody Latimer and Antonio Bryant, using two-level zones to keep everything in front of them, while the front 7 made sure that LeVeon Bell was accounted for on every play. Bell would average only 2.9 yards per carry, limited to 66 yards on 23 carries.

And when the time came, Denver made the most of their opportunities, particularly after both of Kirk Cousins bad decisions turned into takeaways for the Gold defense. Chidobe Awunzie’s near pick-six created a crack in Kirk Cousins that did not heal for the rest of the game. The second pick, Marqui Christian’s interception would produce the game winning drive for the Gold. Two turnovers, 10 points, and a 3 point deficit became an 8-point lead. While Coach McDermott did not blame QB Kirk Cousins for the loss, and he is right that the entire team underperformed in a game where they were heavily favored, we have to acknowledge that Denver’s gameplan maximized the pressure on Cousins, not physically (he was only sacked 2 times) but psychologically. By hanging right there with the Panthers, not allowing the big play to emerge, and not making mistakes, the Gold got Michigan to doubt themselves, so when things started going bad, they kept going bad. That is how an underdog gets a playoff win, and that is how the Denver Gold moved on to play in the USFL Western Conference Finals this week.

NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 20  HOUSTON GAMBLERS 45

A close game through the half turned into a Houston route as the Gamblers put up a 21-0 scoring run in the second half to pull away from division rival New Orleans. We don’t know what Coach Phillips said at the half, but it clearly paid off as the Gamblers were simply dominant for the final 30 minutes of action in this one.

Early on it looked very much like we might have a tooth-and-nail battle between these two familiar foes. The Breakers opened things up on their first possession and put 7 on the board when Geno Smith found Jordy Nelson for a 9-yard TD toss. Houston responded with 10 points on two drives, adding a Keke Coutee TD from Colt McCoy along with a Koo field goal to take their first lead. That lead did not last long as New Orleans got two field goals of their own on their next two possessions to open the 2^nd quarter. But those were just the first 2 of 5 scores in the 2^nd as both teams proved their offensive credentials.

Houston, down 13-10 after the second Sturgis FG came back quickly, putting together a 67-yard drive that lasted only 6 plays before Carlos Hyde busted free for an 11-yard TD on a screen pass from McCoy. New Orleans responded with a TD from Smith to Kenny Britt with 1:38 left in the half, but that too was not the final score as McCoy hit Josh Reynolds with a 36-yard scoring strike only 31 seconds later. So, we went into the half with Houston up 24-20, but this game had the feeling of a shootout that would not be decided until the final seconds. Something changed at the half, because that simply did not happen.

While Geno Smith found great success in the first half, throwing for 288 yards, his second half would be much tougher. In the second half, Houston adjusted their attack strategy on defense and not only sacked Smith 5 times in the final 30 minutes but also held him to only 60 yards through the air as the Gamblers shut down Jordy Nelson and contained the Breaker attack. At the same time, the Houston offense continued to put points on the board. It started with a 3^rd quarter TD toss from McCoy to Smith-Shuster his 4^th on the day. Only 5 minutes later he added a 5-yard toss to Josh Reynolds. With a 38-20 lead, the 3^rd quarter proved fatal to the Breakers.

New Orleans pushed in the final 15 minutes, but that simply led to more long 3^rd down attempts, and more failed drives. Meanwhile, Houston was comfortable giving the ball to Hyde, who finished the game with 100 yards even, and dinking their way to first downs. They would add another late score, with C. J. Prosise putting the ball in from the 11, but it was not needed. New Orleans simply did not have the firepower to come back on the Gamblers and Houston punched their ticket to yet another Eastern Title Game, their 3^rd in a row.

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DENVER GOLD 20  MICHIGAN PANTHERS 12

If the weekend’s opener gave us an offensive explosion, the 2^nd act was more of an implosion as the 14-2 Panthers simply folded under pressure from the Denver Gold. The Panthers came into the game confident, perhaps a bit cocky. The Vegas line had creeped up from 7 to 10 points, and the Gold were generally disrespected as an opponent happy just to be there. It seems Denver took offense at that categorization and wanted to prove that they deserved a shot at the Conference Title Game. They not only proved they deserved to be in the game, they deserved to win it.

The first half of the matchup was dominated by both defenses. Denver struggled to get a run game going, but the Panthers were finding it equally hard to find room for LeVeon Bell to get into open space. While both QBs were able to complete passes in early downs, both struggled to find receivers on key 3^rd downs, with the two teams combining to go 5 of 15 on conversions over the half. The defensive struggle kept both kickers busy, with Denver’s Greg Zeurlein putting 1 through the uprights while Michigan’s Chase McLaughlin did him two better, producing a 9-3 halftime score that rightfully had the Panther faithful at Ford Field feeling a bit antsy.

That anxiety was only slightly tempered by a 4^th McLaughlin kick to start the second half. Michigan had pushed the ball to the Denver 20 but could get no further, a frustrating lack of finishing power that kept the game close and gave Denver a shot to come back on the favorites. The Gold did just that with their first possession of the second half. Sparked by the first big play of the game, a 28-yard throw from Allen to Golden Tate that defied logic. Allen appeared to be falling out of bounds when he let the ball go. Somehow it stayed straight down the sideline and Golden Tate not only brought the ball in, but kept his toes down for a valid catch. Four plays later, Allen found Tate again, this time for 7 as he hit the veteran in the endzone with a laser that zipped right past the safety.

Denver was now down only 12-10, and had finally broken through Michigan’s defense. But, Michigan still had the lead and could punch it back up to 2 scores with a touchdown on their next drive. But that touchdown did not come. Instead, what Michigan got was a pick from Kirk Cousins that initially looked like it could go the distance. Denver CB Chidobe Awunzie tiptoed down the sideline for an apparent score, but upon review it was shown that he stepped out at the Michigan 21. Denver would not be able to punch the ball in, but their 2^nd Zeurlein field goal gave them their first lead of the game, 13-12. The throw itself was a bad one, with Cousins just not reading the play right and throwing to Antonio Bryant’s inside, when Bryant broke outwards.

The Panthers avoided a catastrophe, but the play clearly rattled QB Kirk Cousins. He missed on his next 3^rd down throw, forcing a punt to open the final period. On their next possession, he was sacked on a poorly designed bootleg, leading to an unmakeable 3^rd and 21. Now the Panther faithful were more than nervous, they were concerned. That concern would turn to despair on Cousin’s next throw. With 8 minutes left in the game, and the Panthers still trailing by only 1 point, Cousins again made a truly poor choice. The Panther QB, under duress from a charging Von Miller and pressure from the right coming from LB Justin Houston, Cousins forced a ball towards TE Martellus Bennett. The throw into the middle of the field sailed over Bennett’s head and directly into the hands of Denver safety Marqui Christian, a backup who had only been in the game for 3 plays after starter DaJuan Morgan had to come out after a poke to the eye. Christian made the play of the game for Denver returning the pick another 9 yards before being tackled at the Michigan 41.

Josh Allen and the Denver offense recognized the moment and rose to it. They used 10 plays to march the remaining 41 yards to paydirt, eating up nearly 6 minutes to do it. Switching between Lindsay and Murray, the Gold pushed the ball on the ground. When a pass was needed to mix things up, Allen connected with TE Jack Doyle for 10 and Lindsay for 8. At the end of the drive, with the ball sitting at the 2, Allen gave the ball to backup HB Robert Foster before rolling out to the right. Michigan defenders split between the little-used back and the dangerous QB run, and that gave Foster enough space to get across the plane. With 5:19 left to play, Denver had pushed their lead to 8 points. Michigan was on the ropes.

The Panthers would touch the ball 2 more times, the first leading to a punt with 3:23 left to play after Cody Latimer uncharacteristically dropped a catchable ball on 3^rd and 7. The second came with only 11 seconds left to play and Michigan having used all their timeouts. It was not to happen. The 1 seed would go down, and the Denver Gold, who few had given a shot to advance, did just that. Was it a case of Denver being underrated, or was this a choke, pure and simple, from the supposedly better team. It would not matter. Michigan’s season fell short, and Denver was headed to the Conference Championship.

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PHILADELPHIA STARS 19  TAMPA BAY BANDITS 31

If drama was what you craved, Sunday’s games in the USFL playoffs were not for you. In the day’s opener, Tampa Bay gave up an early field goal to the Stars, responded with a Ryan Grant TD and would never lose the lead again. The Bandit offense was in good form all game, with Dak Prescott throwing for 311 and 2 scores and Dalvin Cook averaging 4.6 yards per carry to keep the Star defense honest.

When the Bandits added a 2^nd touchdown on a David Wilson 12-yard run, the Stars were down 11 and that meant that they could not grind out the game with Derrick Henry. Henry would get 21 carries, but 15 of those were in the first half and Philly still trailed by 11.

In the second half, the Stars put more on Matt Gutierrez, but It proved not to be enough. Philly started strong out of the halftime break, putting up 7 on a nice Gutierrez to Cobb touchdown throw, but when Tampa Bay responded with a 6-play “mini drive” and a Dalvin Cook TD, the Stars were still down by 11. Again Tampa Bay doubled up the scoring, with Prescott finding Grant for his 2^nd TD of the game. Grant would finish with 97 yards and 2 scores, and TE Jordan Cameron would add 126 through the air as the Bandits took their 28-9 lead into the 4^th quarter, playing more short passing and run game to shorten the game and keep Philadelphia from mounting a viable comeback.

The Stars managed to put 10 points on the board in the 4^th, but it was not enough as Tampa Bay added another field goal and finished the game with a 12-point margin. Despite a solid outing from Matt Gutierrez (22 of 37 for 291 and a score), Dak Prescott had gotten the better of him (16 of 32 for 321 and 2 scores) and the Bandits were headed to the Eastern Conference Championships only 1 year after a 3-13 finish.

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SAN DIEGO THUNDER 10  ARIZONA WRANGLERS 41

The final game of the weekend was billed as a shot at elite status for the San Diego Thunder. What we ended up getting was proof of just what elite football looks like as Arizona once again proved their status as one of the truly elite teams in the Western Conference. The Wranglers’ D dominated the first three quarters, giving up only 3 points to the Thunder and sacking Christian Ponder 5 times. Calais Campbell had 3 of those 5 sacks in truly dominant play. And when the Thunder finally started compensating for Campbell’s impressive rush skills, it left space for RE Bud DuPree and LB Scooby Wright to come at Ponder from the other side. Those three players would account for 7 sacks in the game.

The defensive performance over the first 3 quarters, paired with two TDs from the Wrangler HB group (one each for Crowell and Carey), helped the Wranglers build up a 17-3 lead going into the final period. With San Diego now pressing, Arizona took advantage, picking off Christian Ponder twice, and scoring 24 points, 14 off turnovers. After an Elliott Parson field goal made it 20-3, a pick put Arizona on the San Diego 30, and 2 plays later David Carr found Jimmie Graham for a score that made the gap 21 points. Another Ponder pick led to Ka’Deem Carey’s second TD, and now it was 34-3. The Thunder were just outmatched.

San Diego put 7 on the board late, but then gave up a careless TD to backup QB Brandon Allen. Allen had dumped the ball down to Chester Rogers in garbage time, but Rogers escaped the initial tackle and was off to the races, scoring from 45 yards out to give us the final score of 41-10. It was a bad loss for a San Diego team that came into the game seeking respect. It was a glorious win for a Wrangler team that came so close last year, losing to Houston in the Summer Bowl, and was clearly not only eager to return to a title game, but to cement their standing as a modern day dynasty with a 3^rd title. Now, they were back in the Conference Championship, and, thanks to Denver’s stunning win in Michigan, that title game would be in Phoenix, well, Glendale. Arizona would host the Gold for a chance to return to the Summer Bowl and cement their place in history.

With Bryant Swarmed, Cameron Steps Up for Bandits

It did not take long for the Tampa Bay Bandits to figure out the focus of Philadelphia’s defense. Between the shifted zones and the safety support it was very obvious that the goal of Jim Harbaugh’s defense was to deny Dez Bryant the ball. In the first quarter alone, Dak Prescott made 4 pass attempts to Bryant and all 4 proved dangerous as the Stars were bracketing the standout receiver for Tampa Bay. As the game progressed, the Bandits continued to look Bryant’s way, but often as a decoy, forcing the safety to shift even further and freeing up the game’s eventual receiving leader, TE Jordan Cameron. While Bryant finished the game with only 2 receptions on 8 targets, Cameron would catch 5 of 6 targets and amass 126 yards receiving against a Stars’ secondary that simply did not have the manpower to lock down Dez Bryant and Cameron on the same side of the field.

Cameron’s success also produced better opportunities for Ryan Grant, who also finished with 5 receptions in 6 targets, including touchdowns in both the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters. Essentially, Philadelphia was daring the Bandits to work without their top receiver, and with Dak Prescott throwing for 321 yards, the Bandits showed they could do just that. Chalk it up as a strategy that had a short lifespan. While the Bandits were held scoreless in the first quarter, allowing Philadelphia to open the game with a 3-0 lead, once deciphered, the strategy proved less than effective as Tampa Bay put touchdowns on the board in 4 of their 6 possessions between the 2^nd and 3^rd quarter. So, a memo to Houston, you may need to try something different.

Cousins Says Criticism is Fair After Rough Outing

Michigan’s stunning defeat was a team effort, but if there is one player taking most of the heat for the unexpected departure from the playoff field it is QB Kirk Cousins. With 2 picks both of which led to 2^nd half scores for the Denver Gold, it is easy to see why sportswriters, TV talking heads, and calls into sports radio are all critiquing the performance of the Panther QB, a player who was under consideration as an MVP candidate.

Cousins absolutely struggled in the second half of the game, flustered by the tight coverage and regular pressure put on by the Gold, but also by his own mistakes. On Monday, the Panther QB, in an interview with local television, all but admitted that he felt responsible for the loss. While acknowledging that the whole team felt responsible, Cousins took it upon himself as the leader of the offense, to accept that the defeat was very much impacted by his choices, including his attempts to force plays that simply were not there, decisions that led to the two pivotal interceptions that set Denver up for their final10 points in the contest. Cousins is not at any risk of losing his job over this week’s struggles, he is clearly among the better quarterbacks in the game today, and we should remember that he helped Michigan claim a league title only 2 seasons ago, but this game will be a tough one for him to shake off.

Hyde gunning for Playoff MVP Again With Huge Output

Last season, in a 3-game playoff run that saw Houston Houston outduel the Breakers, Generals, and Wranglers for a league title, Carlos Hyde played like a man among boys. In his 3-game run through the postseason, the Houston tailback amassed 415 yards rushing, with another 215 in the air, and a total of 6 touchdowns. Yes, that is correct, over 200 yards per game and an average of 2 scores per contest.

Well, after this week’s divisional game, it seems like the Gambler tailback is hoping to earn the Playoff MVP once again. Hyde not only rushed for 100 yards and a per-carry average of 7.7 yards, but he also was the 2^nd leading receiver behind TE Vernon Davis, bringing in 3 of 4 targets for another 37 yards and his lone touchdown of the game.

Hyde is going to have competition, of course, chiefly from his own QB, as Colt McCoy’s 5-TD performance won him the POTG honor for the divisional victory over the Breakers, but we fully expect that if the Gamblers can stay hot, get past the Bandits, and find their way to the Summer Bowl, that Carlos Hyde will again be putting up numbers that deserve our attention. There is a long way to go, but we have seen it before and, certainly, the ability is there for him to have huge days regardless of the opponent.

Campbell Living Large and Loving It

You only needed to look to the sideline during the Wranglers’ raucous 4^th quarter, one in which the club scored 24 points to put their matchup with San Diego away, to see whether or not DE Calais Campbell is loving his decision to leave Orlando and join the Wranglers. Campbell was all smiles along the sideline, even as the growing Wrangler lead led to Coach Tomsula sitting Campbell for the final 8 minutes of game action. Up 34-3, the Wrangler certainly did not want to risk their new defensive star, besides, with 3 sacks in the game already, there was no need for Campbell to do any more.

The 10-time USFL Sack Leader may have slowed a bit this year, perhaps due to adaptation to a new system, perhaps due to his 33-year-old body needing more recovery time, but he still managed to lead the league with 23 sacks in the regular season, and with 3 more in the Divisional Playoff, he is not only proving to everyone that he still has the gift for creating chaos for offenses, but that he is in a good place in his new home. Campbell came to the desert in hopes of finding what had always eluded him in Orlando, a shot at a title. And he is certainly helping that hope become reality with his play.

The biggest injury news of the week came late in the Bandits victory over Philadelphia, when left tackle Levi Brown asked to be taken out of the game, his left arm dangling at his side. He was not needed in the late stages of that game, but after a diagnosis of a ruptured bicep, particularly on his outside arm, the key to getting leverage against an outside rush, Brown will be out of the Conference Title Game for the Bandits. He is one of 3 new additions to Tampa’s injury list, with both Dez Bryant and Jalen Ramsey listed as probable with minor issues. Without Brown, Tampa Bay will start rookie Chuma Edoga in his place. As you can imagine, that could be a major issue for Dak Prescott and the Bandit passing game. Without Brown locking down Prescott’s blind side, Houston is sure to send pressure with Dante Fowler and blitzes from Pat Angerer, Ramik Wilson, and Jelani Jenkins. There is no way Wade Phillips misses that opportunity. Here is the rest of the injury list for the 4 Conference Championship contenders:

TBY:       OT Levi Brown (OUT), CB Ken Webster (OUT), CB Jalen Ramsey (P),

WR Dez Bryant (P)

HOU:    WR Mike Evans (IR), CB Siran Neal (Q), HB C. J. Procise (P), WR Keke Coutee (P)

DEN:    CB Kris Boyd (IR), OT Ronnie Stanley (OUT), C Stefan Wisniewski (Q)

ARZ:      DT Jason Hargrave (P)

Charlotte Goes for D, Lands Joseph As Club’s 2nd Head Coach

The Monarchs wasted no time going after a coach they believe can bring a hard-nosed no-nonsense style to their club. Barely two weeks after letting the only head coach in franchise history go after 12 seasons, the Monarchs tabbed LA Express Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph as the club’s second head coach. Joseph, who helped guide the Express to Top 5 rankings in points allowed (16.4 per game), yards allowed (289.8 per game) and passing yards (only 198.8 per game), has been viewed as an up-and-coming coach since before he arrived in LA. The former QB/HB hybrid at Colorado entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent and played cornerback for three NFL clubs before retiring in 2000. He returned to Boulder as a Grad Assistant, but was quickly snatched up, first by the NFL 49ers, before connecting with current LA Express head coach Marvin Lewis and the Seattle Dragons. Joseph spent 4 seasons in Seattle before taking a job in the NFL once again, but when Lewis returned to the USFL as coach of the Express, he brought Joseph back. 

Coach Joseph in LA

The former undrafted free agent turned DB coach and DC, is now getting a shot at age 48 to lead the Monarchs as their 2^nd head coach. He inherits a team that has some solid defensive pillars to build around, including dynamic edge rusher Chandler Jones, MLB Rolando McClain, and a secondary in transition. With CB1 Derech Cox now a free agent (well, about to be one) and SS Shaun Schilinger retiring, part of Joseph’s tasks this offseason will be to shore up the secondary. But perhaps his biggest mission is not on defense at all. It is his QB. Mitch Trubisky, entering his 4th year as the starter and with a 5^th year option on his contract, does a lot well. He is mobile, he has good arm strength, and he can make all the throws, but he sometimes does too much, forcing balls, trying to throw against his body’s momentum, and that has made him an interception-generating machine.  Trubisky has thrown for 54 interceptions in only 3 years, a truly unacceptable average of 18 per season. Joseph, and whoever he taps to be the OC for the revamping Monarchs, needs to find a way to reduce that one glaring issue, because the club could and should rebound from a disappointing 7-8-1 season if they can just stop helping the other team beat them.

Pittsburgh Locks in on an Odd Choice for Coaching Vacancy

No one was surprised to see Vance Joseph get a gig as a head coach this offseason. But what Pittsburgh just did, well that has some heads scratching. With less than a month before the NCAA season kicks off, the Maulers lured a college coach away from his team and into a 5-year deal to become the leader of the squad in Pittsburgh. That alone could be seen as a bit of an unorthodox move and certainly made no fans of the alumni and boosters of the NCAA club that is out a head coach with no time to do anything but promote from within. But the even bigger surprise is just where the Maulers went to find a head coach.

This is not a case of Pittsburgh stealing away Dabo Sweeney from the NCAA Champion Clemson Tigers, or even a former pro coach like Brian Kelly from 12-1 Notre Dame. Nope, Pittsburgh went to the less flashy, less impressive world of Conference USA. Their choice? Louisiana Tech’s Skip Holtz. Now, if that name is familiar to you, it is either because you live in Shreveport or are an alum of South Florida or East Caroline, Holtz’s two prior stops. Maybe you are a Notre Dame fan and remember Skip from the coaching staff of his father, Lou Holtz. But what you don’t know the 55-year-old coach from is a stellar pro football career. 

Coach Holtz makes a big leape from La Tech to the USFL.

Holtz, for all his success at some mid-to-lower-level NCAA programs, has never been affiliated with a pro football program. From Notre Dame it was off to UConn, then some time at South Carolina as an assistant before moving on to his head coaching positions at ECU, USF, and LA Tech. So, how did Holtz get on the Mauler’s radar? The connection is an odd one. It appears that Mauler CEO Brian Gaine ran in circles with SMU head coach Chad Morris. Morris was approached about the job, but having recently moved on to Arkansas turned it down. When Gaine asked about coaches Morris felt could make the transition to the USFL, Morris gave the endorsement to Skip Holtz, who had defeated Morris’s Mustangs 51-10 in the 2017 Frisco Bowl and Morris told Gaine to look into the La Tech coach.

Gaine did that, brought Holtz up to Pittsburgh, and apparently Holtz made an impression on ownership, and vice versa.

And so, now, after a series of coaches with significant pro football bona fides to their record (Fangio, and before him Ron Rivera, Jack Bicknell and Emmitt Thomas) the Maulers are going in a totally different direction. While we feel for the folks at La Tech, who must be scrambling as they prepare for their opener against none other than the Texas Longhorns, we also wonder how Skip Holtz will transition to the pros, how Pittsburgh will greet him as a football-obsessed city, and how the USFL will welcome in one of the more “intriguing” new head coach hires in a long time.

Playoff Losses Lead to Retirement Decisions

With 8 playoff teams of 12 now out of contention, the 2^nd wave of postseason retirement announcements has hit and at least one team is going to have some issues to fix. The Oakland Invaders were a pretty senior roster this year, and that veteran advantage has now turned into significant roster turnover, with 4 starters stepping away from the game after Oakland’s tough loss in San Diego. The biggest hit will be on defense, where the Invaders lose two of their best. Defensive End Cliff Avril will retire after leading the team in sacks for 7 of the past 8 years. He tied for 2^nd in the league this year with 18 sacks, but at age 35 he feels his time has come to move on. Avril recorded 15 or more sacks every season since 2013. The good news for Oakland is that Michael Bennett, who had 14 sacks this year, should be able to immediately shift from RE to take on the vital LE position.

The other loss on defense is just as tough, with CB Chris Gamble also declaring his intent to retire this week. Gamble paired with another veteran, Eric Wright, to combine for 7 picks this year. With Wright now also entering his mid-30’s the time may be right for Oakland to invest in the CB position in the draft to try to develop some youth in the position. Add in the retirements of slot receiver Davone Bess, and All-USFL guard Logan Mankins and the Invaders will have to have some major plans in the offseason to replace these 4 positions.

In Seattle the announcement by Mike Wallace that he will retire at age 34 means that the Dragons will need to focus on the WR position in the offseason. They like their 2^nd receiver, Marshall Newhouse, as well as slot man John Brown, but need the kind of deep ball threat that Wallace provided. With Dennis Pitta now a free agent, the 2020 Dragon receiving corps needs to be a focus point for Coach Riley and the Dragons this year.

In what was a somewhat expected change, longstanding veteran MLB Kirk Morrison has announced that 2019 was his final season in the league. Morrison played 14 seasons with the Showboats and Stars, and retires with 9 seasons of 100+ tackles, including a league best 130 in 2018. With the arrival of Channing Crowder this year, Morrison shifted to strongside linebacker in 3-4 alignments, but retained his role in the middle when Philly mixed in some 4-3 and in nickel packages. He retires with over 1,400 tackles.

Across the Delaware River in New Jersey, the Generals announced that both TE John Carlson and DE Marcus Harrison will not be back next year, choosing to file for retirement. Carlson played 8 years in New Jersey after coming over from the NFL in 2012, producing 30 catches for 337 yards and 3 scores this year. Harrison was the swing end behind the duo of Kampmann and Vic Beasley. With Kampman now a free agent, New Jersey may need to prioritize the edge rush in the offseason along with finding a new receiving TE.

Others who announced their decision to retire in the past 2 weeks include WR Emmanuel Sanders (ORL), TE Daniel Fells (DAL), G Sean Locklear (CHA) and HB Shane Vereen (OKL)

Here we go. Four teams left, two games, and the winners punch their tickets to Las Vegas and Summer Bowl 2019. Will we get a rematch of the 2018 title game (Houston v. Arizona) or can the upstart Bandits and surprising Denver Gold mix things up and give us something unexpected this week. The odds are in favor of the two home teams, which would set up the first rematch in Summer Bowl history, but we have already seen one big upset this postseason, and history tells us that we should expect some surprises as we come down to the wire. So, with an eye on how each underdog could potentially shock the favorites, here is our breakdown of each Conference Title Game.

Tampa Bay Bandits (10-6) @ Houston Gamblers (11-5)

Sunday, July 28 @ 2pm ET

NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

Gamblers -6

How the Bandits Win: Tampa Bay is not a team that is going to try to shorten the game, run the ball to eat clock, and dink & dunk their way down the field. They are a big play, vertically minded team. So how do they make that work for them against the Gamblers? The key may well be to diversify their attack even further. Yes, we saw against Philadelphia that the Bandits were able to win without a huge game from Dez Bryant, but in this matchup they may still need more. More in the passing game from HB Dalvin Cook, more from rookie receiver Deebo Samuel. On defense they will need to contain, confuse, and cause mistakes. Houston’s offense is as diverse, if not more diverse, than the Bandits, so you cannot shut down every option. The Bandits need to hide their coverages, disguise their blitzes and confound Dak Prescott with changing zone schemes if they hope to outpace the Gamblers.

How the Gamblers Win: Let’s start on defense. The teams that have had success against Tampa Bay this year are those that have been able to bring pressure against Dak Prescott. Rush him, force him out of the pocket, make him consider running instead of a dump down pass. Those are strategies necessary to disrupt the rhythm in the Bandit offense. Key to this will be DE Dante Fowler, and the use of well-hidden blitzes from LB Ramik Wilson and the two safeties, Baker and Vaccaro. On offense, the key may well be to force Tampa Bay to cover Carlos Hyde and Vernon Davis early in the game, to pull defenders away from double teams on JuJu Smith-Shuster. The Gamblers, like Tampa, want to hit on big plays, and those plays may come, but first you have to prove you will use every receiver on the field, force the Bandits to cover the shallow options as well as the deeper ones.

OUR PICK: We are very impressed with what Tampa Bay has been able to do this year. In Mark Trestman’s first season the defense is now significantly better and the offense is one of the league’s best, but what we see in Tampa is almost an homage to the Houston Gamblers under Wade Phillips. So, can the student become the master? We are not sold on that, not quite yet. We think Houston will find more effective ways to address weaknesses in the Bandit defense than we will see when the Bandits are on offense. We are picking Houston to return once more to the Summer Bowl. Gamblers take this one, 33-29.

Denver Gold (10-6) @ Arizona Wranglers (13-3)

Sunday, July 28 @ 6pm ET

State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ

Wranglers -8.5

How the Gold Win: The plan has to be very much what they did in Michigan, establish the run, shorten the game, play error free, and force the Wranglers to establish long drives without big plays. Unfortunately, Arizona has more options on offense, a more patient QB in David Carr, and the experience not to get flustered by a close score. They also have Calais Campbell, who could really produce issues for Josh Allen and the Gold offense. The formula is there, and it can work, but only if Denver can find ways to retain possession, stack first downs on each other, and eat up clock.

How the Wranglers Win: Don’t panic. That feels like all they need to do. If they get a lead early they could take the game by breaking Denver’s ability to slow down the game, but if they don’t then they just need to recognize that the game will be close. There will be moments when they can find gaps in the Denver defense, and they need to hit on those plays. Just a couple of big plays could shatter the Denver chokehold and force a very different type of game. On defense, the Wranglers need to contain Josh Allen, using pressure, but not allowing him to leave the pocket. Denver is not a big play offense, so just be patient, get them in third down and then apply pressure.

OUR PICK: Look, as much as we love a good Cinderella story, this looks very much like midnight to us, and we think Arizona is deserving of a Summer Bowl appearance. Besides, the idea of the USFL having its first rematch in Summer Bowl history is pretty enticing. We know that ESPN would love a Gambler-Wrangler rematch, and we think the USFL and its fans would too. Our pick is Arizona to break Denver down, get a lead early and ride it to victory. Wranglers 23-14.